Rep. Jack Harper: not one to let personal animosity to get in the way of the basest partisanship

It was just a matter of time, since even the least-qualified Republican legislator can do basic math.

It takes a 2/3 vote of a chamber of the Arizona legislature to expel a member of the chamber, and the Republicans control 2/3 of the seats in each chamber (can you see where this is going? )

LD4 legislators Sen. Scott Bundgaard and Rep. Jack Harper may both be Republicans but they aren't exactly friends (for example, Bundgaard was "rumored" to be behind the the website Crazy Jack Harper.)

However, Harper isn't one to let their dislike for each other get in the way of partisan attacks in support of Bundgaard as he schemes to keep his seat in the senate.  Bundgaard is facing an ethics inquiry into his violent assault on his girlfriend (something about "bring discredit to the Senate" or something like that)..

Nope, not at all.

From Harper's Twitter feed (emphasis mine)-

@HarperForAZ

JackWHarper St Sen David Schapira wanted "lawsuit-style" burden of evidence against a Republican. I say let's have an up or down two-thirds on DEMs.

20 Sep via web

A snapshot of the entry in case Harper gets clever and removes his Tweet -
 



So Bundgaard, his political enemy, assaults his girlfriend by the side of a Phoenix freeway and Harper supports him in his attempt to stay in the Senate. 
 
Interesting. 
 
Harper doesn't think that reprehensible, violent and illegal behavior is grounds for expulsion from the legislature, especially if the bad behavior is from a fellow Republican.
 
However, Harper advocates removing Democrats from the legislature simply because they are Democrats, and some of them have dared to criticize Bundgaard.
 
Now, I don't think that Harper's wish will get far, for at least a few reasons.
 
1.  While the other members of the R caucus on West Washington is just as partisan as him, there are at least a few that haven't quite stepped over the line into becoming "bay at the full moon" crazy.
 
2.  Even if all of his fellow Rs drink the same Kool-Aid as Harper, he's a state *representative*, not a state *senator*.  He has no say in the internal operations of the state senate.  He can lobby/beg the members of the senate to come around to his way of thinking, but that's about it.
 
3.  Even if all of the other Rs went along and expelled all of the Democrats, under Arizona law, those Democratic members would have to be replaced by other Democrats.  Harper may not like sharing the Capitol with Democrats or even non-Republicans in general, but the voters decide that, not him.
 
 
Still, I have to thank Harper for one thing -
 
He can always be counted on to supply blog post subject material.
 

The COINS Act and David Schweikert: Funnelling taxpayer money to mining industry interests under the guise of reducing federal spending

To great fanfare (and ridicule) earlier this week, Rep. David Schweikert introduced H.R. 2977, the COINS Act.  If enacted into law, it would end the printing of $1 bills, instead replacing them with $1 coins.

He claims that the measure will save the taxpayers billions of dollars over the next 30 years.

What he doesn't mention is that his measure will give billions of taxpayer dollars to mining industry interests over the same period.

The composition of dollar coins, courtesy the US Mint's website (Cu = Copper, Zn =Zinc, Mn = Manganese, and Ni = Nickel) -

88.5% Cu


6% Zn

3.5% Mn

2% Ni

Weight of each coin: 8.1 grams, meaning that each coin contains 7.1685g of Cu.


Current production level of dollar coins - 258 million
 
Projected production of dollar coins over 30 years, at current annual production level (258 million times 30 years) - 7.74 billion
 
The 30 year projected dollar coin production needed to replace paper bills, according to a study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) - 41 billion
 
Difference:  33.26 billion (4.3X as much as would be needed under the current system of paper bills and metal coins)
 
Additional pounds of copper (Cu) needed over the next 30 years, based on Schweikert's plan and GAO estimates (assuming no wastage or change in the composition of dollar coins): 525,635,627
 
Current price per pound of copper, courtesy CNN - $3.28
 
Net increased revenue for the copper industry over 30 years (basic math):  $1.724 billion
 
Likelihood that the increased demand for copper will result in higher prices for copper over the next 30 years, meaning the above figure is a conservative one (my estimate):  nearly 100%
 
Oh, and by the way, there are provisions in Schweikert's bill that would require the Federal Reserve to take the dollar coins issued since 1979 (Susan B. Anthony, Native American, and Presidential) out of circulation, likely increasing the production needed to meet the currency needs and making the above numbers conservative estimates.
 
