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PR: Brewer Announces Bid for Second Term

November 5, 2009 By 13 Comments

Jan Brewer for Governor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 5, 2009

Governor Jan Brewer Announces Bid for Second Term

Former Attorney General Grant Woods and Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Mary Peters announced as Campaign Co-Chairs

PHOENIX –– Arizona Governor Jan Brewer today formally announced her candidacy for a second term as the Governor of the State of Arizona. Brewer, who took the helm as Governor last January in the midst of Arizona’s record financial crisis, pledged to continue to make the tough choices and renewed her steadfast commitment to serving the people of Arizona.

“When I took office, I inherited a budget deficit created from years of overspending and living beyond our means. We have worked hard to start fixing this problem, and made some very tough, but necessary decisions,” said Governor Brewer.

She said her decision to run for election next year is based on a simple philosophy. “I have always been a mother first and an elected official second and have made every decision to run for office based on whether I believed I could help people. I have never run for an office because I was looking to move on to some other office.”

Governor Brewer also proudly announced two distinguished supporters as the co-chairs who will help lead her campaign committee: Former Attorney General Grant Woods and Former United States Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters.

Former Attorney General Grant Woods served as Arizona’s chief law enforcement agent and prosecutor from 1991 to 1999. During his time in office, Arizona reinstated the death penalty in Arizona. Woods was known as a populist Attorney General and a staunch consumer protection advocate and was selected by his peers as the nation’s top attorney general in 1995.

Woods said, “I have known Jan for a long time, and I can say that tough times call for a tough leader,” explained Woods, “She understands that the budget isn’t our only policy issue – there are going to be more tough decisions to make, and she has pledged that over the course of her term, she will address the big challenges such as healthcare including mental health, transportation, infrastructure, and protecting our environment.”

Mary Peters, a fourth generation Arizonan, served as the United States Secretary of Transportation under President George W. Bush from 2006 to 2009. Prior to her appointment, Peters served as Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration from 2001 to 2005. She also headed the Arizona Department of Transportation from 1998 to 2001, where she started her career as an administrative assistant 16 years earlier. Throughout her career, Peters, has been a champion for more responsive and smaller government focused on delivering maximum value for taxpayers. She continues to be an advocate for solutions that engage both the public and private sector and shares Governor Brewer’s passion for driving solutions intended to help people.

Peters said, Peters said, “Governor Brewer understands that we must create a business friendly climate to attract high paying jobs and business investment in Arizona. As we prepare Arizona for the next 100 years of economic growth, not only will we need tax reform, but education reform, creating more opportunities and a highly skilled workforce. Jan Brewer is the best candidate to lead Arizona for the next four years.”

Governor Brewer thanked Woods and Peters for their long-time service to the State of Arizona and the United States as well as for their willingness to serve as co-chairs in her bid for a second term. She also thanked all of her supporters for their already overwhelming response.

“There is still a lot of work to be done and it is clear to me to that this is the moment that I was born to serve. I am in this race to win and I expect great things for Arizona,” said Governor Brewer, “I would be honored for your vote.”

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Download this release and the Governor’s Remarks

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Press Release

STATEMENT BY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JOHN MUNGER ON JAN BREWER’S DECISION TO SEEK RE-ELECTION

November 5, 2009 By 24 Comments
John Munger for Governor 2010

John Munger for Governor 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2009

STATEMENT BY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE JOHN MUNGER
ON JAN BREWER’S DECISION TO SEEK RE-ELECTION

“Jan Brewer did not ask to become our Governor.  She was not elected by the voters.  She did the best she could during the short and troubled term she inherited from her predecessor.”

“Her commitment to raise taxes is fundamentally out of step with the Republican Party and the exact opposite of what Arizona needs right now.  My program of lower taxes, regulatory reform and private stimulus will create jobs and broad-based prosperity.  My campaign offers voters a clear choice and a viable alternative to the failed
policies and economic stagnation that have marked Jan Brewer’s time in office.”

