Hucke, Menghini debate for state House

Democrat Julie Menghini, in a bid to return to the Kansas House of Representatives, and Republican Michelle Hucke voiced their different views of how to put Kansans back to work Tuesday in a public forum/debate at the Pittsburg Law Enforcement Center.

They are seeking the District 3 seat in the Kansas House.

Blake Benson, Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce president, served as moderator, with Andrew Nash as proctor.

In her opening remarks Menghini cited her experience from serving between 2005 and 2010 in the Kansas House, where she was the ranking Democrat on the House Taxation Committee and served on the Transportation and Elections Committees and the Joint Committee on Kansas Security.

“I was a coalition builder and worked with both sides of the aisle,” Menghini said. “I’m also not afraid to stand up and say no.”

Hucke focused the issues facing southeast Kansas and the state.

“We are one of the poorest parts of the state,” she said. “How many of you here tonight are extremely satisfied with where we are in this county?”

Nobody in the audience raised a hand, and Hucke suggested that her opponent’s actions while in the House were a factor in the poor economic conditions prevailing today.

“If you don’t have a job right now, in two more years if  I’m not elected, you may not,” Hucke said. “A wise man, my dad, said  to me last night, ‘If you keep on doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve got’.”

The first of three prepared questions dealt with the more than $800 million in tax cuts voted by the 2012 Kansas Legislature, and whether Menghini and Hucke would have voted for the cuts.

“I believe tax cuts will spur economic growth in the area,” Hucke said. “As a border area, it’s easy to drive across the state line and buy almost anything. Missouri and Oklahoma taxes are much more competitive than ours. My opponent has a history of raising taxes.”

However, she added that she believed in the need to preserve funding for the U.S. Highway 69 project, and does not want to cut funds for education.

“I am not a rubber stamp for Gov. Sam Brownback,” Hucke said.

Menghini said that the massive tax cuts will “blow a $2.5 billion hole in our budget in the next five years."

“Just look around at where we are today,” Hucke said. “If we have more businesses and more jobs, that means more revenue.”

In the next question, the two were asked what they would do to preserve funding for the Highway 69 project. Construction on a four-lane highway from Fort Scott to north of Arma is scheduled to begin in 2017, but depends upon funds remaining available.

Menghini cited her service on the House Transportation Committee.

“I went to the well to build T-Works, and built a coalition to fund it,” she said. “You can’t do this with the tax bill that has been passed. I’ve got a few ideas about that.”

Hucke noted that Crawford County has been poor a long time and the improved highway has been needed for a long time.

“Why don’t we just do it already?” she asked. “It just seems like we’re a bunch of pawns in this game. I have the ability to make sure it gets done because I have the ears of the people who can get it done.”

Menghini pointed out that highway construction is scheduled to start in 2017.

“If you don’t believe there’s been progress, it’s been a conservative House for all but two years,” she said.

In the next question, Menghini and Hucke were asked their opinion of a “taxpayer’s bill of right” or tax lid, and whether they would vote for it.

“Absolutely, because our job is to do what you ask of us,” Hucke said. “Any time there is an opportunity for you to make a decision for government, I will absolutely see it is done.”

Menghini said she would not support a tax lid.

“It spells disaster,” she said. “It did not promote economic growth in Colorado, in fact it derailed their education department. They had to put a five-year moratorium on it. If it’s so great, why do they need a five-year moratorium from it?”

Hucke vowed that she would always let citizens decide what they believe they need or want.

“Want more revenue?” she said. “Get people back to work and paying taxes.”

In a question from the audience, the candidates were asked about KanCare and whether they supported the switch from Medicaid to KanCare.

“My first question is, why was it necessary?” Menghini asked. “We had a reasonable system in place, maybe it lacked a little funding. We’ve got 5,000 people with disabilities on waiting lists for three to five years. Privatization does not save money. We are elected to do our jobs, and I don’t like the idea of shirking our responsibility.”

Hucke also expressed some concern about KanCare, and said she had been talking with SKIL and Mosaic, agencies providing services to those with disabilities.

“They are afraid they will not be able to sustain providing services,” Hucke said. “There may be things that need to be changed, but not just shouting down orders from Topeka. It should be a collaborative effort.”

Next, they were asked what they would do to increase the number of jobs in this area and across the state.

“I believe I am the jobs candidate in the race,” Hucke said. “I’ve done research to determine what jobs are needed and can be created. We need to work to start workforce education at the junior level at Pittsburg High School and we’re working with Fort Scott. We need to get people educated and go to work.”

She added that it’s important to develop a better business climate with lower taxes and less regulation.

“Businesses have told me they cannot stay open with heavy taxes on their backs,” Hucke said.

Menghini said she had a record of creating jobs, specifically citing T-Works, which she said will create 175,000 new jobs in Kansas in coming years.

“I’m a fan of gaming to keep some of our folks here in this corner of the state instead  of going to Oklahoma, and I have been involved with various incentives to stimulate economic growth,” she added.

Education for jobs is vital, but Menghini had a warning there.

