Candidates Johnson, Glaser traverse rural concerns at Kasson roundtable
KASSON, Minn. — Rural investment was a major theme at a Wednesday morning roundtable with Democratic hopefuls for elected office.
"How we spend our dollars is an expression of our values," Jake Johnson, who is running for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District, said at the Aug. 19 event at the Kasson Public Library. "Right now, the sad fact is we have a federal government that does not value folks in rural spaces."
Johnson and Simon Glaser, the DFL candidate for Minnesota Senate District 24, spoke with a group of 14 others, from farmers and welders to public health nurses, on their topics of concern.
The very first issue raised: federal immigration enforcement.
"In West Concord, we've got a fairly diverse community," said Galen Koeckeritz, who runs a custom implement manufacturing business there. "I'd say 30% of our residents are living in fear."
Madge Alberts and her husband, Dave Alberts, operate a dairy farm and employ some immigrant workers. She said she wants a better system that …