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CONSERVATIVE PERSPECTIVE Bitter-Smith, You're No Conservative By The Arizona Conservative Seems Susan Bitter-Smith, a pro-abortion RINO candidate in the upcoming Sept. 2nd primary race for Congressional District 5, is passing herself off as a "conservative" in her advertising. She's even got Sheriff Joe Arpaio billing her as a ... "conservative" on radio spots. What's really insulting is to see the RINO on TV ads portraying herself as a ... you guessed it, "Reagan Republican." Well, we knew Ronald Reagan, and, Bitter-Smith, you're no "conservative." The Gipper would be appalled to know you were exploiting his good name for your selfish political gain. Don't be fooled, voter folks. The last time we heard a claim this far-fetched was back in '02 when Stevie May -- endorsed by Planned Parenthood -- ran radio ads claiming to be a "conservative." Governor's State Budget Slams Door on Education for Disabled Children By Cathi Herrod, President, Center for Arizona
Policy SCOTTSDALE -- The reality of the new state budget is hitting home for
about 400 kids who were able this past year to attend the schools of
their parents' choosing through the scholarship programs for disabled
and foster children. At the end of June, the Arizona Supreme Court
prevented a court decision striking down the voucher programs from
taking effect while the case is appealed. However, the 2008-2009 budget
completely cuts the funding for the programs, yanking the rug out from
underneath these families with extraordinary needs. Attempts by several
legislators to use leftover money in the House budget to fund the
programs were foiled by the Attorney General. SHADEGG SPEAKS AT HOMOSEXUAL PRESSURE GROUP FUNDRAISER June 11, 2008 PHOENIX -- There's a surprise name on the list of guests appearing at the 17th annual Equality Arizona awards dinner June 14 -- U.S. Cong. John Shadegg, Republican-CD3. Shadegg is the only conservative on the guest list, joining Cong. Harry Mitchell, liberal State Sen. Carolyn Allen and other liberals at the annual homosexual activist fundraiser. An email flyer promotes the event's guest list as a "who's-who of Arizona politics, the LGBT community, and our allies, as we come together to celebrate the accomplishments of our community." Liberal radio talk show hosts Beth and Bill, who frequently mischaracterized the Protect Marriage Arizona amendment in 2006, are the headline speakers for the homosexual activist event. GREEN SCHOOLS LEGISLATION DESERVES AN F
By Dan Lips, Goldwater Institute
Every 26 seconds, a student drops out of high school in the United States.
National test scores reveal that half of all low-income fourth graders cannot
read. Given such alarming statistics, you'd think that helping at-risk kids
would be the top education-related priority on Capitol Hill.
SEN. FLAKE DEAD AT 72 By Cathi Herrod, President PHOENIX -- Yesterday, Arizona State Senator Jake Flake passed away at his home in Snowflake. Mr. Flake was a kind, gentle man. He always had a good word and a warm handshake or hug to share. His commitment to family values was unwavering. Sen. Flake was one of those members whom we could always count on whether the issue was pro-life, pro-marriage, or pro-religious freedom. He was solid, standing firm on behalf of family values. As the Arizona Republic noted today, Mr. Flake "knew that Arizona's future lies in the strength of its families, not the size of its government." One of the most respected members of the state legislature by all, he will be missed. Please keep Mr. Flake's family, his fellow lawmakers, and his many friends in your prayers.GOVERNOR NEEDS TO ACCEPT FEDERAL ABSTINENCE FUNDING
By Lina Hatch, President In January 2008, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano rejected federal dollars to fund curriculum aimed at eliminating risk for STDs and teen pregnancy among Arizona’s youth. Abstinence until marriage has been taught in this state since 1998 with positive results – and there are numbers to prove it. During the first five years of the state’s abstinence education program, the Arizona teen pregnancy rate fell by 23.1 percent. In 2005, the pregnancy rate dropped again – this time by a whopping 31 percent. This is a program that Arizona should be proud of. Concerned Arizonans must ask: “Why cut a proven and successful program aimed at keeping our youth safe and disease-free?” These are difficult times for our youth. They need to know that there is a 100-percent sure way to avoid pregnancy and STDs. and. Our youth need the tools and defenses necessary to avoid the harmful consequences that pre-marital sex can impose. Our youth need to know that abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage is the expected standard. Abstinence until marriage education is the key. Your support of abstinence until marriage education will benefit every Arizonan. We can not look the other way while our elected officials reject and undermine such beneficial and timely programs. Your action is essential to continuing what has proven to be a positive and successful program for our youth. Please take a moment to contact the governor’s office and your respective state legislators to let them know of your commitment to abstinence education. You may want to make one or all of the following points:
Thank you for your support for abstinence education. Together we can continue this important funding. Office of Governor Janet Napolitano 1700 West Washington-101A Contact Information for Arizona Senate Members Contact Information for Arizona House of Representatives Members MORE SPENDING ON AHCCS, WITH NO END OR RESULTS IN SIGHT
By Byron Schlomach, Goldwater Institute From 2000 to 2008, spending by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (Arizona's state-funded health program for low-income families, AHCCCS) is expected to nearly triple. For all that spending, you'd think we'd have made some progress in increasing the percentage of Arizonans with health insurance. The graph below is evidence to the contrary.
The percentage of all Arizonans without health insurance actually increased from 16 percent in 2000 to 20.9 percent in 2006 (the latest data available). Since 2000, the uninsured rate has risen by 31 percent. This happened during a period of rapid budget increases for AHCCCS. To be fair, Arizona's population rose steadily over the seven years illustrated in the graph. Inflation pushed up costs, too. But General Fund spending on AHCCCS as shown in the graph is adjusted for population (per capita) and for inflation ("real," 2006 dollars). Nevertheless, even this heavily adjusted spending measure showed an increase of 46 percent from 2000 to 2006. Advocates for government health spending have made health insurance coverage their measure of success, but with numbers like these, it's better characterized as a measure of failure. After all, 49 percent of Arizona's adults with incomes under the federal poverty level are uninsured, despite being eligible for the open-ended Medicaid program.
