Thursday, August 30, 2007

"Building a Legacy of Life... Meeting New Challenges through Education"

Arizona Right to Life has established its annual pro-life conference as the premier educational event for Arizona pro-lifers - and as past attendees will attest, it is because the conference gives you the tools to change the world...

Here are some of the things that past conference attendees are saying about the annual AZRTL Pro-Life Conference:

"I like going to the conference because it motivates me... it helps remind me of what's really important, and that I really can make a difference."

"The conference is a great place to bring my friends that are 'on the fence' about pro-life issues... so many of them just need a good dose of the truth to help them really commit to doing something to save babies' lives"

"Sometimes I just go to the conference to see all the young people. It gives me hope that the next generation really does care."

"I LOVE hearing Janet Folger speak... she has a way of making me laugh til my face hurts and educating me all at the same time... She always gives me something new to take into the world and try with my "pro-choice" friends and coworkers."

"I feel encouraged going to the conference. It helps me know that I'm not alone in this fight, and even that we're winning the battle! That's something you just don't hear out in the world... from the way they make it sound, things are getting worse. But the conference helps me see that we really are making a difference"


Speaker Spotlight
Congressman Trent Franks

Congressman Trent Franks has spent most of his life working on children's issues and trying to build a better future for all children.

Trent is a former member of the Arizona House of Representatives where he served as Chairman of the House Sub-Committee on Child Protection and Family Preservation. He was a high-profile sponsor of numerous bills designed to protect the family including the "Child Obscenity and Pornography Bill," and the "Dangerous Crimes Against Children Bill." In 1987, Trent was appointed by the Governor to head the Arizona Governor's Office for Children, a Cabinet level division of the Governor's office responsible for overseeing and coordinating state policy and programs for Arizona's children.

He founded and served four and a half years as Executive Director of the Arizona Family Research Institute, a non-profit organization associated with Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family for the purpose of advocating and advancing public policy to protect children and families in Arizona.

Because of his lifelong commitment to Children and Children's issues, Trent Franks was nominated "Children's Champion" by Arizona State Legislators.

Trent is a recipient of the "True Blue" Award from the Family Research Council for his Defense of Family, Faith, and Freedom. The True Blue Award is presented by the Family Research Council to Members of Congress who demonstrate extraordinary integrity and character in their defense of the family and the sanctity of human life through their votes. Recipients of the True Blue Award have achieved perfect voting records on issues of importance to the American family.

Congressman Franks is presently the Chairman of the Children's Hope Scholarship Foundation which promotes and protects landmark legislation which Trent wrote and which now scholarships 24,000 children to a school of their parents' choice in Arizona alone. Thus far, this legislation has survived ACLU challenges in the Arizona Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court.

Trent has been married to his wife, Josephine, for 25 years. They have been members of North Phoenix Baptist Church for 22 years, and have worked as Sunday School teachers for the one and two year olds in the Preschool Department for nearly 21 years.

Speakers

Mark Crutcher, President of Life Dynamics, Inc. and founder of the Life Activist Seminar

Ken Blackwell, Family Research Council

Janet Folger, President of Faith2Action; renowned author and strategist

Congressman Trent Franks, 2nd Congressional District

Karen Cross, National Right to Life


Dr. Carolyn Gerster, Arizona Right to Life Chairman and long time Arizona Physician.

Quick Links...

Conference Page AZTRL Home

Registration Sponsorships.

For more information on registration and sponsorship opportunities, including table sponsorships, program advertisements, and exhibitor booths, please contact Christopher at 602-285-0063, chris@arizonarighttolife,org; or visit www.azrtl.org

Registration

$100 - Friday Night Tickets

$65 - Saturday Conference General Admission

$50 - Saturday Conference Student & Clergy

$155 - Whole weekend (must register by 8/31)

$140 - Whole weekend, Students & Clergy (must register by 8/31)

Register by phone or online

602-285-0063

www.azrtl.org

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Stonewalling Spurs Lawsuit: Attorney General’s Tactics Contradict His Own Prior Legal Opinion, May Intimidate Witnesses

from the County Attorney's Office -

The County Attorney’s Office today has filed a lawsuit demanding that Attorney General Terry Goddard instruct his lawyer to cease obstructionist tactics that are hindering a bribery investigation by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s investigators are looking into claims that the Attorney General’s Office gave former State Treasurer David Peterson a favorable criminal plea deal after the Treasurer’s Office transferred $1.9 million in disputed funds to the Attorney General’s Office.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio has complained of being “stonewalled” by the Attorney General’s Office and Ed Novak, a prominent criminal defense attorney hired by Goddard to represent the Attorney General’s Office. The tactics employed by Novak directly contradict the public pledge of cooperation made by the Attorney General and Goddard’s own published opinions on the same legal issue.

Novak is demanding that he be informed when a current or former employee of the Attorney General’s Office is to be interviewed by a sheriff’s investigator. It is believed he intends to sit in during these interviews, potentially chilling witnesses. These demands, if honored, might intimidate employees of the Attorney General’s Office and prevent them from candidly providing information to investigators, as well as improperly reveal investigative strategies to the subjects of investigation.

Novak’s demands on behalf of the Attorney General conflict with prevailing law and Goddard’s own published legal opinions and practices. In an article published just two years ago in Arizona Attorney, an official publication of the State Bar of Arizona, Goddard took a position diametrically opposite from the one his office’s attorney now is taking in the Petersen probe. In the 2005 article, he argued, contrary to Novak’s assertions, that “a person or entity should not be allowed to thwart the investigation…by the general retention of a lawyer.”





Now that the Attorney General’s Office is the subject of investigation, the Attorney General’s position has changed. As a result, the Attorney General is claiming greater rights for himself than what his office grants to criminal suspects under investigation by his office. In fact, the Attorney General’s Office, like virtually all other prosecutor’s offices in Arizona, does not give information of the type demanded by Novak to opposing attorneys during ongoing investigations.

After Novak repeatedly defended these tactics in letters to the County Attorney’s Office over the past two months, Sheriff Arpaio issued a press release on August 16, 2007 denouncing this stonewalling. In a subsequent article published on August 22, 2007 by the Yellow Sheet, a publication of the Arizona Capitol Times, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office confirmed that Goddard is in agreement with the positions taken by Novak. Only after all these efforts to avoid litigation failed was this lawsuit filed.

“Mr. Goddard should honor his own legal advice from two years ago, and his public vow to cooperate, and end these tactics,” County Attorney Andrew Thomas stated. “The Attorney General’s Office cannot lawfully hire, at taxpayer’s expense, counsel to act as the personal criminal defense lawyer for the Attorney General—particularly when that lawyer is trying to impede a criminal investigation.”

