Gina Bauman for State Senate

My campaign will focus on basic issues that concern the majority of the people of District 50 and the State of Minnesota. The following is a summary of my positions on some of the more prominent ones.

Jobs and the Economy
Our economy is in serious decline with stagnant growth and a high level of unemployment. Much of the problem is due to government policies that have discouraged investment in business start-ups and expansion. Government does not and can not create a vibrant economy - no society has ever taxed or regulated itself into prosperity. Economic growth occurs when investors and entrepreneurs have incentive to create businesses that promise a good return on investment. Business owners should be able to run their businesses as they see fit with minimal government interference and regulation to produce quality products and services. All investors, owners, and employees must be allowed to keep most of what they earn as an incentive to keep businesses and the economy growing and prosperous.

For more information:
Jobs, Taxes, and the Economy

Taxes and Spending
Closely tied to Jobs and the Economy is our state taxing and spending practices. Simply put, government at all levels spends too much. The crux of the problem is that government is involved in too many areas that it should not be involved in. There is far too much overlap of programs and services between local, county, state, and federal government entities. The different levels of government must operate in a cooperative manner in the best interests of the citizens. Lower levels of government have far too many mandates from and dependencies on higher levels government or get into competition for the taxpayer's dollars. The basic strategy is simple - cut spending and the scope of involvement at all levels of government and less money will be needed from the taxpayers. We do not have to choose between high income taxes or high property taxes as my opponent has asserted. Cut the spending, cut the taxes, and let the people keep their money to spend in their best interests as they see fit.

For more information:
Jobs, Taxes, and the Economy
We Can and Must Cut State Spending

Health Care
We all want and need good and affordable health care, but turning over more control and regulation of the industry to government is not the answer. Socialized medicine has always led to decreased availability and quality of health care wherever it has been implemented. Over 60% of Americans oppose so-called Obama-care, and for good reason. A major reason for the high cost of health care is too many government mandates and excessive regulation of health care insurers and providers. A return to more of a true free market for health care will maintain high quality care and bring prices down through competition and lower costs for providers. I will work to repeal the commitment made by the last legislature as part of the special session closing deal that, if enacted by the next governor, will impose "Obama-care" on the citizens of Minnesota.

Size and Scope of Government
Government at all levels has grown far beyond what was envisioned by the founders of our nation. Massive government growth on all levels has led to out of control spending and interference in far too many aspects of our daily lives. Cutting the size and cost of government, along with the scope of its reach into our personal lives, will help to solve many of the problems present in our society.

Transit
Maintenance and improvement of our existing roads and bridge infrastructure must be a top priority in transportation funding. As a practical matter we cannot afford to expand the expensive and inefficient rail projects. We have a constitutionally mandated revenue source that is required to go to transit (I don't think it was a wise thing to do, but until it is repealed we are stuck with it) that can be used to maintain and operate the existing rail systems until they become completely obsolete and phased out in many years. We unfortunately have too much money already committed and spent to just abandon it. Spending on new public transit projects should focus on improvements to our bus system where the vehicles are much more cost effective and flexible than rail transit and routes can be added, deleted, and modified as population centers and needs change.

Education
The Minnesota Constitution requires the state to provide an equal and quality education for all residents. The quality of our public education system has been declining for a long time while becoming more and more costly. Pumping more money into the educational bureaucracy will not solve the problem. There is no reason why we can't return to a less bureaucratized, locally controlled public education system that focuses on the educational needs of students rather than the continued growth and perpetuation of the education bureaucracy.

Voter ID
The concept of "one person, one vote" is the basis for our system of government. It is our right as citizens to be governed by the representatives we have chosen in free and fair elections. There have been too many elections recently where the legitimacy of the outcome has been called into question due to how votes were cast and tallied. A simple and effective means of protecting the right of all voters to have their vote count equally with those of all others is to require proper and valid ID when voting.

Welfare Reform
Minnesota has some of the most generous welfare benefits in the nation and attracts many people who come here primarily for the benefits. We are a very compassionate society that recognizes our obligation to help those truly in need with no other place to in which to turn, but we cannot allow ourselves to evolve into a European style welfare state. We should welcome anyone who wants to live here and become part of our excellent and productive workforce, but should not encourage the abuse of our social safety net. We must set and enforce policies and standards to ensure that those who truly need social assistance and protections receive it without wasting resources on those who choose to take from society without contributing to it. Policies need to be enacted that enable and encourage private charities and religious organizations to help the needy as the private and non-profit sector can deliver many services much more efficiently and compassionately than government. Welfare is not a right - it is an essential government service for members of our society that truly need it. Fraud and abuse should not be tolerated and should be prosecuted vigorously.

Immigration Reform
Our nation has always welcomed legal immigrants who want to assimilate into our society, and we should continue to do so. However the unregulated and unlawful influx of large numbers of illegal immigrants are stressing our social structures beyond their capacity and creating many public health and safety problems. Unlawful immigration also causes huge financial and administrative burdens on society that are particularly devastating during tough economic times. Current immigration laws need to be enforced, and state policies that encourage illegal immigration need to be changed to provide a balance that minimizes hardship for those wanting to immigrate legally while protecting society from the negative consequences of illegal immigration.

Family and Life Issues
Strong traditional families and the values they instill in our children are the cornerstone of a free and prosperous society. Government policies should not hinder the ability of people to support their families and raise their children in accordance to their values and beliefs. The primary purpose of government is to protect all of our inalienable rights, the most fundamental of which is the right to life. The state should not collect and archive DNA from newborn babies. It should also not sanction or fund abortions and euthanasia.

For more information:
Important Information Regarding the MCCL Candidate Survey
Life, Marriage and Family Issues