1-2-3 - The McLeod County Chronicle

The McLeod County Chronicle, Wednesday, October 31, 2012, page 3U.S. SenateAmy Klobuchar, DemocratAmy KlobucharTop priority: If elected,what is your top priority forthe 2013 Legislature? Whyare you running for office?My work as senator hasbeen defined by one value —putting Minnesota first.We need an economy thatis built to last and that createseconomic opportunity for allAmericans. I have beenworking to advance a competitiveagenda for Americathat promotes long-term economicgrowth and privatesector jobs, including revitalizingAmerica’s innovativeedge, educating the next generationof American innovators,opening up new marketsabroad for U.S. producers,cutting through regulatory redtape, developing homegrownenergy, and reducing our nation’sdebt in a balanced way.I will continue to workwith Minnesota businesses,workers, and farmers to ensurethey have the supportthey need to succeed.Foreign affairs: Do yousupport the current schedulefor withdrawing troopsfrom Afghanistan? ShouldCongress and the presidentpursue additional tradepacts? If so, with whom?I support withdrawal ofU.S. troops from Afghanistanby 2014. That’s why I joinedwith 26 other senators inwriting a letter to PresidentObama seeking a reduction ofmilitary forces in Afghanistanbeginning in July 2011. Ourtroops have demonstratedtremendous courage to get usto this point. We can’t affordto continue with an openendedconflict.As chair of the subcommitteeon Competition, Innovation,and Export Promotion, Ihave been a leader in the Senatein promoting legislationand policies to open up newmarkets abroad for U.S. products.That’s why I’ve supportedpolicies to help open upoverseas markets to our agricultureexporters, includingpushing China to reopen itsmarkets to U.S. pork after theH1N1 scare and urging Japanto accept all U.S. beef products.And last year, the Senatepassed trade agreements withSouth Korea, Panama andColombia, and I supportedthe agreements with SouthKorea and Panama.We should pursue additionaltrade agreements whilemaking sure they benefitMinnesota and treat ourworkers and businesses fairly.I’ll also continue workingon legislation to open newmarkets for our businesses sothey can reach new customers.Bipartisan legislation I authored,the Export PromotionAct, was signed into law lastyear and will help small andmedium-sized businessesKurt Bills, RepublicanTop priority: If elected,what is your top priorityfor the 2013 Legislature?Why are you running foroffice?Pass a balanced budget.The U.S. government hasn’tpassed a budget at all sinceApril 29, 2009.I am a high school economicsteacher. For the pastdecade and a half I have beenteaching economics to mystudents at Rosemount HighSchool. A few years ago, Istarted noticing how anxiousthey were as they watchedour national debt climb andthe American economy stall.One day, a student asked me“what can we do about this?”That is the day I decided Ihad to run for office. I gotelected to the RosemountCity Council, then the MinnesotaHouse of Representatives.And today I am runningfor U.S. Senate because I believethat Washington, D.C.,is crushing the middle class.Foreign affairs: Do yousupport the current schedulefor withdrawing troopsfrom Afghanistan? ShouldCongress and the presidentpursue additional tradepacts? If so, with whom?The wars have gone on toolong and cost us too much inlives and treasure. We need tofocus on problems here athome, not spending trillionsof dollars on endless warsoverseas.We need to get our economymoving and create jobs,and one of the best ways todo that is to expand tradewith the rest of the world.Minnesota is one of the greatexporters to the world, andwe need to double and triplethose exports. Instead of exportingjobs to low-wagecountries like China, we needto negotiate free trade agreementsso we can export ourproducts overseas.Health care: Federalhealth care reform has beenaffirmed by the U.S.Supreme Court. Should thelaw stand in its currentform, or should it bechanged? If you supportchanges, be specific.The Supreme Court saidObamacare was legal, notKurt Billsthat it was a good idea. I supporta full repeal of the lawand replacing it with measurethat actually increase competition,lowers costs (not increasethem as Obamacarehas done), and expand coverageto people who can’t getinsurance due to pre-existingconditions. Obamacare wasexactly the wrong approach,and I will fight to repeal it.Health care is too importantan issue to leave it to bureaucrats.Education: What roleshould the federal governmentplay in ensuring