TUCSON ELECTION TURNOUT BY WARD

posted to Political Buzz by Andrea Kelly

Voter turnout was higher this year in the city of Tucson election than two years ago, but voters didn't turnout in consistently higher numbers throughout the city.

Here's the voter turnout difference from 2009 to 2011, according to a newsletter Councilman Richard Fimbres sent his constituents:

Ward 1: 26.9 percent increase Ward 2: 8.9 percent increase Ward 3: 17.2 percent increase Ward 4: 16 percent increase Ward 5: 34.7 percent increase Ward 6: 6.4 percent increase

The largest increase came in a ward that didn't have its councilmember up for reelection, Ward 5, as did the smallest increase, in Ward 6.

CARMONA GOES BIPARTISAN

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

A press release sent from the Carmona campaign announcing the endorsements quotes all six members of the Tucson City Council, including lone Republican Steve Kozachik.

Kozachik, wrote, “I know Dr. Carmona as a man of integrity, a high achiever, a man of compassion for the underserved and a man who has been giving back to the Tucson and Pima County for decades. Since he is running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat, from a political standpoint, I don't have a dog in that fight. 
 And yet, from the standpoint of wanting to see a person emerge from that primary who I believe would best represent us with a set of values that very much mirror my own, I most certainly have a dog in that fight. Dr. Carmona is Southern Arizona's own local hero. I'm honored to be associated with a person of his caliber.”

In recent weeks, Carmona has received plenty of national attention as he jumped into the race. Some of those stories include rumors that President Obama was involved in the courting of Carmona.

The field of candidates trying to replace retiring US Senator Jon Kyl (R) is becoming crowded. The race marks the first time in nearly two decades that Arizona voters have faced an open Senate seat.

MAYOR ROTHSCHILD TAKES HIS SEAT

posted to AZ Week Notebook by Michael Chihak

By LUCY VALENCIA, Arizona Week Intern

Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild hit the ground running as soon as his term began today. Rothschild, wo already had been working at City Hall in the transition since he was elected last month, met this afternoon with Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry to begin working on inter-governmental cooperation.

Rothschild, 56, was sworn in at 10 a.m. today in a ceremony at City Hall.

The Tucson native, lawyer and father of three believes the only way to improve the economy is to help put people to work. He wants to give University of Arizona graduates a reason to stay in Tucson after earning their degrees.

He served as treasurer of the Pima County Democratic Party, was on the board of Casa de los Niños, Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging and Temple Emanu-El.

Rothschild has a 180-day plan to boost small business interests in Tucson, beginning with revamping the 1,000-page land-use code.

He promises 14-hour work days that will include roundtable meetings with the business community, educators and politicians from many neighborhood groups and jurisdictions.

Hear more about how Rothschild will approach his job on Friday's Arizona Week in one of two interviews with big city mayoral newcomers in the state. Also interviewed will be Phoenix Mayor-elect Greg Stanton, who will take office in January.

NO GOULD RESIGNATION

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

Gould is exploring a run for Congress but some have questioned whether or not that action violates Arizona’s resign to run law. The issue arose after Gould filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Others, including state Senator Frank Antenori (R-Pima County) are also exploring congressional runs but instead filed their paperwork with the IRS.

The Arizona Secretary of State’s office oversees elections. Officials with Secretary of State’s office say Gould has in fact not violated the law by filing with the FEC. They say Arizona election law even lets a candidate collect petitions and not be forced to resign from their current office.

Arizona’s resign to run law does not apply to elected officials who are in the final year of their term.

MORE CITY BUDGET CUTS

posted to Political Buzz by Christopher Conover

State lawmakers say fund sweeps and a decrease in state shared revenue is a thing of the past. But Kelly Gottschalk, the City of Tucson’s Chief Financial Officer says the budget situation in Tucson is still far from rosy.

Gottschalk says City revenues are stable and she also believes that revenue drops have bottomed out. However, she says the next fiscal year will still see budget cuts. The reason for that is increasing costs on things like pensions and medical insurance are outpacing the increases in revenue.

