The fur is now officially flying in the Mpls Mayor's race. This came
from R.T. Rybak's campaign this afternoon. Hard-hitting or overly
harsh? Comments to the list.
— David Brauer, list manager
Contact: John Blackshaw
Phone: 612-871-3044
Mobile: 612-816-0990
August 3, 2005
Peter McLaughlin Flip-Flops on Smoking Ban and Sells Vote for
Campaign Dollars
Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin once again has
demonstrated his old guard style of politics by selling his vote to a
special interest group. According to a Minneapolis Star Tribune
article dated August 3, 2005, last week, in a matter of hours, Mr.
McLaughlin withdrew his support for the Hennepin County smoking ban
and then attended a fundraiser as the guest of honor hosted by the
very group that would directly benefit from his flip flop.
“This is the worst kind of politics,” said John Blackshaw Mayor
Rybak’s campaign manager. “Changing a vote in order to gain the
financial support of a special interest group is the very thing that
voters dislike about politicians. He calls it a ‘coincidence’. I
call it a sellout.”
The smoking ban opponents have no doubt that Mr. McLaughlin has
joined their ranks. Just a few hours after they testified at the
county board meeting against the ban they lined up to write checks
for Mr. McLaughlin at the fundraiser. Moreover, they bragged about it
as well. Sue Jeffers, a smoking ban opponent gloated by stating, "I
had so much fun," she said. "A lot of the talk was about the smoking
ban," Jeffers added. " (Star Tribune, August 3, 2005) .
In addition, on August 2, 2005, in a county board meeting dominated
by opponents of the smoking ban, Mr. McLaughlin left no doubt about
his flip flop by joining in the attack of Dr. Michael Belzer, the
medical director for the Hennepin County Medical Center, who pleaded
with Commissioners not to change their positions on the smoking ban.
Further, the opponents of the smoking ban, specifically the
Minneapolis Hospitality Association - a group organized specifically
to overturn the bans – openly acknowledges the political nature of
Mr. McLaughlin’s flip flop. The group’s president stated that by
using its political clout his group “could get Peter McLaughlin
elected”. (Star Tribune, August 3, 2005)
“What is almost as bad as trading a vote for cash”, continued
Blackshaw, “is that Mr. McLaughlin seems to be saying to the public,
‘your health is for sale so that I can get elected’. He is using a
public health issue strictly for his own personal political gain”.
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