Campaign finance reports: Lies, damn lies, and statistics

Because of a special election in Tempe, candidates for city council there had to file campaign finance reports early.

That has led to some misleading reporting, some cherry-picking of the numbers to try to put a positive spin on things.

So here are the numbers, taken from the summary pages of the reports:




So based on cash on hand, it looks like candidate Matt Papke is doing great with more than $49K on hand, but...

He loaned his own campaign $51K, or more than 77% of his total funds raised.

In other words, he may have more than $49K on hand, but he is $2K (and counting) in the hole personally.  Not a huge issue in itself (he's hardly the first candidate to self-fund); trying to deceive people as to the nature of his funding is an issue - the practice gives possible insight into how he would conduct himself in office if he actually wins.


In contrast, candidate Lauren Kuby, a newcomer to running for office (but not to community, environmental, or political activism), raised more than $41K, with the vast majority (more than 99%) of the money coming from people not named "Lauren Kuby"*.

Otherwise, the numbers reported by the candidates aren't surprising - sitting council members Shana Ellis and Robin Arredondo-Savage had solid fundraising efforts, to be expected from incumbents.  Challengers David Schapira and Dick Foreman had late starts, which shows in their totals this time.  Ernesto Fonseca is a total political newbie and got a late start, with both factors seeming to impact his fundraising so far.

* - Full disclosure time: I am one of the many people who have contributed to Kuby's campaign.

Bill Clinton coming to Tempe for Richard Carmona

Former President Bill Clinton is coming to ASU in Tempe as part of a rally for Richard Carmona, the Democratic nominee for US Senate who has been surging in recent polls.  RSVP here.

Basic info:

Date: Wednesday, October 10
Place: ASU Tempe, Sun Devil Performance Lawn, 650 South Athletes Place, Tempe, Arizona 85287
Time: Open at 8 p.m; rally starts at 9 p.m. 

 



Tempe Election Update: Mitchell ahead by 139 votes and wins!

On Tuesday evening, the preliminary returns from Tempe's election for mayor were disheartening, to say the least.

Initially, restaurant owner Michael Monti was ahead of City Council member Mark Mitchell by more than 200 votes.

Yesterday, after some provisional ballots and early ballots turned in at the polls were counted, the margin dropped to less than 150, in favor of Monti.

Today, after more provisionals and drop offs were counted, the margin is now 139, in favor of Mitchell.

Final results will be released on Friday, so stay tuned...

Update:  Apparently, today's numbers *are* the final results, except for three more provisional ballots.  Congrats to Mayor-elect Mark Mitchell!

The Arizona Capitol Times is definitely not a sports newspaper - they don't know the difference between hardball and beanball

In a baseball game when a pitcher knows that the batter is going to lean out over the plate and try to lay down a bunt, and the pitcher delivers his first pitch high and tight to back the batter off of the plate.


It doesn't exactly endear the pitcher to the batter, but so long as there is no attempt or intent to cause physical harm, it's considered to be just "hardball."

There might a few hard looks exchanged, and some chirping from the benches, but not much more (ok, usually not much more :) )

Compare that to a pitcher deliberately throwing a fastball at a batter's ear, putting the batter's career, health, and even life at risk.

That's an open invitation for things like retaliatory bean balls, spikes-high slides on the basepaths, and, of course, bench-clearing brawls.

This week, the Arizona Capitol Times published a story, written by Jeremy Duda, taking the position that the Democratic primary in CD9 has quickly become the nastiest in the state this cycle (subscription required).


There have been condemnations of some apparently race-baiting mailers in a previous election, allegations that the other candidates are engaged in dirty politics, duelling calls for a clean, issues-oriented campaign, and more.


And while the race has gotten more colorful and more quickly than I (and many others) would have predicted, most of it seems to within the realm of "hardball", but nothing more.

The candidates and their campaign staffs may be thinking bad thoughts about each other, but sooner or later (probably sooner), they'll settle down to an issues-oriented campaign discourse.

And if any of them are, ummm, "recalcitrant", about that?  The voters will set them straight, because they are both the paying fans and the umpires in this game.


On the other hand, what is taking place in the Tempe mayor's race is more like one-sided beanball..  It's not about "clean" or "hardball"; it's about personally destroying the opponent by any means possible.


A week before the election, the Monti campaign, aided and abetted by Jason Rose, have gone into "beanball" territory by loosing an allegation that Mark Mitchell, a member of the Tempe City Council and the other candidate on the ballot, sexually assaulted a girl almost 30 years ago.

To his credit, Mitchell has denounced the allegations while not engaging in similar tactics, as seen in this video from Thursday night's candidate open mic session in the Tempe City Council chambers.

Also as seen in an email from Mitchell -

Angry doesn’t begin to describe how I feel this morning. Disappointed doesn’t do it justice. But one word does seem to fit my mood.

Determined.

I am determined not to let the people hell-bent on stealing the Tempe Mayor’s election get their way. I am determined not to let their lies take root, determined not to let the most vile political smears imaginable hand my opponents the leadership of our City.

By now, you’ve seen or heard the garbage they’re spreading. Let me be perfectly clear:

I've done nothing wrong, not now and not 30 years ago, when I was 12 years old.

For 30 years, there has never been a complaint against me, never been a police investigation into these false claims, never even been a smear suggesting something like this, until now, on the eve of the mayoral election.

