If you want to be anonymous, don't sign petitions

First things first - my name is Craig McDermott, and I stand by everything that I've written here. I will apologize for and correct any typos or errors of fact that are pointed out to me and I reserve the right to change a position when new facts become available. However, I do not apologize for holding positions and expressing opinions that some may disagree with or even find to be offensive.

That's politics, folks. Disagreement happens.

On to the main part of the post...

From AZCentral.com -

Larry Stickney speaks passionately as he tries to explain why the names of people who signed a 2009 Washington state ballot measure against gay rights should be kept secret.

"I had been in the political game for 16 years, but we had no idea the viciousness that we would come under," says Stickney, a former state legislative aide, active opponent of abortion rights and campaign manager for Protect Marriage Washington, who now is involved in a major free-speech case that will come before the U.S. Supreme Court next month.

More thorough NY Times coverage of the issue here.

The issue seems to boil down to balancing the concerns of the signers of the petitions for an anti-gay rights measure who are afraid of being harassed by gay-rights supporters and the concerns of those who want to verify that ballot petitions are legitimate.

On one hand, there is nothing about harassment and threats that is an appropriate part of civic discourse (see the posts about the tea party/Republican types who have been threatening Democrats over health care reform). It isn't appropriate when right-wingers harass, intimidate, and threaten; it isn't appropriate when left-wingers do the same things.

On the other hand, transparency in the political process is vital to preserving our (or any) democracy. People have to be able to trust that the questions and candidates on election ballots are there legitimately.

In Arizona, campaigns regularly check the petitions of opposing candidates, hoping to find grounds to have them disqualified from the ballot. Anonymity would only invite widespread fraud.

In this situation, I'm going to have to side with transparency (hence the opening paragraph of this post).

There are laws on the books to deal with harassment and violence. There is nothing in the First Amendment that protects users of intimidatory tactics from those laws. (IMO, anyway - a judge friend of mine has advised me that under certain circumstances, courts have found that such tactics are protected.)

In summary, there is no public benefit to anonymity, at least not one that outweighs the benefits of transparency.

Oh, and not lost on me is the blatant hypocrisy of the supporters of a public initiative to harass and injure one part of society want that support to be anonymous, out of fear of the possibility that that part of society may want to harass them right back.

More hypocrites running for lege

The Arizona Republic's website has a story up about a member of the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board opposing the temporary sales tax hike question on the ballot in a May special election.

In fact, she is so opposed to it, in spite of the fact that if it fails, PUSD will have to cut another $15 million from its annual budget (on top of existing cuts of $21 million), that she is the treasurer of axthetax.com, the primary political committee formed to oppose the ballot question.

From the article -

Parents are expressing concern and disappointment towards Peoria Unified School District board member Diane Douglas over her opposition to a one-cent sales tax increase as part of axthetax.com.

The district has said it would face a $15 million shortfall should the tax be rejected at the ballot box May 18.

Note: there is one error in the Rep's piece - her group is AxthetaxAZ.com.

The hypocritical part isn't just how as a school board member, elected to guide and advocate for the public schools in her district, she is actively opposing adequate funding for those schools, but in how as a candidate for State House of Representatives, she is stressing her experience as a school board member. (Her campaign website is at dianedouglas.com, but I won't like to it. Use Google.)

...Oh, wait - that part isn't really hypocritical either. She spends all of her time talking about "fiscal responsibility," not "improved education."

So where's the hypocrisy?

Her lege campaign committee (filer ID 201000152) is seeking public funding via Clean Elections. Her website includes a page asking people to send her CE fives.

Fighting against adequate funding for public schools while holding out her hand for public funding of her candidacy for legislature?

Now that's the sort of breathtaking hypocrisy that shows that if she actually wins a seat in the lege, she'll fit right in with the rest of the Republican caucus on West Washington.

BTW - On her website, she touts the endorsements of folks like Joe Arpaio, Andrey Thomas, and Jim Weiers. Even without the stuff listed above, those endorsements alone show that she is unfit for a move to the lege.

8th Special Session: Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends

OK, they're not so "special" any more, but this one is definitely a "show". In fact, it is almost *all* show with no "substance," but that isn't stopping Jan Brewer and the Republicans in the legislature.

On Monday, the opening curtain rose, and some bills were introduced in each chamber for the special session.

HB2002/SB1001 states that federal health care reform infringes on states' rights (much like certain groups used to say about federal civil rights legislation) and giving the Governor the authority to bypass the state's Attorney General Terry Goddard in order to pursue a lawsuit against the health care reform law.

HCM2001/SCM1001 is a postcard to the U.S. Congress demanding that Congress pay all state costs associated with health care reform.

The House versions will be heard in the Appropriations Committee on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in HHR1; the Senate versions will be heard in the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. The respective chambers' Rules committees will hear the bills shortly after the main committees hear the bills.

Sharp-eyed readers may have noted that the relevant House Bill is numbered 2002, not the expected 2001.

Well, it turns out that one Democrat was quicker on the draw than the House's Republicans were.

HB2001 was introduced by Rep. David Lujan, the House Democratic leader as well as a candidate for Attorney General.

His bill would bar the use of taxpayer monies to fund such a lawsuit as is planned by the Republicans.

In an unsurprising non-development, Lujan's bill hasn't even been referred to committee, much less agendized. In other words, the Rs won't even allow the bill to be discussed, much less publicly voted on.

I signed in to the lege's Request to Speak system, not to speak but simply to comment on the bills. If you have visited the lege and set up a profile and login for the RTS system, you may want to do the same, to at least let the lege's Rs know that there are folks in this state who don't drink the Kool-Aid that they're pouring.

Here's the comment that I entered for both HB2002 and SB1001 -

Enough already. If you insist on engaging in partisan posturing, at least do it on the RNC's expense account, not that of the taxpayers of Arizona.

Based on today's news, the RNC has far more cash to burn on lost causes than we do.

That last refers to the latest news from the RNC's financials, which include expenditures on things like visits to a high-priced strip club, complete with leather lesbians, private jets, ritzy hotels, and worse.

I'm not sure where the Republicans' priorities are, but they aren't with the American people, and the AZGOP isn't interested in looking out for the average Arizonan.

Republicans, Recess Appointments, and Hypocrisy: Business As Usual

...with the emphasis on "Business"...

Late last week, after the Senate recessed, President Obama made 15 "recess appointments" of executive branch nominees held up by Republicans in the Senate.

Predictably, the Republicans in the Senate screamed about a "lack of respect" for the Senate, blah, blah, blah.

They ignored the fact that their president, George W. Bush, did the same thing nearly 200 times during his terms in office.

While the Senate's Republicans were blocking all 15 nominees, the recess appointment of Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board may be the one generating the most angst.

Mr. Becker has been a lawyer for the AFL-CIO and SEIU.

So naturally, all of the Republicans in the Senate signed off on a letter to President Obama opposing a recess appointment of Becker, saying that Mr. Becker “could not be viewed as impartial, unbiased or objective" because of his union work.

Ummm...where was the outrage and concern for objectivity when Bush used recess appointments to appoint...

- Peter Kirsanow, whose legal practice "focused on representing management in employment-related litigation as well as in contract negotiations, NLRB proceedings, EEO matters, and arbitration." (source: his own bio at the US Commission on Civil Rights, where he's been loyally mucking up things for the Bushies)

- Ronald Meisburg, a lawyer for the mining industry and various industry associations

- Robert J. Battista, known as the worst and most anti-worker NLRB chair ever. More on Battista and R hypocrisy on recess appointments here, from the AFL-CIO

- William B. Cowen, a management attorney and union-buster

- Michael J. Bartlett, a former attorney for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Yep - lots of fairness and objectivity there.

Note: Apparently Craig Becker isn't as popular with the US CofC as Bartlett was - they've come out strongly against his appointment.

What a shock. :)

The coming week - everybody else edition

As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies, except where noted, and subject to change without notice.

