Candidate Profiles: State Senate District 27

Editor’s note: The Clovis News Journal asked District 27 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: Stuart Ingle

Age: 60

Occupation: Farmer and rancher

Office: Senate District 27

Party affiliation: Republican

Elected offices held: Current District 27 Senator and Senate Minority Leader.

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

Economic development for eastern New Mexico should:

A. Be able to train and hire local residents.

B. (Be) An industry or business that has secure financial history and will be here for many years — not many months.

C. Be an industry willing to spend some of its own dollars for site development. Our city and county government cannot pay for everything.

D. The New Mexico Legislature can help with training dollars, some road improvement and infrastructure.

E. Our city and county officials have done a great job with economic development.

How familiar are you with the Ute Water Project? What can the state Legislature do to move the project along?

The New Mexico Legislature has been very supporting of the Ute Water Project, $12.4 million (appropriated) since 2002 and only $3 million has been spent. (Water Trust Board projects 18, 40, 56, 84 and 108; Capital outlay projects 06-1161, 07-3237 and 08-3074).

What do you propose doing to help New Mexico schools? Is the current funding formula working?

New Mexico will be successful if parents support the teachers and if our local boards decide policy.

The current funding formula has been patched so much there are too many bits and pieces. The new formula is good. The Legislature must be sure we have the money ready to pay for the new funding formula.

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?

Health care is a problem in all states. We have many programs available in the state. (The Clovis News Journal) advertised one about two weeks ago. We have to find the additional dollars before we have a special session to cover health care.

Regarding state infrastructure, what areas need the most improvement or repairs, and how can the state pay for such needs?

State infrastructure will always need more dollars. We in New Mexico are huge in area and small in population. New Mexico’s roads need about $500 million in construction and repair. We have a project between Albuquerque and Santa Fe using this $500 million.

What is something you felt the Legislature has not adequately handled, and how would you approach it?

The Legislature needs to make sure state agencies do not make regulations that make little common sense or are difficult for New Mexico business.