Bluestem Prairie: April 17, 2014

Stalker Evenstad committed to Regions Hospital for six-month mental illness hold

On his Facebook page Tuesday, state representative Tony Cornish posted a letter to the editors of the Mankato Free Press and Star Tribune taking umbrage to articles in both papers taking the position that the legislature was shirking its responsibility by not addressing court-ordered issues with Minnesota's sex offender program.

Neither paper has published the letter online, but section of Cornish's letter referenced one participant in the sex offender, medical marijuana and cell phone privacy debates who does those working on reform of the issues no good. Cornish brings up convicted rapist Evanstad, who is currently facing terroristic threat charges:

"I am completely comfortable with my decision, which is, doing nothing with MSOP (Minnesota Sex Offender Program) in this session.

The main is that I've been in law enforcement for 36 years, and have chased down, wrestled, been injured by and transported to prison, sex offenders. Another reason is "Tom Evansted" [sic] who is a registered sex offender, recently sent me a volume of hateful emails, testified in front of my committee, and was later arrested for threats during visits to a prosecutor and a sheriffs house.

Evanstad is definitely a scary guy--and no longer on the loose because of the threats Cornish mentions. However, Evanstad was never committed to the post-sentence sex offender treatment program or he wouldn't be out and about.

The Pioneer Press's Tad Vezzner reports in Edina rapist harassed judges, victim's family, charges say:

New charges have been filed against an Edina man, alleging he harassed Minnesota court and law enforcement officials -- including several judges -- involved in his 1999 rape conviction and had unwanted contact with the victim's family.

Thomas Wayne Evenstad, 48, also stalked or threatened neighbors, a psychologist, the executive director of Minnesota's Mothers Against Drunk Driving and a pharmaceutical company CEO who shared his name, Ramsey County prosecutors claim.

In almost every case, Evenstad created unwanted websites in his alleged victims' names -- 400 websites in all -- often linking to his own blog, where he would berate them, according to criminal complaints filed Tuesday.

On at least three occasions, prosecutors say Evenstad caused his victims to hire private security or buy security systems for protection.

Evenstad was charged in Ramsey County District Court with 13 felony counts, including terroristic threats, aggravated stalking, and a "pattern of stalking conduct."

Read the entire story at the Pioneer Press. The part that caused Evenstad's path to cross with Cornish:

Finally, charges were filed on behalf of an on-site coordinator at the same condo building, Lakewinds Condominiums in Mound, where Evenstad lived from 2011 to 2013.

The coordinator, who also served on the board of the condo association, told police Evenstad "had been intimidating and aggressive" toward him, and "was concerned about his safety and the safety of employees because Evenstad appeared to be unstable."

Evenstad created two website domains in the name of the coordinator that redirect visitors to the sites offering guided trips of marijuana dispensaries, prosecutors say. The complaints note that Evenstad is a proponent of legalizing marijuana and "claims to be running for governor."

At the City Pages Blotter, Jesse Marx reported in February about the tours in Tom Evenstad is your pot tour guide in Colorado. By March, Evenstad was doing more than raising eyebrows, Tom Lyden reported in Registered sex offender arrested after visiting sheriff's, governor's, prosecutor's homes:

Thomas Evenstad is into a lot of things -- legalizing marijuana, what he calls "the Gulag of Minnesota's sex offender program," and proving his own innocence on a rape conviction from 16 years ago.

Wearing dark glasses, a rasta cap, and Bob Marley t-shirt, Evenstad raised a few eyebrows at the State Capitol. His rambling testimony last week at a hearing on cell phone tracking seemed to border on the paranoid.

Now, Evenstad is in jail. According to the charges, he threatened an assistant superintendent of the BCA at that hearing -- and he was just getting warmed up.

. . .Last week, Evenstad filed an incoherent federal lawsuit on behalf of medical marijuana users against President Obama and the Attorney General, complete with a cartoon.

Evenstad is a man of many obsessions, and has even claimed that he's a political prisoner in the past. This time, however, it seems his behavior, not his beliefs, have landed him back in jail.

Lately, Evenstad's been running a couple of businesses that revolve around legalizing marijuana, including cannabis tours to Colorado. He is now facing two felony charges of terroristic threats.

Check out the rest of Lyden's article online.

We don't necessarily share Cornish's conclusion about the pace at which the legislature should address the program, but we can understand the need to keep a close eye on this fellow.

Photo: Thomas Evenstad testifying at the state legislature. Via Fox 9 News.

