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November 03, 2011

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I was going to say, it will come. It has to, right?

On the other hand, the growing self-confidence and recent successes of the left (on the streets, at least) will most likely cause a tightening of the sphincters in some enclaves... and Arizona is certainly a candidate for being one of those enclaves.

:|

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people have no idea what the Independent Redistricting Commission is, what is does, why it was formed, or the decade-long legal battle that has gone on to date over the IRC. So if you thought this would be the watershed moment, you are probably about to be very disappointed as the majority of people sit back with glazed looks on their faces while trying to sound out the words independent, redistricting, and commission.

I'm confident the moment will come eventually, but this ain't it.

What if Arizonans "snap", but go in the other direction rather than the direction you wish for?

I am ready to cut way back on about six lifetime friends who recently announced to me that Ann Coulter is the smartest and most respected woman on television.

I don't have that many friends to spare, so I am thinking this over, but to say the least I am pissed to the max over FOX News' ability to brainwash.

@azrebel, you have my deep sympathies.

I haven't been particularly socially mobile since I've moved to Portland, so most of those I count as friends are still in Phoenix.

If I exercised such standards of acceptability, I would indeed be nearly friendless. (I still love 'em, though.)

I was going to look it up the title but why bother. Ann Coulter wrote a best-selling book championing Joe McCarthy. Jonah Goldberg wrote a book that told us Hitler was a liberal. Bill O'Reilly wrote a book in which he asserted he looks out for the little guy.

I don't know how you can have civil discourse with people who routinely invert reality to make their arguments. It's as if they have to argue from pure brazenness or else the entire phantasmagoria of the right-wing freak show would suddenly implode. Their ideology essentially tells us that a) liberalism is evil and b) conservatism is whatever liberalism is not, and c) check daily for fresh updates.

For a state and nation awash in white victimology, there is no more satisfying theater than hearing pundits and politicians tell you your rank bigotry and ignorance of basic reality qualifies you as astute. You work hard! You never asked anyone for anything! How dare liberals ask you to help someone who never helped you!

We're not going to win this argument because nothing is more satisfying than narratives that validate your victim status. Arizona's victims are prosperous and empowered with high-calorie resentment and grievances. You might say they've gotten obese on this diet.

The Big Sort is exactly what is at work here. I had two coworkers recently move from California and was shocked that they were more brainwashed than native Arizonans. Austerity, guns and low taxes for the rich are a given with these folks. Don't get me wrong... I love a great idea to make money. However, feel free to charge me 20% on my income to fix bridges, fund rail and the Washington State ferry system. Heck regulate commerce for the common good with that 20% or a bit more. No one or no corp ought to be getting away with free regularly like GE.

I'd vote for that crazy liberal Goldwater anytime...

PS: You guys hear about the vandalism at Hula's on Central? That place causes no trouble for anyone yet some genius feels the need to splash pink paint around the artfully decorated Men's can. Just to be mean?

"PS: You guys hear about the vandalism at Hula's on Central? That place causes no trouble for anyone yet some genius feels the need to splash pink paint around the artfully decorated Men's can."

Christo at work. He's between projects and probably got restless.

There isn't going to be such a moment. It will only get worse.

Americans are going to starve while the right-wing screams that the starving just need to get jobs (that don't exist).

Actually, the anti-illegal immigration laws were nothing to protest about. We need draconian enforcement of immigration law and a complete moratorium on all immigration.

We don't have enough jobs for our own people. We sure don't need immigrants.

We need to displace immigrants from jobs and give those jobs to Americans.

And now, even after a string of gruesome child deaths, the director of DES (hired by Brewer) has refused to ask for new funding for Child Protective Services, calling the idea "premature" despite "the increasing number of foster children, caseloads that are more than 60 percent above state standards and the loss of prevention services for families at risk of abuse or neglect".

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/11/02/20111102cps-no-budget-hike-sought.html

Do you all remember the bit Steve Martin did when he was a new, hot comedian? He looked at the audience and stated he was going to tell them the secret on how to become a millionaire. Then he said, "OK, first, get a million bucks."

Big laugh.

I always enjoyed the joke. I just never thought it would become the major plank in a political party's agenda.

