Need a Few More Posts

Well, I need a few more posts for my internship blog, so here goes one more...

Since I'm not working in the office this week I haven't done a whole lot of work but I do go in every day to pick up checks that need to be entered.  I also sent out a bunch of signed thank you letters.  I think I mentioned that in a previous post, though.

Officially, my internship runs through the end of August but I have committed to staying on with the campaign until the end.  Because there are so many candidates, there will more than likely be a runoff election in November (the first election is August 30).  I am confident, (as are many other people who have far more knowledge and experience than I), that Greg Stanton will be in the runoff.  That means about 5 additional weeks of campaigning and fund raising.

The most exciting time on a campaign is the lead up to election day--especially if there is a primary AND a general election.  It is fast-paced and intense, but really cool (for lack of a better word).  I will be glad when school is over (my last class is second summer session) and I can dedicate myself full-time to Greg's campaign.  He is going to be a GREAT Mayor of Phoenix and I'm happy to be a part of getting him into that office!!

About the Candidate

If you live in the City of Phoenix (or not) and are interested in finding out more about Greg Stanton (in advance of the mayoral election on 8/30/11), here is some information about his background:

Greg Stanton grew up in west Phoenix, and his parents still live in the same home. After attending Phoenix public schools, he graduated from Marquette University and law school at the University of Michigan. He returned to Phoenix and practiced law for several years before being appointed to the Phoenix City Council in 2000. In 2001 and again in 2005, he won re-election with an overwhelming majority of the vote.  He and his wife Nicole, a prominent local attorney who is the recipient of the YWCA business leadership award, married in 2005 and have two young children.

The campaign website is www.greg2011.com.

Endorsement from Rep. Ed Pastor

Today, U.S. Representative Ed Pastor endorsed Greg Stanton's candidacy for Mayor of Phoenix.  This is great news for the campaign.  Rep. Pastor is quite popular with the local labor and Hispanic communities and has a long record of service to his constituents in Phoenix.  Rep. Pastor is the most senior member of Arizona's House delegation. 

Here is the campaign's press release regarding this important endorsement:

Congressman Cites Vision, Leadership as Making Stanton Ideal Candidate for Mayor

PHOENIX, Ariz. - U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor (Ariz. 4th Dist.) today announced his endorsement of Greg Stanton to be the next mayor of Phoenix at a press conference held at the headquarters of the Stanton for Mayor campaign.

“Greg Stanton is the best choice to build a strong future for the people of the city of Phoenix,” said Congressman Pastor. “He has a clear vision for this city based on bringing high-wage jobs to the area, building excellent public schools, and strengthening neighborhoods – and he has the experience and strength of character needed to get the job done.”



“Greg and I have worked together on a wide range of projects, from improving education, to creating accessible and efficient public transportation. I am proud to endorse Greg in his campaign for Mayor of Phoenix, and look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen this great city,” Pastor added.

“I am proud to receive Congressman Pastor’s support,” said Stanton. “No one has done more to support the people of our city. His long record of fighting for excellent public education, strong neighborhoods and the culture and diversity that make the City of Phoenix great is an inspiration to me. As your next mayor, I will continue to work with the Congressman to bring skilled, high-wage jobs to the City and to ensure that the City of Phoenix receives every federal dollar it should for programs from transportation to public safety.”

My Own Worst Enemy

Inevitably, it seems, I reach a point in every class I take when I feel like I am not capable of doing whatever it is that needs to be done.  It's some sort of weird mental block.  I sit and stare at my work or maybe try to organize it.  Maybe I'll even write a list.  When I don't progress I get annoyed and then anxious about how little time I have left.  Somehow, I eventually reach a point where my brain kicks in and I am able to complete my work but it's like pulling teeth. 

I am totally in that state right now...as in, right this minute.  I am in a truly difficult class with a final due by Friday and I feel stuck and with no idea how I will pull this together.  I don't have all of the journal articles I need but I'm almost afraid to look for more because I don't think I will be able to find any more (after initially approving my topic during the 2nd week of class, my professor expressed concern with my choice during the 4th week of class....but that's just par for the course in that class).  I just thought I'd vent a little since I'm not currently making progress on my final. 

(OK...breathe...inhale....exhale...)  I can do this!!!

This Week

Thanks to Jake, the awesome finance director on the campaign, I will not be working out of the office this week.  I am currently in my 5th and final week of the worst class I've ever had.  It has ruled my life, more or less, for the past month.  Jake, my boss, said I can concentrate on finishing my other class this week rather than come into the office.

I will still be interning, though.  From home, I can enter contributions into our database, research potential donors, and work on many other projects.  For example, today I stopped by the office and picked up a bundle of contributions to enter into the database.  I also brought home about 100 thank-you letters, signed by Greg, that need to be stuffed into envelopes, addressed, stamped, and mailed.  (Side note:  it is very important that contributions are acknowledged promptly with a thank-you letter from the candidate.  It is a show of gratitude but also it is looked upon by many as a sign that a campaign is running smoothly and efficiently.)

