Rep Barrett files, seeks re-election in 32B

Thank you, Chisago County residents for electing me, Bob Barrett, as your state representative in November 2010. I ask for your continued support this summer and fall and your vote again this November to continue the good work we began this past session.

When elected in 2010, Minnesota families were saddled with a $6.2 billion state budget deficit that had increased every year since 2007. Minnesota was sinking under the weight of big government. Well, the sinking ship we were given is no longer sinking and we now have a $1.2 billion dollar budget surplus!! With this extra money we have returned $430 million to schools and replenished the state’s cash flow accounts and budget reserves to their capacity. We did this without a job-killing tax increase that is the cornerstone of the Democratic agenda this November. We made attempt after attempt to provide tax relief from this excess, but these good programs were repeatedly vetoed by Governor Dayton. We will not stop trying. We also tried to return over $600 million in additional borrowed money back to schools, but this too was vetoed.

A Voter ID bill was also vetoed that is supported by 75 percent of Minnesota. Voter ID will be on the ballot this November. Your voice will be heard on this issue!! Private sector jobs have been created during these tough economic times. In the last 15 months, the state’s unemployment rate has fallen from 7.1 percent to 5.6 percent.

Last fall the state’s unemployment rate dropped farther and faster than at any time since 1976. Just two years ago, Chisago County’s unemployment rate was over 11 percent, now, based on April 2012 data, it is at 6.8 percent. The comparisons between Minnesota solutions over the last two years and those attempted at the federal level are stark and revealing. Nationally, our unemployment rate has been above 8 percent for 39 consecutive months -- after being below 8 percent every month since 1984 (a span of 300 months). This is despite spending $5 trillion of borrowed money during those 39 months increasing the national debt to an incredible $15.7 trillion. Last year we increased K-12 school funding by $600 million dollars while eliminating the $6.2 billion deficit without job-killing tax increases demanded by Democrats. In addition, a state mandate was repealed allowing existing school funds to be used more effectively to retain teachers instead of watching idly as they get laid off. Each school district in Minnesota was able to retain six to eight more teachers because of this change in state law.

We also made reforms in how school trust lands are managed so schools will see a greater return on these valuable resources. For the first time, a concrete and affordable proposal has been drafted to make school funding more equitable for lower funded districts. I am proud to author this bill (HF2540) and will continue the work towards passage next session. This bill was created based on an idea shared with me by a local school board member during a Legislative Action Group meeting. Laws targeting welfare fraud were enacted. It is now illegal to use EBT cards outside of Minnesota and our border states. My own synthetic drug bill was passed in the house by a vote of 117-6 and signed into law making it more difficult to sell these harmful drugs to our children. As we are seeing at the federal level, bigger government is not working.

In Minnesota holding the line on government spending, reforming how government works and saying NO to job-killing tax increases is working. The comparisons between the two visions for our country could not be more clear when all the rhetoric is eliminated and the facts are revealed. Support me with your vote and with your help this year as I continue your fight for responsible government and a thriving private sector. www.vote4bob.com