John Nelson

John Nelson

Nelson, John (Republican)

Phone: (623) 872-7215

Email: nelsonforsenate@live.com

14044 W. Greentree Dr., Litchfield Park, AZ 85340

Age: 74 (1/12/36, Wisconsin).

Arizona since: 1965.

Occupation: Civil engineer.

Marital: Married (Monica, household engineer).

Children: 3.

Education: M.P.A., ASU, 1975; B.S., civil engineering, Indiana Institute of Technology, 1962.

Political experience: Phoenix City Council member for 16 years; former chair, Maryvale Village Planning Committee; Cartwright School Board; Advisory Committee, State Board of Technical Registration; former chairman, Ethics and Public Safety Subcommittee; former chair, Natural Resource Committee; AZ Senate since 2009; AZ House 2001-08.

Memberships have included: American Public Workers Association; American Water Works Association; AZ Consulting Engineers Association; AZ Professional Land Surveyors Association.

Interests: Jogging, public and political service/action.

Issues:

Political influence: Howard Adams, an elected official having high standards and much like Burton Barr, a master at reaching consensus.

Budget recommendations: Revenue increases can occur through the expansion of our business base and new jobs, also supporting more job-training programs to improve employee opportunities. Cutting costs, keeping in mind that the voter-protected budgets and revenue increases would drive cuts in our major budget and unprotected departments and should be planned to put us in position to deal with the turnaround in our economy. The unknowns are the federal health care and tax issues yet to come.

Other concerns: Among the several major issues of importance are the economy, jobs, supporting our military complex, Luke Air Force Base, and states’ rights.

Fiscal philosophy: I am a fiscal conservative much as when in business, building a rainy day fund, cutting to meet our income stream while striving to keep a good employee base for when the economy turned and work picked up. Depending on what our federal government does or does not do to help or hinder further complicates the issues.

Background & experience: My many years of community involvement including youth sports, boy scouts, citizen groups, school board, professional associations, school and city committees, and Phoenix City Council, not to mention military service, provide untold experience in dealing with neighborhoods, school, and business issues, budgeting, and meeting public needs in good and bad times.

Proposition 100 sales tax: This issue needs to be considered by the public after analyzing their financial condition and abilities to support or not support, and the impacts on those items most important to them.

Pro-life/pro-choice: I do not believe in abortion.

One last thing: I bring a broad base of experience such as serving in the military, community involvement, professional associations, as a governmental employee, as a private sector employee, president and partner in the business community, and as a Phoenix City Council member. Remember, institutional memory is critical to keeping the bureaucracy from running government rather than your elected officials. Those in government are elected to make decisions that affect their constituents’ lives and should have a broad base of experience and standards to apply in the process. I do.

Campaign Finance: private.