City of Tucson officials are encouraging people to shop locally this holiday season as a way of increasing sales tax revenue in local coffers.

2011 SUCCESSES AND HOLIDAY PLEDGE SPECIALS

posted to From the General Manager by Laura McKee

The end of the year is a time to reflect on the past year’s successes and to take stock of the many things that bring meaning to our lives. So many Arizona Public Media (AZPM) members, viewers, listeners and volunteers tell us how much our programs mean to them. Please think about sharing the enriching experience you receive all year long with family members and friends by giving them the gift of AZPM membership for the holidays. You can also support public media by giving a year end donation or an IRA Charitable Rollover. For more information on giving please visit AZPM Support.

The following is a list of just some of the many accomplishments achieved over the past year. The programs could not have been produced or presented without your support:

o Debut of Arizona Week, the first ever statewide weekly public affairs series

o Debut of the weekly Political Roundtable program on Fridays o Upgraded antennae and signal strength for PBS-HD6 and Classical 90.5FM

o AZPM Original programs generated six Emmy® Awards

o Morning radio newscasts scheduled one hour earlier Monday – Friday

o The top rated news/talk format station in Tucson

o Voted the best radio station for news by the Tucson Weekly

o Teachers’ Voices series went into full production and broadcast, presenting more than 50 teachers’ stories on air and online.

o Debut of From the Top series featuring young musicians from around the country and hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Reilly

o Launch of AZweek.org, a companion news website to Arizona Week

The PBS-HD 6 pledge campaign “Home for the Holidays” continues this month, December 3 – 11, Dec., 17 & 18 and Dec. 31st with more great entertaining specials. Highlights include: Victor Borge: Comedy in Music a new special featuring his recently rediscovered funniest and most memorable skits; Lucille Ball: Finding Lucy – An American Masters Special, the story of one of the most recognized and loved entertainers in the world as she goes from chorus girl to actress to running Desilu Studios - a truly visionary talent; Celtic Woman: Believe – savor this new chapter in musical enchantment from these four fabulous, female singing sensations; Santana: Live at Montreux 2011- Carlos Santana delivers a blistering performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2011, plus many more. For a schedule of dates and times go to AZPM.org.

Other holiday specials include Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring David Archuleta and Michael York. Lidia Celebrates America: Holiday Tables and Traditions – a brand new holiday program, and the annual National Christmas Tree Lighting on December 22nd live from Washington. Additional highlights include more great events from the PBS Arts Fall Festival; PBS Arts from Los Angeles: Il Postino from the LA Opera and PBS Arts from New York: Great Performances Andrea Bocelli Live in Central Park. Go here for schedules.

We debut Southern Arizona’s new 24-hour lifestyle channel, Ready TV this month with programs to inspire the traveler, chef, builder, musician and gardener, such as: Victory Garden, America’s Test Kitchen: Fannie’s Last Supper (Christopher Kimball’s recreation of a 12-course Christmas dinner originally hosted by Fannie Farmer in 1896); Austin City Limits music series, and Chihuly Fire & Light, a one-hour documentary of this innovative artist at work. Each month, Ready TV features a Chef of the Month. This month’s chef is Julia Childs and Ready TV will air several of her famous cooking shows: In Julia’s Kitchen, Cooking with Master Chef, Baking with Julia and more. Are you ready for Ready TV? Go here for program schedules.

December 12th – 16th on NPR 89.1FM Beyond Sprawl – Rethinking the Southwestern Economy is a new series analyzing the housing boom, bust and future. Fronteras: the Changing America Desk reporters visit communities across the Southwest to gauge what life is like in a post economic housing boom.

Classical 90.5FM Community Concerts series airs twice weekly in December and will feature the Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival recorded here in Southern Arizona and featuring works by Ravel, Schumann, Saint-Saëns Beethoven, Mozart and more. Visit here for a complete list of programs.

On behalf of all of us at AZPM, please accept our very best wishes to you and your family for a happy and healthy holiday season. As always, thank you for your viewership, listenership and continued support of Arizona Public Media.

Jack Gibson