CHILI FOR CHANGE COOK-OFF
With Special Guests:
Congressman Harry Mitchell and Attorney General Terry Goddard
*Who will make the best chili?*
State Senator Meg Burton Cahill?
State Representative Ed Ableser?
State Representative David Schapira?
Or a mysterious vegetarian with a killer carnivore recipe?
*Enter your own chili in the contest!*
Saturday, May 2nd, 4-7pm
At the home of David and Kathy Schwarz in Scottsdale (need directions? Contact LD17 chair Lauren Kuby - email below)
Winner announced at 5:30!
*Ticket Prices:*
$25
$15 for YDs
$10 for Kids
For Tickets: email laurenkuby[at]gmail.com; or buy online at http://www.d17dems.org/donate.asp
Proceeds to benefit the Maricopa County Democratic Party and LD17 Democrats.
...OK, so it's the "event of the year" if you are a Democrat and like chili... :)
Monday, April 06, 2009
Well, that didn't take long...
In yesterday's post on upcoming political activities, I wrote -
So, acting as if they *wanted* to prove my prescience, today the MCBOS posted a notice of a special meeting on Wednesday morning (10 a.m, Sullivan Conference Room, 10th Floor, 301 W. Jefferson in Phoenix).
No agenda for the special meeting as posted as yet, but it wouldn't shock me if the main topic will have something to do with today's development in the ongoing feud between the supes and County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
From AZCentral.com -
AZRep columnist Laurie Roberts has coverage here.
What remains to be seen is if Thomas' move is calculated to allow him to save face when his cases implode (bottom line - with the Stapley case he indicted, then investigated. Never a good sign for a prosecution...) or if he is just prepping for his resignation to run for AG (or Gov??) next year.
Of course, it could be both - it will look better, or at least less bad, if the cases are ultimately dropped by an out-of-county prosecutor instead of Thomas or his hand-picked* successor.
* - That "hand-picked" is just a bit of speculation, but it seems like something Thomas would negotiate in exchange for getting rid of the cases.
Edit on 4/7 to update -
The MCBOS has posted an agenda for the meeting; it lists no subject for the meeting other than to say that the meeting will be of the "executive session" variety, meaning "public not invited."
End edit...
Later!
"...Maricopa County Board of Supervisors - no meetings scheduled at this point, though with the constant legal wrangling between the supes and Andrew Thomas/Joe Arpaio, something could pop up on short notice."
So, acting as if they *wanted* to prove my prescience, today the MCBOS posted a notice of a special meeting on Wednesday morning (10 a.m, Sullivan Conference Room, 10th Floor, 301 W. Jefferson in Phoenix).
No agenda for the special meeting as posted as yet, but it wouldn't shock me if the main topic will have something to do with today's development in the ongoing feud between the supes and County Attorney Andrew Thomas.
From AZCentral.com -
Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced early Monday that he is turning two controversial cases involving public corruption to an out-of-county prosecutor.
Thomas said that the criminal prosecution against Supervisor Don Stapley and the grand jury investigation into the planned court tower building in downtown Phoenix will be handled by the Yavapai County Attorney's Office.
"I'm trying to bring about a global resolution of the issues between our office and the Board of Supervisors," Thomas said.
AZRep columnist Laurie Roberts has coverage here.
What remains to be seen is if Thomas' move is calculated to allow him to save face when his cases implode (bottom line - with the Stapley case he indicted, then investigated. Never a good sign for a prosecution...) or if he is just prepping for his resignation to run for AG (or Gov??) next year.
Of course, it could be both - it will look better, or at least less bad, if the cases are ultimately dropped by an out-of-county prosecutor instead of Thomas or his hand-picked* successor.
* - That "hand-picked" is just a bit of speculation, but it seems like something Thomas would negotiate in exchange for getting rid of the cases.
Edit on 4/7 to update -
The MCBOS has posted an agenda for the meeting; it lists no subject for the meeting other than to say that the meeting will be of the "executive session" variety, meaning "public not invited."
End edit...
Later!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
The coming week...
...All info culled from online sources and subject to change without notice...
...It's easy to cover the expected goings-on in Congress this week - there aren't any. Congress is on its Easter/spring recess.
...In the AZ Legislature, things are still officially "quiet" as the Senate President's "no bills until the budget is done" edict is still in force. However, both the Dems and the Reps have put out proposals for the coming fiscal year (yes, both proposals are wildly divergent and of the "PR fodder" variety, but they are still proposals) so there are some expectations of an imminent thaw on that front. Probably not this week, though.
- In House COW action, the most contentious debate could be over HB2103, a bill to authorize the state treasurer to employ legal counsel other than the state attorney general. Call this the "Dean Martin doesn't like Terry Goddard" bill. The fun part of this is that while Martin is trying to bypass the state AG because the AG's office isn't knowledgeable in the financial area and to "save the general fund a few million dollars." (State Treasurer Dean Martin, at the February 20, 2009 House Government Committee meeting), Martin's saddle partners Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio are opposing the Maricopa County supes' move to freeze Thomas out of the County's civil litigation for similar reasons.
Ahhhh..the Golden Rule of Politics - It's Only Hypocrisy When Someone Else Does It.
Unmentioned at the hearing, probably because it hadn't been generated yet, was the lege's fiscal note. A note formulated based on input from the Treasurer's office itself.
The highest specific number listed for the impact was $36,100. That was for the cost of attorney services at the current level utilized (94 hours), charged at the highest estimated hourly fee; however, the note mentions a non-specific savings because the AG's office gets a 35% cut of any monies that are recovered because of their services.
