We all know it’s better to invest in prisons than in education, right? I mean, why not throw millions at a declining prison population instead of spending it in the classroom? Last week, buried among the headlines of the Republican National Convention, sandwiched between Clint Eastwood’s conversation with a chair and Governor Brewer’s accidental endorsement …
Read MoreJoe Arpaio is not an island. His ability to waste more than $150 million in taxpayer monies didn’t happen in a vacuum. We know that the now disbarred and disgraced former County Attorney Andy Thomas helped Arpaio abuse his power by charging and prosecuting numerous cases without any legal merit. We know he looked the …
Read MoreI read with dismay an article in The Guardian that spoke about the American Psychiatric Association’s move to create a new disorder that deals with grief. The article said the APA is planning on classifying anyone who grieves longer than two weeks over the death of a loved one as depressed. They’re kidding us, right? …
Read MoreWe met a month ago at a panel discussion on immigration. Well dressed, intelligent and professional, Daniel Rodriguez seemed poised to take on the world. So when this young man, just a few years older than my stepsons, asked to meet me for coffee, I didn’t hesitate to join him. Daniel’s energy is palpable. You …
Read MoreBeyond the delusional thinking of politicians such as Russell Pearce, the man who questioned why no one was courageous enough to take down the gunman in the Aurora theatre, there are real questions about what, if anything, our government could do to stop these types of massacres. First, let’s put to rest the outrageous statements …
Read MoreThat’s the message we’re hearing from the Open Government initiative supporters. These folks believe Independents will have greater opportunities to win elections while extremists, those leading by ideology instead of policy, will be forced to moderate in order to appeal to the general population versus their party’s base. In a ‘top two’ primary, everyone, regardless …
Read MoreIt’s thee word tea partiers use to strike fear in the hearts of fellow tea partiers… amnesty. It seems any change made to the immigration system is either backdoor amnesty or full-on amnesty, depending on which Democrat proposes the change. President Obama’s plan to give two-year work permits to DREAM act eligible individuals is being …
Read MoreTwo Americans isn’t a fairy tale. Two Americans doesn’t have a happy ending. But Two Americans may be one of the most important documentaries you’ll ever see, especially if you live in Maricopa County. The Americans in this story are 79-year-old Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and 9-year-old Katherine Figueroa. Arpaio, the obvious Goliath in …
Read MoreMany of us have concluded that our state Capitol is filled with extremist legislators who value craziness instead of intelligence. And now it seems some of our local reporters agree. This past weekend, Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts published an article requesting help for “an election-year search for a Legislature that actually lines up with …
Read MoreArizona certainly doesn’t lack for crazy ideas led by equally zany lawmakers. From politicians working to further the ‘birther’ conspiracy to legislators redefining conception to two weeks prior to ovulation, we’ve got more than enough material to keep comedians like Jon Stewart in business. But instead of shaking our heads or shrugging our shoulders over …
Read More“Are you mom enough?” This was the cover headline on TIME magazine’s Mother’s Day edition. It was accompanied by a picture of a toddler standing on a chair, breastfeeding from his model-perfect mother. Shameless ploy to sell magazines? Of course it was. But we buy it anyway. Let’s face it; the “mommy wars” sell. From …
Read More“The illegals who come here… don’t want to be American, they want to destroy our form of government.” This was part of a speech made by State Senator Sylvia Allen at a Support Russell Pearce rally in October of last year. She spoke about illegal immigration and prefaced the quote above as part of a …
Read More“Illegal immigrants chose to come here against our laws and proceeded to choose which laws they would follow and which they would ignore, demanding rights to which they are not entitled.” This was taken from a recent letter to the editor in the Arizona Republic. The woman, Alice Wilson, goes on to say, “Legal citizens …
Read MoreThe list reads like a Who’s Who of Sheriff Arpaio’s nearest and dearest allies: Former MCSO Chief Deputy David Hendershott Former MCSO Deputy Chief Larry Black Former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas Former Deputy County Attorney Lisa Aubuchon One by one, those responsible for helping Sheriff Arpaio take revenge on his enemies or silence his …
Read MoreCorruption is the topic of the day on this week’s 12 News Sunday Square Off. Two political heavyweights, Attorney General Tom Horne and Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, are the subject of investigations, while fellow Democrats push for state legislator Daniel Patterson’s removal from office.
Read MoreSB1070 was sold as a way to “do the job the federal government refused to do.” Presumably, that meant “secure the border,” a catchall phrase by Republicans that has yet to be defined as anything other than “the opposite of what Obama does.” But SB1070 doesn’t secure the border, nor does it offer any real …
Read MoreThe District 25 senate race was shaping up to be a battle between two moderates and one extremist. Incumbent Rich Crandall, a moderate Republican known for his focus on education, was joined by another moderate, Bob Worsley, a newcomer with an impressive business background and leadership role within the Mormon Church. It could have been …
Read MoreNine children, some just babies, were slaughtered by an American soldier. The 38-year-old father of two put on his night vision goggles, walked a mile to a nearby village, and gunned down 16 Afghan civilians. But why? What would drive an American soldier to commit such a heinous crime? We may never completely understand what …
Read MoreWhen one works for a party that holds a super majority in this state, he/she is entitled to a few benefits. Or at least that’s what some of the Republicans in power believe. Notice that I said when one works for a “party” and not when one works for the “people.” That’s an important distinction …
Read MoreThe world stands with bated breath, anxiously awaiting the results of Sheriff Arpaio’s investigation into the authenticity of President Obama’s birth certificate. Or at least that’s what Mr. Arpaio would like to believe. For the vast majority of Americans, this issue was put to rest a long time ago, but for the tea party extremists, …
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