Issue Position: Economy

Issue Position

A pressing issue facing North Dakota today and for the foreseeable future is the economy. We have been exceedingly blessed with a long season of prosperity, leading the nation with vast surpluses, a constitutional balanced budget and record low unemployment. In such a season of prosperity, we do what is historically normal to do; we grow government. Face it, it's human nature and we have all actually done it in our personal lives, right? It seems easy to blame former or current governors and legislators, yet that is not leadership.

Leadership is knowing when to tighten your belt, how to safeguard the future and yet responsibly provide for current needs.

Economics can seem extremely complicated and at times they are, but economy 101 is practiced daily around kitchen tables and with the right conservative principles and honest leadership, we can all weather the hard times.

I have worked in the nonprofit organizational world for over 30 years, sitting on national Board of Directors for some of the largest nonprofit organizations, and thereby having had the responsibility of handling large budgets and monies carefully as such monies were given us by donors. Government is not much different, though the sums are vastly bigger. Taxpayers fund the government; all the government does is administrate said funds in the service of the people. We do have an obligation to work with each other to fund the services needed for our districts and state to thrive, and of course people at times disagree on where each dollar will be spent.

The discussions in Bismarck are usually quite lively during the appropriations decisions. Faced with budget shortfalls of large proportions it will no doubt require sacrifice. During times of severe downtrend as we are currently seeing in the energy sector as well as a possibly longer negative trend in the Agriculture Sector (Ag commodity experts I have spoken to say 3-7 years likely), we will need to have leadership in Bismarck who are willing to make some hard choices regardless of popularity or name calling. That is what true leadership is about.

I have a proven record, though from the healthy outside position of a citizen, of pushing through legislation, at times through very difficult circumstances and will do so again to protect the future of our children and grandchildren.

We don't like it, but we can weather the storms coming. After all we are still incredibly blessed here in District 10 and throughout North Dakota, even during an economic downtrend. What we all must do is to rise above the current tide of dissatisfaction and make principled decisions to protect and preserve quality of life in North Dakota!

If elected State Senator I will not give in to special interest groups, whether local or not, to serve the purpose of being re-elected or otherwise. The money spent in Bismarck is your money.

It is hard to predict what the future holds for our economy, and how in detail it will affect our local communities. Anyone who is running for public office on any level and tells you they "know it all" on all of these difficult equations of the economy is not being truthful. I certainly do not know it all on a wide variety of issues we may face in this arena, but that is I where I will depend on the expertise of residents in our district to educate, inform and debate as we move forward. The economy, even here in district 10, will be effected by world events, and very much so by who we elect to be the next President of nation. The domino effect of world economics is difficult, at the very least, to predict.

I assure you I will look out for our district, for our kids, our families, our Ag producers and our businesses. And I will do my utmost, along with what is hopefully an assembly of collective intelligence from Senators representing 46 other Districts, to protect and provide for our current needs while safeguarding the future.

After all, I live here, and nothing motivates me more than being a mom and working for my kids' future!

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