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
Friday, November 18, 2011
We were pretty disgusted to see how much the Maricopa County Supervisors are paying their favorite county employees. While other county agencies are laying off employees and haven’t given out raises in years, the County Supervisors continue to give their overpaid pet employees raises. YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK! You know what to do, vote them OUT in 2012 when they are all up for reelection.
Newt Gingrich on Greta answers questions concerning Freddie Mac
November 18, 2011 By 10 Comments
Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich directly answers Greta’s pointed questions regarding his consulting for Freddie Mac.
The Gingrich Group from 1999 to 2007 provided strategic advise for Freddie Mac. Newt has never lobbied. Newt clearly demonstrates how earning consulting wages as a private citizen, having no direct power or responsibility, is quite different from holding the public trust while in Public office.
Newt also discusses his campaign building momentum, adding staff, and his leading in the polls.
Greta asks what President Gingrich would do with the Occupy Wall Street movement. He answers.
Newt’s interview with Greta Van Susteren’s On The Record aired live on FOX News Channel on November 17, 2011.
Lt. Mike Stauffer Supports ‘Arizona Compact’ and Disavows ‘Tent City’
November 18, 2011 By 30 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2011
CONTACT: West Kenyon
I support the Utah and the proposed Arizona Compacts, in that they reaffirm my beliefs in the rule of law and the constitutional enforcement of the laws and statutes passed by the legislature. These declarations also reaffirm the community’s trust in the discretion of their law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties.
In addition, I have determined that the “tent city” facility does not adhere to the best practices and professional standards of the American criminal justice system. The inhumane treatment of inmates and the lack of rehabilitative services at this facility should be a cause of concern for all citizens.
Under my direction, the “tent city” facility in its present form will cease to exist. As Sheriff I will replace this facility with a self-sufficient work farm for first time and low risk inmates to learn skills, attend rehabilitation programs and provide food and services to the rest of the county jail system.
The inmates at this proposed work farm, who legally reside in the United States, will have the opportunity to participate in a new type of work release program. I will partner with local Maricopa County businesses to interview and hire qualified inmates for work in their businesses. The inmates will be paid by the business to a county audited fund to help defray the costs of administering the work farm and the work release program. The remainder of the inmates pay check, after taxes, will be placed in a trust fund for the inmate, which the inmate will have access to upon their release. The inmates will have earned these funds and a job. Upon their release, they will have the means to provide for themselves and their families as they transition back in to our community. This will have a positive impact on the recidivism rate, as the former inmate will have skills and the ability to make positive choices.
As Sheriff, I will seek to partner with other agencies within the criminal justice system and private enterprises to craft a humane and effective set of programs that will provide realistic treatment and choices for the inmates to become productive citizens upon their release back into society.
Arizona Republican Party Statement on Arizona Supreme Court Ruling Reinstating Chairman Mathis
November 18, 2011 By 3 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2011
CONTACT: communications@azgop.org
PHOENIX – The Arizona Republican Party released the following statement regarding Thursday’s Arizona Supreme Court Ruling reinstating Independent Chairman, Colleen Mathis to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The following quotes are attributable to Chairman Tom Morrissey:
“The Arizona Supreme Court sided against the people of Arizona by reinstating Colleen Mathis to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission late yesterday.
“It is both disappointing and disturbing that the State High Court would reinstate an individual who has demonstrated a number of actions that have adversely affected the integrity of our electoral redistricting process. From omissions on her application to open meeting violations, political collusion with Democrats and a blatant disregard for Arizona’s Constitution, Mathis has proven herself not to be trusted with Arizona’s redistricting process. Governor Jan Brewer realized this and the Arizona State Senate realized it but the Arizona Supreme Court erred by failing to recognize a seriously compromised process.
“The Arizona Republican Party will continue to stand by Governor Jan Brewer, Senate President Steve Pierce and House Speaker Andy Tobin in the effort to correct this process as quickly as possible. The voters of Arizona deserve an open, transparent and law-abiding process that respects the rights and representation of all Arizona voters. It’s time for the law to prevail and not the leftist legal manipulation of our Constitution.”
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Governor Rick Perry on Cavuto
November 18, 2011 By 1 Comment
Governor Rick Perry talks about his plan to overhaul Washington, his flat tax proposal, congressional insider trading, and other reasons why the DC Establishment is scared of his policy proposals.
