Dan Walsh
Name: Dan Walsh
Public Office Sought: Minnesota House of Representatives District 64A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-799-2242
Campaign website: www.walsh4stpaul.com
Twitter handle: dan@walsh4stpaul
Facebook page: None
Candidate Bio
I identify with St Paul well because I am a lifelong resident and multiple property owner in the city of St Paul. This makes me well aware of the current issues and challenges. Having spent my career in IT with the last 20 years specifically in cybersecurity drives me to implement rational, logical, empirical, approaches to solving complex issues to lower the risk. Taking that approach, we need to push back on no evidence-based statements, or policies, so we can better understand the issues that risk our future. My background is well suited to provide that type of instruction. While the state has historically not followed a methodology such as this, it is time to recognize doing the same thing over and over is not working, so a new approach is needed. I bring that set of experience and tools to this race.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
I would put the top three as public safety, public safety, and public safety. We can get into many different topics such as education, economic development, but if we do not have the ability to operate and live in a safe community all these other issues are irrelevant. We have attacked and put our protectors on their heels, and this cannot continue. Always improving is the goal of any organization and certainly public safety has area’s within where it can improve. Yet, the rhetoric and misrepresentation of data, to forward a certain narrative, needs to be pushed back against, without apology, so we can get to the root cause issues. Allowing us to move forward in a safe community which will drive other improvements.
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?
Economic development is as essential to quality of life as water is to survival. Without it you will not have growth and opportunities for people to advance. I am always so confused when I see socialist speeches or advocates for less capitalism. It is an irrefutable fact that the greatest framework for raising people to become more upwardly mobile is capitalism, not socialism. To date East Metro business has been punished by socialist type of agendas, that try to organize power and control at the state level, when putting the decision closer to the business being impacted has historically always been a better strategy.
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?
We have to be careful that we are not looking to the state to create jobs or become market makers. The best thing the state can do is enable business to grow and there for employ more people. The state can provide a fair market environment where business have that opportunity. Over regulation, over taxation, nonempirical approach to business challenge, is what we have seen and need to redirect that approach. The states duty is to uphold private contracts through courts, protect private property, and allow an environment for business to exist. With that role it also has to be limited because the market, if not over regulated, will grow.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
First, these are not one factor type of solutions or problems. These are very complex issues that have been created over a course of a lot of years. You start with the movement away from muscle-based labor to knowledge-based labor. Most of our lack of resource is around the trade-based jobs and other muscle-based employment. We have seen some creative ideas by employers to attract and retain talent on their own. The state can play a role in this, but it needs to be transparent with what their objective is. Implement avenues that will help employers get skilled based workers, whatever that skill, so they can provide opportunity. Paying people to sit around and not work has created a lot of this shortage and need to recognize this state role is not something that helps employers.
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?
What seems to be missed most times from my perspective on evaluating impact is the down range effects policies will have. By not being affected or harmed by their policy decisions, the legislators, seem to miss the impact of their decisions. Clearly understanding the full impact of any policy has to be discussed and vetted appropriately. Subscribing these proposals mainly to the injustices they will prevent or eliminate does not normally solve those problems. You need to evaluate potential impact today and for years to come with a critical eye not one that ignores reality.
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?
If we have not remembered I will remind us that the St Paul City Council had the opportunity to purchase ShotSpotter and instead chose a community representative. This solution has historically not solved the problem. Innovation, without violating rights of privacy and surveillance, is the best strategy forward. St Paul had an opportunity and they failed. Also, need to recognize that the job law enforcement is asked to do is enormous. The continued false narrative of systemic racism and undocumented accusations need to be pushed back against. We ask a lot of our front-line providers and criticizing or even creating story lines to put them down needs to stop.
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?
Working in technology I fully understand the work from home model and shifting business landscape. Mass transportation is something that requires a patient analysis of all of the data available to measure the benefit the taxpayer investment will have. We always need to be aware of the changing landscape of the future and design appropriately but be cautious of creating solutions that over burden the taxpayer with limited return of those dollars. Light Rail has not returned on the promises and Southwest Line is a large public project coming in well after deadline and well above forecasted costs.