Policymakers should make health insurance more affordable at the state level by
eliminating coverage mandates and letting people buy insurance across state
lines. But, increased government health spending isn't translating into
fewer uninsured people.
By Cathi Herrod, President, Center for Arizona Policy Today at the National Press Club in Washington,
D.C., several organizations unveiled the results of first-ever research that
calculates the taxpayer cost from high rates of divorce and unmarried
childbirth. The study was the joint effort of the Institute for American Values,
the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Georgia Family Council and
Families Northwest. THE MYTH OF HELPLESSNESS By Matthew Ladner, Goldwater Institute On April 4th, Arizona School Board Association analyst Michael Martin wrote a column opposing the state takeover of the Roosevelt school district. He asserts that widespread lead poisoning is the cause of Roosevelt's problems.
In our state of 6 million people, the Arizona Department of Health Services finds approximately 250 confirmed cases statewide annually where lead levels in the blood are above the federal standard. Confirmed childhood cases are fewer in number. Based on the fact that there were a few incidents where federal levels were exceeded, Martin theorizes the existence of widespread low level lead poisoning throughout the Roosevelt school district. The evidence Martin brings to bear is paper thin for such an extraordinary claim. Two of the three zip codes of the Roosevelt school district are listed as at higher risk for lead poisoning. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, this mostly relates to the use of certain folk remedies and Mexican pottery. By the way, the zip code for the area where the Goldwater Institute resides in has a risk factor more than three times greater. Strangely, two of the top charter schools in the state operate a stone's throw away from the Institute. The Millennium Worldwide Academy also failed to get the lead poisoning memo. Located in the heart of the Roosevelt district, educating Roosevelt area kids, the school's students have no problem humiliating Ph.D.s with their knowledge of history. Ms. Kelmer, Millennium's headmaster, accepts no excuses and gets results. I wish I could say the same for ASBA. If they have evidence of widespread low level lead poisoning, they need to present it. Otherwise, the Arizona School Board Association will have taken the myth of public school helplessness, already an excuse for inaction, to a new record low. ARIZONA'S FISCAL INSANITY CONTINUES By State Rep. Russell Pearce PHOENIX -- This legislative session is shaping up as a rout for fiscal conservatives. State revenues are basically stagnant. Ordinarily, tight revenues provide the opportunity to trim creeping governmentalism. For state government, that doesn't seem to be in the cards. The Napolitano administration has succeeded in running out the clock on significant budget cuts for this fiscal year, which ends in June. As state Treasurer Dean Martin has documented, there has been no slowdown in the pace of state spending and now there isn't enough remaining to cut in any meaningful way. So, there's not much left to do but cover over the general fund deficit with debt, fund sweeps and accounting gimmicks and pretend it's balanced. The budget for next year is unlikely to be any different. Napolitano holds all the budget cards and there will be enough budgetary legerdemain to get through another year, again at least on paper. Republican legislative leadership, particularly in the Senate, doesn't seem to have any interest in a budget showdown with Napolitano. And there probably wouldn't be enough Republican legislators willing to make significant cuts in any event. So, on the budget, spenders are probably going to win and fiscal conservatives are going to lose, big time. There are, however, several fiscal conservative ideas floating around that wouldn't affect current spending, but would put the state on a more disciplined future path. The Left has tried to blame tax cuts for the current budget deficit, but a look at the trend in state spending indicates that it is primarily responsible. Since 2003, expenditures subject to the state spending limit have increased as a percentage of personal income from 5.4 percent to 6.6 percent. That means that the state is spending $2.6 billion more than if it had instead increased spending at the same rate as the people's ability to pay for it. The state spending limit is currently 7.41 percent of personal income. That means that there is still $1.8 billion of unused spending capacity. The first thing that should be done is to reduce the state spending limit to the current 6.6 percent. This wouldn't require any budget cuts. It would only mean that state spending in the future couldn't grow any faster than the ability of the people to pay for it. People are upset about rising property taxes and values. There is a political opportunity to put in place some kind of valuation freeze. That would eliminate the game local politicians play by pocketing the increased revenue from rising values while claiming fiscal virtue for having held the line on rates. Because of the Voter Protection Act, the most sensible response to the kind of deep budget deficits the state currently faces, an across-the-board spending freeze, is unconstitutional. That's because voters said they didn't want the legislature messing with approved ballot measures and then voters approved large, mandated spending increases. Voters should be asked to give the legislature some flexibility to adopt across-the-board budget freezes or cuts when state revenues fall below population growth and inflation. That would retain the relative spending priorities voters decided through ballot measures but not senselessly outlaw a logical approach to managing during periods of tight revenues. Finally, there is the proposal to permanently repeal the state's portion of the property tax, which is in the midst of a three year suspension. This is simply a declaration that, in the future, tax hikes aren't going to be used to compensate for the failure to rein in spending. Of these ideas, only the property tax repeal seems to have much traction in the legislature, but it is stalled due to Napolitano's opposition and two recalcitrant Senate Republicans – Carolyn Allen and Tom O'Halleran. My guess is that when the budget negotiators come down from the mountain and present the deal, fiscal conservatives in and out of the legislature are going to be appalled. Meanwhile, reform ideas to create a more disciplined future will be going nowhere. The last time conservatives were shut out on fiscal issues there was a political backlash. A lot of moderate Republicans lost their seats in contested primaries. The reaction will take a different form this time, simply because there are so few moderate Republicans remaining to target. I suspect that there will be a reaction of some political consequence, nevertheless. POLITICIANS SHOULD USE TAXPAYER FUNDS TO INFORM, NOT TO SELF-PROMOTE
By Clint Bolick, Goldwater Institute In a state with subsidized elections and draconian limits on campaign contributions, every advantage counts. One in particular is a whopper: self-promotion by elected officials at taxpayer expense.
