Inside Mesa

If you were one that enjoyed the Mesa Libraries on Sunday, you’re out of luck. With the hard decisions being made to trim the budget because Mesa has run out of money for city services, the library is one of the first of those affected. Why is it always the libraries?I don’t think many realize the incredible impact a library has in a community. It is the very backbone of any academic setting. The community colleges and universities would be at a great disadvantage if they were continually compromised. In my experience, the library is usually one of the targets easily hit.It just isn’t appreciated nor given the necessary status a library deserves. It goes along with education, growth, personal edification and knowledge. A place for children and teens….a free, desirable place for our young ones to learn and study. This is good!Continuing education, the reality of Mesa Community College and the Downtown Campus has great potential with a full, functioning library. Education, the one thing we all agree is uppermost to our quality of life, learning, enjoyment, our community. Let’s put our money where our future, stable income for the City of Mesa needs to be. It will take a primary property tax and sales tax increase to keep up, catch up, and bring us back up to our full potential. A potential that will continually grow as the city does.

Reported today, two more women die after taking the "morning after" pill or the "abortion pill". The deaths follow four reported in California from an apparent blood infection. Thus far there has been no proof the drug is the cause but it looks suspicious. Viagra is a popular drug for men to sustain and/or prolong one’s ability to deliver thousands of sperm from a man to a woman, in search of one egg that will create life.This sad situation gives me reason to pause, and wonder what is the medical and drug field thinking? Who is overseeing the consequences and taking responsibility? Why are men given a product enhancing their productivity and women given the destroyer of new life, puting her own life at risk to the point of death! I realize there is a need in individual circumstances for the use of Viagra in order to bring about a desired outcome, and to use it responsibly. I don’t understand why women are given an abortion pill as a contraceptive. RU-486 has the potential of killing two lives. In my opinion, this is not a valid or necessary contraceptive to be passed out to women by an organization that purposes itself to plan one’s parent status. Planning parenthood is not bad, however, it appears that RU-486 is solely designed to destroy life - for use up to 49 days - a 7 week fetus. Is this the lazy way out? Is it because some don’t want to use a condom? How little regard I see in this situation for women. I can see the abortion pill usage in special circumstances if it is used to save a woman’s life or if an impregnated child is at risk because of rape.How about creating a drug that destroys sperm in men? If a couple is through having children, better yet, a vasectomy which is a 20 minute office procedure instead of sending a woman into major surgery for a hysterectomy….another potential life threatening situation.Who’s making up the rules, anyway?

It’s time to work on Mesa’s future by investing your time and effort. The Mesa Chamber of Commerce will be hosting meetings for a speaker’s training session on March 27, 2006, for all those involved in and want to volunteer in support of the Yes for Mesa Campaign. Here are the details from the "Yes for Mesa" campaign:Speaker Training at 5:30pm on March 27th There are still a lot of spots available for the Speaker Training on Monday, March 27th at 5:30pm at the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. This training is for all people involved in the campaign and all volunteers. All supporters are invited - please pass this on! This is an extremely important event, your attendance is needed. If you are going to be there, please rsvp to info@yesformesa.com with your name and the number of people who will be attending. Volunteer Meeting at 5:30pm on March 20th A brief volunteer meeting will be held on Monday, March 20th at the Mesa Chamber to cover a volunteer phone call opportunity that will be coming up. Volunteers are still needed. There will be a brief training on how to make the calls and answer questions. If you are not able to make the meeting, but you would like to help in the effort, please contact phonecalls@yesformesa.com so you can be put on a list to coordinate getting materials to you. Request a Yard Sign Yard signs are available at the Mesa Chamber, or if you need them delivered, contact www.yesformesa.com to some brought to you. Questions? Comments? Please feel free to contact info@yesformesa.com .

The Corporation for Economic Development (CFED), a nonprofit with the goal of expanding economic opportunity in pursuit of social equality, has released a Development Report Card for the States annually since 1987. CFED grades each state using the familiar A,B,C,D, and F scale on how well its economy is doing for its people, how well the economy is doing for the state’s businesses and how well the state is preparing for its future. The report card uses 68 measures to grade the states. The 2006 results say that Massachusetts and Minnesota have the best economic climates in the United States. And, the report says that the states with the worst economic climates and that earned a D or an F in each category are Alaska, Arizona, Mississippi, New Mexico, and West Virginia. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like the company that Arizona is keeping!!! The complete report is available online at www.cfed.org

President Bush loves to promote community health centers, but his

budget cuts threaten to eliminate federal programs that train the doctors that staff

the centers. A.T. Still University and the National Association of Community Health Centers have developed an innovative solution that could become the standard for ensuring Arizona and the rest of the nation have a capable healthcare safety-net.NPR published a story recently that discusses President Bush

Don’t miss the panel discussion TODAY, at 6:30 PM between Councilmember Janie Thom and Mesa City Council candidate Scott Somers, District 6.Sunland Village at Greenfield Road and Diamond Avenue, will be hosting a discussion at 6:30 PM this evening, Wednesday, March 8 in the auditorium. This ought to be good! The media is scheduled to appear for this timely event just before the election next week, Tuesday, March 14.

I first learned of the Mesa Chamber Leadership, Training, and Development Program in 2002, from someone that I admire very much and look up to as a respected leader. For me, a mentor and a person of impeccable character. Mary Jo Vecchiarelli, Ph.Ed, a 1999 graduate of Mesa LTD, and who has made a place in Mesa’s history as the first female high school principal. I enrolled in the Chamber’s Program in 2004 and graduated in 2005. It was an incredible experience. I learned more than I thought I would. To become familiar with the many aspects of Mesa we would not ordinarily experience or become so keen in learning, was a bonus and gave much depth to the understanding of our community. It is a plus for your business, non-profit organizations, and for personal knowledge.The open house held on March 7, was provided for those in our community curious about the program and who wanted to learn more before enrolling. It was an opportunity to hear from those that have gone through the program, to talk to those coming in to learn about this opportunity, and to meet and converse with current class members that will be graduating in May, 2006. Irene Frklich, Recruitment Chair, with the Mesa LTD Alumni Association Board planned the open house with a complimentary buffet provided, set up, and served by Rigatony’s. Irene has worked throughout the year in bringing in potential candidates for LTD. She facilitated the evening by welcoming everyone and introducing speakers: Charlie Deaton, CEO and President of the Mesa Chamber , Mayor Keno Hawker, Vice Mayor Claudia Walters, and Councilmember Kyle Jones joined us as well.It was a great time as we met new people looking to connect to a great program that enhances one’s job, business, and personally, as we have the opportunity to get involved in our community. Seeing friends attend like Judy Bowden, Vice President of Finance, Mesa United Way, Steve Ikeda, Community Leader, David Wier, Well Fargo Bank/CVB, and Mesa Chamber Board Liaison, 1986 Mesa LTD graduate, and others.Mesa LTD Alumni Association Board members that were present and supporting this yearly event were: Pat Esparza, Chair, Maria Mancinas, Chair-Elect, Kay Henry, Social Chair, and myself as Placement Chair. There is still time to sign up for the Mesa Chamber Leadership, Training, and Deveopment graduating class of 2007 that begins in August, 2006. April 7 is the deadline!