The fiscal note also mentions that this bill would have an unspecified impact on some local governments who invest with the Treasurer's office. They would end up having to cover some of the costs of the Treasurer's outside attorneys in an era when local governments across the state are chopping services and employees.
- The committee side of the lege looks to be fairly quiet (for now, anyway :) ).
Over in the House, the Rules Committee will be meeting at 1 p.m. in HHR4. The agenda there is lengthy, but seems to be fairly uncontroversial at this point.
At 11 on Tuesday morning, there will be a joint meeting of the House Commerce and Health and Human Services committees in HHR 5 to hear a presentation on the " Impact of the Hidden Healthcare Tax on Business (Prepared for the Arizona Chamber Foundation - presented by Randy Haught of The Lewin Group)."
On the Senate side of the complex, the committees that meet will be meeting mostly to consider executive appointments. The most interesting (OK, the one with the most familiar names) of those could be at Tuesday's meeting of the Senate's Commerce and Economic Development Committee (1:30 p.m., SHR1). There, they will considering the appointments of former Corporation Commissioners William Mundell and Jeff Hatch-Miller as Registrar of Contractors and to the AZ State Lottery Commission, respectively.
...Arizona Corporation Commission - no meetings scheduled.
...Maricopa County Board of Supervisors - no meetings scheduled at this point, though with the constant legal wrangling between the supes and Andrew Thomas/Joe Arpaio, something could pop up on short notice.
...Governing board of the Maricopa County Community College District - no meetings scheduled.
...The Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health Systems - no meetings scheduled, but they'll be involved with a conference at the Phoenician through Wednesday.
...The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project - On Thursday, there will be meetings of the Board's Public Policy Committee and of the Board itself in Casa Grande.
...Tuesday night, the Scottsdale City Council will hold a regular meeting followed by a joint meeting with the Budget Review Commission. At the joint meeting, the two groups will hear about the City Manager's plan to address budget issues. The plan includes elimination of 150 more positions (some through attrition, some through layoffs) and the elimination of retiree health coverage for future employees.
Other events -
- Thursday, 9 a.m. - Governor Jan Brewer will attend a "special summit" of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council to discuss budget issues.
Location: Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe
- Also on Thursday...
Sustainability Town Hall with Congressman Harry Mitchell
2 to 3:30 p.m. (registration at 1:45 p.m.)
SkySong, 1475 N. Scottsdale Road (southeast corner at McDowell; enter off McDowell)
Topic: Green jobs today for a strong economy tomorrow.
RSVP: Adralyn, adralyn.wendel[at]mail.house.gov or (480) 946-2411.
Later...
...It's easy to cover the expected goings-on in Congress this week - there aren't any. Congress is on its Easter/spring recess.
...In the AZ Legislature, things are still officially "quiet" as the Senate President's "no bills until the budget is done" edict is still in force. However, both the Dems and the Reps have put out proposals for the coming fiscal year (yes, both proposals are wildly divergent and of the "PR fodder" variety, but they are still proposals) so there are some expectations of an imminent thaw on that front. Probably not this week, though.
- In House COW action, the most contentious debate could be over HB2103, a bill to authorize the state treasurer to employ legal counsel other than the state attorney general. Call this the "Dean Martin doesn't like Terry Goddard" bill. The fun part of this is that while Martin is trying to bypass the state AG because the AG's office isn't knowledgeable in the financial area and to "save the general fund a few million dollars." (State Treasurer Dean Martin, at the February 20, 2009 House Government Committee meeting), Martin's saddle partners Andrew Thomas and Joe Arpaio are opposing the Maricopa County supes' move to freeze Thomas out of the County's civil litigation for similar reasons.
Ahhhh..the Golden Rule of Politics - It's Only Hypocrisy When Someone Else Does It.
Unmentioned at the hearing, probably because it hadn't been generated yet, was the lege's fiscal note. A note formulated based on input from the Treasurer's office itself.
The highest specific number listed for the impact was $36,100. That was for the cost of attorney services at the current level utilized (94 hours), charged at the highest estimated hourly fee; however, the note mentions a non-specific savings because the AG's office gets a 35% cut of any monies that are recovered because of their services.
The fiscal note also mentions that this bill would have an unspecified impact on some local governments who invest with the Treasurer's office. They would end up having to cover some of the costs of the Treasurer's outside attorneys in an era when local governments across the state are chopping services and employees.
- The committee side of the lege looks to be fairly quiet (for now, anyway :) ).
Over in the House, the Rules Committee will be meeting at 1 p.m. in HHR4. The agenda there is lengthy, but seems to be fairly uncontroversial at this point.
At 11 on Tuesday morning, there will be a joint meeting of the House Commerce and Health and Human Services committees in HHR 5 to hear a presentation on the " Impact of the Hidden Healthcare Tax on Business (Prepared for the Arizona Chamber Foundation - presented by Randy Haught of The Lewin Group)."
On the Senate side of the complex, the committees that meet will be meeting mostly to consider executive appointments. The most interesting (OK, the one with the most familiar names) of those could be at Tuesday's meeting of the Senate's Commerce and Economic Development Committee (1:30 p.m., SHR1). There, they will considering the appointments of former Corporation Commissioners William Mundell and Jeff Hatch-Miller as Registrar of Contractors and to the AZ State Lottery Commission, respectively.
...Arizona Corporation Commission - no meetings scheduled.
