You are here: Home / 2009 / June / Archives for 4th

PR: CD-5 Republican, Jim Ward, Announces

June 4, 2009 By 5 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2009

Scottsdale Resident Jim Ward Declares Candidacy For Arizona’s 5th Congressional District

(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) June 4, 2009 — Arizona businessman Jim Ward becomes a Republican candidate for Arizona’s 5th Congressional District today with the filing of official papers with the Federal Election Commission.  This district includes the cities of Scottsdale and Tempe, sections of Chandler and Mesa and the Ahwatukee portion of Phoenix.  Representing what he calls “the right kind of change,” Ward vowed to work for prosperity and opportunity for all Arizonans. 

“I’m not a professional politician.  I’m a businessman and I know from experience that there’s the right kind of change and the wrong kind of change.  I’m deeply concerned that this country is making the wrong kind of change,” said Jim Ward, in announcing his candidacy.  “I believe my years of experience in the private sector have prepared me especially well to deal with the unique challenges that face our state, particularly the need to diversify our economy.  The right kind of change is to invest in the free market, not government, particularly in those entities that actually create jobs, like small businesses with the proper tax incentives to do so.” 

Before formally announcing his intention to run, Ward traveled throughout the district and engaged residents to get a sounding as to the viability of his candidacy.

“I’ve been across the district and around the state and the message I keep hearing is clear,” Ward said.  “The people of Arizona want a candidate that represents their diverse backgrounds, a candidate that can win and a candidate that has a unique skill set to take to Congress and they’re ready for the right kind of change.”

Ward has had a successful career spanning over 25 years in advertising, high technology, entertainment media and entrepreneurship.  He is currently a Venture Partner with Alsop Louie Partners.  His primary focus: to grow and attract businesses to Arizona.

Prior to his current role, Ward was President of LucasArts and Senior Vice President of Marketing and Distribution and Online at Lucasfilm, Ltd. where he managed the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.  Ward began his career in advertising and was involved in several major global product introductions including Apple’s PowerBook, Microsoft’s Windows ’95 and Nike’s partnership with Tiger Woods. 

Jim Ward currently serves on the Economic Development and Public Policy Advisory Boards of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and is an advisor to Arizona State University’s SkySong Innovation Center.  He is a Legislative District 8 Precinct Captain of the Pinnacle South Precinct for the Republican Party.

Ward has been named one of Advertising Age’s Top 100 Marketers and he has earned two prestigious Gold Effies and a Grand Effie award from the American Marketing Association.  He has served as Chairman of the Entertainment Software Association and was nominated for an Emmy in 2007.  He is particularly proud of being named Thunderbird’s Alumnus of the Year with Distinction in Marketing in 2000, and winning Hanover College’s Alumni Achievement Award in 2003. 

A native of Rockford, Ill., Ward received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hanover College and a Master’s degree in International Management from Thunderbird School of  Global Management.  A classically trained pianist, Jim Ward and his wife Dawne have been married 25 years.  They have two children and reside in Scottsdale, AZ.

For more information: www.votejimward.com

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Public Relations

PR: Senate Passes 2010 Budget

June 4, 2009 By Leave a Comment

For Immediate Release: Thursday June 4, 2009

Senate passes 2010 budget

(STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX) – The Senate passed an $8.2 billion 2010 budget early Thursday that takes necessary action to reduce the size of government without raising taxes in this historic economic crisis.

“There have been no easy choices in this process. What was clear, however, was that we had to tackle our structural deficit primarily by reducing spending,” Burns said. “Failing to do so would doom Arizona to continuously correct ongoing budget shortfalls caused by increased expenditures and declining state revenues.”

Ten bills balance the budget with a combination of spending reductions and delays, fund transfers, federal stimulus funding and additional non-tax revenue. View the budget bills at www.azsenaterepublicans.com. (All fact sheets may not yet be updated.)

The legislative Majority budget demonstrates measured steps taken toward significant tax reform and improved our state’s potential for recovery by addressing prospectively excessive commercial and agricultural property taxes.

The budget avoids a property tax increase that was intentionally programmed to reappear on taxpayers’ property tax statements this fall.

“Increasing taxes not only does not solve the problem, but it exacerbates the state’s economic woes,” Senate President Bob Burns, R-Peoria, said. “Unless you want to move from a recession into a depression, raising taxes is the worst possible budget solution right now.”

President Burns thanked Senate members who persevered through the challenges of balancing this budget and who rallied together to pass what is best for Arizona in the current economic circumstances.

“It wasn’t fun, but that major effort is behind us and we are prepared to start hearing bills next week,” Burns said.

The Natural Resources and Rural Affairs and Judiciary committees will meet on Monday.

