Arizona
updated
10:43 a.m.
by David Safier I get comments. Most of them, from you folks, are intelligent and based on the posts. And then there are spammers whose purpose is to create links to their websites, just like spam email. They write generic......
Blog For Arizona - 10:42 a.m.
by David Safier I've been posting and commenting about the G.I. Civics Test since it came out, joined by a variety of commenters, including friend of the blog and coauthor of the study, Matthew Ladner. One of my complaints was,......
Blog For Arizona - 10:42 a.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: When the clock struck midnight on June 30, legislative leaders ordered the clocks in the Arizona Legislature turned off to suspend time so that it would still be June 30. Day 171 of the regular legislative session......
Blog For Arizona - 10:42 a.m.
On Monday, July 6, the Arizona Legislature is scheduled to hold a special session to work up a budget after the governor vetoed most of the one that they sent to her at the very last minute. Actually, it was after the very last minute, but due to a localized time dilation phenomenon (known as shutting off the clocks at the lege)... :) It's already known that at least one Republican, Senate Presi...
Random Musings - Sun 9:55 p.m. - 6 clicks 
Tomorrow’s special session will give proponents of a flat state income tax the opportunity to raise the issue again after it failed to make it onto last Tuesday’s budget. Goldwater Institute’s Byron Schlomach and former Napolitano Chief Deputy George Cunningham debated the issue in today’s Republic. Cunningham argues (correctly) that a flat [...]...
Democratic Diva - Sun 2:01 p.m. - 12 clicks
Rob O’Dell has an essentially benign Cloth piece in today’s Star discussing the local rise of Clothmeister Glen Lyons, head of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, which is emerging as the epicenter of Tucson’s Clothiverse, the downtown and economic development initiatives that intertwine richly funded agencies, lobbyists, attorneys, developers, business leaders, and outright crooks. Lyons is th...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Sun 2:01 p.m. - 8 clicks
It's been a while, and there have been a number of committees formed since the last one of these... - In LD4, former state senator Scott Bundgaard, Republican, has formed a committee to run for the senate seat currently held by term-limited Republican Jack Harper (filer ID 201000138). A Phoenix New Times' article from 1999 shows that if he wins the seat, Bundgaard probably won't exceed the low...
Random Musings - Sun 2:01 p.m. - 9 clicks
As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevant political bodies/agencies, and subject to change without notice... ...Top billing this week goes to the Arizona Legislature, who are scheduled to gather in special session to address the continuing budget. The session is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. on Monday. More details in this story from AZCentral.com. No budget bills (only v...
Random Musings - Sun 11:10 a.m. - 9 clicks
...especially since Wasilla turned into the meth capital of Alaska during her tenure as mayor there... From AP via Yahoo! News - Outgoing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Saturday laid the groundwork to take on a larger, national role after leaving state government, citing a "higher calling" with the aim of uniting the country along conservative lines. When I first saw the headline to this articl...
Random Musings - Sat 9:27 p.m. - 6 clicks
On this 233rd birthday of America, I'm going to come clean about something that's been bothering me about freedom of the press. It has to do with the recent brouhaha about the Washington Post 's plan to have the equivalent of a political fundraiser, in which big wigs and fat cats could pay up to $250,000 per plate to mix with reporters, editors, owners and other important people who influence wh...
Deep Thought - Sat 3:08 p.m.
The official toxicology report will confirm or refute what has now become the strong front runner in the list of possibilities regarding the demise of Michael Jackson. While ancillaries like Demoral or Oxycontin may appear in the report, the heart stopper reflects a deeper pathology, the need to be put down with the tools of anesthesiologists who produce the unconsciousness appropriate for sur...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Sat 1:27 p.m.
From an email blast - This weekend, our family will join millions of others in celebrating America. We will enjoy the glow of fireworks, the taste of barbeque, and the company of good friends. As we all celebrate this weekend, let's also remember the remarkable story that led to this day. Two hundred and thirty-three years ago, our nation was born when a courageous group of patriots ple...
Random Musings - Sat 1:27 p.m.
by David Safier Enjoy. If you want to take 4 minutes and 22 seconds out of your day, listen to Obama's thoughts on the Fourth, our past and our future. I'll take his words over a limp teabag any day....
