Comprehensive Electoral Reform
Entrenched political parties and money have no business in our government.
There are currently huge anti-democratic barriers to anyone seeking election to public office which makes it difficult for regular people to run for office ensuring that our representatives don’t actually represent us.
This is something that makes everything else that needs to be done harder so if elected my first priority will be to put forth bills for comprehensive electoral reform including the following:
Automatic Voter Registration
Reduced and normalised ballot access requirements for candidates
Approval or Ranked Choice voting
Proportional representation
Free Public Higher Education
Article 11 § 6 of Arizona’s Constitution reads:
The university and all other state educational institutions shall be open to students of both sexes, and the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible. The legislature shall provide for a system of common schools by which a free school shall be established and maintained in every school district for at least six months in each year, which school shall be open to all pupils between the ages of six and twenty-one years.
This sounds amazing but unfortunately the weasel words「 as nearly 」 and 「 as possible 」have given past legislatures enough room to make public higher education incredibly expensive. If elected, I will propose an amendment which strikes these out making higher education free and accessible for all.
The university and all other state educational institutions shall be open to students of both sexes, and the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible. The legislature shall provide for a system of common schools by which a free school shall be established and maintained in every school district for at least six months in each year, which school shall be open to all pupils between the ages of six and twenty-one years.
Every dollar spent on public education pays off with an ROI that investors could only dream of, and improving schools leads to significant increases in property values. We need to adequately fund public schools including councillors not just to invest in our collective future but even out of sheer self interest.
AHCCCS for All
All of us need healthcare throughout our lives but private, for-profit companies get in the way. Because for-profit companies necessarily maximise revenue ( what they charge you ) and minimise expenses ( the care they pay for ) we currently pay more in private taxes to these companies than most people around the world pay for public universal healthcare. Arizona already has the basis of what could become a public insurance option, AHCCCS but it is currently limited to the poorest among us with a cliff that kicks out anyone making even just a dollar more than a tiny poverty-level income.
If elected I will work towards revamping AHCCCS, opening it to all Arizonans, and building towards public and universal healthcare coverage.
Walkable and Accessible / Livable Cities
One of the great things about Downtown Gilbert is that it is walkable and ( relatively ) accessible. We need to expand and connect new and existing construction and making it possible and easy for more of us to reduce our dependence on private vehicles.
The light rail going down Main Street should turn right at Gilbert and come downtown to bring more business to town and to give us more access to the rest of the valley. If elected I will work with the Chamber of Commerce and Valley Metro to make this a reality.
Business and Housing
You may have noticed that there are many vacant commercial and residential investment properties around town. Due to perverse incentives from tax policies, there are actually advantages to leaving places empty. This artificially drives prices up making it harder for business owners and renters to work and live. In office I would propose legislation to fine investors for leaving properties vacant compelling them to drive prices down to what the market will bear.
Sunshine and Water
As a desert community we have unique challenges and opportunities. With proper management, we can make ourselves sustainable into the future. It is incumbent upon us to do whatever we can to be good stewards for our environment both for ourselves and our posterity and I consider doing whatever I can to see to it that we get there.