Well, it's an even-numbered year, and Memorial Day has come and gone, so that means that gas prices are going ever higher, Arizona temperatures are racing to catch up to gas prices, and campaigns are pumping out election year attack press releases.
Of those three sure signs of summer's arrival, campaign press releases are the most fun - they can be counted on to make creative use of misinformation, incomplete information, out-of-context quotes, misleading statistics, and outright lies.
All of which is perfect fodder for a snarky but enterprising blogger. :)
The Ogsbury for Congress campaign in CD5 is taking shots at Harry Mitchell in this press release, trying to say that Harry Mitchell is out of step with his district because he has voted with the Democratic caucus 88.8% of the time (according to the Washington Post).
What the press release neglected to mention is that of the 240 Democratic members tracked, the average adherence to the Democratic position was 92.2%.
So Mitchell was far above average in straying from his party's line; in fact, only 11 other Democrats voted the party line less frequently.
That covers "incomplete information," "misinformation," and "misleading statistics" in one fell swoop.
As for the "outright lies", the Ogsbury release talked about Mitchell's "strident opposition to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)."
OK, this one I didn't even need to look up.
Last August, the House passed S. 1927, The Protect America Act (aka - FISA modernization). The bill gave George Bush and then-Attorney General Gonzales the authority to, virtually without oversight, wiretap and otherwise electronically eavesdrop on foreign terror suspects' communications and any Americans suspected of being associated with them.
41 Democrats, including Harry Mitchell, crossed over and voted with the Republicans.
While I've disagreed with Harry on many of his votes, this one remains the only one that I was truly upset about.
As such, I remember it *very* well.
In this regard, Ogsbury's statement that Mitchell opposes FISA, "stridently" or otherwise, is utterly false.
About the best thing that can be said about Ogsbury's press release is that it didn't use an out-of-context quote from Harry Mitchell.
Republicans shouldn't worry, however - summer is just getting started and campaign season, like Arizona, is just warming up. There's plenty of time to get his fear, smear, and lie machine fully up to speed.
Less snarky analysis of the Ogsbury press release from PolitickerAZ here.
Later!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
New Feature - The Boycott List
Time to introduce a new feature - The Boycott List.
The list isn't meant to be a local version of Buy Blue, something that lists companies worthy of support (because they or their owners/management tend to support Democratic/progressive causes) or to avoid (because they or their owners/management favor Republican/conservative causes).
Instead, this will just be a list of businesses that I won't do business with because of something specific that they have done that merits such a response.
First up is, of course, Wal-Mart. With its record of contempt for employees, customers, and communities, there is an endless litany of reasons to never do business with them.
However, I can only pick one, so for the purposes of this post, I'm selecting the misbegotten move to sue a disabled former employee.
The then-employee had been the victim of a vehicle accident and incurred medical expenses which Wal-Mart's insurance plan covered. She and her family then sued the trucking company responsible for the accident, winning a little more than $400K.
At which point, Wal-Mart, citing a clause in its insurance plan that allowed it to do so, sued the now brain-damaged and nursing-home confined woman to recover its expenses.
The fact that Wal-Mart backed off after word got out about their move and the ensuing national furor turned the whole thing into a PR mega-disaster doesn't make them any less vile.
Joining Wal-Mart as a charter member of the list, heading up the "Gutless Wonder" wing of this hall of shame, is Dunkin Donuts.
The Massachusetts-based chain had an internet up that showed TV chef Rachael Ray wearing a scarf.
The right-wing nutosphere went nuts, claiming that Ray was wearing a keffiyeh, a headdress tradionally worn by Arab men, including those who are active in jihadist and/or terrorist activities.
The fact that the article of clothing was just a simple silk scarf with a paisley pattern didn't stop Fox News, led by Michelle Malkin, from complaining and inciting their kool-aid drinking followers to harass DD.
Also, the fact that the article of clothing was nothing more than a simple scarf didn't stop Dunkin Donuts from abjectly surrendering to the McCarthyist fear-mongering and bullying.
So for that cowardice, they too are charter members of the Boycott List, companies that I won't do business with.
P.S. - this one hurts. Not doing business with Wal-Mart is easy - most of what they sell is imported from China and contaminated with lead, or is simply cheap crap.
Dunkin Donuts actually makes a good product, perhaps the best of the chains (and wayyyy better than Krispy Kreme. Must go duck now. Lots of flying objects coming. :)) ).
On the other hand, while I'll miss them, but it's not like I exactly need them.
Nope, not at all.
Later!
The list isn't meant to be a local version of Buy Blue, something that lists companies worthy of support (because they or their owners/management tend to support Democratic/progressive causes) or to avoid (because they or their owners/management favor Republican/conservative causes).
Instead, this will just be a list of businesses that I won't do business with because of something specific that they have done that merits such a response.
First up is, of course, Wal-Mart. With its record of contempt for employees, customers, and communities, there is an endless litany of reasons to never do business with them.
However, I can only pick one, so for the purposes of this post, I'm selecting the misbegotten move to sue a disabled former employee.
The then-employee had been the victim of a vehicle accident and incurred medical expenses which Wal-Mart's insurance plan covered. She and her family then sued the trucking company responsible for the accident, winning a little more than $400K.
At which point, Wal-Mart, citing a clause in its insurance plan that allowed it to do so, sued the now brain-damaged and nursing-home confined woman to recover its expenses.
The fact that Wal-Mart backed off after word got out about their move and the ensuing national furor turned the whole thing into a PR mega-disaster doesn't make them any less vile.
Joining Wal-Mart as a charter member of the list, heading up the "Gutless Wonder" wing of this hall of shame, is Dunkin Donuts.
The Massachusetts-based chain had an internet up that showed TV chef Rachael Ray wearing a scarf.
The right-wing nutosphere went nuts, claiming that Ray was wearing a keffiyeh, a headdress tradionally worn by Arab men, including those who are active in jihadist and/or terrorist activities.
The fact that the article of clothing was just a simple silk scarf with a paisley pattern didn't stop Fox News, led by Michelle Malkin, from complaining and inciting their kool-aid drinking followers to harass DD.
Also, the fact that the article of clothing was nothing more than a simple scarf didn't stop Dunkin Donuts from abjectly surrendering to the McCarthyist fear-mongering and bullying.
So for that cowardice, they too are charter members of the Boycott List, companies that I won't do business with.
P.S. - this one hurts. Not doing business with Wal-Mart is easy - most of what they sell is imported from China and contaminated with lead, or is simply cheap crap.
Dunkin Donuts actually makes a good product, perhaps the best of the chains (and wayyyy better than Krispy Kreme. Must go duck now. Lots of flying objects coming. :)) ).
On the other hand, while I'll miss them, but it's not like I exactly need them.
Nope, not at all.
Later!
Could Renzi take down both McCain and Kyl with him?
From The Hill -
OK, so given that Renzi's trial isn't starting until October, any "taking down" probably won't happen until after the fall elections, if at all. However, it *is* fun to watch how the Renzi scandal just keeps expanding to include some of the most senior members of the GOP members of the AZ delegation to D.C.
With this report, the public count is at four out of the six GOPers - Renzi himself (of course), Kyl, McCain (of course, McCain has land deal and lobbyist issues of his own to deal with), and John Shadegg (those darn wiretaps!)
Wonder if he is going to go for a clean sweep and drag down Trent Franks and Jeff Flake too?
