Live Blogging: Dustin Cox Campaign Kickoff

Sunday, 14 February 2010 22:17

8:28 p.m.--Cox says he's kicking people out in two minutes. He's concerned about his bedtime... Well, actually, the facebook event says that it ends at 8:30, so he's just going along with the official time.  Cox is just now getting a bite to eat... that's how you know he was a great host at his own party! 

8:15 p.m.--I asked Stefanie Mach, treasurer of the campaign, about what's next. She told me they'll focus on gathering support and talking to groups about what's working in the government and what's not.  She mentioned talking to groups on school campuses, teachers, unions, firefighters, people in and out of the government, employees, and general concerned citizens.  We need to get the word out and learn from other people what we should be doing, she said.

8:10 p.m.--The party is winding down.  More people will be coming and going, but Cox has done well getting around to talk with everyone.  They're all interested about Border Beat, so I've been showing them the website! New followers... yay! The website even got some conversation about border issues started!

7:50 p.m.--Cox discusses his views on Mexico immigration into Tucson and the U.S. with Geni Flagello's family that came in from Phoenix tonight. Cox says his views on the border are two-part. "One, we need to bring them into the [American] system," he explains. Two, we need to fix the illegal activity over the border. Cox says he's pro-immigration because we need the immigrants to work here.  Therefore, we need to give them opportunities.  He's not for illegal immigration, though. 

7:40 p.m.--Now it's back to mingling. Dustin talks to some more friends before they leave. Some people left after the speech, but supposedly more A-Towners are still coming in from Phoenix soon! It seems like Dustin has been able to form quite the network among college students!

7:28 p.m.--A college student from A-Town asked about immigration involving education. Cox said that when Prop 300 passed, it broke his heart.  Students go through school, succeed, and when they go apply for scholarships, people find out they are not U.S. citizens.  "They get their rug pulled out from under them" because they're not a citizen, Cox said.  "I think that's a mistake because we're getting rid of some folks who may be contributing to society," he said.  He also referred to the inhumane issues that revolve around Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Phoenix. 

7:20 p.m.--A woman named Kathy asked about small businesses.  Cox answered her, referring to his experience with the non-profit, Anytown Arizona, which he is the executive director for.

7:15 p.m.--He mentioned the three main issues on his campaign, so he thanked people for coming and said he looks forward to seeing everyone on the campaign trail.  "Volunteer, spread the word, and come and eat my food," he says.  He opened the floor up for questions.

7:11 p.m.--He also says that we are sitting on a gold mine of solar energy, here in Tucson. "I'm not a tree hugger," he says, "but I have been known to hang out in the woods with kids, [at Anytown camps] and I may have tripped over something and hugged a tree at one point." 

7:09 p.m.--He says every person should have a right to healthcare.  "No one should ever lose anything because of a sickness," he says. From his own experience in healthcare, one knee injury in college wiped out his entire savings.

7:05 p.m.--"Investing in education is the number one way [that we can invest in our future]," Cox says.  His campaign issues are education, healthcare, and creation of green jobs. 

7:02 p.m.-- He started his speech saying he grew up in Phoenix, Mesa, and other cities in that area, and then he moved to Tucson for college. "I wanted so much to be a Wildcat," Cox said.

6:57 p.m.--More people came that are here for moral support for Cox. He's getting ready to speak.  7:00 p.m. should be his time to shine!  The music is quieting down...

6:42 p.m.--A group of A-Towners from this semester came to support Cox. 

6:34 p.m.--Matthew gets a chance to talk to Cox and tells Cox he's been doing some volunteering with rainwater harvesting.  More students are starting to drift outside. There are about 20 people here eating, mingling, and relaxing. 

6:30 p.m.--Cox is discussing education outside his home with a group of five. "Since Shelton's been here, we've been slashing the budget each year."  Adult education is also endangered, they say.

6:24 p.m.--Cox's mom came down from Scottsdale for the campaign kickoff. "He's got great support here," Jamie Cox said. "It's such a great place for him to start...plus, his heart is here [in Tucson]."

6:15 p.m.--"I thought this was more of a general introduction than a social setting," says a man named Matthew sitting on the couch at Cox's home.  He doesn't know anyone, but he volunteers with Raul Grijalva's campaign and came to see what the event was all about.

6:10 p.m.--Coronado is telling me about how his views on society and the way people think have changed since A-Town.  He has a lot more respect for people, he says.

6:05 p.m.-- I mingled into the other room and found a UA student.  I asked him if he had gone to A-TOWN, the college Anytown program that Cox started, and he had.  That's how a lot of the students here know Cox.  "You just meet so many different kinds of people," Ramsey Coronado said about A-Town. He's a hydrology and water resources major.

5:56 p.m.--Sally Ann Gonzales is the woman that is rumored to be running.  Cox walked up and told us that she is confirmed to be running for House. Competition for his district includes five Democrats, two Republicans, and one Independent.

5:46 p.m.-- A man sitting on the couch asks how the campaign is going. "Just gearing up this week," Stefanie Mach, treasurer of the campaign says.  She's heard around that a woman just entered the race against Cox in District 27. 

5:44 p.m.-- It took a while to get the internet up and running.  As people are walking in, Geni Flagello, student volunteer coordinator for the campaign, shows everyone Cox's petition.  "You can register to vote here or on the computers.  We have Terry Goddard's and Raul Grijalva's petition here too," Flagello explains.

3:47 p.m.-- I'm getting ready to go! I'm expecting to see a lot of college students there tonight, but I wonder if any politicians or other supporters will be there. Dustin said he will be speaking around 6:30.  Here is the facebook invite to the kickoff if you want to know more about it.

Join reporter Nikki Helms this afternoon, February 14 at 5:30 p.m., at the campaign launch party of former UA student Dustin Cox, as he kicks off his campaign for a spot in the Arizona House of Representatives.

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