I think that the hardest part of the ordeal is the perpetual feeling of not being heard or understood. Although people's lack of kindness and compassion no longer surprises me, and by now I'm well-used to being harassed and hated by people who don't even know me, I am constantly amazed at the limitations of otherwise seemingly bright people to grasp the wrongfulness of what has been done. Individuals who should "get it" but fail to do so. Maybe they're just not as bright as I thought.
I once had a piano student who was deaf. He was much easier to teach.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Chicken Little, Deaths and Taxes
"I'm upset," she said quietly, near tears.
"About what?" I said, the panic button in my heart starting to flash.
"About Nexus," she said quietly, near tears.
Whew! Only Nexus again... I relax, greatly relieved. I nearly jump for joy! Only Nexus again... When you're talking to an 85 year old lady, a cancer survivor whose bones are so brittle that they literally break sometimes when she moves wrong in a chair; who nearly died a year ago from a triple by-pass surgery gone awry... make that THREE surgeries in a row, lickety-split, including the emergency exploratory for the perforated ulcer (that former Nexus CEO and current Plaintiff Jim D'Angelo - our new "good neighbor" viciously suggested I caused, nice guy that he is); a bright, spirited woman who has had a long life of Been There, Done That - to the point where not much rattles her anymore; one who has experienced so much upset - not only the loss of her parents and brothers, husband and daughter, and oh so many, too many old friends ... you know she doesn't "sweat the small stuff." So yes. I was happy that she was upset about Nexus and wasn't about to hit me with bad news, some new life-threatening medical crisis. After all, since Nexus invaded our lives a year and a half ago, everyone in my family has been in a constant state of upset.
"What now?" I asked her. "Why are you upset?"
"I just got my tax statement. Property taxes went up," she said.
"How bad?"
"Over a thousand dollars," said the old woman on a fixed income. "They were just over three thousand. Now they're up to almost five thousand dollars! And its because of NEXUS"
I know that this is an unappropriate reaction, but I started to laugh. It was a bitter laugh. Think about all of those venomous pronexus jerks who have been so nasty to Hannabelle... I've told them the truth, and not only did they not listen, they got MAD at me. Like Chicken Little, I warned them that the sky is falling, the sky is falling. They looked at the ground and said, "No its not." More accurately, they said, "No its not, you bitch!"
They said: Nexus is an "academy" for "poor troubled boys" who have been abused. I said: Nexus is a correctional institution for convicted juvenile sex offenders who have caused harm to others. They said: Nexus provides jobs that our local people rely on. I said: Over 60% of Nexus employees live outside of Mille Lacs County. They said: If Nexus leaves Onamia, the town will crumble and wither away. I pointed out that Nexus has been here for almost twenty years - while, under Larry Milton's tenure as mayor, the town has crumbled and withered away. Go figure. Perhaps without Nexus and without Larry, the town might prosper and grow???
They said: If we don't give them tax exemption, Nexus will move to Brainerd or even out of state! I said: Brainerd refused to give them tax exemption. Its all a bluff. Nexus isn't going anywhere. Call their bluff. You'll see. (I was right. Nexus didn't get tax exemption and didn't go away.) They said: If we don't give them tax ABATEMENT, Nexus will leave! I said: They said they'd leave if they didn't get tax exemption and THEY'RE STILL HERE! Don't you get it? Its a BLUFF! They said: We can't risk losing them! We neeed Nexus! Nexus has been a "good neighbor". I said: "With all their millions, what have they done for the community? Where's the Nexus Library? Where's the frickin' Nexus PARK BENCH - fer cryin' out loud?" Nexus isn't a giver. Its a taker. They said: But the "boys" rake leaves for the seniors [i.e. senior citizens like my mom] and they're "very well-behaved in church". I admit that argument leaves me speechless. Just how gullable are these people?
They said: Nexus doesn't have to pay taxes because they are a "charity". I said: The Minnesota Department of Revenue says that Nexus doesn't qualify as a charity and does NOT qualify for property tax exemption. They said: But they can't afford to pay their taxes. I said: And YOU can? With an annual budget of 38 million dollars, the LEAST they can do is pay their taxes. They can pay their taxes so that WE don't have to. After all, Nexus is a parasite (so sue me some more, asshole). Nexus is a PARASITE. It exists and is sustained through our taxpayer money in the first place. That's how they make money... a whole sh*tload of money - by leeching off OUR taxes to support sex offenders, to build their sex offenders a new ball field, a new gym, a state-of-the-art facility. And, of course, to pay huge corporate salaries to their administrators so they can afford vacations in Palm Springs or a month in Italy with money that came from YOU. What do they give back to the taxpayers? When was the last time YOU went to Italy for a vacation?
"I don't think its right that Nexus doesn't have to pay taxes," she said.
"Yeah, Mom. I don't think its right either."
"Why do WE have to pay for them?" she said. It was rhetorical.
"It sucks."
"And its not right that they're suing us," she said.
"They're not suing 'us', Mom. They're suing ME. Don't you worry about it."
"But you didn't do anything wrong!" she said. "How can he sue you for calling him Poopsie? There must be something wrong with him." *1.
"I know, Mom. I know..... Hey, how's your broken rib?"
"It hurts," she said.
"Same rib that broke before?"
She nodded solemnly.
She lives a quiet, unobtrusive life. She watches her "soap", and Jeopardy. On weekends she comes up to our house to watch PBR bullriding. She has her books (lots of Koontz and King) and her Nintendo. She particularly likes to play Tetris and all the Zelda games, but also enjoys Paper Mario. Right now she is playing "Symphonia" for the second time. More power to her. She loves to watch the wildlife out of her windows. This summer, we got a daily report on the activities of the woodchuck family. She also enjoys sharing the amusing antics of her two cats, Sam and Pippin.
At 85, she exceptionally frail and in constant pain, but her mind is still sharp as a tack. She pays attention to politics and can give you a dozen reasons why Sarah Palin should go back to Alaska and disappear. After all, my mom remembers the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the "Fireside chats" on the radio, WWII when sugar was rationed and men went off to die across the sea. Fortunately (especially for me) her three brothers and my father came back from the war alive and whole. She grew up on a farm, went to school and after earning a teaching degree, taught the three Rs in a one-room schoolhouse. She still remembers most of her students names, and talks about them every once in awhile - always as if they never grew up, married or didn't, worked and lived and maybe died before her. To her, they will always be the children she remembers, suspended in Time.
She raised two daughters. She watched her oldest die of a sudden heart aneurism as they were discussing what to do for dinner that night. Just like that. Can you imagine? Watching your child drop dead and there's nothing you can do? But somehow my mom got through it. She's strong. A few weeks after having a mastectomy, her chest still bandaged, my mother found the strength to push me around Mayo in a wheelchair when Death came to my own door. (We didn't let him in...) She was there for me, as she always has been. She didn't want to lose me too. Her older sister, her college roommate, and me were all she had left... Now she has Poncho too, her son-in-law, whom she loves dearly. Oh, and 94 unwanted convicted sex offenders moving in down the street, whom she does not. Let's not forget them! Lots of new people in her life. oh joy. Lucky her.
I've been so upset about the way the local government has "raped" us this past year and a half, that, lost in my own anger I sometimes forget the impact Nexus has had on my mother. She has her own anger - which is contrary to her gentle nature, and has legitimate fear of the young men soon to occupy our corner's unlocked sex offender facilities. It makes me even more bitter that HER rights have been violated than it does my own. At least I could DO something to try to stop this outrageously wrongful thing. She could not. I was able to go to the pitiful public "We're Not Listening" hearings and I could stand up and fight for our rights and I could exercise my First Amendment rights at public meetings and on the Internet and I could sacrifice my life savings in a bogus lawsuit SLAPPed on me by a creepy, vindictive asshole and his sidekick.***2. I'm pretty tough. I'm a Ted Bundy survivor, after all. But my mom... She was nothing but collateral damage to them... Her life, insignificant. What disgusting, ruthless people!
(But well-behaved in church...) And to top it all off, her taxes go up.
"Mom, let me get that!" I say as she gets up to answer the call of the teakettle whistling on the stove.
"No, I've got it," she says.
"But your rib..."
"I'm okay," she says as she makes the instant coffee, moving slowly, carefully. I watch her with an odd mix of sympathy and guilt. I'm helpless to protect her from broken bones and sex offenders. The least I could do, if she would let me, is to pour the instant coffee.
I sigh. Yes. She is okay. For now. That thousand dollar increase in taxes hurts more than her broken rib and Nexus has left more scars than her mastectomy and triple bypass combined. Assaults on one's spirit are sometimes worse than physical pain. If you haven't been through what we've been through, I'm pretty sure you can't understand.
But now. NOW. Now, everyone in the county is getting their own taste of Nexus as their own property taxes leap. They said: Get over it! Nobody cares except YOU, Hannabelle. I said: Nexus affects us all. Watch your taxes go up. They only sneered. I only smiled.
Now the fit has hit the shan. Who's crying now: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING! I smile wanly and say: Uh-huh. You finally looked up. You see it now? Right there on your own property tax statement. Nexus' calling card.
Maybe Hannabelle isn't the only one who cares anymore. Nexus is in everybody's back yard. Just like I told you so.
For Vic - D'Angelo and Freeman's lawyer.
***1. Please, mr lawyer don't sue me no more for saying there is something wrong with your client. Although I share my mom's opinion that your client is a SICK man, anybody who would misuse a city council to change city ordinances in order to force sex offenders onto citizens who do not have the power of the vote (your client said we do in his affidavit - which was untrue, but then, your client is a proven liar) - and then turn around and sue a disabled woman for calling him Poopsie, well, don't sue me again - I'm just reporting a real conversation we had. Contrary to your silly claim, I do not just sit at my computer making things up about your clients because I think its "funny". There is nothing funny about the damages your clients have caused to me and my family. Real damages. Hard core damages.
***2. It is MY OPINION that your clients are creepy, vindictive assholes. I formed my opinion from my personal experience with them, from their actions and the way they've treated us. I have lots of opinions. Even opinions about you.
You should know this, Vic. This is what you accused me of. And you're wrong. I may be angry, with good reason, but I am not a malicious person. I was just sitting here for thirty years, minding my own business when your clients imposed themselves on me. I wasn't looking for a fight. My fight is with the government. My initial intent was only for your clients to go away (to a proper location with proper zoning) and leave me alone. Oh, you should know that too. That's what your client said when I asked him why he was suing me. He said, "We thought you'd go away." (I'm so glad I have witnesses to that one!) We had bets that he'd lie on his sworn affidavit and sure enough, he did. Unfortunately, we couldn't collect because nobody bet against us. Think about that. About not being able to collect.
It is MY OPINION that their lawsuit illustrates what kind of slimy creatures they really are. (You can add "slimy creatures" to the list. My lawyer is fine with that.) Please keep in mind when you tell Judge Number Six that I called your clients slimy, creepy, vindictive assholes, heartless, a "snake", etc. etc. that I, in turn, will tell the judge WHY I said what I've said. As you probably know by now, the FBI has been involved. Yes. For real. I told D'Angelo that BEFORE he sued me. Not my fault that he didn't believe me. As for calling your client a liar, well.... besides having lots of witnesses, I have written documentation. Tell D'Angelo that if he wants me to shut up, he's made an error in his psychological strategy. It ain't working. Being experts in psychology and social work, you'd think they'd know better. And being brutal - trying to break a person's spirit or their bank account doesn't demonstrate superiority and doesn't garner respect. It just shows brutality. My mom thinks you should be ashamed of yourselves. I suppose you'll sue her next, huh.
For MY lawyers: Sorry. But look at it this way, more work for you. :) Well, at least until the money runs out, which will be soon. No, I don't care if they know. Hell, I want everybody to know. It may even be a new cause. People like them shouldn't be able to sue people like me over things like this.
For my READERS: Please click the DONATE button at the upper right of the screen and kick in a few (thousand) bucks. I'm fighting for YOUR rights too. Thanks.
"About what?" I said, the panic button in my heart starting to flash.
"About Nexus," she said quietly, near tears.
Whew! Only Nexus again... I relax, greatly relieved. I nearly jump for joy! Only Nexus again... When you're talking to an 85 year old lady, a cancer survivor whose bones are so brittle that they literally break sometimes when she moves wrong in a chair; who nearly died a year ago from a triple by-pass surgery gone awry... make that THREE surgeries in a row, lickety-split, including the emergency exploratory for the perforated ulcer (that former Nexus CEO and current Plaintiff Jim D'Angelo - our new "good neighbor" viciously suggested I caused, nice guy that he is); a bright, spirited woman who has had a long life of Been There, Done That - to the point where not much rattles her anymore; one who has experienced so much upset - not only the loss of her parents and brothers, husband and daughter, and oh so many, too many old friends ... you know she doesn't "sweat the small stuff." So yes. I was happy that she was upset about Nexus and wasn't about to hit me with bad news, some new life-threatening medical crisis. After all, since Nexus invaded our lives a year and a half ago, everyone in my family has been in a constant state of upset.
"What now?" I asked her. "Why are you upset?"
"I just got my tax statement. Property taxes went up," she said.
"How bad?"
"Over a thousand dollars," said the old woman on a fixed income. "They were just over three thousand. Now they're up to almost five thousand dollars! And its because of NEXUS"
I know that this is an unappropriate reaction, but I started to laugh. It was a bitter laugh. Think about all of those venomous pronexus jerks who have been so nasty to Hannabelle... I've told them the truth, and not only did they not listen, they got MAD at me. Like Chicken Little, I warned them that the sky is falling, the sky is falling. They looked at the ground and said, "No its not." More accurately, they said, "No its not, you bitch!"
They said: Nexus is an "academy" for "poor troubled boys" who have been abused. I said: Nexus is a correctional institution for convicted juvenile sex offenders who have caused harm to others. They said: Nexus provides jobs that our local people rely on. I said: Over 60% of Nexus employees live outside of Mille Lacs County. They said: If Nexus leaves Onamia, the town will crumble and wither away. I pointed out that Nexus has been here for almost twenty years - while, under Larry Milton's tenure as mayor, the town has crumbled and withered away. Go figure. Perhaps without Nexus and without Larry, the town might prosper and grow???
They said: If we don't give them tax exemption, Nexus will move to Brainerd or even out of state! I said: Brainerd refused to give them tax exemption. Its all a bluff. Nexus isn't going anywhere. Call their bluff. You'll see. (I was right. Nexus didn't get tax exemption and didn't go away.) They said: If we don't give them tax ABATEMENT, Nexus will leave! I said: They said they'd leave if they didn't get tax exemption and THEY'RE STILL HERE! Don't you get it? Its a BLUFF! They said: We can't risk losing them! We neeed Nexus! Nexus has been a "good neighbor". I said: "With all their millions, what have they done for the community? Where's the Nexus Library? Where's the frickin' Nexus PARK BENCH - fer cryin' out loud?" Nexus isn't a giver. Its a taker. They said: But the "boys" rake leaves for the seniors [i.e. senior citizens like my mom] and they're "very well-behaved in church". I admit that argument leaves me speechless. Just how gullable are these people?
