More candidate statements:
Letter from Harriet Young, candidate for the office of First Vice Chair
Dear State Committee Persons of the Arizona Democratic Party,
For the past two years I’ve served as First Vice Chair of the ADP. I am asking for your vote to continue the work that has begun to turn the party into a full fledged, active, and cohesive organization. I’ve worked with the other members of the Executive Board to create a vibrant organization in the following way:
•We developed job descriptions for the members of the Board so we’d have clear responsibilities for making the party effective
•We met at least once a month to develop cohesion and collegiality
•We kept the entire state in mind as we planned for events and campaigns by including the Chair of the County Chairmen in all our discussions. It has knit the party together and provided a two way communication avenue.
•We’ve begun to engage the Executive Committee in much of the team building and expect the EC to develop into another piece of a strong state party with the inclusion of caucus leaders.
My particular role in this has been to develop a stronger donor base within the party. With over 3000 pc’s and 700 state committeemen, we should be able to provide steady support for party activities. My vision has been to raise our own county mobilization money. To this end, we’ve increased the number of party donors to the Arizona Democratic Council and the number of participants in the GIVE program.
It occasionally occurs to me that we forget why work so hard to elect Democrats. I was reminded of my own fundamental belief structure as I listened to a CD my daughter made as a Christmas gift. I was listening to the CD for the first time when John Lennon’s Imagine came on and I found tears in my eyes. The belief that beneath culture, race, and economic status lies a common humanity is a notion I continue to embrace.
I ask for your vote at the reorganization meeting and promise to continue to move us in the direction we can only “Imagine.”
Xo Harriet
Letter from Manuel Cruz, candidate for the office of Senior Vice Chair
Manuel Cruz is a fourth generation Arizonan, 1st Vice Chair of LD12 and the former Democratic 2010 candidate for Arizona State Mine Inspector. His experience in running for a state-wide office is a great attribute to the office of Senior Vice Chair. By working with communities, organizations, and businesses across Arizona, Manny has the ability to move the party forward. His state-wide campaign allowed him to hear the voices of Democrats across Arizona. Manny pledges integrity, accountability, and transparency to the office. He will help lead the Democratic Party to a bright future.
Letter from C.J. Carenza, candidate for the office of Affirmative Action Moderator
To my fellow State Committee Members,
I would like to begin by thanking you for the opportunity to be your representative on the Executive Board replacing Gerald Richards as the Affirmative Action Moderator. Holding this position for the past 6 months has provided an incredible amount of insight and experience.
As I seek my own full 2‐year term, I would like to outline the goals I have and how I plan to use the position to better represent those underrepresented persons of Arizona. To do that, you must first understand who those people are:
•The LGBT community is disrespected by the majority. Simply look at Prop 8 in CA or our very own Prop 102. As a gay man, I see this firsthand.
•The Hispanic/Latino/Chicano population, who are repeatedly attacked by the Republicans with legislation like SB1070 or the Ethnic Studies bill
While not exclusive by any means, these 2 groups clearly need to have better representation at all levels of government as well as the State Committee.
If the election of 2010 showed us anything, it’s that there is another group of underrepresented Arizonans who we as a party need to strive hard to bring into our midst. This group represents all ethnicities & orientations, but tends to be segregated by class. The group I am referring to is the Uninformed Arizonan.
While many in the party would argue we did everything we could do; we were fighting a “proverbial tsunami”. I believe we simply didn’t do enough to bring these voters into our party. I would argue we saw a large portion of the electorate cast their vote based on lies, falsehoods, or worse, no information at all. We as a state party like to think we are politicos; we follow the ins and outs of the daily happenings at the state and federal level; we communicate with our Representatives, Senators & other elected officials on regular intervals but we need to do a better job of bringing these voters into the process. An educated population votes Democratic!
Moving into the 2012 cycle over the next 2 years, I would like to use my role as Affirmative Action
Moderator to do the following:
•Expand our outreach at both local & state levels
•Identify new communication methods
•Create programs to activate and involve inactive voters
In addition to these goals, I will strive to make sure the Party and the 2011 Elected Presidential Convention Delegation, is represented as a true cross section of Arizona and the Arizona Democratic Party.
Thank you again for the honor of serving in this position, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve you and the Party for at least the next 2 years.
Sincerely,
C.J. Carenza
AZ Democratic Party, Affirmative Action Moderator
AZ Democratic Party’s LGBT Caucus, Secretary
LD 15 1st Vice Chair
Letter from Henry Wade, candidate for the office of Affirmative Action Moderator
Dear Fellow Arizona Democrats, Today, I come before you, seeking your strongest complement by electing me as the new Affirmative Action Moderator for the Arizona Democratic Party (ADP). My name is Henry M. Wade Jr., and I am a loyal Democrat with a 38 year voting record. I born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and was extremely fortunate to have been sent to schools that realized the value of sharing cultural awareness and tolerance with its students starting at an early age. Additionally, our community was, at the time, referred to a melting pot. I lived, went to school with and played with kids of just about every ethnic group you could imagine. This environment set my paradigms and has allowed me to make instant assessments of what is right/wrong or fair/unfair. Much of the State’s current legislation related to the minority, underserved or LGBT community is both wrong and unfair. As your Affirmative Action Moderator, I will always represent you and your concerns as a positive advocate for fairness.
I began my community activism while in the Air Force and have served as Founder, President or Chair of several Affirmative Action and Cultural Awareness Associations within the Air Force both nationally and internationally. On the local front, my outreach efforts while stationed at Luke AFB was the genesis of the Northwest Valley Black History Committee. On the International level, a culturally diverse organization I founded, at Armed Forces Central Europe (AFCENT), in the Netherlands in 1983 is still thriving today some 27 years later. Upon my retirement, I turned my attention to youth programs, establishing Cub/Boy Scout Packs and Troops in the minority and underserved community. Professionally, I am the Co-Owner/Branch Manager of the National Investment Division – Housing Counseling Agency (NID-HCA)-Phoenix and President of the Arizona Association of Real Estate Brokers (AAREB). I also serve on the Board of Directors of the Hispanic
Association of Real Estate Professionals (HAREP). Nationally, I have been tasked to oversee the Capitol Hill visits for the upcoming Multicultural Real Estate Policy Conference in D.C. on March 2, 2011 supporting AAREB, NAHREP and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA). With 30 years of real estate experience in the Valley of the Sun, I began my career selling homes part-time while stationed at Luke AFB. Upon my retirement in 1993, I opened Sabry, Inc. Real Estate Appraisals and then added Northstar Homes as part of my bundle of services. Currently, I am serving the community as a Certified Housing Counselor, concentrating on loss mitigation and foreclosure prevention. Spend five minutes with me and I guarantee you will feel my passion for the work I am doing. As a resident of the City of Maricopa, I serve on the Planning and Zoning Commission and am currently the Affirmative Action Chair for the Pinal County Democratic Party. I am the father of three sons; enjoy working with young people and traveling.
When elected, my goal is to use my innate sense of fellowship and brotherly love, my tried and true real life experiences and my extensive local and national contacts to help transform the Affirmative Action program of the Arizona Democratic Party into the model for which all other states will strive to emulate.
I would sincerely appreciate your vote. Henry M. Wade Jr.
Letter from Barbara Tellman, candidate for the office of Secretary
Dear Fellow Democrats:
We face huge challenges in the effort to take back the Legislature in 2012 and beyond, re‐elect Obama, and increase our congressional representation. I want to be more involved in these efforts at the state level as I have been in recent years at the county and LD levels.
I would like to see us do as good a job in the following areas as we did in 2010 in making voting more accessible through registration and PEVL. The major areas where I believe we can improve our success rate are by:
•Motivating people (especially young and minority voters) to believe that voting Democratic matters,
•Taking strong stands on issues of greatest personal concern to voters and work with groups furthering causes, especially in the areas of education, jobs, health care, pensions, and respect for government.
•Finding out why so many people are not registering with a Party and finding ways to help them believe the Democratic Party serves their interests. We should make use of the fact that this group includes the “clueless,” people who are disillusioned with their party but can’t yet join the other party, and those who agree with us on some issues and with the Republicans or Greens on others.
•Finding better ways to communicate both with people who spend a lot of time using electronic media and those who spend little time getting news from any source. Increased microtargeting by identifying occupations such as “teacher” or other affinities can be an important tool.
•Improving two‐way communication among County Parties, LD, clubs, and caucuses around the state to learn from each other and benefit from our successes and failures, and increasing our respect for the efforts, skills, and knowledge of our PCs and other volunteers. I will work with Lois Pfau in this effort.
•Working towards new Districts that are more compact, competitive, and have optimum opportunities for minority representation.
My qualifications: I have been involved in the following ways: I have:
•Been active in Democratic politics for many years and worked on many campaigns.
•Spent several decades as an environmental and controlled growth activist.
•Co‐managed successful campaigns for county supervisor, city council, and a countywide rezoning referendum before we had Internet or VAN. I have worked in many other campaigns with more modern tools, including VAN. I am computer‐literate.
•Spent 13 years in the Ivory Tower at UA writing about water policy and environmental history.
•Been a full‐time Volunteer Coordinator for Howard Dean’s Pima County campaign.
•Served as PC, State Delegate, Secretary of LD 27 (2 terms), and Pima County Party Secretary (2 terms.)
•Volunteered for a variety of candidates (including ones as different as Lena Saradnik, Jeff Latas, city council member Regina Romero, Andrea Dalessandro, and of course, Barack Obama.
•Become a member of the Steering Committee and database manager for the new Pima County Chapter of Progressive Democrats of America.
•Volunteered while secretary in the areas of VAN use and training; organized a major headquarters renovation; led the selection and installation, of our Predictive Dialer; worked with our African‐American caucus; wrote grant applications; helped with PC Development workshops; observed ballot counting and took part in all ballot audits; made some 15,000 campaign buttons; helped organize volunteer appreciation activities, and other tasks. I will continue this kind of participation.
I am retired, except for part‐time teaching at Prescott College (Tucson campus), and have the time and motivation to work with the State Party, not only to do the record‐keeping duties of the secretary, but also to be involved in actions such as communications, Redistricting, and IT. I feel that State Party officers should take on specific areas of responsibility and be accountable for their chosen areas.
As Secretary of the State Party I would not only help represent Pima County, but extend that to two‐way communication with other areas, especially south of the Gila River.
Barbara Tellman, PC in 320 (LD 27)
Letter from Sharon Thomas, candidate for the office of Secretary
January 11, 2011
Sharon Thomas
Dear Fellow State Committeepersons:
I am pleased to put my name forward as a nominee for Secretary of the Arizona Democratic Party. As a long-time Democrat, I have been involved in party politics and community activism for the past twenty-two years. I began my activism working on my uncle’s campaign for Sheriff of Cochise County in the late 1980s. I became a leader and out-spoken force against incorporation of my small community in southern Arizona, and was a founding member of Saint David Residents for Rural Life. Community members looked to me as an articulate writer, spokesperson, and leader.
I became a Precinct Committeeperson and Secretary of the Cochise County Democratic Committee in 2006, and was elected Vice-Chair of the CCDC in 2008. I travel across the state to attend our State Committee meetings, and have attended nearly every meeting in the past six years, even attending the meetings and becoming involved in several caucuses before I became an elected State Committeeperson. I have served as Regional Advisory Committee Chair for the LGBT Caucus since 2009, and was recently elected as a Vice-Chair of the Progressive Caucus.
