Sun, Jul 05, 2009
Charles E. Gillman Company Accounting Specialist Mechanical Komatsu Equipment Co Resident Field Mechanic Trades/Construction RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION Construction West-Press Printing Sales and Marketing Everready Glass Sales Reps Administrative & Professional Jorgensen Brooks Group Counselor Administrative & Professional Tucson Urban League CEO/President Tucson RegionState Senate, District 23: Democrat: Rebecca RiosTucson, Arizona | Published: 10.05.2008
Name: Rebecca Rios
Office seeking: State Senate, District 23
Party registration: Democrat
Age: 41
Occupation/employer: Director of community relations, Empowerment Systems, Inc.
Family: Married, 2 children, ages 13 and 4
Religion: Catholic
Income: Legislator's salary is $24,000 a year.
Residence: Apache Junction
Education: Bachelor;s and master's degrees from Arizona State University, College of Public Programs
Offices held/run for: Arizona state representative 1995 – 2000, Arizona state senator 2004-present
Civic activities/organizations: Board member and past president of Pinal Gila Headstart, 1996 to present. Board member Community Alliance Against Family Abuse, 2007 to present.
Why are you running? Because Pinal County needs experienced and proven leadership in order to ensure that the needs of its children, families, seniors and communities are well represented and that legislative decisions that are made, are done with complete regard to the impact on our unique district. I have a strong record of advocacy which has earned me the endorsements of the Arizona Education Association, Professional Firefighters, Fraternal Order of Police, Gov. Napolitano, AFL-CIO, Alliance of Retired Americans, Sierra Club, and many others.
The biggest issue facing my constituents is: The need for economic development, jobs and accessible health care. Infrastructure needs are critical due to fast growth in many parts of the district, particularly regarding transportation and school construction.
Favorite local hangout: Home with my family
NPR or FOX? NPR
How long have you lived in Arizona? Native, 41 years
What kind of vehicle do you drive? What kind of mileage does it get? Hyundai Elantra-35 mpg
If I could have dinner with any living person, I would choose: Dalai Lama
If I had my own reality show, it would be titled: "Senator Mom"
First job: I was 15 and was a cook/waitress/shelf stocker — my parents owned Tia Maria's Grocery and Grill, a small mom and pop business in Hayden.
Do you see tax cuts as a good way to grow the economy during the economic downturn, or would you prefer to raise taxes or see them stay the same to avoid cutting government programs?
No, I do not support raising taxes. Responsible tax cuts can be considered in strong economic times. During difficult economic times like the present, the budget needs to be trimmed but never at the expense of children or senior citizens.
What policies would you support to improve the standing of Arizona schools in comparison to the rest of the nation?
Arizona continues to rank 49th in education. We must invest the necessary resources in order to properly educate our children to compete in a global economy. This is one area where we cannot afford to continue to fail. Teachers must be compensated adequately so we can attract and retain the best and the brightest, and classroom sizes need to be reduced in order to maximize student's learning potential.
With the transportation tax off the ballot and the federal transportation trust running dry, how would you pay for growing transportation needs.
The Legislature needs to consider sending a referendum to the ballot this spring to ask the people of Arizona if they want to approve a 1-cent tax to pay for transportation construction.
The state's budget shortfall next year may be in the neighborhood of $2 billion. It must be balanced. How do you do that? Raise taxes/which ones? Cut programs/which ones?
Arizona gives away nearly $9 billion a year in tax exemptions — almost the same amount as our annual 10 billion dollar budget. The Legislature needs to muster the courage to close some of these special interest tax loopholes!
Should the state expand government services to help those who lack health care? What else can or should the state do in the face of rising health-care costs, particularly for those who are self-employed or run small businesses?
Arizona voters passed Proposition 204 a few years ago, which increased the AHCCCS-eligible population. Outreach to ensure that eligible children are covered by insurance will save taxpayers millions of dollars in uninsured emergency room visits.
Self-employed and small businesses in Arizona are offered Healthcare Group of Arizona (HCG), a state-sponsored, premium-based health-care coverage program for uninsured small businesses with 1 to 50 employees. This program should be protected.
Do you support the constitutional amendment on this year's ballot defining marriage as between one man and one woman?
Arizona state law already defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
What should the state's role be when it comes to controlling immigration and mitigating its effects?
Immigration is a federal issue that the federal government continues to fail to address. Because of federal inaction, Arizona has been forced to try to create piecemeal legislation to address the immigration problem. Clearly the border needs to be secured, and a guest-worker program to provide business and agriculture a much needed labor force needs to be addressed.
What policies can or should be passed at the state level to address clean air, water and natural open space preservation concerns?
Arizona needs to continue to meet EPA air regulations, we should implement voluntary water and energy conservation programs and the trust land reform measure that failed to get the required signatures for this upcoming election needs to be reconsidered in the Legislature.
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