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First Employer Sanctions Case Filed

November 18, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Scottsdale Art Factory accused of hiring illegal workers after January 2009 raid

County Attorney Andrew Thomas announced his office has filed the state’s first employer sanctions case, a civil complaint against an employer accused of violating the Legal Arizona Worker’s Act. The civil action alleges the Scottsdale Art Factory’s manager, Michelle Hardas, allegedly hired illegal labor deliberately by using a “subcontractor” which was in reality an employee who was not authorized to work in the United States.

In January 2009, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office made a number of identity theft arrests after learning illegal immigrants were employed at the business. The civil complaint alleges that an illegal worker who voluntarily returned to Mexico, Hilario Santiago-Hernandez, returned to Arizona and created a company to provide services and labor solely for the Scottsdale Art Factory. The complaint alleges that “Santiago Furniture”, which was formed in April 2009, was established to circumvent the Legal Arizona Worker’s Act. The complaint also accuses Hardas of attempting to get Santiago-Hernandez to hire an unauthorized employee under Santiago-Hernandez’s shell company to do work at the Scottsdale Art Factory. Hardas allegedly suggested Santiago-Hernandez charge the unauthorized alien a five percent kickback.

The complaint alleges:
“Hardas has used the provision of limited liability companies, designed to protect legitimate businesses, as a way of gaining an unfair economic advantage over legitimate businesses by continuing to hire employees who are not authorized to be employed in the United States.”

The complaint was filed on November 18 following an investigation by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation included the use of undercover video in which Hardas told an undercover informant she was “trying to get around the system … and change the rules so that I can make you be hired.”

In the video, Hardas characterizes the subcontractor arrangement this way, “it’s like having a real business even though … we’re just using it to put the money through….”

The video also quotes Hardas as telling Santiago-Sanchez what to say when contacted by law enforcement, “I don’t work here. … Sometimes I come in the shop and I help a little bit, but mostly I just bring in furniture – drop off furniture – drop off doors that I made. I was just here making a door. Got to go. You don’t need to see my papers. I got to go.”
The civil complaint asks the court to order the business to fire illegal workers and comply with state law. The complaint also seeks a minimum ten day suspension of the defendant’s business license. Deputy County Attorney Peter Spaw is prosecuting the case.

Since 2008, when the Legal Arizona Workers Act became law, there have been 26 investigations with a total of 327 arrests. Of those, 212 were for identity theft or forgery. An additional 98 suspects were found to be in the United States illegally. Several others had outstanding warrants. Today’s complaint marks the first civil action taken against an employer and we expect more to follow. Unfortunately, just as prosecutors are starting to make progress there are efforts at the State Legislature and the Board of Supervisors to sweep the funds that were set aside by statute to enforce the Legal Arizona Workers Act in addition to prosecuting other crimes resulting from illegal immigration. In addition to prosecuting defendants in employer-sanctions related cases, the County Attorney’s Office has used these funds to prosecute 866 human smuggling defendants, 381 kidnapping defendants, and 436 illegal immigrants accused of Misconduct Involving Weapons.

County Attorney Thomas stated, “This first employer-sanctions case is the capstone on our office’s efforts to stop illegal immigration. The idea that state and local law enforcement can successfully and legally combat illegal immigration has moved from a provocative theory a few years ago to reality today.” Thomas especially thanked Senator Russell Pearce for backing the employer-sanctions legislation and Sheriff Joe Arpaio for continuing with employer raids despite protests.Sheriff Arpaio stated, “It’s sad with the high unemployment rate in this country that employers hire illegal aliens, taking jobs away from US citizens.”

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

Arizona Mayors Play the Shell Game

November 18, 2009 By 27 Comments

I saw this article this AM and for just one brief moment I was almost giddy.  Or as Chris Matthews puts it, I had a tingle go up my leg”.  But then I read the whole thing and came crashing back to earth.

Four southeast Valley mayors challenged the Legislature on Tuesday to overhaul Arizona’s tax system and think more creatively about how to solve the state’s monumental budget problems.

