By Shannon Fiecke, Correspondent

As the world tuned in to the much-anticipated vice presidential debate last week, local residents turned out to learn about two candidates closer to home.

While candidates for state representative in House District 35B found common ground on some issues in their first forum of the election season last Thursday at the Scott County Historical Society, the two differed greatly on the topic of healthcare and their view of the role of government. 

The state house race pits DFL candidate Taylor Kristoffe-Jones, a Tires Plus office manager from Savage, against five-term Republican incumbent Rep. Mark Buesgens of Jordan, business manager for a St. Paul arts school.

While Buesgens attributed his Republican Party affiliation to a philosophy of limited government that ensures liberty and freedom, Kristoffe-Jones said she was a Democrat because “their focus is on helping people.”

Buesgens said the role of government should be narrow, focused on infrastructure and public safety.

While people should be able to control their own lives, Kristoffe-Jones said government should look out for those who are vulnerable, victimized or in over their heads.

The candidates’ political differences were probably most evident in their view of healthcare.

Buesgens said Minnesotans should be allowed to shop outside the state for health insurance and choose from a “cafeteria” listing of services they want covered in their insurance plan. “So I don’t have to be covered for a mammogram,” he said.

There also needs to be more price transparency for the cost of medical services, he said; for example, how much different doctors charge to set a broken arm.

Kristoffe-Jones prefers a universal healthcare system because some people will choose not to purchase insurance on their own, thinking they won’t need it, she said. 

“You need everybody in the pool,” she said.

With universal healthcare, people wouldn’t have to make choices and worry about prices, she said, it’ll be: “You have a broken arm, you live here, we’ll cover it.”

Kristoffe-Jones noted that there are fears people will abuse free healthcare.

“Colds and sniffles, they will; but the cold and sniffles are not what is bankrupting this country,” she said. “I don’t see a lot of people signing up to have open heart surgery more than once.”

When asked how she would encourage business growth, Kristoffe-Jones said she’s seen how effective the Chamber of Commerce was at the state Legislature when the organization helped broker a successful transportation funding package,

She said she would serve as a “gateway” between businesses and the Legislature.

Buesgens said businesses shouldn’t be looked at as “evil,” and taxes must be lowered to keep them from fleeing the state.

He also said the state should cut “silly red tape, which seems to serve no purpose but to give bureaucrats jobs.”

Both candidates said they oppose the proposed Constitutional amendment which would raise the state sales tax to fund the arts and natural resources and clean water initiatives.

Kristoffe-Jones said she is a former singer and a strong advocate for the arts, but believes there are other funding opportunities for the arts than the sales tax, which she think could probably be put to better use in these economic times.

Noting that he’s a hunter, works at a performing arts school and isn’t opposed to clean water, Buesgens said he is against using the Constitution to raise taxes.

“That’s what the Legislature is for,” he said.

Buesgens said the state needs to get rid of “nonsensical” agencies, like the Metropolitan Council, which is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to do what cities and counties are already charged with.

“Let’s get rid of this big drain on resources,” he said.

Kristoffe-Jones also thought it was a good idea to take a second look at the Metropolitan Council. She also said the state should examine where its spending taxpayer’s money to find out if there are areas outside health and human services that could be reduced, or if there are organizations duplicating what others already do.

The debate was largely amiable, although it got a little testy at the end, when Kristoffe-Jones mentioned she’d met people door-knocking who didn’t know Buesgens.

While Buesgens has the advantage of 10 years of experience in the Legislature, she said the attribute she’d bring to the table is educating local residents about what’s going on in St. Paul.

“I want them to know what it is that’s impacting them,” she said.

Citing Scott County’s record high voter turnout, Buesgens said it was disparaging to suggest people don’t know who they were voting for.

 Shannon Fiecke can be reached at sfiecke@swpub.com. 

Online

Watch the entire candidate debate at www.youtube.com/ShakopeeValleyNews. Recordings will also play at a later date on local cable access stations.