“I also find it sad that Jan Brewer has decided to seek taxpayer funds to pay for her campaign at a time when our state is virtually bankrupt.  This not only underscores her utter lack of popular support but her lack of awareness about the seriousness of our fiscal situation.”

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Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Press Release, State Budget, State Economy, State Government, Taxation

PR: Blackburn Endorses Kelly in AZ CD-8

November 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

JesseKellylogo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 5, 2009

Rep. Marsha Blackburn endorses Jesse Kelly for Congress.

Tucson, AZ. Recognizing the strength of his candidacy, Congressman Marsha Blackburn (TN-7) has endorsed Jesse Kelly for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.

Rep. Blackburn stated, “Jesse Kelly is what we need in Congress: strong leadership, unwavering honesty and principle. Under Jesse’s leadership, working families will be able to achieve the American dream without the heavy yoke of government. That is why I endorse Jesse Kelly for Congress.”

Jesse is honored to have the support of such a strong leader within the conservative movement and among the grassroots. Jesse looks forward to working with Rep. Blackburn to reduce taxes, reign in deficit spending, and restore the strength of American economy.

Jesse Kelly is a candidate for Arizona’s Eighth Congressional District in the southeastern region of the state. For more information on the Jesse Kelly campaign please visit VoteJesseKelly.com.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Endorsements, Press Release Tagged With: ,

PR: Vernon Parker: From Poverty to Paradise Valley

November 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

GoVernor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 5, 2009

PV Mayor Vernon Parker Launches First Campaign Commercial of 2010

Potential Candidate for AZ Governor Beat the Odds All His Life; Ready to Take on State’s Challenges

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz – November 5, 2009 – When life provided Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker with its toughest challenges, he not only rose to meet those challenges, he overcame them.

A new two-minute campaign spot, released today, tells his amazing story. It’s a story that could have ended in despair instead of triumph – if it weren’t for Parker’s tenacious spirit and drive.

“Without” can be viewed at www.Parker2010.com.

YouTube Preview Image

Parker grew up without a father in a neighborhood that beat down many people with its gangs, violence and drugs. He was raised by his grandmother, who cleaned houses to support the family. Although she had a limited education and couldn’t read, she taught him his most important lesson: never take the easy way out.

Parker not only became the first member of his family to graduate college, he went on to Georgetown University Law Center. He not only became a lawyer, he served as General Counsel of the United States Office of Personnel Management before he was 30 and was asked by President George H.W. Bush to serve as Special Assistant in the White House.

Parker returned to federal service after a two-year stint as interim pastor at his church in Paradise Valley.

Parker was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the U. S. Senate as the first ever Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the United States Department of Agriculture.

For more information, please contact Jason Rose.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Press Release

Uncoupling responsibility and liability

November 5, 2009 By 10 Comments

by Clint Bolick
Goldwater Institute
 
The redistribution of wealth is a central theme of our current political era. That trend just received a boost from a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which reinstated a lawsuit that, if successful, could fundamentally transform the concept of liability and enrich scores of environmental and personal-injury lawyers.
 
The plaintiffs in Comer v. Murphy Oil USA allege that “defendants’ operation of energy, fossil fuels, and chemical industries in the United States caused the emission of greenhouse gasses that contributed to global warming . . . that in turn caused a rise in sea levels and added to the ferocity of Hurricane Katrina, which combined to destroy the plaintiffs’ private property, as well as public property useful to them.” For which the plaintiffs, of course, seek massive compensatory and punitive damages.
 
Under federal law, in order to have “standing” to sue, a plaintiff must show an injury that is “fairly traceable” to the defendant’s conduct. Standing typically is so narrowly construed that some unconstitutional government actions cannot be challenged at all. So it was not surprising that the district court dismissed the lawsuit as presenting a political “debate” over global warming rather than a true legal controversy.

But the appeals court reversed, holding that “the plaintiffs have standing to assert their public and private nuisance, trespass, and negligence claims.” The company will have to spend untold thousands of dollars (which will increase prices or reduce investment returns) to fend off a lawsuit that could never prevail under standard tort concepts of fault.

