A very tough 24 hours for Phoenix first responders

From KPHO.com (Phoenix channel 5), written by Phil Benson -

A Phoenix police officer and a city firefighter have been killed in two separate incidents, city officials said a news briefing Sunday morning.

Bradley Harper, 23, a two-year veteran of the Phoenix Fire Department, died after being crushed between two fire vehicles at a mulch fire Saturday near Lower Buckeye and 35th Avenue, said Phoenix Fire Chief Bob Khan.

Darryl Raetz, 29, a six-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department, died from injuries suffered in a hit-and-run crash early Sunday morning, said Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia.

KPNX (Phoenix channel 12) has video of the press briefing here.

Condolences go out to the families, friends and colleagues of the two first responders who gave their lives while working to protect public safety.

Arizona Legislature: The coming week

What started out as a quiet week last week became colorful in a hurry when the Arizona Senate passed a package of budget bills, including provisions for Medicaid expansion.

Now the whole package is scheduled to go over to the House for consideration.

As of this writing, there isn't anything in terms of committee agendas or floor calendars posted for the coming week for either chamber, so all that's left to do is speculate a little.

1.  The bills face a murky path in the House, but speculation is that they are likely to pass.  There just may be a little drama first.

2.  On Friday's Horizon on KAET (PBS channel 8 in Phoenix), the journalists who were part of their weekly "Journalists Roundtable" speculated that the bills won't be heard (and voted on) until after Memorial Day.  According to them, this coming week may see House Speaker Andy Tobin try to push, or at least go through the motions of pushing, his proposal to put the Medicaid restoration before the voters.

However, while there do seem to be enough votes in the House to pass Medicaid restoration, it doesn't seem likely that there is any real support for putting the question before the voters - mostly because they think it will be approved by the voters anyway, and by a wide margin, making the legislature look worse for passing the buck on an easy decision.

Note: As of now, KAET has not posted Friday's episode of Horizon on its website, but will likely do so on Monday.

3.  There may yet be a little more drama over this in the Senate.  Standard procedure is that once a bill is passed by one chamber, that bill is sent, or "transmitted" to the other chamber after 24 legislative hours.  Unless one of the senators on the prevailing side of the vote on the bill moves to reconsider, or bring back, the measure within that time.

No motion to reconsider has been made yet, so far as I know, but the possibility remains open for such a motion to be made on Tuesday.

There have been a few whispers of such a move, but it seems unlikely.  While one of them might want to walk back their vote (Michele Reagan looks like that she it trying to be on both sides of this issue), to actually overturn the measure, five of the six Rs who voted for Medicaid restoration would have to change their votes.

While I expect that there is a lot of arm-twisting going on in R-land this weekend, the Republicans who voted for this knew what was coming when they cast their votes, so they're prepared.  I don't expect any changes in the outcome.

Though a few members may show up Tuesday with an arm in a sling. :)

4.  No matter how this turns out, expect a change in the GOP leadership in the AZ Senate.  The Senate Majority Leader (John McComish) and Majority Whip (Adam Driggs) voted for Medicaid restoration and worked to get it passed over the objections of the Senate President (Andy Biggs).  Something's got to give.

Speculation is that by the end of the week, there will either be a new Senate President or a new Majority Leader and Whip.


Predictions for the week; take with a grain of salt - these are more the product of reading tea leaves and making some wild-ass guesses (WAGS) than the product of facts and talks with the players (for some reason, the members of the R leadership in both chambers don't have me on their speed dial lists.  Shocking, I know :) ):

1.  No motion to reconsider in the Senate.  The bills go to the House and are introduced and assigned to House Appropriations.

2.  The chair of that committee, Rep. John Kavanagh, may try to play games with the package, but at most, he'll strip out the Medicaid language in a committee amendment.  If that happens, the change will probably be rejected in the Committee of the Whole, or COW, session consideration of the bill (all committee amendments have to be approved by the COW; normally, that process is pro forma, but this week it could mean something).

3.  The entire package will be approved by the full House by, say, a 34 - 26 margin, on Thursday.

4.  After that, it will depend on what other work gets done during the week.  There are still a few things that have strong support for passage (i.e. - Governor Brewer's sales tax "reform" scheme proposal).  If those are completed, they may just do a marathon session on Thursday and adjourn sine die this week to get the hell out of Dodge...errr...Phoenix...before the Memorial Day holiday.  Otherwise, they'll be back next week, with an eye toward finishing up.  If they are unable to finish their work before the end of next week, they may just sine die anyway,  planning on a quick special session later to finish up the work.

