Arizona
updated
10:23 p.m.
Things that appear certain, based on polling: Mitt Romney is on his way to a relatively easy win in tomorrow's caucuses in Nevada. Romney is also in pretty decent shape in the two late February primaries in Arizona and Michigan, two states that (on paper) set up pretty well for him. Gingrich's national standing, at least in the Gallup tracking polls, has taken a mighty dive. What...
DailyKos (Arizona) - 5:47 p.m. - 8 clicks 
by David Safier AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) created a website, RAZING (workers' rights in) ARIZONA. On the site, you can sign the open letter below. To the lawmakers, governors, policy-wonks, and corporate backers who are......
Blog For Arizona - 5:25 p.m. - 7 clicks
by David Safier OK, Indian Wells is more like Palm Springs than Tucson, but I drove there a few years ago to attend the tennis tourney, so it's not that far away. Here's a semi-first hand report about the four......
Blog For Arizona - 5:25 p.m. - 7 clicks
Yeah, I’ve been bad about posting. I’ll give refunds to those that ask. I can’t let the birthday of one of this blog’s favorite old time Arizona politicians pass. Buckey O’Neill was born on February 2 in 1860. He might have been born in Missouri, Washington, DC or Ireland. The facts of his birth varied [...]...
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - 3:23 p.m. - 11 clicks
by David Safier Dr. Word is unquestionably aware Gingrich is the original Dr. Political Word. Back in his House days, Gingrich sent countless memos to fellow Republicans telling them exactly the words and phrases to use when attacking Democrats. It......
Blog For Arizona - 2:03 p.m.
The problems facing Arizona are simple - the state is the victim of hordes of Mexicans who come in and steal jobs from real citizens. The way to solve the problem is to tighten our efforts to identify and deport the unwanted visitors. That is the Republican version. The problem is that this is utter nonsense. ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - 1:44 p.m. - 4 clicks
by David Safier Here's the link to a 30 second ad to be aired during the Super Bowl featuring Boston Mayor Tom Menino and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, titled, "Putting Football Rivalries Aside, Mayors Unite Against Illegal Guns." Watch......
Blog For Arizona - 11:07 a.m. - 2 clicks
Conservatives often tell me they are more altruistic than liberals, touting surveys showing that conservatives donate more to charity and volunteer more often. I’ve always been skeptical of those claims because a lot of it is tithing and participating in church activities, which I don’t consider charity except to the extent that they are actually [...]...
Democratic Diva - 10:44 a.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Steve Benen has left the Political Animal blog at the Washington Monthly for a gig as a producer of the Rachel Maddow Show. He is still blogging at the Rachel Maddow Blog. And that's a good thing......
Blog For Arizona - 9:29 a.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: You are cordially invited to the AZ LD 30 "Boot Stompin' Red Hot Chili Lovers Cook-off!" Saturday, February 25th 12:00 - 2:00 PM Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson 4831 E. 22nd St. Tucson, AZ 85711 Master of......
Blog For Arizona - 9:29 a.m. - 8 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: John Nichols of The Nation was a guest on MSNBC's The Ed Show Thursday night to discuss his report on the connection between the Goldwater Institute, ALEC, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Arizona Tea-Publicans......
Blog For Arizona - 9:09 a.m. - 11 clicks
by David Safier I usually don't post entire Arizona Democratic Party emails, but I'm making an exception in this case. This past Wednesday, the Tea Party Republicans in the state Senate fast-tracked an all out assault on the middle class......
Blog For Arizona - 9:09 a.m. - 10 clicks
Arizona unions will need solidarity in their fight. ( AFL-CIO ) Arizona unions face an organizing challenge as the state Senate moves a comprehensive attack on public unions . What do you do, faced with a 21 to 9 Republican majority intent on stripping workers of collective bargaining rights just for starters, and acting quickly to do so? Given the speed with which Republicans have in...
DailyKos (Arizona) - 7:47 a.m. - 8 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Please join the Pima Area Labor Federation (PALF), AFSCME, CWA Local 7000 and community supporters to stand up to the attacks on union members and their families. WHAT: Rally Against Anti-Worker Bills WHEN: Friday, February 3, 4:00......
Blog For Arizona - 7:47 a.m. - 8 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Senate Committee on Government Reform approved four anti-worker bills on Wednesday on a party-line vote, bills that were introduced only on Monday by its chair, Sen. Rick Murphy, R-Glendale, and fast-tracked for swift passage in the......
Blog For Arizona - 7:29 a.m. - 11 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: President Obama has a "My Turn" guest opinion in the Arizona Republic today, Obama: Housing plan will boost economy: In my State of the Union Address, I laid out a blueprint for an economy that's built to......
Blog For Arizona - 7:08 a.m. - 9 clicks
Posted by Michael Bryan I actually don't know how much of this fact and how much is political puffery, but it's a well-done attack ad - and there is never anything I don't like about an attack ad on a......
Blog For Arizona - 7:08 a.m. - 11 clicks
Posted by Bob Lord I haven’t written about Mitt, my buddy, in a few days, and he’s been so busy. Is there a more pathetic endorsement to accept than Donald Trump’s? But I digress. Here’s my two cents on the......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 9:20 p.m.
