Today the letters to the editor really kicked in. That is a phenomenon that always emerges when the general election draws near. It means that the letters are no longer all that important as each one is lost in a sea of ink. The letter I submitted three weeks ago and had to resubmit with alterations nearly a dozen times will fall subject to this as well when it finally shows up.
I didn’t bother to read most of the letters. I looked at the headlines to get the gist and then the names of the authors to see if I knew who they were. I read the ones I recognized. One was from the fellow, Tom Hustad, who filed against me in 2004 the year I had intended to step down from the Board.
Tom’s letter is full of praise for Judy Seliga-Punyko. It must be gratifying to Judy that she no longer needs her family to manufacture Pro Red Plan letters supporting her.
I would like to note with some irony that my first contact with Mr. Hustad was during a Tea Party-like tempest in a teapot. He was one of the East Hockey fans who showed up in large numbers to beat the School Board up for letting the Superintendent replace a coach that treated many of his athletes like losers and fund-raising drones. I remember one particular meeting that Tom raised his finger at then Chairman Robert Mars and made some harsh charges against his friend. I think it was for Bob’s attempt to prevent a long line of critics from speaking to the board and continuing to heap abuse on us. Perhaps because I had successfully prevailed on the majority of the Board to overrule Bob and let the crowd keep on beating us up Tom favored me after the meeting with a little talk. He told me how he and Bob were old friends but that he could tell that Mars was out of it now.
I did feel sorry for Bob after we gave the angry hockey crowd more time because many of them leveled their most ferocious criticism at Mars.
So with that as a preface I’ll post Tom Hustad’s first two paragraphs of today’s letter:
Our country continues to be divided on many important issues. Many of us are disappointed with the anger, lack of civility and lack of reason that is pervasive among us. The best policy decisions generally occur as we come together near the center. This is true with government at all levels.
I learned that well as I served on the Duluth School Board from 2004 to 2008. It was a great learning and giving experience as I represented the 2nd District.
I’m just disappointed with Tom. I thought it took one to know one.
