Loeffler asks for help on GCC independence bill

LETTER

Hi and Thanks to all of you supporters of Gila Community College.

It's time for the big push and the need to bombard all the Representatives in the AZ House. That is 60 in number so if you could at least pick 5 or 6 members other than our own Representatives, who will be voting in support, I think we will be able to cover all members of the House. SB 1213 (GCC independence) passed in the Higher Education Committee by a vote of 7 to 0, I believe, but SB 1217 (workforce development) got out on a 4 to 3 vote.

Senator Allen had to promise to amend 1217 to even get four votes. The other colleges did not want to give up a small (3%) amount of their workforce money. We worked on some language that would allow us to get the full amount shortly after GCC applies for accreditation.

When these bills pass the full House, and that is the purpose of this big push, they will go back to the Senate. Both bills passed by wide margins in the Senate so we don't see a problem there or with the Governor. But we need the big effort now to be sure they get through the House. This appears to be the only hang-up left.

YOUR SUPPORT AND THOSE ON YOUR LISTS ARE NEEDED NOW TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. There is only about two weeks left to this session and then we would have to start all over again.

I've attached an E-mail list of all the Representatives and also two sheets of talking points. One sheet is just about SB 1217. You can send one e-mail in support of both bills.

I THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE.

Tom Loeffler
Board Member
Gila Community College District

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. 
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. 
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.
RECEIVING OUTSIDE AID
If we become independent we will be eligible for Workforce Development funds. 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.
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.

House Roster
Name, Party
E-mail address
Phone (602)
Fax (602)

Eddie Ableser D 
eableser@azleg.gov
926-4118 
417-3164
Kirk D. Adams Speaker of the House  R 
kadams@azleg.gov
926-5495 
417-3019
Lela Alston D 
lalston@azleg.gov
926-5829 
417-3115
Ben Arredondo D 
barredondo@azleg.gov
926-4124 
417-3017
Cecil P. Ash R 
cash@azleg.gov
926-3160 
417-3151
Brenda Barton R 
bbarton@azleg.gov
926-4129 
417-3010
Kate Brophy McGee R 
kbrophymcgee@azleg.gov
926-4486 
417-3170
Judy Burges R 
jburges@azleg.gov
926-5861 
417-3104 
Chad Campbell Minority Leader D
chcampbell@azleg.gov
926-3026 
417-3037
Heather Carter R
hcarter@azleg.gov
926-5503 
417-3107
Tom Chabin D
tchabin@azleg.gov
926-5160 
417-3002
Steve Court R 
scourt@azleg.gov
926-4467 
417-3018
Chester Crandell R 
ccrandell@azleg.gov
926-5409 
417-3105
Jeff Dial R 
jdial@azleg.gov
926-5550 
417-3120
Karen Fann R
kfann@azleg.gov
926-5874 
417-3001
Steve Farley Assistant Minority Leader D 
sfarley@azleg.gov
926-3022 
417-3128
Eddie Farnsworth R 
efarnsworth@azleg.gov
926-5735 
417-3122
John Fillmore R 
jfillmore@azleg.gov
926-3012 
417-3123 
Tom Forese R 
tforese@azleg.gov
926-5168 
417-3021
Ruben Gallego D 
rgallego@azleg.gov
926-3042 
417-3117
Sally Ann Gonzales D 
sgonzales@azleg.gov
926-3278 
417-3127
Doris Goodale R 
dgoodale@azleg.gov
926-5408 
417-3103
David M. Gowan Sr. R 
dgowan@azleg.gov
926-3312 
417-3130
Rick Gray R 
rgray@azleg.gov
926-5993 
417-3225
Albert Hale D 
ahale@azleg.gov
926-4323 
417-3160
Jack W. Harper R 
jharper@azleg.gov
113 926-4178 417-3154
Matt Heinz Minority Whip D 
mheinz@azleg.gov
926-3424 
417-3129
Katie Hobbs D 
khobbs@azleg.gov
926-5325
417-3149
Russ Jones R 
rjones@azleg.gov
926-3002 
417-3124
Peggy Judd R 
pjudd@azleg.gov
926-5836 
417-3125
John Kavanagh R 
jkavanagh@azleg.gov
926-5170 
417-3108
Debbie Lesko Majority Whip R 
dlesko@azleg.gov
926-5413 
417-3109
Debbie McCune Davis D 
ddavis@azleg.gov
926-4485 
417-3014
Nancy McLain R 
nmclain@azleg.gov
926-5051 
417-3003
Javan "J.D." Mesnard R 
jmesnard@azleg.gov
926-4481 
417-3152
Eric Meyer D 
emeyer@azleg.gov
926-3037 
417-3111
Catherine H. Miranda D 
cmiranda@azleg.gov
926-4893 
417-3116
Richard Miranda D 
rmiranda@azleg.gov
926-5911 
417-3171
Steve B. Montenegro Speaker Pro Tempore R 
smontenegro@azleg.gov
926-5955 
417-3168
Justin Olson R 
jolson@azleg.gov
926-5288 
417-3161
Lynne Pancrazi D 
lpancrazi@azleg.gov
926-3004 
417-3179
Daniel Patterson D 
dpatterson@azleg.gov
926-5342 
417-3169
Frank Pratt R 
fpratt@azleg.gov
926-5761 
417-3023 
Terri Proud R 
tproud@azleg.gov
926-3398 
417-3126
Amanda A. Reeve R 
areeve@azleg.gov
926-3014 
417-3048
Bob Robson R 
brobson@azleg.gov
926-5549 
417-3157
Macario Saldate IV D 
msaldate@azleg.gov
926-4171 
417-3162
Carl Seel R 
cseel@azleg.gov
926-3018 
417-3006
David Burnell Smith R 
dsmith@azleg.gov
926-4916 
417-3150
David W. Stevens R 
dstevens@azleg.gov
926-4321 
417-3146
Andy Tobin Majority Leader R 
atobin@azleg.gov
926-5172 
417-3085
Anna Tovar D 
atovar@azleg.gov
926-3392 
417-3013
Michelle Ugenti R 
mugenti@azleg.gov
926-4480 
417-3155
Steve Urie R 
surie@azleg.gov
926-4136 
417-3222
Ted Vogt R 
tvogt@azleg.gov
926-3235 
417-3030
Jim Weiers R 
jweiers@azleg.gov
926-4173 
417-3153
Jerry Weiers R 
jpweiers@azleg.gov
926-5894 
417-3012
Bruce Wheeler D 
bwheeler@azleg.gov
926-3300 
417-3028
Vic Williams R 
vwilliams@azleg.gov
926-5839 
417-3026
Kimberly Yee R 
kyee@azleg.gov
926-3024 
417-3110