Penalties on drunken drivers are strict enough, according to both candidates for House District 38.

Democratic candidate Fred Arnold said the problem is that the penalties are not equally enforced throughout the state. Republican incumbent Bob Brechtel wants to change the social system.

"Sometimes, more laws are not the answer," Brechtel said. "We have to find out why the current laws are not working."

The two candidates, who will face off in the general election on Nov. 4, also agreed that property taxes are burdensome to some Wyoming residents.

Brechtel thinks residents should look at what the Legislature has already done to lower the tax burden. He also wants individual counties to see if their residents are overly taxed.

He introduced a bill in the house recently to lower the tax burden, but it failed in the senate.

Arnold, on the other hand, thinks the property tax system in Wyoming needs a "thorough going through."

In fact, property taxes are one of the main reasons Arnold is challenging Brechtel, the incumbent, in a house race that covers west Casper, Paradise Valley, parts of western Natrona County and eastern Fremont County.

"Property taxes are the foundation of what we work with on a daily basis," Arnold said. "However, they are not done fairly ... You take a county like Teton county versus a county like Niobrara, two totally different entities but the state tries to equalize tax assessments."

Arnold doesn't consider his taxes to be overly burdensome, but he does see other people struggling to pay their fees. He wants to see tax relief for senior citizens and also those in a less talked-about age bracket.

New homeowners deserve a break, he said. They're struggling to make a life.

"I have had my opportunity to go out in this world and make or break it," he said. "These people need a helping hand also."

Both candidates also think something should be done with Interstate 80.

Arnold supports putting a toll on the interstate. The road primarily benefits those traveling through Wyoming, he said, passing from point A to point B.

He would want to see an exemption for Wyoming residents. Locals shouldn't pay for the repairs needed by out-of-staters, he said.

Brechtel said a toll could be a possibility to help pay for the pricey construction and reconstruction of Interstate 80. He might also consider raising fuel taxes, if necessary.

"I don't think we should take anything off the table until we discussed what is the best solution," he said. "The cost of highways is only going to increase."

In terms of smoking, while neither candidate is a smoker himself, Arnold supports a statewide smoking ban in public places and Brechtel does not.

Brechtel said the state needs to be careful about creating more laws to govern people's personal lives.

Arnold said he is 100 percent against smoking and supports a smoking ban.

Contact city reporter Christine Robinson at (307) 266-0639 or christine.robinson@trib.com

Bob Brechtel

Party: Republican

Age: 59

Home: Casper

Occupation: Worked for BP Amoco and involved in farming

Education: Business degree

Family: Married; four children

Political experience: Worked with the Republican Party central committee and the Republican Party and six years in the House of Representatives.

Fred Arnold

Party: Democrat

Age: 63

Home: Casper

Occupation: Retired from Kinder Morgan

Education: Some college

Family: Married; five children

Political experience: Served on the Natrona County School Board