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    Duluth Citizens Blog
    23 W. Central Entrance
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83341 - Mon Mar 8 20:22:02 2010 - [The Truth would ruin the DFL crime gang] By: Kevin

There is a campaign to bring Google Fiber to Duluth. This effort is dangerous and must be stopped! The outrageously fast internet speed will only be a tool that tears down the wall which guards our ignorance. Think of the harm, if a citizenry can obtain the information that fiscal responsibility is a sound practice. How seriously might a union household be harmed, should thoughts of rugged individualism be researched from within? What evil might be unleashed, if the principles of conservatism are readily available? I advocate that this initiative be flatly rejected--or just reserved for the elite who know better.

83340 - Mon Mar 8 19:40:12 2010 - [Website claims Mayor resides in the hood] By: Kevin

The bio page for Mayor Ness, on the city's website, informs us that he resides on a bus line in the East Hillside. Uh, ok.

83339 - Mon Mar 8 16:50:40 2010 - [DFL bill taxpayers in the worst of times] By: Cynic

I see the city needs $80,000 for new furniture. I needed a chair so I stopped by Goodwill, used some glue and now I have a chair. 5 bucks total.

Big Iron/DRZ/John W of Saginaw/Saginaw J/etc. go back to Duluth rag site and continue trying to put out the fire. LOL

83338 - Mon Mar 8 16:12:09 2010 - [Glut of DFL Duluth Double Dippers ] By: Muffin Top

Driving by the Holiday Center on Superior St. I saw another DFL Duluth Double Dipper. Gold Cross there and the DFD.

AFSCME standby is a DFL Duluth Double Dipper and a half.

I really wonder how many other DFL Duluth Double Dipping is occuring in DFL Duluth.

83337 - Mon Mar 8 13:40:05 2010 - [Go get it] By: Big Iron

Cynic, then go get it. It's public information. Will you? Highly doubtful.

83336 - Mon Mar 8 12:00:27 2010 - [DFL Duluth City CLOWNcil Theme Song] By: Willie N

New DFL Duluth City CLOWNcil Theme Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fV1i76S4dW0

83335 - Mon Mar 8 11:19:08 2010 - [Remove move the hosing contact language] By: Slippery Slope

Perhaps friend of dfd could give us the amount of dollars dfd spends on this non overtime that nobody really uses for various reasons such as light duty costs the taxpayers of duluth. Why not take it out of the contract language if it is not really used?

83334 - Mon Mar 8 10:22:54 2010 - [Rallly in Duluth's Sister City Detroit] By: mp

An explanation of your rights from a rally in Duluth's twin city, Detroit. These are your rights!!!!! But at some point you will run out of other people's money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1-QcAPiunk

83333 - Mon Mar 8 09:13:42 2010 - [Cali Dems, unions go for downhill Gold] By: DFL Crime Watch

SACRAMENTO California's union-dominated, Democratic-controlled Legislature is temperamentally incapable of fixing the state's structural budget deficit, given that such a fix would require reduced government spending and the granting of fewer benefits to the state's class of government workers. As Rome burned, legislators last week debated a meaningless "no-cussing" measure, which suggests how out-of-touch these lawmakers remain.

http://www.ocregister.com/opinion/state-237781-california-government.html

83333 - Mon Mar 8 09:13:42 2010 - [As DFL Duluth Burns] By: DFL Crime Watch

83332 - Mon Mar 8 08:30:59 2010 - [More transparency with OT lists needed] By: Cynic

I want to see the counties OT list. Especially the sheriffs.

83331 - Mon Mar 8 01:00:36 2010 - [DFDers struggle to put food on the table] By: Friend of DFD

Cynic,

I am not saying it is hidden in any way. What I am saying is that due to several reasons it is not received very often.

83330 - Mon Mar 8 00:12:22 2010 - [Time for the sheople to wake the hell up] By: JBBP

AFSCME. What a bunch of heartless, sociopathic crooks.

Their attitude is, "If it's good for me, it's good."

Whoever voted to okay their contract regarding overtime/on-call pay ought to be put in jail. There is not one bit of common sense or courtesy towards the taxpayers who are stuck with paying ALL of their salaries. The gall and the arrogance of these people is astounding. No wonder that most of the AFSCME members are willing to go along with it. What a bunch of self-serving, sneaky, disengenuous narcissists. They do not represent public servants...they feed at the public's coffers, which to them, is more like a trough.

Do some of them perform tough jobs? Absolutely. This does not entitle them to engage in their extortion racket any more than we overburdened taxpayers are entitled to rob a bank, even if it's so we can pay our taxes so we can continue to pay their salaries.

These people are big-time con artists, and the politicians who aid and abet their deplorable ways are traitors to the public.

They snake their ways into office by pulling on emotional heartstrings- human rights, environmental issues, etc. It's time for the sheople to wake the hell up and realize how they are taking away your right to earn a living, and if you're lucky enough to get a job, the right to keep a fair amount of what you manage to earn.

Thank you.

83329 - Sun Mar 7 22:42:57 2010 - [Proper DFL Duluth spelling is Ne$$] By: Screwed by Scum

Kevin, the proper spelling of Ness is Ne$$.

The boy mayor is way over his head. Are we really to be surprised?

83328 - Sun Mar 7 22:05:01 2010 - [Duluth is in a Ne$$ of trouble!] By: Kevin

An ordinance takes effect prohibiting smoking within 15 feet of a bus shelter. A reported request to purchase $80,000 worth of furniture for the city. Ah, Duluth, you are in a Ness of trouble!

83327 - Sun Mar 7 20:54:14 2010 - [A look at DFL Duluth schools of tomorrow] By: Contra XX

Source: Associated Press

(03-07) 12:54 PST Kansas City, Mo. (AP) --

Kansas City was held up as a national example of bold thinking when it tried to integrate its schools by making them better than the suburban districts where many kids were moving. The result was one school with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and another with recording studios.

Now it's on the brink of bankruptcy and considering another bold move: closing nearly half its schools to stay afloat.

Schools officials say the cuts are necessary to keep the district from plowing through what little is left of the $2 billion it received as part of a groundbreaking desegregation case.

Buffeted for years by declining enrollment, political squabbling and a revolving door of leadership, the district's fortunes are so bleak that Superintendent John Covington has said diplomas given to many graduates "aren't worth the paper they're printed on."

Kansas City is among the most striking examples of the challenges of saving urban school districts. The city used gobs of cash to improve facilities, but boosting lagging test scores and stemming the exodus of students were more elusive. Like other big-city districts, it finds itself struggling to become more than just the last resort for large pockets of poverty in the urban core.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/0...

83326 - Sun Mar 7 20:17:53 2010 - [Most expensive FD in USA a conspiracy] By: Big Iron

It's a vast left wing conspiracy, to hide DFD OT from the public, Cynic.

83325 - Sun Mar 7 18:08:49 2010 - [DFD pillows covering up the overtime ] By: Cynic

Ok Friend of dfd in a way it sounds like you are saying yes dfd overtime is hidden as something else. I don't give a rats behind I was just wondering.

83324 - Sun Mar 7 15:51:34 2010 - [DFD not earning CEO pay, yet] By: Pro-DFD

Take a look at our paper today and you won't see one firefighter on the overtime list.
We watch our budget and respect the taxpayers by avoiding any excessive overtime if we can. We don't fleece the citizens as some suggest but rather we are there if you need us and our response time will be under 3 minutes. Your safe with a professional fire department such as the one I work for.

83323 - Sun Mar 7 14:47:37 2010 - [Why live in DFL Duluth with core cuts?] By: Friend of DFD

Dodge St,

The reason I and my family live in Duluth and not one of the outlying townships is because I used to be part of a combination department in the twin cities and I KNOW how it works and it is a great relief that we have a FULL-TIME fire department here. Unless you have done it you have no I idea how it works. Just because they are supposed to be volunteers they still cost money. You will not find the glorious savings that you seek by the cutting and slashing. We have cut the public works to the bone and look what it has gotten us. Millions in overtime and yet all that you can say is cut the fat cut the fat. What fat, some of the workers are working an extra 1500 hrs per year to do the job that needs to get done. Then you have the gall to crab about how much they are paid in OT. How about worrying about funding the core services that make our city run and attrach businesses like google and stop whining about where to cut. Let's look at some of the programs that are in the shadows that eat up a large share of the budget. They are great programs but not ones that make the city run, for now cut them.
I don't know how many of the firefighters live in the city but, you don't hear of any of the other citys and towns around us cutting core services. Why would anyone want to live in a city that is always talking about cut this service and that service. I honestly don't blame them. It is people like you who always look at the negative that have turned this fine city into what it is today, smaller and less attractive.

83322 - Sun Mar 7 13:43:47 2010 - [Boycott DFL Duluth] By: Pravda

Boycott DFL Duluth

Shop outside of DFL Duluth

Dine outside of DFL Duluth

Invest outside of DFL Duluth

Start a new business outside of DFL Duluth

Educate your children outside of DFL Duluth

Help your children find careers outside of DFL Duluth

Build your new home outside of DFL Duluth

Retire outside of DFL Duluth

Add to the Boycott DFL Duluth list.

Do all you can outside of DFL Duluth and bleed the greedy public unions dry. You do have a choice to not feed the self serving AFSCME mafia.

83321 - Sun Mar 7 13:29:28 2010 - [What do expect from Ness?] By: Big Iron Fan

Come on now DCB. Do any of you really expect a kid who had his car repossessed and whose only real world experience was working part-time at a gas station? Don Ness is way over his head at mayor. I hear the chat now, over rated, over rated, over rated...

83320 - Sun Mar 7 12:40:45 2010 - [DFD AFSCME fleecing needs to stop..NOW] By: Dodge St.

To "friend of DFD", which volunteer fire department serves you and your family? Or, which fire department serves over half of your fellow firefighters who live outside the city. VOLUNTEERS..lets try it...lets get a "study" done to see which halls should close and how to reduce the total number of firefighters on duty 24/7. The fleecing needs to stop..NOW...we can't afford your current operation anymore.

83319 - Sun Mar 7 11:36:07 2010 - [Vote AFSCME owned Putzes OUT of office] By: Citizen Taxpayer

As a concerned citizen and taxpayer, I think it’s time the citizens of Duluth stand-up and vote the AFSCME owned elected officials out of office in the 2011 city elections.

There will be three (3) AFSCME owned council seats, and the mayor up for re-election. Those councilors are Anderson, Cuneo, and Gardner, and of course Mayor Ness.

It’s amazing to me that during the last city election in 2009 the AFSCME owned candidates Boyle, Gauthier, Hartman, and Olson consistent message was there needs to be livable wage paying jobs, a single payer health care system, and people are willing to pay higher taxes for needed services. At whose expense – the TAXPAYER!

I might have misread the DNT Sunday front page article, but it seems to me that organized labor annual salaries & benefits (approximately $85k) are almost twice the average annual salaries and benefits (approximately $40k) in the private sector!

Also, look at your most recent utility bill from Comfort Systems, and add up how much you are paying in additional fees, etc. If majority of that money was going for infrastructure that is one thing and the citizen’s would benefit. But, my guess is a high percentage of those dollars collected are going to pay the salaries & benefits of organized labor aka AFSCME.

The citizen’s of Duluth NEED to band together and VOTE those incumbents OUT of OFFICE!!!

83318 - Sun Mar 7 11:04:53 2010 - [Employed for Duluth is winning lottery] By: rusty

cynic,, this year we went with a "bonus" like you in the private sector...about 20,000 each in lew of working ot and being away from families...probably why we are not on the ot list..

83317 - Sun Mar 7 10:58:21 2010 - [April Fools Day-DFD trying to cut costs!] By: Friend of DFD

Cynic,

The OT that you speak of is actually 4 hours at 1/2 time not overtime. It is not given every check either. It is not given if time off in any form is taken or if they are on light duty. It is also only given once a month not on every check as has been said. So it probably is not enough to make the list. I also think it is a federal thing called FLSA that is in every fire departments contract. And maybe the DFD is trying to do their part to reduce costs and overtime, or is that too much credit for you to give the DFD.

