My bad

You know what, I just wanted to say I'm sorry.

For what? Oh, if you've had the misfortune to run across me the last few weeks/months, I'm sure you know. I sort of see it as I'm just doing my job, but you obviously don't, or at least can't, see it that way. And after awhile, it just grates on you. Maybe you think something along the lines of: why won't that guy just leave me alone? Why does that guy feel the need to be like that? The answer: I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Oh, what I do isn't specifically defined in the job responsibilities. "Stir the pot," as some people put it, is more between the lines. But nonetheless I sometimes still feel bad about it. So, sorry.

Speaking of apologies, city councilor Todd Fedora got one yesterday following the email city employee/AFSCME negotiator Daral Lange sent to the city council regarding the parking ticket controversy. Fedora was angry that he got lumped in with Jim Stauber's public statements regarding city vehicles not getting parking tickets during when he (apparently erroneously) believed they were attended a Chamber Forum. He sent this email back to Lange, and CC'd the council.

From: Todd Fedora <todddlh@charter.net>

To: dlange1962@hotmail.com

Subject: Fwd: Fwd: Parking Ticket Nonsense

Cc: council@duluthmn.gov

Mr. Lange:

Can you please provide reasoning or background to this statement you made in your e-mail:

"It is unfortunate that Councilors Fedora and Stauber attempted to use City vehicles and employees to divert attention away from the fact that THEY BROKE THE LAW."

For your information, I drove my own personal vehicle to the Duluth Chamber's FORVM at the "Tech Village", plugged the one-hour meter on E. 1st Street at 7:50 a.m., and received a parking ticket, assigned to my personal license plate, at 9:13 a.m. I also paid the fine, Mr. Lange, promptly, and have not commented on this issue at all. In fact, I didn't observe ANY city vehicles in the vicinity to where I was parked so it was a non-issue to me. Perhaps you should check with others as to my ambivalence on this subject. I would suggest you investigate before making such erroneous claims.

In summary, what in the world do you mean by the phrase "broke the law"?

That prompted this reply:

Dear Councilors,

Yesterday I copied you with an email I sent to CAO David Montgomery titled "Parking Ticket Nonsense." The intent of my email was to address allegations by a Duluth News-Tribune reporter made on a DNT blog. Based on what I had read on the blog, I assumed that Councilor Fedora had suggested that City employees used City vehicles in an inappropriate manner. Councilor Fedora most certainly did not say or suggest anything of that sort. I apologize to Councilor Fedora for my error.

Sincerely,

Daral Lange

Don't we all feel better now? 

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