| A reliable source affiliated with the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center has confirmed that the policy was indeed adopted as a result of a large unpaid bill incurred by the Minnesota DFL for expenses arising from the state convention.
The source declined to cite the exact amount, stating only that approximately one-third of the total bill remains unpaid adding "it is a substantial amount, in excess of $10,000". Efforts to collect the remaining debt from the DFL party have been unsuccessful. The party has not contacted the facility about the debt or to make suitable payment arrangements, the source said.
Collecting the two payments they have already received was difficult at best, according to the source, and dealing with the state DFL about this matter has been a very frustrating experience.
Sources within the party have indicated that a check has now been cut to the DECC in anticipation of this story. However, as of Friday morning, the DECC still had not received payment.
It is shocking that the Minnesota DFL is not concerned about the impact leaving an area vendor with a huge unpaid debt would have on the local party units.
Since the DECC is the only facility in the region of its size and the new policy is prohibitive for a party unit, their actions have made it considerably more difficult for us to hold large fundraising events. We worked hard over the years to establish and maintain a positive working relationship with the DECC. The Minnesota DFL has now put us in the situation of having to rebuild that relationship. At the very least, they should have been forthright with the DECC and entered into a payment plan to cover the debt if they couldn't pay the bill. And we certainly should have been told what was going on.
City folks coming up here, pooping in our backyard, covering it with leaves for us to discover later and heading back down south is the height of disrespect.
News of a change in leadership on Plato Boulevard could not have come at a better time. |
