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February 2, 2010
The President promised change both on the campaign trail and again in the State of the Union last Wednesday, but the budget he proposed yesterday is simply more of the same – an attempt to spend our way to prosperity that will result in increased taxes, larger deficits, and more debt.
Under President Obama’s plan, the federal government will run the largest budget deficit in the history of the country. Even after accounting for trillions of dollars in proposed new taxes, nearly half (42%) of the money the federal government will spend in FY 2011 will be borrowed. His plan will increase not only the national debt, but also adds significantly to more than $65 trillion in unfunded future entitlement obligations, for which there is absolutely no plan to address. In the face of these staggering challenges, the president’s answer is to order a partial spending freeze, make a few anecdotal suggestions for waste reduction, and form a commission to pass the buck and let someone else do the heavy lifting to balance the budget.
That is not the leadership the American people expect, nor is it the change they were promised.
It is clear that the President is trying to give the impression of restraint and moderation as we head towards mid-term elections, but this political sleight of hand will not change the facts – this administration and congress are smothering our children and future generations with a massive burden of debt as they try to spend us into prosperity. Any family or business struggling to pay its bills knows that you can’t go out and spend more hoping for the day things will turn around; it sets priorities and takes real steps to keep spending within its means.
The President’s budget also includes a so-called second jobs stimulus bill at a cost of over $100 billion. With the job-creating effectiveness of the first $800 billion still in question, why should the American people support throwing more money at the same ineffective solutions?
Government doesn’t create jobs; the private sector does. The government’s role is to provide a stable and supportive environment in which businesses and employees can succeed and prosper free from excessive government intervention and regulation. Plunging our nation deeper into debt does not create the rock-solid foundation needed for economic recovery; it mires our revitalization efforts deeper in the sand. The new “jobs bill” the President is asking for includes some items (such as tax credits for small businesses that hire new workers) that have merit, but these initiatives pale in comparison to the shackles being placed on job providers by proposals such as “card check”, “cap and trade”, and the government takeover of our healthcare industry.
We don’t need a budget commission to tell us we are overspending. Nor will political posturing cover it up. It will take leadership in Washington that exhibits fiscally responsible judgment; leadership that focuses on the same common sense spending priorities that families and businesses across the country are using to get through these tough economic times. Our elected officials need to step up, or they need to be replaced.
February 1, 2010
Sign up as a supporter today to find out what you can do to help Randy get the GOP Endorsement.
January 27, 2010
"Congratulations to Senator-elect Mike Parry on his victory last night in the special election in Senate District 26. His victory is an expression of the dissatisfaction that Minnesota voters have for the irresponsible spending, increased government intrusion, and ever higher taxes on families and job providers that are continually proposed by the Democratic majority in St. Paul. I look forward to working with him in the Legislature as we strive for a brighter future for Minnesota."
January 26, 2010
Take a look at this video from the candidate forum hosted by the Olmsted County Republicans. This is Randy's introduction - more videos on specific topics will be posted over the next few days.
January 20, 2010
“I congratulate Senator-elect Scott Brown on his victory yesterday in Massachusetts. He ran a campaign focused on issues important to the American people and very familiar to voters in Minnesota’s First District: concern with exponential growth in government resulting in unrestrained deficit spending; worries about unprecedented intervention in the lives of individuals and the activities of privately run businesses; opposition to a horrendous health care package negotiated behind closed doors; and the need to shift focus to a job creation agenda focused on private sector economic growth.”
“Mr. Brown’s victory in a state and in a Senate seat that Democrats have controlled for decades is indicative of the national frustration and dissatisfaction with the hyper-partisan agenda pursed by Democrats in Washington. These sentiments ring true in Minnesota’s First District, where Congressman Tim Walz each day whole-heartedly supports the very same extreme agenda that voters resoundingly rejected yesterday. Minnesotans, like voters in Massachusetts, know that our country was not built on government intervention and control, but on support for an innovative, entrepreneurial, market-based system based on personal responsibility, fiscal discipline, and common-sense conservative values.”
“Massachusetts citizens have again stepped forward and fired the “shot heard ‘round the world” and have demanded a shift in priorities that I know will be replicated in House and Senate elections throughout the country this November.”
