Saint Paul/ RICO Lawsuit Update "Motion for Sanctions"
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posted by Bob at Thursday, February 28, 2008
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Thursday, February 28, 2008
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152 Comments:
Hi All,
There maybe copy errors.
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
DISTRICT OF MINNESOTA
Frank J. Steinhauser, III, et al., Civil No. 04-2632
JNE/SRN
Plaintiffs,
v. PLAINTIFFS’ JOINT
RENEWED MOTION FOR
City of St. Paul, et al., SANCTIONS
Defendants.
Sandra Harrilal, et al., Civil No. 05-461
JNE/SRN
Plaintiffs,
v.
Steve Magner, et al.,
Defendants.
Thomas J. Gallagher, et al., Civil No. 05-1348
JNE/SRN
Plaintiffs,
v.
Steve Magner, et al.,
Defendants.
Plaintiffs in the above-referenced cases, with the exception of Plaintiffs Bee Vue and Lamena Vue, respectfully renew their motion for sanctions against Defendants herein pursuant to the Court’s inherent power and pursuant to Rule 37 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Case 0:04-cv-02632-JNE-SRN Document 161 Filed 02/25/2008 Page 1 of 5
2
Procedure. Plaintiffs’ motion for sanctions is based upon:
(1) Defendants’ spoliation of relevant evidence including: failure to place a “litigation hold” on relevant evidence including electronically maintained correspondence and documentation and housing inspection records;
(2) Defendants’ destruction of a substantial volume of relevant evidence during the litigation herein;
(3) Defendants’ intentional non-disclosure of City documents related to the City’s long standing, close relationship, contractual and otherwise, to the St. Paul Public Housing Agency, in violation of the Court’s November 13, 2007 production Order;
(4) Defendants’ intentional non-disclosure of certain other relevant evidence that was subject to Plaintiffs’ discovery requests to Defendants but which Defendants intentionally failed to disclose to Plaintiffs, including multiple evaluations conducted in 2006 by City code enforcement personnel of large representative samplings of 2005 Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing inspection reports and the City’s determination from those evaluations that at least 60 percent of the single family and duplex homes in the City had serious code deficiencies, as Plaintiffs had claimed;
(5) Defendants’ violation of the Court’s November 13, 2007 Order, by production on January 9, 2008, of electronic evidence in a different format than required by the parties’ stipulation and Court’s order;
(6) Defendants’ intentional failure to timely disclose that Defendants’ had deleted most of Andy Dawkins’ emails and other electronic documentation; that the emails of Susan
Case 0:04-cv-02632-JNE-SRN Document 161 Filed 02/25/2008 Page 2 of 5
3
Kimberly, a key official in the City’s “problem property” and housing related policies, had been deleted in 2006; that many of the email boxes of Defendants and other officials and employees’ had a shocking lack of emails from periods prior to December 2005 contrary to claims by counsel for Defendants;
(7) Defendants’ intentional delay in the redaction of claimed “private data” from the “attorney eyes” only raw emails selected by Plaintiffs under the parties’ stipulation; delayed production by Defendants of the “redacted emails” for use by Plaintiffs in this motion; Defendants produced the redacted emails to Plaintiffs on Friday, February 22, 2008, one business day before the deadline for Plaintiffs to file this renewed motion for sanctions;
(8) Other conduct by Defendants and their counsel in violation of discovery rules following the March 2, 2007 discovery cutoff; and
(9) The prejudice to Plaintiffs from said improper conduct.
Plaintiffs, as part of this motion, respectfully request a further order of the Court as follows:
1.
Findings by the Court that the destroyed documents were relevant to Plaintiffs’ claims, that the destruction of said documents occurred during the litigation, that the destruction has prejudiced Plaintiffs, and that Defendants’ conduct constituted spoliation of evidence and willful non-disclosure of relevant documents subject to the Court’s Order mandating disclosure;
2.
Entering sanctions against Defendants for their spoliation and willful non-disclosure of relevant evidence, including, but not limited to:
Case 0:04-cv-02632-JNE-SRN Document 161 Filed 02/25/2008 Page 3 of 5
4
a.
entering judgment against Defendants and in favor of Plaintiffs on the issues of liability;
b.
entering judgment against Defendants and in favor of Plaintiffs on the issues of damages;
c.
entering monetary sanctions against Defendants and/or their counsel for spoliation of evidence and non-disclosure of relevant evidence;
d.
in the alternative, ordering dismissal of Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment herein;
e.
in the alternative, making an adverse inference against Defendants and in favor of Plaintiffs as part of Defendants’ Motions for Summary Judgment;
f.
in the alternative, directing factual findings in favor of Plaintiffs;
g.
imposing an adverse inference instruction to the jury at trial;
h.
awarding Plaintiffs their attorney’s fees, expert fees, costs and expenses incurred by Plaintiffs as a result of Defendants’ wrongful conduct including all attorney’s fees incurred by Plaintiffs since the close of discovery on March 2, 2007;
i.
for such other and further relief as the Court deems just and equitable and that will otherwise restore Plaintiffs to the same position they would have been in absent Defendants’ spoliation, non-disclosure of relevant evidence, and conduct in violation of the court order and rules.
Case 0:04-cv-02632-JNE-SRN Document 161 Filed 02/25/2008 Page 4 of 5
5
This renewed motion for sanctions is based upon the motion filings submitted by Plaintiffs in their original motion for sanctions, arguments by Plaintiffs’ counsel at the August 20, 2008, hearing, Plaintiffs’ joint memorandum of law and affidavits in support of their renewed motion for sanctions to be filed herein, evidence and arguments presented at the hearing on this renewed motion, and upon all the files, records and other proceedings herein.
SHOEMAKER & SHOEMAKER, P.L.L.C.
Dated: February 25, 2008 By: /s/ John R. Shoemaker
John R. Shoemaker (Attorney Lic. #161561)
Centennial Lakes Office Park
7701 France Avenue South, Suite 200
Edina, Minnesota 55435
(952) 841-6375
Attorneys for Plaintiffs Steinhauser, et. al. Attorneys for Plaintiffs Harrilal, et. al.
AASE, ENGEL & KIRSCHER, PLLC
Dated: February 25, 2008 By: /s/ Matthew A. Engel
Matthew A. Engel (Attorney Lic. #315400)
11282 86th Avenue North
Maple Grove, Minnesota 55369
T: (763) 416-9088
F: (763) 416-9089
Attorney for Plaintiffs Gallagher, et. al.
Case 0:04-cv-02632-JNE-SRN Document 161 Filed 02/25/2008 Page 5 of 5
The weight of evidence continues to mount, and it will only increase further in the future.
Bob, you might consider having the scales of justice on your website start to slant toward "GUILTY".
With a ruling from court that send it stuff back to them.
Tell them that are in the wrong.
That is city council. And now with
new motions. Now peolpe can see
how screw up the city council is.
Mr & Mrs Taxeprayer will pay big time. For the city screw ups.
Let pass more dumb laws and try to screw with more people.
Dan B. needs his ass kick. For all that bull shit that pull over the people of St.Paul.
Kathy L. Need to just to go jail do not pass and collect $200.00.
Leslie K. Lucht
Looks like the city council needs to find some new scapegoats to blame for their lack of ledership and inactions. Just reading this makles me think the city ig uuilty as charged. People with nothing to hide do not play games with the evidence.
Isn't it refreshing to hewar people say it the way it is!
The plaintiffs lawyers should go down to the code enforcement division of the fire department and
research the inspections activities
directed towards the PHA.
Does the freedom of information act
permit the kind of access that the defendants city or fire department code enforcement wont permit ?
What was the result of the immunity
claims by the city in this case ?
That issue should have been addressed by now and probably this case will be settled without a trial and that the city admits no wrong doing and the tax payers will pay just like in the case of the Ramsey County Sheriffs office
settling the cases with two former employeeslast month .
Jeff Matiatos.
Someone should start a web site and list all the evidence that is electronically filed.Who ever does this should make it easy to read and find the evidence.
Chuck what is going on with your city?
That's what every city does when they get sued is run you aorund and obstruct everything they can for as long as they can and when they can't do it any longer then they pull out the taxpayers checkbook and pony up!
