Elections 2014 Just another Arizona Capitol Times Election Coverage site
Democrat – Legislative District 20 Senate
Phone: (602) 499-6157
Email: KennedyforAZ@yahoo.com
Website: www.kennedyforaz.com
Facebook: Patrice Kennedy
Twitter: @kennedyforaz
Address: 10423 N 38th Ln , Phoenix, AZ 85051
Age: 54. (08/14/59, Evanston, IL).
Arizona since: 1984
Occupation: Bookkeeper/accountant since 1977; currently co-owner (with my husband) of Canyon Financial Services, LLC, since 2006. (Our firm specializes in business valuation and litigation support services.)
Marital: Married
Children: 2
Education: General studies w/emphasis in English, Glendale Community College, 1996-99; biology, Clark County Community College (Las Vegas, NV), 1982; Moon Valley H.S., 1977.
Political experience: President, Glendale Union High School District Governing Board since January 2013; Glendale Union High School District Governing Board, 2010; volunteered for Obama for America.
Interests: Reading (mostly non-fiction), horticulture, travel.
Two biggest issues: Education – The Legislature must work to fully fund true, public education. Education is the biggest equalizer in our society. I would work to bring accountability and transparency to the funding for education. Taxpayers deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent and by whom. Economy/Jobs – Arizona needs to increase the number of higher-paying jobs by increasing the number of technology firms and bio-science firms who want to locate their firms to Arizona. Regulations on businesses should be reviewed and updated so that they are not overly burdensome to business yet still protect our environment and residents. Education also plays a huge role in being able to attract business to our state. If we cannot educate today’s children, we lose out on people with families who will not move here, and we lose out in the future because we will not have the future employees needed to grow business.
Budget priorities: Education is a top priority because it has such a domino effect on all of the other budget pieces. The tax structure needs to be looked at in its entirety. I would not be in favor of any tax changes, which shift the tax burden to working-class residents. Expenditures, which need to be looked at closely to determine their value, for me, would include private prisons, empowerment scholarship accounts, school tax credits (private and public) and the amount of money spent by the state to defend legislation that is passed by our state lawmakers only to be litigated because of the constitutionality.
Fiscal philosophy: I consider myself to be fiscally conservative. It stems from my accounting background. If the state is going to expend money as a result of legislation, there should be a reasonable expectation of positive results and transparency and accountability to the taxpayers when the money is spent.
Common Core: As a school board member, I see every time I enter a classroom the positive impact the standards are having on students. Students are gaining essential critical thinking skills that were sorely lacking under the previous testing model. Students are actively engaged and interested in the learning that is taking place in classrooms. I would encourage anyone who has not visited a public school classroom in the past several years to do so at their earliest opportunity. Great things are happening in public schools. Public schools are NOT failing.
Gifts to elected officials: Elected officials should not be accepting gifts from anyone nor should they be allowed to vote on bills in which they have any vested interest (monetary or family). When I am elected, I will not accept gifts nor vote on matters which present a conflict of interest for me.
Transparency in government: Elected (and for that matter, appointed) officials are supposed to hold the public trust. Transparency and accountability are vital to that trust. The public has a right to notice at all levels of government.
Pro-life / pro-choice: My position on all health care matters, including abortion, is that health care decisions should be made by individuals, their families and their physicians; not by government and not be employers.
Public policy advice: To whom I would turn would completely depend on the specific situation. I would look to educators for input on education matters, insurance brokers for input on insurance matters, etc. I would gather input from a variety of people and sources before making any decision. That being said, after receiving that input, it would be my responsibility and duty to disseminate that information and come to a reasonable decision that is in the best interests of the residents of my district and the state of Arizona as a whole.
