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Mitchell Honors Veterans, Fort Hood Victims With Tea Party Speech
November 9, 2009
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PHOENIX, AZ – John Paul Mitchell sits behind his oak desk, preparing for his first major political speech. He has been cooped up in his office for nearly two weeks writing and rehearsing. This speech could prove to be a major turning point in his gubernatorial campaign, increasing his name recognition amongst fiscally conservative voters who show up to tea party events.
For nearly six months, Mitchell has engaged Arizona taxpayers and voters online via Facebook, Twitter, and his candidate website. He understands his first campaign speech is important. “I’d like to pay tribute to our county’s veterans, honor the fallen soldiers at Fort Hood, and discuss the constant attacks on the people’s constitutional rights,” said Mitchell, who is running as an independent candidate.
Approximately 5,000 veterans and Arizonans are expected to gather at the Arizona State Capitol on Wednesday, November 11th. This event could be the one of the last tea party demonstration of the year. The rally begins at 12:30 p.m. and will last till 2:30 p.m.
Other notable speakers include State Rep. Debbie Lesko, Debbie Lee of America’s Mighty Warriors, Paul Porter of WFOY, and Clint Bolick, Director of the Goldwater Institute. This non-partisan tea party will focus on honoring veterans, upholding the U.S. Constitution, and unifying members of all political parties and philosophies.
Tea party goers are encouraged to bring canned foods to donate to the St. Mary’s Food Bank. This is a great opportunity for demonstrators to ensure the needy and homeless have ample food for the 2009 holidays.
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(Source: PRLog.org)
Terry Goddard Violates Resign-To-Run Law
November 6, 2009
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Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard officially filed paperwork on Friday to explore a run for the state’s top executive office. The news comes one day after Governor Brewer announced her bid to run for a full term of her own.
Arizona’s resign-to-run law prohibits statewide elected officials from declaring candidacy for other offices before the end of their term’s last year. Under the reading of the law, Goddard made a severe violation if he does not step down from his post as the state’s Attorney General. He is not eligible to file paperwork until January 1, 2009 without immediately vacating his current position.
John Paul Mitchell, an independent candidate for governor, stated in early September, “I will call out Terry Goddard if he refuses to give up his Attorney General position with candidate committee paperwork filed.” He continues, “Even the Attorney General and a long-time politician must abide by the laws of the state.”
Months ago, Goddard was reported as saying the resign-to-run law is a “frivolous political stunt” and a “typographical error,” suggesting it does not apply to exploratory committees.
When asked today, Mitchell stated, “Goddard’s contempt for our state’s laws is disturbing, especially since he is the lead investigator for complaints and violations. I would think Goddard above all other people would uphold our laws to the highest degree.”
John Paul Mitchell is asking for Terry Goddard to immediately step down from his current office. He has promised to file a lawsuit in the courts if Goddard does not comply.
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(Source: Goddard Violates Resign-to-Run Law)
Categories: Arizona, Elections, General, Governor, Laws, Political Science, Politics, Press Releases
Arizona, Arizona AG, Arizona Governor, Arizona Politics, Attorney General, Goddard, Government, Governor, Jan Brewer, John Paul Mitchell, Laws, Mitchell, Mitchell for Arizona, Politics, Press Release, Press Releases, Resign-to-Run Law, Terry Goddard, violations
Arizona Bureaucrats Spin Spooky Budget Tales
November 2, 2009
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By Byron Schlomach
Timed perfectly for Halloween, Governor Brewer asked state agencies for proposals to reduce spending 15 percent in order to close the state’s $2 billion budget deficit. The results have been predictably spooky scenarios painted by each agency.
In a recent editorial on the agencies’ proposals, the Republic notes “The Department of Corrections proposes changing state law so felons can be released earlier.” Headlines like these imply that hoards of murderers would wander our neighborhoods, but it is nothing more than a scare tactic to suggest the state would release violent criminals because of budget reductions.
While the editorial does acknowledge that agencies are employing the “Washington Monument” strategy (the practice of causing the most pain possible to undermine support for budget reductions), it fails to admonish them for refusing to play hardball with the feds. For example, while other states are challenging “maintenance of effort” requirements, the Department of Economic Security is pretending like there is no budget reduction choice besides eliminating KidsCare altogether, a program whose spending pales in comparison to AHCCCS.
The results of Governor Brewer’s faux budget-cutting exercise were predictable. Agencies are painting the darkest possible picture. Our professional politicians, the bureaucrats, are running rings around the amateur elected ones.
