Liberal in the Land of Conservative

As your representative, I pledge to you that I will work tirelessly to ensure that all of our children have the opportunity to succeed. It’s called protecting what we have.

Together we can rebuild this State we call home!

Together we can accomplish the great things that were once handed down to us by people like my parents and yours.

Together we can protect the investment and legacy that our forefathers worked so hard to hand down to us.

I am endorsing and supporting Mark Olson to be my write in candidate for both the 16 CD Senate Candidate but also for the 16b House of Rep. Candidate.

I will let Mark choose which position he wants!

I am suggesting that members of my district to do the same!

I refuse to have this Senate Victory Fund choose my representation in my own Backyard!

Mary Kiffmeyer and Alison Kreuger, you both should be ashamed of yourselves for selling out!

You are selling out me and your fellow Republicans!

As of noon today (July 15) Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, has not filed for office. Olson is at the Capitol, holed up in his office at last check.

One question is whether Olson, who would face former secretary of state Mary Kiffmeyer if he elects to seek his old district seat, will do that or attempt to win a seat in the Minnesota Senate.

As of noon today (July 14) Olson, who lost his district endorsement to former secretary of state Mary Kiffmeyer, hadn’t filed for office.

When a reporter saw Olson at a cash machine at the Capitol today and asked about his political plans, Olson refused to comment.

Pressed whether he had made up his mind one way or the other on running, Olson replied that he was “working at it.”

Olson’s office late last week indicated the lawmaker would release a press release tomorrow — last day of filing.

The problems with our health care system vary depending on who you talk to. To the small business owners the problem is the rising cost which is greatly out-pacing inflation. My employer saw a large increase in her premiums this year and so she had to increase the amount I pay for my family coverage by 24%. If you're a Union worker you have seen your benefits decrease or your wages threatened to maintain your health coverage because your employer is feeling the pinch of out of control health care cost. Employees in general are worried about losing coverage should they become unemployed. If you're a health care provider you are frustrated by the bureaucracy and administrative cost that is required to collect payment from insurers. And if you're one of the 400,00 Minnesotans (80,000 kids alone) without health insurance, you're just one illness or injury away from financial ruin.

The easiest thing we can do is cut back on the administrative cost by standardizing reimbursement requirements for health care providers. This will lower the cost of both insurance and health care. There are a lot of good and bad plans out there but one thing is for certain, we cannot afford to continue to ignore this problem.

If the current trends continue we may very well find ourselves in a position where single payer is the only option left. I am open to all suggestions except for doing nothing and ignoring the problem.

My opponents have fought for years to maintain the status quo; both of them have had government paid insurance available. That insurance is probably some of the best coverage out there, so they have no problems with the current system. In a few years Ms. Kiffmeyer will be covered by a single payer health care system run by the government called Medicare. Representative Olson has had access to taxpayer provided health insurance for 16 years now. Yet both will fight hard to make sure the rest of us make due with something less. We need better thinking on this subject than the two of them provide.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

Letters To The Editor

To the Editor:

I became active again in the DFL following the caucuses this spring. The attendance at these events was unprecedented.

People realize that we need to change course and we cannot rely on our elected officials, or either political party, to accomplish this for us. Change will only happen when new people bring fresh approaches to an election process that has relied heavily on relentless negative advertising to destroy an opponent.

This new approach to campaigning has accounted for much of Barack Obama's appeal.

El Tinklenberg and Steve Andrews are two candidates vying for federal and state legislative positions who seem to get this. They are both moderate and respectful in their approaches.

El faces an extremely polarizing incumbent, Michelle Bachman whose radical agenda drew the attention of Karl Rove who anointed her to bring his scorched earth brand of politics to Central Minnesota. El is cool headed and respectful and unlikely to be baited by attacks.

Steve, whose opponents are somewhat less divisive in their approaches, is running an upbeat and issues based campaign as well. Both of these men are decent, thoughtful and moderate candidates in the best traditions of Minnesota politics and they deserve your careful consideration.

Ron Thiessen.

