Haws a Moderate? That isn't how he votes.

Please click below to read a posting by a House District 15B blogger Gary Gross over at http://www.letfreedomringblog.com/?p=3117

He talks about how the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce disapproves of Rep. Haws. He also finishes by talking about Joshua Behling's approach to spending.

Kari Behling's Nomination Speech for Joshua

Below is the transcript of Joshua Behling's wife Kari, who seconded the nomination at the district endorsing convention. There have been many requests from delegates to post the speech on this site.

Hi I'm Kari Behling, and I would like to second the nomination for Joshua Behling's endorsement for the House of Representatives in District 15B.

I would like to give you an insight into Josh as my best friend, Husband and Father. He is a very strong, loyal, and loving family man. He is a wonderful Husband, who always makes me fell like a Queen.

He is an excellent Father. When we found out we were pregnant, we were so excited, and he wanted to tell everyone. Which he did, even before we had the chance to tell my whole family. His excitement and enthusiasm has grown each day with our son.

We are number one in Josh's life. He believes that families and parents raising children are the core building blocks of a great future.

Josh is also very determined, and works hard for what he believes in. He stands strong in his values. He is a man of his word, with great morals and principles. He does not back down from what he believes in.

He follows through with what he believes is right, and is honest in his every day activities. I have never known him to not give one-hundred percent.

Josh is also very patient, takes the time to listen, and is a great communicator. He knows how to explain his views in a way all will understand, yet he listens to others so he knows the whole story.

These are just a few of the reasons I love and fully support my Husband.

Please join me in endorsing Joshua for the House of Representatives.

Thank you.

Read Behling's Speech to Delegates

This is the transcript of Joshua Behling’s speech to the Delegates and Alternates on Saturday, March 15, 2008 at the Senate District 15 Convention.

Thank you Rand & Kari. (Referring to the first and second nomination speeches) Again, I am Joshua Behling and I am running for the House of Representatives in House District 15B. I want to start out by thanking you for being here today. I know that this is one of the first nice Saturdays and I’m sure people would rather be outside. So it’s great that you are here today.

I spoke to you at the Precinct Caucus and have spoken to many of you since then. At the caucus, I spoke to you about what I stand for and what I believe. Today I want to tell you why I am running and why I am seeking your endorsement.

Let me start out by telling you the reasons that didn’t influence my decision to run.

I’m not running because I was sitting around one night and thought, wow, I don’t think I have enough to do.

I’m not running because I look forward to being away from my wife and son many nights at the Capital.

I’m not running to try and gain fame and definitely not to gain fortune.

I’m not running to get vacation days from work, even though I would love a vacation.

I’m running for State Representative to ensure a positive direction for District 15B and for the State of Minnesota.

I began campaigning in June of last year, and have already realized how much time and dedication it takes to do this. And believe me, when I am elected I will give all of my time and dedication to making sure your voices are heard in St. Paul.

I’m running for State Representative because as a Husband, I realize how much people have to sacrifice to make a better life for their family. I realize how much it costs to have a home, by gas, pay for groceries; and how hard it is to try and have something left over to take your wife out for dinner at a fancy McDonald’s restaurant.

I’m running for State Rep. because, as a father, I want a better life for my son. I want Hunter to have a great education that focuses on core academics that he will use in the real world. I want him to grow up in a world where he won’t be held back or chastised for saying the word “God”.

Most importantly, I’m running for State Rep. because I believe that our party and all of you believe in a lower tax burden, a consumer driven health care system, fair funding of education, that every baby has the right to fulfill his or her own destiny, citizens have the right to keep and bear arms, and because I want to be your voice, your vision and your eyes and ears watching out for your hard earned money.

I need your support today to be your endorsed candidate. I need your support tomorrow to tell people where I stand on issues. I need your help in 2 months standing up for me when the campaign season is in full swing. And most importantly, I need your help in November when it comes time to vote. I need every one of you to not stay home and make sure to go to the polls and elect me, someone who shares your beliefs, vision and priorities.

Together we will once again have our voices represented in St. Paul.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here today and for all of your support.

God bless you.

Minnesota's Budget Woes

Up to this point, I have not mentioned my opponents name anywhere on this website. I have been visiting with people in St. Cloud and have made a decision to let people get to know me and what I stand for, before I talk about my opponent.

I have made a promise to my family, friends, constituents and most importantly myself, that when I am campaigning, I will be truthful at all times. I am not a career politician, nor have I been employed by the Government in some way for most of my life. I am a hard working and honest; father, son, brother and most of all average person just like the people in District 15B. I may not know every answer to every question, but I believe I posses what is most important in a State Representative, common sense. If I don't know the answer I will find it.

Too often politicians have canned answers to questions. This is not what I feel people are looking for in their State Representative. That being said, if someone at anytime during this campaign asks me a question on a topic, I will give them my common sense and truthful answer. I will not tell the people something they want to hear just to get their vote. When this election is over I know that I can take office with the knowledge that I have told people exactly what I feel and what I will do about it.

