Allen Shen
Name: Allen Shen
Public Office Sought: Minnesota House of Representatives District 40B
Email: [email protected]
Phone:
Campaign website: www.allenshenformn.com
Twitter handle: Refer from website
Facebook page: Refer from website
Candidate Bio
I think inflation is hurting everyone in not just East Metro but the Greater Minnesota area.
I have talked to some local business owners, those mom and pop shops, they have been suffering and had a hard time in the past two years. They are the direct victims of the policies coming out of St Paul.
State government should have polices that promotes business growth and business friendly; so they can hire more workers. When the economy flourishes, it helps everyone and lifts up everyone in the community.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
State has to make it easy for businesses to operate in MN right?
If State government imposes too many excessive regulations and taxes, we will drive many companies to other states or even to China. I think the State Government added too many costs and fees toward small businesses and Freelance workers; they can barely keep their heads above water or face bankruptcy.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
a) Loosen up some employment regulations that were enforced upon businesses in the past two years
b) Trade schools and training
c) Change the unemployment and welfare structures to encourage them to find jobs.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a proposal on the many types of businesses in the East Metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I might need to see those proposals first.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you use to address public safety issues?
What strategies or policies would you use to address transportation issues? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
I intend to have transportation policies to go back to pre-pandemic.
One thing is for Bike Lanes
I think bike lanes can be put onto roads that are not busy, with fewer cars. I don’t know why we have to put bike lanes onto busy roads.
What strategies or policies would you use to address housing issues?
I don’t know. This is not in my expertise, Need more education.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
After I win, I will have to look at the State Expenditures and then maybe I will have a better idea.
I’m sure there are ways we can make government more efficient and maybe combine some departments so they can operate more efficiently.
We will have to look at each of the state’s department’s performances and spendings to make decisions on which ones to eliminate or which ones to expand.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
I think when you have more people working your tax base grows right?
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce, and address the achievement gap?
MN is the home of many global companies; I do believe they are attracting many talents from all over the country/world. The challenge of retaining top talents in the Twin Cities area had become a challenge after most companies allow remote working. Many of my friends moved to Texas and Florida. That comes to a question on how we make our cities more livable. When we need to compete with other states on retaining talents, I think State Income Taxes is one thing we can do. I think people move to Florida and Texas are there for that reason.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
That goes back to my earlier point on supporting and promoting Startup companies. Do we have a government grant or subsidy for women or minority startup companies? That could be a good idea. Or we can have tax incentives for Startups if they can agree to hire certain number of employees within certain number of years.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Again, like I mentioned earlier, remove unnecessary costs, fees and regulations. We have to make it very easy to start a company here in MN. Many of the restaurants/shops/local businesses that had gone bankrupt might want to come back to business if we offer them good terms and conditions. The State Government should not punish businesses; we should reward them for staying in business.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I am still a big Michael Jackson fan and I try to play soccer when I am not busy on the campaign trail.
Public Office Sought: Minnesota House of Representatives District 40B
Email: [email protected]
Phone:
Campaign website: www.allenshenformn.com
Twitter handle: Refer from website
Facebook page: Refer from website
Candidate Bio
- US Army Veteran
- Internship at MN Trade Office worked for Gov. Mark Dayton’s International Trade Delegation and prepared the delegation before international travel
- Board member at a college in MN
- Board member at a national business organization, MN Chapter
- Business Communication expert at a few fortune 500 companies with global experiences.
- Son of immigrants
- Freedom under our constitution
- Education & Healthcare
- Economy & Job Creation
I think inflation is hurting everyone in not just East Metro but the Greater Minnesota area.
I have talked to some local business owners, those mom and pop shops, they have been suffering and had a hard time in the past two years. They are the direct victims of the policies coming out of St Paul.
State government should have polices that promotes business growth and business friendly; so they can hire more workers. When the economy flourishes, it helps everyone and lifts up everyone in the community.
What role do you think the State should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to and retain existing businesses in the East Metro?
State has to make it easy for businesses to operate in MN right?
If State government imposes too many excessive regulations and taxes, we will drive many companies to other states or even to China. I think the State Government added too many costs and fees toward small businesses and Freelance workers; they can barely keep their heads above water or face bankruptcy.
- Tax incentives for job creations for local Minnesotans
- Tipped employees tax credits
- Startup company incentives to promote job creation
- Remove unnecessary regulations and fees to freelance workers
- Promote economic freedom for businesses. (Like in Singapore, Taiwan or Hong Kong)
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
a) Loosen up some employment regulations that were enforced upon businesses in the past two years
b) Trade schools and training
c) Change the unemployment and welfare structures to encourage them to find jobs.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a proposal on the many types of businesses in the East Metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I might need to see those proposals first.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you use to address public safety issues?
- Fund the Police
- Resources for Law Enforcement trainings
- “Stand your Ground” Law
What strategies or policies would you use to address transportation issues? Have your strategies or views changed on transportation since we’ve seen shifts in road use, public transportation use, work from home models, etc. due to the pandemic?
I intend to have transportation policies to go back to pre-pandemic.
One thing is for Bike Lanes
I think bike lanes can be put onto roads that are not busy, with fewer cars. I don’t know why we have to put bike lanes onto busy roads.
What strategies or policies would you use to address housing issues?
I don’t know. This is not in my expertise, Need more education.
What are your priorities for the State’s budget? Are there any services currently provided by the State that you believe should be expanded, cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
After I win, I will have to look at the State Expenditures and then maybe I will have a better idea.
I’m sure there are ways we can make government more efficient and maybe combine some departments so they can operate more efficiently.
We will have to look at each of the state’s department’s performances and spendings to make decisions on which ones to eliminate or which ones to expand.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
I think when you have more people working your tax base grows right?
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce, and address the achievement gap?
MN is the home of many global companies; I do believe they are attracting many talents from all over the country/world. The challenge of retaining top talents in the Twin Cities area had become a challenge after most companies allow remote working. Many of my friends moved to Texas and Florida. That comes to a question on how we make our cities more livable. When we need to compete with other states on retaining talents, I think State Income Taxes is one thing we can do. I think people move to Florida and Texas are there for that reason.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
That goes back to my earlier point on supporting and promoting Startup companies. Do we have a government grant or subsidy for women or minority startup companies? That could be a good idea. Or we can have tax incentives for Startups if they can agree to hire certain number of employees within certain number of years.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Again, like I mentioned earlier, remove unnecessary costs, fees and regulations. We have to make it very easy to start a company here in MN. Many of the restaurants/shops/local businesses that had gone bankrupt might want to come back to business if we offer them good terms and conditions. The State Government should not punish businesses; we should reward them for staying in business.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
I am still a big Michael Jackson fan and I try to play soccer when I am not busy on the campaign trail.