Winona Daily News

“And admit that the watersAround you have grown”� Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changin’”

Minnesota’s favorite son, Bob Dylan, talked a lot about change. And his song seems to have taken on new meaning lately.

Though it’s cliche, the one constant we’ve heard this election season is that it’s time for a change.

So many issues will face us in the next two years � health care, the war in Iraq, education, the economy, higher education, roads and bridges. All of them are getting talked about, and most of what we hear is that things are holding together, but just barely.

If there is a unifying theme in the Winona Daily News’ editorial board endorsements this year (and, there may not be one), it’s that we believe some change will do us good. We believe that without change health care may strangle businesses, individuals and government. The Iraq war desperately needs new approaches, and our schools and roads may both be falling apart due to neglectful funding.

As we considered all of the candidates at the local, state and federal level, we’re struck by the enormity of the issues facing them. In examining each candidate, the Daily News editorial board looked for who could serve the area the best, collaborate the most and looked for solutions more than spin.

Here are the Winona Daily News endorsements:

Winona County Sheriff

Dave Brand

Dave Brand really does put his heart into his job. Anyone who’s ever been on scene at an accident or crisis knows he’s calm under pressure and never seems to lose sight of the human factor. We believe Brand understands the issues surrounding the jail, has built important multi-county partnerships, like the drug task force, and continues to serve the entire county well.

That’s not to say Brand’s challenger, Winona Police Sgt. Chris Nelson, hasn’t capably pointed out some very serious concerns within the department. Nelson has rightly pointed out that better communication and better technology would serve the sheriff’s office well. The sheriff’s office seems to have some catching up to do in terms of technology and it needs be more transparent in its reporting of incidents and communications to the public. A survey conducted by the Daily News about a year ago showed large time gaps between when incidents occur and when they are reported to the public.

However, we believe that Brand has established himself as a leader who takes his job seriously. In the next four years, we hope he commits the resources to those two areas, even if he himself isn’t an expert in them.

Winona County commissioner, District 2

Dwayne Voegeli

Probably no other local politician in recent memory has been so thoughtful, successful or as sharp as Dwayne Voegeli. His first election was a lesson in grassroots politics, but with it came some pretty hefty idealism. Voegeli hasn’t lost those values or ideals but has used them as guiding principles. For an idealist, he’s shrewdly pragmatic. He truly seeks to understand and to make the best choice, even if that means alienating certain blocs of voters.

While we may not have agreed with every stance he’s taken, it’s impossible to argue with his sincerity. Moxie coupled with integrity like his is rare, even in local politics.

Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out his ability to literally put his money where his mouth is. Instead of taking pay increases, he’s donated those to worthwhile local charities. He refuses to take part in paid out-of-state conferences at the taxpayers’ expense.

County Commissioner, District 5

Marcia Ward

Sometimes the word lazy gets lumped next to the word politician. That will never be said about Marcia Ward, whose work for the county commission defines tireless. In addition to her work ethic, she’s also been a steward of the county’s sometimes strapped financial resources. Winona County voters can be assured that even if they’re paying more, it had to pass the Marcia Ward test for fiscal responsibility.

Ward has had to make some tough decisions, especially in the areas like historical society parking lots and feedlots. Though her decisions haven’t been universally popular, she’s been willing to make tough calls and be fair. Like Voegeli, she is not afraid to ask tough questions or mete out equally difficult answers to challenges facing our county.

County Commissioner, District 1

Jim Pomeroy

Jim Pomeroy is a Winona native who has proven success in two arenas, both public and private. Pomeroy knows the pressure and the scrutiny that goes along with being part of local government from when he was Winona city clerk.

He has also had to prove himself in the ultra-competitive world of local banking. With all of his success, coupled with his financial background, Jim Pomeroy would serve Winona County very well.

Let’s face it, smaller counties will face challenges from health care to jails. Rarely can one find a caliber of candidate like Pomeroy, who can use his private sector savvy with the government background to find solutions to these problems. We know his lifetime of collaboration and relationship building will serve us well.

