Margaret Anderson Kelliher for Governor

Thank you Lissi. Thank you for standing up for hard-working servers across Minnesota. And thank you for standing with me as we stand up to Tom Emmer.

As your Governor I will wake up every day and fight for you. I will be on your side. And I won’t quit until 208,000 Minnesotans are back to work earning a good wage to support their families.

That’s the difference between me and my Republican opponent Tom Emmer.

Last weekend, Tom Emmer told Minnesota servers he thinks they make too much money. He said we ought to have a tip penalty in Minnesota – a tip penalty that could cut wages to as low as $2.13 an hour.

Make no mistake: what Tom Emmer proposed is no different than stealing tips off the table. And if you think this tip penalty was just a slip of the tongue, think again. After serving with him in the legislature, I’ve come to expect this kind of extreme behavior from Tom Emmer.

I remember in 2005 when Tom Emmer proposed eliminating the minimum wage. It was wrong then, and it’s wrong today – because hard-working Minnesotans deserve a decent wage.

Unlike Tom Emmer, I don’t have to go undercover to learn what hard work is like. I learned hard work at a young age by doing it.

Now, as a working mom, I balance the checkbook. I know how hard it is to pay the bills, help my 86-year-old mom, and save enough to send my kids to college. And I know that in this economy, every dollar counts.

I know who I am, and I will never forget who I’m fighting for. I’m fighting for working moms like Renee, who wakes up every day and works three jobs to support her two kids. She’s doing everything she can to give her children the life they deserve.

Renee can’t afford to have a Governor in this state ready and willing to cut her wages. That’s why I am proud to stand with Renee today as we stand up together to beat Tom Emmer in November.

I’d like to introduce to you Renee Kroeten.