Robert Thorpe

Republican
Candidate for Arizona House in Legislative District 6
Phone: (928) 310-8811
Email: rjt@thorpeaz.com
Website: www.thorpeaz.com
490 Lake Mary Rd, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

Age: 55. (02/01/57, Burbank, CA).

Arizona since: 2003.

Occupation: Residential construction and remodeling, self-employed, 5+ years; published author, constitutional handbook, 2 years; volunteer firefighter 1 & 2, EMT, Highlands Fire District, 7.5 years; website design and development, 5+ years. Other employment: small business owner (software company), the Walt Disney Company, Price Waterhouse Accounting firm, the aerospace industry, the software and online ecommerce industries, medical records, K-12 education, and as a high technology instructor at UCLA Extension.

Marital: Married (Donna, interior designer and project manager).

Children: 2.

Religious preference: Christian.

Education: Emergency medical technician – basic (EMT), Coconino Community College, 2005; AZ State certified firefighter 1 & 2, Highlands Fire District, 2004; graduate studies, human factors psychology, California State University, Northridge, 1986-1987; engineering courses, Los Angeles Pierce College, 1982, 1984; design course, Art Center School of Design (Pasadena, CA), 1982; B.A., liberal arts, California State University, Northridge, 1981.

Political experience: I am a co-founder of an educational/issues-based organization that volunteers its time to state legislators across the nation regarding state U.S. constitutional issues.

Memberships: Heritage Foundation, Freedom Works, Balanced Budget Amendment Taskforce, NRA.

Interests: My family, our black Labs, constitutional and economic/fiscal issues, politics, hiking and mountain climbing, target and skeet shooting, fly fishing, astronomy, antiques, old tractors.

Political influence: President Thomas Jefferson because of his tireless work establishing our nation as a constitutional republic, and his keen understanding about personal liberty and the many dangers that faced our young nation. President Ronald Reagan because of his unyielding conservative compass, strong national defense and pro-growth/low tax economic policies. President Grover Cleveland because of his unconventional governing styles and his personal distain for and fight against government corruption.

Job creation measures: Minimal taxes and government regulations on businesses and job creators.

Top Issues: Job creation and border security/illegal immigration.

Prop 100 sales tax extension: I oppose extending the temporary sales tax increase. Government must keep its promise to its citizens by ending the temporary sales tax in 2013. Additionally, government must never raise taxes during a recession when its citizens are already suffering, and it must live within its means.

Illegal immigration: Arizona requires secured borders! Not only to address illegal immigration, but also to stop and push back Mexican drug cartel violence that has already spilled over our borders. Arizona citizens living near the border and our nation’s sovereignty are not being adequately protected. The border patrol requires unfettered access to all border lands, including all federal lands, and our security resources need to be widely expanded.

Background & experience: I enjoy meeting and listening to people. I am compassionate about addressing the problems our citizens are experiencing, and I am eager to hear and apply their common-sense suggestions for improving our great state. As a businessman, I know how difficult it is to successfully run a business, especially under onerous government regulations, and I will champion the needs and successes of Arizona businesses so they can expand, create jobs and help foster our economic recovery. I have practical hands-on experience, working in both the private and public sectors, and I have volunteered a great deal of my time to my community and have first-hand experience working with state legislators. I have also worked in numerous industries and have higher education in a number of fields of study.

Pro-life / pro-choice: I oppose abortion, especially when it is routinely used as a method of birth control.

One last thing: I love my family, my church, my local community and living in Arizona. I have a diverse business and educational background that allows me to understand intimately many aspects of our complex society and the challenges and problems that businesses and individuals face on a daily basis. I am a firm believer in our U.S. Constitution and in personal liberty – that our citizens have an unalienable right to be left alone by their government. I have been called “tenacious” because of my unrelenting persistence for standing up for and championing principles that I believe in.

Campaign finance: public.