I hope that you and your family will enjoy a safe and restful Labor Day weekend.  As we make our plans for one last summer trip or backyard BBQ, it’s important to keep in mind the meaning of Labor Day – the annual recognition of working men and women’s contributions to our nation’s prosperity and security. This acknowledgement is even more significant in light of the number of people who have lost jobs and are unable to find work in today’s difficult economy.

The school year is now well underway and families are seeing first hand the impacts of the devastating cuts to our schools in Arizona.

Many in business feel, and I agree, that the legislature’s failure to support public education on the K-12 and university level is contributing to our state’s economic decline.

The general election is fast upon us. With the emphasis on early voting, September is the new October. Voting will begin in just 36 days — on October 7th. Debates and public forums that used to occur in October now take place in September.

As a result, we need your energy and support to reach voters NOW.  Here’s how you can help us immediately connect with voters:

Donate: Getting our message out to voters costs money. If you can help financially, you can contribute online here or you can mail your contribution to:

Nancy Young Wright 2010
P.O. Box 36348
Tucson, AZ 85740

If you have already donated the maximum amount of $410 or $820 per couple, please ask your friends and neighbors.

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Volunteer: We have numerous opportunities for folks to join us on our neighborhood walks and our volunteer phone banks.  You can call 818-1628 or email to volunteers@ld26dems.org for more information.

I’d also like to invite you to calendar the following important public forums where you can hear from the LD 26 candidates:

Thurs., September 16 – 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

LD 26 Candidate Forum sponsored by Clean Elections
Pima Community College NW Campus
Community Room
7600 N. Shannon Rd.
Tucson, AZ
(map)

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Thurs., Sept 23 – 6:00 PM

Forum for the disability community and families
Berger Auditorium
Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind
1200 W. Speedway Blvd
(map)

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Fri., Sept 24 – 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Saddlebrooke League of Women Voters Forum
Mountain View Clubhouse
38759 S. Mountain View Blvd.
Tucson, AZ
(map)

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Wed., Sept 29 — 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Catalina Foothills Forum
Catalina Foothills High School
4300 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ
(map)

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Fri., Oct 1 — 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Saddlebrooke Democratic Club Forum
Location TBD

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Fri., Oct 15 – 3:00 to 5:00 PM

Forum for disability community and families
University Marriott
880 East Second Street
Tucson, Arizona
(map)

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Finally, let me extend my greetings for a Happy and Healthy Rosh Hashanah and a peaceful Yom Kippur. During these holidays, our campaign will not be walking or phoning.

With the help of dedicated volunteers, I’ve walked door-to-door and contacted thousands of voters since the spring. With the support of so many in the community like you, I’m confident that I’ll be successful on Election Day so that I will be able to continue fighting for jobs, protecting middle class taxpayers, and rebuilding our public schools.

Thank you,

Nancy



State and local officials turned out on Tuesday, August 3, for BASIS Charter School’s ribbon cutting ceremony in Oro Valley.

Oro Valley Mayor Satish Hiremath, council members Barry Gillaspie, Lou Waters and Joe Hornat, State Sen. Al Melvin and Rep. Nancy Young Wright joined hundreds of parents and students to celebrate the near completion of the school in Oro Valley’s Steam Pump Village.

BASIS officials expect the school to open in time for the coming school year. Already, more than 500 students have signed up for the inaugural term.

This will be the third school BASIS has opened, with one in Scottsdale and another in midtown Tucson. It has been consistently ranked among the top schools in the country for the past several years.

The school is located in the Steam Pump Village shopping center on Oracle Road north of First Avenue.

Hiremath said the school would be a good addition to the town, which already has two quality high schools in Canyon Del Oro and Ironwood Ridge.

In addition, the mayor commented on the speed with which the project was completed, calling it an example of the efficiencies of the town’s revised development process.

“This project is a model, because from start to finish it only took four months to complete,” Hiremath said.

I believe it is a waste of the taxpayers’ hard earned money to fund a Special Session to try to “fix” Prop 108, one of nine propositions referred to the 2010 ballot by this same Legislature.

I’m also surprised that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would bill the taxpayers for a Special Session on this issue, when they could be calling a Special Session to deal with actual pressing issues:

• The 9.5% unemployment rate in Arizona.

• Improving our public schools.
• Attracting 21st jobs to the state.
• Closing the serious security gaps in our State Corrections system highlighted by last week’s prison escape.

I am shocked that three very dangerous criminals — 2 convicted murderers and one convicted of attempted murder — were able to escape on July 30th from a medium security prison in Kingman by cutting a hole in the fence and running into the desert.

I for one would like to know how a privately-run, for profit prison housing convicted murderers in Arizona could not only let something like this happen, but get away with not reporting it to local law enforcement for more than an hour after the fact.

