"We have a responsibility to STRENGTHEN the weak."
These are the words that started me on my journey, and the reminder, every day, of the reason I keep up the fight!
A vote for Paul Register is a vote for
INTEGRITY, ACCOUNTABILITY & SERVICE
PAUL'S STAND ON THE ISSUES
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS
Much of District 2 lies in an area that is largely conducive to our leading priority, agriculture. However, our needs in large part in other areas of our communities are not getting met. While agriculture will always be its foundation, District 2 needs more diversification if our communities are going to sustain and improve economically.
Too often our workforce, particularly our young people, depart for increasingly better opportunities elsewhere. Our communities are not equipped to withstand this continued exodus. We need to expand our options, and begin to meet the needs of our young people, so that we can invest more back into our communities and maintain economic viability for years to come. For many communities now, conditions are already at a threatening level. We mustn't fear this change, or otherwise these communities will slowly begin their own economic asphyxiation.
HEALTHCARE
The cost of healthcare in America of paramount importance, and of astronomical financial burden to those who need it the most. Insurance is bordering on becoming monetarily unattainable, while the cost to the consumer is putting more people into bankruptcy each day. On top of all of this, South Dakota is limiting its options to its employees who may have once preferred a particular provider who is suddenly deemed out-of-network.
We need to explore every avenue to make healthcare more attainable, more affordable, and with a myriad of choices so that South Dakotans can best determine what options best work for them and their families.
EDUCATION
We take care of our children by taking care of our educators. Our state cannot expect to thrive when our educators are struggling too much to exist. We need to place more importance on bettering the world of our educators so that they have access to resources, a comfortable living, and be at the ready to inspire our children to learn.
We need to generate programs and curriculum that improve the potency of what we are teaching our children. We need to create scholarship opportunities, to help alleviate the burden of the cost of higher education. According to recent reports, South Dakota is routinely among the highest in the nation for incurring student loan debt. It's difficult to withstand the increased costs of living when one is inundated with debt from the moment they enter the workforce.
ETHICS & TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT
Ethics and Transparency are not party-affiliated concepts. Through premeditated conclusions, each individual decides the choices a man or woman makes.
This is the area that the South Dakota state government has failed its citizens the most. For years, South Dakota has been wracked by headlines, both local and national, illustrating the notorious level of corruption being perpetuated throughout our state. From substandard investigations, to blatant abuses of power, and the improper revocation of the public's vote, the current level of confidence in our State's integrity is dwindling, and that has to change. Issues in Risk Management need to be addressed, and I would gladly welcome an independent audit of South Dakota.
I, for one, fully intend to spearhead the effort to change the way our state's citizens view it's government, and how the nation sees South Dakota.
IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WORKFORCE
If you take care of your employees, they stay loyal. Having worked in a couple of State Agencies (South Dakota Developmental Center, State Penitentiary) I can say that I have seen a significant amount of turnover at these facilities. Unbeknownst to me, the Women's Prison in Pierre and the Human Services Center in Yankton were suffering from similar toxic environments. Our State completely undervalues the every man.
Our State needs people to feel valued. To benefit from a friendly working environment and know that, regardless of the job, that they will be taken care of, along with their families. We need a Worker's Comp system that is accommodating and competitive wages for proper work. Most of all, we need people to have the ability to show up to work, be safe on the job, and return home at the end of the day.