Coming from one of Arizona’s founding families, I have a love for Arizona and a familiarity of the differing aspects of our diverse state. I was raised in Chandler, attended Prescott High School, and graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in English and Theatre Education. I have taught English, Communications, and Theatre Arts at the kindergarten through community college levels. I currently teach English at South Mountain High School in Phoenix. I am also a member of the Arizona Education Association, and have served as an AEA Assembly Delegate for my Classroom Teachers’ Association.
I am running for ADP Secretary because keeping accurate and regular records of our meetings is one of the most important things we do. As a party, we need a secretary who will be present at our meetings, take accurate, grammatically-correct minutes, and keep them organized and available for review. As an English teacher, writer, and compulsive editor, I am immensely qualified to be Secretary. I have served as secretary of numerous organizations and clubs in which I have been involved; I was elected Secretary of LD 15 in November. As a Maricopa County resident, I am accessible and will be able to attend all Executive Board and State Committee meetings.
I appreciate your support for Secretary of the Arizona Democratic Party. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Sharon Thomas
Monday, January 17, 2011
Statements from candidates running for Chairman of the Arizona Democratic Party
Both the Arizona Democrat Party and the Arizona Republican Party will hold their biennial reorganization meetings on Saturday, January 22. As I'm not a Republican (not exactly surprising news for most readers :) ), I don't care who runs for or wins their officer positions.
I *do* care about who become the officers of the ADP for the next two years.
The list of announced candidates is here (it's not an "official" list, as candidates can only be nominated from the floor of the State Committee meeting on Saturday).
The main webpage for state committee activity, including for candidates for the various offices, is here.
Many of the announced candidates have submitted letters in support of their candidacies.
First up are the letters from the two announced candidates for Chair, Andrei Cherny and Rodney Glassman.
Here are those letters ( I haven't edited the content of the letters. However, any listed endorsements have been skipped - we've all received the emails from both candidates, and these posts will be long enough as it is :) ):
Letter from Andrei Cherny, candidate for the office of Chairman
Dear Fellow Arizona Democrat,
On Saturday, all our hearts broke. Our prayers are with our friend Congresswoman Giffords and all the victims of the tragic attack. This is a moment to hold close and reach out to those we cherish. And it’s a moment to reflect on the days we live in and our work to make this corner of the world a more gentle and more just place.
These are serious times for our nation, for our state – and for the Arizona Democratic Party. We need new leadership and we need to be more united than ever.
That’s why, after a great deal of soul-searching and encouragement from elected leaders, grassroots activists, and friends throughout the state, I have decided to run for the position of Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. We’re at a critical point in Arizona’s history – one where so much is on the line with the choices our state and nation make. That’s why I ran for State Treasurer. And that’s why I'm running for Chair.
A couple of years ago, Arizona was seen as a state trending “purple” – a swing state where candidates for office would have to build broad coalitions to win. But in 2010, we were swamped by a tsunami. Despite the incredible efforts of Democratic volunteers and candidates, Republicans won up and down the ticket – and throughout the state – without offering any positive ideas to build Arizona’s future and by playing the dirtiest sort of wedge politics.
Democrats let that happen. As I campaigned in every part in Arizona, I saw firsthand that a lot of people who supported us in years past did not trust us to fight for their interests, defend their
values, or make their lives better. While we attacked the many Republican missteps, we failed to campaign with a unified message that told the people of Arizona who we are, what we stand for, and how we'll lead our state.
Delivering that message has to be job #1 of the next State Chair. That’s especially true because, for the first election in sixteen years, we did not elect a single statewide Democratic official to act as the spokesperson for our ideas and plans. We need the next State Chair to be a unifying figure and a strong messenger for a compelling vision of where Arizona needs to go.
The fact is that Russell Pearce’s Republican Party has deliberately vacated the center of Arizona politics. They disdain independents and their own party's moderates. They’re betting that they can rely on extremist supporters and money from out-of-state corporations to carry the day. They will if we let them.
We cannot let this happen.
Instead, we need to build a big tent Arizona Democratic Party where independents and disaffected Republicans are welcome and have a home. We need to inspire and motivate Democrats to get out and vote. And we need to go on the offense to fight for better schools, safer streets, and an Arizona economy that works for those who work hard and not just those with the connections and the lobbyists. We should not shade our ideas or sand down our message, but instead should show the contrast between Arizona's present and the brighter future Arizona Democrats can help bring.
Working with President Clinton in the White House and President Obama in 2008, that's what we did. And that's what we did in my campaign for Treasurer. I’ve worked for the Democratic Party since I started volunteering on campaigns when I was 12 years old. I've done every job from elected PC and District Chair to negotiating our National Party Platform. I believe in our party and what it stands for at its best -- and I refuse to stand by when so much is on the line.
Here’s what I'll work toward as Chair:
• A Democratic Party that Works from the Bottom-Up, Not the Top-Down. Without a statewide elected official to bring us together, we are entering a new era for Arizona Democrats. This is a chance to build a party that is not run by one elected official at the top who calls the shots, but one where county chairs, LD chairs, state committee members, precinct committee members, and activists are empowered to make more decisions on spending and recruitment, have the tools they need to do their work – and be held accountable as well. I was elected PC and elected LD chair, so I know what it means to work at the grassroots. To rebuild the Arizona Democratic Party, we need a 15 county strategy that works to win votes and convert voters in every part of our state. That's why, in the midst of my own campaign last fall, I personally raised the funds for the party that paid for GOTV efforts in areas that weren't being targeted by the party -- places like the West Valley, Pinal and Yuma counties. We can't leave any part of our state behind. Everyone's votes count!
• A Democratic Party with a Clear Vision. Before Arizonans trust our take on what the Republicans are doing to our state, they need to trust that we’ll do a better job. While we must take Russell Pearce and Jan Brewer to task, we have a responsibility to offer new, common-sense ideas to meet Arizona's toughest challenges. Arizona Democrats must offer more than responses to the Republican agenda, and instead make clear where we will lead the state. But our vision for the state is meaningless if Arizonans don't know what it is. Arizona Democrats' communications efforts have to reach newspapers, television, radio and blogs in every part of the state – from Nogales to Kingman, and Yuma to Window Rock.
• A Democratic Party that Wins Again. Ultimately, if we want to rebuild Arizona, we have to start winning more elections. Redistricting may create the most serious opportunity to make large gains in the state legislature in decades. A new congressional seat and President Obama’s reelection means the chance to make sure we have leadership in Washington that is focused on meeting America’s challenges. In this moment, we can't afford to be divided. I am the only candidate for Chair with broad support from the grassroots to our top elected officials in this campaign for Chair. Our task is to build a stronger Democratic Party, not to squander the work of the past decade. I was proud that my State Treasurer campaign raised more than any previous non-Governor statewide campaign – with the vast majority of contributions amounting to $100 or less. Though our contribution limits were only 16% of those of a candidate for US Senate, we inspired thousands – including so many of you – to join our cause. That's the job of a Chair: to inspire, to lead, to bring out the best in others, and to make sure we're getting results. It’s not enough to just fight the good fight—we need to win. Millions of Arizonans are counting on us to win – and that means we need to have the message, money, and momentum to carry the day.
As my friend from Cochise County, Bob Bland, said to me the other day: “When Republicans win, they splinter. When Democrats lose, they come together.” We lost in 2010 – and Arizonans are paying the price. Now, we need to come together, unite as one, take the fight to those who are driving Arizona into the ground, and win.
I hope to earn your support for Chair and then work with you in the months to come. Please follow my campaign on Facebook or Twitter and contact me anytime at Andrei@AndreiForArizona.com or (602) 688-2336.
I look forward to working with you to build a new Arizona Democratic Party – and rebuild the state we love.
Thank you,
Andrei
Cherny for Chair
________________________________________________________________
Letter from Rodney Glassman, candidate for the office of Chairman SUBJECT: Vote Glassman for Arizona Democratic Party Chair Dear Fellow Elected State Committee Member,
I would like to begin by expressing my feelings of sorrow for the families that lost loved ones this past weekend. Sasha, Rose, and I are praying for Gabrielle and the other victims of Saturday’s senseless violence. I am shocked to think that this happened in our hometown and in our state. It is with a heavy heart that I send out this letter today. Yet, in just twelve days we will be electing the new chair of our Arizona State Democratic party and I must ask for your feedback, your faith, and your support.
I am running for Arizona Democratic Party state chair because it’s time for us to have a party with direction. For the last four years our party has done a great job fundraising. And what we’ve learned is that we can raise a tremendous amount of money and still lose. In 2008 when states
across the country won… we lost! And in 2010 when states across the country lost… we lost worse!! It is time for us to remake our party and I have a concrete platform based on three ideas to get our party moving forward to win elections: 1. Creating a Bold and Unafraid Democratic brand 2. Working with local elected officials 3. A 30-district strategy to get candidates elected across the state.
I am proud to be the only candidate running for state chair that is an elected precinct committeeperson and an elected state committeeperson, just like you. I would like to listen to your thoughts and ideas and move them forward. Additionally, having served as a member of the Tucson City Council, I am the only candidate running for state chair that has ever won an election and held office. This is important because we need to do things differently. It’s not just about raising money… it’s about winning elections!
Bold and Unafraid Democratic Brand
The first thing we need to do is have a party that it is bold and unafraid to take our politics to the people of Arizona. We need to stand for something. We need a Democratic brand. What does it mean to be an Arizona Democrat? If we cannot all agree upon a brand as Democratic party activists then how are we going to sell our brand to other voters in the state? That is where our chair, our leader, needs to get engaged. Engaged by listening to you and caring about all of our opinions from grassroots activists to major donors. We cannot have a chair who only listens to one segment of the party. We need to identify a focus, that we all agree, make an Arizona Democrat. I believe three good areas would be jobs, education, and renewable energy. You may have other ideas and I would like to hear them. Right now, I bet you're thinking to yourself, this is the same stuff we already stand for as a party… but do we?
For example, we say we are the party of education… but are we? Last Spring the Arizona Democratic Party, the “party of education” did not have the courage to publicly endorse and work hard for the passage Proposition 100, an education initiative that eventually passed with nearly 70% of the vote. I am proud to be endorsed by our 2010 Democratic nominee for Superintendent of Schools, Penny Kotterman. Penny is the former president of AEA, a former teacher, and knows the importance of education as a core value for Democrats. We need to be the education party in Arizona and that means doing more than just taking money, around campaign time, from the Arizona Education Association. With a proper brand, whether we are speaking to Rotary clubs in Payson, Union Halls in Tucson, environmental groups in Flagstaff, or farmers in Yuma, our brand will stand out and on their own people will want to hear more about the Democratic party because we will be standing for something they are interested in… Arizona’s needs.
Working with Local Elected Officials
The second part of my plan is to reach out to local elected officials and invite them into our state party. We currently have dozens and dozens of locally elected officials across the state who are registered as Democrats but don’t promote it regularly. Did you know Bob Jackson the Mayor of
Casa Grande is a Democrat? Councilwoman Marquisha Griffin from Maricopa? Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh from Mesa? We need to enfranchise local elected officials by bringing them into state party activities. We talked about wanting to target the Latino community in 2010… why was it that all our mass party emails came from Caucasian state representatives in Central Phoenix and not perhaps, Representative Ana Tovar, Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Councilwoman Regina Romero from Tucson, or Councilman Alex Bejarano from Wellton. If we want to reach out and embrace diversity let’s incorporate that into everything we do as a party. We are tired of lip-service and promoting the same small group of elected officials. It does not work, it has not worked, and it will not work! We are the party of the big tent but that means we need a state chair committed to allowing others inside the tent.
