House District 96 candidates on the issues

The Edmond Sun
The Edmond Sun

EDMOND July 28, 2008 01:05 pm

— EDITOR'S NOTE: The original online version did not include responses from House District 96 candidate Mike Idleman. His responses were included in the print version of the Saturday Weekender and are now included here. The Sun apologizes for the error and any inconvenience to our readers.

Democrats and Republicans in East Edmond will have a choice to make in Tuesday’s statewide primary in the House District 96 race. The seat opened up after former Speaker of the House Lance Cargill decided not to run for re-election.
On the Republican ballot will be former Edmond teacher Mike Idleman, who now resides in Choctaw, versus Edmond businessman Lewis H. Moore. The Democrat ballot features Edmond resident Dianne Hunter and Luther resident Jon-Paul Ammirata.
The winners in each primary race Tuesday will move on to the Nov. 4 general election.
Following are five questions posed to all four candidates:

Q. If elected, what would be your top three priorities for new legislation?
• Hunter: If elected to the Oklahoma State House of Representatives, my three top priorities for legislation will include health care, education and bringing new jobs to Oklahoma. We need to fix our broken health care and insurance system. Most Oklahomans are one major illness away from bankruptcy and that’s not right. It’s time we stopped talking about fixing health care and actually do something about it. We also need to invest in our children to help them achieve in the classroom, so they are not left behind. Once a student graduates from college, in most cases we are losing them because we don’t have as many high-paying jobs as other states. Oklahoma City sits at the crossroads of I-35 and I-40 and with today’s high transportation costs I believe we can bring more manufacturing jobs back to Oklahoma and transport the goods from here cheaper than to import from overseas.
• Ammirata: My focus throughout this campaign has been relief for individuals and families from stressed family budgets through fair and targeted tax cuts. This includes the elimination of the sales tax on groceries. Unfortunately, Oklahoma is late in addressing what has become a national movement to get rid of this regressive, onerous tax. Arkansas and South Carolina and other states have eliminated this tax in the past year.
Income tax reduction achieved through increasing the $1,000 personal exemption and $2,750 standard deduction to the federal levels of $3,400 and $5,350 respectively and reducing the yearly 5 percent property tax to 3 percent or less.
I favor promoting Insure Oklahoma, a program to provide health insurance to people not covered through their employment and protecting the tobacco tax monies earmarked for this program. Early completion of the Luther toll gate to spur east county economic development is another priority.
• Moore: Expand incentives that encourage employers to provide health care, wellness coverage and long-term care insurance for their employees. Worker’s compensation reform. Tort reform to limit lawsuit damage awards for non-economic damages at $300,000, while allowing actual damages to still be recovered.
• Idleman: Education, smaller government, less taxes and public safety.

Q. What are your qualifications for elected office?
• Hunter: As the practice administrator for the Oklahoma City Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic at St. Anthony Hospital, I have the background and understanding to help change and improve our failing health-care system. I believe it is going to be up to the states to decide how they can help their citizens best when it comes to health care for all. We need to expand access to health care for all Oklahomans, protect access to medical care for our children and seniors, and work to keep medical decisions between the patient and physician and not the insurance companies. I also have a master’s degree in education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University and sit on their Foundation Board of Directors. I believe we need to invest in our future, both in our public schools and regional universities, like SWOSU and the University of Central Oklahoma.
• Ammirata: I have an extensive background as an air traffic facility manager. I have negotiated agreements with foreign counterparts and authored standards for separation on a national level.
• Moore: I am a longtime businessman, homeowner and resident of Edmond and District 96. I have the business experience, the conservative credentials and strong core values that will help me make sound decisions as your elected representative. I am active and engaged in making our community and district a better place to live. Other experience includes: Eagle Scout and Cub Master of Pack 339, in Edmond, 12-year military veteran, Army Artillery officer, member of the National Rifle Association, Edmond and State Chamber of Commerce, Capital Improvement Program Committee, City of Edmond, Trails Committee, Oklahoma City and Edmond and Philmont Staff Association, Membership Committee.
• Idleman: I was a teacher for Edmond Public Schools for eight years and a supporter of the home school program for 10 years. A regional vice president of Primerica Financial Services, a member of CitiGroup. Licenses in investing, health insurance, term life. I also have been a supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and a top fundraiser in a five-state area for the American Heart Association. Two years serving the Freedom Restoration Ministry Drug Center and one year as the board president. I also developed a hunting and fishing game ranch. I was not a part of the Oklahoma Education Association or the National Education Association for the second half of my teaching tenure. Coached varsity football for Edmond Memorial and was a graduate assistant for Oklahoma State University football.

