GIRLS GOLF PREVIEW: PH golf team returns several top players

The Park Hill Girls Golf team is full steam ahead as they look to start their 2010 season where they ended their 2009 season. Coach Tari Garner knew she had a good team last year, but always thought the 2010 season would be the one to keep an eye on. With all of their top five golfers returning, the Trojans hope to capitalize on a spring and summer full of preparation.

Returning from a team that placed second at conference and fourth at districts are two state qualifiers, Anna Kloeppel and Stephanie Atkinson, along with seniors Erica Crainshaw, Samantha Brunker, and Bailey Warlan. Not only are some experienced varsity players returning, but the entire JV team returns as well, which Garner says is creating some competition within the ranks.

“We have some people who will be battling for that last spot on varsity and pushing each other to get better,” Garner said.

No matter what five golfers Park Hill will go with throughout the season, Garner is seeing some especially encouraging signs of where the team could be at the end of the season.

“We’re shooting scores on our first nine holes below where we ended the season last year,” Garner said. “That’s a really good look and I hope we can continue to get better.”

Going into her fourth season as the head coach, Garner says she has always tried to instill the importance of working hard in the summer leading up to the beginning of practice whether it be taking lessons or actually playing the course.

“This senior class is the first group we’ve seen all the way through,” Garner said. “It’s made a difference and they understand what it takes to really be competitive.”

While Lee’s Summit West will be a competitive force in the conference and an always talented Liberty team in districts, the Trojans main focus going into the early matches of the season is improving their technique and make sure it pays off in the long-run.

“Sometimes the girls have to make changes early in the season because it gets harder to adjust as the season goes on,” Garner said. “Our main thing is to focus on building up so you’re performing your best around the time or conference and districts.”

FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Diverse PH football team ready to reload

The Park Hill Football team finds itself in a tough, but familiar position coming into the 2010 season. With conference and district titles along with a 9-2 record in 2009, the Trojans hope to reload once again. After losing a highly talented and experienced senior class to graduation, they only return a handful of starters. A class of only 17 seniors means the Trojans will rely heavily on experienced seniors and a large group of juniors.

Coach Greg Reynolds has been pleased with the team’s progress up to this point, but believes consistency, especially with a younger team, is what will determine a lot in this team’s success.

“I’ve seen some good things out of our kids, but consistently being able to do it against some of the good teams we play is something we have a long way to go on,” Reynolds said.

Senior Adam Vanderpool returns to anchor the offensive line with Nathan Wilson taking the snaps at quarterback. Fullback Jordan Wang will offer the Trojans flexibility in both the run and pass game. Beginning the season as a backup last year, 1,000 yard rusher Trace Norfleet will be a name for opposing defenses to reckon with.

“He’s doing a really good job of leading by example. He’s not really a big yeller, he just goes about it,” Reynolds said of Norfleet. “He’s starting to learn the offense better for someone who started a majority of last year. He’s really starting to see the passing game part of it.”

Traditionally a run-heavy offense, the Trojans may lean on the pass more this year with Norfleet coming out of the backfield and two-way starter De’Aris Flint at wide receiver. It’s one thing Reynolds says is an advantage to this year’s team, the amount of options they have available.

“That’s something we have this year we haven’t had in a while,” Reynolds said. “Trace is more comfortable as a receiver now than last year and we can do some of the same things with Jordan who is more like a tailback at fullback.”

On defense, Flint will lead a strong group of young linebackers who have emerged so far in practice. DB Burt Taylor and safety Dylan Jones have stepped up as two of the more vocal leaders of the defense.

“We have the talent to be good, but until we play as a team and forget about individual stats we won’t be very good,” Reynolds said describing his team’s potential.

The Trojans will find out right away the progress they’ve made. They kick-off the season against Liberty. Park Hill won last year 20-11. Next, they’ll travel to play a Ruskin team no one is sure what to expect out of. The Trojans will then take on rival Park Hill South in week three.