30 District Strategy
Lastly, we need a 30 District strategy, much like Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy which was so successful in 2008. We should have two house candidates and one senate candidate in every legislative district. With 90 candidates, at over $30,000 of clean elections money each, that’s nearly $3,000,000 to help get Democrats elected around the state. But what is even greater is the fact that 90 legislative candidates will help bring out Democratic turnout for our statewide Corporation Commissioner candidates and our 9 Congressional candidates as well. Just remember, as President Kennedy once said, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” That’s why State Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy, who is up for re-election in 2012, is supporting my candidacy for state chair. The state party needs to have a commitment to work with legislative chairs and county chairs to identify candidates, tie their story into our brand, and help them qualify for clean elections. How many of you are willing to join me in Kingman, San Luis, or Cottonwood to help collect $5 contributions for our legislative candidates? If we all roll up our sleeves and contribute some elbow grease, the payoff will be tremendous because we will be creating new opportunities across the state. Growing up I always heard, “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”. And that means let’s get prepared! The statistical probability of winning an election when you do not have a candidate running is ZERO.
Role of the Chair
As a former City Councilman from Tucson and a Democratic candidate for United States Senate candidate running against a former Republican presidential nominee I was able to raise almost one million dollars in contributions. Having the opportunity to sell the new Arizona Democratic party brand, our local elected officials, and a 30 district strategy that will guarantee that Arizona is in play will be a great way for us to raise money and keep our party moving. I know we can raise the money we need to spread resources across the state. But, we need to remember that fundraising is not the panacea many thought it once was. We need to go grassroots and make sure that the dollars we do raise are spent contacting voters and not on consultants that never quite explain where the money goes or how it’s spent. We need transparency, open books so we know where our dollars are being invested, and we need to know who is being paid. In other words, we need a more open way of investing in our future.
I learned a great deal running for United States Senate in a 4-way Democratic primary. I learned that just because the state party recommends that you hire D.C. consultants it doesn’t mean you
should. I learned that we can collect over 15,000 signatures, we can receive nearly 5,000 contributions, and we can get nearly 600,000 people to vote for a Democrat against John McCain just two years after he ran for President of the United States. We performed better than anyone else that has in a year where we were outspent $31 to $1. I plan to take the learning experiences that I gained as a U.S. Senate nominee and as someone who has served as an elected official and apply those to the position of state chair.
A New Direction
Our 15 county chairs and 30 legislative district leaders should be treated like a true board of directors. How great would it be if every two weeks our party communications staff called and asked, “what is going on in your area that ties in with our Democratic brand”. It’s time we invested more time and energy in honing our best resource of all… YOU! We could then do targeted press, marketing, and keep our Democratic brand active in all parts of the state. It’s about being bold and unafraid and to start winning elections which is something we have not been doing consistently over the past four years.
If you spent four years getting lost in the forest it would be foolish to hand the lantern to someone who you followed in and say, “please help us get out.” So too, with this election, you have a clear choice. Someone who has followed the rules, became an elected Precinct committeeman, state committeeperson, and done things the proper way or someone who did not. I did not need a legal opinion or special appointment from the state chair to run for this position. Rather, I simply needed the urging and support of individuals such as Kit Filby, Jackie Thrasher, and Elaine Bohlmeyer who ran for the state legislature and my friends and co-candidates Arif Kazmi, Manny Cruz, David Bradley, my former boss, Congressman Raul Grijalva, local leaders and LD chairs Connie Finneman, Jeff Rich, Steve Schallenberger, Janice Blackmon, and Carol Comito, just to name a few.
We need a FULL TIME state chair, traveling the state and building relationships to help get Democrats elected. I am willing to commit the time to do this properly. I am running for chair of the Arizona Democratic Party because if we keep doing the same old things we are going to keep getting the same poor results. That means we need a different kind of leader who has served as an elected official, has experienced getting elected, and knows what it is like to win firsthand. We need a state chair whose number one priority is the state party, working with everyone, and who is committed to the entire state. Someone who is willing to get in the car and visit all fifteen counties, communicate in town after town, and actually spend time building relationships and developing a network of supporters that will work towards a common goal. We need a simple plan, on how we, together, can build up our Arizona Democratic party and once again start winning elections.
Progressive and Honest Track Record
For those who are interested in my credibility on Latino issues I urge you to speak to my supporter, Congressman Grijalva. For those who are interested in my track record on LGBT issues, I urge you to speak to my supporter, State Senator Paula Aboud. For those of you who are interested in my track record on education, I urge you to speak to my supporter Penny
Kotterman. For those interested in my commitment to working with the 22 Native American nations please visit with my support, State Senator Jack Jackson, Jr. And, for those of you interested in my track record on labor, I urge you to speak to my supporter Dion Abril from Sheet Metal Workers Local #359.
I ask for your support, your ideas, and your vote. Together we will create a bold and unafraid Democratic brand, begin building relationships with our locally elected Democratic officials, and executing a 30-district strategy to get Democrats elected across the state. Together we will find our way out of the forest and move in a new direction. Together we will turn Arizona Blue!
If you have questions or ideas about how we can all work together please email me at Rodney@rodneyglassman.com.
Your Fellow Elected State Committee Member,
Rodney Glassman
I *do* care about who become the officers of the ADP for the next two years.
The list of announced candidates is here (it's not an "official" list, as candidates can only be nominated from the floor of the State Committee meeting on Saturday).
The main webpage for state committee activity, including for candidates for the various offices, is here.
Many of the announced candidates have submitted letters in support of their candidacies.
First up are the letters from the two announced candidates for Chair, Andrei Cherny and Rodney Glassman.
Here are those letters ( I haven't edited the content of the letters. However, any listed endorsements have been skipped - we've all received the emails from both candidates, and these posts will be long enough as it is :) ):
Letter from Andrei Cherny, candidate for the office of Chairman
Dear Fellow Arizona Democrat,
On Saturday, all our hearts broke. Our prayers are with our friend Congresswoman Giffords and all the victims of the tragic attack. This is a moment to hold close and reach out to those we cherish. And it’s a moment to reflect on the days we live in and our work to make this corner of the world a more gentle and more just place.
These are serious times for our nation, for our state – and for the Arizona Democratic Party. We need new leadership and we need to be more united than ever.
That’s why, after a great deal of soul-searching and encouragement from elected leaders, grassroots activists, and friends throughout the state, I have decided to run for the position of Chair of the Arizona Democratic Party. We’re at a critical point in Arizona’s history – one where so much is on the line with the choices our state and nation make. That’s why I ran for State Treasurer. And that’s why I'm running for Chair.
A couple of years ago, Arizona was seen as a state trending “purple” – a swing state where candidates for office would have to build broad coalitions to win. But in 2010, we were swamped by a tsunami. Despite the incredible efforts of Democratic volunteers and candidates, Republicans won up and down the ticket – and throughout the state – without offering any positive ideas to build Arizona’s future and by playing the dirtiest sort of wedge politics.
Democrats let that happen. As I campaigned in every part in Arizona, I saw firsthand that a lot of people who supported us in years past did not trust us to fight for their interests, defend their
values, or make their lives better. While we attacked the many Republican missteps, we failed to campaign with a unified message that told the people of Arizona who we are, what we stand for, and how we'll lead our state.
Delivering that message has to be job #1 of the next State Chair. That’s especially true because, for the first election in sixteen years, we did not elect a single statewide Democratic official to act as the spokesperson for our ideas and plans. We need the next State Chair to be a unifying figure and a strong messenger for a compelling vision of where Arizona needs to go.
The fact is that Russell Pearce’s Republican Party has deliberately vacated the center of Arizona politics. They disdain independents and their own party's moderates. They’re betting that they can rely on extremist supporters and money from out-of-state corporations to carry the day. They will if we let them.
We cannot let this happen.
Instead, we need to build a big tent Arizona Democratic Party where independents and disaffected Republicans are welcome and have a home. We need to inspire and motivate Democrats to get out and vote. And we need to go on the offense to fight for better schools, safer streets, and an Arizona economy that works for those who work hard and not just those with the connections and the lobbyists. We should not shade our ideas or sand down our message, but instead should show the contrast between Arizona's present and the brighter future Arizona Democrats can help bring.
Working with President Clinton in the White House and President Obama in 2008, that's what we did. And that's what we did in my campaign for Treasurer. I’ve worked for the Democratic Party since I started volunteering on campaigns when I was 12 years old. I've done every job from elected PC and District Chair to negotiating our National Party Platform. I believe in our party and what it stands for at its best -- and I refuse to stand by when so much is on the line.
Here’s what I'll work toward as Chair:
• A Democratic Party that Works from the Bottom-Up, Not the Top-Down. Without a statewide elected official to bring us together, we are entering a new era for Arizona Democrats. This is a chance to build a party that is not run by one elected official at the top who calls the shots, but one where county chairs, LD chairs, state committee members, precinct committee members, and activists are empowered to make more decisions on spending and recruitment, have the tools they need to do their work – and be held accountable as well. I was elected PC and elected LD chair, so I know what it means to work at the grassroots. To rebuild the Arizona Democratic Party, we need a 15 county strategy that works to win votes and convert voters in every part of our state. That's why, in the midst of my own campaign last fall, I personally raised the funds for the party that paid for GOTV efforts in areas that weren't being targeted by the party -- places like the West Valley, Pinal and Yuma counties. We can't leave any part of our state behind. Everyone's votes count!
• A Democratic Party with a Clear Vision. Before Arizonans trust our take on what the Republicans are doing to our state, they need to trust that we’ll do a better job. While we must take Russell Pearce and Jan Brewer to task, we have a responsibility to offer new, common-sense ideas to meet Arizona's toughest challenges. Arizona Democrats must offer more than responses to the Republican agenda, and instead make clear where we will lead the state. But our vision for the state is meaningless if Arizonans don't know what it is. Arizona Democrats' communications efforts have to reach newspapers, television, radio and blogs in every part of the state – from Nogales to Kingman, and Yuma to Window Rock.
• A Democratic Party that Wins Again. Ultimately, if we want to rebuild Arizona, we have to start winning more elections. Redistricting may create the most serious opportunity to make large gains in the state legislature in decades. A new congressional seat and President Obama’s reelection means the chance to make sure we have leadership in Washington that is focused on meeting America’s challenges. In this moment, we can't afford to be divided. I am the only candidate for Chair with broad support from the grassroots to our top elected officials in this campaign for Chair. Our task is to build a stronger Democratic Party, not to squander the work of the past decade. I was proud that my State Treasurer campaign raised more than any previous non-Governor statewide campaign – with the vast majority of contributions amounting to $100 or less. Though our contribution limits were only 16% of those of a candidate for US Senate, we inspired thousands – including so many of you – to join our cause. That's the job of a Chair: to inspire, to lead, to bring out the best in others, and to make sure we're getting results. It’s not enough to just fight the good fight—we need to win. Millions of Arizonans are counting on us to win – and that means we need to have the message, money, and momentum to carry the day.
As my friend from Cochise County, Bob Bland, said to me the other day: “When Republicans win, they splinter. When Democrats lose, they come together.” We lost in 2010 – and Arizonans are paying the price. Now, we need to come together, unite as one, take the fight to those who are driving Arizona into the ground, and win.
I hope to earn your support for Chair and then work with you in the months to come. Please follow my campaign on Facebook or Twitter and contact me anytime at Andrei@AndreiForArizona.com or (602) 688-2336.
I look forward to working with you to build a new Arizona Democratic Party – and rebuild the state we love.
