McCurry to seek legislative seat

Standing on the steps of the Elmore County courthouse, where he launched his political carrer less than two years ago, Commissioner Craig McCurry announced his intentions Monday to seek the Republican nomination for the District 22 House of Representatives seat (Seat A).

Under the yet-to-be finalized state redistricting plan, the new District 22 will comprise Elmore and Boise counties. Both local House seats will be up for grabs this year as incumbent Frances Field will be shifted to another district and incumbent representative Sher Sellman is challenging incumbent senator Robbi Barrutia for the district's senate seat.

A Boise native who graduated from Bishop Kelly High School, McCurry, 35, would be one of the youngest members of the legislature if elected. He currently is the comptroller for Dennis Dillon Ford.

He attended the University of Idaho on an Army ROTC scholarship, graduating in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree. While at the university, Craig was a student senator, president of the College Republicans, and President of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.

After leaving the U of I, Craig reported to Fort Rucker, Ala., for helicopter flight training, as an Army Lieutenant. Following flight school, the test pilot course, and the Army's paratrooper course, McCurry served with the 82nd Airborne Division, seeing action in the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He also served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York for three years.

He is a decorated veteran, and wear's Army Aviator wings and Parachutist's wings.

During his military service, McCurry also met and married the former Sadie Goodwin, of Fort Rucker. They have have three children, Mary Beth (5), Katie (5), and Michael (21 months). Craig is a member of the National Rifle Association, and American Legion Post #26, and the family belongs to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish.

Craig started his political career at the University of Idaho in the ASUI student government. While there, he also served internships with the Idaho Association of Counties, and then Congressman (now Senator) Larry Craig's Office in Washington, D.C.

Since moving to Elmore County in 1997, Craig has been an active member of the Republican Central Committee, serving as its chairman, until resigning in 1999 when Gov. Kempthome appointed McCurry to fill the unexpired term of Dr. Don Reynolds.

McCurry was elected to his own term in 2000, and elected Chairman of the County Board of Commissioners in January 2002.

He has the stong backing of both the local and state Republican parties for his effort to win the legislative seat.

In his announcement speech on the courthouse steps, attended by several dozen supporters, McCurry said he hoped to be a "voice for the future of families, a voice for our children's future, a voice for the future of business, a voice for veterans, indeed a voice for the very future of Idaho!"

He said that "education has been placed at the forefront of the political debate. This is a good thing, because too often in government, the really important issues fly under the radar, and are overshadowed by someone's pet project.

"I believe that funding a strong public education system is essential to the future of this country."

He said that "for too long conservatives gave up on education. Prior to George W. Bush in the last Presidential election, no Conservative was talking about education. We had not given up on the system itself, but education as a policy issue. We must address it now," noting that both sides in the current educational funding controversy have valid points.

"Too often the teacher's union is mistaken for the education system itself. That immediately creates a problem, because instantly we are talking about someone's paycheck, and because of that, views on both sides, that may be correct ones, are too often ignored.

"Instead, we need to seek out a greater dialog and allow expanded discussion about education, and what our goals and standards ought to be. We the public should talk about more education funding but, we should also be talking about the fact that, and I'm quoting from the Idaho Statesman, (Sunday), "In the last 25-30 years, the increase in public school funding has been in the 600 percent area, while the level of education went steadily downhill from the first in the world to 20th.

"That indicates that we have more problems than funding. That is why I am asking that education remain at the forefront of this election. I want to maintain open channels of communication with educators and taxpayers, so that I may fully appreciate the impact of education decisions in the legislature, and hopefully teachers may be more willing to focus on the accountability issues so important to this prospective legislator.

"Additionally, I think we must find ways to get the money to repair our dangerous school buildings around the state. One way that I am willing to consider is the proposed constitutional amendment, to amend the supermajonity requirement for school bonds, if they are run during a general election. This would fulfill the constitutions intent of protecting the taxpayers against low voter turnout, but still allow a better chance for school bonds to be passed. "Also, I believe that we must find innovative funding sources for our programs."

And, he said, "we must re-involve parents in education. Too often we ask teachers to make up for our failings as parents. That will never happen, because no matter how good that teacher is, and we are lucky to have some good ones in our districts, he or she can never replace a parent."

McCurry also promised to work to preserve the western way of life from the "unprecedented, blatant attacks on the western way of life by the environmental extremists and their Clinton administration appointee accomplices," saying "this is a no holds barred attempt to end timber cutting, mining, and cattle grazing as a way of life, which incidentally, are the industries upon which our great state was founded and upon which we still rely."

He vowed to "run every last one of these governmental extremists out of their office" and said he would vigorously battle outside interests and environmental extremists that threaten the core rural industries of agriculture, ranching, timber and mining in Idaho.

Citing his military record, McCurry said that "it should go without saying that I am for a strong and robust national defense, and I also support an equally strong homeland defense.

"I am committed to our government providing everything that our fine servicemen and women at MHAFB, and all their compatriots around the world need to prevail in the current war. But, I am even more committed to our veterans. Their support cannot be pared back, discounted, or removed.

" Our veterans went to Europe, the South Pacific, Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, and Afghanistan, when we called upon them. They sacrificed marriages, time with children, sight, limbs, and even their lives, in exchange for a chance to defend what they believed was right, and a commitment that a grateful nation would never forget.

"There are some in government who have forgotten. "I had the privilege of leading some of these fine Americans in combat operations in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and I tell you I will never forget the sacrifices of those who served, and those they left behind.

"We must never shirk our duty to uphold our promise to our veterans, their widows, or their children. We need a fresh voice for veterans, and I am that voice."