Guest post from Greg Land: Voter information and links
The following is a guest post from governing board candidate Greg Land. As I mentioned in my post on the candidates, I am pulling for Greg to be elected the HUSD board. - Geoff
Friends and neighbors,
I am hoping everyone is planning on voting in this upcoming election on November 4, 2008. There will be a lot of important issues on the ballot, turnout is predicted to be high and lines could be long. It is important to be informed on all the issues you are voting on and I would not want anyone to feel rushed for any reason, including if they stood in line longer than they had planned on. I have gathered the following important links and information for voter registration, early voting and identification requirements at the polls. I hope you find this helpful and please forward it to anyone you feel might be interested.
Deadline to register for election is October 6, 2008. This is important if you have moved and did not update your voter registration or if you have not voted before.
To verify your registration status: https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/voterreglookup.aspx
To register to vote: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/web/regform.aspx
Early voting begins October 2nd, 2008. Deadline to request an early ballot is October 24, 2008. You can request them at:
Maricopa County Elections Department
510 S. 3rd Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85003
602 506-3535 or 602 506-1511
Or: https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/evbrequest.aspx
Internet, phone and written request can only be accepted up until October 24, 2008. Should you wish to vote after this time frame, you may be able to vote at one of the election offices in person up until the October 31, 2008. For additional information please call 602-506-1511, T.D.D. 602-506-2348.
To be placed on the permanent early voting list: https://recorder.maricopa.gov/earlyvoteballotnet/permanentevlist.aspx
Early ballots must be received in the office of the County Recorder or be deposited at any polling place no later than 7:00 pm on November 4, 2008.
For information on assistance services for voting: http://recorder.maricopa.gov/elections/assistance.aspx
Where do you vote (polling place locator): http://recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace05/pollingplace.aspx and a sample ballot will be mailed to you 11 days prior to the election and your polling place address will be listed on the mailing label.
Acceptable ID at the polls:
The elector shall announce his/her name and place of residence to the election official and present one form of identification from List #1 OR two different forms of identification from
List #2. [A.R.S. § 16-579(A)]
LIST #1 - Sufficient Photo ID including name and address
•Valid Arizona driver license or non-operating identification
•Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
•Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification
LIST #2 - Sufficient ID without photograph bearing name and address
•Utility bill of the elector that is dated within ninety days of the date of the election. A utility bill may be for electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, cellular phone, or cable television
•Bank or credit union statement that is dated within 90 days of the date of the election
•Valid Arizona Vehicle Registration
•Indian census card
•Property tax statement of the elector’s residence
•Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification
•Vehicle insurance card
•Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification
•Voter Registration Card / Recorder’s Certification
•Any “Official Election Material” mailing bearing your name and address
An elector who does not provide sufficient identification shall not be issued a regular ballot, but shall receive a provisional ballot and will have five (5) days after a Federal General election and three (3) days after any other election to provide sufficient identification to the County Recorder in order for their provisional ballot to count.
Poll workers are available to assist voters with language translations, instructions on process, and with the physical act of voting.
The above information was taken from the Maricopa County Recorders and Elections Department web site; http://recorder.maricopa.gov .
For those that live in the Higley School District boundaries, I would greatly appreciate your support and vote for my bid to become your representative on the school board. Regardless whomever you vote for, please support the Override for our schools. It is important to remember this is not a new tax but a continuation of the current school funding that was previously approved by the voters. This funding is for the M&O or Maintenance and Operations of the school programs in the Higley Unified School District. Our students, schools, teachers, staff and community will all feel the positive impact of continuing this funding for education.
Thank you for your time and please exercise your right to vote, it has been purchased, protected and maintained by the blood and lives of armed forces and many others that have gone before us.
Greg Land
info@vote4gregland.com
480 988-2674
CornerStone Inspections
16442 E. Elgin Rd.
480 892-7113
Peggy:
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/127537
Speaking of school monies and voting to keep the funding in HUSD, did anyone else flinch when they read that HUSD just spent 25K (yes, $25,000) on a sound system for the Arts Center?
…”The new sound system is being paid for using money slated for building and maintenance issues…”
Do our current board members ever get to look at the budget or get told what HUSD is spending our tax money for?
October 15, 2008, 3:14 amGreg Land:
Peggy,
Thank you for your comment. I share your concerns and questions of “Are we spending every dollar as wisely as we should be”? The sound system may be a good idea but we have overcrowded classrooms and some classes do not have enough books & desks, where are our priorities?
In an article by Howard Fischer in the East Valley Tribune on 10/9/08 Higley is shown below the national and state average in percent of each dollar spent in on classroom instruction. We were 3rd from the bottom, only above Apache Junction and Tempe Elementary. This is another example of the importance of placing students as the priority in all decisions and spending our very limited resources wisely.
Thank you,
Greg Land
October 15, 2008, 8:40 amKatie:
I have several friends that work for the district in both a school setting as well as there district office. I must say that in the last year or so they have seen major changes that I, as a parent as well as a taxpayer, question and have asked them over and over. If the district is in such a financial bind, how is it that they have the money to bring in so many new people at a director level? I have real concerns with the fact that there seem to be more people at a director level than administrative level and the salaries that seem to accompany the new directors leave little for the hourly employees that are working their fingers to the bone day after day without recognition. What is the morale like you ask? It is horrible. People walk around the district on eggshells knowing that if they speak up or question anything they are quickly harrassed or walk around with a target on their back. The teachers have a group that represents them when it comes to issues but my understanding is there is nobody for the support staff to turn to. This should be addressed as well. I am all for a change and hope to see one with the new elections coming up.
As for the current panel, the governing board, it is upsetting to me that many seem to have very little intrest in the schools themselves. Am I correct that one of the current members that is seeking reelection does not even feel the public schools are good enough for her children and has chosen to homeschool them? Who is she to sit on a panel representing our district? What can she bring forth if she felt it was best to teach her children in a different enviorment?
October 16, 2008, 6:56 pmGeoff Johnston:
All very good points Katie. These are the sort of messy things I would like to see cleaned up by the new board.
October 16, 2008, 7:15 pmPeggy:
I recieved a flyer from HUSD in the mail announcing some of the new district level employees. I see that there is a need to create additional jobs at that level because of all the additional students moving into the district. (And I hope to see better practices with all of these new minds.)
October 19, 2008, 9:23 pmHowever, I have not seen any additional staffing at my children’s school. The front office is like a zoo in the mornings and after school, and I wonder how some of these ladies can put in so much effort. They must really love the kids, because we all know they are not in it for the paycheck- just like the teachers are not there for the money.