"Cleaning out the backpack", or "time to prepare for the 2013 session of the legislature"

Update on 12/28 -

Thanks go out to sharp-eyed regular reader Anna Johnson, a debate host at Civil Arizona.  There were two errors in the original post - Adam Driggs is the senator from Amanda Reeve's district, and Rich Crandall was not removed from the Senate Education Committee; he only lost the chairmanship.  He remains a member of the committee.  Lastly, she clarified that Linda Gray not only did not run for reelection, she had reached  her term limits.  All areas have been clarified or corrected.

Thanks again Anna!

End update...

When I attend events where I might possibly write about them, I usually have a small backpack with me (think: bookbag).  That pack serves as a container for my laptop, camera, extra pens, notebooks, cables and power cords for anything that might require them, etc., as well as a repository for any literature or swag that might come my way during a particular excursion.

As might be expected, that leads to a backpack full of stuff, and a backpack in need of periodic cleaning out.

During the most recent cleanout of my backpack, I came across this guide to the 2011-2012 Arizona Legislature -

After perusing it, I realized that while in terms of "good government" practices, the upcoming lege probably won't be much better than the one that just concluded, the names and faces of the lege will be very different.

Part of the 50th Arizona Legislature (began in 2011), but gone from the 51st Arizona Legislature (beginning in 2013):

State Sen. Paula Aboud (D) - term-limited out of the Senate and did not run for election.

State Sen. Sylvia Allen (R) - did not run for reelection, instead opting for a (successful) run at a spot on the Navajo County Board of Supervisors.

State Sen. Frank Antenori (R) - defeated in his bid for reelection by former legislator David Bradley.

State Sen. Scott Bundgaard (R) - resigned from office effective January 6, 2012 over a domestic violence incident in February 2011 (he was caught assaulting his then-girlfriend by the side of a Phoenix freeway).  He is now suing the City of Phoenix and Phoenix PD, alleging, among other things, defamation.  He was replaced in the Senate by then-Rep. Judy Burges.  Burges won a full term in the Senate during the 2012 elections.

State Sen. Ron Gould (R) - Term limited out of the Senate, chose to run for Congress in the new CD4.  Lost in the primary to eventual general election winner Paul Gosar.

State Sen. Linda Gray (R) - Term limited and did not run for another office.

State Sen. Lori Klein (R) - lost in the Republican primary when her suburban Phoenix Anthem home was redistricted into a Prescott-centered district.  There were three other incumbent Republicans in that district; she chose to avoid a primary with the other incumbent senator in the district, Steve Pierce (the then-president of the Senate) and went after one of the two House seats from the district.  Both of the other Rs in the race are based in the Prescott area (current state Rep. Karen Fann and current House Speaker Andy Tobin).  Klein lost the primary, but her one term in the lege was marked by two or three terms' worth of "colorful" - she packed heat on the House floor during the 2011 State of the State address from the governor, she aimed a pistol at a reporter in the Senate lounge in order to show off the "purty l'il laser sight", and she read an anti-immigrant screed into the Senate record.  And those may be the highlights of her political career.

State Sen. John Nelson (R) - Dropped out of an R primary when fellow senator Don "Tequila" Shooter "moved" into his R-leaning district after Shooter realized that after redistricting, his own district had too many Democratic and Latino voters for his comfort.  Quotes around "moved" because there are rumors that Shooter never actually changed his residence into the new district.  However, there were no Democratic candidates on the ballot in the new district, so no one challenged his eligibility.

State Sen. Russell Pearce (R) - Became the first, and thus far only, Arizona legislator to be removed from office via the recall process.  He was defeated by 12% by Jerry Lewis (R) in 2011, who was later defeated by Ed Ableser (D) in the 2012 election.  Pearce ran for a new term in 2012, only to be defeated by Bob Worsley (R) in the primary, by 12%.   Pearce was replaced as president of the Senate by Steve Pierce, who won reelection to the Senate in 2012 but was deposed as Senate president by Andy Biggs, an ally of Russell Pearce.

State Sen. David Schapira (D) - Ran for the new CD9, but lost in the primary.  Has maintained his political presence by, among other things, campaigning for the Democratic nominee and eventual general election victor, Kyrsten Sinema.  Expected to be a factor in 2014, but I'm not sure which office he is interested in.

State Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D) - Resigned from the Senate on January 3, 2012, in order to focus on a (successful) run for Congress.  Replaced by David Lujan, a former state senator who promised not to run for election to a full term (and he kept his promise).

That's a turnover of 11 out of 30, or 37%, which sounds like a lot, until you realize that only 2 lost elections to return to the Senate.  The other eight chose to pursue other offices, or none at all.

