Propaganda is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “ideas or statements that are often false or exaggerated and that are spread in order to help a cause, a political leader, a government.”
At the Sept. 7 Willmar City Council meeting, Ron Christianson’s propaganda chief, Sue Quist, was at it again saying how the mayor was part of both the Moving Willmar Forward and Recall Ron groups - something the mayor has denied on more than one occasion.
Those groups and Calvin For Mayor are considered “outside influences” by Christianson and his followers. Would the Willmar Opportunist Club of the 1960s and 1970s be also?
At the Ward 4 morning listening session on Aug. 13 at Cornerstone Coffee in the Skylark Mall, Quist, using a WRAC-8 video camera, went around taping anyone in the mall seating area. Lisa Liebl, owner of Cornerstone, received complaints from her customers that they were uncomfortable about the taping.
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Anyone approaching the table to talk to Mayor Calvin or Councilwoman Audrey Nelsen had the camera stuck in their face. Councilmen Tim Johnson and Steve Ahmann, along with Jeanine Christianson (Ron’s wife), sat at the table, further intimidating people who may have wanted to talk privately.
Quist also tried to tape the evening session but was stopped by the YMCA video policy. Her explanation was “for openness, clarity, and transparency,” Bull!
This was nothing more than intimidation to discourage voters from speaking and promote an appointment rather than an election.
At the Sept. 21 council meeting, Quist announced that she had purchased copies of all the Recall Ron petitions from the city.
Now that she has the names of everyone who signed the petition, what does she intend to do with them? Harass and intimidate anyone who signed it?
She wants to be appointed to the Charter Commission. She said she “loves people and the community” and “wants to serve as one of their voices.” Watch some of her rants at the council meeting’s open forum! Do you believe those statements?
The last thing this city needs is another Ron Christianson disciple on a committee with their narrow-minded political views.
Steve Pirsch
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Willmar
