Zzzzzzzz........

While I didn't actually get to watch the State of the Union speech closely because I was in a meeting in Tempe at the time, I did look up to see this shot.

Everybody else in the room saw it too, and were all overjoyed.

Our guess was that our good Senator just dozed his way out of the Republican nomination for President next year.

By the way, in case you hadn't guessed - everybody at the meeting was a Democrat.

The above pic was gleefully borrowed from Espresso Pundit, and I should note here and now that the Repub blogosphere is totally all over this.

As a Democrat (general variety), this is a little disappointing, because I think that McCain is very beatable in a national election; as a Democrat of the Arizona variety, having him out of the ballot picture in November 2008 would be great - his presence at the top of the ballot would pull the AZGOP candidates up, much like Harry Mitchell's presence on the ballot helped lift the Dem candidates in D17 this year.

Good night!

LD17 Legislators in the news, week ending January 21

Rep. Ed Ableser:

...He was mentioned in an AZ Rep article about some of the less-mundane bills introduced by various legislators. His HB2536 would require that egg-laying hens not be confined in a cage/hold that "does not allow the egg‑laying hen sufficient space to fully extend its limbs without touching the sides of the living space."

Quote from the article -

"For a chicken to not even be able to extend its wings, that seems counterintuitive to what a chicken is made to do," Ableser explained.

...Last Monday, Dick Foreman, one of AZCentral.com's "Plugged In - Southeast Valley" bloggers, wrote a piece complimenting Rep. Ableser for his support of a move by local community centers that work with the disabled to deal with the impact of the new minimum wage.


Rep. David Schapira:

...On Tuesday, The Verde Independent carried Howard Fischer's article about David's HB2206, the bill that would create the Teacher Shortage Student Loan Program. (This topic was mentioned in last week's LD17 Legislators post.)


Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill:

...On Thursday, The Verde Independent carried another Fischer article about her support of Sen. Carolyn Allen's SB1032, a bill that would add some protection from lawsuits to emergency rooms and ER workers. (This topic was mentioned in last week's LD17 Legislators post.)

Later!

Harry Mitchell at the Phoenix Zoo Friday

I don't normally shill for the Chamber of Commerce (they don't exactly need my help), but I came across this while reading the paper today...

From the AZ Rep:

Newly elected Rep. Harry Mitchell, a former Tempe mayor and state senator, will be speaking at a luncheon Friday at the Stone House Pavilion at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway. The get-together is sponsored by the Tempe, Ahwatukee Foothills, Scottsdale and U.S. Chambers of Commerce. Mitchell was elected last fall from the Arizona's 5th Congressional District.

The cost is $30/person; if you're interested in attending, contact the Tempe Chamber at 480.967.7891.

In other Harry Mitchell news from this week, he was named as one of the "Arizonans of the year" by the State Press at ASU.

I'm not sure if the honor was more for defeating JD Hayworth for the CD5 seat, or because he didn't raise tuition.

Unlike ASU President Michael Crow, as the State Press' editorial board pointed out.

:)

In House business, he was appointed to the House Committee on Science and Technology (HRes 75). His votes this week were all as expected, supporting the Democrats' First 100 Hours agenda.

Later!

Harry Mitchell gives floor speech in support of HR6...

...H R 6, CLEAN Energy Act of 2007.

Note: both Congressman Mitchell and Congresswoman Giffords are co-sponsors of H R 6.

Working to fulfill one of his campaign promises, Harry Mitchell of CD5 spoke in favor of the bill to end some of the tax (and other) giveaways to the uber-profitable petroleum industry.

I'll post the text of his entire speech (it was short) when it becomes available.

The bulk of the debate consisted of Republicans invoking images of Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, and Middle Eastern terrorists and saying that it's better to give subsidies to the most profitable industry on Earth than to risk oil companies buying more oil overseas, possibly giving money to Republican boogeymen.

The Democratic response: Bull.


One humorous note from the debate:

When Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN) introduced Gabrielle Giffords, he referred to her as *Mr.* Giffords.

You'd think that someone making over $165,000 per year could afford glasses.

Just sayin'.

:)

Later!