Monday, August 27, 2007

ARIZONA TAXPAYERS ACTION COMMITTEE ENDORSES JON ALTMANN FOR PHOENIX CITY COUNCIL

The Arizona Taxpayers Action Committee (ATAC) today announced that it is endorsing Jon Altmann for Phoenix City Council, District 3.

Jon Altmann is a Phoenix native and Arizona State University graduate. His family moved to Council District 3 in 1971. In 1974, his first effort helped neighbors lobby for and get improved fire and emergency medical protection. Since then, he has led neighborhood efforts in the Valley, including serving on Phoenix's Village Planning Committee for the past four years. His professional business life has included the experience of a top national corporate marketing executive of a publicly traded company.

ATAC is endorsing Altmann because he holds the best hope for keeping city government constrained to its charter and taxes within reason. He opposes Proposition 3, which would allow the Phoenix government and your taxes to grow without limit.

“Rising property values should not be viewed by government as a signal to significantly increase the size and cost of government. City government exists to provide the essential services of public safety, transportation and public works. It should not look to duplicate the role of the state or Federal government. City officials have an obligation to present a detailed budget and illustrate the debt obligations,” says Altmann.

Chad Kirkpatrick, Chairman of ATAC, commented on the Phoenix city council, “There are currently no friends of the taxpayer on the Phoenix city council. We hope that with the election of Jon Altmann in district three, taxpayers will finally have a voice on the city council.”

The Arizona Taxpayer’s Action Committee is a political action committee affiliated with the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers and is dedicated to electing candidates who will work towards expanding economic growth and prosperity for all Arizonans.

To help the Arizona Taxpayer Action Committee fight for responsible government, supporters are encouraged to send a donation to:

Arizona Taxpayer Action Committee
Attn: Treasurer
6549 E. Snowdon St.
Mesa, AZ 85215

Stacey O'Connell - running for Phoenix City Council District 1

Running against Thelda Williams, Loralei Poll and Jonathan Humphrey.

PRESS RELEASE
August 26, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Don Goldwater
don@dongoldwater.com
Vote
Stacey O'Connell
Phoenix City Council



  • Of the 5.7 Million people that live in Arizona, an estimated 500,000 are Illegal Aliens.
  • Much of the violent crime in Phoenix area involves Illegal Aliens
  • Illegal Immigration costs AZ Taxpayers about $1.3 BILLION per year in education, healthcare and incarceration costs.
  • Phoenix Operation order 1.4: Prevents PPD Officers from contacting Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) when they encounter an Illegal Alien during the course of a crime.

  • Stacey O'Connell is committed to end 'Sanctuary City' policy 1.4 by the Phoenix City Government!




  • Phx has the highest auto theft rate in the nation according to police and auto insurance agencies.
  • (Business Week Online 10-10-05)
  • AZ consistently has one of the nations highest rates of fatal hit and run crashes.
  • ("The Hit-Kill-And-Run State: AZ nears grim title" by Mitch Tobin
    and Tim Ellis, AZ Daily Star, Tucson AZ 12-18-2005)


    Stacey O'Connell is committed to expand our city Police Department by 2500 officers over 8 years!


    • Vote by early ballot now or on September 11, 2007.
    Vote
    Stacey O'Connell
    Phoenix City Council

    website: www.oconnellccd1.com

    e-mail: oconnellccd1@aol.com

    cell phone: 602.705.7947

    Conservative Leadership Conference in Reno - emphasis on bloggers

    CLC2007 :: Conservatives and the New Media
    The 2007 Conservative Leadership Conference (CLC) will be the first national conference of its kind in the western United States to fully utilize the power of blogging and the Internet to promote conservative/libertarian, limited-government public policies. This will be a world-class event!

    CLC 2007 is being co-hosted by Citizen Outreach and Americans for Tax Reform. Rep. John Shadegg is the conference’s Honorary Chairman.

    The conference will take place in Reno, Nevada, at John Ascuaga’s Nugget Resort & Casino on October 11-13, 2007. Conservatives from around the country are expected to attend this extraordinary conference which is planned to include…

    * A full day of training workshops for bloggers and grassroots activists
    * Welcoming reception
    * Western BBQ
    * Awards banquet
    * Speeches by presidential candidates and other conservative leaders
    * Panel discussions and debates on the “hottest” issues and topics
    * Our first “State of the Conservative Union” address
    * Talk-radio and TV coverage
    * Book-signings with conservative authors
    * Exhibit hall for vendors and grassroots organizations
    * Presidential preference straw poll

    Conservatives on the Left Coast?
    "The East Coast has CPAC, the largest conservative conference in the nation, now the West Coast is having their own to rally thousands of conservatives, leaders, bloggers, talk radio for the 2008 elections. Sponsor of CLC talks about what's at stake in '08."

    Scottsdale Republican Party Meetup Group & GOP Day at the Ballpark


    From former Rep. Colette Rosati -



    I am the organizer of The Scottsdale Republican Party Meetup Group. We had some great meetings earlier this summer at coffee houses etc. More meetings are being scheduled for later this year at new venues. We will have some interesting and important guest speakers at these events. The next one is Thursday August 30th at the Olive Garden in Scottsdale. Join the group and receive automatic invitations to future events.

    Sunday August 26 is Republican day at the ballpark. Join with other fans and watch the Diamondbacks play the Cubs. This is a great place to meet the movers and shakers of the Republican Party in AZ. They are many regular folks like you and me.

    Have you thought about getting a bit more involved and learning how US politics works from the ground up? Do you want to run for office or help those that are taking the plunge? There will be a meeting in a private home in Scottsdale on Tuesday Aug. 28th
    from 10 am - 1 pm to discuss these issues. Sandwiches will be served (a small donation to cover the cost will be accepted not required).

    For more details on all of these items of interest & more for the month other grassroots events, please call me or visit my website, www.ColetteRosati.com.

    Leftists to protest Kyl & McCain's offices over Iraq

    What the nutty left is up to -

    Be part of National Take A Stand Day Aug. 28th!

    Tell Arizona's "deciders" to put a stop to this endless war when Congress reconvenes in September.

    PHOENIX TAKE-A-STAND EVENTS
    7:00am - 8:00am: Present the Cost of War and Occupation to Senators Kyl and McCain
    Gather at corner of 24th Street and Camelback, Phoenix.

    8:00am: March to Senator Kyl's office at 2200 East Camelback Road and present his representative with a $6.3 billion dollar check representing what the Iraq war has cost Arizonans to date.

    8:30am - 9:00am:March to Presidential Candidate Senator McCain's $4.66 million, 6500 square foot condominium at the luxury high rise "Residences" at 2211 East Camelback Road and deliver his representative a $6.3 billion check.
    FLAGSTAFF TAKE-A-STAND EVENT
    1:00pm: Vans leave from Park-Central Mall heading for 5:00pm rally at Wheeler Park in Flagstaff!

