LD22 Newsletter - August 2019
Welcome to the Arizona Legislative District 22 Monthly Newsletter.
Working to support families and businesses in our community.
We are back from our summer break and are ready to get started again, as you know there is much to do in preparation for the 2020 election year!
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Thursday August 15th
5:30pm to 6:30pm Social Hour
6:30pm to 8:00pm Meeting and Speakers
Speakers this month include:
Meeting is held every third Thursday of the month at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 17540 N Ave of the Arts, Surprise AZ 85378.
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LD22 FUNDRAISER EVENT COMING IN AUGUST
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We have scheduled our first fund raiser for the year! LD22 is hosting a Plant Based Cooking Demonstration on Saturday, August 24th. For Details pleas e CLICK HERE. Tickets are limited so we encourage anyone interested to sign up soon.
100% of the ticket donations are provided to LD22 to help support activities toward the 2020 elections. |
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Join us for TACO TUESDAY every first Tuesday of the Month.
August 6th from 5:30 – 7:30 at Urban Margarita
6685 W Beardsley Rd #180, Glendale, AZ 85308.
https://www.urbanmargarita.com/
Receive a raffle ticket for showing up and win a gift card to a local restaurant! If you bring a friend you get an extra raffle ticket! Who doesn’t need a TACO support group?
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Speaker Spotlights - August LD22 Meeting
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Roberta (Neil) Miller
Secretary of the Board of the Maricopa Democratic Party
 Neil is particularly interested in helping to recruit, train and assist candidates running for the numerous elective offices in Maricopa County in 2020 and educating community on the importance of voting down the entire ballot.
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Bob Musselwhite
Candidate for US Congressional District 8
 Supports:
A functional Congress
Social Security
Affordable quality healthcare for all Americans
Fiscal Responsibility
Luke Air Force Base
Water for Arizona
Public Education
•28 year resident of Litchfield Park, located in current Congressional District 8.
•Graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Political Science. Attended on a War Orphan's Scholarship.
•Worked two years for the Chapel Hill North Carolina Police Department.
•Graduated with a Master's Degree in Public Administration from West Virginia University.
•County Administrator, Upshur County, WV.
•Town Administrator, Biltmore Forest, NC.
•Chief Pilot, small corporation.
•City Manager, Litchfield Park, AZ.
•City Councilman, Litchfield Park, AZ.
•Instructor Pilot, Airline Training Center, AZ, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, German airlines.
•Teaching & Principal's Certificates, Arizona State University.
•Public High School Teacher in History for 13 years.
•Married to college sweetheart for 46 years, Dr. Caroline Ramsey Musselwhite.
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Sandra Kennedy
Arizona Corporation Commission
Sandra Kennedy was re-elected to the Corporation Commission in 2018 on a platform of restoring integrity to the Commission, lowering unjustified utility rate increases, and creating more solar and renewable energy in Arizona, especially roof top solar.
Sandra Kennedy was first elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2008 on a platform of promoting solar energy in Arizona, and as a fierce consumer advocate. She started her public service when she was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in November 1986, where she served for six years before successfully becoming a state senator in 1992. She served three terms as State Senator.
Sandra was also elected to serve on the Phoenix Union High School Governing Board for a four year term in 1990, serving concurrently with her last term in the Arizona House and her first term in the State Senate.
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PC Spotlight - Paula D. Aguayo
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Why I became a PC for the Democratic Party
I received a phone call from Bev Baird on a weekday evening in December of 2017. Bev described the platform of Brianna Westbrook who was running for Congress, and part of Brianna’s platform was Medicare For All. Bev also gave me information on how to become a PC in LD 22.
I could not wait to meet Brianna and Bev in person, and I became a PC as quickly as possible.
We need Medicare For All, a single payer healthcare system in which every person has a legal right to competent and compassionate healthcare. This is a civil rights issue, a human rights issue, important to our communities and important to our families and loved ones, and providing healthcare to each one of us is as important as space travel or education or any of the other ventures we undertake as a national community for the betterment of ourselves and our neighbors and our world. Healthcare for all would mean that my son Roy would never, ever, again be told by a nurse or doctor at a hospital that inpatient medical care was not available for him, he would never again be refused care.