...The schedule of activities at the Arizona Legislature was covered in an earlier post here.

...In D.C., both chambers of Congress are in recess/district work period for a couple of weeks.


...Back here in Arizona...

- The Arizona Corporation Commission has a regularly scheduled utilities meeting on Wednesday and Thursday. The agenda is here. The ACC's hearing schedule is here.

- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has two regularly scheduled meetings on tap this week.

At Monday's "informal" meeting, the normally quiet agenda has a couple of items of possible controversy - an update and some contractual items regarding the Downtown Court Tower project, and a move to initiate litigation over Sheriff Joe Arpaio's purchase of a really expensive inmate transport bus. AZRepublic coverage of that last item here.

The agenda for Wednesday's "formal" meeting includes an item for a settlement in the case of "Robert Cole v. Maricopa County and Joseph Arpaio."

- The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will meet on Thursday. Its agenda is here; its Public Policy Committee meeting agenda is here.

- The Tempe City Council isn't scheduled to hold any regular meetings this week. The Council Calendar of activity is here.

- The Scottsdale City Council isn't scheduled to hold any regular meetings this week. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.

Also not meeting this week: Arizona Board of Regents, Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Governing Board of Maricopa County Community College District

Later...

The coming week - legislative edition

As usual, all info gathered from the website of the Arizona Legislature, except where noted, and subject to change without notice...

The highlight (so to speak) this week looks to be the eighth special session of the lege, called by the Governor to ask for permission to sue the feds over health care reform. More on that set piece here. No bill proposals or committee agendas have been posted for the special session as yet.

Regular session committee work is starting to wind down, and this week's agendas show it - while most committees are meeting, most of their agendas are short ones.

On the House side of the quad -

- Education is meeting on Monday at 10 a.m. in HHR3. Looks quiet so far.

- Rules will meet at 1 p.m. in HHR4. *Not* quiet, but this committee is a rubber stamp. If a measure makes it onto this agenda, it means that the Speaker supports the bill and it will be approved by the committee.

- Natural Resources and Rural Affairs will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR4. The agenda includes consideration of a strike-everything amendment to SB1154, relating to "underground storage tanks". The bill's language hasn't been posted online yet, but the fact sheet written by legislative staff is here. Also on the agenda is SB1349, which mandates that the director of the AZ Department of Administration allow the state parks board to enter into contracts with a "public or private entity or Indian tribes" to operate the state's parks.

- Banking and Insurance will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR5. The agenda is short, but includes SB1348, wreaking all sorts of mischief regarding regulatory rules and rulemaking.

- On Tuesday, Public Employees, Retirement, and Entitlement Reform will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR3. Quiet thus far.

- On Wednesday, Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR3. This one includes SB1070, the Russell Pearce-penned measure to direct law enforcement personnel in Arizona to ignore enforcement of other laws in order to become immigration police, outlaw "sanctuary city" policies, and reduce probable cause requirements for law enforcement officers stopping vehicles and persons, among other things. In short, SB1070 is a potpourri of ugly.

- Health and Human Services will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR4. This may be the longest agenda of the week, outside of the Rules agenda. On the agenda: SB1306 and SB1307, measures written by the Center for Turning Arizona Into A Theocracy Arizona Policy regarding human embryos and human egg providers. Also up: SB1309, relating to expanding parents' rights; SB1314, an exercise in right-wing legislators interfering in family court procedures regarding custody disputes; and SCR1044, a ballot referral of an amendment to the AZ constitution banning the cloning of humans.

- On Thursday, Water and Energy will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet so far, but a striker will be offered to HB2561 regarding "groundwater transportation; Big Chino sub-basin." No language posted online as yet.

- Transportation and Infrastructure will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR3. Very quiet so far.

- Judiciary will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR4. This one is full of parting gifts from Jonathan Paton, such as SCR1009, the plan to end Clean Elections in Arizona, and SCR1013, changing the job title of the Secretary of State to "Lieutenant Governor." SCR1013 also removes the requirement for a run-off election if none of the candidates for an executive branch office doesn't gain a majority of the votes in an election. Instead, the legislature would get to choose the occupant of the office, in the event of a tie. Otherwise, the highest vote getter for an office would win that office (I think so anyway - the measure isn't specific on that).


Over on the Senate side -

- Rules will meet on Monday in 1st Floor Caucus Room upon adjournment of the floor session.

- Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Public Debt will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109. This one contains SB1445, relating to "groundwater transportation; Big Chino sub-basin." I'm guessing that this measure is a match for the unknown striker listed above, but I have no idea what its real impact will be.

- Judiciary will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. Looks relatively quiet so far.

- On Tuesday, Commerce and Economic Development will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. This one contains HB2337, a measure declaring that incandescent light bulbs manufactured and used in Arizona aren't subject to any federal regulation.

- Appropriations will meet at 1:30 in SHR109. Relatively quiet so far.

- On Wednesday, Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet at 9 a.m in SHR1. Quiet thus far.

- Public Safety and Human Services will meet at 10 a.m. in SHR3. The agenda includes consideration of HB2246, deregulating "consumer" fireworks. if this passes, look for a busy brushfire season in Arizona.

- Veterans and Military Affairs will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2. Quiet thus far.

- Finance will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR3. This one has a lot of bad on it: a striker to SB2001, letting faculty members at the state's community colleges and universities carry concealed weapons on campus; HB2496, letting people who contribute to school tuition organizations this year by April 15 to claim it on last year's tax returns; a striker to HB2598 (language not yet available) regarding the repeal of photo radar; and HCR2056, phasing out the state's business personal property tax.

- Education Accountability and Reform will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. This agenda is a long one, but the highlights include HB2663 and HB2664, relating to STOs and tax credits (hint: these don't exactly increase oversight and accountability of STOs).

- Government Institutions will meet on Thursday at 10 a.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet so far.

Floor calendars for Monday have been posted -

House Third Read (final passage) is here; Senate COW is here; Senate Third Read is here.

Later...

Current state of the Republicans: a deep, pervasive snit.

Not talking about the various bricks, threats, and epithets that have been thrown about in recent days.

Nope, that stuff goes beyond being characterized as part of a "snit."

Far beyond.

No, I'm talking about petty stuff, like...

...AZ's senior U.S. Senator John McCain pledging to take his ball and go home because of the House's passage of health care reform.

...AZ House Speaker Kirk Adams removing Rep. Daniel Patterson (D-Tucson) from the House's Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee because Patterson had the audacity to criticize State Senator (and Republican/Nativist hero) Russell Pearce (R-Mesa). Who knew Pearce had such tender sensibilities?

...AZ Senate President Bob Burns shelving a bill to raise the two-year statute of limitations on child sexual abuse claims.

...The Arizona House of Representative basically screwing the thousands of taxpayers who have already done their state tax returns by refusing to conform AZ's tax code to the updates in the federal tax code. The deed was done by adopting an Adams amendment to the routine annual bill to conform to IRS changes. Adams' amendment essentially changed the bill to mandate that the state's tax code *not* conform. Adams' amendment does nothing to affect the federal government; they won't even notice its passage.

...Arizona's Governor becoming so incensed at the passage of a health care reform package that could help poor and working families gain adequate health insurance coverage, an enactment that took place mere days after she did away with the state's KidsCare program, that she issued a call for an 8th Special Session of the legislature. She wants to ask them for permission to use scarce state resources to sue the federal government over HCR, because Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard won't do her bidding.

The Republican Party - Formerly the "Party of No"; now the "Party of Pissy"...

Republican Congressional leader targeted for violence

It looks as if House Republican whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) has had his district office shot at*, perhaps by supporters of HCR angered by his vocal opposition to the recently enacted measure.

Or not. From the Richmond, VA Police Department press release on their preliminary investigation (emphasis mine) -

A Richmond Police detective was assigned to the case. A preliminary investigation shows that a bullet was fired into the air and struck the window in a downward direction, landing on the floor about a foot from the window. The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds. There was no other damage to the room, which is used occasionally for meetings by the congressman.

