District 20 Democrats

Kyl andthe Budget Deficit

2011-08-25T22:11:00.002-06:00

In an op-ed published in the Arizona Republic, Senator Kyl gave us his ideas about the budget deficit, repeating the same Republican chant, "It's not a revenue problem, it's a spending problem." Oh, really? Analysis of the deficit shows that Kyl is wrong. The largest share of the deficit (28%) is the revenue lost in the economic downturn. The next largest share of the deficit is attributed to the tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 (13%) with an additional 8% revenue drop caused by other tax cuts. Just those three items add up to 49% of the current deficit. Revenue! Kyl, who was appointed to the Joint Select Congressional Committee on Deficit Reduction, cannot help solve our budget problems unless he is willing to look at it objectively, and accept that it is not a one-sided issue.

Earthquake Hits East Coast, GOP Blames Obama!

2011-08-23T17:20:00.019-06:00

Tuesday, August 23, 2011 2:42 MST

An earthquake hit the East Coast today, and Republicans immediately blamed President Obama.

"It's Obamaquake!" declared Boehner.

John McCain was quick to point out that had Obama brought to bear the full strength of our military, the quake could have been avoided.

Jon Kyl blamed the quake on liberals, the unemployed, undocumented immigrants, and everyone under the age of 25.

David Schweikert could not be found.

In Arizona, Jan Brewer railed against the federal government for allowing an earthquake to rattle Virginia and nearby states, saying "This is yet another example of that oppressive federal government interfering with states' rights."

Russell Pearce is said to be drafting legislation that will allow Arizona to deny that earthquakes exist.

(The preceding is fiction, but the resemblance to real life is unavoidable.)

A Chandler Resident Campaigns for Greg Stanton

2011-07-17T13:03:00.007-06:00

For the past few months I have been making phone calls and knocking on doors in support of Greg Stanton's campaign for mayor of Phoenix. I live in Chandler, not Phoenix, and I have been asked many times, "Why are you interested in the Phoenix mayoral race?" I have several reasons, but the most important is this. Phoenix is the largest city in Arizona, the sixth largest city in the country, and the positive changes that the mayor can make in Phoenix will also impact the rest of Arizona. Greg Stanton is the best candidate by far to make those positive changes. So it is not just Phoenix residents that should be interested in this election. Concerned voters in Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, and other towns and cities should get involved. This might be an "off year" for most of us, but it is definitely "on" in Phoenix, and it is up to all of us to get involved in this important political event in Arizona.

Contributed by Craig Falasco, Chandler

LD20 Chair Responds to DiCiccio’s Union Bashing!

2011-05-26T14:45:00.004-06:00

Sal DiCiccio (Phoenix Council member for District 6) just couldn’t resist jumping on the union-bashing bandwagon in his May 25 newsletter. CJ Briggle, Chairwoman of the LD20 Dems had this response to his latest rant.

Councilman DiCiccio:

Unions provide the ONLY workplace recourse from bullies like you. Your silver-toothed outlook on life leaves very little compassion for the working class. Thankfully, unions exist today to protect the worker and working families. When we eliminate the world of workforce abuse, that’s when we can discuss eliminating unions. Until then, THANKS, AFL-CIO, for being there for us. Thanks, BIG TIME.

Proud union member,
CJ Briggle

Not a Single Vote in Support of Public Education by LD20 Legislators

2011-05-23T11:23:00.004-06:00

Arizona Education Network published its 2011 Legislative Session: Education Funding Voting Record by Legislator. The report shows McComish, Dial, and Robson voted EVERY TIME to take budget dollars away from public education in Arizona. Read the full report including the methodology and links to legislative summaries. Contact McComish, Dial, and Robson, and let them know that they will be held accountable for their attacks on education in Arizona!

Be a part of history! Help recall Russell Pearce!

2011-05-20T14:29:00.009-06:00

Let's get out this weekend and next week to get PLENTY of signatures before the May 31 deadline. We know that Pearce and his cohorts will stop at nothing to invalidate every signature possible. Here's the schedule for Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22. Meet at the Citizens for a Better Arizona office, 628 Center St., Mesa, Saturday at 10 am or 3 pm, Sunday at 1 pm or 4 pm. Don't wait to read about Pearce's demise in the news. Be a part of it!!

Schweikert’s statement on bin Laden fails to mention President Obama

2011-05-02T12:35:00.000-06:00

David Schweikert released a statement today commending our armed forces in their effort to track down bin Laden, but he failed to mention President Obama! Maybe Schweikert does not know that President Obama is the Commander in Chief of those same armed forces. Maybe he’s not familiar with that section of our constitution, or he didn’t want to upset his tea party supporters, or maybe he just chose to be spiteful. In contrast, Senator McCain showed some class in his statement by commending the President and his team, as well as the military and intelligence professionals. From the beginning, President Obama said he would focus on al-Qaeda and finding bin Laden, and now we see the positive results of that focus. Schweikert’s pettiness cannot diminish the role that President Obama played in bringing the ten-year search for bin Laden to a successful conclusion.

McComish, Dial, and Robson all voted to approve the Arizona “birther” bill!

2011-04-17T21:10:00.006-06:00

Our LD 20 legislators, McComish, Dial, and Robson, chose to NOT listen to mainstream Arizonans, and instead followed their Republican extremists in the House and Senate by approving H.B. 2177, the Arizona “birther” bill! Instead of focusing on jobs, education, and other important and REAL issues, our legislators are wasting taxpayer money on conspiracy theory nonsense.

Follow these links to read the complete Senate vote and House vote, and a summary of H.B 2177. For a thorough review of the conspiracy theories that prompted this unfortunate Arizona bill, read this article.

Hate groups proliferate in USA

2011-03-22T19:50:00.002-06:00

Excerpted from the Southern Poverty Law Center e-newsletter, author Morris Dees

On February 23 the Southern Poverty Law Center released their annual investigative report exposing the hate and extremist groups operating in the United States—and the news is not good. For the first time ever, hate groups number more than 1,000. Plus, armed, anti government militias surged for the second year in a row.

Frankly, given the political climate in our country, I'm not that surprised at this explosive growth of radical-right forces. Far-right politicians and media figures continue to pour fuel on the fire with outrageous conspiracy theories and demonizing propaganda about those who disagree with them, including our first African-American president.

What's more troubling is the recent spate of hate-inspired violence: a bomb planted along the MLK Day parade route in Spokane; a man arrested with explosives outside a mosque in Michigan; a neo-Nazi caught heading for the Mexican border with a dozen homemade grenades. And, of course, a mentally ill man who appears to have absorbed radical-right ideas killed six people and wounded 13 when he tried to assassinate U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona.