My son Roy has schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder, serious mental illnesses. These brain illnesses are biological and physical and one of the most damaging and severe symptoms is psychosis. Psychotic episodes hurt the brain, and make it more likely for continuing and repeated psychotic episodes of longer duration and deeper brain damage. Early medical intervention is key to achieving better outcomes for patients with psychosis just as it is with cancer, and inpatient hospital treatment and antipsychotic medication provide opportunities for meaningful recovery and healing. Serious mental illnesses are not yet curable, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder are chronic brain illnesses, but these illnesses can be managed with appropriate and timely medical care, and people can and do get better!
Our current broken system of mental healthcare blocks patients and families from essential life saving medical care with a rule called the IMD Exclusion. “The Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion prohibits the use of federal Medicaid financing for care provided to most patients in mental health and substance use disorder residential treatment facilities larger than 16 beds. The exclusion is one of the very few examples of Medicaid law prohibiting the use of federal financial participation (FFP) for medically necessary care… The law goes on to define “institutions for mental diseases” as any “hospital, nursing facility, or other institution of more than 16 beds, that is primarily engaged in providing diagnosis, treatment, or care of persons with mental diseases, including medical attention, nursing care, and related services” (1).
In order to avoid the penalties of the IMD exclusion, hospitals do not contract with psychiatrists and do not have inpatient beds for people suffering from psychotic brain illness. Hospitals routinely turn patients away because “we have no beds”. This is medical discrimination. As a result, the largest mental healthcare providers in our country are our nation’s jails and prisons, which is brutal, inhumane, unjust, expensive, and is most definitely not healthcare! We are better than this, we can do better than this, and we must do better than this! I am fighting for healthcare for all, and I will never stop fighting for Roy.
To learn more about ending the IMD Exclusion please visit the Treatment Advocacy Center online (2), or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (3).
Paula D. Aguayo
PC LD 22
Notes:
- https://lac.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/IMD_exclusion_fact_sheet.pdf
- https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/what-you-can-do/end-imd-exclusion
- https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Public-Policy/IMD-(Institutions-for-Mental-Disease)-Exclusion
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Did You Know that there are Special Voter Registration Circumstances?
- High School Student (Pre-registration)
- Will be 18 by the next General Election
- The next General Election is November 3, 2020
- University/College Students
- Qualified as residents if they intend to stay in Arizona – “Where do you consider home?”
- Registering to vote and changing their residency may impact their scholarship requirements
- Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
- Voters who are serving in the military or are living overseas
Please call Elections Department at 602-561-1511 for additional information about special circumstances.
What is LD22 doing to register eligible voters?
LD22 has conducted 18 voter registration drives in the past 3 months! AND, There are already 19 Voter Registration Drives scheduled for the Fall of 2019!
Want to join the Voter Registration Team contact Cheri.tomlinson254@gmail.com
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The SMAC (Social Media and Communications) Team is looking for volunteers to help with the newsletter and social media. Do you have experience with writing, editing or providing content? Are you active in groups that would like to share their message with LD22 Dems? Contact - vjharris90@gmail.com
LD22 Dems is looking for volunteers to help plan and execute upcoming district events and fundraisers in support of our district and our candidates.
If interested in creating positive, educational experiences for voters contact bobbie.kithcart@gmail.com
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Get to know the LD22 volunteers! |
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LD22 Volunteers
JOIN LD22 ARIZONA DEMOCRATS
Help Move Arizona Forward
Become part of a team and help create an Arizona that works for everyone. The LD22 Democrats are launching an organized effort to recruit and train volunteers to reach out to voters that we have never talked to before across our district. This is your invitation to join the team. Help move Arizona forward. Each month we will highlight a volunteer who joined the team and is moving Arizona forward.
