Oak Flat

[joebartels]

May or may not be of interest to some:

The Concerned Citizens and Retired Miners Group in Superior, Arizona is very concerned regarding the potential swap of one of the most stunning recreational sites in the world-located just 5 miles East of Superior-Oak Flat Campground. Located in the Tonto National Forest, Oak Flat Campground was set aside for recreational purposes by Executive Order from President Dwight Eisenhower in 1955 and was to be protected from future development, and in particular, inviolate to mining. Now Resolution Copper Company, a foreign-owned mining company, wants to own this land. They have taken a proposed land swap to Congress and bypassed the public process. If this proposed legislation passes and the mine owns this spectacular area, it will be excluded from public visitation and recreation-and it will be destroyed! We urge you as members of the public who care about what happens to our treasured public lands to speak out against this land swap. Sign our petition and pass it along to your friends and neighbors. Thank you. We need 20,000 signatures in 30 days on a petition to stop Congress giving great public land--and the sacred Apache Leap over to a mining company.

google "petitiononline coop2468"

Keep in mind it's dated June 20th, currently at 338. No clue if that means there's four days left or not.

[Hoffmaster]

Well, I'm #494. It seems like this petition is having a little trouble making headway. Most of my friends are climbers, so I forwarded this on to all of them. Since I'm so popular, this petition should hit 10,000 signatures in no time! :roll:

[mttgilbert]

I'm 529!

And I'm also passing it along to my friends. 530 here we come!

[fricknaley]

Number 605. Forwarded.

[PrestonSands]

Check out this guy's research: georgealopez Environental
This land swap would mean the complete destruction of Apache Leap.
Has anyone heard anything new?

[azbackpackr]

I haven't heard anything new.
Back in July I sent the petition to my very politically active cousin in Berkeley, she promised to send it around. I haven't looked to see how many signatures are on it now. It's a bit late in the game, but worth a try. Anyone else with info?

[cathymocha]

Didn't see this earlier... RATS ...decided to sign anyway and send on.

Am 3333....

(still a far cry from what was/is needed)

[JoelHazelton]

3374

[johanna]

3523 -- Does anybody know if it has made a difference..?

[azbackpackr]

Recently I had a long discussion with someone from Globe, an older man, who was in favor of the mine. I listened politely to what he had to say, because I really wanted to hear the other side of the coin, and you can't hear that if you become confrontational or argumentative.

He said this will be an underground mine that will not show that much above the surface. He pointed out that there is an entire labyrinth of old mining tunnels already that you can't see at all when you are driving from Globe to Superior--he said they go underneath the highway.

He said that although these areas will be closed to the public there should not be a whole lot of damage to the surface. He also urged me to go over by Kearney and look at the land that was swapped for the Oak Flats land. (I haven't seen the swap area yet--has anyone else?)

He basically gave me to believe that this mine is totally a done deal. We Arizonans (myself included) voted on a referendum to allow these land swaps. As you may recall, some environmental groups were for the referendum, and others warned against voting for it. Now we are reaping what we have sowed by voting for it. Of course, like many people, I voted for it because I thought it would be used to protect riparian areas, etc. Well, was I wrong!

Well, I am still not happy about the mine, of course. This man said he sees "children with full bellies and people owning their own homes" when he thinks of a mine. He sees the economic benefits, in other words. Whatever. (Miners do make a good wage for risking their lives down there, but it's nothing compared to what the mine owners will make!) Like I say, I was polite because I wanted to hear everything this old gentleman would have to say about it without interjecting much of my own opinions.

[fairweather8588]

3526

[johanna]

Unfortunately this man is like many of the other residents in the Superior & Globe and area. They are influenced by (RCC) Resolution Copper's $$$ and do what they are told and they hear what they want to hear. No one wants to believe that the sugar daddy that is paying for everything in their town of Superior from WiFi to Easter Egg Hunts for the kids, has a bill that will become due - - and that is agreeing to the distruction of Oak Flat. The Land will collapse. The link mentioned above on this thread, belongs to a geologist and is a very good representation of some pictures of what will happen.

