When he's not tweeting as the satirical avatar @fakebrodkorb, Charlie Quimby blogs at Across the Great Divide. He's posted a terrific analysis about the SD26 race that exposes Minnesota Democrats Exposed's misuse of statistics in MDE & GOP: How to Lie with "Facts":
MDE Exclusive: Jason Engbrecht's attendnace record - Missed 40% of special board meetings; missed 60% of votes in 2010 http://bit.ly/7xvbgq
– Tweet by MDE's @lukehellier
I've tackled this on Twitter, but because it's such an typical example of telling big lies with little facts, I thought I'd expand on it here.
Luke Hellier posts at Minnesota Democrats Exposed that DFL state senate candidate Jason Engbrecht has a terrible "attendnace" record in serving as a member of the Faribault School Board. This is a story worth pushing, because his GOP-endorsed opponent Mike Parry has a documented poor attendance record as a member of the Waseca City Council. ....
Let's note how it's done. Fortunately, the Board of Education makes its minutes available to fact checkers like me as well as oppo-slime specialists like Hellier (who does not link to his source, but shows two snapshots of Engbrecht's rarely empty chair). . . .
Fact: Engbrecht attended every single work session and business meeting held by the school board in 2009. If I were a taxpayer, that's what I'd care about.
Read the entire post over at ATGD. It's also worth noting that MDE never claims that Engbrecht missed the one meeting this year, only some votes (he obviously had to be there for the votes even MDE credits him with).
So what did Engbrecht vote for at the one meeting so far? The agenda included item 1.4: School Board Salaries.
As Bluestem reported in SD26 news digest: Faribault School Board takes pay cut; Srp campaigns in Owatonna, Engbrecht introduced a successful motion to cut Faribault School Board members salaries at that one meeting:
DFL-endorsed Senate District candidate Jason Engbrecht serves on the Faribault School Board. According to the Daily News, School board members take a paycut for 2010:
Just as they did last year, the Faribault School Board members reduced their monthly stipends.
Board members will receive $250 a month this year compared to $292.50 per month in 2009.
The 2009 rate of $292.50 was a 10-percent reduction from 2008’s monthly $325 stipend.
As board chair last year, Dave Korbel cut the chair’s stipend to that of a regular board member. The position traditionally received $25 more a month.
Two years ago, it cost the district $27,600 to pay the school board. In 2010, the district will pay $21,000. . . .According to an email from the candidate to Bluestem, Engbrecht introduced last night's motion for the pay cut.
With Parry's tweeter troubles, own poor absentee record as a city council member and other issues popping up, is it any wondering that the Republicans rely on smears and paid "volunteers"?
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