To summarize - the Richmond PD thinks that someone fired a gun up in the air, and the bullet fell to Earth, and the shooter knew not where.

To be sure, any violence or threats of violence against people because of their political positions is despicable and should be immediately denounced by all civil members of society, no matter the political persuasion of the would-be domestic terrorists.

However, while it is still early in the investigation and different information could come to light, the preliminary results don't cast Cantor in a good light. The wave of vitriol and violence that is sweeping the country is something to be taken seriously; all Cantor seems to take seriously is the fact that the Rs who have whipped up the frenzy are now unable to rein it in, to save for the next time they want to use the Tea Party types.

I am not normally a Bible-quoter (OK, not ever :) ), but there is one quote that works here. I didn't actually know it was from the Bible when I Googled it to make sure I got it right.

From Hosea 8 -

7. When they sow the wind, they shall reap the whirlwind

* - as much as I am loathe to link to a Fox News story, all of the responsible MSM sites had updated their stories on this topic to reflect the Richmond PD's press release.

Later...

"Hell No You Can't!!" immortalized

When his career in office is over, this may or may not be the way Boehner *wants* to be remembered, but it *will* be...

And the descent continues...

Earlier today, I wrote a post about a march/rally to thank Congressman Harry Mitchell for his vote on health care reform that took place in Tempe yesterday. During the march, a woman collapsed and needed to be resuscitated and hospitalized, and in the post I linked to an AZRepublic article on the woman/march.

At one point, the story was open to commenting on the Rep's website. That lasted approximately three hours, and then the editors of the Rep had to close comments and pull down those that had already been submitted.

In that few hours, what should have been a "feel good" piece about someone surviving an acute illness brought out some seriously vicious trolls, who hijacked the thread and turned it into an outlet for hate and bile.

For example (bolding and italics utilized solely to indicate separate quotes):

They should have let her die just to prove a point. Fricken hilarious! (commenter DISSONANT)

Ironically, people this woman's age are going to be the ones screwed the worst by the plan. She'll eventually be hauled off to a corner somewhere so she can die a9lone with dignity. (commenter AngryPatriot)

Thinking it was the Grim Reaper, she became gripped with terror when she saw that giant sickle coming for her.
Lo and behold, it was just one of her comrade's red flags flapping in the breeze. (commenter GannettStockChart)

Too bad it wasn't obama, pelosi, and reid having the heart attacks with no one there to help them. That would be great! (commenter demsrslime)

YOU WANTED YOUR HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS TO DOUBLE AND GET LESS CARE ?? WHY?? YOU MUST NOT BE VERY SMART THEN AGAIN YOU PROBABLY VOTED FOR THE (inappropriate term) IN THE WHITE HOUSE ALSO, MAY I THANK YOU FOR THE MESS YOU PUT THIS COUNTRY IN NOW (commenter GLSSSMAN33, who's got a confederate flag as his avatar)

"The woman, who was not identified, collapsed during a rally to celebrate U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell's vote in favor of health care legislation"

------------------

Karma. (commenter FailRail)


And that's just a sampling from the first couple of pages of comments, which were all that I got to save before the Rep's editors pulled them down.

Any questions about how ugly this summer is going to be?

The last time things were this bad, which perhaps not so coincidentally was immediately after the last serious attempt at health care reform, Timothy McVeigh, perhaps egged on by extremist rhetoric from right wing talk radio (Rush and his ilk were already going strong) and Republican so-called leaders in Congress, blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City and murdered over 160 men, women, and children.

I fervently hope it doesn't get that far, but my hopes won't be enough to stop that from happening.

The R "leadership", if it ever again wants to be considered part of civil society, will denounce the vandalism, violence, and violent rhetoric that their tea partiers have embraced, and do so in clear, unambiguous terms.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen, and I can't recommend that anybody else do so, either.

A "Thank you Harry" march, with a little good karma mixed in

There was a rally and march in Tempe on Tuesday to thank Congressman Harry Mitchell for his "yes" vote on health care reform. Well over 100 people attended to show their gratitude, and hundreds more passers-by shouted or honked to show their unity with the marchers.

The day was filled with smiles, especially when we found out that the planned anti-Harry rally planned by tea partiers and Jan Brewer and scheduled for Harry Mitchell Park in Tempe had fizzled out due to the sprinkles of rain in the Valley at the time.

The one dark note was when a woman who was marching in support of Harry collapsed near 6th St. and Mill Ave. She was unresponsive, even after CPR and multiple defibrillations, and everyone present was praying for her.

Apparently, those prayers helped. Probably not as much as a knowledgeable bystander, well-equipped and -trained EMTs, and highly-skilled doctors and nurses, but still... :)

From AZCentral.com -

An unsung hero saved the life of the 65-year-old woman who collapsed at a political rally on Mill Avenue on Tuesday in Tempe, a spokesman for the Tempe Fire Department said.

When she collapsed, an anonymous bystander began chest compressions immediately, before paramedics arrived.

"These chest compressions being performed likely contributed to her survival," said Tempe Fire spokesman Mike Reichling.

Keep the as-yet-unidentified victim in your thoughts and prayers during what is sure to be a long recovery.

Congressman Mitchell's response to a letter regarding health care reform

Last week, I (as well as many others) contacted Congressman Harry Mitchell to urge him to vote for the health care reform bill before the House (and on Sunday, he did!! THANK YOU!!).

His reply came through today.

The response, via email -

Dear [cpmaz]

Thank you for contacting me regarding health insurance reform legislation, H.R. 4872. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me on this important issue.

After more than a year of hearing from health care professionals, insurers, patients, and tens of thousands of passionate and concerned Arizonans both for and against reform, it has become clear to me that we cannot sustain the path that we are on. Rapidly rising health care costs are burdening Arizona families, hurting the economy, and slowing our recovery.

Arizonans are losing their health insurance when they get sick, and being denied the ability to purchase new coverage if they've previously seen a doctor. Insurance companies are literally refusing to sell policies to individuals who have previously seen a doctor for high cholesterol, diabetes or even acne.

Small businesses, which make up 73 percent of Arizona 's businesses, are facing a full-blown crisis. Since 2000, health-insurance premiums for small businesses have risen 130 percent, and insurers are warning that they will go up another 15 percent this year. In other words, a premium that cost $4,500 per employee in 2008 - and $4,800 last year - will cost $5,500 per employee this year. As a result, employers are being forced to choose between hiring workers and paying for health insurance costs.

At the same time, families who have insurance, and are already struggling with skyrocketing premiums, are being forced to pay a hidden tax to pay for those without insurance who show up at emergency rooms and get treated despite their inability to pay. It is estimated that the average American family is already paying an extra $1,100 a year in premiums to pay for costs associated with treating the uninsured, a cost that will only continue to grow.

After more than a year of careful review, I believe that this legislation will address many of the key issues plaguing our current health care system. While I understand that this package is not perfect and I don't approve of some of the procedures that were proposed to advance the bill, I strongly believe that the status quo is unsustainable and the time for reform is now.

While I have been heartened by the many thoughtful questions, comments and suggestions I have received over the course of this debate from both sides, as a former high school government teacher, I have been extremely disappointed by much of the extremist rhetoric and blatantly false statements that some have injected into this discussion. The use of swastikas does not help foster a civil discussion on a serous issue, nor does it honor the memory of the millions victims who died in concentration camps. But perhaps even more insidious, millions of dollars have been spent to spread misconceptions about what reform will mean, ultimately distracting many from engaging in meaningful conversations.

I would like to take this opportunity to briefly explain what reform would mean for you and clear up some of the most egregious rumors about reform. For more detailed information, I encourage you to visit my web site at: www.mitchell.house.gov.

For individuals with insurance, including the 469,000 residents of Arizona 's Fifth District who currently receive health care coverage from an employer, this legislation will enable you to keep it, and prevent your insurer from dropping you if you get sick. It will also require insurers to allow young adults, up to 26 years of age, to remain on their parents' health care plans if they so choose.

