A quick visit to the City of Scottsdale's campaign finance webpage reveals that a new candidate has formed a committee for next year's election to fill three seats on the Scottsdale City Council.
Jose Luis Penalosa, Jr. filed his paperwork with the Scottsdale City Clerk last Wednesday.
According to his filing, he is an attorney and a Republican (and markets himself as such).
As I am totally unfamiliar with him, I did a quick internet search. Apparently his law practice specializes in immigration law (with that name and career path, I'm guessing that he's not part of the teabagger branch of the GOP...though that is *just* a guess) and is an amateur running enthusiast. In addition, according to the list of alumni of Scottsdale Leadership, he's a graduate of their program.
Note: Scottsdale Leadership is a networking group for the city's leaders and would-be leaders (Chamber of Commerce contingent).
More info as it becomes available.
Edit to add:
Mr. Penalosa joins the three incumbents, Wayne Ecton, Bob Littlefield, and Tony Nelssen, as well as former Councilman Ned O'Hearn and former candidate Bill Crawford in the race.
There are other potential candidates rumored to be mulling entry into the race, but they haven't announced yet.
Scottsdale voters should remember that they can sign only three nominating petitions, so they might want to consider putting off signing any until the candidate field stabilizes.
...End edit...
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Question of the day...
...The first in an irregular series of "quick hit" posts of stuff that has been bugging me, not all of which will be political. For instance, like tonight's premier post...
Why aren't we on the moon?
NASA's space program started in the late 1950s. At the time, they used IBM 7090 series mainframe computers in Mission Control.
State of the art at the time, they would be considered little better than abacuses built with kite twine and rubber bands by today's standards.
Each one cost nearly $3 million in that era's dollars.
Yet with those expensive relics, they sent men in hollow metal tubes over 230,000 miles to the moon and brought them back.
More than once.
Moving forward to 2009...
Last week, we went to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix - at approximately 230 miles, 1/1000th as far.
On that trip, we brought:
2 cell phones
2 laptop computers
1 IPod
1 GPS
2 digital cameras
1 10-year old TI-83 graphing calculator (I *always* have that with me. Yes, I'm a geek. :) )
2 digital watches with all sorts of features (stopwatch, compass, etc.)
$5K total, tops.
And that's not even counting the various computers in my truck...mostly because I can't even begin to identify them all.
In short, we had more computing power on our waistbands and in our backpacks to go to the Grand Canyon (which is close and isn't going anywhere anytime soon) than NASA used to send people to the moon (which is a lot farther away and definitely qualifies as a "moving target").
And we are relative electronic lightweights - no Blackberrys or PDAs or whatnot. No multiple cell phones. No portable game consoles. No portable DVD/digital entertainment units.
So could someone please explain to me why we ("we" as in Americans as a group) are content with putting satellites into orbit and not much more? Putting people into space hasn't gotten any tougher, at least in terms of the physics, but our tools to get the job done have improved exponentially.
We should have had multiple manned Mars missions by now; instead, our best pilots, engineers, and scientists are devoted to operating a freight line to the International "Space" Station.
That's not a criticism of them; they are doing incredibly well with what they have been assigned to do. The fact is, however, that the ISS is closer to the Earth (approx. 200 miles up) than Phoenix is to the Grand Canyon.
I know politics is a part of the problem - if there isn't a way for campaign contributors to make money, lots of money, off of an initiative, it's going to be difficult to get Congress and the President behind it (and that is *any* Congress and President, not just the current ones or their immediate predecessors).
Still, it might be time to forget about bank bailouts and various schemes to funnel tax money to the wealthy and focus on moving the country forward, socially, culturally, and scientifically.
Why aren't we on the moon?
NASA's space program started in the late 1950s. At the time, they used IBM 7090 series mainframe computers in Mission Control.
State of the art at the time, they would be considered little better than abacuses built with kite twine and rubber bands by today's standards.
Each one cost nearly $3 million in that era's dollars.
Yet with those expensive relics, they sent men in hollow metal tubes over 230,000 miles to the moon and brought them back.
More than once.
Moving forward to 2009...
Last week, we went to the Grand Canyon from Phoenix - at approximately 230 miles, 1/1000th as far.
On that trip, we brought:
2 cell phones
2 laptop computers
1 IPod
1 GPS
2 digital cameras
1 10-year old TI-83 graphing calculator (I *always* have that with me. Yes, I'm a geek. :) )
2 digital watches with all sorts of features (stopwatch, compass, etc.)
$5K total, tops.
And that's not even counting the various computers in my truck...mostly because I can't even begin to identify them all.
In short, we had more computing power on our waistbands and in our backpacks to go to the Grand Canyon (which is close and isn't going anywhere anytime soon) than NASA used to send people to the moon (which is a lot farther away and definitely qualifies as a "moving target").
And we are relative electronic lightweights - no Blackberrys or PDAs or whatnot. No multiple cell phones. No portable game consoles. No portable DVD/digital entertainment units.
So could someone please explain to me why we ("we" as in Americans as a group) are content with putting satellites into orbit and not much more? Putting people into space hasn't gotten any tougher, at least in terms of the physics, but our tools to get the job done have improved exponentially.
We should have had multiple manned Mars missions by now; instead, our best pilots, engineers, and scientists are devoted to operating a freight line to the International "Space" Station.
That's not a criticism of them; they are doing incredibly well with what they have been assigned to do. The fact is, however, that the ISS is closer to the Earth (approx. 200 miles up) than Phoenix is to the Grand Canyon.
I know politics is a part of the problem - if there isn't a way for campaign contributors to make money, lots of money, off of an initiative, it's going to be difficult to get Congress and the President behind it (and that is *any* Congress and President, not just the current ones or their immediate predecessors).
Still, it might be time to forget about bank bailouts and various schemes to funnel tax money to the wealthy and focus on moving the country forward, socially, culturally, and scientifically.
To Arizona's Republican bloggers: be careful what you wish for...
...'Cuz you just might get it...
