Arizona Borderlands Democrats

April 1, 2010

In this time of political gridlock and divisiveness in our political discourse, conservative extremists (including some local Sonoita citizens) are making their views known in no uncertain terms. In response, the leadership team of the Arizona Borderlands Democrats would like to state our position on some key points of contention. In doing so, we affirm the fact that the Sonoita/Elgin/Patagonia region is made up of individuals with diverse opinions, including many who hold moderate and progressive views and believe government has an important role to play in addressing the issues that face our nation.

National Debt and Federal Budget Deficits – Need for a Balanced Solution

We believe that the size of the national debt is a serious issue and that annual federal budget deficits can only be addressed through a combination of spending constraints and rational tax policy. To control spending, we must reform entitlement programs (Social Security and Medicare), restructure health care spending, and restrain spending in all parts of the federal budget, including the military. It is unrealistic to think we can solve the debt and deficit problems on the spending side alone. We support the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and other prudent measures that increase tax revenues.

Bank Bailouts and the Stimulus Package – Distasteful but Necessary

We believe that the financial crisis was caused largely by greed and excessive risk taking on the part of Wall Street, troublesome and sometimes predatory lending practices, and the lack of effective regulatory systems for the financial and mortgage industries. A broad consensus among economists exists that the bailout of the banks and passage of the Recovery Act were necessary measures to prevent our economy from plunging into even deeper recession. The financial crisis was in full swing when the Obama Administration took office and we support the aggressive measures taken to avert further disaster. We also support the passage of the financial system regulatory legislation being considered by Congress, and we support aggressive enforcement of regulatory law.

Government Is Part of the Solution – Rejection of Anti-Government Rhetoric

We believe that government (federal, state, and local) plays an important and sometimes vital role in our society. Talk of “dismantling” the federal government, abolishing the Federal Reserve, abolishing the IRS, and the like is unrealistic. We do not believe there is a conspiracy afoot to take away our liberties and impose tyranny or socialism. Extremist views further polarize our politics and make it more difficult to solve problems. Compromise and moderation at this time would be far more constructive.

Health Care Reform

We support the recent passage of health care legislation that “bends the curve” on health care spending, eliminates harmful insurance industry practices, provides greater access to health care to the uninsured, and eventually will make health care more affordable. The new law is moderate in scope and does not represent a “massive takeover” of the health care sector by the government.

Political Process Reform

We support meaningful reform of our political processes that would facilitate effective governance and decrease the influence of money and special interests. This includes modification of the Senate filibuster rule and increased public financing of political campaigns.

There are no simplistic solutions to these and other pressing issues. Our elected officials should be held accountable to exhibit compromise, moderation, and good faith in doing the people’s business.

Sincerely,

Arizona Borderlands Democrats Leadership Team

Charles Doolittle Lois Kolesar Beverly Parker

Morris Farr John Michael Yvette Rehurek

Juanita Havill

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ABD members interested in tracking important votes cast by their representatives can do so online.

Here are three sites that offer up-to-date information:

www.vote-smart.org

Non-profit, dedicated to access to abundant, accurate, and relevant information to help American citizens make discerning decisions in electing government representatives. Among other information this site features elected representatives' and candidates' responses to the National Political Awareness Test (NPAT). For more information, check out the site. Richard Kimball, one of the founders, is slated to speak at an upcoming ABD meeting.

www.MegaVote.com

This site identifies legislative bills and offers tallies and specifics on the voting. It links to sites that provide information on current legislation, key votes, and Capitol Hill basics. You can sign up for updates on your representatives' votes.

www.govtrack.us

An independent, non-partisan, non-commercial website founded in September 2004 by Joshua Tauberer, a graduate student in linguistics. Provides information and tracks legislative events in Congress.

Juanita Havill

Rick Renzi, (R-AZ), the Congressional District 1 is in hot water. The FBI is investigating for a sweetheart land swap that was one of the reasons the Federal Prosecutor in Arizona was dumped by Alberto Gonzalez for no apparent reason.

Renzi resigned his positions on all Congressional committees but for the moment is resisting resigning from Congress. Democrats are lining up in case Renzi sees the error of his ways and does resign rather than serve under a cloud for the rest of his term.

If he resigns Gov. Janet Napolitano has 10 days to set a special election date. There will be a special primary 105 days following the resignation and then a special general election 35 days after the special primary.

