Goldwater Institute: Balanced Ledger or Legerdemain?

Byron Schlomach, Ph.D.

Like a suspenseful action movie that resolves all plot conflicts in the last fifteen minutes, the Legislature passed a budget just in the nick of time. Unlike after a good film, though, I'm left wondering what I waited for. The budget fails Arizonans on a number of fronts.

For one, the budget still isn't balanced. The assumption that only a $1.9 billion shortfall exists for 2009 is based on a rosy scenario of four percent revenue growth next year. According to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC), a $2.2 billion spending gap is much more likely.

The budget reduced General Fund spending by only 3 percent, or $343 million. These paltry reductions sacrifice little, considering the 30-percent real growth in per-capita spending since 2005.

To find another $1.6 billion, the state resorted to a combination of fund sweeps (moving funds from a designated category to another agency), borrowing, and postponing state commitments.

The state is borrowing $527 million in the name of school facilities. But much of this is to pay itself back for general funds already spent this year on school construction.

And then there's borrowing on top of borrowing. By an accounting gimmick, the state has deferred $300 million owed to school districts - again. The $600 million of unfunded obligations for 2008 and 2009 will require the school districts to borrow, and school district taxpayers will pay the interest on borrowing to make up for the losses.

The legislature has used just about every gimmick, drained every fund, and borrowed every dollar it can. With normal budget growth and the modest growth rate predicted by the JLBC, the 2010 budget is likely to be in the red. Deep program cuts or tax increases will likely be on the table in the future, because this budget, quite literally, passed the buck.

Dr. Byron Schlomach is director of the Center for Economic Prosperity at the Goldwater Institute.

LAW and SOLE initiatives fail to get enough signatures to get on the ballot

Some excerpts from Don Goldwater's email -

We have the final count on the two initiatives. Unfortunately neither initiative received the number of signatures required to be put on the ballot. I can't thank our volunteers enough who put forth a heroic effort to collect signatures. The stories behind our great volunteers who collected signatures despite multiple death threats, physical attacks, harassment, adverse weather conditions and lack of outside financial support are numerous and well documented. Never once did they waver and never once did they quit. It has been an honor to work side by side with the hundreds of volunteers who chose to put their state and their neighbors first and their personal lives second.

In the end some would look at this as a defeat. I refuse to over look our great victories and accomplishments and neither should anyone else.

In the beginning our initiative, Legal Arizona Workers Act (L.A.W.) was the main factor that helped pass the Fair Employment Act. Had our initiative not been in place and going strong the governor would not have signed the bill into law.

Later our initiative was used as protection and leverage against dangerous bills designed to undermine and destroy the Fair Employment Act. Had our initiative not been in place and going strong I believe these bills would have passed and the Fair Employment Act would have been gutted and destroyed. Your hard work kept those bills in committee, never to see the light of day.

Our initiative helped give business the incentive to work with Representative Pearce and Speaker Weiers to fine tune the Fair Employment Act. The changes to Russell's law make it easier to defend the law in the court system, allows business the ability to work with their county attorney to investigate and prosecute suspected illegal aliens who were employed before January 1, 2007 and fine tunes the law's language preventing misunderstanding and abuse of the law. It is a great law to start with and Arizona has you to thank for it.

Due to your efforts, new laws in over 30 states regarding illegal immigration are either on the books or in the process of becoming law. All of these laws (and future laws) use the language found in both our initiatives and the Fair Employment Act as their template. Every state now understands the destructive consequences on both sides of the illegal immigration issue and are working to craft good laws to help protect the people and businesses of their communities.

Due to your efforts, the issue of illegal immigration, once thought of as a joke carried by fanatical radicals, now will help determine the winners of national and local races.

If all this is considered a defeat then may all our defeats prove as bountiful.

Never in the history of the great State of Arizona has an initiative been successful without paid signatures. We could not use paid signature gatherers due to the lack of monetary support that was previously made available to Propositions 200, 300, et al. In addition, the fact is the opposition owned or controlled most all of the companies gathering signatures for pay.

Michael Johns Says Sealing America's Border with Mexico Requires Urgency

Conservative leader and writer Michael Johns, a former White House speechwriter and Heritage Foundation foreign policy analyst, said last night that the United States needs to act with great urgency to secure its southern border with Mexico if it hopes to protect the nation's security interests and begin reversing the many economic and other crises spurred by the nation's apparent unwillingness to enforce federal immigration laws by fully securing its southern border.

Replays of Johns' interview with the Grizzly Groundswell Network on Blog Talk Radio are available globally for replay from the 61.30 to 120 minute mark of the network's June 30, 2008 show, available at:

http://grizzlygroundswell.com/archives/2849

In the interview, Johns challenges the conventional wisdom that Mexico's illegal aliens in the U.S. are only filling jobs that Americans do not want, stating that nearly half of them--10.5 million of the 21.6 million illegal Mexicans in this nation--are illegally filling skilled jobs that almost certainly would be appealing to Americans at a time when unemployment is standing at 5.5 percent nationally. Johns stated further that the failure of the U.S. to seal its southern border from illegals represents one of the greatest ongoing security threats to the nation at a time when the U.S. continues to be embroiled in a global conflict against al-Qaeda and Islamic extremism.