Conservative bloggers and pundits all over the country have been jumping on the anti-Napolitano bandwagon over this weekend's abortive terror attack on an international flight into Detroit. They're looking at her initial statement that "the system worked" followed by a retraction of that statement as evidence that she should be blamed for the attack. Some are even hinting that she should lose her job over this.
I'm not so sure that will happen - no one was hurt and the security failures occured overseas in other countries that were, are, and will continue to be out of her jurisdiction - but let's just assume for the moment that the Obama Administration decides that they need a scapegoat for this andfires her accepts her resignation.
If she becomes unemployed, she again becomes the favorite over John McCain in next year's election for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
With all due respect to Tucson City Councilman Rodney Glassman, he's got a better chance to win the seat if JD Hayworth is successful in his quest to knock off McCain in a primary.
McCain would be a tough, almost unbeatable, opponent in the general election; Hayworth less so.
Far less so.
Anyway, back to the main point...Napolitano was the Democrats' best bet at dethroning McCain before she went to D.C. with Obama. She's shown that she can win statewide elections (3 of them! 2 without winning Maricopa County!) and was smart enough to keep the loons in the lege in check while she occupied the 9th Floor.
While there was no guarantee that she *would* have won a race against McCain, it was a race that most political junkies in AZ wanted to see in the same way that fans of the two biggest-name heavyweight boxers from rival promotions want to see their fighters face off.
That all went away when Napolitano took the promotion to Secretary of Homeland Security.
If she ends up losing that job over something out of her control, she would then have the time on her hands for a run at the Senate seat held by McCain.
And while the Republican blogosphere in AZ hates John McCain with a fiery passion, something tells me they'd hate the idea of "Senator Napolitano" even more.
BTW - I'm not exactly Napolitano's biggest fan. Hindsight being 20/20, she *never* should have left AZ. While the state would still face the same fiscal crisis, I firmly believe that "Governor Napolitano" would have done a far better job of wrangling the legislature into fiscal sanity than "Governor Brewer" has.
Conservative bloggers and pundits all over the country have been jumping on the anti-Napolitano bandwagon over this weekend's abortive terror attack on an international flight into Detroit. They're looking at her initial statement that "the system worked" followed by a retraction of that statement as evidence that she should be blamed for the attack. Some are even hinting that she should lose her job over this.
I'm not so sure that will happen - no one was hurt and the security failures occured overseas in other countries that were, are, and will continue to be out of her jurisdiction - but let's just assume for the moment that the Obama Administration decides that they need a scapegoat for this and
If she becomes unemployed, she again becomes the favorite over John McCain in next year's election for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
With all due respect to Tucson City Councilman Rodney Glassman, he's got a better chance to win the seat if JD Hayworth is successful in his quest to knock off McCain in a primary.
McCain would be a tough, almost unbeatable, opponent in the general election; Hayworth less so.
Far less so.
Anyway, back to the main point...Napolitano was the Democrats' best bet at dethroning McCain before she went to D.C. with Obama. She's shown that she can win statewide elections (3 of them! 2 without winning Maricopa County!) and was smart enough to keep the loons in the lege in check while she occupied the 9th Floor.
While there was no guarantee that she *would* have won a race against McCain, it was a race that most political junkies in AZ wanted to see in the same way that fans of the two biggest-name heavyweight boxers from rival promotions want to see their fighters face off.
That all went away when Napolitano took the promotion to Secretary of Homeland Security.
If she ends up losing that job over something out of her control, she would then have the time on her hands for a run at the Senate seat held by McCain.
And while the Republican blogosphere in AZ hates John McCain with a fiery passion, something tells me they'd hate the idea of "Senator Napolitano" even more.
BTW - I'm not exactly Napolitano's biggest fan. Hindsight being 20/20, she *never* should have left AZ. While the state would still face the same fiscal crisis, I firmly believe that "Governor Napolitano" would have done a far better job of wrangling the legislature into fiscal sanity than "Governor Brewer" has.
Molly Ivins - coming to a stage near you
OK, "near" is a euphemism for "Philadelphia." :)
Thanks to Jobsanger in TX for the heads-up on this...
From the website of the Philadelphia Theatre Company -
The play is scheduled to run from March 19 until April 18, 2010.
Season subscriptions for the Philadelphia Theatre Company available now and single play tickets will go on sale for this February 11, 2010.
As long-time readers know (all both of you :) ), I am a huge fan of Molly Ivins. I consider her to be both the sharpest and funniest political observer of the last generation, and America lost a treasure when she passed away almost three years ago. If I ever get to be 1/100 as sharp and funny a writer as she was, I'll be the best political writer in Arizona.
We all can and should hope that this play is good enough and popular enough to go to Broadway and then to go on the road, but don't expect it to ever make it to Phoenix. We are just too far down the list of "must visit" places for traveling cultural events.
We can all hope for a DVD release, though.
Later...
Thanks to Jobsanger in TX for the heads-up on this...
From the website of the Philadelphia Theatre Company -
JUST ANNOUNCED!
We are thrilled to announce that stage and screen actress Kathleen Turner will star in this world premiere play written by noted journalists and twin sisters Margaret and Allison Engel and directed by Broadway and Off-Broadway veteran David Esbjornson.
To have the chance to produce a new play that celebrates the life of one of journalism's most colorful and iconic figures is a rare and wonderful opportunity. It is equally wonderful that an actress such as Kathleen Turner, with her high-profile stage, film, and television career, had an opening in her schedule. So we seized the moment, even though it now means we must postpone our production of Mauritius to another season.
Turner will star as the "unsinkable" Molly Ivins, the famously bawdy newspaper columnist, political commentator, and bestselling author. A true Texas original, Ivins was a sharp-tongued liberal who skewered the political establishment and the "good ol' boys" with a heaping helping of her unforgettable wit and wisdom. This one-woman play celebrates Ivins' endurance and tenacity even when it seemed like a complacent America wasn't listening.
"A first-rate actress!" –The New York Times' Ben Brantley on Kathleen Turner
"A maverick; impossible to herd; Texas to the core!" –Dan Rather on Molly Ivins
The play is scheduled to run from March 19 until April 18, 2010.
Season subscriptions for the Philadelphia Theatre Company available now and single play tickets will go on sale for this February 11, 2010.
