Olson Sets Priorities: Tax Policy, Renewable Energy

Candidate Bob Olson made news recently when he switched from the U.S. Senate race into the developing race against freshman Congresswoman Michele Bachmann in the 6th district.  I spoke with him on Sunday about his background, what drove him to run, and what about Michele Bachmann irks him most.

Olson made clear his priorities on the campaign trail:  tax policy and renewable energy.  They’re two areas where he can claim a good deal of experience:  he founded found the American Sustainable Energy Council, where he’s quoted as saying “There is nothing that Minnesota can do for itself, economically, that is as important to its future as developing wind energy.”  When I spoke to him, he struck a similar theme:  “I’m convinced with my background that the numbers work — we are no longer dependent on oil, gas, coal. We can implement alternative, renewable energy policy, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and we could keep a billion dollars a day here in the U.S. instead of sending it to the Middle East.”

Olson also made clear his disagreement with Bush administration tax policies:  “people earning between $30 and $100,000 a year in taxable income are paying 60 percent on the dollar more than millionaires living on capital gains — if you add in FICA, they’re paying 160 percent more.  That’s not right, and needs to change.”  I asked him if raising or removing the Social Security ceiling could be a component of a more progressive federal tax policy, and he agreed.  “there’s no good reason why middle class are paying more Social Security taxes on their wages than the rich — there’s certainly a rationale for it, but I don’t think it’s a good reason.”

Olson’s switch from the Senate race to the race against Bachmann has generated an extra news cycle or two for him.  On the switch:  “We’ve got some good candidates running against Norm Coleman…I may be prejudiced that I was the best, but Bachmann is not serving Minnesota well, and needs to go.  There was a lot of persuasion and recruiting over the last few weeks to get me into this race…and I decided that what I think needs to be done can be done in the House as well as the Senate.

I also asked about child safety advocate Patty Wetterling, who lost consecutive bids for the seat Olson now seeks, in 2004 to Mark Kennedy and in 2006 to Michele Bachmann.  Olson said he has “the ultimate respect for Patty Wetterling,”  but differentiated his background from hers significantly and got in a shot at Bachmann in the process:  “what I bring to the 6th District is a knowledge of business, banking, tax law, renewable energy and a fresh attitude that moves along what Patty was trying to do.  But I think I bring a fresh image, too…what I have compared to Michele Bachmann is long history in business…I think her tax attorney background has primarily been with IRS.  My banking background allows me to understand how we can implement better tax policies for Minnesota and America.”

Olson will square off against attorney Bob Hill for the DFL endorsement next spring.