Residual Forces

This is from the Anoka County Watchdog. Good stuff.

WATCHDOG EMAIL SPECIAL: DFL FLOPHOUSE OR COUNTY GOVERNMENT?

A large number of DFL candidates and current or former elected officials are on the county payroll.  Why?

1.    DFL Flophouse or County Government?
County government is supposed to be low key and free from partisan politics.  In fact, county-level candidates for elective office run without partisan ballot designation.  In concept, county government in Minnesota is supposed to be little more than an administrative arm of state government, implementing state and federal programs.

Of course, the three-ring circus Anoka County runs bears little resemblance to this mandate.  Whether it’s a tourist train to Duluth or a football stadium in Blaine, Anoka County is always running around chasing headlines while core functions suffer.

And that’s not all.  Far from being non-partisan and apolitical, it appears that the county has become something of a feedlot for DFL candidates and politicians.

A search of public records indicates that the following DFL partisans have current employment with the county or have had recent employment with the county.

Andrew Borne.
Borene, who lives in Edina, was the DFL-endorsed candidate for Senate District 41 in 2006.  Borene withdrew his candidacy after he was charged with three misdemeanor counts in connection with a domestic assault incident involving his wife.

Ironically, Borene now works as a prosecutor in the county attorney’s office.

Related links:
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/campfin/rpdetail/rp16253.html
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/076/017
http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2006/09/30/news/dw28borene.txt

Leo Foley.
Nearly 80, Foley currently represents the District 47 in the state Senate.  He has been in office since 1996.  Like Borene, Foley works in the county attorney’s office.

Related documents:
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?district=47
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/eis/rpdetail/rp601_3422.html

Dan Larson
Larson is a current state Senator who represents the Bloomington area.    Prior to Senate service, Larson served in the House.  Watchdog sources indicate that Larson works on transportation issues for the county.

Related documents:
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_bio.php?mem_id=1150&ls=85
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/eis/rpdetail/rp601_5396.html

Steve Novak.
Novak is well known to Watchdogs for his frequent role as point man on county boondoggles like the football stadium and Duluth tourist train.

Novak is also a former state Representative and state Senator who mounted a failed bid to succeed Bruce Vento in Congress.

Related documents:
http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10471
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/lobby/lbdetail/lb701.html

Lona Schreiber.
Then known as Lona Minne, Schreiber is a former state Representative representing the Hibbing area.

Schreiber is now a lobbyist for the county.

Related documents:
http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10432
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/lobby/lbdetail/lb8266.html

Dave Johnson.
A former state Senator and colleague of Steve Novak, Johnson is a contract lobbyist who represents Anoka County on specific issues.

Related documents:
http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10285
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/lobby/lbdetail/lb9100.html

Paul McCarron.
This one is a two-fer.    McCarron is a former legislator AND a former county commissioner.  McCarron is the beneficiary of consulting contracts, primarily to shill for the Northstar rail project (and likely the Duluth train after that).

Related documents:
http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10405
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/lobby/lbdetail/lb1332.html

Elwyn Tinklenberg.
Former Transportation Commissioner Tinklenberg sought the DFL endorsement for Congress in 2006 but was kicked to the curb by Patty Wetterling.    He has mused aloud about a 2008 candidacy against Michele Bachmann.

Tinklenberg has also been the beneficiary of various consulting contracts.

Related documents:
http://www.cfboard.state.mn.us/lobby/lbdetail/lb3835.html
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/06/14_scheckt_tinklenberg/
http://kstp.com/article/stories/S194052.shtml?cat=89

Isn’t this just typical of Anoka County?  At best, this situation creates the appearance that the county payroll is being used and abused as a financial parachute for current and former DFLers, based primarily on the employee’s political affiliation.  At worst, it’s absolutely true.

Moreover, are these jobs being filled with current elected officials in order to make them more supportive of the county agenda down at the Capitol?

Taxpayers should rightly ask the county board for a full accounting of these employment matters.  There is the appearance of impropriety and the county needs to act quickly to reassure taxpayers that only the most qualified applicants are being hired without regard to political affiliation.

The county also needs to reassure taxpayers that positions held by DFLers are vital to the county’s core mission.  The county’s plan for the next budget cycle is to leave 80 positions vacant in 2008, according to the county’s public information manager (yes, they have one).  Are critical jobs in law enforcement and child protection being left unfilled while DFLers enjoy employment in non-essential jobs like lobbying and consulting?

Taxpayers may contact their county elected officials here:
http://www.co.anoka.mn.us/officials/index.asp

DFL office holders may submit their resume here:
http://www.co.anoka.mn.us/v3_jobs/how-to-apply.html