Senate panel votes to give the Governor a state militia for the border
January 27, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Birthers-Birchers-Secessionists of our Tea-Publican legislature are at it again. A Senate panel has approved a proposal to create an armed militia that could be deployed to the Mexican border under the direction of the Governor. The bill, SB 1083, is backed by "states’ rights" advocates and anti-immigration zealots. What could possibly go wrong? (Jan Brewer and her teabaggers are recklessly irresponsible enough to create an international incident or start a war).
The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Senate panel OKs bill to create state militia for border security, disasters:
[The bill] would set aside $500,000 in one-time funding and $1.4 million annually for the new state militia.
As envisioned, the Arizona State Guard would have its own command structure apart from the Arizona National Guard.
It would be under the direct control of the governor, who could deploy it to respond to disasters and interdict those who engage in “cross-border criminal activity.”
The militia would also have arrest, detention and property seizure powers.
Ah, so what they are really saying is that Jan Brewer will have her own private armed militia that she can use to abuse the rights of citizens and non-citizens alike with the power of arrest, detention and property seizure.
Maj. Gen. Hugo Salazar, the head of the Arizona National Guard, candidly expressed his reservations during a hearing by the Senate Border Security, Federalism and States’ Sovereignty Committee.
Salazar said he believes he would ultimately be responsible for the new force because current state law gives him responsibility over military organizations in the state. He also said he has concerns about allowing militia volunteers carry weapons, noting that National Guard members go through extensive training before they are armed.
“I’m not saying that weapons cannot be carried, but there’s a lot of things that have to occur before I would be comfortable putting a weapon in a volunteer’s hand,” he said.
Salazar’s remarks prompted Sen. Sylvia Allen, the bill’s sponsor and the committee’s chairwoman, to ask: “How do we fight a war without weapons?”
Salazar said his soldiers that are deployed to the border there are “not fighting the war.”
Rather, he said their mission is to support federal law enforcement. Salazar also said the border issue is a law enforcement and policy problem — not a military one.
“The problem or concern I have is that you cannot solve what I believe is a law enforcement and policy problem with a military solution,” he said.
Maj. Gen. Hugo Salazar is a wise man.
American Library Association condemns closure of MAS program, removal of texts
January 27, 2012
by David Safier
The banning of the use of texts by former Mexican-American Studies teachers infuriates the English teacher in me. I understand, there are some good reasons why some books should not be in schools, but the ideas contained in them is not one of those good reasons.
But if you want to see a group of people rise up against unreasonable banning of books, look no further than librarians. They may seem like a demure group of folks, always speaking in whispers and shushing people in their libraries. But they are fierce defenders of access to books of all kinds.
The American Library Association released a resolution Tuesday condemning both the decision to get rid of the MAS program and the decision to prohibit the use of texts by former MAS teachers. You can read the whole resolution with all the WHEREASes after the jump, but here's the actual resolution:
RESOLVED, That the American Library Association:
1) Condemns the suppression of open inquiry and free expression caused by closure of ethnic and cultural studies programs on the basis of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
2) Condemns the restriction of access to educational materials associated with ethnic and cultural studies programs.
3) Urges the Arizona legislature to pass HB 2654, “An Act Repealing Sections 15-111 and 15-112, Arizona Revised Statutes; Relating to School Curriculum.”
Here's a list of the Library groups supporting the resolution:
[T]he ALA Committee on Diversity, ALA Committee on Legislation, American Association of School Librarians, American Indian Library Association, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Chinese American Library Association, Intellectual Freedom Round Table, REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, Social Responsibilities Round Table, and the Young Adult Library Services Association.
My advice: Kiss your local librarian — but be sure to ask first. These people are defenders of our freedom and strong advocates for literacy. (You might ask a librarian how they responded when, during the Bush administration, they were told they had to release lists of books patrons had borrowed if the government asked.)
A MAJOR HAT TIP: Jeff Biggers just keeps writing about the MAS story, on Huffington Post, on Salon, wherever he finds a national outlet. He puts the links on Facebook, then sends them to me and others. I got the link to the ALA resolution from his article Arizona Unbound: National Actions on Mexican American Studies Banishment. (And a literary hat tip if I'm correct in assuming Jeff took his title from Prometheus Unbound, with versions written centuries apart by Aeschylus and Shelley). He sent me links to another group of articles I haven't had time to read yet. I'll post about them when I do.
Read the entire ALA resolution after the jump.
Antenori to run for the Giffords seat – already terrorizing the villagers
January 27, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: State Sen. "Don't make me angry" Frank(enstein) Antenori announced this morning that he is running in both the special election and November general election for the Giffords seat in CD 8. Antenori to seek Giffords' seat. Whoever is elected to the Giffords seat should have the same temperament, character and judgment as Gabrielle Giffords
Rich Crandall moves from deplorable to absurd in his free/reduced meals optional argument
January 27, 2012
by David Safier I learned long ago, whenever anyone has lots of reasons why something is a good idea or a bad idea, usually none of the reasons given are the real reasons. There's something else going on. Rich Crandall is on my "Too many reasons, too many rationalizations" list. Crandall is sponsoring the bill
Quick Nuke waste dump/reprossing quote
January 27, 2012
by David Safier From today's NY Times, an article about problems disposing of our radioactive waste: Some nuclear power advocates argue that the United States should develop factories and reactors that will recycle some of the spent fuel. But the [Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future] said that no existing technology was adequate for
Arizona Daily Star: Governor Brewer embarrasses Arizona
January 27, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
The Arizona Daily Star unfortunately relies upon the AP and Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services for its news content on state government. Cheap bastards! You have the money, hire your own capitol reporter and expand the number of eyes and ears watching our state government and add another perspective to reporting. Howard Fischer should not enjoy a monopoly, I don't care that he used to work for the Star.