As long-time readers know (all both of you :) ), I am a huge fan of Molly Ivins. I consider her to be both the sharpest and funniest political observer of the last generation, and America lost a treasure when she passed away almost three years ago. If I ever get to be 1/100 as sharp and funny a writer as she was, I'll be the best political writer in Arizona.
We all can and should hope that this play is good enough and popular enough to go to Broadway and then to go on the road, but don't expect it to ever make it to Phoenix. We are just too far down the list of "must visit" places for traveling cultural events.
We can all hope for a DVD release, though.
Later...
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tort "Reform": Rearing its ugly head in Arizona
This is what happens when holiday boredom sets in so I have time to surf sites I don't get to as often as I should...
A little light reading over at the website of PublicCitizen.org twigged a memory of something on the AZ lege's website, so I checked it out.
As noted before this, members of the lege have already started filing bills for the session starting in January. Two of them, SCR1003 and SCR1006, are proposed amendments to the Arizona Constitution.
SCR1003 would repeal Article II, Section 31, a section that bars enacting laws that limit "the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the death or injury of any person."
SCR1006 would repeal that section as well as Article XVIII, Section 6, a section that states "[t]he right of action to recover damages for injuries shall never be abrogated, and the amount recovered shall not be subject to any statutory limitation."
If passed by both chambers of the lege and by the voters at the ballot, either measure would open the door to caps on medical liability awards, among other things. (Though SCR1006 would do a more comprehensive job of it)
It's telling that the sponsors of these measures are among the "worst of the worst" members of the lege when it comes to protecting the best interests of their constituents. The list of sponsors includes Sen. Jack Harper (not a surprise that his name is attached to both measures), Rep. Judy Burges, Sen. Russell Pearce, and Sen. Chuck Gray. They are all known for sacrificing the needs of their constituents on the altars of political dogma and expediency.
If those measures gain a hearing this year, and they just might as it is an election year and incumbent legislators will be trolling for PAC money for their campaigns, their supporters will be certain to tout them as a way to increase accessibility to health care and to reduce costs for Arizonans. They will likely cite the example of Texas, which has enacted its own medical liability caps, and say that such things are needed to decrease malpractice insurance premiums for medical providers and increase accessibility to medical care for patients.
The problem with that? That rationale is almost totally false.
From Public Citizen's report on the effects of tort "reform" in Texas (a press release with a brief summary here) -
I recommend that all Arizona legislators and their constituents read the Public Citizen report before forming an opinion on SCRs 1003 and 1006. When the rhetoric starts flying around as the Rs in the lege and their ALEC puppeteers try to get this stuff on the ballot, the citizens of Arizona will need some defenders armed with facts.
Stripping constitutional protections from all Arizonans doesn't improve anything for the residents of Arizona, just for profiteers from Big Insurance.
Later...
A little light reading over at the website of PublicCitizen.org twigged a memory of something on the AZ lege's website, so I checked it out.
As noted before this, members of the lege have already started filing bills for the session starting in January. Two of them, SCR1003 and SCR1006, are proposed amendments to the Arizona Constitution.
SCR1003 would repeal Article II, Section 31, a section that bars enacting laws that limit "the amount of damages to be recovered for causing the death or injury of any person."
SCR1006 would repeal that section as well as Article XVIII, Section 6, a section that states "[t]he right of action to recover damages for injuries shall never be abrogated, and the amount recovered shall not be subject to any statutory limitation."
If passed by both chambers of the lege and by the voters at the ballot, either measure would open the door to caps on medical liability awards, among other things. (Though SCR1006 would do a more comprehensive job of it)
It's telling that the sponsors of these measures are among the "worst of the worst" members of the lege when it comes to protecting the best interests of their constituents. The list of sponsors includes Sen. Jack Harper (not a surprise that his name is attached to both measures), Rep. Judy Burges, Sen. Russell Pearce, and Sen. Chuck Gray. They are all known for sacrificing the needs of their constituents on the altars of political dogma and expediency.
If those measures gain a hearing this year, and they just might as it is an election year and incumbent legislators will be trolling for PAC money for their campaigns, their supporters will be certain to tout them as a way to increase accessibility to health care and to reduce costs for Arizonans. They will likely cite the example of Texas, which has enacted its own medical liability caps, and say that such things are needed to decrease malpractice insurance premiums for medical providers and increase accessibility to medical care for patients.
The problem with that? That rationale is almost totally false.
From Public Citizen's report on the effects of tort "reform" in Texas (a press release with a brief summary here) -
Since the liability laws took effect:In short, instead of improving Texas' health care system for all, as promised, award caps have improved things mostly just for insurance companies.
• The cost of health care in Texas (measured by per patient Medicare reimbursements) has increased at nearly double the national average;
• spending increases for diagnostic testing (measured by per patient Medicare reimbursements) have far exceeded the national average;
• the state’s uninsured rate has increased, remaining the highest in the country;
• the cost of health insurance in the state has more than doubled;
• growth in the number of doctors per capita has slowed; and
• the number of doctors per capita in underserved rural areas has declined.
The only improvement in Texas since 2003 has been a decline in doctors’ liability insurance premiums. But payments by liability insurers on behalf of doctors have dropped far more than doctors’ premiums. This suggests that insurers are pocketing more of the savings than they arepassing to doctors.
I recommend that all Arizona legislators and their constituents read the Public Citizen report before forming an opinion on SCRs 1003 and 1006. When the rhetoric starts flying around as the Rs in the lege and their ALEC puppeteers try to get this stuff on the ballot, the citizens of Arizona will need some defenders armed with facts.
Stripping constitutional protections from all Arizonans doesn't improve anything for the residents of Arizona, just for profiteers from Big Insurance.
Later...
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The coming week...
As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies, except where noted, and subject to change without notice...
As with last week, the current schedule is a light one due to the holiday on Friday.
...In Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate are in recess until the new year, at which point they will start wrangling over health care reform.
...The Arizona legislature is doing its most beneficial work of the year for the people of AZ this week - no committee hearings, no legislative sessions, no nothing this week. They won't be actively making things worse for Arizonans this week (though some legislators may be making plans for just that during the coming session).
