This meeting is mostly a rubberstamp - they've already approved SB1001, 1002, 1003, 1005, and SCR1001.
Now, they are mulling a possible Prop 105 conflict with SB1004. Passes. Meeting over in 3 minutes.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Live blogging Senate Natural Resources
10:12 - Landrum calls the issue one of fairness and votes aye. Passes unanimously. Adjourned.
10:10 - Consider amendment to make the change retroactive to tax year 2010. Some confusion if amendment is OK as written. After discussion, it is determined to be fine. Adopted.
10:09 - SB1005, tax deduction adjustment for out of state filers.
10:08 - SB1004 passes unanimously. This train is now running on time.
10:08 - Adopt technical amendment.
10:07 - SB1004, repayment of lottery bonds.
10:07 - Passes unanimously.
10:06 - Adopting a technical amendment by voice vote.
10:03 - SB1003 - Lottery revenue bonding and sale/leaseback of state assets.
10:02 - No debate, passes unanimously.
10:01 - SB1002 - Education funding payment rollovers.
10:00 - No debate. Vote starts. Passes unanimously.
9:59 - SB1001 - special election in May. Senate President Burns walks in and talks to a staffer. Not close enough to overhear. :(
9:56 - No debate. Roll call started. Aguirre votes no, citing impact on poor families. Sylvia Allen and Hale aye, Landrum-Taylor cites the impact of deep cuts to services, votes aye; Melvin says he is voting aye in committee but hints that he will vote against it on the floor; Pierce votes aye; Nelson, the chair, votes aye because it is a referral to the voters. Passes 6 - 1.
9:55 - SCR1001, sales tax referral.
9:53 - Gavelled into session.
10:10 - Consider amendment to make the change retroactive to tax year 2010. Some confusion if amendment is OK as written. After discussion, it is determined to be fine. Adopted.
10:09 - SB1005, tax deduction adjustment for out of state filers.
10:08 - SB1004 passes unanimously. This train is now running on time.
10:08 - Adopt technical amendment.
10:07 - SB1004, repayment of lottery bonds.
10:07 - Passes unanimously.
10:06 - Adopting a technical amendment by voice vote.
10:03 - SB1003 - Lottery revenue bonding and sale/leaseback of state assets.
10:02 - No debate, passes unanimously.
10:01 - SB1002 - Education funding payment rollovers.
10:00 - No debate. Vote starts. Passes unanimously.
9:59 - SB1001 - special election in May. Senate President Burns walks in and talks to a staffer. Not close enough to overhear. :(
9:56 - No debate. Roll call started. Aguirre votes no, citing impact on poor families. Sylvia Allen and Hale aye, Landrum-Taylor cites the impact of deep cuts to services, votes aye; Melvin says he is voting aye in committee but hints that he will vote against it on the floor; Pierce votes aye; Nelson, the chair, votes aye because it is a referral to the voters. Passes 6 - 1.
9:55 - SCR1001, sales tax referral.
9:53 - Gavelled into session.
Waiting for the start of the special session committee hearing
The room was being used and that meeting ran right until 9:30, so the Natural Resources meeting to consider the special session's budget bills hasn't started yet, though it looks like it will within the next few minutes...
For those of you watching at home. :)
For those of you watching at home. :)
Monday, February 01, 2010
The timing of the special session could be very important
...and not just for fiscal reasons.
A lot of tea leaf reading is going into the makeup of this post, so everything in it should be read with that in mind - this post is taking the bones of a few possibly related facts and putting them together.
And hoping it all doesn't come out looking like Frankenstein's monster. :)
It's looking more and more like the budget package had better pass this week, perhaps by Wednesday, or the Rs in the Senate may pull together enough votes to kill it next week, particularly the referral of a proposed temporary sales tax increase to the ballot.
The possibly related facts:
- The GOP PCs in LD6 were scheduled to meet on Monday evening to select three candidates for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to choose from when the supes select a replacement for the recently resigned State Sen. Pam Gorman.
- The supes have a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. No agenda posted as yet, but it will be easy to set up an item to consider the appointment of an LD6 state senator.
- The LD7 Republican PCs will be meeting on Thursday to select possible replacements for the recently resigned State Sen. Jim Waring.
- The supes have a regularly scheduled meeting on tap for Monday morning. No agenda posted as yet, but again, it would be easy to add a senator selection to that agenda. And if the supes don't do the LD6 selection on Wednesday, they could squeeze in both during next Monday's meeting.
In other words, the R caucus in the Senate could be back at full obstructionist strength by next Monday afternoon.
Should make for an interesting week at the lege...
