With Sen. Marsha Arzberger’s retirement, the seat for District 25 was left wide open.
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So, the Democrats hope the district’s successful three-term state representative, Manny Alvarez from Elfrida, can become Arzberger’s successor, while Republicnt are hoping to place Mary Ann Black in the seat.
District 25 covers all of Cochise County except for Sierra Vista, which includes Fort Huachuca, and a swath of southern Santa Cruz County that includes Nogales and extends west of that city and covers the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation.
Alvarez and Black have shared a common position on state water politics. In June 2007, Gov. Janet Napolitano signed a bill establishing a local water district organizing board whose purpose, if ultimately approved by local voters, would be to augment existing water supplies by yet-to-be-determined methods.
Alvarez voted against the bill, because he said the legislation added an unnecessary layer of government.
Black, in her capacity as chairwoman of Hereford Natural Resource Conservation District, said at the time that she was “terribly disappointed in our legislators.” Not one to quit and pout, she was soon after appointed by Arizona Speaker of the House Jim Weiers to serve on the water district organizing board. Last month she made a presentation to the board about the potential of stormwater management as an augmentation tactic to help conserve the San Pedro River.
Alvarez and Black were asked about their philosophy regarding compromise vs. “sticking to your guns” when serving in the state Capitol.
“I work for the people who elect me to be in office,” A;varez said. “I will stick to my guns if legislation affects my district.”
Black also answered the question. “I stick to my guns on property rights issues and constitutional issues that are critical to our freedom,” she said. “I will compromise on other issues if the other side can prove it is in the best interest of the public.”
Manny Alvarez
Democratic candidate for State Senate, District 25
• Age: 67
• Residence: Elfrida
• How long have you lived in the area: Since 1956.
• Family: Married to Beverly for 45 years; daughter, Estella Jo Alvarez; son, Gary Lee Alvarez.
• Education/military: Graduated from Valley Union High School, Elfrida; U.S. Army veteran, Vietnam era, three years; attended Cochise College, studied business administration, earned pilot’s license.
• Employment history: Retired from state of Arizona after 32 years serving as a supervisor and manager for the unemployment division; retired farmer and cattle rancher.
• Community affiliations: Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, National Rifle Association, Rotary, Sulphur Springs Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Previous offices held: Currently the state representative for District 25, has won three consecutive terms since 2002.
• How tocontact: Call 642-3526 or send e-mail to malvarez@vtc.net.
QUESTIONS
In what areas do you believe the state government should place its spending priorities?
Education, medical services and state services such as Child Protective Services.
What are your views on education and the state government’s role in supporting that?
I believe that we need to concentrate on educating our children more than we are now, and the state should be able to spend a little more money on education. This is important, so kids won’t be on welfare later and become a tax burden.
In terms of the state government’s responsibility and authority, what are your views on the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration?
It’s an issue that has been going on for years and years and we need to take care of it. The state does need to take care of it, but the majority of the responsibility is the federal government’s. But the state does need to get involved and secure the border. We need to do as much as we can on the border.
Water scarcity and growth ... what are your views on this?
We are all in it together, in working to conserve our water table. Our counties should try to concentrate on slowing down growth, but not cutting growth completely. We can only approve so many building permits in six months or a year. Let’s slow down growth to get the water issue squared away. Educate people about how we’re in a drought, and we need to work together.
Mary Ann Black
Republican candidate for State Senate, District 25
• Age: 55
• Residence: Sierra Vista
• How long have you lived in the area: 21 years.
• family: Husband, George C. Jones; daughter, Jennifer; son, Wesley.
• Education/military: Master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix; certified teacher in Arizona.
• Employment history: Real estate for 30 years; lifetime cattle and horse rancher.
• Community affiliations: Nondenominational Christian; race horse trainer.
• Previous offices held: Currently serving as an appointed member of the Upper San Pedro Water District Organizing Board; supervisor with the Hereford Natural Resources Conservation District.
• How to contact: Call 459-5252 or send e-mail to racing@c2i2.com.
QUESTIONS
In what areas do you believe the state government should place its spending priorities?
Education is one of my priorities and it already is a state priority. I believe in smaller classes in the core subjects with immersion for English language learners, using an aide in the classroom. I believe in expanded school-to-work programs for those not going on to college that will teach students job skills that interest them, how to find a job and how to keep a job.
We need to take care of our elderly, underinsured and uninsured, particularly our children and elderly. This is a responsibility we cannot avoid.
We need to focus on our priorities and cut back on nonessential programs until the economy comes back. We need to stop government waste and use our money wisely.
What are your views on education and the state government’s role in supporting that?
I already mentioned my goals on education above. I do not believe in grandiose, non-functioning school buildings. Why are we spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to build an architectural wonder instead of a good-looking, functional school building for the students? We need to have smaller classes in the core subjects to ensure student success. We need to have more alternative programs for students who do not handle classroom situations and are not going to college. I am a certified teacher and have taught in the classroom enough to learn what works.
In terms of the state government’s responsibility and authority, what are your views on the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration?
We need workplace enforcement of employment laws, and we need to make sure we are not supplying citizen benefits to illegal immigrants. We need the federal government to enforce the employment and visa laws already in place.
We need a guest-worker program with tracking systems where employers report employees upon terminating their employment so we can keep them from disappearing into the population. Their visas should be biometric. No amnesty! Amnesty slaps the face of all those who have worked hard to come here legally.
I have seen first hand that the fence does no good. We need vehicle barriers, virtual fences and livestock fences. I had 30 suspected illegals in my driveway getting into a dump truck and it took so long for the U.S. Border Patrol to respond, that they got away. The truck tried to run down my brother-in-law when he tried to stop it. Then it almost caused a horrible wreck when it didn’t yield to oncoming traffic. These are daily occurrences in Southern Arizona.
Water scarcity and growth ... what are your views on this?
There wouldn’t be a scarcity of water in our state if we learned to manage the stormwater and reuse our effluent effectively. If all new construction was given incentives requiring installation of “on-site retention of accelerated runoff” facilities, and existing homes and buildings were given incentives to retrofit for “on-site retention of accelerated runoff,” we would reduce our water use by 50 percent and reduce flooding and erosion statewide. This simple strategy would offset the impact of growth and benefit our environment.
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