Zappadan commemorates the late composer/producer/musician Frank Zappa; it runs from December 4th – the day of Frank’s death in 1993 – through tomorrow, December 21st – the day of Frank’s birth in 1940. Zappadan is the blogger festival featuring all things Zappa. Frank took great delight in skewering hypocritical republiCons. Therefore, in his honor, today’s commemoration is the “Pew d’Etat” post! Recent hypocritical activities by certain members of Minnesota’s State Senate – GOPers, all of ‘em – have shown, once again, that the Party flying the “Family Values” flag believes in the sanctity of marriage (except when they don’t).
So today’s song choice, for the next to last day of Zappadan 2011, has to be “Dirty Love!” Now, Frank always had a “secret word” at his concerts, for fun and entertainment. With the sordid and scandalous behavior by drop trou GOPers at the Minnesota Senate, I picked this song cause there’s a secret word in it, too! Well, phrase, to be exact: “The poodle bites – c’mon Frenchy!” If what I’m hearing is correct, the significance of that “secret word” will become very apparent in just a pew, er, ‘scuse me, “few” days!
Which is why I added the “Pew d’Etat” to the title, there’s a new crew taking advantage and taking over the GOPer side o’ the aisle in the Minnesota State Senate! While past performance doesn’t guarantee future results, smart money is betting after their Pew d’Etate that it’ll just be SSDD….
Without any further ado – “Dirty Love!”
Frank Zappa tribute with ex-band members and many guests, recorded in November 1991 in New York City. Frank was too ill at this time, so he couldn´t attend.
Hope you enjoyed that; I’m sure Frank would be having a field day writing new songs based on the antics of Today’s GOP: Morally Bankrupt, Intellectually Dishonest, and Institutionally Corrupt.
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Previous posts on MPP, referencing Frank Zappa:
“Zappadan 2011, Day 11″ by TPT on Wednesday December 14th
“Zappadan 2011, Day 6″ by TPT on Friday December 9th, 2011
“Zappadan 2011, Day 4″ by TPT on Wednesday December 7th, 2011
“Zappadan 2011, Day 2″ by TPT on Monday December 5th, 2011
“That’s right folks, don’t touch that dial!” by TPT on Saturday November 19th, 2011
“One Year Later – Who Opposes HCR? Or…a picture says a thousand words.” by TPT, Thursday March 24th, 2011
“Watermellon In Easter Hay – May 17th, 1988, Barcelona, Spain” by TPT, Friday August 21st, 2009
“Progressive Nation 2009 Concert Tour” by TPT, Wednesday June 17th, 2009
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Where I get my Zappa music: The Electric Fetus
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
In today’s print edition of the Strib, former Eden Prairie school board member and current Eden Prairie math teacher AND parent of an Eden Prairie student Ann Haines has an Op/Ed: “Ousted Eden Prairie school leader charted the right course”. I happen to agree with some of it, disagree with some of it, and unequivocally agree with this:
“There have certainly been voices of opposition along the way, but, as a former school board member, I know that the vicious personal attacks and public vilification damaged and continue to diminish one of the district’s most valuable assets: its reputation.”
Especially the “vicious personal attacks” part.
Apparently, the this Op/Ed went on-line yesterday, as the predictable smears from the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” kicked in. You’ll note the very first comment on Ms. Haines’ Op/Ed is from one of the ring leaders “moderators” of the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” – and it’s posted, above.
Let’s look at the very first thing Debbie Finch Brandt says:
“Would someone, anyone, take responsibility for “the vicious personal attacks and public vilification” of parents by the district?”
Say, Debbie? Perhaps you – YOU – might want to take a little responsibility, perhaps?
After all, it’s that facebook page, where you’re one of the ring leaders “moderators” that inspired Jeff Strate to collect and publicly read exact and verbatim quotes in a piece called “Eden Prairie Political Poppycock”. Well, and to post the video, “They Live Among Us”. And, of course, my posts, “Braxton Bullies: We Can’t HEAR You!!!” and “Braxton Bullies: We Can’t HEAR You!!! Part 2″.
