Everyone knows Jim Ross Lightfoot. He spent 16 years on the radio as “Jim Ross” in Southern Iowa, and he served 49 counties in the state of Iowa as a U.S. congressmen. If you’re an Iowan, you know Lightfoot.

According to his Web page, Lightfoot was born in Sioux City, Iowa in 1938. He was subsequently placed in an orphanage until he was adopted by Elmer and Altha Lightfoot of Farragut, Iowa. After graduation from high school in 1956, Lightfoot joined the U.S. Army where he served until 1964. Following his military service, he held several occupations in Oklahoma and Texas. He later began a career as a farm broadcaster under the name “Jim Ross,” which won him many awards.

In 1984, Lightfoot won his first partisan political office as a Republican for Iowa’ s Fifth Congressional District. He was then re-elected in 1986, 1988 and 1990. After gaining the respect of his colleagues in the House, in 1991 he was assigned to the House Appropriations Committee.

The Districts were redrawn in 1992. Lightfoot was reassigned to a predominantly Democratic District. He won that race and went on to be re-elected in 1994. During this term, Lightfoot was named Chairman of the Treasury, Postal Service and General Services Appropriations Subcommittee and served on the Foreign Operations and Transportation Subcommittees.

As Chairman, he was responsible for administering a budget of over $22 billion that included over 40 percent of the Federal Law Enforcement Budget, the entire White House Budget, the General Services Administration as well as a number of other federal agencies.

Which brings us to 1998. The Iowa Governor’s Office has been held by a Republican for the past 30 years. Lightfoot said he hopes “to build on the legacy [left by former Governor Bob Ray, and current Governor Terry Branstad] of a balanced budget and an Iowa heritage of hard work and dedication to purpose.”

Steve Forbes, one of several national politicians who are endorsing Lightfoot, said, “Jim Ross Lightfoot is the right person to be governor of Iowa because he understands that less taxes and less government strength leads to more jobs and economic growth.”

Lightfoot feels that in order for Iowa to become competitive, to keep its young people, to retain its retirees and to offer opportunities for those who have left, we must overhaul our unfair tax system.

The 5×5 Plan for Reducing Personal Income Tax Rates provides for a 5 percent reduction in taxes in each of the next five years. This 25 percent across the board income tax cut will pump approximately $115 million back into Iowa’s economy and directly into family budgets. The states surrounding Iowa have a lower tax rate than ours, which is a major reason we lose many of our young college grads. Lightfoot proposes cutting the state’s effective tax rate to 4 percent, to reduce property and business taxes and cut pension taxes.

Lightfoot calls for a repeal of social security taxes, what he calls one of Iowa’ s most oppressive taxes. Iowa is one of only 15 states that tax social security benefits, a main reason that many of Iowa’s retirees move out of state. This tax repeal would save Iowan’s $30 million each year.

Longer budgeting periods tend to result in better planning and use of the state’s resources. There are 20 states in the Union who already use a biennial budget cycle, three of which — Virginia, Wisconsin and Indiana — are nationally recognized for having the best financial management. Lightfoot wants to add Iowa to that list.

Education is another one of his top priorities. Calling for a return to the basics of reading, writing, math and science, Lightfoot is committed to making Iowa schools No. 1 in the nation once again. With the introduction of merit pay for teachers who pass new certification standards, he wants to restore discipline in the classroom.

That call for discipline carries into Lightfoot’s plan to crack down on crime in Iowa.

He promises to work for mandatory sentences of drug-dealers, doubling of penalties for users unless they reveal their dealer, to eliminate bail bonds for second time offenders and to appoint a task force to eliminate methamphetamine labs in Iowa. Lightfoot also advocates treatment for sexual predators in addition to their punishment to keep them off the street.

As the son of a farmer and charter member of the Farm Bureau, Lightfoot understands the agricultural issues that face Iowa. While in Congress, he supported ethanol tax credits, property rights for farmers, 100 percent deductibility for health insurance, increased research, export promotion and “fast track.” During Lightfoot’s 12 years in Congress, his bid for U.S. Senate and his current run for governor, Lightfoot has received the Farm Bureau’s “Friend of Agriculture” endorsement.

Lightfoot’s top priorities of tax cuts, improved education, the war against crime and drugs and the strengthening of Iowa’s agriculture creates a strong platform for him to run on. Currently, Lightfoot has a healthy lead in this year’s gubernatorial race.

If we can look at poll results as our “crystal ball,” it’s a safe prediction that Lightfoot will be our next governor.

However, the election is over a month away. There is still time for Tom Vilsack to pull something out his hat, and there are many undecided voters who will choose a candidate by November.

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Sarah Leonard is a senior in political science and journalism from Lawler.