Judy Burges

Republican
Candidate for Arizona Senate in Legislative District 22
Phone: (623) 214-3725
Email: burges@myexcel.com
Twitter: @AzLD22
PO Box 5361, Sun City West, AZ 85375.

Age: 68. (07/27/43, La Junta, CO).

Arizona since: 1960.

Occupation: Finance office, Yavapai County, 1984-1996; budget coordinator, Cyprus-Bagdad Copper Company, 1976-1981.

Marital: Married (Bob).

Children: 3.

Religious preference: Lutheran.

Education: M.B.A., University of Phoenix, 1996; B.A., management, University of Phoenix; A.A., general studies, Yavapai Community College.

Political experience: Precinct and state committeewoman; Republican Women of Prescott; Sedona Republican Women; Highway 69 Republican Group; Sun City West Republican Group; 2nd vice chair, Yavapai Republican Committee; Mountain Valley Republican Women.

Legis exp: Senate January 2012 (appointed to replace Scott Bundgaard). House 2005-January 2012.

Interests: Quilting, sketching, collecting pink Depression-era glass, unusual plates and antiques.

Political influence: Milton Freedman taught me about the merits of our free enterprise system, and my mother taught me that if you do what is right for the right reason, things will usually turn out right.

Job creation measures: After the end of the 2012 session, Chief Executive magazine just named Arizona a top-10 state for business climate, and the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurial Activity ranked Arizona the most entrepreneurial state in the country, according to the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. There are things we must do to help business. The housing crisis has cost the state about 40% of our tax base, and the shift from residential to business continues to run up the cost of doing business in Arizona. This tax shift continues to create a burden and discourages investment in Arizona. In addition, a recent study shows that. Occupational licensing for lower-income and aspiring entrepreneurs is often burdensome and frequently causes bottlenecks making it harder to create jobs and new business opportunities.

Top Issues: Job creation and sealing the border, including building a fence. When I took office, I raised my right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Arizona. This is part of my duties.

Prop 100 sales tax extension: Oppose! To continue the temporary one-cent sales tax is a breach of contract made with the people of this state. Our citizens have a difficult enough time trusting government. The tax was billed as a three-year necessity to get Arizona through the tough budget times and puts many Arizona cities sales tax higher than those in New York and San Francisco. Tax Freedom Day this year was April 10, which means that the average Arizonan worked 100 days to earn enough to pay their tax obligation.

Illegal immigration: This is a tough one to answer as we are often reminded that this is the job of our federal government. Unfortunately, the federal government has consistently refused to step up to the plate and take responsibility for closing our porous border. In the meantime, it appears that six of the ten sections of SB1070 have been found constitutional and the Supreme Court looks to be restoring most, if not all, the sections Judge Bolton put on hold. When Phoenix bears the reputation for being the hostage/kidnap capital of the United States, law enforcement needs to be given the tools to do their job and that was the purpose of SB1070. Secure the border; give our border patrol the necessary equipment and authority to protect themselves from an ever increasing militant cartel as criminal activity along our border remains a problem for our entire country – not just an Arizona problem. Build the fence – Senator Smith’s fence or a virtual fence.

Background & experience: Work experience in the private and public sector compiling multi-million dollar budgets, performing auditing and account functions.

Pro-life / pro-choice: Abortion stops a beating heart. While abortion is a very personal issue between a woman and her doctor, I am opposed to an abortion unless it is to save the life of the mother. With modern contraceptives, it is much easier to prevent an unwanted pregnancy than to use abortion as a means of birth control.

One last thing: I am ever mindful that the voters of my district hired me to do a job for them – a job that included safeguarding their families, their future, their money, their homes, their businesses, and their values. Times change, values don’t. It is essential to keep fighting for the economic solvency and cultural stability of this state, our right to be protected against external and internal threats, to protect our children’s future, and to leave Arizona a better place. That is what our forefathers bled and died for and why our young men and women are fighting around the globe. It is a privilege and honor to serve the people of this district.

Campaign finance: private.