Sunday, April 06, 2014

2014 March Badness AZ Edition: Second Round

And then there were eight...


Even though the calendar has turned to April, the AZ edition of the March Badness tourney continues.

We've reached the part of the tourney were there are not going to be any real "upsets" as anyone who is left has the "Badness" credentials necessary to go all the way.  Some just need the right matchups.

The latest results:


-->
1AJ Lafaro



Lafaro
8Ally Miller




Lafaro
4Michele Ugenti



Biggs
5Andy Biggs



Bay at the Moon - Urban
3John Kavanagh



Kavanagh
6Russell Pearce




Huppenthal
2John Huppenthal



Huppenthal
7Gilbert School Board





1Al Melvin



Melvin
8Adam Kwasman




Melvin
4Cathi Herrod



Herrod
5Chester Crandell



Bay at the Moon - Rural
3Bob Thorpe



Brown
6Jim Brown




Shooter
2Don Shooter



Shooter
7Brenda Barton





1Andrew Thomas



Thomas
8Jim Lane




Thomas
4Carl Seel



Burges
5Judy Burges



Black Helicopter
3Kelly Townsend



Townsend
6Ethan Orr




DiCiccio
2Sal DiCiccio



DiCiccio
7Andy Tobin





1Steve Yarbrough



Yarbrough
8Jeff Dial




Murphy
4Debbie Lesko



Murphy
5Rick Murphy



Go Along To Get Along
3Kelli Ward



Yee
6Kimberly Yee




Horne
2Tom Horne



Horne
7Frank Antenori



Summaries:

Lafaro over Biggs - Biggs had innate meanness on his side, but that was no match for Lafaro's focused battiness.  The contest was close well into the 2nd half until Lafaro pulled away when he called Biggs "Judas Junior" for failing to block Medicaid restoration, with his dead body if necessary.

Huppenthal over Kavanagh - Kavanagh started off strong, raining bombs like the $900K gift to a private prison operator he put into this year's budget, but the seemingly teflon-skinned Huppenthal merely shrugged them off, cruising to a comfortable victory.

Melvin over Herrod - A close one, Herrod was close until Melvin defended his ties to a white supremacist.  For the first time in her many years as a "mover and shaker" in AZ politics, even Herrod was stunned into silence, giving Melvin an opening, on that he never relinquished.

Shooter over Brown - The heavy (and varied) experience advantage held by Shooter stood him in good stead as he simply overwhelmed the game upstart Brown.

Thomas over Burges - Both "danced with what brung 'em" to the big dance, and Thomas' "I may be disbarred, but I'm still a viable candidate for governor" beat Burges' cry of "Birther!".

DiCiccio over Townsend - DiCiccio just kept rolling along, using his smarm and sleaze to land body blows to Townsend's enthusiastic but rote nuttery.

Murphy over Yarbrough - Both are noted for proposing self-serving legislation, but Yarbrough's money bombs to himself (expanding school tuition tax credits) couldn't hold a candle to Murphy's attacks on CPS for that agency having the audacity to investigate sex abuse allegations lodged against him by foster children placed in his care.  Ultimately, no charges were filed, but Murphy has been lobbing warning shots CPS' way all session.

Horne over Yee - Horne may not have been disbarred (like Thomas, above), but his ethical "challenges" as Arizona's attorney general easily trumped the anti-medical marijuana and anti-choice epistles (aka - "legislation") proposed by Yee.  With his increasing age and shrinking likelihood of winning reelection, this may be Horne's last go-round, but if it is, he isn't going to fade away quietly.


Saturday, April 05, 2014

Short attention span musing: AZ political news and notes

...Just a few things...


...The AZ House and Senate have each passed slightly different versions of a state budget.  It's now in conference committee where Rs from the House and Rs from the Senate will hash out their differences.  There are Ds assigned to the committee, but don't expect them to be allowed to have much say.  At this point, it's just about determining how ugly the budget will be - will it be "Tobin Ugly" or will it be "Biggs Ugly".

