Boone County delegate candidates meet for forum
Candidates running for Missouri House of Representatives and state Senate to represent the Boone County area gathered at the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Wednesday evening for a forum.
The candidates included Tom Pauley and Cheri Reisch, House District 44; Kip Kendrick and William Lee, House District 45; Martha Stevens and Don Waterman, House District 46; Chuck Basye and Susan McClintic, House District 47; and Caleb Rowden and Stephen Webber, Senate District 19.
The candidates were each given a minute to answer four different questions. Parts of their answers to each question are listed below.
Q: What would you do to fund roads, infrastructure in Missouri?
Susan McClintic – “The number one thing that I think we can do by expanding Medicare that would take that piece out of the general revenue. That would allow our community to grow. It would support local taxes. That would then allow us to look at what’s left in the general revenue to fully fund our schools, to look at MODOT and to make sure we can manage that in everyway possible.”
Chuck Bayse – “I was going to put a 5.9 percent increase on the upcoming ballot in November, but it didn’t make it to the floor of the House for a vote. So I don’t know what we’re going to do moving forward, but I do know that is a big need. We have to do something about our roads and bridges.”
Dom Waterman – “There may be some interest for an increase in the fuel tax, so that’s certainly something to look at. I know there’s other options. One is toll roads, but I don’t know really see that as being viable. The fuel tax may be the best way to capture everybody that travels through the state to pay for their share of maintaining and building the roads.”
Martha Stevens – “Studies show that the Missouri state budget will save $1 million in the first year by expanding Medicaid. It’s guaranteed federal dollars back to our state and that’s money that can be reallocated to work on projects to fix our roads and infrastructure. I would support an increase in a fuel tax to help address the issue and fund construction.”
Stephen Webber – “This year the legislature tried to take money out of the general revenue and put that into MODOT and I think that’s a mistake. I think our priority for general revenue has to be our schools and to fully support our university system. So until we fully fund our schools, until we fully support our universities, I don’t think we should take general revenue away from our school to put it into roads.”
Caleb Rowden – “The question should be more of what do the people want as opposed to what we want. We’re going to have to come to the table with some ideas that we’re going to send to the voters. In 2014, they were obviously not in favor of the sales tax. We’re going to have to come to the table with some other concrete ideas and give them some more opportunities to do that.”
William Lee – “Other than a gas tax increase of 6 to 8 cents on the gallon, I cannot see a viable solution, other than submitting a plan to voters and letting voters have their say. We cannot force a large budget increase that is without a vote of the people.”
Kip Kendrick – “We need to do everything we can to continue to draw on those federal funds and that is going to be in my opinion through a modest gas tax increase of two cents per year for a total of three years totaling six cents. As far as a long term solution for building on existing infrastructure, we do need to submit a plan to voters.”
Cheri Reisch – “We need to maybe try look at more of getting some of these heavy trucks off the road. We need to increase barge traffic on the Mississippi and Missouri river. We need to also look at increasing rail on the railroads. The legislature can increase the gas tax two cents without the vote of the people. Just recently when the voters turned that down I think maybe coming back to the voters with another tax increase would be turned down again. Talking to the people in my district, they are against toll roads, so I don’t know that toll roads are an option at this point that would sell to the public.”
Tom Pauley – ” I think a modest gas tax is a great idea, but that’s one step. I’d like us to take a look at something that’s going to be a little more progressive and less regressive than a sales tax. I think we ought to think about putting a tax on tires. Tires are actually things that touch the road. And tires for a semi truck are bigger, they take more damage, they could pay a higher percentage of a tax than a bicycle. If we spread this out, everybody pays their fair share.”
Q: Job training is an important part of economic development as is job retention and creation. How would you support local communities to meet their regional economic needs?
McClintic – “When you look at the budget that CPS has run there are spreading themselves as thin as possible, but have moved the career center to all four high schools with those opportunities. They know that high quality education is the very best way to assure job creation. We make sure our kids are educated, they get out and do that.”
