ALERT: Stop AZ lawmakers from blocking clean energy progress
The Arizona Legislature is back to work ensuring that Arizona remains a backwater laughing stock. With that in mind, I’ll be posting a lot of these ALERTS to do my part to share information and ways for the citizens of Arizona to stay active. This email came from the Vote Solar Initiative.
We need your help to defeat a bad bill that would set up a huge roadblock to progress on renewable energy and energy efficiency in Arizona. The bill has its first committee hearing in Phoenix next week. Click here to help us tell legislators to stop this solar setback in its tracks!
Just introduced by Representative Debbie Lesko, HB 2789 would require the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) — the publicly elected body that has sole authority to regulate power rates under the State Constitution — to get approval from a majority in the Legislature before it can approve or amend programs or policies that would advance renewable energy or energy efficiency. This would add a layer of government regulation with no benefit for Arizonans, who not only directly elect ACC Commissioners but also already have the opportunity to provide comment throughout the ACC decisionmaking process. Read more 
ALERT: Help Restore the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund!
This came from the Arizona Preservation Foundation:
Advocates for Arizona’s parks, open space, heritage, and historic preservation are encouraged to help restore the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund. During the 2010 state budget crisis, the entire Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund was swept into the General Fund AND the language authorizing its existence was removed. (You can read about what happened here and here. It’s horrible what Arizona Republican lawmakers did in 2010.)
In this Centennial of Statehood, House Concurrent Resolution 2047, “Enacting and Ordering the Submission to the People of a Measure Relating to the Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund,” has been introduced by Representative Russ Jones of Yuma. Review the bill’s language here. Read more
Elder Jay E. Jensen and Marriage Equality
On January 8, 2012 Elder Jay E. Jensen of the Presidency of the Seventy spoke at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. The talk was same old, same old. The Desert News covered his Church Educational System (CES) Devotional address and reported that he spoke about the three themes of the Holy Ghost. I don’t want to embed the video but here’s a link
The Desert News failed to report this quote from his address (skip ahead to the 18 minute mark of his talk to hear it):
“The adversary seeks to deorganize and to destroy, especially families, as evidenced today by abortion, divorce, and same-gender marriage.”
Let that sink in for a moment.
Divorce AND marriage are destroying families. What?! Read more
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Steps Down from Congress
Congresswoman Giffords was an outstanding member of Congress who served with great honor. Among many things she worked for border security and solar programs for Arizona and did so in a bipartisan manner. She deserves our support and thanks. Read more
Jan Brewer’s State of the State and New Policy Plan 2012
Jan Brewer delivered here State of the State address on Monday. You can read it here. Brewer’s State of State- Jan. 9, 2012.
I read it, seemed ok. Nothing too detailed, but I guess a State of a State address right before a state’s centennial would be more celebratory than detailed. Dare I say I kind of liked what she said? At least I like most of what she said. I try to find common ground with people and Brewer and I love Arizona and I’m willing to build on that.
She was specific that Prop 100 would end in 2013 stating:
An integral part of our recovery plan was the passage of Proposition 100—the one-cent sales tax approved overwhelmingly by the voters for three years. The voters were promised it would be temporary. Many doubted that. Well, I gave my word to the voters. And, a promise is a promise…So, I’m here today to say: This tax will end on my watch! This tax will end after three years in 2013.
Her policy plan titled “The Four Cornerstones of Reform” focused on Economic Competitiveness, Education, State Government, and Renewed Federalism. You can read her policy plan here Governor’s policy plan- Jan. 9, 2012. It’s pretty much what you would expect from a right-wing Arizona Republican- government is bad, we need less government. Read more
Like Father Not Like Son
In November 2011, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney signed an anti marriage equality pledge. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) created the pledge that commits signatories to fight for a “federal constitutional amendment defining marriage, to appoint federal judges who don’t see a Constitutional right to same-sex marriage, and to back the Defense of Marriage Act” should they be elected to the office of the presidency.
Brother Romney signed this pledge along with Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum. All three were praised by NOM as “three marriage champions.” Of course they are referring to what they call “traditional marriage” and that’s why it really bugs the hell out of me that Romney is being hailed as some great defender of “traditional” marriage.
