GOP fundraises off shutdown as chairman Sutton begins $100,000 salary
Wednesday, July 06, 2011 at 8:30 am
- 11 Comments
Gov. Mark Dayton criticized the Republican Party of Minnesota on Tuesday for using the shutdown as an opportunity to fundraise. The party sent out an email to supporters asking for money to retain legislative majorities and blaming Dayton for the state shutdown. At the same time, the party announced that chairman Tony Sutton would start drawing a $100,000 salary — even as the party remains in debt and owes several counties money from the 2010 recount nine months ago.
The GOP asked for contributions of $25, $50 or $100 to counter Gov. Dayton and “build the resources all of our candidates will need for the next election so we can maintain our majorities. Our Republican majorities are all that stand between him and his desire to raise taxes on the hard working citizens of Minnesota.”
The email continued, “In spite of promising not to shut down state government over taxes – he did just that! Instead of calling legislators back to St. Paul to pass a temporary spending bill to keep government running while they negotiate, Dayton unnecessarily shut down state government – throwing thousands of government workers out on the street!”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate that we raise money off this,” Dayton told reporters on Tuesday.
GOP leaders said it’s completely appropriate because the DFL does it too.
The DFL sent an email asking supporters to sign a petition in support of Dayton’s position, and like many emails sent by the party, it contained a contribute button in the sidebar.
“We can’t allow these government officials to put the interests of a few millionaires ahead of the needs of all Minnesotans,” the Democrats’ email said. “It’s up to us to stand up and demand that a reasonable compromise be found. Speak out today and tell the GOP lawmakers that they need to stop their grandstanding and start compromising.”
The fundraising campaign came the same day that Sutton announced he would be drawing a salary for the first time as head of the party.
It’s also at the same time the party finds itself in debt to several Minnesota counties who are owed money from the 2010 gubernatorial recount (the state party’s debt is unknown as the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure database is unavailable due to the shutdown).
As of last week, several Minnesota counties still had not been paid for expenses incurred during the recount.
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Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 8:55 am
Meanwhile, a reporter at Minnesota Public Radio is drawing a false equivalence between Tony Sutton’s fundraising email –the content of which is completely given over to making money off the crisis–to an email petition request sent out by the DFL.
Because in the service of the sort of “objective” journalism that Jay Rosen and others have criticized, of course a standard feature on an email template (a contribute button) is so completely the same as an email like that Sutton sent.
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 9:05 am
Looks like the MN GOP is living beyond its means. If they’d reduce their fund-raising (tax rates) down to $1, $2, $3 they would increase revenue and could pay their debt to counties. At least the “CEO” got a raise!
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 9:18 am
Color me shocked that the GOP bails on it’s debts and displays no fiscal responsibility while paying it’s figurehead a large salary. These are the people that so many think will repair the economy. Ummm… nope – not only can’t they manage their own responsibly, but they spend their time focused on rights-endangering social agendas instead.
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 10:15 am
The GOP keeps repeating this claim Dayton promised not to shutdown the government over taxes. We need to push back on that.
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 10:28 am
This is the GOP that Joe and Jane Public refuse to see. Republicans are really good at one thing: telling everyone else how to run their lives, while usually doing exactly the opposite. Karl Rove was a master at it. The level of deception practiced by Republicans is brutal, and destructive to the governing process. What I especially don’t like is when Republicans accuse Democrats of doing something they’ve long practiced. The ignorant fall for this kind of sleaze. Now it has taken over Minnesota politics too.
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 10:38 am
The Failed Burrito King Sutton and his business record. Not impressive… and then there was the problem with CAGE and Republican Party in May… and well, this man has the credibility of another prevaricator, Senator Limmer of Maple Grove.
Jeff Wilfahrt, Rosemount, MN
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 11:35 am
Almost as if planned scenario. Take a forced break to make a dime on the easily feared and indoctrinated, while taking a salary while doing so.
Comment posted July 6, 2011 @ 8:26 pm
People, do not let this go unanswered at the polls. The Republicans have shed all pretense of working for the “people” and now are openly advocating for only the rich. Unless YOU are one of those rich, corporate, CEO types you are voting against your own best interest by favoring the Tea Bagpublicans. They have made their bed, let them lie in it………..OUT OF PUBLIC OFFICE!
Comment posted July 7, 2011 @ 4:54 pm
The repubs are trying to show the people of MN how selfish and greedy they are…the people aren’t listening. The repubs got their majority thanks to the bishops and the MCCL and after they have sufficiently “starved the beast” the righteous theocrats will move right in.
Defund the public schools for twenty years and then blame them for not doing a great job, offer tax supported grants to attend expensive private colleges and raise tuition at public colleges so that the poor are discouraged.
When this gets bad enough there will be disorder in the streets and if it gets bad enough we’ll solve the problem by …..? Hopefully not by force.
Comment posted July 7, 2011 @ 11:01 pm
The Republicans need to be called out in the media and everywhere for not offering a thing since the shutdown began.
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