The Last Word in Local News, Spring, 2011
POSTAL PATRON
Commissioner Robinson
Admits to Lying about Phone Records!
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel
The 2008 Election brought the defeat of Commissioners Bob Gustafson and Lynn Schultz, stalwart allies of Commissioner Robinson. Together, they had ruled Chisago County for four long years. Of this troika, only Robinson kept his job, though he is reduced to relatively moot point on the current Board. “Odd man out,” as it were.
Mike rarely takes responsibility for his own actions and blames his loss of power on Commissioners Lora Walker and Ben Montzka who Mike believes are responsible for the defeat of his very close friend, Lynn Schultz.
Ever since the election, Robinson has maintained and has stated publically that he is in possession of Ben Montzka’s phone records. Records that will supposedly prove Robinson’s conspiracy theory.
Obtaining phone records, by law requires a court order, leaving many to doubt the veracity of Robinson’s oft stated claim.
Ben Montzka is an Attorney. As such, his phone calls with clients are confidential and privileged. After nearly two years of listening to Robinson’s claim, Montzka was forced act in the best interest of his clients.
In a Complaint filed on August 11, 2010 Montzka requested the Sheriff’s Department investigate claims made by Robinson at 31325 Oasis Road in Center City in the presence of Commissioner Rick Green and others during a meeting at the County Maintenance Building.
According to Initial Complaint Report, Sergeant Armistead investigated the matter and was informed by Montzka’s land line telephone carrier “that they do not see anything in their records that indicated anybody had requested this information.”
Montzka’s cell phone provider was not so forthcoming, requiring a court order to see if his (Montzka’s) phone records had been accessed.
Predictably (due to Robinson’s close association with County Attorney Janet Reiter) the County Attorney’s Office stonewalled Sergeant Armistead’s efforts to confirm or deny the validity of Robinson’s claim, leading to speculation that former Sheriff Todd (J. Edgar) Rivard may have supplied the phone records to Robinson. So,
Which Lie is the Real Lie?
In a telephone interview with Commissioner Robinson, Armistead reports “that he (Robinson) made a comment about phone records showing that he (Montzka) has been in contact with Laura (Lora Walker).”
Later in the report, Armistead states: “Robinson admitted to me that he (Robinson) had only said that (about the phone records) basically to get a rise out of Bennett Montzka”.
Apparently, “getting a rise” out of Commissioner Walker requires different tactics.
According to a Forest Lake Police report dated November 20, 2007 Robinson confronted Lora Walker at Cub Foods in Forest Lake and allegedly stated that he would harm her and her family.
Presumably, private citizen Lora (not a Commissioner at that time) Walker was shopping for her family’s Thanksgiving Dinner. Robinson, not pushing a shopping cart was clearly there to harass Walker, perhaps to intimidate her from running against Lynn Schultz in 2008.
Ultimately, Walker showed her grit, guts and determination by running against and defeating Shultz in the 2008 General Election and now sits across the table from Robinson at every Board meeting.
It is difficult to fathom how Robinson could have known Walker was going to be at Cub at that particular point in time.
Did Robinson lurk about the Cub store for days on end, waiting for his chance to accost Walker?
Shultz is known to shop at Cub and could have relayed that information to Robinson, but the exact time would be difficult for the best of stalkers to pin down.
This question has been posed to Robinson. Robinson’s continued silence leads to speculation that others were involved.
It’s not hard to see why Robinson is disliked by other Board members.
Robinson’s bullying and issuing of terroristic threats to other members of the Board have created an atmosphere of tension and animosity.
After the incident at the County maintenance facility, Robinson’s committee assignments requiring a second commissioner were cancelled.
No one wants to be in the same room with a constantly overbearing, confrontational and belligerent counterpart. No one is going to knuckle under to Mike Robinson.
This situation is not beneficial to the citizens of District 5.
Clearly, Commissioner Mike Robinson is out of control and his behavior can no longer be tolerated.
Of course, Commissioner Robinson will tell you what you have just read is a lie and will likely tell you Commissioners Walker and Montzka filed false police reports.
I Would Lie to You for your Vote, and that is the Truth!
Who Would Jesus Jail?
The First of Many Parts
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel
The Scriptures are largely silent, but one can deduce from Jesus’ Ministry to the poor, the weak, the powerless and the infirmed, that the lower classes would probably not have been His first choice to throw in jail.