...The Arizona Corporation Commission has no public meetings scheduled this week, though there is a light hearing schedule. Everything seems to be focused on rates for Litchfield Park Service Co. and Global Water-Palo Verde Utilities Co.
...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a special meeting scheduled for Monday at noon. The agenda includes an executive session component as well as an open meeting component. The highlight of the open meeting portion is the adoption of financial disclosure standards for county elected officials. You know, the kind of stuff that Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas have used to cause so many problems for Supervisor Don Stapley et. al.
MCBOS' 2010 meeting schedule is here. There are already a couple of adjustments - the 1/5/2010 meeting will be held on 1/7 and the 1/13 meeting will be held on 1/12.
...The Tempe City Council isn't meeting this week, though their Council Calendar is here. It's all Insight Bowl-related events.
...The Scottsdale City Council also isn't meeting this week. Their Community Meeting Notice is kind of light - nothing is planned for the week.
...The biggest meeting of the week looks to be AHCCCS' Public Hearing on Governor Brewer's recently-ordered cap on KidsCare enrollment, a hearing that will take place on Tuesday. Full details at this earlier post.
Not meeting at all this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Boards of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System and the Central Arizona Project, the Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College System, and the Arizona Board of Regents.
Later...
As with last week, the current schedule is a light one due to the holiday on Friday.
...In Congress, both the House of Representatives and the Senate are in recess until the new year, at which point they will start wrangling over health care reform.
...The Arizona legislature is doing its most beneficial work of the year for the people of AZ this week - no committee hearings, no legislative sessions, no nothing this week. They won't be actively making things worse for Arizonans this week (though some legislators may be making plans for just that during the coming session).
...The Arizona Corporation Commission has no public meetings scheduled this week, though there is a light hearing schedule. Everything seems to be focused on rates for Litchfield Park Service Co. and Global Water-Palo Verde Utilities Co.
...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a special meeting scheduled for Monday at noon. The agenda includes an executive session component as well as an open meeting component. The highlight of the open meeting portion is the adoption of financial disclosure standards for county elected officials. You know, the kind of stuff that Joe Arpaio and Andrew Thomas have used to cause so many problems for Supervisor Don Stapley et. al.
MCBOS' 2010 meeting schedule is here. There are already a couple of adjustments - the 1/5/2010 meeting will be held on 1/7 and the 1/13 meeting will be held on 1/12.
...The Tempe City Council isn't meeting this week, though their Council Calendar is here. It's all Insight Bowl-related events.
...The Scottsdale City Council also isn't meeting this week. Their Community Meeting Notice is kind of light - nothing is planned for the week.
...The biggest meeting of the week looks to be AHCCCS' Public Hearing on Governor Brewer's recently-ordered cap on KidsCare enrollment, a hearing that will take place on Tuesday. Full details at this earlier post.
Not meeting at all this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Boards of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System and the Central Arizona Project, the Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College System, and the Arizona Board of Regents.
Later...
The Arizona Legislature: 2010 preview
The next session of the Arizona Legislature is shaping up to be a lot like the last session, only more so.
...One of the harbingers of the discord took form last December, even before the session started. In a major surprise, the House Republican caucus deposed Jim Weiers as Speaker, installing Mesa Republican Kirk Adams in his place. According to the R blog Sonoran Alliance, there's a possibility that Weiers is going to try to return the favor, but don't hold your breath. It will probably be a year, and by then, the Democrats will be in charge. (Hey, I freely admit I put the "partisan" in "partisan hack." :) )
...Adams pledged to have a "transparent" process. Yet by the end of his first few weeks in his new position, the pattern had already been set - GOP leadership (Adams, Senate President Burns, Governor Brewer) would nestle themselves behind closed doors and negotiate budget packages that catered to the whims of their own caucus' membership while ignoring the input and ideas of Democratic legislators and even average constituents. Then they would present those packages for a public vote, passing them with only Republican votes and no real public hearings (Approps committee hearings with minimal notice don't qualify a "real." No matter how loudly the Rs claim that they do.)
By the time the Fifth Special Session of the lege rolled around in December of this year, they weren't even bothering with the pretense.
And still not getting the job done.
Anyway, to sum up the 2009 legislative session: Things started off badly, and went straight downhill from there.
First, some summaries of the 2009 session of the lege that are more neutral and dispassionate than mine -
Arizona School Boards Association
Arizona Capitol Times
Arizona Catholic Conference (OK, these folks are less "dispassionate" and more "really, really, really conservative)
Arizona Municipal Water Users Association
(State of) Arizona Land Management Department
A tax law firm's summary for CPAs
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona Department of Revenue
Arizona Department of Insurance
Arizona Department of Transportation
Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club
Now that the "neutral" part of the post is over, on to the more partisan part - the 2010 predictions...
2009 Legislator of the Year, Arizona Capitol Times version: Rep. Ray Barnes (R-LD7)
2009 Legislator of the Year, County Supervisors Association of Arizona version: Sen. Sylvia Allen (R-LD5)
2010 Legislators of the Year, Random Musings version, or "Legislators who should stay away from cameras if they want a chance at being repeat winners of more mainstream awards" - Ray "Bisexual Principals" Barnes and Sylvia "5000 Years" Allen.
Not to be confused with the Legislative Loon Award, which is based on bill filings, this one is based on crazy utterances. While other contenders are certain to step up (Russell Pearce, John Kavanagh, Jack Harper, et al,) those two seem to have a lock on the award.
Most likely area of contention: What else? The budget. They haven't finished the current year's budget, which will take up the first few weeks of the new session, and hopefully no more than that. After that, they will start work on the FY2011 budget, which looks to have a deficit that's even larger than this year's. And most of the one-time fixes will have been used up already.
Bad bill most likely to make a comeback, non-revenue category: Guns in schools. A version directed at universities and community colleges has already been filed for next year's session, so a K-12 version can't be far behind.
Bad bill most likely to make a comeback, revenue category: Repeal of the equalization tax. The Rs have made it clear that they want to destroy public education in Arizona; getting rid of a dedicated revenue source for public education is a step in that direction.
