Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Ross, Dickey Tangle At Forum

A forum between Mike Ross and Ted Dickey turned ugly quickly when the younger Dickey began his verbal attack.

The forum had been scheduled between Ross and Dickey's father, Jay, the incumbent in the Fourth District House of Representatives. However, as has been the norm when a head-to-head meeting has been scheduled between Ross, the Democratic challenger, and Dickey, the congressman failed to show.

The forum was sponsored by the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP). A panel of four was given the task of reading questions from the audience, after asking one non-partisan question of their own.

Ross, in his opening statement, told all of his past, growing up in the Prescott-Emmet area, being married for 17 years to his best friend, Holly, having two children and being the product of public schools.

He reminded those gathered he was the youngest person ever elected to the state senate.

Ross talked of being a small business owner and knowing what it took to meet payroll.

He also told of knowing elderly people who have to regularly make the decision of either buying medication or food.

In a nutshell, Ross said he favors a voluntary prescription drug plan, the patient bill of rights, saving Social Security and raising the minimum wage.

The younger Dickey, in his father's stead, said his idea of a good evening wasn't debating Ross. He said his father was in Washington, D.C., fighting for highway funds for Arkansas.

Dickey asked Ross if elected could he bring more money to the state than Jay Dickey has, saying the congressman has brought $202 million to Arkansas, more than any other congressman in the state's history.

He said his father has brought more than $1billion into the district since first being elected in 1992.

Dickey also claimed his father had read and signed more than 240,000 letters since first being elected.

He closed by saying his father cares about prescription drug prices, Social Security, Medicare and doesn't hate public schools, as the Dickey children are all products of public education.

The first question went to Ross and concerned teacher testing for those teachers who had already passed the test.

Ross said once a teacher has completed college and passed the test, they shouldn't be tested again, though they should continue their education.

He continued saying there is an education crisis in the state as more and more teachers are leaving, going to states where they get paid more. Something needs to be done, he said, to attract more to the profession and keep them in Arkansas.

Dickey's response echoed Ross's, as he said once a teacher has been certified and passed the teacher's test, they shouldn't have to take it again.

Question two went to Dickey, as all queries were alternated between the candidates. He was asked what could be done to improve standardized test scores in the state.

Dickey said the problem is some schools don't perform as well as others, but it's everyone's fault for not being more involved.

Those students who fall behind or learn at a slower pace, he said, hurt the rest. There exists a program, Dickey continued, where these students are removed from the mainstream classroom and allowed to learn at their own pace.

Ross, in his response, said he has talked a lot about education during the campaign.

First, he said, more teachers are needed, with improved safety in schools.

Teachers need access to computers, proper training on how to use them, and Internet capability in all classrooms, along with getting back to the basics of education.

Respect and discipline, he said, need to be returned to the classroom.

The next question was about the constantly rising cost of fuel, both natural gas and gasoline.

At this time, Ross said, the nation doesn't have a pro-active energy policy. The U.S. protected OPEC nations during the Gulf War, and was repaid by a cut in oil production resulting in higher gasoline prices.

"We need to be sure if we're going to support them, they'll help us," he said.

At this time, he continued, there are too many regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency on drilling. "We can keep the environment safe without reducing oil exploration on and off shore. We need to be more self-reliant and not rely on foreign aid like we do."Dickey agreed the U.S. needs to be more self-reliant and work to find alternative energy sources.

The nation, he said, doesn't need to rely on foreign aid as it currently does, and price controls don't work.

He then fired the first of many salvos at Ross, saying Ross voted to increase fuel prices, and it was wrong because it made it harder on the working man.

Arkansans, he said, drive more going to and from work than any others in the nation.

Rural health care was the fourth panelists question.

Dickey said incentives are needed to get doctors to return to rural areas, and this could be done through grants allowing them to attend medical school.

"My father helped hospitals with direct grants," he said, "and voted to increase home health care benefits, along with Meals on Wheels."

He returned to the attack saying Ross voted no on allowing hospital pharmacies to compete with drug stores, and yes to drug rebates going to pharmacists instead of hospitals.

Ross fired back saying Dickey has spent millions attacking his character and family.

Dickey, Ross said, is a lot like Santa, showing up with a bag of goodies during election time. The GOP leadership, he continued, is propping the congressman up.

Ross said Dickey tried to sneak $3 million into the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers budget to get the beach at his Michigan lake home repaired, yet voted to cut $270 million from Medicare and $17 billion from Social Security so the rich could get a tax break.

"No one understands more about rural hospitals than me," he said. "We lost the one in Prescott in 1995. In 1999, Dickey didn't even show up to vote when Congress put forth a bill for hospitals."

On the topic of drug prices, Ross said he plans to be a leader in Congress in this area.

It's wrong, he said, for U.S. dollars to be spent researching new drugs, then have the drugs cost a tenth in Mexico and Canada what U.S. residents must pay.

Dickey won't stand up to drug manufacturers, he said.

The younger Dickey retaliated saying raising taxes isn't the way to lead.