Thank you,
Andrei
Cherny for Chair
________________________________________________________________
Letter from Rodney Glassman, candidate for the office of Chairman SUBJECT: Vote Glassman for Arizona Democratic Party Chair Dear Fellow Elected State Committee Member,
I would like to begin by expressing my feelings of sorrow for the families that lost loved ones this past weekend. Sasha, Rose, and I are praying for Gabrielle and the other victims of Saturday’s senseless violence. I am shocked to think that this happened in our hometown and in our state. It is with a heavy heart that I send out this letter today. Yet, in just twelve days we will be electing the new chair of our Arizona State Democratic party and I must ask for your feedback, your faith, and your support.
I am running for Arizona Democratic Party state chair because it’s time for us to have a party with direction. For the last four years our party has done a great job fundraising. And what we’ve learned is that we can raise a tremendous amount of money and still lose. In 2008 when states
across the country won… we lost! And in 2010 when states across the country lost… we lost worse!! It is time for us to remake our party and I have a concrete platform based on three ideas to get our party moving forward to win elections: 1. Creating a Bold and Unafraid Democratic brand 2. Working with local elected officials 3. A 30-district strategy to get candidates elected across the state.
I am proud to be the only candidate running for state chair that is an elected precinct committeeperson and an elected state committeeperson, just like you. I would like to listen to your thoughts and ideas and move them forward. Additionally, having served as a member of the Tucson City Council, I am the only candidate running for state chair that has ever won an election and held office. This is important because we need to do things differently. It’s not just about raising money… it’s about winning elections!
Bold and Unafraid Democratic Brand
The first thing we need to do is have a party that it is bold and unafraid to take our politics to the people of Arizona. We need to stand for something. We need a Democratic brand. What does it mean to be an Arizona Democrat? If we cannot all agree upon a brand as Democratic party activists then how are we going to sell our brand to other voters in the state? That is where our chair, our leader, needs to get engaged. Engaged by listening to you and caring about all of our opinions from grassroots activists to major donors. We cannot have a chair who only listens to one segment of the party. We need to identify a focus, that we all agree, make an Arizona Democrat. I believe three good areas would be jobs, education, and renewable energy. You may have other ideas and I would like to hear them. Right now, I bet you're thinking to yourself, this is the same stuff we already stand for as a party… but do we?
For example, we say we are the party of education… but are we? Last Spring the Arizona Democratic Party, the “party of education” did not have the courage to publicly endorse and work hard for the passage Proposition 100, an education initiative that eventually passed with nearly 70% of the vote. I am proud to be endorsed by our 2010 Democratic nominee for Superintendent of Schools, Penny Kotterman. Penny is the former president of AEA, a former teacher, and knows the importance of education as a core value for Democrats. We need to be the education party in Arizona and that means doing more than just taking money, around campaign time, from the Arizona Education Association. With a proper brand, whether we are speaking to Rotary clubs in Payson, Union Halls in Tucson, environmental groups in Flagstaff, or farmers in Yuma, our brand will stand out and on their own people will want to hear more about the Democratic party because we will be standing for something they are interested in… Arizona’s needs.
Working with Local Elected Officials
The second part of my plan is to reach out to local elected officials and invite them into our state party. We currently have dozens and dozens of locally elected officials across the state who are registered as Democrats but don’t promote it regularly. Did you know Bob Jackson the Mayor of
Casa Grande is a Democrat? Councilwoman Marquisha Griffin from Maricopa? Councilman Dennis Kavanaugh from Mesa? We need to enfranchise local elected officials by bringing them into state party activities. We talked about wanting to target the Latino community in 2010… why was it that all our mass party emails came from Caucasian state representatives in Central Phoenix and not perhaps, Representative Ana Tovar, Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, Congressman Raul Grijalva, Councilwoman Regina Romero from Tucson, or Councilman Alex Bejarano from Wellton. If we want to reach out and embrace diversity let’s incorporate that into everything we do as a party. We are tired of lip-service and promoting the same small group of elected officials. It does not work, it has not worked, and it will not work! We are the party of the big tent but that means we need a state chair committed to allowing others inside the tent.
30 District Strategy
Lastly, we need a 30 District strategy, much like Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy which was so successful in 2008. We should have two house candidates and one senate candidate in every legislative district. With 90 candidates, at over $30,000 of clean elections money each, that’s nearly $3,000,000 to help get Democrats elected around the state. But what is even greater is the fact that 90 legislative candidates will help bring out Democratic turnout for our statewide Corporation Commissioner candidates and our 9 Congressional candidates as well. Just remember, as President Kennedy once said, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” That’s why State Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy, who is up for re-election in 2012, is supporting my candidacy for state chair. The state party needs to have a commitment to work with legislative chairs and county chairs to identify candidates, tie their story into our brand, and help them qualify for clean elections. How many of you are willing to join me in Kingman, San Luis, or Cottonwood to help collect $5 contributions for our legislative candidates? If we all roll up our sleeves and contribute some elbow grease, the payoff will be tremendous because we will be creating new opportunities across the state. Growing up I always heard, “Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”. And that means let’s get prepared! The statistical probability of winning an election when you do not have a candidate running is ZERO.
Role of the Chair
As a former City Councilman from Tucson and a Democratic candidate for United States Senate candidate running against a former Republican presidential nominee I was able to raise almost one million dollars in contributions. Having the opportunity to sell the new Arizona Democratic party brand, our local elected officials, and a 30 district strategy that will guarantee that Arizona is in play will be a great way for us to raise money and keep our party moving. I know we can raise the money we need to spread resources across the state. But, we need to remember that fundraising is not the panacea many thought it once was. We need to go grassroots and make sure that the dollars we do raise are spent contacting voters and not on consultants that never quite explain where the money goes or how it’s spent. We need transparency, open books so we know where our dollars are being invested, and we need to know who is being paid. In other words, we need a more open way of investing in our future.
I learned a great deal running for United States Senate in a 4-way Democratic primary. I learned that just because the state party recommends that you hire D.C. consultants it doesn’t mean you
should. I learned that we can collect over 15,000 signatures, we can receive nearly 5,000 contributions, and we can get nearly 600,000 people to vote for a Democrat against John McCain just two years after he ran for President of the United States. We performed better than anyone else that has in a year where we were outspent $31 to $1. I plan to take the learning experiences that I gained as a U.S. Senate nominee and as someone who has served as an elected official and apply those to the position of state chair.
A New Direction
Our 15 county chairs and 30 legislative district leaders should be treated like a true board of directors. How great would it be if every two weeks our party communications staff called and asked, “what is going on in your area that ties in with our Democratic brand”. It’s time we invested more time and energy in honing our best resource of all… YOU! We could then do targeted press, marketing, and keep our Democratic brand active in all parts of the state. It’s about being bold and unafraid and to start winning elections which is something we have not been doing consistently over the past four years.
If you spent four years getting lost in the forest it would be foolish to hand the lantern to someone who you followed in and say, “please help us get out.” So too, with this election, you have a clear choice. Someone who has followed the rules, became an elected Precinct committeeman, state committeeperson, and done things the proper way or someone who did not. I did not need a legal opinion or special appointment from the state chair to run for this position. Rather, I simply needed the urging and support of individuals such as Kit Filby, Jackie Thrasher, and Elaine Bohlmeyer who ran for the state legislature and my friends and co-candidates Arif Kazmi, Manny Cruz, David Bradley, my former boss, Congressman Raul Grijalva, local leaders and LD chairs Connie Finneman, Jeff Rich, Steve Schallenberger, Janice Blackmon, and Carol Comito, just to name a few.
We need a FULL TIME state chair, traveling the state and building relationships to help get Democrats elected. I am willing to commit the time to do this properly. I am running for chair of the Arizona Democratic Party because if we keep doing the same old things we are going to keep getting the same poor results. That means we need a different kind of leader who has served as an elected official, has experienced getting elected, and knows what it is like to win firsthand. We need a state chair whose number one priority is the state party, working with everyone, and who is committed to the entire state. Someone who is willing to get in the car and visit all fifteen counties, communicate in town after town, and actually spend time building relationships and developing a network of supporters that will work towards a common goal. We need a simple plan, on how we, together, can build up our Arizona Democratic party and once again start winning elections.
Progressive and Honest Track Record
For those who are interested in my credibility on Latino issues I urge you to speak to my supporter, Congressman Grijalva. For those who are interested in my track record on LGBT issues, I urge you to speak to my supporter, State Senator Paula Aboud. For those of you who are interested in my track record on education, I urge you to speak to my supporter Penny
Kotterman. For those interested in my commitment to working with the 22 Native American nations please visit with my support, State Senator Jack Jackson, Jr. And, for those of you interested in my track record on labor, I urge you to speak to my supporter Dion Abril from Sheet Metal Workers Local #359.
I ask for your support, your ideas, and your vote. Together we will create a bold and unafraid Democratic brand, begin building relationships with our locally elected Democratic officials, and executing a 30-district strategy to get Democrats elected across the state. Together we will find our way out of the forest and move in a new direction. Together we will turn Arizona Blue!
If you have questions or ideas about how we can all work together please email me at Rodney@rodneyglassman.com.
Your Fellow Elected State Committee Member,
Rodney Glassman
Sunday, January 16, 2011
The coming week: everybody else edition
All info gathered from the websites of the relevent public bodies/agencies, and is subject to change without notice.
Federal level -
In the House, the agenda for the week is focused on the Republicans' H.R. 2, "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." Related: H. Res. 9, "Instructing certain committees to report legislation replacing the job-killing health care law."
The Senate isn't in session this week.
Arizona level -
The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have a full meeting scheduled for this week. It's hearing schedule is here.
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission doesn't have a meeting this week, either. They are seeking applicants for an open spot on the Commission. Interested folks who aren't registered as Democrats or Republicans and who do NOT reside in Maricopa County can apply (there are other requirements, but those are the big ones).
The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project is meeting on Thursday to select new officers, hold an orientation for new members on the topic of internal audit, and hold a meeting of the Finance, Audit, and Power Committee.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a Special Meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. The agenda looks quiet, but as is usual for this bunch, there's an executive session planned.
The Tempe City Council doesn't have a meeting scheduled for this week. The City's City Council Calendar is here.
The Scottsdale City Council doesn't have a meeting scheduled for this week. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.
Federal level -
In the House, the agenda for the week is focused on the Republicans' H.R. 2, "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act." Related: H. Res. 9, "Instructing certain committees to report legislation replacing the job-killing health care law."
The Senate isn't in session this week.
Arizona level -
The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have a full meeting scheduled for this week. It's hearing schedule is here.
The Citizens Clean Elections Commission doesn't have a meeting this week, either. They are seeking applicants for an open spot on the Commission. Interested folks who aren't registered as Democrats or Republicans and who do NOT reside in Maricopa County can apply (there are other requirements, but those are the big ones).
The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project is meeting on Thursday to select new officers, hold an orientation for new members on the topic of internal audit, and hold a meeting of the Finance, Audit, and Power Committee.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a Special Meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. The agenda looks quiet, but as is usual for this bunch, there's an executive session planned.
The Tempe City Council doesn't have a meeting scheduled for this week. The City's City Council Calendar is here.
The Scottsdale City Council doesn't have a meeting scheduled for this week. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.
Bad news, better news, GREAT news...
First the bad news - the Patriots lost today. :((
Good news - pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.
GREAT news - Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' condition has been upgraded to "serious," from "critical."
YES!!!
Interesting news: This blog had a hit earlier today from an ISP located in Washington, D.C. Not an unusual occurence in itself.
The name of that ISP?
The search that brought that user here was a Google search of the terms "Arizona bill federal agencies registration with sheriff".