Update on edit: During the "one minute speeches" portion of the day's proceedings, Giffords rose to speak about illegal immigration.

Prefacing her comments by noting the recent incidents on the border where a Border Patrol agent was involved in a "deadly altercation" and where a National Guard unit was approached by an armed gang, she said

"...now that 100 hours is over we must address the illegal immigration crisis."

I don't expect any cooperation from the Republicans in the House - they want to be able to play the race/immigration card during the 2008 campaigns.

I'll post the text of her speeches today when they become available, unless Tedski does so first. :)

End edit.

Art Buchwald (1925 - 2007)

Art Buchwald, a humorist esteemed by readers and other columnists, has passed away at age 81 due to kidney failure.

He spent his last years fighting cancer and chronicling his fight against it; prior to that, he was perhaps America's best-known political commentator. His writing was marked by a sharp yet gentle wit rarely found in commentary today.

Civility, too. His humor could be sharp and perceptive, but was never mean.

Bipartisan, too. Anybody, without regard to political affiliation, was subject to needling.


A Washington Post archive of his columns circa 2004/early 2005 is here.

An obit is here, but it cites "Wikipedia" as a source; as Geo noted so well in November and December, Wikipedia is too easily subject to manipulation to be a credible source of info.

A better obit from The Hollywood Reporter is here.

Russell Pearce (R-LD18) getting noticed nationally

Of course, it's not positive notice, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't care anyway...

From the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report:

It was the second time in two weeks the hard-line former sheriff from North Mesa found himself confronted with charges of racism and extremist views on immigration. Earlier that month, Pearce drew fire for endorsing a reprise of "Operation Wetback," a 1950s program of forced deportation.

"We know what we need to do," Pearce said on a Phoenix radio show. "In 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower put together a task force named 'Operation Wetback.' He removed, in less than a year, 1.3 million illegal aliens. They must be deported."

When critics jumped on the use of the derogatory word "wetback," Pearce defended himself with gusto, describing his critics, including fellow Republicans, as "sissies." "In the '50s, [the term] was common. In the '60s, it was common," Pearce said. "You don't use it today because people have tried to make it offensive. Things change, and you know what? Who cares?"

The article went on to talk about the endorsements that he lost as a result of his open bigotry, quoting State Senator Carolyn Allen (R-LD8):

{He's} "lost his moorings. He's driving himself mad about this [immigration debate]."

...In other Pearce news, he proposed a bill in the lege that would bring a constitutional amendment before the voters to declare that marriage is a "Only a union of one man and one woman."

The he decided not to go forward with it. Saying he filed it he accidently, he's asked Speaker Jim Weiers not to let it move forward.

In a shocking development (really!!) the Speaker is accomodating his Appropriations Committee Chair.

More on the loon outlook for the new session of the lege later on today (expect lots of mentions of Pearce and Sen. Jack Harper (R-LD4)...

Later!

Scottsdale City Council asks the state to operate Loop 101 photo radar

At last night's meeting of the Scottsdale City Council, in front of an overflow crowd, the Council heard the Technical Evaluation Report concerning their experiment with speed cameras on a 6.5 mile stretch of Loop 101 in Scottsdale.

Summary of the report by Dr. Simon Washington of ASU:

It worked.

Among the highlights:

During the program, there was a decrease in the average speed on the stretch of highway of more than 9.4 miles per hour.

After the "citations" period of the program, observations continued and recorded an 825% increase in "weekday detections" of vehicles driving faster than 75 mph.

In the study area, traffic accidents were reduced across the board, with the exception of a slight rise in rear end collisions.

I guess not everybody slowed down right away.

Injuries were reduced, too.

It was noted that while the study area is the most dangerous stretch of freeway in Scottsdale, it isn't the most dangerous stretch along Loop 101. In fact, it is better than average.

That fact was used to support Dr. Washington's opinion, prompted by questions from the council, that not only could other areas of the freeway system benefit from a similar system, those areas might see better results.

During the Council's discussion of the report, it was evident that even those members who were initially skeptical, such as Vice-Mayor Jim Lane, felt that the safety data supported reactivating the system and implementing it Valley-wide.

