10/22/2010
By MICHAEL STRAND Salina Journal

Six candidates from two parties who are running for three local seats in the Kansas House of Representatives surprisingly found agreement on a range of issues at a Thursday night forum in Salina.

The forum was hosted by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce and the Salina League of Women Voters.

All, for example, support increasing the fine for violations of the state's new seat belt law from a token $5.

"If increasing the fines will save lives, I'm for it," said Democrat Phil Black, who is challenging Rep. Charlie Roth for the 71st District seat, which includes much of east Salina.

Steven Johnson, a Republican seeking the 108th District seat now held by Democrat Don Svaty, of Ellsworth, said he would favor increasing the fine, as did Republican Tom Arpke and Democrat Gerrett Morris, both seeking the 69th District seat.

But the two incumbents among the six candidates gave answers that showed they've been through the rough-and-tumble of the political process.

"I was in favor of the seat belt law from the get-go," Svaty said. "But I did not vote for it, because I was upset that the fine was only $5."

Roth said he would support increasing the fine as well, but added that "politics is the art of the possible. We wouldn't have passed the law if the fine was greater."

Candidates also generally said they think the current school funding formula is workable -- but isn't being properly funded.

"I think the formula is fine -- as long as the money is there," Black said.

Roth said, "The formula is complex and convoluted, but it works. We need more money in the formula."

Johnson said he thinks there are incentives in the formula that encourage districts to build new buildings. He had little other criticism of the formula that allocates roughly half of the state's dollars to K-12 education.

Svaty said the formula -- which attempts to roughly equalize taxing and spending throughout the state -- is essential to rural areas with small tax bases, and "works very well."

Morris said he thinks the formula works, while Arpke said he would push for changes that would require more of the money be spent in the classroom.

Arpke was the only candidate to say he favors keeping the death penalty in place.

Yet even though the other five said they supported repealing the death penalty, Black took a small swipe at Roth, who said part of the reason he supports repeal is the death penalty is not "cost-effective."

"You really are a businessman -- we're back to talking about money," Black said to Roth. Black said he thought a lifetime in jail would deter crime as well as the death penalty, "and save some money."

The candidates were split on support for the state's new transportation plan.

Morris said he supported it, in part because it's creating 170,000 jobs.

Arpke, however, said it "needs to be looked at," and noted that Kansas is well-known for the quality of its roads. He suggested some maintenance could be delayed to save money.

Svaty and Johnson said they supported the highway plan, with Svaty saying that without continual maintenance, the system would deteriorate, causing greater expense in the future.

Roth said he supported it as well, adding that the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce had a hand in crafting it.

"Cars, cars, cars and more cars," Black responded. "One of our problems is we have too many cars."

Black said that on a recent trip to Japan, he took a 200-mile car trip on a toll road, which charged $225.

"You see few cars, and lots of public transportation," Black said.

He thinks a long-term transportation plan should focus more on passenger trains and buses.

When Roth later mentioned that the transportation plan did include funding for public transit, Black held up a hand, with a thumb and forefinger about an inch apart, indicating he thinks the public transit funding was too small.

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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