On January 15, 2013 Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson formally opened its doors to showcase a beautiful, tranquil Japanese Garden in the Southwest desert of Tucson, Arizona. Celebrate it’s 5th anniversary on Sat. January 13, 2018. “Yume” means dream in Japanese, which it was as the creation by Owner/E.D. Patricia Deridder, who lived in Japan for 15 years.
Odaiko Sonora, Tucson’s taiko drumming group (pictured below), will be performing at 1:30 and 3 p.m. UPDATE: Schedule below.
On Saturday, Thousands marched, calling on Ducey and Republican lawmakers to fully fund public schools:
Dawn Penich-Thacker, SOS Arizona spokeswoman, said the march was created for two reasons. The first, she said, was to celebrate public schools for doing what they can with the limited funding that state leaders have invested in education.
The second, she said, is to hold Ducey and lawmakers accountable, making them aware that their talking points on education funding fall short of resolving what has become a crisis in public education.
Earlier, Save Our Schools issued a plan to raise almost a billion dollars for public education without a sales tax increase. This good faith attempt to play on the Tea-Publican’s field also falls far short of the funding actually needed by our public schools. Our former blogger David Safier breaks down the educators’ plan at the The Range in the Tucson Weekly. How to Raise a Billion Dollars For Schools Without Raising Sales Taxes.
These lobbying efforts fell on deaf ears from our Koch-bot governor and lawless Tea-Publican legislature who are hellbent on privatizing public education through school vouchers, the long-term goal of the “Kochtopus” (and a violation of the Arizona Constitution). Further, these ideological extremists are true believers in the false religion of faith-based supply side “trickle down” economics, the First Commandment of which is “Thou shalt never raise taxes (for corporations and plutocrats).”
If you have not obtained a copy of Michael Wolff’s new book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” — it has sold out everywhere because of Trump’s attempts to ban publication of the book in violation of the First Amendment, which only makes people want to read it all the more — Wolff has provided an extracted column from his book at the Hollywood Reporter to hold you over. “You Can’t Make This S— Up”: My Year Inside Trump’s Insane White House.
This passage struck a particular nerve with Dear Leader:
There was, after the abrupt Scaramucci meltdown, hardly any effort inside the West Wing to disguise the sense of ludicrousness and anger felt by every member of the senior staff toward Trump’s family and Trump himself. It became almost a kind of competition to demystify Trump. For Rex Tillerson, he was a moron. For Gary Cohn, he was dumb as shit. For H.R. McMaster, he was a hopeless idiot. For Steve Bannon, he had lost his mind.
Wolff said in television interviews about his book, everyone around the president “questions [Trump’s] intelligence and fitness for office.” ‘Everyone’ in White House Says ‘He’s Like a Child’:
“Let me put a marker in the sand her,” Wolff said. “100 percent of the people around him” question his fitness.
“I will tell you the one description that everyone gave, everyone has common. They all say, he is like a child,” Wolff said. “And what they mean by that is he has a need for immediate gratification. It’s all about him…He just has to be satisfied in the moment.”
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Political Calendar for the Week of January 7, 2018:
Sunday, January 7, 4:00 p.m.: Marana Democrats host a meet & greet with Congresman Tom O’Halleran, at the Continental Ranch Community Center, 8881 N Coachline Blvd, Marana. An opportunity to hear from Congressman O’Halleran as well as Democratic candidates for LD 11, Ralph Atchue, and Holly Lyon. This event is free (and NOT a fundraiser) and open to the public.
Monday, January 8: Opening Day of the 53rd Arizona Legislature (Second Regular Session) — Governor Doug Ducey’s State of the State address. The legislature gets to work on Tuesday. “No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” – Mark Twain.
Together We Rise: Opening Day Rally of the Resistance
Monday, January 8, 9:00 a.m.: Together We Rise: Opening Day Rally of the Resistance, on the Arizona Capitol lawn, 1700 W. Washington Street, Phoenix. Rise with us as we tell our Arizona State Legislature that social justice and progressive advocates are united, organized, and loud. We will not sit idly by while our legislature attacks women’s reproductive rights, public education, science, the environment, human rights, equality, and so much more.”Hosted by Fortitude AZ. Contact Tory Roberg at tory@fortitudeaz.com or (623) 570-6396. For more information see https://www.facebook.com/events/537388449946360/.
January 8 Memorial Dedication – Tucson
Monday, January 8, 9:30 a.m.: January 8 Memorial dedication and bell ringing, at 160 W. Alameda Street (El Presidio Park), Tucson. Dedication of a permanent Memorial to the January 8, 2011 tragedy, an unforgettable day in the history of our community, our state, and our nation. The shooting that occurred at Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ Congress on your Corner event in Tucson that wounded 13 and killed six individuals who were participating in a fundamental act of democracy. The community came together in the days that followed to provide comfort and support to one another.
Monday, January 8, Noon: Democrats of Greater Tucson luncheon, Dragon’s View Restaurant (400 N. Bonita, South of St. Mary’s Road between the Freeway and Grande Avenue, turn South at Furr’s Cafeteria). New price: buffet lunch is $10.00 cash, $12 credit; just a drink is $3.50. No DGT – participating in the January 8 Memorial dedication and bell ringing. Next Week: Dylan Smith of the Tucson Sentinel on “Modern journalism in the age of Trump.”