Reading by Ana Castillo Friday, 6:30pm
May 3, 2012
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by David Safier TUSD and Mexican American Studies clash again. American Book Award winner, essayist, novelist and author Ana Castillo would have been allowed to visit TUSD classrooms if she had agreed not to have the press follow her on the visit. It's not surprising TUSD added the no-press stipulation. When novelist Matt de la … Read more
Jan Brewer, the Scott Walker of the West, ends the civil service merit selection system
May 3, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I have posted that Jan Brewer wants to be the Scott Walker of the West several times in discussing the plot by Jan Brewer Boss Tweed to do away with the civil service merit selection system and return to the halcyon days of the spoils system and political patronage. (Thomas Nast print, right).
The House is probably voting on HB 2571 as a write. On Wednesnesday, the Senate passed this regressive bill to hand Boss Tweed her number one legislative priority this session. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Senate OKs overhaul of state personnel system | Arizona Capitol Times:
The GOP-controlled Senate today approved Gov. Jan Brewer’s proposal to overhaul the rules that govern state workers.
The measure seeks to remove workers from the state’s merit system, giving supervisors more flexibility in firing them.
The measure split the Senate along party lines. The final tally was 21-9.
The measure now goes to the House for a final vote.
Brewer is expected to sign the measure once it reaches her desk.
* * *
Under the legislation, the conversion to an “at-will” status will apply to new hires, supervisors, attorneys and IT workers, those who are above a certain pay grade and any employee who voluntarily accepts a new assignment or chooses to be “uncovered.”
Other workers may choose to remain covered.
Under the latest plan, the conversion to an “at-will” status won’t extend to peace officers, lower-level correctional officers, and civilian employees at the Department of Public Safety.
The job of administering state workers would fall to a consolidated State Personnel System. The measure, HB 2571, seeks to consolidate eight systems that currently govern state workers.
Almost every agency head will also serve at the governor’s pleasure, eliminating their terms of office.
The director of the Department of Public Safety, however, will serve concurrently with the governor and may only be dismissed “with cause.”
READ FINAL PERSONNEL DOCUMENT(.pdf).
UPDATE: Boss Tweed got her way on ending the civil service merit selection system. But my labor sources tell me that the four anti-union bills sponsored by th Goldwater Institute/ALEC failed to pass in the final hours before sine die.
Democrats vigorously opposed the proposal, arguing it gives the governor “tremendous power” and it will breed political cronyism in state government.
Press release from the Senate Democratic Caucus:
The video: Kelly says Social Security and Medicare are Ponzi schemes, need to be privatized and phased out
May 3, 2012
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by David Safier On July 30, 2010, during a KUAT debate, Kelly declared his views on Medicare and Social Security in no uncertain terms. He can say he's changed his views, but he can't say he never wanted to privatize and phase out Social Security and Medicare. Here's the minute-long clip of Kelly in all … Read more
The Confederate State of Arizona to vote on secession from the U.S. in November
May 3, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Is there a Confederate battle jack flag flying over the Arizona capitol building today? Because on Tuesday, Neoconfederate Sen. "Cap'n Al" Melvin (R-Tucson) convinced the "Birthers-Birchers-Secessionists" Tea-Publican insurrectionists to put secession from the United States on the November ballot. See Cap'n Al Melvin's 'zombie bill' for secession passed by the Senate, goes back … Read more
Crandall to Murphy: Senator, you don’t know jack!
May 3, 2012
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by David Safier An amusing side note here. Yesterday I called Sen. Rich Crandall a liar for implying that schools with rich kids have better reading scores than schools with poor kids because the rich kids' teachers and administrators are better. It was either that or call him an ignoramous. Since I'm certain Crandall knew … Read more
Bully Russell Pearce: Don’t be mean to me!
May 3, 2012
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by David Safier
The most prominent tendencies of bullies are their sociopathic insensitivity to others' feelings — the cruelest forms of verbal and physical bullying are just good fun to them — and their hypersensitivity to verbal or physical attacks that come their way, even when they're comparatively mild. As a teacher, I've had students who had to be restrained from hurling abuse at others, then complain bitterly when someone criticizes them. The preschool kid who pushes everyone out of the way and laughs when others get hurt will run to the teacher, crying, "Teacher, Judy stepped on my toe!"
The press has been asking Russell Pearce about his connections to J.T. Ready, who was responsible for a nightmarish murder-suicide yesterday. The connections between the two are longstanding, though they cut off communications a few years ago. In 2011 KSAZ Fox News Phoenix aired a fact-filled, damning 11 minute news report detailing Pearce's bullying behavior as Senate President and his close, past ties to J.T. Ready. You can watch the video below the fold. It makes perfect sense that the press, looking to add to yesterday's story, would go to Pearce for quotes and information.
Pearce published a statement in the Republic in response, with the kind of half-denials you would expect. Near the end, this bully has his "Teacher, Judy stepped on my toe!" moment.
Finally, while I am frequently critical of the job the mainstream media does in pursuing a political agenda instead of the truth, today's behavior is the most reprehensible that I have ever witnessed.
Pearce's bullying, slash-and-burn tactics are, to him, righteous acts, examples of his love of country and the rule of law. But the press doing what the press does in situations like this — and doing it to Pearce! — is reprehensible behavior: "the most reprehensible that I have ever witnessed."
You can watch the Fox News video below the fold.
AIRC Update: Tea-Publican deadbeats seek to litigate with your taxpayer dollars
May 3, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Tea-Publicans in the Arizona legislature on Wednesday voted to spend your taxpayer dollars to subsidize their purely partisan litigation to reverse the voter-enacted citizens initiative creating the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, a double middle-finger to the voters of Arizona. GOP legislators vote to spend tax dollars on redistricting lawsuit – East Valley Tribune:
Republican lawmakers voted Wednesday to spend tax dollars to go to court to challenge the maps drawn by the Independent Redistricting Commission.
The vote, on what is likely to be the next-to-the-last day of the legislative session, comes even though two other lawsuits already have been filed — and are being financed — by outside interests. But proponents said the Legislature itself needs to file its own lawsuit, or, at the very least, formally intervene in the others.
Democrats, who voted against the measure, chided the GOP majority for wasting money, especially coming just a day after they insisted there was not enough money in the budget for things like restoring a health care program for the children of the working poor.
Wet behind the ears recent law school graduate Rep. Ted Vogt, R-Tucson, said there is an even clearer legal issue.
He pointed out that the U.S. Constitution says that the times, places and manners of electing members of Congress “shall be prescribed in each state by the Legislature thereof.”
“What could be more intrinsic to the manner of holding elections than actually drawing up the maps in which those representatives will run?” Vogt said.
“The initiative took this power from the Legislature,” he continued. “I don’t think you can do that. This needs to be litigated.”
Perhaps his law degree should be revoked. Let's hear from someone who actually knows what he is talking about, Paul Bender, a constitutional law professor at Arizona State University. GOP lawmakers seek to overturn redistricting commission’s authority to create maps | Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required):
Remembering May Day with movies: Black, brown, white– unite! (video)
May 3, 2012
by Pamela Powers Hannley May Day– more than any other day– is a holiday for the 99%. For decades, on May 1, workers around the world have honored the memory of Haymarket Square and striking Chicago workers who were fighting for an 8-hour work day. From Wikipedia… The Haymarket affair (also known as the Haymarket massacre or … Read more
