AZ Teaparty “Leadership” Sells out AZ Teaparty Members for Newt

January 31, 2012 By MadArizonan 45 Comments

I learned recently that there are many in Arizona who proclaim themselves Teaparty “leaders” who are pushing the liberal K-Street lobbyist Newt Gingrich as the Republican candidate.

Now, if I understand correctly, the Teaparty created itself after the now famous Rick Santelli rant on CNBC in response to the passage of Obamacare.

Read that again – a REAL conservative response to Obamacare. Patriotic Americans nationwide organized themselves to march on Washington in protest of Obamacare, organized themselves locally to fight the implementation of Obamacare, to replace RINOs and send REAL conservatives to Congress to REPEAL OBAMACARE.

Read that again – to REPEAL OBAMACARE. R E P E A L

Along comes the self-proclaimed leaders (admittedly not all) of the Arizona Teaparties supporting Newt Gingrich.

So what’s the problem with that?

Well notwithstanding Newt’s belief in global warming and support for international communism as a solution for global warming and his direct work with Nancy Pelosi

notwithstanding Newt’s work in support of Al Gore’s initiatives,

notwithstanding Newt’s lobbying for the ethanol “bio-fuel” industry,

now it comes to light that Gingrich SUPPORTS OBAMACARE and the INDIVIDUAL MANDATE!

Well lo and behold, as they say, a new Newt every day! LOL

You can hear Newt here (at 00:40) clearly state his support for Obamacare individual mandates.

It may be time for a little Teaparty revolt in Arizona. If you are a Teaparty member like I am, make sure to print this out and bring it to your next meeting. If your Teaparty’s “leadership” is promoting Newt Gingrich, it’s time to *REMOVE* that Teaparty leader. It’s time to expose them for being a spineless RINO infiltrator and replace them with a real conservative and PATRIOT who understands that Americans’ freedom is not for sale or barter in this or ANY election and that any support for Obamacare will not be tolerated!

Teaparty, y’all!

Filed Under: Arizona Politics, Campaigns & Elections, Environment, Liberals, Personalities

Ending the Solar Subsidy Fiasco

January 12, 2012 By Goldwater Institute Leave a Comment

By Clint Bolick, Goldwater Institute

It’s not every day that the New York Times makes a compelling case against government giveaways. But a recent page-one article underscored that the Solyndra scandal was only the tip of the solar-subsidy iceberg. Huge companies like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, General Electric, utilities including Exelon and NRG, and even Google are receiving government guarantees that ensure large profits with virtually no risk — except to the taxpayer.

The Times ascribes to the Obama administration a “gold-rush mentality” when Congress expanded green-power incentives in 2009, despite a paralyzing federal deficit. The chief executive of NRG, which received $5.2 billion in federal loan guarantees plus hundreds of millions in other subsidies for solar projects, gushed that “I have never seen anything . . . in my 20 years in the power industry that involved less risk than these projects.”

A start-up industry with no capital risk to investors? It’s a nifty deal if you can get it—and many have. “It is like building a hotel, where you know in advance you are going to have 100 percent room occupancy for 25 years,” the Times quotes the CEO of SolarReserve. Even some of President Obama’s top advisors have warned of industry “double-dipping.”

Solar may be the most-subsidized industry in American history. Not only are producers subsidized at the federal, state, and sometimes even local levels, but consumers are subsidized to purchase solar panels, utility companies are forced to use and further subsidize solar power, and higher utility rates are passed along to Americans amidst deep recession.

Arizona is immersed in solar subsidies, providing tax breaks and (through the Corporation Commission) mandating that 15 percent of all utility energy be provided through specified renewable sources. Cost and technological feasibility are no object, and every dollar in added costs is passed along to consumers through a utility surcharge.

If the New York Times gets it, shouldn’t sensible, self-styled conservative elected officials? It’s time for government to stop playing Santa Claus to this pampered industry.

Clint Bolick is director of the Goldwater Institute’s Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation.

Learn more:

New York Times: A Gold Rush of Subsidies in Clean Energy Search

Filed Under: Arizona Politics, Economic Development, Economics, Energy, Environment, Spending, State Budget, State Economy, State Government

Congressman Gosar Expresses Dismay At Yet Another Obama Administration Job Killing Over Reach

January 9, 2012 By Press Release Leave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2012

PHOENIX, AZ –U.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-01) released the following statement today following the announcement of the Obama Administration’s decision to withdraw approximately 1 million acres of federal land in northern Arizona from uranium mining:

“Today’s actions show that the administration continues to count on the distortion of truths and the outright denial of facts, to push their big government agenda. President Obama and Secretary Salazar are showing a clear indifference to the separation of powers and instead of leading our nation are being more divisive than ever.

