Steve Goss and Dan Soucek have a lot in common — they’re both ordained ministers, they’ve both been missionaries in Asia, and now they’d both like to bring jobs back to the economically depressed state Senate District 45, covering the northwestern corner of the state. What sets them apart is how they plan to do it.

“I believe the solutions to our problems come from the private sector, from small businesses, from families,” Soucek said. “He believes government is the solution.”

Republican Soucek is a newcomer to politics. The West Point graduate served eight years as second lieutenant in Army aviation. He’s spent the last six years working at Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse, first as the Asia regional director for Operation Christmas Child and now as logistics officer and international disaster manager. He’s also a youth minister at his church, Alliance Bible Fellowship.

In addition to his job at Samaritan’s Purse, Soucek owns his own trash collection and snow removal business, which he said has given him insight into what small business needs from government — “lower taxes and less regulation.”

He said Goss voted to renew $1 billion in “temporary” tax hikes and supported “lots of regulatory regulation.”

Soucek said he’d use zero-based budgeting to reduce spending and, in turn, reduce taxes.

Unlike traditional budgeting, in which the previous year’s budget is used as a base, zero-based budgeting forces legislators to start from scratch, to take everything off the table, and justify each item before putting it back on.

Incumbent Democrat Steve Goss did not respond to three phone calls or an e-mail asking for an interview, but on his website he says the “historic unemployment rate” is his top priority. He then outlines a four-part plan for spurring economic development and job creation:

1. Providing continued fulltime person-to-person constituent service.

2. Pushing for greater accountability throughout state government.

3. Supporting more aggressive enforcement of eligibility rules for various state programs.

4. Raising the ethical standards of government.

Goss is a Southern Baptist Minister and a former high school teacher and varsity football coach. He worked as a missionary in Japan. He writes on his website about how he sees his career in politics as an extension of his ministry.

Goss’ legislative record gives voters some insight into what he’s done in the past to “create” jobs.

Last summer he introduced a bill called the Invest in Green Jobs Act, which would have granted $6 million to research and training in green energy technologies and provided tax credits for constructing facilities to manufacture renewable energy equipment. He also cosponsored legislation giving tax credits to builders of energy efficient homes. Neither bill made it out of committee.

Goss has sponsored at least two bills boosting occupational licensing requirements in certain fields. In 2009, a law he sponsored increased the fees and educational requirements for getting a license in marriage and family therapy. Last summer, he cosponsored a bill to make practicing medicine without a license a felony. The latter legislation passed the Senate but not the House.

Finally, Soucek criticizes Goss for introducing a bill that could have put bloggers out of work. The legislation would have made it a crime to slander or libel someone on any electronic medium, including blogs, Facebook, and e-mail.

Soucek called the bill an attack on free speech.

The News and Observer of Raleigh reported Goss was concerned that “fast-moving Internet technology” was outstripping existing libel laws.

“We need to make sure that we’re keeping up with technology,” he said. “I believe these blogs are getting out of control.”

Although, Goss told the N&O he intended to make Internet libel a civil offense, the bill would have made it a misdemeanor criminal offense. Libel has not been a crime in the United States since colonial times.

Other issues

Soucek said he would encourage Attorney General Roy Cooper to sue the federal government for imposing the individual insurance mandate in President Obama’s health care law and that he would work to eliminate the cap on charter schools.

He criticizes Goss for “backtracking on family and social issues,” including the Defense of Marriage Act, and for supporting the Healthy Youth Act, which brought “comprehensive” sex education to middle schools.

As of June 30, Soucek’s cash on hand — $13,628 — was about a quarter of Goss’ cash on hand ($54,906).

A Sept. 16 poll by the Civitas Institute, showed Soucek with a seven-point lead over Goss, 48 percent to 41 percent.

Sara Burrows is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.