The officials defend the need for the publications, which misses the point. However legitimate a particular publication, the photo and name are wholly gratuitous, providing nothing of value except to the politician who wants to increase name identification and associate with popular issues for future campaigns. Sen. Jim Waring has sponsored legislation to curb the practice altogether. Public officials still can publish whatever they want, and identify the office or agency that sponsors it, but they cannot include their own names or photographs. The approach nicely separates wheat from chaff. Elected officials should be ecstatic, because the bill would reduce costs and give them extra space in their publications to fill with useful information, which surely is their true motivation. Mysteriously, opposition to the Waring bill has been tenacious. But it still has a chance for passage, after which it would arrive on the desk of Gov. Janet Napolitano, one of the frequent abusers of taxpayer dollars for self-promotion. This issue, like the notorious check-cashing scheme in the U.S. House of Representatives awhile back, has a populist throw-out-the-rascals quality to it. Let's hope our legislators decide to police themselves, lest the voters police them at the ballot box. LANDLORDS COULD LOSE PROPERTY FOR IMPROPER PAPERWORK
By Byron Schlomach, Goldwater Institute The 1990 movie, "The Hunt for Red October," has a poignant scene in which the Soviet submarine captain and his second-in-command contemplate what they will do once they defect to America.
The movie came out contemporaneously with the collapse of the Soviet empire, and I have to admit being exceedingly proud of that dialogue at the time. "No papers?" Nope, heck no, not in these United States, not even with a Russian accent during the Cold War. Now it seems that Arizona is increasingly the kind of state that says "Papers, please." A bill currently being considered would require landlords to determine the immigration status of prospective tenants. If landlords don't procure the right papers from their tenants, they could potentially lose their property. Having been both a tenant and a landlord, I can tell you that landlords ask for lots of information, checking references, credit ratings, and bank balances. Landlords take enough risk allowing others to use their property. They certainly do not need their government becoming an adversary that can confiscate their property for improper tenant ID. We must be careful that when trying to address one problem, we don't create others. Requiring landlords to do the job of the federal, state, and local governments is a move fundamentally in the wrong direction. ELOQUENT SPEECH, TROUBLING IDEAS
Barack Obama just gave an eloquent speech, but one that does not address the underlying nature of Senator Obama's beliefs. Rev. Jeremiah Wright, like Mr. Obama, believes in a state-centered 21st century form of big-government socialism. This 21st century form of socialism is at the heart of the Liberation Theology Rev. Wright preaches from the pulpit. Today, Mr. Obama again made it clear, with all his eloquence, that he still embraces these beliefs that would require dismantling the free-market system that has made our country's economy the most prosperous in all of human history. In contrast to Liberation Theology, the Christian orthodoxy teaches about the nature of God, the nature of man, the relationship between the two in this life and about the hereafter. Liberation Theology, on the other hand, is a belief system about political agendas, socialistic economic policy and redistribution of wealth. Proponents of Liberation Theology, like Rev. Wright, teach that God commands us to form a government that will supervise our economy to create government-subsidized jobs under central-government planning; guarantee healthcare and education by having government control both; and achieve 'economic equality' by redistributing wealth through massive taxes on the affluent and massive government entitlements for the poor. And it advocates replacing governments that do not embrace this socialistic agenda. Those are the beliefs of Liberation Theology." ADDRESSING THE PACHYDERM COALITION'S RATING SYSTEM FOR ARIZONA LEGISLATORS By Dennis Durband, Editor Late last week, leaders of the Pachyderm Coalition (PC) and I exchanged a series of email messages about The Arizona Conservative's criticism of the coalition's rating of State Rep. Michelle Reagan as a "Reagan conservative." (See the post below for background). The PC did not accept the criticism well. The rating system was devised by Howard Levine of the coalition. Here is the message I sent to Howard on Monday: I laud the PC for its efforts to hold legislators' feet to the fire over the entire course of the legislative session. I would merely set stricter standards for doing that than the standards the coalition has accepted.
I would give all 90 legislators a letter grade for each evaluation
period and save the descriptors until the final comprehensive rating
period. Grades of 92 percent or higher would receive an A, 84-91
percent a B, 76-83 percent a C, 68-75 percent a D and 67 percent and
below an F.
The present system does not take into account the fact that someone
can score an 85 overall for a ratings period and still get a 0 on
sanctity of life bills. Sanctity of life is the hallmark of
conservatism. It is the starting point. One cannot be considered a
"Reagan Republican" by scoring 0 on life bills, regardless of how
they've rated on fiscal issues. Conservatism is consistency across the
board; it is not scoring highly on fiscal matters and bottoming out on
social issues. It is not a legislator with wild fluctuations.
I have great difficulties with the following rating system,
which rewards mediocrity and defines Reaganism downward, in my
opinion. This is a subjective area, but I think most conservatives
would be closer to my viewpoint (below):
Pachyderm Coaltion Rating System Legislators are assigned to a Group based on their latest rating. Over 75 is a Reagan Republican. Over 50 is a Pro-Freedom Republican. Over 25 is a Republican. Over 0 is a Big Government Republican. Zero or less is a Republican
In Name Only (RINO) The Arizona Conservative's suggested rating system Legislators are assigned to a Group based on their latest rating. 90 or higher is a Reagan Republican. 80 or higher is a Pro-Freedom Republican. 71-79 needs improvement 70 or less is a Republican In Name Only (RINO). As an aside from my message to Levine, I think it only reasonable that Republicans and especially conservative Republicans ought to easily be able to score highly in the short haul and over the entire course of a legislative session. That's not too much to ask. Also, I wouldn't design a rating system that included pluses and minuses, but merely give lawmakers five points for a correct vote and zero points for an incorrect vote. Other conservative organizations merely determine the number of correct votes compared to a set number of votes and then divide correct votes by total votes to come up with a percentage. Either system is fair.
FINANCIAL PRIVACY IS COMMON CENTS By Benjamin Barr, Goldwater Institute What's the value of your financial privacy? You know, things like your checking account and banking records. For most of us, the less others know, the better. That's why it comes as such a surprise that Arizona rates near the bottom of states when it comes to protecting financial privacy.
