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Redwood Falls, Minn. —
There were few surprises at this past Wednesday’s Governor Candidate’s Forum on Rural Minnesota held at Farm-est 2010 on the Gilfillan Es-tate near Morgan.
All the major candidates for Minnesota governor were present. Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL endorsed candidate), Mark Dayton (DFL), Matt Entenza (DFL), Tom Emmer (Republican endors-ed candidate) Tom Horner (In-dependence Party endorsed candidate) and Rob Hahn (I) were all on the stage at the forum tent at Farmfest to answer questions posed to them by a preselected panel.
That panel consisted of Kevin Paap, president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau; Doug Peterson, president of the Minnesota Farmers Un-ion; Sarah Dornink a representative from Minnesota Agri-Women Marc Knisely, CEO of United Farm Credit Services and Darin McBeth of Minne-sota Agri-Growth.
The candidates responded to the panel’s first question, and most of the other questions for that matter, with canned re-sponses that fit the tone and particular angle each of the panelists was going for.
The first question, put forth by Kevin Paap, asked the candidates how they would respond to “animal rights groups attempting to legislate the way Minnesota farmer can raise cattle.”
First to speak was Dayton.
“I strongly support production livestock in Minnesota,” Dayton said. “I would oppose anything that would restrict the ability of Minnesota hog, cattle and dairy producers from raising their livestock in accordance with proper environmental protections.”
Each one of the five other candidates echoed this res-ponse with their own, small caveats. This was a pattern that continued throughout the morning forum.
Doug Peterson got to ask a question next. He wanted to know what each candidate would tell farmers as to what property taxes would look like under their administration. It was no surprise all the candidates talked about how property taxes have gotten out of control and how too much burden is being put on agricultural land.
The only difference between an-swers was who or what got blamed for the sharp increases in property taxes over the past decade, or so. None of the candidates, however, suggested property taxes should increase on agricultural or non-agricultural land.
“We need a government that is going to be respectful and responsive to the fact that property taxes are, I believe the worst possible taxes,” Matt Entenza said. “They are not based on the ability to pay. They hurt our farmers and producers more than any other, because you (the audience) rely on land. If crop prices go down, you still get hit hard.”
Dornink asked how every child in the state can get a quality eduction. The answers, again, were unsurprising and fell along established party lines.
Rob Hahn and Tom Emmer blamed Education Minnesota, the teachers union for educational problems and money problems in the schools. The DFL candidates talked about reform, but were incredibly shy on details, as were the other candidates.
Margaret Anderson Kelliher spoke about programs outside of mainstream school hours that could help.
“As a former 4-H state president, I think there is more to education than just inside the doors to the school,” she said. “We need to restore our commitment to 4-H and to FFA so there are out of school time activities for kids all across the state, including rural kids.”
Knisely wanted to know what each of the candidates would do if elected to ensure long term success of agricultural in Minnesota. Tom Emmer was quick to offer two proposals.
“First of all,” Emmer said, “you have to lower taxes. You have to address tillable land supporting everything else. You have to put more money in people’s pockets so they can create their own opportunities. You also have to have the regulatory agencies work with the farmers and not against them.
“I went up north and met (a couple of hog farmers) who wanted to expand their operation. (It took) two years and $40,000 just to get through the state permitting process, and if they had gotten through the permitting process, there was no guarantee they would have gotten the permits. Guess what? They opened in North Dakota in six months and have a payroll of $1.6 million. Those jobs should be here in Minnesota.”
The candidates agreed, mostly, on support of mandates for biofuels, with the exception of Rob Hahn, who said he didn’t support any mandates.
None of the candidates supported any further state restrictions on “crop protection products.” Each candidate made talking points about taxes, regulations and too much government. Each candidate, in their own way, made the point farmers are the original environmentalists who are going do what is best for their land.
In closing statements, each one of the candidates pledged to be a good governor for rural Minnesota and for farmers. Each, in turn, also pledged to “let farmers farm.” The only real surprise of the whole debate came in Emmer’s closing statement when he pledge as governor to “take every enforcement and regulatory agency that touches on agriculture – whether that be the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the DNR, you name it – and put that (agency) under the Department of Agriculture. Because guess what? Those (agencies) have to start working with the farmers, for the farmers, instead of against agriculture. That is the promise I will make to you.”
Sadly, the forum ended minutes later with the only unexpected comment of the day going unexplained.
