Ying Vang-Pao
Name: Ying Vang-Pao
Public Office Sought: Ramsey County Commissioner-District 6
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-703-0818
Campaign Website: votevangpao.com
Twitter handle: @YingVangCares
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/yingvangpaocares
Candidate Bio
I am a mom, proud grandmother of four little ones, and a professional accountant and businesswoman. I came to this country from war-torn Laos at the age of 9, married early, raised four children, and returned to school at age 42 to earn my MBA, after which I have led a successful career as an accountant and entrepreneur. As a mother of a visually impaired daughter, I also learned to navigate government social services on my own and became a resource for others on this often-difficult task, which is one of my main reasons for being a candidate for the position of county commissioner.
My private sector professional background and life experience will be an asset on the Ramsey County Board which must make critical budget and policy decisions which prioritize how the county provides services and how to pay for them. As a proud daughter of the late General Vang Pao, who commanded Hmong military forces in Laos during the Vietnam war, saving the lives of thousands of US soldiers, I was raised with courage, compassion, and the duty to care for others – values which I will bring to the Ramsey County Board in service of all Ramsey County residents and businesses.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities are 1) Easier access to government services, including assisting residents who need social services; assisting businesses to make it easier to obtain the right state and local permits required for their businesses; and making the strong county’s recreational and educational assets more available and usable by today’s youth. 2) Public safety, increase retention of diverse peace officers and establish robust community outreach initiatives. 3) Keep taxes down, both from better fiscal oversight as a professional accountant – the only one on the county board – and by growing the tax base.
How would you characterize the business climate in Ramsey County and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Ramsey County needs a healthy, growth-oriented business climate since private business is the principal source of jobs for residents who live in and around Ramsey County as well as the principal provider of goods and services for residents and visitors in Ramsey County. That climate has been injured by the pandemic and good fiscal management of county resources and its tax base will be needed to provide for a full recovery. Prosperous businesses mean a prosperous community, and the Ramsey County Board needs to do as much as possible to provide for being a place of choice for doing business and attracting private investment.
What role do you think the county should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Ramsey County?
In the aftermath of the Covid Pandemic and the present, resulting shortage of labor and other inputs that local employers require, I would propose an engaging the University of Minnesota’s Extension Service to provide a Business Retention and Expansion study, which they have been doing in many areas around the state and Twin Cities, for several years. The purpose of such a study is to engage input from existing local employers and stakeholders to identify a few things that county government can feasibly do that would best help current local businesses to retain and expand operations and employment within the county and also includes policymakers such as county board members and other government officials to commit to implementing the few priorities that come out of that process.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Ramsey County (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a policy on the many types of businesses in Ramsey County and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Although it would be a net increase in regulations affecting businesses, and I do want to keep regulations on businesses as low as possible, I do support county-wide minimum wage and sick time in line with Saint Paul’s newly enacted minimum wage ordinance, which includes lower requirements and thresholds for smaller businesses. I will represent the county’s sixth district, which is entirely within Saint Paul’s city limits, and most of my constituents, including local businesses such as restaurants, would like to see a more regional-level homogenous minimum wage policy, if not state-wide, which would be better. I do not support mandatory scheduling requirement except for large enterprises and government employers.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Improve and expand public transportation, especially light rail transportation and the gold and purple lines which connect to my East Side district.
Use the county's libraries to provide a more focused job hub for local employers to search for employees of all levels that they need and for residents to connect with them online for those positions. This can be provided free to employers and jobseekers while job resource websites such as indeed.com charge employers and sometimes even jobseekers for use of those sites.