The legislation will also ultimately slow the rapidly accelerating growth of insurance premiums by spurring greater competition between health insurers and offering more choice to consumers. Specifically, the legislation will establish insurance exchanges through which businesses and individuals can comparison shop for insurance policies that best meet their needs. While more complex, these exchanges would function, in a sense, like the system many travelers currently use to purchase airline tickets online. Just as the airlines bid for your travel business, health insurers will bid for your insurance business.

To participate in an exchange, insurers will have to meet certain minimum standards. Most notably, insurers will no longer be allowed to refuse to cover someone because of a pre-existing condition, or place a cap on annual or lifetime coverage. Members of Congress and federal employees have long had access to a system like this, and it has worked well. So well, in fact, that Congress is frequently, and I believe correctly, criticized for giving itself better quality and more affordable health care than countless Americans.

The legislation will also help small businesses, including the more than 17,800 in the Fifth District, who have been among the hardest hit by the present health insurance system. Currently, without a large number of employees, businesses cannot negotiate bulk, competitive rates with insurance companies. Reform will enable small businesses to combine or "pool" their purchasing power, and then comparison-shop for competitive rates via an insurance exchange. Approximately 15,700 small businesses in Arizona 's Fifth District would qualify for tax credits for up to 50 percent of the cost of insurance coverage.

Furthermore, this package will improve and strengthen Medicare for seniors that have been squeezed by rising costs of care and prescription drugs. So much so, the bill has been endorsed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Among other things, the legislation will fill the "donut-hole" in Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, helping the 10,100 seniors in Arizona's Fifth District who are forced to pay full drug costs because they fall into it. The legislation would further improve Medicare by eliminating out-of-pocket expenses for preventative services in Medicare. This package does not, as some have alleged, weaken Medicare. As someone who is over 65 and depends on Medicare myself, I would not vote for it if it did.

The package does not contain any so-called "death panels" or government takeovers of health care. It does not contain a public option, does not dismantle the private insurance industry, and does not provide benefits for illegal immigrants. In fact, the legislation explicitly prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving health insurance. The package also maintains the current ban on federal funding for abortion, and maintains TRICARE for veterans.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill would reduce federal budget deficits by $138 billion from 2010 - 2019 and by $1.2 trillion over the next decade. CBO's analysis is available online at: www.cbo.gov.

The reconciliation package that was approved by the House in conjunction with the underlying health care legislation addresses several of the concerns I had with the Senate bill. Specifically, it closes the prescription drug donut hole for seniors, and eliminates special deals like the "Cornhusker Kickback." Moreover, in the wake of the state legislature's decision to kick kids off state health insurance -- risking billions in federal matching funds and killing over 42,000 jobs -- the legislation will help Arizona bridge its budget gap by providing it with an additional $2.5 billion for Medicaid funding.

Finally, I have received a number of inquiries about tort reform and the ability to purchase insurance across state lines. While these are primarily issues of state law, the reform package will allow the federal government to play a constructive role for states that are interested in pursuing either of these ideas. Under the legislation, states will be able to enter into agreements to facilitate the purchase of coverage across state lines. Reform will also provide incentives to states to create pilot tort reform programs. I would encourage those interested in reforming Arizona 's tort laws to contact their state legislators as well as the Governor.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write. For more information about this issue, I invite you to visit my web site at www.mitchell.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Harry E. Mitchell
Member of Congress

Jan Brewer: Channelling her inner Marie Antoinette

Who knew that Brewer was such a Francophile?

On the other hand, perhaps Brewer isn't a Francophile and was just looking for the historical figure who was most openly disdainful of her society's most impoverished members.

If that is the case, then the Governor has made the perfect choice for her political inspiration.

From AZCentral.com -

That was then, this is now . . . Gov. Jan Brewer held a news conference Thursday to complain about the plans for federal health-care reform. That gave reporters a chance to ask about the budget she signed that day, which among other things removed health care from an estimated 310,000 adults and nearly 40,000 children.

Asked what those hundreds of thousands of people should do when they get sick, Brewer said this: "If they need health care, they'll be able to go to health clinics and present themselves at emergency rooms."

Not everyone agrees with that sentiment, of course. We were reminded of some stern words we heard back in January from a top Arizona official:

"We must decrease visits to high-cost settings like emergency rooms - and encourage those receiving state services to take personal responsibility for their own health."

The occasion for those remarks? The 2010 State of the State Address. The speaker, of course, was Gov. Jan Brewer.

Note: Her State of the State address can be found here. The relevent quote is on page 13 of the .pdf, approximately halfway down the page.

Now, the health insurance reform act that was signed into law this week could go a long way toward ameliorating some of the effects (and here) of Brewer's and the legislative Republicans' jihad against Arizona's social infrastructure. However, that measure won't go into complete effect until 2014; until then, Brewer will continue railing against health care for all (like she already has, here, here, here, and here).

The Brewer campaign's new slogan -

"Let them eat cake."

It's a classic, isn't it?


P.S. - the scary part is that as bad for Arizona that Brewer is and has been, she may be the least bad among the R pretenders/contenders for their nomination.

We need Terry Goddard.

Chairman of AZ Democratic Party on the wave of vandalism and intimidation

From an email -

Chairman Bivens calls on Republicans to renounce violence and pledge to end inflammatory rhetoric

PHOENIX -- Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens today called on elected Republican leaders in Arizona to strongly and immediately denounce all acts or threats of violence and inflammatory rhetoric being perpetuated in response to Sunday's health-insurance reform vote in Congress.

A disturbing incident Monday in Tucson prompted Bivens' call. Early that morning, a window was shattered at the office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., possibly by a pellet gun. Giffords voted for the deficit-reducing package of reforms that includes prohibiting insurance companies from putting lifetime caps on insurance claims or dropping people because of pre-existing conditions.

"Threats and vandalism undermine the democratic process and have no place in our policy discussions," Bivens said. "They run counter to the fundamental freedoms our country was founded upon.

"I call upon elected Republican leaders -- especially Gov. Brewer and Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl -- to immediately and unequivocally denounce any acts or threats of violence or inflammatory rhetoric associated with anti-health-reform protests.

"In light of what has already occurred in Arizona, I urge all those speaking at Friday's McCain-Palin rally in Tucson to lead their supporters in denouncing any future violence and curtailing the inflammatory rhetoric. Their failure to do so would constitute a tacit approval of these disturbing tactics," Bivens said.

I appreciate Don Bivens' call, but given McCain's rightward lurch politically, I don't expect him to risk alienating his base by telling them to behave like civilized and mature adults.

The end of the world as we know it

And that's a good thing....

Pic courtesy the White House's Facebook page...

Republicans blaming Democrats for vandalism and threats

The pic of the shattered door at Congresswoman Giffords office is courtesy Blog for Arizona.

The Arizona Star has a story up quoting Tucson Tea Party leader Trent Humphries insinuating that Democrats have been the ones shouting epithets at their own members and vandalizing their own offices.

From the story -

"If those events happened, it had nothing to do with my group,” said organizer Trent Humphries, noting his group has held many demonstrations over the past year. “We haven’t had anything like that happen and I defy anyone to tell me any different.”

Humphries said for all he knows, the accusations didn’t even happen, or might even be traced back to a Democratic operative. “I’m not going to accuse them of wrongdoing, but if they’re accusing us, they’d better be offering proof.”

A loose coalition of varied beliefs, Humphries also said, “We can’t be responsible for every sign that goes up at every protest.”

The police will be able to find out if Mr. Humphries' speculation about a "Democratic operative" being behind some of the more vicious incidents of the last few days.

From a Yellow Sheet Report piece (no link as it is behind a subscriber firewall) -

GABBY’S DIGS VANDALIZED, MITCHELL THREATENED

...Mitchell aide Robbie Sherwood said the congressman’s Scottsdale office has also been bombarded with “menacing or threatening callers,” one of whom apparently voiced a death threat against Mitchell last Tuesday. Capitol Police in D.C., per protocol, were made aware of the threat and have received the caller’s phone number that popped up on the office’s caller ID feature...

