Madia gave to Sharon Sund last summer and listed his Minneapolis address:

—–

Because he claimed he still lives at home with his parents in a 2011 contribution to CD3 DFL candidate Brian Barnes. Dedicated readers located the address discrepancy when 2011 reports surfaced this week. Madia is 33 years old, after all, but has lied about his address on contribution documentation in the past.

Tags: 2012 Election, DFL, Erik Paulsen

We first told you about Drew Littman’s move to Solazyme a few months ago because this firm is also a recipient of millions in stimulus dollars.

Here’s some more background on Meehan, the host of tonight’s party:

Meehan has had issues with parties before.

Meehan physically assailed a member of the press.

Meehan is an Obama Administration official – you’d think he’d know about ethics rules.

Meehan has fired journalists for reporting news in his position with the BBG.

Roll Call covered the Meehan party today.

MDE obtained this invitation email from Meehan about the party, which explicitly mentions the revolving door of relationships this firm, its lobbying clients, and Franken’s staff have had throughout Washington:

—- Original Message —–

From: Michael Meehan <michael@vennsq.com>

To: Michael Meehan <michael@vennsq.com>

Sent: Tue Jan 24 17:51:22 2012

Subject: Celebrate exponentially with Venn Squared

Friends,

Join us January 31st  for a party to celebrate ringing in the New (squared)!

First, our favorite flack Casey Aden-Wansbury makes the big leap to Chief, when she was promoted to Chief of Staff for Senator Al Franken. Casey started as Franken’s first Communications Director.  So naturally anytime a press flack hits the big chief job we all need to celebrate.

Casey and I worked together at the DNC at the turn of the century, so as they say, she’s come a long way baby.

Second, Casey succeeds our longtime pal Drew Littman. Drew recently joined Solazyme as the head of their Washington DC office. Drew and I worked for Senator Boxer in a previous century, speaking of a long way baby.

Solazyme <http://www.solazyme.com/>  is the leading renewable oil maker based in South San Francisco, who went public last year.  They crank out renewable diesel and jet fuel for the Navy/United etc. and, as some of you personally know, make a heart healthy cookie and cool anti-aging cream (once a flack…).

As one of our firm’s anchor clients, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be working on a daily basis with Drew and the Solazyme team. So as we like to say at Venn², we are going to have exponential fun. Hope you come toast with us to some new beginnings. Please see below invite for details.

Best, Michael

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken

Erhardt announced he would switch parties to run as a DFL’er in 2010 after moving further and further left with every passing election cycle. Erhardt was one of the famous “override six” Republicans in 2008 that voted to override Governor Pawlenty and raise the state’s gas tax.

Tags: 2012 Election, DFL Legislators, Erik Paulsen, Ron Erhardt

Coverage of the adjusted estimates and shortfalls has been minimal by Minnesota’s media sources.

The Freedom Foundation reports:

When the highly touted Northstar commuter rail line debuted with 20 percent fewer riders than supporters promised in its first year of service, transit officials promptly lowered expectations for year two.  Metro Transit reduced the projected number of passengers from 897,000 in 2010 to 750,000 in 2011, anticipating about 16 percent fewer riders than predicted for the inaugural year. Based on ridership results obtained by the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota for year two of Northstar service ending in November, 2011, it appears Metro Transit officials did not lower expectations enough. When it comes to overall ridership numbers, the $318 million commuter rail line continues to head in the wrong direction.

The number of passengers taking the commuter rail line through November, 2011 declined by some 18,000 customers over Northstar’s first year in business. (The first full month of Northstar service began in December, 2009.) The final tally came in at 696,790 passengers compared to 714,915 the year before, down about 2.5 percent.   The shortfall was more dramatic when compared to ridership goals for the year, falling 53,000 riders and seven percent short of projections for 2011.

and Hamilton writes:

And let’s not forget that tens of thousands of riders on Northstar aren’t rush hour commuters who are freeing up highway lane space by taking the train. No, they’re Twins fans taking a heavily subsidized train ride down to Target Field to watch the Twinkies put in another inept performance despite the fact that the Pohlads told the legislature a sweet new taxpayer-subsidized stadium would mean a competitive team on the field.

On top of all that, Northstar ridership is down at a time when bus usage is UP.

So much for the argument that Northstar is a commuter travel option that will open lane space and mean a better commute.

In the car versus train battle, cars are winning big time. The expansion of Highway 10 between Egret and Hanson did more for commuters in the area than Northstar ever will, and at a fraction of the cost.

Tags: Freedom Foundation of MN, Rail

“I think it’s probably fair,” Walz said of the designation. “This is an independent district. I know that I received 50 percent of the vote last time.”

That 2010 contest against Republican Randy Demmer and Independence Party candidate Steven Wilson was the closest of Walz’s three races, but it still wasn’t a squeaker. In a year when Republicans trounced Democrats nationwide and took control of the U.S. House, Walz won 49.3 percent of the vote, Demmer 44.1 and Wilson 5.3.

Running in his first election at any level in 2006, Walz shocked 12-year incumbent Congressman Gil Gutknect, winning by nearly 6 percentage points. That was followed by a blowout victory in 2008 when Walz beat Rochester physician Brian Davis by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.

Gearing up

Walz talked mainly about his work in Congress in a recent interview with The Free Press, but he provided a few thoughts about the upcoming campaign — including a hint that his 2011 fundraising totals would be strong when submitted to the Federal Elections Commission later this month.

“We probably had the most support for an off year, without a doubt, that we’ve ever seen,” he said. “Which, I think in a tough economy, is a good sign.”

…

On Wednesday, the Republican Party of Minnesota criticized Walz for holding “jobs and the economy hostage by refusing to support the Keystone XL pipeline.” That topic was also the theme of automated phone calls sponsored by national Republicans to southern Minnesotans last month, although it’s a somewhat confusing line of attack because Walz was one of 10 House Democrats to vote for a Republican proposal that required the Obama administation to approve construction of the oil pipeline from Alberta to Texas.

Tags: 2012 Election, Tim Walz

Northern media outlets are now reporting that thousands more in exploration fees have been authorized by the Duluth City Council in order to maintain their membership in the Minneapolis-Duluth/Superior Passenger Rail alliance.

