Alabama senate candidate Ray Boles is “fed up” with state government, so he’s decided to cast his name in the hat for the role.

“Honestly, I’m fed up with everything, with the way politicians are doing it all, with the way they are taxing us, increasing business license fees, making it impossible to do business in Alabama,” Boles said. “Instead of complaining and griping, I’ve decided to do something about it.”

Bole, a Republican, will compete against GOP candidates Bryan Taylor and Ken Barnett for the Senate District 30 seat in the June 1 primary race. That ticket winner will compete against Democrat incumbent Wendell Mitchell in November.

Boles, of Prattville, is the owner of Prattville Carpet, a business he said employees 18 people. He has been a business owner for the last 12 years, and he is also a member of the Prattville City Council for the last two.

However, it’s strictly his role as a small business owner that he said qualifies him for the position.

With job creation as the key issue Boles sees for the Senate next year, he said his experience as a small business owner would be vital to the seat.

“I’m the only one running that has ran his own business for the last 12 years,” he said.

“I know what businesses are looking for. Everyone else (Barnett and Taylor) has worked for the state and for the state. That’s why I need to be in there.”

Barnett said addressing the state’s high unemployment numbers is his number one priority in office, which he said could be improved by lowering taxes.

“We need to lower taxes and quit wasteful spending. Make the state work off a budget like I do in my business,” he said.

With the Alabama budgets likely facing troubling economic times, Boles said he believes there will have to be plenty of cuts in state spending, with the exception of the prison systems and Medicare.

“Any way I can find to cut a dime, I’m going to cut it. There is so much fat in any business, you can find somewhere to cut,” Boles said.

“We’re going to have to put the pencil to the paper.”

A move to implement charter schools, which are publicly funded and privately run schools, was a key issue in the last Legislative session that failed its first time around.

However, if the bill does make it back in the next year, Boles said its one he’d be happy to support.

“I have flooring stores all around me, and it makes me work harder,” Boles said. “The same idea holds true for charter schools. It will make (public schools) work harder.”

Another issue that has come to the Legislature in the last several years is a bill to remove the state tax on groceries and prescriptions, and that’s something Boles said he doesn’t support. “We can’t afford it,” he said.

Boles said he believes electronic bingo, while being addressed in the courts now, is something that needs to go before a vote of the people of Alabama.

“The only way to get rid of it truly is to let people vote it out,” he said.