Sierra Vista Herald Editorial Board

October 24, 2010

Substance over style.

That’s the essence of the Giffords-Kelly race.

We have many acquaintances who have embraced Republican challenger Jesse Kelly’s heartfelt, though mostly slogan-focused, campaign.

America’s problems, according to Kelly, can be solved in two ways — by less government and by giving corporations and the super-wealthy as many tax cuts and breaks as possible. And his demeanor suggests that if any of
his constituents don’t fully agree with that premise, they are going to be shown the door.

Democrat Gabrielle Giffords does
not think along the same lines. She has been our Congressional District 8 representative through probably one of the more economically difficult times in this nation’s history.

These times mean hard decisions, and Giffords has shown she can make them. That has made her, at times, unpopular with those who wish things could be solved as easily as Kelly’s broad visions would suggest.

But what are the nitty-gritty details of Kelly’s solutions?

At a recent forum in Sierra Vista, there were plenty of sound bites, but little of substance. What to make of a candidate who equates the serious issue of creating “green jobs” with that of a person who has a job riding a John Deere tractor? Sounds clever, but really shows a shallowness of addressing just one major issue impacting the nation.

Giffords answered the same question by offering thoughts on the need to move toward and nurture solar power and the job opportunities that industry could present not only to District 8, but to all of Arizona.

Kelly exhibited almost no knowledge of our area’s most important issue — the linkage between the San Pedro River and Fort Huachuca. Kelly’s answer to what he would do to help preserve the fort was that it’s a great place, it’s needed, we’re proud of it and I’ll protect it.

Giffords, on the other hand, knows the fort-river linkage. She knows the fort’s missions and described in detail the heavy lifting it requires to keep selling the fort’s mission and importance to our national defense to not only Congress but the Department of Defense, as well.

In listening to most of the answers to the questions at the forum, whether about illegal immigration, education or taxes, that dichotomy was ever-present in their answers — superficial versus informed.

When asked about bipartisanship, Kelly’s answer basically was he’d be interested in crossing the aisle and supporting anyone as long as that person’s position was for smaller government, less federal intervention in our lives — in other words, only if the person agrees with him. In reality, bipartisanship means the ability to compromise. It means working with others, even if there are basic disagreements.

Kelly has skewered Giffords on two of the major votes in this past session -— health care and the bailout of Wall Street. Yet, to have done nothing but let the free market decide would have made the current economy much worse. And to have done nothing on health care means that the problems with the current system would continue to go unaddressed.

Giffords has served the southern part of her district well. Despite Tucson’s much larger population base and therefore much stronger political power, she has been to our area many, many times. She has become involved with and addressed local problems and has been much more visible than her predecessors.

We think Giffords brings grace under fire and measured thinking to the problems facing our district and the nation. Kelly offers slogans and a “me against you” philosophy.

Congressional District 8 voters would be smart to elect Giffords to a deserved third term in the House of Representatives.

Rhonda Bodfield

Arizona Daily Star

October 23, 2010

Add Rosemont Mine and the 14th Amendment to a long list of disagreements between the candidates in Congressional District 8.

U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords said in a one-hour debate on “Arizona Illustrated” Friday that she doesn’t support the proposed open-pit mine, saying she has too many concerns about the water it will require, especially as drought affects supplies on the Colorado River.

Libertarian Steve Stoltz agreed that he’s a “no” right now, but Republican challenger Jesse Kelly said with the state’s unemployment rate refusing to budge, Arizona needs the jobs.

“I believe in a copper mine, in a copper state that has 10 percent unemployment,” Kelly said, saying the additional tax revenues will also help close the state’s ongoing budget shortfalls. “We cannot continue with this radical anti-jobs agenda and then say we’re for jobs.”

Kelly said it’s really not up to Congress to approve it, though, saying it’s being handled through the
U.S. Forest Service and, ultimately, could end up in the courts.

Giffords interjected to say it’s not accurate to underplay Congress’ role in the approval of the project.

She took some credit for some of the delays the project has faced, and added she called for six more public meetings. “We’re elected to represent the people,” Giffords said. “We engage, we fight, we advocate, we work for our community.”

Kelly retorted, “The American people want a job right now. They don’t want more studies from Congress, or spending, or stimulus. They want a job.”