Nor have Mitchell and Giffords (and the African-American and gay members of Congress) been the only folks to be subject to threats, vandalism, and epithets in recent days. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) has been threatened and had her office vandalized and Democratic Party offices across the country have been similarly attacked (Kansas, Ohio) and all members who voted for HCR have been threatened with "drawing and quartering" (a particularly gruesome way to kill someone).

According to most of the reports, in each incident, the local police, U.S. Capitol Police, and/or the FBI are looking into the incidents (depending on which agencies have jurisdiction).

Something tells me that this summer is going to be long, hot, and filled with similar incidents.

Stay tuned...

"We all want clean air, but there's a limit!"

On Monday night, there was a candidate forum for the Republican candidates for governor at the Pyle Center in Tempe, sponsored by the Tempe Republican Women's Club.

Being an adventurous sort (aka "having nothing better planned" :) ), I took a couple of hours out of my evening to sit in the belly of the beast...OK, that's a little over the top, but it was definitely "stranger in a strange land" time.

Note: Jan Brewer was a no show, but she sent some campaign staffers and her son to work the crowd.

It was definitely an educational experience. Some of the things that I learned (actual quotes in quotes, paraphrases not):

"The time for talking about issues is past." - Hugh Kealer, CPA, tea partier, Republican candidate for governor

We can solve the state's fiscal crisis by cutting the state budget 50% across the board. - Steve Slaton, real estate appraiser, candidate for governor

Free enterprise is the answer to the state's fiscal crisis. - John Munger, businessman, candidate for governor

Fewer regulations are the key to the state's prosperity. - Munger

$0.53 of every dollar spent on education in Arizona is spent on administration. - Kealer

Health care reform is unconstitutional. - Pretty much all of them, none of whom is a constitutional lawyer

Illegal immigrants are the cause of all that ails the state. - Pretty much all of them, in one form or another

If illegal immigrants are the first cause of all that ails the state, welfare recipients and fraud are a close second - Most of them

Because of that, all welfare recipients should be fingerprinted. - Dean Martin, state treasurer, candidate for governor

All welfare recipients should be subject to drug testing. - Kealer (I think this one actually is already law in AZ, but not sure if it is in place yet. It was in the special session budget that was just passed.)

Arizona should opt out of Medicare. - Munger (I think that the state's seniors may weigh in on this one.)

And the jaw-dropper of the night, the title of this post, from candidate Slaton, who was expounding on how the state's air quality and environmental folks have gone overboard and are driving businesses away from Arizona -

"We all want clean air, but there's a limit!"

One of the candidates, Matt Jette, was pretty much the only candidate who exhibited any appreciation of the fact that most issues are nuanced, with shades of gray predominating, while the other candidates pretty much see everything in two shades, black and white (except for immigration issues, which are brown and white.)

About the only thing that he had to say that received anything more than perfunctory applause was during a question about photo radar. Where the other candidates stated that they opposed it, he said if people has such a problem with receiving tickets in the mail, they should just not speed. Other than that, though, things like "Obama isn't the evil empire" and that illegal immigrants "aren't bad people, but there are bad people among them" don't exactly play well with the R/TB base.

In other words, he doesn't have a snowball's chance in Phoenix of making any headway in the R primary.


Overall, it truly was a pretty valuable evening - it served as a great reminder of why we need to make sure that Terry Goddard has all the support he needs to become governor. None of the Rs in the running that have a chance of winning offer one iota of sanity. The state desperately needs him to win in November.

Edit on 3/23 to update:

Last night when Kealer spouted his "53 cents of every education dollar is spent on administration" stat, I knew he was full of it, but I didn't have the actual numbers handy to rebut right then and there. After the meeting, I contacted David Safier, an expert on the ed situation here in AZ (and a fellow writer at Blog for AZ) for more info.

He directed me to this annual report from the Arizona Department of Education detailing education expenditures in Arizona for the 2007/08 school year.

I don't know where Mr. Kealer ginned up his "statistic", but the report shows that in unified school districts (aka - "public"), 9% of money went to administration and in charter schools, 21% went to administration.

Either one is significantly less than "53%".

Thanks to Dave for his analysis of the report.

End edit...

Incivility not confined to DC

Turns out that I wrote too soon in the last post - they've exported the tactics of fear and intimidation to Arizona.

From AZCentral.com -

A federal investigation has been launched after vandals destroyed a glass door and a window at the Tucson Congressional offices of Democratic U.S. Rep.
Gabrielle Giffords.

Giffords press secretary C.J. Karamargin in Tucson told the Associated Press Monday the front door of the office was shattered along with a side glass panel.

U.S. Capitol Police were notified of the destruction and are investigating along with Tucson police.

Every time I think that the Rs/Tea Party types can't sink any lower, they break out a shovel and dig a deeper hole...

Civility still on the decline in Congress

Whether it is things like neo-Confederate Congressman Joe Wilson heckling President Barack Obama during a speech before a joint session of Congress...

Whether it is things like "Tea Party" types showing their true selves by surrounding and streaming through the U.S. Capitol and spewing epithets at Congressmen as they walked to votes...

Whether it is things like a Texas Republican shouting "baby killer!" at an ardently pro-life Democratic colleague in the House for daring to vote for health care reform...

Whether it is things like these or any of a hundred other examples, the sort of civil decorum that allows people who disagree strongly on the issues of the day yet still interact constructively has given way to cynical fear-mongering, shameless spin, and desperate demonization masquerading as flag-waving patriotism and devout religious fervor.

The sad thing is that outbursts like Sunday's "baby killer!" are so common these days that the only surprise for me isn't that it happened but that it wasn't shouted by Trent Franks of CD2, saving Arizona that bit of embarrassment.

Enough already.

219 - 212...YES!!!!

After many hours of contentious debate, the House of Representatives has approved H.R. 3590 by a 219 to 212 margin (vote details pending). They're now talking about the reconciliation bill, which the Rs are trying to kill (strangely enough, they are trying to kill it on pro-life grounds), but it is expected to pass by a larger margin than the main bill did.

NPR coverage on passage of the main bill is here; a live blog of the proceedings is here.

More later...

Edit later on 3/21 -

The vote details are now posted.

Each Democratic member from Arizona voted in favor of the bill and in favor of better health care coverage and access for all Americans (thank you Representatives Giffords, Kirkpatrick, Mitchell, Pastor and Grijalva!!) and each Republican member from Arizona voted against the bill (boo! hiss! Representatives Flake, Franks, and Shadegg!)

34 Democrats voted against the bill; time for some primary challenges.

...and the reconciliation bill has just passed with 220 votes in support. The reconciliation bill will now go to the Senate for consideration this week and the President willsign the underlying bill within a day or so. It looks as if one of the Ds who voted against the underlying bill signed on to the reconciliation bill.

End edit...

The coming week - everybody else edition

As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies except where noted, and subject to change without notice...

...In the U.S. House of Representatives, last week is blending into next week as they are still in session even as I write this, working toward a vote on the latest health care reform package. As such, no agenda has been posted online as yet. Once that agenda is posted, expect a quiet week as the members look to recover from this week's exertions.

...Over in the U.S. Senate, a lot of their time will be taken up (presumably, assuming passage by the House) with consideration of a reconciliation bill relating to HCR. On the Senate's committee schedule, there is one item of direct interest to Arizonans - the Armed Services Committee's consideration on Tuesday of the nomination of Katherine Hammack to the post of Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment. Ms. Hammack is a senior manager at Ernst & Young in Phoenix.


...Back in Arizona...

- The legislature's committee schedule is covered here.

- The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have any full meetings scheduled this week, but their hearing schedule is here.

- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a special meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 10 a.m. No agenda available online as yet.