Blog For Arizona - Sat 1:26 p.m.
by David Safier As I was mulling over Palin's wacky press conference announcing her resignation, I came up with what I thought was an original term to describe her speech patterns: Palindrone. Silly me. Google the term. It's all over......
Blog For Arizona - Sat 1:26 p.m.
Pic and text courtesy the National Archives IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to w...
Random Musings - Sat 7:41 a.m.
Well, we still don't know WHY the chicken crossed the road, but we do know which road (highway 17 north of Phoenix) and what the result was (a major traffic backup.) Rooster on road backs up I-17. Drivers found themselves contending with more than holiday traffic Friday when a chicken was found crossing the road. Northbound Interstate 17 remains backed up north of Loop 101 after a rooster t...
Deep Thought - Fri 10:29 p.m. - 11 clicks
Wonder if her passport will show trips to Argentina? From AP - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin abruptly announced Friday she is resigning from office at the end of the month, a shocking move that rattled the Republican party but left open the possibility she would seek a run for the White House in 2012. Palin, 45, and her staff kept her future plans shrouded in mystery, and it was unclear if the cont...
Random Musings - Fri 8:42 p.m. - 2 clicks
Sparing the reader details, I currently lack certain technical tools, so the following will not preserve the format of the email. The text itself, however, is verbatim. The following was sent by the Rialto Theater to the community to generate support in its battle with the DTDC, which recently served the theater with an eviction notice. As I wrote a few days ago, I am not sure I follow the h...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Fri 6:48 p.m.
by David Safier From the Arizona Guardian: “We made huge adjustments to the ’09 budget, and that shocked the system, so much so that some of our members couldn’t handle the shock,” [Huppenthal] said. “During the course of the past......
Blog For Arizona - Fri 5:26 p.m. - 6 clicks
A GOP Presidential contender for 2012 hadn't melted down yet this week, so I figure since it's Friday, there's still time. And sure enough-- I'm reading that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, apparently upset about a Vanity Fair article out this week that quoted anonymous former McCain staffers who said that she was difficult to work with, has decided to quit . No, not in the sense of 'won't run for...
Deep Thought - Fri 3:21 p.m. - 5 clicks
by David Safier My post on the Goldwater Institute's Civics test which showed high school students ignorant about basic U.S. civics questions has created quite a hubbub in the comments section, including a few comments from the study's author and......
Blog For Arizona - Fri 3:20 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Alaska Disasta, Sarah Palin, announced today that she is stepping down as Governor of Alaska. If you did not catch her press conference, catch the replay. It was a rambling and incoherent series of non sequitur......
Blog For Arizona - Fri 3:20 p.m.
by David Safier It's been quoted and blogged on many times before this. Now it's my turn. It's Al Melvin's memorable statement about Brewer, referring to her impending veto. “If she vetoes it, it’s only because she’s in a huff......
Blog For Arizona - Fri 2:05 p.m.
by David Safier And while we're on the subject of Mark Sanford (see post below), here's a preview of the upcoming theatrical release, Hiking the Appalachian Trail....
Blog For Arizona - Fri 2:05 p.m.
Downtown Tucson Partnership’s Clothmeister Glen Lyons has been conniving to get his organization a hefty slice of the TIF kitty for months. The $Kaching! occurs when the corruption lands him a sweet contract to "manage" Rio Nuevo. I speculated in Conniving Cloth last April that some acronym was gunning for the TIF trough. It’s just too much money to resist. A few weeks later at Conniving Cl...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Fri 9:57 a.m. - 3 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: In a classic case of the kettle calling the pot black, Senate President Bob "Bluto" Burns started yet another GOP food fight at his press conference yesterday when he said that the Accidental Governor is incompetent and......
Blog For Arizona - Fri 9:04 a.m. - 4 clicks
It's early yet, but there are already some moves at the lege regarding the special session starting on Monday. On the lege's website, there have already been 12 bills posted for the special session, SB1001 thru SB1012 (though only the text for SB1001 hase been posted so far). Right now, they're all vehicle bills, placeholder "technical correction" bills meant to be amended into whatever budget "...
Random Musings - Thu 8:06 p.m. - 7 clicks
...and some of her brilliant press releases skewering the AZGOP and its various functionaries... Emily (Bittner) Derose used to be the Communications Director for the Arizona Democratic Party. She has moved onward and upward, taking a similar position with the Democratic Governors Association. One of the things that always impressed me was her ability to wield sarcasm like a scalpel. Most of u...