If Ms. Finch Brant wishes, she can come here and respond to this – an accommodation to her, that she won’t reciprocate.
Why, just yesterday, Debbie Finch Brandt posted, and I quote:
Now, I’m not going to call Debbie Finch Brant a “liar” – but make no mistake: she is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. What’s the first line of Debbie Finch Brandt’s facebook post, on the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” say?
“I’m now receiving personal e-mails through FB from Tommy Johnson…”
Let me be very clear: there have only been two facebook direct-messaging exchanges; with a grand total of ten messages in the two exchanges. In fact, the very first interaction I had with Debbie Finch Brandt via facebook direct messaging, was a message from her. Yes, Gentle Readers, she initiated messaging – to me. Here’s how it went down: she sent me a message, I responded. She responded; I responded. She responded; I responded. Total of 6 messages – 3 each.
The only other interaction via facebook direct messaging was just the other day, prior to posting “Braxton Bullies: We Can’t HEAR You!!! Part 2″. The way that went down, is I sent her a message, she responded – TWICE – and I responded to her second response. Total of 4 messages; 2 each.
The one – ONE – time I contacted Debbie Finch Brandt via facebook, was prior to a post. That contact, via facebook, was only only after she had contacted me via facebook first. But, what did Debbie claim, again?
“I’m now receiving personal e-mails through FB from Tommy Johnson…” (emphasis added)
Here’s another line:
“…if you keep contacting me personally.”
That simply is not the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Actually, it’s complete BS – Debbie is implying something that simply is not there. What IS there, is the ol’ double-standard: it’s ok for HER to initiate contact, but dammit – don’t contact her back if she doesn’t like what you have to say.
Which shouldn’t surprise those paying attention to the double-standards and other cr@p spewed on the facebook page where Debbie is a ring leader “moderator.” What makes this even worse, is this little exchange during our first of only two facebook messaging exchanges:
Debbie: “…Honestly, and I am fully aware that this conversation might be made public by you….”
TPT: “…oh – and private conversations stay private by me. YMMV”
Bottom line? I told Debbie during our first of only two facebook messaging exchanges that I’d keep private what we discussed; I still will – for her, and for everyone else that wants to have a confidential exchange.
What I won’t do is allow her to essentially perpetrate a fraud – the implication that I’m some kind of stalkarazzi. And again: I’m not going to call Debbie Finch Brant a “liar” – but make no mistake: she is not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And if she’s not telling the truth about me, what else isn’t she telling the truth about?
I also won’t stand by while the “the vicious personal attacks and public vilification” Ms Haines talked about in her Op/Ed in the Strib continue on the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” facebook page.
Again, if Ms. Finch Brant wishes, she can come here and respond to this – an accommodation to her that she won’t reciprocate.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
I read a lot of smug, self-serving posts, comments, etc while blogging. Occasionally, one jumps out and demands attention – like the following, from one of the ring leaders “moderators” of the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability”:
Now, here’s the part that got me: “…our freedoms to do things like have this open forum, vote, disagree,…”
Yeah, “right.”
As noted in Braxton Bullies: “We can’t HEAR you!!!” a couple of weeks ago:
I hadn’t gone back to that Facebook page, for months and Months and MONTHS – until just the other day, when I got a phone call that said they were trashing me on it. So I went and looked – and to be quite honest, it was pretty tame ‘n lame – local GOPers have done and said MUCH worse. But what got me very quickly was how quickly I noticed that in that barnyard, some animals were more equal than others. Some folk there think is just swell to rip other people and candidates, but – BUT – they turned out to have a real thin-skin when the ol’ TwoPutter took issue with what they wrote and commenced to ripping them.
Which, by the way, is the classic definition of a bully – can dish it, but slinks and whines when what they done did, is done unto them.
So, how did they handle ol’ TwoPutter pointing out the hypcrisy, in addition to encouraging blatant lawless electioneering for their favored candidates?