Union-busing - main goal of KOCH BROTHERS

2011-03-14T09:51:00.002-06:00

Koch Industries Front Group
This post comes to us by way of ThinkProgressive.org. An interesting accounting of the money behind the politics in Wisconsin.

Americans for Prosperity Launches Ad -Supports Walker's Union Busting
Lee Fang, ThinkProgress: "As ThinkProgress has reported, the global conglomerate Koch Industries not only helped elect Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI), but is the leading force orchestrating his union-busting campaign. Koch gave Walker over $43,000 in direct donations and its allies aired millions of dollars worth of attack ads against his Democratic opponent. Then, Koch political operatives pressured Walker to crush labor unions as one of his first priorities."
Read the Article

Women's reproductive health care - aggressive attack in Arizona

2011-03-07T07:14:00.002-07:00

The threat to women's reproductive health care is under aggressive attack. It is not just about denying access to a safe and legal abortion; rather this legislation will restrict women from receiving wellness exams, cancer screenings, and birth control. Cutting off health services aimed at helping women is unacceptable.

The Arizona Capitol, this week, has seen one of the most anti-women agenda's in history. The bills below are very likely to reach the Governor's desk in the next week:

HB2416/SB1246
Rural women will lose access to abortion entirely, as early abortion-by-pill is the only form of abortion available outside Phoenix and Tucson.
The bill expands required components of informed consent to include mandatory ultrasound and "auscultation" (listening to fetal organs including the heart) no sooner than one hour before the procedure.
HB2443
Requires that both the patient and the abortion provider sign an affidavit stating that the abortion is not to select for race or gender and prohibits abortion if used for race or gender selection, either based on the race of the fetus or the race of the parent.
HB2384 & SB1265
Will prohibit ANY organization that receives state funding or contracts with the state from providing, funding, referring for or offering insurance coverage, for abortion.
Hospitals that accept Medicaid won't be able to provide abortion to critically ill women.
Women's shelters that receive state grants won't be able to make abortion referrals to women in abusive and violent relationships.
SB 1390
Requires doctors that provide any type of abortion, including abortion by pill; to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic.
A physician is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor if the physician performs an abortion without hospital privileges.
Call your legislator to voice your concerns regarding this legislation. Do your part, stay informed about bills in the Arizona Senate and House.

We Stand In Solidarity

2011-03-04T11:27:00.010-07:00

This post comes to us from our friends at Emerge Arizona!

We Stand in Solidarity

As you have undoubtedly heard, workers in Wisconsin are under siege. Under the banner of addressing his state's budget crisis, Governor Walker is pushing through one of the worst anti union bills in modern history.

Emerge Arizona stands in solidarity with the women and men in organized labor who are facing an unprecedented attack on their rights and incomes. Emerge Arizona and Emerge America are proud partners with labor and the work we do to train women who support the needs of working families, devoted to ensuring that our middle class remains strong. An attack on organized labor is an attack on the fabric of our communities and affects us all.

We can not let this behavior continue to spread and must act now.

What can I do?

The Wisconsin Democratic Party has a virtual phone bank to let people know what is going on in their state. If you are interested and can assist, please email saveourstate@wisdems.org for log-in information or you can visit the Wisconsin Democratic Party Website.

There will be a Rally at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix at Noon Saturday February 26th to show support for the hundreds of thousands of regular Wisconsinites - teachers, firefighters, police officers, students and constituents who have taken to the streets of Madison.

Additional information regarding up to date labor news

Support increasing the number of Democratic women in public office!

www.emergeaz.org

Emerge Arizona is the essential step for Democratic women who want to run for public office. It is the only in-depth, sixth-month training program that inspires candidates to run and gives them the tools to win. By providing women across America with a top-notch training and a powerful political network, we are getting more Democrats into office and changing the leadership - and politics - of America. Our mission is to identify, educate and inspire Democratic women who want to pursue elective office at the local and state level in Arizona. Emerge makes a long-term investment in these future leaders by honing their political skills; expanding their knowledge of local issues; and connecting them with mentors.

Emerge Arizona is a non-profit 501(c)4 organization. Donations are not tax deductible yet always welcome. Donations online are secure. To make a contribution by check, please mail to: Emerge Arizona P.O. Box 7638 Phoenix, AZ 85011

Our Full Disclosure

Emerge Arizona is the premier training program for Democratic women.
We inspire women to run, we hone their skills to win.
Our goal is clear: to increase the number of Democratic women in public office.

Emerge Arizona 501(c)4
P.O Box 7638
Phoenix, AZ 85011

Senator Gallardo Blasts Deceptive SCR 1025

2011-02-24T07:42:00.008-07:00

This post comes to us via the Arizona Advocacy Network. We are excited to begin passing along information to our LD20 activists that will help keep you informed!

Phoenix, Ariz—Sen. Steve Gallardo responded to the effort by Senators Steve Pierce and Scott Bundgaard to pass SCR 1025, a deceptive ballot referendum that could result in voters unwittingly repealing Clean Elections. The measure does not mention Clean Elections.

“SCR 1025 is completely dishonest,” said Sen. Steve Gallardo. “Backers of this measure are afraid to debate Clean Elections on its merits because they know voters overwhelmingly support the popular program. Instead they are hoping to deceive voters into killing the Clean Elections by defunding it and that’s shameful.”

“If they want to repeal Clean Elections, why not be honest about it? Voters have made it clear they are sick and tired of sneaky and deceptive ballot measures. These
legislators keep proving they are out-of-touch with voters.”

SCR 1025 would effectively end Clean Elections in Arizona by constitutionally barring the use of “public funds” for candidate campaigns. In order to achieve this, the amendment slated for the 2012 ballot redefines “public funds” to include the ten percent surcharge on lawbreakers that comprises the Citizens Clean Elections Fund. When voters passed Clean Elections they provided a funding mechanism separate from the general fund. The Clean Elections Fund regularly contributes excess money to the general fund, so passage would result in more cuts to the general fund.

Linda Brown
Executive Director
Arizona Advocacy Network
602-297-2500 (office)
602-297-3600 (fax)
1616 E Indian School Road, Suite 340
Phoenix, AZ 85016
www.azadvocacy.org

A Return to Civility?

2011-01-08T15:35:00.003-07:00

In the wake of the tragic shooting of Congressional Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson, AZ), many of us find ourselves searching for answers to some very tough questions. The speculation is already rampant about what the implications will be should the motives of the shooter turn out to be political. During her interview on Fox News this afternoon, Cindy McCain stated on several occasions that the political climate in the United States has changed drastically in the last ten years, she felt that it had devolved to a place of uncivilized discourse. She recalled the days of Reagan and "Tipp," when a disagreement could still end with a handshake. Former Arizona Congressman JD Hayworth was quoted as saying "If it turns out that the motives were political, perhaps it is time to ratchet down the rhetoric." Truer words were never spoken.

