Arizone We Want Citizen Questions For Candidates

the
the
the
Citizen Questions
the
I N S T I T U T E
for Candidates
I N S T I T U T E
In the middle of the 20th century, Arizona’s economy was driven by the five C’s
of cotton, cattle, copper, climate, and citrus. As a candidate in 2010, what is
your vision of Arizona’s economy in the next 10, 20, and 30 years?
— peoria town meeting
p r e s e n t i n g p a r t n e r
™
T h e A r i zo n aW e Wa n t.o r g
The Arizona We Want

An initiative of the Center for the Future of Arizona, The Arizona
We Want offers a realistic and contemporary picture of what
citizens think about life in Arizona communities, what they
want for the future, and the questions they want candidates
to address in the 2010 election.
The Center for the Future of Arizona was established in 2002 by Dr. Lattie Coor to help Arizona
shape its future through an action-oriented agenda that focuses on issues critical to the state.
More than a think tank, the Center is an independent “do tank” that combines research with collaborative
partnerships and initiatives that serve the public interest and the common good.
Governed by a distinguished board of directors, the Center is a 501(c)(3) organization funded through
foundation, corporate and community contributions.
Center for the Future of Arizona

541 East Van Buren, Suite B-5, Phoenix, Arizona 85004 | (602) 496-1360 | www.ArizonaFuture.org
Copyright © 2010 Center for the Future of Arizona. All Rights Reserved.
W
hen the Center for the Future of Arizona asked Gallup to survey
citizens some 18 months ago about a wide variety of issues, Arizona
became the first state in the nation to focus on capturing “citizen
voice” and its importance to democracy in the 21st century.
For a combination of reasons—specific citizen goals, a weak state

economy, frustration with elected leaders—public interest in The Arizona We Want remains
high. Given the response from all regions of the state, the Center remains committed to our
original goal—establishing a citizens’ agenda for Arizona that will mobilize people throughout
the state and survive transitions in leadership over time.
When we asked ourselves how we could incorporate the goals and issues identified in the
Gallup Arizona Poll into the 2010 election, we realized that we needed to give citizens the
opportunity to frame their own questions for candidates. To that end, we identified seven issues
that the poll indicates are particularly important to Arizona voters this year. The issues are:
Job Creation
Education
Natural Resources and the Environment
Healthcare
Immigration
Leadership and State Government
State Finances
Dr. Lattie Coor
Chairman and CEO
We then asked leaders in five Arizona communities to host town meetings during the month Center for the Future
of Arizona
of June to bring together 50 to 60 citizens who are representative of their areas. While each
meeting took on its own unique spirit, they also had much in common—citizens were remarkably
civil to one another and respectful of differing points of view. They were appreciative of the
opportunity to ask questions about the issues that most concern them in this election year.
And, above all, they were very serious about their concerns for Arizona’s future as a great
place to live, prosper and raise a family. The participating communities are:
Flagstaff
Peoria
Mesa
Tucson
Sierra Vista
Finally, we invited citizens statewide to contribute their ideas and questions online at
our Web site, TheArizonaWeWant.org.
C i t i z e n Q u e s t i o n s f o r C a n d i d at e s 3
the result: Citizen Questions
for 2010 Candidates
This report offers an array of nearly 800 questions that reflect the citizen perspective on
seven issues that confront Arizona in 2010. While some questions pertain to one elective
office more than another, or one level of government more than another, most questions can
be applied to all public service on behalf of Arizona and the quality of life it offers the people
who live here.
In consultation with a community advisory committee, we organized the report in three

sections to help candidates and citizens use it purposefully.
Four compelling themes emerged in the town meetings and online submissions.
The themes were so consistent that we decided to ask candidates to respond to a set
of composite questions as well as the citizen questions dealing with specific issues.
Candidates The composite questions are:
Respond to citizen YOUR VISION

questions online at What is your vision for the state? How will Arizona be different if you are elected to office?
TheArizonaWeWant.org
YOUR issues
What issues are most important to you? What positions on those issues will cause voters to
support you?
Citizens YOUR POLITICS
Submit your questions Partisanship and divisiveness are becoming endemic at virtually all levels of government.
for candidates at
As a candidate, what kind of assurance can you give that the interests of Arizona citizens are
TheArizonaWeWant.org
going to be put before party, special interests, or personal ideology?
YOUR approach
If elected, you will be expected to take action on a number of issues that are important to
citizens. Many of your decisions about one issue will affect other issues. Your decisions on
education will affect job creation, for example, and your decisions on healthcare will affect
state finances. Please describe your approach to dealing with the multiple implications of
these kinds of decisions.
Key Questions to be Answered by candidates are organized around the seven issues—
job creation, education, natural resources and the environment, healthcare, immigration,
leadership and state government, and state finances. For each issue, we have selected 4 to
6 key questions to be answered by candidates from among all available citizen questions.
Candidate responses will be posted on our Web site and others, and candidates are asked
to post them on their own campaign Web sites.
A Complete Directory of the nearly 800 questions raised by citizens begins on page 13.
It is included in the hope that citizen questions will be used in a variety of ways.
We hope all candidates and the Arizonans they represent find this report helpful.
4 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t
Job Creation
k e y q u e s t i o n s t o b e a n s w e r e d
1
What is your perspective on the value of incentives for
economic development? How important are incentives, and
should they be planned at the state level or at the local level?
2
What citizens
What kind of collaboration do want: Gallup
3
you desire between education Arizona Poll
and industry? How would you I’d like to ask candidates
foster that collaboration to what they will do to Goal: Create quality
generate more jobs and better create green jobs for jobs for all Arizonans.
qualified employees? Arizona. It’s been our Citizen support was
experience that this highest to:
draws young people. Invest in technology
It’s a very exciting and facilities to grow

renewable energy.
occupation for young
4 Create more job training
people, and I think programs for people of
In Arizona, 97 percent of the that would do a lot to all ages.
businesses here are run by small turn around our per Lower business taxes to
business owners. What are you capita income.
attract and grow business.
going to do to help the small Citizens rate Arizona:

business owner create jobs?
4% Economic conditions
are very good in my
city or area.
6% Job opportunities
are very good.
24% The next generation

5 will have a better
Do you believe that we need to diversify our business base standard of living
than we do.
rather than just waiting for real estate construction and
tourism to recover? What actions would you take to foster that?
Education
k e y q u e s t i o n s
Do you believe that the success of public education is the

most important role of government in the State of Arizona?
What citizens 2 How would you ensure our

want: Gallup students rise to national/
There’s been a
Arizona Poll international standards?
substantial reduction
How will they become
in funding for higher
Goal: Prepare “career-college ready”
Arizonans of all ages
education in this state,
with the state’s current
for careers in the 21st and I’d like to know
education fiscal budget?
century workforce. specifically from
Citizen support was candidates what level
highest to:
of investment you
Graduate students who will support in higher
are “career-college” ready.
education and how
4
Educate students to
national/international
you believe that will
standards. support our economy. Every candidate says they
Citizens rate Arizona:
support education. What
specifically will you do
20% Rate the overall
quality of their to change education in
schools “very good.” Arizona?
Knowing that getting a child ready for kindergarten

begins at birth, how do you plan to support a P-20
educational system?
Natural Resources
s t o b e a n s w e r e d
1
Do you support having the whole state comply with the 1980
Groundwater Management Act, which requires that you
cannot pump out any more groundwater than is naturally
or artificially replenished? Right now there are vast areas
of the state, mostly in the rural areas, that do not have to
comply with that law.
What citizens
want: Gallup
2 Arizona Poll
I would ask any candidate
3
Goal: Protect Arizona’s
if they’re willing to support
continuation of the Growing What is your position on natural environment,
water supplies and
Smarter program, which state trust land reform, and open spaces.
helps protect our natural would you be in favor of
Citizen support was
resources. In particular, do giving the State Trust highest to:
you support bringing back Land Department more Create water management
the scorecard program, latitude in the way they plans for all regions of
which was never fully manage their lands for the the state.
implemented? benefit of Arizona’s schools? Balance population

growth with preserving
Arizona’s environment
and open spaces.
47% Rate the beauty of

5 the physical setting
4 as “very good.”
What is your Will you look beyond the 44% Rate the availability
commitment and needs of Maricopa and Pima of outdoor parks,

playgrounds and
plan to keep all of counties? To what extent will trails as “very good.”
our state parks open? you consider the needs of

And should they be smaller cities and rural areas
publicly funded? with regard to water and
environmental issues?
Healthcare
If elected, will you work to expand Kids Care again to deal with
the 40,000 children that are on the waiting list at this time?
What citizens What will you do to close

want: Gallup 3
the gap for the working
Arizona Poll poor who do not qualify We have a shortage of
for AHCCCS but cannot healthcare professionals
Goal: Provide health afford private insurance? in Arizona, and the
insurance for all, with University of Arizona has
payment assistance
for those who need it.
gone through extensive
planning to expand the
Citizen support was
highest to: medical school in Phoenix.
Make health insurance
4 It requires a great deal
publicly available for all of investment. Are you
Given the current extreme
Arizonans.
supportive of continuing
shortage of doctors in the
Provide guaranteed
this investment or
health insurance for State of Arizona, what
increasing it?
all children.
would you do about tort
Citizens rate Arizona: reform to help more doctors
23% Rate accessible want to practice here?
care in their
community as
“very good.” The
percentage is lower
in small cities (18%)
and rural areas (17%).
5
Do you support additional funding for Graduate Medical

Education, which helps put medical residents in rural
community hospitals?
Immigration
The majority of Arizona citizens support SB1070, despite the

fact that some communities have decided to take legal action.
Do you specifically support or oppose SB1070?
My question is about the What citizens

2
children who come to this want: Gallup
Do you support the country at three years of age Arizona Poll
removal, in whatever and have gone through
way, of the 600,000 elementary school and high Goal: A constructive
solution to illegal
estimated illegal school. Are you in favor of immigration
immigrants? Or do sending them back, even
you support creating a though they had no reason to
process in which some be in this country except their 19% Strongly agree that
Arizona is a good
of those would be able parents brought them here? place for immigrants
to stay in the state and from other countries.
in the country legally? 23% Strongly agree that

Arizona is a good
place for racial and
ethnic minorities.
5
What kind of influence
4 can you bring to bear
on our Congressional
Will you do everything
delegation to secure
possible when you get
a comprehensive
into office to make sure
immigration policy
that the federal government
for this country and
does the job it has been
especially for our state?
constitutionally mandated
to do, which is to protect our
borders from illegal entry?
Leadership & Government
How do you feel about an open primary concept for legislative

office, where anyone can vote in a primary election and the
general election is a runoff between the first and second
(place) candidates?
What citizens
3
want: Gallup
Arizona Poll Do you support changing
2
the position of Secretary
Goal: Fully prepared
In almost every election, of State to Lieutenant
leaders and modernized we have propositions on Governor?
government structures. the ballot. How do you
Citizen rate Arizona: feel about proposing
10% Rate the leadership some kind of legislation
of elected officials that these voter-mandated
in their city or area 4
“very good.” programs be revisited
10% Strongly agree that
periodically and referred Do you support term limits?
leaders represent back to voters on some
their interests.
kind of regular basis?
Will you support a

5 constitutional convention
Do you support a to modernize our state
redistricting process government?
that results in more
politically competitive
districts?
1 0 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t
State Finances
1
If you want to decrease taxes in Arizona, you can do it with a
simple majority. But if you want to increase taxes, you need a
two-thirds vote. Are you willing to do anything about that so
we can increase or decrease easier as needed?
2
What citizens
want: Gallup
Every issue we’ve talked 3 Arizona Poll
about has some cost to It’s my understanding that
it. What I want to know is there’s a cap on the amount Goal: A balanced and
what your top priorities are of money that can go into stable tax system.
for state spending. Where the rainy day fund. Do you Issues to consider:
should the dollars go first, favor removing the cap? State revenues have
and where should they dropped 28% from three
go last? years ago. Sales tax has

grown from 37% of state
revenues in 1971 to 54%.
Joint Legislative Budget Committee
Expenses have increased

significantly for K-12
5
education, healthcare and
4 Oftentimes our cities corrections due to voter

passed initiatives and
We are experiencing are burdened with population growth.
a severe economic unfunded mandates. U.S. Census, Joint Legislative Budget Committee
downturn, and I think I want to know the Revenues are at 2004
part of that is because candidates’ opinions levels but expenses are

30% higher.
of the tax structure about unfunded Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning

and Budgeting
we have in Arizona. mandates and if they

What do you feel the would be willing to
appropriate mix of lessen them or eliminate
taxation should be them altogether.
in the state?
complete directory: Citizen Questions
for 2010 Candidates
The following pages include all citizen questions recorded in town meetings
and online at TheArizonaWeWant.org.
We encourage candidates, the media, civic organizations and citizens throughout Arizona
to listen to what your constituents and neighbors have to say. We have highlighted
some of the citizen questions in the directory we found particularly interesting.
Our sincere thanks to the community hosts who led the town meetings, to everyone
who has participated so far, and to those who will participate as we go forward with
Election 2010.
Carl Swenson J.R. Murray Scott Smith Ron Shoopman Bob Strain
Peoria City Manager Chairman, Mayor President Mayor
City of Peoria Board of Directors City of Mesa Southern Arizona City of Sierra Vista
Flagstaff Forty Leadership Council,
We need to make the most of The Arizona We Want town The town meetings are a
Tuscon
every opportunity to understand Change in the way Arizona meeting encouraged open and noble effort that rightly focus
the needs of the public. The does business is necessary to honest discussion about Arizona needs effective on identifying the common
Arizona We Want provided a rise out of the current economic Arizona’s future. As election elected leaders who reflect threads among all Arizonans
forum for the community to conditions and set a course time approaches, it is very the values of its people and that can help shape our future,
express their concerns and moving forward, and that important that candidates govern accordingly. and challenge political
dreams for their future, and includes selecting qualified understand how our citizens Identifying those leaders candidates to share their
the future of their families. candidates. Flagstaff has feel. It’s not about politics. It starts by asking every views on citizen priorities.
The voice of the people is a typically not been as active is about our future and where candidate the right questions As the home of the state’s
powerful thing. at the state level as it should we see ourselves heading as a and focusing their attention largest military installation,
be. Bringing the town meeting state. We must take every on the major issues facing the citizens of Sierra Vista
process to this community was opportunity to learn about Arizona today and in the understand the importance
an opportunity for residents in ourselves, take charge and future. The Arizona We Want of supporting the great
Northern Arizona to be heard. develop a plan that leads us gives citizens the opportunity economic engines of a region.
to a better Arizona. to clearly articulate how they Perhaps equally important is
feel about the state’s most our location outside the two
pressing problems. The result metropolitan areas, our
is a call to action. appreciation of the San Pedro
River and our sensitivity
to water.
Job Creation
P e o r i a T o w n M e e t i n g
1 Do you support the premise that job creation should be assigned to government, or do you propose that job creation is the
responsibility of private industry?
2 What is your perspective on the value of incentives for economic development? How important are incentives, and should they
be planned at the state level or the local level?
3 Besides simply cutting taxes, what will you do if elected to spur economic growth in Arizona?
4 What will you do to make sure that we use our natural resources to the best advantage we can, getting solar energy into this area?
5 How do you perceive the relationship between improving education in Arizona and job creation/ economic development?
6 Our industries are in a global economy. I’ve seen jobs in my own company leave the U.S. because of tax benefits. What will you do
to keep jobs in the U.S. when we’re faced with countries outside the U.S. that are competing fo r our jobs based on tax preferences?
7 I’ve read reports that Texas did better in the economic downturn because of their diversification in economic sectors. What can
Arizona do to better diversify the economy?
8 How would you go about finding out what industries want and what they need to come here?
9 What do you think a living wage is for a family of four nowadays? What will you do to help more people have it?
10 What impact will SB1070 have on businesses coming into Arizona? What do you foresee?
11 We talk about job creation, but we need to talk about job retention too. What will you do if elected to ensure our ability to keep
Luke Air Force Base and the other military bases within Arizona strong?
12 Along with the idea of jobs leaving the country because of tax benefits, how do we offset the lower standards of safety and
concern for workers that we find in very nearby countries? Could that help keep jobs here?
13 What kind of collaboration do you desire between education and industry? How would you foster that collaboration to generate
more jobs and better qualified employees?
14* In the middle of the 20th century, Arizona’s economy was driven by the five C’s of cotton, cattle, copper, climate, and citrus.
As a candidate in 2010, what is your vision of Arizona’s economy in the next 10, 20, and 30 years?
15 The Mayor of Peoria recently signed a proclamation for Peoria High School’s old main built in 1922. However, he made it clear
that there isn’t any city money to help preserve it. What is your stand on historic preservation?
16 What would you do to streamline regulations to encourage new business?
17 One of the fastest-growing parts of our economy is people who work from home and they create their own jobs for themselves.
How would you as a candidate help people work from home more efficiently and reduce the regulations they are burdened with?
18 The Commerce Department has essentially been ravaged. What use is that department? Would you restore it and/or would you
change it to make it more effective?
19 Are taxes really the issue in terms of drawing industry and new companies? Are there other issues that far more stand in our
way? Will you examine that question and look at other factors besides taxes?
20 We create industries to create jobs. How do you, as a candidate, feel about the environment? We’re talking about mines, we’re
talking about solar, we’re talking about our water. It definitely relates to jobs and industry. How do you relate protecting the
environment to job creation?
21 What will you do to educate people about renewable energy? Citizens need to know that renewables, other than hydro and
nuclear, are unreliable, can’t be produced at night and are ten to twenty times more expensive than conventional power.
* Selected as a key question for candidate responses. C i t i z e n Q u e s t i o n s f o r C a n d i d at e s 13

