University Daily Kansan / Wednesdav. October 31. 1990
7b
State Representatives
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Barbara Ballard (D)
Age: 45
Hometown: Petersburg, Va.
Education: B.A. from Webster College in St. Louis and a M.S. in counseling and guidance and a Ph.D. in counseling and student personal services from K-State.
Background: Ballard has been at the University of Kansas since 1980. She is the director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center and an associate dean of student life.
Barbara Ballard
Ballard looks at tax issue
By David Roach
Kansan staff writer
A diverse area like the 44th district needs a person with a diverse background to represent it in the Legislature, Barbara Ballard said.
Ballard, a candidate for state representative for the 44th District, said her experience in education and education had given her that background.
"I listen well, and I think a legislator to have listen extremely well to what people are really saying and try to figure out solutions," she said. "I think it is especially challenging when it comes to the burden of no money and lots of concerns."
One of those concerns for Ballard is the Margin of Excellence.
She said that an alcohol and cigarette tax would be the best way to finance the Margin but that she supports any financing method.
"I certainly would be looking at those," Ballard said. "But I also know that there are other concerns we have to have to generate money for, too."
Ballard said the state would have to reconsider all of its programs before it could deal with the problem in budget shortfalls for this year.
"I think you have to review what the state's priorities really are," she said. "Poll after poll will tell you that education is put education as their top priority."
Ballard said the Legislature already had started the process of re-evaluating its programs.
"Maybe we'll find out that we can't do everything," she said. "There are legislators, good legislation."
44th District
tors, that have been there for years, and last year they were not able to come up with all the solutions.
"I do not see myself as a brand-new person coming in with all these premade solutions when I don't even know what half of the problems are or what the principle was behind a lot of the policy that was made."
Ballard said the state would need new revenues.
"You're going to have to look at some new taxes," she said. "I'll look at any and all of the taxes."
Ballard said that education was financed only through state aid and property taxes and that school districts pay less and less state aid as time went on.
"If you're getting less and less there's only one other place that you can get the rest of your money, and that's property tax," she said. "We have to look at rewriting school finance law and try to come up with a formula that would be a little farther to the different districts."
She said people needed relief from property taxes.
"We do rely too heavily on property taxes and we're going to have to find other ways of generating revenue," she said.
Ballard said she was concerned with health care availability and poverty in Kansas.
"There's over 400,000 people who do not have health insurance in the state of Kansas," she said. "When you have that many without health insurance, you really have to worry."
She said that despite Kansas' small population, more than 280,000 Kansans lived in poverty.
"A hundred thousand of those children," she said. "It's not easy for people to get out of that."
Ballard said that the solution to poverty began with education.
But, she said. "If you're not healthy, you can't really take advantage of education. If you're not healthy, you can take advantage to the well being of your state."
"It's a legislator's job to respond to those people who are asking for help," she said. "But it's also a legislator's job to know enough about them, and how we can help them, to know what our major problems are and to find some answers."
Ballard said that as a legislator she would concentrate on health care and children's issues.
Ballard said she would take a firm pro-choice stance in the Legislature
"I could not vote for parental notification, and I'm a very strong parent advocate," she said.
Sandy Praeger (R)
Sandra Praeager
Age:46
★★★★★★★
Hometown: Fort Bragg, N.C.
Education: B.S. in education from KU.
Background: Praeger was chairperson on the Douglas County Planning Commission 1984 - 85 and served on the Lawrence City Commission from 1985-1989. She was mayor from 1986 to 1987. She is currently the vice president for Community Affairs at the Douglas County Bank.
Praeger stresses Margin
Rv David Roach
Kansan staff writer
Provincialism in the Legislature could be the main challenge facing an inexperienced representative from Lawrence, said Sandy Praeger, candidate for state representative 44th District.
Praeger said provincialism throughout the state and a certain amount of envy toward affluent business owners in the environment at the Statehouse.
"There really is a kind of urbanian split," she said. "There is a feeling that Lawrence has it all, and I think that is one of the things that has hurt funding for higher education. There is another hurt funding for other programs."
She said integrity and confidence were key to success at the Statehouse.
"They have to be able to see that I'm debating an issue based on knowledge and fact and sound judgment, but they can't perceive my perceived interest," she said.
Praeger said her most important
Praeger said her wide range of experience on the Lawrence/Douglas County Planning Commission and as a Lawrence city commissioner would translate well to the Kansas House of Representatives.
Praeger was chairperson for the Planning Commission from 1984 to 1985. She served on the city commission from 1985 to 1989 and was mayor of New York City.
goal for the next legislative session would be financing the third year of the Margin of Excellence.
"I think funding for the Margin should come from the general fund," Praeger said. "It really is a top priority, and now how is pointing to be there every year."
...merger said she was concerned that the education budget usually was passed at the end of the session, because it usually comes out most of the state's money was spent.
"I think we should move it back to the forefront and deal with it earlier in the session and make decisions that would be less costly much is left in the budget," she said.
Prauer said the only two ways to deal with the projected $150 million to $200 million in budget shortfalls in implementing programs or increasing revenues.
"I'm not sure we can afford to cut any programs at the state level," she said. "I think we have sort of bare bones programs right now."
Praeger said that in lieu of cutting programs the Legislature would be forced to raise taxes.
She said she favored decreasing reliance on property tax. She suggested an increase in sales taxes to decrease property taxes.
"We need to look at our entire tax structure and decide if we have an equitable mix," she said. "If we're looking at additional sources of revenue, everything should be on the table."
"It's on everyone's mind. I think now is a good time to re-evaluate that."
Praeger said restructuring the Department of Social Rehabilitation Services into separate departments could reduce operating costs.
She said restructuring should reduce the bureaucracy that social workers would have to go through to implement needed programs.
"By reducing the layers of man agement, you can get more efficiency," she said.
She said a cabinet-level commission should be formed to concentrate on children's programs because early intervention in behalf of at-risk children would reduce future SRS budgets.
Praeger is a staunch pro-choice advocate
She said she would not support legislation that would require parental notification for minors to receive an abortion
"Having a legislature decide what's good for a family, I think is wrong. She said, 'Government should give the family life as much as it can avoid.'
Praeger said she thought that the state should do more to prevent unwanted pregnancies and that it would be better for women who could not afford them.
"I think that if abortion is available, it shouldn't be selective," she said.
Lobbyist spending up 20.3 percent from 1989, report says
The Associated Press
TOPEKA - Lobbyists spread spending $10,646 to influence legislators in September, most of it in meals, snacks and drinks, according to a report released this week.
The report also said reported spending for the year to date reached $692,758, or 20.3 percent more than the same period in 1989. In fact, the reported spending through September surpassed the annual spending record of $652,264, set in 1989.
The state Public Disclosure Commission's staff compiles the monthly report for commission members. The commission enforces state ethics laws.
According to the report, lobystis dis-
spending spent $7.441 on food and beverages. Traditionally, Kansas lobystis spend $30-$40 per meal, drinks and snacks at receptions.
The Legislature has been out of session since the first week of May. However,
special committees appointed to study certain issues have met throughout the fall.
Common Cause of Kansas reported spending the most money in September, $2,713.
The group, which advocates tough ethics laws, is protesting current ethics laws by reporting expenses it is not required to pay. So far this year, no more than $28,400. No far this year, the group has spent $28,400.
The Kansas Association of Realtors spent the next highest amount. $482.
Although 631 lobbyists are registered to represent 943 clients, only 26 reports were filed with the secretary of state's office. The agency will not release only if they spend $100 or more in a month.
Two prominent senators received gifts from lobbyists for speeches they made in September. State law places no limit on how a legislator can receive in speaking fees.
The leaders in lobbyist spending through
September are: Philip Morris USA. $7,759,
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., $46,242; the
realors, $42,167; Citizens for Fair Taxation,
$7,701; Common Cause, $28,468; the Kansas State University Alumni Association,
the Kansas Bankers Association,
$13,775.
Also high on the list are: the Kansas Association of Public Employees, $12,666; Wichita Greyhound Park, $11,802; and Coastal Corp., $11,495.
When you have Call Return from southwestern Bell Telephone, that's exactly what your phone does with calls that would otherwise be lost—it gets them back for you.
Say you can't answer the phone before it stops ringing. Don't worry. Just hit *69 on your touchpad and your phone dials the number of your last incoming call.
In a Flash, Call Return retrieves calls that would've vanished into thin air.
Subscribe to Call Return for only $4 a month. When you do, you can subscribe to another of Southwestern Bell Telephone's convenient calling options—Priority Call-for just $1. Contact your Southwestern Bell Telephone business office for details.
Call Return. Get it and get back those calls
* 69 Call Return:
Call Return-
Installation free for a limited time. Not available in all areas or to party line customers. Some telephones may not be compatible with some calling options