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Rep. Roger Erickson: Letter to the Editor

Friends,

I wanted to thank you for the honor you gave me in 2012 when you sent me to represent our district in the Minnesota House of Representatives and all of the kind words and support I’ve received since. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.

Although I am disappointed that I won’t be returning to the House for a second term next year, I will – as all Minnesotans should – be watching the new Republican majority to make sure it lives up to the promises it made during the campaign.

Republican candidates promised a “new” focus on Greater Minnesota. But they were more than a little vague on the details.

We need to repair our failing roads and bridges. We must continue the work of the past legislature and continue to narrow – even eliminate – the funding gap between rural and metro school districts. We need to address the growing college loan debt crisis that could hamstring an entire generation of Minnesotans. We need to confront the achievement gap that dictates two different futures for our children depending on where they live through a renewed commitment to early childhoodeducation. We need to continue to lower property taxes for our rural families. We need to continue to fund health care for our veterans and our elderly. We have to ensure that all of Minnesota shares in our economic recovery – not just our urban centers. We need to support our farmers through additional grants to help new farmers start and expand, investments in livestock disease research and expansion of the farm-to-foodshelf program we passed this session.

And I will also be watching to make sure they continue Minnesota on the road that has led to an economy that is the envy of the nation.

We just learned that Minnesota employers added 9,500 jobs in October. We’ve gained 49,679 jobs in 2014 – more than 28,300 jobs in just the past three months. Our state’s unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent.

Earlier in November, Forbes magazine released its annual rankings of the best states for business. Minnesota ranked 9th overall. Minnesota received especially strong marks for our economic climate, our workforce and our overall quality of life.

I’m proud to be part of the team that righted our state’s ship.

Sincerely,

Roger

 

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