This is politics at its worst. The kind of politics I’m determined to defeat. To do that, however, I need your help. I need your phone calls. I need your shoe leather and word of mouth. I need you to spread the word – that a vote for Mark Mitchell is a vote against lies, false attacks and politics taken to a disgusting new low.

If you have a ballot sitting in your mail pile, please grab it and vote. Circle Tuesday, Election Day, on your calendar and go vote. If you have voted, thank you. Now, please, convince one of your friends to go to the polls and support our campaign.

I’ve worked hard to keep contest for Mayor on the issues we care about, like creating jobs and making neighborhoods safer, just as I’ve worked hard to be a leader who makes Tempe proud. I’m determined to keep fighting for you, to keep doing what it takes to make Tempe special. But right now, I’m even more determined to do one thing.

Win a race that has me pitted against people who will do absolutely anything, including lie and smear, to win.

Thank you for your support. And thank you for standing with me. Just like every vote will count in this race, your kind words to me and to my family have meant the world.

-Mark

As disgusting as Monti's tactics have been (and to be clear, this may be the worst, but it isn't the first, of Monti's forays to the darkest side of politics), this kind of move often is more damaging to the candidate doing it, not the intended victim.

As of right now, the primary effect has been to motivate the Arizona Republic to endorse Mitchell in Tuesday's election; we'll see on Tuesday what the voters, the ultimate arbiters of this conflict, think of Monti and his tactics.

More AZ Republic opinion on this matter here.  Credit where credit is due time:  the Republic is usually on the wrong side on most political matters, but they've set the right tone on this subject.

Mark Mitchell in late April, before the latest bit of sleaze from the Monti campaign










A couple of quick thoughts:

- This ugliness may be a preview of Scottsdale's campaign season.  The aforementioned Jason Rose has a history of "consulting" candidates into engaging in some pretty sleazy tactics, and he is helping Jim Lane run for reelection as mayor.  Scottsdale voters are going to need goggles and hip waders because the mud will be flying and the s**t will get deep here before it's all over.

- During the same open mic session in the Tempe City Council chambers, Monti also spoke.  I can't read his mind (or his heart), but Monti may have given voters a clue as to where his true loyalties lie - in his last campaign speech to a wide audience, he made sure to work in a plug for his restaurant.

The upcoming week - Special session (maybe), special meetings, and more

...The biggest meeting of the week is only a rumor at this point, but it is a rather persistent one.  There is a strong rumor going around that Republican Governor Jan Brewer is going to call a special session of the legislature to remove the Independent and Democratic members of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC).  One of the rumors going around was that the special session would be on Monday, but that seems to be off of the table.  It may have been R posturing, or it may have been due to an inability to line up enough votes to do the deed on Monday (they need 20 of the 21 Rs in the Senate to be in attendance and on board to pull this off, if they go the special session route.

Details if/when they become available.

...In a perhaps related development, the AIRC has scheduled a business meeting for Monday at 6:20 p.m.  at the Adams House in Phoenix (1100 W. Washington Street).  The one action item on the agenda:

Legal advice, direction to counsel, discussion and possible action regarding actions relating to letter from Governor Brewer concerning Commission conduct. Commission may vote to go into executive session, which will not be open to the public, for the purpose of obtaining legal advice and providing direction to counsel (A.R.S. §38-431.03 (A) (3) and (4)).

...The AIRC has a full slate of public hearings scheduled for the week - Phoenix on Tuesday, Cottonwood on Wednesday, Scottsdale on Thursday, Marana on Friday, and Casa Grande and Green Valley on Saturday.

However, stay tuned - if the Governor and her associates in the legislature go through with their craven scheme to ignore the will of the voters and blow up the independent redistricting process, that schedule of public hearings on the new lines for Congressional and legislative districts will change to a schedule of court appearances, dates and times TBA.

- Also on Monday, the Joint Republican "Legislative" Committee on Messing With The Redistricting process and Commission is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. in HHR4.


...In other areas of interest...

- The Arizona Corporation Commission's hearing schedule is here.  In addition to the hearings, they are holding two special open meetings for Tuesday/Wednesday and Friday.

- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors is meeting Monday and Wednesday.

- The Scottsdale City Council is meeting Tuesday, both in a special meeting for appointments to City boards and commissions and a regular meeting.  One item of interest to political geeks: an item to remove John Washington from the City's Airport Advisory Commission.  Recently, the Council has OK the building of well more than 1000 apartments near the Scottsdale Airport, something that Washington thinks is ill-advised and more importantly, a violation of some agreements with the FAA that the Scottsdale airport operates under.  Washington has contacted the FAA directly, and because of that contact, Mayor Jim Lane has agendized a motion to remove Washington from the Commission.  I can't say for certain how the vote will turn out, but whatever happens Tuesday, don't be shocked if Washington runs for Council or Mayor next year.

- The Tempe City Council is meeting Thursday.


Early notice:  On Wednesday, December 7, the Community Involvement Group of the North Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts.  More details as the date gets closer.

Update: 2012 Campaign Committees+

Not just campaign committees this time around, possible ballot questions too!

...Ginger Rough of the Arizona Republic has coverage of the filing of paperwork for eight possible initiative questions by a heretofore undheard-of organization called Fox Petitions.