Finally, it’s time for a change. Pomeroy’s challenger, incumbent Duane Bell, seems to take a status quo view of a county that will face more than just status quo challenges ahead. Bell was also a part of trips to Hawaii and recently Washington, D.C., in which the commissioners who went seemed to get nothing more than a free trip. In both cases, he struggled to come up with real benefits the taxpayers reaped from those junkets. In fact, the story prompted the Minnesota Legislature to pass a law, dubbed derisively “the Winona bill,” to regulate county travel expenses.

It’s time we elect someone who demonstrates a little more respect for the county tax dollar.

Winona Area Public Schools at-large seats

Stacey Mounce Arnold

John Goplen

For a moment, let’s assume that every single move the Winona Area Public Schools Board has made in the past four years has been absolutely correct.

Then they’d still be in desperate need of change.

While we don’t agree with all its decisions, the problems on the board go deeper than the individual decisions. It has repeatedly shown it is not interested in listening to the very serious concerns of the community. While many of the current board members pay great lip service to the need for better communication, those words seem to be hollow phrases meant to temporarily appease a dissatisfied public.

We can point to SOFA, the poorly articulated partnership between Winona State and the district, a controversial contract renewal for the superintendent, a homeless ALC program and the Lincoln sale as areas of serious concern.

We support the newcomers who have volunteered to run for school board. We see folks willing to have difficult conversations, willing to truly communicate.

We think Stacey Mounce Arnold has proven herself to be a community leader and will be absolutely tenacious in seeing the district make improvements both internally and in the court of public trust.

John Goplen has brought new ideas and understanding to the table and seems committed to the necessary reform at the board level.

We also hope that if Greg Fellman doesn’t make it on the school board this election go-round, he’ll be back next time.

Winona Area Public Schools

Larry Laber

The Winona Daily News has disagreed with Larry Laber on a number of key issues. But we also have to trust that he’s serious in his commitment to bring about more open communication from the public.

Granted, a school board member’s job is a thankless one. We believe that his time on the school board will still serve voters well, and we believe that he is the best choice in this limited field.

U.S. Congress, Minnesota 1st District

Tim Walz

If he can legislate like he can campaign, look out, Washington, D.C., and hold on Minnesota. No one gave Walz a chance a year ago, and Walz never let that stop him. We need that kind of representation in Washington.

In 1994, U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht signed a pledge, vowing not to run after six terms. Now, he’s seeking a seventh. If Gil can’t keep a promise, the voters have a chance to help him keep it.

The problem is that Gil has wanted to paint himself as an independent thinking and voting Republican. The truth is he’s voted 90 percent of the time with the White House. He recently blamed his dwindling poll numbers on things like the Mark Foley scandal, but the truth is, Gil’s not done a lot for the 1st District.

We believe that a veteran, a school teacher and a hard worker like Walz has all the right qualities we need in our next representative. He has a fresh approach to health care and to the war in Iraq. We also think that his tenacity in this race and the national attention it’s drawn will put him in very good standing when he arrives at the Capitol.

Minnesota Governor

Peter Hutchinson

First and most importantly, not every independent in Minnesota is Jesse Ventura. Some are a whole lot smarter. And Peter Hutchinson would make a great governor.

While there are serious concerns to be raised about an independent legislator, a governor, essentially an administrator, could be a very positive force in statewide politics.

Hutchinson’s two opponents have serious shortcomings. Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s no new taxes pledge hurt the state. His cuts to social programs hurt those who could not afford to help themselves. And finally, his vision for the future of Minnesota lacks inspiration. Governors are leaders, and his leadership during a government shutdown and a couple of do-nothing legislatures were a real disappointment for a former legislator.

DFL candidate Mike Hatch has a lot of nifty ideas, but those start to falter when one examines the funding mechanisms.

Hutchinson understands the pitfalls of campaigning on sensitive social issues. While those may tug at the heart strings, it’s a small part of the day-to-day governance of the state. We believe that Hutchinson has sensible, practical experience that would allow him to keep focused on what matters most to Minnesotans. Hutchinson smartly understands if you fix health care in the state, it may have an added benefit of freeing up money to fix other problems, like education and the environment.

