Published: September 06, 2008 10:46 pm            

Stewart, Sinnette discuss views

ASHLAND — This is the second in a two-part series where candidates for the 100th District discuss their views on state issues. Part one was in Saturday’s paper.



Republican Mike Stewart and Democrat Kevin Sinnette are both campaigning to replace 100th District Representative John Vincent R-Ashland in the state General Assembly in November.

Vincent will step down in December after 12 years in office.

Both Sinnette and Stewart were asked a series of questions about their view on a range of state issues. In this story, the candidates discuss energy, economic development and teacher pay:

—Both candidates have similar ideas about Kentucky’s role in solving the nation’s energy crisis. Both said they think Kentucky is well-poised to play a major role in decreasing the United States dependence on foreign oil.

“I think we need incentives to mine as much coal and drill as much natural gas as we can in this state. We have a tremendous amount of natural gas that’s already been drilled but (wells) have been capped and there needs to be some incentives to open those back up — a lot of them have been — but I think we also need increased exploration in the state,” said Stewart. “We can be the Saudi Arabia of coal and Kentucky has as much of it as almost any other state and we need to mine it and we need to use it.”

He also supports further investment in coal-to-liquid technology, which he feels will be important as a transportation fuel in the future.

Sinnette also said he favors incentives to increase natural gas production. He proposes incentives for small family-owned companies with mineral rights to reopen inactive gas wells as well as incentives for drilling of new wells, but he wants to see the inactive wells reopened before new ones are drilled.

The incentives would help to increase the supply of natural gas and drop prices for consumers, but state government would see a rise in revenue from tariffs collected, Sinnette said.

He also points towards Kentucky’s coal reserves as an economic asset. He favors incentives to mine coal, to be liquefied in order to reduce carbon emissions. Sinnette said the state needs to invest heavily as well in that technology and technology to mine coal in a less invasive way.

Sinnette said he does not favor mountaintop removal but added, “I’m definitely in favor of extracting the coal we have within our region, but we need to do that in a way that is most friendly to our environment. And any extraction of coal we have to look at reclamation and make sure its enforced.”

On mountaintop removal, Stewart said: “We need the energy, we need the energy and as long as you aren’t doing it on public property I think the landowner, if he wants to allow a coal company to do that on his land, why couldn’t he?”

Stewart said while he thinks environmental issues — particularly the viability of state waterways — are important, producing cheap energy is imperative.

“I think a lot of politicians miss the idea that Americans are upset about energy costs and it’s not because we don’t have alternative fuels, it’s because (they) cost so doggone much. If we can get the coal to the power companies cheaper, let’s do it,” he said.

—Another key state issue that goes hand in hand with energy and economic development is education.

Both Sinnette and Stewart said they think teacher pay should be increased in Kentucky but have different ideas on how to do it.

Stewart said he supports rewarding the most successful teachers with pay incentives. “We need to look at a program that rewards our best and brightest teachers and those that exhibit the best effort in teaching our kids the stuff they need to know,” he said. “I’m not opposed to across-the-board pay raises but I think there needs to be some special incentive for that special teacher,” Stewart said.

Sinnette favors across-the-board increases in teacher salaries.

“I think we are sending mixed messages. I’m of the position that eastern Kentucky — Kentucky in general — needs to be the leader in education. We have to raise teacher pay to have teacher retention and get good teachers. Having said that I also believe we are pricing our higher education out of the market. We want people to go to college but we’re making it so expensive they can’t afford to go to college ... so we want them to stay but there are no jobs,” he said.

“I look at it as a challenge, Sinnette said. “We have to get businesses to come in for the economic development end and that in turn gives us additional tax base, which in turn raises teacher salary, which in turn enables children to go on to higher education, which in turn allows them to work at these businesses ...” Sinnette said.

“I think education in terms of all the elements of economic development and teacher retention and primary and secondary schools is the linchpin for Kentucky’s viability,” Sinnette said. “That’s where it all begins.”

When it comes to higher education, Stewart says he thinks the state could further improve education and lower its cost without destroying the quality by decreasing duplication.

“Do we really need three law school in this state? Do we need two dental schools? How would it work if we put all the state universities under one board of regents and said here is your money, you allocate it where you think it needs to go,” Stewart said. Other states do that and Kentucky should consider it, he said.

Stewart said he thinks the state should also look at increasing the amount of distance learning done at its community colleges to keep costs down.

—As for economic development, both said they will work as a part of the mountain delegation to bring jobs to the area.

Stewart said he would like to focus on deregulation as a way to attract business and ensure the ones in the area stay.

“First and foremost, we need to look at the regulatory and tax burden we are putting on the small business man, the big business man and are we driving Kentucky businesses out of business?” Stewart said. “We need to make sure what we do doesn’t cost people their jobs because their employer can’t afford the regulatory burden, can’t afford the tax burden.”

Sinnette said he favors incentives to get businesses to locate here.

“I want this area to be so weighed down with incentives you have to drive up hill to Frankfort,” he said.

Sinnette said he also thinks the proximity of the area to most major cities in the eastern United States, whether it be by rail, air, or road, needs to be marketed more to potential businesses, along with the fact eastern Kentucky has lower energy costs when compared to other areas.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.

        

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