Yep – that’s a screen shot of their Facebook page; you’ll note that the ol’ TwoPutter has done been kicked out.
The Braxton Bullies, in a nutshell? “We can’t HEAR you!!!”
Seriously, you can’t make this up – a moderator, patting herself on the back for “openness.” OK, it’s clear that they do allow disagreement (except when they don’t). Remember what I wrote back then? “Some folk there think is just swell to rip other people and candidates, …”
Let’s take a look at a recent comment by someone (really, “someone”) the moderator apparently approves of – the anonymous (how’s THAT for “open”?) commentator that goes by the pseudonym “William Felt” (those familiar with Nixon might get the connection) on a recent Katherine Kersten rant:
Really? REALLY??!?
These GroupThinkers actually believe what they write.
Of course, it’s a whole-lot easier when you’re so open that you don’t allow those that pop balloons, pop yours; you don’t allow people that disagree with you, disagree with you – in your “open” forum.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
A while ago, then-GOP National Chair Michael Steele said – and this is an exact quote: “You have absolutely no reason – none – to trust our words or our actions at this point.”
In today’s Star Tribune, noted GOPer apologist Jason Lewis demonstrates this continues to be true. I’d fact-check Jason, but what’s the point? It’s not like pointing out (one again) that Reagan said “facts are stupid things” and GOPers live it will really change their deceitful ways. No, today Jason whipped out something that needs to simply be mocked, ridiculed and scorned: Jason calling the pot black. Here’s what he wrote:
“The glorified mob, from Athens to New York, is threatening social instability if it doesn’t get what it wants (as Chris Christie once pointed out, this trait is also quite prevalent among 9-year-olds), but it will bring about only the economic chaos it pretends to oppose.” (emphasis added)
Earth to Jason; earth to Jason! Republicans gave Wall Street Banksters everything – EVERYTHING – they wanted, and the results is not only the economic chaos we are still in, but driving the world’s economic system to the brink of meltdown.
When reading Lewis, and Kersten too, it’s pretty easy to tell who are the whiny 9 year olds demanding everything they want – it’s the less-regulation/no regulation, “my way or the highway” GOP.
Gentle Readers may recall GOPers – like the whiny, (mentally) 9 year old Lewis – ranting about their belief in “free markets” and “competition” and what wonderful things that “competition” will do for the economy. Well, remember those words while we take a look at the results of their deeds:
Only a fool would believe what GOPers say – and what their apologists, like Jason Lewis and Katherine Kersten, write.
Jason Lewis is simply today’s example of: “You Couldn’t Trust The GOP Then, You Still Can’t Now, And Tomorrow Won’t Be Any Different.”
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
Yesterday, I ran a post entitled “Braxton Bullies: “We can’t HEAR you!!!”. One point of that post was the hypocrisy of a group complaining the Eden Prairie School Administration shuts them out and won’t listen to them, doing the same dam thing to THEIR critics. GOP Actvist Sheila Kihne best exemplifies this; she commented on that post – here, on MPP. The funny thing about that is Sheila banned me from her blog, a couple of years ago. Why? Because the ol’ TwoPutter took to poking holes in her tripe. Well, she also didn’t like how I was quoting Bush The Lesser, back when I was doing the “Countdown To The End Of An Error” series. Hmmm… Sheila objecting to using exact quotes… Hmmm… Sheila objecting, to using exact quotes….
Hey – just like some on the so-called “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability” objected because Jeff Strate was going to use exact quotes!
Here’s a quote from the Facebook page, read, that goes to that point:
Michelle Fourre If anyone would like to send their thoughts about this to the Dunn Bros Smith Douglas More location, their email is dunnbros30@dunnbros.com
Friday at 12:06am
OK, if you’ll note on the poster, above, the reading was held (and will be held again this Sunday!) at Camp Eden Wood. Why? Because there are people that pressured Dunn Bros Coffee to cancel Jeff ‘n Doug out; apparently, they didn’t want what they had written to be reread in public.
How’s THAT for “accountability”?