In the process, they warned lawmakers not to pass down those problems to cities and towns, which have been largely successful in coping with their own fiscal issues.

Read the last paragraph one more time.  We will come back to it again.  The story continues.

Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and Tempe have coped with drops in sales taxes and development revenue. The mayors said local budget tweaks won’t solve the underlying problem of an unstable state tax system.

“Most of us . . . are funded by sales tax to a large degree,” said Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman. “And that is a very volatile sector. . . . It’s not going to get better, because the cities don’t have the opportunity to change that model. It’s going to have to be done at the state level.”

Hallman said Arizona should rely less on sales taxes and more on property taxes.

And right there is the money line.  These four mayors “new way od thinking”  is to shift the burden from our sales tax dollars to our property tax dollars.  Pardon me sirs, but isn’t that just a sideways move?  You are really just moving the problem out of my left pocket and putting it in my right pocket.  The big Red Flag here; while sales taxes are based upon a definitive transaction, property taxes are based upon an “arbitrary” number.  I know that there are “formulas” to follow, blah blah blah.  With a stroke of the pen, sorry with the click of a mouse, our property taxes can go up, based upon nothing but a finger in the wind appraisal of all of our properties.  Either way the tax burden still ends up in my mailbox, yours too.

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said that when his city faced a $61 million budget gap last fall, officials decided it wouldn’t work just to cut jobs without overhauling operations.  “Cutting is a temporary solution, and what we’re looking for is more of a long-term solution, which means you have to change the way you do business,” he said.

Remember earlier in the post when I referenced that money line, “They warned lawmakers not to pass down those problems to cities and towns”?  Rather than come up with some actual new creative ideas, these four mayors are using the same old tired ideas, just re-wrapped for the holidays.  I have already played “three card monty” and I know how it turns out everytime.   Perhaps our elected officials could and should be looking to others for “new ideas”.  heck, you don’t even need new ideas.  Look to states that are prospering in this economy.  Again I reference Texas. No state income tax, low unemployment, a growing economy and they are in the black.  Remember when you where in school?  Didn’t you always try and sit next to the smart kid so you could copy off of him? Maybe we should send our elected officials on a field trip.  They certainly aren’t learning anything sitting here at home.  Back to the drawing board, Mr. Mayor[s].

via AZCentral.

Filed Under: City Government, State Budget, State Economy, State Government, Taxation

What Makes Something Unconstitutional?

November 18, 2009 By 7 Comments

by Judge Gerald A. Williams
North Valley Justice of the Peace

On the national level, one political party clearly has enough representatives and senators to pass whatever health-care proposals it desires.  It has not done so in part due to public opposition.  Meaningful debate is always good and every American knows that they have a right to free speech and to question their government.

However, concerned citizens who appeared at town-hall meetings and tea party protests were accused of spreading lies and being uninformed.  One commentator noted that doing so keeps supporters of new health care entitlements from having to contemplate the possibility that these citizens have a rational basis for opposing so-called health care reform.

Both sides have used terms incorrectly and out of context, even though there are clearly defined meanings.  One such term is “unconstitutional.”

Generally the U.S. Supreme Court has established three categories of what kind of review will be applied to a government’s actions to determine whether something is constitutional.  If strict scrutiny is applied, then the law or action will be upheld only if it is necessary to achieve a compelling government interest.  On the other end, if a rational basis test is applied, then the law will be upheld if it is merely rationally related to a legitimate government interest.  Between these two, there is an intermediate scrutiny that, if applied, will uphold a law if it is substantially related to an important government purpose.

The level of scrutiny to be applied will likely control the outcome of the case.  For example, if something is a fundamental right, like anything in the First Amendment, or has been declared to be a fundamental right, like the right to privacy, then strict scrutiny will be applied to government action trying to restrict that right.  Any restriction based on someone’s race is also going to trigger strict scrutiny.