Posted by Michael Bryan Richard Carmona, former Surgeon General in the Bush II Admin, announced two major endorsements from Pima County officials today: Sheriff Clarence Dupnik and County Attorney Barbara LaWall. These endorsements are a forceful moves to establish Carmona's......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 7:23 p.m. - 12 clicks
From the Arizona Capitol Times , written by Jeremy Duda - Recalled former Sen. Russell Pearce is eyeing a return to the Capitol. Pearce, who was ousted in a historic recall election in November, filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s Office on Jan. 30 to run for the Senate in the new District 25. In the article, Pearce is indirectly quoted ( from this article from Howard Fisc...
Random Musings - Thu 6:48 p.m. - 13 clicks
Oh, goodie. Arizona's former Senate President, Russell Pearce, whose racist ass was overwhelmingly recalled last November in his very conservative Mesa district, has filed paperwork to run for the State Senate in District 25, a new district. Former Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce filed papers Monday to run for the Senate in the new District 25. The Mesa resident was the first legislator ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Thu 6:02 p.m. - 12 clicks
by David Safier This is an absolutely serious suggestion from an English teacher with 30-plus years in the classroom who loves students and loves to see them read and think. Put the 7 books which were removed from MAS classrooms......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 5:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
by David Safier Here are a few passages from Grijalva's Media Release speaking out against Arizona's proposed anti-worker legislation. “Blaming unions and working families for a lack of jobs is the same insulting distraction it’s always been,” Grijalva said. “These......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 2:46 p.m. - 13 clicks
by David Safier Craig Barrett, who is the front man for Jan Brewer's education agenda, loves to use BASIS Charter as an example of all that's wonderful about charter schools and "school choice." He's the president and chairman, so he......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 2:09 p.m. - 15 clicks
Posted By azBlueMeanie: President Obama on Wednesday proposed a "Homeowner Bill of Rights" that would fundamentally change the way houses are bought, sold and refinanced in an effort to stabilize the nation's ailing housing system. Obama unveils plan on housing:......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 11:46 a.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Last week Willard "Mittens" Romney told underwater homeowners in Florida, "Well, the banks aren't bad people. They're just overwhelmed right now." "The banks are scared to death, of course," he said. "They're feeling the same thing that......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 11:46 a.m.
Last fall Arizona Governor and finger-wagging expert Jan Brewer launched Jan PAC , her political action committee that is focused on, she writes: • Securing the border & restoring integrity to our immigration system • Fighting ObamaCare • Creating jobs – Getting Americans back to work • Reducing the size of government As the website says, if you donate $100 or more, you'll also recei...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Thu 10:47 a.m. - 14 clicks
Rep. Daniel Patterson introduces HB2747 to decrease high-school dropout rate STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX -- Rep. Daniel Patterson , D-Tucson (LD29/LD3), introduced a bill Wednesday that would require students to stay in school until their 18th birthday or graduation. “Right now, 24 percent of our students are not leaving high school with a diploma in hand,” Patterson said, citing stat...
Daniel's News & Views - Thu 10:24 a.m. - 11 clicks
Indiana became the 23rd state to institute a so-called “right to work” law yesterday. Across the country these laws have depressed wages for union and non-union workers alike, and have contributed to unsafe working conditions. Unfortunately, anti-worker forces in other states are looking to follow Indiana’s lead. In Ohio: An Ohio group has been cleared to continue its effort to push...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Thu 8:29 a.m. - 16 clicks
by David Safier I receive the Goldwater Institute Daily Emails. Know thy enemy. I pay most attention to the anti-teacher, anti-school-district tirades. But lately, G.I. has put out a barrage of emails about the evils of unions and the "common......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 7:41 a.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Senate Minority Leader David Shapira was a guest on The Ed Show on Wednesday night, discussing Governor Jan Brewer and her Tea-Publican legislature's full-scale assault on public employee unions and workers rights in the Arizona legislature this......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 6:47 a.m. - 12 clicks
by David Safier Seriously. It's in quotes, so I have to assume Sen. Lori Klein really said this about the draconian anti-union bills making their way through the legislature, bills which, according to someone from the Goldwater Institute, would make......
Blog For Arizona - Thu 6:47 a.m.
...First, the "other stuff" - On a sad note, Michael D. Ryan, the highly-regarded former Arizona Supreme Court Justice, passed away on Monday. His funeral services will be held Friday at St. Francis Xavier Church on Central Avenue in Phoenix at 3 p.m. Services will be preceded by visitation at 2 p.m. As a veteran (a hero, actually), his body will probably be interred at ...
Random Musings - Wed 8:40 p.m. - 14 clicks
by David Safier Otherwise, I'd be running out of room to save all the articles about the MAS controversy I come across. It's being covered nationally and internationally, blogs and traditional news media. This story isn't going away. Did the......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 8:20 p.m. - 2 clicks
by David Safier OK, this one is just for fun. I was watching Rachel Maddow a few minutes ago. She was talking about the satirist who created the term "self deportation" in California a few years back to take the......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 7:06 p.m.