Here’s some more quotes. This by someone going by the nom de plume o’ “William Felt”:
William Felt, Facebook page – Oct 26, 2011
Compared to the last couple years, tonight [school] Board meeting was boring. For a change Patricia Magnuson didn’t lie, mislead, and misdirect the Board – as she didn’t attend.
Character assassination, by an anonymous poster – standard operating procedure on that Facebook page — as long as you’re ripping the proper person, of course….
Dunno if this is a real name or not, but here’s a beauty that was posted on the on-line Eden Prairie News:
« jkester wrote on Wednesday, Sep 21, 2011 at 01:39 PM » Eden Prairie News
You overpay some crazy liberal superintendant for years who develops an entitlement royalty personality, redistricts what was a nice place into some bizarre integrated social experiment, people are bailing out in droves, the superintendant packs her suitcase full of OUR TAX MONEY and leaves town. Then you sit around, look at each other and wonder, with that innocent passive aggressive Minnesota attitude “Why did this happen to me?” You get what you deserve, liberals, and if you want a social experiment, it can be FUN for you, BUT AS YOU ARE LEARNING ITS VERY EXPENSIVE…think what your beloved neighborhood will look like in 10 years …exactly..THE HOOD…
It’s too bad that guy didn’t say how he really feels….
OK, another!
ruphina Sep. 29, 1111:32 PM StarTribune
The improvements came as the schools got less integrated, by natural selection. That should suggest that segregating the schools by income level would increase results even more! But the God of Diversity demands that all “professional” education “leaders” bow down and chant the hallowed mantra of “We will balance each school, class, team, work group and play group by counting noses by skin color.” What a complete joke! Bill G.
It should be noted that when the School administration came up with the “controversial” school boundry changes, the rallying cry for those against was: “it’s NOT about race!!!”
Yeah, “right.”
Maybe that guy didn’t get the memo…
Another rallying cry is that the upcoming election isn’t about party affiliation. Some folk seem to feel differently:
dflleft Oct. 15, 11 9:59 PM Star Tribune
DFL LEFT THEORY is pretty much all this plan is; Krull is now gone and this election will do away with the plan. tip your hat to residents of EP who took back their school district. If you want to see what a DFL infested district looks like, Minneapolis and St Paul are 2 good examples; and who would want that?
And what’s the local GOP have to say, about the candidates running for election?
Disclaimer: The links above are provided for information purposes only. The Senate District 42 Republican Party has not officially endorsed any candidate or campaign.
Really? Go look for yourself.
For a comparison/contrast between the parties, good luck finding anything out about the candidates on the SD42 DFL webpage…
Back to the readings!
posted by MuffyAl on Oct. 14, 10 at 8:11 AM Star Tribune
I moved there 20 years ago because of the class of people who lived there, the schools and the ammenities. The integrity of the city and the school district has gone down dramatically because of the increases in section 8 housing and open enrollment. Hey EP, how you going to get tax money out of the working poor that now flood the city?
wwallace67, Oct. 18, 10, 8:09 AM Star Tribune
Another consideration, in the minds of left wing social engineers, is to Americanize the children from a certain African nation. Disperse them to the winds, allow them to make friends with their iphone toting American counterparts. Destroy their culture.
Well, enough with the Strib, even though there was more read – AND UNREAD.
This one from the Facebook page, about the readings and before the readings were held:
Kenzie Carlson October 27 at 8:56pm Sick, just plain sick. Poking “fun” at our kids’ educational experience. Who could even THINK of doing such a thing?
Say, Kenzie? The “poking fun” was at the (alleged) adults….
I’m glad I went last night – and I wish there were more than the Baker’s Dozen that watched. If you get a chance, attend Sunday’s reading — time and place on the poster, above. I’m guessing Jeff ‘n Doug will go through some of the same, and some new ones. It’s not like there’s any shortage of unread material — like this one:
posted by mnmostlynice on Mar. 12, 11 at 8:45 PM Star Tribune
Whenever parents say it’s all about the kids…………it’s not about the kids.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
As Jeff strate noted in his post “Eden Prairie Political Poppycock”, there’s a Facebook page set up by a group of Eden Prairie residents – and they actually have the cajones to call it “Eden Prairie School Board Accountability”. In Jeff’s video, Jeff refers to the “Braxton Bullies” – hence the title of this post.
