It must be hard being in local government, considering nobody likes you. One councilor from Virginia, Minnesota, has decided to embrace her status as a pariah and lean into being a full-blown cartoon villain, mocking city employees who expressed concerns about losing their benefits by brandishing a basket of pacifiers and calling them babies.
Julianne Paulsen, a Virginia council member, presented the union representing some 60 city employees with the basket, telling them, “If you want to act like babies, I will treat you like babies.” At the same meeting, the council approved an ordinance that prohibits targeted picketing in residential neighborhoods, a response to workers picketing outside the homes of council members during ongoing negotiations.
Unsurprisingly, nobody was impressed by Paulsen’s stunt, with thousands of Redditors on the r/antiwork subreddit agreeing that she should go fuck herself. One person described her behavior, mocking people concerned about losing benefits like health care and leave, as psychopathic, while others began mobilizing, sharing her contact details as well as the fact her term is up on December 31st and she’s running for state senate. Here’s hoping this stunt kills her chances.
City employees, represented by AFSCME Local 454, were protesting in response to the city’s “last, best and final” offer that would cut overtime pay, lower employer contributions to insurance even further and negatively impact other benefits. I’m assuming those cuts don’t apply to city councilors like Paulsen, however.
Paulsen has since apologized for the stunt, claiming that she got caught up in the “heat of the moment”, but continues to claim that protesters caused an emotional disturbance and vandalized her jewelry business, an allegation police are currently investigating.
My heart bleeds for her.
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