Education is top billing in state contest

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By Steven Martens | Friday, October 20, 2006 11:56 PM CDT | () comments

CLINTON, Iowa — A retired police captain and former school board member is challenging a retired teacher and longtime legislator to represent Clinton area voters in the Iowa Legislature.

After working as a teacher for 33 years, Polly Bukta says education must be one of Iowa’s top priorities.

Bukta is seeking a sixth term as the representative for Iowa’s 26th House District. She said that while Iowa is making strides in improving teacher pay, the state still is ranked 42nd in the nation.

She also favors increasing training for teachers and improving the early childhood education offered in the state.

“A big share of the learning goes on between zero and 5 years old,” Bukta said. “It can’t be just a baby-sitting thing.”

Her opponent, retired Clinton Police Capt. Les Shields, also has a background in education, having served three terms on the Clinton Community School Board. Shields favors increasing teacher mentoring programs to keep young teachers in the profession and in Iowa.

Shields also is concerned about property taxes in Iowa, which he believes are not administered fairly.

“I’m not against paying my fair share of property taxes, but we have been paying more than our share for too long,” Shields said.

Bukta also has concerns about health care and living facilities for senior citizens. She said she would oppose further attempts to use money from the state’s Senior Living Trust Fund to balance the state budget and would like to see more emphasis placed on finding ways to keep senior citizens in their homes as opposed to living in facilities.

“They’re happier when they are in their own homes,” she said.

Shields also noted Bukta’s 2005 vote against a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have banned same-sex marriage. The bill passed the House, 54-44, but the amendment stalled in the Senate. To gain approval, the amendment would have had to be approved by Iowa voters.

Shields said it didn’t matter what his particular views on same-sex marriage were, he believes Iowans should have been given the chance to decide the issue.

“I’m going to give them the right to vote on that constitutional amendment,” Shields said.

Bukta said she plans to push for expanding U.S. 30 from two lanes to four from Cedar Rapids to DeWitt and from Clinton to Interstate 88 in Illinois.

Steven Martens can be contacted at (563) 659-2595 or smartens@qctimes.com.

Polly Bukta

Age: 69

Address: 604 S. 32nd St., Clinton.

Family: Husband, Mike; sons, Paul and Aaron.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Mercyhurst College, Erie, Pa.

Experience: Served in Iowa House of Representatives, 1996 to present. Teacher in Clinton for 33 years.

Party: Democrat

Web site: None

Les Shields

Age: 55

Address: 436 Mill Ridge Road, Clinton.

Family: Wife, Joanne; daughters, Becky and Julie; son, Brian.

Education: Graduate of Northeast High School in Goose Lake and Clinton Community College.

Experience: Retired after 32 years as an officer with the Clinton Police Department, served on Clinton Community School Board, 1987-90 and 1999-2005.

Party: Republican

Web site: www.shieldsforlegislature.net.

District 26

Term: 2 years

Pay: $25,000 annually beginning in January, plus $86 per day for expenses during legislative sessions and $86 per day for expenses for attendance at mandatory meetings when the Legislature is not in session.

District: Includes the City of Clinton and Center and Hampshire townships northwest of Clinton.

Voters

Registration deadline: Oct. 28

How to register: Voter registration information is available at www.clintoncountyiowa.com/auditor.