Question 4:

The Governor of Minnesota will be asked to come up with solutions to a variety of issues that culminate in the tension between the need to protect the environment, and the need to sustain economic development. Solutions to conflicts that have arisen through issues such as the BWCA, timber resources, agriculture, including feedlots, and others will require making difficult choices and creating consensus. What are some of the tradeoffs you see in these rural and urban issues? In your rebuttal please respond to these two questions. Can you create consensus between these divergent Minnesota interests to work out some of these problems. If so, how would you create that consensus?

MARTY Response to Question 4

The tension between environmental protection and economic development is frequently a false or at least exaggerated dichotomy promoted by certain business interests in the search of big short term profits. These businesses are often able to entice workers and communities to promote their agenda for them, by using threats of job losses or promises of new employment.

Sustainable agriculture and sustainable economic development are not radical concepts-it is the converse- unsustainable development or agriculture that we cannot continue to pursue.

In fact, environmental protection is often positively linked to economic development. For example, Minnesota’s economy loses more than $3 billion annually on energy imports despite having abundant resources here. Reinvesting energy dollars in renewable energy brings economic benefits with our labor and business, instead of shipping money elsewhere.

Promoters of large feedlots argue they are a solution to the economic problems of farmers and rural communities. However, when a daycare home shuts down because of the stench of pollution from a nearby hog feedlot, and a spill of manure from a feedlot causes a massive fish kill nearby, it begins to look as if feedlot proponents are willing to destroy the community in order to save it. Tough environmental regulations that protect the community now and preserve the environment for the future should be minimum requirements.

60 acres of land around the metro area is lost to sprawl every day, for new suburban malls and housing subdivisions. Developers pushing for such projects argue that they are good for jobs. However, no thought is given to the well-being of Minnesotans thirty years from now, who will be forced to live with the sprawling metropolis that was created by our generation without respect for them.

My administration will promote sustainable economic development that creates good jobs and protects the environment.