What strategies or policies would you use to address housing issues?
As a licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of Minnesota I have put a lot of time in thinking about housing issues. My experience dealing with regulations and oversight on the housing market is it rarely identifies the problem and adds overhead to an already challenged issue. Currently government policy has 400 homes registered vacant in St Paul. With levels going from 1 on the low end to the more severe level 3 vacant. I have had conversation with inspectors on getting these houses complaint. For a level 3 the obstacles and cost are restrictive to the point of being prohibitive. Those houses take down the value of the neighborhood hurting others, can create harmful environments, and are not returning as much as they could to the bottom line of the city property tax balance sheet. Yet, no one addresses this or other policies that are not allowing for more housing or other forms of housing because regulation has become too restrictive. Deregulation is essential to take depressed housing stock, potential new build opportunities, to allow the market to help the situation. See St Paul rent control as a shining example to prove as an example of regulation stopping growth.
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?
The best way for me to think of it is to look at in terms of a buy, sell, or hold, type of analysis. Understanding, a cost-benefit application cannot always be applied based upon some services that are expensive are needed and necessary. While others can take on a buy, sell, or hold, type of measurement. If a service seems to provide great value at a level of cost that meets the restraints of the fiscal year budget that should stay. If a service seems to have been outdated or underserving based upon the need has dwindled it should go. Other services might be hard to define, not able to change at this time, or initial in startup so time could be needed to show value. One thing is certain that most programs start and never end, that is something that needs to change.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
For profit business. We just had one of the poorest decisions we have seen by local government in as long as I can tell. Rent Control was ill-conceived, presented without the pitfalls of a policies like this, and or course labeled necessary because of the underserved and racist society we live in. All one has to do is take a look at history and the many examples of implementation of rent control and the negative effect it has had. Rhetoric and activism pushed through a policy that will not expand the district’s tax base but only continue to challenge it. Things that like this I would argue against because it does not add revenue and only hurts the people the implementors of these policies say they are looking to help.
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?
First, understand why is there an achievement gap, and what is the root cause analysis for this gap? What is education providing these individuals who are coming through the institutions preparing them for the world? We first need to know are we even creating an educated workforce and if we are not why? Focusing on subjects and areas that are current and relevant is a good start. We are seeing fewer and fewer people now entering the college sphere as employers are considering hands on or life experience as a good foundation to employ these individuals. Mixing the two would seem to be the best strategy. Sense WWII we have almost exclusively told people to go to college when that recommendation now has created over 1 trillion of college debt crushing some people. Post-secondary has seen no moral hazard for creating this and moving forward a better evaluation of the outcomes from post-secondary as well as a better approach to what is a viable path forward for some is needed.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
From what I can see the State often puts obstacles in the way of business hiring minority or women-owned businesses from increasing their revenue or becoming more fruitful. Minimum wage as an example limits employers’ opportunity to hire people so in effect taking opportunities away from everyone, regardless of race or gender or social class. Affirmative action was long ago put to rest but now we are creating another run at it in a different way. My role would be to limit the state impact in creating specific rules towards this. There are so many studies of history, across different countries and economies, that show business owners, regardless of creed, color, or gender, focus on driving to success. When someone presents themselves that looks to add to the success of that business owners hire those people. If you want to assure that discrimination is not preventing people from being hired or gender specific companies are not prevented from success let the market decide as it is color and gender blind. Competition creates opportunity state intervention can erode competition.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Really need to understand how they were impacted and apply help where it can and where it makes sense. Hospitality, and industries like those, were crushed during the pandemic. Others were chosen to be essential and have not faced the same challenges. Applying a methodology to understand differences like this is a good way to further adopt policies that can help.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Only thing I would add as a lifelong resident of St Paul is that you need to ask yourself one simple question, how do you think it is going?
