"The Martin Family Charitable Foundation will promote the education and well being of children, mothers and families,” said State Treasurer Dean Martin. “Kerry’s life was dedicated to numerous causes. Many know how she helped efforts to teach children how to swim in order to prevent child drowning. But, she also previously taught financial literacy across the Valley including classes for new Habitat for Humanity homeowners and for young servicemen and women at Luke Air Force Base. Simply stated, Kerry touched the lives of thousands across the Valley. Kerry was always the volunteer, organizer and leader. She jumped in to help donate her time, talent, and enchanting smile to support efforts she believed in. This Foundation will ensure that while her work on this earth has come to an end, her spirit will endure to continue to help others.”
“During her joyous pregnancy she had many ideas on charitable efforts she wanted to champion as a new mother. The Foundation will also help expectant mothers, both in healthcare and education, based on ideas Kerry had and the experiences we shared during her pregnancy,” Martin said.
Donations to the Foundation can be made at www.MartinCharities.org or at any Chase Bank or WaMu Branches nationwide. The Martin Family Charitable Foundation (in memory of Kerry Martin and Austin Michael Martin) has been established as a charitable organization, and has applied for tax-exempt status under 5013c which makes donations tax deductible.
Mailing Address Martin Family Charitable Foundation
PO BOX 71266
Phoenix, AZ 85050
Email Contact
info@MartinCharities.org
Dear Mr. Norquist,
I am in receipt of your open letter, signed but not dated, and transmitted on June 4, 2009 by email. I will respond in kind. For the record, your letter is, at best inaccurate, and at its worst an attempt to defame and discredit our Republican Governor and me. In short your letter displays what is most often described as what is wrong with the conservative movement – an insatiable desire to eat its own.
You begin your letter by setting up a straw man. You state, “As you know, it has recently been announced that the firm High Ground Inc. (sp), a group that advises Governor Jan Brewer, will launch a $225,000 media campaign against legislators who oppose Gov. Brewer’s call for a multi-billion dollar tax increase in the middle of a recession.” Well, there is no media campaign, and as I have stated numerous times over the past ten days to numerous reporters and legislators, I would not support such a campaign if it existed.
I was indeed copied on the draft plan that was attached to your letter and which I have reattached to this response. On asking Mr. Coughlin about the draft plan, I was assured that there was no plan to target legislators and in fact there was no media campaign planned. His letter presented a general approach on how to support the Governor’s proposed budget assuming that the legislature did not pass out a budget, all very speculative.
Asking me as chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, to unequivocally and publicly announce my opposition to and repudiation of this campaign to be waged by Gov. Brewer is like knocking the stuffing out of your straw man; therefore, I will respond hypothetically as follows:
If there were a media campaign (which there isn’t) targeting (unnamed) legislators who (may or may not) oppose Governor Brewer’s proposed budget, then I would be unequivocally opposed to such a plan (if it existed, which it doesn’t).
What is of more concern to me in your letter is your continued effort to misstate Republican principles with regard to spending and taxes. The Republican platform is quite succinct on taxes and government spending. I will quote from page 15 of the 2008 Republican Platform, “Spend only what is necessary, and tax only to raise revenue for essential government functions.” It does not say anything about being in opposition to higher taxes or demanding that our elected officials sign a Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
What the platform does take considerable space to elaborate on are the wasteful spending and the inherently redundant and inefficiency of government. I quote from the Platform, “The entrenched culture of official Washington – an intrusive tax-and-spend liberalism – remains a formidable foe, but we will confront and ultimately defeat it.” What is key to the debate is the need for balance. Cutting taxes without cutting spending can be just as detrimental as the liberal tax and spend mentality. Senator McCain had it right earlier this decade when he questioned the Bush tax cuts on the grounds that there were no corresponding spending cuts. We were in essence borrowing from our children.
The Arizona Republican Party Platform passed in January 2008 is closely aligned with the national platform in stating, “The AZGOP believes reducing taxes not necessary to pay for essential government services creates jobs and economic growth, encourages new businesses to come to Arizona, and ultimately increases public sector revenues in our state.” I have yet to see anything proposed by Governor Brewer to be in opposition to either the national or state platforms.
