Smith responds to Rios

In her recent letter to the editor (see “Sound-Bite Steve”), Rebecca Rios writes “Integrity in public office is absolutely imperative” and then proceeds to lie about both her record and mine.
 
Rios claims I do not have the support of law enforcement – I am endorsed by Sheriffs Paul Babeu and Joe Arpaio.
 
Rios denies missing 30% of the votes in 2009 and tries to fool your readers by offering as proof that she only missed 9% of the votes in 2010.  Did she really think we wouldn’t notice her using 2010 data to answer a 2009 question?  Rios’ absentee rate was written about in newspapers and her excuse was that she was in Washington, D.C. trying to bring jobs back to our district.  So my claim is correct, documented, and she has admitted as such.  So why try to lie now?  And why admonish me to “do my homework”?  And while we’re at it, why do liberals think that jobs come from Washington D.C.?
 
Rios dismisses 1776 as an ugly time in our history when women could not vote, and suggests that my “Restoring the Spirit of 1776” slogan is a call for a return to discrimination.  Could she really be so desperate?  Or does she fail to understand the miracles that occurred in 1776 that allowed our nation to be born?
 
Rios is weak on illegal immigration issues and voted against SB1070. In fact, according to the bill’s author, Rios fights him “tooth and nail” on these bills, yet Rios now claims she voted against SB1070 because it didn’t go far enough?  Again, facts expose the lie.  Where were Senator Rios’ proposed amendments to toughen SB1070?  They don’t exist. Why not?  If she felt the bill wasn’t doing enough, why not try to improve the bill?  She did nothing and voted No on SB1070 anyway.
 
Rios denies supporting ObamaCare and tries to duck it by claiming that she can’t be called a supporter because it’s a federal bill and she doesn’t get to vote on federal bills.  Yet I never claimed she voted for it, only that she supports it, as evidenced by a letter that she signed, along with hundreds of “progressive” (“liberal”) legislators around the country, urging Barack Obama to hurry up and pass his “comprehensive health care reform”.  The letter is available online.
 
Rebecca Rios is emblematic of what is wrong with career politicians. They squander our money, mortgage our children into debt, and yet remain arrogant enough that they take as a personal insult any examination of their real record.  “How dare we question them?” they seem to ask.
 
I offer something dramatically different.  I will show up for work and do the job.  And if you ever want to know my positions or voting record on a specific issue, I’ll tell you the truth.  After all, the one thing Rios did get right in her attack, is that integrity in public office is absolutely imperative.
 
Steve Smith is the Republican candidate for State Senate in District 23