Anoka City Forum

Chinese Garden = Graft + Lease Breach

Update 8-12:  The definition of Graft was brought to the Anoka City Forum's attention and applied to Bjorn Skogquist's Chinese Garden:  "Use of one's position in public office to derive advantage or gain."

There also seem to be multiple defaults of the Windego lease agreement as a result of this public pilfering.

Anoka Mayor Bjorn Skogquist hijacked a request to plant a Chinese flower garden in an Anoka city park.

He poached and planted it at his first non-profit: the Windego Park Society Amphitheater.

The Union stated "it was a project joined by local government".  Also see www.ci.anoka.mn.us/  to What's New to Chinese Garden.

However, there is no record of Skogquist involving the City of Anoka's Parks staff, the Parks Advisory Board, the Planning Commission (necessary site plan approval) or even the rest of the city council.

What local government are they talking about?

The time frame would not have allowed for any public discussion or a local government decision.

Was this  garden project diverted from city parks to maintain interest in his dying "non-profit"?

Windego Park Society's efforts have been inadequate and under increasing scrutiny.

It is becoming obvious that they are not the group that can restore, much less operate an amphitheater.

So this symbolic garden project is "exactly what is needed now". Skogquist just needs to layer in some uses on this city owned land to shore up interest in his no go non-profit.

The garden has been installed halfway under the foot bridge.  In just about any of the numerous city parks (Anoka maintains 12 premier parks - 34 total park locations and trails) a garden would be more visible and accessible.

At the amphitheater it is only accessible by crossing private property. There's a "Keep Out" sign on Ferry Street.

The ARCC students were cheated of a better site and wider, more balanced community involvement and support.

Now instead of a symbolic garden they have planted a secret garden.

   

Sivarajah & Skogquist

Star Tribune on 7-20-08 reported Anoka County Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah avowing, "I have never talked to people about running against fellow board members."

But the Tribune also reported that Anoka Mayor Skogquist claimed "Rhonda approached me" about running against Dan Erhart.

Sivarajah confirmed to the Tribune that well, yes, she "did encourage him".

Hopefully the Tribune didn't have to resort to waterboarding to get these confessions.

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Sivarajah & Skogquist in cahoots and playing politics goes back to at least 2002.

"Elect Rhonda" was listed in the Coles Information Services Directory at 408 Van Buren, Anoka MN, Skogquist's residence.  The phone number listed was Mayor Bjorn Skogquist's. Sivarajah's district is Lino Lakes in the far east of the county.

408 Van Buren was also the residence of a Bonnie McDonald. This is the renter-girlfriend-fiancee-ex-whatever of Skogquist's that was hired at the Anoka County Historical Society even though she did not meet the minimum requirement of five years experience. And, in fact, was a student back east at the time of the job posting.  See McDonald's profile on www.LinkedIn.com.

Only two applicants were interviewed (ACHS board minutes 5-02). One man had the required five years museum management experience. The other applicant, the-girl-with-no-experience, was hired.

This was the year the Minnesota Historical Society's funding was cut 25%, sites were closed, many qualified historic types were forced into other jobs.

But McDonald was a tireless door-to-door campaigner for "Skogquist for Mayor". She was in a close personal relationship with the Mayor of Anoka. It was determined she was a "better fit" for the job of executive director.  June 2002.

2002 was also the year Skogquist declared his occupation: "to me, being your mayor is a full time job."  Salary $6,800. He was somehow able to purchase 408 Van Buren.   August 2002.

It was probably a helpful benefit to have county taxpayer money via McDonald contributing to Skogquist mortgage payments in those lean years.

Update: Erik Skogquist for mayor literature claims he was "a homeowner when only 19".  He may be referring to this same property (408 Van Buren) owned in conjunction with his two siblings.  See property tax records https://prtinfo.co.anoka.mn.us/ plug in 408 Van Buren or Erik Skogquist's campaign address of 616 Johnson.

Being a third part owner/investor in a duplex you do not occupy isn't most people's idea of being a homeowner.

Windego = Vampire

At the Anoka City Council open forum on 7-21-08 Dr. Jim Rusin referred to Skogquist's Windego project as a vampire that needs to be staked and killed once for all.

