In a clever distraction from dire predictions about its fate, the Pioneer Press has launched a late-winter companion to its popular Winter Carnival medallion hunt. The PiPress blog City Hall Scoop notes the appearance of a new anti-Chris Coleman blog called MyMayorIsCheatingOnMe.com:
But who’s behind it? … many are unsure — but they’re trying to find out. Diction is being dissected, typefaces tracked, prose pounced, and links looked at hard.
The Scoop provides some sleuthing of its own (absent the medallion-hunt’s hints in rhyme). But the Minnesota Independent was already on the case with a novel approach: asking mystery blogger “Scorned in Saint Paul” who he or she is.
I sent “Scorned in Saint Paul” an inquiring e-mail after MyMayorIsCheatingOnMe.com linked to a MnIndy post about Coleman’s efforts to keep his staff’s budget communications private. Here’s the reply I got:
I have been involved in community issues for several years and am very familiar with the Mayor and his staff as I have had numerous interactions with them through my involvement over these issues. I am appalled at the mismanagement of our city by someone who was elected on a progressive platform. Actually, any platform for that matter.
Chris Coleman has a history of being vindictive and I don’t want this to be about me (and also for me, my current employment negates my ability to be public). I want this to be about the issues I am talking about at the blog. All across St. Paul, from all sorts of groups, there is a lot of private discontent with Mayor Coleman. This blog is about starting a public dialogue about the conversations that are already, and have been for some time, taking place in private. Chris is running unopposed in a one party town — this is not conducive to critical dialogue and creating the best city possible. If he’s on top of the City DFL hierarchy, who’s going to challenge him from within the party? My last post touched on this oligarchy. He’s also runing for a job he wants to leave behind. In every possible way but publicly stating it — he’s running for governor already. Is this the best for St. Paul? See my post regarding Arne Carlson’s comments on good governance.
So I want this blog to really address the issues: Chris not being honest about running for governor, the rnc, the budget, the hockey rink proposal, libraries,etc. A stronger and more critical public dialogue needs to take place in our one party town.
I admire the work you and others do at The Minnesota Independent.
To be clear, I am a DFL party member. However, I am not working for any political party or for any individual campaign for office at this time.
The closest thing for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak (note the spelling, Scoop) — beyond the Web site of rival mayoral candidate Bob Miller (way beyond, actually) — is the Web site of rival mayoral candidate John Charles Wilson’s Laura Ingalls Wilder-worshipping Edgertonite National Party, now listing 2006 Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate Michael Cavlan as treasurer and press officer.
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