TJ Hawthorne
Name: TJ Hawthorne
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-804-1038
Campaign Website: tjformn44b.com
Twitter handle: @TJ_Hawthorne44B
Facebook Page: TJ Hawthorne For MN 44B
Candidate Bio
I am a homegrown and local candidate. I have lived in North St Paul or Oakdale my whole adult life, other than the six years of active duty service with the US Navy. I serve on the NSP Emergency Food Shelf board while also volunteering many hours during the week. As an industrial automation engineer, I’ve worked closely with Oakdale public works for more than 20 years.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
It seems to me that small businesses are being carved out of the market because they must conform to so many state mandates and arbitrary regulations. I think the businesses that are still operating are doing so by sacrificing more than they’ll admit to customers. While larger corporations can absorb these hits from more regulation…because their competitors were eliminated…
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges such as education, housing, workforce development, or other priority areas.
My perspective is that government needs to get out of the way when it comes to these challenges. Every time bureaucrats try to solve problems like these, the problem has gotten worse. EVERY TIME.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
Allow employers to hire who THEY want, not what ‘the state’ dictates.
Allow employers to pay employees any negotiated wage.
Stop mandating directives from the state level that impede production/service times.
The Legislature enacted several new workplace mandates in recent years, including Paid Family and Medical Leave, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and Worker Misclassification standards. If elected, how would you evaluate the impact of these policies on the East Metro economy and workforce, and what principles would guide any changes you'd seek to make?
These are exactly the kind of mandates I mentioned in earlier questions. These taxes are automatic revenue that will naturally fluctuate with employment levels. Just like every other tax, citizens will find a way to get around it. Since it’s a payroll tax, the consequence will be less payroll claims. That doesn’t address the in/out money. The PFML program is destined to be insolvent from just doing the math.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
Hold actual criminals accountable. Violent crimes and theft are what law enforcement should be focusing on…not putting someone in a cage because they didn’t pay a court fee.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Remove state involvement and allow the free market to handle the needs of the people. Why would we ever think the state can figure it out after all the failures?
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Remove red tape for builders and contractors. There are too many regulations that inhibit efficient building which creates higher costs for housing.
Minnesota's current two-year budget shows a surplus, but state forecasters project a significant structural imbalance beginning in the 2028-2029 biennium. What steps would you take to address this long-term challenge? Please include specific ideas for reducing spending, increasing revenue, or reforming state programs.
IWe must have some hard conversations about eliminating some of the programs we have implemented. This will begin a reduction in spending. Revenue does not have to be increased. The state takes enough of our money already.
One idea I would like to introduce is a new way to fund road improvements. Naming rights. Imagine how much Target would work to make sure the highway is safe & efficient, if their name was on it. The incentive to have unlimited advertising rights on a roadway and the fact that the group’s name is on it, the incentive to please people driving on it would be there too. This can apply to a lot of ‘public’ services.
Minnesota has faced several high-profile fraud cases involving public programs in recent years. The Legislature recently passed a new Office of the Inspector General on a bipartisan basis. Beyond this new office, what additional steps would you support to strengthen fraud prevention and rebuild public trust in how the state manages taxpayer-funded programs?
Well, if we had less programs to take advantage of, the opportunity for fraud would be less. Eliminate arbitrary & redundant welfare programs.
Email: [email protected]
Campaign Phone: 612-804-1038
Campaign Website: tjformn44b.com
Twitter handle: @TJ_Hawthorne44B
Facebook Page: TJ Hawthorne For MN 44B
Candidate Bio
I am a homegrown and local candidate. I have lived in North St Paul or Oakdale my whole adult life, other than the six years of active duty service with the US Navy. I serve on the NSP Emergency Food Shelf board while also volunteering many hours during the week. As an industrial automation engineer, I’ve worked closely with Oakdale public works for more than 20 years.
What are your top three priorities if elected, and how might they be affected by growing uncertainty around state and federal funding?
- Defend The Guard: This is legislation for states to pass that will inhibit the federal government from deploying our Minnesota National Guard members to fight in wars overseas, without an official declaration from Congress.
- Equal Parenting Rights: The family court system is set up in a way that incentivizes disparate parenting time, resulting in more child support and court fees, along with so many intangible negative effects.
- Community Work: Relying on ‘the state’ to solve local problems only creates more problems. A bureaucrat in St. Paul shouldn’t be making decisions for what happens in Oakdale or any other town in MN.
How would you characterize the business climate in the East Metro? Please elaborate on your answer.
It seems to me that small businesses are being carved out of the market because they must conform to so many state mandates and arbitrary regulations. I think the businesses that are still operating are doing so by sacrificing more than they’ll admit to customers. While larger corporations can absorb these hits from more regulation…because their competitors were eliminated…
Please characterize your perspective on the ideal collaboration between government and the business community when it comes to tackling challenges such as education, housing, workforce development, or other priority areas.
My perspective is that government needs to get out of the way when it comes to these challenges. Every time bureaucrats try to solve problems like these, the problem has gotten worse. EVERY TIME.
What policies, if any, would you support to help employers address our state’s critical labor shortage?
Allow employers to hire who THEY want, not what ‘the state’ dictates.
Allow employers to pay employees any negotiated wage.
Stop mandating directives from the state level that impede production/service times.
The Legislature enacted several new workplace mandates in recent years, including Paid Family and Medical Leave, Earned Safe and Sick Time, and Worker Misclassification standards. If elected, how would you evaluate the impact of these policies on the East Metro economy and workforce, and what principles would guide any changes you'd seek to make?
These are exactly the kind of mandates I mentioned in earlier questions. These taxes are automatic revenue that will naturally fluctuate with employment levels. Just like every other tax, citizens will find a way to get around it. Since it’s a payroll tax, the consequence will be less payroll claims. That doesn’t address the in/out money. The PFML program is destined to be insolvent from just doing the math.
What are your strategies to address public safety challenges in your district and the state?
Hold actual criminals accountable. Violent crimes and theft are what law enforcement should be focusing on…not putting someone in a cage because they didn’t pay a court fee.
How would you work to improve transportation options in the district/state, including improved safety for transit riders, pedestrian/bike, and drivers alike?
Remove state involvement and allow the free market to handle the needs of the people. Why would we ever think the state can figure it out after all the failures?
What ideas do you have to address housing shortages and affordability?
Remove red tape for builders and contractors. There are too many regulations that inhibit efficient building which creates higher costs for housing.
Minnesota's current two-year budget shows a surplus, but state forecasters project a significant structural imbalance beginning in the 2028-2029 biennium. What steps would you take to address this long-term challenge? Please include specific ideas for reducing spending, increasing revenue, or reforming state programs.
IWe must have some hard conversations about eliminating some of the programs we have implemented. This will begin a reduction in spending. Revenue does not have to be increased. The state takes enough of our money already.
One idea I would like to introduce is a new way to fund road improvements. Naming rights. Imagine how much Target would work to make sure the highway is safe & efficient, if their name was on it. The incentive to have unlimited advertising rights on a roadway and the fact that the group’s name is on it, the incentive to please people driving on it would be there too. This can apply to a lot of ‘public’ services.
Minnesota has faced several high-profile fraud cases involving public programs in recent years. The Legislature recently passed a new Office of the Inspector General on a bipartisan basis. Beyond this new office, what additional steps would you support to strengthen fraud prevention and rebuild public trust in how the state manages taxpayer-funded programs?
Well, if we had less programs to take advantage of, the opportunity for fraud would be less. Eliminate arbitrary & redundant welfare programs.