Even though the state legislature isn't in session, State Rep. David Schapira (D-Tempe) is still working diligently for his constituents and all Arizonans.
On Wednesday, he met with an international group of educators at the House to discuss topics in early childhood education, including trends in U.S. policies and research as well as common challenges.
Next Monday, he will be chairing the first meeting of the Bipartisan Task Force on the Private School Tuition Tax Credits. (10 a.m., HHR3, House of Representatives building at the State Capitol)
The Task Force was established to look into questions and possible legal violations related to the STO program, many of which were brought to the fore by investigating reporting from the East Valley Tribune and the Arizona Republic.
Monday's meeting will feature experts on STOs while future meetings will offer the public the opportunity to provide their input.
David Safier at Blog for Arizona has an update on the latest developments relating to charter schools and STOs here.
Showing posts with label LD17. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LD17. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
The coming week...
As usual, except where noted, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies, and subject to change without notice.
Well, for the first time in weeks, the U.S. Congress will be in session, and for the first time in months, the Arizona Legislature will *not* be. That sounds significant, but somehow, I'm not sure that it is.
Congress probably won't be doing much this week (in terms of "official business" anyway) and the lege has plenty of unfinished business that they should be dealing with, but won't be.
In short, not much has changed since last week. :)
...In the U.S. House, the action gets underway Tuesday afternoon. It looks to be a relatively quiet week as far as floor action goes. The agenda includes:
H.R. 324 - Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act, sponsored by Raul Grijalva (D-AZ7) and cosponsored by Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ8).
The posted agenda is light on issues of national interest, and that looks to be the only one of direct interest to Arizonans.
However, both behind the scenes and in front of cameras, there will be a lot of talk about health care reform.
The President is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening on the subject. I'd say I'm "waiting with bated breath" for the speech, but he seems more likely to give up on a public option when he should be throwing an elbow (more on that later.)
Congressman Harry Mitchell's (D-AZ5) responses to questions (about health care reform) posed by readers of the Arizona Republic can be found here; Congressman Jeff Flake's (R-AZ6) responses can be found here.
...The U.S. Senate looks to have an equally low-key "official business" week, with a lot of back office focus on health care reform.
...The Arizona Legislature is out of session, with no special sessions officially scheduled at this point, though given that the budget is still out-of-balance, expect one soon. Just probably not this week, as I previously expected would happen.
...The Arizona Corporation Commission has a securities and utilities meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The agenda is here. There are a couple of APS-related items and a couple of securities "cease and desist" related items, including one against JP Morgan Chase & Co. More details here.
The ACC's hearing schedule for the week is available here.
...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a light week - no regular meetings, just a Special/Executive meeting on tap for Wednesday morning. Why don't they drop the "special" moniker, since they seem to have one almost every week?
...The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will be holding a meeting of its Project ADD Water group on Wednesday and Thursday.
...The Tempe City Council has a meeting scheduled for Thursday. The agenda is here. It looks to be mostly mundane, but even that can be interesting on occasion. On *this* occasion, item A-3 includes a name that is familiar to most D17'ers.
It just goes to show that even high-flying legislative stars are subject to the drudgery of normal life in the not-so-big city. :)
...The Scottsdale City Council has a regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Items of interest on the agenda include consideration of the process of appointing an interim City Attorney, a new City Treasurer, possibly creating a Scottsdale City Lobbyist ordinance, and enacting some recommendations regarding the operations and oversight of City Cable 11,
They've also scheduled an executive session to "[d]iscuss and consider international or interstate negotiations with representatives of the public body regarding ongoing negotiations with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (a domestic sovereign nation) for intergovernmental agreements related to Pima Road and drainage improvements; and discuss and/or consult with the City attorney(s) for legal advice regarding the same."
That meeting is also scheduled for Tuesday. The executive session is scheduled for 4 p.m., the regular meeting is scheduled for 5.
...Not scheduled to meet this week: Arizona Board of Regents, the Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, the Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (though CCEC has scheduled candidate workshops for September 16, October 21, November 18, and December 2. Sign up here.)
Later...
Well, for the first time in weeks, the U.S. Congress will be in session, and for the first time in months, the Arizona Legislature will *not* be. That sounds significant, but somehow, I'm not sure that it is.
Congress probably won't be doing much this week (in terms of "official business" anyway) and the lege has plenty of unfinished business that they should be dealing with, but won't be.
In short, not much has changed since last week. :)
...In the U.S. House, the action gets underway Tuesday afternoon. It looks to be a relatively quiet week as far as floor action goes. The agenda includes:
H.R. 324 - Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act, sponsored by Raul Grijalva (D-AZ7) and cosponsored by Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ8).
The posted agenda is light on issues of national interest, and that looks to be the only one of direct interest to Arizonans.
However, both behind the scenes and in front of cameras, there will be a lot of talk about health care reform.
The President is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening on the subject. I'd say I'm "waiting with bated breath" for the speech, but he seems more likely to give up on a public option when he should be throwing an elbow (more on that later.)
Congressman Harry Mitchell's (D-AZ5) responses to questions (about health care reform) posed by readers of the Arizona Republic can be found here; Congressman Jeff Flake's (R-AZ6) responses can be found here.
...The U.S. Senate looks to have an equally low-key "official business" week, with a lot of back office focus on health care reform.
...The Arizona Legislature is out of session, with no special sessions officially scheduled at this point, though given that the budget is still out-of-balance, expect one soon. Just probably not this week, as I previously expected would happen.
...The Arizona Corporation Commission has a securities and utilities meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The agenda is here. There are a couple of APS-related items and a couple of securities "cease and desist" related items, including one against JP Morgan Chase & Co. More details here.
The ACC's hearing schedule for the week is available here.
...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a light week - no regular meetings, just a Special/Executive meeting on tap for Wednesday morning. Why don't they drop the "special" moniker, since they seem to have one almost every week?
...The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will be holding a meeting of its Project ADD Water group on Wednesday and Thursday.
...The Tempe City Council has a meeting scheduled for Thursday. The agenda is here. It looks to be mostly mundane, but even that can be interesting on occasion. On *this* occasion, item A-3 includes a name that is familiar to most D17'ers.
It just goes to show that even high-flying legislative stars are subject to the drudgery of normal life in the not-so-big city. :)
...The Scottsdale City Council has a regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Items of interest on the agenda include consideration of the process of appointing an interim City Attorney, a new City Treasurer, possibly creating a Scottsdale City Lobbyist ordinance, and enacting some recommendations regarding the operations and oversight of City Cable 11,
They've also scheduled an executive session to "[d]iscuss and consider international or interstate negotiations with representatives of the public body regarding ongoing negotiations with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (a domestic sovereign nation) for intergovernmental agreements related to Pima Road and drainage improvements; and discuss and/or consult with the City attorney(s) for legal advice regarding the same."
That meeting is also scheduled for Tuesday. The executive session is scheduled for 4 p.m., the regular meeting is scheduled for 5.
...Not scheduled to meet this week: Arizona Board of Regents, the Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, the Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (though CCEC has scheduled candidate workshops for September 16, October 21, November 18, and December 2. Sign up here.)
Later...
Thursday, September 03, 2009
D17 State Rep. Schapira named to prestigious regional education committee
Courtesy a press release from the AZ House Democrats -
Later...
Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe (District 17), has been named to the Western
Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s (WICHE’s) Legislative Advisory
Committee.
The commission selected Schapira from among Arizona’s lawmakers to serve on the committee for a three-year term to advise the commission on higher education.
"I am grateful for this amazing opportunity to work to strengthen our higher education system in Arizona and the West," Schapira said. "Education is key to building a stronger economy and bringing thousands of high-paying jobs to our state."
Schapira will inform the commission about significant legislative issues on higher education, provide input on initiatives and advise them on education policy workshops. The committee meets annually.
