MN-SEN: The Bob Olson interview

I met with Bob Olson who is vying for the DFL endorsement to oppose Norm Coleman (MN-SEN) at his newly opened campaign headquarters near Hwy 94 & Hwy 280. It might as well be called Campaign Alley as Ceresi and Franken also have offices nearby and there are always campaign HQs in this area during open hunting political season. "We were just informed that the Franken campaign has claimed Keys Cafe for their secret lunch meetings," Campaign Manager Eric Mitchell explained chuckling. "If we want to eat there, we've got to give them a courtesy call beforehand. We haven't chosen a location for ours, yet." It's also rather funny that Norm's office is nearby as well. Bob finished a phone call and we started talking.

"The Iraq War is stupid," Bob explained when I began with asking his position on the Iraq War. "I hate to say it that way, but it's true. What if after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese we would've attacked China? That would be similar to what the Bush Administration did. The Bush Administration claimed that there were WMDs and that Saddam Hussein and Al Queda were allied. Al Queda and Saddam Hussein were enemies ... secular dictatorships are not friendly with religious fanatics."

"We need to get out immediately and send a clear message about oil independence," he continued. "We need to begin spending the money we're wasting in Iraq on alternate energy technology. We're spending $1-3 billion a day Iraq. Our foreign debt is spiraling out of control funding this war. Congress needs to spend $30 billion a year on alternative energy technology instead. We'll become energy independent and create jobs here in the US. Wind power and hydrogen can supply our energy needs. So alernative energy will stimulate the economy, create thousands and thousands of good jobs and help free us from foreign debt."

"Yes," he answered my question if this would be similar to Kennedy's Space Program of the 60s. "It definitely is. We can get off oil, gas and coal over the next 10-15 years if we are willing to do it. An example would be I'm working with Tim Walz on incentives for individuals to build wind turbines on their land. This would be a huge benefit for farmers. Their wind crop is underfarmed.

Bob Olson knows what he's talking about. He was one of the founders of the American Sustainable Energy Council 3.5 years ago. He's been on the DFL Central Committee for about 20 years and has been drafting proposals and making speeches on issues that matter to him for a long time. In 1990 he made a speech to the State Convention in which he argued that Congress, as a matter of national defense, needs to create tax incentives to encourage alternative energy.

He's also a tax attorney and bank owner. He understands the tax code inside and out. He understands what it takes to run a business in Minnesota, St. Stephens State Bank in St. Cloud. An environmental activist tax attorney who wants us out of Iraq immediately and wants to address global warming in a way that stimulates the economy sounds great to me. But is he a feasible candidate?

"There are 10 to 15 thousand folks in the delegate pool," Bob explained. "First of all, I think many delegates will be concerned that the only way you can run for statewide office is if you're wealthy or famous. Secondly, I'm going to talk to the delegates and I think they'll see that I'm not rich or famous, but have good ideas. Finally, my opponents will be easy targets for the right wing slime machine, I'm not. I'll have an easier time beating Norm than they will."

"My position on healthcare is we need to study a single payer system," he responded when I asked about it. "Everyone needs healthcare and I have a detailed proposal. I've been talking about all around the state for a while now. I call it the A New Deal for Health Care for All Americans.

Most of the uninsured Americans are employed or are children of working parents. The number of middle class uninsured citizens continues to grow.
The United States pays twice as much as other developed countries for health care, and the cost continues to grow out of reach for businesses and citizens alike. Never was it clearer that we must develop a New Deal for a new health care system in America, a system that provides universal health care now.

• Congress should provide graduated, refundable tax credits for mandatory health insurance premiums paid by small to mid-size businesses.
• Co-pays should be mandatory to avoid misuse and abuse.
• Congress should also provide private medical insurance premium vouchers for the unemployed and self-employed.

"Impeachment? Yes. They deserve it," he replied when I asked. "However, should we waste time on it? Its clear that they've committed crimes, but it could be a huge distraction. I think there are grounds for criminal proceedings once they're out of office."

Finally, Bob talked about how the Bush Administration and the Rubber-stamp Republicans have created a tax aristocracy. The rich pay 15% if they're living off of capital gains, the rest of us pay 35% for the significantly smaller amounts we receive if we ever receive any. He then threw out alot of tax lingo, stats and talked about history of the destruction of the middle class while the wealthy have seen their incomes skyrocket ... I can't write that fast to keep up. However, his website sums it all up very well:

No matter what they try to spin, the facts are clear: the very rich pay a lesser rate of federal taxes on their income than the middle class and working poor.

• Congress should provide rate cuts for the middle class.
• The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy must be rolled back.