Candidates talk issues Organizations hosts forum for state legislators and challengers By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle Candidates running for seats in the Wisconsin Legislature addressed the $222 million Medical Assistance program deficit, wage hikes for community support workers and expanded transportation services at a forum sponsored by 14 different nonprofit organizations. Candidates discussed how they would solve the $222 million deficit of the Medical Assistance program knowing that a host of programs affecting the elderly and people with disabilities depend on MA funding. Libertarian candidate Roy Leyendecker, challenging Republican Sen. Robert Cowles for his seat in the Senate, said the government should freeze wages and deregulate businesses to drive the economy. He said the state should ignore federal laws prohibiting reimportation of drugs. That kind of law should apply to federal property, he said. "The state of Wisconsin is not federal property," Leyendecker added. Cowles said it is estimated that $69 million can be found within the state budget that can be subtracted from the deficit. Federal law requires the state to run the MA program, which will run out of funding by February or March, he said. "It's critical we fill this hole as quickly as possible, because if we don't, the problem impounds itself and you got to come up with a much bigger number in the next budget," he said. He appealed to constituents to give government leaders ideas as to how to deal with the problem. Democratic candidate Helen Schaal, challenging Rep. Karl Van Roy who did not attend, said Senior Care has been cut by $33 million in the last budget, and fees, deductibles and co-pays for Senior Care and Badger Care were increased, "which essentially means a tax increase on health care for the poor and the elderly," she said, adding that she will be dedicated to providing the "best quality of life" for all. Dan Aude, Democratic opponent to Rep. Judy Krawczyk who did not attend the forum, said he will support cost-effective spending for the Community Options Program and others that serve citizens. He supports the Senior Care Program and believes the Community Options Program should be favored over putting clients in nursing homes because the costs are less to the state and municipalities. Wisconsin Republican Assembly Speaker John Gard said the Medical Assistance program deficit was created out of legislators expecting more federal money for MA than is being received. The state has to prioritize programs like the Senior Care program that has "bipartisan" backing and "universal support," he said. He said he would do the best he could with available resources, but said money will not be available for changes to every program. His Democratic opponent, Bruce Berman, who was an elected representative for Marinette County and has labor union leader experience as well as background in economic development and tourism, said he prefers seeing seniors able to live in their own residences. He supports drug re-importation from Canada. Health care, prescription drugs and education are his priorities, he said. Democratic Sen. Dave Hansen, being challenged in the Nov. 2 election by former state senator, Gary Drzewiecki who did not attend Monday's forum, turned to drug re-importation to help solve the MA deficit. Hansen is a former Brown County Human Services board member. He said the state could pay 40 percent less for prescription drugs if it could re-import them from Canada. "I would argue that the FDA is a political arm and this is all about politics," he said. He also said the state has to be more creative in its spending and programs. He said a bill passed unanimously in the Senate that supported community living options in place of prison for non-violent offenders, an option that could save governments money, he added. Candidates addressed questions on transportation, raising the wages for community support workers and creating a system where dentists are better able to offer services to MA patients and MA patients better able to access the service. The forum was sponsored by Advocacy Coalition Inc., Aging Resource Center of Brown County, ASPIRO Inc., Bay Area Agency on Aging, the League of Women Voters, Cerebral Palsy Inc., Mental Health Association of Brown County Inc., National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Brown County, NEW Curative Rehabilitation Inc., Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Options for Independent Living Inc. Project Vote, REM Wisconsin II Inc. and The Gathering Place.