Legalectric

And after I saw the PurpleAir report, and looked again today, the horrible air has moved south, and we’re likely in yellow or even green today. Whew. And some ideas occurred to me, as I was asked yesterday what the City could do:

I’m not sure what we can do about the smoke from Canada to improve the air quality.  What would you propose we do?

and:

Air monitoring won’t help with the smoke it will tell us what we already know. What is your solution to the bad air we can see? 

So after some thought, with #1 and 2 below immediately, and then 3 and 4 later, I sent a follow up missive to the Council:

All –

FYI, yesterday someone did post a PurpleAir monitor reading for our area:

That was yesterday. Today, the local PurpleAir monitor is not online, but https://fire.airnow.gov/ shows improvement for our area:  

When asked, “What is your solution to the bad air we can see?,” obviously we can’t do anything about the Canadian and US fires (they’re all over the country, see map: ). However, there are precautionary steps the City could and should take. The City does have a responsibility to protect the public health and safety of our community. A very good start would be:

1) Start acting on air quality, i.e., to not add any air emissions from any of our big polluters, like Xcel, USG, ADM, etc.;

2) Advocate and agitate MPCA repeatedly to get all the expired permits reviewed;

3) It also occurred to me later that when it’s this bad, the City should issue warnings, urge people to mask up if outside (oh, that’ll go over well, but it’s their health or lack thereof) and to stay inside and use air filters. Yesterday at Menards, there were MANY people coming out with air filters, probably to build those cheap and easy box fan filters).

4) The City should set a threshold for AQI index where outside events would be cancelled, as was done in the last round of extremely high AQIs made attending outside events hazardous for those of us who breathe.

I’m debating getting a PurpleAir monitor (the Zen model: https://www2.purpleair.com/products/list) and connecting to NOAA, though given the medical expense cash crunch now, yes, it is a matter of debate here.

If the City isn’t willing to get on MPCA to install air monitors, the City should spend the $299 x ? to put up a few here and there around town and link them to NOAA. We residents do deserve to know the AQI. Also, there should be one installed near every one of our big emitters in town, location based on the wind rose, for consideration when MPCA, if ever, gets around to permit renewal review, and for when any of these want to contract for more burning.

Again, the City has a responsibility for the health and safety of its residents, and you’re the policy setters.

Carol, a breather whose health is affected by unhealthy air.

Really bad air here in Red Wing today, so I sent another Air Quality (and lack thereof) missive to the City Council:

All –

Once again, it is likely a very bad air day, red dots, orange dots, and we have no monitors, much less a baseline for air “quality,” or lack thereof, in Red Wing.  https://fire.airnow.gov/

What are you, each of you, doing to protect the health and safety of our community? That’s the primary job of the City and the City’s electeds.

Carol A. Overland, loading some things in the car and feeling the PM2.5

Checking later in the day, after some exertion outside that had quite an impact, I found this on that site, our blue dot on the map accompanied by a red square, a “Purple Air” monitor:

Yeah, that’s pretty grim.

Yup, that’s “our” state Representative Pam Altendorf. I had to send them a missive, as she sure doesn’t represent a very large bunch of constituents! So this went to the Council:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

All –

Unfortunately, I cannot attend on Monday, have to work way out southwest, a meeting I can’t miss. That said, this is the first of two missives about Monday’s agenda.

RE:

I hope that you all will review bills “authored” and “co-authored” by Rep. Altendorf. Consider what she’s doing FOR us, all of us, and what’s she’s doing AGAINST us. Also consider what she’s doing that misses the mark of the charge of a state Representative. Check the links, and I’ll raise a few examples below:

• Bills Chief Authored
• Co-Authored

Remember that Rep. Pam Altendorf ran as an “America First” candidate. What’s America First? Don’t know? “America First” is white supremacy and nationalism at its core. A visit to the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum in Little Falls would be a good start. I’m shocked that anyone would advertise being an “America First” candidate, but too many have no idea what “America First” means. Sarah Campbell’s “Behold America” is also an excellent source:

From Rep. Altendorf’s campaign website, “Endorsed by Mike Lindell” as an “America First” candidate. SNORT! For some reason this video has been scrubbed off her “Endorsements” page on her campaign website — but I found the video, HERE –>

Speaking of My Pillow, the market has spoken:

MyPillow is auctioning off equipment after retailers pull its products

Altendorf was also endorsed by Steve Drazkowski:

“Extensive work recalling RW City Council.” Hmmmm, what did she do?

