Midterm elections are unfortunately easy to forget about. Voters tend to show up for the presidential battles every four years, but the turnout isn’t great in the slums between them. Many people justify not voting by saying that they don’t know what the candidates stand for. Well, here’s a brief look at the main issues that the candidates, Mark Dayton and Jeff Johnson, are citing for the 2014 race for governor.
Education: This is one area in which the two candidates are, for the most part, on the same page. Both emphasize the importance of education on their campaign sites. Johnson calls attention to the fact that the achievement gap between black and white students is the largest in the nation, and says this is shameful and needs to be changed. It’s a refreshing change in pace for a republican to care about civil rights issues that much.
Dayton speaks of his commitment to all-day kindergarten, and has repayed the $2.8 billion that the state borrowed from the schools during the recession. Both candidates are clearly dedicated to education, not only through providing money but in making sure that money goes to the right place.
Job Creation: As Governor, Dayton has helped to create 150,000 jobs, as well as providing tax relief for many middle-class Minnesotans, providing special tax deductions for students, homeowners, and working families. He also signed into law a minimum wage increase. His website says he means to “give the middle-class a fair shot again.”
Johnson says little about jobs on his campaign site. One thing he does identify is his support for lumber, agriculture, and mining jobs, while reducing government regulation of these activities. He claims that the people who have worked in these fields for their entire lives will be better stewards of the land than any politician.
Taxes: According to Johnson, taxes are too high in Minnesota, and on top of that, the money is not allocated well anyway. He would reduce taxes and evaluate all government programs, eliminating those that have not proved their effectiveness.
Dayton provided tax relief to more than 2 million Minnesotans, while increasing taxes on the wealthiest 2 percent by 2 percent. He also made investments that resulted in the first decrease in property taxes in a decade.
Health Care: Dayton saved $1 billion with health care reform, capping profits and requiring competitive bidding.
Johnson’s site, on the other hand, says that Dayton’s treatment of healthcare has been a messy disaster costing the taxpayers enormous amounts of money. He intends to repeal MNsure, the Minnesota version of Obamacare, and put into place a market-based healthcare system.
These differences are more than just ideologies butting heads. They have directly conflicting information, and it seems like there is a grain of truth to both. MNsure did have its road blocks getting started, but it has resulted in many uninsured Minnesotans getting insurance for the first time, as well as Dayton’s savings.
These are the basics of the candidates for Governor and what they stand for. The race is hardly as heated as some of the others going on in the nation now, but getting out to vote is still important. Don’t forget that Nov. 4 is voting day!