A quick sampling of some stories that have parable dimensions.

End of April. ATV lake ice breakthrough, reported here. Someone makes it to sixty-four years of age, no learning curve, deficient in good sense, but is it news?

AP story here, headlined, "Pa. woman fatally shoots husband during gun lesson." First paragraph notes, "after they had been drinking."

Hat tip on this to Andy at Residual Forces, his link to here, headline, "Brodkorb seeks $600K in discrimination lawsuit after firing from Minnesota Senate." Apart from that, here is a link to stallion stud fees.

Minnesota Progressive Project links.

From that site, four items, posted top-down in parallel to MPP:

full story, here

Here, for links and all

Here, for links and full item

Here, for full item

More gleaning:
-- Bachmann and Tea Party Caucus story at Roll Call.

-- MPR reporting on Honour as first declared GOP candidate to oppose Dayton,

Honour's LinkedIn page says he's the chair of a gas transportation company in Minnesota. He also served as an investment banker for UBS Bank in Los Angeles.

[...] Honour is best known in Minnesota politics for hosting a high dollar, private fundraiser for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in 2012.

Other Republicans who have said they're considering a run for governor include Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, state Sen. Dave Thompson, state Rep. Kurt Zellers and state Sen. David Hann.

The temptation is strong to note the old saying, "Honour among thieves," but I really have no evidence to factually back up any such usage, and "Honour among idiots" lacks the ring of an old saying.

One has to wonder, however, with a LinkedIn page showing energy industry activity, how the man can disingenuously talk of North Dakota growth as if it were apart from the oil boom and only a matter of political policy. Barking up a false tree. Not good. And one of those Romney bashes, where "The 47%" get bashed, by the 1%. Ho hum, GOP.

From here.

Fact is, Ramsey is big enough and will change and evolve without Scott Honour's hand in our affairs. We do not need to "Grow our community," unless that's some campaign slogan the hucksters invented to mean something besides "our community" which here is Ramsey, not on Lake Minnetonka. Besides, growth is not a universal good, and Developers Are Crabgrass. So our community is fine, w/o Scott's LA-banker hands at play in it, and who needs a governor with ties to the energy industry and likely in lockstep with the KOCH brothers and ALEC? As in don't go away mad, Scott ...

_____________UPDATE_____________
More on Scott Honour, with that spelling hopefully unique and not mixing other folks into the websearch. First,

Meet the financiers hosting Mitt Romney's London fundraiser

Richard Partington
26 Jul 2012

A cabal of senior American financiers will tonight host a $25,000-a-plate fundraising dinner in London for presumptive US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Source: Getty

Eric Varvel, the chief executive of Credit Suisse’ investment bank, and Woody Johnson, owner of the New York Jets American football team are among the big names involved in the event, which costs between $25,000 and $75,000 to attend.

The fundraiser will take place at an undisclosed central London location from 6:30pm.

The event is being hosted by three chairs and 15 co-chairs, many of whom are significant names in global financial markets.

Financial News has looked at US Federal Election Commission records, biographies on company websites and LikedIn profiles. FN has attempted to contact all of the individuals named as chairs or co-chairs of the fundraiser. All of the individuals either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.


Chairs

• Karl Peterson, head of TPG Capital Europe

One of the top-line hosts of the event, Peterson donated $2,500 to Romney’s campaign in June last year, according to Federal Election Commission records. He had also been a financial backer of John McCain and Sarah Palin in 2008.

• Dwight Poler, managing director, Bain Capital Europe

A senior figure in the European branch of the business co-founded by Romney, Poler is the second top-line host of the event. He has donated generously to Romney on a number of occasions in the past, according to FEC records, including Romney’s 2007 attempt to secure the Republican candidacy.

Poler is also a prominent Democrat Party backer, having donated to Steve Pagiluca, a managing director of Bain Capital who vied to become a Democrat Party candidate for the US Senate in 2009. He has also donated to Alan Khazei, who ran unsuccessfully to be a Democrat candidate for the US Senate in 2010 and 2012, and Democrat Senator Max Baucus, according to FEC records.

