Dear Neighbors,
Local Honors
On Monday, I was joined on the House floor by Jessa Theis, Jamie Mackenthun, and Kellie Sites from the chamber of commerce in Waconia to honor Mackenthun’s on their 100th anniversary as being the oldest grocery store in Minnesota. We’re fortunate to have successful small businesses, like Mackenthun’s, in our community. Congratulations to the Mackenthun family and their employees (including my daughter Sarah) for being an incredible example of local small businesses excelling in our state.
Stadium Issue
This week, the State Government Finance Committee heard a report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor (OLA) about the misuse of taxpayer dollars by the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA). What we heard was shocking. The MSFA had been using three taxpayer-funded suites at U.S. Bank Stadium to invite members of the governor's staff, appointees, candidates, and other like-minded politicos to wine-and-dine at your expense. The OLA went as far as to say that the MSFA, “violated a core ethical principle” with their free-wheeling use of tickets, food, and drinks.
Frankly, it’s unacceptable; millions of dollars were wasted on suites for MSFA officials, their guests, and political cronies. Governor Dayton stated he saw our committee hearing as a political stunt, but shouldn’t we look for ways to make sure government is using your tax dollars wisely? That’s why I’m co-authoring a bill to restructure the MSFA and ensure these tickets are used for legitimate business purposes – not taxpayer-funded gifts to political friends.
Coach Visit
University of Minnesota football coach PJ Fleck came to St. Paul on Wednesday. It was inspirational to hear him speak about changing the current culture of his football team to become better men and members of the community. I look forward to watching the team on the field this season, but am more eager to see the progress of these student-athletes as difference-makers in our state.
Please Contact Me
As always, please reach me via phone at 651-296-4282 or via email at rep.jim.nash@house.mn.
Have a great weekend,
Jim