PSA time - H1N1 virus

First up, a note from Congressman Harry Mitchell's office.

From an email -

As a father and a grandfather, I know how important it is to keep your family healthy. As we head into flu season, I want to make sure that you have the information you need to help avoid catching or spreading airborne infections.

We can all take action now to protect ourselves and our families throughout the fall and into the winter. As a result, I've updated the H1N1 Flu Information Hub on my website to help you get the correct and most current information regarding the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu. It includes important resources regarding influenza viruses and key tips for prevention and keeping your family healthy. It also includes links to agencies like the Arizona Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization and other agencies that manage different aspects of H1N1.

In addition, should you or a family member become infected, my H1N1 Flu Information Hub has key information regarding the steps you should take. One of the best ways to avoid the flu is to take everyday steps to stay healthy, as prevention is the first line of defense. Here are 5 simple steps CDC recommends during this year’s flu season:

•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

•Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

•Stay home if you get sick to limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

•Eat well, be active, get plenty of rest.

I encourage you to visit my H1N1 Flu Information Hub and I will continue to update so you and your family can stay informed throughout this year’s flu season.

Sincerely,

Harry

In addition to available online resources, many of which are linked to at Congressman Mitchell's website, the City of Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Fire Department are holding a number of public presentations on preparing for flu season.

From the press release -

Free community presentations are being hosted by the Scottsdale Fire Department this month to help residents and businesses prepare for the H1N1 flu. Discussion topics include steps to take to stay healthy, signs and symptoms of the flu, when to seek emergency medical care, tips for creating an emergency plan and how you can stay up-to-date on the latest information. Free 90-minute community presentations are scheduled for:

•Noon to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, at Rio Montana Park; 11180 N. 132nd St.
•12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 17 at Granite Reef Senior Center; 1700 N. Granite Reef Road
•9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 24 at the Witzeman Public Safety Building; 8401 E. Indian School Road
•Noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Rio Montana Park; 11180 N. 132nd St.
•7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Eldorado Park Community Center; 2311 N. Miller Road
•2:30 to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 at La Mirada Desert Park; 8950 E. Pinnacle Peak Road
•6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at Rio Montana Park; 11180 N. 132nd St.
•9 to 10:30 a.m., Nov. 14 at the Witzeman Public Safety Building; 8401 E. Indian School Road

Advance registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome. To sign up, visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/fire/H1N1.

For more information or to schedule a group presentation, contact Patty Jo Angelini at (480) 312-1815 or email pangelini@ScottsdaleAZ.gov.

Later...

For those Republicans in the lege who support texting while driving

This video is currently a big hit on YouTube.

It should be required viewing for any legislator who opposes Rep. Steve Farley's next attempt to ban texting while driving.

Warning - the video is graphic and not for those with tender sensibilities or weak stomachs.

Support the Face Of America bike ride for injured veterans

PSA time, but with a family twist.

An email from my sister Cori -

Help Support World TEAM Sports!

Hello Everyone!

For all y'all who haven't been stuck riding with me on my little "training excursions", I'd like to tell you about an organization worthy of supporting, and of course, ask you to pitch in a few bucks (a $10 can REALLY add up!) to help support their initiatives.

Check out World TEAM Sports: www.worldteamsports.org - the 2009 Face of America ride is coming up in just a few weeks, and yes, I will be riding....(and YES you are INVITED!!!) - and for those who cannot attend, this is when I ask you to help support the ride through donations...I've watched how this event helps newly-injured soldiers regain hope that they can still accomplish great things despite their injuries, and for me personally it helps me learn to appreciate those abilities I do have rather than focusing on those I don't, as well as greatly expanding my appreciation of what these soldiers have personally sacrificed for honor and country.

So, please click on the link below to donate (and thank you!!!)

www.active.com/donate/2009FOA/FOACORI

If you are interested in coming, please shoot me an email as well....

Thanks again!!!!!!!!

She can be reached at corim[at]ecollege.com

The ride will take place over a weekend (April 24 - 26) with the participants riding from Bethesda, Maryland to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Full itinerary and more info here)

World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports brings individuals together to undertake unique athletic events throughout the world to encourage, promote, and develop opportunities in sports for people, with and without disabilities. It does a *lot* of work with disabled veterans.

No matter what your political persuasion, this is a worthy cause. Give it a look-see, and if you are able to, donate some time or financial resources (aka - money :) ).