F l a g s ta ff T o w n M e e t i n g
1 Arizona’s the number one solar state in the nation. I’d like to ask candidates what they will do to promote that fact and help
citizens benefit from it?
2 What can we do as a state to be more attractive to outside businesses that will come in and bring jobs with them? My understanding
is there is a lot of difficulty in the permit process and lots of competition among states. What will you do to improve the state’s
infrastructure and education system to make Arizona more attractive? Or can we bring the jobs in first and then use the additional
revenues that come with those jobs to do these things?
3 If elected, would you be willing to work with rural areas to develop jobs for the entire state?
4* I’d like to ask the candidates what they will do to create green jobs for Arizona? It’s been our experience that this draws young
people. It’s a very exciting occupation for young people, and I think that would do a lot to turn around our per capita income.
5 I’m very interested in the candidates’ ideas and philosophies on small business and how they plan to support the growth of small
business. What are your ideas for tax policy, improving the infrastructure, dealing with employer insurance packages, etc.?
6 Whether we like it or not, Arizona has been dependent on undocumented workers in its three major industries: tourism, construction
and agriculture. These are jobs that most Americans apparently don’t want and we absolutely depend on them for the economic
health of our state. How do you propose to fill these positions now that the legislature seems to be intent on driving many of
these folks out of the state?
7 I’d like to ask candidates what the relationship is between economic development and an educated citizenry. And based on
that response, what is their plan to move both forward?
8 Most of the jobs that are being created in the country today via the stimulus dollars seem to be going to government positions.
Because I don’t believe that government jobs stimulate the economy since they aren’t sustainable, and because I believe that the
private sector is where the real growth is, I would like to know what you will do to foster more private enterprise and more jobs in
the private sector.
9 Very specifically, I would like to ask our federal representatives what they are planning to do with the reauthorization of the
Workforce Investment Act that funded job training. That act is currently eight years past reauthorization, and so I would like to
know what you plan on doing to make sure that we get it reauthorized.
10 We really need to transition to a clean energy economy and this is a real opportunity for Arizona because we have a lot of sun here.
We also have a lot of wind. You do not hear about a toxic wind spill, but you do hear about gulf oil spills. We need to transition off
fossil fuels. How can we use this as an opportunity for creating green jobs in Arizona? My question for each candidate is to ask
how you will help create a clean energy economy with green jobs?
11 What is your plan to strengthen local economies and industries and make the wisest use of our natural resources by helping
Arizona businesses meet the needs of our own population?
12 I have a very simple question. I’d like for candidates to define green jobs and a clean energy economy and explain the relevance
in today’s economy.
13 It’s difficult to attract high-paying jobs and a quality workforce unless our communities are vibrant. What will you do to support
arts, culture, and creative industries to make Arizona more attractive to potential employers and workforce?
14 In my 45 years in Arizona, I think one of the most exciting and forward-looking actions of our state was the creation of
Science Foundation Arizona. That public/private partnership is investing in the creation of research-based, high-tech jobs
in the state. I would like to ask each candidate to give their view of the importance of Science Foundation Arizona. Do you
support it or oppose it?
15 Congress passed the Paperwork Reduction Act years ago but we are getting more and more paperwork to do, and more and more
regulations from the federal government. Now I’m not sure what the state can do to counter that, but I would like to know what
candidates will do to reduce the burden of regulations and paperwork on small business.
16 How will you allocate state resources so that we can expand our private workforce opportunities here in Arizona?
17 What is your view of high tech incubators such as biomedical or silicon-based manufacturing?
1 4 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t * Selected as a key question for candidate responses.

18 What will you do to bring green businesses and manufacturing to Arizona?
19 Instead of trying to increase Arizona’s exports, what if we focus on reducing state imports and becoming more self-sufficient?
Which local industries will you support?
20 If elected, will you work to take the caps off the state tax for installing solar?
21 Neither of my children can live in Arizona. It’s not affordable. How could your vision for education and job creation make it
possible for our children to stay in the state?
M e s a T o w n M e e t i n g
1 In reading Richard Florida’s book, “The Rise of the Creative Class,” and in looking at The Arizona We Want, I noticed that there
were several groups that do not feel they are welcome in Arizona or that they are valued in Arizona. And I also know that companies
that want to move to Arizona look at that kind of demographic to see if Arizona values every one of the residents. As a lesbian,
I don’t think you do. How will you address the issue of valuing every resident in Arizona for what we give to the state?
2 As a candidate, how do you feel about funding the Arizona Department of Commerce, and do you feel it’s important and money
well spent? How do you feel about the proposal that just recently went to the governor for restructuring Commerce?
3 I think there’s been enough said about whether or not Arizona is competitive in job attraction, and I would like to know if you
are willing to look at all the factors that attract business in such a way that taxes are not off the table? Arizona is very expensive
for business, especially when it comes to personal property taxes. What measures would you take as a candidate or as an elected
official to invite businesses into our community and to our state with a particular focus on small business, the backbone of our
country?
4 As a candidate, do you support the creation of a fund to provide incentives for businesses to relocate here or expand here, not on a
community-based basis, but on a statewide basis? Funds that could be used anywhere inside the state to attract business?
5 Although there’s much talk about incentives, are you willing to look beyond the immediate recruiting of businesses and look
into developing new businesses long range, particularly export businesses, so that we have more jobs for more people, and
better-paying jobs?
6 I’m interested in the arts and culture, so there are two questions. If the Department of Commerce rearranges or however that
shakes out, what do you feel are important things to carry forward? Specifically, does film development fall into the category of
important industries to you? And, secondly, how do you see arts and culture as an economic development tool?
7 Do you believe that we need to diversify our business base rather than just waiting for real estate construction and tourism to
recover? What actions would you take to foster that?
8 We have diverted the job training funds that all businesses pay into the general fund. Are you prepared to put them back to
their purpose, which is education for jobs?
9 Manufacturing has dropped in our state and it’s a backbone industry for the entire nation. What would you do to support
education, either at the high school level or the college level, that is directed specifically at preparing people for manufacturing
enterprises?
10 An important question to me when I evaluate a candidate is whether they favor a) incentives for businesses that bring good jobs
here and treat their employees well, and b) whether they favor regulatory laws and penalties for those who don’t. The carrot or the
stick—which do you prefer?
11 Lower business taxes may or may not attract and grow business. As a candidate, do you believe businesses have an obligation to
pay taxes to help educate Arizona’s work force?
12 As a candidate, do you support the development of a deep water port in Mexico, which can be used to transport items
manufactured in Arizona to other parts of the world?
13 As a candidate, how important do you view providing access to broadband for all parts of the state?
14 How will you help get more solar companies to come to Arizona?
Tucs o n T o w n M e e t i n g
1 We lose a lot of talent in the Tucson area and I would like to know how you’re going to retain the young professionals, the kids
who are graduating and going forward? What you would do to quantify the issue and be accountable for it?
2 Do you support the passing of PACE legislation in Arizona? PACE legislation is the financing of clean energy through property
taxes. And that stands for property assessed clean energy, and it’s also known as the Berkley Model. That will generate jobs here
in Arizona.
3 What do you perceive as the role of the state in economic development and the creation of new jobs, particularly the future of the
Department of Commerce versus the new entity that the governor has proposed for development in leadership and economic
development.
4 What do you believe is the role of government in economic development? I’d like to find out whether you believe it’s government’s role
to create jobs, or whether it’s government’s role to create the environment in which jobs are created and industries are developed
and so on and so forth.
5 Do you support Science Foundation Arizona?
6 Do you support the creation of economic incentives to attract more high tech businesses to Arizona?
7 For the past 60 years, since post World War II, Arizona’s been based on a “growth for growth’s sake” economy. Growth is a good
thing, but it is not always sustainable. How would you transition our economy and its job base into a more sustainable future?
8 Given the cuts in the Department of Commerce, how do you see the rural and smaller communities around the state being able to
handle their economic development needs without support?
9 This is one question in multi parts. What is your stance on job creation in the State of Arizona? Are you intending to create more
jobs for the residents of the state, or are you intending to keep Arizona a retirement state? As a trailing spouse, I could not locate
a job for myself when my wife was transferred here. So I had to take the first thing possible. What is your position on attracting
other businesses here?
10* In Arizona, 97 percent of the businesses here are run by small business owners. What are you going to do to help the small business
owner create jobs?
11 What are you going to do in the future to make Arizona more competitive on job creation given the competition in the Southwest?
12 What would you propose as policies to support workforce development?
13 I’d like to know what states you think have done a very good job in economic development and what have you learned from them?
What states have done a poor job of economic development and what have you learned from those?
14 Would you be willing to amend the gift clause so that the governor could have a deal closing fund or certain incentives that we
could use to get base industries to locate here? Or expand and grow ones that are already here?
15 Would you support a bill that would provide state tax deductions for small businesses that create additional jobs, and that would
provide funding for job training that has been taken away over the last couple of years?
16* There is currently a referendum being considered to eliminate all set-asides for smaller minority-owned businesses for any type
of government programs that support small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of job creation. What is your position,
candidates, on overturning that referendum if passed?
17 As part of coping with our current fiscal situation, the job training funds of the state have been completely swept. Would you
restore them fully, or to what extent?
18 Quality education is critical not only to attracting jobs but to retention of the current businesses that we have. Given that Arizona
is 51st in education funding, how do you propose to sustain the businesses that are already here? How will you retain those while
you’re also thinking about attracting new businesses?
19 What is your position on the retention and expansion of military installations in the State of Arizona?

20 What will you do if elected to improve Arizona’s transportation infrastructure—light rail, buses, the highway system?
21 Do you support the creation of economic incentives to attract more high tech businesses to Arizona?
22 What will you do to reduce regulations and other things that inhibit job creation for small business?
23 To further economic development, will you support and develop Arizona tourism that respects the environment and green technology?
24 Do you agree that small service and retail businesses cannot create sustained economic growth? Do you agree that recruiting
and growing base (exporting) businesses is the way to help small business and Arizona’s economy?
25 What is your position on state support for broadband deployment in rural communities?
26 Do you support tax cuts for base export industries?
27 Do you support planning, especially in transportation, for what the Morrison Institute calls the “Sun Corridor” growth model?
S i e r r a V i s ta T o w n M e e t i n g
1 There seems to be a movement at the state level to target incentives toward larger businesses. We’re seeing it with film tax credits
and with the enterprise zone program that will have an impact on Maricopa County. My question for candidates is do you recognize
that there are different needs within the state for economic development incentives? Are you willing to support separate incentives
that recognize the needs of rural counties?
2 Lowering business taxes may affect larger businesses but it doesn’t have a big impact on smaller businesses. If elected, what
would you do to help smaller businesses with loan generation that helps small business expansion and job retention?
3 How would you support small business growth in Arizona and what are the one or two things you would do to make the structure
work better? The Small Business Administration supports us in some ways but it has little or no teeth. What changes would you make?
4 With the economy the way it stands, small business is where most of the economic recovery will come from and we’re not supporting
small business growth. We’re letting it stagnate. What will you do to help small business flourish?
5 My question would be how are you going to market rural counties and small businesses so they’re attractive to investors,
versus pointing everyone to Maricopa County?
6 We have numerous small businesses here, but how can you get a living wage from small businesses? What will you do help create
an environment in which small business can flourish and provide a living wage to its employees?
7 My question is what do you think is the appropriate role of government in economic development? Is it infrastructure development,
workforce development, or possibly tax credits and some fiscal mechanisms?
8 Improved training and education for workers is not enough for them to get jobs if there are no jobs to get. We can’t expect jobs
just to appear because we have people who are trained for them. We need businessmen and entrepreneurs to come here and
create opportunities. Tax incentives, tax cuts and simple straightforward regulations that are fair can help but there has to be
more to it than that. What would you do to help?
9 In some instances and some industries, there’s a balancing act between environmental protection and economic growth. With
regard to operations like the Rosemont mine, where do you stand?
10 It seems to me there’s a bridge question that needs to be asked. Namely, what will you do to encourage the development of
vocational education? And how do we bridge from education to the practical world of small and medium-sized businesses?
Do you have an idea about how to implement it?
11 I’d be interested in knowing if the candidates would support tax incentives or deferred tax credits towards retraining in existing
businesses or reinvestment in technology and infrastructure. We need to recognize that we not only need to encourage new
business to come in, we need to retain those businesses as they try to cope with trying to work in a new economic situation.
12 I have been managing a Sonic Drive-In for about a year now. I would like to ask candidates for their position with respect to
unemployment compensation requirements if, in fact, there are reasons why we’ve let people go. I want to know what you will
do to protect businesses from having to pay so much unemployment to these workers?
13 Do you believe the state needs a Department of Commerce?
O n l i n e S u b m i ss i o n s / O t h e r
1 How would you go about creating jobs besides service jobs? How would you attract good companies to come here without giving
away the store with tax breaks?
2 Who is responsible for job creation in Arizona? To you, what is the role of government in job creation?
3 What will you do to reduce business taxes?
4 In his political TV ad, Buz Mills says he will reduce taxes to increase jobs. The Bush administration reduced taxes by $1.3 trillion
yet jobs were lost at the rate of about 700,000 per month. Do you support the Mills plan? How will it be any better for Arizona
than the Bush plan was for America?
5 If elected, what will you do to invest in small business?
6 Cities are competing with each other and we need to restrict urban sprawl. How can we get cities to work together for
economic development?
7 Isn’t it time for Arizona to have a dynamic ad campaign promoting economic development? Like Michigan has done with …
“a home for new industry.”
8 Do you agree that Arizona needs economic diversification so we’re not a one industry state creating low wage jobs?
9 Why are we still using coal and nuclear power? Why aren’t we growing solar energy to export?
10 What can we do to create more new businesses that can export products?
11 If elected, what will you do to provide highly skilled and educated people with good jobs? Some of us are out of work.
12 In your view, how can AZ be a model for keeping jobs here or bringing them back from overseas?
13 How can Phoenix attract a more diverse base of high-paying jobs? Specifically, how can Phoenix become more attractive for
corporations to locate their headquarters in the Valley? We need to become less dependent on real estate & development. What
do you want Phoenix to be known for?
Education:
1 When I came here ten years ago, Peoria Union District schools were absolutely tops. Since then, they try to maintain their greatness,
but money keeps slipping away from them. How will you help get money back into public schools?
2 Will you reduce the mandates on the K-12 public schools in order for them to cope with the lower income they’ll be having with
our reduction in tax income? They have way too many things they’re told to do that are not really necessary to educating students.
3 I would like to ask the candidate what role they see the universities playing in attracting good jobs and companies? We often hear
that leaders want to bring in technologically advanced companies and yet every time there’s a budget crisis, the first thing that gets
cut is education and the university. So I’m wondering how candidates see the universities and the role they play in job creation?
4 Good quality education begins early in childhood; all the evidence shows that. Do you, as a candidate, support publicly funded
all-day kindergarten?
5 Given that GED testing accounts for more than 20 percent of high school diplomas earned in Arizona during the year, how soon
will you restore funding for GED testing?
6 As a candidate, do you believe Arizona truly is at the bottom of the nation for student funding? If so, how do you plan on fixing
that? Or do you think we’re just fine?
7 People come here, certainly companies come here, because they expect their kids to be trained and given a good school education.
I was just wondering what you would do to ensure that our schools maintain the high standing they once had?
8 I’ve been hearing a lot about what I think is called the Race to the Top, a national initiative on education. My question would be,
how do you see Arizona’s chances in competing for that funding , and what will you do to support it?
9 School districts around the country have been canceling music and art programs. Do you as a candidate believe that music and
art programs are worthwhile and worth saving? What do you plan on doing to keep them?
10 What would you do to get parents more involved in K-12 education, with the schools and with their own students?
11 There’s been a lot of discussion nationwide about the relationship between teacher tenure and quality teaching. What is
your position on that? If you believe tenure is an impediment to teacher quality, what would you do about it?
12 We talk a lot about education being about college and getting ready for college. But there is an abundance of technical training
that’s needed and not addressed very well. We have the Western Maricopa Education Center that’s a technical public high school,
and I would like to know what you’d do to establish more of these types of institutions around the state?
13 There’s been some thought leaders proposing that we increase class sizes significantly as a way of paying higher teacher salaries.
Do you believe the outcomes for our students will be better with significantly larger class sizes? Have you ever tried to teach in a
classroom with 40 fifth graders? What will you do to hold our class sizes down so that learning is optimized for our young kids?
14 Do you as a candidate believe in performance-based pay? The current program is being funded out and eliminated. Do you
want to put it to the voters in the community to continue that program? Or do you believe performance-based pay should
be based solely on AIMS test scores?
15 Mr. Candidate, I am both a parent and a taxpayer, and I see that school revenues tend to go up and down with the economy, yet it
doesn’t appear to me that at the peaks, the school systems are saving any money in their budget for the bound-to-happen downturns.
How can you convince me that I should go along with ideas to put more money into the schools, when I’m not convinced that they’re
managing the money they have right now as effectively as they should be?
16 Dual enrollment allows students to get both high school and college credit at the same time, allowing them to move faster through
post-secondary education. As a candidate, what would you do to expand and improve dual enrollment programs in the State of
Arizona’s education system?
17 My question would be, what is your position on school vouchers?
18* Do you believe that the success of public education is the most important role of government in the State of Arizona?
19 The governor currently has K-12 education committees that do not have teachers on the committees. Would you, as a candidate,
push to have teachers on committees that affect public education?
20 I read some articles recently about off-site teaching, where the classroom can be accessed from any place. What is your view on
that? Would it help or hinder our status?
21 The classroom sizes are skewed. Some classes are 35 or 40, some are 25, and a lot of them are English language learners. What
would you do to handle this question of evenness and balance of class size within the schools themselves? Because the schools,
they play games with the numbers. They average it out and then it’s an average across the board for the classrooms.
22 How do you feel about the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction? Are you in favor of this being an elective office or an
appointed office?