Candidates include Ellen Simon. She is a former ACLU lawyer who ran against Renzi in 2006 and came within 3 percentage points of turfing him out. Other Democratic contenders -- at the moment -- are State Representative Ann Kirkpatrick; Jim Pederson the 2006 Democratic Senate candidate; Bob Mitchell, former mayor of Casa Grande and brother of Rep. Harry Mitchell, Jim Ledbetter, an attorney; Kim Titla, a TV newscaster and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta.

If this occurs and if a Democrat wins our party will have a majority of the Arizona Congressional delegation. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) created a special election fund in anticipation of a Renzi resignation. "This is the first time we've created a fund of this nature," a DCCC spokesman said.

If you choose to join the fray log onto the DCCC's web site or contact me for more details.

Renzi was elected in the first place by smearing his Democratic opponent. Our candidate in 2002 was a Hispanic attorney from, I think, Globe. Renzi has been reelected by premier performance in delivering pork to the Navajo Nation though he subsequently double crossed the Navajo by ignoring their objections to the expansion of the Arizona Snow Bowl in Flagstaff into land that the Indians hold as sacred. The Nation's objection was that snow making was going to use brown water.

Pretty exciting.

John

Tell Congress to Maintain the Ban on IMET to Guatemala

Contact your representatives and senators and urge them to maintain the ban
on International Military Education and Training (IMET) in the final version
of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill.

In June, for the first time since 1990, the House of Representatives lifted
the ban on IMET to Guatemala. The Senate, however, maintained the ban in
its version of the Appropriations Bill. Congress is now in recess, and
staff from the House and Senate subcommittees are beginning to reconcile the
two versions of the bill. NOW is the time to contact your representatives
and senators to tell them to follow the Senate version of the Appropriations
Bill and ask that the ban on full IMET to Guatemala be maintained!

Guatemala has not yet made the substantive reforms necessary to justify a
removal of the ban on IMET. The Guatemalan military has yet to be held
accountable for its past abuses and continues to commit abuses against the
Guatemalan people. Resuming assistance now would reward the military for
continued human rights violations.

**CALL** the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to reach the offices of
your senators and representative. When you’re transferred to the office, ask
to speak to or leave a message for the foreign policy staffer.
It is especially important to contact the members of the Senate and House
Foreign operations subcommittees (see below).

If you speak to the aide of a senator, thank him or her and urge continued
support of the maintainance of the ban in the final version of the
Appropriations Bill. If you are speaking to the aide of a congressional
representative, stress that now is not the time to lift the ban and urge
your member of Congress to adopt the Senate language in the final version of
the Bill. Be sure to remind your senator or representative that the
Guatemalan military continues to carry out unprovoked acts of violence against its own people. In 2004, the National Human Rights Movement reported 122 attacks against human rights defenders. Military intelligence structures are strongly implicated in these attacks.

Rep. Kolbe is largely responsible for lifting the IMET ban in the House
version. It is especially important that he hears from constituents about

By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
Published: May 27, 2005
London

Shut it down. Just shut it down.

I am talking about the war-on-terrorism P.O.W. camp at Guantánamo Bay. Just shut it down and then plow it under. It has become worse than an embarrassment. I am convinced that more Americans are dying and will die if we keep the Gitmo prison open than if we shut it down. So, please, Mr. President, just shut it down.

"Should any political party attempt to abolish social security,
unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you
would not hear of that party again in our political history.

There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes that you can do
these things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires, and an
occasional politician or businessman from other
areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid."

----President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1952-----

March 31, 2005

The Editor
Nogales International
268 W. View Point Drive
Nogales, AZ 85621

Sir,

Senator Jon Kyle’s guest opinion published in the March 29 issue of the Nogales International continues to cloak the Republican plan to end the social security system by referring to a “crisis” of funding.

Republicans want to change the current system from one of defined benefits to one of defined contributions. Every working American will contribute a set amount into a “personal” or “private” account. Whatever they save will be all they will have to live on at retirement whether they live for 10 or 30 years.

The current system was designed to protect Americans that are too old to work from poverty. It pays a set amount to the retired person every month for the rest of their life. That’s why it is called Social Security.

Republican proposals will replace that with a Personal Insecurity system. The Party is consistent in that the greatest beneficiaries of “personal accounts” will be those Americans who earn the most money while the lowest income workers will be left with no protection from want in their last years.