Last night I posted a diary about the anti-union goings-on in Arizona, where ALEC puppet Governor Jan Brewer and her merry band of Republican goons have introduced legislation that will prohibit public sector unions from sitting at the table -- any table: schools, police, social workers, you get the picture. What makes Brewer's proposal "Wisconsin on steroids," as critics have described it...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 6:46 p.m. - 17 clicks
Okay, people, did I not tell you the other day that being vigilant about reproductive justice is important? Personhood has reared its head in Arizona. 2010 was the year Arizona voters lost their damn minds and sent a bunch of reactionary whackaloons to the Arizona Legislature, essentially to show that Kenyan Usurper in the White [...]...
Democratic Diva - Wed 4:20 p.m. - 22 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The lobbyists from the Golwater Institute will testify on Thursday about how public sector employees are paid more than their private sector counterparts. This is something that FAUX News Fraudcasting has been laying the groundwork for since......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 3:49 p.m.
by David Safier Every teacher has stories of students handing in too-good-to-be-true research papers where, in the midst of brainless copying, they neglected to take out phrases like "(See page 473)." It looks like Florida Rep. Rachel Burgin was one......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 3:26 p.m.
by David Safier There's a wonderful column by Gary Younge in the UK Guardian about the MAS controversy. It's worth reading the whole thing, but I'm going to jump around the column as I include a few excerpts in this......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 2:09 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: "Mr .006 percent," vulture capitalist Willard "Mittens" Romney, told CNN today that "I'm not concerned about the very poor." Well, no shit, Sherlock. I doubt you even know a poor person "in the real streets of America."......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 1:48 p.m.
The gutless Susan G. Komen Foundation announced the termination of its support for Planned Parenthood, allegedly due to the Komen Foundation's policy of not supporting organizations that are "under investigation," even bullshit ones that are nakedly political. Well, here's something Arizonans can do that is easy, effective, powerful, and as close to perfect as you're likely to find. ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 1:06 p.m. - 14 clicks
When I decided to remove the Bermuda lawn from our front yard, I was also considering how I would redesign the space. With the exception of a few legacy plants, I essentially, for the first time, had a blank canvas to work with. A way for me to get started on the design was to begin observing some key elements of the space: sun, wind, water and traffic. ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 1:06 p.m.
By Walter Ewing The federal government’s current approach to border security is dangerously misguided. Border-enforcement resources are directed at what gets smuggled across the border—people, drugs, guns, money—rather than who is doing the smuggling; namely, the transnational criminal organizations based in Mexico which are commonly referred to as the “cartels.” If the U.S. government wan...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 1:06 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Let's be honest. Disgraced former House Speaker and preeminent housing historian Newt Gingrich is a megalomaniac. Newt frames every issue in apocalyptic terms: this is the end of civilization as we know it unless we follow him,......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 12:47 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: You might not have heard that a Democrat won a special election for Congress last night with the media villagers falling all over themselves to talk about the GOP primary in Florida. Suzanne Bonamici continued the Democratic......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 12:06 p.m.
by David Safier Mark Bittman is the main food guy at the NY Times. He's for sensible good eating. He has a blog post today saying, while the new school lunch rules aren't ideal, they're an important step toward offering......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 10:07 a.m.
by David Safier No, I wasn't in a coma during the 2011 state legislative session. I remember the unbelievable onslaught of pro-rich, anti-poor, anti-brown, anti-women, anti-school bills proposed during that session. And even with that fresh in my memory, I......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 9:28 a.m. - 2 clicks
Posted by AzblueMeanie: Anti-abortion jihadist Sen. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa) is also an anti-immigrant extremist who wants to fill the shoes of disgraced recalled Sen. Russell Pearce. Smith is bringing back anti-immigrant measures that the business community helped to kill in......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 8:44 a.m. - 13 clicks
Apart from the stories detailed by fellow Valley of the Sun-based Kossack Mother Mags about the Arizona GOP's 1) Efforts to annihilate worker representation from the state's public sector 2) AND curtail public input wherever possible (except in the case of lobbyists the actually write the laws) and cement a full scale merging of government and business (i.e. corporatocracy and crony capi...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 8:08 a.m. - 17 clicks
Arizona Republicans: "Top that, Scott Walker!" Over the past two years, Arizona's state government, led by Gov. Jan Brewer, has been characterized by not just run-of-the-mill Republican awfulness, but stuff that's kind of creative in its stupidity. Like selling the state capitol only to buy it back two years later at a $24 million loss. Impeaching the chair of the redistricting commis...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Wed 8:08 a.m. - 12 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Christian Taliban is back again, seeking to impose its religious dogma on all Americans of all religious faiths or no religious faith, by force of law. It is a clear violation of constitutional separation of church......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 7:07 a.m. - 2 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Time once again for the Farley report from Rep. Steve Farley (D-Tucson): There are many caucuses in the Arizona Legislature besides the Republican and Democratic caucuses, including the Children's Caucus, Native American Caucus, Tourism Caucus, Animal Caucus,......