Note to any other folks interested in that particular bill - it's HB2077. The fact sheet/summary prepared by legislative staff is here. It is scheduled for a committee hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in House Hearing Room 4.
I'll be at the AZ Supreme Court for arguments in the redistricting lawsuit brought by Sen. Russell Pearce and Rep. Kirk Adams.
Good news - pitchers and catchers report in less than a month.
GREAT news - Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' condition has been upgraded to "serious," from "critical."
YES!!!
Interesting news: This blog had a hit earlier today from an ISP located in Washington, D.C. Not an unusual occurence in itself.
The name of that ISP?
Executive Office Of The President Usa*That's* unusual.
The search that brought that user here was a Google search of the terms "Arizona bill federal agencies registration with sheriff".
Note to any other folks interested in that particular bill - it's HB2077. The fact sheet/summary prepared by legislative staff is here. It is scheduled for a committee hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in House Hearing Room 4.
I'll be at the AZ Supreme Court for arguments in the redistricting lawsuit brought by Sen. Russell Pearce and Rep. Kirk Adams.
The coming week: legislative edition
Welcome to the first schedule post of 2011...
All information gathered from the website of the Arizona Legislature and subject to change without notice.
Note: An "HHR" prefix indicates that the meeting place is in a hearing room in the House building, and an "SHR" prefix indicates a hearing room in the Senate building.
At the legislature this week, no committee hearings are scheduled for Monday, probably due to it being the legal holiday to mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On the House side of the quad this week -
- Education will meet Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in HHR3. Housekeeping meeting with nothing significant on the agenda at this time.
- Joint Appropriations will meet Tuesday at ~9:15 a.m. in HHR1. They will receive a presentation on the Governor's budget proposal. Probably the week's most significant committee hearing.
- Government will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. Scheduled highlights include HB2077, requiring federal agencies to register with a county's sheriff and make a payment to said sheriff before operating in that county.
- Environment will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR5. No bills scheduled for hearing. They will receive presentations from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, County Supervisors Association, Maricopa County, Pima County, Pinal County, Maricopa Association of Governments, and Pima Association of Governments.
- Employment and Regulatory Affairs will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m in HHR3. On the agenda: consideration of HB2025, a special assessment to help bring the state's unemployment insurance fund out of the red, and a presentation from the administrator of the state's primary public employee pension funds.
- Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. Presentations from Davis-Monthan AFB, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Veterans' Services.
- Higher Education, Innovation, and Reform will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR2. Presentations from Drs. Michael Crow (President of ASU), Robert Shelton (U of A), John Haeger (NAU) and Tom Anderes (Board of Regents).
- Commerce will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Short, discussion-only, agenda, and none of the bills on it look particularly bad.
- Health and Human Services will meet Wednesday at 10 a.m. in HHR4. Short agenda, none of the bills currently on it look particularly bad.
- Appropriations will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. Budget presentations from the Department of Corrections and School Facilities Board/Statewide Debt. One bill on the agenda: HB2016, removing a lot of budget-related reports currently required by law.
- Transportation will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. No bills on the agenda currently, just a presentation from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
- Technology and Infrastructure will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR1. Housekeeping meeting.
- Agriculture and Water will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Presentations from Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Horse Council, and Arizona State Land Department.
- Judiciary will meet Thursday at 10 a.m. in HHR4. Housekeeping meeting.
- Ways and Means will meet on Thursday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. On the agenda: HB2008, relating to internal revenue code conformity (I don't understand the language of this one, and it's from Jack Harper, who's *never* been known for introducing clean, "good governance" bills, so this one may merit a close eye); HB2069, relating to "corporate income tax; sales factor"; and HCR2006, raising the business personal property tax exemption amount from $50K to "an amount equal to the earnings per employee of twenty workers in this state according to a designated national measure of earnings per employee adjusted annually as provided by law." Better known as a "return on investment" proposal for the big businesses who contributed to various Republican campaigns this past cycle.
...On the Senate side -
- Veterans' and Military Affairs will meet Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in SHR3. Only one measure on the agenda, and it should be non-controversial: SCR1009, honoring Hopi Code Talkers.
- Joint Appropriations will meet on Tuesday at ~9:15 a.m. in HHR1. They will receive a presentation on the Governor's budget proposal. Probably the week's most significant committee hearing.
- Banking and Insurance will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. Only bill on the agenda: SB1102, making changes to law to continue/complete the privatization of the state's Worker's Compensation Fund.
- Appropriations will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Budget presentations from the Department of Corrections and School Facilities Board/Statewide Debt.
- Public Safety and Human Services will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR3. Seven bills on the agenda that didn't look to bad upon a cursory examination.
- Governrment Reform will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Housekeeping meeting.
- Commerce and Energy will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. Presentations from SRP and APS and consideration of SB1086, banning the use of fake ID by minors to purchase tobacco products and prohibiting the manufacture, sale or distribution of "blunt wraps," defined in the bill as "an individual tobacco wrapper, also known as a wrap or roll-your-own cigar wrap, which is made wholly or in part from tobacco, including reconstituted tobacco, whether in the form of tobacco leaf, sheet or tube, if the wrap is designed to be offered to or purchased by a consumer.”
- Water, Land Use, and Rural Development will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. Presentations by Central Arizona Water Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Districts.
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR1. A few items on the agenda. One interesting one: SB1122, making "health care sharing ministries" tax exempt. This one is from Nancy Barto, who is vehemently opposed to making health care more accessible to the general public, but apparently if one is devout enough...?
- Economic Development and Jobs Creation will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Presentations on ecconomic development from Arizona State University, Curis, AECOM, Arizona's Workers' Compensation System.
- Finance will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. A number of technical bills on the agenda that I don't completely understand.
- Border Security, Federalism and States Sovereignty will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. Let the nativist looniness begin. Presentations from the Cochise County Sheriff, Pinal County Sheriff, US Border Patrol, and a civilian representative of the Arizona Department of Public Safety's GITEM Task Force (gang task force). Consideration of SB1046 ("juvenile corrections; discharge; ICE detainers"); SB1136 (a move to block a Tohono O'odham resort in the West Valley); and SR1001 (a resolution declaring that a casino in the West Valley is a "state sovereignty" issue and they will fight against it with every taxpayer dollar at their disposal [OK, they didn't use the language in that last part. But it's what they mean.])
Judiciary will meet Thursday upon adjournment of the Senate floor session in SHR1. Let the ugly begin. The lowlights include consideration of SB1117, allowing the legislature, independent of the executive branch (i.e. - the Governor and AG), to "direct counsel" to appear in state or federal court on behalf of the respective chambers of the lege to protect last year's SB1070 from legal challenges and SCR1010, a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution that would bar Arizona courts from considering "the legal precepts of other nations or cultures" when rendering their decisions. Many of the other bills on the agenda have a high potential for ideologically-based mischief, too.
- On Friday at 9 a.m., the three subcommitteesof the Appropriations Committee will hold budget hearings for various agencies and departments. Agendas here, here, and here.
Other events posted for the Capitol (and environs) this week:
Tuesday is the Annual Tribal Day at the Legislature (a number of events taking place all day)
Wednesday, the Nucleus Club will host Greg Stanton, a member of the Phoenix City Council and candidate for mayor.
Saturday, both the Arizona Democratic Party (9 a.m - 6 p.m., Wyndham Phoenix) and the Arizona Republican Party (8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Church of the Nations, Phoenix) will hold their biennial reorganization meetings.
All information gathered from the website of the Arizona Legislature and subject to change without notice.
Note: An "HHR" prefix indicates that the meeting place is in a hearing room in the House building, and an "SHR" prefix indicates a hearing room in the Senate building.
At the legislature this week, no committee hearings are scheduled for Monday, probably due to it being the legal holiday to mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On the House side of the quad this week -
- Education will meet Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in HHR3. Housekeeping meeting with nothing significant on the agenda at this time.
- Joint Appropriations will meet Tuesday at ~9:15 a.m. in HHR1. They will receive a presentation on the Governor's budget proposal. Probably the week's most significant committee hearing.
- Government will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. Scheduled highlights include HB2077, requiring federal agencies to register with a county's sheriff and make a payment to said sheriff before operating in that county.
- Environment will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR5. No bills scheduled for hearing. They will receive presentations from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, County Supervisors Association, Maricopa County, Pima County, Pinal County, Maricopa Association of Governments, and Pima Association of Governments.
- Employment and Regulatory Affairs will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m in HHR3. On the agenda: consideration of HB2025, a special assessment to help bring the state's unemployment insurance fund out of the red, and a presentation from the administrator of the state's primary public employee pension funds.
- Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. Presentations from Davis-Monthan AFB, Department of Public Safety, and Department of Veterans' Services.
- Higher Education, Innovation, and Reform will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR2. Presentations from Drs. Michael Crow (President of ASU), Robert Shelton (U of A), John Haeger (NAU) and Tom Anderes (Board of Regents).
- Commerce will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Short, discussion-only, agenda, and none of the bills on it look particularly bad.
- Health and Human Services will meet Wednesday at 10 a.m. in HHR4. Short agenda, none of the bills currently on it look particularly bad.
- Appropriations will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. Budget presentations from the Department of Corrections and School Facilities Board/Statewide Debt. One bill on the agenda: HB2016, removing a lot of budget-related reports currently required by law.
- Transportation will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. No bills on the agenda currently, just a presentation from the Arizona Department of Transportation.
- Technology and Infrastructure will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR1. Housekeeping meeting.
- Agriculture and Water will meet Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Presentations from Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Horse Council, and Arizona State Land Department.
- Judiciary will meet Thursday at 10 a.m. in HHR4. Housekeeping meeting.
- Ways and Means will meet on Thursday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. On the agenda: HB2008, relating to internal revenue code conformity (I don't understand the language of this one, and it's from Jack Harper, who's *never* been known for introducing clean, "good governance" bills, so this one may merit a close eye); HB2069, relating to "corporate income tax; sales factor"; and HCR2006, raising the business personal property tax exemption amount from $50K to "an amount equal to the earnings per employee of twenty workers in this state according to a designated national measure of earnings per employee adjusted annually as provided by law." Better known as a "return on investment" proposal for the big businesses who contributed to various Republican campaigns this past cycle.
...On the Senate side -
- Veterans' and Military Affairs will meet Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. in SHR3. Only one measure on the agenda, and it should be non-controversial: SCR1009, honoring Hopi Code Talkers.
- Joint Appropriations will meet on Tuesday at ~9:15 a.m. in HHR1. They will receive a presentation on the Governor's budget proposal. Probably the week's most significant committee hearing.
- Banking and Insurance will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. Only bill on the agenda: SB1102, making changes to law to continue/complete the privatization of the state's Worker's Compensation Fund.
- Appropriations will meet Tuesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Budget presentations from the Department of Corrections and School Facilities Board/Statewide Debt.
- Public Safety and Human Services will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR3. Seven bills on the agenda that didn't look to bad upon a cursory examination.
- Governrment Reform will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Housekeeping meeting.
- Commerce and Energy will meet Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. Presentations from SRP and APS and consideration of SB1086, banning the use of fake ID by minors to purchase tobacco products and prohibiting the manufacture, sale or distribution of "blunt wraps," defined in the bill as "an individual tobacco wrapper, also known as a wrap or roll-your-own cigar wrap, which is made wholly or in part from tobacco, including reconstituted tobacco, whether in the form of tobacco leaf, sheet or tube, if the wrap is designed to be offered to or purchased by a consumer.”
- Water, Land Use, and Rural Development will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR3. Presentations by Central Arizona Water Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Districts.