Taxpayers have now forwarded roughly $10 million to explore and plan for this rail line, but it has yet to actually receive federal or state approval to move forward. In fact, organizers are now hoping action may come “as soon as” 2013 from Congress.

Northland News Center reports:

Former-Congressman Jim Oberstar had been a leader getting the train, but current Congressman Chip Cravaack has had different priorities.

Those running against Cravaack this year have kept the train in mind.

“The candidates that I’ve spoken to in the race for the 8th District are supporters of the Northern Lights Express, the railway between Duluth and Minneapolis. The current Congressman, Mr. Cravaack is not. He campaigned against it,” said Ken Buehler, the Depot’s executive director.

The Northern Lights Express now has almost $10-million to put toward engineering expenses.

An Environmental Impact Statement for the rail project should be completed by the end of May on time and on budget.

Buehler says if the Northern Lights Express makes it into the federal transportation bill in 2013, it should become a reality.

Tags: 2010 Election, Chip Cravaack, Jim Oberstar

Fox 9′s Trish Van Pilsum brought an investigative team together to check into the finances of the U’s presidential palace and found its market value to be less than $3 million, while nearly $5 million in renovations have been put into the property in the last two decades. These include huge projects such as reviving the president’s private pool and bathhouse, painting and re-painting his private quarters (because of a color mishap) and even installing a second large kitchen in the residence.

Watch the whole story here:

Tags: Checks and Balances, University of Minnesota

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Barack Obama

Congressman Walz: Stop mailing campaign materials at taxpayer expense.

By Allen Quist on December 28, 2011

Tags: 2012 Election, Tim Walz

The Senate Republican Caucus held a press conference to comment further on today’s caucus elections.  You can watch that video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnEun7hqiHA&feature=share

The Senate Republican Caucus also elected Sen. Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes), Sen. Paul Gazelka (R-Brainerd), Sen. Ted Lillie (R-Lake Elmo), and Sen. Claire Robling (R-Jordan) to serve as Assistant Senate Majority Leaders.

According to caucus bylaws, Majority Leader Senjem has seven days to appoint two additional assistant leaders.

Tags: 2012 Election, Dave Senjem, MN GOP

It’s been the worst kept secret that Gov. Dayton is the best governor Big Labor‘s money could buy. When Sen. Parry criticized Gov. Dayton for being bought and paid for by union money, Gov. Dayton lost his temper. This article says that Sen. Parry has it exactly right:

Minnesota State Senator Mike Parry (R-Waseca) recently caused a stir with strong accusations against Governor Mark Dayton. “It’s no secret that the labor unions helped buy the Governor’s Office for Mark Dayton. He began to return the favor, most recently by trying to help unionize some of Minnesota’s in-home, private child care providers,” said Parry in a fundraising letter.

Sen. Parry’s allegations elicited a strong reaction from Dayton, who called it “inaccurate and deeply offensive.” A review of the facts, however, shows that the real reason the governor is so upset: the truth hurts.

Since 2005, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have been trying to organize child care providers Minnesota. Associated Press found that AFSCME wrote a $125,000 check to Gov. Dayton’s Recount Fund once restrictive campaign contribution limits ceased. Combined AFSCME and SEIU PACs contributed $14,000 to Dayton during his campaign. The Minnesota Family Council calculates that Big Labor stands to gain up to $3.3 million a year in dues from unionizing child care providers.

Wouldn’t you like to make a one-time investment of $139,000, then get an annual return of $3,300,000 for the forseeable future? Wouldn’t anyone?

Gov. Dayton, We The People find it highly offensive that the special interests have bought preferential treatment from you. Whatever happened to government of, by and for the People? Were they sacrificed at the altar of Mark Dayton’s Political Legacy? Are you that neurotic? Are you that corrupt?

It’s important that we remember what AFSCME is willing to do:

Last month, Dawn Bobo, owner of Village Dollar Store in Union Grove, Wis., was asked to display a pro-union sign in her window. Ms. Bobo, a self- described conservative Republican, refused and received a letter from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees asking her to reconsider.

“Failure to do so will leave us no choice but do [sic] a public boycott of your business,” the letter said.

AFSCME are the thugs that threaten businesses if they don’t support AFSCME’s causes. Not only did AFSCME tell Ms. Bobo to put their sign in her shop’s window. They said that staying neutral wasn’t an option. That’s the personification of union thuggery.

A more troubling question must be asked. Does Gov. Dayton represent public employee unions or does he represent the people of Minnesota? At this point, it’s apparent that Gov. Dayton represents the public employee unions and his other major contributors first.

That’s distressing to say the least.

Tags: 2010 Election, 2010 Governor, 2011 State Government Shutdown, AFSCME, Mark Dayton, Uncategorized

According to the Star Tribune, investigators entered Sheedy’s home this month on a federal search warrant only to find many of the “stolen” pieces still in his possession. Sheedy has not yet been charged, but investigators say evidence has been found of mail and wire fraud as well.

Sheedy and former Pres. Jimmy Carter via CarterCenter.org

Within the last five years, Sheedy has made major contributions (some listed below) to some of Minnesota’s finest DFL leaders, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Tim Walz, Sen. Al Franken, Maureen Reed, Patty Wetterling, and the Obama for America fund.

Contribution records via CQ Moneyline

Will Senator Klobuchar set an example for the rest of the recipients of Sheedy’s funds and return his fraudulent donations and/or donate the contributions to her favorite charity?

Tags: 2012 Election, Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Barack Obama, Patty Wetterling, Star Tribune

———

Lakeville City Council member Matt Little is a overtly ambitious, smooth talking, liberal DFL operative and was slick enough to be elected to that position in 2010. Now, just one year after taking office, Little is seeking the position of mayor and raising eyebrows across the south metro. Little is best known for his social media antics both inside and outside of official city government meetings. He’s also got an extremely cozy relationship with the local newspaper editors, who have been writing fluffy puff pieces for Little since he first campaigned for office.

Positioning himself as a moderate and to some voters, a conservative, Little has successfully fooled many into thinking he best represents the center-right ideology of most in this booming conservative suburb. Little owes his constituents a more honest campaign this time around, as they should know who they’re actually voting for when they choose their mayor.