83316 - Sun Mar 7 10:45:22 2010 - [Don't cut, keep money flowing to DFD ] By: Friend of DFD

Jeff,

Just wondering if you have the numbers from the other cities that put DFD at the top of the world. I think if you look it up the most expensive FD per person in the US is Boston FD. Every city even the the ones in minnesota have retirement costs. Until you have them all you have no way of knowing where DFD ranks. Like I said before it is hard to compare because minnesota has no real cities of similar size and pop.. DFD is expensive in this state because it is the 3rd largest fire department in the state. The other 2 departments are significantly larger than DFD and the others are significantly smaller. Maybe instead of always calling for cuts to the DFD maybe we should look at what else they can do to help out the other departments. But make it something that would is part of their job, like building inspections. Are they above some cuts, no of course not, could they be more efficient, possibility, we don't know how they operate and until we are in that field we won't know.

Dodge St,

Which stations do you propose that they close. Just because a station has a lower run volume do you think the calls are any less an emergency? How would they handle the calls for that station. Would you be able to get enough volunteers to do that many calls? Do you know the perils of the volunteer departments that surround our city? Do you know how many calls they run in a year and how they can't find volunteers to fill their ranks. Do you know that Hermantown Volunteer Fire Department is now PAYING their VOLUNTEERS and they have a RETIREMENT. Do you know that even with pay they are supposed to have 40 and only have 28. Do you know they do less than 600 calls per year which is less than almost all of Duluths stations. Do you know that the other volunteer departments in the area run 150 or less calls in a year. There is more to closing stations and adding volunteers than just saying lets close them to save money. It won't save as much as you think.

83315 - Sun Mar 7 09:57:48 2010 - [No choice but to pay AFSCME or move] By: Phillip

From the AFSCME 66 website at www.afscme66.org:

Hello to all the sisters and brothers of the bargaining unit. As many of you probably know, we have a tenative agreement. At 4:15 am March 4th, the negotiation team came to an agreement with the City of Duluth. I do not have a hard copy at this time; however, we have a clear and percise definition of part-time and temp workers plus NO 4-day furloughs. As soon as we have a clean copy of the agreement, we will be setting up site visits to let everyone know what is in it. The vote date on this tenative agreement will be scheduled for March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) from 7:00am to 6:00 pm.

Every person in the City of Duluth Bargaining Unit should PAT THEMSELVES ON THE BACK for the excellent work achieveing this agreement. Our unit came together like never before and our SOLIDARITY is what brought the city back to the table and BEAT BACK all of the union busting laguage that was SHOVED at us. We need to KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK and build on our solidarity because we were only able to get a one year contract. Three months from now, we will have to elect another negotiating team and start the process all over.

This round of negtiations proves OUR VOICE IS STRONG,loud, and A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH! Stay strong and congratulations to everyone and I will see you next Tuesday, the 9th, at our regular unti meeting.

Thanks again everyone,

Nick Economos

City of Duluth Bargaining Unit Chair

We see in today's Duluth News Tribune that they are, indeed, a "force to be reckoned with", and all of us non-AFSCME members get to pay for it. This is probably one of the reasons why our tax and utility rates are going up, year after year, because they are a "force to be reckoned" with. Remember, you've got six of the nine city councilors who are bought and paid for. BOUGHT AND PAID FOR! When is the city of Duluth going to wake up and realize that we are paying much, much more than what other cities are paying for. WAKE UP!!!!!

83314 - Sun Mar 7 09:33:21 2010 - [Donny Ness/AFSCME Charade Clear to See ] By: Cynic

Thanks Johnny W., Sometimes I feel I'm the only one in the city that sees the real Donny Ness/AFSCME and not the charade played out in front of the cameras for the citizens of Duluth. Just a week ago you would have thought all the AFSCME workers were starving and made little more than minimum wage. Now look what we see in the headlines.

MODERATOR: How intresting the story breaks after AFSCME and the Ness administation agreed on a contract.

83313 - Sun Mar 7 09:31:27 2010 - [Ness Blew Big Chance for Change] By: EMU

Ness, Anderson, Boyle, Cuneo, Gardner, Gauthier, and Hartman are all 100% AFSCME OWNED.

UTILITY RATES IN DULUTH ARE MUCH HIGHER THAT ROCHESTER AND ST. CLOUD.

NESS NOR THE COUNCIL CARE ABOUT CUTTING MILLIONS OUT OF THE CITY BUDGET PER THE COMMENTS BELOW. THEY'RE 100% AFSCME OWNED. NESS HAD A BIG CHANCE FOR CHANGE AND BLEW IT. MORE MILLIONS WILL BE WASTED.

FROM THE DNT:

Though Ness has hinted at his disapproval of the standby rules, he declined to comment for this story, citing the recent contract dispute between the administration and AFSCME.

“We need to focus on the issues that we have on the table,” he said. “I don’t want to introduce new points of conflict on these other issues where we clearly have disagreement.”

City Chief Administrative Officer David Montgomery said the 2010 contract that AFSCME members will soon vote on doesn’t include a change in standby rules.

83312 - Sun Mar 7 09:24:46 2010 - [Do DFD contract hide the OT?] By: Cynic

I was a little confused as to why the DFD was not higher on the city overtime list as I thought it was said they are paid overtime on every check. A certain amount written into the contract and owed because of the 24 hour shifts? Perhaps a little glitch so it doesn't really show up as overtime?

83311 - Sun Mar 7 01:26:12 2010 - [Did you see the DFD on the list?] By: Big Iron

Just up from Dodge St. Did you see all of those fire department members on that top 25 OT list?

83310 - Sat Mar 6 23:55:20 2010 - [Ness & AFSCME extortion gang of thieves] By: Johnny W

Almost half the population of Duluth earns less than $10 per hour and now this list of AFSCME extortionists surfaces. By Ness signing any contract with AFSCME he is putting his stamp of approval on this AFSCME stealing. He is truly one of the crooks and nothing will change until these criminals steal all the money they can and completely destroy Duluth.

I try to help out by buying all I can in Superior so as not to be guilty of feeding this DFL beast any more money than they manage to steal from me through property tax theft.

At least it should be clear to all that Ness is one of them. Nobody should be fooled into believing that there is some kind of friction between Ness and AFSCME. It is like a Hollywood hit as the acting is Oscar material. If Ness had the taxpayers in mind, he would try to stop this theft and force AFSCME to strike and then get rid of the whole lot of thieves. It is clear who Ness represents, AFSCME. He is an integral part of the AFSCME extortion gang of thieves.

Expect more tough choices from Ness as he finds more tax increases and fees to put on the taxpayers to pay off those who are lining their pockets, AFSCME.

83309 - Sat Mar 6 23:14:50 2010 - [DFD continues to fleece taxpayers] By: Dodge St.

Just up from the secretary's house.. The firehall out by my house in Lakeside went on 5 runs the last 9 days. We are paying 2 firefighters 24/7 to staff that hall. We can do better..We need to close down about 4 firehalls in town as the calls don't warrant their existance. This is more fleecing.
How about a "study" to see whether or not those outlying halls are worth the price. Our Duluth Fire department members continue to fleece the taxpayers while the majority of them live outside our city being served by volunteer fire departments. Go figure......

83308 - Sat Mar 6 23:06:04 2010 - [Ne$$ was bought and paid for by AFSCME ] By: DFL Crime Watch

Donny Ness is 100% AFSCME bought and paid for along with most of the city CLOWNcil. Nothing will change in DFL Duluth with AFSCME running and ruining your city.

http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S1452764.shtml?cat=10335

City of Duluth Spends Millions in Overtime
Posted at: 03/06/2010 9:06 PM

83308 - Sat Mar 6 23:06:04 2010 - [Millions over spent in AFSCME OT ] By: DFL Crime Watch

83307 - Sat Mar 6 22:46:24 2010 - [Motive Stands Out] By: Slippery Slope

You can see why city workers have little incentive to actually fix the infrastructure of the city and have allowed it to fall apart for 40 years.

83306 - Sat Mar 6 22:28:58 2010 - [AFSCME Greed is Sickening] By: suzy q

Hey everyone go to the DNT website and check out the article that was just posted about OT salaries for the Public Works Dept. It made me sick to my stomach and to think they were complaining and protesting this week about having to take a few unpaid days off !!!!!!!

83305 - Sat Mar 6 22:12:00 2010 - [AFSCME Rip Off Duluth Citizens Defined] By: AFSCME SUX

Published March 07 2010
This city worker's salary: $123,982.56
And he’s just one of several city employees who worked hundreds of hours of overtime. The bill for taxpayers? $2.7 million.
By: Brandon Stahl, Duluth News Tribune

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/162230/

City of Duluth utility operations lead worker Daniel Jazdzewski supervises the replacement of a water valve in a city water main Thursday on the 4300 block of West First Street. Though he was on normal duty at the time, Jazdzewski said completing the project would probably require him and his crew to work overtime after his shift ended at 4 p.m. He said the crew couldn’t leave the pipe overnight because it could burst from being left exposed to cold air.
.
Overtime spending
Top 25 overtime earners

Utility operations worker's OT pay The highest-paid city of Duluth employee is not the mayor, the chief administrative officer or the city attorney. He’s a city utility operations lead worker whose job responsibilities include repairing water line breaks and digging ditches.

A combination of contract rules and a dilapidated city infrastructure pushed Daniel Jazdzewski’s salary in 2009 to almost $124,000.

Why? More than a third of his salary came from working almost 1,500 hours of overtime.

That overtime alone was more than the salaries of nearly 300 other city workers, according to data requested and analyzed by the News Tribune and provided by the city of Duluth.

But Jazdzewski wasn’t the only employee to work massive amounts of overtime last year. The 25 city employees who earned the most overtime in 2009 each worked at least

500 extra hours, and 23 of those workers were from the city’s Public Works Department, while the other two were police officers.

Eleven of those public works employees’ pay was higher than Mayor Don Ness’ $83,856 salary.

Salary data from St. Paul and Minneapolis showed that no public works employees in either city worked 1,000 hours or more in overtime.

The city of Superior’s total spending in 2009 on public works overtime was just over $23,000.

“I am thoroughly alarmed at what I see,” City Councilor Jim Stauber said after reviewing the data. “While thousands in our city and region are under-employed or have lost their job, and still others are at reduced pay and reduced hours, it seems unreasonable that so many city employees are allowed to continue to do this.

“Who’s minding the store?” he asked.

Contract forces overtime

City utility operations manager Steve Lipinski said he doesn’t believe the overtime pay is abnormal. The cost is necessary, he said, because of the high number of water main breaks, valve repairs and gas service repairs his crews go out on.

In 2009 the city responded to 774 calls for such repairs, according to city data, including 162 emergency repairs. About 350 of those jobs required use of overtime. Without after-hours work when a main breaks, Lipinski said, people would be without water.

“We’re trying to protect the customers,” he said, “and respond as rapidly as possible.”

But the contract language doesn’t help the city control personnel costs.

Under the city’s contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 66, public works employees earn overtime pay, at time and a half, while on call — whether they are called to work or not.

On-call work is arranged differently for each of three public works divisions. Utility operations, which gets the most overtime pay, repairs water and gas line breaks.

Workers take turns being on call for an entire week, earning regular pay for their normal 40-hour schedule and time-and-a-half for the other 32 hours they’re on call — a total of 88 hours of regular pay in a week. If they’re called out to work, they earn additional time-and-a-half pay for the time they work — and for the time it takes them to get to the job site. Some employees live as far away as Cloquet, Two Harbors and Poplar.

Another clause in the contract that inflates overtime: If a crew is on a job that will extend past the 4 p.m. shift and requires overtime, the city must call and offer the job to senior staff first before keeping the crew that’s already on site.

“If a senior worker is out there, they generally have more experience and can get the job done more efficiently,” Lipinski said. “And there is a contract that we have to follow.”

It’s all created a system that has fed 54 percent of the city’s overtime spending to the Public Works Department in 2009, compared to 24 percent for police and 12 percent for fire.

“If a lay person knew exactly what was in "Duluth
contracts and how our tax dollars were being spent, they would be flabbergasted,” said City Councilor Todd Fedora. “You keep going back to the people of Duluth, taking money from them while they’re struggling to make ends meet, while we’re paying folks enormous amounts of money to carry a pager. It’s mind-boggling.”

‘They need me to work’

Many current and former employees who have earned the overtime deny just “carrying a pager.”

“The majority of the time, I’m working on repairing the system,” Jazdzewski said. “We can’t shut our work down at 4 in the afternoon and come back at 7:30 in the morning.”

The time spent to repair water line or valve breaks can take several hours or days, said Jazdzewski, who lives in Duluth. Crews can get anywhere from three to four calls a day, Jazdzewski said, especially in the winter.

