MARY LIM

Please share briefly what inspired you to run for this office and why you feel you’re qualified for the position.

Mom of five, former educator (10yrs.), sworn Law Enforcement Officer (13yrs.), resident of my District (20yrs). I’ve fought at the Legislative level for years (prior to 2020) and have a keen eye for when government impedes on citizens’ rights. As a Constitutional Conservative, let’s face it: The legislature failed us last season. 2020 was a direct assault on citizens freedoms and liberties. Churches, businesses, and schools were shut down, while marijuana dispensaries, fast food places, and strip clubs were open. Emergency abuse powers were prolonged and still hasn’t been declared an end to this day (only “suspended”). We were headed into year 3 of mandates and it bled into every aspect of citizens’ lives. People were not deemed “essential” and terminated. Some lost their business and livelihoods. Unemployment sky rocketed. Crime went through the roof. Depression and suicides were massive due to isolation, lockdown and quarantines. Children fell behind academically. Businesses were threatened and fined. Citizens reported neighbors who gathering on holidays. Life saving protocols were banned and dispersed. I’m not opposed to voluntary participation in the medical system; I’m opposed to coercion, threat and force. I saw a need in my District and an open door, so I decided to run. We are Battle Born for a reason and I am running to help take Nevada back. I’ve fought to uphold our Nation’s founding principals for years and don’t plan on backing down anytime soon.

Would you support allocating more state funds to help DACA recipients to help with higher education?

As a former educator, I would be in support of ALLOCATING monies which do not involve raising more taxes. However, the higher education system is not for everyone and we should be supporting the Trades as well.

How will the state fight the growing issue of homelessness that is increasing in our communities and use funds to expand on shelters for these community members?

Nevada has services and resources already in place; it takes buy-in from individuals to utilize them. I’ve worked with the homeless community in years past and some just don’t want the help offered. However, pandemic restrictions certainly didn’t make things better. It limited the amount of people and their length/duration of stay. Furthermore, they were coerced into taking an experimental pharmaceutical, without proper oversight of a medical doctor, in exchange for shelter. So not only do we have cold, hungry, homeless people, we now have many vaccine-injured homeless people. Expanding for more shelters is costly and not necessarily the answer, when we can improve the ones we already have.

Nevada has historically protected the right to abortion, including protecting the right in statute 30 years ago by a vote of the people. However, there remain barriers to access in the state. Do you support not only the right to abortion but policies that improve equitable access to abortion care?

With exception of cases for sexual assault, incest, or life-threatening medical risk, I am pro-life and believe all life is sacred. Abortion is not to be used as a form of birth control and appropriate restrictions should be in place to prevent this abuse on tax payer dime, in order to protect the sanctity of life.

The state of Nevada is facing an unprecedented shortage of health care providers – a problem that impacts every area of medicine, including the provision of sexual and reproductive care. Do you support removing the physician-only requirement and allowing advanced practice clinicians (APCs) to provide this vital care to patients with training and certification?

This begs to ask the question why so many healthcare providers have chosen to leave Nevada’s system in the first place. There are plenty of MD’s and RN’s who have left due to what they saw in our hospitals and they’ve spoken up about it. Nevada should be proactive in keeping quality providers and not reactive. Ultimately, I believe in Informed Choice and Informed Consent; if it were ever offered, it would be the patients’ right to choose their level of care and qualified provider.

It is well documented that patients of color face greater obstacles to obtaining sexual and reproductive health care than non-Hispanic white Americans – a pattern that results in worse health outcomes overall for BIPOC patients. Do you not only acknowledge systemic racism’s role in public health disparities but will you pursue policies that seek to rectify the historical harm of systemic racism and advance equitable access to health care?

I recognize systematic racism in the medical industry and based on documented history, I also recognize when it’s under the guise of racial disparity, subsequently, being targeted for lower quality care, Medicaid monies, differences in inoculations and dental materials, medical trials and experiments. ALL people regardless of race, should have equal access to quality healthcare and be given true, informed consent, regardless of race.

