In Anoka County, some city and county officials questioned contracting with the Record, typically a six-page, loose-leaf publication. Some county commissioners said it was more akin to a newsletter or a blog with advertising.
"I've never seen it as a newspaper. Period," said County Commissioner Jim Kordiak.
To that, Kysylyczyn had a ready answer: "A real newspaper is a matter of law. It's not an opinion in this state."
That's where Minnesota Statute 331A comes in, which says that a legal newspaper must meet several criteria, including circulation figures, publishing a certain amount of local news and printing in English.
At the county level, Kysylyczyn said the sealed competitive bidding process makes the choice of lowest bidder clear. But despite the Record's prices, most local governments turned down offers to print their notices there.
Asked why, he replied: "It was 100 percent political."
Last paragraph, yeah. The op-ed of Republicans calling itself a newspaper was, indeed, "100 percent political."
Real newspapers publish news. It was online, with a token tangible on-paper distribution hardly fit for the bird cage. Likely to give the bird constipation. It was amateur.
Past tense for that thing is the best tense.