[Mpls] Strib Park Board meeting report

[Chris Johnson]

List Manager wrote:

>Olson named President, one-year contract for Gurban approved....plus some
>blow-by-blow...
>
>http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4298850.html
>
>David Brauer
>List manager
>  
>
Rochelle Olson's article is mostly accurate, as well as being extremely 
fair and even-handed to the scoundrels who really don't deserve such 
kind treatment:  Olson, Dziedzi, Hauser, Kummer and Fine.

However, Rochelle missed one very important and significant point.  She 
wrote:

``Olson then had his chance to speak, but he had no prepared remarks. 
Instead he leaned back in his chair, turned to Erwin and said 
dismissively, "That was a great reelection speech, John."

Olson continued, "I was honored when you called me on Sunday and said I 
should be president and you should be vice president."

(Erwin shook his head during the meeting and later said Olson had 
mischaracterized the conversation.)

"Sometimes I think you get a little overanxious on things and you need 
to step back a little bit," Olson said. ''


When I heard Jon Olson make the statement about John Erwin, I was 
astonished.  Could Erwin really have spoken with Olson on the phone and 
suggested that Olson be president, and he, Erwin, vice-president?

What Rochelle Olson importantly failed to report is that Commissioner 
Vivian Mason had the same question and later put Jon Olson on the spot 
and forced him to clarify that remark on the record.  Under Mason's 
questioning Jon Olson admitted that no, John Erwin had not in fact 
suggested that he (Olson) be president.

So not only was Jon Olson incapable of giving any kind of coherent 
statement regarding his nomination, but he falsely implied that Erwin 
agreed that Olson should be president prior to the vote being taken.

Leaving that misrepresentation standing, except for the above 
parenthetical comment about Erwin is a serious lapse in giving a 
complete picture of what transpired at the meeting.

Chris Johnson
Fulton