Thursday, August 24, 2017

That clinking clanking sound

So do you remember how much flak former Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau caught for being out of town in the immediate aftermath of the Justine Damond shooting? Apparently Harteau wasn't the only person who wasn't around:
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges flew to Los Angeles four days after Justine Ruszczyk Damond’s shooting death for a campaign fundraiser, a trip her opponents pounced on Wednesday in the wake of Police Chief Janeé Harteau’s ouster and a delay from Hodges in releasing her 2018 budget.

Hodges appeared at the Wilshire Country Club with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on July 19 for the fundraiser, she confirmed on Facebook Wednesday afternoon following media inquiries.


The fundraiser took place two days before council members called for Harteau’s firing and the chief stepped down, in part because of the withering criticism she took for being out of town in the aftermath of Damond’s shooting by a police officer, which happened on July 15.
We have video of Hodges and Garcetti at the event:


I'm not particularly outraged that Hodges left town to shake the money tree in California -- if you're a Democrat, that's where the money is. It looks terrible for Hodges, but she's in a lot of trouble anyway, so bad appearances aren't likely to get any worse with this revelation. And let's face it, doesn't this sound like a whole lotta fun?
The fundraiser at the country club just south of Hollywood was billed in the invitation as an evening of “lefse and kale wraps, kombucha tasting with Garrison Keillor and an artisan-crafted hot dish featuring organic, locally sourced tofu.” According to campaign finance reports, Hodges raised $10,150 from California addresses between July 17 and July 25.
Kombucha tasting with Garrison Keillor? Artisan-crafted hot dish? Organic, locally sourced tofu? Now that's a draw. I'll bet the line to get in went all the way to Santa Monica. Hodges is getting a lot of criticism for the trip, especially from her opponents. High dudgeon is always a growth industry in the Mill City. The way I look at it, Hodges might as well enjoy the kale and kombucha now; no one is going to be flying her out to El Lay next year.

7 comments:

Gino said...

Locally sorced tofu? I'm not aware of much soybean planting in so cal, if any at all.

Mr. D said...

I'm not aware of much soybean planting in so cal, if any at all.

Garcetti grows it under his armpits.

Bike Bubba said...

Sounds like a scary menu. In my time in "Los Diablos", as I affectionately call it, I learned the hard way that there is a certain part of restauranteurs who do things their own way, and very often it does not work out well. I'm no fan if identity politics, but in that city, I found that ethnicity was a reasonably good guide to whether the food would be done halfway right.

In other words, tofu cooked by Asians? It's a go. Cooked by Caucasians? Watch out. Fusion lefse? Better bring the Immodium.

3john2 said...

I trust that Her Honor's travel expenses for this shindig were covered by her campaign, and not the Minneapolis taxpayer, or LGA funds from MN taxpayers.

3john2 said...

But, oh, those madcap days of the Wiemar Republic! Will we ever see their likes again?

Mr. D said...

But, oh, those madcap days of the Wiemar Republic! Will we ever see their likes again?

Ask Janet Yellen, I guess. Smiling and wincing at the same time as I consider the larger meaning of your query, Crankbait.

3john2 said...

As you were meant to do.