The membership of the Arizona House of Representatives in 2013 will be also be very different from the House membership at the beginning of 2011 -

State Rep. Kirk Adams (R), then the Speaker of the House, resigned after the 2011 session in order to run for Congress in CD5 (East Mesa, Gilbert, most of Chandler, and other areas in the East Valley portion of metro Phoenix).  He lost in the R primary there to eventual winner Matt Salmon and was last seen running a PAC that laundered money from Big Business to some campaigns that supported/opposed ballot questions.  If he isn't indicted (and in AZ, maybe even if he is), he should also be a factor during the 2014 election cycle.

State Rep. Ben Arredondo (D) - Indicted by the feds for his involvement in a "tickets to sporting evens in exchange for influence" scandal; not the only elected official who was involved, but the only one (so far, anyway), to face legal repercussions.  He resigned from office after accepting a plea deal, and was replaced by...no one.  The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors are required by state law to appoint another Democrat to fill a vacancy in an office held by a D, and they absolutely refused to do so.

State Rep. Cecil Ash (R) - Ran for (and won) Justice of the Peace in North Mesa.  That seat was open because Lester Pearce, Russell Pearce's brother, decided to run for a seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.  That Pearce lost in the R primary by, you guessed it, 12%.

State Rep. Tom Chabin (D) - Redistricted into an R-leaning district; unlike Shooter above, chose the honorable course of staying put and fighting it out.  Ran for State Senate, where he lost to fellow state rep Chester Crandell in November.

State Rep. Steve Court (R) - The House majority leader did not run for reelection.

State Rep. John Fillmore (R) - Ran for the Senate, but lost in the primary to Sen. Rich Crandall, who went district shopping in order to avoid a primary battle with Russell Pearce.  Crandall may be returning to the Senate, but payback came just about the time the election results were finalized - Crandall, an adversary of Russell Pearce, may have beaten John Fillmore, an ally of Pearce, but the new Senate president is Andy Biggs, an ally of Pearce.  For the 2013 session of the lege, Crandall has been removed from his long-time chairmanship of the Senate Education Committee.

State Rep. Jack Harper (R) - The long-time legislator (and God's gift to writers in need of subject material) chose to not run for reelection.  He was rumored to be eyeing a run at Secretary of State in 2014, but has announced that he is stepping away from politics for the foreseeable future (translation - until his wife gets sick of him being underfoot all the time)

State Rep. Matt Heinz (D) - Ran for Congress in the new CD2 (basically Gabby Giffords' former district); lost in the primary to eventual general election winner Ron Barber.

State Rep. Russ Jones (R) - Lost in the primary to Darin Mitchell.  Later sued, saying that Mitchell didn't actually live in the district.  A court agreed that Mitchell didn't live in the district, but declined to remove Mitchell from the ballot.

State Rep. Peggy Judd (R) - Did not run for reelection.

State Rep. Nancy McLain (R) - Ran for the state senate seat held by the termed-out Ron Gould; lost in the primary to eventual general election victor Kelli Ward.

State Rep. Richard Miranda (D) - In February, resigned from office, citing family and health concerns; in March, entered a guilty plea to wire fraud and tax evasion charges for misusing funds from two non-profits; in July, sentenced to 27 months in prison.  Replaced by Martin Quezada, who won a full term in the 2012 election.

State Rep. Daniel Patterson (D) - Resigned in early April over a domestic violence incident.

State Rep. Terri Proud (R) - Redistricted into a district with a full slate of R legislators; chose not to mount a primary battle.

State Rep. Amanda Reeve (R) - Another redistricting casualty. Ended up in a district with three R legislators and one D legislator.  One, Adam Driggs (R), ran to keep a Senate seat; the other three, Reeve, Kate Brophy-McGee (R) and Eric Meyer (D) fought it out in the general for the two House seats.  Reeve came in third.

State Rep. David Burnell Smith (R) - Lost in the 2012 primary for a House seat.

State Rep. Steve Urie (R) - Ran for and won the race for Highland District (Maricopa County) Justice of the Peace.  Could be a short-lived move if he runs afoul of judicial branch ethics standards - JPs handle eviction actions, and Urie owns a property management company.  Can you say "conflict of interest"?

State Rep. Ted Vogt (R) - Ran for reelection; lost in the general election.

State Rep.  Jim Weiers (R) - The former speaker and a payday loan czar was termed out of the House and did not run for another office.

State Rep. Jerry Weiers (R) - The brother of the former speaker was also termed out and ran for (and won) mayor in Glendale.

State Rep. Vic Williams (R) - Chose to run for the Pima County Board of Supervisors.  Lost in the primary.

That's 21 out of 60 people (35%) who were House members at the beginning of 2011 who will not be in the lege at all at the beginning of 2013.  In addition, seven House members in 2011 gained seats in the Senate for 2013 - Ed Ableser (D), Judy Burges (R), Chester Crandell (R), Steve Farley (D), Rick Gray (R), Katie Hobbs (D), Kimberly Yee (R). 

That means that 47%, 28 out of 60, of the 2011 members of the House will not be part of the House in 2013. 

Of those 28, only four lost elections (primary or general) for House seats.

