Patricia Fleming

Democrat
Candidate for Arizona Senate in Legislative District 14
Phone: (520) 378-4386
Email: fleming4az@gmail.com
Website: www.patflemingaz.com
3321 E Ojibwa St, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650.
(Mail: PO Box 2702, Sierra Vista, AZ 85636)
Age: 63. (03/10/49, Mexico, MO).

Arizona since: 1969.

Occupation: Retired since 2005; budget and manpower allocations analyst, Dept of Army Civilian, 1981-2005.

Marital: Married (Bob, retired).

Children: 2.

Religious preference: Unitarian Universalist.

Education: B.A., business, Univ of Phoenix, 1984; Cochise College, UofA, Texas Tech University; Coronado High School (El Paso, TX), 1967.

Political experience: Candidate for AZ House 2006, 2008, and 2010; volunteer for various federal, state, local partisan and non-partisan campaigns.

Legis exp: House 2009-2010.

Memberships: Member, League of Women Voters, Cochise County; bd member, Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness SE AZ; bd member, AARP local chapter, Sierra Vista Community Coalition; Nat’l Active & Retired Federal Employees; AZ Parents for Public Education; American Society of Military Comptrollers.

Interests: Hiking, dancing, politics, AZ history.

Political influence: I credit my husband, Bob Fleming, as being influential, even though we aren’t always in complete agreement on some issues. We always have a good dialogue going. Bob typically points out “the big picture.” My mother was also politically astute and involved, but it wasn’t until the year 2000 that I knew just how much we agreed on what constitutes good government and good governing. For most of my political involvement, I have admired former AZ Dept of Education Direct Carolyn Warner, former Michigan Gov Jennifer Grahnhold, and the late Texas Gov Ann Richards for their leadership in top state offices, and their ability to truly connect with their constituents and the nation.

Job creation measures: I support state agencies and their employees, as they provide vital services to Arizonans. Oversight is extremely important to assure that agencies are right-sized and efficient, non-duplicative, and productive. All agencies must be transparent to the public as allowed by statue. People are weary of the constant attacks on government agencies and employees. I also support accepting federal stimulus funding to preserve and create new jobs that provide a safe climate for families and businesses, e.g., in public education, road/highway maintenance. Arizonans want the Legislature to focus on the future and what is good for families and businesses.

Top Issues: My top issue is about improving the economy, not only creating new jobs, but also protecting the current work force, sustaining services that Arizona families need and deserve. Another top issue is about jobs. I will work to stop the attack on our public school system, and improve a system that must provide a path to success for our children as they prepare to compete in the 21st century work force. I support appropriate and sufficient funding for quality public schools, preK-12, community colleges and universities. This is what the people of Arizona want, and what our children deserve.

Prop 100 sales tax extension: I support public education and consider funding our public schools a priority. Sales taxes are regressive; I do not support levying a bigger burden on middle-income families. Without the protections from legislative re-programming to the general fund, an initiative to extend the temporary sales tax would be more difficult to support. However, I favor removing the special interest tax cuts that have been provided to large corporations and restoring funding to public education and AHCCCS. There has been severe damage to our economy because of recent budget negotiations, and the Legislature’s failure to consider alternate means for raising revenue.

Illegal immigration: Arizona must partner with the federal government to keep our citizens safe while utilizing a work force that provides needed and desired services in our communities. I support temporary worker programs for those who want to come here to work, utilizing secure and efficient controls to identify those who pass rigid security checks, including appropriate oversight of foreign workers who are already in this country. Fences and walls are not a solution to illegal immigration as they merely slowdown the illegal crossings; however, I believe these barriers do little to contribute to a long-term solution.

Background & experience: An Arizonan for over 40 years, I was elected to the AZ House LD25 in November 2008; served January 2009 to January 2011 on House Military Affairs/Public Safety and Natural Resources/Rural Affairs Committee. I was the primary sponsor of the bipartisan-supported, common-sense bill that allowed immediate qualification for in-state tuition rates at Arizona colleges and university for new veterans, which is now a law. I am a retired Army civilian with 24 years’ experience managing government resources. Throughout my years in public service, I worked to protect Arizona’s families, workers, businesses, children and seniors, in rural and urban communities.

Pro-life / pro-choice: I continue to believe that abortion must remain safe and legal. Abortion is a deeply personal and often complex decision for a woman. Government has no business interfering in women’s intensely personal medical decisions or private lives. Decisions about raising a child, adoption, or ending a pregnancy must be left to a woman, her family and her faith, with the counsel of her doctor or health care provider. Women and their families face real-life, difficult decisions every day. One can’t know a woman’s situation until one walks in her shoes.

One last thing: The constant and consistent attacks on governmental agencies, employees and services serve no useful purpose, and only serve to encourage the bitter partisanship displayed by so many of our legislative representatives. I am an independent thinker, serving only my constituents and the good people of Arizona. I don’t pander to a specific ideology or party line. I work toward common-sense solutions to current, and real [problems]. As your senator from southeastern Arizona, I will work together with other legislators to change this atmosphere and provide respectful and responsive representation to the people of southeastern Arizona.

Campaign finance: public.