If you ask Republicans these questions, these are their responses. And they make these responses with clear eyes and a clean conscience:

Q. What about the homeless?
A. They should get a house.

Q. What about the sick with no health insurance?
A. The should get healthy.

Q. What about a single mom with two kids?
A. She should undo having the kids.

Q. What about abortion?
A. It is a sacred life once the cell splits in two.

Q. What about after the cell becomes a baby?
A. It should get a house.

The state's Republican Party has a very practical yet ruthless understanding of how "democracy" really works. They focus on the levers of power.

Without making a single political convert, but simply by altering district boundaries, it's possible to virtually insure a particular outcome (e.g., the supremacy in state affairs of a single political party).

If someone comes along and threatens to undo this, use procedural methods to remove them first. In this case, exploit vague legislative language which allows the executive branch (governor) and the majority party to override a popular initiative (Proposition 106) which was passed specifically to exclude the legislature from the redistricting process.

To prevent interference with this from the state's legal investigators, get your people into top positions (e.g., state attorney general); after seizing the high ground they can not only overlook your abuses but also bully and intimidate those who would undo your manipulations (i.e., publicly announce an investigation into the redistricting commission).

Use control of key committees and party discipline to insure that everyone has the same playsheet and that the right people get the support they need to attain and maintain position and power.

Arizona's Democrats simply fail to appreciate the cold hard facts. Whereas for Republicans politics is about getting Party control and keeping it, by any means necessary, Democrats are likely to consider voter issues as ends in themselves, failing to understand that without power they will never have the opportunity to address those issues.

Arizona is the lab for the ideological far right's implementation of its agenda. What happens in Maricopa County unfortunately doesn't stay in Maricopa County.

The excesses of redistricting has undermined the political system's credibility and distorted the wishes of the majority electorate in many states. The Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission was a good mechanism to provide credibility and balance to the political system in Arizona. It is little wonder that Brewer attacked the commission; it may have lessened the strangle hold the far right holds on Arizona.

Nicely put. A minor comment, though: Where could one vote for Clinton in 1994?

Actually, the proposed redistricting could best be described by the comment, "Really, that's what a COMMITTEE was able to come up with?"

Politics aside, if the future of mankind depends on the work of a COMMITTEE, then I wish the best of luck to the species who replaces us.

As an equal opportunity, Independent, contrarian, I should probably comment on Democrats since I dissed the mindless Republicans.

So, a word association game for Democrats:

Gutless
Chickenshit
Corrupt
Ideas covered with cobwebs
Corrupt
Only interested in politics in order to get laid.
Did I mention corrupt?

This is what Brewer and the GOP feared most about the new draft of legislative districts:

"The state's GOP congressional delegation was particularly alarmed, complaining it took what had been "safe" Republican districts and made them more competitive, while adjusting boundary lines to favor Democratic incumbents Raúl Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords.

The addition of a ninth congressional district - due to population growth - in central Phoenix also rankled Republicans who claimed it was gerrymandered to favor Democrats."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/11/03/20111103brewer-gop-blasted-redistrict-panel-ouster.html#ixzz1chGIiuwM

Brewer overreached in her initial decision to remove Mathis according to the authors of the law that created the Independent Redistricting Commission. This may very well be settled in the Arizona Supreme Court and it could devastate the Republican Party in Arizona.

For the first time since Russell Pearce sought office, he is trailing in the polls. "Mesa Republican Jerry Lewis, who is seeking to unseat Pearce in the Nov. 8 recall election, is holding his own among fellow GOP voters, despite being heavily outspent by Pearce and his national fund-raising prowess.

Lewis holds a 46-43 percent lead over Pearce in the historic recall contest, but the edge is within the poll’s margin of error."

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_southeast_valley/mesa/poll%3A-recall-race-a-dead-heat-between-russell-pearce%2C-jerry-lewis#ixzz1chHcbPzh

Once one domino falls...

Another important election is approaching fast; starting on Saturday the Runoff Election for Phoenix mayor begins. Interestingly, I haven't come across any polls predicting a winner in this race. I'm hoping it is because Stanton is the clear winner and a poll telling us so would scare too many Republican.

If anyone is interesting in what the Commission Approved Congressional District Map Draft looked like, here is a link:

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/images/AZ_Congressional_Draft_October_2011.jpg

Just as I predicted, the denial machine has kicked in high to avoid dealing with "Bird on Fire's" substantive issues.

http://morrisoninstitute.asu.edu/media/news-events/gammage-rating-phoenix-sustainability

Capitalistic cult empowers levers from western base seeking dominion over US. White House moves to Utah.
Warren Jeffs is made US education zahr.

Czar????

I find Grady less and less credible.
Did run into Alfredo the militant at The Portland tonite while having a Alfredo Burger.

petro, azrebel, the Fox News virus is widespread in Phoenix. Hard to meet people who haven't drank the kool aid. I spent the summer of 2008 in a hotel in NW Portland. The establishment had cable but didn't carry fox. What a pleasant surprise. Unimaginable in any retail outfit in Maricopa County.

Jon: as you observed, Gammage (and most likely Morrison) are into denial about the Valley's "sustainability" . . . but it is a convenient cover story as they vainly try to start up the sprawl machine once again. Opinion: they can spin a rationale that there's enough water if we prioritize and use it in an intelligent fashion. (Thank you Carl Hayden and the CAP) But there's NO cover story for the bad air; consequently Morrison just doesn't talk about it. Probably, they think we're stupid but it just might be that enough of us are sufficiently pissed-off to push back. The Am. Lung Assn estimates that there are more than 600,000 people who are afflicted by the Brown Cloud and the Bad Ozone.

morecleanair, on top of that, Gammage makes a point that as the "Sun Corridor" (whatever that is) becomes more "urbanized" and replaces agriculture, water use will be effectively reduced. I suppose it is because agricultural lands use more water than a sprawling urban footprint. Yet he makes no mention that this will lead to an expanding heat island and worse air pollution. I'm perplexed by his assertion that the "Sun Corridor" is sustainable.

Jon Talton's original post wonders after a watershed moment. The long quote condemning McCarthy is a gentle relic; a reminder that words with weight can carry a day or a decade.

And maybe such watersheds are still possible. Maybe the call for Brewer's impeachment will be the catalyst Talton seeks. I tend to doubt it though. The Republican war on facts is now a runaway steamroller. Check out these two paragraphs from Jonathan Weiler:

-------
Twenty years ago, conservatives launched a full-throated attack on “political correctness” and “relativism” because of their frustration with an academic climate that challenged their ability to offer judgments unfettered by cultural sensitivities about an increasingly diverse and complex world. Such sensitivities blunted their ability to make clear, categorical moral statements about right and wrong, leading to “the death of outrage,” as William Bennett put it. What’s bracing to see in 2011 is that facts themselves represent the same impediment for conservatives that political correctness did two decades ago — as an appalling constraint on the right’s God-given right to unabashed condemnation.

I think it’s fair to say that most people, at one time or another, feel that kind of anger in their gut and a consequent urge to heap invective on the objects of their rage without having to worry over whether they’ve considered all sides of a situation before doing so. What’s remarkable about the contemporary right, however, is the extent to which this urge is now predominant and has been raised, in many ways, to its supreme value. This is consistent with what we know about the clear tendencies of more authoritarian-minded individuals — a hatred of ambiguity, a discomfort with difference, a greater tendency to seek out information sources that confirm their biases and distaste for thinking about complexity. In place of such potential sources of tempering of initial reactions, the modern right has developed a bracing factual relativism in service of this deeper set of impulses.
--------

"Factual relativism," is a wonderful gentle phrase for a steamroller that now runs downhill towards the halls of power.

I keep meaning to reread Orwell's 1984 with one question held uppermost: Does Orwell show the evolution to a thought-policed state, or does he simply describe an existing state maintaining control? The reason this question is important: When you have a group of people who gleefully steamroll shared reality for the sake of ideology, surely you've got to be witnessing the birth pangs of a police state. This is got to be how the world got to Nazism too...

Given the hell bent nature of the Republican steamroller, I doubt that words with weight can still carry a day or a decade. Think instead of McCarthy with tats, guns, and a daily dose of Rush. It is going to take something more than words to flush that beast to shame.

I keep waiting for the true watershed moment. What might it be? I suspect violence. Something horrendous and notorious will be the spark to change. There are a lot of crazy people out there. How many armed Loughners might there be driving around right now mumbling darkly to themselves? "You talkin' to me?" "You talkin' to me?" "You talkin' to me?"