• William Thomas, unknown

A William Thomas of London donated $1,000 in October 2008 to Lindsey Graham for senate and $9,250 to the Republican Party of Wisconsin in January 2008. The details of his employer, usually required for donations, were not disclosed on FEC records.


Co-chairs

[...] Jamie and Scott Honour, senior managing director, The Gores Group

A member of private equity firm Gores' investment committee, Scott Honour is responsible for originating and structuring transactions and overseeing portfolio company exits. Prior to joining Gores, he worked at UBS Warburg as a financial sponsor coverage banker between 2001 and 2002. He donated $2,300 to Romney in 2007 and $2,500 in 2011, according to FEC records. He has also donated extensively to other Republican causes, including George Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee.

Jamie Honour is recorded at the same address in Pacific Palisades, California, by the FEC as an events planner for Grand Affair. She also donated $2,500 to Romney in 2011 and donated $1,500 to George Bush in 1999. She had also donated $1,000 to Democrat presidential candidate Al Gore in 1999.

Pacific Palisades, California? A corporate raider hob-nobbing with Bain folks?

Help for his friends. So when exactly did this Californian move to Minnesota? Apparently still in California in 2008, per following the money flow. Ditto, 2010. And the July 2012 dateline of the quoted item above, mentions the same California dwelling place. Has the man and wife had enough time to unpack their carpet bag? And why is the mainstream press not asking that, and instead allowing the California couple, recently moved - or not, editorial reach?

And what of this:

View profile for Scott M. Honour
Scott M. Honour is associated with Eagle Rock Partners, LLC with the role of Managing Member.
Scott M. Honour has 2 known relationships including Jamie A. Parsley-Honour and Thomas Villante and is located in Beverly Hills, CA.
Source: California Secretary of State last refreshed 3/13/2013

and this

View profile for Jamie A. Parsley-Honour
Jamie A. Parsley-Honour is associated with Eagle Rock Partners, LLC with the role of Managing Member.
Jamie A. Parsley-Honour has 2 known relationships including Thomas Villante and Scott M. Honour and is located in Beverly Hills, CA.
Source: California Secretary of State last refreshed 3/13/2013

So Scott and wife Jamie, co-managing partners of some investment game, in California, yet on his campaign website Honour posts this Leave It To Beaver/Father Knows Best spiel:

click image to enlarge and read

And all that website stuff, "OUR Minnesota" and all? Again it could be two different Scott-Jamie couples, last name Honour, but what are the odds?

And Eagle Rock, is this part of the game? Rock my eagle, Scottie. Tell me: What's up? Wanting a limited offering exemption to SEC registration requirements, via requiring sophisticated investors, into a limited partnership? Some hedge fund or such?

Readers having more knowledge of facts beyond what the web states are asked to leave helpful comments.

_____________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Politics in Minnesota reporting, here, seems consistent with web findings stated above. Interesting single comment at PIM, "Just what we need.. Carpetbagger"

Col. Kline moved here, as did the New Hampshire guy that Rick Nolan replaced in CD8. I remember from living in Seattle, the saying, "Don't Californicate Washington." But that was a West Coast sense of rivalry. I wonder how this gentleman will interact with the Liberty Wing of the GOP. So far, he shows little to analogize with Ron Paul.

More like a Tim Pawlenty, with money.

And a campaign website with a bunch of video - hey, Scott, I can read.

Recycling in Ramsey. Easily dispose of old motor oil and antifreeze.

Sakry of ABC Newspapers reporting, this link. Not yet. But soon.

Minnesota Majority poster child at antitax rally at the Capitol is a caricature of a shibboleth of a cliche - and Bachmann spoke as well as Grover Norquist being a reported guest.

I was not there - this is all hearsay. First, worth a headline and at least a thousand words, this image:

"No More RINOS" the lapel pin says.

Is this a RINO? Aka, why is Harold on pins and needles?

Photos from here, which also shows that nice Mr. Norquist.

Someone was kind enough to note the obvious long-term historical merit of the event, and posted an online YouTube video.

My question in all of this, if Bachmann is not a RINO, and still a Taxpayer League sweetheart speaker as appears the case from images and video, what's Taxpayer League Chairman Harold Hamilton's gripe, justifying his arguably premature semi-obit about Bachmann, online here with Crabgrass noting it, here?