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Volunteer Spotlight - Sharon Forbes
Let me introduce myself to you. I am Sharon Forbes and I have lived in SCG which is in Surprise Solana Precinct) since 2000. I was born in Iowa; however, I spent most of my adult life in the suburbs of Chicago. As many of you know, Iowa does not have a primary ... they have caucuses. My mother, who was Clerk of the District Court for Warren County for 20 years, introduced me to the caucus process when I was a teenager. (Remember, this was back in the days when you had to be 21 to vote.) I saw how hard she worked to be elected and vowed to never be involved in politics.
The vow didn't last as I became very loosely involved in suburban Chicago politics -- back in the days when you could have good discussions with the opposition. I worked on more local candidates as well as going to Springfield (the capital) to lobby for the ERA and abortion rights.
I moved to Arizona in 2000 and the first thing that I did was register to vote. The election that year was Gore/Bush and I was very depressed. I cold find very few Democrats around me so I made the trip to Sun City to attend their various Democratic functions.
Prior to Kerry running for office, we formed the Sun City Grand Democrats and I was one of charter members and served on the Board for many years. During that time and since, I was a PC and did all the activities needed for the elections -- phone calls, computer work, canvassing, as well as hosting young campaign workers in my home during election cycles. I was then elected as a State Committee person and have continued as such. I am a member of the Circle of Friends for the MCDP and the Copper State Leadership Committee for the ADP.
It became obvious to me when I moved to Arizona that someone had to step up to the plate and be involved. I was retired and had a lot to learn; but I tried and have made myself available to most every volunteer opportunity. Now, I've had to slow down so I can serve as more of an information resource. The UU Church is my Church and I've made it available to LD#22 for our meetings since 2018.
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Volunteer Spotlight - Teresa and Howard Neilberg
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LD22 is so fortunate to have a number of great volunteers. So many in fact we wanted to include a second volunteer feature about two people who continually do so much, not only for the local Democratic party but for their community.
Teresa and Howard Neilberg were interviewed here and this is some of what they told us about their activities!
“We transport families to the airport and the greyhound bus station from various places around the valley. We have also transported asylees who have been dropped off at the greyhound bus station to safe places until transportation to their final destination can be arranged.
We are also active with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. We have met with, called and wrote letters and post cards to our legislators regarding gun sense and marched at the Capitol. With this organization we have worked at St. Mary’s Food Bank and donated supplies for, prepared and delivered shower caddies with personal hygiene items for the Sojourner Center (a safe haven from domestic violence for adults and children in AZ).
Through Moms Demand Action, we have trained to be Be SMART volunteers. Be SMART raises awareness that responsible gun storage – storing guns locked, unloaded and separate from ammunition – can save children’s lives. Be SMART emphasizes that it’s an adult responsibility to keep kids from accessing guns, and that every adult can play a role in keeping kids and communities safer. This program supplies free gun locks to those who want them. We do tabling at various events. In the future, we hope to provide this information to local schools.
We are Deputy Registrars and most recently helped register 43 voters from 23 countries at a Naturalization Ceremony at the Sandra Day Conner US Courthouse.
We have done some phone banking and canvassed within our precinct as well as an orphan precinct and plan on continuing this effort. We have met a lot of great people.
We are members of the Grand Democrats. In our spare time we like to spend time with our 8 grandchildren, go RVing, hike, bike, dance and take our jeep off highway.
This spring we attended the Surprise City Academy. One night a week for eight weeks we learned about all aspects of the Surprise City Government, including the Police and Fire Departments and the Dysart School District, West-MEC and Ottawa University.”
Wow! We would like to say THANK YOU both for your continued support for LD22 and the community we serve.
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Are you interested in civic engagement beyond voting? LD22 has many volunteer opportunities that can fit any schedule. Check out our volunteer link for more information.
For specific information about current Volunteer opportunities you can also contact Cheri Tomlinson at cheri.tomlinson254@gmail.com or 602.561.9470.
