Don’t confuse Minnesota Nice and Jenifer Loon’s values

While her job training has given Jenifer Loon a strong skill of listening to people who hold positions different from her own without letting what gamblers call a “tell” to creep into her voice, face and body language, don’t believe that skill means her views are moderate.

Don’t believe us?  Here are mailings from earlier this year. We think they speak for themselves.

This mailing and the next come from Jenifer Loon’s own campaign and, as you can see from the headline, state she hold conservative values and is fighting for them.

As we noted before, for the first time ever, Jenifer Loon went to MCCL for endorsement. That gave her this support:

And, then, we have these pieces from Freedom Club Minnesota:

These are independent expenditures to support Jenifer Loon in her primary battle against her Tea Party opponent and former supporter Sheila Kihne. While they don’t come from the campaign, they do tout what they believe to be her best activities supporting her activity as “a conservative we can trust.”

Can the rest of those of us living in Eden Prairie trust her? We wonder.

HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · more conservative · Rep. Loon · run to the right

How often did Rep. Loon vote with the Tea Party faction of the House Republican Caucus and what were the bills?

• Rep. Loon voted with her party against strengthening public education by initiated changes to improve teacher training and parental involvement
• Rep. Loon voted with her party against the business sector by not supporting World’s Best Workforce and Experiential Learning programs necessary for job readiness
• Rep. Loon voted with her party against the business sector by not supporting work-based experiences for future entrepreneurship
• Rep. Loon voted with her party against recognizing students from K to 12 who have attained World Language Sufficiency.
• And, although she’s stated she’s “standing up for small government”, Rep. Loon vvoted with her party for more government control in determining legislative compensation.
• Rep. Loon voted voted with her party numerous times to block attempts to improve MNSure and make it more accountable.
• Rep. Loon voted voted with her party against investments in:
  • public safety
  • transportation
  • capital improvements
  • roads
  • dam renovation
  • critical habitat
  • parts
  • museums
  • roads
  • research laboratories
  • colleges and
  • school districts
• Rep. Loon voted with her party against funding for:
  • Veterans Affairs
  • the Metropolitan Council
  • transportation
  • the Pollution Control Agency
  • natural resources
  • education
  • agriculture
  • employment and
  • economic development

Doesn’t sound moderate to us.  Does it to you?

HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · Rep. Loon

No one who’s really looked at her record would call it moderate. But, this year, we’ve seen Rep. Loon do a strong “run to the right.” What do we mean by that?

At the Senate District 42 endorsing convention in 2008, she stated she favored allowing abortion in the case of rape and incest. In 2012, for the first time since running for office she completed the MCCL (Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life) questionnaire and received their endorsement. She must believe this is a position her constituents agree with because on July 7 of this year, she posted that endorsement on her website. Here’s a screen shot:

The MCCL is Minnesota’s oldest and most vocal anti-choice organization. You probably received mailings from them in the August primary this year. We’ve never totally understood how anyone or any organization could assume that people are “pro death”, which would be the opposite of “pro life”.  But, this organization and we can only assume Rep. Loon as well, seem to believe that a woman and her doctor are incapable of knowing what’s best for that woman’s health

In looking at this organization’s rating, even without their endorsement, they gave her a 95% rating in 2012. Their voting guide showing this is available online.

HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · MCCL · Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life · Rep. Loon

Rep. Loon has painted herself as a moderate. What do her votes last session say about that:

• She voted against equal pay for women
• She voted against increasing the minimum wage
• She voted against establishing a school bullying policy
• She voted against restricting loan sharks from giving payday loans to anyone who already owes more than 41% of their income to other debt and obligations — like housing
• She voted against screening newborns to check for congenital conditions and disorders that aren’t always apparent at birth.

In fact, Rep. Loon voted a party line vote well over 90% of this session’s votes. Doesn’t sound very moderate to us.

HD48B · House District 48B · Jenifer Loon · more conservative · Rep. Loon

Taking a look back to the Republican-controlled House session in 2011 and Jenifer Loon’s and Kirk Stensrud’s votes, we find they voted for deep cuts for the University of Minnesota and Minnesota’s State Colleges and Universities.

Why is that an issue? It would cause hundreds of faculty layoffs, tuition increases and fewer courses available for students. That would translate into Minnesota having a harder time providing skilled employees for our state’s employers.

Think we’re exaggerating in the need for training? Check this out:

2011 Omnibus Higher Education Bill · Careerbuilder · faculty layoffs · Jenifer Loon · Kirk Stensrud · lack of corporate training · tuition increases