In Chisago County, these dregs of society are collectively known as “Poor White Trash” or PWT’s of which I am proud to be a card carrying member.
Nationwide, Blacks are the most jailed class of American.
One out of every three black males born today will spend time in jail or prison and currently one out of eight black men in their twenties are in jail.
Can’t really say what Jesus may have thought about this, but when I pass this statistic to most folks in these parts, the answer is the same, “Is that all? I figured there would be a lot more than that!” As if to say, “We would be somehow safer with more non-violent people in jail.”
Having lived in the Deep South for 25 years or so, I have probably become acquainted with more Black men than most Minnesotans will, say 40 or 50 guys.
Statistically, according to the Prison Industrial Complex, six of these guys should have been evil. I have not found that to be the case. Blacks are just normal folks like the rest of us.
A social worker friend brings up an interesting point. Blacks are more likely to be poor and since poor people occupy most jail space, it may not be racial at all.
Kinda makes me feel all warm and fuzzy knowing that poverty keeps our jails full.
This, of course raises the logical questions?
Who wants these poor white muthas in jail and is it really cost effective to jail non-violent poor people?
Minnesota has traditionally passed the cost of jailing to the individual counties, preferring that poor people be held locally, at the expense of local property owners rather than wealthy individuals and corporations as is done by most states.
The State of Minnesota, passing unfunded mandates and criminal law, uses incarceration rates and quotas established by the Prison Industrial Complex to jail Blacks and poor people while passing the financial burden to local property owners.
Nationwide, most states spend an average of 6.89% of the state budget on prisons and jails. The State of Minnesota spends only 2.70%. However, when the cost to the Counties is factored in, the total cost exceeds 9% of the State Budget, more than most states.
In other words, most states pay their dues to the Prison Industrial Complex from State Income and/or Sales Taxes.
In Minnesota, we pay for these excesses with Levy dollars assessed to your home and property.
This maneuver has been quite popular with former Governor Pawlenty. Every time the state budget needed balancing, unfundated mandates were established to pass the financial burden of state operation to local government.
This tactic could be quite beneficial if Pawlenty becomes President.
With one stroke of his pen, he could eliminate the National Debt by assigning that debt (about $30,000) to each man, woman and child in the country and simply say, “Hey, it’s your problem, now. Not mine.”
Throughout history, governments and unscrupulous business persons have profited from the misery of others.
For centuries, European traders amassed great fortunes in the African slave trade. When the British finally abolished slavery in 1840, these traders turned to the lucrative Opium Trade.
Britain and America actually went to war with China to insure wealthy Opium traders could profit from the addiction of millions of Chinese.
This Anglo American induced drug epidemic did not end until the Communist Revolution a hundred years later when the drug addicts were simply executed, taken out and shot.
In today’s world, The Prison Industrial Complex profits from the misery and forced incarceration of millions of non violent Americans.
The Criminal Justice System is big business. Taxpayers shell out a cool $4,000,000 each year for the Chisago County jail.
Most people know the story of Jesus.
Few know of Janet Reiter’s rise to power.
Like many lawyers, County Attorney Janet Reiter was lured into the Prison Industrial Complex at an early age. Her naïve and giddy thoughts of punishing bad guys was an inspiring force. Trouble was there weren’t enough bad guys to go around.
But Janet persevered and finally got a job working as an assistant county attorney in Chisago County.
Despite the drawbacks of working in small rural community with little crime and fewer blacks, Janet was able to exploit the weaknesses of poor people. In time, she was able to get a better job in a larger county where she honed her strengths by prosecuting more poor people who could not defend themselves.
Life moved on in Chisago County without Janet.
Through a fluke in the electoral process, Janet’s predecessor, Katherine Johnson, having no practical experience prosecuting poor white trash was elected as County Attorney.
The jails quickly emptied.
Though Katherine’s ineptitude saved the County several hundred thousand dollars, the Prison Industrial Complex became quite alarmed.
The empty jails had not resulted in the long predicted crime wave.
Katherine was in a real bind. She needed to come up with some criminals’ real quick.
Our Judges didn’t have anything to do and staff was facing layoffs.
It was decided to make criminals out of ordinary citizens. Code enforcement officers were dispatched throughout the land to issue citations for unlicensed dogs, lawns not cut to County specs and other minor infractions.
