The conviction of Dan Schlienz was not the conviction of a community yet I believe two Cook County spokespersons have labeled the community as having a longstanding culture of sexual predators.
That is how I interpret the comments made by County Attorney Tim Scannell in February 2012 Public Radio interview. You can hear what he says at: download.publicradio.org/podcast/minnesota/news/programs/daily_circuit_2/2012/12/13/daily_circuit_hour_2_20121213_64.mp3
Sally Nankivell, executive director of the Cook County Visitors Bureau (CCVB) was second. Nankivell answers to a board of directors. They spend tax dollars and have the power to brand the community. They adopted the slogan “Way North of Ordinary.” I believe Nankivell’s Facebook comments label the community as “Home of the Sexual Predator.”
CCVB members have told me they do not answer to the community government.
I have requested, but no one has given me, a current list of their board of directors or who they answer to. I was only given two names (Mike Prom and Charles Skinner). The board appears to resemble a private society of powerful business people. It’s their way at all costs and today the cost is to the community and locals they have allowed to be branded “predators” by Nankivell.
I’ve asked questions, addressed the county board and written two letters to the editor on this subject. I was firmly met with a negative Facebook post against me.
As Commissioner Gamble has found and commented on, the people in charge in Cook County do not like to be questioned. There is zero accountability here. The county refuses to discuss it. This discrimination has stood for five months.
The naming of the Poplar River as an Impaired Waterway is why we cannot leave social issues to business people whose decisions are for selfgain. Biomass to provide cheap heat to downtown businesses at the expense of taxpayers will be the next battleground in putting the power back into the people’s hands rather than business owners.
The CCVB needs to be disbanded. Nankivell’s employment needs to be terminated. Control of the CCVB should go to the county and a new board should represent citizens as well as business. Our spokespeople cannot be attacking us on the world stage. No common sense here!
Tod Sylvester
Grand Marais
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