Pegasus:What drew you to run for office?



Renfro: I have been interested in the Libertarian Party for years, so a while back, I finally joined. When I got an email from the executive director of the party, asking for volunteers to be candidates, I was hesitant. I didn't really know if I wanted to go thru that process. Then I caught myself complaining about carreer politicians, and I realized that the only way to change that would be for real people to step up and offer to replace them, so here I am.



Pegasus: What are the platforms for your campaign?



Renfro: My main objective, if elected, is to unwind the govenment from our everyday lives. The purpose of government is to protect our rights, not run our lives. Right now, it is very difficult to get through the day without having to deal with the government in some way. It shoudn't be that way. People often ask what I will do if elected. The more appropriate question would be what I won't do. I won't support expansion of govenment into areas where it doesn't belong. When my Father was alive, he was so proud that he had never seen the inside of a jail and didn't know what it looked like. That was not too uncommon in his day, but with the govenment dominating more and more of our lives, it is becoming more difficult for decent people to stay on the right side of the law.



Pegasus: What are the concerns of the people in the community you represent?



Renfro: State Senate district 23 in economically and racially diverse. The concerns are the same as for most people and include things like raising, and feeding their families and keeping them safe. They are concerned about paying ytheir bills and having a good job. Most of all, they are concerned about the government taking what they have worked for and using it for things that are not in their best intrest.



Pegasus: What are the sources of conflict in your election contest?



Renfro: There has not really been any conflict between Senator West and I.



Pegasus: How do you differ from you opponent?



Renfro: I have not met Senator West, but those that I know who have met him think he is a nice guy. I have no reason to believe otherwise. He is a Democrat, but no one is perfect. Seriously though, He has been in the State Senate for many years. I, on the other hand, have been a truck driver for many years. He is a lawyer, I aspired at one time to be a lawyer, but had a detour along the way. I think he and I both care about the people of Texas and the 23rd district, but I want to give them much less government interference in their lives.



Pegasus: How do you feel about the following issues form the area?



* Convention Center Hotel in Dallas?



Renfro: Whenever someone comes in from out of town to attend a convention, they usually appreciate it if they can get a room in a hotel. I have noticed that there are several near the Convention Center.



* Switching freeways from free to toll based?



Renfro: While tollways may be preferable to gasoline taxes for funding roads, as long as there is a gasoline tax in place, it should be used for roads insted of charging tolls. Only when the gasoline tax is eliminated, and replaced with a toll system, would I be in favor of tollways. The government is in no way entitled to both toll and gasoline tax revenue.



* HOV lanes? Dart rail?



Renfro: undecided



* Barnett shale drilling?



Renfro: We must do whatever it takes to break our dependence on foriegn oil.



* Cell Phone use in cars?



Renfro: Using cell phones while driving can be dangerous, but safety is more about attitude that actions. There are already laws about distracted driving. New laws should never be passed when existing laws address the issue. In civil litigation, if cell phone use is found to contribute to an accident, the court can grant relief accordingly.



* Open internet access in public libraries?



Renfro: I abhor censorship by the government. I realize that there is a lot of internet content that is considered by many to be inappropriate, but that is a matter for parents and their relationship with their childern and their librarians, etc.



* "Green" buildings?



Renfro: I like green buildings, and red buildings and blue builkings, but I don't care much for yellow buildings.



Pegasus: How do you feel about the following national issues?



* War in Iraq?



Renfro: These are not issues which I would be concerned with as a State legislator, but I do have an opinion, Many have debated whether we should have or should not have gone into Iraq. That is a moot point. A more constructive debate would be what do we do now? I am sure we probably should not have gone in there, but since we have, we should honor any commitments we have made, finish the job, and then get the Hell out.



* Immigration?



Renfro: Let's find ways to enforce laws we already have, but let's leave the responsibility for law enforcement with law enforcement officials, and not place that responsibility on businesses and individuals. Also, we should be able to defeat the terrorists without locking ourselves in from the rest of the world.



* Energy sources (oil vs. wind vs. solar etc).?



Renfro: What do you mean vs.? The answer is all of the above! In our quest for energy independence, we cannot afford to take any source off of the table. We must reduce our dependency on foreign oil sources by developing domestic sources. Then we must reduce our oil consumption altogether by conservation and anty othe rviable energy source.