Public Office Sought: Minnesota House of Representatives District 64A
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-799-2242
Campaign website: www.walsh4stpaul.com
Twitter handle: dan@walsh4stpaul
Facebook page: None
Candidate Bio
I identify with St Paul well because I am a lifelong resident and multiple property owner in the city of St Paul. This makes me well aware of the current issues and challenges. Having spent my career in IT with the last 20 years specifically in cybersecurity drives me to implement rational, logical, empirical, approaches to solving complex issues to lower the risk. Taking that approach, we need to push back on no evidence-based statements, or policies, so we can better understand the issues that risk our future. My background is well suited to provide that type of instruction. While the state has historically not followed a methodology such as this, it is time to recognize doing the same thing over and over is not working, so a new approach is needed. I bring that set of experience and tools to this race.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
I would put the top three as public safety, public safety, and public safety. We can get into many different topics such as education, economic development, but if we do not have the ability to operate and live in a safe community all these other issues are irrelevant. We have attacked and put our protectors on their heels, and this cannot continue. Always improving is the goal of any organization and certainly public safety has area’s within where it can improve. Yet, the rhetoric and misrepresentation of data, to forward a certain narrative, needs to be pushed back against, without apology, so we can get to the root cause issues. Allowing us to move forward in a safe community which will drive other improvements.
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?
Economic development is as essential to quality of life as water is to survival. Without it you will not have growth and opportunities for people to advance. I am always so confused when I see socialist speeches or advocates for less capitalism. It is an irrefutable fact that the greatest framework for raising people to become more upwardly mobile is capitalism, not socialism. To date East Metro business has been punished by socialist type of agendas, that try to organize power and control at the state level, when putting the decision closer to the business being impacted has historically always been a better strategy.
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?
We have to be careful that we are not looking to the state to create jobs or become market makers. The best thing the state can do is enable business to grow and there for employ more people. The state can provide a fair market environment where business have that opportunity. Over regulation, over taxation, nonempirical approach to business challenge, is what we have seen and need to redirect that approach. The states duty is to uphold private contracts through courts, protect private property, and allow an environment for business to exist. With that role it also has to be limited because the market, if not over regulated, will grow.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
First, these are not one factor type of solutions or problems. These are very complex issues that have been created over a course of a lot of years. You start with the movement away from muscle-based labor to knowledge-based labor. Most of our lack of resource is around the trade-based jobs and other muscle-based employment. We have seen some creative ideas by employers to attract and retain talent on their own. The state can play a role in this, but it needs to be transparent with what their objective is. Implement avenues that will help employers get skilled based workers, whatever that skill, so they can provide opportunity. Paying people to sit around and not work has created a lot of this shortage and need to recognize this state role is not something that helps employers.
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?
What seems to be missed most times from my perspective on evaluating impact is the down range effects policies will have. By not being affected or harmed by their policy decisions, the legislators, seem to miss the impact of their decisions. Clearly understanding the full impact of any policy has to be discussed and vetted appropriately. Subscribing these proposals mainly to the injustices they will prevent or eliminate does not normally solve those problems. You need to evaluate potential impact today and for years to come with a critical eye not one that ignores reality.
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?
If we have not remembered I will remind us that the St Paul City Council had the opportunity to purchase ShotSpotter and instead chose a community representative. This solution has historically not solved the problem. Innovation, without violating rights of privacy and surveillance, is the best strategy forward. St Paul had an opportunity and they failed. Also, need to recognize that the job law enforcement is asked to do is enormous. The continued false narrative of systemic racism and undocumented accusations need to be pushed back against. We ask a lot of our front-line providers and criticizing or even creating story lines to put them down needs to stop.
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?
Working in technology I fully understand the work from home model and shifting business landscape. Mass transportation is something that requires a patient analysis of all of the data available to measure the benefit the taxpayer investment will have. We always need to be aware of the changing landscape of the future and design appropriately but be cautious of creating solutions that over burden the taxpayer with limited return of those dollars. Light Rail has not returned on the promises and Southwest Line is a large public project coming in well after deadline and well above forecasted costs.
