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(R) Steve Urie

Video Interview:

Question #1: Describe your management style and what do you believe are the strengths and weaknesses of that style?

Question #4: What do you see as your primary function as a state representative, and how does this job allow you to impact small business?

Question #5: What legislative inequities do you see between large and small businesses, and what role should government play in the competition between large and small businesses?

Question #6: If elected, what measures would you advocate to lessen the time and expense that small businesses spend complying with important government regulations?

Question #7: Many businesses view politicians as an obstacle to creating or implementing innovative technologies, products or procedures. What will you do to get government out of the way?

Question #8: Have you ever held a transaction privilege tax license and made the monthly tax filings?

Question #9: Are you in favor of extending or ending moratorium on system development fees (impact fees)?

Extra Questions

Candidate Questionnaire:

1. Have you ever owned or operated a small business?

Yes, for 25 years.

2. Small business provides the economic lifeblood of many communities.  How will your agenda assist and encourage small businesses in supporting their communities?

Through a focused and concentrated effort to re-locate businesses, industries and manufacturing to Arizona after the barriers to businesses have been reduced, small business will benefit in two ways. The first group would be small businesses that are the suppliers, ancillary and service business that provide support to the larger businesses, industries and manufacturing. The second group would be the service, retail, restaurant, entertainment and hospitality providers for the employees of the new businesses, industries and manufacturing.

3. What will you do specifically to help the government reduce its spending?

Education is the largest portion of the state budget. Consequently, it only makes sense to start looking for and creating efficiencies in the schools support services. Does a school district in a metropolitan area that has a public transit system need to operate a duplicate student bus system? Can a school change from potable water to reclaimed water for landscaping and thus reduce the cost of maintenance and operation. The question needs to be ask, what services can be bid to outside contractors (cleaning, hvac maintenance, landscaping- mowing) at or less then current district costs? In older school districts where the demographics have change and there are fewer students and it is not cost effective to operate a school, the facilities should be rented out to develop a cash flow for the school.

The second largest state expenditure is AHCCCS. I was disappointed that O’Bama went with the O’Bama Health Plan rather than allow association health care. Association health care is the same health care that unions have for its membership.  I believe the AHCCCS rolls and costs would have been reduced significantly had association health care been permitted. I would like to have Arizona create the means and methods to permit association health care.

4.  Jobs are a huge issue for families in Arizona.  What can the Arizona legislature do to encourage job creation and job retention? 

The legislature can start reducing the barriers (property tax, corporate income tax, 25% personal property tax) for current businesses to expand or for out of state businesses to re-locate to Arizona. The second thing that can be done is the teaching in our community colleges and universities the job skills necessary to provide the work force for those businesses and industries.  The state needs businesses that are not construction related. Otherwise, the state will never get out of the boom or bust cycle associated with the construction industry.

5. “Creating green jobs” is a popular thought today.   What does this mean to you?

My understanding of green jobs are: those jobs that have a low carbon footprint, an efficient use of resources, a reduced use of non-renewable resources, a shift toward renewable resources and reduction of unusable bi-products from industry and manufacturing.

6. What government regulations do you believe are unnecessarily imposed on small businesses and should be changed or eliminated?

Let’s back up for a moment. It has been my observation that every government agency believes that their rules and regulations are necessary in order to protect the public otherwise the rules and regulations would not be there. Unfortunately, most of these government workers never operated a business or had to meet a payroll. On the other hand, I have observed that there are two types of small business. The first type of small business has the financial resources to retain a professional to “get through” the system. Because of experience, the professional knows when to challenge the process, when his client’s plans need to be amended or revised and is able to expedite the process for his small business client. The second type of small business is those who have limited resources and attempt to navigate the bureaucratic process by themselves which proves extremely frustrating.

In my opinion, there should be a compromise through a standardization of processes and outcomes. For example, a business seeking to install a sign should be able to select a type of sign from a list of pre-approved signs, pay for the permit fee and submit the permit to a sign company. The company makes the sign and installs it. There should be only one inspection by the agency and that is to assure the business and the public that the sign has been installed correctly. A sign permit should not cost more than the sign nor should it take longer than a couple hours!

Candidate Bio:

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