As the representative of a large portion of the Grand Canyon National Park, the preservation of this natural treasure is very important to me. I would not want any activity to be done that would threaten that vital aspect of our economy or the aesthetic beauty of the canyon that’s why the original buffer was put into place.

In is important we realize that the rhetoric surrounding this issue focuses on facts, not scare tactics. The Administration’s land withdrawal is unnecessary to protect the Grand Canyon. The park currently has a land buffer. No uranium mine can exist within the park’s boundaries, or the park buffer. It is simply false and misleading to assert that if the land in the strip is not withdrawn, uranium mining will take place “in” the canyon or “in the park.”

I strongly believe cautious development with strong oversight under federal statue strikes the careful balance between economic activity and environmental protection and thus oppose the proposed arbitrary withdrawal.”

In the 1980’s, former Arizona Congressman Morris Udall, now-Senator John McCain, and other Congressional leaders negotiated a compromise with the uranium mining industry, native Americans, environmentalists, livestock and other stakeholder groups which formed the basis for designating Arizona’s first wilderness areas as buffer zones around the Grand Canyon National Park. The withdrawal area being considered by the Department of Interior was specifically identified for uranium mining and was opened up for economic activity as part of that negotiated agreement.

###

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Energy, Environment, Federal Budget, Legislation, Press Release Tagged With: CD-1, Paul Gosar

Congressman Flake Criticizes Obama Administration Decision to Ban New Uranium Mining Claims in Northern Arizona

January 9, 2012 By Press Release 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 9, 2012

Mining Can Stimulate Economy without Jeopardizing Natural Beauty of the Grand Canyon

Mesa, Arizona – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today condemned the Obama Administration’s decision to implement a 20-year ban on new mining claims on 1 million acres of federal land outside of Grand Canyon National park in an area known as the Arizona Strip.

In 2009, Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar halted new mining claims for two years. In extending the ban on new claims for another six months in July of 2011, the Secretary announced that the preferred alternative is to implement a 20-year withdrawal.

“Uranium mining in northern Arizona occurs well outside Grand Canyon National Park and poses no threat to the Grand Canyon or the tourism industry in northern Arizona. This withdrawal is simply another example of the Obama Administration’s overreach that will stymie local economic growth and local job creation,” said Flake. “The Grand Canyon is a treasure, so if I believed that uranium mining in parts of northern Arizona posed a threat to the Canyon, I would not support it.”

Congressman Flake has worked to prevent this withdrawal from being put in place. In July of 2011, he added language to the House Interior Appropriations bill that prevents the Interior Department from moving ahead with a withdrawal plan. Congressman Flake’s language wasn’t included in a final FY2012 spending bill. In October of 2011, along with Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02), Congressman Flake introduced in the House the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act, which would prohibit the Department of the Interior from implementing the withdrawal. Senators John McCain (R,-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced the legislation in the Senate.

###

Filed Under: Economic Development, Elected Officials, Environment, Federal Government, Jobs/Labor, Legislation, Press Release Tagged With: CD-5, Jeff Flake

State Senator Sylvia Allen: Arizona In a State of Emergency

November 29, 2011 By Guest Opinion 55 Comments

By Senator Sylvia Allen

Senator Sylvia Allen

The Arizona border remains under assault. This assault is not diminishing but increasing! Just south of Arizona, Mexico is in a state of civil war. The death toll in Mexico is more than 40,000 lives lost since 2006. Only the Mexican military is able to maintain any semblance of order, and many within Mexico are now even openly questioning “for how long?” In a recent exclusive interview with Newsmax, former Mexican President Vicente Fox said bluntly his nation was at “war” with drug cartels. “Everybody’s trying to deny that we’re going through a war but that’s what it is.”

Graphic photos of beheadings, kidnapping scenes, and mass graves are sent to me weekly in Border Briefing reports. The cartels/gangs have corrupted Mexican law enforcement at all levels, thereby protecting their illicit $12-billion-a-year criminal enterprise. You would think the United States government would be greatly concerned; you would think those in positions of public trust in Washington would spend at least as much time working on stabilizing Mexico as they do on Egypt and Libya. Yet hardly a word is said about the increasing problems and threats stemming from our immediate neighbor to the south other than the spin from Washington that “the border is safer now than ever.” But to those of us tasked with providing security to the citizens of Arizona and beyond, nothing of substance is said or enacted and, all the while, a war is headed this way. This war is real, and it is dangerous, and soon this war will be fought with increasing measures in America.

NewsMax devoted two months last Spring conducting more than 20 interviews during visits to border areas in Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. They found overwhelming evidence that Mexico’s drug cartels have already penetrated deep into our nation’s heartland, and Americans are increasingly fearful.