Although I probably won't work my normal hours this week I will definitely still be helping the campaign.  My hope is that I will also be able to finish my class.

Campaign Update

I'd like to share an article that was in Sunday's Arizona Republic: 

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/2011/06/26/20110626phoenix-mayor-race-leger.html

The article provides some background and commentary on the race for mayor of Phoenix.  Good news for my candidate!

Home Depot, Efficiency, and Attention to Detail

Today I had a new back door installed.  It looks great and we now also (finally) have a dog door.  I am fairly pleased with the results but even more pleased to finally have it finished.  I ordered the door from Home Depot and it has been one problem after another. 

I started this process by measuring the old door, the frame, and anything that might help get an accurate size for a new door.  My house was built in 1948 so I know the door size might not be standard.  I took my measurements to H.D. and sat down with an employee who has sold doors for 12 years.  We discussed all of the options and he printed out the specifications.  I told him that I would have my handyman install the door so the HD employee recommended that, before placing the order, I should show the specifications to the handyman to make sure he agreed with the measurements.  I did this and the handyman confirmed that the measurements were just right.

So I placed the order (this door had to be customized a bit).  Although it took 2 weeks longer than originally estimated I was not upset.  Rather, I was content that things were moving along.  The handyman picked up the door and began the process of hanging it.  Then I heard him say, "Oh, that's not good".  This is not the phrase you want to hear from your handyman when your old door is off and your air conditioning is gushing out of the house.

The door so "carefully" ordered from HD was 4 inches too wide.  4 inches!!  The doorway could not be widened and I could not return the door because it had been customized.  Fortunately my handyman was able to cut the door to size, but unfortunately, the window and dog door are now off-center.  Oh well.  I'm not going to buy a second door for $500.

The door was finally hung without incident today.  But when the handyman tried to install the dog door he discovered that HD cut the dog door opening too small (I paid an extra $70 for that service).  My handyman is resourceful and was able to fix that as well.

Side note: The handyman was talking to a buddy of his who had a similar problem with ordering a door in one size but getting the final product in another size.  HD was involved in that case as well.

This experience has taught me a couple things and reminded me of a couple of other things. 

• First of all, never ever throw away/recycle the original paperwork (this would have shown that I had originally discussed the correctly sized door).  I had the original paperwork when I went back to place the order but as soon as the order was in the system I thought, "Why do I need this?  I'll just recycle it!" (bad idea...there went my proof).
• Ask for a print-out of the new order before the order is placed.  Compare the specs of each order to make sure they match.  Don't trust that the numbers are correct just because the employee is nice and seems knowledgeable.  Knowledge and computer skills are not the same thing.
• Efficiency and attention to detail are important in EVERY profession.  Whether you are a policy analyst, a compliance officer on a campaign, or the guy who sells doors at Home Depot, PAY ATTENTION and don't assume that just because something is accurate because it is on a computer screen.  Check and re-check.  
• Lastly, as a consumer, do your due diligence.  I thought I had but it wasn't enough.  This also applies to the public sector.  Although ultimately, the employee on the other side of the counter/desk should have the skills and knowledge upon which the consumer can rely, this is not always the case.  Attention to detail goes both ways.

OK, I'm done venting now.  Thank you for reading (if you made it this far)!  :)

What Did Campaigns Do Before the Internet?

The Stanton for Mayor campaign has, until last week, been based in the AZ Democratic Party office.  Now we have an office, in the strip mall on the SE corner of Central Ave. and Thomas.  Just a couple of doors down from Lenny's Burger Shop.  (I never let myself go there but I do think about it.  One of these days I'm gonna break down and get a malt and some cheese fries....mmm....cheese fries)!

As with a new office of any kind, there are a few kinks and in our case it's the internet.  Just about every day a technician from the service provider comes out to "fix" the issue.  In the mean time there is work to be done and about 95% of what I do can only be done online.  For example, our database is web-based so I am unable to enter contributions if I can't get online.  Another example is research.  I might need to look up the occupation and employer of a contributor, research a potential contributor, verify an address, etc., etc., etc. 

Fortunately, I can go back to the NW corner of Central Ave. and Thomas (the AZ Democratic Party HQ) and do my work, but it's made me wonder how campaigns functioned 25 years ago.  How did they research contributors?  Everything would have been paper-based.  At least they had fax machines and were able to use computers for databases, but what about 45 years ago?  I can't even imagine.  Makes me wish I could time travel and see what a typical day was like. 

Regardless of the upgrades in technology, campaigns are still about time, money, message, and securing votes.  Technology can help save time (through efficiency), raise more money, and spread the message, but in the end it's all about who gets the most votes.  That hasn't changed at all.

Peter Gabriel

So...I didn't think that I would end up posting anything not related to my internship but here I am doing it!

