10-29-14 Chronicle Election Guide

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The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 1C
Local Election Guide
McLeod County
There are four McLeod County elect-
ed officials on the Nov. 4 ballot. The four
current incumbents are running unop-
posed for four-year terms. They include
County Attorney Mike Junge, County-
Auditor Treasurer Cindy Schultz, Sher-
iff Scott Rehmann, and County
Recorder Lynn Ette Schrupp.
Four officials run unopposed
There are two City Council seats and
the mayor’s position on the city of Plato
ballot. Mayor Bob Becker is running un-
opposed, and did not respond to the
questionnaire. Incumbent Council Mem-
ber VeeAnn Wood and newcomer Jake
Nelson are the Council candidates.
Council Member Julie Wischnack did
not file for re-election.
Three run unopposed
What compelled you to
run for office?
I am running for re-election
to continue my professional
career of 32 years with
McLeod County; 15 years as
county auditor and four years
as county auditor-treasurer.
Experience is important in
a position like this and I work
hard to serve the people of
McLeod County. The Audi-
tor-Treasurer’s Office is part
of the administrative branch
of county government and in-
teracts with county depart-
ments, county residents, the
public, local governments,
state and federal agencies,
school districts, and special
districts.
I feel taxpayers of McLeod
County deserve to have hon-
est and dedicated representa-
tion working for them.
Throughout my career I
have enjoyed working for
McLeod County and would
like to continue to serve the
people of McLeod County as
their county auditor-treasurer.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing your
department, and how would
you like to see those issues
addressed?
Budget, property taxes and
infrastructure.
My office manages a $48
million annual budget. I will
safeguard county assets while
maintaining a balance with
revenues and expenditures to
keep property taxes from ris-
ing and to ensure the finances
of McLeod County remain in
good standing. I provide and
maintain accurate informa-
tion needed to conduct busi-
ness for McLeod County,
while keeping the County
Board of Commissioners in-
formed with budgeting con-
cerns and issues. In these
economic times, we must be
fiscally responsible for the
taxpayer dollars. I strive to
look at new ways to make the
county more efficient and ef-
fective while providing excel-
lent public service to the
McLeod County community
professionally.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I have been a resident of
Glencoe for 46 years, married
to my husband, Jim Ford, for
12 years. Together we have
six adult children, a son-in-
law, two daughters-in-law
and 10 grandchildren. I’m an
active and certified member
with the Minnesota Associa-
tion of County Officers, sec-
retary for the Stevens Semi-
nary Foundation Board of Di-
rectors for more than 19
years, district chair for the
Minnesota Association of
County Auditors, Treasurers,
& Finance Officers, named
County Auditor of the year in
2000 and received 2011
Honor Roll award from Min-
nesota Association of County
Officers for outstanding serv-
ice and contribution to the as-
sociation.
Any other comments?
I will remain informed on
my duties and responsibilities
that are imposed on the Of-
fice of the County Auditor-
Treasurer while governed by
statutes that are vast and
complex. Integrity, honesty,
enthusiasm, and commitment
are qualities that the voters of
McLeod County expect from
an elected official, and I feel I
have brought these qualities
to the office of County Audi-
tor-Treasurer.
It has been an honor to
serve as your County Auditor
and now as your County Au-
ditor-Treasurer for the past 19
years. I ask for your support
and your vote for the next
four years.
Cindy Schultz — Auditor-Treas.
Cindy Schultz
What compelled you to
run for office?
It has been an honor and
privilege to serve the people
of McLeod County as your
sheriff these past eight years.
My desire and passion is to
work with the people of
McLeod County to make this
a safe and secure community.
My goal continues to be to
form partnerships to reach
our youth in order to help
them make healthy decisions,
providing constitutional law
enforcement, and fiscal re-
sponsibility with the re-
sources that have been en-
trusted to me to serve you.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing your
department, and how would
you like to see those issues
addressed?
• As your sheriff, I will
continue to work with our
schools and other organiza-
tions to educate our youth in
making positive, healthy de-
cisions, to stand against nega-
tive peer pressure, and to uti-
lize skills to resist drug and
alcohol use.
• Currently, we are in the
process of building an addi-
tion to our current jail and
adding necessary security
features to our courthouse.
Once completed, the jail ex-
pansion will allow us to save
an estimated $150,000 annu-
ally by not having to house
inmates in other facilities due
to lack of space. The court-
house security upgrades will
allow the people of McLeod
County and its employees to
conduct daily business in a
safer environment.
• As your sheriff, I will
continue to protect the consti-
tutional rights of the people
of McLeod County in how
we enforce our statutes and
interact with our public. We,
the sheriff’s office, will con-
tinue to maintain high expec-
tations for our actions and
provide the most professional
service possible.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I was born and raised in
Winsted, where I graduated
from Holy Trinity High
School. I have been married
to Katie (Barton), for 22
years. We have four children:
Josiah, 18, currently enrolled
at University of Northwest-
ern-St. Paul (law enforcement
major); Isabel, 14; Elias, 13;
and Alison, 10.
Education:
Metropolitan State Univer-
sity, Law Enforcement (B.A.)
Ridgewater College, Law
Enforcement (A.A.)
Minneapolis Community
College, Chemical Depend-
ency Counseling (A.A.)
I have been the sheriff of
McLeod County since 2007.
Any other comments?
I would appreciate your
vote of confidence on Nov. 4.
Please contact me if you have
any questions or concerns.
Thank you.
Scott Rehmann — Sheriff
Scott Rehmann
What compelled you to
run for office?
I enjoy criminal prosecu-
tion and public service.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing
McLeod County, and how
would you like to see those
issues addressed?
• Drug prosecution, partic-
ularly methamphetamine use,
has increased. We will pursue
vigorous and prompt prosecu-
tion of drug offenses.
• Young parents addicted to
drugs. We will seek chemical
dependency treatment for
these people and, if treatment
is unsuccessful, we will seek
permanent placement for the
children.
• I will continue to help the
County Board in the building
project for Solid Waste,
Courthouse expansion, and
Social Services renovation.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I am 58 years of age, mar-
ried, and live north of
Hutchinson in Acoma Town-
ship.
Michael Junge — Attorney
Mike Junge
What compelled you to
run for office?
My 29 years of experience
in the McLeod County
Recorder’s Office have pro-
vided me with the knowledge
of the historical infrastructure
that has taken place over the
years. The public relies on
the recorder to provide the
knowledge of where they
might find certain or extraor-
dinary information, how they
can decipher that informa-
tion, and why it was main-
tained a certain way. They
also rely on the recorder to
keep accurate records, protect
those records, and keep these
records up to date in the latest
technology.
At a conference I once at-
tended, a speaker said elected
officials are not public ser-
vants but are public leaders.
He said the voters expect us,
as elected public officials, to
be leaders who serve in the
public’s best interest. That
gave me a whole new per-
spective of my job as an
elected official. I take this po-
sition very seriously and
would be honored to lead and
serve the citizens of McLeod
County for a fourth term as
their county recorder.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing your
department, and how would
you like to see those issues
addressed?
• In July 2012, our office
began eRecording all docu-
ment types. eRecording is a
new way of recording where-
by documents are sent to us
electronically through a se-
cure software system. Our
goal is to have more title
companies, attorneys and
banks participate in eRecord-
ing, as it gives a faster turn-
around time for their cus-
tomers and underwriters. Our
office continues to find ways
to educate clients at every op-
portunity and to help them
become accustomed to a new
recording system.
• Disaster Recovery is a
continual concern of mine
and my office has made great
strides in integrating the digi-
tized historical real estate
records. We recently had the
remainder of general docu-
mentation digitized by an
outside company and will add
these digitized documents
into our integration project. It
takes years to integrate histor-
ical data as each document
has multiple phases that need
to be implemented. As each
step is completed, we will
move on to the next phase of
the integration.
• The building that houses
the Recorder ’s office has
been evacuated for a day or
two, due to outside flooding,
two years in a row. This led
me to start working on a
Recorder’s Office emergency
operations plan. This plan
will be set in place and tested
by the end of the year. In the
event of a future emergency
whereby we cannot access
our building, the Recorder’s
staff will report to a different
location and continue most
functions of our office in-
cluding accepting documents
for recording. Residents
should listen to radio an-
nouncements and check the
county website for directions.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I am a lifelong resident of
McLeod County and live in
Glencoe Township with my
husband Brian. I have been
married to my husband for 30
years and have been blessed
with two children, Chelsey
and Nickolas.
I was honored to serve as
president of the Minnesota
County Recorder’s Associa-
tion in 2011 and 2012.
I donate to and participate
in collections and fundraisers
for charities such as Samari-
tan’s Purse, Little Dresses for
Africa, and glove and sock
collections for the homeless.
I also make Quilts of Honor
for veterans.
Lynn Ette Schrupp — Recorder
Lynn Ette Schrupp
City of Plato
What compelled you to
run for office?
I moved to Plato this past
January and decided at that
time that I wanted to get in-
volved with my new commu-
nity. What better way than to
sit on the City Council? I’d
get to meet the residents, find
out what’s going on, and
hopefully be able to help
keep the town a great place
for everyone.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing the
city of Plato, and how
would you like to see those
issues addressed?
The city of Plato has really
impressed me. It appears to
be a clean, safe and well-
managed town. As I have
only lived here since January,
I honestly do not know what
“issues” there are or what the
community goals are. I be-
lieve once on the City Coun-
cil, I will learn more about
this city and am excited about
being able to help achieve
those goals.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I was raised in Alexandria.
After high school, I took the
advice of many and decided
to move about the country a
bit before I had real commit-
ments. I spent a short time
with family in Iowa, lived
three years in Tennessee
working as a delivery driver
and worked at a Texas airport
for a year. Ultimately, I de-
cided that Minnesota was for
me and headed back north.
Two years ago, I decided to
go back to college and study
accounting. I am excited
about starting a new career,
Jake Nelson — Council
Jake Nelson
What compelled you to
run for office?
I have been a member of
the City Council for the past
four years and would like to
continue being on the Coun-
cil. I have always had an
opinion and decided it was
time to step up and serve on
the Council. I want to be a
voice for the people of Plato
and want them to feel they
can come to me and I will
voice their opinion.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing the
city of Plato, and how
would you like to see those
issues addressed?
• The Community Hall
needs to be replaced or made
accessible for handicapped individuals.
• Economic funds are avail-
able through the city of Plato
for existing and new busi-
ness. We need to make more
businesses aware of these
funds by contacting them and
the Council is presently
working on this.
• Other important items for
the city are keeping the water
and sewer bills affordable for
residents. Continuing to keep
Plato a safe and a good place
to live. Promote building of
new businesses and homes in
Plato. We need to grow as a
community both socially and
economically.
Please provide some biog-
VeeAnn Wood — Council
VeeAnn Wood
Nelson
Turn to page 2C
Wood
Turn to page 2C
The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 2C
Incumbent Mayor Doug Muesch has
filed for re-election, and is running un-
challenged. Six candidates have emerged
for two seats on the City Council, includ-
ing incumbent Sheri Lowden, as well as
Craig Lowden, former mayor Roger
Becker, Corey Schwanke, Barb Schutte
and Vicki Holtz. The other incumbent
was Elizabeth Frahm, who resigned her
seat this summer. Responding to The
Chronicle’s questionnaires were Sheri
Lowden, Schutte and Holtz.
6 run for 2 open council seats
City of Stewart voters will elect a
mayor and two City Council members at
the Nov. 4 election. Mayor Jason Peirce
is seeking another term and is running
unopposed. Council candidates include
incumbent Cindy Merrell and newcom-
ers Curt Glaeser, Kevin Masrud and
Chuck Kruggel. Incumbent Council
Member Mike Knox is not seeking re-
election. Glaeser and Kruggel responded
to the questionnaire requests.
Mayor, 2 council seats open
The city portion of the Biscay ballot
has no candidates. Up for election are
the mayor’s seat for a two-year term,
two City Council seats for two-year
terms, and a two-year Council seat to fill
out the final two years of an unexpired
four-year term.
No filings in city of Biscay
City of New Auburn
City of Stewart
What compelled you to
run for office?
I have been attending
Council meetings for the past
year and have been watching
the present Council table is-
sues that need to be ad-
dressed. I believe being on
the Council is more than at-
tending meetings. You must
adhere to ordinances and fol-
low city policies. You must
lead by example. I want ordi-
nances followed and action
taken to ensure residents are
following them. We need to
stick to the budget and have a
good understanding on where
the money is going and use
the funds to the best interest
of city growth.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing the
city of New Auburn, and
how would you like to see
those issues addressed?
The newest issue is filling
the city water and mainte-
nance position. The city has
never prepared itself for one
of our employees to quit.
