Q & A with Candidate K.C. Winslow

Q and A from K.C. Winslow, candidate for State Rep. against incumbent Rep. Cory Atkins:
 
Q: Could you get more specific on how you would help contain the costs of Masshealth?

A.  Mass Health Care Reform has been groundbreaking and successful in that it has drastically reduced the number of uninsured individuals to less than 3 percent in 2009 from 11 percent in 2006. However, the escalating costs have resulted in a 78.5 percent increase from 2006-2009, with a growth rate average of nearly 26 percent per year to the State of Massachusetts for healthcare. This already takes into consideration matching federal funds that may not be guaranteed in the future.  Since in the same period, tax revenues have decreased by 10 percent, and the rainy day fund continues to deplete, this puts the state of our economy in a vulnerable position. 

In addition to reforming the program to avoid the unintended consequences such as incentives for employers with more than 10 employees to drop private health insurance coverage benefits (and pay the $300 fine per employee) or cap the number of employees at 10, as well as an incentives for the employee to earn less (in order to avoid higher premiums).  

Two alarming trends that discourage individuals from earning more and companies from offering benefits and hiring more employees. I recommend that in addition to adding incentives, some of the best suggestions to decrease the escalating costs include removing the one-size-fits-all mandates, requiring pricing disclosures by hospitals and carriers, tort reform to reduce defensive medical practices and allowing coverage and competition across state lines.

Q: What is the first thing you would do if you are elected as State Rep? What would be the most pressing issue to address?  

A. As State Representative, the first and foremost responsibility is to reach out to the constituents in your district. I would arrange for public forums in each of the District towns (Acton, Carlisle, Chelmsford and Concord) to determine the most pressing issue on the minds of my constituents. As it stands today, economic stability and securing state funded local aid are among the top priorities.

Q: How would you encourage the private sector to provide services that are now taken care of by the Massachusetts government?  

A.  I am a firm believer in being creative and thinking outside of the box to offer creative solutions. Companies are currently spending a great deal of money on advertising and intangibles. Wouldn't it be advantageous to have some of these advertising dollars allocated toward providing services for the community? 

For example, senior citizens often have a need for transportation. Perhaps a corporate sponsored shuttle bus for seniors could be provided by a company that markets their products to seniors. Everyone benefits; the seniors, the community and the company enjoys the benefits of a moving advertisement while providing good will for the target market. In addition to creative approaches, we need to, as a matter of policy, provide corporate tax incentives to entice companies to provide additional services and benefits. Rewards are more powerful than punishments.  

Q: How do you intend to convince people to lower the tax rate when they might believe that doing so may impact the services they receive or the quality of their life?  

A.  I believe that the worst possible thing we can do during an economic downturn is increase taxes. Lowering taxes actually stimulates the economy by putting more disposable income in the pockets of the consumer which in turn leads to spending.  On the corporate side, lowering taxes creates bigger profits allowing companies to hire more employees which ultimately leads to greater tax revenues.  Despite the fact that taxes have gone up in Massachusetts, the tax revenues have gone down by 10 percent in 2009.  Raising taxes will ultimately reduce revenues. Reduced revenues will lead to cuts in services.   

Q: Do you have any specific ideas for reducing unemployment and encouraging business to increase their payrolls in Massachusetts?

A.  Cutting taxes will ultimately reduce unemployment. However, when it comes to employers, I believe the most effective instrument will be in the form of tax credits for hiring. These tax credits will pay off dramatically in the form of increased revenues. As in my response to the healthcare question, healthcare reforms will be required to address the growing cost of healthcare for businesses and encourage small businesses to hire above the threshold of 10 employees. We must be friendly and welcoming to the businesses that call Massachusetts home. They are the key to our economic stability.