Exclusive Phoenix.org interview of Senatorial candidate Rodney Glassman…

Rodney Glassman is running for US Senate

On Tuesday, May 25th Phoenix.org was given the opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with former Tucson city councilman Rodney Glassman.  Mr. Glassman is currently running for Senator John McCain’s seat in the senate on the democratic ticket. During our interview we were able to discuss local Arizona issues such as the new immigration bill, border control, boycotts and education.

The team at Phoenix.org would like to thank Mr. Glassman for his time and hopes that you will enjoy the results of this interview.

If you are interested in hearing from local personalities or politicians then please contact Phoenix.org to suggest an individual to interview.

Now please enjoy the interview.

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Phoenix.org: The response to the recent immigration law created by the state of Arizona has garnered national attention, with intense support as well as intense opposition. Do you think that Arizona made the proper choice with this law, if so why or why not? Do you have any ideas that you think would help Arizona deal with the issues that come with being so close to the border?

Rodney Glassman: Washington and John McCain have failed us. John McCain has been in Washington for 28 years and has really taken all sides of the immigration debate, while the problems have only gotten worse and the people of Arizona are searching for answers. The recent Arizona immigration law was created out of frustration. It is simply a rash attempt to score political points while not focusing on the issue, which is that immigration reform needs to be done at the federal level and it needs to be championed by our US Senator, who so far has refused to acknowledge the issue.

We are a nation of laws, we need to secure our borders and keep Arizona families safe, while at the same time we need to acknowledge that the economic realities of our county do not match our current immigration policies. Arizona cannot do it alone to solve the problem, it needs to be the federal government, we need to make sure that the US Senator that we elect from Arizona is someone who is able to bring all of the various stakeholders to the table together.

2010 and the immigration issue truly is about electing a consensus builder someone with a track record of solving problems; we need someone that can bring people together to move our state forward and champion immigration reform at the federal level. We do not need a US Senator that runs away from the issue. We need a US Senator that will tackle the issue. That is the kind of US Senator I plan to become.

Phoenix.org: Do you have any specific ideas that you think would help Arizona deal with the issues that come with being so close to the border?

Rodney Glassman: Well, first and foremost we need to secure the border which means using the appropriate resources. We hear time and again the concept of a wall. The reality is that in rural areas where no one is living a wall is simply a waste of resources. We need to utilize technologies, technologies like the kind that have been created and developed in Arizona, such as unmanned aerial vehicles which can monitor the border utilizing technology. Sadly and ironically we have had a US Senator that for the past 28 years has consistently said that he does not want to bring resources to the border, but we need to secure the border with the appropriate technologies.

Additionally we need to have a guest worker program that matches the economic realities of the state. We need to have the ability for individuals to come to Arizona to work and return home so that our agricultural industries, our restaurant industries, our tourist industries are able to function and we need to have a plan for the 11-12 million undocumented individuals that are already here. But in order to accomplish any of these things we have to have a senator that is a capacity builder, a senator that is willing to work with all the various stakeholders and my background is unique, having served on the Arizona Farm Bureau Board of Directors, having worked in the home building industry, having worked for a congressman that represents a significant segment of our Latino population. I have been endorsed and supported by a variety of stakeholders that represent a myriad of opinions in regards to the immigration issue and that is the type of person that we need in Washington DC and championing this issue.

Phoenix.org: Also regarding the immigration law, some local governments and organizations have been calling for boycotts on Arizona and Arizona based industries. How do you believe Arizona should deal with these actions from others?

Rodney Glassman: The reality is that in these difficult economic times Arizonans can’t afford a boycott. Arizonans are struggling with record high job losses and foreclosures. A boycott on Arizona really harms those who need the work the most. We have to be careful not to punish millions of Arizonans from the actions of a few leaders from the fringe. Arizonans truly want a fresh approach and are ready to work for new direction for Arizona’s future. While I have relationships and respect for some that have called for this boycott, the reality is that we need federal immigration reform and we need a champion that is willing to take that to Washington DC.