A state House Representative is charged with, has taken an oath, to represent their constituents, ALL their constituents, not some, and to observe and support the Constitutions of the U.S. and the State of Minnesota.

U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment anyone??? Here’s an example of a bill where she was “Chief Author,” the point of which was to make voting more difficult, eliminate voting rights, and suppress voting:

And her HC0003, a bizarre bill “denouncing the horrors of socialism” — you’ve got to read this — click on the HC0003 link! I’d guess she objects to things like Social Security and Medicare; MNSure; fire and police departments; public schools; the state vo-tech, college, and university system; ag programs and nutrition support; snow plowing; roads and bridges; our state, county, and city park systems; utility regulation; etc. This bill is a clear example of lack of understanding of “socialism,” conflating “socialism” and “communism,” and failure to understand the basics of “democracy,” and I’d presume lack of understanding of the distinction between democracy and capitalism:

And in the “Co-Authored” bills she signed on to:

State Rep., now state Senator Drazkowski would remember my sign from the state candidates’ rally at Bay Point Park a few years ago.  If I wasn’t 100 miles away, I’d bring it to Monday’s meeting:

Carol A. Overland, Attorney at Law, sworn on oath to support the U.S. and state Constitutions.

It all started with the City Council’s appointments to the Charter Commission, and the process leading up to it. Charter Commission appointments are divided, some appointed by Council, some appointed by Charter Commission. I’m on the Charter Commission, which voted to reappoint me at the April Charter Commission meeting. There were also four Council appointments made on April 24, 2023 meeting.

Check the April 24, 2023 City Council meeting, starting at ~53:53:

https://redwingmn.portal.civicclerk.com/event/21/media

After the appointments, they’re sent to the District Court for judicial approval. Instead, we got this letter back, staying confirmation of all appointments, something I’ve not seen before! Here’s her letter:

On seeing that Letter and the attachments, oh my:

Legalectric post: Der Kommissar’s in Town!

In that letter were two letters expressing concern about, and wishing to block, appointments of Tom Drazkowski, Jason Snyder, and MOI, to the Charter Commission. One was from Rev. Dr. Eick had been at the meeting, and was disturbed by what he saw at the meeting, in particular the odd process, in voting in Tom Drazkowski and Jason Snyder, particularly as they’d both been found to have violated campaign finance law in the November 8, 2022 campaign cycle, and they were fined. See Eick letter, p. 3-4 and Order of OAH re: Campaign Finance at 5-14.

The other was Mayor Wilson’s letter, “As Red Wing’s Mayor,” to block my reappointment to the Charter Commission:

Really… he said that and more. See Wilson’s letter starting at page 15, and the attachments, through page 21, jawdroppingly absurd. When I read the part about “Commissar,” the old Falco “Der Kommissar” tune started on the tape loop, and I couldn’t help but SNORT! Then a native German filled me in, Der Kommissar was a popular German TV show ages ago, and Der Kommissar was a brilliant and most successful homicide detective.

I’ll regard Wilson’s labeling as a compliment, although for sure it was not meant as such.

In her letter, Judge Lennon requested the following:

And here are the responses to the judge, provided after I sent a Data Practices Act Request to the city. See above link for City Council meeting of April 24, 2023:

City Council explanation of process:

From Jason Snyder:

From Tom Drazkowski:

And from moi, Carol A. Overland:

And again, read this letter Wilson sent “As Red Wing’s Mayor” directly to the judge AFTER the Charter Commission had voted to reappoint me. The Charter Commission welcomes public comment, it’s on the agenda. Did Wilson show up and make a public comment prior to our vote? NO! The Charter Commission accepts written public comment. Did Wilson write a comment to the Charter Commission prior to our vote? NO! Instead, he sent an ex parte letter directly to the judge after the Charter Commission voted to reappoint me to the Commission. He did not serve the letter on me or the Charter Commission or the City. Transparency much? Once more with feeling, check out this letter below, and here’s the link, as above, see pages 14-21:

And this… he attached this to a letter to a judge?!?!?! As proof of ???

Suffice it to say we need a new Mayor, one who understands the role as the public face of our city, and specifically that it is not to be used to attempt to control public opinion or its expression. Again, from the City Charter:

What’s next? Judge Lennon will post an Order sometime, I hope soon. Maybe the judge will order a hearing!