As Chairman of the Arizona Senate Committee on Border Security, my committee heard testimony last year from many citizens who live in the border area. They reported home invasions, vandalism, stolen property, and a host of other criminal activities. An Intelligence Briefing to a Joint Session of Selected Legislators on November 10th, 2011, by Zack Taylor, retired Border Patrol Supervisory Agent, and Dr. Lyle Rapacki, a Threat Assessment and Intelligence Specialist, went even further than the NewsMax articles. These experts reported how “lookout posts” are positioned in key points throughout the desert, and as far north (65-miles from the border) as the City of Casa Grande, Arizona, the I-8 corridor and Apache Junction, and along the I-10 corridor approaching the bedroom community of Ahwatukee. This briefing further revealed that the cartels (and lookouts) are heavily armed with military-grade weapons, camouflage, sophisticated and expensive night-vision goggles, satellite communications, food and water, and organized logistical support. If you go to the Pinal County Sheriff’s website, you can read many reports of drug busts, fire fights, auto chases, and other serious encounters with the cartels/gangs/human smugglers occurring frequently in Pinal County, which is far inside the border of the United States of America.

Additionally, and with as much concern, Arizona has to deal with health issues and trash, mounds of trash left by illegals marching into America. Fifth-generation rancher Jim Chilton has seen his once-beautiful ranch, just a few miles from the border with Mexico, be destroyed with crushed trees and cactus, whole hillsides turned into charred eyesores, years worth of his award-winning conservation projects obliterated – and his ranch is littered with trash, tons of trash, and some of this trash is dead bodies. Mr. Chilton stated: “I’ve got 30,000 to 40,000 illegal aliens coming right through my ranch every year, and the Forest Service says each one leaves about eight pounds of trash. This means 100 tons of trash. Some of my cows eat the plastic bags that are thrown down, and about 10 head of cattle die per year, and their deaths are slow and painful. At $1,200 per cow lost, this means I lose $12,000 a year in cows to trash!”

Adding insult is the Bureau of Land Management with their insane proposal to shut down target shooting on 490,000 acres in the Sonoran Desert National Monument, and another 1.4 million acres of additional public lands in Pinal County. The Bureau claims shooters are leaving trash behind. It is NOT the shooters who are decimating the desert but drug and human smugglers! The BLM knows this but have developed this ploy to restrict Arizonans from entering this land. Arizona Game and Fish, on their maps, warn hunters that 35 miles north of the Border the land is impacted by illegal activity from illegals. Arizona is losing control of her sovereign land!

Tragedy upon tragedy, as we add the fires set by illegals that have destroyed our lands! Senator McCain was correct this past summer laying blame on the illegals for some of the horrific and terribly destructive fires that were purposefully set. It cost more than $70 million to fight these insidious fires, and the official U.S. Government response was to attempt to silence McCain. Why is the apparent official policy of the United States to ridicule and silence those who are trying to protect our state of Arizona? Why are the cartels protected? Why do official U.S. government departments, sworn to protect American citizens, extend protection to gangs working with the drug cartels, and even to terrorists entering our nation from various border entry points?

In 2007, speaking on the Larry King show, former Mexican President Vicente Fox confirmed the coming merger with Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Not only did Fox admit that he and George W. Bush had agreed to create a common currency, the Amero, he also contended that a North American Union is “inevitable.” There is, on the other hand, no will to secure our borders or to enforce our laws. There is a concerted, deliberate, and sophisticated program under way to erase our national boundaries and create a North American Union. Merging our country with Mexico and Canada would be a losing proposition for Americans. The governments of these three countries are not alike. The gift of sovereignty handed to us by our Forefathers would be extinguished, and we would become subjects, no longer free. I do not want this for myself or my grandchildren!

Progressive groups, radicals of many persuasions, and even anti-American groups are using the cry for “Open Borders” for their own purposes, and not for the concern of migrants. Those purposes include, but are not limited to, undermining our form of government and eroding our national sovereignty. Many of those entangled are innocent bystanders who become subject to blackmail and abuse by “coyotes,” cartels, human and slave traffickers, and radical political groups who have agendas that reach far beyond the safety and legal status of a vulnerable illegal family. With the recent recall of Senator Russell Pearce, the open borders crowd feels empowered, and they have no intention of stopping until they rid the political and governing scene of each and every individual who stands in the way of full and completely open borders, no national boundaries, and the complete remaking of America into the North American Union.

As an Arizona state legislator, I took an oath to uphold the Federal and State Constitutions and the laws of our land. If those laws need to be changed, we have a process by which people, through their elected representatives, can change them. In the meantime, elected representatives and residents are encouraged to live by the laws intended to provide order and safety for all. There is no higher calling for an elected official, state or federal, than to protect the freedom and public safety of the citizens they represent. Border Security ranks supreme. Without first securing the border, we will never be able to solve the myriad issues involving illegal immigration.