Interesting campaign contributions to Schweikert this year (and I haven't yet thoroughly examined individual contributions as yet), courtesy the FEC:

FREEPORT-MCMORAN COPPER & GOLD INC. CITIZENSHIP COMMITTEE 1/28/2011 $5000


KOCH INDUSTRIES INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (KOCHPAC) 6/10/2011 $1000

KOCH INDUSTRIES INC POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (KOCHPAC) 6/10/2011 $2000

FYI - Freeport-McMoran is one of the largest copper mining companies in the world, and Koch Industries is a huge conglomerate with its fingers in many areas, including mining and minerals.

Schweikert's bill has been assigned to the House Financial Services Committee (note: Schweikert is a member of that committee).

Number of Republicans on the committee: 34

Number of Republicans on the committee who have received campaign contributions from either (or both, as in the case of Schweikert) of the above PACs: 25

Generally, Financial Services Committee members receive bribes "campaign contributions" from insurance, banking, investment, and real estate industry PACs.  It's more than a little unusual for them to receive mining PAC money directly (their normal benefactors may benefit from investments in mineral resources, but investments are their business, not mining). 

However, when a bill like this comes along, apparently, so does the money.


Green PS -

While the exact composition of the paper used for federal reserve notes (dollar bills) is confidential, it is still basically *paper* and paper is made from trees, a renewable resource.  If done properly, trees and other plants can be harvested, replanted, and reharvested several times during a typical human lifespan.

They only way that metals could be considered "renewable" is if human lifespans were measured not in years, decades, or even centuries, but instead in *epochs.*  It takes millions of years for geological forces to create more ore once ore is removed from the ground.

Schweikert's bill is short-sighted - it generates relatively immediate profits for his campaign contributors, but at the cost to Americans of the permanent use of limited natural resources.

Notes and caveats:

The above estimates and calculations are based on current prices, which are subject to change (I expect them to change, but have no idea how much, so there is no way for me to include those changes in calculations), on an assumption that the composition of dollar coins remains unchanged for the next 30 years (again, I expect changes, but cannot even begin to guess what they will be, or when they will occur), and that there is no waste in the coin-making process that would necessitate the purchase of a greater quantity of metal than would theoretically be needed to manufacture the coins in a perfect production process (all manufacturing processes have waste, but again, I have no knowledge of the wastage rate in the Mint's processes, so that number cannot be included in calculations here).

Also, there would be a benefit to the mining companies of Zinc (Zn), Nickel (Ni), and Manganese (Mn) (the other elements in a dollar coin), but because those metals currently make up such a small percentage of the composition of dollar coins, I didn't include them in the calculations.

Later...

The Pearce/Cortes scam in graphic form

I can't take credit for putting this together (but wish I could! :) ), but here is a great graphical summary of some of the ties between recalled state senator Russell Pearce and his supporters and the "campaign" of Olivia Cortes, one of the other two candidates on the ballot in November's recall election (the other being Jerry Lewis).

Note: for those who prefer words to pictures, Stephen Lemons of the Phoenix New Times has been doing a great job of covering the Pearce camp's dirty tactics.  His latest:  Lester Pearce, Russell's brother, has been campaigning for Russell.  Which wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that Lester is a sitting Justice of the Peace and is barred from engaging in such activities by the Arizona Code of Judicial Conduct.

Quick Fists, Tin Ear: Bundgaard files ethics complaint against Ethics Committee

From the Phoenix New Times, written by Stephen Lemons -

State Senator Scott Bundgaard, facing an ethics complaint and possible expulsion from the Senate for his roadside fracas with his now former girlfriend and his invocation of legislative immunity, has filed an ethics complaint against three members of the state Senate Ethics Committee, which is currently set to hold hearings on Bundgaard in October.

A letter that Bundgaard sent to Sen. Ron Gould, the chair of the Ethics Committee, one of the three senators targeted by Bundgaard, and one of Bundgaard's fellow Republicans. detailing Bundgaard's allegations against the three senators is here, courtesy the Arizona Republic.