Free speech works as an example.  Freedoms of speech and assembly allow the free flow of ideas and debate and are a prerequisite for a free society.  However, there are numerous time, place and manner restrictions on speech.  For example, false advertising, defamation and the disclosure of top secret information are not protected speech.

The next time you hear someone declare that an action of either the previous or current President to be “unconstitutional,” feel free to ask them, “How?”  It might be fun to see whether they understand their own argument.

Judge Williams is the presiding justice of the peace for the Northwest Regional Court Center.  His column appears monthly in The Foothills Focus.

Filed Under: Constitutional Law, Guest Opinion

Slideshow from Politics on the Rocks Republicanville.com launch with JD Hayworth

November 17, 2009 By
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Filed Under: Special Event

Changes in LD-17

November 17, 2009 By 12 Comments

I am enjoying watching the changes take place in LD-17. Democratic State Senator, Meg Burton-Cahill, will be holding a press conference today prior to the kickoff of the Special Session of the Legislature to announce that she will be retiring from the public dole. Waiting in the wings is her House seatmate, David Schapira, who will announce shortly that he will seek to replace her. Question to B-C: Why not just resign and have the LD-17 Democratic PC’s nominate three Dems to replace you? I’m sure the County Board of Supervisors will rubber stamp whoever you put up.

Speculation also abounds that GOP challenger, Wendy Rogers, is coming on fast and furious for the seat and will likely place the LD-17 Senate seat into the hands of GOP. The national trending certainly suggests that the GOP will make gains in 2010. Could Rogers’ campaign intimidated B-C to get out? Are the Dems thinking that Shapira may be their only hope to retain the seat?

At the same time this is happening, Tempe Councilman, Ben Arredondo, will also announce today (probably at the B-C press conference?) that he will be switching from a Republican to Democrat in order to run for Schapira’s LD-17 House seat. (Arredondo has a history of playing both sides of the fence.) Joining him will be Democrat, Ed Ableser, also from LD-17 who will likely team up in the LD-17 House race. This means that the Dems already have their slate in place for LD-17 in 2010: Schapira, Ableser and Arredondo.

With Rogers running for the Senate and Augustus Shaw running for the House, the Republicans need to find one more candidate to join Shaw in the House race and avoid splitting the vote in the General.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections

Comments On

November 16, 2009 By 27 Comments

With rare exception do I turn the comments off on a post. Usually to prevent someone from taking a shot at an elected official’s family member or when one group of sophomoric Republicans take shots at another group of sophomoric Republicans. The general rule here on Sonoran Alliance is if you post something, you better be willing to defend your post. With that said, I’m going to open this post up to comments…

Filed Under: Blogs, Freedom of Speech

Democrat Bloggers Trying To Encourage GOP Primary?

November 13, 2009 By 10 Comments

It what is best described as a case of wishful thinking, both Tedski over at Rum, Romanism and Rebellion, and David Safier at My Gay Arizona (CAUTION:  Lots of gay cruise ads on this page) are playing up the notion that State Representative Vic Williams is gearing up for a primary challenge to State Senator Al Melvin down in LD26.  Gila Courier has already contacted Williams and he has dismissed the rumor as pure nonsense, but should the GOP be encouraged that the hard left in Arizona is trying to encourage such an event?  We think so.

Melvin ran in 2006 and won the primary, besting Sen. Toni Hellon, but then he lost by several hundred votes in the general election.  In 2008 he ran again, and had to first beat Rep. Pete Hershberger in another rough primary, before winning and recapturing the seat for the GOP in the general election.  Unable to find another candidate, the Democrats are again running Cheryl “Tax the Golf Carts” Cage against Melvin, but given that she lost to him in a good year for Democrats after Melvin endured back-to-back bruising primaries, do the Democrats really expect to win the race in 2010′s political environment, especially with Melvin enjoying a more unified GOP supporting his effort?  Not likely.

