Inventor’s Corner
How many times have you heard political candidates give the same worn out gag-reflex speech that goes something like "If you vote for me, I will fight for you?" What's notably missing is well-thought out solutions. Minnesota needs a solutions-oriented governor rather than a Tim Walz machine politician who caters to special interests at the expense of hardworking Minnesotans.
Jeff Johnson is an entrepreneur and received his first patent from the U.S Patent & Trademark Office in November 2015. Unlike many politicians, Jeff is solutions-oriented. Jeff isn't afraid to come up with innovative ideas to lead Minnesota. Before receiving his first patent, Jeff had other ideas that did not succeed. According to Thomas Edison, "I didn't fail. I just found 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb. I only needed one way to make it work." This is the mentality needed for the next Minnesota Governor.
Solution: Require Additional and Frequent Oversight Policies to Stop Taxpayer Fraud. Taxpayer fraud in Minnesota now exceeds one-half billion dollars and climbing. Governor Walz waited 7 years to issue an executive order to combat this out of control fraud. This is totally inexcusable and irresponsible. Agencies receiving taxpayer funded monies who start to engage in fraudulent practices should have their grant privileges immediately revoked and ordered to repay all monies including penalties. These agencies should be permanently banned from any future eligibility to receive additional taxpayer funds.
Solution: STOP Constantly Talking about "Tax the Rich" Schemes. This is another gag reflex statement that gets Jeff queasy. Raising taxes on "the rich" will hurt the middle class because the rich will give smaller raises, or not expand their business. Even worse, "the rich" will simply vote with their feet by leaving Minnesota. "The rich should pay their fair share" has been used ad nauseam and no one seems to know how much is truly fair. 50% percent taxed? 60% percent? Or more? Ronald Reagan used to say that you can't be pro jobs if you hurt employers. Can you imagine if a parent confronted a teenager about out of control spending on a credit card and the teenager simply responded, "Mom and dad, I think you just need to pay more so perhaps you should work harder or get a second job!" Why do Minnesota taxpayers tolerate this type of fiscal irresponsibility by Governor Walz?
Solution: Minnesota Citizens Enhanced Protection Act. The state is becoming an increasingly dangerous place. During the fall of 2020, Jeff created a proposal for the Minnesota Citizens Enhanced Protection Act which would provide additional training for Minnesota permit holders.
Solution: Tougher Anti-Riot Legislation. People convicted of crimes during a riot will forfeit any government assistance and will be required to pay more restitution to property owners. Perhaps a "Riot Offender List" should be developed so anyone convicted of vandalism, shutting down an interstate highway, looting, or bodily harm should be placed on this list so businesses can quickly identify job seekers who may have previously damaged their business.
Solution: Stiff Penalties for Abusive Government Officials. Leaders who willfully abuse the Constitution and create unnecessary harm to citizens or businesses should be personally responsible to make restitution. The Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's heavy handed enforcement of fining a restaurant for being open while taking a soft approach towards rioters who vandalize and loot businesses is inexcusable.
Solution: Overhaul Minnesota's Sex Offender Laws. Minnesota's Predatory Offender Registry needs to be changed. "I hate sex crimes. I am not lenient on people who cause harm to children," said Wetterling. "But I'm suggesting that children who harm children are different from a 45-year-old man hurting children." (Star Tribune, March 17, 2021, Patty Wetterling). We need people like Patty to make meaningful changes. In this article, a young lady celebrating her 19th birthday with alcohol had sex with a teenage boy who expressed interest in her. She is on the sex registry for life. Is this truly restorative justice? How about a 11-year old boy who was put on a sex registry for touching his sister that did not involve penetration and ended up dropping out of college?
Solution: Helping Minnesota's Farmers. Governor Walz willfully marginalized and has been incredibly insensitive of rural Minnesotans by his "rocks and cows" comment. Jeff used to milk cows at his family farm in Winona County. Not only will Jeff be a friend of the farmer, he will avoid marginalizing people. Since elected governor, how exactly has Governor Walz helped Minnesota farmers?
Solution: Require Additional Training in Driver's Education. It is becoming abundantly clear that many licensed drivers do not understand their rights and responsibilities during a traffic stop. All new driver Minnesota driver applicants under the age of 18 should be required to have classroom and closed driver range training on being stopped by law enforcement. All new drivers and those who are renewing their license who are 18 years of age or older should have at least a short online course covering traffic stops. This training could be developed with online software programs used to develop existing courses for boater, snowmobile, hunter education and ATV certification found on the Minnesota DNR website.
Governor Walz: Rocks and Cows