Q&A with Senate 27 candidate Sam Cox

Sam Cox, 53, of Grinnell, is the Democratic candidate for Senate 27 in the Nov. 8 general election. Cox has not previously held elected office.

The Gazette posed a set of questions to all area statehouse candidates. Below is the transcript of Cox’s answers. Polls will be open on election day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

What do you think are the three most important issues the state is facing? What would you do to address them?

Cox: Public education - We cannot support the private school voucher program. We need to increase public school funding not decrease it. Iowa needs to increase teacher salaries in order to keep and attract more teachers to our state, not drive them away.

Affordable Healthcare/mental healthcare- We are in last place in mental health beds per capita. Iowa has closed facilities versus finding ways to improve existing facilities. We need to fund and improve our current facilities and open up more beds. Improving compensation and benefits in order to attract/retain more qualified employees.

Rural opportunities and agriculture- Iowa means agriculture driven by small rural towns dotted across our state. These small towns are struggling to keep their schools and hospitals open.

Do you support the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines? Why or why not?

Cox: I do not support eminent domain for this purpose. I understand that there has been extensive research done in our past and current adminstration in order to support this industry. However the results are not solid. Instead of capturing 90% this process is capturing around 40%. This will be one of the longer pipelines which can lead to more issues due to distance. It will not create 100s of permanent jobs. Property in this country means something. It is who we are, the american dream. Is this pipeline for the public good or for the 3 companies that want put them into place? Eminent Domain was created for the greater good of our citizens and I cannot say that I believe this to be true in this matter. We as a state should not force our citizens to give up their property to benefit the few.

What restrictions or limitations should be placed on the use of eminent domain for CO2 pipelines?

Cox: The technology has to get better. They are not consistently capturing enough carbon to make this plausible. While I agree that we need to find greener opportunities for our state and nation this industry is not offering that. I understand that it will open up more opportunites for the ethanol industry but there is no guarantee how long that industry will last. We don't have any contracts in place to guarantee or offset the expense and sacrifice we are asking these iowans to make.

The state is projected to have a budget surplus of more than $1 billion. What would be your top priorities for that surplus?

Cox: Education, Mental Healthcare and energizing rural Iowa. Investing in our public schools both in infrastructure, teacher pay/benfits, addressing the teacher shortage issue. We need more mental healthcare facilites providing more beds for Iowans in need. We have a shortage of options for people in crisis. This has to be addressed. Finding a way to address insurance gaps and shortages. Helping rural Iowa get back on its feet. Ensuring that our small towns can keep their public schools/hospitals open to provide the much needed community center and services they need.

What changes - beyond those made in recent sessions - would you like to see made to Iowa's tax code?

Cox: We cannot continue to offer tax relief to the wealthy. The middle class (the largest class) needs a break. We shoulder the fiscal responsibilty of keeping our state going. That has to change. We need people in office that understand what living paycheck to paycheck really means. The middleclass are masters of stretching our dollars. Put some common sense back in our government.

Under what circumstances should Iowans be able to access abortion services in the state? What if any, exceptions should apply to any abortion bans?

Cox: All circumstances. This is a private matter between a woman, her doctor, and her family.

What are your ideas for improving public schools?

Cox: Schools are the heart of our small communities. I understand we live in a time where consolidation is sometimes necessary however we need to try to keep these small districts alive. They not only provide the quality education our children need and deserve but they provide meals to those in need, jobs for our community members and sense of belonging to something bigger. Supporting our teachers/staff by increasing their pay and benefits in order to retain them and attract new employees offers a stronger education system for Iowa. Making our schools safer and more efficient will not only save lives but also funding. We have to invest in Iowas schools if we want our state to grow. There cannot continue to be a mass exodus out of rural Iowa and there are ways to address this.

Do you support further use of state funds to help parents pay the costs of non-public schools or home schooling for grades K-12? Why or why not?

Cox: No. I grew up and was educated in the public school system. My children were education in the public school system. It is a fair and equitable system. Public school has standards that it must uphold and criteria that they meet. Our educators are educated, licensed and qualified providers that are required to take continuing ed courses to maintain their license. Private schools do not have to share their curriculum and can discriminate in who they choose to accept. Homeschooling parents do not have to be licensed in order to educate their children and often times send their kids to public schools to fill in on what they cannot provide. I do not believe that if they are not going to abide by the rules of our state that they should receive state funding.

Should Iowa ban the use of hand-held mobile devices while driving?

Cox: It clearly is a safety issue. Just as we made it a law that seatbelts are required it could be a possibility.