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Religious Bigotry Alive in Arizona 8th – Corrected

March 18, 2009 By

We can see that religious bigotry is alive and well at the blog, Arizona 8th. Apparently, they didn’t like the fact that Senator Al Melvin exercises his religious liberty by reading his Bible and happened to mention it during an interview with the Arizona Capitol Times.

We can only imagine if one of the LDS elected officials had mentioned they read the Book of Mormon.

Ooooh how scary! Maybe some Christian might beat them over the head with it.

Yes, religious bigotry is alive and unfortunately well amongst lefty bloggers.

SA Bad – Correction and apologies: Arizona 8th deserves SA’s apology misreading the post please see the note from “SA” below…

Filed Under: Religion

Jack Harris, What Happened? -Follow up.

March 18, 2009 By 2 Comments

Monday I posted a piece designed to highlight the problems that I see with Jack Harris and the double standard applied by the media and other Liberals. In my effort to go after Jack I referenced a certain, sleazy website that criticized him and other top PPD management. This was a mistake on my part because the site criticized Phoenix police officers in general as well. Please do not interpret my comments about Jack Harris or the raid being a general criticism of our police officers, they were meant to highlight the problems that I see with PPD’s management. I should have been more careful to point that out.

 

Personal note to Ann: The vast majority of law enforcement officers that I have ever worked with are honest, hard working people who work under extraordinary circumstances. They put their lives on the line of us every second that they are on duty—and sometimes when they are off duty. Please accept my apology.

Filed Under: City Government, Crime and Punishment, Freedom of Speech, Government, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Employment, Illegal Immigration

John Shadegg Was Right

March 18, 2009 By 3 Comments

In case you missed it, Congressman John Shadegg was on “Morning Joe” this morning discussing the infuriating financial federal fiasco.

Here is that Youtube video clip:

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Huge credit also needs to be given to Congressman Ron Paul for these predictions.

Filed Under: Spending

Past Times as West Wing High

March 18, 2009 By 1 Comment

Good grief! This can’t be a good sign.

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat the past.

Filed Under: History

Arizona, We have a spending problem

March 18, 2009 By 3 Comments

Byron Schlomach, Ph.D.

Arizona, We have a spending problem
by Byron Schlomach, Ph.D.

Whether personal, organizational, or governmental, when dealing with finances, it’s often a good idea to back up and look at the big picture. Accordingly, the figure below shows Arizona’s General Fund expenditures and revenues from 1993 through 2008 (the latest year available).

In the 1990s, revenue growth was even and steady despite the fact that tax cuts became effective yearly. At the end of that decade, though, expenditures took an uptick and surpluses disappeared. Since then, Arizona has been on a wild ride. During the three years after the double-whammy of the tech bubble bursting and 9/11 spending accelerated right along with revenues. Source: Joint Legislative Budget Committee

For the last three budget years, state spending has exceeded state revenue. Even as lawmakers began to understand our true fiscal picture, there was a failure to put on the brakes on spending.

Arizona has been hit hard by the national business cycle. The worst thing the state’s policymakers could do now is amplify the negative effects with a tax increase. Tax increases discourage the private investment and risk-taking that we need to build wealth and restore a vibrant economy.

Byron Schlomach, Ph.D, is director of economic policy at the Goldwater Institute.

 

Filed Under: Spending, State Budget, State Government, Taxation

BUSTED AGAIN! Phoenix Planned Parenthood Caught Hiding Statutory Rape of 15-Year-Old

March 18, 2009 By 3 Comments
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Arizona Right to Life Condemns Cover-up of Sexual Abuse at Two Planned Parenthood Sites in Phoenix
Undercover video exposes state’s largest abortion provider violating state law

Photo of Lila Rose, President of Live Action Films


Phoenix, AZ – March 18th, 2009–A keynote speaker at the recent March 7th, 2009 Fifth Annual Arizona Right to Life Benefit Banquet has released searing undercover video footage exposing a pattern of sexual-abuse cover-up at Planned Parenthood of Arizona.

Twenty-year-old Live Action Films President Lila Rose said in a statementreleased early this morning that “By keeping information about rapists confidential, Planned Parenthood enables sexual predators to continue violating young girls.”  Calling on Arizona citizens to express their outrage to state officials, Rose said, “If Arizona state authorities investigate Planned Parenthood’s statutory rape reporting practices, they can help bring an end to these crimes.”

Arizona Right to Life President Jinny Perron said that “Live Action Films is to be commended for exposing Planned Parenthood’s inexcusable and deliberate law-breaking tactics against our children.”

However, Perron condemns the sexual abuse cover-up exposed in the fourth video in a series of Live Action videos exposing the systematic and routine scofflaw tactics of the largest abortion provider in Arizona.