A little background:
I went K through 12 in the Eden Prairie School District; one kid did the same – but one did not. We made the choice to put one in a private school. Eden Prairie, like so many other schools, has been under attack by “constitutional conservatives” that believe in the constitution (except when they don’t). The constitution referred to here, is Minnesota’s Constitution, which declares (and I quote):
Article 8
Section 1. The stability of a republican form of government depending mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.
To make a long story short, it’s not a real “uniform” system in Eden Prairie – nor is it throughout the entire state, where nearly 1 in 3 school districts have a referendum on the ballot – they are going to the local taxpayers to pay for what the Republicans in St. Paul won’t. So we put a kid in private school, to meet her needs that public education in Eden Prairie couldn’t (because GOPers don’t want to PAY for what it takes for a constitutional educational system).
To be fair, the other kid excelled – I mean really, Really, REALLY excelled – in Eden Prairie. At her college’s “Parent Orientation/Freshman Class Registration” it literally went: “You took that class at EP, you don’t have to take this class here.” For several classes.
So I’ve been aware for a long time about the problems with a school system that tries to do the best it can with the limited resources it has. Resources, on the other hand, have nothing to do with the poor communications coming from the District’s administration; a district that threatened to trespass the local Sun newspaper. I could go on; suffice it to say the district’s communications guru – isn’t.
Anyway, back in January I read on that Facebook page that the Koch Brothers “American Majority” was holding a training session for City Council and School Board candidates. On that link, you’ll read a comment by Sheila Kihne, noted GOPer activist in CD3 and a resident in Eden Prairie:
Sheila Kihne said, I posted this up on the Eden Prairie School Board Accountability web page- we need conservative leadership here!
So I went. And they made no bones about it, this training was about getting conservatives elected at the local level so they could move ‘em up the political ladder.
There was one guy there from Eden Prairie that wanted to be a candidate; he’s not now on the ballot for November 8th. And another guy there for training as a staffer; not sure if he’s working on anyone on the ballot or not. But one has to wonder. And it kind of blows a hole in that Facebook’s claim that they want to keep politics out of the school board election.
I hadn’t gone back to that Facebook page, for months and Months and MONTHS – until just the other day, when I got a phone call that said they were trashing me on it. So I went and looked – and to be quite honest, it was pretty tame ‘n lame – local GOPers have done and said MUCH worse. But what got me very quickly was how quickly I noticed that in that barnyard, some animals were more equal than others. Some folk there think is just swell to rip other people and candidates, but – BUT – they turned out to have a real thin-skin when the ol’ TwoPutter took issue with what they wrote and commenced to ripping them.
Which, by the way, is the classic definition of a bully – can dish it, but slinks and whines when what they done did, is done unto them.
So, how did they handle ol’ TwoPutter pointing out the hypcrisy, in addition to encouraging blatant lawless electioneering for their favored candidates?
Let’s look!
Yep – that’s a screen shot of their Facebook page; you’ll note that the ol’ TwoPutter has done been kicked out.
The Braxton Bullies, in a nutshell? “We can’t HEAR you!!!”
Well, that’s ok – others will.
They’ve endorsed Karla Bratrud and Dave Espe and John Estall and Holly Parker – the so-called “B.E.E.P” ticket. If you’re eligible to vote on November 8th, a question you may want to ask is how they’re going to deal with these bullies if they get elected.
And bullies they are; they’ve already bullied one local establishment into cancelling a public reading Jeff Strate was going to do.
Why?
Because Jeff Strate (along with Doug Lind) has the audacity to do a public reading of the exact words these bullies have used in the past.
And Lord knows, there’s nothing a conservative and/or bully hates more, than being accurately quoted…..
