Mr Forsman
reading from his written statements:
Thank you Mr. Chair
I guess a couple of things, well several things, you know I've thought this an
about this an awful lot, and I mean, Certainly I should address immediately the
ah, the ahh glasses and stuff because I think I was
being chastised by somebody for wearing them. Ah, But I'll do that a little bit
later.
Several things that were brought up today by any number of speakers was the
training. I'll, Just so it's said in all the reports
the only person who's had training on this board has been Commissioner Sweeney
on it. But I have gone to a St. Louis county sponsored harassment and including
sexual harassment and diversity training with St. Louis County, in fact during
that event the former head of social services Lynda Anderson, and Scott
Lyons the chief of police were my ah we were together in one group when you got
into small working groups and I remember it well and I remember a lot of the
lessons that were learned there.
In addition to that every year in my other life at my other life at Middle
Steel, used to be Inland Steel we have sexual harassment training along with a movie
along with a dialogue that talks about unwanted sexual harassment and
harassment period and I think
its’ very important training that everybody should not only go to but should
understand that unwanted sexual advances in the workplace or period are wrong,
absolutely wrong and people that do them should be accountable.
But I look at our county board and for some reason there seems to be some idea
out there that I've gotten there that the board is doesn't have a high moral
standard, or something, because of this issue and I look at it every board
member on this board is either married to their high school sweetheart, still
married to their high school sweetheart or their college sweetheart, every one
of them, I look down the whole board and everyone of us
39 years for me. I don't know if that says anything to moral standards or
anything like that but it says a lot to me.
Now I notice that the first two people that are quick to take and adopt the
standard are both women and as I look through the sexual harassment statements
or complaints that have been in St. Louis County I'm not positive because I
haven’t got the exact numbers yet but I don't think any of them have been
brought against the woman yet, sexual harassment, not harassment, because there
have been harassment things done brought before women.
But I did write down a number of the things I want to say, these were all off
the cuff, I'm going to read them because if I don't, in fact well if I read it it will explain itself.
Kron says I want to make clear that I'm going to
allow commissioners each to make a comment, we usually don't do that but it’s
not intending then to become a dialog to make it a dialogue.the
nature of the issue demands if a comm. Wants to make a comment well then to do
that but it won't be the time for a debate won't be the time for a debate
Forsman : And I was hoping not to get into a debate altho whatever
And I wrote down my comments so they are clear since I've been told that the
blue green coalition and AFSCME out of Duluth have the county attorney "in
their back pocket" I was told this, I've written my comments so I won't be
called to task for things I didn't say.
One of the things that being 60 years old and being able to see retirement in
the not too distant future is that a loss in the next election might not really
be a bad thing (Forsman laughs) It puts me in a
comfortable position, where I feel the need to be correct is more important
than being politically correct.
I was asked by a female department head who was disappointed by the board's
actions
in not disciplining Commissioner Raukar and
Commissioner Fink if I would want my daughter working for
here but she does have a good job in the cities and my other one is a school
teacher a high school physics teacher up at Marshall, so my two daughters….I
would say unequivocally yes, I would my two daughter to work St. Louis County cuz there are safeguards in St. Louis County that protect
workers in St. Louis County that don't exist in most of the rest of society
If I had been asked if I would want my son working for St. Louis County my
answer would probably be different because of a mob mentality that I believe
that exists in Duluth based AFSCME and the Blue Green coalition that seems to
hate white heterosexual males. I think what is happening here is a litany of
events (a little giggle in the crowd)
A 19,000 dollar plus investigation by attorney Elizabeth Storasly
produced what I believe was a biased investigation against Commissioner Raukar and Commissioner Fink. Our affirmative action
officer in comparing the relatively benign actions of Commissioner Raukar and Fink to the terrible injustices against women in
the workplace that took place in the movie “North Country” at the Eveleth
mines, this surely demonstrates an absolute scary bias for a affirmative action
officer.
The action and inaction of St. Louis county administration and the three AFSCME
puppets seated on our board has led to a comical like atmosphere and a feeding
frenzy that has manifested itself into a media circus and groups like we have
here before us today,
This reminds me of the same type of mob mentality that unjustly lynched three
black men years ago.
"Give me a break" One woman in the audience says.
Forsman angrily responds "Give US a break"
Nelson : Mr. Commissioner I need to ask you a question
of you please, point of order.
Kron :
we as commissioners lets be at least as respectful as those that approached us,
and not get personal. Someone says Yes
Commissioner Nelson - the only thing I was going to ask was that I saw
commissioners sit up here and respectfully listen to each and every person that
came forward from this audience, to those people who just cheered and jeered I
feel bad for you. Mr. Chair I would ask that you maintain order in this meeting
so that everyone is treated in the same respectful manner as we have treated
those who have came before us.
Commissioner Kron, Mr. Nelson, that was what I was
just alluding to, was that we in our comments are as respectful as those who
came before us.