Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer says she plans to file a counter-lawsuit against the federal government for failing to enforce immigration laws.Wonder how many teachers will have to be laid off or how many more transplant patients will have to die to pay for Jan's (and her clan's) bigotry?
Brewer says her claim will be filed in the federal government's challenge to Arizona's new enforcement immigration law.
Showing posts with label Brewer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brewer. Show all posts
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Governor Jan Brewer's first jobs action: The "Full Employment For Lawyers" Initiative
From AP, via the Arizona Republic -
Monday, January 31, 2011
The newest plank in the platform for Arizona Republicans: Disdain.
The Republicans of Arizona inhabit such a rarified area of our mortal coil, that they've developed a curious attitude toward those of us who have to deal with day-to-day issues that are rather more "mundane."
Some might call that attitude "detached", but I would call it "disdainful."
- They've got nothing but disdain for voters, seeking authorization to override Prop 204 and the requirement to provide AHCCCS coverage for Arizonans with income up to 100% of the federal poverty level...
- They've got nothing but disdain for poor, sick people (somewhat related to the above, and thanks to Donna at Democratic Diva for spotting and highlighting this).
Speaking on KJZZ's (NPR) Here And Now, Eileen Klein, Governor Jan Brewer's Chief of Staff (starting at approximately the 6:45 mark of the audio archive) -
- They've got nothing but disdain for those, like Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of the City of New York, who have criticized Arizona for making it so easy for people like Jared Loughner to obtain semi-automatic pistols with high-capacity magazines.
Video of how easy it is -
Republican Governor Jan Brewer's response (from Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via the Arizona Daily Sun)?
Welcome to Arizona, the place where many residents want to build a wall to keep Mexican out, but may soon be the place where neighbors want to build a wall to keep Arizonans in.
Some might call that attitude "detached", but I would call it "disdainful."
- They've got nothing but disdain for voters, seeking authorization to override Prop 204 and the requirement to provide AHCCCS coverage for Arizonans with income up to 100% of the federal poverty level...
- They've got nothing but disdain for poor, sick people (somewhat related to the above, and thanks to Donna at Democratic Diva for spotting and highlighting this).
Speaking on KJZZ's (NPR) Here And Now, Eileen Klein, Governor Jan Brewer's Chief of Staff (starting at approximately the 6:45 mark of the audio archive) -
...we need to be using our resources in areas like education and other areas that can help build and grow our state, to make our state more competitive for the long run and unfortunately, while those services are helpful to people in areas like medicaid, they aren't doing anything to help contribute to the growth of the state...Poor people dying for lack of appropriate medical care, like transplants, aren't worthy of consideration; corporations holding their hands out for targeted tax cuts, well, they aren't just supported, they're fast-tracked.
- They've got nothing but disdain for those, like Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of the City of New York, who have criticized Arizona for making it so easy for people like Jared Loughner to obtain semi-automatic pistols with high-capacity magazines.
Video of how easy it is -
Republican Governor Jan Brewer's response (from Howie Fischer of Capitol Media Services, via the Arizona Daily Sun)?
Gov. Jan Brewer is defending Arizona laws that allow the sale of firearms at gun shows without a background check and forbid cities from imposing such requirements.Apparently, she is such "strong proponent" of guns, that she doesn't let a few dead bodies outside Tucson Safeway get in the way of her slavish devotion to the NRA's blind dogma.
"We believe our laws are fair and just in the state of Arizona,'' the governor said Monday.
Her comments come on the heels of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg releasing videos Monday taken by undercover agents at a Phoenix gun show just 15 days after the Tucson shootings. There, Arizona private investigators hired by New York City were able to purchase weapons not only without a background check but, at least twice, after admitting to sellers they probably would not pass.
Brewer said she had not seen the videos. Nor had she seen Bloomberg's comments.
But the governor said the laws are "something that the Legislature and I decide.''
Last year Brewer signed legislation making Arizona only the third state in the nation to let anyone carry a concealed weapon without a state permit, training and a background check. But Brewer said Monday she remains open to further liberalizing of the state's gun laws.
"I am a strong proponent of the Second Amendment,'' she said.
Welcome to Arizona, the place where many residents want to build a wall to keep Mexican out, but may soon be the place where neighbors want to build a wall to keep Arizonans in.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The coming week - legislative edition
As usual, all info gathered from the website of the Arizona Legislature or other online sources, and subject to change without notice.
"SHR" indicates that a meeting room is a Senate Hearing Room; "HHR" indicates a House Hearing Room.
Committee hearings on the Senate side of the Capitol this week -
- Rules will meet in Caucus Room 1 on Monday upon adjournment of the floor session. The agenda is a long one, but the meeting probably won't be, as the committee exists only as a gatekeeper/rubber stamp. It either refuses to hear any bills that the Senate President doesn't like and to push through those he does approve of. Lowlights this week: SB1136 and SR1001, a bill to block a tribal casino in the West Valley and a resolution opposing that casino. Those bills are being fast-tracked by the anti-Native nativists in the Senate.
- Natural Resources and Transportation will meet in SHR109 on Monday upon adjournment of the Rules meeting. Not many bills on the agenda, but they will consider the first executive nominations of the session. Most of the nominees are big R contributors.
- Education will meet in SHR3 on Monday upon adjournment of Rules. Lowlights: SB1116, Sen. Andy Biggs bid to make permanent "displaced pupils choice grants" (AKA "private school vouchers") and SB1053 and SB1055, Sen. Linda Gray's bills relating to "character education" ("character" is something that cost a former Arizona Treasurer his job).
- Banking and Insurance will meet in SHR3 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. One bill on the agenda thus far: SB1122, Sen. Nancy Barto's move to make "health care sharing ministries" tax exempt.
- Appropriations will meet in SHR109 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. No bills on the agenda. Budget hearings for "statewide debt, community colleges, and Department of Health Services."
- Public Safety and Human Services will meet in SHR3 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Likely lowight: SB1018, a measure that further privatizes certain Department of Corrections operations (in this case, prisoner transition services).
- Government Reform will meet in SHR1 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Interesting bill: SB1165, a measure from Sen. Steve Yarbrough, to bar municipalities from contracting with third parties to audit sales tax transactions or for the "collection, administration or processing" of such transactions (referred to in the bill as "transaction privilege" taxes).
- Water, Land Use, and Rural Development will meet in SHR3 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Agenda looks quiet so far.
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet in SHR1 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Short agenda. The one interesting bill looks to be SB1176, innocuously titled "medical board: omnibus." Among other things, it would serve to reduce public disclosure of the misdeeds of medical professionals.
- Economic Development and Jobs Creation will meet in SHR109 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Looks quiet so far - one bill, one executive nomination, one presentation (from a business lobbying group, the National Federation of Independent Business - Arizona..
- Finance will meet in SHR1 on Thursday at 9 a.m. A few executive nominations and some tax- and pension-related bills, most of which I do NOT understand well enough to summarize here. Visit the legislature's "Bill Info" page if you want to look up one or more of them.
- Border Security, Federalism, and States Sovereignty will meet in SHR109 on Thursday at 9 a.m. This one is Sen. Sylvia Allen's committee, so it isn't surprising that while the agenda is a short one, it's colorful. They'll start with a "presentation" from a group of anti-immigration ranchers from southern AZ, follow with consideration of SB1178, a Tenth Amendment/"federal government go away!" bill and SCR1006, a resolution supporting the aforementioned ranchers' "border security" plan (a "plan" that includes militarizing the border and roundups of immigrants).
Nothing on the agenda indicates that the assemblage will break into a chorus of the Horst Wessel song, but with this crew, ear plugs and a barf bag might be necessary.
- Various subcommittees of Appropriations will hold budget hearings Friday morning at 9 a.m. Agendas here, here, and here.
On the House side -
- Rules will meet in HHR4 on Monday at 1 p.m. As with its Senate counterpart above, the agenda is long and boring, with the most contentious bills likely to be the House versions of the anti-tribal casino bills.
- Ways and Means will meet in HHR1 on Monday at 2 p.m. As with its Senate counterpart above (Senate Finance Committee), I don't understand most of the bills. Here however, most of the bills have been spawned by Rep. Jack Harper, and anything with his name on it is presumed to be a bad bill. However, one I *do* understand is Harper's HCR2006, a bill to radically raise the amount raise the amount of business property (equipment, etc.) exempted from taxation from the current $50K to "an amount equal to the earnings per employee of twenty workers in this state according to a designated national measure of earnings per employee adjusted annually as provided by law." The most current numbers for per capita income in Arizona (not an exact language match with the measure, but it will do for this post):
$34,335.
