A preview of coming attractions under Jan Brewer’s political ‘spoils system’

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Boss Tweed Gov. Jan Brewer wil roll out her secret plan to do away with the civil service merit selection system in time for the legislative session in January. But we have already seen a preview of coming attractions under Jan Brewer's political Spoils system of it is enacted into law. The process has already begun with the "privatization" of certain government functions, Tea-Publican dog-whistle code for "politicization." GOP donors will be well rewarded.

Craig McDermott previously posted about Jan Brewer's new Commerce Authority CEO, Don Cardon. Brewer's Commerce Authority has barely started, but it is already wasting hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars…

The Arizona Commerce Authority, created by Governor Jan Brewer to replace the state's Commerce Department, was touted as a "public/private partnership" dedicated to bringing economic growth back to Arizona, and with it, jobs for all Arizonans.

The Commerce Department, with its trained and experienced professionals, was deemed to be a failure because of the cratering of Arizona economy.

The Commerce Authority is made up of corporate CEOs and bigwigs.  The line of BS spouted in support of thinking behind the change was that the CEOs "spoke the same language" as their counterparts in other parts of the country and could convince them to bring operations to Arizona.

While some (like me!) were skeptical of the group's likelihood of success, it turns out that Commerce Authority has benefitted Arizonans.

Well, at least a few Arizonans, like those associated with the Commerce Authority.

From the Phoenix Business Journal, written by Mike Sunnucks –

…The Commerce Authority had its first official board meeting Tuesday and was successful in creating one high-wage job. The ACA board approved a $300,000 salary, $50,000 signing bonus and a vehicle allowance for new CEO Don Cardon.

Cardon was Brewer’s guy at the Department of Commerce before it got a private label and board. He made $183,000 as Commerce director, according to the Associated Press.

So Cardon, who was a failure as a political hack ("Brewer's guy") heading a publicly-funded government department, is now worthy of a huge pay raise as head of a publicly-funded "partnership?  Niiiice….

That story was followed by more news of how the new Commerce Authority is spending the public's money for the benefit of the public

Also from the Phoenix Business Journal, also written by Mike Sunnucks –

The Arizona Commerce Authority is moving into new private offices in downtown Phoenix and will pay $40,000 per month in rent and utilities to lease space at the Freeport McMoran Copper & Gold.

That translates into $480,000 per year.

Not that I'm saying that there is a "cause and effect" relationship here (OK, that might be something of a fib 🙂 ), but it's a rather interesting development in light of the fact that one of the directors of the Commerce Authority is Richard Adkerson, president and CEO of, you guessed it, Freeport McMoran.

Now today we learn that Craig Barrett, former CEO and chairman for Intel Corp., will lead Gov. Jan Brewer's newly revamped education council. Ex-CEO of Intel to lead Brewer's education council:

Barrett — who has long been active in education reform — made headlines in March by blasting public education in Arizona, telling the governor and legislative leaders that the state's K-12 system was hindering economic-development efforts.

At the time, Barrett said that if Intel were starting anew, Arizona likely wouldn't be in the running for its business.

In a phone interview, Brewer acknowledged that Barrett's words were harsh. But, she said, his commitment to education made him the perfect fit to lead her new council.

(Giggle! He's opposed to public education and wants privatization of public education, i.e., the Tea-Publican dog-whistle code of "reform" and "school choice." He's perfect!)

("Charter schools in this state operate at a lower budget than public schools," said Barrett, who is president and chairman of BASIS Schools Inc., a network of nationally acclaimed charter schools operating in the state. "You can still succeed, if you can change the way you do business.")

The new board, called the Arizona Ready Education Council, will replace the governor's P-20 task force.

The governor has tasked the council with developing an online "report card" to analyze and track student progress and with helping implement previously approved education reforms and goals. These include the new, more rigorous Common Core State Standards, designed to improve students' performance in math and English language arts.

The board also will help implement a new student-assessment test that will eventually replace the AIMS exam and find new ways to recruit and train teachers who are experts in their field and willing to embrace the new curriculum.

* * *

Barrett, who also serves as chairman of Change the Equation, a national coalition of CEOs working to improve literacy in science, technology, engineering and math, said the governor and the state superintendent of public instruction have assured him that they were committed to the reform plan.

"I do have assurances, but I am going to watch what people do," Barrett said. "You are dealing with the real world and the political system, … and I am old enough and experienced enough to recognize that when push comes to shove, people need to step up.

"I will be looking and assessing whether people are doing that."

The governor's push to reform Arizona's classrooms comes as the state has continued to cut education funding.

The new Arizona Ready Education Council holds its first meeting Tuesday.

If Jan Brewer has her way, she will outsource all state government functions to boards and commissions staffed by corporate political appointees who are GOP donors. And why wouldn't she? Brewer has already outsourced running the governor's office to a shadow governor, Chuck Coughlin and his lobbying firm HighGround, Inc., implicated in the Fiesta Bowl scandal. And the media says nothing about this scandal.