Who Really Writes the Laws in Arizona?

Who Really Writes the Laws in Arizona?

I am trying to figure out, is there any bill Republicans in the Arizona Legislature have proposed that hasn’t been written by the Goldwater Institute, ALEC, Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) or the NRA?  What are we paying legislators for?

From the Arizona Republic (emphasis mine):

In Arizona, Melvin's measure calls for the transfer of lands to the state from the federal government. He brought the bill to Arizona after hearing about it late last year from the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization that often provides state lawmakers with model legislation, written by its own staff.

I can’t think of one bill that doesn’t have the order of one of these ultra-conservative groups behind it.  Here is the challenge: Email me any bill proposed by a Republican in the Arizona Legislature that wasn’t crafted by the Goldwater Institute, ALEC, CAP or the NRA.

Ignoring the Strike: Arizona Republic's Disservice to Arizona

Did anyone else notice that the Arizona Republic's online addition is missing a major story?  That's right, although the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 has officially been on strike against Veolia Transportation (the management company contracted to provide bus service in Phoenix) since 12:01 am Saturday morning, the Arizona Republic's online addition hasn't printed one word on the story.  Now why would the state's leading newspaper choose to ignore a story that affects tens of thousands area residents?

My guess is that since Veolia Transportation is the factual villain, the anti-union and anti-labor Arizona Republic doesn't want to report on it.  If the Arizona Republic reports on the strike, it will have no choice but to point out that ATU 1433 and its members are in the right.  It will have no choice but to show that Veolia Transportation has been negotiating in bad faith with the union for the last 20 months while also trying to secure a sweetheart contract with the City of Phoenix.

It will also have to show that if bus service in the Valley wasn't privatized, the union wouldn't have been able to strike, under state law.  That's right.  Because the striking workers are employees of Veolia Transportation and not employees of Phoenix or Tempe, they are not covered under state laws barring strikes by public employees.  That's right, privatization of a public service has allowed for this massive disruption to the lives of tens of thousands in the Valley.

But the Arizona Republic doesn't want to report that type of story.  It only wants to paint unions and labor as the villains and this strike doesn't allow for that.  To bad that the Arizona Republic is doing such a disservice to the people of Arizona.

Arizona Bully of 2011 Nominee: The Editorial Board of the Arizona Republic

I don’t live my life looking through rose colored glasses.  I understand that the world is not black and white but many shades of grey.  I also expect my local newspaper to understand and reflect that reality on its editorial pages.  Sadly, the Arizona Republic and specifically its Editorial Board does not.  The Editorial Board sees everything around it in conservative black and white.  In 2011, the Editorial Board has ranted against organized labor, the “Occupy” movement and the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies program, to name a few.

And it is not just that the Editorial Board takes a strong conservative stance on a wide range of issues it’s the way that they do it.  Take for example the lead paragraphs from today’s editorial:

“The activist-educators of the Tucson Unified School District's Mexican American Studies program never were especially good at teaching academically credible history.

Or civics. Or, really, anything that wasn't infused with a thick overlay of leftist political indoctrination as its primary message to students. They taught propagandized math to middle-schoolers, for heaven's sake.

But they have been very good at one thing: waging vicious war on anyone who dared criticize their program. When it came to silencing and marginalizing critics, the MAS activists of TUSD have proved masterful.”

One day the Editorial Board will start seeing the world in the shades of grey that it truly is, but until then, it can rest in the knowledge that is an Arizona Bully of 2011 Nominee!

Debunking the "Forced" Primary Myth

The biggest common myth being thrown around during the AIRC (Arizona INDEPENDENT Redistricting Commission) drama is that the AIRC has (willfully) forced first term Congressman Ben Quayle (R-AZ 3^rd) and Congressman David Schweikert (R-AZ 5^th) into a primary battle in 2012.  This is the meme that the Arizona Republican Party, their “tea party” movement adherents and the Arizona Republic would like you to believe.  This dovetails nicely with the meme that the AIRC is being unfair to Republicans by (in the draft redistricting maps) only creating 4 “safe” districts for Republicans, the exact same number of “safe” districts they currently hold.

The problem with this myth that the AIRC is forcing two Republican congressmen to face off in a primary is twofold:

1.            In the eyes of the AIRC, by mandate of the voters, the Arizona 3^rd and 5^th Congressional districts ceased to exist as they are currently mapped the day the volunteer members of the AIRC took their positions.  In point of fact, the members are specifically forbidden to consider where a potential candidate lives.