20 times that number: $686,700, or an increase of almost 1300%. The real number would almost certainly be higher because I'm sure the Rs would find a "measure" that inflated employee earnings as much as possible.
- Energy and Natural Resources will meet in HHR4 on Monday at 2 p.m. Quiet so far.
- Education will meet in HHR3 on Monday at 2 p.m or upon adjournment of the House floor session. On the agenda: HB2197, Rep. Debbie Lesko's bill to bar the establishment or operation of a charter school "in an age restricted community that is located in unorganized territory." It has an emergency clause to provide for immediate enactment.
- Banking and Insurance will meet in HHR2 on Monday at 2 p.m. Looks quiet so far - a couple of presentations, and a few bill that I mostly don't understand.
- Government will meet in HHR4 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Lowlight: HB2153, Rep. Steve Montenegro's move to bar municipalities and counties from passing any new ordinances to require that newly-constructed homes have fire sprinklers. Ordinances that were enacted before December 31, 2009 would stand, however.
- Environment will meet in HHR5 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Presentations only, so far.
- Employment and Regulatory Affairs will meet in HHR3 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Looks relatively quiet, though the one bill on the agenda is the subject of the first strike-everything amendment of the session. It's a "same subject" amendment and doesn't look to be greatly different than the original bill.
- Higher Education, Innovation, and Reform will meet in HHR2 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Quiet so far.
- Health and Human Services will meet in HHR4 on Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. Looks pretty quiet so far.
- Commerce will meet in HHR5 on Wednesday at 10 a.m. On the agenda: Rep. John Kavanagh's HB2102, adding "fingerprint clearance card" to the list of documents that cannot be issued to/for people who cannot definitively prove their immigration status.
- Appropriations will meet in HHR1 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Budget hearings only, so far.
- Transportation will meet in HHR3 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Lowlight: HB2288, Rep. Jeff Dial's scheme to force the state's aiports to abandon the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and totally privatize their security and screening operations.
There once was an era in American history where airport security was left to the tender mercies of the profit-driven, low-bidder-seeking corporate mentality.
That era ended on September 11, 2001.
- Technology and Infrastructure will meet in HHR1 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Only bill on the agenda: HB2502, Rep. Carl Seel's proposal to mandate that if a public agency advertises some sort of program for the public, the agency must declare the source of its funding.
- Judiciary will meet in HHR4 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Only bill on the agenda: HB2141, a bill from Rep. Jack Harper relating to county realignment. Not sure what he's up to with this one, but it's Jack Harper - his proposals are presumed bad.
- Agriculture and Water will meet in HHR5 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Looks quiet so far.
Other events at or around the Capitol this week:
- It's "National School Choice Week" so in addition to a number of other events, on Wednesday, the American Federation for Children will hold a legislators-only luncheon and movie showing at the Associated General Contractors Building, 1825 W. Adams.
That's a nice sounding name for an organization, but it is dedicated to undermining public education systems by lobbying legislators to siphon more and more money away from publc ed to private schools through vouchers.
- The only event on the Governor's public schedule for the coming week is a press conference on Monday with a "special announcement regarding education reform."
Since the unwritten rules of "political theater" usually call for such events to take place among students in a school and this one will be on the 2nd floor of the Capitol's Executive Tower, it's likely that the about-to-be-proposed "reform" isn't one that is likely to benefit students or schools.
Of course, I'm a cynic of long standing. :)
- Other events can also be found here, courtesy the Arizona Capitol Times.
Later...
"SHR" indicates that a meeting room is a Senate Hearing Room; "HHR" indicates a House Hearing Room.
Committee hearings on the Senate side of the Capitol this week -
- Rules will meet in Caucus Room 1 on Monday upon adjournment of the floor session. The agenda is a long one, but the meeting probably won't be, as the committee exists only as a gatekeeper/rubber stamp. It either refuses to hear any bills that the Senate President doesn't like and to push through those he does approve of. Lowlights this week: SB1136 and SR1001, a bill to block a tribal casino in the West Valley and a resolution opposing that casino. Those bills are being fast-tracked by the anti-Native nativists in the Senate.
- Natural Resources and Transportation will meet in SHR109 on Monday upon adjournment of the Rules meeting. Not many bills on the agenda, but they will consider the first executive nominations of the session. Most of the nominees are big R contributors.
- Education will meet in SHR3 on Monday upon adjournment of Rules. Lowlights: SB1116, Sen. Andy Biggs bid to make permanent "displaced pupils choice grants" (AKA "private school vouchers") and SB1053 and SB1055, Sen. Linda Gray's bills relating to "character education" ("character" is something that cost a former Arizona Treasurer his job).
- Banking and Insurance will meet in SHR3 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. One bill on the agenda thus far: SB1122, Sen. Nancy Barto's move to make "health care sharing ministries" tax exempt.
- Appropriations will meet in SHR109 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. No bills on the agenda. Budget hearings for "statewide debt, community colleges, and Department of Health Services."
- Public Safety and Human Services will meet in SHR3 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Likely lowight: SB1018, a measure that further privatizes certain Department of Corrections operations (in this case, prisoner transition services).
- Government Reform will meet in SHR1 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Interesting bill: SB1165, a measure from Sen. Steve Yarbrough, to bar municipalities from contracting with third parties to audit sales tax transactions or for the "collection, administration or processing" of such transactions (referred to in the bill as "transaction privilege" taxes).
- Water, Land Use, and Rural Development will meet in SHR3 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Agenda looks quiet so far.
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet in SHR1 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Short agenda. The one interesting bill looks to be SB1176, innocuously titled "medical board: omnibus." Among other things, it would serve to reduce public disclosure of the misdeeds of medical professionals.
- Economic Development and Jobs Creation will meet in SHR109 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Looks quiet so far - one bill, one executive nomination, one presentation (from a business lobbying group, the National Federation of Independent Business - Arizona..
- Finance will meet in SHR1 on Thursday at 9 a.m. A few executive nominations and some tax- and pension-related bills, most of which I do NOT understand well enough to summarize here. Visit the legislature's "Bill Info" page if you want to look up one or more of them.
- Border Security, Federalism, and States Sovereignty will meet in SHR109 on Thursday at 9 a.m. This one is Sen. Sylvia Allen's committee, so it isn't surprising that while the agenda is a short one, it's colorful. They'll start with a "presentation" from a group of anti-immigration ranchers from southern AZ, follow with consideration of SB1178, a Tenth Amendment/"federal government go away!" bill and SCR1006, a resolution supporting the aforementioned ranchers' "border security" plan (a "plan" that includes militarizing the border and roundups of immigrants).
Nothing on the agenda indicates that the assemblage will break into a chorus of the Horst Wessel song, but with this crew, ear plugs and a barf bag might be necessary.
- Various subcommittees of Appropriations will hold budget hearings Friday morning at 9 a.m. Agendas here, here, and here.
On the House side -
- Rules will meet in HHR4 on Monday at 1 p.m. As with its Senate counterpart above, the agenda is long and boring, with the most contentious bills likely to be the House versions of the anti-tribal casino bills.
- Ways and Means will meet in HHR1 on Monday at 2 p.m. As with its Senate counterpart above (Senate Finance Committee), I don't understand most of the bills. Here however, most of the bills have been spawned by Rep. Jack Harper, and anything with his name on it is presumed to be a bad bill. However, one I *do* understand is Harper's HCR2006, a bill to radically raise the amount raise the amount of business property (equipment, etc.) exempted from taxation from the current $50K to "an amount equal to the earnings per employee of twenty workers in this state according to a designated national measure of earnings per employee adjusted annually as provided by law." The most current numbers for per capita income in Arizona (not an exact language match with the measure, but it will do for this post):
$34,335.
20 times that number: $686,700, or an increase of almost 1300%. The real number would almost certainly be higher because I'm sure the Rs would find a "measure" that inflated employee earnings as much as possible.
- Energy and Natural Resources will meet in HHR4 on Monday at 2 p.m. Quiet so far.
- Education will meet in HHR3 on Monday at 2 p.m or upon adjournment of the House floor session. On the agenda: HB2197, Rep. Debbie Lesko's bill to bar the establishment or operation of a charter school "in an age restricted community that is located in unorganized territory." It has an emergency clause to provide for immediate enactment.
- Banking and Insurance will meet in HHR2 on Monday at 2 p.m. Looks quiet so far - a couple of presentations, and a few bill that I mostly don't understand.