They said: Nexus doesn't have to pay taxes because they are a "charity". I said: The Minnesota Department of Revenue says that Nexus doesn't qualify as a charity and does NOT qualify for property tax exemption. They said: But they can't afford to pay their taxes. I said: And YOU can? With an annual budget of 38 million dollars, the LEAST they can do is pay their taxes. They can pay their taxes so that WE don't have to. After all, Nexus is a parasite (so sue me some more, asshole). Nexus is a PARASITE. It exists and is sustained through our taxpayer money in the first place. That's how they make money... a whole sh*tload of money - by leeching off OUR taxes to support sex offenders, to build their sex offenders a new ball field, a new gym, a state-of-the-art facility. And, of course, to pay huge corporate salaries to their administrators so they can afford vacations in Palm Springs or a month in Italy with money that came from YOU. What do they give back to the taxpayers? When was the last time YOU went to Italy for a vacation?
"I don't think its right that Nexus doesn't have to pay taxes," she said.
"Yeah, Mom. I don't think its right either."
"Why do WE have to pay for them?" she said. It was rhetorical.
"It sucks."
"And its not right that they're suing us," she said.
"They're not suing 'us', Mom. They're suing ME. Don't you worry about it."
"But you didn't do anything wrong!" she said. "How can he sue you for calling him Poopsie? There must be something wrong with him." *1.
"I know, Mom. I know..... Hey, how's your broken rib?"
"It hurts," she said.
"Same rib that broke before?"
She nodded solemnly.
She lives a quiet, unobtrusive life. She watches her "soap", and Jeopardy. On weekends she comes up to our house to watch PBR bullriding. She has her books (lots of Koontz and King) and her Nintendo. She particularly likes to play Tetris and all the Zelda games, but also enjoys Paper Mario. Right now she is playing "Symphonia" for the second time. More power to her. She loves to watch the wildlife out of her windows. This summer, we got a daily report on the activities of the woodchuck family. She also enjoys sharing the amusing antics of her two cats, Sam and Pippin.
At 85, she exceptionally frail and in constant pain, but her mind is still sharp as a tack. She pays attention to politics and can give you a dozen reasons why Sarah Palin should go back to Alaska and disappear. After all, my mom remembers the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the "Fireside chats" on the radio, WWII when sugar was rationed and men went off to die across the sea. Fortunately (especially for me) her three brothers and my father came back from the war alive and whole. She grew up on a farm, went to school and after earning a teaching degree, taught the three Rs in a one-room schoolhouse. She still remembers most of her students names, and talks about them every once in awhile - always as if they never grew up, married or didn't, worked and lived and maybe died before her. To her, they will always be the children she remembers, suspended in Time.
She raised two daughters. She watched her oldest die of a sudden heart aneurism as they were discussing what to do for dinner that night. Just like that. Can you imagine? Watching your child drop dead and there's nothing you can do? But somehow my mom got through it. She's strong. A few weeks after having a mastectomy, her chest still bandaged, my mother found the strength to push me around Mayo in a wheelchair when Death came to my own door. (We didn't let him in...) She was there for me, as she always has been. She didn't want to lose me too. Her older sister, her college roommate, and me were all she had left... Now she has Poncho too, her son-in-law, whom she loves dearly. Oh, and 94 unwanted convicted sex offenders moving in down the street, whom she does not. Let's not forget them! Lots of new people in her life. oh joy. Lucky her.
I've been so upset about the way the local government has "raped" us this past year and a half, that, lost in my own anger I sometimes forget the impact Nexus has had on my mother. She has her own anger - which is contrary to her gentle nature, and has legitimate fear of the young men soon to occupy our corner's unlocked sex offender facilities. It makes me even more bitter that HER rights have been violated than it does my own. At least I could DO something to try to stop this outrageously wrongful thing. She could not. I was able to go to the pitiful public "We're Not Listening" hearings and I could stand up and fight for our rights and I could exercise my First Amendment rights at public meetings and on the Internet and I could sacrifice my life savings in a bogus lawsuit SLAPPed on me by a creepy, vindictive asshole and his sidekick.***2. I'm pretty tough. I'm a Ted Bundy survivor, after all. But my mom... She was nothing but collateral damage to them... Her life, insignificant. What disgusting, ruthless people!
(But well-behaved in church...) And to top it all off, her taxes go up.
"Mom, let me get that!" I say as she gets up to answer the call of the teakettle whistling on the stove.
"No, I've got it," she says.
"But your rib..."
"I'm okay," she says as she makes the instant coffee, moving slowly, carefully. I watch her with an odd mix of sympathy and guilt. I'm helpless to protect her from broken bones and sex offenders. The least I could do, if she would let me, is to pour the instant coffee.
I sigh. Yes. She is okay. For now. That thousand dollar increase in taxes hurts more than her broken rib and Nexus has left more scars than her mastectomy and triple bypass combined. Assaults on one's spirit are sometimes worse than physical pain. If you haven't been through what we've been through, I'm pretty sure you can't understand.
But now. NOW. Now, everyone in the county is getting their own taste of Nexus as their own property taxes leap. They said: Get over it! Nobody cares except YOU, Hannabelle. I said: Nexus affects us all. Watch your taxes go up. They only sneered. I only smiled.
Now the fit has hit the shan. Who's crying now: THE SKY IS FALLING THE SKY IS FALLING! I smile wanly and say: Uh-huh. You finally looked up. You see it now? Right there on your own property tax statement. Nexus' calling card.
Maybe Hannabelle isn't the only one who cares anymore. Nexus is in everybody's back yard. Just like I told you so.
For Vic - D'Angelo and Freeman's lawyer.
***1. Please, mr lawyer don't sue me no more for saying there is something wrong with your client. Although I share my mom's opinion that your client is a SICK man, anybody who would misuse a city council to change city ordinances in order to force sex offenders onto citizens who do not have the power of the vote (your client said we do in his affidavit - which was untrue, but then, your client is a proven liar) - and then turn around and sue a disabled woman for calling him Poopsie, well, don't sue me again - I'm just reporting a real conversation we had. Contrary to your silly claim, I do not just sit at my computer making things up about your clients because I think its "funny". There is nothing funny about the damages your clients have caused to me and my family. Real damages. Hard core damages.
***2. It is MY OPINION that your clients are creepy, vindictive assholes. I formed my opinion from my personal experience with them, from their actions and the way they've treated us. I have lots of opinions. Even opinions about you.
Vindictive: showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite. Disposed to seek revenge.
You should know this, Vic. This is what you accused me of. And you're wrong. I may be angry, with good reason, but I am not a malicious person. I was just sitting here for thirty years, minding my own business when your clients imposed themselves on me. I wasn't looking for a fight. My fight is with the government. My initial intent was only for your clients to go away (to a proper location with proper zoning) and leave me alone. Oh, you should know that too. That's what your client said when I asked him why he was suing me. He said, "We thought you'd go away." (I'm so glad I have witnesses to that one!) We had bets that he'd lie on his sworn affidavit and sure enough, he did. Unfortunately, we couldn't collect because nobody bet against us. Think about that. About not being able to collect.
It is MY OPINION that their lawsuit illustrates what kind of slimy creatures they really are. (You can add "slimy creatures" to the list. My lawyer is fine with that.) Please keep in mind when you tell Judge Number Six that I called your clients slimy, creepy, vindictive assholes, heartless, a "snake", etc. etc. that I, in turn, will tell the judge WHY I said what I've said. As you probably know by now, the FBI has been involved. Yes. For real. I told D'Angelo that BEFORE he sued me. Not my fault that he didn't believe me. As for calling your client a liar, well.... besides having lots of witnesses, I have written documentation. Tell D'Angelo that if he wants me to shut up, he's made an error in his psychological strategy. It ain't working. Being experts in psychology and social work, you'd think they'd know better. And being brutal - trying to break a person's spirit or their bank account doesn't demonstrate superiority and doesn't garner respect. It just shows brutality. My mom thinks you should be ashamed of yourselves. I suppose you'll sue her next, huh.
For MY lawyers: Sorry. But look at it this way, more work for you. :) Well, at least until the money runs out, which will be soon. No, I don't care if they know. Hell, I want everybody to know. It may even be a new cause. People like them shouldn't be able to sue people like me over things like this.
For my READERS: Please click the DONATE button at the upper right of the screen and kick in a few (thousand) bucks. I'm fighting for YOUR rights too. Thanks.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Clean up your MESS!
"It's amazing the number of people who will tell me, my editor or someone on the Messenger staff that they don't read the Messenger. And yet, they are often the first to let us know when we don't get something right or they don't agree with what we've written."
Kevin Anderson, Publisher of the Mille Lacs Messenger - from When the paper doesn't come - 11/19/08
WOW! Mr. Anderson goes on in his editorial to say: "This column is more directed to the nearly 10,000 readers of the Mille Lacs Messenger than to the naysayers of its newsworthiness."
hmmm. I, for one, am a naysayer. I've been critical of the local newspaper ever since I began reading it when the local government, acting as an agent for Nexus, a private multi-million dollar corporation, invaded Bradbury Township and went all Fascist on us. Did the nearly 10,000 Mess readers have an opportunity to read about how the local government changed the ordinances which previously protected property owner rights? Nope. Not in the Mess. Did they read about how the public was lied to about things such as safety records, escapes, how much money is made and how little spent by Nexus in our county, or how Nexus thrives off of taxpayer dollars? Nope. Not in the Mess. (There was some information on tax abatement and such, however there was a lot of misinformation which was never corrected... A lot.)
What exactly did the Mess tell their nearly 10,000 readers about the Onamia government writing, changing, amending, and/or ignoring laws - in order to allow 94 convicted sex offenders next to day care, children, elderly widows, and vulnerable adults? To be fair, (and I always try), there was one article written by editor Brett Larson which mentioned that we are the "sacrificial lambs." He acknowledged that we don't have the power of the vote. I wish he would have been stronger. It wasn't enough to counter the paper's huge slant in favor of the poor troubled boys, the abused children, the nerdy kids. (i.e. convicted sex offenders who have "caused harm"...) We naysayers - those of us who lost our rights to protect our properties - were raked over the coals by the Mess, with their reporting of our "fear and ignorance - fear and ignorance - fear and ignorance" about the "children... children... children... child... children... child... children." And about us, they said: they fear public speaking more than death...........
They withheld tons of Nexus facts from their 10,000 readers. It was obvious whose side the Mess was on. One can only speculate why. Could it be that they "feared" losing advertisers who - not knowing the facts -supported Nexus? I don't know. Did the publisher of this newspaper respond to a conflict of interest regarding his brother-in-law profitting off a land deal? The brother-in-law happens to be a good friend of Mayor Larry Milton... who is portrayed in the Mess NOT as the bully he is, but as a wise and oftentimes cute and rambunctious maverick... (How endearing...) His friend, the Mess publisher's brother-in-law sold land to another pal who plans to build a supper club which, of course needs a liquor license. Is that why the paper pushed having the sex offenders in our backyard and not the brother-in-laws? You can't, after all, have a liquor license within a certain footage of a correctional facility. Nexus is a correctional facility. Its better to put the sex offenders next to children and little old ladies who are at risk? You better believe that when it comes to these kind of shennanigans, I am the first to say "NAY!"
So yeah. I'm one of the naysayers. I'm the naysayer who is being sued for calling former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo "Poopsie" and for questioning scape-goat expert Peter D. Freeman's ethics while I tried to defend the civil rights of my neighbors and protect my 85 year old mom from 94 sex offenders. Oh Hannabelle is such a bad, bad person... Didn't you ever wonder why I felt the need to start my own on-line newspaper and blog? I wanted the People to hear the Truth. Didn't happen. The Mess didn't print the Truth and now it's nearly 10,000 uninformed readers have gone merrily about their lives - reading about "dowsing", grade school band concerts, and pigs stuck in sewers. There wasn't anything about the improper zoning classification of Nexus by Zoning Guy Mickey Carter - or about him disregarding old zoning laws, wrongfully approving placing a commercial institution in a residential area, however this week in the Mess, there is quite a bit about him talking about automobile tires and their rims... What would have happened if these nearly 10,000 readers had known how local government was screwing local citizens with their sex offenders? What if they had been educated about the situation - the conflicts of interests - that Nexus has been here throughout the town's deterioration - that most of the employees don't even live in Mille Lacs county? There's so much that wasn't reported. So much that was misreported. What if they had read that Nexus lies about the number of escapes and violent episodes of the "poor troubled boys" in this unlocked correctional facility? Maybe there wouldn't be another new supper club built to follow in Sodbuster's footsteps.
We'll never know.
But that's "old news" now, isn't it? Hannabelle - get over it! Except that I am left to live with the traffic, the noise, and the "boys" are coming. I feel the scars of being civically violated by my own government and wronged by my fellow citizens who were misinformed, even the betrayal of people I considered longtime friends. I've become used to being treated badly by members of my own community. Scape-goated. Ostracized. Attacked. Now, I even EXPECT to be treated horribly! I live with the daily reminder of the Power of the Press.
Hey - did you read about Councilman Jerome Kryzer and how he spends his winters in Arizona instead of attending Onamia city council meetings? Nope. Not in the Mess. Is that why he was re-elected? Because nearly 10,000 people didn't ever hear about Kryzer's snow-birding? Or how about the mayor's health? Ever hear about how Mayor Larry Milton has been battling cancer? Nope. Not in the Mess. Is he fit for office? (Was he ever?)He ran unopposed and was re-elected by less than 300 voters. Were they informed about how good old Larry forfeited citizens' rights in order to cut the multi-million dollar sex offender business a great deal? To give the company with the over 38 million dollar annual budget free taxes for 15 years? Did the voters know that he threatened citizens who opposed Nexus? Not in the Mess. Now he wants to build an industrial park. Maybe in YOUR neighborhood. (Ours is full-up with sex offenders). THAT was in the Mess... Industrial park. We need an industrial park like a fish needs a bicycle.
Prior to the election, the Mille Lacs Messenger didn't spend much time informing their nearly 10,000 readers about candidates, especially local ones who can change our lives forever.
Mr. Anderson says in his latest op-ed article: "The attitude of, "I don't read that rag," is a cover for not admitting that we are the news source for the Mille Lacs community. We have been the source for nearly 100 years and I suspect no matter how we deliver the news - through newsprint, our web site or whatever technology is available in the future - we will be a news agency for years to come."
A cover for not admitting???? What IS that? My naysaying response: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Can you spell D-E-L-U-S-I-O-N-A-L?
People want a decent local newspaper... a professional one they can trust. Sure. There's room for cute, personal stories. There is no excuse for withholding the real news though - events and decisions which can alter your lives forever.
*Note: When I confronted Mayor Larry Milton about us being sold down the river for a liquor license, he confirmed it but added "There's more to it than just that." So don't sue ME. Sue HIM. Thank you.
