WHITE LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN; SENATE CANDIDATE OUTLINES HIS GOALS

Pledging to work to "eliminate waste, streamline operations and increase the productivity" of state government, Hugh White of Cape Girardeau Sunday launched his campaign for the Missouri Senate.

White, 44, is one of four candidates three Democrats and a Republican to file for the 27th district Senate seat vacated by the retirement of long-time legislator John Dennis of Benton.

Other Democratic candidates are former state Rep. Betty Hearnes of Charleston and Sikeston Mayor Bill Burch. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau is the lone Republican candidate.

White told a gathering of about 25 supporters at the Holiday Inn Sunday that the Missouri legislature should better reflect the attitudes and concerns of the state's constituents.

"The legislature needs to be jolted back to responsive deliberations," he said.

White said Missourians are "over-taxed and over-legislated. Government should do for us what we can't do for ourselves," he said. "It's time for government to stop taxing us to death."

White said that of 1,500 bills drafted by the legislature this year, about 150 were passed into law.

"My feeling is that's 100 too many," he said. "That's one of the problems with a full-time legislature, it's not responsive to grass roots concerns and needs."

White said his campaign slogan "the next best thing to being there yourself" reflects his intention to be a part-time, citizen-legislator, who's responsive to the needs of residents in the 27th district.

One of the key issues that he intends to confront in the campaign is funding for education in Missouri. White said citizens want to hear more from professional educators on the matter and less from politicians.

"I believe the citizens of Missouri would more readily fund education if they had a little more confidence in the people handling the money," he added.

Another key issue in Missouri and nationwide is crime, White said. He said he would work to eliminate the "hopelessness and despair" that leads to crime, but also would support effective and swift law enforcement measures against criminals.

White said he would work to reform campaign laws to allow citizens greater opportunity to seek office. He said political action committees and special interest groups through large campaign contributions have too much influence on the process.

"It's outrageous to me that a candidate would spend $50,000 to $60,000 on this campaign," White said. "It makes me ask, where's it all coming from?"

White said he questions the motive behind a candidate who would spend that much of his personal funds to be elected to a seat that pays $23,000 annually.

"However, if it's coming from a few contributors, how much influence will those contributors have on him once he's in office?

"Our campaign will be largely funded from small contributions, and the personal funds that I can allocate. When this campaign is over, I will be indebted to the citizens of this district and no other."

White said he's taking inspiration for his campaign from the former baseball great and acclaimed "slugger," Babe Ruth.

"We may strike out more often than anyone else, but we also are going to hit more home runs," he said. "On Aug. 4, we're going to knock one out of the ballpark," he said, referring to the date of the Democratic primary election.

White recently ended a four-year term on the Cape Girardeau City Council. He is employed by Wetterau Foods Inc. of Scott City in warehouse supervision.

As a member of the city council, White said he worked to see that basic services weren't sacrificed in lieu of "fancy programs." He said Sunday he feels the same about state government, and that a strong emphasis should be placed on replacing bridges and improving roads and other infrastructure.

Reared on farms in Pemiscot and Dunklin counties, White is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration.

He is president-elect of the Cape West Rotary Club, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, a board member and elder of the First Christian Church, and past-member of the Cape Vision 2000 committee.