Some people are downplaying the fact that Joe Biernat confessed to perverting his public trust, no matter how venal the amount or the circumstances. Some are praising the man for being "kind" and "compassionate." He has been described as "hard working." He was praised for "his" Kondirator fight.
Joe was convicted of five felonies, not unpaid parking tickets. Sympathy should be extended to his son, his other family members and those who trusted him to represent them honestly, not to Joe. Simply showing up for work and mouthing platitudes does not a leader make. He was notoriously vindictive to those who disagreed with him, even on the most minor of issues. He threatened citizens with lawyers if they dared to criticize him. He refused to cooperate with the people who started the Kondirator metal shredder fight. He outright lied to my neighborhood group. He was notoriously unresponsive to constituents. He physically attacked someone at a public meeting. He encouraged divisiveness among constituents rather than cooperation. Under his leadership, Jordan remained the neighborhood with the highest number of vacant and boarded buildings in the city. Joe thought nothing of the effect his behavior would have on his family and his constituents. He let them all down. Even in his resignation letter, he showed his arrogance and disregard for the consequences of his actions. He has never apologized or admitted guilt. Brian Herron was a class act compared to Biernat. I voted twice for Biernat. He failed me and the community. I am pleased that he will no longer represent me on the City Council. However, I am not interested in seeing more family dynasty members emerge to represent me. The Rainvilles, Dziedzics and Hofstedes should stay where they are. It is time for new voices. We need a strong, visionary leader who leads rather than hides and is not tied to the old way of doing things. One name that has not surfaced is Makeda Zulu-Gillespie from the Jordan neighborhood who ran against Joe last time. She would no longer live in the new ward, but does live in the current one. Regardless of whether she intends to run, the north side should scoop her up and hoist her on its shoulders as an up-and-coming leader. Fran Guminga Bottineau, free at last _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
