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| ATIC > Press Releases > September 22, 2004 | |||||||||
ATIC Press Release: September 22, 2004
CONTACTS
Live and Internet Web Cast event
On October 7 candidates for The Arizona Corporation Commission will debate issues important to Arizona's businesses and quality of life
Phoenix, Arizona - On Thursday, October 7, 2004 the Arizona Telecommunications and Information Council (ATIC) will host and web cast the General Election Candidate Debates for members of the Arizona Corporation Commission. The debates will be presented from 3:30 - 5:30 PM in front of a live audience at the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe. A candidate reception will follow the debate. Additional viewing sites will also be available at three Central Arizona Community College campuses. With the assistance of AVNET and Kino Communications, the debates will also be web cast over the Internet at the time of the debates. Following the debates the web cast will be available for on-demand viewing from the ATIC Web Site. Arizonans, and a broader global audience, will have access to these debates wherever and whenever they have access to the Internet. The ACC primary debate was presented July 13, 2004 and the Web Cast is now available for viewing from ATIC Web Site.
The debates will cover all services under the jurisdiction of the ACC including utilities regulation; the incorporation of businesses and organizations; securities regulation; and railroad/pipeline safety. The Citizens Clean Elections Commission selected ATIC for this event to help Arizona voters better understand the importance of the ACC, and to help them become acquainted with the positions of the candidates. ATIC will also be reaching out to educators statewide to encourage students to learn about the ACC and view the live debates.
Mark Goldstein, ATIC Secretary said: "This year Arizona voters will have the opportunity to vote for four of the five members of the Arizona Corporation Commission. While the Corporation Commission is little understood by the public, this powerful body will make important decisions that will impact their safety and quality of life, economic development, and the future of the state. The Commission makes decisions that affect the quality of service, utility rates, and future investments by public utilities, including telecommunications, water, electric and gas; serves as watchdogs that oversee our corporations and protects us from investment scams and fraud; and insures public safety for railroads and pipelines."
CANDIDATES
Three Republicans (Mike Gleason, Jeff Hatch-Miller and Bill Mundell), and two Democrats (Mark Manoil and Nina Trasoff) are competing for the 3 terms expiring in 2009. One Republican (Kris Mayes) and one Libertarian (Rick Fowlkes) are competing for the 1 term expiring in 2007.
LOCATIONS, SCHEDULE AND OTHER DETAILS
ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSION (ACC)
The Arizona Corporation Commission is an independent regulatory body created by the Arizona Constitution. There are 5 members of the Commission elected by the public to a four-year term. The commission is the state regulatory authority that makes decisions that affect the quality of service, utility rates, and future investments by public utilities, including telecommunications, water, electric and gas. By state law, public service utilities are regulated monopolies. In most states, the Commission is known as the Public Service Commission or the Public Utility Commission. Our Commission, however, has responsibilities that go beyond traditional public utilities regulation.
The Commission oversees corporations including granting corporate status for businesses and organizations and maintaining public records. They serve as watchdogs ensuring the integrity of the securities marketplace and protecting the public from investment scams and fraud. The Commission also insures the safe operations of railroads and gas pipelines in Arizona.
The Commissioners have the ultimate responsibility for final decisions on granting or denying rate adjustments, enforcing safety and public service requirements, and approving securities matters. By virtue of the Arizona Constitution, the Commissioners function in an Executive capacity, they adopt rules and regulations thereby functioning in a Legislative capacity, and they act in a judicial capacity sitting as a tribunal and making decisions in contested matters.
See http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/election/acc04_about.html for more information
HISTORY AND 2002 DEBATES
In 2002 ATIC made history when it web cast Gubernatorial and Corporation Commission debates. Oris Friesen, Chair of the ATC Government Affairs Committee said: "Based upon our research we believe we were the first in the country to web cast a live statewide debate. It was certainly a first for Arizona."
ARIZONA TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION COUNCIL
ATIC is a foundation of the Governor's Strategic Partnership for Economic Development (GSPED) - ATIC is Arizona's recognized and authoritative organization guiding technology policy development, 
serving as a leading source of information and expertise on telecommunications and information technology matters. ATIC develops, promotes and supports initiatives and guides adoption of effective public policies that encourages wide-scale deployment and availability of telecommunications services and information technologies to insure economic prosperity for the Arizona community, expand the region's global competitive advantage, enable continued educational advancement and support an enhanced quality of life.
More information on ATIC, its activities and events can be found on the web site at: http://www.arizonatele.com/atic/, or contact atic@researchedge.com or (602) 254-5887
CITIZENS CLEAN ELECTIONS COMMISSION (CCEC)
The Citizens Clean Elections Act is a campaign finance reform measure that was initiated by Arizona citizens and passed by voters in 1998. The Act created a new campaign financing system that provides full public funding to qualified candidates who agree to abide by Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC) guidelines. Candidates for statewide offices (governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, corporation commissioner or mine inspector) and legislative offices (house of representatives and senate) are eligible to participate in the public funding program. More information on CCEC can be found on the web site at http://www.ccec.state.az.us/
ATIC Press Release: September 22, 2004
Adobe Acrobat FIle: pr040922.pdf [68k PDF]
Contact: Mark Goldstein, Secretary, Arizona Telecommunications & Information Council (ATIC), Voice & Fax: 602-470-0389, markg@researchedge.com