When we last left off in this continuing Cooked Books series, The Party Of Fiscal Irresponsibility had just turned down an offer to pay for a forensic audit of their books.
Seriously.
The “Offer” and “Offer Withdrawn” of an audit that wouldn’t cost the Book Cookers a penny came after – AFTER – Minnesota Campaign Finance Board’s blistering “Findings and Order in the Matter of the Complaint of Common Cause Minnesota regarding the Republican Party of Minnesota and others”, dated 13 July 2012.
From those findings:
To summarize, in 2010 the RPM had a finance director, who was recently promoted from telemarketing and who testified that he knew next to nothing about Campaign Finance Board reports and professed that it was not his job to review the reports in preparation for the treasurer’s signing them. The RPM had a chair who was busy with fundraising and his own business and believed that the finance director and the party unit’s compliance company were responsible for preparation of the reports. The RPM had a compliance company that disavows any responsibility for campaign finance reports other than to put data into a system and print out the reports. And finally, the RPM had a treasurer who placed all of his reliance on these three individuals. Given that situation, it is no surprise that the RPM reports were inaccurate.
Yep! No surprise!!!
In Part 15 of this continuing Cooked Books series, we looked at former candidate for GOP State Chair Joe Repya’s acceptance of current State GOP Party Finance Chair Bill Guidera’s challenge: to pay for a forensic audit of the State GOP Party’s cooked books.
Repya set up a website to collect donations to pay for the audit, but: Repya also set a deadline for the State GOP to accept his offer to finance the audit.
Which brings us to a press release just received:
August 16, 2012
IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASEFROM:
MINNESOTA REPUBLICANS
FOR FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE, LLCOn July 23, 2012, Minnesota Republicans for Financial Accountability and Justice, LLC made a legitimate, legal and generous offer to conduct a forensic audit of the Republican Party of Minnesota’s (RPM) financial books at no expense to the RPM. The sole objective of the Minnesota Republicans for Financial Accountability and Justice, LLC was to restore fiscal honesty and transparency to the RPM and hold those who had fiduciary responsibility for party finances accountable. Unfortunately the RPM has refused to discuss our offer or provide their financials for an audit.
Effective immediately, Minnesota Republicans for Financial Accountability and Justice, LLC has withdrawn its offer to audit the RPM financial books.
We regret the action of the Republican Party of Minnesota. We have been told by confidential sources in the RPM that a small number of major donors were afraid that a forensic audit would possibly uncover additional misappropriations of party funds and thus cause additional embarrassment to the party image prior to the November 2012 elections. One must conclude that the RPM believes it has more scandals to hide from the public. We fear their actions will result in the voters of Minnesota holding all Republican candidates accountable in November.
All donations to Minnesota Republicans for Financial Accountability and Justice, LLC will be returned to the appropriate donors. As a result of the overwhelming volume of donations by Minnesota voters we anticipate it will take three to four weeks to return those funds. We thank the voters of Minnesota for their kind support.
Joe Repya
Pretty much says it all, yes?
Books will stay cooked, cover up continues, and:
It’s 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)
In Part 14 of this continuing Cooked Books series, we looked at the first 16 pages of the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board’s “Findings and Order in the Matter of the Complaint of Common Cause Minnesota regarding the Republican Party of Minnesota and others” dated 13 July 2012; ending where the CFB concluded:
To summarize, in 2010 the RPM had a finance director, who was recently promoted from telemarketing and who testified that he knew next to nothing about Campaign Finance Board reports and professed that it was not his job to review the reports in preparation for the treasurer’s signing them. The RPM had a chair who was busy with fundraising and his own business and believed that the finance director and the party unit’s compliance company were responsible for preparation of the reports. The RPM had a compliance company that disavows any responsibility for campaign finance reports other than to put data into a system and print out the reports. And finally, the RPM had a treasurer who placed all of his reliance on these three individuals. Given that situation, it is no surprise that the RPM reports were inaccurate.
“…it is no surprise…”
Yep! No surprise there!
And the Mn GOP’s Party “Leadership” is just fined fine with that.
In Part 14 of this continuing Cooked Books series, we noted, from page 6:
During the course of this investigation, the Board requested and received various records from the RPM, including accounts payable aging reports and invoices. However, the RPM is not able to produce records or worksheets that would allow the Board to reconcile amounts from the payables aging reports to the federal and state reports of unpaid obligations. As a result, the Board is not confident that even the RPM’s amended reports are accurate.
