To the Editor:
I am confused by the inclusion of a letter from District 8A candidate Tim Hafvenstein in the Oct. 30 edition of the Pine Journal. In his "letter" Mr. Hafvenstein makes his case for why he is seeking office, how his opponent is "out of touch with the people," and asks readers for their vote on Nov. 4.
The content sounded like a campaign advertisement to me and certainly the timing of the "letter" was no accident on the candidate's part. It blurred the line between paid advertisement and an editorial. Unpaid candidate advertisements are a violation of Minnesota Fair Campaign Practices. [ www.revisor.leg.state . mn.us/statutes/?id=211B&view=chapter&year=2008&keyword_type=all&keyword=100+feet+polling#stat.211B.045]
In the same edition of the Pine Journal, published just five days before the election, I could not find any paid advertisement for Mr. Hafvenstein. I did find paid advertisement for Mr. Hilty, however.
Can you help me understand your decision to publish this "letter," please?
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Kim Matteen Orlowski
*Editor's Note: Generally we haven't printed candidate letters the week before an election, but this one slipped through in the frenzy of putting out a voters guide in addition to a three-section paper while short on news staff. We spoke with Laurie Hilty about it the following day, removed the letter from our Web site and offered her the chance to write one in response for the Internet. While she graciously declined, we acknowledge this oversight and will be more diligent in the future.