Have we come to a place in our society where First Amendment rights only apply when the speech is hate filled and incendiary? The fact of the matter is that words have the power to galvanize people to action. There is a reason why you do not yell "fire" in a crowded room or incite people to hatred. The political climate at present is one that amounts to hate speech. Amidst the editorialized "news coverage" on both ends of the spectrum, we are left searching for a place where a fact can be found without opinion, a discussion can be had without a yelling match ensuing, a debate can take place where thoughts are presented rationally and with respect for the other party involved, but where?

Leaders in our country claim to represent "the American people," so is their behaviour a reflection of our own inability to get along, or the example that we follow? Either way, it is time to return to a kinder and more civilized society. A place where holding a political view different that than of your neighbor is not cause for violence. The founders of our country and many civil rights leaders who fought, bled and died to obtain our freedom, did not do so in order for us to devolve.

In a new year, with newly elected officials, it is time to usher in a new era. If our leaders will not do so, we can demand change from the bottom up. It is time for Americans to "take back our society," by working together to find common ground where we can grow from our differences instead of tear ourselves apart because of them.

"Such a senseless act of terrible violence has no place in a free society."
-- President Barrack Obama

Weigh in and let us know your thoughts. Has politics gotten too polarized? Is it time for a change?

Nov 2, Make Your Voices Heard

2010-10-12T06:05:00.023-06:00

One of the missions of the Legislative District 20 Democrats is to help our fellow citizens remain informed on important issues of the day. This blog post is to help you navigate your ballot for the November 2 general election. You may download a soft copy of this information to take with you!

FAQ (This is not a comprehensive list, but a condensed, please visit the Maricopa County Recorders website: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx for additional information)

What day are elections? Tuesday November 2, 2010
What time are the polls open? Polls are open from 6:00am-7:00pm
What proof of identity should I bring?
Present ONE of these:

Valid Arizona driver license or non-operating identification
Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification

TWO of these:

Utility bill of the elector that is dated within ninety days of
the date of the election. A utility bill may be for electric,
gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, cellular phone, or cable television
Bank or credit union statement that is dated within 90
days of the date of the election
Valid Arizona Vehicle Registration
Indian census card
Property tax statement of the elector's residence
Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
Vehicle insurance card
Valid United States federal, state, or local government
issued identification
Voter Registration Card / Recorder's Certification
Any "Official Election Material" mailing bearing your name and address

OR Mix and Match TWO of these:
Any Valid Picture ID from List #1 with an address that does NOT match the Precinct Register WITH a nonphoto ID from List #2 with an address that DOES match the Precinct Register.
U.S. PASSPORT and one item from List #2
U.S. MILITARY ID and one item from List #2

For a complete FAQ of Voter ID questions, please see http://recorder.maricopa.gov/pdf/ID_AT_THE_POLL_FAQS2009.pdf

Avoid Disenfranchisement

Do not let your vote go unheard, if you are on the Permanent Early Voter List, mail your ballot with enough time for it to be RECEIVED on election day, not POSTMARKED by. If you wait until the day of, you can just walk your ballot into ANY polling place in Maricopa county and drop your sealed and signed ballot in the blue box -- no waiting in line!
As much of a privilege as our right to vote is, the number one reason that your vote may not count on election day, even if you DO show up to the polls, is that you went to the WRONG polling place. Polling places change all of the time, KNOW WHERE YOU VOTE!
Know when the polls open and close, you cannot vote if you are not in line by the close of polls

Use the Polling Place Locator to identify your polling place if you are not sure.

***IMPORTANT: If you have moved in the last 30 days and have not updated your voter registration, use your OLD address***

Be an informed voter!

There are many resources available to you that will help you decide which candidates you feel will best represent Arizona locally and in Washington. We have consolidated many of them here to assist in your process.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission recorded and televised debates for all offices in the general election, they are worth watching! Seeing how your politicians respond to each other and the issues will help you make informed decisions: http://www.azcleanelections.gov/home/video/generaldebatevids2010.aspx
NPR local affiliate, KJZZ, has spoken with candidates in races across Arizona, giving fair and balanced coverage: http://kjzz.org/news/Vote2010
A very nice summary of the candidates is provide on the liberal blog Random Musings

Ballot Measures

There are 10 measures on the ballot in this year's general election. At our District Meeting on Monday, October 11, 2010, we had the privilege of hearing a summary of the measures from Linda Brown of the Arizona Advocacy Network. The AzAN has done an exceptional job summarizing the measures and providing:

A Description of each measure
Background of the measure
Impact of the measure
The sponsors of referenda and a summary of how the Legislature voted
Arguments in favor of and against the measure
Partial list of supporters and opponents of the measure
List of major contributors that gave money to support or oppose the measure
Websites of interest (regarding the measure in question)

In short, the following are the AzAN recommendations:

Vote YES on Props 110 and 203; Vote NO on all others.

You can download the full text of the AzAN ballot measures review here.

Legislative District 20 Recommendations:

Below are the recommendations of LD20 for statewide and local races, listed below are the Democratic candidates.

State

Governor: Terry Goddard
Secretary of State: Chris Deschene
United States Senate: Rodney Glassman
Attorney General: Felicia Rotellini
Treasurer: Andrei Cherny
Superintendent of Public Instruction: Penny Kotterman
State Mine Inspector: Manuel Cruz
Corporation Commission: David Bradley and Jorge Garcia
Central Arizona Water Conservation District: Arif Kazmi and Jim Holway

County

Maricopa County Clerk of the Court: Sherry B Williams

Local (LD20)

Congressional District 5 Representative: Harry Mitchell
Legislative District 20 Representative: Rae Waters
School Board:
Kyrene Elementary #28: Beth Brizel
Tempe Union #213: Dave Wells and David Schapira
Justice of the Peace:
Kyrene Justice Precinct: Elizabeth Rogers
San Marcos Justice Precinct: Michael Corey Chan
University Lakes Justice Precinct: Meg Burton-Cahill

Judges

The Arizona Commission on Judicial Performance Review collects information on how judges perform by distributing written surveys and holding public hearings for people who have first-hand knowledge of the job performance of judges appearing on the 2010 general election ballot. Of interest for our precinct will be the performance reviews for Maricopa County judges. The Conservative blog http://azjudgesreview.blogspot.com/ provides analysis of Judicial leaning and appointment information, below is the summary:

