Don’t start packing your boxes yet!

I had an ear-opening conversation with the “Appointments Coordinator” of the Minnesota Governor’s Office yesterday.

I requested copies of all endorsements or recommendations of David Lillehaug for the supposedly open seat on the MN Supreme Court.

The response was funny (in the I-don’t-know-whether-to-laugh-or-cry department):  he said that it is the POLICY of the Governor’s Office not to release those.

I said, I don’t want to be rude, but I don’t really care what the POLICY is.  (I want the information so I can participate in my democracy. )

He said, “we like to encourage the free flow of information.”  (If that’s not verbatim, it’s very close.)

I said, did you hear what you just said?  I would like the free flow of information!

He stared to get more guarded, and cagey and eventually he had to “go” but wanted my name.

Hmmm.

But here’s the kicker.

I asked to see what Governor Dayton SIGNED to appoint Lillehaug.  He said nothing has been signed yet, that that will not occur until some small group of people (which he would NOT name ) decides when the “effective date” is.

So…press conference…press releases…media coverage BUT IT HAS NOT HAPPENED YET!  (Minnesota major media – do you research anything before you post stories?)

Lillehaug has NOT been appointed, not according to what I was told yesterday.

Now, that’s OK by me.  The more I learn, the more I believe that seat needs to go up for election.  (You know, a real election, where people vote, and the votes are actually counted, tabulated, and reported according to the law.)

Elections are how the People REFORM their government.

And I was also glad to have someone speak some truth about the process, acknowledging that a small group of people is making these decisions.  Not the law, not the constitution.  A small group of people.

I wonder who that could be.

The Appointments Coordinator did acknowledge that Lillehaug would be in this small group.  He said we are going to “allow” Justice Anderson to serve until the end of May.

Wow.

Mr. Lillehaug, you might not want to pack your boxes yet.

Even according to the Governor’s office – you have not been appointed.

And no small group of people gets to make these decisions.  Certainly not some shadow group – where the People are not even told who they are.

I mean, c’mon.