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My Point of View by Brad Kramer

What DOGE is accomplishing, and how the federal government is getting less bureaucratic and cumbersome, is important to me. Government efficiency is personal to me.

First, I’m writing as a member of the GOP, not on behalf of any board or organization I belong to. Rather, from my observations regarding government efficiency and bureaucratic processes. In my consulting firm, I do management consulting, regulatory compliance and workforce training. Organizational efficiency and helping business and government run more efficiently is part of what I do for a living I. I protect workers and train hazmat and confined space rescue teams, among many other topics.

Protecting hard-working Americans is something I’m passionate about. I’m on several boards where I represent our community and help lead several large projects in Albert Lea, and work alongside many of this community’s greatest leaders who are building the next businesses who will grow and fuel this community. My business generally has several government contracts across government agencies.

When it comes to seeing bureaucracy and red tape, I do not have to watch a nightly news special. There’s no need for me to watch movies about how government conspires and works against the people because I’m in the meetings and committees where those things happen.

Our community came together and enacted a watershed district to dredge the lakes in our community. The work being done is a testament to their hard work and dedication. We have many restored wetlands for public hunting and recreation. The water in the lakes are getting cleaner and there is an abundance of wildlife and recreation. Outdoor recreation and natural ecological systems are improving.

This community has rallied to tax itself twice to give itself a sales tax, and will be asked again soon, because we know the value of a clean lake. Among you are bird watchers, fisherman, water-skiers and beachgoers. You’ve seen the results. You let our legislators know bonding money was a priority and Rep. Peggy Bennett and Sen. Gene Dornink fought hard for a large bonding package to finish the project. The watershed had an extremely well-engineered plan submitted to the DNR to get the dredging permit for Bancroft Bay. If Bancroft is not dredged, the lake will continue to have blue-green algae blooms. The sediment in Bancroft will choke out habitat and leach algae-causing phosphorus into the main bay, years after dredging.

The entire process is being held up in a bureaucratic nightmare within the DNR. Gov. Walz promised us at the Governor’s Fishing Opener that we could call, and yet he has not responded. His DNR administration is not managing their staff to communicate and help get clean water projects moving forward.

I see with my own eyes what goes on in state-level boards where environmental activists use lawfare to force farmers to fight red tape to complete quality soil and water management projects. Environmental groups interject in projects that farmers are trying to get permits for clean water projects and force them to complete an unnecessarily expensive environmental assessment worksheet, which can add $250,000 to already expensive projects. These wackadoodles use our laws against farmers preventing their lands from flooding, soil from eroding and waters from getting full of algae-causing phosphorus.

As a business owner, every time I initiate a paycheck for an employee, the tax expenses before the employee even sees their money is staggering. Only counting payroll taxes and withholdings, not the business’ income taxes and other operating expenses, if I authorize a $1,000 paycheck, it costs the business around $1,300. The business must pay roughly $300 that the employee doesn’t even see, then depending on their withholdings, they probably get a check for $700 after their withholdings. And that does not include benefits like health insurance, HRA or other voluntary withholdings. Think about that. If you’re an employee, all the government withholdings paid on your behalf are close to equal to what you were just paid.

The IRS didn’t hire tens-of-thousands of IRS agents under Biden’s administration to go after wealthy people. They were hired to audit the tax returns of people like you and me.

When I work with clients, the labyrinth of regulations related to environmental, occupational safety and health, commercial vehicle operations, labor laws, etc., is complex.

The intent of these regulations are critical. I believe workers should not risk death to make a living and regulations are needed for commercial transport, but the regulatory bureaucracy employers are required to follow are extremely cumbersome.

I’m on these boards to see these community projects get done. I’m here for the long fight to get Albert Lea Lake dredged. And our biggest enemy is government bureaucracy.

As a business owner, my biggest challenge is taxes from a bureaucratic government, as I help clients navigate complicated regulatory compliance issues.

Keep revving that chainsaw, Elon!

Brad Kramer is a member of the Freeborn County Republican Party.