Featured Stories
A Melancholy State of Affairs
July 17, 2012
By Karl Reiner The U.S. House of Representatives voted for the 33rd time to repeal the complex and little understood Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare. The House measure will go to the Senate and die. The conservatives demand repeal of the law; they are counting on winning the White House … Read more
A little manufactured outrage perhaps?
July 16, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Arizona Republic's AZ/DC blog today published second quarter fundraising numbers in the new CD 2, AZ/DC Blog – Quick look at fundraising reports:
Incumbent Rep. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., raised $333,000, with cash on hand of $195,000, blowing past his Democratic primary challenger state Rep. Matt Heinz. . . Heinz reported donations of $34,000, with cash on hand of $42,000.
Ouch! Heinz received most of his donations in the last two weeks of June after the Special Election, and after Ron Barber cast a couple of inexplicable votes for which he has been roundly criticized by Democrats.
Which may explain the press release today from his opponent, Matt Heinz, trying to manufacture outrage (for fundraising purposes) where I believe "outrage" is unwarranted in this instance, especially since this story is from last week — suspect timing given the above report:
Curtis Acosta speaking about MAS at DGT
July 16, 2012
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by David Safier
Curtis Acosta was the featured speaker at today's Democrats of Greater Tucson gathering. You can hear a recording of his 28 minute talk below the fold. A few thoughts:
Curtis wrote out his talk because the thought of speaking in front of a roomful of adults staring at him was a bit daunting (It may surprise those of you who hear that teachers, who talk to students day after day, often experience stage fright when talking to adults. It's true. Take me, for example [Deep breaths, Deep Breaths, you'll do just fine] . . .). The result was a beautifully written and spoken presentation geared to people who don't have in-depth knowledge about MAS or its recent struggles.
I have known hundreds of teachers, literally, during my 30+ years of teaching. By any standards, Acosta ranks among the top few of those hundreds. I kept thinking as I listened, "What a pleasure for students to have a teacher who combines intellect, humor and sensitivity the way Curtis does." To deprive him of his voice in the classroom, of his carefully crafted curriculum, of his unique ability to convey truths about Mexican American history and literature, borders on the criminal. To do it for the purpose of furthering the careers of haters and bullies like John Huppenthal and Tom Horne is the cruelest form of irony.
Acosta said, "It's one thing to say we are anti-bullying, but it is another thing entirely to stand up to the bullies with action, even if there is a significant price to pay." That's one of the many reasons this fight is worth fighting. Unfortunately, TUSD Superintendent John Pedicone and Board member Mark Stegeman fail to understand the larger significance of the struggle.
You can hear Acosta's talk below the fold.
Expanded Medicaid provisions a financial benefit to Arizona
July 16, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Arizona legislature froze enrollment in the state's Medicaid system (AHCCCS) for chidless adults last year to balance the state budget. In a lawsuit challenging the budget cuts under Prop. 200 (2000), the Arizona Supreme Court wussed out relying on the political question doctrine of separation of powers to hold that the legislature has discretion to make budget decisions despite the citizens initiative, which takes precedence over simple legisaltive acts. I would argue the decision also eviscerated Prop. 105 (1998), the Voter Protection Act (apparently not so much).
In any case, the expanded Medicaid provisions of the Affordable Care Act present an opportunity to restore cuts to AHCCCS at a financial benefit to the state of Arizona. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Analysts: Arizona would get cash infusion by lifting Medicaid enrollment freeze:
[The Affordable Care Act] which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld last month incentivizes states to open their Medicaid rolls to more people beginning in 2014. Though the court struck down the penalties to states that don’t do so, the federal government still plans to dramatically increase the amount of money it gives to states to cover those new health care costs.
In particular, that money will cover much of the cost for states to include childless adults – the same group of Arizonans who were directly affected by the AHCCCS enrollment freeze.
Currently, the federal government covers 66 percent of the costs for that population.
But the match increases to roughly 74 percent in 2014 and continues to grow in subsequent years, reaching 91.5 percent in 2020.
Legislative budget analysts say that restoring the coverage for childless adults means lowering the cost for existing participants by $217 million, and that, in turn, will offset the cost of letting in new enrollees.
The bottom line, the analysts determined, is that the state could improve its financial position by $51 million by 2015 if it lifts the enrollment freeze.
CD 9 Democratic congressional candidates on Sunday Square Off
July 16, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Andrei Cherny, Sen. David Schapira and former Sen. Kirsten Sinema in a conversation with 12 News Sunday Square Off host Brahm Resnik. Video below the fold.
Quick Question, Mitt
July 16, 2012
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Posted by Bob Lord We've heard from Mitt and all his helpers how he had nothing to do with Bain in the 1999-2002 timeframe. Here's one question of Mitt I'd love to have an absolutely, 100%, truth-serum induced honest answer to: If Bain invested in a start-up company in 2001 the was a roaring success and … Read more
Crazy Republicans in Texas State School Board elections (“Can you say, ‘The Pilgrims were Communists,’ boys and girls?”), and Republican pushback
July 16, 2012
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by David Safier Talking Points Memo has a good piece about the Texas State Board of Education races. Let's begin with excerpts from a video TPM links to, of statements by Republican candidate Gail Suprlock: [about 5:15] "There's been a lot of, frankly, socialist indoctrination going on in our schools for a long time. . … Read more
Willard ‘Mittens’ Romney fails the commander-in-chief test
July 16, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Last week, Willard "Mittens" Romney met with Darth Vader Dick Cheney in his secret lair deep inside Devil's Tower in Wyoming. (This is only a slight exaggeration). The media was prohibited from being in earshot of this meeting or from taking any photographs.
The best anyone could report was "Romney was spotted shaking Cheney’s hand and giving Lynne Cheney a kiss on the cheek. But campaign aides quickly escorted reporters who were watching the exchange out of view." Dick Cheney gives Mitt Romney his endorsement – The Washington Post. Darth Vader Dick Cheney had this to say:
Cheney introduced Romney and said he was confident the former Massachusetts governor would lead the nation through an unanticipated crisis such as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“I’m convinced that in addition to all of these other qualifications that you all know about, when I think about the kind of individual I want in the Oval Office in that moment of crisis, who has to make those key decisions, some of them life-and-death decisions, decisions as the commander in chief, who has the responsibility for sending our young men and women in harm’s way – that man’s Mitt Romney,” Cheney said.
Leaving aside the fact that Mittens Romney has been endorsed by a war criminal whose Neoconservative "brain trust" is serving as Romney's foreign policy advisors, Darth Vader Dick Cheney says that Mittens Romney passes the commander-in-chief test.
Let's be clear: everyone from a platoon leader, to the captain of a ship, to the CEO of a corporation, to the president of the United States is responsible for what happens on their watch. As President Harry Truman said, "the buck stops here."
But for the past 10 years, Mittens Romney has been running away from responsibility and passing the buck for what the public views negatively as the dark side of vulture capitalism during his watch at the helm of Bain Capital between 1999-2002 (even though he got fabulously wealthy from its success).
