DuVal: Consider Public Banking to Heal Arizona’s Economy (video)

In early 1900s, progressives from both political parties joined forces to create the Non-Partisan League. This led to creation of North Dakata's public bank. (Cartoon published in the Non-Partisan Leader in 1912.)
In early 1900s, progressives from both political parties joined forces to form the Nonpartisan League and create North Dakota’s public bank. One of the original goals was to save family farms from foreclosure by big banks. Thanks to North Dakota’s public bank and its local investment policy, it was the only state whose economy didn’t collapse during the 2008-09 Wall Street crash. (Cartoon published in the Non-Partisan Leader in 1912.)

Both gubernatorial candidates agree that Arizona’s economy is not performing well, but they don’t agree on what to do about it.

Republican candidate Doug Ducey likes to ask audiences how many of them are from somewhere else, and of course, some people always raise their hands. Ducey’s conclusion is that because of Arizona’s great weather, people will continue to move here– despite the shortage of good-paying jobs (and water). Tourism, transplants, and related services have made money for Arizona and will continue to do so, Ducey contends.

To please his corporate donors, Ducey’s economic plan is to push for more unaffordable corporate tax cuts and follow other red state governors– most notably Kansas’ Sam Brownback and NJ’s Chris Christie— to the poor house. He also wants to duck the court order requiring the state to fully fund education (instead of paying back the $1.6 billion that the Arizona Legislature illegally took from schools). Ducey is offering more of Governor Jan Brewer’s failed Tea Party economic policies: give tax cuts even though we’re broke, balance the budget on the backs of the school children and the middle class, hope people will continue to move here, and quietly pray for more water. This is what Ducey calls “kick starting the economy.”

As Democratic Party candidate Fred DuVal aptly points out, Ducey’s plan is based upon “tooth fairy economics” (AKA trickle down economics). Although DuVal is sometimes vague on specifics, at least he doesn’t rely on magical thinking to solve Arizona’s economic woes. In debates and speeches, DuVal talks about growing local small businesses to re-build Arizona’s economy, vows to repay what the Republican Legislature stole from the schools, ties a strong public education system to economic expansion, and suggests student loan relief for teachers.

How can DuVal do all of this? One bold non-partisan strategy is to establish a public bank to keep Arizona tax money at home and use it for local investment…

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Gov Brewer Floods LD9 Race with Dark Money for Orr

Gov.-Jan-Brewer-adjGovernor Jan Brewer is flooding Tucson’s legislative district 9 race with $101,000 to buy the seat for Republican Ethan Orr. In addition to the Brewer donations, 63% of Orr’s $49,000 has come from from dark money donors. In comparison, challenger Dr. Randy Friese has raised $115,000 in the same time period, with only 3% coming from political action committees (PAC).

From the Friese campaign…

Brewer PAC floods LD-9 with over $100,000 in dark money

Clear struggle between grass roots voter support and dark money influences

Tucson, Arizona — Numbers posted today on the Arizona Secretary of State’s website show that Governor Jan Brewer has pumped over $101,000 in independent expenditures into the LD-9 race in hopes of purchasing the seat for the Republican candidate, Ethan Orr. This money comes from Arizona’s Legacy, Brewer’s Political Action Committee.

“This seems to show a great level of desperation,” said Cheryl Cage, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Dr. Randy Friese, “and we view this as an indication that polls being conducted by the Republicans are showing that this seat is highly competitive.  It is equally interesting that Orr touts himself as a moderate, but is supported by a Governor that issues press releases that state the marriage equality ruling is ‘disappointing and deeply disturbing’. 

Of the $49,288 Orr has raised by himself during this cycle (since Jan 1 2014) over $31,000 has come from other PAC donations.

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Tea Party

2010 Arizona Tea Party Dream Team: 4 Down, 1 to Go

Oh, boo, hoo. The Blog for Arizona commenters think I am being too tough on poor millionaire GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Ducey. Let’s not forget that Ducey– along with fellow Teapublicans Governor Jan “Papers Please” Brewer, Department of Education Superintendent John “Thucydides” Huppenthal, Ken “Birther” Bennett, and Tom “Banned for Life by the SEC” Horne— were … Read more

No, wobbly Democrats, Scott Smith is (still) not your GOP boyfriend

Crossposted at DemocraticDiva.com

Former Mesa Mayor and AZ GOP Gubernatorial candidate Scott Smith got an undeniable boost on Thursday. He was not only endorsed by Governor Brewer (which everyone expected would happen, though it’s curious that they waited until after mail-in ballots dropped to do it) but AZ Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill swiftly cancelled a meeting with Smith backers in which he was going to try and get them to switch to Doug Ducey. This is a big deal. Smith’s team reports a big bump in fundraising overnight and, with Christine Jones’ campaign fading fast, Smith has a real chance in that primary. Smith will enjoy strong LDS support now that Ken Bennett is no longer a contender and it looks like he’s going to take business establishment support away from Ducey. (I still consider Ducey the favorite based on his early fundraising advantage, all the name ID he’s gotten with his feud with Jones, the continued dark money support from radical right wing moneybags, and the tendency of GOP primary voters to select the biggest asshole who is also electable in the general.)

Needless to say, this Scott Smith development caused a resurgence in the cooing and swooning that tends to overtake some of the more softhearted liberals/left-of-center types in Arizona where he is concerned. It’s so bad at this point that I’ve seen some Democrats bragging on Facebook how they changed their registration to get Republican ballots to vote for their dreamboat.

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