I’ve checked out the latest round of expletives on the Trib’s most recent Red Plan discussion board. Few will speak up for it these days although one criticism of the Ordean opponents does come through on this forum. Ordean residents are called NIMBY’s. Name calling isn’t all that helpful although it can be enjoyable. One of my favorites for Red Plan supporters is “tyrants” although the more obstacles they put in the path of compromise makes the pejorative “fascists” comes to mind.
A more appropriate name for the Red Planners might be con artist. The folks around Ordean weren’t appraised by the School District of the possible future they faced. There was no talk of eminent domain until after the Nov 2007 school board elections. Some of the Ordean homeowners came back to Duluth from vacations in January of 08 to find letters waiting for them explaining that the District needed their homes. That might have been nice to know before the election. This administration is good at slipping in nasty little Red Plan surprises unannounced.
Board Chair Nilsen keeps telling people that the plans that they are currently seeing aren’t carved in stone but they might as well be. Denying that the Ordean plan can be fixed to their liking is at best deception although in Chair Nilsen’s case it might simply be self delusion. Oh, and like George Bush on Iraq, Nancy keeps coming up with new reasons why the Red Plan must continue. For one thing she says its too late to quit. For another she says the Red Plan is economic development and putting people to work. Its the School District’s own little WPA or CCC.
Nancy will still be in town after the Red Plan is finally revealed to be the worst educational disaster for a community since a tornado hit St. Peter and blew half of Gustavus Adolphus College away. Keith Dixon will be long gone having retired with his third pension to his lake cabin. Maybe he can send us some wild rice to make us feel better.
