GILBERT, AZ – For a day there was no talk of the audit, or of whether or not to wear a mask. The seven candidates for governor who were in the Phoenix East Valley Partnership were there to discuss the economy.
“I think it is important to acknowledge that there is still some economic uncertainty due to the pandemic and that we need to focus more on post-COVID reconstruction than before,” said Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, who is a Democratic candidate for governorship.
The only candidate who wasn’t there was Kari Lake. Lake was endorsed by former President Donald Trump this week. Her campaign said she had a scheduling conflict.
Arizona has one of the strongest economies in the United States, with more people working now than it was before the pandemic.
“If we want our state to grow at this rate, we must do everything in our power to drive this entrepreneurial spirit,” said Phoenix businessman Marco Lopez, who is also a Democrat in the governor’s race.
The entrepreneurs and women of the Phoenix East Valley Partnership see low taxes and less regulation as a growth path. No argument from the Republicans who attended the forum.
“We can’t just rely on the growth industry,” said Karrin Robson Taylor, “we have to support other industries and have a favorable regulatory and tax climate.”
Former US Congressman Matt Salmon said more directly, “Instead of growing just for growth, we need to focus on areas like advanced manufacturing and the biomedical sector.”
But growth has its price; the cost of owning a home has exploded. The rent has doubled or even tripled in many cases.
“The main barrier to migration is the affordability of housing and the reputation of our schools,” said Republican nominee Steve Gaynor.
Education was a big issue. Teacher salaries, remodeling schools to teach what is needed to keep the economy going, and preparing early on the issues the candidates were discussing.
“The total price for all three of these things is $ 1 billion. We had a $ 2 billion legislative surplus two months ago,” said former State Representative Aaron Lieberman, who is now a Democratic candidate for governor.
The next governor will inherit a booming economy. I challenge everyone not to screw it up.
“It will be important for the next governor to have a strong working relationship with leadership across the state, not just Maricopa County,” said state treasurer and Republican candidate for governorship, Kimberly Yee.
If Kari Lake isn’t there, this may be a missed opportunity for her. The audience is interested in the economy, education and quality of life.
At some point, Lake has to show them a plan and convince them that she can implement it.
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