We can only hope...
Stay tuned on this one...
Federal agents interviewed staffers for likely Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) as part of their corruption case against Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.).
U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Diane J. Humetewa and fellow prosecutors disclosed the interviews with aides for McCain and fellow Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl in a written response to Renzi’s attorneys, who asked for the contents of the interview to help prepare for Renzi’s upcoming trial, which is scheduled for October.
OK, so given that Renzi's trial isn't starting until October, any "taking down" probably won't happen until after the fall elections, if at all. However, it *is* fun to watch how the Renzi scandal just keeps expanding to include some of the most senior members of the GOP members of the AZ delegation to D.C.
With this report, the public count is at four out of the six GOPers - Renzi himself (of course), Kyl, McCain (of course, McCain has land deal and lobbyist issues of his own to deal with), and John Shadegg (those darn wiretaps!)
Wonder if he is going to go for a clean sweep and drag down Trent Franks and Jeff Flake too?
We can only hope...
Stay tuned on this one...
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
More sigs and registration numbers
Time to update last week's post on signatures; specifically, on candidates in the Mesa/Tempe/Scottsdale area who have turned in their petitions.
LD8 State Senate - no change (no sigs filed yet)
LD17 State Senate -
Meg Burton-Cahill (D), incumbent - 632 sigs filed, 253 required. Running as a Clean Elections candidate. Filed May 28, 2008.
LD18 State Senate -
Russell Pearce (R) - 733 sigs, 245 required. Clean Elections. Filed May 28, 2008.
LD8 State Representative - no changes.
LD17 State Representative - no changes.
LD18 State Representative - no changes.
As for statewide office, within the last week, the following candidates filed sigs for their runs for Corporation Commission -
John Allen (R) - 6145 sigs, 5184 required. Clean Elections. Filed May 23, 2008.
Bob Robson (R) - 7576 sigs, 5184 required. Traditional financing. Filed May 28, 2008.
In Scottsdale sig news, the EV Tribune has the story of Jim Lane's filing. He's currently a member of the City Council and is a candidate for mayor.
On the voter registration figures front, according to the Maricopa County Recorder's website...
...In District 17, the Democrats have extended their registration advantage over the Reps to 1584 (24,281 - 26405). That up from the advantage of 771 in March, based on the March figures from the AZ Secretary of State's office.
...In LD8, the Republican registration advantage was closed slightly (by 70 voters) to 27,020 (53,430 - 26,418).
...In LD18, the margin favors the Republicans by 9198 (24,917 - 15,719). That's an advantage of 14.5%. According to the March SOS figures, the gap was 9585 (24,437 - 14,852).
My March post on voter reg figures is here; take the comparisons in this one with a grain of salt - the AZ SOS and Maricopa County Recorder usually have slightly different figures, so this isn't a perfect, "apples to apples" comparison. It's close enough for blogging, though. :)
And on the other hand, their numbers usually aren't that far off from each other's either. :))
I'll do an update on sigs next week after the deadline for turning in petitions (Wednesday, June 4), but I won't anything on registration numbers until early August, which is when early voting starts for the September primary election.
Later!
LD8 State Senate - no change (no sigs filed yet)
LD17 State Senate -
Meg Burton-Cahill (D), incumbent - 632 sigs filed, 253 required. Running as a Clean Elections candidate. Filed May 28, 2008.
LD18 State Senate -
Russell Pearce (R) - 733 sigs, 245 required. Clean Elections. Filed May 28, 2008.
LD8 State Representative - no changes.
LD17 State Representative - no changes.
LD18 State Representative - no changes.
As for statewide office, within the last week, the following candidates filed sigs for their runs for Corporation Commission -
John Allen (R) - 6145 sigs, 5184 required. Clean Elections. Filed May 23, 2008.
Bob Robson (R) - 7576 sigs, 5184 required. Traditional financing. Filed May 28, 2008.
In Scottsdale sig news, the EV Tribune has the story of Jim Lane's filing. He's currently a member of the City Council and is a candidate for mayor.
On the voter registration figures front, according to the Maricopa County Recorder's website...
...In District 17, the Democrats have extended their registration advantage over the Reps to 1584 (24,281 - 26405). That up from the advantage of 771 in March, based on the March figures from the AZ Secretary of State's office.
...In LD8, the Republican registration advantage was closed slightly (by 70 voters) to 27,020 (53,430 - 26,418).
...In LD18, the margin favors the Republicans by 9198 (24,917 - 15,719). That's an advantage of 14.5%. According to the March SOS figures, the gap was 9585 (24,437 - 14,852).
My March post on voter reg figures is here; take the comparisons in this one with a grain of salt - the AZ SOS and Maricopa County Recorder usually have slightly different figures, so this isn't a perfect, "apples to apples" comparison. It's close enough for blogging, though. :)
And on the other hand, their numbers usually aren't that far off from each other's either. :))
I'll do an update on sigs next week after the deadline for turning in petitions (Wednesday, June 4), but I won't anything on registration numbers until early August, which is when early voting starts for the September primary election.
Later!
Enough Already
You know it's a tough week when I find myself in agreement with Greg at Espresso Pundit... :))
During an interview last week, Hillary Clinton made a remark that the mentioned the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
That set off a firestorm of criticism on the internet and by media pundits ever since. Most took the view that her remark was some sort of wish/threat that Barack Obama could be assassinated.
(Don't believe me? Just go to Google's 'advanced news search' and use the words "Clinton" and "RFK" and set it to "search by date - newest first.")
Anyway, after reading the remarks in print and watching the YouTube video of the interview, I find myself in agreement with many of the pundits - she did mis-speak that day.
However, her mistake was not her reference to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy.
At most, the hubbub is an overblown reaction to a clumsily delivered line (see: the uproar over John Kerry's lack of education/Iraq war jab at George Bush). From the context of the video, it's clear that her point was that primary races frequently last until the end (or nearly the end) of primary seasons.
Even Obama, Clinton's opponent in the hard-fought Democratic primary, says that her remark was more careless than malicious.
Instead, her mistake, and it is one that she has repeated more than once, is her equating of herself and her husband to the Kennedys.
While the Kennedys are a *long* way from perfect (hell, what family is perfect??), they do have a long history, covering multiple generations of the family, of public service. A history that compares favorably with any other family's.
Actually, few families have a history that is even in the same ballpark as theirs.
The Clintons? Not so much.
When she has nieces, nephews, and grandchildren with careers in public service including politics, charity, and even some military service, maybe she can talk about the Clintons and the Kennedys in the same breath.
That time hasn't come to pass yet, and may never
Anyway, her RFK reference, while clumsy, doesn't merit the sort of rhetorical pigpile that she has been subjected to. It's been unfair, and on the part of the media pundits (Faux News, Chris Matthews, etc.), it's also been unprofessional.
I'm not a huge fan of Hillary Clinton, but this needs to be said -
Enough already.
During an interview last week, Hillary Clinton made a remark that the mentioned the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
That set off a firestorm of criticism on the internet and by media pundits ever since. Most took the view that her remark was some sort of wish/threat that Barack Obama could be assassinated.
(Don't believe me? Just go to Google's 'advanced news search' and use the words "Clinton" and "RFK" and set it to "search by date - newest first.")
Anyway, after reading the remarks in print and watching the YouTube video of the interview, I find myself in agreement with many of the pundits - she did mis-speak that day.
