Featured Stories
AIRC Update: Tranparency for the media, but not for political lobbyists?
August 22, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (AIRC) adopted an amendment to its contract with Strategic Telemetry, its mapping consultant, last week that requires the mapping consultant to log all contacts with the firm, including media contacts from mainstream media and bloggers (like Steve Muratore of the Arizona Eagletarian who is the unofficial blogger of the
Parents like their children’s school more than they used to
August 22, 2011
by David Safier It's a longstanding truism that parents say, "Schools are awful — except the school my child goes to, of course." But here's the weird thing. Parents seem to like their own child's school considerably more than they used to, despite the continual barrage of education bashing. This information comes from a recent
Today’s Gatewood goes to . . . Eric Cantor
August 22, 2011
by David Safier [NOTE: I created The Gatewood in honor of Henry Gatewood, the banker in John Ford's 1939 "Stagecoach" who ran off with $50,000 in payroll money and said, while clutching the satchel full of stolen money, "'America for Americans! The government must not interfere with business! Reduce taxes! Our national debt is something
Unemployed man-of-the-people Mitt Romney to expand home
August 22, 2011
by David Safier I always loved the stories of John McCain's too-many-to-count homes during the 2008 election. Mitt Romney looks like he's destined to follow in McCain's real estate footprints. Romney owns a modest 3000 square foot home in Southern California. Where in SoCal, you ask? In La Jolla — oceanfront property. He bought it
My thoughts on current trends in education (almost) exactly
August 22, 2011
by David Safier There's a new book out trashing teachers' unions and singing the praises of charters — Steve Brill's "Class Warfare." I haven't read it, but it sounds like it sings the same old "education reform" tune. Sara Mosle reviewed the book in the NY Times Book Review, taking apart its premises beautifully, using
Stegeman to be ousted as Board President?
August 22, 2011
by David Safier The TUSD board will consider removing Mark Stegeman as president. Even if he's ousted, he'll still be on the board, of course. I think the ouster would be a good move, even though the replacement may not be much of an improvement, and Stegeman is scheduled to end his tour as president
Lobbying at AIRC meetings
August 21, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I spent the weekend speaking to individuals who are preparing to file a complaint this week about unregistered lobbyists who have been at every AIRC public hearing pressuring commissioners and even badgering members of the public. Things may get interesting. For a taste of what this is about, Steve Muratore has a
Emily Litella testifies to the AIRC
August 21, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: One of my favorite Saturday Night Live characters was Gilda Radner's hard-of-hearing Emily Litella, who would read a rebuttal to a Weekend Update editorial that demonstrated she had not understood any of what she thought she had heard, and when her error was explained to her by the Weekend Update anchor (Chevy