A lot of tea leaf reading is going into the makeup of this post, so everything in it should be read with that in mind - this post is taking the bones of a few possibly related facts and putting them together.
And hoping it all doesn't come out looking like Frankenstein's monster. :)
It's looking more and more like the budget package had better pass this week, perhaps by Wednesday, or the Rs in the Senate may pull together enough votes to kill it next week, particularly the referral of a proposed temporary sales tax increase to the ballot.
The possibly related facts:
- The GOP PCs in LD6 were scheduled to meet on Monday evening to select three candidates for the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to choose from when the supes select a replacement for the recently resigned State Sen. Pam Gorman.
- The supes have a special meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m. No agenda posted as yet, but it will be easy to set up an item to consider the appointment of an LD6 state senator.
- The LD7 Republican PCs will be meeting on Thursday to select possible replacements for the recently resigned State Sen. Jim Waring.
- The supes have a regularly scheduled meeting on tap for Monday morning. No agenda posted as yet, but again, it would be easy to add a senator selection to that agenda. And if the supes don't do the LD6 selection on Wednesday, they could squeeze in both during next Monday's meeting.
In other words, the R caucus in the Senate could be back at full obstructionist strength by next Monday afternoon.
Should make for an interesting week at the lege...
North Indian Bend Wash - Community Involvement Group meeting
From an email from Vicki Rosen, the EPA's community involvement coordinator for the NIBW -
Because of my work schedule, I may not be able to attend this particular meeting. However, it should be well-attended because many of the residents of the NIBW are *very* interested in what is going on here.
More updates as they become available.
Hi all,The agenda mentioned in the email -
Just a reminder that we'll meet on Wednesday, February 17, 5:30 pm at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts (enter at 7380 Second St.). Our meeting room will be on the main floor, Stage 2.
Attached is the agenda which will also be going out by mail to our site mailing list.
Looking forward to seeing all of you.
Best,
Vicki
NORTH INDIAN BEND WASH SUPERFUND SITE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GROUP
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2010
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
SCOTTSDALE CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
7380 E. SECOND ST.
STAGE 2 – MAIN FLOOR
AGENDA
1. Welcome and Introductions
Vicki Rosen, Community Involvement Coordinator, U.S. EPA
2. Recent Valve Incidents at Various Locations and Status of Miller Road Treatment Facility (MRTF) Workplan
Rachel Loftin, Project Manager, U.S. EPA
3. Water Sustainability in Scottsdale
Marshall Brown, Executive Director, Water Resources, City of Scottsdale
4. Update on MRTF Rehabilitation Program
Jim Lutton, Consultant to Participating Companies
5. Upcoming Five-Year Review
Rachel Loftin and Vicki Rosen
6. Questions & Answers
Because of my work schedule, I may not be able to attend this particular meeting. However, it should be well-attended because many of the residents of the NIBW are *very* interested in what is going on here.
More updates as they become available.
JLBC agenda for Tuesday
Lost in the hubbub over the special session and the regular session's committee schedule is a meeting of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee at 8 a.m. on Tuesday in SHR109.
The agenda looks interesting, but don't rush to the lege on Tuesday expecting to witness governance in action - the agenda is split between an executive session and a public session.
The 11 items on the public agenda are all reports from various relating to revenue matters and will be considered as one motion (meaning the relevent agencies will submit written reports and the members of the JLBC will accept them for later reading/ignoring.
Nope, the really interesting stuff is the stuff they are hiding behind "executive session."
The "fun, but not-to-be-witnessed-by-the-taxpayers" part of the agenda -
I can't even make a guess about items A and D, but items B and C sparked a couple of memories, and a little research was all it took to bring things into focus.
On November 9, 2009, the Prison Health Services Inc. Political Action Committee was formed (filer ID 201000299). This committee hasn't filed its January 31 financial report yet.
On June 9, 2009, the GEO Group Inc. Political Action Committee was formed (filer ID 201000125). This committee has filed a report, one showing no activity through the end of 2009.
Prison Health Services Inc., based in Tennessee, is a subsidiary of America Service Group, Inc. What they do is pretty much self-evident from the name.
The Geo Group of Florida is an operator of private prison facilities, including three in Arizona.
It's rather interesting that the state is looking to privatize operations in the bailiwicks of two out of state corporations that just happened to recently form PACs in Arizona.
Let me be clear - I am not yet accusing anyone of wrongdoing.
At the same time, I don't believe in coincidence, either.
Later...
The agenda looks interesting, but don't rush to the lege on Tuesday expecting to witness governance in action - the agenda is split between an executive session and a public session.