However, her mistake was not her reference to the assassination of Bobby Kennedy.
At most, the hubbub is an overblown reaction to a clumsily delivered line (see: the uproar over John Kerry's lack of education/Iraq war jab at George Bush). From the context of the video, it's clear that her point was that primary races frequently last until the end (or nearly the end) of primary seasons.
Even Obama, Clinton's opponent in the hard-fought Democratic primary, says that her remark was more careless than malicious.
Instead, her mistake, and it is one that she has repeated more than once, is her equating of herself and her husband to the Kennedys.
While the Kennedys are a *long* way from perfect (hell, what family is perfect??), they do have a long history, covering multiple generations of the family, of public service. A history that compares favorably with any other family's.
Actually, few families have a history that is even in the same ballpark as theirs.
The Clintons? Not so much.
When she has nieces, nephews, and grandchildren with careers in public service including politics, charity, and even some military service, maybe she can talk about the Clintons and the Kennedys in the same breath.
That time hasn't come to pass yet, and may never
Anyway, her RFK reference, while clumsy, doesn't merit the sort of rhetorical pigpile that she has been subjected to. It's been unfair, and on the part of the media pundits (Faux News, Chris Matthews, etc.), it's also been unprofessional.
I'm not a huge fan of Hillary Clinton, but this needs to be said -
Enough already.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Games Senators Play
Perhaps they were intoxicated by the nearness of King...errr...President George "No Steenkin' Rules Apply To Me" Bush, but the Republican leadership of the Arizona State Senate spent Wednesday feeling their "debate suppression" oats.
The following details of the Senate floor activity are courtesy Rep. Steve Farley (D-LD28). He sends out weekly "Farley Reports From Phoenix". Most readers, however, refer to them as "Farley-grams" and we look forward to each issue's arrival in our inboxes. I strongly recommend signing up for it here.
The background info about the bills mentioned in today's post is available on the lege's website.
Note: 'COW' refers to "Committee of the Whole", a session of the Senate where amendments are allowed and actual debate can take place. During a regular session, no amendments are allowed and debate consists of members "rising to explain" their votes.
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post... :)
Turns out that the Senate was supposed to consider an amendment to HB2049 that would ban texting while driving (TWD).
The amendment was authored by Rep. Farley, a Democrat, and was brought forward in the Senate by Sen. Charlene Pesquiera of Oro Valley, another Democrat. However, while this amendment (and HB2396, Farley's original attempt to ban texting while driving) has overwhelming support among the state's voters and rare bipartisan support in the lege, the leadership of the Senate, including Senate President Tim Bee, is loathe to give it an open and fair hearing.
The original bill was killed early in the legislative session when Rep. Andy Biggs (R - LD22), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, refused to allow it to be heard in his committee. It was sponsored by a Democrat, after all.
On Tuesday, the Senate leadership used every trick in the book, and a few that aren't in any book that the Senate's members, staffers, or lawyers know about, to block Farley's amendment from passage.
First up was Sen. Ron Gould and his attempt to block the amendment from being heard, by moving to have the bill "retained on the calendar". When that failed, he began offering substitute amendments to the amendment.
After those all failed, Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor (R-Gilbert) moved again to have the bill retained on the calendar, a move that was against the rules of the Senate, as debate on the bill had already started. The chair of the COW session, and my favorite senator, Jack Harper (R-Surprise!) ruled that Verschoor's motion was in order. The senate voted to overturn his ruling.
After more failed attempts to amend the amendment, Sen. Pam Gorman moved to have the COW session rise, postponing further debate until later in the day. After some confusion (and the disregarding of a vote that didn't fit the desires of the Senate leadership), the Senate did rise from its COW session.
At that point, most of the Senate's Republican caucus bugged out to go attend the McCain fundraiser/public appearance with Bush at a defense contractor in Mesa.
More than five hours later, the Senate reconvened, but before any action could be taken, Thayer Verschoor moved to have the Senate adjourn. While Tim Bee tried to call the voice vote on that motion as "ayes have it" but there were only 3 Republicans in the chamber. A headcount was taken, and the motion failed 3 - 10.
At that point, things really started getting out of hand.
Next up, Bee said that with 13 votes cast on the adjournment motion, a quorum wasn't present (the Senate cannot conduct business unless a quorum, or a majority of members, is present - 16 is that magic number).
Bee tried to conduct an electronic roll call (senators push a button on their desks indicating their presence), but ran into problems with that when Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill (D-Tempe) refused to press her button unless Bee allowed her to speak. Bee then switched to a manual roll call where each Senator's name was called out and they had to respond to indicate their presence.
After that, Senate Minority Leader Jorge Luis Garcia of Tucson tried to move for a "Call to the Senate" which would have had DPS officers out tracking down the wayward (and mostly Republican) legislators.
Bee looked directly at him and then gaveled the session to adjournment at 7:40 p.m.
And so ended a breathtaking day marked by Tim Bee's shameless abuse of his power as Senate President to prevent passage of a bill that he doesn't like.
The actual status of the bill, amendment, and the COW session is unclear, as the Senate actually had to re-enter it's COW session for the motion to adjourn to be a legal one, and they never actually re-entered COW.
Rep. Farley promises that this isn't the end of the effort to ban texting while driving, so stay tuned.
Two comments -
1. If they put as much effort into passing a budget as they did into killing the TWD amendment, a balanced budget would have passed weeks ago, the lege would already be adjourned for the year, and this amendment never would have come up for consideration. All of today's arm- and rule-twisting would have been unnecessary.
2. Does anyone else think that Bee really, REALLY screwed up when he decided that he shouldn't have resigned from the State Senate to run for Gabrielle Giffords' seat in Congress? Instead of being home in Tucson meeting constituents and raising money (and 'tsk-tsking' at the antics of the lege), he's now stuck in a partisan quagmire of his own making.
And partisan quagmires aren't the best place to find support from Independent voters, support he will need to unseat the popular Giffords.
AZCentral.com coverage here.
Eventually, the video of the COW session will be available on the lege's website here; however, when that will be is anyone's guess.
Later...
The following details of the Senate floor activity are courtesy Rep. Steve Farley (D-LD28). He sends out weekly "Farley Reports From Phoenix". Most readers, however, refer to them as "Farley-grams" and we look forward to each issue's arrival in our inboxes. I strongly recommend signing up for it here.
The background info about the bills mentioned in today's post is available on the lege's website.
Note: 'COW' refers to "Committee of the Whole", a session of the Senate where amendments are allowed and actual debate can take place. During a regular session, no amendments are allowed and debate consists of members "rising to explain" their votes.
Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled post... :)
Turns out that the Senate was supposed to consider an amendment to HB2049 that would ban texting while driving (TWD).
The amendment was authored by Rep. Farley, a Democrat, and was brought forward in the Senate by Sen. Charlene Pesquiera of Oro Valley, another Democrat. However, while this amendment (and HB2396, Farley's original attempt to ban texting while driving) has overwhelming support among the state's voters and rare bipartisan support in the lege, the leadership of the Senate, including Senate President Tim Bee, is loathe to give it an open and fair hearing.
The original bill was killed early in the legislative session when Rep. Andy Biggs (R - LD22), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, refused to allow it to be heard in his committee. It was sponsored by a Democrat, after all.
On Tuesday, the Senate leadership used every trick in the book, and a few that aren't in any book that the Senate's members, staffers, or lawyers know about, to block Farley's amendment from passage.
