Attention: Save your AZ State Parks or Kiss them BYE BYE Forever!

Sorry to interrupt your day with this but its really important and you should understand why. Currently Arizona is facing a huge budget shortfall because of the slow economy. One idea that the legislator has is to close down the state parks to save about $20 million dollars against the $4 Billion deficit that the state currently faces. Thats less that 1/10 of 1% yet the parks generate around $250 Million in local business revenue each year, and guess what? That revenue is taxed and helps out the State… Huh?

The problem with this is not just that we are shutting down everyday peoples access to affordable outdoor recreation but that we are eliminating a significant portion of revenue for local business and in turn State revenue:

AZ Family Channel 3 report:

“State parks take nothing from the general fund and actually give back to the state budget a big fat $22.7 million in state and local taxes. The state legislature has swept millions from state parks to help balance the budget, leaving them too short to operate the 30 parks in the system.

Three have already closed.

Does this make sense since state parks bring in more than $225 million dollars to the state’s economy through the 2.5 million visitors each year.”

AZ Republic Report on AZ State Park Closures

“Bahl noted that last year parks contributed $25 million to the General Fund, even though parks themselves receive no General Fund dollars. A Northern Arizona University study found that the parks generated $266 million annually in economic activity for rural communities.

“We’re important to the economy,” Bahl said. “We’re important to the people right now. Folks can’t afford to do much these days, and parks are one affordable luxury that we want to keep open.”"

The AZ State Parks foundation points out that if this is allowed to happen we may be looking at a huge land grab of pristine public land handed back over to private owners. Maybe they will put a chairlift on the Superstitions and install a KFC on the Flatiron…

AZ State Parks Foundation

“The cuts will force major reductions in Parks staff and closure of more than half of the State’s 30 parks this fiscal year.  The resulting loss of Park revenue is projected to leave the Parks System with no money to start the next fiscal year, July 1, 2010.  The next step will be to shut down the entire system and dispose of Parks properties, returning most of them to their original owners.”

According to the AZ State Parks Foundation there are a number of ways you can take action:

#1 – Call Governor Brewer and Email this sample letter (Word Doc):

Phone:  602-542-4331 or 800-253-0883

Email via Governor’s Contact page at:

www.governor.state.az.us/Contact.asp

Mail:  The Honorable Jan Brewer, Governor of Arizona,

1700 West Washington, Phoenix, Arizona 85007

#2 – Attend the AZ State Park Board Meeting on Jan 15th at the Phoenix Zoo and let them know how you feel about this.

#3 – Email this sample letter (Word doc) to your legistators (find yours here: AZ senate – AZ house – Find your District)

#4 – Let the AZ State Parks Board know where you stand.

Take 30 minutes out of your day today and address this issue. Please.

Edited: January 13th, 2010

Canvassing for Obama in Chandler AZ

So I finally got off my lazy butt and got involved with the effort to make change happen in the country that I love. Last Saturday I went to Chandler Arizona and met with a bunch of really enthusiastic Obama Supporters and Canvassed Democratic Voters to sign up for Mail In Balloting. It was one of the more rewarding things I have done in many years and I am ready to do it again.

Some neat Statistics that I overheard:
-80% of voters registered for Mail In Ballots actually vote, compared to 40% or worse for regular registered voters
-When there is a record number of voters actually voting Democrats win the elections.

Here are some pictures, it was a lovely beautiful day:

Edited: May 12th, 2008

Please ask the Governor to Veto HB2017!

From the Sierra Club:

Please ask the Governor to Veto HB2017!

Thank legislators who supported Clean Cars and Clean Air.

There is still one more vote to be counted relative to HB2017. That is the Governor’s. While she has been extremely supportive of the Clean Car Rule and very engaged in the Western Climate Initiative, I think it is important to let her know that there are lots of people out there who support a veto of HB2017.

Please take the time in the next couple of days to send Governor Napolitano a quick note asking her to please veto HB2017 Now: greenhouse emissions; regulations; fuel economy. This bill sends the message that Arizona does not want to do its part to clean up the air or reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. That is the wrong message to send.

