This diary is meant to be the antidote to my previous intransigent view of the Democratic Candidate for Arizona's Congressional Seat in District 8 once held by Gabrielle Giffords.
Here is the Transcript and Fact Check for the Ad
Where is Ron Barber on the Issues:
2nd Amendment. "Politicians who have too much to say about your personal freedoms aren’t actually interested in protecting them. Your right to responsibly own and operate firearms is ensured in the Constitution. Ron has pledged to protect all of your Constitutional rights."
A woman’s healthcare. "A woman’s healthcare decisions must be made between her and her doctor. There has been too much political debate about limiting our freedoms. Women have the right to make their own choices about contraception and any interference from the government or employers is an affront to personal liberty."
Caring for our Veterans. "Our veterans have served and sacrificed for our country over the years. When our men and women in uniform come home from war, it is our responsibility to ensure they receive the care they need and deserve to deal with both the visible and hidden injuries. Whether it is research into Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) treatments, counseling methods for veterans with PTSD or new technological advances in other treatments we must make the best care available to all of our veterans.
Caring for veterans includes making sure they have access to the education, training and employment opportunities they need as they return to civilian life. Ron is committed to making sure that veterans have the support they need to be successful."
More agents – on the border. "Ron will fight for border security policies that enforce the border at the border. Border Patrol resources should be increased and repositioned until a drug runner can’t cross the border without being spotted and deterred or apprehended by our Border Patrol agents."
More high-tech assets. "Ron will work to increase the availability of technology that is effective. This includes Mobile Surveillance Systems (MSS), sensors, radar and cameras and new products that can be deployed quickly and effectively. Ron will urge the Department of Homeland Security to invest in innovations such as the use of optic cables to identify border incursions as soon as they occur."
Forward Operating Bases/Horse Patrols. "Ron will advocate strongly for the expanded use of two effective tactical assets: Forward Operating Bases and Horse Patrols. These assets are particularly needed in rural and rugged sections of the border where drug smugglers have been driven by the build-up of enforcement, such as fences, in urban areas. We must do more to protect ranching families whose safety has been compromised by increased illegal activity on their lands."
More aerial assets. "Unmanned aerial vehicles can provide effective and efficient surveillance of border activity, and other air assets like helicopters can quickly deploy agents to stop border incursions, even in isolated areas."
Smart fencing. "People who actually pay attention to border security, like Ron, know its about more than just a fence. As your Congressman, Ron will ensure that we invest in smart fencing that actually prevents incursions and keeps agents safe, vehicle barriers, and technology solutions that work at the ground level – not those dreamed up in Washington, DC."
Border communications. "As Congresswoman Giffords’ district director, Ron fought to bring mobile communications networks to the border. This is essential to keep residents safe and help agents do their jobs. Ron will fight till border-area residents can pick up the phone and call for help if they’re in harm’s way or see illegal activity."
Invest in ports of entry. "Arizona’s ports of entry are seriously understaffed. As your Congressman, Ron will work for robust investment in ports of entry that make sure drugs don’t flow into the state, that guns and money don’t flow into Mexico, and that keep legitimate commerce flowing smoothly and without delays."
Fighting for the middle class isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s good economic policy. "The middle class is the primary driver of prosperity for all Americans. Policies like those that let a billionaire’s secretary pay a higher tax rate than her boss are just not right. Everyone should pay their fair share. Policies that allow low taxes and maximum opportunity keep more money in more pockets, businesses growing, and Arizonans working."
Government policies should encourage job creation, not get in its way. "We should eliminate unneeded regulations on energy, transportation and other projects, and streamline permit approvals so economic growth is never held up by red tape. But this can’t happen until Democrats and Republicans put aside opportunities to score cheap political points and instead work together to craft smart policies for American business."
We must focus on small businesses. "Small businesses create the lion’s share of the new jobs in America. Ron and his wife owned and operated a small business for 22 years, so he knows what it takes for local businesses to succeed and create good jobs. Ron will work to cut red tape, regulations and tax policies that hold back our businesses. He will push to expand the solar, bioscience and high tech industries, which will create high paying jobs in our community. We must also understand that one of the keys to improving our Southern Arizona economy is strengthening home values. That means more home construction, more real estate transactions and more retail sales – all of the businesses that are the lifeblood of Southern Arizona’s economy."
From the Tucson Citizen: "Barber, Giffords’s former Tucson District Director for 5 years, ran unopposed and got 42,801 votes. Barber was also shot twice on January 8, 2011 in front of that Safeway at Ina/Oracle, and now walks with a limp.
Charlie Manolakis of Tucson, a Green Party candidate prevailed with 113 votes in their primary, easily defeating write-in candidate Richard Grayson of Apache Junction. According to the Pima County Recorder’s Office, Manolakis has been registered as a Democrat since September 1979, and only became a Green on March 12, 2012.
In the heated Republican primary where four candidates ran, here’s the latest results from the Arizona Secretary of State:
LD 30 State Senator Frank Antenori 15,732 (21.88%)
Jesse Kelly 25,679 (35.71%)
Martha McSally 17,943 (24.95%)
Dave Sitton 12,261 (17.05%)"
I live in between AZ-07 and AZ-08 so I could choose to vote in either. With redistricting this year I will solidly be in CD-02. Instead of changing my voter's registration to vote for Barber I did nothing. I was pissed that the candidate I wanted was getting pushed aside; but as others have pointed out to me it is best not to get my hopes up too much in this race. This is my first National Election that I am getting involved with--in 2008, I was a year too young. It is getting increasingly difficult to separate my emotions from the historic-ness of this year. I will be able to tell my children that I helped re-elect America's First Black President in my first National Election. This year is a big deal for me and I want to help the candidates I believe in as much as I can. It hit me how much I was being stubborn when I was HR'd to high heaven when I entered Daily Kos Elections. I shocked myself at the language I used, but I couldn't see further than a bunch of people who didn't know what I was experiencing. Looking back, that was a mistake and I'm glad I apologized when I did. Still to this day, I do not leave/read comments in DKE and have left the group Baja AZ Kossacks. However, I don't agree with Ron Barber's stances on: Invest in Ports of Entry & Smart Fencing--I live less than 1.5 hours from the border and protective fence...it doesn't work. I don't know where this idea came from that the bulk of the immigrants coming from Mexico are fleeing in the night and a jump over a 6 foot fence? Take a look at this site, when you go to the additional links take note the the "facts" that they list are not supported or sourced. Such as, "Estimates show that the over $100 billion was spent on services for illegal aliens in the United States in 2010. In Arizona alone, over $2.7 billion was spent from 2009-2010 on free services for illegal aliens on healthcare, education, and imprisonment costs alone! Is this an acceptable use of the American taxpayer's hard earned money?" Even worse, this is on the AZ.GOV website. I also have a different view of government. He states that the government should encourage job creation, not get in it's way. The Democrats in the Senate and the White House have faced obstruction at every corner. Bi-Partisanship in the hopes of getting something done is gone. lessening regulations is not the answer, I believe that strengthening them is. My basis for that is looking to the Great White North and how Canada managed to stay afloat during the banking crises, how they manage to have a better housing market, how they manage to keep healthcare costs low and accessible for all, etc, etc, etc. These are all because of Government Regulations, which I am in favor of more of. I agree with his stance on the 2nd Amendment and building up the Middle Class.
Despite those opposing viewpoints, if he is the nominee in November I will vote for him. My involvement in the politics of Arizona exists only in the Obama For America Campaign; time will tell if I lend a helping hand to Barber, but as of now he has my vote.