The initiative proposals include -

I-05-2012, Smart Prison Population Act, mandating the expansion of the practice of home detention for non-violent prisoners

I-06-2012, Supporting Adoptable Cats and Dogs Act, prohibiting the euthanization of healthy and adoptable cats and dogs in Arizona

I-07-2012, Workers' Rights Act, barring employers from firing employees for behavior outside of the employment relationship, except under specific conditions

I-08-2012, Honest Officials Act, it's too difficult to sum up in one sentence, but I call it the "public officials can't lie to the public" act

I-09-2012, No Criminal Exemptions Act, barring the enforcement of a criminal law against any person if that law exempts a person or class of persons.  The explanation says it specifically targets laws that exempt elected officials and government employees, but it is crafted very broadly

I-10-2012, Victimless Crime Act, barring the prosecution or incarceration of a person for behavior that doesn't harm another person, another person's property, or an animal

I-11-2012, Fair Crime Act, mandating that in the event that one criminal act that may violate multiple sections of law can only be prosecuted under one of those sections, the one with the least severe punishment

I-12-2012. Wrongful Conviction Compensation Act, compensating the victims of wrongful convictions and incarceration at $1000 per day of wrongful incarceration

Some of the proposals are intriguing, and I may sign one or more of the petitions if the opportunity presents itself (I especially like the one that would force public officials to stop lying to the public).

One other initiative was recently submitted.

I-04-2012, Go Solar In Arizona Economic Development Act, creating a $2.25 per watt personal solar tax credit.  I support the sentiment, but this proposal is problematical.  I don't like tax credits in general, and I don't like the idea of a specific number being protected by the Voter Protection Act (if this makes it to the ballot and actually passes, we're stuck with it, even if it turns out to bust the state's budget).  This one reeks of an attempt to create by ballot initiative another Alt-Fuels scam.

In Maricopa County news, restaurant industry lobbyist Steve Chucri has opened a candidate committee for a run at Don Stapley's seat on the county board of supervisors.  Chucri is challenging Stapley in the R primary in Stapley's heavily Republican district.  Congressman David Schweikert, whose district overlaps Stapley's in Scottsdale, is honorary chair of Chucri's campaign.

In Scottsdale news, Guy Phillips, a 2010 candidate for City Council, is now listed as a 2012 candidate.  However, the link for his 2012 committee statement of organization opens up a copy of the same form for his 2010 campaign.  Scottsdale's election information page is here.  In 2010, he ran as a tea party type with no answers for Scottsdale's problems other than stock tea party dogma.  He lost.  If he actually is running, it will be interesting to see if learned anything from the experience.

In Tempe news, Linda Spears has announced that she is running for mayor, though no campaign paperwork is yet posted on the City of Tempe's website (when I wrote the last one of these posts, she had taken out a candidate packet, but hadn't yet announced what office she had her sights on)

Upcoming meetings...

For what is normally a relatively quiet time of the year in AZ politics, there sure are some interesting meetings coming up...OK, two or three interesting meetings, and interesting mostly if you're a political geek.  :)

...The Ethics Committee of the Arizona Senate will meet Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. in SHR1 to discuss Sen. Scott Bundgaard's situation.

...The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) hasn't officially announced any meetings this week as yet, but they have tentatively scheduled meetings in Casa Grande for Thursday and Friday.

Edit to add:  According to a message from Steve at Arizona Eagletarian, it looks as if the meetings will actually be held at the Wild Horse Pass Resort just south of Chandler.  If you plan on attending one or both meetings, check with the AIRC to confirm the location (though Steve is pretty dialed in on redistricting - if he says "Wild Horse Pass", it's almost certainly going to be Wild Horse Pass).


End edit.

...The Joint Legislative Study Committee on Outcome-Based Education Funding will meet on Friday at 10 a.m. in HHR3.  The co-chairs of the committee are Sen. Sylvia Allen and Rep. Chester Crandell.  Neither is known as a staunch advocate for (or even *of*) education.  This seems like an exercise in legislative Republicans looking for ever more creative ways to justify defunding public education, but perhaps I'm just being cynical. 

...The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has two special open meeting scheduled for this week.  On Monday, they'll be meeting at 2 p.m. to solicit and accept public comment on proposed amendments to some pipeline safety rules; on Friday, Commissioner Paul Newman will be holding a workshop/information session on trends and developments in solar power.

Both meetings will be held at the ACC's offices in Phoenix.

...The Scottsdale City Council will meet Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the City Hall Kiva.  Scottsdale's Community Meeting notice is here.

...The Tempe City Council will meet Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.  Tempe's Council Calendar is here.

Committees update - local edition

As there haven't been any significant entries into legislative, Congressional, Maricopa County, or statewide races, this post will be limited to developments in Scottsdale and Tempe.  OK, mostly in Tempe. :)

...In Scottsdale, so far only Mayor Jim Lane has formed a 2012 committee, something he did at the beginning of the year.  However, that should change soon - as reported in the Arizona Republic, interested Scottsdale residents can pick up candidate packets for a run at a spot on the city council (three seats up for election) or for the mayor's job.

Details are available from the Scottsdale City Clerk's office and/or on the City's elections homepage.


...Some movement on the candidate front has taken place in Tempe.

Restaurateur Michael Monti has jumped into the race for mayor, joining City Councilman Mark Mitchell in pursuit of the job.  More may yet enter, but those two are expected to be the headliners in the race.

Unless a bigger name gets into the race :) .

In city council candidate news, Dick Foreman, a lobbyist for Southwest Gas, has entered the race for a council spot.

A relatively new, but apparently well-connected, blog named Tempe Thoughts is reporting that Anglia Thornton, Steve May, Linda Spears, and AJ Lafaro have pulled candidate packets for potential runs next year.  They haven't officially formed election committees yet, but the report is accurate, they've taken the first step.

