Politics/Government

A week from Election Day, what issue is most important to you?

Eric Ringham Oct 26, 2010
33

In Minnesota and across the country, voters will go to the polls one week from today. Today’s Question: A week from Election Day, what issue is most important to you?

  • Clark

    Reduce Spending

    Do not increase Taxes

    Repeal part of obamacare

    Restrict illegal immmigration

    complete investigation to determine if mark dayton is from an alien planet.

  • Josh D.

    I’ve never voted for a candidate based on one major issue, because they’re going to be voting on much more than just one issue. I try to look over their entire approach to all issues, and base my vote on that.

    Jobs, economy, environment, education, spending, ect., they’re going to vote on all of them, and all of them are important. So I try to consider all factors when choosing where to place my vote.

  • Duane Kvittem

    Since we have no current budget, we need to reestablish some fiscal discipline in the spending by the House and than develop a positive forward looking attitude by the Republican leadership which has been sorely lacking since President Obama was elected.

  • Luke Van Santen

    Someone who’s not out to line their own pockets.

    Someone who understands (and practices) tolerance.

    Someone who realizes their religion /cultural views are OK for them but that it would be the height of arrogant elitism and morally wrong to impose it on me.

    Someone who sees the big picture (people (individuals and society), environment, and finances) instead of ignoring everything but the finances.

    Lump these all together and call it the “Reality Check” issue – that’s the most important for me…

  • j

    Keeping Tom “gum’ment is bad” Emmer out of the Governors office.

  • Steve the Cynic

    Seriously: stemming the rising tide of plutocracy.

  • Gary F

    Controlling the growth of government.

    Look at what’s happening in France, Greece, and England, as well as what’s happening in California.

    You can’t feed the insatiable beast known as government if the private sector doesn’t prosper. We can’t be chasing jobs away to other states or other countries.

    You can’t keep beating the golden goose over the head with a 2×4 piece of lumber and expect it to keep laying golden eggs.

  • Sue de Nim
  • Joe Schaedler

    The most important issue to me is taxes : I want a governor/government that is willing to RAISE our taxes. That is the only realistic & responsible way to handle our current fiscal woes.

    Anyone who is looking for the candidate who promises tax breaks is looking for a disastrous quick fix that ignores the larger catastrophes this too short-sighted policy entails.

  • Jim G

    To vote against Republican and Tea Party lies and distortions. These are the Parties of NO. These are the Parties controlled by the wealthiest 2% of this country’s citizenry who are making hundreds of millions of dollars in secret donations to control the 98% of Americans by inciting fear and distrust of our governmental institutions. I will vote against these bullies.

  • Kevin VC

    1.) Campaign finance reform.

    Remove or reduce the spending on campaigns and thus remove the influence candidates feel they OWE those ‘helping’ them.

    Transparency in campaign financing; who gave what and to what amount.

    That ANY ad placed MUST have facts checked BEFORE it gets aired.

    Still this needs addressing EVEN more so.

    It should be about the people and not the money.

    2.) Home Refinancing and Banking

    That banks actually do their work correctly.

    Currently going through a refinance issue with a family member, and bank keeps loosing documents WE KNOW THEY HAVE! Also just got word that refinancing is not available due to being above 31%, which is wrong, its over 48% of income……

    I can see the home going to foreclosure EVEN though we are doing everything right currently!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    That Banks stop concentrating on Foreclosing and concentrate on doing the Refinancing they are suppose to be doing…. And at any one point do the BLEEPING paper work RIGHT!!!!!!

    3.) Jobs and economy

    We need to stop Wallstreet from paying Bonuses to their executives with the bailout, a move BUSH was against blocking….

    That companies stop using what little profits they are starting to get, and they are showing profits, and apply that to ‘development’ and not ‘reinvestment’ like they are. They are taking the chickenBLEEP route.

    We have the LEAST amount of corporate developement for new products and expanding business of any nation, less then 9%.

    4.) Outsourcing

    I knew it in the early 2000’s/ late 90’s that there are plenty of viable and qualified technicians in the US. The excuse to outsource Tech support to out of the country has destroyed that entire branch of jobs in this country.

    And its not limited to the tech industry.

