Issue Briefs
Aging and Seniors: the Vision and the Details
The Vision:
We should build communities that allow all ages to thrive and help older Minnesotans live independently and with dignity.
The Details:
The aging of our population and the effect it will have on our state does not receive nearly enough attention. I have been leading the effort to find creative solutions to the challenges posed by the retirement of the baby boomer generation, before they materialize. In the next quarter-century, Minnesota’s over-65 population will increase nearly twice as much as all other age categories combined. This will be an unprecedented change in our workforce and will put new strains on a state budget already facing record deficits. We must act with innovation and urgency.
Care Giving:
All of us are better off if older Minnesotans stay in the neighborhoods where they feel comfortable and continue to be actively involved in the community. Strong support for home and community-based services is essential.
The most cost-effective and many times the most desirable way to get needed care to older Minnesotans is with assistance from friends and family. I am the author of the Caregiver’s Protection Act, which supports family members who act as caregivers with a tax credit, and expands the current—and highly effective—respite care network in the state. In addition, we should facilitate the use of assistive devices and other low-cost technologies, as well as modifications to homes that will allow people to stay in their homes longer and remain mobile.
Planning Ahead:
Under our current system, too many Minnesotans are having to spend themselves into poverty to get needed long term care services. That dynamic needs to change. The State should work in partnership with the private sector to encourage employees to contribute to retirement and long-term care accounts. We should offer tax incentives for retirement and long-term care savings. And the state must ensure that public pensions remain safe, sufficient, and accountable.
Community Planning:
The State should recognize and support Minnesota cities and towns that plan their communities to meet the unique needs of older Minnesotans: robust transit options, integrated living and shopping areas, volunteer opportunities for seniors. In 2008, I passed the first phase of a Community for a Lifetime designation program for cities and towns that meet rigorous “elder friendly” standards. As governor, I will work in partnership with local communities to make that vision a reality.
Next Generation Nursing Homes:
At some point in life, many Minnesotans will need more highly-skilled care than can be provided in their homes. Unfortunately, today many nursing homes and assisted living facilities are under overwhelming financial stress. Let’s first serve the workers who serve our parents and grandparents in those facilities. We must look at system-wide innovation to move from from long-term nursing home stays to shorter-stay rehab programs, and invest in facilities designed for residents with Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases.
Agriculture
The Vision:
Strong family farms are essential to the continued viability of rural communities and to our entire state. I will fight to provide stability and predictability, as well as new opportunities, to allow family farmers to thrive — for this generation and the next.
The Details:
Farm consolidation and development pressures are squeezing family farmers ability to compete for fair prices. We must help our farmers grow their operations and compete in the marketplace. I will work with federal partners to provide needed support and I will enforce Minnesota’s corporate farm laws.
We also need to provide resources for today’s farmers to grow and update their operations and allow them to pass their farms on to the next generation. We should explore tax credits and loans for farmers to create value-added, farmer-owned enterprises. We must invest in research and development on new energy and craft laws that will keep the wealth generated by the green energy economy in our local communities. I am proud to be leading the way to make Minnesota a leader in green chemistry to take plants and turn them into useful, non-toxic products. And I will make sure we invest in programs that identify and train the next generation of farmers.
Farmers also know better than anyone that we need to treat the land and other natural resources with respect. We need to support that work, providing incentives for conservation and tough, but fair, enforcement when pollution laws are violated. I will also work with farmers and others to develop a culture and infrastructure of local consumption and promotion of Minnesota grown products.
Finally, rising health care costs threaten many farm families. Farmers should not have to choose between expanding their farms and health coverage for their families. My leadership in the State House of Representatives on health care issues demonstrates the role I will take as governor to significantly improve farmers’ ability to protect their families’ health.
The Right to Choose
The Vision:
The United States Constitution guarantees a woman’s right to choose. Paul Thissen supports each woman’s right to make personal medical decisions with her physician.
The Details:
In 1973 the U.S. Supreme Court held in that the United States Constitution guarantees a right to privacy and protects a woman’s right to choose. I support that right and oppose all restrictions that unreasonably interfere with a decision that rightfully lies between a woman and her doctor.
The Right to Choose Regardless of Socioeconomic Status: The right for a woman to choose should not depend on a woman’s socioeconomic status or the source of her health coverage. Pure and simple, economic conditions should not limit a woman’s constitutional rights.
Education First: Comprehensive sex education prevents unwanted pregnancies and limits sexually-transmitted infections. Providing pre-natal care and education to women helps make sure all children are born into a healthy environment.