In effect, I question what's Harold up to, and what does it reflect about him, his values, his character, his persona vs image, all that?


Image first: WATCHDOG -- not mere Republican hack.

Now, what is the evidence?

First, still a diva against taxes, still Rep. Crazy Eyes, still more show than hard work, still the Michele Bachmann she always was - for over a decade without any single WATCHDOG snarl or bark.

So why the soul searching now?

Well, read what the Taxpayer League Chairman posted online:

IS BACHMANN OK?

It's time the conservative family had a conversation.

Since we're in regular contact with thousands of freedom loving folks across this great state, we know what you're thinking.

And you're thinking that Michelle [sic] Bachmann may be in trouble for 2014.

You're thinking that she has taken on water and may be taking on more, instead of bailing out the boat.

There's nothing wrong with having that conversation.

In fact, now is that time to start that conversation.

Silence masquerading as party loyalty is downright disloyal and is a form aiding and abetting our political opponents.

That kind of thinking has produced the disastrous candidacies of Tom Emmer, Kurt Bills, and Allen Quist (pick any campaign since 1983).

Look, this piece isn't some diatribe against Bachmann or an opinion piece that reaches any conclusions other than that the family would be well served to think long and hard about who is the best candidate to keep the Sixth Congressional District of Minnesota in Republican hands.

Losing the district would be a severe embarrassment and would represent the third election cycle in a row in which the GOP suffered a humiliating black eye.

We say this because there will be many harsh and irrational responses demanding that conservatives all shut up and pretend nothing is wrong.

There will be responses blaming Bachmann's problems solely on the media, George Soros, and the Viet Cong.

The facts are simply that in the last election, Bachmann woefully underperformed the district, especially for an incumbent.

There you have it. Same Bachmann as ever. No more awful than when she was a Minnesota Senator in the legislature. No complaint from Harold Hamilton back then. None, whatsoever, up to now. And what is the complaint? That she's the as***le she's always been? No, but that she's possibly shifted from asset to the REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA to possibly a liability, one who "in the last election, Bachmann woefully underperformed the district, especially for an incumbent" and, this is key, losing the district "would be a severe embarrassment and would represent the third election cycle in a row in which the GOP suffered a humiliating black eye." REPUBLICAN PARTY FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD PLACE CONSIDERATION. THE GOP LOSING, A BLACK EYE, yet only in closing does poised anti-waste watchdog note:

And it doesn't help that with a major liability being the charge that she ignores her district, she has spent to no small amount of time this week bragging about a trip to England for Margaret Thatcher's funeral.

Hey, it's a cool deal to be there to send off the Iron Lady, but the good people of England don't vote in Minnesota's Sixth District.

Moreover, there is trouble ahead with Jim Graves stepping forward for a rematch.

Make no mistake, Graves is a successful businessman who doesn't undertake any big project without excellent due diligence.

The Watchdog has spoken with a person who has knowledge of the Graves decision to run for re-election. That source tells the Watchdog that the data suggests that Graves has a strong chance of winning next year, at least as things stand today.

The bottom line is that now is the time to consider this situation and deal with it.

So, "a major liability being the charge that she ignores her district, she has spent to no small amount of time this week bragging about a trip to England for Margaret Thatcher's funeral," and while the Thather slant is new, the idiot woman has always ignored the district and sought the big stage, FOX talking head darling, all that, and where was any barking out of the Taxpayer League all the time it was going on unchanged to this day?

No, the gripe of WATCHDOG is moods have shifted, and the biggest concern to the Taxpayer League and its Chairman is, "The Watchdog has spoken with a person who has knowledge of the Graves decision to run for re-election. That source tells the Watchdog that the data suggests that Graves has a strong chance of winning next year, at least as things stand today."

So, with THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA possibly set to lose the district because the until now fine-with-Harold incumbent has a whif of what? Not change of stance or ideology. Not a deviation from perpetual complaint against taxation as practiced in the US of A which is the stated bent of Taxpayer League, but a concern of GOP hactivism, possible loss of a winnable election down the line. That paints a picture of a nothing-but-party-hack, and the brushstrokes were Harold Hamilton's own.

