Carl Bjerke

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your family, how long you have lived in the area, and your occupation.

My wife Lesli and I have been married for 32 years. We have two children. Our son is a firefighter for the City of Meridian and our daughter is a graphic designer/entrepreneur here in Coeur d’Alene. I am a retired deputy chief for the City of Santa Monica Fire Department and Lesli is a retired teacher, small business owner, and was recently elected to the CDA School Board. We were all raised in southern California, and we have fond memories of growing up during some of California’s most golden years. In 2014 we made a deliberate decision to purchase land in beautiful Kootenai County. We identified with the socially and politically conservative nature of the area. Lesli and I began building in 2016 and moved into our home in July 2017.

My personal background set the tone for my desire to serve in this community and the State of Idaho. I was involved in student government and was very active in sports during high school and college. I was also very involved in my church; it was a big influence in directing my life and continues to be so. My work experience includes being a respiratory therapist and a mortician apprentice. While working on my health-science degree and employed at Long Beach St. Mary’s Medical Center, I found my true calling after numerous encounters with members of the Long Beach Fire Department. After building a resume of firefighting experiences, I was hired as a firefighter by the City of Santa Monica in 1987. I have worked in most ever aspect of the department: Firefighter, Paramedic, Acting Engineer, Captain, Paramedic Coordinator, Training Captain, Division Chief, Battalion Chief, Training Chief, and eventually retiring in 2017, as the Deputy Chief of Operations.

I have an associate degree in Respiratory Therapy and a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership. I have numerous occupational cercificates i.e., Urban Search and Rescue, Incident Command, etc. and numerous units of continuing education related to my ,me working in public safety.

Even in retirement I maintain a strong work ethic and continue to be an avid learner. I was hired by the College of Eastern Idaho as a Fire Technology Instructor, until COVID hit. I currently work as a part ,me property manager.

One constant over the past three years has been my desire to increasingly help serve the people with political involvement. I have a great deal of wisdom and world experience that will benefit the people in the State of Idaho and Kootenai County if given the opportunity to serve in our State Senate.

2. Do you have experience as an elected official and if so what was your position and how would you describe your voting record?

I have chaired many committees and workgroups in my role as a fire department administrator. I often worked and coordinated with elected city officials and city management. Most of us recognize this as a form of political involvement as it helps keep vital services running smoothly and effectively. It requires communication skills, trust and knowledge of the issues. Following are my elected positions:

• Fiduciary for the Santa Monica Fire Department Health Trust; approximately 4 years

• Saugus Ridgeview Homeowners Association-varying positions over 11 years

3. Please tell us about your activity as a Republican. Have you previously voted for those of other parties? If so explain.

I am proud to say my first vote cast was for Ronald Reagan when he was elected President in 1981. I do not remember voting for any other party since then.

I have a1ended Lincoln Day Dinners for the past five years and was a volunteer concierge this year. I a1end various Republican meetings such as Reagan Republicans, Panhandle Pachyderms and North Idaho Pachyderms plus a1end town hall meetings.

This past year, I was very active in assisting my wife Lesli in her successful run for school board. This includes me being her ongoing treasurer. The involvement in her extremely important race has sparked me into much increased conservative involvement and desire to find an opening to serve our conservative causes. I take most every opportunity to stay abreast on state and local issues.

4. Describe why you are running for this particular Office and what are the qualifications and goals that you have. What is the purpose of government, in your own words?

Although it has been my intent to use my ,me, post fire service retirement, to find a new area of service, nothing has motivated me more to this end than the past two years. I am now convinced serving in politics is my new charge. What happened in our government is unprecedented. For the first time in my 59-years, as a citizen of this great country, did I feel completely betrayed by all levels and branches of government. The response to the pandemic was a coordinated farce intended to control the populous and to greatly diminish our liberties; a very short history is already proving this out. I was wrong to think that all our conservative Republicans would have the courage to see this for what it was and to represent accordingly. I hold all branches of the Idaho government equally responsible and although there were some lone courageous voices, I am not convinced that many members of the Senate are of that group. Unfortunately, when most people are thinking that we are coming out on the other side of this continued debacle, there are people, like nurses and first responders, to name a couple, losing their jobs due to continued mandates. The very people who stood in the breach and between the virus and the public’s safety and care, are now disposable for political expedience. For this reason and for the complete lack of candor and contrition exhibited by our elected officials, in the face of the lives they allowed to be destroyed and continue to do so, I am compelled to enter into this race.

Therefore, I am running for Senator, because I know my life experience, as a citizen of this state and nation, will provide a perspective that more closely reflects the current views, desires and needs of the electorate. I am particularly frustrated that some of our politicians have sought to make decisions that benefit the political structure over the needs of the electorate. I am running to provide a Senator that will make decisions that reflect the needs and desires of the citizens we serve. It is frustrating to continually watch the House of Representatives make thoughtful prudent decisions, draft and pass bills, that will benefit the citizens of this great State, to only be voted down in the Senate or be stuffed in a committee chairman’s drawer. Elected officials need to remember that it is the people, regardless of political affiliation, who should be benefitting from legislation. My qualifications lie in the fact that I am a citizen of this great Nation and resident of Idaho in District 5. My previous 32-year fire service work experience, including my 15-years of administrative assignments, will help me greatly in understanding issues related to the proper administration of local and state government. I have had many opportunities, throughout my career, to closely work with city and county governments and private sector entities; health districts and private hospitals; and other jurisdiction’s police and fire departments. I feel that my leadership style and my cooperative demeanor has led to accomplishing the work I was charged to perform. My goals, include having a deep understanding of issues, becoming a student of the nuances and intricacies of the political system, becoming intimately aware of my constituent groups, assessing the greatest need for change within our current political landscape, to prioritize where my efforts would best be directed, and begin to advocate and vote for issues important to the citizens of North Idaho. Although, my most important goal, would be to return our State back to the citizens and to limit the effects of the efforts to further degrade the discourse. We need to get government functional, again.