- The Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District will meet on Tuesday, with an executive session planned for 5:30 p.m. and a regular meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Agenda here. Looks relatively quiet thus far, though there is one item of interest to political geeks like me - a consent agenda item to participate in a program from First Things First to pay fees at the Children's Learning Center at Gateway Community College for qualifying parents.

The same First Things First that the legislature wants to eliminate.

- The Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System has two meetings this week. On Monday, there is a special session scheduled, with an executive session component. On Wednesday, there will be a full meeting. The agenda includes consideration of proposed rate changes for services.

- The Tempe City Council will meet on Thursday. The agenda is here, and it includes approval of the results of Tempe's election from two weeks ago. The Council Calendar is here.

- The Scottsdale City Council will meet on Tuesday. First up will be a special meeting devoted to appointments to some of the City's Boards and Commissions. The agenda for the regular meeting includes, as with Tempe, approval of the election results from earlier this month. The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.


...Not scheduled to meet this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona Board of Regents, and the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project.

The coming week - legislative edition

Just a little agenda reading while waiting for the health care reform theater vote in the House...

As usual, all info gathered from the website of the Arizona legislature, except where noted, and subject to change without notice...

Committee activity on the House side -

- On Monday, Rules will meet at 1 p.m. in HHR4.

- Ways and Means will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR1. One item on the agenda: SB1194, relating to "Arizona power authority; revenue bonding."


- On Tuesday, Public Employees, Retirement, and Entitlement Reform will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR3. Quiet thus far.

- Government will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR4. On the agenda: a same-subject striker to SB1357 relating to zoning changes, majority votes by county boards of supervisors; SCM1005, a postcard to Congress asking them to pay for Arizona's costs associated with illegal immigration. It'll pass, probably unanimously, but it's meaningless.

- Environment will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet thus far, though SB1408, relating to "agricultural best management; dust; districts" could generate some heat. When it passed the Senate, it was by a 19 - 9 vote, and 7 of the "no" votes were from Democrats, as were both of the senators who missed the vote. However, I don't understand the ramifications of the bill and cannot comment on the why of that vote.


- On Wednesday, Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR3. On the agenda: SB1029, a Russell Pearce-sponsored measure to limit the circumstances under which a law enforcement officer is subject to disciplinary actions.

- Health and Human Services will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR4. This agenda bears watching. On it: SB1305 (banning the use of tax/public monies to pay for costs associated with insurance policies that cover abortion services); SB1306 and SB1307 (seeking to inhibit fertilization treatments and scientific research under the guise of "protecting" human embryos and egg donors).

- Commerce will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR5. Looks quiet so far.

- Appropriations will meet at 2 p.m. in HHR2. On the agenda: two strikers (language not posted yet) relating to "tourism; TPT distribution; reinstatement" and "state parks fund; voluntary contributions"; SCR1022 (allowing the lege to sweep and reappropriate "non-custodial" federal monies, such as community block grants).


- On Thursday, Transportation and Infrastructure will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR3. Quiet thus far.

- Judiciary will meet at 9 a.m. in HHR4. Quiet thus far, though a couple of the measures may merit a closer examination.


...On the Senate side -

- On Monday, Judiciary will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: HB2490 (exempting "religious" organizations from having to register as political committees, even if they engage in political activities); HB2596 (limiting the ability of local governments to apply things like zoning rules to religious entities).


- On Tuesday, Commerce and Economic Development will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet so far, but I freely admit I don't understand the effects of some of the bills.


- On Wednesday, Veterans and Military Affairs will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR2. Quiet thus far.

- Public Safety and Human Services will meet at 9:30 a.m. in SHR3. Quiet thus far.

- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Some nuggets of interest (HB2116, relating to AHCCCS ambulance reimbursement rates) but looks pretty quiet so far.

- Educations Accountability and Reform will meet at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. On the agenda: a good bill, HB2760, Rep. Rae Waters' measure to improve preventive maintenance procedures in schools; also, a lot of other technical bills relating to education in AZ that someone who better understands the nuances may want to examine.


- On Thursday, Government Institutions will meet at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet, in a "lot of technical measures" sort of way.


On the "interim" committee side (neither House nor Senate), the Joint Committee on Capital Review (JCCR) will meet at 8 a.m. on Tuesday in HHR4.


...Floor calendars for Monday -

- The Senate's Third Read calendar includes abortion reporting requirements, the ban on texting while driving (yet another attempt to pass it), four measures relating to eminent domain, and former Senator Jonathan Paton's scheme to abolish Clean Elections.

- The House's Third Read calendar is posted here.

- Tuesday's House COW calendars are posted here and here. Plenty of ugly here; I'll cover it later.

...And all of this was compiled and linked while the US House is still debating procedural issues relating to today's HCR vote.

This is going to be one long day... :)

2010 candidate update

Just a couple of quick updates to pass along -

...Renz Jennings, a former member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, has filed for a run this year (filer ID 2010520), creating a primary on the Democratic side of the ballot. He, State Senate Democratic Leader Jorge Luis Garcia, and State Rep. David Bradley are pursuing the nomination for the two available seats on the ACC.

...Current AZ businesswoman and former US Senate staffer Nan Stockholm Walden is rumored to be mulling a run at John McCain's Senate seat. If she does jump in, she would be entering

While it is a little late in the season to be starting runs, there are still two months left in which to gather sigs, and a decent field operation can easily get that done. What will be more fascinating to see is if an electoral neophyte such as Walden understands that there is a difference between being a staffer and a candidate/officeholder.

What's interesting about the late entries (assuming that Walden actually enters the Senate race) is that it speaks to the the perception that Rs in Arizona may be vulnerable this year. Between the wholesale mismanagement of the state by the Rs in power and the Hayworth/nativist/tea party wing of the GOP looking to weaken John McCain in their primary, Republicans at all levels of Arizona politics are jumping at shadows and watching their backs.

Is the Tea Party uniform a white sheet and hood?

From the Washington Post -

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus said that racial epithets were hurled at them Saturday by angry protesters who had gathered at the Capitol to protest health-care legislation, and one congressman said he was spit upon. The most high-profile openly gay congressman, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), was heckled with anti-gay chants.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) issued a statement late Saturday saying that he was spit upon while walking to the Capitol to cast a vote, leading the Capitol Police to usher him into the building out of concern for his safety. Police detained the individual, who was then released because Cleaver declined to press charges.

Other African-American members of Congress, including the highly respected civil rights era icon Rep. John Lewis, were also targeted with racial slurs as they walked to floor votes.

Majority Leader Steny Hoyer has issued a statement condemning the behavior, available here; House Minority Leader John Boehner has issued a similar statement, available nowhere, as he apparently hasn't condemned the behavior. I don't expect him to do so, as on Friday, he reminded the Tea Party types that "it isn't too late to make your voices heard."

His followers listened, and on Saturday, they did "make [their] voices heard."

Mission accomplished, Mr. Boehner. Hope you are proud of your influence.

Thank you Harry!!

A very good note to end the week on...

From AZStarnet.com -

Arizona Congressman Harry Mitchell, one of the final holdouts on the health care reform bill, announced Friday that he'll support the package.

Mitchell cited proposed fixes for the Senate-passed legislation that would help Arizona. The Democrat represents a Republican-leaning suburban congressional district centered on Scottsdale and Tempe.

Here I was, all set to write a "it's time for D.C. Dems to grow a spine and pass health care reform already" rant, hoping to help push a few wavering Dems into the "yes" column, and I come home to read the above news.

You know, as much as I like ranting, I like being deeply proud of my Congressman even more. :)


Whooo hoooo!!

Housekeeping

Regular readers may have noticed an addition to the right sidebar - a list of links to the websites of Democratic candidates for statewide offices and to legislative districts (U.S. and AZ) covering Scottsdale (CD5, LD8 and LD17).

