Ames Area Iowa House Candidates Debate
October 21, 2008 5 Comments
Tonight the candidates for the Iowa House of Representatives in districts 10, 45, and 46 (Ames area) particapted in a forum hosted by the Ames Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters. Candidates in attendance were Rep. Dave Deyoe (R) and Susan Radke (D) (District 10), Ryan Rhodes (R) and Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (D) (District 45), and Eric Cooper (Lib) and Rep. Lisa Heddens (D) (District 46). Each candidate was allowed an opening and closing statement. One question came from the moderator and the rest of the questions were asked by members of the audience.
There were several questions asked of the candidates that cut across a wide variety of issues from taxes to the smoking ban, education, Right to Work, prisons, and imminent domain. Unfortunately no questions were asked about the sanctity of life and marriage. Stark differences between the candidates were seen on all these issues. The three Democratic women must have all read the same talking points before the debate because their answers were pretty much all the same. Both Rep. Wessel-Kroeschell and Rep. Lisa Heddens proudly stated they voted for the smoking ban and Susan Radke said she would have voted for the ban. Deyoe, Rhodes, and Cooper all vehemently voiced their opposition to the measure. Additionally, Deyoe, Rhodes, and Cooper clearly stated the need to reign in state spending and cut taxes while the Democrats seemed to not object to more state spending. Rep. Wessel- Kroeschell plainly stated that public institutions need more money and used the fact that she sends paper and dry-erase markers to school with her children as an example of how public education needs more funding.
The greatest line of the night came from Susan Radke who stated that it was “a privilege to pay taxes.” Mad props goes to the Libertarian candidate Eric Cooper. While I don’t agree with everything he said, he definitely had articulate answers and reasons to why we need limited government.
If you live in Ames and were not able to go, the debate will be replaying on Channel 16 throughout the week.
Thank you for this update. Sounds like the democrat women were three peas in a pod! Gotta love those down pat talking points they love to dish out!
And… if elected the Democrat women will show Iowa taxpayers what a continued privilege it will be to pay even more taxes!
Thanks for the update POD. I truly hope the people in that district elect Rhodes this year. They would most certainly be better represented.
By the way, did anyone ask Beth about her definition of a corporate factory farm? I know her answer in the state house was priceless.
I have met Ryan Rhodes. He is a great candidate.
Great Report, palmofdeborah!
In this day of voters being super aware of the tax and spend nature of government officials, of pork barrel greed there are still democrats that show up in public and seem to have no qualms about shelling out more tax payer money?
Makes me wonder where they found these women! They must be deeply ingrained in the Democrat line of thinking, as in you make it sound like they talk the same lingo. If is is such a privilege to pay taxes, maybe Ms. Radke would like to pay mine.