It was also evident that most of the Council felt that the state should take over the program, and also that the revenue from the program should be dedicated to funding the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or to funding public safety programs in the cities in which the cameras are located.

The Council also expressed dissatisfaction with a proposal co-sponsored by Rep. Michele Reagan (R-LD8) to reduce fines and the severity of other penalties for violations detected by "photo enforcement systems." (HB2442)

In the end, the Council voted unanimously to ask the state to take over the cameras and turn them back on.

Note: I was initially skeptical; not of the program or its effectiveness, but of the Council's motivation for supporting it. In approximately 9 months, the City netted over $800,000 in revenue after costs were paid. I believed that, from the Council's perspective, the revenue stream benefits outweighed any safety benefits. However, their expressed desire to have the state take over the program and direct the revenue to public safety programs has convinced me that my skepticism may have been unfounded.

On the other hand, it *is* the Scottsdale City Council, so a little skepticism is always warranted. :)

In other news from the council meeting, they voted to raise the salaries of the City's charter officers - the City Manager, Attorney, Auditor, and Clerk. There was some dissent over the City Manager's raise (it passed 4 - 3), but they all were approved.

There were also a number of appointments to various city boards and commissions, including one of note to readers of this blog: Stephanie Rimmer, former Democratic candidate for State Representative in LD8, was appointed to the Scottsdale Pride Commission.

The marked agenda for the meeting is here.

EV Trib coverage here and here.

AZ Republic coverage here, here, and here.

Later!

Sen. Barack Obama files; strike ends; other news

From the Albuquerque Tribune (though this story is everywhere):

WASHINGTON — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama today took the initial step in a presidential bid that could make him the nation's first black to occupy the White House, filing papers creating a presidential exploratory committee.

An MSNBC article about Obama and his record in the Senate is here.

The video of his announcement is available on his website here.

Note: In other 2008 news, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is getting into the race for the Republican nomination.

[IMO, Tancredo makes JD Hayworth look like a voice of enlightened moderation. I don't think he expects to win, but he wants to be a player with the national Republican Party, not just Congressional Republican caucus]

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has also announced that he's running.

Many ask "Christopher who??"; even his home state's leading daily, The Hartford Courant, thinks he doesn't have a snowball's chance in Phoenix.


...The strike by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 933 against Raytheon in Tucson has ended with the membership's approval of the latest contract offer, 766 - 186, 347 not voting.

The Business Journal of Phoenix has a brief article here.

The AZ Daily Star has a longer article here.

...Tonight's meeting of the Scottsdale City Council should be interesting - pay raises for the highest-ranking city employees are on the agenda (a topic that generates controversy in *any* city, as is a discussion of the report concerning the "study" of the effects of photo radar on Loop 101.

Executive session at 4 p.m. to discuss the effects of Prop 207; regular meeting at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

Later!

Another Dem convention, another Udall as a featured speaker??

From DenverPost.com:

U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2008, retiring instead after completing his second term in office.

{snip}

On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall [D-CO2] of Eldorado Springs will seek the seat. While others, including Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, are likely to be mentioned as possible contenders, so far Udall has the field to himself.

Whether the nominee for Colorado's U.S. Senate seat is Udall, Hickenlooper, or someone else, expect that nominee to try to get a boost in the polls from the presence of the Convention in Denver next year.

From his official bio on his House website:

Congressman Udall is in his fifth term. He was born is Tucson in 1950; his father was former U.S. Rep from AZ and Presidential candidate, Mo Udall.

ColoradoPols.com has a lot of info on this particular race; right now, it rates Udall as the favorite and former Republican Congressmen Scott McInnis and Bob Schaffer as the frontrunners for the Republican nomination. There is some speculation that they might try to get former Broncos QB and current car salesman John Elway to run. He's an active Republican.

I don't care who gets the Rep nomination, but does anyone know if Udall is a decent public speaker? It'd be great if someone with strong AZ ties (born here, graduated from Canyon del Oro, dad was Mo Udall!) was featured at the Democratic convention.

Especially since we may get stuck with "John McCain this" and "John McCain that" ad nauseum at the Republican convention. :(

Later!

LD17 Legislators in the press

Note: I'll try to do future editions of this post on a weekly basis, but this one will cover anything since the first of the year that I haven't already covered.

Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill:

...The AZ Daily Star quoted her in support of Sen. Carolyn Allen's (R-8) SB1032 (link to Senate fact sheet). Among other things, the bill creates a partial lawsuit shield for ER doctors.

From the article -

And Sen. Meg Burton Cahill, D-Tempe, said it is "a step that will help" the shortage of emergency-room doctors.

The bill was heard before the Senate Health Committee last week, and passed 6 -1, with Sen. Burton-Cahill voting to pass.

...She was also mentioned in an AZ Rep article about East Valley legislators.


Rep. Ed Ableser:

...The EV Tribune had an article about both LD17 reps on Sunday. It's basically a "start of the session" piece, but it's still interesting.

From the article -

"Very few public servants talk about water because it’s not an emotional issue,"he says. "But science is showing us if we don’t do something now, we’re going to be in a dire situation 15 years from now."

...He was mentioned in a column in the Ottawa Sun. Columnist Jordan Michael Smith was writing about the trend of politicians taking their messages online, including to sites like YouTube.

From the column, right after mentions of Howard Dean and Barack Obama -

And Arizona state Senator Ed Ableser, a Democrat, posted on his YouTube site a video of a day in his life, which showed him playing football and jogging.

I'd recommend reading more, but be warned - that's the only mention of Ed or any other AZ politician.

...He's also mentioned in the AZ Rep's East Valley legislators article.


Rep. David Schapira:

...Like the other LD17 legislators, he's mentioned the AZ Rep's East Valley legislators article.

...He's also a big part of the EV Tribune article today.

From the article -

"I’m working on six bills," he says over a bagel platter at Chompie’s in Tempe — a favored haunt, which he might use as a field office. "If lobbyists want to have lunch with me, they can come out here, spend their money in Tempe," he chuckles.

...The EV Tribune also has an opinion piece written by Le Templar supporting Rep. Schapira's HB2206, the Teacher Shortage Student Loan Program.

...The AZ Daily Star has a news article about the same proposal, written by Howard Fischer. The article also mentions Governor Napolitano's (and Rep. Schapira's :) ) proposal to raise the minimum salary for a teacher to $33,000 per year.

The Daily Star's website allows comments on individual articles; there's one comment for this one.

The author of the comment doesn't like the idea - because it doesn't go far enough. In fact, the author calls $33K an "insult."

That attitude may actually bode well for the bill's passage by the lege - the Republicans in the lege seem to take advantage of every available opportunity to insult public school teachers.

Later!

In case you missed it...

From AZCentral.com:

Tired of being asked to predict what voters would do, the state Supreme Court is dropping a legal standard that Arizona justices have used for decades to help decide whether some ballot measures can go before voters.

No longer will courts attempt to decide whether a "reasonable voter" would likely support all elements of a proposed constitutional amendment or feel compelled to back the package to get parts of it passed even if others were objectionable, the Supreme Court said.

In a case relating to the November ballot's Proposition 107 (anti-same sex marriage/unmarried couples of any combination measure), the Arizona Supreme Court decided it "will continue to decide single-amendment compliance by whether a ballot measure's provisions are on the same topic, related in content and share a common purpose to form a consistent and workable package that should stand or fall together, " while discarding the standard of what a "reasonable voter" would decide because that standard had caused too much confusion through the years.

A .pdf containing the Court's opinion is here.

Since I didn't work on any of the proposition campaigns, I'm not sure what effect this ruling will have; in retrospect, perhaps the backers of the measure would have been better off if the court had kicked their measure off of the ballot last fall.

Most observers feel it was defeated because it tried to do too much - an attack on same sex marriage might have passed; the writers of the measure were a little too greedy when they went after unmarried couples, too.

...Thanks to Desert Beacon in Nevada for pointing out this resource: CoherentBabble has put together an index of President Bush's "signing statements"; aka - the statements where he says that the laws of this country don't apply to him or anyone doing his bidding.

...Lost in the uproar over the President's plan to send more American soldiers and Iraqi civilians to their deaths in his personal War to Aid Halliburton's Bottom Line is one of the methods he is using to find the warm bodies he needs: unlimited redeployment of National Guard units that have already seen combat.

