Election 2008: Candidates focus on state budget

The five Legislative District 30 candidates for state representative have at least one thing in common: They all say working to improve Arizona’s state budget will be their No. 1 priority if elected in November.

The candidates were in Green Valley on Friday for a “Meet the Candidates” luncheon sponsored by the Green Valley Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce at La Posada.

Four Republicans, Frank Antenori of Vail, Sharon Collins of Sahuarita, David Gowan of Sierra Vista, and Doug Sposito of Sonoita, will be running in a four-way GOP primary Sept. 2. The two winners will face lone Democrat and Quail Creek resident Andrea Dalessandro in the Nov. 4 general election.

More than 70 business owners and members of the community attended the luncheon, the most of any of the Chamber’s sponsored forums held this year.

Topics ranged from education reform to how the economy is affecting Southern Arizonans.

“Small businesses are the economic backbone of our district,” said Dalessandro, a former high school math teacher. “Small business — entrepreneurship — is the future of this area, and we need to encourage and support it as best we can.”

Collins, a small business owner herself (she is co-owner of 60’s Chicks boutique in Green Valley, as well as working for the state superintendent of public schools) agreed.

“I’m going to work to help small businesses thrive and prosper in Arizona,” she said.

Former state Rep. Randy Graf, who spoke on behalf of David Gowan, said that with Arizona’s $2.2 billion deficit and the state starting its fiscal year (July 1) without a budget, “It’s not the ideal time to be running for office.”

“We need responsible citizens representing us,” he said. “We have a very large, very diverse district with a lot of different issues.”

Doug Sposito, owner of a general contracting company in Sonoita, says as far as the budget is concerned, the state needs to stop borrowing money “and stop sinking itself into more debt.”

Many of the candidates cited irresponsible spending as one reason for the deficit and unresolved budget.

Antenori says the “roadside art” decorating our freeways and frontage roads, for example, costs the state an average of $650,000 per underpass.

“We’ve got to have priorities, and No. 1 is the state budget.”

Legislative District 30 includes the Interstate 19 sector from Sahuarita south to Tubac, parts of East Tucson, Vail, Corona de Tucson, Sonoita, Elgin, Patagonia and Sierra Vista.

Currently, the two seats are held by Republican Reps. Jonathan Paton and Marian McClure. Paton is running for the State Senate seat being vacated by Senate President Tim Bee, R-Corona de Tucson. Paton will face Green Valley resident Georgette Valle, Democrat, in November,

jrichardson@gvnews.com | 547-9726