The IUS College Democrats hosted a forum with Shane Gibson, Democratic candidate for the district 72 state representative seat, on Nov. 18, in University Center North, room 120.
District 72 covers the Floyd and Clark county areas of New Albany. He announced his candidacy in October, and will be up for election in November, 2010.
After working as a full-time city attorney, Gibson, a University of Louisville Law School graduate, said he wants to take the further step in supporting his community, but he said he has not always been a political person.
“A passion for politics came later for me,” Gibson said. “I started to become interested in politics in my later years of college.”
At the forum, students asked Gibson about his main topics, including education and the county’s budgets.
IUS students were concerned about property taxes and asked questions pertaining to the use of the money and how the system worked.
“Most of our revenue comes from property taxes,” Gibson said. “By shrinking revenues, services are no longer provided.”
Gibson said he understands the process is a frustrating and often illogical system.
“I will try to do my best and serve the people,” he said.
Gibson said municipal bonds, which can be used past property tax revenue to finance city improvement and work, was used to build the downtown New Albany YMCA, as well as contributions from the Horseshoe Foundation.
Gibson also said he hopes to create conversation about education.
County public school budgets in Indiana are now decided by the state of Indiana, instead of local government deciding on the two-year budget plan. Gibson said the 0.02 percent raise in education from the state budget for Floyd and Clark counties is a dismal compared to the 1.1 percent average raise in money for education in Indiana.
“I definitely would not have voted for education to become a statewide decision and not a local decision,” Gibson said. “Some people choose communities for the schools. Schools are purely a local choice.”
Gibson also touched on the federal government topic with the healthcare debate.
Gibson said his wife,who has kidney disease, would not be able to get coverage if not for his insurance coverage given by his employer.
Gibson said the idea of the state being able to make a decision for the citizens about the healthcare option is one he is wary of.
“I am not comfortable with any governor making that choice for their state,” Gibson said.
Brittany Scifres, criminal justice sophomore, came to the event hoping to get more information about local politics.
“I have no idea what to expect,” Scifres said. “This was my first one-on-one interaction with a political figure.”
Scifres said she enjoyed the event and found Gibson prepared for his run in the elections.
“I thought he was very full of information about upcoming issues,” Scifres said.
Tamara Davis, political science senior and president of the IUS College Democrats, said she was happy with the turnout and with the students’ desire to be knowledgeable about politics and what is going on, especially in an off-year for elections.
By JESSICA MEYER
Staff Writer
jessmeye@ius.edu