“…the Board is not confident that even the RPM’s amended reports are accurate.”
And the MnGOP is adamant that they are NOT going to pay for a forensic adudit to get to accurate reports.
Enter former candidate for MnGOP Chair Joe Repya, in an OpEd in today’s Strib; let’s look!
Let’s audit those state GOP finances
Article by: JOE REPYAThe Republican Party of Minnesota seems to have adopted its own policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” when it comes to investigating its multimillion-dollar financial mismanagement scandal.
A number of weeks ago, the party’s finance chairman, Bill Guidera, challenged me, stating: “If you want a forensic audit of the RPM financial books, why don’t you pay for it?”
.
.
People who have nothing to hide do not object to a thorough investigation.Mr. Guidera, it is time we clean and sanitize our GOP house and drain the swamp. So I take up your challenge.
A group of concerned Republicans will personally raise the money necessary to conduct a thorough and transparent forensic audit of the Republican Party of Minnesota financial books dating back to 2007.
We have established Minnesota Republicans for Financial Accountability and Justice LLC to solicit funds for that purpose. Anyone is welcome to donate, be they Republicans, Democrats or independents. You can donate either via P.O. Box 22306, Eagan, MN 55122-0306, or on our website, MnRepublicansForFinancialJustice.com, using PayPal.
That, Gentle Readers, is Joe Repya tossin’ down the gauntlet!
But, that’s just one o’ the gloves; here’s the other!
If you have contributed to the Minnesota Republican Party during the period of 2007 through 2011 and wish to be part of a class action suit against the RPM for their mismanagement of your donations, please send your contact information (name, address, phone number & e-mail address) to joerepya(at)yahoo(dot)com and our attorney will be in contact with you!
That’s from the website Repya set up to fund the forensic audit o’ the MnGOP’s Cooked Books!!!
Not only is Repya and other like-minded Republicans willing to get to the bottom of the mess, there is the possibility of a class action lawsuit by folks whose donations were, well, used for who knows what rather than the intended purpose?
Can’t wait to see how the Cooked Books chefs try to get around these gauntlets!!!
Stay tuned!
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
What’s an unpopular Strongman to do, when confronted with the prospect of losing his grip on power? Well, for Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott “Baseball Bat” Walker, rigging the rules seems to be the strategy!
Republicans try to rewrite recall rules
The goal: Give Gov. Walker a better chance at keeping his job
Ruth Conniff on Thursday 10/13/2011Now that state Republicans have weakened Wisconsin’s campaign finance and disclosure rules and made it harder for students, poor people and minorities to vote, they are turning their attention to another urgent matter: getting control over the recall process for Gov. Scott Walker.
,
,
As Sun Prairie Democrat Gary Hebl pointed out during the Thursday hearing, the Republicans are trying to turn the GAB from a watchdog into a lapdog. First, they proposed an “emergency rule change” to address the GAB’s decision. That’s handy for them, because while they can’t reverse GAB decisions, they can kill a rule.Also handy: They just rejiggered the rule-making process so every administrative rule change has to go through the governor’s office, and the governor has full veto power.
In other words, the governor himself would have final say over the process for recalling him.
(more, here)
Can’t you just see ol’ Milhous Nixon smiling over THAT one??!?
So, why would ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker need to rig the recall rules?
The Walker Recall: By The Numbers
Monday, October 24, 2011Just weeks before the official kickoff to the Recall Walker movement, things aren’t looking too good for the puppet governor of Corporate America. The Democrats have just released the numbers related to a survey of Wisconsinites regarding Walker and his job performance.
Walker must be reaching for the industrial-sized bottle of antacid whenever he sees these numbers.
And there’s little doubt ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker will – WILL – be recalled; Milwaulkee’s AM620 WTMJ reports Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and former US Rep. David Obey were there and both names are being floated as possible candidates to depose GOPer Strongman Scott Walker – and end their report with this line: “Organizers plan to start heading door to door with recall petitions on November 15th.”
As well they should; GOPer Walker is but one example of why I always say “Republicans run on the platform ‘Government doesn’t work!’ – and once elected, they prove it.”
Oh – and be sure to link here For A Campaign Message From The Governor’s Office.