Unfortunately for Katherine, a Code Enforcement Officer issued a citation to retired Judge Clifford. Judge Clifford is a card carrying member of the Prison Industrial Complex who had been jailing PWT’s when Reiter was still in diapers.
He was pissed, to say the least.
But Katherine was desperate for a conviction and decided to prosecute, anyway.
Judge Clifford flipped out and went about North County pointing out code violations of other residents, forcing Katherine to prosecute all perceived violators.
All was well, the courts filled up. PWT’s were returning to jail and the taxpayers were being fleeced once again.
However, Judge Clifford was still pissed off.
He recruited and reportedly funded Janet’s campaign, leading to Katherine’s defeat in the 2006 Election.
Now, if Janet can jail enough PWT's, Minnesota's Inbred Judicial Selection Process (MIJSP) will probably tap her to be judge one day, allowing her to follow in the footsteps of her mentor, Judge Clifford.
And the cycle will continue, with a select group of lawyers getting rich jailing non violent poor people at the expense of middle class taxpayers.
Jesus is well known for His compassion toward the poor.
I often wonder if He would have compassion for the taxpayers, as well.
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Came on Vacation, Left on Probation
Got Jailed on Violation!
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel
As a guest of former Sheriff Todd (J. Edgar) Rivard in February of 2009, I was incarcerated (ostensibly for recycling without a license) at the Chisago County Jail with a carpenter from St. Paul, a resident of Ramsey County.
This man had received a drinking while driving infraction in Chisago County some five years earlier after a fishing expedition on one of our local lakes.
He plead guilty and was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 5 years probation. Thirty days of jail time were served with 150 days "held over his head." He never voluntarily returned to Chisago County.
Several years later, my carpenter friend stopped at the corner bar, chugged three beers and while driving the two blocks home was stopped by police, “blew .008” and was issued a citation for being “barely drunk.”
He paid a fine in Ramsey County and proceeded about his business.
When Chisago County Probation heard of the new infraction, they brought bring him back to serve the remaining 150 days "held over his head."
My friend tried to have this time served in Ramsey County, so he could continue to work and support his family. However because of the Huber (Work Release) fees charged by Chisago County, it became more cost effective for him to spend the 150 days in Chisago County Jail at a cost to taxpayers of some $15,000.
His family went on welfare in Ramsey County.
As I “interviewed” more inmates, it became apparent that the carpenter’s story was not unusual. Most of my fellow inmates were not residents of Chisago County and most were on lengthy jail stays for probation violations occurring outside Chisago County.
Metropolitan Counties view misdemeanors and petty crime differently than County Attorney Janet Reiter and our inbred judges, preferring to get the cash in the form of fines rather than imposing costly jail time.
While the punishment for Fifth Degree possession of a controlled substance in Ramsey County is a payable fine, Chisago County’s inbred judiciary goes for jail time and lengthy probation.
In a typical “Came on Vacation” conviction, the minor perpetrator spends a few days in our jail and returns to the cities, promptly forgets about the probation and remaining jail time hanging “over their head,” being blissfully unaware the Local Prison Industrial Complex is “hell bent” to cram a 40 million dollar jail up the lower extremities of Chisago County taxpayers.
The Prison Industrial Complex cannot sustain itself without repeat offenders. As such, no efforts are made to rehabilitate offenders or address their addiction. Consequently, offenders will abuse again. It is just a matter of time before they get “busted,” pay their fine in the Metro and are returned to Chisago to burden taxpayers locally.
On any given day, we support 150 people behind bars. Our jail has the capacity to house 50 inmates leaving the other 100 jailed in Isanti, Polk, Washington and other surrounding counties at the expense of Chisago County taxpayers.
Basically, County Attorney Janet Reiter in conjunction with our Probation Department, pick up a PWT (Poor White Trash) from Isanti and jail them for a perceived probation violation. Since there is “not enough room at the inn,” we pay Isanti County to incarcerate the PWT for a “crime” committed in Isanti County deemed unworthy of jail time there.
Left unchecked, government will become a self-serving entity onto itself.
Chisago County’s Probation Department is a classic example of governmental inbreeding. Many years ago, the County Board was given a choice whereby the Board could oversee the probation department or turn that responsibility over to the judges.
