Joe Perske: Democrat for the Sixth District - In the Words of His Wife, Jan

The first time I ever set eyes on Joe Perske, I was in high school.  He was tall and thin and looked like a really nice guy.  He was involved with the cross country and track teams and loved long distance running.  He loved hanging out in the woodshop and the photo lab at school and was pretty shy around girls.  Little did I know at the time how much this man would change my life.  

 

Joe and I were in the same graduating class, but didn't officially meet until the end of our senior year when he asked me to go to prom with him.   We started out our relationship as good friends, deepened our relationship over a five year span of time and were married in July of 1979.

 

One of the qualities that attracted me to Joe all those years ago, and continues to amaze me, is his willingness and openness to help others.  Whether it it fixing the wheels on a student's bike, checking out someone's flooded backyard,  doing taxes for his mother, or being called at the last minute to referee a  soccer game, Joe always says yes. A few years ago, he took it upon himself to be the "chauffeur" for a young lady in high school who wanted to go to prom with her boyfriend.  This young lady and her boyfriend both had disabilities and could not drive.  Joe looked past the disability and saw a young lady who wanted to go to prom just like everyone else.  Joe arranged the evening for this sweet high school couple, and they were able to attend their senior prom and had the time of their lives. His genuine care and concern for his fellow human beings has always been an inspiration to me and countless others.  

 

Another quality of Joe's that has influenced me is his positive attitude.  No matter the situation, Joe always looks at the positive side of things.  Whether the situation involves his job as a teacher, his role as dad to our three daughters, or as mayor of the city of Sartell, his positive attitude always shines through.  When our youngest daughter was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of fifteen, he continually strengthened me with his positive outlook that she was going to survive.  Joe held up our family during that difficult time, and our daughter is now a seven year cancer survivor.  He believes in working hard and finding solutions through positive thinking and an optimistic frame of mind.  

 

I support Joe's run for Congress because I know that he will work hard for the people of the Sixth District. I know that he has a passion for people - to help them, uplift them, and do what he can to improve lives.    His tireless energy, his willingness to help others, and his positive attitude will benefit so many people.  If elected, I know that Joe's genuine and heartfelt concern for the people of Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District will make this a better world for all of us.

 Jan Perske

http://joeperske.com/main/

 

In my new role as Chair of the SD 35 DFL (Andover, Anoka, Ramsey, part of Coon Rapids), I have been busy with conventions, meetings, fundraisers, candidate searching, and writing letters to the editor.  Here's a piece I've written for the ABC Newspapers, particularly the Anoka Union-Herald, that I hope runs later this month...

To the Editor –

As we move into the community parade and county fair season, many of you will begin meeting the candidates for office this fall.  In our Anoka area, I hope you take notice of two endorsed DFL candidates:  Joe Perske for Congress and Peter Perovich for State Representative, District 35A.

We were blessed in this area, in my younger days, by some really good representation – Jim Oberstar and Bill Luther in the US House, and in St. Paul by Republicans like Chuck, John and Charlie Weaver and Democrats like Gene Merriam, Darby Nelson and Leo Foley.  These were thoughtful, prudent leaders, who were elected to govern, to make government better, and to find solutions with their fellow legislators – on both sides of the aisle – to fix problems, take care of our environment, and care for the citizenry, within the State’s fiscal means.  We’ve seen this type of approach to government from Republican Jim Abeler for many years, and from our neighboring Democrats Jerry Newton and John Hoffman.

This is not the way Republicans Mark Kennedy and Michele Bachmann represented us in Congress the past dozen years.  It is not the way that Republicans Tom Emmer or Rhonda Sivarajah plan to represent us in Washington if elected this fall.  It is not the way that Republicans Abigail Whelan or Justin Boals plan to represent us in St. Paul if elected this fall.

My party has endorsed two thoughtful, prudent leaders to represent the Anoka/Ramsey area in Washington and St. Paul next year.  Elect Joe Perske to Congress this fall, whether he faces Emmer or Sivarajah.  Joe Perske has been the non-partisan, but bi-partisan Mayor of Sartell, and before that was a City Council member.  A long time Phy Ed teacher, coach and competitive marathoner, Joe has led his teacher’s union, has been a leader in his church, and has been a community leader in the St. Cloud-Sartell area.  This outdoorsman is a warm, genuine, thoughtful man, who is a fixer – a problem-solver.  Sartell faced economic ruin when its paper mill burned a few years ago.  Mayor Perske and his Council worked to keep Sartell economically viable, and today, as a “bedroom suburb” of St. Cloud – similar in many ways to Ramsey and Andover and Coon Rapids- Sartell is booming and growing quickly.  This is a man who will represent the traditional, conservative values he grew up with, but who has demonstrated purposefulness in using government to better his community, not to tear down the fabric of government.

Elect Peter Perovich to the State House for District 35A (Anoka and Ramsey), whether he faces Whelan or Boals.  Peter Perovich grew up here, the son of a District 11 High School Principal and Mayor of Anoka.  His family’s roots are in making our schools work better.  His own vocational interests lie in protecting the outdoor quality of life that we have grown to love – and depend on economically – over the past half century.  This is a Democrat in keeping with a Merriam or a Nelson or a Foley – moderates who find a positive way for government to work on behalf of all of us – not just the few.  Peter Perovich will not bring a hidden agenda, designed to eliminate the government, to St. Paul.  He will not use the State Capitol as a forum to advocate one’s own religious beliefs.  He will not use the State Capitol as a forum to take away your Constitutional rights – whether that’s your right to vote, your right to marry, your right to bear arms, your right to free speech, or your right to privacy.  He will not use the State Capitol to leverage the state budget against your schools, against programs to fix our infrastructure, or against the evolving health care system in order to score points for a social agenda or their anti-government, libertarian friends.

Joe Perske and Peter Perovich – these are good people who will make great representatives for our area!

 

Wes Volkenant

Chair, Senate District 35 DFL