Much of the debate – the last this election season in District 8 – revisited issues the candidates laid out in two earlier meetings this week and throughout the campaign. Kelly dinged Giffords for her votes for federal health-care reform, stimulus, and the bank bailout. “I want my sons to grow up in a country where the government has no right to tell them what kind of light bulbs to keep in their house and what kind of health care they’re forced to buy,” he said.

Giffords, meanwhile, said there were stark differences between her record and Kelly’s call to make deep cuts in government spending and eventually privatize Social Security.

Candidates also were asked whether they supported the effort by some lawmakers in some states to strip “birthright citizenship,” given legal decisions saying citizenship must be bestowed on children born in the United States regardless of the legal status of their parents. A direct change to the Constitution would require a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress and the approval of three-fourths of state legislatures.

Kelly suggested Congress could pass a statute clarifying the language to make sure citizenship is not bestowed on people here illegally. “It’s become a huge burden on the Border Patrol,” he said.
Stoltz said he didn’t think a statutory change would be the appropriate process, but said he would be willing to look at changes.

Giffords, however, called the issue a “red herring,” saying the difficulty involved in changing the

Constitution makes the chances “almost nonexistent” that it would happen. She said the answer remains in fixing the underlying border problems, including enhanced border-security measures and a comprehensive package that addresses guest workers and the millions of people already here illegally.

“Instead of attacking people, attacking the Constitution, why don’t we just fix the problem?”

Tucson, Ariz. – We already know that Jesse Kelly wants to “eliminate” FDR’s legacy – Social Security – on which millions of American seniors rely to avoid poverty. But this week we learned that Kelly also wants to eliminate Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy – the Food and Drug Administration.

At two recent events, Kelly asserted that the government should play no role in American food safety. In Kelly’s words, the FDA should be reduced “as much as humanly possible.”

At a barbeque at Continental Ranch on Saturday, Kelly was asked what the government could do protect consumers from incidents like the recent recall of half a million salmonella-tainted eggs that made more than 1,000 Americans dangerously sick. Kelly’s response was simple: “it’s our job to protect ourselves.”

When pushed by the questioner about the absurdity of this response, Kelly likened the recent salmonella outbreak to the BP oil spill, saying it was excessive government involvement that caused the crisis.

“Nobody is going to look out for your best interests but you,” he told the questioner.

This exchange echoes the promise that Kelly made to the Rotary Club of Tucson on Oct. 6: “I want to reduce the FDA, in fact, reduce them as much as humanly possible,” he said.

The Food and Drug Administration is tasked with approving prescription drugs and vaccines for market, as well as enforcing food safety laws. Its roots are in the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act, signed into law the same year by Republican President Theodore Roosevelt to protect Americans from being injured or killed by defective medicines or hazardous foods.

According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control, about 76 million Americans are sickened and 5,000 die every year from food-borne diseases, such as E. coli and salmonella, which was the very disease Kelly was asked about at Continental Ranch.

“When Jesse Kelly was asked by an Arizona woman what he would do to protect her family from salmonella if he got to Congress, he told her the truth,’ said Rodd McLeod, campaign manager for Giffords for Congress. “He told her he wouldn’t lift a finger for her — or her family. He said she was on her own, because Mr. Kelly is too scared to break the rules that the big corporations have assigned to him.”

The video of the Continental Ranch event can be viewed here http://bit.ly/94wrUb and the Rotary Club talk can be viewed here http://bit.ly/bbmGBc.

But even a quick look at what Kelly is calling for – life before Theodore Roosevelt’s landmark food safety bill – is enough to make every voter sick: http://bit.ly/c79I8l.

The transcript of the Continental Ranch exchange:

Questioner: “Given the salmonella outbreaks we have every three weeks, with the chicken industry, with the pesticides and whatnot they put on spinach, we have rules and regulations, but however there is no rule mandating they must be enforced. Is there some way that when you are in Congress you can have a bill passed that will say that instead of having these companies voluntarily change, mandate that they must change or give them the ability to shut them down? And that goes for mining companies and everybody else who has hundreds of violations against them?”

Jesse Kelly: “That’s the first time I’ve ever had that question. Congratulations on being unique. First shot out of the box, I do not believe we’re lacking in new federal regulation or mandates on business. We have over 300,000 federal regulations that come with a criminal penalty right now. You could literally spit on the grass and be arrested by the federal government, if they so chose. And the three industries in this county that failed, the auto, energy and the housing sectors are the three most regulated parts of our government, our society or economy. More regulations, more control, giving Nancy Pelosi more power over the country is not the solution right now.”

