All posts in the topic Mayor's License Suspended (Short link)
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- There are 17 posts — by 15 authors — in this topic.
- Latest post made by Jon Gorder at May 10 22:03 UTC
If you tuned into the Fox 9 news last night at nine this is what you would have seen. Images of the Mayor getting behind the wheel of his Prius and news reporter Beth McDonough running to catch up to him to ask him if he knew his license was suspended for the past couple of months. He said he just found out about it that day. When the interviewer asked if he had been driving all this time the mayor replied.... WAS MAYOR RYBAK DRIVING SINCE THE SUSPENSION? I dont know, let me think about that for a second, Rybak said. Ive had someone driving with meI dont believe so. Rybak says he will get a ride or take the bus while his drivers license is suspended. So I would add, I don't know, I'll think about it a second, the mayor isn't really telling the truth. If he fails to pay the remainder of his speeding ticket there could be a warrant put out for his arrest http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6498185&version=13&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1 JustinArmatage
Who seriously cares about this, anyway? Fox 9 and WCCO were acting like holier-than-thou thugs last night. Someone was bored at the station and was using the public access site for Minnesota Courts and found the suspension. Then, instead of picking up the phone, they camped outside his car and ambushed him as he approached it. R.T. didn't murder anyone. A speeding ticket is something we all get; he's not a danger on the road. If anything, the media proved that R.T. is human like the rest of us. And mistakes happen. For the most part, the City keeps an open government and R.T. deserves some respect for that. But I do know one thing -- these media tactics need to stay out of Minneapolis. I expect it in Philly and Chicago, but I'd like to think of Minneapolis as a respectful and friendly city. But with headlines like "Rybak driving illegally for months," it's difficult to gauge where the media's priority is right now. A slow news night is no excuse for this guerrilla and unethical journalism. Tony Webster University/Prospect Park On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 10:37 AM, Justin E. <<email obscured>> wrote: > > If you tuned into the Fox 9 news last night at nine this is what you would have seen. Images of the Mayor getting behind the wheel of his Prius and news reporter Beth McDonough running to catch up to him to ask him if he knew his license was suspended for the past couple of months. He said he just found out about it that day. When the interviewer asked if he had been driving all this time the mayor replied.... > WAS MAYOR RYBAK DRIVING SINCE THE SUSPENSION? > I dont know, let me think about that for a second, Rybak said. Ive had someone driving with meI dont believe so. > Rybak says he will get a ride or take the bus while his drivers license is suspended. So I would add, I don't know, I'll think about it a second, the mayor isn't really telling the truth. If he fails to pay the remainder of his speeding ticket there could be a warrant put out for his arrest http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6498185&version=13&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1 JustinArmatage > _________________________________________________________________ > Windows Live SkyDrive lets you share files with faraway friends. > http://www.windowslive.com/skydrive/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_skydrive_052008 > Justin Eibenholzl > Armatage, Minneapolis > Info about Justin Eibenholzl: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/justineibenholzl > > This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/6gSkhNd83pETlLqr3Z2hIB
With regards to Tony's response, when you look at it that way, it seems like
the priority of mainstream news organizations is about smear campaigns for
politicians than actual worthy news, such as whatever might be going on in
Burma/Myanmar, Tibet, Louisiana, 35W Victim Compensation, voting fraud in
northwestern Illinois, Iraq, Bush/Cheney war crimes, economy troubles... The
list goes on.
I'm losing respect for mainstream news organizations. They need to realize
that since they are mainstream, a lot of people are actually watching. Why not
use their time to do actual quality journalism and gang up on the real thugs in
the world, instead of cornering our mayor over petty issues? If they need a
hint of where to start, it's not in City Hall's parking garage.
Ryan Johnson
CARAG
Something similar happened to my wife (minus the media stalking tactics). She got a speeding ticket and we delayed paying it. When it got paid, we didn't include the late fee. Her license was suspended. Just like the mayor, we never received notification that the license was suspended. Two years later she was pulled over for speeding (again!) and the suspended license came up. The cops wouldn't let her drive and I had to go to Eau Claire to pick her up. Seems like a letter is in order if your license is suspended. Dean E. Carlson East Harriet, Ward 10 -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: Justin E. <<email obscured>> > > If you tuned into the Fox 9 news last night at nine this is what you would have > seen. Images of the Mayor getting behind the wheel of his Prius and news > reporter Beth McDonough running to catch up to him to ask him if he knew his > license was suspended for the past couple of months. He said he just found out > about it that day. When the interviewer asked if he had been driving all this > time the mayor replied.... > WAS MAYOR RYBAK DRIVING SINCE THE SUSPENSION? > I dont know, let me think about that for a second, Rybak said. Ive had someone > driving with meI dont believe so. > Rybak says he will get a ride or take the bus while his drivers license is > suspended. So I would add, I don't know, I'll think about it a second, the > mayor isn't really telling the truth. If he fails to pay the remainder of his > speeding ticket there could be a warrant put out for his arrest > http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=6498185&version
I agree with Dean, that the authorities ought to tell you by letter
that you license has been withdrawn and why. And I agree that the TV
media tactics were shoddy, done for pure show, and shallow.
