House District 147 GOP candidates address economic questions

The Southeast Missourian reporting staff assembled a list of economic questions and put them to the three hopefuls squaring off for the Aug. 2 Republican nomination for House District 147: John Voss, Elaine Edgar and Nate Thomas.

The race is to succeed former Rep. Wayne Wallingford, now director of the state Department of Revenue.

Cape Girardeau residents have been without General Assembly representation since Wallingford resigned in late December.

Gov. Mike Parson chose not to fill the vacancy.

Unabridged answers to each question are presented in order of primary election ballot position.

As a state representative, what would you like to see federal funds used for in Cape Girardeau?

John Voss

Voss: Infrastructure. We need to improve our roads and bridges and invest in high-speed internet to attract businesses focused on the digital economy.

Elaine Edgar

Edgar: Federal funds should always be spent on needs, not wants. For too long Cape City leaders have failed to address the rising crime in our community and the deterioration of our streets. My Republican opponents have failed to address these issues while on city council and (this is) something I will rectify as your state representative.

Nate Thomas

Thomas: Most federal funding is typically flagged for a purpose, whether for transportation, agriculture, education, healthcare, et al. Currently, we are in a slight exception to that norm due to COVID relief funding and the federal infrastructure bill that was passed. I am supportive of how the Governor has approached distributing the funds to date with matching grants. This allows the state to get double the benefit from each federal dollar invested. If the funds are going to inevitably be divided across the state, I will fight to maximize the grants distributed to Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri so we can get the biggest return on our taxpayer dollar locally.

What might the state do to help communities, such as Cape, better recruit employers?

Voss: Invest in Workforce Development. This is the No. 1 barrier to attracting more businesses to our area. Missouri ranks 49th for workforce in a recent CNBC ranking. We must invest in education and workforce training to remain competitive in the 21st century economy.

Edgar: As a local business owner and employer, I know firsthand that government hurts more than it helps. Cape City and County taxes and regulations are daunting and lead businesses to open in neighboring communities. As a former teacher, Cape Girardeau needs a two-year technical education college for students who are not destined for the four-year college track. We desperately need to have a structure similar to Missouri State and Ozark Technical College in Springfield, Missouri. Hopefully, that will occur soon.

Thomas: We must have a strong representative who is constantly voicing the benefits and opportunities of Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri. This is what I guarantee I will do. Too often, efforts are focused on the two major metropolitan areas of the state (St. Louis and Kansas City), as well as Springfield and Columbia. I want people statewide thinking of Cape Girardeau first. Not that it is a competition; it is not a zero-sum game. Southeast Missouri can no longer be an afterthought. All communities in Missouri benefit when we work together. You can see this already through isolated examples, such as Codefi partnering with Springfield-based eFactory, and efforts to link the NGA presence in St. Louis with local initiatives like Missouri 4-IR. I have already started to build relationships with area representatives who acknowledge we must all work together for communities throughout Southeast Missouri to thrive.

How might the state legislature help to persuade the under-35s to remain here and build a family, career, et al.?

Voss: Missouri has a relatively low cost of living compared to other areas of the country and we need to market this extensively given the current economy. We should continue to invest in high-speed internet availability for communities, as this is a basic utility that younger generations are expecting. We also need to ensure that there is sufficient childcare available - I know of a lost medical professional recruit to our area because there wasn't childcare available to their family, so they didn't relocate here.

Edgar: People do not want to live in an area with high crime and high taxes, something that both of my primary Republican opponents have helped foster while sitting on Cape City Council. We need to expand our city limits to the west, extend water and sewers out Route 74, extend corridors from the immediate shopping areas around Siemers Drive to the west and north, which will allow for the emerging subdivisions to access our shopping districts.

Thomas: First and foremost, this comes down to jobs. We must provide access to high quality, well-paying jobs. We need to make sure job creation flourishes and job seekers are able to find the advanced-level, modern training to support those jobs. It is important to have the avenues in place to become the most highly sought-after destination in Missouri for education, training, and job opportunities of all levels. If individuals and families are making a good living, the economy thrives, and new businesses and restaurants and quality of life attractions follow to support the prospering community.

Can Cape land another big employer, e.g., Proctor and Gamble, or is there a lack of large plots of shovel-ready land that make such business growth problematic?

Voss: Only looking to attract very large employers is like only swinging to hit home runs in baseball. While those are exciting, history suggests we should be working to help existing businesses, and to make starting or expanding business as easy as possible. I believe we should be creating opportunity zones in the state to attract or retain capital that, when combined with workforce development investments, will result in new jobs and a vibrant, growing economy.

Edgar: As a Realtor, I know Cape Girardeau County has shovel ready land, yet my opponent while on Cape City Council frivolously spent $6 million in taxpayer dollars on land for the Greater Cape Girardeau Business Park that will require upwards of more than five million additional dollars to make "shovel ready." We need real solutions to expand the city limits in Cape County to include our natural features of "shovel ready" land and work with employers, not against them to foster an accepting business environment.

Thomas: I am of the belief we always have a chance to land a large to mid-size employer. We have assets that make us attractive. We have access to a major interstate, two of the predominant national rail lines, and the largest river in the United States. We are supported by a strong, blue-collar Midwestern workforce. People will travel from throughout the Southeast Missouri region for a high-quality job. I was raised in a household where my father commuted every day from Perryville to St. Louis for work. We need the opportunities in place to keep our workforce in Southeast Missouri where they live, instead of "exporting" our good workers to other areas. There are plots of land available in our region, even if not owned by the City specifically; it will likely take collaboration with multiple entities, in both the public and private sectors, for such an opportunity to come to fruition. We must also acknowledge large employers are just one component of our economy. Small business and entrepreneurs are major drivers for employment in our area. We must provide the support for our existing employers to confidently grow their footprint in our area, as well as become the most sought-after location in the Midwest for entrepreneurs to launch their businesses. We have great momentum in the creation of high-tech modern jobs throughout our area, and we need to ensure we continue to provide the skills training needed to build a vibrant workforce -- one that is attractive for any person looking to thrive in a strong economy.

What do you see as the most pressing issue facing Cape Girardeau that you would work to address if elected?

Voss: The economy. Inflation is at a 40-year high and everyone is paying for it at the pump and the grocery store. Our economy is headed for a recession. We must cut government spending and lower our taxes, because (people) know how best to spend (their) hard earned money, not the government.

Edgar: Crime is without a doubt is my number one issue. Misguided leaders believe that poverty creates crime when it's crime that creates poverty. We recently had a new business development under construction in downtown Cape that had every window shot out, all the while my opponents are voting to tear down moments to American Civil War veterans.

Thomas: We need to collaborate as a community and as a region. The world and our economy are evolving rapidly, and not necessarily for the better. The pillars our community have been able to rely upon -- healthcare, the university, and retail -- are all facing monumentally game-changing times due to advancing technology and changes in consumer behavior post-COVID. The rest of the communities in Southeast Missouri are reliant upon Cape, especially in these crucial areas. We must ensure we are able to work together with these surrounding communities and their leadership to pivot and maintain a statewide leadership role, so our region thrives, despite the national economic turmoil and "Biden-flation" that is running rampant.