Progressive view: Blind vision personified

Some of you are old enough to remember a young charismatic very popular candidate who promised change and equality to all. Take a trip down memory lane and remember that history does repeat itself.

To Be Frank View: Cowardness and Congressional Arrogance Personified

Watch this exchange between Congressman Barney Frank and Fox News host Bill O’Reilly and you will understand why the approval rating for Congress has reached single digits, nine (9) percent. Ironically 90 percent of the House of Representatives are reelected every two years.

Outstanding Leadership View: No problems at Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae

Mr. Chairman we do not have a problem at Freddie Mac and particularly at Fannie Mae. If you are not on Freddie Mac's or Fannie Mae's payroll, see for yourself and spread the word.

Burning Down the House View: Over the edge into Socialism

The economic crisis and battle over the 700 billion dollar bailout by the Federal Government is calling an arsonist to put out the fire it started. The following link is the best synopsis of events on why we are seeing our financial assets free fall and real estate values deteriorate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxgSubmiGt8

Growing nowhere view: 100 Days of Reality

100 Days of Reality in Duluth, MN - A Shrinking Community

Mayor Don Ne$$ and his administration’s first 100 days are here and with the positive campaign behind us, the reality is only starting to set in for Duluth taxpayers.

Duluth homeowners are looking at an average $7,500 per household for sewer improvements at the same time the City of Duluth funds tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on the likes of the Great Lakes Aquarium, Sister Cities programs, railroad studies, golf courses, unsold low-income housing and more.

It doesn’t stop there for Duluth homeowners as they can forget about the street monies from the Community Investment Trust, CIT, proceeds from the Fond-Du-Luth Casino agreement. The original plan was that property owners were to pay 25 percent of the cost of street improvements abutting their property. The Ne$$ Administration and Duluth City Council are looking at assessing somewhere between 75 and 100 percent of street improvements on the backs property owners. Duluth residents can say “so long” to the CIT street program and the pilfered estimated $60 million dollars of CIT funds.

Over a $5 million dollar budget shortfall is facing the Duluth taxpayers for 2008. This deficit hardly includes the increased energy costs and fallout from the national recession.

Over $270 million dollars of taxpayer obligation for retiree health care remains grossly underfunded for Duluth City employees and retirees. This issue seems to have been forgotten with all of the other governmental dysfunction.

The ISD709 Red Plan, a $437 million school district bonding improvement plan which the people of Duluth were not allowed to vote on, is directly competing with the city government need for more dollars.

At the same time, Duluth has a poverty rate twice that of the state average and the pressure is only beginning to be felt by those Duluth residents and business that do pay taxes.

Duluth is well known as a “labor town”. This past election Duluth Political Action Committees, PAC, contributed 233 percent more than the previous election, $130,000, to getting their candidates elected. These PAC expenditures were mostly led by the government worker unions, AFSCME and the Duluth Fire Department PAC.

Compile this with Minnesota ranking the 6th highest in per-capita taxes in the nation, 2nd highest corporate tax rate nationally, and is ranked 45th in its friendliness towards small business; you don’t need a degree in economics Duluth to conclude in serious financial trouble.

Speaking of economic degrees, in 2001, the Knight Foundation commissioned Ned Hill, a Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Economic Development at Cleveland State University, for an Economic Summit and presentation to the Duluth City Council. The tax base has remained relatively the same while expenses continue to go up and liabilities such as the unfunded retiree health care over doubled. Unfortunately Professor Hill’s message was ineffective and change continues to be uncommonly difficult in Duluth.

In 1960 Duluth had a population of 106,884 and today 86,319. Today there are approximately 26,000 area college students, thus Duluth’s actual year round population is estimated to be only 70,000.

Duluth city government has a long tradition of capitalizing non-essential core services and providing some of the best paying government jobs and benefits to its workers. The time to pay the piper has arrived. The actual number of taxpayers contributing to the tax base is too few to meet the obligations cause by decades of neglect and mismanagement. A population drop is imminent as more of the obligations are force upon the remaining taxpayers. Sadly, many will find it impossible to meet these demands.

After nearly nine years of Ne$$ in the system, as an elected official, one can only conclude that what's another 100 days?

The Ne$$ Administration 100 day agenda can be viewed at: http://www.duluthmn.gov/city/government/mayor/100_day_agenda.pdf


My name is Tony Ramone and I approve the use and reproduction of this opinion.

Incompetent view: Never mind Duluth residents can pick up the tab

Duluth property owners are only starting to get a taste of the irony coming as they are faced with an ever growing list of Duluth public projects and the price they will have to pay because of hundreds of millions of dollars of incompetent city spending.

