Residents of Dist. 32B in Maple Grove and Osseo will vote Tuesday, Nov. 4, in the general election to fill the Minnesota House of Representative seat.

Candidates appearing on the ballot include incumbent Kurt Zellers, who is being challenged by Lee Carlson for the state representative seat. Both candidates live in Maple Grove.

The candidates were asked to include their thoughts in statements. Each were asked to include in a response:

1. Candidate biography: Please include a short biography of yourself, your background, your personal and professional experiences and any other information you wish to share.

2. Candidate statement: Please comment on the top issues you feel are important in this election. Explain any changes you would like to see made to address House Dist. 32B's most urgent problems.

The responses received include:

Lee Carlson

Candidate biography:

I am a lifetime resident of Minnesota, including the last 15 years in Maple Grove. Ann and I enjoy a 41-year marriage and have three adult children.

I have a bachelor of mechanical engineering degree and a master of business administration degree, both from the University of Minnesota.

I taught in the Peace Corps for two years, practiced engineering for five years and have 31 years of corporate finance experience.

Ann and I are 42-year members of Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church and are active community volunteers. I consider serving in the Minnesota Legislature to be a community service.

Candidate statement:

Minnesota's economy traditionally has performed significantly better than the national average. The basis of this past performance was the growth of businesses that provided good paying jobs. Contrary to the assertion that Minnesota taxes drove business from locating in Minnesota, our state thrived until 2003.

Beginning in 1991, Minnesota's median household income rose from the national average to one of the top five states from 2000 through 2002. From 2002 to 2007, Minnesota's median household income fell from the top five to 11th in the nation - the lowest is has been since 1995. The 2002-07 time period with implementation of the Republican Parity's "No new Taxes" policy. Starting in 2003, Minnesota began to disinvest in the very infrastructure that provided the climate for a healthy state economy.

As we became obsessed with "lower taxes," not only did the state's median income decline but the state's unemployment rate went from 1.1% below the national average to a 22 year high of 6.2% unemployment this August. Poverty rates have increased from 5.6% below the national level to only 3.2% below the national level. Affordable health care disappeared for many of our citizens.

The missing link in the "No new Taxes" story is inattention to the infrastructure that drives the state's economy. Minnesota's real economic drivers are; 1) an education system that provides a well educated workforce, 2) a modern and adequate transportation system, 3) a healthy workforce and 4) a natural environment that attracts workers to Minnesota.

We have adopted the wrong or inadequate policies for each of the above four key drivers that are necessary to maintain Minnesota's status as a great state to live in. In the last six years, state support for public schools has declined 13.5% in inflation adjusted dollars which has resulted in increased property taxes. Minnesota's Department of Transportation says that the state is short $2 billion dollars per year to adequately fund state roads and bridges which account for only 10% of the state's roads and bridges - the remaining 90% being owned and operated by cities and counties. Access to affordable health care insurance has been restricted. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has determined that the water quality of 40% of our lakes, rivers and streams is impaired.

We need to reverse the degradation of our infrastructure. I will work very hard to restore Minnesota's economy and quality of life.

Kurt Zellers

Candidate biography:

Kurt, his wife Kim, a public school teacher, and their children Reagan and Will live in Maple Grove. Zellers grew up on a century old family farm.

He graduated with a degree in political science from the University of North Dakota. He is an Assistant Minority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives and serves as a member of the following House Committees: Commerce and Labor, Taxes, Public Safety Finance and State Government Finance.

Prior to being elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives Zellers worked as a Senior Account Representative for Padilla Speer Beardsley and Miller Meester Public Relations Firms. Currently, he owns and runs his own small business.

Candidate statement:

Jobs and the Economy have always been my top priority. As a small business owner, my wife Kim and I are just like thousands of the middle class families in our district. We are feeling the effects of rising costs at the gas pump and the grocery store, but continue to live within our means, pay our bills and still give back to our community.

This is why I am so devoted to the voters of our area. I not only listen to your concerns, I live them just like you. I know we need more jobs in our community; that's why I stood up to extremists in St. Paul that wanted to raise taxes and regulations on small businesses.

When our community needed a new hospital for the Northwest Suburbs; I worked with Republicans, Independents and Democrats to get the job done! I brought together all the groups that wanted to build in our area; in the end we were able to get two out of the three to form a partnership that brought us a better hospital.

Now that our state and nation are facing difficult economic times, we need leaders who have proven that they will keep their promises and deliver for us. During these trying times, I stand with you, the working families of our area; not the tax and spend extremists in St. Paul that are demanding more of our hard earned money.

Creating new, high paying jobs, has always been my top priority at the Capitol. As the Minority Lead on the House Commerce Committee, I listened to small business owners and know the challenges they face each day. Our businesses compete on a national and international market and we cannot just go along as usual and 'hope' things get better. We need to re-start our economy and we need to create new jobs.

In addition to passing the Maple Grove hospital bill, I was the chief author of an economic stimulus bill last session that would have cut taxes to create NEW jobs in our state. Minnesota's business tax rates rank among the highest in the world and we are losing jobs because of the high costs associated with conducting business in our state.

If you give me your vote on November 4, I promise I will stand with the working families and small business owners. I will not raise taxes on the basic goods you use every day.