Let's remember that Biernat has been indicted, not convicted. That said, if the conclusion to this sad episode is that he is convicted, it will be because he has no understanding of the public trust associated with his office. He has acted like a feudal lord rather than a public servant. This has been one of his failings throughout his term. He has demonstrated time and again that he is "the man," and if you scratch his back, you will be rewarded. If you do not, you can eat dust. While this kind of thinking is not unique in politics, Biernat raised it to a new level -- and apparently on the cheap.
What did he really gain, if this proves to be true? A union endorsement? Some free remodeling work? First, Biernat takes $25,000 in NRP loan money from his neighborhood's NRP housing fund, saying that he had just as much right to it as any other resident. The murky ethical issues passed him by. Second, he doesn't use this money to pay a paltry $3000 plumbing bill. Instead, he offers the plumber a seat on a city examining board in order to get free plumbing work and maybe some political mileage. The ethical and legal issues passed him by. Third, he goes to the businesses he regulates and asks them to put up campaign signs during the last election, clearly an ethical gaff if not a legal violation. In a recent article in the Star-Tribune, one of his political allies was quoted as saying Joe "knows right from wrong." We will see. Fran Guminga Bottineau, Ward Three _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