“We’ll find out where we’re at real quick,” Reynolds said. “It’s the same thing I’ve told my teams for twelve years now. Until you give yourself up for someone else, then you’ll never reach your full potential.”

BOYS SOCCER PREVIEW: Trojans return core of last year's third-place state team

After one of the best seasons since 1993 and tying for a school best third place finish at state, the Trojans’ boys soccer team finds themselves in an unfamiliar situation. Not only are they expecting to be successful again this year, but they’ll be doing it with some of the same faces from last year’s dash through the playoffs.

“We’re in a unique situation where we have a lot of returners. At the end of last year’s state team we only lost three seniors and we were very young. We return a large senior class,” coach Dustin Sollars said.

Sollars will look to a senior group of which 14 remain from the original 16 that came into the program just three years ago. That same core group of players led Park Hill to a 24-6-2 record last year with conference, district, sectional, and quarterfinal titles.

“This year they’re going to have to be motivated by something different. Now it’s expected, because anyone can do it once,” Sollars said. “The mark of great teams is how often they’re capable of putting it together.”

The Trojans will rely on a tough and physical defense led by Raymond Lee and Joel Gordon along with goalie Shane Vanhooser. On offense, look for David Zdvorak to score his share of goals this season with help from Neal Sampson and Quenton Noble. Park Hill not only has a handful of standouts, but also several who will contribute their composure and confidence with the ball as role players.

“We just have a cast of people that play their role to a tee,” Sollars said of his team.

As far as the competition, their schedule appears more difficult this year, especially since they won’t be sneaking up on anybody. Lee’s Summit West emerges as the most evident new conference rival, but the Trojans’ toughest competition will come outside of league play with the likes of Rockhurst, Liberty, and games against a pair of St. Louis schools.

The Trojans kick off the season at the Olathe Invitational, a tournament Park Hill teams have struggled at in years past. Sollars believes a quality showing against some stiff competition could be a good sign of what’s to come.

“Those Kansas schools are solid and they’ve shown it,” Sollars said. “That’s our early season goal is to come out sharp and prepared.”

Transitioning from last year’s success to focusing on this season and beyond has been a key goal so far for the Trojans.

“We’re just looking at what it takes to be a consistent group and build on that,” Sollars said. “Recognizing what we want to do now is set an example so they can build a legacy for years to come.”

VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW: New coach at helm of PH volleyball squad

Each season is a fresh start, but for the Park Hill Volleyball team this especially rings true. In addition to graduating a large senior class last year and only returning a few girls with varsity experience, the Trojans will be led by a new head coach in 2010. After coaching at her alma mater of Oak Park on the JV level for three years followed by two years at Staley High, Coach Lindsey Hood is excited to take over a program with the chance to build onto instead of re-build.

“They had a good base and great coach last year,” Hood said. “So I’m just trying to take it over and run with the program.”

Returning for the Trojans are four seniors including Allysa Moran, Marylou Mixon, Ashlea Williams, and Paige Hultz. Junior libero Haley Knudsen returns as a floor leader. They’ll also look to Lindsay Grace for a presence at the net along with Molly Lien who will likely take on a key defensive role for the Trojans.

Although primarily an offensive player in college while a member of the UMKC volleyball team, Hood has focused her strategy as a coach on strong defense.

“I think it wins games,” Hood said. “If we’re smart players, then we can win quite a few."

While some coaches may feel the urge to overload their players with changes when taking over a new program, Hood has had her team focused on the little things so it is easy when it comes to game.

“If they push each other in practice and pay a lot of attention to detail, then later it comes natural,” Hood said.

Not everything has stayed the same with the new coach. Hood helped organize Park Hill’s first “Dig for the Cure” Game scheduled with Liberty North on September 21st to raise money and awareness to fight cancer. An event that has gained popularity throughout the country, Hood got the idea from North Kansas City’s similar district-wide event. After some research and inquiries, Park Hill and Liberty North came together to form what will hopefully become a yearly event.

“Since they’re a new school and I’m new to the program I thought ‘Let’s create the game,” Hood said.

