John Jessup for State Representative----Contact John

Biographical Information

Address: 212 Illinois Street. P.O.Box 148.

City/Town: Shirley, IN.

Length of residency in this district: I spent most all of my childhood in the district growing up in Carthage, Ind. I moved back to the district nearly four years ago after living in neighboring District 54 for five years.

Campaign or work phone number: (765) 571-0813.

Web site: www.jessupfor53.com

Email: john@jessupfor53.com

Date of birth: March 6, 1975.

Religion: Christian.

Marital status: Married.

Family: Three children.

Education/Degrees: 1993 graduate of Knightstown High School. 1992-1993 Eder Vocational School (Building Trades).

Occupation/main source of income: Project Superintendent for Gilliatte General Contractors, Inc.

Military experience: None. I was denied entrance to the Army due to a heart murmur.

Current civic involvement/accomplishment highlights: Member, Cadiz Christian Church, Eastern Hancock Athletic Boosters.

Previous civic involvement/accomplishment highlights: Former reserve police officer in Middletown, Ind. Former board member,Shenandoah Little League. Former member, Sulphur Springs Volunteer Fire Department.

Previous public offices sought/held: None.

How much funding have you raised for your campaign?: Little more than $1,000.

Who are your top three contributors?: All of my contributors are individuals. I am my largest contributor.

Have you ever been arrested? If so, explain: No.

1) Should property taxes be repealed in Indiana? If so, how would you pay for that?

John D. Jessup: Unfortunately, no. I would very much like, just like every other homeowner, to not receive a property tax bill. The fact is, however, I cannot see how we could ever repeal the tax without raising either the sales tax, income tax, or both to unacceptable levels. If we raise the sales tax any higher, we will encourage people to evade the tax by making purchases, especially large ones, across our state lines. We would not only lose the revenue from those taxes, but we would more importantly lose those sales that fuel our state’s economy. I don’t believe Indiana’s wage earners can afford the increase in income tax it would take to replace the revenue from property taxes either. I believe our only option to get rid of property taxes would rest solely on the legislature’s ability not to raise taxes, but to cut enough spending out of the budget so the revenue is no longer needed.

2) Should Indiana's Constitution be amended to cap homeowners' property tax bills at 1 percent of assessed valuation; rental and agricultural property at 2 percent; and business property at 3 percent?

John D. Jessup: I support the concept of caps on property tax bills. I am not sure that this legislation is anything more than a political gimmick to make taxpayers believe their representative finally did something about a problem that has been festering for years. I do not fully agree with the separate caps for different business types. I also believe that we will find that when our governments need more funding, they will find a way around the caps, probably by simply reassessing our properties at higher values. If we as citizens want low taxes, we must elect people who are going to cut out excessive spending. We need to change our thinking. ... We always say, “Taxes are too high!” We should realize that spending is too high.

3) Do you support creating any additional toll roads in Indiana?

John D. Jessup: No. We don't need to create any new burdensome, expensive toll roads that will only give our state something else to mismanage. Our taxpayers pay enough taxes that we should not have to pay to drive on our roads that we paid for.

4) How would you fully fund the I-69 extension from Indianapolis to Evansville? And should all or part of that extension be tolled?

John D. Jessup: I believe the federal government should pay for the lion's share of the project. Since that won't happen, I suggest that after we realize that we aren't fully funding education, we aren't fully funding our pension obligations as a state, and we aren't fully funding a list a mile long of other necessary items, maybe we should shelve the idea of the I-69 extension until we can manage the responsibilities and projects we have already taken on. Should it be tolled? No.

5) Do you support privatizing the Hoosier Lottery? If yes, what would you use the money for?

John D. Jessup: No. The Hoosier Lottery profits are a solid, dependable source of income for Indiana. If there is a private company willing to give us a large lump sum and annual payments, that means that it is ultra-profitable to them and they probably see areas where they can make it even more profitable. We should analyze the lottery in the same way they do. If there are ways to cut costs and make it more profitable, let's do it ourselves and reap the benefits as a state. We can't give away something with long-term value to fund a shortfall today, which is just putting a Band-Aid on a problem that needs reconstructive surgery.

6) Are there any areas of state government that you favor privatizing?

John D. Jessup: I am not opposed to the idea of privatization. However, I believe when you decide to privatize anything that has been entrusted by the people to the state, there is a very high bar of transparency and accountability that must be met. Unfortunately, the costs of assuring transparency and accountability once something has been privatized, more often than not, are prohibitive and prevent any real gain from the privatization.

7) Should Indiana's Constitution be amended to define marriage as a union solely between one man and one woman?

John D. Jessup: Yes. I believe it is important to enshrine in our constitution the values of traditional marriage.

8) Under what circumstances would you support any expansion of gambling in Indiana? Should we pull back from any existing type of gambling, including riverboat casinos and the casinos at horse-racing tracks, even if it means less money for the state?

John D. Jessup: I am reluctant to support any expansion of gambling in Indiana. There are plenty of options available for those who enjoy recreational gambling. Pulling back from existing forms of gambling would mean tax increases in the form of higher sales and income taxes to replace those revenues. Unfortunately, we have opened Pandora's box by allowing the high level of gambling we have for the raising of state revenues.

9) The next legislature will be examining government reform. What consolidations would you support for school districts and counties? Are there any layers of government you would eliminate?

John D. Jessup: I am not in favor of eliminating local or county offices. The more local government is, the more effective it is. Any consolidations would have to have 67 percent support of those people affected in a voter referendum to have my support.