As an inducement, the State of Minnesota offered to pay one half the salaries of those employed in the probation department. Many years ago, before judicial inbreeding, this may have been a good idea. In today’s reality, we save about $75,000 annually in payroll reimbursement, but jailing out of county probation violators costs taxpayers a cool $2,000,000 a year, $10,000,000 over the past five years.
When questioned about this situation, Chisago County Probation Director, Steve Paquay deflects responsibility toward our local judicially inbred judges who maintain that they are merely “rubber stamping” probation and County Attorney recommendations.
The real question is public safety. Has the $10,000,000 spent jailing out of county probation violators resulted in greater public safety for the residents of Chisago County?
We all want drunks off the road, but we simply cannot afford to jail drunks for the surrounding counties. Perhaps we need to let other counties jail their own Poor White Trash.
Chisago County charges inmates $350 per week in Huber Fees!
Most counties charge about $100 per week in Work Release Fees. Not unexpectedly, Chisago takes in about $20,000 annually in Huber Fees while Isanti, charging $100 per week takes in well over $100,000 a year.
Yep, you guessed it. When Chisago County pays Isanti County to incarcerate an offender, Chisago County Huber rates apply, preventing the inmate from working.
When the fees were established in Chisago County, during a robust economy, they may have made some sense. However, in the current, economic condition, it is just a deterrent to work, whether real or imagined.
The Huber fees collected by Chisago County do not amount to a "hill of beans" over a year’s time, while keeping these people working could save the County in welfare and other areas.
The following is copied from the Minnesota Statutes.
"4. Jail credit shall be awarded at the rate of one day for each day served for time spent in confinement under Huber Law (Minnesota Statutes, section 631.425).
Had my friend from Ramsey County been working; he would have been out 75 days earlier, saving the taxpayers some $7,500. 95% of the people of Chisago County would agree. When possible, nonviolent inmates need to be working and paying taxes, not draining the system of vital resources (money). If we make these resources (money) available to a man as intelligent, educated and dedicated as our current Sheriff, Rick Duncan, I have no doubt we can run the drug dealers out of our county and keep drunk drivers off the road.
I'm not sure we could ask much more from any mortal Sheriff!
Coercion or Free Speech?
Successful Prosecution Sets Dangerous Precedent
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel
A legal precedent is set when a Judge makes a decision about a certain legal matter.
Even if this Judge’s decision is to jump from a cliff, the inbred judges that follow in his footsteps will be duty bound to leap from that same cliff.
Sooner or later, someone with enough money and sharp lawyer may be able to get this precedent overturned in Appellate Court, but until then, our inbred judges will continue to jump from the same proverbial cliff.
(Judge McBride showed the lack of branches on his own judiciary family tree when he accepted this deal.)
With unemployment in Chisago County hovering around 10%, one would think Chisago County Attorney Janet Reiter would have little trouble finding enough PWT’s (Poor White Trash) to fill the jails.
But Janet is a real trooper for the Prison Industrial Complex and is always seeking new ways to increase jail populations.
As reported by Denise Martin and the Chisago County Press, Chisago County Attorney Janet Reiter coerced a coercion related Alford Plea from a Lent man for the grand total of $100 in fines. No reports are available as to the amount of taxpayer dollars spent by Reiter in this “No Contest” conviction.
Minnesota statutes regarding coercion are extremely broad and not usually enforced in this manner, especially when politicians are involved.
Coercion sounds nasty as it is usually related to Coercion of Prostitution,
i.e., a person of authority coercing sexual favors from an underling wanting to keep their job. In this case a politician got pissed at another politician and wrote a letter he wishes he could take back. Janet Reiter used this letter to end this man’s political career with another of her nonsensical, politically motivated prosecutions.
The extreme broadness of this conviction puts freedom of speech at risk in Chisago County. As an example, suppose you were mad at your commissioner, George McMahon for introducing a 2-3% tax increase. Say you went to public forum and told George, “If you pass this tax, I will not vote for you next time and I will tell the world you are a “Tax and Spend Liberal.”
Technically, you have met Reiter’s standard of coercion.
The amount of time you spend in jail for such a statement depends upon the financial loss incurred. Say your single vote cost George the election. George would lose his $30,000 job as commissioner.
Since the amount of damage exceeds $2,500, you could face fines of $20,000 and ten years in prison.
If you had the money to hire a good lawyer, you could “beat the rap,” however, the stigma of being charged with coercion could never be overcome in a small community.