2.            The United States Constitution provides no requirement that a person running for a particular congressional district has to reside in that district.  This means that a candidate for congress chooses which congressional district they want to run in, even they don’t live in that district.

Neither Congressman Quayle nor Congressman Scweikert is required to run against the other in a primary in any reformulated district.  They just both (at least publicly) desire to run in a district that includes north Scottsdale, a very affluent area.  Currently, only Congressman Schweikert currently represents all of Scottsdale as part of the Arizona 5^th Congressional District, including all of north Scottsdale.  Both candidates (as all incumbents, I would presume) want a “safe” district to run in.  Under the draft district map approved by the AIRC, all of the 3^rd CD and parts of the 5^th CD, including Scottsdale, would become the new 6^th CD.

The “new” 6^th CD would become a fortress for Republicans and that is why both Congressman Quayle and Congressman Schweikert want to run in that district, as formulated under the AIRC draft map.  To give you an idea of how “safe” this proposed new district will be, just look at the current 3^rd CD.  Even though Congressman Quayle’s Democratic opponent, John Hullburd, ran to the right of Mr. Quayle, Mr. Hullburd still lost.  Add in the very Republican northern areas of the current 5^th CD and no Democrat will be able to win the district, which is a shame, because I live in the current 3^rd CD and what is drafted to be the new 6^th CD.

Neither Congressman Quayle nor Congressman Schweikert wants to run on substance.  In fact, neither of them actually want to “run” an election campaign as they would both rather be assured a victory, preferably an easy one.  They just want to run in separate “safe” districts and are more than happy to demonize the AIRC for not “giving” them what they want.  Too bad only bloggers, such as myself, are pointing out the myth that the AIRC is somehow “forcing” Congressman Quayle and Congressman Schweikert to run against each other in a primary.

Beating Back the Coup: No Time For Rejoicing

On Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court beat back an attempted coup of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission by Governor Janice Brewer, the Arizona Senate Republicans as well as Republican Congressmen Ben Quayle and David Schweikert.  As much as we who want competitive legislative and congressional districts wish to rejoice in this victory, we can’t.  The forces against us are well and secretly funded (FAIR Trust comes to mind) not to mention very motivated to preserve the status quo.  They have also gained an important ally: The Arizona Republic.

Those who want a permanent conservative Republican majority (and preferably a super-majority) in the Arizona Legislature and only conservative Republicans in Congress will go to any length to subvert the will of the voters.  As we saw before the Supreme Court reinstated AIRC Chairwoman Colleen Mathis, the conservative forces in this state were trying to pervert the process of choosing her possible replacement.  We also have statements by Republican legislators calling for a referendum to be put on the ballot in time for the Republican primary, where only registered Republicans can vote, that would put the redistricting process back into the grimy hands of the Republican dominated legislature.  Plus, we have the rumblings coming from Governor Brewer’s office that she may attempt to remove Chairwoman Mathis again this week.

The biggest threat to the conservative Republican stranglehold on Arizona is competitive districts.  That is why they are being subversive, devious and totally willing to fuck over the Arizona voters.  They will meet behind closed doors and plot their strategies all the while publicly condemning closed door meetings.  They will post photos of two people walking into a building in Tucson and falsely claim it is the Chairwoman of the AIRC and her “Democratic activist” husband (who by the way is a registered Republican) going to meet Democratic Congressman RaúlGrijalva.  And yes, they will try to use the political process once more to remove Chairwoman Mathis and possibly even the two Democratic commissioners.

We cannot sit back and allow them to stage another coup.  We cannot sit back and allow them to continue to pervert and corrupt the redistricting process approved by the voters.  We must marshal our words and our actions to protect the AIRC.  I for one am working on a voter initiative to strengthen the AIRC by removing the Governor and the Arizona Senate completely from the redistricting equation.  Each body has been given the opportunity to work with the will of the voters and have failed miserably.  They have shown the voters were right in creating the AIRC but were misguided in allowing the legislature even a small part of the process.

