Bar’s get-out-the-vote move backfires
May 10, 2012 at 4:51 pm in Grand Forks Herald
The North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating a downtown Grand Forks bar’s promotion of rewarding voters with a free beer. The investigation includes the involvement of Tyrone Grandstrand, a candidate for Grand Forks mayor in the June 12 election. The promotion by Gilly’s Bar and Grill, a popular bar for young adults, awarded customers with a free drink if they displayed an “I voted” sticker. On Friday, Gilly’s provided bus transportation from the UND campus to the county office building downtown, where absentee voting is available. Continue Reading
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It was before the flood when the Alerus Center supporters bussed UND students to the polls. Whatever dorm had the best turnout got a free pizza party.
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Didn’t the City of Grand Forks reward UND students with Pizza during the election after the ’97 flood? Seems to me the City provided transportation to students, too.
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Sure did and it was the birth of our new event center, after the residents had previously voted the event center down in two previous attempts.
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Really, I lived in Brannon Hall at the time and not only did I have to walk all the way to the polling station but no one gave me any free pizza afterwards. Maybe the townees need a poll tax to keep those worthless students from exercising their right to vote. I mean what has the university students or UND in general ever done for Grand Forks?
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I believe the big objection is that students vote on big tax-expenditure projects, and then leave, never to be affected by their decision.
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I am a student here. I came just to be a student, but I’ve been here for 6 years now and hope to be here for many, many more. As long as I find a decent job I will be.
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No need to worry, the city fathers have that problem well taken care of by scheduling city elections and referendums in the summer when the student population is the smallest. Besides, the Alerus was paid for with sales tax, students past and present pay that just like any other residents. Students will also often stick around and live here long after graduation even though at times we could be a little more welcoming and appreciative.
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What is that word students use for where they go on weekends? it begins with an H and ends with an E with the letters O and M in between. That’s right folks they go HOME on weekends. So are they going to vote at home or where they go to school?
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Given the inane voting laws in ND, my bet is many vote in both places.
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Good luck on finding that decent job. The great out-migration from GF after graduation is due to the lack of them here.
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Then I don’t really think that the blame is on the students for not staying. Unless you want us to stay here and beg outside Walmart.
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I don’t believe I blamed students. You have to be pragmatic. You come to a town that has a university, yet nothing to offer in the line of real employment when you graduate.
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There’s nothing to blame for what’s a natural process. Even in major metropolitian areas you’re not going to find the majority of the graduates staying in that location. The reason for the education is to give them more opportunity in many other locations. So the idea that the vast majority of students will move on after graduation is a given. Nobody really expects many of them to stick around an get taxed for the items they might help to vote in.
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So where’s the prosecution for the CORRUPT City officials?
Most of the City Council from the Flood Recovery years should be in prison.
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No….They inticed them to rallies with free pizza and then basically sold the idea that this would be a great place to have indoor football. The so called “Townees” had voted it down already and the numbers weren’t there on an minor election cycle for it to pass. Most citizens had the real facts that this would be a money pit that would most likely run in the red all the time. So naturally selling it to student who the majority wouldn’t be around to share the taxation for all that long was an easy sell. Dirty pool, but effective.
After all these years there’s been one that was a little in the black? Or was it once everything was tallied up? I know the long term costs has been the very money pit we were warned about…
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Not just football…concerts, lots of concerts. Of course, we all know the extent of the veracity of that promise.
As for finances, the Alerus has always used a cooked book approach. Then an outside auditor comes in and gives the bad news, which the Alerus attempts to stifle.
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Doesnt seem much different than NYC teachers rounding up all the 18 year olds in their High Schools and bussing them to voting centers so they could “Vote for the first Black President and be a part of History”.
If that wasnt tampering, simply giving a beer for voting isnt either.
In NYC it was done in a manner that pushed Votes to a single particular candidate.
This case, isnt.
I’ll vote however i choose and if someone wants to give me a beer later for voting? wonderful.
Its not like they are “buying votes” for one particular person.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I don’t know the particulars in the example you cite, but there’s a big difference between a bar that clearly shows support for one candidate offering a beer for voting and some other group just providing transportation….Unless there was some clear cut campaign posters on the bus or van maybe.