Moreover, if this semi-obit Hamilton put online under his WATCHDOG rubric is a true belief - that Bachmann's mojo has run its course, then why invite her to your Taxpayer League hilltop pow-wow over taxes, as a featured speaker? It is as if conspirators put Ceaser in front of a microphone while creeping up behind knife in hand. Disingenuous is a word that comes to mind. Yet, Bachmann has only remained herself, no more no less, and has not crossed any Republican Rubicon into RINO land. Unseemly is another word that comes to mind.

... Graves has a strong chance of winning ...

Or am I wrong? Party loyalty over principle? Winning is all? Despite image development effort as WATCHDOG, standing four-legged and fearless, above any/all partisan fray? BRAVEHEART THE WATCHDOG FOR FREEDOM, with feet of clay? Comments are welcome.

Dianna Butler's Experience -- Executive Administrative Assistant Micro Control Company Privately Held; 51-200 employees; Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing industry March 1999 – Present (14 years 2 months)

The headline is from here.

Why should you care? That's your concern, not mine. Evidence is:

Anoka County Union is a real newspaper, and the private sector knows it, e.g., this link.

"Anoka County Record" is a website, and the private sector appears to know it, e.g., this link.

Wow. Besides the headline info, Dianna Butler is a notary. One who is a reasonably short drive away from Roseville, at Harold Hamilton's Micro Control plant/warehouse/offices in Fridley.

Then there is the notarized signature itself, John M. Kysylyczyn, in forma publisher.

Further evidence (online here) is:



Two things there are interesting. 1. The Secretary of State's stamp is a "filed with" notice, and not representing any "verified as a newspaper by" status. Instead John K. signed, (under penalty of perjury), that his game's a newspaper justified in soliciting legal notices, and charging for their being put onto the ACR website. 2. The handwritten "mail me at the Columbia Heights mail drop" notice, so why not at Harold's plant in Fridley?

I do not know whether there is even a desk there, with John K's nameplate on it, and a drawer lock where only John K has the key. Curious readers are urged to ask Harold Hamilton. Ask if you can see a copy of the written lease.

Evidence of sufficient financial gravitas to be "Owner and Publisher" - whatever that's intended to mean - of a county newspaper? Is there such? There is this:



-----------------snip-------------------



-----------------snip-------------------


While the private sector, banks and lawyers publishing legal notice who presumably are sophisticated and knowledgeable individuals, seem universally to gravitate to Anoka County Union, it appears not all town officials do.

From the one link, there is Ham Lake. There is Oak Grove. I wonder if town officials in either of those towns can tell Harold Hamilton's widget warehouse and plant, from a hole in the ground. On that, I have no discernible direct evidence, having never asked them, but what circumstantial inference do you, readers, draw from their choosing Anoka County Record? Do you care to guess at their party affiliation? Factually, I have set out evidence. I have drawn my own inferences, my opinions, but ultimately each reader has a mind of her/his own to independently weigh facts and reach beliefs.

Apart from other things, here is a YouTube link to Joe Cocker, singing, "With a Little Help From My Friends." Woodstock retrospective can be a good break in the thread.


Back to the thread - There is this too, as a latest-greatest item of evidence:



There is a somewhat regular publishing of Taxpayer League spiel, with Hamilton being Chairman of Taxpayer League.

Here is a Wikipedia link noting the song With a Little Help From My Friends "was ranked No. 311 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Yellow Submarine nostalgia. All that.

And as evidence there is this whois data, friendly enough:

We All Live in a Yellow Submarine.

Coincidently, I sent two registered letters, one to John Kysylyczyn, Anoka County Record, 7956 Main Street, Fridley; the other to Harold Hamilton, Anoka County Record, 7956 Main Street, Fridley. The Kysylyczyn letter was signed for by headline star, Dianna Butler; the Hamilton letter was signed for by a Deborah Butler as best as I can read things. Harold is in a snit over my investigative bent, and in a response email to my email asking his opinion of a Strib item, the email thread was:

.............Me to Harold (and Matt Look) Feb.15................

