Monday, September 08, 2014

MINNESOTA HOUSE DISTRICT 35A - Campaign Finance Disclosure: Reader help requested. Did Abigale Whelan's campaign already file a pre-primary disclosure, one I may have missed or failed to locate? [UPDATED - Whelan filed]

While not pretending to know nuances of campaign finance filing deadlines and requirements, it is my impression that a pre-primary filing is required. Project VoteSmart reports Perovich numbers, here; and a filing goose-egg for Whelan, here.

Tardiness and/or inattention to money at the campaign stage is not a good indicator of future fiscal attentiveness, if sent to the Legislature. It suggests a laxness that might prove troubling. Fiscally and in other respects.

However, I may be in error and there may have been a filing, so I sent an "inquiry/request for link" email to the Whelan campaign's listed treasurer, a "Mr. Sam Jirik - Email: samsonogre@gmail.com"

I am awaiting a reply.

The email was sent this morning, and I shall publish an UPDATE if/when Mr. Jirik replies.

____________UPDATE____________
It appears both Perovich and Whelan filed reports. A reader emailed:

Pre-primary reports for Peter and Whelan:

Whelan


Perovich


Each of those links contain a link which will open a pdf document for the respective candidate. Once opened, each pdf doc has an identical CFB URL, because it's how that site is.

It is a site that was designed by hateful and/or inept bureaucrats, to "serve" the public, (as long as those in the public are willing to encounter an anything-but-intuitive-designed-by-bureaucrats interface, and fight their way through to sought for information).

If Google's founders operated their stuff that unintuitively, they'd still be in a blipping garage. Make whatever sense you can of those CFB pages. Good luck trying.

Heidi Bauer gave Whelan six hundred bucks. That I can read from the CFB junk. If you do not know who Jerry Bauer is, ask around.

Reader help needed: Is there a personal contribution cap, and if so, how much?

This CFB stuff, website and rules and gotchas, is all so Byzantine it would make any sane person scream in abject frustration.

Why? Tell me, why, can these things not be done cleanly and intuitively? Answer: They can. The question really is why are they done otherwise when cleanly and intuitively would serve the public?

........................
Now - Again - let's see if/when the Whelan treasurer replies to my email inquiry. A reply should be expected to confirm the above info. and might even link to something more intuitive.

___________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Whelan's treasurer responded to my email inquiry, and I respect that courtesy:

I'm told someone responded to your earlier email, but you may still have some questions for me. I understand your frustration with the CFB pages.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

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one photo credit, here; the other was downloaded years ago, link presently uncertain