Blog For Arizona - Wed 5:23 a.m. - 10 clicks
There has been an intense Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting going on today, with detractors of the dear Sheriff walking out in disgust. Seems some people in AZ are singing a different tune about Sheriff Joe, lately. He is not the popular fellow he likes to see himself as, anymore. Last night an historic unanimous resolution City of Phoenix Human Relations Commissi...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Tue 6:49 p.m. - 14 clicks
by David Safier We already knew Arizona Republicans hate teachers and the unions representing them. We also knew they hate the unionized government workers who keep the wheels of state turning and provide services to Arizonans. Now we know they......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 6:49 p.m. - 14 clicks
We don't cotton to other states elbowing in on Arizona's limelight of the crazy, so when Wisconsin and others voted to curb the influence of collective bargaining (and Ohio repealed the same), the dunderheads at the Arizona legislature decided to wipe out public employee unions altogether, writes Channel 12 reporter Brahm Resnik. Wisconsin's collective bargaining law enacted last year made uni...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Tue 6:08 p.m. - 26 clicks
by David Safier Sherman Alexie, a Native American who grew up on the Spokane Indian reservation and is a marvelous writer with a wide readership, commented about TUSD's book ban. First his tweet: Here is his longer statement: Let's get......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 3:40 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Heads up people! This is the bid by Jan Brewer to be the Scott Walker of the West that I have been warning you about for months. Jan Brewer seeks to go well beyond the assault on......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 3:40 p.m. - 14 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: David Crowe, the Republican-turned-Democrat who was running for the U.S. Senate, has now decided to primary Congressman Raúl Grijalva for the new CD 3 congressional seat. I have had a chance to speak with Mr. Crowe a......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 3:24 p.m. - 12 clicks
by David Safier Rich Crandall's latest argument for his bill making it optional for school districts to participate in the federal free/reduced lunch program: Everyone will continue to participate, so it won't make any difference. Crandall, who chairs the Senate......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 2:24 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Doctor Matt Heinz, Democratic Representative for LD 29, is the first Democrat to announce for the Giffords seat. Petitions must be filed 28 days from today. Arizona Rep. Heinz to run for Giffords' seat: State representative Matt......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 2:07 p.m. - 11 clicks
My good bud Diane D’Angelo chairs the City of Phoenix Human Rights Commission. Unlike many boards and commissions, HRC actually does stuff. Last night they voted unanimously to demand Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s resignation for numerous and egregious civil and human rights violations. Needless to say this has caused consternation among Arpaio’s nativist fan [...]...
Democratic Diva - Tue 1:27 p.m. - 17 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Former Rep. Nancy Young Wright (D-LD 26) is running for Pima County Board of Supervisors (District 1) this year. Below is an Announcement (.pdf) for a campaign event from her campaign....
Blog For Arizona - Tue 1:26 p.m. - 12 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Oh, geezuz... I have previously explained how 20 years of GOP tax cuts have created a structural revenue deficit hole in Arizona that cannot be filled by "magical" belief in faith based supply-side "trickle down" GOP economics.......
Blog For Arizona - Tue 6:42 a.m. - 15 clicks
What follows is a letter I received from Scott Nicholson, a community organizer who has been working on the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. It is posted here in full with his permission. ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Mon 8:25 p.m. - 12 clicks
Posted by Bob Lord If I could wave a magic wand over all immigrant kids and confer legal status with a clear path to citizenship on them, I would. In a heartbeat. But I’m really not comfortable with the DREAM......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 8:25 p.m.
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings ...Confirming rumors of long standing, Andrei Cherny has resigned as chair of the Arizona Democratic Party to run for Congress in the new CD9. He joins State Senator David Schapira and Kyrsten Sinema......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 8:04 p.m. - 13 clicks
...Confirming rumors of long standing, Andrei Cherny has resigned as chair of the Arizona Democratic Party to run for Congress in the new CD9. He joins State Senator David Schapira and Kyrsten Sinema in the field pursuing the Democratic nomination. No paperwork is up on the FECs website, but his campaign website is already up ( bare bones, but it's there ). His entry muddies up...
Random Musings - Mon 7:29 p.m. - 18 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Willard "Mittens" Romney has used his substantial financial resources to try to score a knock-out punch in the Florida primary on Tuesday. He has outspent Newt Gingrich by some estimates 5-1 in Florida. If polling coming out......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 3:25 p.m.
by David Safier It's a long and impressive list -- the organizations signing on to a Joint Statement in Opposition to Book Censorship in the Tucson Unified School District. When groups of this caliber band together to oppose an action......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 2:08 p.m. - 19 clicks
“If all you care about is abortion…” Last week, someone prefaced a comment to me thusly. I’ve heard variants of that line for years, mostly from fellow liberals and centrists who think some of us ladies spend too much time dwelling on reproductive justice when there are so many more Important ThingsTM we ought to [...]...
Democratic Diva - Mon 1:03 p.m.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: As Dana Carvey's SNL character the Church Lady would say: "Isn't that special!" Arizona Democratic Party Chair Andrei Cherny, for whom the party had to bend its bylaws last year in order to make him chair of......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 12:25 p.m. - 17 clicks
by David Safier This ad for the NRA store would be laughable if it weren't for the use of JFK, assassinated by rifle shots, as a supporter of the perversion of "Freedom" the NRA stands for. The "I didn't say......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 11:40 a.m.