The numbers mean that 14% of the turnover in the House, and 18% of the turnover in the Senate, is directly due to the will of the voters (meaning the incumbent was defeated in a bid to return to the same office). 

I may not be a huge fan of term limits, but I completely understand the desire for them.

Personal note:  Former State Rep. Ben Arredondo may be dealing with legal troubles of his own making, and in that regard deserves little sympathy, but I have three points in that area -

1.  Arredondo may have been part of a "tickets for influence" scheme, but he's not the only one.  Not hardly.  They just made an example of him.

2.  His political career may have ended badly, but no one should use that as an excuse to forget his decades of public service.  Simply put, he's done more good for his community than pretty much any ten of the pretenders on West Washington.

3.  Whatthehell is going on with the lege staff?  They have all but completely scrubbed Arredondo from the lege's website.

He's gone from the roster of members, even though when a member leaves office during a term for any reason, his/her name is left on the list with a note indicating when and why they left office.

Arredondo should be where the crudely-drawn question mark is (I may not be the best writer, but I'm a better writer than an artist :) ); note the highlighted examples of the usual procedure when a member leaves office (Adams and Burges).

There are still traces of him on the website, such as he is still listed as the sponsor or co-sponsor of bills that he sponsored or co-sponsored.  However, when you click on his name, this screen pops up -

What Arredondo did was wrong for anyone in a position of public trust, and he deserves to be held accountable for his crimes, but to remove him from the history of the lege while leaving such embarrassments as Scott Bundgaard and Daniel Patterson (violence toward women), Russell Pearce (recalled in disgrace because of the arrogant and high-handed way he conducted himself in office, including his own involvement in the sports tickets scheme), and Richard Miranda (embezzlement from two non-profits) there?

It may not be illegal, but it is wrong.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors disenfranchising part of their own county

When Ben Arredondo (D-LD17) resigned from the Arizona House of Representatives, it created a vacancy in the legislature, leaving a district, part of Maricopa County, under-represented.

There is a specific series of steps to be followed to fill that vacancy.

Basically, once notified of the vacancy, the elected precinct committeemen of the same party and district as the person who vacated the legislative office meet, and nominate three persons to fill the seat.  The names are then forwarded to the board of supervisors of the applicable county (in the case of Arredondo's Tempe/South Scottsdale district, Maricopa County), and the supes appoint one of the three to fill the seat.

In the case of the vacancy in LD17, everyone has done their part...except for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, who are now refusing to make any appointment at all.  There was a rumor that there was going to be an appointment on the agenda of Monday's meeting of the MCBOS, but that didn't happen, nor is such an item on the agenda for the Wednesday meeting.

Now, state law seems to be pretty clear, once the other steps have been followed, the supes *must* appoint someone to fill the seat.  From ARS 41 - 1202 (linked above to "steps") (emphasis mine)-

4. The state party chairman of the appropriate political party shall forward the names of the three persons named pursuant to paragraph 2 of this subsection to the board of supervisors of the county of residence of the person elected or appointed to the office immediately before the vacancy occurred. The board of supervisors shall appoint a person from the three nominees submitted.

I've heard a few different speculations about the motivation behind the supes' refusal to follow the law here -

- It's a Democratic-controlled seat, and the Republicans on the board are simply playing partisan games.

- Two of the Republicans on the MCBOS are lame ducks, so they know if the Board's failure to do its duty comes back to bite them in the ass, it won't impact them - they're gone anyway.

- A few people have pointed out that the appointment of Juan Mendez, who recently won election to the AZ House from the new LD26, would highlight the fact that for the purpose of term limits, even a partial term counts as a full term.  Something that the Rs may not want highlighted as long an Jan Brewer is trying to argue that she can run for another term as governor, even though the law says that she cannot because of the partial term she held after Janet Napolitano left AZ behind for D.C.

Whether the motivation is one of the above reasons, or is another entirely (though I admit, I'm leaning toward partisan gamesmanship, but I'm a cynic), I have to ask -

What's the hang-up?  This isn't theoretical physics.  It's not difficult.  Get it done.

The people of LD17 want a representative.  The people of LD17 need a representative.  And state law requires that the MCBOS appoint a representative from the list of nominees given to them.

Imagine the uproar if a Democratic-controlled board of supes, say in Pima County, refused to fill a lege seat held by a Republican.  There would outraged calls to mobilize the Arizona National Guard governor's personal vigilante force to invade the offending county and force them to appoint a Republican.

People beyond the list of nominees are watching this all play out (or not) and are voicing their opinions of what is going on, and the most charitable description that I've heard is "frustrating" because not only are the supes not doing their job, they've been sending mixed signals, saying (through surrogates like staffers) that an appointment will be made, and then it won't be, and then it will be, and then it won't be, and so on.

Contact the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and urge them to do their job and appoint someone to represent part of their county at the state legislature.


Steve at The Arizona Eagletarian has more coverage of this here.

State Representative Ben Arredondo indicted in FBI sting

On Wednesday, a federal indictment of State Representative Ben Arredondo was released. 