First up was Sen. Ron Gould and his attempt to block the amendment from being heard, by moving to have the bill "retained on the calendar". When that failed, he began offering substitute amendments to the amendment.
After those all failed, Senate Majority Leader Thayer Verschoor (R-Gilbert) moved again to have the bill retained on the calendar, a move that was against the rules of the Senate, as debate on the bill had already started. The chair of the COW session, and my favorite senator, Jack Harper (R-Surprise!) ruled that Verschoor's motion was in order. The senate voted to overturn his ruling.
After more failed attempts to amend the amendment, Sen. Pam Gorman moved to have the COW session rise, postponing further debate until later in the day. After some confusion (and the disregarding of a vote that didn't fit the desires of the Senate leadership), the Senate did rise from its COW session.
At that point, most of the Senate's Republican caucus bugged out to go attend the McCain fundraiser/public appearance with Bush at a defense contractor in Mesa.
More than five hours later, the Senate reconvened, but before any action could be taken, Thayer Verschoor moved to have the Senate adjourn. While Tim Bee tried to call the voice vote on that motion as "ayes have it" but there were only 3 Republicans in the chamber. A headcount was taken, and the motion failed 3 - 10.
At that point, things really started getting out of hand.
Next up, Bee said that with 13 votes cast on the adjournment motion, a quorum wasn't present (the Senate cannot conduct business unless a quorum, or a majority of members, is present - 16 is that magic number).
Bee tried to conduct an electronic roll call (senators push a button on their desks indicating their presence), but ran into problems with that when Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill (D-Tempe) refused to press her button unless Bee allowed her to speak. Bee then switched to a manual roll call where each Senator's name was called out and they had to respond to indicate their presence.
After that, Senate Minority Leader Jorge Luis Garcia of Tucson tried to move for a "Call to the Senate" which would have had DPS officers out tracking down the wayward (and mostly Republican) legislators.
Bee looked directly at him and then gaveled the session to adjournment at 7:40 p.m.
And so ended a breathtaking day marked by Tim Bee's shameless abuse of his power as Senate President to prevent passage of a bill that he doesn't like.
The actual status of the bill, amendment, and the COW session is unclear, as the Senate actually had to re-enter it's COW session for the motion to adjourn to be a legal one, and they never actually re-entered COW.
Rep. Farley promises that this isn't the end of the effort to ban texting while driving, so stay tuned.
Two comments -
1. If they put as much effort into passing a budget as they did into killing the TWD amendment, a balanced budget would have passed weeks ago, the lege would already be adjourned for the year, and this amendment never would have come up for consideration. All of today's arm- and rule-twisting would have been unnecessary.
2. Does anyone else think that Bee really, REALLY screwed up when he decided that he shouldn't have resigned from the State Senate to run for Gabrielle Giffords' seat in Congress? Instead of being home in Tucson meeting constituents and raising money (and 'tsk-tsking' at the antics of the lege), he's now stuck in a partisan quagmire of his own making.
And partisan quagmires aren't the best place to find support from Independent voters, support he will need to unseat the popular Giffords.
AZCentral.com coverage here.
Eventually, the video of the COW session will be available on the lege's website here; however, when that will be is anyone's guess.
Later...
John Shadegg - Protector of Big Oil
As efforts to find renewable sources of energy multiply, both nationally and here in Arizona, Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ3) is hard at work, protecting the interests of Big Oil, his Big Donors.
While claiming to support renewable energy and the extension of a tax credit for homeowners and businesses that utilize solar power, he voted against passage of a bill that will extend that tax credit beyond the end of the year.
His objection? The bill would follow House pay-go rules and pay for the solar energy tax credit by closing some tax credits reserved for the oil industry.
The same oil industry that reports setting a new record for profits seemingly every day.
From AZcentral.com -
Instead, Shadegg has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 5984, a bill that would extend the solar energy tax credit, but instead of finding a way to pay for that extension, it would just increase the federal budget deficit.
Shadegg likes to tout his 'budget hawk' credentials (like this page from his campaign website that includes a WSJ article about his formation of 'Reagan 21'), but that hawkishness flies away when faced with defending his deep-pockets donors from the petroleum industry ($440K and counting).
Compare Shadegg's stance to that of his opponent, Bob Lord (from a press release) -
So, after Lord retires Shadegg this November, is anyone interested in starting a pool on which oil company or industry group hires Shadegg as a lobbyist?
For entertainment purposes only, of course. :)
Later!
While claiming to support renewable energy and the extension of a tax credit for homeowners and businesses that utilize solar power, he voted against passage of a bill that will extend that tax credit beyond the end of the year.
His objection? The bill would follow House pay-go rules and pay for the solar energy tax credit by closing some tax credits reserved for the oil industry.
The same oil industry that reports setting a new record for profits seemingly every day.
From AZcentral.com -
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., a champion of solar efforts, said previous legislation would have paid for the renewable-energy tax credits by repealing credits given to the oil and gas industry. She said she hopes this latest bill, which would close tax loopholes for hedge-fund managers, overseas corporations and others, will be more "palatable."
Fellow Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, a Republican, isn't so sure it will be.
Shadegg said he supports solar energy and the tax-credit extension, but he voted against the latest House bill.
"Each time the issue of solar has come up before Congress, it has included tax increases, and none of them has moved in the Senate," Shadegg said. "If we (Republicans) get to vote for these issues, and they're not burdened by tax increases, we will approve it."
Instead, Shadegg has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 5984, a bill that would extend the solar energy tax credit, but instead of finding a way to pay for that extension, it would just increase the federal budget deficit.
Shadegg likes to tout his 'budget hawk' credentials (like this page from his campaign website that includes a WSJ article about his formation of 'Reagan 21'), but that hawkishness flies away when faced with defending his deep-pockets donors from the petroleum industry ($440K and counting).
Compare Shadegg's stance to that of his opponent, Bob Lord (from a press release) -
"Arizona can become the Middle East of solar energy if Congress makes energy independence a top priority," Lord said. "Solar power means investment, growth, and jobs in Arizona – it is an investment in our future.”
So, after Lord retires Shadegg this November, is anyone interested in starting a pool on which oil company or industry group hires Shadegg as a lobbyist?
For entertainment purposes only, of course. :)
Later!
Quick candidate update - local, state, national
...On the local (Scottsdale) level, a new candidate has entered the race for City Council.
Denny Brown, a 21-year resident of Scottsdale, has turned in paperwork as a $500 exemption candidate. He is running on enhancing/protecting Old Town Scottsdale and seeking an integrated approach for dealing with Scottsdale schools. 'Integrated' means involving "all the players, City of Scottsdale, Chamber of Commerce, Scottsdale School District, and the State Legislature." His website is here. I hope to speak with him about his candidacy within the next few days.
Edit to update later on May 27 -
Denny Brown was gracious enough to take a few minutes to chat with me earlier this afternoon. He mentioned that signature gathering seemed to be going "reasonably well" though there is a lot of competition for them right now - apparently he was at the library earlier and John Washington (mayor) and Jim Lane (mayor) were there collecting sigs, as was someone working on multiple initiatives. He did say, however, that he has been fortunate in that his involvment with Hohokam Elementary's PTA (President!) and other issues has raised his visibility in the community. Many people have stepped forward to help his efforts.
