It’s time, Representative Giffords
July 8, 2009
by David SafierOn Saturday, July 11, Raúl Grijalva is hosting a health care rally (11:30 am [doors open at 11] at the Tucson Convention Center, North Exhibition Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.). Here is his statement. “We need legislation that guarantees healthcare coverage that is affordable, high-quality, accessible and which lowers costs for all consumers,
They’re not just picking on the Tucson City council
July 7, 2009
by David SafierYou know the statewide legislation to make all Arizona city councils nonpartisan, which only affects Tucson? It's not alone. Another bill awaiting the Accidental Guv's signature or veto requires Pinal County to go from three supervisors to five. Though it's a statewide bill, only Pinal County will be affected. Sound familiar? First let's
A clear explanation of what happened Monday
July 7, 2009
by David SafierI've tried to piece together a picture of what happened in Monday's legislative session, with no more than partial success. "Krysten Sinema's Notes" gives me the clearest picture so far. It's dense and compact but very clear. July 6th – 4 bills are passed unanimously by the Legislature. #1 – we fund K-12
Sen. Al Franken swearing in ceremony
July 7, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Hailing from the state of Minnesota and great senators like Hubert H. Humphrey, Walter Mondale, and Paul Wellstone, you can all just indulge me this moment. The right-wing has attempted to smear Al Franken as a jokester and court jester — at the same time they promote Sarah Palin, a natural comedian
Special Session Day One: A rare moment of Zen (kinda)
July 7, 2009
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: The only real surprise from the first day of the Special Session was how quickly the rank hypocrisy of the GOP Caucus was exposed. The all-in gamble by the Accidental Governor aka "Big Casino" by vetoing the entire K-12 budget and thus jeopardizing a July 15 payment to charter schools, a GOP
Brewer: closet liberal union supporter?
July 7, 2009
by David SafierReagan's 11th commandment — "Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican" — has been broken so many times around Phoenix in the past few weeks, I half expect to see the clouds part and hear a thundering rasp from the Great Communicator: "Keep this up, and I'll give you some Communication
Stuff the Bus with school supplies
July 7, 2009
by David SafierFrom Tucson Weekly's The Range: The Tucson Association of Realtors starts its "Stuff the Bus" school-supply drive today. Donations of back-to-school essentials (backbacks, notebooks, binders, etc.) can be dropped off from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Friday, Aug. 7, at the Tucson Association of Realtors Building at 2445 N. Tucson Blvd. Donations
Did education funding really win?
July 7, 2009
by David SafierI've read a bunch of news reports about yesterday's legislative session, but I still have trouble believing it, because I've gotten myself in an all-bad-news-all-the-time groove about the Arizona budget. It looks like K-12 education went from losing hundreds of millions in funding to gaining $100 million from the 2009 funding levels —