It alleges that Arredondo accepted slightly less than $6300 in tickets to sporting events and charity events in exchange for influence used on behalf of the givers of the largesse, FBI agents working undercover as representatives of a fake company seeking to do business in Tempe.

The matter is still unfolding, and more news will break before it is over.

Arredondo will have his day in court, and as someone who knows and likes him, I hope he is innocent and fends this off.  However, if he's guilty, he should face the appropriate penalty.

Senate Minority Leader David Schapira, from Tempe, like Arredondo, has called for Arredondo's resignation, while House Minority Leader Chad Campbell of Phoenix expressed both shock at the charges and that Arredondo should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

Having said all that, I've got a few thoughts on this:

- While if the allegations in the indictment are proven true it will be more than a little disappointing, it won't be all that surprising.  Arredondo was one of a number of elected officials named in the report from the Fiesta Bowl organization concerning its scandal.  The elected officials received trips and tickets to college football games prior to voting on matters that affected the Fiesta Bowl.

- Speaking of the Fiesta Bowl scandal, most or all of the electeds named in that report are probably finding that their digestive systems have turned into masonry production systems (aka "they're $hitting bricks") right about now.  Wednesday's indictment may not be related to the Fiesta Bowl scandal, but the behavior cited in it is very similar.  Just a guess here, but many of them

- The next elected on the feds' menu may not even be a state legislator.  They're still going "round 'n round" with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an investigation of Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne relating to some interesting campaign finance activity, and Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu is the subject of an investigation into allegations that he had some PCSO employees do campaign work, for his now-abandoned run for Congress, while they were on the job.

- Assuming that there is merit to the feds' allegations, the question will become "who's next, and for what?"  After the Fiesta Bowl scandal broke, a number of bills were introduced by the Democrats in the legislature to tighten the ethics rules on gifts, etc. from people with an interest in matters before the lege.

Turns out some of the other legislators *really* like their freebies - the Republicans killed each and every attempt to clean up the legislature.

In other words, it's not "if" but "when" there will be a next time.

Ben Arredondo, party animal - Who knew?

The Cronkite News Service, a part of the ASU School of Journalism and Mass Communication, recently interviewed State Representative Ben Arredondo of Tempe.  Rep. Arredondo is a longtime fixture in education and political circles in Tempe and Maricopa County, and is now in his first term in the state legislature.

The video compilation of the interview is below.




The most interesting question and answer came at approximately the 1:22 mark of the video.


Q:  "What would your high school classmates voted you most likely to do?"

Arredondo: "Party."


At first, that answer surprised me, but given his love for his alma mater, the hometown ASU, one of the most famous party schools in the country, perhaps it shouldn't have. :))

Other Cronkite News Service videos can be found here.

Hat tip to the Arizona Capitol Times for the heads up on the video...

LD17 Legislators to hold office hours

Rep. Ed Ableser, Rep. Ben Arredondo, and Sen. David Schapira will meet, greet, and speak to constituents next Saturday at the Tempe Library.

From the website of the Arizona State Senate Democratic Caucus -

Senate Minority Leader David Schapira, Rep. Ed Ableser and Rep. Ben Arredondo (District 17)


When: Feb. 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Tempe Public Library, 3500 S. Rural Road, Tempe

Top to bottom: Sen. David Schapira, Rep. Ben Arredondo, Rep. Ed Ableser

Ben Arredondo honored for his public service

From the East Valley Tribune -

The Tempe Sports Complex will be rededicated Monday in the name of former Councilman Ben Arredondo. A ceremony will include Arredondo, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz., and former Mayor Neil Giuliano.


Arredondo was on Tempe’s Council for 16 years and is a former high school teacher, coach and member of the Tempe Elementary School District governing board. He helped create the annual Tempe Tardeada event and worked on a Tempe History Museum exhibit that features memories of Hispanic community members.

Congratulations to Ben!

Learn more about Ben, his career, and his campaign for the Arizona House of Representatives here.

Early Ballot Time - 2010 General Election

All over Arizona, early ballots are reaching mail boxes (the ballot for my area is here).  Here are my picks (and there isn't anything here that will surprise any regular readers :) ):

U.S. Senate - Rodney Glassman.  He's got the energy and focus on the needs of Arizonans (and Arizona) that John McCain hasn't had for decades (if ever).

U.S. Representative in Congress (District 5) - Harry Mitchell.  He's got the energy and focus on the needs of his constituents, and has had it for nearly 40 years.  If the Rs in CD5 had any appreciation for public service and public servants, they'd have nominated him, too.  (Not an unheard-of happenstance.  In Massachusetts in 1982, Republican Silvio Conte won both the Democratic and Republican nominations for Congress in MA-CD1.  He went on to win the general. Back in a time when public service was valued instead of vilified. [page 18 of the linked .pdf] :) )

Governor - Terry Goddard.  He's got the intelligence, experience, and wisdom to move Arizona out of the economic abyss that it's in.  And he's got the quiet fire necessary for dealing with the R extremists in the legislature who are less interested in serving Arizona than in adhering to a nihilist ideology.