Random Musings - Thu 7:25 p.m. - 7 clicks
by David Safier Please help me out on this. People have been complaining about the blog loading slowly and having trouble getting to the comments section to post a reply. Are you having any problems? If not, let me know.......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 7:04 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Almost lost in the crush of news coming out of our state capitol this week was the sad news of the passing of former Congressman Jim McNulty. I did not know Jim well, but I did volunteer......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 5:23 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse -- House Speaker Kirk Adams, Senate President Bob Burns, House Appropriations Committee chairman John Kavanagh, and Senate Appropriations Committee chairman Russell Pearce -- tried their best to destroy the state of......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 1:45 p.m. - 5 clicks
by David Safier I posted yesterday about Matthew Ladner's poll showing that high school students don't know basic civics. I'm sure he's right, and I think schools should do better, but I gently accused him of playing "Ain't it awful?"......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 10:41 a.m. - 6 clicks
Someone closer to the situation can tell you what the Rialto Theater actually does with the small space now making news because developers Don Martin and Scott Stiteler suddenly have their panties in a bunch about the financial urgency of collecting rent for its use. After demanding the theater pay about $40,000 in back rent, said developers have served a 10 day eviction notice . Apparently...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Thu 7:36 a.m. - 4 clicks
Protest the illegal and unconstitutional Military Coup in Honduras! Demand Peaceful Return to Office of Manuel Zelaya , the elected president of Honduras. If you are unfamiliar with Honduras, or Honduran politics I can tell you, this coup has been brought by the extreme right wring and very wealthy class that want to rule and exploit this country. These people are a very small minority of the...
AZNetroots - Thu 12:07 a.m. - 8 clicks
Today was like being hungover, but without the (somewhat dubious) benefits of a night out drinking. Tired, dehydrated, sore and more than a little disillusioned, today was a day spent recuperating from the last couple of days. The first three conditions could be alleviated easily - get plenty of sleep, water, and don't spend all day hunched over, pecking away at my Dell laptop. That last was to...
Random Musings - Wed 9:04 p.m. - 4 clicks
2008 was destined to be a Democratic year at the presidential level. As has been pointed out in many other places, the electorate was thoroughly tired of George W. Bush and after the economic crisis that began with the failure of the Lehman Brothers Bank on September 14, last year's election would have been an unwinnable scenario by any Republican candidate against any competent Democrat (maybe if...
Deep Thought - Wed 6:43 p.m. - 4 clicks
Efforts to enact a new state budget just a day before the deadline stalled at least temporarily Monday as some Republican lawmakers pushed to send Gov. Jan Brewer a spending plan she doesn't like -- and essentially dare her to veto it and shut down government. "We have a budget," said Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, referring to the package adopted June 4 with only Republican votes. He called it...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 6:22 p.m.
How crazy are republicans? How stupid can they get? Today, we have an answer. In the state of Arizona--where Republicans control all branches of government--the legislature passed a law allowing concealed weapons in bars. Now that might seem run-of-the-mill crazy...but wait, there's more! At the same time, the legislature failed to pass a budget before the start of t...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 6:22 p.m. - 12 clicks
I was starting to feel hinky last night as I left the Capitol. My throat was beginning to hurt and I had a headache. I thought maybe it was just a combination of tiredness and anger over the budget but I woke up this morning with my throat on fire and a temperature. [...]...
Democratic Diva - Wed 5:42 p.m. - 14 clicks
From an email - Arizona Democrats lost one of their great leaders yesterday, as Former Congressman Jim McNulty died at age 83. McNulty will be remembered by Democrats as a tireless public servant who had a bright vision for Southern Arizona. Originally from Boston, the G.I. Bill brought Jim to Arizona to study at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Following graduation, Jim worked for a Bisbe...
Random Musings - Wed 5:42 p.m. - 11 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Democratic Party has issued a statement responding to the epic failure of leadership from Governor Jan Brewer and the Republican-dominated Legislature in failing to produce a reasonable state budget before July 1 for the first......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 5:41 p.m. - 14 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Well that didn't take long. The Accidental Governor, Jan Brewer, has issued a strongly worded press release announcing her veto of the GOP legislative budget and calling for a Special Session (beginning Monday): Arizona Legislature Fails to......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 5:41 p.m. - 11 clicks
by David Safier I just received Giffords' latest email. It has a one question health care survey: "For American's who are unhappy with their private insurance options, do you support the idea of a public option?" [Dr. Word says, "That's......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 5:41 p.m.
by David Safier The state legislature telling Tucson how to run its government is like Mark Sanford teaching "abstinence only."...
