A recent article in the West Central Tribune of the local state Senate race listed Joe Gimse as endorsed by a number of organizations. One group not listed is Sportsmen for Change. Sportsmen for Change has endorsed Joe Gimse because they felt betrayed by Dean Johnson. This sportsman agrees.
Johnson seems proud to have wanted to create a huge new sales tax increase outdoors bill that would generate $122 million for parks and trails in the metro area, for arts, humanities, museums, and public broadcasting (from his office publication). Instead of compromising for a reasonable outdoors bill, Dean Johnson has caved in to the metro interests.
After two years of work, rather than cooperate with the House and governor to create a bill Minnesotans could vote on this election year, to cooperate and pass a clean bill designating a portion of existing sales tax revenue for the environment, we got more nasty politics from Dean Johnson.
No matter what Johnson says, his actions and lack of political leadership clearly show he has not worked to help create a clean bill for the environment become reality. When offered an opportunity for compromise, Johnson walked away from sportsmen.
He is not the type of politician that should represent the majority viewpoint for outstate Minnesota. Well-known Minnesotan sportsmen like Bud Grant, Ron Schara and Dennis Anderson agree. They have come to the conclusion Johnson is more concerned about political gamesmanship rather than what's best for Minnesota and future generations of Minnesotans. Sadly, even his party's nominee for governor agrees we need a clean bill for the environment funded from existing sales tax revenue.
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Gary Gilman, Willmar
