bumper sticker image from the SOS website

In 1987 the Pima County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution declaring May 5 as “Free Baja Arizona Day”. 24 years later the Start our State (SOS) campaign kicked off officially today at The Shanty, 401 E. 9th Street, on “Free Baja Arizona Day”. Signatures on the petition to formally form a new state in Southern Arizona are now being collected. More than 48,000 signatures of Pima County residents need to be collected before July 15, 2012 to get this initiative on the November 2012 ballot. These petitions with valid signatures will be submitted to the Pima County Division of Elections.

Co-Chairs Paul Eckerstrom and Peter Hormel, as well as Treasurer David Euchner (all Tucson attorneys) are spear heading this effort. I wrote about this movement before (click here), but Tucsoncitizen.com blogger attorney Hugh Holub (“View from Baja Arizona”) is the expert on this issue. For an in-depth article on this movement read Hugh’s article “Baja Arizona – American’s 51st State?” (click here).

About 75 people listened to Paul speak tonight about the reasons to leave the State of Arizona and what the Arizona legislature has done over the years to reduce public education funding, cut the University of Arizona funding, as well as targeting Pima County and the Hispanic population down here. He said it wasn’t a “mission impossible”, as recent polls in the AZ Daily Star and KOLD TV said that there were 58% and 63% in support for this movement, respectively. Voters in Santa Cruz and Coconino Counties have also expressed interest in joining on, but would need to start up their own initiative drives.

In attendance tonight were LD 29 State Rep. Daniel Patterson, Ward 3 Councilmember Karin Uhlich, former LD 28 House candidates Ted Prezelski and Tim Sultan, attorney Bill Risner (election integrity), Adam Kinsey (Executive Director of Pima County Democratic Party).

For more info: www.startourstate.com, or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/startourstate (with 3363 fans). On the Facebook page you can also vote for the name of the new state.

The SOS committee meets every Thursday, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Shanty to collect petition signatures and donations (also can be made online via Pay Pal). They are selling Free Baja Arizona t-shirts, bumper stickers, buttons. Email address is startourstate@gmail.com. Mailing address for checks is Start our State, P.O. Box 308, Tucson, AZ 85702.

Free Baja Arizona!

Jonathan Rothschild, a Tucson attorney and former Treasurer of the Pima County Democratic Party who is exploring a run for Mayor, is having his first fundraiser on Tuesday, December 7.

Please join me (Jonathan) and host Terry Etherton at the Etherton Gallery downtown for the first fundraiser of our exploratory campaign, and enjoy the photography exhibit

“Con-struct: The New West”

Etherton Gallery
136 South 6th Avenue, Tucson

Tuesday, December 7
5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Suggested donation: $50, $100 or $150

Jonathan Rothschild for Mayor
Exploratory Committee

RSVP to rsvp@jonathanformayor.com

Read my previous article about Rothschild’s exploratory committee for Mayor (click here). His early supporters on his campaign website are former Mayors George Miller and Tom Volgy, District 3 Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson (as well as her past challenger Donna Branch-Gilby), Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall, former Councilmembers Janet Marcus and Chuck Ford, LD 27 Rep. Phil Lopes, LD 29 Rep. Matt Heinz, former LD 26 Rep. Lena Saradnik, LD 27 Rep.-elect Dr.Macario Saldate, former Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party Paul Eckerstrom, TUSD board member Dr. Mark Stegeman, lots of attorneys & doctors, political candidates (i.e. Vince Rabago, Tim Sultan, Clarence Boykins) & aides, etc. (click here for full list of early supporters).

Other possible contenders are of course Republican Mayor Bob Walkup (if he decides to seek a 4th term), and Democratic Councilmembers Karin Uhlich (Ward 3) and Shirley Scott (Ward 4). I have contacted the Mayor and Uhlich, but no word back yet as to their decisions to run. Scott told me she is “keeping her options open”. I wrote a previous article entitled “Will Mayor Walkup run again?” (click here).

Ron Asta, a real estate consultant, formerly a Democrat now a Republican, who is a former Pima County Supervisor told me he is considering a bid (click here).

U.S. Senator Mark Udall of Colorado, son of legendary Congressman Mo Udall spoke passionately tonight at the Pima County Democratic Party’s headquarters to elect Democrats in Arizona, his former home. Mark Udall, who graduated from Canyon del Oro High School in Tucson, spoke of his initial shyness in campaigning for U.S. House, but then spoke of a recent “historic moment” in the U.S. Senate when he got to vote to appoint Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina to the U.S. Supreme Court.

U.S. Senator Mark Udall

He also asked the hundreds of loyal Democrats in the room to “carry on for my dad Mo”. He spoke of how the previous Bush Administration had “driven the bus into the ditch” economically, and that it was not time to “give them back the keys” to the bus, but to get the bus out of the ditch & put the bus into “D” for drive (and Democrat), not “R” for reverse (and Republican).

Also speaking tonight were Rep. Chris Deschene, candidate for Arizona Secretary of State, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (CD 8 U.S. House), and finally Attorney General Terry Goddard, running for Governor. Goddard joked that something was “wrong with our immigration policy” to allow the Udalls (Mark and Tom) to leave the State of Arizona. Tom Udall is former U.S. Rep. Stewart Udall’s son and now U.S. Senator of New Mexico. Mark and Tom’s fathers Mo and Stewart Udall were brothers, and both represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Goddard said there was “no gap of enthusiasm in Southern Arizona”, and that there was “no bigger push than now” to take back the state and bring the “prosperity train” back to Arizona. (Incidentally, Goddard is a graduate of Rincon High School while Giffords is a graduate of University High School, which shares the same campus in Tucson.)

Also attending tonight ‘s rally were Rep. Daniel Patterson (LD 29 House candidate), Bruce Wheeler (candidate in LD 28 House), Dr. Macario Saldate (candidate in LD 27 House), Vince Rabago (former AG candidate), and Tim Sultan (former candidate in LD 28 House). Congressman Raul Grijalva (CD 7) was initially scheduled to attend tonight, but was unable to due to a scheduling conflict.

Chair of the Pima County Democratic Party Jeff Rogers also spoke of the tremendous activity in the four Democratic headquarters in Southern Arizona . He emphasized that this was a “pivotal time” in Democratic politics in Arizona, due to the necessity of electing Terry Goddard to Governor, in order for him to veto bills coming from the Republican Arizona legislature.

Pima County Democratic Party headquarters in Tucson is located at 4639 E. 1st. Street, phone 520-326-3716. Website is www.pimadems.org.