The commission was created to facilitate resource sharing among higher education systems of the West. Member states are Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
"Arizona's students are seeing increased class sizes, highly valued professors are losing their jobs and our tuition rates continue to rise as the state’s contribution level declines," Schapira said. "All students deserve a quality and affordable education, and I'm looking forward to working with the commission to accomplish that goal."
Schapira will attend the annual committee meeting, "A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste: How to increase Your Return on Investment," in September. For more information on the commission, please visit: www.wiche.edu.
Later...
Monday, June 08, 2009
LD17 Legislators In The News...
With the legislative session heating up, LD17's legislators have been getting more notice in the MSM...
- State Senator Meg Burton Cahill has been getting notices for her solitary stand against the devastating Republican budget last week. It was a solitary stand because the Reps has indicated to the Dems that no vote would be taken that night, so they all went home.
From Tom Spratt, editor of the Tempe Republic -
More AZCentral.com coverage here.
- State Representative Ed Ableser will be participating in a roundtable discussion on The American Clean Energy And Security Act (H.R. 2454) making its way through Congress. Some of the expected benefits of the bill if it is enacted into law would be to stimulate the creation of clean energy jobs and the reduction of pollution. The discussion is scheduled to take place at the Burton Barr Library on Central at noon.
It's not the "best" media coverage ("Ed Ableser, state representative from Tempe (who?)"), but hey, it's still media coverage, right? :)
- State Representative David Schapira had an op-ed piece published by the AZ Republic on May 17 defending the need for a strong higher education system in Arizona.
From the piece -
Later...
- State Senator Meg Burton Cahill has been getting notices for her solitary stand against the devastating Republican budget last week. It was a solitary stand because the Reps has indicated to the Dems that no vote would be taken that night, so they all went home.
From Tom Spratt, editor of the Tempe Republic -
Sometime after midnight Thursday morning, Sen. Meg Burton Cahill, D-Tempe, found herself alone among Republicans as a vote neared on the 2009-2010 state budget.
Soon, she became engaged in a one-woman battle to restore money for food banks, senior food programs, domestic violence services, the developmentally disabled, poor children and the mentally ill, among others.
She offered 10 budget amendments that she believed captured the essence of what other Democrats would have wanted had they been on the Senate floor. All the changes were defeated. Before sunrise, Burton Cahill cast the Senate's only "no'' vote on the budget.
More AZCentral.com coverage here.
- State Representative Ed Ableser will be participating in a roundtable discussion on The American Clean Energy And Security Act (H.R. 2454) making its way through Congress. Some of the expected benefits of the bill if it is enacted into law would be to stimulate the creation of clean energy jobs and the reduction of pollution. The discussion is scheduled to take place at the Burton Barr Library on Central at noon.
It's not the "best" media coverage ("Ed Ableser, state representative from Tempe (who?)"), but hey, it's still media coverage, right? :)
- State Representative David Schapira had an op-ed piece published by the AZ Republic on May 17 defending the need for a strong higher education system in Arizona.
From the piece -
Our state has a deficit, but we can't balance it on the backs of students, especially when other options are available (See common-sense options at www.StrongerArizona.com). Providing access to quality and affordable higher education must be a priority.
Later...
Sunday, May 03, 2009
2010 candidate updates...
Nothing earth-shattering here, just a couple of folks setting up committees for next year...
...Sami Hamed, a former staffer for Congressman Raul Grijalva, has set up a committee to run for the Democratic nomination for State Representative in LD27 (Clean Elections candidate). Tedski has coverage here.
...In my home LD of LD17, Wendy Rogers has set up a committee to run as a traditionally financed candidate for the Republican nomination for State Senate.
Since this is my home turf, I'll cover a little of her background - according to her Blogger profile page, she's a retired Air Force pilot and current co-owner of a home and termite inspection business in Tempe.
Other facts that I could find out about her with a quick Google search -
- She was a "Swift Boat" supporter (that link is to an FEC page. If that doesn't work, try this one.)
- She's a homeschooling supporter (this page is unclear on whether or not she actually *is* a homeschool mom. Based on this profile of/by her husband, I'm guessing that she is *not* one now, though she may have been one once.)
- She's lobbied in support of a bill in the 2005 lege to allow home inspectors to collect referral fees, aka "legalized kickbacks." The bill failed in House Commerce that year.
More as the elections approach...
...Sami Hamed, a former staffer for Congressman Raul Grijalva, has set up a committee to run for the Democratic nomination for State Representative in LD27 (Clean Elections candidate). Tedski has coverage here.
...In my home LD of LD17, Wendy Rogers has set up a committee to run as a traditionally financed candidate for the Republican nomination for State Senate.
Since this is my home turf, I'll cover a little of her background - according to her Blogger profile page, she's a retired Air Force pilot and current co-owner of a home and termite inspection business in Tempe.
Other facts that I could find out about her with a quick Google search -
- She was a "Swift Boat" supporter (that link is to an FEC page. If that doesn't work, try this one.)
- She's a homeschooling supporter (this page is unclear on whether or not she actually *is* a homeschool mom. Based on this profile of/by her husband, I'm guessing that she is *not* one now, though she may have been one once.)
- She's lobbied in support of a bill in the 2005 lege to allow home inspectors to collect referral fees, aka "legalized kickbacks." The bill failed in House Commerce that year.
More as the elections approach...
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Rep. David Schapira (D-Tempe) on Horizon Tonight
This came across my email this afternoon, too.
Tonight at 7 on Channel 8 (KAET), Rep. David Schapira will appear on KAET's public affairs program, Horizon. He and Republican State Rep. Rich Crandall will be on discussing education funding in AZ, among other topics.
If you don't make it down to the forum at the Granite Reef Senior Center, this will be worth a view.
Later!
Tonight at 7 on Channel 8 (KAET), Rep. David Schapira will appear on KAET's public affairs program, Horizon. He and Republican State Rep. Rich Crandall will be on discussing education funding in AZ, among other topics.
If you don't make it down to the forum at the Granite Reef Senior Center, this will be worth a view.
Later!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
2nd reminder - You are invited to the political, social, and culinary event of the year...
CHILI FOR CHANGE COOK-OFF
With Special Guests:
Congressman Harry Mitchell and Attorney General Terry Goddard
*Who will make the best chili?*
State Senator Meg Burton Cahill?
State Representative Ed Ableser?
State Representative David Schapira?
Or a mysterious vegetarian with a killer carnivore recipe?
*Enter your own chili in the contest!*
Saturday, May 2nd, 4-7pm
At the home of David and Kathy Schwarz in Scottsdale (need directions? Contact LD17 chair Lauren Kuby - email below)
Winner announced at 5:30!
*Ticket Prices:*
$25
$15 for YDs
$10 for Kids
For Tickets: email laurenkuby[at]gmail.com; or buy online at http://www.d17dems.org/donate.asp
Proceeds to benefit the Maricopa County Democratic Party and LD17 Democrats...
OK, so it's the "event of the year" if you are a Democrat and like chili... :)
With Special Guests:
Congressman Harry Mitchell and Attorney General Terry Goddard
*Who will make the best chili?*
State Senator Meg Burton Cahill?
State Representative Ed Ableser?
State Representative David Schapira?
Or a mysterious vegetarian with a killer carnivore recipe?
*Enter your own chili in the contest!*
Saturday, May 2nd, 4-7pm
At the home of David and Kathy Schwarz in Scottsdale (need directions? Contact LD17 chair Lauren Kuby - email below)
Winner announced at 5:30!
*Ticket Prices:*
$25
$15 for YDs
$10 for Kids
For Tickets: email laurenkuby[at]gmail.com; or buy online at http://www.d17dems.org/donate.asp
Proceeds to benefit the Maricopa County Democratic Party and LD17 Democrats...
