"Throughout the history of Minnesota, our state's rich countryside has been connected to our small towns and cities through a web of family relationships and commerce. We've always understood that one cannot thrive without the other. Today we are at a critical juncture. If our state is to be successful in the new global economy, then people and businesses in every corner of Minnesota need to have access to opportunity."
Minnesota is blessed with some of the richest farmland and most valuable natural resources in the world. We have a history of turning these resources into the raw materials, food and products that have been the engine of our state's prosperity. Minnesota is a national leader in producing everything from sugar beets, corn and other grains to beef, pork, poultry and dairy products. The agriculture and food industry is Minnesota's largest employer and contributes more than $10 billion to the state economy.
Despite this history, no one would dispute that the last several decades have not been easy on Minnesota's rural economy. Farmers and livestock owners have been buffeted by wild price swings. Younger people are leaving for opportunities in bigger communities - or out of state.
R.T. believes that we can turn these trends around if we have a statewide plan for jobs, opportunity and revitalizing our homegrown economy. He will be an active partner with Congressman Colin Peterson and Senator Amy Klobuchar, both who serve on Congressional Agriculture committees, to help Minnesota farmers. R.T. will help to connect rural Minnesota with efficient, safe roads and broadband Internet access. He will help small, entrepreneurial businesses that are ready to create jobs and revitalize Main Streets across Minnesota with small business loans and business assistance - the same strategies that have turned around neighborhoods in Minneapolis.
Greater Minnesota is a rich source of innovation. R.T. understands the power of clean, renewable energy to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and create jobs all across Minnesota.
In Greater Minnesota, creating jobs and opportunity depends on good schools and access to quality health care. Clean water and protected natural areas will not only add to our quality of life, they will support tourism. Local food and regional food systems are good for the environment and support family scale producers.