But let's be clear about one thing: speeding is a moving violation,
and people who habitually speed are a danger to others on the road. I
don't care who it is doing the speeding. The Mayor seems to have a
bit of a lead foot, according to the Star Tribune article.
Connie
Como, in Southeast Minneapolis
I agree with Connie. While not a high office holder like the Mayor, I
have been late for important meetings. Happy to say I have no
speeding tickets, just rolling eyes for being late. Speaking of that,
I have rolled through a couple of stop signs and was rightfully
ticketed for those (2). Those are moving violations, too, even though
the speed was 5 miles an hour. The law is the law - immutable. The
moving violations go on the driving record and insurance agents can
raise coverage costs. My insurance agent of 30 years certainly knows
my record as well as I do. He is very pleased with my no speeding
tickets. Now if I could just get younger.....
For ten years I didn't watch the TV. In the past two-three months I have
watched the news or either 9 or 11, since I do not get the other channels on my
TV. Dear god, what a pit of twaddle without relief. One of the two goes outside
in the foulest weather to describe the weather. How dumb is that? I just need
the info, I don't need a W. C. Fields, "not a fit night out for man or beast,"
routine.
So along comes Ms. TV reporter reaching for promotion, and buttonholes RT
getting into the driver's seat of his car. A picture may be worth a thousand
words, but if half the photo is a fake out, what have we seen? How many times
have you sat in your driver's seat and never started the car? (While looking
for your a. glasses, b. keys, c. ...)
The biggest crime going on is that we are being fed crap through the TV. Even
if RT were driving down the street, it's still a gotcha, not a story.
ah, mainstream "news organizations" are corporately owned and therefore
controlled entities that have one reason for being: bringing in ratings and
until people stop watching the crap they're serving up, it ain't gonna
change.
cynical caty
bancroft
On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 11:24 AM, Ryan Johnson <<email obscured>>
wrote:
Mayor R.T. Rybak's drivers license problems remind me of Norm
Coleman's lapsed law license when "working" for a local law firm
during his run for the Senate; I suppose Norm was judged to be useful
to the firm somehow or they never would have hired him. Of course we
didn't see this much attention to Norm's license issue on local TV news.
This issue brings another interesting notion to mind: While licensing
to drive motor vehicles is a given, a license to run government is
unheard of. One could argue the people do it through following
campaigns and the electoral process, but that's like saying that
various snake oils will cure all your ills. I mean if Minneapolis
leaders knew what they were doing, would we have seen McKinsey and
Co. step in and tell us how to run the City?
Seems like holding public office is just a short step away from major
influence peddling for a significant number of politicians and a
license requirement might be a good idea. If someone wants to run for
a given office, they should prepare for and successfully pass an exam
showing their intellectual grasp of public service in our federal
system of republican government and give a practical demonstration of
their abilities to function well and ethically in office before they
could even file for candidacy; I think it would be 13 times more
useful for prospective our Minneapolis council members (all 13 of
them). As long as our Minneapolis leaders are unlicensed, I don't see
how we can trust that things have even a small hope of turning out
okay. I think the Minneapolis Charter Commission should take this up
as should other home rule cities in the state, like the City of St.
Paul. We've seen enough on-the-job-training, and the results are
sometimes pretty intolerable.
Of course with all the automatons programmed by Grover Norquist, et.
al running the state and federal government, even a licensed public
office holder wouldn't have much of a chance to serve the public good
at the local level; the pitiful lot of Minnesota Republicans left in
our state government, at least their leadership, operate like so much
sand added to the crankcase of an engine, i.e., they grind things to
a virtual halt. If we could establish licensure in Minneapolis,
perhaps state and federal licensure would not be far behind should a
group of public spirited folks craft a referendum. Next, we'll need
to police office holders and institute fines for "moving violations"
of ethics, proper procedure, and other offenses like arguing
demonstrable fallacies.
One possible future:
[sirens blare; bull horn sounds]
"Step off the soapbox and produce your license," says the sergeant-at-
arms, "You know you were foaming at the mouth there, Representative?
I've never seen quite this level of LUI before and you should be
ashamed of yourself," and under his breath, "Sanctuary cities, my
arse; next they'll attach this dog to exotic species/fish and game
bills."
"I was only arguing germaneness of my amendment to the bill," says
Rep. Automaton as he hands over his license.