Kevin Anderson, Publisher of the Mille Lacs Messenger - from When the paper doesn't come - 11/19/08
WOW! Mr. Anderson goes on in his editorial to say: "This column is more directed to the nearly 10,000 readers of the Mille Lacs Messenger than to the naysayers of its newsworthiness."
hmmm. I, for one, am a naysayer. I've been critical of the local newspaper ever since I began reading it when the local government, acting as an agent for Nexus, a private multi-million dollar corporation, invaded Bradbury Township and went all Fascist on us. Did the nearly 10,000 Mess readers have an opportunity to read about how the local government changed the ordinances which previously protected property owner rights? Nope. Not in the Mess. Did they read about how the public was lied to about things such as safety records, escapes, how much money is made and how little spent by Nexus in our county, or how Nexus thrives off of taxpayer dollars? Nope. Not in the Mess. (There was some information on tax abatement and such, however there was a lot of misinformation which was never corrected... A lot.)
What exactly did the Mess tell their nearly 10,000 readers about the Onamia government writing, changing, amending, and/or ignoring laws - in order to allow 94 convicted sex offenders next to day care, children, elderly widows, and vulnerable adults? To be fair, (and I always try), there was one article written by editor Brett Larson which mentioned that we are the "sacrificial lambs." He acknowledged that we don't have the power of the vote. I wish he would have been stronger. It wasn't enough to counter the paper's huge slant in favor of the poor troubled boys, the abused children, the nerdy kids. (i.e. convicted sex offenders who have "caused harm"...) We naysayers - those of us who lost our rights to protect our properties - were raked over the coals by the Mess, with their reporting of our "fear and ignorance - fear and ignorance - fear and ignorance" about the "children... children... children... child... children... child... children." And about us, they said: they fear public speaking more than death...........
They withheld tons of Nexus facts from their 10,000 readers. It was obvious whose side the Mess was on. One can only speculate why. Could it be that they "feared" losing advertisers who - not knowing the facts -supported Nexus? I don't know. Did the publisher of this newspaper respond to a conflict of interest regarding his brother-in-law profitting off a land deal? The brother-in-law happens to be a good friend of Mayor Larry Milton... who is portrayed in the Mess NOT as the bully he is, but as a wise and oftentimes cute and rambunctious maverick... (How endearing...) His friend, the Mess publisher's brother-in-law sold land to another pal who plans to build a supper club which, of course needs a liquor license. Is that why the paper pushed having the sex offenders in our backyard and not the brother-in-laws? You can't, after all, have a liquor license within a certain footage of a correctional facility. Nexus is a correctional facility. Its better to put the sex offenders next to children and little old ladies who are at risk? You better believe that when it comes to these kind of shennanigans, I am the first to say "NAY!"
So yeah. I'm one of the naysayers. I'm the naysayer who is being sued for calling former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo "Poopsie" and for questioning scape-goat expert Peter D. Freeman's ethics while I tried to defend the civil rights of my neighbors and protect my 85 year old mom from 94 sex offenders. Oh Hannabelle is such a bad, bad person... Didn't you ever wonder why I felt the need to start my own on-line newspaper and blog? I wanted the People to hear the Truth. Didn't happen. The Mess didn't print the Truth and now it's nearly 10,000 uninformed readers have gone merrily about their lives - reading about "dowsing", grade school band concerts, and pigs stuck in sewers. There wasn't anything about the improper zoning classification of Nexus by Zoning Guy Mickey Carter - or about him disregarding old zoning laws, wrongfully approving placing a commercial institution in a residential area, however this week in the Mess, there is quite a bit about him talking about automobile tires and their rims... What would have happened if these nearly 10,000 readers had known how local government was screwing local citizens with their sex offenders? What if they had been educated about the situation - the conflicts of interests - that Nexus has been here throughout the town's deterioration - that most of the employees don't even live in Mille Lacs county? There's so much that wasn't reported. So much that was misreported. What if they had read that Nexus lies about the number of escapes and violent episodes of the "poor troubled boys" in this unlocked correctional facility? Maybe there wouldn't be another new supper club built to follow in Sodbuster's footsteps.
We'll never know.
But that's "old news" now, isn't it? Hannabelle - get over it! Except that I am left to live with the traffic, the noise, and the "boys" are coming. I feel the scars of being civically violated by my own government and wronged by my fellow citizens who were misinformed, even the betrayal of people I considered longtime friends. I've become used to being treated badly by members of my own community. Scape-goated. Ostracized. Attacked. Now, I even EXPECT to be treated horribly! I live with the daily reminder of the Power of the Press.
Hey - did you read about Councilman Jerome Kryzer and how he spends his winters in Arizona instead of attending Onamia city council meetings? Nope. Not in the Mess. Is that why he was re-elected? Because nearly 10,000 people didn't ever hear about Kryzer's snow-birding? Or how about the mayor's health? Ever hear about how Mayor Larry Milton has been battling cancer? Nope. Not in the Mess. Is he fit for office? (Was he ever?)He ran unopposed and was re-elected by less than 300 voters. Were they informed about how good old Larry forfeited citizens' rights in order to cut the multi-million dollar sex offender business a great deal? To give the company with the over 38 million dollar annual budget free taxes for 15 years? Did the voters know that he threatened citizens who opposed Nexus? Not in the Mess. Now he wants to build an industrial park. Maybe in YOUR neighborhood. (Ours is full-up with sex offenders). THAT was in the Mess... Industrial park. We need an industrial park like a fish needs a bicycle.
Prior to the election, the Mille Lacs Messenger didn't spend much time informing their nearly 10,000 readers about candidates, especially local ones who can change our lives forever.
Mr. Anderson says in his latest op-ed article: "The attitude of, "I don't read that rag," is a cover for not admitting that we are the news source for the Mille Lacs community. We have been the source for nearly 100 years and I suspect no matter how we deliver the news - through newsprint, our web site or whatever technology is available in the future - we will be a news agency for years to come."
A cover for not admitting???? What IS that? My naysaying response: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Can you spell D-E-L-U-S-I-O-N-A-L?
People want a decent local newspaper... a professional one they can trust. Sure. There's room for cute, personal stories. There is no excuse for withholding the real news though - events and decisions which can alter your lives forever.
*Note: When I confronted Mayor Larry Milton about us being sold down the river for a liquor license, he confirmed it but added "There's more to it than just that." So don't sue ME. Sue HIM. Thank you.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Election Results
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way -" Charles Dickens
Election Results
Best of Times: Barack Obama - President of the United States
Worst of Times: Larry Milton - unopposed mayor of Nexusville AGAIN
Age of Wisdom: Joe Biden - Vice President of the United States
Age of Foolishness: Jerome Kryzer - Nexusville city council AGAIN
Epoch of Belief: Gail Kulick Jackson - Minnesota State Representative
Epoch of Incredulity: Frank Courteau - Mille Lacs County Commissioner AGAIN
Season of Light: Lisa Fobbe - Minnesota State Senator
Season of Darkness: Phil Peterson - Mille Lacs County Commissioner AGAIN (by only 9 votes though)
Spring of Hope: Al Franken - US Senator race too close to call
Winter of Despair: Norm Coleman - US Senator race too close to call
Everything Before Us: Shawn Willis - NEW Onamia Councilman taking Mark Loch's place
Nothing Before Us: Jack Edmonds - Mille Lacs County Commissioner AGAIN
Direct to Heaven: The New United States of America
Direct the Other Way: The Same Old Onamia - aka Nexusville
__________________
There seems to be an unprecedented enthusiasm throughout the nation with the election of Barack Obama. I've never seen anything like it before. (None of us have). For me, that Obama won is a miracle. Not because he is black, but because he accomplished the impossible - he has given me "hope", which is something I'd lost and thought was gone for good, after what I went through here in Nexusville. He has given me Hope for The Best of Times.
We The People just said "thanks, but no thanks" to Sarah Palin, which restored my faith in America. It showed that over half the people in the country are not as stupid as they seemed in 2000 and 2004. For once, people saw through the gimmicks, such as Joe the Plumber and "Maverick" and the Reverend Wright/Bill Ayers crap. And they voted! Cool. The American People spoke. They said that we're fed up with Rove politics. We're sick of Fox News. We're tired of being embarrassed by incompetent leaders like Bush. We want our country back.
Alas, here in Mille Lacs County, stupidity still reigns. But, I'll have more to say about that later. You can bet on it. :) For now, we should all celebrate that Change is indeed coming to America. (YESSSSS!)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Why You Shouldn't Vote - Part 2
Maybe you're already a political junkie who has enjoyed the campaign season even more than the Friday night beer gardens at Onamia Days. Or maybe you already took my advice and educated yourself about the candidates this election, (including those judges and candidates for school board), have made your choices and are chomping at the bit to get to the polls. Then YES. Go vote.
BUT, are you really sure of the candidate you're voting for? Do you know where this person stands, what their goals are, what their PLANS are? If you don't know who Tim Tinglestad is, why would you vote for him? Why cast your vote for someone running unopposed? To be polite? Don't want to hurt his or her feelings? When you cast your vote recklessly, you may be empowering a stranger who dreams of building that industrial park in YOUR neighborhood. Plus, they can use the record from this election - the record you are providing them with - to campaign for the next election. "Vote for me. I am the incumbant More ignorant people randomly filled in my blank than the other what's-his-face's." And what if they're really awful? What if they are a Kryzer?
Jerome Kryzer is running for re-election on the Onamia City Council. Planning to vote for him? Did you know that he spends the winter down in Arizona? He isn't even here for several months at a time. What kind of councilman is he? Certainly not an involved one. Certainly not a dedicated one.
Who gets the power makes a huge difference. Even though Jerome Kryzer missed so many council meetings that he almost disqualified himself according to state attendance mandates, he still managed to do plenty of damage when he was around - like placing sex offenders next to day care and elderly widows. And he managed to change ordinances to do it, while stripping citizens of their rights. He's proud of it.
So, if you know your candidates and believe in them, vote for them. Just make sure that they've earned earned your vote. Your vote is precious. Make sure they are worthy of your vote. Don't give it to them for nothing. Connect the dots, but don't fill in all the blanks unless you know what you're in for.
BUT, are you really sure of the candidate you're voting for? Do you know where this person stands, what their goals are, what their PLANS are? If you don't know who Tim Tinglestad is, why would you vote for him? Why cast your vote for someone running unopposed? To be polite? Don't want to hurt his or her feelings? When you cast your vote recklessly, you may be empowering a stranger who dreams of building that industrial park in YOUR neighborhood. Plus, they can use the record from this election - the record you are providing them with - to campaign for the next election. "Vote for me. I am the incumbant More ignorant people randomly filled in my blank than the other what's-his-face's." And what if they're really awful? What if they are a Kryzer?
Jerome Kryzer is running for re-election on the Onamia City Council. Planning to vote for him? Did you know that he spends the winter down in Arizona? He isn't even here for several months at a time. What kind of councilman is he? Certainly not an involved one. Certainly not a dedicated one.
Who gets the power makes a huge difference. Even though Jerome Kryzer missed so many council meetings that he almost disqualified himself according to state attendance mandates, he still managed to do plenty of damage when he was around - like placing sex offenders next to day care and elderly widows. And he managed to change ordinances to do it, while stripping citizens of their rights. He's proud of it.
So, if you know your candidates and believe in them, vote for them. Just make sure that they've earned earned your vote. Your vote is precious. Make sure they are worthy of your vote. Don't give it to them for nothing. Connect the dots, but don't fill in all the blanks unless you know what you're in for.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Why You Shouldn't Vote - Part I
Contrary to what you might think, I am not a Democrat. Don't call me a Republican, unless you really want to evoke the wrath of Hannabelle. Independent? Not when it comes to politics. Green Party? Libertarian? I like anything with "liberty" in it's roots, but I'm wise enough to know that if you bet on a one-legged dog at the racetrack, odds of you winning are mighty slim. Before Nexus (B.N.), I liked to label myself a "Free-Thinker". But I've changed. Thinking is no longer free in our country, unless you keep your thoughts to yourself. Voice them and you may expect a lawsuit. And trust me, lawyers aren't free. Now, A.N. (After Nexus), I consider myself a "Rationalist", or a "Realist". I've always voted for Democrats because they represent my personal ideology better than the Republicans. And somebody once told me that we live in a democracy where we vote for leaders to represent We The People. HAHAHAHAHA! Yeah. Right. They weren't from Nexusville.
The one label which does apply to me is "Voter". George Carlin used to say that he didn't vote, therefore he couldn't take the blame for the outcome. I always took the stance that if you don't vote, you can't complain about the outcome. (And as you know, Hannabelle has a talent for complaining.) I can take credit for the Clinton years. The last eight years are other people's fault. I voted, but lost. Actually, with Bush we all lost.
So yes, I am a Voter. But, I have to admit that I haven't done my job well in the past. I've never had a problem making up my mind about candidates running for top offices. I've paid attention. I know who I want for my president. But, after you get done with the meat and potatoEs, there is a long list of names at the end of the ballot. Names you never heard of. People running for justices and judges. Unknowns running for jobs at the bottom of the food chain. And those Unopposed guys. This is where I've failed. I always checked the box for the single, unopposed candidates. But that was B.N.
This election, I voted early. With the Internet, I researched the candidates and chose my judges wisely. (I might end up in front of them!) Those unopposed? I left the ballot blank. Those nebulous candidates I couldn't find information about? I left the ballot blank. If they wanted my vote, they should have provided me with a reason. For school board I did NOT vote for the son of the councilman who thought that his OPINION that 94 sex offenders in MY neighborhood shouldn't bother me because it didn't bother him OVERRULED my opinion that yes, they bother me. I guess that's why he changed the ordinances to remove any obstacles - i.e. me. The pine nut doesn't fall far from the tree...
Because of what happened to me - being denied a vote in a situation which would personally most affect my life, having my own Constitutional rights blown right out of the book of city ordinances, and being unable to have a say in my own fate - I've changed. I am now a Realist. I am acutely aware of the importance of elections. I'm sick of greedy corporatists who put their own interests before those of the American people. I want sane, rational, smart, qualified people to run the country. Don't you? And if you are lucky enough to have voting privilege, you would be dumb not to vote. Right?
Not so fast. Perhaps you shouldn't vote. For starters, since this election is the first one in the New Age of After Nexus - (N.A. of A.N.), I really paid attention. I mean REALLY paid attention. I got informed. I sifted through the propaganda and hoopla. After diligently educating myself, the choice was ever so clear - Barack Obama and Joe Biden. No question. Al Franken for U.S. Senate. Jim Oberstar for U.S. Representative. Gail Kulick-Jackson for State Representative. Easy decisions. I didn't choose to vote for them because they all happen to be Democrats. They are just the best choice. Period.
Some of my neighbors (yes, the same ones on whose behalf I tried so hard to fight Nexus and the Onamia council) are loyal, die-hard Republicans. Remember, I told you about the Sondra Erickson and McCain/Palin signs in their yards. One of these neighbors told me that he didn't read the newspaper, not even the local Mille Lacs Messenger. He didn't even read the Mille Lacs News or the Bradbury Buzzz during the Nexus Invasion! Wow! Talk about head in the sand. He also disclosed that he doesn't follow the television news - like CNN or MSNBC, or even (gag) Fox. His family likes to watch "American Idol", he said. Naturally, being uninformed, he would choose to vote for Palin/McCain.