Becker, Mn

Fair and adequate funding, early childhood education opportunities, parental involvement, and teachers committed to students all contribute to our prominence in education. Unfunded mandates eat away at school budgets resulting in larger class sizes which have caused us to slip in national rankings. Now more than ever we need political leadership, not partisanship, to help educated students. I will work for Minnesota students to ensure that their educational needs are met so they can reach their potential.

Fair and adequate funding, early childhood education opportunities, parental involvement, and teachers committed to students all contribute to our prominence in education. Unfunded mandates eat away at school budgets resulting in larger class sizes which has caused us to slip in national rankings. Now more than ever we need political leadership, not partisanship, to help educated students. I will work for Minnesota students to ensure that their educational needs are met so they can reach their potential.

Taxpayers will not tolerate wasteful spending in our schools and neither will I. Simply throwing money at a problem is not the answer but at the same time we must adequately fund education so our kids are prepared to compete in a world economy in the 21st century. Results of Minnesota’s educational investments are seen by the presence of world-class companies based here. I will work to make sure Minnesota is where business wants in the future because of our quality workforce.

We can provide both the funding schools need and demand accountability at the same time. The Minnesota Miracle of the 1970’s showed us that Republicans and Democrats could set aside differences and set a common goal of funding quality public education. When partisanship was set aside all Minnesotans won. Now it’s our turn to do the same. We can rebuild the miracle and drive Minnesota education to new heights. I will work tirelessly and across party lines to support Minnesota education.

Communities understand their own educational needs. Local control makes sure the community is an active partner and driving force behind our schools. Parents be involved every step of the way as partners and leaders in education. The more information parents have the better decisions they can make when teaming with educators in the classroom.

Funding needs to be fair. Kids in Sherburne County deserve the same educational opportunities as kids living in Edina and Bloomington. We must provide good education even in tough economic times. Simply shifting funding to local property taxpayers is not leadership. It’s the job of the legislature to ensure good public education. As your representative I’ll do my job and work for our kids and schools.

Unfunded mandates placed on our schools need to be eliminated or fairly funded. If the federal government requires a mandate it should fund it too. We have to either fix and fund or forget No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

Teachers, staff and school administrators have a job to do and they need to get fairly paid for doing those jobs well. Professional development opportunities keep raising the bar for educators. Let’s look at options that bring and retain the best teachers possible in classrooms.

Early childhood education gives us a measurable return on our investment and helps our kids hit the ground running as they enter grade school. Investments in early childhood give kids a sound foundation to build on throughout their academic years.

The role of higher education cannot be overstated. Today’s families are hit hard by tuition increases and students are carrying tremendous record high debt after graduating. I will work to slow tuition increases by partnering with higher education institutions for a common goal of help our students reach their potential.

The legislature’s job is to fund education fairly. Representative should gather the facts and listen to the needs of families, educators, students, and business leaders. Gathering the facts means setting aside partisanship, finding common ground, and working hard to solve problems. Many - if not most - of the best legislative solutions dealing with state problems in the past have been the result of good relationships between government and the citizens it serves. History does repeat itself and provide the framework for dealing with today’s challenges not just for education but for all public debate. That framework consists of trust, honest discussion, open-mindedness and getting the facts straight.

During her turn at the podium, Jackson struck a John Travolta-like disco pose and told the convention that she had "a few moves of my own" that the Republicans had not seen yet. She said that the process of running for office has been "like climbing a mountain, and now I can see the top." She also told the delegates how events in her life had shaped her awareness of the need for "fairness and opportunity" to be available to all residents of Minnesota. A graduate of Hamline University and the U of M Law School, Jackson lives in Paige Township with her husband and son.

Andrews, seeking the seat currently held by Mark Olson, says he is running on the issues of property tax relief, education, health care, transportation and growth. As a hunter and a fisherman, he said, he is interested in preserving natural resources.

"The state has dropped the property tax ball," Andrews said. "Shifting the burden from St. Paul to local government is not working. Schools need adequate set funding they can count on every year. Now education funding is a roller coaster. It's like managing the budget for your own home. You need to know what your income is going to be to be able to make good decisions."