23 According to the Arizona Gallup Poll, more people in Arizona over the age of 50 have a college education than any other age
group, and Arizona just ended the AIMS excelling scholarship for students coming out of high school. If elected, how will you
promote going to college in our state to high school graduates?

24 Given that we all want to see public education improved, is K-12 public education adequately funded by public revenues in Arizona?
If not, what will you do about it?
25 Since all day kindergarten does indeed provide a fabulous foundation for children going on to first grade, what would you do
about making kindergarten a required grade level to be attended in the State of Arizona?
26 What do you feel the role of charter schools is in the State of Arizona?
27 The last session of the legislature dealt with issues of curriculum, the Tucson District and Ethnic Studies. Do you believe the
legislature should micro-manage curriculum at the school level?
28 I’m very involved with the schools as a parent, as a PTSO president, but one thing that frustrates me is mandates by the state on
what I should do with my children, such as all-day kindergarten. I was perfectly happy with half day. Mandates for all-day kinder-
garten, mandates for how many hours a kindergartner, a six or seven-year-old, should spend in school is very frustrating for an
involved parent. So as a candidate, how are you going to stay out of my child’s life and let me be the parent?
29 Do you agree with the present system of giving tax credits to schools based on whoever wants to give money to whatever
school? Do you think it’s being fairly distributed and properly used? And, if not, what will you do about it?
30 Do you feel that private schools should be able to have a higher amount of tax credits than public schools? Are you okay with public
schools having more restrictions on what we can use those tax credit funds for versus the private schools? And what is your view
on school tuition organizations, the STOs?
31 What would you do to increase university and community college funding?
32 What would you do to strengthen the relationship between educational institutions and employers to ensure that the community
colleges and universities prepare students to work?
1 I’m from Winslow, Arizona, and I have been an educator for 42 years. Now that Proposition 100 has passed, what steps will you
take to restore funding for adult basic education in Arizona, since job training is such an important issue in our state?
2 Do you believe that Arizona can become a national leader in primary and secondary education? And, if so, how?
3 I would like to know what future elected officials will do to protect the system of early childhood education development and
health. I’d like to know how they will vote on Proposition 302. And I would hope to hear that they will vote in opposition to
Proposition 302.
4 Arizona needs a modern infrastructure—transportation, broadband, smart grids, renewable energy, and ensuring the state’s water
supplies. I’d like to know what the candidates will do to help Arizona students be prepared to meet those demands, and to forward
those industries.
5* There’s been a substantial reduction in funding for higher education in this state, and I’d like to know specifically from candidates
what level of investment you will support in higher education and how you believe that will support our economy.
6 I’m worried about the tax base for education in Arizona. We’ve learned recently that the tax structure we have is not
supportable. So I’d like the candidates to address how they’re going to build a tax base that will be consistent in
supporting education in this state.
7 I’d like to know how the legislature will deal with the fact that so many of our public school students are now going to charter
schools. The legislature has chosen to fund the transfer of our tax dollars from our public education system to the charter school
system. How can we renew our public education system in light of this? I feel that support of traditional public schools is lacking
and I’d like to hear what candidates are going to do to support our public school system.
8 I would like to get down to basics. How will the candidates look at how teachers are teaching students who cannot read, who cannot
comprehend, and what will candidates do to keep schools from just passing students on to the next level?

9 There is a tremendous high school dropout rate, especially in rural Arizona. What will you do to acquire funding and stop it?
10 I don’t believe that lack of funding is our problem. So I would like to ask the candidates how they would improve our educational
system using the funding they currently have, but perhaps re-prioritizing.
11 The gap between low-income students who achieve a higher education and those with families that are better off is widening, and this
has been a trend for some time. So my question is, what will you do to ensure this gap actually shrinks? We know very well that we’re
talking about issues related to race. So how will you, if elected, ensure that students from diverse groups have access to education?
12* Knowing that getting a child ready for kindergarten begins at birth, how do you plan to support a P-20 educational system?
13 SB1070 is strongly impacting many areas of Arizona’s economy, including education. How do we attract and keep diverse students
and faculty from around Arizona, the country, and the world?
14 Like most of you, I’m a product of an education system that has been in place for a long time. What innovative strategies can you
suggest to move the education system into the 21st century and become more individualized towards students?
15 I have volunteered many hours with third graders and they’re just incredible. I have also taught seniors at the college level.
Something bad happens between third grade and college, and it’s sad. I would like to ask candidates what they will do to stop
the degradation?
16 Where do you believe the state ranks among other states in the country in terms of per pupil spending on K-12 education? Identify
exactly where you feel Arizona’s K-12 per pupil spending ranks and whether it’s adequate, inadequate or too much in your view.
17 One of the strengths of charter schools in Arizona is their respect for diversity and the true ethnic history of Arizona, which is
very diverse. How will you provide more funding to education to show that respecting diversity is a virtue in life, rather than pun-
ishing people for being different or speaking in a certain ethnic tone? Arizona’s future lies in respecting things like ethnic studies,
and so how will each candidate fund and strengthen our respect for diversity in Arizona by committing more to ethnic studies.
18 I’m interested in your philosophy and ideas on teacher salaries, teacher unions and performance pay. What do you have to offer
on these topics?
19 How will you measure student and educator success in K-12 schools and in Arizona’s institutions of higher education? How
will you decide whether students, teachers and schools are succeeding?
20* How would you ensure our students rise to national/international standards? How will they become “career-college ready” with
the state’s current education fiscal budget?
21 How will you help prepare students for green jobs, emerging technologies and the increased focus on ecological and
environmental sustainability?
22 Do you believe that the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction should be changed from an elected position to an
appointed position?
23 We have large numbers of illiterate adults in Arizona. What will you do to support adult education that helps people re-enter the
workforce with higher skills?
24 What plan do you recommend to completely restructure higher education funding both for colleges and universities in order for
them to thrive and survive?
25 I would like to know if you believe there is a correlation between our poor education rankings and our loss of good jobs over
the last 20 or 30 years. If elected, will you reverse the trend of cutting funding to community colleges and universities?
26 I would like to know if you understand what equalization means as it relates to community colleges. If elected, what will you do to
change it so that it is fair to all community colleges in Arizona?
27 Please explain your understanding of the link between economic development and education.
28 Do you believe that school district consolidation is a good strategy to achieve cost savings in public education? If so, why? If not,
why not? How would you address such an initiative?

29 Do you sense that immigration issues and education issues tie together? If so, what is your vision to provide solutions?
1 What actions will you take to negate the brain drain? It appears that Arizona’s outstanding students have to leave the state to get
financial support for college and also after they graduate, to get good-paying jobs.
2 To bring Arizona education into the present requires a lot of technological expertise and technological additions. The curriculum
needs to be updated; that requires money. What is your position on funding the advances in education that are needed to bring
us into the 21st century?
3 What would you do to restructure the educational system in Arizona? Do you support spending less on administration and more
on teachers and different aspects of teaching, not just teaching for the tests? The students will pass the exams if teachers can just
teach. Do you support funding a voucher system that includes charter schools and home schooling?
4 I am concerned about the cost of higher education. Tuition in our state colleges is rising so fast that it seems to be putting college
out of reach for a lot of our students. What ideas do you have to help our young kids attend our state colleges and universities?
How do we make college affordable?
5 Recognizing that Arizona ranks low on many educational achievement assessments, how committed are you to raising the
level of education in Arizona at least to the average or midpoint among states in the next few years?
6 Do you agree with the present system of funding for charter schools and vouchers to support private schools?
7 How will you ensure accountability for charter schools and home schools?
8 I would like to understand where education stands in your priorities?
9 How committed are you to bringing more private higher education resources to the State of Arizona?
10 As a candidate, what would you do to address the issue of getting maximum value for the dollars spent in education?
11 What do you feel the purpose of education should be? Should we be teaching children the basics of reading, history, sciences,
math, things like that? Or do schools have an obligation to teach students how to live, how to pay rent, how to write a check?
Do we need to provide career training, drug education, and other things like that?
12 We just got through passing the tax to help support the schools for three years. As a candidate, what will you do to ensure funding
sustainability after the three years?
13 Arizona ranks 50th in the nation in per pupil expenditures. Do you support transferring public dollars to private and
parochial schools?
14 Parental involvement is one of the key indicators of academic success. What will you do if elected to help encourage
parental involvement?
15 What will you do to help create a culture of life-long learning that creates a continuum and an expectation of learning all the way
from pre-school through retirement and continuing, looking at all aspects of continuous learning?
16 With Arizona’s 27 percent dropout rate, what is your position on restoring Arizona’s adult education funding and GED test funding
that were eliminated this year?
17 As a candidate, where do you stand on using the classroom to 1) indoctrinate students in particular philosophies or 2) teaching
students to think for themselves, using their mental faculties to learn rather than just repeat or regurgitate what is taught in
the classroom:?
18 College tuition goes up pretty much every year but, since I’ve left college, the buildings seem to be getting bigger and taller and
newer. If we’re spending money on that, shouldn’t we also be able to support the students and the learning, rather than just big
research buildings or dormitories? Are we holding the people running our universities accountable to be spending money on
students and not just on buildings and things like that?
19 What is the highest level of education you have attained?
20 What do you believe Arizona must do to ensure that every student has the opportunity for a quality education?
21 What will you do to improve public K-12 educational opportunities?
22 Do you believe the current structure of our education system is working to its best potential? Do you support the continuation of
teachers’ unions? How do you propose to alleviate the financial strangle on education due to too much administrative cost? Do
you support school vouchers for all students for any form of education—public, private, charter, home schooling, etc.? Do you support
shifting the school year to start after Labor Day and end in June?
23 What is your position on debt relief for graduates with student loans who are unable to make payments due to unemployment?
What assistance could you offer to students with private loans when bankruptcy is currently unavailable?
24 Do you support allowing staff and faculty at universities to carry concealed weapons?
25 What would you do to ensure that teachers are mentored, if needed, to become the most effective teacher they can be? And if
they are not able to effectively teach and manage a classroom, do you support removing them from that position? What is your
position on incentive pay for effective teachers? How would you fairly evaluate teachers? What are your ideas for attracting and
keeping the best teachers?
26 How could you help get some of the private California colleges to come to Arizona and open campuses?
1 Would you consider alternative methods of funding school facilities in lieu of the General Fund , (e.g., leveraging dollars through
bonds or other forms of borrowing)?
2 I am a high school student and last year 40 of the teachers in my high school were given pink slips. We were told that if Prop 100
passed, many teachers would be rehired. I haven’t heard of any teachers being rehired. If teachers aren’t rehired, how do you plan
on handling the problem with overpopulated classrooms and students not receiving a proper education due to that condition?
3 We want leaders who can solve highly complex issues—growing our economy, our tax base and everything else. Higher education
is part of the answer and yet we have had an assault on the budgets of not just universities, but community colleges and job training
programs. My question to candidates is what are you going to do about that?
4 What will you do to address the reality that we have increasingly diverse students in our schools with diverse needs? We have
decreasing resources and a mentality in the legislature to continue doing that. What will you do to turn that around? Or is it your
perspective that there’s enough money right now and the issue is how the money is being used?
5 We all sense a disconnect between what the people of our state say in the Gallup Arizona Poll and the behavior and attitudes of
the people we elect to the legislature. I want incumbents to deal with the realities of their past voting records. I want them to explain
why they voted as they did on all the different education issues in the past year. That’s the kind of question we need to ask.
6 In today’s world, the kids are connected with cell phones, ipods, the internet, etc. Technology has become a major tool. We
need to know from our elected officials how they see technology and the role it’s going to play in educating our students in
the future, both at the elementary and secondary level.
7 Last week I was talking to a politician who’s currently in office and is running again on this exact topic. When we were discussing
education, his response to me was “Well, what level of funding would you think would be appropriate for education?” And I said,
in our K-12 system, “How about 25th in the country instead of 51st.” And his response was, “Well, that would take a 40 percent
increase from current funding.” My question to candidates is what level of funding are you prepared to provide for K-12? Are you
prepared to deal with our tax structure?
8 One in five high school students drops out and about 18 percent of our high school diplomas are GEDs in this state. There are
800,000 adults in Arizona that do not have a high school diploma. Despite all this need, all state funding for adult education was
zeroed out by the current superintendent of public instruction, the state legislature, and signed by the governor. What would you
do to address the need to educate the 800,000 adults that do not have a high school diploma? How will you address the need to
prepare Arizonans of all ages for careers in the 21st century?
9 Will you support the Arizona constitution in regards to education funding? There are three or four different articles and sections that
pertain to it. They are Article IX, Section 3; Article IX, Section 10; Article XI, Section 6; and Article XI, Section 10.
10 What do you think the role of education is? What are we preparing our students for in your mind and what should be taught in
our schools?
11 Given Arizona’s low ranking for funding public education, do you believe tax credits are the best way to fund public education?
Should we be using tax dollars to fund private education?
12 The federal government has become more active in regulating education with “No Child Left Behind” and now with the current
administration increasing funds for education. What do you see is the evolving role between state government and the federal
government in terms of education?
13 My experience talking with legislators is that they have their own statistics. You tell them that we’re at the bottom of the barrel
in education funding and they’ll tell you we’re not. They have their own figures and I think it’s important that we ask them for
the source of their information when they’re using it to defend their stance on the state of education in Arizona. Mr. Candidate,
explain to me where you get your information so that we can have a conversation.
14 I’d like to ask candidates their opinion on the connection between education and economic development.
15 I think I’d like to hear candidates tell me what they believe is the connection between early childhood education and success in
school. I’d like to hear them confront that issue. Do they believe in things like full-day kindergarten? Do they see early childhood
education as an answer to dropout prevention?
16 Where do you draw the line between throwing money at a problem in education and starving the system? What are your priorities
in education?
17 Mr. Candidate, it is a known fact that children through grade three learn to read. From grade three to grade eight, they read to
learn. If they don’t know how to read by the eighth grade, when math and the sciences kick in, they’re lost already. But if their
parents can’t read to them, that’s a double-barreled problem. So, how do you intend to deal with the adult literacy problem?
18 If there was a proposition on the ballot looking for additional dollars for education, would you merge that proposition with looking
for additional dollars for public safety? Do you see a connection?
19 Arizona education funding is reliant on a fluctuating sales tax. So my question would be, do you support comprehensive tax reform?
20 Would you support a committee to evaluate the impact of current cuts in education spending today on our future tax base and
income per capita? Will you compare the savings from cutting education today to the impact on our tax base five years, ten years
from now?
21 Do you believe there is a correlation between educational attainment in the community and crime statistics?
1 One of my questions is where’s the political will? I want candidates to speak to that. When Jan Brewer came up with her plan back
in November and tried to get a special election to get a one-cent tax passed, there was no political will. Of course, they pushed
it off for taxpayers to decide. We had our special election on Prop 100 and it passed by 64 percent. That should be a message to
our leaders that we wanted them to do the right thing. They’re still trying to sweep First Things First funds, $500 million. So I’d
just like to ask candidates, how are you going to break the partisan politics we have in Arizona? I keep hearing that if we have
this really low tax base, we’ll invite business. Well, our neighbor states are saying that corporations coming to Arizona would be
educationally irresponsible to come, and the parents/workforce they would bring to Arizona with them would be educationally
irresponsible. So my question to candidates is how are you going to overcome that stereotype of Arizona that we’ve built with the
“slash and burn” of public education we’ve done in Arizona? How are you going to build that bridge so you guys and girls can come
together and make some decisions that are good for Arizona?
2 In terms of education, early childhood should be key and critical to the future of Arizona. Why is the leadership trying to balance
Arizona’s budget on children when they are the future of this state? Will you support the Voter Protection Act and First Things First?
3 I happen to have more questions in this area than any other. My question is do candidates support the idea of developing trade
and vocational programs/schools in this state? Will you support researching and developing these programs if you’re in agreement?
Could we set up internships around the state? Do you support tutoring programs from high school on for those who need help in
a specific area? Should students receive credit for this toward a high school or college degree? What I’m suggesting are tutoring
programs tied to career and technical education. Would you invest in that?
4 I would like to know if candidates are willing to fund public schools the same way they fund charter schools? Traditional
public schools have a budget limit. There’s no possible way of bringing in other funds. Charter schools can overspend their
budget and go out to find other funding. There’s a lot more flexibility on how they use the money and how they raise money.
5 Not too long ago, ABEC was down in this area and we had what was called education funding 101, and my recollection was that
there were about eight different funding streams that came to the traditional public schools, all of them with huge accountability
and reporting requirements regardless of population. My question to candidates is would you support an open debate on authorizing
our traditional school districts to have the same flexibility, policies and finance as the charter schools that you believe are doing
so well for our students?
6 Recognizing that an estimated 85 percent of new jobs will require at least an associates degree leading into a bachelor’s and even
a graduate degree, my question would be, what role do legislators believe the state has in providing public higher education in
both urban and rural areas? Do you recognize the need to fund higher education in rural areas at a higher level than metropolitan
areas, just based upon faculty resources?
7 This past year, Arizona completely removed all funding for adult basic education, leaving the most at risk population in our state
in jeopardy. This is a group of individuals who need opportunities to become productive citizens within our state. The funding is
now unavailable at the state level, requiring other resources to access federal funds. My question to our potential candidates is do
you support state funding for adult basic education?
8 You can throw all the money you want at a student and if they don’t have the support at home, if they don’t personally want to
pursue an education and put forth the effort, it’s not really going to do that much good. So what will you do to foster the support at
home that students need to motivate them?
9 One of the things that I find frustrating is understanding what in the world is the educational philosophy of a candidate? Where
do they want to see education going 20 years from now, 40 years from now? In my estimation, most candidates do not have a
precise long term philosophy on where they want us to be, where they want education to be. I think most everybody agrees that
education is the foundation. But my question is, what is your educational philosophy and where do you see it going, and how do
you seek to implement it? And that’s a specific question, not one of those beautiful paragraphs that doesn’t say anything.
10 It all comes back to funding. I view education as an essential service, just like police or fire departments. But we don’t pay educa-
tors anywhere near what we pay a local policeman or fire fighter. I think we need a state salary schedule for teachers. My question
to candidates would be, do you have the will to get teachers’ salaries up? I’m just not seeing that funding commitment in Arizona.
11 What do you envision the role of the classroom teacher to be?
12 I would like to ask the candidate about substitute teachers. All you need is a bachelor’s degree and a fingerprint card. Do you support
substitute teachers? Do you support a training program for them and clearer requirements in training, experience and salary?
13 I just graduated this year. What do our legislators see as a program for troubled students who are causing problems in the school
and outside of the school?
14 How will you change the funding structure for our schools to keep teachers’ jobs secure and class sizes down?
15 Teachers are asked to meet every child’s particular needs while managing classes with more than 30 students, even in K-6. What
will you do to keep class sizes down to ensure the best possible learning environment?
16 Do you support the “dollar for dollar” tax credit for schools? What other programs will you create for private schools?
17 Will you support funding mandates from citizens about education? Will you do away with unfunded mandates?
1 What steps would you take to fix Arizona’s broken education system? We cannot afford to continue enabling a system that isn’t
educating. Rather than using overrides over and over for a crutch, I’d rather my tax dollars be used to study what systems work
best in other states.
2 How would you fund public education to meet the needs of a diverse group of students? Many students’ needs will not be met by private
and charter schools. These “alternative choice” schools pick and choose their students and leave the masses in a broken system.
3 How seriously do you take education for everyone, not just the rich and powerful? How would you fund public schools so we are
not last in education?
4 Are you a supporter of tax credits for education?
5 Do you believe that the charter schools can continue to skim money from the public schools?
6 Do you understand the importance of improving the literacy of the state’s population? Are you willing to reinstate adult
education funding?
7 Recently, the Arizona legislature voted to eliminate adult education funding from the budget. Without adult education,
over 800,000 Arizonans cannot get a high school diploma and will not be able to get decent jobs. Over 200,000 cannot
learn English. If elected, how will you support adult education?
8* Every candidate says they support education. What specifically will you do to change education in Arizona?
9 Former assistant secretary of education and senior Brookings Institution fellow Diane Ravitch argues that the “choice” movement
has failed in its mission to serve our most at-risk students. What will you do to ensure that Arizona’s at-risk students are not “left
behind” by the choice movement?
10 Would you reduce the cost of education by supporting private schools through the use of vouchers?
11 What specific measures would you take to reward public schools for improving educational standards in Arizona, rather than
punishing public schools for inadequate educational standards? Do you believe charter schools are a help or a hindrance to the
public school system and funding?
12 How should schools and students be evaluated to ensure that instruction is not limited to what is “on the test”? What will you do
to ensure that Arizona schools and universities are funded adequately?
13 What is your priority for improving education in Arizona?
14 Since everyone agrees that teacher quality is a key factor in students’ success, how do you define quality? How do you propose to
ensure that Arizona develops and retains quality teachers?
15 What special safeguards should be in place to ensure that English language learners, children with special needs, and children
of poverty are given as many enrichment opportunities as other children?
16 What is your opinion of the new ethnic studies legislation?
17 Should promotion and retention decisions be controlled by the state or should those decisions be made on an individual basis by
the parent and the school?
18 What is the role of the local elected school board in curriculum and educational decisions? Under what circumstances should the
state and federal government be allowed to usurp that power?
19 What special qualifications should be required for the superintendent of instruction in Arizona? Should s/he have special knowledge
or experience related to teaching?
20 How do you envision literacy instruction in K-12 schools? Do you see including the resources of the Arizona universities to
achieve your vision? What research do you use to support your views?
21 Do you believe we should get rid of some of the overhead in education (i.e., supervisors, not teachers)?

