In an ordinary world, this behavior by Pawlenty would badly damage his political chances, even with Republicans.
Sen. Don Betzold, DFL-Fridley, told City Pages? Matt Snyders on Thursday that Gov. Tim Pawlenty has diverted funds from the ?Support Our Troops? license plate program to his Governor?s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, an office that works to connect religious organizations with state funds.
Betzold says that $30,000 from the license plate program was supposed to go to the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs, but instead paid for a position at the faith-based office which is part of the Pawlenty?s office. The funds, writes Snyders, ?by law, were supposed to go to the Department of Military Affairs and the Department of Veterans Affairs.?
If those funds really were mandated in law to be used solely for the purpose as stated and instead were shifted to another purpose, that’s criminal behavior.
It used to be that veterans were the one group Republicans didn’t dare muck with, because too many of their supporters are vets themselves. We’ll see if this story gets any legs and what harm it might do to that slick so-and-so.
via Balloon Juice
I wish this surprised me. Instead, I cynically note that this was published in City Pages, the alternative free weekly, not the Star Tribune or the Pioneer Press, the serious daily papers in Our Fair Cities. They are the only ones who print verbatim quotes from Michele Bachman, too.
Does that make it more or less credible? (I’m asking; I really don’t know.)
I noticed that the State VA guy says it was all on the up-and-up, but paying a quarter-time employee $30K? Who paid the other three-quarters of his/her time, and was it an equivalent amount? Did that person then make $120K for the year? Is that an appropriate amount for what looks like a support position in the Minnesota state government?