Campaign reports from Lakeville City Hall reveal the following:

• The reports show he began his campaign in February of 2009, meaning he campaigned for nearly two years.
• His final report shows he raised $9,973.99 but he only lists 13 individuals (which includes the 6 unions below) giving him $100+ (and those 13 contributed a total of $3,023).  So…who contributed the remaining $6,950.00  (supposedly ‘under’ $100)?
• There was a total of $1,350.00 from six Labor Unions:
• Illinois Letter Carriers PAC – Orland Park, IL                    $200
• IUPAT-DC82 (Political Action Together)                            $300
• Ben Waxman, AFL-CIO Director – Washington DC           $300
• St Paul Regional Labor Federation                                   $300
• Minneapolis Letter Carriers PAC                                      $100
• Seth Hahn, CWA – Washington DC                                 $150
• He lists expenses of $7,895.01
• He did not have a Treasurer.  He signed his name to all reports.

Little’s social media involvement has also caused a stir. He’s utilized Twitter and Facebook to publicly bash the current Mayor, Mark Bellows, sometimes doing so during city council meetings. Little even utilizes his campaign website to bash the policies of Bellows through a third party liberal blogger. In a recent city council vote, Little was also the only dissenting vote in a common sense move to utilize a trusted private sector electrical inspector in place of a government employee, saving the city $77,000. His love for government employees was too strong for him to vote yes.

Here’s Little glad-handing with 2010 SD-36 DFL candidate Steve Quist at a DFL picnic:

Here are a few examples of Little resorting to Twitter to snipe at Mayor Bellows:

The Lakeville Patch news outlet has a tight relationship with Little, even referring to him as “dreamy” in a tweet:

Little Tweets about his plans to join a rally at the State Capitol:

Little expresses his support for public transit services in Lakeville:

Finally, DFL blogger Eric Pusey promotes Matt Little as one of his top DFL politicians:

Tags: 2010 Election, Bloggers, DFL, Uncategorized

Many were disappointed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Kirby Ballroom, awaiting the appearance of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar at the Farm Forum, sponsored by Food and Water Watch. After an outpouring of calls and letters, Klobuchar indicated she’d accept an invitation to attend to discuss important issues related to her perceived corporate-friendly and anti-food consumer stances. She serves on the Senate Agriculture Committee. At the very least, she indicated she’d send a staff person from her office.

She chose the latter, offering no reason. She chose not to interact directly with her constituents.

In the recent past, she did, however, find the time to travel to Duluth to hob-nob with Norwegian royalty. Her Duluth constituents didn’t rate that same kind of attention. She also more recently took the time to attend a photo opportunity with Gov. Mark Dayton and the Minnesota Thanksgiving turkey pardoned by the president. Her constituents didn’t even rank up there with a turkey!

Photo via Governor Dayton's office

Tags: 2012 Election, Amy Klobuchar

Here’s the email sent today from Dayton’s office:

—-

>>> “Dayton, Mark (GOV)” <xxxxxxx@state.mn.us> 12/9/2011 7:48 AM >>>

Sen. Parry and Rep. Drazkowski:

After receiving a copy of the email below, which was forwarded to me by one of its recipients, I am canceling today’s meeting.  Rep. Drazkowski, I apologize for the inconvenience and will reschedule a meeting with you for next week, if you so desire.

Sen. Parry, this email is inaccurate and deeply offensive.  This is the second time you have falsely accused me in writing of actions which, since untrue, wrongly malign my character and integrity.  It is one thing to issue a statement critical of my decision, as you and Sen. Hann did yesterday.  That’s politics.

It is entirely different, however, to make malicious, false accusations about someone, who is not even up for re-election, for your own crass political purposes.  I will not meet with you and provide further fodder for your political activities.  If you have questions of me, submit them in writing, and I will respond in writing to them.

Again, Rep. Drazkowski, I apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Mark Dayton

—

Here’s the letter Parry sent in return:

Sen Parry Response Letter to Gov Dayton

And here is the release sent out by the GOP senators yesterday on Dayton’s decision to contest the court ruling:

—-

December 8, 2011

SENATORS PARRY AND HANN ON GOV DAYTON’S DECISION TO CONTEST RESTRAINING ORDER ON DAY CARE UNIONIZATION VOTE

(ST. PAUL) — Sen. Mike Parry (R-Waseca), Chairman of the Senate State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee and Sen. David Hann (R-Eden Prairie), Chairman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, issued the following joint statement in response to Gov. Dayton’s announcement that he will contest the temporary restraining order on the vote to potentially unionize day care providers.

“Judge Lindman was very clear in his decision to block the scheduled unionization vote, stating concerns that the governor was circumventing the legislature, the governor does not have authority to enact a law of this type through executive order, and the governor is potentially harming the thousands he excluded from the democratic process.

“With this information in hand, the governor had the opportunity to withdraw, rethink and reconsider his executive order, but he has instead decided to forge ahead while his union allies cheer him on. We agree with Judge Lindman’s statements from the bench that it is likely the providers will prevail, and we continue to stand in their support.”

# # #

Tags: AFSCME, Mark Dayton

“The providers, many of them, are put in a box, where they feel that they can’t raise their rates much more or much higher above what the current subsidy rate is, which has been frozen, or for fear that their parents won’t be able to afford to have their kids in their licensed center.” says Lehto.

Lehto says AFSCME can can help negotiate better rates with the state. He says the union can also help providers with health care and retirement. But he says, most importantly, it can help re-focus society’s commitment to kids.

“Our’s is not an effort to raise the cost onto working families,” Lehto says. “Our effort is to increase in the public committment, the same way that it is for public education, in terms of from birth to going into school. There should be a broad public commitment in terms of insuring that kids are taken care during that time frame in a good quality setting.”

Tags: 2010 Governor, AFSCME, Mark Dayton

University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler has only been on the job since July 1, but almost immediately after taking over for former president Robert Bruininks, sources close to the administration report Kaler has spent more on his own salary and the salaries of his closest advisors than any other leader of the state’s university system in history.

A public information request by MDE and information from trusted sources close to the University both confirm that Kaler is receiving a salary of $610,000/year, a 25% increase over Bruininks 2010 salary of $455,000. A report provided to MDE by the U’s Department of Information and Records Management also confirms that Kaler’s office employs at least three individuals earning over $100,000/year, compared to no associates or staff making that amount just last year.

Additionally, a source with information on the President’s office confirms at least two additional individuals have been working for Kaler as “independent advisors” and do not appear on regular salary reports to the public. One individual is making approximately $100k and the total spending on these “advisors” may approach $300,000 annually.