“The Arizona Legislature and our Congressional Representatives have been notified and received a copy of the video this morning.  We encourage you to voice your moral outrage by calling, writing and e-mailing their offices,” Perron said. 

Please see the contact information below to express your outrage over Planned Parenthood’s defense of statutory rapists preying on Arizona’s children!

 

 

 

 

 

CALL, EMAIL, AND WRITE YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES!

–Arizona Senate–

CALL, EMAIL, AND WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS!


SENATE


Sen. Jon Kyl (602) 840-1891
Sen. John McCain (602) 952-2410

HOUSE

 

 

 

 


Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Culture, Sanctity of Life

Ladner on 49th

March 17, 2009 By 6 Comments

Over the last month, we’ve all heard the statistic thrown out that Arizona ranks 49th in the country when it comes to student reading. Those who frequently visit Blog for Arizona have read the debate taking place between Matthew Ladner, Ph.D. and Savid Safier.

Today, Dr. Ladner sent out the following message to help further put the issue into perspective:

Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.49th or 149th, it’s not about spending, it’s about results
By Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.

Over the past couple weeks I have been debating progressive blogger David Safier and his readers about per pupil spending in Arizona public schools. It’s been a good exchange, and I have learned things in the process.

As I’ve discussed before, the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s financial report revealed that in 2007-08 Arizona schools received $9,707 in revenue per pupil. There are some small sources of revenue included in those figures, like students buying lunches with their own money and a small allocation for adult education, which ought not to be counted. The JLBC recently produced an expenditure total of $9,399 per pupil. Both of these are well above the $6,500 per pupil myth, often reported in the news media.

For those who wish to obsess about where Arizona ranks compared to other states, I have conceded that I don’t know how many other states may be low-balling their numbers in ways similar to Arizona. In the absence of reliable national numbers, I have pledged not to make claims about where Arizona ranks, even if the usual suspects continue to claim Arizona is ranked 49th (along with several other states).

Personally, I don’t think it matters much where Arizona ranks as a state. Arizona charter schools receive $7,800 per pupil and the average private school tuition is $5,500, and they often out-perform traditional public schools. It isn’t about spending, it’s about results.

Where does $9,000 per pupil rank Arizona compared to other nations? President Obama suggested an answer in a speech last week:

“Despite resources that are unmatched anywhere in the world, we have let our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us. The relative decline of American education is untenable in our economy, unsustainable for our democracy, and unacceptable for our children. We cannot afford to let it continue. What is at stake is nothing less than the American dream.”
When we have a huge budget deficit and school choice programs get better results for less money, it seems obvious which direction we should go.

Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president for research at the Goldwater Institute.

Filed Under: Education

Shadegg Takes on James

March 17, 2009 By 6 Comments

Lisa JamesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 17, 2009March 17, 2009

Shadegg Announces Lisa James as New Deputy Chief of Staff

Shadegg: “We are thrilled to have Lisa James on board. Her exemplary résumé reflects her passion for public service and a steadfast dedication to the people of Arizona. I am confident she will be an outstanding addition to our staff.”

PHOENIX – Today Congressman John Shadegg announced the addition of a Deputy Chief of Staff, being filled by long-time Arizona activist, Lisa James. Additionally, James Ashley, previously the Deputy District Director, has been promoted to District Director.

“We are thrilled to have Lisa James on board. Her exemplary résumé reflects her passion for public service and a steadfast dedication to the people of Arizona. I am confident she will be an outstanding addition to our staff. I am also pleased to announce the promotion of James Ashley to District Director. He has been an integral part of my office for the last 11 years and has truly earned this position. Together, Lisa and James will be a tremendous resource for people of Arizona’s Third Congressional District.”

In addition to working in the political department of the Republican National Committee and then as an advance representative for President George Bush Sr. in Washington, DC, James has dedicated much of her time to Arizona politics. In 2000, she was a member of the Arizona George W. Bush for President Advisory Board and served as the director of Arizona Victory 2000, where she was directly responsible for the management of all Victory 2000 efforts in Arizona. Her community involvement and outreach has extended as far as holding the positions of chair and honorary chair of the Teaming Up for Kids Luncheon benefiting Florence Crittenton, the corporate board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix, and co-chair of the Arizona Winning Women Fundraiser for the Arizona Republican Party.

Filed Under: Press Release

Jack Harris, What Happened?

March 16, 2009 By 13 Comments

Facts about this incident are scanty but apparently Phoenix police raided a private residence this past Thursday or Friday thought to be in conjunction with an internal investigation. According to one report the police seized all of the computers, routers and modems in the residence. The warrant was reported to be missing the page that specified the reasons for the search and seizure. The residence is the home of a man who runs the blog: BadPhoenixCops.com, a blog that is hyper-critical of Phoenix police administration, especially the assistant city manager for public safety, Jack Harris.

