Press Release
December 28, 2011
Congressional candidate Allen Quist is calling on Congressman Tim Walz to stop mailing what Quist calls “campaign advertisements” at taxpayer expense. Quist said Walz is mailing fliers to thousands of First District constituents that are primarily political. He cited as examples a piece from last fall with a large, bold headline stating: “HOW CONGRESSMAN TIM WALZ IS HELPING CREATE JOBS,” and a more recent flier with the headline, “HOW CONGRESSMAN WALZ IS HELPING MINNESOTA’S VETERANS.”
Quist said that House rules require that Congressional mailings be informational-and not “partisan or political in fact or tone.” Quist said the Walz mailings are obviously more political than informational. “The real message of the fliers,” said Quist, is: “Why you should re-elect Tim Walz.”
To illustrate, Quist said the last two pieces mailed by Walz used his name a total of 31 times, while the word “Congress” was only used once in one flier and was never used at all in the other. “Clearly these taxpayer-funded mailings are all about Tim Walz, not Congress,” Quist concluded.
Quist stated that such mailings are an abuse of the franking privilege (sending out mailings or other materials at taxpayer expense). He said the Walz fliers, in small print, say: “This mailing was prepared, published and mailed at taxpayer expense.”
“It is difficult to find any concern for taxpayer expense in these mailings,” Quist said. He noted that the mailings are four-color, on high quality glossy paper and printed in union shops. “No expense is spared in these mailings,” Quist stated. He also said this wrongful use of taxpayer money is especially outrageous when huge federal deficits are the order of the day.
According to Quist, Members of Congress hide behind two excuses in this improper use of taxpayer money. The first, he said, is to say that Members of Congress from both parties engage in the practice. Quist’s response is: “Even if ‘everybody is doing it,’ that doesn’t make it right.”
The second excuse, according to Quist, is that Members of Congress say the Franking Commission approves the mailings. Quist’s response is that the Franking Commission needs to be reformed as well.
Quist said the abuse of the franking privilege typifies what is wrong with Washington. The Congressional franking procedures are structured to give the appearance of propriety, while the real issue of whether a piece is informational or political is overlooked, he stated.
Quist said that if he is elected to Congress, he will refuse to send out political mailings at taxpayer expense, and he will also work to reform the system so the abusive practice is stopped.
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