Constituent Mail: Stolen SLIF Monies

This afternoon I recieved a passionate email from a property owner in Lake Havasu City who had read an article about the recent robbing of State Lake Improvement Funds from the Arizona State Parks Department for the purpose of attempting to balance the state budget.

Along with my response, I have included a link to the article about this that appeared in the Today's News Herald.

http://www.havasunews.com/articles/2008/07/23/news/doc4886b360e247b023412416.txt


Dear Mr. John Q Public,

Thank you for taking the time to write me, voicing your outrage at the announcement of the cancellation of SLIF grants previously awarded to Lake Havasu City by the AZ State Parks Department. I fought tooth and nail to prevent State Lake Improvement Funds from being stolen. Unfortunately uncontrolled spending and unrestrained greed by our current governor and legislators on both sides of the aisle have contributed to the $2.3 Billion Dollar Shortfall we now face. To address this issue, supporters of the recently enacted budget stole money from every designated fund in addition to borrowing $2 Million MORE dollars to dig us further into debt. Mr. JQ Public, as a fiscal conservative I continuously fight for prudent spending of taxpayer money with priorities on transportation infrastructure (including SLIF dollars), public safety, and education.

I understand your frustration as it echos my own. If I am re-elected I hope to continue this battle, restoring and then preserving stolen designated funds.

Most respectfully,

Upcoming Event~ Polygamy Town Hall

The Utah/Arizona Safety Net Committee Presents:

MEDIA & POLYGAMY~TELLING THE STORY

May 8, 2008 - 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Dixie Center
1835 Convention Center Dr • St. George, Utah

Polygamists, social workers, law enforcement agencies and reporters will gather for a panel discussion and training session to identify obstacles and best practices for reporting about polygamous families.

Here are the goals for the session:

• Help journalists seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be held accountable.
• Help polygamists and people working with polygamists provide information in a way that is accurate, fair and minimizes harm, especially to children.

The training session will be followed by a Town Hall Meeting to discuss the work of the Safety Net Committee and to solicit ideas and feedback from the public.

MEDIA & POLYGAMY: TELLING THE STORY

1:00-2:00 p.m. Polygamous Community Panel
Christine Brown - Apostolic United Brethren (AUB)
Heidi Foster - Davis County Co-Op
Vicki Kelsch - Independents
Joyce Steed - Centennial Park
Anne Wilde - Principle Voices (Moderator)

2:00-3:00 p.m. Social Service Provider & Law Enforcement Panel
Gary Arnold - Arizona Department of Economic Security
Michelle Benward - New Frontiers for Families
Shannon Price - Diversity Foundation
Donnalee Sarda - Defenders of Children Executive Director
Greg Smith - Mohave County Sheriff’s Department Captain
Elaine Tyler - Hope Organization
Joni Holm - Child Advocate (Moderator)

3:00-4:00 p.m. Media Panel
Brooke Adams Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake City
Brent Hunsaker KTVX-TV, Salt Lake City
Mike Watkiss KTVK-TV, Phoenix
Ben Winslow Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Paul Murphy Utah Attorney General’s Office (Moderator)

4:00-5:00 p.m. Best Practices & Action Plan
All Panelists and Participants
Gary Arnold Arizona Department of Economic Security (Moderator)
Jane Irvine Arizona Attorney General’s Office (Moderator)

May 8, 2008 - 7:00-9:00 p.m. Town Hall Meeting Dixie Center

Page Nine: What if government harming were covered as extensively as global warming?

A sample of Columnist Craig J. Cantoni's article:

"A recent issue of Time magazine has a cover story about global warming. How original. It’s just one of hundreds of messages that drip on our heads and our children’s heads each day about global warming.

Drip-drip-drip.

Hundreds of other messages drip on us about Big Oil, evil corporations, rampant racism, rising income inequality, and the glories of diversity. The drops come from the media, K-12 schools, universities, and, amazingly, even from corporate advertising.

Drip-drip-drip.

The torrent contains some facts, but most of it is hyperbole and hysteria. I’d rather be water-boarded than endure this form of water torture.

Curiously, messages about government harming are as rare as rain in Death Valley. By “harming,” I mean the insidious and pervasive harm that government is inflicting on the economy and society.

For example, you won’t see this on the cover of Time: THE $800,000 INJUSTICE

The staggering sum of $800,000 is what the unfunded liabilities for entitlements and public pensions will come to -- per child -- if they are bequeathed to the 75 million children under the voting age of 18."

A read that is well worth a minute or two of your time, IMO.

Republican meetings could lead to AZ budget

Senator Gould and I are participating in these meetings after persistently voicing our dissatisfaction of being left out of the process. To my way of thinking, I have to have a seat at the table so that you, my constituents, have a seat at the table. If I am shut out of the process, you have no voice. KTAR has some of the details...