Responses to questions for candidates for the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees for Shawnee Dispatch from candidate Benjamin Hodge (I)
2/26/09
1. How should the college change its operations in the face of the current economy? How should it maintain its quality of education if cuts are needed?
I am the only incumbent college trustee to make a no-new-tax pledge – I will not increase taxes. The amount Kansans pay in taxes to state and local governments is at an all-time record high (over 11% of one’s income). While JCCC is more responsible than most local government bodies in the county, there are two important facts to consider:
1) There still does exist waste at JCCC (such as taxpayer-funded lobbying), and the majority of the board is not willing to cut this wasteful spending, and
2) JCCC competes with K-12 education for state dollars, and there is a tremendous amount of waste in K-12 spending.
2. How do you see the college’s involvement with the KU Edwards Campus in the Johnson County Research Triangle changing education at the college?
This project is better called the “Bermuda Triangle,” and I opposed it. Even to this day, there is absolutely no clear direction for the project.
Many of the people leading the effort to create this “triangle” actively interfered in the investigation of the former president of the community college and cannot be trusted with tax dollars.
There are two primary purposes of the “research triangle,” and both of the reasons are anti-taxpayer:
1) To serve as a slush fund for KU and K-State, universities that waste millions of dollars a year on excessive administration and legal services, no-bid contracts, and taxpayer-funded lobbying. They should be funded by state dollars, not by county tax dollars.
2) To allow a few politicians and government administrators to reward expensive contracts to their friends. Make no mistake: people will get rich through these tax dollars.
3. In this economic climate, should the college look into providing four-year degree programs?
At this time, a four-year degree does not fit into the primary mission of the community college.
4. What other areas would you like to see the college improve?
Currently, there are thousands of high school juniors and seniors who, if provided the financial opportunity, would be better served by a community college. Government K-12 schools are more concerned about control of education than what is best for the students. JCCC needs to be an active supporter of higher-education tuition vouchers. Kansas K-12 schools receive $12,000 per student, per year. If just a portion – say, $4,000 – was provided to 16-18-year-old students who (with their parents) decided that community college was a better fit, this would do two things to improve Johnson County: it would improve education, and it would lower taxes.
5. What do you think makes you the better candidate?
In the Kansas legislature and at JCCC, I have a proven record of supporting consumer-driven education and fighting for needed efforts of government reform. At JCCC, I have supported:
· Adding a US Constitution to the wall of most classrooms
· Moving almost all of our expenditures online in a searchable, itemized format
· The investigation of the former administration
· Lowering the property tax levy
· Reasonable increases in tuition
· An armed security guard team to improve campus safety
· Our college president who is willing to drive to Topeka and testify for or against legislation. K-12 principals and superintendents in Johnson County are too lazy to do this, and they instead send their taxpayer-funded lobbyists to do the work. In full disclosure, JCCC does have a taxpayer-funded lobbyist, but I have and will continue to vote against this use of tax money.
· The right of self-defense. KU and K-State today break the state law by prohibiting law-abiding citizens from driving on campus and leaving an unloaded gun in their cars (which they don’t enforce, anyway). JCCC follows the law and allows citizens to keep their unloaded weapons in their cars on campus.