I’m not always a smart aleck

In case the previous post leaves new readers thinking that I’m an unserious man I’ve uploaded a ten minute speech I gave extemporaneously (without notes) ten years ago when I wanted the Duluth School Board, upon which I served, to offer voters a chance to vote for new money for our classrooms.

Viewer beware. At the end of the video I say, “God Dammit.” This elicited one angry letter-to-the-editor a week or so later from a friend of one of my school board foes. Eight years later when I decided to run for the School Board again a local columnist wrote a scathing column telling his readers that I had let loose a string of expletives when giving this speech. That column probably cost me the election.

Judge for yourself whether the criticism seems valid. Video here. Critical column here.

About the author