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/189451571.html

Travel reimbursement:

Dan Erhart $3,216.37

Matt Look was second on the list. He was reimbursed $2,951.60

Carol LeDoux was reimbursed $2,921.44 for three conferences

Barking at each slice of bread. At least as a past practice.

What about the meat in the middle? It's tasty? To a dog?

.............Harold to Me (and Matt Look) Feb.15................

Eric,

As you continue to tilt at windmills, I kindly ask you to refrain from sending email correspondence to my Micro Control address.

That email is reserved for official company business. In any case, I will instruct my secretary to send your email to this address immediately to "junk."

You can feel free to send your ramblings to me at my Watchdog email address, where I may or may not open and read them, depending upon my tolerance for the inane and vapid on that particular day.

Your issue du jour appears to be Commissioner Look's expenses.

Yes, I don't like travel expenses on the part of any government official.

What I like even less is the blatant bias of the Star Tribune.

Commissioner Look was put in the headline even though Dan Erhart retained his title as the King of All Taxpayer Funded Travel.

If Carol LeDoux would have been second, I have my doubts that she would have made the headline.

If Dan would have been second, I have my doubts that he would have been in the headline, leaving Matt Look by himself.

The headline was an attempt to embarrass a member of the conservative bloc here in the county.

An effort that has occupied no small amount of space in the Star Tribune.

Now, my tolerance for the inane and vapid has expired for today.

Try me again next week. Or next year.

Sincerely,

Harold

.............Me to Harold (and John K.)Jan. 28................

Subject: Harold does this guy really have space - a desk, a lease with you at Micro Control

Harold-

Either he does or he does not. I am cc'ing him. But, Harold, if not, getting drawn into the deep end of the pool that way has danger. Everything I see he is running a daycare in his home in Roseville. Where he runs his websites. What's happening?

Either of you can answer, but, Harold, I do put far more credibility in what you might say.

[no response from Hamilton]

.............Me to Harold (and John K.)Jan. 31................

Harold and John -

All I know is somebody, last name Butler at Micro Control signed for a registered letter, and the signature looks to be "Diane" but that is a guess. Any factual help either of you can give in that regard would be appreciated. Thank you.

[no response from either]

.............Me to Harold (and John K.)Apr. 21................

fyi - each of you is mentioned, please advise me ASAP if you dispute any factual assertion

to editor [JK], Harold
And suggest corrections if I have stated any fact wrongly. I am open to suggestion, but I cannot read your minds.

http://zaetsch.blogspot.com/2013/04/ramsey-randy-backous-submitted-comment.html

I believe I am correct on facts, and opinions, although opinion is always a matter of debate and broad First Amendment right.

[no response from either]

......................................

In an earlier thread of email (starting with a Jan. 9, 2013), and quoting email responses from John K. to email of mine, he responded in relevant part:

Eric,

[...] I decided to finance the first year costs for [ACR] operation myself. If you are careful about your expenditures, you can reasonably do this. The way the statutes are written, you have to be publishing for one year before you can be paid for publishing legal notices. I went into this business with the understanding that there would probably be zero profit in year 1, little profit in year 2, and maybe a little larger profit in later years. I have no dreams that this is going to be some huge money maker. But I am not that kind of person. I believe in providing a certain level of public service in everything I do.

Editorial decisions are solely mine. But I have a personal policy to publish all viewpoints that are sent to me, space allowing. Of course, I don't want to be in the business of publishing unsubstantiated rumors. There has to be a basis to comments that are made. There are things that I have published that I don't necessarily agree with or agree with as strongly as the writer does. That's fine with me. My hope is that our material gets people thinking.

[...] I would be responsible for a bond. Thankfully the divorce left me with a home that actually has equity. We were not mortgaged to the hilt with an underwater mortgage. I would have no problem being bonded.

You have to be careful as to what you believe from a competitor. Our name is on the door. If we owned a building, our name would probably be in gigantic neon letters across the front. There is a private office building right behind the county building. No one has their name in gigantic letters on the building. There names are on the window next to the door.