Johns stated that the 21.6 million illegal Mexican aliens in the U.S. are ill-serving the U.S. economy, costing the nation approximately $397 billion annually in education, health care and other social services. Meanwhile, Johns says, Mexican illegals are returning large sums of their earnings--approximately $33 billion annually to Mexico and $283 billion annually to all of Latin America. He also said that the U.S. has spent approximately $1.5 billion since 2001 in costs associated with the incarceration of approximately 370,000 illegal aliens in the U.S.

As President of Phoenix's Coalition for a Conservative Majority (CCM), Johns and his organization are actively supporting two Arizona ballot initiatives that would strengthen the state's illegal immigration enforcement capabilities by empowering Arizona's law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws and make the state's criminal trespass statutes applicable to illegal aliens in the state. The deadline for the submission of signatures for these two ballot initiatives is this Thursday, July 3, 2008.

Duel in the Desert: Sheriff Arpaio v. County Attorney Thomas

Taxpayer group calls 2008 Session the “worst in memory”

The Arizona chapter of Americans for Prosperity (AFP Arizona) said today that the Legislative Session that ended Friday was the “worst in memory” for fiscal conservatives.

“This is a $10.9 billion budget masquerading as a $9.9 billion budget,” said AFP Arizona director Tom Jenney. “And it comes at a time when general fund revenues are about $9.1 billion.” Because the budget uses debt and accounting gimmicks to push spending commitments off the books, the Legislature and Governor in January will face a cash deficit carry-forward of a billion dollars, something Jenney said is unconstitutional. Combined with the impact of voter-mandated automatic spending increases, the total deficit in January could be more than $1.5 billion.

“This Legislative Session was a near-total disaster for fiscal conservatives,” said AFP Arizona chairman Chad Kirkpatrick, citing the failure to pass measures that would permanently repeal the state equalization property tax rate. That failure leaves open the possibility that Arizona politicians will attempt to impose a $250 million property tax increase on homeowners and businesses next year.

AFP Arizona also condemned other measures adopted last week by the Governor and majorities of legislators, including a scheme to finance a billion dollars in new debt for university capital projects by expanding the Arizona lottery, and a scheme to grant the special privileges of issuing tax-free bonds and levying taxes to the developer of a rock and roll theme park in Eloy.

The group did cite several small victories, such as blocking the passage of special tax breaks for solar companies and for an entertainment district in downtown Phoenix, and preventing the creation of a new taxing district for baseball stadiums in Pima County. Also, fiscal conservatives in the Legislature prevented the referral of a transportation sales tax to the November ballot, forcing the TIME Coalition to raise private funds for its ballot initiative.

Here is the Senate vote on the main FY2009 Budget bill (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of massive debt spending and accounting gimmicks):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hb2209.sthird.1.asp

Here is the House vote on the main FY2009 Budget bill (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of massive debt spending and accounting gimmicks):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hb2209.hfinal.1.asp

Here is the House vote on HCR2072 (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of permanent repeal of the state equalization property tax):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hcr2072.hthird.1.asp

Here is the Senate vote on HB2220 (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of permanent repeal of the state equalization property tax):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hb2220.sthird.1.asp

Here is the Senate vote on SB1450 (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of granting special taxing and bonding privileges to the Eloy theme park):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1450.sfinal.1.asp

Here is the House vote on SB1450 (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of granting special taxing and bonding privileges to the Eloy theme park):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1450.hthird.1.asp

Here is the House vote on SB1084 (a “Y” indicates a vote in favor of giving taxing authority for baseball stadiums in Pima County):
http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1084.hthird.1.asp

Contact: Tom Jenney, Arizona state director, Americans for Prosperity
tjenney@afphq.org (602) 478-0146

Goldwater Institute: Controlling for Demographics is Fantasy

Matt Ladner, Ph.D.

One of the quasi-myths of Arizona education is that Arizona performance is average if you control for demographics. It is a quasi-myth because it is true but misleading.

The claim is based upon a report by the RAND Corporation. What people seem to fail to appreciate is what a gigantic leap "controlling for demographics" represents.

If you statistically pretend that Arizona has an English language learner population that is one fourth its actual size, and about half the number of low-income children than we actually have, you are getting there. If you also make some additional heroic assumptions, Arizona's adjusted scores are near the middle instead of close to the bottom. Ergo, Arizona schools are of average rather than bottom quality. Fair enough.

In terms of what our future workforce will know and be capable of doing, controlling for demographics can only be described as a fantasy. In the real world, you don't get to "control for demography." In the real world, 44 percent of Arizona fourth graders can't read. In the real world, low-income Hispanics in Florida outscore the average Arizona fourth grader in reading.

Buy that myth? If so, I've got a bridge I'll sell you in Lake Havasu--cheap!

Dr. Matthew Ladner is vice president of research and director of the Center for Educational Opportnity at the Goldwater Institute.

