Enhancing Education and the Economy
Our education system is the foundation for our state’s future, and right now we are failing our kids and our future. I believe we need to restructure the way we fund our public education system. We need to invest in our teachers, require smaller class sizes, and prioritize public neighborhood schools. Also, we need to protect families’ choices by developing strong accountability measures for charter schools. A highly educated, trained local workforce – and robust infrastructure – will motivate businesses to move to Arizona. We need to create a sustainable and diverse economy that has the ability to compete globally for new, high-wage jobs. I come from generations of small-business owners. I’m proud of Arizona’s growing businesses, but I’m against corporate welfare. Arizona Republicans think the state succeeds economically when corporations benefit from huge tax breaks. This failed economic policy goes by many names but has had one result: a shrinking budget, and that leads to underfunded public services. This past legislative session, Arizona Republicans gave corporations even more tax breaks, including one for buying corporate jets. I know firsthand that corporate handouts lead to poorly maintained infrastructure and inadequate funding for our public schools. Everybody wins when corporations pay their fair share.