In addition to his focus on Old Town Scottsdale and working with SUSD's board on school issues in the City, he is also concerned with the southernmost parts of Scottsdale. One issue that he specifically mentioned was the exodus of car dealerships from the McDowell Road area (sounds mundane, but that's a *lot* of sales tax revenue leaving.)
My impression - he's obviously a political rookie, but an intelligent and enthusiastic one. He also shows more depth and breadth than the single issue, "no growth", candidates. Many voters, including me, may be sympathetic with the single-issue candidates on their one issue, but few voters, including me, are single-issue voters. We understand that there are many issues facing us (at the municipal, county, state, and national levels), and candidates who focus only on one issue don't make effective public officials.
If he is able to gain enough sigs to get on the ballot, Brown could surprise some folks come September.
End edit...
...On the state level, Corporation Commission to be specific, candidate Sam George sent out an email touting an endorsement by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ8) and talking about his campaign. No website yet, but he can be contacted at sam4corpcom[at]gmail.com. If you didn't receive the email, leave a comment with your email addy, and I'll be glad to forward it to you.
...On the national level, ultraconservative former Congressman Bob Barr won the Libertarian Party's nomination this weekend. Beyond Libertarians, he is expected to appeal mostly to conservative Republicans, leading to some speculation that he could do to John McCain in 2008 what Ralph Nader did to Al Gore in 2000. The gist of that speculation is that in a close race, Barr could take enough votes away from McCain to give the election to Barack Obama.
I'm not so sure of that - many words have been used to describe Republicans (and, partisan hack that I am, I've used most of the uncomplimentary ones :) ), but while the list is a long one, "collectively stupid" isn't on that list. Barr will see an increase in support if the race *isn't* a close one; in a close race, I've got to expect most Reps will vote for McCain, even the ones that hold their noses while doing so. As much as many of them dislike McCain, they dislike Democrats even more.
In the event the race for the presidency isn't a close one, more Reps will be willing to exercise their votes as protest votes.
Later!
Denny Brown, a 21-year resident of Scottsdale, has turned in paperwork as a $500 exemption candidate. He is running on enhancing/protecting Old Town Scottsdale and seeking an integrated approach for dealing with Scottsdale schools. 'Integrated' means involving "all the players, City of Scottsdale, Chamber of Commerce, Scottsdale School District, and the State Legislature." His website is here. I hope to speak with him about his candidacy within the next few days.
Edit to update later on May 27 -
Denny Brown was gracious enough to take a few minutes to chat with me earlier this afternoon. He mentioned that signature gathering seemed to be going "reasonably well" though there is a lot of competition for them right now - apparently he was at the library earlier and John Washington (mayor) and Jim Lane (mayor) were there collecting sigs, as was someone working on multiple initiatives. He did say, however, that he has been fortunate in that his involvment with Hohokam Elementary's PTA (President!) and other issues has raised his visibility in the community. Many people have stepped forward to help his efforts.
In addition to his focus on Old Town Scottsdale and working with SUSD's board on school issues in the City, he is also concerned with the southernmost parts of Scottsdale. One issue that he specifically mentioned was the exodus of car dealerships from the McDowell Road area (sounds mundane, but that's a *lot* of sales tax revenue leaving.)
My impression - he's obviously a political rookie, but an intelligent and enthusiastic one. He also shows more depth and breadth than the single issue, "no growth", candidates. Many voters, including me, may be sympathetic with the single-issue candidates on their one issue, but few voters, including me, are single-issue voters. We understand that there are many issues facing us (at the municipal, county, state, and national levels), and candidates who focus only on one issue don't make effective public officials.
If he is able to gain enough sigs to get on the ballot, Brown could surprise some folks come September.
End edit...
...On the state level, Corporation Commission to be specific, candidate Sam George sent out an email touting an endorsement by Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ8) and talking about his campaign. No website yet, but he can be contacted at sam4corpcom[at]gmail.com. If you didn't receive the email, leave a comment with your email addy, and I'll be glad to forward it to you.
...On the national level, ultraconservative former Congressman Bob Barr won the Libertarian Party's nomination this weekend. Beyond Libertarians, he is expected to appeal mostly to conservative Republicans, leading to some speculation that he could do to John McCain in 2008 what Ralph Nader did to Al Gore in 2000. The gist of that speculation is that in a close race, Barr could take enough votes away from McCain to give the election to Barack Obama.
I'm not so sure of that - many words have been used to describe Republicans (and, partisan hack that I am, I've used most of the uncomplimentary ones :) ), but while the list is a long one, "collectively stupid" isn't on that list. Barr will see an increase in support if the race *isn't* a close one; in a close race, I've got to expect most Reps will vote for McCain, even the ones that hold their noses while doing so. As much as many of them dislike McCain, they dislike Democrats even more.
In the event the race for the presidency isn't a close one, more Reps will be willing to exercise their votes as protest votes.
Later!
Monday, May 26, 2008
In Memory, with gratitude
To the million plus who have given their lives in the service of our country...
To the millions more who have been injured in the service of our country...
To the untold millions who have simply served...
...Thank you
Photo courtesy Deborah Woehr...
To the millions more who have been injured in the service of our country...
To the untold millions who have simply served...
...Thank you
Photo courtesy Deborah Woehr...
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award
When I retired the "Sunday Morning Crappie Award," and created the JS McCain Memorial Crappie Award, it was with the expectation that McCain wouldn't receive the award that is named after him.
To put it simply, the award was named after him because he was hogging it anyway, and others deserve their day of infamy.
However, he outdid himself this week and dragged someone else down with him; as such, he, together with George W. Bush, have earned the first joint J.S. McCain Memorial Crappie Award.
First the flip - John "I support the troops" McCain opposes the new G. I. Bill with its education benefits for veterans who have served since 9/11.
As does Bush, the commander-in-chief of the troops.
Then the flop - McCain suffers the humiliation of having to relocate and downsize a fundraiser with the President ($25K per couple!), in his own home state. Something about too many protesters and too few tickets sold.
Awwwww....I feel *so* bad for our John...really. Trust me. :))
And the hypocritical tie that binds the two, flip and flop, is that Johnny Mac moved his public appearance with Bush from downtown Phoenix to the Mesa site of a defense contractor, Silverado Cable Company. The fundraising part of the event will now take place in a private home instead of the Phoenix Convention Center.
So, within a week of turning his back on the people who put their lives on the line for the war that Bush started and he supports, McCain plans to party down with people who make a profit from the sacrifices made by America's troops.
And Bush will be standing right next to him.
And for that rather acrobatic flip-flop, both John McCain and George W. Bush win an unprecedented joint John Sydney McCain Memorial Crappie Award.
Maybe instead of saying that McCain is 'flip-flopping', it would be more accurate to call it 'flip and flipping off'...
The ever-wise Desert Beacon has awarded her weekly Sunday Deck Bass to McCain, for reasons that include his opposition to the G. I. Bill.
Later!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Bush is coming to town for McCain - Updated
Thanks to Zelph for the comment and the info on McBush's change of plans...
Update -
Due to poor ticket sales and the expectation that protesters would outnumber event attendees, the event at the Phoenix Convention Center has been moved to as-yet-undisclosed private residences in the metro Phoenix area. (courtesy the Phoenix Business Journal)
Of course, with a price tag of $25K per couple, what did they expect? The economy is tanking (so most people can't afford that price) and most Americans are still pissed about Bush's war in Iraq and have something to protest.