Early childhood education provides a good return on the investment, Andrews said.

"I will support that. We need to spend smart dollars," he said. "I also believe in supporting higher education. College aid is gone or underfunded. Every dollar we spend on educating our young people is an investment in our future."

"Affordable healthcare is a critical need. Every family is just one catastrophic illness away from bankruptcy, Andrews said. "That is not acceptable."

Transportation needs, highlighted by the bridge collapse on 35W, are another are of major concern for Andrews.

"Nobody likes to spend money on these things but it is like maintenance on your house. You need to spend money to protect your investment. We need other forms of transportation too, like the Northstar commuter train.

"If my vision and your vision are compatible, with strong ideas and strong ideals, I ask you to stand by me tonight I will stand by you and work hard for you and do it with integrity," Andrews promised.

Discussion was especially lively at the Becker City caucus, with a number of attendees expressing displeasure with sitting U.S. Senator Norm Coleman's recent voting record. One member of the audience drew applause when he noted that Coleman seemed to him "more liberal than conservative" in recent months and "I'm not sure I can support him." In his remarks during the caucus, Swanson noted that Coleman had earned the displeasure of the state party organization as well, saying that "the turnout tonight says that we, as grass-roots activists, want our party back." Other comments included references to state party chairman Ron Carey's endorsement of Gov. Huckabee prior to the caucuses, after having urged party members to refrain from endorsements until after the vote.

Immigration reform, opposition to global warming-related legislation and Sen. McCain's proposed "carbon tax" on fossil fuel usage were among the topics of resolutions put forward by the individual caucuses. The large turnout at the Becker Township caucus also discussed ongoing opposition to gay marriage and civil unions, and the role of religious organizations in politics.

As your representative, I pledge to you that I will work tirelessly to ensure that all of our children have the opportunity to succeed. It’s called protecting what we have.

Together we can rebuild this State we call home!

Together we can accomplish the great things that were once handed down to us by people like my parents and yours.

Together we can protect the investment and legacy that our forefathers worked so hard to hand down to us.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Big Lake man files to run against Olson

By Gary W. Meyer
Editor

A Big Lake man this week announced his candidacy for the DFL party nomination to oppose Mark Olson for his Minnesota Legislature position in next November's general election.

Steve Andrews, 47, Big Lake Twp., will seek the DFL District 16B nomination, which if successful would lead to a campaign against Olson, who has announced his intention to run for re-election.

Olson has won election to the local House seat for seven terms. He was first elected in 1991.

Andrews in a prepared statement termed himself a "moderate and committed to effective investment of our tax dollars."

He and his wife of 15 years, Mary, own a Seattle Suttons Healthy Eating outlet in Maple Grove. He serves as vice president of technology at Fintegra Financial Solutions in Minneapolis.

He is a graduate of St. Johns University. The couple has two elementary-age sons.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

BL man seeking Olson's House seat


Steve Andrews announced his candidacy for election to the Minnesota House of Representatives. He is seeking the DFL nomination in District 16B.

"I'm an average person who holds higher than average expectations of the Legislature on behalf of the citizens it serves," Andrews said. "I'm your neighbor, I'm a moderate, and I'm committed to effective investment of our tax dollars."

"Over the next year I am going to speak a little and listen a lot to concerns, ideas and solutions that people offer. We are facing complex issues involving education, health care, the state's transportation infrastructure, and taxes. How are we going to allocate funds the most effectively, without waste? My focus and commitment to the people of 16B is genuine and my agenda will be set by the citizens I will represent at the Capitol," Andrews said.

Andrews has been active in various community organizations, including service on the Monticello Housing and Redevelopment Authority prior to moving to County. He is a graduate of St. John's University, Collegeville, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Government and Social Science and a secondary education minor.

He is employed by Fintegra Financial Solutions in Minneapolis as Vice President of Technology. He and his wife, Mary, are co-owners of a small business, Seattle Sutton's Healthy Eating of Maple Grove. The Andrews' have been married for 15 years and have two elementary age sons. They live in Big Lake.