Eden Prairie AM Rotary Bulletin November 5, 2018 (Nov 04, 2018)

District 48B challenger is Carlie Kotyza-Witthun. In her absence, Senator Steve Cwodzinski read a prepared statement. Carlie grew up in a union household in Sheboygan Wisconsin. She is a University of Saint Thomas graduate who has lived in Eden Prairie with her family for seven years. Her priorities are:

From head-start and early pre-k through an affordable college experience, quality education must be accessible and affordable.
Small business, sound infrastructure, and a livable minimum wage will drive our economy forward.
Minnesota is for everyone, equally. We should not deny our neighbors access to affordable healthcare, equal pay for equal work, an environment free from discrimination.

Her web site is https://www.carlieforhouse.com/.

District 48B incumbent is Jenifer Loon. Jenifer and husband Doug have lived in Eden Prairie for 20 years raising two daughters. Jenifer also serves as Strive mentor for Eden Prairie students. As a fiscal conservative, Jenifer is dedicated to:

Slowing the growth of State spending.
Saying “No” to demands for higher taxes.
Prioritizing State spending.
Ensuring the highest quality of education for our children.
Bringing market-based reforms to our healthcare system.

Her web site is http://jeniferloon.com/.

District 48A challenger is Ellen Cousins. Ellen moved to Minnetonka with husband Dave in 1991. Ellen is a sales and marketing professional and has served on several commissions and boards in the City of Minnetonka and Hopkins school district. Her priorities are:

Fighting for our fair share of school funding and direct more dollars into our classrooms for teachers and students. She will prioritize innovative reforms to give every child access to safe, quality schools with excellent outcomes.
Strengthen the economy for individuals and businesses by lowering the tax burden and matching our workforce with the training they need to be successful.
Lower health care costs, make health care pricing more transparent, and increase coverage options for everyone. Extend mental health resources for those in need.
Reduce the debate around ideology and work across the aisle for Minnesotans who want to see government get things done.
Protect seniors and vulnerable adults living in long-term care. Stop taxing pensions and social security income to encourage retirees to stay in Minnesota.
Be responsible for what we have including maintenance for existing roads and bridges. Aim to reduce congestion and keep all drivers safe on the road.

Her web site is https://www.ellencousins.com.

District 48A incumbent is Laurie Pryor. Laurie and husband Jon have been married for 39 years and moved to Minnetonka in 1989 to raise their three children in a strong community. Her priorities are:

Safe and healthy communities including keeping our children and families safe by implementing proven, common-sense policies that have broad public support. We must keep guns out of the wrong hands as well as keep our children and loved ones safe. In states that have closed the background check loopholes and have enacted “red flag laws” fewer police officers are killed by guns and fewer people are murdered by their domestic partners. There is no reason Minnesota cannot do the same. We must provide better oversight of care facilities to protect seniors and vulnerable adults. We must reduce distracted driving by a hands-free cell phone bill. We must fight the opioid epidemic by requiring pharmaceutical companies to pay their fair share for treatment and prevention.
Strong Schools - Many of us chose to live in this community because of our world-class schools. We can protect that legacy and ensure our children are prepared for the future by making sure that the state never again borrows money from school districts to paper over a budget shortfall, expanding access to early childhood education to help close the achievement gap, making college more affordable by lowering tuition at public colleges and universities and allowing recent graduates to refinance their student loans.
Innovation and Economic Opportunity - Our region is home to many of Minnesota’s great businesses, both large and small. These businesses are the engines of economic opportunity. Minnesota’s competitive edge is our brain power. We can help our businesses create and fill the jobs of the future by investing in education, science and research and making sure our young people are prepared to join the 21 st century workforce. We can also help our small businesses thrive by reducing red tape and reviewing the tax code to ensure small businesses are treated fairly.
Modern Transportation Infrastructure - To make sure Minnesota continues to be a great place to live and do business we must also build and maintain a transportation system that reduces congestion and increases transit options. Projects like the Southwest Light Rail will make it easier for people in our district to get to work and spend less time stuck in traffic.

Her web site is http://lauriepryor.org/.

Announcements

11/12 – Veteran’s Day Luncheon hosted by Edina Rotary at Bloomington Hilton
11/15 – Grant Deadline https://epamrotary.org/Stories/grants-deadline-is-nov-15-2018
John Goergen looking for a co-coordinator for Meals on Wheels.

Spotlight on Kelly Salwei

Kelly is the oldest of six children. He was born in Grafton North Dakota and lived in Pembina County (NE North Dakota) until he was ten years old. Moved to Fergus Falls where he graduated from high school. Graduated with double major in accounting and business administration from Mankato State University. First job was at a CPA firm in Bemidji Minnesota where he worked for a little over six years. In 1985 Kelly moved to the Twin Cities to take a position with Olsen Thielen where he has been employed since then. Kelly is a shareholder at Olsen Thielen and helps clients as an audit principal. Kelly met his wife Jennifer at Olsen Thielen and they were married in 1989 and have three children all in college. Kelly lives in Chaska and his office is on the third floor of the US Bank Building (Roy Terwilligers former bank building).

Happy Fines

PG Naryan – excited to welcome granddaughter into family and voting for himself last Thursday. Robb Hiller – excited to welcome another grandson to the family. Dan O’Brien congratulated top ticket sellers for Vino (Jacob Stonesifer and Bill Gaddis). Intern Andy excited and grateful for opportunity to attend Camp Enterprise. Matt Crane grateful for candidates willing to step up and serve.

Visitors

Dave Cousins - Guest of Ellen Cousins

Molly Zeller and Andy Tan - Student Interns