...Maricopa County Board of Supervisors - no meetings scheduled at this point, though with the constant legal wrangling between the supes and Andrew Thomas/Joe Arpaio, something could pop up on short notice.
...Governing board of the Maricopa County Community College District - no meetings scheduled.
...The Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health Systems - no meetings scheduled, but they'll be involved with a conference at the Phoenician through Wednesday.
...The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project - On Thursday, there will be meetings of the Board's Public Policy Committee and of the Board itself in Casa Grande.
...Tuesday night, the Scottsdale City Council will hold a regular meeting followed by a joint meeting with the Budget Review Commission. At the joint meeting, the two groups will hear about the City Manager's plan to address budget issues. The plan includes elimination of 150 more positions (some through attrition, some through layoffs) and the elimination of retiree health coverage for future employees.
Other events -
- Thursday, 9 a.m. - Governor Jan Brewer will attend a "special summit" of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council to discuss budget issues.
Location: Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe
- Also on Thursday...
Sustainability Town Hall with Congressman Harry Mitchell
2 to 3:30 p.m. (registration at 1:45 p.m.)
SkySong, 1475 N. Scottsdale Road (southeast corner at McDowell; enter off McDowell)
Topic: Green jobs today for a strong economy tomorrow.
RSVP: Adralyn, adralyn.wendel[at]mail.house.gov or (480) 946-2411.
Later...
Support the Face Of America bike ride for injured veterans
PSA time, but with a family twist.
An email from my sister Cori -
She can be reached at corim[at]ecollege.com
The ride will take place over a weekend (April 24 - 26) with the participants riding from Bethesda, Maryland to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Full itinerary and more info here)
World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports brings individuals together to undertake unique athletic events throughout the world to encourage, promote, and develop opportunities in sports for people, with and without disabilities. It does a *lot* of work with disabled veterans.
No matter what your political persuasion, this is a worthy cause. Give it a look-see, and if you are able to, donate some time or financial resources (aka - money :) ).
Note: This event has turned into a bit of a family affair. In addition to my sister Cori riding in the event, nephew Liam is riding, sister Patti helping to organize accomodations and with other logistics, and stepmom Sherry is volunteering with the medical team.
Later!
An email from my sister Cori -
Help Support World TEAM Sports!
Hello Everyone!
For all y'all who haven't been stuck riding with me on my little "training excursions", I'd like to tell you about an organization worthy of supporting, and of course, ask you to pitch in a few bucks (a $10 can REALLY add up!) to help support their initiatives.
Check out World TEAM Sports: www.worldteamsports.org - the 2009 Face of America ride is coming up in just a few weeks, and yes, I will be riding....(and YES you are INVITED!!!) - and for those who cannot attend, this is when I ask you to help support the ride through donations...I've watched how this event helps newly-injured soldiers regain hope that they can still accomplish great things despite their injuries, and for me personally it helps me learn to appreciate those abilities I do have rather than focusing on those I don't, as well as greatly expanding my appreciation of what these soldiers have personally sacrificed for honor and country.
So, please click on the link below to donate (and thank you!!!)
www.active.com/donate/2009FOA/FOACORI
If you are interested in coming, please shoot me an email as well....
Thanks again!!!!!!!!
She can be reached at corim[at]ecollege.com
The ride will take place over a weekend (April 24 - 26) with the participants riding from Bethesda, Maryland to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. (Full itinerary and more info here)
World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports brings individuals together to undertake unique athletic events throughout the world to encourage, promote, and develop opportunities in sports for people, with and without disabilities. It does a *lot* of work with disabled veterans.
No matter what your political persuasion, this is a worthy cause. Give it a look-see, and if you are able to, donate some time or financial resources (aka - money :) ).
Note: This event has turned into a bit of a family affair. In addition to my sister Cori riding in the event, nephew Liam is riding, sister Patti helping to organize accomodations and with other logistics, and stepmom Sherry is volunteering with the medical team.
Later!
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Are Limbaugh, the NRA, Faux News, and the rest of the right wing echo chamber going to send flowers to the funerals???
Or will they just pay for the team of high-priced defense lawyers?
From AP via Yahoo! News -
On Saturday, AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona had a timely post on the right wing's steady drumbeat of "they're coming to take away our guns ho ho he he ha ha" and its incitement to violence.
AZ examples of that drumbeat can be found at Sonoran Alliance here and American Conservative Republican here.
Enough already. I'm not calling to restrict the exercise of free speech, or even to abridge the ability of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms, but I will find it interesting to see how the NRA and the other anti-society (but pro-gun! Gotta have dem guns!) groups reconcile their hate speech with Poplawski's heartfelt and deadly application of that speech.
BTW - There's a reason that every professional cop that I've ever known has hated one kind of call for service most of all - domestic disturbances. They literally have no idea what to expect when they arrive at the scene. While Saturday's incident was unusual in its level of viciousness and lethality, it's far from unheard-of for officers to be attacked by suspects or even the victims involved.
My deepest condolences and thoughts go out to the victims and their families, friends, and colleagues.
From AP via Yahoo! News -
PITTSBURGH – A gunman wearing a bulletproof vest and "lying in wait" opened fire on officers responding to a domestic disturbance call Saturday, killing three of them and turning a quiet Pittsburgh street into a battlefield, police said.
Police Chief Nate Harper said the motive for the shooting isn't clear, but friends said the gunman recently had been upset about losing his job and feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.
