Robert Leach

Democrat
Candidate for Arizona House in Legislative District 14
Phone: (520) 227-8610
Email: rjleach@cox.net
5477 Mesa Verde Dr, Sierra Vista, AZ 85635.

Age: 41. (b 09/01/71, Buffalo, NY).

Arizona since: 2004.

Occupation: Defense contractor; retired, U.S. Army, since 2009.

Marital: Married (Renee).

Religious preference: Christian.

Education: Master’s, administration of justice and security, University of Phoenix, 2009; B.S., human services, Wayland Baptist University; certified in Lean Six Sigma, Six Sigma – Green Belt, and project management through Villanova University.

Political experience: Precinct committeeman since 2011.

Memberships: Volunteer as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Cochise County; commissioner on the Sierra Vista Parks and Recreation Commission; member of the national criminal justice honor society.

Interests: Family time with my wife and three dogs; playing golf with family and friends.

Political influence: My parents have always encouraged me to stand up for what is right. Their compassion for helping others has greatly influenced who I am and where I see myself in the future.

Job creation measures: By switching to a graduated corporate tax structure, we would better support small business growth where 70% of our jobs originate. This would lower the tax rate for many small businesses and encourage job growth. I would also advocate a system of tax credits for hiring versus across the board cuts, which has been ineffective.

Top Issues: Jobs and education go hand in hand. By properly funding education, we will make our children and citizens better prepared for the high tech job market of the future. I will work diligently to ensure our educational curriculum focuses on science, technology, engineering and math. If we do this and support a graduated corporate tax structure, our future will be much brighter!

Prop 100 sales tax extension: I favor extending the sales tax in order to support our educational foundation. This funding is necessary, but just a piece of the puzzle when it comes to supporting our public educational system. By shifting revenue from privately owned educational facilities to public facilities, we can hire the best teachers in the country and provide our children with a more rigorous and challenging curriculum.

Illegal immigration: Illegal immigration is a federal issue. However, I would encourage our leaders at all levels to work together to reform the current policies that no longer reflect the needs of our country. My immigration reform ideas would generate revenue for the states, and curb dangerous cross border activities.

Background & experience: My leadership skills have been cultivated during my time as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. I was honored to be inducted into the prestigious Sergeant Audie Murphy Club for leadership when I was a soldier. I have the requisite skills to work with all people to find equitable solutions for today’s challenges. My vision will better suit the people of Arizona then the current regime. My civic duties allow me to see how the destructive nature of budget cuts affect people at all levels. I will use my experiences and knowledge to improve state services for the people.

Pro-life / pro-choice: I do not believe this is a government issue.

One last thing: I will not vote to raise the taxes of those making less than $100K, while reducing the tax rate by 50% for millionaires like my opponents David Stevens and David Gowan attempted to do. I also believe in government transparency, and oppose the negative influences of organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council. I will not vote to turn LD-14 (Safford) into a nuclear waste dump like Stevens and Gowan did; without the courtesy of notifying the mayor of Safford.

Campaign Finance: public.