The 11 items on the public agenda are all reports from various relating to revenue matters and will be considered as one motion (meaning the relevent agencies will submit written reports and the members of the JLBC will accept them for later reading/ignoring.
Nope, the really interesting stuff is the stuff they are hiding behind "executive session."
The "fun, but not-to-be-witnessed-by-the-taxpayers" part of the agenda -
EXECUTIVE SESSION
A. Arizona Department of Administration, Risk Management Services - Consideration of Proposed Settlements under Rule 14.
B. State Department of Corrections - Review of Request for Proposals for 5,000 Private Prison Beds per A.R.S. § 38-431.03A2.
C. State Department of Corrections - Review of Request for Proposals for Privatization of Correctional Health Services per A.R.S. § 38-431.03A2.
D. Annual Performance Review per Rule 7.
I can't even make a guess about items A and D, but items B and C sparked a couple of memories, and a little research was all it took to bring things into focus.
On November 9, 2009, the Prison Health Services Inc. Political Action Committee was formed (filer ID 201000299). This committee hasn't filed its January 31 financial report yet.
On June 9, 2009, the GEO Group Inc. Political Action Committee was formed (filer ID 201000125). This committee has filed a report, one showing no activity through the end of 2009.
Prison Health Services Inc., based in Tennessee, is a subsidiary of America Service Group, Inc. What they do is pretty much self-evident from the name.
The Geo Group of Florida is an operator of private prison facilities, including three in Arizona.
It's rather interesting that the state is looking to privatize operations in the bailiwicks of two out of state corporations that just happened to recently form PACs in Arizona.
Let me be clear - I am not yet accusing anyone of wrongdoing.
At the same time, I don't believe in coincidence, either.
Later...
The other mitten is off - Sixth Special Session called
Earlier today, Governor Brewer called the sixth special session of this, the 49th Arizona Legislature. Her proclamation included the subjects to be considered by the Special Session.
From the proclamation -
Bills on those subjects have already been dropped, with 3 R and 3 D sponsors and cosponsors -
SB1002 has the education payment rollovers (hosing the state's schools by shifting some of the state's fiscal distress onto the state's students and teachers)
SB1003 has the sale/leaseback of state assets (aka - borrowing money and using state buildings as collateral to secure those loans)
SB1001 has the provisions for a special election in May for the temporary sales tax hike proposed in SCR1001
SB1005 has the tax deduction adjustment language
SB1004 has the lottery revenue bonding provisions
The Senate bills have been referred to the Senate's Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Public Debt Committee for a hearing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.
Yes, I noticed that the bills weren't referred to Appropriations, too.
Hmmmm....
Russell Pearce, chair of Senate Approps, may not be on board with this stuff, which would be a good reason to keep the bills far away from his committee.
Anyway, after Natural Resources consideration, the bills are scheduled to be heard in the Rules Committee.
The usual practice in these *special* sessions has been for both chambers of the lege to consider their own separate but identical bills and then for one chamber to "substitute" the other chamber's bills into their own equivalent bills. However, thus far there aren't any bills on the House side. Not sure what that means, but it *may* not bode well for the package's prospects for passage through the House. Time to adopt a "wait and see" posture in that regard.
I'm going to try to get down to the legislature on Tuesday to watch some of the fireworks (if Pearce and the Rs over in the House aren't on board)/boring set-piece (if they are on board) in person.
Later...
From the proclamation -
1. Adjustments to address the fiscal year 2009-2010 state budget, including additional education rollover payments and sale-leaseback of state assets.
2. A referendum to the voters to impose a temporary tax for the purpose of raising state revenues necessary to protect essential state services.
3. Proration of income tax deductions for out of state filers.
4. The issuance of lottery revenue bonds, including required adjustments to the state lottery program.
Bills on those subjects have already been dropped, with 3 R and 3 D sponsors and cosponsors -
SB1002 has the education payment rollovers (hosing the state's schools by shifting some of the state's fiscal distress onto the state's students and teachers)
SB1003 has the sale/leaseback of state assets (aka - borrowing money and using state buildings as collateral to secure those loans)
SB1001 has the provisions for a special election in May for the temporary sales tax hike proposed in SCR1001
SB1005 has the tax deduction adjustment language
SB1004 has the lottery revenue bonding provisions
The Senate bills have been referred to the Senate's Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Public Debt Committee for a hearing on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in SHR109.
Yes, I noticed that the bills weren't referred to Appropriations, too.
Hmmmm....
Russell Pearce, chair of Senate Approps, may not be on board with this stuff, which would be a good reason to keep the bills far away from his committee.
