Posted on 04/20/2003 6:32:38 AM PDT by Theodore R.
District 19 candidates weigh in on agriculture, energy issues By JOHN FUQUAY AVALANCHE-JOURNAL
Part of a continuing series
The old U.S. Congressional District 19 had more grassland territory on the sun-drenched caprock, and the soon-to-be-retiring congressman representing the district was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.
In fact, Larry Combest, R-Lubbock, served for a term as the committee's chairman.
But the new district, redrawn after the 2000 census, shifted south, losing the farmland that extended to the Oklahoma border and gaining oil fields in Midland, Ector, Winkler, Loving and other counties.
The district's next representative will inherit the ag committee seat held by Com best, who retires May 31. But the new lawmaker also must serve oil and gas interests that are new to the district.
The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal polled 13 of the 17 candidates running for the seat, asking each one to explain how they would advance the agricultural and energy-related interests of District 19.
Early voting in the election began last week and continues throughout the district through April 29. The special election is May 3.
A runoff election is almost certain, and the next representative likely will be sworn into office in early summer.
Responses were unavailable from Richard Bartlett, 38, R-Midland, physician; Thomas Flournoy, 79, C-Midland, a self-employed repairman; E.L. "Ed" Hicks, 72, I-Denver City, a retired farmer; and Jerri Simmons-Asmussen, 47, D-Lubbock, self-employed.
JOHN BELL, 50, R-Kermit, independent oil producer: "I have solutions that, if implemented in the national energy policy, would offer intelligent buying de cisions for the strategic petroleum re serve. Stable energy prices would act as a shock absorber, al lowing both oil producers and the agriculture community to avoid price volatility."
JAMIE BERRYHILL, 50, R-Odessa, public servant: "There are definitely innuendoes that an assault will be waged against the farm bill. I will fight valiantly against any such attacks; however, as I have continued to study our ag industry, we need much more. It is the only industry I know buying retail and selling wholesale. It is the only industry I know receiving the same price for products it received 30 and 40 years ago. It is the only product price I am aware of that is not based upon cost of production. It is called price fixing, and it is time for a change. One of my major concerns for the oil industry is to see the some 50 percent of our national landmass, which is in federal lands, opened for exploration. For our national security we must cease the consumption of 1 million more barrels of oil per day than we produce."
BILL CHRISTIAN, 40, R-Midland, public servant: "First, I would seek a seat on the House Committee on Agriculture, where I would expand upon the relationships that I've developed with the many fine professional staff members hired by Rep. Combest and Rep. (Charles) Stenholm — people with whom I've worked closely during my many years of serving West Texas in Washington. I would also seek a seat on the Energy & Commerce Committee, a coveted assignment usually reserved for more senior members of Congress. I would fight to keep federal government off the backs of our ranchers, demand that leaders in Washington allow the farm bill to work as intended, work to reduce overseas barriers to our farm commodities and seek relief from costly and counterproductive regulations that stifle the productivity of our oil and gas industry. Most importantly, I would continue doing what has proven most successful during my years of public service: listen to the industry experts, namely the farmers, ranchers and oilmen who know best what works and what doesn't."
MIKE CONAWAY, 54, R-Midland, certified public accountant: "The agricultural interests can best be advanced by opposing any changes to the farm bill that negatively impact the benefits to Dis trict 19 farmers. The interests of both in dustries can be ad vanced by repealing or modifying existing regulations that are overreaching or that do not make sense. The energy-related interests can best be advanced with specific tax incentives for marginal wells and tertiary production methods."
KAYE GADDY, 64, D-Odessa, retired newscaster: "I have a practical working knowledge of issues regarding agriculture and petroleum — issues which have not and cannot be solved by ivy-tower academia. Legislation for both industries is extraordinarily intricate and a one-size-fits-all policy will not work for either. Oil and gas must be separated from coal, wind and solar. Ag must reflect regional needs and differences while also addressing domestic and foreign tax and tariffs and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) stipulations."
CARL ISETT, 46, R-Lubbock, certified public accountant: "As a state representative, I have already been working and defending policies that ad vance the agricultural and energy-related interests of District 19. Just this week, I made sure that our cotton farmers were not robbed of the necessary funds to continue and complete the eradication of the boll weevil from Texas. In 1999, I worked with legislators from the Permian Basin to provide severance tax relief for our oil and gas producers after the big drop in prices. In Congress, I will continue to be a strong voice for agriculture and oil and gas, and work to make sure all regulatory policy is based on good science and not environmental fanaticism."
DAVID LANGSTON, 50, R-Lubbock, lawyer, former mayor: "I would seek a seat on the House Agriculture Committee and immediately be gin work to preserve the current farm program and passage of future farm bills by forging new alliances between the segments of the agriculture industry and other interest groups that share our concerns about U.S. trade policy. We cannot have trade policies that work in opposition to the provisions of the farm program. I oppose trade policies that encourage the exportation of our technology to foreign countries and then allow those same countries to use cheap labor to grow or manufacture products that compete in our domestic markets, depress our prices and take American jobs. It is important for the United States to develop a comprehensive national energy policy that will provide incentives for domestic production and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I would work for the removal of unreasonable regulations that prohibit our independent oil and gas producers from exploring in areas where we know additional energy reserves exist, and strive to put in place mechanisms that will stabilize prices and encourage secondary recovery efforts in existing fields."
