Two Democratic candidates are vying for the N.C. House of Representatives District 119 seat, which spans all of Jackson and Swain and parts of Haywood and Macon counties. Voters can cast their ballots for incumbent Phil Haire or challenger Avram Friedman on May 6. The winner will face challenger Dodie Allen, R-Sylva, in the fall.

Phil Haire, D-Sylva

Incumbent Haire is seeking re-election for his sixth term for the N.C. House of Representatives. He currently serves as co-chairman of the House of Appropriations committee.

One thing Haire hopes to do in his next term is get funding for a medical school at the UNC-Asheville campus. He also wants a pay raise for teachers and state employees.

Haire says because North Carolina is growing at such a rapid rate, officials need to address the state’s increasing infrastructure and educational demands.

“We’re growing and we have to face the fact that we are growing,” he said.

On energy, Haire says the majority of Western North Carolina’s energy comes from hydroelectric power. He supports the building of the Cliffside power plant, a coal-fired plant in Rutherford County. Some opponents of the coal-burning power plant say air pollution from this facility will hurt Western North Carolina’s air quality.

However, Haire disagrees and says the majority of the air pullution that plagues the state is from the Tennessee Valley Authority. He says WNC will not receive air pollution emitted from Cliffside.

“The pollution will naturally flow east,” Haire said.

Haire is proponent of steep slope legislation. He is a sponsor of House Bill 1756, Safe Artificial Slope Construction Act. The act is a piece of legislation that will require mountain counties to adopt a steep slope ordinance.

He says it’s crucial for developers to understand the terrain they are building on.

On property taxes, Haire says it’s vital for counties to continue basing their property taxes on fair market value. He supports the current legislation on property revaluation because it’s based on the going price of real estate.

“If counties start messing around with their taxes it will have a negative affect when budget workshop sessions begin,” he said.

He says property taxes are important to a county because it allows officials to provide services for residents such as new school buildings, community colleges, and county departments.

“A county has to have money to operate,” he said.

On the mental health crisis facing the state, Haire says state lawmakers need to “re-examine the system.”

“What we are doing is not working,” he said.

Haire says more hospitals need to be certified. He also says the state needs to provide mental health services instead of solely relying upon private businesses.

“That’s where the wheels started falling off,” he said.

He did not state a specific plan of action to address the state’s mental health demands when interviewed.

Avram Friedman, D-Dillsboro

Friedman says he’s challenging Haire for his seat in the state House because of Haire’s position on environmental and energy issues.

Friedman — executive director of the Canary Coalition, a grassroots group based in Jackson County that pushes for tougher air quality standards — says the government must begin investing in methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mercury content in the air.

Friedman is against Duke Energy’s plans to build a coal-burning power plant in Rutherford County. He is an advocate of alternative energy sources like solar and wind energy to reduce our dependency on coal.

“We need to take a different direction if we want to have a future for our children,” he said.

On steep slope legislation, Friedman says counties’ current legislation on steep slope development is “inadequate.” He says there should be a standard set for development on mountainsides.

“We must realize our limitations in the mountains and there are just some places that we should not build upon,” he said.

Friedman says local governments should have more autonomy when it comes to property taxes. He says property values have gone up because of massive development projects and as a result local property values have risen.

Friedman supports a tiered system that would allow “the local government to determine the tax rate so its lifelong residents don’t lose their homes.”

“It’s what’s best for the people that live here,” he said.

Friedman says the state’s mental health crisis is closely connected with an individual’s physical health.

Friedman says many mental health cases can be linked to the environment. Friedman says illnesses like autism can be caused by mercury released from a coal-burning power plant.

“By cleaning up the environment we can expect to clean up mental health,” he said.

He is also a proponent of preventative care and says children need to learn about ways to live a healthy lifestyle.