The next time you’re in California, be careful to walk softly lest your footstep be the one to set off the long-forecast earthquake that might render you liable for billions in damages. But if you do, make sure you’re carrying a hot cup of coffee so that when you spill it on yourself during the earthquake, you can get McDonald’s to pick up part of the tab.
 
Clint Bolick is director of the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation.

Filed Under: Constitutional Law, Judicial

What is Governor Brewer Thinking!?!?

November 5, 2009 By 35 Comments

Before I launch into my dissent over the current Governor, I do have to give her credit for getting a lot of good things accomplished. With that said, many of us political consultants are asking, “What is Governor Brewer thinking?!?!”

Has her political consultant/advisor got her jacked up on political PCP?

Brewer’s polling numbers are in the tank and recent polls indicate she would get her head handed to her by voters in a match up against Terry Goddard.

While national trends that Democrats and incumbents will be the primary targets in 2010, I believe that Governor Brewer has put her own party in jeopardy here in Arizona. While many other states will turn red as Republicans return, here in Arizona I fear we will see the opposite take place thus defying the national trend to conservatives great dismay. We have one of the best conservative pro-taxpayer, pro-family legislatures since I can remember and we missed incredible opportunities to turn our local economy around through major tax, regulation and trade policy initiatives.

Frankly, we blew it because of a stubborn refusal to acknowledge economic reality and do the right thing.

Tonight, Governor Brewer has indicated she will announce her campaign for Governor in 2010. Instead, I would hope she would do the opposite and quietly retire.

The next legislative session hasn’t even started and I have to wonder how much more damage will be done.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, State Government Tagged With:

Some Call it California’s Cash Advance

November 4, 2009 By 7 Comments

Gird your wallets friends.  The desperate politicians are at it again, this time with more “creative financing” for the state of California.  And once again this “creative financing” is a direct hit at your take home pay.

Spotlight California;

Effective today, the amount of state income taxes withheld from California workers’ paychecks will increase 10 percent.

That might sound like a tax increase, but state officials insist that’s not the case.

The lawmakers say this isn’t a tax increase?  Really?  OK, how about calling it a compulsory interest-free loan from taxpayers to the state?

The idea is to withhold more from your paycheck now, so that come tax time next year, the refund the state owes you will be less.  Uh-huh. The extra withholding tax will reduce Californians’ take-home pay by about $1.7 billion for the year.  Now California is already struggling.  Every sector is down, housing, retail, manufacturing.  Income tax rates went up last year by 0.25%, bringing the top rate to 10.55%, but receipts are already coming in $1 billion below projections, according to the state controller.  So someone please explain to me how this is going to help the people of California and at the same time shore up its growing hole of debt.

The spin continues;

Brenda Voet, spokeswoman for the state Franchise Tax Board. “We’re trying to warn people to go to their personnel and human resources departments for 2010 to make sure they have the proper amount of tax withheld and make any adjustments they need to make. We don’t want people to be surprised by anything.”

This is the same state that has been issuing IOU’s to pay their state contractors, so trust me Brenda,  we are no longer surprised by anything that happens in the “Golden State”. To the rest of the you, pay attention.  If you don’t, your own state officials might get “creative” with your paycheck too.

Filed Under: Economics, State Budget, State Economy, Taxation

Canadians don’t have better access to routine preventative health care

November 4, 2009 By 2 Comments

By Tom Patterson
Goldwater Institute 
 
You’ve undoubtedly heard of the “Happy Canadian.” Maybe you know one. These are the Canadian ex-pats who tell us how wonderful the Canadian health care system really is. They were invariably treated without delay, had access to all the finest medical technology and, best of all, it was free.

The problem is, it’s just not true. The Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank, recently published a report indicating that, in spite of the Canadian government’s best efforts to address an acknowledged problem, Canadians are still spending huge amounts of time in lines for health care. There is an across-the-board median delay of 16.1 weeks from referral to a specialist until treatment actually begins.