Questioner: “Who’s protecting us?”

Jesse Kelly: “That’s the thing, ma’am, it’s our job to protect ourselves because no one else is going to look out for your best interests like you. No one else is going to protect your money like you. If you go to government right now, they look out for their own best interests.

Questioner: “Am I supposed to go to a chicken farmer and say, ‘I’d like you to close down because all of your birds are half dead?’”

Jesse Kelly: “Well, I don’t know anything about the chicken farmers or the salmonella outbreaks right now, ma’am. I’ve actually not heard about that recently. Obviously there’s a new thing that comes along every day. But I know this – any portion of any economy, whether it’s our own or another, that’s heavily regulated by the government doesn’t have fewer disasters, they have more. That oil spill in the gulf that came about because we forced the oil company into five thousand feet of ocean water to drill for oil because they were not allowed to drill offshore. That was not caused by the evil greedy corporations. Government did that.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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Arizona Daily Star Editorial Board

October 22, 2010

Our view: She’s demonstrated courage, independence in two terms in Congress

Gabrielle Giffords is a fierce advocate for Southern Arizona, holds substantive, common-sense views and has demonstrated courage and independence during her two terms in Congress.

Giffords is running against newcomer Jesse Kelly, a Republican, who has never held public office and is too reliant on fiery soundbites and practiced comebacks instead of workable, specific policy ideas.

We have watched Giffords expand her knowledge and use her influence in Washington to help shape issues vital to Southern Arizona, like border
security.

We continue to be impressed with her affinity for the details. She doesn’t say “I support the health-care reform legislation” and leave it there. She explains why it’s necessary and why it is good for the people she represents.

Additionally, Giffords doesn’t talk about the need for energy independence, she sponsors legislation that will help expand the solar industry in Southern Arizona. She knows that while it might be popular in some corners to rail against “the government,” the fact is that in her district, many jobs are government jobs or are dependent on government contracts.

Giffords’ record on immigration is strong. She has been a strong proponent of overhauling the system and can explain, in detail, why and how it should be fixed. Her support for the National Guard along the border, and for an increase in Border Patrol agents and practical technology so those agents can better stop drugs and people smugglers demonstrates that she is focused on tangible solutions.

She spoke out against the boycott of Arizona, and she also opposes SB 1070, because she saw that hurting Arizona’s working people would not fix immigration and would cause only more problems. When problems with an entrance to Fort Huachuca near Sierra Vista cropped up, or flood-plain issues arose in the district, Giffords was there with solutions and she got it done.

We appreciate her accessibility and her eagerness to engage with people who don’t agree with her. She doesn’t back down and is frequently the most informed person in the room.

She has a moderate voting record in Congress and seeks out practical solutions instead of ideological rigidity. One way she demonstrates that is by holding regular public meetings in her district and by speaking individually with the people she represents.

Giffords has met critics head-on and explained her support of, for example, the health-care-reform legislation and Social Security. She has withstood attacks from outside political operatives who seek to tarnish her record with lies and misrepresentations about her positions.

Giffords said during a recent debate that she would never vote to privatize Social Security. We believe those in District 8 should take note that she is not against innovation in the system but puts an appropriate priority on keeping a safety net in place for Americans.

She does not advocate for big government and is a fiscal conservative. We agree with her philosophy on both points.

She recognizes that the federal government does have an important role in keeping drinking water and air quality safe, in safeguarding consumers, in helping needy students go to college, in protecting our security and in investing in local communities.

We respect Giffords’ tenacity, intelligence and integrity. We again endorse her to represent Congressional District 8 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Tucson, Ariz. – Today, Giffords for Congress is releasing a new TV ad, “Her Heart is with Small Business.” The ad features Southern Arizona small business owner Dot Kret discussing Gabrielle’s strong support for small business.

“She could relate to what I was going through as a small business owner,” Kret says. “Because Congresswoman Giffords did run a business, her heart is with small business.”

The ad begins airing tonight in the Tucson media market.

A former small business owner herself, Gabrielle knows the challenges facing Southern Arizonans firsthand. She has a strong record of supporting small businesses and is working hard to put Southern Arizona’s economy back on track:

• She voted for tax cuts to small business owners to help them afford the cost of operating their business.
• She helped pushed through the HIRE Act to cut taxes for businesses that hire unemployed workers, creating new jobs and helping small businesses expand.
• She authored the Solar Manufacturing Advancement Act, which provides a 30 percent tax credit for investments in plants or machinery to manufacture renewable energy technologies.
• She sponsored the Solar Technology Roadmap Act that that serves as a guide for solar research and authorizes $2.5 billion for the Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology program.