Arizona is in a State of Emergency. If we want to protect our national and state sovereignty, we must secure our border and enforce our laws. This is NOT a political move or call to action; this is a call to declare a State of Emergency in Arizona to preserve our land, our citizens and their property, and our state sovereignty, with all the means afforded to us by the Constitution of the United States of America.

We are still seeking donations to build the border fence. Please take a look at the “Build the Border Fence” website, and consider making a generous donation.

Best wishes to all of you during this holiday season. Despite the gloomy news on the border, we have much to be grateful for! God willing, we will make some progress on securing the border in the months ahead. The next Update will discuss some solutions to the border emergency.

Filed Under: Border, Elected Officials, Environment, Federal Government, Guest Opinion, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Immigration, National Security, State Government Tagged With: LD-5, Sylvia Allen

Supervisors adopt UN Agenda 21 bankrupt solar and green programs

November 5, 2011 By American Post Gazette 17 Comments

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

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Solar companies like Solyndra are going bankrupt after billion dollar bailouts by the federal government, and are now under investigation. “Sustainability” has been exposed as a disguised word for the UN program Agenda 21 that seeks to undermine US authority and implement radical environmentalism that will crush our freedom and liberties. The UN is making agreements at the local level with city councils, county supervisors, and other local boards. Our local communities must put a stop to this.

Yet the Maricopa County Supervisors are not listening and have gone ahead and made agreements with the UN subverting our authority to these agreements, and are actively implementing solar energy even though these companies are under investigation. Is this troubled Tempe-based solar company, one of two largest solar companies in the US, the company the Supervisors have contracted with? Read more from the Arizona Republic article:

Maricopa County pushes going green

3 years after program launch, 103 sustainable measures in effect

by Michelle Ye Hee Lee - Oct. 22, 2011
The Arizona Republic

The buzz word in Maricopa County government is “green.”

Maricopa County adopted its “Green Government” program more than three years ago with the idea that energy and resource conservation is good not only for the environment but also for residents and for the county’s bottom line.

“Everything we do, we’re going to do with an eye to reducing our carbon footprint,” said county Supervisor Don Stapley, who spurred the county’s sustainability initiatives in 2008. “If the county does that, and sets that example, I think the citizens of this county will also embrace and follow that leadership.”

The three-pronged approach to sustainability is a growing national trend, experts say. As budgets tighten, more local governments have adopted sustainability as a money-saving measure.

Maricopa County officials identified 144 sustainability measures that they deemed plausible. Since the program began in June 2008, county officials say, 103 measures have been successfully implemented, 31 have been launched and the remaining 10 have not been started.

“It’s important to know that sustainability . . . really is a three-legged stool. One of those things is economics. If things don’t make sense economically, we’re not going to do them, just because that’s a crucial component of sustainability,” said Jonce Walker, Maricopa County sustainability manager.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors this week approved an agreement with Arizona Public Service Co. to install solar panels on the roofs of three county buildings, the latest step in the county’s solar-panel installation process.

Among the projects the county has completed in recent years: installing solar panels on jail buildings to heat the showers and at the county-owned Buckeye Hills Regional Park to power the park complex, including a shooting range.

Adding solar panels

Earlier this year, 228 solar panels mounted atop the county’s White Tank Branch Library and Nature Center generated excess energy. The excess energy was credited to the county’s account, then directed to the APS electrical grid for other customers to use.

The county’s green initiatives run the gamut.

For road projects, the Maricopa County Department of Transportation uses rubberized asphalt recycled from old tires that would have been thrown away in landfills or stored on the ground, posing potential fire threats.Four county buildings have received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification: the downtown justice center, Estrella Mountain Regional Park, the former Santa Fe Freight Depot site that recently reopened as a satellite site for the Assessor’s Office, and the White Tank facility.

The U.S. Green Building Council issues LEED certification to projects that meet certain energy-conservation criteria.

Maricopa County’s green policy is comprehensive, especially because county officials did an inventory to establish an energy-consumption baseline, implemented a wide range of measures and tracks its progress closely, said Don Knapp, spokesman for ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA, an international association of cities and towns that works toward sustainability, clean energy and climate action.

Knapp said local governments across the country are recognizing that going green increases efficiency in government operations, creates jobs and saves money for taxpayers.

“In these tough economic times, you need to look at initiatives that have multiple benefits,” Knapp said. “It’s really a no-brainer.”

One of the challenges facing Maricopa County officials is changing the culture of employees and residents. The Valley is not known as a hot spot for green activism.