    By supporting jobs in the USA proper for techs you are also supporting the hobbyists and developers in the USA who create and innovate new idea in the USA. We just LOVE to tinker for the sake of tinkering.

  • steve

    i would say the economy and jobs, more funding for better schools!

  • Sue Z

    Pro-Life issues and the solvency of our country.

  • Lawrence

    Class warfare. We keep hearing from Emmer’s camp that government needs to get out of the way and cut spending and don’t tax the wealthy. We’re at a point with our budget crisis and slowly moving economy where government HAS TO DO something, and everybody is burdened by what’s happened, and everybody has to share in fixing the problem!!! When a tornado destroys a Minnesota town, you don’t see rich people or business people saying, “I shouldn’t help because I help a lot of people already, and frankly I help people who don’t need the help.” This economy and budget mess is a tornado and all of us benefit when we pick up the pieces together.

  • Sue Z

    Pro-Life issues and the solvency of our government.

  • Jenny N

    We need to invest in pre-K through 3rd grade students especially. We need to take school funding out of the voters hands (lets face it, if you don’t have kids in school, why would you vote to raise your own taxes?) and pool all the property tax into one large fund to be dispersed EVENLY throughout MN’s school districts. Why should the kids in Wayzata get state of the art technology and programs, while other schools close? I’m saying all this while living in a great school district. If not every kid can succeed, we have failed.

  • BR

    Health and Human Services. Seniors, people with disabilities, low-income families – these groups are the most vulnerable and yet have been the most frequent target of budget cuts for the past 4 years. When do we ask people with means to sacrifice for the good of our communities? Bush never asked anything of those who are more fortunate. Pawlenty never did. Emmer won’t. Even Horner refuses to commit to raising sales taxes on the types of services that wealthy people use (lawyers services, accountants, etc.) Only Dayton is seriously talking about balancing the budget with a BALANCED approach that doesn’t simply cut services (Emmer) or add regressive taxes to big service cuts (Horner).

  • Randi Reitan

    I don’t think any person votes on a single issue. As I look over the comments, there are many important issues that concern us all. But one issue that has not been mentioned is equality. There are Minnesotans that do not have equality. The two major parties stand on different sides of this issue. Tom Emmer has done all he can as a state legislator to make sure the gay community does not have equality. Mark Dayton will do all he can as governor to bring equality. As a mom with a beloved gay son, this is a crucial issue for me. It is simply treating others as you would want to be treated. I can’t even imagine voting for a person who would deny people their civil rights.

  • Steve D

    Number one issue is climate change and a close second is issues with poverty.

    I agree with several of the others we need taxes raised on a state level in a progressive way, programs cut but not on the backs of the poor. I guess this means we need to add income taxes at my middle income level too. I would like to see new brackets for the upper income, and a temporary surcharge like we had before in Minnesota until removing it does not throw us back into deficit. If not a surcharge than an increased tax on carbon consumption and waste management and disposal, to break our cycle of dependence on oil. Phase in the carbon tax as you roll back the income tax surcharge.

    On a national level please expand and finish health care reform, cut our military adventures, increase taxes on the richest 12%. Look at federal employee structure, there are way too many mangers for the number of workers. We need more people screening at airports and monitoring at the docks and less paper pushers. We need more inspectors for our food, oil production, health care, and in the banks and on wall street. There are programs to be cut but not until the Senate and House change their rules to allow civil debate and amendments. Let us not grid lock let us all work together.

  • Lou

    America is fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the issues that people are concerned with continue to be their special interest issues. It is time for politicians and the public to put the war and foreign policy on the front burner and find a solution to bringing our troops home. We cannot afford to continue a never-ending military action.

  • bsimon

    Setting aside ideology in pursuit of solving problems.

