LiberalDesert

2012-03-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Our Friends Arrive in Larnaca, Cyprus

Thank goodness. Democracy isn't always pretty but who knew electoral politics could get as rough in Egypt as here in the US?

2012-02-02T09:02:00.003-07:00

Not a Family Reunion, But Still

Courtesy of The Times of India, "Coppersmiths throng Van for Rathasapthami." If only Udupi Cafe hadn't closed, we could have had a local celebration of Coppersmiths here in Phoenix. Because you just can't have too many Coppersmith-themed celebrations.

2011-12-25T06:06:00.002-07:00

A Happy Jewish Hipster Merry Christmas to You

Here's the original post, which has the links to the explanations, but it's just an excuse to post this video again. Happy holidays to one and all.

But if you want something more traditional, here's the Opera Company of Philadelphia at Macy's (the old Wanamaker's building) in Center City Philadelphia surprising shoppers with Handel.

2011-12-22T16:17:00.001-07:00

NDI International Election Delegation for Egyptian National Assembly Elections

Just back from a week in Egypt with National Democratic Institute. Here's the NDI statement following the second round of the elections. And here's my mention in the state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram, apparently based on a statement issued by the governor of Aswan after our meeting on Tuesday evening ahead of the elections. The translation:

NDI President [should be: Vice Chair] Checks on Election Progress in Aswan

On Wednesday, [the] former President [should be: Hattie Babbitt, Vice Chair] of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and [former] Congressman Sam Coppersmith, met with Aswan Governor Mostafa El-Sayed to discuss the progress of the electoral process. The accompanying delegation expressed their appreciation to the efforts made by the Egyptian government to wrap up the democratic transition process through the parliamentary and presidential elections.

A delegation member stated that Egypt’s parliamentary elections are being followed up across all of the 27 governorates, explaining that NDI has begun working in Egypt in 2005, as part of its human rights efforts. The institute has followed elections in about 76 countries worldwide.

It is worth noting that civil society observers as well as international observers were present in a number of stations in the governorate of Aswan.
_30_

Here's Aswan Team 1 taking a break from witnessing the election along the banks of the Nile:

Fascinating week. I hope I get to go back.

2011-12-08T11:43:00.000-07:00

Phoenix's Least Convincing Business Combination

Thomas Road east of 32nd Street.

2011-11-26T11:24:00.003-07:00

Your Nonpolitical Arizona Tax Credit Reminder

No commentary this year, just a reminder that the out-of-balance Arizona tax system makes it exceedingly easy, and almost entirely cost-free, to make several types of charitable donations--at least for relatively well-off taxpayers. Of course, you should be giving to charity anyway, and I hope you do, well beyond taking advantage of these credits. But if you’re charity-challenged, Arizona makes it really easy even for the obnoxiously or ideologically cheap to pretend to act charitably.

Several tax credits let you reduce your state income taxes by the entire amount of your donation. This discussion, as before, assumes you itemize deductions and don’t pay alternative minimum tax (AMT). If so, donate by December 31, then in April, you pay that same amount less in state income taxes by the amount of the donations due to several dollar-for-dollar tax credits. All it costs you is some time (and maybe a stamp where you can’t or don’t give online).

First, contributions to “private school tuition organizations” that offer scholarships to private schools qualify for a tax credit for individuals of up to $500 and for married couples up to $1,000. Please consider giving to Schools With Heart Foundation, 1131 E. Highland, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Designate your contribution for The Family School, which (in addition to getting our annual contribution) was the site of our son’s community service project; he and his buddies cleaned and painted one of the school buildings 4 years ago.

Schools With Heart doesn’t have online contributions, so you have to write and mail a check and designate the check for The Family School (in a cover letter or on the memo line of the check). Schools With Heart is one of the better PSTOs; it doesn’t let donors earmark for specific children and doesn’t spend money on insiders’ salaries.

You contribute now, then report your contribution on Form 323 when filing state income taxes in April, getting a full dollar-for-dollar credit up to the cap. But make sure to include this and your other donations as charitable contributions on your federal return to get the full benefit.

Second, this being Arizona, there's a less-generous public school tax credit lets single taxpayers give and get back up to $200, and married taxpayers, up to $400. You write the check directly to the school, not to a PTO or foundation, and report this credit on Arizona Form 322.

Of course, wealthier school districts benefit more from these tax credit donations, so if you want your money to make more of a difference, you should contribute to a school in the Isaac School District, 3348 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85009. You can download the contribution form, on which you designate a specific school to receive the donation, or call Sophia L. Flores at (602) 455-6774. Your gift is far more significant in a school district with (last I checked, the website hasn’t been updated) 90 percent of its students at or below poverty and two-thirds from non-English-speaking homes.

Third, donations to charities which assist low-income residents qualify for another tax credit if you exceed the “baseline” of your charitable contributions for 1996 or the first year you itemized, if later. This particular credit is available up to $200 for single taxpayers and $400 for couples. Lots of Arizona charities qualify for this Form 321 credit, both those providing services and certain “umbrella” organizations (like the United Way) that providing funding for service provider. The list for 2011 is here. You may already have donated to one of these organizations, so take advantage of this credit if you did--and maybe give some more?

Also, 2011 is now the last year for some qualifying organizations. Effective January 1, 2012, a “qualifying charity” cannot provide or provide referrals for, or financially support a charity that provides or provides referrals for, abortion. A.R.S. §43-1088(H)(3). Just more of that “less-government-is-best, except when it isn’t” philosophy for which we’re famous in Arizona.

But if you haven't made a qualifying donation yet, I serve on the national and local advisory board, and having disclosed that can urge you, without any conflict whatsoever, to contribute to DevereuxArizona and its behavioral health programs. Devereux’s H.O.P.E. 4 Kids Fund provides recreation, gifts, and support for kids in behavioral health programs who otherwise would have to do without. You can help at no cost to you because you’ll pay exactly that much less in state income taxes. Send your check to Devereux Arizona, 11000 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 260, Scottsdale, AZ 85254, or click here to donate to the program.

Additional information on these three tax credits, and links to the necessary Arizona tax forms, is available from the Arizona Department of Revenue’s tax credit page. However, the page hasn’t been updated to include two other available Arizona tax credits.

The first is the Arizona Military Family Relief Fund tax credit which, for tax years through 2012 only, allows taxpayers to claim $200 for single taxpayers or heads of households, and $400 for married couples filing joint returns, for MFRF donations. To claim the credit, you need a receipt from the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, and to give you a receipt, the ADVS needs your full name, address, and last four digits of your Social Security number, required by A.R.S.§41-608.04(H). The MFRF is also capped at $1 million a year, so you need to give before they reach the ceiling, which they did last year. As of November 8, they were 18% of the way there for 2011. Celebrate the return of the last US troops from Iraq this December by sending your contribution to MFRF, c/o Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, 3839 N. 3rd Street, Suite 209, Phoenix, AZ 85012. The contribution form is here, or you can call Travis Schulte, the MRFR manager at ADVS at (602) 234-8403.

The same deal applies as with the other credits; you take the credit on your Arizona return, and make sure you include it in your charitable donations for deduction on Schedule A of your federal return, and the contribution is completely offset by the credit and deduction and costs you nothing.

Then there’s a fifth credit available, from Arizona’s voter-approved but endangered system publicly-financed state elections. Despite the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, you can still write a check in 2011 and pay less in state taxes in April, 2012. (However, it’s not a true dollar-for-dollar credit because political contributions are not deductible for federal taxes.) The credit is now $670 for individuals and $1,340 for couples, or up to 20% (yes, that’s one-fifth) of your total state tax liability, whichever is greater.

Send your contribution to Citizens Clean Election Fund, 1616 W. Adams, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85007. There are no specific forms for this credit, either for the donation or for your Arizona tax return, where you instead list the credit directly on your Form 140. Also, the Commission no longer accepts online contributions, so you have to write and mail a check. For more information, see this page on the CCEC website. You can’t designate the contribution for a particular candidate or party; instead, you’re limited to supporting democracy in general.

So make some donations by December 31 and reduce your state taxes this coming April 15 by the precise amount of your ostensible generosity.

2011-11-09T09:55:00.002-07:00

C2C: Two Additional Bridgewater State videos

Former Congressman Rob Simmons (R-CT) and I talking about public service and US-Canada relations during our visit to Bridgewater State University. Audio isn't the greatest because neither of us knew we were being recorded and neither of us used the microphone.

Discussing public service:

US-Canada relations (BSU has a program on Canadian Studies, so that topic got added to our visit):

I should note that my bow tie is from Dogwood Ties, neckwear purveyor to the future stars.

2011-11-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

C2C: Bridgewater State University
As part of my recent Congress to Campus visit to Bridgewater State University, former Member Rob Simmons (R-CT) and I taped an episode of Commonwealth Politics, sponsored by the Center for Legislative Studies at BSU. I continue my new tradition of wearing a bow tie on public (and cable access) TV. They wanted two over-the-hill guys to discuss what's happening today and, more importantly, how we can get those kids off our lawn. Enjoy--and Go Bears!

2011-10-28T16:10:00.001-07:00

Return of the Crusties

More Harvard Band fun, as about two dozen former Bandies returned for another That Seventies Show reunion. Two generations of Coppersmiths marched and played. I now have a Band nickname: "Big Louis." Seems like a demotion, but actually it's better than people continually harping on that Bass Drum incident many years ago. Someday the HUB will post video of the pregame and halftime on the Band blog, but today is not that day.

2011-10-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

Congress to Campus Visit to Royal Military College, Kingston

My trip to Ontario with Hon. Paul Dick, former Member of the House of Commons, Canada. A report from Cadet Ethan Strong (he's more properly 25961 OCdt Ethan Strong, meaning he's Cadet number 25961 in the history of RMC) is available here (scroll down to "A Talk with Former Canadian and American Politicians.")