Even though Skogquist's Windego Park Society (WPS) had their site plan denied, they apparently still have a lease with the city for this public property, the amphitheater. 

Dr. Rusin was suggesting that the council now take the next responsible step, show some leadership and cancel the lease on this unworkable project.

Even the occasional observer can see the accuracy of the vampire analogy.

Windego has been sucking the credibility of the city council, mayor and staff.

The way this unfeasible project is being handled continues to undermine public confidence in their judgment.

Councilmembers, Anderson and Skogquist can't overcome their bias and even be civil to the public. Skogquist indulges himself and disputes at open forum. Anderson actually orders Dr. Rusin to sit down.  (Thereby sparing Skogquist the embarrassment of admitting the lack of progress in fundraising.  Former side-kicks Paul Pierce and Dori Schumacher didn't have such good timing.)

Windego especially calls into question Bjorn and Erik Skogquist's ability to prioritize projects, make sound decisions, and move on when numerous insurmountable obstacles have been identified.

These protracted deliberations continue to showcase their inability to give straight answers or accept reality checks. Rather, the Skogquist brothers have chosen to irrationally accuse the brave realists of bad motives or criminal backgrounds.

Windego has been a vampire on the Skogquist's time, 20's, credibility, and political future.

And they don't see it, they don't have a clue.  It's clear they have lost all perspective.

It's clear they are ill equiped to participate in public policy discussions. They certainly have no business being in elected office.

Oddly enough, the Windego was an evil spirit in Indian lore that represented a degrading process of fear, paralysis, cold, insanity and finally death.

The Windego was a consuming creature much like the vampire.

"Commissioner?" Skogquist. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Original post April 17, 2007.     Updated July 18, 2008.

Bjorn Skogquist's Anoka legacy, 302 Fremont, has been called "a foreclosure waiting to happen", a boondoggle and a debacle. It's very possible the city could lose well over $190,000 (the HRA's total annual budget); plus attorney fees and untold staff hours. 

Double speak, wishful thinking and plain old spin are heavily used in these dysfunctional cities.

Skogquist ally Paul Pierce had this to say about 302 Fremont: "he wants to thank the HRA and commend them on a job well done.  There will be no City funds or HRA funds lost to this project, and that the HRA will receive all of the funds back from the loan. It is important to note that the HRA's solution for 302 Fremont came out without any City money being left in the project. The things going on were all very positive and this all turned out very well."

It should be noted that Mr. Pierce was a student of mythology in his formative years.

Update:  The City of Anoka wrote off $186,000 from the HRA for their part of 302.  The Sheriff's sale was advertised in the 7-11-08 Anoka newspaper.  It will take place August 29, 2008 at 325 E. Main. Mortgagor: Paul M. Kaiser.  Mortgagee:  Wells Fargo Bank. Amount claimed to be due: $312,865.53.  Grand total: $498,865.  The building is not yet finished and does not have a certificate of occupancy issued.

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Pierce dismissed the Union's concern about the cost of city staff time and an estimated $15,000-$18,000 in legal fees at that time (5-05) as "just the cost of doing business."

In his campaign for city council Pierce declared: "The #1 problem is spending." And yet $18,000 in legal fees on one residence is considered "just the cost of doing business" by Mr. Pierce.  The Union promised a full accounting someday.  We're waiting.

Why is the theme to the Twilight Zone humming in my head?  And where did Paul Kaiser, the "rescue buyer", really come from?    Update:  A Paul Kaiser was a part-time ski instructor at the Anoka High School.               

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COMMENT:  It seems that Bjorn Skogquist should have a right to call 302 Fremont his historic preservation legacy.  As testified by four people according to the Anoka Union. 

He finagled long and hard and shamelessly for it.

He got Chris Heineman hired and placed under his assistant, the city manager, Tim Cruikshank.  This facilitated the micro-managing of the lack of due diligence Chuck Drury pointed out in his editorial on 4-13-07.

In a normal city this is known as incompetence and people lose employment over it.  In dysfunctional cities the employee is unanimously rewarded with a five year contract. Naturally.