State Senator (District 17) - David Schapira.  Focused on Tempe and Arizona's education system.  He has an established track record.  Will work "across the aisle" when doing so will help the district or Arizona's students.  Will fight like hell when doing so will help the district or Arizona's students.

State Representative (District 17) - Ed Ableser and P. Ben Arredondo.  Both have been teachers and community activists in Tempe/South Scottsdale, Ed for most of a decade and Ben for *many* decades.  Ed is the more liberal of the two (Ben being a reformed former Republican), but both are totally focused on their constituents (Yes, there is definitely a pattern in my picks, and it isn't just the partisan affiliation.)

Secretary of State - Chris Deschene.  Will fight for the rights of all voters, not just his party's.  That fact alone puts him head and shoulders above his opponent, but he also brings an educational background that includes mechanical engineering and a law degree. 

Attorney General - Felecia Rotellini.  She's got the smarts, the integrity, and the tenacity to protect Arizonans from predators of all stripes, whether they are smuggling cartels or Wall Street fraudsters.

State Treasurer - Andrei Cherny.  A former assistant AG and an economics policy wonk extraordinaire, he is eminently qualified for the job of safeguarding Arizona's public monies.  The fact that, unlike his opponent, he isn't an indictment for financial fraud waiting to happen is just gravy.

Superintendent of Public Instruction - Penny Kotterman.  Career teacher, teacher trainer, school administrator, education policy advocate, for over 30 years.  Her opponent has spent most of the last two decades trying to destroy public education in Arizona.  'Nuff said.

Mine Inspector - Manuel Cruz.  He has the educational and professional background in mine safety that a job that is supposed to ensure the safety of miners *should* have.  Not in the pocket of industry lobbyists, unlike his opponent.

Corporation Commissioner - David Bradley and Jorge Luis Garcia.  Two former legislators with long and distinguished track records of fighting for their constituents.  Their opponents have long and not-so-distinguished track records of fighting for Big Business, no matter what state it is based in.  The Arizona Corporation Commission is meant to protect the interests of Arizonans by regulating and overseeing utilities, railroads, and securities in the state.  Bradley and Garcia are easy choices here.

Maricopa County Attorney - Michael Kielsky. He's a Libertarian, someone I would normally never vote for, but I always vote for the better candidate.  There's no Democrat on the ballot for this brief term (2 years instead of the normal 4) and the Republican on the ballot is openly allied with Joe Arpaio.  I've been told by some people who are more familiar than I am with Bill Montgomery (the Republican in question) that they think he will probably at least try to appear as neutral, but Arpaio spent hundreds of thousands on ads in the primary race, and incurred thousands more in fines for violating campaign finance laws for doing so.  Can you say "quid pro quo"?

I don't think Kielsky will win, but a strong showing could send a message to the Democrats who have all but given Montgomery a free pass.

Maricopa County Clerk of Courts - Sherry Williams.  Smart and energetic, with a BA in Political Science and a Masters in Information Systems.  She will bring the background and integrity that the clerk of *any* court should have, and that Maricopa County so desperately needs (a Maricopa County official elected countywide with some integrity?  Be still my beating heart...)

University Lakes Justice of the Peace - Meg Burton Cahill (no website available).  The retiring state senator has a master's degree in Public Administration and a strong background in the law from her time on the Senate's Judiciary Committee.  She will make a fine addition to the Maricopa County bench, where her wisdom and experience will stand her in good stead against the pressures that can/will be brought to bear on folks in that position.  Ask the current holder of the office - he was Joe Arpaio's "go-to guy" when he needed some sketchy warrants signed for his jihad against the county supes.

University Lakes Constable - No race, so no vote.  Joe Arredondo (R) will win.

Central Arizona Water Conservation District (aka - the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project) - Arif Kazmi and Jim Holway.  Both have strong academic, professional and personal backgrounds in water resources management.  Both were among the five candidates endorsed by the Arizona Republic, and while the other endorsees of the AZRep are strong, these two are stronger and should be "double-shotted" in order to maximize their chances of election.  There is a slate of "Tea Party" candidates running to try to put the management of a major part of Arizona's water delivery system on an ideological basis, not a professional basis.  They should be completely shunned.  In a desert like central Arizona, water literally is life.

School Governing Board member, Scottsdale Unified #48 - I have absolutely no clue.  Decision by elimination time (and I may be doing the eliminated candidate a disservice, but this is the best I've got in this race):  Denny Brown (newby) and Dieter Schaefer (incumbent).  There is limited info available on the candidates that I could find in a quick search, but while I have some reservations (i.e. - Schaefer was the only candidate who responded to a questionnaire from the extreme RW organization The Center for Arizona Policy), but the third candidate, Pam Kirby. touts a resume that looks good (lots of PTO involvement) but seems to be more purely ideological than the others.  Plus the endorsement of Scottsdale City Council member Bob Littlefield didn't help.