Previous policy called for a minimum of five years between combat deployments for National Guard units.

Bonus: a column on the Halliburton subject, written by Gerald W. McEntee, International President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. is here.

...The Bush administration's efforts to deny detainees any legal assistance continued this week when the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Detainee Affairs, one Charles Stimson, told a radio talk show that companies should take their business away from any law firms that represent detainees and give it to firms that represent "reputable firms." He went on to name a number of law firms engaged in the defense of detainees.

Of course, Mr. Stimson actually likes the living conditions of the detainees, even at Guantanamo. He probably just can't understand why anyone would object to the detention.

The Pentagon later stated that Mr. Stimson was not speaking for the Bush Administration, even though on Friday, the Wall Street Journal supported him like he was. (The Editor and Publisher link is used because the WSJ requires a subscription for their website. Not gonna happen. :) )

Later!

Bill submittals for LD17 legislators

Friday bonus blogging here - I had to stay home from work today due to a cold.

Argghh!...hack...cough...sniffle.

:)

I was going to do a post on the bills sponsored or co-sponsored by our LD17 legislators, but the last time I looked in, Rep. Ed Ableser had two bills; he's got a few more now.

Like almost 90 more.

So this post will be about the bills for which the LD17 legislators, Sen. Meg Burton-Cahill, Rep. Ed Ableser, and Rep. David Schapira are the "primary" sponsors, not just "co-sponsors."

Sen. Burton-Cahill's bills:

HB2493 - relating to tax credits for energy production equipment.
HB2538 - sales tax exemption for non-profit housing; specifically for organizations that build single-family homes for sale to families "whose household income is less than eighty per cent of the median family income of this state." Sounds like it applies to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
HR2541 - the bill concerning insurance parity for mental health care, mentioned in a previous post.
SB1110 - a bill establishing and appropriating small assistance payments for grandparents who become foster parents to a grandchild (kinship foster care).
SB1113 - a bill requiring the use of low water landscaping in new subdivisions.

Rep. Ableser's bills:

HB2086 and HB2087 have already been covered in a previous post.

HB2169 - Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state's general fund to the university student financial aid trust fund.
HB2175 - Appropriates $2,500,000 to DES for domestic violence shelters.
HB2176 - Appropriates $1,500,000 for homeless services.
HB2206 - Appropriates $1,500,000 for the teacher shortage student loan program mentioned in a previous post.
HB2246 - would require that the appeals board in DES (I think it's DES) produce a "clear and accurate" record of its proceedings, and make available transcripts when necessary, at the department's expense.
HB2249 - Child support enforcement.
HB2278 - Repeal of the death penalty [I really like this one. :) ]
HB2281 - Concerning erroneous convictions and civil recourse available to those persons who have been erroneously convicted.
HB2307 - Regarding tax deductions for Prime Contractors involved in university improvements.
HB2324 - Concerning emergency operation plans as they pertain to pets and service animals.
HB2335 - Increases the state's urban revenue sharing fund to (eventually) "15.8 per cent of the net proceeds of the state income taxes for the fiscal year two years preceding the current fiscal year."
HB2353 - Imposes a .04% surcharge on criminal and civil fines and penalties, and transmits the funds collected to the law enforcement animal protective gear fund; in addition, adds causing the injury or death of a law enforcement animal to the list of aggravating circumstances to be considered during sentencing.
HB2417 - Establishes a center at ASU to "to collect, maintain and provide access to information on elections" and election-related information.
HB2425 - Protects employees' rights to organize into unions and other collective bargaining units, and also protects employees and union organizers and their families from intimidation and other harassment. [YES!!]
HB2533 - Would require sellers of real property to notify buyers in writing whether the state has determined that the property has an adequate water supply.
HB2534 - Would require that municipalities' general plans include a water conservation element.
HB2535 - More water supply requirements for land divisions.
HB2536 - Would make it unlawful to house an egg-laying hen in a space that doesn't allow the hen "to fully extend its limbs without touching the sides of the living space."
HB2537 - Prohibits animal testing when a scientifically-valid alternative exists. The prohibition does not apply to animal tests performed to comply with state agencies/regulations, federal law, or for medical research.
HB2538 - sales tax exemption for non-profit housing; specifically for organizations that build single-family homes for sale to families "whose household income is less than eighty per cent of the median family income of this state." Sounds like it applies to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
HB2539 - Regulations for payday loan operations. About freakin' time.
HB2540 - Allows tax abatements for permanent improvements "constructed on land owned by and leased from an [government] agricultural improvement district."
HR2541 - the bill concerning insurance parity for mental health care, mentioned in a previous post.
HR2542 - Rollback of income tax rate cuts for the highest tax bracket - from 4.54% to 4.79%.
HCR2011 - A concurrent resolution concerning immigration opposing civilian patrols and calling on the U.S. government to adopt immigration law reforms that are sensible, respectful of and fair towards all persons, and....oh, why bother? This is moderate; therefore it doesn't have a snowball's chance in Phoenix of passing the AZ lege.
HCR2016 - A proposed amendment to the state constitution limiting the number of measures that the legislature can send to referendum for any given election. This one will tick off Jack Harper, who'd rather limit the right of the people to send measures to the ballot, not the legislature.
HCR2029 - Arizona DREAM Act, stating that, regardless of immigration status, a person who entered the state as a minor would be considered as an 'in-state' resident, presuming the person is otherwise qualified for such status.
HCR2030 - A proposed constitutional amendment stating "the right of employees to bargain collectively by and through a labor organization shall not be denied or abridged."