(Many similarly ignorant supporters - like my neighbor - voted for George Bush TWICE!!!) But Sondra Erickson? She is partly responsible for sticking the sex offenders next to day care, elderly widows, children and vulnerable adults! I can see not biting the hand that feeds you. But she didn't lift a finger to "feed" us. Just excuses and denials of culpability. Why vote for a politician who supported the removal of your own Constitutional rights? There's that Nexusville "Epidemic of Stupid" again.
Now, I'm not saying that if you don't agree with my politics that you shouldn't vote. But if you are uninformed, stop everything you're doing and get informed now! Before its too late. Pay attention. It IS important. Don't just go with the flow and vote for McCain/Palin because you are a joiner, a social-climber, a fitter-inner, a Joe-Six-Pack or Joe-The-Plumber wannabe, like Sarah Palin's new outfit, or are a loyal member of the Bamboozlement Party. Don't believe the negative emails and robo-calls. Check it out. Educate yourself. Chances are that if you can dig through all of the crap being flung at you, you'll discover that what's "trickling down" on you isn't wealth.... To be blunt, we've all been pissed on for the past 8 years.
And do you really want somebody like YOURSELF determining the fate of the country? I don't. Uh... Foot in mouth.... I mean, I don't want the average person in high office. I want the best and the brightest, the one who I might not want to have a beer or shoot moose with. I want someone so competent that I might not HAVE to pay so much attention and can relax and enjoy my life, knowing that the country is in good hands. I want the best choice. And the best choice this election is clear.
Vote smart, or don't vote at all. Pay attention. It's too important not to.
The one label which does apply to me is "Voter". George Carlin used to say that he didn't vote, therefore he couldn't take the blame for the outcome. I always took the stance that if you don't vote, you can't complain about the outcome. (And as you know, Hannabelle has a talent for complaining.) I can take credit for the Clinton years. The last eight years are other people's fault. I voted, but lost. Actually, with Bush we all lost.
So yes, I am a Voter. But, I have to admit that I haven't done my job well in the past. I've never had a problem making up my mind about candidates running for top offices. I've paid attention. I know who I want for my president. But, after you get done with the meat and potatoEs, there is a long list of names at the end of the ballot. Names you never heard of. People running for justices and judges. Unknowns running for jobs at the bottom of the food chain. And those Unopposed guys. This is where I've failed. I always checked the box for the single, unopposed candidates. But that was B.N.
This election, I voted early. With the Internet, I researched the candidates and chose my judges wisely. (I might end up in front of them!) Those unopposed? I left the ballot blank. Those nebulous candidates I couldn't find information about? I left the ballot blank. If they wanted my vote, they should have provided me with a reason. For school board I did NOT vote for the son of the councilman who thought that his OPINION that 94 sex offenders in MY neighborhood shouldn't bother me because it didn't bother him OVERRULED my opinion that yes, they bother me. I guess that's why he changed the ordinances to remove any obstacles - i.e. me. The pine nut doesn't fall far from the tree...
Because of what happened to me - being denied a vote in a situation which would personally most affect my life, having my own Constitutional rights blown right out of the book of city ordinances, and being unable to have a say in my own fate - I've changed. I am now a Realist. I am acutely aware of the importance of elections. I'm sick of greedy corporatists who put their own interests before those of the American people. I want sane, rational, smart, qualified people to run the country. Don't you? And if you are lucky enough to have voting privilege, you would be dumb not to vote. Right?
Not so fast. Perhaps you shouldn't vote. For starters, since this election is the first one in the New Age of After Nexus - (N.A. of A.N.), I really paid attention. I mean REALLY paid attention. I got informed. I sifted through the propaganda and hoopla. After diligently educating myself, the choice was ever so clear - Barack Obama and Joe Biden. No question. Al Franken for U.S. Senate. Jim Oberstar for U.S. Representative. Gail Kulick-Jackson for State Representative. Easy decisions. I didn't choose to vote for them because they all happen to be Democrats. They are just the best choice. Period.
Some of my neighbors (yes, the same ones on whose behalf I tried so hard to fight Nexus and the Onamia council) are loyal, die-hard Republicans. Remember, I told you about the Sondra Erickson and McCain/Palin signs in their yards. One of these neighbors told me that he didn't read the newspaper, not even the local Mille Lacs Messenger. He didn't even read the Mille Lacs News or the Bradbury Buzzz during the Nexus Invasion! Wow! Talk about head in the sand. He also disclosed that he doesn't follow the television news - like CNN or MSNBC, or even (gag) Fox. His family likes to watch "American Idol", he said. Naturally, being uninformed, he would choose to vote for Palin/McCain.
(Many similarly ignorant supporters - like my neighbor - voted for George Bush TWICE!!!) But Sondra Erickson? She is partly responsible for sticking the sex offenders next to day care, elderly widows, children and vulnerable adults! I can see not biting the hand that feeds you. But she didn't lift a finger to "feed" us. Just excuses and denials of culpability. Why vote for a politician who supported the removal of your own Constitutional rights? There's that Nexusville "Epidemic of Stupid" again.
Now, I'm not saying that if you don't agree with my politics that you shouldn't vote. But if you are uninformed, stop everything you're doing and get informed now! Before its too late. Pay attention. It IS important. Don't just go with the flow and vote for McCain/Palin because you are a joiner, a social-climber, a fitter-inner, a Joe-Six-Pack or Joe-The-Plumber wannabe, like Sarah Palin's new outfit, or are a loyal member of the Bamboozlement Party. Don't believe the negative emails and robo-calls. Check it out. Educate yourself. Chances are that if you can dig through all of the crap being flung at you, you'll discover that what's "trickling down" on you isn't wealth.... To be blunt, we've all been pissed on for the past 8 years.
And do you really want somebody like YOURSELF determining the fate of the country? I don't. Uh... Foot in mouth.... I mean, I don't want the average person in high office. I want the best and the brightest, the one who I might not want to have a beer or shoot moose with. I want someone so competent that I might not HAVE to pay so much attention and can relax and enjoy my life, knowing that the country is in good hands. I want the best choice. And the best choice this election is clear.
Vote smart, or don't vote at all. Pay attention. It's too important not to.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Going Negative
A few weeks ago, the Palin/McCain campaign actually announced that it was "going negative". They should have talked to Hannabelle first...
There was a distinct point when I, too, made a decision to "go negative". I created this blog solely for this purpose. It was part of an overall strategy that should have worked - but didn't.
Why did I choose to go negative? Well... my "campaign" wasn't about winning votes and making friends. My job was to try to make the prospect of moving 94 sex offenders into my neighborhood as unpleasant as possible - to suggest that just about any place else would be preferable to building next to that nasty Hannabelle. That's right. Hannabelle was nothing more than a big BEWARE OF DOG sign. At least, that's what she was at first.
Before Hannabelle arrived on the scene, I'd spent months working within the system, i.e. the Bradbury township board, the Onamia city council, the Mille Lacs county board of commissioners, the county assessor, the state senator and representative from my district, the attorney general, the state auditor - all the way up to the governor's office. (I even hired a lawyer. KACHING!) I took a very positive approach, especially - contrary to accusations - with the sellers of the 38.81 acres. I even offered to buy the land myself to keep Nexus away. What I discovered is - the system is faulty. It doesn't honor individual rights. And it also doesn't want to be bothered with our small problems... And nobody cares.
Cities are given power without consequences. They basically have immunity. The theory is that the council has it's own checks and balances built into the system. That might work, assuming the council is honest and doing the work of the people for the people. If you have a bad city council, watch out! Those five men can do anything they want without any restraints, restrictions, without any confines. Open meeting violations? No problem! Conflict of interest? No sweat! Majority rules? Hah! Which majority? They can ignore petitions and protests and invade a neighboring township at their whim. How about the LAW? Shucks. Not a problem. They can change laws any old time - even laws which prohibit sex offenders in a residential area. They can grant conditional use permits for corporations while removing the rights of citizens. With tax payer money, they can hire a slick, unethical city attorney to manipulate the law to suit their personal agenda. City governments are omnipotent. So screw you, USA.
So what's a girl to do? How do you fight against all that power? We're talking about the power that the guy who runs the grocery store has been given to determine YOUR fate, YOUR life, YOUR property values.... (sigh). It's like having FIVE Sarah Palins making bad decisions about your life which will affect you FOREVER and you have absolutely no control over. Its a Done Deal, there's nothing you can do about it. Your rights? HAH! You don't have any rights. At least I can vote against Palin. I have no right to vote in Onamia. And what made things even worse was that the people of Mille Lacs county were buying the propaganda spewed by the self-serving government. The citizenry, even the local newspaper, was totally bamboozled.
So I went negative. It was easy. There was a lot to be negative about.
A whole lot of debunking. The Mille Lacs Academy is not an academy. They are not "poor troubled boys". They are convicted sex offenders. Nexus is not a local, small business in our community. It is a multi-million dollar private corporation with its fancy corporate headquarters in Golden Valley. It doesn't serve our community, but brings unwanted sex offenders in from other counties to live among us, go to school with Onamia kids. Nexus lied about safety risk statistics. We were told that they don't escape and that they are not dangerous. (That isn't true.) Nexus is a private corporation, but is funded through our tax dollars. Jobs? Over 60% of employees live outside of Mille Lacs County. Where do they shop? Outside of Mille Lacs County.... Although the former CEO said he spent some of his $267,015 (2005) annual salary at the Cedarwood restaurant in town, (in between trips to Palm Springs and Italy?), in 18 months of hardcore research, we couldn't uncover any benefits to the community that outweighed the detriments.
Tax abatement for them. Higher property taxes for us. You don't need to worry about Fanny and Freddy.... We have Larry and Frank! And the people bought it all - hook, line, and sinker. And I should emphasize - the people PAID for it all.
And so did I. I paid dearly for trying to keep the sex offenders from moving in - next to my 85 year old mother. Former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo and Nexus Chairman of the Board Peter Freeman made a decision to "go negative". Apparently it wasn't enough to force themselves upon Hannabelle and her family. It wasn't enough to ruin the neighborhood. They had to punish me AFTER THE FACT. Put a muzzle on that barking, snarling dog... So they sued me for defamation. Yes. I called D'Angelo "Poopsie". Yes. I questioned their ethics and honesty. I still do. I have documents to back my case.
You know, I realize one of my problems with going negative was that people thought I was the liar when I told the Truth. I've seen this in reverse with the Palin/McCain campaign. Some people believe they're truth-tellers when they tell lies. All that nonsense about Barack Obama - ooooh he's a Muslim! - ooooh he's palling around with terrorists! - oooh he's teaching sex education to kindergartners! - oooh he'll raise your taxes! - oooh he's a socialist! - oooh oooh oooh..... All debunked, yet the people cling to believing the lies Palin and McCain have been spreading. Just like they cling to the lies of Nexus. Maybe what they really believe is - oooh he's black. And that IS, of course, well... a half-truth. And maybe they really want to believe that Nexus is good for the community. Maybe they just want to believe in SOMETHING. Sometimes the Truth hurts. Like the Truth about Palin and McCain would hurt.
Here's the funny part about my going negative. Although that was indeed my job - while trying to procure favorable government action through public participation - it was up to the other neighbors to lead a POSITIVE campaign, to gain public support, to spread the word, to.... oh well. What's the point. They didn't do their job. Period.
Two of the abutters to the new Nexus sex offender treatment facility have McCain/Palin signs in their yards - along with their Sondra Erickson signs. Sondra was instrumental in keeping Nexus in Onamia. Can you believe it? They would vote for the Republicans - those who, by direct or indirect means put 94 sex offenders literally next door to them and made them cry! They should have included signs which said: YES! WE ARE BRADBURY IDIOTS AFTER ALL!
But there I go. I sound negative. Personal attacks... (sigh). It's so easy.
In the end, going negative didn't work for me. You'd think it wouldn't work for Palin and McCain either. But then, Bradbury Idiots are everywhere.
There was a distinct point when I, too, made a decision to "go negative". I created this blog solely for this purpose. It was part of an overall strategy that should have worked - but didn't.
Why did I choose to go negative? Well... my "campaign" wasn't about winning votes and making friends. My job was to try to make the prospect of moving 94 sex offenders into my neighborhood as unpleasant as possible - to suggest that just about any place else would be preferable to building next to that nasty Hannabelle. That's right. Hannabelle was nothing more than a big BEWARE OF DOG sign. At least, that's what she was at first.
Before Hannabelle arrived on the scene, I'd spent months working within the system, i.e. the Bradbury township board, the Onamia city council, the Mille Lacs county board of commissioners, the county assessor, the state senator and representative from my district, the attorney general, the state auditor - all the way up to the governor's office. (I even hired a lawyer. KACHING!) I took a very positive approach, especially - contrary to accusations - with the sellers of the 38.81 acres. I even offered to buy the land myself to keep Nexus away. What I discovered is - the system is faulty. It doesn't honor individual rights. And it also doesn't want to be bothered with our small problems... And nobody cares.
Cities are given power without consequences. They basically have immunity. The theory is that the council has it's own checks and balances built into the system. That might work, assuming the council is honest and doing the work of the people for the people. If you have a bad city council, watch out! Those five men can do anything they want without any restraints, restrictions, without any confines. Open meeting violations? No problem! Conflict of interest? No sweat! Majority rules? Hah! Which majority? They can ignore petitions and protests and invade a neighboring township at their whim. How about the LAW? Shucks. Not a problem. They can change laws any old time - even laws which prohibit sex offenders in a residential area. They can grant conditional use permits for corporations while removing the rights of citizens. With tax payer money, they can hire a slick, unethical city attorney to manipulate the law to suit their personal agenda. City governments are omnipotent. So screw you, USA.
So what's a girl to do? How do you fight against all that power? We're talking about the power that the guy who runs the grocery store has been given to determine YOUR fate, YOUR life, YOUR property values.... (sigh). It's like having FIVE Sarah Palins making bad decisions about your life which will affect you FOREVER and you have absolutely no control over. Its a Done Deal, there's nothing you can do about it. Your rights? HAH! You don't have any rights. At least I can vote against Palin. I have no right to vote in Onamia. And what made things even worse was that the people of Mille Lacs county were buying the propaganda spewed by the self-serving government. The citizenry, even the local newspaper, was totally bamboozled.
So I went negative. It was easy. There was a lot to be negative about.
A whole lot of debunking. The Mille Lacs Academy is not an academy. They are not "poor troubled boys". They are convicted sex offenders. Nexus is not a local, small business in our community. It is a multi-million dollar private corporation with its fancy corporate headquarters in Golden Valley. It doesn't serve our community, but brings unwanted sex offenders in from other counties to live among us, go to school with Onamia kids. Nexus lied about safety risk statistics. We were told that they don't escape and that they are not dangerous. (That isn't true.) Nexus is a private corporation, but is funded through our tax dollars. Jobs? Over 60% of employees live outside of Mille Lacs County. Where do they shop? Outside of Mille Lacs County.... Although the former CEO said he spent some of his $267,015 (2005) annual salary at the Cedarwood restaurant in town, (in between trips to Palm Springs and Italy?), in 18 months of hardcore research, we couldn't uncover any benefits to the community that outweighed the detriments.