A very brief run down -

I'm not familiar with all the personalities on the Tempe political scene, but "Anglia Thornton" may actually be "Angela Thornton", currently president of East Valley Women's League.  If I'm wrong about that, I'll update this post.

Steve May is a former state legislator and was briefly a candidate for state rep in LD17 last year, until details of his involvement in the scheme to recruit homeless people to run as fake Green Party candidates emerged.

Linda Spears in a former member of the city council and long-time community activist in Tempe.  It remains to be seen if she is looking for another term on the council or is running for mayor this time around.  There is enough respect for her in Tempe that she will be a factor in whichever race she goes for.

AJ Lafaro is the current chair of the LD17 Republican Party and has been active in Tempe politics for a while.  In 2001, he headed the effort to recall then-Tempe Mayor Neil Giuliano (expect that name to pop up in a "committees update" post sometime this cycle), apparently mostly because Giuliano is openly gay.

As both Lafaro and May are active Republicans, they'll probably work together for a while.

As May, like Giuliano, is openly gay, I don't expect that "a while" will encompass the entire election cycle.

Note: Tempe is on a March/May* election schedule;  Scottsdale is on an August/November* schedule.

* = if necessary

More updates as they become available...

First declared candidate for mayor in Tempe: Mark Mitchell

In a development that really wasn't very surprising, Tempe City Councilman Mark Mitchell has entered the race for mayor of Tempe.

From the Arizona Republic, written by Dianna Nanez -

Longtime councilman Mark Mitchell told The Arizona Republic today that he will run for mayor next year.

Mitchell's father, Democratic political icon Harry Mitchell, will stand by his side when he makes a formal announcement Wednesday night at a Tempe gathering.

Rather than shy away from the shadow that his father's extensive political career will cast on his run, Mitchell said he is embracing the values, worth ethic and love of Tempe he shares with his dad.

Mark Mitchell is nearing the end of his third term as a member of Tempe's city council.  While many considered him to be a possible candidate for mayor next year, his candidacy was made all-but-inevitable when the incumbment mayor, Hugh Hallman, decided not to run for reelection next year (rumors are that Hallman will run for Congress next year, or for statewide office in 2014).

Mark is a lifelong Tempean, growing up in Tempe, attending Tempe schools and ASU, and is an executive with a Tempe business.

Mitchell's campaign website is here.

Stayed tuned for more updates as they become available.

A (Very) Brief History of Arizona's Legislative District 17

Monday's hearing of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, held in Mesa, has been covered in depth by Steve at Arizona Eagletarian here.

While it went much the same as last week's hearing at South Mountain Community College (tea party types saying "boo! on the AIRC and most everyone else supporting the independence of the AIRC), one speaker stood out, and not in a good way.

From Steve's post -

The most remarkable comments, in my mind, came from former LD17 Republican candidate for state senate, Wendy Rogers. A retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and pilot, Rogers told us she does not believe the Tempe legislative district is at all competitive. Despite having biked to thousands of homes, raised four times as much money privately as her Clean Elections funded Democratic opponent, and had plenty of signs out, she could not get elected.


The ONLY valid conclusion, in light of her gargantuan effort, of course, is that LD17 had been made a safe district for Democratic candidates in the last redistricting.

She also stated that the district has elected all Democrats for at least 10 years.

Minor problem - that's not true -

- In 2000 (when it was LD27), the district elected Harry Mitchell (D), Meg Burton-Cahill (D) and Laura Knaperek (R).

- In 2002 (now LD17), the district elected Harry Mitchell (D), Meg Burton-Cahill (D), and Mark Thompson (R).

- In 2004, the district elected Harry Mitchell (D), Meg Burton-Cahill (D) and Laura Knaperek (R).

- In 2006 (all of five years ago), the district elected all Democrats for the first time - Meg Burton Cahill, Ed Ableser, and David Schapira.

- In 2008, the same trio were reelected.

- In 2010, the district elected Democrats David Schapira, Ed Ableser, and Ben Arredondo (a former Republican and long-time community icon).

That last may be what has Mrs. Rogers the most torqued, since she was a candidate in 2010.  She doesn't seem to have learned that a campaign platform that consists of "I'm a Republican and it's a Republican wave year" doesn't help a candidate win in LD17.

Tempe, which makes up the largest part of LD17, is a community in a way that most of the other cities in metro Phoenix are *not.*

It's an "old" community (by AZ standards, anyway), having been established in 1879.  Many of the families in Tempe can trace their roots in the city back for generations.

In addition, it's a college town.  Besides attracting a lot of students, that has helped engender a local populace that tends toward being both educated and intelligent.  Yes, even the Republicans.

In other words, Tempe isn't the kind of place a candidate can successfully campaign on "you MUST elect me.  I deserve it by right of being a Republican."

That's something Mrs. Rogers should consider when mounting her next campaign (it's one of the worst-kept secrets in local politics that Rogers is going to run for office again).

Short Attention Span Musing...

...From the "good things happening to good people" department -

It's taken more than six months, but one of the victims of Jared Lougher's shooting rampage in Tucson finally made it back to work.  With the aid of a cane, but under his own power.

From the Arizona Republic, written by Amanda Lee Myers -

A staffer for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords returned to work Tuesday for the first time since being seriously injured in the Tucson mass shooting nearly six months ago.

