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4 1 0 2 e d i u g n o i Elect T
o help inform voters before they head to the polls Nov. 4, the Minnesota Daily interviewed major party candidates running for selected state and federal elected offices that represent the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The ballot for this year’s election will include contenders for governor, state representative and both houses of U.S. Congress, among other elected positions. For the interviews, candidates in each race responded to Q&A-style questions, and their answers were edited for clarity and accuracy.
The Governor race by jessie bekker
Photo courtesy of mark dayton campaign
Mark Dayton Gov. Mark Dayton, DFL Incumbent Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this position? I have by far the most experience serving the state of Minnesota. Over the last 37 years, I’ve traveled all over the state continuously and worked with people everywhere on all kinds of different problems, and I think I’ve shown in the last four years that I have the ideas that are going to move Minnesota forward. Increasing taxes on the richest Minnesotans to provide funds to invest in education, all the way from early childhood ... through higher education, will be key to our future — and the state’s doing much better since I took office. I don’t claim all the credit for that. I think that credit belongs to the people of Minnesota. But I think we’re heading in the right direction.
What is the most important issue facing Minnesota right now, and how will you address it? More good jobs. We have over 170,000 more jobs in Minnesota than when I took office in January 2011. In fact, many businesses are looking for employees [who] don’t have the skills that they’re looking for, so we need to get our higher education institutions, our universities, their curricula and training programs better aligned with the future, so when young people graduate, they’re in a position to know what opportunities are there and step right into one of them.
The University of Minnesota is requesting an additional $65 million over the next two years in state funding to freeze tuition for undergraduate, graduate and professional students who pay instate tuition. Can the University expect state support in this request? I haven’t responded to any of the requests so far, because I haven’t looked at the entire state budget. … The revised forecast is estimating the state revenues and expenditures, so I’m not in the position to comment on anybody’s preliminary budget requests. I strongly support the tuition freezes that were placed on the [Minnesota State Colleges and Universities] and the University of Minnesota campuses the past [two] years. I think that college tuition has gotten way too high, and that was in part because state support for college education has been cut back over the previous couple of decades. In fact, in real, after-inflation dollars, state support for higher education in 2012 was the lowest it had been since 1981, so that’s a good reason why tuition has been forced to be unreasonably high for students and their parents. So [the tuition freeze] was a very, very important step in the right direction, and I’m very hopeful that our economic recovery continues [and] we’ll be able to continue the tuition freeze. I would say that the University of Minnesota … administration needs to come up with their fair share of the cost by making some reductions in their administrative overhead, and that’s something we can negotiate in the months ahead.
What is your reaction to MNsure and do you have any plans going forward? MNsure started off badly a year ago. It’s improved. It’s going to show when the new open enrollment period starts on Nov. 15 that it’s much more efficient [and] much easier for customers to use. … The percent of Minnesotans who are without health insurance dropped by 40 percent in the first nine months of MNsure so I think it’s shown some signs of important progress, and there’s also a lot of work to be done.
Minnesota has seen a minimum wage increase, and is going to see a further increase to $9.50 by 2016. What are your thoughts on this? I think the increase in minimum wage is essential to giving … Minnesotans a chance to earn a decent living in the workplace. … We’re not talking about making anybody rich. We’re talking about giving people the incentive to work hard and to be able to better support their families and to earn their American dream, which is what has made this country successful in the past and will again.
What tax policies would you propose as governor, and how would this affect students? I increased the income tax on the wealthiest … of Minnesotans … and, in fact last spring, with the federal conformity changes to our state taxes, we allowed the recent college graduates to deduct [their] student loan interests and provided ... college students and parents an average tuition deduction of $140 per year. Those are all important first steps, and I’ll continue to look for opportunities to reduce taxes for middle-income Minnesotans.
What is your stance on the current structure of the [Metropolitan] Council, and how do you plan to work with them? I think the Met Council is necessary to provide coordination of the many local governments … and the idea was to have someone that would take a regional view of matters that most elected officials … [who are] looking out for the interests of their particular community but not the impact on the entire region. … They’re very dedicated people who will all be up for reappointment in January, so whoever is the next governor will have a chance to shape that council. … Those who want to eliminate the council don’t tell us what they want instead. Is every local government going to make its own decisions for its own best interest and leave the effects on others, or what? People criticize, but no one has proposed a better alternative.
What higher education policies do you plan to pursue? Increase student aid. I want to make college more affordable. I want to revamp curricula at the vocational and technical colleges so that the curricula aligns better with the jobs of the future. … Make investments in new buildings, equipment [and] technologies so that students are receiving state-of-the-art education in the specialization they’ve chosen. Then they’re readily employable the day they complete the program. We’ve invested [more than] $1 billion my first four years, and capital improvements at the University of Minnesota and MnSCU systems, but they’re still lagging behind basic upkeep and repairs.
Photo courtesy of jeff johnson campaign
jeff johnson Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Johnson, Republican challenger Editor’s note: Johnson responded via email.
Why do you think you’re the best candidate for this position? My parents taught me an important lesson: Our lives are measured by what we do for others, not by what we accumulate for ourselves. My son Thor is looking for ward to going to college soon, and I am worried about what jobs will be there for him once he graduates. The Minnesota in which I grew up provided unlimited oppor tunities for my generation. I am committed to keeping that tradition alive by facing the problems of today with solutions from today, not with solutions to the problems of the 1960s and ’70s.
What is the most important issue facing Minnesota right now, and how will you address it? Underemployment, unquestionably. There are tens of thousands of Minnesotans who have jobs, but too many of them are part-time, low-pay and low-skill jobs. Nobody who spends the time and money to get a college degree should have to worry about how they are going to pay the rent, pay off student loans, and whether they will ever be able to have not just a job, but a career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota has the lowest private-sector job growth in the Midwest. The only way to change that is to improve our business climate.
The University of Minnesota is requesting an additional $65 million over the next two years in state funding to freeze tuition for undergraduate, graduate and professional students who pay instate tuition. Can the University expect state support in this request? Probably. Right now nobody knows how much money the state will have for the next budget, but the University of Minnesota is always near the front of the line when it comes to allocating resources. With that said, the more important question is, “How do we get cost increases under control at the U of M, so that students aren’t being socked with major tuition increases all the time?”
What is your reaction to MNsure, and do you have any plans going forward? MNsure has been an unmitigated disaster. The technical problems are just the tip of the iceberg. What matters even more are the runaway costs, the difficulty in getting care from the doctor of your choice and the year-to-year rollercoaster ride people are suffering. Last year, PreferredOne was the lowest cost provider. This year, their rates are going up 63 percent. Nobody wants to be jerked around every year, or find out they are getting less than they bargained for. A cheap policy with a $12,000 deductible is not a cheap policy for somebody who gets ill. I will immediately replace the MNsure board with people who are familiar with
the health care market and seek to expand choice and competition.
Minnesota has seen a minimum wage increase, and is going to see a further increase to $9.50 by 2016. What are your thoughts on this?
My first thought is that I want an economy in which the minimum wage serves as little more than a temporary training wage. Simply put, minimum wage jobs are not an effective route to the middle class. Obviously, for those who are paid the minimum wage, another $40 or $80 a week will be nice to get, but in the long run we need a vibrant economy and rapid job creation so that people don’t have to look for ward to living on minimum wage jobs for extended periods.
What tax policies would you propose as governor, and how would this affect students? Students aren’t students forever. Today’s student is tomorrow’s job seeker. Under [Gov.] Mark Dayton, Minnesota has lost one Fortune 500 company a year, and has been dead last in private sector job creation in the Midwest. I aim to reform our tax system on the principles of low, broad and simple rates. That will make Minnesota both more competitive and business friendly. We need more and better jobs for Minnesotans.