- Government will meet in HHR4 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Lowlight: HB2153, Rep. Steve Montenegro's move to bar municipalities and counties from passing any new ordinances to require that newly-constructed homes have fire sprinklers. Ordinances that were enacted before December 31, 2009 would stand, however.
- Environment will meet in HHR5 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Presentations only, so far.
- Employment and Regulatory Affairs will meet in HHR3 on Tuesday at 2 p.m. Looks relatively quiet, though the one bill on the agenda is the subject of the first strike-everything amendment of the session. It's a "same subject" amendment and doesn't look to be greatly different than the original bill.
- Higher Education, Innovation, and Reform will meet in HHR2 on Wednesday at 9 a.m. Quiet so far.
- Health and Human Services will meet in HHR4 on Wednesday at 9:45 a.m. Looks pretty quiet so far.
- Commerce will meet in HHR5 on Wednesday at 10 a.m. On the agenda: Rep. John Kavanagh's HB2102, adding "fingerprint clearance card" to the list of documents that cannot be issued to/for people who cannot definitively prove their immigration status.
- Appropriations will meet in HHR1 on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Budget hearings only, so far.
- Transportation will meet in HHR3 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Lowlight: HB2288, Rep. Jeff Dial's scheme to force the state's aiports to abandon the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and totally privatize their security and screening operations.
There once was an era in American history where airport security was left to the tender mercies of the profit-driven, low-bidder-seeking corporate mentality.
That era ended on September 11, 2001.
- Technology and Infrastructure will meet in HHR1 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Only bill on the agenda: HB2502, Rep. Carl Seel's proposal to mandate that if a public agency advertises some sort of program for the public, the agency must declare the source of its funding.
- Judiciary will meet in HHR4 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Only bill on the agenda: HB2141, a bill from Rep. Jack Harper relating to county realignment. Not sure what he's up to with this one, but it's Jack Harper - his proposals are presumed bad.
- Agriculture and Water will meet in HHR5 on Thursday at 9 a.m. Looks quiet so far.
Other events at or around the Capitol this week:
- It's "National School Choice Week" so in addition to a number of other events, on Wednesday, the American Federation for Children will hold a legislators-only luncheon and movie showing at the Associated General Contractors Building, 1825 W. Adams.
That's a nice sounding name for an organization, but it is dedicated to undermining public education systems by lobbying legislators to siphon more and more money away from publc ed to private schools through vouchers.
- The only event on the Governor's public schedule for the coming week is a press conference on Monday with a "special announcement regarding education reform."
Since the unwritten rules of "political theater" usually call for such events to take place among students in a school and this one will be on the 2nd floor of the Capitol's Executive Tower, it's likely that the about-to-be-proposed "reform" isn't one that is likely to benefit students or schools.
Of course, I'm a cynic of long standing. :)
- Other events can also be found here, courtesy the Arizona Capitol Times.
Later...
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
That didn't take long - 1st Special Session of the 50th Arizona Legislature on tap for Wednesday
The Governor has called a special session of the legislature for Wednesday at 1:45 p.m.
Purpose: To petition the federal government for permission to kick 280,000 people off of Medicaid (AHCCCS in Arizona)
One thing can be said about Arizona -
There will never be a dearth of subject material for political writers.
Purpose: To petition the federal government for permission to kick 280,000 people off of Medicaid (AHCCCS in Arizona)
One thing can be said about Arizona -
There will never be a dearth of subject material for political writers.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Governor's proposed budget: tells home owners, poor, students, that she thinks that they're #1...
...only she that isn't her *index* finger that she's waggling in the air...
Corporations and their executives and lobbyists are smiling today. The Governor released her budget proposal Friday, to loud praise from Republicans in the legislature, and louder criticism from Democrats...educators...students...human service advocates...home owners....
Her budget...
...transfers at least $62 million in tax burden from corporations to individual home owners
...seeks to deny health care services for 280K Arizonans, including the seriously mentally ill
..cuts another quarter BILLION dollars from higher education, all but ensuring more massive tuition hikes for Arizona's next generation
...forces Arizona's cash-strapped K-12 school districts, already reeling from years of state-level attacks on their fiscal stability, to absorb millions more in borrowing costs foisted off on them by the state's mismanagment
This is just the first step in what is likely to be a long process (but not as long as it could be - the Rs have supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and will pass anything that they want to, even if one or two individual members of their caucus balks at the ugliness proposed by Jan Brewer and her lobbyist-advisers).
State Rep. Carl Seel (R-Minuteman) has already proposed an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to reduce the income eligibility level for AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program), currently at 100% of the federal poverty level.
On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the joint appropriations committees of the House and Senate in HHR1 at approximately 9:15 a.m. At that time, they'll receive a presentation on the budget proposal from the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.
More:
From the Governor: the central web page on the budget is here; a presentation on the background of the budget here; a presentation on the budget proposal here; summary of the proposal here; a detailed version here; appendices are here.
Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic has a story on the budget proposal here; Mary K. Reinhart of the Republic has a story here; Alia Beard Rau has an analysis of the proposal's effect on higher ed is here; Reinhart has a piece on public safety impacts here; an AZ Republic uncredited piece with more numbers and reaction from legislators and those affected by the proposal is here.
The Arizona Capitol Times has coverage also, but that coverage is behind a subscription firewall.
Later...
Corporations and their executives and lobbyists are smiling today. The Governor released her budget proposal Friday, to loud praise from Republicans in the legislature, and louder criticism from Democrats...educators...students...human service advocates...home owners....
Her budget...
...transfers at least $62 million in tax burden from corporations to individual home owners
...seeks to deny health care services for 280K Arizonans, including the seriously mentally ill
..cuts another quarter BILLION dollars from higher education, all but ensuring more massive tuition hikes for Arizona's next generation
...forces Arizona's cash-strapped K-12 school districts, already reeling from years of state-level attacks on their fiscal stability, to absorb millions more in borrowing costs foisted off on them by the state's mismanagment
This is just the first step in what is likely to be a long process (but not as long as it could be - the Rs have supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and will pass anything that they want to, even if one or two individual members of their caucus balks at the ugliness proposed by Jan Brewer and her lobbyist-advisers).
State Rep. Carl Seel (R-Minuteman) has already proposed an amendment to the Arizona Constitution to reduce the income eligibility level for AHCCCS (Arizona's Medicaid program), currently at 100% of the federal poverty level.
On Tuesday, there will be a meeting of the joint appropriations committees of the House and Senate in HHR1 at approximately 9:15 a.m. At that time, they'll receive a presentation on the budget proposal from the Governor's Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.
More:
From the Governor: the central web page on the budget is here; a presentation on the background of the budget here; a presentation on the budget proposal here; summary of the proposal here; a detailed version here; appendices are here.
Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic has a story on the budget proposal here; Mary K. Reinhart of the Republic has a story here; Alia Beard Rau has an analysis of the proposal's effect on higher ed is here; Reinhart has a piece on public safety impacts here; an AZ Republic uncredited piece with more numbers and reaction from legislators and those affected by the proposal is here.
The Arizona Capitol Times has coverage also, but that coverage is behind a subscription firewall.
Later...
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
BrewerCare Body Count: 2
From the Arizona Senate Democratic Caucus (the full story is at the Arizona Guardian, but that's behind a subscriber firewall) -
...Giving out medals to commemorate her inauguration, while ignoring public records requests seeking information about the cost of those medals and the rest of the inauguration-related costs...
...Trotting out legislation attacking brown-skinned babies...
...Preparing for a high-dollar fundraiser in Paradise Valley, where almost the entire directory of Arizona lobbyist will pay $250 or more for the (dubious) privilege of cozying up to Senate President-elect Russell Pearce...
...Balancing the state's budget...oh, wait, that's the one thing that they *aren't" doing...
How many have to die before they are sated?
BTW - some readers may think that last sentence is too much, but it's a lot milder than what I originally typed -
Jan and her clan - rolling back Arizona's population growth, one poor person at a time.
Today, University Medical Center in Tucson has confirmed that a UMC patient, who was awaiting a transplant, but was refused the life saving procedure because of Republican budget cuts, has died.So what are Brewer and company doing while people are dying?
“It’s time to put politics aside and restore the transplant funding,” said incoming Senate Minority Leader David Schapira. “Gov. Brewer and the Republican leadership at the legislature need to join us and take immediate action to fix their mistake. Failure to restore this funding is a death sentence for people who have committed no crimes.”
...Giving out medals to commemorate her inauguration, while ignoring public records requests seeking information about the cost of those medals and the rest of the inauguration-related costs...
...Trotting out legislation attacking brown-skinned babies...
