Legalectric

UPDATE: When this was posted at 10:32 a.m. yesterday there was N-O-T-H-I-N-G on #bluelivesmatter, nothing at all, not on twitter, not on facebook.  Nothing reporting that the shooting that had happened, and nothing on the capture of Scott Michael Greene.  N-O-T-H-I-N-G!  It was “noticed” over and over on the twitterverse.  What was there elsewhere were statements blaming BLM and Muslims for the assassinations.  And now there are posts on #bluelivesmatter on facebook ($50 says a couple are backdated) And many commenters are blaming Obama!  How does that happen?  In what world does that make any sense?

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UPDATE: Judge ordered Des Moines shooting suspect to move out of mom’s home

UPDATE: Police shooter a ‘monster,’ Des Moines police chief says

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#bluelivesmatter is silent…

Two police officers were shot in Iowa early this a.m., and immediately, the wingnut twitter universe started in with declarations that this was a #blacklivesmatters and/or Islamic terrorist act.  NOT!  Thankfully the Des Moines police almost as quickly had named Scott Michael Greene as a suspect, and he was arrested quickly, without incident, by a DNR officer.

Another white male domestic terrorist.  This is Scott Michael Greene at the Urbandale High School stadium, waving around a Confederate flag during the National Anthem, despite Urbandale HS prohibitions of Confederate flags.  This is the sort of thing that Trump and his campaign have encouraged, with actions, statements at campaign rallies, and endorsements by KKK, David Duke, and others, they’ve given free rein, free reign, to hate.  Folks, NO, it’s not OK.

Here’s his house at 3422 70th St., Urbandale, IA (confirmed on Google maps, where it looks like he’s out mowing his lawn!):

Scott Michael Green was a time bomb.  He’s a known problem.  Seems Greene was arrested in 2001 on charges of domestic assault, assault causing bodily injury and fourth-degree criminal mischief and charged with drunken driving in 2010 (needs confirmation).  He was charged with first-degree harassment in 2014.  Details on Greene’s 2014 arrests here:

Scott Michael Green was convicted in combative 2014 encounters

In that incident, Greene was accused of approaching a man in the parking lot and shined a flashlight in his eyes. Greene, who lived in the apartments, called the man the N-word and told the man “I will kill you, (expletive) kill you,” according to the complaint. Greene pleaded guilty to a lesser harassment charge on June 30, 2014, and was sentenced to one year of probation.

In a discharge report filed in June 2015 a probation officer wrote that Greene had received a mental health evaluation and “reports to have complied with the medication recommendations.”

Here’s Greene’s own video after he was taken out of the stadium in Urbandale, which is located at the intersection where one of the officers was shot:

Good to know the Des Moines and Urbandale police had him on their radar, but unfortunate it took Greene’s killing of two police officers to recognize how dangerous this guy was.

This is an example of what happens when hate is let loose.  I hope that this election’s fear-mongering and hateful furor isn’t a Pandora’s box, but my fear is that this is now accepted as OK.  NO, HATE IS NOT OK.  Choose love!

The face of voter fraud in Iowa, Terri Lynn Rotte, the first to be arrested.  But not the last:

3 suspected of voter fraud in Polk County

Texas man arrested after wearing Trump hat, ‘deplorables” T-shirt to polling place

Former Va. man arrested for voter registration fraud

Two women arrested for election fraud in Miami-Dade County

What’s important in all of this is that they’re being caught.  Voter fraud is very rare, well, except in the biggest voter fraud case in history, here in Minnesota.  It’s so rare that the prosecutors note that they’ve not had a voter fraud case before.  And claims of rigged elections, well, that’s “election fraud,” a very different thing, ask Bernie Sanders about that, or the Supreme Court for that matter.

Voter fraud has been a Republican talking point for so long, because it’s a way to restrict voting through hype and fear, to disenfranchise those who do have a right to vote through restrictive ID requirements, and they’re manipulating policy through false claims of a crime that happens so rarely that… well, do your own research, and look up cases of voter fraud.  You’ll find very few!

