Are Dems trying to squelch the GOP at the Union County Fair?
I caught this in one of the Union County Newspapers yesterday. Dr. Thomas Burns of McCook Lake expressing his displeasure at the Union County Fair Manager who disinvited the GOP because it supposedly "compete with a business uptown."
And what is this flap all about? Smoothies.
Yup, someone in town might be also selling smoothies to the populace, and THOSE DAMN REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO RUIN THEIR BUSINESS.
You have got to be kidding me. And not just a little.
This is despite the fact that I'm sure that aside from the offending smoothies, there likely are people offering such oddities at the fair such as soda pop, ice cream, popcorn, bbq's (or taverns), cheeseburgers, and a plethora of fried oddities. And somehow, I imagine if you look hard enough, you can find somone offering fountain pop in town.
Are we going to next hear about other vendors being kicked out of the county fair because they might offer (shudder) BOTTLED WATER?!?
Yes, the sarcasm is dripping today.
So what do I think is driving this, as if you couldn't tell from the blogpost headline?
Politics.
Yes, I'm sure I'll get a few comments saying "you don't know what you're talking about." But I'd find it hard to believe that it wasn't politics.
It's just too coincidental when I went up to the library to dig this up. I went and did a search on the Fair Manager's name, Janelle O'Connor.
If you've been involved in politics at any length, the O'Connor name has popped up here and there involved in Democratic politics. So, I went on my fishing expedition.
I first found the article at the left noting Janelle as Fair Manager and to contact her if you'd like exhibit space for the fair this weekend. But as I dug, I also found another article with her name in it.
Yes, this article would seem to show the exact same Janelle O'Connor as being the point of contact for the Union County Democrats.
My, what a coincidence.
The Fair Manager who kicks the Republicans out of the fair is also the point of contact for the Democratic County party.
And that's despite the County GOP apparently conducting the same activities last year with no incidents. But this year, Janelle is apparently telling them that "they might compete with a business uptown."
Sorry, without a better reason this smacks of politics to me. And that's a poor reason to deny a group their access to the fair.
So, my message to Janelle? Knock off the partisanship and next year, Let my smoothies go.
Comments
http://www.unioncountydemocrats.us/
She is also on the SD State Dems Executive Board.
http://www.sddp.org/index.asp?Type=NONE&SEC=%7BA133FB48-DE32-472C-A07C-B1A11107E66A%7D
And she has a lovely testimonial for Herseth for Congress.
http://www.hersethforcongress.org/testimonials04.htm
I saw where the Union County GOP was placed and the whole thing makes me sick.
Mrs. O'Connor used her position as fair director to keep the Republicans hidden and that's wrong.
No vending stand means no exposure to the public in the fareway. Then the fair director puts them in the least visible booth by the toilets.
Janelle O'Connor should be asked to step down as the fair director. Union County should not fund a function that discriminates against political parties.
Scandal?
No, just abuse of authority, discrimination, and a whole bowl of wrong.
So the GOP doesn't like its spot in the big tent? Better send out Napoli so he can call down a mighty reckoning upon those ring-tossing, dart-throwing, pie-eating, coupon-buying, secular, communist, un-Sibson merrygorounders.
Yes, if they are selling a product, subject them to sales tax and health inspection as would any other vendor.
Do you think they wouldn't grouse if the positions were reversed.
Frankly, I hope this is brought to the attention of the media in that area. If there's a legitimate defense, let's hear it.
Because it sounds pretty indefensible.
I did evidently make two errors of fact in my letter: Last year, we were not the only drink vendor besides the Lions' Club; the 4H people themselves sold pop and water. Second, I identified Mrs. O'Connor as the Fair Manager. That is how she was described to me by a member of the Union County Commissioners. Evidently the de facto nomenclature is different than the de jure position.
I hope to see the Fair expanded with more vendors in the coming years.
The "business uptown" sold smoothies at the fairgrounds. They asked first, before the Republicans did. The Union County fair board, in fairness to the vendors since it is a small fair, try to give groups that are selling food and drink items a chance to do well by limiting the number of competitors who sell the same thing. If the Republicans want to sell something at the fair, they need to either ask early or switch to an item that no one else is selling. Did Dr. Burns not know this when he wrote the letter, or was the truth not convenient for his purposes?
Hmph. I always thought the person selling the best product or the best value would do the best.
Or at least that's what I was taught to believe.
As Dr. Burns stated, hopefully EVERYONE has learned a few lessons.
Really? And how could dumping that idiot be offensive to young children? Or anyone else, for that matter?
My children pasted those "Dump Daschle" posters on their bicycles and were sure that they helped defeat him because of their efforts. Who knows, maybe they were right.
YOU are the one who needs to get a life!!
You probably think it's a good idea for Thune to speak out against President Bush too. I'm not a Bush supporter, but I know where the power is - and we no longer have it.
why did SD need to elect thune over daschle?
Tommy started representing Liberals. When will you you figure that out SD will have more Conservatives and liberals telling everyone they are conservative because most South Dakotans are common sense Conservatives.
With those kind of connections, why would you possibly want him out of office - or did you know that then?
What's so common sense about booting a guy out of office who could do so much for our state? I think that's called cutting off your nose to spite your face.
How has it changed things? Are we better off now?