Meet the Candidates: U.S. House of Representatives District 3 Democrat Race
Name: Amanda Aguirre
Age: 59
Hometown: Yuma
Office running for: U.S. House of Representatives
Political experience: Four years (2007-2010) as Arizona State Senator; four years (2003-2006) as Arizona State Representative
Family: daughter, Lucy; son, Anibal
Party: Democrat
Please describe your platform: Pro-jobs, pro-family, pro-women’s health, pro-business, pro-military/veterans, pro-Arizona
If elected, what is your first priority? Fixing our economy and creating jobs
What sets you apart from your opponent(s)? I am the only one with a business background that knows what it takes to sustain and create jobs and make the payroll. I am an expert on health care, having worked more than 25 years in the industry helping the uninsured and underinsured. I have a track record of being an effective legislator, having passed legislation that improves the quality of life for our working families, small business community, veterans, cancer patients and children. I am the only candidate that works bipartisan and can facilitate a consensus among a diverse group of people (from all parties) to pass effective legislation. I do not take extreme positions and I do not walk away from voting. Lastly, I will never ask America to boycott Arizona.
What would you do to achieve more transparency in government, and should government officials be in charge of managing those efforts? I would maintain communication with our constituent base and make sure that relevant information to issues pertaining to tax dollars is accessible to taxpayers. We need to maintain good ethics with respect to conflicts of interest. The government should certainly implement the rules and policies necessary to effect accountability and transparency.
What do you think is the biggest challenge right now facing Yumans? Unemployment
What would you do, if elected, to help change that? Small- and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of our economy; thus, supporting these businesses and encouraging them to hire locally will promote job creation in Arizona while preventing jobs from being shipped overseas. When elected to Congress I will collaborate with state and local leaders to do the following:
• Increase government funding to support our economy-boosting and job-creating industries such as farming, renewable energy, biotechnology, education, etc.
• Work to develop incentives, such as tax incentives and low-interest rate loans, to encourage business development, provided that the companies 1.) hire local workers, 2.) buy American products, and 3.) have a long-term business plan that benefits the community.
• Establish one-stop help centers (a.k.a. incubation centers) to support local entrepreneurs during the business start-up phase.
How would you rate how the current office holder is doing, on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest), and why? The reason why I’m running is because I feel, like the majority of voters in this district, that we are not being represented in Washington, D.C. Thus, I would rate the current office holder as a 1.
What is one of your strengths? I am always accessible to people and in touch with the communities that I serve.
Weaknesses? I’m a workaholic.
What is one thing that you want voters to know? That their voice will be heard when I’m their Congresswoman — the first Latina Congresswoman from Arizona.
Read more: http://www.yumasun.com/articles/arizona-81104-business-jobs.html#ixzz246nWKeNX