What is real “voter fraud?”  It’s the oh-so-rare type where voters try to vote illegally, i.e., more than once, or try to vote where they’re not qualified, or try to vote under another’s name.  The most extreme example is that legendary case of Jakes.  But that is the extreme, and other cases are The Jakes case is worth a look.  It happend in Coates, Minnesota, where roughly 100 customers and dancers at Jakes were registered as Coates city residents, using the club address, to vote in effort to unseat the City Council which was shutting down Jakes strip club via zoning laws:

Jake acquitted of voter fraud!!!!

Voter Registration – Ray Cox, strip joints, and voter fraud (lots of articles linked here)

Support of police, who day in and day out, night in and night out, do a very difficult job, is important.  That support is a long way from support, encouragement and attempted after-the-fact justification of police actions that are racist and unconstitutional, actions recognized near and far as problematic, illegal, and immoral.  There’s this facebook page called “We Thank Our Edina Police Department” that has gone way over the line in support of the unprofessional behavior of Edina’s Lt. Timothy Olson that has received nationwide attention.

Last night at Edina City Council mtg

In the New York Times:

Black Man Is Arrested While Walking, and Minnesota City Starts a ‘Conversation’

NYT quoting NAACP’s Nekima Levy-Pounds:

“In light of the egregious incident that happened, the city of Edina responded at the City Council meeting in a way that demonstrated a level of compassion, and they signaled that they heard what the people had to say,” she said. “I have not seen that happen in any jurisdictions that I have covered.”

The City fathers recognized that the arrest and treatment of Larnie Thomas was a problem and Chief of Police Dave Nelson, Mayor James Hovland, and City Manager Scott Neal issued a unified statement last week:

City of Edina responds to NAACP Minneapolis

PR shilling like this “We Thank Our Edina Police Department” try to spin with censoring, deleting, and blocking, but that is not going to stop progress, and only hurts the image of the Edina Police Department — this effort is as transparent as Mpls. Bob Kroll’s comments against the IACP head’s acknowledgement and apology for “historical mistreatment” — and so 19th Century.  Edina is ready for change, and orchestrated efforts like this only document the problem and show that change is needed.  A change is gonna come…

The City of Edina is working on the “next steps” and a timeline, and seeing this site, I’d guess their inbox and voicemail is full of nastiness and objections similar to what’s seen on the “We Thank Our Edina Police Department” facebook page.  Please send emails of support to the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager for their commitment to address racism:

mbrindle@EdinaMN.gov, kstaunton@EdinaMN.gov, rstewart@EdinaMN.gov, swensonann1@gmail.com, jhovland@EdinaMN.gov, Scott H. Neal <sneal@EdinaMN.gov

What’s the fuss all about?  The day before yesterday, this Post #1, below, shows up on the “We Thank Our Edina Police Department” facebook page.  These posts are used to cast aspersions on the “video woman” who edited the very end of her video to omit her name, address and contact info, and to blame the victim by posting his District Court record, which is irrelevant in stopping someone walking down the street.  They allow comments slandering Larnie Thomas, claims that he was “intoxicated” which he demonstrably was not; claim that he was “walking in the middle of the road” which he was not, and attempt to link other 911 calls.  They post a “full police report” which adds as “eyewitnesses” reports of officers who were not present at the scene and were not called to the scene by Lt. Olson until he’d grabbed Larnie Thomas!

The page is associated with the “Edina Crime Prevention Fund” , and here are their IRS Form 990s:

2012-237106953-09b8e7c3-z

2013-237106953-0aa98bd0-z

2014-237106953-0c17d410-z

My comments have been deleted (and they were oh-so-gentle), one in particular was hilarious.  From #3:

1 · 21 hrs

Kianta Hafling Carol, the mayor and city council never have been in a situation like police officers are in everyday. They’d have no clue what it’s like to have people show you their worst and be criticized for everything because of their uniform. It’s easy to judge something you’ve never done. It’s even easier to jump on bandwagons these days, I guess. Police departments around the country are hiring. Sign up. We could use some experts in the front lines.