This is pretty much the same motion that they made before. They have no evidence of any wrong doing by the City they claim that they believe that there may be evidence in the emails that were legally destroyed as a matter of data privacy laws of the state of Minnesota. They have ask to get access to those previously destroyed emails that the city now has outside contracts reconstructing for their review and now they are asking for money because the City can't get the contractor to restore the millions of emails made during that time period quick enough.
Like I said there is no case there and the only goal of the suit was to see if the could either get money to go away or get a judgement because the City can't find all of the info ever written over the last ten years.
Nice to see Bee Vue wasn't a part of this. He is the only one in the suit that I had ever worked with and seemed like a serious business person. Maybe the silliness has gotten to much for him.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Where is the basis for getting money? Chuck, please explain how all suits don't end in financial payoffs and that the suit could be, and probably will be thrown out.
Leslie, I'm thinking you probably are in the situation you're in because you're not very smart. Actually, you're very dumb.
Chuck,
The court gave the defendant city so much time to produce the e-mails.
The court already determined that the city had on purpose, destroyede-mails that by law were supposed to have been kept or maintained.
That is why more depositions were permitted at the citys (TAXPAYERS)
expence.
Now, the city maintains it can,t recover what it originally destroyed on purpose ?
This is court my friend and their are rules of discovery and consequences for not complying with them.
The city will have to atone for this, you will see.
Jeff Matiatos
The issue is that the plaintiffs have yet to show is that there was the potential of anything relevent to all of their claims in the emails.
As you can see from the last post this is and has been their great hope for money is in asking for every piece of paper and every email ever written by every City employee ever and when they can not all be produced then they hope to get cash.
For this to happen the judge has to believe that there is something in the documents that can't be found that is worth something. Since to this point there isn't anything anywhere that has yet been able to explain how this grand conspiracy works and how it benefits the City, I still hold out hope that the judge will stick to that measure and deny (or hold until the future) this motion like he did the last one.
If that occurs then the plaintiffs are back where they were before wtih nothing but over active imaginations and no money.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck a surprise is coming real soon.
Chuck,
The plaintiffs cases don't rest entirely on those e-mails.
The depositions and witnesses testimony are in addition to whatever the e-mails may or may not reveal.
Magner and friends have enough garbage on their faces that even a bum trash digger couldnt tell the difference.
The citys strategey is to evade, stall, and cover up.
The plaintiffs are the ones on the offencive and the city is running and trying to escape.
You cant possibly know the outcome Chuck because you are on the outside looking in just like me and others here.
Why hasnt the courts granted immunity ?
I have sued the state and they escaped on immunity grounds, I know the issue very well.
Why havent the defendants city been granted immunity ?
If the city had any brains, they could escape discovery by getting immunity granted.
Hasn't happened .
Jeff Matiatos
And won't happen either! Just to educate you a little on what happens when you get sued Chuck, you can't go out and start destroying evidence and then show up and say you are immune and have the case dismissed. The city had a duty to keep the information they destroyed just as any other person in a lawsuit would have. The fact they destroyed it makes it much more believeable that there was information in those emails that was harmful to the city. I am suprised you don't understand this very basic principal Chuck, not to mention the logic and common sense element of it. Are you retarded?
Repke is "old school".....a good Attorney will argue the facts when he has the law on his side....when he has only the facts, then he would argue the law.....when he has neither the facts or the law, then he calls the other side a "Schmuck!"
People, normally what happens is when a govermental entity is sued,
some kind of immunity is usually plead by the government.
This is done to dispose of the matter so that the case does not erronuosly go to trial when it doesnt have to, because of immunityand to avoid legal costs .
I do recall something about the cities having plead some kind of immunity here.
Someone please clearify this and give us an update as to what happened to this issue ?
Jeff Matiatos.
Usually the immunity deal is right away in the beginning of the lawsuit which the city must have lost in this case because this has been going on for years. You don't get to just go to court and stay there for the rest of your life if you have no evidence. With as many people who are suing there has to be something to these lawsuits that hasn't been let out of the bag yet or they wouldn't be hanging around for this long. The destruction of evidence tells me eveything I need to know about who's right and who's wrong.
Chuck a surprise is coming soon!
Doesnt this sound like the exxon case where the oil company was sued for punitive damages for the alaska oil spill in 1989 ?
18 years later a lawyer(s) who helped try the case is dead and witnesses / parties dead or not around ?
Like the drunk ass guy who ran the ship aground killed himself.
Maybe the city is betting that the plaintiffs here will just croak.
I believe that in a year or less this case will settle out of court to spare having magner and company testify and this whole thing blows up.
I wouldnt want to be the mayor of this town when shit hits the fan.
Jeff Matiatos
Try again. This is a RICO case a racketeering case. What the plaintiffs are saying is that the City was running a racket trying to close down landlords to benefit PHA. The Feds won't give immunity in that because if true whoever is accused is acting outside of their legal roll, so no immunity.
What the issue is here is that in all of these things that have been posted from the case, the landlords still hasn't said how the alledged action benefits PHA and why the Mayor or the staff of City hall would attempt to benefit PHA if the landlords could ever tell how PHA benefitted.
So, what we have seen so far are stories of people who say they have been hurt by the City's actions and the suggestion that not all people are inspected exactly the same way on the same day and the fact that staff people (heaven forbid) talk to each other, but we still haven't a clue what the benefit to PHA is and why the City would want to be involved in this "racket."
That remains a mystery and a part of the paranoid delution of the plaintiffs.
Again, there is no merrit to the suit, there isn't going to be anything anywhere that would ever explain why the City would want to put tax paying landlords out of business to support tax sucking PHA. The idea is insane. But, none the less that is the case.
Now that isn't saying that the lawyer's didn't do a smart move by asking for all of these emails after they were already deposing people, because the City had gone along and deleated emails in their normal fashion and the judge has said, no they should have hung on to them. That is why they are having the tape reconstructed.
I have said before that is the only potential for money, but it would have nothing to do with the merrit of the case.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
There's a lot of predjudice here in the twin cities Repke and the city just happen to get caught showing their hand. Problem is they showed it to the wrong people!
I think that it is great that Chuck has the balls to post the things that he does, and even uses his name. It gives everyone else someone to poke fun at. Now that Bill Dahn is no longer the village idiot on the blog, there is only Chuck left.
Chuck, please continue to post. It is pure entertainment to when you reveal your educated PhD. (pile high and deep) to all us "normal uneducated" folks.
Repke I was thinking of how you back the citys tactics and rule these past 8 years.
But if you believe they have had great city policy please could you explain how the city is better off now then 8 years ago?Please don't spin us on the sub prime lending,please!
Facts are facts and the way I see it as I drive St.Paul for proof the city has made progress,I see "SHIT".This current and past officials destroyed this city and I see more to come.
Please Chuck tell us all how we're better off now that the city has rid us of these so called slumlords.
Tim Ciani
Good point Tim.Chuck do you have a answer?
Sid
Tim and Sid - here is the difference I don't think the City has rid the City of slumlords or anything else.
What the City attempted to do was to respond quicker and stronger to properties that habitually had complaints. They did that because the vast majority of citizens wanted them to.
They are elected to do the public's will and that was what they were doing. People had been leaving town because they were fed up with the trashed houses and owners that exploit the poor. So, they drew a line in the sand. They said if you reached a certain level of complaints they were going to pay closer attention to you... and they did.
I have heard the whine from Bob before that the City and cops and god knows who else were poluting the citizens minds to turn out by the hundreds and demand action from the City to get tough on these guys who won't keep up their properties. (Must be how the conspiracy works to they drug them all to think that there are problems with these properties.)
But, there has been a consistant cry from the public to not tolorate problem properties. The government only does what the citizens want. In EVERY election the city council candidates fight over who will enforce the law stricter on problem properties.
It has actually been the city staff that has been the voice of caution and process. The elected official would be more than glad to give the public what it wants, which is a few of these owners heads on stakes outside of the court house. I can't tell you how many times I have listen to people who's entire life savings are in their house crying on the phone about the hell some ass hole that lives in Hopkins or North Oaks are putting them through. They can't understand why the City doesn't arrest them and through them in jail or make them live in one of their shit holes.
That is just the facts...
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
I'm just owndering Chuck.....do the neighbors ever wonder why the city doesn't arrest the tenants who are destroying the property and running it into the ground?
No I didn't think so....they just go through the back door and have the city council do their racist bidding for them. You see Chuck..it's not about the house and it's codes, it's about racist neighbors using the city to rid the neighborhood of every low income black person.....and they do it gladly with a smile....the "Minnesota Nice" way.
