Naggedy Andy

Andy Peterson, an old friend and former student of mine, took Maureen Booth to task for her vigorous complaint to the Trib after it teamed up with the Chamber of Commerce to criticize her for not appearing at a sand bagged Chamber event.

School Board candidate Maureen Booth did not tell the entire story in her Aug. 12 letter, “News Tribune set up School Board candidate.”

The invitation to appear at the chamber forum was issued to all candidates opposing the red plan, including Booth.

The Chamber hosted one of its early morning gatherings to discuss important local issues. I was at one recently at what was billed as a pro and anti red Plan debate. That audience was filled to the brim with pro Red Plan people ready to eat me alive. They didn’t draw much blood.

This time there were even more of them in the audience and they were out for blood. Some Chamber members complained to me that they never even heard about the forum. But the angry Red Planets had heard about it.

The Trib has lately begun describing us pro voters as “anti red plan.” Maureen Booth, as an African American believes the plan to be a disaster for Duluth’s minority community but she has not joined Let Duluth Vote and has been somewhat neutral. When Andy called her and told her the forum was for “anti-red plan” candidates it struck her that these candidates would be on the menu more than on stage. She declined to attend under those circumstances and was rewarded by the Trib which apparently has prejudged her as “anti-red plan.”

I’m not particularly brilliant but it sure looks like a set up. Had such candidates appeared they would have been made to look bad because of all the bitter questions thrown their way. Had they skipped the meeting they would be bashed for avoiding a public forum. The fact that the editorial was printed the same day as the story was enough to rile me up by the obvious collusion between the Chamber and the Editorial Board that I put this sign up in my yard for a couple days till I cooled down.

As I said when I read Maureen’s reply to the Trib – You go Maureen!

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