Note: This event has turned into a bit of a family affair. In addition to my sister Cori riding in the event, nephew Liam is riding, sister Patti helping to organize accomodations and with other logistics, and stepmom Sherry is volunteering with the medical team.

Later!

The voter registration deadline is fast approaching for November's election

No snarkiness, just a PSA...

The Obama campaign sent out an email today, reminding Arizonans that the deadline to register to vote in the November election is next Monday, October 6th. Register to vote here.

Other important dates related to this election -

Thursday, October 2 - Early voting begins. Maricopa County voters can request a ballot here; voters in other counties should contact their county's County Recorder's Office for early ballot info.

Friday, October 24 - Early voting request submittal deadline.

Tuesday, November 4 - Election Day.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 - Our long national nightmare ends. Unless Florida still hasn't learned how to count. (OK, so I couldn't resist a *little* snarkiness. :)) )

Later!

Proposition updates...

On Friday, the Arizona Secretary of State's office disqualified Prop 103, the Conserving Arizona's Water and Land Initiative, from the ballot, saying that more than 158,000 signatures out of the 369,000 submitted were determined to be invalid.

In the press release, she blamed the use of paid petition gatherers for the high number of invalid signatures this year.

From the press release -

“It seems very clear to me this year that the unfortunate practice of paying circulators by the signature seems to directly correlate to the significant amount of bad signatures being collected,” stated Sec. of State Brewer. “As I have called for in the past, the Legislature should look closely at this problem and at the problem of privately funded voter registration drives that aren't properly getting people registered,” added Sec. Brewer, “In the end both of these problems are negatively affecting this years' petition process as being among the largest failure rates in the history of our state.”

The status of other propositions:

Prop 100, Protect Our Homes/No New Home Tax - certified for the ballot. If passed, would bar the state from instituting a sales/transfer tax on real estate. Supported by realtors.

Prop 101, Medical Choice For Arizona - disqualified from the ballot but apparently later placed back on the ballot by court decision. Would bar the state from implementing a universal health care plan or from regulating out-of-state insurers. Supported by the Republican Party, Big Insurance, and Big Health Care; opposed by anyone who understands that paying lots of money to health insurers is no guarantee of effective health care, just lots of insurance company profits.

Prop 102, the legislature's anti-same sex marriage amendment to the state constitution - certified for the ballot upon passage by the lege. If passed, would amend Arizona's constitution to bar same-sex marriage. Supported by the Center for Arizona Policy, the Republican Party, and other schoolyard bullies in three-piece suits. Opposed by most Democrats, many Libertarians, and the gay and lesbian community (I expect that most Greens oppose this too, but since I don't know any personally, I can't ask them :) .)

Prop 103 - discussed above.

Prop 104, The Arizona Civil Rights Initiative - pending. If certified for the ballot and passed, would bar affirmative action and other anti-discrimination programs. Supported by Ward Connerly, Randy Pullen, and the Republican Party; opposed by decent people everywhere.

Prop 105. Majority Rules - Let the People Decide - pending. If certified for the ballot and passed, would require that any ballot measures that increased taxes or government spending pass with the votes of a majority of registered voters, not just voters casting their ballots. Given that voter turnout in good years ranges from 60% (off years) to 75% (presidential election years), this measure would make it all but impossible to pass any new taxes or increase spending. Think of it as the "anti-tobacco tax for children's health care" initiative. Supported by the Republican Party; opposed by the Arizona Education Association, the Arizona School Boards Association, the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association, the Professional Firefighters of Arizona, and anyone else who favors fiscally responsible governance.

Prop 200, the Payday Loan Reform Act - certified for the ballot. If passed, would make permanent the law allowing payday loan operations, which is due to expire (in 2010, I think.) Supported by the payday loan industry in Arizona and House Speaker Jim Weiers (almost the same thing there); opposed by Service Employees International Union, United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 99, and consumer advocates and community groups across the state.

Prop 201, Homeowners Bill Of Rights - certified for the ballot. If passed, would establish warranties by homebuilders and set out rights and legal remedies for homeowners. Rabidly opposed by the homebuilders; strongly supported by the Sheetmetal Workers Union. And homeowners. And anyone who hopes to ever own a home.

Prop 202, Stop Illegal Hiring - certified for the ballot. If passed, would amend the state's current employer sanctions law. Supported by businesses; roundly opposed by Russell Pearce and the state's nativists.