Tax abatement for them. Higher property taxes for us. You don't need to worry about Fanny and Freddy.... We have Larry and Frank! And the people bought it all - hook, line, and sinker. And I should emphasize - the people PAID for it all.
And so did I. I paid dearly for trying to keep the sex offenders from moving in - next to my 85 year old mother. Former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo and Nexus Chairman of the Board Peter Freeman made a decision to "go negative". Apparently it wasn't enough to force themselves upon Hannabelle and her family. It wasn't enough to ruin the neighborhood. They had to punish me AFTER THE FACT. Put a muzzle on that barking, snarling dog... So they sued me for defamation. Yes. I called D'Angelo "Poopsie". Yes. I questioned their ethics and honesty. I still do. I have documents to back my case.
You know, I realize one of my problems with going negative was that people thought I was the liar when I told the Truth. I've seen this in reverse with the Palin/McCain campaign. Some people believe they're truth-tellers when they tell lies. All that nonsense about Barack Obama - ooooh he's a Muslim! - ooooh he's palling around with terrorists! - oooh he's teaching sex education to kindergartners! - oooh he'll raise your taxes! - oooh he's a socialist! - oooh oooh oooh..... All debunked, yet the people cling to believing the lies Palin and McCain have been spreading. Just like they cling to the lies of Nexus. Maybe what they really believe is - oooh he's black. And that IS, of course, well... a half-truth. And maybe they really want to believe that Nexus is good for the community. Maybe they just want to believe in SOMETHING. Sometimes the Truth hurts. Like the Truth about Palin and McCain would hurt.
Here's the funny part about my going negative. Although that was indeed my job - while trying to procure favorable government action through public participation - it was up to the other neighbors to lead a POSITIVE campaign, to gain public support, to spread the word, to.... oh well. What's the point. They didn't do their job. Period.
Two of the abutters to the new Nexus sex offender treatment facility have McCain/Palin signs in their yards - along with their Sondra Erickson signs. Sondra was instrumental in keeping Nexus in Onamia. Can you believe it? They would vote for the Republicans - those who, by direct or indirect means put 94 sex offenders literally next door to them and made them cry! They should have included signs which said: YES! WE ARE BRADBURY IDIOTS AFTER ALL!
But there I go. I sound negative. Personal attacks... (sigh). It's so easy.
In the end, going negative didn't work for me. You'd think it wouldn't work for Palin and McCain either. But then, Bradbury Idiots are everywhere.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Onamianomics
According to an article in the Mille Lacs County Times, our citizens were upset about the economy before the Big Collapse and big Bail-out. I'm sitting here with a big I Told You So begging to burst forth from my bitter lips. Here is the quote:
"As to the question of “Why are my Mille Lacs County taxes so high in the first place?” Stotz had another nugget of information to share.“We don’t have any big tax paying businesses in the county,” she said. Because of this lack the taxes get dispersed to the property owners instead of big business."
Notice that Pat Stotz, the County Assessor didn't say that we don't have any big businesses in the county, she said we don't have any big "tax paying" businesses in the county.... That's because most of the businesses in the area don't have to pay taxes. They are on TIF programs or have tax abatement. For example, NEXUS was given 7 years of free tax abatement by the Mille Lacs County board of commissioners AND 15 years by the Onamia city council. That's hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax revenue that could have been used to help out our community and ease the burden of high property taxes placed on average citizens. You can see that these "incentive" plans don't work by looking at what happened at Izaty's. After years and years of tax abatement, the resort went bankrupt anyway.
Free taxes for big business does not work! This is just a little idea, but perhaps if they had to budget to pay taxes, they would have been a bit more careful, a little bit more responsible with their money. Seems to me that these businesses get so many special favors that they act like 10 year old children set loose on the carnival midway with a roll of free tickets, rushing mindlessly to beat the line, to jump on every ride, giggling with their chums right up until the time the cotton candy, soda pop, and one too many spins on the Scrambler make them puke all over themselves. (And on us...)
Milton and his merry men handed over the maximum tax abatement to NEXUS, a private multi-million dollar corporation with an annual budget of around $38 million dollars. (That's $38 million dollars spending money each year!) So the rich corporation doesn't have to pay taxes. Who does? Us. We do. The county commissioners you will soon be voting for (or hopefully against) were just as foolish with our tax dollars, giving NEXUS 7 free years. Meanwhile, people like us - older folks on small fixed incomes saw a huge surge in our taxes. Somehow, it doesn't seem quite fair. And by the way, the surge isn't working....
What REALLY irks me, and should irk you as well, is that NEXUS got it's $38 million dollar annual budget primarily through our tax dollars in the first place. (One wonders, with the current crash of Wall Street, how NEXUS investments are doing...) It's the same kind of crap going on throughout our country which has caused our economy to fail. Anyway, for months I've been trying to light a fire, to illuminate the dark side of this NEXUS issue - so you could SEE what they don't want you to see. And to be honest, (and I always am), some of you haven't been too Minnesota Nice to me. Some of your personal attacks (including threats) on Hannabelle make Sarah Barracuda seem like Cleo the Goldfish in comparison. Yes, I wanted to protect our rights (including yours!). True, I didn't want sex offenders in MY backyard. But I also wanted my fellow citizens to stand up against the tyranny of our local government - the STUPIDITY of our local government - in order to make Onamia a better place to live. (You didn't. Some of you still have Sondra Erickson signs on your yards! And, of course, I now understand why the term "Bradbury Idiots" certainly does apply to some of my neighbors...)
Now, (in I told you so mode), not only can you see it, you will also feel the effects - in your checkbook, but thanks to George Bush, you're feeling it on a much larger scale. You're feeling it in your savings account, in your gas tanks, at the grocery store (Sorry Bill. We shop at Cashwise in St. Cloud. Better selection, NICER PEOPLE, better prices... worth the trip!) This system - Onamianomics - DOESN'T work, folks. Wealth doesn't "trickle down" to ordinary people like you and me. The only thing that trickles down is the BS that they tell us to keep us subdued. To keep us distracted... Meanwhile, rich retiring CEOs walk away with gigantic "Golden Parachutes" and are set for life while we struggle. We know why we need money - to fill the propane tank for a cold Minnesnowda winter what's a comin'. To pay our bills. What do they need so much money for? Sometimes they sue ordinary people who have the nerve to call them "Poopsie." What a way to get your jollies... Some sport, huh. (I guess I hurt his feelings by rejecting him. It's true. I do not want this kind of person in my life. But that's another discussion for another day... i.e. Psycho CEO Day)
Sondra Erickson supported NEXUS but doesn't like to talk about how keeping NEXUS from leaving the community has only helped a few while hurting everyone else. Other irresponsible "geniuses": Jack Edmonds, Phil Peterson, and Frank Courteau. All are running for re-election. In the city, Onamians can vote against Jerome Kryzer, and make sure that mayor Larry Milton does NOT retain power. Former councilman Mark Loch's position is open this election. I can't vote in Onamia, but some of you can. I'm hopeful that the increasing number of Kulick-Jackson lawn signs are an indication that many people in Mille Lacs County have indeed seen the light, and realize that its time for a change.
Change begins at home, and continues up the ladder. Its time to say "Thanks, but no thanks" to Norm Coleman and John McCain. They are truly "bridges to nowhere."
Yes indeedy I urge you to vote for Gail Kulick-Jackson for state representative, Al Franken for US senate, and of course, vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden (that's a no-brainer for people with brains). Show the world that YES WE CAN because YES WE CARE!
"As to the question of “Why are my Mille Lacs County taxes so high in the first place?” Stotz had another nugget of information to share.“We don’t have any big tax paying businesses in the county,” she said. Because of this lack the taxes get dispersed to the property owners instead of big business."
Notice that Pat Stotz, the County Assessor didn't say that we don't have any big businesses in the county, she said we don't have any big "tax paying" businesses in the county.... That's because most of the businesses in the area don't have to pay taxes. They are on TIF programs or have tax abatement. For example, NEXUS was given 7 years of free tax abatement by the Mille Lacs County board of commissioners AND 15 years by the Onamia city council. That's hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax revenue that could have been used to help out our community and ease the burden of high property taxes placed on average citizens. You can see that these "incentive" plans don't work by looking at what happened at Izaty's. After years and years of tax abatement, the resort went bankrupt anyway.
Free taxes for big business does not work! This is just a little idea, but perhaps if they had to budget to pay taxes, they would have been a bit more careful, a little bit more responsible with their money. Seems to me that these businesses get so many special favors that they act like 10 year old children set loose on the carnival midway with a roll of free tickets, rushing mindlessly to beat the line, to jump on every ride, giggling with their chums right up until the time the cotton candy, soda pop, and one too many spins on the Scrambler make them puke all over themselves. (And on us...)
Milton and his merry men handed over the maximum tax abatement to NEXUS, a private multi-million dollar corporation with an annual budget of around $38 million dollars. (That's $38 million dollars spending money each year!) So the rich corporation doesn't have to pay taxes. Who does? Us. We do. The county commissioners you will soon be voting for (or hopefully against) were just as foolish with our tax dollars, giving NEXUS 7 free years. Meanwhile, people like us - older folks on small fixed incomes saw a huge surge in our taxes. Somehow, it doesn't seem quite fair. And by the way, the surge isn't working....
What REALLY irks me, and should irk you as well, is that NEXUS got it's $38 million dollar annual budget primarily through our tax dollars in the first place. (One wonders, with the current crash of Wall Street, how NEXUS investments are doing...) It's the same kind of crap going on throughout our country which has caused our economy to fail. Anyway, for months I've been trying to light a fire, to illuminate the dark side of this NEXUS issue - so you could SEE what they don't want you to see. And to be honest, (and I always am), some of you haven't been too Minnesota Nice to me. Some of your personal attacks (including threats) on Hannabelle make Sarah Barracuda seem like Cleo the Goldfish in comparison. Yes, I wanted to protect our rights (including yours!). True, I didn't want sex offenders in MY backyard. But I also wanted my fellow citizens to stand up against the tyranny of our local government - the STUPIDITY of our local government - in order to make Onamia a better place to live. (You didn't. Some of you still have Sondra Erickson signs on your yards! And, of course, I now understand why the term "Bradbury Idiots" certainly does apply to some of my neighbors...)
Now, (in I told you so mode), not only can you see it, you will also feel the effects - in your checkbook, but thanks to George Bush, you're feeling it on a much larger scale. You're feeling it in your savings account, in your gas tanks, at the grocery store (Sorry Bill. We shop at Cashwise in St. Cloud. Better selection, NICER PEOPLE, better prices... worth the trip!) This system - Onamianomics - DOESN'T work, folks. Wealth doesn't "trickle down" to ordinary people like you and me. The only thing that trickles down is the BS that they tell us to keep us subdued. To keep us distracted... Meanwhile, rich retiring CEOs walk away with gigantic "Golden Parachutes" and are set for life while we struggle. We know why we need money - to fill the propane tank for a cold Minnesnowda winter what's a comin'. To pay our bills. What do they need so much money for? Sometimes they sue ordinary people who have the nerve to call them "Poopsie." What a way to get your jollies... Some sport, huh. (I guess I hurt his feelings by rejecting him. It's true. I do not want this kind of person in my life. But that's another discussion for another day... i.e. Psycho CEO Day)
Sondra Erickson supported NEXUS but doesn't like to talk about how keeping NEXUS from leaving the community has only helped a few while hurting everyone else. Other irresponsible "geniuses": Jack Edmonds, Phil Peterson, and Frank Courteau. All are running for re-election. In the city, Onamians can vote against Jerome Kryzer, and make sure that mayor Larry Milton does NOT retain power. Former councilman Mark Loch's position is open this election. I can't vote in Onamia, but some of you can. I'm hopeful that the increasing number of Kulick-Jackson lawn signs are an indication that many people in Mille Lacs County have indeed seen the light, and realize that its time for a change.
Change begins at home, and continues up the ladder. Its time to say "Thanks, but no thanks" to Norm Coleman and John McCain. They are truly "bridges to nowhere."
Yes indeedy I urge you to vote for Gail Kulick-Jackson for state representative, Al Franken for US senate, and of course, vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden (that's a no-brainer for people with brains). Show the world that YES WE CAN because YES WE CARE!
Get Smart
If you still plan to vote for Republicans in the upcoming election, you need to educate yourself. Get savvy. Stop watching Fox! The Republicans count on We The People being gullible - like We The Sheep. Get smart.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Repuglican Convention
Now, I realize that some of you will be offended by this video... (judging from some of the nasty anonymous comments I receive, many of my readers are Republicans...) But here's the deal, folks. John McCain isn't the "hero" he has been hailed simply because he got shot down and captured in Viet Nam. That's just plain ridiculous. Get over it. And certainly, being a POW doesn't qualify him to be president. He keeps talking about the years he's been fighting greed and corruption in the Senate... Well, how's he been doing so far? He's failed. And he thinks we're too stupid to notice. (Unfortunately, too many are...) Check him out. Go beyond the bullshit. He's not the solution. He's part of the problem. He's no hero. He's no maverick. He's no president.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sondra Erickson Honors HERSELF
Minnesota Representative Sondra Erickson - a ProNexus Republican
I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Erickson campaign signs in yards between Onamia and St. Cloud while taking my mom to her oncologist appointment the other day. Well, I guess I could believe it, I just didn't want to. Are people seriously going to vote for Sondra Erickson??? Really??? Are people really that ... dumb? But then, I also spotted McCain/Palin signs, and Michelle Bachman signs so I guess the answer is yes, some people certainly are that dumb.
***
Speaking of "Vampira", did you see that Bachman made Keith Olberman's Worst Person in the World list on "Countdown" the other night? Yep. Number 1 - for being a racist. She blamed the current national financial crises on black people (and other minorities). I guess there are a lot of people in Minnesota who still think racism is acceptable, even in our elected officials. Somehow that doesn't make me proud to be an American.
***
Anyway, here is a video of Sondra Erickson allegedly "honoring" somebody who achieved ... something. It is pretty unclear who or what this video is supposed to be about - but it is pretty clear that it turned out to be all about Sondra... just as it usually does... All about Sondra. Its the Sondra Show. To be fair (and I always try), maybe you had to be there. But listen to how she honors HERSELF! She doesn't talk about HIS accomplishments. Her focus is on herself. In the 4 minute, 40 second video, Sondra saved only the last forty seconds for poor Steve. Kind of creepy. Anyway, whatever the guy is there to be honored for, he seems gracious as he accepts his award - a free info packet left over from the centennial (150 year "centennial"? Did I hear her correctly? What did Sondra teach?). Enjoy your packet, Steve.
***
Wow-ee-oh-boy.