...Preparing for a high-dollar fundraiser in Paradise Valley, where almost the entire directory of Arizona lobbyist will pay $250 or more for the (dubious) privilege of cozying up to Senate President-elect Russell Pearce...
...Balancing the state's budget...oh, wait, that's the one thing that they *aren't" doing...
How many have to die before they are sated?
BTW - some readers may think that last sentence is too much, but it's a lot milder than what I originally typed -
Jan and her clan - rolling back Arizona's population growth, one poor person at a time.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Jan " BrewerCare Death Panels" Brewer says that organ transplants are "potentially life-saving"
...but before anyone gets excited, she's using that to buttress her argument in support of further cutting Medicaid in Arizona...
From Governor Brewer's letter to Congress begging to be allowed to cut Medicaid (known in AZ as "AHCCCS") further -
Income that doesn't exceed 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL). That's $10,830/year for a single adult or $22,050/year for a family of four.
Only Jan and her clan can keep a straight face when describing abject poverty as "generous."
H/T to State Sen.-elect David Schapira (D-LD17), quoted in the Arizona Capitol Times, for the heads-up on this...
From Governor Brewer's letter to Congress begging to be allowed to cut Medicaid (known in AZ as "AHCCCS") further -
...Because we cannot change our generous eligibility standards, Arizona has taken actions to reduce our Medicaid cost, such as limits on services not mandated by Medicaid, including potentially life-saving organ transplantations...The "eligibility standards" (page 26 of the linked .pdf) that Brewer et. al. consider to be so "generous"?
Income that doesn't exceed 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL). That's $10,830/year for a single adult or $22,050/year for a family of four.
Only Jan and her clan can keep a straight face when describing abject poverty as "generous."
H/T to State Sen.-elect David Schapira (D-LD17), quoted in the Arizona Capitol Times, for the heads-up on this...
Redistricting update: Latest salvo targets judicial independence
It looks like Kirk Adams, Russell Pearce, and Jan Brewer are opening up another front in their war against the judicial branch's independence.
From the Arizona Business Gazette, written by Howard Fischer -
Give us who we want for the "Independent" Redistricting Commission, or else the gloves are off.
We'll find out at next Wednesday's meeting (December 29, 2010) of the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments if this latest move is an effective one.
BTW - Am I the only one who noticed the irony of the least-qualified governor in recent memory objecting to the idea of having only qualified people to choose from for judgeships?
Later...
From the Arizona Business Gazette, written by Howard Fischer -
The dust-up over the process of nominating candidates for the Independent Redistricting Commission is giving new ammunition to those who want to scrap Arizona's merit selection process for judges.I'm not positive (not exactly on Pearce's, Adams' or Brewer's speed dials here :) ) but in addition to the long-term motives - they've made noises in this area before - this move could also serve as an implied threat toward Chief Justice Berch and the whole judicial branch -
Several key state lawmakers say they would welcome the chance to revisit the 1974 constitutional amendment that took away the right of voters to directly elect judges to the Arizona Supreme Court, the state Court of Appeals and the superior courts in Maricopa and Pima counties.
Some, like incoming Senate President Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said returning to that system may be the best course of action.
{snip}
[State Rep.-elect Eddie] Farnsworth said the federal system of gubernatorial choices subject to Senate confirmation provides some "checks and balances" into the process, more so than he said exists with the current judicial selection commission.
Such a change would have the backing of Gov. Jan Brewer.
She has said she does not like the current restriction that limits her to choosing a new judge solely from the list sent to her by screening panels.
Give us who we want for the "Independent" Redistricting Commission, or else the gloves are off.
We'll find out at next Wednesday's meeting (December 29, 2010) of the Arizona Commission on Appellate Court Appointments if this latest move is an effective one.
BTW - Am I the only one who noticed the irony of the least-qualified governor in recent memory objecting to the idea of having only qualified people to choose from for judgeships?
Later...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
2010 Ebbie Awards
...sort of patterned after Keith Olbermann's "Worst Persons In The World" segment on his nightly show...
Second Runner-Up -
Unnamed personnel from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
From Treehugger.com -
I freely admit, I'm not sure I would have done the same thing - venturing out into freezing water to save a deer - I'm just not that brave. Or foolish (hopefully :) ). However, the act of the the officers of the MD Department of Natural Resources, fining these two men for doing something that the DNR officers refused to do, merits Christmas Eve visits from the Ghosts of Bambi Past, Present, and Future (and I don't mean the kind of "Bambi" who brings her own stripper pole, either :) ).
First Runner-Up -
Arizona Senator John McCain.
From Politico's Daily Beast -
For taking his anger out on gay and lesbian servicemembers, 9/11 first responders, foreign policy, DREAMers, and still doing nothing to actually represent Arizona in D.C., McCain earns a visit from the Ghosts of Mavericks Past.
Obviously, the Maverick is already gone, so there's no Present or Future Mavericks around to make some visits.
Later...
Second Runner-Up -
Unnamed personnel from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
From Treehugger.com -
Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region
To many people, Jim Hart and Khalil Abusakran are heroes. When the two men from Maryland, saw a deer stranded in the icy waters of the Patapsco River, they did what few others would dare. With an inflatable boat, the duo ventured out and rescued the animal before it perished in the frozen stream. But, after they and the deer returned to shore, it wasn't a hero's reception that awaited them -- instead, the two men were slapped with fines for not having life-jackets aboard their vessel.
I freely admit, I'm not sure I would have done the same thing - venturing out into freezing water to save a deer - I'm just not that brave. Or foolish (hopefully :) ). However, the act of the the officers of the MD Department of Natural Resources, fining these two men for doing something that the DNR officers refused to do, merits Christmas Eve visits from the Ghosts of Bambi Past, Present, and Future (and I don't mean the kind of "Bambi" who brings her own stripper pole, either :) ).
First Runner-Up -
Arizona Senator John McCain.
From Politico's Daily Beast -
Railing against Don't Ask Don't Tell, shooting down an immigration bill he once sponsored, pushing his own changes to START—the tougher John McCain who emerged in the primaries may be here to stay.
{snip}
Conversations with friends, advisers, and analysts reveal McCain as a man still angry at his 2008 presidential loss, fueling his desire to remain in the spotlight and an important part of the debate, even on issues where he is out of step with the majority of Americans.
For taking his anger out on gay and lesbian servicemembers, 9/11 first responders, foreign policy, DREAMers, and still doing nothing to actually represent Arizona in D.C., McCain earns a visit from the Ghosts of Mavericks Past.
Obviously, the Maverick is already gone, so there's no Present or Future Mavericks around to make some visits.
Heading into a new year with a new Legislature and a new Congress, the primary area of budget focus for Arizona will be our need for action by the federal government on "Obamacare."For her shameless leadership of the hate brigade, Jan's Christmas Eve visitors will be the ghosts of Cecilia Esquer (a long-time civil rights champion and Chicana activist), Mark Price (the first victim to succumb to her cutting off AHCCCS benefits to transplant patients) and Gary and Linda Haas (the couple murdered in New Mexico by escapees from one of the private prisons championed by Brewer and her advisers/lobbyists).
If our state budget is to be balanced, it will require action by Congress and the White House. They must provide flexibility to states so we have the ability to create sustainable Medicaid programs.
Later...
Monday, December 20, 2010
AZ Republic finally reports on burgeoning "Arizona guns in Mexico" scandal
From the Arizona Republic -
The Phoenix New Times covered it a week ago when the Washington Post originally published the results of their investigation.
Maybe their hesitance to cover this particular story has its roots in Arizona's politics, where the majority in the legislature is so crazy about guns that not only are they trying to turn the state's college campuses into armed encampments, they want to force cities and towns to take firearms confiscated from criminals in the U.S. and transfer them to gun dealers for resale.
Something tells me that Russell Pearce, Jack Harper, Jan Brewer, and the rest won't appreciate the irony of a weapon used to kill someone in the U.S. in turn being used to kill someone in Mexico.
Actually, on second thought, they may thoroughly *enjoy* that idea.
The glass entrance to Lone Wolf Trading Co. in an unassuming strip mall near 51st and Peoria avenues, bears target practice posters and a sign: "No loaded weapons in our store."The AZ Rep article is a fairly long and detailed on, so why pick on them for it?
Multiple model airplanes hang from the ceiling inside. It looked like business as usual as a couple of customers last week glanced at a wall with rifles on display and a shelf with handguns.
