Too many Missouri families go without health insurance. We all pay when uninsured or under insured patients need health care. As your Representative, I'll work to make insurance more affordable by creating new tax credits, reform insurance laws, allow associations to pool their members to provide affordable insurance, and take innovative steps to contain health care costs.
As your Representative, I'll continue to improve the Missouri Senior Rx program that's vital to so many of our seniors. I'll continue to protect seniors by allowing generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to continue to participate in the Missouri Senior Rx program, as well as encourage other generic manufacturers to join.
An increasing number of Internet chat-rooms, e-mail and instant messaging providers and Web sites have parents feeling less and less in control of their children's Internet use. The online world is just as dangerous as the real world.
At the start of each school year, we must provide Internet safety classes in our schools so concerned parents can learn the latest tips on how to monitor their children's Internet use. Parents need to learn ways to detect warning signs of Internet abuse, what online dangers are targeting children and other practical tools for providing guidance for young Internet users.
"Moral Malaise" is a very serious problem facing our teenagers: kids are abusing drugs and alcohol, exposed to too much sex and violence in the media, and fail to learn basic values. As a parent and your Representative, I'll address these challenges and protect our children.
Education
"Education is the mainspring of our economic and social progress. It is the highest expression of achievement in our society, ennobling and enriching human life."
-President John F. Kennedy
We have to improve our K-12 system to ensure that every child is prepared to compete in an increasingly global economy. As your Representative, I will:
- Help recruit and retain outstanding teachers and principals with tuition loan and income tax breaks.
- School Choice must be strengthened. I'm committed to ensuring that home schooling remains a practical alternative for Missouri families.
- Our public schools should instill personal habits that are necessary in the workplace, such as punctuality, dependability and discipline.
A college education is more important than ever. We must make college more affordable and accessible so that every Missourian who has earned it and wants to attend has the chance to get a college degree. We must:
- Get rid of the red tape in financial aid.
- Hold college costs down and hold our colleges accountable for results though an online college cost calculator, a college graduation and employment rate index, and truth in tuition disclosure.
When your property is overvalued by St. Louis County, you're unfairly saddled by high property taxes. High property taxes add significant expenses that adversely affects the bottom-line in our home budgets and our local businesses.
Under Missouri law, you have the right to appeal an unfair tax assessment before the Board of Equalization. If denied at that level, you may then appeal to the State Tax Commission of Missouri. Any number of factors may lead to unfair taxes, ranging from subjective evaluations regarding cost, market value and depreciation to wrongly applied laws.
Too often when you appeal, you encounter an entry level employee who takes the easy way out and rejects your request. This system is unacceptable to the homeowners and business owners in our community. As your Representative, I'll lead the fight in Jefferson City to protect you from the unjust valuation procedures from the St. Louis County Assessor Office. They must be held accountable for their actions.
I'll make sure you have experienced, effective, conservative representation in Jefferson City crucial to reducing property taxes and support of new state laws to help you win appeals.
"...private property shall not be taken or damaged for public use without just compensation."
-5th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
Local governments in St. Louis County are seizing residences and businesses against the will of property owners and using the land for private economic development. This abuse of power is wrong.
As your Representative, I'll strengthen private property rights by creating tougher restrictions on the use of eminent domain and strictly define the types of properties affected by the law.
When the government exercises its right of eminent domain, you lose your rights forever as a citizen to own your property. Individual property rights pale against the formidable powers of the government; however, you still retain the right to be fairly compensated. This right of just compensation is inalienable, a pillar on which our society was built. I'm committed to helping you obtain the value you deserve.
Though hard work and dedication as your Representative, I'll support laws that protect you from overzealous developers and municipal officials.
The right of an innocent, unborn child to life is at the heart of the American ideals of liberty. I have a strong commitment to this pro-life principle. I am pro-life except in the cases of the life of the mother, rape and incest. Additionally, I oppose taxpayer funds for abortion providers.
I also oppose the death penalty, which puts me in conflict with most Republicans. Capital punishment is the ultimate denial of civil liberties. Innocent people are being sentenced to death. In the past 30 years, 113 inmates were found to be innocent and released from death row.