12 · 21 hrs · Edited

Bev MomStrong Armstrong Love your response!!!!! 😉

21 hrs

To Kianta Hafling, I responded: “I am an attorney sworn to uphold the Constitution.  “It’s easy to judge something you’ve never done.”  (Dead air, but they deleted it this afternoon.  SNORT!)

Brent Yorkshire Carol, if you were truly a lawyer you would know the police would be subject to a “failure to act” lawsuit if they didn’t do something about someone creating a danger to themselves and others. Get a clue!!

3 · 17 hrs

Gene Thompson Vote TRUMP , bring law and order back to our country !

6 hrs

Folks, get a clue.  Posts like these three “SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT” on the “We Thank Our Edina Police Department” facebook page do not help at all.  The Edina Police Department doesn’t need “thanks” like that, and the world doesn’t need the waste of these electrons — your “support” hurts them.  With “friends” like this, who needs enemies.?  Think about it.  The City of Edina is under scrutiny, rightfully so.  The City gets it, and the City will have to do some soul-searching review and make thoughtful changes that will not be easy.  The whole world is watching.

Here’s what “We Thank Our Edina Police Department” facebook page, posts #1, #2 and #3 “SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT. SHARE THIS” have to say:

#1: SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. SHARE THIS.
http://edinamn.gov/…/Incident_16003134_Redacted%20website.p…
An updated police report [HERE in case it gets disappeared:  incident_16003134] [note p. 5-6 & 8-18 state “”THE INFORMATION BELOW IS CONFIDENTIAL – FOR USE BY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY”]  dated 10/21/16 includes 5 officer statements, 14 witness accounts, witnesses describing repeated behavior by subject later in the day on France Ave, corroborating Minneapolis 9-1-1 transcripts and a documented admission by the original videographer the video was edited to remove her name and number and everything afterwards before posting to YouTube and her reluctance to provide the police department with a full, unedited copy. There is certainly a lot to be learned by all parties. If you care about Edina and your Edina Police Department, then take 15 minutes and read this. Read this before you read anything else. SHARE these facts with your Twin Cities friends. SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT. We thank our police officers here at home and those around the country who protect and serve ALL OF US – regardless of Age, Race, Sex, National Origin, Religion, Disability, Pregnancy, Medical Condition, Marital Status, Sexual Orientation and the like – each and every day.

Then yesterday, #2 and #3.  First #2:

Once more with feeling, the Public and Evidentiary hearings for the Rochester natural gas pipeline are coming up early next month (PUC Notice):

Here’s the testimony from MERC and the Commerce “Comments” so far:

Direct_Rick J Moser_201610-125945-04

Direct_Lindsay K Kyle_201610-125945-03

Direct_Amber S Lee_201610-125945-02

Comments were received on the “CEA” and remember, the Comparative Environmental Assessment” is an environmental review document ruled insufficient (Sandpiper Appellate Decision-CEA) for the Sandpiper pipeline:

MERC_comments_201610-125498-01

DOC_EERA_Public Comments Received_201610-125737-01

And general public comments and scoping comments received earlier:

DOT_Comments_20164-120024-01

DNR_1of4_20164-120059-01

DNR_2of4_20164-120059-02

DNR_3of4_20164-120059-03

DNR_4of4_20164-120059-04

Rochester Olmsted Planning Department Comments

Laursen_Comments_20166-122017-01

Hanson_20164-120598-01

Ryan_20164-120680-01

Anderson_20164-120670-01

Meyer Farms_20164-120638-01-1

Kottschade_WSB_20164-120641-01

Westridge Hills_20164-120640-01-1

NNG_Eller_20164-120644-01

Jacobson_20164-120688-01

Dee_20164-120687-01

Darnell & Dee_20164-120689-01

 

 

Who cares if this narcissistic nasty blowhard won’t declare whether he’d accept the election results?  The results will be what they will be, and pushing this loser to accept the results only gives him power.  Don’t bother.  Proceed, blow his doors off and leave him in the dust.