MEET THE CANDIDATES
Feature
Dan Sepeda
DISTRICT 24B
Why are you running for State Representative and how does your experience qualify you for the position? I chose to run for this position because I want better for my district. The direction this state has taken is dangerous and not sustainable. Taxes and fees for services have increased dramatically. Our schools have an agenda-driven curriculum that has pushed out reading, writing, and arithmetic, and resulted in our children getting lower test scores. Our state government, through its numerous agencies and boards are over-regulating citizens and
businesses alike. Small businesses are especially feeling the crunch in the ever-rising fees they are required to pay. Minnesota can and should do better. I have worked over 25 years for a Department of Corrections licensed halfway house for men coming out of prisons, jails, and treatment centers. Currently my wife and I are small business owners providing housing for men with various disabilities. Working with low budgets, I learned how to operate well and spend wisely within the budget constraints. I worked with judges, lawyers, county attorneys, police and other first responders, probation officers, social workers, housing specialists, clients and their family and friends. My life and my work have been devoted to helping people navigate the difficult issues in their lives, while also instilling hope. I believe we can turn things around and I want the people in 24B to have their voice back.
What are your top two priorities/issues as a candidate for State Representative? My two top priorities are as follows; taxes and smaller government.
First, there is no reason for us to be paying the amount of taxes that we do. We need to reduce the size and scope of our state government, we need to cut spending across the board, and we need our elected officials to set budgets that are more realistic, and don’t result in higher taxes. We need to end all omnibus bills because hidden within these bills are expenditures that often wouldn’t pass on their own. After spending a $19 Billion surplus, our taxes were raised another $9 billion. Our income is taxed; the state places fees and taxes on goods and services we buy with money already taxed; we pay rising property taxes on property that was taxed when we purchased it; We can’t keep taxing to keep up with spending. Second, we need smaller government. The Minnesota state government is the third largest employer in the state with over 50,000 employees in more than 100 state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges, and universities. They do not produce a single product. All of this is paid for by Minnesota tax payers. They keep adding more programs and more employees and raising our taxes to pay for it. This is just not sustainable. How can the state government improve to best serve both the business community and its citizens? In a word; de-regulation. More regulations are associated with higher consumer prices, fewer small business start-ups, and fewer new jobs. This causes our economy to slump and ultimately fail. This hurts individuals, as well as businesses. John Reynolds, the NFIB, Minnesota State Director, said that the 2023 Minnesota Legislature passed the most expensive and burdensome regulations in the state's history for small businesses. He said that these regulations include new mandates and higher taxes for small businesses that are still struggling after the pandemic, inflation, and worker shortages. If we can cut back on regulations, the people in Minnesota can lead better, more productive lives, while keeping more money in their pockets. This will encourage more entrepreneurs to open more businesses in Minnesota, thereby moving us towards a more healthy, robust economy.
OCTOBER 2024 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 17
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online