People spoke against it at the time.  The ACT website, www.anokacitizenstogether.com , had argued all the reasons not to place that position in administration (Tim Cruikshank).  So Mr. Skogquist had to endure all that resistance. He had to endure all those attempts at good governance and due diligence.  But he pushed on and overcame all reason and now we have a Sheriff's sale. He really deserves to claim 302 Fremont as his historic preservation legacy.

Update: A nice ending to this would be if the finaglers chipped in and paid their mess off.  Paul Pierce, Aaron Barr, Bjorn Skogquist, maybe Bonnie McDonald. $46,500 each for the city portion.  Bank can fend for itself.

As it is Bjorn Skogquist can use 302 Fremont as a shining example of "pushing historic preservation" in his bid to do even bigger things at the county level as commissioner. 

Anoka County taxpayer:  Be afraid, be very afraid.

ATC Foundation Take Note

The local newspaper in February printed a thorough article about the ATC (Anoka Technical College) faculty union vote of no confidence in President Anne Weyandt.

One of their concerns was hiring practices.

Mayor Bjorn Skogquist of Anoka was placed on staff about that same time.

The ATC foundation members and MnSCU hopefully will take note of these ongoing concerns. 

The following questions need to be asked and answered about this particular hire:

1. Was the job posted?  If so, when, where and for how long?
2. What is the job description?
3. How many applicants were there?  How many were interviewed?
4. What was the selection criteria?
5. What were the required educational qualifications?
6. What was the required work experience?

The ATC website, www.anokatech.edu/atchiresnewemployee , gives the impression of a job that was crafted for and offered to one particular individual.

This website calls Bjorn Skogquist "a Business and Education Solutions Manager".

However, general public knowledge has Mr. Skogquist possessing only a high school diploma.  The last HR dept that may have a file on him is Menard's.  He was a part-time flooring specialist there in 2006.

There is no public record of any business or education specific management training or experience.

Mr. Skogquist was elected in 2000 (took office in 2001) as part-time, ceremonial mayor of Anoka with a current salary of $8,817 per year.

Being mayor has no qualifications but resident over age 21 and a $20 filing fee.

The mayor presides at 3 evening council meetings a month and attends various public events in a figurehead capacity.

In council/manager govt., such as Anoka has, the mayor has no authority beyond his one public vote with no power to veto.  He cannot legally direct staff or make deals/decisions apart from the full council.

Being mayor is not an administrative, management or educational function.

The ATC hiring of Mr. Skogquist mocks Weyandt's new mission of "rich academic quality and rigor."

And it certainly adds credence and builds urgency to the faculty union's vote of no confidence.

Bjorn's Blunders Bleed Taxpayers

Bjorn Skogquist stayed a little too long.

Many of his blunders are now blowing up.  The cost is being counted.

Anoka City Forum's Short List:

• $186,000 was written off for 302 Fremont. Thousands more were squandered in legal fees and lost staff time.

(302 being the one thing 302 neighbor Aaron Barr will be remembered for since arriving in Anoka in 2002.)

• $100,000 -Skogquist helps delay Riverspointe.
• $500,000 each year delaying condo project by city hall.
• $1,500,000 in embellishments for downtown ramp.

It's unfortunate the taxpayers money that's been lost can't be divided up and charged just to those citizens who voted to put Skogquist into office.

Don't forget quality of life:

• Expanded liquor hours, expanded policing costs.
• Habitat houses + fence on south Ferry instead of nice townhomes.
• Fractious partisan politics.
• A reputation as a dysfunctional city.

That's just the short list.

Good Olde Boy Bjorn

In Bjorn Skogquist's dysfunctional Anoka things often become arbitrary and capricious.  Compare Gould Jewelry and CVS, two projects proposed for 7th and Main.

One is now built: Gould Jewelry Store.

• The other one, a CVS store, is finally in the process of going forward.

Gould had a dream.  But family jewelry stores are going the way of the dinosaur. Witness Hoff and J. B. Hudson Jewelry stores.

• CVS had a market study.

Gould's project was granted changes in zoning and several variances.