As of right now, the ADP's plans for Tuesday are in flux. Expect an email from them shortly detailing any changes (like a new time and location for a protest/rally).
End update (for now :) )
The big event -
Tuesday, May 27 - George W. Bush is coming to town to raise money for John McCain, and the Arizona Democrats are welcoming them both to AZ.
Colorfully. :)
Loudly. :))
The Bush/McCain event will be at the Phoenix Convention Center, 2nd. Ave. and Washington in Phoenix.
Meet at the event, or, if you don't want to fight downtown traffic (and between rush hour traffic and presidential security, it's going to be seriously snarled), the ADP will have shuttles from the ADP's headquarters at Central and Thomas starting at 3 p.m.
To RSVP or to get more info, contact the ADP at 602-234-6815.
Later!
Update -
Due to poor ticket sales and the expectation that protesters would outnumber event attendees, the event at the Phoenix Convention Center has been moved to as-yet-undisclosed private residences in the metro Phoenix area. (courtesy the Phoenix Business Journal)
Of course, with a price tag of $25K per couple, what did they expect? The economy is tanking (so most people can't afford that price) and most Americans are still pissed about Bush's war in Iraq and have something to protest.
As of right now, the ADP's plans for Tuesday are in flux. Expect an email from them shortly detailing any changes (like a new time and location for a protest/rally).
End update (for now :) )
The big event -
Tuesday, May 27 - George W. Bush is coming to town to raise money for John McCain, and the Arizona Democrats are welcoming them both to AZ.
Colorfully. :)
Loudly. :))
The Bush/McCain event will be at the Phoenix Convention Center, 2nd. Ave. and Washington in Phoenix.
Meet at the event, or, if you don't want to fight downtown traffic (and between rush hour traffic and presidential security, it's going to be seriously snarled), the ADP will have shuttles from the ADP's headquarters at Central and Thomas starting at 3 p.m.
To RSVP or to get more info, contact the ADP at 602-234-6815.
Later!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Brief Elections Update - sigs rolling in
The following candidates from the Tempe/Scottsdale/Mesa area (aka - LDs 17, 8, and 18) have turned in their nominating petitions so far (the deadline is June 4, 2008) -
Michelle Reagan (R), running for LD8 State Representative (incumbent) - 1315 signatures, 527 required (traditional financing), filed May 20, 2008.
Ed Ableser (D), LD17 State Representative (incumbent) - 699 signatures, 253 required (Clean Elections), filed April 17, 2008.
David Schapira (D), LD17 State Representative (incumbent) - 757 signatures, 253 required (Clean Elections), filed April 17, 2008.
Cecil Ash (R), LD18 State Representative - 733 signatures, 245 required (Clean Elections), filed May 15, 2008.
Steve Court (R), LD18 State Representative - 536 signatures, 245 required (Clean Elections), filed May 8, 2008.
Ron Middlebrook (R), LD18 State Representative - 320 signatures, 245 required (Clean Elections), filed April 15, 2008.
The following candidates for Corporation Commission have filed their petitions -
Sandra Kennedy (D) - 6353 signatures, 4580 required (Clean Elections), filed May 16, 2008.
Rick Fowlkes (R) - 6626 signatures, 5184 required (Clean Elections), filed May 19, 2008.
Above info courtesy the Arizona Secretary of State's website (current as of 5/2.1.2008)
And as for Maricopa County races -
Tim Nelson (D), candidate for County Attorney, 5276 signatures, 2338 required.
Dan Saban (D), candidate for County Sheriff, 8002 signatures, 2338 required.
Ed Hermes (D), candidate for District 1 County Supervisor, 1093 signatures, 482 required.
Mary Rose Wilcox (D) candidate for District 5 County Supervisor (incumbent), 1191 signatures, 448 required.
County race info courtesy the Maricopa County Clerk's website, information current as of 5/19/2008.
Expect a flood of petitions to hit the county clerk's office and the SOS's office next week.
Later...
Michelle Reagan (R), running for LD8 State Representative (incumbent) - 1315 signatures, 527 required (traditional financing), filed May 20, 2008.
Ed Ableser (D), LD17 State Representative (incumbent) - 699 signatures, 253 required (Clean Elections), filed April 17, 2008.
David Schapira (D), LD17 State Representative (incumbent) - 757 signatures, 253 required (Clean Elections), filed April 17, 2008.
Cecil Ash (R), LD18 State Representative - 733 signatures, 245 required (Clean Elections), filed May 15, 2008.
Steve Court (R), LD18 State Representative - 536 signatures, 245 required (Clean Elections), filed May 8, 2008.
Ron Middlebrook (R), LD18 State Representative - 320 signatures, 245 required (Clean Elections), filed April 15, 2008.
The following candidates for Corporation Commission have filed their petitions -
Sandra Kennedy (D) - 6353 signatures, 4580 required (Clean Elections), filed May 16, 2008.
Rick Fowlkes (R) - 6626 signatures, 5184 required (Clean Elections), filed May 19, 2008.
Above info courtesy the Arizona Secretary of State's website (current as of 5/2.1.2008)
And as for Maricopa County races -
Tim Nelson (D), candidate for County Attorney, 5276 signatures, 2338 required.
Dan Saban (D), candidate for County Sheriff, 8002 signatures, 2338 required.
Ed Hermes (D), candidate for District 1 County Supervisor, 1093 signatures, 482 required.
Mary Rose Wilcox (D) candidate for District 5 County Supervisor (incumbent), 1191 signatures, 448 required.
County race info courtesy the Maricopa County Clerk's website, information current as of 5/19/2008.
Expect a flood of petitions to hit the county clerk's office and the SOS's office next week.
Later...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Scottsdale/TCE update - Wednesday's CIG meeting
Warning: lots of acronyms ahead
On Wednesday night, the EPA held a meeting of the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site's (NIBW) Community Involvement Group (CIG) in the auditorium of the Civic Center Branch Library in Scottsdale.
Summary - there was no breaking news tonight, no bombs like the one dropped at November's meeting (the week+ during October of 'incomplete remediation' .)
Of course, there were no 'F-bombs' dropped in return. :))
The longer version of tonight's events isn't actually all that much longer than the summary, and most of the information was made available previously.
A number of officials from EPA, DOJ, ADEQ, ADHS, MCESD, and City of Scottsdale were present, as well as elected officials or their representatives such as Scottsdale City Council members Ron McCullagh and Wayne Ecton, and Robbie Sherwood, District Director for Congressman Harry Mitchell.
The people who were there for professional reasons may have outnumbered the folks who were there as "interested citizens." :))
Both the Participating Companies (PCs) - Motorola, Siemens, and GSK - and the operator of the Miller Road Treatment Facility (MRTF), Arizona American Water Company (AAWC), conducted separate investigations into the incidents (October 2007, January 2008). The end result of those investigations was that the PCs blamed human error on the part of AAWC personnel, and that AAWC blamed the system set up by the PCs.
The EPA had an independent contractor overseeing the investigations; their report isn't complete as yet.
While that report is pending, and long-term solutions are evaluated, the output of the well with the highest concentration of trichloroethylene (TCE), called PCX-1, has been permanently disconnected from AAWC's drinking water system. The facility was shut down after the January incident but is now back online, with the output of PCX-1 discharged into the Arizona Canal.