Good bill most likely to pass: None. There may be a few "harmless" bills ("technical corrections" and the like), but nothing good is expected to come out of next year's legislative session...making it a lot like this year's session.
Institutional memory, elected/insider category: Rep. Jack Brown (D-LD5). First entered the lege in 1963, before many of his colleagues were potty-trained (and in more than a few cases, before they were born) and has served continuously since 1987. Has more knowledge and wisdom than most of the rest of the lege combined. Norman Moore, Chief Clerk of the House, was in contention for this one, but after three decades of service, he has retired to go into the private sector as a lobbyist.
Institutional memory, "outsider" category: Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services. He *is* Capitol Media Services, working as its sole employee. Every media outlet in the state uses his stories. Has been covering the Capitol for more than a quarter century. "Outsider" is in quotes because with his longevity, he isn't really an outsider, but he doesn't work for the lege, so he falls into this category.
Legislator most likely to piss off his own caucus: Who else could it be, but Sen. Ron Gould? With his stomping out of his own party's Governor's speech and spending the spring, summer, and fall working to scuttle any balanced budget deals, he's had this one sewn up for months. The runner up, and the House's "winner": Rep. Sam Crump. A second-termer, he was briefly stripped of a committee chairmanship early in the 2009 session for trying to out-harsh his own Speaker, Kirk Adams. He had been "exploring" a run for AG, challenging State Superintendent of Public of Instruction Tom Horne and (rumored) Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. He has announced that he is seeking reelection to the House, however. Democrat Jack Brown could gain some traction in this category because he is easily the most conservative Democrat in the legislature, but there is so much respect and affection for him that no one really objects when his votes don't always gibe with his caucus-mates'.
Legislator most likely to piss on the other caucus: One could make a case for most (though not all) of the Rs in this category, but the hands-down winner in this category is our old friend, Sen. Jack Harper. A complete list of his credentials for this award would take up the rest of the post, but the highlight of his year was when he equated legislative Democrats with a pre-Iraq War Saddam Hussein and the ruling Sunnis in Iraq.
Legislator most likely to claim at one point to only follow the "will of the voters" while at another point to claim that the "will of the voters" is meaningless: Russell Pearce. Basically, it all matters if he agrees with the "will of the voters." If the matters under discussion are nativist measures approved via referendum, he believes that the voters are brilliant; if the matters under discussion are voter-mandated social spending, he thinks they are misguided, or worse, and seeks to overturn the Voter Protection Act so that he can kill all social spending in AZ.
...One of the harbingers of the discord took form last December, even before the session started. In a major surprise, the House Republican caucus deposed Jim Weiers as Speaker, installing Mesa Republican Kirk Adams in his place. According to the R blog Sonoran Alliance, there's a possibility that Weiers is going to try to return the favor, but don't hold your breath. It will probably be a year, and by then, the Democrats will be in charge. (Hey, I freely admit I put the "partisan" in "partisan hack." :) )
...Adams pledged to have a "transparent" process. Yet by the end of his first few weeks in his new position, the pattern had already been set - GOP leadership (Adams, Senate President Burns, Governor Brewer) would nestle themselves behind closed doors and negotiate budget packages that catered to the whims of their own caucus' membership while ignoring the input and ideas of Democratic legislators and even average constituents. Then they would present those packages for a public vote, passing them with only Republican votes and no real public hearings (Approps committee hearings with minimal notice don't qualify a "real." No matter how loudly the Rs claim that they do.)
By the time the Fifth Special Session of the lege rolled around in December of this year, they weren't even bothering with the pretense.
And still not getting the job done.
Anyway, to sum up the 2009 legislative session: Things started off badly, and went straight downhill from there.
First, some summaries of the 2009 session of the lege that are more neutral and dispassionate than mine -
Arizona School Boards Association
Arizona Capitol Times
Arizona Catholic Conference (OK, these folks are less "dispassionate" and more "really, really, really conservative)
Arizona Municipal Water Users Association
(State of) Arizona Land Management Department
A tax law firm's summary for CPAs
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Arizona Department of Health Services
Arizona Department of Revenue
Arizona Department of Insurance
Arizona Department of Transportation
Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club
Now that the "neutral" part of the post is over, on to the more partisan part - the 2010 predictions...
2009 Legislator of the Year, Arizona Capitol Times version: Rep. Ray Barnes (R-LD7)
2009 Legislator of the Year, County Supervisors Association of Arizona version: Sen. Sylvia Allen (R-LD5)
2010 Legislators of the Year, Random Musings version, or "Legislators who should stay away from cameras if they want a chance at being repeat winners of more mainstream awards" - Ray "Bisexual Principals" Barnes and Sylvia "5000 Years" Allen.
Not to be confused with the Legislative Loon Award, which is based on bill filings, this one is based on crazy utterances. While other contenders are certain to step up (Russell Pearce, John Kavanagh, Jack Harper, et al,) those two seem to have a lock on the award.
Most likely area of contention: What else? The budget. They haven't finished the current year's budget, which will take up the first few weeks of the new session, and hopefully no more than that. After that, they will start work on the FY2011 budget, which looks to have a deficit that's even larger than this year's. And most of the one-time fixes will have been used up already.
Bad bill most likely to make a comeback, non-revenue category: Guns in schools. A version directed at universities and community colleges has already been filed for next year's session, so a K-12 version can't be far behind.
Bad bill most likely to make a comeback, revenue category: Repeal of the equalization tax. The Rs have made it clear that they want to destroy public education in Arizona; getting rid of a dedicated revenue source for public education is a step in that direction.
Good bill most likely to pass: None. There may be a few "harmless" bills ("technical corrections" and the like), but nothing good is expected to come out of next year's legislative session...making it a lot like this year's session.
Institutional memory, elected/insider category: Rep. Jack Brown (D-LD5). First entered the lege in 1963, before many of his colleagues were potty-trained (and in more than a few cases, before they were born) and has served continuously since 1987. Has more knowledge and wisdom than most of the rest of the lege combined. Norman Moore, Chief Clerk of the House, was in contention for this one, but after three decades of service, he has retired to go into the private sector as a lobbyist.