However, it's not just identity thieves Arizonans should be worried about. Government employees are legally allowed to access the personal financial records of citizens. Most states protect against potential abuse of this law, but Arizona does not. The state legislature is currently considering a simple step to remedy this. Representative Sam Crump introduced HB 2375 to require government bodies to demonstrate probable cause to obtain a warrant should they wish to search or seize financial records. Requiring probable cause isn't a new concept; it's what we ordinarily ask government to do before it delves into our private affairs. The idea of demanding probable cause, or some justifiable excuse, before the government can pry into your financial records isn't exactly revolutionary. The American tradition purposefully safeguards citizens from government intrusion. That doesn't stop the police or investigators from doing their jobs. It only requires government to respect basic constitutional rights and the privacy of citizens. REP. REAGAN'S NO REAGAN REPUBLICAN By The Arizona Conservative The Pachyderm Coalition is a good organization. It's a conservative organization. The PC has just released a rating of the state's top legislators. The ratings have one major flaw. State Rep. Michelle Reagan, a pro-choice liberal RINO from Scottsdale, is listed as a "Reagan Republican." If that's the case, it is not a Ronald Reagan Republican, but a Michelle Reagan Republican. She is regularly endorsed by Planned Parenthood. Furthermore, she has never voted correctly on any pro-life bills and she has never received a "Friend of the Taxpayers" award. What gives with the Pachyderms? HAVE WE GONE MAD OR WHAT? By The Family Research Council While the nation's businesses desperately try to compete in tough economic times, the government is working to burden them with yet another massive expense. Under H.R. 1424, employers who offer group health plans would be required to provide "substance-related disorder benefits" and mental health care coverage that includes treatment for, among other things, jet lag, sibling rivalry, caffeine "intoxication," cross-dressing "fetishism," pedophilia, necrophilia, and gender identity disorders. Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) as its guide, H.R. 1424 would force employers to provide employees who have psycho-sexual "conditions" the same level of treatment benefits as patients with medical diagnoses--at company expense! PLANNED PARENTHOOD: RACISTS R US! By The
Family Research Council
Students at UCLA are so infuriated by the investigation that they are
petitioning the university to cut all affiliation with Planned
Parenthood. What few people realize is that the organization has a
history of racism that has been ingrained since Planned Parenthood's
earliest days, when founder Margaret Sanger advocated negative eugenics
and spoke to a woman's branch of the KKK (Margaret Sanger, An
Autobiography, 1938, p. 336-367). However, as is customary for
Planned Parenthood, the organization has managed for decades to cover
its tracks--and the facts. That task has just been made monumentally
more difficult. Abortion has taken the innocent lives of over 14 million
black children--a national tragedy that has begun uniting and mobilizing
African-Americans across party, state, and financial lines. SHAMELESS KNOW-IT-ALL GOVNA DECLARES RENZI GUILTY, UNFIT FOR SERVING Feb. 27, 2008 The state's leading self-proclaimed know-it-all/final authority on everything, Governess Janet "Napolitburo" today called for Cong. Rick Renzi to resign from office. At the same time, the state's leading conservative voice, The Arizona Conservative, calls for Napolitburo to resign from office -- for years of fiscal insanity that centers on criminality. After all, the Arizona Constitution requires a balanced budget and the guvna has altogether missed the target more than she's hit it. Napolitburo has personally driven Arizona into nine-figure debts on several occasions -- through foolish, reckless, feckless and shameful overspending. She flunked all-day kindergarten economics class (a grade level -100 course) decades ago, and it's showing now. She's made circus meisters Barnum, Bailey and Ringling look like rank amateurs with her gimmick solutions. She's done rollovers from one fiscal year to another, twirled smoke and mirrors and stuffed rabbits back into hats to cover her tracks. This slippery escape artist has won the "Houdini Award" five years running. So, to call on Renzi to step down before he's had his day in court is the heighth of arrogance. She's just itching to name her girl Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday Kris Mayes to the vacancy his resignation would create. That would give liberals a 5-3 lead in state congressional seats. That would earn JN a nice position in President Hussein Obama's administration and a soapbox to America. Janet, you would gain more credibility by calling for liberal shakedown artist William Jefferson to resign. Sure, his day in court is coming, too, but we've already got the video tape of his "banking" of dirty money. It's an open and shut case, unless the judge is a Clintonista appointee who hasn't learned the meaning of what "guilt" is. But with Republicans, evidence matters not a wit to the esteemed Leftist opposition; it's the seriousness of the charge that counts for everything. Like a true devotee of the Leftist playbook, Napolitburo would no doubt try to deny Renzi of legal representation for his day in kangaroo court. Meanwhile, we paupers have less than three years of Napolitburo holding our hand and speaking down to us. Maybe less? How will we survive after this lame duck quacks off to Washington? BARKLEY: CNN’S USEFUL IDIOT Feb. 21, 2008 Charles Barkley, the old faithful of spouters-off everywhere, became CNN’s useful idiot Friday when he spouted off to Wolf Blitzer about conservatives” “Hey, I live in Arizona. I have got great respect for Senator McCain. Great respect. But I don't like the way the Republicans are taking this country. Every time I hear the word ‘conservative,’ it makes me sick to my stomach, because they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are. But I just -- I'm going to vote Democratic no matter what.” Blitzer played the role of good cop, offering Barkley an opportunity to take back his bitter criticisms, without success. CNN gave the mighty mouth an opportunity to disparage conservatives without allowing equal time for a rebuttal, confirming its well known political bias. Thus, Barkley served as a useful idiot for the “Clinton News Network.” Barkley also said he is pro-choice, favors of same-sex “marriage” and in his judgment, conservatives are too judgmental. Also, he said Republicans had lost their mind. He just bought a house in his native Alabama in order to fulfill a seven-year requirement to run for governor there in 2014. Memo to Barkley: We’d prefer to see you use that house immediately, instead of your home in Arizona. More memos: It’s a shame you turn a blind eye to the fact that many abortion mills are located in black neighborhoods, and a highly disproportionate