District 60 is currently represented in the Iowa House by Libby Jacobs (R). She decided retire from the house this year and so we have a fresh set of candidates.
Dr. Alan Koslow (D) is a vascular surgeon who has been involved in health related volunteer activities for over 30 years. Without being a legislator, he has authored bills passed by the Iowa General Assembly, focused in the health and child services area. He has worked in missions to El Salvador after an earthquake. He considers himself a Smaller Government-Private Business-Progressive Realist. Koslow’s main focus is Health Care. His positions appear somewhat moderate, although he advocates leveraging our “balanced budget” to stimulate the economy by spending it on teacher pay, improving infrastrucutre, early child development programs.
Russ Gibson (L) is a customer service representative for FBL Financial Group. He states on his web site that he is not a “traditional” libertarian. His positions on issues are largely what I would consider conservative, although the basis for his positions still stretch back into the basics of Libertarianism, that is, minimal government intervention, law, constraints. He does not seem to hold to the normal views, but what he states clearly comes from that direction. He is Pro-life, small government, gun rights, states rights.
Peter Cownie (R) is President of Junior Achievement of Iowa. He is also involved in volunteer work, mostly helping youth. Peter is attentive to our need to reduce spending in Iowa. He is focused on how to make Iowa attractive enough to retain young people entering the work force, and for businesses to come to Iowa. In talking directly with Peter, he seem not only genuinely concerned for the rights of Iowans, but also wants to work hard to represent the residents of District 60. He is the most animated when talking about young people and what they have to offer Iowa. His positions fall well within the realm of conservative thought.
We are voting for Peter Cownie. All three candidates have very positive attributes. Peter’s focus on youth is indeed critical to Iowa’s future, and provides a strong opportunity to bring new ideas to the Iowa House to engage young Iowans while supporting a fiscally conservative agenda and maintaining our rights as Iowans. The past legislative session brought us to the brink of bad taxation ideas, encrouchment by unions and a trampling of our liberties by the Democrats. We need to take back the Assembly, and not give up seats formerly held by conservatives like Jacobs.
