Dean Lindberg wrote: > Considering the source of this statement (Ms Anderson, not Mr. > Cutting), > along with the admonishment about how the city should be spending it's > money, I smell a lot more politics in her press release than objective > legal opinion.
I agree, to a degree. It's disappointing that the State Auditor saw fit to take a dig at the Mayor by politicizing the expenditure (cops on the street vs. glossy brochure). That detracts from her opinion--which I think is correct--and the weight to give that opinion. It's also very disappointing to see the Mayor's office 'digging in' on this issue instead of doing what ethically--let alone legally--is right: stepping up to say that--while they stick by their legal position on the newsletter--they will reimburse the city for the expense because it did not appear proper. That's the right course here, and if he doesn't take control of this issue and do what's ethically right, I think voters should pause to think about their future vote for Rybak. After all, Rybak was elected on a platform that included making government cleaner and more accountable. The more the Mayor's office digs in and points fingers at other candidates or officials who may or may not do similar mailings, the more leg they give to the story and opponents. It makes me wonder who is making these decisions for the Mayor, as this one seems a no-brainer (though it may well be driven, unfortunately not by ethics, but by the huge hit the campaign will take by shelling out more than $42K). Gregory Luce St. Paul 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
