Minnesota Wins, the "corporate-backed booster
organization" campaigning for a new Twins ballpark, "spent
almost" $112,000 in lobbying-related expenses in the past
three months, plus $1M "for citizen outreach efforts in the
past year," according to Jay Weiner of the Minneapolis STAR
TRIBUNE. Documents filed Tuesday with the State Ethical
Practices Board show that Minnesota Wins "was required to
report only costs for preparing and distributing printed
materials, for phones, postage and other fees related to
lobbying," which amounted to $111,747. But Joe Weber, Dir
of Minnesota Wins, said the organization spent $1M more on
"opinion polling, focus groups, grass-roots organizing,
database development, a $200,000 economic impact report and
salaries for a staff of five." Weber also said he "expects"
the organization "to spend at least $111,000 more on
reportable lobbying" in the last five weeks of the
legislative session. FANS, Inc., a group opposed to public
funding of a new Twins ballpark, has reported lobbying costs
of $6,255 (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 4/16).