As we approach the new year, I feel it is important for me to not only let people continue to get to know me, but for people to get to know the difference between my opponent and myself. That is why I have decided to start discussing with you things about my opponent starting with this post.

My opponent, Larry Haws has spent a large portion of his life working for the Government and receiving a paycheck from the taxpayers. I have not. Therefore, I may not always have a canned answer on political questions, but I will have the average person's answer. Why, because I am the average person. (I hope my wife would say above average, but that's another issue.)

When Minnesota's 2008 forecast came out recently and showed a deficit, I believe that I looked at it from the average person's point of view. Stop spending more than you bring in! I would love to have a great big new house, and a fancy convertible, but I don't bring in enough money to support that kind of spending. Minnesotans like myself don't have the option of requiring their bosses to give them more money simply because we want it. Why should the Government be any different.

The answer to a budget deficit isn't to raise taxes on hard working people, the answer is to stop spending at such a high rate. Larry Haws believes that "Everything is on the table." (St. Cloud Times, December 6, 2007). I don't believe everything is on the table. I believe that raising taxes on Minnesotans is not on the table. It's time for the Government to look at itself in the mirror and see where reductions in wasteful spending can be made. I'm not talking about Education, Health Care or benefits for Veterans, I'm talking about wasteful spending. Perhaps the DFL should not have increased the number of committees to the point that they have, and I guarantee they should not have raised the amount of spending in these committee's budgets. At a time when Minnesota faces a deficit, why are my opponent and his friends increasing the amount of money they spend on committees and not focusing on what can be done to help Minnesotans?

When I'm elected I will focus on things that matter. Each day it is more and more evident that we need someone at the Capital that will look out for your wallet and keep the average person's beliefs a priority.

http://www.joshuabehling.com/

P.S. Gary Gross at the blog Let Freedom Ring has more on this issue as does Larry Schumacher a the St. Cloud Times.

Example of Wasteful Government Spending

House Republican Leader Marty Seifert issued a press release today describing the expansion of government that my opponent and his party have created in St. Paul.

It is time to elect someone to the House that realizes that simply adding committees, and money to them, doesn't cut it. It's time for the Government to stop wasting tax payer's money. This is another case of more talk and less action.

The purpose of the Legislature is to get things done. We need everyday citizens such as myself representing Minnesotans that are tired of government spending money to just talk. It's time to make things happen. There are plenty of committees that were in place prior to last session. They were fully capable of getting things done. I am for a government that functions on less, therefore keeping hard earned money in the hands of families like yours.

The State Legislature was designed to be made up of people from all walks of life; Farmers, Teachers, Salesmen, Accountants, Delivery Drivers and Factory workers to name a few. The idea was to have everyday people go to St. Paul during session and represent you...the people. Instead, my opponent and his DFL friends have created a full-time position for career politicians.

It's time to give back the State House to the people.

Here is the press release from Rep. Marty Seifert:

SAINT PAUL - (November 7, 2007) - Citing the more than 80 committees,subcommittees, working groups, task forces and commissions in the Minnesota House of Representatives, House Republican Leader Marty Seifert today criticized Democrats for the expansive and expensive growth in government."

The explosive growth of government shows what happens when Democrats take over," said House Republican Leader Marty Seifert. "The complicated and bloated process is confusing to the public, time consuming and expensive. There is very little to show for the excessive amount of meetings taking place. When all is said and done, there will be a lot more said than done."

Seifert said it is nearly impossible to determine how many groups are working on legislation and how much this process is costing Minnesota taxpayers.

"There seems to be a lot of repetition without reason. We question the necessity of having so many subgroups working on legislation that a standing committee should be able to accomplish on its own and the great number of meetings being held at taxpayer expense to hear about the problems but not bring forward solutions," Seifert said. "The Democrats have turned a part-time citizen legislature into a full-time job."

Seifert said at a time when schools and nursing homes are struggling to make their budgets, House Democrats chose to almost double its operations budget from $324,000 to $646,000 during a House Rules Committee meeting in August.

"We gave schools a mere 3 percent increase for the biennium and nursing homes received even less than that but then gave gigantic increases to the Legislature," Seifert said. This is a matter of priorities. The Democrats ran on fiscal responsibility and leadership. They have failed to demonstrate either during their reign of confusion in the Minnesota House. When House Republicans are in charge, we will restore fiscal sanity by cutting the number of committees by more than 50 percent and returning costs to prior levels."

Seifert said he is most concerned about the upcoming legislative session.

"We have important issues we need to resolve and this process doesn't make me confident that we will achieve those results," Seifert said. "In the private sector, failing businesses are often over managed and under led. The more than 80 House Democrat committees are too busy mopping the floor to take time and turn off the faucet."

Welcome to my blog

The blog portion of my campaign website, will be used as a way to update you on the most current happenings of the Joshua Behling for State Rep. campaign. I will also post stories and links to other bloggers that are writing about the election.

Please stay tuned for updates. If you have a story you would like me to link to, please email me at info@joshuabehling.com.

Thank you,

Joshua Behling