Richard Poplawski, 23, met officers at the doorway and shot two of them in the head immediately, Harper said. An officer who tried to help the two also was killed.
{snip}
The three slain officers were Eric Kelly, 41, Stephen Mayhle, 29, and Paul Sciullo III, 37. Kelly had been on the force for 14 years, Mayhle and Sciullo for two years each. Another officer, Timothy McManaway, was shot in the hand and a fifth broke his leg on a fence.
Poplawski had gunshot wounds in his legs but was otherwise unharmed because he was wearing a bulletproof vest, Harper said. He was charged with three counts of homicide, aggravated assault and a weapons violation.
On Saturday, AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona had a timely post on the right wing's steady drumbeat of "they're coming to take away our guns ho ho he he ha ha" and its incitement to violence.
AZ examples of that drumbeat can be found at Sonoran Alliance here and American Conservative Republican here.
Enough already. I'm not calling to restrict the exercise of free speech, or even to abridge the ability of law-abiding citizens to possess firearms, but I will find it interesting to see how the NRA and the other anti-society (but pro-gun! Gotta have dem guns!) groups reconcile their hate speech with Poplawski's heartfelt and deadly application of that speech.
BTW - There's a reason that every professional cop that I've ever known has hated one kind of call for service most of all - domestic disturbances. They literally have no idea what to expect when they arrive at the scene. While Saturday's incident was unusual in its level of viciousness and lethality, it's far from unheard-of for officers to be attacked by suspects or even the victims involved.
My deepest condolences and thoughts go out to the victims and their families, friends, and colleagues.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
If Arpaio knows about anything, this is it
From AZCentral.com -
As he is Maricopa County's resident expert on the subject of witch hunts as publicity stunts, he should know of what he speaks.
Today the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, citizenship, refugees, border security and international law and the subcommittee on the Constitution, civil rights and civil liberties are scheduled to hold a hearing on "the public-safety and civil-rights implications of state and local enforcement of federal immigration laws."
Sheriff Joe Arpaio has a shorter description for what's going on in Washington.
"It's all a publicity stunt," he told me Wednesday. "A witch hunt."
As he is Maricopa County's resident expert on the subject of witch hunts as publicity stunts, he should know of what he speaks.
You have *got* to be kidding...
OK, I can understand the Reps' joy at one of their own avoiding prison, but that joy seems to be clouding their judgement.
Now the Alaska Republican Party wants to use the fact that the Obama Department of Justice dropped charges against former Senator Ted Stevens to rationalize overturning the results of a legitimately conducted and counted election.
From AP -
Ummm..."a few thousand"???
In 2002, Stevens won reelection with 78.17% of the vote.
In 2008, Stevens lost with 46.52% of the vote.
That's a change of 31.62%.
There were 147,814 votes cast in the 2008 Alaska senatorial race. That makes for a difference of 46,739 votes.
Not just "a few thousand."
And just to reiterate - the DOJ's dropping of the charges doesn't mean that Stevens isn't corrupt, just that the prosecutors of his case stepped over the line of propriety.
...On the other hand, the outpouring of sympathy for the "innocent" (OK, not-so-innocent) Stevens isn't confined to the desolate tundra of Alaska - the Beltway insiders and member of the chattering class is falling over themselves in their rush to proclaim the "innocence" of one of their own. (TPMMuckraker, and thanks to Tedski for the heads-up)
Now the Alaska Republican Party wants to use the fact that the Obama Department of Justice dropped charges against former Senator Ted Stevens to rationalize overturning the results of a legitimately conducted and counted election.
From AP -
The state GOP party says the only reason Begich won is because a few thousand Alaskans thought that Stevens was guilty of seven felonies. Stevens was charged with failing to disclose gifts and home renovations.
Ummm..."a few thousand"???
In 2002, Stevens won reelection with 78.17% of the vote.
In 2008, Stevens lost with 46.52% of the vote.
That's a change of 31.62%.
There were 147,814 votes cast in the 2008 Alaska senatorial race. That makes for a difference of 46,739 votes.
Not just "a few thousand."
And just to reiterate - the DOJ's dropping of the charges doesn't mean that Stevens isn't corrupt, just that the prosecutors of his case stepped over the line of propriety.
...On the other hand, the outpouring of sympathy for the "innocent" (OK, not-so-innocent) Stevens isn't confined to the desolate tundra of Alaska - the Beltway insiders and member of the chattering class is falling over themselves in their rush to proclaim the "innocence" of one of their own. (TPMMuckraker, and thanks to Tedski for the heads-up)
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
New candidate in LD8
The candidate is a Republican, but since I've had all day to either sleep or be awake and bored and/or miserable, it's worth a post.
According the AZ Secretary of State's website, one Eric Ulis has filed to run for the Republican nomination for LD8 State Representative (filer ID 201000082). He's formed a committee as a non-Clean Elections candidate.
Ulis was the chair of an anti-anti-smoking referendum that failed to make the 2006 ballot (I-17-2006). He's also the founder of something called Continental Poker Championship LLC.
...I'm guessing that he is not a huge fan of anti-online gambling Senator and fellow Republican Jon Kyl.
The highlight of my internet search for info on Mr. Ulis was his Facebook page in which he proclaims that his favorite musical artist is George Michael.
...Probably something that he will play down during his campaign. Especially with Mr. Michaels' penchant for getting arrested in public restrooms...something that the Reps have had their own problems with, and probably don't want to be reminded of. :)
Tedski, Gila Courier (and here), Espresso Pundit, and the Phoenix New Times all have posts up about other 2010 candidates.
