Arizona Politics for Conservatives: Sonoran Alliance
Arizona Politics, News, Commentary and Information with a Blatantly Conservative Worldview Presented by an Alliance of Writers, Activists, Consultants and Government Insiders.
With plenty of drama in state and federal government, this week we’re asking who is doing the best job governing.
Here’s your chance to vote and comment on who is doing the best job. Sonoran Alliance is widely read by state and federal elected officials and we’re sure they’d love to read what your’re thinking about how they’re doing.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 8, 2011
CONTACT: Rachel Semmel
REP. SCHWEIKERT INTRODUCES BILL TO MAKE OBAMACARE PROCEEDINGS MORE TRANSPARENT IN CONGRESS
Washington, D.C. – Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), introduced the Creating Sunshine, Participation, and Accountability for Our Nation (CSPAN) Act, H.R. 1432, today. This legislation would place transparency and accountability measures on any proceedings in Congress that touch the area of ObamaCare:
“Last year during the health care debate, President Obama and Congressional Democrats told the American people that our conversations on health care would take place with openness and transparency and would be aired on CSPAN,” said Rep. Schweikert. “This promise has yet to be fulfilled.”
“This legislation picks up the pieces of the Administration’s broken promises on ObamaCare transparency and makes it a reality. American families and job creators, who are forced to comply with ObamaCare’s detrimental regulations, deserve to know what goes on behind closed doors. If the president and Congressional Democrats won’t provide regulatory transparency and greater information to the public, then House Republicans will.”
“The American people deserve the facts. That is why they deserve the CSPAN Act.”
BACKGROUND
The CSPAN Act would do three simple things:
1. Require that all rules addressed by Congress in conjunction with the health care law be issued through the formal rulemaking process. This process requires that proceedings be “on the record” and under oath and subjected to a much more rigorous rulemaking process than the traditional notice-and-comment.
2. Require that each formal rulemaking process be presided over by a Senate-confirmed official.
3. Require that the formal rulemaking processes be opened to television and the media.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2011
CONTACT: Ben Carnes
April 7, 2011 – Following his vote in favor of a one-week Continuing Resolution that would keep the government from shutting down at midnight tonight, would ensure the troops continue to receive funding, and would cut $12 billion in spending, Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) today released the following statement:
“Quite simply, Democrats today have done precisely what pushed Americans to throw them out of office en masse in the last election.
“Last year, while Democrats were still in control of the House, they failed to accomplish one of their most fundamental responsibilities — to pass a budget. Since that time, Democrats have also refused to support any Republican budget proposal, including the plan offered today to ensure our troops continue to be paid and our government doesn’t shutdown.
“Instead, Democrats overwhelmingly demonstrated today that they would rather allow our military to go unpaid and our government to stop operating than to budge even an inch on their big spending liberal dogma.
“My vote on today’s troop-funding bill was a vote to continue paying our men and women in uniform, to cut $12 billion in excess spending, and to keep our government functioning.”
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Congressman Franks is serving his fifth term in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Judiciary Committee, where he serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and a member of the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law. He is also a member of the Armed Services Committee, where he serves on the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2011
CONTACT: Rachel Semmel
Washington, D.C. – Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ) issued the following statement today after voting for a short-term continuing resolution which would fund our troops through the end of the year, cut an additional $12 billion in government spending, and prevent a government shutdown:
“Today I voted to take our troops out of the front lines of Washington’s political battles, cut more spending, and keep the government open. Senate Democrats have yet to support this or any budget resolution and our Commander and Chief has already said he will veto it without explanation. However, I will never compromise or stand down when it comes to supporting the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect us.
“In addition to funding the troops through the end of FY2011, this stopgap measure will cut $12 billion more in Washington spending. At a time when our deficit is in the trillions and our government is on a verge of a shutdown, it is incomprehensible that Senate Democrats will not accept a modest budget cut that equals just two percent of this year’s budget.
“I want to encourage my friends in the Senate to pass this continuing resolution. The decision is simple: vote to pay our troops or walk away and let the government shut down.”
BACKGROUND:
The House has passed two bills that would keep the government running through the end of this fiscal year and cut $61 billion in job destroying spending. (H.R. 1, passed February 19th and H.R. 1255, passed April 1st). H.R. 1363 is the third bill out of the House to fund the Department of Defense through the end of the fiscal year.
47 days after the House passed the first bill to keep the government running through FY2011, the Senate has yet to do the same.
The House has also already passed a measure that would not allow Members of Congress to be paid during a government shutdown (H.R. 1255)
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A m e r i c a n P o s t – G a z e t t e
Distributed by C O M M O N S E N S E , in Arizona
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Rep. Carl Seel to Meet with Donald Trump About HB 2177, Requiring Presidential Birth Certificate
Carl Seel
Arizona State Legislator
1700 W. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85007
April 7, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Arizona state legislator Carl Seel (R-Phoenix) will meet with Donald Trump on Friday, April 8, at 11:30 am EST at the Trump Tower in New York City. Donald Trump has brought the issue of President Barack Obama failing to provide a birth certificate front and center recently, and sent investigators to Hawaii this week to investigate further. This issue has been gaining steam around the country as several state legislatures are considering legislation to ensure that any candidate running for president provide documentation that they are legally qualified to run for that office. Rep. Carl Seel is sponsoring legislation in Arizona to put in this requirement, HB 2177. A new poll out by NBC/WSJ this week puts Donald Trump in second place for the Republican nomination for president.
