Sen. Nick Jordan, a state senator from Shawnee, is running against Paul Showen for the right to challenge Rep. Dennis Moore in the November general election. The third district covers parts of Lawrence mostly east of Iowa Street, Eudora and Johnson and Wyandotte Counties. He’ll take your questions on the upcoming election.

mbelt

Do you think more offshore drilling and arctic drilling is the complete answer to high gas prices?

trombeck

Do you think the presidential election will have an effect on Congressional races in November? If so, how?

gdiepenb

Would you like to see any changes in the future with federal entitlement programs, like Social Security or Medicare? If so, how?

nickm9595

How come you do not support SCHIP? It seemed to have a lot of support from both repubs and dems. More importantly, what kind of a people are we if we cannot even take care of the least of those among us, our poor children?

kuhawk08

What was it like meeting and hanging out with President Bush?

kuhawk08

Recently the Senate failed to get an incentive package passed for renewable energy sources – I heard about it on KCUR last week – because some Republican senators didn’t want to take tax breaks from oil companies and give them to renewable companies. How can we expect to energy independent if we don’t support these nascent industries? Do you support significant tax credits and help to renewable energy sources?

nickm9595

What is your position on drilling in ANWR? Do you feel that it would make a huge impact on our gas prices?

heidi_in_eudora

Have you been endorsed by Kansans for Life and do you think that endorsement will help or hurt you in the election?

JocoGuy

You recently raised over $325,000 at a fundraiser with President Bush. How can you possibly expect to “wake up Washington” by taking money and agreeing with policies from the same people who got us in the mess we are in?

JocoGuy

You recently raised over $325,000 at a fundraiser with President Bush. How can you possibly expect to “wake up Washington” by taking money and advocating policiies from the same people who got us in the mess we are in?

Moderator

Welcome to the Lawrence Journal-World’s online chat with State Senator Nick Jordan, who is running in the August 5 Republican primary for the right to challenge current U.S. Representative in District 3, Dennis Moore. I’m education reporter Lindsey Slater and I’ll be moderating today’s chat. Thanks for joining us today, Nick. Let’s get right to some of our submitted questions.

aj6562

With soaring gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil becoming major problems, what is your stance on off-shore drilling and how to plan to make our gas cheaper?

Nick Jordan

It is time to wake up Washington on energy and gas prices: 30 years ago, Americans were waiting in line for gasoline. Since then, Congress has failed to develop a national energy policy, which has left our country dependent on foreign oil & our economy strained by high energy costs.

I believe we need to take action NOW and solve this problem through a balanced, common sense approach of investing in clean and renewable alternatives and greater domestic production of energy, which includes responsible off-shore drilling. That is a significant difference between me and my opponent. I support a full solution to our nation’s energy crisis as opposed to an approach that says ‘No’ to everything.

I strongly disagree with the recent vote by Dennis Moore and Congress to increase taxes on American made energy. It’s the wrong direction for our country and is only going to make America more dependent on foreign oil.

kuhawk08

Winning in Iraq is important. Do you support keeping troops in Iraq for as long as it takes?

Nick Jordan

There were certainly mistakes made in the initial handling of the war, particularly waiting so long before implementing a strategy like the surge. But spending our time now arguing what should have been done will not bring our men and women in uniform home, which I think most of us would agree we hope to do as soon as possible once there no longer is a threat of leaving behind an oil-rich Al-Qaeda state.

To leave before then would undermine the sacrifices made by our military, would create a threat to our national security and the stability of the Middle East, would open the door for genocide against the Iraqi people, and would endanger the American forces that would remain in a draw-down.

We must seek counsel from the military commanders on the ground, work with the Iraqi Administration to ensure they are taking the necessary measures to provide for their own security, and then QUICKLY and responsibly bring our military home.

This further illustrates why we need energy independence.

For years Congress has either ignored or made the situation worse on energy and gas prices, leaving our country dependent on foreign oil and hurting our economy.

In the last year and a half since Dennis Moore and his party took control of Congress, gasoline prices have increased a painful 75%.

We need to take action now to solve this problem with a comprehensive and innovative solution of investing in clean and renewable alternatives and greater domestic production of energy.

There is a very clear difference between me and Dennis Moore on energy and gas prices.

I will do what it takes to implement a full, comprehensive, and balanced solution to our nation’s energy crisis, including: support clean alternative energy sources like bio-fuels, wind, solar, and nuclear; encourage conservation and energy efficiency through tax incentives; increase the number of refineries to get cheaper gasoline to market; increase domestic oil production, including lifting the ban on offshore drilling, and go after abuses in Oil speculation. I have called on President Bush to open a portion of the Strategic Oil Reserve in order to quickly reduce gas and oil prices and punish speculators who have increased prices on the world market

For our nation’s security and the future of our economy, we need comprehensive and innovative solutions to solve our nation’s energy crisis and we need them now.