Thus the rumor mongering and wishful thinking from Tedski and Safier.  From what we hear, LD26 Democrats need to be far more worried about protecting Rep. Nancy Young Wright than wasting their time and money on Cage.  Republicans already have a strong challenger in that race, who is getting good reviews from everyone in the local GOP.

Filed Under: Blogs, Campaigns & Elections

Prepare to shop at Safeway/Fry’s this weekend to thwart union picketing

November 12, 2009 By 23 Comments

Photo courtesy of the Arizona Republic

Photo courtesy of the Arizona Republic

In a strikingly bizarre twist, grocery store employees at Safeway and Fry’s Grocery have been picketing the stores’ union this week in order to stop it from picketing. The  United Food & Commercial Union Local 99 is threatening to go on strike this Friday at 6pm over health insurance. Their reason? Safeway and Fry’s are planning on starting to charge employees a minimal cost for health insurance – $5 – $15/wk – which they now provide for free. The union is refusing to accept any cost at all. Even this minimal cost! Considering how expensive healthcare is, it seems ridiculous that the union can force the company to continue providing all health insurance for free.

Many Safeway and Fry’s employees realize this, and do not want to be out of work indefinitely during this down economy, right before Christmas.  Estimates are that over 20,000 employees will be affected. Non-union employees may be prevented from working during the strike, and will receive no compensation. Union employees will receive $100/week in strike pay, a piddly amount, not much to tide them over. Arizona is a right to work state, meaning employees are not required to join unions. A strike will likely affect the non-union employees who just want to work.  This is unfair.

Safeway and Fry’s have been preparing for the strike by hiring temporary workers to fill in. Out of care for their longtime employees, they are only hiring temporary employees, not permanent replacements. The two chains are sticking together, agreeing that if the union goes on strike against one chain, the other chain will lock its union employees out.

It is irresponsible of the union to be calling for a strike based on demands for free healthcare, especially at this time of year when the employees don’t want it. The unions aren’t representing the employees, they are representing the interests of the socialist bosses who run them. Most Americans realize that healthcare isn’t free, no matter how hard Obama and the Democrats in Congress try to ram it down our throats.

The last strike like this occurred in California against subsidiaries of Safeway and Fry’s in 2003, lasting 20 weeks and costing the stores billions of dollars.

It is looking like a satisfactory agreement will not be achieved by 6pm Friday night. If so, the union will  start picketing certain stores. They may only target Safeway, since Safeway has been struggling financially more than Fry’s. Or they may target just a few stores. Regardless, be prepared to shop at Safeway and Fry’s this weekend. Even if you don’t regularly shop at those stores, please consider stopping by to encourage them and keep their sales up. I am holding off my weekly shopping until this weekend and intend to buy extra purchases in addition there, instead of making an extra trip to Walmart to buy certain items cheaper. Don’t let a few socialists running the unions force their unrealistic demands upon employees against their will, causing them to suffer this Christmas season. Even the Arizona Republic has editorialized against the union strike! The union no longer represents the interests of its employees.

The National Right to Work Foundation is offering free legal aid to employees during the strike. There is some concern that union officials will try and prohibit union members from working during the strike, and NRWF wants to make sure union members know their rights. Union members have a right to continue working during the strike, however they may want to resign from the union in order to avoid oppressive union disciplinary actions and fines. They can also sign a decertification petition to hold a secret ballot election to remove the union hierarchy from the workplace.

Filed Under: Economics, Health Care, Jobs/Labor, Protests

JD Hayworth interview with Charles Jensen about Republicanville.com launch party tonight at the W

November 12, 2009 By Leave a Comment
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Click here for more info about tonight’s event

Filed Under: Special Event

Competition, innovation key to supply Arizona’s future energy needs

November 12, 2009 By 1 Comment

by Nick Dranias
Goldwater Institute
 
Arizona’s consumption of electrical power has been growing at about three times the rate of the United States’ as a whole. Unless we open the market to let more suppliers in, Arizonans will be at risk of electricity shortages, spiraling prices and miss out on the benefits of innovation in renewable energy spurred by competition for their business. That’s why the Goldwater Institute recommends restructuring Arizona’s electricity markets for competition.