What is your stance on the current structure of the Met Council, and how do you plan to work with them? I am not a fan of the Met Council at all. It has enormous and growing power, independent taxing authority without any input from citizens or elected officials, and the members of the Metropolitan Council often reflect neither the opinions of the citizens nor the elected officials of the communities under their power. I would use my power as governor to replace all the members of the Met Council … and, more impor tantly, work to restrict its powers to those that were originally authorized — sewer, water and an integrated bus system.
What higher education policies do you plan to pursue? Higher education is both increasingly important for career advancement and increasingly unaffordable for average people. The current university system is neither flexible enough nor affordable enough for too many people. I believe now is a time for a rethink of how we deliver higher education, including expanding Postsecondar y Enrollment Options (college classes available to high school students), more online education choices and finding more flexible and affordable ways to provide education to our increasingly diverse student populations.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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The Senator race by john thomas
Photo courtesy of al franken campaign
Al franken Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., incumbent
awards packages are. The way it goes now is that every college is free to use its own terminology, and it can be very confusing.
How have your experiences shaped your politics?
What should the U.S. role be in Syria and other [Islamic State]-affected territories?
I grew up in St. Louis Park. We were sort of a middle-class family. … We grew up pretty modestly, but I felt like the luckiest kid in the world, because I was. I was growing up middle class, at the height of the middle class in the United States. … I just felt like the world was open to me. I could do anything I wanted, and I could take a chance on myself. And to some extent, I feel like kids don’t quite feel the same way these days, and part of that is about student debt. … [Minnesota] has the fourth-largest in the country level of debt when [students] graduate from college, and as a result, they forgo certain things like, you know, starting a family, buying a house, starting a business. … I’m a big believer that the economy grows from the middle up, not the top down, and so that’s really informed a lot of my values.
If you had to parse it down, what do you think separates your ideology from that of candidate McFadden’s? I do believe that the economy grows from the middle up, not the top down. I‘ll give you an example. … I’ve introduced a bill in the Senate that would allow people to refinance their student loans the same way they refinance their car loans or their home loan, and this would save a lot of people a lot of money. That costs the treasury something, and so to pay for it … we [proposed] something called the Buffett Rule, which means that people who make more than $1 million … [would] have to pay [at least] 30 percent [of their income in taxes].
The poor state of our nation’s infrastructure is a universally recognized issue and one that we’re currently feeling across campus, with many buildings and facilities in critical need of repair. What do you think Congress should do in the coming months to address these issues? I think that investing in infrastructure is really one of the drivers of our economy. … You’ve seen it in the highway system. You see it in rural electrification. You see it in broadband Internet. So, I think we absolutely need to invest in infrastructure. …I would end the tax subsidies to oil and gas subsidies.
Pieces of [a new] Higher Education Act have been working their way through Congress for months now. What’s your view on what’s been proposed, and what would you like to see in the final version? I support increased transparency in the cost of college. … [Sen.] Chuck Grassley, [R-Iowa], is a co-sponsor of the bill I’ve proposed, which would require colleges to put something called the net [price] calculator in a ver y prominent part of their web page, so that students could see what it would cost them to go to their college. … Another piece that I’ve offered, a provision, which is co-sponsored by [Sen.] Marco Rubio, [R-Fla.]; this is “Understanding the True Cost of College.” … What it says is that colleges should use a uniform form or letter when telling students what their
I suppor ted the president’s policy to train and equip the so-called moderate rebels in Syria. I voted for that. I have some questions about how effective that’s going to be. … But we do need some boots on the ground, and I’d rather it be those forces than American forces. … I think when we get back to Washington that both the Senate and the House need to vote on an authorization to use military force … but I think we should write it as narrowly as possible, and not make the same mistakes we did in 2001 and 2002 writing those [authorizations]. … I don’t want to see us go on a combat mission in Syria.
Photo courtesy of mike mcfadden campaign
Mike mcFadden Mike McFadden, Republican challenger Editor’s note: McFadden responded via email.
How have your experiences shaped your politics? Over the years, we have created a professional class of politicians in Washington, and it’s killing us. I am a firm believer in a ‘learn, earn, ser ve’ motto. As a businessman, I looked at problems and worked to find solutions. I think this is something that converts perfectly to what I would do in Washington. … I have six kids, and I have coached each one of them in their sports over the years. … Working as a team is a vital part of life. … Both Republicans and Democrats in Washington are not working as a team right now, and we need to start working together to get our country back on the path to growth and prosperity.
What specific policies will you advocate [if elected] to address climate change?
If you had to parse it down, what do you think separates your ideology from that of Sen. Franken’s?
I think we need a short-term, a middleterm, and a long-term policy on climate. It’s real. It’s happening. If we don’t address it, it will cost a lot more than if we address it. Obviously, we now have a diverse portfolio of energy resources. … But we, I think, need to build on the … development we’ve done of renewable energy resources in Minnesota. [The state] doesn’t have any fossil fuels; we don’t have oil; we don’t have coal; we don’t have gas, but we do have wind. … We need to continue the research because … China is … investing in renewable energy, and we need to as well to compete with them, because that’s going to be a trillion-dollar market. We might not have fossil fuels in Minnesota, but we have … research institutions … and I want Minnesotans to have that market.
I am an independent thinker. I believe that partisan gridlock has been one of the largest problems in our country in recent years. ... I will represent Minnesotans, not a party or a president. … It comes down to this: I am a problem solver. I will examine the root causes of issues and work across the aisle on the best solutions to fix them.
The unemployment rate in September was at its lowest since July 2008. What policies should be perpetuated, created or taken off the books to continue this trend? I do think we need to do a number of things to build on the 55 straight months of private sector job growth that we’ve had. We’ve seen too much of those go to just those at the top and not to the middle. So I’m in favor of raising the minimum wage. … People who make the minimum wage shouldn’t work 40 hours a week and live in poverty. … It will drive up the wages of people just above them as well. … There will be more demand, because [low-income] people spend that money, and those at the top tend to not, because you have to spend that money when you’re at the bottom.
Kind of in a similar vein, should the federal minimum wage be raised, and what other initiatives will you look at to help those in poverty? I do believe in raising the minimum wage. … I also would increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for people who are working and just struggling to get by. … I think we need to make sure that we have early childhood education and quality day care. We just passed in both Houses a bill on providing high-quality day care. … I think that that will pass when we get back.
The poor state of our nation’s infrastructure is a universally recognized issue and one that we’re feeling across campus at the moment, with many buildings in critical need of repair and upkeep. What do you think Congress should do to address this issue in the coming months? I believe that infrastructure spending is critically important and Congress has been inadequately maintaining and growing our infrastructure. The support has been inadequate in large part because of budgetary constraints. I support comprehensive budgetary and tax reform. One of the objectives of such reform would be streamlining the budget so as to free up funding for stable and robust infrastructure funding.
Pieces of [a new] Higher Education Act have been working their way through Congress for months now. What’s your view on what has been proposed, and what would you like to see in the final version? I am glad that the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act has brought with it a more robust conversation around the costs and quality of our higher education system. … I suppor t refinancing student loans, although I would pay for such a program without raising taxes. I also believe we need increased transparency, in both the way tuition is spent by universities and colleges and in the results that schools achieve for their students. Parents and students should be able to make informed educational decisions.
What should the U.S. role be in Syria and other [Islamic State]-affected territories? I was glad to see President [Barack] Obama’s plan for strategic airstrikes in Syria, but at this time, remain opposed to boots on the ground. I think we need to have a
clear objective and identify what “success” looks like before sending American men and women into harm’s way. … The president drew a red line in Syria. They crossed it, and yet the president did nothing and the world watched. An American ambassador was killed in Benghazi, [Libya]. We did nothing and the world watched. Unfortunately, we have gotten to a point where our enemies no longer fear us, and our allies don’t trust us. And this is due to the lack of leadership.
