ScrambleWatch Q&A: Republican Marilyn Zerull on Taxes

Marilyn Zerull is one of four candidates seeking the two seats in the House of Representatives in Legislative District 26. We asked her some questions on taxes.

Do you support the repeal of the state property tax?

I’m always in support of the repeal of any property tax.

SInce it will cost the state $250 million, what should the state cut to make up for the lost revenue?

Wasteful programs such as Planned Parenthood and some cuts in education, but only to support other parts of education. For instance, I don’t think the state should be paying for all-day daycare. I think that should be the responsibility of the parents. I also don’t believe we should be funding benefits for illegal aliens such as free health care and free education and all the freebies that we offer. I’m not familiar with all parts of the budget but I do know that the government can be run like a household. When the family gets hit with a crisis, the family has to cut back.

Do you support borrowing for school construction?

No, I think borrowing just puts the financial burden on future generations.

ScrambleWatch Q&A: Republican Marilyn Zerull on Education

Marilyn Zerull is one of three Republican candidates running for a seat in Legislative District 26 House of Representatives. We asked her some questions on education policy.

Should the AIMS test remain a requirement for graduation?

I don’t really care for the AIMS test mainly because it tests after the fact. I would prefer testing during the school year. I believe if the curriculum was standardized, regular class room testing would indicate to the teachers and parents if a student was falling behind.

Do you favor any changes for the AIMS test?

I would favor a basics skills test like I was brought up with-one that is

Three to Get Ready: A Look at the Legislative District 26 House Race

Trent Humphries

Originally published Aug. 28 in the Tucson Weekly

Republican Trent Humphries was flushed and dripping sweat as he rang a doorbell in the Del Webb neighborhood in northeast Tucson in mid-July. The man who answered wasn’t interested.

“I’m watching the All-Star Game,” the resident complained. “What do you want?”

It wasn’t the warmest greeting that Humphries experienced as he walked door-to-door in an effort to promote his campaign for a House seat in Legislative District 26, which stretches from Saddlebrooke through Oro Valley and across the Catalina Foothills.

But canvassing precincts is one of the old-fashioned ways that Humphries and his fellow LD26 Republicans–Vic Williams and Marilyn Zerull–have been introducing themselves to voters.

Vic Williams

All three are political rookies with little name ID coming into the campaign. Humphries, who owns a computer-repair company, was better known as “Framer,” his nom de guerre on a local blog he began penning during the 2006 election season. Williams retired to Tucson after selling off a successful warehouse-supply business and took up politics as a hobby, helping out with various party functions and organizing a GOP cigar club. Zerull has been a party activist for many years, as well as a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America.

Even though Republicans have a registration advantage in LD 26, there are no GOP incumbents in the race. One of the House members, Republican Pete Hershberger, is running in the district’s GOP Senate primary against Al Melvin. The other House member is a Democrat, Nancy Young Wright, who is seeking election to the seat after finishing up the term of Lena Saradnik, who stepped down after suffering a stroke.

The split representation makes Legislative District 26 one of Arizona’s rare swing districts. That means Democrats hope to hang on to the seat they have and win the second seat in November as part of their effort to flip at least four seats statewide and gain a majority in the 60-member House of Representatives.

The three Republicans in the upcoming primary, on the other hand, want to see the GOP reclaim dominance in the district.

Humphries, who has been funded by $12,921 in Clean Elections funds, has embraced some innovative campaign strategies in the race. He’s hosted forums on key issues in the district, including health care and law enforcement. His emphasis on keeping the state out of

Scramblewatch Q&A: Republican Marilyn Zerull on the Environment

<!–[if gte vml 1]> <![endif]–><!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>Marilyn Zerull is one of three Republicans competing in the Legislative District 26 House of Representatives GOP primary. We asked for her thoughts on environmental policy.

Do you support allowing some state trust land to be set aside for conservation without payment to the trust?

I honestly don’t have an opinion on that. I don’t know enough about that particular issue.

Should the state set fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks sold in Arizona?

Yes, I think we should be able to set our own standards because our environment issues are different from other states. I want to make sure the cars on the road are not being improperly maintained and polluting the air.

Should the state increase gasoline taxes to pay for more highway construction?

