Why are taxpayers footing the bill for a bridge p.r. firm?

[Minnesota Raindog]

Especially one with close ties to Timmy the Tool:

http://www.startribune.com/16711881.html

The state is paying $550,000 for a public relations firm to tell the story of the new Interstate 35W bridge -- and to help restore the image of the beleaguered Minnesota Department of Transportation.

The firm, Himle Horner Inc., has been leading a "proactive, on-the-ground" initiative since last fall that includes information kiosks, attempts to shape media coverage and weekly "sidewalk superintendent tours" of the construction work.

A PR plan also promised to use a webcam to beam a half-hour live educational show from the bridge site to all Minnesota school-age children whose classrooms have Web access.

It's all part of a strategy that helped Flatiron Constructors, which hired Himle Horner as a subcontractor, win the $234 million bridge contract.

The communications strategy of Himle Horner, which has close ties to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, went beyond the particulars of building a new bridge with a promise to resurrect MnDOT's image.

:wtf:

Do you have any idea how much we already pay for "communications specialists" or whatever they're called at MnDOT? Are they incapable of writing a few press releases and making videos about the bridge construction? Do you really think the local media would not jump every time they could rush down to report a new story or development on the bridge? Bridges and roads are built all the time. But should we be paying p.r. firms to publicize them while we employ huge p.r. staffs in every branch of state government?

[dflprincess]

1. Maybe because:

http://www.himlehorner.com/staff_bios.html#1

John Himle
Co-Founder and Principal

Prior to the formation of Himle Horner, Himle was president of the public relations firm Himle & Associates, Inc. He formed the company in 1982 and expanded it into Himle Horner in partnership with Thomas Horner.

From 1978 to 1982, Himle was executive director of the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, an agribusiness trade association in Minnesota. Before that, he was government relations assistant for Northwest Bancorporation, now Wells Fargo, a multi-bank and financial services company.

First elected in 1980, Himle served five terms as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and held leadership positions including assistant majority leader, floor leader and assistant minority leader. Appointed by Governor Carlson in 1991, Himle also served eight years as a member of the Metropolitan Airports Commission where he was responsible for overseeing the governmental approvals and construction program related to the $2.5 billion expansion of the country’s 10th largest hub airport at Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP).

Just to make it clear, Himle was a Republican legislator.

and

Tom Horner
Co-Founder and Principal

Horner formerly worked for former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger (R-MN). He joined Durenberger as press secretary during Durenberger’s first campaign for the U.S. Senate (1978). After Durenberger’s election to the U.S. Senate, Horner served in Washington, DC, as the senator’s press secretary and chief of staff.

Earlier in his career, Horner was managing editor of Sun Newspapers, Inc., where he supervised the editorial content and production of 16 suburban newspapers.

Among his current community involvement, Horner serves on the boards of The Children’s Theatre Company, the Minnesota Commission on National and Community Service, also known as ServeMinnesota, and the University of Minnesota’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications' Premack Board. Horner also serves as the 2006 board chair of the Citizens League, one of the nation’s foremost civic engagement organizations. The Citizens League builds civic infrastructure and capacity in Minnesota by providing citizen-based public policy solutions, guaranteeing new generations of civic leaders and renewing policies, institutions and relationships in Minnesota to achieve these ideals.

Though I would think Horner's connection to Dave Durenberger might make him too liberal for Timmy and the Taxpayers' League.

[Avidor]

2. The Citizens League

Transportation "wisdom" from the Citizens League: