This week's sign of the apocalypse -

Russell Pearce (R-National Alliance) could be named to head the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

From the Phoenix Business Journal -

The already-tense fight over immigration in the state could get a lot more intense.

There is talk at the State Capitol of state Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, possibly being named head of the state police.

Sources familiar with the situation say Brewer could be replacing Arizona Department of Public Safety director Roger Vanderpool and Pearce’s name has popped up.

Vanderpool was appointed by former governor Janet Napolitano in 2005. Napolitano is a Democrat while Brewer is a Republican.

Such a move, while certain to have some behind-the-scenes benefits for Brewer, would indicate a complete loss of professionalism (or even simple sanity) on the part of the Governor and her advisors.

This state has a bad enough reputation right now, what with the sheriff of the state's largest county turning his department into his own personal force of Brownshirts.

Giving control of the state's police force to one of Arpaio's fellow nativists would be an invitation to the US Department of Justice to find that Arizona law enforcement apparatus should be relieved of its duties due to an complete lack of regard for civil rights and the law.

Scottsdale City Council and redistribution of wealth

Sometimes the sh*tstorm that surrounds the Scottsdale City Council and Mayor can obscure the fact that at heart, they have far more that unites them than divides them.

At Tuesday's Council meeting, evidence of that unanimity of spirit was on display for all to see.

Specifically, evidence that all seven of them are Republicans who believe in the precept of "socialize costs, privatize benefits."

From AZCentral.com -

Troon Highlands Estates will become a gated community after the Scottsdale City Council voted 7-0 to abandon public streets in the area and turn them over to the subdivision's homeowners association.

Troon Highlands residents have long wanted their subdivision near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve to become a private community.

The abandonment allows the Troon Highlands HOA to fence off streets that had heretofore been public streets that allowed public access to the publicly-owned Preserve.

The City Council voted to boost the property values of an area that is already one of the priciest in Scottsdale. By voting to give this private HOA the ability to restrict public access to public property, they've essentially added thousands of acres of pristine desert to the control of the HOA and the property owners, increasing the size of their practical holdings without the HOA or its property owners having to actually compensate the City or its taxpayers for the costs related to the acquisition and operation of that part of the Preserve.

In case some readers may believe that I am overstating the "privatizing of public property" aspect of all of this, please read the minutes of May 27, 2009 meeting of the Planning Commission. Residents of the area stated that they wanted the gating of the road in that area because of the "nuisance" of the general public accessing the Preserve along the public streets. They also stated that they might open the gate during the day to allow some access, but that they would close the gate early in the evening so that the residents of the HOA could "enjoy being outdoors."

Note: Planning Commission consideration of the abandonment was ultimately continued to the August 12, 2009 meeting, where it was approved by a 5 - 1 margin.

Of course, the motivation behind this de facto gifting of public property to private interests could be far more mundane than a shared reverse Robin Hood ideology.

The Troon Highlands area is in the 85255 zip code.

Since the beginning of the 2006 election cycle, the seven people who constitute the elected leadership of Scottsdale have received approximately $25,000 in campaign contributions from donors listing addresses in that zip code. More than $9,000, over 1/3 of that total, went to Jim Lane during the 2008 election cycle.

And that doesn't include contributions from residents of the area who gave from different addresses, nor does it include the contributions that Mayor Jim Lane and Council member Lisa Borowsky solicited to retire their campaign debts (I can't find Lane's report for that online, and Borowsky hasn't filed it yet, and she doesn't have to until the end of January.)

On the other hand, there might be one plus side - this whole thing could lead to greater acceptance of changing the organizational structure of the City Council to a district structure.

Right now, all council members are elected "at-large."

While the majority of the City's land area is north of Shea, the majority of its population resides south of Shea Boulevard. In an "at-large" system, influence follows campaign contributions, and the big money in Scottsdale is north of Shea.

So while the majority of their constituents, the people who paid for the Preserve, live south of Shea, the folks with the larger wallets get increased control of the Preserve.

Statistics note: There isn't a ready way to search for political contributions by zip code on the City's website. I culled through the reports submitted by the Council members and Mayor since the beginning of the 2006 cycle and tallied each contribution that listed an 85255 zip code in an Excel spreadsheet.

The final total that I came up with $24,902, but that number may be a little low. When Bob Littlefield ran for his seat in 2006, during each reporting period he would submit an updated complete list of contributors. I grew tired of trying to figure out which contributions I had tallied already.

Also, in the interests of both saving time and staying on point (the point being that contributions could be influencing *this* council), I didn't include contributions to candidates who ran in 2006 and 2008 but didn't win their races.

I can email that spreadsheet to anybody requesting it; just leave a comment with your email address.

Later...

Russell Pearce, a modern-day Nero

...Bent on playing his nativist fiddle while Arizona's treasury burns...

From the East Valley Tribune -

State Sen. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, said Tuesday that he will urge Gov. Jan Brewer to call a special session of the Arizona Legislature to deal with illegal immigration issues in the state.

Pearce, in a statement released Tuesday afternoon, said he will hold a press conference Wednesday seeking the session so that lawmakers can respond to "recent attempts by the federal government to erode Arizona's progress in combating this problem," according to the press release.

State agencies are preparing for devastating cuts, including the possible end of funding for domestic violence shelters and the mass release of thousands of prisoners (interesting one-two combo, that), yet the best that Pearce, the chair of Senate Appropriations, can come up with is some nativist posturing and a photo op. (Possible DES cuts here; the AG's office response here; full list of possible cuts from agencies here)

Of course, the Republican caucus in the lege has made it clear that they do not take the state's fiscal crisis seriously - they've repeatedly declined to join state agencies in making budget cuts to help close the deficit.

Joe Arpaio is scheduled to be one of Pearce's cohorts/guests at the presser. Wonder if he is going to try to bar federal agents from that one like he did at one of his own?

Later...

Interesting Agenda Update - Maricopa County Board of Supervisors

In a post earlier this week about the schedule of political activity, I opined that the most interesting item on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors would be the one where they approved the hiring of private lawyers to serve as Andrew Thomas' personal hitters special prosecutors targeting the Supes themselves, in particular Don Stapley.

Well, that has changed somewhat.

The item in question, #11 on the formal meeting's agenda, has been pulled, and placed on the agenda of a special meeting scheduled to take place immediately before the regularly scheduled meeting.

Hmmm...

As it turns out, the supes found a way to not approve the hiring of the lawyers.

From AZCentral.com -

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas' plans to appoint outside attorneys as special prosecutors to investigate charges against Supervisor Don Stapley hit another stumbling block this morning, as the county Board of Supervisors withdrew from its agenda the item that would have sought approval for the appointments.

{snip}

[In a letter] County Manager David Smith outlined reasons the item had been withdrawn from the agenda for Wednesday's formal meeting:

1. The services of these attorneys were not properly procured. Procurement is required for the expenditure of any county or state funds, including RICO monies.

2. Two of the attorneys are not residents of Maricopa County, as required by applicable statute, including the person proposed to be in charge of all aspects of the matters.

3. The substantive matters set forth in the appointments have been previously assigned to the Yavapai County Attorney and cannot be reassigned by the County Attorney.

4. The three individuals cannot commence work or use court processes until the Board approves their appointments.

5. Your office refuses to provide a cost estimate for the proposed work and now appears to admit that the RICO fund does not contain sufficient funds to cover the costs (see attached MacDonnell memo, which states that Diversion Fund monies may be used). There may be an unknown substantial impact on the County Attorney's budget or the County's general fund if the previously planned uses of these funds have to be funded from other sources."

Essentially, the man who is the County's top lawyer and the one who wants to be Arizona's top lawyer either doesn't know the law (see items 2 - 4 in the above quote) or just doesn't think that the law should apply to him.

Either way, he isn't qualified for his current position or the one he aspires to.

Why is it that when elected Republicans fail, they blame everyone but themselves?

This is what happens when you elect people to oversee government who have nothing but contempt for the professionals who work in public services...

Whether it is GOP Mayor Jim Lane of Scottsdale blaming his own City Manager, John Little, for all that ails Scottsdale or nativist Republican Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio crying about the unfairness of it all when the professionals at ICE decline to continue official Federal sanction to the anti-Mexican railroad he's been engineering at MCSO, GOP elected officials invariably blame everyone but themselve for their own shortcomings as public officials.

While the likes of Arpaio and even Lane are fairly high-profile examples of this phenomenon, there are incidents of it even at the lower-levels of government.

From AZCentral.com -

An out-of-state team investigating the Maricopa County Community College District governing board released a 55-page report this week validating complaints about the board overstepping its authority and engaging in "rogue" behavior.

"The evidence is compelling that there are many elements of board behavior that urgently need to be addressed," the report released to the governing board states.

{snip}

Among the report's findings:

• Board members treat one another and college officials with a lack of respect and civility, creating "a climate of fear and intimidation" and "a culture of mistrust throughout the organization."

The board members have made 156 information requests of staff, impinged on their responsibilities, called employees at home on weekends and threatened to have employees fired.

• Four of five board members are acting "without any discernible understanding or appreciation of either the complexity of the (college) district or of the role/responsibility of the board as a governing body."

Further, several board members have "no desire to learn to act appropriately or to understand that their role and authority is primarily as a group that governs."

• The board has on various occasions usurped the authority of Chancellor Glasper and the Chancellor's Executive Council, choosing in one case to draft the 2010-11 operating budget without input from staff.

• Input from leadership, faculty and staff is discouraged and ignored by the board.

• Board members engage in bad behaviors, including making religious comments at board meetings; uttering inappropriate and offensive comments about race, ethnicity, religion and gender; and harassing students and employees.

• Some board members have tried to control content in college courses and influence admission into preferred college programs.

Of course, the Board couldn't let these criticisms of their acts go unchallenged.

From Board member Jerry Walker, published in the East Valley Tribune -

The recent “review” of the governing board for the Maricopa County Community College District by a team from the Higher Learning Commission is yet another example of how too few individuals fully understand the state-defined role of the five-member, publicly elected board. Simply put, the buck stops with us, the board members, and we are the ones who are ultimately responsible for stewardship of the public monies entrusted to us.

{snip}

Accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission is important for academic programs, but this voluntary review and approval of curriculum will not impose itself on the role and responsibilities voters have entrusted me and other board members to perform.

My style may be direct, but voters in my district and throughout Maricopa County can rest assured that I will continue to work lawfully with integrity, loyalty, fairness and consistency despite bureaucratic efforts at the district and the colleges to blame the board for their ills. They resist accountability and change that will ultimately benefit the students and taxpayers alike.

So, the majority of the Governing Board members have messed up (actually, "messed up" may not be the right term here since most of their bad acts appear to have been deliberate) and have endangered the accreditation and future viability of the very organization they were elected to oversee and nurture, and it isn't their fault.

Nope, it's the fault of those "durned" bureaucrats. Government and public service would just be so much better without actual public service professionals getting in the way of pure-hearted folks from the GOP. {For the snark-deficient, that what is called "sarcasm."}

BTW - Walker may be the wrong Board member to serve as pointman of the Board members' defense of their actions, attitudes, and statements, If anything, he may be the worst offender. More info here, though be warned, the source very definitely has a viewpoint. The comments, particularly the one regarding the custom license plate that Walker has on his truck, lend some insight into Walker's mentality and the root of his disdain for the District's Chancellor.

More 2010 campaign committees...

Nothing earth-shattering here...but I get to use the word "apace" in a sentence. :))

As we approach the end of the year, the formation of political committees for next year's elections continues apace.

From the AZ Secretary of State's website (and elsewhere, as noted) -

- Steven Slaton of Winslow, filer ID 201000264, has filed for a run at the Republican nomination for governor. I don't know much about him, having never heard of him, but based on what I could find on the 'net, he probably wouldn't be considered to be part of the mythical "moderate" wing of the AZGOP. Also, he doesn't seem to be the running back for the NFL's Houston Texans. :)

. Kelly Townsend of Gilbert, filer ID 201000268, is running for the GOP nomination for state rep in LD22. She's a self-identified teabagger "tea party patriot."

- Jackie Thrasher of Glendale, filer ID 201000270, is running for the Democratic nomination for state rep in LD10. She is running to reclaim the seat that she held in 2007-2008. She was victimized by the Rep scheme of having some of their members changing their registrations to "Green Party" and running as Greens to dilute support for Democratic candidates in certain districts. It worked in LD10.

- Jorge Luis Garcia of Tucson, the Democratic leader in the State Senate, has opened an exploratory committee for a run at a seat on the Corporation Commission (filer ID 201000271). He is the first Democrat to officially express an interest in the ACC.

- Jerry Walker of Mesa, has filed paperwork with Maricopa County for a reelection bid for his seat on the Maricopa County Community College District's Governing Board. Walker is the winger who, upon seeing a student who was expressing political views that he doesn't agree with, harassed her until she broke down in tears. He did this while "chaperoning" a trip to D.C. by some District students.

He represents County Supervisor District 2, which encompasses most of Mesa and Scottsdale, and his is the only Board seat scheduled to be up for election next year.

Edit later on 10/19 to add -

- Ken Cheuvront of Phoenix, currently a Democratic state senator from LD15, has opened an exploratory committee to look at a run at the Encanto Justice of the Peace spot.

This sets up a primary battle with incumbent Encanto JP, C. Steven McMurray, who has held a JP post since 1996 and is highly respected within the judiciary in general and the Justice Court community in particular.

- Kathy Hayden of Tempe has filed for a run at the Democratic nomination for the University Lakes Justice of the Peace slot. The incumbent is Republican John Ore.

- Matt Nelson of Tempe has filed for a run at the Democratic nomination for the University Lakes Constable spot. The incumbent is Republican Joe Arredondo.

Note: I live in the University Lakes Justice Precinct, hence their inclusion here. Neither Ore nor Arredondo has filed paperwork as yet, but both are expected to run for re-election.

End edit...

...At the rumored stage - Republican Bob Littlefield, currently a member of the Scottsdale City Council, may be interested in a run at an LD8 seat in the lege or ACC. It's still just a rumor (courtesy Robert Leger of the AZ Republic), but gains some credence because of the three members of the Scottsdale City Council whose terms expire next year (the others being Wayne Ecton and Tony Nelssen), he is the only one who hasn't formed a reelection committee with the City.


While most of my focus in the blog is on the legislature and offices affecting Scottsdale and Tempe, those readers who are interested in elections in other parts of the Valley can find a complete list of non-municipal offices on the ballot in Maricopa County here (courtesy the Maricopa County Recorder's Office) and here (courtesy the Maricopa County Superintendent of Schools).

Later...

Inspirational Tempean David Carey recognized

From a press release from the Democratic caucus of the Arizona State Senate (with a link added and a persistent typo corrected)-

Friday, October 16, 2009
Honoring Arizonan David Carey for Receiving a Community Health Leaders Award

Sen. Meg Burton Cahill
Legislative District 17
602-926-4124

October 16, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Honoring Arizonan David Carey for Receiving a Community Health Leaders Award

STATE CAPITOL, Phoenix – David Carey of Tempe was recently chosen to receive a Community Health Leaders Award by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The award is given to ten people each year who have overcome odds to improve the health of others.

“This is a fitting honor for David Carey, who is an exceptional person who has dedicated his life to assisting people in their health care,” said Sen. Meg Burton Cahill. “His work is absolutely inspiring to me.”

Carey’s biography from the Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leaders website in his honor reads:

“David Carey, chairperson, Inspire Human Services Co-op, Phoenix, Ariz. Mr. Carey is being honored for his work as chair of Inspire Co-op, which allows people with disabilities to direct and control their own health care services, and for his activism to assure safe public transportation options for persons with physical disabilities. Carey’s leadership led Inspire to secure long-term contracts to provide attendant care services and established the company as one of the first self-directed cooperatives in the United States. Inspire is owned and directed by people with disabilities. Carey became a quadriplegic following a gunshot accident in 1988.”

Carey was asleep at home when he was shot by roommates who accidentally discharged a gun. Since then he has been a continued advocate for people will disabilities, education and gun responsibility. Prior to the accident, he was enrolled at Scottsdale Community College and a promising baseball athlete.

Carey was chosen as one of ten to receive the award from 532 applications received by the Foundation. The winners each receive leadership training through the fellowship program as well as $125,000. $105,000 of Carey’s award is designated for the Inspire Co-op he chairs. The balance is given to Carey for personal development.

“In this economy, when the state underfunds programs for the disabled, it is exceptional that $105,000 will go to the Inspire Human Services Co-op,” said Burton Cahill. “David is such an amazing advocate and it was an honor for me to see him receive this award in Washington, D.C. David is often at the Capitol and came to support a bill I proposed that would have allowed the disabled community apply for the same small business opportunities created for women and minorities. The work he does makes me a better senator.,” said Burton Cahill. “

Carey was one of two Arizonans given this honor. The other is Frances Stout, R.N., chairperson of the board, Tohono O’odham Nursing Care Authority (TONCA), Sells, Ariz.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is focused on health care issues and improving the health of all Americans. The Foundation on the Internet: http://www.rwjf.org/

I have never met Mr. Carey, but I can testify to Sen. Burton Cahill's respect and admiration for him - anybody who spends more than 10 minutes with the Senator hears his story and about how much he inspires her.

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...

...In the U.S. House of Representatives, the agenda, thus far, looks to be somewhat light on serious controversy.

The highlights include -

- H.R. 3763, To amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide for an exclusion from Red Flag Guidelines for certain businesses. Those businesses include small accounting, legal, and health care firms, small meaning having less than 20 employees.

- H.Res. 672, Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to release imprisoned bloggers and respect Internet freedom. Gotta support fellow bloggers...

- H.R. 3619, Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010. (Money bill. There will be some controversy here. Probably not much though.)

- H.R. 3585, Solar Technology Roadmap Act. This bill's primary sponsor is AZ's own Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ8). Giffords' press release on the bill's passage through the Science and Technology Committee is here.


...Over in the U.S. Senate, most of the action will be behind the scenes negotiating over the health care reform bills in the Senate, but with frequent appearances of TV cameras by most of the participants. This week's committee schedule here.

Of possible interest to AZers here is the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs hearing on Indian Energy and Energy Efficiency on Thursday at 2:15 p.m. (EDT). It wouldn't be surprising if the Navajo Generating Station and its recent controversies (here, here, and here) pop up during the hearing.


...Back here in the Arizona Legislature, the budget is still way out of balance and the Governor and the Republican "leadership" still is doing nothing to address the state's fiscal crisis.

Pending that (you know, doing what should have been done months ago), various members of the lege are doing some makework. To whit:

- Monday at 9 a.m., the Ad Hoc Committee On Energy And Water Development will meet in SHR1.

- Wednesday at 9 a.m., the Senate Education Accountability And Reform and the House of Representatives Education Committee of Reference will meet in HHR1 for school district performance audits of:

Gilbert Unified School District

Phoenix Union High School District

Washington Elementary School District

Toltec Elementary School District

Miami Unified School District

Glendale Elementary School District


- I'll update if there are any definitive developments regarding a special session.


...The Arizona Corporation Commission is holding a regular meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. The agenda is here. The Commission's upcoming hearing schedule is here.


...The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors has two meetings scheduled for this week.

- The agenda for Monday's informal meeting includes an executive session (of course).

- The agenda for Wednesday's formal meeting includes an item (#11) where they get to formally appoint the high-profile private attorneys that County Attorney Andrew Thomas has brought in as his personal hitters against one of the Supes' own, Don Stapley.

Just a guess here, but there will probably be a few dirty looks exchanged by the Supes and Thomas during that one.


...The Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project is not holding a meeting of the full board this week, but on Thursday it will be holding an orientation meeting of the Arizona Water Banking Association, a meeting of the Finance, Audit, and Power Committee, and a meeting of the Executive Committee.


...Also on Thursday, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission will be holding a meeting, but the agenda has not been posted online yet.


...The Tempe City Council is meeting on Thursday. The regular agenda is here; issue review session agenda here; executive session agenda here.


...The Scottsdale City Council is scheduled to meet on Tuesday. The agenda includes an item to send changes to the City Charter regarding elections to the ballot of a special election in March and a couple of items (here and here) regarding the ongoing tiff between the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor and Council members that the CofC didn't endorse last year, but who won anyway. AZCentral.com coverage here.

Note: On Monday, candidate packets for next year's council races in Scottsdale will be available.


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

Later...

Early ballot time - School District Budget Override

While I'm going to refer specifically to the one in Scottsdale (since, you know, I live there :) ), there are many such override elections taking place all over the state.

Well, an early ballot arrived in the mail a couple of days ago for the November 3, 2009 election. Some cities, such as Phoenix and Tucson, have City Council campaigns in progress; others have just a school district budget override on the ballot.

In Scottsdale, the election concerns the renewal of an existing K-3 override that was voted in 2005. It was (and is) targeted toward keeping class sizes down to manageable levels; if the lege doesn't provide funding for all-day K, it will be used to help cover the costs of that. Scottsdale Unified School District's information page on the override is here.

According to information from YesToChildren.org, this override won't raise anybody's tax bill (since it is already in place). The net effect on the tax bill of a $250,000 home is $12.60. The median home price in Scottsdale is $331K, according to this website. (I can't guarantee it is precisely accurate, but it seems right).

