Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Goodbye Again, Diane Hofstede


Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman, John Denver video from Youtube.

The Star Tribune blog reports today that another aide to 3rd Ward Council Member Diane Hofstede is set to resign.  Within minutes of that article being posted, calls were coming in that the Hofstede Staff Timer needed to be reset.  With that task taken care of, the only question was what would be the lead photo or video for the corresponding blog post?  "Another One Bites the Dust" was the obvious choice, but that was already taken on the Issues Forum, and I needed something more original.  I went with "Goodbye Again" by John Denver primarily because this particular video inexplicably opens with Denver gazing at a hawk.  It seemed apropos.

The question on people's minds now is whether we'll see aide number 30 by Christmas.  For the sake of the third ward, let's hope not.

20 comments:

  1. Wow.

    Just...

    Wow.

    From the other side of the planet, Johnny Northside can only say...

    Wow.

    For now.

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  2. I've commented today on Diane's disfunctionality on my BuffaloRidgeBlog.com and on the Minneapolis Issues List.

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  3. Diane is utterly worthless. When people ask who my council member is, I tell them that unfortunately I don't have a council member because I live in the 3rd Ward. Maybe a Council position just is not her strength or calling. She will undoubtedly go out of office in ridicule and be the laughing bane of Minneapolis. But I think she could at least redeem some respect if she were to resign and offer a public statement to the effect that she had some struggles in the position and felt it was in the best interest of her constituents if she stepped aside. I could respect that. As of now, I have no respect for this woman at all. She is a joke and an embarrassment to her ward.

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  4. To M. Clinton,

    I believe the correct expression is "laughingstock" not "laughing bane."

    I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with you, I am just making a picky "English major point."

    Resignation from political office is rare except in cases of major scandal (this doesn't reach that threshold) or the old "I am taking time off for family." (Which, about half the time, can be translated as: there will be a scandal if I don't resign, but for now it's contained)

    Nobody willingly gives up THAT MUCH POLITICAL POWER just because of, gee, excessive staff resignations.

    Last political cycle the choice of candidates was so inadequate that I found myself endorsing Hofstede.

    Don't get me wrong: the nice young man who ran against her has real potential. He just wasn't ripe enough to be a candidate. Being vested in the ward with home ownership, years of serving on various boards, that kind of thing is essential.

    Also, no matter how bad or dysfunctional the staff turnover may be, I find it hard to dislike Hofstede as a person, or to not respect her as a member of the community.

    Obviously, the only answer is AN EFFECTIVE, EXPERIENCED CANDIDATE TO CHALLENGE HOFSTEDE.

    If there's nobody like that...if all we have are "unripe candidates" living in rental housing or garden gnomes and loony also rans, I will support Hofstede.

    AGAIN.

    Staff turnover and all.

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  5. This lady has cost the city of Minneapolis so much in lost clout and hard money. How many times have her actions resulted in the city paying the legal bills for a business she has tried to victimize. I won't even talk about certain bias I see against communities that might like hip hop music. If the city of Minneapolis wants to be taken seriously they need to purge their ranks of politicians like Hofstede and Rybak.

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  6. Well said, Mr. Northside.

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  7. The woman is nice enough when you meet her, but clearly is a challenge to work for. The only reason anyone should really care is because of the loss of effectiveness caused by the continuous turnover. It takes time to learn any new job. With such turnover, one wonders how her staff can possibly build enough knowledge to support the Council Member and the constituents before they give up. Poor dear.

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  8. I think having representation from the likes of Diane Hofstede shows exactly why Minneapolis is not to be taken seriously. The more loonie types like that that can't hang onto their staff, the less LGA Minneapolis will see. Its a credibility issue.

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  9. Sorry John, it has been a while since I looked at this post and I didn't see read your response until now. First off, you got me on the "laughing bane." LOL When I'm in a rush, sometimes I'm thinking two things at once and a combination of the two come out. (Some other time I'll tell you a particularly embarrassing incident in which this happened). But I just wanted to make it clear that I don't EXPECT Diane to resign - I'm just saying that would be the only way she could regain my respect. I think she should. I know she won't. At least she is not disappointing me in doing so - I have a low enough opinion of her that I don't have any hopes of her ever doing the right thing.

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  10. Has she even hired no. 27 yet? Last I heard she had contractors working, no actual city employees. Do you count them when the leave?

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  11. Maybe she should begin hiring some of the people hanging around the government center. They seem to be a ready pool of jobless persons. I think you can pay them in tents and free food as well.

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  12. Check out this Daily article.

    http://www.mndaily.com/2011/11/02/representing-student-bloc

    Hofstede claims the number is closer to FOUR.

    We need specifics. All the names, whether they were full time or part time, why they quit, etc.

    The Star Tribune is saying one thing, (so is your Hofstede aide widget) and Hofstede is saying another. We need the specific facts.

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  13. That woman! Her staff is made up of a policy aide and a council associate. If she wants to say she has had four policy aides, I can not confirm that tho I believe that is low. The question to ask is staff members...either as permanent city employees, contractors, temp workers through temp agencies, or the two women who come in when her staff is short. The number is at least 26.

    The names of all who have worked in her office can be found. Don't let her off the hook on this point. Everyone in city hall knows what is going on. Don't let her split hairs over the job title.

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  14. Well, I think it's up to the Star Tribune which published the story about staff turnover to support its story with specifics. This Daily article appears to contain Hofstede's long-awaited reply.

    On another note: when is the next election for Hofstede and what is the deadline to file? I'm wondering if this Daily story just randomly emerged or if somebody who is planning to challenge Hofstede is pulling strings and working the "staff turnover" angle, which appears to be Hofstede's biggest weakness.

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  15. John, I believe the next city elections aren't until November 2013, so two years from now. The filing deadline is probably June or July something of that year.

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  16. We need a good candidate to challenge Hofstede, not like the guy in last election who was an "unripe non-event."

    Looking at the article in today's Star Tribune about North Minneapolis housing issues, it's obvious our neighborhood needs more help than Hofstede and her "flavor of the month" staff can give us.

    No criticism intended of the staff.

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  17. For the record, I'm going off of information that Steve Brandt of the Strib posts when I update my "Hofstede Staff Timer."

    She can split hairs all she wants about how it's only a few people because of all the temps and such. I approach the quantity from the perspective of a constituent. How many times have we called the office only to have someone new answer the phone? More than four, I can say that much with confidence.

    Still, I'd be willing to consider modifying that widget if I'm satisfied with an explanation as to why my information is inaccurate.

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  18. I would simply like to see a definitive resolution to the hair splitting. The Strib needs to revisit this issue.

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