Calculated political effort

To the editor:

Local democrats supporting Tina Folch filed a ridiculous complaint to the national headquarters of the United Way in Washington, DC against the United Way of Hastings for allowing a political candidate to advertise on a “Lives United” banner. It was a political stunt that unnecessarily attacked this critical local organization, its mission, and the people it serves.

In my opinion, that decision was a calculated political effort. As stated in a previous edition of The Hastings Journal, our current State Senator Karla Bigham – a Democrat – was to my knowledge the first legislator to purchase a United Way banner and have it displayed in Hastings. It was a great idea to show support for the organization and assist it financially. I consulted with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board to see if advertising through the purchase of a banner of my own could be a problem. It wasn’t, so I bought one as well.

In short, you had a Democrat and a Republican state lawmaker choosing to support the United Way, and to show that support through advertising on a “Lives United” banner. Not one person ever complained.

Yet suddenly this year, one banner has become an issue. If we are to believe the words of the local DFL chair, (Eileen Weber letter to the editor, Hastings Journal, 10/6/22 page 6) people were complaining at their doors that state representative candidate Shane Hudella had a United Way banner hanging around town.

Get real. Are we really expected to believe that the average Hastings resident, when approached by a complete stranger at the door and asked what issues are important to them, hasn’t been complaining about $4 per gallon gas, or skyrocketing grocery prices, or dramatically increasing crime rates? But instead, they can barely sleep at night knowing there’s a United Way banner somewhere in town featuring a political candidate?

Yes folks, they really think you are that stupid. Folch notes that she wasn’t contacted by the United Way about advertising on a “Lives United” banner. She rightfully noted about campaign finance laws, a charitable organization may not request a candidate contribute to their organization. For the record, United Way of Hastings never contacted me either. I contacted them.

Of course, Folch herself or a local DFL party official did not file the complaint against United Way of Hastings. That would leave political fingerprints. What is more likely is that a strong DFL supporter –someone who walked in a parade, hosted an open house, or held a fundraising event – was told about this from Democrat leaders in Hastings and was encouraged to file the complaint.

Think about it. Who, without any encouragement from political hacks, would independently contact the national headquarters of the United Way and file a complaint, outraged that a political candidate who strongly supports the organization and its mission is advertising on a “Lives United” banner?

Can you imagine living your life like this? Connect the dots folks; this entire scheme was politically motivated. The motivation may have been to hurt Folch’s opponent but it is United Way of Hastings that suffers the most. This organization has led the charge locally towards addressing the crisis of fentanyl poisoning amongst our young people. Instead of being able to completely focus on this problem, they have been forced for weeks to waste time on this unnecessary political nonsense.

If United Way of Hastings suffers any negative repercussions over this political stunt, Hastings residents will know exactly where to cast blame.

United Way of Hastings is not a political organization. It serves the entire community with no regard for political affiliation. The people of Hastings; Democrats, Republicans and Independents, support their mission. The “Lives United” banners around town are proof of that. Unfortunately, Tina Folch’s supporters might have ruined a good thing and cost United Way of Hastings future revenue.

If you’re still not convinced the complaint against Folch’s opponent was politically motivated I’ll leave you with one final thought. I am your current state representative and I am pictured on a United Way of Hastings “Lives United” banner again this year. Not one person has filed a complaint.

Sincerely, State Representative Tony Jurgens Cottage Grove

Happy heavenly birthday Katy

To the editor:

October 4th I stopped in to Woullettes to purchase a carrot cake for our birthday group gathering Wednesday evening. I went to order it and the clerk pointed to a beautiful one in the cooler and said a lady had ordered it the day before and came in that morning and paid for it. She asked the clerk to ‘please GIVE this cake, in memory of my daughter, Katy, to the first person who comes in wanting to purchase a carrot cake. Katy’s mom proceeded to explain; ‘ Today is Katy’s birthday and carrot cake was her favorite’. I was speechless and near tears, trying to process what I had just heard. To Katy’s mom, THANK YOU! Your selfless act of kindness did not go unnoticed as I repeated the story to our group, just before we added a candle to the cake for Katy and sang happy birthday to her in heaven. Katy (and you) will be forever remembered in my heart every year on October 4th as I light a special ‘Katycandle’ for her…and I will, I promise.

God Bless You, Bets Thorkelson

A line not-crossed

To the editor

Shane Hudella wonders in his 6 October Letter to the Editor (‘Bring Community Back Together’) if there are ‘any political boundaries left that the new aggressive DFL will not cross.’ I’m confident Democrats will not attack our nation’s capitol and wound over 100 police officers, an unprecedented internal threat to our democracy that former president Trump and his Republican allies all too often have supported or dismissed as overactive tourism. A kerfuffle over a campaign sign pales in comparison, but perhaps not to Mr. Hudella.

Dave Page, Hastings