Statement by Senate Leadership on the AZ Supreme’s ruling reinstating IRC Chair Colleen Mathis
November 18, 2011 By 5 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2011
CONTACT: Mike Philipsen
Statement by Senate Leadership on the Arizona Supreme Court’s ruling reinstating IRC Chair Colleen Mathis
“Not only is the decision by the Supreme Court to reinstate Colleen Mathis wrong, but the Court should never have inserted itself in this Legislative action in the first place. Proposition 106 wording makes it clear that the determination of “gross misconduct” or “substantial neglect of duty” is made by the Governor and the Senate.
There is mountainous evidence demonstrating gross misconduct or substantial neglect of duty by Ms. Mathis, from clandestine meetings with Strategic Telemetry to violations of open meeting laws to engaging in her own private mapping session over a weekend to redraw Congressional maps, then demanding the Commission vote that Monday.
This is not the time to step back and look at the evidence before acting. The evidence is there, and you can bet this rogue Chair will move as quickly as possible to push through her unconstitutional maps and get them to the Department of Justice.
Senate Leadership is calling on the Governor to move swiftly and use anything within her means to stop this runaway train. We must bring back integrity to the redistricting process.”
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Update on Mathis Photo
November 18, 2011 By 36 Comments
Sonoran Alliance obviously generated a lot of buzz over the photo that went public yesterday in which an anonymous photographer claims Colleen Mathis and her husband were visiting with the office of Congressman Raul Grijalva in mid-July of this year.
The post and photo has been placed back in pending “private” mode as we double-back once again with the photographer to verify the identities. Because this has generated much wailing and gnashing of teeth among Arizona’s left and provoked the possibility of legal action, we believe it is certainly worth yet another verification with the photographer in order to ensure they are willing to stand by the photo or even go public.
Update: November 21, 2011 @ 20:30 – Sonoran Alliance has decided to retract the photo and issue a retraction. Although the photographer asserts that the two individuals in the photo are Chris and Colleen Mathis, there is not enough information available to double verify the photo. We have made a decision to pull the photo and issue a retraction unless new evidence is provided.
Not the Way Out
November 18, 2011 By 1 Comment
Not the Way Out |
| The budget crisis across the country is on everyone’s mind. Just this week, our national debt topped $15 trillion. In Arizona, our leaders are seeking ways to responsibly meet our own state budget needs.
As the Legislature searches for ways to balance our state budget, with some wanting to increase state revenues, I am becoming increasingly concerned that the expansion of gambling is being considered. Changing our state laws to allow casinos at racetracks – “racinos” – would dramatically change the character of our state and impact families. Legislators shouldn’t balance the budget on the backs of Arizona’s families. The harms of gambling, while not often discussed, are very real. You can read more of on this on the Foundations blog. Thankfully, more than half of the members of the House and of the Senate indicated in CAP’s 2010 Voter Guide that they would oppose “Allowing slot machines and table games off Indian reservations.” I remain confident that they will stay true to their word and not allow gambling to expand. |
| Still a Long Way to Go |
| A few weeks ago, I told you that abortions in Arizona had dropped by 30% in September, according to newly released Department of Health Services data. This week, DHS released updated numbers showing that the decrease in numbers continues but not at the 30% pace originally reported. The good news is that abortions still dropped by 417 over the last three months compared to the same time period in 2010. No doubt the drop in abortions directly resulted from the court decision upholding the Abortion Consent Act, the enactment of Arizona’s ultrasound requirement, and Planned Parenthood’s ending abortion services at seven of their ten clinics.
The new data, however, deeply troubles me because 179 preborn children have been aborted at 20 and 21 weeks from January-October 2011, and children can survive outside of the womb at 20 weeks. It’s a sign of how much work remains when babies who could clearly survive outside their mother’s wombs are not surviving inside their mother’s womb. |
| Key Victory for Marriage Proponents in California |
| Finally, good news from California’s Prop 8 litigation! The California Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the ProtectMarriage.com legal team can defend the state marriage amendment in court. You may recall that the state governor and attorney general both refused to defend the marriage amendment on behalf of the voters. Yesterday’s decision puts in place the strongest legal team to represent the right of voters to define marriage.
All eyes are on the Prop 8 case, Perry v Brown, as it likely will determine whether individual states have the right to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman or whether the federal courts will take away that right. |
| Weak Arguments |
| Also this week, a federal court judge heard arguments from the state and the ACLU about a CAP-supported bill that disqualifies donations to organizations that provide, promote, pay for, or provide referrals for abortion from being eligible for the working poor tax credit. The ACLU, representing the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, is arguing that Arizona should be forced to provide the benefit of the working poor tax credit to organizations that refer women for abortion.