The latest City of Duluth announcement will cost many Duluth home owners an average of $7,500 each ($61 per month for 20 years) for fixing Duluth’s aging sewer system and eliminating sewer overflows into Lake Superior.

In the typical “just a little more” Duluth fashion, Duluth Mayor Don Ness is recommending a $60 to $80 million dollar fix for the overflow problems including a $10 per month clean-water surcharge to all resident utility bills.

Never mind the extra on your electric bill every time that sump pump kicks in as it is “just a little more”.

Never mind the fact that over $15 million City of Duluth tax dollars have gone in to an aquarium that most likely will never function without public assistance.

Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth leadership has chosen to spend several millions of Duluth citizens’ public monies on the Wet House, a low income facility for chronic alcoholics.

Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth leadership has given out millions of dollars for low income housing loans with no interest or repayment required.

Never mind the fact that the City of Duluth made a $10 million dollar bonding screw up on the now over $20 million dollar and growing SMDC parking ramp.

Did Duluth City leaders forget there is a $300 million dollar unfunded retiree health care obligation for current and future residents? Ah never mind, right?

This year Duluth city leaders voted to use $40,000 of city monies to fund the railroad feasibility study. How much more Duluth taxpayer commitment will be needed, only time will tell? And yes, never mind that many Duluth residents pay state and federal taxes that will provide the majority of funding for the railroad.

The dollars above would have easily paid for new sewers and better streets, the infrastructure that a city should provide its citizens.

Then there is the ISD709, school district, Red Plan which alone is a $437 million dollar project financially threatening many of Duluth’s residents.

Whether you own or rent in Duluth, looking ahead a few property owners may actually benefit from eminent domain, as it may be their only way out before total financial collapse of Duluth.

The delusional Duluth leadership needs to look at reality and answer the question; how much more can they tax and fee the declining number of tax paying Duluth property owners? Duluth had a population of approximately 107,000 in 1960 and only 85,000 today.

Then there is even a bigger never reported in the media question; Was the WLSSD system in Duluth designed to handle all the growing communities surrounding Duluth that have joined the WLSSD system and has this expansion contributed to the sewage overflows that Duluth residents will be flipping the bill for?

Despotic view: Public Power, Private Gain at Your Expense

In a David and Goliath property rights battle the unjust use of despotic power by the City of Duluth regarding property rights is coming to its day of reckoning.

What kind of government allows a developing party to use the city government’s absolute power through condemnation or eminent domain, for private gain, without the developing party having any liability or risk?

Once again, Duluth taxpayers will soon learn the answer as they will be picking up the tab in excess of $500,000 for incompetence by former Mayor Herb Bergson, former City Clowncilor Donny Ness and his fellow Clowncil disciples, DEDA Executive Director Tom Cotruvo, and City Attorney Robert Asleson.

The Castle Coalition states: As early as 1795, the U.S. Supreme Court described the power of eminent domain—where the government takes someone’s property for a "public use"—as "the despotic power." Eminent domain has the potential to destroy lives and livelihoods by uprooting people from their homes and businesspeople from their shops. With eminent domain, the government can force a couple in their 80s to move from their home of 50 years. Eminent domain is the power to evict a small family business, even if that means the business will never reopen. (Click to read the rest of Public Power, Private Gain)

Newborn view: You ain’t seen nothing yet

This Christmas season many Duluthians are in a boil over their recent property tax bill double digit increases. You can only wonder why they keep voting the way they do.

Looking ahead, one can conclude, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Duluth is in deep dung and when the Democrats take the White House next year, what are you going to give up?

The ISD709 Christmas Red plan and the City of Duluth’s catastrophic financial mess, together equal about a billion dollar delusional boondoggle, BDDB. Considering there’s a limited declining tax base to support the BDDB, when the Democrats federal tax increases hit the remaining Duluth middle class, hang on if you can.

The following cutbacks would be a good start:

Skiing at Spirit Mt.
A fish tank experience
Events at the DECC
Cable TV
Dining out
A night out to the movies
Second car
Heating your home over 60 degrees
A night at the casino
A vacation

Giving to charity

To all of my Scrooge Perfect Duluth Day fans: Yes I used the “C” word, Christmas. Now all of you politically correct freaks, get working a second job so you can pay for your internet connection and enjoy my musical salute below to an up and coming member of the Clowncil.

Snow job view: Clowncil tackles snow removal

Now that the Duluth Can Can Can’t City Clowncil has resolved the retiree healthcare fiasco through the fund raiser (click here), the Duluth News Tabloid investigate team, D-team, has receive a new surveillance video link from Cheaters of members of the Clowncil assisting with the snow removal from the two recent storms.