***
Wait! Wasn't that the same packet she gave the other guy? How Republican of her... Isn't that what they do? Give big tax breaks to the rich corporations (such as NEXUS!). The little people - like teachers - receive tokens, like small, unsubstantial tax rebates which really don't help, or left-over packets from 150 year "centennials" - junk which people don't want, can't use, and no doubt is paid for by themselves through taxpayer dollars used to print the materials in the first place. Of course, personally I would have loved to receive one of those packets. Sondra gave ME something "special" instead. She gave me 94 sex offenders.
***
Sondra Erickson - putting sex offenders next to day cares, elderly widows, vulnerable adults, and children.
***
Vote for her and she can mess up your life, too (and probably will). Elect her, and watch your rights disappear. Oh Hannabelle! How can you say such things? Because people like Sondra are grandiose, narrow-minded, and self-centered. Thinking only of themselves, only of how they can get ahead in the political "game"... And true to her republican party, Sondra doesn't pay attention, doesn't do the research, and doesn't consider the consequences of her decisions. She's also pretty smooth at denying any culpability. Practice, I suppose. She said she wasn't "responsible for the location". Bottom line: she didn't care about my family after she dropped Nexus into our laps. She doesn't care about your family either.
***
Listen how she uses Steve to sing her own praises.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Boon-Dogglers
I didn't need NEXUS or the Onamia Gestapo to show me how bamboozleable the folks are in our country these days. The 2000 and 2004 elections should have served as a wake-up call for us all. Nuh-uh. We have a two-term president who won neither election. A lot of local voters don't understand this, because they themselves did indeed vote for Bush - TWICE! Scary, isn't it? Apparently, they STILL haven't learned.
Now these same Bush voters are rallying behind an old (really old) man with a life history of dishonesty and corruption, a philanderer who supports war-mongering in Iraq. This guy thought it was funny to sing (off-key) "bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb, bomb Iran". Some joke. People actually think John McCain will keep them safe? Please tell me people aren't THAT dumb! Better yet, SHOW me in November!
And what about that pistol-packing hockey-momming beauty queen Sarah Palin? The Republicans love her! Why? Because she kills moose? Because she is a "good Christian"? Because she has a Downs Syndrome baby? They think that's refreshing? Geez. The fact that she isn't qualified to be president of the United States of America doesn't even raise eyebrows. Only happy, hysterical cheers from the masses of brainwashed Fox News viewers... This is definitely a case of pretending something is okay - when it isn't.
In Mille Lacs county, we see the same sort foolishness. I predict that come November, the citizens will actually vote for people like Norm Coleman, Sondra Erickson, Frank Courteau, Phil Peterson, Jack Edmonds, and Jerome Kryzer. Why? Well, just look at what has already happened in Nexusville... What was ALLOWED to happen. A friend told me that if the people are stupid enough to vote for these candidates, that they deserve what they get.
Unfortunately, they saddle the rest of us with their incompetent choices. So be it. I tell you what: We need a majority of SMART voters. THINKING voters. We The People need to take back our country, re-establish the principles of our Founding Fathers. Forget "American Idol" and work towards reclaiming "America - Land of the Free, Home of the Brave."
Sadly, we have a majority of frightened, unprincipled sheep standing in line at the voting booths - people who are afraid of Obama because they believe the lies spread about him (and he's BLACK!). People so unaware and uninvolved that they will vote for an extremist such as Tim Tinglestad just because he has a funny name. (I went to his website... What I saw... now THAT'S scary!)
The following video tells it like it is. Many of you won't like it - if for no other reason than George uses the word "fuck", and I know how overly sensitive people are about the word... Let them build a bridge to nowhere, let them screw up the economy, let them put convicted sex offenders next to day care and helpless little old ladies, but NEVER, EVER utter the F-word.
Now these same Bush voters are rallying behind an old (really old) man with a life history of dishonesty and corruption, a philanderer who supports war-mongering in Iraq. This guy thought it was funny to sing (off-key) "bomb, bomb, bomb - bomb, bomb Iran". Some joke. People actually think John McCain will keep them safe? Please tell me people aren't THAT dumb! Better yet, SHOW me in November!
And what about that pistol-packing hockey-momming beauty queen Sarah Palin? The Republicans love her! Why? Because she kills moose? Because she is a "good Christian"? Because she has a Downs Syndrome baby? They think that's refreshing? Geez. The fact that she isn't qualified to be president of the United States of America doesn't even raise eyebrows. Only happy, hysterical cheers from the masses of brainwashed Fox News viewers... This is definitely a case of pretending something is okay - when it isn't.
In Mille Lacs county, we see the same sort foolishness. I predict that come November, the citizens will actually vote for people like Norm Coleman, Sondra Erickson, Frank Courteau, Phil Peterson, Jack Edmonds, and Jerome Kryzer. Why? Well, just look at what has already happened in Nexusville... What was ALLOWED to happen. A friend told me that if the people are stupid enough to vote for these candidates, that they deserve what they get.
Unfortunately, they saddle the rest of us with their incompetent choices. So be it. I tell you what: We need a majority of SMART voters. THINKING voters. We The People need to take back our country, re-establish the principles of our Founding Fathers. Forget "American Idol" and work towards reclaiming "America - Land of the Free, Home of the Brave."
Sadly, we have a majority of frightened, unprincipled sheep standing in line at the voting booths - people who are afraid of Obama because they believe the lies spread about him (and he's BLACK!). People so unaware and uninvolved that they will vote for an extremist such as Tim Tinglestad just because he has a funny name. (I went to his website... What I saw... now THAT'S scary!)
The following video tells it like it is. Many of you won't like it - if for no other reason than George uses the word "fuck", and I know how overly sensitive people are about the word... Let them build a bridge to nowhere, let them screw up the economy, let them put convicted sex offenders next to day care and helpless little old ladies, but NEVER, EVER utter the F-word.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Help Hannabelle Fight Corporate Terrorism
Dear Friends,
Freedom of Speech isn't free. But you knew that, right? Well, the time has come to ask for some help in defending not only MY Freedom of Speech, but also YOURS. The First Amendment belongs to us all.
It's hard to believe that a private American citizen can get sued over merely telling the Truth or expressing their opinion.
If you've been following our battle against Nexus and it's agents, you know the story. ( If not, you can EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT on the Mille Lacs News website. In my efforts to stop this atrocious abuse of power by Nexus and the Onamia city government, I presented facts, figures, and my opinion to the public. Yes. At public meetings. Yes. In the local newspaper. Yes. On the Internet. I didn't fold. I didn't pretend that everything was O.K. when it wasn't. I stood up against the Tyranny. I told The Truth, as unflattering as it might be to people like Mayor Larry Milton, former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo, Chairman of the Nexus Board of Directors Peter D. Freeman, as well as the Nexus corporation itself.
Can you believe I'm being sued for telling the Truth? Of course, I did refer to James D'Angelo as "Poopsie".... (Egads! How DARE I?) The purpose of their vindictive lawsuit is obvious. They are determined to 1. SILENCE Hannabelle. 2. PUNISH Hannabelle. 3. Make sure none of YOU dare oppose or resist their power. It is a SLAPP - a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.
Neither D'Angelo, Freeman, or Nexus ever attempted to communicate with me or resolve any conflicts. They sicked their high-powered lawyers on me, bullying me with threats and intimidation. NASTY!!! By forcing me to defend myself (I'M INNOCENT!) in this frivilous, bogus, SILLY lawsuit, they are also trying to break my bank. It's effective. These rich bastards (oops! another suit coming my way!) can enjoy torturing Hannabelle, a disabled, chronically ill woman on a small, fixed income with this expensive legal tangle. The months of constant BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEPing from the Nexus building suit must really tickle these sadistic assholes (oops! another suit coming my way!)
Anyway, please help me fight them in court. Show them that this is STILL America, the Beautiful, Land of the Free. This type of Corporate Terrorism, if not nipped in the bud, will spread - like the Virginia Creeper vines killing the few remaining trees on the 38.81 acres... We must take a stand against the Nexus Creeps. (oops!)
I realize that times are tough, but please, if you can, kick in a few bucks for my legal battle. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Freedom of Speech isn't free. But you knew that, right? Well, the time has come to ask for some help in defending not only MY Freedom of Speech, but also YOURS. The First Amendment belongs to us all.
It's hard to believe that a private American citizen can get sued over merely telling the Truth or expressing their opinion.
If you've been following our battle against Nexus and it's agents, you know the story. ( If not, you can EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT on the Mille Lacs News website. In my efforts to stop this atrocious abuse of power by Nexus and the Onamia city government, I presented facts, figures, and my opinion to the public. Yes. At public meetings. Yes. In the local newspaper. Yes. On the Internet. I didn't fold. I didn't pretend that everything was O.K. when it wasn't. I stood up against the Tyranny. I told The Truth, as unflattering as it might be to people like Mayor Larry Milton, former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo, Chairman of the Nexus Board of Directors Peter D. Freeman, as well as the Nexus corporation itself.
Can you believe I'm being sued for telling the Truth? Of course, I did refer to James D'Angelo as "Poopsie".... (Egads! How DARE I?) The purpose of their vindictive lawsuit is obvious. They are determined to 1. SILENCE Hannabelle. 2. PUNISH Hannabelle. 3. Make sure none of YOU dare oppose or resist their power. It is a SLAPP - a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.
Neither D'Angelo, Freeman, or Nexus ever attempted to communicate with me or resolve any conflicts. They sicked their high-powered lawyers on me, bullying me with threats and intimidation. NASTY!!! By forcing me to defend myself (I'M INNOCENT!) in this frivilous, bogus, SILLY lawsuit, they are also trying to break my bank. It's effective. These rich bastards (oops! another suit coming my way!) can enjoy torturing Hannabelle, a disabled, chronically ill woman on a small, fixed income with this expensive legal tangle. The months of constant BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEPing from the Nexus building suit must really tickle these sadistic assholes (oops! another suit coming my way!)
Anyway, please help me fight them in court. Show them that this is STILL America, the Beautiful, Land of the Free. This type of Corporate Terrorism, if not nipped in the bud, will spread - like the Virginia Creeper vines killing the few remaining trees on the 38.81 acres... We must take a stand against the Nexus Creeps. (oops!)
I realize that times are tough, but please, if you can, kick in a few bucks for my legal battle. THANK YOU!!!!!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Snow Job
Even in Minnesota, we don't expect a good snow in September - unless, of course it is a Snow JOB from a county commissioner seeking re-election. That would be, of course, Frank Courteau.
For all of you Hannabelle supporters who have followed our ordeal for the past year and a half, you know what we went through to try to keep 94 convicted sex offenders from encroaching on our residential (R1 zoned) neighborhood. When I think of the hours and hours of research, the dedication, the drive, the tenacity, all of those awful meetings with all of those awful people - i.e. the Onamia city officials and the Mille Lacs county commission, (I'm rather fond of the Bradbury bunch on the township board. They may be powerless, but they are at least honest, have good intentions, and when it comes to gravel for our roads, they sincerely take it seriously.) Anyway, I don't know how we could have fought any harder than we did, considering that the Mille Lacs Messenger, (the local rag) seemed intent on aiding and abetting Nexus' bamboozlement of The People, undermining our attempts to get the Truth to We The People.
This week the Nexusville Messenger published a letter by commissioner Frank Courteau in which he has the nerve to say:
"Mille Lacs County recognizes and respects the right of property owners to restrict who and where others might encroach upon their property. This respect and recognition extends to all property owners in the County, including the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe."
Can you believe it??? This goes under the heading of: You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you CAN'T fool ALL of We The People ALL of the time. Except in Mille Lacs County...
Here, as Courteau well knows, you can fool MOST of the people MOST of the time. (Just look at all the Sondra Erickson signs in the yards! LOL)
Rights indeed!
When I spoke on the telephone with commissioner Frank Courteau (who DIDN'T I call?), he told me that after spending one afternoon with the infamous Jim D'Angelo at the Mille Lacs Academy, he was supportive of the program for the sex offenders. Fine. BUT, don't put it where people don't want it. Don't ENCROACH. And don't obliterate OUR rights, don't allow OUR laws to be rewritten - stripping us of OUR protection in order to benefit the corporation, don't lower OUR property values, and don't give away OUR tax dollars because YOU were impressed with D'Angelo's propaganda on your little tour on that fateful one afternoon.
Yes. Frank's afternoon undid thirty years of my life. Do you think he cared about what happened in our neighborhood? Did he care about us? Do you think he cares about YOU? Frank Courteau was instrumental in pushing the Nexus agenda. And he was UNWAVERING (stubborn and stupid) when it came to listening to the citizens who opposed his "baby". Well, maybe that's a little strong... After all, at least he didn't hang up on me like the others... Let's put it this way - when I stood up in front of the commissioners at the county board public hearing last December, I had months of research to present - facts and figures which contradicted the facts and figures on Nexus' tax abatement application. I had enough information to raise the eyebrows of even the most rigid sex offender institution supporter. However....
"YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE!" snapped a hostile commissioner Phil Peterson (also running for re-election).
A few of us (those brave enough to stand up against Peterson's agressive intimidation tactics) used our ONE MINUTE to impress upon the commissioners that not only should they examine Nexus more carefully before handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax abatement - since what we discovered about the multi-million dollar private corporation was very questionable, if not highly suspicious that they provided false and misleading information in order to gain public assistance. We asked for a continuance. Denied. Public hearing closed. Voted. Tax Abatement passed.
What information? It's all public information. I'm no great sleuth. We found that Nexus claimed to spend approximately $2 million dollars in the county each year. When the county asked for a detailed account of where they might be spending that money, the figure suddenly dropped. Oh, did I say $2 MILLION? Pardon me. I meant $600,000... And of course, we found that they only actually spend about $200,000 in the county. If you were on the county board, wouldn't this send up a red flag? Wouldn't you at least look into such discrepencies before giving away the tax payers' hard earned dollars? Not in Mille Lacs County. Not these commissioners.
Frank Courteau.... how DARE you bamboozle the people by telling them that Mille Lacs County "respects the right of property owners to restrict who and where others might encroach upon their property."
When the RIGHTS of individuals are disregarded for the "good of the community", that is NOT democracy. When a man like Frank Courteau disregards the RIGHTS of individuals and then says that he RESPECTS those rights.... well, I'd say that Frank Courteau lied quite bald-facedly to the people in his letter to the Mille Lacs Messenger, wouldn't you? Maybe in order to get re-elected so he can continue to "do ya"? (Of course, he'll probably sue me for saying that, but he'll have to wait in line behind D'Angelo, Freeman, and Nexus...)
But I will stick my neck out further and say that if you trust someone like Frank Courteau representing you at the county level, if you are dumb enough, gullible enough, or bamboozled enough to vote for someone who thinks he knows what's best even while refusing to consider all sides or review evidence which might contradict his mind-set, if you haven't learned by now - then, you deserve to have Frank abusing his power to allow anybody to encroach upon your property - even 94 beloved sex offenders.
SHAME ON YOU, FRANK COURTEAU!!!!
SHAME ON YOU, PHIL PETERSON!!!
SHAME ON YOU, JACK EDMONDS!!!
SHAME ON YOU, ROGER AND DAVE TELLINGHUISEN!!!
Vote them OUT or shame on you too.