22 Why do we have so many school districts in AZ with all the huge overhead? Explain why we are not reducing the number of
school districts?
23 Why should people with no children have to support schools?
24 Why can’t we invest more in funding per pupil? We are so low compared to other states.
25 How will you help educate the citizenry about the importance of education? Arizona needs to do a better job of communicating
with citizens.
26 How will you cut waste in education?
27 Do you know the differential between charter and public schools on AIMS test results?
28 Do you support making education free through the community colleges for retired people? It would create a new human resource.
29 Do you believe that school districts should be able to earn money to increase their resources?
30 Please explain why we cut literacy, GED and adult education programs? This is counter- productive.
31 Do you support giving tax credits to people for sending kids to private schools while cutting funds to public schools? There is
only a $400 credit for public schools.
32 Do you believe that charter schools should not have to follow the same rules, restrictions as public schools? Do you support a
level playing field?
33 How will you help people get continuing education in colleges and universities? How will you make it easier for adults to retrain?
34 Too much time is spent pre-testing for kids to pass a test. Too much teaching time is lost. What will you do to ensure that education
(beyond test taking) is taking place?
35 What can you do to generate more research that results in patents, etc?
36 How will you support the medical school in Phoenix and other medical training programs? We need to increase the number of
skilled workers in this field.
37 What will you do to eliminate the high revenues being made on student loan programs, and how will you stop lenders from taking
advantage of students?
38 If you believe that education is an economic engine, what is your response to the latest cuts in education?
39 Arizona’s national ranking in education statistics is abysmal. What will you do to remedy the problem?
40 Phoenix schools remain inferior compared to the majority of the rest of the country. We need to attract higher quality
teachers—and PAY them accordingly. What plans do you have to improve the state of public education in the Valley?
Natural Resources:
1 Will you work to restore full funding for the State Park System?
2 What will you do to make a water management plan more visible so that citizens know there really is one and how it operates?
What will you do to create more awareness of water management? What changes in Arizona law do you believe need to be made
to protect Arizona water?
3 To protect the natural beauty of the state, what will you do to keep sprawl under control?
4* Do you support having the whole state comply with the 1980 Groundwater Management Act, which requires that you cannot
pump out any more groundwater than is naturally or artificially replenished? Right now there are vast areas of the state, mostly
in the rural areas, that do not have to comply with that law.
5 Mr. Candidate, I see that Nevada, California, and Mexico are doing all they can to secure water rights that have traditionally
belonged to the State of Arizona. Do what extent are you willing to fight to bring in the experts to litigate whatever it takes to
maintain the integrity of our water rights?
6 There’s a great deal of emphasis on using renewable energy. But renewable energy production is about 20 times more expensive
than conventional energy production energy. What will you do to maintain our natural resources and quit wasting them on building
energy resources that really are not economically viable?
7 What program will you advocate for and seek to put in place to establish long-term management of our trust lands?
8 If elected, will you open the rest areas on our interstates? I don’t care how you fund them (public funding, coin-operated),
just open them. We’re the only state in the union that has done this. It’s dumb.
9 How would you promote solar and alternative fuel energy programs in the state?
10 The National Park System for decades has been very successful in having concessionaires building infrastructure and pro-
viding services to the public. And yet every budget cycle, it seems that some of our favorite state parks are on the chopping
block. If elected, are you willing to privatize some of these operations, especially on the marginal parks that always seem
to be on the chopping block? And what will the state lose if we were to privatize those particular parks?
11 Will you support regional collaboration and cooperation with other states in addressing region-wide issues such as climate
change and water management?
12 One of things we haven’t mentioned is air quality and air quality in Arizona is not the best. We have something like 28 dust-producing
factories and gravel pits in the Agua Fria River, which is just about four or five miles to the west of us. The air blows on all of us. Is
there anything that you think should be done about limiting the amount of dust and rocks and gravel that is being mined there
and do you think it is a problem for our air quality?
13 What do you see for future transportation in Arizona, specifically in Maricopa County to relieve the congestion we continually
face, which contributes to the bad air quality?
14 I think in a lot of the questions that have been raised here, there’s an over-arching question. As a candidate, what do you see as
the role of government in controlling our natural resources and managing them? How do you see government’s role in making
some of these decisions?
15 How do you differentiate between federal, state, and local government management and private management?
16 How would you work to modify state land regulation so that cities can incorporate more open space into their planning?
17 How do you feel about private property rights versus the public good? Where is the balance, and are you willing to work with
organizations like The Nature Conservancy that use cold, hard cash to buy those private property rights, versus organizations
like the Sierra Club that like to use fiat and public policy to improve the public good?
18 Do you believe there are ways that the state trust land system can be modified to be more effective, provide better revenue, and
protect more resources?
19 I want to beg forgiveness because I moved here after Growing Smarter was passed, but what tools do you believe our state needs
to manage growth and balance our natural resources, while preserving open spaces?
20 What is your plan for maintaining our forests and cleaning up the undergrowth that is in them right now? There’s a fire danger.

1 I would like to ask the candidates how they will support rural communities in developing and implementing long-term regional
and sustainable water solutions, so they can meet their water supply needs and ensure water conservation throughout the state?
2 I would like to hear from candidates what their vision is for us to be able to grow and develop as a state, increase the population,
without overstepping our capacity as far as water goes.
3 We talk about the preservation of open space and certainly that’s part of our rural character, but what about the production
value of our lands? Renewable energy, tourism, and many other benefits come from the lands. For example, we have forests
that are badly in need of restoration and if they’re being restored, we’ll create 600 jobs. That’s an economic engine. I would
ask candidates how they will increase the productivity of our natural environment .
4 I would ask candidates, do you support the privatization of Arizona’s state parks?
5 The Arizona state parks are not just a means of preserving the ecological, historical and cultural integrity of an area; they are
vital to communities, especially small rural communities. So my question would be, what do you plan to do to revitalize and
maintain the public funding, not the private funding, but the public funding for the Arizona State Park System?
6 Do you believe global warming is a real issue? If you do believe it is a real issue, what do you think the state’s role should be in
addressing that issue?
7 I would ask each candidate how you will help Arizona and the nation transition off fossil fuels and lead in the creation of a clean
energy economy. Green jobs, by the way, don’t contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and they are sustainable in terms of their
water use and other environmental factors.
8 Do you support the repeal of Arizona’s Growing Smarter legislation? If yes, why? If not, why not? Please describe any suggested
changes or improvements to the legislation you may have.
9 What I would like to see is more forest service personnel out there protecting the forests from the illegal woodcutters who happen
to carry guns and threaten our forest service people. What will you do to protect the forests and still maintain their health?
10 Currently the border areas, both public and private, are being severely damaged through the onslaught of illegal border crossers.
Do you as a politician support securing the border to protect these delicate ecosystems?
11 My question is about whether or not you support a constitutional amendment to change the status of state trust lands so that
cities and counties that want to preserve some of their state lands as open space may do so, and not necessarily have them sold
off to develop?
12 Even though this may be a federal issue, will you support the privatization of the many rest stops we have along the highways
in Arizona?
13 Water is a non-renewable resource if we consume it at the rate we are consuming it. So I see water as the number one limiting
factor. Arizona relies heavily on growth as a strategy to finance our communities. What other strategies do you have to offer to
sustain our communities, not just for the next ten years, not just for the next 50 years, but going forward for a long, long time?
14 Currently counties do not have the authority to regulate lot splits, something called wildcat subdivisions. What will you do
to give counties the authority a) to make land use planning decisions and b) to consider the availability of adequate water
in those decisions?
15 Arizona laws basically separate groundwater from surface water. Hydrologically speaking, they’re connected, but legally they’re
not. So how will each candidate use hydrology to lead in water policy and really conserve what we have, both on the surface and
underground?
16 Would you support a $0.10 per gallon gasoline tax to fund clean air initiatives in Arizona?
17 How do you plan to manage water resources with the current and future population demands—with special focus on how rural
needs can be considered/protected while responding to metropolitan needs as well?
1* What is your commitment and plan to keep all of our state parks open? And should they be publicly funded?
2 One of the things I very much value about Arizona is the immense federal land that’s open to the public as individuals. How as a
state can we keep them open for camping, hunting, hiking, etc.? How do we keep free and open use of our public lands? What is
your position on opening up State Trust Lands for individual access?
3 This is about water. As I understand it, the water table in Arizona is continuing to decline. It may have risen a bit since I last read
about it, but what is your opinion about increasing our water supplies? What will you do about ensuring our water supply?
4 I’m not sure if you define historic resources as part of natural resources, but I’m going to ask that question anyway. Are you willing
to restore the Heritage Fund to support the state parks as intended by the voters, and the efforts and grants that have been applied
to historic preservation?
5 We have a lot of sunlight in Arizona and I’d like to know what the candidates’ plans are for utilizing solar power?
6 Arizona’s water laws have always been “first beneficial” use. Recently, with a lot of development, Salt River Project has
started having problems with people upstream tapping into water that’s already promised to other people. As a candidate,
what are your feelings about working for a statewide water management plan for all of us, rather than just a regional or
city management plan?
7 As a candidate, what would you do to encourage people to save water?
8 There’s a fire right now just a couple of miles from land I own in Williams. If the wind keeps going, we’ll be okay. I have been unable
to thin my forest land without a lot of rules and regulations and problems. If elected, how could you help us better manage our
forestry using fire and the natural processes that used to go on before we decided that that it was bad to harvest and burn, and do
the things that need to be done? What kind of a management program could we depend on you to help with?
9 I used to do a lot of traveling in an RV. Rest stops are ever so important. Thank heavens I’m not doing it anymore because I certainly
wouldn’t be able to stop in Arizona. As a candidate, do you support re-opening the rest stops?
10 Understanding that we are short on funds right now, what would you do to make it easier for either cities or companies to support
the state parks to keep them open? Do you support other options for keeping the parks open if there isn’t the money in the budget?
11 How do you plan to improve air quality in this state?
12 Air pollution is a major problem in urban areas, affecting our health. What is your position on extending mass transportation to
further link cities and suburbs together?
13 As a 27-year resident of Mesa, I would like to see more light rail, the development of downtown as an educational center, and clear
air. What is your position?
1* What is your position on state trust land reform, and would you be in favor of giving the State Trust Land Department more latitude
in the way they manage their lands for the benefit of Arizona’s schools?
2 I think it’s really important to find out what people are willing to do in a bipartisan way to assure passage of state trust land
reform, which requires voter approval. So what I want to see is a strategic plan, if you will, to get this done from candidates. What
will you do to get this issue back on the ballot? And will you support funding to maintain the land department?
3 Given the slashing of the state parks budget over the last few years, to the point where most of the state parks are closed or now
being run in partnerships with public/private partnerships...and given the fact that all age groups don’t believe that young
educated workers want to be in Arizona... what would you do to help fund the parks for both tourism and as a way to maintain the
creative class?
4 Given the slashing of the funding and staff for the Department of Water Resources, what would you do to restore funding to
protect our diminishing water resources in the state?

5 My question is about open-pit mining. It creates a huge eyesore with all the big holes in the ground and all the mountains of dirt
piled up. What is your position on making those companies fill those holes in?
6 What entrepreneurial ideas do you have for erasing the deficit by generating new funds? Could we broaden the array of things
being considered for financing various activities like our open spaces and water issues?
7 Some years ago, in 2004, we had an open space bond election here. The CEO of Northwest Hospital was very clear in his support,
saying that clean air and clean water and parks and our scenery and our landscapes compensated the new employees he was trying
to attract that he couldn’t pay competitively to compete with other places in the country. As candidates, what are you going to do
to protect our air quality, our landscapes, our water quality? Do you recognize the relationship of our natural resources to attracting
and retaining employees?
8 With the knowledge that this country is intending to go green, and with the understanding that Arizona has one of the largest
resources of copper, the most vital part of going green, what is your position on increasing mining here in Arizona? Not just
rampant mining that would leave holes in our lawns, but looking at green mining as they’re doing it across the country, that will
fill land and create landscapes with those mines?
9* I would ask any candidate if they’re willing to support the continuation of the Growing Smarter program, which helps protect our
natural resources. In particular, do you support bringing back the scorecard program, which was never fully implemented?
10 Similar to the City of Tucson requirements that commercial buildings will having recapturing systems for rainwater and similar
to solar power incentives, what incentives or requirements would you require or request for businesses or homes that install water
recapturing or grey water systems in their homes or businesses? Would you support them on a statewide basis?
11 I have to do this. We have invasive species that are changing our landscape and are impacting watershed management, particularly
invasive and very flammable grasses. Do you understand this and would you support funding for land management, not just land
acquisition?
1 I recently attended a forum in Tucson where a representative of the Central Arizona Project spoke to the audience and informed
us that water would never be a limiting factor on growth in the State of Arizona. We thought that sounded a little outrageous, but
he assured us that it really was state policy that there is essentially a limitless supply of water if you tap the groundwater available.
So my question for candidates is do you believe there is a limitless supply of water or not? And what should Arizona’s policy be
toward balancing growth with protecting the environment? Specifically, how do we manage growth while dealing within a
constrained water environment where the water has to be shared by humans and by the environment?
2 Arizona citizens in the polls suggest water is an important issue in Arizona. What is the candidate going to do about the fact that
the budget and the manpower for the Arizona Department of Water Resources was recently gutted?
3 Congress has linked the wellbeing of the San Pedro River with the future of Fort Huachuca. I’m wondering what you would do as
a candidate to protect the Fort and to protect the San Pedro River?
4* Will you look beyond the needs of Maricopa and Pima counties? To what extent will you consider the needs of smaller cities and
rural areas with regard to water and environmental issues?*
5 Another thing I would ask the candidates is if they believe they have the capability to look at the requirements of all sides of an issue
and then be able to succinctly integrate so that somewhere we can move forward down the middle rather than on the extremes?
6 I would ask candidates if water, the environment and growth management are so important to the residents of the state,
what is your specific position on strengthening regulatory controls of county government so they can do a better job of
controlling growth and water use in areas that right now have not been supported by the legislature?
7 Do you believe it is the state’s responsibility to pay for moving water from where it is in Arizona to those places that don’t have
water and need it? Where do you stand with respect to state-funded infrastructure projects for water, and moving it from one
place to another?