Ron Barber, 65, was shot in the cheek and thigh during the Jan. 8 attack that killed six people and injured 13, including Barber and Giffords. The shooting killed Barber's colleague, Gabe Zimmerman, and John Roll, Barber's college buddy and a federal judge.

Barber has spent the past six months undergoing extensive physical therapy and coping with the trauma of the shooting and the loss of his friends. He returned to work at Giffords' Tucson office on a part-time basis Tuesday as he continued rehab and his struggles with fatigue and pain.

...From the "they should have just reprinted the phone book" department -

With the announcement from Hugh Hallman that he won't seek reelection, the speculation about who will run for the job is revving up.

From the Arizona Republic, written by Dianna M. Nanez -

The 2012 race for Tempe mayor could prompt a state legislator to resign his seat and pit current and former council members against each other.

But potential candidates and their supporters are hopeful that an early vetting of candidates will narrow the field to include a strong, but collegial bunch committed to improving their city's standing.

Mayor Hugh Hallman's surprise announcement last month not to seek re-election sparked a political buzz.

The story went on to list possible candidates:

Ed Ableser, a current state representive (LD17)
Neil Giuliano, a former mayor
Shana Ellis, current Tempe City Council member
Onnie Shekerjian, current Tempe City Council member
Corey Woods, current Tempe City Council member
Mark Mitchell, current Tempe City Council member
Robin Arredondo-Savage, current Tempe City Council member
Joel Navarro, current Tempe City Council member (he stated he was NOT running.  The others didn't answer the question or left open the possiblity)
Linda Spears, former member of the Tempe City Council and community activist
Laura Knaperek, former LD17 state representative and current lobbyist-for-hire (like Navarro, she stated that she was not running)
Dick Foreman, a lobbyist for Southwest Gas
Michael Monti, a restaurant owner
Cliff Jones, retired Tempe fire chief (also a "no")
Ross Robb, Kyrene school board member and a real estate developer (also a "no")


In fact, about the only person they didn't name was me.  And I don't actually live in Tempe.


...From the "good things happening to bad people" department -

From the Arizona Republic, written by the AP's Kyle Hightower -

Casey Anthony's eyes welled with tears and her lips trembled as the verdict was read once, twice and then a third time: "Not guilty" of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee.

Outside the courthouse, many in the crowd of 500 reacted with anger, chanting, "Justice for Caylee!" One man yelled, "Baby killer!"

Somebody needed to remind the jurors that the standard of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt," not "beyond ALL doubt."  And that is all I'll write about this topic.

Update: 2012 candidate committees

Edit on 5/2 to add another candidate who was brought to my attention in a comment at Blog for Arizona.  My apologies to Ms. Baldenegro.  No slight was intended...

Things are still slow on the candidate committee front, as it is still early, and many potential candidates seem to be waiting for redistricting to see exactly what district they will be running in.

However, a few noted candidates have announced or formed committees, as have a few less-noted candidates.  Where a specific district is listed, expect that to change after redistricting.

Note: Some of these have been covered in earlier posts but are included here for comparison's sake.  In addition, only new candidates for an office, or current office holders seeking a move to a different office are included.  Incumbents running for reelection aren't included in this list.

For U.S. Senate -

Right now, the "big dog"  in the race to replace the retiring Jon Kyl is Republican current CD6 Congressman Jeff Flake.  He raised over $1 million in just a few months.  Also in the race is Republican Bryan Hackbarth, a former mayor of Youngtown, AZ.  As of this writing, no Democrats have formed committees this race, though once Congresswoman Gabby Giffords' condition/intentions become clearer, that is expected to change.

For U.S. Congress -

Republican former speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives Kirk Adams announced his intention to run for Congress immediately after becoming a "former" state legislator this past week.  He doesn't have paperwork up on the FEC's website, but he did tweet about it -

No word if Adams' speeches and press releases will be written directly by Jon "not intended to be a factual statement" Kyl, or if Kyl's principles will just be the "guiding light" behind Adams' public statements.

Also running:

Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democratic former Congresswoman, looking for a rematch in CD1 with dentist and current occupant Paul Gosar.

Wenona Benally Baldenegro, an attorney and a 2010 graduate of EmergeArizona, is a candidate for CD1, also.

Russell Jenna, a Republican/tea party type, in CD3 (currently held by Republican Ben Quayle).

Chuck Gray, a Republican former state senator, in CD6 (currently held by Flake).

Matt Salmon, a Republican former Congressman and GOP state chair, in CD6.

Gabriela Saucedo-Mercer, Republican, CD7 (currently held by Democrat Raul Grijalva).


For legislature:

Thomas J. Shope, Jr., Republican, has opened an exploratory committee for LD23 House.  Because he is a "Jr." and I don't know Pinal County all that well, some of this may be for his father, but he seems to have been the press guy for Paul Babeu's campaign for Pinal County Sheriff in 2008 and seems to be the son of the mayor of Coolidge, AZ.  Shope Sr. is the committee chairman.

Bob Blendu, a Republican former state senator, has opened a committee for LD12 House.

Tom Murray, Republican, has opened a committee for LD12 House.  He ran as a Libertarian candidate for Estrella Mountain constable in 2010.  He didn't win.


For Tempe City Council -

Ann Heins, Republican


For City of Scottsdale -

Still quiet.  So far.