OK, so it's the "event of the year" if you are a Democrat and like chili... :)
Monday, April 06, 2009
You are invited to the political, social, and culinary event of the year...
CHILI FOR CHANGE COOK-OFF
With Special Guests:
Congressman Harry Mitchell and Attorney General Terry Goddard
*Who will make the best chili?*
State Senator Meg Burton Cahill?
State Representative Ed Ableser?
State Representative David Schapira?
Or a mysterious vegetarian with a killer carnivore recipe?
*Enter your own chili in the contest!*
Saturday, May 2nd, 4-7pm
At the home of David and Kathy Schwarz in Scottsdale (need directions? Contact LD17 chair Lauren Kuby - email below)
Winner announced at 5:30!
*Ticket Prices:*
$25
$15 for YDs
$10 for Kids
For Tickets: email laurenkuby[at]gmail.com; or buy online at http://www.d17dems.org/donate.asp
Proceeds to benefit the Maricopa County Democratic Party and LD17 Democrats.
...OK, so it's the "event of the year" if you are a Democrat and like chili... :)
With Special Guests:
Congressman Harry Mitchell and Attorney General Terry Goddard
*Who will make the best chili?*
State Senator Meg Burton Cahill?
State Representative Ed Ableser?
State Representative David Schapira?
Or a mysterious vegetarian with a killer carnivore recipe?
*Enter your own chili in the contest!*
Saturday, May 2nd, 4-7pm
At the home of David and Kathy Schwarz in Scottsdale (need directions? Contact LD17 chair Lauren Kuby - email below)
Winner announced at 5:30!
*Ticket Prices:*
$25
$15 for YDs
$10 for Kids
For Tickets: email laurenkuby[at]gmail.com; or buy online at http://www.d17dems.org/donate.asp
Proceeds to benefit the Maricopa County Democratic Party and LD17 Democrats.
...OK, so it's the "event of the year" if you are a Democrat and like chili... :)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Last night's budget forum at ASU
For nearly three emotionally-wracked hours on Monday evening, 14 members of the Democratic caucus of the state legislature listened to Arizonans tell of the devastation to their lives caused by the draconian budget cuts imposed on the state's education and human services structure.
Hosts Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill and Reps. David Schapira and Ed Ableser (all representing LD17, the home of ASU) were joined by colleagues from all over the state - Sen. Jorge Luis Garcia and Representatives Rae Waters, Kyrsten Sinema, David Lujan, Pat Fleming, Lynne Pancrazi, Daniel Patterson, Matt Heinz, Chad Campbell, Tom Chabin, and Christopher Deschene, who all graciously took the time out of their lives to visit Tempe.
While there were folks from all parts of society there, the developmentally disabled community was particularly well-, and heart-breakingly, represented.
ASU Web Devil coverage here; AZ Republic coverage here. In addition, Rep. Patterson's blog entry covering the event is here.
I'll have more later after I get the pics of the event uploaded, but Patterson's blog post touches on something I want to mention now.
On Thursday, there will be a rally at the State Capitol from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to support saving services for Arizona's Children with Disabilities.
Everyone is urged to attend to make your voice heard.
More later...
Edit to add (info courtesy Rep. Steve Farley's latest Farley Report):
Next Thursday, March 5, there will be a similar forum at U of A in Tucson.
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: U of A Student Union, South Ballroom, 1330 E. University Blvd., Tucson
Hosts Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill and Reps. David Schapira and Ed Ableser (all representing LD17, the home of ASU) were joined by colleagues from all over the state - Sen. Jorge Luis Garcia and Representatives Rae Waters, Kyrsten Sinema, David Lujan, Pat Fleming, Lynne Pancrazi, Daniel Patterson, Matt Heinz, Chad Campbell, Tom Chabin, and Christopher Deschene, who all graciously took the time out of their lives to visit Tempe.
While there were folks from all parts of society there, the developmentally disabled community was particularly well-, and heart-breakingly, represented.
ASU Web Devil coverage here; AZ Republic coverage here. In addition, Rep. Patterson's blog entry covering the event is here.
I'll have more later after I get the pics of the event uploaded, but Patterson's blog post touches on something I want to mention now.
On Thursday, there will be a rally at the State Capitol from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. to support saving services for Arizona's Children with Disabilities.
Everyone is urged to attend to make your voice heard.
More later...
Edit to add (info courtesy Rep. Steve Farley's latest Farley Report):
Next Thursday, March 5, there will be a similar forum at U of A in Tucson.
Time: 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: U of A Student Union, South Ballroom, 1330 E. University Blvd., Tucson
Monday, February 23, 2009
State Rep. David Schapira: column on education and the state budget
State Representative David Schapira (D-LD17) wrote a column that was published by the Arizona Republic in Saturday's edition of the community news section in Tempe. There's no link available - I couldn't find it on their website. It was there though - I read it.)
Fortunately, however, he sent it out as part of an email reminder of tonight's budget hearing at ASU (6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Ventana Room (#241), Memorial Union).
From the email -
See you at tonight's hearing!
Fortunately, however, he sent it out as part of an email reminder of tonight's budget hearing at ASU (6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m., Ventana Room (#241), Memorial Union).
From the email -
Last week, in a Tempe Republic column, Editor Tom Spratt wrote that legislators owe it to constituents to share budget updates.
I couldn't agree more.
Legislative leaders have broken their promise to be open and transparent, and they have not addressed the impact of deep budget cuts to the people they will affect.
The fact is that the legislators who voted to pass the 2009 budget had not publicly discussed the impact of their decision with constituents, K-12 students, parents and teachers or with the universities.
They didn't even discuss it with legislative Democrats or rank-and-file Republicans before it was up for votes on the House and Senate floors.
Spratt wrote that legislators could do more - travel around their districts, meet with constituents, hold forums, answer questions and explain exactly what people should expect as a result of the cuts for this fiscal year and the proposals for the next fiscal year, which starts in July.
Legislative Democrats have hosted six public budget hearings in the last two months to discuss the impact of the deep budget cuts and to hear concerns of citizens in the community about the impact of the budget.
We've held these hearings in Casa Grande, Phoenix, Yuma, Tucson, Prescott and Flagstaff. Our seventh in this series will be on Monday at Arizona State University in Tempe, followed by hearings in Sierra Vista and at the University of Arizona in Tucson.
We hope to continue to hear from constituents and community members about how these cuts will impact their lives and the concerns they have about the 2010 budget.
I share the concern of many Arizonans with regard to the deep cuts to education for this fiscal year and those that are being proposed starting in July.
I have worked hard in recent weeks to get the word out about the education cuts. I meticulously detailed the proposed cuts in public Education Committee meetings and budget forums in Flagstaff, Tucson and Phoenix, and I will do so again at the public budget hearing on Feb. 23 in Tempe. At each forum, I went into great detail in publicly questioning school administrators and university presidents as to the impact of the proposed cuts on their schools.
In addition to participating in public meetings, I appeared on Channel 8's "Horizon," submitted an commentary regarding the budget to The Republic and responded to many reporter inquiries on the proposed education cuts, speaking extensively about potential impacts.
I also have made all of this information available on my website and in email updates to constituents who sign up there.
I fought hard for education on the House floor in the middle of the night, doing my best to convince my Republican colleagues that thousands of jobs will be lost and we would lose major parts of ASU, our community's economic engine. I also pleaded with them to consider the impact on student learning in our state.
I have worked hard to protect education in District 17 and in Arizona, and I always will.
I encourage all constituents to attend our public budget hearing on Monday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at ASU's Memorial Union in Ventana Room 241. We will present detailed information on the budget and seek public comment.
Also, please take a moment to sign up on my website, www.DavidSchapira.com, to receive future budget updates and information.
State Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, represents District 17.
