Republican Dodie Allen wants to take an ax to incumbent Democrat Phil Haire’s favorite program — public education.

Allen says if she were elected to North Carolina House District 119, education would be the first budget item on the chopping block.

“Education has become a sacred cow,” she said. But if we’re serious about addressing the state’s projected $3 billion budget deficit, the $11.6 billion program needs to be on the table.

Education is the state’s single largest expense. It makes up more than half — 57 percent — of the state budget.

Allen calls that a “ridiculous amount,” especially considering the growing demand for private schooling.

“We have more homeschoolers today than we’ve ever had in my lifetime,” Allen said. “More people are taking advantage of homeschool and private school because we are not getting results from public schools.”

But her opponent, Appropriations Committee Chairman Haire, is proud that the state spends 57 cents of every dollar on schools and colleges.

Haire declined an interview with Carolina Journal, but directed our attention to his six-term voting record, which includes voting to increase state spending on universities by $30 million in 2007 and to increase education appropriations by $154 million in 2008.

He also voted for a bill allowing counties to increase sales, property and vehicle taxes to fund public transportation.

Allen said there’s no such thing as a free lunch, free transportation, or a free education.

“We need to cut out this nonsense about free this and free that,” Allen said.

She said it’s bad enough schools serve free lunches, “now we feed them breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

She reminisces of a time when parents made a “greater contribution” to their children’s education. “Nothing made me prouder as a parent than packing my kids’ lunch or walking them home from school.”

“Now we’ve destroyed our community schools and we bus them in, which costs a cool fortune,” Allen said. “Now bus drivers want hospitalization and retirement.”

Allen sent her children to private school and said if government got out of the way, more people would be able to do the same.

“If the free market were unleashed there would be more good private schools than you could shake a stick at,” she said.

Allen said she believes the same would be true for every sector of the economy.

“I’m almost 76 years old,” she said. “I unfortunately — or fortunately — have lived long enough to see the private sector diminished by government interference.”

Allen rejects most government “services” even when they are aimed at her.

“I vehemently disapprove of funds for entertaining senior citizens,” she said.

She said it “irritates her to no end,” when her friends play cards and get free lunches at tax-dollar-funded senior facilities.

More about the candidates

Haire is an attorney who lives in Sylva. Allen is an auctioneer and real estate agent. She said she still works 40 to 50 hours a week.

As of June, Haire had $10,204 cash on hand. Allen had $54.

This is Allen’s second run against Haire. She got 38 percent of the vote in 2008, while Haire got 62 percent. This time around she hopes to sway a growing number of unaffiliated voters and disillusioned Democrats.

“My message hasn’t changed,” Allen said. “The only difference is I’m two years older and hopefully two years wiser.”

Sara Burrows is an associate editor of Carolina Journal.