There needs to be a back-up
plan in place also for the city
clerk. You have to plan, or-
ganize and have a plan ready
in case of emergency. This
means training back-up man-
power. A well-organized
spreadsheet for all jobs/tasks
will help in running the city
smoother and within budget.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I was raised by Rogers,
Minn. I moved to New
Auburn in 1975 with my hus-
band and our two children,
John and Jackie. John lives in
New Auburn and Jackie lives
in Hutchinson. I also have
two grandchildren, Andrew
and Crystal. Herman passed
away in 2006. I worked full
time at New Auburn Oil with
my husband until 1985, when
I started working for Toro as
a quality supervisor. I enjoy
volunteering for my church,
Immanuel Lutheran in New
Auburn; High Island Lake
Conservation Club; New
Auburn Lions; Sibley County
Food Share; and New Auburn
Historical Society.
Any other comments?
I feel I have the respect as a
New Auburn resident and
past experience as a person
who can lead by example. I
enjoy challenges and I am not
happy until they are accom-
plished. I can work alone or
as a team player. I enjoy get-
ting involved in solving prob-
lems for myself or other peo-
ple. I am a resident of the city
of New Auburn for 39 years
who has paid property taxes,
road taxes, water and sewer,
and I want the city to grow
and continue to be proud of
the small town of New
Auburn.
Barb Schutte — Council
Barb Schutte
What compelled you to
run for office?
I am running for office be-
cause I want to be a part of
the changes for the city. New
Auburn is important to me
and my family; I have lived
in New Auburn for over 20
years ( I am the fifth genera-
tion of Polzin family to live
in the area). I want to contin-
ue to make this city a great
place to live.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing the
city of New Auburn, and
how would you like to see
those issues addressed?
• Budget — like most
small communities with
smaller tax bases, our com-
munity struggles to balance
the budget and meet the
needs of the community. Bal-
ance the budget and attract
more business, and more peo-
ple to the community.
• Water quality — provid-
ing quality water while meet-
ing all local, state and federal
regulation requirements, with
the budget available. Working
with agencies to continue to
improve water quality and
find monies to do so.
• Taxes — the city strug-
gles with the small tax base
to meet the needs of the city
and as well as other depart-
ments within the city. New
Auburn needs to attract more
people and businesses to the
city to help with the cost of
maintaining the city.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I have lived in New
Auburn since 1992. I am mar-
ried to Bill Holtz and we
have three children, Michael,
Nicholas and Catherine.
I am a volunteer fire fighter
for the New Auburn Fire De-
partment since 2007. I am the
current president of the Gay-
lord Chamber of Commerce.
I work at Oak Terrace Health
Care in Gaylord as the direc-
tor of nursing since 2009. I
have held the president and
vice president leadership
roles in Immanuel Lutheran
Church in New Auburn. I
have leadership experience in
managing people and chal-
lenges while working with
state and federal agencies.
Vickie Holtz — Council
What compelled you to
run for office?
I have been attending
Council meetings for a year,
and decided it would be a
good way to have a say in
how things are done. I would
still like to see more people
coming out to Council meet-
ings so they are aware of the
many challenges we face.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing the
city of New Auburn, and
how would you like to see
those issues addressed?
• We must find ways to cut
our budget.
• Our storm water system is
not adequate to handle large
amounts of rain water such as
this summer. It is being
worked on.
• All homeowners need to
adhere to the rules and make
sure their sump pump is not
running into the sewer sys-
tem.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I have lived in New
Auburn for 44 years. I started
going to Council meetings
about five years ago and de-
cided I would like to try out
for the City Council. I am a
concerned citizen and would
like to see some changes
made that would benefit the
whole town.
Sheri Lowden — Council
Nelson Continued from page 1C
getting involved with my
community and settling down
in one place.
Any other comments?
I hope that the residents of
Plato don’t look at me as an
outsider, but as a new neigh-
bor who wants to get to know
them. I look forward to mak-
ing Plato my home.
Wood Continued from page 1C
raphical information about
yourself.
I have been a resident of
Plato for 46 years and am a
retired teacher from Min-
neapolis Public Schools with
a master’s degree. I still sub-
stitute teach in the area. My
farm is in Plato and is called
Westwood Farm. I am a horse
judge for 4-H and Western
Saddle Club Association and
have judged for over 40
years. I was awarded the
Horse Person of the Year in
2011 from the Minnesota
Horse Council. I am a mem-
ber of St. Paul’s United
Church of Christ in Plato.
What compelled you to
run for office?
I decided to run for City
Council because I feel that
our small community has
taken on too much govern-
ment for the size of our town.
We need to put back the own-
ership in the hands of a prop-
erty owner to make their own
decisions on what is right for
their property or business.
The city’s responsibility
should be assisting with mini-
mal guidelines to the property
owners, not the city being the
one making the final deci-
sion, leaving the property
owners feeling that they have
no rights in the decision mak-
ing process of their own
property.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing city
of Stewart, and how would
you like to see those issues
addressed?
More “common sense” or-
dinances/permit processes.
Promote business growth for
existing businesses or assist
with new businesses for our
city. Keep homeowners’ taxes
at reasonable rate.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I have lived in Stewart
since 1980. My wife Julie
and I have raised two chil-
dren in Stewart. I have been a
member of the Stewart Fire
Department and a First Re-
sponder for the past 21 years.
I currently serve on the Stew-
art Zoning board. I enjoy
spending time with my fami-
ly and grandchildren. My
wife and I enjoy winter trav-
eling to warmer climates. I
love to hunt and spending
time in the outdoors.
Any other comments?
I feel that my job experi-
ences as a facility manager
will help me as a Council
member with procuring con-
tracted services for the city
from outside contractors,
planning an annual budget
and adhering to a planned
budget.
Curt Glaeser — Council
Curt Glaeser
What compelled you to
run for office?
What compelled me to run
for Stewart City Council was
hearing the concerns from
Stewart residents and busi-
nesses, about dissatisfaction
with some of the prior deci-
sions that were made.
What do you feel are the
top three issues facing city
of Stewart, and how would
you like to see those issues
addressed?
First, the recent rental
property policies are too
harsh. I would look for ways
to modify them or find assis-
tance for financial hardships
that may occur.
Secondly, I don’t think the
current engineer that was
hired is very cost effective. I
would like to look into other
options that would not cost
our town these costly fi-
nances.
Lastly, I would like to look
at ways to support the current
businesses we have and find
ways to grow new businesses
within our town.
Please provide some biog-
raphical information about
yourself.
I have been a Stewart resi-
dent for the past nine years. I
grew up on a farm in rural
Winthrop, where I graduated
from high school. I then went
on to college in Mankato
where I received my degree
in agriculture/business me-
chanic. I have three grown
daughters and one grandson. I
am currently employed at
Form A Feed in Stewart as a
truck maintenance mechanic.
I also filed for the vacant
term of the city of Stewart as
planning and zoning commis-
sion.
Chuck Kruggel — Council
Chuck Kruggel
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RESULTS
The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 3C
Minnesota Governor
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Legislature? Why
are you running for office?
I am running for Governor
to continue the progress we
have made in building a bet-
ter Minnesota. If I am re-
elected, that will be my top
priority for the 2015 legisla-
tive session.
We need more good jobs,
and I will keep working hard
to bring them here. Our chil-
dren and grandchildren need
world-class educations, from
early childhood through high
school and college, to learn
the skills needed for their fu-
ture successes. We all need
better highways, roads,
bridges, and public transit
systems; the wise use of our
magnificent natural resources
for both commerce and recre-
ation; and efficient, effective
public services. We need, de-
serve, and I’ll work to pro-
vide, the best place anywhere
to live, work, and raise our
families.
Budget: Minnesota’s
economy is outpacing the
national economy in many
respects. At the same time,
the 2013-14 Legislature en-
acted significant tax and
spending increases includ-
ing one of the highest per-
sonal income-tax rates in
the country. What is your
formula in terms of taxes
and spending to ensure con-
tinued economic growth?
Be specific in which taxes
you would increase or de-
crease.
Four years ago, I said that I
would raise taxes on the
wealthiest 2 percent of Min-
nesotans in order to make our
tax system fairer, to repay the
“school shifts” that I inherit-
ed, and to pay for new invest-
ments in education and job
creation. Those additional
revenues dramatically im-
proved our state’s fiscal sta-
bility, and helped turn chronic
budget deficits into projected
surpluses. Our growing econ-
omy then enabled us to re-
duce income taxes for more
than 2 million middle-class
Minnesotans last spring and
to put a halt to drastic proper-
ty tax increases.
My top tax priority remains
to reduce the tax burden on
middle-income Minnesotans,
especially by reducing the
property taxes on homeown-
ers, businesses, farmers, and
indirectly on renters.
Education, K-12: The lat-
est standardized test scores
showed little overall im-
provement in reading, math
and science, plus under-
scored the persistent
achievement gap between
white and minority stu-
dents. How do you propose
correcting this problem?
Also, statewide implementa-
tion of teacher evaluations
begins this year. Do you
support legislation that
would require districts to
consider performance as
well as seniority when de-
ciding teacher layoffs?
Four years ago, I told Min-
nesotans I would work to pro-
vide state-funded all-day
kindergarten for every Min-
nesota child. We did, and this
fall more than 55,000 kinder-
gartners are attending all-day
kindergarten. That investment
will improve test scores and
close the achievement gap in
the years ahead.
We also funded preschool
scholarships for 9,000 young
learners. If re-elected, I want
to expand the opportunities
for young children to attend
high-quality early learning
programs. Doing so will also
narrow the achievement gap,
and give those children a bet-
ter chance to succeed in
school and life.
In 2011, I signed into law
the new teacher and principal
evaluation systems. This fall,
they are being implemented
statewide; and they will pro-
vide new measures for school
boards and administrators. I
would want to consult with
stakeholders about this new
initiative, before deciding
upon any revisions to it.
Education, higher ed:
Many employers continue
to be frustrated in their
ability to find qualified
workers for the available
jobs. What role does higher
ed play in addressing this
problem? What can be done
to better align our higher ed
course offerings with em-
ployer needs?
We need to better align our
higher eduction and work-
force training systems with
the expanding employment
needs of Minnesota business-
es. We need to retool our uni-
versities and colleges with
programs that will educate
and train workers for the jobs
of the future, rather than the
past. This retooling will re-
quire new courses and curric-
ula; new buildings, equip-
ment, and technology; and
closer working relationships
between those programs and
businesses across our state.
In December, I will host a
series of regional Economic
Growth Summits to ask busi-
nesses what they need from
their area’s higher education
institutions and job training
programs. We will address
those needs in the next leg-
islative session. (Drawn from
AP questionnaire)
Health care: MNsure, the
state’s health care ex-
change, has come under
heavy criticism since its cre-
ation. Is it serving its pur-
pose? Do you advocate any
changes, or should it re-
main as is?
I have frequently said that
the initial problems with MN-
sure were unacceptable.
However, the health ex-
change has improved and will
continue to get better.
MNsure provides con-
sumers with more compre-
hensive health care coverage,
as required by the Affordable
Care Act. There are no dis-
qualifications for pre-existing
conditions, which make huge
differences to thousands of
Minnesotans who were previ-
ously denied health insurance
because of their medical his-
tories. All health care plans
must cover doctors visits, ma-
ternity care, hospitalizations,
and preventative care, such as
blood pressure, cholesterol,
and cancer screenings.
As governor, I will oppose
critics who want to abolish
MNsure, put insurance com-
panies back in charge of de-
ciding what coverage to offer,
and remove the Affordable
Care Act’s important con-
sumer protections. I will con-
tinue to support improve-
ments that will allow more
Minnesotans access to good
quality, affordable health
care.
Transportation: Long-
range forecasts show a sig-
nificant gap in transporta-
tion needs – roads and tran-
sit. Do you support addi-
tional revenue? If so, what
sources of revenue should
be raised for what specific
programs?
The future of transportation
in Minnesota and adequate
funding for it must be one of
the 2015 legislative session’s
top priorities. Whatever is de-
cided – whether to do noth-
ing, a little, or more – will
have an enormous impact on
the lives of all Minnesotans
for decades.
Transportation experts tell
us that there is presently a $6
billion gap between expected
state and federal revenues
over the next 10 years and
what we will need to spend
just to keep our roads,
bridges, highways, and public
transit from getting even
worse.
MnDOT Commissioner
Charlie Zelle and I have out-
lined one possible combina-
tion of funds, which could
pay for maintenance, repairs,
and some improvements to
our state’s transportation net-
work.
I will work with the Legis-
lature to consider all the ways
we could afford to adequately
maintain our state’s high-
ways, roads, bridges, and
public transit systems, while
continuing to look for new ef-
ficiencies that save taxpayers’
money. (From AP question-
naire).
Energy: Minnesota cur-
rently bans new nuclear en-
ergy and has a moratorium
on greenhouse gas-emitting
resources. Should the ex-
pansion of nuclear and coal
generation of electricity be
included in Minnesota’s en-
ergy portfolio?