No, we must stand strong.   We must ignore the false pleadings of the conservative Arizona Republic Editorial Board for a “cooling off period”.  We must make sure that “tea party” conservatives are not the only ones seen or heard at the upcoming meetings of the AIRC.  We must make sure that Governor Brewer, the Arizona Senate Republicans and both Congressman Quayle and Congressman Schweikert are held accountable for their conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters.  We must remain vigilant.  We must remain steadfast.  And we must remain ready to do what we legally can to preserve the AIRC and its mission.

For if we do not, the past few years will have seemed paradise compared to what will come under permanent conservative Republican rule in Arizona.

Hypocrisy of the Arizona Republic

The Arizona Republic is miffed.  Well, more to the point, the in the shadows “Editorial Board” is miffed.  They are miffed that there endorsed golden boy (and lobbyist) in the Phoenix mayoral elections, Wes Gullett is being targeted by “anonymous groups” that “hide behind vague, meaningless names”.  The E.B. is clutching its collective pearls in disgust at the large amounts of money being poured into these “independent expenditure” groups without any disclosure as to who the group’s funders are.

Sigh.  I would have no qualms with the E.B.’s stance if it wasn’t so hypocritical.  Not once have they called out for the disclosure of those funding a group that is attempting to make sure that Republicans continue their super-majority in the Arizona Legislature and advantage in Congressional seats.  Instead of calling for a disclosure of this group’s donors (which is fronted by local attorney David Cantelme), the E.B. attempts to protect its golden boy.

It is beyond time for the Editorial Board of the Arizona Republic to call for full disclosure of the principles and financiers behind the FAIR Trust.  It is beyond time for the E.B. to call out this organization for attempting to circumvent the will of the Arizona voters by trying to suppress competiveness and to preserve the Republican legislative super-majority.

But the E.B. won’t.  It doesn’t have a golden boy to protect when it comes to redistricting.  Therefore, the Editorial Board of the Arizona Republic will continue to be hypocrites when it comes to “shadow organization” that use the Supreme Court’s Citizen’s United decision to pollute our nation’s elections.

Wil Cardon, Republican U.S. Senate Candidate, Surprisingly Wants To Run Government Like a Business ... No, Seriously He Does!

Why do the vast majority of Republicans believe that government should be “run like a business” or manage its finances the same way the “average American family” does? Which brings up the broader question: Why are the vast majority of Republicans so hell bent on destroying our government and yet fight so hard to be part our government? It seems that a day doesn’t go by without some Republican lecturing the rest of us on the evils of government and the saintliness of American corporations.

Wil Cardon, Republican candidate to replace the quitting "retiring" Senator Jon Kyl, is just the latest example of a Republican who thinks that government should be run like a business. The only problem is, that Mr. Cardon doesn’t truly want government to be run like a business otherwise he wouldn’t have written his Op-Ed in the Arizona Republic. Mr. Cardon states that government, in order to run like a business must do the following:

1. Enact A Balanced Budget Amendment
2. Cut Taxes
3. Cut Spending

First off, I know of no corporation that desires not to make a profit. A Balanced Budget Amendment would also forbid the government from running surpluses, requiring government to cut taxes to meet lower expenses. Name one American corporation that doesn’t love profit. Name one American corporation that would cut revenues because they outpaced expenses?

Second, I know of no corporation that cuts revenues at every possible turn, hoping to starve itself into oblivion. Hell, I know of no “average American family” that intentionally cuts its income in order to make their selves irrelevant. This is the major problem with the Republican’s concept of running government like a business. If you want government to run itself like a business, you need to allow it to raise taxes to meet expenses and to pay down debt.

It is not quite true that Republicans hate all taxes. They just prefer “user fees”, “sales taxes” and “value added taxes” instead of income taxes based on progressive rates. They like to sell these as a “fair tax” as even the poorest have to pay it. Never mind that government reliant on such taxes see their revenues fluctuate wildly with the overall economy. The State of Arizona is a huge example of what happens when a government relies heavily on use taxes and fees when the economy falters.

Third, corporations can cut expenses so far. I know of no American corporation that has been able to survive on cutting expenses only. At some point the corporation’s quality of service and/or product suffers and their revenues drop even more as customers seek better services and/or products. Thus, governments can’t cut their way to non-deficit spending.

If you want government to run like a corporation, it must be allowed to raise revenues to meet the expenses of the nation. It must be allowed to invest its revenues in education, infrastructure, new technologies and the general welfare of the American people, including government provided single player universal healthcare.