As was the case with the man from Lent, whose standing in the community was lessened, your right of dissent would be compromised, your free speech neutered. (Continued next page)
"The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato
In reality, World War II started when the first German citizens were coerced to give up their free speech at the behest of some government bureaucrat.
As such, Reiter’s “Coercion” cannot stand.
The man from Lent’s standing in the community cannot be restored with the return of $100, but the ability to pick and choose who runs for public office cannot be determined by Janet Reiter, her cronies or our inbred judiciary.
We need to reserve that right for “We the People,” not “Us the Government.”
It Takes Three to Tango
Open Meeting Laws Exist for a Reason
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel
If you have ever had the misfortune of being prosecuted in Chisago County, the County Attorney probably closed their case by telling the jury, “These laws are for your protection, you must enforce them and return a guilty verdict."
In all too many cases, the laws exist because some politician did not understand the simple fact that anything written can be interpreted to mean most anything Government or some inbred lawyer wants it to mean.
This is not the case with the open meeting laws. Open meeting laws were designed to protect the citizenry from back room deals and shady politics by forcing the decision making of local government leaders into the limelight. Basically, the law states that a quorum of leaders cannot meet without public notice. On a three person board, a quorum exists if any two board members are at the same place at the same time. Hence, an accidental meeting at a coffee shop could technically violate open meeting laws.
The County Board of Commissioners is a five person panel, so the quorum is three which allows any two Commissioners to communicate regarding a specific matter.
Open meeting laws prohibit serial meetings. While Commissioner “A” can speak of a single matter to Commissioner “B”, “B” cannot speak of this same matter to Commissioner “C” without violating the open meeting law.
About this time, you are probably asking yourself, “How the “bleep” do they ever get anything done?”
Dysfunctional as it sounds, the law seeks to force the debate of any given issue into the public eye. Problem is commissioners are reluctant to speak openly on some issues, giving rise to backroom negotiations and deal making by Commissioners seeking to exercise or solidify more than their fair share of power.
When longtime County Administrator John Moosey announced he was leaving Chisago for a similar job in Alaska, many in Government and the community panicked.
County Board Chair Lora Walker’s phone rang off the hook.
No one in Chisago County is more qualified to hire the new administrator than Lora Walker.
As such, there was no panic on Lora’s part, just confident determination to set up a process that would insure Moosey was replaced with the best possible candidate, while addressing the concerns of the other Board Members.
A matter of this magnitude needs to be discussed with others. Lora chose Vice Chair McMahon, but it was too late. George, in his arrogance had already selected Kristine Nelson-Fuge of the County Attorney’s Office. In George’s mind, the case was closed.
By law, Lora was now unable to discuss this matter with any other Commissioners.
Unfazed, Commissioner Walker set about to develop a plan
on her own, that would, first and foremost conserve taxpayer dollars.
Unfortunately, Lora’s plan required a small degree of complexity which overwhelmed her male counterparts, who chose not to trust Lora’s judgment in favor of George’s costly plan to install his friend and crony Nelson-Fuge to the position.
Commissioners Montzka and Greene quickly “sieg heiled” George’s plan and Nelson-Fuge was installed as interim Administrator.
Lora played by the rules. I don’t believe George did and once again, the citizenry got stiffed while George gains political clout at the expense of the taxpayers. (Sounds a lot like Bob Gustafson)
When George was elected, I thought he would bring non-dysfunctionality to this board, setting aside petty differences for the betterment of Chisago County.
I was wrong.
For some time, I have been receiving reports of the backbiting Commissioner McMahon has been routinely leveling at his colleague, Commissioner Walker, Chris Eng and others.
I think we can all agree there is no logical reason to dislike Commissioner Walker.
She is one gutsy lady.
But, even if he had a reason to dislike Lora, one would expect that George could be professional enough to function in spite of some perceived petty grievance.
Maybe George doesn't like girls, or perhaps women in positions of authority that he cannot control.
Maybe George's Liberal Tax and Spend ideology has been thwarted by Lora's "No New Taxes" stand.
But ultimately, I suspect George is about control and his backbiting of Lora is meant more as a example to the other commissioners, coercion as it were, of what he (George) is willing to do to them, should they choose to operate independently of an agenda known only to George.
