I stand corrected. I hope I didn't infer that I assign the entire Kondirator fight to Joe Biernat. Far from it. The writer below, Fran Guminga, is modest enough not to blow the horn she so richly deserves for her tireless efforts against the tide - mostly legal tide with political action - to keep the Kondirator from reality.
The Kondirator issue was, frankly, my only contact with Biernat, and in 1997, he was on some sort of Met Council advisory committee on the environment and made his travel plans known to me as many of were in the midst of trying to get an EIS out of the Council for river corridor violations and the proposed Alter Metal Shredder. That's it. Joe Biernat is, I hope, receiving all that he deserves for his violation of the public trust. My mention of the Kondirator fight was merely to show an example of a good deed from some one personally liked among a variety of people, but whose growing arrogance of power after years in elective office - an disease endemic to persistent incumbency, I fear - led to the corruption that almost inevitably arises from such arrogance. Andy Driscoll Saint Paul -------- "The most consistent and ultimately damaging failure of political journalism in America has its roots in the clubby/cocktail personal relationships that inevitably develop between politicians and journalists. When professional antagonists become after-hours drinking buddies, they are not likely to turn each other in." --Hunter Thompson � Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail �� 1973 Andy > From: "Fran Guminga" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Sun, 24 Nov 2002 17:06:40 -0600 > To: "Mpls Issues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Mpls] Biernat conviction > > 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 > _______________________________________ 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