That's less than $17 per year at the median price.

Is $17 per year worth it for all-day K and manageable class sizes during the years that students benefit the most from individualized attention?

When Jim Lane, Mayor of Scottsdale, and Rick Kidder, President of the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce can agree on something (they aren't agreeing on much of anything these days), that something may just be a good idea.

Still, neither one is exactly known for having the best long-term interests of Scottsdale at heart (Kidder wants his members to make money above all else, and that can lead to a narrow vision of "tourism and only tourism is the right economic path for Scottsdale" and Lane wants to turn Scottsdale's charter into a Goldwater Institute ideological petri dish), so maybe that isn't necessarily true.

Of course, the fact that four of the best legislators in the state - State Senators Meg Burton Cahill and Carolyn Allen, and State Representatives Ed Ableser and David Schapira - support this makes this one a slam dunk -

Vote yes.

BTW - information on the Tempe schools override is here; informational pamphlets for all Maricopa County school bond/budget override elections can be found here.

I can't speak to all of the districts, but most of the ones that I'm aware of (all both of them - Tempe and Scottsdale) are worthy of support, especially in this time of draconian cuts to education and human services by the legislature. In some cases, such as Tempe, funds are needed just to maintain basic infrastructure, lest the next time a school's roof collapses, there are students under it.

AZ Lege: latest "rumor to end all rumors" about a special session

In case the quotes didn't give it away, this is a total rumor, based on supposition and guesswork.

The actual consensus guess of a number of Capitol watchers is "got no freakin' clue - there's no leadership from Brewer, Adams, and/or Burns to pull together a special session any time soon."

However, a couple of the more daring tea-leaf readers told me that they think that maybe, just maybe, there will be a special session in early November.


They based this on the fact that in early November, there is a lull in fundraisers scheduled for Republican legislators.


By law, legislators are barred from fundraising during the legislative session. While they can fundraise during a special session, it is considered "bad form" (aka - legal or not, doing so during a special session makes the lege look corrupt.)

Early to middle November makes some sense for a special session - legislators can start filing bills for next year's regular session on November 15. Calling them into town to wrap up their unfinished work from this year's regular session would give them the chance to multi-task.

Personally, I think that the special session (assuming one is called) will start on the week of November 9th. Why do I believe this?

On Saturday, November 7, there will be a rally that could serve as a primo kickoff event for the Republican caucus - the National Socialist Movement has booked the Senate Lawn for a rally from 2:30 until 3:30 p.m.

FYI - The National Socialist Movement has nothing to do with socialism.

They're neo-Nazis.

Symington endorsement of Munger: Mystery Solved

Last Thursday, former Arizona Governor Fife Symington announced that he was giving up on the possiblility of another run for the Ninth Floor, and he was endorsing John Munger, a Tucson businessman and former chair of the AZGOP, in the Republican primary.

Some speculated that Symington's decision not to seek the GOP's nomination next year may have been related to his long-time friendship with Munger, or perhaps to the results of a poll by Public Policy Polling that showed Symington down 23 percentage points to Democratic Attorney General Terry Goddard in a hypothetical matchup.

That speculation, while citing the standard and frequently accurate reasons for a move like Symington's, was wrong.


He may not have believed he was going to be here to run next year.


The key to the mystery of Symington's motives for withdrawing from the race doesn't go back to late September and the poll results, nor do does it go back the three decades or more of his friendship with Munger.

Nope, the key to Symington's withdrawal goes back only 12 years, to 1997.

It was mid-March. Symington was still governor, not yet having been convicted on federal bank fraud charges.

The weather was beautiful, the Cactus League was in full swing, and the nighttime views were spectactular.

...Ahhhh...Central Arizona in the spring...anyway, I digress. Back to the post... :)

Aside from the usual idyllic weather conditions, something unusual happened in March of 1997 to make it especially memorable in Phoenix history.

Lights.

A series of them.

In the sky.

All witnessed by our then-governor, Fife.

At the time, many fantastic stories and explanations abounded, most centered around visitors from alien planets and the like. Those were later debunked.

In spite of that debunking, 10 years later Symington still believed that the lights were actually part of an alien spacecraft.

All of which brings us back to the present, last week to be specific.

The lights, and Symington's possible mothership, returned to Phoenix last Wednesday. They called them "flares" but we *know* that was just a cover story, don't we?

Symington spent Thursday tying up loose ends, preparing for the coming rapture (though "alien visits" frequently seem to include medical exams and rectal probes, so I'm not sure that "rapture" is the right word here :) ), certain of his ascension to a plane higher than that of the 9th Floor.

So imagine his disappointment when he woke up Friday still stuck on the Terrestrial plane, and that even his own fellow Republicans were part of the cover story.

From a press release from the House Republican caucus -

Those mysterious lights in the Southwest Arizona sky are not UFOs. They are flares being dropped in the night sky from attack aircraft onto targets below as part of a training exercise by the U.S. Air Force, which is scheduled to take place tonight at 8:00 p.m.

“We do not want the flare activity to frighten and alarm citizens,” Rep. Jerry Weiers (R-West Phoenix) said.

The next meeting of Symington and Weiers could be so frosty that Sylvia Allen will cite it when claiming that global warming is a hoax... :)

Health insurance industry lobby group rides to the rescue

Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, chair of the U.S. Senate's Finance Committee, is the "author" of one of the health care reform proposals making their way through Congress. Because his proposal is by far the most industry friendly (OK, it's an industry wish list, including not having any kind of effective public option), he has come under withering criticism from from progressives and moderates across the country for his failure to place the interests of his constituents and other average Americans before those of some of his largest campaign contributors.

Today, the health insurance lobbying group America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) rode to Baucus' aid with the release of a report that sharply criticizes his plan for not adequately protecting the bottom lines of insurers.

From USA Today -

The health insurance industry is warning that a comprehensive Senate bill would increase the cost of a typical policy by hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year after lawmakers eased up on the requirement that all Americans get coverage.

The stinging attack came on the eve of a pivotal Senate vote and was a clear message to President Obama and congressional Democratic leaders who have been making headway on overhauling the nation's health care system. The industry fears that a weakening of the penalties for failing to get insurance would let Americans postpone getting coverage until they get sick.

How is today's release "aid" for Baucus?

It's simple political cover, an attempt to make it look like Baucus isn't in the pocket of the health insurance industry.

And that is the "best-case" scenario. This could also be a shameless ploy to ward off some of the reform proposals with stronger benefits to the public, a "shot across the bow" of reformers, warning them about what to expect if any of their ideas look like they will gain any legislative momentum.

There are those in D.C. who haven't sold their souls to the lobbyists and can't be kept toeing the industry's "party line" via the usual campaign contributions.

Those folks will spend weeks, if not months, digging through the mountains of the best BS that industry payola can buy.

The industry "report" is here, courtesy of Politico.com.

The White House's response, courtesy TalkingPointsMemo.com, is here.

The Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Baucus bill is here.

Later...

Fixng what's wrong with AZ government

...Just some idle musings that were a better way to spend my evening than crying about the Red Sox losing and the Yankees winning their respective playoff series. :)

Holy cow! The AZ Republic published something about politics that doesn't look to be a press release or something cribbed from other sources (EV Trib, AZ Cap Times, AZ Guardian). The next thing you know, the desk jockeys from Gannett's HQ in Virginia might let some of their newspaper employees get back to actual journalism.

OK, probably not, but one can hope. :)

Anyway, on Sunday the Republic published a piece about Arizona's broken government and invited a number of political and community luminaries to weigh in on what ails AZ's political structure and how to fix it.

The story has its roots in Sandra Day O'Connor's "O'Connor House Project."

The end result of a list of issues with Arizona government and possible solutions is here.

During the discussions among the luminaries, a number of questions were asked to help formulate the above list of issues and possible solutions. That list is here.

In the interests of starting a discussion that extends to the folks who make the actual decisions on any remedies/changes, here are the questions and my responses. Just some stuff to think about and hopefully talk about -

- Should we elect a lieutenant governor on the same ticket as the governor?

Hmmm...as a partisan, I'd say yes. However, as a voter, I'm not so sure. I grew up in a state (MA) with a Lt. Governor, and as with most such positions, it was a largely ceremonial position. It's usually an unnecessary one, unless the governor of a given state patronizes hookers, gets caught trying to sell a Senate seat, or(just maybe in the near future the Lt. Gov. will be needed in this example), thinks that "hiking the Appalachian trail" is an acceptable euphemism for "goin' on a booty run to Argentina."

The problem in Arizona, with Janet Napolitano's promotion to DC and Jan Brewer's ascension to the 9th floor, was that the person who was next in the line of succession just wasn't ready for the job.

A dedicated Lt. Governor's position could minimize the possibility of that happening in the future, but so could simply electing competent people to the down-ballot offices.

And given that three out of our last five governors entered the office via succession, not election, maybe a plank of "ready for the top job" should be part of every SOS candidate's campaign platform.


- Are there statewide offices the governor should appoint and the Senate confirm?
Yup. While most states' Attorneys General and Secretarys of State are elected, treasurers and education chiefs are mostly appointed Cabinet-level positions.

And why are we even considering electing a state mine inspector? That's not even a cabinet level post, it's a staff job. Actually, since it is safety-related, the holders of the job should be knowledgeable professionals, not career political hacks looking for a safe sinecure until they start collecting a pension.


- Are there legislative reforms that will lead to a Legislature more representative of the public?

"Legislative" reforms? Maybe, but the issue is more cultural. The real problem, if you want to characterize it as that (and I do), is that because of the number of "safe" districts (dominated by one of the major parties) the lege is representative of primary voters, who tend to represent the more ideological wings of their respective parties.

Find a way to mitigate voter apathy and ignorance between elections. Get people to pay attention to what goes on in the lege and the Executive Tower in odd-numbered years as much as they do in the even-numbered ones.


- Do former reforms such as term limits, clean elections and redistricting work for Arizona?

Redistricting isn't a reform, it's a regular mandate. How we redistrict can be the problem, and I don't know enough about the ins and outs of that process to comment here.

As for term limits and clean elections, I'd say yes. They weren't implemented to keep extreme ideologues out of office; they were implemented to open up public office to more citizens. They've worked.

The problem is the side effects, and it's tied into the safe districts mentioned above, is that too many voters are disinterested in government until they are holding a general election ballot in their hands, and most of *them* vote by partisan affiliation. Which leads to the hardcore ideologues who were the darlings of their party's extreme base having an easy path through the general election.