Regardless of how it ultimately turns out (and how accurate my fearless predictions turn out to be :) ), keep your popcorn handy this week.  It's going to be more entertaining than any of formula-based sequel/prequels special effects fests playing at the local multiplex this week.

Medicaid Restoration: Credit where credit is due time

The Arizona Senate gave preliminary approval to Medicaid/AHCCCS restoration today by approving an amendment to SB1492 that contained the restoration language.

It's not over yet, as it still must go through Third Read (final approval) in the Senate and then go over to the House for consideration, so bad things could still happen, but for today, thanks go out to...

...All 13 Senate Democrats, who are standing together in their duty of standing up for *all* Arizonans -

- Sen. Ed Ableser
- Sen. David Bradley
- Sen. Olivia Cajero Bedford
- Sen. Steve Farley
- Sen. Steve Gallardo
- Sen. Katie Hobbs
- Sen. Jack Jackson Jr.
- Sen. Leah Landrum Taylor
- Sen. Linda Lopez
- Sen. Barbara McGuire
- Sen. Robert Meza
- Sen. Lynne Pancrazi
- Sen. Anna Tovar

...and the five Republican state senators who joined them in standing up for the average Arizonan -

- Sen. Adam Driggs
- Sen. Rich Crandall
- Sen. Bob Worsley
- Sen. John McComish
- Sen. Steve Pierce

Things may change in the future (and I expect them to do so; they are Arizona Republicans, after all :) ), but for now, Sens. Driggs, Crandall, Worsley, McComish, and Pierce can be numbered among the "good guys".

A sixth Republican, Sen. Michele Reagan, also voted for the primary amendment, but she hedged her bets by also voting for nearly every one of the amendments to that amendment offered by Senate President Andy Biggs that were intended to weaken, to the point of ineffectualness, Medicaid restoration.

If, come tonight (the Senate is in session as I write this), she votes for Medicaid restoration, she'll earn my regard as "one of the good guys", on this issue, at least.

If, come tonight (did I mention that the Senate is in session as I write this?), she votes against it, in a shameless attempt to have it both ways for her (expected) statewide campaign next year (she can tell some crowds that she voted for Medicaid restoration, and other crowds that she voted against it), she'll earn my promise that next year, there won't be a day where her shamelessness is allowed to go unmentioned here.

No one, of any political persuasion, likes a flip-flopper, but many people can at least understand someone who changes their positions based on new facts.

However, there's no tolerance for someone who, with obvious calculation and utter brazenness, tries to appear to be on both sides of an issue.


Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic offers her take here.

It may be time for the Capitol Police to start searching legislators for crack pipes...

...'cuz some of them seem to be killing off their brain cells at an alarming rate...

On Tuesday, the House gave its approval, by an almost-completely party-line vote, to SCR1016.

That SCR places a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution on the ballot in 2014.  If passed by the voters, it would add a clause to that document stating that Arizona could "nullify", or ignore, any federal action, law or rule.  AZBlueMeanie at Blog for Arizona has a great rundown of that here.

This post is merely about a little over 40 seconds of the House debate on the measure, specifically Rep. Steve Smith's "explanation" of his vote.  He used his "explanation" of his vote to respond to the previous speaker, Democratic Rep. Albert Hale, the only Democrat to vote in favor of the measure.  Hale felt that such a measure would prevent the federal government from taking land and sovereignty from Native peoples and nations.

Note: There's no actual debate during final votes on measures at the lege, just legislators "explaining" their votes.  Some of the explanations get a little long-winded and even bombastic.  Smith was neither long-winded nor bombastic, but after watching his quiet certitude on the historical rightness of unbridled imperialism, I considered adding a third descriptor to the previous sentence - "drug-addled".  However, lacking the results of an independently administered and analyzed drug test, I chose not to go there.