Rep. Schapira's bills:

HB2086 and HB2087 previously discussed.
HB2206 - Appropriates $1,500,000 for the teacher shortage student loan program mentioned in a previous post.
HB2276 - Concerning emission standards for new cars and and for commercial vehicles.
HB2335 - Increases the state's urban revenue sharing fund to (eventually) "15.8 per cent of the net proceeds of the state income taxes for the fiscal year two years preceding the current fiscal year."
HB2355 - Concerning tax credits and charitable organizations' financial reporting.
HB2356 - Adds "breastfeeding an infant" as a reason someone may be excused from jury service; also calls for employers to provide reasonable time and private space for breastfeeding employees.
HB2358 - Makes the hate-crime status of a misdemeanor an aggravating circumstance in sentencing.
HB2532 - Removes the part of the statute that exempts the State of Arizona (as an employer) from minimum wage requirements. [Just a minor change; I'm sure there won't be any screaming from the Republicans on this one. Really. Trust me. :))]
HB2534 - Would require that municipalities' general plans include a water conservation element.
HB2535 - More water supply requirements for land divisions.
HB2538 - sales tax exemption for non-profit housing; specifically for organizations that build single-family homes for sale to families "whose household income is less than eighty per cent of the median family income of this state." Sounds like it applies to organizations like Habitat for Humanity.
HCR2029 - Arizona DREAM Act, stating that, regardless of immigration status, a person who entered the state as a minor would be considered as an 'in-state' resident, presuming the person is otherwise qualified for such status.

Later!!

2008 Democratic Convention: Denver

In an announcement that isn't all that surprising, Denver won out over New York City as the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

The official announcement from Democrats.org is here.

I'm pretty enthusiastic about this, and am tentatively planning on volunteering/blogging from the convention (a cheap week for me - my sister lives in Denver. Don't have to worry about hotels and stuff :)) ), but I am a little hesitant - it looks like a union local was screwed over in the deal.

"The union has grave reservations," said Dave Minshall, who handles public relations for the stagehands. "I mean the Democrats ought to act like Democrats."

In this case, the "union" is International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local No. 7.

The event will be held in the Pepsi Center, a non-union facility own by Stan Kroenke, who is married to Ann Walton.

Yes, that's "Walton" as in the Waltons of Wal-Mart.

Hell froze over last night at the Planning Commission meeting in Scottsdale

I actually agreed with some Republicans.

No, this isn't about Bush's plan to send 21,000 more targets to Iraq to support his War to Aid Halliburton's Bottom Line.

Nope. Instead of watching the President's speech on TV, I went to the Planning Commission meeting in Scottsdale where they were considering changes to the sign ordinance that would ban political and other temporary signs on public property and in rights-of-way (ROW), and impose restrictions on their placement on private property.