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Summer is coming to a close and school starts again in a couple of weeks. There is a lot to do and sadly, vacation for many of us, is over. Our national, state and county races are heating up and they are going to be incredibly close races to win. Candidates are working hard to get all their signatures by April 2020. There’s about 8 people running for several Maricopa County seats with the County Attorney seat boasting four Democratic candidates thus far. We need to re-elect Adrian Fontes our County Recorder because of the innovative work done to ensure election integrity and helping people who can vote. We also need to re-elect Paul Penzone our Maricopa County Sheriff. And, of course, there’s Mark Kelly battling to become our Senator in Congress.
The thought of four more years of the current administration compels me to do this job! believe we need to do everything we can in LD22 to turn AZ Blue in 2020. But I don’t know what you think. I want to hear from you.
What is your vision for LD22? Why do we need that vision? How are we going to get there? When will we know we’re there? Who else do we need to be successful? E-mail me at bobbie.kithcart@gmail.com. Pack my in-box and don’t hold back when you share your thoughts.
In the meantime, in spite of the summer heat, LD22 has been very busy! There are some intrepid PCs out canvassing high efficacy Democrats in orphan precincts. Cheri Tomlinson, our 1st chair, is one of them. She completed canvassing in a couple of orphan precincts all by herself. I’m sure she could use help so e-mail me if you will help canvass orphan precincts.
For our Dems Give Back Initiative Cheri also arranged two very successful Backpack Drives for underserved kids through the Maricopa Foundation and Maryvale Family Health Center as well as Clinica Adelante on Bell Rd. in Surprise. Lynn Peters and Deborah Howard helped distribute them. Mark Hamilton, Gail Bruno and Lynn Peters also helped with the voter registration at Clinica Adelante. A special thank you to everyone who donated school supplies and backpacks for the children and who volunteered! We can’t do this without you.
We have all been horrified by the way our country treats people seeking asylum (it is legal, BTW) at the border. Well, Deborah Howard had enough and demanded action by organizing a protest in front of the office of our current CD8 congresswoman, Debbie Lesko! 75 people participated! Protestors included our CD8 Congressional Candidate, Michael Muscato! Thank you, Michael and Deborah.
The debate parties in June had a great turnout thanks to Lonna Fisher and Manny Hernandez. Thank you for opening your homes and leading a lively post-debate discussion. I hope you all watched the Democratic debates this month as well. I thought the media moderators are completely incompetent. All for the sake of ratings they created a reality TV show with leading “gotcha” questions! Is this the new normal? SMH!! What do you think? Who is your favorite candidate(s) so far?
If those debates provoked intense discussion for you, why don’t you join us to share your opinions with fellow Democrats at Taco Tuesday at Urban Margarita in Glendale? It’s on the 1st Tuesday of the Month from 5-7pm. See you August 6th!
Don’t forget that we want you to share your thoughts on our FB page, LD22Democrats, or email me. We’ll be offering another social gathering opportunity in September to meet with likeminded people in Surprise. Stay tuned on social media for the place and time. If you don’t do that just drop me an email.
Join us for our Plant Based Cooking fund raiser at the end of August. Eating a more plant-based diet is a great opportunity to bring your cholesterol as well as have a positive impact on the climate crisis! Again, keep track of those events on our Facebook page and website or reach out.
If you’ve been thinking about getting rich quick you can join in our raffle to win a $50 gift card to Amouse Bouche in Surprise or a $50 Visa card. All you have to do is become a donor to LD22. Just use our Act Blue button or send a check to our PO BOX 11382, 85318. If you use Act Blue, be sure to include your email so that I can send you your raffle tickets. Here’s the rules:
- Recurring donation must be set up for at least 12 months
- Donations for special events do not qualify
- 1 raffle ticket for a $22 recurring monthly donation completed by August 14th
- 2 raffle tickets for a $44 recurring monthly donation completed by August 14th
- 3 raffle tickets for a $50+ recurring monthly donation completed by September 18th
- 3 raffle tickets for a $100+ ONE-TIME donation by September 18th
Please reach out or come to one of our events, monthly meetings or email conversations! Learn more about LD22 and join us. We must win in 2020. Consider, for a moment the consequences. Hope to see you soon. I’m available through email, text or phone and I’m happy to meet with you as well.
We can win in 2020 if we come together and join our efforts. We can do this!
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