2011-10-02T19:46:00.003-07:00

Tour de Scottsdale 2011

Kind of warm out there, and a head wind going down Nine Mile Hill, which was odd. No photos yet, just results. 3:43:04, which is 27/78 in my division and an 18.8 mph average.

UPDATE: Now with photos.

2011-08-24T16:58:00.000-07:00

In Which I CrossThree Steps into North Korea, and, More Importantly, Cross Back

My visit to the DMZ last month. I’m visiting on a Monday, which normally isn’t a visiting day for the US/UN side, so the DPRK soldier peering in the window is more curious than ominous.

2011-08-09T08:06:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Titan Marching Band

If you had kids in the Arcadia High School Band in the early part of this century (or were in the Band then, but if so, why are you reading this old guy's blog?), you'll appreciate this essay by our son Ben. Did you know that he's tied for third-funniest in the family (as is everybody else)?

2011-07-19T17:12:00.003-07:00

Vineman 70.3 Half Ironman

Rookie mistake--had too much fun on the swim (fun!) and bike (fun and beautiful, too!) and didn't leave enough for the second half of the run (not fun!) But I finished in 6:23:51, 36 out of 53 in my division, and well under my "positive" goal of 6:30, and better thus than my "basic" goal, which was finish, and my "satisfactory" goal, which was finish in under 7 hours. But had such fun on the swim and bike that my ego got ahead of my GI tract on the run while chasing after a "stretch" goal. But enough! My first half ironman, and I finished.
UPDATE: The local newspaper's story on the pro event, with some pictures. Plus from the event photographer: Not just photos, but 2 videos, one of the finish and one of me waddling out of the water.

2011-06-24T08:56:00.005-07:00

The Jewish News Report on the Century Ride

Here's Marilyn Hawkes's report on Andy's Tahoe ride. The version in the paper has the picture, but without the speech bubbles. Sorry, L.

2011-06-06T21:40:00.006-07:00

The Boys Do A Century Ride

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride, with temperatures between 41 and 47 degrees, rain, plus hail. Maybe it got warmer than that in the afternoon, but then it started hailing again. I never shed any layers during the ride, and it was pretty cold, even going up the switchbacks to Emerald Bay (hence the shower cap to keep out the hail/rain). Not the best day but we did it. Speech and thought bubbles by E. Gordon (now known as L.)

2011-05-30T13:06:00.002-07:00

Tempe International Triathlon Action Photo!

Thanks to Lisa Kravetz. The professional shots are usually far less kinetic, at least for us age-groupers.

2011-05-16T09:23:00.009-07:00

2:47:47, which is a new PR for the Olympic distance by all of 1 second, but I'll take it. I had a good swim (more, and more visible, buoys next year, please!), a not-bad bike ride, and was just not so slow on the run as to use up all the time I gained in the transitions over my Nation's Triathlon time. (A tri with 10,000 participants means more time in transition; doing an event with 1,000 means a couple of minutes gained just because the transition area isn't quite so huge or so far from the swim and bike courses.) Maybe if we hadn't started 40 minutes late I could have picked up another second or two, it got pretty warm by the end of the run. TriScottsdale won the club championship, plus I was fourth in my age group (out of 14). There are more pictures here.

2011-04-01T08:57:00.002-07:00

Mountain Biking in McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Korean

A page from a bicyling profile of U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea D. Kathleen Stephens from Bicyclelife.net magazine (click for larger view).

2011-03-26T07:23:00.003-07:00

Not Me, or Any of My Relatives

Or a novel that I'm likely to read, but maybe I should (and give a cover blurb for the next edition?)

2011-02-28T09:50:00.002-07:00

Mountain Biking in the Sonoran Desert

Snow on the McDowells, Sunday, Feb. 27:

2011-02-22T11:02:00.004-07:00

Desert Classic Duathlon 2011

Not too bad considering I lost 14 minutes (and 16 seconds) changing a flat tire on the bicycle portion. If you give me that time, I could have been in the top half of my age group. Without, still OK. Wish I'd known one fellow 55+ male was only 3 seconds in front of me on the second run. No pictures yet. UPDATE: Pictures.

2011-02-09T11:03:00.002-07:00

Mummy Mountain Loop

The Map My Ride analysis of my favorite (or at least most frequent) training ride, courtesy of Jason Franz. (Link fixed, sorry.)

2011-01-30T12:36:00.002-07:00

(500) Days of Summer

I laughed out loud. I got nothing to say about it, I just want to save this link. Plus the opening announcement:

Author's Note: The following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Especially you Jenny Beckman. Bitch.

2010-12-09T08:58:00.002-07:00

Another Reason To Like Wildflower Bread Company

They consider "Baby It's Cold Outside" to be Christmas music.

2010-12-05T13:45:00.002-07:00

Once Again, It's Arizona Tax Credit Time

It’s time again to remind readers of this humble blog of the whacked-out Arizona tax laws which make it exceedingly easy to make several types of charitable donations--at least for relatively well-off taxpayers. Of course, you should be giving to charity anyway. But in Arizona, we make it really easy even for die-hard libertarians (a euphemism for “the obnoxiously and ideologically cheap”) to act charitably.

Several tax credits let you reduce your state income taxes by the entire amount of your donation. This discussion, as always, assumes you itemize deductions and don’t pay alternative minimum tax (AMT). If so, donate by December 31, then in April, you pay that same amount less in state income taxes by the amount of the donations due to several dollar-for-dollar tax credits. All it costs you is some time (and some stamps for those where you can’t or don’t give online).

First, contributions to “private school tuition organizations” that offer scholarships to private schools qualify for a tax credit for individuals of up to $500 and for married couples up to $1,000. Please consider giving to Schools With Heart Foundation, 1131 E. Highland, Phoenix, AZ 85014 or donate online here. Designate your contribution for The Family School, which (in addition to getting our annual contribution) is the site of our youngest son’s Eagle Scout project; he and his Scout buddies painted the school 3 years ago. Schools With Heart is one of the better PSTOs; it doesn’t let donors earmark for specific children, doesn’t spend money on insiders, and isn’t violating the Internal Revenue Code rules on charitable organizations like numerous Arizona PSTOs. With The Family School, you don’t have to hold your nose when you write your check.

You contribute now, then report your contribution on Form 323 when filing state income taxes in April, getting a full dollar-for-dollar credit up to the cap. But make sure to include these donations as charitable contributions on your federal return to get the full benefit.

Second, this being Arizona, there's a less-generous public school tax credit lets single taxpayers give and get back up to $200, and married taxpayers, up to $400. You write the check directly to the school, not to a PTO or foundation, and report this credit on Arizona Form 322.

Of course, wealthier school districts benefit more from these tax credit donations, so if you want your money to make more of a difference, you should contribute to the Isaac School District, 3348 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85009. You can download the contribution form, or call Sophia L. Flores (602) 455-6774. Your gift is far more significant in a school district with (last time I checked) 90 percent of its students at or below poverty and two-thirds from non-English-speaking homes.

Third, donations to charities which assist low-income residents qualify for another tax credit if you exceed the “baseline” of your charitable contributions for 1996 or the first year you itemized, if later. Lots of Arizona charities qualify for this Form 321 credit (the list for 2010 is here, and you may already have donated to one of these organizations). This particular credit is available up to $200 for single taxpayers and $400 for couples.

But if you haven't made a qualifying donation yet, I serve on the board, and having disclosed that can urge you, without any guilt whatsoever, to contribute to Devereux Arizona and its behavioral health programs. Devereux’s “My Little Stocking” program provides holiday gifts to children in foster and residential programs who otherwise wouldn’t get anything without contributions like yours. You can give gifts at no cost because you’ll pay exactly that much less in state income taxes. Send your check to Devereux Arizona, 11000 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 260, Scottsdale, AZ 85254, or click here to donate to the program. You also can give to Devereux Arizona online and make your qualifying donation that way.

Additional information on these three tax credits, and links to the necessary Arizona tax forms, is available from the Arizona Department of Revenue’s tax credit page. However, the page hasn’t been updated to include two other available Arizona tax credits.

The first of these two “mystery” tax credits is the Arizona Military Family Relief Fund tax credit which, for tax years through 2012 only, allows individual (but not entity) taxpayers to claim $200 for single taxpayers or heads of households, and $400 for married couples filing joint returns, for MFRF donations. To claim the credit, you need a receipt from the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, and to give you a receipt, the ADVS needs your full name, address, and last four digits of your Social Security number. (The SSN numbers are required by law, A.R.S. §41-608.04(F).) The MFRF is also capped at $1 million a year, so you need to give before they reach the ceiling – if they do; as of last weekend, there were about a quarter of the way there. Send your contribution to MFRF, c/o Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, 3839 N. 3rd Street, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85012. The contribution form is here, or you can call ADVS at (602) 263-1837.

The same deal applies as with the other credits; you take the credit on your Arizona return, and make sure you include it in your charitable donations for deduction on Schedule A of your federal return, and the contribution is completely offset by the credit and deduction and costs you nothing.

Then there’s a fifth credit available, from Arizona’s voter-approved but endangered system publicly-financed state elections. This credit may not survive those judicial activists on the U.S. Supreme Court, but you can still write the checks in 2010 and pay less in state taxes in April. (However, it’s not a true dollar-for-dollar credit because contributions are not deductible for federal taxes.) The credit is now $640 for individuals and $1,280 for couples, or up to 20% (yes, that’s one-fifth) of your total state tax liability, whichever is greater. Send your contribution to Citizens Clean Election Fund, 1616 W. Adams, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85007. There are no specific forms for this credit, either for the donation or for your Arizona tax return, where you instead list the credit directly on your Form 140. For more information, the CCEC website offers this page. You can’t designate the contribution for a particular candidate or party; instead, you’re limited just to supporting democracy in general.