What specific policies will you advocate to address climate change if elected? All Minnesotans care about being good stewards for our lakes and forests. Politicians have created a false choice between the environment and our economy. I believe in smart regulation, not overregulation. The state of Minnesota has some of the toughest environmental regulations in the world. We can streamline the federal regulatory review process to reduce redundant review, so that it is less cumbersome for the economy, while still protecting the environment. Also renewables, which provide cleaner energy, have proven to be important for Minnesota’s agricultural economy, and I will advocate for continued support for those energies. Lastly, I believe the government has a role to play in supporting research and design for new technologies in fields like energy.
The unemployment rate in September was at its lowest since July 2008. What policies should be perpetuated, created or taken off the books to continue this trend? It is positive that the unemployment rate has declined, but those statistics do not show the full picture. The labor force participation rate is the lowest it has been in decades, meaning that many Minnesotans have given up on finding work. [About] half of Minnesotans are underemployed, meaning that they are in jobs for which they are overqualified. The numbers are even worse when you look at recent college graduates. ... We need to get this economy moving again. My plan focuses on the Three E’s: energy, education, and effective government. Lower cost energy will spur economic growth, education and training programs will support our workforce and tax and regulatory reform — including in health care — will unhamper small businesses looking to grow.
Should the federal minimum wage be raised? What other initiatives will you look to to improve the economic wellbeing of those in poverty? I believe that the federal minimum wage is an important safeguard. However, I believe that increases in the minimum wage should be left up to the states at this point. … In the immediate term, we need to get our economy back on the path of growth and prosperity to give Minnesotans more opportunity to find good-paying jobs. The minimum wage should be a stepping-stone. In the long term, I believe the most important tool to combat poverty is education. Minneapolis has one of the worst achievement gaps in the country. I believe there should be moral outrage on this point. Every child deserves a first-class education, regardless of [his or her] zip code. … In the Senate, I will fight for students across the countr y, aiming to close the achievement gap and increase opportunity.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The house of representatives race Congressional district 5 by john thomas
Photo courtesy of keith ellison campaign
Keith ellison Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., incumbent
But it’s a simple matter of priorities. Are we going to invest in more affordable higher education or not?
How have your recent experiences and lifelong experiences shaped your politics?
What should the U.S. role be in Syria and other [Islamic State]-
My experiences tell me that America should always have a reliable path for the middleclass. My life experiences tell me that the government is not the only source of success for regular people, but it is an important par tner. And we cannot shrink government until it drowns in the bathtub because government provides infrastructure … and it can be an important part because it helps to educate people through our school system.
I agree with the president’s strategy to pressure ISIL and other terrorist groups in Iraq. I think at the end of the day, there should be no boots on the ground. ... I think that ISIL actually wants to lure the United States into a ground war with them because they know that helps them to recruit and to raise money by claiming that the United States is trying to occupy their country. But I think that, at the same time, that a Kurd- or Iraqi- or Syrian-led force taking it to ISIL is the best approach. I also think there are a lot of non-military actions we can take.
If you had to parse it down, what do you think separates your ideology from that of candidate Daggett’s? I don’t know him well enough to say, but … if his views reflect what the Republican Party stands for, my views are separated … because I believe that the public sector and the private sector have to work together.
The poor state of our nation’s infrastructure is a universally recognized issue and one that we’re feeling across campus at the moment, with many buildings and facilities in critical need of repair and upkeep. What do you think Congress should do to address this issue in the coming months? I think we should pass the National Infrastructure [Development] Bank bill. … This bill asks that we … capitalize the National Infrastr ucture [Development] Bank bill, and then based on that, we float bonds, and … then we do critical infrastructure projects. … That could be taking care of public buildings like the University of Minnesota, but also could be extending fiber optic cables so that we could have broadband access all across the country.
Police brutality af fects many across the countr y and in our state ever y year, and a disproportionate amount of those targeted are people of color. What role would you advocate for Congress to have in addressing this issue? I think Congress needs to pass a bill to prevent racial profiling. I think that when law enforcement encounters a citizen, it ought to be based on things that are provable, things that people actually did wrong, as opposed to their color or their religion, or anything like that. … I also think that we should do much more to build a community relationship, so that we can make sure that every community is protected, not just policed.
Pieces of [a new] Higher Education Act have been working their way through Congress for months now. What’s your view on what has been proposed, and what would you like to see in the final version? We need to support higher education so that our kids can be as competitive as possible in today’s economy, and one issue that I know concerns many students is mounting debt. …
affected territories?
What specific policies will you advocate to address climate change, if elected to another term? The End Polluter Welfare Act is a bill that has identified … subsidies that the U.S. government gives to the fossil fuel industr y, and we strip them from these subsidies. … The other thing is that … there is a bill I have called the financial transaction tax, which assesses a small tax on stocks, derivatives and bonds, generating [funds] we believe could help convert our economy from this fossil-fuel based economy to a renewable economy.
The unemployment rate in September was at its lowest since July of 2008. What policies should be perpetuated, created or taken off the books to continue this trend? One thing that we need to do is that we need to pass the National Infrastructure Bank bill because that bill will help repair and maintain infrastructure, which will put construction workers back to work, but it will also improve the productivity of our economy. We also need to make sure that we are working ver y hard to make sure that the prosperity of low unemployment actually extends to ever ybody. So we need to make sure that we have education and training programs that include the entire community. I also think that we need to increase the federal minimum wage. … Increasing the minimum wage is a very important part of spreading success, because even though we have low unemployment, we also have … income inequality.
You know it’s funny, because my next question was going to be, should the federal minimum wage be raised, but instead: What other initiatives will you look to to improve the economic wellbeing of those in poverty? I have a bill to work on issues of affordable housing. I have a bill that would convert the mortgage interest deduction into a mortgage interest credit. … [My bill would] take the mortgage interest deduction and turn it into a mortgage interest credit, where 15 percent of your interest would be credited against your taxes. That would benefit everybody. …
Photo courtesy of doug dagget campaign
Doug dagget Doug Daggett, Republican challenger How have your life experiences shaped your politics? I grew up in a middle-class family, in Bloomington, and four other brothers and sisters, and both my dad and mom had to work full-time jobs to support the family. … I came here to the University of Minnesota, to the Carlson School of Management, and graduated 27 years ago. … What I would say has shaped my politics, if you will, and opened my eyes, is having the experience of living and working overseas. That was in the late ‘90s to early 2000s, when I lived in the [United Kingdom]. I was working for an American software company. … Living overseas, it made me appreciate America, the tremendous blessing we have in this country. It helped me not take America for granted.
If you had to parse it down, what would you say your ideological dif ference is between yourself and Rep. Ellison? I believe in the goodness of people, and that people will look after each other, and that if we don’t believe that … then the only way to do that is to increase the size of government to have more revenue. Government is the third-party middleman, but unfortunately … that isn’t very efficient, because they have no one to compete against to make them efficient. … That’s what I say is the fundamental difference: that I believe in the charity of my fellow man, that we will look after each other, and we don’t need the size.
The poor state of our nation’s infrastructure is a universally recognized issue, and one that we’re feeling across campus at the moment, with many buildings and facilities in critical need of repair and upkeep. What do you think Congress should do to address this issue in the coming months? Infrastructure is key, obviously … because that’s the proper role of government, too, to make sure it’s providing the right infrastructure, so not only people can most easily prosper, but of course, small businesses can easily prosper as well. … My grandparents always taught me to save for a rainy day, so make sure that you’re spending money on important things and not frivolous things, so that we can be putting the money into infrastructure.
