Bob Dettmer
Name: Bob Dettmer
Public Office Sought: Minnesota State House of Representatives - District 39A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-338-3802
Campaign website: www.bobdettmer.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bob.dettmer.35
Candidate Bio
Teacher, Head Wrestling Coach Forest Lake School District, 34 years, (Retired); United States Army Reserve, Chief Warrant Officer CW4, 25 years, (Retired); Wrestling Official for the Minnesota State High School League; Currently serving as the Minnesota State Representative for House District 39A.
Minnesota State Legislator in the House of Representatives 2007 – present. Legislative Committees Served on: Veterans Division (Chair and Lead), State Government Finance, K-12 Education Finance, Capitol Investments, Ways and Means Finance, Labor, Taxes, Property and Local Tax Division, Child Hood Obesity Legislative Working Group (Chair), Military Action Working Group (Chair).
United States Army Military Intelligence Warrant Officer, Mobilized and Deployed for 20 months Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Member of the Forest Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW Post 4210, and American Legion Post 225. Served as a Chisago Lakes Baptist Church Deacon Board Member. Starbase Minnesota (STEM Education) Board Member.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
Our business community provides the majority of the important jobs and careers for our work force. I will continue to support legislation that provides job growth initiatives that help small business grow and succeed, which will in turn strengthen the economy of our area and state.
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?
I support reducing taxes, spending and regulations to create business opportunities for our hard-working families and businesses. We can simplify the tax compliance for both individuals and private sector job creators with broad base pro-growth reforms that includes reducing the income tax rates for individuals and corporate tax rates.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in the east metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I believe a free market based on supply and demand. We should also believe that benefits are best left to employers and employees to negotiate.
What is your strategy to address public safety, transportation, and housing issues?
Public safety and transportation are two of the main areas our government must play an active role in supporting. Our tax dollars must fully fund our police and first responders. Work force housing is an issue that must also be addressed at the local level as well at the state level.
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?
With the current COVID-19 virus issue we could possibly face a $6 billion+ deficit in the next biennium. This will require every state agency to take a serious evaluation of their budgets and make adjustments. City and County governments will have to find ways to combine and maximize services and eliminate the services that do not have a reliable financial record.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
As I mentioned before I would support legislation that provide job growth initiatives that help small businesses grow and succeed and would attract good businesses to our district with good paying jobs that will in turn expand our tax base.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Education equity funding and school safety has always been in the forefront for our district. The current state K-12 education funding formula does not provide equity across the board for all Minnesota school districts. Our district has a long history of excellent public, charter and private schools. STEM education and the trades need to be emphasized at both the K-12 and post-secondary to encourage students to consider careers in the trades that provide good paying jobs.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
Any legislation passed by the legislature should be apply to all citizens of Minnesota equally across the board and encourage all to reach their personal and career goals.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
To be honest, we need to open our state business community completed, open our schools and work hard to get our economy back growing like it was before COVID-19. Really, the Minnesotan’s that really needed to be sheltered, our elderly and those with health issues.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
First and foremost, legislators must realize that the money we spend through legislation belongs to the people we serve, the Minnesota taxpayer. I would support the concept of zero-base budgeting for the many state level agencies. They would be required to submit their budget requests to the legislature starting with a zero base and justify their budget request and not assume automatic increases year after year.
All funding request must be prioritized as to accomplish the role of government: public safety, military, veterans, transportation infrastructure, and public education. A percentage of tax revenue collected must also be set-aside in the emergency fund account for possible natural disasters and other public emergencies. Lower taxes stimulate the economy and provide jobs. I will support meaningful tax relief for individuals, families, businesses and farms.
Public Office Sought: Minnesota State House of Representatives - District 39A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 651-338-3802
Campaign website: www.bobdettmer.com
Twitter handle:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bob.dettmer.35
Candidate Bio
Teacher, Head Wrestling Coach Forest Lake School District, 34 years, (Retired); United States Army Reserve, Chief Warrant Officer CW4, 25 years, (Retired); Wrestling Official for the Minnesota State High School League; Currently serving as the Minnesota State Representative for House District 39A.
