Page 4B

saturday, November 1, 2014

Lakes area review

County Continued from page 3B

involved on the inside of the

planning thus far, but it seems
to me that blaming one another for the issue will not
solve the problem. It is also
clear that if we are to halt the
spread of AIS, action needs to
happen soon! In fact inaction
may have already cost us.

My decision to run for reelection to the county board is

based on my belief that my
past years of experience serving the county has provided
me with a broad background
in a variety of issues that local
government is and will be facing. County government has
no jurisdiction over city zoning, permitting or regulations.
Dean Shuck
We also have no control over
the many state and federal
mandates. Yet we are obligated to enforce and support
them. County government is
complicated and complex and
more directly affects the lives
of all of us who live here than
most of what happens at the
state or federal level. Our challenge as a county board is to
provide the needed and required services at the least expense to the taxpayer. I am a
fiscal conservative committed
Why are you running for to helping the county move
forward.
county board?

The work of the board,

along with the efforts of a
great staff, has been redesigning county government to better serve the people. Weve
made a lot of progress. All
county departments are now
located on the main floor of
the downtown county office
building to provide greater accessibility. People can now
visit the county license bureau
three nights a week, or can
apply for and receive a passport at the same location.
Also, I am also committed
to continue working with the
Vision 2040 plan to strengthen
our community.
List and briefly explain
up to three goals you would
like to see the county accomplish if your are elected to office.
My goals for the future of
Kandiyohi County include but
are not limited to:
1. Having a strong and vi-

brant county economy that

supports business, agriculture
and tourism while maintaining
and strengthening our quality
of life. Quality of life attracts
people to our county and a
strong economy will provide
well paying jobs to keep them
here. It will also give our
young people a reason to return to the community after
military service or completion
of their education to make
their homes and raise their
families in our community.
2. To provide broadband
internet access to all areas of
our county. Estimates now
show us at anywhere from
13% 17% coverage county
wide and that is not acceptable.
3. It is the job as well as the
responsibility of the county to
provide the needed comprehensive services to ensure a
good quality of life for our
elders. Whether its transporta-

tion or other community inhome supports which make it

possible to continue to live in
their own homes or their
choice of available, accessible
and affordable housing. For
example, Kandiyohi Area
Transportation provides transportation using bus service
and volunteer drivers to take
people to medical appointments, grocery shopping and
other errands.
What can be done about
ais, such as zebra mussels,
and their potential longterm affect on the county?
We pride ourselves on our
lakes and our tourism. Aquatic
invasive species infestation is
a huge concern for District 3
and Kandiyohi County as a
whole. As a member of the
Shakopee Creek/Chippewa
River Watershed Board I have
listened to the concerns and
worries of lake association
members and lake owners

about the need to keep our

lakes and rivers clean. After
the first adult zebra mussel
was found in Green Lake it is
more critical than ever that we
contain the infestation and
prevent spread.
Additionally it has the potential to negatively impact
our economy.
For years the only available money to support the
fight against aquatic invasive
species was provided by the
county and was definitely not
enough to effectively establish
and maintain the necessary
safeguards. However, for the
next 10 years the county will
receive more than $250,000
annually by legislative action
from the state of Minnesota to
be used for inspectors and decontamination units. And it
will be our responsibility to effectively and responsibly manage these dollars.

MN HousE district 17B

Incumbent DLFer Mary Sawatzky (Willmar) is being challenged by Republican Dave Baker (Willmar) for the Minnesota House of Representatives District 17B seat. Included in MN House
Dist. 17B are the communities of New London, Spicer, Hawick, Sunburg, Regal, Willmar, Kandiyohi, Atwater and Pennock and the townships of Norway Lake, Colfax, Burbank, Roseville, Arctander, Lake Andrew, New London, Irving, Green Lake, Mamre, Dovre, Harrison, St. Johns, Willmar, Kandiyohi, Gennessee, Whitefield, Fahlun, Lake Elizabeth, East Lake Lillian.