I've been to neighborhood meetings.
The city always has a representative there. (citizen or official)They speak before anyone else does and they set the tone to blame landlords and businesses for crime.
This is the city's solution to crime and it is their crime strategy. Get rid of the rental property or labeled bad business and crime will decrease. "BLAME OTHERS" for their inability to have an effective crime strategy to address the drug war. Who cares who's rights are violated RIGHT, just as long as it isn't mine. Maybe tomorrow it will be YOUR rights violated then we will see how you feel.
When DSI has inspected and brought up to code all the rental properties, we will be left with this BIG bureaucracy with nothing to do. THEN, they will be knocking on single family homesteads doors to ask for a peek inside.
No they won't, The landlords are going to put and end to their code enforcement program.
Chuck said,"What the City attempted to do was to respond quicker and stronger to properties that habitually had complaints. They did that because the vast majority of citizens wanted them to."
In EVERY election the city council candidates fight over who will enforce the law stricter on problem properties.
Ciani says,"The vast majority?Your statement is vast.Thats like more then 50% of the citizens of St.Paul.Didn't Thune get something like 1,700 votes.Thats vast?So say all 1,700 voters wanted every landlord out of business thats not even close to being vast for his ward.Get real chuck."
Fine the city officials waved their wand and did all what the citizens wanted.Answer the damn question spinner.How is St.Paul better today then 8 years ago.
Folks Chuck has a tough time with real questions.
Tim Ciani
The citys going to get smoked like a fatty!
Travis
Chuck when it takes you so long to answer the simple questions you start looking like a fraud.
Tim Ciani
Tim, Tim, Tim...
The guy Thune ran against had as one of his campaign issues that Thune was to easy on problem properties.
Chuck
Chuck still skirts around the question of are we better off today then 8 years ago?
The answer is easy.HELL NO!!
Tim Ciani
Chuck said,"Tim, Tim, Tim...
The guy Thune ran against had as one of his campaign issues that Thune was to easy on problem properties."
Ciani says,"So heavy handed code enforcement wasn't much of a concern of the public after all or Thune would have lost."
Tim Ciani
Chuck I'd be willing to bet that their are now more so called problem properties in Thunes ward now than there was 8 years ago.We can thank Kelly, Dawkins and the council for spreading it throughout the whole city like wildfire.
Tim Ciani
Tim,
It all depends for the homeowners near the demo'd properties, I'd guess yes. For all of those who are suffering from being next to all of the foreclosed flippers, I'd say no.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Hows the city as a whole doing Chuckie?17 million in the hole.Property taxes going up-Property values going down.Housing stock looks like its in rougher shape then 8 years ago.Condo projects that cost tax payers money that failed and sit vacant.(Like yours)Wow.I'd say this group of city policy makers are doing a hell of a job.In the real world Chuck.Like the business world ,people get fired for these kinds of results.But I guess all the Dave Thune supporters know what they want.
Chuck take your foot out of your mouth please.
Tim Ciani
I just don't understand how the council and Chuck think. It is so backwards it is unbelievable. I've got to hand it to you Chuck, it takes a rare talent to spin things around like you and the council. But in the end, I see jail time for members of the council, city officials and inspectors. And I am so anxious to see the end.
Tim - like I said looks like those Saint Paul Code enforsement people created the entire forecloser mess in Nevada, Ohio, California, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, Texas... because Saint Paul doesn't even come close to having the forecloser problems that other states are having.
Buy a clue!
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Chuck its enforcement.And another thing little man-Did you ever think that maybe the citys tactics didn't help the situation.Did you ever think that they made the mess worse?Chuck its so easy to say sub prime,flippers and so on.Does the city own any ownership in this mess?Dr.Phil would say so.
Chuck I don't have money do you think the city will give me tax dollars like you get,to buy a clue?
S.A.I.N.T. P.A.U.L.
S-SELFISH
A-ARROGANT
I-IRRESPONSIBLE
N-NEGATIVE
T-TAINTED
P-POWER HUNGRY
A-ARBITRARY
U-UNREASONABLE
L-LAWSUITS
If we can get a preliminary ruling from Judge Judy, then I'd say that'll about wrap it up here.
Chuck we have all heard the same old same old arguments from you. You just don't have anything new to say just the same old BS. You are closed minded due to your position with the city.
You are a part of the privileged class.
It is hard to visualize you even opening your mind to a different path of thought.
We have all seen many examples of how the city has abused their power. We have all heard the stories, but you still are unconvinced. I do not know what else to say to a person who is as closed minded as you are.
Bob, Tim and the rest of us have all tried our best to try and educate you, but we have failed.
Your arguments are stale and there is nothing that is going to change your mind. This conversation is pointless, as you disagree with everything we say.
I was over at Mancini's tonight and as I talked to Pat it hit me like a ton of bricks, you are just full of it and no matter what we say you are still going to be full of it.
You are going to continue your discriminatory attitudes on our poor of our city, as your arguments state the same. Nothing will change your mind. The DFL controlled city is going to continue with their discriminatory attitude towards the poor and nothing we say is going to change this way of thinking.
Chuck,
According to Chuck, all city government is pure and good.
Enjoy the following article:
Maplewood / Judge says city firing illegal HR director who tried to form union gets $185,000
By Tad Vezner
tvezner@pioneerpress.com
Article Last Updated: 03/01/2008 12:11:11 AM CST
A Ramsey County judge ruled Friday that Maplewood city officials illegally fired one of their employees because she attempted to form a union and made whistleblowing allegations protected under state law.
Former city human resources director Sheryl Le was awarded $184,714 by District Judge Kathleen Gearin. The award represents two years of back and future pay and benefits. She also was awarded attorney's fees, yet to be determined.
Le, of Lino Lakes, worked for the city from 1994 to 2006. She was fired in August 2006 by newly appointed City Manager Greg Copeland, who claimed Le was unprofessional.
That year, Mayor Diana Longrie and two council members, Erik Hjelle and Rebecca Cave, fired the former city manager and hired Copeland without a search. Longrie and the two council members formed a coalition that gave them a 3-2 majority.
Copeland then fired Le and eliminated the jobs of several other managers, all of whom were behind an effort to unionize. Le took the lead in forming a managing bargaining unit; the employees' union was legally recognized in October 2006.
Among Gearin's "findings of fact":
-- "It was clear ... that the reason for elimination of the positions (including Le's) was largely due to the employees' decision to form a union."
-- Le's firing was a violation of Minnesota's whistleblower law. Le had reported possible violations of the open meeting law, data practices laws and conflict of interest law.
-- Le complained about a possible conflict of interest regarding votes by Hjelle and Cave in 2006 regarding increasing funding for the pension plan for firefighters. Hjelle was a paid-per-call firefighter, as was Cave's husband. Both men resigned as firefighters for the duration of the vote, then were reinstated the next day, according to the judge.
Reached Friday evening, Hjelle said that the judge was misinformed and that he had recused himself from the votes.
"This judge was simply lied to ... I'm sorry that a judge was stupid enough to believe (Le). But I guarantee you no one will hold (Le) accountable (for alleged perjury), because that's how things work around here," he said.
Le said she earned Copeland's ire after giving the results of Copeland's background check to council members in sealed envelopes. An initial criminal history check had turned up information the city's police chief believed "was controversial and potentially embarrassing to Mr. Copeland," according to the judge.
At Le's urging, a more extensive check was done by Deputy Police Chief John Banick, who also was dismissed by Copeland.
"Mr. Copeland resented her persistence. He remains sensitive and defensive about the background report. His testimony on this issue was not credible," Gearin wrote.
"The inclusion of this controversial financial and employment information upset Mr. Copeland and his supporters on the Council," who considered the confidential report "unfair and biased," Gearin wrote, adding, "Banick's testimony was credible."
Le and Copeland did not immediately return calls for comment Friday.
Le's attorney, Gregg Carwin, said: "I thought it was significant that all her witnesses were deemed credible, and none of theirs."
Julie Fleming-Wolfe, a St. Paul-based attorney representing the city, said she has yet to make a decision about an appeal.
"We're disappointed in the judge's decision, obviously, and believe that the evidence supported the lawful termination (of Le). I really haven't had a chance to review it enough to comment more than that," she said.
Reached Friday evening, Longrie said, "I haven't had a chance to review (the decision). ... The one thing I got out of it was that I was dismissed from the lawsuit, and I was happy about that."
