Karin Sevde

1. ISU students face staggering debt when they graduate. What do you think is the best way to help?

All sorts of ways. Obviously we need to address the economy. We need to bring businesses to Ames so if students need a place to work after class there are opportunities available. Businesses can also bring scholarships.

There needs to be an increase in Pell Grants and more grants and scholarships available. I know there are always frustrated parents that learn about scholarships after it’s too late. We really need to get to work on educating high schools about scholarships.

We also need to look at tuition and what I call “soft costs.” We need to look at actually having to buy textbooks, versus utilizing online technology. We need to be looking at renting books and things like Kindles.

We need to relieve students of the soft costs that really add up in the end, the expenses that can add insult to injury. There are a multitude of things we can do to change the system.

2. Students are having difficulty finding jobs after graduation. What will you do to stimulate job growth?

We can eliminate the tax bases that impose the businesses and growth that we really need to encourage them. We need to support all businesses and homegrown businesses like Iowa State’s Research Park. I’ve heard Democrats touting various businesses, but none of them are coming anywhere near Ames. Ames needs a strong voice on behalf of the Iowa State community; we haven’t had anyone in the past do that.

3. Iowa State is committed to green energy, but what can you do to help us make the university and state more green?

There are all sorts of ways to do this. One way I’d like to see is more geothermal energy. Iowa State has a new energy position and is trying to be on the forefront of renewable energy, and this is necessary.

We can make Central Iowa a hub, using Iowa State and its research opportunities. It gives us a chance to explore the various ways of energy growth. ISU is a good place to begin.

4. What are the most important differences between you and your opponent this election?

The difference is my focus on business. We all have similar goals, but the route to getting us to the end of those goals is different. I focus on economic issues, on job growth and taxes. My opponent has concerns about social issues, and lacks experience on businesses, job growth and the economy.

5. What do you hope to accomplish once elected?

There are so many issues. I’m not necessarily in step with the Republicans and their line item issues, especially on social aspects; I’m more moderate. I don’t believe we have had a strong enough voice in the State House. Funding for ISU has gone down 42 percent between Vilsack and Culver’s administrations. With cuts like the one experienced last year, it has a devastating effect on students and the Ames community. The whole community gets hurt when something like that happens. The top industries in Ames are government-related. A strong enough voice in the State House wouldn’t let that happen. A representative needs to say “no,” and have better priorities.

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Beth Wessell-Kroeschell

1. ISU students face staggering debt when they graduate. What do you think is the best way to help?

I think there are several aspects to that question. The thing that the legislature can do, and is responsible to do, is funding the university and keep tuition reasonable. We are not having great years as far as the recession goes, so the funding isn’t as good as I would like to see it. We have been able to keep an eye on predatory lending that might happen through credit card vendors. [Financial] education is important for students to be able to understand what is coming to them in the future; if they don’t, there are so many loans they might not be able to pay it off.

2. Students are having difficulty finding jobs after graduation. What will you do to stimulate job growth?

There are two pretty significant things that governments can and should do to encourage growth. 

No. 1 is the infrastructure. We need to make sure sewers and roads are adequate to keep drawing in business. We’ve done that with I-JOBS, getting things up and running again after some pretty devastating hits to our state. It has made sure our infrastucture has stayed updated.

We need to take a look at telecommunications. Rural Iowa has a harder time getting telecommunications than Ames and Cedar Rapids do. Iowa has been rated by CNBC as the number one place to start a business, Forbes Magazine rated Iowa as the best place to do business. We’ve invested in green energy. I think we’ve created 8,700 jobs in that field.

3. Iowa State is committed to green energy, but what can you do to help us make the university and the state more green?

I think we need to continue to invest in research areas. The biofuels research building was recently built, which was a good start. Sustainability is exactly what we need to be thinking about.

I’m also a huge advocate for a public transportation system. We need something that will take us out of Ames and into Des Moines. So many people live in one place and work in the other.

I know the university has a sustainability staff person and committee.

In the State House, we took a look at it and passed a law. We created a law that requires green cleaning supplies to be used. It’s working in the same direction that we have been all along.

4. What are the most important differences between you and your opponent this election?

I think there’s a pretty distinct difference. I definitely believe in an investment in Iowa. That means an investment with kids, from 4-year-olds in preschool, all the way through post-graduate school. I believe in investing in a clean and environment and green jobs. My opponent is a small businesswoman and I think [she is] looking at cutting state government by 15 percent. I think we need to continue to make investments in the state and I’m not sure I am hearing that from my opponent

5. What do you hope to accomplish if elected?

A couple things I think are particularly important to Iowa State, and helping students. One is to make it as easy as possible to graduate in four years. We need to put enough money into the university system so you can get into the classes you need, which will help out with expenses of university education.

We need to make sure highs schoolers are graduating at higher rates. We do have one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, but some schools are really hurting in inner Des Moines and Waterloo. We need to shorten the diversity gap with kids who are under performing. Preschools are going to help in that area.

We need to continue on making Iowa a very welcoming state. Equality is important and making sure everyone feels welcome here.