During a September 5 visit to the Athens of Minnesota's west central prairies, endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson told Morris Sun Tribune staff writer Kim Ukura that he wants to audit state government.
With KSTP's Jay Kolls reporting in Sources: 'Suggestive Emails in State Auditor Campaign Create GOP Divide' that anonymous sources insist that the Grand Old Party's endorsed state auditor candidate could be dropping out, Johnson's ambition might kill two birds with one stone.
The ginned up shame of running a candidate for auditor--an auditor, mind you, not a senator or Supreme Court justice--who played cuddle bunny with a realtor would be gone, while Johnson's nearly invisible run for governor would totally be no problem if simply transfered to the down ticket race.
Ukura reports in Johnson, Backer visit with local Republicans:
. . . During an interview with the Morris Sun Tribune on Friday, Sept. 5, Johnson said his top three goals have been consistent since he started his campaign in 2013: business climate and job creation, measuring taxpayer programs, and education. . . .
Another goal Johnson has emphasized is a plan to audit every program that taxpayers fund, starting with human services programs because they are easiest to measure.
“Those that are actually doing what we claim to want them to do, we should celebrate those programs,” said Johnson. “The ones that don’t, the ones that we fund because it makes us feel good as politicians or because we’ve always done it that way, we need to end those programs and redirect that money.”
We're not sure what programs politicians fund to feel good, but given the earlier history of this year's auditor's race, what with Entenza's good will offering to the United States Postal Services with all that direct mail and Gilbert's charming visits to open houses, the auditor's job must be where we can all learn what pleases them.
The Star Tribune's Richard Lopez has more in Republican Jeff Johnson proposes private audit of state agencies:
To curb state spending and shrink the size of government, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson wants to hire a private auditing firm to evaluate the effectiveness of all Minnesota state agencies and programs. . . .
Some major elements of the plan remain unclear, such as the total cost and when such reviews would begin. Also to be seen is whether the Legislature would make such a broad-ranging review part of its budget, considering agencies and programs are already reviewed regularly by the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor. . . .
A spokeswoman for the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers said no state has appeared to have ever conducted a review of this scope before. That organization is comprised of government officials in charge of state finances.
There's that.
Photo: Johnson was recently seen hitchhiking near Murdock, sources say.
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