JUNE 7, 2016 PROGRAM:
If Size Matters in Politics Today, Where are the Big Ideas?
The campaign for the most important office in the world, President of the United States, already has become defined by name-calling, divisiveness and political pandering. Instead of offering new ideas and bold thinking, candidates are making political promises that can't -- and, in many cases, shouldn't -- be kept. In Minnesota in 2016, there is the opportunity to build support for a new Prosperity Agenda, one that expands the middle class and creates economic opportunities for everyone. And the best hope of achieving this bold vision is with the leadership of Minnesota's business community. The topics of Horner's speech include Minnesota's opportunity in 2016 to create a mandate for innovation, the big policy ideas that are needed and the vital role of business leadership in achieving the goals.
Tom Horner is a familiar face on Minnesota’s public affairs scene. He has a background in journalism, was chief of staff to former U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger, a co-founder of one of the region’s best-known public affairs firms, Himle Horner and an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of St. Thomas. In 2010, Horner was the Independence Party candidate for governor of Minnesota. The StarTribune in its endorsement editorial, said Horner “loves Minnesota; he's a serious student of government and economics, and he feels called to service…Horner seeks to apply the lessons of a lifetime spent working in and around public policy to the restoration of this state's vitality.” Today, Horner is president of Horner Strategies, LLC, a public relations and public affairs consulting firm.