George Cunningham (Democrat, Clean Elections Candidate, 2 Year Seat, http://www.cunningham2002.com/)
(about George Cunningham...)

1. Coming to terms with the transition to a competitive market for electricity. How does the Commission slow down or otherwise alter the process for moving to a competitive market in a way that provides benefits to consumers and prevents the abuses that have occurred in California. Further ensuring that Arizonans have an adequate, reliable, and economical supply of electricity from utilities that burn cleaner fuels and use the least amount of water.
2. Enforcing rules and laws governing the interaction between the incumbent and competitive telecommunications companies, and undertaking other regulatory actions necessary to extent competitive markets for telecommunications services.
3. Re-focusing its activities as a consumer-oriented agency, providing useful, timely and easily accessed information to assist consumers in their interaction with public service corporations. Further ensuring that proper accounting procedures are followed by all companies so that consumers can be certain that the information provided by companies is accurate.

Mike (Lowell) Gleason (Republican, Clean Elections Candidate, 2 Year Seat)
(about Mike (Lowell) Gleason...)

Deregulation of electric power generation, integration of long distance service and local service, amelioration of rate shock that the new arsenic law will cause and continuation of the consumer fraud investigations conducted by the ACC.

Jeff Hatch-Miller (Republican, Clean Elections Candidate, 2 Year Seat, http://www.hatch-miller.org/)
(about Jeff Hatch-Miller...)

Three important issues stand out at present. I will focus on these issues until they are resolved:

1. Oversight of Arizona's electric competition plan including a decision regarding Arizona Public Service's variance request.
2. Qwest's request for entry into the long distance market amid revelations that Qwest may have pressured competitors not to oppose the request and is facing potential criminal charges in other matters.
3. Defending against California's attempts to take a larger share of the natural gas flowing through Arizona from Texas. Encompassed within this issue are the needs for additional natural gas pipelines and storage facilities.

Commissioners serve as the representatives of Arizona citizens in dealing with large and powerful corporations. I will work to ensure the Commission's policies and actions are fair and provide benefit to all Arizonans.

Jim Irvin (Republican, Clean Elections Candidate, 4 Year Seat, http://www.jimirvin.org/)
(about Jim Irvin...)

While there are many important issues that Commission faces over the next 2 to 4 years, I will limit my answers to issues related to telecommunications. The issues are not listed in any particular order of importance.

The first most important issue relates to competition itself. The Commission, through the process of reviewing Qwest's 271 application, has created an environment, which has never been better suited for competition to develop. The Commission will need to continue to monitor the progress of competition, mindful of the constantly evolving nature of this industry, to ensure that it continues on the right path. During this time, the Commission will be charged with making necessary adjustments, if needed, in a timely fashion, to best protect Arizonans.

A second important issue relates to the development and upgrading of infrastructure. Many communities are currently being served by antiquated systems which can hardly be utilized for POTS ("Plain Old Telephone Service") lines, yet alone advanced services such as high speed data. In order to remain attractive to industry, especially high tech industry, investments need to be continually made in Arizona's telecommunications infrastructure. The Commission will need to continue to require that all telecommunications companies intending on doing business in Arizona, must also invest in its infrastructure, state-wide.

Finally, the third important issue facing the Commission is the stability of the industry itself. Telecommunications giants, such as WorldCom and Global Crossings have filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. Over the past two years small Competitive Local Exchange Carriers ("CLECS") have closed their doors at alarming rates. Where the nation's economy has generally suffered throughout this time, the telecommunications industry has been particularly hard hit, and has not yet shown signs of recovery. While protecting Arizonans from high rates and unreliable service is the primary duty of the Commission, it also needs to be mindful of the industry's need to remain viable and to facilitate growth. As such, the Commission must make sure that its actions do not have the unintended consequences of furthering the instability in the industry.

Roland James (Democrat, Clean Elections Candidate, 2 Year Seat, http://www.rolandjames.org/)
(about Roland James...)

Moving back to Teddy Roosevelt-like regulation of public goodsÑelectricity, water, and basic phone service... Making sure that the securities marketplace has suitable boundaries and is as fair, open, and as just as possible. In light of the drought and global climate change (see, for example, July 2,'02 The Economist cover story: "CO2AL: Environmental enemy No. 1"), helping move gradually away from coal and fossil fuels to the efficiency/solar/wind/biomass/fuel cell/hydrogen economy. Just as failure to move from charcoal to coal 200 years ago would eventually have meant denuded land and failing economies, the failure to make this technological transition could make for disaster: "That points to the biggest fear: warming may trigger irreversible changes that transform the earth into a largely uninhabitable environment." Quote from The Economist article above. For example, could much of the Rocky Mountain West become uninhabitable--like the Australian Outback? Even the Bush administration says that there likely will be the permanent disappearance of Rocky Mountain meadows.

James Walsh (Democrat, Clean Elections Candidate, 4 Year Seat, http://www.jamespwalsh.com/)
(about James Walsh...)

1. Demanding corporate accountability and accurate accounting standards.
   
   The Corporation Commission must insist on corporate accountability, including strict compliance with consumer fraud and federal and state securities laws. Simply put, corporations must follow the same rules as all of us. To protect the increasing percentage of Arizonans who are investing in securities, the Commission's securities division needs to be fully staffed and investigators must detect and prevent fraudulent practices early. The Attorney General and local prosecutors should be supplied with the results of investigations and with expert witnesses to assist in prosecutions. The Commission's goal must be to restore public confidence in business by exercising visible, active and robust leadership in promoting accurate accounting and ethical business behavior.
   
   
2. Halting electricity deregulation unless consumers benefit and service is assured.
   
   As deregulation did not work in California, we must stop and reexamine current proposed deregulation rules. We should insist on two conditions in Arizona: first, lower costs to residential consumers; second, reliable and quality service to all consumers. Residential consumers did not ask the Corporation Commission to try the risky deregulation experiment. When and if deregulation is abandoned, the residential consumer must not be stuck with costs for unforeseen consequences.
   
   
3. Forcing telecommunications companies to guarantee quality service to rural markets.
   
   Critical technologies must be extended to rural communities, including expansion of the Universal Service Fund to help eliminate the digital divide between the metropolitan "haves" and the rural "have-nots." The Commission should review Qwest's record in providing reasonably priced telecommunications services, including connections, in rural Arizona before it is granted long distance provider status. The Commission should use its regulatory power to ensure that Arizona's diverse population, including rural and tribal communities, is receiving basic service.