Phoenix.org: Some claim that there is a feeling of overall discontent in the air coming from the voters this election cycle. Would you agree with this assumption that voters are more upset this year then they typically have been in the past? If so, why do you think that is and how do you plan on dealing with this mentality as a candidate and possibly a US Senator?

Rodney Glassman: People and voters are frustrated sending representatives to Washington DC, like John McCain, who for 28 years forget the fact that they represent Arizona. Arizonans have a US Senator in John McCain that has built a very strong reputation by giving speeches in New Hampshire about what he does not do for Arizona. To have a US Senator like John McCain, who for the past three decades has spent time shifting positions and doing nothing to solve our problems, has created a significant amount of discontent.

Our campaign is unique in that I plan on raising a family in Arizona. I am the candidate that plans on bringing resources to Arizona, on creating Arizona jobs and supporting Arizona schools. And what Arizonans want is a US Senator who is committed to putting Arizona first and to moving our nation forward.

Phoenix.org: You have been discussing the issue of “water conservation” recently and you also have a degree in Arid Land Resource Science. Due to the desert nature of Arizona naturally the allocation of resources, especially water, is an important one. What are some of your plans or ideas that you want to see put into effect regarding water and other resource conservation?

Rodney Glassman

Rodney Glassman: Arizona sits at the bottom of the Colorado river and therefore water and water conservation will continue to be an important issue for our state. As a candidate for the Tucson City Council I campaigned on requiring rainwater harvesting on all new commercial developments, gray water plumbing on all new homes and solar power water heating on all new homes. As I campaigned I not only received the endorsements of the Sierra Club and local labor unions but I also received the endorsements of the Tucson Association of Realtors, the Tucson Homebuilders Association and the Tucson Chamber of Commerce. So within two years of being elected to the city council I was able to bring all of the stake holders that are interested in conservation and development around the table together to make my campaign commitments realities. Additionally as the vice mayor of the city of Tucson I was invited to speak by mayors and councils across the state from Avondale to Mesa, and Sajarita, all the way north to Flagstaff, from Fountain Hills to Oro Valley and Prescott to Sierra Vista because they were interested in the concepts of sustainability that I have accomplished through consensus building.

The reality is that water conservation is not a republican or democratic issue, it’s an Arizona issued and at the macro level we need to do more as a state to leverage our renewable energy resources. The fact that the city of Portland received more solar dollars on an annual basis then both the cities of Phoenix and Tucson is wrong. This once again demonstrated that we do not have a senator in John McCain that is an advocate for bringing resources home or for championing Arizona’s future.

Phoenix.org: The state of Arizona, and even more especially the city of Phoenix, have recently both gone through a quite extensive bursting of a real estate bubble. This has left a lot of people owing more money on a mortgage than their house is worth and also caused a high level of foreclosure and vacancy rates. What do you think Arizona should do, if anything, to try to reduce the volatility of the local housing market? Do you have any advice for those that are struggling to hold onto their home?

Rodney Glassman: First and foremost we need a US Senator that cares about working families. Currently more that 50% of home owners in Arizona are upside down on their mortgages, yet they do not have a voice in the US Senate in Washington DC. For too long free-wheeling Wall Street practices fattened bankers wallets yet when the house of cards fell apart the American housing market fell apart too and Arizonans and homeowners across the country were stuck with the bill. We need a US Senator who is committed to stop playing political games and to hold Wall Street accountable. John McCain’s five largest contributors are the five largest financial institutions in the country. There is a sad irony when (Las) Vegas casinos are under more regulation then the bankers on wall street (which) have the power to negatively impact Arizonans and put them into the housing crises today.

The truth is that Arizonans need an advocate for working families, they need an advocate who is willing to demand that the banks return their phone calls, who is willing to champion bringing jobs to Arizonans, the best way to keep Arizonans in their homes is with a vibrant and strong economy and that will only come with a United States senator who is committed to getting Arizonans back to work.