Prop 203, Transportation and Infrastructure Moving Arizona's Economy ("TIME") Act - disqualified from the ballot, but there is a lawsuit pending to restore it to the ballot. If it makes the ballot and is passed, it would increase the state's sales tax by 1 cent to fund improvements to the state's transportation infrastructure. Supported by Governor Napolitano and the business community; opposed by the Republican Party.

Prop 300, would increase the salaries of state legislators to $30,000 per year. Opposed by people who have been ticked off by something that the lege has or hasn't done and think that all elected officials are bums; supported by people who figure you get what you pay for, and right now we are paying crap. Guess which group I fall into. Hint: not the first group. :))

Updates on the two remaining measures awaiting to be certified (Props 104 and 105) as they become available.

Have a good weekend...

Scottsdale/PV TCE updates

There have been some recent developments to report regarding the situation at the Miller Road Treatment Facility (MRTF) in Scottsdale.

The facility was shut down in January due to a failure that resulted in the introduction of contaminated water into the drinking water supply to nearly 5000 customers of Arizona American Water Company (AAWC) in PV and Scottsdale.

One development was reported in the East Valley Tribune on April 29. While water from the TCE-contaminated well that was subject to 'remediation', named PCX-1, is no longer used for drinking water, as of Sunday the facility is operating; it's output is now pumped into an SRP canal.

The part of the MRTF that treated the water from PCX-1 is no longer operated by AAWC; Motorola, one of the 'participating companies' (PCs, the companies responsible for the contamination in the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund site), has contracted with the firm LFR to operate the facility. (I think this is the company's website)


The other development was reported by the AZ Republic on May 1. Two investigations have been completed into January's incident and reports filed with the EPA.

One investigation, conducted on behalf of the PCs, determined human error on the part of AAWC personnel was the underlying cause of the problem.

The other investigation, conducted on behalf of AAWC "concluded that the plant's systems and components were not designed or operated in an optimal manner."

Yup, the "mutual finger-pointing session" is getting up to speed. :)

...Which should make for an interesting get-together when the NIBW Community Involvement Group (CIG) meets on May 21 at the Civic Center Branch of the Scottsdale Library. From the email from Vicki Rosen, the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator for the NIBW -

We will be holding a CIG meeting on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 and hope many of you can attend. It will be at the usual time of 5:30 pm until 7:30 pm, however, the location this time will be different. We will be using the auditorium at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library (3839 N.Drinkwater Blvd.)...The main topic will be what's gone on since the Miller Road Treatment Facility failures...where we are now and what we're evaluating for the future.

Later!

Stop loss

This story has been around for years, and has been covered many times before, but something happened this weekend that reminded me that while certain stories are well-known to folks who are directly affected by the stories or are politically active, they are still 'breaking news' to folks who aren't directly affected or aren't as politically active.

In short, it's not *new* news, but it rates a post.

While at work this weekend, one of my colleagues (who is as apolitical a person as I know), stopped by and mentioned that he saw the movie "Stop Loss" last week and was surprised to hear about the Pentagon's 'stop loss' policy that forces service men and women to stay in the military even after their terms of enlistment have expired. In addition, the policy forbids affected soldiers from transferring to non-combat units while under 'stop loss' orders.

The policy is used when the affected branch of the military doesn't have enough incoming recruits to replace outgoing veterans.

Not only are the lives of the affected servicemembers disrupted, so are the lives of their families, who don't know when their loved ones are returning home to stay.

It's a policy that has been used by all of the services since 9/11, but only the Army still uses it to any significant extent. According to this article from Stars and Stripes, they expect to use it until at least the summer of 2009.

A 2008 USA Today article on the current ramifications of the policy here.

A 2004 Army press release on the program here.

Later!

Groundwater treatment update presentation - City of Scottsdale

Just received the following from Vicki Rosen, the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator for the North Indian Bend Wash (NIBW) Superfund site. It concerns the Central Groundwater Treatment Facility (CGTF) operated by the City of Scottsdale (in other words - *not* the facility that has had all the issues recently, the one operated by Arizona American Water) -

Dear NIBW CIG:

Here's an invitation from the City of Scottsdale regarding the Central 

Groundwater Treatment Facility.  Please feel free to contact Suzanne 

Grendahl directly with any questions.

