Newspapers like the DNT deserve to die #2

From the DNT’s Red Letter editorial today:

“Voters, individually, can rise above a mob mentality being whipped up with half-truths, rhetoric and a blind desire to undo what long has needed to be done.”

Let’s pick this bit of rhetorical excess apart:

“Mob mentality”

What mob? In April a few people booed the School Board. Geez, the pot is calling the kettle black on this one.

In 2001, after twelve days of banner headlines on the front page screaming about the possible closing of 5 elementary schools The DNT had whipped Duluth into a frenzy. (The DNT was mad at Supt. Almanza for taking his sweet time to fill Trib reporters in on this proposal. Today’s DNT isn’t so likely to get its nose out of joint over being kept out of the loop because it simply doesn’t bother to ask the School District for data. It just accepts anything the Superintendent passes out as the gospel like the miracle of lowering our taxes by spending more.)

After these overblown stories a throng of angry people crowded into three school board meetings held the same week in different parts of town. At the first meeting about 1,000 angry people showed up at the Ordean Auditorium and cheered lustily as a three hour line of irate speakers belittled the school board. The schools were not closed. After stirring up that brouhaha I find it ironic that today’s editorial says, [the District] “…simply can’t afford to continue operating so many buildings.”

“whipped up with half-truths”

OK DNT. Give us an example of a half truth instead of just claiming they are being passed around. Better yet, report and debunk a couple of them. While your at it why don’t you explain how spending $100 million less than the Red Plan will increase taxes?

“Rhetoric”

You mean like this:

“…Laura Condon could be considered a champion of those opposed to the red plan and those affiliated with the grass-roots Let Duluth Vote group. Instead, the opposition is campaigning to sweep her out of office along with other incumbents, the questionable and even downright troubling lack of qualifications of replacement candidates notwithstanding.”

Laura Condon is Let Duluth Vote’s “champion!” Why, of course! What could I have been thinking for the past two years?

“a blind desire”

You mean like a desire so fierce that an elected official would ignore the public for two years without offering a single compromise or alteration? That kind of blindness?

“…what long has needed to be done.”

Do you mean “what has long needed to be done” according to Johnson Controls? Like putting energy hog, million dollar air conditioners, manufactured by JCI subsidiaries in every one of the “Air Conditioned City’s” schools despite the fact that we haven’t had a serious summer school program for three decades? That’s what has long needed to be done?

My Goodness. I’m so ashamed of myself. Thank you DNT for explaining so clearly what the Chamber of Commerce, the Building Trades and the School Board have failed to make clear – the more the Red Plan costs the lower my taxes will fall.

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