Minnesota is a great state. We can be an even better state. Minnesota is blessed with outstanding businesses, large and small. We have abundant natural resources. And, we have a workforce of dedicated men and women; a workforce that is among the world’s best because of the investment Minnesota has made in education.

If we build on these strengths and make bold decisions, we can look to the future with confidence, knowing that even with all our challenges, we have great opportunities.

That’s why I’m running for Governor – to provide the leadership that will bring Minnesotans together in a common vision of the kind of state we want for ourselves and our children.

To this task, I bring a wealth of experience. I am a business owner, co-founding and operating a successful business, a recognized leader in its field. I understand what it takes to recruit and retain top talent and to provide good pay and benefits (I’m proud that in our 20 years, we’ve never laid off a person due to the economy). I know what it takes to manage a successful business in Minnesota, to build partnerships with some of the state’s best-known businesses and the companies that will be the household names of tomorrow.

I also bring my lifelong commitment to community involvement, serving in leadership positions in non-profit organizations in the arts, social services, civic engagement and other areas.

And I bring the experience of more than 30 years in Minnesota public policy and politics – not as a candidate or public official, but as a person dedicated to bringing people together around good solutions. Former U.S. Sen. Dave Durenberger said this: “Horner has a unique ability to bring people from opposing sides together to craft mutually acceptable policy solutions. He has a gift of being able to find the definition of a problem that’s hard to argue with, whether you come from the right or the left.”

That is exactly the leadership Minnesota needs as we look to the next four years. We need leadership that defines our challenges and opportunities, then engages people in working toward common solutions.

Instead, what we see today are policy debates framed only around narrow ideological viewpoints. When policy debate is framed only around tax increases or spending cuts, it’s a discussion created by and for political ideologues. We can’t cut our way to fiscal responsibility. The hole is too deep. Certainly, we can and should demand more for every tax dollar government spends. We have to eliminate programs that aren’t working and reform others where we should get better value.

But a narrow focus on spending cuts ignores the investments we need to create a strong future for everyone. Minnesota needs smart investments that produce measurable returns in education, our infrastructure, health reform and the environment.

On the revenue side, tax increases alone aren’t the answer. That just locks into place a tax system that is unfair, unproductive and unaccountable. We need tax reform – the kind of economic reforms that will generate more investments in the businesses of the future. We have to remove the disincentives that stop businesses from growing and creating new jobs. And, we need to clear the barriers that discourage existing Minnesota companies from growing in their back yard.

We can do all these things and more. But it takes leadership. And in 2010, leadership begins with you, the citizens.

I’m running in the Independence Party by choice. I truly believe that in the next four years, the best hope for breaking political gridlock is an independent governor who brings a clear vision for the future. Minnesota needs a governor who isn’t limited by partisan politics, a leader who can tap the best ideas and the smartest people. Minnesota needs a governor who will engage Minnesotans in the solutions. Among all the candidates from all the parties, this is my unique skill – the ability to bring Minnesotans into the conversation, building solutions with their support.

People sometimes ask me how I will succeed as an Independence Party governor. The answer is this: First, the current system has created shared government in Minnesota and single-party government in Washington. Neither is working. It’s time for a bold alternative.

And, second, I know from my years of moving good policy solutions forward that the real power is with people who are engaged and called on to make good choices. That ‘s what I offer – the ability and commitment to call on Minnesotans to build a better Minnesota.

I’m not a professional politician. I haven’t sought elected office before, and I won’t after I serve as governor. I am running for this office in this year because I believe the time is right, the politics are right and I am the right candidate.

Bold leadership requires bold decisions from citizens. That’s what I am asking of you.

Thanks and I hope I can earn your support.

Tom Horner