L - Liberal LL – Leans Liberal LC – Leans Conservative C- Conservative

Name	Philosophy	Appointed By	AZJR
Rebecca White Berch	Moderate	Hull (R) - 2002	LL
Daniel A. Barker	Conservative	Hull (R) - 2001	C
John Gemmill	Moderate	Hull (R) - 2001	LC
Patrick Irvine	Not Known	Hull (R) - 2002	LL
Lawrence E. Winthrop	Moderate to liberal	Hull (R) - 2002	LL
Mark F. Aceto	Conservative	Symington (R) - 1995	LC
Aimee L. Anderson	Liberal	Napolitano (D) - 2007	L
Arthur T. Anderson	Slightly soft on crime	Hull (R) - 1999	LL
Janet E. Barton	Not Known	Hull (R) - 2000	LL
Edward W. Bassett	Not Known	Napolitano (D) - 2008	L
Dawn M. Bergin	Not Known	Napolitano (D) - 2007	L
Roger E. Brodman	Not Known	Symington (R) - 2002	LC
William Brotherton	Not Known	Napolitano (D) - 2007	L
Richard J. Gama	Tough on crime but considered liberal	Hull (R) - 2000	L
Larry Grant	Very Liberal	Napolitano (D) - 2003	L
Warren E. Granville	Very Liberal	Hull (R) - 2000	L
Brian R. Hauser	A decent judge, although moderate on crime	Symington (R) - 1991	LC
Hugh E. Hegyi	Active in left wing Legal Services Committee	Napolitano (D) - 2007	L
Joseph B. Heilman	Not Known	Hull (R) - 1999	L
Bethany G. Hicks	Soft on crime & invents new laws	Hull (R) - 1999	L
Jean M. Hoag	Considered okay	Mofford (D) - 1996	LC
Carey S. Hyatt	Not Known	Hull (R) - 2000	LC
Brian K. Ishikawa	Not Known	Symington (R) - 1995	C
Michael D. Jones	Considered lazy & a pushover	Symington (R) - 1995	LC
Joseph C. Kreamer	Active in left wing Legal Services committee	Napolitano (D) – 2007	L
Raymond Lee	Not Known	Napolitano (D) - 2003	L
Kenneth J. Mangum	Okay	Mofford (D) or Symington (R) - 1991	LC
Daniel G. Martin	Not Known	Napolitano (D) - 2007	L
Rosa P. Mroz	Very liberal	Napolitano (D) - 2004	L
Samuel J. Myers	Former Dennis De Concini intern	Napolitano (D) - 2007	L
Benjamin R. Norris	Not Known	Napolitano (D) - 2008	L

Get Involved!

Poll workers are officially known as Election Board Workers. Maricopa County Elections Dept (MCED) hires Board Workers and pays about $110 for what ends up being about 20 hours work, including up to 15 hours on election day. The Maricopa County Elections Department has a recruiter for each Legislative District. You can call your recruiter for LD20 directly at 602-506-8891. The MCED main phone number is (602) 506-1511.

You can also apply AND get all kinds of information at the MCED Board Worker info webpage: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/elections/electboard.aspx. There are links to the Election Board Worker Training Video and Manual, etc. We strongly suggest prospective Board Workers AND Observers look them over. It may look complicated, but it is just a matter of following a checklist.

If you scroll down the page, there's a web form you can fill out to apply to be a Board Worker. The MCED homepage is at: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/elections.aspx.

If you are interested in volunteering with LD20, we would be happy to have you! There are many ways that you can provide assistance, even if you are not a canvasser or phone banker, there is something for everyone!

Our Ahwatukee office is located at 4611 E Chandler Blvd, Suite 100 in the Kohl's and Applebee's shopping plaza just south of Starbucks or you can volunteer at many other locations around the valley! Contact Volunteer Organizer Emma Einhorn: Emma@ourarizona.org or call 480-648-4733

NOW, GET OUT AND VOTE!

Come Volunteer with LD20!

2010-09-14T00:08:00.006-06:00

It's time to celebrate! We have opened our 2010 campaign office! Show your support by becoming a volunteer. We are counting on YOU this election season.

Contact Volunteer Organizer Emma Einhorn: Emma@ourarizona.org

Volunteer Hours:

Mon-Thurs 10pm-9pm: Phone Banks 10am-2pm, 2pm-5pm, 5pm-9pm

Friday 10am-5pm: Phone banks ALL DAY!

Saturday 10am-4pm Door to Door and Phones

Sunday 1pm-5pm Phone Bank and Door to Door

We are located at 4611 E Chandler Blvd, Suite 100 in the Kohl's and Applebee's shopping plaza just south of Starbucks!

View Larger Map

Primary Election, Tuesday, August 24, 2010

2010-08-11T00:01:00.004-06:00

The time is near, it is your opportunity to make your voices heard in the upcoming primary election. Below are the Democratic candidates for the upcoming primary on August 24, 2010. Click on the candidate's name to visit their website.

Please Note: In contested Democratic Primary Races, The LD20 Democrats do not support one Democratic candidate over another. If you would like to have a representative from your campaign speak, please contact the Chair, CJ Briggle, of the Legislative District 20 Democrats by clicking here for email or call (480) 706-6047.

Countywide & Legislative District 20 Races:

Candidate for LD 20 State Representative:
Rae Waters

Maricopa County Clerk of the Court:
Sherry B. Williams

Justice of the Peace, Kyrene:
Elizabeth Rogers

Justice of the Peace, San Marcos:
Michael Corey Chan

Justice of the Peace, South Mountain:
Cody Williams

Constable, Kyrene:
Jon Levenson

Constable, South Mountain:
Lincoln Brevard Jr.
Ben Miranda
Jimmie Munoz
Tommy Sanchez

Arizona State & National Races:

Candidates for United States Senate:
John Dougherty
Cathy Eden
Rodney Glassman
Randy Parraz

Candidate for US Congress, District 5:
Harry Mitchell

Candidates for US Congress, District 6:
Amos Chiarappa
Rebecca Schneider

Candidate for Arizona Governor:
Terry Goddard

Candidates for Arizona Secretary of State:
Chris Deschene
Sam Wercinski

Candidates for Arizona Attorney General:
David Lujan
Vince Rabago
Felecia Rotellini

Candidate for Arizona State Treasurer:
Andrei Cherney

Candidates for AZ Superintendant of Public Instruction:
Penny Kotterman
Jason Williams

Candidate for Arizona State Mine Inspector:
Manuel Cruz

Candidates for Arizona Corporation Commission:
David Bradley
Jorge Luis Garcia
Renz Jennings

Candidate for Central Arizona Water Conservation District Board:
Arif Kazmi

Speed Camera Inequities: A Citizen Speaks Out

2009-09-04T11:09:00.008-06:00

Speed cameras rolled out across Arizona as a statewide initiative to curb speeding in 2008 amidst protest and controversy. These cameras now pepper the roadside, often in locations that capitalize on reduced speed limits, difficult merge areas and long wide open stretches of highway. Despite the fact that there have been many recorded instances of incorrectly issued tickets, inconsistencies in citation and conviction, Arizona motorists continue to endure the speed camera's presence. We often encourage you to act on issues that affect you, and in this case, you do not have to simply tolerate injustice. Below, is a letter written by an LD20 citizen that we have been given permission to publish. We encourage you to share with us your issues and how you have taken action to address them! You can email us at ld20dems@gmail.com to share your stories.

