Candidate questionnaire: Ryan Holder

NAME: Ryan Holder

AGE: 54

PLACE OF BIRTH: Advance, MO

SPOUSE'S, CHILDREN'S NAMES:

Nancy Wife

Two daughters, Leah, Home maker, Jesse, College Student, and two sons, Ethan, US Army, and Zachary, US Navy

Four grandchildren, Camielle, Brendan, Andrue, and Kaliegh

EDUCATION:

graduated from Advance High, NCO school in the Air Force, and two years at SEMO

OCCUPATION:

Construction Laborer last 28 years, I serve as President and Field Representative of Laborers Local #1104

EMPLOYER: Laborers Local #1104

BUSINESSES OWNED, ALL OR PART:

My wife and I own a small farm outside of Advance

PUBLIC OFFICES HELD OR SOUGHT; GIVE DATES:

State Representative in the 2004 election

WEBSITE: www.holder4staterep.com

EDUCATION FUNDING IS A HOT ISSUE IN THE MISSOURI LEGISLATURE. DO YOU THINK EDUCATION IN THE STATE SHOULD BE BETTER FUNDED, AND IF SO, WHERE WOULD YOU TAKE MONEY FROM TO FUND IT?

By fully funding the foundation formula that the state distributed for public education. I would get the money from tax payers that have a good paying job. People making a good living are happier, proud, and capable of paying their taxes. If we continue to reward companies to ship jobs overseas this nation will have nobody to tax. Then only the elite will have the ability (vouchers) to send their children to school.

HOW DO WE BALANCE THE BUDGET: CUT PROGRAMS, RAISE TAXES AND OTHER REVENUE, OR BOTH?

I dislike taxes as much as anyone, but I love good roads and bridges, and public school, ect. ect.... If we are going to do away with all these government programs, then don't we need a job to send all these displaced recipiants? Governor Nixon was instrumental in bringing 17,900 new jobs to Missouri in August. What's the problem? Let's get to the middle of the isle and make some more progress like that.

DOES THE STATE HAVE A ROLE IN HELPING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AREAS? IF SO, HOW?

Of course. Our state has a very unique location in this nation. We have navigable water ways, we have hundreds of miles of railroad tracks leading every which way, and thousands of miles of inter-state hi-way. We are acsessable and we have to remain that way we must keep our roads and bridges the best in the nation so commerce want's to come this way. Why not utilize all our advantageous positionings to thier fullest.

CLOSING REMARKS:

Missouri must never lower the standards of our working class citizens by adopting "Right to Work" for less. The evil genious that came up with that term sure is slick. Everyone already has the right to work. What they want to take from you is "Workers Rights." This is the most devistating thing that could happen to the economy of this state. If you don't believe me, check grocery prices in a "RTW" State, PLEASE.