Most of the noise here last week was about the Governor's wagging finger, allowing a couple other screwball stories to more or less skate under the media smokescreen. When it comes to inventing tools to silence the public, the GOP is on a roll, from advancing repressive voter ID laws to wielding Citizens United 's big club. Last year set the tone here in Arizona when then-Senate President R...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Mon 11:29 a.m. - 11 clicks
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: While I am on the subject of the Goldwater Institute's ready and willing stooge, Rep. Justin Olson (R-Mesa), this piece of work is up to something even more nefarious. Olson is proposing that the House adopt a......
Blog For Arizona - Mon 8:22 a.m. - 11 clicks
Arizona House Speaker Tobin @font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX -- Here is a staff summary of Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin 's (R) controversial redistricting bills. This is certain to be a bi...
Daniel's News & Views - Mon 6:08 a.m. - 15 clicks
Due to the lateness of the hour, this post will cover only Monday's schedule at the Arizona Capitol. A post on the rest of the weeks schedule will go up Monday night. I'm not going into a lot of depth here tonight, so if an agenda or committee covers an area that you are interested in, click on the agenda and check out the rest of the bills... All agendas and their specifics, inc...
Random Musings - Sun 9:21 p.m. - 15 clicks
My husband and I travel and we've traveled. All over the USA and Europe and Canada. We sacrificed and saved, saved, saved when we were younger, and we never went on vacation anywhere, and when we got vacation from work, we stayed home. I had more family and friends way back when, and when family or friends would visit, we'd take time off and show them around, but pretty much when my family ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Sun 7:50 p.m. - 2 clicks
As president Obama made his way to the podium before his State of the Union address on Tuesday night there was a poignant reminder of the culture of hate and violence that has marked our public life in recent years. Obama paused for a sustained greeting and hug with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) who had just announced her resignation from Congress to complete her recovery from an assassin...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Sun 12:50 p.m.
In the celebrated annals of Arizona wingnuttery, State Senator Sylvia Allen doesn't often share the national limelight with the likes of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Governor Jan Brewer, but she does occupy a permanent seat among the looniest fundies at the legislature. It was Allen, you may recall, who declared, during a natural resources committee hearing no less, that the earth has lasted for 6,0...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Sat 1:46 p.m. - 15 clicks
...and the fun part is: he wants the voters to pay $8 million for the privilege of subverting their own will... Rep. Andy Tobin (R-Paulden), the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, has introduced HB2710 , HCR2051 , HCR2052 , HCR2053 , and HR2005 . If passed, they would mandate a special election in May where the voters would be "asked" to amend the inde...
Random Musings - Sat 11:45 a.m. - 16 clicks
At the height of the Republican pity party over redistricting, I asked how many districts for the Republicans would be fair. That’s because despite the hollering and blubbering about “unfairness,” they did pretty well: fifteen or sixteen Republican legislative districts depending on how one chooses to measure such things. For the math challenged among you [...]...
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - Sat 10:45 a.m.
Despite the removal of Russell Pearce, there are still plenty of ridiculous anti-immigration and “border security” bills at the legislature. With the diminished Democratic minority, it would be nice if we could count them to oppose those bills. For example this week saw a vote on SB 1083, a bill pushed by Sylvia Allen (R [...]...
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - Sat 9:26 a.m. - 3 clicks
This is a diary I have been wanting to write for some time now. I saw my pain doctor in December and at that time told him I had gotten a Medical Marijuana card, but had no reliable way to get marijuana. Unfortunately, Gov. Brewer decided to play politics with the MM law in AZ and refused to let dispensaries open. Now that Gov. Brewer has lost two court cases, one federal and one...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Sat 8:02 a.m.
Mitt Romney is resurgent! (Unless he's not.) Even if he's not, though, the schedule favors Mitt Romney. After all, he is coming up on a series of contests in places like Arizona and Michigan, where he should have a real advantage. (Unless he doesn't.) There are two very contradictory themes developing as we head into the weekend before the Florida primaries. On one hand, it is becomi...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 27 - 13 clicks
So, I've decided that to further my learning about progressive political theory, I can't just observe. I have to ask questions. From now on I will be asking a question every single day. It may be about a very broad subject, it may be very specific. It may even be a little silly. In addition to this question, every day I'll provide my own insight onto issues or maybe tell a little story. Now, onw...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 27
1944 - Mrs. Drinkwine hatches the future governor of Arizona. Repeated requests for a return or exchange were denied. 1966 - After failing to finish community college, Brewer achieves a lab tech certificate in radiology. COINCIDENCE? I think NOT! "I have, uh, done so much and I just cannot believe that we have changed everything since I have become your governor in the last 600 days." ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 27 - 10 clicks
Bank of America is continuing to be remarkably thin-skinned. Of course, when experiences like Kaili Joy Gray's go public , they look really bad. Just as bad, in fact, as they actually are. Now, thanks to investigators in Arizona, we know how Bank of America is dealing with that kind of public airing of grievances by their customers, at least on the mortgage side of their business. They're ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 27
I’m headed off to a meeting of the Pima County Bond Advisory Committee today. My understanding is that Terri Proud and some other sponsors of a bill to cripple the county’s ability to sell bonds will be there. The bill would give Sahuarita, Oro Valley and Marana the ability to effectively veto projects. Ostensibly, this [...]...
