AZ Election Results

Official results won’t be until Friday but here are some of the obvious and expected results.

In Phoenix, Sal DiCiccio won a runoff with Dana Kennedy for District 6 and Bill Gates won District 3 for City Council seats. Congratulations to both. Now help get our city’s budget under control.

Budget overrides passed in Mesa, Scottsdale Unified, and Paradise Valley school districts. Higley defeated their override.

Unfortunately for me Osborn overrides were approved, much to my disgust. At least Phoenix Union’s override was defeated. I wouldn’t mind so much if the schools were half decent and not so extremely hostile to the residents who don’t have children and businesses of the district. That and the kids seem to be dumber than stumps when you ask them a simple question.

The problem is we have so many ignorant people in the city that  are convinced throwing money on a failing system will some how fix it. It won’t. They’re going to continue to drive away tax paying property owners with the constant budget overrides. Get a budget and stay on that budget. Period. If you can’t afford it, then cut the useless programs that have the least benefit to the kids like bilingual education for K-6. How about larger class sizes until the tax base improves when the economy gets better. I was in large class sizes and went on to become an engineer so I don’t buy into the class size equate success crap being tossed around by lazy school officials.

Honestly, the system needs to change. It’s unsustainable and driving away businesses, jobs, and residents with each new increase or extension of taxes for which people see no gain. Perhaps a tuition system needs to be put into place or a pay-go plan that seem to be the love of so many politicians now. But perhaps most importantly we need administrators and teachers who will do their jobs and hold themselves, parents, and kids accountable for their failures. Get the basics fixed first for a solid educational foundation and everything else will naturally build upon that.

Arizona Aerospace Insitute

Mesa aerospace institute ready for liftoff | Mesa Arizona News – Mesa News – Mesa AZ news | eastvalleytribune.com

I hope this is successful because Arizona is doomed to perpetual mediocrity so long as our state economy is focused on tourism and service industries with their inherent low wages for workers instead of being focused on science, technology, and manufacturing industry to create well paying jobs. This is perhaps a step in that direction.

U.S. Eases Stance On Medical Marijuana

U.S. eases stance on medical marijuana – washingtonpost.com

Strange as it may sounds to some I support the Obama administration’s decision to not prosecute medical marijuana use cases. But then those who known me know that I have always supported medical marijuana use so long as it wells regulated and monitored to prevent criminal activities.

The one aspect I don’t like in the whole thing is the refusal of the administration to enfiorce federal laws. But that’s been symptomatic for many administrations on other issues, like illegal immigration. I would rather the government enforce a law until it is changed than have laws become a matter or socio-political convenience only to be enforced on the whims of politicians.

The Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project appears on track to getting enough signatures to be put on the November 2010 ballot. It also seems to have a lot of public support so it could very well pass adding Arizona to the list of medical marijuana states.

Giffords (D-Az) Supports Robust NASA budget

Subcommittee Chairwoman Cites Need for “Robust” NASA Budget | International Space Fellowship

NASA in my opinion has begun to lag behind in recent years and in some ways perhaps regressed technologically. Whether this is due to political pressure or financial concerns the end result is the same: an organization that has become resistant to new approaches and ideas presented by the latest generation of engineers. As of yet it remains unclear how NASA will progress regardless of their funding situation. Will they continue with business as usual that has even the most ardent space exploring supporters bemused or will they realize working cooperatively with private entrepreneurs in developing commercial space flight?

Senators McCain and Kyl on Wrong Side

I’m disgusted that Arizona Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl voted against the Franken Amendment. The Franken amendment was very simple, clear, and quite fair: Haliburton, or subsidiaries, (and any other similar contractors) would receive no federal funds if they require employees or subcontractors to sign mandatory arbitration clauses (e.g. sign away their right to bring their case before a court). This is quite reasonable given Haliburton and its subsidiaries problems with employees being raped, assaulted, discrimination, and otherwise harassed by their co-workers and employers and then being denied justice or evn a hint of impartial review.

I want to know why the Senators from Arizona seem to condone these illegal activities? Why are they trying to protect such abusive companies? If they voted against it simply because a Democrat made the amendment then I am disgusted with their partisanship. If they voted against it because they are protecting Haliburton and others, then they are complete idiots. Such actions as these make me wonder if both are simply “good ol’ boy” misogynists.

Fortunately the Franken amendment passed anyway.

Immigration News

As if there isn’t enough evidence of idiocy (if not complicity) in the Fed over their incompetent handling of illegal immigration, we get this: U.S. Considers Shift in Housing of Detained Illegal Immigrants – washingtonpost.com. Instead of housing the illegals, why don’t they just kick them out like they are suppose to do in the first place. I’m fed up with these scumbags living off the American people’s dime.

And an interesting bit of information: In Arizona desert, illegal immigration’s mysterious spike — chicagotribune.com And no it’s not a spike in Hispanics and Latinos, but Chinese illegal aliens trying to sneak in.

But then I can’t say I’m surprised at what I see as the deliberate attempt by the U.S. government to undermine any and all who enforce immigration law rather than uphold it, as evidenced by Sheriff Arpaio’s Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office being stripped of their 287(g) agreement by the Napolitano’s Department of Homeland Security. Fortunately, Arpaio plans to ‘combat’ ICE agreement, so the sell outs, appeasers, and capitulators in Washington, DC (and elsewhere) haven’t won entirely.