    Even though he has announced that he is "retiring," Rick Renzi still represents the first congressional district and he will be a key "decider" on whether to end the occupation in Iraq when Congress reconvenes in September. Let's make sure he hears our plea that he Take a Stand against endless war. We will return to Phoenix by 10:00pm. (Another group will rally in Prescott's Court Square at 2:00pm, then head to the Flagstaff rally.)

    Let's tell Rep. Renzi: No more lives lost. No more wasting of billions tax dollars in this endless, religious civil war. Congressman Renzi, who no longer has any committee assignments, has declined our invitation for the 27th time due to "his busy schedule!" So, we will address a cardboard cutout of him. And, we will bring him a check showing the district's share of the cost of the Iraq War.

    We will leave from the Phoenix Park Central mall parking lot near Starbucks at 1:00pm on Tuesday, August 28th and return before 10:00pm.
    Reserve your seat by clicking here today!
    This will automatically reserve your seat. If you have questions, call us at 602-297-2500. Or email us at info@azadvocacy.org.
    Sponsored by MoveOn, the Arizona Advocacy Network and the End the War Coalition.

    The Arizona Advocacy Network's mission is to promote social, economic, racial and environmental justice by connecting and building power among activists and leaders in those fields, and by leading efforts for electoral justice and increased civic participation.
    Visit us on the web at www.azadvocacy.org or contact us at 602-297-2500 or info@azadvocacy.org.

    Wednesday, August 22, 2007

    Arizona finally about to use Three Strikes You're Out law

    You know you're not living in Massachusetts when your state has a law like this. Considering the majority of criminals are more likely to commit another crime than not after being released from prison, it makes sense to keep them in prison.

    County Attorney Seeks Life Sentence under New “Three-Strikes” Law
    First Use of Arizona Law Targets Violent Career Criminal

    Using Arizona’s new “three strikes and you’re out” law, the County Attorney’s Office is seeking a life sentence for Robert Hill (DOB 11/19/70) for a Valley crime spree that went on for three days. Hill is the first defendant in Maricopa County and apparently the first in Arizona (no other such cases have been reported in the media) to face a possible life term under the new state law mandating that certain violent repeat offenders be incarcerated for life upon their conviction of a third violent offense.

    In November 2004, Hill stole a car in Scottsdale, pointed a gun at a random driver on the 101 freeway, led police on a chase and tried to ram a police cruiser. Then, while hiding out in a vacant home that was for sale, he tried to rape a 65-year-old woman. He was captured a day later in Casa Grande. Hill is now awaiting trial on a 13-count criminal indictment. If convicted, Hill would be put away for life without the possibility of parole.

    County Attorney Andrew Thomas described Hill as a “prime example of why Arizona’s new three-strikes law was passed.” He was convicted in 1987 of attempted armed robbery and served five years in the Arizona Department of Corrections. In 1993, he was convicted of armed robbery and served ten more years in an Arizona prison. He got out in 2003, and a year later went on his latest alleged crime spree.

    Senate Bill 1444 was signed into law in 2006. It does the following:
    Requires a person who has been convicted of committing, attempting or conspiring to commit three violent or aggravated felonies on separate occasions to be imprisoned for life.
    Applies to persons who have been convicted of similar violent offenses in another state.
    Stipulates that the person sentenced to life imprisonment is not eligible for suspension of sentence, probation, pardon or release, except for commutation.
    Prohibits commutation until felon has served 35 years.

    “Arizona’s three-strikes law was created to go after the worst of the worst,” said Thomas. “We hope to use this new statute to lock up these violent career criminals once and for all.”

    Sheriff Arpaio accuses Attorney General Goddard of stonewalling investigation of him

    Press release sent out by the Sheriff -

    SHERIFF DEMANDS COOPERATION FROM ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE

    Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio today criticized Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard saying he is failing to keep his promise to cooperate in the ongoing criminal investigation of former State Treasurer David Petersen and the Attorney General’s Office.

    The investigation centers on whether Petersen may have successfully bribed Attorney General Goddard into accepting $1.9 million dollars of disputed state funds in exchange for a better plea agreement in a criminal case involving Petersen and his alleged fraud and misuse of public money.

    The attempted bribery investigation of Goddard and his Office began in April of this year and is being conducted by the Maricopa County Anti Corruption Enforcement (MACE) unit which consists of law enforcement professionals from the Sheriff’s Office and the County Attorney’s Office.

    When Goddard was notified about the investigation, he publicly promised to fully cooperate with law enforcement authorities. But according to Arpaio, he has not kept his promise.

    Instead Attorney General Goddard hired attorney Ed Novak who now acts as his “guard at the gate.” Novak is insisting that he receive prior notice of the questioning of any and all of the Attorney General’s employees, current or former, that may be contacted in the Sheriff’s criminal investigation.

    “That’s not how criminal cases are done,” Arpaio says. “Law enforcement officials must have unfettered access to witnesses and suspects. Mr. Goddard and Novak are 100 West Washington, Suite 1900, Phoenix, Arizona 85003 Phone: (602) 876-1801 Fax: (602) 258-2081 Media Pager: (602) 238-8097 E-mail: SheriffsMediaRequests@MCSO.Maricopa.Gov 2
    getting in the way of that, which is tantamount to interfering with an official investigation,” the Sheriff says.

    Arpaio says, “My message today to Attorney General Goddard and his attorney is this: let us get our jobs done! Stop hindering my deputies from investigating this alleged crime, and let’s get this investigation over with.”

    Letters to attorney Novak and the Attorney General asking for Novak to step aside and resist acting as a buffer between investigators and witnesses have been met with steadfast refusal.
    A fact that baffles many, because according to the Arizona State Bar Magazine of June 2005, Goddard authored an article criticizing the very actions his own attorney is now taking in this case saying “a person or entity should not be allowed to thwart the investigation…by the general retention of a lawyer.”

    “He’s apparently going against his own legal advice from two years ago,” Arpaio says. “I’ve known Terry Goddard for 25 years and he seems to be an honest person. But I am very curious as to why he is now stonewalling an investigation of his office.”

    Monday, August 20, 2007

    Phoenix politicians "nervous" about Prop 3

    From Tom Jenney of the AZ Federation of Taxpayers -

    Please read the top-of-the-fold article about Proposition 3 in today’s Republic, then read the notes about Propositions 3 and 1 below.

    Re Proposition 3:

    1) To see some ways Phoenix can reduce spending by $1 billion per year, while at the same time increasing spending on police, fire, emergency management, and criminal justice budgets by five percent, check out the budget worksheet produced by the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers (www.aztaxpayers.org), a state chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Included in the worksheet are oversight costs for long-term concessions and also transition costs for the concessions.

