Mr. Darling: First of all, I don't think that you understand our problem is not with Ms. Reiter running, as much as the system was circumvented to do so. In addition, the reason that Sheriff Fletcher is even a target of our concern, came not from Ms. Reiter running, but his inappropriate conduct an an open political forum held at Arlington High School a year ago. Sheriff Fletcher seized cards that questions were written on from the League of Women Voters, facilitating the event. Sheriff Fletcher did not care for a question that was asked by someone in the audience and decided to seize the cards and threaten to fingerprint the cards and find out who in fact asked the question.
THIS IS THE OFFENSE. I am not affiliated with any political party, but I am a fan of public forums and Democracy in general. No one should feel threatened for any question they ask, particularly in this type of venue. This has little to do with politics, and more to do with Sheriff Fletcher apparently not understanding where his boundaries are. He is not King, he is not Dictator, he has no power to act in the way in which he did, and I am saddened and dismayed that he held Democracy hostage that night and made everyone feel fearful that he was able to get away with such outlandish actions, with little if any ramifications. When one is appointed, one can be fired. I find it ironic that we live in Minnesota, which is a work at will state, and that Sheriff Fletcher can fire whom ever he wants, whenever he wants for any reason, but if he screws up he cannot be fired. Interesting isn't it. When one is elected, one cannot be fired. In a situation of this nature, the recall process would require such an enormous number of signatures that it would be next to impossible to make that happen. In a work at will state such is Minnesota, it really bothers me that he didn't lose his job for this. And my belief is that if power is that uncontrolled in Ramsey County by either the Sheriff or any other top official, we are in sorry shape. Now, when you address the corruption in the Saint Paul Police Department, and base the appointment process on this claim, I would have to say, you better have some hard evidence before you make this charge. At the forum, and I was there, I saw with my own eyes and heard with my own ears that things done and said by Sheriff Fletcher, and they were out of line. The Saint Paul Police department is not a perfect Department, no Department is, but I would say, that saying it is corrupt without citing the source or incident that would lead you to believe this, is outlandish. The Saint Paul Police Department, I believe, though somewhat over-extended, is by in large a police department for us to be proud of. I have had one encounter with the Police Department that was dissatisfying, but I have many more encounters that lead me to believe we should be proud of our department, and certainly if you look next door to our neighbors in Minneapolis, we should be grateful that our city isn't in the news every other week for issues of excessive force or other sundry things. Again, most of the people that have been angered by the actions of Sheriff Fletcher are multi-partisan and were there firsthand to see his actions. Where there is smoke there is fire, and I believe there will be much more on the Sheriff to come out in coming weeks and months. I think the appointment process the Saint Paul Police Department was great. They engaged the public, but allowing for public comment on the candidates as well as gleaning information from the public on the sort of candidate the public hoped to see in the position. If people wanted to be part of that process they were informed of the times and locations of the forums to do so. I would think the appointment process for the Sheriff would be a similar process as well. Now, as to "going after" the persons that convinced Kris Reiter to run for office, this is ludicrous! Do you really believe they were cohersed? This notion is most naieve. Let's not pretend they both didn't want this. Sheriff Fletcher was her fathers campaingn aid. Lets not pretend she was not in command of her judgement skills. She seemed well prepared and quite controlled in her emotions when she made her decision. In addition she actually had the presence of mind to subject herself to hearings about the residence issue, and other inconveniences. I actually give her full marks for tenacity and the passion to run for her father's seat as a memorial to his service over the years. She had a right to seek office. Whether the residency issue was handled correctly or not. Both Kris Reiter and Bob Fletcher are on the legal record stating there was nothing to their relationship beyond being friends, and apparently the judge bought it. I have seen the court documents and everyone is entitled to go down and purchase their own copy and peruse them. Not long after there engagement, ( who knew that wouldn't happen) I believe one of the other candidates that ran for the Ward 5 was quoted (around July 13th in the Pioneer Press by Tim Nelson) that the it was common knowledge in the community they were involved well before the time of the political race and when they said they were. Does this give creedence to allegations of perjury? I don't know you read the documents and make the call. So, my point is and always has been, are we going to allow our elected officials that do not understand their boundaries to continue to hold the public hostage to their whims and ill-thought out actions, or do we change the system so this type of action is not taken again. Yes, we can elect someone else, but in the moment when the offense is out of hand, do we have any other other recourse. No. As for me I feel perfectly confident in the way the appointment process for the new Chief of Police was handled most appropriately and most fairly. You don't go after corruption before it happens, you go after it in the moment, but in the case of Sheriff Fletcher and the elected position he holds, there is no one who can do so, except by recall or future election. My vote is for appointment. I will be attending future hearings on the matter. Pamela Ellison Como Park Ward 5 Saint Paul From: "Bruce Leier" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Darling Michael'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "'Tom & Elsa Thompson'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "'stpaul forum'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 