Police brutality af fects many across the countr y and in our state ever y year, and a disproportionate amount of those targeted are people of color. What role would you advocate for Congress to have in addressing this issue? I think we’ve got the right laws on the books. If I’m mistaken about that, then I need to get corrected, but I think we’ve got the right laws on this. ... I think there needs to be constant vigilance that our police department is not unfairly targeting. … How can we help them so that they are able to do their job the best that they can do? … So that to leave no doubt that … if our police are misbehaving in any
way, that there’s no excuse for them.
Pieces of [a new] Higher Education Act have been working their way through Congress for months now. What’s your view on what has been proposed, and what would you like to see in the final version? I’m for it, and I think we just need to get it passed. I don’t have any particular changes to it. I think we need to reauthorize it.
What should the U.S. role be in Syria and other [Islamic State]affected territories? I think we’re doing the right thing right now. … It’s good that we have other allies in the Middle East, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and it’s good that they are engaged and that we have some European partners as well … that it’s not just the United States. I think that we have to be careful, and that I think that ISIS, through the things that they’re doing, the beheadings that they’re doing, and publishing those for the world to see that they’re trying to egg us on … we need to be cognizant of that, what their true objectives are, and we have to prevent ourselves [from] getting into another long, drawn-out war in the Middle East.
What specific policies would you propose to [address] climate change, if elected? I think we’ve got the laws already in place. … In my significant travels, and living overseas, what I have seen with almost no exception, is that the countries that have the strongest economies have the cleanest environments, because … they have the financial wherewithal and resources to do it.
The unemployment rate in September was at its lowest since July of 2008. What policies should be perpetuated, created or taken off the books to continue this trend? The [Minnesota] underemployment rate is [about] 50 percent, meaning that they’re in jobs that are below their skill level. … Another thing that concerns me is the labor participation rate, which is at its lowest point [in decades], and that means there’s people who’ve just given up looking for a job, and those people of course aren’t counted in the unemployment rate. So I’m glad to see the unemployment rate come down, but I’m concerned about what the true unemployment rate really is when you take all those things into consideration.
Should the federal minimum wage be raised, and whether if so or if not, what other initiatives will you look to to improve the economic wellbeing of those in poverty? My concern with an increase … is the impact that it would have on people that are looking for entry-level jobs, and that it would be just really a hindrance on people who are looking to [start] a company, or to grow their company and that that would have a negative impact on jobs. So I believe that I would be against that. I think that the market is best to decide. … Even if you were to double the minimum wage, that isn’t really a livable wage, and we need to be solving problems that help people be economically mobile.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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The house of representatives race Congressional district 4 by kevin karner
Mccollum’s office neglected to provide a photo by press time.
Betty mccollum U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., incumbent Congressional approval rating is at a low. What role do you think you can play in restoring public confidence in elected officials? As a member of the [Committee on Appropriations], we worked hard in a bipartisan way to get bills to the floor. It doesn’t give confidence to the people that Congress can’t get things done. … Getting our work done would go a long ways towards improving confidence. Like No Child Left Behind, I remember going to talk about changes to the legislation that still haven’t been authorized. We need to get our work done and get it done together.
How have you worked across the aisle? How willing are you to compromise on legislative agendas? No one goes to Washington to compromise on their core values. But we do need to come to the table to work out issues together and find common ground. The appropriations committee still functions bipartisanly, and I’ve worked closely with Republican colleagues to get bills passed. … I’m co-sponsoring legislation with an Idaho Republican to treat forest fires like we do like hurricanes. There’s lots of bipartisan work on the [Interior Subcommittee] — lots of disagreement on the [Environmental Protection Agency], but we find a common ground.
What has personally been your most significant legislative accomplishment? What issues would you like to hone in on in the next session? One [accomplishment] that just celebrated a victor y was the Green Line, which I worked on 13 years ago. For it to come to St. Paul at Union Depot, I had to move an antiquated post office and find it a new home. … It just goes to show that the work that you do behind the scene, that it takes a long time … and then one day you’re in Union Depot with the president. The other thing that was bipar tisan, I worked with senators from Ohio and Pennsylvania on an Asian carp strategy that I hope will be a model for how we deal with invasive species. … I was pleased to work in a bipar tisan way to come up with a national strategy on the expansion of that particular species.
Is there a politician, past or present, in mind that you consider yourself most ideologically aligned with?
There are lots of people who have passed through my lives: Democrats and Republicans at the local and state level, people at the international level. … I remember people standing out in the cold for Huber t H. Humphrey’s funeral. … He really understood state and national politics, but he worked on things internationally. I helped secure $88 million for the Ebola outbreak in Africa. He worked on [the] Peace Corps and worked on international nutrition issues. In the work that I’ve done with Native Americans, he was a strong supporter of civil rights. I grew up knowing that name. … He was … someone who could work across the aisle. He was a powerful speaker — things I wish I was better at, perhaps. But he was someone who worked to get the job done.
What do you feel is the biggest issue representing the constituents of the 4th district? How have you been responsive to those? I’d say making sure we are rebuilding our transportation infrastructure, but also infrastructure people don’t see, like broadband, and to make sure we have the power grids so we can take advantage of clean energy. … The other thing I already mentioned, the Green Line, the work that I did down at Union Depot — it’s made Lowertown a destination neighborhood. … I’m ver y excited about being a lead Democrat on the subcommittee for the interior and appropriations committee.
What role should the University or government have in the use of the Redskins football name? … The U, along with the National [Collegiate Athletic] Association, has addressed this issue, and there are bylaws at the University that say that it protects freedom of speech, but that it doesn’t allow for harmful or hate speech to be directed to people on campus. There are lots of Native American students there, and they’ve been organizing and saying that this is hate speech. … It’s really unfortunate that we found this situation with the Vikings inviting [the] Redskins to come. …The University is a place of academic and social justice. That’s what universities are all about. That’s why the bylaws reflect a place where all people will be treated with respect.
Photo courtesy of sharna wahlgren campaign
SHARNA WAHLGREN Sharna Wahlgren, Republican challenger Congressional approval rating is at a low. What role do you think you can play in restoring public confidence in elected officials? I think it’s shocking how low that approval is. I think ever yone in Congress needs to take some responsibility for it. We might be well served by making a lot of changes in Congress — change out a lot of people. … We have to elect new people and remember how important our voices are. Don’t give up your power; vote new people in. … I care a lot about this community. I’ve lived here my whole life. My career as a litigator has required me to work hard days for months and months. I have more energy than most people to work in a positive way.
How will you work across the aisle? How willing are you to compromise on legislative agendas? For anyone who says Tea Partiers are the problem … I think that’s a mistake. I think I’m willing to talk to everyone. As a representative of a district, you should meet with ever yone, par ticularly those you don’t agree with. You owe it to them to listen and see if there are commonalities. We’re all trying to do something for our communities. … It’s about having that perspective and being respectful to everyone. For instance, we have this debate about whether man is contributing to climate change. Well, there’s common ground there that ever yone can work towards there. Even if people don’t believe [the issue is] contributing to global change, people want clean water and clean air and don’t want acid rain. What is our actual goal? Is it to get people to all agree, or protect our air and water?
What do you feel is the biggest issue representing the constituents of the 4th district? What experience do you bring to resolve those? I think it’s the national debt. It’s a huge number, [about] $18 trillion, and a lot of people haven’t focused on the fact that we pay interest on it. … We pay more on interest than we do on the budget for education, homeland, interior, labor and commerce, justice, state department — you name it. People feel like it doesn’t impact their daily life, but when you realize what we’re wasting, what we’re
not spending on roads and bridges, education — we’re cutting into that. … We’re pilling debt on future generations without a plan to pay it off. To expect other people to pay our bills — it’s a moral issue. I’m very committed to this one.
