The radical extremism of the GOP war on women
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
There was the threat to shut down the federal government over a Tea-Publican plan to defund Planned Parenthood. There was the Susan G. Komen Fund attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. There is a similar bill to defund Planned Parenthood in the Tea-Publican Arizona legislature.
There was the "Blunt Amendment" that by which Tea-Publicans sought to give employers preferential status to determine the health care coverage of individual employees, in particular contraception coverage for women. There is a similar bill in the Arizona Tea-Publican legislature that has passed the Senate.
Just how radically extreme is this GOP war on women? A Bloomberg poll out today holds the answer. Republicans Losing on Birth Control as 77% in Poll Spurn Debate – Bloomberg:
Americans overwhelmingly regard the debate over President Barack Obama’s policy on employer-provided contraceptive coverage as a matter of women’s health, not religious freedom, rejecting Republicans’ rationale for opposing the rule. More than three-quarters say the topic shouldn’t even be a part of the U.S. political debate.
More than six in 10 respondents to a Bloomberg National Poll — including almost 70 percent of women — say the issue involves health care and access to birth control, according to the survey taken March 8-11.
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The results suggest the Republican candidates’ focus on contraception is out of sync with the U.S. public. Seventy-seven percent of poll respondents say birth control shouldn’t be a topic of the political debate, while 20 percent say it should.
As for Rush Limbaugh’s misogynistic comments about Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke, "men are split over whether the radio host should be let go from his job — 49 percent say so, while 47 percent disagree. Fifty-six percent of women support the move compared with 39 percent who don’t. Almost one in three Republicans, 30 percent, say Limbaugh should be fired for the remarks."
In a press release from the Arizona Democratic Party today, Interim Chair Harriet Young had this to say:
Librotraficante (Wet Books) events in Tucson Saturday
by David Safier
The Librotraficante Caravan is scheduled to arrive in Tucson Friday carrying copies of books banned by TUSD. Saturday highlights:
- All Day: The Libros Libres Taco Truck will hand out free books around Tucson.
- 1-4pm: The Ultimate Lit Workshop 1-4pm: John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. 6th Ave. To learn more, download the Ultimate_Lit_Flyer
- 7pm: Literary Showcase: Leading authors will present their literary works: UA Social Sciences Building, Room 100, 1145 E. South Campus.
View the flier below the fold.
Arizona’s Craig Barrett: Don’t cut education funding (in California)
Southern Discomfort
Town of Oro Valley election results
An act of generosity
by David Safier
I'm going to start at the end of this story, then I'll begin again at the beginning.
Matt de la Peña, author of "Mexican White Boy" and other books geared toward adolescents, spoke to groups of students at TUSD over the past few days. He used his entire speaking fee to buy copies of "Mexican White Boy" and give them to the students.
I guarantee de la Peña is not a wealthy man. He could have found plenty of ways to put the speaking fee to good personal use. Here's the story behind his generosity, which I learned tonight when he was the featured guest at the Save Ethnic Studies fundraiser.
Mexican White Boy is one of the books which had been taught in some Mexican American Studies courses but can no longer be used. I read it last week. It's a gripping, complex novel set in a San Diego-area barrio where all the characters, young and old, are flawed, often deeply, and the environment they inhabit is flawed as well. Yet most of them have wonderful qualities, as does the world they inhabit. Until the end — and even after the last page — there's no way of telling where the young people who are at the center of the story will end up. The characters and their stories resonated with this old retired Anglo English teacher. I'm sure they resonate far more with students who can relate directly to the experiences of the characters.
The book became part of the MAS curriculum when a student, a reluctant reader, brought a copy to one of the teachers to read. The teacher saw its value, especially viewing it through the eyes of the student who gave it to her, and decided it would be a valuable addition to her class.
When de la Peña heard his book was banned at TUSD . . .
Oklahoma House votes to drug test state legislators – Arizona should follow suit
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Last week I posted about our Tea-Publican legislature's attempt to demonize the unemployed. The GOP war on the unemployed continues:
SB 1495, which gained preliminary Senate approval this past week, is being pushed by Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa.
“With near-record rates of unemployment that we’ve seen over the last year or so, if you are fortunate enough for your state to pay you while you’re looking for a job, as far as I’m concerned, the very least you should be is in a suitable state of mind to search for a job,” he said. “If you are on drugs, you cannot pass a drug test, odds are you can’t pass an interview — if you’re going on them as you’re supposed to be.”
Smith’s original legislation called not only for all applicants to pass a drug test as a first step in eligibility but also mandatory testing for those already receiving benefits. But he agreed to scale that second half back, instead authorizing random tests for current recipients.
Anyone who fails would be denied benefits for 30 days but could reapply at that time.
The legislation also authorizes random drug tests for those who already have been approved. A positive test means the loss of that month’s benefits and a requirement for monthly tests for the next six months; a second failure kills benefits, with no new application allowed for another six months.
Several other states have imposed similar requirements.
I pointed out that Democrats in several states have countered with bills to require drug testing elected officials.
