Union Love Lost: Why Mayor Jim’s Hand-Picked Crew Can’t Score a Hard-Hat Hug
What the Letters Actually Say
The gas plant risks “serious harm to health, safety, economy, and cultural heritage.” – Jim Paine, in his official NTEC objection letter
The project “only creates risks for the community without benefits to offset the risks.” – Councilor Garner Moffat
“Even though NTEC may decrease overall CO₂ in MISO, the city would see an increase in CO₂ emissions.” – Councilor Nick Ledin
Three letters, all Mayor Jims chorus: Gas bad, jobs meh. Way to support your district.
Why Unions Rolled Their Eyes
1. 350 Union Paychecks Vaporized
NTEC’s build phase meant about 350 union construction jobs. You trash the plant, you torched peoples wages.
2. Copy-Paste Messaging
The mayor pens a doom scroll, his favorites echo it word-for-word. Hard hats can smell an orchestrated talking point the way a welder smells burnt insulation.
3. Contrast Candidate Records
| Candidate | Stance on NTEC | Trades Council Endorsement |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Fennessey | Voted “Let’s build and get to work.” | Yes |
| Weston Morris | Publicly backed the project. | Yes |
| Nick Ledin | Signed the anti-jobs letter. | No |
| Garner Moffat | Ditto. | No |
When labor asked, “Who’s guarding our paychecks?” the mayor’s crew pointed at a PowerPoint about carbon.
The Political Math
Hard-hat endorsement = volunteers + yard signs + checks.
Anti-plant letter = viral kudos from College Professors.
Election Day reward system? Still strictly cash and shoe-leather.
SoupNutz Mic-Drop
Mayor Jim’s voting bloc chose a megaphone over a toolbox. The unions chose people who bring lunch pails, not speeches. Funny how that works.
Page 26 for Quotes
Monday’s Meme-“Weeds Win 6-4 Council Vote on East 5th Street”
A street job became a bureaucratic soap opera: delays, due diligence, and weeds where finished work should be.
FOIA Friday: “Mayor Jim’s Tax-Payer Funded Campaign Aide ?—Plus an HR Hook-Up for Cousin Eddie”
City Hall’s HR rewrite sparks nepotism fears, election-year questions, and taxpayer outrage over a campaign-style aide.
Monday Meme Drops: Lock the Clock, Save Bucks!
Superior PD’s punch-clock scandal exposed: 1,180 retro-edits, ghost shifts, and a possible $41K hit to taxpayers.
FOIA Friday: 1,180 “Retro-Punches” — Superior’s Time-Card Circus!
PowerTime retro-punches may be skewing hours, hiding overtime, and burning taxpayer dollars.
SPD Decoder Ring: Leadership Swaps That Lawyers Love
Federal court meets SPD turnover: a timeline decoder for promotions, retirements, and who was in charge when it happened.
