District 10 candidates participate in public forum

House District 10 candidates Alex Schaeffer, Democrat, and Mark Blasdel, Republican, participated in a public forum with candidates from house districts 5, 6, and 9 along with Senate District 3 candidate Bruce Tetvedt at Flathead Valley Community College on Oct. 10. Shannon Hanson did not attend.

About 50 people attended, several of whom had questions for the candidates. The main topics for the evening were education and how to fund it and how to improve Montana’s economy.

Schaeffer is a reading teacher at Hedges Elementary School in Kalispell and Blasdel is the owner and manager of Vista Linda Inc. Schaeffer is a college fellow in English with honors from Jamestown College and Blasdel attended FVCC and then earned a bachelor’s in hospitality and business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Schaeffer and Blasdel shared different responses when asked if they believed educational funding currently has the correct balance or if there were changes they would support.

“I would like to see more money go to the classrooms and more flexibility for the board members to decide how the money is spent,” Blasdel said.

Blasdel also said local control is an important factor.

Schaeffer’s response differed in that he said Montana’s an affluent state with the resources needed to create a “valuable education system.” But he also said he didn’t think the state should “look to big money to solve education problems.”

Education wasn’t the only topic covered during the forum, and due to time restrictions not every candidate answered each question that was asked. Right-to-work laws and the affordable health care act were also discussed.

Schaeffer’s response when asked about the potential for restricting or ensuring the bargaining rights of state employees was that Montana is fortunate to be one of the few states that has not passed right-to-work legislation. He also said unions in Montana have a proud tradition of providing a voice for workers.

“Collective bargaining is one thing I love about unions,” Schaeffer said. “There is a difference between business friendly and people friendly.”

When asked about the affordable health care act, Blasdel and Schaeffer also shared their different opinions. Blasdel said the majority of Montanans do not want it and future decisions are contingent on who wins the presidential election.

Schaeffer said it was a topic to discuss along with reform for workman’s comp with the goal being for Montanans to leave the doctor’s office with their bill paid.

Other questions were more open ended for the candidates to discuss things not typically mentioned while campaigning, such as voting with their conscience versus following the party line.

Blasdel noted two times when he voted against the grain, one with an autism insurance mandate and the other with the Montana Virtual Academy in 2008.

“This concept that everyone follows party structure doesn’t happen,” Blasdel said. “I have broke ranks, I am proud of my votes and I stand by them.”

Schaeffer said he believed listening and cooperation between both parties was essential.

When asked what their number one personal priority would be while working in Helena, Blasdel said he would continue to work for a better business climate. His example was of a business owner who had to spend $1.2 million more to do business in Sydney than in North Dakota, even though both had the same number of employees.

Schaeffer’s response was in regards to land stewardship and to prevent outside influences from controlling what happens in the state.

“Ideas should reflect us and not someone else from a long way away,” Schaeffer said. “We find ourselves locked in the crosshairs of so many groups, it’s time to find our own voice, even if we struggle with it.”

A forum for county commissioner candidates will be held Oct. 23 at FVCC.