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR1. A few items on the agenda. One interesting one: SB1122, making "health care sharing ministries" tax exempt. This one is from Nancy Barto, who is vehemently opposed to making health care more accessible to the general public, but apparently if one is devout enough...?
- Economic Development and Jobs Creation will meet Wednesday at 2 p.m. in SHR109. Presentations on ecconomic development from Arizona State University, Curis, AECOM, Arizona's Workers' Compensation System.
- Finance will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. A number of technical bills on the agenda that I don't completely understand.
- Border Security, Federalism and States Sovereignty will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in SHR109. Let the nativist looniness begin. Presentations from the Cochise County Sheriff, Pinal County Sheriff, US Border Patrol, and a civilian representative of the Arizona Department of Public Safety's GITEM Task Force (gang task force). Consideration of SB1046 ("juvenile corrections; discharge; ICE detainers"); SB1136 (a move to block a Tohono O'odham resort in the West Valley); and SR1001 (a resolution declaring that a casino in the West Valley is a "state sovereignty" issue and they will fight against it with every taxpayer dollar at their disposal [OK, they didn't use the language in that last part. But it's what they mean.])
Judiciary will meet Thursday upon adjournment of the Senate floor session in SHR1. Let the ugly begin. The lowlights include consideration of SB1117, allowing the legislature, independent of the executive branch (i.e. - the Governor and AG), to "direct counsel" to appear in state or federal court on behalf of the respective chambers of the lege to protect last year's SB1070 from legal challenges and SCR1010, a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution that would bar Arizona courts from considering "the legal precepts of other nations or cultures" when rendering their decisions. Many of the other bills on the agenda have a high potential for ideologically-based mischief, too.
- On Friday at 9 a.m., the three subcommitteesof the Appropriations Committee will hold budget hearings for various agencies and departments. Agendas here, here, and here.
Other events posted for the Capitol (and environs) this week:
Tuesday is the Annual Tribal Day at the Legislature (a number of events taking place all day)
Wednesday, the Nucleus Club will host Greg Stanton, a member of the Phoenix City Council and candidate for mayor.
Saturday, both the Arizona Democratic Party (9 a.m - 6 p.m., Wyndham Phoenix) and the Arizona Republican Party (8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., Church of the Nations, Phoenix) will hold their biennial reorganization meetings.
Redistricting update: AZ Supreme Court Hearing On Tuesday
As most observers of AZ's political scene already know, there has already been a lawsuit filed over redistricting even though the redistricting commission has yet to be formed, much less do any of its work.
The Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments waded through the applications of 79 people interested in being a part of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) and forwarded a list of 25 applicants, 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and 5 Independents, to the leadership of the legislature.
There, the leaders of the Democratic and Republican caucuses of each chamber will select one member of the AIRC, and the four members thus selected will select a fifth member from the list of Independents to serve as the chair of the AIRC.
Russell Pearce and Kirk Adams, President of the Arizona State Senate and Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, weren't pleased with the list of candidates, and filed suit to force the Appellate Court Appointments commission to reopen nominations for the AIRC. They want some candidates more to their liking and they want to knock off one of the Independent candidates, Professor Paul Bender.
Their stated objection to Bender is that he has served as a judge for a couple of tribal nation courts, and the law that creates the AIRC specifically excludes anyone who has held public office in Arizona within the previous three years from serving on the AIRC.
Pearce and Adams argue that Bender's work for a tribal court renders him ineligible for the AIRC and his name should be removed from consideration.
It seems more likely they object both to Bender's political opinions (he's done work for the ACLU! Horrors!) and the unlikelihood of their being able to persuade/intimidate him in the event he is selected to chair the AIRC.
Due to the immediate nature of the work of the AIRC and the need to resolve the lawsuit quickly, the Arizona Supreme Court set an expedited date to hear arguments.
The case is set for a hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m in the State Courts Building, 1501 W. Washington in Phoenix.
Three groups have filed "amicus curiae," or "friend of the court" briefs with the Court, weighing in on the matter.
Sheila Polk, Yavapai County Attorney has weighed in on the case, supporting the request of Pearce and Adams. Her filing focused on both Bender's activities with the tribal courts and a perceived lack of geographical diversity on the part of the applicants whose names were forwarded to the legislative leadership (nine out of the 10 Rs in the pool are from Maricopa County).
Republican Congressmen Trent Franks, Ben Quayle, Paul Gosar, David Schweikert, and Jeff Flake also weighed in on the side of Pearce and Adams, focusing on eligibility issues. They argue that public service *anywhere*, even in a non-Arizona office, disqualifies someone from membership on the AIRC.
Lattie Coor (retired ASU president), Paul Johnson (former Mayor of Phoenix), the Valley Citizens League, and the Arizona Latino Research Enterprise filed a brief in support of Professor Bender. They argue that holding a tribal office doesn't qualify as a public office in Arizona because the State of Arizona has no say in how such an office is filled by the tribe in question.
Mary O'Grady, Solicitor General for the State of Arizona, responded on behalf of the Arizona Attorney General. In her response to the Pearce/Adams suit, she argued that all 25 members of the applicant pool are eligible to serve on the AIRC. In addition, the response argued that the underlying suit was premature and shouldn't have been filed until the applicants that Pearce and Adams feel are unqualified are actually appointed to the AIRC.
All of the filings with the court cite scads of precedents in support of their arguments, and not being a lawyer, I truly have no idea who has presented the strongest legal arguments.
Guess we'll find out Tuesday.
Later...
The Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments waded through the applications of 79 people interested in being a part of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) and forwarded a list of 25 applicants, 10 Democrats, 10 Republicans, and 5 Independents, to the leadership of the legislature.
There, the leaders of the Democratic and Republican caucuses of each chamber will select one member of the AIRC, and the four members thus selected will select a fifth member from the list of Independents to serve as the chair of the AIRC.
Russell Pearce and Kirk Adams, President of the Arizona State Senate and Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, weren't pleased with the list of candidates, and filed suit to force the Appellate Court Appointments commission to reopen nominations for the AIRC. They want some candidates more to their liking and they want to knock off one of the Independent candidates, Professor Paul Bender.
Their stated objection to Bender is that he has served as a judge for a couple of tribal nation courts, and the law that creates the AIRC specifically excludes anyone who has held public office in Arizona within the previous three years from serving on the AIRC.
Pearce and Adams argue that Bender's work for a tribal court renders him ineligible for the AIRC and his name should be removed from consideration.
It seems more likely they object both to Bender's political opinions (he's done work for the ACLU! Horrors!) and the unlikelihood of their being able to persuade/intimidate him in the event he is selected to chair the AIRC.
Due to the immediate nature of the work of the AIRC and the need to resolve the lawsuit quickly, the Arizona Supreme Court set an expedited date to hear arguments.
The case is set for a hearing on Tuesday at 2 p.m in the State Courts Building, 1501 W. Washington in Phoenix.
Three groups have filed "amicus curiae," or "friend of the court" briefs with the Court, weighing in on the matter.
Sheila Polk, Yavapai County Attorney has weighed in on the case, supporting the request of Pearce and Adams. Her filing focused on both Bender's activities with the tribal courts and a perceived lack of geographical diversity on the part of the applicants whose names were forwarded to the legislative leadership (nine out of the 10 Rs in the pool are from Maricopa County).
Republican Congressmen Trent Franks, Ben Quayle, Paul Gosar, David Schweikert, and Jeff Flake also weighed in on the side of Pearce and Adams, focusing on eligibility issues. They argue that public service *anywhere*, even in a non-Arizona office, disqualifies someone from membership on the AIRC.
Lattie Coor (retired ASU president), Paul Johnson (former Mayor of Phoenix), the Valley Citizens League, and the Arizona Latino Research Enterprise filed a brief in support of Professor Bender. They argue that holding a tribal office doesn't qualify as a public office in Arizona because the State of Arizona has no say in how such an office is filled by the tribe in question.
Mary O'Grady, Solicitor General for the State of Arizona, responded on behalf of the Arizona Attorney General. In her response to the Pearce/Adams suit, she argued that all 25 members of the applicant pool are eligible to serve on the AIRC. In addition, the response argued that the underlying suit was premature and shouldn't have been filed until the applicants that Pearce and Adams feel are unqualified are actually appointed to the AIRC.
All of the filings with the court cite scads of precedents in support of their arguments, and not being a lawyer, I truly have no idea who has presented the strongest legal arguments.
Guess we'll find out Tuesday.
Later...
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Governor's proposed budget: tells home owners, poor, students, that she thinks that they're #1...
...only she that isn't her *index* finger that she's waggling in the air...
Corporations and their executives and lobbyists are smiling today. The Governor released her budget proposal Friday, to loud praise from Republicans in the legislature, and louder criticism from Democrats...educators...students...human service advocates...home owners....
Her budget...
...transfers at least $62 million in tax burden from corporations to individual home owners
...seeks to deny health care services for 280K Arizonans, including the seriously mentally ill
..cuts another quarter BILLION dollars from higher education, all but ensuring more massive tuition hikes for Arizona's next generation
...forces Arizona's cash-strapped K-12 school districts, already reeling from years of state-level attacks on their fiscal stability, to absorb millions more in borrowing costs foisted off on them by the state's mismanagment
This is just the first step in what is likely to be a long process (but not as long as it could be - the Rs have supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and will pass anything that they want to, even if one or two individual members of their caucus balks at the ugliness proposed by Jan Brewer and her lobbyist-advisers).
State Rep. Carl Seel (R-Minuteman) has already proposed an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to reduce the income eligibility level for AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program), currently at 100% of the federal poverty level.
On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the joint appropriations committees of the House and Senate in HHR1 at approximately 9:15 a.m. At that time, they'll receive a presentation on the budget proposal from the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.
More:
From the Governor: the central web page on the budget is here; a presentation on the background of the budget here; a presentation on the budget proposal here; summary of the proposal here; a detailed version here; appendices are here.
Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic has a story on the budget proposal here; Mary K. Reinhart of the Republic has a story here; Alia Beard Rau has an analysis of the proposal's effect on higher ed is here; Reinhart has a piece on public safety impacts here; an AZ Republic uncredited piece with more numbers and reaction from legislators and those affected by the proposal is here.
The Arizona Capitol Times has coverage also, but that coverage is behind a subscription firewall.
Later...
Corporations and their executives and lobbyists are smiling today. The Governor released her budget proposal Friday, to loud praise from Republicans in the legislature, and louder criticism from Democrats...educators...students...human service advocates...home owners....
Her budget...
...transfers at least $62 million in tax burden from corporations to individual home owners
...seeks to deny health care services for 280K Arizonans, including the seriously mentally ill
..cuts another quarter BILLION dollars from higher education, all but ensuring more massive tuition hikes for Arizona's next generation
...forces Arizona's cash-strapped K-12 school districts, already reeling from years of state-level attacks on their fiscal stability, to absorb millions more in borrowing costs foisted off on them by the state's mismanagment
This is just the first step in what is likely to be a long process (but not as long as it could be - the Rs have supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and will pass anything that they want to, even if one or two individual members of their caucus balks at the ugliness proposed by Jan Brewer and her lobbyist-advisers).
State Rep. Carl Seel (R-Minuteman) has already proposed an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to reduce the income eligibility level for AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program), currently at 100% of the federal poverty level.
On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the joint appropriations committees of the House and Senate in HHR1 at approximately 9:15 a.m. At that time, they'll receive a presentation on the budget proposal from the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.
More:
From the Governor: the central web page on the budget is here; a presentation on the background of the budget here; a presentation on the budget proposal here; summary of the proposal here; a detailed version here; appendices are here.
Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic has a story on the budget proposal here; Mary K. Reinhart of the Republic has a story here; Alia Beard Rau has an analysis of the proposal's effect on higher ed is here; Reinhart has a piece on public safety impacts here; an AZ Republic uncredited piece with more numbers and reaction from legislators and those affected by the proposal is here.
The Arizona Capitol Times has coverage also, but that coverage is behind a subscription firewall.
Later...
Friday, January 14, 2011
The AZGOP, staunch defenders of private property rights...except when they aren't
There has been an ongoing battle going on between the Tohono O'odham Nation (a southern AZ tribal nation) and the City of Glendale and some state legislators.
The Nation legally acquired some unincorporated land near Glendale in the west Valley part of metro Phoenix and is planning to put up a resort and casino on the parcel. The City of Glendale has objected to the plan, and aided and abetted by a group of legislators, have sued to block the transfer of the land to reservation status (that change in status is necessary before the Nation can construct a casino there).
Thus far, the City and the legislators have, thus far, been unsuccessful in court, but the litigation is continuing.
Now, the Republicans in the legislature are trying a different tactic.
They've introduced SB1136, which if passed and signed into law, would allow cities and towns in counties "with a population of more than three hundred fifty thousand persons" to annex unincorporated land that the city or town encircles or borders on three sides if the land owner applies to the federal government to take ownership or to hold in trust the land.
Reservations are considered "trust" lands.
In addition, the measure only requires a majority vote of the city or town council of the annexing municipality, and a 2/3 vote of that body would make the annexation immediately effective.
In short, the way the bill is worded, it could forestall efforts to place the land in trust for the Tohono O'odham Nation, especially if the bill is passed before the court fight works itself out.
The bill has an "emergency clause" attached to it, so if it is passed by a 2/3 vote (and the Rs have a 2/3 majority in each chamber of the legislature), it will go into effect immediately.
It also is being fast-tracked - it is already scheduled for a committee hearing on next Thursday.
The R railroad of ugly legislation may have taken the week off in the aftermath of Saturday's shootings, but it look like it will be back up to full speed by next week.
And the word "ugly" is the right one here.
ARS 9-471 covers the municipal annexation process currently in effect, and to sum up very briefly, takes public notice, working with the land owners and residents of the affected area, and more than a year to complete.
However, this bill would make the process of annexing land that is legally owned by a tribal nation, but is not part of a reservation, as simple as calling a meeting of the local city council, notwithstanding any objections from the affected land owner.
On the other hand, if a city wants to annex land that is owned by someone else, saaayyyyyy an Anglo or a corporation, there are all sorts of hoops that the municipality must go through, and it's a relatively easy move to block if a majority of affected land owners object.
I've got phone calls and an email out to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to for more info on this one, but it seems likely that the Legislature is leading us toward another lawsuit, one that will be both expensive and futile.
Look for an update next week.
Notes:
- Currently, there are only two counties in Arizona with more than 350K people - Maricopa and Pima. Maricopa is the epicenter of this legal fight, and Pima is the home of the Tohono O'odham Nation.
- The Tohono O'odham Nation is located in LD25, where the delegates to the legislature are Reps. Peggy Judd and David Stevens, and Sen. Gail Griffin (Rs all). None have signed onto the bill as yet, but Griffin is a member of the committee that is scheduled to hear the bill on Thursday.
Should be an interesting hearing for the freshman senator.
- Tucson area Sens. Al Melvin (R-LD26) and Frank Antenori (R-LD30) have cosponsored the bill, as has Sen. Steve Smith (R-LD23) of Pinal County. The other 11 sponsors/cosponsors are from Maricopa County or points north.
The Nation legally acquired some unincorporated land near Glendale in the west Valley part of metro Phoenix and is planning to put up a resort and casino on the parcel. The City of Glendale has objected to the plan, and aided and abetted by a group of legislators, have sued to block the transfer of the land to reservation status (that change in status is necessary before the Nation can construct a casino there).
Thus far, the City and the legislators have, thus far, been unsuccessful in court, but the litigation is continuing.
Now, the Republicans in the legislature are trying a different tactic.
They've introduced SB1136, which if passed and signed into law, would allow cities and towns in counties "with a population of more than three hundred fifty thousand persons" to annex unincorporated land that the city or town encircles or borders on three sides if the land owner applies to the federal government to take ownership or to hold in trust the land.
Reservations are considered "trust" lands.
In addition, the measure only requires a majority vote of the city or town council of the annexing municipality, and a 2/3 vote of that body would make the annexation immediately effective.
In short, the way the bill is worded, it could forestall efforts to place the land in trust for the Tohono O'odham Nation, especially if the bill is passed before the court fight works itself out.
The bill has an "emergency clause" attached to it, so if it is passed by a 2/3 vote (and the Rs have a 2/3 majority in each chamber of the legislature), it will go into effect immediately.
It also is being fast-tracked - it is already scheduled for a committee hearing on next Thursday.
The R railroad of ugly legislation may have taken the week off in the aftermath of Saturday's shootings, but it look like it will be back up to full speed by next week.
And the word "ugly" is the right one here.
ARS 9-471 covers the municipal annexation process currently in effect, and to sum up very briefly, takes public notice, working with the land owners and residents of the affected area, and more than a year to complete.
However, this bill would make the process of annexing land that is legally owned by a tribal nation, but is not part of a reservation, as simple as calling a meeting of the local city council, notwithstanding any objections from the affected land owner.
On the other hand, if a city wants to annex land that is owned by someone else, saaayyyyyy an Anglo or a corporation, there are all sorts of hoops that the municipality must go through, and it's a relatively easy move to block if a majority of affected land owners object.
I've got phone calls and an email out to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to for more info on this one, but it seems likely that the Legislature is leading us toward another lawsuit, one that will be both expensive and futile.
Look for an update next week.
Notes:
- Currently, there are only two counties in Arizona with more than 350K people - Maricopa and Pima. Maricopa is the epicenter of this legal fight, and Pima is the home of the Tohono O'odham Nation.
- The Tohono O'odham Nation is located in LD25, where the delegates to the legislature are Reps. Peggy Judd and David Stevens, and Sen. Gail Griffin (Rs all). None have signed onto the bill as yet, but Griffin is a member of the committee that is scheduled to hear the bill on Thursday.
Should be an interesting hearing for the freshman senator.
- Tucson area Sens. Al Melvin (R-LD26) and Frank Antenori (R-LD30) have cosponsored the bill, as has Sen. Steve Smith (R-LD23) of Pinal County. The other 11 sponsors/cosponsors are from Maricopa County or points north.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Legislators and guns in public buildings
Update on 1/14 -
After I wrote this post yesterday, KPHO (Phoenix channel 5) posted a piece on this same subject.
From that piece -
End edit...
State law prohibits guns from being carried into public buildings, however, the state Legislature is allowed to have its own rules.
Slightly obscured by the hubbub of the week was the fact that at least one legislator, Sen. Lori Klein (R-LD6), had a firearm in her possession on the floor of the House during the Governor's speech on Monday.
From the Arizona Republic, written by Mary Jo Pitzl -
Caveat regarding what I'm about to write: I am NOT a lawyer, just a reasonably intelligent layman who is taking the time to research the laws in Arizona. I freely concede that I could have missed something significant. For example, I don't have access to case rulings, nor do I even have access to WestLaw to begin even basic research in that area. All of what follows is based on reading the text of applicable laws and provisions in the Arizona Constitution.
The applicable section of the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) seems to be Title 13 (Criminal Code), Chapter 31.
ARS 13-3102 states -
I cannot find any section of the ARS that "authorizes" or exempts from this section legislators solely by virtue of being legislators. Individual legislators may fall into one or another exemption because of some other criteria (retired law enforcement?), but legislators as a group do not seem to have an exemption. There does seem to be a little wiggle room in the language "after a reasonable request by the operator of the establishment."
Other than Monday, I've never seen anyone who was screened prior to entering the House or the Senate, nor have I ever seen someone asked if they were carrying a weapon. If no one on the operations staff asks a legislator if they're "packing heat", and the legislators don't tell anyone, there may not be a violation under this section.
Call it Arizona's version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Of course, Arizona's legislators keep "telling."
However, even that possible loophole isn't actually an *exemption*.
It's more a "wink and a nod."
Other folks brought to my attention clauses in the Arizona Constitution that might provide an "exemption" cover for Klein and the other "pistol packin' " legislators. They don't seem to, to me anyway, but you be the judge.
Article 4, Part 2, Section 8 of the AZ Constitution states -
The closest thing to an actual exemption that I could find was in Article 4, Part 2, Section 6 -
Based on that provision of the AZ Constitution, she (and the other carriers in the lege) seem to be immune from *arrest* for a misdemeanor, but I can't find anything that immunizes them from *prosecution.* A citation, summons, and fine wouldn't seem to violate the immunization from arrest clause.
I can understand the practical reasons why the Arizona Capitol Police don't want to cite a sitting legislator for something like this (talk about kicking over a political hornet's nest!), but even they shouldn't be expected to protect legislators from their own verbal diarrhea.
Any lawyers reading this are welcome, even requested, to provide clarifications and corrections to what I've written. Please provide links in your comments.
Thanks!
After I wrote this post yesterday, KPHO (Phoenix channel 5) posted a piece on this same subject.
From that piece -
Senate President Russell Pearce of Mesa told CBS 5 News that even though the signs are up, there has always been a "don't ask, don't tell policy" when it comes to lawmakers carrying weapons.Wonder if he got that phrase from reading this post? :)
End edit...
State law prohibits guns from being carried into public buildings, however, the state Legislature is allowed to have its own rules.
Slightly obscured by the hubbub of the week was the fact that at least one legislator, Sen. Lori Klein (R-LD6), had a firearm in her possession on the floor of the House during the Governor's speech on Monday.
From the Arizona Republic, written by Mary Jo Pitzl -
New state Sen. Lori Klein brought a special guest to the state Capitol Monday, and it wasn't Joe the Plumber, the subject of her first news release."Exempt"? Really?? It doesn't seem so, well, not exactly anyway.
It was her .38 special, which she carried in her purse.
“I pack,” the Anthem Republican said. “Our safety is our personal responsibility.”
Klein carried the gun with her at the Senate, and then to the House, where the chamber was crammed with 90 lawmakers, their families and friends, the Supreme Court justices, dignitaries from across Arizona and others, all awaiting Gov. Jan Brewer's State of the State speech, which had a somber, reflective tone in light of the mass shooting in Tucson.
{snip}
House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, said he was unaware that Klein had entered the House floor with a gun, and declined to comment on the matter.
House rules, he said, are silent on the issue of whether members can carry guns on the floor.
Klein, who took the oath of office Monday, said she believes lawmakers aren't subject to gun restrictions.
“We're exempt, so we can carry,” she said.
Caveat regarding what I'm about to write: I am NOT a lawyer, just a reasonably intelligent layman who is taking the time to research the laws in Arizona. I freely concede that I could have missed something significant. For example, I don't have access to case rulings, nor do I even have access to WestLaw to begin even basic research in that area. All of what follows is based on reading the text of applicable laws and provisions in the Arizona Constitution.
The applicable section of the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) seems to be Title 13 (Criminal Code), Chapter 31.
ARS 13-3102 states -
A. A person commits misconduct involving weapons by knowingly:
{snip}
10. Unless specifically authorized by law, entering any public establishment or attending any public event and carrying a deadly weapon on his person after a reasonable request by the operator of the establishment or the sponsor of the event or the sponsor's agent to remove his weapon and place it in the custody of the operator of the establishment or the sponsor of the event for temporary and secure storage of the weapon pursuant to section 13-3102.01.