Leaving this aside, the Arizona Daily Star has an editorial opinion today that is spot-on. Finger-wagging Brewer cast state in a bad light:
Gov. Jan Brewer likes to cast herself in the tough-leader role – and sticking her finger in President Obama's face and jawing at him makes for a handy visual message to her political base. What the rest of the state, along with the nation, sees is boorish behavior from Arizona's top official.
* * *
On Wednesday, Brewer handed Obama a handwritten letter, which she described as discussing immigration and inviting him to visit Arizona again and join her for a border tour. By all accounts, he told the governor her book mischaracterized their last meeting. Heated words were exchanged. Reporters [i.e., Howard Fischer] nearby described the two leaders talking over each other, and then Obama walked away. [Not true according to Mayor Scott Smith of Mesa]
Brewer, as governor, represents all Arizonans and should act as an ambassador for our state. Obama was in Phoenix to visit a major economic accomplishment – a new Intel plant – and the tiff on the tarmac was graceless.
* * *
After initially contending that the letter was not a public document because it was a personal handwritten note, Brewer's office released the letter late Thursday afternoon.
It is what one would expect from a governor to a president of another party – mentioning "hard choices" and balanced budgets, while neglecting to mention, however, the high cost Arizona's citizens have paid in recent years through draconian cuts to school funding, health-care coverage for kids of the working poor and more.
Brewer's digital gesticulation got attention, and that's what any politico trying to raise her profile wants – and sales of her memoir have jumped.
But Brewer's jab comes at the expense of Arizona's national reputation and image.
Text of the snarky and delusional stage prop letter from Arizona's "savior" is below the fold.
David Fitzsimmons once again nails it!
The Barretts, Craig and Barbara: Power couple
January 27, 2012
by David Safier Muckety, a website whose mission, in its own words, is "Mapping the paths of power and influence," has posted a power map of Craig Barrett and his wife, Barbara. Craig currently heads Brewer's A-Wreck (AREC: Arizona Ready Education Council). He's a big player in the conservative Choice/Education Reform movement here in Arizona.
Can Howard Fischer fire himself from Capitol Media Services?
January 27, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Can Howard Fischer fire himself from Capitol Media Services? His PR work for Governor Jan Brewer and her fictional biography "Scorpions for Breakfast" is an utter embarrassment to someone who is often referred to as the Dean of the Arizona press corps. What a way to tarnish a career.
We have been over this territory before. The wrong way and right way to report the abuse of power by Governor Brewer and her Star Chamber:
Howard Fischer of Capitol Media Services provides news content to many of Arizona's news outlets, including our sad small-town newspaper the Arizona Daily Star.
Fischer has been publishing what would appear to be nothing more than publisher PR press releases for Jan Brewer's new book "Scorpions for Breakfast" for several months now, including this most recent release on Tuesday, the date of release of her book. Brewer book tells different story of Arizona governor's meeting with Obama.
Color me skeptical of Fischer's ability to be objective in his reporting. He frequently inserts his own editorial opinion into what is purported to be objective factual reporting. Because his reporting is used by so many news outlets in Arizona, Fischer enjoys an outsized influence over public opinion through his reporting not enjoyed by any other political reporter in Arizona, and that is a problem.
Fischer was back hawking Governor Brewer's book this week with her staged political theater greeting the President. Brewer, Obama exchange tense greeting at Mesa airport – East Valley Tribune:
Three months after she published her unflattering description of him, it appears President Obama is still miffed with Gov. Jan Brewer.
[Several paragraphs promoting Brewer's fictional biography]
During the short encounter at the airport, Brewer pointed at the president, with that moment captured in a photograph. But the governor said that, whatever the picture looks like, she was not acting in anger.
"I've always been kind of animated,'' she said.
"We could have been talking about a lot of different things,'' Brewer continued, saying she respects the office of the president. "And I would never be disrespectful in that manner.''
But Brewer said that, the president's complaints Wednesday afternoon about the book aside, she and Obama clearly were not communicating much at all.
"He wants to talk about amnesty and I want to talk about securing our border,'' she said. "We're just not ever going to agree on that.'' [This was never part of their conversation from multiple media accounts]
That, she said, was underscored by how the conversation at the airport ended.
"I was in the middle of a sentence and he walked away,'' Brewer said.
Only that's not accurate. How do I know? Because Republican Mayor of Mesa Scott Smith and Democratic Mayor of Phoenix Greg Stanton were standing next to the governor.