Would it be immodest to point out that I was there first?? Well, except for EP's Symington and Gila Courier's McCain primary challenge rumors. :)
BTW - If the Symington rumor is true, that would be manna from heaven for Democrats.
Later...
According the AZ Secretary of State's website, one Eric Ulis has filed to run for the Republican nomination for LD8 State Representative (filer ID 201000082). He's formed a committee as a non-Clean Elections candidate.
Ulis was the chair of an anti-anti-smoking referendum that failed to make the 2006 ballot (I-17-2006). He's also the founder of something called Continental Poker Championship LLC.
...I'm guessing that he is not a huge fan of anti-online gambling Senator and fellow Republican Jon Kyl.
The highlight of my internet search for info on Mr. Ulis was his Facebook page in which he proclaims that his favorite musical artist is George Michael.
...Probably something that he will play down during his campaign. Especially with Mr. Michaels' penchant for getting arrested in public restrooms...something that the Reps have had their own problems with, and probably don't want to be reminded of. :)
Tedski, Gila Courier (and here), Espresso Pundit, and the Phoenix New Times all have posts up about other 2010 candidates.
Would it be immodest to point out that I was there first?? Well, except for EP's Symington and Gila Courier's McCain primary challenge rumors. :)
BTW - If the Symington rumor is true, that would be manna from heaven for Democrats.
Later...
Feds drop charges against former Senator Ted Stevens
While the right-wing blogosphere is crowing about this, I'd like to point out that while the charges were dropped, it was because of prosecutorial misconduct, *not* because Stevens was exonerated.
And I'd like to point out that it was misconduct by Bush-era prosecutors.
Now I have no doubt that Stevens is dirty, but *everybody*, even people that are thoroughly corrupt, deserve a fair trial. It's a basic tenet of our system of laws that everyone, from the lowest street-level drug dealers to the highest-flying politicians and corporate executives, gets a fair shot in court when they face criminal charges (whether or not those politicians and corporate executives face trial as often as they should is a discussion best left for another day).
The upshot of this is that Attorney General Eric Holder's move today signals a return to the rule of law, something that has been missing from the U.S. for eight years.
And that is bigger news than the dropping of one set of charges.
And I'd like to point out that it was misconduct by Bush-era prosecutors.
Now I have no doubt that Stevens is dirty, but *everybody*, even people that are thoroughly corrupt, deserve a fair trial. It's a basic tenet of our system of laws that everyone, from the lowest street-level drug dealers to the highest-flying politicians and corporate executives, gets a fair shot in court when they face criminal charges (whether or not those politicians and corporate executives face trial as often as they should is a discussion best left for another day).
The upshot of this is that Attorney General Eric Holder's move today signals a return to the rule of law, something that has been missing from the U.S. for eight years.
And that is bigger news than the dropping of one set of charges.
My turn to be under the weather...
Today is mostly going to consist of cold medicine, soup, juice, and sleep.
Depending on how I feel later, blogging may be a possibility (Congressional Republicans have come out with their "budget", aka - more tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and spending cuts for anything that doesn't involve invading other countries to take their oil.)
April Fool's Day is definitely the appropriate day for the Reps to trot out a budget proposal that is more of the same garbage that helped put the country in the economic mess that it's in.
But that will be later, if at all...time for a nap.
Later...
Depending on how I feel later, blogging may be a possibility (Congressional Republicans have come out with their "budget", aka - more tax cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans, and spending cuts for anything that doesn't involve invading other countries to take their oil.)
April Fool's Day is definitely the appropriate day for the Reps to trot out a budget proposal that is more of the same garbage that helped put the country in the economic mess that it's in.
But that will be later, if at all...time for a nap.
Later...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Why my city is hosed...
"Eat Drink Be Pretty"????
Somebody who has a penchant for thoroughness might want to add cracks about "Botox" or "NIMBY" or "Destroy Neighborhoods", but that would be unnecessary piling on after the whistle has blown the play dead.
That one slogan covers all that Scottsdale really stands for.
Conspicuous consumption and vapid shallowness.
This is not to be taken as a criticism of the Scottsdale Culinary Festival itself - it's a lot of fun and I recommend attending if you can (April 18 and 19). Just don't expect much intellectual stimulation.
Oh, and fortunately for the Culinary Festival, the Tempe Music Festival is taking place two weeks earlier (this weekend!).
In the event there had been a conflict in the schedule, well, college towns are a lot more interesting (something about the higher number of triple-digit IQs).
:)
Monday, March 30, 2009
The Best Reason To See A Sean Penn Film
Bill O'Reilly of Faux News won't.
From The Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo! -
This is pretty petty, even for O'Reilly. Even as liberal as I am, I've never not watched a Charlton Heston movie because he was the president of the NRA or not watched a Law and Order rerun because Fred Thompson is in it. More importantly, I don't know anyone who has.
Yes, Sean Penn is annoyingly smug, but he's also undeniably talented. As with Bono of U2 (somebody who is also annoyingly smug), I'm a fan because of what they can do on screen or in the studio, not because of their politics.
(Full disclosure - I didn't go out of my way to watch Heston's films, but mostly because he had done almost nothing noteworthy after The Planet Of The Apes. And most of Thompson's work was as a secondary character. As such, his performances wouldn't have had an impact on my "see/don't see" decision anyway.)
