Facebook Posting by Democratic Secretary of State Candidate Katie Hobbs showing Republican Governor Doug Ducey posing with White Supremacists.
Recently on YouTube, I happened by a scene from one of the all-time great comedies Monty Python’s “Life of Brian.” While not as good as “The Holy Grail,” there are many funny moments.
The scene which inspired this piece (link below) is when the Judean revolutionaries ask “What have the Romans Ever Done for Us?” The gathering then brought up the many contributions the Romans did make to the Judean Society. It is a very funny scene.
With that in mind, it came to mind to write down what have the Republicans done to us at the State and Federal Level over the last 30 years. They have:
It has come to this. Today’s America (and Arizona) is the result of 40 years of conservative southern strategizing, negotiating Faustian bargains with segregationist Democrats and the evangelical community. It is the result of dog whistle ads like the “Willie Horton” ad in 1988, obstructing two Democratic administrations on issues like infrastructure, healthcare, raising wages, and immigration that the people wanted. It is the result of gerrymandering congressional districts that give them majorities when the Democrats win the national vote, and embracing underhanded tactics with domestic and (in the case of 2016) foreign sources that “stole” the election from the people’s choice for President.
Expelled LD 13 State Representative Don Shooter, one of the worst examples of public servants in Arizona.
Over the last week, the GOP which regularly touts its commitment to inclusion and family values has nominated a self-admitted white nationalist and Confederate supporter to run for the Senate in Virginia and a brothel owner to run for a Congressional seat in Nevada.
With examples such as these, it should be no surprise that an individual expelled from the Arizona State House of Representatives for sexual harassment would think he would have an opportunity to elevate himself to the Arizona State Senate.
Like many reactionary and self-absorbed members of his party, Don Shooter is one of the worst examples of public servants in Arizona.
In some ways, Democrats should hope he gets the nomination. Shooter, along with “let’s take away your rights” Vince Leach, “ISIS is going to invade us from Mexico” Mark Finchem and “There are not enough white kids” David Stringer are poster candidates for why the Democrats need to return to power. However, decency prevails and the residents of LD 13 should not reward bad behavior and allow Shooter to run for the State Senate.
State Representative Leach favors dark money and subsidizing the rich.
State Representative Vincent Leach of Legislative District 11 and other reactionary zealots like him sure act like big government promoters when it comes to their anti-democratic agenda.
Leach has sponsored ideas such as:
Protecting Dark Money contributors.
Overruling local election results and ballot initiatives, such as whether local towns can prohibit plastic bags in stores.
Opposing a woman’s right to choose.
Allowing taxpayer money to help students choose private religious schools.
LD11 spans from Maricopa in the north to the tip of Tucson in the south.
A self-described conservative, Leach has an A rating from both the Oliver North led National Rifle Association and the American Conservative Union, yet poor marks with the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, and the Children’s Action Alliance. A SaddleBrooke resident, Representative Leach has been in the Arizona State House since 2015. He is now the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety, Infrastructure, and Resources and Vice Chairman of the House and Ways Committee.
Ralph Atchue sees himself as an open-minded problem solver
A former Air Force veteran, union steward, and postmaster from the Chicago area, LD 11 State Senate Clean Elections Candidate Ralph Atchue has launched a grassroots campaign pledging to be a consensus builder.
Atchue advocates a robust forward-looking program that includes investments in public education, comprehensive tax reform, green energy, and transportation innovations like a high-speed rail line from Tucson to Phoenix and later Las Vegas.
Gaining perspective on the competing positions from both labor as a union steward and management as a postmaster general, Atchue sees himself (unlike his opponent for the State Senate, Vince Leach) as a problem solver who can forge inclusive consensus among all stakeholders by bringing them together, discussing the issues, and arriving at compromise solutions that will be agreeable to all parties.
By prioritizing progress, individuals, families, and small businesses, Atchue believes that the residents of LD 11 will be better served that way rather than emphasizing the reactionary and obstructionist interests of the Dark Money groups that Leach subscribes to. (See AZ’s Worst Legislator: Vince Leach, not a Servant of the People in LD 11)
Seeing himself as an open-minded problem solver rather than being tied to any ideological program, Atchue’s campaign looks to attract all parties: Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who want common sense solutions that provide for the greater long-term good of the district. Independents and Republicans have joined Democrats in volunteering to help his campaign as they strive to knock on 2,000 doors a month to bring the candidates inclusive message.