Harvey Maas, a utility operations lead worker, earned $43,795 for just more than 1,000 hours of overtime in 2009 on top of his gross salary of about $68,000.

“It all boils down to, they need me to work, and I’m willing to work,” Maas said.

Mike Switzer, a retired utility operations lead worker, acknowledged that there were seven days in a row when he’d be on standby and wouldn’t be called out to a single incident, but he said that was the exception.

“Yes, I do sleep during that time,” he said. “But if I’m on duty, I’ve got to get paid for it. I’m not going to do it for free. I don’t think there are too many people out there that would.”

He said the only way he sees to reduce overtime costs would be to hire more employees and move toward shifts like those in street maintenance, where overtime costs are a fraction of utility operations’.

Though Ness has hinted at his disapproval of the standby rules, he declined to comment for this story, citing the recent contract dispute between the administration and AFSCME.

“We need to focus on the issues that we have on the table,” he said. “I don’t want to introduce new points of conflict on these other issues where we clearly have disagreement.”

City Chief Administrative Officer David Montgomery said the 2010 contract that AFSCME members will soon vote on doesn’t include a change in standby rules.

He declined to speak further on the issue but indicated it might be on the table during the next round of negotiations.

“The administration is concerned with all costs and what we can do to bring those costs into alignment with our revenue,” he said. “We’ll be looking very strongly at what we can do in areas of where our cost structure needs to be, and where it can be adjusted.”

If the administration goes after that language, AFSCME negotiating chairman Jim Dreier said the union will fight it.

“I’m sure we’re going to stand solid on it,” he said. “It’s an issue of safety. … I don’t think the people at City Hall realize the seriousness of the utility we have.”

Top 25 Overtime Rip Off AFSCME Con Artists
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/image/id/47692/headline/Top%2025%20overtime%20earners/

AFSCME Swindle of Taxpayer/Utility customer extortion vs. St. Cloud and Rochester
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/image/id/47691/headline/Overtime%20spending/

Corruption is why not to use Comfort Systems Utilities
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/image/id/47693/headline/Utility%20operations%20worker's%20OT%20pay/

83304 - Sat Mar 6 16:26:20 2010 - [Left wing is out of control at UMD] By: UMD Alum

Agree UMD Gal. Left wing is out of control at UMD and most other universities. UMD stopped getting my $ contributions several years ago.

83303 - Sat Mar 6 16:17:36 2010 - [66rulz is a putz and a loud mouth] By: Taxpayer

So it looks as though AFSCME caved into the city. All the scare tactics and the noon rally at city hall was all just a show. 66rulz and his AFSCME buddies put their tales between their legs and ran. All talk because they knew the public wouldn't support their BS. 66rulz, your a putz and a loud mouth on this blog. The taxpayers are sick and tired of all your DFL/DFD fleecing.

83302 - Sat Mar 6 16:16:45 2010 - [America is at that awkward stage] By: Claire Wolfe

America is at that awkward stage Common Sns. It's too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the bastards.

83301 - Sat Mar 6 13:06:13 2010 - [UMD Libs are totally out of control] By: UMD Gal

I'll bet you my house if, as a UMD student parent, you complained to the school about the foul mouthed woman at Kirby Lounge last night, YOU would be treated as the trouble maker!

UMD is a great school on one hand, but the left wing, liberal, political correctness, is totally out of control up here!!!! I see it 5 days a week.

83300 - Sat Mar 6 12:24:19 2010 - [DFD says trim DPD too] By: rusty trombone

hey jeff: if the retiree health care benefit for the city factors into the high price of the DFD it must also factor into the high price of DPD , do we need to trim all that fat to??

83299 - Sat Mar 6 10:59:39 2010 - [Spirit Mt Cash Shuffle] By: Taxicab Confessions

Duluth News Tribune
Published March 06 2010

Spirit Mountain wants to shuffle cash for expenses
After a lackluster winter, Spirit Mountain officials want to take money from a designated repair fund to pay operating expenses. Local blogger John Ramos believes redirecting the money may be illegal.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/162175/

83298 - Sat Mar 6 09:34:51 2010 - [That's UMD!!!] By: Common Sns

"Bulldog Dad" - That's UMD!!!

The entire campus is bombarded with respect, diversity, tolerance messages on a daily basis.

At the same time UMD promotes professors, students, speakers and performers spewing the most anti American, anti moderate & conservative "hate", and foul language and disgusting performers thrown in too.

On one hand if a moderate or conservative guest speaker is invited to UMD, all hell breaks loose. Letters in the Statesman, posters announcing the time and place of the speech are torn down, heckling. All by left wing liberals. THATS O.K. AT UMD though! Last year a little disgusting, foul mouth, offensive rapper was brought in as an act up there. NO PROBLEM! Worse night the cops had up there in decades too with! No problem!

If you so much as sneeze in the vicinity of a gay person or person of color up there, and you're a hate monger!

If UMD Kirby Program Board is going to book an act that uses foul language, they should be in a room with doors that can be closed, not Kirby Lounge.

83297 - Sat Mar 6 09:25:38 2010 - [Most expensive retiree plan on planet] By: Jeff

Friend of DFD,

When you say there are 1 or 2 FDs in MN more expensive than the DFD, this is before the post retirement health care benefit is factored in. Duluth retirees have one of the most expensive retiree plans in the entire world, self insured all paid by taxpayers. When you add it all up, the cost of the DFD has reached more than the city can afford, unless the city wants to chase more employers and jobs out of here.

The City of Duluth needs to seriously reduce its cost or it will be facing some very difficult consequences, and the DFD is not above what needs to be done.

83295 - Fri Mar 5 21:46:07 2010 - [PUBLIC SAFETY as a TOP priority] By: Friend of DFD

Moderator,

I will give you the best answer that I can. First of all they are not the most expensive in the state. There may be only 1 or 2 more expensive, but they are not the most. Most of the other departments in the state are much smaller in sq miles and population. They have reduced their budget and the way they respond to save money.

As for the DFD PAC, I believe that it is their job to support candidates that have public safety as a top priorty. Did you see what I said there, let me say it again "they have PUBLIC SAFETY as a TOP priority. That means US they have the safety of US as a top priority. Usually that means they have police and fire as priorties. When that is established they pick the best of those. That means they put their money toward our safety. Does it help them, sure it does and it should. Their job is to keep us safe, so if they support someone that supports the public safety and their jobs why wouldn't they stick behind them. Don't you stand behind what you believe and who stands with you? Why is it so bad that they do.

I don't know all of the salaries but the guys I know who have been there (10 to 12 years) a while make about 60 before taxes a year. I think 100 is inflating the numbers a bit high.

Any other questions I will see what I can do.

83294 - Fri Mar 5 20:32:21 2010 - [The Progressive movement in action] By: Bulldog Dad

So we're at UMD earlier tonight with our daughter and some other parents.

Everywhere you turn at UMD, in all the posting areas, there are signs scolding you if you practice "Hate" and aren't sensitive enough to people becuae of their color, or sexual orientation, and respect, etc, etc. O.k., that's fine, right?

We turn the corner and go past Kirby Lounge and there is a female person of a minority color declaring she is a "lesbian woman" and using the foulest language this side of a waterfront bar over a microphone! You can hear it all over the first floor Kirby area. Then she starts throwing stuff in about "men" and "them white men" etc, etc. This is a UMD approved "Kirby Program Board" event.

We look at each other and go "wait a minute"!

What about respect, and "hate" speech, etc.

Guess it doesn't apply to all at UMD???

83293 - Fri Mar 5 20:28:21 2010 - [Oh Carrie, that sure hits the spot!] By: Dennis Miller

I wonder if Barney Frank Jr. and his new understudy G-Spot are playing any of these games on the city council. DFL Duluth boys like boys just like in DC.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34001.html

83291 - Fri Mar 5 13:22:46 2010 - [Stabbing] By: Locals Gone Wild

DATE: 03/05/2010
NATURE OF INCIDENT: Stabbing
CASE NO.: 10236219
INCIDENT DATE :03/04/2010
INCIDENT TIME: 5:40 pm
INCIDENT LOCATION: 300 block of North 54th Avenue West
SUBJECT: Duluth Police Arrest Female in Stabbing
BY: Officer Brad Wick, Information Coordinator

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Female arrested in stabbing

On Thursday, March 4th, 2010, at 5:40 pm, Duluth Police investigated the report of a stabbing in the 300 block of North 54th Avenue West. A female caller stated that she had just stabbed another female after they had an altercation and that the victim was out in the hallway of the apartment complex. The caller stated that she had stabbed the female twice.

Police arrived and located both parties involved. The victim, Cassandra Jaye Wright, age 20, was transported by Gold Cross Ambulance to St. Mary’s Medical Center where she is currently in stable condition. Wright suffered one stab wound under the left breast, one to the left shoulder blade, and one to the left upper arm. The stab wounds are non life threatening.

The suspect, Shayna Lee Hill, age 20 and of Duluth, was later lodged at the St. Louis County Jail pending formal charges for Second Degree Assault.

Police learned that Hill and Wright had been exchanging text messages which led to the physical altercation. It is not clear if the initial physical altercation took place inside one of the apartments or in the apartment’s entryway. Police did locate the knife used in the stabbing.

The investigation into the stabbing is ongoing and no further details are available at this time.

83290 - Fri Mar 5 11:39:20 2010 - [A draft dodger is always a draft dodger] By: Cynic

Veteran, One veteran to another, I care. What I don't care is if Vietnam happened 200 years ago. A draft dodger then is a draft dodger now.

I can't speak for my cousin or the school mates that died in Vietnam. They cannot speak and they have not been able to show what they may have done in 30 years, 40 years or a lifetime. They never got the chance to marry, have children and grandchildren, to help others, to continue breathing the breath of life. Which draft dodger did they die for?

Others I have know from Vietnam no longer have whole bodies as parts of them still lay in some rice field in Vietnam. Others never recovered from Vietnam and committed suicide quickly or slowly through drugs and alcohol. Ya "Who Cares" about some draft dodger being insulted on this blog or any where else for that matter. Excuse me now I'm gonna be sick.

Veteran said: "I am sick and tired of this blog allowing a certain vietnam veteran to continue to bash Editor of the Labor World, Larry Sillanpa, who has busted his ass off for union workers rights for over 30 years. I and many other people don't give a rats-ass if he was a draft dodger during the Vietnam war. Who cares?"

83289 - Fri Mar 5 09:50:15 2010 - [= Another way taxpayers grab ankles] By: Chris

Bigfoot from AFSCME-

Can you expain to all what this "standby" time is at Comfort Systems, the city owned public utility?

Do you people actually get paid for doing nothing?

83288 - Fri Mar 5 08:19:03 2010 - [Sick of it] By: Veteran

I am sick and tired of this blog allowing a certain vietnam veteran to continue to bash Editor of the Labor World, Larry Sillanpa, who has busted his ass off for union workers rights for over 30 years. I and many other people don't give a rats-ass if he was a draft dodger during the Vietnam war. Who cares?

That war is over and has been over since 75'. Lets move on and talk about all the good Larry has done over the years. I am proud my dues in part have helped Larry out. I think you moderators should not allow anymore blogs about Larry's draft dodging decision. I and many others are
.
Thanks for your consideration. Other than allowing a few stupid blogs to be posted this is somewhat of a respectable blog site.

83287 - Thu Mar 4 23:22:29 2010 - [3 or 4 out of 4 - You Decide] By: No Fat Chicks

Four posts on Brandon Stahl's blog and three or four of them are C. Does C write fiction for a living or does Stahl have her on the payroll? Add the names to the list.

http://areavoices.com/buzz/?page=comments&blog=72626

I'm so surprised that Councilor Fedora is suggesting more government involvement in business. Why should the city government get involved with Bentley's business; regardless of having a contract. Is he next going to suggest background checks for carnival workers, they also use Bayfront Park for carnivals and rides during the summer. Should we make sure we know that the ticket takers at the DECC all have clean records, a lot of kids go there for hockey games and concerts; better be careful. What's with the big government, nanny state attitude from Duluth's most conservative councilor?