From The Hollywood Reporter via Yahoo! -
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: ARE THERE ACTORS WHOSE POLITICAL OPINIONS DISTURB YOU SO MUCH YOU WON'T SEE THEIR MOVIES?
O'Reilly: Just Sean Penn
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: SOMEONE WILL READ THAT AND ACCUSE YOU OF ENCOURAGING A NEW BLACKLIST ERA.
O'Reilly: Not at all. He's a great actor, and if you hire him, you'll get a good performance. I'm just not going to give a guy who gives aid and comfort to people like (Iran president Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez and Saddam Hussein, when he was alive, my 10 bucks. That's my right as an American.
This is pretty petty, even for O'Reilly. Even as liberal as I am, I've never not watched a Charlton Heston movie because he was the president of the NRA or not watched a Law and Order rerun because Fred Thompson is in it. More importantly, I don't know anyone who has.
Yes, Sean Penn is annoyingly smug, but he's also undeniably talented. As with Bono of U2 (somebody who is also annoyingly smug), I'm a fan because of what they can do on screen or in the studio, not because of their politics.
(Full disclosure - I didn't go out of my way to watch Heston's films, but mostly because he had done almost nothing noteworthy after The Planet Of The Apes. And most of Thompson's work was as a secondary character. As such, his performances wouldn't have had an impact on my "see/don't see" decision anyway.)
More 2010 campaigns news
Among the new campaigns for 2010 that have registered with the Secretary of State's office are -
Dugan is Tom Horne's Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction. Don't know much about her yet, but the entry into the race of an ADE insider is certain to complicate things for the likes of legislators like State Sen. John Huppenthal and State Rep. Rich Crandall who were eyeing the seat.
Janelle Wood is an almost total unknown. However, a "Janelle Wood" with the same email address as is listed with the SOS' office is also listed as an Arizona contact person for something called the "Independent American Party." The IAP seems to advocate transforming America into some kind of semi-libertarian Christian theocracy (see its platform page here.)
In short, they're trying to out-Republican the Republicans.
If Wood's candidacy is real and gains any traction at all, it could undermine the Republicans in their efforts to win the Governor's office outright.
Especially if their extremists succeed in their efforts to defeat Jan Brewer in the primary.
In the "unofficial speculation" department, blog Gila Courier has some interesting observations about the activities of former AZGOP chair John Munger; current GOP Congressman Jeff Flake and former State Senator Karen Johnson are also mentioned in the post.
A Flake candidacy would be a serious one; a Johnson candidacy less so.
Later...
Cheryl Cage, Democrat, running for the LD26 State Senate seat currently occupied by Republican Al MelvinCage is a former candidate for the seat, and her entry into the race is far from unexpected. Tedski at Rum, Romanism, Rebellion is certain to have coverage of this race as the campaigns heat up.
Margaret Dugan, Republican, running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Janelle Wood, no party affiliation listed, running for Governor
Dugan is Tom Horne's Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction. Don't know much about her yet, but the entry into the race of an ADE insider is certain to complicate things for the likes of legislators like State Sen. John Huppenthal and State Rep. Rich Crandall who were eyeing the seat.
Janelle Wood is an almost total unknown. However, a "Janelle Wood" with the same email address as is listed with the SOS' office is also listed as an Arizona contact person for something called the "Independent American Party." The IAP seems to advocate transforming America into some kind of semi-libertarian Christian theocracy (see its platform page here.)
In short, they're trying to out-Republican the Republicans.
If Wood's candidacy is real and gains any traction at all, it could undermine the Republicans in their efforts to win the Governor's office outright.
Especially if their extremists succeed in their efforts to defeat Jan Brewer in the primary.
In the "unofficial speculation" department, blog Gila Courier has some interesting observations about the activities of former AZGOP chair John Munger; current GOP Congressman Jeff Flake and former State Senator Karen Johnson are also mentioned in the post.
A Flake candidacy would be a serious one; a Johnson candidacy less so.
Later...
House Democrats Release Common Sense Budget Proposal
On Monday, the Democratic caucus of the Arizona House released a budget proposal for Arizona that uses both fair spending cuts and common sense tax reforms to balance the budget while protecting education and jobs in the state.
The Democrats' proposed budget will (from the press release linked above) -
...There are many reasons to criticize the Reps' proposal that was leaked on Friday (and trust me, those criticisms are forthcoming :) ), but amid all of the carnage they want to blindly wreak upon the state's education system and public services are some nuggets of head-scratching, "say what?" utter stupidity.
Today, we highlight their proposal to save all of $211,000 by doing away with Arizona Commission on Indian Affairs.
The Commission is dedicated "to strengthening the relationship between Arizona's tribes and urban Indian communties and state government."
Now of course, anyone with any experience watching the Reps in action knows that they don't care about strengthening relationships with anyone who isn't rich, white, and Republican, so this move doesn't come as much of a surprise.
On the other hand, even the Reps have to respect the natural resources that Native American tribes control, even if they don't respect Native Americans as people.
And Native American tribes control 28% of Arizona's land.
Maintaining as many open lines of communications as possible with folks who control that much of the state and its natural resources would seem advisable, but apparently communication is not part of their plans. Given that their budget schemes since the beginning of the session have been hatched behind closed doors and shrouded in secrecy, this isn't shocking.
However, like the rest of the Reps' budget proposal, that doesn't seem to make much long-term sense.
