Esther Cho
esther.cho@lakesunonline.com
About Purgason
• Age 49
• Family: Wife, two sons, daughter
• Served as a state representative for 8 years, elected to state senate in 2004
• Known for his fiscally conservative viewpoint
• More info: www.keepyourchange2010.org
Q What made you decide to run?
A I've decided to run after going out and talking to people who are frustrated with the direction our country is going in and seeing a vacuum in leadership for what direction our country needs to go. We can't keep spending away and borrowing from other countries and hope to be a strong nation. Some of the leadership in the past has failed to live up to the promises of limited government and a balanced budget. It's time for people to see new faces, new ideas and to see people who will stand up to for their convictions.
Q What are your main points of focus you want Missourians to know?
A I want to use my experience in Missouri to help balance the budget and stop the federal government from running a deficit our grandkids will have to pay for. I want to stop the earmarking process - this makes it impossible to get a budget under control.
Q How do you plan to campaign in other counties in Missouri you didn't represent?
A The same way that you do it in a small town campaign - you get into the coffee shops and cafes, everywhere there's people and tell them what you stand for.
Q What issues concerning Missourians do you want to bring to Washington?
A Again, living within their means and not burdening future generations with mounds of debt that later generations will have to pay for. Most people don't realize that our national debt is at 55 trillion with the unfunded liabilities. The liabilities are the promises Congress has made for medicare, medicaid and social security, which adds to $200,000 of debt for every family in America.
Q Where do you stand with achieving affordable health care in America?
A You can't have a system that has no personal responsibility and control costs. Right now, the system allows someone who smokes and is addicted to drugs to face no penalties - you receive healthcare regardless. Individuals should recieve discounts on insurance if they don't smoke and do drugs - it's an incentive for healthy living. We should have a system where you can shop for healthcare like you shop for your auto insurance. People who need help buying insurance can buy it through vouchers from their employer or government. If the government has to be in the healthcare business, they can provide vouchers so people can shop for their own healthcare. Rather than entitlement programs, we should entitle individuals and empower them to make their own choices. If I take out auto insurance, I decide what I want covered. With insurance, it could work the same way and be more expensive depending what level of care I want.
Q What sets you apart from other candidates?
A I don't have Washington connections - I've just worked hard for my district. I've worked by talking to people on an everyday basis and I try to carry certain values into my jobs. I believe Washington has become disconnected from the general pubic and I think it's time that we start changing and going in a different direction with more of a citizen-led type of government.
