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Introduction from Frank Germann - 
Libertarian Party Candidate

Frank Germann, the Libertarian candidate for governor of 
Minnesota, is 56 years old, and is a 1968 graduate of the 
University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology in Civil 
Engineering.  He is the father of eight children, ages 9 to 23, 
and has one grandchild. His wife of 28 years, Joanne, is 
working as an accountant for a building construction company.

Mr. Germann is retired from 31 years with the state and 
federal governments.  His experience includes three years 
enlisted in the Navy as a construction surveyor and draftsman 
in the Navy's Construction Battalions (Sea Bees), a year and 
a half with the Minnesota Highway Department (before DOT), 
part time with the University Physics Department while going 
to school, five years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Saint Paul District Office, as a civilian engineer designing 
flood control projects, and 21 years with the Federal Aviation 
Administration, Minneapolis Airports District Office, in a grant 
program for airport development.

Mr. Germann does not hate government, however his 
experience with the government has lead him to believe that the 
government way is generally not the best way to do things.  
While government does many useful things, like national 
defense, construction of highways, airports, and flood control 
projects for instance, generally, when government does things, 
they wind up costing a lot more than if they were built by 
individuals and groups of individuals that did not have the 
coercive taxing and regulating power of the government.

As an example of the inefficiency of government, Mr. Germann 
likes to cite a personal example from his experience with the 
FAA.  The city of Menomonie Wisconsin wanted to have an 
airport and asked the FAA for a grant to build one.  Well, the 
FAA wasn't sure they needed one since they were not very far 
from Eau Claire which had a nice airport.  The local 
businessmen at Menomonie, however, were sure they needed 
an airport, and without government help, a group of local 
businessmen pooled their resources and built a 4000 foot 
runway for about $100,000.  Soon they had lots of aircraft with 
lots of landings and takeoffs.  The local businessmen were right!  
In fact the airport was so busy, the government decided to build 
them a crosswind runway.  The second runway cost 
$1,000,000, or ten times as much as the original runway.

Mr. Germann has been a Libertarian Party member for 22 
years.  The Libertarian Party is the party of liberty and 
freedom, and is the third largest political party in the 
United States.   We believe, like most people,  that government 
ought to leave peaceful people alone to live their lives as they 
see fit.  We propose lower taxes and less regulation.

We believe that the government ought to be reduced to the 
minimum size that would be consistent with a civil society.  The 
legitimate role of government is to protect the life, liberty, and 
property of its citizens.

It should not try to protect us from ourselves.