It's a rather curious tactic for Bundgaard - he's attacking his colleagues, colleagues whose support he needs to keep his job.

What's even more curious is that his fellow Republicans were/are predisposed to giving him a free pass on this.  Attacking one of them, even one who can be a thorn in the side of the rest of the R caucus (Gould thinks most of them are too liberal.  Go figure) may be ill-advised.

Gould may be known as a major pain in the {pick your favorite body part to complete this particular metaphor}, but he is also viewed as a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy.  You may see a raging Confederate apologist, nativist and worse, but he's honest and open about it.  I may never again write anything remotely complimentary about him (his politics are profoundly appalling), but he's straight up about certain things.

And one of those things is that it is wrong to assault women.

With every move that Bundgaard or his PR advisor (Jason Rose?) come up with, it becomes easier for his fellow senators from both sides of the political aisle to oust him.

Meet the "Mr. Flexible" of Arizona politics, Wes Gullett

..."Mr. Flexible", as in "flexible enough to speak out of both sides of his mouth"...

Wes Gullett, the long-time lobbyist who now looking to become mayor of Phoenix has a problem. 

During the initial part of the campaign, there were six candidates.  Five of them, including Gullett, were Republicans trying to pull votes from the same base.  One of them, Gullett, decided to troll for votes in anyway that he could.

Including telling different audiences completely opposite things in order to curry favor with them.

From the May 26th African American Democratic Caucus at the Greater Bethel AME Church -



Relevent quote: “We need to go to Washington and get that Head Start money and we need to make sure that we get the money that we need for our schools from the federal government as well,”

From the August 15 Phoenix Chamber of Commerce debate -



Relevent quote: “We don’t have to go to Washington to get money for early childhood education.”   He argued that instead, the money from First Things First should be taken and given to the state government so that the state doesn't have to spend so much money on education.

Gullett now has to try to explain his conflicting statements to the various groups he has pandered to.

By contrast, Greg Stanton's position on education has been consistent, and is here.

Time to get social with your favorite Democrats

The Democrats in LD18 (West Mesa), LD17 (Tempe and South Scottsdale) and LD8 (North Scottsdale and Fountain Hills) have event coming up, including two this week.  Each event will offer good food, better refreshments, and great conversation...as well as the chance to help local Democrats get ready for next year's elections.

- In west Mesa, the LD18 Democrats are holding Dinner at Dusk on Thursday from 6 - 9 p.m.

Info and guests:

Beer & Wine, Silent Auction, Dinner catered by Oregano's and Live Music by Jay Taylor.  Scheduled speakers include State Sen. David Schapira and former State Sen. David Lujan.  Other invited guests include Arizona House Democratic Leader Chad Campbell, former Congressman Harry Mitchell, and Police Chief Dan Saban.

Location:

The Wright House
636 W. University Drive
Mesa, Arizona
 
Tickets:
 
Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. To purchase ticket contact


Andrew Sherwood
sherwood.andrew@gmail.com

or Sarah Moorhead
sarahemoorhead@yahoo.com

- In Tempe and south Scottsdale, the LD17 Democrats are holding their 2nd Annual Beer Summit on Saturday from 4 - 7 p.m.

Info:  Beer Tastings, Bratwurst, & Good Times! Beer-Tasting competition with prizes.  Celebrating our local brews:  Beer from Papago Brewing, Dave's Electric Brewpub and Four Peaks. Prizes from Tops Liquors and Casey Moore's Oyster House.

Location:

Barnes House
1104 S Ash (11th and Ash)
Tempe

Tickets:

Tickets are $20; $10 for Young Democrats. 
RSVP: RandyKeating@gmail.com

- In north Scottsdale and Fountain Hills, the LD8 Democrats will be holding a 2010 Candidate Reunion on October 15 at 5:30 p.m.

From the event's flyer:

Candidate Reunion


Join the District 8 Democrats on Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 5:30pm

Enjoy a relaxing evening with our 2010 candidates, friends, food and fun at the Scottsdale home of Andy & Bryn

Suggested Contribution: $25.00

RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/D8Reunion

Address and Directions will be emailed to you
 

 
...Hmmm...looking at these three events, can you guess which of the three districts is home to ASU?  LOL

The NRA Board of Directors: time for a little sunlight

A new website, Who is on the NRA Board?, from the the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, highlights backgrounds of the members of the Board of Directors.

