Carter Campaign “Strategy” #4

Mass Marketing

“Dump the Good Old Boys. Elect Bob Carter” was the message printed in bold, half inch letters on a private publication of the “South County Epitaph” recently distributed in the Rush City area. Why its author Jonathan Glassel, a District 3 Chisago County Commissioner candidate, would team up with District 5 candidate, Bob Carter, is unclear. What is clear is that Glassel suffered a major defeat in the District 3 primary election on 9/9/08 and will not appear on the general election ballot in November. Not only did Glassel finish last in a field of six District 3 primary candidates, he garnered only 5% of the vote (77 of 1496). Apparently Candidate Carter hitched his wagon to a falling star.

Carter Campaign "Strategy" #3

Rebuild Burned Bridges

The Precipitous Event
When Fish Lake Township (FLT) Board Chair and Supervisor Bob Carter voted to re-key the town hall and outbuildings and change the “key holder” policy in April 2007, he had no foresight or vision of the future. Supervisor Carter’s angry, knee-jerk reaction came in response to a “Letter to the Editor” published in the Cambridge Star newspaper titled “Special Treatment for Special People?” Supervisor Carter blamed new-elected Supervisor O’Keefe for “leaking” information to the letter’s author and audaciously challenging his integrity and authority. Supervisor Carter vowed to prevent any further access to township documents and records by Supervisor O’Keefe.

The Conundrum
With only four months to go before the November 2008 Chisago County District 5 Commissioner election, candidate Carter needs all the political support he can muster to unseat two-term incumbent Mike Robinson. How can candidate Carter regain Supervisor O’Keefe’s trust, but more importantly his voter-based support?

The Solution
At the June 2008 FLT monthly meeting, the unwritten township “policy” of key holders was discussed. Supervisor Carter suggested that he and Clerk Andrea Nekowitsch purchase and install a large, new safe in the town hall at a cost of ~$2500. All township records and documents would be assembled and locked inside for “safe-keeping.” Supervisor Cupit agreed and made a motion to re-distribute keys to the town hall and outbuildings to all three supervisors (including O’Keefe) once the safe was installed. Supervisor Carter seconded the motion. The caveat; only Clerk Nekowitsch would have keys for the new safe and retain sole access to all township documents and records locked inside.

Carter Campaign "Strategy" #2

Amass the Anti-Incumbent Vote

Candidate Bob Carter initially challenged incumbent Mike Robinson for the District 5 Chisago County Commissioner seat in 2004. At that time, the anti-incumbent sentiment netted Carter 1083 votes against Robinson’s 2692. Surely after serving two consecutive terms, Commissioner Robinson will have accumulated more dissatisfied voters in 2008 than in 2004.

Carter Campaign "Strategy" #1

Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

This year there will be no primary election in the District 5 Chisago County Commissioner race. Candidate Bob Carter missed his window of opportunity to mandate a primary election by soliciting a third party to enter the race. Instead of procuring two opportunities to unseat two-term incumbent Mike Robinson, candidate Carter has only one, in the November 2008 general election.

......try, try again.

Once again Robert “Bob” Carter is challenging (second-term) incumbent Mike Robinson for the District 5 Chisago County Commissioner seat. Carter’s first attempt in 2004 resulted in a dismal defeat by Robinson (1083 to 2692). In fact, Carter even failed to carry his home township of Fish Lake (405 to 562).
What audacious campaign strategy will Carter employ to succeed over Robinson in the November 2008 election?

Fish Lake Township the next mark?

Appearing in the 1/19/2008 Cambridge, Minnesota, STAR newspaper "Area Crime Report," Chisago County Sheriff section, is the name of “Crystal Lee Guse.” Crystal, of Harris, Minnesota, is the wife of the only full-time Fish Lake Township maintenance worker, Gary Guse, Jr. On the surface, the crime report entry “writing a worthless check” appears rather unremarkable, perhaps just an unfortunate circumstance for Crystal. However; the true story is revealed in Chisago County criminal court file #13-CR-07-2454.

According to the criminal complaint, Crystal obtained employment in June 2007 with “Nature Rental Properties, LLC” of Forest Lake, MN. In mid-July, she began creating and forging computer-generated company checks made payable to herself. This continued until mid-August when she abruptly quit her job. Court records show Crystal created and forged 9 checks for a total amount of $12,535.55.

Crystal was subsequently charged with “offering a forged check–value greater than $2,500 in violation of 609.631 Subd. 3; 609.631 Subd. 4(2)” which is punishable by up to “10 years imprisonment and/or $20,000 fine.”

The court record summary states; “On or about July 12, 2007–August 15, 2007, Defendant, with intent to defraud, offered or possessed with intent to offer, a forged check(s), in an amount greater than $2,500, whether or not it was accepted, namely check number(s) nine checks in an amount(s) of totaling 12,535.55. These offenses occurred in Chisago County and Washington County, Minnesota.”

On a converging front, at the April 2007 Fish Lake Township monthly meeting, the two attending township supervisors (Bob Carter and Bob Cupit) voted to re-key the town hall, shop and garage, to keep township assets “safe.” The supervisors’ decision was, in part, prompted by an unsubstantiated complaint from Gary Guse, Jr. himself, who claimed to have witnessed an unauthorized person rifling through the clerk’s desk in her absence. The two supervisors also voted to provide new building keys to only the township employees; groundskeeper, hired clerk, and maintenance worker (Gary Guse, Jr.). Township supervisors would no longer have access to township records or equipment unless a hired employee accompanied them. Township employees would be “managed” using the hands off concept of “self-directed work activities,” a situation subsequently likened by others to “the nuts running the asylum.”

Will Fish Lake Township taxpayers be horrified and outraged when they discover and make the connection of Crystal Lee Guse to Gary Guse, Jr.? Considering the facts, would an investigative audit of Fish Lake Township be prudent? Does the township of ~2100 residents even maintain and manage an asset list? Are the township records and assets truly protected, or has Fish Lake Township unwittingly poised itself to be ............ the next “mark?”

Pay to Play?

The Fish Lake town board has many unwritten “policies.” One includes the arbitrary solicitation of “donations” from developers. More specifically, persons developing land located near town board members’ homes have been required to “donate” an impact fee of $1000 per lot to the township. Developers who refuse to “donate” are subjected to strong-arm tactics. The “donation” is allegedly intended for repairs, improvements and maintenance of township roads adjacent to the corresponding new development. Previously affected developments include Prairie Ponds ($23500), Goose Lake Meadows ($9000) and Pheasant Crest ($30000+).

Township road repairs and improvements were recently completed on 437th Street, the site of the new Andrews Acres development. Although 437th Street was not included in the fiscal 2007 township road maintenance plan, Fish Lake taxpayers have paid a private contractor $7600 for “necessary” repairs and improvements. The total cost to the taxpayers actually exceeded $9000 including gravel and roadbed matting supplied and delivered to the site by the township. Considering Andrews Acres’ close proximity to Fish Lake Township Supervisor Carter's home, why wasn’t its developer required to “donate” $1000 per lot to the township to pay for these timely road repairs and improvements?