So make some donations by December 31 and reduce your state taxes this coming April 15. Yes, it’s a series of bad laws, but you still can use it to do some good. And consider it useful training; learning how to make charitable contributions when they’re free is the first step toward training yourself to make them when they’re not.

2010-11-02T08:39:00.003-07:00

Election Night Analysis

I'll be on KJZZ-FM, our local NPR station, between 10-11:30 pm MST tonight doing election commentary. I'll try not to be too depressing, because (1) as one wag noted, states with laws closing the bars on election day only prohibit the purchase of alcoholic beverages, you can stock up in advance and consume as necessary, and (2) at the state and local level, in 2008 Arizona voted like Utah or Idaho anyway, so this year should be not much change from last cycle.

However, I will advise the 'wingers to watch the "take our country back" talk in Arizona. If some of the tribes start liking that idea, it might not work out so well for all concerned.

2010-11-01T08:32:00.004-07:00

The Political Crankiness Equivalent of Classic Rock

One day last week our receptionist buzzes me, and says that "some old crank from Tucson" called about the “Vote No on All Propositions” signs; we’re the office for the 10 ballot committees involved. (The reason for 10 committees is a long story, not worth your time because doesn’t set up this joke but rather another one.) She gives me the message, which says that the guy really likes those signs and wants to know if he can get some to put up around Tucson. I then look at the name—it’s former state Sen. John Kromko. “That’s not some old crank from Tucson,” I exclaim. “That’s the ORIGINAL old crank from Tucson.” It’s like getting a message from Eric Clapton saying he liked your playing on that YouTube video somebody sent him.

So when John asked that I distribute this cartoon , of course I’m going to do it. Medical marijuana is 203, not 201, but you get the idea. (Click for larger version to read the text.)

2010-10-26T09:15:00.002-07:00

Get Your Fracking Early Ballots In Already

This goes especially for our sons. Also, an update on the Scottsdale School Board. The SEA (teachers) made an endorsement over the past week, it just went up on the website; they're endorsing Schaefer and Denny Brown, not Kirby. If I hadn't submitted my ballot already, that would have been enough to switch my preference. UPDATE: Or maybe not, my guru on SUSD matters heard from some still-involved parents she trusts who still prefer Kirby over Brown, so maybe my ballot was filled out correctly after all. Finally, on CAWCD, I couldn't bring myself to vote the straight nihilist ticket; I voted for Frank Fairbanks and Arif Kazmi. What can I say? As a liberal, being irresponsible is just too darn difficult.

2010-10-20T22:17:00.005-07:00

2010 General Election Recommendations

It looks like a particularly dispiriting election next month, so forgive me if these recommendations have a somewhat nihilistic air. I’ve had it with people who think photo radar cameras are an outrage to privacy, but asking suspicious-looking Hispanics for their papers answers a moral imperative. I’ve had more than enough of people who oppose socialized medicine because they already have their Medicare. And don’t get me started on people who are upset about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that President Obama supposedly started. As Mencken said, the American people want democracy, and they deserve it -- good and hard. And apparently, that’s what we’ll get.

The only saving grace is that the last of our kids finished with Arizona public schools this year, everybody is healthy, and we actually read economic statistics and know that we’re in the top 1-2% of the US income distribution. Private universities outside the state aren’t dependent on the forethought and wisdom of the Arizona legislature, thankfully and blessedly none of us is under treatment for either chronic or behavioral health issues, we hope to sell our house before global warming makes Arizona as climatologically inhospitable as it is politically, and it’s a fabulous time to be rich in America because nobody pays for what they get, and you're encouraged to whine about what you do pay.

I got a call from a voter, with Medicare coverage for full disability, who opposes health care reform; she got hers, nobody else needs apply. She wants to vote for Prop. 107 because (and this is the only reason she could give) she’s upset that when she shops at J.C. Penney at MetroCenter, they don’t stock what she wants to buy, they’re aiming for a different (read: Hispanic) consumer. Yes, we should abolish affirmative action so she isn’t uncomfortable when clothes shopping. I would have suggested she move back to Ohio -- but then she probably moved to Arizona in the first place because Ohio became too diverse racially for her.

So vote. It may be like pissing in the wind, but boy, does my bladder (and spleen) feel full. To the recommendations:

You don’t need to read me for the big offices, like Congress and the statewide races. The campaigns with which I’ve worked most closely this cycle are Rodney Glassman for US Senate; for the US House, Harry Mitchell in CD-5, Gabrielle Giffords in CD-8, and Jon Hulburd in CD-3; statewide, Terry Goddard for Governor and Felecia Rotellini for Attorney General.

For Corporation Commission, single-shot David Bradley following Jorge Luis Garcia’s death, and hope that Commissioners Kennedy and Newman elect him chair.

Key legislative race: In LD-11 House, single-shot Dr. Eric Meyer, don’t vote for either of the Republicans. For LD-11 Senate, I like Adam Driggs personally, and I really like and respect his father, but Driggs knew he should vote against SB 1070 but couldn’t do the right thing for fear he would lose his primary. He was probably correct on the politics, but you should vote for Rita Dickenson because some things are more important than winning a primary.

Maricopa County Attorney: Go ahead, vote for Kielsky, the libertarian, or write in David Lujan.

Scottsdale School Board: A very surprising election, with very little information or community concern; even the Scottsdale Education Association hasn’t made an endorsement. I’m told Dieter Schaefer carefully weighs his decisions and isn’t a knee-jerker, and Pam Kirby is basically unknown, but seems to have a district-wide perspective. I tend to stay away from candidates who tout their limited geographic interests; I may live in the southern end of the district, but that’s a loser’s game for us, in the long run we’re better off with a board which has the whole district in mind, but you may feel differently about Denny Brown’s approach than I do. So Schaefer and Kirby and hope for the best. Again, I’m hugely glad my kids have graduated already; it’s not a good time to serve on an Arizona school board, so whomever wins, they have my sympathy. Also: vote yes on the SUSD bonds. UPDATE: The SEA finally issued an endorsement, for Schaefer and Brown, which would have changed my opinion, but I've already voted. UPDATE 2: Or maybe not, my trusted guru on all things SUSD is sticking with Schaefer and Kirby, so my ballot might have been completed correctly after all.

Ballot propositions: You would not be doing a bad thing -- indeed, you’d be doing a considerably correct thing -- by voting “NO” on all ten. All but one came from the legislature, so voting yes means encouraging them and thus getting more of the same. The only possible “yes” votes would be for Prop. 110, on State Trust Lands, which is endorsed by key people on all sides of that issue, and Prop. 112, which tweaks the rules for submission of ballot initiatives to make election administration better, but both of those are weak “good government” tea, and not huge problems if they fail.

You also could make an argument for Prop. 111, which creates a lieutenant governor position, and for Prop. 203, medical marijuana, but I’m voting no on both -- although it’s a closer call on 203.

For 111, I found the campaign in favor to be juvenile and puerile, and there are substantive problems in that the Gov and Lt. Gov candidates run separately, in partisan primaries, so there’s no guarantee (and it’s actually unlikely) that the LG would allow continuation of the Gov’s policies. This proposition reminds me of the 1988 change to the state constitution to require a majority to elect a governor, which was passed in hopes of preventing a repeat of the Ev Mecham 3-way plurality election, but which then forced a pointless repeat runoff between Terry Goddard and Fife Symington because of a 3% spoiler third-party candidate. So vote no.

Some people I respect also support Prop. 203, Medical Marijuana, which is better drafted than the California version on their ballot, for what that’s worth. I’m just not seeing it, and I’m voting no, but your mileage may vary.

So just vote no on the propositions -- especially on 302 (putting First Things First money into the Legislature’s hands, are you kidding?) and 301 (same for the Land Conservation Fund, don’t be ridiculous!) as well as 106 (health care -- I have my Medicare, so you should be left to the tender mercies of the insurance companies!), 107 (clothes for white people at Penney’s!), 109 (hunting and fishing trump everything else!), 113 (beat up on the unions even more!), and 111 (no lieutenant governor until the people of Arizona prove they can be trusted electing a governor!) Vote yes, maybe, on 110 (state trust land reform) and 112 (initiative petition clean-up). Flip a coin on 203 (medical marijuana) but I’m voting no.

Judges: No real clunkers in this year’s group; some are obviously better than others, but nobody strikes me as below the standard for retention. If you’re are pressed for time and want to highlight only the top judges, then make sure you take the time to vote for the following:

Court of Appeals: Dan Barker, Pat Irvine

Superior Court: Peter Reinstein, Randall Warner, Sally Schneider, Dawn Bergin, William Brotherton, Gary Donahoe, Bethany Hicks, Douglas Reyes, Samuel Thumma, Jean Hoag, Roger Broadman

That’s 13 judges out of the horde, for whom you should take the time to vote yes.

Central Arizona Project: The toughest thing on the ballot for me this year. The CAP, as you may have heard, is in the middle of a fight where right-wing Republicans are trying to take over the Board. If they elect 4 or 5 (not clear) more, they will have a majority and can bring the full weight of their ideology to bear on the CAP. This possibility has gotten much of the downtown business community, and the local excuse for a newspaper, upset, because ‘wingers tend to micromanage government and have a very short-term, dollars-only attitude toward vital public services. This strikes those groups as very dangerous when it comes to water, but perfectly acceptable when it comes to the US Congress or the legislature.

People I respect, like Grady Gammage, a former member of the CAP Board, see a 'winger takeover as a huge threat to the state. And a number of good people are running, including former Phoenix city manager Frank Fairbanks, who is one of the finest public servants I have ever known. But why wouldn’t the CAP Board be the place to demonstrate whether this low-tax-and-no-spend theory of government actually could work? Why is water sacred, but public education, public health, and behavioral health are perfectly acceptable playgrounds for ideological tax-cutting fervor? If the newspaper’s editorial board wants us to send small-minded bean counters to Washington to govern the entire country, why is staff expertise and light oversight so important when it comes to mere water? It would make much more sense to experiment with ‘winger control on a limited, but important, board than to experiment with the entire state, as would be the result of voting for Jan Brewer for governor.

So I probably should do the right thing, and vote for Frank Fairbanks as well as Arif Kazmi, whom I’ve met at a number of campaign stops this fall, as well as the other “traditional” candidates (Tim Bray, Sid Wilson, and Jim Holway). But I am sorely tempted to vote for Kazmi and the four-member ‘winger slate, to give the downtown business community a good, hard taste of their own medicine. They support this stuff, they should have to live with it. If you’re similarly inclined to heighten the contradictions, the four wackos running for CAP are Bundy, Johnson, Moulton, and Rosado. Mark Lewis isn’t part of the group, but for some reason they find him simpatico. Your call, I still don’t know what I’m going to do. UPDATE: I voted only for Fairbanks and Kazmi.

Thus sayeth your oracle. Go vote, and hope for the best. If you see things otherwise, comments are welcome, I'll try to check and post them daily.

2010-10-06T10:51:00.005-07:00

Tour de Scottsdale 2010

A training ride, not a race this year, for me; I'm resting on my Nations Tri laurels for the season. I rode with friends, helping the cousin of one, who hadn't ridden longer than 50 miles, make it around the course, stopping at every rest area, plus a flat tire around mile 55. Nice shirt, and this year, bike socks in the goodie bag. No wind, but pretty hot--upper 90's by the finish. Still, a nice day, and 4:37:18 for 70 moderate miles, 56/72 in my age group.

2010-10-04T09:28:00.004-07:00

We've Ended Our Subscription, Too

No more of our money for mendacious media morons. How do you say "unfortunate dustup" in Spanish?

From Karen Scates:

Today I canceled my subscription to the Arizona Republic. For more than 40 years I have been a subscriber and also to the Phoenix Gazette until it shut down. I am one of the Neanderthals who likes to read a morning paper, and even though it has become mostly a bird cage liner, I've kept my home delivery.

The editorial endorsing Jan Brewer was the most nauseating column I have ever read. Even excusing the fact that I'm a Democrat or that I work for Terry Goddard and he is my friend, there is no reasonable person with a modicum of education who could embrace their disingenuous and spineless endorsement. To refer to her signing of SB1070 as an "unfortunate dustup" after they have been editorializing against it and to suggest that she has "out performed expectations on a host of fronts" is stretching anyone's imagination. To suggest she has a talent for handling the legislature is insulting and false since they have whipsawed her, along with her lobbying friends, at every turn.

The dumbing down of our education system and nasty political environment is only matched by the questionable journalism and lack of bold leadership we are surrounded by and reinforced by this ridiculous excuse for a newspaper. Our State has become a laughing stock and now Jan Brewer is only matched by the travesty of the morning newspaper.

I believe in consequences for bad behavior (does not include boycotting the state!) and my small protest is to cancel my subscription. Maybe they'll understand lost revenue if nothing else. Maybe you'll feel the same and join me.

My old boss, Mo Udall, used to say, "I'm a man of principle and my first principle is flexibility -- them's my views and if you don't like 'em, I'll change 'em!" I think this is one time he would agree that there's no room for flexibility.

The best "consequence" would be to elect Terry Goddard as Governor. It might be an uphill battle in this insane environment, but let's all double-down and make it happen. Our future depends on it!!

The Arizona Republic: The Newspaper for People Afraid of the Future.

2010-09-30T16:18:00.003-07:00

I Win An Award!

From the state Republican party, which as always has trouble differentiating between adjectives and nouns. Let me know if the link doesn't work and I'll send you copies of the PDF. FOLLOW-UP: Nobody's contacted me yet to confirm I get an actual award and not just a crummy press release. I'd like to get the schedule set so I can see if our kids could travel back to Phoenix for the presentation.

2010-09-14T09:52:00.007-07:00

Nation's Triathlon 2010

Olympic distance, with a swim in the Potomac, a bike ride out the Clara Barton and Rock Creek parkways, and a run around the monuments and Tidal Basin. I finished in 2:47:48, which is a new PR, and top 25% of my age group. A very nice day in a steady rain that finally started letting up during the run. Full results here. Scroll down to "Watch Review" for the coolest display of charts, graphs, and a computer simulation of your race, assuming you kept an even pace the entire day in each event. ("Go, Red Dot! Don't let that grey dot pass you!"). And (at least temporarily), some photos plus two official finisher videos here. (And #3236 should learn not to raise her arms and celebrate until after getting to the finish line.)

Plus permanent video of the finish, courtesy of Andy:

2010-08-31T09:00:00.003-07:00

White Guys At Arizona Republic Editorial Board Say Racial Profiling Isn't A Problem

Or at least not their problem. The Republic's position: We are kind of, sort of, in a really quiet way so it doesn't upset the focus groups, wishy-washily against SB 1070, Arizona's Suspicious-Looking Latino Law. Instead, what we're really against are people who are against SB 1070.

2010-08-19T14:23:00.003-07:00

It's Pat McMahon, So I'll Ignore The Rest Of The Programming On That Awful Station

I will avert my eyes from the otherwise evil doings of the corporate overlords at Bonneville to appear on the Friday, Aug. 20th edition of The McMahon Group. It's the next best thing to getting a Ladmo bag. UPDATE: The show was recorded on Aug. 20, but actually airs at 4 PM MST on Sunday, August 22.

2010-08-10T11:06:00.003-07:00

Because We Can Focus On Only One Boogeyman At A Time

So what if the one lasting result of now-enjoined SB 1070 is that we finally get gay marriage in this country because angry white guys are too busy hating on Mexicans to fuss anymore about the gays?

2010-08-03T10:16:00.003-07:00

More Mad Men

Killer line from Episode 4.02: "In a nutshell, it all comes down to what I want versus what's expected of me." Dr. Faye Miller, played by Cara Buono.

2010-07-26T21:20:00.003-07:00

9500 Liberty

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix is hosting a free screening of the film, 9500 Liberty, at the church, 4027 E. Lincoln Drive in Paradise Valley. More details, including the trailer for the documentary, here. Roger Ebert's review is here.

The event is free, although contributions are welcome, and the movie will be followed by a panel discussion with the director/producers of the documentary, Annabel Park and Eric Byler, joined by Dale Wiebusch, Legislative Associate for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, and yours truly. I plan on bringing my moderate and emphathetic anger and outrage over SB 1070 to the UU crowd.

2010-07-26T16:39:00.002-07:00

Take the ACLU of Arizona Racial Profiling Quiz

Isn't it also against the law to drive over the speed limit? In that case, WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?

2010-07-25T08:32:00.002-07:00

"Who Is Don Draper?"

Season 4--tonight!

2010-07-16T08:31:00.003-07:00

A Press Release from President Coppersmith

As in Jeffrey (no relation) Coppersmith, President of the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, Inc. (NCBFAA).

2010-07-15T08:49:00.002-07:00

How Could Something So Wong Feel So White?

Corporation Commission candidate Barry Wong's out-of-right-field idea to have utilities somehow figure out a way to deny service to illegal immigrants. Next, can we force shopping centers to deny parking spaces to illegals so I can park closer to the entrance?

2010-06-09T21:10:00.002-07:00

What's Escalating at the Border Is BS, Not Crime

Sam Seder:

H/t: Atrios.

2010-06-03T09:19:00.003-07:00

More Factually Challenged Stuff

Is it ethical to try to rehabilitate Arizona's image and encourage tourists to visit if it's true that Phoenix is the "kidnapping capital of the world?"
Update: See also.

2010-06-02T16:13:00.007-07:00

Don't Bother Me With The Facts!

You have to use the Interwebs to find out this stuff, because our local media hasn't noticed that:

According to the FBI crime statistics, incidence of violent crime is down in Arizona over the past two years--dramatically
According to Arizona Department of Public Safety statistics, violent crime--murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault--is down for the third consecutive year, down 15% from the 2006 peak and still 12% lower than when DPS started putting the statistics online in 2000
That crime statistics in incorporated cities in Maricopa County--Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale--show significant drops, while crime is increasing (along with response times) in unincorporated Maricopa County, the responsibility of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

You should read the whole thing, because Dara Lind, subbing for Matthew Yglesias, has got the statistical goods on this "massive crime wave" BS, but here's the conclusion:

As far as I see it, there are two possibilities here. The first is that Arpaio really has been fighting a "crime wave" committed by a bunch of "criminal aliens" who are deliberately avoiding the border region, hanging out in Maricopa County and taking care to commit their crimes outside city limits. Even if this were plausible, it wouldn’t speak terribly well to the effectiveness of Arpaio’s tactics.

Alternatively, of course, it could be the case that other law-enforcement officials in the state (from the chief of Tucson to the sheriffs of Pima and Santa Cruz Counties) are correct when they warn that Arpaio-like, 1070-like tactics cause crime to increase. Police officers who are forced to prioritize immigration enforcement have less time to investigate violent crime, and less help from immigrant and Latino victims and witnesses when they do. Indeed, as Conor Friedersdorf pointed out a few weeks ago, there’s plenty of evidence that Arpaio’s office has let its attention to public safety slip: the average wait time in Maricopa County for response to 911 calls is ten minutes, and arrest rates have fallen dramatically over the last decade and a half. To recap: more crimes, fewer arrests. What a role model!

It's hard not to conclude that Arizona is engaging in "worst practices"-based governance, that the Crime in Arizona 2010 report will reverse the trends of the last few years and turn the much-hyped "crime wave" into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So: Crime is down. The numbers of illegal immigrants in Arizona is down. The number of illegal border crossings is down. The number of Border Patrol officers is up, significantly. I get otherwise decent liberals believing in bizarre anti-immigrant urban legends. When did everyone start taking crazy pills?

