| Five candidates for governor lively at community forum |
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By Joel Stottrup Five of the candidates for Minnesota governor participated in a lively question and answer forum put on by the Mille Lacs Tea Party Patriots in Princeton Saturday. A crowd of 99 filled most of the Mille Lacs County Historical Society’s Depot Center Great Northern Room to take in the forum that featured Republican candidates Phil Herwig, Marty Seifert, Bill Haas and Tom Emmer, and Constitution Party candidate Harley Swarm.
It lasted close to two hours. That included an introductory statement by Tea Party co-chair Sue Bican. • Cutting government spending and pork barrel projects. • Whether courts should have jurisdiction in the governor unallotting planned expenditures. • Whether any of the candidates have read and understand the state and U.S. constitutions. • The voter registration process. • Hate-crime laws. • Abortion. The consensus among the candidates appeared to be that they would work to reign in government spending, would have a voter registration process of using photo IDs, and are familiar with the state and federal constitutions. Here are some of the more lively statements made by the candidates: Herwig on cutting government spending — “The government is a monster and must be put back in the cage.” “I won’t support welfare reform; I will dismantle it.” There are two sides to welfare — the one side being people who are unable to take care of themselves, and the other side who are able bodied, he explained. If elected governor, he said, he would require a death certificate to accompany each abortion. Herwig, a Milaca area farmer, said he is tired of all the politicians who have made promises and not followed them, especially regarding the vow to reduce government. Seifert, who is a state representative, had the most memorable answer to what he might do about pork barrel projects. One of the jobs he had growing up, he said, was “castrating pigs,” adding that he felt he was the only one of the five with “experience cutting pork.” At least two other candidates said they too had experience working with hogs. Seifert decried the Legislature even considering spending $11 million for three gorilla cages for a zoo, and noted that they would be for “three neutered gorillas.” Haas, in calling for more public funding for abortion, said it is unfortunate how many great minds have been prevented from occurring because of abortion. Haas was Champlin mayor from 1984-1992 and a state representative 1994-2002. He is now operating Haas Managed Benefits. “The way we did business yesterday, we can’t do today and we have got to do better tomorrow,” he said about government. Swarm, a maintenance worker for the University of Minnesota, called the rank and file members of unions good people but criticized union leaders. “One of the reasons I am running,” he said, “is I am looking at the train wreck that is coming and that is government spending.” He said government is doing everything it can to increase its power, increase fees and taxes and “drown out business in Minnesota.” He stated that when Delta and Northwest Airlines merged, Minnesota was never considered as being the hub of the newly merged airline called Delta.
Emmer, noting that he and his wife Jackie have seven children, said those are his seven reasons for running for governor. He said that he and Jackie are concerned whether their children will have the opportunity for a better life. “It’s about leadership,” he said. “It’s time for a vision to lead, a time for action and not words anymore.” He suggested people be wary of career politicians. Emmer, an attorney, is a former member of the Independence and Delano city councils and is now a state representative. Comments (0)
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