I do not favor requiring party declaration. We benefit by this competition of ideas. Everyone has a right to be heard, not just those who identify with an established party. Our businesses are taxed at a rate much higher than most states. In particular, the business and occupation tax hits many small businesses disproportionately.
Small businesses are the backbone of our state's economy.
I do not support a split-roll property tax, or amending the uniformity clause in our Constitution to tax business and commercial property separately from homeowners. It would be unfair and hurt our businesses. Moreover, it avoids the real problem of controlling government spending. Effective privacy legislation should address network security, identity theft, marketing, financial information and medical records. As I have helped design widely used software applications to manage employee benefits and commercial finance information, I have a unique understanding of the challenges we must meet in crafting better privacy laws.