Restructuring would rewrite the regulations governing Arizona’s electricity market and allow for competition among generators, distributors and retailers of electricity. It would allow entrepreneurs to open new businesses to produce, distribute, and sell electricity. The competitive electricity market in Texas increased generation capacity by 35 percent from 1998 to 2006. In Britain, a similar expansion in capacity ultimately lowered rates 30 percent in 10 years.

Restructuring will also give customers who want to buy and use green energy the freedom to do so. Right now in Arizona, there are homebuilders who want to create green subdivisions which generate and supply their own renewable electricity. Restructuring would make this possible.

Today three experts on electricity restructuring will be at the state Capital to talk about how Arizona could begin a restructuring process and how restructuring could encourage the use of more renewable energy. The discussion is open to the public and we encourage you to join us:
 
Date:   Thursday, November 12, 2009
Time:   10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Location:   Arizona State House of Representatives, Hearing Room 3, 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix

A successful restructuring effort will unleash entrepreneurs to freely generate more electricity to meet demand and to innovate in developing energy sources of all types, especially green, while maintaining stable prices. Restructuring, when done right, has never failed, indeed it has been successful in Texas, Pennsylvania and Britain. It will succeed here too.

Nick Dranias holds the Goldwater Institute Clarence J. and Katherine P. Duncan chair for constitutional government and is the director of the Institute’s Dorothy D. and Joseph A. Moller Center for Constitutional Government.

Filed Under: Energy, Environment, Regulations

November 11, 2009 By 15 Comments

MUNGER LOGO SHADOWED

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jerry Cobb (602) 478-0002
jerrycobb@actual-media.com

GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JOHN MUNGER CALLS FOR A MORATORIUM ON TAXPAYER-FINANCED CAMPAIGNS

(PHOENIX, AZ) November 11, 2009 – John Munger released the following statement today on Arizona’s public campaign finance system:

“It’s time to come clean about Arizona’s Clean Elections law and admit that it has led to a flawed system we can no longer afford.  Giving taxpayer funds to career politicians at a time when we’re cutting government is an abomination.  Today I’m calling for the complete abolishment of taxpayer funded elections, and applying the current revenues of Arizona’s Clean Elections System to funding core services such as K-12 education. “

“The process of wiping out taxpayer funded campaigns will require action by the legislature and by voters.  In the meantime, candidates participating in the taxpayer funded system should cease raising money for so-called ‘constituent’ accounts and turn those funds over to the state to help offset the current budget deficit.”

“It is hypocritical and wrong for candidates to request taxpayer money to run for office while at the same time raising private funds for frivolous expenses like sending out greeting cards, which is what most constituent accounts are used for.”

###

Filed Under: Campaign Finance, Campaigns & Elections, State Government

Net neutrality regulation violates First Amendment

November 11, 2009 By 8 Comments

by Nick Dranias
Goldwater Institute

The Federal Communications Commission wants to force network service providers–the companies that own and operate the wires, routers and computers that keep the Internet humming–to transmit streaming audio, video and anything else on terms the FCC deems “neutral” regardless of how much bandwidth the data consumes. Network providers say the regulation will eliminate their ability to manage network traffic and effectively clog up the Internet. They argue that such “net neutrality” will deter and destroy private sector investment in the Internet.

But there’s something more important than that at stake. It’s the First Amendment.
 
In Comcast Cablevision v. Broward County, Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks struck down a county ordinance that forced a cable company to give its competitors equal access to its communication infrastructure. Much like advocates of net neutrality argue today, the county government argued that its “open access” ordinance did not offend the First Amendment because it ensured the transmission of more, rather than less, information by more companies. Judge Middlebrooks rejected that argument, ruling that the First Amendment prohibits government from forcing owners of communication infrastructure to transmit information against their will. He also held that government has no power to force the distribution–or “circulation”–of information because “[l]iberty of circulating is not confined to newspapers and periodicals, pamphlets and leaflets, but also to delivery of information by means of fiber optics, microprocessors and cable.”
 