“If we are not careful, we are going to budget-cut ourselves out of the education business in Kansas,” she said.

In her rebuttal to Menghini’s remarks, Hucke said that if anyone present could find anybody who had gotten a T-Works job, she would give them $10.

Politics has become very polarized, and the candidates were asked how they could represent all of southeast Kansas, not just those who think like they do.

“I have a reputation for always looking at all sides of an issue, often there are more than just two,” Menghini said. “I have a proven track record of listening to people, regardless of their position. I have a history of working with both sides of the aisle, including some of the most conservative members of the House. I relish listening to those with different opinions.”

Hucke agreed that politics had become polarized.

“Politics has gotten insane,” she said. “It’s so sad. I studied theater in Coffeyville and have been a Republican all my life. I was surrounded by people who considered themselves liberal. We need to talk, we all agree about most things. I believe I have to ability to work with just about everybody. I believe that my degree in psychology from Pittsburg State University will help me communicate with people.”

The next question was about the voter ID legislation.

“It’s a touchy issue,” Hucke said. “Voter fraud is an issue in Kansas, maybe not the biggest issue, but an issue. Some people at SKIL do feel they are being targeted, and maybe we do need to look at other forms of ID.”

Menghini said there had been one documented case of voter fraud in Kansas in the last 13 years.

“Requiring a photo ID to vote disproportionately affects the poor, women and senior citizens,” she said. “The last time I got my driver’s license renewed, it cost me $38, so this is a form of poll tax.”

Hucke said that she did not want to hinder anyone from voting, and repeated that it might be good to look at extended forms of ID that would be acceptable.

The candidates were asked if they would approve of a voucher program for education, and both agreed that they really would need to know more of what the vouchers were for.

“We have a great educational system in Kansas, it’s just funding it lacks,” Menghini said. “I can’t envision a time I would be for vouchers, but I’d like to see the legislation.”

Hucke said she also believes Kansas has great education, but said that we always need to look at ways to improve the system.

“We can try new things in Kansas, but that doesn’t mean the system is bad,” she said. “I’m not sure if I’d be for or against a voucher system.”

The next question involved Gov. Sam Brownback’s recent statement that he may be willing to retain the entire one-cent sales tax.

“It’s hard to say where we could be to know if that’s necessary or not,” Hucke said, adding that she’s generally not in favor of keeping taxes.

Menghini said she supported the legislation creating the tax.

“I’d like to see it come off in 2013 as we promised when we passed it,” she said. “I think we should keep our promises. When we put it own we increased the food sales tax rebate."

She added that she considers sales taxes repressive, and that the income tax is more stable.

“Julie did vote for the sales tax and it did not help southeast Kansas,” Hucke said. “People cross the border all the time."

The next question addressed an apparent disconnect that can result between legislators and their constituents, and how each would remain connected with the voters.

“I sent out newsletters, I went to the Chamber of Commerce legislative breakfasts every month and my number is in the telephone book,” Menghini said. “People stop me in the grocery store to this day to talk about politics, and my husband wonders why it takes me two hours to shop and get two bags of groceries."

Hucke said communication is one of her strongest assets.

“My number is on my web site,” she said. “I hand out business cards, and social media is a new thing. I blog all the time and post things on Facebook and Twitter. If you don’t find me, I’ll probably come find you.”

Another question dealt with an unnamed Pittsburg resident who worked for a business for 20 years and became disabled from exposure to poisonous fumes. He has been on a disability waiting list for several years.

“I would do anything I could to help this person,” Hucke said. “Talk to me about this after the forum.”

Menghini said she would do what she could to expedite the person’s disability claim.

“But the reality is that under the conservative House it has been less and less friendly,” she said. “I would look at reforms to protect the worker in Kansas.”

A second question dealt with photo ID, and whether state tax revenues could be used to help pay the cost of  obtaining the IDs.

“That was part of legislation in the past, that the state would provide funding, but that did not include funds to get copies of birth certificates and marriage licenses,” Menghini said. “But I see no reason why we needed a photo ID system in the first place.”

Hucke repeated that she felt it would be good to look at expanding the IDs that would be acceptable.
In her closing remarks, Hucke asked voters for the opportunity to serve them.

“Julie was there six years and she had plenty of opportunities to get things done,” she said. “People won’t stay here if they don’t have jobs. I met a lady who is having to move to Florida where her husband found a job. I believe we can do better. I have new ideas, fresh ideas. This is so important to me and my friends. Don’t vote based on fear.”

Menghini pointed out that, for  the last two years, Kansas has had a Republican governor and the district has had a Republican representative.

“So it’s not all my doing, the problems of southeast Kansas,” she said.

She defended the one-cent sales tax, saying that it had saved jobs by helping support PSU, Pittsburg USD 250 and Via Christi Hospital, the largest employers in the area.

The final forum/debate in the series will pit incumbent Democrat State Rep. Bob Grant against Republican opponent Jeff Locke at 6 p.m. today in the Franklin Community Center.