If Arpaio truly is under investigation, as some claim is the reason for DHS’s decision, you don’t cut off the entire police force from enforcing the law. By that logic, every time a police brutality case comes to light all police across the nation should not be allowed to enforce any law. See the stupidity in this sort of logic now?

It’s time to get illegal immigration under control in this nation. Too bad our corrupt government is more concerned with figuring out how to let the illegals in so they can exploit them, both politically and economically, to undermine American citizens and local governments.

AZ 2010 Governor’s Race

Well it seems the number of contenders for Governor are ever increasing, though I doubt may of them are actually electable. There may be more candidates in addition to the ones I’ve listed below that I am currently unaware of or have not officially declared their intent to run as far as I can tell.

Republicans: Jan Brewer (Incumbent), Karen Johnson, Hugh Kealer, Roy Miller, Tim Willis

Democrats: Terry Goddard

Independents: John Paul Mitchell, Mike Ross

I’m currently looking primarily at John Paul Mitchell, Terry Goddard, Roy Miller, and Hugh Kealer but I’m still checking out the other candidates to get feel for their poisition on a host of issues. I’ve already eliminated the following from my personal choices for various reasons primarily contradictory to one of my personal political beliefs: Jan Brewer (obstructionism, taxes, non-cooperation), Mike Ross (uncontrolled immigration), Tim Willis (too conservative), Karen Johnson (too conservative).

Basically as long as they support small government, equal rights, protections, and opportunities for all Americans, State’s Rights, free enterprise, cutting taxes, making services cost effective and efficient, keeping a balanced budget, enforcing immigration laws, eliminating the budget deficit, eliminating waste of taxpayer monies, placing the well being of the people over partisan politics, and developing Arizona’s non-tourism industries (i.e. manufacturing, aerospace, electronics, et al) I’ll back them. Just be a fiscally conservative, socially moderate Constitutionalist and I’ll typically be satisfied with a candidacy.

I wish I could say I’m surprised

But I’m not.

The Thicket at State Legislatures: Selling the Capitol in Arizona

This is the problem when so called leaders are greedy, clueless fools who refuse to live on a budget and think the taxpayer is an unending stream of personal revenue. Naturally they begin to think they have the right to sell the people’s property.

I think it’s time the people clean house from the Federal level all the way down to the State, county, and city governments. Give the elitists a little reminder of who the real power in this nation is and that they will be held accountable for their incompetence and greed.

McCain Town Hall

So McCain had a health care town hall earlier today. It went about what I expected. Some ideas, some answers, some sidestepping, some laughs, and some boos. Lots of feisty people whether you consider them wing nuts or not is dependent on your perspective. Nothing extraordinary really other than it was a stark contrast from so many of the Democratic town halls the media made such a ballyhoo about.

My favorite lines from the town hall:

“You might be seeing the beginning of a peaceful revolt in America.”

Actually it’s more the people holding their government accountable more than a revolt, but I assume those elitists in DC think people questioning their elected officials is a revolt. Anyway, the revolt began a while ago, hence the TEA Parties, people going to town halls, etc.

“Senator, nuke it now!”

Though I agree with McCain that such an approach accomplishes nothing in the real world and even in the fantasy land that makes up DC. I just like the quote, since it sums up a lot of people’s anger over the Administration and Congress trying to force everything through without comment, debate, or compromise. When people are backed into a corner (or at least feel like it) they lash out.

Arizona Town Halls
Per The Arizona Republic

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Who: Senator McCain
Where: North Phoenix Baptist Church (5757 N Central, Phoenix)
When: 5:30 pm
Note: Constituents had to sign up by Monday 24 August

Friday 28 August

Who: The Tucson Tea Party (Presumably anti-ObamaCare)
Where: Rincon High School auditorium (422 N Arcadia Ave, Tucson)
When: 6:30 pm

Saturday 29 August

Who: Arizonans for Health Reform (Pro-ObamaCare)
Where: Phoenix College Bullpit auditorium (1202 W Thomas Road, Phoenix)
Time: 10 am – Noon

Hello, Mr Pastor?

Hellooo. Anybody there? We, the resident of CD4, would like to speak with you. So please stop hiding and talk to us.

Hmm. I guess Mr Pastor doesn’t care to listen or respond to his constituents. But then he has little to fear if that wing-nut Karg is the only one challenging him. I should check to see if the Libertarians are putting someone up against him. If they’re smart they will. With the current anti-big government sentiment in the country this is probably the only time the Libertarians are going to have a chance at actually winning some seats in Congress let alone get their message out.

In city politics…

I sent out my mail-in ballot today. I vomit a little in my mouth everytime I think about having to choose between such uninspiring choices. In this case, I disgustedly voted for the incumbent. All I can say is, should he win, is that he better start showing more concern for the homeless and the people in the district than he does for dogs or I see a recall in his future.

And Mayor Gordon and his lackeys apparently think Arizonans are racists if they oppose his sanctuary policies with respect to illegal immigration (e.g. turning Phoenix into a sanctuary city). Actually this is old news given Mayor Gordon thinks anyone against illegal immigration is against all immigration. It’s just back in the spotlight because he’s bringing in outside interests like the Southern Poverty Law Center to try to stabilize his flagging support with divisive language like “nativist” and the state being “infested by hate groups”. The irony is the SPLC’s own numbers show that Arizona is inline with the rest of the nation in size and number of hate groups when you do the simple math. Doh! Guess that means the nation is infested with hate groups as well. Just saying…