Some of the names on the board are very familiar to the nation -

Grover Norquist, the anti-tax zealot/corporate lobbyist

Oliver North, one of the primary players in the Iran/Contra scandal

Ted Nugent, the "gonzo" 70s rock star and current "gonzo" radio talk show host

Tom Selleck, the famous actor

There are also a number of former and current politicians as well as former professional athletes, most of whom have fame of a more regional nature (though NBA Hall-of-Famer Karl Malone's fame is somewhat greater than "regional").

However, the majority of NRA board members have public profiles that a low or nonexistent outside of the gun culture.  Still, they have an outsized influence on politics and legislation, especially in comparison to average citizens.

In many cases, they have more political influence than most of their more well-known colleagues - with the notable exception of Grover Norquist.

Here in Arizona, we have seen prime examples of that phenomenon in action.

- For instance, last year, wealthy businessman and NRA board member Owen "Buz" Mills is well-known as the owner of Gunsite Academy, a financially lucrative weapons training school near Prescott.

- Former NRA president and current board member Sandy Froman has been very active in certain circles, and, even after her term as NRA president, has frequently served as the face of the NRA when it needs to project a “softer” image.

In other words, while both Mills and Froman are low-profile, they do have some notoriety outside of the NRA.

The "big gun" for the NRA in Arizona, however, has received almost no public notice.

Board member Todd Rathner's low name recognition in Arizona belies his influence, particularly with the Arizona Legislature.  He has helped turn the state's legislature into an ideological petri dish, promoting the passage of extreme gun "rights" laws and blocking the passage of common sense safety regulations.

Like Mills above, he has profited from promoting the NRA's ideology.

In addition owning and operating a company that sells safari hunting trips to Africa, Rathner is the owner and primary employee of a lobbying firm, Rathner and Associates.  The name says "Associates," but according to the Arizona Secretary of State, Rathner is the only active employee of his company, in terms of lobbying activities.

His lobbying activities have included working for the NRA in pushing for the passage of 2009's SB1113, the infamous "guns in bars" bill (passed just in time to commemorate a 2009 NRA meeting in Phoenix).

This past session, he worked for Colt's Manufacturing to help pass SB1610, naming the Colt Single Action Army Revolver as the state firearm.

Rathner has such a low profile that the website doesn't include any "colorful" (read: "contoversial") quotes or activities for him the way that it does for most of the other board members, but that doesn't mean his views and actions aren't as extreme as the other members of the NRA board.

Witness his Twitter feed.  Not something he uses frequently (19 tweets total), but what it lacks in volume, it more than makes up in "interesting."

He has used it to bring attention to an Arizona Republic article that covered how much influence that the gun lobby has in Arizona.  Being a gun lobbyist, he seems rather pleased with that. 

He has used it to criticize Tucson Unified School District over its ethnic studies program.

He has used it to spout other opinions that are, well, "interesting" -

This post is written as part of the Media Matters Gun Facts fellowship. The purpose of the fellowship is to further Media Matters' mission to comprehensively monitor, analyze, and correct conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Some of the worst misinformation occurs around the issue of guns, gun violence, and extremism, the fellowship program is designed to fight this misinformation with facts.

Brewer turns the revolving door between lobbying firms and her staff into an open door

The Washington Post published a story this past week detailing a study that documents the revolving door between Capitol Hill staff rosters and lobbying firm staff rosters.  According to the study, nearly 5400 Congressional staffers have moved to lobbying firms in the last decade.

I thought about commenting about the study, and perhaps I'm getting a little too jaded after doing this for more than five years, but I figured this was basically just adding numbers to something most observers already knew.

D.C.'s political subculture can be somewhat insular, even incestuous, with the denizens of that subculture often not leaving the city when political winds change (as they did in 2006 and 2010).  They just change job titles.

Turns out that the same thing is true in Arizona, as a couple of press releases from Jan Brewer this week illustrate.

First, she appointed one Jay Heiler to the Arizona Board of Regents.