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - Jan 27 - 6 clicks
A month ago, it looked like the District 9 races would be snoozers. Rep. Steve Farley was set to run against former Rep. Dave Bradley for state senate might provide a hint of excitement, but the house race only consisted of two declared candidates for two seats: 2010 candidate Mohur Sidhwa and former KOLD reporter [...]...
Rum, Romanism and Rebellion - Jan 27
President Obama didn’t exactly walk away from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) during their disagreement on Wednesday on an airport tarmac near Phoenix, said one of the only people to witness the exchange up close. The president simply began talking to the other two elected officials who were there to greet him. Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa, AZ, a Republican, was one of four individuals in the ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 27 - 5 clicks
According to a little birdie (meaning a source I can't name, but who I trust) Republican Wendy Rogers, late of a losing campaign for state senate (she challenged and lost to David Schapira in 2010), was at a Republican LD meeting this week talking up a run for Congress in the new 9th Congressional District. Apparently, she is still so ticked at Schapira for defeating her once, she wants to g...
Random Musings - Jan 26
We just can't keep this state off the front pages, whether it's Jan Brewer's wagging index finger or Joe Arpaio's head full of hate. Now, this afternoon: The Secret Service said Thursday that it was looking into a photograph posted on the Internet that showed a group of young Arizona men posing in the desert with guns while holding up what appeared to be a bullet-riddled image of President Oba...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26 - 2 clicks
President Obama in an interview with Diane Sawyer tonight downplayed the incident with Gov. Brewer-AZ on the tarmac yesterday. He said the media blew a small issue out of proportion. "This is not a big deal," the president said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer that will air on ABC World News Thursday night. "It's always good publicity for a Republican if they're in an argu...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26
If you haven't heard yet, a candidate for City Council in San Luis, Arizona, a border town on the Colorado River (and just east of the California border) near Yuma and Calexico/Mexicali, has been removed from the ballot because her English wasn't good enough . One more reminder of the impact of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Gadsden Purchase -- the citizens we acquired between 18...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26 - 3 clicks
These guys can't leave well enough alone, can they? It's bad enough that GED Jan's wagging finger has been all over the national news, prompting comments that she is disrespectful, that she embarrassed Arizona (a weekly occurrence by some asshole), or that she may have been hammered. The heavy drinking accusation is not a new one. As early as 1988, when she was a state senator, Brewer was det...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26 - 2 clicks
The Spanish entrada (entrance) into the American Southwest began during the sixteenth century with explorers who were driven by greed. The Spanish hunger for gold and other fast wealth was justified in their own minds by their religion: their attempts to harvest souls for their religion justified their brutality toward the native peoples they encountered. They had absolutely no doubts about th...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26
Perhaps that could explains his tortured facial expression when Gov. Brewer was waving her finger in his face. Let's look at the facts: 1.) The President has a stressful job and a busy travel schedule - which could lead to bad eating habits which in turn could lead to - constipation? 2.) It's well known in Congressional circles that the President is a big fan of Five Guys Burger an...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26
Are you outraged about the book banning in Tucson ? Please take a few seconds to sign this petition . Let Superintendent Pedicone and the Tucson Unified School District Board know how you feel. You may rest assured that the Mexican-American Studies program boosts achievement and instills confidence, some would say too much confidence, in the students w...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26 - 2 clicks
There are a couple of other diaries about the finger-wagging episode when President Obama met Gov. Brewer in Arizona. Here's another take from David Keller of the Phoenix Congressional Oversight Examiner: "Did Tipsy Arizona Governor wag finger in Presidents face?" ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 26 - 4 clicks
Per WaPo Politics: “He didn’t feel that I had treated him cordially” in the book, Brewer explained to reporters Wednesday. “I said to him that I have all the respect in the world for the office of the president. The book is what the book is. I asked him if he read the book. He [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jan 25
I don't know about you, but to me the picture of Jan Brewer obviously yelling and with her finger up in his face embodies the sort of disrespect President Obama has been subjected to since day one of his presidency. See story (and sorry picture) here. Jan Brewer's office . Phone Numbers Phoenix Office: Tucson Office: Fax Number: In-State Toll Free: (602) 542-4331 (520) 628-6...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 25 - 6 clicks
I need to move out of this state. I am so tired of being ashamed of my elected representatives. President Obama came to visit AZ this afternoon and help promote business here, and the first thing our governor does is hand him and letter and try to engage him in angry rhetoric over the border. Then she pointed her finger at him. Now I think pointing at anyone is rude to st...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 25
Gabby Giffords officially resigned today. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, read the letter, while Gabby held hands with AZ Republican congressman, Jeff Flake. Gabby was recognized as one who could cross the aisle to get things done. A rarity in today's congress. Gabby was my congresswoman, and she was shot at the Safeway where I shop. To be honest, Gabby was a Blue Dog and I am much more p...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 25 - 3 clicks
They tell us Gabriel Gifford has introduced a bill in congress that will legalize the use of drones on the border........the day she leaves office. She won't even be able to vote on this "bipartisan" bill that I'm really sure she wrote. You can tell by her recent interviews that she's perfectly capable of writing laws, and that's why she's leaving congress. She wants to go write more laws. You k...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 25
Screw your "million years," Arpaio. At best you'll be a tiny salt shaker of grey dust by then and, besides, it's happening now , even though the dipshit Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is too shakey-legs to schedule a public discussion of your over-the-top malfeasance. Oh no, we can't talk about that in public -- you know, like citizens. Local activists for the past two months have dem...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 25 - 3 clicks
By now, everyone has heard of the Republicans', led by Tom Horne and John Huppenthal, banning of Tucson's Ethnic Studies program, and of the Tucson Unified School District topping that by banning the books that were part of the curriculum ( as well as many more ). The Republicans didn't and don't approve of anything that contradicts their ideological stance that all brown people are bad. By no...