I have office space in the building, computer, printer, etc. We run a totally computerized operation. There is no typesetting, no massive room size printer, etc. I am organized as a single member LLC. There is no HR department, HSA administrator, payroll supervisor, etc. When you are running an operation as an owner, the administrative structure is minimal.

Another thing about a PO Box, is you have the ability to move your actual street address. Let's say two years down the road, we decide to move to Blaine. Not a big deal when you have a PO Box. But if you are ECM, I can see why they don't have a PO Box. They own a million dollar building. I doubt they would have an easy time selling it and moving.

You ask about some place being a mail drop. You are correct, mail is to the PO Box.

I have been involved in keeping an eye on this PAC stuff for many years. Bryan Olson has been too. That has nothing to do with Harold. The best (I say that sarcastically) was in Maplewood where they created a state PAC, for a city council campaign which was held in odd year elections. State packs [sic] only have reporting requirements in the even year. So they didn't have to report anything. They also got contributions from other state PACs that didn't get reported until after the election. It was a legal form of money laundering.

I do not write any of Harold's material. That is him. I read it like everyone else when the emails come into my in box.

I don't think there is any credibility issue. To test that, send us an editorial that takes issue with a public policy issue that you believe the Taxpayers League supports. We probably would print it. Hopefully it would get someone to write an opinion on the other side of the issue. Then we can get a back and forth going.

We do take the news vs. editorial part seriously. [...] We do have information in the paper that is indisputable that it qualifies as news. We have the only summary of all government meetings in Anoka County published anywhere.

There is no co-mingling of finances with anyone.

We are a newspaper that complies with the statutes. PAC's I suppose could own legal newspapers, but I know of none that do. A PAC is an entity that raises money to give to candidates or to spend on candidates. I raise no money for candidates, and haven't donated to any candidate since they eliminated the contribution program.

I chuckled about your comment of being a political operative posing as a journalist. Frankly, I believe that just about every journalist is acting as a political operative of some sorts these days. Balanced media has disappeared in this country, along with quality journalism.

I do political work and I also do a lot of writing. I write both news and editorials. I feel that I can make the distinction between them and I do so by following basic ethics rules. I don't claim to write things that everyone likes. People can certainly disagree with an article or editorial, but that is a separate issue.

One basic rule. In a news article, if you quote one side, you need to quote the other side. Editorials need only tell one side. No obligation to get the other side's opinion.

Talk radio? I have been on talk radio several times. What particular issue? Ok, I see the next email. CD4. What a disaster of an organization. Another thing I could write a book about. Where to begin...

There are client confidentiality issues which is why I typically cannot name names. Unfortunately the public gets confused or people try to get the public confused between the candidate and people who work for the candidate. I this last election, I was hired to do a mailing and brochure design for a mayoral candidate. I didn't write the material, I received the text and organized it. Some of the items I had to ask what they were about. I didn't know the local issues because the election was in a city that I don't believe I have ever driven through. So some people would probably like to make an issue out of me being associated with his campaign. But that would be an unfair characterization. So my general policy is to not disclose these relationships unless the candidate tells me to. In some situations, maybe it helps. But generally I only work for good candidates who are hard working and dedicated. I may or may not agree with many of their positions, but I believe you cannot get good government without having solid elected officials.

[...] Sincerely,

JK

and a Jan. 9 follow-up:

Frankly I don't really care what the rumors are. Rumors are a dime a dozen. If I spent my day chasing rumors, I would have no time doing anything else. I'm sure those who are talking about Harold are doing so because either they don't like him or are upset that Anoka County Record is competitive when it comes to price. The nasty comments coming from the Union about us is due to our price. They have been gouging cities for years, in my opinion, and are being forced to defend that practice.

Many people call the Anoka County Union, "Erhart's paper" so there are comments made about papers all the time.

I think we had a miscommunication about the building and this statement "the county". The building we are in is not government owned.

Actually I am not "quite involved" in Republican politics. I have two elementary school children and a lot of work on my plate. I have held no position in the [Republican] party from birth to 2011 and from 2013 to the future. In all of my years, I only held one position for under a year which was CD4 [GOP] Chair. The organization had disastrous leadership and needed someone to put forward a reorganization plan. I was recruited for the position. After I got in, I found out that there were numerous FEC violations, a budget that was only 50% funded, and a committee that was opposed to doing anything about it. In good conscience, I was not going to look the other way with the FEC violations. We had a parting of ways. That was a good decision for me.

