A Message from Doug
Dear
Friends and Neighbors,
It is an honor to serve you at the Capitol. Our state boasts one the
highest standards of living in the nation, is a great place to live. But
as you know, our state and nation face serious challenges, from
rising unemployment to skyrocketing health care costs, from devaluation of the
dollar to out-of-control federal-government debt and unsustainable state
spending. These challenges threaten much more than our quality of life. They
challenge our very identity as a people, and they demand serious action. But not just any
action, not just any change, will do. We must ensure that
legislation always represents a turn in the right direction and a change for
the good. Borrowing an image from C.S. Lewis, when a person (or a state or
a nation) is walking down the wrong path, there is one and only one
"good" change to be made: turning around, going back, finding the
right path, and then following it forward. Charging down the
wrong path, enacting the wrong kinds of reform--namely, proposals that increase
spending recklessly and assume, without basis, that government is the sole
means to deal with the problems that we, as a people, face--will do much more
harm than good. In a time when many politicians advocate radical reforms for a
multitude of crises real and imagined, this simple truth seems largely
forgotten. I advocate a different
course-correction: a return to the values and ideals that gave birth to
America and made us prosperous and strong. To make the turn successfully
and get back on track, we need to employ fresh ideas that reflect
our common, founding principles. Bureaucrats and
politicians do not create prosperity--people do. Government must step
back so the people of Minnesota can step up; so that the people of Minnesota
may freely pursue their dreams, build their families, help their neighbors in
need, and govern their lives without meddling from Saint Paul. To
renew our prosperity and grow jobs, government needs to trust the people, get
out of the way, and unleash the power of free enterprise. That is why I will
continue to fight to rein-in state spending, reduce tax and regulatory burdens
on job creators, and let individual Minnesotans keep more of what they earn. I have also been
working to reduce health care costs and improve quality through American-style,
free-market reforms, which first requires the repeal of
Obamacare. Accordingly, I chief-authored legislation to prevent
implementation of an Obamacare insurance exchange in Minnesota, and I
led a successful effort to file a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the
Minnesota Legislature opposing Obamacare on constitutional grounds. In
addition, I have been working hard to improve the quality of K-12
education through fair funding, local control and expanded education options,
and to support our troops and veterans--for example, by supporting legislation
to exempt military pension benefits from state income tax. I also believe
we must teach our children about our Constitution and the principles and values
that define us as Americans. Times are difficult. But, as the saying goes, the night is darkest before the
dawn. We can and will do better. Minnesota, one of America's cutting-edge
"laboratories of democracy," can and should lead the way. I was raised in Eagan from birth (the first few days of my life were spent at
Fairview Southdale Hospital). I attended Thomas Lake Elementary School,
Dakota Hills Middle School, and graduated from Eagan High School. Eagan
is and always has been my home.It is a special honor and a privilege to
represent my hometown at the Capitol. Thank you for the opportunity to
serve.
Rest assured that I
will continue to work hard on solutions to the challenges we face, guided by
the founding principles upon which the prosperity and strength of our state and
nation depend--respect for every individual's inherent rights to life,
liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and limited, constitutional, accountable
government. Please contact me with
any questions, concerns, or input you have concerning state legislative
matters. You can reach me directly at (651) 400-0605, or click on the "call me" button below. I humbly ask for your
continued support as we work together to get our state and nation back on the
path to prosperity.
Very truly yours,
Doug Wardlow
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