Are there particular legislative tasks you want to pursue, committee appointments? Any topics you’re passionate about? I would have an interest in budget or appropriations committees. My economics degree would help me address the critical needs that both those touch on.
Is there a politician, past or present, in mind that you consider yourself most ideologically aligned with? I take lessons from both sides of the aisle, but I don’t think I’m like anyone else. I’m fiercely independent, and not terribly partisan. I appreciate [former President Ronald] Reagan’s approach to be positive and uplifting and gather people together in a common vision. To inspire this pride in who we are and this desire to work together collectively, he really had an ability to deliver a message. The man who inspired me to get into politics was Hubert Humphrey. His funeral was such a big deal. I remember watching it in fourth grade. … It was such a glowing speech they gave about what a statesmen he was, what a positive impact he made. I had this moment of, “Wow, that’s a life well lived.” And I was as interested in the Kennedys as anyone ever was. … I love his famous line about, “Ask not what your country can do for you.” I feel like we should all be inspired by that.
What role should the University or government have in the use of the Redskins football name? I’m an intellectual property lawyer, and the government is not going to go in and decide if someone can use a trademark. That’s a good example where people should make the decision. It’s become too easy to say Washington should take care of everything. I get it, I really do. It may well be an inappropriate name, but I don’t think that’s an issue for Congress, at least. … There’s 100 legitimate issues out there, but you can’t focus on them all. I’m more concerned about high school graduation rates with Native Americans.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The Minnesota house race district 60b by ethan nelson
daily file photo
Phyllis kahn Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, Incumbent What do you think is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you address it? I think student support is a really big issue, so better support for the University [of Minnesota]. For the first time, we’ve restored the level of funding. I think dealing with the University issue, dealing with the issue of [Higher Education Asset Preservation and Renovation funds] — how we’re going to repair older buildings — is really important. I know President [Eric] Kaler has a new suggestion about how to do it, but we need to think that out. Another thing that’s really important is maintaining strong positions on liberal issues, like pro-choice, abortion issues, progay marriage and so forth.
What is the most important issue for the University? I think keeping costs down is really an important issue while keeping quality high. … We want this to be a top-rate university, but we want it to be a student-friendly place in terms of classes and in terms of activities and in terms of costs to students. One of the things I’ve said for a ver y long time, because when I was working at the University that was positive, is that good work-study programs to students that are properly affiliated with their major is actually better than full scholarships, or anything else. Ever y student that worked with me ended up going to graduate school. … So I think expansions of the work-study program are actually better than expansions of scholarship programs. Students in a work-study program related to the field they want to be in really get intimate contact with someone who will be able to write a recommendation letter.
What kinds of policies would you support that affect the University of Minnesota’s tuition? I totally believe that we’re not overtaxed. So I totally believe in a higher budget and bigger appropriations for the University.
What types of economic policies would you support? Again, fair taxation policies. I think the step that we made about increasing the tax on the highest earners was a totally good thing to do. I think listening to the governor, listening to all the people, we have to put more money into transportation. Other things we could look at could be dedicated means of funding transpor tation, like the gas tax. It only increased by 5 cents [in 2008], and I think we can do a lot more to increase the gas tax.
How do you feel about the development throughout the state and near the University?
I think it should be sensible. It should fit in with the area. These kind of issues get a little bit complicated. For example, we should encourage better construction in buildings. And I just learned about a very complicated law that makes it much more profitable for buildings to create apartments instead of condominiums, even though condominiums are more stabilizing for a neighborhood. We need to make sure that economic incentives to deal with that don’t exist. Not that I am opposed to that, but to make the decision that this building should be an apartment instead of a condominium because of liability issues — the decision is being made for the wrong reasons.
What should be done to prevent the radicalization of youth? I’ve been working with the Cedar-Riverside youth community and groups there. They want more things done. … You need programs that appeal to the youth, that totally advance the youth and that show them a route to success in this country.
Would you support any policies that affect public transportation? I would support increased funding, increased support. One of the most sensible things we can do, and it always bothers me we didn’t do it, is that we should have the [Northstar Commuter Rail] service go to St. Cloud. I think that would be a great thing for St. Cloud students and University students, to have that kind of easy access between the two campuses.
Would you support any policies that affect sustainability? We’re working on a more intensive urban agriculture program based on a greenhouse that has been constructed [in 1998] with my help and then neglected … at [Metropolitan State University]. One of the things I’ve said is making urban agriculture a big issue for community and state universities could do as much as landgrant institutions for big agriculture in the past. In other words, this is kind of a look at, because of the existence of immigrant communities and because of nutritional deserts in cities and so forth, there are some very good programs going on. The other issue we’re also working on … is looking at ways to expand growth of pollinators … and also trying to stop the mowing of roadsides. Apparently, if you drive from Iowa to Minnesota on [Interstate] 35, Iowa is covered with these terrific flowers, bees use them and so forth. As soon as you cross the state line, you get to this mowed landscape. We think that’s a cost-saving method as well. The budget for mowing is absolutely incredible, so a one-time planting can save huge amounts of money.
Photo courtesy of abdimalik askar campaign
Abdimalik askar Abdimalik Askar, Republican challenger What do you think is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you address it? I think the biggest issue in our district is jobs. We have college students, university students, but also hundreds of students who did not graduate high school, and they become dropouts so they look for jobs. … To others, that issue is to ask state and federal level for help to create more jobs. So, two things: One is to give more suppor t to the University of Minnesota, so they can look for better ways to attract businesses. The second one is to increase the small businesses in our district. People from different countries, they like to create their own small companies, small coffee shops. So if they get less tax, they can start a small business.
What is the most important issue for the University? The University of Minnesota’s biggest issue is to get more resources. … So the No. 1 priority is supporting the University for our district, so they can have better access and support for the research that they do. The second is for students to get a decreased tuition, and also, when they graduate, they need to get a break for almost two years before they’re asked [to pay back loans].
What kinds of policies would you support that affect the University of Minnesota’s tuition? My policy for tuition is to reduce tuition. To reduce tuition, we need to give more money to the University so that way they can cover costs. Otherwise, the University would increase tuition so students couldn’t afford it.
What types of economic policies would you support? Policy No. 1 is to increase funding and reinvigorating the University of Minnesota so it can attract people internationally so they can see its arts and research.
How do you feel about the development throughout the state and near the University? The state is growing, but I think we need to participate and become the icon of the state, because we are the most diverse in the state. So I will be asking and pushing legislators to support our district.
What should be done to prevent the radicalization of youth? The No. 1 is to educate the parents. No one else can reach these children. Only
parenting can stop it. ... What are students learning? Who are they friends with? Where are they going to get their education? Those types of things are ver y important. Are they getting the mosque? Are they getting the Internet? Second is resources. Students are failing in these schools. … We need to increase the graduation rate for these students. And why are they not graduating? That’s why we need to support research and the University of Minnesota. If these schools are failing, we need to close [them] and create other schools that create success.
Would you support any policies that affect public transportation? We need a ver y effective public transpor tation system. We now have St. Paul and Minneapolis, and we’re proud of that. And we need to increase more of that as well. For the buses — any other transportation. University shuttle, so they can go from apartments and dorms to the University of Minnesota.
Would you support any policies that affect sustainability? Definitely. We need to be more sustainable and not rely on the federal level.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
7B
The Minnesota house race district 66a by blair emerson
Juliet farmer, daily file photo
Alice hausman Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, Incumbent What qualifications do you possess that make you a good candidate for the position? What I’m told by people that I represent is that I speak without jargon. … When I speak to the group, they feel as though they actually learn something new [and] they understand what the issue is. I would add, experience does make a difference. ... You’ve got to know who this [representative] is.