Vicki


The City of Scottsdale would like to invite you to an 

informal presentation and discussion of the control systems in place at 

the CGTF.  Since the incident in January at the MRTF, we have been 

questioned about whether this could happen at the CGTF.  We hope 

to explain the redundant systems and alarms that are in place at the 

CGTF to address any concerns.  In addition, the City will give 

a brief description of some additional treatment (TDS reduction) 

that will be added to the CGTF over the next two years, unrelated 

to the remedy. The presentation will be held Thursday, March 13, 2008

at 9:30 a.m. at the City of Scottsdale Water Campus (8787 E. Hualapai Drive).

We look forward to seeing you.

Suzanne Grendahl, Water Quality Director
City of Scottsdale
480-312-8719sgrendahl[at]scottsdaleaz.gov

Any questions should be directed to Ms. Grendahl at the above address or to
Vicki at Rosen.Vicki[at]epamail.epa.gov.

Later!

To the family, friends, and constituents of Rick Renzi:

File this away...

FCI Safford contact info -

Inmate Mail/Parcels

INMATE NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
FCI SAFFORD
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
P.O. BOX 9000
SAFFORD, AZ 85548


Physical Address (Do not use for mail unless it is the same as the mailing address listed.)
Use this address for in-person visits

FCI SAFFORD
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
1529 WEST HIGHWAY 366
SAFFORD, AZ 85546

Phone: 928-428-6600
Fax: 928-348-1331

MapQuest® Map and Directions


I know that it's early, and that there are many possible eventual outcomes to this situation that don't include prison time for Renzi - the DOJ could drop the charges, he could beat the rap, or be convicted but not receive a prison sentence - but I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts. :))

Oh, and for those of you who ask "Why FCI-Safford?" Simply put, it's the only federal corrections facility in AZ-CD1.

Later!

Important dates - Presidential primaries

Courtesy the Arizona Secretary of State's website and the Maricopa County Recorder's website -


Presidential Preference Election (aka - the primary) - February 5, 2008

Voter registration closes - January 7, 2008

Note: By Arizona law, voters must be registered in a party to vote in that party's presidential primary.

Early voting begins - January 10, 2008

Early voting requests end - January 25, 2008

Early ballots due - 7:00 p.m., February 5, 2008

Maricopa County early ballot request form here

State of Arizona voter registration here


Hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday!

PSA time - Medicare Enrollment Forums With Harry Mitchell's Office

Edit on 12/16 to add the date of the forums.

Oops. :)

Thanks to Angie C. for noticing.

Congressman Harry Mitchell's office will be holding Medicare enrollment forums in Tempe and Ahwatukee Foothills.

Note: He won't be able to attend due to the unusual pre-Christmas-week session in the House in D.C.

The first forum will be held on Monday, December 17 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. at the Pyle Center, 655 E. Southern in Tempe (SW corner of Rural and Southern) and from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Pecos Community Senior Center, 17010 S. 48th Street , Ahwatukee Foothills.

From a press release -

The open enrollment period, which extends through December 31, is the only time people can enroll or switch Medicare programs, including Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.

"The timing is critical," said Mitchell. "It is important for our folks to know that there are people and resources available to help them make the best decisions about their choice of Medicare plans."

{snip}

...Congressional staff and counselors from the Area Agency on Aging, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, and the Social Security Administration will be on hand to give presentations and answer constituent questions. Computer access will be available at the Ahwatukee location to assist with enrollment.

Later!

Things to keep in mind on Black Friday...

and during the rest of the Christmas shopping season...

I figured it's the right time for a "PSA" post. Of course, the fact that ASU is down 27 in the 2nd half and fading fast has nothing to do with the timing. :)


With the onset of the holiday shopping season, it's also time to pay attention to recalls of toys and other items.

Some items to be aware of (courtesy press releases and other sources) -

Boppy Slipcovers, manufactured in China, imported by The Boppy Company, Golden, CO. Lead contamination and choking hazard.

Children's metal necklaces and bracelets, manufactured in China, imported by Colossal Jewelry & Accessories Inc., of Maywood, NJ. Lead contamination.

Flashing Pacifiers or 2-in-1 Flashing Pacifiers withWhistle Necklaces, manufactured in China, imported by Sailing (U.S.) International Corp., Hackensack,NJ. Choking hazard.

Decorative Stretchable Aqua Bracelets, manufactured in China, imported by Cherrydale Fundraising, Allentown, PA. Lead contamination.

Sparkle City Charm Bracelets and Tack Pin Sets, manufactured in China, imported by Buy-Rite Designs Inc., Freehold, NJ. Lead contamination.

Shaving Paint Brushes, manufactured in China, imported by Discount School Supply, Monterey, CA. Lead contamination.

