Press Release

Kennis: Independent Candidate for Governor

        Mark Kennis of Grimes, Iowa is an Independent Candidate for Governor.  His wife Lois Kennis is his running mate for Lieutenant Governor.  Together the couple has already gathered more than enough signatures from more than enough counties on their Nomination Petition in order to be on the ballot in the 1998 election.

        Mark and Lois Kennis have traveled extensively throughout Iowa, visiting face to face with fellow Iowans in big cities, small towns, and rural areas.  Mark produces a public access television program called BIG People News and Lois publishes Iowa Lady Magazine.  Together they are offering Iowa many new ideas for constructive change.

        The first project on their agenda is to introduce the Initiative and Referendum system of voting in Iowa.  Mark states, "The modern electronic age is here, yet Iowa clings to a hopelessly outdated political system in which a few politicians make the laws they want for the rest of us to live by.  It's time to move to a Pure Democracy, a system that allows every voter to speak his or her mind on the issues.

        "Laws should be decided by the people, rather than by the politicians.  The vote of the people should be final.  Traditionally the politicians have done what they want, rather than what the people want.  No one politician can adequately represent thousands of voters who each have their own personal beliefs about every issue, so now is the time to enact a system where every voter votes directly for issues.  Major issues will be decided by the voters instead of by a handful of politicians who cater to lobbyists with deep pockets.

        "Any Iowan ought to be able to propose a law in Iowa, the way it's currently done in many states.  Currently in the state of Iowa only a politician can propose a law, unlike more modern states where any voter can propose a law, get signatures on a petition, file the petition, and have the law voted on by the people in a statewide referendum."

        As governor of the state of Iowa, Mark Kennis will encourage our nation to stop the enormous financial drain on our country by bringing home all of our troops stationed in military bases overseas.  If other countries want to continue receiving our military protection, they should pay for it, just like a business that hires a private security force.

        Mark and Lois Kennis will ask for more support for Iowa's entire educational system, including alternative schooling and home schooling for those who desire it.  To help with the high cost of college education in Iowa, Mark Kennis will suggest making college classes available on television at no charge.  After watching the television course, students could pass a test in order to receive college credits.

        The couple will work to protect our water, soil and air, which are being threatened by large hog facilities which need to be carefully regulated to protect our precious environment.

        Another suggestion is that Iowa could build an automobile manufacturing plant that produces good dependable affordable cars designed especially to run off Gasahol made from Iowa corn.  Mark says, "If Iowans can build a John Deere tractor that will last fifty years, then Iowans can build a car that will last twenty years."

        The Kennis's have suggested that the state of Iowa should take bids from insurance companies to find out what it would cost to purchase a group health insurance plan to cover every citizen of Iowa for every medical problem and then the people of Iowa should vote on whether or not we should purchase that group health insurance plan.

        Mark and Lois Kennis have observed that in many of Iowa's small towns, there are buildings standing vacant that could be revitalized by people with good ideas for business.  Iowa could use Lottery money to help develop small businesses in Iowa, rather than offering "corporate welfare" to try to attract big businesses from other states who usually only end up competing with our already existing businesses, and end up not hiring local people like they'd promised.

        An idea that Mark has had for many years but has been unable to get legislators to consider and put up for a vote of the people, is the building of a dome stadium in Iowa in order that our state could have major league professional sports.  Such a project would create thousands of related jobs in Iowa and earn for Iowa the respect of the nation and give Iowa a great sense of pride and camaraderie, not to mention the fact that it would give a lot of Iowa athletes professional jobs right here at home, so they wouldn't have to leave the state in order to pursue their dreams.

        Mark has formulated a plan of how such a sports facility could be purchased at a very low cost to the taxpayers.   He suggests that we build a 3-story shopping center around the outside of the dome and contract with a hundred stores who would each pay 1% of the total building cost of the entire project in return for a twenty year lease.  Football, baseball, basketball and soccer would be offered, with all teams being called "The Iowa Buffalo".   This way sports fans would come out to support Iowa's team no matter what sport is being played and the facility could be used seven days a week.  The profits from the dome stadium would go to Iowa's schools.

        These "New Ideas for Iowa" should be considered, but there are other people with other good ideas that should be considered also, and that is why Mark and Lois Kennis, as the central focus of their campaign, are proposing the Public Initiative and Referendum system so that all Iowa voters will know that their votes will really matter.  Voters will feel a sense of hope and mutual respect knowing that they can get directly involved in the lawmaking process, thereby improving the quality of life for all Iowans.

For more information contact Mark and Lois Kennis, P.O. Box 187, Grimes, IA 50111
Phone 515-986-4636 Office 515-266-6631 Home Phone 515-986-4017
This printing/mailing is paid for by Kennis for Governor Committee.