(cross posted on MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
Last July we looked at the continuing fiscal mismanagement of the MN GOP – “Today’s Examples Of Republicans Believe In Fiscal Accountability (Except When They Don’t)” – we looked at their seemingly Enronesque accounting methods and the way the deadbeats were stiffing Counties over their recount debts for the 2010 Governor’s race (among other things).
For instance, Doug Groh, auditor/treasurer of Mower County, was told on three different occasions that – literally – “the check was in the mail.”
The check, of course, was not.
And we asked: “how does the GOP Faithful reward FEC Tony for his financial mismanagement – besides promoting him from the elected Treasurer to Chair?”
We answered: “By putting FEC Tony on the party payroll! $100,000 smackers worth! Good thing – for FEC Tony – that Tom Emmer covered the deadbeat RPM’s recount bills to the counties!”
This was before the Federal Elections Commission smacked the MN GOP with one of their largest fines ever — $170,000.00 smackers, to be exact. FEC Tony was MN GOP Treasurer when those shenanigans occurred.
So I wasn’t surprised to see this story, in today’s Strib:
State GOP faces $533,000 in debt
Article by: Baird Helgeson, Star Tribune
October 27, 2011
,
,
Sutton said he made a calculated gamble to spend heavily on the 2010 elections and that it paid off politically. Republicans won control of the Legislature for the first time in a generation and then were able to block DFL Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed income tax increases.“It was totally worth it to not raise taxes,” Sutton said.(empasis added)
But it left the party deeply in debt. Sutton took the helm of the state GOP in 2009 with more than $1 million in the bank and by January of this year the party owed creditors $750,000.
(more, here)
So it’s “totally worth it” to go into debt to avoid raising taxes in FEC Tony’s world??!?
Remember that, the next tome some pompous jack@ss GOPer spews the “you can’t spend more than in the check book” tripe they always do.
Of course, they actually believe that — YOU can’t (but THEY can).
The simple fact is that GOPers believe in “fiscal accountability” — except when they don’t. GOPers are always demanding “fiscal responsibility” – of OTHERS.
Reasonable people have no reason to reasonably believe anything GOPers say.
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
Immediately after last November’s election, the Republican Party of Minnesota (“RPM”) demanded – yes, “demanded” – Minnesota’s counties make thousands and thousands and thousands of copies for the upcoming recount of the governor’s race. And the RPM demanded – yes, “demanded” – that all that copying be done immediately. Not surprisingly, payment by the RPM to MN Counties for services rendered has NOT been “immediate” nor “prompt” nor “timely.” Far from it, as has been documented over and Over and OVER and OVER – and that’s just here and on MPP. As previously noted, SallyJo at Bluestem Prairie has been all over this one, too.
As have a lot of people. Jeff Rosenberg at MnPublius , early in the month last March, (last March!!!) pointed out a quote by the Mower County Auditor/Treasurer:
“Since December, I’ve had repeated conversations about when we’ll get paid,” said Doug Groh, auditor/treasurer of Mower County. “I had no problem with the Democrats paying, but the Republicans are fudging, because they’re short of money — that’s what I was told in December.”
Since then, Groh said, he’s been told the invoice was lost; on three different occasions, he was told — literally — the check was in the mail.
So when you read the following quote – you might think it, too, has to do with Tony Sutton’s RPM stiffing Minnesota Counties on the rightfully owed Recount bills:
“Not paying vendors on a timely basis, berating them when they call for payment, and then refusing to pay interest charges owed them for services rendered in good faith.”
Yep! Sounds EXACTLY like what FEC Tony’s RPM has been doin’ lately!!!
Well, except for the interest charges; the Counties haven’t been charging interest.
But that quote’s actually from several years ago.
You see, the RPM is notorious for it’s internal financial mismanagement. And I’m calling Minnesota’s GOP party “RPM” because that’s how they’re referred to by the Federal Elections Commission- a Federal Elections Commission that’s very familiar with the RPM (“Republican Party of Minnesota”) and Tony Sutton – reasons that cause me to refer to Tony Sutton, current chair of the RPM, as “FEC Tony.”