• CVS, (SuperAmerica-site owned by local family, the Dehn's), could have gone ahead and built their project with no special dispensations (ie. variances, zoning changes, etc.).  They were stopped by a moratorium.

And today Gould has boulders strewn in the sidewalks (not in any approved site plan).  A backwards fence (illegal).  And the building is unfinished.

The Difference:

Gould hosted events for both of Mayor Bjorn Skogquist's non-profits.

• CVS and the Dehn family only had signatures of scores of mere Anoka residents.

There's never been a good old boy like Bjorn. 

Conflicting Statements

Bjorn Skogquist's problematic conflicting statements and other oddities:

"Bjorn formally resigned from Windego in 2005 in hopes to clear any conflict of interest", Alyssa Baguss, Windego Park Administrator, anoka.wordpress.com/2007

"It's no secret I am a member of the Windego Park Society", said Skogquist Anoka Union 6-18-08 direct quote from city council meeting 6-16-08

Baguss and Bjorn need to get their story straight.  The public gets uneasy when mayors and their non-profits are not trustworthy.  There is the natural tendency to doubt other statements as well.  In fact you risk the whole operation coming under scrutiny.

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At the 6-16-08 city council meeting Bjorn Skogquist complained, "Last December council took away the ability for them (Windego Park Society) to claim they had a site plan".

The Anoka Union reported 12-28-07, "The motion not to renew the site plan with variances was made by Mayor Bjorn Skogquist, seconded by Freeburg and unanimously approved."

Maybe Skogquist statements need to be fact checked.  It's difficult for him to keep all this stuff straight.  Maybe we could get an intern for the mayor.  Someone who's a stickler for accuracy and veracity.

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Eric Skogquist stated (Jan 28,2008 council worksession, pg. 8 of 20) that, "the car show was no longer operated by WPS but are now providing help and are now a recipient of money."   What's up with that?

One of the mayor's non-profits was running the mayor's other non-profit?  Both of which come before mayor and council for approvals and use of public property?

Yikes!  Both of these groups also "collect donations".

      

Distasteful New Low

Mark McGowan brought a much needed reality check on very specific issues about Windego Park Society (WPS), Mayor Skogquist's pet project.

The meeting 6-16-08 was a new dysfunctional low even for Skogquist.

Finance seemed incompetent. She couldn't answer finance questions but attempted an engineering one. The city manager was invisible as usual.  Erik Skogquist did a lot of sideways dancing with one reckless thrust at the end.  Bjorn shamelessly assisted his brother and moderated his baby. And yet strangely abstained from voting.

Dr. Rusin made the most sense to many people when he voiced his disgust, "just kill the damn thing. This thing has to die. Move on."

Freeburg had the clearest thinking and reasoned list. He characterized WPS as just another romantic, futile effort like Mayor Skogquist's scandalous loss of $186,000 on 302 Fremont.

Anderson actually joined the mob and proved himself biased and ungracious growling, "just go home."

Council could have been at least courteous and thanked McGowan for the important issues he brought to their attention that have perhaps been overlooked.   Council basically received a free feasibility study.

Mr. Skogquist, the elder, couldn't find his gavel when his groupies (and Anderson) were heckling and out of order.  And, in fact, as mayor he sincerely thanked that part of the audience for their outburst!

The heckling and then the deliberate libel/slander of McGowan at the very end by Mr. Skogquist, the younger, all seemed a little too coordinated.

One question is:  was the slander "due diligence" done months ago?  Or was it an attempt to dig dirt between the Planning meeting on the 3rd and the council meeting on the 16th to discredit a person?

It's the weakest, most desperate position:  Can't answer the issues?  Smear the man.

They say politics doesn't develop character.  Politics only reveals character.

Mayor Behaving Badly

Mayor, Bjorn Skogquist, behaving badly:       The following is A letter to the editor taken from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record,

"View the Council Tape":

To the Editor:

Feedback on front page flap over the finger. . .Mayor Skogquist's of Anoka. 

I took the time to order and view the tape.

It was a meeting where he was defending his far-reaching preservation ordinance.  Yet he actually said, "I just can't stress enough how much this ordinance doesn't do anything."