Facing some of their regular season opponents in summer league, the Trojans feel confident they’ll be able to compete in some of the tough matches they’re set to play with the likes of Park Hill South, Liberty, Oak Park, and Kearney this season. Hesitant to make any predictions, Hood was sure of one thing.

“We’re going to be a great defensive team and we’re going to hustle like crazy,” Hood said. “That’s usually what my teams have been known for.”

GIRLS TENNIS PREVIEW: Top three back for PH tennis

When you’ve won four consecutive conference titles like the Park Hill Girls Tennis team, the expectations only grow each year. With the program coach Tim Kalis has been able to fine tune over recent years, the 2010 season will be no different.

The Trojans return singles state runner-up Suzanne Barth, Kate Skorija, and Anna Karasiewicz from last year’s squad. While Park Hill’s top three were contributors to past successes, the fate of this year’s team could be largely determined by who rounds out rest of the squad. There are a pack of girls competing for the final three spots including upperclassmen Ashlei Bos, Sammy Young, and Bailey Petrillo along with freshmen Brooke Barnard, Kaylin Lake, Abby Peoples, and Beth Cooper.

In what could be considered a rebuilding year, Kalis is excited about the position of the program. Having so many girls compete for spots right now will not only have an immediate effect, but is also positive in the long-term.

“It’s nice to see the girls getting those opportunities,” Kalis said of the competition. “We have a large group of freshmen girls of which four or five will definitely provide a boost for us in the future.”

With a 28-1 conference record in the past five years, the new conference arrangement will provide a challenge to the Trojans. Lee’s Summit West stands out as an experienced and talented team they’ll have their eyes on.

“This will be one of the more difficult conference years,” Kalis said. “If we focus on one meet at a time and
get better every day, we should be fine."

The Trojans will be tested early with a tough schedule featuring Liberty, Park Hill South, St. Theresa’s and Pembroke Hill. All four are scheduled in the first two weeks of the season.

“The nice thing about having some tough schools in our schedule is it will give us an idea of the work we need to do,” Kalis said. “It will be nice for our younger players to see the meat and potatoes of high school tennis and what it’s like to play some big guns right off the bat.”

Being battle tested is nothing new to the program, as they’ve faced stiff competition and defeated it before. Their coach sees promising signs so far.

“I’ve been so pleased with the work ethic so far that sky is the limit,” Kalis said. “I think we have great potential.”

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY PREVIEW: New PH coach has sights set high

The Park Hill Girls Cross Country program has never won a conference championship or qualified for state. After speaking with first year head coach Jason Parr, you’d get the feeling that could soon change. An assistant the past three years, Parr is setting ambitious goals for his team and is already showing signs of where he’d like to take the program.

“We’re looking to start a new chapter, almost a new program,” Parr said. “We’ve got great numbers this year. We’ve got 40-50 girls out this year compared to 16 girls last year. We’ve already doubled the size of our team.”

Not only do the Trojans have more runners, but they have tough competition taking place to run varsity.

“I’ve got 16 girls right now fighting for the top seven spots,” Parr said. “I’ve never had that before.”

They’ll be led by senior captains Sarah Pennington and Maddie Cummings who, although not on varsity, their coach says have been great inspirations to their younger teammates.

“They’re great girls and they encourage the others to get them through practice,” Parr said. “Without their help, we couldn’t do what we do.”

In what they hope is a groundbreaking year, the Trojans are taking a focused approach to running together in packs. By running at a high tempo together, Parr says, it allows the team to place higher compared to all seven runners going their separate ways.

“We’ve never won the conference, never made it to state as a team, but those are things we’re going to do this year with the group of girls we have,” Parr said. “As a coach you never want to be overconfident with your team, but I’ve been training with them over the past year and I know what they can do.”

An indicator of the Trojans’ progress will come at the Rim Rock Classic on September 25th. Over a thousand runners will participate and Parr already knows the message his team wants to send.