What areas do you plan to focus on in the next state legislative session? We tend to focus on those areas that have become our specialty. … At one point, I spent a lot of time in education and environment and energy. Those are all still things I care about, but I’ve become sort of the infrastructure person. I chair the Capital Investment Committee. … We build all public infrastructure. … This year, at the University of Minnesota, at the St. Paul campus, we funded the [Bee and Pollinator Research Lab] and the [Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center]. So, it allows me to get really ver y much involved in the University of Minnesota, which of course is important to the whole state. Specifically, though, I think public mass transit and being more aggressive about building a system … we also need to do better at funding a comprehensive bus system. ... And then more and more people want safe pedestrian and bike access.
What are your thoughts on the University of Minnesota’s proposed tuition freeze for all undergraduate, graduate and professional students paying in-state tuition next year? I strongly suppor t that. … We voted [on] a budget that allowed [an undergraduate tuition freeze] this year. … We simply are so concerned about the debt that students leave the University with. We had to star t somewhere, and it just seemed as though a tuition freeze was the best way. … And I think there will be a strong desire to continue that into the next budget.
How do you plan to address and reduce college loan debt? We have to continue to increase higher [education] funding. ... We were on the wrong trajector y. We were cutting ever y year and that number was going down, and we have tried to reverse that in our last budget significantly. … If the state does [award] better funding [for] the [University] — and takes some of the burden of f the students — that’s
a pretty direct way that we can do something about tuition and generally not adding to student debt. Also, we have to increase the Minnesota State Grant program. ... We are strongly committed to continue a state grant program for college students.
What are your thoughts on increasing minimum wage? I voted for it. … I think one of the biggest threats to the stability of our nation is the growing gap between those who have the money and those who don’t. … [The current minimum wage] is not even a living wage, and so we still have a ways to go.
The University is requesting state support to address decaying buildings on campus next year. Would you support this request, and why? Yes. In fact, that’s the bill I write. … So I am certainly a strong supporter. Where I’ll need help is, bonding bills are hard to pass because they require a supermajority, and so there’s a lot of pressure from particularly the opposing party to keep the bill small. But the problem is it’s hard to do all public infrastructure and keep a small bill. So, we’ll need help, I think, from students and faculty and parents to help people understand that if we really want to take care of higher [education] buildings and, not only building them … [also] ongoing maintenance, I think, continues to be something we need to be concerned about.
Why is it important for students to vote in the upcoming elections, and how have you been garnering student support? This week I go to Bailey Hall. … That’s because I only represent [the University’s St. Paul campus]. … Students really have more of a stake in this election than anyone. … What we’r e doing in the investment of higher education, that could quickly be reversed again, if there’s a decision to cut taxes and cut spending. That was the direction in the past. … There could be a ver y immediate impact on students if the success we’ve had in the last couple of years quickly is reversed.
Juliet farmer, daily file photo
jON HEYER Jon Heyer, Republican challenger What qualifications do you possess that make you a good candidate for the position? I’ve been a longtime resident, I’m fairly well-educated and I’ve been a political activist in the area for a number of years.
What areas do you plan to focus on in the next state legislative session? I’m very pro term limits. One of the things I see is a lot of current state legislators that have been in there for 10 or 20 or more years. They tend to lose track of the fact that they’re actually representing the people and the district that they’re living in. ... I just want to control our spending and get our tax rates down, below where they are right now. … I’m an avid outdoorsman. A few years back, we passed the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Act, and there’s a committee that makes recommendations for projects that should be funded [from the Outdoor Heritage Fund]. We have a number of legislators that keep trying to change the definitions of what those projects are … and both sides of the aisle are trying to steal the money. Those projects are specifically oriented toward outdoor habitat — wildlife and fish habitat — and access. That’s what the original intent of the bill was. And I want to freeze those definitions, so that people can’t steal the money.
What are your thoughts on the University of Minnesota’s proposed tuition freeze for all undergraduate, graduate and professional students paying in-state tuition next year? I understand that the costs have gone up far faster than the rate of inflation. … When I started going to the University, I think tuition was about $230 a quarter. And now it’s just astronomically high. The key thing is probably auditing where those funds are spent, how they’re spent. I think we can contain costs a lot better than the University is currently doing. They have a lot of buildings that are in terrible states of disrepair ... and it’s like, ‘Oh, well where are we going to get that [funding]?’ The state can’t pay for all that. … The University really needs to police itself a little better … to hold the costs down a little bit.
How do you plan to address and reduce college loan debt? It seems that when the loan programs became available, [students] could take ridiculous amounts of loans to go to school. The universities and colleges saw that and went, ‘Oh, we can run our tuitions up because they can get the money.’ And it’s like — well, no, that’s not how it works. You need to tr y to maintain a little tighter rein on tuition and stuf f … and then the
[students] don’t have to take the loans out. I’d like to see more of an emphasis on work-study assistance programs.
What are your thoughts on increasing minimum wage? I agree with increasing minimum wage, but it has to be a little bit … slower and a steadier, incremental increase. … I think there are an awful lot of companies that simply are going to have a lot of trouble with that. What it’s going to hurt is high school and college students, more than anybody, that are working 20 hours a week. ... If you’re going to be hiring 20 people to work shifts and they ramp that up, unless you’re really going to increase your prices in a lot of cases, you’re just going to hire less people. … If minimum wage were to be ramped up at maybe 50 cents a year, I think the companies could adjust to that much easier.
The University is requesting state support to address decaying buildings on campus next year. Would you support this request, and why? We do need to continue to renovate some of the older buildings, and perhaps that should be a higher priority than building new ones. ... Sure, you need to replace some, but you also need to take care of what’s there.
Why is it important for students to vote in the upcoming elections, and how have you been garnering student support? The students are working their tails off to get a college degree in hopes of getting a job that will pay them a good wage at some point of their life. And the bottom line is: Unless we have businesses in Minnesota that are in existence, that we haven’t taxed them out of the state … they’re not going to be able to stay here and work. … Our state has [one of the highest] business tax of any state in the United States. And it’s causing our businesses to either close or move. ... With government spending at a crazy pace … it affects me. ... The reason I’m running is for my children and grandchildren. People just don’t understand [that] when you spend money in a bonding bill in the state, that’s a bond that’s paid off over [about] 25 years. Essentially, it’s like buying things on a credit card, and you need to contain some of those costs. ... I haven’t done a lot at the University. I’ve tried to get in contact with College Republicans at the University to try to do a couple things with them. One of the bigger campuses in my district is the University of Northwestern[-St. Paul], and I’ve been on their campus a few times canvassing voters. ... I’m hoping to do something on the University’s St. Paul campus as well in the [final weeks of October].
8B
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
9B
The Secretary of state race by kevin karner
Photo courtesy of dan severson campaign
Photo courtesy of steve simon campaign
Dan severson Former state Rep. Dan Severson, R-Sauk Rapids What are some distinctions between you and the other candidates in this race? I think there’s some clear distinctions. I’ve been in executive positions in the Navy and in the Republican leadership, and also in the non-profit sector, and in the business side as well. … The age and the experience level is dramatically different than my opponents’.
What experience do you bring as a legislator? Why make the jump to this office? I’m bringing to this office the experience of having worked in the Legislature, knowing [how] the system works, and having worked across party lines in that position gives me the experience needed for this job. I think, also, the vision that I have for improving the election and business processes are something the other candidates have individually in a particular area — but I have those combined in my vision for secretary of state. The vision, the experience and the integrity are what I see that set me apart from my opponents.