Cures can be painful and a little scary, and curbing the state’s spending habit is certainly no exception. The budget reductions needed to bring spending in balance with revenues might sound ghoulish, but they are necessary and achievable. A 15 percent across-the-board budget reduction would put state spending slightly above 2006 levels. That’s hardly a catastrophe in a time like this.
Byron Schlomach, Ph.D., is the director of the Goldwater Institute’s Center for Economic Prosperity.
Senator Graham Backs Off Cap-and-trade
October 29, 2009
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Dear Freedom Fighter –
Ever wonder if attending rallies, town hall meetings, and tea parties impacts elected officials? Ever wonder if your telephone calls or emails make a difference with politicians?
They do. Let me tell you a story from here in South Carolina.
A couple of weeks ago, Senator Lindsey Graham joined Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in an op ed calling for cap-and-trade policies.
It was outrageous and deeply disappointing to see a Senator like Lindsey Graham, from a conservative state like South Carolina, cave in to Al Gore, Speaker Pelosi and the Obama Administration on such a crucial issue.
At Americans for Prosperity we felt we had to act quickly. We organized four of our “Hot Air” Tour events across the state hitting Spartanburg, Columbia, Mt. Pleasant/Charleston, and Myrtle Beach. We launched radio advertising supporting the events in those markets, while our friends at the American Energy Alliance launched a statewide radio ad telling South Carolina citizens what Senator Graham was up to. CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE AEA AD.
Tea Party groups, 9/12 groups and a host of other in-state grassroots groups joined the effort and launched their own intiatives to make sure Senator Graham heard the message.
Columbia Hot Air Tour Stop
The first rally occurred in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Monday night as over 200 folks turned out to make their voices heard. Most of the local media ignored us. It did not matter though. We asked the activists to whip out their cell phones and pour in calls to Senator Graham’s office. Subsequent events were not easy. It rained like crazy in Columbia and Mt Pleasant/Charleston but activists turned out anyway to send a message. In Myrtle Beach many folks ended up in the wrong location due to a glitch on our end, but they did not give up – driving from one location to another to join us.
Our hot air balloon urging Sen. Graham to vote NO on Cap-and-Trade.
We made tens-of-thousands of telephone calls urging South Carolina citizens to contact Senator Graham. We sent tens-of-thousands of emails asking the same thing while also advertising on websites like the Drudge Report.
By Tuesday afternoon, Senator Graham’s office was telling constituents that he was not in support of cap-and-trade. The Senator’s office also said we were distorting his position on cap-and-trade but that’s simply not accurate.
The effort is not over by any means. We must continue to urge Senator Graham to do the right thing for South Carolina by opposing this job killing, energy tax. That means continuing to ask South Carolina citizens from all walks of life to stay on the case.
But here’s the point. Without individual citizens taking action — making that phone call, sending that email, taking time away from work and family to attend that rally or tea party, telling their family and friends to take action, and donating their hard-earned money towards efforts to help spread the word – we wouldn’t be making the difference with Senator Graham.
Simply put…you make the difference when you stand up and fight.
Let’s keep it up — in your state and your community. You are the path to victory for our values.
Tim
Federal Stimulus Money Makes State Budget Deficit Worse
October 29, 2009
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By Tom Patterson
State Rep. Kyrsten Sinema recently rebuked U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl in the pages of the East Valley Tribune for recommending that “stimulus” funding be terminated. The federal government, by spending $308 million on infrastructure in Arizona, is providing a “much needed economic boost” to the state, she claimed.
Nobody can say for certain what might have happened without this $767 billion handout. But economic downturns always work themselves out. Markets are inherently self-correcting. In fact, there is a strong possibility that the massive bailouts and market manipulations by the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve have lengthened and deepened our current recession.
But there’s another, more fundamental problem with the “stimulus” program. It isn’t paid for with real money. The federal government is simply sharing the use of its magic printing press with the states for a while.
Printing trillions of dollars to pay for today’s wishes is wretched economic policy. When the stimulus money runs out, states will be in worse shape than ever because of the program expansions required to obtain the stimulus funds. Sooner rather than later, states will be forced to face the bitter reality of a “near permanent reduction in state revenues that will force us to reduce the size and scope of our state governments,” according to Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, writing in the Wall Street Journal.
Like many individual Americans, many states spent extravagantly in the good economic times of this decade, making no provision for the future. Arizona unfortunately was one of the worst offenders. Now, that future is here. States are banking on an economic rebound, but gross domestic product growth would have to average 7 percent, twice the historic average, for revenues to be restored to their previous level by 2012.
