To the self-proclaimed Progressive, Bill Nierstedt, regarding the Garwood Ketchup Wars, I would have let your rebuttal stand in the HAWK, but you asked many questions of me, so, my final statement: As I noted at council and in the HAWK, I am for sustainability along with practicality. Sadly, like many quirky, unyielding progressives, he astoundingly tries to marginalize opposing views and the author, even going so far as equating my stance on the Ketchup War as “anti-woman suffrage.” He’s gone “full quirk!”
To that red-and-mustard-colored vest he envisions; if anyone knows Bill, it’s probably hanging in his closet all ready for him to jump and penalize any wait-staff who mistakenly gives out a ketchup packet without being asked for one. His favorite saying, in his quixotic quest to return the world to prehistoric days, is: “Hit them in the pocket where it hurts.” That certainly portrays him as mean-spirited and certainly “anthropophobic.”
On rare occasion, you may get through to these type with some common sense. Initially, he and others were fully adamant with their, “my way or the highway,” stance. Their statements at the council meetings were to put the entire onus on the patron, not only to remember what is missing but also to go out of the way to ask for the condiments, stirrers and utensils at the drive-thru. But we amazingly find that subtly and abashedly in his letter, Mr. Nierstedt, backed down from his inflexible stance and now mentions that the food establishments can have a sign reminding the people to ask; the establishment being proactive, not the inconvenience placed on the patron, is just what I had demanded. Thank you, Mr. Nierstedt, common sense will take the win.
So, he waved the white flag in his Ketchup War jihad against packets and plastic utensils. From his surrender we expect Mr Nierstedt to also revise his ill-conceived ordinance #2409 to note a sign can be used. And he mentions “straw laws” are already in place yet redundantly he has it in his ordinance. In his letter, he mentions a street clean-up walk. That day I will be at my wife’s quilt guild show. But as an olive branch, I will donate $1, up to $50 total, to the green team for every legitimate ketchup packet Mr Nierstedt personally finds along his route. PS: Please use that red-and-mustard-colored vest for traffic safety.
Bruce Paterson Garwood
