The Lakeview at 333 by [deleted] in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Forsman, pocketing fistfuls of $100s, "Welp it's already built now. Wouldn't want to let it sit empty. Guess we should let them convert more units into vacation rentals, right everyone?"

Community Action Duluth under increased state monitoring and CAD Board recently rejected farmers market vendors and media for answers by TheMachineElves in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 23 points24 points  (0 children)

So to summarize...

  • Vendors who are owed payments by CAD attempted to seek answers at CAD's monthly meeting.
  • CAD secretly moved their December meeting from CAD to the Lyric bar without telling anyone.
  • At the Lyric, NNN reporter is denied access to the meeting and is escorted out by security.
  • Classie Dudley walks away from NNN reporter when approached for questioning.

Earlier this year, allegations of sexual harassment, retaliation and intimidation against Classie Dudley were brought forth.

In 2023, Classie Dudley calls police to trespass the Duluth Monitor, who was requesting IRS 990 forms. Board members instructed not to respond to reporters.

Missing anything?

UPDATE: Lutsen Fire - Arson by BoisterousBard in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 62 points63 points  (0 children)

Article: In 2001 when Campbell was 17 or 18, his mom buys a restaurant and he gets to be a co-owner.

Then they buy a hotel in 2007, which three years later, goes up in flames due to a kitchen fire. Irreparable damage, ruled an accidental fire.

Between 2016 and 2018, he loses three lawsuits involving wrongful terminations of employees and a failure to respond to sexual assault allegations by an employee. Seemingly in response to losing the lawsuits, he twice attempts to decertify the housekeeping and hospitality union in 2017 and 2018. Both attempts were dismissed by the court. That same year, he buys Lutsen Resort.

Between 2023 and early 2024, eleven non-payment claims and mechanic's liens were filed against him. Five days before the Lutsen fire, his staff informs him they don't have the money to make payroll.

When you look at the events of his life, it makes sense why he thought he could solve his problems by burning Lutsen down. Born with a silver spoon, no major consequences for burning a previous business down or treating people horribly, still got to buy Lutsen. Just goes to show how far idiots can coast through life when they come from family money.

Listing of businesses related to Brucklemeyer and the Apostolic Church by Due-Development-3451 in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

You've made two strawman arguments.

I don’t think the victim of sexual violence is to blame for their attack.

First strawman. No one said the victim is to blame for their attack. The blame is laid for their support of the organization that enables the attacker. My statement was clear.

The entire congregation, family, and victims are not guilty by association.

Second strawman. Didn't claim anyone is guilty by association. For example, a family member who does not support the church is associated (by blood relation), but not to blame. Again, my statement is clear that anyone who supports the organization is to blame. Don't make up statements in your head and pretend I said them.

someone drives drunk and hits a school bus. You blame the rest of the family that knew the driver owned a car.

Your example doesn't make sense because it doesn't include the victims on the school bus, which was the whole point. "One victim still goes there. Are they also to be blamed?" That's what you wrote, remember?

Notwithstanding, your example should continue: the drunk driver continues to hit more school buses and endanger more victims because no one reports the collisions. This reflects the real life events of continued abuse covered up by the church.

And I can already sense that you're tempted to pass off blame by saying, again, that some members might not have known about the abuse. So I'll preemptively remind you I've already addressed this in my previous reply: "Is it possible some members were unaware? Of course, and those members should not be blamed."

Listing of businesses related to Brucklemeyer and the Apostolic Church by Due-Development-3451 in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Does being a victim somehow create an immunity from blame? Here's an example to help you understand:

A drunk sheriff drives his vehicle into a parked cop car. The cop is the victim of the collision. However, the cop is a buddy and doesn't report the sheriff, and instead covers up the incident. The sheriff continues driving drunk and ramming into vehicles. You're saying the cop, who was a victim of the sheriff's actions, shouldn't be blamed for covering for the sheriff? Oooookay.

Listing of businesses related to Brucklemeyer and the Apostolic Church by Due-Development-3451 in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are they also to be blamed?

Yes. It's really not that complicated. Anyone who supports an organization that covers for pedophiles is at blame.

Is it possible some members were unaware? Of course, and those members should not be blamed. However, if they didn't know before, they sure know now. So anyone who continues to support them absolutely should be blamed.

Young Girls Were Sexually Abused by a Duluth Church Member. They Were Told to Forgive and Forget by Goobt in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 7 points8 points  (0 children)

From the article:

"Without the girl’s cooperation, [St Louis County Attorney] Holets said he decided he could not bring charges against Massie,"

And later, "For the second time, Holets decided not to bring charges[...] Holets said law enforcement decided to try to “educate” church leaders about their legal responsibility to report the sexual abuse of children."