“If sustainability is going to work here, it can work anywhere in the world, I think – at least the country. We’re not a Portland, we’re not a Seattle. We’re not a San Francisco, New York. We have our own very unique challenges,” Walker said.

For example, the Valley since 2006 has experienced rapid growth in population – and, consequently, in waste. Maricopa County has the fourth-largest population among U.S. counties, with 3.8 million residents. That means there is a lot of waste that can be reduced, both within county departments and among residents in the community.

Filed Under: County Government, Economic Development, Elected Officials, Energy, Environment, Government, Spending

Rep. Flake Supports the Southeast Arizona Land Transfer Jobs Bill

October 25, 2011 By Press Release 5 Comments

Congressman Flake speaks in support of legislation to allow for the development of a new copper mine in Superior, Arizona which will create thousands of jobs.

Filed Under: Economic Development, Elected Officials, Environment, Federal Government, Jobs/Labor, Press Release Tagged With: CD-6, Jeff Flake, Superior

Quayle Town Hall tomorrow night

October 18, 2011 By Sound Advice 2 Comments

Filed Under: Energy, Environment, Federal Government

Senators & Congressmen Introduce Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act

October 12, 2011 By Press Release 2 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2011
CONTACT: Brian Rogers (McCain), Kate Middleton (Franks), Apryl Marie Fogel (Gosar), Genevieve Frye Rozansky (Flake), Rachel Semmel (Schweikert), Richard Cullen (Quayle)

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) and U.S. Congressmen Trent Franks (AZ-02), Rob Bishop (UT-01), Jeff Flake (AZ-06), Paul Gosar (AZ-01), David Schweikert (AZ-05) and Ben Quayle (AZ-03) today introduced the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011. This legislation will stop the U.S. Department of the Interior from banning mining in a vast area of Arizona, and killing jobs in the uranium mining industry.

In a recent letter to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, several members of Congress wrote in protest of the Secretary’s proposed a one million acre withdrawal of mining rights. The members stated the withdrawal has nothing to do with protecting the Grand Canyon environment but is actually ‘de facto wilderness’ for a region that conservationists previously agreed would remain accessible to the mining industry. The Interior Department’s own environmental study on the proposed withdrawal found ‘no conclusive evidence’ that modern-day mining operations in this area are harming the Grand Canyon watershed.

The Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011 would uphold the historic agreement embodied by the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 (AWA) that designated parts of the Arizona Strip as Wilderness and restored other lands to reasonable and safe uranium mining uses. The letter points out that the AWA “expressly refrained from banning mining on the Arizona Strip.”

“The Department’s proposed mining withdrawal would kill hundreds of potential jobs to ‘save’ the Grand Canyon from the same form of uranium mining that conservation groups once supported,” said Senator McCain. “It also threatens to unravel the spirit of the Arizona Wilderness Act and will raise significant questions for future Wilderness bills if agreements to accommodate responsible land uses are neither genuine nor enduring.”

“Despite the fact that uranium mining efforts have for decades operated without impacting the environment or the beauty of our national parks, President Obama is nonetheless seeking to make 326-375 million pounds of the best quality uranium in the entire country off-limits, thus putting the desires of a handful of rabid environmentalists above America’s long-term energy independence and national security,” said Congressman Franks.

“The Obama Administration continues to push policies that stifle American energy exploration and job creation,” Senator Hatch said. “Through Utah and the West, there’s an abundance of energy that would help fuel the economic recovery we so desperately need. This legislation ensures that these vital public lands are accessible to domestic energy producers so we can harness the nation’s second largest domestic source of uranium ore.”

“This Department of Interior’s decision to halt mining in this region is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to circumvent congress in order to create new de-facto wilderness areas. Blocking access to more than a third of the known U.S. uranium deposits would have a devastating impact on job creation and would increase our reliance on foreign sources of uranium. As it stands, we already depend on other countries for more than 90% of our uranium needs,” said Congressman Rob Bishop. “This legislation will block yet another federal land grab and help ensure that we have access to our abundant domestic energy resources, which are essential to the future of this country.”

“After having his ‘wild lands’ policy resoundingly rejected by Utahns and other state and local officials, Secretary Salazar appears intent upon using whatever authority he can claim to lock up lands in the western states,” said Senator Lee. “The withdrawal of one million acres of mining rights also reneges on a compromise between the federal government and the mining industry negotiated in good faith almost thirty years ago, setting an unwelcome precedent that could have future negative consequences. This legislation will stand as yet another rebuke of the administration’s relentless pursuit of federal land grabs and reinforce the message that the people, not federal bureaucrats, should be the final authority on what happens to land within their state’s borders.”

“Uranium mining in northern Arizona can create jobs and stimulate the region’s economy without jeopardizing the splendor and natural beauty of the area, and that’s why Arizona’s federal, state, and local officials oppose a moratorium on such mining,” said Congressman Flake.