“We’re going to represent Park Hill and let everyone know we’re a new team who’s ready to show up to get it done,” Parr said.

SOFTBALL PREVIEW: Trojans want to build on last year's strong finish

A 12-16 record last year didn’t necessarily reflect the strides the Trojan Softball team took as a program compared to years past. Despite an up and down year, Park Hill made a run at the conference crown before finishing third and fell short of a district title in extra innings. Although they lose five starters, the 2010 Trojans will be aiming to build on the foundation they’ve laid.

Decorated returning starters include catcher Michele Rupard and shortstop Bethany Sullinger. Others returning with varsity experience include pitcher Makenzi Porter, infielder Liza Hill, and utility player Megan Nelsen. Upperclassmen Katey Kohl, Nikki Colwell, Micalla Rettinger, Nikki Moss, and Lindsey Horstman are all expected to make an impact.

The Trojans will seek contributions from younger players like Page Downs and Samantha Snodgrass from a large sophomore class to fill some of the remaining holes in the lineup.

“Our sophomore class is pretty big so if we can get a couple of them to step into varsity spots that would be good,” Coach Stuart Sullinger said. “Our freshmen are very enthusiastic, so the future looks good, but they’re not quite ready yet.”

With Rupard returning behind the plate, sophomores Porter and Lindsey Monroe will compete with a pair of incoming freshmen for a pitching role. On offense, Sullinger says the top of their lineup looks good, but hopes to round it out with players who can make contact with the ball.

“We’ll have three or four stud hitters,” Sullinger said. “The rest of the lineup we’re really trying to get them to set back and drive the ball so we can move base runners over more and execute.”

After an excruciating nine game skid they went through last year, Sullinger knows if they can do the little things right, similar streaks can be avoided.

“It’s about playing perfect catch. If the pitchers do what they should do then that’s what it amounts to,” Sullinger said. “If we can eliminate mistakes we should be ok, and that’s our number one priority.”

Park Hill will compete with some unfamiliar teams for the first time in several years including St. Joe Central, North Kansas City, and Lee’s Summit West, but Truman could be the team to beat if the Trojans compete confidently.

“I think I know in my mind what we can do,” Sullinger said confidently. “I’m not sure if they know what we can do yet.”

SWIM AND DIVE PREVIEW: PH Swimmers ready to start own title streak

When your conference rival has won eleven straight titles, it can be quite discouraging coming in second place each year. Until the 2009 season, that was pretty much the story for the Park Hill Boys Swim and Dive team. With a 9-1 dual meet record last year, the Trojans were able to snap Park Hill South’s eleven year run. An impressive amount of lettermen returning will put the Trojans in position to create a streak of their own in 2010.

A seventh place finish at state, their third top-eight finish in three years, along with wins at the Independence, Park Hill, and North Kansas City Invitationals are just some of the competitions they would like to see repeat performances or better this season. Eight athletic seniors return for the Trojans including Sam Blacksher, Alex Emery, Chris Greger, Walker Hemphill, Bryce Kober, Charlie Rider, and Ben Svoboda. Greg, Hemphill, Kober, and Svoboda were selected to the All-State team last year.

“With eight returning seniors, we have very high expectations including a conference championship and finishing in the top four at state,” coach Karl Haley said.

Also joining a recognized senior class are juniors Jarde Alderman, Matt Johnson, and Garrett Wooldridge along with sophomores Kyle Allen, Josh Black, Kyle Branton, Joey Johnson, Conner Shene, Vinnie Tutorino, Matt Wagner, and Mason Witherspoon.

New conference alignments won’t allow for Park Hill to square off with Park Hill South in conference standings for the first time in over a decade, which means Park Hill will be fighting to defend their title against other area teams. At first glance, Lee’s Summit West appears to be an initial competitive matchup for the Trojans, but Haley believes his Trojan team can prevail.

“They’ll be a contender, but with our depth and talent I think we would be favored to win,” Haley said.