“I again congratulate Senator-elect Brown on his victory, and look forward to working with him in the future.”
January 19, 2010
Thank you to everyone who came out to visit with me when I stopped this week in Fairmont, St. James, Pipestone, Luverne, and Worthington. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to be able to share my experience and perspectives with you, and to see many good friends.
Even more important was the chance for me to listen and learn about the challenges and difficulties you experience day to day. Thank you for your insights and thoughts on the economy, on health care, on job creation, on energy, and so many more issues - they will help me serve you better. I hope to see you all again soon!
January 14, 2010
Great editorial in the Wall Street Journal describing about the negative pressure that the Tim Walz-supported Health Care Reform Bill will place on hospitals and health care providers around the country. As described in the article, this especially hits home in the First District. The Mayo Clinic – which lost $840 mi...llion last year alone treating Medicare patients, because of the unrealistically low reimbursement rates set by the government – may not be able to continue to accept Medicare patients. Remember, this isn’t some low-quality cheapskate health system. This is the Mayo Clinic, repeatedly held up by the Obama Administration as a national leader and example of what is right in health care. The last line sums it up best: “In other words, the real Mayo story is that sclerotic Medicare is preventing more Mayos, and ObamaCare is paving the way for all of health care to operate like Medicare.” That is a scary thought for residents of the First District, Minnesota, and the nation.
Read the full article in the Wall Street Journal here.
December 1, 2009
(Rochester, MN) – State Representative Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) has announced that he will seek election in 2010 as the Representative from Minnesota’s First Congressional District, a position currently held by Tim Walz (D-Mankato). Demmer is serving his 4th term as State Representative for District 29A, having been first elected in 2002. Demmer is a lifetime resident of Hayfield, Minnesota, and spent over 20 years owning and managing a corn and soybean farm, three auto parts stores, and an accounting software and computer consulting business.
Demmer said his campaign would focus on the importance of the private sector in America – not reliance on the government. “The growth in government that is occurring under this democratic majority is astounding – not just in terms of spending, which is spiraling out of control, but in how the federal government is extending its reach into the lives – and pocketbooks - of every citizen in this district and in our country.”
“When I travel the district and talk to folks all across Southern Minnesota, I hear concerns – and I agree – that Washington is out of touch with citizens in Minnesota” Demmer said. “Accountability has to start at home and with the person we send to Washington to speak on our behalf. The voters of the First District want to be represented by someone who understands their principals and values – which Tim Walz is failing to do.”
Demmer cited Tim Walz’s votes in support of cap and trade legislation, the failed stimulus package, and the recent health care reform bill as examples of Walz’s lack of judgment in his representation of the first district. “Walz simply isn’t representing the interests of the citizens of Minnesota’s First District – he’s blindly following the lead of Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic majority as they ram home their irresponsible liberal agenda leading us down the path of a more socialistic society”.
Demmer noted that with Walz’s support the federal government is expanding at breakneck speed. “He has advocated for trillions of dollars in new taxes, spending, and debt; encouraged creation of new entitlement programs; and supported unprecedented government intervention in the financial, health care, and energy industries”, Demmer said. “Left unchecked, the growth in government spending and expansion of entitlement programs will bankrupt our country and drag us all into economic ruin.”
“These truly are challenging times, and elected officials locally, at the state capitol, and in Washington need to step up and respond,” Demmer continued. “However, Tim Walz and other liberals in Washington are demonstrating blind allegiance to the extreme agenda championed by Speaker Pelosi, and have twisted this into a call for more government resulting in more regulation and massive spending.” Demmer described how voters in the First District know that they can’t run their businesses or care for their families with this approach, and that our country was not built in this way. “Government must stay out of the way and foster an environment in which people can innovate and prosper due to their own initiative and their own interpretation of the needs of society.”
“From my perspective as a parent, a small business owner, a school board member, a community volunteer, and as an elected public policy maker, I understand that we need long – term solutions, not short term fixes” Demmer concluded. “Our representatives in government need to act with an eye toward our children’s’ futures, not their approval ratings; a view to sound public investment, not out of control spending; and with a commitment to an economic environment where everyone has the chance to build their own American dream – not false hopes based on pre-packaged government bureaucracy”.
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