City Pages’ Cory Zurowski tells the tale of Al Ditty, a city sanitation worker who leaked information about a planned police raid on the Jamar Clark protest at the Fourth Precinct. Ditty lost his job as a result and eventually took his own life. Of the many questions raised by the report, the biggest has to be about KARE’s actions here: “In Al’s mind, the stage was being set for violence. Believing that he had nowhere else to turn, he decided to summon outside help. At 9:59 p.m., he emailed KARE-11 TV. … ‘Black lives matter tip,’ read the subject line. Included in the message was a copy of the police department’s plan. ‘This is going down Saturday and Sunday morning,’ he wrote. … By midnight, police officials inside the Emergency Training Operations Facility on 37th Avenue Northeast were reading his email. Someone at KARE had sent it to police spokesperson Scott Seroka, a former reporter at the station. It included the tipster’s AOL address. … (KARE President John Remes would only say that the station is still ‘investigating what may have happened with this story.’)”
Ah, that’s the dysfunctional legislature we know and love. MPR’s Tim Pugmire reports: “Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Daudt says DFL Gov. Mark Dayton is wasting time by refusing to engage in budget bill negotiations this week. … Daudt, R-Zimmerman, met privately Tuesday with Dayton and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka to discuss budget matters. There are less than four weeks left in the 2017 session. … After the meeting, Daudt told reporters that the governor still insists on waiting until House and Senate negotiators resolve their differences before he joins the talks. Daudt made it clear that he doesn’t like the governor’s approach.”
It’s happening! MPR’s Brian Bakst reports: “The U.S. House voted Tuesday to clear a potential obstacle to Minnesota’s bid to host Expo 2023, also known as the World’s Fair. … Legislation sponsored by the full Minnesota delegation was approved on a voice vote. It gives the U.S. Secretary of State the authority to rejoin the Bureau of International Expositions. … U.S. membership in the organization lapsed in 2001. Non-members don’t get the same consideration for expo bids.”
Who’s got room for a ward convention? The Star Tribune’s Adam Belz reports: “The Minneapolis DFL is scrambling to set a new date for the Sixth Ward city council endorsing convention, after arrangements with St. Mary’s University fell through. … The convention was supposed to be Saturday, May 6, but now local party officials must find a new venue after St. Mary’s decided against hosting the convention at the St. Mary’s University Center at the corner of Park Avenue and E. 26th Street.”
In other news…
Finding a warmer welcome here in Minnesota: “Somali Refugees Are Leaving Arizona in Large Numbers; Here’s Why” [Phoenix New Times]
From the University of Minnesota into history: “Tay Zonday talks ‘Chocolate Rain’ on its 10th anniversary” [Popjournalism]
Well deserved: “Podcast ‘In the Dark’ wins Peabody award” [MPR]
Budget Bill Negotiations
Republicans have a majority in both Senate and House, but they need Dayton to help them come up with a single budget proposal? Dayton would be foolish to try to negotiate with a moving target.
Daudt needs to stop blaming others for his inability to manage his caucus. He’s good in front of the cameras, but there’s more to the job.
KARE is to Care
as FOX news is to fair and balance. Outing Al Ditty was intentional, if it weren’t their internal “investigation” would have been completed long ago. It’s very easy to trace an email on your own server.
Al Ditty, R.I.P.
Let the record reflect that a union public employee was fired under trumped up charges, with the benefit of progressive discipline.