Posted by: Marie on 3/04/2010 10:03 AM

You may want to spell check your "miscellaneous" typo, Mr. Stahl. Marie, I have no problem with Fedora having background checks performed on Santas. This is a city-sponsored event with lots of kids. When I bring my son down there, I want to make sure that this person isn't a pedophile, or something. Carnival workers aren't a city-sponsored event, but nice try with a shoddy comparison. And they aren't in bayfront, they're at the DECC, and I don't go to carnival. If he's looking out for the welfare of the kids, I'm all for it. How come the councilors you support didn't catch it?

Posted by: Ann on 3/04/2010 10:44 AM

Typical response, Marie. Welcome back. Before you start spouting off about not protecting kids in our community, why don't you Google the name "Chelsea King". You, we, the city has no clue who is wearing that suit.

Posted by: Jason on 3/04/2010 11:01 AM

I'm usually no fan of Councilor Fedora, and do get tired of the Nanny State way of thinking as well, but in this case, I agree with him about background checks on Santa Claus: I sure wouldn't want my kid sitting on a pedophile's lap, having a conversation with him that I'm not privy too, having "Santa" asking questions that a child who's been told not to talk to strangers would answer.

Posted by: Claire on 3/04/2010 11:52 AM

83286 - Thu Mar 4 23:12:16 2010 - [DFL Duluth Cat Fight with Knives] By: DFL Crime Watch

Such diversity in DFL Duluth stabbings as the girls are evening do it.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/162050/group/home/

83285 - Thu Mar 4 23:10:18 2010 - [Another "local" gone bad] By: DFL Crime Watch

Another "local" gone bad. Funny thing, I don't recognize him.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/162048/

83284 - Thu Mar 4 22:57:33 2010 - [Obama no draft dodger leading the wars] By: 60's Warrior

We have to give credit where credit is due. President Obama and his staff are doing a very good job wrapping up the war in Iraq and ramping the war up in Afghanistan. Even though he campaigned on ending both wars he is doing the right thing. He is listening to his Generals and giving them what they need. I don't agree that it should take 4 months to make that decision to send more troops and I'm sure it hurt Obama because he is an appeaser but he did give the General what he requested. Obama has done very well and I applaud him for that. He is letting the generals run the war not like during Vietnam when Washington DC ran the war. Isn't that right "labor world" Larry? We need to let the Generals run the wars...OH I can't forget you ran north when your draft number came up. "labor world" Larry didn't fight for his country he pussed out. Punk Pussy. Larry your a fraud to our UNION. A draft dodger getting paid through my UNION dues
Your a disgrace every time I read your newspaper.
Nobody deserves my Union dues who dodges a draft. Punk Pussy.

83284 - Thu Mar 4 22:57:33 2010 - [Punk Pussy Larry pussed out] By: 60's Warrior

83283 - Thu Mar 4 22:22:51 2010 - [AFSCME will throw a few under the bus] By: Tourv

My guess is that AFSCME will lose about 10 employees to City of Duluth Layoffs very soon. Watch and see. AFSCME doesn't care about those recently hired, they are greedy and watch out for themselves and not the entire group. Netland has in the past damaged the good reputation they had once before. Layoffs are coming recently hired AFSME members and you can thank the senior selfish members who take your union dues each month and run with them.

83282 - Thu Mar 4 15:15:58 2010 - [DFL Donny & AFSCME are one in the same ] By: Of Politics and Prosperity

Your're right Tesla, as I stated, DFL Donny Duluth and AFSCME are one in the same. DFL Donny, Bigfoot, and the AFSCME Crew will continue at the same "the house is on fire get out for yourself what you can now" thinking the folks in Duluth will not see through their soon to be, no money left for anything, DFL, "cake and eat it too", unnaccountable plans. DFL Donny may not understand and soil himself today, tomorrow or next week. Donnynessdom just moves that much closer to a "Bergson one termer" as the citizens paying for all this DFL waste, pay, lose, and don't get any cake at all! Little question exists who is responsible that money seems to exist for the things even Bigfoot says are wastes. Sadly, not realized by Bigfoot, in the real world of 20% plus unemployment, the cost of AFSCME to quality of government, to what the private sector has to sacrifice for a dollar, says a 20% cut in pay with limited annual contracts would have helped Duluth more than a settlement. Duluth is now like a irrevokably bad marriage with kids involved, it'll gutLessNessly keep living in growing misery, all the while pretending the kids will not be harmed by a unworkable situation!!!

83281 - Thu Mar 4 15:05:05 2010 - [DFL Duluth Beggars can only blame selves] By: Beggars

Of course Pawlenty will probably veto a lot of the Duluth delegations requests.

And then he will be villanized!

If the DFL'rs that are begging, hadn't been so anti business and so pro welfare and non-profits, reducing how many tax payers we have, we wouldn't have to beg!!

83280 - Thu Mar 4 14:11:38 2010 - [DFL Duluth leads state with most beggars] By: Adam R

DFL Duluth is not just the leader in Minnesota for only having the most expensive fire department and the highest poverty rate in the state. Now DFL Duluth can claim the title of "Most Beggars in the State of Minnesota". Duluth is well known during crybaby days at the Capitol to have the most Beggars per capita than any other part of the state. What an embarrassment the DFL has brought upon this once wonderful and thriving city. Just think how loud other legislators laugh when they see these clowns from Duluth show up with crying towels and their hands out looking for free money.

Read all about DFL Duluth here:

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/86286472.html

83279 - Thu Mar 4 11:55:04 2010 - [DFD sleeping well these days] By: Dennis Miller

The economy is really picking up in DFL Duluth. Just last night HOMo furniture received a big order for Tempurpedic mattresses from the DFD. The mandatory 14 hours of sleep will be better than ever!

83278 - Thu Mar 4 09:30:07 2010 - [Duluth, magnet for trash, not high speed] By: Dave

As the city is falling apart, Donny Boy has time to make a stupid commercial to put on Youtube for Google Fiber. I like how he thinks this is the end all be all, that will save Duluth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03pCyixPuws

83277 - Thu Mar 4 08:38:56 2010 - [Not need to work, DFL free housing rocks] By: Heartless Watch

Duluth News Published February 28 2010
Commissioner's view: Seaway offers residents decent, affordable housing
Less than a month ago, I alone voted against accepting a state grant to expand services at the San Marco Project in Duluth. The St. Louis County Board vote was 5-1, with Commissioner Keith Nelson absent. State statute requires county boards to coordinate alcohol and drug abuse services whenever programs receive local, state or federal government funding.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/161562/publisher_ID/36/

83276 - Thu Mar 4 08:36:40 2010 - [Don't diss Duluth's crying] By: DFL2010

Duluth News Tribune Published March 04 2010
Our view: Don’t diss Duluth’s thundering rally cry
ST. PAUL — With the state still facing a massive, ongoing budget problem, and with many of the Duluth area’s legislative priorities pretty well taken care of, the 13th annual Duluth and St. Louis County at the Capitol event took on a new sound Wednesday.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/161893/

83275 - Thu Mar 4 08:27:34 2010 - [Does Ne$$ have the balls or not?] By: Me

Word is AFSCME and the city agreed at 4:19 this morning. Time will tell if AFSCME backed Mayor Don Ness gave in or not.

83274 - Thu Mar 4 08:19:03 2010 - [Ne$$ caves in to AFSCME] By: Karen P

Was there any doubt that Mayor Ness would cave in to AFSCME? Well, he did. It just goes to prove that AFSCME owns him too. When will Duluth get some real leadership instead of all these bought and paid for politicians? Mayor Ness must be betting on his DFL buddy RT Rybak getting elected Governor so that more welfare money will be siphoned into the Duluth abyss. How pathetic. This is yet another nail in Duluth's coffin thanks to the DFL and their greed.

83273 - Wed Mar 3 20:57:41 2010 - [It's almost beyond belief] By: This must be illegal

I thought the News Tribune was told over a year ago that forcing newspapers on people, and then charging them for papers delivered AFTER the subscriber let the subscription run out, was illegal. Isn't this a "no brainer" of an illegal act. It's almost beyond belief they'd do something this slimy!

I too had heard that McLister was confronted about it and at the time had said he didn't realize his newspaper was "pulling a stunt" like that!

What is the Attorney General doing about this?????

83272 - Wed Mar 3 18:33:59 2010 - [Obama goes for Gold in the downhill] By: mp

Forget your low property tax rates, if President Obama's carbon credits go through gas will be at $7 a gallon. Remember the EPA says carbon dioxide gas is a pollutant and must be regulated. If you think the economy is bad now wait until it costs you $100 to $150 for a tank of gas.

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/02/fuel-taxes-must-rise-harvard-researchers-say/?pagemode=print

83271 - Wed Mar 3 17:29:31 2010 - [It's union ownership, not bargaining] By: Slippery Slope

Friend of DFD You surely are another voice from la la land. We the people have allowed unions such as AFSCME to get too powerful and to own too many politicians. It has nothing to do with bargaining.

83270 - Wed Mar 3 13:52:37 2010 - [Don't blame the greedy unions] By: Friend of DFD

It is always amazing to read this blog and see what is said. Everyone blames the unions, this person,that person. Lest we all forget that the CITY agreed to all of these things that you are crabbing about now. (ie wages and benefits) That is the whole idea of BARGINING. The unions just don't go in to ness's office and say i want this and i want that and he says DUH OK. There are negotiating teams that get together and sometimes for months hash out who is going to get what and who it benefits, the city or the employee. Your elected officials agreed to these things and in turn got something that benefits the city that they don't tell you about. They want the unions to look bad for asking for more. When maybe they are not asking for more but they are asking for something to replace what they have lost or given in exchange. And as for fighting for their jobs by going on strike, might not be the best manuever but it is their right and something we all might do if we knew the whole story.

PS The DFD has tried to sit down and settle with a no change contract 7 times with the city and the city will not call them back to sit down and get it done

C double U,

Any member can cross the picket line fair share or not. The fair shre part has nothing to do with the city they can't make them work but they can if they want to and they are already fair shared. All fair share means is that they don't pay the full amount to the union and they have no voting rights so they coundn't have voted not to strike. I am not sure what the union can do if they do cross the line.

MODERATOR: Friend of DFD, Ha ha ha! Your rhetoric is lovely to read, yet, is still just rhetoric. Simple question for you. Does it not help that the most expensive fire department in the state, the DFD of course, hand picks and buys their own politicians to ensure that they remnain the most expensive fire department in the USA? If it is not the case, why then does the DFD PAC spend such outrageous amounts of money in local elections, for the benefit of the taxpayers? Who benefits from DFD PAC spending, DFD members with obscene salaries pushing $100,000.00 or the taxpayers? Can't wait for your simple, straightforward answer.

83269 - Wed Mar 3 13:23:34 2010 - [Well, they're doing it again!] By: News Tribune billing scam

So, with any other publication, USA Today, Golf Magazine, Sports Illustrated, etc, when your subscription runs out, that's it. You no longer get the publication and of course, no longer get a bill. You might get a renewal notice, but that's it.

When your Duluth News Tribune subscription runs out, they for a time, keep delivering the paper to you and then demand payment. Even though you let your subscription run out and did NOT renew.

Their response when you call about it is - "Well, you didn't call us and tell us to stop delivering the paper to you, so you owe us for them!"

They then keep hounding you, calling at all hours, and demand payment for news papers you didn't not request!

Can you imagine all the unsuspecting subscribers, especially elderly people, who send them a check for papers they did not authorize the News Tribune to send them??

When McLister was publisher, he was confronted on this scam and he said "It isn't right to do that and I will put a stop to it"!

Well, they're doing it again!

83268 - Wed Mar 3 12:53:51 2010 - [Does anyone know about Fair Share?] By: C Double U

Question... does anyone know if City Fair Share employees must follow the strike or are they allowed to continue to work? Add this... can the City require Fair Share Employees to continue to work?

83267 - Wed Mar 3 10:06:47 2010 - [Begging Day for more DFL Duluth DEBT] By: Adam R

Happy Holidays! It is afterall, like Christmas for some local citizen lobbyists. Duluth Days has begun and many from DFL Duluth will try to bullshit the legislature into giving more money to the dying area, formerly known as Duluth and Northeastern Minnesota. Watch your local news this eveing and see who you recognize in the mix of local DFL money grubbers. The DFL Duluth team captain this year is again the Chamber of Communism's own David Ross. At over $179,000.00 a year in salary, he should be able to put at least a half dozen crying towels over his shoulders as he leads the team of DFL Duluth money grubbers into the crying chambers. This Duluth Days event symbolizes what Duluth has become. A stagnated, dying city where DFL Duluth leaders will stop at nothing to grub as much money from the more prosperous areas of the state. Forget about this areas shrinking taxbase, DFL Duluth doesn't need a tax base, it only needs more crying towels to bring to the Capitol to beg for more handouts. Expect nothing but the finest from the DFL Duluth team but beg, borrow and steal. For that is the real reason for the season of the DFL Duluth begging days. Forget about the cost, let the next generation pay. It is afterall, the DFL way.

