Last night, Bluestem posted an entry looking at the last development in the sorry tale of the Republican Part of Minnesota's unpaid recount bills in Amid failed burrito baron's promises to pay counties, state senator rattles a tip jar while shaking its own begging bowl.
That's pixelated fish wrap now.
This morning, the Post Bulletin's Heather Carlson reports in Red Wing senator offers to help pay GOP'S recount bills to counties:
A Red Wing Republican senator is offering to donate money to help the Republican Party of Minnesota pay bills owed to several counties for last fall’s gubernatorial recount.
Sen. John Howe said it is time for the party to pay back these bills. In a letter he sent to members of the Republican caucus obtained by the Post-Bulletin, he wrote “ This is embarrassing and painfully indefensible. This damages us not just on the local level, but statewide as well. It is spreading through the political blogs, and must be a reason for much head shaking in water cooler conversations.” [emphasis added]
Asked about the letter, Howe said he never intended for it to be public.
Thank you, Post Bulletin, for sharing some of the deets in John Howe's epistle to the political deadbeats.
But there's more to the story that Carlson posted:
It appears that former GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer is also working to get the bills paid. Houston County Auditor Char Meiners said she was pleasantly surprised to get a call from Emmer on Monday asking for a copy of the bill telling her he was going to try and get it paid. The party owes Houston County $1,067. Emmer did not return a phone call seeking comment on Monday.
Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton said there is no need for Emmer or Howe to chip in. [emphasis added] He said the party sent out payments to eight counties last week. He said of the 87 counties in Minnesota, the party still owes money to 20 of them for a total of just under $20,000. Olmsted, Dodge and Mower counties are among those that have been paid back. He said the party plans to finish paying back counties shortly.
This is a fascinating development, especially that last paragraph. Earlier this spring, Bluestem had heard from conservative activists that Sutton was trying to get Emmer to paid for the bills with the money that remains in his gubernatorial campaign committee kitty.
Now I read in the Post Bulletin that Sutton doesn't feel the need for that, or for Howe's letter. Bluestem feels immense relief at learning that the rumors simply aren't true, not one single bit.
And Tony Sutton is a man of his word. The Post Bulletin reports:
The party owes $500,000 from the last election, which has made it tough to pay back the counties. Sutton did say a check for Houston County’s costs was sent out on Friday. As of Monday, the county had not yet received the check. . . .
Goodhue County Finance Director Carolyn Holmsten said they are still waiting for a check for $1,010 from the Republican Party of Minnesota. So far, she said their requests for payment have gone unanswered. . . .
It's a good thing to know, finally, that Sutton intends to clear this up and political blogs will no longer spread these stories.
Image: Bluestem is conducting a bleg, but please don't send us Tild's version of Tony Sutton's currency. Bluestem has plenty of those.
Related posts: Amid failed burrito baron's promises to pay counties, state senator rattles a tip jar
Winona Daily News spanks MNGOP for county recount fiscal irony
Failed boorish burrito baron's bills burden boonies
Six months later, MNGOP failed burrito baron Sutton hasn't paid Brown County recount tab
The failed burrito baron bonus: MNGOP refries its beans about unpaid county recount copying
Mower County to Tony Sutton: Send us the $2,242 MNGOP owes for recount
New Madrid Fault moves north; or, Tony Sutton shakes it up in the Rochester Post Bulletin
"A lot of problems going on": Republican Party of Minnesota led way in letters from FEC
Google is not your friend; or, another winning strategy from MNGOP chair Tony Sutton
Career opportunities: Bridget Sutton is "no longer with" Baja Sol
Star Tribune finally notes Sutton-Baja split; Bluestem Prairie reported story March 7
I'm looking forward to hearing Tom Emmer address the MN GOP's failure to pay the bills from Emmer's campaign on his new radio show:
http://twitter.com/#!/edkohler/status/77037109390741505
Posted by: Ed Kohler | Jun 07, 2011 at 08:31 AM
So.......it's ok for the MNGOP to run on debt, without cutting their staff and their costs.......but not government?
Hypocrites!
Posted by: Dog Gone | Jun 07, 2011 at 10:52 AM