Crystal Innovations jewelry, manufactured in China, imported by Pure Allure, Oceanside, CA. Lead contamination. Note: full list of affected products at the link.

La Femme NY Children's Necklace and Earring Sets, manufactured in China, imported by La Femme NY 2 Inc., Brooklyn, NY. Lead contamination.

Rachel Rose and Distinctly Basics Assorted Children's Jewelry, manufactured in China, imported and sold by Family Dollar Stores. Lead contamination.

Children's Pencil Pouches, manufactured in China, imported by Raymond Geddes & Co., Baltimore, MD. Lead contamination. Sold in schools nationwide for over 10 years.

Baja ATVs, manufactured and sold by Baja Motorsports, Phoenix, AZ. Injury hazard to riders.

Snow and Sand Castle Kits, manufactured by Paricon Inc., South Paris, ME. Injury hazard to children.

The above press releases were from the Consumer Products Safety Commission; however, before anyone starts thinking that the Nancy Nord-led CPSC has started doing its job, it should be noted that most of the press releases contain the following line -

Note: The New York Attorney General provided information about oneof these products to the Commission.

Some news coverage of other recent recalls -

KPIX-TV

Haaretz.com (yes, they have recalls in Israel)

Consumer Reports' list of unsafe products

WATCH's 2007 list of worst toys

The CPSC's toy recall list; non-toy Infant and Children's products recall list

Or, instead of worrying about which toys are more likely to kill the recipient than make him/her happy, try this:

AdBusters' Buy Nothing Day website here, courtesy Daniel's News and Views

Light Rail Public Meetings

This isn't normally a topic that I would cover, but when I went out today, I found a door hanger notice for two public meetings to (quoting from the doorhanger) (emphasis mine) -

...learn about and provide input to the high-capacity transit study in the I-10 West study area...

The "I-10 West" study area roughly encompasses the area of 7th St. west to 99th Avenue and Buckeye Road north to Thomas Road.

The meetings will be held on October 23 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Desert West Community Center, 6501 W. Virginia Ave. in Phoenix and on October 25 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at University Park's Safe Haven Room, 350 N. 10th Ave. in Phoenix.


My question - Why did they notify East Valley (i.e. - south Scottsdale) residents about West Valley public meetings?

There are light rail meetings in *this* area, and they are this week.


From Valley Metro's website -

October 10, 2007 Line Section 4 CAB Meeting, 3 p.m - 5 p.m., Operations and Maintenance Center (OMC), Jim Starz room, 670 S. 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ.

October 11, 2007 Line Section 5 CAB Meeting, 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m., Escalante Community Center, 2150 E. Orange St., Tempe, AZ.

The info on the West Valley meetings can be found here.

Scottsdale Campaign Season Is Open

The City of Scottsdale's campaign season is officially underway, as denoted by the fact that the City's website now includes a page where all pertinent campaign forms can be downloaded.

Scottsdale's City Clerk, Carolyn Jagger, graciously took a few minutes out of her day to talk about the process and answer a few questions.

Currently active candidate committees include those for the four incumbents up for reelection - Mayor Mary Manross, Council members Jim Lane, Betty Drake, and Ron McCullagh - as well as for previously announced candidates Nan Nesvig and Joel Bramoweth.

Expect more candidates to throw their hats in the ring over the next few months. Many more. :)

Candidates can obtain nominating petitions and other forms either by downloading them from the website or by picking them up at the City Clerk's office. Note: Forms don't have to be picked up by candidates; a representative can do it, also. One advantage to picking up the forms (as opposed to downloading them) is that the Clerk's office can answer any questions right there.

Forms can be picked up/downloaded at any time; however, before any campaigning can take place, either a Statement of Organization or a $500 Threshold Exemption Statement must be on file. (ARS 16-903)

Petitions can be submitted no earlier than 8:00 a.m. on Monday, May 5, 2008, and no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

The City's General Election will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2008 (the same day as the state's primary election); the City's runoff election (if necessary) will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008 (same as the state's general election).

All city offices will be at the bottom of the ballot.

Next year's election will mark the first time where the City's election will synch up with the statewide election, and it would be very easy for an minor little municipal election to get lost in the fanfare (and angst! :) ) of a presidential election.

That would be unfortunate, as that local election will have far more impact on the daily lives of the residents of Scottsdale than whoever wins the White House.

