| ..."Today's Example Of Greed Over Principles."
As noted in Part 1, the Strib broke the initial story, about Eden Prairie's GOPer Mayor billing the taxpayers for meetings he didn't attend. A whole bunch of meetings; 14 - FOURTEEN! - that I could find, as pointed out in Part 2.
Well, guess what? The Strib reporter, Laurie Blake, didn't stop with the first one; she kept digging into a very sordid story. It's on-line here. And here's what the intrepid Strib Reporter found:
Eden Prairie mayor reimbursed for 26 no-shows
Eden Prairie mayor claimed expenses for 26 meetings he didn't go to. Some had been canceled.
By LAURIE BLAKE, Star Tribune
Last update: May 26, 2010 - 10:06 PM
Eden Prairie Mayor Phil Young filed expense claims totaling nearly $1,000 for 26 meetings that he did not attend, including six that did not take place, City Hall records show.
The information, obtained from the city of Eden Prairie, adds more precise detail to the investigation into Young's expense claims.
City Hall records show that for 2008, 2009 and the first three months of this year, Young claimed $35 per diem amounting to $980 for 28 meetings of the Minnesota Regional Council of Mayors, which meets under the auspices of the Urban Land Institute in downtown Minneapolis.
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Young also claimed $99 for mileage reimbursement in 2009 for driving 180 miles to five of the same mayors' council meetings that he did not attend, including two of the meetings that did not take place. (more, here)
Kudos for Laurie for digging deep!!!
Both Star Tribune stories, and the local Eden Prairie paper, had Young's attorney saying, in essence, that Young could have submitted other reimbursements, so this is no big deal.
Bullsh*t.
Young filed bogus claims, under penalty of perjury - which IS a big deal.
If there were claims he could have filed, but didn't file, those would be mitigating issues for a Judge to consider before applying sentencing for what Young did - which, in essence, was stealing and fraud.
Republicans run on the platform "Gov't doesn't work!"
When in office, they prove it.
And GOPer Phil Young - once again - is today's example of Greed Over Principles. |