Invest and focus more attention on the Saint Paul Technical College, which has had problems with some of its programs as well as enrollment in recent years and could use additional help and focus from the county board at the present time.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Crime rates, including violent crime, in Ramsey County have risen dramatically and are particularly affecting residents, visitors, and businesses in my part of the county. As county commissioner I will explore ways for county resources to assist municipal police departments to detain and deter violent criminals. At the same time, I will seek community building and neighborhood safety ambassadors as a way to reduce harmful activities.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
As refugee, when my family came to America, housing was a very important issue, and many people experience the same issue every day. I believe in the American dream and through our Ramsey County Housing programs we need to be supportive of all levels of need for housing. We have a shortage of housing right now in Saint Paul. If elected I will work with my colleagues to make sure new housing, workforce housing, affordable housing is proportionally spread in Ramsey County.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? 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 support the current effort underway to design transportation safety and reduction of environmental impacts by making roads safer for bicycles and pedestrians. I also support expanded use of electric vehicles and car-sharing operations.
My views on transportation have evolved due to the change in transportation needs because of the pandemic. Ramsey County need to have a robust transportation strategy envisioning how our transportation needs change over time. Seniors who no longer drive need to be able to get to every location they want to. We want to keep our favorability with bicyclist and pedestrian, making Saint Paul a more accessible community.
What are your priorities for the county’s budget?
My priority will be to keep property tax levy low and stable. At present, the Ramsey County government levy is 1.5% for 2022, which is a significant net reduction in property taxes after adjusting for inflation. I would like to keep property tax levy close to zero and work with school districts, municipalities, and other units of governments to spend efficiently so Ramsey County remains competitive with neighboring metro area counties as a choice for living and doing business.
What will you do to expand Ramsey County’s tax base?
Tax bases are expanded by attracting private investment for new real estate development and adding value to existing properties by increased demand for them, this way the fixed tax levy can be spread out among more individual properties. As the capital city, Saint Paul has also had a growing number of properties owned by the state government, religious and non-profit organizations that are exempt from many taxes. Furthermore, employment location changes brought on by Covid may increase the vacancy of office properties vacant, especially in downtown Saint Paul, reducing their value and increasing tax burdens on everyone else. Although Saint Paul’s new rent control ordinance significantly inhibits investor interest in new housing development and rehabilitation in the city, as county commissioner I will work with the various HRA’s in the county to find ways to attract investors willing to turn more office space into affordable, middle-income, and upper income housing options.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
One way that I will work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions is continue support for the county’s own technical school, Saint Paul Community College, which has had some recent difficulties in some of its programs. The county board needs to evaluate the Saint Paul Community College and its programs and make sure it is providing the education that employers in the county currently need, and make sure that graduation and job placement rates are being met so that accreditation can continue, and enrollment can be increased by being a better option for local high school graduates and adults than it has been in recent years.
Are there any services currently provided by the county that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I do not at this time know of a specific program that I would like to cut back or eliminate; however, I do think that efficiencies can be obtained, taking advantage of departmental reorganizations required to make up for labor shortages in the county that can end up becoming permanent, more efficient ways of providing services to residents, businesses, and visitors. Also, given the priorities of reducing crime, and the fact that detention centers are overcrowded, and detention center employees are paid significantly less than Hennepin County, making it harder to fill open jobs there, there will be some hard decisions regarding other programs.
What is the role of the County Board in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Ramsey County?
As a Hmong woman who owns a small business myself, I support the idea of having some kind of team or work group at the county specifically assist small businesses to navigate the set of local and state permits required for starting and operation small businesses in the county. Such a program would benefit all small businesses but certain groups, including women and members of racial and ethnic minorities, experience greater difficulty through lack of experienced mentors in their social groups about the requirements for starting and legally operating small businesses.
What further policies can Ramsey County adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Lack of affordable housing and lower levels of immigration to the country are two of the primary reasons that business activity continues to linger after the worst of the lockdowns and scares of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
As a successful businesswoman I know what the responsibility are when I take a job. If elected to the Ramsey County board I am responsible to my new bosses, all the voters of Ramsey County District 6.
Public Office Sought: Ramsey County Commissioner-District 6
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 651-703-0818
Campaign Website: votevangpao.com
Twitter handle: @YingVangCares
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/yingvangpaocares
Candidate Bio
I am a mom, proud grandmother of four little ones, and a professional accountant and businesswoman. I came to this country from war-torn Laos at the age of 9, married early, raised four children, and returned to school at age 42 to earn my MBA, after which I have led a successful career as an accountant and entrepreneur. As a mother of a visually impaired daughter, I also learned to navigate government social services on my own and became a resource for others on this often-difficult task, which is one of my main reasons for being a candidate for the position of county commissioner.