The PCs have contracted with a new firm to handle the remediation of PCX-1 while the remediation of two other wells, with much lower contamination levels, is still handled by AAWC. The output from those wells is discharged into AAWC's water distribution system.
In addition to the permanent disconnection of PCX-1 from the water distribution system, increased testing of the effluent, 24/7 onsite monitoring, and thrice-daily inspections of all equipment and controls have been implement as interim actions to address the TCE contamination while ensuring that similar failures do not re-occur.
The interim operating plan is available here.
Information regarding long-term measures should be forthcoming during the fall. Possible options in that regard include, but aren't limited to, reinjection, reconfiguring MRTF to add precautions and redundancies, and continuing to treat and discharge the water from PCX-1 into the Arizona Canal.
The EPA's most recent update on the MRTF situation is here.
Other info from the meeting -
...According to Terry Lockwood, representing Motorola (and the other PCs), there is no evidence of northward movement of the contamination plume.
...The money from the $500,000 fine levied against the PCs is going into the Superfund. (AAWC was fined $69K by the State of Arizona.)
...There will probably be another CIG meeting in the fall after the evaluation of options for long-term measures.
...Oh, and even though the majority of people affected by January's incident at the MRTF live in Paradise Valley, which is in his district, no one from Congressman Shadegg's office was present Wednesday night.
Guess he's still MIA when it comes to his constituents.
Other Scottsdale news from the meeting - As of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Councilman Ron McCullagh was the only candidate who has turned in nominating petitions so far. When asked about being first, he stated that he turned them in so early because he had enough to do so, and that he was working on collecting sigs for the state land trust reform initiative and wanted to focus his attention on that.
Later...
On Wednesday night, the EPA held a meeting of the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site's (NIBW) Community Involvement Group (CIG) in the auditorium of the Civic Center Branch Library in Scottsdale.
Summary - there was no breaking news tonight, no bombs like the one dropped at November's meeting (the week+ during October of 'incomplete remediation' .)
Of course, there were no 'F-bombs' dropped in return. :))
The longer version of tonight's events isn't actually all that much longer than the summary, and most of the information was made available previously.
A number of officials from EPA, DOJ, ADEQ, ADHS, MCESD, and City of Scottsdale were present, as well as elected officials or their representatives such as Scottsdale City Council members Ron McCullagh and Wayne Ecton, and Robbie Sherwood, District Director for Congressman Harry Mitchell.
The people who were there for professional reasons may have outnumbered the folks who were there as "interested citizens." :))
Both the Participating Companies (PCs) - Motorola, Siemens, and GSK - and the operator of the Miller Road Treatment Facility (MRTF), Arizona American Water Company (AAWC), conducted separate investigations into the incidents (October 2007, January 2008). The end result of those investigations was that the PCs blamed human error on the part of AAWC personnel, and that AAWC blamed the system set up by the PCs.
The EPA had an independent contractor overseeing the investigations; their report isn't complete as yet.
While that report is pending, and long-term solutions are evaluated, the output of the well with the highest concentration of trichloroethylene (TCE), called PCX-1, has been permanently disconnected from AAWC's drinking water system. The facility was shut down after the January incident but is now back online, with the output of PCX-1 discharged into the Arizona Canal.
The PCs have contracted with a new firm to handle the remediation of PCX-1 while the remediation of two other wells, with much lower contamination levels, is still handled by AAWC. The output from those wells is discharged into AAWC's water distribution system.
In addition to the permanent disconnection of PCX-1 from the water distribution system, increased testing of the effluent, 24/7 onsite monitoring, and thrice-daily inspections of all equipment and controls have been implement as interim actions to address the TCE contamination while ensuring that similar failures do not re-occur.
The interim operating plan is available here.
Information regarding long-term measures should be forthcoming during the fall. Possible options in that regard include, but aren't limited to, reinjection, reconfiguring MRTF to add precautions and redundancies, and continuing to treat and discharge the water from PCX-1 into the Arizona Canal.
The EPA's most recent update on the MRTF situation is here.
Other info from the meeting -
...According to Terry Lockwood, representing Motorola (and the other PCs), there is no evidence of northward movement of the contamination plume.
...The money from the $500,000 fine levied against the PCs is going into the Superfund. (AAWC was fined $69K by the State of Arizona.)
...There will probably be another CIG meeting in the fall after the evaluation of options for long-term measures.
...Oh, and even though the majority of people affected by January's incident at the MRTF live in Paradise Valley, which is in his district, no one from Congressman Shadegg's office was present Wednesday night.
Guess he's still MIA when it comes to his constituents.
Other Scottsdale news from the meeting - As of 5:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, Councilman Ron McCullagh was the only candidate who has turned in nominating petitions so far. When asked about being first, he stated that he turned them in so early because he had enough to do so, and that he was working on collecting sigs for the state land trust reform initiative and wanted to focus his attention on that.
Later...
A little federal budget fun...
Found this in an entry of GovExec.com's FedBlog -
American Public Media, the country's largest operator of public radio stations, has a 'game' on its website called "Budget Hero."
While it is presented as a game, it is a very enlightening simulation. It highlights the the impact of various budget tactics, and how increasing spending in one area means cuts in another, increased taxes, or increased deficits. It also highlights the long-term effects of budgeting decisions by showing how their impact on a project 'budget bust' date.
Anyway, I didn't quite achieve "Budget Hero" status in the areas I chose for my first time through the game, but was able to increase education and infrastructure spending (areas that qualify as long-term investments, with long-term payoffs) while the only defense spending cut was to bring the troops home from Iraq soon. This was paid for with a repeal of Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy, an end to tax subsidies/breaks for Big Oil, and assorted taxes on the wealthy (hedge fund managers, etc.).
Hardly the sort of budgeting that would ever endear me to Republicans, but this "tax-and-spend" Democrat balanced the budget, decreased the size of government (as a % of GDP), and decreased the size of the national debt (also as a % of the GDP).
And provided AMT relief for the middle class by indexing it to inflation.
There were some tough decisions here too - had to raise the eligibility age for Social Security to make this work.
Try to do as well or better; most people won't be able to if they budget by ideology instead of reality.
Give it a shot if you have a few minutes. You'll learn a lot.
Later...
American Public Media, the country's largest operator of public radio stations, has a 'game' on its website called "Budget Hero."
While it is presented as a game, it is a very enlightening simulation. It highlights the the impact of various budget tactics, and how increasing spending in one area means cuts in another, increased taxes, or increased deficits. It also highlights the long-term effects of budgeting decisions by showing how their impact on a project 'budget bust' date.
Anyway, I didn't quite achieve "Budget Hero" status in the areas I chose for my first time through the game, but was able to increase education and infrastructure spending (areas that qualify as long-term investments, with long-term payoffs) while the only defense spending cut was to bring the troops home from Iraq soon. This was paid for with a repeal of Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy, an end to tax subsidies/breaks for Big Oil, and assorted taxes on the wealthy (hedge fund managers, etc.).
Hardly the sort of budgeting that would ever endear me to Republicans, but this "tax-and-spend" Democrat balanced the budget, decreased the size of government (as a % of GDP), and decreased the size of the national debt (also as a % of the GDP).
And provided AMT relief for the middle class by indexing it to inflation.
There were some tough decisions here too - had to raise the eligibility age for Social Security to make this work.
Try to do as well or better; most people won't be able to if they budget by ideology instead of reality.
