The right to know how tax dollars are spent
March 2, 2019
The just released AZ Auditor General’s Office report on Arizona School District Spending – Fiscal Year 2018 states that, “In fiscal year 2018, Arizona districts spent 54% of available operating dollars on instruction—the second consecutive increase in the instructional spending percentage in 14 years.” It also stated that, “Arizona school districts spent about $3,500 less … Read more
In #AZLeg Tiff, Townsend Shows Bowers The Power of One (video)
March 2, 2019
Crossover Week in the Arizona Legislature is always hectic, but Crossover Week 2019 was also full of drama. Besides rousing debates on the sub-minimum wage, wineries as agritourism, water, license plates and fake meat, there was a Republican tiff brewing between two conservatives– Reps. Kelly Townsend and Anthony Kern– last week. On Wednesday, Townsend started … Read more
The 2020 GOP strategy: a culture war against abortion and Planned Parenthood
March 1, 2019
Republicans have long used their party’s opposition to abortion as a rallying cry and a way to turn out their base voters. The emerging 2020 GOP strategy is a culture war to make abortion the core issue. Trump and Republicans are trying to paint Democrats as radical on abortion: A key component of the strategy: painting … Read more
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild’s last State of the City address
March 1, 2019
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild delivered his annual State of the City address at today’s luncheon hosted by the Tucson Metro, at the Tucson Convention Center. The Mayor has announced that he will not seek his third four-year term, so this will be an open seat for the November General Election, 2019. Full text of … Read more
‘Doctor Evil’ on the Equal Rights Amendment – and a response
March 1, 2019
Last Friday was the deadline for bills to get a hearing in committee in the Arizona legislature. The Arizona Capitol Times reported, ERA, criminal justice reform, legislative immunity bills left to die (excerpt): Equal Rights Amendment Perhaps the most high profile legislation that failed to get committee hearings before the deadline carried national implications for … Read more
#AZ House Republicans Pass $7.25/hour Minimum Wage for Students (video)
March 1, 2019
The worst vote of the 54th session has to be the Republican passage of the sub-minimum wage on Thursday. Rep. Travis Grantham’s HB2523 would allow employers to pay full time students, who work part time and are under 22, the federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour, instead of the voter-approved minimum wage of $11/hour. Republicans and … Read more
Arizona needs a vaccine against regressive Republicans in the Arizona legislature (Updated)
March 1, 2019
In the 20th Century, medical science perfected vaccines for polio, smallpox, and MMR: measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles). Governments and health officials around the world adopted eradication programs to vaccinate every human against these deadly diseases. Polio was once a disease feared worldwide, striking suddenly and paralysing mainly children for life. WHO is a … Read more
PREPARING FOR 2020: DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 20
March 1, 2019
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Planning for the next major elections in 2020 does not start in 2020. It actually started for most Legislative District (LD), County, State, and National Party Apparatuses in December 2018 and January 2019. At the LD level, organizational officers are either reelected or elected. Precinct Captains are asked to stay on while others are recruited. … Read more