Dave Baker

List and briefly explain

one-to-three things that distinguish you from your opponent.
A small business owner in
the area, I have a unique perspective on what its like to
live with a budget that includes cutting expenses along,
with raising revenue. The
one-party rule in the past
two years has propelled me to
run for this office. This is very
dangerous if either party has
all three chambers of government in power.
What makes me different
from my opponent: Leadership. I have learned how to
lead with respect. Listening
but always making decisions
that are best for our district,
not my party. My opponent
voted 94 percent with her
party. That is not what this
district wants.
Balance. Im a Republican
that knows how to work with a
good two-party system, like it

used to work years ago. Im

not going to allow gridlock, or
make promises that put me in
a corner I cant react to. Building bi-partisan coalitions is
what makes good government
work best for all. Balance,
compromise and common
sense. I have not seen this
from our current representative.
Experience. I bring a
unique perspective being an
employer. I know how to create and sustain jobs, I know
fair market values must always be maintained to insure
fair costs to the taxpayers. I
know what its like in St. Paul.
I have helped write laws and
have engaged in many visits to
legislative committee hearings
to help educate lawmakers in
issues affecting businesses and
the future it holds.
List and briefly explain
up to three goals you would
like to accomplish if elected
to office.
1. Change the laws to limit
the horrible negative ads that
are ruining our political
process. No outside advertising should be allowed during
the last 10 days of the campaign. Only the candidates
should have clean access to
voters in the final days of a
campaign.
2. Get our private sector
jobs growing again in Minnesota. Over the past 12
months Minnesota has had the
slowest job growth in the Midwest, and is the 41st worst in

the nation in private sector

jobs. This has to be corrected
or our next five-to-10 years of
tax revenues will be drastically impacted and remaining
taxpayers will be forced to pay
higher taxes when it would
only need expanded jobs and
investments to keep tax rates
down.
3. Balance the budget and
make good decisions that insure Minnesota is ready for the
future, including looking at the
spending issues that are wasteful, before jumping so quickly
to raising taxes...again.
is MNsure serving its
purpose? do you think it
should remain as-is, or do
you advocate any changes?
Of course not. Gov. Dayton has stated it is the biggest
disappointment of his tenure. I
wont advocate repealing MNsure. I say fix it with slow enhancements that wont shock
the small businesses or individuals trying to pay for this.
We need to include mental
health, pre-existing coverages
and wellness programs that
make sense. But MNSure and
the Affordable Care Act concern me greatly. Any mammoth
government-run
program has many flaws due
to the horrendous bureaucracy
created. We need to find the
best solutions and correct this
wrong with smart policies.
do you support additional revenue for transportation and the state
Highway 23 four-lane? if so,

statE oFFicEs

Secretary of State

The Secretary of State is vested with a number of responsibilities, including administration

of elections and providing certain business services to the public.

Steve Simon

Education: St. Cloud State

University; Navy fighter pilot
Democrat
officer and commander, 1978relevant experience: In
2000.
2002, elected to Minnesota
Family: Married to Cathy
House
Jo Pederson; two children.
Dist. 46B
For more info: danseverrepreson.com.
senting
St.Louis
Park and
Hopkins;
in
his
fifth term
in Minn.
Steve
House,
Simon
chairman
of
the
Elections Committee, on Civil
Law, Public Safety Finance
and Policy, State Government
Finance and Veterans Affairs
and Ways and Means committees.
Education: Tufts University, Mass.; University of Minnesota law school.
Family: Married to Leia
Simon; two children.
For more info: stevesimonmn.com

Dan Severson
Republican

relevant experience: Former member of Minn. House,

representing Dist. 14A (Benton and Stearns counties)
2003-2011 (four terms); 2010
candidate for Secretary of
State.
Background: Lives in
Sauk Rapids.

Dan Doc
Severson

how will revenue be raised

for the project?
I support two approaches
with transportation: using our
new technology and equipment wiser and finding ways
to raise revenues.
Allowing the larger trucks
to haul more weight and product will lower the costs of
projects. MnDOT has agreed
the roads and bridges can handle more, the trucks have more
axels and actually displace the
weight better today than they
did years ago, but yet the bill
is hung up because special interest groups want more drivers on the roads. Thats not
good for Minnesota. Also,
using better technology in
winter will reduce fuel and
truck wear when applying the
right chemicals, proper sanding and knowing the temperature of the road at the time of
sanding helps greatly the effectiveness of products used.
We will likely need to find
smart ways to bring more revenue to roads. Im in favor of
more bonding, a reasonable
gas tax or fee that still keeps
Minnesota competitive with
other states, but only when
better efficiencies have been
included in the overall plan, as
mentioned in my first point.

