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Email: duluthneedshelp@yahoo.com

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Not sure what I will do with the blog.

As I am sure most know by now, I have decided to run for the Duluth City Council. The announcement was made earlier this week.

With this I am not sure what I will do with this blog. I may see if a some one else wants to run it for a while, and I may post here once in a while about what is going on in the race. I may also post non-Duluth issues.

Keep checking back for more updates on what is going to happen with the blog.

You can follow my campaign for city council at www.ratheforcitycouncil.blogspot.com , you can also email at ratheforcitycouncil@yahoo.com

If are emailing regarding this blog please use the address for it. That is duluthneedshelp@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading.

John Rathe

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Retiree health care issue.

As the council contunies to try to solve this major issue, I would ask that the council proceed with caution.

Lastnight they put another 10 million dollars a side for the issue. Many councilors called on all groups need to do there part. It can't just be the council that does all the acts. This is true.

I ask that the council move with caution on any further action on there part of the retire health care issue. Untell all party's show an active roll is solving this very importain issue.

If the council contunies to do what they are doing the other party's will contunie to show a lack of interest on there part because they know the more the council does with out there involment the less they have to give up.

Friday, April 20, 2007

Giving away money.

If there is one thing our city council is good at it is giving away money. Now it looks like they maybe two more things they will just give money away for.

The first is they are looking are rehiring Samborski to run Bayfront after firing him just about a month ago. I don't get it they could not have gone out and looked for new promoters to run the park, I would urge the council not to rehire him. The second issue with Mr. Samborski is now he is asking the city to give him 50,000 dollars to help with cost of the 75,000 Duluth Fourth Fest, he say's he has lost money do not having the blue's fest. Samborski added after this year he would look to have a not for profit fundraising to raise money for the fourth fest.

There are a couple of issues here one, is the fact they are even thinging of rehiring some one they were unhappy with, just a month ago. The second is that you need to find other ways to fund the fourth fest for this year.

The Duluth News Tribune has a couple of good story's about these issues in there paper today. www.duluthnewstribune.com

Yet in another bone head idea is to give 2,000 to a jazz fest. The idea was brought up by council Stover. It seems like this has some councilors worried and it should.

I have nothing against jazz, but many councilors thing this would be bad to do because then any group could come and ask for money and use well you gave money to a jazz fest but you won't support our fest. It makes sence that if one group gets then others would ask as well. We can't be passing out money we don't have or using on things we don't need to be.

Supporting an event or making sure our city is running right, what is better?

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Sick

There has not been as many post the last weeks as I would like. I have notbeen feeling well . I was feeling better for a few days, now I am back to feeling yuckie again.

I will post as much as I can, or as there is news to report.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Wal-Mart update:

My Wal-mart source has informed me that Hemntown sill wants Wal-mart to remain in there city. The city gets so much of it's tax base from it.

There is a couple of sites in Hermntown that the city would like Wal-Mart to consider. My source also told me he thought as this point, there was only about a 50-50 shoot of Wal-Mart staying in Hernmtown.

The source did however disclose that Wal-Mart would like to stay with 10 miles of the there current site.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Greg Gilbert for Mayor.

Sorry this will be a short post because I have to get ready for work.

Gilbert will announce he is in for Mayor this morning. I will not beable to attend the announcement but hope to have more info later this afternoon.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Twins Killed again.

What more do I need to say.

www.espn.com

www.foxsports.com

www.mntwins.com

Nelson- Comments on slavery comments.

Okay so two county board members had a pissing match over the possible smoking ban.

Bill Kron and Keith Nelson had an converstation over representing there areas, about the smoking ban and in that time slavery came up.

Kron asked Nelson if he would support slavery if the people he represents wanted him to, after waiting to speak and reply to Kron, Nelson said he would if that is what the majority wanted. That is all and it was of course taken out of context.

Nelson's point was he would support what his area wanted him to do. It was a fight first started by Kron and people are making Nelson look like the bad guy.

What would you expect by the left and the unions.

The discussion lead to the passing a dumb code of conduct. That passed 5-2, with two board members have common sence. Kieth Nelson and Fink both voted against it.

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Maybe this is the person that will annouce tomorrow.

If you remember earlier this week I reported that a source said yet another person would be in the running for mayor, now another source may revieled there name to us and some of there ways of campaigning.

The guy this source reveveld was Jim Pratt he has not yet had a formal annoucement so I am thinking it maybe the one tomorrow. It seems like this guy has some noble ways of campaigning, however I am not sure he can win with these ways.

1. No signs

2. You can only donate $1.00 to his campaign. If you choose to do more it will be donated to charity.

I like the ideas of his campaiging but again I am not sure it will work.

We will have more on this as it develops. There may just be some to vote for after all.

