Voters, candidates excited by party’s chances in 2006 and beyond

May 1, 2006 —  The County Fairgrounds were the hub of Pinal political activity May 29 as hundreds of Democrats and independents gathered for a four-hour, momentum-building picnic and rally.

The picnic, which is expected to be an bi-annual event, raised nearly five thousand dollars for the Democratic Party in Pinal County. More importantly, organizers say, the picnic added considerable energy to an already powerful momentum that many believe will propel Arizona Democrats into office up and down the ballot this November.

"This event turned out exceptionally well," said Joe Robison, chairman of the Pinal County Democrats. "We’ve got candidates and voters here from all over Arizona. They came out here because they believe in the strength of the Democratic Party and in our chances of winning many important victories on Election Day."

Surveying the enthusiastic crowd, Robison added, "The energy here is just amazing."

Dozens of Democratic candidates for state and national offices attended the event, and many addressed the crowd, including Jim Pederson, candidate for U.S. Senate; Terry Goddard, running for re-election as Arizona’s attorney general; Israel Torres, candidate for secretary of state; and Rano Singh, candidate for state treasurer.

Recent polls by Arizona State University indicate that Pederson has narrowed the gap considerably between himself and incumbent Jon Kyl. At the picnic, Pederson emphasized his willingness to work with both sides of the aisle and his desire to embrace "good ideas," whether they come from the left, right or center of the political spectrum. "Come November, we’re going to win this thing," he told the cheering crowd. "Together, we can do it."

Other candidates present included Mark Manoil, running for a seat on the Arizona Corporation Commission; Slade Mead, candidate for superintendent of public instruction; Krista Pacion, candidate for state representative in District 23; and Brenda Oldham, candidate for superior court judge in Division 8.

Democratic clubs and volunteers throughout the county contributed to the successful picnic event. To find a Democratic club in your area, contact Joe Robison at 520-818-2194.

Today, W (worst ever) celebrated the third anniversary of his "mission accomplished" speech by declaring that the war in Iraq had reached a "turning point."  This turning point is not be be confused with previous turning points!  Click here to read the disgusting story.  Remember nearly 2,500 American troups dead, a smaller number of American "contractors" dead or missing and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians who became "collateral damage."

The latest news on global warming is not good news, unless of course, you’re an Republican.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a scientific group sponsored by the United Nations, now predicts a 5 degree increase in global temperatures over the next 40 years.  That will be enough to create drought and famine for hundreds of millions.  These predictions are made on the optimistic assumption that global greenhouse emissions will shortly begin to fall.  Unfortunately these optimistic assumptions presume that the United States will begin to recognize that global warming is a reality and that we Americans will begin modifying our behavior to limit our production of such greenhouse gases.

Click here for a story carried by the London Times online.

Jeri Jameson is opening her home to a Candidate Party at 3:30 pm on May 9th.  Call ahead for a reservation; you can reach Jeri at 825-4033.  Her home is located in Unit 10A at 37951 S. Boulder Ridge Dr.

Candidate Guests will include:

• Jeff Latas, Congressional Candidate in CD #8
• Jason Williams, Candidate for Arizona Superintendent of Schools
• Lena Saradnik, Candidate for Arizona House LD #26

There will be light refreshments; bring your friends!

Originally, W (worst ever) admitted to "very narrow servelences" of citizens private conversations.  As more and more infomation becomes available, it is apparent that perhaps a majority of all phone conversations are being recorded and monitored by computer or other means.  Lest we forget the "Enemy’s List" that Richard Nixon (former worst ever) maintained, it is a reasonable deduction that our White House and the Republicans are using these recordings for political purposes. 

Click here to read a recent story in the International Hearld Tribune.

Today’s story about the new tax cuts highlights the hipocrisy of the latest efforts by the Republicans to pander to the super-rich.  According to experts, " you might notice some relief if you make $100,000 to $200,000.  But if you’re laying bricks or work as a bank teller, you might wonder what all the fuss is about."

We could add that if you’re on a fixed income there will be almost no impact unless you have income over $150,000 and pay the alternative minimum tax.

On another front, the House of Representatives passed a defense appropriation bill of just over half a trillion dollars. 

Click here to read about it in the Christian Science Monitor.

Margaret Dugan, a Republican and deputy director of Superintendent of Schools, came to give a speech to students at Tucson High Magnet School here in Tucson.  It turned into a mini-protest.  The Republicans apparently wanted to get "equal opportunity" following a recent speech by Delores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, who uttered the imortal words "Republicans Hate Latinos" recently in another speech to high schoolers.

Well, her reception was marred by some rowdy students.  Tsk Tsk.  The students removed outer T-shirts to reveal undershirts with messages like "You can silence our voices but not our spirit" and "Proposition 203 is Anti-Latino."

Click here to read it in the Tucson Star.

Democrat Slade Mead Tells Goals for AZ Schools

By Karen Schickedanz
Former Arizona State Senator Slade Mead, who is running in the September Democratic primary for State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was the featured speaker at the May meeting of the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club.

Mead, who chaired the Senate Education Committee, was a member of the Republican caucus while he was in the Arizona Senate.  But while there, he said he realized the Republican leadership in the legislature was “out to dismantle public education in Arizona.”  As a result, he became allied with Governor Napolitano in blocking legislation that he believes would have pushed bad public policy on the state.  On the education committee, he thwarted all voucher bills and worked to maintain adequate school funding.

