Issues

Stands on Issues
Here are my stands on some of the critical issues facing our state: This list is by no means all-inclusive and is meant only as a good start.

1. For “clean elections”-public financing of candidates for office in Iowa. Money could come from unclaimed property.

2. Lobbying needs to be further controlled. Registered lobbyists outnumber legislators by 4 to 1.

3. Commercial property taxes are too high. They are among the highest in the country.

4. Corporations doing business in other states besides Iowa should be required to report more than just their sales in Iowa when paying corporate taxes. There should be combined reporting taking into account % of payroll in Iowa, and % of its plants in Iowa. Only a very few states use a single factor system. This tax revenue could be used to offset commercial property tax rates. This would be especially appealing to small business doing business mostly in Iowa.

5. Roads and Bridges in Iowa are badly in need of maintenance, repairs and new construction. The needs for this next year will be far below the estimated revenues. It is estimated that the state will require at least $200 Million dollars each year to just meet the necessary maintenance. The increased payments for pickup licenses was a significant step in the right direction this past year but much more is needed. A possible increase in the gas tax may have to be considered. It does force non-residents using the interstate system to pay into the fund. It does however discriminate against those traveling long distances to commute to work. This is particularly true for rural residents. I would like to see a broader look at other ways to increase funding for roads and bridges. One creative solution for rural bridges is the use of old railroad car frames for replacing small wooden bridges.

6. For passing the mandatory funding for REAP and other environmental, parks and recreation, and water quality issues through the three-eighths of one cent increase whenever the next sales tax hike takes effect. In favor of passing a constitutional amendment protecting that money.

7. For balancing the annual budget. Budget revenues need to adequate without dipping into other pools of money or funds in order to balance the budget. The rainy-day fund has to be maintained at an agreed upon level.

8. Beginning farmer programs need to be strengthened. I do not believe that the 5% reduction in taxes for landowners is adequate. It should also include lower taxes for the beginning farmer. It offers incentive to the landowner to rent to a beginning farmer but there is not enough financial incentive for the beginning farmer. I would consider raising it to 15% for both cash renting and share-cropping arrangements.

9. I am not for expanding the scope of bargaining to include other issues such as class size for teachers and so on. I believe this would take away too much local school board control and also end up costing tax-payers higher property taxes.

10. I am for “fair share” for labor unions which would require non-union members working for the same company to pay a fee for services that they are benefiting from even though they are non-union workers.

11. For increasing the bottle bill redemption to 10 cents and adding water, juice, tea, power drinks, etc. to the list of containers. The pay to any redemption center should be increased to 2 cents instead of at the 1 cent level where it has been since the inception of the program in the 1970’s. The number of redemption centers in the state has gone down dramatically.

12. Health insurance needs to be more affordable and accessible for Iowans. Pre-existing conditions that prevent Iowans from obtaining insurance should be outlawed. Small businesses need to have cost-share provisions with the state in order to pay for their increasing burdens of insurance. The goal of insuring all Iowa children is reasonable. There has to be a public-private partnership fostered in order to achieve affordable health care coverage for all. This will require paying into the fund by the insurance companies, the drug companies, the hospitals, etc. and also by the general public.

13. Immigration- Any immigration legislation has to have at its foundation the core belief that we are all immigrants to this country and that we are all human beings that need to be treated with dignity. I believe there needs to be a path for citizenship by illegal immigrants to this country. Deporting them all back to their native lands is not reasonable or practical. Green cards should be issued to temporary workers. Illegal immigrants wishing to stay in this country would have to pay back a fee to the state coming from a deduction on wages, obtain a drivers license, and pay for any other services just as any other citizen has to. Our state and our nation has to realize that we need to help countries such as Mexico improve their own standard of living through negotiation and programs requiring the government of Mexico to work towards that end. Many of the small farmers that are coming to this country have come because they cannot make an adequate living on their own land, partly because we have taken their own markets away through such agreements as NAFTA.

14. I am for more local control over the citing of CAFO’s (confinement animal feeding operations)

15. I am for strengthening the master-matrix governing where CAFO’s can be built.

16. I am for requiring CAFO’s to meet stricter air quality standards such as meeting ISU Ammonium Sulfide levels, requiring the planting of trees and shrubs around exhaust fans, lagoons and other manure holding structures.

17. I am for taxing investor owned CAFO’s at commercial property tax levels not at lower Ag. Property tax rates because they do not meet the definition of “family farm agriculture” used in deciding Ag property tax rates. The criteria to make that decision should be based on the majority of land, labor, capital, and management coming from the farm family.

18. Investor owned and out of state absentee landlord agriculture is on the rise in Iowa. I would like to consider a higher agricultural property tax rate for such entities because their income tends to leave the local community and the state as well. This problem will increase even more as time goes on because of not enough new beginning farmers.

19. I am for the state of Iowa setting goals of how we are going to reduce our CO2 emissions and setting in motion ways to meet these goals. This has to include businesses, institutions, and the public at all levels.

20. Nurse’s pay as well as other health care workers such as those working in nursing homes needs to be increased. Iowa ranks near the bottom for nursing pay.

21. I believe very strongly in encouraging renewable fuels and developing alternative energy resources. Wind Power tax credits as well as tax credits for other developing “green” technologies should be extended and increased if possible.

22. Iowa’s open meeting laws need to be respected and maintained. Confidentiality needs to be maintained in personal matters. Civil matters involving budgets, minutes, financial expenditures and the like must be made available to the public.

23. I am for increased funding for community colleges. I would consider lifting the cap on local property tax levies. Property taxes used to pay for about one-third of community college needs. Today, this down to about five percent. Private colleges get more state aid than community colleges do. Yet, community colleges account for more than 50% of all college students in Iowa. This is not fair. To address these concerns, I would like to propose the following:
a. Close some of the sales tax loopholes that exist such as those for funeral homes and massage parlors as just an example.
b. Increase available student loans to community college students and offer incentive programs to keep community college graduates in the state.
c. Consider a portion of Casino revenues going to community colleges, especially in those areas which have casinos in the community college district.
d. Change the formula which took money away from full-time faculty at community colleges and consider expanding legislation to address the salaries of all community college employees.

24. I am for increasing the available blends of ethanol and bio-diesel at gas stations in Iowa. This could include 20 and 40% as well as E-85.

25. I would support legislation that would allow for the harvest of more deer in Iowa. I believe that farmers and landowners should be allowed more flexibility in the control of the deer population.

26. I do not think that manure management plans for DNR regulated CAFO’s are being fully followed by some CAFO’s and I do not think that DNR has the personnel to enforce all manure management plans as well as other environmental regulations. Fees and fines may have to be increased in order to better enforce these rules. Personnel may have to be increased as well.