    2) Note Councilman Stanton’s threat about cuts to public safety. If Stanton and his fellow councilmen would not actually vote to cut public safety budgets, he is being dishonest. If Stanton and the Council actually would vote to cut police and fire before cutting nonessential services, he is fiscally irresponsible. If Stanton means that he would not vote to cut public safety budgets, but a majority on the Council would, then Stanton is effectively declaring that a majority of his colleagues are fiscally irresponsible. Another possibility: Stanton is just sticking to his talking points, and has not thought very carefully about them.

    3) Passage of Prop 3 would prevent Phoenix from making significant tax reductions. The Arizona Federation of Taxpayers worksheet shows that budget reductions would generate General Fund savings of over $150 million annually. $102 million could be used to eliminate the city’s primary property tax, and the remainder could be used to reduce city sales tax revenues by over ten percent (city sales tax revenues are $425 million annually).

    If Phoenix voters approve Proposition 3 on September 11th, they will have missed a rare opportunity to impose real fiscal discipline on city politicians.

    Re Proposition 1:

    Proposition 1 is a scam. City politicians and the politicos in the police and fire unions claim that Phoenix needs a new sales tax in order to spend an additional $60 million per year to fund 500 new police officers and 100 new firemen. And yet, during each of the past two years, Mayor Gordon and the members of the Phoenix City Council have voted for $300 million in spending increases on programs other than police and fire. They could easily have spent $60 million extra on police and fire, and had $240 million left over for the other programs. But they did not. Why? What programs did Mayor Gordon and the City Council think were more important than police and fire? Some of this year’s program increases include: $6 million for the Convention Center; $1 million for Golf; $3 million for Libraries; $10 million for Parks and Recreation; $17 million for Housing Projects; $6 million for Development Services; $29 million for Transit; and, $10 million annually in new tax dodges for politically-connected developers.

    The reality is that Mayor Gordon and the City Council wanted a tax increase, and the most attractive use of tax dollars is public safety--police and fire. So, Gordon and the Council deliberately chose to underfund police and fire in order to make it look like the new tax money would go to something important.

    What a scam!

    Sunday, August 19, 2007

    Federalist Society Annual Lawyer-Student Mixer


    The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies Phoenix Lawyers Chapter, and the Student Chapters at Phoenix School of Law, ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, and U of A James E. Rogers College of Law

    Are Pleased To Invite You To Join Us For The Annual Lawyer-Student Mixer

    When: 5:30-7:30pm, Thursday, August 30, 2007
    Where: Home of Mark Brnovich, Phoenix Lawyers Chapter Executive Board member.*
    Who: This event is not restricted to Federalist Society members, and is intended to be an opportunity for lawyers, judges and students in our legal community to meet and mingle. Feel free to pass the invitation along.

    What: The Federalist Society Phoenix Lawyers Chapter, and the Student Chapters at Phoenix School of Law, ASU, and U of A are honored to welcome Chief Justice Ruth McGregor of the Arizona Supreme Court as our Special Guest. Chief Justice McGregor will share brief comments with us, over light appetizers and drinks generously provided by our host, Mark Brnovich.

    * Please RSVP to Jennifer Perkins (jperkins@ij.org or 480-557-8316) by Tuesday, August 28, and she will provide directions to the Brnovich residence. Your courtesy in responding to Ms. Perkins if you plan to attend is greatly appreciated.


    Look for future announcements on the Phoenix Lawyers Chapter's fall CLE opportunity, and consider attending this year's National Lawyers Convention in Washington D.C.--this will be the Federalist Society's 25th Anniversary Celebration (November 15-17, 2007).


    Jennifer M. Perkins, President
    Federalist Society Phoenix Lawyers Chapter
    480-557-8316
    jperkins@ij.org

    Goldwater Institute Mark Steyn breakfast, Thursday Sept. 6

    9/6/2007 Mark Steyn Speaker Series Breakfast 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM

    The Goldwater Institute
    presents
    Rose Law Group Distinguished Speaker Series
    featuring
    Mark Steyn

    When:
    Thursday, September 6, 2007
    7:00 a.m. Registration Opens
    7:30 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast and Program

    Where:
    Ritz-Carlton
    2401 East Camelback Road
    Phoenix, Arizona 85253


    Is radical Islam the “new communism”? Should militant Muslims be immune from criticism on the grounds of religious tolerance? Is Sharia, or Islamic law, compatible with a free society?


    Armed with keen insights, a biting wit, and demographic data that will shock and surprise you, columnist and best-selling author Mark Steyn makes the case that Islamic fundamentalism is as much political ideology as it is religion. Steyn’s latest book, America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It, takes on the cult of political correctness and presents the threat that radical Islam poses not only to American security, but to western civilization and ultimately to life as we know it.


    One of the most widely read columnists in the English-speaking world, Steyn examines the demographic, cultural, and geopolitical trends that have led to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Europe – and the failure of Europeans to act in their own defense.


    Mark Steyn, a winner of the Eric Breindel Award for Excellence in Opinion Journalism, writes for publications on four continents, including The Spectator, Jerusalem Post, The Australian, and National Review.

    On September 6, please join the Goldwater Institute to learn why people are calling America Alone the most important book of the year.


    This presentation is the first event in the Rose Law Group Distinguished Speaker Series.


    Goldwater Institute Member Ticket $35
    Non-Member Ticket $50
    Preferred Table of Ten $1,000
    V.I.P. table of Ten $2,500


    Copies of America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It will be available. Seating is limited. Register by September 3, 2007.


    For more information, please call Jenn Bryson at (602) 462-5000 ext. 229 or email jbryson@goldwaterinstitute.org.



    Register for this event

    Thursday, August 16, 2007

    Debating the merits of Phoenix Propositions 1 & 3

    (This debate was last night)

    Fellow Phoenicians--

    Tonight (Wednesday, August 15th) I will be debating Phoenix Ballot Propositions 1 and 3 at a forum hosted by the Valley Citizens League and the Arizona Republic. The debate is from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., and will take place at the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Avenue (on the west side of Central, just south of the deck park over I-10).

    With regard to Proposition 1, I will emphasize an important question that Phoenix voters need to consider:

    If Mayor Gordon and the members of the Phoenix City Council really think police and fire need an additional $60 million a year, why have they voted to spend over $300 million on programs other than police and fire during each of the past two years?

    Put differently, what did Mayor Gordon and the City Council think was more important than police and fire? Some answers: This year, they voted for the following spending increases (among many other program increases): Convention Center, $6 million; Golf, $1 million; Libraries, $3 million; Parks and Recreation, $10 million; Housing Projects, $17 million; Development Services, $6 million; Transit, $29 million; Tax Dodges for Politically-Connected Developers: $10 million.