Well, there it was. Intentional looking and surprisingly prolific.  At least four individuals seemed to be the focus of the featured finger.

Windego: Game Over

Mark McGowan, Mpls. developer and businessman, testified before the Anoka Planning Commission about the catastrophic, deal breaker flaws in Windego Park Society plans for the amphitheater.

It became clear in his presentation that Windego is primarily Bjorn and Erik Skogquist and defeated former councilman Paul Pierce.

It is also clear that City Council is now accountable for the new, reality-based information.

McGowan's concerns covered sound volume from the site, alarming safety and traffic issues, uninsurability and finances that make no sense.

He pointed to the lack of transparency and straight answers from Windego representatives.

Every Anokan can only hope the Windegans don't further embarrass themselves and the City by attempting to malign the messenger, Mr. McGowan.

It's been an ineffective and overused tactic.

Mr. McGowan, for the record, has two remarkable historic preservation projects to his name.

Using an all volunteer model, in 2004 McGowan organized a team of businesses that restored the Lake Harriet Bandshell.  This collaborative effort saved the public at least  $350,000.

A 2005 Preservation Alliance Endangered Site was saved.  The City Council of Norwood Young America unanimously agreed to pay McGowan a one-time $50,000 project management fee to oversee the restoration of their 105 year old pavilion.  Nearly 60 volunteer business partners were coordinated for this achievement.

McGowan's management fee of $30,000 for the Anoka amphitheater would have been a bargain.

Referred to as a polished promoter, Mark McGowan's honesty and ability to let others shine seem to be his strengths.

Windego almost seems like a sham racket of some sort in comparison.

Why would Anoka City Council take on unknown and potentially disastrous liabilities by approving this project, now that they know the information presented by Windego can't be trusted?

Mayor Skogquist's Self-Dealing

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

Published May 30, 2008     Self Dealing

Patrick Walker appeared before the Anoka City Council April 21 to object to an obvious ethical conflict of interest concerning Mayor Bjorn Skogquist and the Windego Society.

Later, by coincidence, I presented much the same view about the mayor's conduct regarding not only Windego, but the River Town Community Partnership (RTCP) and the Anoka car show.

We each asked, in essence, that the mayor excuse himself and step down when any item concerning his "babies" is before the council.

Pat Walker and I each cited the informational source of the mayor's self-dealing, as taken from the pages of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits web site.

Mayor Skogquist has a non-profit consulting company, Skogquist Management. His bio on the web site states that Windego and the RTCP are examples of his nonprofit work while he presents himself for a consulting or management job.

Clearly, the success of Windego and RTCP bear on his credentials as a consultant.  A salesman would call them his "reference accounts".  The mayor stands to profit if he can keep Windego and River Town afloat.

Do I want Mayor Skogquist to be fined or barred from office?  That is a matter for the Anoka City Attorney to decide, but I do not.

No, what I am asking is that when issues concerning Windego (which spent most of its net revenue on an administrator last year. . .they are just $1.2 million short of their goal of $1.2 million, give or take) or the RTCP, which spent 80 percent of the Anoka car show revenues it received on an executive director, are before the council, especially concerning the use of city-owned or city-leased property, Mayor Skogquist step aside.

The history has been, if it is one of the mayor's "babies" before the council, all must endure agenda and meeting manipulation.

Consider finding the controversial RTCP farmer's market request hidden on the consent agenda at the April 7 Anoka Council meeting.

Did you see the two-hour "Udder Market" utter fiasco featuring the spouse of the RTCP executive director dressed as a cow at the same meeting?

When Windego is on an agenda, where there might be questions about finances, no matter how many citizens may wish to comment, it will be put at the end of the agenda so it finally comes up at midnight.  Even worse, it just as likely will be off-camera at a workshop.

The mayor has shown no restraint when one of his "reference accounts" is before the council.  In many observers opinions it is most inappropriate to be a presenter and cheerleader and interrogator from the council table.

All I ask is that Mayor Skogquist let Windego Park Society and Anoka car show and River Town requests rise or fall on their own merit, without the taint of interference and unethical participation.