 

Filed Under: Press Release, Spending, State Budget, State Government, Taxation

Grover Norquist asks Pullen to denounce Brewer’s tax hike

June 4, 2009 By 18 Comments

Chairman Randy Pullen

Arizona Republican Party

3501 N. 24th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Dear Chairman Pullen,

I write today to express grave concern regarding plans to politically target lawmakers who are standing strong in defense of Arizona taxpayers. As you know, it has recently been announced that the firm High Ground Inc., a group that advises Governor Jan Brewer, will launch a $225,000 media campaign against legislators who oppose Gov. Brewer’s calls for a multi-billion dollar tax increase in the middle of a recession.

The Governor has made clear that this campaign, which targets fiscally conservative legislators from your own party, has her full-throated support. Several months ago Americans for Tax Reform asked your staff if rumors of a campaign to target Republican legislators were true and if such an effort would be supported by the Arizona State Republican Party. That inquiry, disturbingly, was met with silence by you and your staff.

It is no secret that you have close ties to those behind the aforementioned campaign. This is troubling given your duties as chairman of the state Republican Party and RNC treasurer.

One of the few things economists of all political stripes can agree on is that the last thing you want to do in a recession is raise taxes. Additionally, opposition to higher taxes is a long-held and central tenet of the Republican Party. In fact, your counterparts at the Maine and Washington State Republican Parties have gone so far as to incorporate the Taxpayer Protection Pledge into their party platforms.

According to the Center for Fiscal Accountability, Arizona taxpayers already spend 194 days – more than half the year – working just to pay for the cost of government. Yet Gov. Brewer doesn’t think this is enough.

As we approach an important election year, it is shocking that Gov. Brewer is supporting a campaign that will attack members of her own party because they are standing up for Arizona taxpayers. It would be unconscionable for the state Republican Party to not condemn this effort.

I therefore ask you, as chairman of the state Republican Party, to unequivocally and publicly announce your opposition to and repudiation of this campaign to be waged by Gov. Brewer and High Ground.

Feel free to call on me or ATR’s state affairs manager, Patrick Gleason (pgleason@atr.org) with any questions or concerns.

Onward,

Grover G. Norquist

CC: RNC Chairman Michael Steele, all RNC Committeemen & Women, Arizona Press

Filed Under: Political Parties, Spending, State Budget, Taxation

Guest Opinion: We should look at alternatives to jail

June 4, 2009 By 3 Comments

Thought-provoking column by JP Gerald Williams

We Should Look At Alternatives to Jail
Judge Gerald A. Williams
North Valley Justice of the Peace

Although governments at every level in Arizona are facing a significant budget problem, perhaps there is some solace in the knowledge that at least we are better off than California. One item considered as a cost saving measure almost everywhere is to let nonviolent criminals out of jail early. Perhaps a better solution is to determine the best way to keep people from going to jail in the first place.

Research conducted last year at the Pew Center on the States developed model statutory language for state “Recidivism Reduction Acts.” If enacted, these laws would require funds to be spent on evidenced based practices that actually reduce crime.

By way of example, a significant number of people are in jail or prison because they violated a condition of their probation or parole. The vast majority of arrest warrants that I sign are issued because either someone missed their court date or is not making payments on their criminal fines.

While these offenses are serious, perhaps a series of alternative graduated sanctions that are swift, certain and proportionate would free law enforcement agents to perform other duties. These alternate sanctions could include things like electronic monitoring, drug and alcohol testing and perhaps even seizure of personal property.

The U.S. Department of Justice has done similar research. One of their conclusions, perhaps not surprisingly, was that low-risk offenders are more likely to return to crime if they are included in programs alongside high-risk offenders.

Also according to the Justice Department, the United States now imprisons a higher percentage of its population than any other nation on earth. While I am not in favor of lenient or soft sentencing, I am certainly willing to listen to ways that we can possibly do things better.

Many judges believe that they have an almost unlimited authority to change the meaning of statutes or to “legislate from the bench.” I am not one of those judges. As such, I believe that many of these ideas would require statutory changes before they could be adopted in Arizona. Even so, they are worth considering now.

When the California court system allows celebrities, or anyone, to serve 84 minutes in jail for their second DUI, obviously justice has not been served. However, is also not the best use of admittedly limited resources to put someone in jail for the third time after their third arrest warrant because it has not been a priority for them to pay a fine imposed three years earlier. If such a defendant knew that a constable would seize his television if he was two fine payments behind, do you think that paying that fine would suddenly become important to him? It’s just a thought.


Judge Williams is the presiding justice of the peace for the Northwest Regional Court Center. His column appears monthly in The Foothills Focus

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Judicial, Spending, State Budget