Recently Minnesota Democratic-Famer-Labor (DFL) Party Chairman Kent Martin visited Crookston to meet with local activists and talk about the issues that the party is focusing on for the coming election in November 2020. Martin told KROX that the upcoming election is an important one, and the DFL wants to make sure people are participating. “We’re making our way through northwest Minnesota meeting with activists, rallying the troops,” said Martin. “But most importantly, trying to get the message out about the important election coming up November of 2020. We’re about a year out from this important upcoming election and want to make sure that people are tuning in. Of course, people are paying attention, and we’ve been buoyed by the response that we’ve been getting. There is a lot at stake in this upcoming election, and we want to make sure that people are participating.”
Martin said one of the critical issues the DFL is focusing on is the need to fix what he called flawed agriculture policy in the United States. “Obviously in greater Minnesota what has been happening with the tariffs and trade war with China have decimated communities throughout Minnesota and really throughout the entire country,” said Martin. “The tariffs are having a huge impact on farmers like my father-in-law who farms 800 acres of corn, beans and beef cattle in Southern Minnesota. You have a lot of farmers like him who have their beans rotting away in bins right now because we’ve essentially closed off one of our top markets in the world. The agriculture policy in this country right now is flawed. It’s hurting not just farmers but frankly a lot of small towns and businesses on main street throughout Minnesota. We have to figure out a way to fix this imbalance with our trade war and this trade policy that we have to reopen markets and allow our farmers to compete around the world.”
Martin said the DFL is also focused on building infrastructure in greater Minnesota to attract businesses and people. “We know that there is still a huge infrastructure issue in this state,” said Martin. “We talk a lot about the decline in population in small towns throughout the state. A lot of times, we attribute it to the population getting older, but the reality is the reason people aren’t staying in these small towns is there aren’t any jobs. The reason there are no jobs is we’re not doing enough to build the infrastructure to support businesses that want to locate in these communities throughout the state. So, if we want to rejuvenate and give rebirth to a lot of small towns, we have to make sure we’re building the infrastructure to support businesses. That’s everything from roads and bridges to wastewater treatment plants to broadband. We have to invest in infrastructure.”
The third focus Martin described for the party is improving the health care system, so rural Minnesotan’s are getting the same treatment as other parts of the state. “What we’re talking about is health care,” said Martin. “There is an acute shortage of rural health care providers. Clinics are closing up throughout the state. Many people in greater Minnesota are having to travel far distances just for preventative health care. That’s not right. We need to work on finding a way to fix our health care system, so people out here in greater Minnesota are getting the type of treatment that others in the state are.”
Martin also identified Senator Tina Smith and Representative Collin Peterson as important reelection campaigns. “We have an important U.S. Senate race with our Senator Tina Smith running for reelection,” said Martin. “She’s been one of those rare people in Washington who’s gone out there, put her nose down to the grindstone, and has gotten to work on behalf of Minnesotans. You don’t see her a lot in the press or out there trying to grab the spotlight. Instead, she has just been working tirelessly behind the scenes on behalf of Minnesotans. Of course, here in the Seventh Congressional District, we’re excited about the opportunity to reelect Congressman (Collin) Peterson. Collin has done a great job as the House Ag Committee chair standing up for farmers and rural Minnesotans, and also people throughout the country. His legacy is immense in terms of his fingerprint being on the last farm bill, and he’s done so much for people in Washington that I think people will easily reelect him next November.”
