Posted: 10/31/06
Here are the two Candidates for the Minnesota House District 31B
Minnesota House District 31B has two candidates: Greg Davids, I-R; Ken Tschumper, DFL.
Here is a profile on Davids.
1. Name/age/occupation? Gregory M. Davids, 48, insurance agency owner, farm owner.
2. Why are you running for this position?
I believe in public service. There is no higher calling than serving others. I believe in rural Minnesota and I want to continue to do all I can to encourage rural economic development. I want to continue to work very hard on behalf of our communities. I am a strong supporter of our schools, nursing homes and our rural way of life.
3. Do you support the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage? Why or why not?
I personally feel that marriage as an institution should be preserved as it is by the state. A constitutional amendment will help to protect the foundation of a stable societyńthe familyńfather, mother and children. I also believe it is important to let the people of Minnesota determine if they want their Constitution amended, and the people of District 31B want to be able to vote on this important issue.
4. Do you support a one-payer health care system? Why or why not?
I do not support a one-payer system, as estimates indicate it would cost state taxpayers about $1.5 billion for one year to accomplish basically the same thing that existing programs such as MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance do. We have seen the lowest increase in years regarding the cost of covering state employees. The reason for this is that there has been a move toward giving employees (health care consumers) more information about clinics and wellness programs. Empowering consumers with more choices, and more education is one key to getting a handle on health care costs. I want to build on initiatives the legislature has passed with my support, such as Health Savings Accounts, and purchasing pools for small employers. We need to change Minnesotaís regulatory environment, which stifles competition in the insurance market and creates unnecessary mandates that add to the cost of coverage.
5. Do you support the proposed constitutional amendment dedicating the motor vehicle sales tax to transportation? Why or why not?
The constitutional amendment to dedicate 100% of the motor vehicle sales tax (MVST) to transportation is a good concept, but the working of the amendment is of concern. It states that no more than 60% of the revenue will be dedicated to roads and bridges, and ěat leastî 40% of the revenue will be earmarked for mass transit projects. This leaves the discretion up to future legislaturesńwhere more power will eventually be concentrated in the metro areańto determine how the money will be divided. Greater Minnesota could lose out with this amendment, since a future legislature could conceivably decide to dedicate 100% of the MVST revenue toward mass transit projects in the metro area. While I support more transportation funding, I am not supporting the proposed MVST constitutional amendment.
6. The state is currently running a surplus. Where should the extra dollars be spent?
The most important priorities are K-12 education, higher education and rural nursing homes. We want to give the next generation a world class education so that they are prepared for the future. Likewise, we want to make sure the elderly and others who need long term care get the best care possible, and we need to make sure that those caring for them are paid well for their services. The legislature will likely consider various proposals for property tax relief, which is greatly needed.
7. What have you learned about yourself during this election campaign?
As I talk to people and go door to door I really feel that I connect with the residents of District 31B. I am in a unique position to help people with their concerns. Someone said that no one really cares about how much you know until they know about how much you care. I really would appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the wonderful people of District 31B. I would appreciate your votes.
Here is a profile on Tschumper.
1. Name/age/occupation? Ken Tschumper, age 56, occupation dairy farmer.
2. Why are you running for this position?
I have been involved in politics all my adult life. I have worked for over thirty years in local DFL politics and have done a lot of other grassroots political work. Most recently I was involved in the local effort to stop the proposed Heartland Tire Burner in Preston. I have gained a great deal of experience over the years working with a wide variety of people to accomplish important things. Because of this, I know how to work with people of different view points. As your legislator, I would like to serve on the Health and Human Services Committee. I want to focus on moving Minnesota toward universal healthcare. If I and 3-4 more new Democrats win election to the Minnesota House, we will have a majority. It will create a great opportunity to address problems that have been ignored by Republicans and to move Minnesota ahead again.
