Candidates questioned at forum

Monday evening, the Thermopolis Middle School Commons became a venue for people to visit with people they will be voting on in the coming election. All candidates were allowed two minutes to introduce themselves, and two minutes to respond to the questions largely put together by Farm Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce.

First up were candidates for House District 28, Nathan Winters and Howard Samelson.

The candidates were asked what the biggest two challenges are in the district, and how to address them. Winters noted one of the biggest issues is economic diversification. Several different ideas have been proposed with regard to this topic, he said. However, he noted helping businesses should be approached from the ground up rather than the top down.

The second issue to address is health care, Winters said, as proposed Medicaid expansion has been devastating to the economy of many different states that have adopted it.

As for addressing the issue, Winters said Republicans have advocated for a better methodology regarding Medicaid, including block granting it to the states.

Samelson said he and Winters agree what the big issues are, though the approach to solving them might differ. He noted he and Winters were in agreement as far as economic development. With regard to Medicaid, Samelson said the potential to get the expansion done would benefit the community, the state and those who are underserved.

“Do I have, right now, a plan on how I would approach that? The answer is no. I’m new to the process. There’s a lot I have to learn about how the Legislature works in the state.” But, as he has that information he can provide answers.

Next up were Senate District 20 candidates Mary Jane Norskog, Bob Bayuk, Ron Harvey and Wyatt Agar. They were asked what the biggest district challenges are, and how to address them.

Harvey said the budget is key, and he doesn’t feel the Legislature spends enough time working on it. “I think we need to spend more time allowing the public to have input on our budget,” he said. “I think every interim committee’s number one topic should be budget considerations . . . that’s what we really need to start to working on.” Harvey also pointed out economic diversification is a subject that needs addressed.

Norskog said, “There is a huge workforce out there." She hears of job opportunities coming to states all around us, but doesn’t understand why they aren’t coming here, and she is concerned industries in the state are not helping out the workforce.

Another concern, Norskog said, is human services such as those for mental health and domestic violence. She noted her work with the H.O.P.E. Agency, and has seen some scaling back. “I understand there needs to be cuts,” she said, “but there is some funding out there.”

Agar spoke of going beyond budget balancing. “We have to live fiscally responsibly within our budgetary means, so we have to look at how we are balancing that budget.”

As to the current state budgetary situation, Agar said it’s the result of the overregulation of the private sector, and it needs to be peeled back to get people back to work.

Bayuk said economic diversity is critical to success. He further added he works in every community, and he sees stores closing and folding up. “That has to stop. We can educate our kids, and we do a fantastic job . . . but if there are no jobs it doesn’t matter how dressed up you can be. If there’s no place to go you’re out of luck and you move out of the state.

“One of the things I believe we can do is take a look, one more time, at how we pay the taxes. When we talk about federal taxes, we talk about state taxes, this is your money. It ought to come back to Thermopolis . . . let us determine how we spend those dollars.”

Those vying for County Commissioner — Joseph Casciato, Mike Chimenti, Joe Martinez, Phillip Scheel and Hub Whitt — were also present. They were first asked about what the best use of the old airport would be.

Scheel said the airport is owned by the county, and it’s bordered by city property and state park land. There’s been talk of turning it into a private airport, he said, and having one here would be an added way Thermopolis could stand out. Scheel also suggested a land swap between the city, the county and the state park.

Martinez said one of the best things to do is to get the community involved, asking people what they want to do with the space, what would be beneficial and what could be utilized. Whether people utilize the space is their decision, he noted, but they should have that opportunity.

Casciato said it would be wise for the county to give the airport to an investor who has the money for the creation of a private airport.

The airport is still costing money, he said, with the decommissioning of the fuel tanks. As a result, money is not available for other projects. “If you can get a private citizen to invest his money and take it off your rolls, I think it would be a wonderful thing.”

Whitt has thought about a fly-in airport, pointing out they work well if they are done right. Whether a land swap is done, or it’s made into a private enterprise, he said, it will take someone with some vision. He would also like to see what the community wants to do with it.

Chimenti pointed out there is already a restaurant out near the old airport, and suggested inviting small businesses to the area to determine if they could utilize the land. Bringing in such a business would also increase the tax base. He further noted there are already services such as water and sewer on the property, and the county would not have to put money into development.

Another question was to how they might balance the budget.

Casciato noted with the recent budget there were no cuts from the core government budgets. While he’s not recommending drastic cuts, he noted in order to practice austerity to balance the budget, everyone has to get used to the idea of budget cuts.

Whitt believes the commissioners did the best they could with what they had. While there are some other spots that he might have cut, he wasn’t sitting in that position.

He noted things will be tough with regard to the budget.

Chimenti said the budget is a tough subject, as it involves so many entities that rely on county money. There’s some streamlining to be done, he said, until another industry could be brought in that would generate some revenue and taxes.

He pointed out people will really feel the hurt next year and he’s willing to work to find a solution that works best for the county.

Scheel said the budget will be a big challenge for the coming years. He recommended keeping a common sense approach, and staying within the budget guidelines.

He agreed the budget cuts would hit harder next year, and believes his experience will help him create a balanced budget.

Martinez said with the state budget department heads are responsible for setting priorities, with absolute necessities at the top and going down from there. He pointed out there are officials who set budgets and bring recommendations before the commissioners, and suggested those officials make lists of what is necessary and what could be cut.

A question also came in from a private individual regarding the formation of the hospital district and the one percent sales tax increase for the hospital.

Martinez said the people have to decide whether they want to tax themselves to keep the hospital in the community.

As for the one percent tax, Martinez said it would help the community, as it impacts not only those who live here but those who come through and use the hospital as well.

Scheel said he is in complete favor of forming the district, as well as the tax. He noted the impact of the hospital district would be a small amount, to provide people with essential health care services.

Casciato supports the hospital, but not the two initiatives. He stands on the principle that the district formation is “taxation without representation,” as people who pay no property taxes can vote “yes.” As for the sales tax increase, he understands there are some needed hospital repairs, but is concerned about how much is needed for the entire project and suggested more of a piecemeal approach.

Whitt believes without the hospital “we will not be a community.”

The hospital is necessary, he said, but he’s opposed to forming a district to run it. “There’s other ways to do it. I’m afraid if we ever get a district going we won’t ever be rid of it.” As for the sales tax, he understands it would not just be the people of Thermopolis who are paying it, but he believes there would be a different way to do it.

Chimenti said people need to be educated about what’s going to happen to the hospital, and the people’s voice will be heard when the election results come in. “It’s up to the people to decide,” he said, whether they want these.

He believes the hospital is important but he’s not sure if the district is the best way to run it.

Also present at the meeting were Charles Curley, who is running for Precinct Committeeman in Precinct Two, and Deke Dunne, the campaign manager for Tim Stubson, who is running for U.S. House. Though they fielded no questions, both invited those attending to visit with them.