iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

Tom Basgen, Mr. Saint Paul @tombasgen.bsky.social · 16h

It's that special time of year where we talk about the City Budget. Based on the questions I still receive I should be doing this twice a year. leaflet.pub/dae3de62-299...

leaflet.pub

Tom's 2027 Budget and Tax Thoughts

Let’s talk municipal budgets for 2027. This year I’m writing earlier than usual so folks have more time to digest the process in real time but it means I won’t have my personal tax numbers to share wh...

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Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

MPR News @mprnews.org · 2h

Multiple immigration detainees in Minnesota have been ordered released by federal judges only for them to be immediately re-detained by immigration officers at the doors of the Whipple Federal building.

mprnews.org

Catch, release, catch: Inside ICE's new 'farce' tactic

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 14h

One of these days, gotta get you to play Harmony of Despair. Multiplayer with fixed revisited levels and bosses and random loot drops set for each unique character from the wider 2D series. Still waiting for another game like it.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 23h

Will marketing never cease their vile trickery?

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

After attempting a second lawn sign tier, I have given it up due to stability issues. @safehomessaintpaul.bsky.social & Dave Pinto have been added. Will I reach @repfreiberg.bsky.social levels of lawn signs?

Safe Homes Saint Paul and Dave Pinto have been added!

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J. L. Westover @mrlovenstein.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

take a look at my new book 🎉 kickstarter.com/projects/mrlovenstein/mr-lovenstein-presents-fun

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Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

Chris Kluwe, Candidate for Assembly District 72 @kluweoc.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Thank you to the hardworking and dedicated members of UAW who knocked on doors last weekend in Aliso Viejo! Check out the link in our bio for upcoming canvassing opportunities! #canvass #volunteer #unionstrong #oc #ad72 @chriswarcraft.bsky.social

Some of our fantastic canvassers from UAW holding up Kluwe literature in front of a tree.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

It's comics. Those deaths won't take at all.

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melvincarter.bsky.social @melvincarter.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The cyber attack, federal posturing, trash emergency, and $23M budget shortfall did pull a lot of my time from campaigning to crisis management last year. It’s easy to forget we went through all that in 2025; that fact alone makes me confident our priorities were right.

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Zack Filipovich for MN Auditor @zackformn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Get informed and vote! Check out KAXE’s 2026 Election Guide. You can find Zack’s responses featured on page 18 of the PDF version or at the link under Statewide > State Auditor. www.kaxe.org/northern-mn-... Thank you to KAXE and all who worked on putting together this resource.

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Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 02/10/2026

good news

starting tomorrow everything is going to be OKAY!!
they just announced it

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Minneapolis folks observing the jacket:

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Which of the three last sentences is the worst?

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Project True North @projtruenorth.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

During the ICE surge, Lisa Demuth signed a letter thanking ICE and praising Kristi Noem for her "steady leadership."

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Minnesota 50501 @mn50501.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We’re raising money to help volunteers across the country document ICE flights. This helps with accountability, advancing policy, and demostrates to detainees, and their loved ones, that they’re worthy of being counted, and are cared for by their community. Please help: ottergoose.net/ice

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

My comment: A close, personal relationship with your employees is inappropriate in any circumstances. Period. End of story.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"Mayor Her has expressed that [redacted] and admits that she has developed a close, personal relationship with [redacted] While this relationship may be well-intentioned by Mayor Her and welcomed by [redacted] the relationship has the potential to cause issues for the City."

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I want to highlight one bit that didn't get mentioned from page 71. Finding One: The investigation substantiated the allegations that Mayor Her has acted inappropriately with City employees. "The concerns regarding Mayor Her’s relationship with [redacted] are legitimate." (cont.)

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Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

Rep. Leigh Finke @leighfinke.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Hegseth is like the early morning firefly in Hamlet, struggling to show his ‘pale unaffectual fire’ before being lost against the power of the rising sun. His cruelty casts a faint and momentary glow against the bright and brilliant light of our love and liberation. Or, in other words: screw him.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It is not linked in the article. It is not on Saint Paul's news releases. It is not on Saint Paul's social media. Where is it released to?

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This is enough for me to say that Mayor Her is not a person of moral character to lead the city. Harassment, bullying, stalking, and theft. Inappropriate in any circumstances, but a a leader is absolutely unacceptable.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

This isn't existing in a vacuum. There's a few other issues: 1) Mayor Her's harassment and bullying case that went to mediation in January of this year: www.twincities.com/2026/01/21/l... 2) She's been grabbing other employee's asses since she was Deputy Mayor: www.twincities.com/2026/07/30/s...