Canadians don’t fare any better for routine preventive care. According to the Canadian group Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), 65 percent of Canadian women aged 40 to 64 have had a mammogram within the last five years, that’s the same percentage as uninsured American women, but far below the 87 percent of insured American women who have had the procedure. Just 16 percent of Canadian men have been screened for prostate cancer, compared to 31 percent of uninsured American men and 52 percent of insured American men.

Rationing, including with the use of wait times, is one of the ways to control the otherwise infinite demand for services in a country with socialized heath care. As these numbers show, Americans are right to be skeptical of the claimed benefits of socialized health care systems. Canadians with government health care don’t have more access to treatment.

Tom Patterson is chairman of the Goldwater Institute and a former state senator.

Filed Under: Government, Health Care, Legislation

Supervisors considering increasing photo speed camera fees today

November 4, 2009 By 9 Comments

The County Supervisors are considering increasing photo speed camera revenues. This is a mistake, considering Napolitano has already placed more speed cameras around the state than any other state in the country, turning us into a big brother state with these cameras that are nothing more than hidden taxes, yet Arizona has the second worst budget crisis in the country after California. Speed cameras do not work as revenue generators, because the private companies take too much of the profit. 40% of speed camera tickets are appealed, which puts a huge financial and resource strain on our justice courts, since many of them end up being thrown out. Considering the Supervisors’ poor record of overspending on items like the $340 million court tower Taj Mahal, they should not be voting to increase the fines on speed camera tickets by another $20. It is not surprising that instead of cutting taxes and spending, the Supervisors are about to increase another hidden tax that does not work.

From Supervisors agenda for today -

ESTABLISH A PHOTO ENFORCEMENT FEE
Pursuant to A.R.S. §11-251.08, convene the scheduled public hearing, to solicit comments and consider the adoption of Photo Enforcement Fee of $20.00 per defendant to begin December 1, 2009. The proposed photo enforcement fee will be assessed against each individual charged

Filed Under: County Government, Spending, Taxation, Transportation

PR: Wnuck Prepares for Fourth Town Hall in Series of Seven

November 3, 2009 By 8 Comments

Eric Wnuck

For Immediate Release: November 3, 2009

Wnuck Prepares for Fourth Town Hall in Series of Seven

Mesa, AZ (November 3, 2009) — Congressional Candidate and Scottsdale businessman Eric Wnuck continues with the fourth in his series of seven Town Halls in Congressional District 5. This Town Hall will focus on various issues related to healthcare reform, healthcare costs, and the impact of proposed healthcare legislation.

The fourth Town Hall will be held Saturday, November 7th at Mesa Community College, 1833 West Southern Avenue, Mesa, Arizona 85202 from 10:00 – 11:30am in the BP Lecture Hall. Enter MCC on the Northeast end of campus by the football field. Wnuck will be joined by Dr. Byron Schlomach, Director of the Center for Economic Prosperity at the Goldwater Institute and Dr. Eric Novak, Chairman for Arizonan’s for Health Care Freedom and an orthopedic surgeon in Phoenix since 2001.

The first three Town Halls were a great success. “We continue to work, listen, and open a dialogue with the constituents within our district,” stated Wnuck. “I believe we are allowing people a constructive outlet to express their frustration and concerns. It is becoming increasingly clear that residents of Congressional District 5 have been ignored. I am going to work harder than any other candidate for this seat and address the issues that are concerning the people of our district.”

Remaining Town Hall Schedule:
Healthcare Forum – Mesa
Date/Time: Saturday, November 7th, 10:00AM to 11:30AM
Location: Mesa Community College, 1833 W Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85202

Healthcare/Economy Forum – Tempe
Date/Time: Monday, November 16th, 6:00PM to 7:30PM
Location: Pyle Center, 655 E Southern Ave. Tempe, AZ 85282

Healthcare Forum – Ahwatukee
Date/Time: Saturday, December 5th, 10:00AM to 11:30AM
Location: Ironwood Library, 4333 E Chandler Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85048

Healthcare Forum – Chandler
Date/Time: Saturday, December 12th, 10:00AM to 11:30AM
Location: Chandler Public Library, 4930 W Ray Rd, Chandler, AZ 85226

Wnuck concluded the town hall by saying, “The average American is being overlooked by politicians in Washington. We have the inherent right to voice our opinions and elect representatives who listen to voters, act based on the best interest of their constituents, and uphold the principles of our great Constitution. I look forward to each of these Town Halls; Arizonans want results and I am running because Washington bureaucrats have failed us time and time again, and in this election, voters will hold them accountable at the polls. I am not a career politician, nor have I postured to become one. I am, however, a concerned resident and I am confident I can make a positive difference in our community.”