A healthy life starts with,
and depends upon, clean air
to breathe, clean water to
drink, protected natural envi-
ronments to enjoy, and a se-
cure ecological future.
They will all require us to
build upon our progress in
energy conservation and the
use of non-polluting, renew-
able energy. These new
sources of homegrown, re-
newable energy are not only
good for the environment, but
will also help boost our
state’s economy.
We must continue to make
renewable energy sources
more efficient and cost-effec-
tive, as we substitute them for
fossil-burning fuels. I would
like to see Minnesota chart a
path to the elimination of coal
by power plants and other
heavy industrial users.
I support the current ban on
new nuclear plants until the
issue of how to safely store
nuclear waste long-term is re-
solved.
Public notices: Some local
government bodies continue
to push for eliminating pub-
lic notices from newspapers
and moving them to gov-
ernment websites, even
though independent re-
search continues to show
that far more people see the
notices when they’re pub-
lished in newspapers and on
newspaper websites, and
that removing them from
newspapers would in fact
save very little money.
What’s your view on per-
mitting important public
notices to be disseminated
only by local government
bodies by means of their
own websites?
I strongly support requiring
public notices to be published
in newspapers and public
websites.
Open records: The city of
St. Paul recently settled a
civil lawsuit against the city
for $800, 000 (the third
largest in city history).
However, the settlement
agreement includes a provi-
sion that prohibits city offi-
cials and employees from
commenting about the set-
tlement or the reasons it
was entered into, especially
to the news media. Would
you support legislation pro-
hibiting this kind of
covenant in settlement
agreements entered into by
government agencies in
Minnesota?
Yes.
Elections: Do you support
moving the primary elec-
tion from August to June in
an effort to increase voter
turnout?
Yes. For the past 25 years, I
have supported an early June
primary. The middle of Au-
gust is not a good time to en-
gage Minnesota voters in po-
litical campaigns.
Other issues: Are there
other issues you want to ad-
dress?
No, thank you.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
Presently, governor of Min-
nesota; B.A., Yale University,
cum laude; New York City
public school teacher; Min-
nesota Commissioner of En-
ergy and Economic Develop-
ment; State Auditor; United
Mark Dayton, DFL
Mark Dayton
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Legislature? Why
are you running for office?
Governing is about making
things work as well as possi-
ble today, and creating the
conditions for things to work
even better in the future.
In the first legislative ses-
sion I intend to focus on three
main issues: education, busi-
ness climate, and government
reform.
As a state legislator I voted
to increase education spend-
ing by almost 50 percent, but
was frustrated that we were
unable to reform the system
to make it more effective for
the students who aren’t
achieving as well as they
should. My highest priority
will be to empower principals
and school boards to hire and
reward teachers based upon
their effectiveness, not just
their seniority.
The business climate in
Minnesota is abysmal. Under
Gov. Dayton, Minnesota has
dropped to dead last in new
business formation in the
Midwest. I will do everything
in my power to ensure that
Minnesota is open for busi-
ness again.
I am committed to audit-
ing government programs for
both efficiency and effective-
ness. The problem isn’t just
that government wastes
money—it is that government
often spends money on pro-
grams that simply don’t
work. That is a betrayal of
both the taxpayers who pay
for those programs, and of
the people we are trying to
help.
Budget: Minnesota’s
economy is outpacing the
national economy in many
respects. At the same time,
the 2013-14 Legislature en-
acted significant tax and
spending increases includ-
ing one of the highest per-
sonal income-tax rates in
the country. What is your
formula in terms of taxes
and spending to ensure con-
tinued economic growth?
Be specific in which taxes
you would increase or de-
crease.
Tax and spending policies
aren’t the only factor in eco-
nomic growth, but they sure
are important. Mark Dayton
and I fundamentally disagree
on this issue: I believe that
Minnesota doesn’t have to
have the lowest taxes in the
Midwest to succeed, but we
have to be competitive with
our neighbors to attract and
keep good jobs. We need a
lower, flatter, and simpler tax
code, and as importantly we
need to make sure that our
regulators work with busi-
nesses, not against them.
Education, K-12: The
latest standardized test
scores showed little overall
improvement in reading,
math and science, plus un-
derscored the persistent
achievement gap between
white and minority stu-
dents. How do you propose
correcting this problem?
Also, statewide implementa-
tion of teacher evaluations
begins this year. Do you
support legislation that
would require districts to
consider performance as
well as seniority when de-
ciding teacher layoffs?
We have known for years
that the key to a good educa-
tion is to have the best teach-
ers possible in the classroom.
The state legislature passed a
law that would have allowed
schools to hire and retain the
best teachers, but Mark Day-
ton vetoed it. Effectiveness,
not seniority should be the
most important criterion we
use to hire and retain teach-
ers.
Minnesotans have spent
decades talking about the
achievement gap, and we
haven’t done much to close
it. Every study has shown
that the most important factor
in student achievement is
teacher effectiveness, and yet
our hiring policies don’t take
that into account. I would
empower principals to hire
and reward the best teachers,
give students and parents the
freedom to choose the best
school, and focus early edu-
cation dollars on the pro-
grams with proven success.
Education, higher ed:
Many employers continue
to be frustrated in their
ability to find qualified
workers for the available
jobs. What role does higher
ed play in addressing this
problem? What can be done
to better align our higher ed
course offerings with em-
ployer needs?
In Minnesota there are too
many people either out of
work or underemployed, and
too many jobs for which there
aren’t enough qualified work-
ers. Minnesota also has one
of the best and most exten-
sive state college systems in
the country. State colleges
can be more effective at con-
necting people seeking new
careers with employers who
need them. Our colleges need
to tailor their curricula to the
skills needed in today’s econ-
omy, and ensure that the stu-
dents they are sending out
into the workforce are pre-
pared to succeed.
Health care: MNsure, the
state’s health care ex-
change, has come under
heavy criticism since its cre-
ation. Is it serving its pur-
pose? Do you advocate any
changes, or should it re-
main as is?
MNsure has been an un-
mitigated disaster—and real
people are getting hurt every
day by this governor’s in-
competence. Parents can’t get
their children insured, out of
pocket costs have spiked, and
thousands of Minnesotans
can’t even see their own doc-
tor or get treated in their own
hospital. Rates have soared—
almost doubling for some
people, and the $150 million
insurance exchange website
is still broken.
Real people are being hurt
every day. The first thing I
would do is fire every person
on the MNsure board and all
the top staff, and replace
them with people who know
what they are doing. I would
also push for more competi-
tion and options within MN-
sure and work to remove bar-
riers that are preventing the
private sector from effective-
ly competing with MNsure.
Transportation: Long-
range forecasts show a sig-
nificant gap in transporta-
tion needs – roads and tran-
sit. Do you support addi-
tional revenue? If so, what
sources of revenue should
be raised for what specific
programs?
Minnesota doesn’t spend
enough money on roads. I
would fully fund the Corri-
dors of Commerce program,
ensuring that every economic
center is connected with great
roads.
I fundamentally disagree
with Gov. Dayton’s obsessive
focus on trains and trollies.
For the cost of one light rail
line, the state could replace
every structurally deficient
bridge in the state. Every one.
The latest transportation
plan from Dayton’s Metro-
politan Council is to build no
new road capacity in the met-
ropolitan region, reserving
new money for bike paths,
trains, and buses. I will redi-
rect those resources.
It’s about setting priorities,
not just raising taxes yet
again.
Energy: Minnesota cur-
rently bans new nuclear en-
ergy and has a moratorium
on greenhouse gas-emitting
resources. Should the ex-
pansion of nuclear and coal
generation of electricity be
included in Minnesota’s en-
ergy portfolio?
In general I oppose both
the moratorium on nuclear
energy and on clean coal, but
the issue is much broader
than that. If we eliminated
coal and nuclear energy from
our electricity supply today,
most of Minnesota would be
dark.
There are regions of our
state that get 80 percent of
their electricity from coal,
and the state average is nearly
60 percent. Add in nuclear,
and 80 percent of our elec-
tricity comes from coal and
nuclear energy, and natural
gas is another 5 percent.
That’s 85 percent of our elec-
tricity.
In Minnesota we want our
energy to be clean, safe, and
affordable. I support any en-
ergy source that meets those
criteria.
Public Notices: Some
local government bodies
continue to push for elimi-
nating public notices from
newspapers and moving
them to government web-
sites, even though inde-
pendent research continues
to show that far more peo-
ple see the notices when
they're published in news-
papers and on newspaper
websites, and that removing
them from newspapers
would in fact save very little
money. What's your view
on permitting important
public notices to be dissemi-
nated only by local govern-
ment bodies by means of
their own websites?
The goal of public notices
is to notify the public that
public meetings are taking
place. The essence of democ-
racy is citizen participation. I
support using any and every
reasonable means to ensure
that the average citizen
knows what government offi-
cials are doing, and oppose
any attempts to limit the dis-
semination of that informa-
tion.
Open records: The City
of St. Paul recently settled a
civil lawsuit against the
City for $800,000 (the third
largest in City history).
However, the settlement
agreement includes a provi-
sion that prohibits city offi-
cials and employees from
commenting about the set-
tlement or the reasons it
was entered into, especially
to the news media. Would
you support legislation pro-
hibiting this kind of
covenant in settlement
agreements entered into by
government agencies in
Minnesota?
Government shouldn’t be
in the business of hiding its
actions from the public. I
support open records, open
meetings, and access to all
government data that isn’t ex-
plicitly private.
Elections: Do you support
moving the primary elec-
tion from August to June in
an effort to increase voter
turnout?
Yes.
Other issues: Are there
other issues you want to ad-
dress?
I want to emphasize how
important it is to finally audit
state government. Everybody
knows there is waste and
abuse in government. Yet the
more important issue is deter-
mining what works and what
doesn’t. For instance, the De-
partment of Human Services
gives out 1750 grants a year,
and nobody has a good idea
what they accomplish. An
audit of just one of those non-
profits found that they were
using the money for lavish
trips to the tropics, personal
loans, huge salaries, spa treat-
ments, and similar luxuries—
instead of actually helping
people get jobs.
I believe that if we are
going to spend taxpayer
money, we need to make sure
it is accomplishing the goal
we set in the best way possi-
Jeff Johnson, Republican
Jeff Johnson
Dayton
Turn to page 4C
Johnson
Turn to page 4C
The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 4C
Minnesota Governor
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Legislature? Why
are you running for office?
As Governor, my first pri-
ority would be to reignite
Minnesota’s economy. We’ve
fallen in many metrics, in-
cluding private sector job cre-
ation. Economic growth over
the past year was 0.8 percent,
while state spending over the
last two years grew 17 per-
cent. Our fiscal policy earned
an “F” from the Cato Insti-
tute, and Kiplinger’s rated us
in the bottom four states in
which to retire. We need to
turn this around by making
Minnesota a place that at-
tracts and keeps business and
provides an environment
where they can profit and
grow.
I have spent my whole life
in Minnesota and love its cul-
ture, natural resources and in-
telligent and hard-working
population. But I’ve seen a
troubling trend. Policy and
laws coming out of St. Paul
increasingly favor well-con-
nected, well-financed special
interest groups. Just this last
year we saw Sunday liquor
sales defeated; a shady, back-
room deal handing the
Vikings hundreds of millions
of dollars; billions in light rail
projects when our basic infra-
structure is underfunded and
nearing its service life; a Sen-
ate Office Building even
though downtown St. Paul
has plenty of vacant office
space.
I’d like to reverse that
trend, making state govern-
ment once again responsive
to citizens’ interests. Min-
nesotans shouldn’t need
“friends in high places” to
have a voice at the Capitol.
Budget: Minnesota’s
economy is outpacing the
national economy in many
respects. At the same time,
the 2013-14 Legislature en-
acted significant tax in-
creases and spending in-
creases, including one of the
highest personal income-tax
rates in the country. What
is your formula in terms of
taxes and spending to en-
sure continued economic
growth? Be specific in
which taxes you would in-
crease or decrease.
A functional government,
with stable, predictable rev-
enue streams, has a role in
creating a good quality of
life. However, right now
we’re the sixth highest taxed
state in the nation, and we’re
seeing the negative results of
being overtaxed. To spark
economic growth, I would
eliminate the state corporate
income tax (which represents
only 4 percent of revenue)
and look at ways to lower the
business property tax. Per-
haps even more important,
however, than the rate of tax-
ation is how we spend our
money. I promise you, as
governor, I will put our needs
before our wants, something
that hasn’t been done for
some time now.
Education, K-12: The lat-
est standardized test scores
showed little overall im-
provement in reading, math
and science, plus under-
scored the persistent
achievement gap between
white and minority stu-
dents. How do you propose
correcting this problem?
Also, statewide implementa-
tion of teacher evaluations
begins this year. Do you
support legislation that
would require districts to
consider performance as
well as seniority when de-
ciding teacher layoffs?
