Hatch involved

in Fingerhut talks

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Attorney General Mike Hatch talked about the progress, or lack thereof, in saving 2,500 Fingerhut jobs, railed against the loss of privacy and Republican opposition to more affordable prescription drugs during the Brown County DFL 2002 campaign fund-raiser at Turner Hall Thursday night.

He led the list of state candidates who came to help the county party raise money for this year's campaign. On hand were First District Congressional candidates Steve Andreasen of Rochester and Todd Rasmussen of Winona.

Two candidates for State Auditor -- Rep. Mark Gleason of Richfield and Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt of White Bear Lake -- also attended the event.

"There's the issue of Fingerhut, 2,500 workers being laid off tomorrow," Hatch told about 60 DFL supporters attending the dinner. "I've spent the last three weeks working on this thing, along with other people. As a public official, you do put on a cap that says 'Chamber of Commerce;' you want to make sure people are working in your state. You go to whatever effort you can do within the confines of that office to help out. You try to keep the parties talking, and they are talking today, they were talking yesterday, and they'll be talking Monday."

Saying that he wouldn't get to all of it, Hatch said he was taking criticism from both Republicans and Independents for being involved in the Fingerhut talks.

"If you don't get involved, why are we here in public office if we don't try?" Hatch said. He said that was the difference in political parties.

"Democrats get involved, they get people talking, by moral persuasion to get people going back to work. It doesn't cost the taxpayer a nickel," he said. "All the political parties ought to be involved; there's a philosophical divide there. That's why we're Democrats, and other people aren't."

Hatch sees a similar divide regarding prescription drug pricing.

"You go along the northern tier of states bordering on Canada, the Democratic ones, and they're enacting regulations on prescription drug pricing. Even Maine an Independent state, right? And even some Republican states are doing it. Not here in Minnesota; the Republican House opposes it."

Hatch said the House even tried to block his investigation of Allina Health Systems and Medica. "They wanted to know why I was looking into the firm's finances. Well, we found there was over $100 million in unnecessary expenses. That's a lot of money."

Andreasen, former staff member of the National Security Council under President Clinton, and Rasmussen, a 40-year-old banker, zeroed in on First District Congressman Gil Gutkneckt's record in getting affordable prescription drugs for seniors.

Gleason said, if elected state auditor, he would be the first certified public accountant to hold the position. The two-term DFL legislator said he's also the only candidate who has had experience auditing local government.

Reinhardt said her strength would be in being able to work with local governments. "I love working with local governments, and I believe we should capitalize on those connections with local government."