CAP: Legislative wrap up

2008 Legislative Wrap-Up The Good: Three Measures Achieve Final Action The Bad: Three Vetoes; Two Measures Fail Due to Timing Issues The Ugly: State Budget Lessons to Not Forget

2008 Legislative Wrap-Up

Finally, after 166 days, I can report how families fared in the 2008 legislative session. Overall, the session was ugly with family-friendly policy usually taking a back seat. To put it mildly, the majority votes in the House and Senate simply aren't there to enact substantive pro-family policy then gain Governor Napolitano's signature. Thankfully, however, despite the political games, showdowns, and controversies, God was faithful throughout and some significant family-friendly gains were made. I want to express my appreciation to Ron Johnson, Executive Director, Arizona Catholic Conference. Ron's a key ally as we work together at the Legislature to promote a sanctity of human life ethic, stand for marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and offer parents a choice on their children's education opportunities. Too often, newspapers and individuals only reference CAP as the family voice at the legislature. Our work wouldn't be nearly as possible or fruitful without Ron's leadership and partnership. Thanks Ron!

The Good: Three Measures Achieve Final Action

The Marriage Amendment Is on the Ballot! Opponents of one-man, one-woman marriage tried every conceivable tactic - obscure procedural moves, filibusters, and political pressure to pick off votes - to prevent you, the people of Arizona, from being allowed to decide on the definition of marriage. After the May California Supreme Court ruling made clear that Arizona's marriage laws are vulnerable to judicial attack, CAP worked overtime and many legislative members stepped up to give you the opportunity to preserve the definition of marriage in the Arizona Constitution. Our work to define marriage, however, is just beginning. Plan now to commit your prayers, your time, and your resources to helping us pass the marriage amendment! Jesse's Law Helps Protect Patients. This new law makes one change that will better protect patients who are unable to communicate their wishes. The change is needed of the real-life story of Jesse Ramirez, who survived being without food and fluid for five days after he was injured in a car accident. Thanks to legal intervention by our friends at the Alliance Defense Fund and the perseverance of his family to protect him, Jesse is now making tremendous rehabilitation progress. More work is needed in this area of the law to prevent another situation like what happened to Jesse, so stay tuned for that next year. Internet Age Misrepresentation Bill Becomes Law. Children and teenagers will now be a little bit safer online, thanks to this bill that prohibits an adult from misrepresenting his or her age on the Internet for the purposes of committing a sexual offense against a minor. As always, parents need to remain vigilant, but this new law will give law enforcement officers more tools to stop sexual predators. Bad Bills Died. Bills to legalize physician-assisted suicide, further abortion on demand, and other "bad bills" did not pass.

The Bad: Three Vetoes; Two Measures Fail Due to Timing Issues

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Vetoed Twice. Governor Napolitano showed her flagrant disregard for human life by vetoing two bills that would make the gruesome partial-birth abortion procedure illegal in Arizona state law. Despite a pledge in her first veto letter to work in a bipartisan manner on the issues, the Governor demonstrated that her reasons were merely pretextual when she vetoed the second bill that specifically addressed her concerns. Parental Consent Bill Vetoed. Governor Napolitano refused to give judges guidelines for determining whether a minor should be allowed to have an abortion without her parents' consent. This bill, like the second partial-birth abortion ban, addressed the concerns that the Governor stated in her previous veto letter. And again, the Governor revealed her extreme pro-abortion position with another veto. Nurses Performing Abortions. The House-approved measure to prohibit nurses from performing surgical abortions failed to obtain Senate approval because the Senate delayed consideration for over two months then brought the measure to a vote when two members were absent. For now, the Board of Nursing ruling allowing this travesty stands. CAP will consider whether any legal options are available to overrule the Board's decision. Protecting Students' Religious Liberties. Another casualty of timing, this measure would have put into state statute the religious freedom rights of public school students based on court cases. Although it passed both houses, a Senate delay in consideration did not leave enough time for final House approval.

The Ugly: State Budget

State Budget After months of closed- door negotiations and discussions, Governor Napolitano, all 40 Democratic legislators, and eight Republican legislators agreed to a state budget that dropped school vouchers, abstinence education, abortion alternatives, and marriage education skills. The state lottery will be expanded in an ill-advised attempt to pay for university buildings.

Lessons to Not Forget

Don't Forget Our Friends. Within a couple of weeks CAP will publish voting records and CAP Action, our 501(c)4 counterpart, will publish a scorecard. Check to see which legislators represented your values by how they voted. Pay Attention - It's an Election Year. First, if you are not registered to vote, register today. The voter registration deadline for the primary election is August 4. To register or to host a voter registration drive, check out CAP's Voter Registration Center. Second, CAP Voter's Guides will be available by August 1. Check to see which candidates represent your values and vote accordingly. More than any factor other than prayer, what happens during 2009 and 2010 legislative sessions will be determined by what happens in the Arizona Primary and General Elections. Commit to Pray. Our CAP team appreciates so many of you who pray for this work. Your prayers sustain and equip this work in every way possible. Thank you.

Institute for Justice on scholarships for special needs and foster kids

Arizona Supreme Court Confirms That Scholarships

For Special Needs and Foster Children Should Continue,

But Legislature Cuts Program Funds

The Arizona Supreme Court on Friday granted a motion filed by the Institute for Justice and its Arizona Chapter seeking to continue the state’s scholarships for special needs and foster children while a case challenging their constitutionality is on appeal. But in last week’s budget negotiations, the Legislature cut funding for both programs—leaving hundreds of parents who rely on the scholarships without any means to keep their children in the schools that are working for them.