My daughter spent four
months in a North Minneapo-
lis school, but we pulled her
out because she wasn’t learn-
ing. Not every family has this
luxury. The achievement gap
for students of color in our
schools is unacceptable.
There are fantastic models
around the country where
gifted principals and teachers
have turned failing schools
into high-achieving ones. It’s
time we start looking at
adopting those models, and
that requires relaxing rules
that hamstring innovation in
our public schools.
Student interests need to
count more than union boss-
es, and teachers need to be
empowered to do what in-
spires them and their stu-
dents, rather than teach to a
test. By the way, our students
should also have enough to
eat. I suggest we cut ties with
the Federal Department of
Education in all these areas
and return autonomy and
flexibility to our local school
boards. Minnesota will be
better off for it.
I support legislation that
would PERMIT districts to
consider performance as a
factor in layoffs. I’m not into
mandates.
Education, higher ed:
Many employers continue
to be frustrated in their
ability to find qualified
workers for the available
jobs. What role does higher
ed play in addressing this
problem? What can be done
to better align our higher ed
course offerings with em-
ployer needs?
The economy has changed
dramatically over the past
several decades, but our high-
er ed system hasn’t. Rather
than investing in additional
buildings and facilities, which
some colleges may even
struggle to fill given recently
declining enrollment, our
higher ed system ought to be
preparing for, and embracing
alternative models. Here is
some of what we can do now:
1. Expand the Post Second-
ary Options Enrollment Act
to bring more college instruc-
tion into the high schools,
with classes dually accredited
by MnSCU institutions.
2. Modernize high school
industrial arts education by
asking employers to help ad-
vise schools on curriculum
development and offer ap-
prenticeships.
3. Hold MnSCU and the
University of Minnesota
more accountable for tuition
increases, which have rapidly
outpaced inflation. This
might be addressed by requir-
ing a cost-benefit analysis for
new construction and remod-
eling projects, and the benefit
would need to be defined in
the context of educational
outcome. Additionally, some
interesting “no frills” college
models exist, and the savings
can reach up to 75 percent.
State universities were creat-
ed to provide a low-cost alter-
native to private schools that
were not accessible to poor
and middle-class families. We
need to restore and preserve
that tradition.
4. Expand distance educa-
tion and e-learning options.
5. Consolidate certain pro-
grams, offices, and depart-
ments (even across locations).
Not every institution in the
MnSCU system needs to
offer its own version of
everything.
6. Success in college often
depends on how well our
high schools prepare students.
Cultivating a rigorous cur-
riculum in our high schools
by raising standards, elimi-
nating time-consuming man-
dates, increasing access to ex-
cellent educators and leverag-
ing technology, ought to posi-
tion our students well for
whatever follows.
Health care: MNsure, the
state’s health care ex-
change, has come under
heavy criticism since its cre-
ation. Is it serving its pur-
pose? Do you advocate any
changes, or should it remain
as is?
Families waited for months
to get insurance because of
how poorly this website was
designed. Someone should be
held accountable for that. In
addition to a full investigation
of how that occurred, the
state should look at successes
in other state exchanges and
implement them here. It
should be as easy to purchase
insurance from MNSure as it
is to book a trip on Expedia
or Travelocity.
We should limit MNsure to
those who qualify for the fed-
eral subsidy. We need to en-
list the expertise of people
who actually know the insur-
ance market to refer people
who don’t need subsidies to
the private market and focus
on helping people who quali-
fy for subsidies choose the
best policies.
Transportation: Long-
range forecasts show a sig-
nificant gap in transporta-
tion needs – roads and tran-
sit. Do you support addi-
tional revenue? If so, what
sources of revenue should
be raised for what specific
programs?
Lawmakers have been in-
credibly derelict in taking
care of our transportation in-
frastructure. Half of our state
highways are now more than
50 years old and our bridges
are in similar shape. The state
spent billions for professional
sports stadiums and nearly $1
billion on an unnecessary
light-rail corridor while it
neglected basic infrastructure.
Now, because of decades of
misplaced priorities, we will
probably have to increase the
amount we bond for road
construction. This should
only come with a complete
halting of bonding on non-es-
sential projects (i.e. commu-
nity centers, civic centers,
etc.).
Another option is to exam-
ine construction and mainte-
nance methods to look for
savings. For example, Wis-
consin and Iowa both spend
about half what we do in
Minnesota per lane-mile for
state highway maintenance.
We should look at what those
and other states are doing and
emulate it.
Energy: Minnesota cur-
rently bans new nuclear en-
ergy and has a moratorium
on greenhouse gas-emitting
resources. Should the ex-
pansion of nuclear and coal
generation of electricity be
included in Minnesota’s en-
ergy portfolio?
My administration would
take bold steps to expand the
use of nuclear-derived ener-
gy, similar to the initiative
that Independent-Republican
Governor Arne Carlson took
in the 1990s when he solved
the nuclear fuel waste storage
problem.
I would work with the Nu-
clear Regulatory Agency and
local utilities to modernize
existing nuclear reactors and
add capacity to both the Mon-
ticello and Prairie Island nu-
clear plants. This will make
us more energy independent
and reduce future electricity
costs. Nuclear waste storage
has improved dramatically,
and American nuclear energy
facilities are the highest regu-
lated plants in the world. If
much of Europe can do it,
why can’t we?
Although coal-generated
power is definitely cleaner
than it once was, nuclear is
still by far the cleanest, safest
form of energy with the least
amount of impact on the earth
and humans. Plus it isn’t in-
termittent like wind energy.
Alternative forms of energy,
like wind and solar are im-
portant and promising, but
the technology needs to im-
prove significantly, along
with the cost-benefit analy-
ses, before the state invests
heavily in them.
Public Notices: Some
local government bodies
continue to push for elimi-
nating public notices from
newspapers and moving
them to government web-
sites, even though inde-
pendent research continues
to show that far more peo-
ple see the notices when
they're published in news-
papers and on newspaper
websites, and that removing
them from newspapers
would in fact save very little
money. What's your view
on permitting important
public notices to be dissemi-
nated only by local govern-
ment bodies by means of
their own websites?
For now, I support continu-
ing this requirement because
a large percentage of Min-
nesotans still get their news
in print, versus online. How-
ever, newspapers should be
required to publish notices
online for free.
Open records: The City
of St. Paul recently settled a
civil lawsuit against the
City for $800,000 (the third
largest in City history).
However, the settlement
agreement includes a provi-
sion that prohibits city offi-
cials and employees from
commenting about the set-
tlement or the reasons it
was entered into, especially
to the news media. Would
you support legislation pro-
hibiting this kind of
covenant in settlement
agreements entered into by
government agencies in
Minnesota?
Whenever government de-
cision-making is done in se-
cret, it’s always a bad thing.
That’s how the Vikings stadi-
um deal was negotiated,
along with its faulty funding
projections, all against the
people’s will. Legislators
found a creative a way to
close their meetings to the
public. Minnesota residents
should be outraged by this.
It’s for similar reasons I sup-
port transparency in settle-
ment agreements.
Elections: Do you support
moving the primary elec-
tion from August to June in
an effort to increase voter
turnout?
I support moving it up, but
for a different reason. The
current primary date is too
close to the general election,
so voters don’t have enough
time to consider the final can-
didates on the ballot.
Other issues: Are there
other issues you want to ad-
dress?
I don’t support re-instating
the death penalty, as my op-
ponent Commissioner Jeff
Johnson does; nor do I sup-
port taxpayer-funded or late-
term abortions, unlike Gover-
nor Mark Dayton. I support
ending the war on drugs, and
would argue that drug
use/abuse should be treated as
a health care issue, not a
criminal issue. Our current
approach makes criminals out
of addicts and prevents reha-
bilitated people from getting
decent jobs. Other unintended
consequences include a mili-
tarized, more aggressive po-
lice force, abuses of asset for-
feiture, and tearing families
apart either by incarcerating
parents or putting children in
foster care over minor offens-
es. I also am a strong support-
er of Second Amendment
rights, although I do support
changes to prevent mentally
ill patients from acquiring
weapons.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
Former software developer;
B.A., History, University of
Northwestern - St. Paul
(summa cum laude); married
to Mark, a Navy reservist;
two daughters, 3 and 7; Alpha
USA ministry leader; volun-
teer, International Justice
Mission (anti-trafficking or-
ganization) and Habitat for
Humanity.
Hannah Nicollet, Independence Party
Hannah Nicollet
Dayton Continued from page 3C
States Senator; father of Eric
and Andrew Dayton; grandfa-
ther; live in St. Paul with two
German Shepherds, Itasca
and Wanamingo.
Johnson Continued from page 3C
ble. Right now, nobody can
answer that question, and I
will change that.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
I was born and raised in
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota by
wonderful, hard-working par-
ents. I graduated from Detroit
Lakes High School, Concor-
dia College in Moorhead and
Georgetown Law School in
Washington, D.C.
Sondi and I were married in
1993. Sondi grew up in
Crookston and graduated
from Concordia with me. We
now live in Plymouth with
our sons Thor (16) and Rolf
(13) and our bulldog, Chester.
In 2000, I was elected to
the Minnesota House of Rep-
resentatives and served for
six years. In 2008, I was
elected to the Board of Com-
missioners in Hennepin
County, the largest County in
Minnesota.
Being active in my commu-
nity has always been an im-
portant part of my life. I’ve
tutored in homeless shelters
in Chicago and Minneapolis,
taught Sunday School and
confirmation classes and
coached youth football, base-
ball and soccer (16 teams in
all, over the past 12 years).
I am running for Governor
for a simple reason: my expe-
rience, my temperament, and
my ability to work with peo-
ple of all parties and ideolo-
gies make me the right person
to break the political gridlock
that grips state government
today.
It doesn’t help anybody to
fight about who to blame for
problems; I am interested in
solving them.
Remember to
vote Tuesday,
November 4th
Committed to Serve
If elected, I will commit to
the people of District #2 and
McLeod County, serving
them with stronger
representation and working
with the townships, city and
the county boards. My past
rural experience, business
owner knowledge, and
interest in state and local
government, gives me the
background to be a great
commissioner. My
understanding of local
issues and taxpayer
concerns is a high priority.
I believe in and will uphold
the U.S. Constitution and
fight for your rights.
Please vote for
Doug Krueger
on Nov. 4th.
*43Cj
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The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 5C
U.S. Senate
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Congress? Why
are you running for office?
Too many Minnesotans feel
like the economy is rigged
against them. We’ve experi-
enced 55 straight months of
private sector job growth but
most of that has gone to the
top—not to middle class fam-
ilies. Every day I wake up
thinking of how I can help
the middle class and those as-
piring to be in the middle
class. My grandson Joe is 18
months old. When I put him
to sleep I think about his fu-
ture and all of the things he
can grow up to be. He has
two parents that love him and
will be able to support him—
I want that for every kid. I
want to create an economy
where our kids feel like I did
when I was growing up, like
they could do anything. It
hasn’t been easy in Washing-
ton, but I’ve gotten things
done and I want to keep
working hard to ensure
everyone has a fair shot.
Foreign affairs: More
than half of Americans say
President Obama is not
tough enough in his foreign
policy and they believe the
world is getting more dan-
gerous with the Islamic
State posing one of the
greatest security issues, ac-
cording to the latest Pew
Research poll. Should the
United States be more ag-
gressive in its foreign poli-
cy? Be specific.
ISIL is an absolutely bar-
baric group. They are a threat
to the region and to the Unit-
ed States. That’s why I sup-
ported targeted airstrikes
against ISIL in Iraq and in
Syria, and it’s why I voted to
train and arm some of the
Syrian rebels. We need to do
everything we can to degrade
and ultimately destroy ISIL,
and to make sure that nobody
from this organization can
make it back to the United
States to threaten us here at
home.
Terrorist recruitment is an
issue I’ve been working on
since my first weeks in the
Senate. In 2009, we had con-
cerns about young people
from Minnesota joining the
terrorist group Al-Shabaab. In
my first weeks in office, I
met with the FBI on their ef-
forts to stem terrorist recruit-
ment in Minnesota. I’ve con-
tinued to work with the com-
munity and law enforcement
throughout my term. I’ve
publicly pressed the Adminis-
tration—the Director of the
FBI, the head of the Depart-
ment of Homeland Securi-
ty—on this issue in Senate
Judiciary Committee hear-
ings. Most recently, I urged
the Department of Justice to
double down on its efforts to
combat terrorist recruitment
in Minnesota, and they took
action. Now there are going
to be more resources to work
with the community to pre-
vent terrorist recruitment
among at-risk groups in the
Twin Cities.
We need to continue work-
ing with the community to
stop this recruitment and to
also stop any terrorists who
fight with ISIL from return-
ing from to the U. S. The
State Department already has
the authority to revoke peo-
ple’s passports, and we need
to do everything we can to
stop anyone who fights with
ISIL from returning to the
U.S..
