The Worth County Candidates Forum that was held at the Worth County Senior Center last Thursday featured a lively discussion that was also very civil. It was a marked contrast to the polarized atmosphere in Jefferson City and Washington, DC, where there is frequently gridlock on the issues of the day. Candidates of different parties and persuasions frequently found common ground even though they started from totally different standpoints. The forum was sponsored by the Times-Tribune.
Since there was a conflicting forum in Nodaway County, all four Republican candidates for District One State Representative along with Democrat Robert Ritterbusch went first so that they could make it to both. Ritterbusch kicked off his campaign by noting that he was born and raised on a family owned farm in Oxford. He recalled the Grant City Centennial in 1961, where they had skits representing each decade of Grant City's existence. "Having listened to all four Republican candidates, I bring a different perspective to the race," he said. "My parents weathered the Great Depression and World War II, and they taught me the meaning of shared sacrifice." He attacked what he called the notion that we shouldn't have to make similar sacrifices and said that while government did not have all the answers, it could be a force for good. He said that his campaign would be driven by "facts, logic, and evidence." He said that while the other party was trying to "shove ideas down the throat of people," that he would work for compromise, bipartisanship, and seeing the other person's point of view. "We are the most fortunate people in history because of the sacrifices of generations before me, and I feel an obligation to pass on that legacy to the next generation," said Ritterbusch. He said that his family went through many generations of family farms dating back to before 1776 in New Jersey.
Republican candidate Stan Sportsman said that the government did not have the best answers and that frequently, the people knew a lot better than the government. "As a state, we are 47th in economic growth," he said, taking aim at what he said were increasing taxes. "We can't tax our way out of that." Sportsman said that the way to create more prosperity for the state involved getting people off welfare and into work along with broadening the tax base by bringing in more businesses to the state. "The Free Market system is the only system that has ever worked in history," he said. "When Ronald Reagan got his tax cuts passed, the federal government got record revenues." Sportsman said that he wanted to protect coal-fired power plants. He said that he supported a bill by State Senator Brad Lager to use the 1990 Clean Air Standards as a basis for regulating them. "I was born and raised in Nodaway County and I understand farming interests," said Sportsman. "I met a lot of good folks on the campaign; it's time to move government out of the way."
Roger Parshall said that he got his values from doing chores and milking a cow on a farm growing up. He said that he had succeeded in everything that he set out to do, from doubling his family's hog operation, going from 300 acres to 3,000 on the row crop operation, and building a concrete business from scratch. "We need to expand and create more growth," he said. "We need more jobs in the area." As the vice-president of the Tarkio School Board, he said that he would support public schools and teachers if elected. "I'm the proven job creator in this race," said Parshall. "I will stand up for our farmers against the EPA and I will work to get more jobs in the area."
Kathy DeVault pledged to support the interests of farmers and help other people understand their interests. "I have a real place in my heart for farmers," she said. As a licensed administrator and registered nurse, she pledged to support health care providers; as a member of the Missouri State Teacher's Association, she pledged to help education needs. "I visited all 14 superintendents in the district, and almost everyone told me that funding was a big problem," she said. The exception, she noted, was Craig, which hosts the Golden Triangle plant. In addition, she has been to 16 town and city council meetings; she said that government regulation was a common concern among most of them. DeVault pledged to fight against excessive government regulation, excessive litigation, and high taxes. She encouraged voters to look at the backgrounds of candidates. "I've been to Jefferson City more times than any other candidate and learned what being a legislator is all about; I am the best prepared candidate for the job," she said.
Worth County native Allen Andrews talked about faith and family as a centerpiece of his campaign. He was a Worth County grad and graduated from Northwest Missouri State after studying marketing and business management. He returned to the area to raise a family and take over the Wool Shop north of Grant City. He said that he would like to see a citizen-led legislature. "As soon as I am done, I will return back to the district," he said. He pledged to follow the vision of the Founding Fathers, Constitutional freedoms, and free market principles. Andrews was endorsed by the Missouri State Teachers Association and pledged to stand behind education. He noted that the 14 schools in the district support 5,200 kids. He said that he would stand strong on business as well. "Me and Jeff got our first jobs painting curbs for the Worth County Fair," he said. "Business has always been part of my life and 97% of the businesses in Missouri are small businesses." He said that he would support more deregulation. Andrews said that he would stand strong for agriculture. "We need to empower our farmers and ranches and get rid of all the red tape and let them grow crops and livestock," he said. "I don't have all the answers, but we together can work on legislation and make this state more business and ag friendly. I will represent this district with integrity, honesty, and trust."
Discussing the Missouri Lottery and education funding, Andrews said that the $50 million shortfall in lottery funding needed to be addressed. Sportsman said that he wanted to look at reducing administrative and advertising expenses, which he said were too high.
On Amendment One, the Right to Farm Amendment, all the candidates but Ritterbusch said that they supported it. Sportsman said that it would make it tougher for government to regulate farmers. Roger Parshall said that it was not going to solve everything, but that it would protect against things such as federal EPA regulations. Kathy DeVault said that it woiuld protect against out of state animal rights interests, which she said were trying to destroy farming and spending tons of dollars. "It will support everyone, not just Monsanto," she said. She said that the amendment would not change any existing laws such as the law prohibiting too much foreign ownership of farmland. But Robert Ritterbusch said that such laws should be passed through the legislative process, noting that it is much tougher to amend the Missouri Constitution than it is to amend a law passed by the legislature and signed by the governor.