    With regard to Proposition 3, I will emphasize three problems:

    1) Prop 3 is NOT needed to increase public safety budgets. The Arizona Federation of Taxpayers (www.aztaxpayers.org), has produced a budget worksheet, showing some ways Phoenix can reduce spending by $1 billion per year, while at the same time increasing spending on police, fire, emergency management, and criminal justice budgets by five percent. Included in the worksheet are oversight costs for long-term concessions and also transition costs for the concessions.

    2) Prop 3 relies on threats and scare tactics. Politicians who tell Phoenicians that the defeat of Prop 3 would mean cuts in police and fire need to be removed from office. Those politicians are dishonest (they would not actually vote to cut public safety budgets), or they are irresponsible (they would vote to cut police and fire before cutting nonessential services), or they are too confused to hold public offices requiring them to be custodians of taxpayer money.

    3) Passage of Prop 3 will prevent Phoenix from making significant tax reductions. The Arizona Federation of Taxpayers worksheet shows that budget reductions would generate General Fund savings of over $150 million annually. $102 million could be used to ELIMINATE THE CITY’S PRIMARY PROPERTY TAX, and the remainder could be used to reduce city sales tax revenues by over ten percent (city sales tax revenues are $425 million annually).

    Tom Jenney
    Executive Director
    Arizona
    Federation of Taxpayers
    A state chapter of Americans for Prosperity
    vc@aztaxpayers.org
    (602) 478-0146

    Tuesday, August 14, 2007

    ASU conference: Immigration and the Public Sector

    Here's another one-sided conference on illegal immigration. Speakers include Attorney General Terry Goddard and Richard De Uriarte, Columnist, Arizona Republic. Panelists include Alfredo Gutierrez, Principal, Tequida & Gutierrez; Linda Chavez, Author and Commentator (invited), Eliseo Medina, Executive Vice President, Service Employees International Union; and Tamar Jacoby, Author, The Manhattan Institute (invited).

    The other side on this issue (views held by somewhere over half the American population) is glaringly not represented - there isn't a single pro-illegal immigration enforcement person listed.

    Wednesday, August 8, 2007

    AL MELVIN FOR ARIZONA SENATE 2008

    He's challenging Democrat incumbent Charlene Pesquiera in District 26.


    AL MELVIN FOR ARIZONA SENATE 2008

    August 7, 2007

    ANOTHER MONTH AND MORE TERRIFIC PROGRESS!

    We’ve collected nearly half of the signatures required to get on the ballot, and in the summer heat, that is really great. Of course, we are going to keep on collecting them until we have well over the required numbers, but a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have collected signatures from your friends and neighbors.

    And there is good news on the volunteer front. We have added more than 35 new volunteers since we filed our campaign papers. Many are Precinct Committeemen and some are just local Republicans who are fed up with the status quo and want to make government work. Whatever the reason, it is great to have the extra help.

    You may have heard that another candidate might be getting into the race for the Republican nomination. While it would be great to save our time, money and energy for beating the Democrats in November, we will be ready to run a primary if we have to. We certainly learned a lot last year and that experience, combined with the larger and better organized campaign we have already assembled, will see us through to victory.

    For those who want to get involved, please contact the campaign to learn more about our efforts to register new Republicans. We are already hard at work adding to our numbers here in LD 26, but we can always use more help! And as always, if you would like to sign a petition or carry a petition with you to collect signatures, please contact call (520) 429-8083 and I will be happy to send one to you.

    I will be on Emil Franzi’s radio show “Inside Track” on Sat 18 August. Please tune in to KVOI 690 AM “the Voice” at 2:00 PM.

    Please check out my website at www.votealmelvin.com and please call me at (520) 429-8083 or (520) 825-2894 if you have any thoughts or concerns to share with me. In closing, I would appreciate it very much if you would forward this email update to your friends.

    Best regards, Al Melvin

    Tuesday, August 7, 2007

    Alan Keyes jumping into presidential race

    Not that he'll have any more luck this time around, unfortunately. Alankeyes.com issued this press release - the site appears to be more of an official site than an authentically grassroots draft Alan Keyes site, so it looks like Keyes is seriously considering it.

    Say field of presidential hopefuls 'not complete'
    AMES (Aug. 6) -- Supporters of Alan Keyes plan to attend the Iowa Straw Poll Aug. 11, to get Keyes' name before the public as a possible Republican presidential candidate.
    "We Need Alan Keyes for President," an organization of grassroots volunteers conducting a petition drive to draft Keyes, will hand out literature, donation forms, and sign-up sheets and show video clips of the former Reagan administration diplomat.
    Keyes -- who in 2000 drew 14 percent in the Iowa Caucus and averaged 16 percent in his best ten states during the presidential primaries -- says he is open to the possibility of running, if enough support exists at the grassroots for his candidacy.
    "I've told my supporters -- who, by the way, are undertaking this effort on their own -- that if they can demonstrate sufficient grassroots support for me to run, I will do so," Keyes commented.
    Stephen Stone, head of the draft-Keyes movement, said, "A recent AP poll suggested that the leading candidate among GOP hopefuls is 'none of the above.' One-fourth of respondents rejected all the current hopefuls -- including Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, and John McCain -- none of whom drew more than 21 percent. The poll also indicated that no candidate has a clear lead among Christian evangelicals."
    "I predict that as the primaries approach, once the current candidates have been fully scrutinized, the GOP will find itself without a candidate who excites the party's conservative base," Stone said. "That spells a loss for Republicans in the general election."
    Stone continued, "Alan Keyes has the ability to inspire the Republican base, because he shares their values and priorities, and has a record of leading out in defense of the most important conservative issues. The more people learn about this remarkable statesman -- not the caricatures or misconceptions created by his opponents, but the real truth -- the more they like him and endorse his deeply-held moral conservatism."
    This view was seconded by Steven Voigt, Stone's chief of staff, who added, "Alan believes that the most important issues facing our country are moral issues, even if the issues appear to center in other things like jobs, education, border security, or constitutional interpretation. And Alan makes the case that the biggest moral issues are things like abortion, preserving traditional marriage, and allowing God a place at the center of our public life. These kinds of priorities ring true with moral conservatives."
    Keyes, who has a Ph.D. from Harvard in government affairs and did his dissertation on the U.S. Constitution, served as Ronald Reagan's Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations, and was also a Reagan-appointed ambassador to the United Nations. He has background in national security, international relations, and counter-terrorism.
    Of Keyes' service in his administration, Reagan said, "Alan ... did such an extraordinary job ... defending our country against the forces of anti-Americanism.... I've never known a more stout-hearted defender of a strong America than Alan Keyes."
    The "We Need Alan Keyes for President" movement maintains a web site at AlanKeyes.com.
    References :
    The above quote from Ronald Reagan came from remarks Reagan made Oct. 26, 1988, at a fundraiser for Alan Keyes' first U.S. Senate campaign from Maryland.
    The statistics cited regarding the 2000 Republican primaries are based on FEC data posted at http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2000/2000presprim.htm and on information at TheGreenPapers.com: http://www.thegreenpapers.com/PCC/Tabul.html (The second source offers data on the 2000 Iowa and Minnesota caucuses absent in the FEC's 2000 primary results.)
    The following are Keyes' ten best showings in the 2000 primaries:
    Alabama 12%
    Arkansas 20%
    Idaho 19%
    Iowa 14%
    Minnesota 20%
    Montana 18%
    New Jersey 16%
    Oregon 13%
    Utah 21%
    Wisconsin 10%
    (This press release is available online at http://www.alankeyes.com/articles/070806iowa.php)

