Elections 2014 Just another Arizona Capitol Times Election Coverage site
Democrat – Legislative District 21 Senate
Phone: (623) 521-0941
Email: vasko4senate@gmail.com
Website: www.vasko4senate.com
Facebook: Carolyn Vasko
Twitter: @vasko4senate
Address: 7337 W Dahlia Dr , Peoria, AZ 85381
Age: 43. (10/16/70, Ardmore, OK).
Arizona since: 1987 and 2001
Occupation: Realtor, Century 21 Arizona Foothills, since 2014; director, Terra Verde LLC, since 2008.
Marital: Married
Children: 2
Education: B.A., politics, ASU-West, 1998; A.A.S., legal assisting, Phoenix College, 1991; Alhambra H.S., 1988.
Political experience: Young Democrats member, University of Akron, 1996-97; intern, Democratic Leadership Council, 1997.
Interests: Spending time with my family, reading, watching movies, travel.
Two biggest issues: Education and jobs for the 21st century. First and foremost, we have to properly fund education in Arizona. If we want our children to be properly educated and competitive in the 21st century, we must restore funding to our schools and education programs. Second, we must assist our unemployed, underemployed and working class poor obtain the technical skills necessary to make them competitive in the 21st century. In order to continue attracting companies to the area and the state as a whole, we need to be able to supply companies with a workforce trained for the high tech jobs of the future.
Budget priorities: Budget priorities should focus on three items. First, properly funding education. Second, providing training programs in order to make Arizona competitive in the 21st century. Third, adequately fund Dept of Child Safety, adult protective services and domestic violence victim prevention/assistance in order to protect Arizona’s families. We can increase revenue to the state through strategic partnerships with key industries (i.e. high tech, motion pictures, manufacturing) to return Arizona to a place they are willing to invest in. We also need to return to common sense values in our legislative process and cut back on the discriminatory and divisive legislation that has been brought forth in recent sessions. We should also be looking at state programs that may be eligible for federal matching, grants or other funding. And, finally, we need to look at programs that are not living up to expectations. If these programs are not working or providing the benefits they are designed for, then funding should be reallocated to programs that would better serve the citizens of Arizona.
Fiscal philosophy: I am a fiscal moderate. There are certain things that without a doubt should be managed by the government in order to ensure the safety and security of our families. However, I believe there are situations where industry can manage without over-regulation or imposition from the government. I believe that taxes are necessary and should be fair and balanced. Those who are fortunate enough to have great wealth need to pay their fair share in taxes without loopholes or tax breaks.
Common Core: We need to have a standard that all Arizona schools (public, charter or private) are held to. Common Core is the current national standard. If we want to truly measure how well we are preparing our children for the future, then we need to be comparing apples to apples and Common Core provides that benefit.
Gifts to elected officials: We need a truly transparent system. Arizonans deserve a clear and honest system so they know how much money a politician received either in direct donations or gifts. That will require a system that truly records, tracks and makes available how both politicians and lobbyists report these items and ties the two together.
Transparency in government: Society as a whole has lost faith in government at all levels. The only way to truly restore that sacred trust is through transparency. Citizens need to see what is happening. People want to see government doing something to make their lives better. We need to restore common sense to our Legislature and pass laws that help the citizens and businesses of Arizona without painting ourselves as discriminatory and disconnected.
Pro-life / pro-choice: No one can truly understand another person’s personal situation, and while abortion may not be right for every woman, the U.S. Supreme Court has declared it every woman’s right. Further, I believe that abortion, like any other medical procedure, is protected health information and should remain a confidential decision between the woman, her doctor and her God.
Public policy advice: Ronald Reagan said, “surround yourself with the best people you can find…” I agree that when discussing public policy it is in our best interest to speak with the best people we can find. However, that may not always be the leading experts. It is important to remember that public policy impacts all citizens of Arizona and we need to be mindful of their interest as well. I will try to balance the two and seek the opinions of my constituents as well as experts in order to make the most informed decisions available to me.
