ARIZONA DISTRICT 18

PRECINCT COMMITTEEMEN MEETING

MINUTES MAY 27, 2004

 

Meeting was called to order by Joe Brown, Third Vice-Chair. Meeting was subsequently opened by District Chairman, Jeff Groscost, followed by the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance by Ken Bond. Reading of the Minutes was waived due to Secretarial absence. Cecilia E. Fleming acting recording Secretary this session.

 

Introductions of individuals/elected officials seeking office included: David Schweikert, candidate for Maricopa County Treasurer, Charlie Gail Hendrix, candidate for Maricopa County Hospital Board, Mike Gleason, candidate for re-election to the Corporation Commission, Tim Sifert, candidate for Corporation Commissioner, Carl Seel, candidate for  Corporate Commissioner, Karen Johnson, candidate for State Senate and current State Representative, Mark Anderson, candidate for State Representative and current State Senator, Russell Pearce, candidate for re-election as State Representative, Mary Jo Vecchiarelli, candidate for State Senate, Cecilia E. Fleming, candidate for State Representative, Joe Brown, candidate for State Representative.

Representatives from Jeff Flake’s office also attended: Mike Halloran and Steve Johnson.

 

City of Mesa officials:

Mayor Keno Hawker: City Council is in the budget process. New member Tom Rawls will be seated next council meeting. City is looking at build out committee financing. Mesa is now the 40th largest city in the USA. Website is www.cityofmesa.org. Maricopa County is now the third largest county in the USA.

Councilmember Janie Thom: Williams Gateway’s first international flight is landing June 4. Guymas, Sonora is Mesa’s Sister City, the original port before Long Beach was built.

 

Candidate items of interest:

Charlie Hendrix: the new Maricopa County Hospital District was passed by a slim vote margin with non-property owners voting it into existence. She supports conservative hospital.

Mike Gleason: Clean Elections candidate at the top of the slate. The Qwest rate case will be coming up. Voice over the internet is coming regulated or not by Corp. Commission.

Tim Sifert: Opponent is Kris Mays. Worked for Symington Constituent Services, Gov. Hull, consultant for Matt Salmon. Campaign chairman is Fife Symington.

Carl Seel: Former Securities license holder, honored as PC, former small business owner.

Karen Johnson: Legislature adjourned without program cuts. All day kindergarten starts at $25 million and increases to $300 million down the road. Memorial to encourage Congress to vote for marriage amendment.

Mark Anderson: All day kindergarten might be good but did not get a funding revenue source. State employees will receive salary increases as retentions this year: $1,000 for employees, $2,000 for nurses, $3,500 for DPS officers. Issues: Healthy Forest Initiative, increased funding for Universities and Community Colleges, Federal Marriage Amendment bill got 14 votes in the Senate.

Russell Pearce: Reduction of deficit. Elimination of excessive increases. AHCCCS is formula driven. $800M University Research debt due in 2006. $600M Phoenix Civic Plaza debt in 2006. $250M in school bonding. Paying $600M yr. for debt. City, County, State: $22B in debt.

AZ Constitution limits debt to $350 thousand dollars.

Mary Jo Vecchiarelli: Ph.D. from ASU. T=Taxes=Trouble coming down the road due to high deficit spending. Successful experience in handling millions of dollars in educational funds as Mesa High Principal; successful experience in dealing with various types of individuals from teenagers to parents and politicians. Current District Secretary.

Joe Brown: Ballot qualified. Issues: gov’t to live within means, no tax increases, honor Judeo Christian heritage at very least for historical significance. No on gay marriage, spending $2M a day on illegal immigrants. Small business owner. Current District Third Vice-Chair.

Cecilia E. Fleming: Abortion is not a method of family planning. All schools that take public monies should be held accountable to the same standards. Need to reallocate tax monies responsibly. Registered Nurse and former elementary educator- 3rd and 4th grades, former small business owner. BSN from ASU and MSN from University of Phoenix, BS ED. from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

 Tom Bearup and Dan Saban candidates for County Sheriff debated. Sheriff Joe Arpaio declined to attend.

Dan Saban a former Sheriff and former City of Mesa Commander. 28 years in law enforcement. Native Arizonan. Justice Studies degree from ASU. Master’s in Counseling NAU. Frustrated taxpayer over inefficient and ineffective Sheriff’s office-sued 6700 times and paid $30M out in claims. Minimum deductions for insurance claim is now $5M. Violent Crime response time is 10-1/2 minutes. Office is top heavy, needs cuts. Jail employee turnover rate is 40% (Normal is 10%). Mesa is now averaging 60-90 calls a month to County Islands. Support enacted gun laws. Right to bear arms.

 Tom Bearup is Pro Life and Family Values. Native Phoenician. Delegate to state convention. Former Chief Exec. Officer of Sheriff’s office. Glendale, CA Police Academy. Certified in AZ, CA, Alaska. A Pastor, he owns Ambassador Wedding Chapel. PC and Captain. Sheriff’s office has a lump sum budget without accountability, a tank and armored car. Recidivism higher than national average. Sheriff responsible for 3% of arrests in County. Get out of the animal control business. Cut Sheriff office administrative personnel.  Sheriff’s office is only one to be able to tell Federal officials they have no jurisdiction. $1.3B lawsuit for photo-cam in jail; pictures sent out over internet. Right to bear arms concealed or not.

 PC recruitment:

Matt Tolman: 1 wk to go. SW Mesa needs PC’s. Matt736@cox.net, 602-616-3749. Large map showing areas of need posted. Deadline is June 9 to file petitions. Janie Thom Notary in attendance for petitions.

 Motions made on resolutions to endorse Dan Saban and not endorse Joe Arpaio failed to be brought to vote for a lack of quorum with only 29 PC’s in attendance out of 123 filled offices. Emails regarding this should be sent to Mesa18.com before next meeting.

 

PC’s attending:

  1. Mary Jo Vecchiarelli-044

  2. Mark Anderson-050

  3. Cecilia E. Fleming-044

  4. Jonathan Knowles-046

  5. Paul D. Knowles-046

  6. Joanne M. Knowles-046

  7. Richard Blake-033

  8. Myles Gorin-017

  9. Nancy Petrie-065

  10. Barbara Blewster-028

  11. Mike Halleve-104

  12. Russell Pearce-016

  13. Gary Wiggins-East Mesa

  14. Diane Woods-Mesa

  15. Rae Young-006

  16. Keno Hawker-044

  17. Ken Bond-051

  18. Julianne Miller-068

  19. Brian Bender-052

  20. Mary Lou Boettcher-031

  21. Charlie Hendrix-106

  22. Andrea Edwards -006

  23. Jay Edwards-006

  24. Don Baker-095

  25. E. Paul Whetton-031

  26. Joe Brown-065

  27. Don Kipp-029

  28. Karen S. Johnson-094

  29. Jeff Groscost-095

 

Next District 18 PC meeting is June 24, 2004.

Submitted by Cecilia E. Fleming, acting recording Secretary on May 27, 2004.