Yes, I believe the people who use the roads should pay for it. I don’t believe in increasing the sales tax–it’s wrong to make everyone pay for something they don’t all use. I also believe there is nothing wrong with toll roads as a way to help pay for costs.

Should the state require new schools to incorporate renewable energy features such as solar panels if it will increase construction costs?

I don’t believe in mandates. I believe there should be incentives to do that.

Should the state continue to provide tax credits for solar installation?

Yes, for private use and business use-that would be an incentive.

Should the state enact environmental rules that are stricter than current federal regulations?

I don’t know whether they need to be stricter but they do need to be taylor-made to our state. We have a unique situation here because of our terrain. The rules need to meet our needs.

 

ScrambleWatch Q&A: Republican Marilyn Zerull on Education

Marilyn Zerull is one of three Republican candidates running for a seat in Legislative District 26 House of Representatives GOP primary that voters will decide Sept. 2. We asked her some questions about education policy.

Should the AIMS test remain a requirement for graduation?

I don’t really care for the AIMS test mainly because it tests after the fact. I would prefer testing during the school year because if the curriculum was standardized then just regular testing in the class room would indicate to the teachers and parents if a student was falling behind.

Do you favor any changes for the AIMS test?

I would favor a basics skills test like I was brought up with that was given a third of the way through the school year so that you really got an idea of where each student was at.

Do you support state-funded vouchers for private or religious schools?

I definitely believe in supporting them, whether it’s with state funding or not. I’m not totally decided on that yet but I do feel that private schooling is already privately funded so I don’t really think they need any additional funding. Of course, religious schools and charter schools are different.

Does the state need to spend more on school construction?

No. We have schools that are

ScrambleWatch Q&A: Republican Marilyn Zerull on Higher Education

Marilyn Zerull is a one of three candidates in Legislative District 26 House of Representatives GOP primary. ScrambleWatch asked her some questions about higher education.

Should the state provide more funding for universities?

No. I think the individual students should have to pay for their own education.

Should the Board of Regents increase tuition for in-state students?

Yes. Not just for in-state, I mean out-of-state, too. There have been tax breaks for those that aren’t citizens and I think that’s a shame. They shouldn’t need more tax breaks worse than our own citizens do. It is my general belief that people need to pay for the things they want. If it means they have to take out loans, then that’s what they need to do. It’s not a right, it’s a privilege.

Should tuition money be used to provide financial aid for low-income students?

No, because low-income students can also apply for loans and there are plenty of loans and lots and lots of scholarships out there. If they have the grades for that then great. And that money should be paid back after graduation.

Do you support the Board of Regents’ plan to borrow more than a billion dollars for capital projects?

No.

ScrambleWatch Q&A: Republican Marilyn Zerull on Taxes

Marilyn Zerull is one of three Republican rivals seeking the two seats in the House of Representatives in Legislative District 26. We asked her some questions on taxes.

Do you support the repeal of the state property tax?

I’m always in support of the repeal of any property tax.

SInce it will cost the state $250 million, what should the state cut to make up for the lost revenue?

Wasteful programs such as Planned Parenthood and some cuts in education, but only to support other parts of education. For instance, I don’t think the state should be paying for all-day daycare. I think that should be the responsibility of the parents. I also don’t believe we should be funding benefits for illegal aliens such as free health care and free education and all the freebies that we offer. I’m not familiar with all parts of the budget but I do know that the government can be run like a household. When the family gets hit with a crisis, the family has to cut back.

Do you support borrowing for school construction?

No, I think borrowing just puts the financial burden on future generations.

Would you vote for the TIME initiative, which increases the sales tax by a penny per dollar to fund highway, rail and local transportation projects?

No. I don’t believe in raising taxes at all. Things like this should be paid for by the people that use them.

Debate Throwdown: Hershberger Vs. Melvin

Get a look at the two wings of the GOP fighting for the future when social conservative Al Melvin debates Country-Club Republican Pete Hershberger at tomorrow night’s Clean Elections Legislative District 26 forum. Hershberger, who is now representing LD26 in the House, wants to move to the upper chamber; Melvin, who knocked out incumbent Sen. Toni Hellon in the 2006 GOP primary, wants to represent the pure GOP platform in Phoenix.

The fun starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, at the Nanini Library, 7300 N. Shannon Road.

House candidates Trent Humphries, Marilyn Zerull and Vic Williams are also invited to join the forum.