My money is on "Biggs Ugly"; as bad as Tobin is, no member of the current lege does "ugly" as enthusiastically as Biggs (though a few do try).

...In a (somewhat) budget-related development, the House slowed down final consideration of Senate bills.  The original plan had been to keep working on the measures while the budget negotiations take place, but it was pointed out that if that happened while the Senate sat on the remaining House bills, the House would lose all leverage with the Senate.

After that "observation", the House "caucused" the remaining Senate bills that they have, but haven't moved them to final consideration since.

Now the Senate has 16 House bills on its COW calendar on Monday (COW1, COW2) and 29 House bills on its Rules Committee agenda for Monday (1 p.m., Caucus Room 1), setting them up for floor consideration.

According to sources, the member of the House who made that observation?  Ethan Orr.

The southern AZ Republican may lose his bid for reelection (in his D-leaning district, he likes to portray himself as a moderate, but his brand of "moderation" reeks more of "triangulation" than anything more significant), but in terms of intra-organization politics, the tactic is spot-on.

...Sources predict the lege will adjourn sine die within the next couple of weeks.  My sources are Democrats, so their information may not be the most current, but that prediction fits with the usual practice of early adjournments in even-numbered years so members can go out and campaign.

...In addition to the legislative membership changes (both pending and already occurred) due to term limits and runs for Congress, a ripple effect will be seen as members choose to seek the offices of people who are seeking Congressional seats.

Latest example:  Senate Democratic leader Anna Tovar has filed for an exploratory committee to run for the seat on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors vacated by Mary Rose Wilcox, who is running for the Congressional seat held by the retiring Ed Pastor.

Assuming that there are no further developments, that means that she will not be returning to the Senate.  As of this writing, no other D has filed to run for the LD19 Senate seat that she currently holds.  However, four Ds are running for the two House seats from that district, so don't be shocked if one of them switches over.

Also filing for a run at the MCBOS, so far anyway:

Marie Lopez Rogers, mayor of Avondale

Thursday, April 03, 2014

2014 March Badness AZ Edition: First Round

I know everyone is holding their breath awaiting the results of the first round matchups, so here they are (a day late, but they were worth waiting for.  Trust me. :) ) -


1AJ Lafaro


Lafaro
8Ally Miller



4Michele Ugenti


Biggs
5Andy Biggs


Bay at the Moon - Urban
3John Kavanagh


Kavanagh
6Russell Pearce



2John Huppenthal


Huppenthal
7Gilbert School Board



1Al Melvin


Melvin
8Adam Kwasman



4Cathi Herrod


Herrod
5Chester Crandell


Bay at the Moon - Rural
3Bob Thorpe


Brown
6Jim Brown



2Don Shooter


Shooter
7Brenda Barton



1Andrew Thomas


Thomas
8Jim Lane



4Carl Seel


Burges
5Judy Burges


Black Helicopter
3Kelly Townsend


Townsend
6Ethan Orr



2Sal DiCiccio


DiCiccio
7Andy Tobin



1Steve Yarbrough


Yarbrough
8Jeff Dial



4Debbie Lesko


Murphy
5Rick Murphy


Go Along To Get Along
3Kelli Ward


Yee
6Kimberly Yee



2Tom Horne


Horne
7Frank Antenori


Quick recaps:

Lafaro over Miller:  The long experience of Lafaro held sway here.  Miller stay with him for a while in the area of loony pronouncements, but like most rookies competing in their first Big Dance, she stopped for a moment to catch her breath.  Lafaro used that brief let up to put some distance between him and Miller and never let up.

Biggs over Ugenti in a bit of an upset.  Ugenti was holding sway until Biggs did his best Scrooge impersonation during the debate on the state's budget -

From State Sen. Steve Farley:











Kavanagh over Pearce: This was another close one until Kavanagh bought the win with $900K of taxpayer money given to private prisons.