See you at tonight's hearing!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Rep. David Schapira Pens A Pre-Session Column
State Representative David Schapira has written a column for the AZ Republic. In addition to publishing it in the Rep, he emailed that column to folks.
I couldn't find the column on the website, which is a common occurence for stuff published the the Reps' community sections. As such, here is the complete text of the column (from the email) and not just a link -
An article/interview with Rep. Schapira on AZCentral.com is here.
David's campaign website is here; his legislative website won't be available until the lege's session starts.
Later!
I couldn't find the column on the website, which is a common occurence for stuff published the the Reps' community sections. As such, here is the complete text of the column (from the email) and not just a link -
Tough Times Call for Unified Approach
By David Schapira
The Arizona Republic
The coming legislative session in Arizona promises to be the most turbulent in at least a decade. The ingredients of this recipe for disaster are laid out and ready to mix. Arizona's State Senators and Representatives will come together on Monday to start work. I am just as scared as you are, and I'm one of them.
But there is hope. There is still an element in the Legislature that truly wants to work in a bipartisan fashion to solve many of the problems that the state faces. There are those of us who are willing to work together, to negotiate and to do the job that our constituents elected us to do: represent them.
The most important issue we face as a state is the floundering economy. In much the same way it is affecting your pocketbook, it is affecting the state's. The greatest task or burden of the Forty-ninth Legislature is to balance the state's budget. We don't have the option, as the Federal government does, to simply print more money. We can't run deficits, nor should we. The state's constitution essentially ties our hands when it comes to borrowing money. Therefore, we really are only left with two options: cut funding or raise taxes.
Let's start by throwing out the tax increase, because it's not the solution for this crisis. First, it's just not the best idea in bad economic times. More importantly, it's virtually impossible in Arizona on the legislative level because of existing laws that require a 2/3 vote in both chambers to raise any tax or fee.
So it comes down to fund cutting, to the tune of about $3 Billion for the next fiscal year. As you can imagine, that's no small chunk of change. It's about 30% of the state's General Fund. So where do we find 30%? End health care for children? Release all the state's prisoners? Close a university or two?
There is no easy answer. It's too big a problem for one person, one party or one legislative chamber to solve. It will take all of us, the whole state (yes, even you), to figure this one out. But I'm confident that if we work together, we can get through this. We can use the bad ingredients to make something good, or at least tolerable, for the coming year.
That is my promise to you for the coming session. I will work together with anyone who is willing to work with me to come up with the best solutions to the problems we face. That being said, I will walk into budget negotiations with a set of priorities. I was elected because of my commitment to improving education in our state, and I am not ready to balance our state budget on the backs of students nor am I willing to eliminate vital funding for healthcare for kids whose parents can't afford it.
I also promise to never forget that the most important aspect of my job at the Legislature is to serve the people who elected me, whether you voted for me or not.
As my friend Congressman Harry Mitchell likes to say, "Representative is my title and my job description." I will do my best with that title to continue to represent your needs for the next two years.
State Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe, represents District 17.
An article/interview with Rep. Schapira on AZCentral.com is here.
David's campaign website is here; his legislative website won't be available until the lege's session starts.
Later!
Friday, January 02, 2009
State Rep. David Schapira back home safely...
State Representative David Schapira (D-LD17) spent the bulk of the holiday season visiting Israel with his family to celebrate his grandfather's 80th birthday. He ended up experiencing firsthand what most of us have only read about, the escalation of tensions and violence in the Middle East.
From AZCentral.com's Political Insider -
He went on to explain that in Jerusalem he and his family were pretty safe, though they had to deal with some travel restrictions.
Now we'll find out how safe Rep. Schapira (and the rest of the state!) feels once the new session of the legislature convenes.
As we all know, when it comes to scaring people, missile attacks and air strikes have nothing on the Republican caucus of the AZ legislature.
Apparently, I've already failed at my "no snarkiness" New Year's resolution. :)
Later!
From AZCentral.com's Political Insider -
"We were actually in the Muslim Quarter in the Old City in Jerusalem when the first strikes hit Gaza," Schapira wrote in an email. "All the shops closed immediately in protest. The tension was palpable. I can tell you that I've never been happier to see soldiers with M-16s."
He went on to explain that in Jerusalem he and his family were pretty safe, though they had to deal with some travel restrictions.
Now we'll find out how safe Rep. Schapira (and the rest of the state!) feels once the new session of the legislature convenes.
As we all know, when it comes to scaring people, missile attacks and air strikes have nothing on the Republican caucus of the AZ legislature.
Apparently, I've already failed at my "no snarkiness" New Year's resolution. :)
Later!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
If D17 decided elections in AZ...
...AZ's Republicans would be in the unemployment line...
In 2006, every major Democratic candidate won in LD17; the same occurred in 2008, too.
Highlights -
...Congressman Harry Mitchell and State Senator not only ran up sizeable margins of victory over their Republican challengers, their victories were broad-based. Not only did they win the overall vote, they won in each and every precinct in LD17.
...Mitchell won his home district (LD17) by more than 19,000 votes, which might lead some people of the "R" persuasion to think that Tempe is the only reason that the longtime Tempe teacher and mayor keeps beating their candidates. If they thing that, they might think wrong - Mitchell won the rest of the district by more than 7500 votes.
To put that number in perspective, in 2006 Mitchell defeated then-incumbent Republican JD Hayworth by slightly more than 8000 votes total, including his Tempe numbers.
In other words, while the CD5 seat was heavily targeted by the Reps as vulnerable for retaking, all their efforts went for naught. Harry Mitchell actually expanded his base of support.
...If LD17 decided things, Barack Obama would have received Arizona's electoral votes. He won 60 of 69 precincts on his way to a 9800 vote margin of victory in the district.
...If LD17 decided things, Ed Hermes would have defeated Fulton Brock for the District 1 seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Hermes received more than 6000 more votes than Brock in D17 while winning 49 of the 60 precinct that are in both SD1 and LD17.
...Both Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio would be out of our hair. Dan Saban, Democratic candidate for sheriff, took 57 of 69 precincts in LD17 on his way to an 8200 vote margin in LD17. Tim Nelson, candidate for County Attorney, did even better against Andrew Thomas than Saban did against Joe Arpaio.
Nelson won LD17 by more than 9300 votes while taking 63 out of 69 precincts.
...In the race for state representative, the Democratic slate of Ed Ableser and David Schapira took 67 out of 69 precincts (as measured by comparing the combined totals of the two Democratic candidates against the combined totals of the Republican candidates.
...For a little perspective, remember - LD17 is still trending more Democratic (something college towns are prone to do :) ).
In October 2006, the Reps had a 970 voter registration advantage (25101 Reps to 24131 Dems).
In October 2008, that had turned around to become a Democratic registration advantage of 3663 (30096 Dem to 26433 Rep.)
More than the results of this years races, those numbers are something that potential Rep candidates in LD17 and in any jurisdiction that overlaps it (justice precincts, supervisor districts, etc.) are going to pay close attention to before they decide to throw their hats in any ring.
More later...
In 2006, every major Democratic candidate won in LD17; the same occurred in 2008, too.
Highlights -
...Congressman Harry Mitchell and State Senator not only ran up sizeable margins of victory over their Republican challengers, their victories were broad-based. Not only did they win the overall vote, they won in each and every precinct in LD17.
...Mitchell won his home district (LD17) by more than 19,000 votes, which might lead some people of the "R" persuasion to think that Tempe is the only reason that the longtime Tempe teacher and mayor keeps beating their candidates. If they thing that, they might think wrong - Mitchell won the rest of the district by more than 7500 votes.
To put that number in perspective, in 2006 Mitchell defeated then-incumbent Republican JD Hayworth by slightly more than 8000 votes total, including his Tempe numbers.
In other words, while the CD5 seat was heavily targeted by the Reps as vulnerable for retaking, all their efforts went for naught. Harry Mitchell actually expanded his base of support.
