Update on my $50 refundable campaign donation.

After a week I didn't hear back from Dave Shegstad but it could have been an email glitch. I sent a $50 check instead to the campaign for Adam Steele who is a very strong opponent of the bar smoking ban. I mailed the $50 check on Monday and received a reply with the forms needed to get a response in the Friday mail. This is a prompt response. It included personal response. I am using a new computer without OCR software but the letter reaffirmed Adam Steele's very strong support for changing the bar smoking ban.

Here are web pages I found with information on Adam Steele and his candidacy. http://northernherald.finalhost.net/campsite.pdf
http://northernherald.finalhost.net/
http://northernherald.com

Here is the Tavern League's page on the Campaign Donation refund. http://www.tavernleaguemn.org/PCR.htm
Here is the official State of Minnesota page.
http://www.taxes.state.mn.us/individ/other_supporting_content/political_contrib_refund.shtml

To reiterate the basics. You must be a resident of Minnesota but you do not have to donate to a candidate (or political group) in your district. I once donated to a Democratic challenger in Burnsville, and got my refund. On off years in the past I have made this donation to the state Republican party but I have had second thoughts about this. Not matter how explicitly you tell them that this will be the only contribution that year they will still call seeking more. I've had people tell it's the same with the Democratic donations. Besides, it seems more effective to give to an individual candidate, especially one who shares your views. Adam Steele is running for district 4A in Bemidji and I live in Minneapolis. This is a perfectly legal and acceptable way to give the refundable donation.

Some ground rules and caveats. The candidate has to agree to campaign spending limits to be eligible and must be running for a Minnesota constitutional office or be a Minnesota political party. What this means is that you won't be eligible for a refund if you donate to the "Paris Hilton for President" campaign http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/64ad536a6d . The National congressional campaigns are not eligible either.

Basically local is better. Adam Steele is eligible. If you send a check to any candidate for this write "refundable MN political contribution" on the check. If the candidate did not agree they are required to send the check back. Again, Adam Steele sent me the refund material back promptly so he is definitely eligible.

Send a note with your concerns to the candidate. This is why it is better to donate to an individual candidate. Adam Steele sent me a personalised reply. $50/$100 means a lot to these candidates and raising basic money will make them eligible for further campaign financing.

One important caveat is that if you owe municipalities in Minnesota or the State of Minnesota debts, fines and penalties the $50/100 refund can be seized for this. This could conceivably include unpaid first half property taxes and other taxes in arrears. The second half property taxes are not due until (I think) October 15 so these are non in arrears. Basically, if you got your state and federal tax refunds and economic stimulus checks intact and haven't received arrears notices since then you should be OK. They cross check for arrears child support but again if you got your refunds you should be OK.

The donations must be monetary, not goods or services. That a technical point but it makes sense.

That said, it is a very good program and I highly recommend donations to Adam Steele. He has a long history of aggressively fighting the bar smoking bans so he could be a valuable asset if elected.

Basically your "cost" for this donation is two stamps. One is to mail the check and the other is to mail in the application for the refund. The Sate of Minnesota will refund your $50 to $100 within six weeks if you meek the criteria. It is not difficult.

The refundable limit is $50 for and individual and $100 for a married couple. This can only be done once per calendar year. It is designed to increase citizen influence in government. $50/100 won't "buy" much influence but it helps support the candidates who support your beliefs.

The bar/tavern culture is under assault from the same "global warming" politicians and bureaucrats who believe that if they can drive energy prices up high enough we will all embrace their "Potekem Village" alternative energy fantasies. (MY father ran an electric power plant so I know energy realities, see my http://fourfiftygas.com/) A good way to fight back is with the $50/100 refundable MN campaign contribution.

Note to other candidate favoring a MN bar smoking ban revision. Email me through the http://freedomtoact.com/ email link or snail mail me at the address on the far right of http://freedomtoact.com/ and I will publish you comments upon verification.

Again, this is a very good program. If people want to help save our American bar/tavern culture they have to do more than gripe. We can all afford two stamps.