Where I Stand

Property Taxes- With property taxes skyrocketing over most of Indiana, the General Assembly took the first step in passing meaningful property tax reform in 2008.  It is important that we continue to take positive steps in the next session to make the needed changes a reality.  Partisan games almost killed the reform this year.  We must move away from this antiquated system of taxation, while giving local units of government the ability to provide necessary services. I will support the concept of capping rates permanently and will continue to work to correct inequities that did not get addressed up to this point.  The people of Indiana deserve the opportunity to vote on making the property tax caps permanent in 2010.

Family Values - As a married father of four, I will be a conservative voice for family values in Southern Indiana. A dedicated pro-life advocate endorsed by Indiana Right To Life, and supporter of traditional marriage, I am committed to preserving the Hoosier values that make our state great. Strong families are the basic building block of a strong society. Government policy at any level should not weaken the family unit.  If it does, it is bad policy 

Education- For too long we have seen our schools under-perform while politicians in Indianapolis cater to lobbyists and special interests. I believe that we need true education reform that focuses more dollars in the classroom, gives our children highly qualified teachers, and increases education options for all families. We also need to increase the amount of vocational education we offer in our high schools.  I support the Hope Scholarship program that will provide 2 years of tuition to Ivy Tech (or equivalent) to all students that maintain a 3.0 GPA in high school and in college.  If the student is going to a traditional 4-year college they can apply the approximately $3000 tax credit to their first two years of a 4-year college as long as they maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Crime- We must get tough on criminals and build a safe environment for current and future Hoosiers. From fighting drugs to protecting your identity, I believe that we must give our law enforcement officials the proper training that they need to keep our homes and families safe.   

Economic Development- As a small business owner, I know that we can do better to support our local economic development. Southern Indiana deserves to have a common-sense voice in Indianapolis that will work to promote the economy of this area and provide the infrastructure that is necessary to create more high paying jobs. Building Interstate 69 is a critical key for our area and I will support funding this project without any partisan political games.  We cannot be afraid to offer property tax incentives to help attract new companies to our state.  I support the personal property tax elimination on their equipment investments at our (19) Certified Tech Parks around in Indiana.  These are the areas that are going to bring the high paying jobs to our state that we need.  The Crane Westgate Tech Park in District 63 would be one of those locations that can benefit from this proposal.

Immigration Reform- People in Indiana are sick and tired of politicians at the state and national level that do not address the problem of illegal aliens in our workforce.  We need to require that businesses in Indiana hire only people that are here legally.  We also need a comprehensive review of all taxpayer provided services and ensure we give government benefits only to people who are here legally.