thatU.S. graduates can competein the global economy?I have been a high schooleconomics teacher for 18years and still teach my firsthour economics class everymorning.In my classroom I haveseen the cost of federal mandates,but not the supposedbenefits the politicians keepclaiming. I walk into myclassroom every morning andI see a room filled with 38kids. The politicians can bragall they want about the “programs”they voted to improvestudent achievement, but therubber meets the road in theclassroom, and I can tell youthose programs don’t work.The recipe for educationalsuccess is a good teacher, involvedparents and a seriouscurriculum set at the localschool board level.Energy: Do you agreewith the science of globalconnect with export promotionresources, and I’m workingto pass legislation to openCuba’s market to our agriculturalproducts so we can helpour farmers and ranchersreach 11 million new customers.Health care: Federalhealth care reform has beenaffirmed by the U.S.Supreme Court. Should thelaw stand in its currentform, or should it bechanged? If you supportchanges, be specific.I supported the AffordableCare Act that includes importantreforms to our healthcaresystem, such as closingthe “donut hole” for seniors’prescription drugs, allowingyoung people to remain ontheir parents’ plans until age26, and ensuring that Americanswith pre-existing conditionshave access to health insurance.But I have always said thatthis law is a beginning, not anend, and I believe that improvementsstill need to bemade. Moving forward, wecan continue to work on eliminatingwaste and fraud, aswell as focus on more reformsto our health-care-deliverysystem so that we arerewarding high quality, efficientcare.In addition, we should repealthe medical device tax. Iopposed this tax from the beginningand during thehealth-reform debate foughtto reduce the original proposedtax by half.I understand the impact thisnew tax would have on smalland large medical devicecompanies in Minnesota andthat’s why I’m working to repealit.We also need to allowwarming? Should the UnitedStates be more or lessaggressive in its pursuit ofrenewable energy sources?Washington, D.C., hasgone to war on domestic energyproduction, and the resultsare clear. Gas priceshave doubled since AmyKlobuchar was elected, andher response is to set the EPAand federal regulators to shutdown energy production andraise gas prices. It’s a failedpolicy; it’s destroying themiddle class; and it’s killingjobs.I will not subsidize economicallyunviable businesseslike Solyndra, Ener1, orA123, no matter how “green”they claim to be. Obama’s“green jobs” initiative is aneven bigger boondoggle thanJimmy Carter’s in the 1970s.Government shouldn’t pickwinners and losers. It windsup just picking losers.Social Security/Medicare:Should these entitlementprograms be left status quo,or should be they scrutinizedfor budget cuts?Wrong question. The statusquo will lead to the programsgoing belly up because theyare going insolvent. But lookingto Social Security andMedicare for budget cuts isthe wrong approach. Real reformrequires reforming theprogram for younger workersto ensure that Social Securityand Medicare will be therefor them when they needthem. Under the current policiesthey won’t be becausethey will be long bankrupt.Anybody who hasn’t offeredreal solutions to thispressing problem over thepast six years should be fired.Economy: The nationaleconomy remains sluggish.What steps do you supportto stimulate the growth ofjobs?If the last few years havetaught us anything at all, it isthat government “stimulus”doesn’t make an economygrow. Washington policieshave been crushing jobgrowth and the middle class.As spending has gone up, ourincomes have gone down byKurt BillsTurn to page 5Medicare to directly negotiatedrug prices on behalf of seniors.Allowing Medicare tonegotiate drug prices, as theVeterans Administrationdoes, would save $240 billionover the next 10 years andhelp lower the cost of drugsfor our nation’s seniors.Education: What roleshould the federal governmentplay in ensuring thatU.S. graduates can competein the global economy?By 2018, 70 percent of alljobs in Minnesota will requireat least some post-secondaryeducation, and wemust do a better job ofpreparing students for thejobs that will be available tothem when they graduate —positions that may not requirea Ph.D. or even a four-yeardegree, but demand specializedtraining and experience.This is a crucial part of advancinga competitive agendafor America.To address this, we need tofirst strengthen our commitmentto two-year communityand technical colleges andSTEM programs to ensurethat our students have the educationand skills they needto succeed in the 21st-centuryworkforce.Second, I will continue towork to ensure education remainsaffordable for all studentsand families in Minnesotaand across the country.America’s future economicprosperity depends on it.Third, we need to keepworking to make significantchanges to No Child Left Behind,including putting inplace better accountabilitysystems, more flexibility, andtargeted efforts to close theachievement gaps.Energy: Do you agreeAmy KlobucharTurn to page 5PLUMBINGFor all yourPlumbing & Heating needsand repairs call today!