In a year of tuition increases that have compounded a decade of increased costs for Minnesotans to attend the U, will citizens and the legislature speak up against this explosion in spending? Moreover, dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed confirm it is very likely Kaler will approach the Legislature next year and ask for an increase in state spending rather than the approach over the last few years which has been to minimize cuts.

Tags: Uncategorized

Opponents, which include Republicans in the Minnesota Senate, said Dayton’s order delved into things that are beyond the scope of his power.

The Minnesota Senate’s friend-of-the-court brief called Dayton’s executive order  “unprecedented and lawless, exceeding his scope of constitutional and statutory authority and usurping legislative power.’’

Ramsey County District Judge Dale Lindman, at several points during a three-hour hearing Monday, challenged lawyers for  Dayton and two unions that want the childcare union election to proceed. Why not “simply submit this to the Legislature in the form of a bill (and) we don’t have this whole issue?” the judge asked.

Read MDE’s previous coverage of the executive order here.

Tags: AFSCME, Mark Dayton

Dedicated readers of MDE report today’s activity at Occupy Plaza downtown.

Two months ago, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak spoke loudly in support of the Occupy Wall Street camp on the Hennepin County Government Plaza.  His early support was not surprising, because Hizzoner’s spokesperson John Styles is a life-partner of one of the Occupiers’ main organizers.

But when the protesters crossed the street to City Hall this morning, the Mayor flip-flopped.  Protesters had set up three tents on City property and decorated the statute of Hubert Humphrey with signs, hats, and an American Flag.  Rybak sent city employees down to ask the protesters to dismantle the display and move back across the street to city property.

The protesters did not budge, so Rybak sent the Minneapolis Police Department to yank down the tents, pull down the display, and “take action.”  The MPD boys in blue first tackled “Panda,” a 300-pound Occupier.  Then they slipped on the ice.  Poor Panda was slammed to the ground, and then jammed through the door of a tiny squad car.  MPD’s next target had his face shoved onto the frozen sidewalk as he was cuffed.

Where was the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union when R.T. Rybak flip-flopped on the right to peaceably assemble on the City Hall sidewalk?  Where was Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Minneapolis) who had declared her support of the protesters the night before, when they were on County property instead of City Hall?

Tags: AFSCME, Protests, R.T. Rybak

Tags: AFSCME, Mark Dayton

In 2010, Messinger personally contributed over $1 million to DFL groups that ultimately propelled her husband to Summit Avenue through nasty smear tactics. A recent piece on Messinger sheds new light that all Minnesotans should know and understand, but her true connections to the leaders of our state are shocking and arguably unethical. MDE focused on the spending at end of last year. Last year, Dayton’s son-Andrew, cousin-David, aunt-Mary and ex-wife-Alida Messinger together contributed well over $1 million this election cycle.

In 2012, Messinger and Dayton will launch smear tactics in House and Senate seats across Minnesota to flip control of those bodies and ram their far-left agenda through the legislative process. Through front groups coordinating with the MN DFL Party such as WIN Minnesota, the Alliance for a Better MN, and Minnesota’s labor unions, Messinger will funnel unprecedented amounts of cash to candidates that pledge loyalty to her husband’s agenda. From the Star Tribune’s piece:

She is vowing to do all she can to help the DFL regain control of the Legislature and get President Obama re-elected. Her millions could also become a force in the fight over the constitutional amendment on the ballot next year to define marriage as a union of man and woman, not gay couples. Messinger, 62, contends GOP politicians are harming Minnesota.

Tags: 2010 Election, 2010 Governor, 2012 Election, DFL, Mark Dayton, Star Tribune

1. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the taxpayers are not providing electricity for the occupiers on the plaza. [They also are not paying for your home gas bills. Is this a new form of entitlement?]

2. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the Commissioners said that the occupiers could not use chalk to mark up the Plaza. [Does the First Amendment protect vandalism of public property? Is there a right to paint mustaches on Mount Rushmore?]

3. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules deny the occupiers the right to tents. [In addition to guaranteed rights to electricity and shelter, is there anything else the taxpayers can get you? If you need furniture, may we recommend the ironically appropriate Lay-Z-Boy?]

4. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules restrict the ability to “stay warm during the winter months.” [Do the Miranda rights include "You have the right to remain toasty?"]

5. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules are either too specific (expressly created in response to Occupy MPLS) or too vague (“unconstitutionally overbroad”). [I guess an ACLU lawyer could argue that a hat is simultaneously too big and too small.]

6. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules and the unwritten procedures about protecting the public safety during the 24/7 occupation of the Plaza “are inconsistent with how the County has treated other groups.” [What other groups have had their members cited day after day for public urination, public fornication, public intoxication, public fighting, spray painting public property, theft or damage to other protestors' property, indecent exposure, and littering? What other group is linked to setting fire to a port-a-potty and damaging public safety cameras at the light rail station?]

7. The MCLU lawsuit claims that the rules impermissibly restrict the right of occupiers to sleep on the Plaza as a “content-based limitation on speech.” [Is sleeping a protected form of "free speeh," or is it merely an inarticulate grunt, an incoherent snore, and an unintelligible mumble?]

The MCLU lawyers are putting your tax dollars at work again on litigating the right to taxpayer-funded anarchy, crime, and violence on the public Plaza. There is a penalty for frivolous lawsuits, but the odds are good that fines will not be placed on these parasites of the judicial system.

Tags: Protests, R.T. Rybak

One reason that Occupy Minneapolis has been different from other sites is the foresight, preparation, self-discipline, and commitment to values demonstrated by Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and his deputies.

First, he made a commitment to help those protesters who could not protect themselves. Sheriff Stanek’s deputies have helped: a protester who drank himself into unconsciousness; a protester who went into diabetic shock; a protester who injured herself when she fell from her wheelchair; a protester who would not explain how he got a serious head injury; a protester who collapsed from exhaustion; a suicidal protester who was taken to a crisis center; and a protester who was hearing voices.

Second, he made a commitment to protect the protesters from intruders and from predators within the camp itself. Sheriff Stanek’s deputies have made few arrests, but these have included arrests of two protesters who stole the property of other occupiers, two protesters who were fighting on the Plaza, and a protester who was using spray paint on government property. They also arrested two people who were wanted on previous warrants and three people who violated prior “no trespass” orders on the Plaza.