Blog For Arizona - Wed 4:18 p.m. - 7 clicks
The Governor has vetoed part of the lege's budget package and called a special session of the legislature. From AZCentral.com - Five hours after lawmakers wrapped up their legislative session, Gov. Jan Brewer has called them back to work, beginning Monday. She also issued line-item vetoes on what she called a "fatally flawed" budget. The governor wants lawmakers to work on adjustments to the...
Random Musings - Wed 2:10 p.m. - 18 clicks
The denizens of the lege were at it until around 7:30 a.m., making June 30, 2009 a 31 1/2 day ( note: Mulder and Scully are flying in today to investigate the time dilation incident :) ). And in spite of the all of the Republican posturing about their desire to pass a balanced budget (balanced on the backs of schools, the poor, and working families so that large corporations can have a huge tax ...
Random Musings - Wed 12:05 p.m. - 8 clicks
The Republican legislature has apparently passed a budget package that is little changed from the package they passed on June 4 (and held all month) and that Governor Brewer even went to court to force them to send her so she could go ahead with a promised veto. Since this budget is the same in all its major components to that budget and they didn't give her any of what she asked for in her five ...
Deep Thought - Wed 9:49 a.m. - 8 clicks
Midnight has come and gone and a budget hasn’t been passed. Tedski drove all the way out here and liveblogged so I didn’t have to. I left at about 10:45 because I needed to feed my cat and change his litter. On the way out to my car, I passed by what appeared to [...]...
Democratic Diva - Wed 8:35 a.m. - 9 clicks
I left over an hour-and-a-half ago, gave somebody a lift home, got detoured because of some road construction, made a small dinner, and checked in on the Senate's website, and they're still going strong. Though strong may be the wrong word for it. :) Anyway, they are considering the general government trailer bill and it's going to fail. Burns is holding the vote open to allow for some arm-twist...
Random Musings - Wed 3:48 a.m. - 4 clicks
11:38 - COW rises. 11:36 - Lopez amendment to require school districts to offer contracts by April 15. Defeated. 11:34 - Burton Cahill amendment to restore statutory provisions to keep school districts from arbitrarily reducing a teacher's salary, and to give preference to laid off teachers during rehiring time. Defeated. 11:32 - Rios amendment to protect paid days for association activities. D...
Random Musings - Tue 11:41 p.m. - 2 clicks
1:05 - They win. They've outlasted me. I am out of here. If the state shuts down, don't call me in the morning... 1:03 - HB2222, special license plates, passes. 1:02 - Yahoo! Mail down. 1:00 - HB2207, behavior, analysts. Passes. 12:58 - HB2157, Wildlife, aquatic invasive species. Passes. 12:58 - HB2156, Fire insurance premium tax, report. Passes. 12:56 - HB2049, performance management soft...
Random Musings - Tue 11:41 p.m.
It looks like no tax bills will be heard in the Senate, flat or sales, so maybe they'll pass an unbalanced budget. No Senate activity right now, but the House is still in COW. ...
Random Musings - Tue 11:41 p.m.
Deal-making is certainly going on... In the Senate Republican caucus meeting that's currently in progress, former House Speaker Jim Weiers came in and pulled Senate President Bob Burns out of the room...which is interesting on all sorts of levels... No budget bills mentioned so far, as of 8:19 p.m. As of 8:25, the Republicans recessed their caucus (recess caucus????)...going over to the Democr...
Random Musings - Tue 8:46 p.m.
...so I will stick with the Senate side of the quad. His website, Rum, Romanism, Rebellion is here . More to come... ...
Random Musings - Tue 8:46 p.m.
I've been remiss in my coverage of the budget kerfluffle (I have always wanted to use that word in a post :) )... Certain members of the lege, including two from my own LD17, have been providing updates, commentary, and insights via Twitter. From Rep. David Schapira's Twitter page (going back to Saturday) - They're serving dinner at 6. I wonder if they'll serve dinner tomorrow for laid-off s...
