What I'll Be Saying Tonight

by: TwoPuttTommy

Tue Jun 15, 2010 at 17:50:00 PM CDT

And as Joe posted earlier, Young is DEFINITELY taking more heat; the 4th - 4th - Strib story on this scandal is here.

There's an "Open Podium" at 6:30 pm, before tonight's 7:00 pm Council Meeting.  I'm supposed to speak first, as I was the first to sign up, but:  GOPer Young turned the gavel over to a fellow GOPer so we'll see how that works out!

TheUpTake might be streaming it live; go over there around 6:15 and take a look to see if you can watch the ol' TwoPutter deliver the following remarks!

(remarks below the fold...)

Prepared Remarks - Open Podium, Eden Prairie City Council Chamber, 15 June 2010

I'M TOMMY JOHNSON I LIVE ON (redacted)  I WAS TOLD I HAD 3 MINUTES;  THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTING TO SPEAK SO I'LL DO IT IN 2.  MY FAMILY MOVED TO EDEN PRAIRIE IN 1960.  I MOVED BACK TO EDEN PRAIRIE WITH MY WIFE BECAUSE IT'S A WONDERFUL CITY AND THE EXCELLENT SCHOOLS.

THE SCHOOLS WERE EXCELLENT AND THE CITY WONDERFUL BECAUSE OF THE EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP IN BOTH.

LEADERSHIP MATTERS.  WORDS AND ACTIONS MATTER.  REAL LEADERS - LIKE VIER WOOD, PAUL SHEA, CURT CONNAUGHTY AND OTHERS IN THE SCHOOLS; LIKE DON ROGERS, THE REV. GARY PETERSON, DR. JEAN HARRIS,  AND ALL OF THE PREVIOUS MAYORS LEADING THIS CITY - THEY SET THE EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.

I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE OF A FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP - SOMEONE WHO TALKED THE TALK BUT DIDN'T WALK THE WALK -  MAYOR PHIL YOUNG.  IN 2OO6, THEN MAYORIAL CANDIDATE PHIL YOUNG'S WEBSITE PROCLAIMED:

"RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP"

CANDIDATE YOUNG'S WEBSITE READ, AND I QUOTE:

'I HAVE WORKED WITH OTHER METRO AREA ELECTED LEADERS ON ISSUES OF REGIONAL IMPORTANCE'

UPON BECOMING MAYOR YOUNG STOPPED DOING THAT, AND -- UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY -- YOUNG BILLED THE TAXPAYERS FOR MEETINGS HE DID NOT ATTEND.  I HAVE HERE FORMS YOUNG SUBMITTED FOR PAYMENT

ONE IS A MISTAKE.   TWO IS A COINCIDENCE.   14 MONTHS IN A ROW IS A PATTERN.   26 IS INEXCUSABLE.

THIS MATTER IS NOT ABOUT WHETHER PHIL IS A NICE GUY; HE IS.  THIS MATTER IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP.  WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE HAS PHIL SET FOR THE CITY'S EMPLOYEES?  THE CITY'S VENDORS?

THIS MATTER IS ABOUT A MAYOR THAT FALSELY SIGNED DOCUMENTS FOR AT LEAST 26 MEETINGS - THERE MAY BE MORE.  PLYMOUTH POLICE INVESTIGATED THOSE MEETINGS - AND ONLY THOSE MEETINGS. THE PLYMOUTH POLICE FORWARDED THEIR FINDINGS FOR POSSIBLE FELONY PROSECUTION JUST ON THOSE MEETINGS.  THE INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO CONTINUE.

PERJURY, FELONY, AND MISDEMEANOR ARE WORDS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD BE CONNECTED TO AN EDEN PRAIRIE MAYOR'S ACTIONS.  ACTIONS MATTER.  LEADERSHIP MATTERS.  SURE, PHIL'S  A NICE GUY ---  BUT HE NEEDS TO RESIGN.

PLEASE CONVEY MY MESSAGE TO MAYOR YOUNG.  THANK YOU.
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