What strategies or policies would you use to address housing issues?
As a licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of Minnesota I have put a lot of time in thinking about housing issues. My experience dealing with regulations and oversight on the housing market is it rarely identifies the problem and adds overhead to an already challenged issue. Currently government policy has 400 homes registered vacant in St Paul. With levels going from 1 on the low end to the more severe level 3 vacant. I have had conversation with inspectors on getting these houses complaint. For a level 3 the obstacles and cost are restrictive to the point of being prohibitive. Those houses take down the value of the neighborhood hurting others, can create harmful environments, and are not returning as much as they could to the bottom line of the city property tax balance sheet. Yet, no one addresses this or other policies that are not allowing for more housing or other forms of housing because regulation has become too restrictive. Deregulation is essential to take depressed housing stock, potential new build opportunities, to allow the market to help the situation. See St Paul rent control as a shining example to prove as an example of regulation stopping growth.
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?
The best way for me to think of it is to look at in terms of a buy, sell, or hold, type of analysis. Understanding, a cost-benefit application cannot always be applied based upon some services that are expensive are needed and necessary. While others can take on a buy, sell, or hold, type of measurement. If a service seems to provide great value at a level of cost that meets the restraints of the fiscal year budget that should stay. If a service seems to have been outdated or underserving based upon the need has dwindled it should go. Other services might be hard to define, not able to change at this time, or initial in startup so time could be needed to show value. One thing is certain that most programs start and never end, that is something that needs to change.
What will you do to expand your district’s tax base?
For profit business. We just had one of the poorest decisions we have seen by local government in as long as I can tell. Rent Control was ill-conceived, presented without the pitfalls of a policies like this, and or course labeled necessary because of the underserved and racist society we live in. All one has to do is take a look at history and the many examples of implementation of rent control and the negative effect it has had. Rhetoric and activism pushed through a policy that will not expand the district’s tax base but only continue to challenge it. Things that like this I would argue against because it does not add revenue and only hurts the people the implementors of these policies say they are looking to help.
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?
First, understand why is there an achievement gap, and what is the root cause analysis for this gap? What is education providing these individuals who are coming through the institutions preparing them for the world? We first need to know are we even creating an educated workforce and if we are not why? Focusing on subjects and areas that are current and relevant is a good start. We are seeing fewer and fewer people now entering the college sphere as employers are considering hands on or life experience as a good foundation to employ these individuals. Mixing the two would seem to be the best strategy. Sense WWII we have almost exclusively told people to go to college when that recommendation now has created over 1 trillion of college debt crushing some people. Post-secondary has seen no moral hazard for creating this and moving forward a better evaluation of the outcomes from post-secondary as well as a better approach to what is a viable path forward for some is needed.
What is the role of the State in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses?
From what I can see the State often puts obstacles in the way of business hiring minority or women-owned businesses from increasing their revenue or becoming more fruitful. Minimum wage as an example limits employers’ opportunity to hire people so in effect taking opportunities away from everyone, regardless of race or gender or social class. Affirmative action was long ago put to rest but now we are creating another run at it in a different way. My role would be to limit the state impact in creating specific rules towards this. There are so many studies of history, across different countries and economies, that show business owners, regardless of creed, color, or gender, focus on driving to success. When someone presents themselves that looks to add to the success of that business owners hire those people. If you want to assure that discrimination is not preventing people from being hired or gender specific companies are not prevented from success let the market decide as it is color and gender blind. Competition creates opportunity state intervention can erode competition.
What further policies can the State of Minnesota adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Really need to understand how they were impacted and apply help where it can and where it makes sense. Hospitality, and industries like those, were crushed during the pandemic. Others were chosen to be essential and have not faced the same challenges. Applying a methodology to understand differences like this is a good way to further adopt policies that can help.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
Only thing I would add as a lifelong resident of St Paul is that you need to ask yourself one simple question, how do you think it is going?