# # #
Here are the previous Strongman Reports:
(Strongman Report – 11 August 2011)
(Strongman Report – 14 April 2011)
(Strongman Report – 14 April 2011)
(Strongman Report – 30 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 20 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 08 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 05 March 2011)
Faux News asked Scott “Baseball Bat” Walker:
Steve Doocy asked the governor if he thought the recall vote was a referendum on him and his policies.
Walker responded saying,
“Well, there is no doubt voters last November wanted us to focus on jobs, and fixing our budget, and we’ve done that.”
He went on to say,
“I think they [voters] affirmed that on Tuesday, and they said along the way, they want us to figure out ways to work together to do even more for jobs because it’s not happening Washington.”
Here’s just one example of Walker’s idea of “focusing on jobs”…
“Senator’s girlfriend had help getting job”
Daniel Bice, Milwaulkee Jorunal-Sentinel, 20 March 2011Even though the state is supposedly broke, top officials in Gov. Scott Walker’s team were able to scrape together enough money to give a state job to the woman identified as Sen. Randy Hopper’s girlfriend.
Anything for a political ally.
Valerie Cass, a former Republican legislative staffer, was hired Feb. 7 as a communications specialist with the state Department of Regulation and Licensing. She is being paid $20.35 per hour. The job is considered a temporary post.
Cass previously had worked in the state Senate and for the GOP campaign consulting firm Persuasion Partners in Madison. She also was paid for campaign work for the state Republican Party and U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner before that.
(more, here)
The amazing thing, about that girl’s boytoy, GOPer State Senator, Randy Hopper?
GOPers voted for him in droves during last Tuesday’s recall election, and he dam near won.
Which just goes to show, once again: GOPers believe in the sanctity of marriage – by OTHERS.
Here are the previous Strongman Reports…
(Strongman Report – 14 April 2011)
(Strongman Report – 14 April 2011)
(Strongman Report – 30 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 20 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 08 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 05 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 01 March 2011)
( cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
While even a heart attack and hospitalization can’t keep Egyptian Investigators from looking into Mubarek’s alleged embezzlement of government funds and Nelly Furtado, Beyonce and even the London School of Economics are dumping tainted Gaddafi loot, PR Watch notes that ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker is still hanging on to $7k in tainted money from convicted felonBill Gardner – CEO of the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR).
Just a little more than 100 days into office, ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker’s scandals are proving Walker as corrupt a Strongman as, well, let’s just say even Milhous “I am not a crook” Nixon might approve.
Ol’ Baseball Bat’s only “problem” is Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board doesn’t approve of criminal behavior.
And just the other day: Scandal in Fitzwalkerstan: Top Donor Pleads Guilty in Money-Laundering Scheme to Aid Governor Walker.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, and ol” Baseball Bat – GOPer Governor Scott Walker demonstrates it: “Republicans run on the platform “Gov’t doesn’t work!” – once elected, they prove it.”
Previous Strongman Reports follow!
(Strongman Report – 14 April 2011)
(Strongman Report – 30 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 20 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 08 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 05 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 01 March 2011)
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
…”Brownie, You’re Doin’ A Heckuva Job!!!”
Republicans run on the platform “Gov’t doesn’t work!!!” – and once elected, they prove it.
One of the ways they prove it, is by appointing political hacks to jobs eminently unqualified for, such as a former Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association becoming Director of FEMA: Michael “Heckuva job!” Brown (who today, incidentally, is a radio talk show host in Denver).
Reasonable people understand parental patronage by Strongmen like Gaddafi – i.e., cushy jobs for the Dictator’s kids – but were outraged by Boy Blunder’s Plunderers political patronage pick of Brownie (and others like him) and Brownie’s subsequent (lack of) performance after Hurricane Katrina. Reasonable people understand the difference between a dictatorship and a democracy.
So it’s understandable reasonable people are outraged by Ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker’s most recent political patronage pick, givin’ a “job” to the kid of a campaign donor. From the Milwaulkee Journal-Sentinel:
No degree, little experience pay off big
April 3, 2011Just in his mid-20s, Brian Deschane has no college degree, very little management experience and two drunken-driving convictions.
Yet he has landed an $81,500-per-year job in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration overseeing environmental and regulatory matters and dozens of employees at the Department of Commerce. Even though Walker says the state is broke and public employees are overpaid, Deschane already has earned a promotion and a 26% pay raise in just two months with the state.