Dear Mr McCain,

I am writing you today because I feel that our traffic and justice system are broken. This leaves our citizens and residents of Az feeling helpless, over scrutinize with not much added benefit and unsafe. Please let me expand.

In Phoenix many, many speed cameras (stationary and vans) have been installed, sometimes feet after a speed limit changes to 10 below where the speed cameras are. All of these speed cameras are machines that have any error, like any machine. The judge representative that heard my case in court and RedFlex witness both agreed that the cameras probably have 1 mph error inhered in them (although I have heard higher numbers for this error from police officials-the complaint line that the court gave me to report this- to be higher).

The fact is also that people also slow down when they see these cameras, which likely causes a lot of accidents. I have personally been rear ended on 5 different occasions (none being my fault) because of stops and goes in traffic flow. I can see a lot of potential accidents occurring from these cameras. This is a bad thing.

In addition, I feel that our justice system is flawed. I was tried by a judge representative that is not educated in statistics. I received a ticket for 11mph over the speed limit on a freeway where there were 2 other cars on my side of the free way and they were semi- trucks (not much of a sample size). Also, the camera van was parked feet away from where the speed limit changed from 75 mph to 65 mph. This did not give me much time to react. The RedFlex witness based his whole case on statistics, yet he could not tell me how they were calculated or what the sample size was. The judge representative listened and did not care. In fact he ruled in favor of RedFlex in every case that came before him that I saw that day. I sat through 3 other cases.

I feel that this was not a fair trial for 5 reasons. First, my friend Adolph received a speeding ticket for doing 11mph over the speed limit. He went to court and was found innocent in a Phoenix court (cmp number was 50179704). I was tried for the same thing and found guilty. Second, the judge representative ruling ruled against all of the defendants in his court room (that I saw). Third, the judge representative did not recognize error in the machines and misleading statistics from RedFlex (sample size 3 cars and misleading scatter plot). Fourth, I was given a help line number (from the court clerk) to a police officer’s answering machine that stated that the error on the speed cameras was up to 3 or 4 mph wrong and the court would not accept that and denied that the officer was affiliated with the court even though in the same court, it was the court clerk that gave me the number. Fifth, I tried to appeal, like the court clerk suggested, and a judge in the court said that he would not hear the case unless ordered to by the Supreme Court since it was already ruled on. It is $78 to file an appeal. I do not feel that my ruling was fair, but I feel helpless to do anything about it. Do you have any suggestions? I have a 7 day time limit.

Please write me back with suggestions about what I can do for my case and please look into all of the things I have written about our system.

I am very proud to be an American; however, I am not proud of the above.

Thank you for your time and attention,

Erin

LD20 Bunco: A Monthly Pasttime

2009-08-25T22:33:00.000-06:00

Given the partisan climate of politics today, it can sometimes be very difficult to find an avenue where one can have open, honest discourse about the issues of the day. It was with this in mind that Tish Summers, a Legislative District 20 precinct committeeman for the Aprende precinct, helped found ladies Bunco night. That was almost three years ago, and in this its third year, it is still going strong. "We started out with a core group of around five or six," Tish said, and now the group consistently draws twelve players. The ladies of District 20 meet on a monthly basis to share fun, food and fellowship.

More than just a game, the recurring Bunco night helps to build camaraderie among the women. Bunco lends itself to conversation as it does not require a great deal of concentration, merely the ability to roll the dice, thus, very lively discussions take place amidst the calls of "Bunco!" and "Traveller!" During the last Bunco session, Ruth Levin, a Democratic activist and precinct committeeman, remarked that she is looking forward to the next election cycle. The tongue in cheek comment referred to the pending court case against District 20 representative John Huppenthal, whom Levin confronted for removing signage on election day in 2008. This type of candid discussion is what Tish Summers was hoping for when she began hosting, "It's been good bonding and getting to know each other outside of a formal political event," she said.

These days the venue rotates as a different host opens her home to the group each month. Hosting responsibilities include providing beverages, snacks, and a dessert of choice at the close of the evening. The monthly Bunco night also helps to replenish the District 20 treasury. Participants make a voluntary donation for attending. When asked if there are plans to expand the evening into other arenas, Tish replied "I am hoping to see other districts pick up the practice."

New players are always welcome at Bunco night! For more information on joining, please contact us at ld20dems@gmail.com, we would love to have you in attendance!

Cooking with the LD20 Democrats!

2009-08-13T10:55:00.010-06:00

After months of collecting recipes from our members we have prepared, for your dining enjoyment, the first Legislative District 20 cookbook! Precinct committeemen Jean Cappello and Judy Wade worked tirelessly to solicit (and sometimes strong arm!) a wonderful selection of tasty meals, snacks and desserts to tempt your pallate!

District 20 Cookbook Fundraiser

The soon-to-be released cookbook includes nearly 200 recipes from your District friends and family, as well as many recipes from our Arizona Democratic superstars such as Former Arizona Governor Rose Mofford, Attorney General Terry Goddard, and our very own State Representative Rae Waters.

Quantities will be limited –These books will make excellent gifts for your Democratic friends and family. Order yours today! http://www.actblue.com/page/ld20cookbook

This event is sponsored and paid for by Legislative District 20

A Word From Our Young Democrats

2009-07-15T19:22:00.003-06:00

We are fortunate to have active young Democrats who are helping reach out to the youth in the community of Legislative District 20. One of our dedicated young people was quite fortunate in receiving the opportunity to intern at the offices of Congressman Harry Mitchell in Washington, DC!

Erica Pederson is active on Arizona State University's campus as a Young Democrat, and helped stage the protest against the education budget cuts at the State Capitol earlier this year. She has maintained correspondence with LD20 and has given us her blessing in sharing some of her experiences. In her own words, Erica describes her time in DC:

I've been in DC for 7 weeks, and working in Congressman Mitchell's office for 6 weeks now, and I've loved every minute. DC is truly an amazing city, and it has so much culture, something that Phoenix seriously lacks. I'll be sad to leave in two weeks, but at the same time I am eager to return to familiar things, my friends, and my family. And LD 20!