The text of his "explanation" (emphasis added) -

Mr. Speaker, I think just since we're talking a little bit about history, I think it would be fair to point out that history of virtually every nation on the earth has come about from one people taking from another.  Going back to biblical times.  If we stand on this argument, then God's people never should have occupied God's land. 'Cause they took it from people, too.  I guess I wanted to say that some people look at the United States as a taking nation.  I look at it as the most benevolent and the most giving nation, certainly in our time and frankly, ever.  I vote yes.

The scariest part isn't that he said what he said.  It was in how he said it, with the same matter-of-fact tone that former legislator Sylvia Allen proclaimed that strip mining uranium was OK because the Earth was 6000 years old and doing just fine.

Here's Biggs' deal: Medicaid restoration in exchange for reducing voting rights

Correction added on 5/15 - during my initial perusal of SB1492, it appeared as if some Medicaid expansion provisions were included in it already.  While there are some changes to AHCCCS provisions contained in it, they are minor and *not* part of a Medicaid restoration package.

Well, the Senate has introduced its budget package, placing the Medicaid restoration plan in the budget itself but adding a kicker, SB1493.

It has the rather innocuous subject of "elections; omnibus".

It really should be called "extortion; all-in-one; every bad election-related scheme offered by the Republicans this year".

There's summarily removing voters from the permanent early voting list (PEVL), effectively barring most schools from serving as polling places, making successful recall elections all but impossible, barring organizations and campaigns from collecting and returning early ballots, elevating administrative barriers to initiative petition drives, and more.

Any one scheme would render a bill "unpassable" (and has, many times during this session); placing them all in one bill means that the Senate leadership (read: Andy Biggs) expects factors other than the merits of the proposals to influence legislators' votes on the bill.

The other bills in the package are:

SB1483, general appropriations
SB1484, capital outlay
SB1485, budget procedures
SB1486, revenue; budget reconciliation
SB1487, K-12 education, budget reconciliation
SB1488, higher education, budget reconciliation
SB1489, government, budget reconciliation
SB1490, criminal justice; budget reconciliation
SB1491, environment; budget reconciliation
SB1492, health, welfare; budget reconciliation (yes, probably the one that eventually will have the Medicaid restoration provisions.)


Senate Appropriations is scheduled to hold a hearing on the bills tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11 a.m. in SHR109.  If you plan to attend, plan to arrive early because seats will be at a premium.  Bring a strong bladder, too - it's going to be a long meeting.

More later...

Budget/Medicaid restoration deal coming today?

David Safier and Tom Prezelski at Blog for Arizona (and in Tom's case, Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion) and Steve Muratore at Arizona Eagletarian broke the news that a possible deal on Senate passage of a budget and Medicaid restoration could be presented today.

The Arizona Capitol Times finally has the story, but a subscription is required there.

Nothing is clear yet (most of the players aren't talking), but there are concerns that some members of the Democratic caucus are cutting their own deals with Senate President Andy Biggs (R-Publisher's Clearinghouse) to gain passage of a weak expansion of Medicaid in exchange for their support for a Republican "let them eat cake" sort of budget.

Based on what I've seen of the Senate Ds, however, they don't want any sort of "aiding and abetting" of the tea-publicans' attack on society to be part of their legislative legacy.

Especially those who will be involved in a primary next year, whether for a return to the Senate or for another office.

Especially2 when there are doubts about whether any deals that individual Senate Democrats work out will survive in the House.

While there may be some individual senators who feel the tug of temptation, when the smoke from this clears, the caucus will be standing united in their support of the Democratic values of families, education, healthcare.

Some will just have gritted teeth.


Anyway, as of this writing, nothing has been posted on the lege's website, though according to a call to the Senate, a Senate Rules Committee meeting has been scheduled for 1 p.m.  No agenda has been posted, but according to other reports, the purpose of the meeting is to authorize the late introduction of budget and Medicaid-related bills.

Short attention span musing

...Congressman Darrell Issa and the Republicans have been conducting a major witch hunt into the attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya on September 11, 2012.

If I thought that they were legitimately interested in preventing the unnecessary loss of American lives or addressing the safety of American diplomatic personnel, I could actually support the "inquiry".