For all of you Hannabelle supporters who have followed our ordeal for the past year and a half, you know what we went through to try to keep 94 convicted sex offenders from encroaching on our residential (R1 zoned) neighborhood. When I think of the hours and hours of research, the dedication, the drive, the tenacity, all of those awful meetings with all of those awful people - i.e. the Onamia city officials and the Mille Lacs county commission, (I'm rather fond of the Bradbury bunch on the township board. They may be powerless, but they are at least honest, have good intentions, and when it comes to gravel for our roads, they sincerely take it seriously.) Anyway, I don't know how we could have fought any harder than we did, considering that the Mille Lacs Messenger, (the local rag) seemed intent on aiding and abetting Nexus' bamboozlement of The People, undermining our attempts to get the Truth to We The People.
This week the Nexusville Messenger published a letter by commissioner Frank Courteau in which he has the nerve to say:
"Mille Lacs County recognizes and respects the right of property owners to restrict who and where others might encroach upon their property. This respect and recognition extends to all property owners in the County, including the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe."
FRANK COURTEAU, Mille Lacs County Commissioner
Can you believe it??? This goes under the heading of: You can fool some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time, but you CAN'T fool ALL of We The People ALL of the time. Except in Mille Lacs County...
Here, as Courteau well knows, you can fool MOST of the people MOST of the time. (Just look at all the Sondra Erickson signs in the yards! LOL)
Rights indeed!
When I spoke on the telephone with commissioner Frank Courteau (who DIDN'T I call?), he told me that after spending one afternoon with the infamous Jim D'Angelo at the Mille Lacs Academy, he was supportive of the program for the sex offenders. Fine. BUT, don't put it where people don't want it. Don't ENCROACH. And don't obliterate OUR rights, don't allow OUR laws to be rewritten - stripping us of OUR protection in order to benefit the corporation, don't lower OUR property values, and don't give away OUR tax dollars because YOU were impressed with D'Angelo's propaganda on your little tour on that fateful one afternoon.
Yes. Frank's afternoon undid thirty years of my life. Do you think he cared about what happened in our neighborhood? Did he care about us? Do you think he cares about YOU? Frank Courteau was instrumental in pushing the Nexus agenda. And he was UNWAVERING (stubborn and stupid) when it came to listening to the citizens who opposed his "baby". Well, maybe that's a little strong... After all, at least he didn't hang up on me like the others... Let's put it this way - when I stood up in front of the commissioners at the county board public hearing last December, I had months of research to present - facts and figures which contradicted the facts and figures on Nexus' tax abatement application. I had enough information to raise the eyebrows of even the most rigid sex offender institution supporter. However....
"YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE!" snapped a hostile commissioner Phil Peterson (also running for re-election).
A few of us (those brave enough to stand up against Peterson's agressive intimidation tactics) used our ONE MINUTE to impress upon the commissioners that not only should they examine Nexus more carefully before handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax abatement - since what we discovered about the multi-million dollar private corporation was very questionable, if not highly suspicious that they provided false and misleading information in order to gain public assistance. We asked for a continuance. Denied. Public hearing closed. Voted. Tax Abatement passed.
What information? It's all public information. I'm no great sleuth. We found that Nexus claimed to spend approximately $2 million dollars in the county each year. When the county asked for a detailed account of where they might be spending that money, the figure suddenly dropped. Oh, did I say $2 MILLION? Pardon me. I meant $600,000... And of course, we found that they only actually spend about $200,000 in the county. If you were on the county board, wouldn't this send up a red flag? Wouldn't you at least look into such discrepencies before giving away the tax payers' hard earned dollars? Not in Mille Lacs County. Not these commissioners.
Frank Courteau.... how DARE you bamboozle the people by telling them that Mille Lacs County "respects the right of property owners to restrict who and where others might encroach upon their property."
When the RIGHTS of individuals are disregarded for the "good of the community", that is NOT democracy. When a man like Frank Courteau disregards the RIGHTS of individuals and then says that he RESPECTS those rights.... well, I'd say that Frank Courteau lied quite bald-facedly to the people in his letter to the Mille Lacs Messenger, wouldn't you? Maybe in order to get re-elected so he can continue to "do ya"? (Of course, he'll probably sue me for saying that, but he'll have to wait in line behind D'Angelo, Freeman, and Nexus...)
But I will stick my neck out further and say that if you trust someone like Frank Courteau representing you at the county level, if you are dumb enough, gullible enough, or bamboozled enough to vote for someone who thinks he knows what's best even while refusing to consider all sides or review evidence which might contradict his mind-set, if you haven't learned by now - then, you deserve to have Frank abusing his power to allow anybody to encroach upon your property - even 94 beloved sex offenders.
SHAME ON YOU, FRANK COURTEAU!!!!
SHAME ON YOU, PHIL PETERSON!!!
SHAME ON YOU, JACK EDMONDS!!!
SHAME ON YOU, ROGER AND DAVE TELLINGHUISEN!!!
Vote them OUT or shame on you too.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wusses and Weasels
Hear ye, hear ye... All rise...
Of course they didn't show up at court... I knew they wouldn't. Bullies are generally cowards. And, of course, Peter Freeman (former St. Thomas Social Work instructor, now self-employed with Integral Organization Consulting) and Jim D'Angelo (former Nexus CEO, now self-employed with D'Angelo Consulting) are just that: Bullies. But perhaps I'm wrong in just assuming their absence was "small balls". Maybe it was strategic - showing the judge how insignificant this case is to them. Or perhaps they just had a "play date" and couldn't fit court into their schedule. Maybe it conflicted with tee time. Oh, there I go again... They'll probably sue me for wondering out loud as to why neither of them showed up to face Hannabelle. (sigh).
There are many Peter Freemans and a couple of James D'Angelos in the world today. (People in MY neighborhood might tell you that there are two too many... that is, if they weren't so afraid of getting sued...) I want you, dear readers, to be sure which Pete and Jim I'm talking about. These are the two Nexus affiliates who are suing me for telling the truth about them and exposing things they apparently didn't want exposed. Tough. They're tampering with our First Amendment Rights by monitoring and trying to censor MY blogs! They aggressively force themselves into MY life, and expect me to just lie down or go away - quietly... They should know that: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. [Newton's Third Law] But then, I guess they're no Einsteins... (They're not even Newtons...) For every offense, there is a defense. When D'Angelo decided to TAKE my neighborhood, he definitely got a defensive reaction. One he obviously didn't expect. He certainly didn't handle things well over here across the river. (Perhaps he should consult a consultant?)
If a thief gets caught for stealing, he doesn't sue the police. He goes to jail. If a bigwig CEO gets caught in his own lies, he sues the one who caught him. Doesn't seem right, does it? Actually, I'm not the only one who caught Jim D'Angelo lying. He was quite public about it. He even distributed pamphlets. Cheeky, huh. There are many witnesses. I'm just the one he singled out to SLAPP with a lawsuit. I'm the "fall guy", the "scapegoat", the "patsy", the EXAMPLE.
"I THINK SHE MADE IT ALL UP!" Victor Lund (their lawyer) cried indignantly to the judge. I made it all up? Yeah. Right. That's his opinion. We know otherwise. Perhaps Vic was just trying to do his job, or maybe he is easily bamboozled and actually believes whatever his clients - D'Angelo and Freeman said about me that wasn't true: like maybe that I just made it all up. How lame can they get?
Okay. So Victor Lund is entitled to his opinion. But is it ethical or proper for a lawyer to testify to the judge - I THINK, therefore she IS guilty as charged. If it is, I never saw it on Court TV... Of course, Vic was arguing against my Motion to Dismiss (because this is a stupid, silly, frivolous SLAPP suit, a wasteful burden with which they are saddling our court system.) Nope. D'Angelo and Freeman wish to continue on to trial. Why? They have no case. They never did. I haven't defamed anybody. Seriously - I called the man "Poopsie"! So sue me... They want to go to trial now because they have in essence, painted us all into a corner. And apparently they just make stuff up about ME in order to WIN.
In one affidavit for the Plaintiffs, it not only states that I just made everything up, it states that I just sit at my computer making things up because I think its FUNNY. Doubly false. It states that I have NOT RESEARCHED. This, my friends, is just IN-YOUR-FACE false. (Check out the Mille Lacs News to see the extent of our research.) Therefore, the Plaintiffs and their lawyer have actually defamed me to the judge. Perhaps I should sue them?
Victor Lund also took my words out of context and paraphrased them to suit his purpose. For example, I did say that Jim D'Angelo "preyed" on the elderly and infirm. The frail and elderly widows in our neighborhood didn't stand a chance against the rich and powerful Nexus or the determined and misguided Onamia city council. Nobody wants to live next to 94 sex offenders (except, perhaps, other sex offenders...) In a larger neighborhood, the resistance could succeed. Like a sick giraffe or an old zebra, our neighorhood was easy prey. Suddenly Vic is using words like "child molestor", "pedophile", and "stalker"!!! Hey, where did THAT come from? I never said any of those things. I guess those words, HIS words, sound a bit more inflamatory and defamatory than mine. (arrogant, snake, heartless, and of course "Poopsie"). To me, Vic's tactics seem like cheating in order to win a bogus case...
And the Plaintiffs are insisting upon DISCOVERY. What a joke! All they need to do is read the Mille Lacs News and they can discover lots of facts and figures. DOCUMENTATION! If we go to trial, all of the dirt we've dug up will be entered into the record FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE. I've been very open and honest. (A tough job but SOMEBODY'S got to do it...)
Apparently their strategy is to extend this lawsuit, to run up my lawyer fees and court costs to the breaking point. MY breaking point. They are both wealthy men who are into The Game and want to WIN at any cost. They can afford it. Remember what D'Angelo told the good ol' boys at city hall? What's $10,000... what's $50,000 on a project this size? Jim D'Angelo actually told me with a SMIRK that he doubted he'd see me in court because: "I think you'll find its not worth it." To me, his smile indicated the true nature of his lawsuit. SLAPP. Remember D'Angelo's vicious, spiteful comment to one of my Neighbors after the December 4, 2007 County Commissioner hearing where he got seven years of tax abatement for Nexus? "Game over," he said. "You lose."
Games...
There are games and there are games. Some games are fun, some are not. Some think that Life itself is only a game. Victor Lund said that it is wrong that anybody (me) can sit at a computer and write whatever they want about anybody. (I think its called "Freedom of Speech"? and you can only offer your opinion - which I have - and only tell the Truth - which I have. You can't tell lies - which I haven't. ) I think it's wrong that anybody can DO whatever they want TO anybody and if anybody objects that anybody can SUE anybody for anything.
The Golden Rule
He who has the most gold, rules. (It worked for O.J.)
I hope to prove that wrong. I hope that for once in this crazy world that JUSTICE will prevail, that Good will triumph over Evil, and I sincerely hope with all of my heart that
Jim D'Angelo will get what he deserves for lying on his sworn affadavit.
Yes indeed. He lied about confessing that by suing me "We thought you'd go away." SLAPP. All games have rules. If you break them, if you cheat, if you can't win by your own skill - you're not much of a player.
The judge recused herself due to conflict of interest. We're rescheduling. I hope that Attorney Lund chooses to present this blog to the next judge. Justice is supposedly blind. We shall see. We shall see.
Note: To all Mille Lacs County Commissioners and Onamia city officials who may be reading this - Jim D'Angelo was CEO of Nexus during their application for tax abatement. We tried to provide evidence showing that figures presented by Nexus to obtain public assistance were false, inaccurate, and misleading but you flat out refused to hear us. I strongly urge you now to reconsider the granting of tax abatement based on figures supplied by Jim D'Angelo, Nexus, and Nexus Diversified Community Services. Considering that this CEO lied on a sworn affadavit - to beat Hannabelle in court, how can you trust information provided to obtain hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars? I also urge YOU, dear Readers, to contact your government and alert them to discrepencies in the figures provided by Nexus. Scared of getting sued? Do it anonymously. Let the government know that we don't tolerate liars in Mille Lacs County!
Of course they didn't show up at court... I knew they wouldn't. Bullies are generally cowards. And, of course, Peter Freeman (former St. Thomas Social Work instructor, now self-employed with Integral Organization Consulting) and Jim D'Angelo (former Nexus CEO, now self-employed with D'Angelo Consulting) are just that: Bullies. But perhaps I'm wrong in just assuming their absence was "small balls". Maybe it was strategic - showing the judge how insignificant this case is to them. Or perhaps they just had a "play date" and couldn't fit court into their schedule. Maybe it conflicted with tee time. Oh, there I go again... They'll probably sue me for wondering out loud as to why neither of them showed up to face Hannabelle. (sigh).
There are many Peter Freemans and a couple of James D'Angelos in the world today. (People in MY neighborhood might tell you that there are two too many... that is, if they weren't so afraid of getting sued...) I want you, dear readers, to be sure which Pete and Jim I'm talking about. These are the two Nexus affiliates who are suing me for telling the truth about them and exposing things they apparently didn't want exposed. Tough. They're tampering with our First Amendment Rights by monitoring and trying to censor MY blogs! They aggressively force themselves into MY life, and expect me to just lie down or go away - quietly... They should know that: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. [Newton's Third Law] But then, I guess they're no Einsteins... (They're not even Newtons...) For every offense, there is a defense. When D'Angelo decided to TAKE my neighborhood, he definitely got a defensive reaction. One he obviously didn't expect. He certainly didn't handle things well over here across the river. (Perhaps he should consult a consultant?)
If a thief gets caught for stealing, he doesn't sue the police. He goes to jail. If a bigwig CEO gets caught in his own lies, he sues the one who caught him. Doesn't seem right, does it? Actually, I'm not the only one who caught Jim D'Angelo lying. He was quite public about it. He even distributed pamphlets. Cheeky, huh. There are many witnesses. I'm just the one he singled out to SLAPP with a lawsuit. I'm the "fall guy", the "scapegoat", the "patsy", the EXAMPLE.
"I THINK SHE MADE IT ALL UP!" Victor Lund (their lawyer) cried indignantly to the judge. I made it all up? Yeah. Right. That's his opinion. We know otherwise. Perhaps Vic was just trying to do his job, or maybe he is easily bamboozled and actually believes whatever his clients - D'Angelo and Freeman said about me that wasn't true: like maybe that I just made it all up. How lame can they get?
Okay. So Victor Lund is entitled to his opinion. But is it ethical or proper for a lawyer to testify to the judge - I THINK, therefore she IS guilty as charged. If it is, I never saw it on Court TV... Of course, Vic was arguing against my Motion to Dismiss (because this is a stupid, silly, frivolous SLAPP suit, a wasteful burden with which they are saddling our court system.) Nope. D'Angelo and Freeman wish to continue on to trial. Why? They have no case. They never did. I haven't defamed anybody. Seriously - I called the man "Poopsie"! So sue me... They want to go to trial now because they have in essence, painted us all into a corner. And apparently they just make stuff up about ME in order to WIN.
