Economic Development


Education


Health Care


Hunting & Fishing


Transportation Bill

 

 

Economic Development:

 Recession or not, we know that Minnesota is not as economically strong as it can be.  We have seen decreases in consumer spending and increases in unemployment.  The Federal Government passed an economic stimulus package to encourage consumer spending.  This is nice, but we know this does little to create long-term economic growth.

 

There are a number of actions we can take that will provide long-term economic benefits to Greater Minnesota.  Transportation is fast becoming an economic issue.  Communities have lost valuable new business opportunities and have seen established businesses leave or close due to poor road and bridges.  Not only would investing in transportation create and preserve businesses and jobs, but valuable construction jobs would also be created.  Now that a transportation funding bill has been passed, it is crucial that Southeastern Minnesota receive its fair share of money to fix our roads and bridges.

 

Another way to stimulate rural economies is to reform the JOBZ program.  In concept, it is a great idea.  In application, its effectiveness is limited.  The focus of JOBZ has been creating manufacturing jobs.  While these jobs are very important, the emphasis on manufacturing has made it difficult for other small businesses to receive the help they need to develop or expand.  In our quest to build industrial courts we have forgotten Main Street.  Shops, restaurants, and other service industries are vital to the economic growth and social identity of a community.  These are the businesses that make our communities feel like home, and they deserve access to similar economic benefits not at the expense of manufacturing but in addition to manufacturing.

 

The key to economic growth in agriculture will be supporting diversity and innovation.  We are a state of traditional dairy, beef, hog, and grain farms, but we are also a state of orchards, vineyards, organic farms, and wind turbines.  To ensure agricultural stability and success we need to ensure that our diversity is encouraged.  With continued research and development, production of food and energy will not only improve farm incomes but will create new businesses and industries that will provide jobs in Greater Minnesota.

 

Periods of economic decline can cause fear, anxiety, and frustration, but they can also provide opportunities for improvement.  Basic actions like investing in transportation, small businesses, and agriculture will create a stronger Greater Minnesota which is essential for a stronger Minnesota.

 

 

Education:

 

What do politically and economically strong countries have in common?  Yes, you guessed it.  They all have strong education systems from early childhood through college.

On an individual level, education can bring great personal satisfaction and a sense of achievement.  I may see tears of joy and tears of fear at graduation ceremonies, but I have never known anyone to be embarrassed by the fact that they graduated from high school or anything else.  Economically, great gains can be found as well.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly wage for someone who does not graduate from high school is $428, for a high school graduate it is $604, and for a college graduate it is $987. If we look at unemployment levels we can also find a pattern.   The higher the education level the more likely you are to have and retain jobs.

 

 

On a community level, our schools are a source of pride and part of our social identity.  Our communities become ghost towns when teams go to State, and when one student gets a perfect score on their ACT it is as if we all did.  As residents, we take a vested interest in the financial stability and security of our schools and make economic sacrifices to fund them.

In recent years, State funding has not kept pace with inflation, and the schools in Greater Minnesota have felt the crunch.  Referendums and consolidations continue.  The State needs to get back to investing in our children by fairly and adequately funding our community schools.  If we do this we will have a well educated workforce that will build an economically stronger, more stable Minnesota. 

 

Health Care:

 

One of the great problems facing American today is health care.  It affects the young and the old, employers and employees.  Individuals choose between prescription medication and food.  Employers, especially small businesses, decrease or eliminate health benefits knowing they may lose quality employees to businesses that can afford better benefits.  Employees reduce their consumer spending to cover the increases in their health insurance costs because wage increases are not large enough to offset the insurance increases.

 

There are a number of solutions.  Some people support a single payer system.  Others say we need to expand government supported programs.  Still others say we need to open the health care program our lawmakers receive to our citizens.  All of these have merit and deserve discussion. 

 

Health care reform is less likely to be a revolution than an evolution.  We need to work towards a system covers our children.  We need to expand pools and government programs to ensure that working families and small businesses have access to quality, affordable coverage.  Prescription medications must also be made affordable.  Dental and mental health need to be covered.  Preventative care needs to be the new emphasis in medicine.  We also have to remember that this is where we start and not where we end.  This is the beginning of our investment in a healthier Minnesota.

 

Hunting and Fishing:

 

In the Spring, my sister and I would pester our dad to take us fishing.  I know we drove him crazy asking him when or if we could go.  I also know he would tease us knowing he was going to take us but pretended it was not going to happen.  We had a pre-fishing routine we had to complete.  We had to hunt for worms first.  We turned over every rock, dug through the garden, ventured into fields, and overturned hay in our barns looking for the “juicy worms” our dad said would catch the big fish.  When we had a satisfactory amount of worms, we would load the poles, tackle box, and lawn chairs into the pick up.  Off we would go to the Zumbro River or the Zumbro Bottoms.  Some days we caught more fish than we could count.  Some days we did not have a fish to count.  That did not stop us from wanting to go the next week. 

 

In the Fall, my sister and I had a slightly different routine.  Every Saturday and Sunday morning we held a vigil at our kitchen window.  We were waiting for our uncles, Steve and Don, to pull into the driveway.  They were going hunting and if they stopped that meant we could go too.  They stopped often.  We hunted squirrels, grouse, and even occasionally deer.  Our weekends never felt quite right unless we spent sometime in the woods with Steve and Don.  I loved hunting with them so much that I even went through gun safety training classes so I could take a gun with me.

 

As my sister and I grew older our time was taken up by other responsibilities and activities, but we will never forget our Springs by the Zumbro River and our Falls in the woods.  We learned the dignity of hunting and fishing, how to respect nature, and how safety is of the utmost importance.  Hunting and fishing are time honored American traditions that need to continue and be passed onto future generations.

 

Transportation Bill:

 

We Need Quality Roads and Bridges

 

Stop in any community in Southeastern Minnesota, and the residents will tell you the roads that are in need of repair.  The transportation bill passed this spring will bring $13.395 million to Winona County, $10.16 million to Wabasha County, and $14.994 million to Goodhue County over the next decade.  In addition, this bill provides for bridge repair and replacement.  If the bill had failed or the veto not overridden, all of the money designated for each county and set aside for bridges would have been lost.

 

Opponents of the transportation bill say that the bill is just another example of big government and bad tax policy, but we should really look should take a closer look.  The gas tax is a 5.5 cent increase, the first increase in twenty years.  At times, the cost of gas has increased by more than that in twenty hours.  And unlike the other price increases, we know exactly where that revenue will go.  Every cent raised from the gas tax will be spent on roads as required by the Minnesota Constitution. 

 

Improving our roads and bridges will not only provide safety for our citizens but will also bring economic benefits.  Businesses rely on a stable road and bridge system for their well being.  Just ask the business owners in Winona who rely on the interstate bridge to explain impact that closure had on their operations.  A strong infrastructure is a necessary incentive for business development and expansion, and it is through development and expansion that jobs are created.

 

Quality roads and bridges are absolute necessities for the safety of our citizens and economic viability of our communities, and passage of the transportation bill was an absolute necessity for Southeastern Minnesota.  In order to pass important legislation, we must have strong advocates in the Legislature that will work beyond party lines for the good of Southeastern Minnesota.  I will be that strong advocate.

 

 

Linda Pfeilsticker

Candidate for House Seat 28B

Wabasha