Here's what I said;
1) Why Are You Running For Office? I am running for office because the "conservative values
agenda" over the past 40 yrs has mismanaged my country to the point of
near collapse and civil war. So we find ourselves in a sense of national
emergency where good citizens should act. I have spent my life working on being
what I believe is good citizenship, so I must act. When I looked at the problem
of the GOP destruction of the country I worked to challenge them in a variety
of ways before coming to believe that my particular skill set could best be
used to form a political campaign to throw the traitors out of power, to cause
the public to see the error of the GOP ways. I worked in other people's
campaigns enough to learn I had to take up the battle myself and I could make
the biggest difference being being a candidate.
2) What Are Your Qualifications? My most important qualification, which my opponents
appear to not have, is that I care about the lives of all Americans,
especially those who suffer at the hands of the powerful and wealthy, and
that empathy shapes my decision making. I do not look at who has the most power
and how do I advance them and garner reward for myself. This is the central
difference between myself and candidates and politicians who promote the
"conservative values agenda." Beyond that, I have numerous expected
skills for a candidate: I am creative, intelligent, fun, apparently
charismatic, extremely persistent and willing to push myself to make things
work. I am very good at bargaining, both in pressing to get what I am after,
but also in helping the other person feel like a winner and a collaborator. I
am well educated and keep informed. Plus, I can multi-task to an extraordinary
degree.
3) How Do You Plan to Support Business? I plan to invite business to help shape my agenda within these
parameters. I want business to feel that the government is here to support and
not to harm and then of course, business needs to act like government is an
ally, not an enemy to do their part in promoting partnerships. I plan to
improve infrastructure and increase government spending in community and
infrastructure development. I plan to evaluate existing restrictive regulations
and where possible, eliminate them or pare back on the oppressive components,
but not at the expense of protecting the general public from abusive or exploitative business practices.
I plan to promote a 21st century economy and provide transition support from
the 20th century petroleum based economy to a 21st century diversified energy
resource based economy. Lastly, I pledge to fight against the attacks on
government social services, which shatter consumer spending power and weken
citizen confidence.
4) What Will Your Duties & Responsibilities Be If You
Are Elected? My number one duty is to act in a way
that stays focused on doing things to improve the lives of 1st the
residents of AZ-04 and then the country as a whole. It is my duty to support
people, plans and processes that advance the wellbeing of our country and
against actions that harm us. With that in mind, my responsibilities must
include: 1) Being attentive to opinions of both my supporters and detractors,
2) Keeping my re-election campaign and party politics from directing my
decisions. 3) Finding the truth in disputes, no matter whose side ultimately
proves to be right. 4) Applying my creativity and the problem-solving power of
the best team I can assemble to address AZ-04 issues continuingly, 7 days a
week at the same pace I have campaigned for the job. & Lastly, 5)
Negotiating the political landscape in a way that focuses on building allies
not unscrupulously inventing and attacking enemies at the expense of the common
interest.
5) What are the top three issues in our state? The number one issue for Arizona is water, in specific, but
utilities in general: Our country is veering toward a water crisis and AZ is
the leading edge. We must have a way to generate the water needs for the
present, of course, but having sufficient water resources is the only way to
build a bigger economic future for the state. Solar generated power en masse,
the safe development and utilization of our gas and coal resources is part of
this issue as is erecting a fully expanded grid of electricity and
communication services is part of path to future of AZ. Next is rural
development. 21st century business practices make it possible
to develop rural access to services and products as never before. AZ's rural
communities are ripe for interests that want to develop, not exploit them.
Lastly, our emaciated educational system in the state must be reinvigorated if
we are ever going to have a society that benefits all its citizens. Educating
the poor, rural and marginalized is the best way to improve the business
climate: better educated workers and consumers make the economy better for
everybody.
6) What State Or Federal Issues Do You See As Having A
Positive Or Negative Effect On Business In Lake Havasu? The GOP's continuing attack on education and social services is
the single greatest threat to Lake Havasu. Separately, the ACA's potential to
improve the lives of workers and the operating practices of businesses is
routinely dismissed at best, or more often attacked by the right; but this
canard has about had its day. The discussion of the future of renewable energy
sources (sun, wind, bio-algae--all of which are being developed in the area)
should be a legislative item every session. The same with the water issues I
mentioned above matter to LHC, as does the discussion about infrastructure for
transportation, communications and energy. Lastly and this is separate of the
GOP complaints above, the GOP's insistence on creating and passing state laws
that are not only bad for Arizonans; but more significantly here,
Unconstitutional, is a central legislative issue to be addressed. The energy
and resources to write and then litigiously defend flaws that will ultimately
be struck down saps so much energy and treasure it has to be mentioned.
7) What Will You Do To Support Economic Development And Tourism
Relative To Lake Havasu? I plan to support the
tourist/water recreation industry in LHC by promoting travel and investing in
infrastructure to get tourists to LHC and take care of their utility needs
while they're here. The I-11 interstate passing through our county means the
potential for highway development at all levels. Highway development goes hand
in hand w community development and would want to increase the spending on arts
and recreation services in town which make the community more attractive to
tourists and seasonal visitors. I would also work to improve social and medical
services in the area which will help w our aging visitors and residents alike.
8) What would be your method of funding public education? The federal government should take a much more robust role
in funding public education. I think that equality of access to quality
education is a fundamental right of US citizenship and a disastrously neglected
need over the centuries. All students, rural or no, should have access to a
better standard of school: maximum class sizes, a guaranteed assortment of
electives and vocational classes, counseling services, school food and clothing
programs, etc. This history of neglect requires resources only the federal
level can address. To fund this I call for an equalization of taxes, where
higher income earners continue to contribute to the tax base in their social
security and capital gains rates. I call for a re-patriotization of US
corporate profits, a structure to regulate and tax, cannabis, and an electronic
transaction tax. Lastly I call for an end to test-driven instruction and a
return to a whole student curriculum, an end to the educational agenda of the
nation being directed by a for-profit consultancy class at the expense of
teacher and local autonomy. An educational system that creates paupers and
illiterates is a burden. An educational system that advances the potential for
all Americans in effect, funds itself.
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