E-letter #32 - Nov. 2009
To: All Interested District 10 Democrats
From: Rivko Knox, Secretary, bvaandrk@earthlink.net
* Upcoming Events – Get Your Calendars Out!!! Something for Everyone!!!
* Sat., Dec. 5 – County Convention. Open to all Dems. 8:30 a.m., Boot Camp for new PCs (or anyone interested in becoming more active); 9-10 registration; and 10 a.m. meeting. Plumbers & Pipefitters Halls, 3109 N. 24th St, Just N of Thomas, E side of 24th.
* Sunday, Dec. 6 – D 10 Holiday Potluck, 4-7 p.m. Everyone welcome; for address and other details contact Susan Archibald at srans_dybmc@yahoo.com.
* Tuesday, Dec. 15 – First Meeting of the ‘Drinking Liberally’ non-club, 4-7 p.m. Lone Star Steakhouse, 10004 N. 26th Dr. (N of Dunlap on I-17 E access road). Reduced price drinks and hors d-oeuvres. Come to enjoy and talk politics!!
* Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 – Monthly D 10 Dems Meeting. 7 p.m., location and speaker to be announced.
* Sat., Jan. 16, 2010. Mofford Merit Award Dinner. Details to follow.
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D 10 Candidates for 2010.
As of the end of November 2009, three candidates have come to District 10 meetings to announce their intention to run for the AZ Legislature. They are: *Jackie Thrasher, for the House (see next article). She represented D 10 in the AZ House from 2004-06 and lost by a v-e-r-y slim margin to Rep. Doug Quelland (who has now been found to have violated the Clean Elections law & told to resign his House seat); *Mark Hammond, for the House; and *Justin Johnson for the AZ Senate. Thrasher can be reached at www.jackiethrasher.com; Hammond at 602-677-2811 & Johnson at justin@johnson4.com. Also Edy Blackwell has filed to run for the House as a D. Watch this E-letter for updates about all the candidates.
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Former lawmaker Jackie Thrasher announces 2010 bid for State Representative in Phoenix’s District 10
PHOENIX – Jackie Thrasher, a teacher & former member of the AZ House announced her bid to return to the House in 2010 to represent D 10…“Our current representatives have forgotten what they were sent to do,” said Thrasher… “Mortgaging the future of our state while balancing the budget on the backs of our children, seniors & families in D & everywhere is unacceptable.” Thrasher outlined three top issues…“First & foremost, AZ must invest in education by properly funding our public schools & state universities so students will be prepared to compete in the global economy,” she said. “Second, we must restore funds to crucial safety-net services affecting those most in need. And third, our public-safety agencies must be provided the resources to keep us safe in our homes & communities.” Aaron Jahneke, who serves on the WESD Board, said he will support Thrasher…because she understands the needs of D10 residents. “Returning Jackie to the House will give our community much more responsive representation,” he said. …in the House, Thrasher served on the Transportation Committee, where she sponsored legislation such as the Teen Driver Safety Act, which created a graduated driver’s license program…served on the Ed Committee, where she fought to preserve funding for Arizona’s schools…lost her bid for re-election in 2008 by just 553 votes. “My return to the Arizona Legislature will bring common-sense leadership during this time of economic downturn as we work to diversify our economy, create jobs and move Arizona forward,” she said. (10/14/09).
Elect Republicans & What do you get??????? ….vastly reduced financial support to public schools (while AZ loses money via tax credits for private and religious schools!!) and for DES, which provides for those who can least help themselves. We can’t allow this to go on. Please voice your displeasure to the current D 10 Legislators and the Legislative leadership AND plan to contribute your time and money to help elect Ds in 2010. See above for those who already have announced their intentions to really represent D 10 next year and people who care about our children and those in need!! Even tho this phase is over, please call the Governor (602-542-4331), Sen. Linda Grey (602-926-3376), Rep. Jim Weiers (602-928-4173) and Rep. Doug Quelland – while he’s still there – (602-928-3024) and tell them what you think of their actions!!!
*************************************************************************************************SO WHO IS VIRGINIA GINTNER??? Getting to know your D 10 Activists Virginia, a long time PC in Voltaire Precinct says: “My roots are from the great city of Chicago. My parents were both Republicans (grandparents were Democrats) but when
I vote the first time I voted Democratic & have never missed any election in all my 75 years. At age 12 or so, I really thought about going into politics but never told anyone. In Oklahoma, I was presented as an honorary page in their House of Representatives. I also lived in Ankeny, Iowa & Dallas, Texas before moving to AZ in 1976. I was married for 46 years. Fast forward…. I’ve been in Phoenix for 33 years participating where & when I could for the D Party including as a PC for about 12 years; and I’ve been a friend of Lois Pfau for about 24 years… she knows everyone & is my mentor!! My husband was also very involved in the D Party & I’ve very proud to say my son Bryan is also active, i.e., he contacts all the AZ Senators & Reps each year by addressing ALL bills that go through the Legislature. As a side note I am a retired nurse & a very happy & blessed person.”