percentage of African-American babies are aborted. And that’s just the way the racist founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, wanted it. You, Charles, could do a great service to African-Americans by pointing out the truth of abortion’s dirty little racial secret. Furthermore, it’s a shame you believe that boys and girls do not have the right to grow up with a father and a mother in their household. Children lacking one or the other parent – especially the father – fall prey to a long list of social ills. Have you not heard of the blight of “Fatherless America”? If conservatives are “judgmental,” I wonder what it is that you do on your TNT basketball broadcasts all winter long. You’re not holding back judgment on anyone. And you did not hold back judgment on conservatives last Friday. You said conservatives are “false Christians,” implying that you know something of the Christian faith and something about Biblical tents of judging. Here’s what the Good Book actually says about judging: Matthew 7: 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Also, Leviticus 19:15: “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.” Charles, how many times have you “lost your mind?” You once threw a man through a plate glass window at a bar, resisted arrest and then said you were sorry the crime hadn’t been committed from the second story of the bar. Barkley arrested after bar scuffle | Arrest Complaint Since you like to launch grenades at conservatives, Charles, you have opened yourself up for judgment. Your career resembles something akin to “fake Christianity.” Here are some of the "highlights": In March 1991, during an overtime game in New Jersey, Barkley tried to spit at a heckler, missed and instead spat on a young girl. Rod Thorn, then president of NBA operations, suspended Barkley without pay and fined him $10,000 for spitting and using abusive language at the fan. 12/2/99--The NBA fined Charles Barkley (Hou) $20,000 for
disparaging remarks made about ref Mike Mathis following Wednesday's Hou-Pho
game. NAPOLITANO'S HIGHER EDUCATION PROPOSALS ARE OFF THE MARK By Matthew Ladner, Goldwater Institute
Gov. Janet Napolitano called for the doubling of the number of
college graduates by 2020 in her 2007 state of the state address and
paying the tuition for students who graduate high school with a B
average. How fast can you say "grade inflation"?
 What's
important to note, however, is that there isn't any reason to think
Arizona needs such a doubling. In the Carnegie Foundation's
publication Change,
Paul Barton wrote that the notion that the U.S. has a dire need
for an ever increasing number of college graduates is a myth.
"Confusion about the demand for college graduates runs throughout
discussions of national workforce needs," Barton wrote.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, 29 percent of all jobs
actually required a degree in 2004. But the U.S. Department of
Education's National Education Longitudinal Study reports that 40
percent of its sample attained a two- or four-year degree or higher.
Many people with college degrees have jobs that do not require them.
Of course, Arizona's universities can and should do more to improve
their abysmal graduation rates. The National Center for Education
Statistics lists
Arizona State's four year graduation rate as 28 percent, the
University of Arizona at 30 and
Northern Arizona University at 27. The six year graduation rates
for these three schools stand at 56%, 56% and 47% respectively.
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like Arizona taxpayers are already
subsidizing a good deal more than we should.
The crisis in our public universities is effectiveness, not
affordability. They need focus,
reform, and
competition, not new subsidies and a continued lack of
accountability. Massive new taxpayer subsidies will simply turn
today's farce into tomorrow's tragedy.
ASU LIBRARY'S FINEST COLLECTION
THE 'HALLUCINOGENIC RAVINGS' OF A HEROIN ADDICT This morning, I was doing some research at ASU's Hayden Library. Eventually, a middle-aged man who was leading a group of prospective students on a tour of the campus passed by my work desk and stopped nearby. The man told the prospects that business, economic and social science books were located on this particular floor. Then he proceeded to tell them that ASU has some very valuable collections in Hayden Library. One of them is that of William Burroughs, author of "The Naked Lunch." "He was a heroin addict, and this is some pretty heady stuff," the tour guide said of Burroughs. "His is probably one of our finest collections." What's more, Amazon's editor's review calls Burroughs the 20th century drug culture's version of Edgar Allen Poe. The book represents "the hallucinogenic ravings of a heroin addict." Wow. Just think how these future Sun Devils are salivating to attend the "new university" whose finest collection is the work of a hallucinogenic heroin addict. It doesn't get any better than this. ASU ... the Harvard of the West. Wow. Your tax dollars at work training the leaders of tomorrow. GOLDWATER'S LEGACY NOW ASSOCIATED WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD By The Arizona Conservative The late Sen. Barry Goldwater's "conservative legacy" is becoming less and less significant. The Peggy Goldwater Award is Planned Parenthood Arizona's most prestigious recognition of volunteer leadership. The award is named after its first recipient, Peggy (Mrs. Barry) Goldwater. In 1937, Peggy Goldwater joined Mrs. Dwight Heard and other leading women volunteers to establish the abortion agency. During the spring of each year, the Peggy Goldwater Award is awarded to a Planned Parenthood volunteer who has shown extraordinary commitment to the agency's mission as well as the generosity of their financial support.
CALLING SUZE ORMAN:
STATE OF THE SPATE SPEECH PUT GOVERNMENT FIRST
By Starlee Rhoades, Goldwater Institute
Jan. 16, 2008
What can Arizona lawmakers learn from guru of personal finance
Suze Orman? Plenty. Orman's mantra is "people first, then money,
then things," which is pretty much the opposite of what we heard
on Monday in the Governor's annual State of the State address.
 Governor
Janet Napolitano proposed 12 new government programs and
initiatives for the state, in addition to the expansion of several
existing programs. These proposed new and expanded programs are
offered at a time when Arizona faces a $1.25 billion structural
deficit.
The new programs proposed range from providing free community
college tuition to every child in Arizona who makes at least a B
average in high school to expanding the state's health care
program for "children" up to the age of 25.
While "things" were covered extensively, the Governor didn't make
much mention of "money." She offered no details on how the state
will pay for the new programs and only mentioned one cost saving
measure to address the current budget deficit. The Governor also
offered no plan for rejuvenating Arizona's lagging economy.
The "people" also got the short shrift. Not one proposal was made
to make it easier for the people of Arizona to provide for
themselves.