...If LD17 decided things, Barack Obama would have received Arizona's electoral votes. He won 60 of 69 precincts on his way to a 9800 vote margin of victory in the district.
...If LD17 decided things, Ed Hermes would have defeated Fulton Brock for the District 1 seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Hermes received more than 6000 more votes than Brock in D17 while winning 49 of the 60 precinct that are in both SD1 and LD17.
...Both Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio would be out of our hair. Dan Saban, Democratic candidate for sheriff, took 57 of 69 precincts in LD17 on his way to an 8200 vote margin in LD17. Tim Nelson, candidate for County Attorney, did even better against Andrew Thomas than Saban did against Joe Arpaio.
Nelson won LD17 by more than 9300 votes while taking 63 out of 69 precincts.
...In the race for state representative, the Democratic slate of Ed Ableser and David Schapira took 67 out of 69 precincts (as measured by comparing the combined totals of the two Democratic candidates against the combined totals of the Republican candidates.
...For a little perspective, remember - LD17 is still trending more Democratic (something college towns are prone to do :) ).
In October 2006, the Reps had a 970 voter registration advantage (25101 Reps to 24131 Dems).
In October 2008, that had turned around to become a Democratic registration advantage of 3663 (30096 Dem to 26433 Rep.)
More than the results of this years races, those numbers are something that potential Rep candidates in LD17 and in any jurisdiction that overlaps it (justice precincts, supervisor districts, etc.) are going to pay close attention to before they decide to throw their hats in any ring.
More later...
Friday, November 28, 2008
Goldwater Institute Lauds Burton-Cahill, Ableser, and Schapira*
* OK, not really. :))
The anti-government "think tank" has issued its report card for the 2008 session of the Arizona Legislature, and all three of D17's legislators earned grades of "F."
With a final grade of 31 (F), Senator Meg Burton-Cahill tied for the lowest grade in the State Senate with Senators Debbie McCune-Davis and Rebecca Rios.
Over in the House, State Representatives Ed Ableser and David Schapira slacked off the pace set by their colleague in the Senate and earned a grade of only 36. Still an "F" by Goldwater Institute standards, but one that leaves room for improvement.
On that note, two of the highest..errr..."lowest" scoring legislators, Theresa Ullmer and Tom Prezelski, are not returning to the lege next year, so there will be an opportunity for the D17 contingent to moveup down in the Institute's rankings. :)
And before you ask about the title of this post, any time an anti-government group such as the Goldwater Institute doesn't like certain elected representatives, it probably just means that those representatives are doing the jobs that they were hired to do.
Later!
The anti-government "think tank" has issued its report card for the 2008 session of the Arizona Legislature, and all three of D17's legislators earned grades of "F."
With a final grade of 31 (F), Senator Meg Burton-Cahill tied for the lowest grade in the State Senate with Senators Debbie McCune-Davis and Rebecca Rios.
Over in the House, State Representatives Ed Ableser and David Schapira slacked off the pace set by their colleague in the Senate and earned a grade of only 36. Still an "F" by Goldwater Institute standards, but one that leaves room for improvement.
On that note, two of the highest..errr..."lowest" scoring legislators, Theresa Ullmer and Tom Prezelski, are not returning to the lege next year, so there will be an opportunity for the D17 contingent to move
And before you ask about the title of this post, any time an anti-government group such as the Goldwater Institute doesn't like certain elected representatives, it probably just means that those representatives are doing the jobs that they were hired to do.
Later!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Congrats to the new leadership of the LD17 Democrats
On Wednesday, the District 17 Democrats held their reorganizational meeting and elected new officers for the 2009-2010 cycle.
Those officers are -
Chair - Lauren Kuby
Vice Chair - Angie Crouse
Vice Chair - Cole Hickman
Vice Chair - Stan Williams
Treasurer - Craig McDermott
Secretary - Johnny Mendez
The new officers are dedicated and active Democrats who will continue the hard work of outgoing chair Doug Mings (now Executive Director of the Maricopa County Democratic Party) and keep LD17 Blue. I won't say that all of them have been Democrats since birth, but if you meet Lauren, ask her to tell you her JFK story. (She is *so* going to kick my butt for that :) ).
On a related note, the Maricopa County Democratic Party will be holding its own reorganizational meeting at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 13 at a location TBA.
Full disclosure section: I am one of the new officers. Guess which one. :))
Later!
Those officers are -
Chair - Lauren Kuby
Vice Chair - Angie Crouse
Vice Chair - Cole Hickman
Vice Chair - Stan Williams
Treasurer - Craig McDermott
Secretary - Johnny Mendez
The new officers are dedicated and active Democrats who will continue the hard work of outgoing chair Doug Mings (now Executive Director of the Maricopa County Democratic Party) and keep LD17 Blue. I won't say that all of them have been Democrats since birth, but if you meet Lauren, ask her to tell you her JFK story. (She is *so* going to kick my butt for that :) ).
On a related note, the Maricopa County Democratic Party will be holding its own reorganizational meeting at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 13 at a location TBA.
Full disclosure section: I am one of the new officers. Guess which one. :))
Later!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
East Valley Election Results
Well, East Valley, with some statewide and county races included...
Most results still unofficial, but most are still clear. All results courtesy the websites of the AZ Secretary of State, Maricopa County Recorder, and the Scottsdale City Clerk.
In CD5, incumbent Democratic Congressman Harry Mitchell is returning to D.C. with a comfortable margin of victory. With 245 of 248 precincts reporting, Mitchell leads David Schweikert 118,849 to 97,569.
In CD3, Democratic challenger Bob Lord fell short of defeating incumbent Republican John Shadegg (R-Club for Growth), receiving 92,614 votes to Shadegg's 117,439.
While Lord was able to significantly cut into a daunting Republican registration advantage, much like Mitchell did in CD5. However, unlike Mitchell, he's not, well, Harry Mitchell.
In the race for Corporation Commission, Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Paul Newman and Sam George are leading the race with 2219 of 2239 polls reporting. This one is close enough that one of them, Sam George, could be overtaken by Republican Bob Stump as provisional and early ballots are counted and added to the tallies.
In LD8, Republicans Michele Reagan and John Kavanagh were easily returned to the lege over Democratic challenger Stephanie Rimmer, 43,385 and 39,865 votes to 30,189, respectively. State Senator Carolyn Allen was unopposed for reelection.
In LD17, incumbent Democratic State Senator Meg Burton Cahill easily won reelection over Republican Jesse Hernandez, 28,510 to 18,106 while Democratic State Representatives Ed Ableser and David Schapira defeated Republican challengers Mark Thompson and Wes Waddle, with 24,242, 26,469, 19,081, and 15,030 votes respectively.
In LD18, Republican Russell Pearce (R-Nativist) handily won his race for the State Senate over Democrat Judah Nativio 19,510 to 15,250 (100% of precincts reporting) and Republicans Cecil Ash and Steve Court defeated Democrat Tammie Pursley and Independent Joe Brown.
It seems that the residents of west Mesa have to look forward to another two years of not having people in the lege who are there to represent *them*, not an extremist ideology.
In LD20, in a bit of an upset, Democrat Rae Waters will probably be joining Republican John McComish in the Arizona House of Representatives - she's got a small lead over Republican Jeff Dial. On the Senate side, sign-slashing and elderly-woman pushing incumbent Republican John Huppenthal defeated Democratic challenger Ted Maish.
In LD21, Republicans Warde Nichols and Steve Yarbrough stood off the challenge of Democrat Phil Hettmansperger, 45,757 and 37,403 votes to 36,232. Republican State Senator Jay Tibshraeny was unchallenged for reelection.
