Clyde Kringlen

ST. PAUL, MN — Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Alex Plechash released the following statement in response to Senator Amy Klobuchar’s government reform and fraud proposal: “Amy Klobuchar’s plan is not innovation. It is an admission of failure. “For years, Minnesota Democrats controlled state government while fraud exploded, costs went up, agencies failed, permits got delayed, IT systems aged, small businesses got buried in red tape, and taxpayers were told to keep paying more for less. “Now Senator Klobuchar wants to show up with a glossy plan promising mobile apps, real-time tracking, better technology, fraud prevention, permitting reform, broadband, housing reform, business portals, audits, deadlines, and accountability. “The obvious question is: where has she been? “This plan reads like an indictment of Democrat governance in Minnesota. If state government is too slow, too outdated, too expensive, too vulnerable to fraud, too hostile to small businesses, too difficult to navigate, and too broken to serve taxpayers, then Amy Klobuchar should say who broke it. “The answer is simple: Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Amy Klobuchar’s DFL allies, and the one-party Democrat machine that ran Minnesota into the ground. “For years, Republicans have called for stronger anti-fraud enforcement, front-end verification, agency accountability, repayment of stolen taxpayer dollars, tougher penalties, inspector general authority, permitting reform, lower costs, and a government that works for taxpayers instead of insiders. “Democrats resisted, delayed, watered down, or ignored those reforms. “Now that fraud and incompetence have become politically toxic, Senator Klobuchar is trying to repackage Republican ideas as her own campaign platform. That is not leadership. That is damage control. “Even worse, her plan pretends fraud happened because Minnesota lacked buzzwords. It did not. Fraud happened because Democrats built a culture of no accountability. Fraudsters got rich. Bureaucrats kept their jobs. Political leaders made excuses. Taxpayers got stuck with the bill. “Klobuchar says she wants to modernize government. Fine. But Minnesota does not need another listening tour, another innovation initiative, another portal, another network, another working group, or another campaign-tested slogan. “Minnesota needs people fired. “Minnesota needs stolen money recovered. “Minnesota needs fraudsters banned from taxpayer-funded programs. “Minnesota needs bureaucrats held accountable when they fail to protect public dollars. “Minnesota needs agencies that stop suspicious payments before the money disappears. “Minnesota needs permits approved on time. “Minnesota needs tab fees lowered. “Minnesota needs small businesses freed from Democrat red tape. “Minnesota needs parents empowered, girls’ sports protected, and taxpayers respected. “And Minnesota needs leaders who were willing to fight for those things before it became politically convenient. “Amy Klobuchar had a United States Senate seat, a national platform, and years to speak up while federal taxpayer dollars were being stolen through Minnesota programs. She said little to nothing when it mattered. Now that she wants a new political job, she suddenly has a fraud plan. “That is the story of Amy Klobuchar’s career: scripted outrage after the damage is done, carefully worded plans when the cameras are on, and no real accountability for the Democrats who caused the problem. “If Senator Klobuchar is serious, she should start with three simple admissions: “First, Tim Walz and Minnesota Democrats failed taxpayers. “Second, Republican anti-fraud reforms should have been passed years ago. “Third, no one who oversaw these failures should be promoted, protected, or recycled into the next Democrat administration. “Until she says that, this is not a reform plan. It is a political cover-up dressed up as innovation. “Minnesotans do not need Amy Klobuchar to track government failure on a phone. They need Republicans to end it.” ###