While I do advise on campaigns, actually none of them were in Anoka County this election cycle. There were campaigns in the areas covered by Hennepin County, Ramsey County, and Washington County. I do various services for candidates which I would not consider to be "advising". I do websites, mailings, etc.

I think that party labels are overused. I have worked for conservative, moderate, and liberal candidates. [...]

I always find it interesting that people out there like to claim that one newspaper or another is liberal or conservative. We know that a newspaper like the Star Tribune has more editorials than they could ever publish. So look at what they do publish and you will know their leanings. We on the other hand have published, if I am not mistaken, everything that has been sent to us. So how can anyone legitimately claim that we lean one way or the other?

I sent an invitation to every county board member to publish an editorial from them. The only response I got was from Schulte, and that was when he was on the coon rapids council. I put out the offer to council members also. So it is a little disingenuous for some to say that we have a slant against them when they refuse an invitation to submit their own material. The problem I suppose is that if they do, then they won't be able to complain anymore. Erhart could have sent us an editorial. We would have published it. He decided not to. His loss.

JK

Then in a Jan. 10 follow-up:

[...] To suggest that there is an issue as to where a business rents office space is ridiculous. I presume that the coffee shop by the Ramsey [ed. it should read "Anoka" - meaning the Milk Factory site] train station is now a Republican coffee shop? Because Jim Abeler owns the building? Ridiculous.

This conversation started out well in my opinion. Then we moved to accusations and the claims that I have to prove things to you. Now it has completely gone down hill to rumor, etc.

This will be my last communication with you unless we move back to productive conversation.

John M. Kysylyczyn

......................................

I think that fairly summarizes emailing that were exchanged. I have been unable to get Hamilton to verify on record the assertion he is independent of financing of Anoka County Record and does not involve himself in decisions of what it prints. Kysylyczyn asserts these things. Hamilton has declined to verify what Kysylyczyn asserts.

Last: Has any reader heard the assertion that Anoka County Union is Dan Erhart's paper?

To me that was a zinger. My understanding of history is Elmer Anderson, a former Minnesota Republican Governor, formed the paper after leaving office and ran it initially.


_____________FURTHER UPDATE______________
Comparing a coffee shop at Abeler's Milk Factory site, which regularly rents out space,  to a propaganda organ at Harold Hamilton's Micro Control which does not regularly sublease???

You have got to be kidding me.

The term "non sequitur" is becoming a regular disapprobation at Crabgrass these days.

And in terms of website-only status, not distributing papers, how about JK's statement

We run a totally computerized operation. There is no typesetting, no massive room size printer, etc. I am organized as a single member LLC. There is no HR department, HSA administrator, payroll supervisor, etc. When you are running an operation as an owner, the administrative structure is minimal.

How can you read that as anything but an admission, this is a website, this is not a real newspaper? Unless you have some bogus half-cocked cooked-up definition to market, of what the word "newspaper" and the word "printed" means beyond the common usage we all know well?

A bunch of neighboring idiots.

Luddites. They do not favor promoting the possible development of high paying quality jobs in Ramsey. Just build homes. This link.

Rampant idiots. If they want to control the property, they should chip in and buy it.

In fairness, they should have a say in seeking transitional landscaping and other reasonable amenities, things of that sort, but wanting to kill a use, ignorant of what a neighboring data center might be like but ready, willing, and able to postulate a host of boogeyman "reasons" to be anti-progressive.

NIMBY fools, lacking information to buttress their prejudice.

Is any single one of them honestly able to say, "I have seen, toured, a data center and ..."?

Betcha not.

Interesting collateral news dimensions arising via the Boston Marathon bombing.

What do you make of this? Strib carrying an AP feed, here:

A spokesman for the state Office of Health and Human Services confirmed a Boston Herald report Wednesday that 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his wife and their toddler daughter had received benefits.

A lawyer for his wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaeva, has said that she worked 70 to 80 hours per week as a home health aide while her husband cared for their daughter.

