What are the three most pressing issues likely to face your government body during your term, and what specifically would you support to address them? Sunderbruch: Taxes - relief in property, pension, Social Security benefits. Second Amendment rights protection. Teachers - increase in base, increase with accountability, certifications, degrees, test scores. Support substance-abuse treatment and mental-health parity Eliminate administrative fee on local-option taxes. Drug courts.

Winckler: The three most pressing issues deal with the decisions around health-care access and the cost of prescription drugs; the teacher-compensation and student-achievement issues; and ways to attract and keep individuals in Iowa, especially our young people. I will work to assure that all individuals have access to quality health care and work with pharmaceutical companies to reduce the cost of prescription medicines. I will work to improve teacher salaries to attract and retain top-notch teachers and improve student achievement by making teacher pay more competitive with surrounding states. I will work to keep young people in Iowa and give incentives to high-wage industries that add value to Iowa farm products and to computer-related businesses and manufacturers. I will always look at each issue independently and vote for the combination of specifics that are best for the residents of House District 44.

Differentiate yourself from your opponent(s) on three issues you think are important that you also expect your governmental body to consider during your term.

Sunderbruch: I am pro-life versus Winckler, pro-abortion. Taxes - I support relief in all, Winckler only pension and Social Security. Second Amendment - I support, plus hunting, fishing, and trapping rights. Winckler: ? Smaller government versus bigger.

Winckler: The first difference is one of philosophy and vision. I look at the possibilities ahead of us as a community and a state and will work to make those possibilities a reality, rather than being satisfied with the status quo. My strength is in my ability to collaborate and make decisions with you and for the individuals I serve. I am in favor of fair and equitable tax reform, not reform for one specific income bracket. The taxing initiatives of my opponent give additional benefits to those individuals in the higher income brackets, at the same time placing limits on the ability of cities and counties to budget for growth. Our tax laws are very complicated, and they need to be simplified to create true funding streams for the different levels of government. I would eliminate unfunded mandates and focus on growing Iowa instead of deterring growth. I feel we can do this with our current funding base, and not raise taxes, but these decisions need to be done strategically, not piecemeal. I feel that teacher compensation has been a long time coming, and I will not place this on the back burner again. The Iowa legislature has placed a higher priority on cutting taxes than it has on investing in quality public education. Recent tax cuts have resulted in the loss of $719 million a year in state revenue. In the last four years, these tax cuts have amounted to more than $2 billion. I don't think any one of us can reach in our pockets and find the money that was generated from those tax cuts.

List three specific programs or projects for which you would support increasing funding, even if it required reducing funding to other programs or projects.

Sunderbruch: Drug courts. Substance-abuse and mental-health parity. Teachers' pay.

Winckler: Access to quality health care and resolving high prescription-drug costs. An improved teacher compensation plan tied to continuous student improvement. Economic development for our communities focusing on more Iowans, better paid Iowans, and younger Iowans.

List three specific programs or projects for which you would support decreasing funding, regardless of whether the budget required it.

Sunderbruch: At this time, I would not be able to list programs to cut until I took a very hard look at the appropriations.

Winckler: I would look within program and project budgets and find ways to give the same or comparable levels of services through collaborative efforts. I would change the way services are delivered, and find more effective and efficient methods. I would look for ways to place the decisions of how the money was spent closer to those who benefit from the services, so the programs and projects can be more responsive.

If it were clear that a large majority of people in your district opposed a proposal that you strongly favored, what decision would you make and how would you justify it to your constituents?

Sunderbruch: After sharing the information I had, if a change of minds did not occur, I would have to vote for my constituents' views because I represent them, not just my own view.

Winckler: I would be their representative, and that carries significant responsibilities. Before I voted on the issue, I would start with community dialogues where fair, unbiased information can be shared on both sides of the issue. I would commit to work on compromise if possible, taking the best of both plans. This job, however, has dual responsibilities: making decisions for this district, and at the same time, making decisions for the state as a whole. My personal opinion would not deter me from voting for my constituents.

