Mike Benson

Platform

ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

BUDGET, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND JOBS:

Mike believes in and will advocate supply-side economics, a major component of the Reagan revolution. Minnesotans need to be given the incentive to work and keep as much of their hard earned wages as possible, but this will only happen if the existing tax-and-spend policies are reversed and current levels of both taxes and spending substantially reduced. Mike believes history has proven that lower tax rates produce greater tax revenues by growing the number of jobs. Taxes are the price we pay for a civil society, but the current level of tax burden on Minnesotans is past the tipping point and driving potential businesses to other states with more favorable rates. Minnesota has the 3rd highest corporate tax rate in the U.S., and Mike will work tirelessly to reduce this burden and bring new jobs to Minnesotans.

It is time that we hold our government more accountable to eliminate waste and set priorities. It is time we evaluate every department to determine its value, eliminate unnecessary overlap and administrative overhead, and contract out through a competitive bid process those products and services that can be provided by the private sector. We have to care for our communities, but like any other family going through tough economic times, we must find ways to tighten our belts. We cannot mortgage the future of our children and their children.

EDUCATION:

Mike is a college instructor, and his wife is a special education para-professional, so he knows how hard teachers work. But the current education system is not producing results that will guarantee a secure future for our children in an increasingly competitive global job market. He believes that we must cut away the mandates that have proven unproductive and introduce simpler test instruments that will measure student progress and provide a fair and effective process to reward teachers for good performance.

Mike believes that there must be more local control and greater parent involvement in policy formation and curriculum choice. He believes that teachers cannot be called to be substitute parents and parents must be involved in their children’s education.

Mike supports choice, charter schools, and home schooling and will propose a voucher system that is paid to parents and students. He will work to make state funding more equitable for all school systems.

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY:

Minnesotans are blessed to live in a beautiful state. Insight and hard work by many have ensured that our state’s environment is one of the best in the United States. We need to be vigilant to make sure our environmental research and legislation continues to lead the country but without being a drag on the economic prosperity of all Minnesotans. During difficult economic times, we must make sure that the tax revenues are allocated and spent for environmental issues and not pork-barrel recreational projects that could be covered to a large extent through user fees.

Reliable and low-cost energy resources are essential to growing the state’s economy. Minnesota utilities faced with the 25% renewable energy goal by 2025 and no-base-load power plants under construction will have a difficult task meeting our future needs. Since it takes years to approve and permit construction of a new power plant, Mike will propose a temporary special commission be created to expedite the regulation and approval process; its task will be to see that any new power plant proposal is brought on line within environmental and cost guidelines and in time to meet the needs of business and consumers. He will also advocate for a reversal of the moratorium on new nuclear power generation.

HEALTH CARE:

Minnesota’s health care system is second to none in the world but does need reforming to make sure it is affordable now and in the future and available to every resident. We need to work with and give incentive to all medical providers to duplicate the efforts of our world-class medical institutions, like Mayo Clinic, that are leading the way to reduce costs by digitizing records, paying physicians by salary rather than by procedures, and always putting the patient’s best interest first. We need to continue to reform the medical malpractice system, eliminating outrageous settlements that drive up insurance costs that are passed on to every consumer. We need to use market place competition to lower insurance costs by opening up the system to more insurance carriers, while insuring portability and insurability regardless of prior or existing medical conditions. Mike will also advocate for wellness programs and programs which encourage consumers to take responsibility for their own health. He will fight any attempt to move to a government or single payer system.

AGRICULTURE:

Mike grew up in central Illinois, and his first job after a paper route was detasseling corn and walking beans during the humid and hot summers. He worked through high school on a large poultry/egg operation. His brother and sister-in-law currently farm 550 acres in Wabasha County. Mike understands how managing the farm has changed. He will work to reduce the taxes, permits, and fees that eat away farm families’ earnings and their ability invest in their future. He will work tirelessly to open up new markets and uses for the bounty Minnesota farmers produce.

VALUES:

Right to Life – Mike’s beliefs about life are informed by his Christian worldview. He believes in the sanctity of life, that life begins at conception, and that we are all “endowed by the Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Mike will back only legislation that fully supports this position. He will advocate for any legislation to further reduce abortions and make it easier for families wanting to adopt.

Marriage – Marriage is the union of one man and one woman, and Mike supports allowing Minnesotans to vote for a Marriage Amendment to the Constitution. Mike believes and studies prove that, although Minnesota is made of many different combinations of families, the core family unit of a married man and woman is the best way to raise children.