by Pamela Powers Hannley On Saturday, May 25, an estimated 2 million marched against multinational chemical giant Monsanto for tinkering with the genes of our worldwide food supply and for trying to outright control the food supply by controlling seed sales and prosecuting private farmers for saving seeds. Here in Tucson an estimated 700 people marched against … Read more
More than 90 days have passed since the Tucson City Council voted to begin a 60-90 day public comment period to gather information and ideas related to the proposed re-development of the Ronstadt Transit Center. During that time, the Tucson Bus Riders Union held a public forum at the Rialto, compiled and organized hundreds written comments collected at the forum, met with City Councilwoman Karin Uhlich, and participated in collecting 2800 surveys from bus riders.
What has Corky Poster done? Poster is the architect and planner who was City Council hired to gather the public input. Rumor has it that Poster has held eight “stakeholder” meetings in recent weeks. With the information gathered at those meetings, he has compiled a report outlining consensus goals and objectives and said report was to be delivered to the City Manager’s office last week before Poster left town on vacation. More photos and details on the secret public process and who the real stakeholders are after the jump.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Remember when crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio, Sheriff of Maricopa County, told his ardent critics who accused him of having a policy of unlawful racial profiling of Latinos to "prove it" in court? Be carfeful what you wish for, old man.
Today, U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow specifically found from the evidence presented at trial that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has a policy of unlawful racial profiling of Latinos, and issued an order enjoining that policy, with a 142 page Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law.
(.pdf). Awesome!
If you don't have time to read 142 pages, Stephen Lemons at the Phoenix New Times has his celebratory take, Joe Arpaio's Doomsday: Arpaio Loses ACLU Civil Rights Lawsuit, MCSO Enjoined from Racially Profiling Latinos:
U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow just handed the ACLU, the Mexican
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the law firm Covington
& Burling, all Latinos and everyone who has strived for justice in
Maricopa County a reason to celebrate over the long holiday weekend by
ruling against Sheriff Joe Arpaio in the big Melendres v. Arpaio racial profiling lawsuit.
Essentially, Snow found that the MCSO does engage in racial profiling and discrimination, and he has ordered it to stop.
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
"[N]o religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States." – Article VI, Paragraph 3, U.S. Constitution.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" – First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
"The liberty of conscience secured by the provisions
of this constitution shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of
licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and safety of
the state. No public money or property shall be appropriated for or applied
to any religious worship, exercise, or instruction, or to the support of any
religious establishment. No religious qualification shall be required for any
public office or employment, nor shall any person be incompetent as a witness
or juror in consequence of his opinion on matters of religion, nor be
questioned touching his religious belief in any court of justice to affect the
weight of his testimony." – Article 2, Section 12, Arizona Constitution.
Rep. Steve "Secession" Smith (R-Maricopa) from District 11 has been working overtime this session for the title of "Most Offensive Legislator." Dude, if I award you the title now, will you please just go away?
The latest incident involves what should have been a non-event in the 21st Century under American constitutional law. "Rep. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, acknowledged his secular views as he gave the daily House invocation on
Tuesday, urging legislators to look at each other, rather than bow
their heads, and 'celebrate our shared humanness.'" Arizona lawmaker: I’m an atheist:
Rep. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, who said it was freeing to be open about his
secular views, also introduced about a dozen fellow members of the
Secular Coalition for Arizona who watched from the House gallery.
[Note: "Atheism" and "Secular humanism" are not interchangeable synonymous terms. Look it up Arizona Republic. Nowhere in his invocation did Rep. Mendez state "I'm an atheist" as you attribute to him in the headline (see below).]
Tucson, AZ March Against Monsanto ~ Tucson, is part of a grassroots global movement. People on 6 continents, in 49 countries, in over 300 cities and in 47 states in the USA will unite to March Against Monsanto. The Tucson gathering begins with registration at 11am including a free raffle ticket for every participant, music and speakers will follow.
We March because research studies have shown that Monsanto’s genetically-modified foods can lead to serious health conditions such as the development of cancer, tumors, infertility & birth defects. Currently GMO foods are untested by the FDA & are unlabeled in the USA. More details about Monsanto after the jump.