Media may arrange in advance to attend the meeting by contacting Carl Seel at (602) 926-3018 or cseel@azleg.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Cullen
WASHINGTON (D.C.) Congressman Ben Quayle (R-AZ) released the following statement after the House passed a funding bill that would prevent a government shutdown, cut $12 billion from the federal budget and ensure that the men and women of the United States Armed Forces are paid for the remainder of the fiscal year.
“The single most important responsibility of a member of Congress is to make sure that our men and women in the armed forces have the resources they need especially during times of war. Today’s bill ensures that in the event of a government shutdown, our troops will continue to be paid in full. With today’s vote, the House has again taken the lead on making sure that our government operates in a fiscally responsible manner. With a little more than 24 hours to go until a possible government shutdown, the Democrat-controlled Senate hasn’t even pretended to offer a single funding bill of their own.”
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The following letter was sent today by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) to all members of the Arizona House of Representatives regarding major property tax legislation that has yet to receive the appropriate amount of attention in the press or from lawmakers. NFIB joins the Arizona Tax Research Association, the Goldwater Institute, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and Americans for Prosperity – Arizona in opposing this misguided legislation. However, interests principally representing large, out-of-state-based businesses, have rallied to champion the bill including the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Click here to watch a ten-minute KAET-TV’s Horizon segment on SB 1041 featuring GPEC’s Barry Broome and NFIB’s Farrell Quinlan.
Dear Representative:
The 7,500 Arizona small business members of the National Federation of Independent Business urge you to vote “NO” on SB 1041: Invest Arizona. This legislation clearly violates our long-held position against picking winners and losers in our tax code, threatens to undermine the property tax base in rural counties, shifts the property tax burden to homeowners and established businesses; and, perhaps most critically, creates a likely unconstitutional disparity between property taxpayers.
We fully endorse the approach taken in the recently enacted “jobs bill” (HB 2001) that lowered business’ property tax burden across the board regardless of when they arrived in Arizona or their size. SB 1041’s provisions run contrary to the jobs bill’s evenhanded approach and should be rejected not only because it’s bad tax policy but because it’s likely to be struck down as unconstitutional.
Thank you for considering our position when deciding how to vote on this terminally flawed piece of legislation.
Sincerely,
Farrell A. Quinlan, Arizona State Director, National Federation of Independent Business
In the spirit of Jonathan Swift’s classic satirical essay, A Modest Proposal, perhaps we should apply a parallel logic to our federal budget crisis.
Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives let loose on Arizona’s minority party last week as the State Budget went to final vote. Here is the video of Speaker Adam’s speech as he cast the final vote.
For far too long, Democrats have whined, cried, bitched and complained about cutting spending.
For far too long conservatives have countered, there is NO MONEY. The reality of the situation is that the State of Arizona must stop spending money is doesn’t have and stop putting the taxpayers into debt.
Kudos to Speaker Adams for speaking his mind and for reminding us of the economic reality.
URGENT ACTION ITEMS
To all Arizona Taxpayers and Tea Partiers:
House Rules Committee chairman Rep. Jerry Weiers and other Arizona Legislators are getting many emails and calls from persons pretending to be Tea Partiers, who are telling them to vote against SB 1322, the municipal managed competition reform bill.
At this point, you have a question: How could otherwise conservative Legislators be deceived into believing that real Tea Partiers oppose a pro-taxpayer reform that would create jobs, reduce government spending, and introduce market competition into city services? We have posted an explanation below, as well as background information on why SB 1322 is good for Arizona taxpayers.
Here are Three Important Action Items:
1) Call and email Rep. Jerry Weiers (a good guy, with conservative instincts), and remind him that you are a taxpayer and that you want to see city governments become more efficient. Rep. Weiers is a key gatekeeper in the process, and he is currently keeping SB 1322 from being heard in the House Rules Committee, because so many false “tea partiers” have contacted his office during the past week. Be sure to put the phrase “Vote YES on SB 1322” in the subject line and in the body of your email. The email for Rep. Jerry Weiers is jpweiers@azleg.gov and his phone is (602) 926-5894.