83266 - Wed Mar 3 09:30:25 2010 - [Time for another party to run KDLH] By: Chrissy S.

I agree with jack about the Northland News Center and that Hype on all of their channels. Recently I was out in Los Angelas and after tuning in to their Newscasts, I never saw anything like what KBJR does here. Do these people think honestly they are in a MAJOR market like LA, NY or other large markets? First of All the FCC should have never allowed Granite to take control over KDLH. Not only did they make it hard for KDLH employees to work down there, but they got rid of everything KDLH stood for over the years. They sold off the old superior street station, threw everything KDLH once had in the dumpster but made a mockery of what it once was. Updating on-air logs is a joke. News at 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 10:00pm. It's all recorded and replays over and over again on their sub channels. They must think people are that out of it not to notice the same old news over and over again. It's time to the company or individual that holds the KDLH license to see another party to run it. Its too late for the past heritage, as KBJR destroyed that.

83265 - Wed Mar 3 09:12:02 2010 - [DFD "milking system" beyond belief] By: DFD Crime Watch

How can a top ranking DFD member retire, collect his pension and then reapply for a entry level position at 53 and get it? That is what just happened at DFD!! Talk about milking the system.

83264 - Wed Mar 3 07:56:03 2010 - [DFDer supports keeping his $90,000.00] By: Pro-DFD

To our AFSCME brothers and sisters. One for all and all for one. You have our support and we will be walking with you starting next Monday. This administration will not break our unions, no one ever will. UNION STRONG

MODERATOR: Pro DFD, is this what the DFL considers partnering, someone else pays and DFL spends on UNSUSTAINABLE outrageous salaries and benefits? Earth to DFD, earth to DFD, the days of DFL la la land and their extortionary tactics are numbered. Duluthians can no longer afford to pay for the MOST EXPENSIVE fire department in the entire USA, the DFD.

83263 - Wed Mar 3 07:47:25 2010 - [Same news over and over again] By: Jack

What is with KBJR hyping this Northlands Newscenter crap over and over again? It's sickening already. More News should be more replays than anyone else. Who ever us in charge needs to dump that crap once and for all and go back to KBJR News and leave it at that. Also, dump that KDLH BS as well and the owner needs to sell off KDLH and move out of that place. No one cares about the same old news every hour. Get real!

83262 - Wed Mar 3 06:50:10 2010 - [The tail need not wag the dog] By: Taxpayer

There are 461 AFSCME workers thinking about going on strike. There is 79,000 people in our city and we are going to let a few workers tell us taxpayers what we are going to pay them. BULLSHIT BULLSHIT

83261 - Tue Mar 2 22:36:37 2010 - [Flriends] By: Lock Em Out

Friends don't let friends vote AFSCME

83260 - Tue Mar 2 22:20:42 2010 - [Did these AFSCME thugs go to school?] By: JS

Seems Mr. Bill below can't spell either. Where did these AFSCME thugs go to school?

83259 - Tue Mar 2 22:20:38 2010 - [Shaking on the DCB] By: DCB

AFSCME shakes in fear of the DCB.

83258 - Tue Mar 2 22:17:30 2010 - [Latest statement from AFSCME ] By: AFSCME WATCH

Here's the latest statement from AFSCME concerning their prime objective in the current labor dispute.

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

83257 - Tue Mar 2 22:16:13 2010 - [More AFSCME mocking the public at] By: DFL Crime Watch

More AFSCME mocking the public at- http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/85997437.html

7:59 PM BILL KLIEVER wrote ...
I love "tough " guys like NONE. They don't even have the couarge to sign their posts. Guys like that make me quiver with fear (:(:(L

83256 - Tue Mar 2 22:14:17 2010 - [AFSCME whining on overload] By: Cynic

How much AFSCME whining can one city take?

83255 - Tue Mar 2 22:11:07 2010 - [AFSCME no clue how good they have it] By: Tara

I hope all you AFSCME jerks are fired! You have no idea how good you have it.

83254 - Tue Mar 2 21:53:38 2010 - [Beencounting greedy hi socity asswipes ] By: 66RULZ

You DCB morons shot the hell up! Respect this asswieps as you hate the woking class. Its no busness what our borther ans sister leaders make none your fDELETED concern asswieps . You chamber bosses make $200000 and 120000 each and want cheap taxes and utility but thats ok what they steel but not no respect for my btothers and sisters. For words pay your fare share you’re the gready bastards you DELETEDing assoles. No madder what you do you willnot bust us who make this city work you screw you sleves you GOop union hatters well guss what we will winn this war count that you beencounting greedy hi socity asswipes fDELETED you and you BMW you wrode in on and this fDELETED blog.

83253 - Tue Mar 2 21:21:34 2010 - [AFSCME SHUT THE HELL UP!] By: Huh

AFSCME workers want "dignity and respect"? How about collecting your good paycheck and shut up! Remember when government workers realized that they were "public servants"!

Now

They make a higher yearly income than nearly all of the the taxpayers that pay their salary here in Duluth.

They get a bazillion days off a year! (probably get their dogs birthday off too)

Get benefits up the wazoo!

And they are complaining they don't get enough respect???

From this taxpayer to AFSCME workers all I can think of to say is -

SHUT THE HELL UP!

83252 - Tue Mar 2 21:12:48 2010 - [3 Ring Assclown Circus AFSCME DFL GRUBS] By: Ben Dover

It appears that the AFSCME Assclowns were out crying on the taxpayers expense again. Now they want a multi year contract. What's next? First, the AFSCME Assclown holding the U.S. flag is making a big mistake by holding the U.S. flag in one hand and trying to get his hand deeper into the taxpayers pockets even further with the other hand. Equating his greed with the symbol of America will only anger more people. Secondly, take note of how most of the Assclowns in the extortion event are ashamed to have their identities known. I have never seen more sunglasses and ball caps being worn at the same time. Where's the pride, parasites? I have yet to talk to anyone who supports this outrageous attempt at grubbing for more money.

Let us see who Donny Boy Ness represents, the people or the special interests like AFSCME, DFD, & DFL. When AFSCME leaders are currently making in excess of $100,000.00 a year, these AFSCME grubs should be ashamed trying to have mom and pop pay for their greed.

I sure hope they strike! This could be one of the best things that can happen in Duluth. Everyone I have spoken with is fed up with these AFSCME parasites.

I hope the whole works just kicked in the back side right out the door. Enough of this DFL extortion.

By the way, Beggar Days is here and the DFL Duluth Grubs will be at the Capitol begging to spend more money that the state does not have. Borrow more DFL and guarantee that your kids and grandkids will be paying for your spending for generations to come.

Unfortunately, bankruptcy will be the only option that will stop these DFL, AFSCME, DFL grubs.

83251 - Tue Mar 2 21:08:53 2010 - [AFSCME politicians have screwed AFSCME] By: Tesla

Bigfoot,

Thank you for getting back to me.

Your points in your post are initially is somewhat convincing on the surface. When you ask, “ Is the City reducing manager pay by 10%? Is the City reducing the money they give to the aquarium by 10%? Is the City reducing the money they give to the new police station 10%?” this all sounds good.

You also stated, “They have a lot of money to throw around for attorneys, railroads, housing, etc, but have to cut employees?”

Again sounds good until you ponder who voted for all of the above salaries, budgets, aquarium construction and ongoing support, police station, attorneys, railroads, housing etc…?

The truth is AFSCME backed city councilors and mayors voted for all of the above, doing so for very many decades. The truth is, AFSCME is very responsible for those votes.

If AFSCME truly wants RESPECT, you need to be truthful and not be disrespectful saying others by saying they have a narrow view.

RESPECT is a two way street and you only have to look in the mirror to see whose union dues and campaign workers elected those paying for all the waste you mentioned.

Respectfully, the days of having it both ways are over in these most difficult of economic times.

83249 - Tue Mar 2 16:30:52 2010 - [If you ever wondered] By: Muffin Top

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!

Lot of truth here!

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.
If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat..
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life.
If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.
(Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.
A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".

Well, I shared this with you on the DCB.

83248 - Tue Mar 2 16:24:11 2010 - [Is AFSCME is going all the way?] By: Greedy Bastards

Only in DFL Duluth...How pathetic.

http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/news/local/85997437.html

83246 - Tue Mar 2 08:42:07 2010 - [City can function with fewer employees] By: Tourv

AFSCME is just looking for a strike. City of Duluth and Don Ness stay strong. If they all walk the picket line and the strike last for over 2 weeks, you'll have saved what was lost in Pawlenty's last LGA cuts. Stay the course and financially you'll see the strike was the best thing that happened. Plus, you'll soon see that government can function with less employees.

83245 - Tue Mar 2 08:18:08 2010 - [Will Things Change at the Pickwick?] By: Robert T.

Great news, the Pickwick will be sold. Of course the union loud mouths didn't buy it. They no not how to run a business but will tell the owner how much the waiter or waitress should receive no matter how good or bad they are.
The new owner is from Chicago, great, now we need Chicago style politics dealing with our local union thugs. It'll be interesting.

83244 - Tue Mar 2 07:49:47 2010 - [Flipping Formats ] By: Monte

Is 92.1 FM in Duluth getting ready to Flip formats again? Rumor that they are going back to The Beat to go head to head with Mix 108. If you go to their web site www.921litefm.com it redirects to the Twin Ports Pet Expo. Anyone know?

83243 - Mon Mar 1 23:15:23 2010 - [Exposing One Pudnocker at a Time] By: DCB

DCB: Exposing pudnockers one congressional district at a time.

83242 - Mon Mar 1 22:05:26 2010 - [Fair to AFSCME or You?] By: mp

Here is a link to 179A - Public Employee Labor Relations law in Minnesota.

www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=179A&view=chapter#stat.179A.18

179A.06 Subd. 3.Fair share fee.
An exclusive representative may require employees who are not members of the exclusive representative to contribute a fair share fee for services rendered by the exclusive representative. The fair share fee must be equal to the regular membership dues of the exclusive representative, less the cost of benefits financed through the dues and available only to members of the exclusive representative. In no event may the fair share fee exceed 85 percent of the regular membership dues. The exclusive representative shall provide advance written notice of the amount of the fair share fee to the employer and to unit employees who will be assessed the fee. The employer shall provide the exclusive representative with a list of all unit employees.

179A.07 RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EMPLOYERS.
Subdivision 1.Inherent managerial policy.A public employer is not required to meet and negotiate on matters of inherent managerial policy. Matters of inherent managerial policy include, but are not limited to, such areas of discretion or policy as the functions and programs of the employer, its overall budget, utilization of technology, the organizational structure, selection of personnel, and direction and the number of personnel. No public employer shall sign an agreement which limits its right to select persons to serve as supervisory employees or state managers under section 43A.18, subdivision 3, or requires the use of seniority in their selection.

179A.13 UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES.

Subd. 2.Employers.Public employers, their agents and representatives are prohibited from:

(12) granting or offering to grant the status of permanent replacement employee to a person for performing bargaining unit work for the employer during a lockout of employees in an employee organization or during a strike authorized by an employee organization that is an exclusive representative.