Taxpayers of Duluth can rest assured that the over $6,000.000 budget shortfall for 2008 is easily resolved with such clever cost cutting activities as demonstrated in the surveillance video link.

An anonymous tipster provided documentation that a Duluth coalition of euphorians called the DRR’s were concerned about the cheating of Duluth taxpayers by the union dominated Clowncil. Lead Cheaters Investigator, Joey Greco informed the DRR’s that Cheaters was unable to document any inter-clowncil improprieties by its members.

Your humble correspondent was unable to validate the acronym DRR as the time the story was released.

Can can can't view: Retiree Healthcare Resolved through Clowncil fundraiser

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Kool Aid view: Tired of the taste?

You humble correspondent is looking for contrived topics for the new Kool Aid View.

Email me at ramoneanthony@gmail.com with your examples of your favorite home brew Kool Aid. Enquiring minds want to know.

Priceless view: Priceless Duluth politics

Filing fee for local office $ 20 one time

20,000 phone calls $ 5,000 per day

60,000 flyers and postage $24,000 per mailing

Television and radio media blitz $ you don't want to know

Professional AFL-CIO AFSCME campign machine $ you're only beginning to know

The total “independent” expenditures BIG

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Big money self serving special interests endorsements

PRICELESS

Priceless Politics is a worth reading (click here). See any similarities?

Investigative view: AFSCME professional campaign staff uncovered

November 6, 2007
Guest correspondent: Inspector Clueso
Duluth News Tabloid
http://www.duluthnewstabloid.blogspot.com/

The other DNT, TODNT, ran a story today, Big issues, hotly contested races define election 2007 in Duluth .

The story includes “In the 1st District, challenger Todd Fedora raised and spent double what his opponent and incumbent Laurie Johnson did”.

This statement is clearly biased or the TODNT is completely incompetent because they did not disclose the enormous independent expenditures that contributed to the Laurie Johnson campaign. (Click here for the definition of independent expenditures).

Duluth voters have been exposed to record breaking political expenditures this election. Voters have been inundated with intrusive campaign telemarketing phone calls, daily direct mail flyers, billboards, television ads and radio ads.

Contributors leading the way in the record independent expenditures are:

AFSCME
AFSCME Local 66
DFL
Duluth AFL-CIO Central Labor Body
Duluth Firefighters PAC

In addition to independent expenditures above, Laurie Johnsons campaign signs were delivered to AFSCME’s local office and set up in local yards by AFSCME employees on the job. It is unknown what the dollar value of a professional campaign staff is, but reviewing the AFSCME salaries appears to demonstrate a substantial worth.

The Department of Labor allows for the public to review the happenings within labor unions. (Click here to do your own search).

For Union Abbreviation, choose AFSCME

For State, choose Minnesota

Click on Submit

Choose 543-153 2006 Report for State & County Muni Empls AFL-CIO Leadership Council 5, at the top.

Hang on as you review the $19,486,341 of AFSCME Council 5 wages and disbursements including a whooping $555,813 for the professional Duluth AFSCME campaign staff of Eric Lehto, Sarah Lewerenz, Laurie Johnson, Pam Lofquist, Ken Loffler-Kemp, Marshall Stenerson and Mary Theurer.

This Duluth News Tabloid guest correspondent concludes either the TODNT does not want you to know the truth or is incapable of understanding and investigating the political process they are reporting to the public.

Lack of truth or credibility, you decide by voting on the poll to the right.

Front view: Special interests and unions dominate incumbent Councilor's financial reports

The DNT has received public records of District 1 Councilor’s Laurie Johnson’s campaign financial report. The donations most notably are dominated by the usual labor interests. (Click on the image for full detail)

AFSCME heavy hitter Eric Lehto, AFSCME and multiple donations from Progressive Action lead the way. It should be noted that Progressive Action is led by Barb Olson, wife of AFSCME Field Representative Marshall Stenersen.

Laurie Johnson states that she is for “working” families and represents all the people of District 1. Councilor Johnson’s voting record has demonstrated a clear and consistent record of supporting union interests. Councilor Johnson has equally voted against non-union employers. So we want to know, what working families is Councilor Johnson for, the one’s paying dues that pay her salary, the out of town unions funding the campaign, or the all working families of Duluth, union and non-union?

Councilor Johnson is an employee of AFSCME Local 66, the same union that represents two thirds of the City of Duluth employees. A review of Councilor Johnson’s website fails to indicate her employment with the City of Duluth’s largest union.

The DNT attempted to have Councilor Johnson explain “working” families and all of the people of District 1, but Johnson was not available for comment.

In the beginning

Peace