Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Candidates Address Political Animals
FAYETTEVILLE — The Political Animals Club of Northwest Arkansas packed the banquet room at Grand Hotel in Fayetteville Thursday morning to listen to gubernatorial candidates Mike Ross and Asa Hutchinson.
Both candidates addressed funding pre-kindergarten, improving life for the middle class through education and vocational technical options and tax cuts for lower and middle income citizens.
Democratic candidate Ross describes himself as the “education governor.”
Hutchinson, running as the Republican nominee, says he wants to be the “jobs governor” for Arkansas.
Both say they support funding pre-kindergarten programs for children in Arkansas.
Ross said he believes success starts with education.
“What do we need to do? Start sooner and finish stronger,” Ross said, noting education helps provide more and better paying jobs, reduces crime, helps prevent
hunger, poverty and homelessness.
He said pre- kindergarten should be available for everyone and advocates fully funding pre- kindergarten for families making 200 to 300 percent of the poverty level.
Ross said the problem is not quality because the pre-kindergarten program funded through the Arkansas Better Chance program is a good program.
“The issue is quantity,” Ross said. “Too many children are being left out.”
He said the state should pay one- half the cost for those making 300- 400 percent of the poverty level and families making 400 percent above the poverty level would pay full- price for pre-kindergarten.
He compared the costs to what families pay for daycare.
“This would not be mandatory but would give more choices,” Ross pointed out.
Hutchinson, on the other hand, said he proposes to first fully pay for the existing program and make it available to all families making 200 percent of poverty.
“I think tax dollars should go to the greatest need first,” Hutchinson said, adding that expanding the program to other families would depend on revenue growth.
On the other end of education, Ross said students need more options.
Out of 100 ninth graders, Ross said, 20 will not finish high school, 40 will go to college but only 20 will graduate.
“What about the other 80? They can finish college, get a minimum wage job or go to the military,” Ross said.
He advocates providing a fourth option of a vocational technical career and establishing a relationship between high schools, colleges and vocational schools so that students can learn a skill, earn a certification for that skill and get a good paying job.
Hutchinson said he also understands about the struggles of the middle class, having a job and making ends meet. He supports computer p rog ramm ing and computer coding classes in high schools and said those classes should count as science or math credits toward graduation. This would provide skilled labor for the state’s needs.
“It starts with the economy, starts with jobs and improving the life of the struggling middle class,” Hutchinson said. “That defines my campaign.”
Both addressed tax cuts for the state.
Hutchinson said Arkansas needs a competitive tax system to grow the economy so its citizens can move up the economic ladder.
He proposes to lower the income tax rate from 7 percent to 6 percent for middle- income earners, making $34,000 to $75,000. For those making $20,400 to $ 34,000, he said he would lower the income tax rate from 6 to 5 percent.
Those earning more than $ 75,000 are making ends meet and earning less than $ 20,000 are helped through other government programs, Hutchinson said.
He said this would cost $100 million and he believes the state can absorb it because the state’s revenues grow by $200 million each year.
Ross’ proposal for tax cuts is do to them gradually as the state can afford it. He said he supports lower and fairer taxes but wants to “fix it the way Beebe took the sales tax off groceries. He did it correctly.”
Ross, who served 10 years in the state Senate and 12 years in U.S. Congress, said he left Washington, D.C., never intending to run for office again.
He said he was encouraged by people to run for governor and after praying about it and discussing it with family, threw his hat in the ring.
“I came to the reality I wasn’t fed up with federal service, I was just fed up with Washington,” Ross said. “The last thing we need in state government is the type of partisan bickering and dysfunction that we see in our nation’s capital today.”
Hutchinson has served in Congress and in two positions for two U.S. presidents.
“But there will never be a higher honor than to serve this state as governor,” Hutchinson said.