Something I Never Thought I'd See

 

I had a different post ready for this morning but I felt compelled to move it to another day because yesterday turned out to be a day that will go down in American history.  I spent the day with that tingly, nervous, jittery feeling that I had on 9/11 almost twenty years ago.  What I watched on the news coming from Washington DC was something I thought I would never see.  

I've known from the beginning that our president was not fit for office and I've been appalled as he unfurled one chaotic situation after another.  And I've been dismayed as his loyal followers became more and more irrational.  I admit that I've been a bit on edge ever since the November election simply because of all the people who believe a perfectly normal, completely well run election was some how fraudulent.  I watched yesterday morning as congress started the process of certifying our election eager to see a bit of history unfold.  I did not expect to see a completely different bit of history. A very horrible piece of history and one I will never forget.

As I write this, congress has reconvened and the election will be certified.  Good riddance 45!

We serve everyone!

These signs are showing up in the windows of a very large percentage of Arizona businesses who are taking a stand against a bill that was passed in our state legislature making it legal for businesses to refuse to serve gay, lesbian, or transgender people on the grounds of fundamental religious beliefs.  As a rule, I try to stay away from controversial issues but, this one has once again put my beautiful state of Arizona in a bad light across the country and the world.  The bill has not been signed into law yet, and hopefully it never will but, a lot of damage has already been done to Arizona's reputation through the national coverage.

I guess the reason I'm posting this is so that you know that the vast majority of Arizonans are appalled by this piece of legislation and that all major businesses in Arizona along with our two U.S. Senators are advising the governor to veto this misguided and hateful piece of legislation.

Governor Brewer, please Veto SB 1062!  

Forum

I was invited to attend an American Action Forum about the "U.S. Housing Recovery, Lessons from Arizona" Wednesday afternoon.  It was very interesting and ended with a short keynote address by Senator John McCain.  While I was sitting there listening, I suddenly thought "wow this might make a good Phoenix Daily Photo" so I whipped out my iPhone and snapped a shot of the senator as he spoke.  So here you have the senior senator from Arizona and figure most likely very well known to all Americans, Senator John McCain.

Notice how I gracefully stayed out of any political references at all?  The event was very non-partisan so I decided to keep it that way.

Let me introduce you…

Let me introduce you to my very dear friend and Phoenix Vice-Mayor, Tom Simplot standing on the left and the Mayor of Phoenix, Phil Gordon on the right. On Friday night, Tom kicked off his re-election campaign and opened his campaign headquarters right in the heart of the north 7th Avenue Arts district. He has added that great neon artwork you see in the center to his office to sit right in the window so its message can be seen from the street. Tom is running for re-election to the Phoenix City Council from District 4 where he has done a fantastic job of representing the interest of our community. Go Tom!! You have my vote!

Election Day, VOTE

Today is election day in the United States. I am hoping there is a huge turnout of well informed voters who have listened to all sides of the issues and made their decisions based on what is good for the entire country and not just some special interest.

I made this collage to celebrate today’s events and it is unabashedly reflective of my choice in this very important election. I am proud to be called both progressive and liberal. My life is fuller, happier, and more fun because of it.

Yes, that is me with Barak Obama and that is my hand shaking his. The photos were taken a year ago at a reception before a book-signing event for his book “The Audacity of Hope”. Credit for the photos belongs to City of Phoenix photographer Bob Rink.

Now, if you haven’t already done so, get out there and vote!!

Rose Mofford

Inside the Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum that I featured on August 2nd, is a room devoted to former Governor Rose Mofford. Rose is a native Arizonan who graduated with the highest grade point average ever achieved at her school in northern Arizona. In 1939, she played first base for the Phoenix Queens a fast pitch softball team that toured all over the country and even played Madison Square Garden. She spent a lifetime working for Arizona State Government and was appointed Secretary of State in 1977 and remained in that position until 1988 when she became Governor after the impeachment of then Governor Evan Mecham (Arizona has quite a colorful political history but, that’s another story.) This room contains all sorts of memorabilia from her years in governmental service. This picture only shows a portion of one wall. There are two other walls all just as full as this one. The portrait in the center shows Rose with her distinctive white-haired beehive.

New State of Arizona Archives Building

This is the entrance to a brand new building located just west of the capitol. It will be dedicated on January 15, 2009 and named for Polly Rosenbaum, the longest serving Arizona legislator. Polly took over the House of Representatives seat occupied by her husband in 1949 when he passed away and she remained in the house for 45 years until 1995. She was dedicated to historic preservation so it is more than appropriate to name this building for her. Polly passed away in 2003 at the age of 104. So, if you can do the math, you will see that she served as a state representative well into her 90’s.

I love the star and stripes displayed over the door to the building. It’s a design that represents Arizona as you can see from the picture of the state flag at the left.