Health care: Cost and
quality of health care is an
ongoing concern. What can
be done at the federal level
to ensure Americans have
access to quality and af-
fordable health care? Do
you support changes in the
Affordable Care Act?
I support the Affordable
Care Act and I’m working
hard to make sure it works
for all Minnesotans. Repeal-
ing the law would take us
back to a time when women
were charged more than men
simply because they are
women, when insurance com-
panies could deny coverage
for people with pre-existing
conditions, and drop cover-
age for Minnesotans who be-
come sick.
Because of the Affordable
Care Act, the state’s unin-
sured rate has been cut nearly
in half, and 95 percent of
Minnesotans now have health
insurance.
I’ve also been working
hard to improve the Afford-
able Care Act. I’ve fought the
medical device tax since it
was first proposed, and al-
though I was able to get the
original proposal cut in half,
I’ll keep fighting until it’s
fully repealed. I have also in-
troduced legislation to make
sure families who need help
buying their health insurance
get tax credits, and to support
businesses and labor unions
who provide their own insur-
ance to their employees and
members. I’ll keep working
to make sure the Affordable
Care Act works for Minneso-
ta.
I worked hard to ensure
that the law would hold insur-
ance companies more ac-
countable. I wrote one of the
largest cost-saving measures
into the law which requires
insurance companies to spend
at least 80 percent of people’s
premium dollars on actual
health care as opposed to
profits, CEO salaries or mar-
keting. Consumers have al-
ready received $1.9 billion in
rebates because of my provi-
sion.
Education: What role
should the federal govern-
ment play in ensuring that
U.S. graduates can compete
in the global economy? Are
there specific reforms that
you advocate?
Attracting and retaining
quality teachers is vital to the
success of our education sys-
tem, and part of building re-
spect for educators means let-
ting them actually teach and
developing a system that does
a better job of measuring stu-
dents’ actual growth, which
No Child Left Behind
(NCLB) failed to do. Under
NCLB, a sixth-grade teacher
who took a child from a
third-grade reading level to a
fifth-grade reading level was
considered a failure, when in
fact that teacher is a hero. I
have been proud to support
legislation in the Senate that
makes real reforms and im-
provements to No Child Left
Behind that would help us
achieve that end. We have a
temporary fix now, but I will
continue to work with Min-
nesota’s teachers to ensure as
best as we can that any bill
that reforms No Child Left
Behind helps us move toward
a system where teachers are
given the flexibility to teach
our kids effectively. We also
need to address the needs of
the “whole child, ” which
means making sure kids don’t
go hungry at school and that
they have access to mental
health services.
We also need to align edu-
cation with jobs that exist —
that’s why I have championed
STEM curriculum (Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Math), and it’s why we need
to support Community Col-
leges and Technical Colleges
to get students into the work-
force and address the skills
gap to fill the more than 3
million jobs that currently sit
open in this country. That’s
why I worked to pass the first
bipartisan bill to reform our
workforce training since
1998.
Energy: Do you support
removing barriers to in-
creased domestic oil and
natural gas production?
America needs a diverse
energy portfolio that includes
renewables as well as fossil
fuels like natural gas, where
we’ve seen a real renaissance.
But in Minnesota, we don’t
produce fossil fuels – we
have no oil, gas or coal,
which is why I’ve been a
champion of renewable ener-
gy and energy efficiency. It’s
also why I co-wrote the ener-
gy title in the Farm Bill to
help Minnesota’s burgeoning
renewables sector.
That’s why I have been
pushing for investments in re-
newable energy and in energy
efficiency technologies that
will create jobs and reduce
consumer energy bills. They
will reduce our reliance on
foreign oil and keep a clean
environment. The atrocities
we are seeing in the Middle
East are yet another reminder
that we need to wean our-
selves off of foreign oil.
That’s why I’m also a big
supporter of homegrown bio-
fuels.
Social Security/Medicare:
What role should these enti-
tlement programs play in
Americans’ retirement
plans? Be specific in any
changes you may support in
the existing programs to en-
sure they remain solvent.
My wife’s family made it
after her father died in large
part because of Social Securi-
ty survivor benefits, so pro-
tecting this program and
making sure it’s there for fu-
ture retirees is personal for
me. I am fundamentally op-
posed to any form of privati-
zation of Social Security, and
would oppose attempts to cut
benefits. I have long support-
ed improving Social Securi-
ty’s future solvency by asking
the wealthiest to pay a little
more while holding the mid-
dle-class harmless.
I am also committed to
protecting and strengthening
Medicare so it can continue
to provide quality affordable
health care coverage to sen-
iors in Minnesota. I am op-
posed to any efforts to priva-
tize Medicare or turn it into a
voucher program. Instead, we
should build on the reforms
in the Affordable Care Act
that improve benefits while
reducing costs for seniors and
taxpayers. I have also intro-
duced legislation that would
allow Medicare to negotiate
with drug companies for
lower prices which would
save $240 billion over the
next 10 years. Expanding the
Diabetes Prevention Pro-
gram—which I wrote into the
health care reform law--to
Medicare, will help improve
seniors’ lives and save tax-
payers money.
Economy: What steps do
you support to stimulate the
growth of jobs?
Our economy is starting to
grow after the worst reces-
sion in generations, but too
many Minnesotans aren’t see-
ing the economy get better
for them. We know what the
keys to prosperity are in the
21st century. They’re the
same things that helped make
us great in the 20th century:
education, infrastructure, and
research and development.
Those are the things we need
to support to help create new
middle-class jobs. And we
need to cut wasteful tax loop-
holes and spending to reduce
our deficit.
I also think we need to cre-
ate more demand, and to get
more demand you have to put
more money in peoples’
pockets. Right now there are
3.5 million good, middle-
class jobs that are going un-
filled because employers
can’t find the workers with
the right skills to fill them.
I’ve heard from many Min-
nesota businesses that are
struggling with these same
problems So, I helped pass a
bill to reform our workforce
training system, and am push-
ing legislation to do more to
train workers for unfilled
jobs. There are two other
Al Franken, DFL
Al Franken
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Congress? Why
are you running for office?
I am running because we
can do better. My wife Mary
Kate and I have been married
for 23 and are blessed with
six children. I’m concerned
with what we’re leaving for
our kids. Between a stagnant
economy and over $17 tril-
lion in debt, a broken health
care system, and an education
system that fails to serve
everyone, Minnesotans know
we’re headed in the wrong di-
rection. I’m a problem solver.
My priority will be sitting
down with leaders from both
parties and bringing real solu-
tions to our nation’s chal-
lenges.
Foreign affairs: More
than half of Americans say
President Obama is not
tough enough in his foreign
policy and they believe the
world is getting more dan-
gerous with the Islamic
State posing one of the
greatest security issues, ac-
cording to the latest Pew
Research poll. Should the
United States be more ag-
gressive in its foreign poli-
cy? Be specific.
The United States should
be more deliberate in its for-
eign policy. I have been ap-
palled by the lack of a cohe-
sive foreign policy under
President Obama and Senator
Franken. Our world has be-
come more dangerous be-
cause of their misguided ef-
fort to “lead from behind.”
An ambassador was mur-
dered and we did nothing,
and the world watched. A red
line was crossed in Syria and
we did nothing, and the world
watched. We have conflicts in
Ukraine, Gaza, Iraq, and
Syria because our allies don’t
trust us while our enemies no
longer fear us. These issues
are coming home to roost as
Minnesota grows as a key lo-
cation for the radicalization
and recruitment for ISIS and
other terrorist organizations.
Congress has failed to take
appropriate steps to protect
us, like revoking the pass-
ports of Americans fighting
for groups like ISIS. We need
leadership in Washington that
demonstrates strength and de-
cisively addresses our na-
tion’s challenges.
Health care: Cost and
quality of health care is an
ongoing concern. What can
be done at the federal level
to ensure Americans have
access to quality and af-
fordable health care? Do
you support changes in the
Affordable Care Act?
We have a health care
problem in this country, but
Obamacare is not the right
solution. Obamacare has been
a disaster and we need to start
over with health care reform.
Health care has three parts:
costs, quality, and access. We
need to replace Obamacare
with a plan that actually re-
duces costs, improves quality,
and increases access. I have
put forward a set of proposals
to address these three parts.
Rather than continue to im-
plement one-size-fits all fed-
eral government policies, my
proposals are state-based,
market-based and patient-
centered, and promote inno-
vation and transparency
throughout the health care
system.
Education: What role
should the federal govern-
ment play in ensuring that
U.S. graduates can compete
in the global economy? Are
there specific reforms that
you advocate?
Success for our students
begins when they are young.
We need to provide a world-
class K-12 education to all of
our children, regardless of
their zip code. Minnesota has
one of the worst achievement
gaps in the country and that is
unacceptable. In particular,
we need to encourage strong
and hands-on STEM educa-
tion, so that our scientists and
engineers can compete glob-
ally.
Energy: Do you support
removing barriers to in-
creased domestic oil and
natural gas production?
We are on the doorstep of
an energy renaissance in this
country and we have the op-
portunity to be energy inde-
pendent for the first time in
decades. I believe that we can
pursue energy independence
in an environmentally respon-
sible way. All Minnesotans
care about being good stew-
ards of our environment. We
need the full portfolio of en-
ergy to drive down energy
and electricity prices, facili-
tating growth in agriculture
and manufacturing. I support
expanding our energy infra-
structure to facilitate domes-
tic production. In particular, I
support the building and ex-
pansion of pipelines to carry
production. Railcars travel
through Minnesota daily car-
rying crude from North
Dakota’s Bakken region, cre-
ating distribution bottlenecks
for propane and crops.
Pipelines are the safest and
most efficient way to trans-
port crude.
Social Security/Medicare:
What role should these enti-
tlement programs play in
Americans’ retirement
plans? Be specific in any
changes you may support in
the existing programs to en-
sure they remain solvent.
We need to preserve and
protect Social Security and
Medicare to ensure that they
are available to our children.
I do not support any changes
to these programs that affect
those at or near retirement.
That would not be fair. But it
also is not fair to make prom-
ises to our young people that
we cannot keep. We need to
address the looming insolven-
cy of our entitlement pro-
grams now, so that we can
ensure that we can meet our
promises to everyone. If we
do nothing, in the future,
three things could happen:
payroll taxes could go up,
debt could go through the
roof, or we could be forced to
make cuts to benefits. We can
avoid that situation with
thoughtful planning now. We
need to do right by our sen-
iors of today and tomorrow.
Politically, I’m a problem
solver. For my whole career, I
have sat down at tables with
groups who want different
outcomes and I have led ne-
gotiations to find solutions.
That’s what I’m going to do
when I get to Washington. I
will sit down with leaders
from both parties, put many
options on the table, and pre-
serve our entitlement pro-
grams.
Economy: What steps do
you support to stimulate the
growth of jobs?
Our economy has been
stagnant. Labor force partici-
pation is lower than it’s been
in decades, and underemploy-
ment in Minnesota is over 50
percent. Prices of everything
– from food to gas to electric-
ity to health care – are going
up, but wages are stagnant. In
the last six years, average
weekly wages have only
grown by $8. We can do bet-
ter. I know how to get us on
the path of growth and pros-
perity.
My plan has three E’s: En-
ergy, Education, and Effec-
tive Government. Firstly, by
embracing the energy renais-
sance, we can lower gas
prices and electricity prices,
putting more money in Min-
nesotan’s pockets and boost-
ing our manufacturing sector.
Secondly, every child de-
serves a first-class education,
regardless of their zip code.
Minnesota has one of the
worst achievement gaps in
the country, and we need to
radically rethink our educa-
tion system. Thirdly, we need
to get government out of the
way of growth. This means
smart regulation instead of
over regulation. It also means
comprehensive tax reform, to
make the tax code simpler
and fairer for everyone.
Agriculture: The pro-
posed definition of the Wa-
ters of the U.S. would sub-
ject nearly any property
owner, including farmers,
to new layers of reviews and
permitting. Do you support
this proposal?
I strongly oppose the Wa-
ters of the U.S. rule and be-
lieve that Congress should
take action to prevent the En-
vironmental Protection
Agency and the Army Corps
of Engineers from imple-
menting the rule. The rule is
another example of an expan-
sionary bureaucracy giving it-
self more authority. It would
create unfair and burdensome
bureaucratic hurdles for farm-
ers, builders, businesses and
local governments. Senator
Franken had the opportunity
to vote for an amendment that
would have halted implemen-
tation of the rule, and instead
he opposed the amendment. I
will fight against bureaucratic
overreach and the Waters of
the U.S. rule.
Immigration: Do Ameri-
ca’s immigration laws need
to be changed? What
should be the tenets of any
immigration reform legisla-
tion?