Institutional memory, "outsider" category: Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services. He *is* Capitol Media Services, working as its sole employee. Every media outlet in the state uses his stories. Has been covering the Capitol for more than a quarter century. "Outsider" is in quotes because with his longevity, he isn't really an outsider, but he doesn't work for the lege, so he falls into this category.
Legislator most likely to piss off his own caucus: Who else could it be, but Sen. Ron Gould? With his stomping out of his own party's Governor's speech and spending the spring, summer, and fall working to scuttle any balanced budget deals, he's had this one sewn up for months. The runner up, and the House's "winner": Rep. Sam Crump. A second-termer, he was briefly stripped of a committee chairmanship early in the 2009 session for trying to out-harsh his own Speaker, Kirk Adams. He had been "exploring" a run for AG, challenging State Superintendent of Public of Instruction Tom Horne and (rumored) Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. He has announced that he is seeking reelection to the House, however. Democrat Jack Brown could gain some traction in this category because he is easily the most conservative Democrat in the legislature, but there is so much respect and affection for him that no one really objects when his votes don't always gibe with his caucus-mates'.
Legislator most likely to piss on the other caucus: One could make a case for most (though not all) of the Rs in this category, but the hands-down winner in this category is our old friend, Sen. Jack Harper. A complete list of his credentials for this award would take up the rest of the post, but the highlight of his year was when he equated legislative Democrats with a pre-Iraq War Saddam Hussein and the ruling Sunnis in Iraq.
Legislator most likely to claim at one point to only follow the "will of the voters" while at another point to claim that the "will of the voters" is meaningless: Russell Pearce. Basically, it all matters if he agrees with the "will of the voters." If the matters under discussion are nativist measures approved via referendum, he believes that the voters are brilliant; if the matters under discussion are voter-mandated social spending, he thinks they are misguided, or worse, and seeks to overturn the Voter Protection Act so that he can kill all social spending in AZ.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Apparently, bigotry, deception, and lies don't the holidays off
Yes, I know that said "no political posts" but some things just cry out for a response...and since they don't have to take holidays off from their spewings I don't have to take time out from criticizing those spewings...
Sonoran Alliance has a Russell Pearce-penned op-ed piece up regarding his opinions on the ongoing legal battles between Maricopa County officials, the county court system and the Dynamic Duo (Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas) with the Arizona Bar Association thrown in for good measure.
The piece is standard winger tripe - everything that ails Maricopa County is the fault of liberal judges and lawyers...and, of course, undocumented immigrants.
All would be fine if folks would just get out of the way of fine upstanding public servants like Andrew Thomas while he wages his jihads against liberals...and, of course, undocumented immigrants.
In a somewhat surprising development (surprising that it happened so quickly, not that it happened), Pearce aimed most of his rhetorical salvos at Maricopa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell and retired Arizona Chief Justice Ruth McGregor, the newly-appointed special master brought in to oversee the court cases between Thomas/Arpaio and the county's judges and other elected officials.
While Arpaio and Thomas and their supporters (a group that counts Pearce as one of its leaders) were certain to object to the appointment of an independent special master to oversee all of the many court cases involving county and court officials that have been brought by Thomas and Arpaio. I just thought that even *they* would take the rest of the week off from their campaign of bigotry, deceptions, and outright lies.
I was wrong (mark this date down :) ).
From the piece:
That's pretty efficient use of a single sentence, but old hat for an experienced demagogue like Pearce.
We're stuck with Arpaio and Thomas for another three years (barring resignations to run for higher office or federal investigations/indictments/convictions), but we can start making a change next year by electing officials (lege, Governor, etc.) who don't see their primary duty as running interference for the Dynamic Duo.
That's something that would make Christmas 2010 joyous for people who respect the rule of law in Maricopa County.
Sonoran Alliance has a Russell Pearce-penned op-ed piece up regarding his opinions on the ongoing legal battles between Maricopa County officials, the county court system and the Dynamic Duo (Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas) with the Arizona Bar Association thrown in for good measure.
The piece is standard winger tripe - everything that ails Maricopa County is the fault of liberal judges and lawyers...and, of course, undocumented immigrants.
All would be fine if folks would just get out of the way of fine upstanding public servants like Andrew Thomas while he wages his jihads against liberals...and, of course, undocumented immigrants.
In a somewhat surprising development (surprising that it happened so quickly, not that it happened), Pearce aimed most of his rhetorical salvos at Maricopa County Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Mundell and retired Arizona Chief Justice Ruth McGregor, the newly-appointed special master brought in to oversee the court cases between Thomas/Arpaio and the county's judges and other elected officials.
While Arpaio and Thomas and their supporters (a group that counts Pearce as one of its leaders) were certain to object to the appointment of an independent special master to oversee all of the many court cases involving county and court officials that have been brought by Thomas and Arpaio. I just thought that even *they* would take the rest of the week off from their campaign of bigotry, deceptions, and outright lies.
I was wrong (mark this date down :) ).
From the piece:
While I have worked with Former Chief Justice Ruth McGregor and I like her and feel she is very competent, she certainly has the appearance of conflict, she was who appointed Superior Court Presiding Judge Barbara Rodriquez Mundell (a focus of the investigation) to her position and worked with her for the past several years. (By the way phantastic she is a Democrat).So let's see, in one sentence (and one parenthetical phrase): he implied a conflict of interest on the parts of both judges (telling readers that neither of them can be trusted while shifting the conversation away from Thomas' and Arpaio's misdeeds), stressed a Hispanic name (telling his fellow nativists that Judge Mundell is one of "them"), and drops in Chief Justice McGregor's voter registration (aka - telling fellow Rs that she isn't "one of us").
That's pretty efficient use of a single sentence, but old hat for an experienced demagogue like Pearce.
We're stuck with Arpaio and Thomas for another three years (barring resignations to run for higher office or federal investigations/indictments/convictions), but we can start making a change next year by electing officials (lege, Governor, etc.) who don't see their primary duty as running interference for the Dynamic Duo.