However, given the huge number of attacks on US embassies during the Bush Administration that took place with little more than a peep from the Rs, the thousands of Americans (and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis) who have died in Halliburton's Wars for Enhanced Profits with nothing more than drumbeats for higher body counts from the Rs, and the 14 dead and 200 or so injured when a Texas fertilizer plant exploded after decades of neglect of safety measures without any interest in finding the root cause of the disaster and prevent future disasters expressed by the Rs, well, it's obvious that saving lives or preserving safety isn't the primary goal of Issa and the rest.

Smearing the current administration and presumed 2016 Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is.

Wonder if the witch hunt would be so...so...so...*enthusiastic*...if instead of the American taxpayer footing the bill, the actual beneficiary, the Republican National Committee had to pay for it?


...On this week's edition of Sunday Square Off on Phoenix channel 12, political consultant Chip Scutari predicted that current AZSOS Ken Bennett, who is "exploring" a run for governor next year, will instead challenge fellow Republican Paul Gosar for the CD4 seat and current AZ House speaker Andy Tobin (R-Paulden) will challenge Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick in CD1.

Couldn't find any open committees yet, but each prediction, if accurate, makes a bit of sense.

Bennett faces a Republican primary regardless of the office he goes after.  The race for governor is a statewide race and his power base is in Yavapai County; 75% of the state's population is in Maricopa and Pima counties.  The CD4 race is a "district" race where not being from Maricopa or Pima county might actually help him win against Gosar, who is still viewed as a bit of a carpetbagger in the district.

Tobin is termed-out of the House and has to run for something else.  There were a few whispers that he was looking at a run for governor, like Bennett above.  However, like Bennett above, while he has a strong base of support in Yavapai County, that may not be a strong or broad enough foundation for a statewide run.  On the other hand, that base could set him up well for a run at a northern AZ Congressional district.

...The biggest story of the last week was news breaking out of an IRS office in Cincinnati that certain groups may have been targeted for extra scrutiny if the name of the group included words like "tea party" or "patriot".  Unsurprisingly, Republicans are outraged at the idea that conservative groups are subject to scrutiny because they are politically conservative. 

However, lost in their histrionics is the outrage of liberals, from the President down to the humblest of bloggers.  We all have seen liberal groups targeted for "special" treatment, from J. Edgar Hoover "investigating" everybody who was to the political left of Adolph Hitler to the recent partisan jihad against ACORN.  We know how abhorrently un-American and how damaging such ideologically-motivated witch hunts are.

If it turns out that there was some deliberate malfeasance, a deliberate violation of the American ideal of freedom of expression here, the IRS employees involved and everyone in their chain of command who knew of their misdeeds should lose their jobs.  At a minimum.

...Another story, perhaps one that may more genuinely represent a serious violation of an American ideal, this one of the freedom and independence of the press, broke Monday.

From the Associated Press, written by Mark Sherman - 

The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for the Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.

The records obtained by the Justice Department listed incoming and outgoing calls, and the duration of each call, for the work and personal phone numbers of individual reporters, general AP office numbers in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., and the main number for AP reporters in the House of Representatives press gallery, according to attorneys for the AP.

In all, the government seized those records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown but more than 100 journalists work in the offices whose phone records were targeted on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.

 

The AP letter protesting the Department of Justice's unprecedently broad intrusion is here.

Ummm...I don't know what to say about this that hasn't already been said, and far more eloquently than I'm able to, but let me advise any member of the DOJ who was a party to this to take a refresher course on the American Constitution and civil rights.

MIT offers one here.

Harvard Law School offers a number of related lectures here.

There are others out there if you think that MIT and Harvard aren't good enough.

 

 

Ummm2...OK, so it isn't going to be eloquent, but let me say this: the people at DOJ who were a part of this should join the IRS employees above in the unemployment line.  At a minimum.

Arizona Legislature: The coming week

As with the previous few weeks, there just isn't much on the schedule -

- Tuesday's House COW (Committee of the Whole) calendar is here.  Two bills on the agenda, and one of them is a neo-secessionist special: SCR1016, a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution declaring that Arizona can ignore any federal action that it doesn't like.

- On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Energy, and Military Committee is meeting to consider executive branch nominations.  9:30 a.m., SHR1.

- On the lege's Capitol Events calendar, there is only one scheduled event - a pro-Medicaid restoration rally and press conference, planned for 11 a.m. Wednesday.

That's it.  Even the governor isn't putting in much effort these days, as she has announced that she won't be signing any bills until progress is made on expanding Medicaid coverage and completing the state's budget.