That's the sort of mega event that I suspect will be Talton's tipping point to change. That might throw the brake on the bulldozer, or should the violence originate on the left (imagine Rush being shot dead by shotgun tomorrow), by throwing it completely out of control.

One thing for sure: there is a tipping point out there, creeping towards TV and the Internets. Because the denial of reality we have right now, is simply unsustainable. (I have a hard time imagine climate refugees simultaneously denying climate change.) Someplace out there "peak crazy" is slouching towards Bethlehem. Let's just hope, it doesn't have your name or my name written on its scythe...

I forgot to append a link to the wonderful Weiler piece I quoted:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-weiler/the-republican-war-on-reality_b_1066074.html

Brilliant Koreyel!!!!

Orwell showed an existing police state.

The evening news shows an evolving police state.

I probably could have lived out my life quite happily not knowing the depth of hatred and paranoia of people who behave civilly, even meekly, in public, but vent mindlessly in comment sections on the internet. But if you look closely at, say, the comments on AZCentral, you may notice more thumbs down for the drooling trolls lately. I would like to believe that the so-called Silent Majority is wising up. Volume doesn't equal majority. If Pearce loses on Thursday, we'll know for sure.

The concept of "climate refugees" is beyond the ken of those who are trying to re-start the sprawl machine, but the Valley is no longer such a great place to live. How's that for an understatement? If we are in the early stages of this "refuge" thing, it may be measurable by charting a more extended summer downturn. Those who can do so may be exiting earlier and returning later . . . over a 6 month period, lets say. Anecdotal evidence certainly points toward this trend. (footnote: 42 years ago, I was delighted to leave Minneapolis for a better life in AZ. Today, I'd favor Tucson, or Denver or even the puddles of Portland!)

While we're discussing naked power grabs by the state's Republican majority, let's not overlook the raft of bills introduced by the state legislature to preempt the power of local government. These laws have forbidden cities to remove political signs, prevented them from charging landlords water deposits, restricted local taxes on rental homes, restricted impact fees charged to developers (intended to pay for the extension of public services to new properties), and much more. Additional bills are pending or will be introduced.

State Republicans constantly rail against interferences by the federal government in state affairs, citing the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which reads: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." (Conservatives have long advocated the superiority of local government, though lately they seem much fonder of states than of the people.)

It shouldn't surprise anyone that the goal of state Republicans isn't local power, or people power, or even state power: it's power in the hands of those who hold the "right" values and attitudes: defined as those consistent with conservative dogma and priorities, as adjudged by the clique currently in power.

The Goldwater Institute, forgetting its libertarian and constitutional roots, has sided with state Republicans. In a recent editorial piece, Clint Bolick, arguing in favor of strong, centralized power, wrote that "cities, counties, school districts and other local governments owe their existence and limited powers to the state. Indeed, they are political subdivisions of the state. And the state needs to keep their powers in check because of the great propensity for abuse".

Bolick couldn't be more wrong. The State of Arizona didn't come into existence until 1912. Maricopa County was formed in 1871 from part of Yavapai County and Phoenix became the county seat. Tom Barnum was elected the first sheriff of Maricopa County the same year. Phoenix incorporated in 1881 (first mayor: John Alsap). Mesa was founded in 1878 and incorporated in 1883. Tempe was incorporated by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in 1894. Well, you get the idea. Now, do you suppose these counties and cities owe their existence to the state of Arizona, or the other way round?

In fact, it was the Arizona Territorial Legislature which first authorized a constitutional convention in 1891: meeting in Phoenix it proposed statehood to Congress (the proposal was rejected due to concerns that the railroads, mines, and speculators would control its political future). In 1906 a congressional bill was introduced that would have created a state joining the Arizona and New Mexico territories. It passed, and was signed into law by President Taft the same year: it nevertheless failed, because it was the people of the territories, not the federal government, which had the ultimate authority: an election was held in which the people of both territories voted; the New Mexico electorate overwhelmingly approved and Arizona voters overwhelmingly opposed: the law was rejected by a small margin of total voters.