Gearin stated there was not enough evidence to hold Longrie or Copeland personally liable for the firing.
Le is the second high-ranking former city official to collect money related to Copeland's dismissals.
In a lawsuit filed last year, Banick also accused Longrie, Copeland, Hjelle and Cave of eliminating positions and pressuring employees to resign in retaliation for the employees' efforts to unionize, among other alleged reasons.
In a settlement, Banick agreed to receiving his back pay, plus an annual annuity check for life, in exchange for dropping his claims, according to Banick's attorney, Robert Fowler. Depending on his lifespan, Banick's settlement could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I think you're wrong 2:10....things are going to change, it's just going to take a while. There's been many other cases of injustices in our lifetimes, and it has taken years for them to finally get set straight. All of these cities act the same with respct to people's rights, they just violate your rights whenever they feel like it and they get away with it because people either do not have the money or the time to sue them. Being sued is the only they pay attention to. Almost everyone in the city except for Repke knows what they are doing to people with their code inspections. Hell, even the contractors that do the work on these properties make remarks about it. In the end, the landlords will win...the code inspections department will be under the supervision of the Federal court....Lantry and her gang are going to have their political careers destroyed.... there will be some people who will go to jail and there are some Attorneys that are going to lose their license to practice law. Repke will still be singing the same old song.
Want to know why this town is so corrupt ?
Maybe because our courts let them get away with everything and unless
you hire an attorney to do your work, as a pro-se filer, you will be thrown out of Ramsey District court in a New York Minute.
Take the article on the " Minnesota Lawyer blog where Judge gearin Gave an interview which goes like this :
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Is the day of do it yourself law coming ?
Minnesota Lawyer recently ran an interview with second District Court Judge Kathleen Gearin in which she lamented the rise in
pro se litigants, especially in criminal and complex civil cases.
Gearin Stated in part :
" You're seeing things like pro-se medical malpractice suits, and they're really time consuming "
" The litigants become frustrated because they dont know the law, and they end up making mistakes "
Thats only one reason judges and lawyers sometimes take a dim view of so called do it yourself defendants.
As was pointed out in the Star tribune, lawyers dont appreciate having work taken from them.
Jeff matiatos
10:03 AM,
I hope I am wrong and you are right.
2:10 AM
My point is, I have been before Judge gearin in some of my legal actions against this local Government and the results are consistant with Judge Gearins
attitude towards pro-se litigants as a whole as she has expressed in her interview.
The exception being that I believe I have very good pro-se abilitys
(my spelling sometimes exempt)
which I have attempted to implement
against various governmental agencys .
Even when it seems perfectly clear as to the law and facts, Judge Gearin has always sided with Government when the law and facts were in my favor.
Judge Garin has been the assistant Chief Judge and imagine that her sentiment trickles down to the rest of the Judges with the exception of perhalps a very few
(maybe 3).
Good luck getting sactions against government in this court unless your an attorney .
Jeff Matiatos.
The problem with hiring an Attorney is that most of them are as crooked as the court itself. There are many Attorneys who will not take the case or make a half ass attempt on your case because they know they have to appear before these Judges in the future and they want favorable treatment in those cases or they are out of a job. So they just look the other way and keep taking the money from the cases that are not as politically charged as the ones that go after the government itself.
Thank you 11:23, you hit the nail on the head.
I had one Judge tell me in court
" If you dont like my ruling,then appeal it "
As if I didnt know.
Sometimes though, depending on the issue, when the court is so against you, its not that you should give up, but you wonder if appealing and winning on appeal serves any purpose since you are just remanded back to the same judge who wants to f you and you get more of the same though its worse because you called them and they lost.
Ask Nancy L.
Jeff Matiatos
Chuck the city's worse off today.I see more gangbangers running the streets.I once thought that taking their housing away was a good thing.But now that I have heard both sides my opinion is changing.Yeah thats right.I'm man enough to say it.We should have hired more cops and put these punks in jail.Now we have tons of vacants and still these thugs.The housing stock looks in worse shape.So I think we can all say it was never about the building.It was who was in it.I more than anything wanted these thugs gone.Well going after housing made it worse and we need to admit that and get these punks.Chuck defending failed policy does know one good.We need to change and work with these landlords and cops to change.
George
Want to hear the good news George ?
Yes, St.Paul Police will get the
hundereds of stun guns it wants to go around zapping these gangbangers.
How they going to pay for them ?
Simple. Raise taxes and f more landlords through their corrupt code enforcement.
Good day George.
Jeff Matiatos.
Folks when you see lightning on the streets of St.Paul on a nice summer evening, dont worry, its the St.Paul Police trying out their new zap toys that you all helped pay for with money the city doesnt have. (Stun guns).
At least if your a landlord you can feel good because your the ones paying for it to.
compliments of code enforcements
fund raising tactics and the citys
extortion through parking enforcement and so on.
Jeff Matiatos
Bob, I heard some rumors that the city wants to shut down the dorthy day center so these fn politicians wont have to see the despair during the convention ?
Is this true ?
Someone should look into this.
Jeff Matiatos
George,
Thanks for having an open mind. I saw this mess firsthand. Otherwise, I'd have a hard time believing things could be so screwed up.
Police dont need stun guns, they know how to bully you without them.
Chuck "Clarence Darrrow" Repke opined:
"Again, there is no merrit [sic] to the suit, there isn't going to be anything anywhere that would ever explain why the City would want to put tax paying landlords out of business to support tax sucking PHA."
Heh, we can only hope that C(CD)R's suggested defense is put into play.
Why would the City want to put shut down taxpaying businesses and replace them with tax sucking, store-front social services?
Why would the City want to trash prospective developers in favor of retaining empty buildings and desolate mud flats?
Why would the City levy a combined 23% tax increase on it's hapless citizens in the midst of a full blown housing crisis and a developing recession?
The answer is simple. Mind bending insanity is business as usual for lefty's and the City of Saint Paul is currently being led by an all-star crop of certified, tin-foil hat wearing moonbats.
I'm guessing that before his tenure is through, Chris Coleman will be announcing that St. Paul will be joining the ranks of cities that he, and his ilk have led into bankruptcy.
News leak
On Monday there will be more lawsuits file and new evidences
will be in the new filing.
Words by the city council on how and why they did the code enforcement on the landlords. Why
they wanting their proprety.
And they though no one will challenges them. They said so what if we get sue. The taxeprayer will pay the bill.
so, city council who is giong to pay
for your lawyer for the criminal
charges that will be file in a week
or so.
News leak
HUD asks the U.S. Attorney to investigate St.Paul Public Housing angency and the city of St.Paul.
For it speacial realationship.
To see if there is any truth in the lawsuits that were filed.
Its look like a shit storm going to hit St.Paul soon.
It must be time to move from St.Paul. NOW
Het 6:29, I am going to be filing my own lawsuit against PHA (St.Paul)very soon, could you explain more to us readers or lead me to a source about the specifics
surrounding the issues.
JAM.
7:54
Talk to the RICO boys. One of them was telling me a month or two ago that the Feds were asking them questions. This guy wouldn't say anything more about it, but if HUD is on the job now, it seems pretty obvious who was asking questiona back then.
Where is everybody?
Swiftee,
Great to have Swiftee posting here. We miss him on other Blogs. Swiftee, your statement is 100% CORRECT in many ways.
Swiftee said: Why would the City levy a combined 23% tax increase on it's hapless citizens in the midst of a full blown housing crisis and a developing recession?
(The actual amount is over 40% increase in property taxes in St. Paul. This is including the county and school district levies).
The answer is simple. Mind bending insanity is business as usual for lefty's and the City of Saint Paul is currently being led by an all-star crop of certified, tin-foil hat wearing moonbats.
I'm guessing that before his tenure is through, Chris Coleman will be announcing that St. Paul will be joining the ranks of cities that he, and his ilk have led into bankruptcy.
For some reason I believe this month and next months are biggies.We will know if the Chuck Repkes or the Tim Cianis are right.Its time to put this thing to bed one way or another!
Sid
jam ,
You need to contract lawyer name shoemaker.
He is main lawyer for the landlords that are suing the city.
Thank you 4:p.m.
Jam.