One senator, Steve Gallardo (D-Phoenix), has suggested that the lege hold impeachment hearings, looking into the actions of Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne.  It won't happen, but only because Horne is a Republican, not because they have anything better to do.

Still, this is the week that we could start seeing things break on the Medicaid and budget fronts - as Arizona Republic writer Mary Jo Pitzl pointed out in her article linked in the paragraph referring to the governor above, this is the week that legislators start seeing reduced per diem payments (funds to help defray their daily living expenses).

Less money for being at the Capitol = Less interest for being at the Capitol.


Basically, it's "hurry up and wait time" redux; I'd say "quintdux", but I'm pretty sure that isn't a word. :)

Ken Bennett: The man who would be governor already on the Koch brothers' payroll

Turns out that AZ Secretary of State Ken Bennett, a likely candidate for governor in 2014, is already "supplementing" his income like someone who is ready for the 9th floor.

...For the record, to the best of my knowledge, everything Bennett is doing is allowed under Arizona law.

...For the record2, everything Bennett is doing is definitive evidence supporting the idea that the last people who should be allowed to write or enforce ethics laws covering public officials are the public officials themselves.  That's kind of like trusting the Mob with the writing and enforcement of racketeering laws.

From AZFamily.com (Phoenix channel 3), written by Dennis Welch (emphasis added) -

He's the state's top election official, but Secretary of State Ken Bennett is on the payroll of a political activist who spent millions of dollars last year trying to influence campaigns throughout the country.

Since taking office in 2009, Bennett has been paid tens of thousands of dollars by Richard Stephenson, a wealthy businessman and a key player for the political group, FreedomWorks.

Bennett, who had worked for his family owned oil business in the past, draws a monthly $2,000 salary for his work as a board member for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a for-profit company Stephenson started in the 1980s.

FreedomWorks is closely tied to the Koch brothers.  FreedomWorks is the result of a merger of two right wing groups, one of which was founded by the Kochs.

Bennett isn't the first candidate for governor paid off by the Kochs and/or their allies - witness Scott Walker (R-WI),  John Kasich (R-OH), Rick Snyder (R-MI) and Rick Scott (R-FL).

Bennett disclosed the directorship on his most recent financial disclosure forms (for years 2010, 2011, and 2012) without disclosing the amount of his compensation.  Which isn't required under the ethics laws that cover the behavior of elected officials in Arizona.

Additionally, on his 2012 form, he disclosed a gift from Stephenson that was greater than $500.  Which is as specific as he was required to be under the ethics laws that cover the behavior of elected officials in Arizona.

Which begs the question -

Why do we have ethics laws for public officials when they are watered down to the point of ineffectiveness by public officials?


Anyway, this may go a long way toward helping Bennett secure the Republican nomination for governor next year - he's now shown that he can be bought, and that his benefactors have even deeper pockets than Chuck Coughlin, the current governor's "benefactor".

Update on 5/8:  Regular reader Thane added a comment suggesting that I add the word "ally" to the title of this post.  I won't do that, but I will acknowledge the possibility of what I think Thane is trying to point out.  

Stephenson, who is clearly a Koch ally, may be trying to form his own herd of pet governors to supplement the herd of Koch bought-and-paid-for governors.

Either way, Bennett (and the others) are clearly on the payroll of people who place their personal interests before those of the interests of the people of the United States.

Which isn't a big deal, except that Bennett (and the others) all took oaths of office, picking up the burden of public trust.

Guest column: Cinco de Mayo

From friend and occasional guest contributor Jerry Gettinger.

Apologies go out to both Jerry and readers for the tardiness on publishing this.

This was sent to me well before May 5th.  However, it went to an email address that I don't check often, and I checked that address earlier today.  After having last checked it at the beginning of April. :(

Anyway, on to Jerry's observations, published here with thanks -

Cinco de Mayo

 

It was 1959; I was almost finished with my second year in college. The subject came up in the telephone call to my parents I was obligated to place on an almost weekly basis. “What are your plans for the summer,” I was asked? “Nothing, yet.” Finals were in two weeks and suddenly that subject took up my entire thought process. “You can always come home and work at your old job,” my mother suggested hopefully. O my G-d! I had yet to consider my plans for the summer. My old job was working in the only drugstore in town. Selling cigarettes and various other items. Those other items were in the “family planning section.” That was not my first choice or even my last. I had lived in a big eastern city for two years and did not relish the idea of spending a summer in a very small town. So, I began investigating. Two days later a flyer was in my mailbox telling me about courses at the University of Mexico. I was born and grew up on the Mexican border, so the idea of studying in Mexico was not foreign to me. (Yea, I know. A pun).