I’ll let Spot, at The Cucking Stool, do the intro:
Friday, July 31, 2009
Where have I heard that name before?
Something that’s been percolating around my brain for a while is a question about this Tony Sutton dude. No, not whether the Mexican restaurant chain is introducing a line of chimichangas named after prominent GOP gasbags, but his new gig as Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota. As I read about his new job, I had this sneaking suspicion that his name was not entirely new to me, that there was something in the past that he’d done.
Then it came flooding back to me. This Sutton guy was, before ascending to the throne room at the RPM, the treasurer of the RPM. He’s the one whose name is most closely associated with the horrific accounting and auditing nightmare that is the treasury of the RPM. He’s been front and center in that complaint filed with the Federal Elections Commission and he’s the one who has had rather pointed questions directed at him by the FEC here, here, here, and here. He also had to send in those humiliating letters – over and over and over again – stating that “An amended report correcting this error will be filed when the committee’s internal audit has been completed.” In short, he was apparently the doofus in charge as this mess was allowed to fester and grow into what some think will eventually lead to the largest FEC fine in history for poor bookkeeping.
For most of us, being so intimately connected with this monumental mess would be such a professional embarrassment that we’d slink off to North Dakota or something. We’d at least have the good sense to drop out of politics.
But not Mr. Sutton.
(more, here)
Indeed – not Mr. Sutton, a/k/a “FEC Tony”.
Yes, this quote – “Not paying vendors on a timely basis, berating them when they call for payment, and then refusing to pay interest charges owed them for services rendered in god faith.” – is from a RPM Staffer, back in February 2007, back when FEC Tony was RPM Treasurer.
This quote - “Since December, I’ve had repeated conversations about when we’ll get paid,” said Doug Groh, auditor/treasurer of Mower County. “I had no problem with the Democrats paying, but the Republicans are fudging, because they’re short of money — that’s what I was told in December.” – is from a RPM Vendor, this year, with FEC Tony as the RPM Chair.
And how does the GOP Faithful reward FEC Tony for his financial mismanagement – besides promoting him from the elected Treasurer to Chair?
By putting FEC Tony on the party payroll! $100,000 smackers worth! Good thing – for FEC Tony – that Tom Emmer covered the deadbeat RMP’s recount bills to the counties!
If there were any justice in this world, whey you googled “Peter Principle” a picture of FEC Tony would pop up – a picture from back during his tenure as RPM Treasurer, that is. Because as those two quotes show, the more things change, the more the fiscal mismanagement at the RPM doesn’t.
Hey – at least FEC Tony is on the RPM Payroll; the RPM Deputy Chair – Michael Brodkorb – well, the RPM stuck him on the Taxpayer’s tab.
Reasonable people have no reason to reasonably believe anything the RPM says. This whole sordid and scandalous RPM County Recount saga demonstrates once again that Republicans believe in fiscal accountability (except when they don’t) – and that Republicans are always demanding “fiscal responsibility” – of OTHERS.
* * *
(image credit: Tildology)
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
For months and Months and MONTHS , I’ve covered the Deadbeat MnGOP’s refusal to pay their debts to Minnesota Counties for the services they demanded – DEMANDED – concerning the November 2010 Election Recount.
And that’s just here, at MPP – - SallyJo at Bluestem Prairie has been all over this scandal, too.
And just this morning, I found two, and possibly three, Counties that STILL HAVEN’T BEEN PAID – Cass, Fillmore, and Grant. There may be more; after two “No” and a “Don’t think so; will get back to you” why keep going?
The funny thing is, despite Tony Sutton claiming way back in March that the MnGOP would pay it’s bills, it took someone else to to it!
Yes, Beltrami, Chisago, and Clearwater counties told me earlier today that Tom Emmer stepped up and did what Tony Sutton’s MnGOP wouldn’t – pay some bills.
Does it really surprise anyone that a party that would stiff counties for months and Months and MONTHS would drive a state to shutdown? Because that’s exactly what the MnGOP will do this Friday – shut this state down.