Step down, Mr. Mayor, and spare us the theatrics.  Honor all citizens by removing the appearance of self-dealing and yourself during these considerations.

Steve Schmidt

Anoka

Follow-up information: Anoka Car Show/ River Town Commmunity Partnership's paid director is a Mimi Doran, married to a Tom Durkin. She was paid $1,789 per Saturday night.  It's a true shame she didn't have the opportunity to double that with the expanded farmer's market idea. Of course, the 5-7 actual booths of the farmer's would have been buried in among 45 other booths.  Booths which would compete with our downtown shops.  And the real product she is selling is the public streets of Anoka.

Also, in a normal (read healthy city) it is the function of a city manager's office to set agenda's.  In a normal, healthy city meeting agenda's are not made available for political manipulation.

Windego, an Anoka Comedy.

Our local Anoka newspaper doesn't have a comics/humor section.  But the Windego Park Society (WPS) news releases more than made up for it.  They'll be missed.

Their "main mature event" this season (January thru June) was the Chalk drawing on the sidewalks.

They raised 18 X $20 or $360.00.  This organization needs $675,000 by December 2009. (In 2007 WPS reported a net of $1,891 toward their goals).

A personal favorite in the humor category was "the hazardous waste drop off that was scrapped".

The Skogquist brothers advertised on the Anoka City reader board to drop off hazardous waste at Barb Thurston's residence on 3rd Avenue. 

Must be some kind of passive/aggressive dynamic going on here: Barb Thurston is their mother.

Maybe they thought, hey, it's almost Mother's Day. . .let's get Mom something everyone needs more of: hazardous waste.  We don't have enough of our own for an impressive gift so we'll ask strangers to drop off theirs.

Apparently a caring adult stepped in and saved the hazmat crew a trip to Anoka.

Bitsie

Warning : Further Making Sport:  Please do not read if you are easily offended or if you have no sense of humor.

Submitted:  "What Windego needs to do is appeal to the big money.  They need to take their events up a notch.  They have got to build some credibility.

They should take their annual Chalk drawing and add bubble blowing!

And that annual garage sale. . .they have got to think about adding a lemonade stand."

That should do it."

Also:  It's almost as if Skogquist's are mocking the good will of Anokans, as in, "How lame can we be and still keep the lease?"

Impeccable Integrity

When Hwy 10/Thurston comes back for a council decision, will Bjorn Skogquist be representing the City of Anoka or Anoka Technical College?

Maybe that's why he stalled it last time.  Some thought it was just his usual, irrational procrastination and indecision.

But maybe Skogquist hadn't checked with his new employer (ATC) for their position.

We'll just have to count on his impeccable integrity.

Casual Observer notes: "Like when Anoka Mayor, Bjorn Skogquist, was approached for a Chinese Garden site in one of our parks?. . . Windego founder, Bjorn Skogquist, stuck it under the foot bridge at the amphitheater."

Thereby disregarding staff, two advisory boards and the city council in a single act.

Skogquist thus continues to demonstrate his ongoing contempt for our form of government.

The city manager (keeper of the charter) has said the mayor can do whatever he wants.

It's as if there is no adult supervision whatsoever in ye olde city hall.

Rules? What Rules?

Jeff Weaver says-it's-against-the-rules-that-govern-this-body but let's do it anyway: Instructing staff to craft a letter of support for Anne Weyandt during Open Forum.  (Weyandt being the beleagured president of Anoka Technical College/ ATC.)

Anoka Mayor Bjorn Skogquist, aka new ATC employee, Bjorn Skogquist, guides it through by asking; What exactly do you need Madame President aka my boss-in-trouble-trying-to-smooth-things-over-without-changing-your-ways?

There is to be no public or even city council discussion. 

Casual Observer asks, "What about that recent 51-4 no-confidence-in-madame-president vote by the faculty union? The people in the know?"

So, a letter of endorsement and fiction is to be written.

Will Bjorn Skogquist, Mayor of Anoka, or will Bjorn Skogquist, Business & Education Solutions Manager, employee of ATC, sign the letter?

On May 27, 2008 these people (the mayor and his council) will be discussing some fine points of ethics and conflicts of interest. 

