SD 15
I am the only candidate born, raised, educated and that has lived their entire life in the district. My family is six generations deep in this area and I’m proud of the heritage they brought here: work hard, play by the rules and make a better world for the next generation. I own a farm site by Marshall and have two businesses: Silver Dollar Property Company and Silver Dollar Auction Company. I am also a loan officer at Minnwest Bank, a family owned bank that was started right here in the district. I work with families, farmers and small business people on a daily basis – working with them on the high cost of living and helping them with everything from adoptions to purchasing vehicles. I am a member of the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce, serve as a mentor to youth in the CEO program, am on the Board of the Lyon County Corn & Soybean Growers, an active member of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church and am a member of the Shades of the Past Car Club in Marshall.
In your eyes, what needs fixing in St. Paul, whether it’s policies or anything else you feel needs improvement?
Minnesota is a great state and I am very worried about the direction we are taking. Bad policies and out of touch politicians are ruining many of the great things about our wonderful state: record fraud that reaches into the billions which needs to be stopped. We need FULL restitution, plus interest of all money stolen; long prison sentences and when allowed, deportation of fraudsters. We need to reform, change and in some cases, eliminate the wasteful programs to stop the fraud from ever starting. We need to lower the cost of living by repealing expensive mandates & lowering taxes that are driving up the cost of living for our families and businesses. The energy mandates are making everything more expensive; the tax increase all passed on party line votes that jacked up gas taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, business taxes and license tab fees to record levels. I’m disturbed by the gangs, violence, shootings in the metro area and around Minnesota that are a result of policies instituted by one-party control in this state. We did not have this when we were growing up here.
I think that it is very sad that there isn’t more bipartisanship to solve problems – those bad bills all passed by one party – work with both sides to come to some consensus. I remember my father, Republican Representative Marty Seifert working closely with DFL Senator Jim Vickerman of Tracy to solve many issues from agriculture to working on road projects and regional issues. We need to get back to that.
I think that politicians of both parties should get zero pay during any government shut down – something that should never happen regardless. Work to solve issues, balance the budget without raising taxes and get done on time.
Summarize your platform.
*End Fraud and institute welfare reform for non-Minnesotans moving here by the thousands and not expected to work. Billions of dollars are being stolen and wasted could be used to put more money in your pockets and help with rural schools, roads and nursing homes.
*Lower the cost of living by repealing expensive mandates and lower the tax burden.
*Quality Education. Get back to the basics, support our local schools, local control, stop the nonsense of allowing boys playing in girls’ sports and trans dolls being made at the U of M. Focus on literacy and children learning real skills. Pay our teachers properly and put more money in classrooms over the bureaucracy at the Department of Education.
*Lower health care costs – educate more physicians, competition for health insurance to lower premiums, lower or end the provider tax and work with rural hospitals to stabilize funding.
*Exercise common sense. *Work in a bipartisan way to get things done.
List two issues that you intend to focus on if elected.
*Ending fraud. *Lower the cost of living.