Park Hill will get off to quick and competitive starts with their first dual against Lee’s Summit West on August 31st followed by Park Hill South on September 7th. They’ll host their annual invitational on September 17th and 18th.

Park Hill School District faces potential tax increase, budget cuts

With temperatures the hottest they’ve been all summer, high school fall sports practices began this week. Athletes will be back in action and students soon back in the classroom as another school year is just around the corner. For the Park Hill School District the excitement of a new school year also comes with the potential of an approximately $1.8 million budget shortfall caused mostly in part by the decrease in state education funding and lower property values resulting from the recent recession. Board of Education members will be forced this month to make decisions on what course of action will be taken to address the issue.

The district is facing a dilemma government bodies across the country are dealing with in choosing between two unpopular choices to balance the approximately $119 million budget. One option being budget cuts to make up for the shortfall. Many of those reductions could come in the form of salary freezes and decreased benefit programs for district employees. The second and likely option is to raise the district’s property tax levy. The increase in the district’s levy is based on property values and estimates say the increase would be equivalent to around $40 for a $200,000 home. This week district administrators will recommend to the board an 11.06 cent increase in the levy raising it from 2009-2010’s $4.6920 rate to $4.8026 for 2010-2011.

Usually raising the district’s tax levy would require voter approval, but the district received voter approval to raise the levy in 2002 and never increased it to the maximum cap ($4.997). So an increase only needs approval from the board until the amount reaches the previously approved fixed amount. In fact, the district has taken steps in recent years to lower the levy which was a luxury provided by, until recently, strong economic growth in Platte County with the Board of Education providing a 7.5 cent voluntary rollback for the 2009-2010 school year. Board members have until August 31 to set the tax rate as only an estimated levy increase was available when the initial 2010-2011 budget was approved.

Although an increase in the tax levy would solve the shortfall in the 2010-2011 school year, it will not likely address project shortfalls from 2011 to as far out as 2014. Over the next several years, it seems likely both avenues of making budget cuts and raising the levy will be required. It currently costs approximately $10,000 a year to educate a student at Park Hill. With a goal of not losing the quality of education they provide, board members and administrators will simultaneously need to consider ways to maintain that level of quality more efficiently and also look to new ways for the district to generate revenue. Increased activity fees and establishment of new corporate partnerships are just a few of the ideas being tossed around as potential options.

Budget crunches create the need to make tough decisions and there will be plenty in the coming years. Despite public education rarely being fully funded by the Missouri state legislature, local school districts have been able to thrive during good economic times. It goes to prove that even in the financially sound condition Platte County finds itself compared to other areas of the country; one of the top school districts in the state is not immune to the repercussions of the recession and decreased school funding.

Candidates can prove to us they're fiscally responsibile

After a brief trip out of town last weekend, I came home Sunday evening to find seven political mailings in the mailbox, all focusing on this week’s GOP primary races. Three mailings were from one candidate, two from the other, another was a three page letter from a former legislator endorsing one of the candidates, and a Republican central committee member asking for re-election. Yes, it’s only a small dose of what we’ll experience again in late October and early November, but it made me think about the inefficient use of resources and spending that went into it all.

During a campaign, candidates try to convince us if we elect them they’ll be responsible with taxpayer dollars. They speak to us about what ideas and experiences they’ll bring to the job. What they don’t even realize is they don’t have to wait until they get elected to show us. They can prove it right now and can show us throughout their campaign how they’ve handle other peoples’ money. If they can’t use contributed money given by friends, family, and colleagues in an efficient and responsible manner, then it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to do it with their whole constituency’s money.

Candidates are required to file campaign finance reports outlining their contributions and expenditures. After viewing some of them, it may be disappointing to see where all those $25 donations go. As taxpaying citizens, we hold our government accountable for its actions and campaign contributors should approach their donations in a similar way. It’s candidates with ‘fresh ideas’ and a ‘fiscally responsible’ approach who hopefully already hold this simple concept. It makes you wonder how many candidates will use the simple opportunity of this weekend’s sales tax holiday to save on the purchase of campaign supplies going into the final months of the cycle.