The congressman, he said, opposed a government health care plan, but favors guaranteed choice with no subsidies for drugs.

"Who do you want to vote for," he said, "a guy who makes his living on drugs. That's like the fox guarding the henhouse."

Dickey ventured off topic saying Ross has falsely accused his father of taking money from the taxpayers, while what Ross did in the Nick Wilson case was worse, as he voted for bills helping Wilson.

A different format would have allowed more head-to-head confrontations between the two, but as it was set up, Dickey fielded the next question before Ross got a chance to respond.

Dickey was asked about a trial program so low income families could send their children to private schools.

The congressman, he said, voted for a pilot program for such a project, but added public schools need to be supported.

Ross said Dickey supports the voucher system, while he doesn't. Those wanting their children in private schools or home schooling should foot the bill, not ask the taxpayers to do it.

Currently, he said, 60 percent of Arkansas' taxes go for education.

Ross then took the opportunity to respond to earlier attacks. He said the drug program with hospitals didn't fail because of him, but are regulated on a multi-tier system that sets prices.

State law, he said, prevents hospitals from selling drugs outside of the hospital, not the legislature.

"I won't lead by raising my own pay three times and voting against minimum wage three times," he said, "and say I'm still worth more money."

Ross finished saying he was one of the first eight senators to call for Wilson's resignation.Fielding the next question, Ross said it wouldn't be a good idea for people to pick how part of their Social Security taxes are invested. "Privatizing Social Security would be the end of it. We need to tell the politicians to keep their hands of the Social Security money and modernize Medicare."

Those working now are paying for the ones currently on Social Security, he said. If 2 percent were removed from the budget, he asked, what would happen to those needing it now?

Dickey said at the current rate the Social Security program will be insolvent by 2037. He said his father voted to save Social Security, and set it aside once and for all with no tax increases.

The program, he said, is a safety net for workers, and the nation's budget surplus can be used to help save it.

But, he asked, who should decide how the money is spent, the government or the people? By putting a small amount into an interest-bearing account it would raise the investment with no risk.

Ross said Dickey voted to raid the Social Security trust fund by more than $17 billion with HR 3064, to cut the Older Americans Act and funding for Meals on Wheels, along with nursing homes for seniors.

When asked what could be done to improve Nevada County, Ross said his plans are to be an economic ambassador for his home region, and will commit a staffer to be a full-time economic development worker, something no congressman has ever done.

Ross said he would also work to create more jobs for the county, while keeping those already in existence.

Dickey said jobs are needed in Nevada County, and the closing of the Camden International Paper Co. plant will have an impact on the area's jobs.

When IP announced, he said, his father "got on it" and tried to get defense industry jobs for Camden.

In his 10 years in the senate, he said, Ross tried to bring jobs to the county, but didn't get the job done.

The inevitable question of Political Action Committee (PAC) money reared its head, with Dickey saying his father wasn't dishonest and doesn't take PAC money while Ross does.

"It would be different if neither did," he said. "There's a lot involved in giving PAC money."

By accepting PAC donations, Dickey said, the officeholder is beholding to one person or group, instead of all the constituents, and the PAC leaders control the vote.

His father, he said, takes donations from the people at the top and only owes his allegiance to the public, while Ross has sold the people up the river.

Ross said it was interesting no ethics complaint was filed against him until 20 days before the election.

The complaint concerned donations to the Ross campaign not being reported.

Ross admitted taking PAC money, saying it was the only way the average person could have their voice heard.

He further said he was the one who notified the election commission when the donation oversight was discovered.

Dickey, Ross continued, took money from people, yet never listed their occupations on the contribution forms.

"All the attack ads against me have been paid for by the Republican National Committee and with PAC money," Ross said.

Ross told the gathering he supports the patient bill of rights to make HMOs more accountable, and allowing people to choose their own physician and which hospital they go to, and was a co-sponsor for the AR-Kids First program.

He continued, saying he opposes gun control, in spite of what Dickey has been saying in the campaign, and favors campaign finance reform.

Dickey's son said his father fought to protect the ARKids First program, though the Clinton Administration opposed it.

He said his father holds the record on spending and being financially responsible, and called Ross "Mr. Vanilla" on gun control and his membership in the National Rifle Association.

Dickey continued saying his father supports eliminating all contribution limits and soft money.

"Mike Ross isn't a bad guy," Dickey said in closing. "The negative ads go both ways and people are tired of negative campaigning.

"Arkansas has seen a lot of money from the appropriation's committee, while Ross lacks any notable accomplishments with his senate career. Jay Dickey is an independent thinker, while Ross will be a puppet who votes like people want him to."

Ross, in his closing statement, said he's been effective and honest as a state senator, and agreed this has been the most negative campaign he's ever seen with more than $4 million spent on attack ads against him.

Dickey, he said, has never asked for those ads to be stopped, but is a nice guy personally.

Ross claimed Dickey has a record of voting against the people, as he's voted with the GOP more than 90 percent of the time.

"If you'll be my voice, I'll be yours in Congress day-in and day-out," he said.