Bond question, Scottsdale Unified #48 - Yes.  Over the short-term, the legislature cannot be counted on the fund the state's education system, whether for classroom needs or infrastructure needs.  Long-term, there could be legal ramifications because while relatively affluent districts like SUSD can use bonding to fund an adequate education system for their students, many poorer districts cannot.

City of Scottsdale Council Member - Ned O'Hearn, Linda Milhaven, and Wayne Ecton.  All three care deeply about Scottsdale and its future, and aren't tied to any particular ideology beyond that.  Dennis Robbins would have received my fourth vote if a fourth seat was up for election this time around, but he wasn't quite strong enough a candidate to make it into the top three.  Bob Littlefield...I like Bob personally, but I'd never vote for him.  He definitely is tied to that certain nihilist ideology that permeates the AZGOP, he just covers it with a "good ol' boy" facade.  Guy Philips is definitely not ready for prime time.  He doesn't hide his obeisance to ideological orthodoxy, but he doesn't even have the redeeming value of knowing that ideology well.  If he were elected to the Council, he'd need a staffer with cue cards set up in the back of the City Hall Kiva to tell him how to vote on issues.

The next set of issues concern City of Scottsdale ballot questions, info here.

City of Scottsdale Bond Questions 1 and 2 - Yes.  They're for infrastructure, and I'm a big fan of infrastructure.

Proposition 411 - NO.  A charter amendment further restricting the City's ability to use condemnation to acquire property.  Looks harmless on the surface (must adhere to state law, which is already required), but includes vague language like "all reasonable options have been exhausted."  A recipe for frivolous lawsuits.

Proposition 412 - NO.  A charter amendment intended to prevent the City from ever paying to participate in organizations like the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce.  Part of Mayor Jim Lane's ongoing tiff with the CofC, possibly related to the fact that they didn't endorse him in 2008.  The charter is a document to define the structure of the City's government, not a tool for petty political retribution.

Proposition 413 - Close, but NO.  Currently, the City's charter allows citizens to petition the Council and requires the Council to consider any matters brought to its attention within 30 days, which can be difficult considering the timing (right before summer break) or complexity of some of the issues.  This charter amendment would remove the thirty day limit entirely.  My problem is with that.  Make it 45 or 60 days, but don't remove the obligation to hear matters in a timely manner.

Proposition 414 - Probable YES.  This charter amendment would clarify the duties of and separate the offices of the various City Charter Officers.  This one stems from the tendency in recent years to combine the offices of the City Manager and City Treasurer.  God help me for agreeing with the Lane/Littlefield clique on *anything*, but they're right on this one - the treasurer of any organization should be an independent officer, one whose oversight is as far up the org chart as is practicable.

It's not perfect, and it's a powerplay by the Lane/Littlefield clique, but when Lane installs a campaign contributor into the office of treasurer (and he will!), there will be a movement to put specific experience requirements into the charter for that particular job.

Proposition 415 - Probable YES.  A charter amendment to clarify that the Mayor and Council shall not have direct control of a City employee's hiring/firing, except for those who work directly for the Mayor and Council.

Proposition 416 - Probable YES.  A charter amendment that looks like a "housekeeping" measure clarifying how the Council may act/enact under specific circumstances.

Proposition 417 - Probable YES.  A charter amendment that looks to be a "housekeeping" measure related to the appointment and terms of judges on the City Court.

Judges for the Arizona Supreme Court, Court of Appeals - Division One, and Maricopa County Superior Court - I haven't heard of any of them, which is a characteristic that I want in judges.  Court judges are like baseball umpires - if you've heard of them, then they probably messed up big-time.  I won't be voting to retain/not retain any of them.

Statewide ballot propositions - Previously covered here.  Summary: NO on all measures proposed by the legislature, and YES on the one (Prop. 203, Medical Marijuana) sent to the ballot by the citizens.

Whew!

Later...

Recap of the LD17 Clean Elections debate

On Wednesday night, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission held its debate for the candidates in the LD17 races for state senate and state representative.

While only one candidate in each race is a Clean Elections candidate, all of the candidates were invited.  Most, but not all, took advantage of the opportunity to speak to the approximately 200 voters in attendance.

As pure theater, the senate debate was boring - only one candidate, State Representative David Schapira, showed up.

Anthony "Grandpa" Goshorn, the faux-Green write in candidate, was expected (the CCEC went so far as to print up a name tent for him) but he didn't appear at the forum.  He was in the audience, however. (working on obtaining pics) 

Republican candidate Wendy Rogers was a complete no-show, not even bothering to attend to watch the debate and meet with interested voters.

She put up a message on her Facebook page saying that "Voters OVERWHELMINGLY tell me they appreciate a candidate on their doorstep rather than having to take time to attend a forum to view a candidate from a distance."

I don't know what "distance" she is talking about - one could meet and greet any of the candidates present before and after the forum.