Huppenthal over the Gilbert school board.  And it was never close.  The school board types were "just happy to be there", and it showed.

Melvin over Kwasman.  Kwasman hung close to Melvin as long as the game was about demonizing health care reform, but the well-rounded Melvin was simply too much for the loud, energetic, and ultimately one dimensional Kwasman.

Herrod over Crandell.  Another one that wasn't even close.

Brown over Thorpe.  The round's biggest upset.  Apparently Thorpe's 2013 acting out wasn't worth as many points as the 2014 antics from newcomer Brown.

Shooter over Barton.  Barton was game, but Shooter had too many arrows in the "crazy" quiver.

Thomas over Lane.  This was a matchup where the favorite (Thomas) showed why he was the higher seed.  Lane is "conventionally" off-kilter, while there is nothing "conventional" about Thomas.  This one was over by the end of the first half; the entire 2nd half was "garbage time", a Thomas speciality.

Burges over Seel.  The closest matchup of the round.  It was neck and neck the entire game and came down to whoever scored last would win.  That was Burges.

Orr over Townsend.  Bit of an upset here, but Orr was too two-faced for the up-and-coming Townsend.  His head fakes are the stuff of legend.  He may be destined to be "one and done" as a legislator, but he if he is, he's going to make the most of his "one".

DiCiccio over Tobin.  Tobin was in prime position to be "Cinderella", but Cinderella was no competition for the Creature From The Black (Hole of a Soul) Lagoon.

Yarbrough over Dial.  Much like lobbyists (may) have suggested to Dial that he run a couple of bad bills (well, bad for average people, but good for the lobbyists), Yarbrough (may) have suggested that Dial run a couple of wind sprints before the start of their matchup.  It showed.

Murphy over Lesko.  This one was tight with Lesko making a strong run with her wide-eyed and innocent look when she came to the defense of the secretive industry lobbying group, ALEC.  However, Murphy has been using his position as a state senator to attack the already underfunded and overworked Child Protective Services (CPS) for having the audacity to investigate allegations that he abused and molested foster children in his care.  No charges were filed, but that hasn't stopped Murphy from seeking retribution.

Though Lesko really did make a strong effort -
Pic courtesy Rawstory.com

Yee over Ward.  It was close, but Yee's specific anti-marijuana tactics and sermonizing edged out Ward's general anti-healthcare reform jihad.

Horne over Antenori.  Chronologically, Antenori is younger than Horne (I think), but politically, he's over-the-hill.  He was seeded into the tournament based on past *glory*, but at this point, all he can do is bark (of course, being who he is, he does bark a *lot*, and at anybody and anything).  Horne is still in position to try to defend the voter suppression measures that come out of the legislature.






Monday, March 31, 2014

2014 March Badness - AZ Edition

ProgressNow is a national, non-partisan, progressive, issues-oriented advocacy organization.  They are focused on utilizing new technology such as social networking.

One of the more brilliant ideas that they've come up with is "March Badness", a "seeding" of the "most outrageous, radical, out of touch right-wingers who over the past year have proven that, for one reason or another, they belong in this year’s Not-So-Sweet 16 as part of 2014 March Badness."

People can vote for their choice in each matchup by FB liking, tweeting, or otherwise sharing their choices on their social networks.

In fact, I think it is so brilliant that I am going to steal the idea, focus it on Arizona, and expand the field to 32.

I don't have the technological skill to make the matchups "vote-able", but I can make up for that with snark.

Lots of snark.

Like the NCAA Tournament, there are four regions, and also like the NCAA tourney, contenders can be seeded into regions that seem to require a little travel (i.e. - east coast teams playing in western arenas, or in this case, batsh!t crazy types getting placed into the "go along to get along" region, and vice versa).

