Pederson promised that if elected, he will fight to make health care more affordable for Arizona’s seniors.  Specifically, he will work to lower the costs of prescription drugs by letting government negotiate drug prices and by allowing the re-importation of prescription drugs from countries like Canada and Mexico.  “This would reverse Senator Kyl’s six votes against re-importation,” Pederson said.  “Kyl also was the deciding vote prohibiting Medicare from negotiating lower prices with the big pharmaceutical companies.”

He also promised to “fix” Medicare Part D by eliminating the penalty on those who miss an artificial and unnecessary deadline, filling the “doughnut hole” coverage gap, and giving seniors more flexibility by allowing penalty-free plan switching if a required prescription becomes unavailable under a chosen plan.

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.  Responding to the charge in Kyl’s television ads that Pederson supports candidates who are too liberal, he said he “never has thought of Arizona as being as extremely conservative as people out of state think we are.  Most people agree with us (Democrats) on the issues but haven’t had the message or candidate communicate that.”

Pederson said that in a recent meeting with former President Clinton, he asked Clinton how to react to negative attacks.  Clinton told him not to sink to the attackers’ level but to respond in a civil way and “stand tall and let people know what you believe in.”

Pederson said opponents also have used words “to paint us (Democrats) into a corner.”  If Democrats want equal access to the health care system for all Americans, “we can’t be trapped by someone calling that socialized medicine,” he said.  Responding to a question from the audience about wedge issues like “God, guns and gays,” Pederson said these issues are being used to divert people from real issues like health care, education and jobs.

Likewise, Pederson said “amnesty” is a trigger word to confuse and divide people on immigration issues.  “I am not in favor of amnesty,” Pederson said, “but we have to be realistic and pragmatic about the problem.  We need to reinforce the border and provide a path to citizenship, but we can’t expect to deport 12 million people as Senator Kyl wants to do.”

Concerning Iraq, Pederson said he favors a controlled pullback to strategic points in the Gulf like aircraft carriers and Kuwait.  “By the end of 2007, we should have a minimal presence in Iraq,” he said.  “And if we are serious about terrorism, we must unite the world in the fight against terrorists and go after them where they are.”

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 a guest speaker at the first annual Pinal County Democratic Picnic April 29 in Casa Grande.  More than 300 people attended that event.

Another national Democratic candidate, Gabrielle Giffords, was scheduled to speak to SaddleBrooke Democrats at the June 10 meeting of the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club.  Giffords is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressional District 8.  Previously, SBDC meetings featured appearances by Congressional candidates Patty Weiss and Jeff Latas.

Giffords, considered by many to be the front runner in the hotly contested September primary race, is the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate.  She gave up her seat to run for the U.S. House.  A native Tucsonan and a graduate of Scripps College and Cornell University with a master’s degree in regional planning, she is the former president and chief executive officer of El Campo Tire.

During her five years in the state legislature, Giffords worked on legislation to expand health care coverage for Arizona families, to create and attract high-wage jobs to Arizona, and to protect Arizona’s environment and open spaces.  “I’ve worked hard to represent you at the state capitol,” she said.  “With your help, I will take our fight to improve education, expand health care coverage and protect our environment to Washington, DC.”

The July 8 meeting of the SaddleBrooke Democratic Club will feature guest speaker Israel Torres, candidate for Arizona Secretary of State.  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.