There were two, related, items under consideration - 12-TA-2006 (just the public property/ROW ban) and 13-TA-2006 (the ban plus the private property restrictions.)

The basic ban would prohibit placement of temporary signs on public property and in rights-of-way, except for government, safety, street, and traffic control/direction signs. Also exempted would be banner signs for special events on held on public property.

The restrictions on signs placed on private property include reducing the maximum size to 8 square feet, requiring that they be placed perpendicular to the road and be placed at least 10 feet apart in orderly rows.

The people who spoke in support of the proposed restrictions used words like "clutter", "ugly", "unsightly" with the occasional mention of "safety."

The part where the Devil had to put on a sweater and earmuffs?

Royce Flora and Travis Junion, respectively, the chair and vice-chair of the LD8 Republicans, spoke out against the changes.

Flora expressed support for the public property/ROW ban because of safety considerations. However, he was utterly opposed to the restrictions proposed for private property. He cited free speech and private property rights concerns, and advised the commissioners that he would push for legislative relief if the City enacted such restrictions.

Junion read a letter from Sen. Carolyn Allen (R-LD8), who was unable to attend due to legislative duties, opposing private property restrictions.

I may not ever have reason to say this about two very conservative Republicans again, but

THEY WERE RIGHT.

No one in the room tonight, including me, has a problem with addressing safety concerns. Even those of us who are 'political' have to drive here, and clean sight lines aren't a luxury, they're a necessity.

However, in regards to the private property restrictions, "aesthetic considerations" are trumped by free speech considerations.

The Constitution protects free expression, but nowhere does it require that free expression be "orderly" or "aesthetically-pleasing."


During the discussion, there were concerns expressed about "offsite development" signs, signs that advertise a given housing development and are supposed to be temporary (< 1 year in duration) but are still up 5 years or more later.

Individual commissioners expressed support for 12-TA-2006 but had some reservations. None expressed support for 13-TA-2006. When Commissioner Steinke made a motion to recommend 12-TA-2006 to the City Council, the motion died for lack of a second.

After a few more minutes of discussion, the Commission decided to continue the measures in order to study them at a January 24th Study Session, and to re-agendize them at the February 14 meeting of the Planning Commission.

The interesting part of that process was the way Frank Gray, General Manager of the Planning and Development Services Department, made sure that the Commission didn't kill 13-TA-2006 by subtly strong-arming them into continuing both items, not just the one they "sort of" liked.

While the Commission delayed action, and certainly did not seem enthusiastic about the private property signage restrictions, this isn't dead yet. Judging from Mr. Gray's efforts to keep alive the proposed restrictions, somewhere inside the city government, there is a strong desire for them.

While I can't attend the January 24th study session, I'll try to make it to the February meeting.

If this (the private property restrictions) makes it to the City Council, I'll contact the LD17 legislators and ask them if they could make an appearance, or, as Sen. Allen did, send a letter expressing their position on this subject.

Good night!

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) adding to his Presidential Candidate resume

From a press release:

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Gets Commitment for 60-Day Cease-Fire in Darfur Region of Sudan


KHARTOUM, SUDAN – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced that he has secured a commitment from Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al Bashir to agree to a 60-day cessation of hostilities in the Darfur region to allow for a new political process under the Darfur Peace Agreement and the auspices of the African Union and the United Nations.

Even if this cease-fire doesn't hold, or holds incompletely, Governor Richardson's work is just adding to the idea that while he may not be the 'money' candidate (Sen. Hillary Clinton) or the 'trendy candidate of the moment' (Sen. Barack Obama), he may be the 'most-qualified' candidate.

Executive experience - check (Governor of New Mexico)

Washington experience - check (Congressman for 15 years, Secretary of Energy)

Foreign Affairs experience - check (Ambassador to the UN, special envoy on many occasions, worked for the State Department and the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee prior to seeking elected office)

I'm not the only one who is starting to think this - Jobsanger in TX, and Eli Blake, posting at NightBird's Fountain and Deep Thought, among many other bloggers, think so, too.

I haven't decided who to support in the primary, but he's worthy of serious consideration.

Later!