A few other crimes have been committed on the Plaza without arrests. Someone set fire to a port-a-potty on October 21. Two people ran from the Plaza after indecent exposure on the same day. Someone damaged surveillance cameras at the neighboring light rail station on November 16.

When the protesters left County property to break the law in other jurisdictions, there were arrests. The Minneapolis Police Department arrested seven people for blocking traffic outside the U.S. Bank Building by erecting tents and sitting in the middle of the street on October 20. Similarly, the Minneapolis Police Department arrested 11 protesters at the University of Minnesota when they blocked traffic and created a public nuisance by blocking a major road during rush hour on November 17. When protesters broke into a foreclosed house in South Minneapolis, the Minneapolis Police Department arrested two protesters for burglary and obstruction of arrest on November 18.

Using the language of the protesters, Sheriff Stanek repeatedly said he was looking to protect the rights of the 99% of the protesters who were being peaceful and not focusing on the 1% of the protesters who want to prey on others or break the law.

The Minneapolis protest has gone very smoothly when compared with the other protest sites around the country:

DEATHS: There have been at least seven deaths at OWS sites. On November 10, a man was shot to death over a bag of weed just 30 feet from the Oakland, CA tent where he had been staying for days. The same day, a man was shot to death at the camp in Burlington, Vermont. Five other people have died of drug overdoses or similar causes at Occupy camps in Salt Lake City, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Vancouver, and Bloomington, Indiana.

RAPES: There have been dozens of rapes at sites around the country, including the assault of a mentally challenged woman in Cleveland and a 14-year-old in Dallas. One protester exposed himself and masturbated in front of children in Seattle. The liberal government in Madison, Wisconsin cancelled the local permit after protesters repeatedly masturbated in front of people walking from their nearby jobs. Occupation leaders in Baltimore and Boston discouraged camp victims from reporting their rapes to police. Three men in NYC threatened to kill a victim who did report a rape to police.

OTHER CRIMES: There have been thousands of thefts totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. The man arrested for firing an AK-47 at the White House reportedly had been staying at the Occupy D.C. camp for several days.

FILTH: Twenty six dump trucks were needed to haul away the garbage from Zuccotti Park in NYC. The San Francisco Health Department declared their site to be a public health hazard. Raw sewage ran down the street in Portland, Oregon.

Sheriff Rich Stanek is protecting our rights as individuals, our safety as hard-working citizens, and our wallets as taxpayers.

Tags: Protests

MoveOn.org was a centerpiece of the Obama election in 2008 and will continue to serve as his political base.

Here’s a communication sent via MoveOn.org, which is now serving as a central command center hub for the Occupy movement:

From: “Lenore Palladino, MoveOn.org Civic Action”
To: XXX
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 3:48:07 PM
Subject: URGENT: Can you host a 99% event in your city?

–Lenore, Laura, Carrie, Anna, and the rest of the team

Tags: Protests, R.T. Rybak

Gov. Mark Dayton has ordered a vote among home-based child care providers about whether they should unionize.

His executive order issued Tuesday sets an election for December. It affects thousands of self-employed providers.

  The state Bureau of Mediation Services will oversee the election. Dayton says if a union is authorized during the vote, membership would be voluntary.

Dayton’s decision furthers an already politically charged debate over union rights. The Democratic governor and majority Republican lawmakers have clashed for months about Dayton’s authority to call an election and whether a union should exist.

Here’s the release from Dayton’s office.

According to several sources in the Minnesota Senate, Senator Perry and others may file an injunction to stop the executive order on the grounds that the providers are private, independent contractors. KSTP reported on Perry’s intentions:

The Waseca Republican says he will consider legal action, if the Governor does sign the executive order paving the way for a statewide vote. Union officials say organized daycare workers would have more bargaining power to negotiate state subsidy payments and they would have the right to appeal any regulatory action taken against a home daycare provider.

Tags: Mark Dayton

From FFM:

The long-awaited meeting between Dayton and providers who oppose unionization took place at the Capitol, and also included the Governor’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs as well as the director of the Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association.

“We’re frustrated and saddened that the governor appears to have made his decision before we even got there. We were hoping to speak to him before that decision was made because we truly believe this decision should not be made without speaking to some of the many providers that are opposed to this,” said Jennifer Parrish, a Rochester provider who’s led the opposition to unionization.

Katie Tinucci, Dayton’s Press Secretary, confirmed that a meeting took place Thursday night between Dayton and the providers, but said she “cannot confirm anything that was said–I did not attend. My understanding was that the meeting took place at the request of the providers, and the governor was there to listen to their concerns.”

Tags: Mark Dayton

A rough audio recording of the call can be heard by clicking on the link below.

A caller shall not use or connect to a telephone line an automatic dialing-announcing device unless: (1) the subscriber has knowledge or voluntarily requested, consented to, permitted, or authorized receipt of the message; or (2) the message is immediately preceded by a live operator who obtains the subscriber’s consent before the message is delivered.

Minn. Stat. § 325E.27. “An automatic dialing announcing device,” or “ADAD,” is defined as “a device that selects and dials telephone numbers and that, working alone or in conjunction with other equipment, disseminates a prerecorded or synthesized voice message to the telephone number called.” Minn. Stat. § 325E.26, subd. 2. “Caller” includes “ a person, corporation, firm, partnership, association, or legal or commercial entity who attempts to contact, or who contacts, a subscriber in this state by using a telephone or telephone line.” Id. at subd. 3. “Subscriber” is defined as “a person who has subscribed to telephone service from a telephone company or the other persons living or residing with the subscribing person.” Id. at subd. 5.

Tags: DFL

Commission Chairman Ted Mondale claimed Friday that last year’s dome collapse, which forced the Vikings to play some games elsewhere, also triggered a clause that extended the lease by one year. Mondale said he learned from his lawyers “a month or two ago” that the collapse triggered the clause in the lease.

But if Mondale was appointed by Governor Dayton, and has supposedly stayed close to Dayton during the intense negotiations of the last month, how are Minnesotans to believe Dayton had no idea of the lease extension and trust he wasn’t artificially forcing a fast turnaround on a stadium deal for his own political gain? If it becomes clear that Dayton knowingly joined the Vikings and lied to lawmakers about the urgency of the deal, should he face discipline? The new information about what Commission Chairman Mondale knew long ago further proves Dayton has been giving a false sense of urgency to Minnesotans in order to force a faster deal through the legislature, which may violate ethics rules.

