Senate

Name: Tracy Potter

Home:Bismarck

Age: 56

Occupation: President and executive director, Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation

Political party: Democrat-NPL

Name:MargMargaret Sitte

Home: Bismarck

Age:55

Occupation:Teacher

Political party:Republican

Prior public offices held: North Dakota House of Representatives

What is the key issue motivating your campaign?

Potter:While it is clear that the key issue facing the next session regards investment of the surplus and restraining property tax and tuition increases, that was not really my personal motivation for running. It was rather frustration with the direction of our government and a desire to do something about it.

One-party rule isn't good for anyone. The GOP has such an absolute monopoly on power in the North Dakota Legislature that there are no checks and balances. There is not a single Democrat in the Legislature from any of the four districts in Bismarck. I'm running to change that and to help build a coalition of moderates in both parties to get things done in the Capitol.

Away from the extremes in politics, I believe there is a majority to be formed that believes in fiscal responsibility and defense of personal freedom. I want to help create that majority.

Sitte:The key issue motivating my campaign is ensuring that the current $500 million surplus is spent wisely in funding essential services, building important one-time projects, and providing tax relief.

As a legislator I want to ensure that government is fiscally responsible in providing funding for essential state services while regulating people's lives as little as possible.

My job is to listen to the needs of the people of my district, and represent their interests while balancing the best interests of the state. Serving in the North Dakota Legislature is one of the most solemn responsibilities of my life. When I sit in that legislative chair and think of those who have gone before me and who will follow me, I realize what a privilege it is to temporarily guard the freedom of the people of North Dakota.

There's a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into the budget for the state's public colleges and universities and, thereby, holding the tuition increase to 5 percent. Do you support this proposal?

Potter:Tuition should not go up at all for residents of North Dakota. No one would seriously suggest a tax increase while the state budget surplus is more than half a billion dollars. A tuition increase is just a tax increase on our students and their parents.

The recent 9 percent to10 percent increases in tuition at our colleges and universities are only the most glaring examples of mismanagement by the state Legislature.

North Dakota's future requires providing excellent public education. We need to invest in our students. Our college professors and staff are underpaid compared with their colleagues in other states. I support putting more than 60 million new dollars into higher education.

I oppose growing bureaucracy in education and in government. While increasing dollars to professors and janitors and student services, we need to be very careful to prevent proliferation of vice presidents and assistant administrators to ensure education dollars go to education.

Sitte: It's too soon to say whether or not the state should add $60 million to higher education. The overall state budget has many demands, including state employee salaries and benefits, K-12 education, and an increased share of Medicare and Medicaid payments, due to federal cutbacks.

We will definitely put many more tens of millions into higher education, but the decision needs to be carefully weighed in the context of the demands of the overall budget. We must be careful not to overcommit state resources that would be unsustainable, thereby requiring program cuts or tax increases in future years. The cost of higher education is getting too high for North Dakota students, and I definitely support limiting college tuition increases for in-state students to 5 percent. Bismarck State College deserves equity payments because it is vastly underfunded when compared with other colleges in this state.

There's a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into funding for primary and secondary education, in response to a lawsuit over funding equity filed by a number of North Dakota school districts. Do you support this proposal?

Potter:It's a shame that the governor offered his proposal in response to the threat of a lawsuit. Policies are either right or wrong, and negotiating because of threats is weak leadership.

The equity issue is not completely resolvable. The state constitution's promise about equal education for every North Dakotan is laudable, but when some grade schoolers can walk to school while others spend three hours a day on a school bus, their access to education is not equal, and can't be.

The best the state can do is make sure every student has a quality education, whether or not it is equal. The way to achieve that is to increase state aid to schools to the ideal of 60-70 percent of costs, rather than the 40-45 percent to which the GOP Legislature has let it slip. I support putting $100 million, or about 19 percent of the projected surplus, into K-12 education.

Sitte: The Legislature always puts as much money into K-12 as it possibly can afford to spend. We all place a high priority on the education of North Dakota's youth. I strongly agree with the need for a more equitable school-funding formula, yet this proposal is causing inequities of its own. We know that 100 percent equity is unattainable.

Some districts will always choose to spend more than others, and some districts will always have a richer tax base than others. No research has ever documented that learning hinges on the amount of money spent. As a teacher, I see how No Child Left Behind has increased the cost of education without really improving the amount of learning in the classroom. If the state is spending additional millions just to meet unfunded federal mandates, we ought to eliminate state participation in No Child Left Behind.