There are four "regions" in this particular tourney -

Bay at the Moon - Rural
Bay at the Moon - Urban
Black Helicopter
Go Along to Get Along

Opening seedings and first-round matchups -

1 AJ Lafaro


8 Ally Miller


4 Michele Ugenti


5 Andy Biggs

Bay at the Moon - Urban
3 John Kavanagh


6 Russell Pearce


2 John Huppenthal


7 Gilbert School Board


1 Al Melvin


8 Adam Kwasman


4 Cathi Herrod


5 Chester Crandell

Bay at the Moon - Rural
3 Bob Thorpe


6 Jim Brown


2 Don Shooter


7 Brenda Barton


1 Andrew Thomas


8 Jim Lane


4 Carl Seel


5 Judy Burges

Black Helicopter
3 Kelly Townsend


6 Ethan Orr


2 Sal DiCiccio


7 Andy Tobin


1 Steve Yarbrough


8 Jeff Dial


4 Debbie Lesko


5 Rick Murphy

Go Along To Get Along
3 Kelli Ward


6 Kimberly Yee


2 Tom Horne


7 Frank Antenori


Preview:

Bay at the Moon - Urban region

AJ Lafaro is the current chair of the Maricopa County GOP.  While he is the lowest profile 1 seed, he has a long history of "colorful" behavior.  He's one of the leading lights of the Loon wing of the AZGOP.

Ally Miller is a current member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors and is a darling of the tea party types in southern Arizona.  She eked her way into this year's bracket with some late-season antics.  She's an up-and-comer in the Loon wing.  Not expected to do much this year, but has all of the earmarks of someone who is on the path to being a perennial contender.

Favorite: Lafaro


Michele Ugenti is currently a member of the AZ House of Representatives.  Another tea party type, her hallmark is consistency - she is constantly working to undermine the will of the voters and to push neo-confederate (aka - anti-federal government) measures.

Andy Biggs, the president of the AZ State Senate.  His arrogance towards "the little people" (aka - voters and anyone who disagrees with him) is the stuff of legends.

Favorite: Tossup


John Kavanagh is the chair of the Appropriations Committee in the AZ House.  While he has spent his most or all of his entire adult life drawing a publicly-funded paycheck (Port Authority of NY/NJ Police Department, Scottsdale Community College, AZ legislature), he has dedicated his career to bashing public employees.  Oh, and he bashes immigrants.  A lot.  To the point where I've referred to him as "Russell Pearce with a New York accent".  Which brings us to the other half of this first round matchup -

Russell Pearce, a former state legislator (House and Senate) and president of the Senate.  Before he became the first sitting AZ legislator ever recalled in disgrace, he was the leading light of the nativist caucus of the AZGOP.  Currently hosts a low end wingnut radio show.

Favorite: Kavanagh, by a slim margin over his friend and ally


John Huppenthal is the Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction.  He uses his office and title to persuade parents to put their children into private and charter schools.

The Gilbert school district governing board has seemingly come out of nowhere this year.  Previously, the Gilbert school system was a "crown jewel" of Arizona's public education system.  Now that tea party types have taken control of the governing board, the district is a bubbling cauldron of dysfunction and discontent, leading to a mass exodus of district employees.

Favorite: Huppenthal.  It seems that every couple of years, some low-level political entity in Arizona suffers the political equivalent of a complete psychotic break.  Before this, it was the town of Quartzsite; now it is the Gilbert school district.  Next time around, it will be someone else.  Huppenthal is like certain STDs - he never goes completely away.


Bay at the Moon - Rural region

Al Melvin, a state senator and candidate for governor.  Known for many things, including not being the brightest light in the night sky.  So well-rounded in his brand of lunacy that he has to be considered the favorite in this particular tourney.

Adam Kwasman, a state representative and candidate for Congress.  Opposed the 2013 restoration of AHCCCS eligibility with a passion that most people reserve for root canals.

