How to boost the education system was one of the recurring themes among Starke County’s state legislative candidates, during Wednesday’s Meet the Candidates night. Democrat Timothy Gust is running for District 20 State Representative. “Education in this state has become a bit of a farce over the past decade-plus, seeing more money taken away from public schools and given to charters and school voucher programs.” Gust said. “In rural areas, such as the ones that we live and work in, in District 20, public schools make up most of the options we as parents have to send our children to school.”
But the Republican incumbents touted the significant increases in education funding in recent years. Gust’s opponent, Representative Jim Pressel, asked how much more was needed. “And I don’t know where we get the money from unless we raise taxes, and I’m pretty opposed to raising taxes,” Pressel said. “So unless we’re just throwing darts and figuring out, ‘Is this enough? Do we need another billion? Is it two billion? Is it half a billion? And for how long? How long does that increase last?’ We’ve got to have a number, and so far, nobody’s given me that number.”
The only school board candidate who participated, Lee Nagai, largely ignored the issue of state funding and instead took aim at the current Oregon-Davis School Board members.
When asked how to make Starke County a place where people want to stay, several candidates discussed the need for more housing. Incumbent Republican District 8 State Senator Mike Bohacek said a Stellar Community designation would also go a long way. “The submission that was presented was amazing, and I was proud to have it come from my district,” Bohacek said. “But I’m hopeful they’re going to apply again, because, really, in order to grow industry, you have to grow your population.”
But his opponent, Democrat Gary Davis, felt that Indiana has a tendency to bend over backwards for businesses. “We need to honor and elevate workers,” he added. “Some ideas: The workers compensation, that’s just one. Affordable, living wage. – we need to raise the wages.”
Also taking part in Wednesday’s Meet the Candidates were incumbent District 5 State Senator Ed Charbonneau and his opponent, Democrat Luke Bohm; District 1 Starke County Commissioner candidates Mark Gourley and Brad Hazelton; and at-large county council candidates Chuck Estok and Karl Swihart.
When asked how they would curb fiscal waste, the council and commissioner candidates, most of whom have either served on the county council or worked in county government, generally felt there wasn’t much waste to cut. Candidates for Starke County Treasurer Lauri Manns Venckus and Monica Miller outlined their ideas to make it easier for taxpayers to make their payments.
U.S. congressional candidate Pat Hackett, District 16 State Rep. Doug Gutwein and his opponent Michael Lovely, Starke County Council Member Kay Gudeman, and county council candidate Don Binkley did not attend but had representatives speak on their behalf.
Videos from Wednesday’s Meet the Candidates night can be found on the WKVI K99.3 FM Facebook page. You can listen to the entire event here.