House

Name: Michael Frohlich

Home;Bismarck

Age: 33

Occupation: GIS/Technology specialist

Political party: Democrat-NPL

Name: Ryan Gustafson

Home:Bismarck

Age: 23

Occupations: Communications director

Political party: Democrat-NPL

Name: Karen Karls

Home:Bismarck

Age: 57

Occupation: Self-employed cake decorator

Political party: Republican

Name:Bob Martinson

Home:Bismarck

Age: 59

Occupation: partner, Martinson Brothers

Political party:Republican

Prior public offices held;House of Representatives, 1972-1997, 2000-present; majority leader 1993-1995

What is the key issue motivating your campaign?

Frohlich:The key issues motivating my campaign are property tax relief, renewable energy development, increasing education funding, and maintaining our hunting rights and access to public lands.

The current Legislature is touting $500 million surpluses as good government. I think it is careless to have this surplus, while students pay double digit tuition increases every year, property taxes are out of control and the state is being sued for inadequate education funding. I think this is irresponsible government.

Gustafson: Current Bismarck-area legislative representatives have not demonstrated leadership on a variety of issues, notably energy development, youth out-migration and education funding.

I'm running for the House of Representatives to promote more responsible and effective state government.

Karls: I believe it's important for all of us to find ways to serve the public. I grew up in a household that emphasized service.

I've worked in the legislative environment, and as such have become familiar with many of the current issues affecting North Dakota.

One of those issues that must rise to the top of the list is looking at ways to keep pressure off property taxes without sacrificing essential services.

Martinson:With a budget surplus projected to be well over $350 million, it will be important to balance our spending priorities with appropriate tax relief. The budget surplus is, after all, taxpayers' money and they deserve a tax break.

There's a proposal for putting more than 60 million new dollars into the budget for the state's public colleges and universities, and thereby, holding the tuition increase to 5 percent. Do you support this proposal?

Frohlich:I support dramatically increasing higher-ed funding. North Dakota students should not be shouldering the burden of inadequate funding by double-digit tuition increases every year.

We need to recruit and maintain excellent instructors. We need to put a freeze on tuition increases. We need to make sure our college campuses are maintained.

We also need to make sure our Centers of Excellence are supported. To do this, we need to increase funding to higher education.

Gustafson:Absolutely. More, if possible. One of North Dakota's greatest resources is the value of our educational system and the highlyqualified work force we produce.

Investing money into our education system is key, not only to keeping the quality consistent, but in making higher education affordable, so graduates aren't forced to leave the state for higher wages elsewhere. With a budget surplus over $500 million, there is no excuse to do otherwise.

Karls: As the mother of four North Dakota college graduates, I am aware of the impact on families that increases in tuition cause. In North Dakota, we turn out excellent graduates from our universities and colleges, but high tuition can limit options for our high school students. I am in favor of appropriations that limit increases in tuition.

Martinson:Generally speaking, yes, I do. The Board of Higher Education will need to present a strong case for the additional money and show exactly where the funds will be spent.All of our campuses need costly repair and maintenance. Faculty and staff salaries are below the regional average and need to be adjusted. Bismarck State College, in particular, needs additional equity funding.

There's a proposal for putting more than $60 million new dollars into the budget for primary and secondary education, in response to a lawsuit over funding equity filed by a number of North Dakota school districts. Do you support this proposal?

Frohlich: I support putting $100 million new dollars into funding K-12 education. The state needs to increase its percentage of education funding.

Currently, we are funding around 40-45 percent. We need to increase that to 70 percent.

I support lowering property taxes by increasing state funding to the K-12 education system. Current plans are to increase funding by $60 million and to redistribute money through new funding guidelines.

None of the current proposals will provide much needed property tax relief. North Dakota citizens are being over-taxed. Property owners should not be relied on to fund the majority of our education system. It is becoming increasingly difficult for young families to become homeowners.

Gustafson: Yes. The budget surplus is a result of over-taxation and underfunding. Reinvesting this money back into the system will help alleviate both problems. That the problem has become so severe at all illustrates a lack of leadership from the Legislature's majority.

Karls: I support equitable funding for North Dakota school districts. Accomplishing that goal has proved to be a challenge.

According to reports, the Education Commission appointed by Gov. John Hoeven has been meeting with some success and will present proposals to the Legislative Assembly.

Consideration must be given to districts like Bismarck in which so much property is tax-exempt and to rural districts with fewer students, fewer taxpayers, but a larger geographical area to serve.

It will cost money to ensure the retention of good teachers, the recruiting of new teachers, while keeping class size in mind in both larger cities and rural communities.

That money should reasonably come from a state source.

Martinson:Yes, but there must be a mechanism included to provide property tax relief.

The current funding method is complicated and I commend the Education Commission for attempting to create a simpler formula.

Retaining our best teachers and attracting excellent new teachers will require better salaries, and I am committed, as in the past, to increasing teachers' and staff compensation. I am honored once again to be endorsed by the North Dakota Education Association.

The same can be said about state employees compensation, but you didn't ask that question.