Mr. Dahle Goes to St. Paul

Thursday night at the Grand Theatre I had a great opportunity to debate with my opponents the issues facing our District. I hope you had the chance to attend. I enjoyed meeting those that came- we had a packed house in spite of the busy holiday season.

The discussion centered on health care, education, energy, the economy, and more. Folks in the audience seemed most concerned with the economy and health care, and I heard some great questions.

Where do I stand?

Heath care: The people in attendance at the debate seemed to agree that we need to step in the direction of change because our current system isn’t working. Families shouldn’t have to make choices between medicine and food. The problem is not what we provide in the area of health care but in the process by which we provide it. The first place to begin without jeopardizing quality health care is to reexamine and reform current administrative costs that are redundant, unnecessarily expensive, and unchecked.

Property tax: Property tax has gone sky high in the last few years. We’ve got to do something about this. We need to look at our current property tax system to see why property taxes are so high. Local governments and schools shouldn’t have to rely as heavily on property taxes for funding. This is unfair to the towns in our district because we don’t have the corporate tax base to compete with the big cities.

Energy and Ethanol: We’ve got to do something to relieve our dependence on foreign oil but we have to find an alternative that is environmentally responsible. My role at the senate will allow me to advocate for state incentives for industries to find effective and responsible ways to address our energy needs while providing jobs and industry for Minnesotans. We need to move forward to eliminate obstacles for those who want to invest in proven methods such as wind power.

Want to know more about me and my thoughts on the issues? You can go to my website www.kevindahle.net and go to the issues page.

There is a lot to do in a very little time. The most important thing to me is to meet you at your door and find out what concerns you. Remember to vote on January 3rd!