MPR: Campaign 2004: Dan Severson

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Dan Severson

District:		14A
Party:		GOP
Residence:		Sauk Rapids, MN
Web site:		danseverson.com

Statement from the candidate:
I believe that the United States is the greatest nation on earth and that greatness stems from our belief in an Almighty God who has bestowed on us a great gift, freedom. We are the stewards of that freedom for the world and how we use that freedom will determine whether we remain a great nation. If we choose to use it to satisfy our own wants and desires our generation will be the last to breath the air of true liberty. If on the other hand we use it to meet the call of the Great Commission and promote the cause of freedom and liberty in the world, our children will grab the vision and carry on that greatness. It is about a free market system and freedom of speech and most importantly, the freedom to worship God. To that end, I serve to fight for those values and be a voice for the people of Dist 14A in St. Paul.

When asked "Should gambling be expanded in Minnesota to generate new revenue for the state?" I say "Yes, but with the view of brining some control to expansion of gambling and a strong measure of accountability which currently does not exist."

The sports facility has been an issue for several years now. Should state funds -- directly or indirectly -- be used to build new sports facilities for the Twins and Vikings? No, I do not support the use of General fund dollars to build the stadiums but do support local sales taxes with a combination of Team Owner and ticket box revenues.

This legislation has generated hundreds of new good paying jobs and will continue to create an business friendly environment by providing tax incentives and advantages for new businesses in Minnesota. Do I support Gov Pawlenty's JOBX zones program? Yes, absolutely.

No, I wouldn't support drastic cuts to education, we do however need to pursue equalization of funding throughout the state.

Should a constitutional amendment be presented to voters that would ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota? This is a foundational issue of family values that effect every person in Minnesota. The people have a right to vote on an issue that will without question affect the social and economic infrastructure of our social structure and government. The alternative is to allow radical Judge involvement that brought us to Doe VS Gomez which now mandates taxpayer dollars for abortions even when a
large portion of the taxpaying base opposes that action. This is a government of the people and by the people, let them vote.

Should the state spend money for expanding mass transit options in Minnesota? Yes, this is part of the responsibility of government to provide an infrastructure where business and families can be safe and flourish. Transportation is an important part of that infrastructure.

Should the state's subsidized health care program be trimmed in order to reduce a projected budget deficit? I believe there are still areas we can trim to bring down costs and take some of the burden off of the back of taxpaying families. We have a very generous Health Care system in Minnesota, we are number one for entitlements and I believe we can be more fiscally responsible in how we apportion those tax dollars, they are yours dollars if you pay taxes.

Biography:
I grew up in St. Cloud, graduated from Tech HS in 1973 and SCSU in 1978 with a degree in Physics and minor in Math. I married my wife Cathy Jo in 1975 and have 2 wonderful children, Nicole and Joshua. In 1979 I was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and began flight training. I became a Naval Aviator in December of 1980 and went on to fly the A-7E and F/A-18. I have 3200+ flight hours, 300 + carrier landings and served in numerous leadership positions from Officer in Charge of VFA-305, an F/A-18 squadron to Executive Officer of Weapons Test Squadron in China Lake, Ca. I served 3 years in Washington D.C. working on Plans and Policy and retired in Oct 2000 after 21+ years of service. My wife and I got involved in the business sector and have been working on a small business dealing with Intellectual Property. I also have my substitute licence for K-12 and have substituted at many of the area schools. I was asked to run for the House of Representatives and won the first campaign in Nov 2002. I sit on Jobs and Economic Development Finance, Transportation Policy, Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs, Aviation sub-committee and Midwest Interregional Passenger Rail Commission.

On the Issues:

Should increased taxes be considered as part of a solution to a projected budget deficit?		No
Should gambling be expanded in Minnesota to generate new revenue for the state?		Yes
Should state funds — directly or indirectly — be used to build new sports facilities for the Twins and Vikings?		No
Do you support Gov Pawlenty's JOBZ zones program?		Yes
Should K-12 spending in Minnesota be curtailed in order to balance a projected budget deficit?		No
Should a constitutional amendment be presented to voters that would ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota?		Yes
Should the state spend money for expanding mass transit options in Minnesota?		Yes
Should there be additional restrictions on abortion in Minnesota?		Yes
Should the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which seeks to protect wildlife habitat and wetlands by paying farmers for taking marginal lands out of agriculture production, be supported?		Yes
Should the state's subsidized health care program be trimmed in order to reduce a projected budget deficit?		Yes

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