Speed cameras depart, a few more Arizona brain cells disappear
Speed cameras are a brilliant tool.
They keep the roads safer. They allow cops to spend time pursuing violent criminals. And they raise money for the government.
They aren’t taxes. No one’s forcing you to speed! And if you find the yoke of speed-camera oppression on a particular route onerous, why then you can roar up or down another street!
The argument against speed cameras make no sense.
“I want to drive recklessly and don’t want the state to use technological means to catch me.”
So the opponents created a new one: “The state is using the cameras to raise money.”
This became a rallying cry, and actually found traction in this surprisingly dumb state.
That’s a good aspect of the cameras. Dopes who drive fast—they have to pay!
It’s a disincentive to control dangerous behavior. What’s wrong with that?
Nothing. All that’s really happened is that the state is a little less safe. And a little poorer.
Anyway, the cameras the state has placed around Arizona go dark at midnight tonight.
Of the stories in the local press about the occasion, the EVT’s is by far the best.
It notes that the cameras will remain in Tempe, Mesa and Chandler. Those cities will continue to reap their budget benefits.
And the safer streets:
During the first year, there were nearly 5,000 fewer collisions along the state’s highways than the previous year, according to Shoba Vaitheeswaran, a Redflex spokeswoman
7:14 AM
An anti-SB 1070 concert in LA
It’ll be led by Rage Against the MAchine and Conor Oberst and held Friday, July 23, at the Hollywood Palladium, Stephen Lemons reports:
Rage Against the Machine and Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will headline the fundraiser, which Sound Strike is anticipating will raise more than $300,000 for such organizations as Phoenix civil rights leader Salvador Reza’s Puente Movement, and the Florence Project, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The concert is part of a week of activism heading toward July 29, the day SB 1070, Arizona’s new breathing-while-brown law, is scheduled to go into effect. The press release notes that this is [Rage’s] “first concert in their hometown of Los Angeles in 10 years.”
7:27 AM
Nick Martin joining the Arizona Guardian
This sucks for fans of Martin, because the Guardian is a pay site. Here’s what the local political blogger said on his site, Heat City:
That model has worked for the Guardian so far. Now, the founders are hoping to build on that accomplishment. They are open to new ideas and experiments, and that’s where I’ll be playing a role. What does that mean specifically? I’ll let you know once we figure it out.
Heat City will still be here. This site will remain a place for me to write stories that don’t have a home anywhere else. The only difference now is that my political (and sometimes legal) stories will be appearing in the Arizona Guardian.
More about Martin here.
The Guardian is here.
10:26 AM
Third Friday at eyelounge
Tommorrow at eyelounge, two group shows opening during the Third Friday artwalk-
CATTLE TRACK ARTISTS: Mind the Gap! and EYELOUNGE COLLECTIVE: Process of Progress
The Cattle Track Arts Compound is a one-of-a-kind artist colony located on the historic Cattle Track property in Scottsdale, AZ. Headed up by owner and arts maven Janie Ellis, the colony offers art exhibitions, artists' studios and work spaces. This group show is intended to bridge the gap between the various arts organizations and to create a dialogue with working Phoenix artists across the valley.
Featured artists: John Battenberg, Painting Brent Bond, Santo Press, Printmaking Mark Hendrickson, Photography Mark McDowell, Drawing Mary VanDusen, Cattle Track Pottery, Stoneware Kevin Maricle McCutchen, Cattle Track Pottery, Ceramics Crystal Phelps, Pernicious Press, Printmaking
eyelounge is at 419 East Roosevelt Street in Downtown Phoenix. For more info call 602.430.1490 or visit eyelounge.com.
11:10 AM
PHXations—Thursday, June 15, 2010
Not only does Senator Kyl think that wealthy deserve tax breaks at the expense of the unemployed, he (along with Senator MCain and other Republicans) also appears to believe that banks do not need more oversight) in the financial sector meltdown:
The U.S. Senate voted 60 to 39 today to pass bank reform legislation that includes tougher rules on credit card companies and lenders, more rules on shareholder votes and executive pay for public companies.
That would mean additional shareholder votes on executive pay and CEOs would be required to pay back bonuses if corporate earnings are restated and impact previous bonus awards.
