Costilla County candidate for District I commissioner and chair of the Costilla County Republican Party Patrick Allaart, left, is seen with Bob Schaffer, who is running as a Republican for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Wayne Allard. The two candidates were campaigning at All-Gon Pizza in Fort Garland on Thursday.

FORT GARLAND-Republican senatorial candidate Bob Schaffer made a campaign swing through the southern San Luis Valley on Thursday, July 17.

After a stop in Conejos to join in festivities celebrating the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s oldest church, Schaffer and Costilla County District I commissioner candidate Patrick Allaart spoke to and answered questions from a crowd of supporters in Fort Garland. Schaffer campaigned in Fort Garland after touring the Stations of the Cross Shrine, in San Luis.

Several dozen citizens were treated to pizza at Fort Garland’s All-Gon Pizza and heard Schaffer hold forth on his positions for the coming election.

Allaart introduced Schaffer and thanked the crowd for turning out for the event. “This is the biggest audience Schaffer has had in the Valley,” Allaart said. He said the intersection of U.S. Highway 160 and Colorado Highway 159, in Fort Garland “is an unused resource.”

He said economic development around that intersection would “overflow” into the rest of the County. Allaart said he wanted economic development to be “planned very carefully to maintain the culture and history of Costilla County.” He said such development is a priority with him. He then turned the evening over to Schaffer.

Asked for his top priority should he be elected to the Senate, Schaffer replied, “I want a tax package designed to give pro-growth, middle-class tax relief.” Several times during his remarks Schaffer returned to the theme that self-reliance was better than letting the government decide how to spend money.

He began his speech by displaying a model gas pump with the labeled, “Udall Premium 50 Cent tax increase.” Udall is a Democratic candidate for the seat Schaffer is seeking and has proposed the gas tax as a means of reducing demand and therefore driving down the price of gasoline.

Schaffer said high gas prices are one of the biggest issues he has heard about. “There are people in Washington (D.C.) that think we’re not paying enough. I’m on the side of reducing energy prices. Udall wants to increase them.”

He said American self-sufficiency can improve our domestic energy products. Schaffer mentioned alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, and biomass. “We can do better than any place else on the planet,” he said and also stated the need for conservation. “Six hundred billion dollars a year are sent outside the country (to buy energy.) This is unconscionable. A lot goes to Canada, a friend and neighbor, but much of it goes to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. It goes to regimes not that friendly to us and to organizations trying to kill American.” Schaffer said.

Schaffer said he supports our nation’s military veterans. He said he spent 9 years in the Colorado Senate and was chairman of the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. “I have a good record working with vets,” he said. “They are an important part of the constituency.”

On health care, Schaffer said he prefers the idea of “universal access” over “universal health care.” He said the public should be able to establish health care savings accounts to help pay for medical situations and said such accounts should be set up so they can be passed on to children or other inheritors in the event of a patient’s death. Health care “is more expensive when other people start making decisions for you,” stated Schaffer.

He said each of the 50 states regulates health insurance differently and the public should be able to shop all of those programs to find the one best suited to the individual. Although he stressed individual decision Schaffer said he was aware that some people cannot afford health care and therefore “there needs to be a safety net.” He said Medicare should be reformed to allow more competition when that program is paying the bills.

On terrorism, Schaffer said he had consulted with Homeland Security personnel in Alamosa where communications and training were discussed. Even in a remote area like the San Luis Valley, Schaffer said, “Nobody should assume they are immune.” He said the fight against terrorism “is not just up to those wearing badges and uniforms,” but everyone should take part.

Schaffer voiced his support for taking part of the Social Security Trust Fund to allow workers to invest some of their money, rather that let it stay in the Trust Fund earning low returns.

The senatorial candidate ended his remarks saying, “If you want common sense solutions, vote for me.”