In LD22, Republicans Andy Biggs and Lauren Hendrix defeated Democrat Glenn Ray, with 48,157, 46,132, and 35,211 votes, respectively. On the senate side, Republican Thayer Verschoor was unchallenged for reelection.
In Maricopa County races...
In the four contested County Supervisor races, all four Republican incumbents were returned to office easily, with none of the Democratic challengers surpassing 46% of the vote inteir race.
Republican County Attorney Andrew Thomas defeated Democratic challenger Tim Nelson 514,820 votes to 440,197.
Republican Sheriff Joe Arpaio defeated Democrat Dan Saban 588,550 votes to 444,551.
Guess this means another four years of invaded libraries, shackled journalists, and unbridled corruption.
In the race for the Maricopa County Special Healthcare District, 3 out of the 5 candidates that were endorsed by the Maricopa County GOP lost, including District 3's Colette Rosati, who was spanked by Sue Gerard 85,369 votes to 43,909.
In the races for Scottsdale Mayor and City Council...
The race for Mayor is tight, but challenger Jim Lane has a nearly-800 vote lead over incumbent Mary Manross, 41,255 votes to 40,663. As for the City Council, it appears that incumbent Ron McCullagh will be returned to the council with newcomers Lisa Borowsky and Suzanne Klapp joining him. Incumbent Betty Drake is in fourth place, less than 900 votes behind Klapp.
Both the Mayoral and Council races could change slightly as the final mail-in and provisional ballot totals come in, but it appears that the face of Scottsdale's municipal government has changed.
However, there will still be a huge number of issues decided by a 4-3 margin.
(Wayne Ecton, Klapp and McCullagh on one side, with Lane, Tony Nelssen, and Bob Littlefield on the other. Lisa Borowsky will be the wild card. Expectations seem to be that she will mostly side with the Chamber of Commerce crowd, Ecton, Klapp, and McCullagh. We'll find out for sure starting in January.)
As for the ballot propositions, Prop 100 (barring a sales tax on real estate transfers) passed by a more than 3-to-1 margin; Prop 101 (Health Care Choice, aka 'banning all public health insurance plans') looks to be going down to defeat by a margin of approximately 2000 votes; Prop 102 (constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages) passed by nearly 240,000 votes; Prop 105 (Majority Rules, aka "not voting counts as a 'No' vote) was easily defeated by a nearly 2-1 margin; Prop 200 (Payday Loan reform, aka 'permanent legalization of loan sharking'), was defeated by 400,000 votes; Prop 201 (Homeowners' Bill of Rights) went down to defeat by a more than 3-1 margin; Prop 202 (Stop Illegal Hiring, aka 'Protect Big Business' ability to depress wages and hire cheap labor') was defeated soundly (400K+ votes); and Prop 300 (legislative pay raises from the current salary of $24K to $30K) was also soundly defeated.
More later!
Most results still unofficial, but most are still clear. All results courtesy the websites of the AZ Secretary of State, Maricopa County Recorder, and the Scottsdale City Clerk.
In CD5, incumbent Democratic Congressman Harry Mitchell is returning to D.C. with a comfortable margin of victory. With 245 of 248 precincts reporting, Mitchell leads David Schweikert 118,849 to 97,569.
In CD3, Democratic challenger Bob Lord fell short of defeating incumbent Republican John Shadegg (R-Club for Growth), receiving 92,614 votes to Shadegg's 117,439.
While Lord was able to significantly cut into a daunting Republican registration advantage, much like Mitchell did in CD5. However, unlike Mitchell, he's not, well, Harry Mitchell.
In the race for Corporation Commission, Democrats Sandra Kennedy and Paul Newman and Sam George are leading the race with 2219 of 2239 polls reporting. This one is close enough that one of them, Sam George, could be overtaken by Republican Bob Stump as provisional and early ballots are counted and added to the tallies.
In LD8, Republicans Michele Reagan and John Kavanagh were easily returned to the lege over Democratic challenger Stephanie Rimmer, 43,385 and 39,865 votes to 30,189, respectively. State Senator Carolyn Allen was unopposed for reelection.
In LD17, incumbent Democratic State Senator Meg Burton Cahill easily won reelection over Republican Jesse Hernandez, 28,510 to 18,106 while Democratic State Representatives Ed Ableser and David Schapira defeated Republican challengers Mark Thompson and Wes Waddle, with 24,242, 26,469, 19,081, and 15,030 votes respectively.
In LD18, Republican Russell Pearce (R-Nativist) handily won his race for the State Senate over Democrat Judah Nativio 19,510 to 15,250 (100% of precincts reporting) and Republicans Cecil Ash and Steve Court defeated Democrat Tammie Pursley and Independent Joe Brown.
It seems that the residents of west Mesa have to look forward to another two years of not having people in the lege who are there to represent *them*, not an extremist ideology.
In LD20, in a bit of an upset, Democrat Rae Waters will probably be joining Republican John McComish in the Arizona House of Representatives - she's got a small lead over Republican Jeff Dial. On the Senate side, sign-slashing and elderly-woman pushing incumbent Republican John Huppenthal defeated Democratic challenger Ted Maish.
In LD21, Republicans Warde Nichols and Steve Yarbrough stood off the challenge of Democrat Phil Hettmansperger, 45,757 and 37,403 votes to 36,232. Republican State Senator Jay Tibshraeny was unchallenged for reelection.
In LD22, Republicans Andy Biggs and Lauren Hendrix defeated Democrat Glenn Ray, with 48,157, 46,132, and 35,211 votes, respectively. On the senate side, Republican Thayer Verschoor was unchallenged for reelection.
In Maricopa County races...
In the four contested County Supervisor races, all four Republican incumbents were returned to office easily, with none of the Democratic challengers surpassing 46% of the vote inteir race.
Republican County Attorney Andrew Thomas defeated Democratic challenger Tim Nelson 514,820 votes to 440,197.
Republican Sheriff Joe Arpaio defeated Democrat Dan Saban 588,550 votes to 444,551.
Guess this means another four years of invaded libraries, shackled journalists, and unbridled corruption.
In the race for the Maricopa County Special Healthcare District, 3 out of the 5 candidates that were endorsed by the Maricopa County GOP lost, including District 3's Colette Rosati, who was spanked by Sue Gerard 85,369 votes to 43,909.
In the races for Scottsdale Mayor and City Council...
The race for Mayor is tight, but challenger Jim Lane has a nearly-800 vote lead over incumbent Mary Manross, 41,255 votes to 40,663. As for the City Council, it appears that incumbent Ron McCullagh will be returned to the council with newcomers Lisa Borowsky and Suzanne Klapp joining him. Incumbent Betty Drake is in fourth place, less than 900 votes behind Klapp.
Both the Mayoral and Council races could change slightly as the final mail-in and provisional ballot totals come in, but it appears that the face of Scottsdale's municipal government has changed.
However, there will still be a huge number of issues decided by a 4-3 margin.
(Wayne Ecton, Klapp and McCullagh on one side, with Lane, Tony Nelssen, and Bob Littlefield on the other. Lisa Borowsky will be the wild card. Expectations seem to be that she will mostly side with the Chamber of Commerce crowd, Ecton, Klapp, and McCullagh. We'll find out for sure starting in January.)
As for the ballot propositions, Prop 100 (barring a sales tax on real estate transfers) passed by a more than 3-to-1 margin; Prop 101 (Health Care Choice, aka 'banning all public health insurance plans') looks to be going down to defeat by a margin of approximately 2000 votes; Prop 102 (constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages) passed by nearly 240,000 votes; Prop 105 (Majority Rules, aka "not voting counts as a 'No' vote) was easily defeated by a nearly 2-1 margin; Prop 200 (Payday Loan reform, aka 'permanent legalization of loan sharking'), was defeated by 400,000 votes; Prop 201 (Homeowners' Bill of Rights) went down to defeat by a more than 3-1 margin; Prop 202 (Stop Illegal Hiring, aka 'Protect Big Business' ability to depress wages and hire cheap labor') was defeated soundly (400K+ votes); and Prop 300 (legislative pay raises from the current salary of $24K to $30K) was also soundly defeated.