Tags: Mark Dayton

This comes on the heels of other endorsements of the Occupy MN movement by various tentacles of the DFL party. Just last week, DFL organizers sent an email asking local residents to “occupy” a listening session hosted by Republican legislators on job creation in Woodbury.

Espinosa Penny-Bombing Tom Emmer in 2010

Tags: DFL, Tom Emmer, YouTube

Here’s the story from the Star Tribune.

Tags: 2012 Election, Amy Klobuchar, Star Tribune

Tags: DFL, Uncategorized

Tags: Uncategorized

The Legacy Amendment increased the state sales tax by three-eighths of one percent beginning on July 1, 2009 and continuing until 2034. The additional sales tax revenue is distributed into four funds as follows: 33 percent to the clean water fund; 33 percent to the outdoor heritage fund; 19.75 percent to the arts and cultural heritage fund; and 14.25 percent to the parks and trails fund.

Amidst an avalanche of messages from Republican capitol staffers and concerned activists, MPR wrote a great series on the research they’ve done into the lack of transparency into how the funds are distributed and how they’re being spent. Here’s part of the report:

St. Paul, Minn. — Nearly three years after Minnesotans authorized a new sales tax to send additional money to conservation, arts and parks, there is no public comprehensive list of the funded projects and their outcomes.

Moreover, a quarter of the $456 million allocated in the first two years of the Legacy Amendment is missing from the state website required to be the resource for displaying where and how the tax money is spent, according to an MPR News analysis. And while the website lists broad programs that received money, details are often lacking about which groups or projects received grants and whether the work was finished.

For example, none of the nearly $9 million in clean water funds the Minnesota Department of Agriculture received in the first two years appears on the website. And a website visitor can’t find out which groups received part of an $8.4 million Department of Natural Resources conservation grant.

In another report on what is missing from the reports, MPR even points out that records for public radio spending are incomplete (below). Watchdog Andy Cilek has covered this as well for a few years.

WHAT’S MISSING?

• The amount of money that went toward each program carried out in each of 12 regional library systems.

• The vast majority — $35 million worth — of grants to artists and art organizations distributed by the State Arts Board and 11 regional arts councils.

• A breakdown of costs for Legacy-funded programs carried out by public TV and radio stations.

• A list of grant recipients receiving money through the Outdoor Heritage Fund’s Conservation Partners Legacy Grant Program, administered by the Minnesota DNR (recipients are listed on a DNR website, but a link to the site can only be found under “opportunities for funding” on the state’s main Legacy website.)

• A breakdown of costs for all Legacy-funded partnerships between the Minnesota Humanities Center and Councils of Color.

• A full list of the hundreds of clean water grant and loan recipients that received money from the Minnesota Department of Health, Public Utilities Authority, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and state Board of Water and Soil Resources.

• A breakdown of specific projects receiving funding through the DNR’s parks and trails Legacy funds.

• Up-to-date information on projects and programs from 2010-2011 that have been completed in all four areas of Legacy funding, as well as their outcomes. This information is available for only a small percentage of the listed projects.

Tags: Andy Cilek, Checks and Balances, DFL Legislators

But it turns out that those costs for Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and his deputies may be a prudent expenditure for the taxpayers. 

If things go wrong with the protest, there could be lawsuits by the protestors, innocent bystanders, nearby businesses, and others if a crime was not prevented that some Minneapolis jury could decide was “foreseeable.”

It turns out that the “Occupy Wall Street” protest sites around the country are a magnet for criminals and crime:

• Police are investigating the reported rape at the Occupy Cleveland tent city of a 19-year-old woman with learning disabilities who was told to sleep in a tent with a stranger named “Leland” who assaulted her in the middle of the night on October 15.

• Police arrested a man who exposed himself to several women at the Occupy Seattle tent city and then masturbated in front of children on October 18.

• Raymond Allen Curtis, a convicted sex offender from California, registered his address as the site of the Occupy Portland tent city on October 14.

• The sex offender may have been drawn to the Occupy Portland tent city by reports that police were investigating the sexual assault of a woman at the protest site on October 7. 

• Sleeping at the New York City tent city can be dangerous.  While volunteers slept in the makeshift kitchen, someone stole $2,500 of funds donated to feed the protesters on October 17.  Cash, cameras, a laptop, and other goods were stolen from other tents.

• Fugitives from the law are finding it easier to hide from police in the tent cities.  The New York Post reported on Dave from Connecticut who is running from burglary charges.  He said that the protest site is “a good place to be fed, get wasted, and crash” in plain site on October 10. 

• After the fugitives and other criminals arrive at the protest sites, they can commit other crimes.  The Connecticut fugitive at the NYC protest was arrested a day later after sexually assaulting a young woman.  The woman declined to press charges, but police held him on an open-container charge while checking for warrants.
  

• Sexual harassment, fighting, rats, and abuse of drugs and alcohol have prompted city leaders to consider closing the Occupy Oakland tent city in California.  When a person was badly hurt falling from a tree there, protesters blocked public safety workers from reaching the victim.

So, while things have been peaceful at the Minneapolis protest site for the first two weeks, some of the protesters may still be looking for a pay day from a Minneapolis jury if they can be arrested.  When the Minneapolis protesters marched on a bank last week and sat in a street to block traffic, police merely directed traffic around them.    “I feel so bad … why don’t they want to arrest us?” Sunday Alabi, 61 told the Star Tribune on October 15.

It may cost taxpayers a pretty penny to have deputies watching the squatters on our public square, but until the Hennepin County Board decides that a curfew on the plaza is in order, the deputies may be saving us more than a pretty penny from obnoxious lawsuits by the fellow travelers.

Tags: Protests

MINNEAPOLIS – The cost of Occupy Minnesota protests is starting to add up for Minneapolis police. Tuesday afternoon, Sgt. William Palmer says the total cost to the Minneapolis Police Department is closing in $100,000.

…

Additionally, Minneapolis police say approximately 1,245 hours have been spent in the planning and support of the protest prior to the overtime. The cost for this time is approximately $56,000, according to numbers released by Minneapolis Police Department.