Candidates running for incumbent Sam Graves' 6th District Seat that were present included Republican Kyle Reid, Democrat Bill Hedge, and Libertarian Russ Lee Monchil. Asked about independence, Reid said that he would be independent in every area if asked to make a choice between his district and his party. He said that when he voted, he was representing 710,000 different people and that his job was to defer to the people and do their bidding. "Very few of us can hire a lobbyist," he said. "As a legislator, I have to respect the wishes of the 6th District if we are to keep a Republic. There is no issue I am so adamant on that I would ignore the wishes of the people." Hedge said that his campaign was based on compromise and common sense. "We can't keep putting labels on things," he said. "The main question is, what is the best for the 6th District?" He pledged to treat all constituents fairly if elected, whether it is someone from Worth County or someone from 59th & Troost in Kansas City. "We have to do consensus building instead of voting based on who writes us the biggest check." Monchil said that two areas where he differed with the Libertarian Party were his support for raising the Minimum Wage and looking at cradle to grave healthcare. Reid said that as a Constitutional Conservative, he wanted to see more done at the state level and less at the federal level.
On corporate personhood, Monchil said that our system was the best system money could buy. Reid said that there was no Constitutional basis for federal involvement in corporations. "I don't answer to them," he said. Hedge said that as a former administrator in the St. Joseph Public Schools, "You have to be true to yourself every day. I have to look in the mirror and say that I did the best job possible." Monchil said that "when someone gives $1 million to your campaign, they are not doing it out of the goodness of their heart; they want something from you." Hedge said, "I have been to all 36 counties in the 6th District. I want 1 million friends, not $1 million dollars." The problem that Reid saw was "crony capitalism," where the government taxes everyone and then the people with the biggest pockets get the biggest breaks. He said that there was a big difference between capitalism and "crony capitalism," where the government picks winners and losers.
Discussing the Grain Belt Express, a massive 750 power line project that supporters say will bring clean energy to communities, Hedge said that he had reservations. "1% of this energy stays in Missouri," he said. He said that instead of exercising eminent domain, the lines should run down I-70 or Route 36, where the government already owns the land. Reid said that it would not generate enough to justify the expense and that green energy was not sustainable at this point. He said rather than the current plan of subsidizing such projects that a much better way to generate clean energy would be a plan similar to Denmark, where they mandate a certain percentage of clean energy and then leave it up to the producer to figure out how to do it. "Their solar power and wind power is much cheaper, because the markets are controlling expenses," said Reid.
State Senator-elect Dan Hegeman introduced himself to the audience. He served as a state representative, county clerk, and runs a family farm. He has also worked for Congressman Sam Graves' office and KCP&L. He and his wife have four children. Currently, he is employed at KCP&L, where his duties include working with governments, directing the company's charitable giving, and working with small businesses. He said that he considered himself to be a public servant and pledged to represent rural values in the legislature. He is a pro-life and 2nd Amendment supporter. He said that he would focus on reducing taxes and regulations so that small businesses and farms would thrive in the district. He said that he would also work for small schools and broad-based tax relief. He said that he was neutral on the Highway Sales Tax that will be voted on in August. "The DOT did a good job of coming up with the projects that would be funded if this passes," he said. He noted that in the past, there had always been user fees and that the sales tax initiative would be a change. He noted that the only revenue source that polled well was a sales tax.
Incumbent Presiding Commissioner Ted Findley said that the biggest accomplishment of the county since he was appointed by Governor Jay Nixon was the roads, which he said were the best of any county. He said that the county was able to distribute the roads evenly, in contrast to the township system, which he said leads to too much unequal distribution of resources.
Richard Oswald, a two-time candidate for State Representative and Langdon (MO) farmer, came and spoke out against Amendment One. He said that it was too vague and noted that Class One counties could exempt themselves if they so desired. He said that as such, it was an "empty shell" and that it would encourage litigation, since it would be up to the courts to give it meaning. "It's just a blank contract," he said. Oswald predicted that it would lead to large corporations coming in, declaring their operations to be ag-related, and exempting themselves from regulations. "We already have the right to farm in Missouri," he said.
Addressing arguments made by supporters, Oswald said, "We're being told that it won't affect existing laws, but we won't know what will be grandfathered until the courts establish the true meaning." He said that as a family farmer, he was concerned about Chinese and Brazilian interests locating in Missouri. "The 14th Amendment has already been interpreted to establish corporate personhood," he noted. "Farmers and ranchers are people, but so are corporations." He said that there was a movement to change the way that it works so that it could not be construed to apply to corporate personhood.
Since Amendment One is a Constitutional Amendment, Oswald reasoned, Amendment One would not only trump such protections as the laws against foreign ownership and the Family Farm Law, which prohibits corporate CAFO's, it would trump local ordinances such as the Worth County Health Ordinance, which heavily regulates prospective CAFO operations.
Asked about concerns that the EPA would come in and regulate streams and waterways, he said that was blown out of proportion although he said that the Missouri Farmers Union, of which he is president, is seeking clarification on what they are seeking to do. "But a lot of things that people propose or say will happen never happen," he said. And even if the worst-case scenario unfolds, a state Constitutional amendment would not do against federal laws or regulations.
Barb Foland said that as candidate for Recorder, she had enjoyed her job immensely and talked about the remodeling of the vault in her office.
Incumbent Democratic Circuit Clerk Jana Findley talked about her duties, which she has performed since 1999. She noted that she had a 24-hour job and that she could be called on to do warrants, court orders, and other paperwork at any time. Her duties include overseeing jury trials, courtroom security, and contacting prospective jurors. She is the only passport representative in Worth County and undergoes 35 hours of training annually. She talked about the transition to the electronic court system, which is mandated by the state and which the county succeeded in doing with no taxpayer funds.
Republican challenger Lori Wimer said that she and husband Kevin chose to make Worth County home 16 years ago. She has a degree in business management and has 15 years in office experience for the closed Energizer plant. She has been a volunteer in the community for 4-H, PTO, and 'Lil Tigers. Findley and Wimer will face off in the November General Election.
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