If it becomes law, HB2017 will undercut “Clean Car” and clean air programs and significantly restrict Arizona’s ability to participate in regional efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions as well as other pollutants.

You can contact the Governor at azgov@az.gov or go to http://azgovernor.gov/contact.asp and type in your message. Call 602-542-4331 or outside the Phoenix area 1-800-253-0883. You can also contact the governor via mail at: The Honorable Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona, 1700 West Washington, 9th Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 or by fax at 602-542-1381.

Also, please take the time to thank the following legislators, all of whom voted against HB2017 and all of whom recognize the importance of taking actions to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the legislature is acting irresponsibly as a body, these individual legislators stood up and did the right thing. I have included their email addresses for your convenience. Please thank Representatives: Ableser eableser@azleg.gov, Bradley dbradley@azleg.gov, Brown jbrown@azleg.gov, Cajero Bedford ocajerobedford@azleg.gov, Chad Campbell chcampbell@azleg.gov, Chabin tchabin@azleg.gov, Farley sfarley@azleg.gov, Gallardo sgallardo@azleg.gov, Garcia mgarcia@azleg.gov, Hershberger phershberger@azleg.gov, Lopes plopes@azleg.gov, Lopez llopez@azleg.gov, Lujan dlujan@azleg.gov, Miranda bmiranda@azleg.gov, Pancrazi lpancrazi@azleg.gov, Prezelski tprezelski@azleg.gov, Schapira dschapira@azleg.gov, Sinema ksinema@azleg.gov, Thrasher jthrasher@azleg.gov, Tom atom@azleg.gov, Ulmer ulmer@azleg.gov, and Young-Wright nyoungwright@azleg.gov.

Representatives DeSimone and McGuire were absent. Everyone else voted for the bill.

If you would like to contact representatives who supported the bill and express your disappointment or dismay, you can find contact information for all legislators by clicking on HOUSE or paste this website into your browser http://www.azleg.gov/memberRoster.asp?Body=H or you can call (602) 926-4221 or outside the Phoenix area 1-800-352-8404 and just ask to be connected to House members’ offices.

Thank you for taking action on this important issue!

Sandy Bahr

Conservation Outreach Director

Sierra Club – Grand Canyon Chapter

202 E. McDowell Rd, Suite 277

Phoenix, AZ 85004

Phone (602) 253-8633

Fax (602) 258-6533

sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org

Edited: May 12th, 2008

Want Clean Air? Get out of Phoenix

Besides not being able to get to work and setup a Budget for Arizona the State Legislators also want to repeal what little work they have done this year. Most notably is the Clean Car Program and the ability for Governor Napolitano to participate in the Western Climate Initiative. This is really an offense to all intelligent citizens in the State of Arizona. You are doing yourself and injustice by not calling your legislator and complaining about this. Use this site to find your Legislator and call them immediately to stop HB2017.

From the Sierra Club:

May 12, 2008

For Immediate Release: Contact: Sandy Bahr (602)253-8633

Diane E. Brown (602)318-2779 (c)

Arizona Legislature Seeks to Thwart Clean Air and Clean Cars Efforts

Today, the Arizona legislature passed HB2017 intending to put the Clean Cars Program on hold and also make it impossible for the Governor to effectively participate in the Western Climate Initiative. This effort comes less than a week after the Governor’s Regulatory Review Council voted in favor of the Clean Cars Program citing the legal authority for Arizona to proceed once the federal government acknowledges the right of the states on this issue. In passing the Clean Car Standards, Arizona joins 13 other states, over a third of the U.S. market.

The Clean Cars Program known for limiting health-damaging pollution from automobiles and paving the way for the widespread introduction of technologies such as hybrid-electric and fuel-cell vehicles, direct-injection engines, advanced transmissions, improved air conditioning systems, and other technologies with the potential to reduce pollution, previously received a unanimous recommendation from the Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Group (CCAG). The CCAG was comprised of diverse stakeholders including utility, business, public health, environmental, tribal and other leaders.

