Minnesota
House
District 7B
District 7B
Q:
Q:
What is the most critical
challenge facing Minnesota,
and what would you do
about it?
Q:
How well are recent
health-care reforms working
and what could be done to
improve performance?
OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur
AGE: 34
EDUCATION: GED, some college
ELECTED/CIVIC EXPERIENCE: Candidate
ENDORSEMENTS: (Left intentionally blank)
FAMILY: Wife, three boys, and one daughter.
I’m motivated by my faith in Jesus Christ,
who is blessed forever. The same thing
makes me an “ineffective” politician.
Someone effective at winning an elected
office isn’t necessarily principled. An
unswerving dedication to principles should
qualify me to craft state policy. Law making
is more about justice, equity, and
right-wise-ness than any particular human
expertise. We’ve had enough “government
knows better” legislation, it’s time to tie the
hand of the “expert” nanny state.
We are our own worst enemies. How do we
interact as humans? If we each followed
the golden rule people wouldn’t run to St.
Paul for some special advantage of their
brother. We must learn to live civilly with
each other and work out problems
one-on-one. Running to mama when others
won’t share doesn’t make us any friends.
Enacting laws should be a last resort. How
civil are we if we have to force people to
get along. If we treated others the way we
want to be treated we wouldn’t need things
like minimum wage or gun laws.
Enrollment has increased, but at what cost?
Many people have lost the plans they
preferred, costs have gone up painfully, and
PreferredOne is pulling out of MNsure due
to in-sustainability. Part of the solution is to
trust people to be smart enough to make
their own health care choices. Free market
solutions include: reducing regulation/licensing barriers, increasing the supply of
nurses and doctors; by reducing influence
on government policies, that have
skyrocketed the costs of education,
including special interest groups such as
government (teacher) unions and the
American Medical Association.
OCCUPATION: Assistant fire chief
AGE: 46
EDUCATION: Central High
School, Lake Superior College
ELECTED/CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Elected in 2012 to the Minnesota
House of Representatives
ENDORSEMENTS: Minnesota
Association of Professional
Employees (MAPE), Builders
Association of Minnesota, SEIU
MN State Council, Education
Minnesota, IBEW, Minnesota
Nurses Association, Duluth
Central Labor Body – AFL-CIO,
My original motivation to run for office was
based on a career in public service, and an
idea that I could take those skills to the
legislature in order to accomplish good
things for not only Duluth, but for Minnesota
as well. I seek a second term serving House
District 7B to continue those efforts. I
believe my skills in relationship building,
negotiating and effective communications
have allowed me to be extremely effective
in my first term. If granted a second term, I
will use that experience to continue to work
on behalf of a better Minnesota.
I believe that the future of Minnesota’s
economy depends on a reinvestment in our
transportation network. We estimate that
$700 million a year for the next 20 years is
needed just to address state roads and
bridges. The challenge will be finding a
balanced funding mechanism. We cannot
rely solely on an additional gas tax, and
frankly I think it is a far too regressive tax to
consider. I will look to find more progressive
sources of new revenues, revenues that are
consistent with Minnesota values. The
reality is, everyone will have to be a part of
the solution.
I strongly believe in the concept behind
MNsure. Creating a Minnesota plan is a far
better alternative than relying solely on the
federal Affordable Care Act. Certainly, this
massive reform has not been without
difficulties, but I remain confident that the
end result will be a manageable and
efficient system. The values of the ACA
outweigh the few problems we have had,
and Minnesota has a strong tradition of an
amazing health care system. When you
realize that a 40% more Minnesotans have
health insurance today than just two years
ago, it’s evident the change was a sound
policy.
Travis Silvers (R)
Erik Simonson
(DFL)
What motivated you to run
for office, and what would
make you an effective
representative?
UFCW, AFSCME Council 5,
Minnesota Professional Fire
Fighters (MPFF), Minnesota
Farmer’s Union PAC, Planned
Parenthood of Minnesota, NARAL
Pro-Choice Minnesota Election
Fund, Take Action Minnesota, Out
Front Minnesota Action, MPPOA,
International Union of Operating
Engineers Local 49, Sierra Club,
United Transportation Union –
SMART – TD
FAMILY: Married, children