Merit Selection of Arizona Judges Preserved
April 16, 2011
The Arizona legislature failed in it's attempt to refer to voters a constitutional amendment that would have effectively ended merit selection of judges in Arizona and made the judiciary a creature of the Executive over time. The President of the Arizona Bar gives and excellent overview of the final version that eventually passed and will … Read more
Is Pearce on the defensive?
April 16, 2011
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by David Safier Russell Pearce doesn't come off at all well in a Phoenix News 10 12 piece about a Tea Party rally at the Capitol. When reporter Wendy Halloran asked him when we're going to see those invoices he promised for Fiesta Bowl-supplied tickets, he got angry. What a surprise! His reply: "You know … Read more
Chris Christie: “take out the bat” on legislator; teachers “use students like drug mules”
April 16, 2011
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by David Safier I've got someone other than Russell Pearce to pick on this morning. New Jersey's Governor Chris Christie. Christie was upset at the press for not going after a Democratic lawmaker more aggressively. His statement during a news conference: “Can you guys please take the bat out on her for once?” State Senator … Read more
Get Your 2010 Federal Taxpayer Receipt
April 16, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The White House has a handy-dandy new online calculator that allows you to produce a "receipt" showing you how your federal tax dollars are spent. Your 2010 Federal Taxpayer Receipt | The White House: In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, … Read more
David Cay Johnston: 9 things the rich do not want you to know about taxes
April 16, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Tax expert David Cay Johnston has an excellent essay this week about the 9 Things The Rich Don't Want You To Know About Taxes: For three decades we have conducted a massive economic experiment, testing a theory known as supply-side economics. The theory goes like this: Lower tax rates will encourage more … Read more
Something for procrastinators to think about while doing your taxes this weekend
April 16, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: You have all heard the Tea-Publican mantra repeated ad nauseam: "We don't have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem." This of course is a lie. They don't want you looking at corporate and wealthy tax cheaters who do not pay taxes. They want you to blame the poor and those receiving government … Read more
OK, this is kinda funny
April 15, 2011
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by David Safier Tim Steller has a dizzying-but-amusing article in the Star about the $5 million that was supposed to go to Pinal Sheriff Paul Babeu. Let me see if I got this straight. There never was $5 million for Babeu. As the original bill was written, it was supposed to be a sweep from … Read more
[Lack of] Election integrity in Wisconsin
April 15, 2011
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by David Safier If you've been following the Wisconsin Supreme Court elections, you probably know a whopping 14,000 votes were "discovered" by Kathy Nickolaus in Waukesha County, giving Governor Walker's buddy David Prosser a 7,000 vote lead. Nickolaus just kind of forgot to enter them in the only place the county's votes are stored, the … Read more
