Dear Neighbor,
Labor Day is upon us, marking the traditional end of summer. It’s a big weekend with lots of events across our area. Please take time to reflect on why we celebrate this holiday.
Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers that built our nation. It was a product of the labor movement in the late 19th century and was established by an act of Congress in 1894.
Whether a member of a labor union or not, the hardworking blue-collar men and women have much to be proud of. Collectively they have set the world’s standards with respect to workplace safety, proper compensation for one’s labor and protection from unfair employment practices.
It’s disappointing that Minnesota Congresswomen Omar and McCollum, along with 35 Minnesota House members and 11 Senators recently wrote to President Biden demeaning the integrity of law enforcement and the men and women working hard every day to complete construction of Enbridge Line 3.
That letter was full of blatant mistruths. The misrepresentations were so egregious that DNR Commissioner Strommen, Public Safety Commissioner Harrington and MNDOT Commissioner Kelliher issued a joint, six-page letter setting the record straight.
Over this Labor Day weekend, U.S. Representatives Omar, Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Talib (also known as the Squad) visited Minnesota to protest the construction of Line 3.
I, along with 60 of my colleagues in the Minnesota House and Senate issued a joint statement making it clear that their presence is neither constructive nor helpful as we celebrate Labor Day.
It’s time to stop using Minnesota and Line 3 as a platform to demean the integrity of the men and women involved completing the Line 3 replacement project.
As to the 46 exclusively Minnesota DFL legislators that signed that letter to President Biden accusing Minnesota law enforcement officers of using “staggering levels of violence, tear gas, and rubber bullets,” against pipeline protestors, this kind of misrepresentation tends to only embolden those that have no agenda but to do harm.
Over the past 18 months, I have watched videos of many of these same legislators in concert with professional activists cat-calling, and openly harassing local law enforcement officers.
It’s time to grow up, please join me in honoring the men and women that labor every day to build a strong resilient nation.
Sincerely,
Dale