“It is important we focus on the facts surrounding mining in the Northern Arizona Mining district,” said Congressman Gosar. “It is simply false and misleading to assert that if the Administration’s withdrawal is not enacted, uranium mining will take place ‘in’ the canyon or ‘in’ the park. However without a doubt, if the Administration’s proposed withdrawal is enacted, the potential for nearly $30 billion dollars of economic growth opportunities – nearly $700 million annually and over a thousand well paying jobs – will be eliminated. I am proud to cosponsor this important legislation, and I strongly support environmentally responsible development of our country’s vast energy and mineral resources that will expand our domestic energy supply, create new American jobs, and lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy and minerals.”

“At a time when we are desperate for jobs and economic growth, this Administration continues to do everything in its power to implement the job-killing policies of fringe environmental groups. This withdrawal is not so much a protection of the Grand Canyon, but a government land grab of economically fertile mining land,” said Congressman Schweikert.

“It is remarkable that we need legislation to force the Administration to stop such an unwarranted ban,” said Congressman Quayle. “A study conducted by the same department that is proposing the mining withdrawal found ‘no conclusive evidence’ that modern-day mining will cause any harm to the Grand Canyon region. Despite these findings, the Department of Interior is still pushing forward even though the ban will prevent the creation of thousands of potential Arizona jobs and economic growth for the state. The Administration is once again putting special interests ahead of job creation.”

Letter and bill attached.

###

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Energy, Environment, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release Tagged With: Ben Quayle, David Schweikert, Jeff Flake, John McCain, Paul Gosar, Trent Franks

Rep Flake: Uranium Mining in Northern Arizona Could Create Jobs and Stimulate Local Economy

October 12, 2011 By Press Release Leave a Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Franks/Flake Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011 Will Stop Withdrawal of Lands to New Mining Claims

Washington, D.C. – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today with Congressman Trent Franks (AZ-02) introduced in the House the Northern Arizona Mining Continuity Act of 2011, which will prohibit the U.S. Department of the Interior from implementing a 20-year withdrawal of nearly one million acres of public lands in northern Arizona north and south of the Grand Canyon to new uranium mining claims. This legislation would also uphold the agreement reached by the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 (AWA) that would not ban mining on some of the public lands in the proposed withdrawal. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) introduced the legislation in the Senate.

In a recent letter (attached) to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Congressman Flake and others urged the Department to reconsider its proposed withdrawal. The potential moratorium on new mining claims would hinder job growth in the area and potentially require a re-write of long-held agreements reached between the environmental lobby, government, and other parties regarding the protection and management of public lands. The letter to Secretary Salazar states that the Interior Department’s internal environmental study on the proposed withdrawal found “no conclusive evidence” that modern-day mining operations in this area are harming the Grand Canyon watershed.

“Uranium mining in northern Arizona can create jobs without tarnishing the splendor of the Grand Canyon, which is why many of Arizona’s federal, state, and local officials oppose this lands withdrawal,” said Flake. “Banning new uranium mining claims in northern Arizona will overturn respected public lands management agreements and will certainly stymie job growth in Arizona.”

In July, Congressman Flake successfully included language in the House Interior Appropriations bill (H.R. 2584) to prevent the proposed withdrawal of public lands to new uranium mining claims. The bill has not yet reached the House Floor for a vote.

###

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Energy, Environment, Federal Government, Legislation, Press Release Tagged With: CD-6, Jeff Flake

President’s move on air quality regulation a good start

October 6, 2011 By Goldwater Institute 1 Comment

by Rebecca Hudson
Arizona Chamber of Commerce

President Obama has finally made an attempt to reign in the astounding regulatory overreach of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The president asked EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to withdraw the agency’s proposed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for ozone, which would have tightened the current standard of 75 parts per billion (ppb) to a range between 60 ppb and 70 ppb. The new lower standard could have put as many as nine Arizona counties into non-compliance, which, as the state knows from its battle with the EPA on PM-10 issues, can lead to hefty fines and a loss of federal highway funds.

The EPA’s regulatory posture completely ignores a balanced look at public policy and what is best for the American people. This ozone standard was lowered in 2003 and is up for a formal review again in 2013, but that was apparently too long a wait for a regulation that, according to a study by the Manufacturers Alliance (MAPI), could cost this nation 7.3 million jobs by 2020 and could add up to $1 trillion annually in compliance costs between 2020 and 2030.

With the nation still trying to recover from the worst economic recession in a generation, now is not the time to allow federal bureaucrats to capriciously set expensive, job-killing regulations.

The Obama Administration took an important first step in getting control of its regulatory agencies; hopefully there is more to come.