More later!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Mail Call - Last Minute Mailer
Somehow I ended up on a mailing list used by Wes Waddle, one of the Republican House candidates in LD17. He sent out a south Scottsdale-specific piece, with one hitting my mailbox on Friday.
(Note: I don't have a scanner in order to upload an image of it, but I'll look for one tomorrow and update this post if I find one.)
The address side of the card has a pic of Waddle dressed in a flight suit while posing next to an airplane of some type.
On the other side are pics of an "Old Town Scottsdale" sign and some other buildings and sights from Scottsdale's downtown area.
As for text on the mailer, the address side has the required "paid for by" statement, a proclamation across the top that he is "the only candidate representing Scottsdale" and one across the bottom proclaiming "Wes Waddle. Your choice for a better Arizona." In between, he has a brief letter that talks about how south Scottsdale has been represented in the lege by people from Tempe and how voting for him would mean that "Southern Scottsdale is treated fairly and not overshadowed by Tempe's slick politicians."
On the other side, he has a list of three generic headings with three bullet points each (gotta love things that come in threes, right?)
Evaluation:
Not bad, except (you just knew that there was going to be an "except" :) )...
Let's see -
1. Most of the pics he included in the mailer that I recognize are from *outside* LD17. A couple I don't recognize offhand, so I'm pretty sure they're not from LD17, but I can't say for certain. Yet. :)
2. I know it's supposed to be Scottsdale-focused, but the mailer reads like that of a candidate for Scottsdale City Council, not the Arizona lege. He talks about his small business experience and working "with the City to create a business-friendly environment" and protecting "private property rights in Scottsdale." Never does he mention his plans for the lege. Which brings us to the next point...
3. He never actually states which office he is a candidate for.
4. He never mentions that he is a Republican. (Not an unusual occurrence this year; it seems that most Republicans not named "McCain" are running away from their party.)
All in all, a solid mix of obvious deception and rookie mistakes.
Assuming Waddle doesn't win his race this year, he will probably learn some from the mistakes (I've met him at a campaign finance workshop put on by Clean Elections - he's intelligent) and has the opportunity to obviate the need for deception by getting more involved in the community (joining a City of Scottsdale board or commission would be a good start) and then maybe run for Scottsdale City Council in 2010 or 12. It seems to be more in keeping with his focus.
NB - At first, I figured that his shot at "Tempe's slick politicians" was directed at Ed Ableser and David Schapira, the Democratic incumbents in LD17. However, driving home through Tempe and south Scottsdale tonight I noticed how Waddle's Republican ballotmates, Jesse Hernandez (for State Senate) and Mark "Religion is OK - for Republican candidates anyway" Thompson (State House) have joined forces (signs all on the same poles, jointly sponsoring a TV spot, etc.) and all but thrown Waddle under the bus.
Now I wonder if Waddle's "slick" characterization was aimed as much at Thompson and Hernandez as at the Democrats they are trying to unseat.
NB2 - "The only candidate representing Scottsdale"?? That is probably news to State Senator Carolyn Allen (R-Scottsdale) and State Rep. Michele Reagan (R-Scottsdale). And probably to Congressman Harry Mitchell (D-CD5) and the staff of his Scottsdale-based district office, too.
Later!
(Note: I don't have a scanner in order to upload an image of it, but I'll look for one tomorrow and update this post if I find one.)
The address side of the card has a pic of Waddle dressed in a flight suit while posing next to an airplane of some type.
On the other side are pics of an "Old Town Scottsdale" sign and some other buildings and sights from Scottsdale's downtown area.
As for text on the mailer, the address side has the required "paid for by" statement, a proclamation across the top that he is "the only candidate representing Scottsdale" and one across the bottom proclaiming "Wes Waddle. Your choice for a better Arizona." In between, he has a brief letter that talks about how south Scottsdale has been represented in the lege by people from Tempe and how voting for him would mean that "Southern Scottsdale is treated fairly and not overshadowed by Tempe's slick politicians."
On the other side, he has a list of three generic headings with three bullet points each (gotta love things that come in threes, right?)
Evaluation:
Not bad, except (you just knew that there was going to be an "except" :) )...
Let's see -
1. Most of the pics he included in the mailer that I recognize are from *outside* LD17. A couple I don't recognize offhand, so I'm pretty sure they're not from LD17, but I can't say for certain. Yet. :)
2. I know it's supposed to be Scottsdale-focused, but the mailer reads like that of a candidate for Scottsdale City Council, not the Arizona lege. He talks about his small business experience and working "with the City to create a business-friendly environment" and protecting "private property rights in Scottsdale." Never does he mention his plans for the lege. Which brings us to the next point...
3. He never actually states which office he is a candidate for.
4. He never mentions that he is a Republican. (Not an unusual occurrence this year; it seems that most Republicans not named "McCain" are running away from their party.)
All in all, a solid mix of obvious deception and rookie mistakes.
Assuming Waddle doesn't win his race this year, he will probably learn some from the mistakes (I've met him at a campaign finance workshop put on by Clean Elections - he's intelligent) and has the opportunity to obviate the need for deception by getting more involved in the community (joining a City of Scottsdale board or commission would be a good start) and then maybe run for Scottsdale City Council in 2010 or 12. It seems to be more in keeping with his focus.
NB - At first, I figured that his shot at "Tempe's slick politicians" was directed at Ed Ableser and David Schapira, the Democratic incumbents in LD17. However, driving home through Tempe and south Scottsdale tonight I noticed how Waddle's Republican ballotmates, Jesse Hernandez (for State Senate) and Mark "Religion is OK - for Republican candidates anyway" Thompson (State House) have joined forces (signs all on the same poles, jointly sponsoring a TV spot, etc.) and all but thrown Waddle under the bus.
Now I wonder if Waddle's "slick" characterization was aimed as much at Thompson and Hernandez as at the Democrats they are trying to unseat.
NB2 - "The only candidate representing Scottsdale"?? That is probably news to State Senator Carolyn Allen (R-Scottsdale) and State Rep. Michele Reagan (R-Scottsdale). And probably to Congressman Harry Mitchell (D-CD5) and the staff of his Scottsdale-based district office, too.
Later!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Republicans detouring through Bizarro World as the election draws near...
Edit on 11/2 to correct an error pointed out in a comment...
It all started on my way home from work tonight.
- First up was the radio spot for the Republican slate of candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission. The run of the mill Republicans in AZ don't think that they can kiss big business' butt fast enough or sloppily enough, yet Marian McClure, Barry Wong, and Bob Stump are running a radio ad touting themselves as "consumer-friendly."
At least they stuck to tried-and-true Republican form by calling the Democratic candidates (Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman, and Sam George) "divisive." They squeezed in the term by prominently quoting the AZ Republic editorial that endorsed the Republican ACC ticket.
Umm...I've met and spoken at length to all three. The only folks who could consider them to be "divisive" are Republicans and editors who object to the idea of Democrats joining the historically Republican-dominated ACC.
- Second up was a news article in today's East Valley Tribune. Normally, Republicans try to portray themselves as the "God-friendly" candidates, but not today.
Carol Thompson, the wife of Republican LD17 candidate Mark Thompson, criticized Democratic incumbent state representative Ed Ableser for being too involved with religion. She objected to Ableser joining the the LDS faith of his fiancee, Hilary.
From the article, quoting an email from Mrs. Thompson -
She seemed to be objecting to the idea of the change, not to Mormonism itself. Still, Mr. Thompson is probably glad that he's not running to represent Mesa. :)
- And then came the coup de grace.