Oh – and can someone call Emmer, and tell him there’s still a few more counties out there, that Tony Sutton’s MnGOP has stiffed?
* * *
Previous MPP Posts:
“Deadbeat MnGOP Still Owes Omsted County” – 13 April 2011
“Deadbeat MnGOP Still Owes Martin, Nicollet, And Sibley Counties, or…” “…GOPers are always demanding “fiscal responsibility” – of OTHERS.” — 25 April 2011
“Today’s Example Of Why Reasonable People Cannot Reasonably Believe What GOPers Say: Recount” — 07 June 2011
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
GOPers are always demanding “fiscal responsibility” – of OTHERS.
Last November’s election result for Governor looked like it was headed towards recount. The crack legal beagles on the GOPer side sprung into action, and demanded all 87 counties make copies of election related materials – and pronto. The GOPer attorneys threatened legal action if these documents weren’t received fast enough; one such county so threatened was Nicollet County – the same county the GOP has since stiffed for payment.
On March 27th, Bluestem Prairie reported FEC Tony’s Republican Party of Minnesota still – STILL – owed Olmsted County money from bills they incurred from the pathetic Emmer Recount.
Here’s what FEC Tony Sutton said, towards the end of March:
“The checks … are going out before the end of next week,” Sutton said. “By the end of the month (March), they’ll have their payment.”
Following up on FEC Tony’s promise was worth a phone call, so on April 13th I made one, to Olmsted County. No surprise by the response; read: “Deadbeat MNGOP Still Owes Olmsted County”.
Also no surprise was Sally Jo at Bluestem Prairie digging deeper, the very next day she wrote: Failed burrito baron and party boss Tony Sutton stiffs counties, looks to MNGOP to stuff tortilla.
One might think all of this negative publicity might shame FEC Tony into paying the bills; alas – today’s GOPer has no shame. Just last Friday, The Mankato Free Press reported:
April 22, 2011
Counties awaiting Republican payments
By Brian Ojanpa The Free PressSome area counties continue to wait for money owed them by the Republican Party of Minnesota for document-copying costs following November’s gubernatorial election.
Martin County is still owed $350, Nicollet County is owed $1,300 and Sibley County is waiting on $1,623.
Now, keep in mind since FEC Tony said that the GOP is broke and can’t pay their bills in a timely manner back in late March, the GOP had their State Central Committee Meeting at the Ramada by the Mall of America on April 16th, and today are doing a statewide flyaround.
Some people might nitpick, and say “yeah, but – that’s the legislative GOPers spending dough, NOT the party.”
Yeah, “right.” Remember how the party stuck their party’s Deputy Chair – ol’ MudSlingerMike – onto the taxpayer’s back?
The State GOP – and FEC Tony in particular – have a long and sordid history of playing fast and loose with finances; for those not familiar with it, I’d highly recommend you link to read the Tostenson Memo, the Strib’s story on it by Dan Browning and Pat Doyle, and “A Key Element Of The Tostenson Memo” by yours truly.
Keep in mind, The Tostenson Memo was written by a party insider; here’s the lede from the Strib story:
At least two staff members have left the Minnesota Republican Party since February after they complained that the party misused employee retirement money, improperly reported its finances and ignored or retaliated against staff who reported the problems.
The departures included former finance director and GOP stalwart Dwight Tostenson. He wrote in a Feb. 15 confidential memo that state GOP chairman Ron Carey fired him after he repeatedly pressed the chairman to address what Tostenson regarded as serious financial problems in the state GOP office.
Keep in mind FEC Tony was Party Treasurer during that time.
So it’s understandable that the GOP can spend dough for the re-coronation of Sutton as Party Chair – and Brodkorb as Deputy Chair – and do a statewide flyaround (“The Cooked Books Tour”), all the while still owing money to counties for work requested by the Party many months ago – GOPers are always demanding “fiscal responsibility” – of OTHERS.
(Graphic, at the top, courtesy of Tildology.com)
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