From Monday's press conference -
The Democrats' proposed budget will (from the press release linked above) -
More details are available at StrongerArizona.com.- Utilize $2.4 billion — the maximum — of the federal stimulus funding available to Arizona in 2010
- Clean up government waste by stopping tax giveaways to big corporations and closing corporate tax loopholes
- Implement smart, responsible cuts across state government, including in our own House of Representatives
- Restore necessary funding to education and middle-class families that makes our economy thrive
...There are many reasons to criticize the Reps' proposal that was leaked on Friday (and trust me, those criticisms are forthcoming :) ), but amid all of the carnage they want to blindly wreak upon the state's education system and public services are some nuggets of head-scratching, "say what?" utter stupidity.
Today, we highlight their proposal to save all of $211,000 by doing away with Arizona Commission on Indian Affairs.
The Commission is dedicated "to strengthening the relationship between Arizona's tribes and urban Indian communties and state government."
Now of course, anyone with any experience watching the Reps in action knows that they don't care about strengthening relationships with anyone who isn't rich, white, and Republican, so this move doesn't come as much of a surprise.
On the other hand, even the Reps have to respect the natural resources that Native American tribes control, even if they don't respect Native Americans as people.
And Native American tribes control 28% of Arizona's land.
Maintaining as many open lines of communications as possible with folks who control that much of the state and its natural resources would seem advisable, but apparently communication is not part of their plans. Given that their budget schemes since the beginning of the session have been hatched behind closed doors and shrouded in secrecy, this isn't shocking.
However, like the rest of the Reps' budget proposal, that doesn't seem to make much long-term sense.
From Monday's press conference -
"It is key to our economic recovery and stability that we invest in education so that our children are competitive in the global economy," said Assistant House Democratic Leader Kyrsten Sinema. "House Democrats' traveled around the state listening to Arizonans' concerns about deep cuts to the state budget and we developed a comprehensive budget plan that will move Arizona forward to a brighter future."Now to find 8 - 10 Republicans with triple-digit IQs and souls.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
The week ahead...
Note: all info culled from online sources and subject to change without notice as events unfold. Check the appropriate organization's website for updates.
...In the U.S. House, the agenda looks to be a busy and somewhat contentious one.
- H.R. 1388, the "GIVE" Act, has passed the Senate with amendments. Those amendments are coming up for House approval. That will give the Three Amigos from AZ (Shadegg, Flake, and Franks), as well as the GOP caucus as a whole, another opportunity to vote against public service and volunteerism.
- Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick's (D-AZ1) H.R. 1513, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, will be heard as a suspension bill (2/3 support required to pass).
- Rep. Jeff Flake is bringing forward his sixth privileged motion "raising a question of privileges of the House. " The text isn't available online, it is probably related his call for both FBI/DOJ and ethics investigations into the campaign contributions made by PMA, a lobbying firm, and their relation to earmarks.
- H.R. 985, the Free Flow of Information Act. This one came up last year and passed the House, but later died in the Senate.
As with last year's version, this bill creates a federal journalists' shield law.
Also as with last year's version, this bill specifically provides coverage for corporate media personnel and specifically excludes bloggers and other citizen journalists.
It'll pass, but it's still inadequate.
- H.Res. 279, "Providing for the expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Eleventh Congress." It provides over $300 million for House committee operations. Call this one the "Peacock Act" in honor of all the preening and posturing that will be associated with this one.
- H.R. 1664, "To amend the executive compensation provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prohibit unreasonable and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance standards." Sounds good, until you read the fine print - the Secretary of the Treasury decides what is "unreasonable and excessive." It'll pass the House but face serious hurdles in the Senate.
- And in what is sure to be the most contentious of all, the House will be considering the "Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY 2010." Whatever final form the bill takes after a Rules Committee hearing on Wednesday, the Republicans and most of the Blue Dog Dems (including AZ5's Harry Mitchell) will probably oppose the measure.
...Back here in the AZ Legislature, it will be a mostly quiet week on the committee front, as only the House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet. On the Senate side, a few committees will meet, but only to consider executive appointments and to hear about the parts of the federal stimulus package that fall into their bailiwicks.
The House COW (Committee Of the Whole) calendars (here and here) offer up a couple of interesting nuggets.
HB2352 exempts Class II Injection Wells from the Aquifer Protection Permit requirement. From the "fact sheet" for the bill -
An APP permit is required when "one owns or operates a facility that releases pollutants directly into an aquifer, onto the land surface, or in between an aquifer and the land. Currently, injection wells are considered a polluting facility, along with ten other facility types."
In committee, every Republican supported increasing contamination in our drinking water, and every Dem opposed it.
Expect the same trend in the COW session.
Another interesting bill could be HB2101, a measure to require that counties with a population of greater than 175,000 residents have five member boards of supervisors. The current threshold is 200,000. As it turns out, it only affects Pinal County, which under the current law would be converting to a five-member board in 2012 anyway. The county supervisors association opposed it, too, because of the increased costs to the county during a time when all budgets are tight. There are also some questions about whether or not the USDOJ would approve any new districts (that darn Voting Rights Act! :) ).
Again, in committee, all Dems opposed it and all Reps favored it.
Again, expect the same in COW.
The highlight of the week in the AZ lege, though, could be the Democrats' unveiling of their budget proposal on Monday at 10:30 a.m. That one is sure to set up some cross-chatter/smack-talk between the two caucuses. Once the Reps "official" release theirs (which looks to be so harsh that they may have trouble getting it past some of the more vulnerable members of their caucus), the mutual criticism society will start in earnest.
...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will be meeting twice this week.
