AZ BlueMeanie

The Blue Meanie is an Arizona citizen who wishes, for professional reasons, to remain anonymous when blogging about politics. Armed with a deep knowledge of the law, politics and public policy, as well as pen filled with all the colors stolen from Pepperland, the Blue Meanie’s mission is to pursue and prosecute the hypocrites, liars, and fools of politics and the media – which, in practical terms, is nearly all of them. Don’t even try to unmask him or he’ll seal you in a music-proof bubble and rendition you to Pepperland for a good face-stomping.

Jack Harper has gotta go

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Arizona has more than its fair share of buffoons serving in the Arizona legislature. And then there is Jack Harper – arguably in a class of buffoonery all by himself. Jack is always good for a "crazy quote" in the media.

And then there is the ideological extremist bills he sponsors. Jack Harper has gotta go. Insider: Self-serving bills mark new legislative session:

Lawmakers have proposed more than 750 bills in this week-old 2012 legislative session. . . The biggest offender — or shall we say opportunist — seems to be Rep. Jack Harper (R-Surprise! I can't believe I get elected). Harper announced he will not run for re-election to the Legislature but has in the past voiced interest in a run for secretary of state. (Oh, hell no!)

Arizona_legislature_11274934985Let's start with HB 2022 (sponsor Harper): Would eliminate the one-year moratorium on lobbying for former state lawmakers. HB 2022 passed the House Government Committee last Wednesday. Bill would overturn ban on Ariz. lawmaker lobbying:

The current ban has been on the books since the early 1990s in the wake of a legislative bribery scandal known as "AzScam," a 1991 sting in which several legislators were caught taking bribes from undercover officials posing as lobbyists for the gaming industry.

Republican Rep. Jack Harper of Surprise, who introduced the measure, said the ban infringes on the freedom of lawmakers to continue their careers.

Senior legislative staff members are able to return as lobbyists at the Legislature, he said, and lawmakers should be allowed to do the same.

"It's about ideology," he said. "It's about not limiting someone's economic liberty."

Harper said his goal is ideological, saying lawmakers should have the same options as staffers and anyone else.

The Farley Report: January 17, 2012

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona legislature is back in session, and you know what that means. Time once again for the weekly Farley Report from Rep. Steve Farley (D-Tucson).

The Governor's budget is out, and it seems to have taken its theme from the classic Spaghetti Western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. But believe it or not, it is an improvement over the last couple of years' budgets that were purely Bad and Ugly. This one actually has some things that we in the minority can support.

Here's some good: 

–> She does ask for more funding for a few education programs, including remedial reading instruction for third graders who are behind in their performance. 

–> $10 million in community college scholarships for veterans for workforce training.

–> More money for investigators for Child Protective Services, and more pay for overburdened CPS field workers — something long overdue.

–> $39 million more for services for the seriously mentally ill, to comply with federal requirements. This helps to restore some of the cuts to these services that Brewer signed last year.

AIRC Update: We have final maps – to the DOJ!

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie: As anticipated, the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission approved the final maps for congressional and legiaslative district maps at its meeting today. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reports Arizona redistricting commission OKs legislative, congressional maps: Arizona’s redistricting commission divided along party lines Tuesday as its members approved maps of new congressional and … Read more

The Madison Revolution: Total Recall! More than one million signatures to recall Gov. Scott Walker

by

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

RecallThe Madison Revolution is almost a year old, and today United Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Democratic Party submitted more than one million petition signatures for the recall of Gov. Scott Walker. The Wisconsin State Journal reports Recall organizers file more than 1 million signatures to recall Walker:

Groups seeking to recall Gov. Scott Walker submitted nearly twice as many signatures Tuesday as required to force an election, an overwhelming number that may make a vote later this year inevitable.

* * *

The 1 million signatures that United Wisconsin, the coalition that spearheaded the effort along with the Democratic Party, said were collected far exceeds the 540,208 needed and amounts to 23 percent of the state's eligible voters.

* * *

Petitioners were also submitting about 305,000 more signatures than were needed to trigger a recall election against Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, and said they also exceeded the number needed to force recall elections of four Republican state senators, including Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

* * *

The Government Accountability Board has said its review will take 60 days or more and it will go to court this week to seek more than the 31 days allowed under the law.

Tate said he didn't expect a Walker recall election would happen before May. Walker has said he thinks it will be in June.