Arizona State Budget

Documentary airs plight of Arizona’s state park system

by

Citizens urged to contact legislators and Governor to adequately fund parks. The documentary film, Postcards from the Parks will be shown on the following dates:

Thursday, June 17th at 7:30PM (doors open at 7PM), Orpheum Theater, 15 W Aspen Avenue in Flagstaff (928) 556-1580;

Thursday, July 8th at 7:30PM (doors open at 7pm), Madcap Theaters, 730 S Mill Avenue in Tempe (480) 634-5192; and

Thursday, July 22nd at 7:30PM (doors open at 7pm), Grand Cinemas Crossroads 6, 4811 E Grant ( NE corner of Grant & Swan) in Tucson (520) 327-7067.

After the showing of the film, a community dialogue led by filmmaker Sam Jansen, Arizona Humanities Council Scholar Vincent Murray, and other parks advocates will follow.

Postcards from the Parks was produced by four friends — Susan and Peter Culp, Jocelyn Gibbon and Sam Jansen — to chronicle their experiences visiting Arizona’s 27 state parks.  “In 2009, I was appointed to the Governor’s Sustainable State Parks Task Force,” explains Susan Culp, “and when we began our work, I was surprised to realize how few state parks I had visited.  I wanted to see them all before making any recommendations that could affect their future.” 

What they found — a system in crisis — inspired the four to share the story of Arizona’s state parks with a broader audience.  Over the course of six months, the friends documented the parks’ natural landscapes, recreational amenities, and historical and cultural sites as well as the visible signs of long decades of neglect.  “To be honest, when we started I didn’t know whether each and every state park would strike me as impressive and important,” Jocelyn Gibbon shares. “But each one was really special — and the system as a whole is such a valuable asset for Arizona.”

Through interviews with state leaders, conservation advocates, and parks volunteers as well as relevant research and analysis, Postcards from the Parks highlights the many contributions of the state parks as protectors and preservers of what it means to be an Arizonan. “We hope the movie will be used to generate community action in support of the parks,” says Sam Jansen, adding that the producers have created postcards to accompany the film.  “The hope was that groups could get together, watch the movie, write postcards to state leaders, and then encourage others to do the same.”

After the film’s viewing at these three venues on June 17th in Flagstaff, July 8th in Tempe, and July 22nd in Tucson, a facilitated discussion and question and answer period will be led by Vincent Murray, a historian with Arizona Historical Research, in cooperation with the filmmakers and other parks advocates.  A native Arizonan, Murray spends much of his spare time as a cultural resource advocate, promoting the preservation of the state’s archives, historic buildings, and archaeological sites.

An opportunity for postcard-writing to state leaders will also ensue.

Funding for these events was provided by donations from the Arizona Heritage Alliance, Wells Fargo Bank and the producers of the film. Each film event is free to the public.  Donations to the non-profit, the Arizona Heritage Alliance, as well as to the Postcards from the Parks project for further distribution of the film, will be accepted.

For more information, contact the Arizona Heritage Alliance at mail@azheritage.org, (602) 528-7500 or email postcardsfromtheparks@gmail.com.

Governor Brewer signs budget that eliminates programs, including Heritage Fund

by

[Source: Sarah Buduson, KPHO TV] — The Arizona package of budget bills signed by Gov. Jan Brewer on March 18 permanently eliminates more than half a dozen state programs, including a program for uninsured children and a state parks preservation fund.

KidsCare is a program that provides health insurance for children of the working poor.  Under the new budget, the program has been eliminated and the 38,000 children who are currently enrolled will no longer have health insurance, according to Monica Coury, Intergovernmental Relations Assistant Director for AHCCCS.  “Our concern is that would mean more emergency room visits in hospitals and things that might have otherwise been avoided with routine medical care,” she said.  Coury also said eliminating KidsCare means Arizona will be the only state in the country that does not have a program for uninsured children.

The FY10-11 Arizona budget also eliminates the state parks’ share of the Heritage Fund. The voter initiated fund used money from the state lottery to preserve parks, trails and historical sites as well as build ballparks and soccer fields, according to Janice Miano, a member of the Arizona Heritage Alliance, a group that fought to preserve the fund.  “All the things that make Arizona a unique place — where people want to visit and to live — it’s gone,” she said.  [Note: To read he full article and view the video, click here.]

Viewpoint: Where Does The Money Go Now?

by

[Source: Janice Miano, Director of Administration, Arizona Heritage Alliance] — In 1990, the voters of Arizona, through a voter-initiative, created the Heritage Fund to protect and conserve our state’s wildlife, natural, and historic resources.  The vision of children playing on new swings in new parks; the reintroduction of endangered species into our state; historic buildings restored to their former glory and new uses; the acquisition of open space and critical environmental habitat; all of these programs and more have become a reality because of the creation of the Heritage Fund.

