Candidate selector: Kansas House, District 10 / LJWorld.com

Welcome to our candidate selector for Kansas House, District 10. It's a fun and educational tool that can help you decide which candidate(s) you agree with the most.

Here's how it works. Below, we've listed a set of issues and the candidates' positions on these issues. Check the box next to a candidate's response if you agree with it. After you're done, we'll tell you which candidate(s) you agreed with the most.

Please note that this is meant to be fun and educational - but shouldn't necessarily be used as the de facto way of making such an important decision. We encourage you to learn as much as you can about each candidate.

If elected, what would be your top three priorities as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives?

"The budget will be the number one issue addressing legislatures when they convene next January. ... We are very worried about the financial situation and I am offering to bring a little experience in business management, common sense and problem solving skills you learn from the farm to the Statehouse. ... I would like to see food Items be sales tax exempt, first starting with Kansas Grown perishable products like meats, fruits, produce, and dairy items. Then, two years from now expanded to include Kansas Grown value-added food items. Then six years from now remove the sales tax on the rest of food items. ... Illegal Immigration needs to be addressed. With the push from other states to crackdown on illegal immigration we do not want to become a sanctuary for them to reside in."

Was the tax increase passed by the 2010 Kansas Legislature necessary?

"No, it was actually irresponsible. The Legislature knew it was coming and waited until the last minute to do something about it and then instead of paring the budget back, they took the easy way out and increased taxes. If they would have spent less time making YouTube videos and more time debating then they would not have had to flip-flop around this whole deal."

What will you do as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives to address the state's economic problems? What programs — if any — should be shielded from budget cuts, and what programs — if any — should be on the list for budget cuts?

"The budget should be at the front and center of the legislature, but it probably will not be. It seems every year that the legislatures want to keep debating the same social issues over and over again. We are spiraling downward in regards to fiscal responsibility and it has not been made a top priority. Also, the KPERS fund is somehow $ 2 to 6 billion dollars short. From 2004 to 2008 the budget went up 48 percent and inflation was 13 percent and in the last ten years property taxes went up 83 percent. There is no need to blame or point fingers we just need to get in there and solve the mess we are in. We are going to have to take a serious look at the budget and make tough decisions, but with spending increasing the way it has been, it should not be that difficult to find areas we can cut back."

How can Kansas increase its role as a producer of alternative energy to the rest of the nation?

"Kansas in some circles has been rated as high as number two in terms of potential wind energy, but the problem has always been with infastructure. With the passing of the energy bill in 2009 that problem should be eliminated, but we need to stay ahead of the curve in regards to this matter. Solar, biomass, ethanol, are areas where we need to invest in."

What steps should Kansas take to improve its academic offerings — to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, as well as students in community colleges and four-year universities?

"I am familiar with the education system and the needs of teachers to do their job. Stability is one of the things teachers talk about. It is hard to have any job in which there is constant turnover at the top level positions, it takes awhile for teachers and students to adjust to new administrators. Some schools are constantly turning over administrators and that takes its toll on school performances. At the secondary level we need to address the issue of why tuition always outpaces inflation, that is not fair to Kansas kids to have to continually have to come up with more money every year. Many of our students cannot afford to attend colleges and/or live in remote locations and online is the only way to go. So, I would like to see more opportunities for this type of learning expand. I would like to see a greater emphasis in the educational system put on entrepreneurship."

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