In one affidavit for the Plaintiffs, it not only states that I just made everything up, it states that I just sit at my computer making things up because I think its FUNNY. Doubly false. It states that I have NOT RESEARCHED. This, my friends, is just IN-YOUR-FACE false. (Check out the Mille Lacs News to see the extent of our research.) Therefore, the Plaintiffs and their lawyer have actually defamed me to the judge. Perhaps I should sue them?
Victor Lund also took my words out of context and paraphrased them to suit his purpose. For example, I did say that Jim D'Angelo "preyed" on the elderly and infirm. The frail and elderly widows in our neighborhood didn't stand a chance against the rich and powerful Nexus or the determined and misguided Onamia city council. Nobody wants to live next to 94 sex offenders (except, perhaps, other sex offenders...) In a larger neighborhood, the resistance could succeed. Like a sick giraffe or an old zebra, our neighorhood was easy prey. Suddenly Vic is using words like "child molestor", "pedophile", and "stalker"!!! Hey, where did THAT come from? I never said any of those things. I guess those words, HIS words, sound a bit more inflamatory and defamatory than mine. (arrogant, snake, heartless, and of course "Poopsie"). To me, Vic's tactics seem like cheating in order to win a bogus case...
And the Plaintiffs are insisting upon DISCOVERY. What a joke! All they need to do is read the Mille Lacs News and they can discover lots of facts and figures. DOCUMENTATION! If we go to trial, all of the dirt we've dug up will be entered into the record FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE. I've been very open and honest. (A tough job but SOMEBODY'S got to do it...)
Apparently their strategy is to extend this lawsuit, to run up my lawyer fees and court costs to the breaking point. MY breaking point. They are both wealthy men who are into The Game and want to WIN at any cost. They can afford it. Remember what D'Angelo told the good ol' boys at city hall? What's $10,000... what's $50,000 on a project this size? Jim D'Angelo actually told me with a SMIRK that he doubted he'd see me in court because: "I think you'll find its not worth it." To me, his smile indicated the true nature of his lawsuit. SLAPP. Remember D'Angelo's vicious, spiteful comment to one of my Neighbors after the December 4, 2007 County Commissioner hearing where he got seven years of tax abatement for Nexus? "Game over," he said. "You lose."
Games...
There are games and there are games. Some games are fun, some are not. Some think that Life itself is only a game. Victor Lund said that it is wrong that anybody (me) can sit at a computer and write whatever they want about anybody. (I think its called "Freedom of Speech"? and you can only offer your opinion - which I have - and only tell the Truth - which I have. You can't tell lies - which I haven't. ) I think it's wrong that anybody can DO whatever they want TO anybody and if anybody objects that anybody can SUE anybody for anything.
The Golden Rule
He who has the most gold, rules. (It worked for O.J.)
I hope to prove that wrong. I hope that for once in this crazy world that JUSTICE will prevail, that Good will triumph over Evil, and I sincerely hope with all of my heart that
Jim D'Angelo will get what he deserves for lying on his sworn affadavit.
Yes indeed. He lied about confessing that by suing me "We thought you'd go away." SLAPP. All games have rules. If you break them, if you cheat, if you can't win by your own skill - you're not much of a player.
The judge recused herself due to conflict of interest. We're rescheduling. I hope that Attorney Lund chooses to present this blog to the next judge. Justice is supposedly blind. We shall see. We shall see.
Note: To all Mille Lacs County Commissioners and Onamia city officials who may be reading this - Jim D'Angelo was CEO of Nexus during their application for tax abatement. We tried to provide evidence showing that figures presented by Nexus to obtain public assistance were false, inaccurate, and misleading but you flat out refused to hear us. I strongly urge you now to reconsider the granting of tax abatement based on figures supplied by Jim D'Angelo, Nexus, and Nexus Diversified Community Services. Considering that this CEO lied on a sworn affadavit - to beat Hannabelle in court, how can you trust information provided to obtain hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars? I also urge YOU, dear Readers, to contact your government and alert them to discrepencies in the figures provided by Nexus. Scared of getting sued? Do it anonymously. Let the government know that we don't tolerate liars in Mille Lacs County!
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Fat Lady Hasn't Sung Yet
Dear Readers,
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I need to explain why I'm still publishing after The Battle has been lost. As I have said before, I was planning to quit after the city of Onamia bent every which way but loose to accommodate Nexus in obtaining their Conditional Use Permit, which was, of course, tailor-made specifically for the sex offender institution. For me, personally, there seemed nothing more for ME to do which might influence the local government to stop the destruction of the 38.81 acres down the street. For a year of my life, I'd attended their meetings and "public hearings" trying to stop them from making the mistakes they made. Of course, they went ahead with their mistakes no matter what I said or printed or did... Apparently Hannabelle had no impact. But you must admit I gave it my all.
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The D'Angelo/Freeman lawsuit has forced me to continue my involvement, whereas I'd have preferred to move on to greener pastures. Recently it occurred to me that just because Hannabelle is sick and tired of fighting all this crap, you might think the War is over. Friends, it is not over. I had hoped that my part in it was finished, but I'm still stuck in the combat zone.
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As you know, I initially tried to save my neighborhood from having 94 convicted sex offenders in an unlocked facility located a few minutes run from my defenseless mother. She is elderly and in poor health. But as soon as I got involved, I immediately realized that something was wrong... By the time the Mille Lacs News and Bradbury Buzzz was created, my opposition was directed at the city council, who was intent upon supporting a private corporation which, in my opinion, was detrimental to the community. The "benefits" of the sex offender institution remaining in Onamia were greatly overshadowed by the negative aspects.
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I could easily expound on my participation over this past year and a half. Originally, I'd planned to dedicate only one year of my life. But of course, things didn't play out that way. Like stepping into quicksand, I'm now up to my neck in muck. And since I'm stuck here, unable to escape, I continue to work towards influencing the local and county government (to gain favorable government action).
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Although the War with Nexus is not over yet, there hasn't been much activity lately. I haven't been attending meetings since the CUP public hearing in April. Nexus isn't on the agenda. In the meantime, I've been directing a lot of my writing towards the city and county officials that read my stuff. These men have tunnel-vision when it comes to Nexus.
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For instance, Nexus barely met the qualifications for county tax abatement. To qualify, they needed to score points on a worksheet. Nexus scored 86, the minimum requirement. The finance committee generously duplicated points for the same issue (number of jobs), thus ensuring that Nexus would pass the "test". Without those jobs, Nexus doesn't make the grade. Also, our research indicated that the numbers Nexus provided to the county commissioners were nebulous, vague, misleading... First Nexus said that they spend $2 million dollars in the county annually. When asked to provide more detail about that, Jim D'Angelo reduced the figure from $2M to $610,000 he claims Nexus spends in the county annually. His figures, however, still did not add up. Ours came to only about $98,800, close to the figure quoted to us by a Department of Corrections source. Our request for the finance committee to further investigate was, of course, denied. Commissioner Dave Tellinghuisen stated that if Nexus cannot fulfill the requirements within the allotted time-frame, (such as creating several new jobs), tax abatement may be withdrawn.
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This is extremely significant. The new jobs which Nexus has outlined to meet qualifications were based on Nexus privatizing their school. A new school principal, teaching positions, aid positions, etc. If Nexus would privatize, 15 Onamia school employees would lose their jobs in the process. At an Onamia public hearing, former Nexus CEO Jim D'Angelo stated that those positions would not be lost, but those employees would work for Nexus instead of for the Onamia School district. He hedged when questioned if those jobs would be counted as "new positions" to meet qualifications for tax abatement. D'Angelo said that Nexus intended to, in fact, "double" the number of jobs. hmmm.
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However, Onamia school superintendent John Varner, along with the school board were against the privatization of the Nexus school. Privatization was denied. Without privatization, Nexus will not be able to create the school jobs they promised to deliver when they submitted their tax abatement applications to the city and county - there will be no private school at Nexus.
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So you see, Dear Readers... as Mayor Larry Milton recently said, this deal ain't done quite yet. Nexus now has to find another way to meet the conditions for the tax abatement already granted to them. Will they be able to do it?
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Although I opposed the annexation, purchase by the city, rezoning (incorrect zoning classification for the facility, along with improper zoning of the property), resale of the 38.81 to the corporation, as well as being opposed to the manipulation of laws, rewriting of ordinances to benefit one specific private company, the lack of a Planning Commission - the city council got around this by declaring themselves to be the planning commission! (see YouTube videos), lack of a Comprehensive Municipal Plan, improper procedures, violations of the Open Meeting Law, spot-zoning, lack of a traffic study, the impact on the environment - especially at such close proximity to the river and lake, as well as finding conflict of interests within the city council, and a serious discrepency in data provided by Nexus - such as conflicting statistics about safety (police and sheriff's reports), providing false and misleading information to obtain public funding, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. - BESIDES all that, I oppose property tax abatement for Nexus, who has been denied tax exemption in Mille Lacs, Crow Wing, and Mower counties. The Minnesota Department of Revenue has stated that NEXUS DOES NOT QUALIFY AS A CHARITY.
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So you see, the War goes on. There are still a few battles left to engage in. There is not much to "do", but hopefully my attempts at educating the public and public officials will be successful in the end. While the 38.81 acres has been destroyed, it is not too late for the city and county governments to reconsider giving tax abatement to Nexus, a multi-million dollar private corporation. As you know, if Nexus' tax abatement is not withdrawn, now that the school will not be privatized and promised jobs will not be created, citizens will make up the difference with a hike in THEIR tax dollars.
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Nope, this Fat Lady ain't sung yet. But after this long, long tour of duty, I'm starting to hum. I'm more than ready to be discharged from service. At least I know that I earned an honorable discharge. That's more than I can say for most ...
Sunday, August 10, 2008
God Sues Hannabelle!
A few days ago I wrote about how natural disasters such as tornadoes, floods, etc. etc. can totally destroy a person's life. And since, as you know, everything I have written this past year and a half has had to do with stopping the government from inappropriately sticking a large, commercial institution, owned by a private corporation, into our rural, residential neighborhood, I used this "natural disaster" vs "unnatural disaster" analogy to illustrate the devastation this company has caused me, my family, and my neighbors. I assure you, my intent was to gain public support against the government who, acting as an agent for the private corporation will continue to oppress We The People by continuing to make irrational, illogical mistakes like granting property tax abatement which will raise our property taxes. Of course, my intention was also to point out how the damages to the victims of the "unnatural disaster" were caused knowingly, with malice, with disregard for our Constitutional Rights, and blah, blah, blah. (You know it all by now.) WHAT HAPPENED TO US COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. But it wasn't.
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My Story
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So, sure enough... Yesterday St. Peter (no relation) arrived at my nonpearly gate with yet another lawsuit against Hannabelle. (As if two bogus, frivolous SLAPP suits weren't already enough... Sheesh!) As St. Peter (no relation) placed the golden scroll into my trembling hands, he shook his head sadly and said, "Nothing personal, ma'am. I'm just doing my job."
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Well, you can imagine my anxiety as I unfurled the golden lawsuit to find that I am being SLAPPed by God, Himself! Talk about PRESSURE!
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God
Plaintiff
vs.
Hannabelle
Defendant
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It seems that God is suing Hannabelle for DEFAMATION. The Plaintiff's case states that "when the defendant [allegedly] "defamed The Weather", which God Himself created and is therefore responsible, her comments caused God damages which will be specified sometime in the future. By publishing information about The Weather on the Bradbury Buzzz blog for the "whole world to see", it caused His Son Jesus some slight embarrassment, the Holy Spirit gave Him a disapproving frown, and Gabriel tooted his Horn for six straight days. (On the seventh, he rested.)" [It goes on and on...]
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Lawyers for the Plaintiff have sworn to "show no mercy" in SLAPPing down the defendant. Hannabelle has twenty days to answer this new lawsuit against her. Otherwise she will lose by default, because... that's the way the system was designed. Either way, it will be HELL for her.+
Hannabelle's lawyers insist that God's lawsuit is frivolous. "We intend to call upon witnesses such as Moses (The Ten Commandments will be Exhibit A), and of course Job, (as soon as he gets out of the hospital) and even Jesus Himself (as a hostile witness) to prove that God uses The Weather to BULLY and intimidate people into placing large donations into the collection plate. God has a long history of Scape-goating, bullying, ostracizing, and using The Silent Treatment. What is being done to our client is purely wrong. People have a right to complain about The Weather."
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Disclaimer #1: The above story is NOT true. God is NOT suing Hannabelle.
I wrote the above story to illustrate the difference between writing a fictional story as opposed to exercising my First Ammendment Rights to advance a position. Freedom of Speech is a Right which MUST be protected. We know that the above story is a metaphor. It is fictional. How do we know this? 1) God cannot sue Hannabelle because God doesn't exist. 2) Alternatively, if God DOES exist, we know God cannot sue Hannabelle because - everyone knows there are no lawyers in Heaven.
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***I learned that "Alternatively" trick from you, Vic.
***I learned that "Alternatively" trick from you, Vic.
Thanks
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Disclaimer #2: In the D'Angelo/Freeman SLAPP suit against me, I've been wrongfully accused of sitting at [my] computer and just making things up because [I] think it is funny. To say this about me is defamation. To tell the court that information I have shared in the Mille Lacs News and Bradbury Buzzz has not been researched (they said that too) but simply "made up" is FALSE. It is obvious that the Plaintiffs are "projecting" their own methods onto me. I am not the one who lied on sworn his affidavit. I am not a liar at all. Yes, sometimes I TRY to be funny. I want my readers to be entertained while they learn about our cause. If you don't see the humor in a Jay Leno monologue as he criticizes the President... well, then you probably have a problem and are no fun at parties. Of course I'm no Jay Leno... And to me, fighting to save my farm has NOT been fun OR funny. I do, however, stand by what I have written. I have published the Truth as best I can as well as offering tons of opinion. I have done my best to procure favorable government action through alerting the public and public officials of the Truth. It is an effort which continues.
Monday, August 4, 2008
County Board Games
Pro/Con: Do the tall ships leave Duluth in historically troubled waters?
Duluth News TribunePublished Sunday, August 03, 2008
Duluth News TribunePublished Sunday, August 03, 2008
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"...the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians is experiencing hostility from the Mille Lacs County Board, which has adopted an official policy that the reservation no longer exists, despite all of the legal precedence and federal government’s position upholding reservation existence and tribal sovereignty."
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The Mille Lacs County Board: Phil Peterson, Frank Courteau, Jack Edmonds, Dave Tellinghuisen, and Roger Tellinghuisen (and yes, Virginia, there is NEPOTISM in Mille Lacs County. The Tellinghuisens are brothers.)
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Do you see? Do you see??? It is so obvious to people OUTSIDE of the county HOW BAD the Mille Lacs County Commissioners really are. When are the citizens in Mille Lacs County going to WISE UP and vote these jokers out?! People - Do your homework. Pu-leeez. You've got the Internet. Look up how this group of commissioners has particularly and majorly SCREWED UP with a PATTERN OF POOR DECISIONS. Check out for yourselves how their BAD JUDGMENT has affected YOU. (Hint: higher taxes for instance...) ITS AN ELECTION YEAR! Get EDUCATED.
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Do it for yourself. (Hannabelle's busy.)
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