I scanned through the blog, it’s generally an unsavory read, but it does bring up some noteworthy questions about the activities of the PPD’s upper management. I’m in no hurry to conclude that there has been any abuse of power by the police. The facts, once they all come to light, will eventually answer that question.

For the moment it is interesting to me that our state’s largest newspaper, the Arizona Republic, has so little interest in the story, despite the suspicious smell of retaliation. I predict that if the Republic ever gets around to covering the story it will be much different than their coverage of Sheriff Joe (unless the owner of the blog is an ILLEGAL immigrant.) The reason for this is that Jack Harris has been extremely helpful in creating a city environment where ILLEGALS know that they can live free of fear that our immigration laws will be enforced. When it comes to immigration laws Phoenix is an enforcement-free zone.

Note to Attorney General Terry Goddard: the raid may be worth investigating. Surely you could link it to Phoenix mayor, Phil Gordon. Take down Phil now and you’d have one less opponent in a future governor’s race.

Maybe the raid will merit an investigation by the Obama/Napolitano justice department? Not likely, unlike the sheriff, Janet left Arizona on good terms with Jack Harris.

Stay tuned…

Filed Under: City Government, Crime and Punishment, Freedom of Speech, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Employment, Illegal Immigration, Judicial, Migrants, Property Rights

Howie Fischer Whines

March 16, 2009 By 7 Comments

Here’s a headline and article in today’s East Valley Tribune pulled from Capitol Media Services’s Howie Fischer.

Does this sound like whining?

GOP wants transparency, but evicts reporters

For the first time in nearly 50 years, reporters will not have work space in the state Capitol after July 1.

Senate President Bob Burns said Monday he is not interested in finding new space for reporters after Republicans take over the current press room in the Senate on that date. Burns wants that room for Republicans to have their caucuses, meetings of party members to discuss policy and pending legislation.

And Burns said he is not interested in providing space for reporters in any of the other rooms that will be opened up once the caucus room moves from its current second floor location. He also said he is not interested in trying to provide space for reporters who cover the House and Senate in the adjacent Old Capitol building.

“We have needs for the space,” he said.

Filed Under: Media

Salisbury mayor dislikes bloggers exposing politicians

March 16, 2009 By 22 Comments

Salisbury mayor: Malicious blogs endangering city

In her final State of the City address, Salisbury Mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman warned residents of what she sees as a great danger to the city: malicious bloggers.

Tilghman said in her address Thursday that over the last five years, the presence of a small group of suspicious, mean-spirited people focused on the negative has grown, endangering the city’s vitality.

Tilghman says some people are avoiding serving their city because it’s not worth chancing the scorn of bloggers.

#

Comment by Blogger1947

I suppose if you’re a politician it is a bit hard to get things done with people running around pointing out (a) the stuff you did wrong because you didn’t do your research, and (b) the stuff you knew was wrong, but hoped you’d get away with because of ignorance or indifference.

Filed Under: Blogs, City Government, Freedom of Speech, Government, Media

Berman out as Gilbert Mayor; Sets sights on next political office

March 13, 2009 By 6 Comments

It’s official, Mayor Steve Berman has been defeated in the Gilbert Primary election but that doesn’t mean he’s out of the political arena.

According to an article in today’s Republic, Berman admitted he has his sights on another political office and will run again for either a Gilbert council seat or for Thayer Verschoor’s State Senate seat.

Can’t keep a politician out in the cold too long.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, City Government

Liberal AZ Republic columnist E.J. Montini calls fed investigations of Arpaio a “witchhunt”

March 13, 2009 By 3 Comments

When left wing Arpaio-hater E.J. Montini is calling investigations of Sheriff Arpaio a witchhunt, agreeing with those of us on the right, there’s gotta be something to it.

Some excerpts –

They philosophically disagree with Arpaio’s use of deputies to enforce immigration law aggressively. A lot of folks do. But to suggest that he has acted with blatant disregard for people’s civil rights or worse? That’s a stretch.

Opponents don’t like sheriff’s deputies using traffic violations as probable cause to stop a vehicle and then questioning those inside about immigration. Still, not liking such a practice and suggesting that it’s illegal are two widely different things. Cops use traffic violations to nab all types of bad guys. (Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was captured after being stopped for not having a license plate on his getaway car.)

If Arpaio’s policy is to be changed, it should be through an election, not with a politically motivated mob. You can’t catch a witch by making a pact with the devil.

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Immigration

Superior Court to lay off around 60 employees

March 13, 2009 By 5 Comments

We heard through the grapevine that the Maricopa County Superior Court will be laying off around 60 employees by April or May. Hopefully some of them will be a few of the bad liberal judges, but unfortunately we suspect it will all be lower-level staff who will be hurt harder than the wealthy judges by a layoff (Superior Court judges make at least $140,000/yr last we checked).