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CONGRATULATIONS TO JOHN THRASHER…former candidate for CD 2 who was the soloist performing the Taps on Veteran’s Day at The Veteran’s special parade and event at 7th Ave and Indian School Rd….he is a member of VFW Post #1433.
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Update from the Washington Elementary School District Board: Aaron Jahneke, Governing Board Member, Washington Elementary District 6 (former D 10 Chair & PC Golden Precinct) Thanks to all of you who supported and voted for the K-3 override renewal! Due to your continued support our district will be able to continue funding smaller K-3 classroom sizes, literacy labs, reading intervention specialists and also pay for the additional costs associated with all-day Kindergarten that are not covered by the state. There is no question these funds have benefited students and helped increase their achievement. I am continually amazed with the progress the district is making. We had two schools win green school grants for outstanding grant proposals. Because of their efforts, Roadrunner and Orangewood will both get Leeds certified buildings on their campuses sometime in 2011. Besides the cost savings associated with getting free buildings, Washington can continue to set an example to the rest of the nation as to the importance of energy savings and protecting our planet. For this and countless other reasons, I am so proud to serve the community I grew up in. Our meetings are every other Thursday night at 7 pm in the district office at 4650 W Sweetwater Road. I can be reached at aaron.jahneke@wesdschools .org.
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Capitalism: A Love Story by Michael Moore. “If I were to summarize the message Michael Moore’s new movie, Capitalism: A Love Story in one sentence, it would be this: Capitalism is not a form of government. That’s the answer to the question posed at the beginning of the movie, via 1950s educational/propaganda films…It is a tool we’ve allowed to be used as a weapon. We threw out the instructions and rules for its usage, and it became a weapon — much like a hammer can be used to build a house or smash a skull, depending on whether it’s wielded by a carpenter or a psychopath. Capitalism is not a form of government, nor is it a religion….Rev. Howard Bess has written about the health care reform debate. “As a follower of Jesus from Nazareth, I ask all who have taken the name Christian to remember 1) Jesus was committed to giving people healthy bodies, 2) Jesus had a priority commitment to the poorest of the poor & 3) is warnings to the wealthy & selfish were relentless. It’s not money that’s “the root of all evil,” …misquoting of scripture would suggest. It’s the love of money that’s the “root of all evil.” … Money, or profit, is not the problem. It’s what we do with it, and what we do for it, that makes the difference. If it becomes our only reason for doing anything we are, as a country, lost. Capitalism is not a form of government, nor is it a religion. It’s a tool, turned into a weapon by our abandoning rules and guidelines for its use…Moore seeks out those who have picked up those tools and are re-learning how to use them. (Excerpts from an article by Terrance Heath, 10/2/09)
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HONOR THY MOTHER OR ??
That’s just about literally what Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said the other day when Sen. Jon Kyl proposed an amendment to prohibit the federal government from defining benefits that insurers must offer. “I don’t need maternity care,” Kyl reasoned. “I think your mom probably did,” Stabenow replied. Kyl devised one (amendment) that would “Prohibit the Federal Government’s Takeover of Health Care” by striking the main element of the legislation!!! But other amendments aren’t as easy to explain. (One D-9…prohibited federal funding of “cost-effectiveness research.” By Dana Milbank (From the Washington Sketch, 10/2/09) AND for more….
AZ Republic - Kyl is tuning out his female constituents (by Jennifer Johnson communications director for the Arizona Democratic Party. She previously worked for The Arizona Republic. – 10/15/09)
October has provided two troubling glimpses into Republican Sen. Jon Kyl’s unwillingness to fight for his female constituents. First, he landed in the hot seat by dismissing Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow’s call for basic maternity care to be included in insurance plans. “I don’t need maternity care,” he stated during Senate debate. An editorial in Tuesday’s Republic defended Kyl. He was “debating in the public’s interest” to keep costs down, the editorial stated. But Kyl, and The Republic, missed the point: Women are angry, not just because of Kyl’s remark, but because their senator claims he is fighting to keep costs down. Down for whom? Maternity care costs women dearly. And women can be denied coverage because of so-called “pre-existing conditions” such as a C-section or a previous pregnancy. In general, health insurance costs a 25-year-old woman up to 45 percent more than a man for the same coverage. Shouldn’t you be fighting to keep costs down for women too, Sen. Kyl? The second glimpse into Kyl’s priorities may be even more troubling. Last week, Kyl voted “no” on an amendment that would block defense contracts with companies that prevent employees from suing over sexual assault. In other words, Kyl voted to protect the interests of corporations over the rights of sexual-assault victims. The amendment had been proposed to prevent situations like that of Jamie Leigh Jones, a former contractor for Halliburton/KBR in Iraq who said she was drugged and brutally raped by a group of fellow contractors. Despite solid medical evidence, Jones was blocked from pressing charges in court because her defense contract prevented it. This amendment easily passed in the Senate and even had the support of 10 Republicans. Yet Kyl voted “no.” Women, men - reasonable people everywhere - were rightfully angry about his vote. But this voting pattern isn’t new. Earlier this year, Kyl voted “no” on the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, a measure that strengthens the legal rights of those who suffer gender-based discrimination in the workplace. Again, Kyl sided with protecting businesses instead of women in the workplace.
