Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Most Americans are rightfully outraged at the influence of special interest lobbyists in Washington. "K Street lobbyist" has become synomymous with "evil" in the minds of most Americans. Americans want strict restrictions on lobbyist access to curtail their undue influence in Washington.
At the same time, Americans want a tough code of ethics and conflict of interest rules to apply to their members of Congress to limit the undue influence of lobbyists. Americans also want to close the "revolving door" through which legislators and their staff members go to work for lobbyist firms that lobby their former colleagues when they leave government service.
Where is this public outrage at the undue influence of special interest lobbyists on Arizona government? Lobbyists have free run of the Arizona Legislature, probably one of the most under-reported political stories in Arizona.
Earlier this year, Sen. Jack Harper convinced his Senate colleagues to let themselves take jobs as lobbyists the moment they quit or don't get re-elected. Ariz. senators drop all curbs on leaving office, lobbying:
Harper, elected to the Senate in 2002, said there is no similar restriction on legislative staffers, people he said may have more influence and be more knowledgeable than lawmakers themselves. He said legislators need to look at the practical effect of the existing law.
"Obviously, there are many members in this body and in the House that are not running for office again," he said. "And I don't see why your economic liberty should be any more limited than a senior staffer."
The Arizona Legislature is out of touch with the vast majority of Americans who want to limit the undue influence of lobbyists and expect a higher degree of ethical standards from their elected officials than Sen. Harper's self-serving financial interests.
High Ground Public Affairs is one of the most popular, sought-after consulting—political consulting companies in the state of Arizona. And they have contracts with all kinds of legislators and lawmakers here in Arizona, as well as the corporate clients they represent. Talk about an express lane to influence peddling.
But the greatest influence of High Ground Public Affairs is in the Office of the Governor of Arizona. As previously reported, Brewer's fear mongering helps drive tourists away from Arizona — but CCA doesn't mind:
Brewer's deputy chief of staff Paul Senseman was a lobbyist for CCA, and his wife still is. Brewer's policy advisor Chuck Coughlin owns the lobbying firm High Ground Public Affairs which also represents CCA, a connection to SB 1070 that the governor never disclosed.
And Chuck Coughlin is Jan Brewer's campaign chairman.
The Office of the Governor of Arizona is run by lobbyists. That alone should give voters pause for concern. Jan Brewer is just a figure-head puppet warming the governor's chair. She takes her directions from corporate lobbyists. An unelected and unaccountable lobbyist firm is the power behind the throne and the real "governor" of Arizona.
Again, where is the public outrage in Arizona? Where is the demand for strict restrictions on lobbyist access to curtail their undue influence in the Legislature and with executive officers? Where is the demand for a tough code of ethics and conflict of interest rules to apply to members of the Legislature and executive officers? Where is the demand to close the "revolving door" through which legislators and their staff members go to work for lobbying firms that lobby their former colleagues when they leave government service?
Have we all forgotten the AZ-Scam lobbyist scandal? Have we simply given up and conceded the state of Arizona to a corporatocracy run by corporate lobbyists? Or are we going to fight and take our state back for the citizens of Arizona? We can begin by firing Jan Brewer, the lobbyist puppet.
Perhaps some enterprising individual could make "lobbyist puppet" signs to place next to Jan Brewer campaign signs, as occurred with "PaydayPaton.com" sings placed next to Jonathan Paton campaign signs. Just a thought.
But more importantly, perhaps the investigative journalists in the state of Arizona will finally get around to reporting on the undue influence exercised by lobbyists on the government of Arizona, the most under-reported political story in Arizona.
NB: It occurred to me that the lobbyists in the governor's office who are the real "governor" of Arizona frequently appear in photos and videos alongside Jan Brewer. Maybe someone could make an ad compiling these images with a highlight bubble over the lobbyists, and some copy that explains who they represent, and what legislation they got passed through the Arizona Legislature and signed by Jan Brewer for their client.
You can set it to the tune of the 1966 hit single "I'm Your Puppet" by James and Bobby Purify. Pure gold, baby!
I don’t deny that Brewer has earned all the negative attention here but isn’t there one or more candidates for governor of Arizona? I occasionally read that one of them is named Terry Goddard and that he is supported by a group called the Arizona Democratic Party whose donkey symbol appears on this web site. Doesn’t he have some plans or promises that could be covered or commented upon? I hear he wants to arrest and prosecute human smugglers that aid people in immigrating here from Mexico.
http://www.google.com/search?q=prosecute+human+smugglers+Terry+Goddard
Also, since this here “web site” showers negative attention upon Republicans perhaps you could mention, ya know, once in a while, the alternative to Republican candidates such as Bill Montgomery for Maricopa county attorney. No Democratic party candidates has volunteered to run for that office and there is a Libertarian party candidate Michael Kielsky who did. For all I know you may think Libertarians are worse than Republicans. I would think that a candidate who wants to prosecute only those who harm or defraud another would beat a Republican who thinks all laws are worthy of prosecuting regardless of their effectiveness in protecting the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
http://www.kielsky.com/