Commissioner Bourn Fined $1,600 for False Claims - you won't find this on Park Watch

Click on the title to link to the story you'll never find on Park Watch - he's one of theirs.

Minneapolis Park Commissioner is fined $1,600 for false claims in election.
A judicial panel found Brad Bourn falsely claimed endorsement from state legislators.

By Steve Brandt, Star Tribune
Posted on-line March 19, 2010 8:37 p.m.

Minneapolis Park Commissioner Brad Bourn has been fined $1,600 for falsely claiming that he had been endorsed by two southwest-area legislators during his successful run for his seat last fall.

The order, issued Friday by a panel of three state administrative law judges, came in response to a complaint by Meg Forney, who finished as the runner-up for the open park district seat.

The judges concluded that Bourn knowingly made a false claim that Sen. Scott Dibble and Rep. Frank Hornstein, both DFL-Minneapolis, had endorsed him, and didn't obtain written permission before using their names. The judges said the claim likely influenced some voters in the heavily DFL district, but they said they couldn't conclude that Forney would have won without the claim.

"It's just so terribly sad that the voters have been deceived," Forney said. "We as candidates need to be accountable, and we also need to police our own backyard. I hope he'll learn, and the voters will hold him accountable."

The panel rejected his complaint that Forney improperly claimed endorsement by a public employees union and falsely implied she'd reeived certain endorsements that were from her 2005 campaign. ###

Park Watch - the 10th Commissioner?

Clicking on the title of this post will take you to the Minneapolis Issues Forum where Park Watch made the FIRST RELEASE of information about Park Board President John Erwin's wise decisions to appoint David Fisher as interim superintendent, and provide a consulting contract to outgoing commissioner Jon Gurban during the transition.

Try Googling "Minneapolis Parks," and Park Watch comes before the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board website. A search of the MPRB website does not reveal any official release of the interim superintendent.

It has been reported that Park Watch now sits in Park Board chambers and provides hand signals to the Park Watch-whipped commissioners on how to vote.

We are not eager to see the results of these blatant park-haters taking over the park board. We encourage commissioners to plug their ears and hum "nah nah nah nah nah" whenever any Park Watch member tries to fill your head with their folderol and fiddle-faddle.

Deep Thoughts on the Superintendent

We have received several e-mails from Park Watch Watchers who were disgusted by the analysis of Superintendent Gurban's performance reviews. Or more correctly, lack of analysis. We will be watching tonight to see if other Commissioners think Mr. Gurban's performance should be a consideration in whether or not to extend his contract. I am sure prospective candidates for the hasty and ill-considered search for his replacement will also be interested in whether or not performance is something our new Park Watch Commissioners think is important.

A Fried-ian Slip

On January 6, 2010 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board President John Erwin appointed a special committee for "Superintendent contract extension and/or search with recommendation" by February 17th.

On January 17, 2010 Arlene Fried (aka Grand High Mistress of Park Watch) reported that on January 20, 2010 "There will be a first meeting of the Superintendent's Search Committee."

Sounds like a Fried-ian Slip. Did Frau Fried Forget about the potential contract extension? Is Arlene Fried the actual Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board President? Time will tell.

Park Watch - All Politics is Personal

There are moments in history where the world can choose to go down different paths.

We can choose to go down the road towards green prosperity and a more sustainable future. Or we can choose a pathway to stalemate and do nothing about climate change leaving an enormous bill for our kids and grand-kids to pay.

Compare two blogs.

Park Watch: pursuing politics of petty personal destruction:
http://mplsparkwatch.org/node/1048

Dot.earth: examining efforts to balance human affairs with the planet’s limits
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/

The Minneapolis Park Board is considering a project that would eliminate their carbon footprint, create much-needed construction jobs, and generate millions of dollars of revenues for the parks. Park Watch opposes it. Why? They don’t like the people involved.

Imagine for a moment, if you will, a Park Watch delegation to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Have you got it pictured? Yep, we do too. And it’s not pretty.