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Kander on the Issues

Education Healthcare Environment Equal Rights

KanderSpeaking
Primary and Secondary Education

  1. No vouchers. I'll fight for public education at every turn. Vouchers are not the solution.
  2. Support teachers. We need to de-emphasize testing and re-emphasize teaching. We should let teachers do their jobs and we should trim bureaucratic obstacles in order to channel funds directly to the classroom.
  3. Time for change in our schools. Too often, politicians compare Kansas City to successful schools in Lee's Summit or Johnson County. We need to acknowledge that what works in the suburbs is not the model for an urban school district. We need to look to successful urban districts, such as Cincinnati, in our future approach.

Higher Education

  1. Life sciences. I will work to increase state funding for life science research at our public universities, particularly at UMKC.
  2. Low tuition, setting priorities. Increasing tuition should be the very last option, not the easy way out of difficult decisions. Tuition now accounts for a greater percentage of Missouri higher education funding than does the state budget. Until we reverse this trend, we will continue down the same troubled path.

Healthcare crisis

  1. Medicaid. I vehemently opposed the cuts in Medicaid two years ago and firmly believe that it was an immoral decision.
  2. Leadership by example. In the Army, I learned that you don't ask others to do that which you are not willing to do yourself. Our state legislators shouldn't receive state-funded health insurance until such time as every Missourian cut from Medicaid in 2005 has their coverage restored.
  3. Honesty about fraud. It is time that we crack down on Medicaid provider fraud. Governor Blunt accuses recipients of "abusing the system," but the truth is that the overwhelming financial impact of Medicaid abuse comes from a small number of providers. We need to beef up this arm of the Attorney General's office.
  4. Kids first. As we address the healthcare crisis, we must prioritize the 121,000 Missouri children without health insurance.
  5. Hold HMOs and Insurers Accountable. Missouri should fast-track any litigation regarding so-called "experimental therapies," "pre-existing conditions," or other common claim denial techniques. I am determined to prevent insurance companies from withholding legitimate treatments from those who need it most.
  6. Pro-Choice. I am pro-choice and oppose any further limits on a woman's right to choose. I opposed the recent legislation affecting family planning clinics in Missouri.

Environment/Energy Policy

  1. Beyond local. I ride the bus whenever I can and I consider green living an important personal and governmental responsibility.
  2. Time for bold measures. At the state level, I favor increasing our renewable energy portfolios in Missouri at an aggressive pace. House and Senate Democrats authored legislation last session that set renewable portfolio targets for utilities to hit over the next five years. This is an important step in the right direction. If utilities fail to meet these targets, I look forward to working to put a renewable energy mandate on the statewide ballot, as has been done in other states.
  3. Encourage market-driven conservation. We should change the fundamentally broken system of electricity production in Missouri. Specifically, we can structure incentives around decreasing demand instead of increasing supply. Many states are rearranging their energy infrastructure to reward conservation in a way that is wise both economically and environmentally for consumers, utilities, and the state government.
  4. Clean environment, robust economy. I fully support setting ambitious goals for our environment. While many do not realize it, Missouri's lakes, rivers, caves, and mountains are a large source of tourist revenue for the state. Conservation and environmental stewardship, in addition to being ethically wise, are the right policies from an economic perspective, as well.

Equal Rights

  1. Gender discrimination. I will support the Equal Rights Amendment and I will work to preserve the freedom of choice.
  2. LGBT rights. My wife is an attorney specializing in same-sex family law. I am a member of several LGBT rights organizations and I will work hard to expand these rights in Missouri. I fully support complete equality under the law for same-sex couples.
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