Rife with Conflict of Interest

Who does Bjorn Skogquist represent?

Recently, as an elected mayor, he was caught diverting interest in Anoka City Parks to a non-profit he founded and "helps".

He is also recently employed at the Anoka Technical College.

See  www.anokatech.edu/atchiresnewemployee.htm

The plot and conflict thicken as the individual (Dave Jeffrey) introducing Skogquist on this site is also a Ramsey City councilmember and is Skogquist's direct supervisor.

Anoka Technical College may have some serious "splainin to do" if proper hiring practices were not followed.

There seems to be no educational, business or work history to support what looks like a political hire.

ATC, as an educational facility, preparing people for the workplace, should have the highest and fairest hiring practices.

Kidz these dayz

Submitted to the Anoka City Forum:

It's getting hard to explain the world to the kids.  Whenever I hear, "Grampa Sam. . .?" I start praying for wisdom from the good Lord.

Our youngest mayor, Bjorn Skogquist, role model, etc. is fired for lying.  "Grampa Sam, I thought you said everyone's got this permanent record with God and man. . ."  "How can he even get another job, now?"

Even with equal rights and more women than men in university, etc. I've noticed the boys still have more of a sense of providing for their families someday.

"Isn't God kind of against lying?"  "Yes, Jimmy, lying definitely hurts your chances with God."

Then there was the mayor's middle finger towards Mindy's Grandma, we almost had to stop having cable on when the kids were visiting. . .until someone spoke up.

Our own Elyse Kaner wrote about a similar occasion calling it: "Cursing you with a single gesture in a most impolite way."  Another understated (MN Nice) assessment of the mayor's impolite digit was, "it's just not very good community building."

Jimmy's at an age where he knows a lot about little boys caught doin' wrong.

So I listened carefully when he said, "Grampa Sam, I know how to tell that he was guilty."

"Howz that, Jimmy?"

"When he was caught. . .he quit doing it."

-Grampa Sam-

Mayor's Assistant

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

To the Editor:

Anoka needs a city manager, not a $107,577.60 assistant to a $7,800 mayor.  The mayor needs to get out of city hall and stop micro-managing city staff!

Imagine the city staff morale issues resulting from having two bosses with conflicting instructions/agendas.

The city manager needs to take guidance from the city council, not directives from a mayor.

The influence of the mayor over the city manager was never more pronounced than was exhibited during the recent (12-18-06) 1:30 am council meeting regarding the Windego's lease of the amphitheater site.

Never, under any circumstance, would such poor information have been considered had it been presented by any member of the public in an arms-length transaction.

Bjorn Skogquist: "He lied, he got caught, he got fired."

Bjorn Skogquist: "He lied, he got caught, he got fired."

That's the unsolicited report of two separate Menard's employees.      More details as submitted.

This was also the same month that Bjorn's city manager proposed and council voted on a 30% pay increase for mayor. The second since Skogquist took office.

Mayor's compensation:  $4200 in 2000.    $6825 in 2001.    $8817 in 2007.

"He lied, he got caught, he got fired."  That's what the blogs said about the Jayson Blair scandal at the New York Times.  It seems that opportunities can sometimes surpass the character development of these young men.  Maybe it has something to do with the self-esteem-trumps-all teaching of the past years.  That's why programs like "Character Counts" are now in vogue.  The self-esteem-only crowd are hitting the public arenas and it ain't pretty.

Comment: regarding mr. skogquist at Menard's: one man's report went something like this: "I knew I had been with a politician when I got home with way more carpet than I ordered or paid for." Politicians always overly generous with other's resources, while they take the credit.    Menard's may want to compare inventory with possible shortages on mr. skogquist's shifts.

Legal Troubles Back Story

An earlier post on the Anoka City Forum referred to campaign fraud investigation of Mayor Skogquist. He answered a public query with, "The County Attorney dropped it on my behalf."

Skogquist revealed that the investigation went on for seven months and characterized it as frivolous.

Most of us have more confidence in our County Attorney's office than to believe they would waste seven months on something that was totally without merit or frivolous.