We need to address our im-
migration problem. Washing-
ton has kicked the can down
the road for 15 years rather
than sit down and come up
with a solution. I do not sup-
port amnesty, but doing noth-
ing is de facto amnesty. We
need balance. I don’t want to
tear families apart, but we do
have immigrants here who
have broken the law. I sup-
port a solution that will first
and foremost secure the bor-
der. After securing the border,
reform should require that
people pass a background
check, learn English, pay a
fine, and demonstrate em-
ployment before they can go
to the back of the line for citi-
zenship, during which time
they would not receive gov-
ernment benefits. We need a
21st Century immigration
policy that helps our econo-
my grow while handling our
immigration challenges.
Open records: The feder-
al Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) is widely re-
garded by citizens and the
news media as being deeply
flawed and often completely
ineffective in achieving the
purposes that it was enact-
ed to serve. Would you sup-
port a federal study aimed
at identifying reforms that
could be made to the FOIA,
so that it in the future it will
function more effectively on
behalf of citizens?
I believe transparency is
key to effective and just gov-
ernment. I also strongly be-
lieve in a free, fair, and open
press. I would support inves-
tigation into reforming the
Freedom of Information Act
to ensure that citizens and
media are able to access the
information they have a right
to access.
Other issues: Are there
other issues you want to ad-
dress?
Partisan gridlock has para-
lyzed Washington, preventing
progress on just about every
issue. Republicans have been
just as bad as Democrats in
this regard. We need leaders
who will work with both par-
ties to get things done for
Minnesota. We’re not helped
by the fact that Al Franken is
the most partisan Senator in
Washington and votes with
President Obama 97 percent
of the time. I think we can do
better. We must do better.
That’s why I’ve promised
Minnesotans that if I vote
with any party or President
97 percent of the time, I will
come home and not seek a
second term.
Mike McFadden, Republican
Mike McFadden
Franken
Turn to page 8C
McFadden
Turn to page 8C
The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 6C
U.S. Senate
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Congress? Why
are you running for office?
My top priority is to restore
the Constitutional functioning
of Congress and the Senate,
including restraining the cur-
rent president’s actions. If he
follows the Constitution from
here on out, I would not vote
to impeach him. I have solu-
tions on each of the issues
which are workable, from im-
migration to reining in the na-
tional deficit and debt, to cre-
ating millions of jobs right
now, on my website at
www. s t e v e c a r l s o n f o r
congress2010.com. But if all
the Democrats and Republi-
cans want to do is fight from
election to election, while the
people’s business goes unat-
tended, solutions to each of
these issues which do exist
will continue to be shelved
while America basically
flounders. I am running be-
cause I have solutions, I’ve
been frustrated and shocked
by the actions of Obama and
Al Franken, and jumped in
the race to roll my sleeves up,
do the hard work, and
straighten America’s course
out.
Foreign affairs: More
than half of Americans say
President Obama is not
tough enough in his foreign
policy and they believe the
world is getting more dan-
gerous with the Islamic
State posing one of the
greatest security issues, ac-
cording to the latest Pew
Research poll. Should the
United States be more ag-
gressive in its foreign poli-
cy? Be specific.
We need to be less aggres-
sive and overbearing, as un-
fortunately Hillary Clinton’s
foreign policy has been. We
need to excel in true diploma-
cy and leadership. In a case
such as ISIS, our national se-
curity is threatened because
we mistakenly elected a
leader, President Obama,
whose goals are political and
even anti-American. He has
not represented the best inter-
ests of the country. The result
is ISIS. Now we need to take
the required action, swiftly,
because he dithers and mis-
leads America.
Congress must declare lim-
ited war specifically to force
the dismantling and surrender
of the ISIS state. Use air
power and all military re-
sources available to destroy
their force or their will to
fight. The ground troops role
should be limited to rounding
them up as they surrender and
keeping them in a prison
camp, to identify terrorists
and turn them over for prose-
cution under American and
international law.
We should get the support
of major military powers, in-
cluding Russia. Stop the
fighting. We should not be
threatening Russia with
NATO, we should work with
them to return to the stage
where we supported free-mar-
ket reforms and democracy
there, and did not view them
as an enemy.
Health care: Cost and
quality of health care is an
ongoing concern. What can
be done at the federal level
to ensure Americans have
access to quality and afford-
able health care? Do you
support changes in the Af-
fordable Care Act?
I support changes to what
is left of the so-called “af-
fordable” care act, or Oba-
maCare. It has been repealed
already, piece by piece by
Obama’s illegal regulations,
which render the whole pro-
gram unconstitutional. The
tax, too, is unconstitutional.
ObamaCare is actually inter-
fering with the nation’s health
care efforts.
While I agree the cost and
quality of health care is an
ongoing concern, the most
critical issues are not just sav-
ing money, but saving lives.
Specifically, the federal gov-
ernment must lead a public-
private partnership to target
killer diseases — cancer,
heart disease, lung disease,
diabetes and the others, in-
cluding AIDS. Health dispari-
ties right now are costing
America tremendously, be-
cause specific groups, minori-
ties, low-income, nationalities
and language and cultural mi-
norities are suffering dispro-
portionately and cutting those
increased costs of treatment
and suffering will yield great
rewards for health care and
involve all Americans in the
benefits of health and high
quality of life. Even work-
places will benefit from a
healthier workforce and their
families. And we must main-
tain our commitment to
Medicare and to aging with
dignity, which under Sen.
Franken we are not doing.
Education: What role
should the federal govern-
ment play in ensuring that
U.S. graduates can compete
in the global economy? Are
there specific reforms that
you advocate?
I advocate a high-quality
education, which means de-
veloping the knowledge and
learned abilities of each
American, according to the
store of knowledge we now
have, and creating new
knowledge.
Knowledge and informa-
tion are today our major re-
source for success of all
kinds, including economic.
The specific reform we can
provide in the federal govern-
ment is liberty, including our
federal courts and Constitu-
tion.
As far as liberty, today,
most American students are
locked in failing public
schools and can’t get out. We
are attacking the Catholic
Church, and other churches,
and even secular entities,
blocking them from provid-
ing a quality education which
advances their own world-
view. Thus we are enforcing a
mindless ideology on our ed-
ucational system rather than
educating in reason as well as
faith.
Allowing school tuition or-
ganizations, as they have in
Arizona, would allow stu-
dents and their families to
break out of this prison of the
mind.
The federal government, by
pushing for protection of reli-
gious liberties and access to
real, successful education,
can best prepare our people
for the future — and to com-
pete internationally, where we
are falling behind in science
and mathematics, even
though English is still the
dominant educational and sci-
entific language.
Our land-grant universities,
such as the University of
Minnesota, are federal institu-
tions, given to the states to
provide higher education for
the industrial classes — the
working man and his family.
Energy: Do you support
removing barriers to in-
creased domestic oil and
natural gas production?
We shouldn’t have any bar-
riers. We should have intelli-
gent and justifiable regulation
that protects the environment
and water. And when we say
“domestic” we should be
talking about America bene-
fiting from these energy re-
sources. This isn’t to bar sale
of energy to other countries,
but we need to give Ameri-
cans a chance to get at this
energy and use it to create
jobs and improve our lives as
consumers. It seems as if the
Obama administration is
blocking energy projects just
to block energy projects. We
should be purposeful in any
government regulation, and
there is a regulatory over-
reach now that is political and
ideological.
It is important that we de-
velop our energy resources,
and I would listen to argu-
ments in support of the subsi-
dies. I understand much of it
is a depletion allowance,
which incents oil and natural
gas companies to extract their
reserves steadily, and not
hoard and wait for the highest
prices. This approach makes
the resources more helpful to
the economy and society. I
would in fact extend this de-
pletion allowance to the big
oil and gas companies, not
just the smaller ones as it ap-
plies now.
Social Security/Medicare:
What role should these enti-
tlement programs play in
Americans’ retirement
plans? Be specific in any
changes you may support in
the existing programs to en-
sure they remain solvent.
Barack Obama and his De-
mocrats are attacking Social
Security, and Medicare, and
attacking our commitment to
aging with dignity, because
they are seen as white privi-
lege. This attack must be
stopped, because what we
need to do is to extend our
commitment to aging with
dignity. The lifespan of
whites is still significantly
higher than non-whites, be-
cause of cultural differences,
and also because of the fail-
ure of our education and
workforce to successfully in-
tegrate.
We need to pay back
money to these programs
which the politicians have
used for other purposes. We
need cuts in discretionary
spending, by transitioning the
power and resources back to
the 50 states, not cuts to “en-
titlements” like Social Securi-
ty and Medicare. Medicaid,
unlike Social Security and
Medicare, is not an entitle-
ment. This is an agist attack
clothed in the rhetoric of
white privilege, on aging with
dignity, which divides Ameri-
ca and diminishes the Ameri-
can Dream.
One of the attacks is from
ObamaCare. Sen. Franken
has claimed that ObamaCare
has “extended” Medicare sol-
vency 11 years. And Rep.
McCollum claimed, “The De-
mocrats did not cut Medicare,
the Democrats did not cut
Medicare.” But I have on my
website President Obama,
prior to the destructive pas-
sage of ObamaCare, saying
plainly that he will fund one-
third of the cost of imple-
menting ObamaCare with
cuts to Medicare. Cuts to
Medicare. And that has hap-
pened.
In general ObamaCare’s
approach to Medicare is
mindless and destructive, and
even malicious.
So the Democrats are not
“extending” Medicare, they
are cutting Medicare.
Economy: What steps do
you support to stimulate the
growth of jobs?
First, let the 50 states en-
force their own usury laws on
consumer debt. This will cre-
ate millions of jobs, including
tens of thousands in Minneso-
ta, because new or growing
businesses will spring up to
provide goods and services
needed by families, but which
they cannot afford because
they are drowning in debt to
out-of-state lenders, lenders
benefiting from an archaic
law which allows their states,
not Minnesota, to set the
usury limits when they lend
to Minnesota borrowers. We
can do this simply by amend-
ing an 1864 federal statute
called the National Bank Act,
which the Supreme Court in-
terpreted against Minneapolis
Marquette Bank in 1978 as
allowing other states to set
our usury rate in any out-of-
state loan. Loading Ameri-
cans up with usurious con-
sumer debt is stifling the abil-
ity of households even to
form, and to consume prod-
ucts and services.
Other federal initiatives
also oppress our businesses
and consumers, such as Oba-
maCare, which seeks to in-
stall a socialist health care
system which stifles innova-
tion (from companies like
Medtronic) and also detracts
from health care for the
aging, does nothing to fight
killer diseases, demands that
all employers provide unaf-
fordable health care plans
loaded up with the federal
government’s demands, de-
mands all Americans pay for
health insurance that is unaf-
fordable and low quality, and
is unrealistic in view of the
numbers of doctors and nurs-
es in America today. Take this
load off our back and jobs
can grow.
Let employers hire based
on qualifications and retain
workers based on perform-
ance. Get rid of the EEOC,
and let the states be responsi-
ble for fighting discrimina-
tion against or exclusion of
minorities from their work-
forces.
Agriculture: The pro-
posed definition of the Wa-
ters of the U.S. would sub-
ject nearly any property
owner, including farmers, to
new layers of reviews and
permitting. Do you support
this proposal?
No, I do not support this
proposal at all. This is an
overreach by the federal gov-
ernment, no doubt based on
the interstate commerce
clause. But farming is not
commerce. Sale of produce
is, and not all of it is inter-
state.
What we do not need to do
is to over-burden farmers
with regulations. Al Franken
said his farm bill is “good for
farmers” but this kind of fed-
eral intrusion is definitely not
good for farmers. What I do
support are plans which I
would help formulate, for a
water infrastructure, in re-
sponse to indications of
droughts increasing in fre-
quency and severity, to help
farming. Presently we have
crop insurance seeking to pay
farmers to offset losses
caused by drought. Some
states, like Texas, have exten-
sive water infrastructure
plans which help farmers, as
well as consumers and busi-
nesses, all of whom need reli-
able water supplies. But ini-
tiatives to help fight drought
do not require getting the
EPA involved or the federal
government involved in every
waterway or body of water.
Immigration: Do Ameri-
ca’s immigration laws need
to be changed? What
should be the tenets of any
immigration reform legisla-
tion?
We need to change our im-
migration law, continuously,
but not give up our principles
or Constitution. We need to
secure the borders first. The
current approach is unwork-
able.
To have good neighbor re-
lations and secure the border,
I will propose that the Border
States Governor’s Associa-
tion, consisting of the Mexi-
can states bordering the U.S.
and the U.S. states bordering
Mexico, take a leading role to
help in a bi-lateral effort to
provide security, human
rights, and an environment
for productivity and progress,
in an international border
zone created through that co-
operation. This will create a
space for the development of
factories, replacing fences. It
will create jobs on both sides
of the border, and add to our
GDP by providing products
for the U.S. market and for
export to Mexico and Latin
America.
If the Border is seen as a
place to go, to work and raise
a family, rather than a place
to run through real fast to get
low-paying jobs up north, we
will not have to solve the
issue of amnesty.
