Glendale Mayor Elaine M. Scruggs welcoming comments on the Night of the City Council Installation January 11, 2011 with particular notes about community and our fallen brothers and sisters in Tucson.

JANUARY 11, 2011

GOOD EVENING

WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 11, 2011 MEETING OF THE GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL.

THE MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER.

THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT’S MEETING IS SIMPLE. TO ADMINISTER THE OATH OF OFFICE TO THREE GLENDALE RESIDENTS --- EACH ELECTED BY RESIDENTS OF THE DISTRICTS IN WHICH THEY LIVE --- TO REPRESENT ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE.

THEIR DUTIES ARE THE SAME AS VOTED UPON IN 1957 WHEN GLENDALE RESIDENTS APPROVED THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF GLENDALE AS A HOME RULE CITY.

"ALL POWERS OF THE CITY, NOT IN CONFLICT WITH THE CONSTITUTION AND SUBJECT TO THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS CHARTER, SHALL BE VESTED IN THE COUNCIL, WHO SHALL ENACT APPROPRIATE LEGISLATION AND DO AND PERFORM ANY AND ALL ACTS AND THINGS WHICH MAY BE NECESSARY AND PROPER TO CARRY OUT THESE POWERS OR ANY OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CHARTER."

IT ALL SOUNDS VERY DRY AND BUREAUCRATIC WHEN READ ALOUD. BUT WHEN PUT INTO PRACTICE IN REAL LIFE IS ALIVE, DYNAMIC, AND SOMETIMES DANGEROUS.

ON LAST SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, IT WAS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS FOR 20 ARIZONANS. PLEASE JOIN ME IN REFLECTING FOR A FEW MOMENTS ON THE EVENTS OF LAST SATURDAY.

I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT DOROTHY MORRIS, AGE 76, MARRIED 54 YEARS TO HER HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, GEORGE. DOROTHY AND GEORGE MORRIS WENT TO CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORD’S CONGRESS ON THE CORNER EVENT IN TUCSON LAST SATURDAY, ONLY TO BE CAUGHT IN THE LINE OF FIRE. DOROTHY WAS DECLARED DEAD ON THE SCENE, AND HER HUSBAND IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT DORWIN STODDARD, AGE 76. DORWIN STODDARD DIED WHILE SHIELDING HIS WIFE MAVY FROM THE BARRAGE OF BULLETS IN TUCSON LAST SATURDAY. DORWIN AND MAVY HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN MINISTRY AT THEIR CHURCH HELPING THE SICK AND HOMELESS. THEY WERE AT THE SUPERMARKET LAST SATURDAY BECAUSE MAVY WANTED TO TELL CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS SHE WAS DOING A GOOD JOB. MAVY WAS SHOT SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LEG BUT HER BELOVED HUSBAND, DORWIN, DID SAVE HER LIFE ---- WHILE GIVING UP HIS OWN.

I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT PHYLLIS SCHNECK, AGE 79, A WIDOW WHO SPENT SUMMERS IN NEW JERSEY AND WINTERS IN TUCSON. PHYLLIS SCHNECK HAD RECENTLY LISTENED TO CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS ON A CONFERENCE CALL AND HAD GONE TO THE CONGRESS ON YOUR CORNER EVENT HOPING TO SHAKE GIFFORDS’ HAND.

I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT CHRISTINA GREENE, AGE 9. CHRISTINA WAS EXCITED ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS. SHE WAS A MEMBER OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL AT HER SCHOOL AND WENT TO THE CONGRESS ON THE CORNER EVENT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POLITICAL PROCESS. CHRISTINA GREENE’S LIFE ENDED ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 8.

I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT JUDGE JOHN ROLL, FEDERAL JUDGE FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA SINCE 1991. JUDGE ROLL BEGAN HIS CAREER AS A BAILIFF IN THE PIMA COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT. HE SERVED AS AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY FOR TUCSON, A DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY FOR PIMA COUNTY, AND NUMBEROUS OTHER JUDICIAL POSITIONS PRIOR TO JOINING THE U. S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE. JUDGE ROLL WAS A FRIEND AND SUPPORTER OF CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS’. HE WAS KILLED SATURDAY JANUARY 8 WHEN HE STOPPED BY CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS’ EVENT TO SAY HELLO.

AS YOU THINK ABOUT THESE INNOCENT TUCSON RESIDENTS, I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT HOW SIMILAR THEY ARE TO YOU. YOU ARE ALL HERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW AND SUPPORT ONE OR MORE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE GLENDALE CITY COUNCIL. YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT THE CITY OF GLENDALE. YOU CARE ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING GOVERNMENTS EVERYWHERE AND YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS BEST FOR THE MOST PEOPLE. MANY OF YOU ATTEND MY COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AND THE COUNCILMEMBERS’ DISTRICT MEETINGS --- WHICH ARE THE SAME TYPE OF EVENT AS GABRIELLE GIFFORDS’ CONGRESS ON THE CORNER.

YOU ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM DOROTHY MORRIS, DORWIN STODDARD, PHYLLIS SCHNECK, CHRISTINA GREENE AND JOHN ROLL.

