Burnt Orange Report

Q&A with Chet Edwards

By Byron LaMasters

State Rep candidate Jake Gilbreath (D-Waxahachie) attended an event in Hillsborough (I-35 outlet mall town between Dallas and Waco) event for Chet Edwards (D-Waco) earlier this week, and asked him a few questions about his race. Jake's asked me to post it on BOR. There's also a picture of the two of them that I'll upload when I have a chance. More good news in the interview. Our friends (at least until November 26th) at Texas A&M are doing great work for their fellow Aggie, Chet Edwards. A&M students have knocked on 14,000+ doors so far for Chet.

Check out the interview in the extended entry:

JG: How do you feel about your race?

CE: I feel great about it. I think I reflect the mainstream values of the people of this District. My opponent Mrs. Wohlgemuth has cut 147,000 children of working families in Texas off health care and taken money away from seniors in nursing homes that they needed for just their basic needs. I don’t think those are the values that reflect the families of this district.

JG: You have many community colleges and universities in your district including Baylor University and Texas A&M University. Why are you the candidate for young people, and how have young people contributed to your campaign?

CE: There’s a clear choice on education in this race. As a Texas Senator I helped pass as the college student loan program that gave $70 million to help students afford college. In Washington, I’ve been a strong supporter of college student loans, Pell Grants, and work studies. I helped take on Newt Gingrich when he was trying to cut out $2 billion in college financial aid. Ms. Wohlgemuth, on the other hand, supports college tuition deregulation and has been part of under funding our higher education institutions in Texas. That’s why tuition rates are going up so dramatically right now putting a lot of burden on many students of working families.

Also, on public schools, I support keeping tax dollars in our public schools. Ms. Wohlgemuth supports private school vouchers which take tax dollars out of public schools which education 90% of our children to subsidize wealthy, private schools which education 10%. That makes no sense.

So there’s really a clear difference on education.

We have had students at A&M that have knocked on 14,000 doors in our campaign. We have had students throughout the rest of the district that have knocked on thousands of additional doors. So students are really an important part of our campaign. Education issues and my efforts to try to reduce the federal deficit that’s going to be a burden on the students of today and the leaders and tax payers of tomorrow are issues I hope will really motivate students to get out in this campaign.

JG: Do you ever see Texas turning back to a Democratic state?

CE: Yes I do. I think the pendulum goes back and forth. I think what a lot of Texans right now who have been voting Republican are seeing is that with Republican control of the Legislature they’re seeing tuition rates going up at 20-30% a year. They are seeing funding for our community colleges being cut by 20% on a contact hour basis per student. They are seeing all of our new roads are going to propose as toll roads. And now they’re cutting 147,000 Texas children off the children’s health insurance program which encourages welfare rather than encouraging work. I don’t think those kind of far right fringe politics really reflect the values of Texas. So I’m optimistic about the future of Democrats coming back in our State.