Open records: The feder-
al Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) is widely re-
garded by citizens and the
news media as being deeply
flawed and often completely
ineffective in achieving the
purposes that it was enacted
to serve. Would you sup-
port a federal study aimed
at identifying reforms that
could be made to the FOIA,
so that it in the future it will
function more effectively on
behalf of citizens?
I can tell you right now
what the problem is. The fed-
eral government claims privi-
lege in the courts, and the
courts defer. They cite some
case achieved in some court
by some state litigant that es-
tablishes precedents and pref-
erences for the government
side. And this is to protect the
failures of the courts as much
as the failures of government.
When you go up against the
government you’ll face
claims of absolute sovereign
immunity, costs and fees, and
claims of how hard it is to
produce the desired informa-
tion. By the time the lawsuit’s
settled, the information could
have been produced, in all or
most cases.
Our court system is com-
pletely dysfunctional and
Congress is in control of all
the federal courts except the
U.S. Supreme Court. These
other courts are all created by
Congress. They need to give
jurisdiction to the courts, and
instruction that they cannot
fail to exercise that jurisdic-
tion or penalties such as im-
peachment will follow.
Other issues: Are there
other issues you want to ad-
dress?
In 2012, in an election
characterized by attacks on
American values, the DFL
promised a “conversation” on
whether marriage could be
defined by the state in some
way different than what we
have always recognized (and
Minnesota only began to
issue marriage licenses at all
in the 1970s, so marriage is
not a creation of the state).
The DFL promise was empty
and false, and they quickly
rushed through a repeal of the
statutory definition of mar-
riage. But our Minnesota
Constitution still provides, in
our Bill of Rights, Section 16
“but the liberty of conscience
hereby secured shall not be so
construed as to excuse acts of
licentiousness or justify prac-
tices inconsistent with the
peace or safety of the state.”
And yet the expectations of
the DFL statute are that small
farmers have to be fined by
the state if they don’t “cele-
brate” acts of licentiousness,
i.e. homosexuality on their
property. The State is actually
taking or burdening private
property. Sen. Scott Dibble
said that there are no defenses
for this kind of small farmer
at Rice Creek. He said teach-
ers who do not want to teach
homosexuality will have to
find work in private schools,
not the public schools. I will
work to impeach federal
judges who set aside state
definitions of marriage
whether traditional or homo-
sexual. I will use the restora-
tion of religious freedom act
to protect employers, fami-
lies, property-owners and
small businesses who don’t
need to be told by DFL politi-
cians what marriage is.
I am pro-life. I would sup-
port exceptions to protections
of the unborn fetus if the
mother has been raped or the
victim of incest producing a
child. The state cannot force
this kind of thing. But I sup-
port pro-life teaching in the
schools, free exercise of reli-
gion to protect Americans
from being forced to kill in-
nocent human beings. I will
fight for this and we will win.
It’s not a war on women. It’s
a war for life.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
My work leading the Min-
nesota Independence Party
(IP) beginning in 2010 is not
so much different than my ef-
forts from 1977-1984 at the
University of Minnesota in
university governance. I be-
lieve I am a leader, first be-
cause I was a very successful
IP candidate in both 2010 and
2012. In 2010 there were 13
candidates statewide for U.S.
Congress from parties other
than the big parties, Democ-
rats and Republicans. I had
the highest percent of the
vote, even though I was run-
ning in a safe DFL district,
CD4. I increased my vote in
the redistricted CD4 in 2012.
In 2010 I was supportive of
Tom Horner, and attended a
few functions. However, it
was already evident that the
party insiders were leading
the party toward basically
running on vice—homosexu-
ality, marijuana, abortion and
the like. The great message of
Horner was a pro-growth
strategy. But Minnesota voted
for the DFL’s Dayton.
At the U of M I majored in
Political Science and Eco-
nomics, inter alia. I met and
worked with diverse people.
I’m a person of faith. I was a
Vietnamese linguist in US-
AFSS, and studied Viet-
namese with outstanding suc-
cess at the Defense Language
Institute in 1971-72. I found-
ed two political parties at the
U of M. Human rights ac-
tivist. Managing editor of
Asian publications in Min-
nesota. An economic devel-
opment consultant working
with SBA, SCORE and Asian
Small Business Development
Center at University of St.
Thomas, and Hubert
Humphrey Institute of Public
Affairs. IP Nominee 2010-12
CD4. Effective litigator who
recently won a case pro se at
the U. S. Supreme Court
(Carlson v. MNDEED) that
can help thousands of Min-
nesotans and all in the work-
force.
I held many leadership ti-
tles in governance at the Uni-
versity of Minnesota from
1977-1984. Such as MPIRG
State Board Chair, Alternate
Representative to the Board
of Regents, President’s Con-
sultative Committee, Vice-
President of Minnesota Inter-
national Students Associa-
tion, Vice President of Board
of Publications of the Min-
nesota Daily, University Sen-
ator, CLA Assembly member,
founder of the Human Rights
Party and Chicano Liberation
Party.
Steve Carlson, Independence Party
Steve Carlson
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U.S. Congress — Minnesota District 7
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Congress? Why
are you running for office?
What’s most important to
me is continuing to be an in-
dependent voice on the issues
for Minnesota’s Seventh Dis-
trict in Washington DC. I rep-
resent my district and I’m
proud to serve as the top De-
mocrat on the House Agricul-
ture Committee. Earlier this
year I helped write and pass a
bipartisan five-year farm bill,
and I will continue working
with USDA to make sure that
the bill we passed is imple-
mented as it was intended. I
also plan to continue the
work I’ve done to help miti-
gate flooding in the Red
River Valley and other parts
of my district, and to get a
multi-year transportation bill
passed.
Foreign affairs: More
than half of Americans say
President Obama is not
tough enough in his foreign
policy and they believe the
world is getting more dan-
gerous with the Islamic
State posing one of the
greatest security issues, ac-
cording to the latest Pew
Research poll. Should the
United States be more ag-
gressive in its foreign poli-
cy? Be specific.
We’re a leader in the world
and have to work with our al-
lies to try to confront the
threat from ISIS. I supported
arming the Syrians rebels and
airstrikes because of the di-
rect threat they represent for
our safety and way of life. Al-
though we must do every-
thing we can to protect Amer-
icans, the U.S. cannot police
the world. My constituents do
not want another ground war
in the Middle East.
Health care: Cost and
quality of health care is an
ongoing concern. What can
be done at the federal level
to ensure Americans have
access to quality and af-
fordable health care? Do
you support changes in the
Affordable Care Act?
In 2010, I voted no on the
Affordable Care Act because
I did not believe it would
lower the cost of heath insur-
ance, it would not fix the re-
gional disparities in our
Medicare reimbursement
rates, and it would only cover
around 30 percent of the
uninsured people in my dis-
trict. However, we need to
make sure that we keep elimi-
nation of pre-existing condi-
tion exclusions, keep children
on a parent’s health plan until
they’re 26, and abolish dis-
crimination based on disabili-
ties, having a high-risk job, or
being a cancer survivor. I do
support changes to the ACA,
and I believe there’s room to
fix and improve many of the
problems over time.
Education: What role
should the federal govern-
ment play in ensuring that
U.S. graduates can compete
in the global economy? Are
there specific reforms that
you advocate?
I believe we should fully
fund the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) to make sure our
school districts aren’t over-
burdened with rising special
education costs. I also sup-
port getting rid of the Com-
mon Core Standards Initia-
tive. I also believe we need to
do more to control the cost of
higher education for all Min-
nesotans. The 7th District has
a strong manufacturing sec-
tor, and that is why I continue
to support STEM education,
community colleges, and
trade schools to ensure that
workers get the skills they
need to be successful in
today’s competitive economy.
Energy: Do you support
removing barriers to in-
creased domestic oil and
natural gas production?
Yes. I support all energy
sources, including ethanol,
coal, wind, solar, and natural
gas. We need to keep the gov-
ernment from over-regulating
these industries. That is why I
support expanding oil and gas
production on privately and
federally owned land. I also
have voted to streamline the
permitting process for energy
projects. To take advantage of
our domestic natural re-
sources, we need to build
more pipelines to move oil
and natural gas, and make
sure that railroads keep mov-
ing and do their part as well.
Social Security/Medicare:
What role should these enti-
tlement programs play in
Americans’ retirement
plans? Be specific in any
changes you may support in
the existing programs to en-
sure they remain solvent.
Because of changes being
put in place as a result of the
Affordable Care Act, I think
Medicare should be left
alone, with the exception of
making efforts to control the
rising cost of medications by
requiring Medicare to negoti-
ate for lower drug prices like
they do at the VA.
Social Security should be
left alone. I support eliminat-
ing the cap on earnings and
having Social Security taxes
on all income (like
Medicare). Doing that makes
Social Security solvent for
many years to come. I will
continue to oppose changes
like those in the Ryan Budget
that would undermine
Medicare and Social Security.
Economy: What steps do
you support to stimulate the
growth of jobs?
The federal government
can stimulate the economy by
investing in our country’s in-
frastructure. We need an effi-
cient transportation system
that allows farmers, manufac-
turers and energy producers
to keep our businesses the
most efficient in the world.
We also need to make sure
that the tax system is more
favorable to business, and
make sure that they’re not
overregulated. I also believe
that we need more certainty
coming out of Washington.
We cannot expect businesses
to make investments when
Congress is constantly en-
gaged in brinkmanship that
threatens to shut down the
government without thought
to how much that action costs
our country.
Agriculture: The pro-
posed definition of the Wa-
ters of the U.S. would sub-
ject nearly any property
owner, including farmers,
to new layers of reviews and
permitting. Do you support
this proposal?
No, and I have led efforts
to prohibit EPA and the Army
Corps of Engineers from re-
defining “waters of the Unit-
ed States” under the Clean
Water Act. In September, I
testified in support of a bill
before the Agriculture Com-
mittee saying, "This legisla-
tion is necessary because, in
my view, the EPA does not
seem to understand the real
world effects these regula-
tions will have on farmers
across the country.”
Immigration: Do Ameri-
ca’s immigration laws need
to be changed? What
should be the tenets of any
immigration reform legisla-
tion?
I support comprehensive
immigration reform that en-
forces existing immigration
laws, that includes reforms to
the work visa programs, that
makes e-verify permanent,
and will address undocument-
ed workers that are already
here. We also have to recog-
nize the growing demand for
more agriculture workers in
our country. I believe that we
need immigration reform be-
cause America is losing its
top immigrant job creators –
particularly those in science,
technology, engineering, and
math – to our competitors
abroad.
Open records: The feder-
al Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) is widely re-
garded by citizens and the
news media as being deeply
flawed and often completely
ineffective in achieving the
purposes that it was enact-
ed to serve. Would you sup-
port a federal study aimed
at identifying reforms that
could be made to the FOIA,
so that it in the future it will
function more effectively on
behalf of citizens?
Yes
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
I grew up on a farm in
Baker, MN and attended
Minnesota State University
Moorhead before becoming a
small business owner and
CPA in Detroit Lakes. I
served in the Minnesota State
Senate before I was elected to
Congress in 1990, and serve a
primarily rural and agricultur-
al district that spans more
than 35,000 square miles of
western Minnesota.
Collin Peterson, DFL
Collin Peterson
Top priority: If elected,
what is your top priority for
the 2015 Congress? Why
are you running for office?
My top priority in Con-
gress will be fighting the out
of control spending that has
led our nation into $17 tril-
lion in debt and the overregu-
lation from this Administra-
tion that is stifling economic
growth and hurting small
business. We shouldn’t be
spending money we don’t
have and we shouldn’t be en-
acting policies that hurt small
businesses and families just
trying to make ends meet. We
need to get our great nation
back on track, which starts
with bringing common sense,
rural Minnesota values to
Washington. When elected, I
will work to represent 7th
District values in D.C. so our
state has a brighter, better fu-
ture.
Foreign affairs: More
than half of Americans say
President Obama is not
tough enough in his foreign
policy and they believe the
world is getting more dan-
gerous with the Islamic
State posing one of the
greatest security issues, ac-
cording to the latest Pew
Research poll. Should the
United States be more ag-
gressive in its foreign poli-
cy? Be specific.
I am deeply concerned that
the president’s failure to ad-
dress the growing threat of
ISIS let the organization
grow virtually unchecked for
months. Today, we face a
grave threat from a sophisti-
cated and brutal terrorist or-
ganization. I support Presi-
dent Obama’s objective of
eliminating ISIS and its radi-
cal allies in the Middle East,
but I am concerned the presi-
dent has failed to lay out a
clear path for doing so. I be-
lieve the threat will only be
eliminated with a clear strate-
gy and firm commitment
from our allies in the region.
Health care: Cost and
quality of health care is an
ongoing concern. What can
be done at the federal level
to ensure Americans have
access to quality and af-
fordable health care? Do
you support changes in the
Affordable Care Act?
