Missouri Senate, 20th District: Dan Clemens, Republican

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Dan Clemens, Republican|ret||ret||tab|

A Webster County farmer for the last 30 years, Clemens is a former Marshfield School Board president.|ret||ret||tab|

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What is your plan to get the state budget back in line?|ret||ret||tab|

"The only way we can get immediate savings in the budget is in waste. I think we're going to do that with long-range planning, zero-based budgeting and accountability. I think there is a lot of waste in a lot of different programs."|ret||ret||tab|

On transportation, "In the early 1990s, they took control of MoDOT away from the legislature to make it less political, and it's become even more political. I think the legislature has to take it back that's the only way to get the confidence back with the people."|ret||ret||tab|

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What is your plan to stimulate Missouri's economy?|ret||ret||tab|

"Missouri has lost more jobs than any other state in the last year. We have not been very business friendly, and that has to change. I think that we've depended too much on large companies that have no loyalty to the community. We need more local control. I would like to see a goodly number of locally controlled, community-oriented, grassroots companies, as opposed to a few big ones."|ret||ret||tab|

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How will you address the rising cost of health insurance and its impact on small businesses?|ret||ret||tab|

"There are some companies looking at a plan called direct flexible funding. It puts the funds in the employee's hands, tax-free and lets him choose his own deductible and lets him buy his own insurance. We can save some insurance rates there. |ret||ret||tab|

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What is your position on workers' compensation reform? |ret||ret||tab|

"We sure need it. We've lost many jobs. (Joplin-based) CFI, the 11th largest trucker in the United States, pays $30 million in workman's compensation. If they step across the line into Oklahoma, it goes to $20 million immediately. That and unemployment has got to change. ... For the last 10 years, we have worried about the worker only and we haven't addressed the businessman entrepreneur."|ret||ret||tab|

by Eric Olson|ret||ret||tab|

SBJ Reporter|ret||ret||tab|

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