TODD CRUSE ON THE ISSUES

"FOCUSED, TRANSPARENT LEADERSHIP."

HE'S FOCUSED ON CRIME AND COMMUNITY

"Our local police officers, paramedics, and emergency room professionals are overburdened because of today’s lawlessness. Our area needs to further leverage our service clubs, religious organizations, chambers of commerce, and professional associations to mobilize more volunteers for youth sports, literacy tutoring, student internships, and summer work opportunities. Membership dues and related expenses incurred by volunteers should be fully tax deductible."

BEING AN ADVOCATE FOR RESTRUCTURING GOVERNMENT

"As a monopoly our state government isn’t very responsive to changes in society unlike the business community which must innovate and provide excellent customer service to survive in the marketplace. Every state department, commission, board, and advisory group should be subject to a “sunset provision” to justify its existence, mission, and budget (unless mandated by our state constitution)."

DEDICATED TO FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY

"Minnesota has 2,000+ government entities which spend our tax dollars so I will work to expand the state’s current spending transparency website to include local governments. See my work on this topic here."

DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT

"Government officials expect households and businesses to reduce our impact on the environment but too often don’t apply the same expectation to government. As your representative, I will advocate a moratorium on the construction of, or the leasing of additional office space, for government functions. "

A PROMISE TO PRIORITIZE EDUCATION

"During the 2023 legislative session I want to advocate education policy changes based on the following critical thinking..."

COMPETITION

"My “schools within a school” essay outlines a framework where teacher salaries increase based on demand and without raising taxes."

EMPOWERING FAMILIES

"Education funding should follow students not simply get poured into our education system bureaucracy. Reading and Math achievement gaps need new approaches so let’s allow parents and students to determine what works best for them."

COLLEGE ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY

"In 1995 the State of Minnesota decided “to merge the 7 state universities, 34 technical colleges and 21 community colleges under one board.” (Source: Minnesota State website) to become a centralized bureaucracy called MNScu (now Minnesota State). Over the last 27 years the education industry, technology, student needs, and the global economy have dramatically changed so reform is overdue. The 2023 legislature should advance legislation to phase out the MNScu/Minnesota State central bureaucracy coupled with empowering the 62 schools currently in the system to follow their own paths. One possibility that would benefit students in House 53A is the creation of a K-14 entity via the merger of Inver Hills College and Simley Schools/District 199. The money saved from eliminating duplicate functions once the merger is complete could be re-allocated to teachers for equipping their classrooms and buying supplies – no more pleading with PSTA volunteers to host fundraising events!"

RESTRUCTURING

"Unfortunately, most governors simply fill the cabinet/commissioner positions based on political allies, policy agendas, and other motivations so as a member of the House of Representatives I would work with our Senate to drive changes via the commissioner confirmation process. One reform I discuss when campaigning is combining the state Department of Education (DOE) with our state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to become the Department of Education and Economic Development (DEED. Taxpayers would benefit from combining two commissioner offices into one coupled with staff overhead cost savings. The money saved could be re-allocated into classrooms and/or paid internships for students via reductions in business taxes."