Top 10 Posts of the Year
December 30, 2011
by David Safier Everyone else is doing top 10 lists. So this is either shameless egotism and self promotion or an attempt to spotlight some of the important issues I covered in 2011 in my attempts to add something extra to what you may have read elsewhere. Vouchers by any other name (Jan.31): This was
The “Starve Public Schools” initiative
December 30, 2011
by David Safier Its sponsors call HCR 2006 "Private School Tuition Programs." The Star uses the word "Vouchers" in its headline for the Howie Fischer article on the topic. Both are accurate but incomplete. The true impact of the bill makes the most accurate title, the "Starve Public Schools Initiative." Let's go to the heart
Early bill filings for the 2012 session of the legislature
December 29, 2011
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings It's early, but a number of bills have been pre-filed for the 2012 session of the Arizona legislature. A large number are "technical correction" bills, or bills that exist mostly to serve as shells for strike-everything amendments late in the legislative session. Some are head scratchers, meaning
Hold Clarence Thomas Accountable for Ethic Violations
December 29, 2011
Post by Michael Bryan For over two decades Clarence Thomas has been failing to disclose his wife's income from sources which could reasonably be viewed as presenting a conflict of interest on many cases on which he presided. People for the American Way are supporting the efforts of some members of Congress to hold him
Hey, media villagers! You can stop using ‘progressive’ as a pejorative now
December 29, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The media villagers love their political labels, even though the labels they use are outdated by a couple of decades or more. Political scientists they are not. They are lazy and frequently repeat what they hear from the conservative noise machine in the mainstream media echo chamber. "Libruls" and "progressives" are spoken
The comedy stylings of Joe Arpaio and Rick Perry
December 29, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Days before the Insight Bowl in Tempe on December 30, in which the Iowa Hawkeyes play the Oklahoma Sooners, Crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio was in Iowa introducing Governor Goodhair Rick Perry of Texas and insulting Iowa Hawkeyes fans by confusing them with Ohio State Buckeyes. Oh, there will be signs in the stands
Sen. Ron Gould to bring back ‘guns on campus’ bill
December 29, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Let's begin by noting that the rank-and-file members of the National Rifle Association who practice responsible gun ownership and safety do not share the often radical views of the NRA leadership. There is some serious cognitive dissonance between what responsible gun owners believe and what the NRA leadership believes. An opinion in
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is Republic’s Arizonan of theYear
December 29, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Republic has named Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords their Arizonan of the Year. Gabrielle Giffords is Republic's Arizonan of the Year: It began almost a year ago. Horror struck instantly. Courage endured through a painstaking recovery that was powered by love and astonishing doses of determination. What happened to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle
