Earmark ban leaves MN water project high and dry

By   /  May 9, 2013  /  City Government, County Government, economic development, Featured, Minnesota, News  /  1 Comment

Earmark Ban: Water pipeline left high and dry with cutoff of federal funding.

WORTHINGTON, Minn. — When Congress banned earmarks, few anticipated the $560 million Lewis and Clark Regional Water System would become a national poster child for the unintended consequences of the politically popular measure.

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MN local governments spend $1.1 million on lobbying Washington

By   /  May 6, 2013  /  City Government, County Government, Federal Government, Lobbying, Local Government, Minnesota, State Government  /  No Comments

Loophole lets more than $1.1 million in local government spending on lobbyists go under the radar.

By Tom Steward | Watchdog Minnesota
ST. PAUL — Minnesota governments and other entities spent at least $1.1 million on taxpayer-funded lobbying in Washington, D.C., in 2012, according to a Watchdog Minnesota analysis of federal disclosure information.
The findings, in combination with the State Auditor’s annual report on local government lobbying in St. Paul, put the total cost of [...]

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Taxpayers who put up $63 million for new courthouse must park elsewhere

By   /  April 16, 2013  /  City Government, County Government, Featured, New Mexico, News, Public Safety, Wasteful spending  /  No Comments

NO PARKING FOR YOU: Citing security concerns, Santa Fe's county commissioners have ruled the public cannot use the 40 parking spaces in the underground lot of the new $63 million courthouse downtown. New Mexico Watchdog photo.

It has run $25 million over budget, it’s way behind schedule and, now, the new courthouse downtown has merchants worried that a decision to prohibit public parking will translate hurt their businesses.

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Colorado dog owners say ‘no’ to puppycide

By   /  April 9, 2013  /  City Government, Colorado, Featured, General Interest, law enforcement, News  /  1 Comment

NO PAPERS: Vets in Wisconsin are required to collect personal data from patients to comply with a prescription drug law. These guys, however, don't have ID cards. (AP photo)

hloe was a mixed-breed dog staying with a friend of her owner in Commerce City when she got out of a garage, where she was being kept. In November, police found her roaming the street, where she had been for a few hours. They captured her with a snare pole, electrocuted her with a taser and shot her five times.

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Troubled muni telecom holds off bond-holder lawsuit — for now

By   /  April 2, 2013  /  City Government, economic development, Minnesota  /  2 Comments

Fiber Optics

Threatened with a bondholder lawsuit, the city of Monticello has quietly made a deal to buy time in negotiations with the trustee for owners of $26 million in revenue bonds for the financially struggling FiberNet broadband network.

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