I ASK THAT YOU ALSO THINK ABOUT GABE ZIMMERMAN, AGE 30. GABE WAS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS. HE WAS A MASTER’S DEGREE SOCIAL WORKER WHO HANDLED THOUSANDS OF CONSTITUENT MATTERS, FROM QUESTIONS ABOUT MEDICARE TO BENEFITS FOR VETERANS. GABE ZIMMERMAN DID HIS JOB EXCEEDINLY WELL. GABE ZIMMERMAN LOST HIS LIFE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 8.

I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES YOU HAVE SEEN CITY OF GLENDALE STAFF MEMBERS FROM THE COUNCILMEMBERS’ OFFICES AND FROM MY OFFICE OUT SETTING UP TABLES AND CHAIRS, ASKING PEOPLE TO SIGN REGISTRATION SHEETS, PROVIDING ASSISTANCE AS REQUESTED --- ALL ON THEIR OWN TIME USUALLY IN EVENINGS OR ON WEEKENDS. THEY, TOO, ARE LOYAL TO THE CITY OF GLENDALE AND THOSE THEY REPRESENT.

THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHER STAFF MEMBERS WHO ATTEND THE COUNCILMEMBERS’ DISTRICT MEETINGS TO PRESENT INFORMATION, ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, HEAR YOUR OPINIONS, AND HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING.

OUR GLENDALE STAFF MEMBERS ARE NO DIFFERENT IN WHAT THEY DO THAN GABE ZIMMERMAN. IT WOULD BE UNDERSTANDABLE IF THEY NOW HAVE SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING IN THE SITUATIONS THEY ARE OFTEN ASKED TO BE IN. OUR CITY MANAGER, ED BEASLEY, WILL HAVE TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THEIR CONCERNS AND MAKE DECISIONS IN EVERYONE’S BEST INTEREST.

I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE GIFFORDS, AGE 40, WHO SERVED US AS A MEMBER OF THE ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM 2001 – 2003 AND AS A MEMBER OF THE ARIZONA SENATE FROM 2003 – 2005. AT THE TIME OF HER CONGRESS ON THE CORNER EVENT LAST SATURDAY GABBY GIFFORDS WAS SERVING ARIZONA AS A MEMBER OF THE U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 8TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT --- AN OFFICE TO WHICH SHE HAD BEEN ELECTED IN 2007.

CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS WAS OUT DOING WHAT YOU WANT ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO --- BE ACCESSIBLE TO YOU AT TIMES AND PLACES CONVENIENT FOR YOU --- BE PREPARED TO HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS --- UNDERSTAND AND REPRESENT YOU ON ISSUES MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU.

TODAY CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS AND 13 OTHER INDIVIDUALS LAY INJURED IN HOSPITALS.

FINALLY I ASK THAT EACH OF YOU OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND RESPECT FOR THE 20 INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LIVES WERE EITHER TAKEN OR FOREVER CHANGED ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2011, AS THEY TRIED TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

TONIGHT WE ARE GATHERED TO CONGRATULATE, SUPPORT, AND ENCOURAGE THREE GLENDALE CITIZENS WHO HAVE OFFERED THEMSELVES IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. BEFORE I TURN THIS PROGRAM OVER TO OUR EMCEE, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE OTHERS WHO ARE WITH US TONIGHT WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN ELECTED BY YOU TO REPRESENT YOU.

GLENDALE VICE MAYOR AND SAHUARO DISTRICT COUNCILMEMBER STEVE FRATE

COUNCILMEMBER PHIL LIEBERMAN ELECTED FROM GLENDALE’S CACTUS DISTRICT

COUNCILMEMBER JOYCE CLARK ELECTED FROM GLENDALE’S YUCCA DISTRICT

FORMER GLENDALE MAYOR AND RETIRED JUSTICE OF THE PEACE QUENTIN TOLBY

FORMER GLENDALE VICE MAYOR AND GLENDALE BARREL DISTRICT COUNCIMEMBER TOM EGGLESTON

FORMER GLENDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD PRESIDENT AND FORMER GLENDALE YUCCA DISTRICT COUNCILMEMBER MARTINN SAMANIEGO

I WANT TO ALSO INTRODUCE A MAN WHO IS NOT IN ELECTED OFFICE BUT WHO DEFINITELY HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO SERVICE TO US ---- BRIG GEN J D HARRIS, COMMANDER OF THE 56TH FIGHTER WING AT LUKE AIR FORCE BASE.

PUBLIC SERVICE IS A NOBLE PROFESSION. WE CHOOSE IT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN PUBLIC SERVICE. WE BELIEVE IN PEOPLE. WE BELIEVE WE CAN HELP MAKE PEOPLE’S LIVES BETTER IN VARIOUS WAYS.

WE MUST CONTINUE TO BELIEVE --- AND TO BE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE. WE MUST DO SO WITH COURAGE AND WITH REASONABLE CAUTION.

WE MUST USE OUR ACTIONS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN ALL MATTERS --- NOT JUST THE ONES WHERE YOU THINK SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN THAT YOU DON’T LIKE.

AND WE MUST ALL RENEW AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNICATE WITH COURTESY AND CIVILITY.