Press release from the State Auditor's Office: State Auditor Pat Anderson Releases Statement on Mayor Rybak�s Newsletter Auditor Finds Newsletter Violates State Law
(Saint Paul) � Every Minneapolis household recently received an 8-page color newsletter with the headline, �Minneapolis News From Mayor R.T. Rybak.� The newsletter details several of Mayor Rybak�s initiatives and includes five photos of the Mayor. According to a story published in Friday�s Star Tribune, the Mayor�s Office spent $42,000, not including staff time, to send the brochure. Minnesota State Law allows for political subdivisions to issue publications that �inform the general public of the activities of the political subdivision.� However, the law also states that the �report or publication must not include pictures of elected officials nor any other pictorial or graphic device that would tend to attribute the publication to an individual or group of individuals instead of the political subdivision.� �The fact that the front headline includes a picture of Mayor Rybak and that the heading on every page includes the words �News From Mayor R.T. Rybak� certainly appears to attribute the newsletter to Mayor Rybak and not to the city,� said Anderson. �In the last few years, we have consistently heard about budget problems in Minneapolis. Now, at a time when Minneapolis is having difficulties funding cops, the Office of the Mayor is spending $42,000 of taxpayer funds for the production and mailing of a newsletter that violates state law. �While it is appropriate for a city to send out a newsletter to communicate with its residents, it is clear that glossy color photographs of the Mayor and a glowing recitation of his accomplishments do not meet that purpose. Frankly, Mayor Rybak should have saved this brochure for his campaign.� The Office of the State Auditor has fiscal oversight over all local units of government in Minnesota and conducts an annual audit of the City of Minneapolis. http://www.osa.state.mn.us/press/2005/rybaknewsletter/rybaknewsletter_05_press.pdf Heard on MPR and Forwarded by Randall Cutting Seward REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
