Relevant Experience:

Name: Louis Irwin

Age: 65

Occupation: College Professor and Biomedical Researcher

Web site: www.lirwin.org

Residence: West Side

Relevant Experience: Co-creator of Border Biomedical Research Center, chief architect of doctoral program in Biology, and former Chair of Biological Sciences at UTEP; four-term Alderman in Newton, MA

 

Issues

1. What do you believe is the single largest priority for El Paso in the next legislative session?

 

Dealing with holes in our social safety net for at-risk children and victims of domestic violence, and supporting community efforts to treat non-violent drug abusers, the mentally ill, and the homeless.

2. Is there a leader of the El Paso delegation, should there be, and if so, who is it or who should it be?

 

For organizational and ceremonial purposes, the member of the delegation with the greatest seniority should assume a leadership role. On specific policy and legislative issues, the member with the greatest expertise and credibility on the issue in question should naturally take the lead.

3. How specifically would you work with the delegation on the El Paso agenda? Would you commit to regular meetings both with legislators and staff?

 

I will certainly commit to regular meetings with the delegation, which already has what appears to be a workable process in place.

4. Do you support toll roads? Under what circumstances ought tolls be used? How would you fund roads and highways if not through tolls?

 

Providing and maintaining roads for the general public is a government responsibility, to be paid from general revenues. When commerce uses roads intensively, commerce should help pay for them. Thus, through roads that benefit trucking, especially, are appropriate for financing by tolls. But only if alternative, non-toll routes are available, and if eminent domain is used conservatively and fairly.

5. What is the role of state government in community development, and what will you do to make it happen?

 

As a general principle, the role of higher levels of government should be to enable local autonomy as much as possible. Counties should be given greater leeway for zoning and regulation of colonias, as a specific example. Some forms of community development, such as homeless shelters, day care centers, and other socially beneficial programs can be aided substantially with grants from the state in a cost-effective way because they are already in place and are using volunteers effectively.

6. Will you vote for Tom Craddick as House Speaker if he again is a candidate?

No, because he clearly has a record of being antagonistic to El Paso and to its delegation.

7. Do you support expansion of CHIP, and if so, how will you ensure more people sign up and the program is funded?

 

I will support the expansion of any program that promotes broader health care for everyone, as an interim measure until health care (at least at the level of family, pediatric, and emergency medicine) becomes a basic right guaranteed to all, equivalent to government provisions for public safety, property security, and national defense. Public information programs can be a cost-effective way for boosting enrollment of all who are eligible.

8. How would you balance the tax burden between sales taxes and business taxes? Is there too much of one or the other, and which would you cut or raise?

 

The sales tax in Texas is already one of the highest in the nation, and raising the taxes on business stifles economic growth. I would seek to lower the sales tax on non-discretionary consumption, and avoid raising taxes on either business or personal property. I am the only candidate for this office supporting a modest flat-rate surcharge on federal income taxes, as a way of reducing the sales and personal property taxes, and holding the line on business taxes.

9. Do you support the reopening of Speaking Rock, and what steps would you take to help it reopen?

 

I am not a fan of gambling in general, but Speaking Rock has provided a valuable source of income and economic sufficiency for the Tiguas. Therefore, I will join with other members of the El Paso delegation in support of its renewed operation.