  • Ross DeSautel

    Of course, the most important issue is Jobs. When will the U.S. begin bringing some of the jobs back from overseas so that we can make the products that We purchase? Our GNP is based on the products and services that come from overseas, and the money ends up there, or in the pockets of a few on our shores. The only jobs that we seem to maintain in our own country are services jobs which don’t pay squat. If we increase the number of jobs without decreasing wages, then the tax base goes up. As we have lost jobs, there are fewer taxpayers. So as we have increased government employees while other jobs continue to move overseas, we haven’t just lost more tax dollars, we have lost taxpayers to pay for the new government employees. Because of the decline in employees, the tax base is shrinking, so we borrow from China, so the costs go down, but without jobs, we can’t afford the products and services. The government positions that are being created can’t pay the wages of the new employees on their own unless the new government employees are paying 100% in taxes, and then they don’t make money to pay the bills. Note to All politicians, Stop Selling Our Country!!!!

  • NH

    Freeing the Market

    Withdrawing Troops

    State Sovereignty

  • Patricia

    My concern, whether it’s local, state or federal, the people who will be elected do not do what they promise or say. Once they get elected, they become part of that system they claim they are against. No one seems immune to this. I would like a candidate that actually does what he/she says for the people.

  • Sandra

    The most important issue is not letting the Republicans turn around all that has been accomplished in the last two years.

    If John McCain had been elected president, we wouldn’t be talking about the deepest recession since the Great Depression, we’d be talking about the Second Great Depression. If the Republicans take over Congress, that could still happen, because we aren’t out of the woods yet.

    If Republicans take over, we may be in Afghanistan and Iraq for the next 20 years.

    Any attempt to repeal the medical reform would be vetoed, but the Republicans could arrange not to fund the changes.

    And so on.

  • Alison

    My priorities for the gubernatorial race:

    Priority 1: Provide the state with a balanced budget based on a fair system of taxation and provides for all the services that the state must offer. The budget should also provide for the most important priorities on the ‘want list’ of most Minnesotans.

    Priority 2: Ensure the civil rights of all Minnesotans. Civil marriage is civil right that must be available to all Minnesota couples.

  • Laurie

    Healthcare. I can’t believe it has taken this long to stir up some action to try and find affordable healthcare to all. If there were other options then why wasn’t something tried before now?Republicans have had ample opportunity to make change but obviously didn’t. Is it because our elected officials don’t care because they have and will always have decent healthcare and won’t ever be turned down due to cancer or other chronic illness?

  • John D

    Term Limits & Campaign Funding…follow the money. How can a politician be responsible to the citizens and the issues, when they are bought and paid for my corporate and oversees money.

  • Aaron A.

    Not my number1 issue, but due to its seeming lack of attention: Medical Cannabis(pot). I cannot find a shred of information regarding where these candidates stand on this issue, and its frustrating me!

    in 2009, pawlenty vetoed a bill that would have legalized it. theres no doubt that next year, another bill will be introduced. I think minnesota is smart enough to pass it, and all we need is the right governor with the courage to risk his image to the 50 or 60 percent(a wild guess) of people who may not support him in that decision.

  • Dood

    Balancing the budget deficit in a fair and equitable manner while making sustainable economic growth for the state to avoid future budget crises.

  • Tom

    Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

  • Steve the Cynic

    Education is rapidly moving up my list. I’m appalled by how many people are believing the preposterous lie that Obama is a marxist. Marxism is the ideology of abolishing private property, which is quite far removed from anything Obama has even remotely suggested. It’s not so hard to understand, if you were paying attention (and it was covered) in your high school history classes. The fact that an ideology that had such enormous negative impact on the history of the 20th century could be so easily misconstrued by political spinmeisters and fearmongers to get people worked up is alarming.

  • DNA

    What issue is most important to me?

    For all candidates AND the public to know and take action on the truth of the Unconstitutional Criminalization of Hemp/Cannabis/Marijuana/Ganjika, THE WORLD’S MOST USEFUL AND VERSATILE PLANT. Hemp/Cannabis/Marijuana/ Ganjika should be available to be cultivated by whomever for every good use. Understand the history of Hemp/Cannabis/Marijuana/Ganjika in America and the World, and how the Unconstitutional nature of the Criminalization of Hemp/Cannabis/Marijuana/Ganjika has cost our environment, economy and ethical involvement with Life dearly.

    As well as the great benefit the truth and legalization of cannabis in all it forms will be, keep up the constant-and-never-ending-improvement in education and learning for humans at every age. Intelligence Increase on all levels.