On the next conversation with my parents, I broached the subject of studying in a foreign country. I outlined my pitch in such a way as to describe it as an academic exercise giving me the opportunity of becoming fluent in a specialized Spanish. I would live with a Mexican family and study Economics, both Latin American and Mexican. Those studies would compliment my major at the Wharton School. I had the trip detailed, the subjects outlined, and the transportation arranged. Since the university was based in Mexico City and academic in nature, receiving approvals from Dad was a slam-dunk. The key word was “Education”.

I had two roommates from Ohio. Until they crossed the border at Texas, they had not been south of the Ohio River. It was to be an interesting learning experience for all. Each had identical schedules at the University, so Fridays were open to our exploring Los Unidos de Estados de Mexico and learning not only the varied economics of the region, but its culture.

We would devote weekends to further our knowledge. We were 20 and our thirst for knowledge was insatiable.

By mid-July, my roomies and I had visited seven cities and could order cervezas and tequila in at least six ways. My vocabulary quickly expanded to include bartering for various local tourist objects and suggesting to a senorita that a late dinner would be an adventure.

We, all three of us, were 20 years old and bulletproof. So when we spotted a cantina on the edge of Taxco, fear was not a commodity that night, nor was any thought given to using one’s IQ. It was Cinco de Mayo, Independence Day in Mexico, and we all celebrated. The cantina looked as if it were right out of a Hollywood set. Low lights, maybe 10 or 11 tables, half-occupied and even a piano player. We sat down. My roommate motioned to the bartender. He brought over a bottle of tequila and waited for the forty centavos each shot cost. I gave him 2 pesos ($.17) and motioned to keep the change.

Oh, did I mention that the bar was co-ed? One of the ladies was showering attention on a patron at table across the room. It looked like date night. We kept quiet and courteous. When the young (?) lady strolled over to our table, she decided not to use a chair. Instead, she sat on my roommate’s lap.

I was relatively fluent in Spanish by now. When the ladies’ previous boyfriend muttered in Spanish to his cohort, an observation, I understood. He was about to use his machete to chop more than sugar cane. I turned to my friends, brought them up to date as to the mood of the crowd and led my roomies toward the car: rapidly. Suddenly, there were at least 5, maybe 6 customers in the bar, all with very sharp machetes, and all having decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in a very unorthodox way. My body would never be found,for this was a real jungle. My life flashed before my eyes.

Suddenly, with the three of us half way to the car, a big, obviously strong Mexican came from out of nowhere and adroitly stepped between the others and us. They paused when Jose` Manuel raised his big machete and announced that it was over. By this time, we were almost to my car. The crowd differed in opinion from Senior Manuel and continued toward us. Jose swung his machete and cut one, superficially. He was strong, and when we were in the car and I started it (praying that it would start), Jose got in the front seat, closed the door and yelled “Vamanos!!” We understood and complied with his wishes, tires screeching. Jose`Manuel had closed the door so hard the window glass shattered and the inside came apart. A small price to pay in exchange for our lives, however.

But why would a stranger come to the aid of three gringos he had never met? During dinner later that night, he explained. When he was barely 12, he and his parents became separated (I never asked why) and he was taken in by an American couple. Educated, honest and, it turned out, a good person, he felt obligated to help and protect norteamericanos. Jose Manuel had suggested a different bar where we had excellent service, good Tacos and the opportunity to buy a very good Amigo a meal and a few tequilas to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It turned out he was visiting a friend a short distance from our cantina and stopped in at the previous cantina for a cerveza. Fortuitous. He said he could never allow anyone to be hurt. As we continued our foray, and he started to return home, we were grateful that Samaritans were Mexican, as well as Biblical. And that Cinco de Mayo was not a body count of gringos.

Arizona legislature: The coming week

Another week of steadily twiddling thumbs at the state capitol.

