Name: John Wagner
Age: 73
Address: 780 Norfolk Drive Carson City, NV 89703
Phone number and campaign Web site: 775-883-2752
Education: BS Electrical Engineering
Profession: Retired, Non-paid lobbyist
Political experience: Active as a volunteer since 1946, ran for Assembly in Sacramento and in Carson City (2006).
Please write a short biography of yourself (this answer may be up to 200 words; you might include such things as birthplace, career, community involvement/volunteer efforts, family, etc.)
I am retired from Sony Corp. I am active in local school issues such as the just completed Carson Middle School Project and I am working to get a vocational high school program in Carson City.
I am a Non-paid lobbyist during the legislative sessions.
Why are you running for State Assembly? I believe I can bring fresh ideas controlling the State Budget. I would like to see that we do not "do business as usual".
What makes a good legislator? Listening to the citizens of the district and responding to them as soon as possible. Always be accessible.
What would your priorities be if elected? Fixing the budget problem. Passing a law that deals with hiring illegal aliens as was done in Oklahoma, going after the employers and deigning state benefits to the illegal residents.
Should certain tax increases or new taxes be considered as part of the solution to the state's budget crisis? If so, what taxes would you consider increasing or adding? NO!
If your answer to the previous question is no, would you say that you will never support any kind of tax or fee increase? YES!
If you do not favor tax increases at this time, in what areas would you make further cuts? Tighten up welfare requirements to encourage going to work. Eliminating the illegal residents from getting benefits that are meant for our citizens.
Are there areas of the budget that should never be cut? No, but the cuts should be made where necessary.
Is more funding necessary to improve the quality of Nevada's much-maligned schools? If so, where should that money be spent? If not, what are the keys to improvement? If Money was the key to quality, then Washington D.C. should have the best schools in the country. Part of the problem is that we are teaching children that cannot speak English and do not belong in this country and they are holding down the test scores. If teachers can teach without having to hold back the class because of non-English speaking students, the other students will benefit.
Should the Nevada State Prison be closed as part of a solution to the budget crisis? Why? If it can be done without causing a safety problem somewhere else, yes.
What is your assessment of the actions the governor has taken to solve the state's budget problems? Has he set the proper priorities, and how would your priorities have differed? The governor has done what he had to do. If he did nothing, that would be grounds for his removal from office. He had tough choices to make and he made them.
Would you seek to work with the governor if you are elected? How? Yes, I would work with the governor if elected. I would like to see every departments budget zero based, not just get an increase every two years automatically.
Would you favor re-examining the state's tax structure toward avoiding a "boom and bust" economy?
Is illegal immigration a problem in Nevada? If so, in what ways, and what, if anything, can the Legislature do to address this issue? The legislature passed a bill last year that went after employers who hired the illegals. The Attorney General said the law was 'unenforceable". Make the law enforceable, look at what Oklahoma and Arizona did in their states.
Please summarize any other information you would like voters to know before casting their votes in this race. I do not support unfunded mandates that passed down to the counties and cities. I do not support eminent domain taking of property because it produces more tax money for the city, county, or state. I do not favor a National ID card for the citizens of the United States.