Views may assist voters in primary election
Candidates from 17th district share opinions and qualifications
State Senate candidates from the 17th district were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their backgrounds, experience, and views on current issues.
Following are the responses from Republican candidate incumbent Jim Barnett and Republican candidate James Meier, both of Emporia. Responses from Democratic candidate Sharon Karr of Emporia also are included.
The Aug. 2 primary will determine the Republican candidate who will face-off with Karr in the general election Nov. 2.
Jim Barnett-R, incumbent
State your background.
Barnett: I was raised on a family farm south of Reading. My parents still actively farm. After graduation from Emporia State University, I attended medical school at The University of Kansas. Internship and residency training followed at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas. I am married to Yvonne and have two children, Blake and Chelsea.
Between 1991 and 1999, I served on the Emporia Board of Education and was president of the board for four years. Since 2001, I have served in the Kansas Senate and am vice chairman of public health and welfare, and vice chairman of financial institutions and insurance.
Question: What are three strengths about Kansas today? How can these strengths be improved?
Barnett: Strengths of Kansas include the people of our state, our educational system, and a work force that attracts and retains business in our state.
To improve these areas, we need to continue to support education. A solid public education system means stronger communities and a better future for Kansas. We also need to support technical education and our higher educational system. Maintaining a quality of life that is unique to Kansas will continue to make our state attractive during the years ahead.
Question: What are three weaknesses about Kansas today? How can these weaknesses be improved?
Barnett: Weaknesses include rural depopulation, an increasing Medicaid budget, and the rising cost of prescription medicine that is especially hard on our senior citizens.
Our state needs to continue to support infrastructure, such as highways and high-speed Internet access for rural communities. Support for smaller schools also must be maintained. I have worked hard to address the growing Medicaid budget that drains our state resources. I sponsored the legislation that developed a preferred drug list for Medicaid and requires competitive bidding between drug companies, saving our state between $8 and $10 million yearly.
Last session, I sponsored legislation that provides for tax deductions for purchase of long-term care or nursing home insurance, thus giving our citizens an incentive to purchase long-term care insurance.
Last year, I was appointed to the President's Task Force on Medicaid Reform. Through my practice and work in the Senate, I continue to work to find more affordable medicines.
Question: The state' s budget issues are a major concern of Kansas residents. What ways can the deficit be reduced and more revenue brought to the state?
Barnett: We must expect and demand efficient government for our state. We all live on a budget and Kansas must continue to operate efficiently and effectively. To increase revenues, I support growing our economy and was pleased to be a major supporter of the Economic Growth Act that was passed last session that will create new jobs in the area of bio-science.
Question: What qualities and experiences can you bring to this position?
Barnett: Four years of service in the Kansas Senate will provide the experience needed to address the issues facing our state. As a freshman legislator, I sponsored 22 bills and 20 were enacted into law. I understand the art of compromise, listen carefully to all sides, and work for middle ground. Having served on a school board, I also understand tight budgets. That experience, along with my background in health care, uniquely qualifies me to put my skills to work for the people of Kansas.
James Meier-R
State your background.
Meier: I am originally from Marion County, having been raised in the Durham and Hillsboro areas and graduated from Marion High School. I then moved to Emporia and have attended Emporia State University majoring in French and economics. I am married to Andrea who recently graduated from ESU with a degree in elementary education. She student-taught at Lebo Elementary School, Lebo, and is now working at a day-care in Emporia. I currently work full-time at Newman Regional Health, Emporia, as a ward clerk on the medical-surgical-pediatrics floor.
Question: What are three strengths about Kansas today?
Meier: One of our strengths is our education system. Currently, Kansas gives about $1,000 more per student than the national average. Kansas students also consistently score higher than the national average on many standardized tests. Having attended Marion County schools in particular, I know the quality education students receive. In order to keep our educational system top-notch, funding must be allocated more efficiently and teachers must receive a pay raise. Those are the keys to the great education students are receiving in Kansas and we must ensure our teachers stay in Kansas.
Another Kansas strength I believe is simply location. Marion County and other parts of District 17 are in great positions geographically for new business development. The problem seems to be an unwillingness by out-of-state businesses to relocate to Kansas. In order to fix this problem, Kansas needs to become more business-friendly, not only to current businesses but also to potential ones. I believe the first vital step toward this goal is a reduction in the state sales tax on food, putting more money in consumers' pockets, and showing out-of-state businesses Kansas does in fact mean business.
Finally, I believe Kansans are the hardest working people as a group in the nation. It only seems fit such hard working people have tons of job opportunities, but unfortunately that has not been the case for the past several years.
One of the greatest assets we have is the willingness of our people to put in a full day's work. If we intend on keeping this work ethic in our state, we must begin to work on lowering state taxes to keep that work incentive high. After all, if I know all of my extra overtime hours will simply end up going to the government, why work them in the first place? This must be addressed to keep the Kansas economy viable.
Question: What are three weaknesses about Kansas today?
