Category Archives: Civil Rights

Coming Together, Fighting On and Turning Arizona Blue

Posted on August 30, 2018 by David Gordon | Comments Off

With the Arizona Supreme Court’s decision to knock the Invest in Ed and Outlaw Dirty Money initiatives off the November ballot, the stakes in the election became much higher. Progressive and Centrist Democrats need to unite with Independents and disaffected Republicans on a forward-looking program that votes out the reactionary zealots in the Party of the KKK-endorsed candidate starting with the Governor, all the Republican state officeholders, and Republican legislators.

They do not even hide their contempt for democracy, clean elections, or people that are not white. It is time to rally and turn out in November and launch an Arizona Blue Wave.

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Posted in Abortion, Activism, Arizona State Legislature, Ballot Referendas and Initiatives, Budgets, Campaigns, Civil Rights, Climate Change, Commentary, Community, Corruption, Crime, David Gordon, Economics, Editorial, Education, Elections, Energy, environment, Gender Equality, Governor, Healthcare, Immigration, Infrastructure, Justice, Law Enforcement, Legislation, Mexico Border, Party Politics, Political Events, Poverty, President, Racism, Science, Taxes, Transportation, Veterans, Voting Rights, Water

Tagged Bill Pierce, David Garcia, January Contreras, Kathy Hoffman, katie hobbs, Kiana Sears, Kyrsten Sinema, Mark Manoil, sandra kennedy

Jose Torres Emphasizes Education, Healthcare and Immigration in the CD5 Congressional Race

Posted on August 26, 2018 by David Gordon | Comments Off

Congressional District Five Democratic House Candidate Jose Torres

This election year, two Democrats are vying for an opportunity to defeat incumbent Andy Biggs. One is Joan Greene and the other is the subject of this interview, Jose Torres.

Below are Torres’ responses to a series of questions regarding the issues facing the people in the district and how he would act as the district’s next Representative.

Arizona Congressional District Five contains all or parts of Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and Chandler. The district has been solidly Republican since 2012. Incumbent Andy Biggs is a former State Senator and current Freedom Caucus Member. This “public servant” has distinguished himself by supporting and fighting for policies that do not benefit the public. On issues ranging from Children’s Health Care to a woman’s right to choose to Medicaid Expansion to tax cuts for the rich, Biggs has continually embraced the causes championed by Dark Money special interests and reactionary conservatives who want to destroy the government they were elected to serve in.

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Posted in Abortion, Activism, Arizona Congressional Delegation, Arizona Congressional Races, Ballot Referendas and Initiatives, Budgets, Campaigns, Charter Schools, Civil Rights, Commentary, Community, Congress, Corruption, Courts, Crime, David Gordon, Debates, Economics, Editorial, Education, Elections, Energy, environment, Ethics, Gender Equality, Gun Policies, Healthcare, Housing, Immigration, Infrastructure, International, Justice, Labor, Law Enforcement, Legislation, Mexico Border, Military, Party Politics, Political Calendar, Political Events, Poverty, Primaries, Propositions, Russian Affair, Science, Taxes, Transportation, Uncategorized, War, Water

Tagged andy biggs, Jose Torres

Congressional Five Democratic House Candidate Joan Greene fights against the Cronyism, Incompetence, and Corruption of Incumbent Andy Biggs

Posted on August 26, 2018 by David Gordon | 1 comment

Congressional District 5 Democratic Candidate Joan Greene

Andy Biggs is a special kind of crony, incompetent and corrupt public servant. Being a member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus (a group of elected officials whose sole mission is to demean, degrade, and reduce to rubble the government they have been elected to serve in while glorifying the free market and all things conservative), the current incumbent in Congressional District Five favors policies that hurt the common person but help the affluent and Dark Money Interests. As a state and federal legislator, he has opposed and attempted to stymie measures to improve and expand Kids Care, Medicaid, a woman’s right to choose, and LGBTQ rights. Such a “public servant” is not the optimal choice to lead the Congressional Five House District forward in Arizona.

The current territorial composition of Arizona Congressional District Five contains all or parts of Mesa, Gilbert, Queen Creek, and Chandler. The district in its current form has been solidly in Republican hands since 2012. This year two Democrats are vying for an opportunity to defeat Mr. Biggs. One is Jose Torres and the other; the subject of this interview is Joan Greene. Below are Ms. Greene’s responses to a series of questions, some answered at SoZo Coffeehouse in Chandler and others through written responses, regarding the issues facing the people in the district and how she would act as the districts next Representative.

