Blog for Arizona

Vote YES on Prop 463 to Fix Pima County Roads

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Larry Bodine | Leave a comment

Importantly, the bond issue will not increase taxes.

Voters should approve Prop. 463 this November, which will give Pima County the authority to sell bonds to repair many of the county’s 2,200 miles of beat-up, worn-out roads.

That is according to Brian Bickel, president of Democrats of Greater Tucson, speaking at a recent meeting of the group. “One of the biggest problems we have is that once you get off the major arterial roads and into neighborhood streets, that’s where the biggest need is. These streets are 50-60 years old and there hasn’t been any significant maintenance,” he says.

Importantly, approving the bond issue will not increase taxes, because the county will only issue a new bond when an older existing bond is paid off. “People who live on crappy roads are going to vote for it,” Bickel says. “This bond will not come close to fixing every road in Pima County, but the focus will be on residential streets.”
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Posted in Ballot Referendas and Initiatives, Counties, Economics, Infrastructure, Initiatives, Larry Bodine, Tucson

It is time for Congress to act to protect the Special Counsel investigation

Posted on September 24, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie | Leave a comment

Axios reported Monday morning that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein “has verbally offered to resign to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, according to a source close to Rosenstein, but as of now, it’s unclear whether his resignation has been accepted.”

Well, that set off a cable news frenzy, so I hear. Headlines blared that Rosenstein had been summoned to the White House where he ws expected to resign or be fired. Rosenstein was filmed arriving and departing the White House.

It now appears that all the excitement was a bit premature: Rosenstein will meet with Donald Trump on Thursday to discuss his future at DOJ.

This all has to do with a New York Times report from Friday, citing sources who were not participants in the room at the time of the conversations reported. Rod Rosenstein Suggested Secretly Recording Trump and Discussed 25th Amendment:

The deputy attorney general, Rod J. Rosenstein, suggested last year that he secretly record President Trump in the White House to expose the chaos consuming the administration, and he discussed recruiting cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office for being unfit.

* * *

Mr. Rosenstein made the remarks about secretly recording Mr. Trump and about the 25th Amendment in meetings and conversations with other Justice Department and F.B.I. officials. Several people described the episodes in interviews over the past several months, insisting on anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The people were briefed either on the events themselves or on memos written by F.B.I. officials, including Andrew G. McCabe, then the acting bureau director, that documented Mr. Rosenstein’s actions and comments.

The Washington Post, which cites participants who were in the room for the conversations says the remark was sarcastic. NBC News also had a competing account, which includes Rosenstein “joking when he discussed wearing a wire.”

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Posted in AZBlueMeanie, Congress, Constitution, Corruption, Courts, Crime, Ethics, GOP War On..., Justice, Law Enforcement, Media, Party Politics, President, Scandals

Tagged 25th Amendment, Attorney General, conspiracy, Department of Justice, obstruction of justice, rule of law, Special Counsel

Why a Free Press is Essential to Democracy talk & panel discussion at the Loft Cinema

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Carolyn Classen | Leave a comment

“WHY A FREE PRESS IS ESSENTIAL TO DEMOCRACY

Hosted by Justice Alliance: Indivisible Southern Arizona

MONDAY, OCTOBER 1 AT 6:00PM | FREE ADMISSION
DOORS WILL OPEN AT 5:30, AND PROFESSOR BAMBAUER’S PRESENTATION WILL BEGIN PROMPTLY AT 6PM.

Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Tucson

UA Professor Jane Bambauer will open the event with a presentation highlighting the history and importance of the 1st Amendment. Following a brief panel discussion, audience questions and comments will be welcomed.

Join Emcee David Fitzsimmons and panelists Joe Ferguson, Jim Nintzel, Dylan Smith, Caitlin Schmidt, Mari Herreras, Republican National Committeeman Bruce Ash and Tucson City Council member Steve Kozachik for this timely and important community conversation.

Is the First Amendment Freedom of the Press under attack? Or is the media simply engaged in ‘fake news’ that’s finally being called out for the bias it represents? Come and take part in a panel discussion co-hosted by Indivisible Southern Arizona and Tucson Jews for Justice where the current controversy surrounding the press, bias and the interaction between the media and public officials will be explored.

This is a rental of The Loft Cinema, presented by Indivisible Southern Arizona and Tucson Jews for Justice.”

https://www.facebook.com/events/324210631647031/

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Posted in Carolyn Classen, Community, Tucson

Tagged 1st Amendment, Bruce Ash, Caitlin Schmidt, David Fitzsimmons, Dylan Smith, Indivisible Southern Arizona, Jane Bambauer, Joe Ferguson, k Jim Nintzel, Loft Cinema, Mari Herreras, Steve Kozachik, Tucson Jews for Justice

Now we know why the GOP refused an FBI investigation and wanted to rush the Kavanaugh nomination to a vote

Posted on September 24, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie | Leave a comment

The White House and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley refused to request an FBI background check in light of the sexual assault allegations of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. This is standard operating procedure for the committee but was refused in this instance, despite Dr. Blasey insisting on an FBI investigation before she presents her testimony.