Q. What is your position on House Bill 1804, the major immigration reform bill in Oklahoma? Are you in favor of any further immigration reform? If yes, please explain.
• Hunter: I believe this is a federal not state a issue and will be handled by Congress.
Ammirata: I do not support HB 1804 as written, it is more about deportation than immigration. We should preserve America's promise as the land of freedom and opportunity and focus on bringing those who are here illegally out of the shadows where they are often exploited and offer a process to achieve citizenship, work visas or return to their country of origin.
• Moore: I am in favor of immigration reform. The federal government is the first line of defense at our national borders. I support their efforts. We have a duty as law-abiding Oklahomans to enforce or change current laws at both the state and federal levels. The majority of Oklahomans voted for HB 1804 but it is being challenged. While it is being challenged I would relook at the consequences and benefits the bill provided. What is best for our security our businesses and the lives of our citizens? That is what I would weigh in making a sound decision.
• Idleman: I believe that we must be tough on immigration but we need input from the Hispanic community so that it can be effective and just. Yes, in favor of more reform.

Q. School district funding is based upon a very complex state aid formula that seems to penalize school districts with high ad valorem bases. In Edmond, the district continues to grow in student population, but it has one of the lowest amounts of state funding per student. What do you believe can or should be done about this issue?
• Hunter: The U.S. Census Bureau report from 2004-05, Oklahoma ranked 47th nationally in per-student funding. We are failing our children!I always find it interesting to hear politicians during an election year talk about how they are going to help education, but when it comes time to vote, they don’t follow through. I think we need to look at what we are spending our tax dollars on and put more of that money into our children’s future, so they can get the quality of education they deserve.
• Ammirata: As to the school funding issue, it is one more consequence of the bloated administrative bureaucracy of too many districts competing for education dollars. It’s past time to streamline the current system and put tax dollars to better use improving the main function of the public school system, excellence in education. A vote for me is a vote for action. See you at the polls.
• Moore: The state aid formula is an equalizer to keep in balance funding to all school districts. Where it hurts Edmond is when ad valorem funding is taken away and the state funding is either not forthcoming or is not credited on a timely basis. It particularly hurts Edmond when new student funding is delayed by a year or indefinitely due to property tax protests. I believe that any reduction in state aid due to ad valorem increases should be delayed in the funding formula by one year.
• Idleman: The school system as a whole needs to be looked at. The system is damaged and just trying to throw money in different directions is not the answer. There are many ways to put money back into the classroom and we need to explore all of them. We can save money in a host of ways like textbooks, for example. Choctaw alone has a $250,000 deficit for text books for the upcoming year. If we use a better system and technology that money can go to the other classroom needs. My point is the system is full of holes. We need to look at all of the options.

Q. Where do you stand in the debate regarding the elimination of the state sales tax on groceries? Many municipalities, which rely mainly on sales tax revenue for operating funds, have expressed concern that they will not be able to charge a sales tax not also charged by the state. Please explain your position.
• Hunter: Oklahomans already pay some of the lowest state and local taxes in the country and it shows when we are at the bottom of the list in education funding, supporting our police and fire departments, and have underfunded repairs of our state’s roads and bridges. Lowering or eliminating taxes is always good political rhetoric, but my question is “Where is the money going to come from to replace those funds?”
Responsible citizens understand that when you lower taxes, you lose funds that are essential for Oklahoma to meet the needs of its citizens. I believe that before we can start cutting taxes, we must look at how we are spending our current tax dollars and that our state programs have the full operating funds they need.
• Ammirata: See answer to first question.
• Moore: Cities largely depend on sales tax revenue for city services. My concern would be that the state prohibits cities from taxing anything that the state does not tax. Any reduction in such revenues should be accompanied by an increase in other state apportionments.
• Idleman: I’m for reducing taxes at all levels some of the smaller communities need revenue but if we leave the local tax alone and get rid of the state tax I would support that debate. I think the more important tax to reduce is the income tax and the corporate tax. This puts money and jobs back into our community.