Anyway, after Natural Resources consideration, the bills are scheduled to be heard in the Rules Committee.
The usual practice in these *special* sessions has been for both chambers of the lege to consider their own separate but identical bills and then for one chamber to "substitute" the other chamber's bills into their own equivalent bills. However, thus far there aren't any bills on the House side. Not sure what that means, but it *may* not bode well for the package's prospects for passage through the House. Time to adopt a "wait and see" posture in that regard.
I'm going to try to get down to the legislature on Tuesday to watch some of the fireworks (if Pearce and the Rs over in the House aren't on board)/boring set-piece (if they are on board) in person.
Later...
House Democrats call for bipartisan approach to solving the state's budget mess
Today, the Democratic Caucus of the Arizona House of Representatives sent a letter to Republican Governor Jan Brewer and the Republican leadership of the legislature calling on them to seek a bipartisan solution to the state's budget woes, citing the Rep's moves to have the same adversarial parallel budget process this year that didn't work last year.
From the press release -
My idealism tells me that the efforts of the House Dems will be rewarded, but my natural cynicism (combined with the experience of the last year) tells me that their efforts will again be rebuffed by the blind ideologues that occupy the offices of the Governor and the R leadership in the lege.
Still, one can hope, and I am a life-long Red Sox fan - we've learned that sometimes hope is rewarded.
Just so the reward for this hope doesn't take 86 years to be realized - Arizona can't afford it to take that long...
From the press release -
In the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday, Republicans wanted two competing budget worksheets or have a process with parallel bills from the two parties, which is the same process they used last year that failed to solve the budget. Republicans did not want to work together in the committee Wednesday to create a joint worksheet.From the letter (sorry, no link available) -
"That kind of divisive mindset won't solve anything because a parallel process is not a bipartisan process," said Rep. David Schapira, D-Tempe (District 17), a member of the Appropriations Comitteee. "The facts are simple. Competing budgets get us nowhere and we end up with more slash and burn cuts to jobs, education and health care, and an even bigger budget deficit."
We've see this process before, we saw it last year. Republicans create their own budget, Democrats create their own budget, a Republican governor creates her own budget, and they all hit dead ends.
My idealism tells me that the efforts of the House Dems will be rewarded, but my natural cynicism (combined with the experience of the last year) tells me that their efforts will again be rebuffed by the blind ideologues that occupy the offices of the Governor and the R leadership in the lege.
Still, one can hope, and I am a life-long Red Sox fan - we've learned that sometimes hope is rewarded.
Just so the reward for this hope doesn't take 86 years to be realized - Arizona can't afford it to take that long...
Triumph of fear over reason
Credit to the blog Just JoeP (a non-political blog...who knew such crazy things existed? :)) ) for the heads-up on this article...
From the BBC -
The article goes on to examine the tendency of many (OK, "too many") American voters to place a higher value on politicians who tell simple (even simplistic) stories than on those who understand policy and facts, and how Republicans have taken advantage of the tendency, and not just in the debate over health care reform.
The article is an interesting one. I recommend reading it when you have a chance.
From the BBC -
Last year, in a series of "town-hall meetings" across the country, Americans got the chance to debate President Obama's proposed healthcare reforms.
What happened was an explosion of rage and barely suppressed violence.
Polling evidence suggests that the numbers who think the reforms go too far are nearly matched by those who think they do not go far enough.
But it is striking that the people who most dislike the whole idea of healthcare reform - the ones who think it is socialist, godless, a step on the road to a police state - are often the ones it seems designed to help.
The article goes on to examine the tendency of many (OK, "too many") American voters to place a higher value on politicians who tell simple (even simplistic) stories than on those who understand policy and facts, and how Republicans have taken advantage of the tendency, and not just in the debate over health care reform.
The article is an interesting one. I recommend reading it when you have a chance.
The Coming Week - Legislative Edition
Cross-posted from Blog for Arizona...
Except where indicated, all info gathered from the website of the Arizona legislature, and subject to change without notice.
There is a strong rumor that there will be a special session called this week to address (again!) the budget deficit for the current fiscal year. If that happens (and that is a big "if"), look for something resembling some actual bipartisanship.
Not because the R leadership has gotten reasonable in its dotage. However, with the resignations of state Sens. Gorman and Waring, the Rs are down 2 votes in the Senate. They'll need D votes to get any budget package past Ron Gould, who is voting against anything that doesn't cause the shutdown of state government.
On the Senate's committee docket this week...
- The Rules Committee will meet on Monday in Caucus Room 1 after adjournment of the Senate floor session. There are 35 bills on the agenda, but that committee isn't much more than a rubberstamp/gatekeeper for Senate President Bob Burns. They'll average one bill per minute.
- Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Public Debt will meet on Monday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109. Highlights of this agenda include consideration of SB1036, the now-resigned Jim Waring's scheme to bar municipalities from doing anything to regulate private waste haulers, and consideration of the reappointment of Maria Baier as State Land Commissioner. Generally, these things are mere formalities, but Baier is known as one of that rapidly vanishing breed, the "moderate" Republican. The Rs on the committee (Sylvia Allen, Melvin, Nelson, Steve Pierce) may choose give her a hard time, though that would be a little surprising.
- Judiciary will meet on Monday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. This one has a couple of Russell Pearce's bills to help turn AZ into an armed encampment.
- Commerce and Economic Development will meet on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. The agenda looks pretty inoffensive thus far.
- Appropriations will meet on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR109.
This one is possibly the lowlight of the week.
It's got a striker to SCR1015 that would send to the ballot TABOR-like restrictions on government appropriations (from Russell Pearce, of course). It also has Pearce's SCR1033, a plan to completely repeal the Voter Protection Act and open up all voter-approved measures to legislative meddling and/or repeal.
- Public Safety and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR3. The agenda is a long one, but the worst bill may be SB1011, the R plan to arm faculty members at the state's schools.
- Healthcare and Medical Liability Reform will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in SHR1. Looks quiet so far.
- Education Accountability and Reform will meet on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in SHR1. Contains a number of bills relating to charter schools and STOs. Bad, but not as putrid as the Pearce stuff on the agendas of some of the other committees.
- Government Institutions will meet on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in SHR1. The agenda has a couple of interesting bills up for consideration - SB1262, which repeals a ban on former legislators lobbying the lege within a year of leaving the lege, but then reinstitutes the ban in a later clause, and SCR1038, a measure, that if approved by the voters, would reduce legislative salaries by 20% for two years.
Over on the House side...
- Ways and Means will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR1. This agenda includes nuggets like HB2510, which bars a municipality from imposing a sales tax on real property leases between a parent company and one of its subsidiaries; HB2512, barring municipalities from contracting with third parties for the collection of Transaction Privilege Taxes (note: more than 84% of the state's incorporated municipalities contract with the state's Department of Revenue to do just that. I'm not sure how this bill would affect that situation.); and HB2502, lowering (I think) the taxes on property used to generate solar power.
- Natural Resources and Rural Affairs will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. Seems quiet so far.
- Education will meet on Monday at 2 p.m. in HHR3. This agenda includes HB2386, making changes in the way school districts can conduct override elections.
- Banking and Insurance will meet on Monday at 2 p.m in HHR5. Quiet.
- Public Employees, Retirement, and Entitlement Reform will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR3. Quiet.
- Government will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR4. The agenda is full of measures that mess with municipalities' revenues and abilities to govern their communities but the worst may be HB2596, severely limiting the ability of municipalities to apply zoning regulations to religious institutions.
- Environment will meet on Tuesday at 2 p.m. in HHR5. The agenda is short, but ugly. Items on it include HB2248, barring the state from participating in the Western Climate Initiative, and HB2442, barring any state agency from adopting a rule regulating the emission of greenhouse gases without express legislative approval.
- Military Affairs and Public Safety will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR3. The lowlight here is HB2347, drastically loosening the few restrictions on firearms possession in this state.
- Health and Human Services will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR4. There's a slew of bad here - HB2148, basically barring adoption by single people in all but limited circumstances; HB2224, enacting a list of rights of foster parents, which is good, but then including a clause making that list unenforceable, which is bad; HB2443, opting the state out of any federal health care reform, if such a state opt-out is part of the reform package; and HB2495, requiring the state's retailers to ask for the IDs of anyone using electronic benefit cards.
- Commerce will meet on Wednesday at 9 a.m. in HHR5.
- Appropriations will meet on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in HHR1.
- Water and Energy will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR5.
- Transportation and Infrastructure will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR3.
- Judiciary will meet on Thursday at 9 a.m. in HHR4.
Those last five agendas seem quiet thus far, or maybe I'm just getting tired. :)
Later...
Pet Peeve time
A quick-hit, non-political post ahead...
Many supermarkets now have one or more "self-checkout" lanes. The cynic in me understands that one of the purposes of such unstaffed checkout lanes is to limit the stores' need for more employees, particularly those employees that are members of unions.
On the other hand, when I just have a few items to pay for (like yesterday), and the store's regular cashiers are very busy (also like yesterday), the self-checkout lanes are a great way to quickly take care of business and get on with the rest of the day.