In response to declining tax revenues, more than half the states have raised taxes. But today’s mobile individuals and businesses simply flee states that try to sock it to them. Beneficiary states are like Indiana, where state spending has been severely reduced and the tax climate is business-friendly. This year alone, more than 30 businesses have moved from tax-and-spend states to Indiana.
Yet Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer still insists on protecting state spending as much as possible by raising taxes. But she’s just postponing the day of reckoning. There is no choice but to fundamentally reduce the scope of state government or face permanent economic decline. Daniels notes that “wishing for an improbably huge boom while chasing your own tail through self-destructive taxes won’t prove much of a strategy.” Is anybody listening?
Tom Patterson is chairman of the Goldwater Institute and a former state senator. A longer version of this article originally appeared in the East Valley Tribune.
Categories: Arizona, Budget, Economy, Federal Government, Governor, Political Science, Politics, Revenue, Taxes, money
Arizona, Arizona Leaders, Budget, budget deficit, Business, East Valley Tribune, economics, Economy, Federal Reserve, Governor, Governor Brewer, Great Recession, Jon Kyl, Krysten Sinema, money, politicians, Politics, Recession, Revenue, stimulus, Stimulus Money, stimulus plan, Taxes
The Politics of Tweets: Arizona leaders, candidates embrace social media
October 21, 2009
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John Paul Mitchell spends two to three hours a day on social media sites, sharing links to articles he finds interesting and regularly engaging people in bursts of 140 characters or less.
But the time he spends on his Twitter account, Facebook page and other sites is more than just leisure. Mitchell hopes it will help deliver him the Arizona governorship in 2010.
“I’m a political outsider, so any way that I keep an open dialogue with voters is going to help me,” Mitchell, who is running as an independent, said from behind his laptop computer in a north Phoenix coffeeshop.
Some missives from his Twitter account, aznextgov, offer takes on issues of global import: “The world carbon tax is coming and so is the world government to regulate it. Your US Sovereignty will be obsolete. Be forewarned!”
Others are nothing more than personal musings: “I’m taking my dogs to the local dog park. Might play a few rounds of tennis too.”
His sites carry dozens of messages discussing issues and political philosophy with followers and friends.
And that’s the key, Mitchell said: connecting with people. In his case, that’s almost 2,000 who follow his Twitter posts and nearly 1,800 Facebook friends.
“Social media lets me listen to what voters have to say and gets my campaign’s message out there in a way that wasn’t possible before,” Mitchell said.
Strategic use of social media helped propel Barack Obama to the presidency, and as the 2010 elections approach many Arizona politicians are using Twitter, Facebook and other sites to interact with the public.
Attorney General Terry Goddard (Twitter: TerryGoddardAZ), a Democrat who is considering a run for governor, told his followers recently: “I will be at the Domestic Violence Walk. Will you?”
As Chuck_Gray on Twitter, state Sen. Chuck Gray, R-Mesa, the Senate majority leader, promotes what he calls his “very conservative” views: “We pushed back Acorn. We have other fronts in this battle for freedom. We must win them too. Never give up, for we R on the side of freedom,” he shared recently.
Serena Carpenter (Twitter: drcarp), an assistant professor of online and broadcast media at Arizona State University, said there’s no doubt that direct, instant and unfiltered communication between politicians and the public via social media will become increasingly important.
“A lot of people have communicated the same way for decades, so it might take more than just a couple years,” Carpenter said. “But five years from now, I doubt we’ll see politicians who don’t use social media.”
So far, she said, some Arizona politicians are doing better than others at maximizing social media’s potential.
“One big mistake people make with social media is using it to just shovel content,” Carpenter said. “They forget sometimes about the word ’social’ in social media.”
Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu City, said he prefers Twitter (SenatorRonGould) because it lets him communicate instantly with the public. But Gould said he avoids posting just any passing thought.
“Back when the Legislature was in session, it was a good way to keep people informed or let them know what I was thinking,” Gould said. “I do try to refrain from telling people when I’m clipping my toenails. I don’t think people want to hear about my bodily hygiene.”
Rep. Anna Tovar, D-Tolleson, said she prefers Facebook, a social-networking platform originally developed for college students. Tovar, who describes herself as tech-savvy, said Facebook makes having a conversation easy.
“Sometimes I ask people for input on an issue, and they’re generally very responsive there,” Tovar said. “In general, I have an open-door policy, and it’s the same on Facebook. It opens the dialogue.”
U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., uses Twitter (HarryEMitchell), Facebook andYouTube to communicate with the public, sometimes with help from his staff, said Adam Bozzi, a spokesman.