This past Saturday my boyfriend and I flew to Kansas City, MO to see Peter Gabriel in concert.  I have been a huge fan of his since the 80s and I saw him in concert in '93.  This tour, he skipped AZ so that's why we went to Missouri.

The show on Saturday night was by far the best concert I have even been to.  There is no way I can adequately describe the event and how it made me feel.  What made this tour extra special is that, instead of the typical concert where an artist/band plays their hits the way they sound on the albums, this tour is Peter Gabriel playing a few cover songs by artists like Paul Simon and Arcade Fire as well as his own music--all of it backed by a 50-piece orchestra.  I think most people remember "Sledgehammer" and "Shock the Monkey" but he didn't play those songs.  Personally, I think his best songs are the one that never got radio play.  The experience was was gorgeous, amazing, and beautiful.

On top of being a musical genius (in my opinion) he is, and always has been, very socially aware and quite an activist.  He spoke about the Arab Spring and dedicated his rendition of "Biko" to those fighting for their freedom in places like Syria and Libya.

I feel so fortunate to have been at this show...and it was also a nice break from summer school!  (We also had some incredible Kansas City BBQ!)

If you are interested, I highly recommend checking out his website.  You can hear the songs and see how the album was made.  Its brilliant! 

http://www.petergabriel.com/features/Scratch_My_Back/

Contributions

Today, like most days, I'm working on various projects.  I started the day entering new contributions into the database. 

It is essential that contributions are entered quickly, correctly, and with certain pieces of information.  Political campaigns are legally required to file finance reports with government offices.  These reports document contributions and expenditures and must be accurate and thorough.  There are many reasons why it is important for a campaign to be accurate in their finance reports but I would say that two of the most important reasons are that 1. it's the law and, 2. it allows for transparency (the contribution reports are public record and available online for all to see). 

For finance reporting purposes we need at least the name, address, and employer and occupation (if any) of the contributor.  We also must make sure that an individual does not contribute more than is legally allowed for that particular race ($430 for the mayor's race).  For campaign purposes we also like to have the contributor's phone number and email address so that we have the ability to provide campaign updates to the supporter and also to ask for additional support (another contribution and/or volunteer help).

I enjoy entering contributions, making sure that the database is accurate, and doing research to find any missing information.  I also enjoy seeing money come into the campaign because I know that Greg Stanton is doing well in the race for Mayor of Phoenix.

The next report is due June 30, 2011. 

Photo Explanation

The photo is of my mom and me in 1996 when she earned her MPA from ASU.  I think it's fitting.

Information on the Phoenix Mayoral Election

I thought I would share some general information about the upcoming election for Mayor of Phoenix:

• This is a non-partisan race (although the political party of candidates is usually known).
• The Mayor of Phoenix serves a four-year term and is termed out after eight years.  The current Mayor, Phil Gordon, is termed out.
• Election day is Tuesday, August 30, 2011.
• There are several candidates in this race.  If no single candidate earns a simple majority, a runoff will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011 between the two candidates with the most votes.
• Candidates for Mayor of Phoenix must raise funds to finance their campaigns; this race is not eligible for Clean Elections funding.  The maximum that an individual can contribute is $430 and a couple can contribute $860 total.  PACs (Political Action Committees) can also contribute, but only $430.
• If you are not registered to vote but would like to be, you can register online:   https://servicearizona.com/webapp/evoter/
• You must be a resident of Phoenix to vote in this election.

There's a lot more information but I will save it for future posts...(oooh, a cliffhanger)!!

Hello

This summer I will be interning with Greg Stanton's campaign for Mayor of the City of Phoenix.  I am an MPA student and should be finished with my degree this summer.  My work history is a mixture of banking and political campaigns and my goal is to earn my degree and transition (i.e., find a job) into the public sector.  I don't have a strong interest in any particular area but it's probably better that way because I am fully expecting to have to take an entry-level public sector position (if I can get one) in this job market.  I am open to whatever opportunity becomes available and my primary focus is becoming a public servant.

I began my time on the campaign in May; this is my fifth week.  The work that I have done so far deals primarily with fundraising.  I work with the contributions (checks, cash, and credit/debit card), the database (NGP), the VAN (Voter Activation Network).  I also interact with contributors on the phone and at fundraising events, research potential donors, and make sure that thank-you letters from the candidate are sent. 

While I haven't worked on a Mayor's race before, I have worked in campaign fundraising and a lot of what I have done is familiar.  I really enjoy campaign work, especially the "behind the scenes" duties.  I also feel most comfortable in the campaign work setting because everyone (staff, interns, volunteers...the candidate) is focused on a common goal:  electing someone to office whom we are confident will do a great job once elected. 

What makes it even better is that this candidate, Greg Stanton, is a public servant who would have my support even if I weren't doing this internship.  He is experienced and very well-prepared to be Mayor of Phoenix and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be a part of the effort to help him win this election and earn credit for my MPA at the same time.