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Among Kent’s major campaign issues are the Economy, our severely limited Water Supply, and Education.
Economy & Jobs
Arizona is at a crossroads and the decisions we make in the next few years will affect our lifestyle, economy, environment, and the lives of our children for decades to come. Our struggling economy needs a strong steady hand from the State Legislature but only in the areas that are appropriate for the legislature to act. We need bold leadership to implement policies that stimulate new, healthier sustainable industry that will provide not only jobs but jobs that bring a living wage and an opportunity for advancement. We need single payer health care not just to make business more competitive but because it’s the right thing to do for Arizonans. We need a legislature that uses the budgetary process to benefit the average citizen, not just the special interests whose main concerns are profits, stockholders and personal agendas. We need a legislature that understands budgetary and economic principles and that isn’t afraid to make hard decisions during good and bad economic times. Lastly, we need a legislature that doesn’t meddle in the local affairs of our counties, cities and towns. (More)
Water, Our Limited Supply
There is no doubt that our Sonoran Desert is a glorious and wonderful place. The mountains, valleys, the vegetation and the numerous animals and their habitats are all part of our Sonoran Desert home. Thankfully, Webster’s definition of a desert: “an arid barren tract incapable of supporting any considerable population without an artificial water supply” doesn’t apply here. But can we afford to keep pressing our luck? Pima County’s population is over 1 million people and we continue to grow rapidly! Tucson’s aquifer continues to drop 4 ft per year and we continue to grow rapidly! There are plans being drawn up now to recharge our aquifer which supplies our drinking, cooking and bathing water with treated effluent and we continue to grow rapidly! We must plan realistically for the long-term use of this most precious resource now, before it becomes a crisis. There are no easy solutions, but our current leadership has chosen to merely gloss over or ignore these alarming trends. They try to pretend there is no long-term problem. They instead look at the State through their “aqua colored glasses!” Responsible leadership means looking squarely at the situation, taking appropriate actions, and planning for the long term. (More)
Education
What better way do we have to give our children the power and strength they will need to face the adult world but through education? Few areas of public policy are as important as the education of our children. The state and local public school districts have the responsibility to provide the nuts and bolts of the education process. It’s with these basics along with the partnership of parents, students, teachers and administration that everyday learning experience takes place. But we in Arizona are not doing our jobs. Arizona ranks 2nd in the country in school dropouts. We rank 49th in the country in per capita spending for education. One in every ten teenage girls in Arizona is pregnant before the age of 17. These are more than mere statistics. These are lives in jeopardy. These are children crying out for us to do our jobs. These are families and voters asking why its elected officials don’t fulfill the promises that they make. (More)
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