Becky Siekmeier for Minnesota State Senate

Putting Good Ideas to Work: Balance is the Key

Pressing Issues:

Education and Property Taxes:

Health Care

Transportation:

Environment:

Jobs
Balancing the Budget
Education
Higher Education
Government Efficiency
Health Care
Transportation
Energy
Environment

Jobs: My number one priority

When people are working, families are stable. The economy hums. Communities thrive. Taxes are paid.
There are many ways to create and sustain jobs:
1) Partner with small business: I ask every small business owner I meet what they need to grow and start hiring, and the two items that come up most often that need to be addressed are:

Unemployment taxes
Access to credit

2) Keep jobs in Minnesota

Reward companies who contract with local businesses
Stop outsourcing jobs to other states or countries

3) Create a smart bonding bill that invests in projects with a near-term boost but also a long-term public benefit:

Renewable Energy Economy – grow it, build it, install it. These jobs help us reduce dependence on foreign oil and the need to drill in sensitive areas
Expand Broadband – Minnesota is behind neighboring states in this regard. Broadband is vital to connecting people to each other, to businesses to customers, and makes it possible to work from anywhere
Repair and modernize our infrastructure: Bridges, roads, transit, water treatment plants, the electric grid
Invest in medical device research at our colleges and universities

Balancing the Budget with a balanced approach

I support solutions that protect working families, the elderly, and our schools
I support solutions that are progressive, not regressive
I support solutions that protect our quality of life without expanding government
We have so many experts and knowledgeable people in this state in business, non-profits, the public sector, and in labor. The legislature needs to listen to ideas from these experts and invite them to be part of the solution. Divisiveness got us into this mess – it won’t get us out.
We must review all programs: What’s working? What isn’t?
We must be good fiscal stewards of the money we have – our citizens have worked hard to earn their money and pay taxes. We must provide services people need and want at the best value.
We must crack down on fraud and move able people off assistance as quickly as possible. It is in the best interest of all members of society to end generational poverty and have our citizens be as productive and self-sufficient as possible.
No more gimmicks, no more shifts: We must deal with the problems today and not push them down the road to our children and grand children

Education: A shared value and our key to future success

Our parents and grandparents understood the connection between strong public education, an educated workforce, and the competitive advantage this created for Minnesota. We must not lose sight of this wisdom, especially since our kids will be competing in a global economy. We must help teachers and schools succeed. It is in our children’s – and ultimately our own – best interest.

The state needs to provide the education funding it has promised, not gimmicks and payment shifts. Without proper funding, communities are forced to raise property taxes which is especially hard on small businesses and those on fixed incomes
We must make sure that kids are learning, developing problem solving skills, and not just becoming good at taking tests
We must implement reasonable testing to measure student progress and provide adequate tutoring and counseling resources
It is especially important for our kids to succeed in math, science, and technology
Accountability is important: Teacher evaluations must be fair and timely.
We must reward innovation and creativity
We must reduce class size
We must close the achievement gap
We must invest in early childhood education that prepares children to succeed in school

Higher Education: Must be affordable

Higher education must remain accessible and affordable to middle and lower income Minnesotans
Students should not have huge debt when they graduate
We must partner with the business community to provide internships and scholarships
We must retrain people whose jobs have been off-shored and outsourced

Government Must Be Efficient

Achieving efficiency in government is already underway but must be accelerated:

Review laws and rules that slow or prevent collaborative efforts between state and local government
Encourage collaboration between state and local government to improve the delivery of services
Use technology to connect and share information
Create on-going audits of state government to eliminate wasteful spending and better manage taxpayer money
Create a state sunset council dedicated to finding and eliminating state programs, agencies or commissions that are not working, are wasteful and duplicative

Health Care: A right, not a privilege

I support health care reform that
- Controls costs
- Provides universal coverage
- Improves health outcomes
- Allows you to choose the most effective health care provider for your family
- Is not tied to employment
Doctors and patients need to make health care decisions, not insurance companies
Payment should be based on outcomes and quality of care, not the number of procedures performed
In-home care is often a much less expensive option than a nursing home; find ways to make this option available to more seniors and those with disabilities
Do a thorough, objective study on the real cost and health outcomes of a single payer system; is this a viable option for Minnesota or not?
Encourage insurance companies to find efficiencies and reduce administrative costs and pass those savings on to consumers

Transportation

Improving transportation will:
- Create jobs in construction and throughout the supply chain
- Improve business efficiency by moving freight efficiently
- Improve safety and reduce costly vehicle repairs
- Reduce time spent in traffic so more time can be spent with family
We must invest in public infrastructure that will yield high-return benefits for the cost

We must get our share of transportation dollars in the East Metro
We must improve transit options in our district and surrounding areas

Energy

The best way to reduce our energy needs is through conservation.

We must also invest in clean, renewable energy that includes wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal
We must push the federal government to provide a solution for nuclear waste

Environment

We are blessed to live in a state with so much natural beauty. We value our parks, trails, and water and the recreation choices they offer.

I will fight to protect our water so that it is safe to drink, so we can feel safe swimming in our lakes and rivers, and eating the fish we catch.
I will fight to protect the air so it is safe to breath.
I support energy policies that stimulate economic development, create jobs and decrease pollution

I support renewable energy efforts that promote the use of alternative fuels and reduce reliance on foreign oil

I support innovative small-scale renewable energy projects
I support further exploration of cleaner nuclear power.
I support habitat policies that protect our fishing and hunting resources
I support the Legacy Amendment that allowed the citizens of Minnesota to decide to constitutionally dedicate a portion of the state sales tax to clean water protection, natural resources, parks and trails, and cultural legacy projects.