From the press release (emphasis mine) -

Mr. Heiler has been a high-profile leader in Arizona public policy for more than two decades. He served in a series of leadership roles, including Chief of Staff, under former Governor Fife Symington. Earlier, Mr.Heiler was Assistant Attorney General under Arizona Attorney General Bob Corbin. Since leaving public service in 1997, Mr. Heiler has worked as a political consultant in public affairs and strategic communications. His clients have included corporate, government and non-profit interests.

Heiler is known for his radical homophobia and bigoted spoutings, but this post isn't about that (I'll leave that to folks who can write more eloquently on those topics than me).

Nope.  It's about Heiler being an active lobbyist.

From the AZ Secretary of State's website -

Brewer followed up the appointment of one lobbyist with an announcement of changes in her senior staff.

From that press release -

Scott Smith, Director of the Arizona Department of Administration, has been named Deputy Chief of Staff. The announcement marks a return to the Governor‟s Office for Mr. Smith, who previously served Governor Brewer as Director of Legislative Affairs and Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative Affairs. In his new role, Mr. Smith – along with Chief of Staff Eileen Klein – will oversee day-to-day operations of the Governor‟s Office and executive agencies. He will maintain his current duties managing ADOA.


Page Gonzales has been named Director of Policy for the Governor‟s Office. Ms. Gonzales, who currently serves as Deputy Policy Director, will take the place of Richard Bark. Mr. Bark, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, has announced his resignation after nearly three years of loyal service to Governor Brewer. Mr. Bark will be joining Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold as Director of Government Relations and Environmental Counsel. His resignation is effective October 3, 2011.

Also departing the Governor‟s Office is Brian McNeil, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Mr. McNeil has been a trusted advisor to Governor Brewer since she took office, and played a critical role in building the administration. He will be joining Public Policy Partners. Mr. McNeil‟s resignation is effective September 27, 2011.

For those who aren't political geeks, a job title like "Director of Government Relations" is actually a euphemism for "Chief Lobbyist."
 
Public Policy Partners is one of the most active lobbying firms in Arizona.
 
BTW, I may be getting more cynical than ever, but...
 
...Last month, Jan Brewer took a closed-door meeting with a mining company that is looking to mine copper in the Florence area by pumping acid into the groundwater there.  The company, Curis Resources, is relatively small by industry standards, and is ripe for a takeover, according to some industry analysts.
 
...This month, one of her senior staffers moves to a copper mining conglomerate. 
 
Hmmm...
 
And none of this even begins to cover the influence of uber-lobbyist Chuck Coughlin on the Brewer Administration.

Upcoming meetings...

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

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

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

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


End edit.

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

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

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

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

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

Committees update - local edition

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

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

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


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

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

Unless a bigger name gets into the race :) .

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

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

A very brief run down -

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* = if necessary

More updates as they become available...

Schapira honored by education advocacy group

State Sen. David Schapira (D-LD17) and State Rep. Steve Court (R-LD18) have been honored by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) for their work with WICHE's Legislative Advisory Committee.

From their announcement -

As the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) convenes its annual meeting of the Legislative Advisory Committee today in Seattle, we are proud to recognize Arizona Senate Minority Leader David Schapira and House Majority Leader Steve Court for their service to this organization and the thousands of students at institutions of higher learning in Arizona.

The important work of WICHE is leveraged by the participation of legislative leaders from throughout the Western United States. Working together, legislators advance the policy goals of increasing student access to higher education and improving student success.

“The participation of key legislative leaders, like Senator Schapira, Representative Court, and others from 11 of the WICHE states, is integral to our work in serving students of the West,” said David Longanecker, WICHE’s president. “The policy discussions at this meeting inform the critical decisions that policymakers must make as they address challenges facing students, institutions, and states in the coming years."

WICHE works to foster access to higher education and ensure student success through its student exchange programs, regional initiatives, and extensive research and policy work, and the contributions of Senator Schapira and Representative Court have greatly enhanced these efforts. This kind of regional cooperation and policy dialogue serves as a model for the entire country as, together, we move to increase our students’ college and career readiness and our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy.

In addition to his legislative duties and his work with WICHE, Schapira is an adjunct faculty member at ASU, a small business owner, a husband, and a father (and due to be a father again in a couple of months!  Congrats to Rosemary and David!)