For City of Phoenix (2011 elections) -

In full swing, with petitions due in the month starting tomorrow.  Peggy Neely made her entry into the race for mayor official, and a number of candidates have jumped into the race to fill her seat in Phoenix' District 2.  The full list of candidates is here.

More on this election as candidate petitions are filed.


Later...

Medical Marijuana zoning ordinances - next up: Tempe, Thursday night

On Tuesday, the Scottsdale City Council approved a zoning ordinance for medical marijuana dispensaries by a 4 - 3 vote.

Thursday night, the Tempe City Council will consider a proposed ordinance for their city.

There are some similarities between Scottsdale's recently-enacted ordinance and the proposal up for consideration in Tempe at Thursday night's meeting. 

Both require a significant buffer between any dispensary or cultivation site and a multitude of other businesses, buildings and other urban features - other dispensaries, schools, child care centers, churches (of any denomination or faith), parks, public buildings, residences.


Both limit the hours of operation -

- Scottsdale: 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.;

- Tempe: 8 a.m until 6 p.m.


Both place significant hurdles in the way of any medical marijuana dispensary operation -

- Scottsdale: all dispensaries will have to go through the "Conditional Use Permit" process, which means that each dispensary will have to be approved by the City Council before it can begin operation;

- Tempe: the proposed ordinance is designed to isolate the businesses in areas zoned for industrial use.

Tempe's proposal is actually stricter than Scottsdale's.  Where Scottsdale will allow cultivation of medical marijuana if the cultivation location, including patient residences, meets certain criteria (not easy, but possible), Tempe's proposal bars cultivation of medical marijuana in the City, even for home-bound patients, if there is a medical marijuana dispensary within 25 miles of the location.

While the agenda can be approved in its entirety by a single motion, but the agenda item for this measure, D4, is marked as a "public discussion" item and can be removed for separate consideration by any member of the public. 

I expect it will be so removed. 

Bring your munchies.  :))

The Tempe City Council meets at 7:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 31 E. 5th St. in Tempe.  Interested folks can send an email to the entire Tempe City Council here.  Note: Communications with the Council are considered public records under Arizona law, and subject to public disclosure.  In other words, keep it civil and on point (of course, since some of the members of the Council are friends of mine, I'd recommend that anyway :) ).

Later...

The coming week: everybody else edition

All info gathered from the websites of the relevent public bodies/agencies, and is subject to change without notice.

Federal level -

In the House, the agenda for the week is focused on the Republicans' H.R. 2, "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act."  Related: H. Res. 9, "Instructing certain committees to report legislation replacing the job-killing health care law."

The Senate isn't in session this week.


Arizona level -

The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have a full meeting scheduled for this week.  It's hearing schedule is here.

The Citizens Clean Elections Commission doesn't have a meeting this week, either.  They are seeking applicants for an open spot on the Commission. Interested folks who aren't registered as Democrats or Republicans and who do NOT reside in Maricopa County can apply (there are other requirements, but those are the big ones).

The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project is meeting on Thursday to select new officers, hold an orientation for new members on the topic of internal audit, and hold a meeting of the Finance, Audit, and Power Committee.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a Special Meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 9 a.m.  The agenda looks quiet, but as is usual for this bunch, there's an executive session planned.

The Tempe City Council doesn't have a meeting scheduled for this week.  The City's City Council Calendar is here.

The Scottsdale City Council doesn't have a meeting scheduled for this week.  The City's Community Meeting Notice is here.

Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site Five-Year Review Process starting

This week, I (and presumably, most of the other households in south Scottsdale and north Tempe) received a notice from the EPA announcing the start of a Five-Year Review (FYR) of the remediation efforts in the Indian Bend Wash Superfund Site.  For most purposes, that areas has been divided into the North Indian Bend Wash (NIBW) site and the South Indian Bend Wash Site (SIBW).

A .pdf version of the FYR announcement is here.

The history of the site began with the discovery of groundwater and soil contamination in 1981, mostly of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) attributed to the disposal of industrial waste.  (more info available at the EPA's pages on the site, linked above).

The entire site covers approximately 13 square miles of Tempe and South Scottsdale, with Pima/Price Road serving as the eastern border, Scottsdale/Rural Road as the western border, Apache Boulevard as the southern border, and Chaparral Road as the northern border.  The NIBW/SIBW split occurs at the Salt River, north of Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe.

Anyway, the purpose of the FYR is to evaluate the effectiveness of the remediation efforts in the Indian Bend Wash site.  It is expected to be completed by September of next year (2011), and the EPA is looking for input from both people who have knowledge of the cleanup operations and members of the general public who have information and/or concerns regarding cleanup activities in the area.

If you are interested in participating in this process, contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator for the site, Vicki Rosen, at 415-972-3244 or toll-free at 1-800-231-3075.  Her email is Rosen.Vicki@epamail.epa.gov.

Another point of contact regarding this site (for those who are interested) is Felicia Calderon, State Community Involvement Coordinator, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. She can be reached at 602-771-4167 or calderon.felicia@azdeq.gov.

More information on both the NIBW and SIBW can be found locally at Tempe Public Library, 3500 South Rural Road, Tempe, AZ 85282 (SIBW) and Scottsdale Public Library Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (NIBW).



Have a good weekend!

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.

...At the federal level, both the U.S. House and Senate are on a break. They'll be back in session next week.

...Back here in Arizona...


- The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have any regular meetings scheduled, however they will be travelling to gather public comment on specific issues.

-- On Wednesday at 1 p.m., they will be holding a special meeting in Tucson to solicit public comments on line extension policies for Arizona utilities.