“It is unfortunate and incredibly disappointing that just as the Arizona Supreme Court extended a lifeline to parents of special needs and foster children, the Legislature took it away,” said Tim Keller, executive director of the Institute for Justice Arizona Chapter, which represents families using the scholarships. “But we have every reason to hope that this setback will be temporary. These programs are still on the books, and they are completely consistent with Arizona’s Constitution and policy history. If the state’s highest court ultimately upholds the scholarships, the Legislature can and should support these families.”

Apparently, the scholarships fell victim to last-minute budget negotiations, even though at a total of $5 million, they represent a tiny fraction of the state’s $9.9 billion budget. Moreover, the special needs scholarships are set at the same amount the state paid to educate the children in public schools. And at an average $4,550, the scholarships for foster children are below the average per pupil costs in Arizona’s public schools. Therefore, if scholarship children return to public schools, the state could wind up spending more on their education.

Fortunately for the children using these scholarships, private organizations are already stepping up to provide support.

“We hope to fill the gap the Legislature has left by raising private funds to support children with special needs and foster children,” said Harry Miller, executive director of TOPS for Kids, an organization that accepts tax-credit donations to fund private school scholarships. “In fact, we are already hearing from families in need and call on Arizonans to support them in securing a good education for their children.”

Parents and potential donors can learn more about TOPS for Kids at www.topsforkids.com.

The Arizona Supreme Court on Friday also denied a motion for a stay filed by the state, reasoning that the appeals court that ruled against the programs did not enjoin or stop them from operating, so there was nothing to stay. The appeals court instead had remanded the case to the trial court, which, under Arizona law, has no jurisdiction to halt the programs as long as there is an appeal pending, and there is before the state’s highest court. However, the Supreme Court granted IJ’s motion on behalf of families to let the programs continue.

Jolene Penson best candidate for JP in East Mesa area

A new JP district has been carved out in east Mesa, the Highland precinct, and there are several Republicans running. The best one is Jolene Penson. She has a solid background in the legal profession, having worked for the Superior Court, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and as a paralegal. She has been endorsed by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. Having been the Human Resources director for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, she has established a solid ethical record. She is a conservative pro-life Christian with strong principles.

(click to enlarge)

CAP: Napolitano's veto of the partial-birth abortion bill

Yesterday, in the midst of the marriage amendment debate, Governor Napolitano vetoed the partial-birth abortion ban for the second time this session. Partial-birth abortion is the gruesome procedure in which the baby's entire body is delivered, except for the head, and then the baby is killed by being stabbed in the neck with scissors and having its brain vacuumed out.

In her first veto letter, the Governor stated two concerns with the bill and that she "stand[s] ready to work on these issues in a bipartisan manner." Senator Linda Gray took the Governor at her word and introduced a bill that addressed the Governor's two concerns - giving doctors a chance to have the state medical board determine whether the partial-birth abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother and limiting the penalty to not more than two years in prison. Yet despite these changes and continuing bipartisan support in both Legislative chambers, the Governor vetoed the bill, thereby preventing Arizona from having a clear law preventing this horrific practice that literally takes the life of a preborn child.

In this second veto letter, the Governor falsely claimed the new ban would introduce "more criminal penalties...into the relationship between a woman and her physician." The state ban tracked identically the federal criminal penalties. A state ban on partial-birth is needed because the federal law only applies in limited scenarios with limited enforcement options.

Banning partial-birth abortion is widely supported beyond traditional pro-life groups, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that bans on this horrific procedure are constitutional. Governor Napolitano remains unwilling to consider the view held by the overwhelming majority of Arizonans that the partial-birth abortion procedure is appalling.

Governor Napolitano shows no respect for the sanctity of the unborn lives in Arizona or the health and safety of their mothers, as she has continually vetoed even reasonable measures to protect these children and their mothers. This second veto of the partial-birth abortion ban marks the tenth pro-life, pro-child, pro-woman bill she has rejected in her tenure as Governor:

• Informed consent for women considering abortions (Vetoed in 2004)

• Informing a woman considering an abortion that the child may feel pain (Vetoed in 2006)

• Notarized written consent by a parent or guardian before a minor may get an abortion (Vetoed in 2006)

• Guidelines for a judge to consider when allowing a minor to get an abortion without parental consent (Vetoed in 2006)

• Amended guidelines for a judge to consider that addressed the Governor's concerns (Vetoed in 2008)

• No insurance taxpayer subsidies for abortions for government employees (Vetoed in 2006)

• Ban on the sale of human eggs (Vetoed in 2006)

• Informed consent for women donating their eggs (Vetoed in 2006)

• Ban on partial-birth abortion (Vetoed twice in 2008)

PAChyderm Coalition posts legislative rankings for entire session

Brand-new Senator Sylvia Allen (who replaced the late Jake Flake) has only been in office two weeks but already has a 100% score, making her the highest ranked legislator (a few other legislators have occasionally scored a 100% weekly rating). The next highest ranked legislators in the Senate are Bob Burns, Ron Gould, Thayer Verschoor, and Jack Harper. Carolyn Allen is the only Senator who received "RINO" status.

Russell Pearce is #1 in the House, followed by Nancy Barto, Rick Murphy, Andy Biggs and Tom Boone. Pete Hershberger was the only RINO. Click here for the full report.