Politics makes strange bedfellows, for as Mitt Romney lives and breathes he is a product of non-traditional marriages. His father, George Romney, was the descendent of Mormon polygamists who were living The Principle (as it was and is called today) across the border in Colonias Mormonas in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. In the 19th century, to escape persecution and discriminatory marriage laws in the United States, Brigham Young sent some of his followers to Canada and Mexico so they could live their alternative polygamous lifestyles. Read more
New Post on Downtown Phoenix Journal Plus Book News
I was at the Herberger Theater last night to hear outgoing Mayor Phil Gordon offer insights and advice to Mayor-elect Greg Stanton. Mayor-elect Stanton then shared his vision for Phoenix and talked about how to turn his campaign promises into realities.
The story is posted on the Downtown Phoenix Journal website. Read more
Another Bad Day For Arizona
From the The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission’s (AIRC) website: the mission is to redraw Arizona’s congressional and legislative districts to reflect the results of the most recent census. The concept of one-person, one-vote dictates that districts should be roughly equal in population. Other factors to be considered are the federal Voting Rights Act, district shape, geographical features, respect for communities of interest and potential competitiveness. The state Constitution requires the commissioners – two Republicans, two Democrats and an independent chairwoman – to start from scratch rather than redraw existing districts.
Last night Jan Brewer and the Republican controlled Senate removed the Independent from the Independent Redistricting Commission. Contrary to popular belief that Arizona is a big Red state, Arizona is actually 1/3 Republican, 1/3 Democrat, and 1/3 Independent. Voters of this state approved the creation of the AIRC to keep politics out of the process of drawing lines but Jan Brewer with the rest of the Republicans in the Senate have rejected the will and vote of the people. The Republicans in this state are desperate to gerrymander the new district lines and apparently will stop at nothing. Read more
Rocky Mountain Poll: In Arizona, Obama leads Romney & GOP field
I got this in an email from the Arizona Democratic Party:
PHOENIX — A Rocky Mountain Poll of Arizona voters has President Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney and other potential Republican challengers for the presidency. Read more
Occupy Phoenix in Photos
I happily attended the Occupy Phoenix afternoon protest at Old City Hall. Lest anyone accuse me of being a one-sided closed-minded liberal, I will remind everyone that I also attended the first Phoenix Tea Party rally held at the Capitol Building in 2009. Read more
New Post on Main Street Plaza
Last February I wrote a story for Main Street Plaza about a cozy relationship between John Eastman and Apostle Dallin H. Oaks. Last week John Eastman was appointed Chair of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).
I see an interesting connection between one of the highest ranking officials from the Mormon Church and NOM.
Read it here.
Greg Stanton on QTalk Arizona
QTalk Arizona is interviewing the 2011 Phoenix mayoral candidates each week. We’re having some casual conversations with the candidates and asking them to ‘remove their campaign hats’ to just talk to us as real people. We took some of our own listener’s questions along with our own and posed them to the candidates.
This week, we’re talking with Greg Stanton. Read more
Bad bills (lots of them) becoming law today
This is an email press release from the Arizona Democratic Party. I want everyone to see it, so I’m posting here:
Series of extreme measures are handiwork of Russell Pearce Republicans
Today could have — and should have — been a day when bold legislation took effect to help turn Arizona around. The kind of initiatives that would create a stronger economy, safer streets and better schools. Instead, the Russell Pearce Republicans and Gov. Jan Brewer have given us bad bills, all becoming law today, that either solve nothing or land another punch on the state’s black eye. Read more
More from Quartzite, Jennifer Jones
My original post about Jennifer Jones being arrested at a Quartzite, Arizona City Council meeting for speaking while she had the floor is posted here.
I’ve continued to follow the story and let’s just say that things got even more out of control up there! This ugly situation is just another black eye for Arizona. Read more
Caleb Laieski on QTalk Arizona
Caleb Laieski is only 16 but he has accomplished a lot in the past few years: from founding his own organization, to helping change policies in his former school district to protect LGBT youth from bullying, from making national headlines, to being the Youth Grand Marshal at the Phoenix Pride celebration, to attending a conference at the White House, to lobbying on the Hill, and even meeting the President and Vice-President of the United States.
The most exciting thing I did my sophomore year of high school was build a float for Homecoming and make friends with the Goth kids. Read more
