by Nick Dranias

Goldwater Institute

Many local governments in Arizona want us to believe they have gone to extreme lengths to tighten their budget belts. But when you hear that Tucson is using its sign laws to squelch artistic murals on the historic Rialto Theater because the murals aren’t purely for artistic purposes—they also promote shows at the theater—your realize budgets can’t be that bare. Then there are the pool cops of Maricopa County, who are aiming to shut down weekend pool parties used by Phoenix-area resorts to boost their business during this recession.

Any government that can waste resources on such measures has too many idle hands on the payroll. The fact that local governments can’t recognize this shows that streamlining budgets requires more than a commitment to saving money. It requires a guiding philosophy of limited government.

In many cases, cities and counties cannot focus limited resources on core functions because they cannot identify what functions are core. Laws against genuine public nuisances have no higher standing than crack downs on wall murals and bans on resort pool parties where guests might eat or drink too close to the water. Resources are stretched because government officials are using them to perform needless and often abusive tasks.

Fortunately, local governments can look right at the Arizona Constitution for guidance on identifying core functions: “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.”

Officials who accept this basic principle of limited government are unlikely to prosecute  businesses for such offenses as painting wall murals on their own property that also advertise their business and planning some outdoor fun to attract more customers. No function of government is a core function if it has nothing to do with protecting and maintaining individual rights.

Nick Dranias holds the Clarence J. and Katherine P. Duncan Chair for Constitutional Government and is Director of the Joseph and Dorothy Donnelly Moller Center for Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute.

Here’s a great ad from Americans for Prosperity featuring a number of conservative activists!

Here’s the latest video by Right Wing HouseWife!

Republican Professionals is excited to announce two great events tonight, one in the East Valley and one in the West Valley!

WEST VALLEY: Law and Order Event

with Sheriff Arpaio, Tom Horne and Andrew Thomas!

Fireworks will surely fly at this must-attend event! Sheriff Arpaio, Tom Horne and Andrew Thomas (schedule permitting) are ALL slated to speak at West Valley RP’s special “Law and Order” event.

WHAT: Sheriff Arpaio, Tom Horne and Andrew Thomas–all in one room–& networking with like- minded Republicans and conservatives.

WHEN: TONIGHT, August 12 From 6:00 to 8:00 pm

WHERE: The upscale and fun Skye Bar in Peoria (83rd avenue and Bell near Arrowhead Mall) 16844 N Arrowhead Fountain Center Dr. Peoria, AZ

FACEBOOK RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=140576525975954&ref=mf

EVITE RSVP: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=ECXLVQFVLHJGZRVVUBVN&li=iq&src=email

EAST VALLEY: Last Chance to Meet GOP Candidates 

with Ed Winkler, Barbara Leff and Chris Salvino.

For all those who haven’t cast their ballot for US Congress in AZ CD3 and AZ CD5 or for State Treasurer, this is the event for you!

WHAT: Congressional candidates Ed Winkler & Chris Salvino and AZ treasurer candidate Barbara Leff

WHEN: TONIGHT, August 12 From 6:00 to 8:00 pm

WHERE: The hip and swank White House Bar in Scottsdale (Next to Dos Gringos in Old Town Scottsdale) 4225 N. Craftsman Ct. Scottsdale, AZ

Facebook RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=116840738365960&ref=mf

Evite RSVP: http://new.evite.com/?utm_source=other_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=text&utm_campaign=invite#view_invite:eid=00E4AARBSZI2Y4FA4EO7UTWZ5M564Y&gid=00E4AARBSZ34NQCKOEO7UTYAH7KVUQ

We look forward to seeing you at tonight’s events!

-Republican Professionals Team

John McCain likes to think that character does matter, his character. A simple and quick Google search reveals otherwise

Senator John McCain has spent over $16 million in an attempt to discredit his challenger, the consistent conservative, J.D. Hayworth. He has also undergone a case of the “6-year switch” where he disguises himself as a conservative in order to regain “his” seat in Washington. McCain has previously admitted lying during elections – and this game-changing ad highlights his lies during his Senate re-election campaign here in Arizona.

Support the ad by clicking here.

On Monday, August 2nd, over 16 Tea Parties were represented at the Hayworth Campaign Office in Phoenix, AZ. They have come together to support and for J.D. Hayworth to be Arizona’s next U.S. Senator.

Here are a few videos created by JD Hayworth supporters. If you create your own video, make sure you let us know so we’ll post it here.

Here is J.D. Hayworth’s latest advertisement in his run for the U.S. Senate. The ad highlights the record of his opponent, John McCain, who has failed to secure the border and to add insult to injury, has voted to make taxpayers pay for benefits to illegal aliens.

Senator Pamela Gorman has spent years as an Arizona legislator working to address the economic, environmental, safety, and national security issues of illegal immigration and the state’s open border. Now a candidate for U.S. Representative in Congressional District 3, she lays out the bottom line on this highly sensitive issue. The federal government has failed in its Constitutional duty to protect the states which has created a very real national security risk. The border must be secured, the laws enforced in the interior, and there should be NO amnesty to reward those who have broken our laws. In classic Pamela style, she tells it straight and pulls no punches. Check out her website at www.Gorman2010.com for more information on Pamela Gorman, where you can also make a donation online to help bring a refreshing honest voice of a proven conservative lawmaker to Washington.

Ben Quayle is considered a front runner for Arizona’s CD3, despite having no experience in anything. His name and his father’s fundraising are the sole basis for any attention. Sam Crump on the other hand is a proven conservative, a veteran, with a solid voting record in the Arizona Legislature.

JD Hayworth launched a new television advertisement statewide highlighting McCain’s long held support for amnesty for illegal aliens. As a U.S. Senator representing Arizona, JD Hayworth will implement border security measures to protect Arizonans and Americans because he believes that border security is national security.

Bill Montgomery, Republican candidate for Maricopa County Attorney in Maricopa County, Arizona, goes hunting for the elusive “RINO” — Republican in Name Only — Rick Romley, who is his opponent in the August 24th primary election.

Watch closely as John McCain staffer, Matt Ligouri, holds a video camera and tapes US Senate candidate, JD Hayworth, as he speaks to fellow Republicans in Legislative District 17.

Once the video taping has occurred, it will be handed off to and reviewed by a high level McCain staffer who determines if there is any usable content or expressions that can be used in an attack ad against JD Hayworth. The video is then handed off to Richard Sales who will transform it into something completely unrelated to the discussion that occurred at the meeting. Through the process of speeding up the tape, accentuating facial expressions, or enhancing color tones, McCain’s ad team hopes to produce something embarrassing to JD Hayworth that they can use to manipulate voters.

My purpose in presenting this is to educate the voters to the behind-the-scene actions of Team McCain and how they create attack ads. With the exception of Grant Woods, you will likely never see a high level McCain staffer (there are around 60 paid staffers) at one of these events taping JD Hayworth. Voters must realize that Team McCain follows JD Hayworth around to almost every public event attempting to embarrass JD Hayworth by either donning a pig costume, or by capturing some video clip that can be manipulated to make JD Hayworth look bad.

Campaign tactics such as this denote sophomoric and behavior unbecoming of a senior United States Senator. It is also a clear violation of Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment. One would think that a US Senator striving to finalize his political career as a statesman would avoid such tactics at all cost but as Time Magazine recently stated, John McCain has “A fierce desire for self-preservation.”