Much of the attention around the office seems to focus on election administration. Are there other roles as secretar y of state that you feel you would bring direction to? The business side is 70 percent of the office of secretary of state. Part of what I’ve been working on in my outreach to a lot of new immigrant and minority communities is through an organization that I put together — which is called Minority Liberty Alliance, a [501](c)(4) organization — [that] has been reaching out to those communities, finding out about their culture and then trying to break down barriers in terms of commerce. … Many of them come over here to participate in the American dream, to be part of our society. And largely, they’re being denied that simply because of … certification requirements, licensing requirements, things like that that we have done that are creating barriers for them to enter … the job market. … One of the plans that I have is to put together a council of business people, who would be experienced business people from the private sector, and then some of the new American and minority leaders and the entrepreneurs, to come together and determine what are those barriers, how can we
pull those down — take them to the Legislature and deal with them that way.
This office sometimes walks a tightrope in terms of partisanship. What’s the relationship of this office to the Legislature in terms of setting policy around voting or business services? Because it’s a constitutional office, there’s a mandate to protect the Constitution. Protecting the Constitution is not partisan. … It’s doing what I did for 22 years in the military: support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I have only been partisan in that I’ve run on a Republican ticket. I’ve always been nonpartisan in my office representing the people of my district and looking out for their best welfare. If I have an issue, I always went back to my district to find out what the people wanted and then voted appropriately. … I’ve been always reaching across the aisle on issues that we can come to common ground on.
Is there a problem with voter fraud in the state election process? What should be done in light of the 2012 amendment that was rejected by voters? I think the amendment was rejected by voters because it was a constitutional amendment. … So I think the people of Minnesota are hesitant about putting things into the Constitution. I get that. One of the things that drove me to run for secretary of state was issues of voter fraud that had been brought to my attention. And then as a sitting legislator, when I brought those issues up … I couldn’t get any action on it. I took it all the way up to the [Minnesota] Supreme Court, who was hearing the Franken-Coleman case at the same time, and they refused to hear it. … So that was one of the things that drove me to run for the office initially. … We have a good election system, but it is excluding a lot of the minority communities and the new American communities that have come here for a better future. And because of that, I have moved into those communities to say, “You need to participate in this process,” and done that through creating relationships with their leadership and beginning to gain some trust — reaching into their communities and actually recruiting candidates to run from their particular communities, which gives them a voice in the process and, in turn, will increase the participation from those communities.
Steve simon State Rep. Steve Simon, DFL-Hopkins What are some distinctions between you and the other candidates in this race? One is depth of passion and experience in the issues that relate to the office. I’ve been in the [Legislature] for 10 years. And from day one, I’ve been passionate about election laws — the heart of the office. I now chair the [House] Elections Committee. I’ve dedicated my legislative career to fair and collaborative consensus in making election laws. … Second, is my emphasis in this campaign. I believe secretar y of state should make it easier to vote, not harder to vote, for all eligible Minnesotans. That’s been my rallying cry. Third, I would say, is the sort of emphasis on being nonpartisan, being impartial, especially when it comes to elections — being someone who can have the trust and confidence of people across the political spectrum. … My pride and joy, the legislative accomplishment I’m most proud of, is Minnesota’s new law for no-excuses absentee voting, also known as “vote by mail.” …
What experience do you bring as a legislator? Why make the jump to this office? I’ve been passionate about elections, election law and ballot access and voting rights since before I came to the Legislature. As chair of the [elections] committee, I’ve really gotten to know all perspectives, legislators on all sides of the issues. … I have good working relationships that will put me in a good position in the secretary of state office in getting things done with the Legislature.
Much of the attention around the office seems to focus on election administration. Are there other roles as secretar y of state that you feel you would bring direction to? One is the business ser vices section, making sure it’s easy as possible to start and maintain a business. … As an attorney, I’m attuned to business needs. There are particularly some technology-oriented reforms that I think we can peruse. For example, the work is not yet done at the office of fully digitizing
certain records and certain functions, and making them fully available 24/7 online. … The second thing is that I think the state and the secretar y’s office could do a better job at providing a digital welcome map, as I call it, for companies and wouldbe companies, particularly those from outside of Minnesota. … I think it could be a real compass and guide for businesses in the state. … The other that’s par ticularly close to my heart is a relatively little-known program called the “safe at home” program. … It’s an address anonymity program for victims of domestic violence. … The secretar y is, in essence, the mailbox for that person, and that person’s tr ue address isn’t known to anyone. … I’ve been proud to carry legislation to strengthen that program.
This office sometimes walks a tightrope in terms of partisanship. What’s the relationship of this office to the legislature in terms of setting policy around voting or business services? I would say the secretar y of state should be a leader. The secretary does not have a vote, obviously, in the Legislature. … But I think the secretar y of state’s office does have a responsibility to work with legislators so that they can arrive at the best results possible under the best circumstances. That can mean … providing exper tise, providing direction and leadership.
Is there a problem with voter fraud in the state election process? What should be done in light of the 2012 amendment that was rejected by voters? Minnesota has a ver y small and isolated instance of wrongdoing in elections. … There’s a simple, low cost fix of that, and we almost got it last year. The fix is to simply spend some money, not a lot … on mailings and other communications simply informing people of what their rights are and are not. … That’s a far simpler, more effective, less disruptive and more fair method of getting at the ver y small, ver y [targeted] number of instances in voter irregularities.
preparing for election day what to expect on nov. 4
SAME-DAY VOTER REGISTRATION OPTIONS To register to vote on Election Day, bring one of the following to a polling location to confirm your name and place of residence: 1. Valid Minnesota driver’s license, learner’s permit or receipt for either 2. Valid Minnesota identification card or receipt 3. Tribal identification card 4. A person who can confirm your address with a signed oath. The person must be registered in the same precinct as you and can vouch for up to eight voters. 5. An employee of the residential facility where you live in the precinct who can vouch for you. The employee must have an employee ID or be on a Certified List of Employees of a Residential Facility. 6. A late notice of registration letter mailed from election headquarters within two weeks of Election Day 7. Previous registration in the same precinct under a different name or address 8. University ID, or U-Card SOURCE: MINNEAPOLIS ELECTIONS AND VOTER SERVICES
Combine an approved photo ID (From List A) with an approved document (from List B) that shows name and address: List A: approved photo IDs 1. Driver’s license, state ID card or learner’s permit issued by any state 2. University ID, or U-Card 3. Minnesota high school ID 4. Tribal ID 5. United States military ID 6. United States passport List B: approved documents 1. Residential lease or rental agreement valid through Election Day 2. Current student fee statement 3. Bill, account or start of service statement due or dated within 30 days of the election for: a. Phone b. TV c. Internet service d. Solid waste or sewer services e. Electric, gas or water f. Banking or credit card g. Rent or mortgage payments
BALLOT QUESTIONS MINNEAPOLIS BALLOT QUESTIONS CITY QUESTION 1: FILING FEE FOR CITY ELECTED OFFICES
Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to increase the filing fees for candidates seeking City elected offices from the current fee of $20 for each office to $500 for the office of Mayor, $250 for the office of Council Member, $100 for the office of Board of Estimate and Taxation Member, and $100 for the office of Park & Recreation Commissioner and, as an alternative to payment of a filing fee, allow a candidate to submit a petition of voter signatures as provided in state law? CITY QUESTION 2: REMOVE MANDATORY FOOD REQUIREMENTS FOR WINE LICENSES
Shall the Minneapolis City Charter be amended to remove the requirement that businesses holding on-sale wine licenses in the City must serve food with every order of wine or beer and to remove mandatory food to wine and beer sales ratios? SOURCE: MINNEAPOLIS ELECTIONS AND VOTER SERVICES
10B
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The State state auditor race by ethan nelson
Photo courtesy of rebecca otto campaign
Photo courtesy of randy gilbert campaign
Rebecca otto State Auditor Rebecca Otto, DFL incumbent
Randy gilbert
or things like that.