I've tried to include all such candidates, however I couldn't find websites for two candidates - David Bradley for Corporation Commission and W. John Williamson for LD8 House. When those candidates' sites go live (or are pointed out to me if already live), I'll link to them. Also, if I've missed any Democratic candidates who fall within the above categories, drop a note to me in an email or a comment and I'll update the list.

Lastly, while I've tried to group candidates for the same office together, there is no rhyme, reason, or secret endorsement involved in the order they are listed. They all seem to be good Democrats and better yet, good candidates. I'm not choosing a side in any of the primaries, at least not in this blog.

Later...

Terry Goddard challenges Jan Brewer on taxes

In a letter to Brewer, Goddard challenged Brewer to pledge that any revenues raised via an increase to the state's sale tax won't be given to deep-pocketed corporations in the form of targeted tax cuts.

The letter, from an email from the Goddard campaign -

March 17, 2010

Dear Governor Brewer:

I have been giving careful consideration to your proposal to temporarily increase the State sales tax in response to Arizona’s fiscal crisis. That crisis, which has significantly worsened in the last year, threatens our schools, our health and security, and our quality of life. It has been exacerbated by your and the Legislature’s continued failure to produce a balanced budget despite Arizona’s constitutional requirement for one that was due nearly nine months ago.

Your proposed sales tax increase offers a temporary and incomplete solution. In addition to the fact that it raises only about one-third of the revenue needed to cover the projected deficit, your plan suffers from the significant flaw that it imposes new tax burdens on consumers – including Arizona’s struggling middle class – whose collective buying power will be crucial to pulling us out of our current slump. It does so without even considering the possibility of more equitable and long-term solutions, such as closing the many tax loopholes that favor the rich and big corporations. Under your plan, for example, a family that must buy a car for work or school faces higher taxes, while someone buying a membership in an elite country club pays no sales tax whatsoever.

Most troubling to me, however, is the fact that voters are being asked to pass this tax increase without knowing the status of other tax proposals still being considered by the legislature, including a plan to slash hundreds of millions of dollars in corporate taxes. Middle-income Arizonans simply should not be asked to finance through temporary higher sales taxes a permanent non-targeted cut in corporate taxes. Such a result is not only grossly unfair to working Arizonans, but would stymie our economic recovery and leave Arizona with a deeper, long-term budget hole.

To my knowledge, you have never publicly stated where you stand on the corporate tax breaks being considered by the legislature, but I sincerely hope that you recognize the folly of funding any such tax breaks through a sales tax on middle-income Arizonans – particularly on the heels of devastating cuts to our schools, health care and public safety. Arizonans like my wife and me cannot support your proposed sales tax increase if you intend to follow it with across-the-board corporate tax cuts. I call upon you to pledge your veto to any non-targeted corporate tax giveaways that would appreciably offset the short-term revenue gains from Prop. 100. Arizonans deserve meaningful assurances from you that the increased revenues from your tax increase will truly benefit our schools, public health, and public safety.

Sincerely,

Terry Goddard

Go to Goddard's website to learn about Terry, his vision for Arizona, and to volunteer to help him.

Payday loan industry DOA

...For now, anyway.

I missed the end of the Senate Appropiations meeting, but according to an article from YourWestValley.com and a couple of Facebook updates, the measure failed in committee today by a 3 - 5 vote.

It could be brought back later via another striker, so it won't be completely dead until the end of the legislative session. However, it's an election year, and all members of the lege are up for reelection in November and very few want to be viewed as someone who thwarted the will of the voters on this topic.

So for now, enjoy this small victory, perhaps the only one the average Arizonan will see until the November elections when they'll have the opportunity throw out the ideologues who have worked so diligently to undermine Arizona's future.

Later...

Live blogging Senate Approps - payday loan reauthorization

5:25 - OK, this is taking too long, and I have to leave. I recommend going to the lege's website to watch the live video feed. Later!

5:19 - Considers the industry to be a highlight of the "free market." Next proposal: leg breaking by mobsters becomes a legally-acceptable debt collection technique.

5:17 - The CEO of Checksmart is speaking in support of Pearce's striker.

5:11 - The AARP guy is hitting the Rs where they live - pointing out his members from 29 of the 30 LDs have voted to oppose this bill.

5:08 - Just received an email from the Rabago for AG campaign opposing the striker. Will post later if there is time.

5:07 - An AARP volunteer leader is speaking now. Speaking in opposition.

5:03 - Pearce is trying to drown out Aboud, calling votes on measures in other states regarding payday loans as votes on "deceptive measures." Thinks that expressed public opinion on such measures are irrelevent to this situation.

5:00 - The CFA person is responding to a question from Sen. Aboud about what happened in North Carolina when they allowed their payday loan statute to expire. A: All sorts of good things.

4:48 - Aarons done, finally. Another opponent has been called up to the podium, one from the Consumer Federation of America.

4:39 - I missed the context, but Braswell is going on about buying a "GI Joe with Kung Fu Grip." Huh?!?

4:34 - Allen wishes that "there was a math genius in the room." Aboud has tried to explain it to Allen. Pearce is now out front, blocking for Allen. Too late. Most people in the room are now chuckling when Allen starts speaking - they know that whatever is coming will be embarrassing to her.

4:33 - No Sylvia Allen is trying to undermine Aarons' position.

4:30 - Yawn.

4:25 - Sen. Braswell is questioning Aarons' use of "predatory."

4:23 - Barry Aarons is speaking against the bill. Calls it "predatory" lending.

4:11 - Harper is worried about his capitalization amendments. He thinks that the language may not be proper. Not sure what the response was, but his proposed amendments stand.

4:10 - Turns out that the language of the striker is very vague on the subject of enforcement. There are provisions about license revocation, but no clue as to when they kick in or who decides.

4:05 - Gould asks about a "do not loan" list. Turns out the striker has language creating a voluntary list where a customer could add himself to a list of folks who couldn't be loaned money, but could then remove himself from that list. That would be an effective reform, wouldn't it?

4:01 - Pearce is arguing for the striker during the time that the public is supposed to have to speak on the bill. The chair should rule him out of order...oh, wait - Pearce *is* the chair.

Never mind. :)

4:00 - Pearce thinks that the reforms in his striker are tremendous. Just ask him.

3:58 - Pearce thinks that the payday loan industry has been unfairly oppressed, and considers the striker a push for freedom, unlike "the Obama health care plan."

3:56 - The baby that was crying in the main meeting room is now in the hallway outside the overflow room. :)

3:53 - Aboud pointing out a number of issues with the striker and the regulations. Like that with the budget cuts facing the state, there won't actually be a regulator to oversee the industry.

3:44 - Harper amendment to the striker, to earmark the fees and fines from the payday loan industry to pay for regulating the industry. Another Harper amendment to make sure no payday loan industry money goes to ACORN or similar organizations. Yet another Harper amendment to eliminate a capitalization requirement, calls it "anti-competitive".

3:40 - HB2370, pay day loans striker. Fact sheet here.

3:37 - HB2423, updating reporting requirements for municipal and county budgets. Passes unanimously.

3:35 - The sound quality is good - a baby crying in the main hearing room sounded like it was here in the overflow room. :) Bill passes.

3:31 - HB2142, Board of Athletic Training omnibus. House Approps chair John Kavanagh just strolled by the overflow room, moving toward the Senate meeting room.

3:29 - HB2031, reauthorizing the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (AZ's analog to the Congressional Budget Office). Passes, Gould voting no. He's like Mikey from the old Life Cereal ads - he hates everything..

3:25 - HB2370 will be fourth on the agenda. Pearce has announced that both sides on that one will get three speakers on that measure.

3:24 - Into order.

3:21 - Waiting for the committee to achieve a quorum so that they can start the meeting. The meeting room is packed, so I am in the overflow seating area in SHR3.

Live Blogging the Senate floor session, March 16

3:07 - Committee announcements. No Third Read, no ban on texting while driving. Off to Appropriations.

3:06 - End COW.

3:04 - SB1375, regarding contactor payments. Passes COW with some minor amendments.