Random Musings - Tue 7:42 p.m. - 5 clicks
Senate Rules scheduled to meet upon adjournment of the Floor Session, with both caucuses scheduled to meet immediately after Rules. Now they're just milling about, mostly Reps, though some Dems... ...
Random Musings - Tue 7:42 p.m.
The meeting lasted less than two minutes. It was held to propel SB1157 , Arizona Department of Environment Quality continuation, and SB1161 , having to do with public safety personnel, retirement, and reemployment. It was blissfully absent of both surprises and testiness, two things that are evidently in great supply at 1700 West Washington in Phoenix. Maybe we should start a mail-order/inte...
Random Musings - Tue 6:47 p.m. - 9 clicks
With the usual caveats about rumors (double strength caveats prescribed during the waning days of a lege session like this one)... Anyway, talk in the Capitol quad was that after dinner, both chambers were going to vote on the budget bills, minus the referral of the sales tax hike, and send them to the Governor. Stay tuned to see what ever-more creative ways that the Republicans can find to knoc...
Random Musings - Tue 6:47 p.m.
...Coleman conceded ; Al Franken is now the junior U.S. Senator from Minnesota. What? You thought that maybe a budget deal had been reached, or maybe the Republican caucus admitted to itself that it is utterly unqualified to govern and resigned en masse ? :)) We should be so lucky... ...
Random Musings - Tue 6:47 p.m.
The Republican Party needs to get South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford to resign immediately and disappear to a remote island south of the equator and stay there for five years. People thought he should quit before today's meltdown on several fronts that is painful to watch and starting to inflict damage that won’t be forgotten a in few days. The notion of having to repay taxpayers for trip ex...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Tue 1:43 p.m. - 5 clicks
Either that or one of her staffers should give her some coaching on the difference between “lobbyists” and “bureaucrats”. “HCR2014 is proactive and will protect patients’ fundamental rights,” Arizona State Rep. Nancy Barto, a Republican, said in a statement. “We are a front-line battle state to stop the momentum of this powerful government takeover [...]...
Democratic Diva - Tue 10:27 a.m. - 24 clicks
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat, or a prostitute. Rebecca West – 1913 Just sayin’. ...
Democratic Diva - Mon 10:04 p.m. - 6 clicks
There will be a Healthcare MegaForum on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at the Windham Hotel in downtown Phoenix. Cash donations accepted at the door Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Time: 7 - 10 p.m. Where: The Wyndham Phoenix Hotel 50 E. Adams Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 Don't sit idly by while healthcare reform laws are written for you. Help shape the debate! Keynote Speakers •Donna Smith - California...
AZNetroots - Mon 10:04 p.m. - 7 clicks
The Daily Star (bless their hearts) has an article by Howie Fischer (bless his heart) up about the possible costs of the supposedly “revenue neutral” flat tax piece of the pending budget and the blatant b.s. peddled by its proponents. House Speaker Kirk Adams, R-Mesa, said using a different starting point to compute Arizona taxes [...]...
Democratic Diva - Mon 12:42 p.m. - 7 clicks
The developer bifurcation between Rialto Theater president Michael Crawford and the DTDC (Don Martin and business ethics superstar (takes after dad) Scott Stiteler) just climbed a notch with a Crawford email to the Cloth Council, i.e. the board of the Downtown Tucson Partnership, about as thread infested a group one will ever find. Fellow Board Members, I would like to add the Rialto Theatre/L...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 29 - 4 clicks
According to the Financial Times, US incomes surge as stimulus kicks in . Personal income in the US surged in May thanks to an infusion of government stimulus funds, while consumers raised their spending modestly as confidence about the state of the economy continues to improve. However, most of the monthly rise was the result of Federal benefit transfers and lower taxes. Americans, still faci...
Deep Thought - Jun 29 - 3 clicks
We’re now on Twitter! Follow DemocraticDiva to get updates about events, blog entries, and anything else we decide to tweet about. ...