Meier: The first weakness is the state budget and the unwillingness of state lawmakers to make the tough cuts when times get tough instead of raising taxes to solve the problems that they have created. Our state is just now beginning to come out of a recession, but our state was hit especially hard because our taxes were raised dramatically in 2002, in the middle of the recession. If our state wants to keep the economy vibrant, then we need to find better ways of making up the difference in the budget in a tight year rather than raising taxes.
If our tax base has dropped, it was not due to a tax cut but to the economy slowing down. The way to fix the problem is to get the economy rolling again, NOT RAISING TAXES. Raising taxes will only hurt the long-term economy and our state as a whole.
Our second weakness is state spending continues to outpace the ability of workers to pay the expenses. According to Kansas Legislative Research Department in Topeka, since 1972, the state's spending has increased three times the rate of the average Kansan's wage. This means since 1972, every time one of our workers got a dollar raise, the state spent three dollars more to cover it.
In addition, the average Kansan's wage still is $3,000 per year less than the national average. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see we cannot continue this trend and expect our economy to continue to produce good jobs. Something has to give, and it is clear that state spending must be brought under control to levels the working man and woman can pay for.
Our last weakness is the majority of our lawmakers in Topeka. Unfortunately there are many of them who do not understand their short-term and long-term goals simply are not compatible with each other. We can raise taxes now to pay for things we think we need, but that only works against our long-term goals of a better economy and larger tax base in the future.
We need lawmakers who will understand the two cannot both be met, and we, as Kansans, must make a decision. Are we going to suffer a little now to make it better for ourselves down the road, or are we going to continue to raise taxes and spending until one day we have created a welfare state because we have driven out all viable businesses and job opportunities?
I am a long-term solution. I believe we should look to the future and create a Kansas where many jobs exist and we are a rich state, not because we have the highest sales and income taxes in our region, but because we have created an environment of business and job growth. I am the long-term solution candidate.
Question: The state's budget issues are a major concern of Kansas residents. What ways can the deficit be reduced and more revenue brought to the state?
Meier: As I've stated before, the long-term solution is to bring more businesses and thus more jobs into the state over a period of time. What the state should not be doing is raising taxes any more, and lawmakers are going to have to start making those tough decisions rather than passing the buck to the taxpayer.
I think the first thing that should be done is more local control given to state education dollars. With more than 200 school districts in Kansas, each is unique and different; therefore, their needs are different. Freeing-up state education money to the discretion of local school boards will only make them more efficient. The only permanent fix to our state's budget woes is long term, and that means more businesses. Without business growth and the jobs they bring, we can only raise taxes so high before Kansans can no longer afford them.
Question: What qualities and experiences can you bring to this position?
Meier: First of all, as a working man and low income at that, I understand how tax decisions in Topeka affect the working families of Marion County better than anyone. I think what people want in a state Senator is someone who understands them and the problems they face. I am that candidate.
Second, as a student myself, I see the enormous waste that is happening in education and know that even though more money may be needed, the current money we give needs to be allocated more efficiently.
Before pouring more water into a leaky bucket, one must first fix the bucket. It is the same problem with education. We must first fix the state's spending formula, enforce standardized accounting practices through the state's school districts, and free-up the state's money to local needs in order to fix the leaking bucket before seeing if any more water needs to be added.
What is clear, however, is that teachers need more money for what they do. Our students consistently score high in national standardized tests because of their efforts, not because of the school board or superintendents, and it would be wise for us as a state to realize this soon. I am an ideal candidate for this because I am a student. Everyone seems to think we need to go to school boards, superintendents, and state legislators, but I say, ask somebody who has been in the classroom and knows what needs to be done.
I am the ideal candidate for the family that can no longer afford higher taxes but still wants the best for their children. I believe I have the experience to find a better way for Kansas.
Sharon Karr-D
State your background.
Karr: Retired Emporia State University educator. Native Kansan. Graduate of Kansas State University and Southern Illinois University. Husband Jerry is a former state Senator. Two children and five grandchildren. Residence: Lyon County farm.
Question: What are three strengths about Kansas today? How can these strengths be improved?
Karr: a. Favorable business climate. Predictable fiscal management. b. Well-educated, skilled work force. Opportunities for retraining. c. Strong agriculture base. Support development of value-added products.
Question: What are three weaknesses about Kansas today? How can these weaknesses be improved?
Karr: a. Inequitable funding of education. Increased efficiency, redistribution of funding, enhanced funding sources, if needed. b. Increasing health care costs. Explore ways to decrease health insurance costs. c. Loss of rural population. Quality jobs and housing.
Question: The state's budget issues are a major concern of Kansas residents. What ways can the deficit be reduced and more revenue brought to the state?
Karr: Economic development, fair taxing, and decreased spending.
Question: What qualities and experiences can you bring to this position?
Karr: Full commitment as a legislator, strong work ethic, ability to collaborate to find reasonable solutions, and respect for others.
