Sen. Dave Lent facing Bryan Scholz in District 33
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IDAHO FALLS — Incumbent candidate Dave Lent is facing newcomer Bryan Scholz to represent District 33 in the Idaho State Senate.
To learn more about the candidate’s platform, EastIdahoNews.com asked the candidates to answer the same eight questions. Their answers were required to be 250 words or less.
More information on Lent can be found by clicking here.
Information on Scholz can be found on his website. Scholz did not return multiple requests by EastIdahoNews.com to answer the questionnaire.
District 33 encompasses most of Idaho Falls and a section of Bonneville County.
Tell us about yourself — include information about your family, career, education, volunteer work and any prior experience in public office.
Lent: I was born in Idaho Falls and grew up in Shelley. My wife is Terri Lent who has taught performing arts in Idaho Falls for the past 30 years. Terri and I have five children and 13 grandchildren.
I served 12 years on the District 91 School Board and helped facilitate the building of four new elementary schools and converting Clair E. Gale Junior High into a project-based high school, Compass Academy. I have a bachelor’s degree from Idaho State University and split my career between health physics and employee training. I retired from the INL as Director of Training for one of the contractors.
I am completing my second term in the Idaho Senate and serve as Education Committee Vice-Chair and on the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee. I also serve on the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee and the Legislative Council. I have been appointed by Governor Little to serve as a Commissioner on the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) and as a Fellow for the Hunt Institute.
What are your proudest accomplishments in your personal life or career?
Lent: I am most proud of my five successful children. Other accomplishments include serving as Chairman of the school board, working on mission-critical DOE projects, consulting at nuclear power plants and serving as Bishop of my LDS Ward.
Why are you a member of the Republican/Democrat/Independent/Other party? Briefly explain your political platform.
Lent: I am a republican because of the following: Government should not be expected to solve people’s problems, we should look to local, state and federal control in that order, a free enterprise system should be the basis for the economy, maintaining minimal taxes supports both families and business, education is the surest route to self-reliance and a strong military is the best defense. I also support the second amendment and do not support abortion.
What are the greatest challenges facing Idahoans?
Lent: Our greatest challenges include keeping up with the unprecedented growth we are experiencing, evolving our educational system to support a growing economy and pushing back on taxes.
Our challenge with growth is paying for the necessary infrastructure to support it. Roads, sewers and schools all cost lots of money. With this growth has come an escalation of real estate values. These two combined contribute to higher property taxes.
Our older generation, many on fixed incomes, cannot absorb the increasing tax rates to accommodate this growth. Some communities have resorted to impact fees to offset increased taxing. This is an issue the legislature needs to be involved with. I believe it is wrong to tax those on fixed incomes out of their homes.
How will you best represent the views of your constituents – even those with differing political views?
Lent: I try to respect and value the opinions and positions of all the people I serve. I have always felt comfortable in the collaborative process and believe the best solutions come from collective thought. I do not believe that legislators who are strictly driven by ideology truly represent their legislative district.
What role do lobbying entities play in the decision-making of Idaho legislators?
Lent: I view lobbyists as data points. They typically have a level of detail that most people do not, however, it usually always comes from the perspective of the interests they represent and must be treated as such.
How can you encourage compromise, debate, and a bipartisan approach to introducing new legislation in Idaho?
Lent: I find that being preoccupied with ideology limits not only the conversation but also the influence of a legislator. I strive to work with all the people I serve and focus my time on common interests.
What parts of Idaho government could benefit from additional state funding? What part of Idaho government could be improved with financial cutbacks?
Lent: Serving on the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee has been an eye-opener. State officials who run their departments like businesses are demonstrating how leadership can influence both efficiency and effectiveness in government. For example, the Department of Transportation has implemented a program to incentivize employees for implementing cost-cutting and efficiency-creating measures. This has resulted in millions of dollars in saving for the state. I support expanding this approach to all state organizations.
Typically, more funding is not the answer. Creating a culture of efficiency and incentivizing state employees to be good stewards of tax dollars would drive effectiveness and promote confidence in our state-funded organizations.