3. Do you support the proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage? Why or why not?
No I do not support this proposed amendment. It has nothing to do with protecting marriage or families. It has everything to do with discrimination. I am against discrimination of any kind for any reason. Itís the job of our third branch of government, in particular the Supreme Court, to resolve this issue. I also strongly support Freedom of Religion and the Separation of Church and State. Under our Constitution, no religions would be forced to accept same sex marriage.
4. Do you support a one-payer health care system? Why or why not?
I strongly support a single payer universal healthcare plan. I think it is the best way to address the healthcare crisis in our State. My opponent, Greg Davids, said at a forum that there is no healthcare crisis in Minnesota. Heís completely wrong. Itís a crisis of affordability. The escalating cost of healthcare is the number one problem facing most of us. More and more businesses offer less and less insurance coverage to their employees or none at all. I and many other Democrats want to move Minnesota in the direction of universal healthcare, a kind of ěMedicare for allî plan similar to what the federal government has for seniors. We can achieve huge costs savings by cutting the administrative cost of healthcare which will allow us to provide universal healthcare for everyone. We can do this over the next few years in a step by step approach if Democrats gain control of the governorship and the Minnesota House. We need to start by writing a basic healthcare plan to cover the 70,000 children that are currently uninsured in Minnesota. California and Massachusetts are already moving in that direction.
5. Do you support the proposed constitutional amendment dedicating the motor vehicle sales tax to transportation. Why or why not?
Minnesota needs a substantial infusion of money for transportation. We have a billion dollars of road and transit construction that is in need of immediate action. According to MnDOT southeastern Minnesota has the worst roads in the State. Funding solutions have been hindered by disagreements between rural and urban lawmakers over funding for transit. A bipartisan bill to raise the State gas tax was passed in 2005, but Governor Pawlenty vetoed it. I support raising the gas tax up to 10 cents as the best way to get new revenue. Because rural legislators are in a distinct minority we need to work cooperatively with urban and Twin Cities legislators to meet our transportation needs. My opponent Greg Davids keeps talking about fighting with them but this is a mistake. If we support their requests for mass transit, they will support our requests for more road construction money in rural Minnesota. I plan on voting against the constitutional amendment to dedicate the motor vehicle sales tax to transit because, in general, I am opposed to dedicated funds for anything. The Legislature can use this money for transportation by simply passing a law to do so which I would support.
6. The state is currently running a surplus. Where should the extra dollars be spent?
Any surplus should be spent on education funding. The current level of funding for K-12 education is inadequate. I feel strongly that funding from the State needs to increase and reliance on property taxes needs to decrease. Experts in the field say that we need about $900 million dollars of additional funding each biennium to cover inflation, mandates and the cost of special education. We need to put a lot more money into Early Childhood and Family Education so our children get a good start. The federal No Child Left Behind program has become a real burden on teachers and administrators. Too much time is spent on high stakes testing, rather than teaching. We need to spend less time on testing and still maintain accountability. We need to make sure that teachersí salaries stay competitive with the private sector. Local school districts need more assistance from the State when they build or renovate buildings. We need to reduce the tax burden on agricultural land when bond referendums are passed just as we have for operating referendums. I strongly agree with Mike Hatch in that we need to rollback the 50% increase in tuition at colleges and technical schools that has occurred the last four years.
7. Iíve learned to not worry about doing all the milking myself. This is the first year I ever hired anyone to help me full time. The young guy I hired milked in the evenings so Robin and I could go door knocking when more people are home. He did a good job and it all worked great.
7. What have you learned about yourself during this election campaign?
Iíve learned to not worry about doing all the milking myself. This is the first year I ever hired anyone to help me full time. The young guy I hired milked in the evenings so Robin and I could go door knocking when more people are home. He did a good job and it all worked great.
8. Any other comments?
I really enjoyed door knocking all summer and fall. Robin and I talked to many people. People are very willing to tell you exactly what they think on their doorstep. People want change in this country. They are angry about the Bush administration, the War, and many other things.
Caledonia Argus
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