Subd. 3.Employees.Employee organizations, their agents or representatives, and public employees are prohibited from:

(1) restraining or coercing employees in the exercise of rights provided in sections 179A.01 to 179A.25;

(2) restraining or coercing a public employer in the election of representatives to be employed to meet and negotiate or to adjust grievances;

(3) refusing to meet and negotiate in good faith with a public employer, if the employee organization is the exclusive representative of employees in an appropriate unit;

(4) violating rules established by the commissioner regulating the conduct of representation elections;

(5) refusing to comply with a valid decision of an arbitration panel or arbitrator;

(6) calling, instituting, maintaining, or conducting a strike or boycott against any public employer on account of any jurisdictional controversy;

(7) coercing or restraining any person with the effect to:

(a) force or require any public employer to cease dealing or doing business with any other person;

(b) force or require a public employer to recognize for representation purposes an employee organization not certified by the commissioner;

(c) refuse to handle goods or perform services; or

(d) prevent an employee from providing services to the employer;

(8) committing any act designed to damage or actually damaging physical property or endangering the safety of persons while engaging in a strike;

(9) forcing or requiring any employer to assign particular work to employees in a particular employee organization or in a particular trade, craft, or class rather than to employees in another employee organization or in another trade, craft, or class;

(10) causing or attempting to cause a public employer to pay or deliver or agree to pay or deliver any money or other thing of value, in the nature of an exaction, for services which are not performed or not to be performed;

(11) engaging in an unlawful strike;

(12) picketing which has an unlawful purpose such as secondary boycott;

(13) picketing which unreasonably interferes with the ingress and egress to facilities of the public employer;

(14) seizing or occupying or destroying property of the employer;

(15) violating or refusing to comply with any lawful order or decision issued by the commissioner

83241 - Mon Mar 1 21:35:57 2010 - [Never Ending DFL Pork] By: mp

Duluth does not need the 148th Air National Guard, it needs Air Pelosi. One Air Pelosi flight spent $560.08 on adult beverages.
www.judicialwatch.org/files/documents/2010/pelosi_airforce/pelosi-excerpt1-01282010.pdf

House Speaker’s Military Travel Cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a Two-Year Period, Including $101,429 for In-Flight Expenses. She spends around $28,000 per flight flying back home.

www.judicialwatch.org/news/2010/jan/judicial-watch-uncovers-new-documents-detailing-pelosis-use-air-force-aircraft

83240 - Mon Mar 1 14:07:44 2010 - [What do Fair Share people do?] By: question

when you work for city or county you have a choice of union or Fair Share. If there is a strike, what do the Fair Share people do? They are not union members, but get the benefits, but no vote.

83239 - Mon Mar 1 11:52:50 2010 - [Look at his associates now] By: It's about what's going on right now

Dave's past service does not cancell out what he says, does, and stands for now!

Nor does it cancell out who he associates with now!

83238 - Mon Mar 1 11:29:04 2010 - [Thank you for your service] By: Inside Look

I apologize to Dave about the military service comment. Thank you for your service.

83237 - Mon Mar 1 08:14:52 2010 - [Give credit to all drivers who served] By: 60's Warrior

Lets get one thing straight here, no matter how you feel about Oberstar's mouthpiece named Dave B., one thing is for sure. He served his country with honor unlike "Labor World Larry". Larry dodged the draft when his country needed him and Dave B. stepped up to the plate. There is a distinct difference ladies and gentlemen. Dave B. is a veteran and Larry the draft dodger (union dues stealing bastard) is a punk pussy!!

83236 - Sun Feb 28 22:42:08 2010 - [Brilliant move by planting "C" in blogs] By: Anonymous

After following "C's" blog activities, I have come to the following conclusion. "C" is a republican party operative. "C" cannot be for real. No one can blog that much and spew such nonsense over and over again. I have to give the republicans credit, the planting of "C" into the local blogs is a brilliant idea. A blogger who pretends to be a "progressive" DFL'er who in reality is a republican plant who is surreptitiously undermining and tainting the "progressive" cause. Absolutely brilliant!

83235 - Sun Feb 28 21:01:38 2010 - [Dems haven't supported U.S. since 1960] By: Here's a

Since the early 1960's the Democratic party and politicians have NOT been supportive or respectful of the U.S. military! Do you not think the military personnel don't know this?

Dave, do you really think the cordial and respectful deportment by our local men & women in uniform towards you, Oberstar, Franken, Klobuchar, at events is somehow affection for you guys? Don't kid yourself.

It isn't!!

83234 - Sun Feb 28 20:58:49 2010 - [Cut obscene salaries last, not first] By: Bigfoot

Dear Tesla,
Is the City reducing manager pay by 10%? Is the City reducing the money they give to the aquarium by 10%? Is the City reducing the money they give to the new police station 10%? They have money to spend on everything except the employees! Maybe your anger is directed toward the wrong target. The City Administration is the people that decide where money is spent, and saved. They have a lot of money to throw around for attorneys, railroads, housing, etc, but have to cut employees? Yeah, I would say you have a very narrow view.

83233 - Sun Feb 28 20:05:31 2010 - [DFL Leading US into Economic Hell] By: Business in the Briefs

Congratulations 148th, you deserve the mission. The question is, does DFL Donny Duluth deserve you? The 148th would have received the mission without DFL politicians.

How about our DFL bloggers turn back the clock and figure how much the Obestar aided DFL Northwest Airlines Maintenance Facility deal cost Duluthians and Minnesota. It would be a whole different political story here if the amount of good the DFL has laid claim to with their bias owned media was truthfully compared to the hundreds of millions of recent and past DFL Unaccountable Dream wasted taxpayer dollars.

Where was our transportation leader Oberstar while Toyota supposedly exposed Americans to hazard? Waiting for them to get millons in Cash for Clunkers sales and then try to cut their throats and more American Toyota Factory jobs. All while the government now breaks anti-trust laws by being vested in the auto industry and labor.

Strange how in the DFL lobby controled U.S., wealthy CEO's seem to walk with the investors and the taxpayers dollars just before their companies file bankruptcy, are taken over by the government, sold, or ask for more Stimulus.

Obama says Social Security is O.K., but Dave, facts show it is funded by unsurmountable inequity investment debt. The DFL claims the economy is turning around, and Dave, the fact is the GNP and truthful unemployment figures compared to dollar value and debt growth clearly spell failure. The DFL claims to be the working mans party, but Dave, facts show the DFL in control and only the rich are getting richer. Like in socialist countries around the world, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing. Duluth is failing horribly on a comparative ratio to any other City it's size in the State both economically and population wise, and Dave, the facts are very CONCRETE, the DFL corrupt, socialist, greedy mindset and control here is time proven, soley, responsible!

One would have to be ignorant or just plain stupid to contest these facts! So Dave, like you and Donny, Obestar and the DFL is like their bias, lying, proganda controled local major media------ CONVENIENTLY IGNORANT TO FACT!!!

83232 - Sun Feb 28 19:43:37 2010 - [How nasty will the AFSCME strike be?] By: thomas

Just wandering what effect a city strike would have on residents? Will the employees block the entrance to a public building?Will union workers already working on city projects like the DECC stop to support their brothers and sisters?How long can the workers hold out? How long can the City Admin. hold out?

83231 - Sun Feb 28 19:40:47 2010 - [Another DFL Lie] By: Get Ready

I forgot Dave's standard line, it's an oldie but a goodie,

"I should have known better than to post on here! I'm never coming back!"

83230 - Sun Feb 28 19:24:41 2010 - [Oberstar has worn out his welcome ] By: What

Is the guy identified as Dave B. Oberstar's sidekick. If it is the one, he is a total liberal. Hangs with the DFD and the ultra liberals in town. Dave B. start looking for work my friend. Oberstar has worn out his welcome up here.

83229 - Sun Feb 28 19:05:39 2010 - [Blah, blah, blah] By: Get Ready

Everyone, get ready for Dave to come on here and tell us we, as always, misinterpreted what he said, and don't understand, and are just a bunch of idiots, and blah, blah, blah.

83228 - Sun Feb 28 19:01:21 2010 - [Fighting for special interests] By: Where's the jobs

Dave and Jim O.-

Go back to harrasing business's in Duluth and Northeastern Minnesota and chasing them and the jobs they provide out of state. Then, of course, turn around tell the increasingly out of work working class, especially the steel workers, how you're "fighting FOR them"!

You're lucky so many people here are like robots, programed to vote DFL.

83227 - Sun Feb 28 18:51:37 2010 - [Known by the company they keep] By: Oh Please

Remember Dave B. on here about a year or two ago, challenging peoples patriotism? Was it around the time of the Air Show?

This guy is a flaming "Liberal"! You know, the people who are repulsed by and complain about an American Flag hanging in a public library. People who find a show of patriotism "bizzare behavior". People who protested so fanatically when U.S. Navy ships visited the Twin Ports that the Navy finally said, screw you, and haven't been back for years! People who snicker at their neighbors who fly the flag from their front porch. The Michelle Nar-Obeds, Joel Kilgoures, Loaves & Fishes, "Blame America" for everything people. Ever hear Dave B. or Oberstar tell those people off? Of course not. That's part of their crowd!

Dave, do not attempt to give moderates or conservatives a lecture on the 148th!!

83226 - Sun Feb 28 18:36:34 2010 - [Who?] By: Common Sns

Oberstar has been in Washington for what seems about 100 years now and the guy has little or no influence in Washington, not even his own party.

People from the other 49 states have never heard of him.

Hell, our fellow Minnesotan's, south of Pine City, have no idea who he is.

83225 - Sun Feb 28 17:27:09 2010 - [Oberstars very own HR Haldeman?] By: Deep Throat

@ You're a Jerk, who is this Dave B you are referring to? Are referring to Oberstars very own HR Haldeman, Jimbos personal "son of a bitch"?

83224 - Sun Feb 28 17:25:27 2010 - [Definition TRUST FUND SILVER SPOONER] By: Cyberslut Watch

Two more handle added to the long and growing list. 82 and growing!

Seriously people, where in the hell does this female find the time to blog so much? Seriously. Most normal working people, those in "working families" have responsibilities to fulfill such as work, family, household chores, spousal duties... It is obvious this woman does not work, she has no apparent need to work and earn money. How else can one travel (multiple countries, multiple continents) , write and engage in such social / political activism with such abandon? There is only one conclusion I can come up with. TRUST FUND SILVER SPOONER! Period.

How many handles does "it" use. I encourage everyone to add to this list.

82) Big Iron Seems Like an Obsessive Compulsive Busybody (yeah look whos talkin sweetheart)
81) Al Gore (LOL!!)

80) Bob (Battery Operated Boyfriend), giving new meaning to "BUZZZZZ" on areavoices.com)
79) George Crabbe
78)DCBisfullofhypocrites
77)DCBTonyISaHypocriteJackass
76) Katie
75)Smooth Well Oiled Machine
74) Hermione Granger
73) Big Iron ( "It" Impersonating Big Iron)
72) DRZ
71)Not Usually A Danny Fan
70) C'estMoi ("It's me", where have we seen that handle before, LOL!) (Elle est une slut de cyber)
69)MyRealNameIsntAgnes
68)Agnes
67) Tony Ramone Sr.
66) DCBersSuckEggs (I'm surprised you would have knowledge of sucking)
65) go figure
64) Jesus Christ (what?)
63)Fact Checker (more Saul Alinsky spin)
62)Chuckles
61) Stan
60) Eve Ebby (on 1/26/2010 10:09 AM on Areavoices.com/buzz "C" giving it to Guest Blogger Russ Stewart)
59) BigIronDoesn'tLetTheFactsGetInHisWay ( "C" has irrational hatred for men, and the truth)