"Tell it to the judge," says the sergeant-at-arms while writing out
the ticket and handing it and the license back to Rep. Grover-bot,
"but I know diddling when I see it. Just be glad I didn't make you
stand on one leg, close your eyes, and touch your nose with
alternating fingers while reciting your oath of office."
Fines and the possibility of losing a license might keep things
moving at the Capitol, in St. Paul and Washington, D.C., as well as
at city halls.
Maybe RT received a letter about the suspension and maybe he did not. Maybe he
received a letter about the unpaid fine and maybe he did not. However, it
appears RT intended to drive his car AFTER he was personally informed of the
license suspension and would have had it not been for FOX 9. That is somewhat
disturbing when one of our local elected officials thinks he is above the law.
Neil Carlson
Minneapolis
I really think we have to give the Mayor some time to get this all
explained and backed up by facts. It is a pretty big leap to say he
thinks he is above the law.
Laura
Southeast/Como
On May 9, 2008, at 5:54 PM, Neil Carlson wrote:
> Maybe RT received a letter about the suspension and maybe he did
> not. Maybe he received a letter about the unpaid fine and maybe he
> did not. However, it appears RT intended to drive his car AFTER he
> was personally informed of the license suspension and would have
> had it not been for FOX 9. That is somewhat disturbing when one of
> our local elected officials thinks he is above the law.
Laura Waterman Wittstock
President and CEO
Wittstock & Associates
913 19th Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-387-4915
www.laurawatermanwittstock.com
Two things come to my mind.
1. It's May sweeps time, folks. We can expect to see more of this stuff
throughout the month as our local news stations jockey against each other for
the most sensational, viewer-attracting story.
2. The last time I got a ticket I had trouble sussing out what exactly my fine
amounted to. I believe the ticket said to look at the back to find my fine
amount, but heck if I could figure that one out for sure. I wouldn't be
surprised if that's why RT didn't pay the entire fine.
Kelly O'Brien
Kingfield
Isn't this suspended license/unpaid fines/driving after suspension the same
thing that Keith Ellison was doing? IIRC, his unpaid parking tickets were in
the double digit numbers? Yet folks still supported Keith and found a way to
allow him to recover from that mistake. RT should be given the same chance to
get these administrative things corrected. Most of the time I see RT arriving
at events and functions, he has a driver anyways.
It is starting to sound like Minnesota DMV has a problem with proper
notification of license status. When I was 20 and living in VA I had acquired
too many speeding tickets in one period, and I received so many warning
letters, notification letters, letters of how to get my license back in good
standing etc.
Perhaps some state elected officials who might be reading this can check in to
some better communication tactics. (I'd better stay Minneapolis specific).
-Megan G
Jordan
When confronted by the TV crew and told his license had been suspended, the
mayor said he wasn't there to drive his car. He just wanted to retrieve some
items from it. Now, if you believe that ...
Of the many things I could fault RT with, this would not be one I would focus on. It has happened to lots of folks, including me. The thing to consider, however, is that while RT will have no problem paying this of and moving on....hundreds of Minnesotans who cannot afford to pay the fines and fees will simply lose their license and be forced to drive illegally. The 32 officers we just hired will spend the bulk of their time on this sort of thing, not on chasing down murderers, rapists and theives... and the stats will show that crime is "up". But is it really? Guy Gambill Northeast--- On Sat, 5/10/08, Megan Goodmundson <<email obscured>> wrote: From: Megan Goodmundson <<email obscured>>Subject: Re: [Mpls] Mayor's License SuspendedTo: "Minneapolis Issues Forum" <<email obscured>>Date: Saturday, May 10, 2008, 9:27 AMIsn't this suspended license/unpaid fines/driving after suspension the same thing that Keith Ellison was doing? IIRC, his unpaid parking tickets were in the double digit numbers? Yet folks still supported Keith and found a way to allow him to recover from that mistake. RT should be given the same chance to get these administrative things corrected. Most of the time I see RT arriving at events and functions, he has a driver anyways. It is starting to sound like Minnesota DMV has a problem with proper notification of license status. When I was 20 and living in VA I had acquired too many speeding tickets in one period, and I received so many warning letters, notification letters, letters of how to get my license back in good standing etc. Perhaps some state elected officials who might be reading this can check in to some better communication tactics. (I'd better stay Minneapolis specific). -Megan G Jordan Megan Goodmundson Jordan, N Mpls, Minneapolis Info about Megan Goodmundson: http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/megangoodmundson This topic's messages may be viewed at: http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/7dlQxG60sx1yWGU9s5yUT
Guy Gambill: "The 32 officers we just hired will spend the bulk of their time
on this sort of thing, not on chasing down murderers, rapists and thieves...
and the stats will show that crime is "up". But is it really?"