Owner Andre Howard did not return calls and was not present when the Republic visited the store for a comment about a recent year-long Washington Post investigation. Lone Wolf ranked eighth among dealers nationwide for selling the most number of firearms (1,515) recovered by police in the last four years. The store also topsdealers with the most traces in the last two years for guns recovered in crime scenes in Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traces weapons recovered by law enforcement agencies to where they were sold originally.
The Phoenix New Times covered it a week ago when the Washington Post originally published the results of their investigation.
Maybe their hesitance to cover this particular story has its roots in Arizona's politics, where the majority in the legislature is so crazy about guns that not only are they trying to turn the state's college campuses into armed encampments, they want to force cities and towns to take firearms confiscated from criminals in the U.S. and transfer them to gun dealers for resale.
Something tells me that Russell Pearce, Jack Harper, Jan Brewer, and the rest won't appreciate the irony of a weapon used to kill someone in the U.S. in turn being used to kill someone in Mexico.
Actually, on second thought, they may thoroughly *enjoy* that idea.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Jan Brewer's approach to balancing the state's budget: Abdicate...responsibility
Sunday's Arizona Republic(-an Party press release outlet) contains an op-ed published under the Governor's name wherein she assesses the reasons for the inability of the state's elected leaders to balance Arizona's budgets.
She looks at previously enacted cuts to...
...the state's work force...
...K-12 education funding...
...University-level education funding...
...prison spending...
...child care enrollees (I think that she is talking about her drastic cuts to KidsCare here)
...and the fact that she, Russell Pearce, and the rest of the Republicans on West Washington will be looking to further decimate education and social safety net programs in the coming year...
And blames the devastating cuts, past and pending, on [drum roll please]...
...the federal health care reform package that was signed into law earlier this year, describing it with the Republican epithet "ObamaCare".
In the op-ed, she blithely ignored...
...the state's increased population over the last decade, requiring an increased, or at least a status-quo, level of services...
...the state's decreased revenues due to both the cratered economy and generations of ideologically-driven but reality-blind tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Arizonans...
...years of papering over the state's structural deficits (caused by the blind revenue-cutting) with accounting tricks like pushing back mandated payments (aka - "kicking the can down the road").
This op-ed, probably written by a puppeteer/staffer but published under Brewer's name, clearly signals that she and her R colleagues have no intention of addressing the state's fiscal crisis in a professional and responsible manner, instead choosing to put their efforts into misdirecting attention away from their continued willful ineptitude.
The Arizona GOP: the party that keeps on giving...the finger to the next generation.
She looks at previously enacted cuts to...
...the state's work force...
...K-12 education funding...
...University-level education funding...
...prison spending...
...child care enrollees (I think that she is talking about her drastic cuts to KidsCare here)
...and the fact that she, Russell Pearce, and the rest of the Republicans on West Washington will be looking to further decimate education and social safety net programs in the coming year...
And blames the devastating cuts, past and pending, on [drum roll please]...
...the federal health care reform package that was signed into law earlier this year, describing it with the Republican epithet "ObamaCare".
In the op-ed, she blithely ignored...
...the state's increased population over the last decade, requiring an increased, or at least a status-quo, level of services...
...the state's decreased revenues due to both the cratered economy and generations of ideologically-driven but reality-blind tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Arizonans...
...years of papering over the state's structural deficits (caused by the blind revenue-cutting) with accounting tricks like pushing back mandated payments (aka - "kicking the can down the road").
This op-ed, probably written by a puppeteer/staffer but published under Brewer's name, clearly signals that she and her R colleagues have no intention of addressing the state's fiscal crisis in a professional and responsible manner, instead choosing to put their efforts into misdirecting attention away from their continued willful ineptitude.
The Arizona GOP: the party that keeps on giving...the finger to the next generation.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Christmas gift to Arizona's needy from Jan Brewer: the cold shoulder
To be fair, calling it a "Christmas gift" may be a misstatement - she's doing this to Arizona's poor since she took office...
The Arizona Republic's Political Insider blog has a post up laying out Governor Jan Brewer's use of discretionary federal stimulus money. There's an interesting pattern.
From the post (the stuff in parentheses is the Rep's explanation of the purposes of the funding ) -
Something that definitely fits in with her demand of critics of her cutting funding for transplants for AHCCCS patients, saying that people who are so concerned over poor people dying for a lack of funds "should ask the federal government in Washington to send us more money."
Apparently, she thoroughly believes that taking care of the people of Arizona falls outside of the responsibilities/obligations of the governor of Arizona.
She's all in favor of funnelling public money into the pockets of those who can afford to hire professional lobbyists (like those who are her advisers).
But the people who she was elected/hired to advocate for? They exist only to provide the money that she is funnelling through those lobbyists.
The Arizona Republic's Political Insider blog has a post up laying out Governor Jan Brewer's use of discretionary federal stimulus money. There's an interesting pattern.
From the post (the stuff in parentheses is the Rep's explanation of the purposes of the funding ) -
STATE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND--USES OF THE GOVERNMENT SERVICES FUNDInteresting. She allocated $55,014,097 for healthcare and children's programs, but the vast majority of that ($54,897,824, or 99.7%) was to backfill budget cuts to social safety net programs that she had enacted in the first place.
EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES
Education Reform
Teach for America $2,000,000
Education Information Systems $3,000,000 (computers, to meet requirements of federal program.)
Education Innovation Project $1,636,374 (Race to the Top funding.)
Health Care and Children’s Programs
DHS Community Health $11,600,000 (Restores a budget cut to community-health centers.)
DHS ASH $116,273 (Arizona State Hospital. Money used to repair the security system.)
DES Autism $2,297,824 (Restores a budget cut to this research program.)
DES DD $15,000,000 (Restores a budget cut to developmentally disabled services.)
DES Children’s Services $18,000,000 (Restores a budget cut to this item.)
DES Adoption Services $2,500,000 (Restores a budget cut to this item.)
DES CPS $5,500,000 (Restores a budget cut to Child Protective Services.)
Public Safety
Corrections $50,000,000 (Restores a budget cut to the prisons budget.)
Border Security Enhancement $10,000,000 (grant money to border cities and counties.)
Public Safety Stabilization $10,000,000 (Grants to 140 local governments for public safety.)
Supplemental P.S. Projects $6,545,494 (money to Corrections, Dept. of Public Safety.)
ADOA Public Safety Project $1,700,000 (Coliseum roof repair.)
Innovation, Technology and Economic Development
Commerce Economic Dev. $15,000,000 (Various grants, including $2 million for algae research.)
Commerce Job Training $12,000,000 (Restored funding that had been cut.)
Commerce Jobs Agenda $12,000,000 (Money for a deal-closing fund for business.)
AZ Technology Enhancement (ADOA) $182,079 (Money to help Dept. of Administration track stimulus dollars and other federal funds.)
Arizona County Projects
$4,007,797 (To restore budget cuts to small, rural counties.)
Office of Economic Recovery
$2 million (To administer the stimulus program from the Governor's Office.)
Total: $185,085,841
Something that definitely fits in with her demand of critics of her cutting funding for transplants for AHCCCS patients, saying that people who are so concerned over poor people dying for a lack of funds "should ask the federal government in Washington to send us more money."
Apparently, she thoroughly believes that taking care of the people of Arizona falls outside of the responsibilities/obligations of the governor of Arizona.
She's all in favor of funnelling public money into the pockets of those who can afford to hire professional lobbyists (like those who are her advisers).
But the people who she was elected/hired to advocate for? They exist only to provide the money that she is funnelling through those lobbyists.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Government Transparency Taking An Early Christmas Break In Arizona
When Kirk Adams took over as Speaker of the Arizona House in 2009, he and the rest of the Republicans pledged that Arizona's legislature and its operations would be more transparent than it had been.
After years of dealings conducted in an environment so murky that even legislators had just a few minutes or hours to study legislation before them, it sounded as if *something* was going to improve on West Washington.
Then reality hit, with the crafting of "budgets" behind closed doors without public input and feedback, a massive number of "stealth" legislation pushed via strike-everything amendments or slipped into budget reconciliation bills, and the ramming through of bad bills despite massive public opposition.
That disregard for transparency and the public is continuing this week.
- Tuesday at 10 a.m., the Joint Legislative Income Tax Credit Review Committee will meet in House Hearing Room 3 (HHR3). They'll be reviewing seven income tax credits.
Six of those will be reviewed in executive session, meaning there won't be any public observation of the proceedings, nor will the public have access to the records of the proceedings.
- Tuesday at 1 p.m., the Joint Committee on Capital Review will meet in Senate Hearing Room 109 (SHR109).
