March 1, 2024

Newsletter

Mission:

We are a community organization that

stimulates and promotes

democratic values.

Left to right: Nick Nordgran-Tellez, Bob Karp, Gregg Frostrom

We have three excellent Democratic candidates running for state office in LD19. Come meet them in person and bring your questions.

Nicholas “Nick” Anthony Nordgran-Tellez is running for the Arizona House of Representatives. Tellez was born and raised in Solomon Arizona. He is the owner of La Paloma Restaurant in Solomon, chairman of the Graham County Democratic Party, an eight-year member of the Solomon Elementary School District, and serves on several boards. If elected he would bring a small business owner perspective to state government. Diversity, water, economic growth, substance abuse and homelessness are also at the top of his priority list.

Robert "Bob" Karp is running for the State Senate. Bob, a graduate of UCLA, has owned and operated a small manufacturing aerospace company, a software development company, and after retirement here in Arizona a real estate brokerage. He moved to Cochise County in 2005 and now lives in Sierra Vista. Bob believes:

“The best way to create long term reform is to flip the state legislature from Republican control and extremism, to mainstream political values under Democratic Party control.” Bob’s mainstream values include defending public-school education, advocating for fair tax policy, protecting women’s healthcare, and supporting the non-partisan fraud-free election system that has served this state well for decades.

Gregg Frostrom is running for the Arizona House of Representatives. Gregg retired from a career in military intelligence as a Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4) in 2018 to pursue a career in project management in the pharmaceutical research industry. He left the Republican party in the mid-2000s when he recognized that his old party’s values were shifting towards populism, isolationism, and xenophobia. He still holds the small town values he was raised with and believes that the government can serve the people of LD19 by ensuring better rural healthcare, protecting our water resources and supporting local public schools through integrated jobs programs and better funding. 

Please join us to meet our LD19 candidates.

NOTE: Karp and Frostrom are running under "Clean Elections" and need $5 qualifying contributions from registered voters to qualify for public funding. You may donate at this program or on-line at E-Qual: https://apps.azsos.gov/equal/.

***The collection wagon will be available for your contributions of clothing and toiletries to border organizations.***

Sponsored by Green Valley Democrats

Missed a past program? Videos of many of our programs are available HERE.

***Join the Discussion Group each Wednesday, 10 - 11:30 am in Room 203 for open discussion on current events.***

To reserve a table for 10 for the Blue Wave Auction, contact George McGaughey at (720) 371-5380.

Initiatives to Sign at Headquarters

The following initiatives and petitions are available to sign at GV Dems Headquarters (* for newly added petitions and initiatives):

Candidate Petitions

LD 19 Nick Nordgran-Tellez for AZ House

LD 19 Gregg Frostrom for AZ House

LD 19 Robert (Bob) Karp for AZ Senate

LD 21 Senator Rosanna Gabaldon for AZ Senate

LD 21 Stephanie Stahl Hamilton for AZ House*

CD6 Kirsten Engel

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover

Pima County Attorney Mike Jette*

Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly*

Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos

Pima County Sheriff Sandy Rosenthal*

Pima County Superintendent of Schools Dustin Williams

Pima County Treasurer Brian Johnson*

Pima County Treasurer Sami Hamed*

Pima County Assessor Suzanne Droubie*

Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly*

Arizona Corporation Commission Jonathan Hill

Arizona Coporation Commission Joshua Polachek*

Arizona Corporation Commission Ylenia Aguilar*

US Senate Ruben Gallego

Inititatives

Arizona Abortion Access

Justice for All

Minimum Wage

Working together (Repeal AZ Right to work)*

NOTE: When more than one candidate is running for the same position, you may sign only one of their petitions.

All candidate petitions as well as initiatives are available at the office (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 10 am – 2 pm). Beginning March 18, 2024, Headquarters will be open Monday - Friday, 9 am - 3 pm. Also, candidate petitions may be signed on-line.



At Headquarters, we have “Petition Tracking Forms” for you to keep track of all those petitions you will be signing. Put it in your billfold or purse or file it (with your name on it, please!!) in the black card file box on the petition table. 

