Patrick Dean: If elected, I'll be the better state auditor

The Star Tribune endorsement of State Auditor Rebecca Otto (Oct. 21) failed to identify any tangible ways that the state auditor has protected Minnesota taxpayers. The editorial points to her appointment as president of the National State Auditors Association as a crowning achievement while in office. While this position looks good on paper, it is nothing more than a ceremonial position that is passed around from auditor to auditor. The association does not even have its own website and is largely volunteer-run.

The second accomplishment that the editorial references is that the state auditor was recognized as one of 15 of the most influential government officials in auditing. Now this award was given by an organization that opened its doors this year. I question how significant an award is from an organization that still has paint drying on its office walls and whose major accomplishment for the year is that it gave out an award on who is influential in government auditing.

It is important to place these "accomplishments" in the context of what they really mean for Minnesotans — merely window dressing designed to hide the true track record of the state auditor.

Just a few months ago, former Gov. and State Auditor Arne Carlson raised serious concerns about the state auditor's failure to investigate the city of Minneapolis' public-financing agreement on the Vikings stadium.

The state auditor should be asking why the residents of Minneapolis have to shoulder so much of the risk when it comes to financing the stadium-related park and parking lot, yet the billionaire owner of the Vikings gets to take a substantial part of the profits. Who is watching out for the public's interest?

That is the role of the state auditor: to review, investigate and educate local governments on the public financing of projects. That is why we need an independent state auditor with the expertise to get the job done. That is why I am running. With over 20 years of experience as a CPA working for a local government, I will lead the state auditor's office to be the government watchdog that we need.

Minnesota needs a state auditor who is willing to ask the tough questions and has the expertise to look into the details of a massive public-financing project. Unfortunately, we have an auditor who is not independent from the groups that fund her political campaigns.

This November, Minnesota should elect a whistleblower who will protect taxpayers instead of a state auditor who is focused on collecting superfluous awards.

Patrick Dean is the Independence Party candidate for state auditor.