OSTROWSKI FILES FOR U.S. SENATE

U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Ostrowski of Cape Girardeau said Wednesday that his anti-abortion views will be the focus of his campaign.

He filed Tuesday as a Democratic candidate. The leading Democratic candidate for the Senate seat is Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Ostrowski said abortion has taught children that human life has no value. "The legalization of abortion has told us that we no longer are responsible for our actions and civic duty towards others," he said.

Ostrowski said he would only support judges who value human life and believe in the traditional family. "No judge should be appointed who does not hold these views because the roots of western law come from church law," he said.

He said he would vote to eliminate the payroll tax. "The payroll tax is a regressive tax on those with low income," Ostrowski said.

The first $25,000 a person earns annually should be tax free, he said. "There should be a small flat tax after the first $25,000."

Ostrowski favors a 1 percent tax. He said the tax should be used to pay off the national debt.

He also supports a 1 percent sales tax on all transactions, except for food, medical and home-maintenance spending.

"It would be wrong to tax those three categories because it would be a regressive tax on those with low incomes," he said.

Ostrowski favors keeping educational reform at the state level. "When we keep educational reform at the state level we obtain more input to what is taught in the schools," he said.

Ostrowski said he would support a school voucher program for both public and private schools only if there is legislation that would allow private and parochial schools to operate without government interference or frivolous lawsuits.

An officeholder should be required to sit out a term before running for office again, he suggested.

Ostrowski said congressional terms should be changed from two years to four years.

He said he favors a balanced budget amendment. "Having a balanced budget is as important as having a balanced checkbook."

Ostrowski said he supports setting aside government funds to help prepare disadvantaged persons for jobs or entrance to vocational school or college.

He said a welfare program should provide a year of financial assistance. After a year, any able bodied person should be required to work, he said.

That person should then be required to pay back the welfare assistance he or she received, Ostrowski said.

Making welfare assistance a loan would discourage people from seeking such assistance again, he said.

Ostrowski said such a welfare system can only work if income up to $25,000 isn't taxed.

Ostrowski has lived in Cape Girardeau since 1994. He graduated from Southeast Missouri State University last year with a bachelor's degree in general studies.

He managed Richard Kline's unsuccessful congressional campaign for the 8th District seat in 1996.