Arizona

TUSD Unitary Status Plan: Multiple ways to comment (without leaving your house)

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Post-unitary-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Parents, students, teachers, and activists have been abuzz in recent weeks about the new Proposed Desegregation/Unitary Status Plan for Tucson Unified School District (TUSD).

Mexican American Studies (MAS) advocates see the new plan as a potential way to bring back the program that was killed a year ago by the TUSD Governing Board, after it was found by the State of Arizona to be in violation of HB2281 and, therefore, in the opinion of the government… illegal. 

This week, three pulbic forums will be held, and after those meetings, the plan's public review and comment period will end on Nov. 28, 2012. Information about the forums and other ways to comment on the proposed plan (without leaving your house) after the jump.

Wal-Mart Black Friday protests statewide in Arizona (video)

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Huelga209-sm72by Pamela Powers Hannley

Wal-Mart workers, unionists, and supporters protested Wal-Mart's unfair labor practices and low wages in Arizona and across the country on Black Friday, Nov. 23, 2012. In dueling press releases on Saturday, representatives from the United Food and Commercial Workers reported 1000 protests nationwide at Wal-Mart stores, while the retail giant said they had the largest Black Friday ever and that the protests didn't hurt their business.

In Tempe, protesters nearly blocked the flow of traffic in and out of a Wal-Mart parking lot. Representatives from the Unitarian Universalist Church– dressed in their Standing on the Side of Love t-shirts– tried to peacefully deliver a letter a letter to the store manager but were quickly stopped by Wal-Mart security, who called in police. (Interestingly, when I was shooting my video on Black Friday in Tucson, store security hopped out of an unmarked beater car in the lot and stopped me from filming by threatening to call the police.)

After the jump, watch Phoenix videographer Dennis Gilman's video of protests in Maricpoa County. Tucson video is here.

Immigration reform: What role will Ron Barber play?

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The Republican vs Republican-lite Congressional District 2 race has finally been called. Congressman Ron Barber defeated Colonel Marthy McSally in a very tight contest.

With the special election primary, the special election, and the general election, Barber has been running for office for 10 months of this year. Now, he can finally relax into his new Capitol Hill seat.

But, wait, there’s more… now, he has to stand up and be our Congressman.

And immigration reform– a hot-button Southern Arizona issue, for sure– is at the top of President Barack Obama’s priority list, after his rainbow-hued election win. With his delayed deportation for Dreamers and his focus on deporting undocumented criminals (and not your housekeeper), Obama has been inching forward on immigration reform.

What will the role of Baja Arizona’s new Congressman be? Find out after the jump.

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Sonoran Alliance says ‘grassroots effort’ (not dark money) defeated Props 121 &204

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by Pamela Powers Hannley

Sonoran Alliance— a conservative mouthpiece– has reported that a "strong grassroots effort" by staunch Arizona conservatives defeated Proposition 121 (open primaries) and Proposition 204 (permanent 1 cent sales tax to fund education) in the recent election.

The video accompanying the story features dark money king Robert Graham lauding volunteers for making phone calls, writing letters, and talking to their friends about the two propositions and thus triumphing on election day.

This a great fairy tale to make the base feel good. Too bad it's not true.

Both propositions were defeated by huge dark money donations by Americans for Responsible Leadership, who funneled $900,000 in out-of-state money into Arizona to defeat Prop 204 and $600,000 to defeat Prop 121. The same group also funneled $11 million worth of dark money into two California campaigns.  Talking Points Memo reported that Americans for Repsonsible Leadership admited to "campaign money laundering" related to the California donations. 

Former Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams is the president of Americans for Responsible Leadership, and Graham is the director. Graham has a vested interest in making Arizona's Republicans feel all warm and fuzzy inside. He wants to be their next statewide chair. 

Having a dark money Koch Brothers puppet as head of the Arizona Republican Party– now that is scary. Watch the Graham video after the jump.

Border bust: Barking dog earns her kibble (video)

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Ding-caliby Pamela Powers Hannley

When my dogs race out the doggie door at night and start barking at passers-by, I figure they're just doing their job–warning ne'er-do-wells to move along and not linger by my gate. After all, there are plenty of seedy characters wandering the dimly-lit streets of midtown and downtown Tucson at night. If you live near the US-Mexico border, the seedy characters your barking dog encounters could be much more dangerous than drunken students, hookers, or small-time dope dealers.

After the jump, watch what this Bisbee dog found outside of her fence.