It’s my understanding that parties can and often do provide transportation in some areas for those who might not be able to make it to the polls otherwise. What this bar did wasn’t actually buying votes, but apparently there was enough suggestion that it came across like an expectation.
Are bars still closed until voting is stopped on election day? If so I’m guessing this is probably why…
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Decades ago, when I lived in CA, sale of liquor was prohibted on election day. An old law going back to days when buying drinks to get someone to vote was common. Anyway, since I worked in a liquor store at the time, I got the day off.
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” Tyrone you need to be mentored/groomed”
I understand Dorgan and Pomeroy are free, and Conrad soon will be.
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Two words are coming to mind:
Career Politician.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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Is the term Career Politician and Professional Con Artist interchangeable? Absolutely nothing against Grandstand just part of the game. Dont hate the palyers, hate the game.
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Could be. Would explain why on earth someone would run for an office which is nothing more than ceremonial. You get great name recognitition, though.
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This guy is definitely a career politician. Or at least he hopes…
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the great thing about the United States of America is that you go into the voting booth….alone.
So…you can drink beer all day….and still vote any way you want to when you walk into the booth.
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Wonder how much a roll of those stickers would cost……
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One of the few times I am 100 percent in agreement with Always
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Probably not the greatest way to promote a candidate or voting. However, I don’t see anything even remotely illegal in the story. I don’t think any of these people are denied their free drink if they vote for another candidate.
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Much ado about nothing.
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In a moribund town like Grand Forks, nothing is always ado.
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So, it seems we have an OB/GYN who sees the job as a hobby. And a guy who wants to use it as a step to higher office. And we’re stuck with Gershman running the show. Small wonder Grand Forks is what it is.
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Gene: you know I would never say GF love it or leave it; but I will say if you don’t like the choices shut up & run.
The very best thing about being an American citizen is you can directly affect your government by joining it.
Remember when you were playing Devil’s Advocate about people voting on SR & I was less than sympathetic to your views? If you do not vote your opinion is ‘not worth a bucket of warm spit.’ if you hate the choices you are offered – change them. I would consider voting for you I’d have to hear what you stood for though. On here we only talk about what we are against.
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Things is, nurse, I’m so close to retirement I can taste it. And I’ll be on my way to other climes. So it makes no sense for me to even think about public office.
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Keeping the the date past UND graduation should work just fine. It’s when people are going after the “college vote” by using the absentee ballot so they can vote for something that they won’t be around for that seems a bit dirty to me. Why go to all of the frat houses, none of those people are permanently living in GF. Some may stay the summer, but the majority are forced to move out. So why would you canvas that particular group, especially to vote as an absentee. A few thoughts come to mind.
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A “casual acquaintance”??? That’s downplaying it! Here’s an excerpt from Tyrone Grandstrand’s Facebook page on June 6, 2010:
“A little thanks is in order for everyone that has helped so far – we’ve gotten a lot done already, which has set us up quite well for the last few days. Thanks to: (I edited these names out for privacy)…Josh Gilleland – and many others that have helped in lots of different ways”
Seems like someone who provides support on two different campaigns is more than just a “casual acquaintance.” Just sayin…
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My point in previous posts have been proven to be correct he is not ready to be Mayor. Tyrone you need to be mentored/groomed and then you will be a great mayor. Breaking or bending the law to suit your needs is not the answer.
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Dorgan and Pomeroy are free, and Conrad soon will be.
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As best I can tell, neither Grandstrand nor Brown have any respect for tax dollars. Therefore they have no respect for tax payers–the Citizens. Politicians with no respect for those they govern are a travesty of justice.
Neither one is fit to be a public official.
My grandmother had an expression–”I wouldn’t vote for him for Dog Catcher”–and I think that applies to both Mayoral candidates.
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Judging by the dogs that wander around loose, I don’t GF has a dogcatcher.
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Is this more republican voter suppression?
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I remember all the Cat Fish Days before and after the flood.. All the volunteers later was invited to a pizza dinner.. it was a reward.. Students did not know or have the means to get to the polls.. Nothing was said on how to vote… And who for..
But it is true.. Gershman and Brown must go…
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