Mayer runs for Congress

Former educator, city councilor seeks chance

to oppose Gutknecht

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

ROCHESTER -- Joe Mayer, a retired Rochester educator and former Rochester City Council member, has announced he is seeking the DFL nomination for Congress in the First District.

The seat is now held by Republican incumbent Gil Gutknecht.

"We need a leader in Washington who will fight for the people of the First District instead of catering to demands of the current administration and big business," said Mayer, when he announced his candidacy in Rochester last week.

Mayer, a resident of the First District for 47 years, was a teacher, coach and administrator at Lourdes High School in Rochester for 27 years. He was elected chair of the Olmsted County DFL in the early 1970s, serving three years. He also served a two-year term on the Rochester City Council, and has served on the Olmsted County Social Services Board, and has served as chair of the Olmsted County Foster Parent Board.

Mayer said the main concerns of people in the First District are an economic policy that promotes jobs; a foreign policy that promotes peace and security, and an efficient health care system that provides coverage for all.

In kicking off his candidacy, Mayer said the goodwill toward the U.S. that came after 9-11 has evaporated.

"We changed the course of our foreign policy from one of self-defense to one of preemptive war, from a policy of negotiating to one of bullying and bribing."

Mayer said the U.S. must pull out of Iraq immediately and turn Iraq over to the U.N. or NATO "with no strings attached." He also said the U.S. should "pay for the damages we've caused and not insist that the Halliburtons of our country receive all the contracts."

To fix the job drain in the U.S., Mayer called for legislation requiring that government contracts can only be performed in the U.S.; eliminating all government subsidies to corporations that outsource jobs, and eliminating tax advantages to corporations that outsource jobs.

Mayer called for stimulating the economy from the bottom through government programs, citing the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps. "When our chosen economic system is not delivering the basic needs of 'we the people,' it is the right of the people to demand that government remedies the situation," said Mayer.

Mayer also called for universal health care coverage. "It will take some time to get universal coverage," said Mayer. "In the interim, we could do some things with our current health coverage to eliminate some of the confusion and thus lower costs."

Mayer called for standardized coverage from health insurance providers, and a standardized insurance form to eliminate confusion and costs.

Mayer will be stopping in New Ulm on Saturday for an appearance at the Brown County DFL Convention, which starts at 10 a.m. in the basement meeting room in the New Ulm Public Library.