2010-05-23T21:34:00.003-07:00

So How Come

It's apparently necessary to have read all of SB 1070 to oppose it, but it was perfectly acceptable to oppose the Affordable Care Act without having read a single word?

2010-05-22T04:35:00.003-07:00

News from British Columbia

Women coppersmiths, or Coppersmith women. Either way, the headline works.

2010-05-10T21:56:00.003-07:00

Flash Opera!

Brindisi (The Drinking Song) from Act I of Verdi's La Traviata. The first performance is at the Central Market in Valencia, Spain, in 2009, then in 2010 at Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market. Philadelphia being the one US city with a large indoor central market and a cool opera company. (Get on the stick, DC!) Lyrics here.

Valencia:

Philadelphia:

2010-05-03T08:28:00.005-07:00

Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon 2010

3:25:13, with a swim of 32:45. After working myself up into a lather, the swim was great, hope to do that again. The bike, not so much. The run was difficult, but when you round the Golden Gate on the return to start heading downhill, and there's La Bridge, the Bay, and you see Alcatraz and think to yourself, "Hey, we just swam that!" it's a pretty glorious day.

Pictures!

And yes, the swim start really is like this:

2010-04-30T09:11:00.003-07:00

Welcome to Arizona!

2010-04-29T13:39:00.005-07:00

I Do Not Think That Word Means What You Think It Means

The word is "recuse," which apparently means "excuse" or "take a powder on a controversial issue" as in this use of the term:

The new law is controversial even within Arizona. Its critics include the attorney general, Terry Goddard, a Democrat running for governor. Mr. Goddard called the law a “tragic mistake” that “does nothing to make us safer.”

Mr. Goddard, however, has the obligation to defend it in court as the state’s chief lawyer. He said he would probably recuse himself, and enlist Mr. Kobach for the defense, as he did in the case involving the 2007 law.

"Mr. Kobach" is a law professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City, and an author of SB 1070, and an Ashcroft guy who helped, in some small way, to prepare the U.S. Department of Justice for the Alberto Gonzales era. So we elect a Democrat as Attorney General so he can avoid representing the state in this case, and instead turn over the litigation to the guy the wingnuts would have picked if left to their own devices (but with public funds)? That certainly makes me delighted that elections have consequences.

UPDATE: More on Prof. Kobach here. After all, it's well known that it's illegal immigrants who put cars up on blocks in the front yard. Like the entire state of Alaska.

2010-04-28T08:40:00.004-07:00

Just Wondering

If there hadn't been a boycott, if the NFL hadn't pulled the 1993 Super Bowl--then today, would Arizona have an official MLK holiday?

UPDATE: The Major League Baseball Players Association connects the dots.

2010-04-24T11:12:00.002-07:00

Gov. Brewer Signs Immigration Bill

Hey Arizona, No Salsa For You!

2010-04-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

Congress to Campus Trip to Vancouver

Here's my article from the spring newsletter of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress regarding my March visit to Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia.

2010-04-15T10:15:00.003-07:00

Legal Self-Promotion

On May 25th, I am lecturing on Land Use Law: Current Issues in Subdivision, Annexation and Zoning for NBI-National Business Institute. The program brochure is available here. My topic is "Analyze the Land Subdivision Process." If you really, really want to know about the legal foundation of the land development process in Arizona, here's your chance.

2010-04-11T14:43:00.002-07:00

El Tour de Phoenix 2010

3:35:22 (gun time only). 386/993 overall, they don't do age group results. I was 4 minutes slower than last year, but still comfortably within the "gold" category, and I averaged 20.1 mph. A good day. No photos yet.

2010-04-03T13:19:00.003-07:00

Doug MacEachern is a Plagiarist

Read this. Then read this. Even when he unethically truncates quotes, MacEachern can't do it originally. Apparently, the Arizona Republic has no trouble following the lead of the Weekly Standard and countenances outright lying. We'll see if they're also tolerant of politically-compatible plagiarism.

2010-03-24T09:05:00.003-07:00

For A Frivolous Lawsuit, Don't You Need A Frivolous Lawyer?

So the State of Arizona is broke, but it has enough money to sue to try to allow insurance companies to rescind policies when people get sick, or to take away health insurance from kids. But why would Gov. Brewer be bothering with a responsible attorney like AG Terry Goddard for a political stunt? If you want a stupid, politically-motivated, and ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit, shouldn't you instead call Andrew Thomas?

2009-12-17T12:54:00.002-07:00

Permanent Andrew Thomas Disclaimer

To eliminate having to repeat all of this background every time I mention our out-of-control County Attorney, please note (1) I'm a political opponent of Andy Thomas going back to his run for Attorney General 8 years ago. (2) The spouse of one of my law partners ran against him for County Attorney in 2008 and I and my wife were pleased to contribute to that campaign. (3) I'm chair of Felecia Rotellini's campaign committee in her campaign for Arizona Attorney General, which is rumored to be Thomas's goal in the 2010 elections. (4) My law firm has been retained to defend one of the judges named in his federal civil lawsuit against the county leadership and judges. (5) There's probably other stuff too, but you get the idea.

But whatever the background, I'm right and he's wrong.

2009-12-16T22:18:00.005-07:00

Laurie Roberts Plays Lawyer!

Is she a lawyer, or not? Tough to tell. In a blog post, she duly notes the first opposition to the Joe Arpaio/Andy Thomas federal RICO lawsuit was filed in court yesterday. But she refuses to analyze who has the best of the argument:

Not being a lawyer, I have no idea whether they are right or not. That's up to a federal judge.

OK, so when it comes to criticizing Joe and Andy, the Clown Show Columnist can't opine as to the merits, because she's not a lawyer. But give it a couple of minutes, because in her comments to the same blog post a couple hours later (scroll down, it's on page 2 of comments), she has no hesitation leaping to legal conclusions:

Irvine represents Superior Court in the courthouse case. Donahoe is the presiding criminal judge of Superior Court. By virtue of that, he is Irvine's client. That's why I don't believe it was appropriate for him to be ruling on motions from Irvine to quash an investigation into Irvine's own county contracts.

There are about a half dozen legal conclusions in that statement from our "not a lawyer" columnist.

(1) Does Irvine represent the Superior Court, as a whole? That's quite a legal conclusion. First of all, in Arizona, there's one Superior Court; the court sits in different counties, but it's all one court. Under her legal conclusion, there's no state trial court judge who could hear the case. Second, is the Superior Court building the courthouse, or is the County as a political subdivision of the state? How does Roberts know that the client is the Superior Court, where does that conclusion come from? Isn't the client the County as an administrative entity, and not every single judge? Wasn't the contract signed by a county contracting official, and not by a judge--and certainly not Judge Donahoe?

(2) So let's leap over those two or three legal and logical chasms and assume Irvine represents the Superior Court as an entity. Donahoe is Irvine's client because -- here comes her next legal conclusion -- every single Superior Court judge is his client. So that means Irvine can't litigate any cases in Maricopa County, because he represents every single judge? How does that work? Wouldn't this conflict apply to every single case, not just those of interest to Andy and Joe?

(3) Doesn't the County Attorney also represent the entire county, including the Superior Court functions, in lawsuits--such as when a prisoner files a Section 1983 action? Doesn't that make every attorney in the County Attorney office the lawyer for each single judge, if Irvine is the lawyer for every judge? How would the county ever defend a lawsuit, if as soon as it hired counsel, the judge hearing the case had a conflict under the legal principles enunciated by sometime-ersatz-lawyer Roberts in the opinion in Laurie v. Reality?

(4) Roberts says it's inappropriate for a judge to rule on motions involving county contracts involving the courthouse. But if that's right, then the conflicct doesn't affect just Donahoe--it's every single one of the 100+ Maricopa County Superior Court judges and commissioners. The case couldn't and shouldn't have been brought in Maricopa County by Thomas if you accept that reasoning. Every single judicial officer in the county would have the same conflict. Thomas made the error by filing here if he believes this cockamamie conflict theory.

Determining whether a lawyer or judge has a conflict of interest is a legal conclusion, in which you apply law--the Arizona rules of professional responsibility and canons of judicial ethics--to the facts at hand. It's the sort of thing lawyers do, and judges determine (in disputed cases) whether they've made the right call. The Clown Show Columnist certainly can play at being a lawyer when she wants to, provided it's helpful to Arpaio and Thomas.

So you're sitting in the Arizona Republic building. How could possibly you tell that across town, Joe Arpaio or Andy Thomas are speaking? Easy, if Laurie Roberts's fingers are moving on her keyboard.

And even Robert Robb gets it, which is somewhat rare:

What's happening in Maricopa County government isn't a circus. And it's not a joke.
Not anymore. It's now a deadly serious business....

A judge making an erroneous decision isn't a criminal act. And there's a remedy. It's called an appeal.

A judge exhibiting bias isn't a criminal act. And there's a remedy – a complaint filed with the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

A law firm having a conflict isn't a criminal act, and there are remedies: a bar complaint against the firm or a complaint with the Commission on Judicial Conduct if a judge doesn't properly disclose a relationship with a law firm appearing before him.

So even if the Clown Show Columnist thinks "Joe/Andy may be on to something," they've abused their office and ignored the law to follow their hunches. It's not a clown show, says the voice of the establishment GOP; it's a deadly serious business. What is it that the kids say? "Oh, snap!" Take that, Clown Show Columnist! I finally agree with Bob Robb on something.

[Post updated 12/17/09. Andy Thomas disclaimer is here.]