Some general information has come dribbling in: "Elect Rhonda" was run out of Skogquist's duplex in the City of Anoka in 2002, listing Skogquist's phone number. Rhonda Sivarajah is an Anoka County commissioner; but her area is on the far east end of Anoka County. Mayor Skogquist attended her inauguration.

There is some relationship between the former county attorney, R. W. Johnson, and Bjorn Skogquist.  They were both mentioned in an obituary for a James Farrier: Johnson as an honorary pallbearer and Skogquist as a relative.

The Anoka City Forum has heard about two letter-to-editor writers who had R. W. Johnson, former county attorney, suggest to them that it was inappropriate for them to be writing about Mr. Skogquist.

Is it possible he would attempt to influence his son, the current county attorney, on Mr. Skogquist's behalf?  Mr. Johnson, (R.W.) didn't seem to hesitate to attempt to influence two ordinary citizens and their freedom of speech and statements of opinion.

The campaign violations investigation was largely based on self-reported information, supplied by Mr. Skogquist. Anonymous cash found on his back step. There was a near miss on "Skogquist for Mayor" signs on Leon Fischer's fire truck. Mr. Fischer's out-of-town relatives also suddenly became interested in donating money to Anoka's mayoral race. All perfectly legal.

5 Women Unacceptable to Skogquist

The following is a letter to the editor from abc newspapers and reprinted here, permission was not obtained, as it is of public record.

To the Editor:

The Union recently quoted Anoka Mayor Skogquist as saying "the other applicants were not acceptable to me."  He was referring to applicants to the city's Housing Authority.

A little research indicates that among these applicants that were not acceptable to Mr. Skogquist were at least five women.

Their credentials were impressive.

There was a former mayor, former councilwoman, park board commissioner and a housing coordinator.  There were women with experience with Section 8 rent assistance and the federal Community Development Block Grant program.  There were council candidates and a senior housing specialist.  A rental agent for a U of M housing cooperative and two former HRA members.

Everyone talks about what a critical need Anoka has to refurbish our old housing and that the HRA is one tool to assist in doing that.  And yet these people with all their rich experience and qualifications were not acceptable to Mr. Skogquist.

Mr. Skogquist's original reason for expanding the HRA from five to seven was "to have more people to do the work."

And yet one of the men he wanted, the Union noted, had no qualification except being a resident.  The other guy, Aaron Barr, has barely five years experience with our town.

But these five highly qualified women were somehow not acceptable to Mr. Skogquist.

Letter to the Editor May 2007- Published in the Anoka Union

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Comment: This seems like another example of hizzoner's hardheaded hubris.

Or:

Waaay back in the 70's the militant women would say, "Sexism is a learning disability."

Unfortunate Legacy

One of the many unfortunate legacies of King Bjorn Skogquist's reign is the diminishment of Anoka's volunteer advisory boards.

2008 was the third year in the smaller room at Greenhaven.  It's called a Board Appreciation Dinner. It is meant to be a recogniton and honoring event of the many citizen volunteers of the city.

It was a bad omen, a few years ago in the largest room, Mayor Skogquist said in his opening remarks, "People have asked me, why do you bother with advisory boards?"

After that it went downhill. This year and last only two retiring board members came forward (one each year) for their service recognition. 2006 it was painfully obvious we were broken when Bjorn read 10-12 names and none of them were even there.  How sad.

2007 the King himself left immediately after opening remarks. Basically saying "Nuts-to-you" to the whole room. 

He handed the program to his manager instead of mayor pro tem Mark Freeburg. Once again indicating the rest of the council was irrelevant.  He and his manager were the ones running things.

I remember Mayor Beberg was especially proud of the high rate of agreement of the council and advisory board recommendations.

Skogquist's record is all over the place to say the least.  He will totally ignore unanimous recommendations.  Other times he backs down opposition by saying we have to do this because of a board's recommendation.  Arbitrary and capricious seems to mild a description.

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Background research indicated that city manager Tim Cruikshank had very little experience working with Advisory boards or even Department heads when he came to Anoka.

That helps explain why these two key groups goals were not even incorporated into council goals in 2007 like always had been done in the past.

That's another unfortunate thing and Anoka's loss.