TUSD students walk out of Tucson schools
January 23, 2012
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by David Safier It looks like TUSD students aren't planning to let the banning of MAS courses go quietly. As the nation watches the Tucson Unified School District’s spiral into disarray, hundreds of students have walked out of their Tucson schools today in a coordinated protest against the banishment of the district’s acclaimed Mexican American … Read more
Randy Parraz: It’s not, Can we win? It’s, How do we win?
January 23, 2012
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by David Safier I've heard Randy Parraz speak before, but never as well as he spoke at Democrats of Greater Tucson today. The man was on fire: eloquent and funny, connecting on an emotional level, pumping up the audience. He talked about the successful Russell Pearce recall and his redoubled commitment to vote Joe Arpaio … Read more
AZ Republicans copy ALEC bill limiting asbestos liability
January 23, 2012
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by David Safier Hat tip to Lisa Hoffman for uncovering yet another bill the Arizona Republicans copied from ALEC model legislation. The bill is HB2386, "asbestos related liability; successor corporations," sponsored by 10 Republicans, including S. AZ's Terri Proud, David Gowan, David Stevens and Frank Antenori. It's almost word for word from ALEC's 2004 Model … Read more
Arizona’s congessional GOP delegation owned by the Koch brothers
January 23, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
ICYMI, Linda Ray posted at the Tucson Weekly, Adventurers in Buying Elections With the Koch Brothers | The Range:
David and Charles Koch love Arizona congressional representatives the best. In 2011, they gave our our representatives more money than those of any other state, and they gave money to more Arizona congressional representatives than those from any other state. Ben Quayle ($6,000), Trent Franks ($7,500), Dave Schweikert ($10,000) and Jeff Flake ($12,300) racked up a total of, to save you the math, $35,800 for their campaign coffers from the Kochs, and wouldn't you know, their constituents apparently wanted them to vote in ways that seemed to favor the brothers. Americans For Prosperity gave them all a 100 percent rating for the first half of the 112th Congress.
Here are details from Think Progress.
A press release from the Arizona Democratic Party last week makes the same point:
Legislature to repeal the Arizona Republic’s unconstitutional pension reform legislation
January 23, 2012
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
I have been telling you for some time that the State pension 'crisis' was manufactured – never mind. It was manufactured by the virulently anti-union Arizona Republic in the fall of 2010 when it ran a multi-part series on the "crisis" in public employee pension funds in Arizona. Public employee pension reforms – a manufactured 'crisis'.
The Arizona Republic encouraged the state legislature to pursue unconstitutional and unlawful legislation which had the Goldwater Institute's fingerprints all over it (ALEC and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity no doubt in the shadows). And our Tea-Publican legislature dutifully complied.
Several state pensioner groups filed suit to challenge the legislation, including Arizona Court of Appeals judges who filed a notice of claim to challenge two provisions in the new law regarding the Elected Officials Retirement Program. Appellate judges threaten suit over pension reforms – Arizona Capitol Times.
Back on January 14, Republic columnist Laurie Roberts whined mightily Ariz. judges will rule on own entitlements:
It is, they say, unfair, unconstitutional and absolutely unimaginable.
To think that the Legislature expects judges to kick in more for their pensions. To think that our leaders would change the law so that retired judges no longer collect the annual 4 percent cost-of-living boost to which they are oh-so- entitled.
Yes, to hell with the Arizona Constitution and the rule of law. Laurie Roberts has public employee unions to bash on behalf of an ALEC agenda that began in Wisconsin and Ohio — how's that working out for you? The Arizona Republic has a long and sordid history of anti-unionism dating back to the 1950s that continues to this day. The Republic has never supported workers, especially union workers. You don't buy advertising in the newspaper.
The coming week…
January 22, 2012
By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings Well, it's time to watch your civil rights and hide the children and small animals – the lege is back in town. Actually, they've been back for a couple of weeks now, but I've been busy and the first couple of weeks are mostly dedicated to getting … Read more
In Defense of Newt
January 22, 2012
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Posted by Bob Lord This one has the potential to piss off both progressive and conservative readers, so here goes. I’m hearing progressives lambaste Newt Gingrich for his multiple divorces, infidelity, and the statements of an obviously bitter ex-spouse. I not only find it wrong, I find it stupid, as we progressives absolutely blow an … Read more
Mark Stegeman constituent letter needs some clarification
January 22, 2012
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by David Safier
Mark Stegeman sent a letter to constituents discussing his views on what has been called by many, including me, a "book ban" at TUSD. You can read the entire letter after the jump.
A few things in the letter jumped out at me. One is the statement,
When the TUSD board voted (4-1) to end the Mexican-American Studies (MAS) curriculum, ending use of the books had to be part of that package.
No, ending the use of the books did not have to be part of that package. Is Stegeman unaware TUSD's communication director said the books were still OK'd for use by teachers who had not formerly taught MAS courses? For those teachers, some of the 7 books can still be used in the same courses where they are forbidden for use by former MAS teachers. It is not a course-specific ban. It is a teacher-specific ban. That makes a huge difference, and it contradicts what Stegeman wrote.
Then, after Stegeman lists the books, he writes this:
I am not aware of any other school district in Arizona which has approved these books for use in instruction. If anyone knows of such approvals, then I would be interested to hear about them.
The key word in the statement is "other," because it looks like one district approved 3 of the books: TUSD. According to a June 12, 20078, document posted on Three Sonorans, TUSD approved the use of "Critical Race Theory," "Occupied America" and "Pedagogy of the Oppressed."
The document looks legit, so I'll assume it is unless someone from TUSD says otherwise. If Stegeman knows the three texts had TUSD approval, he should have made that clear in his letter, then said he believes TUSD is the only district to approve the texts. Possibly he isn't aware of the prior approvals.
Read Mark Stegeman's constituent letter after the jump.
