Elections 2014 Just another Arizona Capitol Times Election Coverage site
Democrat – Legislative District 28 House
Phone: (480) 607-0660
Email: electericmeyer@gmail.com
Website: EricforAZ.com
Facebook: Eric Meyer
Twitter: @DrEricMeyer
Address: 7765 N Foothill Dr South, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
Age: 52. (08/12/61, Syracuse, NY).
Arizona since: 1967
Occupation: Legislator since 2009; former director of Providence Hospital Emergency Dept (Portland, OR); bd member, Scottsdale School District Governing Bd, since 2004.
Marital: Married
Children: 2
Education: Post-graduate training, emergency medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, 1991; M.D., UofA Medical School, 1988; B.A., economics, University of Southern California, 1983.
Political experience: Scottsdale School District Governing Board, 2005-12.
Legis exp: House since 2009; Dem whip since March 2014.
Interests: Hiking, sailing, cycling and reading.
Two biggest issues: As a former school board member in Scottsdale and a school advocate with children of my own, I believe education must be our single highest priority. I have witnessed, first-hand, much of the damage that the Legislature has brought upon our public schools. Job creation is my second highest priority. I will be a voice at the Capitol seeking to bring some real-life experience and common sense to the dialogue.
Budget priorities: Funding our public education system is my highest priority. I would suspend certain tax credits and let those dollars flow in to the general fund. Close tax loopholes and fund the Dept of Revenue so that they have the ability to collect the taxes owed to the state. Increase efficiency and decrease waste. I served on the Scottsdale School Board, where we successfully implemented cost-cutting measures. For instance, the district worked to reduce energy consumption by millions of kilowatt hours, closed a school and has gone paperless where possible. These measures have easily saved the district over a million dollars each year, and I have worked to achieve similar successes this term at the state Legislature.
Fiscal philosophy: I am a fiscal conservative. I favor decreasing taxes as much as possible, but those decisions must be based on a long-term plan and in the context of a current budget year. The long-term plan should adequately fund education and ensure the health and safety of Arizona’s citizens. Waste in the public system needs to be eliminated.
Common Core: I support the standards! I voted to adopt them as a legislator. I voted to implement them as a school board member. I continue to advocate for an appropriate level of funding so that our students and teachers can transition to the new standards successfully. The standards were developed at the state level by our business community, universities, teachers and other education professionals to ensure that every student is prepared to enter college or the workforce.
Gifts to elected officials: I do believe that reforms are needed. I offered an amendment to a bill this year that would have banned gifts from lobbyists. If given the chance, I would ban all gifts.
Transparency in government: Government should be open and transparent. I have voted for many bills that have increased transparency. The community should be given ample public notice and the ability to respond publicly to proposed legislative, county, city and school district issues.
Pro-life / pro-choice: Fifty percent of pregnancies are unplanned. Our focus should be on preventing unwanted pregnancies. This would lead to a reduction in abortions. Ultimately, every individual woman should have a right to choose her reproductive path. We should not impose our values on others through legislation but should instead provide education and universal access to birth control.
Public policy advice: I turn to different people for political advice depending on the subject that I am interested in learning about. I know many people with varied backgrounds, such as educators, business leaders, and health care professionals with whom I can discuss important issues. Getting advice from different political points of view is very important in my decision making process.
