Featured Stories
Reformer is the new Maverick
December 19, 2008
by David Safier If you're like me, you can't stand to hear the word Maverick after the steady barrage during the campaign. "You have to admit John McCain is a Maverick. He's been a Maverick in the Senate for 30 years, the original Maverick." "What do you expect? We're a couple of Mavericks. You don't
Southern Insurrection: Destroying The Big 3 to Kill The UAW
December 19, 2008
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Eugene Robinson noted in a recent column that the Republican Party has positioned itself as being against unions, against America's domestic auto industry, against the blue-collar middle class — and also, incredibly, against the Rust Belt states that are home to UAW-represented auto plants and that also regularly tip the balance in
Ideal world/Real world world of school tax credits
December 19, 2008
by David Safier The Arizona legislature is talking about doing away with school tax credits, not this year, but next year, to help close the budget deficit. I've been telling people to give $200 for a single and $400 for a couple to public schools before December 31, but I think the whole tax credit
Goldwater Institute: cut ed, commerce, art, etc.
December 18, 2008
by David Safier From the Phoenix Business Journal: In a likely precursor to proposed budget cuts in 2009, the Goldwater Institute advocates $1 billion in cutbacks to help solve projected shortfalls of up to $2 billion over the next two years. The Libertarian group calls for elimination of the Arizona Office of Tourism and Department of Commerce
Charter/voucher proponents out in force
December 18, 2008
by David Safier The educational "reformers" — meaning the people who agree with the Bush folks (Is that reform we can believe in?) — have been out it force getting their word in the media. We've had all kinds of articles and op eds about the glories of vouchers lately, now that the courts are
Tucson to Jonathan Paton: Don’t Tread on Me!
December 18, 2008
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Ah, senator-elect Jonathan Paton (R-Dist. 30) is up to his old tricks again. Paton is in the business of "gimmicks-R-us" to generate news ink to keep his name in the newspapers. (Unfortunately, I will have to indulge his narcissism once more here.) Who could forget when Paton got the vapors and his
Your Republican legislature at work
December 18, 2008
by David Safier A lawmaker-approved plan to spend $1 billion on building projects at the state's three universities and stimulate the construction industry is likely dead after a legislative committee set to review the package canceled its meeting. There's not much more to say, is there? (But I'll say it anyway.) Pearce & Co. think
A tax on sugar water
December 18, 2008
by David Safier (TASL) Nicholas Kristof has a great column this morning about a proposed 18% tax in New York on soft drinks with sugar and other nondiet sugary beverages. The reasoning is, sugar water doesn't curb your appetite. It actually increases it. So sugared beverages are as much or more of a contributor to