It doesn’t need to happen. The Superior Court is building a $340 million brand new Taj Mahal court tower. That could be delayed in order to save those jobs – because you know as soon as the recession ends, those staff positions will all be recreated again. We suspect the reason why not a single penny is being cut from the Taj Mahal is because the construction companies and other vendors involved in the contract contributed heavily to the campaigns of the county employees carrying the purse strings.

Filed Under: Campaign Finance, County Government, State Economy, State Government

Sending a tax hike to the ballot is the same as voting for one

March 13, 2009 By 11 Comments

by Grover Norquist

The Arizona Taxpayer Protection Pledge is a commitment to the voters of Arizona that the signer will “oppose and vote against” any tax increase.

Sending a tax hike to the ballot is supporting the tax hike. Voting against sending a tax hike to the ballot is opposing the tax hike.

Voting to move the tax hike forward and put it on the ballot is the equivalent to a Senator voting for a tax hike and referring the tax hike to the House of Representatives. A senator could argue that he didn’t vote for the tax hike, he just sent it to the House. They pulled the trigger. Or visa versa for a House member.

The idea that moving a tax hike forward by putting it on the ballot is not part of passing a tax increase has never passed the laugh test.

Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform. This originally appeared in the Goldwater Institute’s Daily Email.

Filed Under: State Budget, State Government, Taxation

The Political Takedown of Sheriff Joe

March 12, 2009 By 17 Comments

One thing Democrats have learned to do well—a skill that Republicans unfortunately have yet to acquire—is the use of government power to destroy the opposing political party. Why, our very own Arizona attorney general (a Democrat), Terry “Barney Fife” Goddard prosecuted Republicans faster than we could elect them.

Now that the Democrats control Washington they’ve taken their act on the road to target Republican Sheriff Joe Arpaio for alleged civil rights violations. A “civil rights violation” appears to be defined by Democrats as any act done by Republicans that Democrats don’t like. Too bad the Bush justice department missed the opportunity to investigate Goddard’s civil rights violations—maybe we could do that next time around?

 

Could it be that the sheriff is interfering with Democrat plans to turn these ILLEGALS into perpetual Democrat voters? Once the ILLEGALS are on government assistance they’ll be forever Democrat voters—once amnesty is granted. The next time Janet Napolitano is in town busily ignoring our open southern border we should ask her.

 

What is most troubling about the political takedown of the sheriff is the silence of our congressional Republican delegation. Where is McCain, Kyl and Flake? Where’s the angry press conference?

 

Why aren’t they demanding an investigation of the Obama justice department?

 

It would be nice to see a prominent Republican with a spine (just once!)—be willing to denounce this dangerous and naked use of government power to destroy our sheriff. This investigation is nothing more than an attempt by a Democrat controlled federal government to destroy a Republican—a Republican who is doing his job.

 

Sadly, because McCain, Kyl and Flake are more interested in amnesty than enforcement the sheriff may get thrown under the bus! If this happens no one is going to be willing to enforce the law regarding ILLEGAL immigration. By the way, when do we get to investigate a Democrat for “civil rights violations”?

 

Stay tuned…

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Government, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Employment, Illegal Immigration, Migrants, State Government

Tenth Amendment Sets Galt Free or It’s the Constitution Stupid

March 12, 2009 By 4 Comments

Gayle Plato-Besley, M.Ed.

Before I chose to be at home and in this current life of Mom, esq.,  I was that high school history teacher you didn’t listen to during Gov’t and Econ class right after lunch. Yeah, I remember you; you slept on the desk and folded footballs up with your notes. :-)

What I was trying to teach you then that now you see matters, is that you have rights and they’re only as good as your knowledge of them. I also did a great lesson on the Bill of Rights that you blew off so you could get stoned behind the bleachers. Yeah, I knew you did it and I saw you!   

So here’s whattya missed:  Read the Constitution, and specifically look at the Tenth Amendment.  It’s the most important one we got when The People get rowdy.
 
But before you get all randy and run down to the town hall to protest with a used tea bag in you pocket, you better get smart. Take a moment to reflect as John Galt is a character, but the actual point made by Ayn Rand is that the individual is the power, and the centralized government is not. (Personally I prefer Howard Roake anyway, but then I love architecture so)

Tenth Amendment:

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

The debate of our near future is the importance of this amendment.

This is an excellent video of the current collective angst with the pending revolt and socialization of this country. Remember also what I’ve said, Organize With A Purpose:
 
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Filed Under: Economics, Federal Budget, Freedom of Speech, Government, Legislation, State Government, Taxation Tagged With: ,
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