Most questions can be answered by reading the 2008 Candidate Handbook or by contacting the Clerk's office. The Clerk and her staff will be happy to help.

Later!

A new website devoted to presidential campaign coverage

PSA time...

Earlier this summer, I participated in beta testing for a new website, Wonkosphere.com. It is a non-partisan site that focuses on presidential candidate ''buzz" in blog postings.

It goes live tomorrow (or perhaps 'today' as you read this, and it's worth a visit, especially for those of you who are interested in tracking the talk about the various presidential campaigns..

From a Wonkosphere press release -

About Wonkosphere
Wonkosphere is designed for bloggers, media, political activists, and political junkies who need to stay on top of the 2008 Presidential race but can't spend all day searching for the hottest and most relevant material. Wonkosphere provides an analysis of the political buzz that is timely and unbiased. Wonkosphere is different from other sites because it tracks over a thousand blogs and web sites per day, more than any human can read. Its patented technology text analysis technology measures each candidate’s buzz share and tone in conservative and liberal blogs, and highlights the most representative and linked posts.

Later!

Flashing Red Means Four-Way Stop

A brief, totally non-political post...

Some monsoonal thunder showers rolled through the Valley this afternoon, causing reduced visibility and street flooding. Also contributing to the resultant traffic chaos: inoperative traffic signals.

Just a reminder - a flashing red signal at an intersection means it's a four-way stop.

The inspiration for this post is that during a walk (what can I say? Living in AZ has really helped my appreciation of rainy days :) ), I noticed the signal at 82nd Pl. and McDowell Rd. was inoperative and flashing red in all four directions.

The other thing I noticed? The large number of drivers blowing through the intersection without even slowing down.

Page 33 of ADOT's Drivers License Manual (page 35 of the .pdf file) says:

When approaching an intersection with an inoperative traffic control signal or no traffic lights, stop signs or yield signs, treat it as you would a 4-way stop. Come to a complete stop before entering the intersection and then proceed when the roadway is clear.

'Nuff said.

Don't Forget - SICKO early premiere benefitting MCDP

See Michael Moore's searing indictment of the American health care system a day before everyone else and help the Maricopa County Democratic Party at the same time...

Thursday, June 28 at both Harkins Arizona Mills 24 and Harkins Gateway Pavilions 18. KPHX AM1480 Radio Host Jeff Farias will greet fans and moviegoers at Arizona Mills starting at 6:30PM.

Time: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $35 Tickets can be purchased online now or at the door. Every attendee gets an MCDP T-shirt, too.

Harkins Gateway Pavilions 18
10250 W. McDowell Road
Avondale, AZ 85323
(623) 478-9411

Harkins Arizona Mills 24
5000 Arizona Mills Circle
Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 820-0387

Later!

Local NJDC chapter meeting next week

Next Thursday night, May 10th, the Phoenix/Scottsdale chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) will hold its first meeting at the Jewish Community Center at 12701 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254 (corner of Scottsdale and Sweetwater).

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m.

This first meeting will be an organizational meeting, to select officers and to begin discussion of a strategy for the upcoming election cycle. With all of the offices on the ballot next year, local level through national, an early start is key.

If you are interested in information on joining or just helping out, contact Jerry Gettinger at njdcphx@cox.net or 480-510-1320.

Later!

An NJDC chapter is forming here in AZ

PSA time...

A Phoenix/Scottsdale chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) is forming, with the organizational meeting sometime late this month or early next month.

The NJDC is an advocacy organization that is concerned with more than just U.S./Israel relations - separation of church and state, health care, and stem cell research are just a few of the areas of interest to the Jewish community and to the NJDC.

Much of the impetus to form a local chapter is rooted in last fall's candidate forum at Temple Beth Israel in Scottsdale - the one with the now-infamous meltdown by JD Hayworth's stand-in.

The meltdown was not the impetus; the fact that almost everyone in the crowd was asking the stand-in -

"We know your candidate supports Israel; so does every other candidate here tonight. What else ya got?"

...is the impetus. Many of the folks present believed then, as now, that the Jewish community is concerned with far more issues than just Israel. The NJDC, both nationally and locally, advocates for those issues.

40 to 50 people, including some names familiar to readers of this blog, have expressed interest.

The goal is to have the local chapter up and running by this summer so that come the 2008 election cycle it will be fully up to speed and ready to work for Democratic candidates.

If you are interested, contact Jerry Gettinger and the other organizers at 'njdcphx [at] cox.net'.

Later!