The purpose and role of government is to protect the rights and liberties of the governed and to enforce laws to provide stability in society, in such a fashion that the government’s power is derived at the consent of the governed. This includes protecting the citizenry from threats, both foreign and domestic. It should be limited in scope, as to ensure the greatest amount of freedom, with the least amount of governmental involvement, micromanagement and regulation. The people are the government-of the people, by the people, for the people.

Our government was set up to ensure that we would not have a permanent ruling class, where the masses are merely governed. Unfortunately, we seem to have drifted from the Founding Father’s original intent. I am a firm believer in limited/small government; the less intrusive the better. I also believe that more citizens should participate in serving at all levels of our governmental system, from the most local to the national level. As in keeping government as small as possible, the ,me of service for politicians shall equally be limited; we need more changing of the guard, so to speak, rather than having career politicians.

5. Describe the areas where you are or have been engaged in organizations, clubs or churches where you have been of service to others?

I look at everything I have been involved in, from the ,me I worked for my first mortuary, to this day, as a continued effort to serve and make a difference in the lives of others. I view my professions such as respiratory therapist, helping families as a mortician, responding to EMT emergencies and fighting fires to save lives as services I was indeed dedicated. Regardless of the challenges of time, due to a 16-hour workday and a 2-hour drive home, I managed to squeeze in a few things:

• Coached my son’s baseball teams

• Volunteer EMT to the Saugus High School football team

• Assisted with my daughter’s sporting activities

• I was a Minuteman – church program designed to aid single mothers, widows, etc.

• Volunteered with the Wakefield Wonderland decorating committee

I continue to be involved in church, as it is what I consider my most important endeavor. From this commitment, all others flow in the proper form. I believe we have finally settled on a home church, at Candlelight, and I continue involvement with Bible Study Fellowship.

6. Do you describe yourself as Fiscally Conservative? If so how?

I would definitely describe myself as fiscally conservative. Like so many other instances where our Founding Fathers laid the perfect groundwork (mostly perfect), we have, as a country and, as individuals, deviated from the principles that were designed to sustain the Republic; to remain solvent, etc. Unfortunately, in so many instances, the horse is out of the barn and it is a little too late to close the door, i.e., getting off the gold standard; Federal Reserve; Fiat money, etc. With that said, I find it more important, these days, to be fiscally conservative / responsible, as an individual. Our understanding of, and our attitude toward money, will likely be reflected similarly when we are entrusted with money that doesn’t belong to us; people who are generally not good stewards of their own resources, will likely not be good stewards of public resources.

For instance, as a HOA board member, I worked to cut the fat, wherever possible – this took a vote of the neighborhood, but it was often successful. We also put our reserves into an interest- bearing account. As a fiduciary for the Santa Monica Fire Department, I made investment decisions that would have lasting consequences for our members, long after I would be gone.

Bottom line, you must manage public monies with more fiduciary responsibility than you do for your own personal finances, and at the same ,me, work to reverse the negative effects of poor money and resource management.

7. Do you consider yourself Socially Conservative? If so how?

Yes, I would consider myself to be socially conservative.

As to how, I believe progress means going forward in a positive direction. Most of our recent social experiments have definitely changed things, but I don’t feel we have progressed, rather we have regressed. My belief’s regarding social matters reflect my deeply held spiritual beliefs:

• We only have 2 genders

• Life begins at conception

• We deserve what we work for

• We should be charitable

8. Which Party Platform best aligns with your positions on public policy (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or Constitution Party) and where do you disagree with that Platform?

The true and pure Republican platform coincides with my positions. Although there are areas of the Libertarian and Constitutional party platform that I can agree with, the Republican Party aligns with my beliefs.

9. Do you have any history of tax liens, criminal record or conflict of interest which may affect your future decisions?

No, and nothing in my background that would affect any of my future decisions.

10. Please describe how you will make yourself available to your Constituents and vote as their Representative with fortitude, adhering to the values you have stated above?

As a Chief Officer, working in public safety, I had been subject to pressures that would a1empt to compromise my values. I would have likely been a much stronger contender to have been the Chief of the Department, if I had bowed to those pressures, but it has always been more important to me to be able to look myself in the mirror, honor my family and be able to look friends in the eyes with truth. So, my first order of business, in making myself available, is to do so honestly and to be accountable to my constituents. I am a big believer in being around those I represent. While in my past career, I made a point to get out from behind the desk and show up, sometimes unannounced or where there would be no expectation for me to be, such as drills and other places where my Firefighters didn’t expect me to be willing to take the ,me. I welcome open forums and getting tough questions or taking a few shots. Obviously, today’s technical abilities open the gamut a bit more, so those are also avenues for communication, and I will put them to good use. One of my skills is to work with and listen to large groups expressing their desires, and also with individuals with thoughts and personal concerns. I would employ any reasonable methodology to hear from and selfishly fight for the concerns of my constituents.