It’s time for Congress to wake up.

IlliniAaron

Who will you be supporting in the 2008 Presidential Election? Why do you think they are the best choice for your district?

Nick Jordan

I support John McCain because he has shown true independence in the past, a desire to find bipartisan solutions to big issues, a record of reforming Government and that’s what I plan on doing in Congress. We must look towards fixing our problems for the future and not focusing on the past.

I built a career of accomplishments in the Kansas Senate by finding bi-partisan solutions and I aim to bring that same reputation for bridge-building to Congress. This election is about the future and how we make an ineffective Congress work again. Congress has an approval of 9% – the lowest ever in history. As long as we keep sending the same tired politicians back to Congress we’ll keep getting more of the same tired system that continues to fail us.

In order to get America back on track, we need some fresh faces and new ideas.

Moderator

We’ve got some more reader questions coming in.

nickm9595

In the past eight years the top one percent of Americans have had their income rise dramatically while the MEDIAN INCOME of all Americans has fallen for the first time in history. With the budget deficit next year expected to be close to $482 billion (without the wars mind you), how can any responsible legislator continue these tax breaks against the top one percent?

Nick Jordan

As concerns grow about the economy, higher gas prices, and the cost of food, I am very disappointed with Congress and Dennis Moore, who has towed the party-line, in voting for a budget with record spending that will pave the way for the single largest tax increase in United States history. When elected to Congress, I will vote to make the tax-cuts for ALL American families permanent – more money for the middle class and all American families will stimulate the Economy and relieve people’s pocketbooks.

Dennis Moore’s budget will increase the American tax burden by no less than $683 billion, resulting in an average tax increase in the 3rd District of Kansas of $2,422 per family – not just the wealthy.

The House Budget Committee, which Dennis Moore is a member of, put forth recommendations that will: raise the marginal tax rate for all Americans by as much as $326 billion over the next 5 years, resurrect the ‘death’ tax, resurrect the marriage penalty, and slice the ‘child’ tax-credit in half, costing families an additional $500 per child – all families.

At a time when gas, food, energy, and healthcare prices are reaching all-time highs, Congress should be doing everything in its power to help families keep more of their hard-earned money – not take it away. More spending and more taxes are just more of what we have come to expect from the status quo politicians in Washington.

Washington politicians spend more & they tax more & more often than not those tax dollars go towards funding ridiculous pork-barrel pet-projects like building a personal office & library for New York Congressman Charlie Rangel – which Dennis Moore supported.

The folks in Washington operate as though Americans aren’t giving them enough money I completely disagree with that mentality. The individual taxpayers are far more capable of spending their own money than the politicians in Congress.

I have proposed a complete freeze on earmarks until the system can be thoroughly reformed. We need to cut spending and stand up to representatives in Congress who consistently abuse the earmark process and not support their pet-projects simply so they’ll return the favor.

The only thing that will come from our current Congress is more spending, more earmarks, and therefore, more debt. It’s time to change Washington, D.C. as we know it.

Moderator

We’re running out of time here, but is there anything else you think voters need to know about you?

Nick Jordan

I’m a lifelong Kansan, my wife, Linda, and I have lived in Shawnee for
more than 25 years where we raised our family and own our small
business, ‘Walls of Clay.’

While in high school, I worked as a busboy at the old Glenwood Manor
Hotel, beginning a 40-year career as a leader in the travel and
tourism industry; eventually becoming the founding president of the
Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau.

For the last 13 years, I have worked tirelessly in the Kansas Senate
to strengthen our economy and keep taxes low.

In the Senate, I led the charge for the Kansas Economic Growth Act,
Kansas Bioscience Initiative, and Kansas Entrepreneurship Initiative,
which are generating thousands of new jobs in Kansas, benefiting KU
and the Lawrence area.

Voters will be faced with a simple choice this November. If they’re
happy with the results they’re seeing from Congress and the
politicians in Washington, then by all means, they should vote for
Dennis Moore. But if they want to wake up Washington on critical
issues such as energy, the economy and wasteful spending, and see a
new day for Kansas, then they should vote for me, Nick Jordan. Finally, I’d like to give special thanks to the Lawrence Journal World and Lindsey Slater for giving me the opportunity to talk with voters in this innovative forum. Thank you.

Moderator

Thanks, Nick. And remember — get all your election coverage by logging on to ljworld.com.