ASU responds to Goldwater charges
August 17, 2010
by David Safier Earlier today I criticized the media for covering the Goldwater Institute's report about the growth of administration at universities before anyone had a chance to read the report thoroughly, since it was just released today. Maybe, I said, based on G.I.'s history, some of the facts and figures in the report were
More on the Republican-mandated property tax hike
August 17, 2010
by David Safier In my previous post, I wrote about a Howard Fischer article in today's Star, Trib and Sun. The article is about a property tax hike created by Republicans which passed $70 million onto property owners instead of putting it in the state budget. I guess they figure they're still honoring their No
Republicans raise AZ property taxes, but give rich a break
August 17, 2010
by David Safier
Where is Rob O'Dell when you need him? If this story about the Republicans in the state legislature raising individuals' property taxes to cut $70 million from the state budget were about Tucson's City Council, we'd have a screaming headline and blame, blame, blame pointed at every Council member.
We might also have learned early in the story that people whose homes are worth half a million or more get a huge break on the tax hike, making this a regressive property tax.
But since O'Dell and the Star are only attack dogs when it comes to the Democrat-majority City Council (and, of course, TUSD), we hear the story told differently. The Star goes as light as it can on Republican legislators.
As always with the Star, we begin with the headline:
If I didn't know better, I'd think TUSD was the guilty party here, raising our taxes. That's par for the course for the Star, which can never decide who to trash more, TUSD or the City Council.
Here are the heads on the same story in the Trib and the Sun. Note that neither mentions a school district by name.
It's a Howard Fischer story with local information added by the Star's Alexis Huicochea, so most of it appears in all three papers. Here is the way the first paragraph reads in the Trib and the Sun. Watch for the quotes around the last word, "fairness."
Homeowners in a handful of school districts are in for a nasty surprise because of some changes state lawmakers made in education finance laws in the name of “fairness.”
The Star removed the quotes. Just took them out. So, while the word "fairness" is made suspect by the quotes in the original, the Star's version says, Really, this property tax hike is fair. Here's the paragraph from the Star.
Homeowners in a handful of school districts are in for an unpleasant surprise because of some changes that state lawmakers made in education-finance laws in the name of fairness.
Word for word, except the quotes are removed. Purposely. It's not an inadvertent typo. The story was cut-and-pasted, then edited. Removing the quotes to alter the meaning of the paragraph was an editorial decision.
There's more to say about the ways the Star butchered the story in the interest of softening the blame on Republicans for purposely and consciously raising property taxes while adhering to their No New Taxes pledge at the state level. You can read more below the fold.
Origin of the GOP’s “Ground Zero Mosque” Fear Mongering
August 17, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Movement Conservatism is consumed by conspiracy theories. They invented the tin-foil hat. Everything from the John Birch Society warning that flouride in your drinking water is a Communist conspiracy, to "death panels" being in the health care reform bill, to president Obama being a "secret Muslim" born in Kenya. These people live
Goldwater strikes, and the Star bites, again
August 17, 2010
by David Safier The Star and the Republic both gave lots of ink to a Goldwater Institute report that came out today. The report says universities are top-heavy administratively. Anyone see a problem here? I do. First, this research paper came out today, so no one outside G.I. has had a chance to review it.
Two LD 26 forums this week
August 17, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Two late political calendar entries for events this week in LD 26. (Hint: send us a press release at least seven days in advance). LD 26: Painted Sky Education ForumDate: Tuesday, August 17Time: 6:30 PMLocation: Painted Sky Elementary, 12620 N. Woodburne Ave. (Rancho Vistoso) Description: Bipartisan education forum with LD 26 candidates.
Time for the Media’s Edward R. Murrow Moment
August 17, 2010
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The latest attack upon U.S. citizens of the Muslim faith is an extension of the conservative right's attack upon president Obama as a "foreign born secret Muslim" — it is an attempt to delegitimize their very American-ness and to cast doubt and suspicion upon their loyalty to America. It is McCarthyism, a
Paton swings on Kelly
August 16, 2010
By Michael Bryan Jon Paton released a 30 second ad intended for air play that lashes out at Jesse Kelly on Kelly's family's business. The ad oddly juxtaposes Kelly and Obama as if they were allies. I suppose to a GOP primary electorate there is little worse you can do to a Republican than tie