Democrats and the Obama administration backed the rules saying they will strengthen consumer and investor protections while Republicans and business groups tended to oppose the bill saying more regulations with further stifle lending.
Arizona’s two Republican senators – Jon Kyl and John McCain — voted against the bill.
The now measure moves to the White House for Obama’s signature.
The quote of the week belongs to Buz Mills, on bowing out of his gubernatorial campaign:
“Some days you’re better to be lucky than smart,” Mills said. “It’s tough to compete with the Greta and Jan show every night on national television.”
Arizonans continue to garner attention in the national press. This time its Gabrielle Giffords and her struggle to maintain her congressional seat in this fall’s elections:
Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is the latest Democratic incumbent to trail in a GOP-sponsored poll.
A Tarrance Group poll obtained by The Fix and conducted for the campaign of former Arizona state Sen. Jonathan Paton shows Paton leading Giffords 45 percent to 44 percent in her battleground southeastern Arizona 8th district. The poll was conducted among 300 likely voters between July 6-7.
The numbers in the poll show the district is ripe for the picking. President Barack Obama’s disapproval is at 56 percent, and 55 percent of voters say it’s time to look at electing a new member of Congress. (Home state Sen. John McCain won the district by six points in 2008.)
Giffords is seen as a member of Congress with a bright future — she’s often mentioned as a potential challenger to GOP Sen. Jon Kyl in 2012. But in a tough year for Democrats nationally, Giffords has supported the economic stimulus legislation, cap and trade bill, the energy bill and the health care bill – votes which could be used to tie her to the Democratic leadership in Washington.
But all hope is not lost for Giffords:
One factor that works in Giffords' favor is her fundraising prowess. She announced Wednesday that she raised nearly $600,000 in the second quarter and has more than $2.2 million on hand – one of the biggest campaign funds of a vulnerable Democrat.
And, Paton must still survive a Aug. 24 primary from Iraq war veteran Jesse Kelly before he can even begin the race against Giffords.
1:55 PM
But can he spell potato?
The fascination with Quayle Jr. continues. This time, the Arizona Capitol trimes takes a deep look at Ben Quayle and his campaign for CD 3:
Almost everyone in Arizona has heard of Ben Quayle’s dad, but many voters have no idea where the younger Quayle’s priorities lie.
For the most part, he sounds a lot like the other candidates, touting pro-business, small-government policies and a focus on immigration reform. Unlike most of the other contenders, he has seen Washington politics from the inside and says he won’t be swayed by the glamour of D.C.
“I know how to avoid the pitfalls that sometimes happen with certain people who go to Washington, and I know how to get things done,” he said.
Many of Quayle’s contributors are from out-of-state, including heavyweight politicians such as former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, former White House Chief of Staff John Sununu and former Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady.
Quayle also seems to have a never-ending supply of celebrities and dignitaries to bait potential donors. Former President George H.W. Bush held a fundraiser for him at Bush’s Houston home last May, and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was scheduled to appear at a fundraiser in New York last month.
Quayle’s money — his campaign had raised $558,727 as of May 31 — is particularly concerning to Rose and other consultants who are pulling for candidates who lack the gravitas to match Quayle’s donor list.
“I kind of liken it to giving a Middle Eastern county a nuclear weapon,” Rose said. “Ben Quayle with a million dollars, you just know don’t know what he is going to do with it. Is he going to use it wisely? Is he going to use it poorly?”
Read the whole article here
12:16 PM
One thing that all politicians can agree on...
… is that media is scum (at least occasionally):
The video is from the Arizona Press Club, circa 1986. It shows longtime Arizona politicians doing things you may not want to see (and that they may want you to remember), including Terry Goddard doing Chuck Berry’s famous “duck walk” and Brube Babbitt and Fife Symington playing the guitar and tambourine.
Enjoy!
1:42 PM
McCain and Hayworth debate tomorrow night
The third GOP primary candidate, Jim Deakin, will be there as well.
From 3TV, which is hosting and broadcasting the debate:
The debate will take place at KTVK-3TV Studios in Phoenix at 7 p.m and will be simulcast on KTTU in Tucson and azfamily.com. Azfamily.com will also host another live forum giving viewers the opportunity to share their comments and thoughts on the debate in real time as the debate is going on.