I believe we must repeal
the president’s unworkable
and unpopular health law and
replace it with a bipartisan
plan centered around doctors
and patients. While I believe
some aspects of the law are a
good idea, like extending
coverage to people with pre-
existing conditions and al-
lowing young people to stay
on their parents’ insurance
until the age of 26, much of
the law is placing a harsh bur-
den on Minnesota’s families
and small businesses. Across
the 7th District, I’ve met peo-
ple who are seeing their plans
cancelled, their insurance
premiums skyrocket, and
their options limited. We can
do better, and it starts by
working across the isle to
find ways to increase porta-
bility and choice in a difficult
to navigate marketplace.
Education: What role
should the federal govern-
ment play in ensuring that
U.S. graduates can compete
in the global economy? Are
there specific reforms that
you advocate?
It is vital that America
maintain it’s competitive
edge in a rapidly changing
global economy, which starts
with ensuring American stu-
dents get a first-rate educa-
tion. I believe every Ameri-
can child is entitled to a first-
rate education, and that it is
our responsibility to ensure
they have access to the tools
they need to succeed. Instead
of placing the decision-mak-
ing in the hands of D.C.-
based bureaucrats, we should
allow local leaders and states
to determine the needs and
requirements of their individ-
ual communities.
Energy: Do you support
removing barriers to in-
creased domestic oil and
natural gas production?
One of my top priorities is
increasing America’s energy
independence by building
critical pipelines, like the
Keystone XL Pipeline and
others that will benefit west-
ern Minnesota. I believe that
by supporting an “all of the
above” approach to energy,
which also aims to boost re-
newable fuels, we can in-
crease America's energy pro-
duction, leading to a more
stable and secure U.S. econo-
my.
Social Security/Medicare:
What role should these enti-
tlement programs play in
Americans’ retirement
plans? Be specific in any
changes you may support in
the existing programs to en-
sure they remain solvent.
Social Security and
Medicare are vital and impor-
tant programs, on which mil-
lions of Americans rely. I be-
lieve we should be doing
everything we can to main-
tain the health and solvency
of these programs, so genera-
tions to come will be able to
enjoy the benefits they earned
during their working years. I
believe it is critical that we
keep these programs solvent,
which may require reforms in
the coming years, but that
any reforms we under take
must protect and make good
on the benefits we have al-
ready promised to seniors.
Economy: What steps do
you support to stimulate the
growth of jobs?
The best thing the federal
government can do is to get
out of the way of small busi-
nesses and job creators by re-
ducing the regulatory burden
businesses face. Today, one
of the biggest costs small
businesses face is the cost of
paperwork to comply with
federal regulation. Agencies
like the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency continue to
expand their jurisdiction
through rulemaking and new
regulation, which increases
the costs to doing business in
this country. By checking
regulatory creep from federal
agencies, we can move to-
ward increasing growth and
job creation in our great na-
tion.
Agriculture: The pro-
posed definition of the Wa-
ters of the U.S. would sub-
ject nearly any property
owner, including farmers,
to new layers of reviews and
permitting. Do you support
this proposal?
I do not support the EPA's
proposed rule to expand their
jurisdiction by redefining
“Waters of the U.S.” or “nav-
igable waters” under the
Clean Water Act. In August, I
submitted a public comment
to the EPA explaining that the
move will hurt farmers by
opening everything from
small ponds to ditches in a
farmer's field up to EPA regu-
lation. The rule is radically
unpopular with farmers
across the 7th District. I be-
lieve that any changes to the
Clean Water Act should be
made through Congress and
the legislative process, not
through rulemaking from an
unaccountable federal
agency.
Immigration: Do Ameri-
ca’s immigration laws need
to be changed? What
should be the tenets of any
immigration reform legisla-
tion?
Any reform to America’s
immigration system must
start with securing our na-
tion’s borders, first and fore-
most. Second, we need a
commitment from this admin-
istration that any laws passed
by Congress will be faithfully
upheld and enforced by the
executive branch. With that
commitment, we can work to-
gether on a bipartisan basis to
address the top priorities of
immigration reform, includ-
ing the need to reform our
agriculture work visa pro-
gram to better meet the needs
of America’s farmers.
Open records: The feder-
al Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) is widely re-
garded by citizens and the
news media as being deeply
flawed and often completely
ineffective in achieving the
purposes that it was enact-
ed to serve. Would you sup-
port a federal study aimed
at identifying reforms that
could be made to the FOIA,
so that it in the future it will
function more effectively on
behalf of citizens?
As Justice Brandeis fa-
mously said, “Sunlight is the
best disinfectant.” I support
measures that will lead to
more transparency and more
openness for federal agen-
cies, with the exception of in-
stances that pertain to nation-
al security or classified infor-
mation. By increasing trans-
parency, we can increase fed-
eral oversight and ensure that
taxpayer dollars are being
spent as wisely and efficient-
ly as possible.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
I am a small business
owner, attorney, and current
state Senator representing
Minnesota’s District 12. I was
born and raised in western
Minnesota, where I grew up
on a dairy farm. At the age of
14, I lost my sight in a farm-
related accident, but contin-
ued working on the family
farm each summer. I went on
to attend Bemidji State Uni-
versity and William Mitchell
College of Law, and was
elected to the state House of
Representatives at the age of
23. Today, I live in Elbow
Lake with my wife, Anna,
and our three children.
Torrey Westrom, Republican
Torrey Westrom
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The McLeod County Chronicle, www.glencoenews.com, Wednesday, October 29, 2014, page 8C
simple things we can do to
help make that a reality: pass
legislation that will allow
people to refinance their stu-
dent loans and raise the feder-
al minimum wage—I’m
working hard to get both of
these done.
Agriculture: The pro-
posed definition of the Wa-
ters of the U.S. would sub-
ject nearly any property
owner, including farmers, to
new layers of reviews and
permitting. Do you support
this proposal?
Minnesota is a state that al-
ready has strong protections
in place when it comes to
water quality. Minnesota
farmers are great stewards of
their land. They want clean
water. In fact, they do conser-
vation practices voluntarily.
Waters of the U.S. is a con-
fusing rule and we need to
clarify it in a way that isn’t
burdensome to farmers and
doesn’t lead people to stop
the good practices they’ve
been using. Farmers want to
know that they can continue
to do what they’re already
doing. They don’t want to
have paperwork just to dig a
fencepost hole.
I’m working to make sure
this rule strikes the right bal-
ance of protecting our water
quality without making it any
harder to farm than it already
is, especially because Min-
nesota farmers and ranchers
are already doing things right.
And if the EPA oversteps or if
the final rule isn’t right for
Minnesota, I’ll fight back.
I’ve stood up to the EPA be-
fore and I won’t hesitate to do
it again.
Immigration: Do Ameri-
ca’s immigration laws need
to be changed? What should
be the tenets of any immi-
gration reform legislation?
I was proud to support the
Senate’s comprehensive im-
migration reform bill. I look
forward to continuing to work
to pass comprehensive immi-
gration reform that contains a
tough but fair pathway to citi-
zenship. I am especially
proud of my amendment to
protect children whose par-
ents are caught up in immi-
gration raids by allowing par-
ents to arrange care for their
children, and ensuring the
children are kept informed
about where their parents are.
The bill will also significantly
bolster border security.
Open records: The feder-
al Freedom of Information
Act (FOIA) is widely re-
garded by citizens and the
news media as being deeply
flawed and often completely
ineffective in achieving the
purposes that it was enacted
to serve. Would you support
a federal study aimed at
identifying reforms that
could be made to the FOIA,
so that in the future it will
function more effectively on
behalf of citizens?
I strongly support the Free-
dom of Information Act and
believe that it is a valuable
tool that allows citizens to
hold the executive branch ac-
countable. We need to ensure
that it is functioning as it was
intended to. Government offi-
cials need to respond to FOIA
requests in a timely fashion
while still protecting individ-
uals’ privacy rights, national
security and other important
concerns.
Other issues: Are there
other issues you want to ad-
dress?
The cost of a college edu-
cation continues to rise, and
the burden of student loan
debt is holding our young
people and our economy
back. This is a real pocket-
book issue for middle class
families, which is why I’ve
been working to do to some-
thing about this burden.
The total amount of student
debt in America is $1.2 tril-
lion, and the average student
in Minnesota has over
$30,000 in student loan debt
— among the highest in the
nation. We have to address
this, and I’ve been working
on several pieces of legisla-
tion to do just that.
I’ve been pushing a bill to
enable students and graduates
to refinance their loans at
lower interest rates. You can
refinance your car loan, your
home loan, your business
loan. But you can’t refinance
your federal student loans.
My bill would have allowed
560,000 Minnesotans to refi-
nance their loans and keep
more of their hard earned
paychecks.
I also have two bipartisan
bills with Republican Senator
Chuck Grassley of Iowa that
would help students and fam-
ilies understand the true cost
of college and easily compare
costs between colleges when
selecting a school. I hear
from families all the time that
they find this process way too
confusing, and we need to
make it simpler.
I’ve got another bill to
lower the huge amounts of
money students have to spend
right now on textbooks,
which in Minnesota, costs an
average of $1400 per year.
My bill would help expand
the use of free, online college
textbook that would save stu-
dents a lot of money
This is a real pocketbook
issue for middle class fami-
lies, and it’s a real issue for
our economy. And that’s why
I’m working to fix it.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
It’s been an honor serving
the people of Minnesota in
the United States Senate. And
I’m proud of my record of
working across party lines to
get things done.
I grew up in St. Louis Park.
My dad didn’t graduate high
school. My brother and I
grew up in a two bedroom,
one bath house. But I consid-
ered myself the luckiest kid in
the world. Because I was. I
was growing up middle-class,
at the height of the middle
class in America. I felt like I
could do anything. I wake
every day fighting for the
middle class and for those as-
piring to be in the middle
class. I want to build an econ-
omy for the future. So our
kids can feel like I did. I ask
for your vote on November
4th so I can have the honor of
continuing my work. Thank
you.
Briefly summarize your
personal background and
qualifications.
While I don’t have political
experience – something I am
proud of – I do have the real-
world experience Washington
seems to be lacking. I’ve
spent over 20 years working
with small and medium-sized
businesses in Minnesota and
across the country, giving me
the insight we need to jump-
start this stagnant economy.
Franken Continued from page 6C
McFadden Continued from page 6C
Re-Elect GLENN GRUENHAGEN on Nov. 4
th
★
Fighting for your values at the Capitol
★
Glenn Gruenhagen has the
experience and judgement to
best represent District 18B.
GlennForStateRep.com
320-894-6713
Prepared and paid for by Glenn Gruenhagen for
MN House, 16367 441st Ave, Glencoe, MN 55336
SOLUTIONS THAT WORK
FOR RURAL MN
✔ Patient-centered
healthcare reform NOT
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✔ Better roads & bridges,
no more billion-dollar
light rail projects
✔ Equal funding for rural
school districts
compared to the metro
✔ Lower taxes on business
& families, creating
more private sector jobs
Endorsed By:
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✔ Minnesota Citizens
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✔ National Rifle
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Named 2014 Best
Friend of the Taxpayers
for his 100% voting record & for signing
the taxpayers protection pledge.
*42-43CE
PETERSON
Getting Things Done
“No one in Congress – and we mean no one – knows more
about farm policy and the mechanics of farm legislation
than Peterson.” – The Fargo Forum
ENDORSEMENTS
• Minnesota Farm Bureau
• Minnesota Farmers Union
• Alliance for Retired Americans
• National Rifle Association
• National Federation of Independent Business
• The Fargo Forum
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Helped write and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill that helps
farmers and cuts the deficit by $23 billion
• Author of Critical Access Hospitals provision in 2003 Medicare bill
that saved small rural hospitals
• Helped start VA outpatient clinics in Fergus Falls, Montevideo,
Alexandria and Bemidji
• Spearheaded economic development in his district while
opposing high taxes and burdensome regulations
• Returned nearly $2 million of his office budget to the
federal treasury
While most politicians talk, Congressman Collin
Peterson is the one guy who works with leaders
of both parties to get things done.
His record speaks for itself.
Paid for by Peterson for Congress.
R42-43CEa
United
We Stand
Attention Armed
Forces Families
and Friends!
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Nov. 5 edition of the McLeod County Chronicle, saluting our area service
men and women who are currently serving here and abroad. We would like
you to include your loved one on this page. Please send or bring a picture
of your armed forces special person with the completed form below. In-
clude a self-addressed, stamped envelope and we will mail your picture
back to you after November 5 (or you may pick them up at our office after
Name _______________________________
Branch of Service ______________________
Where Serving_________________________
Daughter/Son/Wife/Husband of _____________
___________________________________
From (Town) __________________________
Mail to:
Military, c/o McLeod County Chronicle
P.O. Box 188, 716 E. 10th St.
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or you may bring it in to our office.
Deadline to drop off photos is Nov. 3.
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