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Why Steelworkers are Backing Otto

The Steelworkers realize that the race for State Auditor is critical to restoring financial stability to our local communities and stopping the double whammy of rising property taxes and cutting of services. 

Steelworkers give early nod to
Rebecca Otto for State Auditor
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Saturday, November 5th, 2005

DULUTH — The endorsement was a year early, but Steelworkers District 11 officials want their members and the public to know ahead of time who they’re supporting for State Auditor, and that person is former State Representative Rebecca Otto.

"Political campaigns are starting earlier and earlier," and are rising in costs, said District 11 Director Dave Foster at the Tuesday announcement. "We can’t afford to wait until next September."

Otto said she was deeply honored by the early vow of support from the union, long considered a key to strong support in Northeastern Minnesota. "To win in Minnesota, you have to win in the Northeast," said Otto.

Otto, who distinguished herself as a budget hawk while in the legislature, has been a harsh critic of budgetary policies she says do the bidding of the Taxpayer’s League but are hurting the citizens of Minnesota.

"The Pawlenty Administration and the current State Auditor have sold their souls and our state’s fiscal stability to a special interest group," Otto says.

"They have placed their pledges to the Taxpayer’s League ahead of their duty to pledge to serve all the citizens of Minnesota.

"I’m here to tell you it is inappropriate for our state officials to be advocating for anyone’s interests except the citizens as a whole.

"It is unacceptable that the current auditor has taken what is supposed to be a non-partisan office and used it to advocate for policies that undermine the financial stability of the very units of local government whose financial stability she was elected to insure, and those units of local government have been especially hard hit in Northern Minnesota.

"I have spent the last five years of my life battling the minions of the Taxpayer’s League in a school levy race, school board races, and state house races, and I’m continuing the battle until we have restored balance and reason and fiscal responsibility to our state offices. I very much appreciate your support."

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