Minnesota Senate

Sharon Erickson Ropes

We’ve heard from every candidate that health care is an issue, and Sharon Erickson Ropes is a person who has a passion and vision for health care in Minnesota. But that would be to sell her short.

She also understands school issues, veterans issues and a whole host of other concerns because she’s taken the time to educate herself or been a part of an organization that has faced similar problems. Ropes seems to lead by listening. She puts a high value on getting out and hearing people.

We compliment her for running a campaign that has not been combative. Rather, it’s been informative.

We also believe the Minnesota Senate will be controlled by the DFL party, and if that’s the case, Ropes would be well positioned to represent the Winona area even better.

That being said, the field in this particular race is incredibly strong.

We believe that Independent Kevin Kelleher has given a textbook case on great campaigning, but we seriously question how effective he’d be in a two-party system in which neither side would trust him too much.

And while we really liked Brenda Johnson’s thoughtful approach as an economist, her campaign literature seems to reveal her interest in very conservative social politics. The literature didn’t seem to match the message we’ve heard.

Winona City Council

Gerry Krage

Like him or not, Gerry Krage calls them as he sees them. He’s a straight-talking, hard-working city council member who has done a good job representing his constituents. We believe he deserves another four-year term.

During this election season, which has had a circus atmosphere, Krage has calmly remained focused on the issues of running the city well. Winona, thanks to both a wise council and innovative city staff, seems to have few major hurdles before it. Winona should be grateful it has found a servant willing to work for so many years on its behalf.

Minnesota House

Gene Pelowski

Few legislators have been as good at representing their home district as Gene Pelowski. He’s simply done a marvelous job at fighting for public education, both K-12 and colleges. He is responsive to his constituents and has a positive vision for the future.

We also have to point out that his very worthy opponent, Lewie Reiman, ran a great campaign, and brought surprisingly fresh ideas to the table. We’d love to see Reiman continue to be involved in politics and bring some of his perspective to government.

However, it’s simply impossible to argue with Pelowski’s strong record of service or his ability to get the job done for our district.

Minnesota House of Representatives

Steve Sviggum

Steve Sviggum works hard for his district. His leadership in the House of Representatives as the Speaker has not only brought a lot of prestige to the district, it has meant Sviggum has played an important role in state politics. This can only mean good things for the district.

His election as Speaker of the House proved that he can reach across party lines to get things accomplished for the good of the entire state. The 2006 Legislature got a lot of things accomplished under his watch. We believe his solid leadership will continue to be a great advantage for the region.

U.S. Senate

Amy Klobuchar

Despite the intense campaigning and questionable advertising tactics of her opponent, Amy Klobuchar has done a marvelous job of keeping upbeat and focused on a message of change.

Klobuchar might just bring a little of that Wellstone enthusiasm back to the Senate. She talks about things that matter to Minnesotans � health care, the war in Iraq, the economy, education and energy.

We think Klobuchar’s record as a district attorney will give her a great perspective when she travels to Washington. The U.S. Senate needs to change, and she’ll be a positive force for that.

Minnesota Senate

Steve Murphy

Sometimes experience means a lot. We believe that Steve Murphy has done a good job of representing a very diverse district that stretches to the outskirts of the metro area, all the way down to Goodview.

Murphy talks about the need to change health care and also spends serious time discussing the work force. With manufacturers in our area needing more and more trained workers to fuel our economy, Murphy’s plans seem to make a whole lot of sense. Work force and transportation issues may not seem as snazzy as some other issues, but they are vital to our region and necessary if Minnesota is to remain competitive in the global economy.

By Darrell Ehrlick, editor, on behalf of the Winona Daily News editorial board, which also includes publisher Rusty Cunningham, Jerome Christenson, online editor, photo editor James A. Bowey and sales and marketing manager Tom Best. To comment, call 453-3522 or send e-mail to letters@winonadailynews.com.

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