Bayse – “I think we should do everything we can to promote the university and also our trade colleges. It starts in the public school arena. The career center out by Rock Bridge High School does an excellent job in a lot of different ways. Funding is always an issue, but we do the very best we can.”
Waterman – “I think looking at the training that is available through the career center at Rock Bridge. They’ve got a real focus on trying to provide an opportunity for high school students that are looking to get into more of a skill trade rather than the traditional, in this town, college route. Those skill trades are what you need.”
Stevens – “I think part of it is supporting vocational programs across the state that provide that training for folks. I think a lot of it is making sure we’re providing a quality education in our public schools and make sure we have all of the resources to ensure that happens. I think it also connects back to Medicaid expansion. We have six medical schools in the state and we have second highest rates of people leaving once they go to med school out of state. So when we look at retention, I think we have to look at how Medicaid expansion relates to that especially in the realm of the healthcare field.”
Webber – “One of the things I proposed was expanding Medicaid. We would provide healthcare coverage for everybody and bring a $1 billion into our state. My plan was to take that and put about half of that in universities’ and community colleges’ operating funds and take the other half and put it into capital improvements to expand training for healthcare workers.”
Rowden – “What we’ve tried to do is close the gap between the private sector and higher education. The combination of the investment in higher education that we’ve been able to make and really close the gap is an opportunity that we have to make some good progress there.”
Lee – “To grow the economy and bring our economy in the realm it needs to be as far as having the workforce to support the jobs that are available, we need to concentrate on skill trades. So expanding the funding for programs like that and concentrating more on vocational education even in the K-12 public schools in the later years, I think, is something that is viable.”
Kendrick – “This year I’ll be filing a state work study bill, which gets directly at this issue. It will provide paid internships to college and career and technical students. The student gets to earn money to pay down college debt. They also get the work experience and get to build relationships with the employer that they’ll work for once they graduate. It helps us retain and recruit the best and the brightest.”
Reisch – “There’s a lot of different ways we can keep jobs in Boone County and expand those. The 44th District has the industrial corridor of Paris Road, so jobs in the 44th District are one of the number one priorities. When I was with the city back in 1999 we formed the first TIF commission in Boone County.”
Pauley – “I think Linn State is a prime example of an educational institution that’s taking that step. There are places all over the state. We need to start finding ways to fund them trying to encourage kids that aren’t bound for the university, but are bound to be the electricians, the sheet metal workers, the iron workers, the carpenters. We need those people. We need to be able to train those people in the latest technology.”
Q: What is your stance for funding at the University of Missouri?
McClintic – “I’ve made it clear as part of the Boone delegation, it is imperative that we protect the University of Missouri. It is our number one economic driver, our number on employer and our number one plan for the future.”
Bayse – ” I’m a staunch supporter of MU. I know how important it is to this community, not only in Boone County but all across the state with the extension service and the healthcare system.I will continue to be an advocate for MU. I know how important it is to the area. I’m a product of the university as well.”
Waterman – “It’s important for this district and this community and this county. The university is a flagship, but there are many other great institutes of education around the state and they all have to share when it comes to higher education. I don’t think we can focus on funding the university to the exclusion of the others.”
Stevens – “I think it’s the responsibilities of every representative in Boone County to be an advocate for the University of Missouri. It’s the largest economic driver in our community and our economy. I want to be a strong advocate for the University of Missouri.”
Webber – Defending and strengthening the University of Missouri is the number one job of a legislature from Boone County. The first thing is we need to have the local delegations stop attacking the University of Missouri. In the past year we had a local representative that said he wouldn’t send his dog to our University. That has an impact when it comes to recruiting students and retaining students to come to the University.”
