The Arizona Republic: John McCain’s media arm endorses Wes Gullett

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Arizona Republic today endorsed Republican mayoral candidate Wes Gullett for mayor of Phoenix. Gullett right for these times. No surprise there: the Arizona Republic has acted as Sen. John McCain's media arm for years, and Wes Gullett is John McCain's close friend and campaign advisor for many years. Whatever Johnny wants Johnny gets from his media arm.

Gullett is also a Republican lobbyist who has campaigned against public employee unions this year, and that is the anti-union Arizona Republic's favorite group of people to hate on. The Republic has had a long and sordid history of anti-unionism for decades. It has focused its hatred on public employees over the past year or so with the ALEC-sponsored public employee pension reform bills. The ALEC-sponsored reforms enacted by the Arizona legislature with the explicit advocacy of the Arizona Republic are now being challenged in court on constitutional grounds.

You really can't trust a newspaper that works hand-in-hand with right-wing lobbyist organizations like ALEC and the Goldwater Institute and for the Arizona Republican Party to advocate for their policies. The Republic cannot claim to be objective factual news reporting when it is selling political propaganda.

The Republic's hatred for public employee unions is evident in these excerpts from its editorial endorsement:

In another time, Stanton would be the right guy. He's articulate, energetic, bursting with ideas on how government can lead the way in finding solutions. While making some changes, he would continue in the tradition of Mayor Phil Gordon.

But this is not the time for that mayor. Major changes are needed at City Hall, and the candidate more likely to tackle that challenge is Wes Gullett.

Gullett recognized from the beginning the need to reform the city's unsustainable pension system, something Stanton was slow to accept. While Stanton takes a cautious, go-slow approach, Gullett presses for making the transition to a 401(k)-style plan. His leadership is more likely to bring the changes necessary to give employees a good retirement plan without overburdening taxpayers.

The city's other benefit programs also need a close look. According to the 2011-12 operating budget, the average employee receives fringe benefits equal to 51 percent of base salary. Private employers aren't that generous. A tax-supported enterprise shouldn't be, either.

Stanton has received substantial support from government-employee unions. He can say that won't keep him from tackling this challenge, but Gullett is more likely to provide firm leadership in restoring the right balance to pay packages.

The Republic's hatred for public employee unions becomes more personal with respect to city council candidate Daniel Valenzuela:

In District 5, Glendale firefighter Daniel Valenzuela and non-profit consultant Brenda Sperduti seek to succeed the term-limited Claude Mattox.

Valenzuela is more closely linked to employee unions than Stanton is. We don't see him supporting necessary changes in pensions or pay practices.

In other words, if you are a public employee, or worse a union employee, you are disqualified from ever serving in public office according to the Arizona Republic. Republican lobbyists, however, not so much.

Why should you care about the extreme bias of the Arizona Republic? First, because it is the state's largest newspaper and affects the quality and tone of news coverage around the state. It's bias gets amplified in the echo chamber of the corporate news media.

Second, because Governor Jan Brewer will introduce a bill in January to end the civil service system as it has existed for over 100 years to return to the Tammany Hall spoils system of political patronage for public employees. Brewer will assert that the civil service system just aids those big bad public employee unions, and that is all the Arizona Republic will need to advocate for her "reform" (repealing the 20th Century and returning to the 19th Century).

Finally, the Tea-Publican legislature will again consider a bill to convert the public employee pension funds into 401(k)-style plans, as the Republic advocates for in its endorsement today. If you are a public employee with a pension fund your retirement future is at risk. The Republic wants to give your pension fund to the banksters of Wall Street to gamble away. As a public employee, you and your pension will be demonized and scapegoated for all the ills of this state by the Arizona Republic.

What we have witnessed in Wisconsin and Ohio this year is the template for the 2012 election. The GOP war on workers is coming to Arizona. And the Arizona Republic will play its part in the right-wing noise machine echo chamber.