When it comes to “bad news, good news,” it’s hard to find good news in the article regarding the arrival of a super PAC in the Third Congressional District. The only good news I see is that we are already a quarter of the way through the run-up to the midterm election. The bad news is out-of-state special interests continue pouring in dark money to support Paulsen. We could ask who is donating the money and what strings are attached, but … .
What we do know, according to Paulsen’s Federal Election Commission filings, is that he raised $1,061,000 in the first half of 2017. A review of his filings shows that: 23 percent of donations came from only 166 individuals living in the district, 16 percent from individuals living out of the district or state, and 60 percent from out-of-state PACs. As the 2018 campaigning kicks into high gear, the disparity between individual constituent contributions and out-of-state special interests will increase significantly. Dark money will exceed reason. And this is the problem with Congress.
Paulsen’s tenure has been during an eight-year period when Congress has had its lowest approval rating (10 to 20 percent) since Gallup polling began in 1974, and it’s no surprise why. Money from out-of-state special interests has bought our representative. This explains why Paulsen refuses to meet his rank-and-file constituents in free and open public forums or to vote for legislation, like common-sense health care reform, supported by a majority of the Third District. There is no big money in it. The opportunity in 2018 to vote for change can’t come soon enough.
John D. Albers, Minnetonka
Minneapolis Star Tribune, July 29, 2017