    Sunday, August 5, 2007

    How predictable: Media rip Republicans

    State GOP chair Randy Pullen had a great op-ed in the AZ Republic today on the Republic's distorted coverage of Republicans' popularity. Funny, the article isn't even available online. Sort of proves the point that The Republic is biased don't you think?



    There are some things one comes to accept in life: Democrats will always choose government over the private sector, liberals will always attack on personal issues when they can't beat conservatives on policy matters, and in Arizona, The Republic will always print non-sequitur editorials claiming the majority party in the state, the Republican Party, is on the edge of collapse.

    Case in point: the editorial last Sunday titled "A party in free fall" in which The Republic's editors warned, "In terms of national stature, these are dark hours for the Republican Party." To back up this statement, the editors spoke of CBS News polls heralding an impending Democrat White House victory. They neglected, however, to mention that most national polls also question whether a Democrat can win once you put the most likely name to that Democrat: Hillary Clinton.

    She is, after all, a figure so divisive, so beleagured with scandal, that returning to the White House may simply not be in the cards for New York's junior senator with a part-time Southern drawl.

    The Republic's editors hen gleefully noted Democrat fundraising successes on Wall Street, followed by a misinterpretation of a conservative columnists's article in which he did not "conclude" that the nation's electorate was shifting leftward, but rather "mused" what would happen if it did.

    The irony is of course, that it seems that it was just yesterday, after the 2004 elections, that the media were concerned about the demise of the Democrat Party.

    Worst, however, the last third of the editorial was devoted to yet another Republic smear campaign of Republican state Rep. Russell Pearce, who played a lead role in passing the workplace enforcement legislation signed by Gov. Napolitano.

    As recently as last week, that new law was supported by 73 percent of likely general-election voters statewide in Arizona. The Republic didn't mention any of this, but rather chose to stoke the fires of the "politics of hate" by talking about an unfortunate comment made by Pearce during a heated moment in the immigration debate.

    Rather than print intellectually stimulating opinion pieces, The Republic continues to prey on people's worst fears. Arizona voters and, I surmise, by its shrinking subscription base, The Republic's readers are smarter than to buy into any of that nonse. It's a shame what serves today as our state's largest newspaper is so out of touch with the people of Arizona.

    While the Arizona GOP is standing firmly alongside a majority of Arizonans on issues such as border security, job creation, increasing teacher pay and stronger schools, tougher sentences for child predators and other issues, in reality, it's The Republic that's out of touch and in free fall.

    Friday, August 3, 2007

    Horizonte: Gilbert-Mesa police giving illegal immigrants criminal citations for not speaking English, not having window wiper fluid

    On Horizonte Thursday night, Julie Pace, the attorney for Wake Up Arizona, the coalition of businesses suing the government to stop the employer sanctions bill, made some pretty serious accusations against the Gilbert and Mesa police. She basically accused them of racially profiling and subjecting illegal immigrants to excessive policing, saying the police are stopping trucks pulling trailers and giving them 20 criminal citations each for things like not speaking English, not having enough windshield wiper fluid, and cracked windshields. C-R-I-M-I-N-A-L citations according to Pace. She drew an analogy to racist police in the 1960's harassing blacks. These are pretty bold accusations. Even Jose Cardenas, the liberal host of Horizonte, looked a little skeptical after she said this. For some reason (maybe past history hearing liberals accuse others of racism charges that never pan out?), I don't see bold headlines in the future finding the Gilbert-Mesa police guilty of racism. It's really hard to take people like her seriously (never mind that the employer sanctions law doesn't even go into effect until Jan. 1, 2008).

    Thursday, August 2, 2007

    Democrats Increase Taxes, Expand Government

    This is interesting. Apparently paying for over half of all the births that occurred in Maricopa County last year with state welfare (AHCCCS) isn't enough. The Democrats in Congress would like to expand welfare like this even higher into the middle and upper classes. Probably most of you reading this would be eligible.

    From: Congressman John Shadegg

    On Wednesday night, the Democrats in the U.S. House passed a massive expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The expansion allows states -- even encourages them - to provide coverage to ADULTS, including CHILDLESS adults. They passed a bill which will extend SCHIP funding beyond the working poor -for which the program was intended - to not only middle income families (those making more than $45,000 a year), but also to upper middle income Americans making $60,000 to $80,000 a year. The bill also lacks an asset test, so the children of the richest Americans could be eligible. In order to pay for their decision to expand coverage beyond just the uninsured children, the Democrats cut spending for the Medicare Advantage program, which would eliminate coverage for 3 million seniors across America (more than 50,000 in Arizona alone).

    The Democrats rushed this through Congress in barely 8 days, with no committee hearings, no Republican amendments and only three hours of debate on the floor. In an attempt to hold the Democrats accountable, Republicans used the debate on the Department of Agriculture Appopriations bill, held the day before the SCHIP vote, to continue to address the problems with the Democrats SCHIP bill.

    The Democrats were none too happy about this maneuver. It actually was a lot of fun to use floor procedure to engage in the debate. Below, you will find my floor remarks and my back and forth with Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and the Chair as I point out the flaws in the Democrat's SCHIP bill in the context of my support for a cut in the Agriculture appropriations bill.

    Congressional Record, July 31, 2007, Debate on McHenry Amendment to H.R. 3161, Department of Agriculture appropriations bill

    Mr. SHADEGG. I rise in strong support of the McHenry amendment to reduce the budget of the Office of the Secretary by $101,000.

    The reason I support that amendment is because I do not support cutting the Medicare Advantage program by billions of dollars and hurting seniors.

    POINT OF ORDER

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Point of order.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Illinois will state his point of order.

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Chairman, the majority has accepted the McHenry amendment and the minority continues to engage in irrelevant debate.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Arizona has confined his remarks to th! e pending amendment. The gentleman may proceed.