The McCain campaign is running a spot touting lavish, nearly endorsement-level, praise from a prominent Democrat.
That Democrat?
Senator Barack Obama.
Yes, the same Barack Obama who has been called "that one", "socialist," "communist," "Muslim," "pro-terrorist", and worse by John McCain and his surrogates.
From the examples of McClure/Wong/Stump, Thompson, and McCain, it seems that even Republicans are admitting that the Republican brand has lost its luster.
BTW - Congratulations to Ed and his fiancee Hilary. May they have a long and joyous life together.
Later!
It all started on my way home from work tonight.
- First up was the radio spot for the Republican slate of candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission. The run of the mill Republicans in AZ don't think that they can kiss big business' butt fast enough or sloppily enough, yet Marian McClure, Barry Wong, and Bob Stump are running a radio ad touting themselves as "consumer-friendly."
At least they stuck to tried-and-true Republican form by calling the Democratic candidates (Sandra Kennedy, Paul Newman, and Sam George) "divisive." They squeezed in the term by prominently quoting the AZ Republic editorial that endorsed the Republican ACC ticket.
Umm...I've met and spoken at length to all three. The only folks who could consider them to be "divisive" are Republicans and editors who object to the idea of Democrats joining the historically Republican-dominated ACC.
- Second up was a news article in today's East Valley Tribune. Normally, Republicans try to portray themselves as the "God-friendly" candidates, but not today.
Carol Thompson, the wife of Republican LD17 candidate Mark Thompson, criticized Democratic incumbent state representative Ed Ableser for being too involved with religion. She objected to Ableser joining the the LDS faith of his fiancee, Hilary.
From the article, quoting an email from Mrs. Thompson -
"This guy has no idea what he is and shouldn’t be counseling kids.”
She seemed to be objecting to the idea of the change, not to Mormonism itself. Still, Mr. Thompson is probably glad that he's not running to represent Mesa. :)
- And then came the coup de grace.
The McCain campaign is running a spot touting lavish, nearly endorsement-level, praise from a prominent Democrat.
That Democrat?
Senator Barack Obama.
Yes, the same Barack Obama who has been called "that one", "socialist," "communist," "Muslim," "pro-terrorist", and worse by John McCain and his surrogates.
From the examples of McClure/Wong/Stump, Thompson, and McCain, it seems that even Republicans are admitting that the Republican brand has lost its luster.
BTW - Congratulations to Ed and his fiancee Hilary. May they have a long and joyous life together.
Later!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
LD17 Candidate Healthcare Forum Tonight
...Apologies for the late notice, but I just found out about it myself...
From an email -
Due to a conflict with my work schedule, I won't be able to attend the forum, but it should be an informative one, and with less than a week to go before the election, an important one.
Definitely well worth a couple of hours out of your week.
Later!
From an email -
District 17 Legislative Forum - Focus will be healthcare and disability related issues.
Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Focus: Health Care and Disability Related Issues
Forum Format: The candidates forum will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Please arrive early to meet the candidates between 5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Pyle Adult Recreation Center (SW Corner of Southern/Rural)
655 East Southern Avenue
Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 350-5211
Food: Refreshments Served
For information Contact: David Carey at (602) 443-0723.
Senate Candidates:
Meg Burton-Cahill, Democrat
Jesse Hernandez, Republican
Representative Candidates:
Wesley Waddle, Republican
Mark Thompson, Republican
Ed Ableser, Democrat
David Schapira, Democrat
Due to a conflict with my work schedule, I won't be able to attend the forum, but it should be an informative one, and with less than a week to go before the election, an important one.
Definitely well worth a couple of hours out of your week.
Later!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Impressive Democratic registration gains
Another one of those boring 'numbers' posts, but since I like the numbers in question... :))
All numbers taken from the Arizona Secretary of State's October 2006 and October 2008 voter registration reports.
Across the state, the Democratic Party has shown significant gains in voter registration, frequently outpacing any Republican gains by a margin of four or five to one in some districts. (PoliickerAZ coverage here)
In the Scottsdale/Tempe/Mesa area, the gains were both consistent and pronounced -
CD5 - 108,300 Democrats, 146,691 Republicans
In two years, CD5 Democrats gained almost 14,000 registrations, taking the gap from over 52K to just over 38K.
That gain, as well as an increase of nearly 17K Independent voters in CD5 is definitely positive news for centrist incumbent Harry Mitchell.
LD17 - 30,096 Democrats, 26,433 Republicans
In two years, LD17 Democrats turned a registration shortfall of 970 into an advantage of over 3600.
Definitely good news for State Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill and State Reps. David Schapira and Ed Ableser.
LD8 - 29,161 Democrats, 56,474 Republicans
In two years, LD8 Democrats gained over 2300 voters on the Republicans in the district; in addition, there are more than 5400 more independent voters in the district. While Stephanie Rimmer still faces an uphill battle in her quest for an LD8 House seat, that seat is well within the realm of reachable.
LD18 - 17,780 Democrats, 26,558 Republicans
In two years, the Democrats in LD18 have gained almost 2900 registrations on the Reps. Combine that with the fact that the LD18 Republicans were almost total slackers in registering new voters (they gained 813, or 3.1%, the Reps in the other area districts gained more than 5% each), and Tammie Pursley and Judah Nativio are in prime position to make LD18 purple, if not blue.
Of course, the brutal Rep primary between Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) and Kevin Gibbons (R-Jeff Flake's brother-in-law) and the resultant divisions among the Rep faithful in the district doesn't hurt their chances, either.
All in all, some very encouraging numbers for the Democrats in the area (though LD8 will still be a tough nut to crack).
However, with John McCain at the top of the Rep ticket, Democrats will still need every available vote.
As such, there are precincts to walk in, doors to knock on, and phone calls to place.
Later!
All numbers taken from the Arizona Secretary of State's October 2006 and October 2008 voter registration reports.
Across the state, the Democratic Party has shown significant gains in voter registration, frequently outpacing any Republican gains by a margin of four or five to one in some districts. (PoliickerAZ coverage here)
In the Scottsdale/Tempe/Mesa area, the gains were both consistent and pronounced -
CD5 - 108,300 Democrats, 146,691 Republicans
In two years, CD5 Democrats gained almost 14,000 registrations, taking the gap from over 52K to just over 38K.
That gain, as well as an increase of nearly 17K Independent voters in CD5 is definitely positive news for centrist incumbent Harry Mitchell.
LD17 - 30,096 Democrats, 26,433 Republicans
In two years, LD17 Democrats turned a registration shortfall of 970 into an advantage of over 3600.
Definitely good news for State Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill and State Reps. David Schapira and Ed Ableser.
LD8 - 29,161 Democrats, 56,474 Republicans
In two years, LD8 Democrats gained over 2300 voters on the Republicans in the district; in addition, there are more than 5400 more independent voters in the district. While Stephanie Rimmer still faces an uphill battle in her quest for an LD8 House seat, that seat is well within the realm of reachable.
LD18 - 17,780 Democrats, 26,558 Republicans
In two years, the Democrats in LD18 have gained almost 2900 registrations on the Reps. Combine that with the fact that the LD18 Republicans were almost total slackers in registering new voters (they gained 813, or 3.1%, the Reps in the other area districts gained more than 5% each), and Tammie Pursley and Judah Nativio are in prime position to make LD18 purple, if not blue.
Of course, the brutal Rep primary between Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) and Kevin Gibbons (R-Jeff Flake's brother-in-law) and the resultant divisions among the Rep faithful in the district doesn't hurt their chances, either.
All in all, some very encouraging numbers for the Democrats in the area (though LD8 will still be a tough nut to crack).
However, with John McCain at the top of the Rep ticket, Democrats will still need every available vote.
As such, there are precincts to walk in, doors to knock on, and phone calls to place.
Later!
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