{snip}
K...Misconduct involving weapons under subsection A, paragraph 1, subdivision (b) of this section or subsection A, paragraph 10 or 11 of this section is a class 1 misdemeanor.
{snip}
L. For the purposes of this section:
{snip}
2. "Public establishment" means a structure, vehicle or craft that is owned, leased or operated by this state or a political subdivision of this state.
I cannot find any section of the ARS that "authorizes" or exempts from this section legislators solely by virtue of being legislators. Individual legislators may fall into one or another exemption because of some other criteria (retired law enforcement?), but legislators as a group do not seem to have an exemption. There does seem to be a little wiggle room in the language "after a reasonable request by the operator of the establishment."
Other than Monday, I've never seen anyone who was screened prior to entering the House or the Senate, nor have I ever seen someone asked if they were carrying a weapon. If no one on the operations staff asks a legislator if they're "packing heat", and the legislators don't tell anyone, there may not be a violation under this section.
Call it Arizona's version of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."
Of course, Arizona's legislators keep "telling."
However, even that possible loophole isn't actually an *exemption*.
It's more a "wink and a nod."
Other folks brought to my attention clauses in the Arizona Constitution that might provide an "exemption" cover for Klein and the other "pistol packin' " legislators. They don't seem to, to me anyway, but you be the judge.
Article 4, Part 2, Section 8 of the AZ Constitution states -
Each house, when assembled, shall choose its own officers, judge of the election and qualification of its own members, and determine its own rules of procedure.I'm pretty sure that the rules of procedure for each chamber of the legislature don't supercede the state's criminal code, but even if they did, the rules for each chamber don't broach this subject.
The closest thing to an actual exemption that I could find was in Article 4, Part 2, Section 6 -
Members of the legislature shall be privileged from arrest in all cases except treason, felony, and breach of the peace, and they shall not be subject to any civil process during the session of the legislature, nor for fifteen days next before the commencement of each session.Since the act of possessing a weapon in a "public establishment," like one of the legislative buildings, is a class one misdemeanor under ARS 13-3102 and, as someone who was sitting less than 10 feet away from Senator Klein on the House floor during Monday's activities, I can say that she sat peacefully (not sure what the technical definition of "breach of the peace" is, but I'd be surprised if she committed one on Monday), this section seems to have some relevance, but stops short of an outright exemption.
Based on that provision of the AZ Constitution, she (and the other carriers in the lege) seem to be immune from *arrest* for a misdemeanor, but I can't find anything that immunizes them from *prosecution.* A citation, summons, and fine wouldn't seem to violate the immunization from arrest clause.
I can understand the practical reasons why the Arizona Capitol Police don't want to cite a sitting legislator for something like this (talk about kicking over a political hornet's nest!), but even they shouldn't be expected to protect legislators from their own verbal diarrhea.
Any lawyers reading this are welcome, even requested, to provide clarifications and corrections to what I've written. Please provide links in your comments.
Thanks!
Thoughts on the memorial service in Tucson
My thoughts are still disjointed, so the writing of them probably will be too. Thanks for your patience. :)
- I wasn't able to journey to Tucson for the event :( , but was able to make it to the headquarters of the Arizona Democratic Party in Phoenix. There, dozens of people from all over the Valley gathered together to view the service.
- The service was marked less by politics (there weren't any, and no one where I was complained about that fact, either) and more by *humanity*. The opening blessing by Dr. Carlos Gonzalez was a personalized Native American one - after asking the Creator for blessings for all, he asked for a "little blessing" for his son in Afghanistan.
The blessing...
- Daniel Hernandez, the UA student and Giffords intern whose quick thinking and actions are credited with saving Congresswoman Giffords' life, received a standing ovation that reached all the way to Phoenix.
I don't want to use this pic (Jon Kyl is in the middle of it), but it's the best one...
He tried to humbly claim that he isn't a real hero, that people like Congresswoman Giffords, Dr. Rhee (Giffords' doctor), the first responders, and anyone else who has dedicated their lives to public service is a real hero.
The crowd in Tucson and in Phoenix, and later the Commander-in-Chief, disagreed.
I think it's safe to defer to the Commander-in-Chief's judgement on this one. :)
- Governor Jan Brewer spoke. She needs to stop reading other people's words. At Saturday's press conference held in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, her words were heartfelt and sincere. Today, her words sounded stilted and calculated. She sounded like she was reaching for emotional profundity. She didn't succeed.
She could also learn a lesson from two of the other speakers, Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder. While neither can be called a "gifted" public speaker, both are "skilled" public speakers. They hit their marks and got off the stage.
- Based on the reaction of the crowd, Janet Napolitano is more popular today than even when she left Arizona for D.C. and the job of Secretary of Homeland Security. The cheers for her were much longer for her than for Brewer, and if that didn't send the message, the shout of "We miss you Janet!" from the crowd did.
Napolitano speaking
- As for President Obama's remarks, there were too many high points to list them all here, but for me, the passage invoking the youngest victim, Christina Taylor Green, and her asprirations, so tragically cut off, was the most moving of all of his remarks -
The video of the President's speech, courtesy PBS Newshour -
In other news, at least tangentially-related to the events -
- Sarah Palin signalled the end to her presidential ambitions with a video response to recent calls to tone down her rhetoric, laden with militant and violent imagery. She essentially said that her violent words don't contribute to violence, but others' criticism of her violent words does (huh?). She also used a hateful anti-semitic slur, "blood libel," to portray herself as much a victim as the Jewish Congresswoman laying critically injured in a hospital.
On a day that was all about community, shared grief, and collective hope (Gabby opened her eyes! YES!!), Palin tried to make it all about herself.
- LD20 GOP chairman Anthony Miller resigned from his position due to threats to himself and his family from tea party types.
- Conservative folks have, of course, criticized the way the event was conducted, possibly because they don't dare criticize the event itself.
Later...
- I wasn't able to journey to Tucson for the event :( , but was able to make it to the headquarters of the Arizona Democratic Party in Phoenix. There, dozens of people from all over the Valley gathered together to view the service.
- The service was marked less by politics (there weren't any, and no one where I was complained about that fact, either) and more by *humanity*. The opening blessing by Dr. Carlos Gonzalez was a personalized Native American one - after asking the Creator for blessings for all, he asked for a "little blessing" for his son in Afghanistan.
The blessing...
- Daniel Hernandez, the UA student and Giffords intern whose quick thinking and actions are credited with saving Congresswoman Giffords' life, received a standing ovation that reached all the way to Phoenix.
He tried to humbly claim that he isn't a real hero, that people like Congresswoman Giffords, Dr. Rhee (Giffords' doctor), the first responders, and anyone else who has dedicated their lives to public service is a real hero.
The crowd in Tucson and in Phoenix, and later the Commander-in-Chief, disagreed.
I think it's safe to defer to the Commander-in-Chief's judgement on this one. :)
- Governor Jan Brewer spoke. She needs to stop reading other people's words. At Saturday's press conference held in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, her words were heartfelt and sincere. Today, her words sounded stilted and calculated. She sounded like she was reaching for emotional profundity. She didn't succeed.
She could also learn a lesson from two of the other speakers, Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder. While neither can be called a "gifted" public speaker, both are "skilled" public speakers. They hit their marks and got off the stage.
- Based on the reaction of the crowd, Janet Napolitano is more popular today than even when she left Arizona for D.C. and the job of Secretary of Homeland Security. The cheers for her were much longer for her than for Brewer, and if that didn't send the message, the shout of "We miss you Janet!" from the crowd did.
Napolitano speaking
- As for President Obama's remarks, there were too many high points to list them all here, but for me, the passage invoking the youngest victim, Christina Taylor Green, and her asprirations, so tragically cut off, was the most moving of all of his remarks -
I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.
The video of the President's speech, courtesy PBS Newshour -
In other news, at least tangentially-related to the events -
- Sarah Palin signalled the end to her presidential ambitions with a video response to recent calls to tone down her rhetoric, laden with militant and violent imagery. She essentially said that her violent words don't contribute to violence, but others' criticism of her violent words does (huh?). She also used a hateful anti-semitic slur, "blood libel," to portray herself as much a victim as the Jewish Congresswoman laying critically injured in a hospital.
On a day that was all about community, shared grief, and collective hope (Gabby opened her eyes! YES!!), Palin tried to make it all about herself.
- LD20 GOP chairman Anthony Miller resigned from his position due to threats to himself and his family from tea party types.
- Conservative folks have, of course, criticized the way the event was conducted, possibly because they don't dare criticize the event itself.
Later...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The text of President Obama's speech at tonight's memorial service in Tucson
From The American Spectator (as prepared for delivery; there were some differences between what is here and what was actually said - Gabby opened her eyes!! :))) ) (link courtesy Sonoran Alliance. The comments at both The American Spectator and Sonoran Alliance, unfortunately, show that President Obama words didn't reach everybody. :( ) -
To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.More on tonight's service later...
There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: the hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy pull through.
As Scripture tells us:
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff, and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech. They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders – representatives of the people answering to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” – just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.
That is the quintessentially American scene that was shattered by a gunman’s bullets. And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday – they too represented what is best in America.
Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. A graduate of this university and its law school, Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain twenty years ago, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and rose to become Arizona’s chief federal judge. His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his Representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons, and his five grandchildren.
George and Dorothy Morris – “Dot” to her friends – were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together, traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their Congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. Both were shot. Dot passed away.
A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she’d often work under her favorite tree, or sometimes sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better.
Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together – about seventy years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families, but after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy’s daughters put it, “be boyfriend and girlfriend again.” When they weren’t out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with their dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers.
Everything Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion – but his true passion was people. As Gabby’s outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits they had earned, that veterans got the medals and care they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved – talking with people and seeing how he could help. Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancée, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year.
And then there is nine year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student, a dancer, a gymnast, and a swimmer. She often proclaimed that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age, and would remind her mother, “We are so blessed. We have the best life.” And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate.
Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken – and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.
Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. And I can tell you this – she knows we’re here and she knows we love her and she knows that we will be rooting for her throughout what will be a difficult journey.
And our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others. We are grateful for Daniel Hernandez, a volunteer in Gabby’s office who ran through the chaos to minister to his boss, tending to her wounds to keep her alive. We are grateful for the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. We are grateful for a petite 61 year-old, Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer’s ammunition, undoubtedly saving some lives. And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and emergency medics who worked wonders to heal those who’d been hurt.
These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, all around us, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, just waiting to be summoned – as it was on Saturday morning.
Their actions, their selflessness, also pose a challenge to each of us. It raises the question of what, beyond the prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. How can we honor the fallen? How can we be true to their memory?
You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations – to try to impose some order on the chaos, and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health systems. Much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.
But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.
Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “when I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.
For the truth is that none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped those shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind.
So yes, we must examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.
But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.
After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose someone in our family – especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken from our routines, and forced to look inward. We reflect on the past. Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in awhile but every single day?
So sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.
That process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions – that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. For those who were harmed, those who were killed – they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. We may not have known them personally, but we surely see ourselves in them. In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners. Phyllis – she’s our mom or grandma; Gabe our brother or son. In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America’s fidelity to the law. In Gabby, we see a reflection of our public spiritedness, that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union.
And in Christina…in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic and full of magic.
So deserving of our love.
And so deserving of our good example. If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.
The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better in our private lives – to be better friends and neighbors, co-workers and parents. And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud. It should be because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country, and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American dream to future generations.
I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.
That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.
I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.
Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all of the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.”
If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. And here on Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.
May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America.
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