    Mr. SHADEGG. Thank you. I would rather cut the Secretary's budget by $101 billion as a way to save money than to cut the Medicare Advantage program because the Medicare Advantage program helps millions of Americans and thousands in my own congressional district. So as the Democrats propose to cut that program in their SCHIP bill, I believe it would be better to cut this program.

    I rise in support of the McHenry amendment to cut $101,000 from the Secretary's budget because the Medicare Advantage bill will cut 3 million seniors' ability to collect their benefits through Medicare Advantage. That 3 million includes some of the poorest of seniors who are on Medicare Advantage, and I would rather cut $101,000 from the Secretary's budget than cut that money going to Medicare seniors who need it desperately.

    I support the amendment by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr.! McHenry) to cut $101,000 from the budget of the Secretary of Agricult ure because the other cut we are faced with is a $15 billion cut in part A, including a cut in benefits to skilled nursing facilities, as the Democrats propose to do in their SCHIP bill.

    I would rather cut the Department of Agriculture's budget than----

    POINT OF ORDER

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Point of order.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will suspend.

    The gentleman from Illinois will state his point of order.

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. The majority has accepted the McHenry amendment and the minority continues to engage in irrelevant debate about the SCHIP program in another bill for another day.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Arizona must confine his remarks to the pending question.

    The gentleman may proceed.

    PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

    Mr. SHADEGG. Parliamentary! inquiry.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman may state his parliamentary inquiry.

    Mr. SHADEGG. I presume I can state my reason for supporting the amendment; is that correct?

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman must keep his remarks to the pending question, and there must be a nexus between the pending question and broader policy issues.

    The gentleman may proceed.

    Mr. SHADEGG. And I will continue to say that a $15 billion cut in skilled nursing facilities is, from my perspective, a bad idea, much worse than a $101,000 cut from the Secretary's budget. And, therefore, I rise in strong support of the McHenry amendment because I don't want to see skilled nursing cut as the Democrats propose to do in their SCHIP bill.

    I support the McHenry amendment which would cut $101,000 from the Secretary's budget because I don't support cutting rehabilitation facilitie! s as the Democrats would do in their SCHIP bill.

    Indeed, I would much prefer to cut $100,000 from the Secretary's budget than to cut, as the Democrats do in their SCHIP bill, rehabilitation facilities.

    POINT OF ORDER

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Point of order.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will suspend.

    The gentleman from Illinois will state his point of order.

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Chairman, the majority has accepted the McHenry amendment and the minority continues to engage in irrelevant debate about a piece of legislation that will come up in a few days. We are discussing the Agriculture appropriations bill.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman must confine his remarks to the pending question.

    The gentleman may proceed.

    Mr. SHADEGG. As I believe I have, quite skillfully.

    I do rise in very strong support of the McHenry amendment because I believe that cutting the Secretary's budget is a much better idea than cutting skilled nursing facilities.

    I believe it is a much better idea than cutting long-term hospital facilities, as the Democrats do in their SCHIP bill. And I think it would be much better to cut $100,000 from the Secretary of Agriculture's administrative budget than to cut, as the Democrats do, funding for long-term care by hospitals.

    It seems to me this is a simple debate: Where do we cut? I would much rather cut $100,000 from the budget of the Office of the Secretary than to cut $9 billion from Medicare plan B, including payments for oxygen, as the Democrats do in their SCHIP bill. It seems to me that kind of cut in th! eir SCHIP bill is a bad idea. I would rather support the gentleman's amendment.

    POINT OF ORDER

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Point of order.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Illinois will state his point of order.

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Madam Chairman, the gentleman sounds like a broken record. The majority has accepted the McHenry amendment and the minority continues to engage in irrelevant debate.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Illinois will state his point of order.

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. The majority has accepted the McHenry amendment, and the minority continues to engage in irrelevant debate.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. Is the gentleman making a point of order that the debate is irrelevant?

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. I am making the point of order that the debate is absolutely irrelevant.
    ! ;
    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is correct. The gentlem an from Arizona must confine his remarks to the pending question.

    Mr. SHADEGG. Madam Chairman, I seek a clarification. What was the ruling of the Chair?

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The point of order is correct. The gentleman from Arizona must confine his remarks to the pending question.

    Mr. SHADEGG. Precisely how did my remarks not----

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The pending question is the amendment by Mr. McHenry of North Carolina to the amendment by the gentleman from Georgia. That is the pending question.

    Mr. SHADEGG. And I thank the Chairman for her ruling, and I am pleased to say that each of my points have tried to explain that I support, adamantly support the amendment by the gentleman to cut $100,000 from the Secretary's budget because I don't favor these other cuts. I don't favor cutting the funding for end-stage ! renal disease programs. I would much rather cut the Department of Agriculture administrative budget than do as the Democrats would in their SCHIP bill, cut $3.6 billion from the end-stage renal disease program.

    It seems to me that the amendment of the gentleman from North Carolina to cut $100,000 from the administrative budget of the Secretary is a much-preferable method to achieve the savings that we need. In each of these instances, I believe that cutting the Secretary's budget would make much more sense than cutting the Medicare program.

    I have constituents in my district who would much rather see us cut the Ag budget than see us cut Medicare or see us cut end-stage renal disease or than see us cut oxygen therapy as is all done in the Democrats' SCHIP bill. For all of those reasons, I believe it is very important that we support the gentleman's amendment.

    POINT OF ORDER

    Mr. JACKSON of Ill! inois. Point of order.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The g entleman from Illinois may state his point of order.

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. The minority continues to engage in irrelevant debate.

    Mr. SHADEGG. There is nothing irrelevant about it.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Arizona will suspend.

    Does the gentleman make a point of order that the debate is irrelevant?

    Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. I make the point of order that the debate is irrelevant.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is correct. The gentleman from Arizona must confine his remarks to the pending question.

    Mr. SHADEGG. I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The question is: Shall the decision of the Chair stand as the judgment of the Committee?

    The question was taken; and the Acting Chairman announced that the ayes appeared to have it.

    RECOR! DED VOTE

    Mr. SHADEGG. Madam Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

    A recorded vote was ordered.

    The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 220, noes 178, not voting 39

    PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY

    Mr. SHADEGG. Madam Chairman, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. The gentleman will state his parliamentary inquiry.

    Mr. SHADEGG. As I understand the ruling of the Chair, it is appropriate for me to say I support the gentleman's amendment because I do not support cuts in skilled nursing facilities or cuts in rehabilitation facilities or cuts in long-term care hospitals or cuts in oxygen, or cuts in brachytherapy, or cuts in end-stage renal disease or cuts in Medicare Advantage; but that I cannot say which appear in their SCHIP bill. Is that correct?