The Land Swap Bill was introduced last month (for the 3rd time) into the House and the Senate and still has to be reviewed by the Committees. This is where this Bill had been stopped before.

THIS IS NOT A DONE DEAL...! If you Care to save Oak Flat, which many people still do -- Letters need to be sent right now to Resprsentatives that had sponsored the Bill. There is a link on the Arizona Mountaineering Clubs' website with the names, current addresses and also a templete/form to use (for those a little rusty with formal political letter protocal). Links to more details and action steps: amcaz org/main/members.html

Please write letters if you care and get your friends to write also. At least you can know you've truly done your best when you were needed. The Governor has even sent letters with her concerns to the Senator Kyle and to the representatives that introduced and sponsored the Land Trade Bill. The Kerny land (for climbers) for Trade is a Joke..! The is NO MONEY in the State Coffers to make it a state park as the idea was proposed and sold to the climbers. The Kerny land is also of poor quality, climbing wise and no comparisn to Queen Creek. The proposed deal was a sham as the Governor has outlined in her letter also.

The mine is to be apx. 7,000 ft. deep. What people do not understand is that at this depth, the pressure (and heat, 180 +) of the earth are stronger than the rock to support it. Already one miner has died in an accident that RCC woudn't discuss at the last Superior Town Council meeting, Sept 20. The is a very dangerous and expensive project. The Land was protected -- and should stay protected. It is public land and should remain as such. It sets a presidence for all of our other public lands if we can just introduce a bill to trade them away to the highest bidder.

Do a little research -- write a letter, you can help to make a difference but do it now, don't wait...! Many people are still working behind the scenes to Save Oak Flat. Another petition is currently being circulated by the Friends of Queen Creek. Thanks everyone in advance for your time & support.

Letters from the governor links -- savequeencreek

[nonot]

According to the presentation, not only would Apache Leap be gone, but US60 would be continuously damaged if not destroyed, along with Superior's entire watershed.

It's already surrounded by other mines in all directions, such that the environment won't recover for another few million years, so what's a few more scars upon the earth if it makes some rich guy richer, with the repairs financed by tax dollars when the mine is done.

On the other hand, with US60 destroyed past Superior, rush hour traffic might improve a bit for the east valley, so really it's a trade off.

[azbackpackr]

Thanks for the feedback and clarifications. I will definitely write the letters, etc. Have to go to work now, but will get on it this afternoon.

Thanks again for the info,

Elizabeth

[Hoffmaster]

There will be a meeting regarding this issue on October 14th, at 7 PM, at the Phoenix Rock Gym in Tempe. I know it's a bit far for you azbackpackr, but everyone else should try to attend.

My girlfriend recently recieved a reply from Sen. Kyle in response to the letter she sent him. It was a very polite response, but the overall tone was that he has his mind made up; he will vote for the swap.

[johanna]

Thanks to your girlfriend for writing that letter -- I'd be curious to know exactly what he said. YOUR LETTER SHOULD MATTER - Dang it..! He is an "elected" official -- and he should be listening to what the voters are saying. (unless he too is being 'paid-off') Renzi has recently stepped down and is being investigated, he was supposed to be the sponsor of the bill in the House. Pastor, who took up the Bill for the House of Representatives (bill must be presented and passed in both House & Senate) -- has recently been noted to have his daughter accepting $$ from RCC (the mining company who needs this land.

Interesting, but no -- there probably is no corelation between Pastors daughter trying to get into politics and Pastor sponsoring a bill that his daughters contributor need to have passed (Resolution Copper -- RCC).

The Arizona Republic
Aug. 8, 2007 12:00 AM
The daughter of a U.S. congressman who is running for Phoenix City Council has reaped thousands of dollars in contributions from people and companies who also donate to her father.

Laura Pastor has taken money from employees and lobbyists for timber companies, cattle ranches, airlines and mines, which are industries that her father, Rep. Ed Pastor, oversees as a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

More than 16 percent of the daughter's total contributions came from out-of-state donors, more than either of her top two competitors for the District 7 seat in south Phoenix. She also brought in a larger percentage of out-of-state money than incumbent Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, an analysis of campaign contributions by The Arizona Republic found.
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Records also showed that she failed to identify nearly half of her out-of-state contributors' occupations or employers, which is required on campaign-finance reports.

Laura Pastor, 37, said she was unaware of any connections that her contributors have with her father. She added that she was able to attract out-of-state donations because she has friends all over the country.

"Those that have contributed to me know what they are going to get from me: integrity, hard work. And I believe in the district," Pastor said.

Among those who donated to Pastor's City Council campaign are several people and a political-action committee with ties to Resolution Copper Co., a British-owned mining company at the heart of a controversial land swap that could open public lands near Superior to mining.

Ed Pastor, D-Phoenix, has supported the project and last week introduced legislation that would foster a deal between Resolution Copper and the federal government.

Companies connected to Resolution Copper have also donated to him. But the congressman said Tuesday that he doesn't believe industries are attempting to curry favor with him by supporting his daughter.

"In all honesty, I don't know who's giving (to Laura)," Pastor said. "I'm not in the business of peddling influence."

John Garcia, a political-science professor at the University of Arizona, said relatives of elected officials often benefit from their family name and political connections.

"Unfortunately, this seems to be the name of the game," Garcia said. "The question becomes, 'How does it influence the process?' "

He said Laura Pastor's access to Washington insiders could be viewed as an asset.

"On the other hand, some might say she could be subject to manipulation. . . . Her response could be, 'I'm making use of the resources and access I have.' "

Pastor's background

In 2005, Pastor was hired to direct a scholarship program at Maricopa Community Colleges that largely owes its existence to millions of dollars in federal money that her father steered to the college.

She applied for the job at the same time the congressman was attempting to get a $1 million grant for the program. College officials say she was the best candidate for the job. She has taken an unpaid leave of absence while running for City Council.

Pastor said she has lived with questions about her father's influence all her life. In an earlier interview, she said that having her name is "a double-edged sword" and that she has never used her father to get ahead.

But there is no doubt that the congressman is driving donations to her campaign.

In June, for example, he and U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona hosted a fundraiser for her in Washington, D.C. Money raised during the event has not yet been reported on campaign-finance reports.

Among the fundraiser's co-hosts were an account manager for an oil company; the federal-affairs director from the parent company of Arizona Public Service; the chief executive of Public Broadcasting Service; and principals for several national lobbying firms and a worldwide public-relations firm.

The congressman said his daughter has spent years building relationships.

"For the past 30-some-odd years, Laura has been with me," he said. "She has friends in Washington, friends in Chicago where she worked, friends in New York where she went to school and friends in Tucson."

Laura Pastor said her father is just doing what any parent would do to help a child.

"Because that's my father, and he is supporting his daughter," she said.

She dismissed any notion that fundraiser attendees might be more concerned with winning favor with the congressman than what goes on at Phoenix City Hall. The House Appropriations Committee controls government spending and is one of the most powerful committees in Congress.

The lawmaker sits on three of 13 Appropriations subcommittees, including Energy and Water Development; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and Interior and Environment. The latter group controls funds to agencies that would regulate the proposed Resolution Copper land swap.

The mine faces opposition from residents and Indian tribes who fear it will damage a scenic area with ties to Apache history.

The swap became mired in controversy after federal investigators launched an inquiry into whether Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., was trying to push the deal through in order to benefit a former business partner. Renzi denied any wrongdoing but removed himself from any involvement in the land swap in April.

Last month, U.S. Sens. Jon Kyl and John McCain introduced legislation that would give Resolution Copper more than 3,000 acres near Superior in exchange for 4,583 acres of environmentally sensitive land throughout the state.

Ed Pastor last week introduced his own version of the bill, which he said would increase the amount of green space the government gets in the land swap.

"Many government officials came to me and said it is a good deal," Pastor said.

Bruce Merrill, an Arizona State University professor who consults with Resolution Copper, said last week that Pastor was "very important" to the land swap's outcome.

Variety of donors

Various people tied to Resolution Copper donated to Pastor's daughter.

Records show that three officials from Western Land Group, a Denver-based firm that specializes in federal land agreements and aided Resolution Copper in the deal, each donated the maximum $390 to Pastor's daughter.

She also received $1,000 from Kennecott Holdings Corp. Political Action Committee. Kennecott Minerals and Resolution Copper are both owned by the same company, Rio Tinto of the United Kingdom.

Two local lobbyists who count Resolution Copper among their clients also donated to Laura Pastor's campaign.

A spokesman for her top competitor, Michael Nowakowski, criticized the donations.

"It seems that the same special-interest groups that have caused people to lose faith in Washington, D.C., are now trying to take over City Hall," Stephen Molldrem said.

Eight candidates have expressed interest in running for the District 7 seat, which is being vacated by Doug Lingner because of term limits. The district stretches from downtown to South Mountain and encompasses Laveen and Maryvale.

Records show that about 6 percent of Nowakowski's contributions came from out-of-state donors. The other leading candidate, Ruth Ann Marston, had no out-of-state donations.

Missing information

Identifying many donors to Laura Pastor required looking beyond campaign-finance reports. Records show that she left information about employers and occupations off 143, or 18 percent, of her reports. She instead wrote "information requested," meaning that the contributor has been asked to provide the information.

Details about many of the individuals were readily available through computer searches, 411 directories and campaign reports filed by other city candidates who received donations from the same sources.

About 5 percent of entries for Nowakowski's donors were incomplete. About 2 percent of Marston's were.

Phoenix elections coordinator Mary Jo Slunder said the law requires candidates to make a good-faith effort to fill out the information. But she said there is no audit of the records unless a formal complaint is filed.

Molldrem said he believes that Pastor left the information blank in order to obscure ties to her father and special-interest groups such as mining and timber companies. Pastor's campaign coordinator Debbie Lopez denied it was intentional, saying that "we made every attempt" to identify donors and will file an amended report.

Ed Pastor said no one he knows has even mentioned donating to his daughter.

"If they want to influence me, I don't know how they are going to do it," he said, adding that he hasn't glanced at his daughter's campaign contributions. "I'm not keeping a score card."

Here is a link to the Senate Bill presented by Kyle, it will tell you exactly what the Bill says, where it currently is and what is going on.

The meeting on Oct 14th is supposed to be sponsored by FOQC (Friends of Queen Creek) Member Paul, should be explaining how the access to Oak Flat can and should be preserved as in the recent petition being circulated. We should accept no less thatn continued access and be allowed to share this area with no time limitations. Thanks for your follow-up and interest ~ johanna

[Hoffmaster]

There is a new organization fighting for the Queen Creek climbing region. It is called the Queen Creek Coalition. Their website is QueenCreekCoalition They are hosting a meeting about the area on 3/24, 7 P.M. at Phoenix Country Day School, 3901 E. Stanford Drive, Scottsdale, AZ. Check out the website for directions.

[hikeaz]

As you can read, Renzi was hard at work fleecing his constituants (and aiding the mining concerns),feathering his own nest in the process. Doncha just love our elected officials!?

[Hoffmaster]

Doncha just love our elected officials!?

No.



Oh wait, that was a rhetorical question, wasn't it? ;-)

[azbackpackr]

Some of these guys who are corrupt as all get-out on the larger scale are, on the other hand, very helpful to small, poor, individual constituents. Renzi helped a disabled family member of mine to get on disability, which had been routinely denied by Social Security two times. (If you've been keeping up on Soc. Sec. disability, there are even a significant percentage of people who actually DIE while waiting to be approved for disability, and something like 90% of applicants are routinely denied on the first application.) Maybe all congressmen help their constituents in this way, but I doubt it. Gee, wouldn't it be nice if they were both helpful AND uncorrupted, though! Wouldn't it be nice if they had some real integrity?