Ruth's Positions

1. Justice and public safety is a PRIMARY role of government and we don’t spend enough on it. The percent of the state budget going to justice and public safety is inadequate to meet the need for speedy trials and appropriate discipline. This must change! We must also ensure that our police, fire, and rescue workers are well trained, well equipped and ready to protect our citizens.

   As an elected official, I have a moral obligation to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.  Our state and nation are facing challenging times when it comes to public safety with rising crime at home and threats from abroad. We need to be sure our police, fire & rescue, and other public safety organizations have the personnel and the materials needed to protect our citizens. When faced with the tough choice between an investment in public safety and virtually any other investment, you can be certain that I will never make a choice that I believe would put citizens at risk.  I will always prioritize public safety and protecting the brave men and women in police, fire, and rescue jobs.

   We cannot let growing demands on the judicial system and crowding in our jails prevent us from fulfilling our obligation to remove criminals from the mainstream community.  We must increase funding for prosecutors and court personnel to ensure criminals are tried and prosecuted.

   If you commit a serious crime, you must go to jail and you must serve your sentence. However, there is also an important need to prepare these offenders for reentry into society. Effective prevention and rehabilitation programs will save money and strengthen our communities.

   I have been impressed with some of the Restorative Justice programs as supported by Prison Fellowship. The new prisons we build should include design adaptations that would facilitate those programs which have a track record for decreasing recidivism.

2. Health care is expensive and getting more so every year. This is a complex and confusing issue that government can’t solve by itself. We must all work to improve our personal health, make wise health care choices and utilize whatever tools the government gives us to reduce insurance costs (HSA). Government should avoid increasing insurance mandates that add more costs than benefits and encourage individual owned insurance.

   Americans have witnessed great advances in health care coupled with rapidly rising costs in recent years.  Increased affordability and accessibility are two important goals I believe we should be working towards when considering legislative remedies. I don’t believe in a government run healthcare system.

   On the cost side, skyrocketing insurance premiums are pinching family and business budgets. Liability insurers are leaving the market or raising rates to a level that people just can’t afford.  In addition, more physicians, hospitals and other providers are limiting their practices or simply leaving the practice of medicine due to increased costs and liability risks.

   I believe we can lower costs, insure more people, and increase quality, by working together on the following ideas.

   Preventative  Care	We need to review government healthcare programs to ensure they don't just treat health problems, but they help prevent health problems.  "Prevention is worth a pound of cure" and could save millions in tax dollars
   HSAs	I support Health Savings Accounts so that folks can plan ahead and get ahead,  HSAs allow individuals to place money in an account and pay medical expenses with tax free dollars
   Association Health Plans	Small business owners should be able to pool their resources to buy cheaper group healthcare for their employees
   Individual Deductions	I support individual tax deductions for healthcare premiums.  This will lower costs and encourage individuals to own their own policies
   Freedom to Shop Around	Individuals who need private insurance should be allowed to shop across state lines to find the best and cheapest plan that matches their healthcare needs.

3. Immigration is tough to address effectively on the state level. Restrictions on driver’s licenses and on access to higher education help. We must also recognize that these people are coming in response to a need for workers in certain job sectors. How do we address that need for workers? We must not let fear cloud the issue.
   
   
4. Good government is critical to public confidence.We have recently experienced ethical problems in our state that must not be repeated.I support clear ethics laws with appropriate discipline, full disclosure of interests, transparency of process, and fairness.These principles of conduct should apply in both the legislative process and elections.Good government also includes a public expectation of efficient and effective operations. I support program reviews and other measures to improve service delivery and general operations.

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