…

These costs are only for the Minneapolis Police Department.

Hennepin County officials said Tuesday their costs for supervision and management is $152,295.

Tags: Protests, R.T. Rybak, Uncategorized

This morning, Daniel Fannning, one of 4 DFL candidates vying for the endorsement to run against Chip Cravaack, appeared on Esme Murphy’s program. During the interview, he some things that indicate he’s going to run a base race, meaning that he’s only focusing on his political base.

One of the things Fanning said was that he supports the Occupy Minnesota:

This is what we’re seeing with the Occupy Minnesota, given the fact that people are obeying the law and being nonviolent. This is a movement that I very much support and am very proud of the people who are taking to the streets and saying “I’m tired of politics as usual” and that’s exactly why I’m runnning for congress.

For example, there’s the Northern Lights Express, which would be great for Duluth. It would be great for the Twin Cities. It would be great for the region. It would be great for the Mille Lacs band. It’s something that would not only immediately create lots of construction jobs but it would also set the region up for long-term success as well. So it’s a win-win. Unfortunately, we have a congressman who doesn’t seem interested in investing in our own district.

That’s one of many projects. There’s also crumbling infrastructure throughout the district, from Chisholm and Buhl, from Quamba and Mora. All throughout the district, we see crumbling roads, bridges and sewer systems that need to be rebuilt.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

Tags: 2012 Election, Chip Cravaack, Daniel Fanning

Barnes’ website (Barnes.MN) is hosted on the top-level domain for the country of Mongolia (.MN).

Barnes has also been very vocal via Twitter over the summer as he established his campaign, tweeting that he had set up an “exploratory committee” and also that he blames Rep. Erik Paulsen for the Minnesota government shutdown:

Tags: 2012 Election

Here’s part of the story:

In the spring of 2010, Genesis Poly went belly up. And with it went Mankato’s money. Along with a $100,000 loan from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and another $7.44 million through a loan with U.S. Bank… 70% of which was backed by the Department of Agriculture.

Genesis Poly was in talks with the Minnesota USDA well before they went to U.S. Bank, and small government advocates are saying the USDA’s involvement could have played a role in U.S. Bank’s willingness to throw money at Genesis Poly.

David Strom, a policy fellow at the Minnesota Free Market Institute says, “There’s an implicit sense of Too Big To Fail. If the government is in, they’re going to keep throwing money at it. It looks like a less risky way to spend your money. You don’t even have to look at the books, ’cause it doesn’t matter. Government is going to back you up.”

But perhaps the most disappointing aspect of this whole story: this isn’t the first time Genesis Poly has gone bankrupt.

Tags: Barack Obama

Groups supporting DFL-endorsed candidate Chris Eaton have decided their best strategy for victory will be to label Eaton’s GOP opponent, Cory Jensen, as a “typical politician with a Tea Party agenda.”

Worse yet, Eaton’s website states she is “continuing the tradition of positive leadership” for her district.

Here’s the piece, from the group Working America, a national front group for the AFL-CIO:

Tags: 2011 Session, DFL, Senate DFL Caucus

Mayor R.T. Rybak wrote a blog post supporting the movement.

Ellison told the press he is “inspired” by the movement. Nationally, the AFL-CIO has endorsed the protests as well. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg accused the protesters of trying to destroy jobs in the city.

Tags: Uncategorized

From the Weekly Standard:

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken, Barack Obama

“Time you could be meeting with a wider array of constituents and shaping solid policy is spent sitting in a cube, on the phone, raising money.

All of this gives members of Congress a skewed perspective on the challenges we face today.
…
Policymakers on both sides become personal friends and confidants with their funders, making it difficult to craft broader policy that might work against funder’s interests.
…
We must examine our system and find ways to get elected leaders and candidates out of a back room, off the phones and out talking to a wide variety of people with diverse perspectives. Otherwise, poor, one-sided and extreme ideas will continue dominating our public policy debates.”

Meffert must have had a change of heart since his campaign last fall, when he bragged to audience members at a local gathering that he was “laying the groundwork to raise $2.5 to 3 million dollars” during the cycle.

Here’s also the video of Meffert bragging to DFL activists that he knew how to “get under the skin” of Congressman Paulsen. Seems like the kind of ethical politics Meffert is advocating for at 2020.

Tags: DFL

Activists with the local chapter of the Black Panthers approached the table on campus last week and cornered and threatened the Mr. Cleary while he distributed to people passing by.

The young man in the video, Blair Jordon Moses, threatened to “exercise” his 2nd amendment rights if  he perceived that there was any kind of threat to the Multicultural Center. He did not define what a threat would constitute but suggested that the existence of the group Youth for Western Civilization would count.

Blair was wearing a pin on his jacket picturing Huey P. Newton carying a gun. For those of you who don’t know, Newton was a founder of the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers is a violent and ethnocentric organization that promotes racial divides and anti-American rhetoric.

What prompted this approach? Blair states that blacks in America are not free and that he does not believe in the Constitution.

At the same time, a faculty member approached the group. She took some of the literature and asked Phil, “Is this a white supremacist group?” Phil answered “Absolutely not.” To which the woman replied, “It looks like one.”

Who is this woman? Susana Pelayo – Woodward, Director of the Office of Cultural Diversity.

Instead of promoting cultural diversity, which is part of her job, she chose to show her bias against a group that would promote western culture and tradition. She had no problem with the leftist students heckling the conservative, but actually seems to agree that freedom, the Constitution, and western civilization is all tied into white supremacy.

Tags: YouTube

Will Sen. Bonoff do the right thing and apologize to the city of Plymouth and parade volunteers that were forced to clean up after her campaign?

Tags: DFL, DFL Legislators, Senate DFL Caucus

Testifiers at the hearing provided information that child care providers were lied to and misled when union activists went door-to-door to collect the necessary signatures for the unionization process to begin.

One testifier stated, “If this was about children, the union would stay out and let parents make these decisions.”

“Experts” on the unionization could not answer the question of what dues might be for union members and could only say these questions would be answered after a union is already formed.

Another provided a statement saying that union activists went door-to-door asking providers to sign their “petition” for “health insurance” during busy and stressful times of the day and would not take no for an answer. “These signatures are not a true sign of support. I was disturbed to hear that hundreds of providers I’ve spoken to are opposed, and many were misled on what they were signing,” the testifier said.