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

At this point, myself, the Police Chief, and several City Council members are waiting to receive the results of the investigation into Mayor Her's harassment investigation. While I've heard folks say they don't trust the cops, and *I GET IT*, but also...

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Tom Basgen, Mr. Saint Paul @tombasgen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

More on today’s closed door from Ward 3:

Today, I voted, very reluctantly, in favor of Resolution 26-1659 to appoint the law firm Fisher Phillips as Special Counsel to represent Mayor Her in the lawsuit brought by Chief Henry against the Mayor and the City.
It is my understanding that state law creates a presumption that public employees, including the Mayor, will be indemnified and provided a legal defense in matters such as these unless there is a legal basis to deny that defense. Additionally, the City Attorney cannot represent the Mayor in this case because of the conflict of interest created by her role as both an appointee of the Mayor and a fact witness in the litigation.
Ordinarily, the determination of whether the City will indemnify and defend an employee is made by the City Attorney. However, because of this conflict, the City will retain an outside firm through action at our next council meeting to conduct an independent indemnification analysis and determine, through a quasi-judicial process, whether the Mayor is entitled to indemnification and defense by the City.
Until that determination is made, it is my understanding that the City must continue to comply with its obligations under state law.

Based on the legal advice provided to the Council, voting against this resolution could have exposed the City to additional legal risk by failing to meet those obligations. There is a process in place to determine whether the Mayor was acting within the scope of her official duties during the conduct that gave rise to this lawsuit, but that analysis will take time and could not be completed before this vote. We also have a timeline to respond to the lawsuit that we must comply with.
I am deeply disappointed by the situation we find ourselves in. As a councilmember, I have a responsibility to protect the City from legal risk, but I also have a responsibility to safeguard public resources and protect the City from unnecessary financial harm. I have serious reservations about whether this is an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. I also have concerns about how this particular law firm was selected.
Like many residents, I am still waiting to see the full report from Resolute Law which I have formally requested. My colleagues and I were forced by legal timelines to make significant decisions without having access to all of the information we would have preferred to review. That is not how I make decisions, and it is not how the City should make decisions.

I know I am not alone in my frustration. More than 100 public comments on this resolution were overwhelmingly opposed to the City paying for the Mayor's legal defense. Our office continues to hear from constituents who are disappointed by the Mayor's alleged conduct and are asking questions that I am still unable to answer. The expectations of our community are not being met.
Trust in government depends on transparency, accountability, and confidence that public dollars are being spent in ways that reflect our shared values and priorities. Right now, many residents feel those standards are falling short.
I remain deeply frustrated by this situation. Our residents deserve better. Our city employees deserve better. And our City deserves better.
I will continue to closely oversee this developing matter and use the authority afforded to my office under the City Charter to pursue the transparency and accountability that residents expect and deserve. In the meantime, I will remain focused on serving Saint Paul and continuing the work of building the city our community deserves.

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Fossilized Tree Sap @amberrl.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Her’s only idea during the campaign that wasn’t completely abstract was her plan to fix the budget so it would work long-term. I don’t know how much of our money she already wasted by “looking into” decided matters. Now we’re facing a $26M shortfall, yet her plan is to waste even more. Get Her Out

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Trying to push for signatures in December when so many people are travelling for family time feels unwise. At this point, I think the best time to push for it will be in January, if she doesn't resign by then.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I agree. I was expecting to start on this in mid-August because the initial harassment report was due at the end of July. Now, with a substantial amount of people already doorknocking for Right to Repair, I think pushing for it now until the end of the year would be tough.

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MoveOn @moveon.org · 30/09/2026

ICE has shot another person, this time it was in Austin, Texas. His name is Wilber Garcés Pérez and he was shot while doing his job. He should be home with his family, not in ICE detention with no medical care. This chaos has no place in our communities.

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Daniel Suitor @danielsuitor.com · 28/07/2026

edit of The Onion DeBlasio headline reading:

Carter: ‘Well, Well, Well, Not So Easy To Find A Mayor That Doesn’t Suck Shit, Huh?’

https://theonion.com/de-blasio-well-well-well-not-so-easy-to-find-a-may-1847151201/

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Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

Molly Coleman @mollycoleman.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Sharing my comments from today’s meeting of the City Council, related to the hiring of outside counsel to represent Mayor Her in the lawsuit brought by Chief Henry. The full audio of the meeting is available here: stpaul.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=....

