Last week, Bluestem performed a little exegesis on the epistle of Peter Doyle to the Winona Daily News in Dairy farmers are stupid: Drazkowski defender scolds critic for reading MN House journal.
Bluestem fans may recall that Doyle attacked McMillin for being informed.
Bill McMillin. the target of Mr. Doyle's spleen, replies in‘Operative’ letter silly, misinformed, a letter to the editor, which the WDN took the liberty of editing.
Fortunately, the farmer and Drazkowski constituent sent Bluestem the unedited version (BSP learned that McMillin no longer milks a herd, but raises beef cattle):
Recently Peter Doyle wrote a LTE in this paper titled “DFL operative just milking cows?"
Mr. Doyle did not dispute any of the legislative information I gave in a previous LTE showing the disconnect between Rep. Drazkowski’s stated priorities and his votes; rather, he attempted to use silly barnyard humor to attack me and divert attention from the real issues.
Some of his letter referred to statements made in a previous LTE in which I was called a “DFL operative”, who was “sniping from the weeds”, presenting ideas in a “cloak of anonymity” and engaged in “class warfare”.
In any case, Mr. Doyle got three things wrong in his first sentence. He stated that I was chairman of the Wabasha County DFL. Wrong, I am associate chair, as pointed out by the writer of the previous letter attacking me. He stated that I said I was not a DFL operative. I said no such thing. I said that I found that statement amusing. (For the record, if he uses operative as an adjective, I will gladly accept the compliment. Webster’s defines operative as an efficient or capable worker. If he meant it as a noun, (spy or detective) that’s not me.) His third mistake was when he said “he only spends his time milking cows”. I did not say that! I no longer even milk cows. After the previous letter writer used all the guerilla warfare terms to describe me, I said: “I never really thought of my life like that. To be honest, I’ve farmed my whole life. I’ve spent most of it milking cows.” To clarify, I milked cows for about 40 years (farm kids start young) but I have raised beef cows and crops the last five years. (One must not make assumptions)
Mr. Doyle ends his letter with “Thanks to Rep. Steve Drazkowski for doing a great job in constituent services outreach. It is a strong statement to his integrity when he not only responds to any constituent who asks him for help- but he even offers the very same level of service to his known political opponents.”
Rep. Drazkowski is my representative. Why shouldn’t he give me the same level of service as he gives others? Anyway, I’ll share my experience with Draz’s constituent response.
Earlier this year Reps. Drazkowski and Benson had a Town Hall meeting in Plainview which I attended. I wrote each of them a letter thanking them for hosting the meeting and I had a couple follow up questions. I received a quick response from Rep. Benson. In the following weeks, I made 2 follow up phone calls to Draz’s office. I was assured by the secretary he would call me back. He never did.
Another example, after a Town Hall meeting in Wabasha, I contacted Rep Drazkowski with some questions concerning drastic cuts in the waivers program for the elderly and developmentally disabled. This issue had come up at the meeting. Simple questions such as: “How many people now receive waivers?” “How will the new legislation affect the number of people who may receive waivers?” “What are the options for those denied waivers?” Questions I thought a responsible decision maker with a stated priority of protecting our elderly and vulnerable adults would have asked in the debate leading up to the vote. Instead of answering the questions, Rep Drazkowski sent me links to 3 websites which totaled about 250 pages. I skimmed through them and did not find the answers. So I called the policy analyst listed on the Health and Human Services Bill. He confirmed that the answers to those questions would not be found in the bill. (I had suspected Rep. Drazkowski was sending me on a wild goose chase, but I needed to confirm it)
It was Mr. Doyle, not I, who drew the connection between Rep Drazkowski’s integrity and the quality of his constituent services outreach. I will give Rep. Drazkowski credit, he has held many Town Meetings, but his follow up on constituent outreach is sometimes lacking.
Photo: Bill McMillin is no longer milking cows, although Peter Doyle milked the subject.
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