2009-12-14T09:15:00.005-07:00

Worst Arizona Republic Editorial Ever

I realize, that's saying a lot. But first, let me numbingly note that I'm a political opponent of Andy Thomas going back to his run for Attorney General 8 years ago. The spouse of one of my law partners ran against him for County Attorney and I and my wife were pleased to contribute to that campaign. I'm chair of Felecia Rotellini's campaign committee in her campaign for Arizona Attorney General, which is rumored to be Thomas's goal in the 2010 elections. My law firm has been retained to defend one of the judges named in his federal civil lawsuit against the county leadership and judges. But face it, whatever the background here, on this one, I'm right and he's wrong.

Having said that, let's turn back to the Republic. It's tough competition, but I think this one just won the coveted title of Worst Ever:

All, certainly, dread just how far this abuse of power will go. In point of fact, it has gone too far already.

The conflict between county government factions over dwindling budgets and the cost of a new court tower now has spiraled genuinely - and frighteningly - out of control. It no longer is possible to discern the honesty of an Andrew Thomas criminal complaint. Has he found criminal abuse? Or is he paying back his political opponents?

A higher, saner power must step in. This chaos has spread too far.

A higher, saner power? Ye gods. And what higher, saner power might exist -- in a democracy? Gov. Jan Brewer takes time out from her doomed fight for a sales tax increase to ask Andy Thomas and Joe Arpaio to behave themselves? Sens. John McCain and Jon Kyl take time out of their lobbying on behalf of Arpaio to remonstrate him? Not in this particular space-time continuum. The Obama Administration Justice Department taking over the County Attorney's office? Just imagine how that would go over in Arizona.

There is no "higher power" here. Prosecutor offices are designed so that they don't take orders from political higher-ups. That's why you have to elect people who understand the prosecutor's role isn't to win victories, but rather to seek justice. And if a prosecutor, and a sheriff, overstep their roles and turn their offices into tools of vengeance rather than justice, there's no effective oversight except the voters who elected them.

If the Republic believes that Thomas is abusing his power, that it is no longer possible to trust him, that the chaos has spread too far, then the Republic better stand up to Thomas and had better back up those opposing him. That's a lot to ask; the proverbial jury is still out if lawyers in Maricopa County are as courageous as those in Pakistan. But it's the only way to "fix" an out of control prosecutor.

And it's a very close dishonorable mention to Laurie Roberts's column Saturday, which is almost as bad -- by treating both sides as beneath contempt, just part of the ongoing "clown show." It's just politics as usual, a plague on both their houses, an opinion columnist who can't be bothered to figure out who's right and who's wrong:

There is no hero in this story, no caped crusader. Everybody looks bad, including the judge who ordered one of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's detention officers to stand on the steps of the courthouse and issue a public apology, and the Joe Arpaio/Andrew Thomas tag team that then brought the judge up on criminal charges.

Roberts goes through the entire story of how Thomas's criminal complaint against Chief Criminal Judge Gary Donahoe disclosed his home address, in violation of the statute under which Arpaio arrested the New Times publishers. When confronted with their own violation of the same statute, Arpaio's and Thomas's spokesmen claimed that the court clerk's office should have removed the address -- which is, plain and simple, a lie. Roberts can't be bothered to call it a lie, though. She leaves it as a he-said-she-said, then magisterially rises above the fray, calling both sides equally at fault, considering it beneath her dignity to offer an actual opinion:

The question is, who can order all these people to take off their rubber noses, put away the floppy shoes and quit wasting our money? Oh for a ringmaster – and a whip.

Oh, there's a clown here, all right. And if Laurie Roberts has any confusion over the clown's identity, she should look in the mirror.

If we treat this fight -- one which the Republic itself calls an abuse of power -- as a clown show between two factions who both deserve to lose, then Thomas and Arpaio win. There won't be any check on a prosecutor who uses his special powers for political ends.

They say a conservative is a liberal who got mugged -- and a liberal is a conservative who got indicted. Laurie Roberts may be too close to her sources to know an abuse of power when it's staring right at her clown nose and greasepaint, but at least she shouldn't enable bad ends by urging her readers to view this issue as just another political food fight, deserving of snark and nothing more.

And the Republic itself, which at least recognizes the stakes involved, should stop wishing that some fairy godmother will save us. In America, we can't ask the Queen of England to stop this fight. Only those who elected Thomas and Arpaio can do that. And if we don't, then we deserve what we get.

2009-12-07T02:58:00.004-07:00

Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon

Detailed results here. (Now with photos.) I managed to break 2 hours, and came in at under 9:00 per mile (8:53). I couldn't duplicate my 2006 performance, but it was 2.5 minutes faster than my 2005 time, when I was, I feel obliged to note, 4 years younger. Nor could I keep up with Regan, Kate, and Pat after mile 10, but then they're 28, 36, and 44. So hooray!

2009-11-29T15:22:00.003-07:00

The Column May Have Died, But The Annual Tax Credit Column Lives On

As my virtual readers know, I don’t have a newspaper column anymore. I’d feel bad about it, except that after they dropped me, the newspaper went bankrupt. Say goodbye to the house liberal, then say hello to Chapter 11. But every year, usually over Thanksgiving weekend, I’d write to remind readers of the whacked-out Arizona income tax laws which make it exceedingly easy to make several types of charitable donations.

Of course, you should be giving to charity anyway. But in Arizona, we make it really easy even for die-hard libertarians (a/k/a “the obnoxiously and ideologically cheap”) to become charitable. After all, it’s “free!”

Several tax credits let you reduce your state income taxes by the amount of your donation. This discussion, as always, assumes you itemize deductions and don’t pay AMT. If so, donate by December 31, then in April, you wind up paying less in state income taxes by the amount of the donations due to several dollar-for-dollar tax credits. All it costs you is some time, and some stamps (for those where you can’t give online).

First, contributions to “private school tuition organizations” that offer scholarships to private schools qualify for a tax credit for individuals of up to $500 and for married couples up to $1,000. Please consider giving to Schools With Heart Foundation, 1131 E. Highland, Phoenix, AZ 85014, or call (602) 252-5866, and designate your contribution for The Family School. Schools With Heart is one of the better PSTOs; it doesn’t let donors earmark for specific children, doesn’t spend money on insiders, and isn’t violating the Internal Revenue Code rules on charitable organizations like numerous Arizona PSTOs. With The Family School, you don’t have to hold your nose when you write your check.

You contribute now, then report your contribution on Form 323 when filing state income taxes in April, getting a full dollar-for-dollar credit up to the cap. But make sure to include these donations as charitable contributions on your federal return to get the full benefit.

Second, the less-generous public school tax credit lets single taxpayers give and get back up to $200, and married taxpayers, up to $400. You write the check directly to the school, not to a PTO or foundation, and report this credit on Arizona Form 322.

Of course, wealthier school districts benefit more from these tax credit donations, so if you want your money to make more of a difference, you should contribute to the Isaac School District, 3348 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ 85009. You can download the contribution form, or call Julie Nino at (602) 455-6700. Your gift is far more significant in a school district with 90 percent of its students at or below poverty and two-thirds from non-English-speaking homes.

Third, donations to charities which assist low-income residents qualify for another tax credit if you exceed the “baseline” of your charitable contributions for 1996 or the first year you itemized, if later. Lots of Arizona charities qualify for this Form 321 credit, which is available up to $200 for single taxpayers and $400 for couples.

I serve on the board, and having disclosed that can urge you, without any guilt whatsoever, to contribute to Devereux Arizona’s behavioral health programs. Devereux serves children in foster and residential programs who won’t get holiday gifts without contributions like yours. You can give gifts at no cost because you’ll pay exactly that much less in state income taxes. Send your check to Devereux Arizona, 11000 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 260, Scottsdale, AZ 85254, or click here to donate to the program. You also can give online.

A fourth credit comes from Arizona’s voter-approved system publicly-financed state elections. This credit may not be around much longer, due to our activist U.S. Supreme Court, but you can still write the checks in 2009 and pay less in taxes in April. The credit is surprisingly generous (and increased slightly from last year), and is now $640 for individuals and $1,280 for couples, or up to 20% of your total state tax liability, whichever is greater. Send your contribution to Citizens Clean Election Fund, 1616 W. Adams, Suite 110, Phoenix, AZ 85007, or click here for the form. For this credit, note that there’s no separate credit form for your Arizona tax return, instead you list the credit directly on your Form 140.

Fifth, the Military Family Relief Fund credit, for tax years through 2012 only, allows individual (but not entity) taxpayers to claim $200 for single taxpayers or heads of households, and $400 for married couples filing joint returns, for MFRF donations. To claim the credit, you need a receipt from the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, and to give you a receipt, the ADVS needs your full name, address, and last four digits of your Social Security number. (The SSN numbers are required by law, A.R.S. §41-608.04(F). Sorry.) The MFRF is also capped at $1 million a year, so you need to give before they reach the ceiling – if they do. Send your contribution to MFRF, c/o Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services, 3839 N. 3rd Street, Suite 200, Phoenix, AZ 85012. The contribution form is here, but for more information, contact Donna Adams of ADVS at (602) 263-1837.

The same deal applies as with the other credits; you take the credit on your Arizona return, and make sure you include it in your charitable donations for deduction on Schedule A of your federal return, and the contribution is completely offset by the credit and deduction and costs you nothing.

Finally, after making your cash donations, give something else that you really won’t miss. Call United Blood Services at (602) 431-9500, or make an appointment online, to donate blood. If you’re hydrated before you donate, it’s easy, fast, and the post-donation cookies are both tasty and guilt-free.

So make some donations by Dec. 31 and reduce your state taxes on April 15. Yes, it’s very bad law, but you still can use it to do some good. And consider it useful training; learning how to make charitable contributions when they’re free is the first step toward training yourself to make them when they’re not.