Phoenix.org: On your website you mentioned your desire to improve our economy through a high quality education, you also mentioned your desire to “attract” and “reward” great teachers that will make a difference in the lives of their Arizona students. How do you plan on attracting and rewarding local Arizona teachers?

Rodney Glassman: We need to value teachers in Arizona for the great work they do and on the impact that they have on future generations. More and more of our smartest young people are heading off to make their fortunes in business as opposed to investing their educational career in improving the educations of others.

We need a US Senator that plans on being a customer of the Arizona educational system with his family. We need a US Senator that appreciates the importance of education and believes that it is a priority of our state and our country, to be investing in our schools. One of the first questions and business person asks when considering moving their business to Arizona is “Where are my children going to go to school? Are they going to receive a quality education?” Is there any better advertisement then to have a United States Senator who not only supports our local school system but is also a customer of the local system?

We need a champion for our educational system in the highest office in Arizona and that’s a US Senator. That means bringing dollars home from Washington D.C. so that Arizona does not have one of the highest student/teacher ratios in the country, it means connecting local businesses to local schools to make sure that there is a strong and vibrant relationship. Because quality schools have an impact on public safety, they have an impact on the quality of lives as Arizonans and they have an impact on our economic development as a state.

Phoenix.org: Immediately prior to announcing your run for US Senate you were a city councilman for Tucson, Arizona. How has your experience in local government prepared you for the ability to serve nationally as a US Senator?

Rodney Glassman: As a Tucson City Councilman and the Vice Mayor of the City of Tucson I was able to hone my skills as a public servant and as someone focused on constituent services. I often wonder just how spectacular our state would be and how spectacular our nation would be if every US Senator worked with their constituents with the same level of care and consistency and the same level of investment as a city councilman has. As a councilman I learned the importance of making commitments and of following through and of turning those commitments into policies. I learned the importance of being responsive and I built a track record on keeping my word, following through and on always answering my phone calls and my emails.

Those are the kinds of concerns that I hear as I travel across Arizona, that our current US Senator is not keeping in contact with his constituents, that he is not returning phone calls or answering emails and that frankly he is more interested in serving Washington DC then serving Arizona. I plan on being a United States senator that will work in Washington DC but will raise a family in Arizona.

Phoenix.org: Do you spend much time in the Phoenix metro area? When you do what are some of your favorite things to do and places to eat?

Rodney Glassman: Well, I was fortunate enough to meet a beautiful and intelligent Sun Devil while I was at the University of Arizona Law School. My wife’s parents live in Phoenix so for the past three years we have been spending a significant amount of time in the valley.

Some of our favorite places to eat in the valley are El Portal by the capitol building which has excellent Mexican food, as well as La Grande Orange which has great pizza. We also really enjoy BBQ from Honey Bears on Central. Of course, our personal favorite is home cooked meals with the in-laws. But everyday I have to remind myself to “eat responsibility” because after graduating from law school and passing the bar I made the decision to join the United States Air Force JAG Reserve CORE so I serve as an attorney in the air force, I am attached to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. One of the requirements that they had in order for me to get my commission is that I worked for about six months to take off 60 pounds. The Colonel gave me two choices, she told me that I could either grow 4 inches or lose 60 pounds and I chose the later.

Phoenix.org: Wow! Well I think you made the right choice. Rodney, do you have anything else that you would like to tell the readers of Phoenix.org?

Rodney Glassman: Two weeks ago the Tuesday election demonstrated that voters across the country are frustrated  and tired of sending people back to Washington DC that don’t represent the states from which they come from. However, in Arizona something else spectacular happened and that was the passing of proposition 100 because with the passage of prop 100 Arizonans demonstrated that they are concerned with the future of their state and that they are willing to invest in education and that they are willing to invest in public safety because they want to improve the quality of life.

