Sometimes you can learn a lot just by sitting quietly and looking like you aren't listening...
With all of the usual caveats about rumors...
The strange thing today was that while I was imitating a fly on the wall at the lege, most of the talk concerned the Governor.
1. Jan Brewer is strongly leaning against running for a full term as Governor; the unrelenting confrontations with the lege have her thoroughly disgusted with the whole thing.
2. If she was male, the lege leadership wouldn't be so passionately hostile to her.
3. Everybody expects the lege leadership to transmit their budget to the Governor at the last possible moment, forcing her to sign their budget or shut down the state government. (Yeah, that isn't exactly breaking news. :) )
4. She's not backing down.
4. People seemed to think that any shutdown would be a short one - Senate President Bob Burns has a vacation (to Europe?) scheduled for early July, and the annual meeting of the conservative organization, the American Legislative Exchange Council is taking place in the middle of the month. The expectation seems to be that any situation would be cleared up before Burns leaves the country.
5. Apparently that striker taking money from Camp Navajo's operations fund isn't the first time that Harper has gone after them. According to gossip, he wants the camp to accept mercury for storage. There is a lot of money in it.
Mercury is an incredibly toxic substance.
What wasn't made clear (I wasn't exactly in a position to ask for clarification) is who would benefit financially from exposing northern AZ and its resident to mercury - the AZ government and/or National Guard, or Harper himself.
Later...
7 comments:
I was listening to Bob Burns on J.D. Slugworth's radio show earlier this week and they were ridiculing the Governor for "throwing a hissy fit". Today on the Senate floor, Ron Gould said that the Governor needs to "stop behaving erratically" and just sign our budget. I definitely get the sense that these folks don't have much respect for women. What's next, will Jack Harper suggest she's "on the rag"?
"The expectation seems to be that any situation would be cleared up before Burns leaves the country."
Ah, yes. Europe awaits Sen. [Mongomery..."excellent, Smithers"] Burns. Get out now before those daft AZ citizens return from the ether of summer. Get of out town before they make their way for pitchforks.
All of it causes my mind to fall back to an old Kenny Rogers' tune..."You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille...."
Yes, I like Kenny. What of it? ;)
And of course Harper's looking into forcing Camp Navajo to choke on a pile of mercury. Start with things that go "boom" and figure everyone will shrug and say "meh, I don't care," when seriously hazardous toxins are dumped into the earth. Who cares, right? We're all going down anyway. Might as well make a couple of bucks while we're at it.
How you aren't seriously addicted to a major controlled substance, Mr. Musings, I do NOT know. But someone ought to buy you a drink.
Have had amazing conversations with friends close to this situation - conservatives seem to think they are going to gain tremendous support from the public by sticking with no new taxes approach.
Moderates (aka "RINOs") feel that tax pledges they had to sign shouldn't count to a referral, but aren't getting any help from ATR.
Dem's are trying their best not to walk around with permagrins. An all GOP budget fiasco, a GOP internecine war, and all the way Obama and the Dems in DC are turning out policy after policy, program after program.
You gotta believe that independents are going to shun the GOP in record numbers as this goes bad and Arizona's bonds start to take hits.
Zelph - I wonder if they understand that in a state where 4 out of the last 5 governors have been women, openly contemptuous misogyny may not be the best political tactic.
Jen - I'm a die-hard blues and blues-rock guy, yet I've always loved Karen Carpenter's voice, so I am not in a position to criticize Kenny. :)
I *am* seriously addicted - the lege is the best not-so-free floor show in the state.
There's terror (the budget), comedy (Harper), suspense (the budget), science fiction (Rep bills on anything related to science or the environment), and more.
I just wish they served popcorn. :)
PW - I hope you are right about independent voters. While the Reps are serving up the chance to make some headway next year, the Dems have to work to make sure voters remember the ugliness this year.
Of course, next year could be just as bad as this year.
Hey, don't ask for popcorn.
Harper will sell you some-- but you better check the butter for mercury!
My guess is that if the state government shuts down then they will simply do little or nothing (other than maybe a few behind the scenes negotiations) during July. Some conservative Republicans even want a government shutdown, thinking it would be a good thing.
They will face a deadline of early August however because if Johnny is still sitting at home then because the schoolhouse is locked then hundreds of thousands of parents will get pissed, and that is about the only thing they really fear politically.
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