8 I would like to ask the candidates what they’re going to do about the skin cancer in Arizona? I recently went to a conference about
skin cancer and Arizona is ranked number two for skin cancer per capita. Do you take this seriously and would you support funding
prevention programs to decrease skin cancer?
9 In recent years, the state has kind of abandoned its mission toward state parks. Do the candidates support resources to and protection
of our state parks for the common good? Do they recognize that while privatization in some areas may be beneficial, it might also
compromise the balance between conservation and access? We need a more neutral balance between conserving the natural
resource, but also keeping parks accessible. In some neighboring states, they’ve shut off access in the name of conservation or
privatization. In other places, they’ve destroyed the natural resource by providing access for profit. What is your position?
10 I would ask candidates to comment on the Arizona legislature’s move to convince voters to repeal Growing Smarter legislation.
I want to understand your position on that issue.
11 The natural resources in our state are an asset that could be utilized as long as it’s done properly and in a conservation-minded way
for the benefit of our economy and for the people within our state. How would you try to balance the protection of the environment
while still allowing our resources to be used for our good?
12 One of the things that’s very difficult in a water district area is determining the amount of water that’s being pumped from wells
that are protected and don’t have to have meters or report how much they’re using. What will you do to ensure that future wells
are in fact all monitored or metered?
13 What type of planning should occur on state trust lands, particularly in the more rural areas of Arizona?
14 There’s been a lot of talk here in Cochise County recently about what we’re going to do about the San Pedro River and setting up
a water district. So my question is, what is the role of the state government and the federal government in protecting this clearly
national resource?
15 The Gallup Poll clearly showed that the majority of Arizonans have a deep appreciation for the environment and for open spaces.
Yet it seems to be quite popular in the legislature to oppose that appreciation in many senses. I would like to know where a candidate
who is an incumbent, who has had office, stood on those issues in the past. What is your record in terms of protecting the state’s
natural resources? If you’re not an incumbent, what is your philosophy looking to the future?
16 It’s been established that the San Pedro is an important natural resource to the state and nationally. Seeing as we can only
control what goes on within our own borders, what would you do to connect state and federal discussions to Mexico?
17 Where do you believe Phoenix will get its water in 2040?
1 Do you favor mining in the Santa Rita mountains?
2 Would you support regulations that make new development as “water neutral” as possible? That is, use as little groundwater as possible?
3 Quality of life requires properly balancing water diversion for human use and protection of in-stream flows so that our rivers
continue to support viable habitat for many different species. Do you agree with that statement? What will you do to protect
in-stream river flows?
4 What do you plan to do about our trashed rivers, trails and parks? What is the priority?
5 How will you provide permanent protection for Arizona State Parks and the Heritage Fund?
6 Arizona State Parks contribute nearly $266M annually to Arizona’s economy and generate $23M yearly in local and state taxes.
The legislature took more than $71M this year from state parks and nearly destroyed the system. What is your commitment to
developing a sustainable funding solution for Arizona State Parks?
7 Arizona State Parks $10M portion of the Heritage Fund was erased from statute by the last legislature, eliminating funding for
park development, open space conservation, watershed protection, historic preservation, and environmental education. What is
your plan to re-establish a funding source to meet these critical needs?
8 Governor Brewer and many in the legislature intend to privatize our citizen-owned Arizona State Parks and downsize government
by eliminating the Arizona State Parks agency. What is your position on the privatization/profitization of publicly owned lands
and assets that were purchased with and are maintained with taxpayer dollars?

9 I have been surprised by the lack of emphasis on water conservation in Arizona. How would you encourage and motivate Arizona
residents to conserve water effectively?
10 Will you commit to renewing Arizona’s climate change action plan?
11 Do you support higher standards for housing that meet environmental needs?
12 Do you see any hope that our parks will stay open? What will you do to support parks? Will it be a public or a private system?
13 Do you support putting nonviolent inmates in our prison system to good public service?
14 A small percentage of the world is desert. Other cities, even less arid ones, have restrictions on water use. What will you do to
reduce waste and encourage conserving water? Do you support more public education and regulatory requirements?
15 Will you get the rest areas on Arizona highways open again? Closing rest areas is dangerous.
16 In New Mexico, restaurants do not serve water unless requested. It’s a law. Why not Arizona?
17 What do you think about grey water systems?
18 Tucson has already mandated rain water harvesting. Do you support that practice statewide?
19 Will you support green construction standards statewide?
20 Do you intend to stop all new building projects that call for a clay roof, knowing how much they absorb heat?
21 What will you do to create vibrant urban spaces and stop urban sprawl?
22 Will you support laws that will help create infill?
23 Are we going to let a few cities that want to keep growing threaten Luke AFB? What is your position?
24 Please state your views on water management, and provide specifics on how you would guide Arizona into a
water-constrained future.
Health care
1 To rephrase a question that a U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania raised, “If every criminal deserves a lawyer, then every child in
Pennsylvania deserves a physician.” If you’re elected, will you work to ensure that every child in Arizona has healthcare coverage?
2 I see a lot of focus on health insurance, which covers everybody once they get sick. What I want to understand is what you as a
candidate will do to look into programs that prevent children and citizens from getting sick. Do you support health education and
wellness programs?
3 Do you believe that healthcare is a right or a privilege?
4 Do you believe that working people should have to bear the tax burden to provide healthcare for all?
5 How can we shop healthcare like we shop our car insurance to get the best deal? Do you support making health insurance more
competitive instead of being held hostage to a few choices?
6 Since the government mandates health insurance in many ways, do you think it would also be a good idea to mandate that doctors
create a price list of their services, so that we as customers can shop from one doctor to another and find the best deal?
7 It seems that more and more doctors are not accepting Medicare any longer. As a candidate, what can you do to attract doctors to
Arizona who will continue to accept Medicare, specifically in the West Valley, where we have so many retired persons living?
8 If elected, will you support the current move by the legislature to sue the federal government to stop the mandate to acquire
healthcare coverage as we go forward with the Healthcare Reform Bill as passed by Congress and signed by the President?
9 Today is my father’s birthday. He would have been 87. He died in a nursing home here in the Valley. What would you do as a candidate
to improve our nursing homes?
10 There are currently 40,000 children on the waiting list for Kids’ Care. If elected, what will you do about this?
11 Research tells us that physicians who get advanced education within the community tend to stay in that community. We already
know that we have physician shortages. If elected, what will you do to restore funding adequately for Graduate Medical Education
in Arizona?
12 The other issue in this state is the shortage of nurses. We need a commitment from the legislature to promote and expand the
pipeline for nursing students. If elected, what will you do about that?
13 I would like to ask the candidates whether they support an individual’s right to make their own end-of-life decisions?
14 We know in terms of Social Security and Medicare that we are seeing increasingly fewer workers supporting greater numbers of
older folks, like me. We are not replacing ourselves with our natural-born citizens. I also read some research just last week that
the fertility rate in Mexico is also dropping as a result of a number of things. We’ve been gaining workers paying into our Social
Security system in this state through immigration. What are you going to do as a candidate to address this situation through a
comprehensive immigration policy that will provide the workers we need on the one hand and do it through the regularization of law?
15 What steps would you suggest be taken in an attempt to control the rapid rise and cost of healthcare?
16 Do you support publicly-funded abortions?
17 Some elderly people go under a conservatorship and they’re declared incompetent. I’m reading about more and more cases where
their funds are emptied by lawyers and others. Could you look into that and see if there’s unfair things occurring there and people
are maybe even being robbed of their money? How will you ensure that people’s rights are being protected?
18 According to the polls, everyone wants to expand healthcare to cover more people. Do you have a plan for covering more people
and doing it with the fewer dollars that are going to be available through the tax system as we see it today?
1 What will you do to expand healthcare for children under 18 and adults over 65, especially in rural areas?
2* I would like to know what candidates will do to close the gap for the working poor who do not qualify for AHCCCS, but cannot
afford private insurance.
3* If elected, will you work to expand Kids Care again to deal with the 40,000 children that are on the waiting list at the time?
4 Both Arizona and the federal government mandate a tremendous amount of care that is not funded by either one. For example,
AHCCCS pays about 80 cents on the dollar for care provided by both doctors and hospitals. How do you as a candidate respond
to this situation? Do you expect the healthcare system to survive? If elected, how will you work to fund the healthcare programs
in such a way that you don’t bankrupt the hospitals in Arizona?
5 I want to know what candidates would do to minimize the impact to counties in terms of the amount they pay for AHCCCS
and ALTCS.
6 In our community, we have a very significant problem with people who are battling the disease of alcoholism, yet we don’t have
a dedicated funding stream for this population. It becomes a huge burden on our emergency department and our emergency
medical services. Would you be willing to consider a tax on liquor to support a dedicated funding stream for substance abuse
treatment?

7 I’d like to ask the candidates whether they would work to repeal the federal healthcare bill? And then work toward passing a
real healthcare bill that would, in fact, improve quality of care, reduce costs, allow purchase of insurance across state lines, and
provide us with tort reform—all of which would tend to reduce costs.
8 I would ask the candidates if they would support examining the serial misusers of AHCCCS—the people who call 911 for any little
thing and abuse the hospital. Are you willing to take action to remove serial abusers from the AHCCCS program?
9 If elected, will you support asking that liquor distributors be taxed to provide for the healthcare of alcoholics?
10 First Things First is spending millions of dollars to provide healthcare for 0 to five-year olds, especially in the area of dental
health. My question is, will candidates continue to support First Things First in that endeavor and, if not, how do you plan to
continue that work?
11 The healthcare bill has been called an entitlement. Do you believe that in a civilized society, we are entitled to healthcare, or
should it remain a privilege for those who can afford it?
12 In light of the fact that Medicare is pretty much going broke in its current form, I would like to know if candidates would support
an initiative to allow people who do not need Medicare to opt out, letting them stay with whatever insurance they currently have
and keeping that money in the system? I’d also like to know if candidates would support a measure to retain all monies collected
for Medicare and not allow them to be used for anything else.
13 The goal of a good health care system is taking care of the critical and chronic needs of the entire population, while at the same
time working to keep people well. What do you believe is the role of the federal government, state government, private business
and the individual in accomplishing this goal?
14 Prescription drugs have been recognized as a federal problem. Is there any future legislation that you believe can prevent the
illegal use of prescription drugs?
15 Every day our air quality and water quality slowly get worse. This affects our health, especially our children’s health, and the cost
of health care. What will you do to protect our air and water quality?
16 Do you support legislation that would regulate the insurance industry in capping rates for coverage for those with pre-existing
conditions?
1 If you believe that everyone should have some type of medical coverage, that’s going to cost some money. How do you plan to
pay for the higher costs other than telling me you’re going to save on administration or get rid of waste? There’s not enough
savings from those two to cover the whole bill. How are you going to pay for it?
2 Right now we can compare insurance companies and their coverage, but we can’t compare what a doctor charges for setting a
broken leg versus the doctor in Mesa or the doctor in Tempe, or what a hospital will charge for an ER visit. Will you support
legislation or some rules requiring healthcare providers to publish prices?
3 There’s been some talk about trying to have the state repeal or not follow the federal healthcare bill that’s been passed. Do you
support the state’s action to sue the federal government? Do you support the federal plan? Where do you differ?
4 As a candidate, do you see providing healthcare coverage to children and adults as a moral issue?
5 If elected, how will you help restore services to the mentally ill?
6 Do you see healthcare as an economic issue? And by that I don’t mean the cost of healthcare. If we do not have healthcare for
everyone, it means that we are losing money in our businesses and our economy. So do you see providing healthcare to everyone
as a spur to economic development?
7 I would like to know what you have in mind to encourage people to become doctors, and what you could do to make the regulatory
environment kinder to doctors? I would like to know what you think we need to do to get competent doctors to practice in Arizona
and to encourage competent people to pursue medicine.
8 If you’re elected, Mr. Candidate, what are you going to do about tort reform?
9 What will you do about medical and personal injury reform?
10 My question would be where do you think the responsibility for healthcare lies and what is the state’s role in healthcare?
We realize that government has to be part of the healthcare solution. Does it reside at the federal level, state level, or a
combination of both? What is the role the state should play in a solution?
11 There’s an obvious movement in cost shifting. The federal government is trying to shift healthcare expenses downward to the
state. Insurance companies are trying to shift costs to subscribers. What actions do you believe are necessary or possible from a
state perspective to keep cost shifting from becoming an onerous process? How can we protect ourselves?
12 What’s your position on increasing palliative care in end-of-life situations and the proposal to legalize medical marijuana?
13 How do you propose to hold people accountable for their own actions with regard to their health?
14 What is your position on mandatory yearly premium increases for those with private health care insurance?
15 What is your opinion on medical tort reform?
1* We have a shortage of healthcare professionals in Arizona, and the University of Arizona has gone through extensive planning to
expand the medical school in Phoenix. It requires a great deal of investment. Are you supportive of continuing this investment or
increasing it?
2 Do you support reinstating the funding for Graduate Medical Education? It requires state funding for the match from the federal
government and it was cut, affecting a substantial number of positions for interns and residents in Arizona. What is your position
on this?
3 Electronic medical records are a huge opportunity for our state for improved healthcare and lower costs. What will you do to
support implementation of that?
4 Do you believe state government should provide funding for services beyond the AHCCCS program for individuals who are
living with mental illnesses and substance use disorders?
5* Given the current extreme shortage of doctors in the State of Arizona, what would you do about tort reform to help more doctors
want to practice here?
6 I recently had a small business owner tell me that his health insurance premiums for his employees went up by 58 percent. What
are you going to do to assist small business owners in dealing with this burden of how to balance keeping their employees or laying
off some because they’re trying to maintain healthcare benefits for those they’re keeping on staff?
7 Mr. or Ms. Candidate, do you support the continuation of Kids Care, given the high level of poverty among children in Arizona?
8 Do you support drug testing for recipients of state funds?
9 In 2009, the Dept. of Health Services went straight to the governor for additional funding and then taxed assisted living facilities.
This bill did not go through the legislature. It has put assisted living facilities out of business because they could not pass on
the costs to their residents who have limited funds. Would you allow this to happen again? What will you do to stop legislation
without representation?
1 Healthcare has taken a beating similar to education with the ups and downs this year. I’d like to know what the candidate thinks is
the role of state government in providing a stably-funded healthcare program for the state’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
2 I would ask two questions of the candidates. First of all, do you support medical malpractice or tort reform in order to encourage
more physicians to want to come and stay and practice medicine in Arizona? And secondly, what specific strategies would you
support to ensure that there is a stable and accelerated educational pipeline to support healthcare education for professionals
in Arizona?

3 I would like to add mental health. It gets overlooked and, in this state, it’s one of the really serious areas where we lack funding.
What will you do to support funding on a continuing basis for research in mental health, providing mental health clinics and
training personnel?

4 In terms of Kids Care, we all know the legislature put Kids Care back on after the federal requirements came down. I would like to
know your position on how to eliminate the waiting list for Kids Care.
5 As a candidate, I would ask you if you would allow small businesses to come together, or non-profits to come together, to increase
our buying power for healthcare? We have homeless people who can get free healthcare. But in my small non-profit, we can’t
afford to pay for our employees’ healthcare. Will you support us?
6* Do you support additional funding for Graduate Medical Education, which helps put medical residents in rural
community hospitals?
7 My question is similar. What incentives or programs would you support to encourage healthcare workers in rural areas?
8 A comment on the more, more, more concept that we all seem to be saying. My understanding is we’re ranked 41st in our tax
burden to citizens in the nation. And again, it comes back to political will. Do you have the political will to increase taxes so that
we can fund the things we need in Arizona?
9 I’d like to know what are you going to do to make healthcare accessible to citizens in rural communities. Spending gets
cut and rural communities suffer because of transportation issues. What will you do to help citizens in rural areas get the
medical care they need? If doctors were willing to travel, or they had incentives to travel, some of the rural areas would be
able to get healthcare. Citizens could get the preventive health programs and education they need. You could cover many
folks by being mobile.
10 What role do you think the state should have in providing a health insurance program for the poorest and most vulnerable of
our residents?
11 Do you support additional funding for Graduate Medical Education, which helps put medical residents in rural community hospitals?
12 The healthcare costs in my job (elementary teacher) are more than my salary. How will you help people in this situation?
1 Since up to half of payments to doctors go toward malpractice insurance, would you support government providing that insurance?
This would also give government an incentive to deal with real tort reform, and thus lower medical costs for all?
2 All children should have access to health care but many do not. How will you change this?
3 Insurance costs continue to rise at every level while reimbursements to providers are continually reduced? What is all that
money paying for?
4 Will you support access to healthcare across state lines?
5 Do you support full parity in health care coverage for those with a brain disorder or mental illness?
6 If you had a family member with a mental illness that led to homelessness, what resources would you like your community to
have to assist you?
7 What do you believe is state government’s role in funding health and human services for vulnerable children, families and
adults? What are the key values that will guide you in your decision making and voting, if elected?
8 What are people supposed to do who don’t have access to health care?
9 How can we stop the bleeding in public mental health and loss of services?
10 What will you do to help people who are single and do not quality for AHCCCS?
11 How do we move from a culture of entitlement to one of empowerment? The ER should not be misused.