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Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Apr 17, 2014 at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Man allegedly assaulted at GOP SD8 convention planning meeting as Franson v. Nelson heats up

The Fergus Falls Daily Journal reports in Charges possible after fight at GOP committee meeting:

Charges are pending following a skirmish at a Republican committee meeting last week in Battle Lake, according to Battle Lake Police Chief Kent Kortlever.

Police were called at 7:45 p.m. to the Shoreline Restaurant where the committee meeting was being held and a 76-year-old Fergus Falls man reportedly attempted to defend an 84-year-old woman’s actions.

A 65-year-old, from Perham, told the man not to read a letter that he had in his hand. The 65-year-old allegedly tried to take the letter from his hand, and allegedly hit him in the face while reaching for the letter.

Police did not see injuries on the man, but he said he was feeling queasy and that he has a history of coronary problems, so Battle Lake Rescue and Ringdahl Ambulance were called.

Police are reviewing statements which will be forwarded to the city attorney for a final review for possible charges.

According to a Bluestem Prairie source, the meeting was called to plan the Republican endorsing convention for House District 8B, where Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) is being challenged from the right by Perham Tea Party activist Sue Nelson. Neither Franson nor Nelson was at the meeting, according to our source.

An email sent out by a committee member and widely circulated has been shared with Bluestem. The two-part document--beginning with a report back from GOP activist Mike Van Horn and concluding with an account by veteran Otter Tail County Republican Bill Schulz, victim of the alleged attack. Here's the email (Bluestem has redacted the name of the alleged attacker, who is a Nelson supporter, as apparently charges have yet to be filed)

Meeting opening formalities concluded. First item before new business, Faye Yager challenged Arles Kumpala that she was not acting impartially toward legislative candidates, and that is was professional courtesy of SD8 endorsing convention committee members to remain neutral. Faye stated that Arles had made a Facebook post that lended support to a candidate. Arles stated that she hadn't, that she does not use Facebook, and that her emails are impartial. The haranguing of Arles kept up, and [redacted] joined in at one point. Arles was visibly shaken and confused by the charges. Bill Shulz rose to Arles's defense, and loudly proclaimed, "that is enough [redacted]!" Bill walked toward the table where the committee was meeting and delivered a letter to Arles that Bill said contained character defamation of a candidate that was circulated by [redacted]. [redacted] and Dennis Poppenhagen were shouting over Bill that he was out of order; that he was not part of the meeting. Bill kept up his tirade and picked the letter back up that he had placed in front of Arles. [redacted], who was seated at the center of a 10 foot long table, stormed toward Bill who was standing next to Arles at the end of the table, and wrestled the letter away from him, knocking him backward into another table. Bill stated that he is filing assault charges and left the room. When the melee was over, the discussion turned back to Arles and her Facebook post. John Waller looked up Arles's Facebook page and stated that it had not been updated since 2009. The meeting now continued with convention business.

I was interviewed after the meeting by a police officer that asked what had taken place in the scuffle. He asked if I saw Bill struck in the face by [redacted]. I replied that I had not, [redacted] was between me and Bill. Later, talking to Dennis Poppenhagen, Dennis stated that it was a light slap at the most. That is what Dennis apparently told the officer, so Dennis saw it. Dennis stated that the officer said our statements were not coinciding. Dennis asked the committee members to stick around because Peter Balega was on his way to get statements from us. I told him that I did not want to talk to an attorney and left. I think the only committee members remaining were Dennis, John, and Faye (who was getting ready to leave). [redacted] was still talking to police when I left at 9:40.

~ Mike Van Horn

Bill talking now. Dennis Aksamit and Jeff Wiebe were interviewd by the deputies and said that [redacted] charged me, I backed up and tried to move away. [redacted] demanded the letter (screaming) I held the letter high above my head and behind me as [redacted] bumped into me and knocked me against the wall. I reached for the arms of my walker to avoid going down, and [redacted] threw her arm across my face, hitting my nose with her wrist, grabbed the paper away from me, and threw her forearm into my face . That pushed me up against the wall.

I told [redacted] that she had assaulted, battered me, and I was going to call the police. I demanded the paper be returned to me. Someone took it from [redacted] and handed it to me.

I went out to the front of the café and asked the wairess behind the counter to call the police, as I had been struck by someone in the back dining area, and returned to myseat in the meeting area. Soon, I felt radial pain in my arm and jaw, which seemed like angina ( A SENSATION WITH WHICH I AM TOO FAMILIAR) . I became light headed. About 20 minutes passed, no cops coming. The waitress I had asked to call the police came into the room and I had asked her if she had contacted the police. She said no, since everything seemed normal, so if I wanted to call the police, I should do so.

I called the police. I was feeling even worse, and growing short of breath, and moved away toward the other end of the room. [Redacted's spouse] came into the room (he hadn't been there earlier, and headed for me, and I told him if he didn't want to answer to the police, stay away from me.