George arrogantly exerted his authority in the work session this past week, leaving little doubt of his intent to install a person of his choice to succeed John Moosey as Administrator.
Though half deaf, I counted three occasions where George, with no concern for the other Commissioners tried to "slam dunk" Nelson-Fuge as permanent administrator.
My eyesight is still OK and I clearly saw Reiter and Moosey, laughing, giggling and damned near "high fiving" every time George tried to "unlevel" the playing field in Nelson-Fuge's behalf, leaving little doubt that he (George) was their (the Government’s) guy.
Commissioner George McMahon is extremely wealthy.
There is little doubt George earned every nickel through hard work and dedication toward the goal of becoming rich.
Every rich person will list “emotional detachment” as the biggest key to their success.
Life is rarely a win/win situation. When George earns a quarter million dollar commission, someone is bound to get hurt, but it is, after all “just business.”
Unfortunately for the taxpayers, George is unable to bring this “emotional detachment” to County Government.
The logical conclusion; George is playing with your money, not his own.
Confident people are deeply aware that they derive their confidence from strengthening their innate qualities and need not depend on others. So the more confident people are, the more peaceful they will be with both themselves and others. Even in disagreement or when pointing out the errors of others, confident people can remain calm and open-minded. Since they need not defend their self-worth by ‘winning’ in the argument, confident people can stay focused on the merits of different views and opinions without becoming hurtful toward others.
The essential difference between arrogance and confidence is not one of quantity or degree, but of quality and origin. Arrogance is needy and dependent on others, derived from comparison with the external. Confidence is free and independent of others, found and cultivated in the self. Buddhism in a New Light 9
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Government is What We Make It
or
What We Let it Become!
Opinion and Political Commentary by Jonathan P. Glassel
“The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives (Liberals). The business of (Liberals) Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected." G. K. Chesterton, Illustrated London News, April 19, 1924
Somewhere in the middle, perhaps lies common sense.
During the 1988 Presidential Campaign, George H.W. Bush’s strategist Lee Atwater made Willie Horton (a Black man convicted of murder) a household word. Atwater’s ad explained that Gov. Dukakis's prison furlough program (unsupervised weekend passes) released Horton 10 times and, on one of those furloughs, he kidnapped a young couple, stabbed the boy and "repeatedly" raped the girl. The ad effectively labeled Dukakis “soft on crime."
Liberals and Conservatives, Republicans and Democrats alike set out to build a monstrous prison system to play a numbers game designed to show constituents they were not “soft on crime.”
The message from the prison industrial complex simply stated, “The more people in jail, the safer you are, whether these criminals be violent or not.”
And we, the American people, bought it hook, line and sinker.
Untold billions of dollars were removed from infrastructure projects, roads, bridges and public safety to jail non-violent prisoners in facilities designed with all the comforts of home.
The greed of a few and the self serving aspirations of inbred politicians have turned The United States of America from the “Land of the Free” to “Incarceration Nation.”
At a cost of over 60 billion dollars per year, 2,000,000 mostly non-violent inmates rot in prisons and jails while our roads and bridges collapse.
Dismantling the Prison Industrial Complex should be on Tea Party Agenda!
Whatever your thoughts of the Tea Party, good, bad or indifferent, they are involved.
While we are still the greatest country in the world, the Tea Party seeks to restore the solid underlying wealth in the middle class that resulted in the “The More Perfect Union,” “With Malice toward None,” the common sense that made us great in the first place.
Realistically, there is little we can do National scene, but we can make a difference in Chisago County.
I am running for District III Commissioner in 2012. My agenda is too correct an injustice perpetuated against the taxpayers of Chisago County.
We cannot wait until my election to implement reforms. The cost is too great; the tax burdens to small businesses are overwhelming a county suffering from economic decline and a diminishing tax base.
Your Commissioners, Walker, Montzka and Greene are well aware of my initiatives to get inmates out of jail and back to work. Thirty to fifty percent of these non-violent men are not even residents of Chisago County and most should be working under Huber Laws.
I sincerely hope you will encourage your commissioners to debate my reforms.
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Thanks for reading, Jon
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Denise Martin Chisago County Press, Mary Helen Swanson North Branch ECM Post Review, Johanna Puelston Isanti Chisago County Star who writes fiefdompolitics.com fiefdom politics.com Chisago County written in cowardly anonymity, Tim Okeefe or his wife FishLakeKarpa
