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Dayton Opts To Get Paid As Minn. Governor

January 13, 2011 10:24 AM
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(credit: CBS)

(credit: CBS)

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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota won’t be getting free service from its new governor, the same politician who passed on a paycheck as a U.S. senator.

Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton intends to accept the position’s $120,303 per year salary.

Dayton spokeswoman Katie Tinucci said Thursday the governor decided to take a salary “out of financial necessity.”

As a U.S. senator for six years, Dayton donated his salary to a senior citizens group that arranged bus trips to Canada for people seeking cheaper medication.

Dayton comes from a family that founded the Dayton’s department store chain. He has spent millions of dollars on bids for political office, including at least $3.3 million during the recent campaign.

Dayton released tax forms last summer showing he sold pieces of fine art to help finance his campaign.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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  • http://hub.tld30.com/pubsub/dayton-opts-to-get-paid-as-minn-governor/ Dayton Opts To Get Paid As Minn. Governor | TLD30.com PubSub Hub

    [...] CBS Minnesota – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic, and the Best of Minnesota Free Short URL Service – Get TLD30 Short [...]

  • Cache

    B.S. Mommy is the one who forked over the cash to get mumbles “I gave myself an ‘F’…elected

  • rjon

    Think the MN budget shortfall is a higher necessity than the Gov’s paycheck!?
    A bit hypocritical, huh??

  • BobB

    Why shouldn’t he get paid for doing his job? I get paid for doing mine and you get paid for doing yours. I work for a noni-profit that could use the money that they pay me, but do you think I’m going to forego a paycheck? No way!

  • golfer

    why would anyone spend $3.3 million to get a job that pays $120 thousand? why?

    • Rich

      I wondered the same thing. Sheesh.

    • M B

      Because politics in this country are screwed up. Because it’s more about the office than the paycheck. It’s about the power, no matter which side of the aisle you sit on.
      How many Hundreds of millions were spent on the Presidential Election when his paycheck is $400,000? Doesn’t matter which party, they all do it for the power.
      This should be a lesson to The People about politicians’ ability to fiscally handle the country, but I doubt anybody would listen.

    • Mike

      Did you just wake up from a coma? California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman spent $119,000,000.00 of her own money to lose her election bid People with money can spend their money as they please, just like you unless your married……………

  • TheWho

    South Dakota must be holding his money captive!!!

  • pforest

    Right on golfer… Go figure. Maybe I will spend every penny I have so I can be a volunteer for Dayton.

  • Joe Hanson

    “the governor decided to take a salary “out of financial necessity.”” Hey, buying the Governor’s office is expensive. We should take up a collection for the poor guy.

    Donations for Dayton…

  • Mark

    yep the ritch get ritcher he could care less about the people of mn so now you know what to look forward to for the next 4 years

  • Paul

    Maybe Pawlenty can donate part of the proceeds from his book to help defray the cost of Dayton’s salary. That is, if he sells any books. I can’t imagine who would read it. I am an independent conservative voter who would vote for any Democrat before Pawlenty. He lies and says no new taxes and then adds Fee’s. On the national scene people will see this phony for what he is.

  • Why Not

    Golfer, It’s a government job. You have to spend a ton of money to get very little in return.

  • DEW

    The people of MN spokle and voted for Dayton. Also did Pawlenty go without a salary as governor??????????????????/ He said no taxes but what about all the fee’s he created. Fee vs Tax Hummmmmmmm

  • Jean

    For Pete’s sake kids – what’s the issue anyway? Anyone else that would have been elected would have taken the salary. What he does with it is NO ONE else’s concern as long as it is legal.

  • StraycatStrut

    Dayton is a cool cat….no doubt. Did you know he donated his gold fillings so we could have the Mary Tyler Moore Statue on the Nicillet Mall in front of………..

  • NoNeedToPointFingers

    Imagine going into work tomorrow and telling your boss, “Hey Boss, I would like to work for you for free. Please, take away my salary.” Is it wrong for Dayton to also get paid for his job? I mean, he did forfeit his last salary to deserving Minnesotans.

  • http://www.justbloggingnow.com/dayton-opts-to-get-paid-as-minn-governor/ Dayton Opts To Get Paid As Minn. Governor | Blogging Made Easy

    [...] more on WCCO Minneapolis – St. Paul Comments [...]

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