Auditor: Rybak newsletter is illegal (MPLS DFL boy-mayor spending taxpayer $ on hyping himself)

MPLS Star & Sickle ^ | 1-25-05 | Rochelle Olson

[Rakkasan1]

State Auditor Pat Anderson on Friday called on Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to reimburse the city for his recent $42,000 newsletter because she believes it violates state law.

"While it is appropriate for a city to send out a newsletter to communicate with its residents, it is clear that glossy ... photographs of the mayor and a glowing recitation of his accomplishments do not meet that purpose," Anderson wrote. "Frankly, Mayor Rybak should have saved this brochure for his campaign."

Anderson said she saw the brochure after getting a complaint from a constituent late Thursday and reading about it in the newspaper. She said City Attorney Jay Heffern and the City Council should determine how much Rybak should repay the city for the cost of the newsletter, of which 172,000 copies were made and a copy distributed to each Minneapolis household.

Rybak did not respond directly. His spokeswoman Laura Sether said it's common for elected officials to publish newsletters. "The use of photographs in such pieces is a gray area in state law," she said. "We would welcome any clarification that would apply to all such publications. Our intent is the same as everyone else's -- to inform constituents of issues that directly affect them."

[Rakkasan1]

the MPLS city council is infamous for doing crap like this. $42,000 in taxpayer funds-typical DFL,union,dim thievery.

[thulldud]

Anderson has no enforcement powers but said the mayor's office would be "written up" in an audit by her office.

"No controlling legal authority", eh?