    The Acting CHAIRMAN. It is permissible to identify ! as preferable an alternative object for funding. It is not permissible to dwell on the merits of that alternative object.

    The gentleman may proceed.

    Mr. SHADEGG. I thank you very much for your ruling.

    Madam Chairman, I do rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. I believe that we have to find the funding necessary for essential government programs and that cutting the Secretary of Agriculture is much better than cutting such programs as skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care hospitals, oxygen under Medicare, brachytherapy under Medicare, end-stage renal disease funding under Medicare or Medicare Advantage.

    For those reasons, I rise in strong support of the gentleman's amendment.

    Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

    Arizona Life Times - Just One Month Until the Conference

    Arizona Life Times

    Internet Edition
    August 2007

    Dear Friend of Life,

    Arizona Right to Life thanks you for your continuing support of our mission to defend the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. This last month we have been very impressed with the pro-life vigor of the young people of our state. Whether it's talented speakers, faithful worshippers praying for a culture of life, or dedicated volunteers who took time out of their busy schedules to help us spread our message, we at Arizona Right to Life are grateful for their contribution to the movement and highlight their efforts in this month's issue of Arizona Life Times.

    In This Issue
    One Month Until The AZRTL Conference!
    Young People Speak Out About Life
    Reaching Out At The AZ Homeschool Expo


    One Month Until The AZRTL State Conference!
    Arizona Right to Life prepares to host the 29th Annual Pro-Life Conference. This year's conference, "Building a Legacy of Life . . . Meeting New Challenges through Education," to be held September 7-8 at the Chaparral Suites Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona will feature world class speakers from around the country covering all pro-life issues. Some of the featured speakers include: The Honorable Ken Blackwell of the Family Research Council; Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics, Inc.; Janet Folger of Faith2Action; and many other exceptional pro-life leaders and activists.

    All pro-life individuals are encouraged to attend, especially those who may lack the training or experience confidently and articulately to make the case for life, because this conference will provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn the tools and techniques necessary to defending life in any situation. The annual conference is AZRTL's premier educational opportunity of the year, and everyone is encouraged to bring their friends and family. Registration can be done online at www.azrtl.org, and more information, including speaker bios, conference schedule, and opportunities for advertising and sponsorship for this high-profile event is available on the website as well.

    Click here to register now and reserve your spot today!


    Young People Speak Out About Life
    Young people have always been a driving source of energy for social movements, and the pro-life movement of Arizona is no exception. This month we highlight two young people dedicated to passionately speaking out in defense of life. Arizona Right to Life recently hosted Angela Cosentino, a 16 year old junior from Tempe Preparatory Academy. This talk, sponsored by Life Education Corp. and Mesa Right to Life, was Angela's second speaking engagement, after giving her first talk only two months earlier at the request of her pastor Fr. Steve Kunkel of Christ the King Church. Angela shared her presentation "The Sanctity of Life" with local pro-life leaders on July 16th at the Arizona Right to Life main office. Angela gave an outstanding presentation that impressed everyone who was in attendance. Deacon Dick Petersen of St. Timothy Parish made the comment that her smile and passion came across clearly and convincingly and that she did a wonderful job with her presentation.

    Earlier this month AZRTL's own Program Specialist, Trent Horn, spoke at the 2007 Sedona Pro-Life Rally. This rally was hosted in anticipation of "The Call" a nationwide evangelical youth outreach event. Trent, a 22 year old recent ASU graduate, spoke about the need for our nation's repentance, a return to biblical values, and practical things audience members could do to advance the cause of life. He also spoke on July 21st at St. Joseph's parish about Planned Parenthood and contrasted Planned Parenthood's myths and distortions with the reality of abortion.

    If you would like to book either of these speakers contact the Life Education Corporation at 602-285-0272

    Reaching Out at the AZ Homeschool Expo
    On July 20 and 21st the Arizona Home School Expo hosted Arizona Right to Life's pro-life booth. This exhibit showcased stunning models of unborn children as well as information about abortion and euthanasia in Arizona as well as the rest of the country. Hundreds of expo visitors visited the event and thanked us for continuing to spread the pro-life message in a society that would rather turn a blind eye to the horrors perpetuated in the name of "choice." Many of these visitors, from families committed to praying for an end to abortion to doctors with expert advice offered their time and talents to further the pro-life cause. Volunteer Rachael Hutchinson said she loved her experience at the expo and especially enjoyed meeting other pro-life people who strengthened her resolve. One man she met was in danger of being aborted when he was an unborn child becuse his mother had contracted ruebella during her pregnancy. Today he his a happy, healthy adult thankful to have been given the gift of life.

    Arizona Right to Life will need many volunteers in the month of October when we host this booth at the Arizona State Fair. With your help we can reach thousands of abortion-minded men and women. If you would like to volunteer for this event email trent@arizonarighttolife.org.

    Thank you for taking the time to read Arizona Right to Life's monthly e-newsletter. As a concerned member of our state we look forward to hearing from you about how we can better promote life in your community as well as provide you with opportunites to do the same. Please take a moment to forward this email (by clicking on the "forward email" link below) to three of your friends in order to help us reach other people who have a desire to defend human life. Once again, thank you for your time and your commitment to being a "Friend of Life."

    Upcoming Events!

    August 11th
    Mesa Right to Life in concert with the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre presents their 3rd "summer fun" pro-life fundraisier:

    "Beehive The Sixties Musical!"

    Where: Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre
    5247 E. Brown Road, Mesa
    Time: 6:00pm
    Tickets are $52.00 and include a dinner buffet and the production.

    For Reservations call:
    Joe Perron at 480-216-7217
    or Jinny Perron at 480-807-2834
    Email: jjkp4life@cox.net

    Volunteers Needed!
    AZRTl will be hosting its pro-life booth at the Coconino County Fair outside Flagstaff Friday August 31st - Monday September 3rd. We are looking for volunteers to either help us transport equipment between Phoenix and Flagstaff (truck or SUV required) or volunteers interested in running the booth for a 3-4 hour shift. If you are interested call the AZRTL office at 602-285-0063 or email: trent@arizonarighttolife.org

    Finally, Save the Date for the following events:


    The AZRTL Pro-life Conference
    on September 7-8th. Come and learn valuable skills as well as network with other pro-life individuals from around the state. Invite a pastor, friend, coworker, family member or teenager you know to this enriching event. Early registration discounts are available so pick up a registration form online and sign up today!

    "A Christian Worldview in the Biotech Century"
    November 3, 2007
    Presented by the
    Center for Arizona Policy

    The annual AZ Pro-life Rally
    January 20, 2008
    www.azliferally.com

    Newsletter Editor: Trent Horn

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