MPR: Campaign 2004: Frank Moe

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Frank Moe

District:		4A
Party:		DFL
Residence:		Bemidji, MN
Web site:		www.votemoe.info

Candidacy Statement:
After much thought and encouragement, I have decided to run for the Minnesota House of Representatives District 4A. Minnesota has long had an excellent education system, strong health care system and a beautiful environment to live and work in. This unrivaled combination has made Minnesota the state with the number one quality of life for the seventh straight year. Tax breaks were passed in 2001, that mostly benefited the super rich, which resulted in a 4.5 billion dollar budget deficit in 2003. Protecting these tax breaks for the wealthiest Minnesotans was more important to the Governor and House of Representatives Leadership than protecting education, health care and the environment, the very things that make Minnesota the best state to live in the United States. Passing a fair budget and the bonding bill in 2004 could have reduced the damage done last year but again partisanship won out and virtually nothing was done this legislative session. We have serious problems and deserve thoughtful and serious solutions that are fair to all Minnesotans. Minnesotans elect and pay legislators to work together and do their jobs. If elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives I'll work with both Democrats and Republicans to get the job done for District 4A and the great state of Minnesota.

Biography:
I grew up in Minnesota, fishing and camping in our clean parks, learning and playing sports in our excellent schools. Our Mom had to work nights as a bartender for us to make ends meet. Luckily for me, I had influential teachers, coaches and ministers that cared about me and helped me to stay on track. My experience growing up convinced me that Minnesota's excellent educational system is fundamentally important to the strong economy we have. It allows us all to make the most of our potential.

I have worked in education virtually all of his working life having worked in park and recreation, community corrections, college coaching, senior citizen activities and now higher education. I have a BA in History and Political Economy from Carleton College, a MA from the University of North Carolina in Physical Education and am a PhD Candidate in Education at the University of Minnesota. Attending Carleton College, I was able to study political science with Professor Paul Wellstone. While I didn't always agree with him, Professor Wellstone helped me to see how our state's social infrastructure kept me and others, who grew up in single parent homes, from falling through the cracks. My experiences growing up in Minnesota and at Carleton, set me on a path of public service.

My wife Sherri and I moved to Bemidji in 1999 and have been active in the community since our arrival. Sherri is Associate Vice President of Leech Lake Tribal College and has numerous volunteer commitments in the Bemidji Area. I am an Adjunct Professor of Physical Education at Bemidji State University where I teach Rock Climbing, Canoeing, First Responder, Outdoor Ethics and Recreation and lead the annual BSU foreign study trip to Iceland. I am also an EMT and volunteer First Responder, chair of the Beltrami County Park Advisory Committee and on the boards of the Paul Bunyan Sled Dog Committee and Beltrami County DFL. I am an avid musher, fisherman, canoer and anything that gets me outside. Sherri and I live in the woods just north of Bemidji with our 9 sled dogs and 2 cats. To kick off my campaign I ran my dog team 100 miles across the district from Deer River to Bemidji stopping at all the schools along the way. It was a great adventure though spectacular scenery which I got to share with hundreds of kids along the way. I want to be the next District 4A Representative so that I can work to keep our beautiful Minnesota home moving forward and making the best use of our greatest resource, Minnesotans.

On the Issues:

Should increased taxes be considered as part of a solution to a projected budget deficit?		Undecided
Should gambling be expanded in Minnesota to generate new revenue for the state?		No
Should state funds — directly or indirectly — be used to build new sports facilities for the Twins and Vikings?		Undecided
Do you support Gov Pawlenty's JOBZ zones program?		No
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?		No
Should the state spend money for expanding mass transit options in Minnesota?		Yes
Should there be additional restrictions on abortion in Minnesota?		No
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?		No

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