My private sector professional background and life experience will be an asset on the Ramsey County Board which must make critical budget and policy decisions which prioritize how the county provides services and how to pay for them. As a proud daughter of the late General Vang Pao, who commanded Hmong military forces in Laos during the Vietnam war, saving the lives of thousands of US soldiers, I was raised with courage, compassion, and the duty to care for others – values which I will bring to the Ramsey County Board in service of all Ramsey County residents and businesses.
What would be your top three priorities if elected?
My top three priorities are 1) Easier access to government services, including assisting residents who need social services; assisting businesses to make it easier to obtain the right state and local permits required for their businesses; and making the strong county’s recreational and educational assets more available and usable by today’s youth. 2) Public safety, increase retention of diverse peace officers and establish robust community outreach initiatives. 3) Keep taxes down, both from better fiscal oversight as a professional accountant – the only one on the county board – and by growing the tax base.
How would you characterize the business climate in Ramsey County and what is the role of businesses supporting quality of life issues in the community?
Ramsey County needs a healthy, growth-oriented business climate since private business is the principal source of jobs for residents who live in and around Ramsey County as well as the principal provider of goods and services for residents and visitors in Ramsey County. That climate has been injured by the pandemic and good fiscal management of county resources and its tax base will be needed to provide for a full recovery. Prosperous businesses mean a prosperous community, and the Ramsey County Board needs to do as much as possible to provide for being a place of choice for doing business and attracting private investment.
What role do you think the county should have in attracting and retaining jobs, and what steps would you take to solicit new businesses to, and retain existing businesses in, Ramsey County?
In the aftermath of the Covid Pandemic and the present, resulting shortage of labor and other inputs that local employers require, I would propose an engaging the University of Minnesota’s Extension Service to provide a Business Retention and Expansion study, which they have been doing in many areas around the state and Twin Cities, for several years. The purpose of such a study is to engage input from existing local employers and stakeholders to identify a few things that county government can feasibly do that would best help current local businesses to retain and expand operations and employment within the county and also includes policymakers such as county board members and other government officials to commit to implementing the few priorities that come out of that process.
Do you support any specific employment-related proposals in Ramsey County (such as minimum wage, sick time, or mandatory scheduling notice)? If so, what steps would you take to understand the impact of a policy on the many types of businesses in Ramsey County and how would you define any exceptions to those policies?
Although it would be a net increase in regulations affecting businesses, and I do want to keep regulations on businesses as low as possible, I do support county-wide minimum wage and sick time in line with Saint Paul’s newly enacted minimum wage ordinance, which includes lower requirements and thresholds for smaller businesses. I will represent the county’s sixth district, which is entirely within Saint Paul’s city limits, and most of my constituents, including local businesses such as restaurants, would like to see a more regional-level homogenous minimum wage policy, if not state-wide, which would be better. I do not support mandatory scheduling requirement except for large enterprises and government employers.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address the labor shortage?
Improve and expand public transportation, especially light rail transportation and the gold and purple lines which connect to my East Side district.
Use the county's libraries to provide a more focused job hub for local employers to search for employees of all levels that they need and for residents to connect with them online for those positions. This can be provided free to employers and jobseekers while job resource websites such as indeed.com charge employers and sometimes even jobseekers for use of those sites.
Invest and focus more attention on the Saint Paul Technical College, which has had problems with some of its programs as well as enrollment in recent years and could use additional help and focus from the county board at the present time.
Public safety and rising crime rates are of serious concern to the business community and residents. What strategies or policies would you propose to address public safety issues facing your community?
Crime rates, including violent crime, in Ramsey County have risen dramatically and are particularly affecting residents, visitors, and businesses in my part of the county. As county commissioner I will explore ways for county resources to assist municipal police departments to detain and deter violent criminals. At the same time, I will seek community building and neighborhood safety ambassadors as a way to reduce harmful activities.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address housing issues facing your community?
