No one should be surprised that Arizona’s governor, wealthy Republican Douglas A. Roscoe Jr., aka Doug Ducey, attended yet another conference sponsored by a Koch brothers front group.
As Howard Fischer reports, in the gubernatorial election the Koch organization American Encore spent more than $750,000 on attack ads against Democrat Fred DuVal. Another $650,000 was plowed into pro-Ducey efforts.
This is chump change in the multi-decade effort by right-wing reactionary billionaires to take control of American politics and game policy to their ends. Jane Mayer of the New Yorker does an excellent job of exposing its reach in the book, Dark Money.
The Democrats, much less liberals, have nothing that can compete.
Arizona politics were once quirky and local. Since at least the 1990s, Arizona has been a mere outpost of the national vast right-wing infrastructure. The bills passed by the legislature are written by ALEC, the NRA, or national other “conservative” pressure groups.
Meanwhile, Republican control of the state is complete. Every statewide office is held by a Republican, creatures who would be anathema to John Rhodes, Barry Goldwater, Burton Barr, Betty Adams Rockwell, or the pragmatic female legislators known as “Sue Nation.”
Every disaster that coexists with warm, spectacular sunsets, and championship golf belongs to the decades of governance by the extreme right in Arizona. They own it. And yet, every election, no price is paid.
The "sensible center" of St. Janet? The vaunted demographic typhoon where Hispanics will rise up and vote Democratic? Nada.
The bottom line is that Arizona can’t have nice things, be it protected spaces, good jobs, commuter trains and Amtrak in metro Phoenix, decently funded schools and universities, you name it, because of the right’s chokehold on politics.
In theory, Arizona’s low taxes and “pro-business” policies should have yielded one of the strongest state economies, not one of the weakest. The “hidden hand” of the market would have prevailed over “throwing money at education” — but we have the charter schools racket and among the worst schools in the nation. On almost any list of social or economic well-being, Arizona ranks near the bottom.
And if you question it, you hate Arizona.
The puppetmasters don’t even know where Arizona is. It’s just another red blotch on the growing map of conquest.
Maybe Arizona could benefit by imposing a citizenship test on new arrivals: maybe a one hour film covering stuff like Azscam and the Keating Five days of sunny bipartisanship, Ev Mecham, J. Fyfe (I still can't say that without laughing) Symington, etc, followed by a really short quiz. No way would newcomers keep electing shady players if...oh. Donald Trump. Never mind.
Posted by: Pat | February 01, 2016 at 04:50 PM
I share your grief. I live in Wisconsin, birthplace of the Progressive movement. In a few short years our state was totally gutted by the Koch brothers and their puppet, Scott Walker. In retaliation for his humiliation in the larger arena, he has recently rammed through the most egregious series of laws imaginable.
Posted by: Mary Tooley | February 01, 2016 at 07:52 PM
Well, we'll just have to wait and see if there is an explicit quid pro quo from Ducey back to the Kochs.
You know, like this....
http://www.wnyc.org/story/teachers-labor-deal/
Make sure to focus on the term "retroactive"
Posted by: INPHX | February 03, 2016 at 07:35 AM
LoL, just try testifying in front of our legislature- they only worship Koch sycophants, including the Chamber of Greed and the Goldwater Institute.
This state is being run like a one party state, just like under any totalitarian regime.
DDR lite. Say something and they will destroy you or make you sit in the corner.
But failure abounds in our state government, but they propagandists keep pushing their relentlessly upbeat messages- see the young twitter gurls employed by DD up on the 9th floor- their pic with their Uber puppies is priceless.
At one with the finest from Fascism from the 1930s- now to really sin- their fascism will ultimately fail.
No follow through for the people- no real shining Tr(i)ump(h) moments- no real getting better, just getting much worse.
That is the problem with Koch's Potterville- by not providing enough buy in to the shrinking middle class and working poors, they lay the seeds of their own destruction.
So, if the people can't be bought off, they will break the system and make the rich start all over.
Ducey's Potterville is now apparent in state government, and soon the scandals will really begin (Lottery dude is the tip of it), because hiring incompetent friends and fellow travelers will hang him at his doorstep.
The AzRep just started with the dark money stuff- Now look at Michelle Reagan's hiring of Eric Spencer- all he is doing is wasting tax payer dollars to destroy the laws and fully enable dark money.
Nothing but pure evil.
So, bring on fascism, a lot of damage will be done, or the people can change the system- I turn 50 this year, so I am now transitioning to the sidelines- this is the fight for the next generation of 30 years.
Posted by: Concern Troll | February 04, 2016 at 03:20 PM
Concern Troll, U should become more liberal and more militant as you age. The sidelines is for non engaged shadow people.
However:
“What made me run away was doubtless not so much the fear of settling down, but of settling down permanently in something ugly.”
― Albert Camus
But:
“Where there is no hope, it is incumbent on us to invent it.”
“I rebel; therefore I exist.”
― Albert Camus
Posted by: Cal Lash | February 04, 2016 at 03:56 PM
David Fitzsimmons draws an op-ed comment for the Arizona Daily Star. Sometimes he pens and essay. This one is absolutely wonderful:
http://tucson.com/news/opinion/fitz-the-koch-kings-gather-their-minions-for-an-update/article_6f26da06-2009-5a40-9c02-c410a410ca62.html
Posted by: koreyel | February 07, 2016 at 09:23 AM