Democratic Diva - Jun 29
Yesterday I titled my post “Mayberry Milton Friedmans”. Some context is needed because not everyone knows who Friedman was, or the influence this evil little superannuated Ayn Rand dweeb continues to exert over conservative economic thinking (though it’s doubtful the average conservative can tell you who he is) and how millions of people in [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jun 29 - 3 clicks
I had ignored Chad Graham’s “New career path: Reinvention” in the Republic this morning because I assmumed it would be yet another regurgitation of the retrain-retool-reschool-rebrand-yourself-for-the-new-economy trope. As I idly picked up the front page section that was sitting on the couch next to me and scanned the article I found was right. [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jun 29
Before Twitter Before Blu Ray Before DVR Before Blackberry Before Facebook Before Blogs Before Wi-Fi Before Bluetooth Before LCD Before Google Before Yahoo Before DVD Before cell phone Before Java Before PDF Before HTML Before TCP/IP Before Photoshop Before CD Before Email Before VCR Before Windows Before Mouse For a brief period we stood at a border between two worlds. At this borde...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 29
Details on the tax end have emerged for the state budget and we have rumors of choppy waters ahead. We need a public tsunami. It’s a fiscal disaster for state finances long-term, even though it gets us through short-term—though even there at great cost (see http://30daysinjune.blogspot.com/2009/06/proposed-budget.htm for impacts on education especially). Let’s start with the math. [...]...
Make Democracy Work - Jun 29
A flat tax to replace our graduated progressive income tax appears to be part of the possible budget agreement between Republican Governor Jan Brewer and our Republican legislative leadership. If revenue neutral, this would be a stealth tax increase for many Arizonans and may also undermine state finances well into the future, why? Economic conservatives generally believe [...]...
Make Democracy Work - Jun 29 - 6 clicks
Here are some details of the budget that Republican Governor Jan Brewer and Republican leaders in the state legislature have negotiated. See you at the State Capitol at 9am this morning to march in protest. ...
AZNetroots - Jun 29 - 5 clicks
A tentative budget deal has been reached between the governor and Republican legislative leaders and it's not very pretty for our schools or for vital health services. It's not to late to try to persuade rank and file legislators not to sign onto this travesty of a budget. Come join us tomorrow at the Arizona state capitol to march in protest and let your legislators know you won't stand for...
AZNetroots - Jun 26 - 6 clicks
As anticipated, Farrah Fawcett succumbed to her cancer yesterday with her partner Ryan O’Neil and her attending physician, who insured she was free of pain, right at her side. She was 62. Not remotely anticipated was the sudden demise of Pop Icon Michael Jackson at the age of 50. Estimates run at four to six weeks for what most know is the focal point of the story - the toxicology report. J...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 26
OMG. Per this afternoon’s Guardian: Senate President Bob Burns told his Republican caucus today that the agreement, reached at about 1 a.m., includes passage of the GOP budget bills with trailers that reflect compromises on budget cuts and other issues, a flat income tax rate that would replace the graduated income tax, and a temporary [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jun 26
Rob O’Dell has an AZ Star story (6/24/09) that begins with: City Hall and other Tucson facilities will be shut down for five extra business days over the next year so employees can be sent home without pay to help balance the city budget. We also have the story where Clothmeisters decided to screw the Rialto Theater for nine or so months of "back rent" in a clear act of retaliation afte...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 24 - 3 clicks
It didn't take long for people to begin questioning whether South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was telling the truth when he told his staff he was going hiking for a few days on the Appalachian trail (including father's day when he didn't even bother to call home.) The obvious question to ask was whether he was having an affair. If he was using the hiking story as a cover for an affair, and thi...
Deep Thought - Jun 24
Published Friday, May 22, 2009 in Southeast Valley Opinions of the Arizona Republic as “Some ASU students becoming agents of change.” “A great motto for all of us — find somebody to be successful for. Raise their hopes. Rise to their needs.” –President Barack Obama’s commencement address at Arizona State University, May 13, 2009. One learning outcome [...]...
Make Democracy Work - Jun 24 - 4 clicks
As you probably know by now, the Arizona Supreme Court today refused to compel the Arizona Legislature to forward the budget that it passed along to the governor who would likely veto it. Republican leaders apparently believe that by refusing to forward the budget to the Governor, they can strengthen their bargaining position by threatening to drop it on her at the last minute, forcing her...
AZNetroots - Jun 23 - 4 clicks
From nuestros amigos at Border Action Network What : Vigils in four Arizona towns to call on Arizona Senator John McCain and other participants of the White House Immigration Reform meeting to push for immigration reform this year. When: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 from 6:00-7:30pm Where : Tucson - Senator McCain's office at 407 W. Congress St. Douglas - Corner of 5th St and Pan American ...
