Don Lippert

I've worked in a number of roles and industries that reflect the lives of a lot of North Dakotans. From restaurants, to sales and marketing operations, to being an assembly worker in an industrial factory. At every stop along my professional career, I always looked for ways to improve the job, to make it both better for me, the customers and my coworkers.

My top 3 priorities would be working on finding solutions to the child care crisis, workforce readiness and training, and affordable housing. I believe that we will need to be creative in finding solutions to these issues and to find ways for employers, schools, the State Legislature to work together to fulfill those needs.

Two of the biggest challenges facing North Dakota I believe will be rural healthcare, and childcare. However I also believe them to be two significant opportunities. I believe that with the right policies and initiatives, North Dakota can develop models to solve these problems and become a example to other states who are facing similar problems.

I do support the use of state funding for these kinds of programs, as long as those programs come with a form of outcome measurement to ensure we are getting the most bang for the tax-payer money. I also believe these programs should be targeted towards growth industries to ensure North Dakota is staying competitive with other states and similar programs.

I do support using State funding for such programs, however I believe that any such program should require the business to have a significant benefit to North Dakotans, beyond simply creating jobs. If we are to utilize public funds, then the benefit should be to the majority of the public, not just the company's employees.

I would propose approaching this from multiple angles, but I would put the emphasis on ensuring the housing created would be affordable housing. I think with the addition of affordable apartment housing, we should also create programs to incentivize metro governments and developers to build smaller, more affordable single family homes which would enable younger families to start their home ownership dream sooner than later while at the same time opening up more apartments.

I would work on creating programs that utilize State funding, employer contributions, and the knowledge and skill of the certified childcare centers to expand those centers into new cities, and provide incentives for more individuals to enter and stay in the industry.

I do support the development because I believe it is both a job generating program during its construction as well as afterwards. I believe it is also vital to ensure the water supply to areas of North Dakota that don't have the benefit of being located near a good clean water supply.

I do support the Natural Gas Pipeline to Eastern North Dakota because I believe it could play a significant role in realizing energy savings for both citizens and businesses. However I would want to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken for environmental safety.