Unlike yesterday.
The lines everywhere were long and moving slowly, so I joined the line to use the self-checkout lanes. Turned out that particular line was moving just as slowly as the others.
When I approached the front of the line, I learned why this was so.
One of the users of the self-checkout lane had decided to empty their freakin' change jar, and were slowly counting out the money that they needed to pay for their purchases.
Make that very slowly counting, and then recounting.
Arrgghhhh!
...OK, I vented, and now I feel much better. :)
Later...
Many supermarkets now have one or more "self-checkout" lanes. The cynic in me understands that one of the purposes of such unstaffed checkout lanes is to limit the stores' need for more employees, particularly those employees that are members of unions.
On the other hand, when I just have a few items to pay for (like yesterday), and the store's regular cashiers are very busy (also like yesterday), the self-checkout lanes are a great way to quickly take care of business and get on with the rest of the day.
Unlike yesterday.
The lines everywhere were long and moving slowly, so I joined the line to use the self-checkout lanes. Turned out that particular line was moving just as slowly as the others.
When I approached the front of the line, I learned why this was so.
One of the users of the self-checkout lane had decided to empty their freakin' change jar, and were slowly counting out the money that they needed to pay for their purchases.
Make that very slowly counting, and then recounting.
Arrgghhhh!
...OK, I vented, and now I feel much better. :)
Later...
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Other possible candidates in CD3 emerging
Warning: this post is mostly borne out of the fact that I am feeling under the weather and don't have the energy for anything more in-depth...
In addition to the previously mentioned names of folks entering the Rep primary to replace John Shadegg in Congress (Sens. Gorman and Waring, Rep. Crump, Mayor Parker, and Blogger Noble), other, more obscure names have been floated as having an interest. I make no guarantees about the accuracy of these sources (including the one where I'm the source).
Some of the names that are out there -
...Benjamin Quayle, the lawyer son of former U.S. VP Dan Quayle. My guess is that with a lawyer's education, he knows how to spell "potato" but I wonder if he learned the other main lesson of his father's career in elected office - don't get into an argument with a fictional character...and lose?
...Tom Smith, founder of TASER (source: the same New Times' article linked to Ben Quayle's name)
...Ed Winkler, former Mayor of Paradise Valley. May have even less name rec than the current mayor, Vernon Parker. At 65, Winkler is 5 years older than Shadegg, the man who is retiring. Not sure what that says about either of them.
The above-named contenders would be dark horses even if they actually enter the race, but I'm going to throw out a name just for giggles who would make the above dark horses look like Secretariat (and if you don't understand that reference, you are too young for my cliches :) ).
John Keegan, the Justice of the Peace for the Arrowhead Justice Precinct. Keegan gained some notoriety early in 2009 for throwing out the photo radar-generated ticket received by AZGOP Executive Director Brett Mecum. He is also known for being married to GOP operative/former State Superintendant of Public Instruction Lisa Graham Keegan (who, I suppose, could also choose to make a run at CD3.) So far as I know, neither Keegan lives in CD3, but that is a non-factor under Arizona law.
Keegan announced that he won't be seeking reelection as a JP in order to re-enter private business or to "pursue some other opportunity."
CD3 would certainly qualify as "some other opportunity."
It should be noted that the above Keegan entry is purely idle speculation on my part. I have no concrete evidence that Keegan is even remotely interested in the CD3 seat, much less seriously mulling a run. He's just an elected official who isn't running for reelection to his current office.
That's just an open invitation to wiseass bloggers like me. :)
Edit on 1/31 to add something I forgot to add while I was originally writing this post:
Folks should also remember that Keegan was a candidate for CD2 in 2002, coming in a respectable 3rd in a seven-way Republican primary, behind Lisa Atkins and eventual winner Trent Franks.
...End edit...
The first group of names (Gorman et. al.) qualify as "first tier" candidates as except for Noble, they currently hold (or extremely recently held) elected offices in the district. Noble makes the "first tier" list if he enters the race because of his close ties to Shadegg - he used to be Shadegg's chief of staff.
The newer names qualify as "second tier" because they are first-time candidates (Quayle, Smith), former office holders (Winkler), or are from outside of the district (the Keegans.)
However, any of them could move into serious contention if they enter the race and have good advisors - Quayle and Smith have access to tons o' cash, Winkler may have light name rec in the district, but he does have some, and the Keegans, especially Lisa, have ties to John McCain and may be able to call on his support if Noble doesn't enter the race.
Of course, the GOP in CD3, especially that in LD11 (McCain's home LD), is so fractured that McCain's support could impede, not help, a candidate.