A Battle Lake police officer arrived, and began to interview me.[Redacted's spouse] came over and demanded of the police officer to know what crime could a liar be charged with. The cop told him to move to the other end of the room.

After I had described what had happened, cop asked if anyone saw it. I named Dennis Aksamit and Jeff Wiebe as having the best view. They both gave statements which comport with what I have said here.

A sheriff's deputy arrived and was the one who interviewed Dennis and Jeff, and the sheriff told Dennis that this was very likely to wind up in court, and would Dennis be willing to testify in court? Dennis gave an emphatic yes.

As I was being interviewed by the cop I got a bit dizzy, and almost slid from my chair. He told me he was calling for the volunteer rescue squad. They arrived, along with a retired MD, they did my vitals and called the ambulance from Fergus Falls, and I was transported to Lake Region hospital ER. They kept me for more than four hours,and released me. Diagnosis :traumatic coronary event due to trauma due to the events of the evening.

Dennis Aksamit showed up at the ER and kept me company for the last hour and a half, then drove me home. Many thanks, Dennis.

This IS NOT the way I wanted to spend this Tuesday evening. But I saw [redacted] and Faye Yager badgering Arles, screaming phony accusations at her, and was revolted that the primary accuser has been sneaking around defaming Mary Franson. Then Jim Nelson of Douglas cty, seated just inches from Arles jumped in with [redacted] and Faye and threw his 6'2" , 250 pound frame into roaring at Arles, I had seen enough and stepped up to help Arles fend off the assault.

I fear that this is only the beginning of a nasty scuffle, but it is long overdue.

I am bone tired, so please, don't call me before 10 AM on Wednesday.

Bill

We'll have more as this story develops. If this is what a planning meeting is like in this endorsement battle, we're hoping the convention adds extra security. Uffda.

Photo: An elephant fight. This story reminds us of another recent Greater Minnesota GOP story, Meeker County conservative gadfly fears Free Mason menace from 88-year-old Marine & milk guy.

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Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Apr 17, 2014 at 03:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Representative Steve Drazkowski gets confused about Constitution and stuff Ben Franklin said

On his Facebook page Tuesday (screenshot right), ALEC member Representative Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) shared a meme containing a quotation that's attributed to Ben Franklin:

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."

Bluestem's editor--who once worked in the still-going Franklin-founded Library Company of Philadelphia--had a laugh at that. The "pursuit of happiness" isn't language from the United States Constitution, but the Declaration of Independence. Since Franklin attended both conventions that drafted that documents, we doubt he'd confuse the two.

Thomas Frank looked at Franklin's "unfounded father's" quote in Check It Yourself back in an article originally published in Harper's in 2011. It's quote faking: Franklin never said it. Here's the source, according to Frank:

The earliest instance I was able to find that associated the phrase with Franklin's name dates to 1944. Before that, jokes about pursuing-vs.-catching happiness cropped up in magazine wit columns from time to time, but without benefit of the philosopher's name. Literary Digestran a version of it in 1926 attributed not to Franklin but to the Detroit News. Southern Cultivator included an unattributed version in 1891, and from The Christian Advocate for November 1881 comes this simple, apolitical gem:
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" is an American's inalienable birthright. He keeps up the pursuit of happiness, but very seldom catches him.

In The Economist, "E.G." took issue with Frank in Overinterpreting, disagreeing with Frank's assessment of bogus quotes as "a threat to the health of the republic." We tend to concur, as the threat is not to the Republic, but to the credibility of folks like Draz who call for a return to historical roots.

The Economist columnist writes:

One thing I appreciate about the tea-party movement is their occasionally clumsy embrace of American history. I know it strikes some people as an unsporting appropriation of America's common symbols for politicised ends, but they're not stopping anyone else from doing the same, and in an era when Thomas Jefferson is getting sacked from certain textbooks—by the tea partiers' parent party—it's a good counterbalance. But Thomas Frank, in the current issue of Harper's, argues that historical illiteracy, as manifested by the tea-party movement, is “a threat to the health of the republic.” At issue are two quotations incorrectly attributed to Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, and popular among the tea-party sloganeers. “The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself,” is said to be the comment from Franklin. From Jefferson: “The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”

Mr Frank, having rummaged through the primary sources, can find no evidence that either was ever said by the founding father in question. The Jefferson apocrypha, according to his research, may be sourced to a 1980 tract on regulation, in which a similar comment appears as the author's interpretation of Jefferson's argument in an 1813 letter to John Adams. The fake Franklin quote seems to be a witticism that was in use as early as 1881, though not attributed to Franklin.