2009-11-23T12:58:00.005-07:00

A Beautiful Day

No records broken, but a very nice 24 hours. Friday afternoon I drove to Tucson for El Tour de Tucson. I only get to ride every 4 or 5 years, because usually we have a Devereux Foundation meeting the weekend before Thanksgiving, but this year--thanks to our innumerate celebration of the Devereux New Jersey Treatment Network's all-important 19th anniversary--I could ride ETT.

By the time I finished registering, checking into the hotel, assembling my bike, and laying out my kit for the race, I wound up getting takeout from Feast, which is now on the Liberal Desert highly recommended list. The potato gnocchi and sausage was just what Dr. Carbo Loading ordered. Plus they had small gift bottles of St.-Germain at the checkout at a tastefully restrained price.

Saturday was pretty much a perfect Arizona day, except for the last 28 miles of the route--for me, anyway, which was work and not much fun. (Very cool Arizona Daily Star 360-degree photograph of the start here.) I pretty much knew I would not finish in under 6 hours this year, with not nearly enough training and a bad cold from two weeks ago. That meant anything better than 6:30 would have to be acceptable. But during the ride, I kept falling in with groups and managed to draft my way to Marana in less than 5 hours, and my enthusiasm started rising. But around mile 80, I had to stop for water, and got dropped with finality and realized it was going to be a long slog to the 108-mile finish in 6:25:48. (That's the official time, it took 3 minutes to get to the start, so my watch said 6:22:50.) Who knew there were so many rest stops after mile 80? But either officially or unofficially, my time is still under 6:30 so I should be satisfied. Results here.

I then packed up my bike, picked up my finisher's medal, and drove home in plenty of time to shower, change, and dine at Cibo and then attend the Arizona Opera production of Richard Strauss's Salome (Greer Grimsley is pretty impressive, but so was Noah Stewart.) Good food! Bicycling in the sunshine! Opera! I need to sleep now.

2009-11-08T10:46:00.003-07:00

Page Counts

In 1993, nobody ever asked if anyone who voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement had read all 3,000+ pages. Apparently, page counts only matter for stuff Republicans don't like.

Besides, while the House health care bill may have 2,000 pages, the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 was only 5 pages long (really, 4 and a quarter), so there was no question that everybody could read every word. So, all you page counters: Which vote will look better in retrospect?

2009-11-03T10:58:00.006-07:00

Like Father, Like Son

It's a That 70's Show remake! It's Freaky Friday but with marching and music! And YouTube!

You can check the Harvard University Band blog for the official (but not yet posted) videos, but a Band parent has already posted videos of pregame, halftime, and the beginning of the march back to the Square after the game:

Pregame:

Halftime:

March back:

2009-11-03T10:56:00.001-07:00

Maira Kalman on Our Democracy

Recommended.

2009-10-22T10:05:00.003-07:00

Jon Kyl Decides It's More Important To Hurt Democrats Than To Help Doctors

Announces he'll vote againt his own bill. Maybe he's a secret health care mole somehow? It's not very easy to get the AMA mad at Republicans, that's a nice trick.

2009-10-09T08:58:00.005-07:00

Non-Prize-Winning Jokes

Working on the proper humorous reaction to today's Nobel Peace Prize announcement:

Sure, it's nice, but it's not like it's an honorary degree from ASU
Don't react immediately; instead, wait for David Broder and Robert Robb to explain how this actually is good news for the Republicans
There goes Michael Crow's chance to serve on the Nobel Prize committee
See? The rest of the world doesn't like the GOP, either.
Or else they secretly want to see Bill Kristol's head explode. That would be pretty cool.
It's a double-edged sword. Because winning the Nobel Peace Prize can really ruin your whole day.
So Obama can't do anything in Copenhagen, but he's a hero in Stockholm? Choose your Scandanavian destination carefully, I always say. (Yes, the award ceremony -- for the Peace Prize only -- is in Oslo but the committee is based in Stockholm, where the other awards are given on the same day. I'm not letting you make my travel arrangements.)

Maybe the Nobel people are simply relieved at having a US president whose first reaction to anything isn't to bomb or send (more) troops. Still, that position got 46% of the vote in November.

2009-10-05T08:10:00.007-07:00

Tour de Scottsdale 2009

Seventy miles, 3:39:09. The organizers give the time down to the tenth of a second, which is what we call in the business either (a) excessive or (b) a joke. But if you're keeping score at home, officially it was 3:39:09.2. Full results here. No photos yet. Not bad, overall; it was fairly windy and while I got dropped by the pack around mile 55, I finished about 2.5 minutes behind my goal. A lot of work to do before ETT next month, though.

2009-10-03T14:22:00.003-07:00

"If It's Only Broke For Tens Of Millions Of People, Don't Fix It."

Financing health care for anyone less than 65 years old is socialism, I tell you. Socialism!

2009-09-21T09:32:00.003-07:00

At Least Dan Quayle Wasn't Elected in '96, Either

I'm now old enough that I'm eligible for a college newspaper's dive into the archives. I look scarily young (and presumably healthy). I don't recall the Tucson rally as focused on health care, but what the heck.

2009-09-19T08:54:00.005-07:00

He Said, She Said: Special Muslim Man-on-the-Street Edition!

You could read this Arizona Republic article three times, as I did, and finish with absolutely no idea whether CAIR is evil and connected with terrorist organizations, or if its real crime is not being acceptable to right-wing Republicans. It's also not clear if the American Islamic Forum for Democracy has any members apart from its president, Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser. But what's beyond dispute is that Dr. Jasser is the Repubic's right-wing Islamic answer to Greg Packer.

2009-09-19T08:44:00.003-07:00

White People, Obsessed With Race

Of course they all have to ask the President. They probably don't know any other black people.

See also Andy Borowitz: Criticism of Obama 'Not About Race,' Says New Poll of White People.

2009-09-05T05:16:00.003-07:00

More Murtha, Less Johnstown

Now the Wall Street Journal joins in, going after the Cambria County airport, another local earmark-fest. Here's Matthew Yglesias, taking the long view more expansively than my prior post. We're getting to critical mass here, which can't be good for Johnstown.

I'm on the email list of a Johnstown guy, who sends out constant streams of emails about Israel and whose latest missives are World Net Daily (!) articles on Van Jones. (He sent around articles about the birth certificate lawsuits during the election but has since moved on, unlike the last remnant Birthers, so he's not completely untrainable.) His legal and lobbying practice is completely dependent on Jack Murtha. Very dark storm clouds are gathering, if not for next fall then after redistricting in 2012, and he's obsessing about Van Jones.

You can see what's happening, it's the Reverse Johnstown Flood. When the federal dollars stop flowing, the buildings will still be standing and there won't be any mud to clean up, but the effect on the community will be equivalent to when the steel mills shut down.

2009-08-31T22:39:00.001-07:00

My Home Towns

My original home town gets a visit from The New Republic, and they can learn a lesson from my home town now. I fear Jason Zengerle gets Johnstown's economic future right. The community's leadership sees a diversified economy, moving away from dependence on government contracting in the same way that Phoenix's leadership saw our economy diversifying from dependence on real estate. (Look at all the finance, law, accounting, and title insurance firms! Tourism! Retail! Call centers!)

The temptation to credit success to your own virtue is fairly impossible to resist. Once luck runs out, however, the result isn't pretty.

2009-08-31T11:31:00.005-07:00

He "Overcame Great Privilege to Build a Life of Real Accomplishment."

My Ted Kennedy appreciation in this week's Jewish News of Greater Phoenix. (Conclusion of rest of article: Yes, he was good for the Jews.)

2009-08-30T21:14:00.005-07:00

This Cartoon Was Much Funnier In The Original German

Which must be why the Arizona Republic editorial page chose to print it this past Saturday.

Special audience participation contest: See if you can count the number of unproved assumptions in one little cartoon. ("Because Dick Cheney said so" is not proof.) First prize is a week in Gitmo. Second prize--need you ask?

2009-08-30T19:58:00.006-07:00

They Drop the House Liberal, and Nine Months Later They're Bankrupt

Freedom Communications to file for bankruptcy this coming week, according to the New York Times. It's cause for glee in some circles, however unseemly. So now the creditors can do to the owners what the owners did to the reporters. And what will happen to the Hoiles family's fourth generation--the ones that now (gasp!) have to get jobs?

There are two lessons to be learned here: (1) Drop my column, lose your newspaper. Post hoc, ergo prompter hoc. (2) Subscribe to the Arizona Guardian. It's outlasted the Tribune!

2009-07-26T13:14:00.003-07:00

NYC Triathlon Results

Age group 104/151
Swim 18:21, rate 1:06
T1 7:56
Bike 1:24:51, rate 17.6
T2 3:57
Run 1:04:01, rate 10:19
Total 2:59:03 -- Under 3 hours!

Update: More Photos!

Here's another picture, from the beginning of the run as we head into Central Park. Please note that I'm running too slowly to make it into the picture (that's my arm at the right edge of the frame):

2009-07-04T18:52:00.001-07:00

The Award-Winning Beth Schermer

Last week at the American Health Lawyers Association annual meeting in DC, Beth received the David J. Greenburg Service Award from AHLA. (The page has just been updated!) You’d never get Beth to admit that she’s been honored, so I thought I’d better let people know.

This is a wonderful honor, and well deserved, and just in time, too; I was sitting at the dinner and as they read the list of past recipients, I started thinking “One of these years, these guys had better give this award to Beth or I’ll—be really, really grateful I didn’t say anything out loud.”

2009-07-02T09:36:00.001-07:00

The Internet! Now With Broadway Show Tunes!

It's like they made it just for me.

2009-06-08T19:54:00.006-07:00

Lake Tahoe Century 2009

It's called "America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride" and it probably is. I rode with my peeps from Westchester-Hudson Valley again, and had a great time. Thanks to the recession, we had much better accommodations (no disorientation from having to walk through a casino everytime you enter or leave the hotel), and I learned my lesson about bathroom breaks last year (which is don't wait until the rest stops, use the facilities at the state parks along the route, or the supermarkets, or the ski area. No lines, while people are standing dozens deep at the port-a-johns).

