Remember, remember the seventh of November when all you citizens, concerned for your democracy, make your way to the polls. Here are my questions for Democratic candidate for District 135, Nancy Hagan, and her responses. This is the final installment of this Q&A. I appreciate Ms. Hagan taking time out of her candidacy schedule to answer these questions from this voting citizen.
QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY READERS OF FAT JACK'S ERRATIC RANTS:
JACK: It’s easy for folks to say that raising the minimum wage will do thus-and-so. In what ways do you believe raising the minimum wage will benefit our state economy? Be specific about how the opposition is incorrect in the assumption that raising the minimum wage will hurt Missouri.
HAGAN: Raising the minimum wage would improve the economy by providing a stable and productive work force. It would help stimulate the economy because lower income workers are more likely to spend pay increases. An estimated 7.3 million workers (5.8% of the workforce) would benefit from an increase. Of these workers 72.1% are adults and 60.6% are women. More buying power means more tax revenue for the state.
JACK: You stated that Missouri has lost nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in federal matching money. Most people do not understand the federal government’s 60-40 split. Explain how this works and how that quarter of a billion dollars was spent before it was cut.
HAGAN: Federal matching dollars are just that. If the state puts in money the federal matches that amount. A typical example of a program that received matching funds that was cut is the MAWD program. The CHIPs (Children's Health Insurance Program) that helped working families provide coverage for their children.
JACK: School vouchers are becoming a nationwide issue, which appears to be split among party lines. As a school teacher, I know that you will have strong feelings on the subject. Explain your belief that vouchers would be a bad move for Missouri. What leads you to believe that? If vouchers are not the answer, then how do we address the public's concerns that public schools are failing the community (as a nationwide concept) and that private institutions provide a better education than the public schools. (Are the public's views valid?) How do vouchers help or hurt minority populations including persons of color and children with disabilities?
HAGAN: Vouchers take public funds that should be invested in real reforms to help all children – like smaller class size initiatives, reading improvement, incentives for teacher quality, and school modernization – to subsidize private education. The bottom line is voucher programs hurt public schools, many of which already are underfunded. We know that unlike public schools, religious and private schools can – and do – discriminate in admissions on the basis of prior academic achievement, standardized test scores, interviews with applicants and parents, gender religion, income, special needs, and behavioral history. In other words, private schools do not have to follow federal guidelines.
JACK: The Springfield Bloggers group has tossed around the idea of a legislative forum, where candidates will be invited to a public forum to answer topical questions on important issues. If we can ever get off our lazy bums and coordinate this event, I hope we can count on your attendance.
HAGAN: Yes, I would participate in a legislative forum.
QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY READERS OF FAT JACK'S ERRATIC RANTS:
FROM A READER: What are your thoughts on the Missouri voter ID legislation. How will it impact our society? Is there such a thing as voter fraud? How will it affect poor persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of color?
HAGAN: My main objection is the fact that this is a Poll Tax. Even though the state is offering free identification cards, Missourians will still have to pay the state for the documents necessary to obtain the ID.
FROM A READER: While it's not a local issue, explain your thoughts on the Fair Tax issue. How will it ultimately affect the residents of Missouri?
HAGAN: I oppose the Fair Tax. It puts the burden upon a volitile sector of our economy (i.e. retail sales). As far as effecting the citizens of Missouri I don't think this will ever be an issue.
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4 comments:
Follow up question: Have you actually read the fair tax book or the bill?
The Network will be hosting a legislative forum in October. We are working on the plans as I'm writing this. Greene county medical Society is also hosting a forum on October 3 at OTC.
Anon:
Thank you for passing on that information. Please post more information when you get it.
Here are my follow up questions:
If you have to have a social security card and a birth certificate anyway to get into school, to have a job, or to do just about anything else in life, then how is requiring people to prove who they are a "Poll Tax".
If someone does have to pay for something like a birth certificate, is it not just paid once and done unlike a poll tax that is continued year after year?
Are you concerned with the issue of voter fraud? If you are then how would you address it differently?
If you could only pick one, which would be a better solution to people's low wages: An increase in minimum wage or an increase in job training programs to assist people in getting better and higher paying jobs?
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