Unfortunately, even if candidates raise a lot of money, it evaporates on direct mailings. Rounds and rounds of postcards can add up to significant amounts. It’s a part of the political culture. Candidates work tirelessly for months on end to meet people in person and deliver their message. Then, with only a short amount of time left they blanket voters with mass mailings making sure they’ve left no stone unturned, almost as if everything they had done up to that point didn’t matter. Sometimes it seems as if the terms ‘coordinated campaign’ and ‘direct mail’ are oxymorons because they rarely seem well-planned or are even sent to independent or swing voters.

I would be wrong to tell you these mailings don’t have an effect. They do, especially if one candidate has more financial resources than their opponent. Someone once told me a candidate’s mail pieces should provide a simple message and be attractive enough for someone to read as they throw it away. Part affiliation aside, the fact is if someone throws away one candidate’s mail and doesn’t receive anything from their opponent, you’ll likely vote for the person you received mail from. Yes, even after so much time is put into a campaign, the results could hinge on something as simple as whether a voter took the time to recall the name on a piece of mail they threw in the trash.

One thing I know is that I didn’t even vote for any of the GOP candidates I received mailings from last weekend… Why? I picked up a Democratic ballot.

Destefano, Schaaf seeking GOP nod for State Senate

The race to succeed Charlie Shields as Buchanan and Platte County’s next 34th District state senator will become a little clearer this time next week after the Aug. 3 Republican primary decides who will face Democrat Martin Rucker in November’s general election.

Speculation came and went in regards to who would and would not run for the seat. District 28 State Rep. Rob Schaaf was unopposed in his party’s primary until John Destefano filed on the last day to create what has become one of the state’s more interesting primary contests.

After four terms in the Missouri House, Rep. Rob Schaaf, also a practicing medical doctor, has taken a strong stand against federal healthcare legislation and has focused a great deal on health/medical related issues. He attended Missouri Western State University and the St. Louis University School of Medicine. The 53-year-old from St. Joseph is married to his wife, Debbie, and has two children. In addition to practicing in St. Joseph since 1985, he helped form the Missouri Doctors Mutual Insurance Company, owned by doctors it insures, and serves as chairman.

Rob Schaaf

John Destefano, 60, is a retired Kansas City Power & Light executive, where he served as chief financial officer. One of his main focuses tends to be on fiscal issues and his background as a businessman. He earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA in Finance from the University of Missouri. Destefano and his wife, Mary Pat, reside in Kansas City. They have six adult children and two grandchildren. In 2006, Destefano ran for the Missouri House’s 32nd district seat, but lost to Rep. Jason Grill.

John Destefano

Following are each candidate’s responses to The Citizen’s questions.

What inspired or motivated you to run?
S: What first inspired me was the difficulty I was having as a physician getting my patients the care they needed. I have been working for a conservative agenda as a state representative since I was elected in 2003, and as one of the few health experts in the House, have had a hand in most health related legislation. Now, with the legislative experience I have, I would like to focus on creating jobs by helping businesses through lowered health care costs and tax relief.

D: I believe I have the leadership skills and knowledge to make Missouri a place where people want to raise a family and businesses will want to expand and locate. When I retired from KCP&L after serving as CFO, I didn’t retire from life; I continued to serve others in our community. I see this as an opportunity where my financial background and conservative principles can help the state in a time where we are dealing with tough financial issues.