Favorite: Melvin


Cathi Herrod is the president of the most influential lobby at the lege, the Center for Arizona Theocracy Policy.  During the last couple of legislative sessions, she has had her hate on for the LGBT community.  She was reputed to be personally responsible for killing an anti-bullying bill because of fears it would block the harassment of LGBT students in 2012, was the driving force behind a "show your papers before you pee" measure in 2013, pushed to override a City of Phoenix anti-discrimination ordinance, and was behind 2014's SB1062, legalizing discrimination that can be "justified" with a religion-based rationale.

Chester Crandell, a state senator from Heber.  He's relatively low-profile (compared to many other GOPer members of the lege) but his "causes" run the gamut from anti-teacher to anti-federal government.

Favorite: Herrod, and it's not even close (no matter the seedings).  If not for the rebuffs of some of her recent efforts, she would have been seeded much higher.  Still *very* influential at the Capitol, though.


Bob Thorpe, a rural state representative who once suggested that some anti-"Agenda 21" gun nuts express their "enthusiasm" for the 2nd Amendment upon the person of Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter.

Jim Brown (*not* the pro football great), a Republican businessman running for Congress in CD2.  He garnered national attention earlier this year when he posted on Facebook the reasons that he thought that slavery was actually a pretty good deal...for the slaves.

Favorite: Thorpe


Don Shooter, currently a state senator from Yuma, has a long history of embarrassing the state and his constituents (but obviously, not himself) with his antics.  Once appeared at a special session of the lege in a serape and a sombrero, carrying a half-empty bottle of tequila.  Then, in the aftermath of the mass murder of children and teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary, he barged into his grandson's school and accosted at teacher.  This year, he pronounced that he is going to keep accepting bribes "gifts" from lobbyists until legislative pay is increased.

Brenda Barton, currently a rural state representative.  Another one who checks all of the boxes on the wingnut checklist.  Her most recent claim to fame was a Facebook post comparing President Barack Obama to Adolph Hitler.

Favorite: Shooter.  In any bracket not containing Al Melvin, he'd be a credible 1 seed.


Black Helicopter region

Andrew Thomas, a disbarred former Maricopa County Attorney and current candidate for governor.  Has blamed everyone for his problems.  Everyone but himself.   Why does he rate a 1 seed?  He's been disbarred over his conduct in office and still thinks he's a viable candidate for governor.

Jim Lane, mayor of Scottsdale, used his first term in that office to turn the City of Scottsdale into a petri dish for the corporate lobbying group "conservative think tank" and to amass the kind of warchest that all but outright bought him a second term.  Recently flirted with running for Arizona State Treasurer, but would have had to resign his office under AZ's 'resign to run" law.

Favorite: Thomas.  Lane is bad, but Thomas is special.


Carl Seel and Judy Burges - one blurb here, because both have basically the same profile.  Both are state legislators (Seel - House, Burges - Senate).  Both are "birthers" of wide renown (Seel; Burges). And both only see higher office by playing tourist and taking the tour.

Favorite: Tossup

Kelly Townsend, currently a state representative and bigwig among AZ's tea party types.  No single outstanding insanity incident, but she is incredibly well-rounded - hates Obama, the federal government, public employees, public schools, minorities...

Ethan Orr, currently a state representative.  Has the distinction of being the only R elected from a D-leaning district.  As such, spends his days triangulating his ass off (as in voting for gun nut measures and against SB1062).  May end up on meds for bipolar disorder by the time all is said and done.

Favorite: Townsend.  Orr has the makings of a "one and done", but Townsend looks like she will be a contender for years (a safe R district helps here)


Sal DiCiccio is a current member of the Phoenix City Council who bring a mentality to the job that is almost "Jersey-like" (pushing a freeway extension where the primary beneficiary seems to be DiCiccio himself).  Like many of the contenders in this year's tourney, he despises actual public servants.  Observers were surprised when he didn't dance on the grave of a detective from the Phoenix PD who was recently killed in the line of duty.