Hudbay Mines Update

Permitting process for Hudbay mines

In order for a mine to operate in Arizona the owners have to receive a number of permits. Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) provides the most significant permits. There is a process of collecting public feedback on these permits before their final approval which includes two meetings. In the case of the water permit there has already been one meeting which took place on Tuesday 20th February. The second meeting will take place on Tuesday 5th March.

At the 20th February meeting the majority of the attendees were people who live near the proposed mine. The impact of the mine on their property, wells, etc. is not taken into consideration by ADEQ when approving the permits. This is due to the regulations which the ADEQ follows and which were approved by the legislature. These regulations are very biased towards the mining companies. ADEQ basically responded to neighbors about their many concerns by stating “the law doesn’t allow us to address those concerns.”

Save the Scenic Santa Ritas (SSSR) is taking actions on the water permit. Firstly, it is suing ADEQ for not following due process in approving water and slurry lines. Secondly, it has contracted with hydrogeologists to review the proposed permit (which is very technical) and will be providing detailed comments based on those reviews.

There will be a similar process for the Air Quality permit. The dates of those meetings have not been set.

Actions to Take

If you feel that neighbors should be allowed to have meaningful input on the permitting of new mines being located literally in their backyard, please consider: 

• Making a donation to SSSR to help finance their actions.
• Attending the ADEQ meeting on the 5th March. It will be at 6 pm at the Corona Foothills Middle School, Houghton Road.
• Attend the air quality permit meetings.
• When elections take place later this year, query the state and federal candidates on their stance on rewriting the 1872 mining law (which allows mines to take unlimited free water from the aquifer) and take their response into consideration when deciding who to vote for.

Subscribe to Civic Engagement Beyond Voting (https://www.cebv.us/) to keep up with state legislative issues. Their website and weekly emails provide critical information on proposed legislation and how to voice your opinions using Request to Speak. Subscribe now!



Request to Speak (RTS) is an easy and effective way to voice your opinions on pending state legislation. Learn more about it and get an account HERE. Once you have an account, watch this video for step by step instructions on how to use Request to Speak.

For WE CARE for March, we will be collecting for various organizations that help people at the border. We coordinate with Rita Danks who works with several groups and she distributes as their needs dictate. The items you donate will be given directly to people at the following places in Nogales, Mexico: Kino Border Initiative, La Roca Center, City Shelter of Nogales, Church of the Streets, and people living on the streets of Nogales. As we all know, there are many, many people in Nogales who have hopes of gaining asylum in the U.S. but the process is slow and awkward and often they are stuck in Nogales as the wheels move slowly, and once they are moving, they must travel light.

They are always in need of:

CLOTHING

Underwear for all including children, men and women. Men’s underwear should be sizes S and M, women’s sizes 5, 6 or 7, and children’s can be any size.

Socks: All sizes, children and adult

HYGIENE ITEMS

Disposable Razors

Small size Deodorants

Travel size Toothpaste

Small Nail Clippers

Individual Packets of Kleenex

Individual Packets of Shaving Cream

Other Small/Travel size Toiletries such as lip balm, shampoo, conditioner, hand sanitizer, combs, etc.

All of these items can be purchased in bulk from Amazon, and often at stores like the dollar stores and Walmart.  

Bring your contributions to Headquarters or to any program meeting.

Thank you!

Judy Knape, VP Headquarters

The office is open:

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10 am - 2 pm

Beginning March 18, 2024, Headquarters will be open Monday - Friday,

9 am - 3 pm

We are now collecting 2024 membership dues. Renew or become a new member by stopping by the office or by clicking the link below.

GVD 2024 Membership Dues are $30 per person. Your payment will cover your membership from now through December, 2024. 

GV Dems Headquarters (M, W, F, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) | 190 Continental Rd., Suite #208, Green Valley, AZ 85622 | 520-838-0590 | greenvalleydemocrats@gmail.com |

 https://greenvalleydemocrats.org

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Paid for by the Green Valley Democrats Club. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.