DONALD MAY, 57, R-Lubbock, physician: "The current agriculture bill is good, and I will fight to preserve and strengthen it. I believe that the most important role of the federal government is to provide a level playing field, with fewer laws and regulations and a significant reduction in bureaucratic and special-interest intervention, to allow producers and industry, including agriculture and energy, to compete profitably with other countries. I will work to increase our water supply, which is key to agricultural and other economic development in West Texas, and I will promote the utilization of our West Texas energy industry which has the expertise to move surface, ground and desalinized water cheaply and efficiently. Research and development are crucial to our agriculture success and to adding value to our produce for West Texas, and I will work to capitalize on emerging new plant and animal technologies in cluding the dairy industry that will be a major 21st century producer of new and innovative antibiotics, drugs and other revolutionary products."
RANDY NEUGEBAUER, 53, R-Lubbock, land developer: "For the past 10 years I have been working alongside Congress man Larry Com best in Washington on behalf of West Texas and am the only candidate who has successfully worked at the federal level to get three pieces of federal legislation signed into law by the president. This ability 'to get things done' in Washington, along with my positive relationships with the president and high-ranking Senate and House leaders, is why top agriculture and energy leaders are supporting my candidacy. My family is actively involved in both the agriculture and energy business, and therefore I have a long-term commitment to and first-hand knowledge of what is important to both industries. My priorities for agriculture are to protect the farm bill, which is already under attack, to make sure that disaster relief does not affect payment limitations, to ensure fair trade, to increase research, especially at our universities and colleges, and to provide effective crop insurance. My energy policy centers on motivating the major oil companies who are not investing in their oil fields in West Texas to begin to sell their fields to the smaller independent companies who will make the commitment of capital and people necessary to maximize the production from these fields."
JULIA PENELOPE, 61, G-Lubbock, self-employed: "Fighting nature is a losing battle. West Texas is in a zone of ongoing desertification that no technology can stop. I support sustainable agricultural practices, such as crop rotation, ecologically based pest management and the use of natural fertilizers, green ma nures and disease-resistant indigenous plants. Such practices would provide many benefits: more nutritious, nontoxic food, increased soil fertility, reduced erosion, less water pollution, more dependable farm income and de creased dependency on foreign oil."
CHIP PETERSON, 63, L-Lubbock, author, investor, professor: I would promote drilling in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), and I'd give preference to U.S. firms in developing oil and gas fields in Iraq. That would help all of the drilling and production units in the Permian Basin. The last energy proposal was to increase the strategic petroleum reserve, which I think is probably a boondoggle because it has low quality oil. ... If we want to increase our oil strategic reserve we should have the United States, instead of buying oil from foreign countries, buy oil fields that have been depleted from their primary pumping here in the United States, but that could be arranged for their secondary and tertiary recovery uses. ... The main thing we need to do in the agricultural sector is try to preserve some of the benefits from the last farm bill. The problem with the farm bill was that it was too generous; that the support prices were put on too many crops and the support prices were too high. ... In the future there are going to be too many crops over-produced and the cost of that bill is going to go way up. ... I would propose a compromise system that will automatically adjust prices so that those crops that are over-produced will have declining price-support structure. After five years, start taking actual market price and averaging that with the support price.
VICKIE SUTTON, 43, R-Lubbock, law professor: "I have committed to requesting to serve on both the Agriculture and Energy and Com merce committees of the U.S. House of Representatives, en couraged by the support and en dorse ment of my candidacy by Con gress man Ralph Hall (D-TX). Agriculture: Co ali tion-building with groups with shared concerns, like textiles and cotton, to protect our jeopardized industries; and bipartisan work with both Democrats and Republicans is key to our agricultural economy in West Texas and protecting the farm bill; and other members must be convinced that the farm bill is not a welfare program for farmers, it is a matter of national security. Energy: The energy bill passed by the House will provide the kind of economic incentives that can get the exploration and drilling business producing more. As an environmental scientist and lawyer, I am the only candidate who has the knowledge and experience in Washington to effectively address the threat of environmental activists and destructive legislation to stop drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or here in West Texas. Water: Water is the issue of the decade, and I want to address water conservation for West Texas before it reaches the alarm stage, which would effectively put pressure on the agriculture industry to stop irrigation ... ending most farming. International trade: I will work to make sure that other members of Congress understand that agriculture is a matter of national security and we cannot buy food and fiber from countries like China and India just because it is cheaper. We will lose our domestic supply and destroy our agriculture industry throughout the United States.
STACE WILLIAMS, 36, R-Lubbock, lawyer: "The key to maintaining the strength and integrity of the 2002 farm bill is to 1) not ignore the West Texas farm er, and 2) fight hard to sit on the House Agriculture Com mit tee. In Con gress, I would push for even greater in centives for area farmers to make a move to drip irrigation systems that conserve water and can triple yields. Less restrictions on do mestic oil/gas production and exploration can be reasonably balanced with environmental concerns, resulting in a reduced dependence on foreign oil. Further, for the sake of generations to come, now is the time to strategically fund research and development of alternative fuel sources such as the fuel cell, solar power and wind power."
jfuquay@lubbockonline.com 766-8722
What party is abbreviated "G"? The "L" is Libertarian, as there is no recognized "Liberal" party in Texas, not yet. Texas liberals coalesce around the Democrat party.
Why Green, of course ! :-)
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