After receivng a “bye” in the Primary Election, four candidates are vying for the two vacated seats in the Arizona House of Representives for District 25.
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The candidates are Richard “Ric” Boyer, D-Hereford; Timathy Davies, R-Marana; Patricia “Pat” Fleming, D-Sierra Vista; and David Stevens, R-Sierra Vista.
District 25’s current representatives are Manny Alvarez, D-Elfrida, and Jennifer Burns, R-Marana. Both are completing their third consecutive terms.
Alvarez has shifted to the Senate contest, hoping to fill the void left by termed-out Willcox Democrat Marsha Arzberger.
Burns is creating somewhat of a similar vacuum in District 25. She said her energies in this political season are being spent working on the congressional campaign of her friend and District 30 colleague, Senate President Tim Bee.
However, “It’s not the only reason” she is not seeking her fourth and final term.
For someone with several advanced college degrees, including a law degree, she has sacrificed during the past six years making a living on the state legislator’s annual salary of $24,000. Even though legislators are reimbursed for gas mileage to make a weekly trip to the Capitol, she spends a lot of cash out of her own pocket to drive around the district, which covers all of Cochise County except for Sierra Vista and covers a huge swath of southern Santa Cruz County beyond Nogales. It also loops up to northern Tucson in Pima County.
“I can make a bigger difference from outside than inside,” Burns said, commenting on her shift to activities that include working behind the scenes with the Bee campaign.
Richard ‘Ric’ Boyer
State House, District 25 candidate
Democrat
• age: 63
• Residence: Hereford
• How long have you lived in the area: Eight years
• family: Wife, Kathy. Daughter, Holly Bajar of California. Son, Matthew Boyer of New Hampshire.
• Education/military: Four years active with U.S. Army, honorably discharged as a captain. Received bachelor’s degree, business administration, from the University of Nebraska. Received juris doctor (law degree) from the University of Maine.
• Employment history: Professor for Wayland Baptist University. Teaches online.
• Community affiliations: Military Officers Association of America, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, American Bar Association, New Hampshire Bar Association, U.S. Supreme Court Bar.
• Previous offices held: Bisbee city magistrate, presiding, 2003-06. Cochise County Superior Court appearance master, 2004-06. Three-term New Hampshire state senator, 1981-86. One-term New Hampshire state representative, 1979-1980. Chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, 1981-83.
In what areas do you believe the state government should place its spending priorities?
Given this year’s record deficit, the first priority needs to be balancing the budget. To do this, the state needs to change its approach to spending, which would involve tax reform on the revenue side and revision of the budget process on the spending side as follows:
A). Five-year budget — adopting a five-year budget along with the current five-year budget, which should help avoid future deficits.
B). Revenue — A function of spending should be revenue; hence, comprehensive tax reform is needed for more equitable and reliable income sources reflective of a 21st century economy. For example, the level of state and local property taxes while perhaps appropriate in the eastern states where the property taxes evolved, does not work in Arizona where about 80 percent of the land being owned by government is not subject to being taxed.
C). Two-tier spending — the expense side of the budget should be broken down into two subdivisions: necessary (including mandated/essential expenses), like police protection, and then discretionary expenses. After necessary expenses are matched up with revenue, then to the extent revenue exceeds these expenses the Legislature could decide on discretionary expenses matched by revenue surpluses there may be.
Timathy Davies
State House, District 25 candidate
Republican
• age: 33
• Residence: Marana
• How long have you lived in the area: 1975
• family: None listed
• Education/military: High school graduate
• Employment history: Asarco employee
• Community affiliations: Shriners, National Rifle Association, homeowners association.
• Previous offices held: None.
In what areas do you believe the state government should place its spending priorities?
1. Law enforcement.
2. Health care.
3. Border enforcement.
Pat Fleming
State House, District 25 candidate
Democrat
• age: 59
• Residence: Sierra Vista
• How long have you lived in the area: Since 1969
• family: Husband, Bob. Five children.
• Education/military: Bachelor of arts, University of Phoenix, 1984.• Employment history: U.S. Army civilian employee, served as a budget and manpower allocation analyst.
• Community affiliations: Arizona Parents for Public Education (APPLE), Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers, AARP, National Association of Retired Federal Employees.
• Previous offices held: Immediate past chairwoman of the Cochise County Democratic Committee. Past president of the Greater Huachuca Area Democratic Club. Longtime precinct committeewoman. Member of the 2004 Democratic National Convention Platform Committee.
In what areas do you believe the state government should place its spending priorities?
Education. By investing in a quality education system, we will prepare our children to work in high paying fields and attract businesses that need an educated work force.
Health care. All of us deserve access to quality, affordable medical care and prescription drugs at a cost that does not send families into poverty and bankruptcy. Funding programs like Health Care Group for our small businesses is an important step in the right direction.
Quality of life. Arizonans deserve policies that promote effective health and human services for all citizens, while protecting and sustaining our rural environment.
David Stevens
State House, District 25 candidate
Republican
• age: Will turn 47 this month.
• Residence: Sierra Vista
• How long have you lived in the area: 1987
• family: Married for 23 years to Cindy, a nurse in Sierra Vista. Daughter, Lisa, 20, is attending Pima Community College. Son, Bryan, 17, just graduated from Buena High School and is attending Glendale Community College.
• Education/military: Bachelor of science, computer information systems. Served in the U.S. Army. Also served in the Army National Guard in Indiana and Arizona.
• Employment history: Currently working as a database administrator with Operation Iraqi Freedom at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait. Formerly served as a firefighter with Fry Fire District.
• Community affiliations: Active with Boy Scouts of America. I am an Eagle Scout and have served as a Boy Scouts troop scoutmaster as well as a Cub Scouts Webelos leader. Also served as a Cub Scouts den leader and have been the unit and district fundraising chairman. Also volunteered in many other youth program, such as coaching baseball, softball, football and soccer.
• Previous offices held: Have served as chairman and first and second vice chairman of the Cochise County Republican Committee.
In what areas do you believe the state government should place its spending priorities?
We must be prudent in spending the taxpayers’ money. Health, safety and education issues are always a priority in state government. Spending is one of the state government’s greatest feats.
With the general budget over $9 billion a year (with a deficit), and the governor having approximately $18 billion a year to fund all of the state of Arizoza, I would say the state’s current priority is to spend.
I will focus on reducing the amount of influence the state has in our lives.
You can rest assured I will NOT be a tax-and-spend legislator, and I will sign the No New Tax Pledge. I would like to see people keep more of their own money and let them determine how to spend it.
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