Patriot News MN

(Editor’s note: Due to space constraints, the Patriot will publish up to 5-6 LTEs a week as space allows and carry over unpublished letters to the next week, if able.)

TO THE EDITOR:

The Chamber’s of Becker, Big Lake and Elk River held a candidate forum in Big Lake. Area Sherburne County Commissioner candidates; Sherburne County Auditor-Treasurer candidates; House and Senate Candidates all gave their views on questions from moderators. Thank you chambers, it was a very informative evening. Today I want to focus on incumbent Auditor Treasurer Candidate Diane Arnold. Being a former city clerk in two cities, I had a great working relationship with the auditor-treasurer’s office. Ramona guided Diane down all the right paths of being an honest, reputable and a conscientious county office holder. Diane has conducted herself, and her staff in an extemporary manner. She handles the county’s funds for the best returns on our money. Under her guidance the department is run smoothly. Let’s keep it that way! We need to maintain consistency in this office. About elections, if you never have hand counted ballots, which I have, it could be an eye-opener for you! This office has to follow state statutes. No exceptions. Any changes go through the state legislative bodies, not the county government! Please join me in voting for Diane Arnold, Sherburne County Auditor-Treasurer! Thank you!

Nancy Fiereck

Clear Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

Gregg Felber is running for Sherburne County Commissioner in District 3 representing Becker, Orrock, and parts of Elk River. Gregg is a good man who will work to limit government, safeguard the integrity of our elections, and protect our God-given rights. Please vote Gregg Felber on November 8th.

Paul Knier

Big Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

Character and experience count….and Gary Gray is the obvious choice for Sherburne County Commissioner in the 4th District. Serving on the Clear Lake Township board for 18 years…11 as chairman…Gary has the experience to serve us well. As a farmer and involved community member, Gary’s integrity, knowledge of the workings of local government and small business makes him the preferred choice as our commissioner. He understands the unique balance between preserving our agricultural economy and accommodating continued growth in the county. We strongly support Gary’s candidacy and urge anyone who is looking for responsible leadership for the 4th District to vote for Gary Gray on November 8th.

Gary and Jane Marsden

Clear Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

I am writing to encourage you to join me in supporting Lefty Kleis for Sherburne County Commissioner in the new District 4. If you want a local, experienced, and dedicated person to represent you at the county, Lefty is your guy. He stands for the things I believe in like public safety, fiscal responsibility, reliable and affordable energy, election integrity, and expanding broadband access. This November we in Sherburne County have an opportunity to elect people that will truly represent us and our values at the county level. County commissioners have a lot of power over our day-to-day lives, and there is a clear difference in this race. One candidate has shown that he values money and himself more than his community, while Lefty has proven he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes in and will always put people ahead of politics. I’m sick of self-serving politicians. Let’s elect Lefty Kleis to the county board to fight for us and our way of life. I trust him to represent me and to do what is right, no matter the opposition he will and has already faced.

Jim Szczech

Clear Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

Are we really saving planet Earth by going green? Did you know there is a tropospheric ozone layer that cleanses the atmosphere? In case you don’t remember the science, imagine a world devoid of carbon dioxide due to our destruction of nature’s balance. As one by one, farmers replace crops with solar panels far as the eye can see, food shortages will become the norm. When going green becomes mandatory, causing coal power plants and gas-powered vehicles to become extinct, and carbon dioxide is reduced near to nothing, everything green that depends on carbon dioxide will wither and die creating a brown planet devoid of the oxygen required to sustain life. Now every living thing including humans will no longer exist, and Earth, poisoned by a pile of decaying car batteries, will join other lifeless planets in our solar system. Is it worth it?

Mary Jo Mosher

Becker MN

TO THE EDITOR:

Becker school board elections this year present a unique opportunity with five out of six positions open. There are two positions open for a two year term, plus three positions open for four-year terms. We are fortunate that three good incumbents would like to continue, so the board can avoid being mostly new faces inundated with ongoing challenging issues. Please consider the following, all of whom have children in school. Two-year: Troy Berning (berning4schoolboard.com) is in the IT business and as an incumbent has admirably handled the difficult issues thrown at him in his short time on the board. He will continue his excellent and conservative representation. Ryan Hubbard is a pillar of the community. He will bring his business experience and conservative values to serve well, too. Four-year: Aaron Jurek, a teacher, has served 12 years on the board and brings institutional knowledge and mentorship for newer board members. Pete Weismann (pete4beckerschools.com) is a businessman and incumbent who joined with Troy as selected by the board. He is a strong advocate for rehabilitating the school’s reputation and ensuring the continuation of conservative values. Keri Rickard is a businesswoman who participated in Becker’s Strategic Plan and has kids in every building.

Betsy Armstrong

Becker, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

I just read an article entitled “Your Inflation Cheat Sheet” in AARP Bulletin (Oct 2022). Author Lynn Asinof listed several causes for our current skyrocketing inflation, including Russia, global shut-downs in honor of COVID-19, and even the $5 trillion government’s stimulus program, all of which certainly contributed to our current problems. Blatantly absent from the list was the fact that President Biden shut down oil production (pipelines, fracking, serious exploration) across this country, and opened wide our southern border to warmly invite illegal aliens by offering them huge quid pro quo gifts of healthcare, food, clothing, housing, and money in exchange for fentanyl and future votes. To add insult to injury, he also sold a large quantity of our National Emergency Oil Supply to China, further jeopardizing our energy supply and increasing inflation. I guess AARP can’t be trusted to tell us “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

Marlene Schultz

Big Lake, MN

TO THE EDITOR:

I’d like to respond to a few candidate profiles that were in last week’s paper. First, Raeanne Danielowski. She says she’s for fiscal responsibility and yet votes to spend more taxpayers’ money. She’s not for election integrity. She votes in favor of giving new businesses years’ worth of tax breaks. She supports the solar farm that’s currently being shoved on Sherburne residents and closing of the Sherco plant. Next candidate - Dianne Arnold. Experience doesn’t make her a good auditor. She’s proven time and again she’s not for election integrity by refusing to be forthcoming with the voting machines and data requests. She also saw to it that Kari Watkins was removed from the Haven Township ballot for Township Supervisor. Kari is running as a write-in for Supervisor - kariwatkins.com to read the full story. Next candidate - Gary Gray. He states he supports the effort to keep the coal plant in Becker open and yet he’s voted to approve the solar farm currently being pushed on us, which he will personally gain financially. Please watch past county commissioner meetings to hear the above issues that have been raised and don’t vote for these candidates.