###

Transcript of “Her Heart is with Small Business”

[Dot Kret]
When she and I first met, she could relate to what I was going through as a small business owner,

[Text Graphic]
Dot Kret
Small Business Owner
Tucson, AZ

[Dot Kret]
because Congresswoman Giffords did run a business. Her heart is with small business.

[Voice Over]
Having run a business and met a payroll, Gabrielle Giffords understands the struggles workers and small businesses face.

[Text Graphic]
Gabrielle Giffords
Understands Small Business

[Voice Over]
That’s why she voted for tax cuts for small business and the middle class,

[Text Graphic]
Tax Cuts
Small Business
Middle Class

[Voice Over]
And new incentives for solar to create jobs.
[Text Graphic]
New Incentives
Create Jobs

[Dot Kret]
She understands that small businesses are the key to job creation.

[Gabrielle Giffords]
I’m Gabrielle Giffords and I approve this message.

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

###

Tucson, Ariz. – At tonight’s AZ-08 congressional debate, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords defeated opponent Jesse Kelly with her clear vision to secure the border, protect Social Security and Medicare and invest in our schools.

Jesse Kelly – who said the word “Arizona” only once during the debate – again promised to privatize Social Security, raise taxes on the middle class and cut $1 billion from Arizona’s schools.

On border security, Giffords laid out concrete steps for securing the border and fixing our broken immigration laws, including putting to work the $600 million in funding she brought home for over 1,000 more boots on the ground and 21st Century security technology. She also called for a mandatory program to crack down on employers who hire illegal workers.

Kelly meanwhile reiterated his opposition to the Border Patrol’s checkpoint on I-19. The checkpoint has stopped thousands of pounds of marijuana and increased apprehensions of illegal crossers in the Tucson sector by 28 percent.

Gabrielle made her position on Social Security crystal clear saying, “I’m going to strengthen Social Security, not privatize it.”

Kelly, on the other hand, stuck to his plan to privatize Social Security. Despite a direct question on the topic by moderator Chris Conover, Kelly failed to explain how current retirees’ benefits could be maintained if younger workers opted out of paying Social Security.

Kelly has said that seniors who receive Medicare need to “get off the public dole,” and he has advocated for replacing Medicare with a voucher system that does not fully fund our seniors’ health care. He did not back away from those statements tonight.

Kelly also held fast to his radical plans to cut $1 billion from Arizona’s already struggling schools. He said proudly that Gabrielle’s description of his plan to cut $1 billion from Arizona schools was “pretty much true.”

Even after tonight’s debate, Kelly owes Southern Arizona real answers to the following questions:

• How can current retirees’ Social Security benefits be met if Kelly’s plan for younger workers to stop fully paying into the system becomes law?
• How can we secure the border if Kelly’s objections to Border Patrol agents asking people for their ID are made policy?
• How can Arizona schools cope with the loss of another $1 billion in cuts?
• How can middle class families in Arizona survive the huge tax increase of the so-called Fair Tax—an average of $3,800 for the bottom 80 percent of earners according the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy?

“Jesse Kelly would do for middle class Arizona what A.I.G. did for its shareholders—clean them out,” said Rodd McLeod, campaign manager of Giffords for Congress. “His plans to supersize the sales tax and privatize Social Security would cause a lifetime of damage to middle class families across Southern Arizona.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.

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At this week’s debate, Gabrielle and Jesse Kelly will stand side by side for the first time.

National reporters are analyzing our race and out-of-state special interests – like Karl Rove and the Social Security privatizers at the 60-Plus Association – are trying to decide where to invest their millions in the final weeks of the campaign.

They will use this debate as a sign of the strength of our team – and Kelly’s. So we need to fill every single seat and show them what we’re made of.

We will show these special interests that their money is no good here. RSVP to attend a CD8 debate in your area

We are counting on you to pack the house from the floor to the rafters to stand with Gabrielle.

This is your chance to stand up to Kelly’s dangerous agenda of raising taxes on the middle class, gambling our seniors’ retirement security in the stock market and gutting $1 billion from our kids’ schools.

We have better ideas and we need you to stand up – and at the debates, to sit down, in a packed house seat. RSVP today!