58) Joan (Philly, Amtrak, firebombs)
57) Keyser Soze (Danny G love fest)
56) Marie (area voices buzz)
55) Agres Carmody (also a Carmody Fan)
54) The "Real" Tony R (you wish)
53) I Support Train Travel (livin' off a trust fund, travlin' the world, hell I would support train travel too)
52) I've Actually Ridden Trains (Train à Grande Vitesse en Francais, oui?)
51) Ardys
50) Queen of the Blogosphere (queen my ass)
49) Kiss of Death (Muff lost the election, poor thing)
48) DCB-Tony R (top or bottom?)
47) Coyote Ugly (if the shoe fits...)
46) Tony R on 1/22/2010 9:57 AM ("C" Giving it to Guest Blogger: Todd "bankster" Fedora, Part II Comments. Areavoices.com/buzz)
45) DCBersHaveAngerMgmtIssues
44) Publius (public, pubic, whatever)
43) Only One W Brains on DCB These Days
42) DCBers Are Morons (yeah whatever sweetheart)
41) Concerned Constituent (only concerned about her neo-Stalinist agenda)
40)Fed up with Negative Duluth environment (well if you don't like it here in Duluth, pack your carpet bag and go!)
39)PS (perhaps she forgot the M, as in PMS?)
38)Let's not assume anymore
37)Fact or Fiction (DCB = Fact, Progressive Action = Fiction)
36) Disgusted
35) Friend
34) Ernest Simpson
33)It's Me
32)Vested Duluthian (vested in lies and smears)
31)2nd district voter (hey thats near UMD)
30)Claire (*duh*!)
29)EMCR Damn It (Saul Alisky tactic)
28)Claire Queen of the Blogosphere (if this in not proof of narccisstic personality disorder, I dont know what is)
27)Dulusion (Delusion + Claire in Duluth = Dulusion)
26)Subdude (subliminal submarine sexual pseudonym)
25)Marie K (another female handle)
24)CK (Claire DELETED)
23)Carrboro Claire (Carrboro: city infiltrated, infected and damaged beyond repair by "C". Duluth is now on the *progressives* take over agenda)
22)Caulk (sounds like cock LOL!)
21)Me Again (yes we know)
20)It is I (yes we know)
19)Suzanne (one of her "feminist" handles)
18)Shakespeare (must read alot to come up with a handle like this)
17)IKMN (I know my name. Yes "C" , we also KYRN)
16)Exercising my constitutional rights
15)Tony R
14)Anthony
13)Duluth Voter (UMD neighborhood)
12)Tony Ramone Sr. (yup, penis envy)
11)Carmody Fan ( "C" has a big time hard-on for Danny. She's obsessed with his pod casts)
10)Stalker Watcher
9)A Friend
8)Sherlock Holmes (no shit Sherlock, this handle is used by "C")
7)Moron Watcher (must have lingered in front of the bathroom mirror to come up with this one)
6)Danny Sucks (like Danny has never heard this before)
5)Danny is Stupid (envious of his creative podcast)
4)FaceBooker (many friends including numerous east coast elitists)
3)Psychiatrist (should consult with one ASAP, narrcistic personality disorder is getting out of hand)
2)Just Saying (and saying, and saying...)
1)Fireman

83223 - Sun Feb 28 17:02:19 2010 - [Oberstar's decades betrayal] By: Eyes Wide Open

I agree with Truthism. When you look back over the decades and review the facts Congressman Oberstar has betrayed many and IMHO is an underachiever when you look at the big picture.

83222 - Sun Feb 28 16:49:57 2010 - [DFLers are much like a crack whore] By: Pitt Street Panther

Dave is more proof the all knowing elites that have sold this country down the drain need to go. DFLers are much like a crack whore, they'll do anything for their fix at the taxpayer paid trough. Whether it’s force feeding DFL laced Kool-Aid or their continuous elitist lies like Dave's post, we need some real change in this country.

83221 - Sun Feb 28 16:02:33 2010 - [A first class jerk] By: You're a Jerk

"You idiots here never deal in facts"

The above quote is from an aid to Congressman Oberstar. You know, a guy who take his pay from the checks of the "idiots" on here!

Dave B. you are a first class jerk, and a disgrace. Insulting your bosses contituents.

As was said on here before, "you are no Jackie Morris"!

83220 - Sun Feb 28 15:57:50 2010 - [Three more for the list] By: Big Iron

Cyberslut Watch, Add Al Gore and Big Iron Seems Like an Obsessive Compulsive Busybody.

83219 - Sun Feb 28 15:27:12 2010 - [Dave's comments of ignorance] By: Inside Look

Dave...such hatered you speak of...look in the mirror. Your comments of ignorance, stupidity, and free speech are ridiculous. I have served this country in the guard for nearly 20 years...even protecting your right to take pot shots at me...freely. Maybe you should take some of your hatred and join me on my next (yet another) trip to the desert to fight for that right and put your money where your mouth is.

83218 - Sun Feb 28 15:19:50 2010 - [Honest? A DFLer at the Trough?] By: Common Sns

From Dave B:
"God bless our troops and the 148th!"

Glad to hear you care, but be honest Dave. How many of the ultra Lib DFL friends you hang around with in this area, support and ever have anything good to say about our U.S. armed forces???

Really, be honest!

83217 - Sun Feb 28 14:31:28 2010 - [Truth is Papa Pork is a Job Killer] By: Truthism

Well said Inside Look. Oberstar has very little, no more than any other Congressman that would represent us, with the 148th. The 148th’s reputation and success as the best has nothing to do with Oberstar.

Papa Pork needs to go as we need representation nationwide from those that know we are broke and piling on debt that will affect our sovereigntyas a nation. Oberstar is a big part of the pending American bankruptcy.

During Oberstar’s reign, people have lost their pensions and jobs. People have been sold out by the promises of job security. Oberstar is working for the powerful special interests that have sent our jobs overseas. There have been 14,000 mining job losses and numerous retiree benefits and pensions lost while Oberstar was supposedly representing the workingman. This is the biggest lie by the DFL that they are for the workingman. From LTV to USSteel, thousand paid their union dues and retirement to end up with little or nothing.

Oberstar’s vote for Cap and Trade will cause further mining job losses as it will make USA steel way more expensive than the foreign competition. Simply said, Oberstar’s votes and special interest friends are job killers, not job creators.

Oberstar’s old school ways can only be replaced by getting someone else to represent those working people still living here. Look at how many people have left this area because of the lack of opportunity and ask yourself; is Oberstar truly good for you, your family, your job, or retirement security?

83216 - Sun Feb 28 13:35:31 2010 - [Stupidly wrong] By: Dave

Inside look is partially right, but also stupidly wrong. The men and women of the 148th have worked hard to earn these new jets. More hard working than the trolls on this blog. However, this other blogger shows complete ignorance, stupid ignorance, to think congressional members had no influence, dems or repubs regardless. Sorry, but your democratic congressman and senators had a big say in this as well as the BRAC decision in 2005. Put away your petty, ignorant hatred and deal with the facts. But golly, what am I thinking. You idiots here never deal in facts. I'm sure this won't be posted because you don't believe in free speech. Oh well. ta ta. God bless our troops and the 148th!

83215 - Sun Feb 28 00:08:09 2010 - [Enough Koolaid already...] By: Inside Look

DFL Comes through,

Enough Koolaid already... If you think that Oberstar, Klobuchar, or God Forbid Fraken are wholly responsible for the new aircraft being assigned to the 148th, you are smoking something. The service men and women who are part of the MN ANG are responsible for this. They earned this through THEIR hard work and professionalism. You need to put credit where credit is due and get back on the wagon.

83214 - Sat Feb 27 23:47:11 2010 - [Vonn stripped of Olympic Gold Medal] By: Dennis Miller

News coming from Vancouver, BC have Women's Downhill champion Lindsey Vonn being stripped of her Olympic Gold Medal, and in turn, having that medal awarded to Barack Obama.

When questioned, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) simply stated that after further review, it was clear that OBAMA is going downhill faster than Vonn. They further added... "On a personal note, we have NEVER seen anyone go downhill so fast, and with such reckless abandon, that we feel he is worthy of the gold". Neither Obama or Vonn could be reached for comment!!

83212 - Sat Feb 27 16:24:13 2010 - [O'Neil is one big headache ] By: Air Supply

I wonder how commissioner Steve O'Neil feels now that the 148th Fighter Wing is getting new planes. O'Neil has been and anti-148th forever. Yet it's those men and women who fight for this country and give him his freedom to push his liberal homless agenda on us taxpayers. O'Neil is one big headache for all the working folks. Him and his loaves and fishes wackos need to go elsewhere and start a homeless project.

83211 - Sat Feb 27 13:56:48 2010 - [Oberstar is DFL Superman] By: DFL comes thru

I suppose all you conservatives around here are all gay and happy for those new fighter jets which are coming to the 148 fighter group. You can all thank Oberstar for this, he and he alone was able to get this deal done. I think re-election is in order don't you?

83210 - Sat Feb 27 11:50:04 2010 - [Are AFSCME & DFD willing to be fair?] By: Tesla

Bigfoot,

If the city is getting 10% less revenue, why not just everyone take a 10% cut in pay and benefits? No layoffs and no more taxing and feeing us beyond what you're already taking from us.

Are AFSCME and the DFD willing to be fair to the taxpaying people or only out for themselves?

83209 - Sat Feb 27 09:47:57 2010 - [Please show us in the contract] By: Let's see

Please show us the contract language where it says the city is going to replace older workers with younger workers and do away with seniority. If you cannot show this on an actual document then you are simply spreading rumors. Thank you

83208 - Sat Feb 27 09:34:35 2010 - [8.8 Earthquake is quite the "storm"] By: Al Gorry

I guess I was wrong the storm in Chile proves they're no such thing as Global Warming.

83207 - Fri Feb 26 23:08:57 2010 - [Bottom line, all we want is more money] By: bigfoot

The City of Duluth is intending to take seniority rights from older workers, replace them with younger workers, they backed off with the second "last" final offer, but they want to address it again in 9 months, the younger workers could be hired at a little bit lower wage, but of course, they would have less experience. It is morally wrong! Anyone that would put Grandma or Grandpa out of work over this is wrong, you have a problem. The City budget would not be affected by the changes we are asking for, that is the city's propaganda, all we want is security for the older workers!!!

83206 - Fri Feb 26 18:21:45 2010 - [City of Duluth contracts & benefits] By: mp

FYI-

City of Duluth Labor contracts:

www.duluthmn.gov/employment/Union_Contracts/Contracts.cfm

City of Duluth employee benefits handbook:

www.duluthmn.gov/employment/benefits/2009_Employee_Benefits_Handbook_.pdf

City of Duluth benefits:

www.duluthmn.gov/employment/benefits/index.cfm#5

83205 - Fri Feb 26 17:37:39 2010 - [No End in Sight for DFL Tax & Spend] By: Cynic

I see the Wisconsin DNR will spend 2 million dollars to study deer. Money grows on trees for the government. Well it is from some kind of federal tax on guns and ammunition but what the hell is going on in this nation. This spending is out of hand and there seems no end in sight.

83204 - Fri Feb 26 17:28:54 2010 - [The Census Is Getting Personal] By: youtube dude

The Census Is Getting Personal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsDhkPym01k&feature=player_embedded

83203 - Fri Feb 26 15:21:08 2010 - [Unions + Public Education = 66RULZ] By: Wolf

What you are seeing with the local unions threatening strikes is the same thing that happened in the area in the late 70's and early 80's. Instead of taking a morally and financially responsible approach, the unions decided to strike. Eventually the companies had had enough and told the unions that if they agreed to union demands it would be cheaper for them to just close. The unions didnt believe them and thus became the beginnings of the demise of Duluth as, sure enough, they closed.

Now, some may think that that was a way to get rid of unions, however, the employers and jobs went also. What you are left with is exactly what you are experiencing now. Some say that history repeats itself in cycles.

And if the poor spelling and manical rant of 66RULZ is any indication of the intelligence and education of union employees, it might not be a bad thing.

83202 - Fri Feb 26 13:17:30 2010 - [AFSCME's Very Own Lying Clowncilor] By: Common Sns

Does Sharla Gardner ever just tell the truth about anything?

83201 - Fri Feb 26 10:31:39 2010 - [God Bless and Watch Over Us All] By: Of Politics and Prosperity

Obama rudely attempts to discredit McCain, and in so does himself, in the phoney DFL stagged bi-paritsan health reform talks? Because Obama bought the White House with the most expensive, and possibly corrupt, Acorn for example, campaign in history, he now feels he can threaten to just continue pushing, with backroom corrupt vote deals, to get his health care reform. Current DFL "Unconstitutional Transparency" is unprecedented in the history of U.S. Democractic Rule! Has anyone seen the Ronald Reagon blip about gov't socialized medicine? If you can't make redistribution of wealth work quickly enough, how about redistribution of health?

AIG is in the news again, may need more Stimulus. The "Bush" caused recession Obama has been using to promote Socialism has of "common sense" course turned into the Obamination Depression that will end in global economic collapse. Are the majority of the people in the U.S. lazy enough, daisy enough, and stupid enough to believe they will have any reasonable quality of life when the lord god Obama gives them their fair redistribution of what's going to be left? Obama doesn't play fair and A Massachuetts Mirale says many recognize NOT! Unemployement figures do not honestly reflect the actual degree of destitude of the U.S. lifeblood, small business, failure. Without them the DFL will not be able to keep their insanity intac, and the wealthy will do exactly what they have planned, gov't forclose on it all! Maybe the DFL should show the increases in those using Gov't Aid instead of false Stimulus made job reports? Major media reports obvious corruption and waste to the Stimulus Board and it's just like the bi-paritsan health reform meeting yesterday, they really are just ignoring, like DFL Donnyness has done with Duluth, any other view of the problem or it's solution!

