One of the hallmarks of representative government is the idea that elected lawmakers ought to remain subject to the policy they craft in the same way as their constituents. There ought not to be a sharp distinction between those governing and those governed. A semi permanent ruling class tends toward the aristocracy the framers of our Constitution set out to avoid. Effective legislators remain rooted in the communities they represent.

We have seen this dynamic play out here in Senate District 27. Our current senator’s campaign funding has been supplied primarily by special interest groups over his time in office beginning in 2002. He has served these masters well, responding to support from the SEIU and AFSCME with a vote to force unionization on private child care providers. Funding provided by the state teacher’s union resulted in votes to weaken teacher accountability and eliminate graduation requirements. A particularly interesting example occurred in 2013, when after receiving a sizeable contribution from a Twin Cities-based radiologist, the senator voted in support of a moratorium on new cancer treatment centers being built. This pay-to-play manner of conducting public business reminds one of the saga being played out at the national level with the Clinton Foundation scandals.

Furthermore, and perhaps eclipsing the issues raised above, is the health care debacle middle-class families are now faced with as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Our senator has been a leader in supporting the full adoption of the ACA in Minnesota, known as MNsure. At a candidate forum recently hosted by KAAL, the senator stated that Minnesota is “lucky” to have MNsure, and that our government has done a “great job” with health care in this state. I don’t know who the senator speaks with to form these opinions, but it is certainly not the people of District 27. My friends and neighbors, especially those who are self-employed — which is pretty common in this agricultural district — have without exception characterized their health care costs as increasing to the point of being unaffordable. Personally, when MNsure was launched, a person with my income and family size would have had a monthly premium equal to 50 percent of my take-home pay.

Finally, with local infrastructure critical to the success of farms and businesses across our district, our senator voted this year to hold hostage a transportation bonding bill over funding for further metro area light rail construction. Light rail has always generated controversy, but why should metro area trains be placed at higher priority by our legislators than the roads and bridges we actually use?

Fortunately, we have an alternative this election who offers the opportunity to give District 27 a real voice in St. Paul. Gene Dornink is a small business owner who understands what it takes to be successful, balance a budget and make ends meet in today’s economy. He will represent us well. I encourage my fellow voters across the district to support him on Election Day.

Josiah Blocki

Brownsdale