# # #

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Eric Wnuck 2010 at (480) 295-3250. You may also learn more about Eric Wnuck, his candidacy, and his issues by visiting: www.ericwnuck2010.com

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Press Release, Town Hall

Goldwater Institute Appeals Lawsuit Against Arizona Corporation Commission

November 3, 2009 By 1 Comment

Phoenix–Late yesterday the Goldwater Institute continued its legal challenge of the Arizona Corporation Commission’s authority to impose renewable energy mandates on utility companies and surcharges on consumers to pay for those mandates.

In 2006, the Arizona Corporation Commission passed a rule requiring electricity companies to produce an increasing amount of the power they supply to consumers from renewable energy sources, like solar and wind power. As part of the mandate, the ACC required electricity companies to impose a surcharge on each of their customers. This tax is expected to cost Arizona families and businesses $2.4 billion over the next 15 years.

“These regulations may be the largest intrusion into private business in Arizona’s history, and consumers are picking up the tab,” said Clint Bolick, director of the Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation at the Goldwater Institute.

The Goldwater Institute filed suit against the ACC because under the Arizona Constitution the Commission’s authority is limited to protecting consumers from excessive energy prices. It does not have the authority to set energy policy, which is the legislature’s role, and it doesn’t have the authority to require utilities to charge more.

The Institute also has weighed in on a related issue involving the Commission. Solar panel manufacturing companies like Tempe-based Solar City are working with school districts to finance solar panels that will provide power to the schools. But the ACC is considering regulating solar panel manufacturers as utility companies, which would increase their costs and add mountains of compliance red tape.

But solar firms do not meet any of the normal conditions that would allow the ACC to regulate them as utilities: solar firms do not produce energy–they are simply facilitators that enable private entities to generate their own energy; the firms are not a “natural monopoly”; and they are not required to provide service–customers choose whether or not they want to buy their service, unlike a traditional electricity company.

“The ACC is trying to impose a 20th Century regulatory structure on 21st Century technology,” continued Bolick. “Instead of command-and-control regulation, government needs to let technology flourish in a free economy. There are plenty of entrepreneurs who would relish the chance to supply green energy to customers who want to buy it.”

This appeal of a September 2009 Maricopa County Superior Court decision to the Arizona Court of Appeals is the latest round in Miller v. Arizona Corporation Commission, initially filed by the Goldwater Institute Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation in June 2008.

For more information on this and other Goldwater Institute litigation, visit www.goldwaterinstitute.org/litigation. The Goldwater Institute is an independent government watchdog supported by people who are committed to expanding free enterprise and liberty.

Filed Under: Energy, Environment, Judicial, Press Release, Regulations

New Nation’s Report Card shows AZ students almost a year behind in math

November 3, 2009 By 3 Comments

by Matthew Ladner, Ph.D.
Goldwater Institute 
 
The Nation’s Report Card released 2009 results on its 4th- and 8th- grade math test, and you can examine the results for Arizona and other states here.

The news is not good. Arizona has stalled out with bad scores.

With a score nine points below the national average, Arizona 4th graders know almost a grade level less math than the average American student. Florida and Texas–states with similar levels of spending and student demographics–both scored above the national average.

I noted previously that Arizona students have scored below the national average on 32 of 32 NAEP exams at various grade levels and subjects since the early 1990s. Now you can make that 34 of 34, with 4th and 8th grade reading results coming out in a few months.