Some of the highlights of my trip have been the holidays. Back in May on Memorial Day, I got to see President Obama speak at Arlington Cemetery, which was an incredible experience. My roommate and I arrived about 3 hours early in order to get good seats in the amphitheater, and we were probably about 150 feet away from the main stage.

I also got to celebrate the Fourth of July in the nation's capital. Some of my friends came in to town to visit me, and I showed them around all the monuments. We ended up at the FDR memorial to watch the fireworks show across the Tidal Basin just south of the mall, and it was hands down the best fireworks show I've seen ever. I kept thinking the finale was happening every 5 minutes, but the show lasted for 20 minutes, and when the finale finally did happen, there were so many fireworks that the smoke from them was clouding out some of the other fireworks. It was awesome.

Working in Harry's office has been amazing; it's been probably one of my favorite things about being here! Everyone in the office has been super nice, and they have been eager to help me when I need it. I've been doing lots of "interny" things, like sorting mail, answering phones, and data entry. But I've also been able to help some of the legislative staff with research, and I've done a lot with constituent correspondence. It's interesting to see the other side of politics, rather than just the campaign side.

I miss everyone in LD 20, please say hi for me!

Be back soon,
Erica

We are always happy to see our local stars shine brightly on a national stage!

Act Locally!

2009-07-11T17:00:00.006-06:00

If you are not paying attention to local politics, you should be. Why is that? Because local politicians make choices every day that directly effect you here, in Arizona. Sometimes we can get so caught up in the Washington political scene that we do not know what is happening in our own back yards. The decisions made on Capitol Hill are enacted by our local legislators, congressional representatives, and city government.

A perfect example are the stimulus funds. Do you know how stimulus dollars are being spent locally? But you probably had something to say during the debate on whether we should accept the funds. Did you know that the City of Chandler provides live coverage of it's meetings via the internet and public broadcast and that you can attend any of those meetings in person to voice your opinion on agenda items? We know that not everyone has the time, or the interest to become involved, but surely there must be some issue of importance that you feel passionately about! Please bring your ideas and your passion and come volunteer with the Legislative District 20 Democrats. We are meeting on Saturday July 25, 2009 at the Sunset Library right here in Chandler to hear what you have to say, and provide opportunities for you to make a difference where you live.

If you are not sure which district you live in, please check the Arizona District Map.

District Chairs are listed on the maricopa county democratic party' website.
County Chairs can be found on the arizona demcratic party's website

RSVP here to attend, and we hope to see you very soon.

Phoenix Symphony Budget Crisis

2009-06-12T17:32:00.003-06:00

As I have mentioned before, the purpose of this blog is not only to inform, but to galvanize to action! Please help support the arts! The following is a communication from the Phoenix Symphony:

Dear Friend of the Symphony and the Arts,

I am asking you to take action TODAY to preserve arts funding for the Symphony and other arts groups from the State of Arizona. As you may know, tickets sales cover about 50% of the Symphony's operating expenses and, therefore, we rely on annual grants and gifts like the $125,000 funding from the State of Arizona to present our 200 concerts per year and touch the lives of about 75,000 students and young adults.

Arizona's historic budget crisis has put the future of the state's arts community in serious danger. The Arizona House and Senate Leadership budgets:

Propose cuts to the Arizona Commission on the Arts budget of more than 70 percent!
Put at risk up to 50,000 private-sector arts industry jobs across Arizona.
Virtually eliminate Arizona Commission on the Arts-supported education programs in school and communities that touch 1.7 million Arizona youth.
Sweep the remaining $14.653 million from Arizona ArtShare, the statewide arts endowment fund that as recently as January stood at $20 million before the Legislature made its first sweep of funds.

Many of you are arts advocates, but I am asking you today to be an arts activist by taking the following actions:

Step 1. Locate your Legislator (For district 20, these are Rae Waters, John McComish and John Huppenthal)
Step 2. E-mail, call or write to your Legislator and tell them about specific arts programs in your area, their importance to your community's quality of life and how they have touched you, your family and your neighbors.
Step 3. Forward this e-mail to your friends, family and other arts advocates.

We support and appreciate our Legislative activists in the House and Senate who have defended the Arizona arts community, but they need your help in reaching out to the decision makers. Time is running out. The future of the arts in Arizona depends on you.
Make your voice heard!

Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,

Maryellen H. GleasonPresident & CEO

Quick Analysis of the Governor's Budget Proposal

2009-06-03T15:09:00.003-06:00

On behalf of the House Democratic Leadership:

Several of you have asked for our quick analysis of the Governor's budget proposal. I wanted to share with you these thoughts. In short, these are our concerns with the plan:

The proposal lacks any real structural tax reform and instead relies on a temporary sales tax hike (a very volatile revenue source) while providing a tax cut to businesses
Due to a lack of a long-term revenue stabilization, the plan creates a funding "cliff" that will lead to future education and social services program cuts
The plan implements a TABOR-like constitutional spending limit
The sales tax increase would have to be approved by the voters, a risky proposition - the state would rely on borrowing until the sales tax passed and the new revenue started to come in which is a financially unsound approach and creates debt-service costs
The sales tax increase is regressive and more expensive for the average family than other revenue generating options
Voter-approved funding for key education and health care programs would be placed in jeopardy by the Prop 105 reforms proposed in the plan

The Governor's plan does nothing to address our overall structural deficit problem. It does not create a new, stable revenue source that can help ensure that sufficient funding is available to fund state education and vital social service programs long-term. Instead, the plan relies on a short-term increase to the state sales tax rate which is too expensive for families ($438 a year) currently struggling during the economic downturn. Additionally, the Governor's plan proposes tax cuts to more stable revenue-generating sources and these tax cuts would primarily benefit corporations, mines and utilities. These tax policy changes are diametrically opposed to what Arizona should be doing to improve it's revenue stability. It moves away from structural tax reform - not toward it. The plan also calls for TABOR-like constitutional spending limits that are unrealistic for a state that has traditionally grown and changed demographically as rapidly as Arizona. It is our belief that this plan, as envisioned, would leave Arizona’s revenue and budget situation in an even less sound position that we are in now to weather a future economic downturn. When Stimulus funding runs out, corporate tax cuts are implemented and the temporary sales tax ends (or fails to pass at the ballot), a "funding cliff" would be created. And education funding (including K-12 and higher education), social services and shared revenues for cities and counties will be very much at risk. As you all know, there are many other revenue generating options, all of which would bring more stability to Arizona’s revenue base than a straight sales tax rate increase. Most of these solutions would actually cost the average family far less money than the sales tax rate increase proposed by this plan. The Governor should rethink a package that hits families with a big tax hike and increases reliance on the sales tax while increasing corporate tax giveaways.

