Posted: 12/10/09 04:29
by Dave Mindeman
Soon to be ex-Senator Dick Day is certainly not your average politician. In one announcement he manages to give everybody a bi-partisan migraine.
First issue is what he is leaving the Senate to do. He is going to work fulltime as a lobbyist for Racino Now. His goal is to set up state sponsored gambling to increase revenues. Something he says will bring in $250 million per biennium. Personally, I have been a cautious advocate of this type of gambling expansion. I know the Indian gaming community considers this unwarranted competition and that has to be considered. But it is revenue coming from an activity of choice and outside of our current tax system. It has to be given a full hearing.
But, Day's actions also triggered other issues. He is retiring form his Senate seat immediately (as of January 8th), presumably to begin his lobbying efforts right into the upcoming session. That raises all sorts of ethical questions.
Common Cause seized on this move immediately:
“When a legislator leaves office to become a lobbyists it only further erodes the public’s trust in their elected officials,” said Mike Dean, Common Cause Minnesota’s executive director. “The public is growing suspicious of elected officials who may use his or her government position to line up a future job by currying favor with special interests. The mere perception of impropriety underlying this type of behavior is detrimental to the public’s faith in government.”
A completely valid point. Day has been a proponet of Racino Now for sometime. Was his advocacy a virtual job application? His abrupt exit begs the question.
But Day wasn't done with the controversy. His resignation prior to the 2010 session opens up his legislative seat.....causing a GOP scramble to figure out a way to keep a seat in an eroding GOP Senate minority. Both House seats in District 26 are already represented by DFLers (Kory Kath- 26A and Patti Fritz- 26B). The timing of his resignation could be another opening for the Democrats. Without Day, the odds of the GOP losing that seat are greatly increased.
Dick Day has always been one of the more quotable State Senators. Caution was never one of the adjectives that would describe him.
Controversy has been his trademark, he leaves the Senate in a swirl of it.
