Rhoton: I'm an Experienced Leader

Republican candidate for Essex 14th District state representative Karin Rhoton joined us Thursday for a live chat. Patch readers asked a variety of questions with a wide range of topics, from taxes to abortion protests.

In a nutshell, Rhoton says if elected she'll push to lower sales and state income taxes back to 5 percent and push for social program reforms to cut waste and fraud.

You can read the full transcript here. Here are some of the highlights:

Experience

Comment From Kelly: Karin, what do you think sets you apart from your opponent, how do you see yourself representing your district differently?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: Hi Kelly, that's a great question. I'm an experienced leader and a representative you can be proud of. I'm the only candidate with a solid and sucessful job history, and the only candidate that has already held elective office at the local level. The School Committee I served on appointed me as Legislative Liason to the State House - because they knew I would get the job done, and I did. I was able to work with several others in getting local aid dollars back to the local level where they are needed most. I've been through a lot of life experiences - I'm fully vested in the community and own a home here. We are a working family - my husband is an automotive technician and I work for an IT company - and all three of our children attend the public schools here in town. I know how to balance a budget and navigate through tough financial waters. I think I am the best person for this job - and if I have the honor of getting elected I will serve with everything I have in me.

Comment From Debbie P.: Since you are a mother of 3 and in the trenches of raising future leaders how will your experience as a working mother help local women?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: Hi Debbie - That is a great question, and one of the reasons why I am running for state representative and why I already served in elective office. It is because of my kids and my family that I am running - because we all need to work together to move in a better direction. As a mom and a working professional, I have gained the skills of answering 30 questions at once to children and adults while cooking dinner and working on my computer off of my kitchen table, or sometimes off my laptop on my counter while getting lunches ready! Every mom knows that their own wants and needs get put last in order to put the needs and wants of the family first. That is how I will serve in the legislature - the needs of the people of the district will always be put first before any politician's pet project or a pushy lobbyist or any special interest group. My vote belongs to you and you alone - not to those who don't live here.

Red in Blue

Comment From NA RES: Hi Karin! Thanks for running! With you being a republican and being from North Andover which is historically a republican town you shouldn't have an issue there, but what are you doing to get votes in Methuen which is more democratic. It would be great to see more Republicans in the house to balance things out

Comment From Karin Rhoton: Hi NA RES, You are welcome! I'm doing the same thing in Methuen as I am in North Andover, Lawrence and Haverhill. I believe that people really are looking to the person running, and not the party. I am walking every neighborhood I can and meeting every resident that I can. I think it is important for the people to know that there is an experienced leader in this race, one who won't back down and will stand for what's right. That's what I have always done, that is what I will always do. We need to bring balance back to Beacon Hill - and bring more transparency to the process. That is what I intend to work hard for - the people.

Patch: Expanding on that, do you feel like your outreach to Democrats and Independents in those other communities is having impact?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: I do. And I am getting a great reception. Everyone - Democrats, Independents and Republicans and some other parties - everyone seems to want the same thing. A real experienced leader that they can depend on, that they can reach, that will bring about change for the district for the good, and someone who will pick up the phone when they call. Those are all things that I have a proven track record from my previous experience. It seems the general concensus of those that I have spoken with are tired of the same thing coming out of Beacon Hill and they are looking for a new direction. I am supported by folks across the board - regardless of party. I am beholden to no one but the residents of the district.

Budget Burdens

Comment From Jackson P.: What do you think is the biggest problem the state faces today?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: I think the biggest problem this state faces today is poor economic growth. When our economy struggles, we start to see things like unemployment rise, businesses close, crime rates go up, police forces get cut and fire stations close. Our public safety gets threatened and people start to leave the state. Businesses start to migrate to other states which further hurts the economy. One of the things I will do is to work with my colleagues to create a more friendly business environment - to build our economy and bring back jobs to Massachusetts and stabilize job growth. One step in the right direction for this is to roll back the sales tax increase - which was enacted only 2 years ago and did not provide the revenue boost the State House promised it would - and give our local business owners the ability to invest more in their own business in their own town.

Comment From jennifer: What do you plan to do about local aid?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: The local aid cuts over the past years have made it very difficult for cities and towns to balance their budgets while providing sufficient services. We saw public safety take a huge hit, and the forces still aren't back to their staffing levels of 4-5 years ago. If elected, I will work with local officials and state level officials and will fight to bring local aid back to where we live. The local officials of North Andover, Methuen, Lawrence and Haverhill know the priorities of their towns much better than the folks on Beacon Hill do. Also, I believe that even though the past legislative session saw reforms made to health care programs, there was much that was left undone. I spoke with Town Manager Maylor and Asst. Town Manager Santilli directly about this issue. The cost of health care to cities and towns - and to you and I - is exhorbitant and seems to be raising at an exponential level each year. We need to bring that to a manageable number.

Comment From S. Francis: What programs would you cut to save money?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: Whenever you talk about cutting a program, it is important to look at what the impact is. What I would rather look at is cutting the waste, fraud and abuse that happens within so many programs that cause our state to spend way too much money. For example, there are families that participate in social welfare programs. I myself grew up in a 3 room apartment where my sister and I shared a room and my mom slept on the pull out couch because that's what we could afford. I know what it is like to eat spaghetti and sauce for dinner for a week because that's what we could afford. There are many families in Massachusetts that share my story - and that is what the social welfare programs are designed for. What they are not designed for is for EBT card cash dispensers to be used in nail salons and tatoo parlors. If elected, I would work tirelessly to cut the fraud and abuse of this system by advocating for a cashless and fully traceable system in which cards can not be used and sold on a black market. If the card doesn't have your name and your picture on it, you have no business using it. That kind of abuse costs us all way too much money and has to be stopped.

Comment From S. Francis: What programs would you cut to save money?

Comment From Karin Rhoton: Whenever you talk about cutting a program, it is important to look at what the impact is. What I would rather look at is cutting the waste, fraud and abuse that happens within so many programs that cause our state to spend way too much money. For example, there are families that participate in social welfare programs. I myself grew up in a 3 room apartment where my sister and I shared a room and my mom slept on the pull out couch because that's what we could afford. I know what it is like to eat spaghetti and sauce for dinner for a week because that's what we could afford. There are many families in Massachusetts that share my story - and that is what the social welfare programs are designed for. What they are not designed for is for EBT card cash dispensers to be used in nail salons and tatoo parlors. If elected, I would work tirelessly to cut the fraud and abuse of this system by advocating for a cashless and fully traceable system in which cards can not be used and sold on a black market. If the card doesn't have your name and your picture on it, you have no business using it. That kind of abuse costs us all way too much money and has to be stopped.