7:03 AM Subject: RE: [StPaul] Sheriff elected or appointed > Michael Darling, > > Could you please tell us about the corruption in the Saint Paul Police > Department? Inquiring minds want to know what you have explicitly rather > the innuendo. > > Responsively yours, > Bruce Leier > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Darling Michael > Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 01:23 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Tom & Elsa Thompson > Cc: stpaul forum > Subject: Re: [StPaul] Sheriff elected or appointed > > Dear Pam and everybody, > > Fletcher? Reiter? Sheriff appointed? Sheriff > elected? Nobody wants the Sheriff or County Attorney > appointed. If you are concerned about corruption, > have these offices appointed and watch corruption > flourish. Take a look at the St. Paul Police > Department and one needs to look no further. Susan > Gaertner, Ramsey County Attorney committed Federal > Criminal Acts in the year 2000 and she does not get > prosecuted for those criminal acts. If my memory > serves me well, Susan Gaertner was the one who told > Miss Reiter at the time she was within the law when > she ran for office. With respect to Mr. and the now > Mrs. Fletcher (Reiter), they know what they did wrong. > > To those of you who are still mad at Sheriff Bob > Fletcher, here is my advice. Figure out who the > people are that encouraged Miss Reiter to run. They > are your real problem. Do not forget Susan Gaertner > in this situation. I want you all to remember > something. Miss Reiter's father had passed away. My > guess is Miss Reiter and Bob Fletcher were in an > emotional state as most of you would be. There were > some nasty and manipulative people who encouraged Miss > Reiter to run for this office and took advantage of > her emotional state for their purposes. Please, > people, have some compassion on Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher. > GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO TALKED MISS REITER INTO > RUNNING FOR THAT SEAT. Besides, Lee Helgen won in the > end anyway. > > My advice is this. Watch Bob Fletcher for the next > year or so and see how he does. If you still think he > is corrupt, vote him out. > > GO AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO ENCOURAGED REITER TO RUN. > This would be her and Bob Fletcher's "so-called > friends" wink-wink-nod-nod. "THEY" are your problem, > not Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher. Till you get the people > behind the scenes, the corruption will never go away. > > Do not play politics when rooting out corruption. We > must get everybody in all political parties; not just > the ones we want to get because they are in the other > party. I wish all of you the best in rooting out > corruption. > > Sincerely, > > Michael Darling > 53285 Falcon Avenue North > PO Box 521 > Rush City, MN 55069 > (218) 232-2735 > > > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > All I know is that David Schultz who serves on the > > Charter Commission and > > is also a professor at Hamline University has > > assured me way last year > > when this issue at the Ward 5 Forum erupted and the > > Sheriff usurped power > > that is not his, the Charter Commission at that time > > had already thought > > about doing this. > > > > I believe the County has the power to do so. > > > > According to people in his own department there is > > much amiss there, and > > being an eyewitness myself to his antics at the Ward > > 5 Forum it is evident > > to me that he has too much power, and no one can > > control his behavior. > > > > I think that appointing someone gives the Commission > > more license to end a > > contract with someone who is not in control. > > > > I would encourage anyone who is interested in the > > meeting pro or con to > > attend. > > > > Pamela Ellison > > Como Park > > Saint Paul > > > > > > > > > I don't know how the County can look at appointing > > the Sheriff. According > > > to State Statute the Sheriff is to be > > > elected. The statute I could find is 382.01 Is > > there another section > > > that allows Counties to decide which offices > > > it will elect or appoint? > > > > > > 382.01 Officers elected; terms. > > > > > > In every county in this state there shall be > > elected at the > > > general election in 1918 a county auditor, a > > county treasurer, > > > sheriff, county recorder, county attorney, and > > coroner. > > > > > > The terms of office of these officers shall be > > four years > > > and shall begin on the first Monday in January > > next succeeding > > > their election. They shall hold office until > > their successors > > > are elected and qualified. These offices shall be > > filled by > > > election every four years thereafter. > > > HIST: (820, 821) 1913 c 458 s 1,2; 1915 c 168 > > s 1,2; 1959 c > > > 700 s 1; 1976 c 181 s 2; 1978 c 706 s 67 > > > > > > Copyright 2003 by the Office of Revisor of > > Statutes, State of Minnesota. > > > > > > Tom Thompson > > > Como Park > > > _____________________________________________ > > > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > _____________________________________________ > > > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your > > password - visit: > > > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > > > > > Archive Address: > > > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > > > > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------- > > Join ISP.COM today - $8.95 internet , less than 1/2 > > the cost of AOL > > Try us out, http://www.isp.com/ > > > > _____________________________________________ > > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > _____________________________________________ > > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your > > password - visit: > > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > > > Archive Address: > > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > > > > > > > _______________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today! > http://vote.yahoo.com > _____________________________________________ > To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > _____________________________________________ > NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul > > Archive Address: > http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/ > > > > _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