Find out more about Sen. Schapira here.

Since when is bloodlust a legitimate political platform in a civil society?

I didn't think that Tea-publicans could top themselves/sink lower after the moment when they when they cheered the idea of executing people last week, but they found a way.

Video from Monday night's Tea Party debate, courtesy CNN -

 
Cheering the idea of letting the uninsured die?
 
Apparently, tea party types check their souls at the door when they get together.
 

The AZ Senate Ethics Committee To Consider Bundgaard Matter Tuesday*

* = if they achieve a quorum, and enough "yes" votes show up.  More on that in a moment.

The Senate Ethics Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in Senate Hearing Room 1 (SHR1).  They'll be considering action against Sen. Scott Bundgaard.  In February, Bundgaard was involved in a "domestic violence incident" (he assaulted his then-girlfriend by the side of a Phoenix freeway, used his status as a sitting legislator to avoid arrest at the time, and was sentenced to little more than a slap on the wrist last month.  He hit his girlfriend harder than the court hit him (metaphorically).

After the disposition of the criminal case, Sen. Steve Gallardo filed an ethics complaint against Bundgaard, and that is what the committee will consider tomorrow...if the meeting happens at all...and if enough committee members who support an ethics investigation show up...

...however, the Arizona Capitol Times is reporting (subscription required) that Senate Democratic leader David Schapira (LD17) will be out of town and cannot attend the meeting.

The committee has five members, three Republicans and two Democrats.  The committee chair, Republican Ron Gould, has been openly critical of Bundgaard and was expected to vote with the two Democrats to continue an ethics investigation.  Now it looks like that it will be a 2 - 2 split, at best.

Stay tuned...

...In other legislative news, Daniel Scarpinato, the press secretary/spokesman for the House Republican caucus, is taking a leave of absence from that position in order to take a similar position with the campaign of Phoenix mayor hopeful Wes Gullett. (h/t to Mary Jo Pitzl of the Arizona Republic)

This isn't Scarpinato's first foray into electoral politics - before taking the communications job with the House Republicans, he was the communications person for the Congressional campaign of former state senator Jonathan Paton.  Before that, he wrote love letters to the Republicans masquerading as news stories for the Arizona Daily Star in Tucson.

Speculation on my part:  Look for Scarpinato to move on, whether to Phoenix City Hall (if Gullett wins his race) or to another campaign after this one.  He was hired at the House by former speaker Kirk Adams, and new House speaker Andy Tobin may want his own guy in the job.

Plus, Adams is running for Congress. 

Caveat:  I'm not exactly on the speed dials of either Tobin or Scarpinato (I know, their loss :) ), so I could have a completely incorrect reading on the dynamic involved.

Later...

This certainly explains why Sen. Lori Klein isn't facing charges...

From the Arizona Republic's Political Insider on Sunday -

Gunning for the GOP . . . Sen. Lori Klein can add a new line to her resume. No, it's not gun-safety instructor, but party-fundraiser extraordinaire.

"Extraordinaire" as in it's not often you see a lawmaker getting paid to help raise money for herself and her political brethren.

But Klein, who runs a fundraising-consulting firm, said she is offering her services to the Arizona GOP at a discounted rate, which she wouldn't disclose.

For those with short memories, or who just don't follow such things, two months ago, Klein aimed a gun at a reporter in the members lounge of the state senate building.  Even though possession of a weapon in a public building is a misdemeanor and aiming it at someone is a whole lot more than a misdemeanor, she has yet to stand up in court to defend her actions.  It doesn't look like she will have to, either.

Tenth Anniversary: Tempe Healing Field

Just a few pics...


Dawn over the Healing Field in Tempe, AZ

The Healing Field

Corey Woods, Tempe City Councilman, speaking

Mark Mitchell, Tempe City Councilman, speaking

A volunteer reading the names of some of the fallen

Random cloud shot.  I just liked it.

A couple walking among the flags

As heartbreaking as this all is, some are a little more heartbreaking - flags marked by yellow ribbons are memorials for fallen first responders; flags marked by military boots are memorials for fallen active duty servicemen and women - these are the toughest.  Flags marked by teddy bears memorialize children who died in the event of September 11, 2001.