Mead’s position resulted in his being defeated in the 2004 Republican primary, and he then joined the Democratic Party at the invitation of Napolitano and then Arizona Democratic Party Chair Jim Pederson, who now is running for the U.S. Senate.

Mead told SBDC members his priority is “saving education in Arizona.”  Specifically, he would work to fix certification problems connected with the No Child Left Behind act and improve the way the AIMS test is administered.  In addition, he would break down the AIMS test into strands to identify a student’s weaknesses so that Arizona’s dropout rate—currently the highest in the country—improves.  With Arizona having a teacher shortage of approximately 4,500, Mead said he also thinks the state should make it easier for highly qualified teachers from other states to come here without having to be recertified.

Mead, who is running against Jason Williams in the Democratic primary, has been endorsed by the Arizona Education Association.

Another speaker at the May SBDC meeting was Ruben Gallego, the campaign manager of the Arizona Together coalition.  This is a group of civic organizations from across the state who have come together to defeat the proposed “Protect Marriage Arizona” amendment to the state constitution.  Gallego explained that the amendment not only would stop gays and lesbians from marrying—which already is prohibited in Arizona—but would prevent gay or straight family members who are not legally married to their partner from receiving medical and other benefits if their partner works for the state or an Arizona city or school district.

Mark Manoil, who is running for a seat on the Corporation Commission, also spoke briefly.  A fourth-generation Arizonan, he has a law degree and an MBA with 19 years’ experience as a real estate lawyer.  Arizona does not have a comprehensive energy policy, Manoil said, and, “We need leadership in Phoenix for renewable energy such as solar power.”

The Corporation Commission, which currently is all Republican, is the regulatory commission for utility and telephone rates, private water and sewer, the securities industry and large power plants.

The next meeting of the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club, featuring U.S. House candidate Gabrielle Giffords, will begin with a half-hour social time at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 10, in the SaddleBrooke Activities Center, 64518 Galveston Lane.  All are welcome to attend.

Jim Pederson, the Democratic candidate for United States Senate is bringing his campaign to defeat Jon Kyl to SaddleBrooke.  Jim will be at the Mountain View Clubhouse on Friday morning, May 26th at 11am.  Jim Pederson will make a major address regarding Healthcare and Medicare where he is expected to set forth his position on these two vital campaign issues.

Recent polls indicate that healthcare, medical costs, and the availability medical insurance is one of the two or three most important issues in the minds of Arizona residents (Immigration and Education are also in the top three).  So, plan to come to meet him and hear about his views. 

SaddleBrooke Democrats Have Full Summer Schedule

By Karen Schickedanz
The temperatures may be hitting triple digits, but SaddleBrooke Democrats haven’t slowed down—the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club has a full schedule of summer activities planned.

Heading up the list of events is a special appearance May 26 by Jim Pederson, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, at the MountainView Clubhouse.  He will devote most of his comments to topics of special interest to SaddleBrooke residents—health care and Medicare issues.  Pederson promised that if elected, he will fight to make health care more affordable and accessible for Arizona’s middle class and small businesses.  He also will work to lower the costs of prescription drugs by letting government negotiate drug prices and allowing the re-importation of prescription drugs from countries like Canada.

A native Arizonan, Pederson previously was chair of the Arizona Democratic Party and worked tirelessly to help elect Janet Napolitano to the Governor’s seat and bring the kind of leadership to the state that today is making a positive difference to the lives of middle class Arizonans.

The oldest of six boys, Pederson grew up in Casa Grande and worked his way through the University of Arizona, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public administration.  After working several years for the City of Phoenix, Pederson began working in commercial development.  Rising to the position of manager for all of Westcor’s shopping centers, Pederson then formed the Pederson Group in 1983.  Since then, his company has developed more than 25 retail projects throughout the state, creating thousands of jobs and receiving numerous awards for excellence.

SaddleBrooke residents previously had the opportunity to meet Pederson when he was keynote speaker at the first annual Pinal County Democratic Picnic April 29 in Casa Grande.  More than 300 people attended the event.  In addition, a reception for Pederson will be held at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 2 at the HomeStyle Galleries, 2950 W. Ina Rd. (at Shannon) next to LA Fitness.  Suggested donation is $50.  Call Carolyn Badger at 818-1628 for more information.

Coming up next on the SBDC agenda is the Saturday, June 10 meeting featuring Gabrielle Giffords, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressional District 8.  Giffords, who follows previous appearances in SaddleBrooke by Congressional candidates Patty Weiss and Jeff Latas, is considered by many to be the front runner in the hotly contested primary race.

The meeting will begin with a half-hour social time at 3 p.m. at the SaddleBrooke Activities Center, 64518 Galveston Lane.  Attendees are invited to attend a potluck after the meeting at the home of June and Stan Boicourt.  Please call the Boicourts at 818-6607 if you plan to attend.

The youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate, Giffords gave up her seat to run for the U.S. House.  A native Tucsonan and a graduate of Cornell University with a master’s degree in regional planning, she is the former president and chief executive officer of El Campo Tire.

The July 8 meeting of the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club will feature guest speaker Israel Torres, candidate for Arizona Secretary of State.  The potluck supper after the meeting will be at the home of Suzanne and Bill Brown, 818-0773.