Imma J Curl
DemocraticQ1 In their 2024–2025 report, the Missouri Office of Rural Health reported that 42% of counties in MO do not have a hospital. What policies, if any, do you plan to implement to address access to health care, primarily in rural areas?
“Funding needs to be put back in place for rural healthcare. It needs to happen at the state and federal level. Even though rural hospitals may only have about 30% of their beds occupied, they still need emergency services and the equipment to serve those emergencies. Number one reason is for births. Number two is for vehicle and farming accidents. I believe we should have healthcare for all, but in the beginning, we should Fund Medicare and Medicaid. We should also stop the for profit healthcare system. People, their healthcare team, and facilities are only looking at the bottom line and because of this people have died needlessly.”
Q2 The Missouri Department of Agriculture has reported that Agriculture and related industries have contributed 93.7 billion dollars in economic output and 456,618 jobs to Missouri in 2021. Would you continue to develop and support agtech business in Missouri as well as the education and scientific training for Missourians to contribute to this industry? Why or why not?
“I believe in the education and training for our agtech business. I believe in sustainable farming. Corporate farms want to use our resources and move on. They do not care about creating communities and farming practices that will keep us fed into the years to come.”
Q3 America has a growing AI industry, supporting cutting-edge innovation but raising issues of resource use, privacy, and economics. In your opinion, what are the costs and benefits of new data center construction in Missouri and how would your policies accomplish a balance between them?
“I feel that there are too many companies looking to put data centers not only in Missouri, but the whole of the USA. I think they are literally flinging data centers at towns to see who will bite. We do not need all these data centers. These companies are looking for quick profit. Again, not long term sustainability. AI has benefits, but we are not currently using it for that purpose. Surveillance on consumers buying habits, and FLOCK and programs like GO Guardian are again for profit, not for the good of mankind. Sure FLOCK is here to “keep us safe”. There have been two instances in Joplin of officers using it to stalk women. I feel that given the current administration, that it is already being used against other political parties and those who voice criticism against our current administration. Until we have better laws and regulations for AI, I believe we need to stop and immediately create those. I also believe that citizens should not be forced to pay for datacenters and utility infrastructures, unless they get to share in the profit.”
Q4 If elected, in what capacities would you refer to scientists when you are deciding how to vote on a policy?
“I have always been a citizen scientist. If I hadn’t gotten into the arts, I would have been a scientist. Science is the most important tool we have to curing diseases. To stop global warming. The find the answer to cold fusion. To continue to explore our oceans and the skies above us. Science is ever changing and evolving. I know for a lot of people change is scary, even for some scientists. People assume that if one scientific idea is wrong that more has to be wrong. Then there are studies that are bad science which create more doubt about the scientifc proccess. Our current administration has done a lot to destroy the faith in our scientific community, especially medicine.”
Q5 What are your opinions on the current state of science literacy, and how could K-12 education standards be adapted to improve the public understanding of and relationship building in science?
“Not everyone needs an in depth understanding of science. But this could be said of a lot of subjects. If students aren’t exposed to science, then we are stopping them for becoming scientists, astronomers, doctors, and engineers. People should have a basic understanding of how our world works. If you don’t understand certain principles such as biology, anatomy, botany, climate processes among others, then there is a lot to fear.”