Minnesota State Legislator in the House of Representatives 2007 – present. Legislative Committees Served on: Veterans Division (Chair and Lead), State Government Finance, K-12 Education Finance, Capitol Investments, Ways and Means Finance, Labor, Taxes, Property and Local Tax Division, Child Hood Obesity Legislative Working Group (Chair), Military Action Working Group (Chair).
United States Army Military Intelligence Warrant Officer, Mobilized and Deployed for 20 months Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Member of the Forest Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars, VFW Post 4210, and American Legion Post 225. Served as a Chisago Lakes Baptist Church Deacon Board Member. Starbase Minnesota (STEM Education) Board Member.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
- Education equity funding and school safety.
- I would support legislation that will phase out the state income tax on social security. Reducing the tax rates so our state is no longer in the top 5 highest tax categories for both individual and business taxes.
- I will support Health Care Reform to help push down the cost of premiums by strengthening the individual market and allowing for-profit HMOs to increase competition and lower rates
- I will continue to author legislation that will increase safety and reduce traffic congestion by prioritizing the fixing of roads and bridges.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro and what role do businesses play in supporting quality of life issues in East Metro communities?
Our business community provides the majority of the important jobs and careers for our work force. I will continue to support legislation that provides job growth initiatives that help small business grow and succeed, which will in turn strengthen the economy of our area and state.
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?
I support reducing taxes, spending and regulations to create business opportunities for our hard-working families and businesses. We can simplify the tax compliance for both individuals and private sector job creators with broad base pro-growth reforms that includes reducing the income tax rates for individuals and corporate tax rates.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of an ordinance on the many types of businesses in the east metro and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
I believe a free market based on supply and demand. We should also believe that benefits are best left to employers and employees to negotiate.
What is your strategy to address public safety, transportation, and housing issues?
Public safety and transportation are two of the main areas our government must play an active role in supporting. Our tax dollars must fully fund our police and first responders. Work force housing is an issue that must also be addressed at the local level as well at the state level.
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?
With the current COVID-19 virus issue we could possibly face a $6 billion+ deficit in the next biennium. This will require every state agency to take a serious evaluation of their budgets and make adjustments. City and County governments will have to find ways to combine and maximize services and eliminate the services that do not have a reliable financial record.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
As I mentioned before I would support legislation that provide job growth initiatives that help small businesses grow and succeed and would attract good businesses to our district with good paying jobs that will in turn expand our tax base.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
Education equity funding and school safety has always been in the forefront for our district. The current state K-12 education funding formula does not provide equity across the board for all Minnesota school districts. Our district has a long history of excellent public, charter and private schools. STEM education and the trades need to be emphasized at both the K-12 and post-secondary to encourage students to consider careers in the trades that provide good paying jobs.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
Any legislation passed by the legislature should be apply to all citizens of Minnesota equally across the board and encourage all to reach their personal and career goals.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
To be honest, we need to open our state business community completed, open our schools and work hard to get our economy back growing like it was before COVID-19. Really, the Minnesotan’s that really needed to be sheltered, our elderly and those with health issues.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
First and foremost, legislators must realize that the money we spend through legislation belongs to the people we serve, the Minnesota taxpayer. I would support the concept of zero-base budgeting for the many state level agencies. They would be required to submit their budget requests to the legislature starting with a zero base and justify their budget request and not assume automatic increases year after year.
All funding request must be prioritized as to accomplish the role of government: public safety, military, veterans, transportation infrastructure, and public education. A percentage of tax revenue collected must also be set-aside in the emergency fund account for possible natural disasters and other public emergencies. Lower taxes stimulate the economy and provide jobs. I will support meaningful tax relief for individuals, families, businesses and farms.