Rebecca Hudson is an environmental policy analyst at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a former Goldwater Institute Ronald Reagan Fellow.

Learn More:

MAPI Report: EPA’s Proposal to Reduce Ozone Standard Would Harm Economy, Manufacturers

White House: Statement by the President on the Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Los Angeles Times: Obama asks EPA to back off draft ozone standard

Filed Under: Environment, Regulations

Rep. Flake Applauds Withdrawal of EPA’s Ozone Standards Draft

September 2, 2011 By Press Release 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2011
CONTACT: Genevieve Frye Rozansky

Encourages Administration to Apply the Same Flexibility to Their Review of the Dust Standard

Mesa, Arizona – Republican Congressman Jeff Flake, who represents Arizona’s Sixth District, today applauded the Administration’s directive to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

“I hope EPA displays the same consideration of the economic impact when it comes to regulations dealing with dust, such as PM-10, especially when their own scientists say tightening the standard isn’t necessary,” said Flake.

###

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Environment, Press Release Tagged With: CD-6, EPA, Jeff Flake

Salmon Commits to No Climate Tax Pledge

August 11, 2011 By Press Release 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2011
CONTACT: Adam Deguire

Opposes Climate Legislation that Results in Higher Tax Burden on Citizens

EAST VALLEY – Former Congressman and candidate for Arizona’s 6th Congressional District Matt Salmon announced today his signing of the Americans for Prosperity’s No Climate tax Pledge. Salmon released the following statement regarding his pledge to oppose climate legislation that results in higher taxes:

“I proudly support the efforts by Americans for Prosperity to protect taxpayers from tax increases due to climate change legislation. As I learned during my previous tenure in Congress, politicians are always looking for excuses to raise revenue through tax hikes and the climate change issue has become another bad argument for doing so. I pledge to oppose any efforts by these tax-and-spend lawmakers to increase the tax burden on citizens and businesses when I go back to Washington.”

About Americans for Prosperity & No Climate Tax Pledge
Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is committed to educating citizens about economic policy and mobilizing those citizens as advocates in the public policy process. AFP is an organization of grassroots leaders who engage citizens in the name of limited government and free markets on the local, state, and federal levels. The grassroots activists of AFP advocate for public policies that champion the principles of entrepreneurship and fiscal and regulatory restraint. Americans for Prosperity has more than 1,750,000 activists in all 50 states, and 31 state chapters and affiliates.

The No Climate Tax Pledge is a project of Americans for Prosperity. The pledge simply states that candidates will “oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue.” The objective of the pledge is to separate the tax question from the climate change issue. AFP does not believe it is appropriate to hide tax hikes in environmental bills. Instead, AFP believes these bills should be revenue neutral, holding taxpayers harmless by offsetting every dollar of revenue raised through environmental taxes and regulations with tax cuts. Prominent signers of the pledge include U.S. Senators Rubio, Paul, Thune, Inhofe, Coburn, Roberts, Lee, and Johnson, along with 151 U.S. Representatives and eight governors.

About Matt Salmon
Matt Salmon was first elected to the United States Congress in 1994 and served until 2000, honoring his term limit pledge. A proud fiscal conservative, Salmon was rated in the top five among all 535 members of the House and Senate by Citizen’s Against Government Waste for all six years he was in office. He is a lifetime member of the NRA with an A+ rating and also earned a 100% rating by the National Right to Life. He was also the proud recipient of the American Cancer Society’s “Top National Elected Official” award.

Matt Salmon has received endorsements from Arizona Congressman Trent Franks, former Arizona Congressman John Shadegg, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, South Dakota Senator John Thune, East Valley mayors Gail Barney (Queen Creek), Hugh Hallman (Tempe) and John Insalaco (Apache Junction).

-30-

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Environment, Press Release, Taxation Tagged With: CD-6, Matt Salmon

Chuck Gray opposes climate tax

July 6, 2011 By Press Release Leave a Comment

For immediate release
July 6th, 2011

Gray supports and signs No Climate Tax Pledge

Queen Creek, AZ: Chuck Gray has signed the Americans for Prosperity “No Climate Tax Pledge” because he agrees that phony science should not be used as an excuse to raise taxes.

Gray stated, “Increased taxes, regulations, and mandates are rapidly becoming a threat to the economic survival of our nation. Many of these federal power grabs are being justified by the false claim of man-made global warming. This must stop. It is time to reduce and reverse the death-grip that the federal government has on our economy. I am pleased to join with Americans for Prosperity in their fight to restrain the power of the federal government. I look forward to working with them when I am in Congress to unleash the full potential of the American economy.”

The pledge simply states that Gray “will oppose any legislation relating to climate change that includes a net increase in government revenue” when he is in Congress.