Sincerely,


John Michael
Sonoita

Dear MoveOn member in Arizona,

As you prepare to vote, we'd like to highlight a key question that will be on the ballot.

Your "NO" vote will be critical to stopping Proposition 200, a terrible, racist measure masquerading as "immigration reform."

Pushed by an extreme anti-immigration group, Prop. 200 would force all Arizonans to present birth certificates or passports to receive public services -- and to vote. It would require public employees to report to federal authorities anyone who can't present these documents, and it would jail public employees (including doctors, teachers, firefighters, librarians, and social workers) who make an error in enforcing immigration laws.

Prop. 200 would discourage citizens and residents alike from seeking medical care or childhood immunizations. It would encourage racial profiling in schools, hospitals, and polling places. And it would cost Arizona taxpayers millions in needless prosecutions, incarcerations, and lawsuits.

Prop. 200 is opposed unanimously by Arizona's Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Green parties, by business, labor, Latino, and church groups, by doctors, firefighters, and police, and by Governor Janet Napolitano and Arizona's entire Congressional delegation, including Senator John McCain. We urge you to vote NO on Prop. 200.

For more information on Proposition 200, see:

http://www.defeat200.org/

We've attached links to editorials opposing Prop. 200 below.

Thanks for your commitment to ensuring a bright and just future for Arizona and America.

Sincerely,

- Carrie, Joan, Lee, Marika, Noah, Peter, and Wes
  The MoveOn.org Team
  October 28th, 2004

P.S.: Here are a few key editorials about this ballot measure.

No on Prop. 200: It's not the solution
Arizona Republic, September 12, 2004
http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/editorial/articles/0912sun1-12.html

Flawed proposition: Bad for Arizona and for America
Wall Street Journal, September 14, 2004
http://www.defeat200.org/articles/14Sept04.htm

Prop. 200: A Windfall; Immigrants already pay more than they receive
Arizona Daily Star, September 25, 2004
http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/opinion/40415.php

Prop. 200 has friends in Klan, other low places
Tucson Citizen, September 3, 2004
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=opinion&story_id=090304b5_baldenegro

I fault this president for not knowing what death is. He does not suffer the death of our 21-year-olds who wanted to be what they could be. On the eve of D-Day in 1944 General Eisenhower prayed to God for the lives of the young soldiers he knew were going to die. He knew what death was. Even in a justifiable war, a war not of choice but of necessity, a war of survival, the cost was almost more than Eisenhower could bear.

But this president does not know what death is. He hasn't the mind for it. You see him joking with the press, peering under the table for the weapons of mass destruction he can't seem to find, you see him at rallies strutting up to the stage in shirt sleeves to the roar of the carefully screened crowd, smiling and waving, triumphal, a he-man.

View the new ads on the 10 Weeks campaign by MoveOn.org and then contribute to get them on the air!

By C.J. Karamargin

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney.
 
The Star refused to provide the information.

Cheney is scheduled to appear at a rally this afternoon at the Pima County Fairgrounds.
 
A rally organizer for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign asked Teri Hayt, the Star's managing editor, to disclose the journalist's race on Friday. After Hayt refused, the organizer called back and said the journalist probably would be allowed to photograph the vice president.
 
"It was such an outrageous request, I was personally insulted," Hayt said later.
 
Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the president's re-election campaign, said the information was needed for security purposes.

Arizona Borderland Democrats will
“Rock the Vote”
at La Mision in Patagonia, Sunday August 15th, 3 - 6 pm
Come Join Us, have a ball and raise $ to Get Out the Vote in Santa Cruz County!

Great Music by “Soul Cake”
Appetizers & Cash Bar -- Candidates, Interesting people like you

ABD is working to match a $4000 challenge grant to Get Out the Vote for the Primary Election 9/07/04 & General Election 11/02/04. Help us do it!
Tickets $10 for ABD members $15 for non members (it’s $5 to join ABD)
For tickets call Jack Cox, 456-2327 or email the Exec. Board of ABD

This Sunday is an exciting ABD Meeting
with all SCC Democratic candidates invited,
Gabriel Giffords, State Senator, speaking
and a
POTLUCK!
Bring a Dish (a large one) and your own eating equipment.
Soda, etc will be provided.

Come, ask questions, meet candidates and have fun!

Vista Michael, an active Democrat