Over the coming days the Goldwater
Institute will provide analysis on the proposed new programs and
their potential costs to taxpayers. We will also provide
recommendations that respect the freedom of the people of this
state first, then address the state's money troubles, then propose
things the government can do to make our lives better. The people
first, then money, then things.
OLD GOLDWATER CRONY SAYS ‘HOLY-ROLLERS’ AND NEOCONS RUINED GOP By Dennis
Durband, Editor Victor Gold is the author of the book, “Invasion of the Party Snatchers: How the Holy- Rollers and the Neocons Destroyed the Republican Party.” A former speechwriter for George H.W. Bush and an aide to Barry Goldwater, Gold was a guest on a smalltime Phoenix radio station this morning, and I couldn’t believe my ears over what this guy was saying. At least, Gold got it half right. There is no question that the high-spending administration of the current president has destroyed the Republican Party’s majority in Congress. The 2006 election massacre was a direct result of the neocon/Big Tent crowd watering down the GOP until it was hardly distinguishable from the Democrats. As for the claim that Christians ruined the party, that is outright laughable. The party that Gold knew was a perennial doormat, a minority party that never saw the light of day. If it hadn’t been for values voting Christians, there never would have been a Republican revolution in 1994. The Republican Party would have never broken the Democrats’ long monopoly of power in Washington. Gold apparently regards Goldwater as the measuring stick of GOP success. Goldwater and Reagan may have combined efforts to launch a conservative movement, but by the end of his life, Goldwater bore little resemblance to a conservative. Gold criticized former Cong. Tom Delay for being a hypocrite. Maybe DeLay is due for some criticism, but the demise of the party had far more to due with greater factors and great sellouts. Many good Republicans have honored the party’s belief system, but they couldn’t prevent the center from collapsing when pro-aborts, big spenders and calculating politicians crowded in under the Big Tent. The bitter Gold swings at anything that moves. Not even Ann Coulter is exempt from Gold’s misguided tome. Don’t bother to buy or read this dish of sour grapes. But remember that if the GOP is to rise from its ashes, it will be largely due to those who exemplify Republican principles. That means those who adhere to Judeo-Christian values will have to rescue the party from those Goldwater cronies yelling “Big Tent!” Leave the Big Tent to the circus where it belongs.
PROPOSED HEALTH
COVERAGE FOR DOMESTIC PARTNERS VIOLATES SEPARATION OF POWERS
By Clint Bolick, Goldwater Institute
Jan. 10, 2008
Extending health benefits to domestic partners of government
employees is a fiercely contentious issue. Arizona voters decided
last year not to prohibit such benefits, but efforts to create
them have come up empty in the state legislature.
 No
problem, says the Department of Administration, a state executive
agency: we'll mandate insurance coverage for domestic partners of
state employees and retirees by bureaucratic fiat. And it did just
that in a proposed rule filed last November 30 to expand the term
"dependent" to include domestic partners.
State agencies are not omnipotent; our state Supreme Court has
ruled that agencies "have no common law or inherent powers-their
powers are limited by their enabling legislation." State law gives
the department authority to administer insurance for state
employees-but no fewer than six statutes clearly define
"dependents," all of them encompassing spouses and children but
clearly not domestic partners.
Likewise, state agencies are not allowed to make budget
appropriations (can you imagine if they were?); yet this
regulation will cost millions of dollars every year. So in one
fell swoop the agency has usurped two fundamental legislative
powers: policymaking and appropriations.
The Arizona Republic applauded the move, saying "Arizona is
preparing to take an obvious, practical, and fair step." No, it
isn't. An administrative agency is not the state. We have a
constitutionally ordained way of making law and policy, and
bureaucratic fiat is not it.
No matter how one feels about the underlying policy issue, it is
vital to preserve the separation of powers that helps limit
government overreaching. If domestic partner benefits are created,
it should be by the people directly or through their elected
officials-not through unelected bureaucrats. The Governor should
halt this proposed rule before it becomes effective, or surely
will face a legal challenge whose resolution should not be a close
call.
PHOENIX BILKS TAXPAYERS FOR $10,000 A WEEK ATTORNEY FEES TO DEFEND CORPORATE WELFARE By The Goldwater Institute
The City of Phoenix has paid more than $100,000 to attorneys from
the law firm of Fennemore Craig to defend the City in a legal
challenge filed by the Goldwater Institute. This taxpayer-funded
legal counsel is above and beyond the City of Phoenix's Law
Department of 250 full-time attorneys and support staff. BIG BROTHER'S BAILOUT OF HOUSING MARKET By Dr. Tom Patterson,
Chairman, Goldwater Institute Here's a seldom-reported fact. Our recent housing bubble was caused by government. The intended consequence was to stimulate the economy. But below-market interest rates produced above-market real estate values.