This is not racist, and shouldn't be judged that with the DFL support of The Civil Liberties Union downgrade of any kind of "RIGHTS" a Divine Promoted Morality should have in gov't, this is just food for thought. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander, or lets just pretend we respect eachother until there is no "RULE"!!!!!! Yet, The Bible does speak of the Anti-Christ on a Black Horse and the numbers 666 having to do with greed!

Thanks DCB for allowing me to say, God Bless and Watch Over Us All!

83200 - Fri Feb 26 06:48:16 2010 - [Cuneo is a Hypocrite] By: Jesse James

I wonder if Cuneo's Green Jobs consist of paying his taxes with Green Money? Beacause we all know going green cost green.

How can anybody in this City listen to this Councilor Cuneo after he raised our taxes and didn't pay his own?

"Cuneo is a Hypocrite"

How do we as a nation and local community satisfy our ever-growing demand for energy? Is it possible without destroying the air and water on which we depend? President Obama warns we are falling behind China and other nations in developing tomorrow’s energy sources.

So what are the right investments? And what happens to our economy if we don’t make them?

We know the status quo continues levels of pollution we can’t sustain and continues to send dollars out of our community — often to multinational corporations and countries that act in clear conflict with our values. Knowing this helps highlight issues of great concern, but it also helps us open our eyes to great opportunities.

Over the past months, more than 120 community leaders have been engaged in a planning process to identify opportunities for us in tomorrow’s economy. The Green Jobs planning process has focused on creating jobs in our community that will provide sustainable employment. These are jobs that can pay living wages and help move Duluth toward a clean, vibrant economy. Working groups are writing action plans in energy production, food systems, the “built environment,” transportation and natural resource protection.

The Energy Production Work Group has been particularly compelling. Nationally, much discussion has centered on solar and wind opportunities, and certainly those opportunities exist here. But added to that locally is increased recognition at how well we are positioned to benefit from biomass, specifically wood pellets. The energy production group has found we can begin tackling the important questions in ways that create jobs and enhance the local economy.

After the oil embargos of the 1970s and 1980s, America returned to cheap and dirty oil and coal. We discounted our experimentations with biomass fuel as unnecessary. We developed the initial technology but then left it on the shelf in favor of cheap and dirty fossil fuels. In parts of Europe this wasn’t an option. Europeans continued to push technology and made absolutely amazing strides.

Wood pellets and biomass fuels became an important heat source. Now, the majority of residential and commercial buildings in Sweden are heated without fossil fuels.

Our environmental benefits are clear: Reducing reliance on coal and oil and replacing it with an abundant local source of energy reduces dependence on strip-mining operations in Appalachia and the need to extract oil from sensitive environments. What’s more, today’s technology to burn wood pellets offers a substantial reduction in climate-changing pollution.

What makes this idea exceptionally compelling is its potential impact on our region’s economy. Biomass pioneers in New England point to research showing that only 3 percent of the money residents invest in fossil-fuel heating impacts their regional economy. The biomass industry, meanwhile, sees 75 percent of all funds re-circulated locally.

There are more than 4 million residential households in Minnesota and Wisconsin; 13 percent are heated with oil or propane. At today’s prices, those households spend more than $7.5 billion on two of the dirtiest fuels around with only 3 percent of that money having an impact on creating local jobs. Think of the impact if 75 percent of that $7.5 billion helped to create jobs for our friends and neighbors.

The potential impact of converting our public and commercial buildings to wood-pellet heat is even greater. Members of the Green Jobs Energy Work Group are exploring opportunities to tie larger buildings and residential customers into biomass-fueled heat systems. There is even a study exploring the opportunity to get the Steam Co-op in downtown Duluth to kick its nasty coal habit.

Already in our community we are finding success. Thanks to efforts across the region, several new wood-pellet mills are considering Minnesota and Wisconsin for future expansions. Currently, Swedish boiler producers and other equipment providers are signing agreements with local manufacturers. No doubt more can be done, and we hope all will join the community discussion about how to do it.

Tony Cuneo is co-chairman of the Green Jobs Planning Process, is director of policy and planning at the A.H. Zeppa Family Foundation, and is a Duluth city councilor. Jeff Borling is chairman of the Energy Production Work Group of the Green Jobs Planning Process and is the director of Itasca Business Development for the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion, or APEX.

Local view: Green Jobs group aims to create sustainable local employment
How do we as a nation and local community satisfy our ever-growing demand for energy? Is it possible without destroying the air and water on which we depend? President Obama warns we are falling behind China and other nations in developing tomorrow’s energy sources.
By: Tony Cuneo and Jeff Borling, Duluth News Tribune

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83199 - Fri Feb 26 00:49:08 2010 - [Timberrrrrrr! Admission from C-Beast] By: Big Iron

The C-Beast From The East admitted today on the rump runners blog that SHE was the one who complained to the DNT and got 95% of the comments taken away because someone was picking on her. Probably stems from being picked on as a child for being so damn ugly. Has anyone besides me actually seen her? Some people get hit with the ugly stick. Then there are those who had the whole tree fall on them. I mean...yikes!

83198 - Thu Feb 25 22:31:03 2010 - [AFSCME putting noose around own neck] By: Ben Dover

Is everyone enjoying the show?

The recent events in Duluth are some of the finest comedy acts that have ever been performed. First, AFSCME, one of the largest, greediest, mafia organizations that has ever existed, is crying yet once again. Hey AFSCME, please, please go on strike and show us all what you are made of. Make my year!

Then we have Sharla Gardner and her team of Assclowns waving AFSCME signs in support of DNT whiners. I almost lost it when she pretended to make it sound like she has any clue what the hell is going on at the DNT. Hey Sharla, unlike you and your AFSCME Assclowns, the DNT cannot extort millions from the taxpayers at will to pay the bills. And soon enough, you will learn that your AFSCME stealing is coming to an end. When Sharla said that the DNT whiners understand the issues, I had to reach for the barf bag, once again.

And what kind of AFSCME idiots decide to go on strike and hold signs that say that they want to work? Some crap about respect and justice? Come on AFSCME Assclowns, please go on strike.

In short order we will all be looking back and asking ourselves how stupid the people who lived in Duluth were to be conned into voting for those who brought the city to shambles. Hey Donny, how you coming on that $300,000,000 health care problem? Ha ha ha! All this bonding(borrowing) has to be paid for sometime. Add the $300,000,000 to the School District's $437,000,000 and Duluthians are ONE BILLION in the crapper. How can a population where 50% of all workers who earn under $10/hour pay for all these DFL Assclowns, many of whom are earning over $80,000 to $100,000 for being teachers and firefighters, in addition to the ONE BILLION? Just remember who told you about Duluth's municipal bankruptcy first.

This circus act is just getting started. I can't wait to see all public pensions cut in half for starters and salaries cut by 2/3 or those employees can hit the trail. We need more leadership to kick these assclowns in the back side and send them down the road like all those former teachers in Rhode Island learned after talking like they were in charge.

Hey Pawlenty, how about "No bonding bill at all this year"! That would be a great start to 2010.

In the meantime, shop where the AFSCME leadership shops to avoid sales tax, Superior. Ken Leffler Kemp spends part of his $80,000 salary in Superior. I'm not sure where Erik Lefto spends his $102,000.00 salary. Boy, he must do alot for AFSCME to get paid that kind of money, huh? He even makes more than that Harvard graduate Lori Johnson, who has to make it on $80,000 a year.

In other promising news, it appears that over 1,000 people will be sent packing in the University of Minnesota system. Yep, layoffs on the horizon. You know, I think that I am starting to feel this wonderful "Change" that Obama was promising. If this is what he meant by change, I'm all for it and "Hope" for more public sector downsizing, pension cutting, and massive layoffs. It will not be possible without the grubs like AFSCME local 666 following through on their promise to strike.

STRIKE, STRIKE, STRIKE! Go local 666!

83197 - Thu Feb 25 21:00:08 2010 - [Sleep well, Barack has you covered] By: mp

Rest assured your bank deposits are insured by FDIC. You can sleep at night.
http://www2.fdic.gov/qbp/2009dec/qbp.pdf

On page 14 of FDIC Quarterly Bank Profile report -4th Quarter 2009:

The Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) decreased by $12.6 billion during the fourth quarter to a negative $20.9 billion (unaudited) primarily because of $17.8 billion in additional provisions for bank failures. Also, unrealized losses on available-for-sale securities combined with operating expenses reduced the fund by $692 million. Accrued assessment income added $3.1 billion to the fund during the quarter, and interest earned, combined with termination fees on loss share guarantees and surcharges from the Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program added $2.8 billion. For the year, the fund balance shrank by $38.1 billion, compared to a $35.1 billion decrease in 2008.

The DIF’s reserve ratio was negative 0.39 percent on December 31, 2009, down from negative 0.16 percent on September 30, 2009, and 0.36 percent a year ago. The December 31, 2009, reserve ratio is the lowest reserve ratio for a combined bank and thrift insurance fund on record.

83195 - Thu Feb 25 16:44:30 2010 - [AFSCME leaders...get a grip on reality] By: C Double U

Well, it's finally come to pass that the leadership of AFSCME has led their brethren into the abyss. The greed of a few is going to take food off the table of many.
Now is not the time to try to "negotiate". There truly is nothing to negotiate. If all the union has to give up is 4 days of pay a year to help the City... then it should do it... and thank the lord their members are still employed and getting the money they get. They already get 11 paid holidays and 4 personal days. So they eliminate the personal days... so what... they still have their paychecks, which is alot more than many in our community.
AFSCME leaders... get a grip on reality. Unions are the sole reason that many companies have gone offshore to do business. Unions are the reason that cities can't operate like normal businesses. Unions have priced "Made in USA" out of the market... along with the jobs.
Goodbye Unions in Duluth... your credibility is gone, and so will your membership be gone once the employees cross the picket line.

83194 - Thu Feb 25 16:16:34 2010 - [Tell AFSCME what you think on the DNT] By: DFL Crime Watch

Tell AFSCME what you think of them.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/chat/id/1431/

83193 - Thu Feb 25 16:08:36 2010 - [Union Scabs Picket DNT] By: DFL Crime Watch

At the picket in front of the DNT today many of the picketers were scabs. Lots of non-DNT employees strirring the pot. This is the same thing that was going on at the Pickwick.

83192 - Thu Feb 25 12:26:45 2010 - [AFSCME not being "straight" with us all] By: At UMD

I asked a UMD AFSCME co worker right before the last strike who that screaming man from the Twin Cities campus AFSCME representative was on the news? I also asked why he was so agitated and angry.

My co worker replied, "That's not a man, it's a woman!!"

83191 - Thu Feb 25 11:09:20 2010 - [AFSCME talking out of both sides of yap] By: FAT ALBERT

Back when asked to take a few forced vacation days AFSCME misinformation then was the workers could not afford it. Now AFSCME misinformation is the city workers can afford a strike. Which is it?

83190 - Thu Feb 25 10:25:10 2010 - [Don't settle Donny; Strike away AFSCME] By: Greeds Gonna Getcha

A DFL, AFSCME, DONNY-- Rock and a Hard Place

Way too many, doing way too little, with way too much, for way too long.

A strike by City Union workers is based on leadership blow hards thinking picket lines will create fear. Donny will realize this soon and soil himself. He will be afraid of losing his vote, AFSCME members will be afraid of Donnys' vote losing them their jobs. There now exists in Duluth enough trapped, hungry, DFL or union oppurtunity stolen, INDEPENDENT THINKING, productive people without good work that picket lines will be honored by those who now have only themselves to fear. Ownlly 66 RULz bothers, sinistrs, and pairasight Dulloth satiz croow caun auf ford tha contree klub. Theh wid da halpp off teh DNT naught aboat two let in on to datt! Woords Outt!!!

Please don't settle Donny and strike away AFSCME, time for Common Sense to prevail in Duluth! P.S., I'm skilled, self employeed for forty years, and I seriously could use even a $45,000.00 a year job without benefits. DFL stole my retirement and I'm still willing to work hard. Thanks DCB.

083189 - Thu Feb 25 09:33:23 2010 - [AFSCME haves and the rest, have nots] By: Barb J

66Rulz must have one heck of a headbanger today after their hardly sobbering comments. 66Rulz, do you have a clue how lucky you are with better pay and benefits than 90% of Duluthians? Of course not be cause of too much AFSCME brainwashing.

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