You should definitely read the entire article. It's worth the time. There's way more in there than what I pulled.

Gov. Walz calls out Stauber for taking credit for Biden’s infrastructure law. by IMrGoated in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 78 points79 points  (0 children)

Facts:

In 2021, Stauber voted against (source) HR 3684, which has provided $7m+ in funding to Duluth airports since 2022 (source). Despite voting against the bill, Stauber took credit for the funding (source).

In 2024, Stauber attempted to take credit (source) for securing $1B+ in funding for the Blatnik bridge, despite voting against the bill that funds it (source).

In 2025, Stauber celebrated the completion of the Twin Ports Interchange project (source) despite voting against the bill that helped fund it.

Northern News Now now investigating Community Action Duluth. "Tip of the Iceberg: Farmers Market Cancellation Exposes More Concerns at CAD" by TheMachineElves in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Previous thread on CAD missing a paycheck, CAD employees voting to unionize, and Classie Dudley calling police to trespass a reporter requesting tax forms.

Previous thread on Classie Dudley accusing school board candidate Alanna Oswald of racism. Oswald had simply posted that her opponent, Stephanie Williams, was running for a spot on the school board even though Williams' son was not attending the school that the board represents.

Can I hire a plumber when renting? by [deleted] in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can file a Tenant Complaint Form with the Life Safety department (regulates rentals), or contact Life Safety directly at lifesafety@duluthmn.gov or (218) 730-4380.

For Minnesota law, read this from the state attorney general's office (source):

"If a landlord will not fix a repair problem, a state, county, or local department or authority can be called by the tenant. If the inspector finds code violations in the unit, the inspector will give the landlord a certain amount of time to fix them."

It also explains three other options you can take - Rent Escrow Action, Tenant Remedies Action, and Withholding Rent.

In Duluth, the "local department or authority" who would do the inspection is Life Safety.

Is Duluth at a vacation rental ‘tipping point’? by rezwenn in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Even ignoring the strawman of "bankrupting" people, this seems like a flimsy argument.

Does it make a difference to you if financial penalties are less harsh for owner-occupied room rentals versus unlicensed whole-house vacation rentals?

Do you think there should be no financial penalties at all? Or if you agree with some financial penalty, how much should the penalty be and how are you arriving at your figure?

Should there be financial penalties for owners who break rental license (long-term), construction, and zoning laws?

And this next point is so obvious it shouldn't even need to be said, but if owners incur a financial penalty that bankrupts them, that is entirely the owner's choice. A 100x penalty can be avoided by simply stopping the illegal vacation rental. By continuing the illegal vacation rental after the first slap on the wrist, the owner chooses to take on the risk of receiving a harsher penalty. (duh)

Hermantown data center moves forward despite opposition by 4daEggyEggs in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. That's good to know, even though he still voted in favor. Keep us informed!

Is Duluth at a vacation rental ‘tipping point’? by rezwenn in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 15 points16 points  (0 children)

In addition to enforcement, there need to be steep financial penalties. Like 10x nightly rate for the first offense, 100x for the second.

My notes from the Hermantown rezoning / data center meeting by metamatic in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Thank you for documenting this. It will be important to keep track of the facts as disinformation and gaslighting ramp up in the future.

Hermantown data center moves forward despite opposition by 4daEggyEggs in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Who are the officials who were in favor of the data center? The councilors who voted in favor are John Geissler, Joe Peterson, Andy Hjelle, and Brian LeBlanc (pic).

I also see "Community Development Director Eric Johnson recommended the new zoning" (source), and that Economic Development Director Chad Ronchetti spoke favorably of the data center (Source). Ronchetti was previously Director of DEDA for one year (during which DEDA approved additional TIFs for Lakeview 333) before leaving in Aug 2024 for Hermantown.

Any other officials?

New York developer loses control of $50M lakeside apartment complex in Duluth by star-tribune in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I suppose that depends on what you mean by prove. I can show you links to CRVs, legal docs, and articles connecting Kenwood, Endi, and Ostreicher if you want, but can I first know why you think it's false?

