Letter to the editor: Puzzled by county commissioners

To the editor,

I have been reading the coverage for the Isanti County Commissioners for the past few months and I am puzzled.

Several years ago, I attended several County Board meetings. Someone had asked me to keep an eye on Susan Morris. Mostly the meetings were boring. There was lots of stuff to cover on the agenda. I did not like Susan Morris’ position on building a new library, or spending so much money on the Sheriff’s Department. But I did appreciate her helping to start Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, a program to help Isanti County veterans.

What I have been reading about now sounds weird. Mike Warring seems to be the main person who is concerned with taking care of the non-partisan business of the county. He has been a commissioner for many years and knows how budgets work. He made sure that our non-profits got funded for the new year. He is also concerned about hiring a new County Administrator and wants to make sure the process does not cost too much money. Mike wants to get on with Isanti County’s business. I have talked to Chad Struss a few times about DFL lists for candidates for election judges. He has always been polite and efficient. I think that he would make a good manager for the county. Chad probably knows more about our county than anybody on the board when you consider how long he has been working for the county.

Alan Duff does not seem concerned about that stuff. He is not worried about saving the county’s money, if he thinks he can fund a candidate search by making county workers do double duty to pay for it. He seems concerned about his own pet agenda. First it was killing the Orange Frog program and now it is making Isanti County a Second Amendment County.

What would it mean to be a Second Amendment County? Would we all get a musket?

I just joined the ACLU. Could we all be an American Civil Liberties Union County?

I think that the people on the county board two years ago were right when they came up with an anti-proclamation policy. The county should not mess in politics. People were elected to the Board of Commissioners to do Isanti County’s business. They were elected to non-partisan jobs. That means you don’t run as a Democrat or a Republican. If they want to pursue their own political careers or agendas, they should do it in another forum. 

Barbara Kruschel

Cambridge