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Politics

2012-11-09 08:35:58

Know your local candidates - part 2

This series with local candidates began last month and as we stated,on November 6th our country will once again be allowed to exercise our freedom, and right to vote in the 2012 elections. As always, we are striving to differentiate ourselves from other media outlets, educating and informing readers and providing information that touches them personally, in their daily lives. All rhetoric aside, we want to dive deep into the issues that matter to you, the voter. In that effort, we've laid out five questions with the following candidates to gather a little insight into who they are, what they're running for, and what issues they can resolve that are important to you, the voter.

Last month we introduced you to 2nd District State Representative incumbent Bob Grant. Bob wants to ensure that our children and grandchildren have good public schools and that we have a responsible tax policy that does not overburden local property owners. Q&A Times: What do you feel are the key concerns of the constituency and where do you stand on those issues? Grant: In visiting with constituents in both the old and new 2nd District, three main issues usually come up: funding cuts to public education, property tax and jobs. People are concerned that public school cuts have gone too far. They want their children and grandchildren to have the opportunity for a good public education. I have repeatedly voted to restore funding to our local schools and public schools statewide. I know how important good education is to kids’ futures and that of the state of Kansas. The tax plan that was proposed by the governor and pushed through by the conservative Republican legislature will end up driving up the hated property taxes. We need to take a more common sense approach to the tax plan and explain that smaller government, lower taxes and less regulation aren’t, always, a good thing for Kansas. The idea of having to cut budgets means less money for K-12 and higher education, cuts to senior programs and to services for our most vulnerable citizens. Over the years I have and will continue to support efforts to reduce local property taxes and for a more fair and equal tax plan. More jobs for Southeast Kansans is an extremely important issue. I have worked hard to get changes made to the gaming laws to allow Camptown to re-open and also for a casino to be built and opened in this area. I was asked why I worked so hard on the gaming issue, my answer was because the people of Crawford and Cherokee counties voted 69% in favor of gaming, that’s why. Some proposals that would increase good paying jobs are the requirement that companies receiving state contracts and tax incentives must hire Kansas workers first as well as support for the highway projects. Q&A Times: What experience, professional or personal, makes you best to address these issues? Grant: I graduated from Southeast High School and earned an AA from Labette Community College. My 25 year work experience at the Ammunition Plant at Parsons was as an equipment operator as well as a foreman estimator. Working as a union member and then as management allows me some insight into working with different sides, recognizing the need for compromise and negotiation. The Idle-A-While Tavern and Grill was the family business for 16 years. It was a successful venture due to a lot of hard work and enjoyable because of the interaction with all kinds of people and the support we received from and returned to the community. My commitment throughout my job as State Representative has been to the people of Southeast Kansas. I am pro-life and have the voting record to prove it. My long time involvement with the Cherokee Gun Club has solidified my support of the 2nd amendment. My background is diverse so I can relate to and communicate with a variety of people Q&A Times: What other information is important to properly introduce you to our area? Grant: Constituent service is a large part of the job, one that is most satisfying to me. It allows me to help my constituents on a one to one basis. Through the years, I have made valuable contacts in state agencies and locally. I have been able to use these contacts on many occasions to help people in difficult situations in and out of the 2nd district. I may not always be able to do or provide what they ask for but I will always make sure they get a response. The experience I have had over the past several years has been invaluable to me in this area.