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Ridgeway, Aust face off in state Senate race
Opinions of two women differ across the board
By Nancy Hull
To say Sandra Aust and Luann Ridgeway are on opposite sides of the fence might be an understatement.
The two women running for Clay County’s Senate District 17 race disagree on everything from health care to education.
Aust, a Democrat, would be new to the Senate, while Ridgeway, a Republican, is running for re-election.
Aust says it’s time for change.
“Things are a mess. I’m very disappointed in how we’ve been represented,” Aust said. “My opponent is the reason I am running.”
She said Clay County needs someone like her who will represent the progressive thinking of the majority of the citizens.
Ridgeway hopes voters look to her four years in the Senate when they make their choice.
“I have been a consistent voice of financial responsibility, local control and representing the interests of the people to government and not the other way around. People know what they’re getting with me,” she said.
Aust, a former nurse, criticizes Ridgeway’s role in the 2005 Legislature’s cuts to Medicaid, saying the decision left too many without health insurance and jobs.
“That’s outrageous. That never should have happened. We cannot do that to the weakest and sickest people in our state,” Aust said.
She said that there are some ideas held by various organizations that, if implemented, could improve access and affordability of care without raising state and taxpayer costs.
Ridgeway backs the Medicaid cuts, saying that the move curbed out-of-control welfare extensions while trimming a budget deficit.
“We are now able to spend more money per person for the people on welfare who truly need welfare,” Ridgeway said.
Aside from the health care issue, Aust said she’ll work to protect public education, expand K-12 education funding and find ways to make college more accessible. In addition, she said she would promote jobs in the areas of biotechnology and life science research and support stem cell research.
“People want change. We can’t stand four more years of this,” she said.
A Northland native, her leadership experience includes serving as commissioner and president of the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation.
Ridgeway said her highlights from the past four years include successfully fighting for job growth, increasing education dollars without raising taxes and supporting a proposal to give students in failing school districts an alternative choice.
If re-elected, she plans to help overhaul the tax system by shifting the burden of funding public programs away from property owners.
“There are many who want to push the reset and rewind button on millions of reforms we have made. We cannot let that happen. We need to continue to monitor the reforms we have made,” she said.
Smithville Editor Nancy Hull can be reached at 532-4444 or nancyhull@npgco.com.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Luann Ridgeway, Republican
(incumbent)
- Occupation: small business owner; self-employed attorney
- Education: William Woods/Westminster Colleges, Bachelor of Arts; American University, Washington, D.C.; Oxford University, England, post graduate studies; University of Missouri-Kansas City, Juris, Doctor
- Public offices held: state Representative 1993 to 2002; state Senate 2004 to present
- Organizations, boards, committees: Kiwanis, volunteer church pianist/keyboards at Mt. Zion Baptist Church; Board of Trustees William Woods University; Missouri Bar Association; various Northland Chamber of Commerce organizations, Farm Bureau, Saint Luke’s Northland Hospital Community Leaders Group, Rotary
Sandra Aust,
Democrat
- Occupation: chief executive officer and owner of Sandra Aust & Associates
- Education: Bachelor of Science in nursing, University of Missouri-Columbia
- Public offices held: n/a
- Organizations, boards, committees: Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners of Kansas City; University of Missouri “Missouri 100,” adjunct faculty for Sinclair School of Nursing, member of Dean’s Search Committee, “For All We Call Mizzou” National Capital Campaign Steering Committee, Jefferson Club Member and Sinclair School of Nursing Nightingale Society charter member; Harvest Ball founding president, co-chair of corporate w, honorary co-chair for 20th anniversary ball and board of directors governance chair; Liberty Memorial Association board of governors and building and grounds committee chair; City of Fountains Foundation board of directors member
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The two women running for Clay County’s Senate District 17 race disagree on everything from health care to education.
Aust, a Democrat, would be new to the Senate, while Ridgeway, a Republican, is running for re-election.
Aust says it’s time for change.
“Things are a mess. I’m very disappointed in how we’ve been represented,” Aust said. “My opponent is the reason I am running.”
She said Clay County needs someone like her who will represent the progressive thinking of the majority of the citizens.
Ridgeway hopes voters look to her four years in the Senate when they make their choice.
“I have been a consistent voice of financial responsibility, local control and representing the interests of the people to government and not the other way around. People know what they’re getting with me,” she said.
Aust, a former nurse, criticizes Ridgeway’s role in the 2005 Legislature’s cuts to Medicaid, saying the decision left too many without health insurance and jobs.
“That’s outrageous. That never should have happened. We cannot do that to the weakest and sickest people in our state,” Aust said.
She said that there are some ideas held by various organizations that, if implemented, could improve access and affordability of care without raising state and taxpayer costs.
Ridgeway backs the Medicaid cuts, saying that the move curbed out-of-control welfare extensions while trimming a budget deficit.
“We are now able to spend more money per person for the people on welfare who truly need welfare,” Ridgeway said.
Aside from the health care issue, Aust said she’ll work to protect public education, expand K-12 education funding and find ways to make college more accessible. In addition, she said she would promote jobs in the areas of biotechnology and life science research and support stem cell research.
“People want change. We can’t stand four more years of this,” she said.
A Northland native, her leadership experience includes serving as commissioner and president of the Kansas City Board of Parks and Recreation.
Ridgeway said her highlights from the past four years include successfully fighting for job growth, increasing education dollars without raising taxes and supporting a proposal to give students in failing school districts an alternative choice.
If re-elected, she plans to help overhaul the tax system by shifting the burden of funding public programs away from property owners.
“There are many who want to push the reset and rewind button on millions of reforms we have made. We cannot let that happen. We need to continue to monitor the reforms we have made,” she said.
Smithville Editor Nancy Hull can be reached at 532-4444 or nancyhull@npgco.com.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Luann Ridgeway, Republican
(incumbent)
- Occupation: small business owner; self-employed attorney
- Education: William Woods/Westminster Colleges, Bachelor of Arts; American University, Washington, D.C.; Oxford University, England, post graduate studies; University of Missouri-Kansas City, Juris, Doctor
- Public offices held: state Representative 1993 to 2002; state Senate 2004 to present
- Organizations, boards, committees: Kiwanis, volunteer church pianist/keyboards at Mt. Zion Baptist Church; Board of Trustees William Woods University; Missouri Bar Association; various Northland Chamber of Commerce organizations, Farm Bureau, Saint Luke’s Northland Hospital Community Leaders Group, Rotary
Sandra Aust,
Democrat
- Occupation: chief executive officer and owner of Sandra Aust & Associates
- Education: Bachelor of Science in nursing, University of Missouri-Columbia
- Public offices held: n/a
- Organizations, boards, committees: Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners of Kansas City; University of Missouri “Missouri 100,” adjunct faculty for Sinclair School of Nursing, member of Dean’s Search Committee, “For All We Call Mizzou” National Capital Campaign Steering Committee, Jefferson Club Member and Sinclair School of Nursing Nightingale Society charter member; Harvest Ball founding president, co-chair of corporate w, honorary co-chair for 20th anniversary ball and board of directors governance chair; Liberty Memorial Association board of governors and building and grounds committee chair; City of Fountains Foundation board of directors member