As refugee, when my family came to America, housing was a very important issue, and many people experience the same issue every day. I believe in the American dream and through our Ramsey County Housing programs we need to be supportive of all levels of need for housing. We have a shortage of housing right now in Saint Paul. If elected I will work with my colleagues to make sure new housing, workforce housing, affordable housing is proportionally spread in Ramsey County.
What strategies or policies would you propose to address transportation issues facing your community? 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 support the current effort underway to design transportation safety and reduction of environmental impacts by making roads safer for bicycles and pedestrians. I also support expanded use of electric vehicles and car-sharing operations.
My views on transportation have evolved due to the change in transportation needs because of the pandemic. Ramsey County need to have a robust transportation strategy envisioning how our transportation needs change over time. Seniors who no longer drive need to be able to get to every location they want to. We want to keep our favorability with bicyclist and pedestrian, making Saint Paul a more accessible community.
What are your priorities for the county’s budget?
My priority will be to keep property tax levy low and stable. At present, the Ramsey County government levy is 1.5% for 2022, which is a significant net reduction in property taxes after adjusting for inflation. I would like to keep property tax levy close to zero and work with school districts, municipalities, and other units of governments to spend efficiently so Ramsey County remains competitive with neighboring metro area counties as a choice for living and doing business.
What will you do to expand Ramsey County’s tax base?
Tax bases are expanded by attracting private investment for new real estate development and adding value to existing properties by increased demand for them, this way the fixed tax levy can be spread out among more individual properties. As the capital city, Saint Paul has also had a growing number of properties owned by the state government, religious and non-profit organizations that are exempt from many taxes. Furthermore, employment location changes brought on by Covid may increase the vacancy of office properties vacant, especially in downtown Saint Paul, reducing their value and increasing tax burdens on everyone else. Although Saint Paul’s new rent control ordinance significantly inhibits investor interest in new housing development and rehabilitation in the city, as county commissioner I will work with the various HRA’s in the county to find ways to attract investors willing to turn more office space into affordable, middle-income, and upper income housing options.
How will you work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions and businesses to ensure our region develops and retains an educated workforce?
One way that I will work with K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions is continue support for the county’s own technical school, Saint Paul Community College, which has had some recent difficulties in some of its programs. The county board needs to evaluate the Saint Paul Community College and its programs and make sure it is providing the education that employers in the county currently need, and make sure that graduation and job placement rates are being met so that accreditation can continue, and enrollment can be increased by being a better option for local high school graduates and adults than it has been in recent years.
Are there any services currently provided by the county that you believe should be cut back or eliminated? Are there new opportunities to share services with other entities?
I do not at this time know of a specific program that I would like to cut back or eliminate; however, I do think that efficiencies can be obtained, taking advantage of departmental reorganizations required to make up for labor shortages in the county that can end up becoming permanent, more efficient ways of providing services to residents, businesses, and visitors. Also, given the priorities of reducing crime, and the fact that detention centers are overcrowded, and detention center employees are paid significantly less than Hennepin County, making it harder to fill open jobs there, there will be some hard decisions regarding other programs.
What is the role of the County Board in fostering increased minority- and women-owned businesses in Ramsey County?
As a Hmong woman who owns a small business myself, I support the idea of having some kind of team or work group at the county specifically assist small businesses to navigate the set of local and state permits required for starting and operation small businesses in the county. Such a program would benefit all small businesses but certain groups, including women and members of racial and ethnic minorities, experience greater difficulty through lack of experienced mentors in their social groups about the requirements for starting and legally operating small businesses.
What further policies can Ramsey County adopt to help the business community recover from the COVID-19 pandemic?
Lack of affordable housing and lower levels of immigration to the country are two of the primary reasons that business activity continues to linger after the worst of the lockdowns and scares of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Is there anything else you would like to share with voters not covered above?
As a successful businesswoman I know what the responsibility are when I take a job. If elected to the Ramsey County board I am responsible to my new bosses, all the voters of Ramsey County District 6.