Our campaign, which people can learn about at RodneyGlassman.com, is a campaign that is committed to Arizona’s future, Arizona’s education, Arizona’s jobs and sustainability. I am the candidate that represents the next generation of Arizona leadership and I am a candidate that plans on being a champion representing Arizona’s future.

Phoenix.org Exclusive Interview with J.D. Hayworth 2 of 2

The first part of this interview can be found at:

http://phoenix.org/blog/phoenix-org-exclusive-interview-with-j-d-hayworth-part-1-of-2/

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: It seems that in this current economy, especially in Arizona, that many private businesses are taking rather large steps in order to stay afloat. Some are laying off workers, some are reducing benefits or requiring larger portions of benefits to be paid by employees, some are creating hiring freezes or pay freezes, reduction of sick days and more. In short it appears that in Arizona corporate America is restructuring the way they look at business, at least temporarily. In spite of such drastic measures in corporate and private America, many feel that government employment is not experiencing the same belt tightening as the rest of us. Government employees in Arizona on average cost the government over $100,000 each, get more sick days and paid leave then most, and some get retirement contributions matched up to 20% of their yearly wages, all of these elements would be unheard of in all but the most lucrative industries in private America. What would you say to those employees in the private sector that feel that they are getting a much smaller compensation package compared to public employees? Do you think that it is a positive thing for a state of city government to pay higher wages then the large majority of private businesses in the area?

J.D. Hayworth: You have touched on something that I think is very perceptive and you are quite right. If you take a look at the growth of government, and more specifically the growth of salaries in government, we are now at the point where one out of five federal employees makes in excess of $100,000 per year just in terms of annual salary and as you pointed out, even those not earning that much in salary, with the benefits packages, even many government employees not earning that type of income have the value imputed of insurance and other benefits that takes their compensation well in excess of six figures.

What is happening, and this is where you really see a couple of things, number 1 is the rise of unionism in government and the method to the madness to the left or American progressives, their vision is one in which government dominates life, and because governments role is expanded ergo government payrolls expand because their growth industry is quite simply government. This is where when people say there is not a dimes worth of difference between the major parties I believe them to be incorrect. The notion of a limited but effective government is very, very important. And accordingly they are just two different basic visions, the left views compassion as the number of people that can be added to welfare rolls, those on the right view compassion as not as welfare but as work, having people gainfully employed, and even the left has a different view of employment, again they see government as quite literally the source of employment. And we are seeing it played out now with this new administration, which in less than a years time, in terms of massive spending, has seen an increase in discretionary spending of over 80%. So that is what is at work here.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Both you and your opponent, Senator John McCain, are representatives of the Republican Party. If you had to name what you think are the three biggest differences between you and Senator McCain what would you say they are?

J.D. Hayworth: First of all, let me add that remarkably Senator McCain has changed many of his previous longstanding positions just in time for this campaign for the US Senate but lets go back through three major differences. First, John voted for the massive bailout of the investment banks on Wall Street to the tune of 700 billion dollars. He also voted for the accompanying package of earmarks, something he claims to oppose, which was an accompanying 150 billion dollars for a total of 850 billion dollars in higher government spending. I would have opposed the bailout of the Wall Street investment banks.

Secondly, John co-authored, with the late Senator Kennedy, the amnesty bill, which the heritage foundation estimated would cost you and me and other tax payers 2.6 trillion dollars, that is Trillion with a “T” just for long term retirement benefits for illegal’s that would be given citizenship. That is another bill that I would have opposed.

Thirdly, John opposed tax cuts that I helped to write as a member of the ways and means committee back in 2001 and 2003, he called them “tax cuts for the rich” again sounding a lot more like John Kerry then the John McCain that I used to work with so those are three major areas. Oh, I might go back to that first example (The Bailout), John now says that he was misled on that bill, and if you take that with his rhetoric where he was opposed to the bill before he voted for it, again he sounds more like John Kerry then the John McCain that I remember so those are just three areas where we have very genuine disagreements.

