Saturday, September 20, 2014

RAMSEY - Sept. 13, and again now, overnight, campaign sign vandalization. Wayne Buchholz signs were targeted. It is not anything but totally deplorable. It should stop. [UPDATED]

How widespread it may be is unclear, but Wayne Buchholz signs are shown as vandalized on his Facebook campaign page,

 https://www.facebook.com/wayneforcouncil

It appears four signs were ruined. In one instance adjacent Whelan signs remained intact. It was specific targeting.

Vote however you like, think what you like, say what you like, but leave the signs alone.

People take time to put up signs and others should respect that and let them be. Agree or disagree with a candidate, that's a right, but let it not reach to vandalism.

____________UPDATE: 7:06 AM 10/1/2014___________
I meant to post this sooner. While it is only hearsay and I have not spoken to any eyewitnesses of purported happenings, my understanding nonetheless is that pre-primary Justin Boals allegedly had a sign tampered with which was authorized to be placed where it was by the owner-operator of the go-kart place, where several signs now are bloc-posted along the tracks at the place where Armstrong meets Highway 10. Boals was an interesting candidate, for a local Republican, but he appears to not have generated traction with the local base. Whelan, not Boals was the endorsed candidate. But regardless of that, the man had the right to post his signs and to expect they'd be left unmolested, in repose, and not removed by some dastardly vandal-malcontent idiot. Yet it is my understanding exactly such an idiot malcontent messed with a Boals sign. It did not make FOX that it happened, so, you know, maybe it didn't and then again, maybe something got swept under a rug. Who'd do a thing like that? It's not for me to judge. Let God judge it. Again, hearsay without direct evidence, but leave it in the hands of the Divine.

It should be added, one Boals sign is not the scale of vandalism happening to Buchholz signs. It should cease. Yet while Buchholz is posting a lot about it on his facebook page, (and he has the right to be angry), he is ignoring telling us what policy thoughts, if any, he has in terms of what he'd like to see done over a four-year term if elected.

Vandalism is bad, but in this instance it is no excuse for silence on the issues, i.e., silence is not always golden. Policy/issues are what elections should hinge upon, not sympathy for someone whose hard work posting signs is undermined by bad spirited people.

As to council citizen input session events, Buchholz has written, "On Aug. 11, 2014 I went to the Ramsey City Council meeting and made a statement about the PSD LLC land sale. [...] To the Mayor and Council members I make no apology, instead I will pray for them to have a more respectful consideration of opinions made by city residents. I do consider this matter closed." So, as an issue, he still resents Jim Deal's activity while having in the past praised Jim Deal having built the VA clinic, so he appears to be of two minds on his major issue, Jim Deal. Perhaps he can pray for the lost souls of those who vandalize signs, his, and Justin Boals'.

Back to issues, Buchholz has an attitude toward Jim Deal, he dislikes franchise fees which appears to be a dead issue given the standoff between council and charter commission opinion, and he criticized the city buying and tearing down one retail business along Highway 10 and feels justified to judge another retail establishment, instead of letting the market judge it as a success or failure in terms of the likes and dislikes of the buying public, vs. his own personal likes and dislikes. That is about all there is there on issues; the suggestion being he'd want to impose personal value judgments on retail license seekers and the lawful merchandise they'd offer the public, rather than following zoning code existing at the time of a business license application, i.e., go with personal whims and tastes rather than leaving such things properly to the will of the market and the rule of law. Not my bag of Tea.

________FURTHER UPDATE: 8:47 AM 10/1/2014__________
I don't want/need NO Nanny: Does one need to go to the decision maker of the family to gain an issues viewpoint?

And do you want the pair put into a position of any ability to be interfering in your own decision making needs and reproductive planning options? If not a city council issue, a hint of things to come if seeking higher State office. What parallel prejudices are implied for business license decision making, if elected?

Strength of conviction is not a bad thing, except if you'd want to impose your convictions over my own strengths of thought and action.

Do you, as a sentient reader, need that like a bad headache every day, day in, day out? Nanny will is fine with me, if you impose it on yourself, and leave others to be. Somehow that link has a miasma to me of interference with others' choice rights. Not my bag of Tea. Especially in the way the police union will was served by Dayton's half as baked approach. With that criticized. As going too far. Lighten up, folks. Life's yours to live. Your life that is, for you. Not mine, lived to your prejudices. Understand that intruding a nose in other peoples' business has implications to a candidacy some might like, but for many others; not their bag of Tea. Don't need no nanny. Don't need no prudes. Don't need no town scolds neither.