Why are you the best candidate? What are voters looking for on August 3rd?
S: Voters are looking for a true conservative who will work for them and not special interests. Their top concerns now are jobs and the economy, healthcare (especially concerns about ObamaCare), and illegal immigration. Most Republicans believe in our free market system to control costs, support Arizona-style immigration reform, and would not support liberal democrats. Between myself and my opponent, I best fit this description. Explanation: In order to help businesses create new jobs, we must free up some of their expenses. Tax Reform or a Fair Tax would reduce the tax burden on businesses and free up money that could be used to hire new workers. Similarly, reducing the cost of healthcare through competition in the health market would allow businesses to hire more workers. Thus, for eight years, I have been trying to increase competition in the medical market, but my efforts have been blocked by the hospital and insurance industries. As a senator, I would be in a much better position to succeed at that goal. But those special interests don’t want competition and are supporting my opponent. The hospital industry endorsed ObamaCare and now supports my opponent. In contrast, I dropped out of the American Medical Association when it endorsed ObamaCare. I personally torpedoed a huge expansion of health welfare two years ago, while my opponent was quoted in the Kansas City Star (Nov 1, 2006, page 11) as saying “Everybody should have a stake in their health insurance and pay according to their means.” He outlined to the star a mandatory health insurance program, which is the central feature of ObamaCare. In contrast, I intensely oppose forced health insurance. In 2008, I voted for and helped pass HB 1549, which prohibits any illegal alien from receiving state welfare benefits. My opponent attacked me for voting for this bill, (see quoted sources given for his TV ad) which also allows state police to enforce federal immigration law, something my opponent is on record as opposing (2006 Missouri Catholic Conference Candidate Survey). My opponent has also contributed to the election of democrat governor Bob Holden. If Republican voters in the upcoming primary election believe that opposing mandatory health insurance, increasing competition in the health market, fighting illegal immigration, and supporting Republican candidates are important, then I am the better candidate.

D: I am a family man, a veteran and a businessman. I am not a career politician. As a former member of the Green Berets, I know what leadership means and how to get things done. I have been a businessman for over 30 years, creating jobs and balancing multi-million dollar budgets. I think voters are looking for citizen legislators with fresh ideas who can stick to their values and get things done in Jefferson City.

What are the two or three main issues facing the State of Missouri?
S: Jobs and the economy are the number one issue. We are also in a severe budget crisis, and our state budget is currently balanced with 900 million dollars of stimulus money which will disappear next year. That means we will be faced with severe choices. Having been on the state budget committee for five years, I am best prepared to meet this challenge.

D: The economy is on the top of everyone’s minds; its effects can be felt throughout our communities, our families, schools and our churches. We must get people back to working at good jobs that can invest in our communities and make Missouri a leading state. We must get State Spending under control, long term budget planning is something the state has always lacked and is an area where with my unique background I can make a difference. Taxpayers deserve to know that everything possible is being done to fight illegal immigration. As a state we must get the federal government to do its job of enforcing the borders, and if they won’t, the state must step in and make sure our citizens are protected.
What would your top 3 priorities/goals be as a State Senator?
S: I believe that the reduction in health care costs that would occur by increasing competition in the healthcare market would have a major positive effect on businesses and their ability to hire new workers. I would also work for comprehensive tax reform, and I favor the concept of a fair tax exempting the necessities of everyday life, so that our poorest citizens would pay no taxes at all while at the same time helping everyone save and invest. Finally, I would continue to push a conservative agenda by stopping tax increases, stopping increases in welfare and stopping any moves backward in our pro-life and second amendment agenda efforts.

D: 1.) We must get Missourians back to work, unemployment has been too high for too long. I believe with my 30 years of financial experience I will be a strong leader in the Senate to make sure Government stays out of the way and doesn’t stifle growth in the economy. 2.) I will work to bring accountability back into state government, it is unbelievable that while our economy is hurting our state budget continues to grow. 3.) We must fight hard to ensure that our social values are not compromised. I am proudly endorsed by Missouri Right to Life and will stand strong to stop abortions and expand adoption opportunities and fight against illegal immigration.
In your opinion, what are the challenges of being involved in public service and politics? What do you see as the upside or positives?
S: I know from experience how to be more effective as a public servant. I put on legislative forums every week during session, and would continue to do so as state senator. Constituent services are key, and it is a challenge but important to try to answer every request for assistance as quickly and completely as possible. It isn’t easy to respond to every letter, call and email, either. Long hours and late nights at the capitol away from home are stressful, but I have always kept in mind that there are soldiers serving our country whose stress makes mine seem trivial. The greatest upside I experienced was the knowledge that the infection control bill I authored in 2004 has saved many lives through a reduction in hospital infections; this is an example of the rewards public service can offer. I feel that I had a very positive effect on our state, not only with legislative work I did myself, but as part of the Republican team that never raised taxes (and cut some instead), reduced welfare and the size of government and protected our freedoms. I would like to continue that work as state senator, and it has been an honor to serve as state representative; it would also be an honor to serve in the senate.