-- Later on Wednesday, they will hold two public meetings in Nogales. The first will start at 6 p.m. and will concern Rio Rico Utilities rates; the second is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. and will concern Valle Verde Water Company rates.

-- The ACC's hearing schedule is here. Most of this week's hearing activity involves Arizona American Water (a name near and not-so-dear to Scottsdale readers :) ).


- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. It's a special meeting with one topic - a settlement with the Department of Labor over MCSO's forcing detention officers to work unpaid overtime. AZ Republic coverage of the matter here.


- The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will have a busy week.

-- On Tuesday at 1 p.m., there will be a meeting of the Project ADD Water group.

-- On Thursday at 9 a.m., the Board's Public Policy Committee will meet.

-- After the committee meeting, the full Board with hold a regular meeting. The highlights of this meeting will be the setting of property tax and service rates.


- The Tempe City Council isn't meeting this week; the Council Calendar of events is here.


- The Scottsdale City Council also isn't meeting this week; the City of Scottsdale's Community Meeting Notice is here.

Note: When memorial service arrangements for late Councilman Tony Nelssen are announced, an update will be posted.


Not meeting this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Arizona Board of Regents

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.

These schedule posts have become intermittent, due in part to the lack of interesting tidbits to cover, as well as election year deadlines in Arizona (sigs are due Wednesday!) cutting into available blogging time. However, this week, there will be a *lot* of budget-related action and other interesting matters up for consideration, especially in D.C. and with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.

Stuff that is definitely post-worthy.

On to the important stuff...

On the federal level -

- The U.S. House will be handling a number of bills this week as they get ready for the holiday break next week. The highlight this week will be H.R. 5136, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2011 (CRS summary here). There will be a massive amount of election-year posturing over this one, whether of the "fiscal responsibility" or the "I'm a patriot" variety. Still, it's only an authorization bill, not an appropriations bill, and they all will want to make the earliest possible flights out of town on Friday. The posturing will be loud, but efficient.

Also on the agenda: Consideration of a Senate amendment to H.R. 4213, the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (most current CRS summary here); H.R. 5175, the DISCLOSE Act (CRS summary here - it's designed to limit corporate control of election campaigns); and further consideration of H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (previously blocked by the House GOP when the measure came to the House floor under "suspension of the rules," requiring a 2/3 majority to pass, it's coming back in a way that will require only a simple majority to pass).

- The U.S. Senate will be doing, you know, "Senate" stuff this week. That includes a committee schedule with hearings on the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, impacts of consolidation on the airline industry, and more (lots of executive branch nominations). There will also be floor consideration of H.R. 4899, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2010.

...Back here in Arizona -

- The Arizona Corporation Commission will be holding a public comment session in Prescott Valley on Tuesday. The subject will be

Public Comment in the Matter of the Application of the Commission’s, Docket No. E-00000J-10-0044, inquiry and potential rulemaking regarding line extension policies of electric utilities, including but not limited to, alternative rate designs related to apportionment and rate recovery of cost of construction and installation of electric utility line extensions, the use of free footage and/or dollar allowances in line extension tariffs, the treatment of proceeds associated with line extensions as contributions in aid of construction (CIAC) and/or revenue, and the ability for third-party vendors to contract to install line extensions for electric utilities.

The ACC will be holding a regular "Utilities" meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, agenda here.
The Commission's regular hearing schedule is here.

- The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has a busy and "colorful" week on tap.

-- Monday's Informal meeting is dedicated to budget matters, including the tentative adoption of next year's budget.

-- Later on Monday, the Supes will be holding a Special meeting dedicated to a financial review of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. This one could include a contempt hearing over Sheriff Joe Arpaio's refusal to turn over financial records for the review. There is some question about the procedures for the contempt hearing, so the hearing schedule may yet be changed or be cancelled entirely. More AZ Republic coverage here. This one could be the most interesting event of the week, or it could fizzle completely.

- - On Wednesday, the Supes have a Formal meeting scheduled. The agenda is a long one.

- The Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System will be holding an executive session on Monday (relating to legal matters and contracts - the agenda items are rather vague, intentionally so, I think) and a regular meeting on Wednesday (highlight: budget-related stuff). MIHS' Legislative summary will also be on the agenda. Like most of us, their primary focus is on the state's budget situation.

- The Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, agenda here. It looks pretty mundane thus far, though there is an item to change the length of the terms of the Board President and Secretary from one to two years. After the regular meeting will be an executive session regarding employment of the Chancellor of the District, Rufus Glasper. There have been issues of contention between the Chancellor and certain board members, so this particular exec session could be one that most MCCCD observers wish was a public session. Look for public fallout from this meeting to reach an agenda in June.

- The City Councils of Tempe and Scottsdale aren't scheduled to hold regular meetings this week, though Tempe will hold a special meeting on Friday to accept the results from last week's election. Tempe's Council Calendar is here; Scottsdale's Community Meetings Notice is here.

Not scheduled to meet this week: Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Arizona Board of Regents, Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project

Later...

Len Copple, former Tempe City Councilman and community activist, passes away

Picture courtesy the website of the City of Tempe's website.





















From the City of Tempe press release -

Former Tempe City Councilmember Leonard (Len) Copple, 68, passed away early Monday morning after a courageous battle with acute lymphocytic leukemia. What will be long remembered are the decades of service, the wit and the character of the man behind what some call the city’s “velvet voice.”