AZNetroots - Jun 23 - 4 clicks
Neda Agha-Soltan , the unarmed, silently observing 26 year old woman mercilessly gunned down Saturday in the Tehran streets by basij militia, has become front page news at CNN as well as CBS and countless other sites. President Obama commented on the footage, "Heartbreaking." The Iranian regime would have to work long and hard to find an individual more problematic on the posters of its ...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 23
Walmart, in one of their worst ways of prioritizing prices above quality to date, turns to a foreign drug supplier, Ranbaxy Laboratories, LTD, who has repeatedly been investigated by the FDA and the DoJ for "inadequate" safeguards against contamination, falsification of records and submitting false information to the FDA. On top of that, just eight months before the FDA inspected Ranbaxy'...
AZNetroots - Jun 23
If the Arizona state government shuts down on July 1st as a result of the impasse between the government and the legislature, Todd Schwarz and Dorothy Czer of SEIU Arizona would like you to join them at the State Legislature to let them know how you feel about all this. Remember to tell all of your friends and neighbors that this is solely a Republican problem , the result of a Republican...
AZNetroots - Jun 23 - 5 clicks
Arizona held hostage, Day 22: Howdy, Friends O'Farley... One more week until we must deliver a balanced budget or face government shutdown. Democrats have the one reasonable plan on the table, but I'm not going to ask you to contact the governor's office to urge Governor Brewer to negotiate with us because she is still not listening to you. Despite your outpouring of support, our Democ...
AZNetroots - Jun 22 - 4 clicks
After opposition candidates in Iran claimed that more than the number of eligible voters cast ballots in Iran's disupted election in as many as 170 cities, an official from Iran's Guardian Council, the organization charged with certifying the election returns, took umbrage. “Statistics provided by the candidates, who claim more than 100 percent of those eligible have cast their ballot in 80 to 17...
Deep Thought - Jun 22
With a budget crisis threatening shutdown of state government after the end of this month, Sen. Jack Harper (R-Surprise!) is concerned with ... people using the word "ass" when they are not referring to a mule or donkey. What a dumbass! ...
AZNetroots - Jun 22
The specific embed here may stop working as the ongoing cyber battle rages. The video is the real one, so be warned. What got me was the real time blood from her nose and mouth. I don’t think the current regime understands the new reality and the damage it has sustained. Iran’s controlled media now refer to the protesters as terrorists (what irony), suggesting the ayatollahs don’...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 21
The demise of the printed Tucson Citizen may indeed turn out to be an injection of energy into the local blogosphere. I encourage the reader to consider some recent blog material at the new Citizen . One addition worth following is Meet Me Downtown by someone new to the blogs, Tucson downtown expert Donovan Durband, former director of the Alliance before it was clothified. In another case...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 19 - 3 clicks
The “Fire David Letterman” protest yesterday afternoon was a failure. More media than protesters showed up, and the protesters just seemed to spew hate out of their mouths. Give Letterman a break already! He made a few jokes that were innappropriate (and kinda funny) and he apologized profusely, so let it go. The reason why this conflict has been dragged out is because Palin fee...
Young Democrats of Arizona Blog - Jun 19
When TREO stole SAIAT’s funding and forced the closure of the training institute, I knew it was only a matter of time before Raytheon, the one company in Tucson (SAIAT’s largest customer) with sufficient resources would replace the loss with a training facility of its own. Conversation already existed about such a facility even with a SAIAT in operation. The ribbon cutting ceremony was Tuesday, ...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jun 19 - 2 clicks
After admitting an affair yesterday, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) resigned his leadership position as Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee (the number four spot in the house GOP leadership) but declined to resign from the Senate. As a matter of fact, I will say that I support his decision not to resign. That's because it is up to the voters of Nevada to decide whether they feel that whateve...
Deep Thought - Jun 19
You'd think that with one-party rule in the legislature and the Governor's office, Arizona Republicans wouldn't have any trouble getting a budget together. After all, the legislature was continually at loggerheads with former Governor Napolitano, a Democrat, and you'd think they'd welcome an opportunity to make their case to voters that they can get things done without having to inconveniently inv...
Deep Thought - Jun 17 - 2 clicks