Mary Sawatzky
List and briefly explain
one-to-three things that distinguish you from your opponent.
Over the last two years, I

have gained experience at the

Legislature and in the legislative process. I have worked to
build coalitions and strong
working relationships with my
legislative colleagues on both
sides of the aisle and the executive branch.
Three years ago, Minnesotas state government shut
down because of unwillingness to work together and
compromise. Were on the
right track again and making
progress, and I will work to
build on our momentum and
continue building coalitions to
deliver solutions for the people of Minnesota.
List and briefly explain
up to three goals you would
like to accomplish if elected
to office.
Fill the Gap on Highway
23: We have continued to
make progress on this project
environmental study, purchasing right-of-ways and
now its time to finish the job.
This has been among my top

priorities from day one and

would continue to be if reelected.
Grow Minnesotas economy: Our economy is getting
stronger and our unemployment is at its lowest point in
eight years. But we know we
have more work to do. I would
continue to support great programs like the Minnesota Investment Fund, which helps
bring new businesses to Minnesota, the Minnesota Trade
Office, which helps our businesses ship their products to
new markets, and jobs skill
training programs to ensure
employers can find the skilled
workers they need.
Improving Minnesotas
mental health system: Minnesotas mental health system
needs work. Over the last year,
Ive invited state leaders (chair
of the House Health and
Human Services Policy Committee, and Commissioner of
Human Services) to meet with
local providers. Were working together to try and find solutions to our states mental
health care bottleneck.
Helping people with mental illnesses control and manage their conditions is an
absolute necessity. Providing
support for people with mental
illnesses is important in education, can help prevent unemployment, substance abuse,
suicide, and homelessness; and

House
Continued on page 5B

Lakes area review

saturday, November 1, 2014

Page 5B

House Continued from page 4B

can help people climb out of
poverty. We passed a number
of new and improved mental
health programs but we know
that there is still a great deal of
work to be done.
is MNsure serving its
purpose? do you think it
should remain as-is, or do
you advocate any changes?
There is no doubt, MNsure

got off to a rocky start with

technical problems, but we
have seen some progress. The
states uninsured rate dropped
40 percent to its lowest point
in state history, and second
lowest in the nation!
We need to continue to improve MNsure and iron out
technical glitches. The alternative is to go into the federal

exchange and lose control

over our system. Through
MNsure, Minnesotans can
also get tax credits that help
lower their premiums, and
now Minnesotans cant be denied for pre-existing conditions, they cant be dropped
from their coverage when they
get sick, and there are no lifetime limits.

We shouldnt go back to
the days where health insurance companies called the
shots. We need to continue
pushing for improvements to
MNsure and continuing working toward the goal of ensuring every Minnesotans has
access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.
do you support addi-

tional revenue for transportation and the state

Highway 23 four-lane? if so,
how will revenue be raised
for the project?
I think Minnesotans can
agree that we need to do something about our transportation
infrastructure and in our area,
for Highway 23. I support additional funding dedicated to

statE oFFicEs

FEdEraL oFFicEs

Governor

U.S.
Senator

Mark Dayton
Democrat

relevant
experience:
Minnesota governor since
2011; was U.S. Senator from
Minnesota 2001-2007; State
Auditor from 1991-1995.
Background: Born in
Minneapolis, raised in Long
Lake, lives in St. Paul.
Education: Yale University.
Family: Two children; divorced.
For more info: markdayton.org.

Jeff Johnson
Republican

relevant
experience:
Elected to Minn. House of
Rep. in 2000, served from
2001-2007; now serves as
Hennepin County Commissioner Dist. 7 and is Minnesota Republican National
Founded
Committeeman.
Midwest Employment Resources in 2001.
Background: Born in Detroit Lakes.
Concordia
Education:
College, Moorhead, Georgetown University Law School,
Wash. D.C.
Family: Married to Sandi
Johnson; two children.
For more info: johnsonforgovernor.org.

state of Minnesota, most fa- forattorneygeneral.com.

miliar to the public for enforcing state consumer protection
and anti-trust laws.

Lori Swanson
Democrat

relevant
experience:
Elected Minn. Attorney General in 2006, took office in
2007, re-elected in 2010 and
currently holds office; State
Solicitor General 2003-2006;
Minnesotas first woman attorney general.
Background: Lives in
Eagan; grew up in Northern
Minnesota.
Education: University of
Wisconsin-Madison; William
Mitchell College of Law, St.
Paul.
Family: Married to Gary
Swanson.
For more info: loriswanson.com.