Greenfield Reporter Video Interview(scroll to bottom) 10/10/08: Message from John Political Courage Test- Project Vote Smart Indiana Family Institute Voter Guide Responses to Indiana Equality Candidate Questionnaire Watchdog Indiana Rating Interview Questions from Conservative Blogger- Dominique Responses to IndyStar Voter Guide	Biographical Information Address: 212 Illinois Street. P.O.Box 148. City/Town: Shirley, IN. Length of residency in this district: I spent most all of my childhood in the district growing up in Carthage, Ind. I moved back to the district nearly four years ago after living in neighboring District 54 for five years. Campaign or work phone number: (765) 571-0813. Web site: www.jessupfor53.com Email: john@jessupfor53.com Date of birth: March 6, 1975. Religion: Christian. Marital status: Married. Family: Three children. Education/Degrees: 1993 graduate of Knightstown High School. 1992-1993 Eder Vocational School (Building Trades). Occupation/main source of income: Project Superintendent for Gilliatte General Contractors, Inc. Military experience: None. I was denied entrance to the Army due to a heart murmur. Current civic involvement/accomplishment highlights: Member, Cadiz Christian Church, Eastern Hancock Athletic Boosters. Previous civic involvement/accomplishment highlights: Former reserve police officer in Middletown, Ind. Former board member,Shenandoah Little League. Former member, Sulphur Springs Volunteer Fire Department. Previous public offices sought/held: None. How much funding have you raised for your campaign?: Little more than $1,000. Who are your top three contributors?: All of my contributors are individuals. I am my largest contributor. Have you ever been arrested? If so, explain: No. 1) Should property taxes be repealed in Indiana? If so, how would you pay for that? John D. Jessup: Unfortunately, no. I would very much like, just like every other homeowner, to not receive a property tax bill. The fact is, however, I cannot see how we could ever repeal the tax without raising either the sales tax, income tax, or both to unacceptable levels. If we raise the sales tax any higher, we will encourage people to evade the tax by making purchases, especially large ones, across our state lines. We would not only lose the revenue from those taxes, but we would more importantly lose those sales that fuel our state’s economy. I don’t believe Indiana’s wage earners can afford the increase in income tax it would take to replace the revenue from property taxes either. I believe our only option to get rid of property taxes would rest solely on the legislature’s ability not to raise taxes, but to cut enough spending out of the budget so the revenue is no longer needed. 2) Should Indiana's Constitution be amended to cap homeowners' property tax bills at 1 percent of assessed valuation; rental and agricultural property at 2 percent; and business property at 3 percent? John D. Jessup: I support the concept of caps on property tax bills. I am not sure that this legislation is anything more than a political gimmick to make taxpayers believe their representative finally did something about a problem that has been festering for years. I do not fully agree with the separate caps for different business types. I also believe that we will find that when our governments need more funding, they will find a way around the caps, probably by simply reassessing our properties at higher values. If we as citizens want low taxes, we must elect people who are going to cut out excessive spending. We need to change our thinking. ... We always say, “Taxes are too high!” We should realize that spending is too high. 3) Do you support creating any additional toll roads in Indiana? John D. Jessup: No. We don't need to create any new burdensome, expensive toll roads that will only give our state something else to mismanage. Our taxpayers pay enough taxes that we should not have to pay to drive on our roads that we paid for. 4) How would you fully fund the I-69 extension from Indianapolis to Evansville? And should all or part of that extension be tolled? John D. Jessup: I believe the federal government should pay for the lion's share of the project. Since that won't happen, I suggest that after we realize that we aren't fully funding education, we aren't fully funding our pension obligations as a state, and we aren't fully funding a list a mile long of other necessary items, maybe we should shelve the idea of the I-69 extension until we can manage the responsibilities and projects we have already taken on. Should it be tolled? No. 5) Do you support privatizing the Hoosier Lottery? If yes, what would you use the money for? John D. Jessup: No. The Hoosier Lottery profits are a solid, dependable source of income for Indiana. If there is a private company willing to give us a large lump sum and annual payments, that means that it is ultra-profitable to them and they probably see areas where they can make it even more profitable. We should analyze the lottery in the same way they do. If there are ways to cut costs and make it more profitable, let's do it ourselves and reap the benefits as a state. We can't give away something with long-term value to fund a shortfall today, which is just putting a Band-Aid on a problem that needs reconstructive surgery. 6) Are there any areas of state government that you favor privatizing? John D. Jessup: I am not opposed to the idea of privatization. However, I believe when you decide to privatize anything that has been entrusted by the people to the state, there is a very high bar of transparency and accountability that must be met. Unfortunately, the costs of assuring transparency and accountability once something has been privatized, more often than not, are prohibitive and prevent any real gain from the privatization. 7) Should Indiana's Constitution be amended to define marriage as a union solely between one man and one woman? John D. Jessup: Yes. I believe it is important to enshrine in our constitution the values of traditional marriage. 8) Under what circumstances would you support any expansion of gambling in Indiana? Should we pull back from any existing type of gambling, including riverboat casinos and the casinos at horse-racing tracks, even if it means less money for the state? John D. Jessup: I am reluctant to support any expansion of gambling in Indiana. There are plenty of options available for those who enjoy recreational gambling. Pulling back from existing forms of gambling would mean tax increases in the form of higher sales and income taxes to replace those revenues. Unfortunately, we have opened Pandora's box by allowing the high level of gambling we have for the raising of state revenues. 9) The next legislature will be examining government reform. What consolidations would you support for school districts and counties? Are there any layers of government you would eliminate? John D. Jessup: I am not in favor of eliminating local or county offices. The more local government is, the more effective it is. Any consolidations would have to have 67 percent support of those people affected in a voter referendum to have my support.
Copyright 2008 Paid for and authorized by: Jessup for 53 Committee...Angela Jessup, Treasurer