• Tempstar Gas, LP Furnace & A.C.• License #067203-PMDobrava Bros.Plumbing & Heating • Glencoe320-864-6335www.dobravabrothers.comHEATINGDale’sPlumbing & Heating, Inc.is nowGLENCOEPlumbing & Heating, Inc.• Central Air Conditioning• Air Duct Cleaning• Service Work320-864-6353or Gaylord 507-237-23302110 9 th St. E. • Glencoewww.glencoephinc.comLic.#062054-PMGLENCOE ROTARYIntroducesPat MelvinProfession/Occupation: McLeod CountyAdministrator since November 2008.How many years have you been in Glencoe:I do not currently reside in Glencoe,but while working here have gotten to knowsome of the many wonderful residents leadingme to choose to invest my time and resourceswith the Glencoe community.How long have you been a Rotarian andwhy did you join Rotary: I have been aRotarian since 2009 and joined because Iwanted to work with those people in thearea who care about the community and believein their ability to come together andmake a positive difference in peoples lives.Name some reasons you came to Glencoeand/or what are some good things aboutGlencoe: Growing up in a large city, I appreciatethe small town feel of Glencoe. In asmaller community such as Glencoe, I enjoygetting to know people and learning moreabout their life story.Family: includes my beautiful wife Tessiaof 5 years, son Declan who is 16 monthsand four-year-old daughter, Teegan.––– DID YOU KNOW –––Glencoe Rotary Club awards Strivescholarships to GSL students.K42CLEStfnaF44Ca‘Cinderella’ set for HutchHigh musical Nov. 1-4Better waterflows frombetter thinking!Softeners • FiltrationDrinking Systems• Non-Electric• 24/7 Soft Water• Most Efficient Salt & Water Usage• Iron-Odor-Chlorine Removal• Free Water Analysis• We Service All MakesIndependent Authorized DealerHaferman Water Conditioning, Inc.(320) 587-7199www.hafermanwater.comK42-45CaFALL SPECIALSonly $ 23 00Your Family Hair Centerand Tanning SalonCorner of 10 th & Hennepin, Glencoe, MNNow Open Wednesday Nights withEmma Birkholz starting Nov. 7Get that new look or colorfor the holiday season!$10 00 OFFEmma Birkholzwith Emma Only (offer good thru Dec. 31, 2012)Call for an appointment today! 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Synthetic oil extra.Rodgers and Hammerstein’s“Cinderella” will performon stage at HutchinsonHigh School for its fall musical.Hutchinson High Schoolmusical students will performthe timeless tale Nov. 1 andNov. 3 at 7 p.m., and Nov 4at 2 p.m.The cast of over 30, studentpit orchestra, and committedtechnical crew whomanage the set, sound andlighting, have been workingsince the end of August to assureyet another quality musicalproduction for the entertainmentof its audience.Hutchinson High Schoolprides itself on producinghigh-quality musicals, whereall elements, including costuming,set, choreography,musicianship and acting,come together with polishand professionalism.The school has been performingan annual musicalfor dozens of years, but thisis the first time it is producing“Cinderella.”Productions over the lastseveral years include “TheWizard of Oz,” “HelloDolly,” and “Beauty and theBeast.”This version of “Cinderella”features music and lyricsby the team of RichardRodgers and Oscar HammersteinII, who wrote the musicalfor television performance.It was first seen by an audienceof over 100 million in1957 when it was broadcaston CBS, starring Julie Andrewsas Cinderella. Subsequentproductions of this versionfeatured Lesley AnneWarren (1965) and Brandy(1997) in the title role.Tickets are available nowat Cashwise in Hutchinson,the Hutchinson High Schooloffice, and at the box officeof the high school auditorium(1200 Roberts Rd. S.W.) onehour prior to each performance.any colorserviceExpires 11-16-12ADD Tire Rotation to any above servicefor only $20 more! TPMS ExtraHutchinson575 Jefferson • 320-234-9690Glencoe1320 Pryor • 320-864-6222www.ProAutoMN.comwww.glencoenews.comF44-47CaK49tfnCLj90940 S42-45