Of course, Rogers could have been pinned down and asked to explain her answer on this questionnaire from the Center for Arizona Policy.

When asked if she supported or opposed "Prohibiting abortion except when it is necessary to prevent the death of the mother," not only did she circle "Support," she expanded upon that answer by adding "Honestly, I do not support abortion even to prevent the unfortunate death of the mother."

Ummmm...yeah.  That one doesn't even fit in with the mainstream of her own party, much less the mainstream of Tempe and south Scottsdale.

In any event, the candidate "debate" became a conversation between Schapira and Russ Knocke, the moderator of the event (See above pic)

Schapira used his time to lay out his political resume and past accomplishments and his vision for the future.

His trademark issue and political passion, both historically and in his future plans, is protecting and strengthening Arizona's education system.

Calling the Republican majority in the legislature "pennywise and pound foolish," a line that he borrowed from Republican John Kavanagh, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, he sharply criticized the way that the Rs have [not] handled the state's fiscal crisis, particularly in regards to education funding (Arizona has a "terrible model on how to run an education system") and health care (the lege has "raised the bar" on AHCCCS eligibility when ever-more people need its safety net).*

* - Don't fret R readers, Kavanagh is still drinking the Kool-Aid - within days of urging during a committee meeting that the state not to be "pennywise and pound foolish" he voted to cut education funding, close state parks that were a net revenue generator, and end KidsCare.

The House debate was far livelier.  Six candidates - Democrats Ben Arredondo and Ed Ableser, Republicans Don Hawker and Steve May, Green Gregor Knauer, and Libertarian Damian Trabel - were there, though only Ableser has accepted Clean Elections funding.

While Knauer and Trabel laid out their respective positions well (or not-so-well, depending), the debate became focused on the differences between the Democratic and Republican candidates.

Even at that, most of the open animosity was between Ableser and May.

Hawker spent most of his time piping up to blame all of AZ's (and the country's) ills on abortion and "unbridled liberalism" and Arredondo spent his time focusing on Arizona's devastated education system and "jobs, jobs, jobs."

I'll give Hawker credit for one thing - he may be a one-issue candidate, but he is focused enough on that one issue to turn any answer to any question into a diatribe against abortion.

And "diatribe" is the right word too - when CCEC puts up the video recording of the debate, watch it.  He uses lines like "scissors removing the brains of babies" and does so with a straight face.

Ben Arredondo spent his time on one thing, too - talking about what he will do in office if elected.  Like Schapira (and Ableser, too), the career teacher and public servant will be focused on education.  He also pledged to work "across the aisle" for the benefit of the district, teaming up with Republicans on issues that they can agree on.  That is something that Arredondo may be uniquely qualified to do, as the former school board and Tempe City Council member, and former Republican, has a long history of working for real world solutions for real world problems.

However focused those two were, the featured attraction in the House debate was Steve May constantly lobbing rhetorical bombs (and personal insults) at Ed Ableser.

Apparently, May must believe that Ableser is the one who uncovered his involvement with the burgeoning AZGOP/sham Green candidates scandal,

I don't really know who did figure out May's involvement, but since May wasn't exactly hiding his involvement with some of the suspect candidates, his involvement could have been uncovered by almost anyone.

Anyway, May started right in on Ableser, claiming that Ableser's biggest failing as a legislator is his unwillingness to work for "with" the Republican majority in a bipartisan manner.

Ummm - I can state unequivocally that the R caucus doesn't want any Democrats to work with them.  During 2009's budget dust-up when the Rs couldn't get enough votes from their own caucus to pass a budget, attempting to "work with" Democrats meant that the Governor, President of the State Senate, and Speaker of the State House met in the Speaker's office and proceeded to call in each member of the D caucus to *tell* them to vote for their budget.  It didn't work.

May kept taking his shots at Ableser, until he was not-so-subtly schooled by Ben Arredondo, who, to the approval of most of the audience members, pointed out that he was there to talk about his vision and candidacy, not to take swipes at the other candidates.  After that. May cut back (but didn't cut out) the direct attacks.

According to May, the best reason to vote for him is that he is a Republican, and would be part of the majority party. 

Seriously, that was the best he had to offer.

Ableser took his time to point out his record of accomplishment and advocacy for the district. 

Among other things, he supports broadening the state's tax base (the sales-tax centered model currently used by Arizona is "very archaic"), using incentives to push entrepeneurship in Arizona, especially around "green" and solar technology, and, of course, buttressing the state's education system.

Finally, a curious thing occurred after the forum was over -

From the stage, May started barking at fellow blogger Randy, the author of Dry Heat Democrat.  Not sure why.  Randy barked back (a little) in response, but it didn't escalate beyond that.  I'll leave it to him to tell the story on his blog.  It should be up in a day or two.

Interested voters can go to the website of the Clean Elections Commission to view the debate online (once the CCEC posts the video record)

More pics from the forum -

Left:  The House candidates (L to R): Ableser, Arredondo, Hawker, Knauer, May, and Trabel.