The Economist writer also misses that authorship isn't the only problem with the quote; regardless of who first uttered the quip, the "pursuit of happiness" is found only in the Declaration of Independence.

Draz's Facebook friends comment

The four comments left by some of Draz's Facebook friends are also telling about the mindset:

Darryl Curry Most think it's the job of government to hand them their happiness in the form of entitlments! No one is "entitled" to anything except our service men and women and veterans!

Yesterday at 3:08am · 2
Robin Schlegel I agree.. However too much Government power, poor spending and taxes can stand in the way of the pursuit of happiness as well..

Yesterday at 6:44am · 1
Darryl Curry Gonvernment needs to do only 4 things. 1)Protect our sovernty, 2) Maintain our infrastructure, 3) Fund our education system and 4) LEAVE US THE FUCK ALONE!

Yesterday at 6:49am · 1
Kari L Gunhus But...that's haaard...especially from my couch in my overweight arse from eating fast food on my EBT card

Draz shared the meme via the American Center for Law and Justice's Facebook page; the group self-describes itself:

ACLJ and its globally affiliated organizations are committed to ensuring the ongoing viability of freedom and liberty in the United States and around the world.

By focusing on U.S. constitutional law, European Union law and human rights law, the ACLJ and its affiliated organizations are dedicated to the concept that freedom and liberty are universal, God-given and inalienable rights that must be protected. . . .

One would think that the organization would know the language of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Perhaps not.

Screenshot: Having worked in the library that Franklin founded(though not during Ben's lifetime), which was used as a reference library for both the Second Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, Bluestem's editor is pretty sure that Franklin knew what language was in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. We recommend both documents to our readers as well.

If you enjoyed reading this post, consider giving a donation via mail (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or paypal:

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Apr 17, 2014 at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Will Scott Walker seal the border as Wisconsin's low wage workers find jobs in Minnesota?

One of the Republican talking points during the legislative floor debate on raising the minimum wage was that businesses near Minnesota's borders would flee to neighboring lower wage states.

In a February, Bluestem noted in Borders: re-framing MN minimum wage debate?:

An article in yesterday's New York Times challenges the notion that lower wages just across a state border only create an advantage for the low-wage side of the border. Kirk Johnson reports in Crossing Borders and Changing Lives, Lured by Higher State Minimum Wages:

In the nation’s debate about the minimum wage, which President Obama has proposed increasing at the federal level to $10.10 from $7.25, [Oregon's] rolling borderland of onion farms and strip malls provides a test tube of sorts for observing how the minimum wage works in daily life, and how differences in the rate can affect a local economy in sometimes unexpected ways.

Ms. Lynch is one of the many minimum-wage migrants who travel from homes in Idaho, where the rate is $7.25, to work in Oregon, where it is the second highest in the country, $9.10. Similar migrations unfold every day in other parts of Idaho — at the border with Washington, which has the highest state minimum, $9.32, and into Nevada, where the minimum rate tops out at $8.25.

A report coming out of Wisconsin this morning suggests that this dynamic is kicking in, and employers in the Badger State's western border towns are considering paying more to keep low-wage workers home.

Eau Claire's WEAU 13 reports in Minn. minimum wage increase raises concerns for WI border areas:

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D) signed a new minimum wage law raising wages to at least $9.50 an hour by 2016.

With Wisconsin’s minimum at $7.25, there's some concern people may choose to move or work in Minnesota for a higher wage.

For border counties like Pepin, there's some question whether people making wages below $9.50 would drive or move for a bigger paycheck, and what that would do to businesses in Wisconsin.

David Klein is the store manager at Countryside Co-op in Pepin. He said he expects no problems filling part time job openings, but that could get more competitive when Minnesota raises its minimum wage over the next three years. . . .

It's interesting that Republicans on the House and Senate imagining business flight across our borders could only thing of the labor market from the perspective of management and not job seekers.

Photo: The bridge at Hudson, WI, looking west.

If you enjoyed reading this post, consider giving a donation via mail (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, P.O. Box 108, Maynard MN 56260) or paypal:

Posted by Sally Jo Sorensen on Apr 17, 2014 at 09:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bluestem Prairie

News from Greater Minnesota and South Dakota

April 17, 2014

Apr 17, 2014

Stalker Evenstad committed to Regions Hospital for six-month mental illness hold

Man allegedly assaulted at GOP SD8 convention planning meeting as Franson v. Nelson heats up

Representative Steve Drazkowski gets confused about Constitution and stuff Ben Franklin said

Will Scott Walker seal the border as Wisconsin's low wage workers find jobs in Minnesota?

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