Still, ending CE and letting in corporate money, permanently elected politicos, and the entrenched corruption that characterized AZ politics for decades may be too high a price to pay for weeding out a few wingnuts.

Better to fight voter apathy.


- Are there reforms that can increase voter turnout?

Vote-by-mail and early voting are already doing wonders for shoring up turnout (other than in stand-alone special and some municipal elections), but they do little to counteract voter apathy and lack of education on the offices/questions that they are voting on.


- Does a longer-term focus occur if senators are elected for four-year terms?

Perhaps, but an even better move might be to fashion the structure of the Arizona State Senate after the structure of the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Congress was laid out as a bicameral legislature to ensure both that House members each represent (roughly) the same number of residents, leading to large population states having a proportionately large influence in the House, and that each state has an equal number of Senators, leading to small states having as much influence in the Senate as large states.

In that spirit, how about changing the makeup of the AZ State Senate? There are 30 members now.

We could elect one member from each of the state's 15 counties to fill half the membership. The other 15 could be elected from "senatorial" districts (think: a combination of two of the current LDs).

If we go to four-year terms for senators, that would set up an election pattern of where 15 senators were up for election every cycle, with a natural division of county senators on the ballot for one election and SD senators on the ballot two years later.

All of this would help ensure that Arizona's rural areas are adequately represented while adding a layer of stability to the institutional culture of the Senate.


- Should there be more time between the primary and general elections?

Umm - YES!!

There's roughly 4 to 5 weeks between the primary and the mailing of early ballots for the general election. That means that campaigns have change from "primary" mode to "general election" mode and be fully up to speed by then, and that is difficult, if not downright impossible, for challengers and minority party candidates in a given district.

A longer campaign season between the primary and the general election would increase the ability of those candidates with an uphill battle to get out their messages and maybe turn a few of those voters who reflexively vote their party line.


- Are there changes that can limit fraud on initiative petitions?

Not sure. I am not too familiar with the nuances of initiative petitions, so I'll have to think on this a while. If anybody has insights on this, please feel free to share them in a comment.


- Should the way the names of propositions are set be changed to avoid misleading voters?

Yes, but not sure how.


- Are there changes needed to the process for initiatives to get on the ballot?

Well, we can start by limiting the number of questions placed on the ballot by the lege. Also, given the number of competing/contradictory questions that have been placed on the ballot in recent years, a ballot structure where the SOS (or appropriate elections oversight agency) could join the questions in a structure of "vote for one of the following - Yes on proposal A, Yes on Proposal B, or None Of The Above."


Now, from the summary of problems and possible solutions linked above, some of those "solutions" and my take -

1. Kill Clean Elections.

No. The problem isn't that too many "bad" people are running for office - there have always been fringe candidates, and there always will be. The problem is that too many voters still don't pay attention to candidates and qualifications for governing until they are casting their ballots. And too often, not even then.

2. Create competitive districts.

Well, yeah, but we all need to remember that because of demographic and population shifts, this cycle's safe district is the next cycle's hot spot, and vice versa. The redistricting commission should do the best, fairest possible job they can, and be prepared, within two years, for complaints about how lousy and unfair a job they did.

3. Eliminate term limits.

I don't think so. They might need to be tweaked a little, but since they aren't hard limits (other than for executive-level offices, officeholders are only enjoined to take a term off from a particular office, not permanently barred from ever holding that office again), so completely setting term limits aside isn't appropriate.

We'd be better off raising legislative compensation. At $24K/year, most legislators are A) independently wealthy, B) retired, or C) hoping their dedication to public service doesn't lead them to bankruptcy court.

4. Sunset initiatives.

No. Some tweaking might help here, though. Most initiatives that spend money are tied to dedicated sources of revenue. Tie their sunset to the lifespans of those sources (actually, I think they already are, to a point anyway). Otherwise, leave them alone. The voters enacted them, the voters can change or end them.

And if we do enact a general sunset provision for all voter-mandated initiatives, it really should apply to all of them, not just the fiscally-related ones. In 2006, a number of ugly anti-immigrant questions were put on the ballot by the bedsheets and burning crosses crowd, and if measures to create a vibrant public health and educational infrastructure are are subject to sunsetting, those others should also be subject to sunsetting.

5. Keep unrelated policy out of the budget.

Actually, this is already kind of the way that it is - already the general appropriations bill can only address actual appropriations. Any policy changes can be found in "budget reconciliation bills", or BRBs, where changes to law that are necessary to make a budget work are supposed to go.

The problem is in sessions like this past one where things got so petty and spiteful that BRBs were used to enact policy changes (like certain ones attacking teachers' unions) that really had NOTHING to do with the state's budget.

Perhaps setting up a mechanism where citizens could turn to the courts to challenge particular provisions based on germaneness to the budget would work here.


Any comments/ideas?

Edit on 10/12 to add: Greg at Espresso Pundit, also a participant in the discussions that generated the above questions/problems/solutions, has a post on this same topic here.

Apologies for the long post, but with the Red Sox' season over, I had the time. :))

Later...

PSA time - H1N1 virus

First up, a note from Congressman Harry Mitchell's office.

From an email -

As a father and a grandfather, I know how important it is to keep your family healthy. As we head into flu season, I want to make sure that you have the information you need to help avoid catching or spreading airborne infections.

We can all take action now to protect ourselves and our families throughout the fall and into the winter. As a result, I've updated the H1N1 Flu Information Hub on my website to help you get the correct and most current information regarding the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu. It includes important resources regarding influenza viruses and key tips for prevention and keeping your family healthy. It also includes links to agencies like the Arizona Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization and other agencies that manage different aspects of H1N1.