We believe that attempting to take the sales tax proposal to the voters for approval is reckless and irresponsible. After the sound defeat of a budget and revenue package in California, it seems incredibly risky to pass-off the responsibility of adopting a comprehensive budget and revenue package to the voters. It is also not a financially sound idea (and costly in terms of debt financing) to try and fund the state budget from bridge borrowing in hopes that a tax increase will pass at the ballot. It is our responsibility as elected officials to pass a budget that protects education and social services and the required revenue changes to fund it.

In addition to creating a "funding cliff" that will eventually result in a situation where funding for education and vital social services is again jeopardized, the Governor's proposal would dismantle voter-protected funding for education and health care programs, including Proposition 301 and Proposition 204. The Governor's proposal would require education and community groups to fight for and pay AGAIN for passage of these propositions on the ballot. The voters have spoken and we believe these ballot measures should not be tampered with nor should Proposition 105 be amended or repealed. The problem that needs to be address is the creation of a stable revenue source through tax reform, not a change to Proposition 105.

We have also attached a document comparing the cuts to health and human services programs in the Governor's proposal, the current Senate Republican proposal (which seems to be the main plan the legislative Republicans are supporting) and the Governor's proposal. If you want more information about the Democratic budget proposal, please visit www.strongerarizona.com. We look forward to receiving your feedback about the Governor's proposal as well. Hopefully, this information was useful to you.

Thank you.

Cynthia Aragon
Arizona House of Representatives
Community and Constituent Liaison
Democratic Staff
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2844
Office (602) 926-3591

John McComish says that All Day Kindergarten is not Daycare.

2009-04-24T17:55:00.002-06:00

I recently received this from our other State Representative, John McComish, in my email inbox. Any thoughts?

"Dear Friends,

Recently, I sent you an update on our very serious budget status. I wanted to follow up on another important topic that is related to our budget crisis and talk to you about education issues.

I know many of you are interested in maintaining appropriate resources for public education and that there has been much controversy regarding All-Day Kindergarten. Some say it is merely subsidized baby-sitting. Others claim it is a necessary beginning for today’s modern world and its challenges. Considering the financial investment involved, I decided to investigate and find out what I could about All-Day K, in person.

Toward that end, I visited four different Kindergarten classes in the Kyrene School District. Without exception, there was considerable learning going on – and certainly no baby-sitting.

I witnessed science lessons (I’ll bet you don’t know what oviparous animals are), math, reading, and spelling lessons. I also discovered each Kindergarten class in the State of Arizona has required curriculum that includes Numeration, Data Analysis, Measurement and Geometry, Vocabulary, Reading Comprehension, Science and Health, and Technology, among others.

Based on what I have learned, I will be working very hard during budget negotiations to maintain funding for All-Day K. The budget crisis we are facing is so severe that some reductions to the K-12 budget will be necessary, but I will do all I can to keep public education cuts to a minimum and to protect All-Day Kindergarten.

As always, I look forward to hearing from you with any questions or comments.

Sincerely,

Representative John McComish

Majority Leader

Legislative District 20

(602) 926-5898"

Healthcare Reform: A Call to Action

2009-03-30T22:45:00.007-06:00

In the wake of the current economic disaster, our president and elected officials are struggling to prioritize a mountain of important issues that require immediate attention. There are many voices in their ears attempting to frame the conversation around only a certain subset of these but in the political world, where lobbyists sometimes reign supreme, there is a voice more powerful -- yours. That was the underlying theme of the Healthcare forum held tonight at the Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Chandler, Arizona. The talk, Sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of America, focused mainly on reforms introduced in House Bill 676.

The series of community health care forums sponsored by PDA are both timely and necessary. With so many Americans struggling to make ends meet, the truth is, we cannot afford to get sick. The thought that crosses most of our minds when we consider seeking a physician's opinion is not our health and well being, but: "how much will this cost me?" Unfortunately, this means that conditions go untreated and become more costly to resolve as time (and the disease) progress. We are a nation left wondering why we pay nearly double the cost in healthcare and receive far fewer services than our western counterparts.

This issue has not gone unnoticed by the medical community. The Physicians for a National Health Plan, or PNHP, has given voice to impassioned individuals that have taken it upon themselves to inform the public about proposed solutions to our current medical nightmare. It was with great pleasure that the attendees of this evenings forum welcomed Doctor Jonathan B Weisbuch, a member of PNHP, to speak on the topic of “The broken American Healthcare System and How HB 676 and Others Can Help.”

The key points discussed as necessary areas of reform were cost, access and quality of care with the most urgent of these being access. In short, the bill seeks to build on the successes of Medicare by expanding that coverage to the population in it's entirety. The bill would fix costs, streamline paperwork and retain patient doctor relationships. Many in the audience wanted to know why, if HB 676 was the solution, had it not been strongly advocated for by law makers on behalf of their constituents? It is because we, the constituents, are not doing enough to make our voices heard. During her opening remarks Janet Higgins, co-coordinator of the East Valley Progressive Democrats of America, quoted Senator Bernie Sanders:

the only thing that will work is when we raise public consciousness and millions of people demand that congress work for their interest instead of the wealthy

The purpose of this blog is not just to keep its reader's informed, but to call them to action on issues of great importance. We cannot let the health care problem go unresolved for yet another presidential term because it has been preempted by a more "urgent" issue. So, what can we do?

Be an informed advocate! Read HB 676 and the transcript of tonight's healthcare forum in their entirety and talk to your friends and neighbors or forward them this blog!
Join Healthcare-NOW! or PDA America for monthly call-in days to remind legislators that we care about healthcare.
Write the Arizona Republic and the East Valley Tribune voice your concerns about the state of health care in America!
Contact our Arizona legislators Harry Mitchell, Jon Kyle and John McCain about supporting the American Heath Security Act of 2009.
Ask our District 20 representatives Rae Waters (D) and John McComish (R) to support the Arizona Health Security Act when it is introduced.
Email or fax Senators Kennedy and Baucus and President Obama and let them know that you care about single-payer, not-for-profit, comprehensive universal healthcare, with a concrete example being HB 676.
Call 202-456-1111, fax 202-456-2461 , or mail The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500 and let them know that the issue of health care is important to you.
Submit ideas you have about healthcare reform
Attend one of the many health care forums hosted around the state by Dr. Jonathan Weisbuch!
Contact Janet Higgins or 480-545-0219 to get involved!