What specific proposals would you support to bring genuine economic growth - new jobs that pay well, companies committed to the community - to the Quad Cities?

Sunderbruch: Tax relief and incentives for business.

Winckler: It is important to refocus existing resources for the growth of our area. I would work to grow our own technology businesses in this area. Technology is one business that creates jobs that would keep younger Iowans here, but not exclude well-established workers. Services and information provided by technology do not require a specific climate or location. The Department of Economic Development or the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure fund might be the source of additional funding for our community.

List specific proposals that would improve cooperation and reduce competition among government bodies in the Quad City area.

Sunderbruch: Support Bi-State and its proposal. "Bridges etc." Invite all to participate, list mutual priorities. Rail service. River renaissance.

Winckler: I would allow local control of city and county budgets within the prescribed limits, and not place additional strain on their resource stream by mandating additional expenses that are beyond the control of the cities or counties.

List any specific proposals you would support to improve the integrity of your legislative body, including in the areas of campaign-finance reform, lobbying reform, sunshine laws, and ethics legislation.

Sunderbruch: Increase the term of state representatives. Limitation of corporate and union monies. Reduce campaign time. Increase financial limit for individuals.

Winckler: I would support campaign-finance reform, because the costs involved in running a campaign are high. This keeps quality candidates from seeking elective office. I would also support ethics legislation that requires people making phone calls on behalf of a campaign to reveal their affiliation with the campaign. This would address the negative phone strategies used by political parties to confuse voters and distort facts.

List and justify your top five legislative priorities.

Sunderbruch: Tax relief to retain seniors, as well as young people. Teacher pay and teacher shortage. We do an excellent job in Iowa and it's deserved. Drug courts. Reduce pressure on prisons and provide treatment, too. Mental-health and substance-abuse treatment parity. Second Amendment protection and adherence, as well as dove hunting in Iowa. Common sense, basic rights this country was built on.

Winckler: These are the issues that individuals have talked to me about when I am at their door. These initiatives can be accomplished without raising taxes. Protecting your personal financial and medical records by prohibiting businesses from sharing information about you that they have in their computers. This is important to individuals, and is a basic personal need. Improving teacher salaries to attract and keep top-notch teachers at the same time assuring continuous student improvement in our schools. Quality education is a basic that state government must support. The state of Iowa has not addressed this in many years. It is not only a priority; it is a necessity. Reversing the process of quality health care by forcing HMOs and insurance companies to take responsibility when the medical decisions they make harm people. It is important to support the medical professionals and value their opinions. This includes access to quality mental health as well. Reducing the cost of prescription drugs. Working with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of prescription medicines through large buying cooperative or other methods. This is very important to the citizens in my district. Keeping our young people in Iowa by giving incentives to high-wage industries that add value to Iowa farm products and encouraging computer-related businesses and manufacturers to locate in our state. This is important for the future of our state and the economic growth of our communities.

In the wake of welfare reform, what specific initiatives would you support to address poverty, including in the areas of affordable housing; transportation; education and job-training; and access to health and child care?

Sunderbruch: Put brownfield legislation to use in creating housing. Promote parental involvement in efforts between the private sector and community colleges. Do a better job of reaching out with education about the HAWK-I program. Continue to support senior health care such as assisted living.

Winckler: I have already discussed health care and education. Affordable housing is an issue for all Iowans, and is even more important when an individual has limited resources. It is important to develop economic self-sufficiency for welfare individuals, and good job-training and education, with access to affordable child care and transportation, is an important part of reaching that self-sufficiency.

List and justify your top three priorities for the Iowa budget surplus.

Sunderbruch: Tax relief. Senior health care. Teachers and education.

Winckler: Quality education - This is the foundation for the growth and development of our state. Economic development - This initiative can bring new businesses to our community and energize areas that are suffering from lagging growth. Keeping young people in Iowa - This is the component that establishes the future of our state.

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