Support for Mothers and Children After Birth: Our goal must be that every child born in Minnesota has the basic opportunity and support necessary for a fair chance at success: strong early childhood education and comprehensive health care in a family free from crippling economic insecurity.
Civil Rights and Marriage Equality
The Vision:
Minnesota should be a place where ALL individuals are treated fairly and protected from discrimination based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or age.
The Details:
For generations, Minnesotans have worked to break down the walls of prejudice and wipe discrimination from our statutes. We have fought for gender equality in the work place and racial equality in our public policy. While gains have been made, we must remember that the fight for equality not only continues but must be expanded.
Race: Too often racism and religious intolerance divide our communities when the economic and social struggles we all face require us to come together. The state must first break down any and all health and academic disparities. As outlined in my health care and education sections, I intend to provide health care for all Minnesotans and close the academic achievement gap.
Furthermore, we need to ensure the enforcement of the Human Rights Act at all levels of society. As governor I will use the public influences of my office to foster public discourse that recognizes our cultural diversity while building on the idea that more unites us than divides us.
Sexual Orientation: Minnesotans should be able to marry and live with the individual he or she loves. And I am confident that the majority of Minnesotans believe we should all have equal access to the legal and personal benefits 
of the institution of marriage. In the 2009 session, I was proud to have carried and passed a Project 515 legislative initiative that solidified homeowner rights among same-sex couples. As governor, I will sign legislation that gives religious organizations, not the state, the power to choose whether or not they can conduct state-recognized same-sex marriages.
Gender: In addition, Minnesota needs to put an end to gender discrimination. If elected, I promise to lend my full support to the efforts of groups like the Minnesota CAFE (Constitutional Amendment for Equality) Coalition, who are working tirelessly to get an amendment for equal rights in the Minnesota constitution.
Economy: The Vision and the Details
The Vision:
Minnesota’s economy is not working for too many of us. We need to refocus on the economic security of families, not just the corporate bottom line, when we set our economic course.
The Details:
As the entire nation labors to return to economic prosperity, Minnesota is presented with an incredible opportunity to become a global leader in the rapidly developing, 21st century global economy.
This requires a governor with a broad economic vision and a confident optimism about our state’s ability to rebuild and grow. Instead of fixating over tax rates, we should proudly extol the virtues of Minnesota: our educated workforce, our nationally recognized hospitals and clinics, our relatively low cost of living. Fundamentally changing the way we present our state to businesses will go a long way towards attracting the growing and successful companies needed to provide all Minnesotans with livable-wage employment.
Short-term Actions:
Politicians need to be humble enough to recognize that certain aspects of the economy are out of the reach of immediate government action. But there are tangible things the State can do to help the economy recover. Minnesota’s long-established entrepreneurial energy must be valued as the centerpiece of any statewide economic plan. Investments through the bonding bill, transportation appropriation, and Legacy amendment projects can create jobs across the state. That is a win-win situation. We can also expedite our entrepreneurial spirits by loosening up credit for small and new businesses and allowing them to make critical capital investments.
Long-term Vision:
Minnesota has always been known as a high-education, high-innovation state, tolerant of difference and supportive of new research and development in science and technology. We must continue to cultivate a highly educated workforce and build communities that attract growing businesses through investment in our infrastructure.
Here are some of the tangible economic initiatives I will promote as Governor:
Create Green Communities with Green Jobs
Minnesota is already a nation-wide leader in regards to renewable energy. Investing in windmills and solar energy, however, cannot just be a top-down enterprise. C-BED (Community based environmental development) legislation is already working to disburse the stakeholders in green investments. In addition, we need to create legislative incentives for utility companies to purchase from locally owned renewable energy producers. The Energy and Environment section of this website lays out more details on this issue.
Invest Locally
New methods of business credit and funding, including regional investment pools must be examined as we attempt to help successful small local business grow into successful medium-sized regional businesses. We need to reverse the policies that lead locally owned businesses to be sold to out-of-state companies or private equity firms. By helping ownership remain in the hands of Minnesotans, we not only secure jobs for our community, but we can increase the money that circulates through other community businesses.
Build on Our Strengths
Minnesota has a long history of economic innovation. Once at the head of the milling and agricultural industry, Minnesota is now a leader in the medical device and bio-fuel industries. In the future we must remember our many geographic and structural advantages and build partnerships with the private sector in the industries we our uniquely suited to advance.
Lower Health Care Costs
The ever rising cost of healthcare has been devastating to both small business owners and large corporations alike. Our next Governor must understand the intricacies of our health care system and work tirelessly to easy the incredible burden healthcare has put on employers. The healthcare section of this website lays out my accomplishments as Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee and my vision for fixing Minnesota’s health care system.
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