Where's the Leadership?

I entered the race for a seat in the House of Representatives because I was frustrated with the lack of leadership in the Arizona House and Senate in resolving our deficit and moving our state forward. At no time has this void been apparent than this week, which they have hailed as the "week of the budget."

This, of course, begs the question, "Why hasn't there been a year of the budget?" Or 14 months? We have paid for the legislators to come into budgetary special sessions several times during both last year's session and the current session, over the summer and in the fall. And now they have declared they are going to work on the budget -- this week! In the meantime, we have read about work on bills that give free fishing licenses, remove regulations on concealed weapons, and throw our solar energy policies into such disarray that businesses have been ready to pack up and leave. Proposals containing balanced budgets have been presented to the "leadership," but these budgets have been ignored or shuffled off to various committees. Will the ideas presented surface during this week or will we see more of the same?

Personal ambition and individual agendas have become the rule, not just the norm, in our state legislature. It is imperative that we elect people who care about the future of our state and are willing to work to that end regardless of personal needs and wants. That is why I am running, because I believe public service should be just that. I have spent my professional career working to make sure people know how to analyze situations, think critically, and devise solutions to challenges. This is exactly what our legislators should be doing. I know that there is no quick fix to the economic recession, and we must continue to invest in those components that are most important to our future. Education, jobs, and sustainable resources must not be compromised, but rather fortified, if Arizona is to survive this recession.