The justification for the various subsidies and moratoriums is that they would prop up the housing market and prevent the economy from tumbling into a recession. Maybe they would. But these solutions actually perpetuate the conditions that caused the bubble and keep the market from making the necessary adjustments. Beyond unintended consequences, there are issues of fundamental fairness. Why should homeowners who deferred other expenses and selected a house within their means subsidize those who did neither? Should people be entitled to relief if they have a subprime mortgage that they can afford? Should borrowers get help with a mortgage they received in the first place because they lied about their income? All the cures are worse than the disease. Whether we're forcing government or rich lenders or Wall Street to pay really doesn't matter much. The bailout schemes reinforce Americans' belief that the consequences of risky behavior should be borne by government. Government should assure transparency, prevent fraud, honor contracts and butt out. For once, let the markets work. UA’S COACH OLSON WANTS OUT OF MARRIAGE TO PRO-ABORTION RINO WIFE The Arizona
Conservative Lute Olson and his RINO wife Christine are splitsville, and the University of Arizona coach is taking the rest of the season off. He plans to return next season. We knew Coach Olson was a better man than to stoop for the pro-choice Pennsylvania GOP national committeewoman. We were disappointed to see their involvement in the pro-abortion WISH List – Women In Senate and House who demand abortion rights on demand for women. Olson had divorce papers served on his wife in New York Thursday night. She said she was “devastated” by this and that she plans to stay committed to their marriage. Oddly, the Olsons have been “represented” by the Gordon James public relations firm in the Valley of the Sun. The James, Gordon and Lisa, are “Republican” politicos with ties to supporters of Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano and who have sewn discord within the Republican Party. The James gained notoriety within the past year when Lisa ran unsuccessfully for state Republican chairman and their PR firm created auto-dialer messages attacking Randy Pullen, the man who defeated her in that contentious January election SCOTTSDALE COUNCIL CAVES IN TO HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVISTS' PRESSURE By Cathi Herrod, President, Center for
Arizona Policy Last night, the Scottsdale City Council caved in to the demands of advocates of homosexual behavior and voted 4-3 to add "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" to the list of individuals receiving special employment protections as employees of the City of Scottsdale. Those voting "yes" were Mayor Mary Manross, Council Members Wayne Ecton, Robert Littlefield, and Betty Drake. Councilmen Tony Nelssen, Ron McCullagh, and Jim Lane all voted against the measure. To thank these council members for standing up to the pressure, please send them an email. Their email addresses are: jlane@scottsdaleaz.gov, tnelssen@scottsdaleaz.gov, and rmccullagh@scottsdaleaz.gov. I urge you to take a moment and read CAP General Counsel Peter Gentala's testimony against the ordinance available here.No evidence was presented to the City Council that discrimination against homosexuals has been an issue for Scottsdale city employees. In fact, to get a picture of any community-wide discrimination against homosexuals, a council member asked the Chief of Police about crimes against the GLBT community. The Chief of Police responded that last year there were 8,970 violent crimes in Scottsdale. Only one of these was committed against a homosexual couple, and it has not been determined whether that crime was motivated by animosity towards homosexuals. This year, there have been two reported incidents, and both are still under investigation. Those are the facts. But over the last year, the media has portrayed Scottsdale as being under a wave of systematic crime against homosexuals. Nothing could be further from the truth.What no council members or city staff were able to answer were the practical questions of what the ordinance will mean. Will men who "identify" themselves as women now be allowed to use city park and library women's restrooms instead of the men's room? Will the city now have to spend millions of dollars to remodel restrooms? Has the city opened itself up to be the target of new lawsuits based on fuzzy definitions of "gender identity"? Will Christian employees be punished or fired for exercising their First Amendment rights and voicing their deeply held convictions about sexual behavior? No one knows the answers to these questions. What we do know is that there are no facts that support this ordinance. Its real purpose is to incrementally pass measures recognizing homosexual behavior and relationships that will lead to the legalization of same-sex "marriage." CREATIVE FINANCING FOR THEME PARK IN ELOY ISN'T GOOD FOR BUSINESS
By Dr. Byron Schlomoch, Goldwater Institute Maybe it's a good idea. A music-themed amusement park in Eloy just might work. True, the park would be in the desert between Tucson and Phoenix with a limited available work force and limited infrastructure for large numbers of visitors. Still, there have been surprises before. Who could have predicted Branson, Missouri?
At first glance, this doesn't seem like that big of a deal, or something that could affect the average taxpayer. Businesses borrow money for an initial capital investment all the time. And, the sales tax would only be paid by people coming to the park. The thing is, this is a pretty special privilege the state is being asked to confer. In a nutshell, this private business would be financed as if it were a municipality, county, or the state, and get all the tax benefits that come along with that. Needless to say, most businesses in Arizona don't get these sorts of benefits. The adoption of this proposal will allow the state to favor one business by lowering its investment costs and not doing so for other businesses. Arizona's constitution has several provisions to prevent these types of deals. In fact, the Goldwater Institute has filed a lawsuit against the City of Phoenix to prevent it from offering a sweetheart deal to a mall developer. This project also does present a risk for all Arizona taxpayers. If Decades' owners default on their "government" bonds, Arizona's legitimate government bond ratings could suffer. All of these creative financing schemes for private businesses that cities around the state continue to offer beg one question: if we are so desperate to help businesses open in Arizona, why don't we lower costs for everyone? If costs are too high, then cutting business taxes is the way to address the problem. VOTER PROTECTION ACT CONTRIBUTING TO BUDGET SHORTFALL
By Dr.
Tom Patterson, Goldwater Institute Words like "crisis" and "pain" describe the state budget situation. The revenue shortfall for this fiscal year, once thought to be as high as $600 million, now looks to be somewhere north of $800 million. Next year looks even worse.
The VPA provides that any measure passed at the ballot box can
never be amended by the Legislature unless the amendment "furthers
the purpose" of the original initiative, and even then only with a
three-fourths vote. So we have an ever-growing body of
appropriations, taxes and laws which, practically speaking, can
never be changed.
The practical problems that arise from having unchangeable laws
become obvious as the Legislature struggles with the hole in the
current budget. The Legislature, the appropriating body under our
Constitution, really controls only one-third of the state
budget. The rest is either mandated by the feds, is the result of
a judicial fiat or is protected under the VPA. Practically
speaking, we can't do much about the first two, but the VPA is a
self-inflicted wound.
The Legislature would be more able to avoid new taxes, new debt
and accounting gimmicks to balance the budget if they were able to
reprioritize spending, at least on a temporary basis. The VPA
stands in the way of this fiscal commonsense.
