Thanks to the Mpls issues list archive, I was able to reread some interesting articles and posts about who gets funded by whom at the Park Board.
The person giving legal advice to the Park Board leadership about the selection process for Superintendent and ethics is Brian Rice.
Brain Rice is the Attorney for the Park Board and his law firm received $439,000 in 2001 from the Park Board. But in some very significant way he gets to pick his employers.
He is a Kingmaker for the campaigns of most of the Park Board Commissioners.
These same Commissioners are now asking his legal opinions about their conduct concerning the backroom deal to pick a superintendent.
This is old news from the Southwest Journal -July 8. 02 article-but because of what just happened, it is again relevant to the issue at hand. The full article is:
http://www.southwestjournal.com/archives/index.inn?loc=detail&doc=/2002/July/08-3020-news01.txt
Excerpts from the article by Scott Russell concerning Brian Rice:
"He, his wife, his law firm and its members gave more than $5,000 to candidates in the 2001 Park Board races, campaign finance records show. Two groups that Rice represents as a lobbyist, the Minneapolis Police Relief Association and the Minneapolis Fire Relief Association, contributed another $3,600 to Park Board races. In addition to his donations, Rice said he helped organize fundraisers for Park Board candidates."
Six of nine sitting Park Board members received 13 percent or more of their 2001 fundraising from Rice and his connections. One, Ed Solomon, received 40 percent of his fundraising from Rice's group"
Park Board Commissioner Vivian Mason has declined contributions from Rice, saying they are inappropriate.
"I feel anybody who is a contracted employee of the Park Board should not be involved in the political campaigns of any candidates," she said.
"Yeah, I'm active. I contribute," Rice said. "When I got hired the first time, I hadn't contributed anything to anyone. If a commissioner has asked for my help, since I have been (with) the board, I've helped them out. Or if I have offered and they have accepted, I've helped them out."
He or his firm gave to all incumbent commissioners and he hosted fundraisers for them during the last election - except Mason and Annie Young, who did not want the donations, Rice said. He would put together a fundraising memo and send it to his friends and clients, like the Minneapolis Police Relief Association and the Minneapolis Fire Relief Association.
"If they want to come, they come," he said. "It's tough running a race. Politicians don't like asking for money. It is not a fun task."
Unlike the contributions to state legislative races, where Rice may hope to influence future legislation, the contributions to the Park Board are essentially going to his employers.
Rice, his wife and his law firm and the city police and fire relief associations he lobbies each gave Fine a maximum $300 donation, a total of $1,500, according to campaign finance reports. It represented 15 percent of Fine's 2001 fundraising.
John Belfry of Tangletown isn't alleging wrongdoing, but he does have questions about the connections between Rice's firm, the Minnesota Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) and Park Board decisions.
MRPA rents the Superintendent's House, 3954 Bryant Ave. S., from the Park Board for $750 a month and does not pay utilities, a deal that has recently drawn criticism.
Rice, the MRPA and Park Board members and staff say nothing inappropriate has happened behind the scenes.
Rice's firm has worked with MRPA lobbying on bleacher safety and after-school grants, Rice said. In all, the lobbying contracts were worth roughly $3,000.
Rice said working with MRPA has strengthened the Park Board's lobbying position at the Capitol; MRPA is a statewide organization and gives park funding requests greater relevance to more legislators.
"They must be absolutely nuts," Rice said, of people speculating on a conflict.
For anyone to impugn the MRPA in such a way was "despicable," he said.
Rice said he had reviewed the issue with the superintendent, including a reminder that his firm lobbied for MRPA, and said memberships did not violate the gift ban. He believes an exception exists because the gifts were given broadly, not just to decision-makers.
Fine said that accepting a campaign contribution from the Park Board's attorney is no different than accepting one from a union - or anyone else with a special interest before the Park Board.
"What is the problem?" he asked. . . . Do we vote on union contracts or things that affect contracts? Of course. Does that mean people who belong to unions can't donate to campaigns?"
[End of excerpts]-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Rice has Posted briefly on the list from Aug.16 to the 27th. 2002 about the new headquarters. The posts truly make fascinating reading.
I am told that Brain Rice does a great job and that may be.
It just doesn't seem right that the person telling Bob Fine what he can and can't do legally concerning the backroom hiring process and ethics is the same person who had such a large role in getting the majority of the Park Board Commissioners elected. Plus he was also working for Jon Gurban.
Thanks,
Scott Vreeland Seward