Random Musings - Jan 24 - 3 clicks
Arizona banned Mexican-American and Native American ethnic studies classes. The Tuscon Unified School District, after fighting it for a year, capitulated and shut down its ethnic studies program. The fallout is disturbing and evocative of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: book banning on a potentially massive scale. ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 24 - 2 clicks
Rep. Trent Franks just can’t keep his hands to himself. Franks (R-Ariz.), author of the infamously ridiculous/sad May 2011 op-ed , “Women in Combat: The Culture War on the Backs of Our Troops” (excerpt: “It may surprise some of these feminists to learn, for example, that women can get pregnant while men, it turns out, cannot.”), has a long history of trying to tell women what they can and can...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 24 - 2 clicks
Rep. Terri Proud, a Tea Party freshman in the Arizona Legislature, is sponsoring a bill allowing an elective course on “Biblical influence”. Here’s the language and your Diva has indicated the salient portion: So teachers, you are not required to use a specific version of the Bible. I recommend this one: The Skeptic’s Annotated Bible...
Democratic Diva - Jan 24
Look. America cannot make the best of the 21st century and reach whatever potential might be there to reach by 2100 unless as a country, we learn to face reality. We have issues. The business of getting it together and trying to progress is the business of seeing clearly: Global Warming. Science. Multi Cultural Being in a Pluralistic World of 7 Billion People....
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 24 - 2 clicks
Yesterday, the Arizona House; tonight, the Senate and other stuff ... ...Tuesday at 9 a.m., Veterans, Military, and Government Affairs will meet in SHR3. Fairly quiet. ...Tuesday at 2 p.m., Banking and Finance will meet in SHR3 . Fairly quiet. ( caveat: There are bills on this short agenda that I don't understand, so they may be sneaky bad bills. ) ...Tuesday at 2 p.m., ...
Random Musings - Jan 23 - 2 clicks
Listening to Gabrielle Giffords speak today made me cry, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It also reminded me how horrible it is not to be able to speak coherently. It's a nightmare to be trapped in your own head, but not be able to say the words that you're thinking. You're reduced to the level of an animal - having to grunt and point, because by the time you remember the wo...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 23
I posted the diary I repost below the squiggle on Saturday, and was amazed at the response of the community. Nurse Kelley waved her magic wand and it got on the rec list immediately. The problem is this: I need a car, and have no money for one. Some people have asked what happened, and so I said I would post a second installment. In amounts ranging from $2 to $50, I received a t...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 23
Well, it's time to watch your civil rights and hide the children and small animals - the lege is back in town. Actually, they've been back for a couple of weeks now, but I've been busy and the first couple of weeks are mostly dedicated to getting organized. Most of the bills that move through committee this early in the session tend to be pretty non-controversial ( though tha...
Random Musings - Jan 22
They have this idea that people should be left alone, be able to do whatever they want to do, government should keep our taxes down and keep our regulations low, that we shouldn’t get involved in the bedroom, we shouldn’t get involved in cultural issues. That is not how traditional conservatives view the world. There [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jan 22
While I sit here and twitch at the thought of having to wait to access my course syllabus for my paralegal classes that this community had so wonderfully helped me pay a down payment on, I would like to rewind to 2009 for a bit. ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 22
Redistricting in Arizona is done! Last week, the Independent Redistricting Commission voted 3-2 to approve the final Congressional and State Legislature maps for the state of Arizona. They were submitted to the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for the necessary process of preclearance before they are officially enacted. The DOJ will grant preclearance, trust m...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 22 - 3 clicks
A year after she was was shot through the brain in an attack that claimed the lives of six people and wounded 13 other people, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has announced that she is stepping down from Congress this week. Message from Giffords - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAetv47b-Eg This will necessitate a special election to fill her seat for the remainder of her term. The wi...