12 What’s happening with tort reform? Will you support it? Medical malpractice insurance takes half a doctor’s income. This has to
be addressed because it drives up medical costs.
13 What are people supposed to do who do not have access to employer insurance and get turned away by insurance providers?
14 What will you do to stop direct marketing of pharmaceuticals to citizens?
15 When do we start trying to educate people about healthy behaviors? Will you make wellness a part of Arizona’s healthcare system?
16 How will you plan for the future of the healthcare system with an ever increasing number of elderly?
17 Do you believe the state should encourage preventive medicine like the VA does?
18 What will you do to prepare children for life and help them understand how things work, such as medical savings accounts,
preventive healthcare, etc.?
Immigration
1* What kind of influence can you bring to bear on our Congressional delegation to secure a comprehensive immigration policy for
this country and especially for our state?
2 Are you willing to close the borders? I think it will affect every aspect of what we discussed tonight.
3 We have many young people in our grade schools and high schools who were brought here as infants and as young children
who are undocumented. There has been a move in Washington for almost a decade to pass the Dream Act, which would
give those that complete high school, college, or the military, a path to citizenship. Do you support the Dream Act and
would you work with our Congressional delegation to have that law finally passed?
4 Do you think that immigration reform is rightfully a federal prerogative or should it be moved to the state level?
5 Mr. Candidate, are you for or against children born in the U.S. of immigrant non-citizens being legal citizens as they are right now?
6 Will you uphold SB1070?
7 Do you support closing the borders and building a fence to keep out illegals?
8 I hear reports of racial profiling on highways in the West Valley. Will you provide a forum/office for citizens to report these
instances without fear of retaliation from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office?
1 I’d like to ask candidates a very straightforward question. Will you support putting Senate Bill 1070 on the general election ballot
and letting the citizens of Arizona decide its fate?
2* Will you do everything possible when you get into office to make sure that the federal government does the job it has been
constitutionally mandated to do, which is to protect our borders from illegal entry?
3 Many of the majority of Arizonans and citizens across the United States are in favor of legal immigration as opposed to illegal
immigration. Many of us feel that what we need in Arizona is a good guest worker program. What are your ideas for a good guest
worker program and will you work with the Federal government so we can get our long-needed guest worker program?
4 My questions is how much time will you spend listening to the border guards, the men and women on the front lines at the border,
in terms of formulating a plan to secure our borders?
5 I would like to ask the candidates if they support deportation of children born in this country to illegal immigrants?

6 Representative Konopnicki has warned that SB1070 will make Arizona look like “Alabama in the 60’s.” What is your position on
1070 and what will you do to heal this situation?
7* The majority of Arizona citizens support SB1070, despite the fact that some communities have decided to take legal action. Do
you specifically support or oppose SB1070?
8 How can you respond to this issue while 1) securing our borders, 2) developing a strong guest worker program, and 3) declaring a
strong commitment to America as a land of law? How do you respond to our failure to adhere to all three? What is your answer to
comprehensive immigration reform?
9 When did your family’s ancestors move to the U.S.? How much money was in their pockets? What was their first job?
1 As we all know, the debate on both sides of the issue is very heated right now. As a candidate, what can you do to raise the level of
conversation from rhetoric to actually developing a process which works for everybody? Not amnesty, but a process that works
and elevates the conversation to the next level?
2 Do you support Senate Bill 1070?
3 What is the state’s role in enforcing immigration law? What would you do to further improve security at the border, even without
the support of the federal government? In your opinion, are we prepared to deal with the drug cartels?
4 Do you support the U.S. Constitution, which states that anyone born in the United States is a citizen?
5 Immigration is very much an economic issue. If the statistics are correct and there’s 600,000 undocumented residents in
the State of Arizona, what will be the net effect of removing 600,000 consumers from an economy that relies on growth and
consumer spending?
6 We’ve talked about job creation and educated workers. What is your position on the Dream Act?
7 There are lots of problems in our state dealing with immigration, but one of the things we keep getting asked by Mexico is to do
things for people that emigrate here from Mexico. I would like to know what you and other leaders in the United States are asking of
the Mexican government when American citizens try to buy land or open businesses or try to participate in the economy there?
What type of protections are afforded them? And particularly buying land. I heard that you’ve got to buy through a trust. America
should have a reciprocal arrangement with Mexico. We should be afforded the same rights that Mexicans are afforded in this country.
8 Do you believe that the families of children born here of illegal immigrants deserve special consideration in being able to have a
path to citizenship, rather than breaking up such families by sending the parents back to Mexico and the children either have to
go or they’re separated? Do you believe that a special emphasis should be on keeping those families together?
9* Do you support the removal, in whatever way, of the 600,000 estimated illegal immigrants? Or do you support creating a process
in which some of those would be able to stay in the state and in the country legally? Right now, Arizona is the face of immigration,
so I think that is something that Arizona could take the lead in.
10 Exactly, which of those two sides would you fall on as a candidate?
11 It is my understanding that illegal immigration in our state costs us about $2.7 billion annually. We don’t have a whole lot of
money in our state right now. What measures would you take to reduce those costs and the outlay that taxpayers are putting out?
12 Senate Bill 1070 was designed to effectively close our borders but we have a history of immigrant worker/guest worker programs.
The 1950’s had the Bracero program. Would you as a candidate support an alternative to just closing the border down by creating
opportunities for some form of guest worker program?
13 When we send a lot of the families back, obviously their children that are U.S. citizens will be heading back to Mexico with their
parents, keeping the familial unit together. What do you think will happen when those children turn 18 and they have every right
to return to the United States because they are US citizens? They’re not citizens of Mexico, and I imagine they’re going to return
to the United States with quite a bit of anger. So I would like you to project what you believe their attitude and aptitude will be once
they return. And what programs are you willing to set up to bring these folks back into the country in which they are citizens?

14 As a candidate, where do you stand on state’s rights vs. federal rights on immigration and state’s rights in general? How far will
you go to protect state’s rights?
15 What do you see as Arizona’s role in combating our part of the border problem—exchanging guns for drugs. How do you see
controlling that flow?
16 Do you support the creation of the border fence, and do you believe it will really stop illegal immigrants?
1 Madam Candidate, what would you do to calm down some of the negative information or negative things that have been done
since the passage of the immigration bill in Arizona? We don’t like this “us against them” atmosphere.
2 I want to know if the candidates, upon reflection about what’s happened since the passing of SB1070, would seriously consider a
repeal of that law? Would you consider addressing the complexity of the issue in a more responsible fashion?
3 Mr. Candidate, do you understand how the economics of immigration affects our economy here in the State of Arizona, and what
would you do to support the economic growth of the state with immigration?
4 There are a lot of costs associated with illegal immigration, but there are also benefits. If we had a guest worker program, we
could capture even more benefits. Would you be in favor of that and advocate for it?
5 To the candidate for state senate, would you vote for Russell Pearce as president of the senate?
6 I was just back on the East Coast, and the Arizona question has confused the immigration issue because it involves both people
and drugs. Isn’t it time to have a solid conversation in this country about the legalization of marijuana and finding a way to stop
that part of the traffic that is disrupting communities, whether it be in the Tohono O’odham community or across that state.
7 It has been suggested that the current policy on immigration was highly influenced by forces outside of Arizona. As a voting con-
stituent in Arizona, I believe that my decision as an Arizonan should dictate how laws are passed in Arizona. What will you do as
a candidate to make sure that any outside influences do not affect how our state is run by the legislature?
8 What are you going to do to improve our relationship with Mexico?
9 Taking the ethical and moral standard out of SB1070, what plans do you and our state government have to guarantee recouping
the funds that our local, county, city, and town policing forces are going to spend? What guarantee do we have that the federal
government is going to refund money spent by our already struggling police forces?
10 What impact do you think SB1070 will actually have on the drugs and human smuggling across the border?
11 The former police chief in Mesa raised the issue of training to do nothing but enforce the extension of these immigration laws,
the things that 1070 might require. Realizing that it costs 1.3 times as much to train a policeman as it does a librarian, do we want
a civilization where we are emphasizing policemen for somewhat mindless tasks, as opposed to librarians, or the other things
that we as a community buy with our tax money.
12 If you support Senate Bill 1070, do you believe in the extension of that responsibility to other governmental agencies, including
schools? I mean the responsibility to enforce that law?
13 As the former chief of police of the Tohono O’odham Nation, I personally witness hundreds of cases of victimizations against
Mexican women coming across the border. SB1070 provides no opportunity for anyone to assist females who are going to be
tremendously victimized by many different sources. What will you do to ensure the integrity of the people who are coming
across, and who eventually end up within some criminal justice system?
14 The United States is a nation of immigrants. Arizona is a state of immigrants amongst a country of immigrants. The state legislature
is made up largely of people who moved to Arizona. Given our status, what is your actual solution to the problem?
15 What is your position on using paramilitary individuals to patrol and assist with the enforcement of SB1070?
16 Would you support repealing SB1070 in exchange for federal immigration reform and border enforcement?
17 If elected, what will you do with the children that are left here in the U.S. whose parents are taken away from them due to the
immigration law? Are we financially prepared for the repercussions and finding care for these children? Is this being seriously
looked at?
18 What is your position on the proposal to deny citizenship to children born here to an illegal immigrant?
1 I’ll be brief. It’s a very touchy subject. While I don’t necessarily support SB1070, if not 1070, then what?
2 One of the problems with SB1070 is obviously funding to do the job at the federal level that the Department of Homeland Security
is supposed to do. So I would ask the candidates, how can you increase the funding and make it viable so that the border can in fact
be protected? Number two, what would you do to try to re-establish what we used to have here in the Southwest in the Bracero
program? Can we get some kind of concrete program where people can legally come and do the work if there are jobs to be had?
3 There’s always room for compromise on a question like this, of course, but with a politician you’ve got to be head on, right on the
nose. Are you willing to eliminate all incentives for bringing illegals into this country, not just penalizing employers? I mean all
incentives—free breakfast, free lunch, free healthcare? Knock it out 100 percent. Yes or no? Are you with us or against us on this?
Now let’s take a specific question in addition to that and this is just an idea off the top of my head. The mothers come here and
have their babies, and the baby’s automatically a citizen. Would you be in favor of sending mother and baby back to Mexico or
whatever country. At age 18, the baby can come back into our country as a citizen and become productive. Yes or no?
4 I believe my figures are correct that if you take the total number of Homeland Security people in Arizona and you take the
number of apprehensions of illegals, it’s less than one to one. What can you do to encourage the federal government to maybe
increase that to two to one and give them the rest of the day off?
5* My question is about the children who come to this country at three years of age and have gone through elementary school and
high school. Are you in favor of sending them back, even though they had no reason to be in this country except their parents
brought them here? Would you penalize these children for their parents’ actions?
6 What is your position on the value of permanent static checkpoints on the highways?
7 What is your position on using Arizona National Guard forces to secure the borders?
8 I’d like to ask candidates what they could do to facilitate the exchange of commerce on the border. The communities along
the border have been really impacted by security issues and port of entry times. The crossing is so much more arduous and
so much more time consuming now that it’s really impacted sales tax in those communities. I’d like to know what you will
do about that?
9 The passage of SB1070 has created an unfunded mandate for local law enforcement. Because the legislation requires local law
enforcement to act or possibly be sued, this will cause a strain on both personnel and equipment. As a candidate, what are you
willing to do to help local law enforcement enforce this legislation?
1 Would you agree to have your allegiance to the legal citizens of the United States scrutinized publically if there are any doubts
you are aiding and abetting citizens of another country?
2 Don’t you agree that Arizona, like every state and every country, has the right to enforce immigration laws? Recent immigration
issues in Arizona are not at all about race. Would you be willing to suggest to Mexico that we adopt their immigration laws?
3 We have been overrun with illegals, mainly from Mexico. The politicians are working only to benefit themselves and some see
votes if the Mexicans continue to come. Do you believe there is a sensible outcome to this, and what is it?
4 Why does nobody realize that the Arizona’s immigration law is barely different from the federal immigration law? Make the
illegals legal and pay their way. Quit taking tax dollars from middle and lower class incomes.
5 How do you plan to secure our border and stop illegal immigration?

6 How would you ensure our country’s heritage and our state’s heritage as an ethnically diverse population to be encouraged and
supported in the future?
7 Is there some way to guarantee that Congressional candidates, if elected, will represent the wishes of their constituents?
8 Do you support SB1070?
9 How do you plan to protect Arizona from the impending lawsuit from the federal government? Will you support a countersuit
from Arizona against the federal overnment for unpaid expenses incurred by illegal entrants while in Arizona (e.g., incarceration
expenses, medical treatment)?

10 Will you work to secure our country’s borders?
11 In his political ad, John McCain says he wants President’s Obama’s plan to place 1,200 troops at the border raised to 6,000 troops.
How will this heavy militarization of our border with 6,000 troops affect our delicate relationship with Mexico and other Latin
American countries, particularly Venezuela?
12 What issues do you believe are involved in U.S. immigration? How would you address these issues in compliance with the U.S.
Constitution? What is your opinion of the impact of SB1070 on addressing the complexity of immigration in Arizona?
13 Will you support a legal way for people to come to this country to work, and not wait 15 years?
14 I grew up here with the Bracero program. What will you do to make green cards work? What will you do to help us create a
workable guest worker program?
15 Will you support a state version of the Dream Act?
16 What are you going to do to secure the borders?
17 Will you vote with Arizona voters to decriminalize marijuana?
18 Do you support comprehensive immigration reform?
19 Will you support criminalization for employers who hire illegals?
20 What is your understanding of the term, “comprehensive immigration reform”?
21 Employer sanctions, and educating the public as to the actual costs of “legal” labor need to be part of the immigration solution,
too. At what point will you address immigration as a problem requiring more than just border control?
22 Some current Arizona elected officials feel that we as a state have a right to create laws that are different than the Federal Govern-
ment. Why do some elected officials believe that they, as a state, can supersede what the US Constitution provides for people of
other races, gender, abilities/disabilities?
Leadership
1 Do you favor making the Superintendent of Public Instruction an appointed position rather than an elected one?
2 If elected, will you commit to talking about issues that are of consequence to people? Will you commit to introducing, sponsoring
and/or supporting legislation of consequence to a majority of the citizens of Arizona? Too much time is spent on inconsequential bills.
3 What does statesmanship mean to you, and how would you practice it if you are elected to office?
4 As an elected official, will you endorse a constitutional convention to re-look at the Arizona State Constitution, perhaps giving
the legislature more power so they don’t have to go to the voters for tax increases and that sort of thing?
5* Do you support term limits?
6 I note that some people want to have some offices changed from elected to appointed. Will you promise me that you will keep
every office possible an elected office so I will have the opportunity to throw the bums out and not be ruled by gubernatorial
appointments?
7 What will you do to work in a bipartisan way, and do you believe that working in a bipartisan way is best for all Arizonans?
8 Do you feel that the Superintendent of Public Instruction should be a former teacher, someone who’s been in a classroom, since
that’s what the job is about?
9 There are so many things to change in Arizona’s government, but I think the number one problem with our current elected
government is “us.” We don’t vote. If you are elected, what would you do to increase voter turnout in all of our elections,
including primaries?
10 How would you promote civic responsibility in each Arizona citizen?
11 What can we do to reform the election system so that once you’re elected, you don’t have to immediately start raising funds and
being political in order to gain re-election, and instead you can start governing?
12 Would you be willing to hold open forums so that we could better know what your agenda is?
13 Same question, will you support open forums, especially on the budget?
14 What is your feeling about citizen initiatives and lengthening the amount of time they have to get petitions signed?
15 There are a lot of laws on the books and the legislature spends a lot of time creating more laws. Would you support putting some
sort of Sunset Commission in place? When laws are 15 years old, could they be automatically reviewed to see if they’re still a
good idea?
16 Citizens have a pretty difficult time putting an initiative on the ballot and actually getting one passed. And it seems like as soon
as one of those laws gets passed, the legislators go on the attack. How do you feel about the legislature trying to reverse what
citizens have voted on and passed?
17 The citizens of Arizona seem to have a general sense of disrespect for their elected officials. How and why should we perceive
you differently?
18 As a requirement for high school graduation, should all students have at least one year of U.S. history and a year of government?
19 People running for the legislature right now are re-elected every two years. So six months after their campaign ends, they
start running again. Would you support extending it to a four-year term?
20* Do you support changing the position of Secretary of State to Lieutenant Governor?
21 In all our cities, law enforcement is appointed by local government and accountable to them. Would you support making county
law enforcement accountable to county government?
22 Other than your stance on taxes, what will you do to lead Arizona to a better future?
23 If you’re elected right now to a two-year term, would you push for a four-year term?
24 Do you support Clean Elections?
1 Are you willing to work across the aisle to find solutions to Arizona’s problems? Are you willing to compromise any of your positions
with others to find solutions to Arizona’s problems?
2 Do you know the difference between a statesman and a politician, and what do you consider yourself?
3 Do you support the federal constitution as a “firm” document, not a “living” document?