If people tell you, “Political parties don’t mean anything,” show them this table!

Average Grades		Party
		Republican	Democrat
Body	House	74	-49
	Senate	71	-49

Napolitano cuts DPS assistance to Sheriff Arpaio, forcing him to go low-tech on border

AZ Capitol Times: BAMN unable to back up claim that KKK supports AZCRI

The Arizona Capitol Times has an insightful piece on the vicious attacks by BAMN against the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative petition collectors. Here are some excerpts -

Another video taken outside Chase Field showed protestors circling around a signature-gatherer and telling passers-by not to sign the petition because it is backed by the KKK.
...
The Goldwater Institute charges that the Michigan group’s members have provided misleading information to voters stating that the initiative is supported by the Ku Klux Klan.
...
Donna Stern, treasurer of BAMN, was unable to produce evidence the Ku Klux Klan supports the initiative or that the white-supremacist group even exists in Arizona, but she believes strongly that it does on both counts, she said.
...
On one such video taken on Mill Avenue in Tempe, a man signing a petition was told repeatedly that he is supporting a racist initiative designed to “re-segregate” state universities. The interaction lasted for almost two minutes before the man blurted out “Stop harassing me.” “Enjoy your white privilege!” was the response, as the person who signed the petition crossed the street.

Tucson Citizen: Activists take affirmative action fight too far

Excellent article in the Tucson Citizen regarding the actions of BAMN.

Some excerpts -

BAMN members are harassing petition circulators on Phoenix streets until circulators are driven away or give up the petitions. The group is filming people who sign the petition while BAMN members loudly and repeatedly inform them they are signing a racist measure that will resegregate Arizona and keep black and Latino students out of state universities.
...
On Monday, BAMN volunteers blocked the entrance of a downtown Phoenix office where circulators deliver their petitions to the initiative's organizers. There was so much yelling and intimidation that police had to be called, said Max McPhail, executive director of the initiative drive.

BAMN is so proud of its tactics - which it calls "blocking" - that it announced in a news release that it would send out "blocking teams" and posted videos of its activities on YouTube.
...
In the last seconds of the tape, the circulator appears prepared to give up his petition to the BAMN blocking team.

In another clip, Young said she's collected hundreds of petitions from circulators, which Smith confirmed.
...
BAMN is showing a disgusting lack of respect for the democratic process and the right of all Arizonans to participate in it.

U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Second Amendment, County Attorney

Court Endorses Analysis in Legal Brief Filed by Thomas

County Attorney Andrew Thomas applauded today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down a sweeping Washington, D.C. gun ban and uphold the Second Amendment’s individual right to keep and bear arms.

In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms that no level of government can improperly abridge. For more than 30 years, Washington, D.C. had an almost blanket ban on handguns, which a federal appeals court had ruled violated the Second Amendment. The plaintiff is Dick Anthony Heller, a D.C. security guard who was denied permission to keep a handgun at home for his own protection.

On February 11, 2008, County Attorney Thomas filed an amicus curiae, or friend-of-the-court, brief with the Supreme Court in support of Heller. While there are no such gun bans in Arizona, Thomas filed the brief in the hopes of ensuring such a gun ban will not find its way to this state, and to protect the right of citizens and prosecutors in his office to defend themselves from violent criminals.

The brief states in part, “Over the last few years the number of threats to prosecutors and prosecutor staff [in Maricopa County] has increased. Prosecutors in the Homicide and Gang/Repeat Offender bureaus have been targeted. ”

Threats against prosecutors and staff in the County Attorney’s Office are common. In 1995, a paralegal was shot and killed by gang members while she was on her way home from work. After taking office in 2005, Thomas set up a training program that provides classes for prosecutors and staff seeking concealed weapons permits.

Among large prosecution offices nationwide, 84 percent reported violent threats. The Thomas amicus curiae brief was also signed by the Yavapai County Attorney and 11 other chief prosecutors from Maryland, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Utah, and Wyoming. Recently, other district attorneys have inquired about the office’s concealed carry training program, and one prosecutor’s office in Washington state already has replicated it.

Thomas stated, “Law-abiding citizens have a constitutional right to defend themselves from violent criminals. This right extends to the prosecutors and staff in my office, public servants who prosecute some of the worst gangsters and violent offenders in America.”

For more information contact:
Mike Anthony Scerbo, Public Information Officer
(602) 506-3170 (office) or (602) 489-6913 (cell)

Contribute to Andrew Thomas for County Attorney campaign

Several people have asked where to send contributions to the Andrew Thomas for County Attorney reelection campaign. Please send them, along with your address and profession (required by law) to:

Andrew Thomas for County Attorney
4757 E. Greenway Rd. #103-233
Phoenix, AZ 85032

Remember, the maximum campaign donation allowed by law in this race is $390 per 4-year election cycle.

There is no campaign website up yet, but we find this site kinda funny.

Addendum - 9/25/08 - the campaign website is now live here.

Goldwater Institute: Arizona Legislature Should Reject "Jobs Creation" Package

by Steve Voeller

The most recent "economic stimulus" package the legislature is considering consists of tax subsidies for a chosen few. The good news is that the package as a whole lacks support. The bad news, however, is that parts of it may find their way into the final budget deal. They shouldn't.