Copple, a retired Tempe lawyer, served two terms on the Tempe City Council, from 1998 to 2006. In 1994, he was appointed to serve a six-month Council term for Don Cassano, who resigned to run for Mayor. Copple served on the city’s Planning and Zoning commission from 1984 to 1989. For many years, his commanding voice could be heard on the city of Tempe’s on-hold messaging system describing various community amenities and services. Copple’s family said Monday that he was perhaps most proud of his role in bringing light rail and the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon to Tempe.

Tempe Community Council (TCC) named Copple a “Tempe Treasure,” as he had been nominated many times for that organization’s Don Carlos Humanitarian Award. He was the front desk receptionist for TCC’s Earned Income Tax Credit program for eight of the last nine years. Copple also had many years of involvement with Tempe Sister Cities and other community organizations.

“Len was not only a voice for those without; he was fiercely dedicated to improving Tempe through his charitable volunteer work,” said TCC Executive Director Kate Hanley. “He was a friend to everyone he met.”

Services will be 1 p.m. Sunday, May 23, at Mission del Sol Presbyterian Church, 1565 E. Warner Rd., in Tempe.

Copple is survived by his wife, Jean, three children, six grandchildren and a brother. The family asks that donations be made to the Friends of the Tempe Center for the Arts (700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 85281) or to the Leukemia andLymphoma Society (http://pages.teamintraining.org/dm/rnr10/cathyswann).

From the AZ Republic story on Copple's passing -

Councilman Ben Arredondo served with Copple on the Tempe City Council during Copple's terms from 1998 to 2006.

Copple was a stellar example of what a civic leader should be, Arredondo said.

"I thought Leonard was one of the most honorable persons I've served with. He stood by his convictions," Arredondo said. "I think that the two things he'll be remembered for are his honesty and his honorable intentions. That's what it takes to be a strong politician that people respect."

In a phone conversation, Corey Woods, a current member of the Tempe City Council spoke of Copple's kindness both toward the community (which has been well documented), and toward individuals.

For instance, after Woods' first run at a council seat in 2006, Copple volunteered to help first-time candidate Woods take down his campaign signs. After that, they were fast friends. They remained so even after Copple left politics behind, frequently meeting at Pier 54 in Tempe for lunch. There, Copple would often serve as a confidante and sounding board.

An emotional Woods observed "the entire community will miss him."

Expect more tributes to Copple in the coming days.

My condolences go out to Copple's family and friends on their loss.

Municipal budget time

Most of the state's political attention is on this week's special election to raise the state's sales tax by 1 percentage point or on the latest development in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

However, folks may want to start paying a little of that attention to matters closer to home.

Specifically, the municipal budget process.

Most cities and towns in AZ are finalizing their FY2011 budgets and are holding hearings to publicize their proposed revenues and expenditures for the coming year.

- On Tuesday in Scottsdale, the City Council will hold a public hearing on the budget proposal and proposed rates and fees during its regularly scheduled meeting (full agenda here). Also on the agenda: proposed changes to the City's charter to be offered for voter approval in November. Some interesting proposals here, but I'll cover those in a separate post closer to the election. The City's budget resource webpage is here.

- On Thursday and Friday, Tempe's City Council will be holding a number of mostly budget-related meetings.

After Thursday's regularly scheduled Council meeting (agenda for that here), they will be holding a meeting of the Rio Salado Community Facilities District Board to consider the tentative budget and assessments for the district.

On Friday, the Tempe City Council will be holding a budget workshop. The agenda for that includes discussion of "budget balancing" proposals for the City's Golf Fund, Performing Arts Fund, Transportation Fund, and Transit Fund (more layoffs coming, folks) and a discussion of the City's Capital Improvement Plan follow up.

Look for similar meetings in the other cities and towns in AZ shortly, if they haven't taken place already.

While the antics of the state legislature and governor garner more press (and notice from the likes of me), what our City Councils are doing has a far more direct impact on our day-to-day lives, and deserve at least as much attention.

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.

Ahhhh...the first lege-free week of the year...ahhhhhhhhhhhh


...In D.C. -

- The House looks to have a relatively quiet week this week. The agenda is very heavy on memorials and congratulations and such, while light on substantive legislation.

- The Senate will continue to consider reform of financial regulations. In addition, the Senate's committee schedule is here. The item of most interest to Arizonans could be Wednesday's hearing of the United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. The topic will be "Drug Trafficking Violence in Mexico: Implications for the U.S."

Edit on 5/2 to add: The AZ Republic has an article up documenting that while nativist rhetoric about cross-border violence is up, there hasn't actually been an increase in border-related violence in Arizona.

End edit.


...Back here in Arizona...

- The Arizona Corporation Commission won't be meeting this week, but their hearing schedule is here.

- The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will be meeting on Thursday. Rate-related items and the Navajo Generating Station dominate the agenda this time around. CAP's Public Policy Committee agenda (preceding the full Board meeting) is here.

- The Tempe City Council will have an active week. They will be part of a special meeting on Thursday to seek public comment on and give preliminary approval to Tempe's budget for the coming fiscal year. Budget-related coverage from the AZ Republic here. The agenda for the Council's regular meeting is here. The Council's calendar is here.

- The Scottsdale City Council will be meeting Tuesday. The agenda includes the likely hiring of the City's next future ex-City Manager. AZ Republic coverage here.

Not scheduled to meet this week: Arizona Board of Regents, Citizens Clean Elections Commission, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District.