Since the beginning over $338.5 million have been directed towards the saving and expanding of Arizona’s environmental, cultural, and historical resources.  In addition, millions of dollars in matching grant money and the re-investment in our natural and cultural resources have brought economic and environmental benefits into almost every community in our state.

Money for the Heritage Fund comes from the Arizona Lottery — up to $20 million in annual lottery revenue is divided evenly between the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Arizona State Parks.

This legislative session was going well with the Lottery reauthorized via Senate Bill 1004 and signed into law by Governor Brewer on February 9.  This bill stated that the Arizona Lottery would be reauthorized with all its beneficiaries intact.

You have all seen those warm and fuzzy commercials on TV and in the newspaper telling us of all the wonderful projects the Arizona Lottery supports?  It’s called How The Money Helps on the Arizona Lottery’s website.  However, how does the money help now?  Well, it doesn’t help anymore.  The Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund is DEAD, FINI, KAPUT – killed by Governor Brewer’s stroke of her pen on March 18 with Budget Reconciliation Bill HB2012.

Where dose the money go now? HB2012 makes temporary and permanent law changes relating to state revenues in order to implement the FY 2010-11 state budget.  And for FY 2009-10, redirects state lottery distributions to the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund after February 1, 2010 through the end of the fiscal year to the state’s General Fund.  The bill also REPEALS the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund and REVERTS any monies remaining in the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund on June 30, 2011 to the state’s General Fund.

Do you still want to buy Lottery tickets? Remember the Heritage Fund was created by the voters of Arizona and the original statute (ARS 41-502 and ARS 17-297) said, “In no event shall any monies in the fund revert to the state general fund…”

Along with Governor Brewer, please remember these names.

  • Senators voting to eliminate the State Parks Heritage Fund were: Sylvia Allen; David Braswell; Chuck Gray; Jack Harper; Barbara Leff; Al Melvin; Russell Pearce; Ed Bunch; Linda Gray; John Huppenthal; Steve Pierce; Thayer Verschoor; Frank Antenori; Ron Gould; John Nelson; and Senate President Bob Burns.
  • House Members voting to kill the State Parks Heritage Fund were: Ray Barnes; Tom Boone; Judy Burges; Rich Crandall; Doris Goodale; Laurin Hendrix; Bill Konopnicki; Rick Murphy; Michele Reagan; Carl Seel; Andrew Tobin; Jim Weiers, Steven Yarbrough; Nancy Barto; David Gowan; Russ Jones; Debbie Lesko; Lucy Mason; Nancy McLain; Warde Nichols; Frank Pratt; Amanda Reeve; Jerry Weiers; Cecil Ash; Andy Biggs; Steve Court; Adam Driggs; John Kavanagh; John McComish; Steve Montenegro; Doug Quelland; David Stevens; Vic Williams; and Speaker of the House, Kirk Adams.

In 2007, the Morrison Institute said, “The Heritage Fund stands out in part because of the diversity of programs it supports.”  The Arizona Heritage Fund has supplied valuable programs and resources for the residents of Arizona and those who visit the state.  The economic, environmental, education, tourism, and quality of life benefits that result from the Heritage Fund are too important to the citizens of Arizona to be lost!

The Arizona Game & Fish Heritage Fund is still intact — but for how long?

Historic San Xavier mission lacks funds to complete repairs; tough economic times clip White Dove’s wings

by
The upper reaches of the east bell tower of Mission San Xavier del Bac shows its age next to the restored west tower. (Photo: Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star)

[Source: Doug Kreutz,  Arizona Daily Star 3-28-2010] — A prominent feature of Mission San Xavier del Bac, which has graced the desert southwest of Tucson for two centuries, faces unchecked decay now that critical funding has been cut.  Work to repair and restore the mission’s deteriorated east bell tower was supposed to be under way this spring, but not a dab of new mortar has been applied.

A previously approved $150,000 grant from the Arizona Heritage Fund to kick-start the project was abruptly canceled last year.  Persistent efforts to get the funding restored have failed, so the bell tower will languish for the foreseeable future — making eventual restoration ever more costly, said Vern Lamplot, executive director of the Patronato San Xavier.  The group oversees fundraising and restoration for the mission, which attracts 200,000 visitors annually.

Restoration of the tower was to be the last major step in more than two decades of work that has included repair of walls, renovation of the west tower and meticulous cleaning of religious art inside the mission.  [Note: To read the full story, click here.]