Why am I running?
Tucson deserves leadership that is accountable to all citizens. For too long, our city council has pandered to special interests. I am running for City Council to bring greater accountability to the citizens of Tucson. A balanced budget, properly funded public safety, and better jobs are my top priorities. It is my passion to see the roles of Tucson put back to the proper order, citizens first! I will be a voice for families and a better, safer Tucson.

BUDGET
Our city council is scrambling to balance the budget, and is eager to make up for their mistakes on the backs of renters. Putting the burden of their own mismanagement on taxpayers is completely unacceptable. It is time to prioritize spending and get our budget under control. In order to balance the budget we need to:

• Reduce unnecessary spending.
• Prioritize spending for public safety, basic services and infrastructure.
• Agencies who receive tax dollars must undergo an audit to determine if they are functioning properly, if they are doing the will of the people, and if they are absolutely necessary.
• Stimulate the job-machine— small businesses— in order to generate prosperity for our families.

RIO NUEVO
Rio Nuevo has become an important issue for a lot of residents in Tucson. This year marks the ten year anniversary of when the downtown revitalization project was passed by voters. Yet here we stand ten years later; 77 million dollars spent and almost nothing to show for it. The current council’s decisions on where to spend money first, have cost this project greatly. Instead of prioritizing the projects, and breaking ground on those that would bring immediate revenue to Tucson, they have put funds into projects that are either losing money or costing money. The Fox Theatre, which now has 2.4 million dollars in debt and only $44,000 in the bank, is a prime example of one such project. When studying Rio Nuevo and Tucson’s general budget we see that the current city council members are incapable of making wise and prudent financial decisions.

SAFETY
During periods of economic uncertainty desperations seeps in and crime increases. Making Tucson a safe and secure place is more critical than ever. The current city council has weakened our public safety by under-funding our police and fire departments. With money going to areas less important than public safety, it is obvious our current council does not put a priority on public safety.
The current national average is 2.4 police officers for every 1,000 people. As it stands now Tucson is well below the national average with 1.9 officers for every 1,000 people. The numbers are clear; we are spreading our current police force to thin. We need to make sure our officers have the funding they need to keep the streets of Tucson safe. Public safety is critical considering heightened border violence and Tucson’s major drug-trafficking route. Fulfilling the basic responsibility of keeping Tucson safe is my priority.

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY
I strongly believe that government does not lead the wagon for creating jobs, small businesses do. Small Businesses need to operate without undue interference from the City Council. The City Council believes that increased taxation on businesses is the solution to getting the budget under control. However, additional taxes on businesses do not only negatively affect business owners, but consumers, employees and our economy as a whole. Businesses should not pay the consequences of irresponsible spending. We need to get our budget under control through reduced spending. In order to help jobs and businesses flourish in Tucson, we need to expedite the turnaround time for issuing business permits, licensing, development, and certificates of occupancies. Our city governance needs improvement in order to create a friendly business environment.