Andy Tobin is the Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives and a candidate for Congress.  His claim to fame is his dubious effectiveness in that role - AHCCCS restoration was passed and enacted over his opposition, while this year's petty and punitive budget was, in significant part, his brainchild.  In other words, he has nothing positive to point to as part of his record.

Favorite: DiCiccio.  Tobin has some wingnut game, but after his matchup with DiCiccio, he will be asking if anyone got the plate number of that truck.


Go Along To Get Along region

Steve Yarbrough is a longtime legislator (current state senator) who apparently made a fortune off of school tuition tax credits that take money from public education and siphons it into the coffers of private and charter schools.  And he has businesses set up to take a cut off of the top.

Jeff Dial is a current state representative (candidate for state senate).  He has tried to garner to "moderate" street cred during this year's budget games, but he's as much a "moderate" as I am a Yankees fan.

Favorite: Yarbrough


Debbie Lesko is a state representative and is the Arizona chair for the shady yet notorious big business lobbying group ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council).

Rick Murphy is a state senator who has faced molestation allegations and was investigated by Child Protective Services and the police over those allegations.  The investigations were closed with no charges filed.

Favorite: Tossup, with slight edge to Lesko (hence the higher seeding).


Kelli Ward is a state senator and physician who has dedicated her political career to fighting healthcare for the poor.

Kimberly Yee is a state senator from a safe R district who seems to be angling for higher office.  Never a true moderate, she was still known as one of the more thoughtful members of the lege.  Now, she is leaning, and voting, ever more reflexively conservative.

Favorite:  Ward, though Yee could easily produce an upset here.  Regardless of who wins this particular matchup, both are set up to be perennial contenders.


Tom Horne is Arizona's Attorney General.  Elected to the office in 2010, the best thing that has happened to him since is something that *hasn't* happened - he hasn't been disbarred or indicted.  Yet, anyway.

Frank Antenori is a former state senator.  After he lost in 2012, he tried to remain politically relevant by leading an effort to refer the restoration of AHCCCS eligibility to the ballot.  The effort failed.


Favorite:  Horne.  No question.


Look for the results of the first round matchups on Wednesday...

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

KPHO expose: AZ Lege and ALEC - $ = access

Alternate title: "Chutzpah, thy name is Republican legislator"

Once in a while, some of the denizens of AZ's chapter of the MSM do some actual good work.

In this case, Morgan Loew of KPHO (Channel 5) took a camera to the Arizona recruiting dinner of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

ALEC is a notably shady organization that serves as a front for lobbyists looking to influence (mostly) Republican legislators.  In many states, Republican legislators have pushed or are pushing ALEC- (and industry-) written measures that benefit Big Business, such as bills expanding private prisons, reducing anti-pollution laws, and creating industry-friendly (and human-unfriendly) Stand Your Ground laws.

The video of the KPHO's story -

CBS 5 - KPHO

Some of the legislators who attended the closed-to-the-public meeting (Republicans, one and all):

Representatives -
Debbie Lesko
Eddie Farnsworth
John Kavanagh
Carl Seel
Brenda Barton
Bob Thorpe
David Livingston
J.D. Mesnard
Justin Olson
Michelle Ugenti
T.J. Shope
Adam Kwasman
Jeff Dial

Senators -
Senate President Andy Biggs
Nancy Barto
Chester Crandell
Don Shooter


Rep. Lesko is ALEC's chair in AZ, and she was quoted as saying that ALEC is "a great organization".

It would have been more believable if the late John Gotti had defended the Gambino crime family as a "benevolent neighborhood improvement association".

Sen. Shooter spotted the camera near the end of the event, and he demanded that it be shut off.

Guess he had a problem with being seen as dirty.

But not with being dirty.


Anyway, have to give credit where credit is due (even if it is of the backhanded variety).  They weren't really trying to hide their interest in the event.

From the lege's events calendar on its website -

 



For the record, if a Democrat had attended the meeting, I would have called him/her out on it - corruption is corruption.