The city keeps stalling and Repke keeps spinning and meanwhile the landlords keep digging for info and interviewing people. Sounds like a fantastic strategy to me! Everyone these guys talk to and everything that gets posted here just advises more and more people that they may have a actionable claim against the city. Anyone want to wager how many lawsuits will have been filed bu next year at this time?
Someone should write the usa today
national paper writers to see if they would do an article or,maybe the media here might ?
Does anybody believe that the St.Paul and Mnlps papers would
write this stuff up or are the papers bought by the city to ?
Jam.
When hell is full, the dead will walk the earth and live in forclosed houses in St.Paul.
Grim.
Either paper here will not say a word about these lawsuits. Even after the landlords win and clean out the city treasury, the papers won't say anything because they don't want people to know what's going on. Who'd believe anything you read in a newspaper anyways? It'a all lies, mistatements and shaded to make you think what the paper wants you to think.
Big news Bob!
I am happy to tell you that an "Advocate Group" for property owners has been assembled. There is a small volunteer staff of law students and they will be alerting every single person who appears before the city council on real estate issues not only of their statutory rights and protections, but also the many pending lawsuits regarding the city's illegal behavior.
We will also be making "Attorney referrals" to some very qualified Attorney's who have agreed to do some pro bono work regarding this issue. If you know of any other Attorneys willing to donate time, please post their names here so they can be included.
Thank you for your service.
I was sure I saw a Randy Kelly lawn sign on Swifties place.
Interesting the selective memories of these GOP'ers.
Nope, no Kelly sign graced the rolling expanse of the greens in front of the Swiftee Manse. But as the lesser of two evils, I voted for him...what's your point?
You know, every time I hear one of St. Paul's "Happy to pay" crew bitch and moan about the ongoing property tax rape that Coleman et. al. have instituted I cannot help but chuckle.
And somewhere out there I know that Randy Kelly is laughing his ass off.
Kinda quiet,isn't it?
Did you RICO guys run out of stuff?
11:47, this is the QUIET before the STORM!!!!
The stench is blowing in from hell and it will be here shortly. Keep checking in.
The end is near council men...
Arrest Magner now and save some face.
Hats off to you 8:21. How can we contact you?
I think the tax increases are to pay for the lawyers fighting the landlords.
11:47 is chuck
They better get a lot more lawyers because the way it looks, there are going to be a lot more lawsuits. I hope 8:21 is not just blowing smoke.
"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JOE REPUBLICAN"
Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.
The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."
Ol' Joe is as clueless as you "Get Rich by RICO Suits" half-twits.
Oh- Swiftee (aka Tom Swift), nice try at lifting the syntax and style of your buddy Tracy over at AntiStrib. Next thing you know, you'll bragging about your cigar and scotch tab at the local strip joint.
You'll find plenty of like minds here.
The "RICO half wits" were self made men also, and I doubt if they are looking to get rich, but they will be made whole again by a jury. Right about then I believe they will be the ones calling you "clueless." And liberals like Lantry and her WILL NOT be running the city any longer.
3:40 PM,
You made assumption that all of these things were the product of liberal Democrats. WRONG.
These standards were made by Democrats and Republicans working together.
Do you think for one minute that unions are made up of just Democrats. WRONG.
Liberals can't claim they protected the environment from evil big business.
I once read a book by Rachel Carlson, Silent Spring. I listened to the teacher and thought all chemicals were bad. That was before I went to college and studied the effects of pesticides and other chemicals on our environment. I used science to cut her book down to size. In the end her book was not worth the paper it was printed on.
Should we talk about the evil Democrats who are big business owners. How they skirt the tax laws to fill their pockets?
3:40 PM what the Democrats are doing to St. Paul is a crime. They are using code compliance to kick out people of a protected class just like they did in the 1960s and 1970s with public housing. Demo the whole block and the people will just go away. Shall we talk about Rondo and how the Democrats kicked these people of the protected class out into the street. Knocked down the whole area to make I94. This is what the DEMOCRAT city council is doing today, only 30 years later.
History repeating itself.
Joe Republican.
Joe R.,
While some republican may have supported these efforts (like the transportation bill), the official position of the republicans was AGAINST each and every one of those successes. Just like the Civil Rights Act, Environment Protection Agency and the Voting Rights Act- all denounced by the Republican leadership and overwhelmingly voted against by a majority of republicans.
The official position of the Democrats were for those issues and they initiated and carried all of them. Did some stray? Yep. Did most stick with the party line- yep. Did most Republicans stick with the party line of being against everything except tax cuts and war? Yes.
Promise the fools riches and tell them well protect them, and its a sure way for Republicans to stay in power.
I'm glad Kathy Lantry, the city council and the city of St Paul is giving SLUMLORDS a hardtime and running their asses out of our city.
First the Republicans, now the slumlords. Good Riddance.
COMMARADES, wir gewinnen den Kampf. Wir stoßen den undesirables aus mit kleinem Widerstand. Die Stadt muss gewinnen! Wir wissen, was am besten für die Leute ist.
Unterzeichnet
Der Fuhrer
Very quiet!!Huston I think we lost the RICO guys.
Very quiet!!Huston I think we lost the RICO guys.
Thats Houston.
RICO to Huston.....we're locked on and waiting
8:02 PM,
A little history lesson for you Democrats.
In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for President under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont." Four years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House.
President Lincoln reached across party lines and formed a cabinet that consisted of individuals from many political parties. Not something that is done today.
During the Civil War, against the advice of his cabinet, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. The Republicans of their day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the Fourteenth, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights for African-Americans.
After the Civil War there was a group called the “Radical Republicans” who worked tirelessly against the “Black Codes” enacted by the Democratic Party of the southern states designed to keep the now free African slaves from living a free life.
The Republican Party also played a leading role in securing women the right to vote. In 1896, Republicans were the first major party to favor women's suffrage. When the 19th Amendment finally was added to the Constitution, 26 of 36 state legislatures that had voted to ratify it were under Republican control. The first woman elected to Congress was a Republican, Jeanette Rankin from Montana in 1917.
Republicans have a long and rich history with basic principles: Individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitled to equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home.
The new “Black Codes” that once were so popular in the south after the Civil War that the Radical Republicans fought against have been reincarnated in the form of new housing code inspections that our Democrat city council has enacted. We haven’t learned from history have we?
Joe Republican
To 8:21 A.M.
How can we contact you. It's urgent.
Thanks
J.R.,
If we cared about history, we'd be paying every black person reparations. That's the past right?
Today, the republicans do nothing to advance civil liberties (Wiretapping bills, Patriot Act, bank monitoring) or civil rights. They vote against anything that resembles freedom in the constitution sense and serve you freedom in the selfish me, me, me way.
Oh and about that last suit:
Mr. McCambell was taken to court by his own tenants over the conditions they had to live under. This wasn't a hundred years ago, it was in the last two years. These tenants were all people of color or single mothers with young children.
The city forced him to make repairs and he was already in the process of trying to file bankruptcy.
That's your savior?
Bobby, you're not the only one with people downtown who can copy records.
You said, “If we cared about history, we'd be paying every black person reparations. That's the past right?”
Do you realize what you have just said? You make a statement with NO facts, just throw it out there. Are you saying all African Americans came from slavery?
Slavery was a very very bad thing. In the 1800s, you had different tribes in Africa whom after taking over a village in battle would send all defeated tribe’s boys and men of fighting age were sold into slavery. Fellow Africans selling their brothers into slavery.
In the south in 1865 you had a bunch of Democrats putting up all kinds of “Black Codes” to keep the freed slaves down. It took visionaries like the Radical Republicans to stop this madness.
Today, we have a situation right here in St. Paul where you have a very liberal, progressive Democrat Party enacting their own form of “Black Codes,” on the poor of St. Paul. This is better known as the new “Housing Codes” enacted last year by the city council.
These Democrats down at city hall are putting many members of a protected class out into the street, just like the Democrats did with Rondo and I94. These Democrats now want the banks to pick up the tab for rehabbing these houses. There are over 1700 vacant homes in St. Paul and any vacant businesses.
Where is the vision in that line of thought? I already know what you are going to say, “these big bad banks have lots of money. It is wrong for them to make money. They should give all of their money away to the poor.”
Tired of the BS the Democratic Party has wrought on Minneapolis and St. Paul. Remember our new Motto. Minneapolis and St. Paul, More To Life.
Joe Republican
To 11:04.....way I hear it is that some overzealous housing advocates got involved and started some shit. All of the 17 tenants )black tenants) with the exception of 2 said the landlord was great and that the 2 complainers didn't want to pay rent that they were months behind on.
