Which issue do you believe is the most important issue for the Iowa Legislature to address in 2008?  Taxes and State Government Spending.

In my opinion, we’ve got a reasonably solid economic situation across our great state.  I believe that years of substantial economic growth and prosperity have led us to an unfortunate situation where things that we’ve been able to add to our lifestyles that are truly luxuries (cell phones, nice cars, homes, elegant dining, electronic toys, computers, HD TV) have become necessities in our minds.  Now that we are experiencing less economic success, we need to do some belt-tightening at home, in our businesses, and in our governments.  What’s great about this is that we can do more of what we should always have been doing: ensuring that what we spend money on are things we really need.  With government, this should always be the case, but we’re not structured that way, and as a result, everything appears to be a non-negotiable.

State government spending (and laws that address local government spending) needs to be addressed.  The following revenue streams should be considered last resorts for improving revenue:

• Income Tax
• Corporate Income Tax
• Sales Tax
• Bottle Deposit
• Gasoline Tax
• Utility Fees

Fees, licenses and taxes tied to luxury entertainment (including gaming) should be explored.  Taxes and fees that impact the day-to-day needs of average Iowans should be left alone.

More importantly, spending needs to be addressed.  Administration department budgets need to be examined carefully and cut.  Consultants should NOT be used to do this work (or any work, for that matter).   Contract services for short term efforts are fine, but hiring expensive consultants to do work that should be done by the people we’re already paying is unacceptable.  Let’s appoint and hire the right people in the first place.

Iowa’s Right to Work Law gives employees the choice either belong or not to belong to a union and pay union dues. There is a proposal in the Legislature which would eliminate that choice and require public employees, including teachers, to pay union dues even if they do not belong to the union. Do you support the effort to repeal Iowa’s Right to Work Law?  No.

Unions should not be necessary.  They are hotbeds of abusive power and provide high-priced jobs for the union leaders.  I can’t promote abolishing them because there is some fundamental concepts in some rare situations that have good in them as well.  Membership should always be optional, and if you’re not a member, you should not have to support the union.  Frankly, if the union is doing its job, the membership fees should cover whatever costs exist for the membership, and the negotiating should ensure that members are paid enough to cover that cost.

Repairs to Iowa’s roads and bridges are supported by the tax paid on fuel. The fuel tax revenue is constitutionally protected and can only be spent on road and bridge repairs.

Please check the funding stream that you think could be increased to repair Iowa’s roads and bridges.   Gasoline.

The taxes raised from gasoline and vehicle registration should adequately cover the building and maintenance of all roads and bridges.  I’m not saying the current tax levels are adequate, just that if they are set correctly, then we should be good.  One thing I’m not clear on is what kind of license fees are assessed on out-of-state loads that are hauled across the state.

The other thing I’m not clear on is what are the specific expenses that need to be addressed… I’m assuming we’re facing an issue with expenses out-stripping revenue, and partly due to decreased fuel consumption because of the increase in fuel prices.  Is some of this coming from the bridge collapse in Minnesota?

Today in Iowa all 99 counties have approved a local option sales tax for school infrastructure (building repair and construction). Which of the following is closer to your opinion on this issue?

__X__ We should not make the school local option taxes permanent because voters should be given the opportunity to vote every 10 years to decide if they still want to keep the tax in place for their local school district.

The law is good as it stands.  As it is, there has already been more abuse than I find acceptable, but I think it works to have each county own this decision.

Iowa’s law banning same sex marriage was recently declared unconstitutional by an Iowa district judge. How should the Legislature respond?

__X__ The Legislature should pass a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage.

Just a small clarification.  I do not support gay marriages.  However, I’m not necessarily in favor of changing the Iowa Constitution for the sake of this topic because I think it trivializes the Iowa Constitution.  If we can cover this particular issue with an amendment that addresses a broader range of issues by abstraction, I’d feel more comfortable.  That said, if any action is going to be taken, this would be the appropriate action to take and I would not strictly oppose it.

How should Iowa be focusing its immigration efforts?

Finding and deporting would be better worded as “validating the resident status of anyone cited for a traffic violation or arrested for any reason”.  I do not support a program of tearing up our neighborhoods with Gestapo-like searches for illegal aliens.  That is an unnecessary expense.  Employers must be held accountable for verifying resident status.  If any person becomes known to be an illegal immigrant, they should get no benefits (except for emergency medical care where appropriate) and should have their case reviewed quickly for deportation.
However, one other thing we need to discuss (and may impact how the deportation part is handled)  is our overall economic situation if we start deporting every illegal alien.  Something to consider.
There is a plan in the Iowa Legislature that requires every Iowan to purchase health insurance, similar to how auto insurance is required. Is this the right thing to do?

__X__ No, some people cannot afford health insurance and some people choose not to be insured.

Frankly, the two answers were not adequate.  Those that can afford to pay for their own health needs should be left alone.  A government program to mandate or subsidize a low-cost insurance option (like Hawkeye) makes sense.  The real problem is those that chose not to have insurance but need health-care and cannot pay for it.  I don’t like the idea of the state being responsible for the poor decisions people make.  I’m not sure that an auto-insurance-style approach can really work either.
What is the best way to give property tax relief?
__X__ Require local government officials to take a public vote on every increase.

Raising of taxes needs to be an intentional act of the people.  Period.