Putting his stamp on the agency that oversees Twin Cities airports, Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday appointed six people to the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) that could play a role in his mission to lower airfares.
Dayton puts stamp on airports board
Among his six appointees to the Metropolitan Airports Commission is a businessman and major DFL contributor.
March 30, 2011 at 1:38AM
Among those selected was James Deal, a former insurance executive and a major DFL campaign contributor whose money figured in the 2010 governor's race. Dayton also appointed a union leader, a technology expert, a business journal publisher and an attorney. They will join Dayton's new MAC chairman, attorney Dan Boivin, and those on the 15-member commission who are serving terms under previous appointments.
Deal has given $339,000 in campaign contributions since 1998 and is one of the larger donors to DFL causes. Among his recipients over the years were DFL gubernatorial candidates Mike Hatch, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, R.T. Rybak and Dayton. He gave $145,000 to the DFL Party over the years and $50,000 in 2010 to the WIN Minnesota Political Action Fund, which financed television commercials attacking Dayton's GOP opponent, Tom Emmer, in the race for governor.
Deal on Tuesday downplayed the role of his contributions in his appointment to the MAC. "My business background, I think, is what drove it, not necessarily the campaign," said Deal, 76, who owned NAU Country Insurance before selling it and starting a development company.
State GOP chairman Tony Sutton on Tuesday said that Dayton, who relied heavily on his own wealth to finance his campaign, "now is basically doing what politicians do and rewarding a well-heeled contributor."
Dayton spokesperson Katherine Tinucci said the governor has "appointed well-qualified individuals across the board" to various boards and commissions, including reappointing other governors' picks and selecting independents. One of Dayton's Tuesday picks for the MAC was Paul Rehkamp of Marshall, who was originally appointed by Gov. Arne Carlson and reappointed by Gov. Jesse Ventura and Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Deal said that he hasn't talked with Dayton about MAC priorities but that he agreed with the governor's goals of promoting job growth and lowering airfares.
Another Dayton appointment to the MAC, Richard King of Eden Prairie, is chief technology officer for Thomson Reuters Professional. King also has served on the Minnesota Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force.
King said the MAC has been more generous than other airport commissions around the nation in paying to insulate homes from noise. "I'm happy that they sided on ... doing a little bit more than doing a little bit less," he said.
Other MAC appointees announced on Tuesday were Michael Madigan of Woodbury, an attorney; Tammy Mencel of Eagan, publisher of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, and Carl Crimmins of Champlin, president of the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association.
Pat Doyle • 612-673-4504
