The Maneater - "Baker, Luetkemeyer define positions in Ninth District race"

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The Maneater - "Baker, Luetkemeyer define positions in Ninth District race"

With a little more than two months until Election Day, the candidates for Missouri's Ninth Congressional District are trying to promote their platforms among voters.

One of the major issues on which the two candidates disagree is health care, centered on a program called State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Attempts to expand the SCHIP passed in Congress, but were vetoed by President George Bush. The plan would have expanded the program over five years to include millions more children than were previously not covered, with money coming from an increase in the tobacco tax.

Rep. Judy Baker, D-Columbia, supports the implementation of the program while former state Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-St. Elizabeth - who is also former director of the Tourism Division - opposes it.

"Judy is the only candidate in this race that opposed Gov. (Matt) Blunt's cuts that left more than 200,000 children and seniors without health insurance," Baker campaign spokesman Paul Tencher said. "She fought against the cuts because every sick child should be able to see a doctor. In Congress, she will fight to expand the children's health insurance program as a responsible solution for the more than 120,000 children without health insurance in Missouri."

Luetkemeyer said he does not support expansion of the program.

"With this expansion, we end up paying for adults and children who could actually afford their own healthcare," Luetkemeyer said. "And I have grave concerns with how my opponent wants to go about funding it. The state of New York tried raising the tobacco tax, and they've actually wound up with less revenue because the people who purchase cigarettes actually went to other states to purchase them."

On the issue of energy, both candidates support some form of offshore drilling, but Luetkemeyer favors less regulatory control on oil companies and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge while Baker favors tighter restrictions.

"The number one issue among citizens in Missouri and around the country is the high price of gasoline, directly related to high price of oil," Luetkemeyer said. "Offshore drilling is a short-term and a long-term solution. I believe there is a national will to drill offshore and to drill in ANWR."

Luetkemeyer said he would support fast-tracking permits for oil refineries as part of the bill because he says it's not just an energy issue, but also a national security issue.

"We're spending $700 billion on foreign oil," he said. "Think what that could do for our economy. It's an American problem with an American solution, if we have the will and national policy to do so. Our families and economies are struggling. The leadership in Congress has taken a vacation when we need them the most."

Tencher said Baker supports a reduction in oil and gas prices.

"That means responsibly drilling so the country can be independent from foreign oil," Tencher said. "Judy also will close Enron loopholes to crack down on speculators who manipulate the price of gas for their own profit."

In addition, both candidates support alternative energy programs such as wind and solar power.

On education, both candidates said they would support additional funding for No Child Left Behind.

"Judy wants our kids to have an education that is comprehensive," Tencher said. "She sponsored legislation that expanded early childhood education in Missouri to make sure children are ready to learn. As the mother of three children that attend public schools, Judy will fight to make education a priority Washington, reforming No Child Left Behind to raise standards and increase funding."

Luetkemeyer said the country needs to find a way to better fund the education program No Child Left Behind and to help the schools implement the challenges the program has given them.

He also spoke about the importance of research money for higher education.

"I've talked with Mizzou's president, President (Gary) Forsee, and we look forward to working closely with them, and to see what their priorities are so that we can sit down and work with them," Luetkemeyer said.

He also talked about the importance of funding scholarships. "Education is extremely important for us to compete in the world, we need our students to be able to afford to go to school."

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