We were all worried because Saturday was miserable, constant rain and temps in the low 40's. But it stopped raining Saturday night, and while it was cloudy at the start, the sun came out around 9 am and stayed out. It's still an odd ride--spectacularly beautiful, all around the lake. But they don't close the roads, and you have to ride single file, and among cyclists of widely varying skill and speed levels. People ride two abreast, which is against the rules, then hassle you if you ask if they intend to pass or will kindly get the frack out of the way. But if you figure you're just riding slowly much of the time and won't find a rhythm (or have a clear line of sight to the photographer), it's OK.

I also can recommend the J. T. Basque Bar and Dining Room in Gardnerville on the way to Tahoe--a ton of food for $15. The special Saturday for lunch was beef tongue stew. My grandmother would have been proud.

2009-05-30T14:05:00.003-07:00

When Jon Kyl Played The Race Card

In 2003, according to the Senate's #2 Republican, the only possible explanation for opposing confirmation of a Hispanic judge was prejudice:

Republicans have seized on Mr. Estrada's stalled nomination to drive a wedge between the Democratic Party and Hispanic voters, whose ranks are growing faster than any other minority group in America. "I see this, really, as a slap at Hispanics," Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, said Wednesday.

Washington Times, March 14, 2003. Isn't NEXIS wonderful?

2009-05-26T10:30:00.004-07:00

Constitutional Law with Jon Kyl

Sen. Jon Kyl on the propriety of Senate filibusters of judicial nominees:

"For 214 years it has been the tradition of the Senate to approve judicial nominees by a majority vote. Many of our judges and, for example, Clarence Thomas, people might recall, was approved by either fifty-one or fifty-two votes as I recall. It has never been the rule that a candidate for judgeship that had majority support was denied the ability to be confirmed once before the Senate. It has never happened before. So we're not changing the rules in the middle of the game. We're restoring the 214-year tradition of the Senate because in the last two years Democrats have begun to use this filibuster....
This is strictly about whether or not a minority of senators is going to prevent the president from being able to name and get confirmed judges that he chooses after he's been elected by the American people. And it's never been the case until the last two years that a minority could dictate to the majority what they could do." [NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Judicial Wars, 4/25/05].

But that was then, this is now:

Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl on Sunday refused to rule out a filibuster if President Barack Obama seeks a Supreme Court justice who decides cases based on "emotions or feelings or preconceived ideas."

The Senate's No. 2 Republican made clear he would use the procedure if Obama follows through on his pledge to nominate someone who takes into account human suffering and employs "empathy" from the bench.
Kyl acknowledged that his party likely does not have enough votes to sustain a filibuster, but he said nonetheless he would try to delay or derail the nomination if Obama ventures outside the "mainstream."

It makes sense once you realize that instead of the Constitution, what Senator Kyl wishes to preserve, protect, and defend is the Republican Party of the United States. After all, wasn't that the holding of Marbury v. Madison, that it's OK if you're a Republican? Or was it "two wrongs make a right?" I can't remember, 2005 was so long ago.

2009-05-19T08:39:00.007-07:00

Promotional Consideration Provided To My Little Ol' Law Firm

Which isn't quite so little anymore. Here's our updated announcement of our recent comings and going. The original appeared in the Arizona Attorney magazine, but the deadline for the ad was too soon to include our newest arrival, Naomi Jorgensen.

People here were a bit freaked initially over Andy's departure but from what I can see, the net result is that as a firm, we're younger, smarter, and better looking.

2009-05-18T17:29:00.002-07:00

Brief Moment of Self-Promotion (as opposed to all our other programming?)

In the hope that this humble blog will become a must-visit destination for readers interested in both politics and resolving real estate boundary disputes short of litigation, click here or here for information about the continuing legal education seminar that I am presenting with Scott Malm of Gust Rosenfeld P.L.C. and John Stock, PLS, USMS, CFM, of the Maricopa County Flood Control District on June 9th entitled "Boundary Disputes: Resolving Conflicts Without Going to Court." We hope it's "Must-See CLE."

2009-05-18T17:19:00.008-07:00

A Hot Time in Tempe

Results from Sunday's Tempe International Triathlon are available here (scroll down for the Men 50-54 results.) (UPDATE: Photos!) It was a good swim, a barely OK (at best) bike, and a very long, very slow, and very hot run. I had hoped to break 3 hours but straggled home in 3:09:43 (378/540 overall, age group 20/27.) But my one point for finishing helped my team (Go Ungainly Named Tri-Scottsdale/Gage Racing Triathlon Club!) win the state team championship. (Now maybe the emails will stop.) But if I can get my run time down to a far less embarrassing 59 minutes, show more speed on the bike, and work on my transitions, I should be able to break 3:00 in NYC in July. I hope.

No wetsuits, the water was too warm. Too bad, as it's hard not to look cool in a wetsuit.

2009-05-08T14:55:00.003-07:00

The Tour Guide

Our son (in orange shirt) leads a tour at Pomona College, courtesy of NYTimes.com.

2009-05-04T12:04:00.002-07:00

The Only Coppersmiths With Regular Newspaper Gigs

Are now Ben and Louis.

2009-04-29T10:03:00.002-07:00

It's Not the Centers for Disease Control, But It's Probably Correct

Do you have swine flu? Are you sure?

2009-04-23T21:51:00.002-07:00

You've Made Miss Teen South Carolina Very, Very Happy

At last, we have a different unsuccessful beauty pageant contestant over whom to obsess.

H/t: Pandagon

2009-04-14T11:51:00.004-07:00

Hey, Wait a Minute

The uniformly repeated 'winger comment on Arizona's budget crisis is to note that since 1993, state spending has increased more than the cumulative increase in inflation and population growth here. I've been wondering about that claim, which I assume is technically correct.

First, why is 1993 the base year? (I'm assuming it's the state's fiscal year for 1993 and not the 1993 calendar year.) I assume they're using 1993 because that's the best year possible for the comparison. The 1993 budget would have been prepared during the 1991-92 recession, but the revenues would have come in during the national economy's turnaround during the 4Q of 1992 and first half of 1993. So you'd have a very difficult budget prepared during the spring of 1992, when things looked pretty grim--and with lots of spending deferrals and such to make the budget work for FY93 in hopes that the state could make it up in FY94. So 1993 would be the very best year for this comparison; spending artificially shifted into future years due to grim revenue numbers that turned out to be too pessimistic, so things could be (and were) made up in FY94 and future years.

Second, if the complaint is that Gov. Napolitano led the state on a spending binge, why are we talking about the increase in state spending from a decade before she took office? Between 1993 and today, we've had 4 governors (counting Gov. Brewer): Symington, Hull, Napolitano, and Brewer. The great majority of that time, we've had a Republican governor with a GOP-controlled legislature. If the problem is spending during the Napolitano administration, then why aren't we seeing statistics about spending from FY03 to FY09 only, what's the point of going back to 1993? If the problems go back to 1993, then aren't the Republicans responsible for most of them?

Third, even if you assume away these conceptual difficulties, the real, human problem with the "we spent too much" argument is that these guys have to come up with not just cuts for the coming fiscal year, but they also need to tell us what we shouldn't have done over the past 16 years. What kids shouldn't have gotten mental health treatment? Which CPS cases shouldn't have been investigated? Which all-day kindergartens shouldn't have opened? Which new schools shouldn't have been built? Stop throwing about misleading statistics, and tell us who didn't deserve to be helped instead.

2009-04-05T20:39:00.003-07:00

El Tour de Phoenix Fun

A good day on the bike. It's 72 miles, and my time was 3:31:09, which is 10 minutes better than last year (3:41:56). 20.5 mph average speed--hooray for drafting. (Last year was 19.5 mph. I hung out with a better crowd this year.) 351 out of 917; age group breakdown not available.

2009-04-01T17:46:00.001-07:00

Steve Owens to DC

As Assistant Administrator for the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances at the Environmental Protection Agency. Here's the White House press release.

2009-04-01T08:54:00.002-07:00

Phoenix Guy Does Good (But Has To Do It In Pittsburgh)

The New York Times today writes about Pittsburgh's leadership in reusing existing buildings and converting both new and existing buildings into environmentally-efficient structures and uses. One of the business community's leaders in "going green" is former Phoenix native (and my friend) Gary Saulson. If Phoenix is serious about becoming a leader in environmental design and wants to become carbon-neutral, we should bring back Gary. But we have no money here to do anything remotely like that, so we'll just talk about it. Until the Next Big Thing floats by.

Of course, it's not like Pittsburgh is perfect. If this story instead had run in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, they would have noted that Gary isn't a native Pennsylvanian and has lived in Pittsburgh only for 15 years. But it If it had run in the Tribune-Review, they would have called him a communist.

2009-03-06T09:31:00.002-07:00

Greetings from Montana

Interim press reports on the Congress to Campus visit here. I've decided that when I grow up, I want to be Orval Hansen. I only have to run 13 more marathons to match his career total.

2009-02-28T09:28:00.002-07:00

My Planned Parenthood Action Fund Joke

I just don't understand this Legislature. The Republicans have two priorities, making Arizona a place where it's easier to drive dangerously but harder to enjoy sex safely. The GOP won't be happy until they get the photo radar cameras off the highways and into your bedroom.

2009-02-27T14:18:00.004-07:00

Personal Items

First, a preview of my 2009 Congress to Campus visit to the University of Montana in Missoula.

Also, Desert Classic Duathlon results (22/29 in age group, scroll down to Men 50-54) and photos. It was harder than it looked on paper. Next up on the schedule: El Tour de Phoenix.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.