Did the city listen.....hell no, they brought invoked the "Black Code."
To 3:40 PM,
DEMOCRATS BELIEVE:
1. Democrats believe that convicted murders must be spared, but innocent unborn babies can be killed on demand.
2. Democrats believe that businesses create oppression, and governments create prosperity.
3. Democrats believe that guns in the hands of law-abiding Americans are more of a threat than nuclear weapons technology in the hands of crazy Iranian and Korean dictators.
4. Democrats believe that there was no art before Federal funding.
5. Democrats believe that global temperatures are more affected by soccer moms driving SUV’s than cyclical, documented changes in the earth’s climate.
6. Democrats believe that gender roles are artificial, but being homosexual is natural.
7. Democrats believe that the AIDS virus is spread by a lack of federal funding.
8. Democrats believe that the same teacher who can’t teach fourth graders how to read is somehow qualified to teach those same kids about sex.
9. Democrats believe that hunters don’t care about nature, but loony activists who have never been outside of San Francisco do.
10. Democrats believe that self-esteem is more important than actually doing something to earn it.
11. Democrats believe the NRA is bad because it supports certain parts of the Constitution, while the ACLU is good because it supports certain parts of the Constitution.
12. Democrats believe that taxes are too low, but ATM fees are too high.
13. Democrats believe that Margaret Sanger and Gloria Steinem are more important to American history than Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Edison, and A.G. Bell.
14. Democrats believe that standardized tests are racist, but racial quotas and set-asides are not.
15. Democrats believe that the only reason socialism hasn’t worked anywhere it has ever been tried is because the right people haven’t been in charge.
16. Democrats believe that homosexual parades displaying drag, transvestites, and bestiality should be constitutionally protected, but manger scenes at Christmas should be illegal.
17. Democrats believe that it’s okay to give Federal workers Christmas Day, off but it’s offensive to say ‘Merry Christmas’.
18. Democrats believe that this message is a part of a vast, right wing conspiracy.
Joe Republican
Interesting that the term black code is being brought up. I've heard landlords talk of inspectors who used term black plague when referring to black renters.
Some of the contributors on this thread have spun into political dogma. If you pick through past records, using 20-20 hindsight, you can distort anything. Both major parties have successes and failures. So what?
This thread is a RICO lawsuit update on "Motion for Sanctions".
And an update it is indeed.....the "Black Code" has been the practice of city officials to get rid of the "Black Plague." They don't like the black folks and they think they have us fooled.
Things Republicans Believe (received anonymously on the net)
Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime,
unless you're a
conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and
you need our prayers for
your recovery.
The United States should get out of the United
Nations, and our highest
national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions
against Iraq.
Government should relax regulation of Big Business
and Big Money but crack
down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the
pain of illness.
"Standing Tall for America" means firing your
workers and moving their jobs
to India.
A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her
own body, but
multi-national corporations can make decisions
affecting all mankind without
regulation.
Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of
homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.
The best way to improve military morale is to praise
the troops in speeches
while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.
Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins unless
you someday run for
governor of California as a Republican.
If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents
won't have sex.
A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our
long-time allies, then
demand their cooperation and money.
HMOs and insurance companies have the interest of
the public at heart.
Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy.
Providing health care
to all Americans is socialism.
Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk
science, but
creationism should be taught in schools.
Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad
guy when Bush's daddy
made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business
with him and a bad guy
when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden"
diversion.
A president lying about an extramarital affair is an
impeachable offense. A
president lying to enlist support for a war in which
thousands die is solid
defense policy.
Government should limit itself to the powers named
in the Constitution,
which include banning gay marriages and censoring
the Internet.
The public has a right to know about Hillary's
cattle trades, but George
Bush's driving record is none of our business.
You support states' rights, which means Attorney
General John Ashcroft can
tell states what local voter initiatives they have a
right to adopt.
What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital
national interest, but what
Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.
Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is
communist, but trade with
China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of
international harmony.
Your court jr.
Someone say tell it to shawn hannity ?
History my good people. History.
Southerners fearing Black political power passed a series of laws in each state called Black Codes. Black Codes enforced in Southern States during Reconstruction prevented freed slaves from exercising many rights.
---------------------------------
The Black Codes
Now that the slaves have become emancipated, it is necessary to pass regulations that preserve public order. These regulations must also preserve the comfort and correct behavior of the former slaves. Therefore, the following rules have been adopted with the approval of the United States military authorities who have commanded this area.
1) Every Negro is required to be in the regular service of some white person or former owner, who shall be held responsible for the conduct of that Negro.
2) No public meetings or congregations of Negroes shall be allowed after sunset. Such public meetings may be held during the day with the permission of the local captain in charge of the area.
3) No Negro shall be permitted to preach or otherwise speak out to congregations of colored people without special permission in writing from the government.
4) Negroes may legally marry, own property and sue and be sued in a court of law.
5) Negroes may not serve on juries.
6) A Negro may not testify against a white person in a Court of Law.
7) It shall be illegal for a Negro or a person of Negro descent to marry a white person.
8) No Negro shall be permitted outside in public after sundown without permission in writing from the government. A Negro conducting business for a white person may do so but only under the direct supervision of his employer.
9) No Negro shall sell, trade, or exchange merchandise within this area without the special written permission of his employer.
10) No Negro who is not in the military service shall be allowed to carry firearms or any kind or weapons of any type without the special written permission of his employers.
---------------------------------
The Black Codes clearly did two things. It created a political situation tantamount to slavery and it also placed the same southerners in political power who had power before the war!
Our city council wants to rid St. Paul of the lowest common denominator, the poor. They are doing this through oppressive housing code enforcement shrouded behind public safety.
Have any of you ever sat in housing court? It made my blood boil what our heartless city was doing to the poorest of our population. Instead of helping these people the city was punishing them. Just like France did to their people in the late 1700s. Thankfully for the French Revolution and the storming of the Bastille (legend says it was organized by descendants of Knights Templar) this dreadful plague on the people of France ended. Bastille Day is July 14th.
The South did everything in their power to stop the former slaves from being free. The St. Paul city council is doing the same thing today. They are building a system, like the French that discriminates on the poorest of the poor.
Sanctions by the court for St. Paul’s refusal to produce the documents needed and for destroying numerous documents is appropriate. It is what it is; the city is trying to cover for past misdeeds.
Joe Republican
RICO-la! Come on Rico guys?Are you losing steam?Summary judgement is not far away and with that your dreams will die.Our great city can do know wrong when it has an end result that betters the life for most St.Paulites.
-City Employee
*Which one am I guys?
Dear City Employee,
Did you clear this statement with the city attorney?
I have found that when people boast before the final ruling is in, they are the ones left with egg on their face.
So boastful city employee, it is not over until the final ruling.
You may have the law on your side for now with the new code enforcement regulations passed by the city council, but there are other city employees, such as myself that have taken notes, recorded conversations and copied files to protect ourselves. If the ship starts to sink, don’t you think we will protect ourselves? Hell yes we will. I am not falling on the sword for you or any other corrupt city employee.
I think I have a very good idea of who you are. Using city computers to post on this blog during city time is a no, no. The IT guys keep records as to which IP addresses you go to.
Don’t you think other city employees such as the city attorneys office read the blogs.
Another city employee
"Which one am I guys?"
HA HA.....it doesn't make any difference which one you are, you're all going down. You think it's funny and yoru buddy rigth ater you thinks he is going to protect himself by copying files, well I have news for you. All of you are just like the white people who loked the other way in the south while they lynched blacks from every damn tree they could find. How pathetic that you think it's funny and the only way you're willing to put an end to it is if you are the one going down for it. What sticks to the guilty is going to also stick to the ones that were willing to sit on the sidelines doing nothing because it didn't effect them.
Get over it blacky !!!!!!
We gonna get over it.....we have a dream......St Paul gonna take a tumble.
Oh I'm scared of the IT department and our hack attorneys.Well my friend as a city employee I'm immune and don't have to worry about my actions.
-City Employee
The end is near for the Ricomen.
No your not always immune you city employee scum bucket.
If your duties are ministerial, and most of them are, you can be held accountable for your actions puke face.
Let me tell you another thing scum bucket.
Once your targeted for suit and served, even if you wiggle your way out of it, rest assured you will pay.