They'll be considering six items, one of which will be conducted in executive session. That doesn't sound *too* bad, until you realize that the item that they'll be hiding from public scrutiny is a contract for an "Energy Management System" for the Arizona Department of Corrections.
- Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., also in SHR109, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will meet. They'll consider five items on their agenda.
Consideration of four of those items will be cloaked in secrecy.
Those items include a Request for Proposals for 5000 private prison beds and consideration of Correction Health Services Per Diem rates.
An interesting pattern of trying to obscure the machinations of certain public officials, especially in light of the fact of the close ties between Jan Brewer, (Senate President-elect) Russell Pearce, and private prison lobbyists.
While the lack of transparency is deplorable, I actually understand the need for it in this situation -
If the people of Arizona to notice that Brewer and Pearce (and Senseman, Coughlin, et. al.) are sacrificing the lives of other Arizonans by redirecting the $4.5 million that they are "saving" by cutting out transplants from AHCCCS coverage in favor of funnelling the funds (and more) into the pockets of private prison operators, the gravy train on West Washington could be derailed.
Here's hoping...
After years of dealings conducted in an environment so murky that even legislators had just a few minutes or hours to study legislation before them, it sounded as if *something* was going to improve on West Washington.
Then reality hit, with the crafting of "budgets" behind closed doors without public input and feedback, a massive number of "stealth" legislation pushed via strike-everything amendments or slipped into budget reconciliation bills, and the ramming through of bad bills despite massive public opposition.
That disregard for transparency and the public is continuing this week.
- Tuesday at 10 a.m., the Joint Legislative Income Tax Credit Review Committee will meet in House Hearing Room 3 (HHR3). They'll be reviewing seven income tax credits.
Six of those will be reviewed in executive session, meaning there won't be any public observation of the proceedings, nor will the public have access to the records of the proceedings.
- Tuesday at 1 p.m., the Joint Committee on Capital Review will meet in Senate Hearing Room 109 (SHR109).
They'll be considering six items, one of which will be conducted in executive session. That doesn't sound *too* bad, until you realize that the item that they'll be hiding from public scrutiny is a contract for an "Energy Management System" for the Arizona Department of Corrections.
- Tuesday at 2:30 p.m., also in SHR109, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will meet. They'll consider five items on their agenda.
Consideration of four of those items will be cloaked in secrecy.
Those items include a Request for Proposals for 5000 private prison beds and consideration of Correction Health Services Per Diem rates.
An interesting pattern of trying to obscure the machinations of certain public officials, especially in light of the fact of the close ties between Jan Brewer, (Senate President-elect) Russell Pearce, and private prison lobbyists.
While the lack of transparency is deplorable, I actually understand the need for it in this situation -
If the people of Arizona to notice that Brewer and Pearce (and Senseman, Coughlin, et. al.) are sacrificing the lives of other Arizonans by redirecting the $4.5 million that they are "saving" by cutting out transplants from AHCCCS coverage in favor of funnelling the funds (and more) into the pockets of private prison operators, the gravy train on West Washington could be derailed.
Here's hoping...
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Jan Brewer in D.C. dismissing those who need transplants
YouTube video from ThinkProgress -
One of the reasons that I became actively involved in politics was because I became thoroughly embarrassed in 2006 by my then-Congressman, J.D. Hayworth and some local guy named Harry Mitchell ran against him. Mitchell was a retired teacher (you may have heard of him :) ) and brought a measure of dignity and respect for public service to the office.
In 2010, things in AZ have regressed, and if he were still in office, Hayworth would be considered "middle of the pack" in terms of his embarrassment factor. There is a glimmer of hope, however -
Some folks who previously were as thoroughly disinterested in politics as I am disinterested in Lifetime cable network movies are now as embarrassed by Jan (and her clan) as I was by Hayworth. They're now realizing how much trouble Arizona (and Arizonans) is in because of Brewer's heartlessness.
Hopefully, enough of them will become active and be able to help change the course of this once-great state.
One of the reasons that I became actively involved in politics was because I became thoroughly embarrassed in 2006 by my then-Congressman, J.D. Hayworth and some local guy named Harry Mitchell ran against him. Mitchell was a retired teacher (you may have heard of him :) ) and brought a measure of dignity and respect for public service to the office.
In 2010, things in AZ have regressed, and if he were still in office, Hayworth would be considered "middle of the pack" in terms of his embarrassment factor. There is a glimmer of hope, however -
Some folks who previously were as thoroughly disinterested in politics as I am disinterested in Lifetime cable network movies are now as embarrassed by Jan (and her clan) as I was by Hayworth. They're now realizing how much trouble Arizona (and Arizonans) is in because of Brewer's heartlessness.
Hopefully, enough of them will become active and be able to help change the course of this once-great state.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Welcome to health care "reform" Arizona-style: BrewerCare
The term "BrewerCare" gleefully stolen from friend and strong Veterans and YD activist Cole...
Republican "governance" in a nutshell, using Arizona as an object lesson:
- Push for tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, while heavily pimping a sales tax hike that disproportionately affects poor and working families...
- Embrace an anti-immigrant law that would be utterly ineffective at reducing the number of undocumented immigrants crossing the border, but would directly benefit Jan Brewer's (and Shadow Governor Russell Pearce's?) advisers/puppeteers from CCA
- Push for cuts to Arizona's Medicaid program, AHCCCS, that caused a patient, one already prepped for life-saving liver transplant surgery, to be discharged from the hospital because AHCCCS now won't cover the cost of the surgery (for a liver donated specifically to him by a dying family friend)...
- - The Democratic caucus of the Arizona House of Representatives has a press release containing some of the history behind the specific cuts here.
...Just a little sneak preview of what 2011 will hold for Arizona and the country with the Republicans running things...
Republican "governance" in a nutshell, using Arizona as an object lesson:
- Push for tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, while heavily pimping a sales tax hike that disproportionately affects poor and working families...
- Embrace an anti-immigrant law that would be utterly ineffective at reducing the number of undocumented immigrants crossing the border, but would directly benefit Jan Brewer's (and Shadow Governor Russell Pearce's?) advisers/puppeteers from CCA
- Push for cuts to Arizona's Medicaid program, AHCCCS, that caused a patient, one already prepped for life-saving liver transplant surgery, to be discharged from the hospital because AHCCCS now won't cover the cost of the surgery (for a liver donated specifically to him by a dying family friend)...
- - The Democratic caucus of the Arizona House of Representatives has a press release containing some of the history behind the specific cuts here.
...Just a little sneak preview of what 2011 will hold for Arizona and the country with the Republicans running things...
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Campaign superlatives
Inspired by Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic, who has a column up with the title "My picks for the most memorable performances of this campaign season."
Mostly her column is a series of criticisms of the effors of some of the campaigns. I can do that, and will, but I've got a few compliments, too.
Toward the end of the high school year, yearbooks come out, with picks (and pics) of the "the most" whatever or "the class" blah. Now that we are nearing the end of the campaign cycle, it's time for campaign superlatives.
...The "Least Likely To Have A Future On American Idol" Award: Rodney Glassman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. His video performance of "Sweet Home Arizona" was easily the most entertaining video of the season, and it was energetic. Other than that...?
...The "Truth? We don't need no stinking truth! " Award: Many worthy nominees, but this one goes to the Yes on Prop 302 folks. They've got signs all over the state pimping the proposition with "Stop Wasteful Government Spending." They've also go signs up saying the Prop 302 is "for the kids" or some such tripe.
Prop 302 would defund and destroy First Things First, a program for early childhood education and health care. The money set aside for it via a voter-approved dedicated tax would then go into the state's General Fund and be subject to appropriation by the lege. The expectation is that the lege would use the revenue as an excuse for more corporate tax cuts, and then use the resulting reduction in revenue as an excuse for cutting education and children's health care programs even more than they already have been.
...The "Most Expensive Campaign By A Candidate Who Isn't Even On The Ballot" Award: Maricopa County's own Joltin' Joe Arpaio. The nativist sheriff isn't up for reelection until 2012, but he spent over $700K on TV spots targeting Rick Romley, a candidate for Maricopa County Attorney, and incurred a fine of $150K more for his illegal "in-kind" contribution.
...The "Most Likely To Be Cursing Poor Timing" Award: Joe Hart, the incumbent Arizona Mine Inspector. Hart looks to be openly in the pocket of the industry he's supposed to regulate (he takes lots of campaign contributions from them, and they help create laws to specifically increase his job security).
