When I first started investigating this issue, I had no idea how difficult it would be. This has taken an enormous amount of time and patience. You would not know this was America.
Was all the information we learned in High School Civics about "Public Servants", "Open Government " and "Sovereign Citizens" just Propaganda? I can remember growing up and feeling sorry for people in repressive communist and dictatorial regimes. I can remember thinking how difficult it must be for those tyranical leaders to keep their citizens from learning the truth. Were we all, in fact, duped by our own American Government Propaganda?
Read the following email I have written to my elected officials and decide for yourself. I will update you as to the response.
Before I close, I leave you with quote by Johann Von Goethe, "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those that falsely believe they are free".
Read and Decide for yourself.
Patriotically yours,
Don Mashak
The Cynical Patriot
_____________________________________________________________________
-----Original Message follows-----
From: dmashak@aol.com
To: info.ipad@state.mn.us; jim.levi@state.mn.us
Cc: jim.levi@state.mn.us; tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us; sen.amy.koch@senate.mn; rep.bruce.anderson@house.mn
Sent: Tue, Aug 11, 2009 4:31 pm
Subject: Wright County Massive Financial Cover up
I have been trying for six weeks to get meaningful information from my local Wright County Board. ( http://twurl.cc/1f6b )
I have been seeking this information in response to my property taxes doubling in 5 years and a "Moody's Downgrades the Country" Article indicating that Moody's is downgrading municipal bonds ( http://twurl.cc/1f6e )( http://twurl.cc/1f71 ) as a class for the first time in its history. Moody's cites overspending and a hollowing out of the revenue core as the reasons for its decision.
To the point, my simple request for payroll information for the last 5 years(and some related data) has been turned into a duplicitous mental gymnastics event that would give anybody a headache. My local County Board does not appear to consider themselves "public servants". They seem to think they are royalty. And, it appears that the legislators have written legislation with the deliberate attempt to allow local governments the ability to avoid entirely or, at least in a timely manner, release of information with a reasonable amount of effort. Data that is suppose to be public record. Is there no way for me to get this information in a timely manner? Let our State Officials promptness and timeliness in addressing this issue reveal the true attitude of our elected officials towards the residents, citizens, voters and taxpayers of the State of Minnesota.
To date I have gleaned that that the minimum starting wage for any new government employee in Wright County is 13+ dollars per hour. (That includes data entry, receptionists, janitors, etc.) I know of persons with Masters Degrees who only make 16+ dollars per hour working for the government. After 1 year, every employee gets 35 paid days off each year. I think most citizens employed in the private sector would remember a far less generous paid time off policy after their first year. I am ridiculed, mocked, smirked at and finger wagged when I ask why, especially in these times of financial turmoil, these wages, benefits, and paid time off can't be more in line with the private Sector.
The part time County commissioners get $50,200 per year in salary and benefits. They smugly laugh when I suggest that most people would consider that full time compensation. Pat Sawatzke and King Norman have tried to say the high wages and overly generous paid time off is caused by state and federal mandates but refuse to accurately state and explain which state and federal mandates they are referring to. In the mean time, by some county official's own admissions, they are getting complaints from little old ladies that they are being taxed our of their homes of 30+ years.
So i thought I would address the board and ask them in a public forum so they would be forced to be more forthcoming. Please find attached information I provided the Wright County Board in compliance with its "citizen participation suppression" rules requiring 13 copies, 5 days before the Board meeting. I was told by County Administrator King Norman that my request to address the board was being denied.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dick Norman<Dick.Norman@co.wright.mn.us>
To: dmashak@aol.com
Cc: Patrick Sawatzke <Patrick.Sawatzke@co.wright.mn.us>; Susan Backes <Susan.Backes@co.wright.mn.us>
Sent: Fri, Aug 7, 2009 8:30 am
Subject: County Board Agenda
Mr Mashak: I have reviewed your request to be on the County Board
Agenda of August 11th. Your request is hereby denied. Many of the
items/issues you raise have been presented already or are a result of
State law and the County must be in compliance with the law.