Heh heh heh - and it's only January. :)
In addition to the previously mentioned names of folks entering the Rep primary to replace John Shadegg in Congress (Sens. Gorman and Waring, Rep. Crump, Mayor Parker, and Blogger Noble), other, more obscure names have been floated as having an interest. I make no guarantees about the accuracy of these sources (including the one where I'm the source).
Some of the names that are out there -
...Benjamin Quayle, the lawyer son of former U.S. VP Dan Quayle. My guess is that with a lawyer's education, he knows how to spell "potato" but I wonder if he learned the other main lesson of his father's career in elected office - don't get into an argument with a fictional character...and lose?
...Tom Smith, founder of TASER (source: the same New Times' article linked to Ben Quayle's name)
...Ed Winkler, former Mayor of Paradise Valley. May have even less name rec than the current mayor, Vernon Parker. At 65, Winkler is 5 years older than Shadegg, the man who is retiring. Not sure what that says about either of them.
The above-named contenders would be dark horses even if they actually enter the race, but I'm going to throw out a name just for giggles who would make the above dark horses look like Secretariat (and if you don't understand that reference, you are too young for my cliches :) ).
John Keegan, the Justice of the Peace for the Arrowhead Justice Precinct. Keegan gained some notoriety early in 2009 for throwing out the photo radar-generated ticket received by AZGOP Executive Director Brett Mecum. He is also known for being married to GOP operative/former State Superintendant of Public Instruction Lisa Graham Keegan (who, I suppose, could also choose to make a run at CD3.) So far as I know, neither Keegan lives in CD3, but that is a non-factor under Arizona law.
Keegan announced that he won't be seeking reelection as a JP in order to re-enter private business or to "pursue some other opportunity."
CD3 would certainly qualify as "some other opportunity."
It should be noted that the above Keegan entry is purely idle speculation on my part. I have no concrete evidence that Keegan is even remotely interested in the CD3 seat, much less seriously mulling a run. He's just an elected official who isn't running for reelection to his current office.
That's just an open invitation to wiseass bloggers like me. :)
Edit on 1/31 to add something I forgot to add while I was originally writing this post:
Folks should also remember that Keegan was a candidate for CD2 in 2002, coming in a respectable 3rd in a seven-way Republican primary, behind Lisa Atkins and eventual winner Trent Franks.
...End edit...
The first group of names (Gorman et. al.) qualify as "first tier" candidates as except for Noble, they currently hold (or extremely recently held) elected offices in the district. Noble makes the "first tier" list if he enters the race because of his close ties to Shadegg - he used to be Shadegg's chief of staff.
The newer names qualify as "second tier" because they are first-time candidates (Quayle, Smith), former office holders (Winkler), or are from outside of the district (the Keegans.)
However, any of them could move into serious contention if they enter the race and have good advisors - Quayle and Smith have access to tons o' cash, Winkler may have light name rec in the district, but he does have some, and the Keegans, especially Lisa, have ties to John McCain and may be able to call on his support if Noble doesn't enter the race.
Of course, the GOP in CD3, especially that in LD11 (McCain's home LD), is so fractured that McCain's support could impede, not help, a candidate.
Heh heh heh - and it's only January. :)
Friday, January 29, 2010
37 minutes
Apparently, that is how long it takes for a Kansas jury to wade its way through a line of radical B.S.
From AP via AZCentral.com -
It won't bring back Dr. Tiller, and the radical anti-choicers will still view Roeder as a martyr instead of the cold-blooded murderer that he is, but for one day at least, justice has been served.
I hope today's verdict brings a little solace and peace to Dr. Tiller's family and loved ones.
From AP via AZCentral.com -
A jury took just 37 minutes Friday to convict an anti-abortion activist of murder for putting a gun to the head of abortion doctor George Tiller and pulling the trigger in the foyer of a church.
Attorneys for Scott Roeder had hoped to argue for a lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter, based on the defendant's belief that the killing was justified to save the lives of unborn children. But the judge threw out that defense a day earlier, leaving the jurors to choose between a murder conviction or acquittal.
It won't bring back Dr. Tiller, and the radical anti-choicers will still view Roeder as a martyr instead of the cold-blooded murderer that he is, but for one day at least, justice has been served.
I hope today's verdict brings a little solace and peace to Dr. Tiller's family and loved ones.
Criticism where criticism is due: A bad Democratic proposal in the Arizona lege
Never let it be said that I don't criticize legislative measures offered by Democrats when I think that they are as bad as anything an R would come up with...
Vaulting into contention for this year's Legislative Loon Award is State Sen. Ken Cheuvront (D-LD15).