Not only is this plan not an economic stimulus, it's not even decent public policy. According to the Tax Foundation, the proposals, "will impose significant costs on Arizona's general fund in the form of tax revenues foregone." Furthermore, paying certain businesses to operate is not the way to jump-start the economy. If policymakers want to encourage job growth, they should start by not raising taxes.

The stimulus plan does not address the looming statewide property tax increase set to occur next year. Property owners face a $250 million tax hike because the governor vetoed a bill to prevent it from occurring. It's a bit misguided to think you can turn around the economy by handing out a few tax subsidies for a few companies, while ignoring a massive tax hike on the rest of Arizona taxpayers.

Steve Voeller is president of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.

AFTA: This is the worst budget we have ever seen... But good news on HCR 2072

The emerging FY2009 budget is the worst budget we have ever seen. (And we have seen some really bad budgets in recent years.)

The runner-up for worst budget was the FY2005 budget—the one that passed in 2004 when renegade Republican legislators teamed up with Gov. Janet Napolitano and Democratic legislators. That budget resulted in a record 17 percent increase in spending. It was a reckless budget, with spending growth at well more than double the rate of growth of the private economy (which was a very healthy 7 percent). But at least that budget was mostly balanced.

The FY2009 Senate budget (also the result of renegade Republican legislators teaming up with the Governor and Democratic legislators) proposes to spend at least $11 billion, when the available cash is at $9.1 billion. Deficit spending would be at least 21 percent higher than available revenue.

At a time when the private economy is hurting, the Senate’s FY2009 budget would continue to push government spending to unsustainably high levels, paving the way for future tax increases.

The House budget is better. House leadership has worked hard to craft a budget that has $150 million more in spending reductions, does not have a $330 rollover gimmick, and does not borrow for non-capital expenditures such as all-day kindergarten. And the House, so far, has not gone in for the Senate’s scheme to borrow $1 billion for accelerated university construction, to be paid back by unleashing the state lottery on Arizona’s amateur gamblers.

Unfortunately, the House budget still allows for deficit spending that is 18 percent higher than available revenue. We are concerned that well-meaning House members will expend great efforts to produce marginal improvements that will then be watered down in negotiations with the Senate and the Governor, resulting in a final budget bill to which self-respecting fiscal conservatives should not lend their good names. Regardless of how the negotiations end, the Legislature in January will find itself looking at an unconstitutional cash deficit carry-forward of over $1 billion.

The bright spot in this year’s legislative Session may end up being the referral of HCR 2072 to the November ballot. If approved by the voters, HCR 2072 would keep a $250 million property tax from coming back next year, saving an average of $100 per year for the Arizona homeowner. HCR 2072 passed 6-4 in the House Ways and Means Committee today.

If it passes the House and Senate, the referendum would bypass the Governor, who vetoed an earlier version that was not a referendum (HB 2220). In March, the non-referendum version of HCR 2072 (HB 2220) passed the House with the votes of 32 Arizona Representatives (31 Republicans and 1 Democrat). We have listed the names and districts of the Good Guys here:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/goodguyshb2220.pdf

At the same time, 28 Representatives (26 Democrats and 2 Republicans) voted against HB 2220. We have listed the names and districts of the Bad Guys here: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/badguyshb2220.pdf

In April, 16 Arizona Senators (15 Republicans and 1 Democrat) voted for HB 2220. 14 Arizona Senators (12 Democrats and 2 Republicans) failed to vote to protect property taxpayers. Here is the list of Good Guys and Bad Guys for the Senate: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/includes/filemanager/files/az/hb2220senategoodbad.pdf

If those narrow majorities hold in favor of HCR 2072, Arizona voters will have an opportunity to stop a major tax increase.

CAP: Marriage Amendment Fails on Senate Vote

This morning, the Arizona Senate failed by one vote to pass the Arizona marriage amendment (SCR 1042). No Democrat supported the marriage amendment while one Republican opposed the marriage amendment. Several senators missed the vote, including Sen. Karen Johnson who has been a strong supporter of traditional values.

The meaning of today's vote: while it's not over until the legislature adjourns, today's vote puts the marriage amendment on life support. For the amendment to be on the November ballot, 16 senators have to vote yes.

Our CAP policy team along with our pro-marriage allies will continue to seek ways to have 16 senators present to vote yes so that Arizona's courts and politicians don't redefine marriage for us. We continue to consider it a top priority for the people to decide the definition of marriage, not the courts and not the politicians.

Note: Under Senate Rules, a senator can move to have a vote reconsidered only if the senator was on the prevailing side. One of our strongest marriage amendment supporters, Sen. Linda Gray, therefore, voted no today so that she then could move to have the vote reconsidered. Sen. Gray then successfully made the motion to have the vote reconsidered. This keeps the door open for another vote on the marriage amendment before the legislature adjourns.

CALL TO ACTION:

1. Check the recorded vote by clicking here. If your senator supported the marriage amendment, email them to thank them for their support. If your senator missed the vote or voted no, email and call them TODAY to ask for their support for the marriage amendment.
   