D: The large numbers of issues that must be dealt with in the State Senate can be overwhelming, but with my strong work ethic and my diverse background, I believe I have the skills to address the issues facing the state today.
What is your current assessment on our state's economy? What should the state be doing to stimulate it?
S: As I said above, our economy is in trouble. Many people are out of work, and we must stimulate business growth to provide them with jobs. The best way to do that is by reducing the expenses of businesses. Among those are taxes and health care costs, and by working to reduce these, businesses would have more resources to spend on wages for workers. Economic development at the state level must also take into account that we are competing with other states that offer better incentives; to get businesses to choose Missouri, we will need to play on that field, but with guarantees that the incentives we offer will actually stimulate jobs and growth.

D: There is no doubt that families and businesses are hurting. I think the state government must get its budget under control and make sure we have the long term budget planning for businesses to know that Missouri is stable. By creating a stable environment with lower taxes and less bureaucratic red tape, businesses will see the advantages of locating and growing in Missouri.
What issue(s) do you believe you might be able to work on with Democrats across the aisle?
S: I have learned that the vast majority of issues are not partisan, and that Democrats as well as Republicans have good ideas. As committee chair, I worked in a very bipartisan fashion with my Democrat colleagues. For example, in 2008, my committee studied Insure Missouri, a huge expansion of health welfare proposed by the Department of Social Services, and after 54 hours of hearings, every member of my committee, Republican and Democrat, signed a letter to the Secretary of State asking that the emergency rules offered to implement the program be rejected on the grounds the proposal was not done lawfully. I have worked with Democrats on many bills, and would enjoy doing so as state senator.

D: I believe that while you must stick to your values, you also have to be able to build a consensus to your positions; I look forward to working with members of both parties to get people back to work, cut continued government spending and fight illegal immigration.
Republicans currently hold a strong majority in the Missouri Senate. Pending an unlikely change, if you were to become a part of that majority what do you believe members of your party can or should be doing better?
S: As a representative, I was very frustrated when good legislation frequently died in the senate for lack of leadership to move important bills. I would be a voice of reason, working to forge compromise whenever possible. That said, with an overwhelming supermajority, there is no reason the senate could not use its ability to break filibusters more frequently. The senate’s reluctance to break filibusters has stood in the way of important legislation too often, and I would work when necessary to prevent a small minority from derailing important public policy initiatives.

D: Not enough has been done to keep Missouri’s budget from growing, in the last 8 years the budget has increased by 20 percent, while our economy continues to hurt. People expect better from their elected officials both fiscally and socially. I believe there is still room for more ethics reform, including outlawing legislators working as campaign consultants, and I support a ban on all lobbyist gifts including travel junkets, meals, and tickets to events.
What is one issue where your position is significantly different compared to your opponent? Or what is the most significant difference between you and your opponent?
S: As I noted above, my intense opposition to forced purchase of health insurance such as that required in ObamaCare separates me from my opponent. His outlining of a mandatory health insurance program is confirmed by the support he is receiving from the hospital industry which recruited him and which endorsed ObamaCare. (See the source quoted above.) I also believe that police in our state should vigorously enforce federal immigration laws, just as in Arizona, something my opponent opposes (see above source).

D: My opponent served 8 years in the Missouri House, he has a record of spending in Jefferson City that he doesn’t like to talk about. I believe that when our economy is hurting, it is more important than ever that there is someone in Jefferson City that understands finances and how increased bureaucracy hurts communities and families.