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Saturday, March 15, 2008
16B Candidates Kiffmeyer, Lumley Attend Convention
GOP convenes at Salida
By Jennifer Edwards
Staff Writer
Saturday, March 15, 2008
 | | PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Ron Paul was represented at the GOP convention by Ken Anderson and Bill Johnson. “I often find when I am talking to people, they already support Ron Paul’s message,” said Johnson. |
Sherburne County Rep-ublicans convened at Salida Depot Saturday to approve their party platform resolutions and elect delegates to the Republican Party nomination convention to be held in Blaine April 4.
House of Representatives candidates Mary Kiffmeyer and Mark Lumley, who are seeking the seat currently held by Mark Olson, introduced themselves and explained their positions. Olson and his wife, Heidi, who were present at the caucus, were not present at the convention.
Chair Jess Hall called the meeting to order. Sen. Betsy Wergin took on the roll of recorder. Paul Volkommen, President of the Sherburne Co. GOP was present, as was GOP Council District 6 Chair Mark Swanson, former president of the Republican party.
"I sat on a committee to strengthen our state platform and improve the presentation of our message," said Swanson.
"Michele Bachmann says Republicans have a tendency to be wimps, to just want to get along," Swanson said. "Continue to give us choices. We don't have to accept what's left. Talk about party principals first and continue to uphold those. If somebody says they are a Republican, ask them to prove it. We must stop DFL. As DFL continues top over reach, we will fight back."
The delegates, more than half of whom were appointed for the first time at the caucus, expressed frustration over the half dozen Republican delegates at the capital who voted against party lines to undo Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of the transportation bill. They referred to them as rhinos who were just pretending to be elephants.
sent the rest of us," said Ron Touchette. "We need someone who will fight for what we believe in."
Wergin introduced Sen. Michele Bachmann, who said Republicans were ready to go on and take the world.
Sen. Michele Bachmann
"About 40% of you are here for the first time," she said. "New life is what we want and new life is what we need."
She thanked the delegates at the meeting for their service to the Republican party and the Veterans for their service to the country. She also asked for financial support. The Democrat's spending bill has left the door open for Republicans, Bachmann said.
"The first thing we have to do is to stop government spending and cut taxes," Bachmann said. "That is how you get a strong economy."
Bachmann pointed out the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination gave an advantage to Republican candidate John McCain.
"He is not my man," she said. "Our candidate was chosen by the media. But there are other races out there."
Among the compelling issues facing the country is the war in Iraq, Bachmann said, and the National Security Act which was allowed to expire four weeks ago. The act gives the Dept. of Homeland Security authority to listen in on phone calls.
"Eighty percent of all cell phone calls are routed through the United States and we can intercept them and get this information to help keep our troops safe," Bachmann said. "Not in Democrat land!"
Bachmann recalled having Christmas Eve dinner with General Patraeus, who told her Baghdad was 80% secure and that the head of the insurgency there threw in the towel, saying he wanted to live in a stable society.
"What our service men and women have accomplished over there has been nothing short of astounding," she said "Though you never hear about it in the media. God has not abandoned us."
"The big thing we are working on now is the global warming hoax. It's all voodoo, nonsense, hokum, a hoax," Bachmann said. "The tax cap and trade system for limiting emissions is just another tax on businesses. By 2012, incandescent light bulbs will be no more. Fluorescent bulbs are more polluting because of their mercury content. We are working on the light bulb bill. If the Democrats can hose up a light bulb don't trust them with the country."
Planks of the Platform
Elimination of the $50 state campaign reimbursement law, opposing government mandates on how the state produces electrical power, support for a fact-based approach to global warming and the removal of any state compensation for ethanol production topped the Sherburne County GOPs list of proposed resolutions.
Other proposed resolutions included: A resolution that Minnesota become a primary state.
• Cut all social programs for undocumented aliens;
• Elimination of state income tax for Minnesota;
• Give the people the right to vote on legislative pay and expense raises with no raises unless the budget is balanced for two years;
• The elimination of all ancillary appropriations from bills;
• Repeal the transportation bill and establish a $1 billion account. Use the interest from this account to pay for roads and bridges to supplement taxes on roads, fuel, auto tabs and sales tax;
• Fully support the "Castle Doctrine," (as in every man's home is his castle);
• Requiring informed, written, voluntary patient consent prior to online storage, exchange or transmission of private medical records;
• Securing the right of all Minnesotans to be free from government-imposed health care systems and universal coverage policies;
• With regard to education, to devote similar focus and funding to each and every child in Minnesota, regardless of place of residence, race, family income level or ability to learn;
• With regard to family law, fair treatment of both parties of abuse cases;
• Strengthen and enforce illegal immigration laws, eliminate sanctuary cities, withhold state and federal aid and impose criminal penalties on government officials practicing sanctuary city policies, deter illegal entry by expanding the zero tolerance prosecution policy, control visa overstays, support adding a border fence, $10,000 penalty for a first offense of knowingly hiring an illegal alien, double thereafter;
• Remove the moratorium on nuclear power plants in Minnesota;
• Create an enforceable employer verification system to check the legal status of employees;
• Require a fingerprint encoded identification card for all legal aliens. Eliminate identity theft;
• With regard to law enforcement: form immigration enforcement effective partnerships with state and local law enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws. Evaluate non-citizen prisoners so illegal aliens may be deported at the end of their sentence. End the policy which allows illegal aliens to be released on bail while they await their initial court appearance. Expand the National Crime Information Center's immigration violators file to include aliens against whom a final order of removal has been issued, aliens who have signed voluntary departure agreements, aliens who have overstayed their authorized period of stay and aliens whose visas have been revoked;
• Deny federal funds to any entity that undermines federal law by assisting illegal aliens in any way and close financial loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to open US based bank accounts;
• Improve the legal immigration process. Replace the current visa lottery and chain migration with a merit-based system. Remove the pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens.
The names of the 25 delegates and their alternates, who were elected from over 70 volunteers, each of whom were given 30 seconds to introduce themselves, has been withheld by party officials.
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