The answer to the question of: What What Do MN Senate Republicans and Donald Trump Have in Common?, is well you tell a lie enough times it doesn’t become the truth. The bald faced lie they continue to perpetuate is there intractability on moving from the State Office Building (SOB) to the new Senate Office Building will not cost the taxpayers any money is blatantly false.
Move Out Day is scheduled for Monday. New address 95 University Ave W.
By the Senate Republicans continuing to occupy the first floor of the SOB they are incurring unnecessary costs being born by the $56,000 rent being paid at 525 Park Street by the Legislative Revisor’s Office. In fact, the Revisor is adding an additional five people to their office for the session and will need to contract for more space. This means the $56,000 figure is low.
Republicans claim they can move their own stuff from their current offices and not incur an additional moving expense. This may be fine for their personal possessions, but it doesn’t include the furniture. So unless the Republican Senate Caucus is hiring college movers to insure and move the historical furniture there will need to be a second moving contract. Also, by standing pat, Republicans are delaying the restoration, refurbishment and reupholster of the furniture they are currently using in the SOB. We unsure are the cost this will incur.
The most laughable item we have learned is by staying at the SOB Senate Republicans are being coddled with bottled water. As of right now there is not any bottled water contracted for the new Senate Office Building, but there was a $30,000 contract over the 2014-15 biennium. This means, if the service is retained, the cost will be around $7,500.
Now, ultimately if we believe the specious Republican claims of never wanting the building and not being actively involved in the process, we ask why did three of their members receive per diem for the planning meetings?
Senator Majority Leader David Hann (R-48, Eden Prairie), never one known to tell the full truth and Senators Warren Limmer (R-34, Maple Grove) and Michele Fischbach (R-13, Panesville) all attended multiple planning meetings and went so far as to calling for the need of 67 offices. Another interesting fact is, Limmer said more than once he wanted the windows to open.
It is clear Senate Republicans are trying to gin up an issue for the 2016 election, but realistically, they had better find a better set of issues for their election campaign other than a St Paul office building, since turnout in a Presidential election year historically favor the DFL heavily.
We feel comfortable in predicting if Senate Republicans stay on their misguided course they will make a find veto proof minority in 2017.
Checks & Balances 