Andrew Sherwood

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Sherwood, Andrew (Democrat)

Phone: (623) 850-8683
Email: sherwood4senate@yahoo.com
Website: www.sherwood4senate.com
600 S. Dobson Road, #188, Mesa, AZ 85202

Age: 29 (10/11/80, Tucson, AZ).

Arizona since: Birth.

Occupation: Small business owner, Andrew Sherwood, LLC, since 2005.

Marital: Single.

Religious preference: Did not respond.

Education: Bachelor’s, interdisciplinary studies, ASU, 2007.

Political experience includes: Ran for graduate school student government, 2009.

Memberships have included: None.

Interests: Rock climbing, hunting, camping, shooting guns and studying American history. Volunteer with Rescue a Golden of Arizona and volunteer team leader with the Martin Luther King Foundation at ASU.

Issues:

Political influence: Robert F. Kennedy, because he was willing to “risk the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence.”

Budget recommendations: Our first priority must be to create jobs in our existing businesses and lure others to our state. These new jobs will bring in additional revenues, which can then be used to balance the budget and make the types of investments we must make if we’re to build a sustainable and competitive economy. Whenever we make changes to the tax code, we should do so only when they can be shown to pay for themselves without false promises or smoke and mirrors. Finally, we should examine our entire tax structure and consider how to streamline or improve it so families and businesses are comfortable in knowing they are not being overtaxed and can see their tax dollars are being used wisely.

Other concerns: Solving the immigration problem rather than perpetuating it and creating a solid environment for business creation and development.

Fiscal philosophy: Fiscal responsibility doesn’t belong to any one political party. It’s the job of all elected officials to ensure that tax dollars are spent wisely and properly. Our job is to balance the budget properly, without the use of gimmicks or accounting tricks. The voters expect legislators to do the job, and I will not shirk this responsibility.

Background & experience: Given the idea that the members of the Legislature should be “citizen legislators,” it’s difficult to say what one thing prepares someone to serve more so than anyone else. I bring the perspective of a young, educated entrepreneur to the Legislature that I believe is missing at this time. Looking at my district, I see businesses that have closed, families who have lost their homes to foreclosure, skilled workers without jobs or the prospects of employment. The ways that the recent legislatures have attempted to deal with, or in some cases, ignore, these problems do not need repeating, yet my opponent has already indicated he will do the same thing and again expect different results. I bring a fresh pair of eyes and a new perspective to problem-solving that I believe will help lead Arizona towards a bright future, not one of continued decline.

Proposition 100 sales tax: The voters recently passed a temporary sales tax increase, so while I did support the referendum, I thought the way it was marketed was a bit misleading.

Pro-life/pro-choice: If the government does not have the right to tell people what they can do with their property, their business, or how to raise their family, then the government should not be able to tell anyone what they can or cannot do with their body.

One last thing: This election is about more than just immigration. It’s about your future, your jobs, your kid’s and grandkid’s education, and getting our state’s fiscal house back in order. It’s about returning to that Main Street value of making sure government isn’t creating more problems than it solves. You need a senator who can listen objectively and work with others to solve our state’s problems. You need a senator who can solve the immigration problem instead of perpetuating it and without willingly destroying our economy. If you want a better future for your family, I ask you to vote for Andrew Sherwood for state senator in LD18.

Government transparency: Whenever there is an issue of a lack of transparency, there is the question of corruption. No public official, whether elected or appointed, has the right to withhold from the public information that educates them as to how their tax dollars are being spent. Delay tactics, diverting responsibility or selectively releasing information only diminishes public confidence in their government. If the public or government officials, such as the attorney general, are unable to obtain any records they are entitled to see, then there is no choice but to use the courts to get that information released.

Campaign Finance: public