4 Do you believe that term limits need to be repealed?
5 I want to know how each candidate will address some of the most fundamental human rights we have as Arizonans—insuring
that we all have just and fair access to the courts, that we have fair and equal access to clean air and clean water with environmental
justice. Most importantly, how will you respect diverse communities across the state, and how will you celebrate that diversity as
part of Arizona’s heritage? How will you address social justice, environmental justice, and the most basic human rights we have
and look at repealing Senate Bill 1070?
6 I would like to ask the candidates what they would recommend we do about the fact that our budgetary system allows us to consistently
spend more than we bring in?
7 I’d like to know how candidates feel about politicians being able to vote for their own raises, like Congress does.
8 Do you believe the 2009 Arizona We Want Gallup Poll conducted for the Center for the Future of Arizona produced valid results?
Should it be seriously considered and integrated in Arizona public policy and law? If so, will you provide leadership to help
achieve that integration? If you don’t believe the results are valid, please explain why not.
9 There is one question here that I really do think bears looking into. Many initiatives passed by Arizona voters rely on funding
from sales tax, which is unstable. Should voter-approved measures be reconsidered again after ten years if we could amend the
Voter Protection Act? Where do the candidates stand on that? If we could amend voter-protected mandates, we would have more
funds to use in areas that might have a higher priority.
10 Do you believe that the qualifications for Superintendent of Public Instruction should be raised and, if you don’t, why not?
11 Many programs are established based on voter-approved initiatives that become essential to the health and well being of our
children and other citizens. How would you preserve the stability of the work that is conducted through voter-protected initiatives?
My concern is that if you have the potential to repeal a program every ten years, it’s going to be very difficult to achieve the true
outcomes that the voter initiatives are being designed for.
12 State level politics in Arizona is just nasty. How will you work to change this and make our government more transparent
and honest? And most importantly, how will you inspire the people of Arizona to get more involved?
13 As a candidate, will you read the questions we are providing? Will you get back to us and will you believe what we have to say?
14 I’d like to know what candidates are personally going to do to improve the civility of the civil dialogue in our community.
15 What specific public office experience do you have? If experienced, then provide examples of your decisions and how you worked
with those opposed to your position?
1 Do you believe that the Voter Protection Act needs to be changed to reduce the costs of the unfunded mandates on the state?
Should it be done away with or at least modified in times of need?
2 Do you support changing the voter initiative process? Do you believe it ought to be changed, and if so, what would you do about it?
3* Will you support a constitutional convention to modernize our state government?
4 I’d like to know if you favor ballot referendums? It seems like they put off onto the people the decisions that politicians don’t want
to make even though we elected them to make those decisions. How do you respond?
5 What is the role of the state in municipal disputes?
6 As a candidate and possibly an elected official, are you willing not only to listen to the people who elected you (i.e., the members
of your own party), but will your doors also be open to everyone?
7 Where do you stand on moving away from party primaries and going to an open primary where a person’s registered party affiliation
is not an issue? Citizens could vote for any candidate of any party. Would you be for or against open primaries?

8 As a potential leader in Arizona, would you be willing to take the high school AIMS test and have your score published?
8 What is your opinion on term limits and what’s the foundation for your opinion?
10 Do you believe that the political parties should pay for the cost of their campaigns in the primaries, not the state? Should we get
rid of Clean Elections?
11 The state talks about state’s rights, yet when it comes to city rights, the state seems to want to come down and violate
constitutional policies that have been in place since the 70’s—state shared revenues and other such things. If you’re
elected, what will you do to protect the cities’ rights to run their organizations? What is the relationship between the
state and the other jurisdictions within it?
12* In almost every election, we have propositions on the ballot. How do you feel about proposing some kind of legislation that these
voter-mandated programs be revisited periodically and referred back to voters on some kind of regular basis?
13 What will you do to ensure that the well being and interests of all residents are taken into consideration, regardless of economics
or public voice? Are you committed to the interests of all citizens you represent?
14 Recognizing that leadership requires understanding, would you be supportive of requiring citizenship and civics to be
taught in the high schools?
15 If we do have a constitutional convention, I fear we will roll back some of the protections that our state founders put in. They
made our constitution in the early 1900’s and tried to learn from the mistakes of other states. We don’t need new laws every year;
we need representatives to make sure the state’s business gets done. Do you consider yourself a lawmaker or a representative of
the people?
16 Partisanship and divisiveness are becoming endemic at virtually all levels of government. As a candidate, what kind of assurance
can you give that the interests of the people are going to be put before party or personal ideologies? What kind of person are you?
What are your commitments? What are your values? Are you putting your party first, your personal or group ideologies first, or
the best interests of the constituents, the people you represent?
17 What makes you qualified to represent all the citizens, all the residents of your district? Do you feel that you can represent them
fairly, without relying upon your religious beliefs to decide issues?
18 What place, if any, does religion have in the carrying on of state government?
19 As a candidate, what’s your opinion on adopting the Texas policy where they meet less frequently and it’s really more about
representing constituents than lawmaking?
20 As a candidate, if you support revoking the Voter Protection Act and revisiting propositions and initiatives that have been voted
on by the people, will you also be open to revisiting constitutional amendments that have been passed by the people?
21 The Arizona We Want gives little recognition to the arts and culture. On the more general issue of quality of life, how do you propose
to provide Arizonans with a rich environment, expose children to opportunities for participation, and improve the prospects for
an entertainment industry?
22 If elected, are you prepared to act with civility toward other officials with different perspectives?
23 Would you consider running for office not as a party candidate (i.e., like many city councils) but as a person with particular ideas
and concerns for the citizens of your district?
24 Do you support creating the position of Lt. Governor in Arizona?
25 Would you compromise your religious beliefs to pacify a few of your constituents?

1 I was at a gathering where we were trying to discuss issues in a non-partisan way and one member of our legislature stood up and
said, “But I have to stand next to my philosophy. It’s what I believe; it’s why I was elected. I cannot compromise on that.” Would
that be your position, or do you think it’s appropriate to compromise in order to solve problems?
2 I have been frustrated in the recent past in terms of campaigning, and it seems like what is most important in terms of campaigns
is what is going to get you, Mr. or Ms. Candidate, elected in this election cycle. Are you willing to take a longer view to focus on
the greater good rather than what’s expedient to get you elected this term?
3 What will you do to help facilitate a more civil discourse on the issues and challenges before our state, rather than all of the conflict
that we have been witnessing over the past few years?
4 What would you do to make judges more accountable to the people?
5 If you are elected to office, would you pledge your allegiance to the constitution of the State of Arizona or to a think tank head
outside of the state?
6 Would you support a call for a constitutional convention to rewrite the state constitution?
7 The redistricting process is fast upon us, both for legislative districts and congressional districts. Would you use your influence
to make sure the governor makes the best possible appointments to the commission of appellate court appointments, and make
sure that those who will be in power next January make the best possible appointments to the five-person redistricting commission?
8* How do you feel about the open primary concept for legislative office, where anyone can vote in a primary and then there’s a
runoff between the first and second (place) candidates?
9 Arizona has a “most votes” system of electing for the state. That allows minority candidates, candidates without a majority of
votes, to be nominated by their party for office or elected to office. Do you believe in the policy of the most votes winning an
election, or do you believe in a majority rule outcome?
10 With more and more issues concerning the federal government over the border, healthcare, and other issues, do you see
yourself as more of a partner with the federal government or an adversary with the federal government?
11 Would you pledge your support to continue Arizona’s merit selection of judges?
12 I think we talked a lot about structural solutions, but I really want to know what the candidate feels are the barriers to strong
leadership in this state? How can voters help elected officials make the tough decisions, be well informed? Are there structural
problems that they see in particular, or that they could identify for us?
13 This really isn’t a structure of government question, but would you be in favor of looking at legal reform to help alleviate the
overcrowding in prisons? Will you look at alternative ways to deal with crimes that have to do mostly with substance abuse and
mental illness issues? Do you support a system that allows non-profit agencies to deal with some of these issues at a much lower
cost than imprisonment? Could we divert dollars from prisons into the education system?
14 How do we improve our reputation as Arizonans?
1* Do you support a redistricting process that results in more politically competitive districts?
2 If you support smaller government, what agencies and services and regulations do you want to repeal?
3 What is more important to you as a candidate, to become elected or re-elected, or doing the right thing for the state in the future?
4 Would you consider supporting a unicameral legislature to cut down on the cost of government and cut down on the political
posturing and infighting?
5 Would you as a candidate support eligibility qualifications for running for the legislature by having previously served on a school
board, on a city council, or on a county board of supervisors, before determining the outcome of the State of Arizona?

6 Would you support an open primary?
7 Mr. Candidate, I know you. You’re my neighbor. I think you’re a fine person. If I vote to send you to the legislature, will you then
become a lackey of your party’s leadership?
8 While bipartisanship and compromise are necessary for a legislature or any government body to get anything done, do you have
the... not political will... but moral will to vote against your own party? Are you willing to not compromise on things that you
believe are going to be destructive to our state or to your constituents?
9 Would you support a constitutional convention to rewrite the Arizona constitution and make it a document usable in the 21st
century without restrictions on what can be considered?
10 Do you have a college degree, and if not, why not? Would you be very clear about your educational background as a candidate
and make sure your constituents and those who are voting know what it is? How much background do people need to handle the
complex issues that are being pointed out here?
11 Will you pledge to research, investigate, and make informed decisions prior to making a pledge to vote one way or another?
12 When you are the party in power, it’s easy to cater to the 51 percent of the people who voted for you. And so I guess my question
is, how do you plan to represent the other 49 percent of the people who didn’t vote for you?
13 Do you pledge to read legislation before you vote on it?
14 Are you in favor of creating the office of Lt. Governor and, if so, what powers would you invest in that office?
15 How do you plan to ensure that rural counties are equally represented in the legislature? Not only during the primaries and
general election but during the entire time the legislature is in session?
16 Why do you think you are qualified to serve if elected?
1 How can we curtail the polarizing positions and start focusing on solving problems and building consensus?
2 Do you believe regional cooperation between governments is actually feasible, including special districts? If so, name three new
cooperative ideas which would save tax or rate payers money.
3 What would your plan be to balance the state budget?
4 Will you concentrate on legislation or actions that improve the economy, education, renewable energy production, and protection
of water resources rather than on personal agendas and laws that move us backward rather than prepare us for the future?
5 What can you truly give to public service? What is your reason for wanting public office? How can we know that you are actually
going to work for us?
6 How do you intend to bring disparate political parties together around agreed upon strategies for action on our key issues as
outlined in The Arizona We Want report?
7 There are more than a few extremists in the legislature. What can you do to make this body of law less destructive, selfish, and
putting self above all rules and laws?
8 Will you initiate user-friendly methods to research the work you perform on the public’s behalf?
9 Assuming you believe in right and wrong, what is your source of truth which you base it on?
10 Do you believe the Arizona initiative process is being abused by special interests? Should the state constitution be changed?
11 Do you believe it is possible to have civil discussions rather than vicious accusations?
12 Arizona needs a two-thirds majority to increase taxes? Would you support a repeal?
13 How do you define leadership?
14 Would you put term limits on all offices, including the sheriff?
15 How can we eliminate the litigation among elected leaders?
16 Redistricting has created polarization that allows nothing to get done. What will you do about it?
17 Give me examples of how you have built consensus and collaboration in your career?
18 Are you willing to take more action yourself rather than referring everything to voters?
19 What is the true cost of all the litigation going on among various elected leaders? Would you support true transparency?
20 We have gotten what we paid for in terms of legislator pay. What would you do to convince us you deserve more?
21 How do we monitor public funding of campaigns? Do you support public funding? What are special interests and lobbyists doing?
22 What would you do to reach across the aisle and work with the opposing party to achieve bipartisanship in the legislature? How
would you counteract the sentiment that, “We can’t have bipartisanship because the “other side” refuses to work with us.”?
23 What is your broad, grand vision for Arizona? What would you do to achieve it?
24 I want to know why Republican leadership feels more bound to an out of state organization’s policies than they do to the state of
Arizona and the population of Arizona?
State Finances
1 Will you support repealing the requirement that tax legislation requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature?
2 What will you do to increase revenue sources? In particular, I’m thinking about part-time residents of our state who use our
services and buy things. Of course we get their sales tax but it seems like there ought to be other ways to develop income from
part-time residents as well as the tourists that we have.
3 Very simply, do you support state-shared revenues?
4 Mr. Candidate, deficits, deficits, deficits, would be much easier to swallow if during the good years we had surpluses, surpluses,
surpluses. What will you do to help the state manage its money the same way every family does, where they save for a rainy day?
5 One of the more efficient forms of government is local government, municipal government. What will you do to preserve state-shared
revenues so they continue to go to the most efficient form of government?
6 Most of our state taxes are based on sales tax. What would you do as a candidate to look at our tax structure and try to make it so
that we don’t depend on sales tax?
7 In order for the state to make money through taxes, it needs to buy products and services provided by locally owned companies
with a local employee base. If elected, what will you do to support this practice?
8 About ten years ago, we moved funding for school construction to the state budget, but we didn’t bring along a funding
stream. If you are elected, would you support a permanent dedicated funding stream for school and university construction?
If not, would you agree to move the local construction cost back to the local district?
9 Given the ongoing nature of our fiscal difficulties, do you believe the legislature is capable of arriving at a proper fiscal management
approach in Arizona and, if not, what resources would you bring to bear on that issue to help them?
10 If elected, how will you attract new business and new revenue to the state?
11 As a property owner here in Peoria, I pay property taxes and local government has zero problem spending my money. However,
since I don’t live here, I don’t have a voice. How could you give me a voice?
12 The state legislature swept additional lottery proceeds that went to cities to support such things as Dial-A-Ride and other services
for individuals that have special needs in cities. How are you going to reverse that so that money returns to cities to meet these
special needs?
13 The Arizona constitution requires the legislature to pass a balanced budget. The budget for 2010 is not balanced, the budget for
2009 was not balanced, and the budget for 2011 is probably not balanced. If you’re elected, how are you going to balance the budget?
14 There are over ten million acres of state trust land. Would you be willing to sell some of that to growing cities, such as Peoria, who
have some of that trust land within their boundaries, who would be interested in buying the land so they could do more smart
growth instead of making it a very tough process as it is right now?
15 Over the last eight years, the legislature has swept one billion dollars from the highway user revenue fund, which provides for
roads statewide. What will you do to protect the highway user revenue fund from future sweeps and to restore the funding that
was swept from it?
16 The state constitution mandates that the state trust lands be sold for the highest price possible at a public bidding process. Will
you promise to keep this process in effect, so that we do not lose the value of our trust lands and we’re able to continue to fund the
funds that the trust land sales go into?
17 Would you consider increasing our low property tax rate (compared to most other states) to properly fund our parks and schools?
18 Would you continue the state’s newest tradition of forcing the voters to increase the sales tax for education, or will you include
funding for schools in the state budget?
19 Will you retain/bring back the much needed speed cameras for our safety and additional revenue?
1 I would like to know what candidates suggest we do to break the pattern of legislators always spending more than the revenue
we bring in.
2 I would like to ask candidates if they support amending our state tax system so that property taxes and income taxes are more
reflective of the wealthier people paying their fair share. Increasing income tax seems to be something that no legislature in the
country will dare talk about, but it seems that it’s necessary to do in Arizona. I’d like some truth about that.
3* If you want to decrease taxes in Arizona, you can do it with a simple majority. But if you want to increase taxes, you need a
two-thirds vote. Are you willing to do anything about that so we can increase or decrease easier as needed?
4 Proposition 100 passed and so we have some money coming in for a little while. What are you planning to do after we run out
of100 money? And what will you do about the deficit itself?
5 In the 1980’s, lowering taxes actually brought in nearly double the amount of money coming into the government. It stimulated
job growth, making it so that corporations could invest in expanding their companies and providing more jobs. Are you willing
to lower taxes in order to repeat that same thing?
6 I would ask each candidate how they would propose to fund a project they support, and I would also ask how they feel about
unfunded mandates.
7 It seems to me that much of what has happened because of the recession, the deficit, could have been avoided by simply restructuring
the entire tax structure of the state. Are you willing to rethink our entire state tax structure so that when times are lean, it doesn’t
hit us as hard and when times are fat, we can generate a surplus?