3:00 - SB1330, deregulating "commercial" fireworks, retained on the calendar (held for future consideration).

2:57 - First up: SB1200, creating a commission to make recommendations concerning appointments to the Game and Fish Commission. SB1200 passes COW.

2:53 - Regular session. Entering COW, chaired by Cap'n Al Melvin.

2:51 - Senate adjourning sine die. Now all we need is for the governor to sign the abomination that they just finished passing for the lawsuits to begin.

2:35 - Recessing regular session, preparing to go back into special session in order to adjourn it sine die.

2:30 - Entering regular session for some housekeeping kind of stuff.

2:22 - Senate in recess, waiting to adjourn the special session sine die.

2:21 - Passes 17 - 13, all Ds and R Jay Tibshraeny voting no.

2:20 - Carolyn Allen is now excoriating FTF.

2:17 - Gray is blaming FTF for the R's destruction of KidsCare.

2:16 - Now it's Linda Gray's turn. At least she is a little more on point with her comments.

2:12 - Allen still going on with a mish-mash of economic theory, statistics, and radical right ideology. Now talking about the federal budget.

2:11 - Sylvia Allen calls today an illustration of "why socialism doesn't work". I'm not kidding.

2:06 - Rios is criticizing the measure, calling it "offensive", and thinks it will be defeated, votes No.

2:04 - Huppenthal, the man who would be in charge of educating Arizona's children, expresses reservations about the resolution, but votes for it anyway.

2:01 - Sen. Linda Lopez calls the R's budget "stealing" money from children. Gould rises to complain about First Things First because he feels that they have too many employees.

2:01 - My opinion: The lege wants to take money dedicated to early childhood health care and education, and use it to pay for corporate tax cuts.

1:56 - Voting now. It's going to pass, earlier info notwithstanding. Thus far, the only R vote against is Tibshraeny, the former (and future?) mayor of Chandler.

1:55 - HCR20o1 being substituted for the identical SCR1001.

1:47 - Senator Landrum Taylor introducing a number of guests in the gallery who are from the PAFCO coalition, here to express opposition to the lege's inhumane budget (my term, not theirs).

1:43 - Senate gavelled into special session - 30 present.

1:39 - They have a short third read (final passage) agenda for the day - 1 item. SB1334, banning texting while driving. Again. Have no idea if it will pass this time.

1:35 - The 10-minute bell just sounded, and there are a few senators milling around on the floor.

1:23 - Was just informed that the session schedule was changed to start at 1:30. Since that it is less than 10 minutes away, and the 10 minute bells haven't sounded yet, don't hold your breath waiting for this to start on time.

1:06 - They haven't even sounded the bells to let members know they will be needed on the floor within 10 minutes, so I'm not sure when the session is going to go off. However, the last report (roughly 30 minutes ago) said that the Rs don't have the votes to pass the budget. However, the situation is fluid and may change by the time they gavel the session into order. I expect that to happen soon - the Senate gallery is filling up and there is activity on the Senate floor (pages bringing in and setting up members' computers, representatives of the MSM have started taking their positions, Senate staffers are wandering around, etc.)

The delay in the start of the floor session could cause a delay in the start of the meeting of Senate Appropriations where they are expected to hear a striker to reauthorize the payday loan industry.

Updates in a few minutes...

Health care vote coming up in Congress

Later this week, or perhaps early next week, the US House will vote on a health care reform bill. Its passage (assuming it passes, a likely occurrence but far from a guaranteed one) won't signal the end of the HCR debate - the Senate will still have to deal with it.

However, now is the time to help ensure HCR's passage through the House - contact your Congressional representative and urge them to support it.

My brief letter to Congressman Harry Mitchell, doing just that -

Dear Congressman Mitchell,

Within the next week or so, Congress will be voting on a health care reform bill.

Last year, you supported an HCR bill with a strong public option (Thank you!), and I am writing to you to urge you to continue to do so.

The current system of health insurance caters to the whims and desires of corporate bigwigs and lobbyists, while denying care for the patients who need it.

Throughout your political career, you have been known for standing up for the needs of your constituents. Right now, thousands of your constituents need you to stand strong one more time, this time against against the falsehoods and smears of those who are profiting from the current dysfunctional system of health insurance.

Congressman Mitchell, thank you for all that you have done for the people of your district.

Regards,

[cpmaz]

At this point, I expect that long and involved missives aren't necessary, but short notes to let our Congressmen and -women know that people are still watching and care about HCR are definitely in order this week.

Congressman Mitchell's online contact/email form is here.

For those who live in districts other than CD5...

Ann Kirkpatrick (CD1) can be contacted here
Ed Pastor (CD4) can be contacted here
Raul Grijalva (CD7) can be contacted here
Gabrielle Giffords (CD8) can be contacted here

If you live in CDs 2, 3, and 6, you are represented by hardcore Republicans who are opposed to any kind of health care reform, no matter how much their constituents urgently need it to pass. Whether you support or oppose HCR, those reps don't care - they made up their minds before it was even proposed.

Later...

Live blogging: Senate floor activity, Regular and Special Session

1:18 - They don't have the votes to finish off the budget/social safety net, and have adjourned the special session until Tuesday. #$#$!@&!*!!! I drove down here for this?!?

1:17 - As with the regular session, 28 present, 2 excused.

1:15 - Announcing committee meetings for tomorrow. Jack Harper is griping about being misquoted in the AZRepublic by EJ Montini. Boo hoo. Calls it "yellow journalism." About to start special session.

1:13 - Doing 2nd Read and assignment of bills to committees. HB2250, the Rs' corporate bailout bill not assigned as yet.

1:09 - 28 present, 2 excused, including Frank Antenori ("R-Don't say I'm from Tucson, even though I live there!"). Doing first read of bills.

Update from Thrasher for Congress

John Thrasher, a veteran and a career educator, is a candidate in CD2, looking to unseat Trent Franks (R-one of our most embarrassing elected officials).

Via email, Thrasher's latest campaign update -

My name is John Thrasher, and like you, I am disappointed with Congress.

Our current District 2 Congressman has not passed a single piece of his own legislation. He has failed to represent your needs for eight years. By pushing his narrow and ideologically driven agenda, Trent Franks has increasingly established his anti-Arizona voting record. He has damaged the future of our district by voting against increasing funding for public education, against legislation that would create good jobs, against measures that call for improving our infrastructure in District 2. Mr. Franks even has trouble answering constituent phone calls when there is a differing point of view. For these and other reasons, I am running for Congress in Arizona's Congressional District 2.

Around election time, politicians make promises that often ring hollow after the election. As an educator, and a leader, I was held to a higher standard. When I make a promise, I stick to it. My honor, and my reputation, depends on it. Therefore, without reservation, I promise to be visible, available, and a good listener. Then, I will take the action needed to find solutions to problems you bring to my attention. AND, I know how to answer my telephone no matter who is calling.

The citizens of District 2 have suffered from inaction, and ideology, long enough. I will not waste my time, or your taxpayer dollars, by going to Washington to bicker with others. You want action, not rhetoric. I will join with your voice in demanding members of Congress, me included, do the job the voters sent them to do.

I strongly believe we can move Arizona forward by developing jobs for District 2 in Solar and New Energy. This will not only ensure cleaner air and water, I predict we will see a significant impact in the over $2 Billion spent importing foreign Oil every day.

My challenge to you is this. If you are pleased with the way things are today in Washington, do nothing. If you are disappointed, like me, invest NOW in our future by sending me, John Thrasher, to Washington on November 2, 2010.

Thank you for your support.

John

How to Contribute or Volunteer

Contribute today at:

www.thrasherforcongress.org


Or by mail:

John Thrasher For Congress

5350 W Bell Rd C-122 #484

Glendale, Arizona 85308

Volunteer Opportunities are available:

info@thrasherforcongress.org


Forward to all your friends and make your contribution today. Give John Thrasher the support needed to bring back the American Dream.