CAP is supporting the state’s defense. On the Foundations blog this week, our Legal Counsel Deborah Sheasby explains why the ACLU’s case is based on weak arguments. |
Statement by Speaker Andy Tobin on Reinstatement of Colleen Mathis
November 18, 2011 By 10 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18 2011
STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX (Nov. 18, 2011) – Speaker Andy Tobin released the following statement today in response to the Arizona Supreme Court’s Reinstatement of the Independent Redistricting Commission chairwoman:
“I am extremely disappointed that the Court has chosen to reinstate a biased czar to the Independent Redistricting Commission. By placing Ms. Mathis back at the helm of the Commission, the Court has substituted its opinion for the voice of the people through those they have actually elected to represent them. The Court has removed the last remaining check and balance on an unelected and unaccountable body that has spent months blatantly and proudly violating open meeting laws, meeting in secret, ignoring voter mandates and placating the Democrat Party and the Obama administration. If this Commission is not put to a stop, the Court’s decision means more secrecy and more gerrymandering from a body that has shown a disdain for the Constitution. Moving forward, I am putting all options on the table in an effort to protect our state from being hijacked by a partisan ploy to demolish the democratic process.”
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Congressman Flake Disappointed by Failure of Balanced Budget Amendment
November 18, 2011 By 4 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky
Congress Proves Once Again That It’s Not Serious About Fiscal Crisis
Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today expressed disappointment by the defeat of H.J. Res. 2, which proposes a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
“You’d think that the national debt hitting $15 trillion this week would have been enough of a wake-up call for Congress to address our fiscal crisis,” said Flake. “I still believe that it’s not too late for Congress to tackle our budget crisis and get the country back onto solid fiscal footing. But the longer Congress waits to act, the more inevitable a Greek-like collapse of our economy becomes.”
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Interview: The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and why Arizona Republicans should care)
November 18, 2011 By 2 Comments
Did you hear the one about the four millionaires who flipped Colorado from a red state to a blue state?
Co-authors Adam Schrager and Rob Whitwer sit down with Jon Caldara to talk about their new book, The Blueprint: How the Democrats Won Colorado (and Why Republicans Everywhere Should Care).
TAKE ARIZONA OUT OF THE HANDS OF OBAMA AND PROTECT OUR STATE!
November 18, 2011 By 10 Comments
Dear Devoted Arizonans,
When Arizona voters passed Prop 106, they were told they were voting against gerrymandered districts. They were told they were taking the politics out of redistricting. They were told they were getting an “Independent” Redistricting Commission… They were told a lie.
What Arizonans really got was an uninformed, unaccountable group of five politically appointed people with thinly veiled political interests. In fact, the Commissions most recent “Independent” chairwoman was so biased against Republicans and actual Independents and so hostile toward the Constitution, she had to be removed from office.
FACTS
· Colleen Mathis lied by omission on her application by not disclosing that her husband was a paid staff member of Democrat Nancy Young Wright’s campaign. Her response? She says “she forgot”.
· The two Democrats and Colleen Mathis didn’t allow the Republicans to select their own counsel, however they all, including the Republicans voted to allow the Dem’s to select their own attorney.
· The two Democrats and Colleen Mathis voted for a mapping firm. A Mapping Firm with no experience in drawing maps with a long history of working for unions, Democrats, Liberals, Progressives and leading in multiple recalls of Republicans in this Country. Did I mention the mapping firm worked for Obama?
· Destroyed documents which are subject to public records request- this is a violation of open meeting laws. These were the scoring sheets that eliminated three firms from being considered in the award of the mapping consultant contract. All 7 score cards were shredded and there is an affidavit of that by a witness.
· Bid Rigging admitted by Commissioner Herrera – that he intentionally scored Strategic Telemetry high – The reason given by Commissioner Herrera was that he was afraid that had he not scored them so high, some other company would have gotten the contract.
· Vote Trading Ms. Mathis called Republican commissioners to get them to vote for Strategic Telemetry in exchange for her votes for something they might want on the mapping portion. This conversation happened on cell phones in the parking lot after the end of a meeting. This violates, at the least, open meeting laws. An affidavit was filed with the attesting to this.
· State Procument Officer walked out and submitted a letter stating that the selection process for Strategic Telemetry was in violation of state procurement operations.
· Hiring of personal lawyers at taxpayer expense
· Concerns of violations of open meeting laws. When the AG’s office began their investigation the IRC began stonewalling and withholding of evidence from the AZ State Attorney General
· Times the commission didn’t even show up to hear the voice of the people.
