Debate reveals House candidates’ stark differences
Posted on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Arkansas state representative candidates Jim House and Gene Long discussed their views on tax increases and education needs Monday, during a candidate debate forum sponsored by the Washington County League of Women Voters.
Bill Schreckhise, a political science professor for the University of Arkansas and member of the League of Women Voters, served as moderator for the event. After introducing themselves, candidates were asked several questions and given a three-minute time limit to answer.
House, who currently serves as the state representative for District 89, has been a Fayetteville resident since 1956. He was elected into office two years ago and is known for campaigning on horseback.
“ Unless I’ve done something stupid in your mind, I think the residents of Fayetteville and Washington County would be wise to return someone who has experience back to Little Rock, ” House said. “ We learned a lot during our first term in office. I think there’s a lot to be said about forming relationships with other legislators. ”
House highlighted his voting history, adding that he’s voted on nearly every issue before the House. He encouraged area residents to check the voting records of both candidates, pointing out that Long hasn’t voted in a school board election since 1996. House emphasized his own vote for the 3-cent cut on grocery sales tax.
Long has lived in Arkansas since 1980 and has been a Washington County resident for nearly 12 years. He is a Fayetteville business owner and has five children, ranging in age between 16 and 35 years old.
“ At this time in my life, I feel that I owe my country and my community for all the blessings I’ve received, ” he said. “ We need people in office who understand what it’s like to have a family or own a business. People who don’t rely on the government for a paycheck. I look at the state of Arkansas and it worries me that we rank 50 th in the nation for college graduates. We have to find a way to help these people. ”
Long pointed out that Arkansas ranks 25 th in the nation in terms of tax burden. To increase education funding, he advocated the development of a strong tax base by soliciting more business owners to the state. He also mentioned gearing state surplus money toward better education programs.
“ Our tax burden is so great that many families can’t afford to send their children to college, ” he said. “ When people are taxed so much, they have to decide on paying for their education or paying for gas money to get to work. We need to get past our reputation of being a nonbusiness state. ”
House suggested improvements in early education as a means for increasing college graduation rates.
“ We need to focus on creating wonderful private and public schools to prepare our children, ” he said. “ We also need better scholarship programs. Another focus should be the transferability of college credits between twoand four-year colleges. ”
When asked about the state’s tax surplus, House suggested looking at cutting the other part of the grocery tax. He also spoke about the need for trauma care for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Northwest Arkansas campus.
Long said that state surplus funding should be returned to citizens, adding that House voted against a tax break for low-income families.
“ The surplus belongs to the citizens, ” he said. “ It doesn’t belong to the state. We’ve been taxed as citizens enough. ”
Other topics discussed during Monday’s debate, included equal rights, immigration laws and transportation.
Long opposed ratifying the U. S. Constitution’s equal rights amendment, stating that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
House spoke in support of the amendment, adding that he wants citizens to vote on the issue themselves.
“ The equal rights amendment is not a sexual orientation issue, ” he said. “ We tried to put it on the ballot so citizens could vote on it, but it died. We should assure equal rights for all men and women. ”
When asked if he was for or against a light rail transit system in Northwest Arkansas, Long said he needed more information about potential costs and use before he could answer. House said a light rail is something the state should look progressively toward, adding that it could serve as another tool for infrastructure needs in Northwest Arkansas.
Both candidates spoke in support of simplifying the avenues to gain legal citizenship.
After more than 30 minutes of debate, both candidates provided closing remarks.
“ I just feel that myself and my opponent have major differences in opinion, ” Long said. “ It doesn’t take a genius to look at the records of our state to see how bad we are. As representatives, we have a moral contract with our citizens to do what’s best for them. I know enough to make decisions during my first term. It doesn’t take three sessions to know what to do. It’s not a job that takes training. ”
House closed, by encouraging residents to seek the truth about both candidates.
“ I think it’s extremely important that we have a lot of openness in our campaign, ” he said. “ Between now and the election, you’ll see a lot of material about me and my opponent. Some of it will be partial truth. I encourage voters to ask questions so they can make an informed decision. ”
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