Aside from the stakeholder process, over 75 small businesses and organizations from across the state have stated their support for the Clean Cars Program in Arizona. In addition, thousands of Arizonans have written letters, signed postcards and sent emails to urge the advancement of the Clean Cars Program.

“There are only two options for a state: either the federal standard or the clean car standard. The clean car standard results in cleaner air and lower total transportation costs,” stated Jeff Schlegel, Arizona representative for the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP). “The federal standard results in dirtier air and higher total transportation costs due to higher fuel use and gas prices. It is time to stop the delay tactics and move the clean car standard forward in Arizona.”

“Republicans for Environmental Protection does not believe that good policy is made when the sole intention is to thwart action by agencies previously given legislative authority to act,” said Tina Beattie, Arizona coordinator for Republicans for Environmental Protection. “We also are concerned greatly by removing Arizona from the Western Climate Initiative as Arizona’s economic interests need to represented within the region.”

“Through their vote to put the Clean Cars Program on hold, the legislature failed to see the warning signs of global warming in our state and ultimately took a wrong turn,” stated Diane E. Brown, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group (Arizona PIRG). Brown pointed to the auto industry as leading the charge against the Clean Cars Program in Arizona and states across the country and added, “The auto industry needs to shift gears from spending money on lawyers and lobbyists trying to halt clean air improvements to putting cleaner vehicles on the roads to reduce the brown cloud, decrease asthma attacks and provide some relief to consumers at the gas pump.”

“If we leave it to the big utilities and the auto manufacturers, who brought this bill to the legislature, Arizona would just sit on its hands relative to cleaning up our air and reducing the emissions that contribute to global warming,” said Sandy Bahr, Conservation Outreach Director for the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “Fortunately, most Arizonans and the governor support a different strategy – our health, our economy, and the future of our children depend on us acting now to address these critical issues.”

Edited: May 12th, 2008

St Pattys in Chandler

I don’t know about you but my fall-down-drunk days of green beer are retired. Nowadays I am much more interested in outdoor festivals with bands and lots of people. From the sounds of it Chandler is gonna have a pretty good try at it this year with their first annual St Patricks Day Festival.

Its right downtown south of Chandler Blvd on Arizona and starts at 4pm till 11pm. Its being organized by the non-profit Downtown Chandler Community Partnership.

Edited: March 16th, 2008

Two new blogs that I am now reading

I need to do a post on all the various blogs and websites that I read so that you know where I am coming from. Anyway I wanted to mention two new ones that I am subscribed to now:

Tim Saffles and I have been buds for a few years now. It all started at that strange event known as Retention where we worked for Bob Parsons at Godaddy.com. Our dark and sarcastic humor pretty much clashed right away and it was all over but the arguing after that. He is a really good writer and gets his thoughts out like I wish I could:

So I have a dilemma: I want to purchase a place of my own, I feel that there will be no better time that in the next year or so, but I don’t think it will be a worthwhile investment of capital or time. I’m torn between sentimentality and responsibility. : TimothySaffles.com

Renting vs. Buying: Housing Dilemma

The second one is from Biray Alsac who I just learned of today via her teaching a blog workshop at the Chandler Library on March 26th at 6:30pm called Stop, Blog, and Roll. She is a fitness guru and really into the Internets. She is also a very good writer and I look forward to reading more from her:

Despite being a bit of a techno-geek, I’m still a health educator and fitness professional first. I admit, I spend countless hours on the web exploring online tools and reading up on new technology. But I see my efforts as directly helping me better understand this gadget-driven, internet-savvy culture. I’m striving to become more effective [...] : Be Fit With Biray

Everyone Could Use Some Spare Change

Edited: March 12th, 2008

The original solar powered home appliance

With all this push for green technology there is a tendency to overcomplicate the solutions. Sure you could go buy a hybrid car but using public transport is much more effective. You can also spend a small fortune getting your home setup for solar water heating and battery charging, or you can start drying your clothes on a clothes line.