The state says both Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, his brother and the other bombing suspect, received welfare benefits as children through their parents while the family lived in Massachusetts.

Neither was receiving benefits at the time of the bombing.

State House Republican Leader Brad Jones said he's been in contact with state officials to try to determine the type and amount of the benefits Tamerlan Tsarnaev and his family received.

Jones said he's also asked that the state Department of Transitional Assistance verify that all family members met eligibility requirements when applying for public benefits.

"Obviously any past recipient of any past benefit could go on to do awful things," said Jones.

Jones said it's worthwhile, however, to see if the case highlights any shortcoming in the benefit system.

I wonder if Brad Jones' family had ever received benefits, used food stamps, accessed VA medical services, purchased a mortgage-assisted home, taken a tax credit write off, declared a suspect business expense in tax filings, taken advantage of Social Security one way or another, been TIFed, or had a farm or dairy subsidy as with the Bachmann family dairy farm in Wisconsin. That would go for Jones' parents, siblings, children and spouse included. To me that is a pertinent question related to the tune he sings while dancing on marathon victims' graves. Make hay while the sun shines?

In another press service feed, here:

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev immediately stopped talking after a magistrate judge and a representative from the U.S. Attorney's office entered his hospital room and gave him his Miranda warning, according to four officials of both political parties briefed on the interrogation. They insisted on anonymity because the briefing was private.

Before being advised of his rights, the 19-year-old suspect told authorities that his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, only recently had recruited him to be part of the attack that detonated pressure-cooker bombs at the marathon finish line, two U.S. officials said.

The CIA, however, had named Tamerlan to a terrorist database 18 months ago, said officials close to the investigation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case with reporters.

The new disclosure that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was included within a huge, classified database of known and suspected terrorists before the attacks was expected to drive congressional inquiries in coming weeks about whether the Obama administration adequately investigated tips from Russia that Tsarnaev had posed a security threat.

One hope is that perhaps at least Liberty Republicans may also want to avoid only shabby partisanship and ask about how exactly the persona-non-grata list is maintained, who has access to it, what objective criteria exist before you or I are listed over the websites we may visit, etc. The two words, separate and together, "huge" and "classified" are troublesome.

With secret persona-non-grata listings, indeed, "huge" ones, of people within the country, which Crabgrass reader can definitively say, "Not me, I cannot be on any such list"?

Remember the Nixon enemies list, with entertainers and such listed, somewhat helter-skelter, and with retaliatory motives and hopes still unclear, today.

Lyrical revisionism, here.

_____________UPDATE______________
Another wire feed carried by Strib, here, expanding on the TIDE, which only heightens, not waxing and waning twice daily with movements of the moon:

The terrorist database is called TIDE, the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment. Analysts at the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center submit names and even partial names into TIDE. About a year ago, there were some 745,000 people listed in the database. Intelligence analysts scour TIDE, trying to establish connections and update files as new intelligence is uncovered.

For entries with a full name, date of birth and intelligence indicating a reasonable suspicion that a person is a terrorist or has terror ties, the person's name is sent to a terror watch list, which feeds into lists like the one that bans known or suspected terrorists from traveling on planes.

Officials say they never found the type of derogatory information on Tsarnaev that would have elevated his profile among counterterrorism investigators and placed him on the terror watch list.

745,000 people listed, if we are to believe AP.

Ramsey has a population of under 20,000.

That is roughly 37 and a quarter Ramseys on the persona-non-grata big list [not the TSA check list, stated to be smaller, but undisclosed in size]. Thirty-seven Ramseys, including every man, woman and child - with the multiplier dropped somewhat if household pets are counted as Ramsey residents. Not that pets make the TIDE. More people than Katrina displaced. Substantially more than the dead in the Civil War, (both sides), added together with US deaths in WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq-Afghanistan. Sobering?

FURTHER UPDATE: The accompanying right-side info bars that pop up today, on searching Google for "Wyoming" and "North Dakota" disclose 2012 populations as Wyoming - 576,412 and North Dakota - 699,628. Lots of "naughties" around, it seems.

As of a year ago.