You will be hunted down like they used to before the south lost the civil war.
You know what comes after that.
I don't think we need any threats here. You wanna hunt people down, you're in the wrong place. Take your juvenille shit somewhere else.
To 2 P>m>
I think the ricomen are gonna sock it to you! You're just too stupid to know it yet.
Just to get this back on track - the city has decided they can use code for a wide number of agendas.
They either are breaking new ground or have gone over the line.
I just can't beleive that Dawkins and Magner are such intellectual pioneers to break legitimate ground. I also believe the court cannot set a precedent of allowing municipalities to use code for any purpose.
Wake up 3:41, the courts already have.
Just try filing in Ramsey District
Court and see how far you get.
Chuck these Rico guys are pretty Quiet huh?Looks like you made them put their foot in their mouth.Keep up the good work Chuck,Your a great city(public)servent.
-City Employee
Right Chuck alias (4:18)
Another nameless knows nothing City Employee.
Simple things for simple minds.
The city employees who come here and think it is funny that they are putting down another class of people are just plain sick.
We all saw today in the news a US marine throw a little puppy off a mountain cliff and thought it was funny to kill a little puppy. Not.
We have all seen the pictures posted here and on the web of city officials breaking the law or being shown special treatment. Funny, no I don't think so.
No it is not funny to put a particular class of our society down and to abuse code enforcement for personal gain or retaliation.
I have yet to see any of the "ricomen" here saying anything, and maybe that's cause they don't have to. It's usually the losing side who is spinning all the shit and calling names. Lets face it, if the city had a defense to make they would be more interested in getting into court and proving it rather than delaying and obstructing and destroying evidence. You so called city workers can sling all the crap you want to , but in the end you are still doomed to the obvious fact....you violated a lot of peoples civil rights and now you're going to pay for it.
To 3:54
I don't have the ability to determine current practices of the Ramsey County Court judges. However, there are significant comments, and may be big problem there.
I don't believe the RICO judge will issue a judgment that officially gives the green light for municipalities to adapt an "anything goes using code enforcement" approach.
9:57 - It is a Federal Case to determine if the City of Saint Paul is involved in racketeering. Whatever has happened in code enforcement doesn't mean much of anything. The plaintiffs have to prove that there was a "racket," where someone benefitted because of the actions of the City and it was deliberate and planned.
There isn't anything anywhere that is going to show that.
The reason why the case exists is that the landlords can show loss and that not every property was treated exactly the same way on the same day. Granting them that, how does that get to be a conspiracy and anyone anywhere that benefits?
In their minds that's how.
In their narcissistic heads where they are the center of the universe, the only reason why the City would enforce the code is to "get them..." and they are all "out to get them" and its a conspiracy and the black helicopters are coming and...
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Thank you Chuck "Democrat" Repke for your informed response.
This response by you and in your past responses clearly state and shows the goal of the DFL is to subject members of a protected class in the city of St. Paul to consistent and constant discrimination by the city. Instead of offering assistance for these members of the protected class, you the city council made up of all members of Democratic Party continue a policy of discrimination against members of a protected class under the guise of code enforcement.
As one poster mentioned here, the current practices by the city of St. Paul is similar to the Black Codes instituted by Southern Democrats in the 1860s. Also mentioned is the Democratic Party's involvement in the destruction of Rondo neighborhood for the construction of I94 that displaced numerous citizens of a protected class.
Repke, discrimination is discrimination. You may want to gloss over this fact, but it is what it is. DISCRIMINATION!
Actually Chuck its not the black helicopters.Its the B-52's and they just took off and they will be dropping their payload real soon.Chuck when you hear the air raid sirens,RUN!You will not be able to spin.
Chuck,
You continue to try and talk normal, using facts and logic with a bunch of uneducated losers. They hear the word suit, and they think money. When they think money, they automatically, a lot. Its amazing.
They can't understand the rental business, which is why they can't succeed. They can't understand how local government works, which is why they say everybody is against them and corrupt. Now, they actually think they understand the legal process? Its almost comical.
When this case continues to go nowhere and they aren't cashing in, they'll blame the judicial system for being corrupt. Again. Real life Sad Sacks that are a drag on our society.
Take it easy Chuck, and don't even worry about responding. What power do they have? None. They are wrong and content with their ignorance.
I would like to share an article that looked into the minds of Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
-----------------------------------
Only 38% of Dems claim excellent mental health. Results of Gallup poll no shock to shrink who authored book on liberal madness
Posted: February 29, 2008 - 6:43 PM Eastern (c) 2008 WorldNetDaily
When the Gallup pollsters asked Americans what they thought about their own mental health, they were intrigued by the difference between Democrats and Republicans.
While 58 percent of Republicans reported having excellent mental health, only 38 percent of Democrats described themselves that way.
The study was no surprise to Dr. Lyle H. Rossiter, Jr., a noted psychiatrist and author of a controversial book that makes the clinical case liberalism is a mental illness.
"Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded," says Dr. Lyle Rossiter, author of the new book, "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness." "Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave."
While political activists on the other side of the spectrum have made similar observations, Rossiter boasts professional credentials and a life virtually free of activism and links to "the vast right-wing conspiracy."
For more than 35 years he has diagnosed and treated more than 1,500 patients as a board-certified clinical psychiatrist and examined more than 2,700 civil and criminal cases as a board-certified forensic psychiatrist. He received his medical and psychiatric training at the University of Chicago.
Rossiter says the kind of liberalism being displayed by the two major candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination can only be understood as a psychological disorder.
"A social scientist who understands human nature will not dismiss the vital roles of free choice, voluntary cooperation and moral integrity - as liberals do," he says. "A political leader who understands human nature will not ignore individual differences in talent, drive, personal appeal and work ethic, and then try to impose economic and social equality on the population - as liberals do. And a legislator who understands human nature will not create an environment of rules which over-regulates and over-taxes the nation's citizens, corrupts their character and reduces them to wards of the state - as liberals do."
Dr. Rossiter says the liberal agenda preys on weakness and feelings of inferiority in the population by: creating and reinforcing perceptions of victimization; satisfying infantile claims to entitlement, indulgence and compensation; augmenting primitive feelings of envy; rejecting the sovereignty of the individual, subordinating him to the will of the government.
"The roots of liberalism - and its associated madness - can be clearly identified by understanding how children develop from infancy to adulthood and how distorted development produces the irrational beliefs of the liberal mind," he says. "When the modern liberal mind whines about imaginary victims, rages against imaginary villains and seeks above all else to run the lives of persons competent to run their own lives, the neurosis of the liberal mind becomes painfully obvious."
By the way, the Gallup poll conducted late last year also found only 43 percent of independents describe themselves as in excellent mental health. While Rossiter thinks he understands the discrepancy in the state of mental health between Democrats and Republicans, the Gallup pollsters could only scratch their heads.
"The reason the relationship exists between being a Republican and more positive mental health is unknown, and one cannot say whether something about being a Republican causes a person to be more mentally healthy or whether something about being mentally healthy causes a person to choose to become a Republican," the study concluded.
-----------------------------------
This article takes a look at the thinking process of the DFL mindset and their thought process in regards to the new code compliance rules for St. Paul.
Hey Repke
I hear the landlords battleship is docked on the river down there and they're getting ready to fire a shot over the bow of the corrupt politicians in this city.
Menawhile, they waxing up that money train for a trip to the city treasury.
Don't listen to a damn thing Chuck Repke says. He don't want you to know it , but he was Thune's #1 "hatchet man".....the "go to" person when you want something done, and "do it" he does, and very well. This guy can spin any side of any story to any person at any time of the day or night. He's like a machine....he never stops! He can't be stopped. You knock him down and he pops right back up....and cockier than ever. Repke's just hiding out in the non profit world waiting for the right time to move in for the kill. When the time is right, he'll be running for Mayor or some other office and he'll be such a damn good liar he'll win by a land slide, and then we'll be in for a real re-definition of "Tax and Spend." Don't trust him, he's a political "Spinster!"
Ricomen Will fail.They have no evidence and even if they do we are immune to all charges.Keep giving them hell Repke.They have no proof.
-City Employee
Hey Ricomen have you traced my email account yet so you can sue me?HA HA HA.
We just shot down your B52 and Battleships.We are government .The Strong and mighty!
WOW.....it's David verses Goliath!
Got news for ya city guy...good ALWAYS wins out over evil.