There were few surprises at this past Wednesday’s Governor Candidate’s Forum on Rural Minnesota held at Farm-est 2010 on the Gilfillan Es-tate near Morgan.
All the major candidates for Minnesota governor were present. Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL endorsed candidate), Mark Dayton (DFL), Matt Entenza (DFL), Tom Emmer (Republican endors-ed candidate) Tom Horner (In-dependence Party endorsed candidate) and Rob Hahn (I) were all on the stage at the forum tent at Farmfest to answer questions posed to them by a preselected panel.
That panel consisted of Kevin Paap, president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau; Doug Peterson, president of the Minnesota Farmers Un-ion; Sarah Dornink a representative from Minnesota Agri-Women Marc Knisely, CEO of United Farm Credit Services and Darin McBeth of Minne-sota Agri-Growth.
The candidates responded to the panel’s first question, and most of the other questions for that matter, with canned re-sponses that fit the tone and particular angle each of the panelists was going for.
The first question, put forth by Kevin Paap, asked the candidates how they would respond to “animal rights groups attempting to legislate the way Minnesota farmer can raise cattle.”
First to speak was Dayton.
“I strongly support production livestock in Minnesota,” Dayton said. “I would oppose anything that would restrict the ability of Minnesota hog, cattle and dairy producers from raising their livestock in accordance with proper environmental protections.”
Each one of the five other candidates echoed this res-ponse with their own, small caveats. This was a pattern that continued throughout the morning forum.
Doug Peterson got to ask a question next. He wanted to know what each candidate would tell farmers as to what property taxes would look like under their administration. It was no surprise all the candidates talked about how property taxes have gotten out of control and how too much burden is being put on agricultural land.
The only difference between an-swers was who or what got blamed for the sharp increases in property taxes over the past decade, or so. None of the candidates, however, suggested property taxes should increase on agricultural or non-agricultural land.
“We need a government that is going to be respectful and responsive to the fact that property taxes are, I believe the worst possible taxes,” Matt Entenza said. “They are not based on the ability to pay. They hurt our farmers and producers more than any other, because you (the audience) rely on land. If crop prices go down, you still get hit hard.”
Dornink asked how every child in the state can get a quality eduction. The answers, again, were unsurprising and fell along established party lines.
Rob Hahn and Tom Emmer blamed Education Minnesota, the teachers union for educational problems and money problems in the schools. The DFL candidates talked about reform, but were incredibly shy on details, as were the other candidates.
Margaret Anderson Kelliher spoke about programs outside of mainstream school hours that could help.
“As a former 4-H state president, I think there is more to education than just inside the doors to the school,” she said. “We need to restore our commitment to 4-H and to FFA so there are out of school time activities for kids all across the state, including rural kids.”
Knisely wanted to know what each of the candidates would do if elected to ensure long term success of agricultural in Minnesota. Tom Emmer was quick to offer two proposals.
“First of all,” Emmer said, “you have to lower taxes. You have to address tillable land supporting everything else. You have to put more money in people’s pockets so they can create their own opportunities. You also have to have the regulatory agencies work with the farmers and not against them.
“I went up north and met (a couple of hog farmers) who wanted to expand their operation. (It took) two years and $40,000 just to get through the state permitting process, and if they had gotten through the permitting process, there was no guarantee they would have gotten the permits. Guess what? They opened in North Dakota in six months and have a payroll of $1.6 million. Those jobs should be here in Minnesota.”
The candidates agreed, mostly, on support of mandates for biofuels, with the exception of Rob Hahn, who said he didn’t support any mandates.
None of the candidates supported any further state restrictions on “crop protection products.” Each candidate made talking points about taxes, regulations and too much government. Each candidate, in their own way, made the point farmers are the original environmentalists who are going do what is best for their land.
In closing statements, each one of the candidates pledged to be a good governor for rural Minnesota and for farmers. Each, in turn, also pledged to “let farmers farm.” The only real surprise of the whole debate came in Emmer’s closing statement when he pledge as governor to “take every enforcement and regulatory agency that touches on agriculture – whether that be the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the DNR, you name it – and put that (agency) under the Department of Agriculture. Because guess what? Those (agencies) have to start working with the farmers, for the farmers, instead of against agriculture. That is the promise I will make to you.”
Sadly, the forum ended minutes later with the only unexpected comment of the day going unexplained.