Just one thing that he might say about spending, when John talks about government spending I think it is worth noting that “Citizens Against Government Waste” gave me a better lifetime score then what he has received from them, even though he has their endorsement. That John has their endorsement does not come as a surprise, that organization, though it has laudable goals, is part of the Washington establishment, it can use Senator McCain’s name in fundraising, but that is fine, John can call on the Washington establishment for its support but last time I checked the Washington establishment can’t vote here in Arizona. So if he wants the Washington establishment that is fine, I will take the Arizona voters.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Do you think that under the current administration that our country is heading in the right direction? If not what do you think needs to be done by both our leaders (such as yourself) and the citizens of this country to get it where you think it needs to be?

J.D. Hayworth: No, I believe that this administration has American heading most definitely in the wrong direction, I think that as an elected leader, that when I go to the US Senate I will work to repeal this massive government takeover of healthcare. I believe it is unwarranted, unconstitutional and most definitely unwise. And though I am hopeful that court action will be taken to stop it, that even if that does not happen, when I go to the US senate I will work to repeal this bill no matter how long it takes or whatit will take, that is what the leaders need to do. Regarding the citizens of this country, I believe that most Americans are already doing what needs to be done to get back on the right track, by participating in the political process, by saying that they want a return to a constitutional republic, in fact I think that much of what is afoot in this political year of 2010 is not so much a revolution but a restoration, and I believe that quite generally the awakened Americans, whether they are a part of the tea party movement, or whatever their political expressions might be, instinctively know that the American dream is being threatened, that their constitutional republic is being threatened and that is why I expect to see them out in record numbers.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Ok, it is now time for a local Phoenix.org question. Suppose it is date night with you and your wife, where are your favorite places to go and what do you do?

J.D. Hayworth: We usually just go out for a very early dinner together and we just enjoy each others company whether we are out eating or whether we are back home watching a movie or even whether we go out to a movie. I also would like to say that even if I am elected to the US Senate that I will not force the taxpayers to foot the bill for my protection or for taking my wife out to dinner. The voters can rest easy on that score. If it ever came down to that where we needed government protection then we would probably just stay home as opposed to giving the taxpayers the responsibilities to pick up our tab.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: What are some of your favorite places here in Phoenix? Our readers at Phoenix.org are very Phoenix centered so do you have a favorite restaurant or place to go.

JD Hayworth: A lot of the time we are just very close to home, we go to Flemings at DC Ranch. It is one of our favorite places and it is very comfortable to us. It is a very warm and wonderful atmosphere as well as a great wait staff and we just feel very comfortable there. One thing that I like the most is that although it is a “white tablecloth” type place it is a place that is very unpretentious and where the staff treat you like family and we like that very much so that would probably rate at the top of our list.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Is there anything that you would like to say to the readers of Phoenix.org?

JD Hayworth: What I would request is that those readers who are inclined to participate in the August 24^th election, I would like to humbly and sincerely request their vote in the republican primary.

Phoenix.org Exclusive Interview with J.D. Hayworth 1 of 2

On Thursday April 8^th, Phoenix.org was able to spend a half-hour conducting an exclusive interview with J.D. Hayworth, a local talk show radio host who is challenging longstanding incumbent Senator and two time presidential hopeful, John McCain, for Senator McCain’s position in the United States Senate. During this valuable interview we were able to ask Mr. Hayworth strait forward questions regarding our current economy, the discrepancies in federal salaries vs. private salaries, federal neglect of the 10th amendment and even local Phoenix hot spots that he prefers.

The transcript of the interview is below. Since the interview was conducted orally what you are reading is a transcribed version. Any error or omission in the grammar or structure of the transcript is the fault of Phoenix.org.

Phoenix.org has requested an interview from Senator John McCain’s campaign but as of yet the campaign has not responded.

