By: Graham Scher | R&J Broadcasting Inc.
WARROAD, Minn — Ben Schierer was in Warroad Friday afternoon, speaking with community members at the library about some of the challenges facing rural Minnesota and ideas for strengthening local communities.
Schierer, who has owned a small business, emphasized the importance of making state policies work for rural communities and small business owners. He said permitting and regulations can make it difficult to start and operate a business, and argued the state should look for ways to make those processes easier.
He also discussed education, saying a one-size-fits-all approach does not work for every community. Schierer pointed to challenges finding qualified teachers, rising education costs and student loan debt, while questioning whether schools and state government are getting the best results from current spending.
Property taxes and local government efficiency were also topics of discussion. Schierer said communities need to consider innovative ideas when looking at how schools, cities and law enforcement use available resources.
On healthcare, he raised concerns about staffing and qualifications, particularly in emergency medical services, and said rural communities face serious consequences if they lose access to a hospital or school. He also criticized what he described as inefficiencies in the healthcare system, including the higher costs that can result when people without insurance delay primary care and eventually seek emergency treatment.
Schierer also discussed Minnesota’s economic relationship with Canada, including the impact of tariffs, and said governors can help develop relationships with other countries and communities.
In summarizing his message, Schierer said, quote, “The solutions to our problems exist and the laws we passed were created by human beings and the laws we pass are to help the things that we want to improve around the state of Minnesota”.
