Julie Blaha: 2018 Election Guide
Welcome to WCCO.com's 2018 political guide!
We reached out to all Minnesota candidates running for U.S Senate, Governor, U.S Congress, Attorney General, Secretary of State and State Auditor this fall. Candidates were asked to provide a two-minute video discussing their platform as well as answer a set of our viewer's questions.
Above is the video and below are the answers Julie Blaha provided. This is not a paid advertisement nor does WCCO endorse any candidate.
Responses from Julie Blaha, DFL candidate for State Auditor:
What is your most important responsibility as State Auditor?
The most important role of the Minnesota State Auditor is as an arbiter of truth.
In this time of fake news and unprecedented assaults on truth-tellers at every level of government, we need a State Auditor who is committed to defending real, unbiased data. Whether I am working on the office's core functions of oversight, education, or representation, my first priority will be to ensure Minnesotans have clear, complete information in context to solve whatever issues they face.
In recent years, the Legislature changed Minnesota law to allow counties to use independent auditors for fiscal reviews instead of the State Auditor's office. Does this weaken the Auditor's office, and should the law be reviewed?
Minnesotans want an audit system they can trust.
A key component of that trust is delivering services that are not biased by a profit motive but are instead wholly accountable to the Minnesotans they serve. In the case of the auditor's office, people trust that an audit or analysis is fair when they know that the financial professionals in the office are not swayed by payments from the entity they investigate.
Together with the next legislature and governor, we must find a way to ensure the cost of audits are not left to our local governments. This way, Minnesotans will trust that their local government is being held accountable, but they won't be forced to give up other vital services in their community in order to afford an expensive audit.
How active should a State Auditor be investigating local governments beyond annual fiscal reviews?
Minnesotans want their financial resources focused where they are most efficient and effective.
The investigative work of the State Auditor's office should focus on finding what is working well and what needs to change when it comes to local government. One priority for these investigations can be shining the light on the places where public and private interests meet. As auditor, I will work to ensure that where there are private entities involved in local government, the public good takes priority over profit.
