Shelley will work to ensure that every dollar spent by the State of Minnesota is justified. The last sessions, the Governor tried to fund our essential services by proposing gambling and increased "fees." The gambling initiative failed and the cigarette tax has been deemed illegal.

Taking money from the pockets of those who can least afford it is not the right way to solve our funding problems. Minnesotans are willing to pay more when they see the benefits. Declaring "no new taxes" and then hiding costs as new fees is not the way to do business.

Shelley will work to have taxes that are progressive and based on the ability to pay. Everyone has a responsibility to help solve our funding issues, but no longer can we do that on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens. We can do better and Shelley will demand that we do better.

To accommodate the needs of growing suburbs, we must look at the way we transport people from one location to another.

Business development has expanded the need for service workers throughout the south metro. Business owners must be assured that they can find people to meet their employment needs.

Commuters should not be sitting in traffic for hours a day because we have had no leadership or vision for a transportation infrastructure at the State Capitol. Our county and our cities have asked for years for transportation dollars to meet the demands of our growing communities. To date, only a very small fraction of projects have been funded and dozens more are shelved with every budget session.

Shelley will look at all modes of transportation, from cars to buses to light rail, to help bring qualified, reliable workers to their place of employment. We can no longer keep our heads in the sand and assume that if we build up the suburbs, the workers will come. They must be able to get here. By connecting our communities via a stable and reliable transportation infrastructure, we will all benefit from plentiful workers and economic growth.

Shelley supports the MVST Amendment. She will be a strong voice on behalf of south metro commuters and business community members who need to have a solid transportation infrastructure in place.

As a parent of a disabled child, Shelley understands the effect of cuts on our healthcare system. In a state that prides itself on healthcare quality, it is unacceptable that there are families that do not have insurance.

It is also not acceptable to use healthcare dollars to pay for general fund obligations in order to comply with Governor Pawlenty's ill-considered "no new taxes" pledge. Shelley will fight to bring dedicated funding back to healthcare. She understands the economic and emotional impact of not having insurance coverage. She will work hard to humanize healthcare decisions. Shelley will work for affordable, quality access to healthcare for all Minnesotans, young and old.

Early Education:
Education for the youngest of our state is a keystone issue for Shelley. As a parent of two children, Shelley participated for many years in the Early Childhood and Family Education programs in her school district. These classes were an invaluable learning tool to create the family life she and her husband wanted. It was also the first outreach she made as a new resident to Apple Valley and it provided her with an introduction into the community that has developed into her current community activism. Funding for these programs has been slashed along with school readiness programs.

Shelley will fight to increase funding to these societal bedrock programs. She understands their positive impact and their long-term economic returns.

K-12 Education:
Shelley has been actively involved in her school district and understands the effect of budget cuts on the classroom. As a parent of a special education child, she also understands the demands placed on teachers for student progress. Right now, in order to fund school programs and classroom teaching positions, some communities have resorted to creating school foundations. In the short run, this option does provide the revenue to match funding cuts. However, it does not provide for a long-term, stable funding.

Shelley will also support the re-implementation of the task force that will determine the true costs of educating our students to business standards. The costs of this mandated service should be paid for by the State of Minnesota.

Higher Education:
Shelley believes that every Minnesota family has a right to consider a state school for their child's education. An educated workforce is a hallmark of Minnesota. It is the reason that corporations flock to our area and stay here. Our economy cannot sustain a labor force of poorly prepared workers.

Shelley will fight to fund the higher education infrastructure and will work to reduce the double digit tuition increases seen by Minnesota families for state institutions. Funding for our state institutions must become a priority for our state again and not be held hostage to general fund dollars shortfalls.