GOSAR: SCHOOL SPENDING NOT SACRED

Incoming First District congressman Paul Gosar, a Doney Park
Republican, told local high schoolers he would cut federal education
subsidies if given the opportunity, in order to broadly reduce
federal spending.

Responding to questions from a panel of students, Gosar told Coconino
High School students there was no relationship between school
spending and test scores, and that any money going to oversight of
education at the federal level should be returned to states.

"We really have to actually look at cuts, and not just cuts in
education, but all the way across the board," Gosar said, prompting
one student to debate him on the need for textbooks and teacher pay.

Gosar said the community at large and businesses should step in to
teach students somewhat, as an answer on how to improve education overall.

"When we throw money at education, something's not working. And so
we've got to find a different way," he said, supporting competitive
funding for schools that score in the top tiers academically.

For Flagstaff Unified School District, federal funding accounts for
about 10 percent or 11 percent of the annual budget, on average.

Reversing some campaign statements, Gosar now says he would trim
military and war spending in an attempt to balance the federal
budget, but still would not cut programs like Social Security or Medicare.

Earlier this year, Gosar said he would not cut defense or veterans programs.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA, DEATH PENALTY

The students returned repeatedly to medical marijuana, and whether
voter approval of an initiative making it legal for some to use was a
good idea overall, helpful for the economy, or a positive for
terminally ill patients.

Gosar opposes partial legalization, saying police are overworked and
this will add more crime.

"There are drugs that mimic the same things and act the same ways as
marijuana. What this is going to be is a huge enforcement problem.
But once again, just like drinking and driving, you need to have
penalties when people are involved in accidents," he said.

He said marijuana had become more powerful than what was once
popular, and that there were many reasons it wasn't sold over the counter.

"A lot of this is grown hydroponically, and so the drug is more
concentrated. This isn't the same drug," he said.

Another student raised the possible economic benefit of partially
legalizing the drug, then taxing it.

"I'm not a big tax person," Gosar said. "Governments aren't here for
taxes. Government's here to provide the nimble skeleton of making
sure that we're upholding laws and stuff. And so taxation I'm not a
big proponent of."

Then he asked the students a question.

"Let's say that you've had some medical marijuana and you've smoked
it, and you're a little bit high, and you've got in an automobile
accident. How should I hold you accountable? Same as drunk driving?" he asked.

In response to another question, Gosar said he supports use of the
death penatly, saying individuals must face consequences for their actions.

He also supports this year's state legislation allowing local law
enforcement officers to question the residency of people they suspect
of being in the United States illegally.

TAX CUTS

One student raised the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, and asked
whether they should be extended.

Gosar said they should, to prime spending, help small businesses, and
as a matter of fairness for those who had the ingenuity or put the
labor into making money.

"Why should, if I go out there and spend all my time and make $1
million, why should that be detrimental to me?" Gosar said.

He pointed to what he called burdensome requirements.

"If I do business with any one of you over $600, I have to tell the
government about it. I have to fill this form out. And that's not
right. That's onerous," he said.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Counter to his stance on voters partially legalizing marijuana in
Arizona, Gosar opposes the requirements laid out in this year's
health care legislation, which he has proposed to repeal.

"I don't ever want the government telling me that I can't do
something. That's wrong," he said.

He also feels it shouldn't be up to others to pay, for example, for
health consequences he would face for not following the gluten-free
diet he requires, he said.

"If I don't take care of myself I suffer, but you shouldn't have to
pay the bill," he said.

As an example of federal meddling, he raised a prohibition that he
said would prevent individuals from paying for health care
out-of-pocket in the case that they wanted a procedure or test that
wasn't covered.

As an example, he gave a woman wanting a mammogram to check for
breast cancer before federal agencies and her insurance company
thought she needed one, and said such a patient would be prohibited
from paying for it on her own.

"Most people in this district did not care for Obamacare. Since when
do you feel comfortable when a bureaucrat tells you what you can and
cannot do, that you cannot spend your money in your health care?
That's wrong," Gosar said.

The nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation stated that the law does not
prohibit people from paying out-of-pocket for care that is not
covered by their insurance.

Gosar replaces U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Flagstaff, in the coming year.

Coconino High School teacher Kelly Koelfgen organized the
question-and-answer session for several classes.

The students posing the questions were Rikkita Baxter, Larie Deck,
Duncan Suhr, Aras Askan and Lauren Rich.