District 7 State Senate candidate profile: Jeff Carr

Editor’s note: The Clovis News Journal asked District 7 State Senate candidates to answer the following questions in 300 words or less. The answers were edited for spelling and style. The primary is June 3.

Name: Jeff Carr

Age: 52

Occupation: History teacher.

Running for: State Senator, District 7

Party affiliation: Democrat.

Elected offices held: Municipal Judge.

What type of economic development suits eastern New Mexico best, and how could you, as a legislator, facilitate it?

Eastern New Mexico needs economic development that needs little water, pays good wages, hires local people first and is environmentally friendly. A great industry for these purposes is wind turbines which require technical skills to build and to maintain. We must also continue to maintain and protect our current ranching, farming, dairy and tourism. I would look at legislation that would provide tax incentives, guaranteed business loans and reduce needless regulation that hampers entrepreneurs.

How familiar are you with the Ute Water Project? What can the state Legislatures do to move the project along?
I am familiar with the Ute Water Project and I will become intimately involved with this project to make sure this water is used in the most efficient and beneficial way possible for the people of Clovis and Tucumcari. I will do whatever is necessary to get this project completed within reason.

What do you propose doing to help New Mexico schools? Is the current funding formula working?
The funding formula introduced in the last legislative session would have given school districts approximately a 15 percent increase and I would co-sponsor this bill in the next session. Our rural schools, especially, are struggling to balance their budget and still educate our children. No Child Left Behind has placed undue financial and psychological stress on our schools without any additional funding and I would lobby our congressional delegation to do away with NCLB or at least revise it and fund it. The current funding formula is out of date and needs to be changed.

Gov. Richardson has been pretty adamant about a health care plan, and has gone so far as to threaten a special session. How can health care be improved in the state?
We have to do something different than what we are doing now, because we will soon be paying more to insure some of our citizens than to insure all of them. Our citizens are using the emergency rooms for their primary care where they can not be denied even if they are here illegally. Finding a way to provide care for everyone will also bring more medical professionals to our rural areas and thus providing greater access to health care for our veterans, seniors and everyone else. We cannot afford do nothing on this issue any longer.

Regarding state infrastructure, what areas need the most improvement or repairs, and how can the state pay for such needs?
Our gas tax is a per-gallon tax and has remained relatively stagnant in the face of increasing road maintenance and road building costs. We are also seeing fewer funds from the federal level. We will have to be creative by looking for ways to be more efficient and cut out waste. I will lobby our congressional delegation for more federal funds. I will look into the possibility of changing the funding sources and, if need be, tax larger inefficient vehicles but exempting certain business and agricultural vehicles.

What is something you felt the Legislature has not adequately handled, and how would you approach it?
I believe that we need to have a two-month legislative session every year due to the overwhelming amount of issues we are dealing with and will have to deal with in the future. I believe we have to do more to make this state an exporter of not just oil and gas, but energy from solar and wind, which we have in abundance. I believe as our founding fathers did in the 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution and that means we all have a part to play in making sure New Mexico continues to be a place where our children and grandchildren will want to live in and can live in with dignity and prosperity for all.

– Compiled by CNJ Staff Writer Kevin Wilson