Burnt Orange Report

40/40: An Interview With Jason Earle

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: Below is an interview I had with Jason Earle. Interviews will normally appear on Wednesday, but because of the HD 48 special election, everything for the 40/40 was moved back a day. Earlier this afternoon, I posted my interview with Valinda Bolton. Tonight, I'll compare how the two candidates stack up on the issues. Stay tuned for op-eds from each candidate tomorrow.

How have you been active in the community over the years?

Having been born and raised in Austin, I've developed a lot of experience in many different areas, mostly in health care. I've worked from the emergency room to the ICU, in long term care, home care, and end of life care. I've done a lot with health care, but I've also done a lot with education. I've been a youth counselor and a mentor for at-risk kids K-12, and to this day I'm a mentor with the Longhorn Leaders program. I also know a lot about public safety - I was involved in the first leadership course that the police department developed. Through all of that, I've seen the need for people to give back to the community, that need for us to make sure that the future we hand down to the next generation is better.

Why are you running for State Representative?

I was raised in this district, and it's been good to me, and I look forward to giving back. Furthermore, as I've said, I'm gravely concerned about what kind of future we're handing down to our children, and part of that is because of the current corruption and cronyism that's going on in the State Capitol. Why can't we fix the education system? Why can't we fix the health care system and fully fund CHIP? Obviously, it seems that the priority of too many politicians isn't our children, and I think we need to change that.

There's some who are concerned that your father's prosecution of Tom Delay will bring unwanted, undesirable, negative attention to the race in November. What do you think about that?

Anybody who is going to run in the general has got to be competitive. No matter who the person is, the Republicans are going to want to keep the seat that they've held for over a decade. The money's going to be poured into the race anyway. It's an assumption, first of all, that a whole bunch of more money is going to be thrown into this race if I'm running in the general election. As you can see with Donna Howard and Ben Bentzin - he outspent her by more than 3-1. Now, I've already outraised my primary opponent 3-1, which is important because - in the general, which is what we're talking about now - you're going to have to raise enough money to do some television, and maintain your grassroots efforts. If we want to win this seat in November, then we need someone who can raise money, knock on doors, and won't back down from the Republicans. I believe I'm the best candidate to do that.

What separates you from Valinda Bolton? Why are you the better choice for Democrats in the March primary?

The fact that I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas - in education, in health care, in public safety, in economic development in the state - means a lot. I'm committed, and I'm hard working. I've already received such a great deal of support from people that normally vote Republican. And last, but not least, is the honest fact that it's going to take someone who can raise money. You've got to be competitive, and I've shown that I can do that and I will continue to show that I can do that.

What do you think needs to be done about school finance and property tax reform?

I think that we need to first reverse the way we fund our schools. Right now, the state pays about 40% for our public schools, while local taxpayers pay 60%. We need to compeltely reverse that, so the state pays 60% and local governments only pay 40%. Secondly, we ought to look at pulling down federal dollars, and that's something I've talked to Commissioner Sharp about. We all know that it's easier to build a child than fix an adult, which is why we need to focus on public education now. We can do better for our schools and for our communities, but it takes all of us.

Beyond education, what do you think are the big issues for HD 47?

Local growth issues are extremely important to this district. I was raised in this district, and I'm very familiar with the water issues, noise issues, and traffic issues that are facing people throughout the district. There are concerns about the access to affordable health care issues that worry many middle class workers in this district. I think it's very important that someone who is representing the people listen to their concerns and is able to answer their questions, and that's what I've been doing for the past six months.

During the 79’th Regular Session, there were a few budget amendment votes that would have redirected funds earmarked for the Texas Enterprise Fund to areas of health care such as CHIP or improvement of nursing home facilities. Do you think we should redirect those funds, or keep investing in the Enterprise Fund?

My understanding is that the Enterprise Fund is just a slush fund for Perry to pad the pockets of special interests. I don't know how effective the Enterprise Fund is, and I'd like for us to be able to hold it and the Governor more accountable for those funds. CHIP, absoultely, is essential. Right there with education, fully funding CHIP must be a priority for state officials. You can't educate a kid if they're sick.

What health care issue is most important to you?

Well, CHIP is definitely the first issue I'd want to fix, but beyond that we need to look at how our emergency rooms are our outpatient clinics right now. We should not be paying so much to serve people who need wellness checks. We have to take a common sense approach to this issue - an issue that affects all of us.

How do you plan to win the primary? What are you doing to make your campaign stand out among the other candidates?

We've been campaigning for six to seven months now, and our campaign has been centered and focused around grassroots efforts. District 47 has had a Republican for a decade. What you need is to have someone who can knock on doors, appeal to swing voters, and reach out to both sides of the aisle. I've already had the Vice-President of Circle C and some of the board members there endorse me, because they're concerned that the Republican candidaets are only going to add to the culture of corruption in Texas politics. To win this race, in the long run, it's going to take somebody who can appeal to the diversity within the district, and I believe I'm that candidate.