Knowing that the death penalty is exorbitantly expensive, racially discriminatory, and does not promote true healing for victims family members, do you support its abolition and do you think ending the death penalty is a crucial part of criminal justice reform?

The current Administration claimed that same pitch; that it was “too expensive” to house prisoners on taxpayer dime, therefore released rapists and pedophiles to the streets to re-offend without paying their dues to society and rehabilitation components. The current Governor also gutted a bill that granted more leniency to Repeat Offenders. This is the slow breakdown of a system that was meant to protect society and will de-stabilize a nation by allowing offenders to do more harm. Being in Law Enforcement, I believe the death penalty has its place for extreme cases. Restorative Justice has its downfalls. Death Penalty for heinous, violent, sexual, and predatory crimes by repeat offenders, especially committed against children, can certainly be proven in a Court of law to be warranted. If anyone disagrees with that sentiment, allow the victims to speak of their trauma and see if they can be made whole again. Loss of life is tragic in itself, but for the protection of all society and criminals’ surviving victims, the Death Penalty has its place.

True Colors United, a national organization that implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ young people continues to rate Nevada as critically low, for its State Index on Youth Homelessness (in collaboration with the National Homelessness Law Center) that ranks and scores laws and policies related to preventing and addressing youth homelessness in the United States. Are you willing to support legislation that helps to fund and provide oversight regulations to youth homelessness services?

I support services for all homeless youth. Let me re-iterate. ALL youth deserve to have their basic needs met (shelter, food, medical), with an individualized case plan which tailors to their specific needs and individual risks. Needless to say, omit sole focus on a categorized youth, to include ALL youth.

Anti-transgender bills are being introduced across the United States that attempt to prevent trans people from having access to health care, gender reassignment surgery, and access to sports in schools. Do you support transgender equality and access to healthcare and an athletic school experience?

As for healthcare, discriminatory practice is already against the law and is a basis for license suspension/loss to practice. Is it medically necessary? If it’s not, can they pay for the medically unnecessary procedure without expecting it for free? As for school athletics, students shall compete in their gender-appropriate category; not one they “identify” with. Do parents really want a 13 year old male student utilizing the same bathroom as their 5 year old Kindergarten daughter? Let’s stop opening doors to unfavorable outcomes. Parents want Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. Not liberal ideologies and agendas. Voters can either love me or hate me for saying that, but if they’ve been laying close attention to national and local school board meetings, the parents have already clearly spoken.

We have seen rental rates increasing at a very alarming rate, in some instances upwards of 30%. How do you see the Nevada Legislature taking action to keep Nevadans in their homes and not being priced out?

Due to local, prolonged and false emergency orders, and an Administration who supports the military war industrial complex, Nevada has record inflation, among highest in unemployment, as well as top highest in gas prices, along with an embarrassing tax hike that was never repealed or challenged. I would urge voters to research the elected officials who supported in favor of these results and remove them from their seats so a new Legislative body can get to work and reverse the damage they’ve done.

Nevada has one of the largest shares of federal public land of any state in the country, providing important wildlife habitat, places to hunt, camp, fish and hike, and acting as the foundation of a billion dollar outdoor industry. Even so, some lawmakers have promoted policies that seek wholesale transfer of federal ownership of our national lands to states. A) Would you support or oppose these land transfer policies? B) Would should the State of Nevada’s role be in the management and ownership of federal land?

As a resident of 20 years, I’ve enjoyed what Nevada has had to offer, with my family. Nevada has amazing desert and mountainous lands with natural parks, wildlife, camp sites, and conservation centers to help protect it. I would oppose the State privatizing it for the purpose of building and expanding; there has to be a limit at some point. We need to ensure decisions won’t result in killing wildlife and destroy natural lands. Federal lands are well protected and it seems to be doing a fair job. However, I know enough to know what I don’t know; I would have to consult with a panel of expertise in this arena to make informed decisions about the pros and cons of such proposals. On the surface, it seems to be an unfavorable idea.