That's something that would make Christmas 2010 joyous for people who respect the rule of law in Maricopa County.
Public Hearing on KidsCare enrollment cap
On Tuesday, December 29, AHCCCS will be holding a public hearing on the enrollment cap that Governor Brewer has ordered for KidsCare.
From the public notice for the hearing:
Not exactly a Christmas-y post, but whatthehell - lumps of coal are a part of Christmas lore as much as tinsel and trees and such.
And lumps of coal are exactly what Brewer, Burns, and Adams deserve this year...
From the public notice for the hearing:
KidsCare Program Enrollment CapOther locations that will be set up for participation via teleconference are:
Due to Arizona’s fiscal crisis, AHCCCS can no longer ensure the availability of adequate funding to support further growth in the KidsCare program. As a result, AHCCCS will implement an enrollment cap for the KidsCare program effective January 1, 2010.
AHCCCS will be holding a public hearing regarding the KidsCare Enrollment Cap, where written and oral comments can be submitted. Below is information on the location and time of the public hearing:
AHCCCS Administration
701 E. Jefferson, Gold Room
Phoenix, Arizona
December 29, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
ALTCS: Arizona Long-term Care SystemThe public information sheet is here; AHCCCS' letter on this topic to the Governor and leadership in the legislature is here.
1010 N. Finance Center Drive, Suite 201
Tucson, AZ 85710
DAHL /Office of Special Investigations
2721 N. 4th street, Suite 23
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
Not exactly a Christmas-y post, but whatthehell - lumps of coal are a part of Christmas lore as much as tinsel and trees and such.
And lumps of coal are exactly what Brewer, Burns, and Adams deserve this year...
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Twas The Night Before Christmas...
The bustling metropolis of Tusayan, Arizona, flooded with last-minute shoppers and holiday revelers...or not. :)
Clement Clark Moore's classic story is available here, courtesy the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune (TX).
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Stupid Human Tricks
Not of the David Letterman variety, of the "guns and booze" variety...
I was going to write about the appointment (document courtesy AZCentral.com) of retired AZ Chief Justice Ruth McGregor as "special master" to oversee the myriad court cases involving various Maricopa County officials, which all seem to have Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio as the complainants or complainees (aka whiners or whinees), but I'm trying to avoid hardcore political posting for the next few days.
So I'm left with this -
Also from AZCentral.com -
Guns and booze don't mix.
Never did and never will, no matter how much the backslappers at last summer's NRA convention told you otherwise.
And they probably did it after a couple of cocktails.
I was going to write about the appointment (document courtesy AZCentral.com) of retired AZ Chief Justice Ruth McGregor as "special master" to oversee the myriad court cases involving various Maricopa County officials, which all seem to have Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio as the complainants or complainees (aka whiners or whinees), but I'm trying to avoid hardcore political posting for the next few days.
So I'm left with this -
Also from AZCentral.com -
Gilbert man shows off gun, shoots fingerTo the 59 legislators (54 of them Republicans) who voted for the "guns in bars" bill during the last session, and the governor (also an R) who signed it:
A Gilbert man proved once again early Wednesday morning that guns and alcohol don't mix.
Ryan Maes, 33, told police that he and a friend had been drinking and playing video games about 2 a.m. when he accidentally shot himself in the finger with a .40 caliber pistol.
Guns and booze don't mix.
Never did and never will, no matter how much the backslappers at last summer's NRA convention told you otherwise.
And they probably did it after a couple of cocktails.
Happy Holidays to all...
Posting will be light to intermittent until after New Year's, so I wanted to take this opportunity to wish all members of the Random Musings reader community a joyous and safe holiday season.
It's been a long, eventful, and often acrimonious year, and next year is shaping up to be more of the same. We can take a moment (OK, a couple of weeks) to step back, catch our breaths, and appreciate the good things that have happened this year. (Not gonna list those, because this post isn't about starting an argument. There will be plenty of time for that later. :) )
So whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa, winter solstice, 359th Day of the Year, or nothing at all, may you enjoy the season.
See you soon...
Pic courtesy ehow.com
Monday, December 21, 2009
Jan Brewer: "I surrender"
Arizona's Governor Jan Brewer held an "emergency" meeting of her cabinet on Monday.
There, her agency heads and the press were treated to this presentation on the state's budget crisis (summary: we're hosed).
Her address to those gathered before her is here.
She announced a number of unilateral moves to address the budget shortfall.
From the address -
Now, while most of the MSM attention is going to the part about deporting imprisoned undocumented immigrants, that's already done under existing law.
What really should get the attention of most folks are her plans for capping enrollment for KidsCare and other safety net programs, screwing with state aid to all schools and privatizing government.
Let's sum up here: she's dealing with the legislature's failure to balance the budget because some of the most extreme members of her own already extreme caucus felt that the budget proposals before the lege weren't draconian enough. They embarrassed her and their own leaders by scuttling anything resembling a proposal that didn't dismantle the state's social safety net, public education system, and Arizona government itself.
So what does she propose?
Giving the nuttiest of the nuts *exactly* what they wanted all along.
Why do I think that the last of her ideas, the one about talking to legislative leadership "of both parties" isn't going to work, especially since the nuts have just learned that their political bullying tactics have worked?
BTW - Brewer makes a show of asking for "honest, comprehensive and TIMELY solutions to the current budget deficit."
Funny, but just such things were offered to her months ago by the Democrats in the lege - http://www.strongerarizona.com/.
She and her Republican associates in the lege haven't been interested in real solutions before this, and there's no evidence that they are really interested now.
Coverage from the AZ Capitol Times here; Howard Fischer of Capitol Media has coverage here, courtesy the East Valley Tribune; Arizona Republic coverage here; Phoenix New Times coverage here.
There, her agency heads and the press were treated to this presentation on the state's budget crisis (summary: we're hosed).
Her address to those gathered before her is here.
She announced a number of unilateral moves to address the budget shortfall.
From the address -
Therefore, at my personal direction, the following steps will be taken immediately:
ONE: I am ordering my budget office to work with each of you to develop additional contingency plans in anticipation of additional agency reductions and to adjust spending allotments accordingly.
