Letter to the Editor, Posted: 4/5/05
TO THE EDITOR:
Good news for (some) Chisago County office seekers. Say you want to campaign for county commissioner by falsely claiming that the White House depends on you for advice and counsel, by inflated puffery and accusations like Chisago County chairman of the board Robert V. Gustafson.
Not to worry about paying the state costs if you get caught and adjudicated. Last week Gustafson voted in league with commissioners Robinson, Olseen and Schultz to assess county taxpayers for the $6,900 in state costs run up during Gustafsonís latest campaign violations.
If however you are not among this lucky few - above the law and immune to consequences for their political shenanigans - then you will be made to personally pay any costs incurred by a commissionerís accusations against you.
Not one of Gustafsonís good old boys at the courthouse considered for even one second making Gustafson pay the damages he inflicted on the county. In fact, County Auditor Dennis Freed had already paid most of the $6,900 in costs even before the board met to vote on authorizing the expenditure.
To date our county attorney, Katherine Johnson, has refused to investigate Gustafsonís excessive compensation claims and other conflicted, self-serving activities.
It is obvious to all that chairman Gustafson is held above the law in this county.
High level county officials and employees have covered up for Gustafsonís schemes, quashing any public disclosure or accountability on the fellow.
Mark Oberg
Lindstrom
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