Kaufmann platform based on bipartisan work ethic

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By Cynthia Beaudette | Friday, October 24, 2008 11:22 PM CDT | () comments

MUSCATINE, Iowa — Iowa Rep. Jeff Kaufmann, R-Wilton, is ready to take on another term.

“Eighty percent of the things I’m involved in have happy endings,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s what keeps you coming back.”

Kaufmann, who is seeking a third term in House District 79, is running on the ballot against Rebecca Spears, a Democrat who lived in Lowden when she filed her election papers.

Spears did not respond to inquiries for an interview, did not attend a recent forum for candidates and does not appear to be running an active campaign. According to the Iowa Democratic Web site, she is the former curator at Fejervary Children’s Zoo in Davenport.

Al Bohanan, a member of the Cedar County Democrats’ central committee, said he

didn’t have any further information about her candidacy.

Kaufmann said he would use another round in office to encourage fiscal responsibility in the Legislature.

“The state’s cash reserves are tied to spending, and that is not necessarily good news,” he said. “We are in an honest-to-goodness fiscal train wreck. We have to make cuts or raise taxes.”

Kaufmann said he and some of his fellow legislators want to see fewer state dollars diverted to projects because of pressure from special-interest groups.

“I still think the mark of a good legislator is not satisfying the special interest groups of your party,” Kaufmann said. “So many things are pulling at you, but if you keep your focus, everything clears out.”

Bipartisan efforts often yield the best results, he said.

Kaufmann wants to ensure that the 1-cent sales tax passed at the statewide level this year will be used as it was intended. Until this year, the tax was approved county-by-county to be used only for school infrastructure and building improvements. Now that the tax will be under state control rather than local control, there is concern that state officials may decide to use some of it for the state’s general budget.

“There will be tremendous pressure to take that money,” Kaufmann said. “But there is no scenario where it will be acceptable to use that money anywhere else.”

Kaufmann said Iowa’s future as a leader in creating alternative fuels is bright because of the state’s abundant natural resources for wind and biomass energy.

The state’s new health-care package, which Kaufmann said was a bipartisan effort, will improve the quality of life for Iowans of all ages. Under the bill, children can remain on their parents’ insurance until they are 25, whether or not they are attending school, to prevent many young Iowans from encountering debt when confronted with a life-threatening illness or accident, he said.

Cynthia Beaudette can be contacted at (563) 262-0527 or cynthia.beaudette@muscatinejournal.com.