TWO: I am also ordering agencies to transfer monies out of all eligible special line items to ensure that they have sufficient funds to cover mandatory expenditures.
THREE: I am asking the Department of Education and the Board of Regents to notify school districts and universities to prepare for additional payment deferrals later in the year, beyond those already budgeted.
FOURTH, I am ordering the Arizona Department of Corrections to return to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) -- as soon as possible -- all non-violent criminal aliens as is allowed under existing law.
{snip}
FIVE: I am restating my Arizonans-only directives to state agencies to ensure that public benefits are only provided to those who are legally in this country and reside in this state.
{snip]
SIX: I am asking ALL directors with discretionary programs to provide me with a list of non-mandatory programs that can be capped due to a lack of funding.While many of these programs are important, and their freeze will be heartbreaking and difficult for many Arizona families, the Legislature simply has not committed enough funding for their continuation and we must divert resources to the programs that ARE mandated.
Starting today, I am implementing a wait list for KidsCare, the children’s health insurance program at AHCCCS. There will be a hard cap on childcare assistance wait lists at DES.
{snip}
SEVEN: In order to sustain the most critical services, I am asking all citizens receiving state services to contribute more toward their benefits. Effective immediately, agencies are to implement means testing and sliding fee schedules to ensure the neediest among us receive the most help.EIGHT, I am taking immediate steps to enhance the management of our state’s cash flow. On your desks you will find instructions to change the processing of state warrants.
{snip}
NINE: I am establishing a Privatization Commission to expand the use of private sector services in state government. This commission will be charged with developing best practices, identifying areas of state government appropriate for privatization and developing plans for the implementation of privatization solutions. Privatization done properly will help the state reduce operational costs, improve service delivery and quality, and lead to innovation.And FINALLY: In the first week of the New Year, I will be convening the legislative leadership of both parties. I will not be asking for theories, or for a vote count of what might or might not work politically. I will ask for honest, comprehensive and TIMELY solutions to the current budget deficit.
Now, while most of the MSM attention is going to the part about deporting imprisoned undocumented immigrants, that's already done under existing law.
What really should get the attention of most folks are her plans for capping enrollment for KidsCare and other safety net programs, screwing with state aid to all schools and privatizing government.
Let's sum up here: she's dealing with the legislature's failure to balance the budget because some of the most extreme members of her own already extreme caucus felt that the budget proposals before the lege weren't draconian enough. They embarrassed her and their own leaders by scuttling anything resembling a proposal that didn't dismantle the state's social safety net, public education system, and Arizona government itself.
So what does she propose?
Giving the nuttiest of the nuts *exactly* what they wanted all along.
Why do I think that the last of her ideas, the one about talking to legislative leadership "of both parties" isn't going to work, especially since the nuts have just learned that their political bullying tactics have worked?
BTW - Brewer makes a show of asking for "honest, comprehensive and TIMELY solutions to the current budget deficit."
Funny, but just such things were offered to her months ago by the Democrats in the lege - http://www.strongerarizona.com/.
She and her Republican associates in the lege haven't been interested in real solutions before this, and there's no evidence that they are really interested now.
Coverage from the AZ Capitol Times here; Howard Fischer of Capitol Media has coverage here, courtesy the East Valley Tribune; Arizona Republic coverage here; Phoenix New Times coverage here.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The coming week...
As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies (except where noted), and subject to change without notice...
This will be a quick post, mostly because almost everybody is on a holiday schedule this week. Meaning that almost nothing will be happening.
...Having said that, let's start off with the highest profile exception to that statement, the U.S. Senate. They'll be in session most of the week, considering health care reform (LA Times). Expectations are that a final vote will be taken by Christmas, meaning that the bill won't go to conference committee until after the new year as the House is adjourned for the holidays. (Actually, there's a session planned for Wednesday, but that seems to be a pro forma session. I'll update if that changes.) The Senate's committee schedule is here; there's only one committee scheduled to meet this week - Judiciary on Thursday.
...Back here in AZ, the Arizona Corporation Commission has a Securities and Utilities meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Agenda here. The ACC's full hearing schedule is here. It's a light one.
...The Arizona Board of Regents isn't meeting this week. However, they are looking for a President of the Board.
...The Tempe City Council isn't meeting this week, but their Council Calendar is here. There's one item on it this week - a holiday open house on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
...The Scottsdale City Council isn't meeting this week, but the Community Meeting Notice is here. Summary: there's nothing scheduled this week. You might think that there is a holiday or something coming up. :)
...Everybody else isn't going to meet this week: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Boards of Directors of the Central Arizona Project and the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona State Legislature.
Have a happy and safe Christmas everybody, even Republicans...and a certain Libertarian commenter! :))
This will be a quick post, mostly because almost everybody is on a holiday schedule this week. Meaning that almost nothing will be happening.
...Having said that, let's start off with the highest profile exception to that statement, the U.S. Senate. They'll be in session most of the week, considering health care reform (LA Times). Expectations are that a final vote will be taken by Christmas, meaning that the bill won't go to conference committee until after the new year as the House is adjourned for the holidays. (Actually, there's a session planned for Wednesday, but that seems to be a pro forma session. I'll update if that changes.) The Senate's committee schedule is here; there's only one committee scheduled to meet this week - Judiciary on Thursday.
...Back here in AZ, the Arizona Corporation Commission has a Securities and Utilities meeting scheduled for Tuesday. Agenda here. The ACC's full hearing schedule is here. It's a light one.
...The Arizona Board of Regents isn't meeting this week. However, they are looking for a President of the Board.
...The Tempe City Council isn't meeting this week, but their Council Calendar is here. There's one item on it this week - a holiday open house on Tuesday at 9 a.m.
...The Scottsdale City Council isn't meeting this week, but the Community Meeting Notice is here. Summary: there's nothing scheduled this week. You might think that there is a holiday or something coming up. :)
...Everybody else isn't going to meet this week: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Boards of Directors of the Central Arizona Project and the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona State Legislature.
Have a happy and safe Christmas everybody, even Republicans...and a certain Libertarian commenter! :))
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