2) Call and email the other members of the House, especially if you know them, or live in their districts. Focus on the ones with Rs next to their names (the Democrats appear to be solidly in the pocket of the government workers unions):
http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H
3) Be sure to come to the Feet to the Fire Tea Party at the Arizona Capitol on Friday evening, April 15, from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Our Legislators spend far too much time at the Capitol, listening to lobbyists. Your physical presence at the Capitol on April 15 will help to remind Legislators that there really are taxpayers out there, and that taxpayers want them to stand firm against the government-worker unions and the corporate-welfare interest groups. Event details are posted here: http://www.aztaxpayers.org
Why Conservative Legislators Sometimes Fail to Do the Right Thing
1) Our Legislators are very busy. The majorities in the Senate and House just passed a budget that makes significant cuts to government spending and balances the budget honestly for the first time in at least four years. They did so in the face of massive opposition from government unions and corporate-welfare interests. In many cases, Legislators stayed up all night long producing the budget. Legislators are also trying to read hundreds of bills, including dozens of good bills that are backed by conservatives and Tea Partiers. With all of this activity, it is easy for Legislators to lose track of important reforms such as SB 1322.
2) Our Legislators hear constantly from pro-government lobbyists. While you are taking care of your job and your family, full-time taxpayer-funded lobbyists are down at the Capitol, making the rounds and talking to Legislators who don’t spend enough time in the real world talking to taxpayers. AFP-Arizona director Tom Jenney was the ONLY registered lobbyist in the entire state who signed in favor of the Senate and House budget bills and the necessary budget cuts. The list of opponents to the budget includes literally hundreds of lobbyists in opposition to the budget cuts. Those lobbyists represent government unions, local government officials put in power by union voters, and corporate-welfare interests who are dependent on existing sweetheart deals with governments. Those are the same lobbyists who oppose SB 1322! Unfortunately, if the Legislators don’t hear from you, it is very easy for them to be led astray by false arguments and red herrings from lobbyists.
3) Legislators tend to have short memories. Even though our Legislators have received literally hundreds of emails from taxpayers and tea partiers over the past few weeks in favor of SB 1322, most Arizona Senate and House members do not have a good way of keeping tallies on these bills. Unfortunately, if Rep. Weiers and his colleagues get a couple dozen emails from false tea party members this week, those emails will be fresh in their minds, while your many previous emails may be forgotten. So please keep contacting your Legislators (see action items 1 and 2 above)!
More Information about SB 1322
Please go to this URL for an explanation of the benefits of Senate Bill 1322, which would require Arizona cities with populations of 500,000 or more (Phoenix and Tucson) to open up city services to competition from the private sector:
For Liberty, Tom
Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
www.aztaxpayers.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, April 5, 2011
CONTACT: Richard Cullen
WASHINGTON (D.C.) Congressman Ben Quayle (R-AZ) released the following statement in support of Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) fiscal year 2012 budget resolution: “The Path to Prosperity.” The budget includes common-sense entitlement reforms that will save critical social programs including Medicare and Medicaid. It also includes tax reforms that will make American businesses more competitive. Overall, Chairman Ryan’s plan would cut $6.2 trillion from President Obama’s budget over the next decade and would create nearly one million jobs in the next year, according to a projection by the Heritage Center for Data Analysis.
From Congressman Quayle:
“Chairman Ryan’s plan delivers something that has been unacceptably scarce in Washington for years: leadership. Without question, Chairman Ryan deserves significant credit for offering such a bold plan, however, simply telling the American public the truth shouldn’t be considered such an unusual step. America is on an unsustainable fiscal path. That is a fact, not an unfounded assertion.
“This budget puts us on the path to finally pay off our debts, create millions of jobs and save our important entitlement programs. Many have said that Democrats will use this historic budget to demagogue House Republicans. I hope the opposite will be true; I hope that Democrats are ready to join us in recognizing the extent of our debt and help us take the necessary steps to fix the problem.”
Watch Congressman Paul Ryan’s video presentation:
Read Congressman Paul Ryan’s Wall Street Journal op-ed HERE.
Almost every Republican believes Jeff Flake will be the GOP nominee for the US Senate — although there may be 1-2 other interested Republicans. Nonetheless, there has been plenty of talk about whether Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will recover enough from her near mortal head injury and rise up as the Democratic nominee for US Senate. Should she make a full recovery, Jeff Flake will face the most serious competition he’s ever had to face in his political career.
In the meantime, Democrats are praying like they’ve never prayed before for a miraculous recovery in Giffords and ultimately, in their political power.
Alternate Title: How to get onesself honorably and permanently uninvited from CNN as an expert guest 
Watch as the “news” “journalists” become visibly flustered as this man with the facts takes them to school on this live CNN broadcast.
Toward the end as their script is utterly obliterated, watch as they become shrill, attack their guest and go abruptly to commercial break.
Tune in Saturday night to the Alexander & Goldman Show from 6-7pm AZ/PST to hear what the abortion industry is up to and what kinds of prolife bills are making their way through state legislatures.
We will also hear first from Rey Torres of the Arizona Latino Republican Association on Pima County Sheriff Larry Dever has been told by the Border Patrol to reduce arrests, and the new movie out Cristiada, about the Mexican government’s efforts to quash religion, specifically Catholicism.
