Great responses, appreciate the moderators posting this.  On what Ramos just said,  does seem an all too really really common occurrence of the 'job creators,' the ones with attorney muscle, giving the people who shoulder the 'oops my bad' tax burdens permanent mistrust of these kinds of deals then being called haters and asked to move on and not linger on the past when they call the man to task, especially considering it sounds like they flat out did find a way to sneaky squelch the vote. Like the mining companies, promising they'll put back the mountain just like they found it.  

So what about the numbers?  Is $437 million a real number to be asking about?  Wasn't there a court settlement last year where the courts ruled against Johnson?  If they're as violating or unfulfilling as Spy 1 indicates, where are our lawyers?  A school board member recently said 'Duluth lawyers are an oxymoron.'  And that essentially, our hands are tied because there isn't any money left to go after JCI.

This is getting Shakespearean. A classic Duluth Catch 22.

Do any of you suspect there were/are kickbacks/hush money to people on the school board?  And as I truly understand the nature of hind sight, must add that hindsight is an extra bitch if what Ramos says is true, that taxpayers will be shouldering this burdon for many years to come, if Johnson came short and cost us all something to the tune of millions, all because there wasn't more thinking before the paper was signed. 

Lastly, that the DNT has sided with JCI up and down the line on this?And there has been no significant press coverage questioning the numbers? People can write volumes and volumes pontificating 'the facts' and not say a damn thing until something like this is a done deal, and the Ramos clause kicks into effect.  Especially when the editor tells them to go back and keep trying until he reads something that sounds the way he wants it to sound.

 Is what Spy1 says true?

The revamping of Haines must somehow be tied into this?

Fair enough... as the Field of Dreams is almost complete. But all that nothing that happened for decades wouldn't seem to be enough of a reason or excuse for what the critics of JCI are saying will continue to happen, or explain why Kerc's textbooks are 30 years old. 

My memory of teachers is maybe one you and I share Paul.  That of one good teacher, in a sea of so-so, shitty, or flat out nut job teachers.   You probably had one good english teacher who lit some of kind of fire under you, and to hell with the rest of them.  I would've sat in a dilapidated barn for a few good ones who could've held my interest  instead of my throat.

 You hear a lot about buildings, and not so much on teachers.  I guess that's because it's easy to spend money on buildings, but harder to figure out how to lure the right personalities to fill the classrooms with 'good'  teachers, when meanwhile the higher ed system subsidizes sports using parent's hard earned tuition dollars, while removing any natural incentive the student might've had. I guess it works for rich or athletic people. Or people with good grades and the mettle to fill out forms to get grants.     I knew a guy who got his teachers certificate from Hamline, and a day into teaching, decided he couldn't teach, and went back to carpentry 100k in debt.

Back to the old saying, "follow the money."

From the sounds of it, if I was a student in Duluth, I would be begging them to let me into a charter school right now. Look at my pretty drawings I would plead. There would be slobber all over someone's pant leg. 

Reading Richard Thomas' new article 'Another Red Plan Election,' it's now harder yet to get my mind around the taking-it-in-the-shorts nature of the Megasaurus CF tax payers will continue to endure considering in contrast, what Johnson promised v delivered v only 3% showed up to vote last week. I'm starting to get the spins. 

"Overcrowding is now at historic levels, the bonds are one notch above junk, reserve funds are down to two million, touted energy savings haven't materialized, closed properties haven't sold." That last part, according to Adam, has now been changed as the city recently sold Central, for a dollar?

Does how anybody can be fine with the way the Johnson Red Plan  turned out, sort of boggle the mind?  Which part are you fine with? Muscling your way into a loophole to trick taxpayers into paying for mega construction in an area struggling to retain population, in the rise of an era of charter schools, irregardless of the state of Duluth affairs previous to JCI's arrival? The money's not real son, because it never existed in the first place. 

Not to mention the bungled casino deal, one imagines much pablum wiping at the mouths of any Duluthian who was present when these deals took place, or, as Welty said, there's been much skimming of operations? 

All in all, looks like we're headed into default on the bonds unless we go after JCI or the state for allowing it in the first place.  One would think we'd have some kind of case considering we weren't allowed to vote. And if we don't do that, sounds like we'll be headed back to Governor Dayton for a bailout, then Duluth taxpayers will see firsthand what a real undy twisting party looks like.


And so Mayor Ness, why isn't there serious 'man-talk' about suing them blind in this age of litigation? Because the City. Already. Won. Take the ball and run.  Sweep the legs Donny.

And although the mayor may or may not have any say in the matter, you'd think using his words to make some kind of stand, or voicing an opinion to the 3% of voters who show up wouldn't be asking too much? Maybe he doesn't want to piss off Howie Hansome, because he's not that kind of mayor.

Stands to reason the mayor won't bite the manicured hand that feeds him. He's a politician. But when that hand has a major boner for big fancy new buildings of an architect's wet dream (as all self-respecting rich people do for the finer things in life like booze, bimbos, and buildings) that the poor pathetic little home owners have to keep paying for over and over again, then you'd think there would be a greater than 5% voter turnout, especially given the sloppy kennel mess left by JCI on September 19, 2013.  

Never really gave a moments thought to any of this until I realized these people whose names you've mentioned have my pants down around my ankles, and I don't even know who they are. 

Don said it himself. When he first left Duluth to go to the big city, his biggest ambition in life was to make a lot of money.

Amazing what small potatoes the NorShor looks like now compared to this.

Tim K, maybe you should call Johnson controls and let them know there's more contracts to be had here.