The hangup still seems to be AHCCCS/Medicaid restoration.

Many of the Rs in the legislature, led by Senate President Andy Biggs (R-Gilbert) have dug in their heels, blocking anything.  It's gotten so bad that the Arizona Republic published an editorial advising Biggs to get the hell out of the was of progress (OK, so they chose to be more tactful than me :) ).

Negotiations are ongoing - now it appears that Governor Jan Brewer is placing anti-family planning language into her proposal, which is OK.

If you believe that Arizona's teen pregnancy rate isn't high enough.


Anyway, the lege is on a three day schedule this week, starting Tuesday.

As of this writing, no floor calendars have been posted, and only one committee agenda - Senate Rules, Tuesday, upon adjournment of the floor session, Caucus Room 1 - is up on the lege's website.  The agenda for that is short, only two bills, but one of them, HCR2026, is a backdoor measure aimed at undermining Clean Elections.  I expect that we'll see more of these bad bills now that most of the "good" bills that have any support among the Rs have already passed.

Let's be clear - while this week is shaping up to be another quiet week, things could change at a moment's notice.

They eventually will change, but it's still anybody's guess as to when that will happen.

Upcoming AHCCCS/Medicaid restoration actions

First, learn about the governor's proposal at a training session on Thursday -

AHCCCS Training Session on The Governor’s Medicaid Coverage Plan

PURPOSE: The future of Medicaid is at a critical time. Support for the

Governor’s Plan is needed to ensure that over 60,000 people

do not lose coverage. Learn more about how YOU can help! 

DATE: Thursday, May 9, 2013; 6:00-7:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Disability Empowerment Center (DEC), 5025 E. Washington St., Suite 202, Phoenix, AZ 85034

RSVP to: Info@azahcccs.gov

REASONS TO ATTEND:

-Become an expert on the Governor’s Medicaid Plan

-Learn how to write a Letter to the Editor

-Identify your elected officials and how to contact them

-Lead Civic Academies in your communities 

Then take your newly-acquired knowledge to a rally at the State Capitol on Wednesday, May 15.

The Medicaid Restoration Coalition is holding a rally to let legislators know that there is a large amount of support for the governor's proposal on the House lawn at 11 a.m.  Arrive early for good parking.  The best spots in the parking lots of the Executive Tower and Wesley Bolin Plaza will go quickly.

Summary:

What: Rally for Restoration

When: 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 15

Where: House Lawn, Arizona State Capitol

East Mesa Justice of the Peace resigns after shoplifting charge; replacement process announced

From the Arizona Republic, written by Jim Walsh -

An East Mesa justice of the peace accused of shoplifting resigned Wednesday from the bench, citing medical problems. 

Judge Mark Chiles resigned effective May 31, according to a letter he sent to the Board of Supervisors. He was cited by Mesa police on a misdemeanor shoplifting charge on April 3 involving the theft of a $40 speaker from a Walmart near his court. 

“Although I believe that I have never acted with criminal intent, I wish to apologize for any embarrassment that my actions have caused my fellow judges, to the judicial system as a whole, and to my family,” Chiles wrote.

 The member of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in whose district the East Mesa Justice Precinct falls is Steve Chucri.  He announced the instructions for applying to fill the opening (yes, there's a typo, but it isn't mine and it doesn't affect the meaning of the statement.  As such, it stays :) ) -

Following the official resignation of Justice of the Peace Mark Chiles, effective May 31, 2013, Supervisor Steve Chucri announced the process and timeline for appointing Chiles’ replacement.

Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest and resume (including the individual’s home address, email address, and contact phone number) to the Clerk of the Board by 5:00 PM, Friday, May 24

. All documents filed with the Clerk’s Office will become public records. 

Per state law, all applicants must live in the East Mesa Justice Court District (§11-402) and be registered Republicans (§16-230(A)(2)). The individual appointed to fill the vacancy will serve out the remainder of the term which ends December 31, 2014.

Send letter of interest and resume to:
Fran McCarroll
Clerk of the Board
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors
301 West Jefferson, 10th Floor
Phoenix, AZ 85003
Phone: 602-506-3766
Fax: 602-506-6402
Email: ClerkBoard@mail.maricopa.gov

 The press release mentions the two legal requirements (live in the district and be a Republican, a member of the same party as Chiles), but there are some characteristics that are recommended (though not legally required) -

JPs should have rubber arms.  They sign their names.  A lot.

