Issue Position: Failed Legislature

Issue Position

Dear Friend:
Three weeks into the 2012 legislative session and it is evident that November's election is critically important to all Minnesotans. It seems that in every news cycle the Republican majorities in the House and Senate indicates no intention of addressing the real problems in our State. Instead of promoting job growth and strengthening the economy, they continue to make partisan politics and conservative social issues their priorities.

* The voter ID amendment is perhaps their most unnecessary solution to a nonexistent problem. The Republicans have not demonstrated that any significant voter fraud exists. If this amendment is approved, Democrats have demonstrated very significant problems will affect senior citizens, minorities, college students, military members overseas, and Minnesotans in rural areas.
* The "Right to Work" amendment is equally flawed. Economic statistics show that workers (including union, non-union, private and public) in states with such laws are paid less on average and have fewer benefits.
* The supermajority tax requirement amendment is equally misguided. The Minnesota Budget Project, an initiative of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, recently released a report that shows that states with such provisions had higher property tax increases. The Minnesota Taxpayers Association reached the same conclusion.

We must end this obsession with a conservative social agenda that fails to address our real problems. We must return a DFL majority to the Minnesota State Senate. In the 2013 legislative session we again tum to our budget problems. Unlike in 2011, we will not be able to "balance" the budget by borrowing billions from our schools, future tobacco settlement payments, and from our reserves. We must make the decisions and choices that will put our State back on sound financial ground.

I am an attorney with 35 years of experience in solving real problems. My entire career in the law has been dealing with governments, city, county, and state for the benefit of my client and the fairness of application of the law. This is the essence of my law practice and the experience I will bring to the job of your next State Senator from our new Senate District.

I am well qualified to be your Senator. For more than 30 years I have been involved in countless negotiations for the benefit of my clients. I have negotiated with people whose ideals, philosophy, and goals were different than mine. I have negotiated with people who disliked me and my client. I have always been at the table and worked as hard and long as it took to get the best result for my client. I will bring this dedication, this skill, this willingness to work to the elected office of State Senator. I will serve the people of this district well.

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