Meet the Candidates: Rick Murphy

Name: Rick Murphy

Age: 62

Hometown: Parker High School; lives in Bullhead City

Office running for: Congressional Representative from CD4

Political experience: No elective offices

Family: Susan, 3 children and 4 grandchildren

Party: Republican

Please describe your platform. I will provide leadership in financial reform in government. Stop runaway spending. Promote new jobs by creating a user-friendly environment for small business, thereby increasing taxable income without increasing taxes. Preserve and protect Social Security. Repeal Obamacare and support Medicare while working out an improved system of providing and paying for health care.

If elected, what is your first priority? Set up lines of communication with the citizens of CD4 and with my fellow congressmen. Getting our country back on track is not a job for a Lone Ranger.

What sets you apart from your opponent(s)? I've spent my whole life as an integral part of the Arizona landscape. I've supported these communities with radio news and event coverage. I've provided financial support through my radio stations and the Murphy foundation. My sole purpose in running for this office is to leave to our children, the beautiful country where I grew up in better shape than we are today. If we don't have people like me in office, our children will inherit a large, past-due credit card and a junk-strewn desert.

What would you do to achieve more transparency in government, and should government officials be in charge of managing those efforts? Each congressman should keep an open diary for his constituents. Tell them the truth about how and why decisions are made even if it won't make them feel better. They deserve a chance to learn, understand and make informed decisions when the next election rolls around. When things go awry, investigations into a problem should be headed by someone who doesn't have a vested interest in the outcome.

What do you think is the biggest challenge right now facing Yumans? Yuma and El Centro have recently seen a slight improvement in unemployment numbers, but the two cities still have the worst unemployment rates in the U.S. — approximately 25 percent. According to a recent editorial in your paper, “If projected defense cuts go forward, the potential effect on our community and state could be devastating. A recent report by the Aerospace Industries Association estimates more than 49,000 defense-related jobs — many of them civilian workers — would be lost in Arizona. An additional 14,000 federal government-related jobs could be lost in the state. And Yuma would undoubtedly feel some of that impact with its two military installations and the significant federal government presence there. Many of those jobs are higher-paying ones, and our economy might take a big hit.”

What would you do, if elected, to help change that? I would encourage any businesses to locate in Yuma. And I would not vote for cuts in the military. We have so many ways in which money is wasted - protecting our country is not a waste.

How would you rate how the current officeholder is doing, on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest), and why? I'd give a three. In the last three quarters, Gosar has placed in the 90+ percentile for missed votes. I believe that doing your job, especially in these critical times, is more important than campaigning. Paul Gosar is a gentleman but I think he could be more aggressive in Washington.

What is one of your strengths? I'm a strong negotiator — don't know the word “No.”

Weaknesses? Don't know the word “No.”

What is one thing that you want voters to know? I have no hidden agenda. I don't need a job but I need to do everything in my power to fix the mess we're in. I have the financial and business skills to do it.