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Posted in Abortion, Activism, Arizona Congressional Races, Ballot Referendas and Initiatives, Budgets, Campaigns, Charter Schools, Civil Rights, Commentary, Community, Corruption, Courts, Crime, David Gordon, Economics, Editorial, Education, Elections, Energy, environment, Ethics, Gender Equality, Gun Policies, Healthcare, Housing, Immigration, Infrastructure, International, Justice, Labor, Law Enforcement, Legislation, Mexico Border, Military, Party Politics, Political Events, Poverty, Primaries, Taxes, Transportation, Uncategorized, Water

Tagged andy biggs, Joan Greene

Lynsey Robinson will Fight for those Marginalized by Reactionary Conservatives in LD12

Posted on August 23, 2018 by David Gordon | Comments Off

Democratic LD 12 State House Candidate Lynsey Robinson

What do you get when you let a political party get the idea that they can win unopposed in any legislative district? You get extreme legislators who think they can support any extreme measure that goes against the public good or turns the clock back because the other major party will not muster any opposition.

This is what has happened in Legislative District 12 (and other districts that Democrats up until this year have neglected). Voters in the Gilbert, Queen Creek, and San Tan area have had to suffer extreme reactionary Republicans like Eddie Farnsworth, Travis Grantham, and Warren Pedersen. They have run unopposed in two of the last three elections on the House side while supporting measures that promote Dark Money interests, giving public dollars to private (and in some cases religious) entities and taking away the rights of women in particular and voters in general.

Fortunately, Democrats are finally woke and, like other legislative districts, are championing multiple gifted and forward-looking candidates who offer a pragmatic progressive vision for the people of LD 12. These candidates are Lynsey Robinson, Joe Bisaccia, and D.J. Rothans.

Over drinks at the IHOP on Power and Baseline, Ms. Robinson charismatically conveyed why she would be an effective progressive legislator for the people of LD 12.

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Posted in Abortion, Activism, Arizona State Legislature, Ballot Referendas and Initiatives, Budgets, Campaigns, Charter Schools, Civil Rights, Commentary, Community, Corruption, Crime, David Gordon, Drug Policy, Economics, Editorial, Education, Elections, Endorsements, Energy, environment, Gender Equality, Gun Policies, Healthcare, Housing, Immigration, Infrastructure, Justice, Labor, Law Enforcement, Legislation, Maricopa, Mexico Border, Party Politics, Political Calendar, Political Events, Poverty, Primaries, Propositions, Science, Taxes, Transportation, Veterans, Voting Rights, Water

Tagged Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona Initiative, DJ Rothans, Eddie Farnsworth, Invest in Ed, Joe Bisaccia, Lynsey Robinson, Outlaw Dirty Money, Travis Grantham, Warren Pedersen

Donkey Feed, August 22nd, 2018

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Michael Bryan | 2 comments

By Michael Bryan

Welcome back to the Donkey Feed. Strap on your feedbag and slip your traces, time to relax and feed your mind.

First a cool tool for you: StampsLicked.org will take your personal message to your House or Senate critter and hand deliver it to your member on the Hill. This sort of communication is the most effective at actually influencing a congressperson, especially if it shares something personal from a constituent. Start putting a human face on policy issues today: FOR FREE! Donations are welcome on their website, but not mandatory.

Now for some graphical goodness. Why does America care so little about reproduction that we won’t give women (let alone men) paid time off work to do it (WaPo) when every other advanced nation (and many not-so-advanced ones) does so? I think this really would be a bigger issue if both political parties weren’t captured and captivated by the money of big corporate employers who will fight a new employee entitlement tooth and nail. To be fair, some Democrats have raised the issue, but none will run on it, and proposed legislation would only put us on par with Pakistan, South Africa, and Mexico. So much for valuing family…

How about reading a couple of books recommended by Barrack Obama?

“Educated: A Memoir“ by Tara Westover, is about a woman who leaves her survivalist, home-schooled, Idaho roots behind to become college educated; “An American Marriage: A Novel” (Oprah’s Book Club 2018 Selection) by Tayari Jones, is about a newlywed black attorney wrongly convicted of rape and the effect of the wrongful incarceration on his family.

Next up, a standard fundraising pitch, for just small, itty-bitty, teeny-tiny donation:

Contribute Today!

Support volunteer citizen journalism at the Blog for Arizona with a donation today. Your PayPal contribution keeps the Blog online and sustains a free press in Arizona.

Now, just click on “Continue reading” to enjoy the rest of your feed…

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Posted in Arizona Congressional Races, Ballot Referendas and Initiatives, Books, Civil Rights, Corruption, Courts, Crime, Donkey Feed, Elections, Gender Equality, Immigration, Michael Bryan, Party Politics, Primaries, Religion, Voting Rights, War

Democratic Candidate Profiles to consider when voting this month

Posted on August 22, 2018 by David Gordon | 1 comment

Dear reader,

Below are the links to the profiles of Democratic Candidates interviewed up until August 21, 2018. Future profiles will be added for study. Please use this valuable resource to help make the best-informed choice when you vote in August either via a mail-in ballot or in person on August 28, 2018. Above all, please do not forget to vote. There are many exceptional Democratic candidates to consider so please take the time to vote for the ones that you feel will best move your local community and the state forward.

Federal elections

Statewide elections

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