What I’ll Be Saying Tonight

I’ve been following the continuing Eden Prairie GOPer Mayor Phil Young Scandal; Part 4 (which has links to parts 1, 2, and 3) is here.

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

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

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

(remarks below the fold…)

Prepared Remarks – Open Podium, Eden Prairie City Council Chamber, 15 June 2010
I’M TOMMY JOHNSON I LIVE ON (redacted) I WAS TOLD I HAD 3 MINUTES; THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTING TO SPEAK SO I’LL DO IT IN 2. MY FAMILY MOVED TO EDEN PRAIRIE IN 1960. I MOVED BACK TO EDEN PRAIRIE WITH MY WIFE BECAUSE IT’S A WONDERFUL CITY AND THE EXCELLENT SCHOOLS.
THE SCHOOLS WERE EXCELLENT AND THE CITY WONDERFUL BECAUSE OF THE EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP IN BOTH.
LEADERSHIP MATTERS. WORDS AND ACTIONS MATTER. REAL LEADERS – LIKE VIER WOOD, PAUL SHEA, CURT CONNAUGHTY AND OTHERS IN THE SCHOOLS; LIKE DON ROGERS, THE REV. GARY PETERSON, DR. JEAN HARRIS, AND ALL OF THE PREVIOUS MAYORS LEADING THIS CITY – THEY SET THE EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
I’M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE OF A FAILURE IN LEADERSHIP – SOMEONE WHO TALKED THE TALK BUT DIDN’T WALK THE WALK – MAYOR PHIL YOUNG. IN 2OO6, THEN MAYORIAL CANDIDATE PHIL YOUNG’S WEBSITE PROCLAIMED:
“RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP”
CANDIDATE YOUNG’S WEBSITE READ, AND I QUOTE:
‘I HAVE WORKED WITH OTHER METRO AREA ELECTED LEADERS ON ISSUES OF REGIONAL IMPORTANCE’
UPON BECOMING MAYOR YOUNG STOPPED DOING THAT, AND — UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY — YOUNG BILLED THE TAXPAYERS FOR MEETINGS HE DID NOT ATTEND. I HAVE HERE FORMS YOUNG SUBMITTED FOR PAYMENT
ONE IS A MISTAKE. TWO IS A COINCIDENCE. 14 MONTHS IN A ROW IS A PATTERN. 26 IS INEXCUSABLE.
THIS MATTER IS NOT ABOUT WHETHER PHIL IS A NICE GUY; HE IS. THIS MATTER IS ABOUT LEADERSHIP. WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE HAS PHIL SET FOR THE CITY’S EMPLOYEES? THE CITY’S VENDORS?
THIS MATTER IS ABOUT A MAYOR THAT FALSELY SIGNED DOCUMENTS FOR AT LEAST 26 MEETINGS – THERE MAY BE MORE. PLYMOUTH POLICE INVESTIGATED THOSE MEETINGS – AND ONLY THOSE MEETINGS. THE PLYMOUTH POLICE FORWARDED THEIR FINDINGS FOR POSSIBLE FELONY PROSECUTION JUST ON THOSE MEETINGS. THE INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO CONTINUE.
PERJURY, FELONY, AND MISDEMEANOR ARE WORDS I NEVER THOUGHT WOULD BE CONNECTED TO AN EDEN PRAIRIE MAYOR’S ACTIONS. ACTIONS MATTER. LEADERSHIP MATTERS. SURE, PHIL’S A NICE GUY — BUT HE NEEDS TO RESIGN.
PLEASE CONVEY MY MESSAGE TO MAYOR YOUNG. THANK YOU.
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