Joseph Afzal

Name

Joseph Afzal

Occupation

Senior Accountant

Political Office

US House

Political Affiliation

Democrat

How would you describe yourself to voters?

A fascinating candidate with broad experience that nobody can match.

What do you see as the top issues in this campaign?

Education, The Economy, Abortion, Climate, and Human Rights

What are the three greatest challenges facing Nevada, and how would you address them in Washington?

Education - we are at the bottom in education and it shows. As someone who graduated from our education system, I struggled to get to the finish line. Despite struggling, I also knew how to succeed in our system. I am one of the few people who experienced both ends of the spectrum and truly knows where the problems are. I will use my experience to help children become better educated and ensure teachers have the tools necessary to do their jobs.

Climate - We live in the desert and should be taking this very seriously. What do we have to lose besides money? It is no different than wasting money on a border wall that can be tunneled under, climbed, or walked around. We need to look at our state and imagine what life would be like if we don't act on climate. How much time do we have before our homes burn down? What will Lake Tahoe look like in the next 10-20-30 years? Will we still be able to ski and snowboard? Yes, we can make snow, but how soon before the snow machines won't be able to keep up? We need to act whether we believe in it or not.

The Economy - This is a subject where we need real experts to tell us what to do and we need to do it. We need people to stop thinking they know everything and let the people who are educated in this area fix the problem. We live in a world where nobody can admit when they don't know something. Instead, they try different things until they are beyond repair. The economy is in a state where we need experts - NOT people who think they know what they're doing. I am not afraid to say that I don't know how to fix the economy at this point, but I know there are people who can if we actually listen and follow their guidance. No president (Republican or Democrat) is going to fix this problem unless they have expert experience in this area. We need people to stop being stubborn and thinking they know it all as this will never be resolved until we do just that. An EXPERT is the only way we will truly get out of this mess that BOTH parties created. It is time we all own it and work together to get it back on track.

Inflation has reached its highest levels in more than 40 years. What should Congress do to address the rising costs of living?

The first thing we did wrong in Nevada is that we didn't plan for population growth. Nobody saw the housing shortage coming and we should have. Everyone was excited for the big names coming to town, but nobody expected the challenges that came with it. Had we started building more homes sooner with the anticipation of rapid growth, we would be in a better situation. Housing is the biggest expense for most people and we need to start focusing on how to fix that problem first and foremost. We need to stop focusing on so many other things and focus on one thing at a time. The main focus should be how can we get more money into peoples pockets. Then looking at the housing situation, we need to figure out how to decrease costs for homes. Potentially this could include homebuyer and renter tax credits of some sort. This can all get very complex and requires a much bigger conversation. In summary though, the question I will always ask as an elected representative is, what can I do to help people retain more money in their pockets?" We need to look at what we can control and see what our options are to help more people. We can do anything we want! How we get there is often the problem. It typically requires bipartisan support and the opposing party isn't about to let the other party get a win. This is where politics has lead us and why we can't seem to get anything done on either side.

Would you vote to support/oppose a federal law that guarantees women across the country the right to an abortion?

Absolutely! As a former foster child for 10 years, there is nobody who is a bigger abortion advocate than I am. I have seen the ugliness of our systems and I wish it upon no child. In fact, this is one of the biggest reasons I have decided to run for office.