As I said though, the majority of Republicans, such as Mr. Cardon, don’t want government to run like a businesses or the average American family. They want government to be hampered by a false “balanced budget” requirement, the inability to raise revenues while allowing only cuts in existing revenues and the inability to invest those revenues for the future generations.

This is a recipe for disaster, a disaster that only an elite few will survive and benefit from. Too bad Mr. Cardon doesn’t realize that he most likely won’t be one of those elite few.

The "Tea Party" Movement's Disconnect With Reality

The Arizona Republic has been publishing Letter's To The Editor for the last couple of weeks slamming Democrats for being "uncompromising" when it comes to legislation supported by "tea party" movement Republicans.  Living in Arizona, its no surprise that there are those, such as Russell Howe, that the "tea party" Republicans can do no wrong:

Regarding the Aug. 27 letter "Other 'proud extremists' in the world": Can we just take a deep breath and look at "tea party" extremists from both sides?

When the Republican House of Representatives sent the "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill to the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tabled the bill and would not allow it to be debated.

In addition, President Barack Obama promised to veto the bill if it passed the Senate and came to his desk.

Does the writer really consider that to be compromise?

Of course, Mr. Howe, like so many of his "tea party" compatriots, completely disconnected from reality.   The so called "Cut, Cap and Balance" bill is and was always a political stunt.  Everyone knew in the House that it would die a quiet death in the Senate.  They all knew that is how the game is played and honestly, that's how the Founding Fathers designed Congress.

If the "tea party" Republicans truly wanted a balanced budget, they would stop with these political stunts and support rescinding the "Bush Tax Cuts" on the wealthiest two percent of Americans.  They would support ending subsidies for oil companies.  They would close the loopholes that give incentives to American corporations to offshore their workforces and their profits.

Hell, if the "tea party" Republicans were serious about governing and not just trying to make sure a Republican is elected president in 2012, they would knock off the games and introduce legislation that will help the nation.  But we all know that the "tea party" Republicans have no intention of actually governing.  Their sole concern is to weaken America by destroying our government and our economic well being.  It is only after achieving those goals that they can begin to build their theocratic "free market" utopia.

Their disconnect with reality is their downfall, now if only the media and the rest of the nation would realize it.

Celebrating the 18th Year of America's Only Concentration Camp

Maricopa County's Concentration Camp

The Arizona Republic today notes with glee that Sheriff Arpaio's "Tent City", the United State's only concentration camp, turns 18 years old.  This atrocity on our soil was built under the guise cheaply easing the over crowding of the Maricopa County jail system in the early 1990's.  Comprised of surplus military tents, with no amenities of a standard jail and a lone guard tower, "Tent City" sent Commandant Arpaio's reputation as the "toughest sheriff" into the stratosphere.

Commandant Arpaio became a rock star in conservative circles for doing what we had condemned others for after World War II.  While repeatedly showing Newt Gingrich's "educational tapes", Commadant Arpaio was celebrated for his "innovated" jail by none other than Bill Maher via "Politically Incorrect".  And although "Tent City" was only supposed to be for "convicted" inmates, recently Commandant Arpaio started housing those suspected of being in this country illegally.

Conditions inside the concentration camp are notoriously inhumane.  While inmates are required to suffer temperatures that can reach 145 degrees inside of the tents, Sheriff Arpaio famously houses his guard dogs in air conditioned kennels within easy view of the inmates.  Inmates contend with scorpions and rattle snakes all in order to keep Commandant Arpaio in the political spotlight.

Strangely enough, the only people who have done any real investigation into the conditions of "Tent City" are the reporters of the Phoenix New Times.  Neither the state nor the feds have done anything to close down America's concentration camp.  No candidate for Maricopa County Sheriff dare talk about closing down "Tent City" for fear of losing votes.

Yes, jail is not supposed to be a luxury, but it is supposed to be humane.  Yes, except those suspected of being in this nation illegally, these are convicted inmates, but where is the justice in housing them in such conditions?  Should we be celebrating America's only concentration camp?

Ray Sterne of the Phoenix New Times Sinks Low

Very few things I read on the internet make my stomach turn, but an blog posting Ray Sterne made on the Phoenix New Times' website did just that.  In a blog posting entitled Love, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Style: Captain Joel Fox and Deputy Chief Larry Black Discuss "L" Word Repeatedly in E-Mails, Mr. Sterne strongly suggests that Mr. Fox and Mr. Black are having a gay affair.  Mr. Sterne goes to great length to describe their "love" for each other under the guise of reporting on Mr. Fox's role in the SCA scandal.