I replied that this was not acceptable. I showed up at the board meeting today to get this this denial and the related document entered into the official record to evidence that the Board denying my requests. Instead of asking if there was any further business to come before the Board as is standard operating procedure, Chairman Pat Sawatzke closed by saying approximately, "Since there is no further business to come before the Board, I adjourn the meeting". When I protested that I wanted the refusal to answer these items and the decision to refuse to allow me to address the Board on the record, Pat Sawatzke refused to acknowledge me. At some point I sarcastically interjected, "Isn't is great to be in America"
The Board stalled for 4 weeks to give me the payroll record and then provided it electronically in an undisclosed format, citing that was all they had to do per the data practices act. Before I was provided the information, I was told I needed $250 down payment on what could run to be a $5000 dollar bill. And then I got to chase my tail around while the person with the records or the actual records could not be found each time I came to pick them up. Originally they wanted to give them to me in paper form. I finally got them emailed to me in electronic form. After days of run around, I was finally told the format. Then the files are locked so I cannot total the columns. (2005 is in old lotus format) It would take more time than I have to hand add those columns. How can I analyze the data if I cannot total the columns? Is this what you legislators intended? Can one of you provide some administrative support to total these columns ? Or can someone call Wright County and tell them to give me unlocked spreadsheets? Can this be done before the new budget process is over?
The Board is in the middle of the new Budget Process. I asked for this data 5 weeks before the budget process began. Was it really the intent of the State Legislators to allow County Boards Commisioners to treat taxpayers like this when Taxpayers ask for what is supposed to be public data? Why did the State Legislators not give the County Auditor and IPAD the force of law instead of only authorizing them to give opinions and embarrass and cajole Municipal entities into fully and freely providing taxpayers with data recognized as public record? Can I get this information before the budget process is over?
It would seem that state government intended to aid and abet Municipal governments from being caught overspending and/or with their hands in the cookie jar? How can anyone audit the finances of the county if the County does not have to cooperate?
What can we do to get me the requested data in a timely manner?
Can the State Auditor and the State Information Officer go with me to the next Wright County Board meeting?
Who is supposed to represent the interests of Minnesota Taxpayers and Citizens if none of you do?
Why is there no requirement that all public information be displayed on the websites that all the Counties and most of the major cities already have? Would that be more cost effective? Wouldn't the tax payers do a better job of auditing the finances of their municipalities if they could freely access said data?
Please, would each party that I sent this to or "cc'd" please respond?
Let me close by quoting Johann Von Goethe, "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free".
Thank you for your time.
Patriotically,
Don Mashak
Wright County Minnesota Resident, Taxpayer, Voter and Citizen
attachment follows
________________________________________________________________________
Please put me on the 8/11/2009 Board Agenda with the following items
Please advise the day before if I will be at the beginning or the end of the agenda.
"FIGHTING THE SPENDTHRIFTS OF WRIGHT COUNTY "
1) Please list and briefly explain which State and Federal Mandates force you to set minimum county starting wage at 13+ per hour and with 35 days (7 weeks) paid time off??
2) Please explain how the point system for Gender Equity causes you to set minimum starting County wage at 13+ dollars per hour?
3) Please explain why Wages and Salary and paid time off cannot be closer to Private Sector Equivalents? How then is that not a lie?
4) What is the Hay Group? What did they do for us? How much did it Cost?
5) Why can you not have Mr. Swing give me 2005 data in excel for from a copy already converted for county staff?
6) Why is the excel spreadsheets I was finally provided after 30 days “locked” so I cannot total the columns and do meaningful analysis?
7) Why could I not come in and have it put on the public record that you refused to let me ask questions at the last Board meeting and would give me no assurances that I would not be mistreated? Please now document that you refused to allow me to speak at the Board meeting and did not respond to my request as to whether I could speak at budget meetings.
8) Please tell me where Pat Sawatzke and Dick Norman learned the skill of wagging fingers and pencils in residents faces and yelling at them? Do they teach that at this training seminars the taxpayers pay for you all to go on?
9) Why won’t you change meeting times to 630p so taxpayers can attend without taking time off from work?
10) Why won’t you begin each meeting with 15 minutes of Citizen comments ?
11) It appears that you want notice of things people want to discuss so the bureaucrats have time to scheme against things they don’t want. Why must there be 5 days notice?
12) Please provide me the results of Mr. Hiivala’s audit activities for the last month. I would like to VIEW them. How does the auditor measure employee productivity?
13) Why have you not provided me with a copy of the budget as I requested?
14) Did you budget for the IT people to put all this data on the internet? If not why, what do you have to hide?
15) Please make this document part of the official record of the meeting?
Submitted by Don Mashak
Comments