Gov. Dayton recently announced he has chosen Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to fill the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Al Franken. In a recent article in US News & World Report, it states Smith’s “current duties include overseeing the Destination Medical Center initiative, a public private partnership involving the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.”

I wrote a letter to the lieutenant governor in October, expressing my concerns about what changes have occurred at the hospital and the future changes scheduled. Also, what has happened in other rural communities across Minnesota where Mayo has control of the clinics and hospitals? I also shared what I had been told about a Mayo representative from Mankato, telling the CEO of St. Peter’s hospital, “St. Peter either joins Mayo, or Mayo will bury your hospital.”

I have not received a reply from the lieutenant governor’s office. Since the lieutenant governor is in bed with Mayo’s DMC initiative, she has already chosen her side of the issue. Moving forward, if Tina Smith does get Franken’s seat, as voters we need to watch her and ask where she stands on representing all of Minnesota, not just large, corporate medical centers. I thought the Minnesota DFL Party was for all the people in Minnesota. The current administration has supported a half a billion dollars to the Vikings stadium and a half a billion dollars to Rochester. What about the rest of outstate, Greater Minnesota?

Jim Rorvick

Albert Lea