August 01, 2016
Market Freedom Alliance 2016
Candidate Questionnaire
Section 1: Biography
Name: Mark Finchem
Specific office running for (include district): House of Representatives, LD-11
Address: PO Box 64399, Oro Valley, AZ 85737
Campaign Phone: (520) 955-7695
Campaign E-Mail: [email protected]
Campaign Website: http://www.votefinchem.com
Twitter handle: MarkFinchem
Facebook address: https://www.facebook.com/mfinchem
Occupation: Realtor
Previous occupations: 21 Years Law Enforcement Officer, 7 Years Sr. Manager at Intuit. Inc.
Education: AAS Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice
Family: Married to Tanya, Sons Benjamin & Brandon, Daughters Katelyn & Tiffany, and Son-in-law Vikram Mohan
What is your party registration and how long have you been registered as a member of that party: Republican, the last 10 or so years.
Previous public offices you’ve sought/held: Sought oro Valley Town Council, Elected Arizona House of Representatives in 2014 (serving 2015-2016).
Clubs/Organizations you currently belong to: Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), National Association of REALTORS, Tucson Association of REALTORS, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Arizona Citizens Defense League (AZCDL), National Rifle Association (NRA).
Are you using public funds in your campaign: Y/N
I am not using public funds for this campaign
Section 2: Getting to know you
- If you could sum up your platform with three key issues, what would they be: Personal Freedom, Economic Freedom and securing a Debt-free Future.
- Name one achievement, either professionally or personally, which you are most proud of: Delivering on my commitment to those who voted me into office in 2014, namely to pass legislation t repeal and replace common core, to enact legislation to acknowledge parental authority in the government school system.
- What are your thoughts on the current Presidential election : It has been over 2000 years since there walk a perfect man to lead. I will support the candidate who is willing to push back against the vast uber-left consortium that has overtaken American politics in both the state and federal spheres of power. Right now that appears to be Donald Trump. While I originally supported another man in the primary, Mr. Trump has emerged as the candidate who most represents the resistance to further decay of our standing in the world and here at home.
Section 3: ISSUES
1.What are your thoughts on Arizona’s sharing economy, specifically, do you believe that it needs more regulation or less regulation:
Staying out of the way of commerce is what we should be known for, bureaucracy is obsessed with regulating anything it can interfere with, even if there is no need to regulate it. Until there is a demonstrated need to protect the general welfare of the community I don’t believe we should interfere in the name of governance.
2. What are your views on companies like Uber and Lyft? Do you think there is merit in the argument that commercial hotels and car services are making that the sharing economy needs more regulation:
No, what hotels and tai cab companies want to do is make us think that for our own protection these “sharing economy” solutions must be controlled. They want to use government as tool to limit competition, I say let the games begin and the consumer will pick the winners.
3. Name two areas where you believe there is too much Government regulation (either on a state or federal level):
Federal Land Management and State Department of Administration.
4. Do you believe that crony capitalism is a problem in Arizona? Yes I do believe it exists. If so, how would you change that:
Sunshine is the best solution to an infection; shine the light of real investigative journalism on elected officials who are using their position of authority to specifically line their pockets and those of their cronies and reveal to the voters know who they have in office allegedly representing their best interests. This would be a great state for a true investigative journalism outlet to open up shop and report on news without an agenda linked to one party or another.
5. Recently, many companies have left Arizona citing the lack of an employable workforce. Do you see this to be a true problem in Arizona and if so, what do you think can be done to fix it:
I would like to know what companies are included in the alleged mass exodus from Arizona. According to Forbes Magazine, “Arizona’s projected job growth is 3.1% annually through 2019, best in the nation … Rounding out the top five states for future job growth are Florida, Texas…” And as a Realtor I am serving companies like Roche and Caterpillar which are both moving operations and personnel into Arizona. I don’t buy the argument that we I don’t have an employable workforce.
6. Subsidies have become prevalent in our economy, often times artificially supporting an entire industry for extended periods of time. What are your views on subsidies:
We should not be offering subsidies, if a business can’t make it on its own merits and performance why should the taxpayer support it? At the end of the day why should the consumer pay twice for the product or service a business delivers (first through a taxpayer subsidy, then at the checkout lane for the product itself)?
7. Is there an Arizona industry which you believe relies too much on subsides:
Government itself. There is a management test that is simple, if a business unit stops doing something and nobody notices that it has stopped, that business unit is no longer needed and should be retired as a “business”. Inefficient and ineffective bureaucracy should be sought out and eliminated when fund. I would like to see a performance standard set for the subsidies that we do offer that assure the taxpayer that they will get a reasonable return for their investment. I’m not sure we do a very good job of evaluating such endeavors.
8. Do you think that Arizona should lower its corporate property tax with the goal of encouraging new businesses to move here? If so, what do you think the new rate should be:
I think one of the most damaging taxes we have is the corporate private property tax. The reality is that if I buy a computer at a retailer in 2015, I pay a sales tax on the purchase, take it home and use it until it is no longer serviceable. I don’t pay the government every year on the anniversary of the purchase again for the privilege of using what I already paid for in 2015. But those evil, greedy corporations do. And, the dirty secret that tax-and-spend politicians will not tell the public is that such a tax is built into the cost of the product everyone buys from the evil, greedy corporations. IN reality such a hidden tax is a drag on the economy. I would prefer to see an itemized tax statement on everything we purchase, that would shock consumers and would drive them to shrink government “regulation” to make products and services more affordable.
To learn more about Mark, visit his website at www.votefinchem.com
Mark Finchem is a candidate for LD 11 House. He is running against Vince Leach, and Corin Hammon ( D )
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