Please click on this link (PDF file) to read the statement from Americans for Prosperity regarding Gray’s defense of the free market.

Chuck Gray is running for Arizona’s Congressional District 6, which includes the communities of Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Apache Junction, Gold Canyon, and Queen Creek. He formerly served in both chambers of the Arizona Legislature and was Senate Majority Leader in 2009 and 2010. He was an officer in the Mesa Police Department before being elected to the legislature.

For more information please e-mail john@chuckgray.com or visit www.chuckgray.com.

###

Filed Under: Campaigns & Elections, Economics, Environment, Federal Government, Press Release, Taxation

Congressman Paul Gosar on KAET

June 21, 2011 By Press Release Leave a Comment

Arizona PBS affiliate, KAET, featured Congressman Paul Gosar discussing a variety of issues that affect his district in rural Arizona including the Wallow Fire, the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, Grand Canyon Uranium mining claims and land exchange legislation related to the Resolution Copper mine near Superior, Arizona.

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Energy, Environment, Federal Government, Media Tagged With: CD-1, KAET, Paul Gosar, Wallow Fire

Statement by McCain, Kyl, Flake & Gosar on Arizona Wildfires

June 20, 2011 By Press Release 2 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2011

Joint Statement by Senators John McCain, Jon Kyl and Congressmen Jeff Flake and Paul Gosar

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ), and Congressmen Jeff Flake (AZ-06) and Paul Gosar (AZ-01) today released the following statement regarding the Arizona wildfires:

“Arizona is currently facing the worst wildfire season in its history. After touring the devastation in eastern Arizona, we would like to express our gratitude to the brave firefighters, first responders, and public lands personnel who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to preserve communities, homes, and our natural habitats.

“During our tour of the damaged areas caused by the Wallow Fire on Saturday, we were briefed by senior Forest Service officials, one of whom informed us that some wildfires in Arizona (across our southern border) are regrettably caused by drug smugglers and illegal immigrants. This statement is consistent with what we’ve been hearing for years, as well as testimony by the Forest Service and media reports dating back as far as 2006.

“While Arizonans continue to face the enormous challenges related to these wildfires, it’s unfortunate that some are inserting their political agenda into this tragedy.”

###

Filed Under: Crime and Punishment, Elected Officials, Environment, Federal Government, Illegal Aliens, Press Release Tagged With: CD-1, CD-6, Jeff Flake, John McCain, Jon Kyl, Paul Gosar

Allen calls on federal government to reform forest management policies

June 7, 2011 By Press Release 2 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2011
CONTACT: Mike Philipsen

(STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX) State Senator Sylvia Allen (R-5) today expressed her sadness and frustration over the devastation being caused by the rapidly-growing Wallow Fire in southern Apache and northern Greenlee Counties. Allen called on the U.S. Forest Service to reform its management policies and adopt restoration practices that will protect the forests and wildlife without harming rural communities, the economy, and the taxpayers.

“The Wallow Fire is further evidence that our current system of managing our forests is simply not working,” Allen said. “To the contrary, the federal government’s policies for protecting spotted owls and goshawks are wreaking devastation, destroying homes, and threatening lives, communities, and our economy throughout northern Arizona, and the owls and goshawks are no better protected.”

“It’s time that we return common sense to forest management. In areas where the forest had been thinned around communities, the fire has dropped and homes have been spared. Unfortunately, this thinning has only been accomplished in a few areas.”

Allen called on the Forest Service to move forward with the Four Forests Restoration Initiative, whereby the Forest Service contracts with private industry to do the mechanical thinning.

“The only way we’re going to restore our forests is to involve private industry, which will absorb the costs while responsibly thinning the forest, so we don’t have any more of these enormous fires,” said Allen. “It saves the taxpayers money, creates jobs, and protects us from these devastating wildfires.”

Allen also pointed to the economic devastation resulting from fires like the currently-burning Wallow and Horseshoe Fires and the Rodeo Chediski Fire of 2002. “Besides the millions of dollars it takes to fight these kinds of massive fires, there is another hidden cost to this beautiful region where I live. The fires kill tourism and recreation, and local businesses suffer for a long time after the fires go out.”

Allen expressed her gratitude to the firefighters and Forest Service officials who are responding to the Wallow Fire. “I want those who are fighting the fire to know that my prayers are with them for their safety, and my gratitude goes out to them for working so hard in fighting this fire.

My frustration is with bureaucrats 2000 miles away with their misguided regulations that lead to these catastrophic fires, and with the extreme environmental groups who have made millions of dollars from American taxpayers by filing lawsuits.”

###

Filed Under: Elected Officials, Environment, Government, Political Parties, Press Release, Regulations, State Government Tagged With: LD-5, Sylvia Allen