At Monday's "Informal" meeting (10:00 a.m., Supervisors' Auditorium, 205 W. Jefferson in Phoenix), the highlights include more budget balancing moves and an executive session, possibly to discuss the latest source of antagonism between them and the Maricopa County Attorney.
The agenda for Wednesday's meeting (9 a.m., Supervisors' Auditorium) is more mundane, yet still highlights the ongoing feud between the supes and the County Attorney and Sheriff.
One item (#16) covers the executive compensation package for Wade Swanson, the newly-hired director of the County's General Litigation Department. You know, the civil litigation duties taken away from Andrew Thomas.
AZRep coverage of the issue here.
...Anyway, those look to be some of the highlights of the upcoming week, though stuff could crop up out of the blue, like when Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's anti-immigrant jihad is making Maricopa County look like Selma, Alabama in the 1950s.
...In the U.S. House, the agenda looks to be a busy and somewhat contentious one.
- H.R. 1388, the "GIVE" Act, has passed the Senate with amendments. Those amendments are coming up for House approval. That will give the Three Amigos from AZ (Shadegg, Flake, and Franks), as well as the GOP caucus as a whole, another opportunity to vote against public service and volunteerism.
- Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick's (D-AZ1) H.R. 1513, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2009, will be heard as a suspension bill (2/3 support required to pass).
- Rep. Jeff Flake is bringing forward his sixth privileged motion "raising a question of privileges of the House. " The text isn't available online, it is probably related his call for both FBI/DOJ and ethics investigations into the campaign contributions made by PMA, a lobbying firm, and their relation to earmarks.
- H.R. 985, the Free Flow of Information Act. This one came up last year and passed the House, but later died in the Senate.
As with last year's version, this bill creates a federal journalists' shield law.
Also as with last year's version, this bill specifically provides coverage for corporate media personnel and specifically excludes bloggers and other citizen journalists.
It'll pass, but it's still inadequate.
- H.Res. 279, "Providing for the expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Eleventh Congress." It provides over $300 million for House committee operations. Call this one the "Peacock Act" in honor of all the preening and posturing that will be associated with this one.
- H.R. 1664, "To amend the executive compensation provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prohibit unreasonable and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance standards." Sounds good, until you read the fine print - the Secretary of the Treasury decides what is "unreasonable and excessive." It'll pass the House but face serious hurdles in the Senate.
- And in what is sure to be the most contentious of all, the House will be considering the "Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY 2010." Whatever final form the bill takes after a Rules Committee hearing on Wednesday, the Republicans and most of the Blue Dog Dems (including AZ5's Harry Mitchell) will probably oppose the measure.
...Back here in the AZ Legislature, it will be a mostly quiet week on the committee front, as only the House Rules Committee is scheduled to meet. On the Senate side, a few committees will meet, but only to consider executive appointments and to hear about the parts of the federal stimulus package that fall into their bailiwicks.
The House COW (Committee Of the Whole) calendars (here and here) offer up a couple of interesting nuggets.
HB2352 exempts Class II Injection Wells from the Aquifer Protection Permit requirement. From the "fact sheet" for the bill -
"Injection wells discharge liquid byproducts in deep, underground porous rock. Class II wells inject fluids associated with oil and natural gas production. The majority of the liquid that is released is a salt water (brine) solution. In order to prevent contamination, class II wells inject brine deep underground."
An APP permit is required when "one owns or operates a facility that releases pollutants directly into an aquifer, onto the land surface, or in between an aquifer and the land. Currently, injection wells are considered a polluting facility, along with ten other facility types."
In committee, every Republican supported increasing contamination in our drinking water, and every Dem opposed it.
Expect the same trend in the COW session.
Another interesting bill could be HB2101, a measure to require that counties with a population of greater than 175,000 residents have five member boards of supervisors. The current threshold is 200,000. As it turns out, it only affects Pinal County, which under the current law would be converting to a five-member board in 2012 anyway. The county supervisors association opposed it, too, because of the increased costs to the county during a time when all budgets are tight. There are also some questions about whether or not the USDOJ would approve any new districts (that darn Voting Rights Act! :) ).
Again, in committee, all Dems opposed it and all Reps favored it.
Again, expect the same in COW.
The highlight of the week in the AZ lege, though, could be the Democrats' unveiling of their budget proposal on Monday at 10:30 a.m. That one is sure to set up some cross-chatter/smack-talk between the two caucuses. Once the Reps "official" release theirs (which looks to be so harsh that they may have trouble getting it past some of the more vulnerable members of their caucus), the mutual criticism society will start in earnest.
...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors will be meeting twice this week.
At Monday's "Informal" meeting (10:00 a.m., Supervisors' Auditorium, 205 W. Jefferson in Phoenix), the highlights include more budget balancing moves and an executive session, possibly to discuss the latest source of antagonism between them and the Maricopa County Attorney.
The agenda for Wednesday's meeting (9 a.m., Supervisors' Auditorium) is more mundane, yet still highlights the ongoing feud between the supes and the County Attorney and Sheriff.
One item (#16) covers the executive compensation package for Wade Swanson, the newly-hired director of the County's General Litigation Department. You know, the civil litigation duties taken away from Andrew Thomas.
AZRep coverage of the issue here.
...Anyway, those look to be some of the highlights of the upcoming week, though stuff could crop up out of the blue, like when Mayor Phil Gordon of Phoenix said Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's anti-immigrant jihad is making Maricopa County look like Selma, Alabama in the 1950s.
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