Scott Newman
Republican

experience:
relevant
Minn. Senator representing
Dist. 18 (Meeker, McLeod,
Sibley and Wright counties.);
on Capital Investment, Finance, Finance - Judiciary Division, Judiciary and Rules
and Administration committees in Senate; Served two
terms in Minn. House; in private practice as an attorney for
30 years.
Background: Lives in
Hutchinson.
Education:
William
Mitchell School of Law, St.
Paul.
Family: Married to Ginny
The Attorney General is Newman; three children.
the chief legal officer for the
For more info: newman-

Attorney
General

State
Auditor

Rebecca Otto
Democrat

experience:
relevant
Minnesotas 18th State Auditor, first elected in 2006; president of National State
Auditors Association in 2013;
in 2014, named one of 15
Most Influential Professionals
in Government Auditing by
the Institute of Internal Auditors; state rep. from Stillwater
area before becoming State
Auditor.
Education: Macalester
College, University of Minnesota.
Family: Husband Shawn
Otto.
For more info: rebeccaotto.com

Randy Gilbert

Al Franken
Democrat

relevant experience: U.S.

Senator from Minnesota since
2009;on Health, Education,
Labor and Pension (HELP)
Committee, judiciary committee, Energy and Natural Resources Committee and
Committee on Indian Affairs.
Background: Grew up in
St. Louis Park.
Education:
Graduated
from Harvard in 1973. Before
running for U.S. Senate, spent
37 years as a comedy writer,
author and radio talk show
host.
Family: Married to Franni
Bryson, two children.
For
more
info:
www.franken.senate.gov.

Mike McFadden
Republican

bank.
Background: Grew up in
Nebraska and moved to St.
Paul after high school.
Education: Attended the
University of St. Thomas and
Georgetown University Law
Center before moving back to
Minnesota in 1993.
Family: Married to Mary
Kate McFadden, six children.
For
more
info:
www.mikemcfadden.com

U.S. Rep.
Dist.
7
Minnesotas Seventh Congressional District stretches
from the Canadian border to
the north almost to the Iowa
state line to the south, along
the border with North and
South Dakota.\

Collin Peterson
Democrat

relevant experience: U.S.

Rep. of Minn. District 7 since
1991; ranking member and
former chairman of the House
Committee on Agriculture.
Before being elected to U.S.
House of Representatives, was

relevant experience: On
leave
of absence as co-CEO of
relevant
experience:
Lazard
Middle Market, a MinMayor of Long Lake, 2005neapolis-based
investment
2010; small business entrepreas
CEO
of
AdvantEdge
neur
Companies; currently emContinued from page 3B
ployed as a compliance auditor for Assurance Consulting would be authorized for ten posed by the school board of
(10) years. The estimated total Independent School District
3, LLC.
Education: Bachelor of cost of the projects to be No. 741 be approved?
Question 2 - approval of
accounting degree, University funded by the capital project
authorization
is
approxidistrict Bond issue
levy
school
of Minnesota - Duluth.
mately
$2,400,000.

If
School
District Question
For more info: gilbertShall
the
issuance
of
the
1
is
approved,
shall the school
forauditor.com.
general obligation school board of Independent School
building bonds and the capital District No. 741 (Paynesville
project levy authorization pro- Area Schools) also be author-

Republican

our transportation system and

want to sit down with legislators on both sides of the aisle
to find a bipartisan and
hopefully comprehensive
solution to this issue. There
are a number of possible revenue options and we need to
sit down and figure out which
will be best for the people of
Minnesota.

a CPA and small business

owner in Detroit Lakes and
served 10 years in the Minn.
State Senate.
Background: Grew up on
a farm near Glyndon, lives in
Detroit Lakes.
Education:
Minnesota
State University - Moorhead.
Family: Three children;
divorced.
For more info: www.petersonforcongress.com.

Torrey Westrom
Republican

relevant
experience:
Minn. Senator Dist. 12 (includes all or a portion of Big
Stone, Douglas, Grant, Pope,
Stearns, Stevens, Traverse and
Wilkins counties; attorney,
businessman, state legislator
in office since Jan. 7, 1997.
Background: Born in
Golden Valley; lives in Elbow
Lake.
Education: Bemidji State
University; William Mitchell
College of Law, St. Paul
Family: Married to Anna
Westrom, three children.
For more info: www.torreywestrom.com.

Schools

ized to issue its general obligation school building bonds

in an amount not to exceed
$7,800,000 to provide funds
for the acquisition and betterment of school sites and facilities,
including
the
construction and equipping of
a gymnasium/community center project?