“Congressman Mitchell responds to every letter, call and e-mail, but online we find there’s a great conversation that develops,” Bozzi said. “And his Facebook has both people who agree and disagree.”
Republican David Schweikert (Twitter: DavidSchweikert), who lost to Mitchell in 2008 and is running for the seat again, said he enjoys the instant, unfiltered nature of social media but notes that it requires diligence.
“When I first ran for office _ at 26 _ an election was a one-day sale,” he said. “Now every day is election day.”
There are downsides to social media, however. More than other users, politicians have to be on alert for objectionable comments by visitors, Schweikert said.
John Paul Mitchell, the independent candidate for governor, made news in May when a political blogger found a photo of a female roommate topless in the tub on his account with Flikr, a photo-sharing site. He removed the photo, saying the roommate, who shared access to the site, posted it without his knowledge.
“Well, I’m a lot more careful. I have to be,” Mitchell said of the incident. “But I think people appreciated the way I handled it.”
And easy access to social media can enable anonymous pranksters. For example, someone established a Twitter account pretending to be Ron Gould, offering tweets lampooning his conservative outlook. After Gould contacted Twitter, the account changed to NOTRonGould and added a note labeling it as parody.
“You can only make fun of my moustache for so long until it gets old,” Gould said. “I would say one out of every 10 is funny.”
^___=
EDITOR’S NOTE: To find a politician’s social media accounts, look for links on the person’s Web page or enter his or her name and “Twitter,” “Facebook,” etc., in a search engine. Evan Wyloge tweets at absolutevan; Cronkite News Service tweets at cronkitenews.
(Source: Cronkite News Service)
Award-Winning Youth Theatre, Gov. Candidate Outspoken About School Violence
October 16, 2009
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Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre and John Paul Mitchell teamed up to host press conference, sending clear message school violence is unacceptable
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHOENIX, AZ – October 16, 2009 – Three years ago on a bright October morning, the attention of the world was focused on a one room Amish school house in Lancaster, PA. What started out as an ordinary day quickly changed to a tale of terror at the hands of a madman. Schools are meant to be places of learning and this was no exception. Only the curriculum of reading, writing, and arithmetic quickly changed to lessons in strength, forgiveness, and love that would be taught to the world that day and for days to come by a handful of Amish students and their surviving families. Thus starts the opening of “Lancaster,” a Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre production original, which has its world premiere this month.
Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre is a youth theatre that started out as a class and has grown to a fully fledged theatre company. Since its beginning, it has won numerous awards including the AriZoni award for best original children’s show for the 2001-2002 season, and third in the nation with NBC and the Keiser Foundation for a program on teen pregnancy awareness.
On Saturday, October 17th at 6:00 p.m. the Bennett Academy is hosting a joint press conference with Arizona gubernatorial candidate, John Paul Mitchell. He is joining the charter school’s founder Dr. Bennett, director Jim Hyte, and the play’s cast to address the issue of school violence. Mitchell is a fresh face in Arizona politics and firmly believes it is our responsibility to ensure the safety of every child’s life.
A number of Mitchell’s supporters are parents with children enrolled in Arizona public and charter schools. He learned of the “Lancaster” public performances this week, approaching the school to host a press conference to focus public awareness on school violence. “School shootings are more prevalent than ever,” Mitchell said. “The Lancaster theatre production is a sobering way to remind parents, teachers, and residents about these tragic events. I hope people will attend, share this story with others, and work on solutions to make sure it doesn’t happen in our state.”
“Lancaster” is the story of the Amish school shootings that happened three years ago on October 2nd. People have asked “…how can you do a children’s show on the Amish shootings?” Anyone attending who is expecting to see a blood bath on stage will be greatly disappointed. The show is made terrifying through use of digital video and sound effects along with the live action on stage. The audience never sees blood, the killer, or a gun. This is a show about the strength of young people.
The mission of the theatre company is to expose young people to live performance of stories that have a positive reflection in today’s world.
Arizona residents can watch the play until its matinee finale on October 24th. All seats for performances are reserved. The admission is free. Donations toward costumes, program materials, and other miscellaneous items are accepted. Bennett Academy encourages theatre patrons to bring in a non-perishable donation for St. Mary’s Food Bank.
The press conference is available to all media, but due to limited space, journalists and broadcasters should contact the Bennett Academy for arrangements.
For show reservations, please call 602-943-1317 and a staff member will return a call to confirm your seating arrangements. The theatre is located at 2930 West Bethany Home Road on the Bennett Academy campus. For information on this and future productions please call Jim Hyte at 623-878-0177 or email at bpojim@yahoo.com.