Rowden – “Last year there was an unnecessary, but very intentional effort to put our foot on the throat of the University of Missouri at a time where are partnership as a legislature was needed the most. I was the one that offered every amendment to restore funding and was ultimately the one that got most of the funding restored. If you want to make sure the University of Missouri continues to thrive, you have to have someone who is willing to lead and willing to accomplish things and willing to make sure the University of Missouri is not solely used for their political expedience.”
Lee – “The University of Missouri is the economic engine of Columbia and Boone County. We can’t defund other universities in the state to fund the university. I think our concentration has to be on building jobs in the state and let the tax dollars roll in to take care of the University of Missouri without cutting anything.”
Kendrick – “We need to do better in funding all public education across the state. The University of Missouri is an economic driver for not only mid-Missorui and Boone County, but also for the state of Missouri. It’s been a bright spot in our economy over the last decade and will continue to be but we need to do everything we can to protect it and restore funding.”
Reisch – “As a founding family of MU, it is near and dear to my heart. I will not cut funding to Mizzou. I will fight in Jefferson City. The University is what runs not just Columbia, Boone County, but all of mid-Missouri. It is the largest employer and we need to keep it that way.”
Pauley – “I think what we need to do is give serious consideration to stop giving tax breaks to billionaires and multinational corporations that break their promises and start taking care of the university right here. Not just the Boone County delegation. I think we all need to reach out to those surrounding counties.”
Q: As an elected official, what would you do to better communicate and work with community businesses and leaders?
McClintic – “You have to build relationships and that’s been the most exciting thing to me as part of this campaign. I have been out in every part of the 47th building those relationships with the people who are there, with the people who work there, with the people who come to work there.”
Bayse – “The best thing you do is advocate for our agriculture industry. It’s our number one industry, it’s extremely important. Small business is the backbone of our economy. I’m going to do everything I can moving forward to advocate for our small businesses. I think it’s crucial that we keep our taxes low and keep our regulations in check.”
Waterman – “I think the main thing is maintaining relationships. I would have an office in Columbia so people know where to find me when I’m not in session or on the weekends when we are. Almost like campaign mode, you stay out in the community, you knock on doors and just ask people about their concerns.”
Stevens – “Making sure as a legislator I am available to meet with folks and hear the concerns that they’re facing in the business community. I think Columbia is so unique and wonderful with all the local businesses that we have. I certainly want to be an ally for them, listen to their concerns,work with the Chamber, look at proposed legislation and really make myself available to the community.”
Webber – “In politics, no one is going to agree with each other 100 percent of the time, but it’s important to always be willing to have a conversation, to be willing to hear from the other side, to be willing to open up your office and to sit down with someone and explain your position if you disagree with them. That hasn’t been happening in Boone and Cooper County over the last few years. There’s going to be a change there. I’m looking forward to working with everybody, even people that I may disagree with.”
Rowden – “I think that outreach has been happening in Boone County, it was just in my office. This isn’t rocket science. There are a lot of people who are really, really smart in this community who run incredibly successful businesses. There are reasons why they’re successful, because they know what it takes to grow the economy.”
Lee – “Part of my plan to engage business owners in this community is to have a forum at least once a month to hear issues and concerns not only with business owners, but with individual residents that have issues they think need to be addressed in the state House of Representatives. That has been lacking in this position for a long time. We need to engage the voters, we need to engage the business people in this community and get everybody involved in the legislative process again.”
Kendrick – “I will continue to hold listening sessions with people in the business community. I’ll also continue to do my part on informing them of things happening at the state level.”
Reisch – “The number one business in Missouri is agriculture. We have to remember our farmers are what feed us and that it’s the number one export industry in Missouri. I have stuck my neck out and lost my job helping farmers. In the 44th District, we’ll work with the Columbia, the Centralia, Hallsville and Sturgeon Chambers of Commerce.”
Pauley – “I’m going to go around to Hallsville, Sturgeon, Centralia, Columbia and have regular listening sessions during the time of year when we’re not in session. When we’re in session, you can come on down to my office. In the meantime, I want to go out and talk with people in their communities.”
