Senate Hopefuls Pitch Their Candidacies

May 1, 2008 - PRLog -- Phillip R. Messer
http://www.philliprmesser.politicalgateway.com

What qualities are needed to be a good senator? Willingness to be a compassionate listener, willingness to serve and willingness to go against the tide. Since I am an ordained minister for the Free Will Baptist, I understand the needs of people and how to serve them.

My wife and I have been blessed with 20 years of marriage. We live on a small farm outside Francesville in Pulaski County with our two wonderful children. We enjoy raising 4-H show cattle and show Boer goats. I am an avid supporter of the 4-H program. I serve on the Pulaski County Fair Board and Beef Committee.

The two hottest issues right now are property taxes and immigration.

I believe that caps on taxes are very good. If we want permanent fair tax relief, the government must limit its spending. The state budget must be looked at very seriously and make appropriate decisions based on the needs of the state. After all, is not that what we, the taxpayers, have to do in our own private homes? The 1-2-3 property tax bill has already passed and is being implemented as we speak. This bill is wonderful for homeowners and for that I am glad. However, what about taxpayers who own rental properties? What about farmers? What about businesses? Being that not all taxpayers are being taxed at the same rate, we need to change our state constitution. It must be passed through the next session to become fully established.

Immigration is the other “hot” issue. Some people are prejudiced against immigrants to start with, especially if they have been labeled as “illegals.” If we would just look back a few years, we might notice that nearly all of our ancestors were immigrants.

But the fact remains: the current system is not working! For those “illegal immigrants” who wish to become full-fledged, taxpaying, voting citizens, we should try to incorporate them into our system as soon as possible. Delaying has caused, and will continue to cause difficulties and problems with people who really desperately want to be Americans. Such disunity is also augmented by racial prejudices. Having illegal immigrants in our country is a problem that needs to be dealt with compassionately. With all that being said, those who are illegal and have no wish to become legal citizens should by all means be dealt with. And most certainly, those who are here illegally and commit illegal acts need to be prosecuted just as all criminals.

With my various public services coupled with my life experiences, I believe that I am the most qualified candidate to represent the people of District 18 as their state senator.

Reprinted in part from the Pharos Tribune http://www.pharostribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_1 ...