Thank you for all you do

by Joanna Schroeder

Domestic Fuel

October 14th, 2010

The first National Solar Jobs Census 2010 report was released this week and the report shows that top state for solar energy companies is California followed by Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan, and Arizona. The Solar Foundation, along with Green LMI Consulting undertook the project aimed at examining the size and scope of the solar industry.

The census found that in general, U.S. solar companies expect to add jobs at a pace greater than the general economy. They also anticipate their revenue will grow in the next few years. As of August 2010, the industry employs around 93,000 solar workers as defined as spending at least 50 percent of their time supporting solar-related activities. Job growth numbers are optimistic with more than 50 percent of solar firms expecting to add jobs in the next year, while only 2 percent expect to eliminate jobs.

In response to the report, Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords noted that while the state is leading the way in solar development with an estimated 230 solar companies located in the state, they still have a tremendous potential to expand.

“Arizona is the sunniest state in the country,” said Giffords. “There is no reason that states more famous for cars, cheese and peaches should have more solar energy jobs than we do.”

Giffords continued, “The growth potential of the solar industry in Arizona is – like the sunshine that beats down on our state – virtually limitless. When we harness the power of the sun and put it to work for us, we not only tap into a clean, renewable source of energy, we also strengthen our economy and lay the foundation for future prosperity.”

Other key findings from the report include that solar jobs are available in all 50 states, and solar job growth over the next 12 months is anticipated to be 26 percent, representing nearly 24,000 net new jobs. This expected growth rate is significantly higher than the U.S. economy-wide expectation of 2 percent growth over the same period.

GetSolar.com

October 15, 2010

A new report was released yesterday showing that the solar energy industry continues to create jobs, even as unemployment remains high across the country.

A project of The Solar Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to research and advocacy, released its first ever National Solar Job Census. Among a plethora of other positive findings was the strong standing of Arizona, which was recognized as the state with the fourth-largest number of solar companies. And, with 3,800 solar-related jobs, the state was determined to have the eighth-largest number of solar jobs in the country.

Despite these favorable rankings, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) sees room for improvement. “There is no reason that states more famous for cars, cheese and peaches should have more solar energy jobs than we do,” said Giffords, referring to Michigan, Wisconsin and Georgia, all of which rank ahead of Arizona in clean energy jobs.

Giffords may be on to something. The authors of the Solar Jobs Census found Arizona’s solar market to have the greatest potential for growth. The reasons are fairly simple: the state gets tons of sunshine and its lawmakers are taking clear steps to promote (1) the in-state adoption of solar energy systems, and (2) solar-related manufacturing activities.

Arizona homeowners who install solar panels, for instance, are eligible to receive solar rebates from their utility, like APS, TEP or SRP (although SRP recently paused its rebate program until 2011). Manufacturers of solar power equipment, meanwhile, are being drawn to Arizona by tax-related incentives and proximity considerations (Arizona is relatively close to California, the country’s biggest solar power market).

It is hoped that these activities yield for Arizona a number of benefits: a more diversified electricity mix; a bevy of new, clean-energy jobs; and an uptick in in-state investment. Ultimately, Arizona isn’t the only state gunning for pole position in the U.S. solar energy market. But, given the considerations noted above, the Grand Canyon State may have a decent shot at growing its share of the pie.

Tucson, Ariz. – Today, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords released the following statement regarding the announcement that there will be no cost of living adjustment (“COLA”) for Social Security benefits this year:

“Today’s announcement that there will be no cost of living increase for Social Security benefits this year is bad news for Southern Arizona seniors who depend on them. Under Jesse Kelly’s plan to privatize Social Security in personal accounts with no government guarantee, the news would be even worse. Seniors could face a crushing decrease under the Kelly Privatization Plan. Seniors who worked their entire lives have earned their Social Security benefits, and Jesse Kelly’s plan to gamble them in the stock market might make sense for Wall Street traders, but not for Southern Arizona retirees.”

Gabrielle Giffords is a third generation Southern Arizonan and the only person in Congress with an active duty military spouse. Gabrielle is not like other politicians. She takes an independent view on the issues and was rated Arizona’s most moderate member of Congress by the National Journal in 2009. She’s voted against a Congressional pay raise every time one has come up, and she doesn’t make earmark requests for campaign contributors. Most importantly, Gabrielle stands up for Southern Arizona by working across the aisle to secure the border, protect our military and veterans and create jobs by investing in solar energy.