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TECHNOLOGY — JOHN McCAIN — TOP RECIPIENT OF TELECOM CASH — UNVEILS BILL TO BLOCK NET NEUTRALITY: McCain…introducing the “Internet Freedom Act.” … prohibit the FCC from making sure … Internet service providers don’t create a pay-for-play system where they could selectively block or slow content & applications. ”This government takeover of the Internet will stifle innovation ….depressing an already anemic job market,” read McCain’s press release. “Outside of health care, the technology industry is the nation’s fastest growing job market. … Just this month, Google & Yahoo both released positive earnings reports.” It’s ironic that McCain cited Google & Yahoo as examples of why net neutrality rules need to be blocked given the fact that both companies have said …without such measures, the “longstanding openness of the Internet” will be threatened…telecoms largely support blocking net neutrality rules & McCain …was the top recipient of campaign contributions from the telecom industry in the past 2 years, taking in $894,379…as chair of the Senate Commerce Com. from 1997-2001 & 2003-2005, McCain…opposed a program to provide discounts to schools & libraries to connect to the Internet & supported large telecom mergers… In July 2008, he said he has “never felt the particular need to e-mail.” (Progress Report: 10/26/2009)
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“It’s my duty and pride tonight to be able to announce exactly what the Republicans plan to do for health care in America,” announced Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) on the House floor Wednesday night. Taking out a chart, he continued, “Here it is. The Republican health care plan for America: ‘don’t get sick.’ If you have insurance don’t get sick, if you don’t have insurance, don’t get sick; if you’re sick, don’t get sick. … If you do get sick America, the Republican health care plan is this: ‘die quickly.’” (10/2/09 The Progress Report). While Grayson later admitted that his hyperbole was “tongue-in-cheek,” he stood by his statement and refused to apologize…to the GOP. “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner,” Grayson said, referring to the thousands of Americans who have died because they lacked health insurance (by some counts as high as 45,000 a year).
(Erika Jahneke’s take on Alan Grayson) 1. He speaks from his heart. Too often, you can see why the press gets involved in the horse race or reporting on how deep the rift really goes between Emanuel & Dean or how much McCain staffers hated Sarah Palin’s guts. Some of our problems (and the numbers that it would take to fix them) really are so huge…it becomes easy for lawmakers to behave as if they are playing high-stakes chess & not really think of the situations their constituents are living through. Rep. Grayson is no chess player & I never thought I’d ever quote anything anyone wrote in my high school yearbook with an eye toward applying it to a member of Congress, but Mr. Grayson? “Stay as sweet as you are & don’t ever change.” Grayson is upset about the uninsured people & he reminds us that we should be too & anything else is gruesome & inappropriate. 2. He doesn’t back down. I have seen far too many Dems …back off on an innocent comment because somebody looking for a fight found one & created some kind of “Why do you hate America?” fauxtrage about it …Grayson kept his focus where it belonged; on the health coverage Americans did not have & on the national failure that represented…I’ve noticed more D’s being more forthright in their public statements in recent weeks & I like that. 3. He earned it. Rep. Grayson grew up in a project. He got where he is because he is smart & he worked his butt off. We should have more scholarship students in Congress. I think, over time, that would lead to Congressional priorities matching up more closely with national ones. He is also very good at creating speeches from the floor you don’t have to translate…
Web Sites PLUS…. Please don’t forget to periodically check these web site www.district10dems.com, www.azdem.org, www.maricopademocrat.com and www.westdems.com.
Please HELP ME Make This YOUR E-letter. Please send suggestions, comments etc.to bvaandrk@earthlink.net.
NOTE: Please note the opinions reflected in this e-letter are those of the editor &contributors ¬ of the D 10 Democratic organization per se. If you want to read ‘different’ stuff, send it to me please!
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HANG ONTO THE LIST BELOW and please use it to let President Obama and the AZ members of Congress know what you want done (and not done) in Washington. * Pres. Obama: 1-202-4546-1111 or www.whitehouse.gov/contact * Sen. John McCain, Ph. 602-952-2410, Fax: 602-952-8702 * Sen. Jon Kyl, 85016-3455, Ph: 602-840-1891, Fax: 602-957-6838 * Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D 1; Ph: 928-445-3434, Fax: 928-445-4160 * Rep. Trent Franks, D 2, Ph. 623-776-7911, Fax: 623-776-7832 * Rep. John Shadegg, D 3, Ph. 602-263-5300, Fax: 602-248-7733 * Rep. Ed Pastor, D 4, Ph: 602-256-0551 Fax: 602-257-9103 * Rep. Harry Mitchell, D 5 ; Ph: 480-946-2411, Fax: 480-946-2446
* Rep. Jeff Flake D 6, Ph: 480-833-0092, Fax: 480-833-6314 * Rep. Raul Grijalva, D 7, Ph: 520-622-6788, Fax: 520-622-0198 * Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D 8, Ph: 520-459-3115, Fax: 520-459-5419.