I live in Arizona so its pretty much a sin that I don’t do this already. Well here is my new weekend project.

We’ve covered this topic before, but to be honest I hadn’t realised just how big the issue was. Probably because backyard clotheslines are a cultural icon in Australia. The adjustable rotary clothesline, known as the Hills Hoist, is such a part of our psyche it is exhibited in national and state museums, and was even incorporated into the closing ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games. By 1994 some 5 million Hills Hoists had been sold, which is pretty impressive considering its country of origin only had 5.2 million detached houses at the time.

So it comes as a shock that America is resisting something that we take for grante…

: TreeHugger

Clotheslines Hung Out to Dry

Edited: February 26th, 2008

Tough times in the Desert

Take a look around while driving through any part of Phoenix and the amount of lifted trucks and high end cars will make you think that everyone here is making six figure incomes. The reality is that these people are in deep debt attributed to the housing boom seen over the last few years which has allowed people to take out second and third mortgages to make big purchases.

Now that the economy is slowing and the housing values are dropping we are seeing a slowdown in this spending. Since Arizona gets most of its taxes through sales and income there is a huge shortfall occuring in all city budgets across the state. Its going to start getting very tight around the Desert.

State and local governments tighten belts as tax revenues fall, a ripple effect of the housing slump.

If there’s any reason for cheer, it’s that the state has been in this position before, and it not only came out of it, but also came out of it with unprecedented growth to lead the country as the fastest-growing state last year.

“There have been seven nationwide recessions since 1960, and each time we’ve bounced back,” Vest says. “The two most recent recessions, in the early 1990s and 2001, were both short and mild. So far there’s no reason to believe this is any different than the last two.”

: Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories

Arizona coffers shrink amid housing bust

Edited: February 25th, 2008

Phoenix/Arizona Business links for Feb 22nd 2008

Happy Friday!!!!

A few interesting business stories today:

• Toxic emissions up 52 percent in Arizona from 2005 to 2006, EPA report shows – Out of sight but still in your lungs and water.
• Apollo Group’s $170M headquarters sale in limbo – In case you were wondering what was happening with that huge building by the I-10, nothing. Oh and Apollo Group/University of Phoenix is rich!
• Gov. Napolitano imposes hiring freeze for state positions – remember how we had that surplus last year? Well its gone plus some now.
• Arizona gas prices jump, but still lower than most of U.S. – Valley metro anyone?
• McCain rebuffs ‘New York Times’ story – This story is strange. On one hand it is galvanizing the GOP, but it also brings Lobbying back into the debate. This is why the GOP is scared of Obama and his lack of Lobbying ties.
• APS building what it calls world’s largest solar power plant – Its a start, only covers 1% of AZ population, but its a start. My question is why are we using a Spanish company to build this?

Edited: February 22nd, 2008

North Chandler Bike Ride

This whole having a week off stuff is really nice. My body still awakens 5 minutes before my alarm goes off at 4am each day but I am unhurried now. This allows me to sit and write for a few hours after breakfast. Have a nice shave and go for a morning ride through my hood.

Today marks the second day of riding through Chandler on my bike. Yes I have lived here for over a year now but have not taken anytime to explore the area. The biggest reason for this delay is my fear of riding on the roads in Chandler because of the high proportion of drivers who are not paying attention. This is of course a silly notion because there is a high proportion of drivers not paying attention just about everywhere there are cars. So the rule is to pay attention, and then pay more attention!

Choosing a route is critical to creating an enjoyable ride. Having to constantly think about what route is best is tiring and prevents you from being able to pay attention to those inattentive drivers. There are a number of bike lanes in Chandler but I cannot find and resource that tells me exactly where they are. I winged it and came out pretty lucky. Have a look here to see my North Chandler Bike Route, just over 10 miles in about 50 minutes.

Edited: February 20th, 2008