“Join the AZ Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus to kick off the 2018 Election Season in conjunction with the start of the Lunar New Year. Enjoy delicious food, meet local Democratic candidates and learn about important issues. Visit their FB page for updated information on confirmed guests and key information.
This is a FREE event, but an RSVP is appreciated! RSVP on the FB page or call (520) 309-6114.
Student moderator Patrick Robles of Sunnyside High School, Candidates David Garcia and Steve Farley, and student moderator Aiselyn Anaya of Amphi High School.
Democrats in Arizona have two outstanding choices in the candidates for Governor: college professor David Garcia and veteran Arizona state senator Steve Farley — both of whom pledged to restore school funding and raise teacher salaries after years of sabotage by the Republican legislature and governor.
They spoke at an education town hall sponsored by the Arizona Education Association at Pueblo High School on the far south side.
Highlights:
Farley pledged to give teachers a 20% pay raise, to fully fund education, to sponsor a constitutional amendment to allow collective bargaining by teachers, and to block deportation of DACA recipients.
Best quotes by Farley:
“Every time President Trump tweets, another Democratic activist is born.”
“When Governor Ducey tell you we don’t have enough money for education, he’s lying.”
Garcia called for an end to reliance on standardized testing, restoring ethnic studies in schools, paying teachers as professionals, revising the public school funding formula, and going to teachers’ unions first to formulate school policy.
He repeatedly spoke in Spanish to the standing-room only audience, emphasizing his Latino heritage, and referring to himself as “The anti-Ducey.”
Best quotes by Garcia:
“My goal is to have Arizona be one of the best places in the country to be a kid.”
“The legislature looks at teachers like missionaries, as people who would teach just for the good of the kids. The reality is we must pay our teachers as professionals.”
Nov. 1 – Flagstaff Nov. 8 – Yuma Nov. 29 – Phoenix Nov. 30 Tucson Specific location information for each is on our Blog for Arizona calendar for each of these dates: https://blogforarizona.net/calendar-2/. Two Democratic candidates running for Governor: LD 9 State Senator Steve Farley and Dr. David Garcia, education professor at ASU, who ran … Read more
High-tech medical care at Banner University Medical Center
For the past 30 years, my career has focused on health promotion, disease prevention, behavioral research, and communications. I have seen, photographed, and written about the good, the bad and the ugly parts of our country’s healthcare “system”.
I saw the rise of HMOs (health maintenance organizations) in the 1980s. I cheered the Clintons for at least trying to fix the overly complicated mess in the early 1990s. I saw costs going up every year and service going down. I saw a health insurance system that was creaking under the weight of its own complexity, while big insurance and big pharma collected huge profits. As managing editor of the American Journal of Medicine, I stood proudly by the Editor-in-Chief when he and the Editorial Board called for Medicare for All on multiple occasions.
Along the way, I have heard stories about huge medical bills, uncompensated hospital care, outrageously expensive drugs, limited or delayed access to medical care, premature death and disease, medical bankruptcy, and the medical consequences of poverty.
Now, as a member of the Arizona House and the ranking Democrat on the Health Committee,I want to hear your stories.
Do you have concerns about the future of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and Kids Care? Is the cost of medical care or prescription drugs a worry for your family? How would dramatic cuts to these programs impact you? Come to the 200 Stories: Tucson Healthcare Forum on Oct 29.
Prepared and articulate, Democratic candidate for governor Steven Farley won a friendly debate with David Garcia at the Maricopa County Democrats convention in Phoenix on Aug. 19.
You can disagree in the comments, but Farley was clearly the candidate who can beat Doug Ducey:
He had specific answers about funding education and where to get the money. Garcia gave general answers and anecdotes.
Farley has actually been elected to office 6 times over the last 11 years.
Garcia lost in the 2014 race for Superintendent of Public Instruction to Diane Douglas, who did not campaign publicly.
Farley is a sitting state senator and Garcia is an ASU professor.
Hundreds of precinct committeemen and officers attended the event, which was live-cast on the party’s Facebook page and moderated by Brahm Resnik of NBC channel 12 news.
.6% Education Sales Tax
Farley: opposed, because it’s a regressive tax that hurts the poor. “The Arizona chamber of commerce says every year that we need to fund education and we need more corporate tax breaks, guess which one the legislature has listened to. These business leaders are calling for a 1% increase in your sales tax, but they should start calling for a tax increase on themselves. If they are sincere about improving our education system, they should share some of the burdens and not just let middle-class people take it again.”
Garcia: in favor, with an increase to 1% or 2%, but with additional dollars coming from closing tax loopholes.
