Reforming Arizona Government: The Arizona Legislature

A while back I proposed a plan to reform Maricopa County government.  That plan was meant to expand representation and to make the MCSO accountable to the people of the county.  Now I turn my attention to Arizona state government.  As The Arizona Eagletarian has pointed out on many occasions, there is a foul stench coming from our state capitol and that stench carries a clear disdain for the people of Arizona.

Very clearly, the state government of Arizona is in need of some serious reform.  But as the task is so daunting, I am going to start with the Arizona Legislature, probably the branch of Arizona government the most in need of serious reform.  I will post my vision of reform for state wide elected offices in a later post.

The Arizona Legislature:

End Term Limits – If voters cannot be bothered to vote in primaries and elections, why should they be excused the consequences of their inactions via term limits?  For that is what term limits are: An excuse for voters not to do their job via the ballot box.  Term limits also have the effect of silencing moderate voices while magnifying the voices of extremism.  Thus, I call for an end to term limits.

Restructuring of the Senate – The Arizona Senate should be structured more on the U.S. Senate in that each Senator should have 6 year terms with 1/3^rd of the Senate up for election every two years.  I think the stability would allow for a more moderate tone.  As we have seen in the U.S. Senate, this is not always the case, but it is worth a try.

Ban Gifts and Non-Collegiate Scholarships – Legislators are elected to be the representatives of the people of Arizona.  Far too often though, these very same legislators see their role as to protect those who shower them with gifts and “scholarships” to attend ideologically driven conferences.  Gifts have included tickets, airfare and hotel accommodations for sporting events.  “Scholarships” have been provided by such groups as ALEC for their own conferences.  These organizations then provide “model legislation” that the legislator then proposes as their own.  This legislation tends to be pro-corporate, anti-worker, anti-consumer, anti-tax payer and anti-regulatory.

Ban Conflicts of Interest – No legislator should be able to propose, endorse, advocate or vote for legislation that directly benefits them.  State Senator Steve Yarborough is notorious for his blatant conflict of interest regarding School Tuition Organizations, of which Senator Yarborough is the executive director of one.  He has authored bills that have allowed STOs to keep up to 10% of all “donations” for expenses and to increase the tax credits for those who “donate” to these organizations.

Please feel free to let me know in the comments how you would change the Arizona Legislature or to let me know how you feel about this posting.

Sheriff Arpaio Does It Again

It seems like a day doesn't go by without Sheriff Arpaio and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office being sued for the actions of our sheriff and his department.  Since taking office in 1993, Sheriff Arpaio has cost the tax payers of Maricopa County over $50,000,000.00 in settlements and lost suits for his actions and the actions of the MCSO.  That amazing amount doesn't even include all of the lawyer fees racked up to fight these suits.

Now we find out, in Sheriff Arpaio's never ending quest for the spot light, that not only is Sheriff Arpaio named in another law suit, but so is his "Posse" buddy Steven Seagal.  That's right, Mr. Seagal was in Maricopa County to tape his "reality" television show for A&E and just happened to join the MCSO as they raided a suspected "cock fighting" operation using a tank.  And because of damage done to the property, the death of a puppy and over 100 roosters, Sheriff Arpaio and Mr. Seagal have been given a "notice of claim", which is a pre-cursor to a lawsuit, claiming $100,000.00 in damages.

As Mr. Seagal is a member of Sheriff Arpaio's "Posse", the tax payers could be held liable for his actions and any settlement amount.  I am personally opposed to the "Posse" as I see it as an unprofessional, quasi-governmental organization that borders on being a private army for the sheriff.  We have seen in the past that due to the lack of professionalism of this organization charges have been dropped against suspects.  Now we see the potential for a "celebrity" member's actions to cost the tax payers even more money and the possibility of charges being dropped against a suspect.

It is another sad and costly day in Maricopa County and again we can lay it all at the feet of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

More Q & A with Lieutenant Mike Stauffer, Primary Challenger to Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Maricopa County Sheriff Candidate Mike Stauffer

Earlier this week I emailed Lieutenant Mike Stauffer, Sheriff Arpaio's Republican Primary challenger for Maricopa County Sheriff, with a number of questions.  He has kindly responded and below is our exchange unedited.  I have also emailed Sheriff Arpaio with numerous questions but have had no response.

Phoenix Justice: This past Saturday, the Arizona Republic printed a story regarding the Maricopa Correctional Health System and the latest report regarding their progress and lack thereof in providing quality medical care to the detainees. After spending tens of millions of tax payer dollars only to fail in meeting court ordered minimums and losing accreditation, do you think it might be time to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch, possibly with the inclusion of a non-profit private medical company to take over the services?

Mr. Stauffer: I will enlist the aid of the medical experts in the Maricopa County Health system to find a solution to the problems due to neglect by the current sheriff. My goal will be to restore MCSO's health accreditation. Any reasonable recommendation as to how to accomplish this will be considered.

Phoenix Justice: Sheriff Arpaio has used the MCSO to go after those who speak out against him and his policies, including elected officials and especially campaign opponents. Do you expect Sheriff Arpaio and his allies to use dirty tricks in this campaign against you and how do you plan to deal with those dirty tricks?

Mr. Stauffer: I do expect Arpaio to continue in his abusive ways. However, I have faced far more intimidating people in my years as a police officer than Arpaio and am not afraid of his desperate ploys to stay in office. I will counter his tactics by continuing to speak the truth and holding him accountable. I will stay the course of standing up for the principles of true American, ethical, effective law enforcement.

Phoenix Justice: The MCSO has in the past streamed live the booking of detainees (which was found unconstitutional by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals) and has been running a "Mug Shot of the Day" contest on the MCSO website. If you are elected sheriff, will you continue this practice?

Mr. Stauffer: I will not continue the tactics of humiliation instituted by Arpaio. These tactics only serve to discredit and demean the dedicated men and women of Maricopa County law enforcement.

Phoenix Justice: We all know that Sheriff Arpaio loves the media spot light, if elected sheriff, how often do you plan to in front of the press and why?

Mr. Stauffer: I will always be available to the press if they wish to discuss the operations of the sheriff's office. I will not be a desperate publicity hound like the current sheriff.

Phoenix Justice: According to Sheriff Arpaio's last campaign finance report, filed in 2010, he had over $2.8 million. We can all safely surmise that has accumulated even more campaign cash with his frequent calls for "help" this past year. How do you plan to combat so much campaign cash?

Mr. Stauffer: It is not always about the cash, but about the quality of the message.

Phoenix Justice: One of the responsibilities of the MCSO is detainee transport back and forth to the courts. Over the last two years, there have been several days where detainees were not delivered to the courts, causing disruptions to the point where the deputy in charge was held in contempt. Do you foresee any further "disruptions" by the MCSO should you be elected sheriff?

Mr. Stauffer: The duties and responsibilities of the sheriff's office will be carried out in a timely and professional manner. These "disruptions" will not be allowed to continue.

Phoenix Justice: The US Department of Justice recently closed its investigation regarding the costs of MCSO deputies transporting extradition detainees back to Maricopa County. If elected sheriff, would you change extradition transportation policies?

Mr. Stauffer: As sheriff, I will institute tight controls on the extradition duties of the sheriff's office.

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.