He started the campaign season well-funded and bunkered legally, and looked to be cruising to an easy reelection. Then 33 miners in Chile became trapped in an unsafe mine, and even worse, had the audacity to survive for more than two months underground before being rescued.
The world's, and Arizona's attention became focused on the drama in Chile, and unfortunately for Hart, on all things mining.
Including Hart's dearth of qualifications for the job, and the wealth of experience in the safe operation of mines on the part of his opponent Manny Cruz.
...The "Most Likely To Wish That The Election Was Held The Day After She Signed SB1070" Award: Who else? Jan "Brain Freeze" Brewer. She started out the real election cycle (i.e. - after the other major R candidates dropped out of their primary) with a huge lead over Terry Goddard. Right now, however, the short calendar between the primary and general elections is her best friend.
Between...
- Nationally ridiculed false claims of headless bodies in the Arizona desert...
- The aforemention "brain freeze" during her one and only debate with Goddard...
- National coverage of the ties between private prisons, SB1070, and her circle of lobbyists/advisers
- and other missteps, she has since allowed Goddard to close the gap with her, turning the contest into one that will be won by the organization with the stronger GOTV effort. She still leads in recent polling, but Tuesday can't come soon enough for her.
..."Most Likely To Be A Chip Off The Old Block" Award: Ben Quayle. Dad can't spell "potato" correctly; son doesn't know history, calling Barack Obama the "worst president in history" in a TV spot, ignoring the fact that his deep-pocketed well-connected daddy used to work for the deep-pocketed well-connected daddy of the one of the "worst presidents in history," the one who was the worst in well over a century.
Later...
Mostly her column is a series of criticisms of the effors of some of the campaigns. I can do that, and will, but I've got a few compliments, too.
Toward the end of the high school year, yearbooks come out, with picks (and pics) of the "the most" whatever or "the class" blah. Now that we are nearing the end of the campaign cycle, it's time for campaign superlatives.
...The "Least Likely To Have A Future On American Idol" Award: Rodney Glassman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. His video performance of "Sweet Home Arizona" was easily the most entertaining video of the season, and it was energetic. Other than that...?
...The "Truth? We don't need no stinking truth! " Award: Many worthy nominees, but this one goes to the Yes on Prop 302 folks. They've got signs all over the state pimping the proposition with "Stop Wasteful Government Spending." They've also go signs up saying the Prop 302 is "for the kids" or some such tripe.
Prop 302 would defund and destroy First Things First, a program for early childhood education and health care. The money set aside for it via a voter-approved dedicated tax would then go into the state's General Fund and be subject to appropriation by the lege. The expectation is that the lege would use the revenue as an excuse for more corporate tax cuts, and then use the resulting reduction in revenue as an excuse for cutting education and children's health care programs even more than they already have been.
...The "Most Expensive Campaign By A Candidate Who Isn't Even On The Ballot" Award: Maricopa County's own Joltin' Joe Arpaio. The nativist sheriff isn't up for reelection until 2012, but he spent over $700K on TV spots targeting Rick Romley, a candidate for Maricopa County Attorney, and incurred a fine of $150K more for his illegal "in-kind" contribution.
...The "Most Likely To Be Cursing Poor Timing" Award: Joe Hart, the incumbent Arizona Mine Inspector. Hart looks to be openly in the pocket of the industry he's supposed to regulate (he takes lots of campaign contributions from them, and they help create laws to specifically increase his job security).
He started the campaign season well-funded and bunkered legally, and looked to be cruising to an easy reelection. Then 33 miners in Chile became trapped in an unsafe mine, and even worse, had the audacity to survive for more than two months underground before being rescued.
The world's, and Arizona's attention became focused on the drama in Chile, and unfortunately for Hart, on all things mining.
Including Hart's dearth of qualifications for the job, and the wealth of experience in the safe operation of mines on the part of his opponent Manny Cruz.
...The "Most Likely To Wish That The Election Was Held The Day After She Signed SB1070" Award: Who else? Jan "Brain Freeze" Brewer. She started out the real election cycle (i.e. - after the other major R candidates dropped out of their primary) with a huge lead over Terry Goddard. Right now, however, the short calendar between the primary and general elections is her best friend.
Between...
- Nationally ridiculed false claims of headless bodies in the Arizona desert...
- The aforemention "brain freeze" during her one and only debate with Goddard...
- National coverage of the ties between private prisons, SB1070, and her circle of lobbyists/advisers
- and other missteps, she has since allowed Goddard to close the gap with her, turning the contest into one that will be won by the organization with the stronger GOTV effort. She still leads in recent polling, but Tuesday can't come soon enough for her.
..."Most Likely To Be A Chip Off The Old Block" Award: Ben Quayle. Dad can't spell "potato" correctly; son doesn't know history, calling Barack Obama the "worst president in history" in a TV spot, ignoring the fact that his deep-pocketed well-connected daddy used to work for the deep-pocketed well-connected daddy of the one of the "worst presidents in history," the one who was the worst in well over a century.
Later...
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Brewer keeping an innocent man in jail; Arizona politics as usual?
I know I get a little worked up sometimes, questioning the motives, integrity, and even the humanity of many of the players in AZ's political circles. Usually, however, I can step back, take a deep breath, and regain my perspective and civility.
However, Jan Brewer has utterly beaten me.
She's soulless. Purely. Simply. Unequivocally.
Soulless.
ABC News has the story (KNXV-TV, the local affiliate of the network, has a written story here) of how our unelected governor has refused to release a man who was unanimously granted clemency by the board *she* appointed.
William Macumber, age 75, inmate number 033867, has been in prison for over 35 years for a murder that someone else has confessed to committing.
The Arizona Executive Board of Clemency took a look at the facts of the case last year, and citing the case as a "miscarriage of justice," recommended that Macumber be released.
Jan Brewer denied the recommendation for clemency, without explanation.
Since then, the victim's son, Ronald Kempfer, has sought both his father's release and a clear explanation for Brewer's intransigence.
The closest thing to an explanation that he has received was something about how his father's release would endanger public safety and that she has made her decision and "it's final."
Now I would like an explanation of something.
Governor Brewer, I realize that you don't read blogs, but people on your staff do, so maybe one of them will bring this question to you.
Pray tell, how does an arthritic 75-year-old man with heart problems who *didn't* commit a crime constitute a threat to public safety?
Hell, with that description ("an arthritic 75-year-old man with heart problems") all they'd have to do is give him a golf cart and a place to live in Sun City. He'd blend in perfectly. (I'd make a crack about the dangers of the denizens of Sun City driving golf carts, but that's a fight I don't want to get in right now. :) )
As more than a few of the stories suggested, Brewer's concerns with the clemency may be rooted in election year politics - she doesn't want to appear to be soft on crime (the fact that he didn't actually commit the crime is irrelevent to Brewer's reasoning.)
Only in Arizona would keeping an innocent man in jail be considered a good political move.
However, Jan Brewer has utterly beaten me.
She's soulless. Purely. Simply. Unequivocally.
Soulless.
ABC News has the story (KNXV-TV, the local affiliate of the network, has a written story here) of how our unelected governor has refused to release a man who was unanimously granted clemency by the board *she* appointed.
William Macumber, age 75, inmate number 033867, has been in prison for over 35 years for a murder that someone else has confessed to committing.
The Arizona Executive Board of Clemency took a look at the facts of the case last year, and citing the case as a "miscarriage of justice," recommended that Macumber be released.
Jan Brewer denied the recommendation for clemency, without explanation.
Since then, the victim's son, Ronald Kempfer, has sought both his father's release and a clear explanation for Brewer's intransigence.
The closest thing to an explanation that he has received was something about how his father's release would endanger public safety and that she has made her decision and "it's final."
Now I would like an explanation of something.
Governor Brewer, I realize that you don't read blogs, but people on your staff do, so maybe one of them will bring this question to you.
Pray tell, how does an arthritic 75-year-old man with heart problems who *didn't* commit a crime constitute a threat to public safety?
Hell, with that description ("an arthritic 75-year-old man with heart problems") all they'd have to do is give him a golf cart and a place to live in Sun City. He'd blend in perfectly. (I'd make a crack about the dangers of the denizens of Sun City driving golf carts, but that's a fight I don't want to get in right now. :) )
As more than a few of the stories suggested, Brewer's concerns with the clemency may be rooted in election year politics - she doesn't want to appear to be soft on crime (the fact that he didn't actually commit the crime is irrelevent to Brewer's reasoning.)
Only in Arizona would keeping an innocent man in jail be considered a good political move.
