District 11 can do way better than Steve Smith – elect Jo Holt to the Arizona Senate

Rep. Steve Smith (R-Maricopa), running for the Senate in Legislative District 11, is part of the anti-immigrant “Super Friends,” with Russell Pearce, Cap’n Al Melvin, John Kavanagh, and Joe Arpaio.

There is no problem in Arizona for which the “Super Friends” do not blame on people for breathing while brown.  Smith is an ideological extremist of the first order, for whom the voters of Legislative District 11 should hang their heads in shame for having ever elected him.

Smith carried the disgraced Sen. Russell Pearce’s anti-immigrant bills  after his recall that would require school districts to count the number of students who are in the country illegally, HB 2289 (2013), and to require hospitals to report patients who cannot prove their lawful status. HB 2293 (2103). Both measures are unlawful under existing law.

Smith also sponsored the bill to build a border fence using private donations. Arizona legislator ends bid to build privately funded border fence.

Smith sponsored an “English only” bill, HB 2283 (2103), which would forbid state agencies from mailing out certain documents in any language but English. The bill violated Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act. Even in states that have an English-as-their-official-language policy, you still have to follow federal law.

Little Stevie “Secession” Smith sponsored HB 2291 (2013), a resolution of “interposition and nullification” to oppose any new federal firearms regulations. Along with every other Tea-Publican in the legislature, he also voted for SCR1016 which put the unconstitutional “State Sovereignty” ballot measure, Prop. 122, on the ballot this year.

Smith is also opposed to your First Amendment rights. In 2013, he sponsored HB 2284 (2013), which would require all students in first through 12th grades would have to say the pledge of allegiance each day, because he was miffed that some junior teabagger “last year reported feeling mocked and embarrassed after she was the only one in her class to stand and say the pledge of allegiance” to the flag.  Here is an explainer on “compelled speech” from the First Amendment Center. Pledge of Allegiance | First Amendment Center.

Smith sponsored HB 2290 (2013), which proposed to  give disgraced former Senate President Russell Pearce a taxpayer-funded windfall as a parting gift for being recalled by the voters of his district, even though Ol’ Russell was not out-of-pocket one thin dime of his own money in his unsuccessful recall bid. Luckily, the bill failed.

So what ridiculous nonsense is Smith spewing this year in his race for the Senate? District 11 Democrats and Republicans split on wage hike:

Democratic candidates for the House and Senate seats in District 11 say low-wage workers deserve a boost in the minimum wage because earnings have not kept up with the cost of living.

Their Republican opponents disagree, saying such an increase would hurt employers and drive up consumer prices.

“This is affecting a very wide swath of the population and it’s a way of boosting our economy,” said Democratic Senate candidate Jo Holt, calling the increase an investment.

“It is not an investment, it does not increase the economy,” said Republican Steve Smith, who currently represented the district in the House but is trying to move up to the Senate seat vacated by Al Melvin.

Smith added that if an increase happens, businesses wouldn’t be able to afford employees and it would increase the cost of goods. “No more dollar menu for you at McDonald’s. It’ll probably be $1.15 or $1.35,” he said.

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When asked by Holt what he would do about the rising poverty level in Arizona, Smith said the best thing to do is for people “to get a well paying job and career.”

Well, we know that Smith is no economist. I have posted about this numerous times. Here is just a couple. Raising the minimum wage ‘has little or no discernible effect on the employment prospects of low-wage workers’, and States that raised the minimum wage have higher employment growth.

Simply put, paying workers higher wages has the stimulative effect of creating more expendable income which is quickly spent, creating more demand for consumer goods in the economy and increasing economic growth.

As for Smith’s McDonald’s “dollar menu” example, a recent study that looked at the effect of a $15 minimum wage (which no one is proposing in Arizona) would increase the cost of a Big Mac to $4.67 from $3.99, as first reported by the Huffington Post. A Big Mac meal would jump to $6.66 from $5.69, and McDonald’s “dollar menu” would go to $1.17, Forbes reported.

Got that? The Minimum wage in Arizona is $7.90 hour, going up to $8.05 hour on January 1, 2015. Increasing this amount to $15 hour in Smith’s example would only increase the McDonald’s “dollar menu” cost by 17 cents. Hey, maybe the employees of McDonald’s can finally afford to eat there!

As for Smith’s smart-ass response about inequality in Arizona — people should “get a well paying job and career” — that is not even an option for many in this state, thanks to our failing economy and the faith based supply-side “trickle-down” GOP economics that Smith believes in. The Arizona comeback? Temporary success yields to more financial turmoil (Arizona Capitol Times):

Consider this: Arizona lost roughly 313,000 jobs during the recession, but it has only regained about 62 percent of them, lagging behind the U.S. and many of its competitor states in the Southwest region.

“We’re just not seeing the kinds of growth in the state in terms of goods-producing jobs and manufacturing jobs and things that can help sustain us,” lamented Professor Dennis Hoffman of Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. “We’re just not seeing it at all. The puzzle is Colorado, Utah, California, Washington — they’re all doing better.”

When asked about that looming state budget deficit, this was the response:

Holt said she wants to focus on attracting more business to Arizona in order to balance the state’s budget.

“You can cut all night and all day till the cows come home and you’re not going to be able to make this up without an increase in business and business revenue in this state,” she said.

Smith said focusing on securing Arizona’s border with Mexico was key to balancing the budget, since Arizona taxpayers pay for services for illegal immigrants. “The state of Arizona spends two to three billion dollars on free services for people that shouldn’t be here,” he said.

Like I said, there is no problem for which this hateful creature does not blame on people for breathing while brown.

On social issues, Smith is just as extreme. Candidates vie for three Arizona District 11 seats:

The candidates were similarly split on how they would have voted for SB 1062 as well as funding for Planned Parenthood. Holt said she would not have voted in favor of the bill, stating that the bill is discriminatory in nature. Smith [voted for the bill], saying it’s a matter of religious freedom. [The bill was vetoed by Gov. Brewer after a national firestorm.]

Smith [voted to not] fund Planned Parenthood. “Taxpayer dollars should not go toward entities or organizations that provide abortions,” said Smith.

[Supreme Court: Arizona can’t defund Planned Parenthood (Feb. 25, 2014)]

Holt felt that Planned Parenthood helps women afford healthcare and contraception. “This is an investment in our communities,” said Holt, “If you have a healthy workforce, you’re going to do better business.”

District 11 deserves far better than a Tea Party ideological extremist who simply spews right-wing talking points like a Pez dispenser. Steve Smith has been an unmitigated disaster for District 11.  Voters have a quality candidate in Democrat Jo Holt who is a substantial improvement over the departing Cap’n Al Melvin and his “Super Friend” buddy Steve Smith.

Stop the insanity! Elect Jo Holt to the Arizona Senate.