In addition, should you or a family member become infected, my H1N1 Flu Information Hub has key information regarding the steps you should take. One of the best ways to avoid the flu is to take everyday steps to stay healthy, as prevention is the first line of defense. Here are 5 simple steps CDC recommends during this year’s flu season:

•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

•Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

•Stay home if you get sick to limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

•Eat well, be active, get plenty of rest.

I encourage you to visit my H1N1 Flu Information Hub and I will continue to update so you and your family can stay informed throughout this year’s flu season.

Sincerely,

Harry

In addition to available online resources, many of which are linked to at Congressman Mitchell's website, the City of Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Fire Department are holding a number of public presentations on preparing for flu season.

From the press release -

Free community presentations are being hosted by the Scottsdale Fire Department this month to help residents and businesses prepare for the H1N1 flu. Discussion topics include steps to take to stay healthy, signs and symptoms of the flu, when to seek emergency medical care, tips for creating an emergency plan and how you can stay up-to-date on the latest information. Free 90-minute community presentations are scheduled for:

•Noon to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, at Rio Montana Park; 11180 N. 132nd St.
•12:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 17 at Granite Reef Senior Center; 1700 N. Granite Reef Road
•9:30 to 11 a.m. Oct. 24 at the Witzeman Public Safety Building; 8401 E. Indian School Road
•Noon to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 24 at Rio Montana Park; 11180 N. 132nd St.
•7 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 27 at Eldorado Park Community Center; 2311 N. Miller Road
•2:30 to 4 p.m. Nov. 4 at La Mirada Desert Park; 8950 E. Pinnacle Peak Road
•6 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at Rio Montana Park; 11180 N. 132nd St.
•9 to 10:30 a.m., Nov. 14 at the Witzeman Public Safety Building; 8401 E. Indian School Road

Advance registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome. To sign up, visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/fire/H1N1.

For more information or to schedule a group presentation, contact Patty Jo Angelini at (480) 312-1815 or email pangelini@ScottsdaleAZ.gov.

Later...

The coming week...

As usual, all info gathered from the websites of the relevent political bodies/agencies (except where noted) and subject to change without notice.

This week is relatively light on the political activity, perhaps because of Monday's quasi-holiday, Columbus Day. It's a "quasi" holiday because almost everyone outside of the government still has to work.

...As with last week, floor action in the U.S. House of Representatives will be dominated by budget issues.

Among the topics on the agenda for the week:

- H.R. 2442, Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Expansion Act of 2009. CRS summary here. Note: this one was on last week's agenda too.

- Conference report on H.R. 2892, Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010

- Possible consideration of the conference report on H.R. 2996, Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Most of the bills scheduled to be heard under suspension of the rules (2/3 majority required for passage) look to be pretty non-controversial, post office namings and the like.


...Over in the U.S. Senate, the floor action will similarly be dominated by budget matters. Specifically, they will be considering H.R. 2847, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

The country's attention will be focused on this week's committee schedule, especially Tuesday's Finance Committee vote on the health insurance industry's Max Baucus' idea of health care reform (LA Times report here).


...Back here in Arizona, the budget is still out of balance and the legislature and Governor still can't be bothered to address it. As with last week however, there is some intersession make-work and posturing taking place at the lege.

- On Tuesday, the Senate Government Institutions and House Appropriations Committee of Reference will conduct a sunset hearing on the Joint Legislative Budget Committee at 1:30 p.m. in HHR1.

- On Wednesday, Speaker Kirk Adams' Ad Hoc Committee on Private School Tuition Tax Credit Review will meet at 1 p.m. in HHR3. Expect hours of testimonials about the benefits of the tax credit. And that will just be from State Rep. Steve Yarbrough.


...The Arizona Corporation Commission doesn't have any Commission meetings scheduled for this week, but its hearing schedule is here.


...The Arizona Board of Regents is holding an executive session on Monday at 1:30 p.m. to discuss "transition of the Executive Director."


...the Board of Directors of the Central Arizona Project will hold "Customer Workshop" on Thursday to discuss the 2010/2011 budget.


...The Tempe City Council isn't scheduled to meet in formal session this week, but the Council's calendar of events for the week is here.

Edit on 10/12: Because I originally linked to the agenda for 10/20, not this week's meeting on 10/13. I've corrected the writeup without noting the changes because everything changed.

...The Scottsdale City Council will meet Tuesday night in a regular meeting. The highlight of the evening's agenda is a proposal to refer an increase in the city's bed tax to the ballot during a special election in March. There will also be a number of residents appointed to many of Scottsdale's boards, commissions, and task forces.

Scottsdale's community meeting schedule is here.


...Not scheduled to meet this week: Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, Governing Board of the Maricopa County Community College District, Board of Directors of the Maricopa Integrated Health System, Citizens Clean Elections Commission. But don't be shocked if the Board of Supes finds a reason to call an emergency executive session.

...And in the first event of the 2010 campaign season, on Thursday, the Maricopa County GOP will be holding the first candidate forum in the race for its nomination for State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Of course, they're calling it an "education forum" but when two of the panelists have already formed committees for the race (John Huppenthal and Margaret Dugan) and a third is rumored to be strongly interested in running (Rich Crandall), it's going to be all about next year's race for the Rep nomination.

Later...