Cande Iveson on the Issues
Education
I believe that education is central to both economic success and to a functioning democracy. While education remains a priority for voters, Missouri has not done all it could to bolster and improve education. Success depends on improving all facets of our educational system-from birth through college. This means expanding access to high quality early learning opportunities so that more children are ready for school; it means making the necessary financial commitments to public schools (K-12) so that our high school graduates are ready to succeed at work or to pursue more education. And, it means making sure that our universities offer superb academics and that Missouri children have access to those opportunities, regardless of their family's financial status. See additional information on:
Health Care
The lack of affordable health care is one of our most pressing public policy issues. It is a disgrace that the richest country on earth cannot find a way to make sure that all its citizens have basic health care: 49 million Americans were uninsured all year and more than one in three were uninsured for some part of 2006-2007; small businesses cannot afford to cover their employees; and annual increases in health benefits drag down larger employers. We spend more than other countries on our health care, yet our outcomes are no better and in some cases worse. We must demand some action from the federal government on universal health care. And, we must use the latitude granted to states to make sure federal improvements translate to better care in Missouri. In 2005 we chose to cut the number of people eligible for public insurance. Last year we replaced our Medicaid program with something called MO Health Net. Unfortunately, the legislation contained almost no specific guidance on who would be covered or how. This summer, Governor Blunt announced "Insure Missouri"; a program that targets many of the same low income families who lost coverage in 2005 but contains no specifics. In both cases, the administration seems more interested in a catchy name than in a workable program. See additional information on:
Effective Governance
Many people have lost faith in government. They see little progress on issues that concern them but do see gains for limited, special interests. It is this frustration that causes people to vote for imperfect solutions like term limits. As a democracy, we have to make sure that citizens feel that they are heard in public discussion. Of course, the primary tool that citizens possess is their vote, but there are also policy solutions that should be explored. If we are to survive, we have to consider ways to make citizens feel they have a stake in state government. See additional information on:
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