Here is the link to the story earlier in the week:http://duluthpolitics.blogspot.com/2007/04/duluth-mayor-list-to-grow-to-4.html

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Just in case.

This is just in case I don't have a chance to post anything between now and tomorrow.

I will be out of town for easter, leaving friday night. Going to St.Cloud for the weekend.

Just in case I don't have a oppertunity to post, I wanted to wish everyone a happy easter. Have a safe weekend and remember what the holiday is all about.

I will try to post again before I leave. I am sure I will but you never know.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Sports notes

Well the baseball season has started for the Minnesota Twins. As early as the season is the twins are 2-0 and have looked good. I am excited about this years twins team. I expect alot of the team this year.

I think there will win the central, and hopefuly make it out of the first round of the playoffs. I know the twins are hoping for post season succese.

The Duluth Huskies baseball teams does not start for a bit yet. There however had a big annoucement yesterday. It was made at they office in downtown Duluth.

The annoucement was about a formor player, and that he had made it on an opening day major league team roster.

Here is the player and the team he will play for, Joe Bisenius has made the Major League roster for the Philadelphia. Joe pitched for the Huskies in there very first year which was 2003. He had seven starts for the team. His record was 3-1 with a 3.60 era.

Best of luck to Joe in the big leagues.

Can't wait to get back out to the wade and see our Duluth Huskies in action this summer.

Don Ness.

Well it's that time again already. It's election time, yes however early it is we decide who the next mayor will be and some have already tossed there name in the hat. That is not a problem at all.

One candidate Don Ness is going to hold a kickoff party tomorrow at porters located inside the holiday center. The event will start at 1p.m. and Don will make a short speech at 1:30 p.m.

If you want to go that is the info for the get together. More thoughts later.

Just some notes.

As you have noticed I have been in the process of updating the blog. Well doing so I have made some changes.

The links are located at the bottom of the page. There will be more linking coming as well. You will also not a couple of boxs for Unity 08, it is a site you should check out. The purpose is to bring politics back to the people, and elect a president that not a far left or right person but some one people want to see run this country not just the big political movers and shakers. You will also notice ads now on the blog new the bottom as well. So go ahead and click away on them if you so desire to do so.

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Wal-Mart to move from Hermantown

Yet a different source has told me that it is very likly that Wal-Mart will leave Hermantown.

As Wal-Mart looks to build a super center of it's Hermantown store, it may not remain there. Early reports are the store would move out of Hermantown, but stay in the area. Leading places to relocate include Duluth and Proctor.

You heard it here first, Hermantown to lose Wl-Mart we will follow this story as it develops.

Superior Mayor.

Superior Mayor David Ross won re-election. The race was not even close, Mayor Ross had better then 60% of the vote.

Kind of funny, Isn't it?

Just a day or two ago this story was in the Duluth News Trubune

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=38167&section=None

Now today we have this in the paper, http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=39115&section=News

Ohwell what do you do?

Source: www.duluthnewstribune.com

Blame game.

At mayor Bergson's press confrence he played the belame game. He blamed the city council for draging there feet and not dealing with real issues, now in some way that is right but mostly incorrect.

Mayor Bergson it is you that we should blame on the retiree health care issue, you said you were going to make unpopular decions yet you have done nothing. The council has taken up the issue as much as they can to this point, but it is you mayor that has the ball. The council can do little at this time.

It is my hope that the council reject help from the state because all you are doing is giving the unions what they want, and that is they have to do noting including renagation of contracts at this point. That is your job not the city councils.

Mayor Bergson also used the sad excuse of wanting to spend more time with his family. If you member a number of years ago now he used that as a reason to not run again for Mayor of Superior. He then came over here and ran for City Council that allowed for no time with his family, yet again.

Bergson said he was burned out, I would say you are in way over your head!!!!!!!

Monday, April 02, 2007

Mayor Bergson will not run again.

For a second time, Duluth Mayor Herb Bergson called a press confrence to say he would not run for re-election.

This time the press confrence was at 11 A.M. , he again felt the need to call a confrence to say he would not run. I do understand why he called a second confrence because of the earlier statment made by business leaders that wanted him to run for a second term. However unless he was going to announce he was running I don't see the need of a second news confrence.

More on this later.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Who might run for mayor?

Here is a list of people that may run for Mayor this time around. what are your thoughts?

Current councilors:

Russ Stover

Greg Gilbert

Tim Little

Jim Stauber

Current county board members:

Steve O'niel

Dennise Fink (Not likely but maybe)

Others:

Kim McKay

Frank Jewell

John Donahue

Niel Atkins

What are your thoughs on any of these people and do you think anyone else may run?

April First

Well as you know today is april 1st and that means April fools day.

I thought of putting a post up today that said I was in the running for the city council race in the 3rd distrect. Then later today posting that it was an April fools joke, I thought better of it and decided not to do that. I think it would have been funny however.