Upcoming Health Care events:

Healthcare reform Townhall
Thursday, April 16, 7pm
Love of Christ Lutheran Church
1525 N Power Rd
Mesa, AZ

Health Care Town Hall
Saturday, April 18, 1-5pm
UA Local 469
3109 N 24th St.
Phoenix, AZ,
contact: phoenix-healthcare-town-hall@googlegroups.com

LD20 Is Talking

2009-03-23T01:20:00.003-06:00

We're looking at more and better ways to keep in touch with each other. Among the new things are a twitter feed that you can sign up to follow. You can see the LD20 twitter page here; I know you're going to want to keep up with goings-on in the district, so make sure you check it out.

We're looking at other opportunities, such as a Facebook group - there'll be more information on that later.

We're also trying to get district members to submit calendar items on the web site - if you have a user account, you can post all the details there and help make the monthly meetings a bit shorter. One central spot with all the relevant events will help us all find out what's happening. So, if you've got an event you want the district to know about, go try out posting on the web site. If you've forgotten the link, go here!

Senator Kyl Divorced from Reality on Iraq

2008-06-11T01:06:00.001-06:00

Senator Kyl was recently on KJZZ talking about various issues. I was lucky enough to get through, so I posted my chat with the Senator on Youtube:

Latest Column from Frieda in Ahwatukee Foothills News - Lean to the Left

2008-02-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm posting the full content of Frieda's recent AFN article. Now I expect to hear some feedback from you folks about this. There's been lots of talk lately because of the completely partisan Presidential Preference election; independents had no voice in that election, and there've been cogent arguments on either side. Other states handle primaries differently from Arizona. What do you think about this?

As we headed into this week’s presidential primary, there was much debate about whether independent voters should have a voice in choosing the parties’ nominees. While changing the rules for future elections is an option, I think there’s a bigger issue at hand.
Since 1998 when independents were given the right to vote in Arizona primaries, voters started registering overwhelmingly as independents. In turn, we’ve seen our parties move toward the ideological extremes.

I have a suggestion for how you can help reverse this trend: Join a party and get involved.

If those who lean slightly left of center join the Democratic Party and those who lean slightly right of center sign up as Republicans, each party would benefit from greater diversity of opinions. These independent voices would bring fresh, new ideas and help moderate the views of each party. Then maybe the partisan gulf between us wouldn’t seem so far to bridge.

So here is my invitation to you, whether you are an independent, a casual Democrat or even a dissatisfied Republican: Come join us and be heard, not just on primary day, but every day.

Contact me at fpollack@finesword.com to learn about the many ways you can get involved, or visit www.d20dems.org. The next meeting of the District 20 Democrats is Feb. 11 at Native New Yorker, 5030 E. Ray Road with dinner at 6:30 and the meeting at 7 p.m.

SCR 1001

2007-02-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

I just wanted to post on here the letter that I submitted to the AZ Republic, East Valley Tribune, and the Ahwatukee Footlhills News.

SCR 1001 written by Senator John Huppenthal (R) and co-sponsored with Senator Jack Harper (R) is a very thinly veiled attempt at quashing the voice of the People of the Great State of Arizona. This bill is an attempt to amend The State of Arizona Constitution by taking away the right of the people to bring forth citizen initiatives to be voted on freely by the People of the State of Arizona. One of the ‘checks and balances’ afforded by the democratic process is the voice of the people to stand up and have a voice in the way our laws are written. When our lawmakers take the initiative to forge their own agendas on their constituents, the people can stand up and help to bring a change to the laws. The framers of The State of Arizona Constitution made that provision in such a way for Citizen Initiatives to ‘check and balance’ our elected officials.

SCR 1001 would amend to State Constitution by taking away the people’s right to act independently of the legislature. It would also amend the constitution by requiring the citizen initiative be first introduced in the state legislature where it would be subject to legislative consideration and enactment.
SCR 1001 is a dangerous piece of legislation that will, in fact, take away the citizen’s voice along with their right to have a say in the direction in the laws of the Great State of Arizona. Senators Huppenthal and Harper are proposing to strip the right of the people to freely have a say in the way our laws are written. It would also take away a fundamental right to vote for the citizen intitive in the most sacred way we are guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

Hope it gets printed!

Joe

District Meeting Tonight - Were You There?

2007-02-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

We had a district meeting tonight, and the best discussion I heard had to do with the vision that the participants have. Why are you involved? What gets you interested enough to get active? Is it a global issue? (We heard a little about global warming.) Is it national? (We heard folks talk about stopping the war and ways to get the members of Congress to listen to us.) Is it local? (We heard about issues relating to incinerators and dumps.) There are all kinds of reasons to get out and recruit willing helpers and convince people that your ideas are right. What are yours?

I didn't need to bring this up during the meeting since I can use this blog, but the thing that got me to be active in politics again was the Iraq war. The last time I was really participating was during the Vietnam era, and in the meantime I've been sidetracked by lots of other bits of life. There are things that strike you as so wrong you have to take action. Sometimes the action you're taking may not directly affect the outcome but is, at least, the thing you can do. Now that I'm active again, I can see that my efforts can pay off for lots of other issues that I feel strongly about but by themselves wouldn't have driven me into politics. I am a progressive and support progressive ideas like universal health care, a living wage, safe workplaces, support for diversity, and fair and open elections.

Now, you tell me - what pushes your buttons? What made you get up off the couch and go to the meeting tonight? What gets you out and knocking on your neighbors' doors? What matters to you?

State Party Reorganization Meeting

2007-01-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first state party reorganization meeting I've been to, and it was an interesting process. Dems do a pretty good job of matching their goals of being diverse, pushing to include various counties and ensuring near gender parity. I noticed that there will always be one more male or female between the chair and all the vice chairs since there are an odd number of them, and the favored gender is that of the chair. There wasn't anything that drove diversity of age or ethnicity other than the hearts of the voters (which worked pretty well, actually).

It seemed a shame that the resolutions came so late in the meeting and with so little chance to review them. It was actually a bit reminiscent of the last few years in Congress, with bills being fast-tracked in such a way that nobody had time to figure out what they said. A first reading process was mentioned to me, and that sounded like a good idea. One does have to wonder, though, since the meetings are quarterly, if some things (like avoiding war in Iran) might be too late to influence in three more months at the next meeting. Not all of the state reps have email, I guess, or that might be a way to pre-work the suggested proposals. I'm also curious to hear from folks who were there if they think there might have been some value to the "friendly" amendments.

Welcome to the District 20 Democrats Blog!

2007-01-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

We're establishing a new communication vehicle for people who are interested in Democratic politics in Arizona Legislative District 20. We welcome your feedback and your comments. Let's keep it lively - and be nice.

You'll need a Google account to comment. If you don't already have a Google account (or a blogger account) there is a request link to get an account on the page where you add your comments.