Random Musings - Jan 22
Today in South Carolina while Republicans are picking their candidate, they are working behind the scenes to stop thousands of Democrats from voting in November. On Martin Luther King Day the Republicans held a debate where they touted South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley’s efforts to block African-Americans from voting by requiring a state issued ID [...]...
DFA-MC - Jan 22
Yesterday I participated in a workshop presented by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Protect Chuk Shon Rio Nuevo group to learn about Agricultural Sustainability, Native Farming, Cultural History and Indigenous Values as part of the effort to reclaim and restore the land that is the ancient birthplace of Tucson, Arizona, to protect it from becoming privatized and destroyed by commerc...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 22
As it is with other Kossacks who have written similar diaries, it is hard to write this diary. Not only is the current situation tough, but I feel that I have to go back a year to explain the whole situation. And yet this doesn't seem as serious as the troubles some others have been having. But I see no way to fix it. As it so often is, it's a matter of money. I need a ...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 21
A key passage in Arizona's HB 2281, the "ethnic studies ban" for elementary and secondary schools, reads: A. A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IN THIS STATE SHALL NOT INCLUDE IN ITS PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION ANY COURSES OR CLASSES THAT INCLUDE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING: 1. PROMOTE THE OVERTHROW OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT. 2. PROMOTE RESENTMENT TOWARD A RACE OR CLASS OF PEOPL...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 19
January 18th, 2012 is the largest online protest in history, to stop the internet censorship bills, SOPA & PIPA. Join in by urging everyone you can reach to contact Congress now. SAMPLE LETTER TO CONGRESS: I am writing to you as a voter in your district. I urge you to vote “no” on cloture for [...]...
DFA-MC - Jan 19
I had been swapping newspaper stories with Olivia Ward of the Toronto Star on one of the saloon’s overstuffed leather couches as the bar filled with attendees of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) 2011 States and Nation Policy Summit (SNPS). ALEC had repeatedly refused to grant me media credentials. Nevertheless, I was a paying [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jan 18
State Senator David Schapira (D-LD17) ended weeks of speculation Tuesday when he announced that he is running for Congress in Arizona's new 9th Congressional District. His focus, both personally and politically, has been, is, and will be on education and economic issues. One of his motivations for running for a Congressional seat is to see that the coming reauthorization of the federal No Chil...
Random Musings - Jan 18
I sure hope Arizona's legislators receive royalties from the late-night talk shows, because they routinely provide Letterman, Leno, Fallon, and the others so much material to work with. Case in point: the new, revised, unadulterated Birther Bill! Now with less dick! Remember last year when the Arizona Legislature passed the infamous "Birther Bill?" And then Governor Jan Brewer -- in a rare m...
DailyKos (Arizona) - Jan 18 - 9 clicks
TUCSON -- The Arizona Eagle is on strike Wed. Jan 18 as part of a worldwide protest against internet censorship bills SOPA & PIPA in the US Congress. Please contact your US Rep. & Senators now. ...
Daniel's News & Views - Jan 17 - 9 clicks
I got the following email from the City of Phoenix: PHOENIX MANAGES TWO YEARS OF BUDGET DEFICITS; LEADERS PROJECT ZERO DEFICIT FOR 2012-13 After managing through a more than $330 million deficit over the last two years, Phoenix officials announced today that they are projecting no deficit for the upcoming fiscal year. “Revenues are improving [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jan 17 - 8 clicks
Brewer with her man Don 'take the money & run' Cardon. STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Rep. Daniel Patterson , D-Tucson, introduced a bill Thursday that would limit the salary of the CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. This follows the resignation Wednesday of Don Cardon , who grossed $300,000 annually as CEO of the authority. Cardon’s earnings also included a signing bonus of $50,0...
Daniel's News & Views - Jan 17 - 9 clicks
Per Clint Bolick of the Goldwater Institute (GI): It’s not every day that the New York Times makes a compelling case against government giveaways. But a recent page-one article underscored that the Solyndra scandal was only the tip of the solar-subsidy iceberg. Huge companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, General Electric, utilities including Exelon and [...]...
Democratic Diva - Jan 16
Excerpts from Gabby : She was sitting in speech therapy holding a photo of a wooden chair and staring intently at it. She was trying, almost desperately, to describe what she was looking at. "Spoon," she said again. Angie Glenn, her speech therapist, a young woman of good humor and great patience, corrected her, "No, Gabby, not a spoon," she said, "It's something you sit in. You sit...
Sustainability, Equity, Development - Jan 14
Federal developments of note: ...In a totally unsurprising development, State Sen. Ron Gould (R-The South will rise again!) announced that he is running for Congress in the new CD4. It is pretty much a safe R district, so the interesting fight will be in the primary. He joins Congressman Paul Gosar and Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu as officially in the race. There are a...
Random Musings - Jan 13
Arizonans back Grand Canyon protection. STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – Rep. Daniel Patterson , D-Tucson, praised the decision by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to issue a moratorium on dangerous uranium mining on a million acres of land near the Grand Canyon. The moratorium will be in place for the next 20 years to protect public health and Arizona’s beautiful lands. “I app...
Daniel's News & Views - Jan 13