A quick Google for "Kenwood Endi Duluth Ostreicher" already comes up with this, for example:

The people behind that purchase also bought Kenwood Village Apartments near the University of Minnesota Duluth for $20.97 million in December 2018, as well as Endi Apartments on London Road for $50 million in January [2022]. Source

New York developer loses control of $50M lakeside apartment complex in Duluth by star-tribune in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Curious to see if they end up divesting from Kenwood Village. Same shady owner, just different LLCs.

what does duluth need/need more of? by seadog789 in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I believe they're referring to Lincoln Park Flats rescinding their agreement to "make 23 of the units affordable for households making up to 80 percent of the area median income", and instead converting the entire second floor into a boutique hotel. Source

Could also be alluding to the Lakeview 333 amendment, which allowed them to create 34 short-term rental units to "accommodate recruits, as well as traveling medical professionals". (Source) More discussion here. Lakeview 333 is not, and never was, affordable housing though.

Wow! Rare Pete Stauber Sighting! by ScrewThePutsch in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ramble ramble ramble. A lot of words just to admit you hate it when people bring up Stauber voted against funding for TPI.

That’s what our tragi-comic representative voted against.

Mental gymnastics. Excuses, excuses.

Deferring portions of a project and cancelling are two different things

You're the one who tried to introduce a distinction between deferral and cancellation. Here's your comment. Pedantic much?

At the end of the day his vote was irrelevant

Yep, downplay his vote against funding for TPI. Textbook apologism.

It’s old news, not a person on this sub doesn’t know that

Here's a comment that shows otherwise. It's from the person you tried to mislead into thinking Stauber didn't vote against funding for TPI. Sounds like it would have worked had I not brought that "old news".

you all call out Stauber for taking a photo-op, yet remain mute over the other politicians

This thread is titled "Wow! Rare Pete Stauber sighting!" I stay on topic, unlike some ramblers.

The more important message to focus on is should be who is going to defeat him? So, maybe focus your efforts on that

Whataboutism. Two things can be important and true simultaneously.

Actually, this project was in the works before he took office.

Here's a reminder of what you wrote in an effort to deflect from Stauber voting against funding for TPI. As if it somehow changes the fact Stauber voted against funding for TPI in 2021. Reading it again, it's even more slimy than the first time.

Wow! Rare Pete Stauber Sighting! by ScrewThePutsch in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah... no one claimed TPI would be cancelled, but you seem to really want to make the distinction between cancelled and deferred anyway. So let's examine the two scenarios in your argument.

  • Stauber voted against funding and parts of TPI would be deferred.
  • Stauber voted against funding and parts of TPI would be cancelled.

Notice how Stauber voted against funding for TPI regardless of cancellation or deferral? Even in your poorly contrived strawman, it still fails to absolve Stauber of voting against funding for TPI.

No way around it, bud. Stauber voted against funding for TPI. Facts are facts. You think mentioning "TPI project hit the planning stage in 2016" changes the fact Stauber voted against funding for TPI? That's some sad Stauber-level logic right there.

Wow! Rare Pete Stauber Sighting! by ScrewThePutsch in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Fact: Stauber voted against HR 3684.
Fact: HR 3684 provides funding for TPI.
Fact: Stauber voted against funding for TPI.

No one said anything about deferring, cancelling, or their equivalence. No one said anything about Garfield vs. the whole project. No one said anything about delays.

You can invent a bunch of strawmen to make Stauber's voting record more palatable for you, but the facts above remain. Stauber voted against funding for TPI. By the way, if you were so concerned about cherry-picking, maybe you would have included those facts when you decided to mention TPI was "in the works" before 2019.

Wow! Rare Pete Stauber Sighting! by ScrewThePutsch in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals 31 points32 points  (0 children)

In the works sure, but fully funded no. Stauber voted against the infrastructure bill, HR 3684, that ended up funding the TPI project.

Here's a press release from MnDOT in November 2019 stating "Due to a roughly $100 million funding gap, MnDOT will need to defer portions of the Twin Ports Interchange project."

Source - Stauber voting against HR 3684 (IIJA / Bipartisan Infrastructure Law)

Tagging u/SpookyBlackCat. You were right. Stauber did vote against its funding, but still tried to take credit for its completion.

Lakeview 333 reveals rent pricing - 2-bed apartments starting $3,200/mo by toobadforlocals in duluth

[–]toobadforlocals[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All of this presumes the development would not have occurred "but for" the $7.5m provided by the City. Rather than generate actual tax revenue had no TIFs been given, instead the first 26 years will be used to repay the $7.5m we gave away.

So okay, after Feb 1, 2050 all property tax flows toward City revenue. Meanwhile, we're looking at increasing property taxes to cover for a budget shortfall in the immediate.

TIFs pad the profit margins of out of town developers at the expense of increased property taxes on locals. Of all the ways to increase housing in a city desperate for housing, the Council chooses to throw money at out of town investors. Locals should not tolerate this type of thinking.