Paul Yoder Platform and BioISSUES and ANSWERS
Border Security
As an Arizona native, it is obvious to me that the existing Federal plan does not provide maintenance of our Southern Border as it should. Waiting for the Feds to act only leaves our communities vulnerable to drugs, criminal activity, and of course, untenable strains on our services to citizens, including healthcare. Arizona is number one in kidnappings in the country. The majority of those kidnapped are legal U.S. citizens with Hispanic or Latino surnames. They must be protected. Skyrocketing unemployment emphasizes the need to protect legal residents in their search for employment. Having lived abroad for 18 years, I bring a prospective to immigration that is both humane and sensible. Bottom line though: protecting our communities from harmful influences coming in from abroad is going to be up to the state as long as the Federal Government continues to abdicate its responsibility to keep our borders secure.
Jobs
Arizona has enjoyed impressive population growth, but we need employment opportunities to keep pace with that growth. The Legislature should create an environment where capitalism can thrive, resulting in vitally needed jobs. At the same time, business leaders have a duty to the local communities they serve. We should have no patience with corporations that resort to unfair practices in order to undercut their competition. At the same time we want to encourage those businesses that improve the quality of life in our communities, doing everything possible to assure that they remain in Arizona.
Education
In order to attract viable, ethical businesses, we need to be able to offer them a workforce second to none. Arizona students have many excellent educational opportunities and yet our public schools continue to rank at or near the bottom nationally. Usually more math and science classes are proposed to remedy the situation. Teachers are driven to produce students who can pass achievement tests without preparing them for real life situations. In the process educators have become overburdened with red tape that robs them of valuable teaching time. For the last 25 years we have been cutting sports and arts programs from our schools. If we are to improve the quality of education in Arizona, these trends need to be reversed. Certainly it is important for students to become proficient, but the best schools have always been environments where creativity has been allowed to thrive. Only by unleashing their creative spirit can our children grow into the confident, solution driven workforce that will be attractive to employers.
Summary
The burst of the housing bubble, coupled with unacceptable unemployment levels, has emptied our state’s coffers. Until these circumstances change, we are going to have to learn to get by with less. This cloud has a silver lining: our budget shortfalls will force us to craft a leaner, more efficient government, one that will still be responsive to our needs, but not intrusive or cumbersome. Be very careful about looking to government to solve all our problems, there is no substitute for personal responsibility. The right to “pursue happiness” is not a guarantee that it will happen. Future generations of Arizonans are depending on us to avoid the pitfalls that have crippled our national economy and that of states like California and Michigan. I believe I possess the vision to ensure that the American dream remains a reality for those who come after us. It would be a great honor for me if you should choose to support me as a candidate for the Arizona Legislature House of Representatives.
Short biography
Born and raised in Phoenix, I’m a professional musician with a degree in music education from Arizona State University. After teaching for a short while, I went back to college and then moved to Europe to begin what became an 18 year career as a professional opera singer (dirty job, bur somebody’s got to do it). In 1996 my mom had a very serious heart attack, so I returned home and for the last 14 years I’ve continued making music, primarily as a conductor, and in church and concert halls instead of the theater.
Coming from the arts and having lived abroad, I bring a different perspective to the state political arena. Living and working in other countries gave me firsthand experience with immigration, both its pitfalls and benefits. Many of the proposed solutions to our current economic woes have already been tried in Europe and I’ve had a chance to see how they work and also, how they don’t. These big government socialist answers have generally left European nations hopelessly in debt, stifling enterprise, which has resulted in unemployment levels that leave very little hope for future generations.
My experience as a conductor has shown me that I possess excellent leadership skills, and that I can build consensus. If you think getting Republicans and Democrats to agree is difficult, try getting musicians to agree about practically anything musical. It’s no small feat to get a horn player’s phrasing to match a bassoon’s, to keep a chorus, 70 feet away from you, singing in time with the violins sitting right under your nose. If we are to get past the political stalemates that are stymieing our state government and move forward to re-create the systems that have ceased to work for us, we are going to have to start cooperating with each other again. I’m seeking office because I’m creative and I know I can be a catalyst to move government in the direction that will protect all Arizona citizens, both now and in the future.
Source:
Paul Yoder
Candidate LD15 House of Representatives
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