Left:  The crowd, pic taken during the break between the two debates, when everybody could stand and stretch their legs.

Later...

Note: apologies for the formatting of this post.  Apparently Blogger doesn't like it when you put multiple pics into one post...

Pics from the LD17 Clean Elections debates

Will do a more complete recap tomorrow (I need to get some sleep now), but here are a few pics...

Ed Ableser and Ben Arredondo, Democratic candidates for LD17 House, prior to the debate

David Schapira, Democratic candidate for LD17 State Senate, prior to his "debate" (more on that in a minute)...

Schapira and his opponents Wendy Rogers (R) and Anthony Goshorn (G*), with Rogers and Goshorn disguised as empty chairs.  Seriously, neither one showed up.  Apparently Rogers notified organizers prior to the event, even though originally she was expected to appear, but Goshorn was a pure no show (check out the name tent next to Schapira's). 

Well, not a *pure* no show - he was in the audience.  Just not on the stage.

All of the House candidates who appeared at the debate.  From left to right: Ed Ableser, Ben Arredondo, Don Hawker (R), Gregor Knauer (G), Steve May (R), and Damian Trabel (Libertarian)

Arredondo making a point.

Later...

Early ballot time - 2010 primary

Early voting has started, and those voters who have signed up for the Pernanent Early Voting List or have specifically requested a mail ballot for this election should have received their ballot already (or will receive it within the next few days.)

If you are not on the PEVL list or haven't requested a ballot for this specific election, you can download the sign up form for the PEVL here or request a ballot for a single election here.  The latest date to request an early ballot for the August primary is August 13.

My ballot is a Democratic one, specific to CD5/LD17/Maricopa County/University Lakes Justice Precinct, and can be found here. (Just for giggles, the Republican ballot for the same area is here; the Libertarian ballot is here; and the Green ballot is here.)

While I have determined who to vote for in the races where there are contests, I won't list those choices here.  All of the Democratic candidates are excellent choices (one of the advantages to being a Democrat in a state that is so dominated by Republicans is that anyone running as a D is someone who takes public service seriously) and I'll proudly support the eventual winners in the general election.

The candidates on my ballot, and their campaign websites, are (in the order listed on the ballot, not my personal preference.):

US Senate (vote for one)

Randy Parraz
John Dougherty
Cathy Eden
Rodney Glassman


U.S. Representative (CD5)

Harry Mitchell


Governor of Arizona

Terry Goddard


State Senator (LD17)

David Schapira


State Representative (LD17) (vote for two)

Ed Ableser
Ben Arredondo


Arizona Secretary of State (vote for one)

Sam Wercinski
Chris Deschene


Arizona Attorney General (vote for one)

Felecia Rotellini
David Lujan
Vince Rabago


Arizona State Treasurer

Andrei Cherny


Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction (vote for one)

Jason Williams
Penny Kotterman


Arizona Mine Inspector

Manuel Cruz


Arizona Corporation Commission (vote for two)

Renz Jennings
David Bradley
Jorge Luis Garcia


Clerk of the Maricopa County Superior Court

Sherry Williams


Justice of the Peace, University Lakes Justice Precinct (vote for one)

Meg Burton Cahill (no campaign webpage that I could find, but her state senate page is here)
Kathy Hayden


One of the more interesting races is one that isn't on my ballot - the race between Republicans Rick Romley and Bill Montgomery to serve out the remaining 2+ years of Andrew Thomas' term as Maricopa County Attorney.  No D is running for the spot, preferring to save up their campaigning energies for 2012.

The race there has boiled down to Romley's professionalism versus Montgomery's Arpaio-ism.  In a general election contest, Romley would win in a walkover, but since the race will be decided by the R primary voters, anything could happen.

Updates on this and the other races as they become available.

The LD17 team stays strong

In news that broke elsewhere (including R-Cubed and AZCentral.com), Meg Burton Cahill has announced that she will not seek another term in the Senate next year. For health reasons she is taking her public service career in another direction (her doctor advised her that a hostile work environment like the AZ lege is not conducive to good health. For this he needed to spend tens of thousands of dollars for years of medical school? LOL).

Her wisdom, insight, humor, and dedication to the people of D17 and the state will be sorely missed, but someone who has been found to step into the void that she is leaving, someone who is likely one of the few people capable of stepping in who may be as dedicated to the people of D17.

Long-time Tempe City Councilman Ben Arredondo has become a Democrat, moving away from the Republican Party that has moved away from him and all other elected officials who place a premium on community service over partisan ideology.

Councilman Arredondo will run for a House seat; Rep. Schapira will open an exploratory committee for the Senate seat.

More on this later, but I just wanted to write something while waiting for the "special" session to start (Today'stentative schedule - pledge, prayer, first read, adjourn, caucus, go home).

Left to right: Senator Meg Burton Cahill, Councilman Ben Arredondo, Representative Ed Ableser, Representative David Schapira