Sen. Coleman gets police backing

Federation endorsement trades logic for ideology For those of us with a few ounces of common sense, and a basic 
understanding of the City’s finances, this endorsement feels tinged 
with the insult of an advocacy group that expects so very much of our 
City and its taxpayers, yet fails to provide us in return with basic 
measures of principled action.

For the last many years, as our City budget falters mightily under the 
weight of deep state and federal cuts, St. Paulites have heard 
incessant calls to expand the ranks of its police.  Taxpayers have 
responded to those initial calls, and the ranks of police officers 
have swelled to a historic high.  But as we have responded, we 
reduced rec center hours, stopped repairing streets, and raised 
property taxes by double digits.  As time has gone on, the incessant 
call for evermore officers has come to feel like a cancer growing on 
within our city’s increasingly emaciated body.

And now comes this endorsement – shocking in its illogic even as it is 
the predictable outcome of an organization that has traded logic for 
ideology.

The group that has orchestrated continuous calls for more officers has 
extended their endorsement to the very Senator who is as responsible 
as anyone for actually cutting officers from our streets.  The 
Federation has endorsed the Senator who cut the COPS program, a 
program which provided Minneapolis 81 new officers, and St. Paul 12 
more officers, and a host of new technology for us.  The Federation 
has endorsed the Senator who explained that the COPS program “a good 
program at its time”, and proceeded then to successfully cut and vote 
against the program time and again.

This endorsement, says Federation President and SPIF Member Dave 
Titus, is most centrally about Senator Coleman’s sponsorship of pro-
union legislation that has never so much as advanced out of 
committee.  It’s about the endorsement of a Senator who will wield 
little influence in a Senate almost guaranteed to be dominated by 
members of the opposing party.

This is the endorsement of an organization that has come to rely on 
ideology and electoral gamesmanship before logical consistency and 
civil cooperation.  It is the endorsement of an organization that has 
conspired to raise riches from people named Dowell and Trooien to buy 
election outcomes, to advance an ideology that has otherwise lost its 
currency among the public at large.  This is an endorsement that 
defies respect for the deep sacrifice St. Paul taxpayers have made for 
the Police, at a time when the rest of our civic priorities remain in 
perennial limbo.

This is the endorsement of an organization that has too often denied 
our city the smallest moments of grace, logic, and respect we as St. 
Paulites have so richly earned.

Federation endorsement trades logic for ideology For those of us with a few ounces of common sense, and a basic 

understanding of the City's finances, this endorsement feels tinged 

with the insult of an advocacy group that expects so very much of our 

City and its taxpayers, yet fails to provide us in return with basic 

measures of principled action.

For the last many years, as our City budget falters mightily under the 

weight of deep state and federal cuts, St. Paulites have heard 

incessant calls to expand the ranks of its police.  Taxpayers have 

responded to those initial calls, and the ranks of police officers 

have swelled to a historic high.  But as we have responded, we 

reduced rec center hours, stopped repairing streets, and raised 

property taxes by double digits.  As time has gone on, the incessant 

call for evermore officers has come to feel like a cancer growing on 

within our city's increasingly emaciated body.

And now comes this endorsement – shocking in its illogic even as it is 

the predictable outcome of an organization that has traded logic for 

ideology.

The group that has orchestrated continuous calls for more officers has 

extended their endorsement to the very Senator who is as responsible 

as anyone for actually cutting officers from our streets.  The 

Federation has endorsed the Senator who cut the COPS program, a 

program which provided Minneapolis 81 new officers, and St. Paul 12 

more officers, and a host of new technology for us.  The Federation 

has endorsed the Senator who explained that the COPS program “a good 

program at its time”, and proceeded then to successfully cut and vote 

against the program time and again.

This endorsement, says Federation President and SPIF Member Dave 

Titus, is most centrally about Senator Coleman's sponsorship of pro-

union legislation that has never so much as advanced out of 

committee.  It's about the endorsement of a Senator who will wield 

little influence in a Senate almost guaranteed to be dominated by 

members of the opposing party.

This is the endorsement of an organization that has come to rely on 

ideology and electoral gamesmanship before logical consistency and 

civil cooperation.  It is the endorsement of an organization that has 

conspired to raise riches from people named Dowell and Trooien to buy 

election outcomes, to advance an ideology that has otherwise lost its 

currency among the public at large.  This is an endorsement that 

defies respect for the deep sacrifice St. Paul taxpayers have made for 

the Police, at a time when the rest of our civic priorities remain in 

perennial limbo.

This is the endorsement of an organization that has too often denied 

our city the smallest moments of grace, logic, and respect we as St. 

Paulites have so richly earned.