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Gregor Knauer
Knauer, Gregor (Green)
Phone: (480) 966-0649
Email: gregorknauer@gmail.com
Website: www.gregorknauer.com
1020 S. Siesta Ln., Tempe, AZ 85282
(Mail: PO Box 7931, Tempe, AZ 85281)
Name pronunciation: k’-NOW-er.
Age: 56 (3/24/54, Conroe, TX).
Arizona since: 1980.
Occupation: Groundskeeping, Cosanti Foundation, since 2002; foundryman and gardener, Arcosanti, since 1980; stints as groomer at stables and at the racetrack and with Big Apple Circus, 1983-2000.
Marital: Divorced.
Children: 1.
Religious preference: I am a student of Sri Chinmoy.
Education: Film production major, University of Texas, Austin, 1977-79; architecture/fine arts major, Rice, 1973-1975; Choate School, 1972.
Interests: Daily meditation. I’m an artist: painter primarily, with some photography, sculpture, film & video work and occasionally music.
Issues:
Political influence: Howard Zinn.
Budget recommendations: Cut expenditures through prison reform: no more private prisons. Eliminating the death penalty and legalizing drugs; ending subsidies and tax incentives for military contractors and bioscience corporations; Increase revenue by taxing sins like fossil fuels, big time.
Other concerns: Improving our transportation matrix, including frequent buses, passenger trains, more light rail, trams, for example. We must make public transportation efficient and reliable, with good coverage, and wean people from cars. Preserving our open spaces and water from depredation.
Fiscal philosophy: Frugality (more with less). Balancing the budget would be nice.
Background & experience: I have an inquiring and open mind, I’m compassionate, I’m forgiving, I can even forget.
Proposition 100 sales tax: Oppose. For one thing, the Legislature could’ve saved some expense by daring to raise taxes themselves instead of putting it to the voters. But, I’d rather go with less regressive taxation. My sympathies are with the working poor and I feel we should let the wealthy and corporations pay a more fair share. Especially any and all war profiteers.
Pro-life/pro-choice: Abortion, like all health care, should be free and available to all. In my own personal family planning, abortion is not something that I would consider. Similarly, I abhor alcohol consumption, but I do feel that it should be legal.
One last thing: We’re all in this together. There’s certainly more that unites us than divides us.
Campaign Finance: private.