Jobs & the Economy
– I want to help get this state back on track to being prosperous. Now, more than ever, we need to focus on growing our economy & improving our job climate. We need to keep our businesses here and we need to help to create more jobs. I will work diligently for job growth in our state by easing the taxes, high fees, & complicated state regulations.
– The federal bailouts failed, the stimulus failed and the health care bill costs too much money. But what was my opponent’s plan to fix the economy and create good jobs? More government spending. Unemployment has remained too high under the current leadership in the Senate. We cannot grow the economy by growing government. The best way to revive the economy and create jobs is to reduce government spending and encourage businesses to create jobs. Minnesota has a 7 % unemployment rate. I will push to get it below 5% by 2011 through reducing regulation and the tax burden which kills small business and holding the line on government spending.
– We need to be fiscally responsible, stop runaway spending and stick to a balanced budget.
Education
I am passionate about education. Born of two public school teachers, (my dad, Pete Locke, taught at South St. Paul High School for 33 years. He was also the basketball, baseball & golf coach and an all around nice guy). I was taught through the public schools, and all four of our kids have gone through the public schools. Education is a priority when I get to the Capitol. Minnesota used to be one of the top states in the country in early education, which made us a wonderful state to raise a family. It also provided the foundation for people to find great jobs. We can be that again if we can work with teachers and not be strong-armed by special interests groups determined to maintain the status quo… I will work with parents and educators to:
Improve the quality of teaching.
Address the student problems outside of the classroom.
Hold schools accountable.
Prepare ALL students for life after high school.
Having lived throughout the country, and seeing other state’s public school systems, Minnesotans should be proud, but there is plenty of room for improvement, and no time for slacking. I will work hard to make sure the children of Minnesota get the high quality education they deserve.
Health Care
– The ever-increasing cost of health care and outrageous cost of prescription drugs must be addressed. Opening our health care system to competition, increasing consumer-based decision-making in the process and providing greater incentives for those who purchase long-term care insurance are a couple cost-friendly approaches with promise.