When the territory finally did become a state, it was conditioned upon the ratification of the state constitution by the people of Arizona, both before and after President Taft vetoed the original constitution and insisted on the elimination of the ability of judicial recall. This was the final act before Taft proclaimed Arizona's statehood.

http://www.azcentral.com/centennial/ent/articles/2011/06/24/20110624architecture-arizona-timeline-territorial-statehood.html

http://www.lib.az.us/is/statehood/index.aspx

Speaking of semi-naked power grabs. Around 1850, during a council of all the Arizona tribes, there was a discussion to build a fence to keep out those pesky Spanish and Mexicans and the newly arrived pale-faces from the east. One faction led by an old warrior named McNah-bey said "Build the dang fence". In the end the group voting for "none of the above" won as a result of all the voters who didn't know what a fence was. Both sides of the debate courted the Hispanic vote, but in the end, as Cochise stated in an interview, them folks don't vote.

So the fence was never built and the council of Indians decided to wait until casinos were invented.

The End (Almost)

"the "Sun Corridor" (whatever that is)"

The Sun Corridor is the region surrounding the thirsty Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant and the bright, new 'clean coal' plants hidden over the horizon to the north. It is also the region that should have started the Solar Revolution in power, housing, transportation, and manufacturing more than a decade ago.

Very good AZREBEL. I am in Sedona with one of them Spaniards looking for some land to steal. Great Korean food here and they built a new cafe a.d bat at the airport.

After looking into it, "The Sun Corridor" has nothing to do with Palo Verde (as a huge percentage of its output is sold to California) but has everything to do with I-10 S to Tucson. I-10 is the "corridor" they speak of and replacing all those agricultural lands along side it with ticky-tacky housing is the main goal of Sun Corridor proponents. Unfortunately for them, that formula is no longer relevant and meek mortgage lending practices today is just one reason for that.

"After looking into it, "The Sun Corridor" has nothing to do with Palo Verde" (as a huge percentage of its output is sold to California)" - phxSUNSfan

Palo Verde has EVERYTHING to do with the economics of Arizona AND its relationships with neighboring states. Can anyone imagine that Arizona would have received any attention (or any Colorado River water for its suburban sprawl) if the nation's largest nuclear power plant -- of which about half is OWNED by neighboring states -- had the reactors not been built upwind of, and a stone's throw from Arizona's capital?

Palo Verde's output is not SOLD to California by Arizona. Please look a little further.

Palo Verde is an appropriate name for the nuke plant. If there ever is an accidental release of radiation, every tree and bush northeast of its location will have a nice green glow.

Rate Crimes, APS owns a majority share and operates Palo Verde (never did I say Arizona sells California power from PV, but I could have been clearer about what is sold to whom in California). It then sells power generated from PV to El Paso Electric, PNM Resources, and three other utilities in California through contracts negotiated long ago. If Palo Verde was never built, another nuclear plant would have been somewhere...

Just a note:

In a recent thread, I commented on an apparent anomaly in Arizona employment statistics. The anomaly remains but the notion that Arizona was padding the numbers to decrease its unemployment rate is untenable: the survey determining those numbers is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That said, I've been plugging away trying to understand these things, and I've discovered some shocking facts about these statistics. I'm still researching and trying to comprehend things (and hopefully avoid the kind of "shoot from the hip" error I alluded to above), and I want to wait for an appropriate thread to add such comments to.

Nice teaser, Emil.

I would normally wait for an appropriate thread also, but I can't wait as the line is getting long.

So, let me state for the record that I was sexually harrassed by Herman Cain. As fifth in line, I reserve my right to any monies not paid to victims 1 through 4.

This comment is not off topic due to the use of "shameless" in the title of the thread.

azrebel, I hope that you will see fit to replace my coffee-damaged keyboard with some of your reward.

sorry Petro, I did the the same thing with Pepsi watching the SNL skit about the Kardashian divorce. Funny stuff.

Since my wife is one of 67 Motorola employees left out of 25,000 employees, she tells me they have piles and piles of keyboards and screens stored in empty rooms. Would you like a different keyboard for every day of the year??

I may need to take you up on that offer, if you persist in dropping comedy 'round these parts.

You notice it's the type of comedy that if we didn't laugh at it, we would spend our days crying at the absurdity of it all.

Briefs have been filed in the AZ Supreme Court to block the removal of Chair Mathis. We should find out later today if the Court will reverse the Governor's action pending the outcome of the special action.

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