The Access Press Candidate Survey
Peter
Hutchinson
(Independence Party endorsed)
My name is Peter Hutchinson, and
I’m the Independence Party-endorsed
candidate for governor and a member of Team Minnesota. My teammate,
Joel Spoonheim, IP-endorsed candidate for Secretary of State, recently
was a part of the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Candidate
Forum for Secretary of State. He let the rest of us know the forum
was a great beginning of the necessary discussion about Minnesota
government’s responsibility to people with disabilities.
I believe government, in partnership
with every citizen, is responsible for ensuring the state’s
prosperity. As I visit with people from across the state, we hear
a lot about how Minnesotans want to move forward on education,
health care, transportation and the environment. Minnesotans also
want more value every year for the price we pay for government.
Team Minnesota (also including Maureen
Reed—Lt. Governor,
John James—Attorney General and Lucy Gerold—State Auditor)
has responded by forging an agenda for which we will be held accountable.
We will harness the resources of all five executive offices to get
results Minnesotans want by focusing on:
• Doubling the odds of Minnesota students getting a college degree
(and being able to afford it);
• World class health for Minnesotans at the nation’s lowest
cost per person – a system that delivers better health, better
care at better price for every Minnesotan;
• Investing reliably in reliable transportation/transit so that
rising congestion (and wasting more of our time) is not our only choice;
• Reducing Minnesota’s dependence on oil, repairing damage
to the environment, reinforcing economic competitiveness, and reversing
the pollution of our lakes and streams; and,
• Challenging “the way we’ve always done it” to
get more value from every dollar that government spends today rather
than sticking future generations with our debts.
Education is the driving force behind
Minnesota’s success – the
engine of our economy. We need early learning in every family, standards
that mean
something, high school graduates who are ready for college or work,
evidence of learning gains, and effective teachers for every student.
Schools, students and families must share responsibility for success.
The government is responsible for making sure all Minnesotans, including
you, have the tools you need to do your part.
If education is the engine of our success, health care is the brake
holding us back.
We must make sure every Minnesotan has access to and uses affordable,
quality health care services, and that we buy good quality care at
reasonable costs for the services that matter most to health. We
should use existing evidence and information to be better buyers
of health services. Minnesota government should align incentives
for citizens, care providers, insurers and employers to get better
results at a better price. Public health services, primary care and
insurance must be available to everyone, particularly people with
disabilities.
Sustainable economic growth and mobility
for every Minnesotan depends on a reliable transportation system;
and, a reliable system requires reliable funding sources. Minnesota’s ability to compete in
a regional, national and global economy depends on all employees’ ability
to be productive, not tied up in traffic. We should manage our system
better, not necessarily build a bigger system. And, we should ensure
everyone can use the transportation infrastructure we build.
Minnesota’s dependence on oil
and traditional energy sources makes us vulnerable and damages
the environment. Reducing that dependence can increase our economic
competitiveness while preserving the natural resources we all value.
Minnesota can and should lead the nation in both transforming its
energy future from a competitive risk to a competitive advantage
and preserving our natural resources. All of us need to be a part
of the effort, or none of us will enjoy the natural resources that
make Minnesota special.
Greater learning, better health, more reliable transportation, and
enhanced energy and environmental conditions are the main things
that Minnesotans want. We invite you and all Minnesotans to join
the team. Bring your knowledge, talents and perspectives to bear
as we move Minnesota forward. Together, when we get this done, we
will see the direct benefits to people with disabilities.
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