This is tabloid journalism at its worst.  I despise the entire command staff of the MCSO and in my opinion, they should all be rotting in a federal prison.  The problem is, I don't give a shit about their personal lives, not in regards to their alleged crimes.  I don't care if Mr. Fox and Mr. Black are gay or not.  It is not relevant to whether or not they have committed any crimes in their capacity as part of Sheriff Arpaio's command structure.

I would hope that Mr. Sterne, writing for the New Times, would know better.  The Phoenix New Times is known for their investigative reporting on issues that The Arizona Republic will often gloss over if not choose to ignore.  The New Times is not known for sleazy hit pieces and this particular posting is sleazy.  I expect better of the New Times.

Arizona Legislature's Continued War on the Poor and Middle Class

The Republicans in control of the Arizona Legislature have fired another salvo in their continuing war on the poor and middle class.  According to the Arizona Republic:

If Arizona shifts to a one-size-fits-all income tax, it would raise taxes for 88 percent of Arizona filers while cutting them for the 12 percent with a taxable income of more than $100,000 a year, a legislative analysis shows.

It wasn't enough that the legislature instituted a corporate welfare plan that will cost $538 million a year while wanting to eliminate the state's Medicaid program, now they want to cut taxes for the state's wealthiest 12% while raising taxes on the other 88%.  It wasn't enough that they want to demonize those on food stamps, but they also want to increase taxes by an average of $200 on those making less than $100,000 per year.

In fact, those making less than $10,000 per year (which makes up 15% of the population) will pay $56.9 million more in taxes while those making $5 million (0.01% of the population) or more per year will see a tax cut of $67.2 million.  Couple that with the states over reliance on sales taxes, the poor and middle class will be contributing a larger portion of their incomes in taxes to give tax cuts to the wealthy.

This is just one more weapon conservatives will use in their war.  Do we need any more evidence that this is a war?  Do we need any more evidence we need to increase our efforts to vote true liberals to office?

Arizona Senate Does the Right Thing.....For Now

As reported by the Arizona Republic, the Arizona State Senate voted down five bills supposedly aimed at illegal immigration.  It does seem that the State Senate can do the right thing from time to time, but as we in Arizona know, these vile excuses for legislation are not yet truly dead yet.  Like vampires, until the wooden stake of sine die, these apparently dead bills can rise again.

In Arizona, we have what is called the "strike all" provision.  It allows a legislator to take any bill that has passed out of committee and "strike all" but the name and replace it with legislation that died in committee or in a respective chamber.  A "strike all" also doesn't require any further committee or public hearings.

So, all five pieces of hate legislation can once again see the light of day this legislative session as a "strike all".  With hate monger Senator Russell Pearce as Senate President, count on all five to rise once again and possibly even pass in the final days of the session.  Where is a good wooden stake when you need one?

The States Didn't Win

The editorial board of the Arizona Republic would have you believe that the legislation signed into law in Wisconsin stripping public employees of their right to collective bargaining is a good thing for states.  The board claims that by removing the ability of public employees to be represented by a union to negotiate salary, benefits and working conditions, that it will miraculously allow Wisconsin to solve all of its budget issues.

If the legislation was truly about balancing the budget, then why did a Wisconsin Republican State Senator make statements that the legislation would make it tougher for President Obama to win Wisconsin in 2012.  If the legislation was about Wisconsin’s budget, then why was it rammed through the legislature outside of the budget process?

The public employees didn’t cause the budget issues in Wisconsin or the other states.  The blame rests squarely on politicians who year after year doled out tax cut after tax cut while also giving corporations more and more corporate welfare.  Public employees around the nation went year after year without raises and often saw their pay cut through forced work furloughs.  They each contributed to their retirement plans while states and other governments delayed their contributions.

The various states could easily fix their budget problems, but they don’t want to, since it involves rescinding their various tax cuts they passed in the last few years.  Tax cuts are never popular but pointing out that someone at this point in time has it just a little better than someone else normally is.  Instead of taking responsibility for the budget issues, the Republicans in Wisconsin pointed to the public employees and their unions as the problem.

No, the union busting law in Wisconsin does nothing to help it or other states deal with their budget issues, all it does was give a win to the state’s Republicans.  A win that just might be very short lived.