It seems to be a fairly common belief that all cops would be chasing murderers
if they just were not goofing around with law violations like driving without a
license. But, the reality is that the MPD hired 32 patrol officers, not
detectives. The detective types are few and busy, and luckily, very few murders
are a mystery.
Crime is always up during times of economic depression, that's when people get
really desperate as the bottom rung of the ladder gets squeezed out of
legitimate work. Capitalism relies on a steady pool of unemployed,
incarcerated, and armed forces to keep wages low. This ain't no mystery,
either.
So, yeah, we do need more officers to knock more heads, incarcerate more
people, and keep the criminal "justice" system in full flower. But we also need
them to keep the rest of us on the path. For instance, maybe they'll have
enough cops in the Third Precinct to ticket some of the large number of people
who go South on the one way North streets which feed into Lake St. Those
buggers are a threat to life and limb.
Licensing for public officials is an idea I will back wholeheartedly, I want them to be worn around the neck at all times too. And part of the graduation ceremony must contain the medical motto "first do no harm". Now, if I could just get a job at the politico pound where we round up all the strays and vicious ones......... Ahh to dream. Jon Gorder Cathedral Hill--- On Fri, 5/9/08, Bill Kahn <<email obscured>> wrote:From: Bill Kahn <<email obscured>>Subject: [Mpls] Mayor's License SuspendedTo: "Minneapolis Issues Forum" <<email obscured>>, "Minnesota Politics and Issues Forum" <<email obscured>>, "SPIF" <<email obscured>>Date: Friday, May 9, 2008, 3:56 PMMayor R.T. Rybak's drivers license problems remind me of Norm Coleman's lapsed law license when "working" for a local law firm during his run for the Senate; I suppose Norm was judged to be useful to the firm somehow or they never would have hired him. Of course we didn't see this much attention to Norm's license issue on local TVnews.This issue brings another interesting notion to mind: While licensing to drive motor vehicles is a given, a license to run government is unheard of. One could argue the people do it through following campaigns and the electoral process, but that's like saying that various snake oils will cure all your ills. I mean if Minneapolis leaders knew what they were doing, would we have seen McKinsey and Co. step in and tell us how to run the City?Seems like holding public office is just a short step away from major influence peddling for a significant number of politicians and a license requirement might be a good idea. If someone wants to run for a given office, they should prepare for and successfully pass an exam showing their intellectual grasp of public service in our federal system of republican government and give a practical demonstration of their abilities to function well and ethically in office before they could even file for candidacy; I think it would be 13 times more useful for prospective our Minneapolis council members (all 13 of them). As long as our Minneapolis leaders are unlicensed, I don't see how we can trust that things have even a small hope of turning out okay. I think the Minneapolis Charter Commission should take this up as should other home rule cities in the state, like the City of St. Paul. We've seen enough on-the-job-training, and the results are sometimes pretty intolerable.Of course with all the automatons programmed by Grover Norquist, et. al running the state and federal government, even a licensed public office holder wouldn't have much of a chance to serve the public good at the local level; the pitiful lot of Minnesota Republicans left in our state government, at least their leadership, operate like so much sand added to the crankcase of an engine, i.e., they grind things to a virtual halt. If we could establish licensure in Minneapolis, perhaps state and federal licensure would not be far behind should a group of public spirited folks craft a referendum. Next, we'll need to police office holders and institute fines for "moving violations" of ethics, proper procedure, and other offenses like arguing demonstrable fallacies.One possible future:[sirens blare; bull horn sounds]"Step off the soapbox and produce your license," says thesergeant-at- arms, "You know you were foaming at the mouth there, Representative? I've never seen quite this level of LUI before and you should be ashamed of yourself," and under his breath, "Sanctuary cities, my arse; next they'll attach this dog to exotic species/fish and game bills.""I was only arguing germaneness of my amendment to the bill," says Rep. Automaton as he hands over his license."Tell it to the judge," says the sergeant-at-arms while writing out the ticket and handing it and the license back to Rep. Grover-bot, "but I know diddling when I see it. Just be glad I didn't make you stand on one leg, close your eyes, and touch your nose with alternating fingers while reciting your oath of office."Fines and the possibility of losing a license might keep things moving at the Capitol, in St. Paul and Washington, D.C., as well as at city halls. Bill Kahn (D)Prospect Park, Minneapolis, City of Lost LegaciesInfo about Bill Kahn (D): http://forums.e-democracy.org/p/billkahnThis topic's messages may be viewed at:http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/6Yr7GPPoM3nKpaVfvOBWZZ----------------------------------------- To post, send your message to: <email obscured> To leave or for daily digest, type "unsubscribe" or "digeston," in subject line and send to: <email obscured> More info about Minneapolis Issues Forum: http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls E-Democracy.Org rules: http://e-democracy.org/rules-----------------------------------------Technical assistance thanks to our friends at http://OnlineGroups.Net 1. Be civil! 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