Representatives from AFSCME were unable to provide information on what the unionization would entail and how the process might actually be legal. In fact, GOP Sen. David Hann called out testifiers for advocating inaccurately for the “legal” representation a new union might actually be able to provide, saying, “these are not employees of the state.”

Dayton should absolutely rule out an executive decree requiring union membership of our neighborhood mom and pop home child care providers. To do otherwise would be a gross misuse of his power and will quite certainly face legal challenge from those groups opposing. This effort has been mostly quiet and swift, and there have already been dozens of reports from home providers that didn’t understand what they were signing when they were approached at their doorsteps. These individuals now regret signing such a document at all.

Tags: AFSCME, Mark Dayton

But Littman’s move to Solazyme has raised some eyebrows about his new role and that company’s history of biofuel project funding. Given recent controversy around solar panel manufacturer Solyndra, those companies receiving stimulus dollars from the Dept. of Energy have come under closer review for their practices and ties. Solyndra declared bankruptcy in August and taxpayers may now be on the hook for over a half-billion in losses.

As for Solazyme, they took over $21 million in Energy stimulus dollars in 2009 for one of their plants in Pennsylvania to produce fuel from algae. Littman will lead the effort to open their Washington lobbying operation, hopefully not with taxpayer dollars.

Tags: 2008 U.S. Senate, Al Franken

GOP Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch released this statement today responding:

STATEMENT FROM SENATE MAJORITY LEADER AMY KOCH ON GOV. DAYTON’S CALL
FOR BUDGET “RESPONSIBILITY”

(St. Paul) — Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch (R-Buffalo) issued the
following statement regarding comments made today by Governor Mark
Dayton calling for budget “responsibility.”

“This year, the Republican-led Legislature passed a complete,
reform-minded, balanced budget which didn’t raise taxes on Minnesotans
and job providers. The largest general fund budget in state history
wasn’t enough for Governor Dayton.  He vetoed our budget and forced the
longest government shutdown in recent U.S. history because of an
insatiable desire to raise taxes and spend more.

“During Governor Dayton’s shutdown, over 22,000 state workers were
laid-off, construction projects were unnecessarily halted, and private
sector spending was dramatically reduced because Governor Dayton wanted
to raise taxes, grow government and spend more without regard for the
fiscal realities facing Minnesota.  Governor Dayton lecturing about
budget responsibility is like Bernie Madoff lecturing about Wall Street
reform.”

Tags: 2011 Session, 2011 State Government Shutdown, DFL Legislators, Mark Dayton

Tags: President Bush

Freedom Foundation of Minnesota’s Jonathan Blake covered the important components of this issue in the Star Tribune this week. As Blake says, “Unionization would represent a radical shift not only for home childcare providers, but also the parents and children that depend upon them. Governor Dayton should address this issue and explain his intentions.”

Effort to unionize childcare providers flies under the radar

Jonathan Blake

Minnesota currently has approximately 11,000 licensed family child care providers operating in the state, the vast majority of which are operating as home-based small businesses. But if two of the largest labor unions have their way, these independent operators may soon join the ranks of organized labor. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are working to collect signatures from childcare providers in different parts of the state, in a large-scale (but under-the-radar) effort to unionize the sector. The unions have patterned the drive after similar campaigns in other states that targeted providers with clients that receive state childcare subsidies.

The motivation is obvious. At a time when union workers have become almost synonymous with public workers, this pool of 11,000 daycare providers are seen by organized labor as an opportunity to expand their sphere of influence outside the ranks of traditional government work.

The effort is remarkable for a few reasons, not the least of which is the relative secrecy with which it’s happening. Unions are enlisting support among home-based day care providers by going, as you might expect, to their homes. This door-to-door drive targeting of thousands of independent operators helps explain the lack of public attention. It’s also possible that many providers have unwittingly signed on for something they do not support. The Rochester provider who is leading opposition to the union recently said: “Just about everybody we have spoken to has said they were not told by signing that card they were supporting a union. The main theme seems to be people are being told they can sign up for more information or be put on a mailing list.” The Freedom Foundation of Minnesota has spoken to several individuals who have had similar experiences with the unions.

In addition to unions collecting signatures from a majority of the childcare providers, Governor Dayton would also need to sign an executive order to validate the unionization drive. To date, the governor’s office has declined to indicate whether Governor Dayton would sign that executive order, saying only that he is in the “information gathering” stage. It’s worth noting that both AFSCME and SEIU were major contributors to Dayton last year.

Why should it matter to Minnesotans? Everything from the cost of daycare to government’s role in a child’s upbringing could be affected. While the unions insist that they would simply give providers an opportunity to potentially gain a public pension or higher subsidy rates for children receiving publicly subsidized daycare, opposition to the unions is growing. Opponents object to what they consider a misleading campaign by the unions, a lack of perceived benefits from the union, and as one provider said: “I’m a self-employed business owner, not an employee of the government.”
Read more here: http://www.startribune.com/local/yourvoices/129413913.html

Tags: AFSCME, DFL, Mark Dayton, Uncategorized

From Thisweek in Rosemount:

Hastings City Council Member Mike Slavik said on Tuesday that he will seek election to the Dakota County Board seat that is being vacated by longtime District 1 Commissioner Joe Harris.

Harris’ seat will be on the 2012 ballot along with that of fellow commissioners Tom Egan (portion of Eagan and area to the north), Will Branning (Apple Valley-Rosemount), and Liz Workman (Burnsville).

Slavik’s record as a Democrat is public record.  Slavik ran as a Democrat in 2002 for the Minnesota Legislature (see below from dedicated readers of Minnesota Democrats Exposed). Now Slavik is running to be a county commissioner.  In a press release http://www.thisweeklive.com/2011/08/23/hastings-council-member-to-run-for-county-board/  Democrat Slavik calls himself a “moderate” – liberal code for “a closet liberal who will raise your taxes”.  At one time, Slavik didn’t hide from his liberal party identification.  Media records show that Slavik once said he “takes pride in being a prolife DFLer”.  But now, Slavik is trying to hide his DFL party background from the voters of Dakota County.

Dakota County has a long history of voting against tax increasing liberals.  Next year’s election will be no different.  Minnesota Democrats Exposed expects Slavik will be defeated by a conservative candidate.

Tags: 2012 Election, DFL