By Shelley Kofler, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-831484.mp3
Dallas, TX – Rep. Carol Kent, (D) Dallas
Age: 55
Occupation: Director, Baylor Women's Network
Hometown: Garland native. Resides in Lake Highlands area of Dallas
Family: Husband and three children
Education: BA, MA in education from Baylor University
Public office: Richardson ISD Trustee, 2004-2008. Texas House of Representatives, 2009 -
2009 Legislative Priorities:
* Public Education: supports options allowing local districts to raise revenue
* Clean Air: sponsoring bills to promote use of "green cement" and restrict idling trucks
* Stimulus Money: on committee recommending use and tracking of federal dollars
Hobby: Tinkering with her 1930 Model A car. As a child Rep. Kent helped her father work on a Model A she drove to high school. Now she keeps a successor running. Need a tuneup, anyone?
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When Carol Kent was a little girl growing up in Garland she helped her dad work on his prized treasure, a 1930 Model A Ford. Now at 55, the first term Democrat, and Director of the Baylor Women's Network has her own Model A. Whenever she gets the chance she escapes to the garage to tinker.
Kent: This has been a way for his life to connect with mine. Sometimes everything is out on the garage floor and I'm looking at the manual which was written back in the 1920's trying to figure out how to put this car back together. Most of the time I'm able to get it going.
Kent's love of mechanics and her Model A are almost a metaphor for her public service. She says she likes fixing things. That's one of the reasons she ran for the legislature after serving on the Richardson school board.
Kent: The people who sent me to Austin sent me there because I am such a strong proponent of public education.
In her first legislative session Kent is sponsoring four bills that would give school districts greater control over revenue. One would allow districts to raise their property tax rates four extra cents before asking voters permission. Another would give voters the option of approving a larger rate increase that would be phased in over several years.
Kent: Many of our school districts are in crisis financially and they cannot weather another biennium before those financial needs are met.
Kent also wants to fulfill a campaign promise to help cleanup North Texas air. She backs a bill that would limit the location and amount of time big-rig trucks could be left idling. She's authored another bill that would allow cities to buy cement manufactured under a less polluting process, even if the "green cement" isn't the cheapest. Cities could choose to pay up to 5 percent more.
Kent: We realize that because of the bidding process municipalities and counties have to many times take the lowest bid rather than the best and lowest bid and we realize sometimes in order to have cleaner environment we have to pay a small amount more in order to make sure we get the greenest opportunity.
One of the greatest learning experiences for Kent has been her appointment to a committee recommending how some $16 billion in federal stimulus money should be spent. Almost daily the committee hears proposals.
Kent: Serving on this committee has given me a jump start to understanding everything there is to know about managing the economy of our state. I've learned about transportation, education, healthcare, environment our county issues our city issues.
Kent is among a majority on the committee recommending the legislature challenge Governor Perry's rejection of stimulus money for unemployment insurance.
Kent: Our government has the opportunity to use the resources that are already ours, and we need to be using them to help hardworking Texans who are struggling through difficult times.
This tinkering mechanic who can tear down a Model A and put it back together is applying her strategy from the garage to government. Study the problem. Roll up your sleeves. Get your hands dirty, and hope you can assemble all the moving parts in a way that makes the engine hum.