If ever a Special Session were needed to address the safety and security of our citizens, this is it.

While I believe the Special Session to deal with Prop 108 to be a waste, I will be there to represent my district.  It is expected to end Wednesday.

As our public schools work to cope with budgets that were drastically reduced by the Republican majority at the Capitol, they need your help now more than ever.

Consider donating time, goods, or funds to the public school of your choice.

Tell your friends who are concerned about the funding cuts that I am passionate about restoring funding to our public schools.

Our students must be able to compete in a global market, and we have a lot of work to do to make sure our public schools thrive again, after more than 20 years of a cuts, red tape and added regulations.

Nothing is more vital to our state’s economic future than a strong K-12 and university system. Without a strong public education system, high tech companies and new industries will pass over Arizona for other states.

I believe we must set high standards for all our students and give them the resources they need, in every school in every neighborhood, to meet those standards.

We must elect representatives who understand how critical these issues are to our future, and who are able to put ideology aside to make sure we effectively address them.

Please support my campaign in whatever way you can (see options at right) so that I can continue to work for you on the issues that are vitally important to us all: supporting public education, creating jobs and economic growth, protecting the environment, and ensuring adequate resources for our veterans.

And again, thank you for your support,

The current Republican Leadership in Phoenix has taken our state down the wrong path, with massive budget cuts to schools, public safety and health and human services. All the while, they keep pushing for larger tax loopholes and giveaways to out-of-state corporations and the well-heeled.

Starving schools while lining the pockets of their wealthy benefactors is not only morally bankrupt and fiscally disastrous for our state, it also impedes our long-term economic recovery.

With that kind of economic record, it is no surprise that Republicans want to change the subject by slinging mud. But we’re not going to let them off the hook that easily!

The best defense against these attacks is a good Offense, and that starts with knocking on doors!

Please join us this Saturday as the Nancy Young Wright and Cheryl Cage campaigns knock on doors in Precinct 162. You come with a hat and water bottle, we’ve taken care of the rest!

Thanks for your ongoing support,

Take action!

Wear your favorite summer hat,

and Come Walk with Cheryl and Nancy

PCT 162 Neighborhoods

Saturday, July 17th

Meet at the Democratic Party NW Field Office
NE corner of Ina Rd. and Shannon Rd.

8:00 AM Coffee, Goodies and Water provided

Walkers leave by 8:30 SHARP, back by noon.

Please RSVP to Carolyn 818-1628 or volunteers@ld26dems.org

It’s been a busy summer out on the campaign trail. I feel fortunate to be working with Cheryl Cage, who is running for State Senate in LD 26, and with all of you. I’m pleased to share the exciting news that I have been selected to attend the non-partisan Women’s Campaign School at Yale University this summer. I’ll be attending with women from around the world and I’m honored to have been selected in this competitive process.

Volunteer Opportunities

You can make a difference in Arizona’s future by volunteering! It’s a great way to meet fun people, learn new skills and help change the troubling course the state is traveling. There is no better time than today and your help is vital to correcting the course that Arizona is on.

To volunteer, contact Carolyn at 520.818.1628 or volunteers@ld26dems.org

• Walking: We’re walking every Saturday between now and November 2nd. We also walk during the week on selected evenings; let us know if you want to accompany us. Training and walking buddies provided.
• Adopt-a-walk: Adopt a Saturday walk! Consider forming a group or suggesting it to a club or organization you belong to.
• Walk on your own: We’ll get you the materials you need. If you live in a neighborhood with big lots and/or hills, this would be a great help!
• Can’t walk? Drivers are also needed to help our walkers.
• Phone calls for NYW/CC will start Thursday, July 8^th at the Northwest Pima  County Democratic Party Headquarters at the NE corner of Ina and Shannon. There will be morning, afternoon and evening shifts. It’s a great way to stay cool and contact lots of voters!
• An army marches on its stomach: Hosts are needed to sponsor food before and after the Saturday walks and to bring in healthy snacks and beverages for our Thursday phone crew in the NW office.
• Signs: Let us know if you want to help install road signs and/or deliver yard signs.
• House parties: This is an easy and fun way to meet your neighbors and help me meet them too! We can help you plan and carry out the party.

Endorsements

I’m excited to share some of my recent endorsements, which include:

• Arizona Education Association
• Arizona Highway Patrol Association
• Arizona State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police
• Arizona Association of Realtors
• Arizona Correctional Peace Officers Association
• Professional Firefighters Association

Upcoming Events

Candidate Forum for all statewide and federal offices at the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene, 500 W. Calle Concordia, Saturday, July10th, 1-3 pm. Candidate tables will be set up before and after the event.