ABOUT THE BENNETT PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE
Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre’s AriZoni award-winning story of the Holocaust, titled “Testament,” was seen by 3,000 patrons, becoming a part of the archives in the Simon Weisenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Shortly after the premiere of “Testament,” Bennett Academy was approached by Arizona State University to provide the young actors for their documentary of “Breaking the Bonds of Silence”; a film on child abuse. ASU had been impressed with the quality of young actors and cast them in all of the children’s parts, recreating the stories. “Testament” was also presented to a group in Sun City which included Holocaust survivors. It was praised for the accurate depiction of their story.
The driving force behind Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre is Jim Hyte who has been active in show business for the past 35 years. His experience ranges from writing and directing children’s shows for Ice Capades to work as a production designer in Hollywood. Hyte also worked with David Wo for over 6 years. During the early “The Barn” years of Theatre Works he was his technical director, and is currently resident director for Westbrook Village Players, and a professional actor with Arizona Performing Arts Theatre. He has received numerous AriZoni nominations as a writer, director, sound designer, and set designer.
Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre has a busy year ahead with productions of “The Gifts” (which was presented with Antwon Fisher at the Biltmore) in December, a revival of Testament” in February and “The Field Trip” in May. All are original works written by Mr. Hyte. The 2009-2010 theatre season opened with the world premiere of “Lancaster ” on October 14th. Arizona residents can watch the play until its finale on October 24th.
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Categories: Arizona, Commentary, Education, General, Politics, Press Releases
Amish School, Arizona, Arizona Politics, Bennett Academy, Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre, children, Education, Family, Forgiveness, Jim Hyte, John Paul Mitchell, Lancaster, Love, Play, Politics, Press Conference, School, school children, School Shootings, School Violence, Theatre, Violence
Join Us On Facebook!
October 7, 2009
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As of right now, John Paul Mitchell has 450 active supporters on his Facebook fan page. We’re encouraging all John’s campaign website visitors to join his page and show him support.
We’ve chosen Facebook as the official social network for John Paul Mitchell’s campaign, simply because it integrates smoothly into the campaign site and allows optimal exposure to multiple target audiences. Another great feature that you’ll notice is the sidebar displays 10 top Facebook supporters at random, so be on the look out for your face once you’ve joined.
You should show John Paul Mitchell your support and join now!
(Source: www.aznextgov.org)
John Paul Mitchell
A Lesson in Forgiveness and Non-Violence
On the night of Saturday, October 17th, I had the pleasure to attend the Bennett Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. I had proposed the idea of hosting a joint press conference addressing school violence and ways Arizona could prevent children from relying on violence to solve their problems. All local media and a number of local journalists were notified of the press conference, but none showed.
In my personal opinion, this shows that media outlets would rather cover the carnage of school shootings as they happen than attend a press conference that focuses awareness on the core issue and its prevention. It’s just one thing that’s wrong with our society; how the media covers the news.
But the lack of press and media at the event was truly a blessing in disguise. Instead of meeting with the media, I sat down and talked with the kids who acted in the Bennett Academy Performing Arts Theatre play, “Lancaster.” The cast included Denise, Damon, Todd, Lauren, Katie, Courtney, Dezirae, Alyssa, and Sean. Instantly, after a few minutes of speaking with the children, I could tell each one was passionate about acting and theatre — a talent encouraged and fostered by their teacher and director, Jim Hyte.
From our intimate meeting to watching the short one-act play, I realized a few important lessons. We must give our children tools of discipline, growth, kindness, strength, and non-violence. All the children in the play learned that violence is not the proper response for our problems and that we should be kind to all human life.
“Lancaster” is a play about a small Amish community that underwent the brutal shootings of young school children one day in a one-room schoolhouse. Even though a madman killed innocent life, the members of the Amish community went to the killer’s family the next day. The Amish had already forgiven the killer and came to pay their respects to the family. At the end of the play, we learn from director Jim Hyte that the father was held in the arms of the Amish for over an hour as he sobbed for his dead son.
I cannot think of a greater story of forgiveness than to console the father of a murderer. To summarize the logic behind the Amish’s thinking and the lesson learned: even a person who kills was loved by someone.
From watching this play, talking with the kids, and speaking with parents, I learned many important lessons that night. I’d like to bring what I learned into Arizona schools. I feel Arizona education could be improved by doing the following:
And that’s only the beginning. If we can start there and master these, then education in Arizona will flourish.