Well, that took long enough - National media finally notices the SB1070/private prison lobbyists connection
...and in case that title makes me sound like a jerk, let me say this up front: NPR did a great and thorough job with this.
NPR has released the results of its investigation into the behind-the-scenes machinations during the crafting and passage of Arizona's infamous SB1070. And the relationship between Jan Brewer's staff, many of whom are lobbyists for private prison companies
From the report -
To sum up: the seed of Pearce's SB1070 may have been planted by his unrelenting hatred for people with brown skin, but it was germinated in the hothouse of corporate ideology known as ALEC.
Still, the scheme needed to be nurtured before it could bloom.
As in J. Charles "Chuck" Coughlin, Jan Brewer's campaign manager and "former" policy adviser.
Consider it nurtured and bloomed.
Also on Brewer's staff and CCA's payroll? Communications Director Paul Senseman. He "used" to lobby for CCA; now, his wife is the Senseman household's "official" CCA lobbyist.
For his part, Russell Pearce has denied that ALEC or CCA played any part in the development of SB1070, claiming that he has proposed the bill many times before the ALEC conference late last year.
Granted, that *could* be interpreted to mean that he hatched his scheme free of undue or improper outside influence.
It could also very reasonably be interpreted to mean that he has been in the pockets of the private prison industry for many years, or just that he is a shameless opportunist, using the corruption indicated by industry lobbyists running the governor's office as a catalyst for turning the darkest of his private hatred into the vilest of public policy.
It may take a federal investigation, indictment, and trial, and a few years, but something tells me that in a generation, Arizonans will snicker at the words "Jan Brewer" the same way they do when the hear the words "Ev Mecham."
NPR has released the results of its investigation into the behind-the-scenes machinations during the crafting and passage of Arizona's infamous SB1070. And the relationship between Jan Brewer's staff, many of whom are lobbyists for private prison companies
From the report -
Prison Economics Help Drive Ariz. Immigration Law
{snip}
NPR spent the past several months analyzing hundreds of pages of campaign finance reports, lobbying documents and corporate records. What they show is a quiet, behind-the-scenes effort to help draft and pass Arizona Senate Bill 1070 by an industry that stands to benefit from it: the private prison industry.
The law could send hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to prison in a way never done before. And it could mean hundreds of millions of dollars in profits to private prison companies responsible for housing them.
Arizona state Sen. Russell Pearce says the bill was his idea. He says it's not about prisons. It's about what's best for the country.
{snip}
It was last December at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Inside, there was a meeting of a secretive group called the American Legislative Exchange Council. Insiders call it ALEC.
It's a membership organization of state legislators and powerful corporations and associations, such as the tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., ExxonMobil and the National Rifle Association. Another member is the billion-dollar Corrections Corporation of America — the largest private prison company in the country.
It was there that Pearce's idea took shape.
"I did a presentation," Pearce said. "I went through the facts. I went through the impacts and they said, 'Yeah.'"
The 50 or so people in the room included officials of the Corrections Corporation of America, according to two sources who were there.
Pearce and the Corrections Corporation of America have been coming to these meetings for years. Both have seats on one of several of ALEC's boards.
To sum up: the seed of Pearce's SB1070 may have been planted by his unrelenting hatred for people with brown skin, but it was germinated in the hothouse of corporate ideology known as ALEC.
Still, the scheme needed to be nurtured before it could bloom.
As soon as Pearce's bill hit the Arizona statehouse floor in January, there were signs of ALEC's influence. Thirty-six co-sponsors jumped on, a number almost unheard of in the capitol. According to records obtained by NPR, two-thirds of them either went to that December meeting or are ALEC members.The "powerful new lobbyist" hired by CCA in early January? Highground Inc., operated by one J. Charles Coughlin.
That same week, the Corrections Corporation of America hired a powerful new lobbyist to work the capitol.
The prison company declined requests for an interview. In a statement, a spokesman said the Corrections Corporation of America, "unequivocally has not at any time lobbied — nor have we had any outside consultants lobby – on immigration law."
At the state Capitol, campaign donations started to appear.
Thirty of the 36 co-sponsors received donations over the next six months, from prison lobbyists or prison companies — Corrections Corporation of America, Management and Training Corporation and The Geo Group.
By April, the bill was on Gov. Jan Brewer's desk.
As in J. Charles "Chuck" Coughlin, Jan Brewer's campaign manager and "former" policy adviser.
Consider it nurtured and bloomed.
Also on Brewer's staff and CCA's payroll? Communications Director Paul Senseman. He "used" to lobby for CCA; now, his wife is the Senseman household's "official" CCA lobbyist.
For his part, Russell Pearce has denied that ALEC or CCA played any part in the development of SB1070, claiming that he has proposed the bill many times before the ALEC conference late last year.
Granted, that *could* be interpreted to mean that he hatched his scheme free of undue or improper outside influence.
It could also very reasonably be interpreted to mean that he has been in the pockets of the private prison industry for many years, or just that he is a shameless opportunist, using the corruption indicated by industry lobbyists running the governor's office as a catalyst for turning the darkest of his private hatred into the vilest of public policy.
It may take a federal investigation, indictment, and trial, and a few years, but something tells me that in a generation, Arizonans will snicker at the words "Jan Brewer" the same way they do when the hear the words "Ev Mecham."
Monday, October 25, 2010
New Brewer video...
...and it's definitely scary enough for pre-Halloween viewing...
Hat tip to Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times for the heads-up on this...
Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman has put together a video compilation of some of Jan Brewer's creepiest utterances as a sort of independent Get Out The Vote effort.
Hat tip to Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times for the heads-up on this...
Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman has put together a video compilation of some of Jan Brewer's creepiest utterances as a sort of independent Get Out The Vote effort.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Got some good news, got some bad news
OK, for some it's "bad news, good news"...
...Good news for the Schweikert campaign - this is his third campaign for Congress, and Jackass 3D was #1 at the box office this weekend. Sequels had some strength this weekend.
...Bad news for the Schweikert campaign - the election wasn't this weekend.
...Bad news for the Ken Bennett campaign - setting up an office in the basement of a lobbyist's office doesn't look good for a candidate for an office that is supposed to be all about integrity.
...Good news for Bennett - He's already set up his desk for his post-election job.
...Bad news for Ben "Tater Tot" Quayle in CD3 - a new poll shows him *behind* Democrat Jon Hulburd in the Republican-leaning district.
...Good news for Quayle - if he goes on to lose the race (and since his "unfavorables" are above 50%, that's a strong possibility), he should remember that the son of another famous politician lost his first campaign, a campaign for Congress. When George H.W. Bush tried to buy a seat in Congress for his son George W., the future "worst president ever" failed miserably to win what should have been a "safe" seat for any credible R candidate.
...Of course, that good news for Quayle isn't good news for the rest of us.
...Good news for the Brewer campaign - she's found a way to move attention away from concerns about her health and her ability to serve a full term in the Governor's office..
...Bad news for the Brewer campaign - that way involves irritating voters by hiding from them, decreasing the chance that after the election, she will have the opportunity to serve a full term.
Pic courtesy the Terry Goddard for Governor Facebook page...
At least she was consistent all day - she blew off senior voters during the day, and educators and students during the evening.
...Good news for the Schweikert campaign - this is his third campaign for Congress, and Jackass 3D was #1 at the box office this weekend. Sequels had some strength this weekend.
...Bad news for the Schweikert campaign - the election wasn't this weekend.
...Bad news for the Ken Bennett campaign - setting up an office in the basement of a lobbyist's office doesn't look good for a candidate for an office that is supposed to be all about integrity.
...Good news for Bennett - He's already set up his desk for his post-election job.
...Bad news for Ben "Tater Tot" Quayle in CD3 - a new poll shows him *behind* Democrat Jon Hulburd in the Republican-leaning district.
...Good news for Quayle - if he goes on to lose the race (and since his "unfavorables" are above 50%, that's a strong possibility), he should remember that the son of another famous politician lost his first campaign, a campaign for Congress. When George H.W. Bush tried to buy a seat in Congress for his son George W., the future "worst president ever" failed miserably to win what should have been a "safe" seat for any credible R candidate.
...Of course, that good news for Quayle isn't good news for the rest of us.
...Good news for the Brewer campaign - she's found a way to move attention away from concerns about her health and her ability to serve a full term in the Governor's office..
...Bad news for the Brewer campaign - that way involves irritating voters by hiding from them, decreasing the chance that after the election, she will have the opportunity to serve a full term.
Pic courtesy the Terry Goddard for Governor Facebook page...
At least she was consistent all day - she blew off senior voters during the day, and educators and students during the evening.
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