Contribute

Your support is vital and appreciated: You may send a check to Nancy Young Wright 2010, P.O. Box 36348, Tucson, AZ  85740 or click here to make a secure online donation today. Campaign finance laws require that you provide your employer and occupation. The maximum contribution is $410/individual or $820/couple.

Whether you can offer your valuable time or your financial help or perhaps both, I deeply appreciate your support, ideas, and enthusiasm!

Sincerely,

Nancy

Earlier this week, one of my Republican opponents attacked me with half-truths and innuendo to try to imply that I am anti-education. Astonishing, considering I have devoted years of my life to improving our local public schools — including 10 years of service on the Amphi School Board — and have voted consistently to protect critical funding for our public schools in the Legislature.

You know what’s really anti-education? The hundreds of millions of dollars cut from our public schools by the Republican majority in the legislature.

Going from 49th to 50th in per pupil spending. That’s anti-education … Subsidizing private school tuition for children of wealthy families, not children in need, with your taxpayer dollars. That’s anti-education.

And based on recent history, these are the kinds of policies you can expect the Republicans in the legislature to continue to support if they maintain their majorities.

If you’ve had enough of these attacks on our education system, like I have, please join us this Saturday to help ensure we win this election!

It’s a simple math equation, really. Democrats must gain seats in both the House and the Senate to ensure that Republicans cannot continue to steamroll right over our schools, our teachers, our kids.

Help send me back to the House and send Cheryl Cage to the Senate.  We will ALWAYS fight for high-quality public education for all Arizona children.

Can’t walk but want to help? You can help me fight back against the tired, old politics of mudslinging and distortion with a critical donation today. Donate $35, $50, $100 or whatever you can, here. The limit is $410. Thank you!

Sincerely,

It has been a month since the legislative session mercifully came to an end, and just days since Arizona voters sent a clear message that enough is enough! The state must preserve critical funding for education, public safety and health and human services in order to maintain our quality of life and create our future prosperity.

As your representative in the Legislature, that’s what I’m fighting to do. And I need your help to continue that fight!

Despite the deeply partisan atmosphere at the Legislature, I worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to achieve strong, common sense reforms. These reforms didn’t grab headlines, but they did help every-day Arizonans.

In fact, I was one of only eight Democratic legislators to pass a bill this session.

• I authored HB2419: sibling visitation rights. This bill requires Child Protective Services to keep siblings together whenever possible when placing them in out-of-home care such as foster care or a group home. It passed with strong bipartisan support.

• I successfully championed a bipartisan measure that requires charter schools to post their annual budgets before adopting them to ensure greater accountability and transparency with taxpayer dollars.

• I worked with Republican leaders to ensure that residents receive a legible notice clearly notifying them of a fire district’s intent to annex an area or merge two fire districts together, thus protecting personal property rights and taxpayers’ pocketbooks.

• Finally, I steered a critical bill through the legislative process that helps school districts protect our young people from dating violence, while respecting parents’ rights and local control.

I successfully worked across the aisle to ensure passage of these common-sense reforms, and all are now law.

Help me continue to fight for common-sense laws that respect our shared values. Please donate $35, $70, $150 or more today! If you donate before midnight Monday night, your support will be reflected in my upcoming campaign finance report, a key indicator of the strength of our campaign.

Help us raise $2,000 online by the 31st!

Unfortunately, we were not able to stop some of the most egregious bills these past two sessions, particularly the attacks on our universities, our K-12 public schools, KidsCare and our majestic state parks.

Instead of considering any solutions proposed by Democrats to deal with record deficits, the Republican Leadership in Phoenix chose only to slash funding for schools, public safety and other vital programs. My seatmate, Vic Williams, unfortunately went along with it.

If we are to create a state in which small businesses can thrive and where new industries are drawn to relocate, we MUST INVEST in our K-12 and university school system. 50th place in per-student spending just won’t cut it. We must do better.

I have spent the past 20 years fighting for our public schools and investing in our community right here in District 26.

In the Legislature, I have fought hard to protect teachers and public safety officers from drastic cuts, preserve critical resources in our classrooms, and protect middle-class jobs, and I will continue the fight next session!

But I can’t do it without your help.

Help me continue to represent you with common-sense solutions that respect our shared values.

Click here to make a donation today of $35, $70, $150, $250 or more. The maximum that an individual may give is $410.

Thank you for your support!

Sincerely yours,

Nancy Young Wright
State Representative, District 26

P.S. Please contact me at nancy@nancyyoungwright.com or 520.742.7283 with your thoughts on the issues facing our state. Your views are very important to me.

P.P.S. The next financial reporting deadline is fast approaching. Please donate today to help us reach our goal of $2,000 by midnight Monday!

Thanks for your support, and see you on the trail!

Nancy