Sen. Grassley has bullied and threatened Dr. Blasey over presenting her testimony, even threatening to proceed to a confirmation vote as early as Monday without her testimony unless Dr. Blasey agreed to Sen. Grassley’s unreasonable demands.

Legal minds have asked “why refuse an FBI background investigation?” and “what is the rush to confirmation?” since there is no actual deadline, other than the GOP’s political calendar for the midterm election.

Now we know the answer to those questions: the GOP is engaged in a cover-up.

On Sunday night, the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow and Jane Mayer published an article detailing a new allegation of sexual misconduct against Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, the Republican Supreme Court nominee. Deborah Ramirez, a Yale classmate from Kavanaugh’s undergraduate years, described a drunken freshman-year dormitory party during which she claims he exposed himself and thrust his penis into her face, causing her to touch it accidentally as she pushed him away. None of it, she said, occurred with her consent.

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Posted in Activism, AZBlueMeanie, Congress, Corruption, Courts, Crime, Ethics, GOP War On..., Justice, Law Enforcement, Lobbying, Media, Party Politics, President, Protest, Scandals, Senate

Tagged #MeToo, attempted rape, coverup, FBI, patriarchy, sexual assault, U.S. Supreme Court, Women's Rights

Gosar’s gotta go! His own family says so

Posted on September 23, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie | 3 comments

Back in February of this year, The Arizona Republic editorialized, Our View: Rep. Paul Gosar is a disgrace to Arizona. Somebody please unseat him. It is a damning editorial. The Republic also has a Top Worst Moments video of Rep. Gosar’s most embarrassing moments to accompany its editorial opinion.

Gosar is Arizona’s most embarrassing congressman.

Now six of Paul Gosar’s siblings — count ’em, six! — are appearing in a campaign ad begging voters to reject their insane racist brother and vote for Dr. David Brill, the Democratic candidate in CD 4. Paul Gosar’s siblings urge voters to support his opponent Dr. David Brill:

Six of U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar’s siblings have appeared in online ads asking Arizona voters to back David Brill, their brother’s Democratic opponent in November. See the ad “A family defends its honor.”

The stunning public endorsement underscores the family’s rancorous relationship with the conservative firebrand who has represented Arizona’s 4th Congressional District since 2011.

“It would be difficult to see my brother as anything but a racist,” sister Grace Gosar says in an ad for Brill.

“I think my brother has traded a lot of the values we had at our kitchen table,” sister Joan Gosar says in another.

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Posted in Arizona Congressional Races, AZBlueMeanie, Campaigns, Congress, Corruption, Elections, Ethics, Media, Party Politics, Scandals

Political Calendar: Week of September 23, 2018

Posted on September 23, 2018 by AZ BlueMeanie | Leave a comment

The Political Calendar is posted on Sundays. Please send us notice of your political events prior to the Sunday before your event (7 days would be most helpful). See the calendar icon in the right-hand column of the blog page for easy access to the calendar.

Send notices of your events to blogforarizona@gmail.com.

Note: For Event Notices and Fliers, click on the “Calendar” button in the menu options above.

Political Calendar for the Week of September 23, 2018:

Continuing: Oktoberfest on Mount Lemmon, 10300 Ski Run Road, Mt. Lemmon (Tucson). Free admission. $5 parking and highway fees. Enjoy a festival of German food and music in the forest at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley during the last two weekends in September and first two weekends in October: Sept. 22-23, Sept. 29-30, Oct. 6-7, and Oct. 13-14, 2018. No dogs admitted, please. For more information please call (520) 576-1321.

Rockin’ Democracy

Sunday, September 23, 1:00 p.m.: Rockin’ Democracy event, at The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix. Please join democracy supporters on Sunday, September 23rd to celebrate! The featured speaker will be Dr. Nancy MacLean, acclaimed author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America. Also speaking: David Garcia, Democratic candidate for governor and Terry Goddard from VPA (Outlaw Dirty Money). Live music by The Harvest (Grateful Dead tribute band). Seating capacity is limited to 1,200. Ticket required for admission. Get tickets at Eventbrite . For more information please contact info@azblue2020.org.

Sunday, September 23, 4:00 p.m.: Together we Win!, at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson. An evening of music, food, and fun aims to connect people with others who wish to create positive change through the ballot box. Master of Ceremonies David Fitzsimmons. Special guests David Garcia, Steve Farley, Kelly Friar. Music by Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo H.S., The Wayback Machine, and Santa Pachita.

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