To contact Phoenix.org to request an interview or to make a suggestion for an interview please contact us here.

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Part 1 of Phoenix.org’s interview with J.D. Hayworth

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Mr. Hayworth, the 10th amendment of the US Constitution states that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Many people claim that our federal government has ignored this declaration and has taken rights away from the respective states and attempted to conglomerate as much power as they can in the federal government. Do you agree or disagree with this statement and if you agree that states rights are being taken away what is an example that you believe illustrates the problem?

J.D. Hayworth: Well yes, I do agree with it and I think that one of the ways in which Washington has done that is with, for lack of a better term, the “power of the purse”. For example, to enforce what Washington wants to see nationwide, let’s say with reference to the age of legal majority or a legal drinking age, Back when that was disputed in the last couple of decades Washington said to the states, either you raise your drinking age to 21 or we, Washington, will withhold federal highway funds. So in that circumstance Washington was inflicting on the states Washington’s will.

It’s done in various ways through what are called “unfunded mandates” but that is a fairly clear example when Washington attempts to hold the states economically hostage to invoke Washington’s will and you are quite right, that has existed. One of the reasons ironically has to do with the way that we select senators because as we know with our study of the constitution, the 17^th amendment to the constitution changed the way in which we elect senators. We now elect senators by popular vote. Earlier in our history senators were elected by the respective state legislators in their respective state legislatures and many constitutional scholars and historians believed that that helped ensure that the 10^th amendment remained alive and well. So it is somewhat ironic that we open our conversation with that but that is one of the elements of history that led to the diminution of the 10^th amendment.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Are you saying that at that point we began a transformation from a republic to a democracy?

J.D. Hayworth: Well, I wouldn’t go that far. But I do believe in the fullness of time if you take a look that the two amendments passed very early in the 20^th century, at the dawn of the so-called progressive era, that very much changed the nature of our constitutional republic. The first was ratification of the 16^th amendment which led to the direct taxation of personal income and the second was the 17^th amendment which we just discussed. There are many articles about it. Regarding the 16^th amendment Raymond J. Keating wrote for the Foundation on Economic Freedom an article titled “Original Intent & the Income Tax” showing just how inflated the tax rates have become and quite frankly the real spending of the federal government. And then of course we just talked about the 17^th amendment, so yes, it profoundly changed the nature of our republic, I don’t believe it completely eliminated it but I do believe it brought some real change to it.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: If elected as a United States Senator what would be your top three priorities that you would work to accomplish? Do you believe that you will be able to accomplish these things?

J.D. Hayworth: The top three things that I would like to accomplish go back to what we have just been talking about which is the preservation of a constitutional republic. The first thing that I would do is reintroduce a bill that I introduced in the house called the “Congressional Responsibility Act”. This is an effort to regain the original intent, if you will, of our founders. Again, back to the dawn of the progressive era, I believe that the 20^th century will be remembered historically for the rise of the de-facto 4^th branch of government, the rise of the bureaucratic regulatory state.

Originally, for some laudable purposes, a decision was made to set up agencies to monitor the food supply and ensure public health and all the good stuff. Well, like any good idea the idea was taken and changed somewhat. Fast forward to the 20^th century and you see congress seeding its legislative authority, its lawmaking authority, from article 1 section 1 of the US Constitution, which reads “all legislative power shall be vested in the congress of the United States” congress set up within the executive branch regulatory agencies and funds them, and there you have regulatory lawyers creating regulation and as you know those regulations carry punitive consequences if you fail to adhere to them.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Absolutely

J.D. Hayworth: Those are laws. What I advocate is that we can let those regulators continue to promulgate regulations, but here’s the thing that would make it different, a way to restore the clear intent, instead of having a situation where regulators promulgate the regulation and then have a period of public comment and then print them in the federal register where they carry the weight of law, instead under the “Congressional Responsibility Act” every one of the proposed regulations would be submitted to the House or the Senate for an up or down vote. So that way original intent would be restored because you would have constitutional officer acting on what would in essence be legislation and it would hold us accountable. That would be the first thing that I would do.

