Cape Girardeau County Commission, District 2 -- Rock Finch

Name: William "Rock" Finch

Party: Independent

Birth: Sept. 20, 1950, St. Louis

Spouse, children: Rachel; Carrie, Molly

Occupation: Insurance broker

Employer: Self

Businesses owned by candidate or spouse, all or in part: Marathon Benefits Group

Public offices held: None

Past political campaigns and offices sought: None

Question 1: What is the most important issue facing the Cape Girardeau County Commission?

Answer: Trust, integrity, communication, collaboration, cooperation.

Question 2: What in your background or education makes you qualified for this office?

Answer: I have two degrees from Southeast Missouri State University, with three minors, one of which is marketing. And I am a self-employed worker building, planning, paying taxes, budgeting, paying back working capital and hiring new employees to a number of 10 at present. Making payroll on these 10 employees as well. I was also trained as a teacher, banker, asphalt (chip and seal, too) salesman, and spent six years in the Navy with two tours in Vietnam.

Question 3: Why are you better qualified than your opponent?

Answer: I am skilled and trained to budget, control costs, operate on a low break-even point using my training as a teacher, technology major, marketing minor, banker, and an understanding of roads and pavement.

Question 4: What steps should be taken to make the commission more responsive to the public?

Answer: Make one of the Monday meetings per month at night, with CAC present for live coverage and video tapes. This can also be done at Cape Girardeau City Hall as well to accommodate Cape residents, alternating between the two towns. I will also post open appointment hours to be available to my constituents so that they can have access to me like a college professor does for his students with office hours. Keep and maintain my website, at my cost, for communication and blogs. I will faithfully attend my service club meetings, chamber of commerce meetings, and when appropriate, city council meetings.

Question 5: Should the county purchase or seek to obtain the use of the old federal building in Cape Girardeau?

Answer: I do not know if the county should purchase the old federal building in Cape Girardeau because of a couple of things: once purchased, what would be the payoff over time, what officials would use it, who would oversee the maintenance and establish the depreciation for repairs and, finally, what other building could we get rid of, or minimize its maintenance to justify the federal building usage?