How did Deschane score his plum assignment with the Walker team?
It’s all in the family.
His father is Jerry Deschane, executive vice president and longtime lobbyist for the Madison-based Wisconsin Builders Association, which bet big on Walker during last year’s governor’s race.
The group’s political action committee gave $29,000 to Walker and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, last year, making it one of the top five PAC donors to the governor’s successful campaign. Even more impressive, members of the trade group funneled more than $92,000 through its conduit to Walker’s campaign over the past two years.
Total donations: $121,652.
(more at JSOnline.com)
This story comes out just a few weeks after the Journal Sentinel reported Ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker’s misAdministration gave a cushy state job to GOPer State Senator Randy Hopper’s mistress, Hopper’s wife, presumably, is not amused; she reportedly signed Hopper’s Recall Petition.
Not that Minnesota GOPers are immune from putting political hacks on the public payroll; I suggest (IMNSHO) that the biggest waste of taxpayer dough here on the semi-frozen tundra is GOPer Michael Brodkorb’s salary.
There’s a pattern here, Gentle Readers.
That pattern is Republicans run on the platform “Gov’t doesn’t work!!!” – and once elected, they prove it.
Here’s the list of previous Strongman Reports:
(Strongman Reort – 30 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 20 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 08 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 05 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 01 March 2011)
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)
While Gaddafi went on Libya State TV (why not? He owns it) to channel the ghosts of Baghdad Bob and Tom Emmer, ol’ “Baseball Bat” Walker chose to go on Faux Noise Fox News (why not? The GOP owns it) to peddle similar camel dung: Sean insHanitty Interviews Walker: Walker Claims Credit for 10,000 New Jobs And Lower Unemployment
Hey – “Baseball Bat” Walker’s makin’ that claim all over! Like, just last week – in Hudson, WI:
MnPP: Walker Claims Credit for 10,000 New Jobs And Lower Unemployment
Speakin’ o’ other claims Ol’ Baseball Bat is makin’ that aren’t true:
Hey – who the (cheney) does Ol’ Baseball Bat think he is – former Gov. “TBag” Pawlenty??!?
TBag’s court cases don’t turn out so swell – for Timmy. Ol’ Baseball Bat’s only been in office for FAR too long since January, and already this:
The first installment of this Strongman Report series was subtitled …”Today’s Example of “Republicans run on the platform ‘Government doesn’t work!’ – and once elected, they prove it.”. Graphics and links for previous installments in this series follow!
(Strongman Report – 08 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 05 March 2011)
(Strongman Report – 01 March 2011)
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
On Saturday, March 12th, there was an explosion at the double-whammied Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan. On Sunday, a local RightWingNut Blogger that tells so many whoppers that a fellow progressive blogger created a tag just for him (“Gross Inaccuracies”) ripped Senator Klobuchar with this headline:
Sen. Klobuchar Picking Winners & Losers
Sen. Klobuchar has joined with Tim Johnson to co-sponsor legislation that picks economic winners and losers:
Mr. Gross Inaccuracies finishes his rant with:
Nuclear power plants, oil refineries and new oil rigs won’t get built because organizations like MCEA won’t let them get built.
If Sen. Klobuchar was interested in proven solutions, she needs to ignore these special interest groups when their agenda runs contrary to the needs of We The People.
Here’s what Mr. Gross Inaccuracies forgets: when, in 1957, Congress enacted the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act – Congress picked nuclear power to be a “winner”.
Yes, that same industry Mr. Gross Inaccuracies is championing now – nuclear power – is only around because over 50 years ago, Congress passed a law saying – in essence – that since nuclear power cannot (at ANY price) obtain liability insurance for it’s operation, if there’s an accident, the kind and generous and good ol’ USofA TaxPayers would pick up the cleanup tab.
No only is Mr. Gross Inaccuracies today’s example of “Those that forget the lessons of history tend to vote GOP” – he’s also a prime example of “Republicans are against federal handouts (except when they’re not).”