The second thing I would do is regarding the constitutionality of legislation. It is the requirement that anytime a bill is brought up federally, that the authors of that bill show it’s constitutional citation. In other words, that the authors of the bill show where in the constitution the legislature of the house and the senate have the authority to act on this manner in the first place.

Troy Hallewell/Phoenix.org: Well, you would probably be seeing a lot of cites strait from the commerce clause, knowing how abused that clause has become.

JD Hayworth: That is what they try to do, the commerce clause has become so perverted and I think the up side of the “Constitutional Citation Act” would be that it would be a very teachable moment to see just how maligned and how misused the commerce clause has become. So I think it would be important in that way. So that would be the second piece of legislation, what I call the “Constitutional Citation Act”.

The third priority of mine would be mindful of article 4 section 4, “The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government and shall protect each against invasion”. In response to this I would reintroduce my “enforcement first act” to deal with the border. The enforcement first act is what it says, you enforce the laws and in that way you strengthen border security because once you start enforcing the laws very interesting things happened, in that people start to obey the laws.

There is more to the “Enforcement First Act” that I wrote about in my book, “Whatever it Takes”. It involves the utilization of our military on the border and I regret that but the situation has grown so urgent that sadly we have to do that now, especially in the wake of Robert Krentz’s murder a couple of Saturdays ago on the border. As you may know, New York City has at least twice as many policemen as we have border patrol officers. So something is wrong and we have to enforce the border.

So those would be the first three pieces of legislation that I would want to introduce. But what I would like to do in addition to these things is something that we have been doing in the campaign so far. That is to continue to go around the state for a regular series of town hall meetings and to make sure that I am accessible as a United States senator because I think it is very important that the next senator be a senator “for” Arizona, not just “from” Arizona. So that would be something, not legislatively but instead attitudinally that I would bring to the office. I heard from a woman in Sierra Vista recently that asked me a question that was strait and to the point. She asked me “Are we only going to see you once every six years” I said “No M’am, I’m gonna be back regularly”.

This also leads me to another point and I don’t know if it was going to come up in your questions but if not I would like to mention that after a lot of talking with my family and a lot of listening to Arizonans, I have made up my mind that it is important that I voluntarily limit my terms, if the voters will have me, to two consecutive terms and then at the end of 12 years it will be time for me to step aside and then another citizen can serve in the Senate.

Part 2 of this interview can be found at :

http://phoenix.org/blog/phoenix-org-exclusive-interview-with-j-d-hayworth-2-of-2/

Gilbert Pastor's unconstitutional plea

Gilbert, AZ

What does the Constitution, Gilbert and a bible have in common? They are all involved in an appeal being brought against Gilbert, AZ in a claim that a town ordinance outlawing religious gatherings in homes of the participants is unconstitutional.

Spearheading the claim is the Alliance Defense Fund on behalf of Gilbert resident Pastor Joe Sutherland. Pastor Sutherland’s congregation has been holding bible study meetings in the homes of its members since November of last year without so much as peep of complaint on behalf of members of the neighborhoods.

After seeing a sign on a road advertising one of the Sunday meetings an unnamed Gilbert Code Compliance Officer felt that the meeting was sufficiently inappropriate enough to warrant a claim of breaking a city code, in spite of the lack of complaints, and issued the violation.

The Alliance Defense Fund will most likely claim that such a city ordinance is unconstitutional based on the first amendment’s “Right to assemble” which states that congress shall:

“make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Phoenix Economy: Still Looking Pretty Good

This article is provided by one of Phoenix.org’s guest writers. We are still in the process of finding a local writer to compose our weekly business column. If you know of an individual that would like the exposure that will come from a weekly column on the Valley of the Sun’s most trusted resource site then have them contact Phoenix.org.