JPs should have thick skins.  At least half the people who appear in front of them go away unhappy, and some have been known to express that unhappiness.  Loudly.

JPs should have patience.  More than half of the people who appear in front of them know little or nothing about the legal system and need explanations.

JPs should be willing to answer their phone at all hours.  They get phone calls from police agencies for telephonic warrants day or night, seven days a week.

JPs are the highest-paid elected officials in Arizona (yes, more than even the governor.  Maricopa County JPs: `$105K; the governor: $95K).  They should have the good taste not to shop (or shoplift) at WalMart.

2014 Committees Update

Edited on 5/3 to correct a couple of errors, one that is a spelling error, which is far less bad than the other one, an error of fact.

The first was a failure to to capitalize the "P" in "LaPlaca".  I followed the spelling of her Facebook candidate page, but it turns out that place is the only place that I can find where "LaPlaca" is spelled with a small "p".

As for the error of fact, commissioner Gary Pierce is termed out in 2014 and his seat will be open, regardless of whether or not he runs for governor.  The seat up for election is the one currently held by Brenda Burns, who has already announced that she will not seek reelection.  Both were elected in 2010.  One of the members who were elected in 2012 may yet choose to run for another office, but I've heard no rumors to that effect as yet, so as of this moment, there are only two ACC seats up for election in 2014.

Will Greene at Blog for Arizona has this already, but it's significant enough news that it merits coverage here.

...Nancy LaPlaca, an energy expert and a former staffer at the Arizona Corporation Commission, announced that she is exploring a 2014 run at a seat on the ACC.  There will be 2 seats on the ballot next year.

She will make a great candidate and even better commissioner. She will need, and merit, everybody's support next year.


...State Rep. Tom Forese (R-Chandler) has filed paperwork for exploring a run at the ACC.

...State Rep. Frank Pratt (R-Casa Grande): Ditto.

These two: not so much.


Thanks go out to Steve Muratore, friend and fellow blogger at Arizona Eagletarian for spotting the errors.

Apologies go out to all readers, because while a minor typo may (and probably should) be forgivable, the error of fact is not.  While this, and many other blogs, exists as a place to vent, the purpose here is to vent by informing readers.  It does no good to "inform" with incorrect facts.  The error was inadvertent but no less damaging for that.  Thank you for your patience and continued readership.

Jeff Flake: goes from America's most heartless flip-flopper to America's least popular senator

...Probably not a coincidence there...

From The Atlantic Wire, written by Alexander Abad-Santos -

It wasn't easy dethroning Mitch McConnell as America's least favorite Senator, but Jeff Flake has done that in just three short months, a new poll out Monday reveals — and his fall from rising-star grace is not quite the head-scratcher you might think. In November, Flake won his Arizona Senate seat by almost 5 percentage points, but it was a lot closer than "the double-digit lead he held earlier in the year," ABC News reported at the time. Flake, a popular six-time Congressman who won previous elections with as much as 74 percent of the vote, strode into the seat of former Minority Whip Jon Kyl as a face of turnaround for the state and the Republican party. But, oh, how the mighty can fall in a time of guns, immigration, and constant polling.

The Numbers

Public Policy Polling, in their latest survey on the fallout of the recent vote on gun legislation, explains just how much people don't like Mr. Flake:

Just 32% of voters approve of him to 51% who disapprove and that -19 net approval rating makes him the most unpopular sitting Senator we've polled on, taking that label from Mitch McConnell.

 Flake responded by criticizing the polling company, Public Policy Polling (PPP), but instead he might want to examine his own actions - he's the one who looked a mother of one of the victims of the mass shooting in Aurora, CO and told her that he supported background checks for gun purchases, and then went out and voted to kill a Senate measure that would have required background checks as part of most gun transactions.

That's not PPP's problem, that's his.


If Flake was here, I'd ask him one question:

Were you wearing dancing shoes when you danced on the grave "attended the dedication of a Capitol meeting room to the memory" of Gabe Zimmerman, a Congressional staffer who was gunned down in the line of duty, or were you already wearing your flip-flops?