Ricomen = goof and city = evil. Go figure.
10:30 Yes I guess that some how in your mind that you could determine that there is some kind of discrimination when the City won't allow people to live in substandard housing. I think that the discrimination that actually bothers you is that the city is infringing on your god given right to house people in garbage houses and that you believe you have the right to exploit the poor.
11:51 - Nice little clip that fits right in with the republican belief system.
They are social Darwinists that believe that the strong should survive and the weak should die.
But, in their religion they are creationists that also believe that their wealth is a sign that God love's them and hates the poor.
12:07 Wow - thank you what a nice thing to say! No I won't be running for office. I made that commitment to myself over twenty years ago... Running for office is like walking naked down Main Street, I don't mind push people down the street but you aren't catching me doing it!
Just My Opinion Not Those Of My Employers, Past, Present Or Future
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Save your breath Repke your going to need it.The B-52 bombers are locked on their target.Their circling and the payload is ready to drop.Its so quiet you could hear a pin drop.City Employee stand by.
OVER.Roger.
Chuck,
10:30 AM here. For an educated person you just don't get it. There is currently no citizen oversight over DSI or Fire when they make arbitrary code interruptions.
For example, let's take your buddy Dave Thune. Dave's house or rental property has been reported several times to the city, pictures have been taken, but the Fire Department held Thune to a much different standard than other individuals on his rental property.
All anyone here wants is that the law or code to be enforced equally. That the housing code not be used as a tool to move the undesirable or poor from our city. This is just moving the problem, not addressing the problem. I thought the Democrats were the party to help the poor, disadvantaged, I see you do not follow this line of thinking by your responses to past posts. You hide behind safety issues, but you know this is just an excuse to justify your argument.
These new housing codes in St. Paul are no different than the Black Codes enacted by the Southern Democrats in 1860s. Just trying to keep the poor down.
These new housing codes are no different that the methods the DFL city government used to displace the Rondo neighborhood to build I94. The Rondo neighborhood was mostly persons of color.
Chuck it seems that when the state and federal government wanted to put in I35E through a white neighborhood (W7th), you and other DFL elite fought this tooth and nail.
Where were you when they were tearing down the Rondo neighborhood? This was ok because it was a black neighborhood and did not effect you. Double standard here Chuck, that is why the I35E connection was held up for so long, costing taxpayers many millions of dollars in extra costs because of you and others who did not want I35E to go through a white neighborhood.
Breaker Breaker------Blue Fox Leader to control.....do we have a green light?-----over
Your clear for take off and engage weapons of mass destruction.
Sgt.Slaughter
So what proof do you have that there is a conspiracy ?
Chuck.
Sgt.Slaughter do not engage Private Repke-STAND DOWN.
Breaker Breaker Blue Fox wait for discharge.Over.
The Proof is in the payload the B-52 is locked.Wait to engage.Over.
Do you read me?
3:13 Wow, OK lets try this the code is the code for everyone and in most of the buildings the issues are state codes being enforced by local officials. There isn't that much stuff that is different between one city and another. Infact, most suburbs are much tougher on housing code issues than the cities are.
The citizen oversite is the elected officials of Saint Paul. If there was another group of citizens, they would be appointed by the mayor and the council.
That is the problem with those of you who believe that laws shouldn't effect you. When you think of citizens you think of yourself or someone uninvolved and uninformed. You listen to either right wing (though left wing is just as bad) radio and assume that change happens through the waving of a magic wand. That all we need to do is to throw out of office all of the people that know what's going on and then we could start over and we would get it right. Well, I have been around government for over 35 years and I have seen radical rights and radical lefts come into office and find the same thing; there is more work to do than people to do it and that your alternative solutions have just as many problems as the ones you want to fix.
As to the City trying to rid itself of poor or minorities that is just about the silliest thing you coulds say. The trend lines in Saint Paul have been an increase in lower income people and an increase in communities of color. The majority of students in the Saint Paul Public schoools are on reduced lunch and the majority of student are now minority students.
Your arguement, much like the case, just lacks any facts.
As to 35E and 94, well I was 4 when they started construction of 94 through Rondo. I don't think there was much I could have done. But, I was in my twenties and a home owner when I put the deed to my house on the line to try to stop the state of Minnesota from ripping up another slice of Saint Paul.
Freeways through the center of the downtown area bad. Regardless of which neighborhood it hits. Poor 1950's planning.
JMONTOMEPPOF
Chuck Repke
Breaker Breaker to Blue Fox Leader -----
the fox is in the chicken house ---
over
Get the gun and FIRE !!!!!!!!!!
chicken house 1 to chicken house 2-----do you copy?
Chuck,
A little history lesson for you Chuck. I35E was proposed over 45 years ago (early 1960s). I played on the roadbed where these homes once stood in the W7th neighborhood in the 1960s. In 1971 a group formed called “RIP 35E” tried to stop this I35 connection from being built. This group was not able to stop the construction through the West End, but when I-35 got to the point where it wound around Crocus Hill (white neighborhood) opposition became more serious.
By the mid 1980s your group was in action. There had been action in the Federal Courts (don't you remember) and the State Legislature to either get the project moving or kill it once and for all. Then, a compromise was reached to try to minimize the worst of the effect on the neighborhoods (white neighbors): the road would be built, but noise would be kept down by keeping trucks off of it and the speed reduced to 45. The concrete road base was poured thinner than a typical interstate to prevent MnDOT from ever trying to put trucks on I-35E.
ALSO in the 1960s, I94 was put through the Rondo neighborhood. This predominantly African American neighborhood in St. Paul was displaced in the 1960s by freeway construction.
The construction of I-94 in the 1960s shattered this tight-knit community called Rondo, displaced thousands of African-Americans into a racially segregated city and a discriminatory housing market, and erased a now-legendary neighborhood.
Chuck, both I94 (Rondo) and I 35E (W7th) were proposed and homes demolished in the 1960s. Get your facts correct.
Because of State Sen. Nick Coleman I35E was not built because he would not allow the I35 connection to go through a white neighborhood. Your group and the state and federal government reached a court settlement and construction was restarted in the 1980s costing taxpayers millions of dollars just because you did not want the roar to go through a white neighborhood.
The DFL sure was silent when I94 went through the Rondo neighborhood in the 1960s. DFL Sen. Nick Coleman sure kept his mouth shut didn't he, but when it was going to go through his neighborhood he sure spoke up.
Chuck you are no better than Garrison Keillor. I hear his home is up for sale ($1.6 million). He sure caused trouble for his neighbors who wanted to build a garage. Sure sounds like a case of NIMBY to be. Black and it is ok, white and it is not ok.
Breaker breaker private Repke the proof is on its way-Do not engage Repke-We don't need hostile fire.
Hold the line Blue Fox-Proof is out-Send the F-16's out to escort the B-52 to drop the payload.Repke you better hit a bunker-This is gonna be a big one----OVER.
Breaker Breaker----Control to Blue Fox Leader-----the eagle has landed....you now have the green light-------over
Good bye city guy!
What the hell is this B-52 stuff?
Red fox,eagle,sgt.slaughter or who ever, you guys have shit.Thats right,no evidence.The city wouldn't be that stupid to keep evidence around if they were profiling.Dah.Rule number one.Seek and destriy all evidence dumby blue fox.Chuck whats with these guys?Why so much chatter.Are we missing something or have these guys lost it?
-City Employee
6:46 do you remember what carried the atom bomb to surprise Japan?I think thats what they mean.What Rico guys another bogus lawsuit?
From what I've heard, the city tried the seek and destroy tactic, but as always happens, they didn't get it all.
Holy shit....the "Enola Gay" just flew over my house headed toward downtown!
KYAGB
KISS
YOUR
ASS
GOODBYE
Red Dog 1
Whats that I hear ?
Civil defence sirens going off
in St.Paul, take cover .
Sgt. Slaughter
hey chuck
You might want to start looking for a new job tonite.
Leslie K. Lucht
check out the new posting..
Repke said at 3:47
"The citizen oversite is the elected officials of Saint Paul. If there was another group of citizens, they would be appointed by the mayor and the council."
Good try Chuck.
Citizen oversight deals at times with extremely complex housing and construction issues. The citizens are industry peopel with enormous knowledge. City Council members don't have a clue on most of the issues, and are not qualified. Removing citizen oversight lets the regulatory people regulate themselves, which is a disaster.
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