HATE SPEECH??? You cannot point to a single instance of my using hate speech in this forum or any other - or in my private life for that matter - because I have never, ever said or done anything that could be characterized as hate speech!!!!
Well, almost. I have publicly called Saddam Hussein a thug, the KKK a gang of hoodlums and the "essence of evil", and I did call a Holocaust denier a moron - several times actually. I do not demean people that I disagree with by calling them names like "nut case" as you did the other day. Truthfully, I do wonder what "conservative principles" are these days (the traditional conservatism of thinkers like Edmund Burke, Clinton Rossiter, Barry Goldwater, Robert Taft, James J. Kilpatrick, et al. is much more akin to contemporary liberalism). To suggest that questioning, disagreeing, challenging, or skepticism with "conservative principles" means "loathing" the people that hold them is simply wrong. I suspect that the List Manager is going to call a halt to this thread pretty quickly! Before he does, I am asking for an apology. In person. At the coffeehouse of your choice - I prefer Starbucks but I'll go wherever you choose. I'll buy. Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: Jennifer L. Rubenzer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005 9:50 AM To: Jim Bernstein; Victoria Heller; Mpls Forum Subject: Jim Bernstein Jim, Can you explain to the list how you would work with council members and members of the community who have different political views should you run and be elected to city council? I've observed through your posts your loathing of "conservative" people and principles and I wonder if someone who can't control their hate speech on a board such as this can be effective in a government situation. Your thoughts are appreciated and I hope that you welcome this opportunity to explain yourself and your past comments. Thank you, Jennifer Rubenzer Plymouth ________________________________ From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Jim Bernstein Sent: Thu 1/13/2005 11:29 PM To: 'Victoria Heller'; 'Mpls Forum' Subject: [bcc][faked-from][bayes] RE: [Mpls] Budget mystery: Independent Boards are missing Ms. Heller - I am not and have never claimed to be an "expert" on Minneapolis so please quit making this stuff up! Had the "Enron boys" set up shop in Minneapolis it is likely they would have faced a good deal more regulatory from the State of Minnesota than they ever did in Texas. Enron however, was allowed to get away with massive fraud and corruption because the Bush Administration and its lackeys effectively shielded their business from federal and state regulatory scrutiny. Ken Lay and his Enron gang were major donors and fundraisers for Bush-Cheney and they got their money's worth! If I run for Minneapolis City Council let me assure you that I will NOT be running with a reduce spending and cut taxes message. And, you can be damn sure that I will not be signing any stupid "no tax" pledges! Nor will I be sweating bullets about what people in living in North Oaks think about the Minneapolis spending and budget priorities! In my many conversations these past six months with people in the 13th Ward, cutting taxes and spending have not emerged as issues of great concern. Instead, there are a lot of folks who want to know that city leadership is focused on making Minneapolis a safer, cleaner, responsive, compassionate (but definitely not conservative) place to live and work. Jim Bernstein Fulton -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Victoria Heller Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 8:20 AM To: Mpls Forum Subject: [Mpls] Budget mystery: Independent Boards are missing Jim Bernstein: I'm not sure what your point was or why you spent time "sleuthing around" but an e-mail or a phone call to me could have quickly informed you that if there was line item in the city budget for compensation and benefits paid to Charter Commissioners it would read "NONE"! Vicky Heller: I sleuth around because the Minneapolis financial reports fail to disclose where public money is going. My current mission is to identify $192 million of unidentified disbursements shown on the 2005 Truth in Taxation budget. It's evident to me that no one on this List really cares, so rather than waste any more time, I'll take my research to the Legislature now that it's in session. The 2003 T in T budget shows expenditures of $24.4 million for "Other Independent Boards" - not counting Park and Library. That line item disappeared in 2004 and 2005. Let's just say that I have a natural curiosity about omissions. I'm extra curious about people who won't tell you what happened to your money, while asking for more. If the Enron boys had set up shop in Minneapolis, they'd be living happily ever after. Assets dropping like rocks: No Problem! Unintelligible financial reports: No Problem! Spend too much: No Problem, just raise fees and taxes! Can't pay your bills: No problem, cut a deal with the enemy (Minneapolitans seem to regard the State legislature as the enemy). So Mr. Bernstein, if you really are an expert on Minneapolis, what happened to the $24.4 million expenditure for "Other Independent Boards". And if you are elected to the City Council, what will you do to reduce spending, existing debts, future liabilities, and taxes for your constituents? Also, what will you do to clean up the City's bookkeeping - so that your constituents will know where all of their money is actually going? These questions should be asked of ALL candidates. If anyone answers, I will be a first. Vicky Heller North Oaks and Cedar-Riverside REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.11 - Release Date: 1/12/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.11 - Release Date: 1/12/2005 REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.12 - Release Date: 1/14/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 265.6.12 - Release Date: 1/14/2005 REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