He has proposed an amendment to the Arizona constitution, SCR1038, that if approved by the voters, would reduce legislative salaries by 20% for the years 2011 and 2012.
The annual salary for Arizona legislators is $24,000; Cheuvront wants to reduce it to $19,200.
I actually sympathize with the obvious sentiment - state services and state workers have been slashed by the Rs in the lege while the lege has taken almost no cuts to its budget.
However, this is the wrong approach. The lege is already underpaid, a fact that has impacted the quality of candidates interested in running for it. Cutting the pay to even lower levels won't do anything to improve that. It will just allow some people to exercise some vindictiveness.
And to that particular point, one of those people could be Cheuvront himself.
He isn't running for reelection to the Senate this year, instead choosing to mount a primary challenge to a sitting Democratic Justice of the Peace.
Because he can't afford to remain in the Senate. It just doesn't pay enough.
And this is his going-away gift to his soon-to-be-former colleagues? Niiiiiice...
OK, to be honest, a single measure won't elevate Cheuvront to the top of the Loon heap; it won't even put him in the top 5. It is a good start, however, if he plans on mounting a serious run.
The Senator should note that the Loon Award doesn't come with a financial award; it offers something far more valuable than mere cash to the winner - the prestige of being in a club so exclusive that only Russell Pearce, Jack Harper, and the entire 2009 Republican caucus in the lege are members.
OK, so maybe that club isn't all that exclusive.
:)
Vaulting into contention for this year's Legislative Loon Award is State Sen. Ken Cheuvront (D-LD15).
He has proposed an amendment to the Arizona constitution, SCR1038, that if approved by the voters, would reduce legislative salaries by 20% for the years 2011 and 2012.
The annual salary for Arizona legislators is $24,000; Cheuvront wants to reduce it to $19,200.
I actually sympathize with the obvious sentiment - state services and state workers have been slashed by the Rs in the lege while the lege has taken almost no cuts to its budget.
However, this is the wrong approach. The lege is already underpaid, a fact that has impacted the quality of candidates interested in running for it. Cutting the pay to even lower levels won't do anything to improve that. It will just allow some people to exercise some vindictiveness.
And to that particular point, one of those people could be Cheuvront himself.
He isn't running for reelection to the Senate this year, instead choosing to mount a primary challenge to a sitting Democratic Justice of the Peace.
Because he can't afford to remain in the Senate. It just doesn't pay enough.
And this is his going-away gift to his soon-to-be-former colleagues? Niiiiiice...
OK, to be honest, a single measure won't elevate Cheuvront to the top of the Loon heap; it won't even put him in the top 5. It is a good start, however, if he plans on mounting a serious run.
The Senator should note that the Loon Award doesn't come with a financial award; it offers something far more valuable than mere cash to the winner - the prestige of being in a club so exclusive that only Russell Pearce, Jack Harper, and the entire 2009 Republican caucus in the lege are members.
OK, so maybe that club isn't all that exclusive.
:)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Early prediction time: the CD3 Republican primary is going to be *ugly*
How do I know this?
The earlier post on Sen. Jim Waring's resignation drew an interesting hit -
VISITOR ANALYSIS
Referring Link No referring link
Host Name rio.lincoln-strategy.com
IP Address 70.99.210.138
Country United States
Region Arizona
City Gilbert
For those readers who are unfamiliar with the name "Lincoln Strategy", it's the political "consulting" firm run by Arizona's Karl Rove-wannabe, Nathan Sproul. A good summary of Sproul's resume of election and registration fraud spanning the U.S., is available from ThinkProgress here.
I don't know which candidate's name triggered the hit because the post contained all four known candidates, but it seems that Sproul is working for one already or is angling for a contract with one of them.
Should be fun...for writers from places other than CD3. People who live in CD3?
Not so much.
Later...
The earlier post on Sen. Jim Waring's resignation drew an interesting hit -
VISITOR ANALYSIS
Referring Link No referring link
Host Name rio.lincoln-strategy.com
IP Address 70.99.210.138
Country United States
Region Arizona
City Gilbert
For those readers who are unfamiliar with the name "Lincoln Strategy", it's the political "consulting" firm run by Arizona's Karl Rove-wannabe, Nathan Sproul. A good summary of Sproul's resume of election and registration fraud spanning the U.S., is available from ThinkProgress here.
I don't know which candidate's name triggered the hit because the post contained all four known candidates, but it seems that Sproul is working for one already or is angling for a contract with one of them.
Should be fun...for writers from places other than CD3. People who live in CD3?
Not so much.
Later...
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