Give it a shot if you have a few minutes. You'll learn a lot.
Later...
Education is the key to changing Arizona's political landscape
I've been trying to write this post for nearly a week, but every time I try to write it, it goes off in a direction different than the one I had expected.
And then I have to re-write.... :((
On Thursday evening, the LD8 Democrats hosted a 'meet the candidates' night.
Making the journey to north Scottsdale were Gerald Richard, candidate for County Attorney, Dan Saban, candidate for County Sheriff, Joel Sinclair, candidate for County Supervisor, Sandra Kennedy, Kara Kelty, and George Arredondo, candidates for Corporation Commission, and Stephanie Rimmer, candidate for LD8 House.
The evening's discussion was fairly standard, especially for candidates appearing in front of a friendly crowd. The candidates briefly covered their positions and visions for the offices they are seeking, and then there was an open question-and-answer period.
One of the questions, while seemingly innocuous, actually highlighted one of the biggest reasons for the insane nature of the Arizona political scene - ignorance about the very existence of many of the offices, the people that hold them, and of their relevance to the average Arizonan.
Don't think that's an issue? Just ask your friends and neighbors to name the members of the Corporation Commission, or to tell you the name of their representative on the County Board of Supervisors.
Hell, most people can't even name their legislators.
Anyway, the questioner asked the candidates how they address the situation when they speak to voters who are not only unfamiliar with them (the candidates) but also with the offices they're campaigning for.
While their answers varied in content based on the offices they are seeking, all of the candidates believe that education is the solution.
When voters ask why they should care about the ACC, Sandra Kennedy advises them to look at their ever-rising APS bills; when asked about the County Board of Supervisors, Joel Sinclaire advises voters that Maricopa County has a budget of $2.2 billion dollars.
For some reason, those things get the attention of voters. :))
Anyway, part of the job in their campaigns isn't just to introduce themselves to voters and to persuade the voters to support them, but to also bring home to the voters why these offices that most of them have never heard of or just don't care about have a daily impact on their lives.
In some ways, Dan Saban and Gerald Richard (and Tim Nelson, too!) have it easier - most people know about their races and the offices they are seeking. While they have uphill battles against entrenched and desperate incumbents, the vast majority of voters are already familiar with the antics of Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas, their opponents.
They may be facing the dirtiest campaigns in the state this year, with all of the problems that go with that, but "under the radar" is *not* going to be one of those problems.
Which still leaves the board and commission candidates needing some help in getting out the word on why their races are important.
Up for consideration this evening? The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Want to know why the Board is important, and why the voters should take the opportunity to change the complexion of the board during this year's election?
Start with fiscal responsibility.
From the Board's agenda for today's meeting -
Actually, there are over 70 items on the Board's main agenda, and another 11 on the supplemental agenda. The items cover the length and breadth of the county, covering public safety, schools, libraries, water delivery, planning, land management, solid waste, flood control, public health, and more.
In short, it's basically a city council for an area that's approximately six times this size of the entire state of Rhode Island (9200 square miles vs. 1500) and no one is paying attention to it.
Time to change that.
One brief candidate note: A Democratic candidate has stepped forward in Supervisor District 4 (western and northwestern Maricopa County). Wayne Pearson, a Glendale businessman, has filed to challenge Max Wilson. I don't have any info on him as yet, but stay tuned.
He will be uniting with Ed Hermes (SD1), Joel Sinclaire (SD2) and Marilyn Fox (SD3) as they work to join incumbent Mary Rose Wilcox (SD5) on the Board.
Next up: The Arizona Corporation Commission, probably within the next week or so.
Later!
And then I have to re-write.... :((
On Thursday evening, the LD8 Democrats hosted a 'meet the candidates' night.
Making the journey to north Scottsdale were Gerald Richard, candidate for County Attorney, Dan Saban, candidate for County Sheriff, Joel Sinclair, candidate for County Supervisor, Sandra Kennedy, Kara Kelty, and George Arredondo, candidates for Corporation Commission, and Stephanie Rimmer, candidate for LD8 House.
The evening's discussion was fairly standard, especially for candidates appearing in front of a friendly crowd. The candidates briefly covered their positions and visions for the offices they are seeking, and then there was an open question-and-answer period.
One of the questions, while seemingly innocuous, actually highlighted one of the biggest reasons for the insane nature of the Arizona political scene - ignorance about the very existence of many of the offices, the people that hold them, and of their relevance to the average Arizonan.
Don't think that's an issue? Just ask your friends and neighbors to name the members of the Corporation Commission, or to tell you the name of their representative on the County Board of Supervisors.
Hell, most people can't even name their legislators.
Anyway, the questioner asked the candidates how they address the situation when they speak to voters who are not only unfamiliar with them (the candidates) but also with the offices they're campaigning for.
While their answers varied in content based on the offices they are seeking, all of the candidates believe that education is the solution.
When voters ask why they should care about the ACC, Sandra Kennedy advises them to look at their ever-rising APS bills; when asked about the County Board of Supervisors, Joel Sinclaire advises voters that Maricopa County has a budget of $2.2 billion dollars.
For some reason, those things get the attention of voters. :))
Anyway, part of the job in their campaigns isn't just to introduce themselves to voters and to persuade the voters to support them, but to also bring home to the voters why these offices that most of them have never heard of or just don't care about have a daily impact on their lives.
In some ways, Dan Saban and Gerald Richard (and Tim Nelson, too!) have it easier - most people know about their races and the offices they are seeking. While they have uphill battles against entrenched and desperate incumbents, the vast majority of voters are already familiar with the antics of Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas, their opponents.
They may be facing the dirtiest campaigns in the state this year, with all of the problems that go with that, but "under the radar" is *not* going to be one of those problems.
Which still leaves the board and commission candidates needing some help in getting out the word on why their races are important.
Up for consideration this evening? The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
Want to know why the Board is important, and why the voters should take the opportunity to change the complexion of the board during this year's election?
Start with fiscal responsibility.
From the Board's agenda for today's meeting -
Approve spending $1.6 million on outside legal fees because Andrew Thomas gutted the County Attorney's Office Civil Division to funnel money to his former law firm;
Approve spending $97,000 to maintain two MCSO aircraft that have fallen into disrepair while the Sheriff would rather spend money on junkets to Honduras than on proper maintenance of equipment vital to the safety of MCSO staff and prisoners.;
Accept grants and enter into contracts, totalling millions of dollars;
Oh yeah, and approve a tentative annual budget of $2,258,887,593.
Actually, there are over 70 items on the Board's main agenda, and another 11 on the supplemental agenda. The items cover the length and breadth of the county, covering public safety, schools, libraries, water delivery, planning, land management, solid waste, flood control, public health, and more.
In short, it's basically a city council for an area that's approximately six times this size of the entire state of Rhode Island (9200 square miles vs. 1500) and no one is paying attention to it.
Time to change that.
One brief candidate note: A Democratic candidate has stepped forward in Supervisor District 4 (western and northwestern Maricopa County). Wayne Pearson, a Glendale businessman, has filed to challenge Max Wilson. I don't have any info on him as yet, but stay tuned.
He will be uniting with Ed Hermes (SD1), Joel Sinclaire (SD2) and Marilyn Fox (SD3) as they work to join incumbent Mary Rose Wilcox (SD5) on the Board.
Next up: The Arizona Corporation Commission, probably within the next week or so.
Later!
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