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My Point of View by Aaron Farris

Democrats are moving farther and farther to the left and farther away from the common sense people of our area and our state.

Freeborn County’s Republican legislators have been working hard to achieve results for farmers, small business owners and hardworking everyday Minnesotans. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats in the Legislature, in coordination with Gov. Walz, are voting to increase our taxes by billions of dollars, including an incredibly harmful gas tax. Though the House Democrat majority is pushing its gas tax increase through without any Republican support, the tax will not be considered by the Senate Republican majority.

We do need more money in our roads and bridges account for the state. Not only has the cost of construction increased greatly, but the gas tax is no longer bringing in the dollars it used to due to the increasingly more fuel-efficient cars and the advent of electric cars. However, we do not need to raise taxes and take more money out of your pockets to do this. That hurts people — especially the people in our communities who have the least amount of money.

Why would we raise taxes during a time when our state has billions in surplus funds?  And why would we put an automatic inflator on that regressive type of tax? Republicans support utilizing dollars from taxes our state already collects on travel-related items like car parts, tires, etc. Robust funding for transportation can be achieved without hurting people’s pocketbooks.

Sen. Dornink, instead of attempting to slip a tax increase into the state budget bill, voted in favor of a bill to support agriculture, rural COVID-19 recovery and rural development. This bill gives $40 million over the next two years to fund the state’s broadband program. The bill also gives $3.5 million to a grant to allow gas stations to sell higher blends of biofuels. The bill also provides grants for mental health outreach for farmers, grain storage safety curriculum and other positive measures.

Congressman Jim Hagedorn voted in favor of the American Workforce Empowerment Act, visited the Marion Ross Theater in Albert Lea to learn how he can help get them more funding and ensured that K&W Stores of MN Inc., right here in Albert Lea, was given a $30,000 grant through the federal government to replace a couple fuel dispensers.

We are incredibly fortunate in Freeborn County to be able to watch what’s going on in the Legislature, and not have to worry if our legislators are going to vote in the best interests of us, our families,and our neighbors. We can watch debate over the omnibus bills and know that Rep. Bennett and Sen. Dornink will support legislation that will help our communities flourish and grow, make sure our students get a good education and keep people and communities safe.

At the same time, Democrats are seeking to divide Minnesotans, incite violence and highlight our differences. Democratic Sen. Jen McEwen of Duluth praised Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who told protesters in Minneapolis to “get more confrontational” as “an icon” on the floor of the Senate only a short time after. Democrats like to tell us that they aren’t anti-police. However, every time they’re given the opportunity to back that up and show they’re not the rabid anti-law enforcement party we know they are, they fail to do so.

Fifty years of failed policy in Minneapolis and other major cities around the country and what do they do? They take it out on law enforcement. The many good men and women of law enforcement are their scapegoat to distract from the years of failed Democratic policy that is tragically failing the members of these communities.

If you think the Democrats are no longer the party you once knew and that they’ve walked away from your values and beliefs, please know you will always have a home in the Republican Party.

Aaron Farris is the vice chairman of the Freeborn County Republican Party. He is the party’s youngest activist.