State of the Phoenix Economy: Why Life is Still Looking Pretty Good

Some say Phoenix is a Money Tree

Like the immortal bird of its namesake, the Phoenix economy is rebuilding itself one piece at a time, focusing on providing practical solutions where previous governments and markets have failed. These pioneers of economy will succeed by acquiring assistance from governments, investors, foundations, and other businesses.

Further, the economy has been bolstered by the continuing surge in population. Bolstered by its economic growth, the population boom has turned Phoenix into the center of the state’s economy. Over one third of Arizona’s labor force is employed in the metropolitan area. Also, several Fortune 500 companies, such as Time Warner, IBM, Intel, Telecom, Bank of America, and Boeing, have made Phoenix their primary location,

By moving into technology and service industries, the economy is taking on dimensions unheard of in the previous decades. And the long-time business of tourism and business services is stronger than ever, accounting for almost 77 percent of Phoenix’s total employment roster. Banking and financial services remains a strong sector, deriving its power from the high profile financial companies house their processing and/or regional headquarters in Phoenix, including such powerhouses as Chase Bank, American Express, Discover Card Services, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank. In addition, aerospace firms and high technology firms appreciate a considerable share, about 56 percent, of the manufacturing jobs across the Phoenix area.

Consisting of mostly young, well-educated people, Arizona maintains its position in the top five growth states. The state continues to attract new workers due to the high quality of life they can enjoy. As a right-to-work state, employees in Arizona have the option to join and financially support a labor union, joining the already 3.6 percent of others that enjoy the benefits in the private sector.

Though skeptics may tend to look at the recovering Phoenix economy as a glass half-empty, a positive attitude shows that business in Phoenix is on the rise. Recovery is occurring, slowly but surely, and with the continued commitment of existing and new citizens, business will be better than ever.

Arizona Radio Host J.D. Hayworth Challenging McCain

JD Hayworth Arizona

J.D. Hayworth, previously a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and a local Phoenix A.M. radio host has stated that he is planning on challenging current Arizona Senator and multiple time presidential hopeful, John McCain, for his senate seat.

“We will formally announce at a later time, but we’re moving forward to challenge John McCain,” he said. “I think we all respect John. I think his place in history is secure. But after close to a quarter-century in Washington, it’s time for him to come home.”

Mr. Hayworth cited a recent outcry of support from local Arizonans as having a significant influence on his decision to run.

Many political insiders claim that Mr. Hayworth’s biggest drawback will be his need to raise significant capital to properly challenge the incumbent McCain. It is stated that John McCain currently has over 5 million dollars in campaign contributions that he is planning on using against Hayworth. Many claim to even have a chance in the primary Mr. Hayworth will need to raise at least 2 million dollars.

In addition to the significant amount of money that John McCain has been able to raise he also has the support of Sarah Palin, an individual that has tended to ignite the “base” of the republican party, the part of the party that seems to disagree with the status and politics of Senator McCain.

The team at Phoenix.org

Sarah Palin campaigning for John McCain in Phoenix

Sarah Palin agrees to campaign in Phoenix on behalf of Senator McCain

Starting March 26^th Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 running mate of Senator John McCain, will be assisting Senator McCain with his reelection bid for his Arizona Senate seat.

Her assistance will include at least one public campaign event and one private event.

Regarding the endeavor Senator McCain was quoted as saying “”I’m looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail with my former running mate, and I know my fellow Arizonans will welcome her, as well”. Senator McCain also stated that he feels that Sarah Palin continues to remain a “leading voice” in the GOP.

The support of former Vice Presidential candidate Palin will be a boost in the arm of the McCain campaign, who are planning for a tough reelection run against former Arizona representative and local Phoenix talk show host, J.D. Hayworth. A Rasmussen poll taken in November of last year shows current Senator McCain and former representative Hayworth in a neck and neck struggle, both with a 45% approval rating.

Check back for additional information.

Phoenix.org