8 Since families and small businesses must spend within their means, I would like to know what programs the candidates would
cut so that we as a state might spend within our means.
9 Would the candidates support a state constitutional convention to revisit some of the problem areas of our state government?
10 Would the candidates be willing to exhibit the courage necessary to address the fiscal needs of our state and a balanced budget?
Will they have the courage to vote on that and stop referring it back to voters because they are unable to settle the issue within
our legislature?
11 Is the candidate willing to tax carbon to help incentivize the transition to a clean energy economy? Coal is often cited for air
impairments over the Grand Canyon, one of the wonders of the world. It is dirty. The Arizona Corporation Commission recently
sought a review of the externality costs of burning coal. So I think if the federal government isn’t going to tax carbon any time
soon, is this candidate willing to do that to help create funding.
12 As a CPA, I’d like to talk myself out of a job and ask the candidates if they would be for tax simplification. More taxes are not
going to create more revenues. More rules are not going to create more revenue.
13 I have a fairly straightforward question for the candidates relative to the tax system. Does the candidate believe that the tax system
in its current form is working and sustainable? If the answer is yes to that question, thank you for the answer. If the answer is no,
would the candidate then please provide a specific proposal for changing the tax system.
14 The working poor tax credit has provided thousands and thousands of dollars throughout the state to assist working poor families
who get assistance with food, shelter, and clothing. Would you preserve the working poor tax credit?
15 Would the candidates be willing to support a blue-ribbon commission to study the best practices of other more fiscally responsible
states and then institute those best practices in order to bring our house in order?
16 Will you seriously consider the benefits of a flat tax?
17 I’ll just focus on the expenditure side of the finances for a second. For many, many years, this state has been disinterested in higher
education. In fact, today the universities are funded at a level that is below the 1997 level per student. Would you be willing to con-
sider increasing the funding for higher education institutions? We all know that the benefits to the society and individuals
are great.
18 I would like to ask the candidates if they might also consider the fair tax. Quite a lot of work has been done on it already in Congress.
I personally like the flat tax, but I’ve been doing a lot of reading on the fair tax, and it does seem to answer a lot of questions for
the lower income part of our population. So I would like to ask our candidate if they might try to further the fair tax movement in
Congress and examine the flat tax as two movements that have been researched pretty widely already.
19 The state invests a significant amount of money in incarceration. Are you willing to invest in alternatives to incarceration
that have been employed very successfully in other states to reduce recidivism?
1 If you’re elected, what if anything will you do to close the loopholes and exemptions that have been lobbied into the revenue code
by special interests over the years? How will you change the revenue code to get rid of the loopholes?
2 As a candidate, would you ever consider not accepting federal funds, because all federal funds come attached with mandates?
Would you be willing to go it alone rather than accept federal funds that have to meet matching contributions and so forth? Like
we have to do with AHCCCS and so forth?
3 Do you believe we can get out of this economic downturn (what we used to call a recession and what I call a depression) without
raising taxes, both income and sales tax?
4 Following up on the issue of sales tax, what ideas do you have for bringing in revenue to the state without relying on sales tax,
which is unreliable and tends to follow spending patterns?
5 As a candidate, what is your position on establishing and maintaining a rainy day fund when we have good times so we have
money around when it’s not so good?
6* Every issue we’ve talked about really has some cost to it, like education or keeping the state parks open. What I want to know is
what your top priorities are for state spending? Where should the dollars go first, and where should they go last?
7 This question was addressed earlier but I think it’s important to reiterate. Much of the legislature’s attempt to balance the budget
has been on the backs of the cities, which are the lowest level in the hierarchy. And I’d like an assurance from you as a candidate
that you’re not going to continue to raid city resources to solve the problems that are at the state level.
8 Have you made a pledge to any individual or any group, other than your constituents, concerning how you will vote on
matters of finance or taxes? If so, what have you pledged?
9 For many years, politicians have made their bread and butter by getting tough on crime. As a result, we have an overflowing prison
population at a cost of someplace in the vicinity of $50,000 a year to incarcerate. Would you favor, for cost-saving purposes, the
release of non-violent convicts?
10* It’s my understanding that there’s a cap on the amount of money or revenue that can go into the rainy day fund. Do you favor
removing the cap?
11 As candidates, what is your plan for reducing the legacy costs of state employees with regard to retirement benefits?
12 The State of Arizona has a tremendously underutilized asset in the resources held by the State Land Department. What are your
thoughts on how to restructure the State Land Department to make more productive use of the assets they hold on behalf of the state?
13 Where do you stand on privatizing public services that have historically been provided by the state? And if you favor that, which
ones do you think have promise for privatization, from prisons to parks?
14 Acknowledging that a lot of the spending cuts were taken out of cities, the budget in the last year basically was balanced on the
backs of the poor, the disabled, and those who cannot speak for themselves. Are you absolutely opposed to raising taxes when the
revenue does not meet the needs of the population?
15 Do you pay taxes? What portion of your personal income is saved? What is your debt to income ratio? Would you apply your
practices to state finances?
16 As a candidate, do you support a requirement that any voter initiative that deals with funding requires a dedicated source of
funding, other than state general funds?
17 Candidates, do you promise to not support any efforts to extend the increase in sales tax we all just voted on and allow it to go
back to the original percentage before this ballot initiative?
18 If you’re elected, would you support a provision that would disqualify any legislator that takes a pledge to never raise taxes?
1 I make $35,000 a year. I have two deductions. I pay a tax bill to the State of Arizona in income tax of $10 per paycheck. Ms. Candidate,
what does the current atmosphere of economic planning based on tax cuts mean to me?
2 Do you support broadening Arizona’s transaction privilege tax, which is the sales tax, to cover services and other categories
of goods and services not currently covered?
3 The people of Arizona just approved a one cent sales tax for a three-year period of time. Will you commit to comprehensive tax
reform before the expiration of that one cent sales tax?
4 Our current tax structure has the personal tax burden of property tax, income tax, sales tax, vehicle license tax, gas tax. The
burden on citizens ranks 41st in the country. Our business tax burden makes us 10th in the country. Would you consider raising
some taxes and lowering others to have a more balanced tax structure? Would you consider broadening the sales tax base? In
addition, we’re the only state in the country that extracts minerals without an extraction tax. Would you consider taxing copper
and other minerals?
5 I want to know if the candidate recognizes the negative impact that regressive tax structures have on low-income people?
Address that issue specifically and plainly so that the tax burden doesn’t fall on the people that can least afford to pay for it.

6 We’re one of the most heavily sales-taxed states in the country. Would you support an increase in the progressive income tax in
the State of Arizona?
7 In terms of raising taxes and growing government, how much is too much in your view?
8 Do you support repealing the super majority requirement for a tax increase vote in the state legislature?
1 This is a question, not necessarily for candidate, but for the residents of the State of Arizona. We need to ask ourselves as voters
and residents, how much more are we willing to be taxed to meet the needs of the state as articulated during this process?
2 Will you oppose the taking of funds from taxpayer-approved initiatives and using those funds for other purposes?
3 It appears that during difficult economic times that we cannot sustain funding for basic services, such as public safety and education,
let alone the many social services that we provide. I do not want my taxes raised. How do you prioritize amongst those needs?
4* We are experiencing a severe economic downturn, and I think part of that is because of the tax structure we have in Arizona.
What do you feel the appropriate mix of taxation should be in the state?
5 I would like to know if the candidate would be willing to lift the cap on small cities that affects our ability to increase
property taxes. Sometimes that’s the only avenue we have left, and I would like to know if you are willing to raise that
cap or eliminate it? I would much rather have it eliminated.
6 In terms of balancing the budget—after everybody is done taking, stealing, and borrowing from different funding pots, what
would a strategic plan look like for future funding that will balance the budget?

7 I’d like a commitment from the candidates, all of them, to make the budget process transparent and understandable, particularly
in the areas of healthcare and education.
8* Oftentimes our cities are burdened with unfunded mandates. I want to know the candidates’ opinions about unfunded mandates
and if they would be willing to lessen them or eliminate them altogether.
9 I would like to know the candidate’s view about passing on certain other expenses to the cities that they are not willing or able
to pay for themselves. And so they pass it on down to the county and they pass it on down to the local community. I would like to
know your view and what you see as an over-reaching state policy on that?
10 I would ask if the candidate is willing to raise the state gasoline tax to better enable cities and counties to build and maintain
their road infrastructure?
11 I’m really on taxes tonight. One of the things that just happened is that the LTAF were swept from the cities. We have no income
from those any more. I want them to be reinstated and I want to know if candidates are willing to do that, if elected?
12 I’d like to ask the candidate, what kind of statewide architecture he or she would have concerning public transportation? Specifically,
what kinds of public transportation do you support with ideas for implementation and funding.
13 What is going to happen to the budget if the one percent sales tax isn’t repealed?
14 We know we can make the sales tax less regressive if we were to expand it and tax services as well. So my question is do you have
the will to tax services? That would spread that tax burden out a little bit more.
15 There’s a statute on the books that the state legislature is to appropriate money for building renewal for school districts, and they
fund it through the school facility board. They have not funded it for the past two years at all. So my question is, is that legal? It’s
a statute, it’s law and you’ve not funded it for two years. Are you going to follow the law and restore the funding?
16 Are mid-year cuts to a legal school budget legal? We have a school budget that’s been adopted. We follow the funding formula the
state provides and the state approves the budget. In mid-year they sweep a million dollars. Is that ethical? Do you support doing
that? Do you believe the practice of rolling forward our state obligations to the next fiscal year is the way to run a state budget?

17 Symington, Hull, Napolitano and tax/fiscal commissions have come to similar conclusions—rebalance property tax rates. Do you
agree? Do you like the property tax structure we have now? It’s the weakest leg of the fiscal stool.
1 If you could repeal any proposition from the last 4 years, what would it be and why?
2 How would you develop a stable tax system that would be fair to business and the private citizen? If close to 50% of people nationally
are paying no federal income tax, that implies a “welfare state” whether it’s corporate or private welfare.
3 The rest stops throughout the state cannot be kept closed as they are now. How do we keep them open?
4 Even tax experts disagree on what a “stable tax system” is. What are your suggestions to prevent another budget crisis
like the state is currently experiencing? Should certain expenditures be protected against economic downturns such as
education or healthcare?
5 What specifically would you do to permanently reduce the cost (not the rate of increase) of government?
6 How can the legislature adequately, responsibly fund the state’s public institutions? The magical thinking of the Grover Norquist
drones has clearly not worked. The present situation is a disgrace.
7 Will you propose or vote for increases in the state income tax across all forms of income?
8 Would you support a progressive income tax?
9 What is being done to collect the money from the federal government that has not come in?
10 Would you be willing to relax mandatory prison sentencing to reduce the number of inmates?
11 Is it time for us to support a moratorium on tax cuts?
12 What are you going to do to start building the rainy day fund?
13 Would you consider a property tax set at purchase that can only increase so much thereafter? Like California’s Prop 13.
14 Are you going to ensure that property tax is based only on value? Will you shift away from sales tax?
15 What will you do to help single people with taxes? We have a disproportionate burden.
16 What do you propose as a solution to the structural deficit Arizona is experiencing?
17 We all want a balanced state budget—consistently! A budget that does not swing to massive losses when economic cycles turn
downward. What plans do you have to cut spending and increase revenues?
A C K N OW L E D G M E N T S
Community Advisory Committee CENTER FOR THE FUTURE OF ARIZONA production partner
Lisa Atkins, Greater Phoenix Leadership Lattie F. Coor, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO Matt Ortega, Director of
José A. Cárdenas, Arizona State University José A. Cárdenas, Director Community Outreach, KJZZ
Pearl Esau, Teach for America George Dean, Director Rene Blatte, Director, Maricopa
Deb Gullett, Gallagher & Kennedy Paul J. Luna, Director Community College Television
Wes Gullett, First Strategic Communications & Ruth McGregor, Director
Public Affairs Bill Post, Director
Art Hamilton, The Art Hamilton Group, LLC Sybil Francis, Ph.D., Executive Director
Jack Jewett, Flinn Foundation Pat Beaty, Senior Fellow
Knox Kimberly, Triadvocates Marjorie Kaplan, Ph.D.
Courtney Klein, New Global Citizens Director of Beat the Odds Institute
Larry E. Penley, Penley Consulting Amanda Burke, Director of Education Innovation
Marty Shultz, Pinnacle West Capital Corp. Robert Luster, Director of Web Communications
Nancy Welch, Morrison Institute Benah Parker, Ph.D.
Community Hosts Director of Education Policy & Research
Peoria Rebecca Heller, Nonprofit Communications Consultant
Bob Barrett, Mayor Lin Phillips, Executive Assistant
LeArta Vance, Executive Assistant
Art Holeman
Carl Swenson, City Manager
Claudia Lujan, Assistant to the City Manager Anna Chaplin, Administrative Secretary
Stephanie Whyte, Council Assistant to the Mayor Teresa Martineau, Administrative Secretary
Sherine Zaya, Public Information Officer Mona Bapat, Research Assistant
Clarin Collins, Research Assistant James Paluzzi, Ph.D.
Stew Radawec, Peoria Channel 11
Arturo Valdivia, Research Assistant General Manager,
Flagstaff
KJZZ/KBAQ
JR Murray, Chairman, Flagstaff Forty
Dean, Rio Salado College
Robert G. Breunig, Director, Museum of Northern Our Special Thanks To:
Division of Public Service
Arizona Arizona State University
Virgil Renzulli, Vice President of Public Affairs The Arizona We Want project
Mesa
Barbara Shaw-Snyder, Director of Community Outreach is essential to creating a better
Scott Smith, Mayor
Kathy Macdonald, Chief of Staff Andrea Whitsett, Project Manager, Arizona Indicators quality of life for all Arizonans
Melissa Randazzo, Public Information Officer and will provide a platform for
Church of the Beatitudes
Clyde Tappy, Mesa Channel 11 intelligent discussion of ideas
Rev. Dr. Nancy Nelson Elsenheimer, Senior Co-Pastor
Rev. Dr. Theodore Elsenheimer, Senior Co-Pastor in key areas such as improving
Tucson
Barbara Wood, Director of Communications our economy through job
Ronald E Shoopman, President
creation, and methods for
Southern Arizona Leadership Council Publication Design & Production
Pam Duncan, Executive Assistant prioritizing our educational
Addison Clark:
Southern Arizona Leadership Council system. I am pleased to serve
Andy Matznick, Creative Direction & Design
Clinton Mabie, President/CEO as a partner in this effort.
Dan O’Connor, Project Management
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona Melissa Katherman, Project Coordination
Clarence Boykins, President presenting partner
Photography
Tucson Black Chamber of Commerce
Dave Tevis, Tevis Photographic
Lea Peterson, President
Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Publication Printing
Rachel Neil, President, Tucson Young Professionals Prisma Graphic Corporation
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Robert B. Strain, Mayor Gallup® and Gallup Poll® are trademarks of Gallup, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Mary Jacobs, Assistant City Manager

Randy Redmond, Fire Chief
Sierra Vista Fire Department
Richard Cayer, Public Works Operations Manager
Kay Daggett, Acting Director
Communications and Marketing
Katie Barron, Public Information Officer
Mary Anne Tolmie, Administrative Assistant
Don Smith
President, CEO
SCF Arizona
We all want a better Arizona.
The Arizona We Want project
is providing a blueprint and a
process for citizens and leaders
to concentrate on new ideas,
better alternatives and successful
outcomes. SCF Arizona is proud
to be a partner and our employees
are proud to be part of The Arizona
We Want!
Center for the Future of Arizona

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Arizone We Want Citizen Questions For Candidates

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the

— peoria town meeting

The Arizona We Want

We Want offers a realistic and contemporary picture of what

citizens think about life in Arizona communities, what they

to address in the 2010 election.

Center for the Future of Arizona

For a combination of reasons—specific citizen goals, a weak state

Natural Resources and the Environment

Leadership and State Government

In consultation with a community advisory committee, we organized the report in three

Candidates The composite questions are:

Respond to citizen YOUR VISION

draws young people. Invest in technology

It’s a very exciting and facilities to grow

going to do to help the small Citizens rate Arizona:

24% The next generation

Do you believe that the success of public education is the

What citizens 2 How would you ensure our

Knowing that getting a child ready for kindergarten

implemented? benefit of Arizona’s schools? Balance population

Citizens rate Arizona:

47% Rate the beauty of

commitment and needs of Maricopa and Pima of outdoor parks,

our state parks open? you consider the needs of

What citizens What will you do to close

Do you support additional funding for Graduate Medical

The majority of Arizona citizens support SB1070, despite the

My question is about the What citizens

to stay in the state and from other countries.

in the country legally? 23% Strongly agree that

How do you feel about an open primary concept for legislative

Will you support a

go last? years ago. Sales tax has

Expenses have increased

4 Oftentimes our cities corrections due to voter

downturn, and I think I want to know the Revenues are at 2004

part of that is because candidates’ opinions levels but expenses are

of the tax structure about unfunded Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning

we have in Arizona. mandates and if they

16 What would you do to streamline regulations to encourage new business?

* Selected as a key question for candidate responses. C i t i z e n Q u e s t i o n s f o r C a n d i d at e s 13

1 4 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t * Selected as a key question for candidate responses.

5 Do you support Science Foundation Arizona?

12 What would you propose as policies to support workforce development?

1 6 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t * Selected as a key question for candidate responses.

26 Do you support tax cuts for base export industries?

13 Do you believe the state needs a Department of Commerce?

3 What will you do to reduce business taxes?

5 If elected, what will you do to invest in small business?

17 My question would be, what is your position on school vouchers?

* Selected as a key question for candidate responses. C i t i z e n Q u e s t i o n s f o r C a n d i d at e s 19

31 What would you do to increase university and community college funding?

2 0 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t * Selected as a key question for candidate responses.

* Selected as a key question for candidate responses. C i t i z e n Q u e s t i o n s f o r C a n d i d at e s 21

8 I would like to understand where education stands in your priorities?

21 What will you do to improve public K-12 educational opportunities?

11 What do you envision the role of the classroom teacher to be?

4 Are you a supporter of tax credits for education?

13 What is your priority for improving education in Arizona?

16 What is your opinion of the new ethnic studies legislation?

2 6 T h e A r i z o n a W e W a n t * Selected as a key question for candidate responses.

23 Why should people with no children have to support schools?