Republican – Legislative District 22 Senate

Phone: (623) 214-3725

Age: 70. (07/21/43, La Junta, CO).

Arizona since: 1960

Occupation: Retired; finance office, Yavapai County, 1984-96; budget coordinator, Cyprus-Bagdad Copper Company, 1976-81.

Marital: Widowed

Children: 3

Education: M.B.A., University of Phoenix, 1996; B.A., management, University of Phoenix, 1993; A.A., general studies, Yavapai College.

Political experience: 2nd vice chair, Yavapai Republican Committee; precinct and state committeeman; secretary/treasurer, AZ Republican Assembly; member, Arrowhead Republican Women, Sun City Republican Club, Sun City Grand Republican Club, Wickenburg Republican Club, Yavapai Republican Men’s Club, Yavapai Republican Women, Verde Valley Republican Women, Highway 69 Republican Club; helped with various local and statewide campaigns.

Legis exp: Senate Jan 2012 (appointed to replace Scott Bundgaard). House 2005-Jan 12.

Interests: My interest remains doing the best job possible for the citizens of Arizona and the people who elected me in LD22. The voters of LD22 hired me to do a job for them – a job that includes safeguarding their families, their future, their money, their homes, their businesses and their liberty. The very best part of being your senator is being able to help people who have problems with their government solve those problems.

Two biggest issues: Many issues affecting Arizona’s future include overspending, causing huge budget increases, water and electricity, federal mandates, CPS investigations, elder abuse, fraud, identity theft, illegal immigration, overly restrictive business environment, inevitable higher taxes, and new job creation to name a few. A high priority issue currently remains for Child Protective Services. It is extremely difficult to heal the societal decline of the family unit. Jobs: Bringing new diversified businesses into the state by using the free market concept of less regulation, removing government interference and reducing the time it takes to get a business operational. Do away with personal property tax as it is an onerous duplication of taxes. While monumental gains have been made in bringing new business to Arizona, the welcome sign to attract new business is necessary if we are to be competitive with Texas, Florida and Tennessee.

Budget priorities: Keep spending increases proportionate to population and inflation growth, base our budgets on constitutional principles, and revisit funding formulas. Our budgets should contain measures of liabilities and obligations then provide long-term planning to meet those obligations. Establish a committee to study high-cost programs and determine if they are still applicable. Unfortunately, the current trend in government remains out-of-control-growth, increasing entitlement programs that obligate future taxpayers burying the average household with unmanageable tax liabilities and long-term debt. Tax Foundation studies reveal that April 18 is tax freedom day for 2013 (five days later than 2012) or more than $4.22 trillion in federal and state taxes, which comes to 29.4 percent of your yearly income.

Fiscal philosophy: Very conservative. Growing up in a rather large family, one soon found that if you needed or wanted something you found a job, saved your money and spent it wisely. That philosophy still applies today – especially when the Legislature is tasked with spending taxpayer money. Government spending does not create one single dollar worth of new money in our economy. Increase private industry by providing the necessary tools to succeed in today’s competitive market place. Estimates are that regulation costs business $1.2 trillion dollars (Mark Crain and Thomas Hopkins for the Small Business Administration) that is passed on to the consumer. When free market processes work well, government needs to get out of the way, reduce regulation and make it easier to start a business.

Common Core: Do you not feel that there is a huge problem with Arizona College and Career Ready Standards (Common Core) when Dennis Van Roekel, president of the country’s largest teachers union (NEA), said that the implementation of Common Core State Standards has been “completely botched” in many states? When 70% of the teachers say that Common Core has been poorly implemented in their classrooms and another two-thirds say that they have not even been asked about Common Core implementation. When the state is willing to accept standards for reading that are below the current level to get points for more federal grants (Goldwater Institute), it is time to step up and say “no more”. If our children can’t read, they can’t do their other work. My husband spent 18 years working for a community college, eight years on a college board and another four on the local school board. These programs are not reliable, nor have the teaching methods been tested with pilot programs.

Gifts to elected officials: Disclosure, disclosure, disclosure! Recently, accusations regarding expenditure of “dark” money have surfaced. Any organization spending money to influence the outcome of any election should fully disclose who, what, where and how they received funding. It appears that lunch-on-the-lawn is a thorn to some individuals who have tried their best to make an issue of it. My opinion remains that “lunch-on-the-lawn” influences no one’s vote. I have been told that Arizona is one of the most restrictive states when it comes to giving gifts to elected officials. Open, immediate, transparent, and full disclosure by all elected officials.

Transparency in government: Having been an active member of citizen groups who regularly monitored local, county and state activities, transparency and public notice are very necessary tools to track government activities and provide valuable input into the governmental process. It can also be used as a valuable tool to keep informed as to which branch of government is responsible for which level of service and helps to alleviate the growing distrust of government.

Pro-life / pro-choice: While abortion is a very personal issue between a woman and her doctor, I am opposed to 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.

Public policy advice: Individuals and organizations knowledgeable in a given field of expertise.

Burges, Judy

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