Changing the Voter Protection Act can only be accomplished by a vote of the people and it won't help resolve the current budget crisis. If the VPA can't be eliminated, surely reasonable minds could agree that a five or 10-year moratorium on amendments would be sufficient to protect citizens' interests. We can act now to avoid painful crises in the future. DEMS TALK GOOD GAME ON 'DISCRIMINATION,' BUT HOW MANY TRANSGENDERED FOLKS HAVE THEY HIRED? By Dennis Durband, Editor Nov. 16, 2007 Tempe congressman Harry Mitchell explained in a letter to a constituent why he voted in favor of ENDA – the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. ENDA would prohibit intentional employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. This legislation would also stipulate a means by which to handle complaints of such discrimination. This bill would apply to employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, and joint labor-management committees. Religious organizations and the armed forces would be excluded from ENDA. I believe that discrimination is wrong. No American should ever be a target of discrimination because of his or her religion, race, national origin, sexual orientation or disability. The Civil Rights Act currently protects employment discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, color and national origin, but stops short of offering recourse for employees discriminated against based on sexual orientation. I also believe that equality in the workplace is a basic and fundamental right and that workers should receive compensation based solely on their skills. Because that is not the case today, ENDA is a necessary measure to eliminate hatred and discrimination from America's workplaces. I voted for and the House passed ENDA by a vote of 235 to 184 on November 7, 2007. This legislation has been referred to the Senate for further consideration. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind as this bill continues its way through the legislative process. Again, thank you for contacting me about this issue. I hope that you will not hesitate to contact me again should you have any additional questions, comments, or concerns. Homosexual pressure groups backed ENDA because it is a bill that represents a major piece in the incremental gains strategy of the homosexual agenda.What I would really like to know is how many cross-dressing, transgendered and questioning folks the Democrats in Congress have hired to work in their offices. And what is their quota system for hiring these strange people? It doesn’t take a creative imagination to wonder what kind of a “style show” might occur daily in the Bay Area offices of leftist lawmakers.ENDA REPRESENTS BUILDING BLOCK FOR HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA By Cathi Herrod, President In an historic vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday prohibiting discrimination in employment (ENDA) against individuals based on their sexual behavior. The House voted 235 - 184 in favor of ENDA. Arizona Congressmen voting yes: Flake, Grijalva, Mitchell, Pastor; Arizona Congressmen voting no: Renzi, Shadegg, Franks. Giffords did not vote, although she cast votes on other items under consideration yesterday. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration. To see the complete breakdown of the vote, visit clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1057.xml.Why does this matter? After all, no one supports discrimination in the workplace. As always, one must look at the bill's real intent, purpose, and impact. In today's culture, there's little evidence that homosexuals are losing their jobs or not getting jobs because of their sexual orientation. To the contrary, homosexuals as a group have a higher per capita income and hold more professional level jobs than most other groups. Certainly homosexuals have not faced the discrimination faced by people of color and women that established the need for legislation prohibiting discrimination in the workplace. No, passage of ENDA is a critical building block to the pro-homosexual special rights agenda set forth by the Human Rights Campaign. Consider the statement issued by HRC President Joe Solmonese after the House vote: "Our fight for equality will not be won overnight. It will be one step at a time, and we will not give up until we reach the finish line. This is a critical piece of legislation and a major step toward the finish line for all Americans." Make no mistake. The "finish line" means "full equality" in the form of same sex marriage and the promotion of homosexuality throughout all segments of society, including the church. The "finish line" means hate crimes laws preventing preaching and teaching biblical truths about homosexual behavior. The bill provides a narrow exemption for religious organizations. In all lik elihood, however, many para-church organizations, including CAP, would not be exempted from the bill's provisions. Pregnancy resource centers likely would not be exempted. Businessmen desiring to operate their businesses according to their religious beliefs would not be exempted. Only an organization propagating the faith or controlled by a religious organization or society is exempted.Next up will be Senate consideration of the House approved version of ENDA. Negotiations also continue on "hate crimes" legislation. While the White House has indicated President Bush will veto both measures, let's not take a potential veto for granted. We'll let you know when it's time to let the President hear your voice! Meanwhile, the proponents behind ENDA and hate crimes legislation in Congress also are pouring millions of dollars into state and federal election campaigns. The Human Rights Campaign Fund is one of the most well-funded advocacy organizations in the country.
ARIZONA'S TAX BITE With a $600 million general fund shortfall -- almost 6 percent of the general fund budget -- some Arizonans might be tempted with a tax increase. After all, the state recently enjoyed a tax cut. Arizona is a low-tax state, right?
The good news is Arizona's tax burden ranking is falling. In 1980, Arizona ranked 12th highest among the states, then taking a whopping 10.3 percent of Arizonans' incomes. Wait a minute--that's the same as today! Turns out state and local tax burdens across the nation are at record levels. We're not doing better in the rankings because we've reduced our tax burden; it's that everyone else's tax burden has increased.
Fortunately, Arizona taxes less than California (11.5%), slightly less than Colorado (10.4%) and Utah (10.7%), and only a little more than Nevada (10.1%). But New Mexico taxes at only 9.8 percent and Texas taxes an even lower 9.3 percent.
So, while our overall tax burden is far from the worst in the country, taxation has effects deeper than the sum of its parts.
The Tax Foundation also looked specifically at states' business tax climates. With number one being the best, Arizona is right in the middle at 25th. Under this ranking, California is at a dismal 47th. But, Nevada ranks 3rd, Utah 17th, Colorado 13th, New Mexico 23rd, and Texas 8th. In our region, Arizona only outranks California. | ||||
Apparently
not. As far as Congress is concerned, the real problem with public education in
America is that it's not environmentally friendly enough.
A
shocking set of recordings was released this week that could prove
disastrous for Planned Parenthood's ties with the African-American
community. Lila Rose, a pro-life student and reporter at UCLA, launched
an undercover investigation aimed at exposing the racism of the nation's
largest abortion merchant. With the help of an actor, she contacted
Planned Parenthood clinics in seven states, inquiring if they would be
willing to accept a donation earmarked for the abortion of black babies.
The results were jaw-dropping. 
But,
the developers of
But
trouble can be the mother of opportunity. Lawmakers may, for the
first time, have a realistic chance to reform one of the structural
anomalies that caused the problem in the first place, the Voter
Protection Act (VPA). 
Not
exactly. It is true that Arizona's state and local tax burden is
below the national average, ranking 31st highest among
the states this year according to the Tax Foundation. Still,
Arizona's governments take 10.3 percent of Arizonans' income.