2. Pray that the marriage amendment still makes it to the November ballot.

Conservative leader Michael Johns says state ballot initiatives may make Arizona national model of conservative reform

With a critical July 3 deadline approaching for the presentation of hundreds of thousands of signatures from Arizona residents that could potentially place several groundbreaking immigration, health care and civil rights-related initiatives on Arizona ballots this November, conservative leader Michael Johns on Sunday stated that Arizona was on the cusp of potentially emerging as a national model for conservative state-based policy reform on some of the most important issues currently confronting the state and nation.

Johns said that he felt that two important immigration ballot initiatives--one that will empower Arizona law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration statutes and another that will make criminal trespass laws applicable to illegal immigrants in Arizona--would represent groundbreaking state initiatives to tighten and enforce illegal immigration statutes, making Arizona a national model of state-based immigration law and law enforcement.

Speaking publicly for the first time as newly elected President of the Phoenix-area Coalition for a Conservative Majority (CCM), Johns told the Sonoran Alliance blog, the most widely-read political blog in the state, that he was actively supporting two additional ballot initiatives, one that would permit Arizona residents to choose their own health insurance (including from out-of-state insurers), and the Arizona Civil Rights Initiative (ACRI), which would prohibit the consideration of race or gender in state hiring and state university admission considerations.

Johns, a health care industry executive, is a former Heritage Foundation policy analyst and White House speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush.

Local media too scared to write full story about Mexican gang cartels?

from Don Goldwater -

Dateline June 24, 2008 Phoenix Arizona

As reported on www.sonoranalliance.com , KFYI Radio and AZCentral Phoenix, Arizona.

Former Congressman JD Hayworth is reporting on KFYI-550 of an incident that local liberal media is apparently too frightened to report as the incident it really was. (Read more in AzCentral "Man killed in home invasion; drugs suspected" by Ali Pfauser - Jun. 23, 2008 04:34 PM)



This last weekend, former Mexican military operatives hired by drug cartels conducted a "hit" on a man in Central Phoenix. This is probably in retaliation for violence and crack downs which occurred in the last week by Mexican troops on the drug cartels.

Bloomberg reports:

June 24 (Bloomberg) - Thirty-eight people were killed in violence tied to Mexican drug cartels yesterday, the highest single-day tally this year, El Universal reported.

Eighteen of the deaths happened in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, the Mexico City-based newspaper said, citing its own tally. More than 2,800 troops have been stationed in the state where Ciudad Juarez is located to crack down on the cartels, the newspaper reported.
More than 1,833 people have been killed this year in violence tied to the drug trade in Mexico, the newspaper reported.

This latest incident is a frightening indication that the drug war has become even more brazen as it continues to spread across the border into Arizona.

JD Hayworth reports that three suspects were captured in an attempted ambush on Phoenix Police which may have turned deadly. The three suspects, one who was identified as former Mexican military, were captured with two AR-15 assault weapons, full body armor AND dressed in black assault gear impersonating a Phoenix Police Tactical Team.

AFTA: Stop the special interests from stealing your tax relief! (SB1433--House Commerce Cmte)

If you visit our blog page, you can meet Jim Iannuzo:

http://www.americansforprosperity.org/index.php?page=blog&state=az

Jim owns a Sign-A-Rama sign and print shop in Phoenix. He is working hard, providing jobs, and trying to improve his business with the application of new technologies. The state government is not planning to give him a tax break next year.

And the government is not planning to give you a tax break, either.

But the House Commerce Committee is meeting today to discuss a bill that would award a lot of tax breaks to various special interests (the kind that employ high-powered lobbyists). Senate Bill 1433, the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008, includes special tax breaks for entertainment districts, ballparks, solar companies, and other politically-favored businesses, all in the name of “job creation” and “economic stimulus.”

Every dollar given to a favored industry in a tax credit is a dollar that cannot be cut from the taxes of ordinary individuals, families, and businesses. Thanks to a tax code that looks like Swiss cheese, Arizona businesses, including Jim’s, already labor under some of the highest sales taxes, corporate income taxes, and business property taxes in the country.

We may be able to stop the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008 in the Commerce Committee today. Several of the committee members are very skeptical about the bill. The emails for the members of the Committee are listed here:

Rep. Michele Reagan, mreagan@azleg.gov

Rep. Rich Crandall, rcrandall@azleg.gov

Rep. Kirk Adams, kadams@azleg.gov

Rep. Olivia Cajero Bedford, ocajerobedford@azleg.gov

Rep. Mark DeSimone, mdesimone@azleg.gov

Rep. Adam Driggs, adriggs@azleg.gov

Rep. Bill Konopnicki, bkonopnicki@azleg.gov

Rep. Robert Meza, rmeza@azleg.gov

Rep. Ben Miranda , bmiranda@azleg.gov

Rep. Jonathan Paton, jpaton@azleg.gov

(We know, it’s a rotten bill, but please use more honey than vinegar when you write…)

Worse, you and Jim may actually see your property taxes go up next year, especially if the Legislature fails to pass HCR 2072, a bill to refer the repeal of the state’s equalization property tax to the voters:

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/hcr2072p.htm

And, you may see your state sales taxes go up by 18 percent, if a majority of voters is duped into approving the TIME Coalition’s proposed tax increase to support projects such as light rail.