· Colleen Mathis admitted to revising the map based on some emails she received over a weekend.
We appointed a Joint committee to have the people respond (Article 4 part 2 section 1 (16) and the Democrats didn’t even attend nor did the Democrat appointed to the Joint Committee even bother to show up.
We spent 6 days of hearings in which the committee drafted a conclusion and still the Democrats didn’t respond.
The Democrats rank 3rd in registration in this State however they have stolen the voters voice and will of Independents and many others in the state of Arizona.
The IRC is required to explain for everything that is done with the maps and they were asked to provide the information many many days ago as to how they arrived to the conclusions of the maps. No one at the IRC can explain how they got the results. However 2 Democrats and Colleen Mathis voted yes on these maps.
The people who voted on Prop 106 wanted this process done in the open- they didn’t want back room deals- however the IRC has met more times behind closed doors than the Legislature ever did, they had more back room deals, destruction of documents and negotiations.
How could this happen? Because it’s easier to corrupt 1 on the IRC versus 60 in the House and 30 in the Senate.
In Closing
Please don’t get wrapped up in the obvious attempts by the Democrats or the media to distract your focus on what is happening here. They will complain ‘Politics as Usual’, ‘Republicans are not focusing on this issue or that issue’, but stay focused on what’s happening now.
What is happening is a break down of the foundation of this Country and this State with members of the IRC repeatedly violating our laws and our Constitution and the Democrats saying ‘ it’s ok’. It’s NOT OK.
Our children deserves a great state, where breaking the law is NOT acceptable. Republicans have demonstrated this time after time – even when it’s been their own.
So let’s take back Arizona….
Call or email Governor Jan Brewer by filling out the form at http://azgovernor.gov/contact.asp or by calling the Phoenix Office:
Tucson Office:
Fax Number: (602) 542-4331
(520) 628-6580
(602) 542-1381
In-State Toll Free 1-800-253-0883 (outside Maricopa County only)
The Message:
TAKE ARIZONA OUT OF THE HANDS OF OBAMA AND PROTECT OUR STATE!
Thank You,
-Representative Terri Proud-
I Support Kirk Adams
November 18, 2011 By 5 Comments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2011
CONTACT: Chad Heywood
Kirk Adams releases new campaign video with key supporters
East Valley – Kirk Adams for Congress today released its first in a series of video testimonials by Arizonans who support Kirk Adams. The video, approximately one minute and 30 seconds in length, acts as a trailer for the upcoming video series, which will feature a veteran, a teacher, a firefighter, a mother, and a college student. Each individual offers a unique perspective and explains how Kirk Adams’s political courage, personal integrity, and conservative principles have had a positive impact on them and why he’s the right choice in 2012.
“It’s so refreshing to have somebody involved with government that’s actually been on the road walked the walk, rather than just watched it and talk the talk,” observes U.S. Air Force veteran Chris Ames.
“We do what’s best for kids…it’s not what’s best for a union or association. Kirk has that perspective, what’s best for our country, what’s best for our kids,” adds Venessa Whitener, former teacher and current Higley school board member.
“I’ve been a city firefighter for 5 years—knowing that my pension probably wouldn’t be there based on the funding levels is very disheartening,” says firefighter Chris Tiller, “[Kirk] was able to actually draft something, come up with a solution to a problem that I felt very personal about.”
“I’m worried just like every other American mother should be worried. Kirk doesn’t come from an old Washington family, he doesn’t come from a lobbyist background or someone who’s been in the mix,” notes Gilbert Vice Mayor and mom Jenn Daniels.
“Kirk Adams represents a new and kind of exciting faction of the Republican Party,” ASU Student Body President Joshua Hoyt affirms, “The young conservatives like Eric Cantor and Marco Rubio who are committed to conservatism, but bring a kind of youth and life to the Republican Party.”
Adams is a husband, father, and small businessman. After joining the state House in 2006, he became so frustrated by the unwillingness and inability of Republicans in the Legislature to stand up for their conservative principals that he launched a long-shot campaign to oust the veteran Speaker of the House. Adams shocked the Republican establishment and political class, winning the Speakership at only 35 years of age.
Adams turned the tide in the House and put Arizona back on the path to fiscal responsibility with an aggressive agenda of reform, courageously taking on some of the most challenging issues in Arizona.
Adams, a lifelong East Valley resident, lives in Mesa with his wife JaNae their five children.
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