On April 1st of this year, the City was notified by Chief Henry’s attorney that the Mayor was being accused of engaging in illegal conduct toward City employees, and that litigation was reasonably foreseeable.

Today, one day shy of six months later, the City finally saw fit to discuss the matter in a closed door session with this City Council.

In the six months during which the Council and the public have been kept entirely in the dark by the administration, an external law firm has already been engaged at tax payers expense to investigate the allegations of repeated sexual harassment and other inappropriate workplace conduct by the Mayor.

Neither the Council or the public has been informed of the total cost of that investigation. Neither the Council or the public has seen the report.

While vague media reports have circulated that the report will be made public soon, we’re left with the allegations in the Chief’s 73-page complaint and the investigation summary prepared by an employee of the Mayor herself that finds that the Mayor engaged in “offensive and inappropriate behavior,” “created an uncomfortable work environment” for City employees, and “sent inappropriate text messages” to at least two City employees.

Today, the Council is effectively being asked to write a blank check with taxpayers’ money to a law firm that, frankly, is a law firm that I take great issue with—just minutes, literally minutes, after this body was provided for the first time was provided with any sort of update related to this matter.

This is no way to run a city. The lack of transparency, the refusal to provide the Council with the information necessary to fulfill our duties as a co-equal branch of government, and the lack of respect for the residents of the City is unacceptable. And yet, as the Council President explained, we effectively have no choice in this matter. If we choose not to retain outside counsel today, then we are opening up the City to additional liability and the risk that the Mayor herself could sue the City for refusing to hire outside counsel.

We are in a horrible position and we have very few options. I am incredibly frustrated by the vote that we are being asked to take today. I am incredibly frustrated by the timeline on which we are being asked to take it and the fact that we will be spending unknown sums of money, significant sums of money, defending against claims we know nothing about—despite the fact that our money has already been used to investigate those very claims.

So while I will vote yes for this resolution today, I want to be very clear about the legal limitations that require, from my perspective, that vote—and the immense frustration and disappointment at being asked to take this vote today.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Thanks again for explaining how the sausage gets made. Also sorry I didn't have time to say hi last night.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

To clarify, is this a case of "Sovereign Immunity" covering the legal costs?

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

It is a drizzly October morning and there's still folks outside Whipple letting the shitheads know what we think of them.

Photo of a banner outside Whipple. People obscured.

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Reposted by Paul "CookieMom" Ference

Zack Filipovich for MN Auditor @zackformn.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

In case you missed it from earlier this month, check out Zack at the Minnesota State Fair WCCO Radio State Auditor’s debate. Link to the full debate below. Thank you to WCCO’s Blois Olson with The Sunday Take for hosting us. youtu.be/S_s-q0EQIg0?... -Team Zack #debate #vote

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Fossilized Tree Sap @amberrl.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

SAVE OUR SUMMIT BREWERY St. Paul Tap. Right now. cc @comobelladonna.bsky.social

Me and Lauren in front of a Save Our Summit Brewery thermometer

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

1) Count The Rice 2) Noise Some Makes 3) Rulette 2 4) Night Shift 5) Last Talent Standing 6) Don't Wake Standards & Practices 7) What's The Catch 8) Earwigs 9) I Spy 10) Kangaroo Court

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

With Game Changer Season 8 in the books, here's my ranking of what hit best for me. They're all good, but some of the targets for them weren't me, and not everything has to be for me. Maybe it's for you and you ranked it higher. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

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Paul "CookieMom" Ference @paulference.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

How is "Total Mayoral Recall" for a team name for bar trivia tonight?

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Fossilized Tree Sap @amberrl.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Does anyone have recs for a nail place/person in St. Paul? It turns out having my nails done makes it physically impossible for me to do some of my bad habits. I’m going to keep getting them done for a while, but I will not be returning to this place.

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Zack Filipovich for MN Auditor @zackformn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Do you want a state auditor who knows the role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. “We’ve all had bosses that might not know what our day-to-day job is. And hopefully we’ve had bosses that have had our job. I’ll take the person who has done my job every time.” ZackforMN.com

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