To read the Big Boondoggle Bill, click here:

http://www.azleg.gov/DocumentsForBill.asp?Bill_Number=SB1433

To read a recent news update on what is included in the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008, see this story by Mary Jo Pitzl from Saturday’s Republic:

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0621jobsbill0621.html

Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
(Arizona Federation of Taxpayers)
www.aztaxpayers.org
tjenney@afphq.org
(602) 478-0146

AFTA: Boondoggle update. And here comes the worst budget we've ever seen

First, the good news: We are close to beating the Big Boondoggle Bill of 2008. We have it on good authority that SB1433 will not go to the House Commerce Committee this week. A BIG THANKS to all of you who wrote to your Legislators!

However, the proponents of the special-interest tax breaks have broken the Big Boondoggle Bill into pieces, and are running the pieces through different committees. On Thursday (June 26), Rep. Michele Reagan’s House Commerce Committee may hear SB1084, which would create a special tax break for ballparks. Also on Thursday, Rep. Lucy Mason’s House Water and Agriculture Committee may hear HB2872, which would create special tax breaks for the solar industry. We’ll keep you posted…

Now, for some bad news: The Eloy theme park bill, SB1450, passed in the Senate today with 17 Yes votes. Thanks to Senators Carolyn Allen, Ken Cheuvront, Jorge Luis Garcia, Pamela Gorman, Jack Harper, Barbara Leff, Deb McCune Davis, Jay Tibshraeny, and Jim Waring, for voting against granting special tax-free bonding privileges to the theme park.

And extra thanks to Senator Ron Gould of Lake Havasu City, for his efforts to engage in a “silent filibuster” against the Eloy theme park bill during the Senate vote today. During the roll call, Sen. Gould tied up the proceedings by refusing to cast his vote. Eventually, the Senate President asked the Senate to “excuse” Gould in order to finish the roll-call vote, which is why his vote appears as an “E” instead of an “N” in the vote tally:

http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/legtext/48leg/2r/bills/sb1450.sfinal.1.asp

The Eloy theme park bill now goes to Gov. Janet Napolitano…

Finally, there is the TRULY AWFUL NEWS: FY2009 budget bills have begun to emerge, with less than a week left in the Session. The Senate proposal—which is basically the Governor’s budget—contains a paltry $361 million in spending reductions. The House proposal contains $505 million in spending reductions. Both budgets are far short of the $2.2 billion in reductions needed to balance the budget without resorting to borrowing, fund transfers, tax increases, and accounting gimmicks. Either budget would result in a cash deficit carry-forward (something that is supposed to be unconstitutional) of over $1 billion next year.

Dollar for dollar, this is shaping up to be the worst budget we have ever seen. And we’ve seen some bad budgets.

Tom Jenney
Arizona Director
Americans for Prosperity
(Arizona Federation of Taxpayers)
www.aztaxpayers.org
tjenney@afphq.org
(602) 478-0146

CAP: Governor signs Jesse Ramirez law - to protect comatose patients

In this issue:
	1) Sixty-First CAP-Supported Bill Signed! 2) Please Pray! 3) Save the Date for the Values Voter Summit Forward this email to a friend!

1) Sixty-First CAP-Supported Bill Signed!

Today, Governor Napolitano signed HB 2823, Jesse's Law. This is the 61st bill supported by CAP that has become law. The new law makes a clarification on how decisions are handled for patients who cannot communicate their wishes. The law was inspired by the real-life story of Jesse Ramirez who suffered serious injuries in a car accident in May 2007. Jesse went without food and water for five days after his feeding tube was removed without proper authorization, just ten days after the accident. Emergency legal intervention by our friends at Alliance Defense Fund saved Jesse's life, and he walked out of the hospital in October 2007 and continues to make tremendous rehabilitation progress. However, this area of the law was obviously not clear enough to protect Jesse. The new law fixes one problem that was brought to light through Jesse's situation, and we hope to address the remaining legal shortfalls next year. CAP thanks Rep. Bob Stump, Jesse Ramirez, and his family for all of their work on this bill.

2) Please Pray!

Other news from the Capitol can best be described as frustrating and challenging as we continue to play a waiting game on critical legislation. Our elected officials need our fervent prayer, especially today and throughout this week, for wisdom and guidance. Here's a brief update: The Senate still has not considered the proposed state constitutional marriage amendment (SCR 1042) at a time when all 16 committed votes were present. It's critical to the future of marriage in our state for the voters to be able to decide on a definition of marriage for our state constitution, not leave this decision up to politicians or judges. The Governor any day will act on the revised ban on partial-birth abortion. Please continue to contact Governor Napolitano and ask her to sign the partial-birth abortion ban, SB 1048. HB 2269 to prohibit nurses from performing surgical abortions awaits a final vote on the Senate floor. The Students' Religious Liberties Act (HB 2713) awaits a final vote. Last week, senators rejected a hostile amendment that would have allowed schools to censor religious speech by classifying it as "harassment or "bullying."

3) Save the Date for the Values Voter Summit

Make your plans now to attend the Values Voter Summit put on by FRC Action in Washington, D.C., September 12-14. The conference will feature noted speakers, as well as breakout sessions on a variety of topics from life and marriage to immigration and fundamentalist Islam to voter organization and turnout. Registration is $95 and just $50 for students. Register online at www.valuesvotersummit.org.