Net neutrality should suffer the same fate. Forcing network service providers to transmit information “neutrally” is actually worse than forcing “open access” on cable companies. Because unlike cable companies, network service providers typically do not enjoy government monopoly franchises. For this reason, net neutrality is even more like forcing a printer to publish books, newspapers, periodicals, pamphlets and leaflets on the government’s terms. And when it comes to government seizing command and control over freedom of the press, the First Amendment is anything but neutral.

Nick Dranias holds the Goldwater Institute Clarence J. and Katherine P. Duncan chair for constitutional government and is the director of the Institute’s Dorothy D. and Joseph A. Moller Center for Constitutional Government.

Filed Under: Constitutional Law, Freedom of Speech, Judicial, Technology

PR: Vernon Parker to Celebrate Half a Century Milestone

November 11, 2009 By Leave a Comment

GoVernor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Calling All Republicans –

AZ GOP Invited to Commemorate the Big 50

NOVEMBER 10, 2009. Later this month Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker will hit the half-century mark. In celebration of this, well, momentous occasion, all Republicans are invited to revel with the man himself, and remind him how 50 is the new 40!

At 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22nd, the Parkers will host this event at their Paradise Valley home. All that is required for attendance is for guests to bring ten, five dollar Clean Elections contributions and forms. Forms can be downloaded at www.Parker2010.com.

For more details or to RSVP, please contact Travis Junion at 602.770.2890, or email info@parker2010.com.

************************

Parker is the current mayor of Paradise Valley, Arizona. He has previously served the administrations of George H.W. Bush, George Bush, as an Assistant Secretary for the $90 billion United States Department of Agriculture, small businessman, and as a pastor for two years at a small non-denominational church in Paradise Valley.

Parker has the most compelling life story of any candidate emerging for governor. Raised by his grandmother in a severely underprivileged neighborhood in Long Beach, California, Parker was able to escape the drugs and violence through love, education and the commitment of family.

For more information contact Jason Rose or go to www.Parker2010.com.

Filed Under: Human Condition, Press Release

“Draft Dean Martin” Flair Flaunted

November 10, 2009 By 16 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

Senator Al Melvin Has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

November 9, 2009 By 3 Comments

Head Shot - No Tie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Al Melvin, the first-term senator from LD26, has announced he has Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He made the announcement because the treatments he is receiving are expected to cause considerable hair loss and he wanted to be sure that people knew the reason for it.

“I don’t have a great deal of hair”, said Melvin, adding “so those that I do have are like members of my family. I’ve known them for so long and I’ll be sad to see them go, particularly with winter approaching.”

On a more serious note, Melvin said that he had been lucky that the detection was fairly early, allowing the doctors to treat the disease in ample time, dramatically increasing his odds of a full recovery.

“There are two types of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma one that is slow developing but which is nearly impossible to eliminate, and the other that is faster growing but that can be cured. Fortunately, I have the second, so we can cure it and I can go on with my life.”

“According to the National Cancer Institute, three of the risk factors for developing NHL are being “older, male or white”, so I guess my goose was cooked from the get-go!”

Melvin said that the disease had not interfered with his work and he did not anticipate any problems. “I haven’t been sick or had any ill effects from it, and the doctors have said that I should be fine during and after the treatments. ”

On a related point, Fred Thompson, in his 2008 bid for the White House, announced that he had NH Lymphoma. His doctor, like Melvin’s, encouraged him to continue his public service and he continued with his presidential campaign.

Currently, Melvin is the vice-chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and also serves on the Public Safety and Human Services Committee and the Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. He has also been serving as the Senate co-chairman of the Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Energy and Water Development, which has been meeting regularly while the Legislature is out of session.

Melvin also plans on speaking with Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu to seek out advice on maintaining and polishing his new head.

(h/t Gila Courier)

Filed Under: Press Release
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