Friday, March 26, 2010

Paul Yoder LD15 House of Representatives Candidate Bio and Platform

Paul Yoder Platform and Bio

ISSUES and ANSWERS

Border Security

As an Arizona native, it is obvious to me that the existing Federal plan does not provide maintenance of our Southern Border as it should. Waiting for the Feds to act only leaves our communities vulnerable to drugs, criminal activity, and of course, untenable strains on our services to citizens, including healthcare. Arizona is number one in kidnappings in the country. The majority of those kidnapped are legal U.S. citizens with Hispanic or Latino surnames. They must be protected. Skyrocketing unemployment emphasizes the need to protect legal residents in their search for employment. Having lived abroad for 18 years, I bring a prospective to immigration that is both humane and sensible. Bottom line though: protecting our communities from harmful influences coming in from abroad is going to be up to the state as long as the Federal Government continues to abdicate its responsibility to keep our borders secure.

Jobs

Arizona has enjoyed impressive population growth, but we need employment opportunities to keep pace with that growth. The Legislature should create an environment where capitalism can thrive, resulting in vitally needed jobs. At the same time, business leaders have a duty to the local communities they serve. We should have no patience with corporations that resort to unfair practices in order to undercut their competition. At the same time we want to encourage those businesses that improve the quality of life in our communities, doing everything possible to assure that they remain in Arizona.

Education

In order to attract viable, ethical businesses, we need to be able to offer them a workforce second to none. Arizona students have many excellent educational opportunities and yet our public schools continue to rank at or near the bottom nationally. Usually more math and science classes are proposed to remedy the situation. Teachers are driven to produce students who can pass achievement tests without preparing them for real life situations. In the process educators have become overburdened with red tape that robs them of valuable teaching time. For the last 25 years we have been cutting sports and arts programs from our schools. If we are to improve the quality of education in Arizona, these trends need to be reversed. Certainly it is important for students to become proficient, but the best schools have always been environments where creativity has been allowed to thrive. Only by unleashing their creative spirit can our children grow into the confident, solution driven workforce that will be attractive to employers.

Summary

The burst of the housing bubble, coupled with unacceptable unemployment levels, has emptied our state’s coffers. Until these circumstances change, we are going to have to learn to get by with less. This cloud has a silver lining: our budget shortfalls will force us to craft a leaner, more efficient government, one that will still be responsive to our needs, but not intrusive or cumbersome. Be very careful about looking to government to solve all our problems, there is no substitute for personal responsibility. The right to “pursue happiness” is not a guarantee that it will happen. Future generations of Arizonans are depending on us to avoid the pitfalls that have crippled our national economy and that of states like California and Michigan. I believe I possess the vision to ensure that the American dream remains a reality for those who come after us. It would be a great honor for me if you should choose to support me as a candidate for the Arizona Legislature House of Representatives.

Short biography

Born and raised in Phoenix, I’m a professional musician with a degree in music education from Arizona State University. After teaching for a short while, I went back to college and then moved to Europe to begin what became an 18 year career as a professional opera singer (dirty job, bur somebody’s got to do it). In 1996 my mom had a very serious heart attack, so I returned home and for the last 14 years I’ve continued making music, primarily as a conductor, and in church and concert halls instead of the theater.

Coming from the arts and having lived in abroad, I bring a different perspective to the state political arena. Living and working in other countries gave me firsthand experience with immigration, both its pitfalls and benefits. Many of the proposed solutions to our current economic woes have already been tried in Europe and I’ve had a chance to see how they work and also, how they don’t. These big government socialist answers have generally left European nations hopelessly in debt, stifling enterprise, which has resulted in unemployment levels that leave very little hope for future generations.

My experience as a conductor has shown me that I possess excellent leadership skills, and that I can build consensus. If you think getting Republicans and Democrats to agree is difficult, try getting musicians to agree about practically anything musical. It’s no small feat to get a horn player’s phrasing to match a bassoon’s, to keep a chorus, 70 feet away from you, singing in time with the violins sitting right under your nose. If we are to get past the political stalemates that are stymieing our state government and move forward to re-create the systems that have ceased to work for us, we are going to have to start cooperating with each other again. I’m seeking office because I’m creative and I know I can be a catalyst to move government in the direction that will protect all Arizona citizens, both now and in the future.

Source:
Paul Yoder
Candidate LD15 House of Representatives

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why doesnt Paul Yoder state anywhere in his bio that he is a republican? And then why doesnt he run Independent? As he is a republican he is going to act as all the republicans as you could see when the President speaks...they just sit there with there all about NO attitude and look like jerks!!!!! Give Obama a chance for his stuff to work before you get on the JUDAS bandwagon.

Paul said...

ooooooh, I've been outed! Well, I guess it's pretty obvious that I'm not part of the democrat team for LD 15...I COULD be an independent, except that I'm teamed up with Bob Thomas and Carol Condit--the republican ticket. Notice our slogan is "people before politics". That should give you a hint-- we're looking to reach voters who aren't satisfied with voting along pure party lines. People who look past labels to see what candidates really stand for. From your post it looks like you're very comfortable stereotyping people (republicans just sit there and look like jerks), but you might consider being more open to people who like to look deeper. I'm surprised you signed yourself as anonymous. THAT's a group that gets stereotypd a whole lot, and most of it's WAY negative, but I'm going to try to keep my mind open. Think about trying it!

condit2010 said...

Anonymous
I am running with Paul on the Republican ticket.
I am a CONSERVATIVE US BORN CITIZEN.

WHY is there such a tone of ANGER in your words?

The current Administration has had AMPLE time to work their magical CHANGE and yet we, the people of America, continue to lose jobs, homes and freedoms buy the truck load.

While I realize the objective of this PRESIDENT is to follow the progressive agenda of George Soros and Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals, both of which I feel are an affront to my own freedoms and choices as an American.

Paul is a PROUD and HONORABLE AMERICAN who has stepped forward to do the best HE feels he can to get HIS country back into the hands of his fellow AMERICAN citizens.

What are YOU doing for YOUR cause?

You do not even have the courage to sign your name.

PS: OBAMA's STUFF is, in MY opinion, detrimental to MY FREEDOMS. I do NOT think you will be seeing ANY of the NEW Conservative or Republican Reps
sitting quietly by again.

Caroline B Condit
Paul Yoders Team Mate
LD 15 House

Unknown said...

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat"

-T.R. Sorbonne Paris, France 1910

Just remember Paul,
"If you are not over the target, you want be taking on flak".
See you Tuesday,
Bob Thomas
Senate Candidate LD15

condit2010 said...

According to Alinsky, the main job of the organizer is to bait an opponent into reacting. "The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength."

Rules for Radicals, by Saul Alinsky

To Be Clear....
WE ARE NOT PLAYING!

Caroline Condit

Unknown said...

well, the main point I think, is that anonymous didn't mention any problems with my platform, which is pretty much what we all suppport. When you can't attack on substance, I think Carol's right, take a page out of ol' Sol's book and try to distract. Tuesday it is!