Handouts, such as 1957′s Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act…
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
(With news that 2 of 3 (and 3rd might be next) of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Plant in Japan, I thought it might be time to remind people that the only industry that I know of that does NOT have to provide liability insurance is Nuclear. In the case of a meltdown, Taxpayers pick up the cleanup tab. The USS Ronald Reagan is off the Japanese Coast for assistance operations and reportedly just got a dose of radiation; you know – KNOW – who’s going to pay for that. NOT the Nuclear Industry; it’s taxpayers – you and me. The following was originally posted on 26 January 2010)
I saw the link in Politics In Minnesota’s Morning Report; a story written by one of the mutts over at “Freedom Dogs”. Quite certain it was filled with typical republiCon bull(chips), I clicked on the link. I, of course, was correct – complete tripe, and simply another example of “Republicans are against federal handouts (except when they’re not)”
The issue this time, from the mutts, was nuclear power. Let’s look at just one line (I could rip more, but I’m really rather busy to waste too much time on these mutts):
“Nuclear power is safe, efficient, cost-effective, and it’s what the fast growth countries have been doing for years.”
Yeah, “right”. It’s so (cheney)in’ safe, that Xcell Energy mailed out the following calendar to those in the immediate fall-out zone, in 2009:
MONTICELLO EMERGENCY PLANNING GUIDE AND CALENDAR 2009
Those beyond the immediate fall-out zone? Well, if you are it sucks to be you, but: “sucks to be you” really is the mantra in today’s GreedOverPrinciples party so no surprise there!
Here’s the part, that really, Really, REALLY tells me that nukes are safe:
In the unlikely event of a nuclear generating plant accident, how would you be notified?
If the public needs to take shelter or evacuate, warning sirens will sound.
Weather-alert radios will also activate and you will hear a message.
Listen for a steady siren tone lasting 3 minutes. In areas not served by sirens, slow-moving law enforcement vehicles or state helicopters will warn citizens using sirens and loudspeakers.
Now, no one ever accused those mutts at “Freedom Dogs” of bein’ none-too-bright. Lemmings? Yep. Bootlickers? Of course! Flat-out liars? Well, click on the link above, and judge for yourself.
Here’s the kicker: mutts like the Freedom Lemmings “Dogs” love – LOVE – to claim that they’re “free-marketeers” that hate – HATE – “government handouts.”
Folks, the simple fact is, there would be no – NONE – nuclear plants now in operation, had not the nuclear industry been given the federal handout known as the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act.
In a nutshell, The Price-Anderson Act says that if, as stated in the Excel Calendar above, there’s an “unlikely event of a nuclear generating plant accident” and there’s a whole bunch of damages, Excel isn’t on the hook for the damages – YOU are. Me, too. Well, EVERYONE is. That’s right; nuclear plants don’t have to buy no stinkin’ liability insurance; the nuclear industry instead will stick the taxpayers with the tab if there’s a meltdown.
“Too big to fail” ring a bell?
Here’s why the nuclear industry puts the cost of a (cheney)up meltdown on the American Taxpayers: it’s because no insurance company in their right mind would ever – EVER – insure a nuclear plant for liability. So, to make the buck, the nuclear industry has to put the good ol’ USofA taxpayers on the hook. If they had to buy liability insurance in the open market (“Hello, Allstate?”), and factor that cost into the end price customers paid, other technologies would suddenly look mighty cheap in comparison. You know, like solar? Hydro? Wind? Yada, yada, yada?
Price-Anderson, Gentle Readers, is a Federal Handout – something today’s alleged “conservatives” claim they are against.
Can anybody reading this, tell me one other industry that doesn’t have to provide liability insurance for their operations; one other industry that has to have – HAS TO HAVE – the American Taxpayers on the hook, in order to be economically viable?
As far as I know, nuclear is the only one that fits both of the above.
I’d bet the mutts over at Freedom Dogs never thought of that, before they decided to (once again) play bootlicker for the GOP’s benefactors (this time, the nuclear industry). And I’m certain they never figured out that although they claim (loudly and often) that they want LESS Government, expansion of nuclear power would require MORE government: more regulators/more inspectors/more fire/more police/more emergency responders/more yada, yada, yada.
Unless, of course, they’re advocating MORE nuclear power with LESS government regulations and oversight and evacuation plans, yada, yada, yada.
If they are (and don’t put anything beyond the realm of those mutts), I’m certain they’d have no problemo if said new nuclear plant were built upwind from them by a company run by, say, Ken Lay Jr., or, perhaps, a Charles Keating The Third, or say, the next Tom Petters?
At any rate, the whole sorry saga of alleged “conservatives” advocating for more nuclear power is also another example of:
“Hypocrisy, Thy Party Is GOP”
(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)
