You are here: Home / 2009 / November / Archives for 10th

“Draft Dean Martin” Flair Flaunted

November 10, 2009 By 15 Comments

Draft Dean Martin Governor Arizona

We’ve all heard a version of the story about the Madison Avenue advertising hot shot who created the most persuasive and impactful campaign ever to sell a new brand of dog food. It failed miserably. The problem: the dogs wouldn’t eat the dog food.

I thought of that story not once but twice last week when Governor Jan Brewer and then Attorney General Terry Goddard filed papers for the 2010 Arizona gubernatorial election.

Arizona can do better.

I’m beginning to see “Draft Dean Martin” buttons being worn around town. Finally, a Choice, Not an Echo!

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections Tagged With: , ,

Giffords Claims Health Bill Will Cost Nothing

November 10, 2009 By 1 Comment

Gabby Giffords, with all the rest of the Arizona Democrats, marched lock-step with Nancy Pelosi in passing the House version of the government take-over of health care.  In her newsletter she actually claims that the health care bill will not add to the deficit.

Click to EnlargeClick to Enlarge

Now that is really interesting as the CBO [Central Budget Office] has released a report stating that the health care bill will add $1.055 TRILLION to the deficit.

From Nasdaq.

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The Congressional Budget Office said Thursday a U.S. House health-care system re-write would extend health insurance to 96% of the nonelderly U.S. population by 2019, and spend $1.055 trillion to do so.

Penalties imposed on individuals who did not purchase insurance, and employers who did not offer coverage to their workers, would raise $161 billion over that time-frame. That brings the net cost of the bill to $894 billion through 2019, CBO said.

House Democrats have seized on that net cost figure to claim that their bill is below President Barack Obama’s upper limit which he set for health-care legislation of $900 billion.

Maybe you could call her office and ask her to explain that one.

Try her DC office at 202-225-2542.  Last time I called, they hung up on me, but I’m sure you’ll have better luck.

Filed Under: Health Care

Supreme Court keeps sun shining brightly on Arizona government

November 10, 2009 By 1 Comment

by Carrie Ann Sitren
Goldwater Institute
  
With temperatures wavering in Arizona’s autumn season, the state Supreme Court is keeping the sun shining brightly on Arizona government. The Justices ruled on October 29 that information automatically stored in electronic files, like creation date and edit history, is open to the public.

The case, Lake v. City of Phoenix, was filed because the city refused to release a document’s “metadata,” which reveals who accessed the file and when, print dates, authors, and changes to a document.

Under state public records law, the public has a right to see all records of official activities. Specifically, the public has the right to see the original record, not just a paper copy. The Court ruled, “When a public officer uses a computer to make a public record, the metadata forms part of the document as much as the words on the page.”

The Court further explained that the decision would not create the “administrative nightmare” the city insisted. Officials can easily fulfill their duties under the law by simply providing the public with copies of records in their “native” (i.e., electronic) form-a task that may be even easier than printing hardcopies.

This decision is a victory for sunshine laws in Arizona. Unfortunately, some governments and agencies continue to turn the shades on public view. Many months after Glendale negotiations began over possible subsidies to keep the Phoenix Coyotes hockey team in town, taxpayers are still in the dark about even the barest details of what, or how much taxpayer money the city has offered to give away.

The Goldwater Institute will continue to push for transparency in government. We provide a number of tools on our website to help guide citizens in making effective public records requests and will continue to turn the spotlight on when cities try to make deals in darkness.
 
Carrie Ann Sitren is an attorney with the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation

Filed Under: Constitutional Law, Government, Judicial, State Government