Senate candidates disagree on need for preschool

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Democrat Rich Taylor of Mt. Pleasant thinks preschool is necessary, Republican Larry Kruse of Donnellson doesn?t.

That was one of the disagreements the state Senate District 42 candidates had during Thursday night?s local and state candidate debate in the Howe Activity Center at Iowa Wesleyan College.

Close to 150 residents attended the event, which was sponsored by The Mt. Pleasant News and Iowa Wesleyan College. News Publisher Bill Gray served as moderator.

Independent candidate Michael Garmoe of Mt. Pleasant also was scheduled to appear but was unable to due to illness.

The Senate district covers Henry and Lee counties and small portions of Washington and Jefferson counties.

Kruse said he thinks the state has enough challenges with K-12 education ?and we do not have to add an additional financial burden with preschool.?

Taylor, meanwhile, said he felt preschool was vital in the educational process. ?The Iowa Business Council has suggested advancing even beyond preschool. I wholly support that every child have an opportunity to go to preschool.?

Both candidates said they would put their constituents ahead of their political party beliefs.

?I am going to take the voice of the people there and if the people tell me to vote against my party, so be it,? said Taylor, who throughout the debate attempted to portray himself as a common man and blue-collar candidate.

Kruse, a Lee County supervisor, said his first loyalty is to the people of the 42nd district. ?I don?t think it is that important to be loyal to my party.?

Many of the questions dealt with taxation and the candidates agreed that the state tax code needed considerable restructuring.

?Commerical (property) taxes are high in Iowa, 42nd in the nation,? claimed Taylor. We have a 12 percent corporate tax rate for businesses who do over $250,000 in sales. The entire tax structure needs to be revamped.?

Kruse agreed. ?We have to look at the whole tax structure. We are the highest in the nation in corporate taxes and have to do something. We have overhaul the whole tax structure.?

Neither candidate favored an increase in the gasoline tax, which is supported by Gov. Terry Branstad. Kruse said he would check on Iowa Department of Transportation spending priorities and how gas volume has changed over the years. Taylor said residents are ?pretty strapped for cash. I don?t think adding another tax is an option. Adding any tax is out of question.?

Asked about their views on property tax, Taylor said he would have to look at the entire tax structure and make an informed decision.

?The mental-health redesign shifts the property tax burden to other taxes. With any overhaul of the tax structure, you would have to make sure cities, counties and schools would be able to continue to function,? Kruse commented.

Both candidates noted that the state?s highest unemployment is in southeast Iowa. Taylor said it was a mistake to close area Iowa Workforce Development Centers and he would work to reopen them.

?We cheated people in southeast Iowa when we closed them (development centers). They are a must. We have to develop more work in southeast Iowa by restructuring the tax system.

Kruse did not address the closing of the development centers but said more jobs can be created through tax reform. ?We have to attract industry to bring in jobs. We have to look at our training. We are not giving adequate training in some cases. I think it is important that the state work with high schools and community colleges to bring more vocational agriculture back into our school system.?

Southeast Iowa is slated to gain 165 more jobs when a controversial foreign-owned fertilizer plant is built in Wever.

The plant has been a lightning rod with most of the complaints centering on a lack of public information about the project.

Kruse, who was instrumental in acquiring the plant as a Lee County supervisor, said Lee County is not investing ?a dime in the plant. It is a huge boom to southeast Iowa. Not only will it employ 165 people, but will add another 800-1,000 indirect jobs. It will reduce (property) tax in Lee County when it is fully operational. It is a huge boost for southeast Iowa and the state of Iowa.?

Taylor said that while he is grateful for the additional jobs the plant will bring, ?I am concerned about the lack of public input. I feel it was a back-room deal.?

A questioner noted that other states, such as Wisconsin and Ohio, have enacted laws eliminating or reducing employee bargaining rights and asked the candidates? stance on the issue.

Taylor, who was a union member while working at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Ft. Madison for 26 years, said he is a strong supporter of collective bargaining, adding that ?it has worked great for the employer and the employee. We have settled for fair contracts for the state and the employee. There should be more bargaining allowed.?

Kruse, while stating he supports collective bargaining, said he preferred to retain Iowa?s status as a right-to-work state.

The candidates also disagreed on Gov. Branstad?s Blueprint for Educaiton, particularly the failing of third graders who do not meet acceptable reading standards.

?I think as a third-grader you need basic skills in reading. If you don?t have them, it will limit your advancement,? Kruse said. ?We also have to look at teachers and make sure we have high-quality teachers.?

Holding kids back isn?t the answer, Taylor countered, reiterating his support for preschool education. ?Every kid needs a fair shot in succeeding. I don?t feel holding a kid back is in the best interest of the kid. We have to make kids excited about learning.?

Both candidates said they strongly supported the Mental Health Institute (MHI) in Mt. Pleasant and pledged to keep its future in Mt. Pleasant. Taylor called the $50 million cut in state mental-health funding unacceptable. ?We are obligated to provide it (mental health). MHI is a very important part of the system and this community.?

Kruse said he envisions possibly adding more services to Mt. Pleasant?s MHI. ?We have to retain it and expand services. There is no immediate level for mental health services in the state and we have to add that. Adding that to the Mt. Pleasant facility would be good.?

In final statements, Kruse said he has experience in farming, engineering and government. ?I was raised on a farm, know agriculture, worked as an engineer and was trained to solve problems. I have experience working in government and understand its problems. I know agriculture, business and government.?

Taylor, who is making his initial run for elective office, said he would use a common-sense approach. ?I am a blue-collar person, we are all in this together. I have lived in this county and district my entire life. That gives me the knowledge of problems here and sets me apart.?