Another debate is scheduled for July 21 in Yuma and another in Tucson is planned for August 5 at KUAT PBS-6
5:03 PM
The Second Civil War?
The same mayor who derided gay members of the military as “lacy-drawered” and “limp-wristed” in Memorial Day speech has stuck his foot in his mouth again. Yuma Mayor Al Krieger is now saying that America is in a “civil war” because of the federal lawsuit against SB 1070:
At an immigration forum Tuesday evening, Krieger and other panelists discussed the controversial law that will go into effect July 29. The law would make it a state crime to be in the country illegally, enforced by local law enforcement, a job currently done by federal law enforcement.
[…]
Krieger said the definition of a civil war is when the states and federal governments differ (in opinion). “So we basically have an undeclared civil war today.”
Read the whole story here.
Where does Arizona keep finding these politicians? And why do we keep voting for them?
5:36 PM
Tribes won’t enforce SB 1070
I can’t say I find this too surprising:
Despite a request by Gov. Jan Brewer’s office to comply with the new law, Native American tribes will continue to oppose it and seek ways to avoid its implementation, said John Lewis, executive director of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, which represents 20 tribes in the state.
“Tribes have jurisdiction within their land, and state law doesn’t apply,” Lewis said. “And the law just doesn’t work in the interests of the American Indian population.”
A resolution passed by the tribal council on June 4 states that the new law would lead to disproportionate stops and detentions for tribal members, violate their sovereignty and negatively impact the tribal economy.
In their resolution, the group says long-accepted standards of tribal life would suddenly be incongruous with the new law.
Enforcement of the law would force many law officers to reach the “reasonable suspicion” of illegal status for a large portion of Native Americans, whose legal presence within the U.S. has never been in question, the resolution states.
The resolution points out that English is a second language for many tribal members. And although each tribe has different laws, members of the tribes have not been required to carry their tribal membership documents, and some don’t possess a birth certificate or proper documents.
[…]
The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona plans to meet with the National Congress of American Indians next week to agree on unified opposition to the new law and explore ways to prevent its implementation on tribal lands, Lewis, director of the council, said.
[…]
Read the whole article here.
7:25 PM
Censorship dustup at the Cave Creek Film & Arts Fest
The Republic reports this a.m. that Suzanne Johnson has resigned from the board of the organization she founded after the fest removed a film called Sex and Violence from the lineup.
In fairness, the censorship involved was circumstantial rather than deliberate.
The fest was showing films in a local high school; that got it hung up on its lease for the space, which stated it wouldn’t be showing things inappropriate for a school environment.
That’s obviously not the ideal agreement to have for a film festival directed at adults.
Johnson herself acknowledged the spot the board was in:
She said the festival has gone on record as not censoring material, and that the omission compromised the festival.
She had been one of the festival’s chairs and oversaw the films being shown. She also was vice president of the board of directors.
“I don’t believe there’s room for censorship in society, and the fact that I had to censor this film … I just couldn’t be on a board that says it doesn’t censor,” Johnson said.
The real culprit?
An anonymous Arizona goon:
Johnson said the film was singled out by a member of the community who was upset that it was going to be in the lineup. She asked school officials to screen the movie, and they decided it was not appropriate to be shown on campus.
The fest runs through this weekend. Its web site is here.
A full schedule is here.
Info on the film Sex and Violence, directed by a Scottsdale native named Charles Petersen, is here.
6:33 AM
Superintendent Candidates Forum: Arts Education in Arizona
The Arizona Citizens for the Arts and the Arizona Alliance for Arts Education will be presenting a forum with/for all five candidates for State Superintendent of Public Education.
From the website:
During the forum, candidates for Superintendent will be asked a series of questions related to the Arizona Arts Standards, the development of arts education curriculum for students, and their commitment to providing access to quality arts education in Arizona schools. Attendees of the Forum will have the opportunity to submit questions for the candidates to answer on the spot.
According to the AZCentral.com, as of yesterday, all five candidates (Ds: Penny Kotterman and Jason Williams; Rs: Beth Price, Margaret Dugan, and John Huppenthal). have committed to participate to be there.
This event is free and open to the public. You can register to attend by clicking HERE.
Details
Date: Thursday, July 29, 2010
Time: 5:30p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85050 Map
The forum is free and open to the public. Register here.
2:38 AM