I applaud your mission at Americans for Tax Reform. We are in dire need of tax reform nationally as well as here in Arizona. What is even more critical though is a plan to control spending. Republicans are out of power nationally, because we were unable to rein in spending. We spent eight years passing budgets that increased the national debt. The 2008 Republican Platform recognizes this problem and is very clear about replacing current budgetary procedures with simplicity and transparency, balancing the budget and planning for long-term costs of pension and health care programs. Unfortunately for us, this recognition came too late.
Warmest regards, Randy Pullen
A post from our National Committeeman, Bruce Ash - Also check out his audio comments.
I always figured sooner or later Barack Obama would wake up one morning and ask himself. " Why are we supporting Israel?" I never dreamed that he would wake up so soon.
Obama's proclamation yesterday that somehow Iran possessed energy concerns and "legitimate" nuclear aspirations leads me to the conclusion that he is either signaling an end to America's relationship with her strongest ally --Israel OR that he is the most naiive and dangerous president in the past three decades . Yesterday's proclamation is the latest in a long line of subtle , nuanced movements in American foreign policy that erodes the US-Israel alliance as well as sets peace requirements so high as to weaken and isolate Israel without any benefit to our ally.
Over a year ago Benjamin Natanyahu stated , "it is 1939" in regard to middle east security. I respectfully disagree. It isn't 1939 but it may be 1938 when Great Britain signed the Munich Agreement with Germany and gave Hitler "permission" to take the Sudaten Land in exchange for peace. When America fails to recognize the evil that Iran intends to use it's nuclear power capabilities to develop weapons of mass destruction in return to find peace in the region Mr Obama makes the same delusional mistake Neville Chamberlain did when he declared ,"Peace in our time."
The Iranian leadership is evil and has evil intent. That our country is ignorant to this and seeks to further down size our diplomatic influence in the region is baffling but seems to be part of a larger strategy of weakening American resolve to be the world's number #1 super power . It also cedes hegemony to perverse powers such as Iran, North Korea and other rogue states and their irresponsible leaders.
The lesson from WWII ( and most recent conflicts ) is that when world leaders don't stand up to the evil intentions of strongmen like Ahmadinejad what follows is un necessary conflict which creates destruction and misery for mankind. America ought to be doing everything in it's power to isolate Iran economically, diplomatically and politically while at the same back up our efforts with a credible threat of force in the event Iran fails to fall into line. Strength is power in the middle east region. Mr Obama may feel his recent comments will make friends around the world with his apologist thinking . He is wrong. Ahmadinejad has only contempt for the west and seeks to take advantage of this ill informed young American president whose idea of change in foreign policy is not change for the better.
This is a time for strong American leadership in the world. Mr Obama should be using the bully pulpit of the US Presidency to forge alliances that will protect the world and not weaken it. America should work harder to strengthen it's long standing alliance with Israel . American voters should vote for candidates in 2010 and 2012 who will devise a proper foreign policy and defense for our nation.
Bruce Ash National Committeeman
www.AshForArizona.com
Turning their collective back on some of Arizona’s most vulnerable children, Democrat lawmakers voted against legislation allowing corporate tax credits to pay for tuition grants for foster families and disabled children. The bill comes in response to an Arizona Supreme Court ruling that the state’s direct school voucher system for those children was unconstitutional.
This weeks debate on Arizona’s school tuition program was a clear example of the Democrat Party succumbing to the pressure of powerful special interests and disguising it as a feigned concern with the allocation of public school dollars.
I’m surprised how far the Democrats will go to protect the interests of the Public Education unions. It’s clear that voters approve of school choice. It is unbelievable to me that Democrats would vote against a program that provides choices for foster families and parents of disabled children.
Democrats argued that the legislation would cost Arizona’s overburdened taxpayers $5 million, when in fact the state will end up saving needed resources by keeping these students in an environment that focuses on their unique and challenging educational requirements.
This is the first time Democrats have shown concern for taxpayers. Usually, they just want to raise taxes and spend more money. Let’s not forget that one of the reasons we’re in this terrible situation is that Democrats proudly voted for the boated 2009 budget which spent us into the nation’s greatest deficit per capita.
These Democrats should be ashamed that they voted against a program that allows parents or guardians of disabled and foster children the ability to send them to a results oriented school that provides them access to a quality education. Evidently, when Democrats talk about the educational needs of these vulnerable citizens, it is only if those citizens are attending a unionized public school.
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Paid for by the Arizona Republican Party |
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Not authorized by any candidate or committee. |
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602-957-7770 |
Arizona Republican Party
3501 North 24th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
602-957.7770
info@azgop.org
www.azgop.org