You are reading an ARCHIVED ARTICLE. Wednesday 08th of September 2010 7:31:29 pm
Publication date: February 11 2007
Two weeks ago, Republican State Representative Brian Baker (123rd District) was interviewed on this website and gave his opinions on several issues being debated in the Legislature. You can read that interview on the "Past Articles" page. This week, Jason Holsman provides a viewpoint from the other side of the aisle.
Rep. Holsman is currently serving his first term in the state House of Representatives. Mr. Holsman represents the people of Missouri’s 45th District (part of southern Kansas City and part of Grandview). He currently serves on the House Special Committee on Energy and the Environment, the Special Committee on Tax Reform and the Joint Committee on Education.
To learn more about Rep. Holsman, visit http://www.jasonholsman.com
The Governor has stated that the Legislature should discuss an income tax cut during the upcoming legislative session. Do you agree or disagree that an income tax cut should at least be discussed? Why?
Rep. Holsman: "Targeted tax cuts can have
a positive economic impact and should be discussed. The question then becomes
who should be targeted and which taxes to cut. Right now the disparity between
the haves and have-nots is as high as anytime in American history. I was
raised in an entrepreneurial household, so I appreciate the risk incurred
by venture capital and the crucial need for small business job creation to
fuel the local economy. But I am also quick to point out that there are no
self made people in America; everyone who has been fortunate enough to create
private wealth did so by utilizing the public infrastructure and services.
Everything from transportation of goods, education of labor, federal treasury
and even the basic defense of our markets exist because of public revenue
generation. The top wage earners in America benefit from a strong middle
class. If we are going to cut taxes with the purpose of encouraging discretionary
spending then we should target the middle class, who constitutes the great
majority of consumers."
Speaker Rod Jetton has proposed a plan
that would eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefits. Do you support
this idea? Why or why not?
Rep. Holsman: "As the ranking Democrat on the Tax Reform Committee I offered an amendment that would raise the amount of income exempted from this tax to $75,000. The amendment was soundly defeated. The great majority of my constituents on fixed social security are already exempt from this tax because their income is under the current threshold of $32,000. Since low-income citizens are already exempted from this tax, Speaker Jetton’s plan will only be a significant tax cut for the very wealthy. The fiscal impact of eliminating the tax is $160 million, which I believe will be better spent on public education, healthcare and good roads than by giving a tax break exclusively to the wealthiest citizens."
What approach do you feel the Legislature should take regarding the problems throughout the St. Louis public school system?
Rep. Holsman: "This is a complicated issue.
While the Legislature is actually the Super School Board, I believe local
control offers the best solution. If the people who have to live and deal
with the problems every day do not become the stakeholders and own the solutions,
there is very little chance for long-term success. If it becomes absolutely
necessary for the state to assume control of the district, I will work to
assist in the process. The Representatives in St. Louis are very involved
and I trust them to offer sound advice and make good decisions if the time
comes for us to take action."
Why should Missourians outside the St.
Louis area be concerned with the health and performance of St. Louis' schools?
Rep. Holsman: "All of society benefits when
our schools produce competent, capable and engaged citizens. The problems
of urban education are not isolated to St. Louis and Kansas City. There exists
a national crisis concerning the failure rate of inner-city schools. It is
reflective of a much larger societal issue of poverty and a basic lack of
opportunity in home ownership, career advancement and standards of living
that cuts across local borders. If we do not spend the money today on education
will assuredly spend it tomorrow on fighting crime."
Going into the current legislative session,
the state is estimated to have a budget surplus of over $300 million. Considering
the surplus, what changes, if any, should be made to the spending policies
and priorities?
Rep. Holsman: "We do NOT have a surplus. We have the money that should have gone to funding health coverage for over 100,000 Missouri citizens, including many seniors and children. It’s all about priorities. I personally believe disabled kids in Missouri should have healthcare. The Governor obviously disagreed because he changed the eligibility requirements to remove their protection. This apparent surplus is evidence that the Governor’s cuts were unnecessary and unfairly targeted low-income Medicaid recipients. Any surplus should restore benefits for those who are no longer covered due to the Governor’s cuts.
"In addition, this past year our economy experienced
a 9% surge in revenue; next year we are forecasting 3% - 4% growth. It would
be unwise to make any drastic spending changes until we know if this growth,
and accompanying revenue, is sustainable."
The debate over the proposal to sell
some of MoHELA's assets and use the proceeds to fund campus expansion and construction
around the state will, obviously, continue through the 2007 legislative session.
What is your opinion of this plan?
Rep. Holsman: "I am opposed to selling MoHela’s
assets. It sets a poor precedent that the state can sell off the people’s
property to the highest bidder. MoHela was created to provide low interest
loans to students, not provide capital for university construction. I am
for making the necessary capital investments to support our universities,
but we need to have the resolve to find the revenue without affecting a student’s
ability to attend college."
In his State of the State Address on
the 24th, Governor Blunt called for the replacement of Missouri's Medicaid
system with a new system called MO HealthNet. In your opinion, how does this
plan compare to the current Medicaid system?
Rep. Holsman: "Throughout his tenure, all of
Governor Blunt’s healthcare proposals have cut funding and benefits for Missouri’s
citizens and left tens of thousands without healthcare. The ‘current Medicaid
system’ has been ravaged the past two years by funding cuts. Governor Blunt
has set the wrong course for healthcare policies. MO HealthNet and any future
proposals will receive the utmost scrutiny as I fight to protect healthcare
for those in need."
Among the agriculture-related proposals
before the Legislature this year is an effort to create "agriculture enterprise
zones" designed to improve opportunities for farmers, agri-businesses and livestock
operations in the state. This is among the agricultural proposals that came
out of a summit hosted in 2006. What impact do you feel "agriculture enterprise
zones" would have on Missouri?
Rep. Holsman: "Currently, to my knowledge, this bill is not before the Legislature. I will comment on individual bills and their impacts as they are presented."
[Publisher’s note: Rep. Holsman is correct. "Agricultural
Enterprise Zones" is an idea that has been discussed by the Speaker
but, to date, no legislation or resolutions related to this concept have
been submitted to the Legislature or any committee in the Legislature for
consideration.]
What are your top priorities for the
2007 legislative session?
Rep. Holsman: "I will be drafting legislation to reform public education and develop alternative energy independence. These are the issues that will define our future and they will receive my utmost attention.
"My top priorities are to watch, learn and listen. As a freshman representative, I will work to ensure that my constituents have access to the information and services they need in their daily lives. I serve on the Energy and Environment Committee, Ticket to Work, Joint Committee on Education and as the ranking Democrat on Tax Reform."
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