State investments in conservation provide resources for a wide range of public benefit, like the management of wildlife and state land, and the creation and maintenance of trails and other recreational facilities. In 2019, the Legislature approved $217 million of bonding authority for conservation purposes, including for the acquisition of land for new state parks. A) Do you support or oppose state investment in conservation? B) Has Nevada’s investment in land conservation been too little, too much, or about right, and how would you change it?

As for A) I support conservation for future generations to enjoy and co-exist. There can be a downfall with building recreationally. While it would bring in more people to enjoy, it can become overrun with traffic, and become less natural, over time. As f

Would you support addressing public health disparities in Nevada’s diverse Spanish speaking population by funding a “Promotores de Salud” program through the Nevada Office of New Americans that provides year round, culturally competent education and community engagement in Spanish on public health issues?

There is always a level of disadvantage and potential abuse of power occurring “under the guise of racial disparities.” So it would depend on the expense of the program, who pays for it, who else benefits or profits, who does the “educating,” and if it wo

What are you doing to center communities of color and low-income communities in your work, and how do you ensure that equity is part of every decision you make?

This is a bothersome and contradicting question. I’m a minority and do not use it to cry about inequity. I’ve worked in the inner city for over a decade and the people have proven that self-reliance will always be better than government hand-outs. There are more recreation centers in predominantly minority communities than not. There are more churches and community outreach services in lower socio-economic areas than not. There are employment services, job skills, mentoring, and opportunities to interact with employers and law enforcement for community and family engagement. The services are already available; it’s motivating people to take advantage of it, that’s the obstacle. There are also people in power who prevent certain populations from progressing and moving forward. For example, there was a recent proposal to open a great Charter school in North Las Vegas; presented with an excelled curricula, which met all requirements to additionally include emphasis on high STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) for a stellar education to children in the North. It was rejected. Voters should question who rejected and why.

The APIA community faces the largest unmet financial needs when it comes to higher education. Nevada has the highest student loan default rate in the country. In Nevada, there are 333,100 student loan borrowers, $11.5 Billion in student loan debt, and $34,700 in average debt per borrower. What policies can we implement to ensure students and families are protected from predatory lenders and undue financial burdens?

When people sign to borrow money, they should understand the contract which they sign and if agreed upon, should strive to re-pay that debt. Financial aid counselors should be transparent in these risks and a person should only sign if they understand what they agree to. There is a student forgiveness program for government workers, which paves the way to have debt forgiven. There are scholarships available to remedy debt, but it is for the student to seek and attain. There are work and military opportunities that trade one’s service in turn for their student debt or prevents it altogether. There are Trade industries for people who don’t want to partake in the higher education system. In summary, it’s easy to blame banks for doing what banks do, however, there is a level of personal responsibility and accountability to either opt-out or in, in the business of higher education.

Latinx communities are extremely concerned about the drought and ongoing water shortages. What would you do to ensure our families have a sustainable water supply, not just now but also future generations?

Water shortage is a State issue and everyone’s concern; not just a Latinx community concern. When Nevada stops outsourcing to other States and takes care of its own natural resources, then ALL people will benefit from a sustainable water supply. Blacks, Whites, Asians, and Natives want a sustainable water source too, so the question might be better re-phrased to pose as all races being concerned and equally deserving. There is a strong Gubernatorial candidate who is currently leading the polls and he has a solid plan for water sustainability. He has a fight like no other and I intend to support the implementation of this. Meanwhile, voters should do their due diligence to research this candidate, who has worked specifically with experts in this field to build that plan.

One out of seven people in Clark County are food insecure. What policies would you propose to ensure people are not residing in food deserts and have access to healthy food and water sources?

Continuous support for non-profit organizations have been key to feeding the hungry. Public school meals are not the healthiest, but has still been better for kids who otherwise have nothing. Once a week, people have been lining-up in full parking lots, to obtain food baskets. This occurred due to sky-rocketing unemployment as a result of the current elected official’s response to 2020; that’s the unfortunate legacy left. I want proactive measures in place rather than reactive measures; ones that promote independence from government. Keeping people dependent and trapped in a welfare state, is a form of bondage to the State. Help should always be a temporary means as a pathway to achieve self-reliance.