What is the biggest issue you feel the state auditor should address, and how would you address it?
Why are you the best candidate for the position?
My opponents will say we need to do this, we need to do that. They don’t have any idea what the job is. They don’t have any experience or knowledge.
I’ve held this position for eight years, and I … won the national Excellence in Accountability Award … [and was] elected president of the National State Auditors Association by my peers across the country. I was recently named one of the most influential professional government auditors in America at all levels of government by the Institute of Internal Auditors, citing my integrity, courage and leadership as the state auditor, that I do my job basically without fear or favor, which is extraordinarily important as the state auditor. I also got the President’s Award from the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers. I know my job, and I do it very well. I’ve served in a nonpartisan manner in my job. I’ve worked ver y hard to make sure that we provide the most effective oversight of over $20 billion per year by our local governments, with a very lean staff.
How would you make sure public funds are being spent correctly? There’s a legal compliance guide. When local governments get their annual audits — whether we’re doing the audits or the private sector is — because we don’t audit all local governments, we make sure the guide is used. If there is noncompliance with state law, they will receive a finding in their audit. … So local government employees and local elected officials, by law, if they have evidence of misuse of public funds or theft, they must report it to our office. So we have lots of eyes and ears out there to assist us in our work. We don’t have 1,000 people on staff. We have about 110.
How would you ensure the position does not become too partisan?
Why do you want this position?
That’s what I’ve done all along. My staf f are civil ser vants. They’re mainly professionals and have very technical jobs. We have licensed [certified public accountants] and some attorneys. But it’s how you act as an elected. The last state auditor … they started playing politics. I beat that auditor. … So basically, the voters take care of that, and they’ve elected me twice.
I’ve ser ved in it now for two terms, and I’m running again because there’s a couple of projects that I really want to do that I know will add value for our communities. … I want to do more with transparency. We have all the financial data and local government finances for … units of government, and I want to continue to work on visualization of the data and make it more user friendly to the public, to the media, to everybody. … But really the very large project I want to engage in — and it’s going to be difficult — is identifying and quantifying our infrastructure needs, like deferred maintenance. … I believe when you know what’s coming … you can do better planning. We have some communities — these projects are ver y expensive — and … we don’t want crises in these communities around water
Would you support educating the public at large about how public money is being spent? That’s what we do, and that’s what I do. First of all we have a website chock full of data. And we issue annual reports on cities, towns, counties and school districts. We issue special investigations, review letters, annual audits … I also go out and do training. … I’m always educating.
Randy Gilbert, Republican challenger
she currently is right now.
How would you make sure public funds are being spent correctly?
Why are you the best candidate for the position? This is the office of state auditor, and the primar y function of the office is to audit. I’m the only candidate with a degree in accounting, who’s a professional auditor and has been a mayor of [a local city]. So I bring knowledge, experience and I will maintain independence, which is the cornerstone of auditing, in an office [where] that currently does not exist.
Why do you want this position? A lot of it comes back to the first question. … We need to make sure that the person that is leading actually understands what they’re talking about. … If you take a look at any accounting firm across the state, the city, the nation — like KPMG, where I’ve worked, and McGladrey — the leader … has come through the ranks. [The leader has] been a staffer, they’ve been a manager, they’ve been a partner. We need to make sure the state auditor truly understands what auditing is all about, what entities should be doing, and making sure that we are providing that information to the taxpayers, because, ultimately, we work for the taxpayers, making sure that we are giving them the assurance that we’re protecting them.
What is the biggest issue you feel the state auditor should address, and how would you address it? There’s many, actually. One of the things we do often in the private sector is the citizen’s data protection initiative. We … hear [many companies] having all their information compromised. Our local levels of government need some help, and our state auditor should be making sure that we are protecting their data to our best ability and letting them know that this is going on. On top of that, the state auditor needs to be talking about far more issues than
The first thing you need to make sure is that you have timely reports. And one of the other initiatives I want to do is, I think the state auditor should be initiating a near real-time repor ting system. And by this, [what] I mean is that all the entities that report to the local levels of government … should have to repor t on a quarterly basis where they are relative to their budget. If we had that information out there, taxpayers would be more aware of what’s happening and be able to ask the questions that are readily available. The reports that come out now, the final reports, sometimes come out almost 18 months after the fact.
How would you ensure the position does not become too partisan? I don’t believe this should be a partisan position. … Financial statements don’t know a D or an R. ... They know a debit and a credit, and our job is make sure these things are reported properly. … Independence is the cornerstone of the accounting industr y. … So while we run on par ty platforms because it’s the way the system’s set up, when I was endorsed I made the statement that I don’t care if I walk into an entity and it’s run by Democrats, Republicans, Independents. If I find an issue, I’m reporting it. I’m not looking to expand my Christmas card list. … It should not be [par tisan]. I wish it wasn’t, and I don’t know how we can do that, but it’s my promise to everyone. I did it as a mayor. I did it in my own party.
Would you support educating the public at large about how public money is being spent? I think it’s always the job of any auditor when you find information, you need to be able to repor t what you found. And secondly, if you think there should be some changes, you make those suggestions. Providing suggestions on what you see is always the job of the auditor.
Polling places near the u Preparing for election day ST. PAUL
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17. Soltva Apartments 701 N. Second St. 18. River Towers Condominiums 15 S. First St. 19. Open Book 1011 S. Washington Ave.
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20. National Guard Armory 1025 Broadway St. NE 21. 514 Studios 514 N. Third St. Suite 101 22. Minneapolis Central Library 300 Nicollet Mall
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FALCON HEIGHTS PRECINCT 1 1. Falcon Heights City Hall 2077 W. Larpenteur Ave. FALCON HEIGHTS PRECINCT 2 2. Falcon Heights United Church of Christ 1795 Holton St. ST. PAUL WARD 4 3. Langford Recreation Center 30 Langford Park 4. Hancock School Recreation Center 1610 Hubbard Ave. 5. Bethlehem Lutheran Church 436 Roy St. N. 6. Lyngblomsten Care Center 1415 Almond Ave. 8. Hamline High Rise 777 Hamline Ave. 7. Como Park Streetcar Station 1224 Lexington Parkway N. 9. International Academy 631 Albert St. N. 10. Galtier School 1317 Charles Ave.
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SECOND WARD PRECINCTS 1. Holy Trinity Lutheran Church 2730 E. 31st St. 2. Sullivan Community School 3100 E. 28th St. 3. Van Cleve Park (multipurpose) 901 15th Ave. SE 4. Weisman Art Museum 333 E. River Parkway 5. Prospect Park United Methodist Church 22 Orlin Ave. SE 6. St. Frances Cabrini Church 1500 Franklin Ave. SE 7. Augsburg College Christensen Center 720 S. 22nd Ave. 8. Brackett Park Recreation Center 2728 S. 39th Ave. 9. Augsburg College Oren Gateway 610 S. 22nd Ave. 10. Grace University Lutheran Church 324 Harvard St. SE THIRD WARD PRECINCTS 11. University Lutheran Church of Hope 601 13th Ave. SE 12. First Congregational Church of Minnesota 500 Eighth Ave. SE 13. Marcy Open School 415 Fourth Ave. SE 14. Spring Manor Highrise 828 Spring St. NE 15. Saint Maron Catholic Church 602 University Ave. NE 16. East Side Neighborhood Services 1700 Second St. NE
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SOURCES: MINNEAPOLIS ELECTIONS AND VOTER SERVICES, RAMSEY COUNTY ELECTIONS, CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS