Contact state Senators to push GCC inependence

Gazette Blog Readers:
As you probably already know, the Senate Education Committee unanimously passed the GCC independence bill out of their committee. The bill will go to the full Senate for a vote later this week or early next week.

With a unanimous vote of the Ed Committee our chances are better, but nothing is a sure thing when it comes up for a vote. I'm asking all of you to e-mail as many senators as possible asking the Senators to support SB1213 and giving some reasons why they should. ( We don't have to send any e-mails to Senator Allen) I know all the other senators do not represent us so we have to convince them it is a good move even though it isn't in their district.

Please send as many e-mails as you can, hopefully on Monday and Tuesday if possible. You can use the same letter/message, but send it individually to each senator. Don't forget to change the senator's name before sending. Please do not send one e-mail "to all senators. Below talking points and the list of the Senators' e-mail addresses.

This is the big push as we need to get SB1213 passed in the Senate. Thanks for helping us with as many e-mails you can send.

Questions for me: 928-474-3342

Thanks to each of you,
Tom Loeffler
GCC Board Member

GILA COMMUNITY COLLEGE INDEPENDENCE

TALKING POINTS

KEEPING OUR TAX MONEY IN GILA CO.
Currently the college budget is 6.1 million dollars. Of that 6.1 million, approximately 2.6 million comes back into the county as salaries etc. The remaining 3.5million leaves the county and does not come back. That is 3.5 million combined with the multiplier effect could help our economy and job market during these hard economic times. KEEP OUR TAXES IN OUR COUNTY.

PROVIDE SKILLED WORKFORCE
An independent college will allow for focusing courses on needed skills to attract business investments that creates jobs and taxes for local communities. College can work with prospective businesses to provide training for future employees. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.

INVESTMENT IN ECONOMIC GROWTH
The cost of providing effective education and providing economic growth could be reduced by achieving independence. As an independent college we could take over more and more of the administrative duties and reduce the current overhead we now pay. The elected board would gain control over the budget and insure the best value for the money spent. MORE COST EFFECTIVE EDUCATION.

DEVELOP BUDGET AND BUSINESS PLAN
As an independent college our first hire would be a financial director to get a handle on our finances. The current college board requires a detailed budget along with a multi-year business plan to develop the most cost effective, yet educationally superior community college. Voters deserve the most for their tax dollars.

BETTER FINANCIAL PLANNING

NO INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES
If we move in a controlled fashion and add positions and functions as funds allow, we can increase the staff needed to function independently without raising property taxes.
With the increase in student enrollment and the normal inflation of the tax levy we can add two to four positions per year for the next four years after we achieve independence.
NO NEW TAXES.

GILA COMMUNITY COLLEGE INDEPENDENCE

TALKING POINTS

PROVIDING STUDENT SERVICES
Currently, the college has no student counselors that can advise students on course selection. This is now being done by instructors not trained in this function. As an independent college we would employee such so we could insure that students would be on a path to meet their intended goals. PROVIDE FOR STUDENT NEEDS

COMMUNITY CONTROL OF COLLEGE
Independence would insure that the elected representatives of the college would be accountable to the local voters. The college board and staff would have to answer to the local voters instead of some out of county administration. COMMUNITY CONTROL OF ITS OWN COLLEGE.

PROVIDE REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE
As we currently do with our nursing program, we could expand the internship concept to provide students with real time business experience out in the community. Our local business would receive the benefit of new ideas and some outside help. This could be coordinated with the Small Business Development Office already on campus. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS.

RECEIVING OUTSIDE AID
If we become independent we will be eligible for Work Force Development funds currently at about $300,000 per year. We would also be inline to receive state capital funds and additional funding once they establish how they are going to fund higher education. This new funding would replace equalization Aid. We would need to be independent when this happens since, as a “provisional” college we are not eligible for most state funding. RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

SIMPILFY BUREAUCRACY
The college currently has two administrations to answer to and sometimes they are in conflict. Because Eastern Arizona College controls our funds and payroll, our instructors don’t always get paid on time. At times EAC wants the instructors to do one thing and Globe wants them to do another. The result is we lose quality instructors because they get fed up with the bureaucracy. Independence would simplify administration. KEEP OUR GOOD INSTRUCTORS


Senate Roster

Phone (602)

Fax (602)

Paula Aboud
Minority Whip 28 D paboud@azleg.gov 314 926-5262 926-3429

Sylvia Allen
President Pro Tempore 5 R sallen@azleg.gov 310 926-5219 417-3251

Frank Antenori 30 R fantenori@azleg.gov 304 926-5683 417-3269

Nancy Barto 7 R nbarto@azleg.gov 303A 926-5766 417-3261

Andy Biggs 22 R abiggs@azleg.gov 200 926-4371 417-3022

Scott Bundgaard
Majority Leader 4 R sbundgaard@azleg.gov 212 926-3297 417-3248

Olivia Cajero Bedford 27 D ocajerobedford@azleg.gov 314 926-5835 417-3027

Rich Crandall 19 R rcrandall@azleg.gov 305 926-3020 417-3252

Adam Driggs 11 R adriggs@azleg.gov 308 926-3016 417-3007

Steve Gallardo 13 D sgallardo@azleg.gov 315 926-5830 417-3113

Ron Gould 3 R rgould@azleg.gov 306 926-4138 417-3165

Linda Gray 10 R lgray@azleg.gov 300 926-3376 417-3253

Gail Griffin 25 R ggriffin@azleg.gov 302 926-5895 417-3025

Jack Jackson Jr. 2 D jjackson@azleg.gov 315 926-5862 417-3291

Lori Klein 6 R lklein@azleg.gov 302 926-5284 417-3270

Leah Landrum Taylor
Assistant Minority Leader 16 D llandrum@azleg.gov 213 926-3830 417-3148

Linda Lopez 29 D llopez@azleg.gov 312 926-4089 417-3029

John McComish 20 R jmccomish@azleg.gov 307 926-5898 417-3020

Al Melvin 26 R amelvin@azleg.gov 303 926-4326 417-3159

Robert Meza 14 D rmeza@azleg.gov 313 926-3425 417-3114

Rick Murphy 9 R rmurphy@azleg.gov 311 926-4444 417-3009

John Nelson 12 R jnelson@azleg.gov 301 926-5872 417-3112

Russell Pearce
President 18 R rpearce@azleg.gov 205 926-5760 926-3429

Steve Pierce
Majority Whip 1 R spierce@azleg.gov 212 926-5584 417-3224

Michele Reagan 8 R mreagan@azleg.gov 303 926-5828 417-3255

David Schapira
Minority Leader 17 D dschapira@azleg.gov 213 926-3028 417-3038

Don Shooter 24 R dshooter@azleg.gov 304 926-4139 417-3024

Kyrsten Sinema 15 D ksinema@azleg.gov 313 926-5058 417-3015

Steve Smith 23 R stevesmith@azleg.gov 311 926-5685 417-3167

Steve Yarbrough 21 R syarbrough@azleg.gov 309 926-5863 417-3258