Public school apologists can recite their litany on spending and learned helplessness, but don’t expect any results, they imply, until Arizona has the combination of old money, hedge fund billionaires and high income tax rates of Connecticut.

Despite a reform push during the 1990s, the fact is that on the whole Arizona is a K-12 backwater and will remain so until it decides to get serious about reform. Since the 1990s, Arizona’s AIMS has been dummied down, and the positive impact of choice programs have been drowned by enrollment growth. Rome continues to burn, we continue to fiddle.
 
Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president for research at the Goldwater Institute.

Filed Under: Education

PR: Vernon Parker Launches Video Campaign

November 2, 2009 By 1 Comment

GoVernor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, November 2, 2009

Vernon Parker Launches Video Campaign
Potential Gubernatorial Candidate, PV Mayor Featured in Video Vignettes on Website

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz – Nov. 2, 2009 – He knows what it’s like to fight the odds and come out on the other side. And he has what it takes to help Arizona do the same. In a series of videos that just debuted at www.Parker2010.com, Paradise Valley Mayor and potential candidate for Governor Vernon Parker shares his thoughts on key issues and how to get Arizona back on track.

“Policy papers are important but so too is explaining directly and in your own words how you feel about key issues and who you are as a person and candidate. I believe Arizona requires someone fresh to right the ship and that includes running a next generation campaign too,” Parker said.

YouTube Preview Image

The three videos, of about one to two minutes in length, include:

Shared in future videos is Parker’s inspiring life journey that carried him from poverty to becoming a presidential advisor, pastor, an Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, where he helped manage a $90 billion budget, and mayor of Arizona’s most affluent community.

The videos can be accessed by clicking on the Galleries button on the toolbar at the top of the webpage. New videos covering different topics will soon be added following the launch of the initial three.

After only one month Parker has already garnered hundreds of donors and is nearing the maximum amount of seed money fundraising allowed under Arizona’s Clean Elections system.

For more information, visit www.Parker2010.com or contact Jason Rose.

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Press Release

Arizona bureaucrats spin spooky budget tales

November 2, 2009 By 10 Comments

by Byron Schlomach, Ph.D.
Goldwater Institute
 
Timed perfectly for Halloween, Governor Brewer asked state agencies for proposals to reduce spending 15 percent in order to close the state’s $2 billion budget deficit. The results have been predictably spooky scenarios painted by each agency.

In a recent editorial on the agencies’ proposals, the Republic notes “The Department of Corrections proposes changing state law so felons can be released earlier.” Headlines like these imply that hoards of murderers would wander our neighborhoods, but it is nothing more than a scare tactic to suggest the state would release violent criminals because of budget reductions.

While the editorial does acknowledge that agencies are employing the “Washington Monument” strategy (the practice of causing the most pain possible to undermine support for budget reductions), it fails to admonish them for refusing to play hardball with the feds. For example, while other states are challenging “maintenance of effort” requirements, the Department of Economic Security is pretending like there is no budget reduction choice besides eliminating KidsCare altogether, a program whose spending pales in comparison to AHCCCS.

The results of Governor Brewer’s faux budget-cutting exercise were predictable. Agencies are painting the darkest possible picture. Our professional politicians, the bureaucrats, are running rings around the amateur elected ones. 

Cures can be painful and a little scary, and curbing the state’s spending habit is certainly no exception. The budget reductions needed to bring spending in balance with revenues might sound ghoulish, but they are necessary and achievable. A 15 percent across-the-board budget reduction would put state spending slightly above 2006 levels. That’s hardly a catastrophe in a time like this.
 
Byron Schlomach, Ph.D., is the director of the Goldwater Institute’s Center for Economic Prosperity.

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

Arizona Guardian Poll: GOP Nominee for Attorney General

November 2, 2009 By 9 Comments

Arizona Guardian

I’m going to drive some traffic over to the Arizona Guardian for their latest poll on who should be the GOP nominee for Arizona Attorney General.

Here is a link to that poll: http://www.arizonaguardian.com/

Now go vote!

(P.S. They can thank me later with a subscription!)

Filed Under: Polls
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