Sheriff Paul Babeu and white supremacist radio
From Channel 12 News, as posted on azcentral.com:
12 News has learned that the day before Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu appeared on a white supremacist radio talk show earlier this month, he was the guest of another extremist talk show host, who believes President Obama is committing “high treason” in his handling of illegal immigration.
When host Alex Jones of the “Alex Jones Show” asked Babeu whether he agreed that the president was committing treason, Babeu responded, “It borderlines that. I’m not gonna outright call it that. I’m still an officer in the Army.”
Babeu is a major in the Army National Guard.
When host Alex Jones asked Babeu a second time about the treason charge, Babeu did not dispute it.
“What’s so shocking is the president, our own government, stands against us and sides with a foreign leader,” he said.
[…]
Watchdog groups such as MediaMatters.Org say Jones is one of the leading government conspiracy theorists in the nation. He believes the September 11 attacks were an “inside job” by the U.S. government and President George W. Bush. MediaMatters has also reported on the Jones interview with Babeu.
Video of the Channel 12 interview above.
Read more here.
9:35 PM
The art mecca of .... El Mirage?!?
The PBJ reports that the town of El Mirage—population 25,000 or so, tucked in on US 60 between Sun City and, um, Sun City West—wants to be an “urban arts hub”:
The city of El Mirage has a very “un-Phoenix” vision for its future — cut more from the cloth of Santa Fe, N.M., and Portland than the Valley’s sprawling suburbia.
El Mirage voters in November will consider a long-term plan to transform the West Valley city into a transit-oriented, environmentally friendly arts hub. Officials also want to cut the city’s carbon footprint by half over the next several decades and create parcels for organic and urban gardens.
The El Mirage City Council approved the plan earlier this month.
The plan is a very long term one; one key part is the establishment of a commuter railway rail station at Grand Avenue and Thunderbird, envisioned as part of a decade-distant commuter line running to Wickenberg.
The arts part?
El Mirage already is doing some things outlined in the plan, such as trying to attract artists and creative businesses via zoning changes that allow for live-work studios, and hooking them up with federal stimulus help such as weatherization grants and energy-efficiency tax breaks.
7:36 AM
Is the Tucson music scene better than Phoenix's?
Young Martin Cizmar™ says, “Yes!” in a post we’re just catching up on.
He identifies five numbered issues that make the Tucson scene better, a list even more impressive in that Cizmar himself had apparently originally envisioned a lesser total. (“I’ve identified three factors behind The Tucson Problem….”)
Among them: Better venues (“Anyone who has been blessed with the chance to see a show at Rialto or Club Congress … can vouch for their greatness”) and the town’s college-town culture (“There are tons of indie-rock types — smart, cool and geeky — down there, whereas Mill Avenue can remind me of the Jersey Shore on a bad night”).
He also tips his hat to Electric Mustache blogger Shawn Anderson.
I don’t think he makes his case about the media in the respective towns, but all in all it’s worth reading.
Everything about Young Martin Cizmar here.
8:08 AM
Memories of the Sombrero Playhouse, Part Deux!
Yesterday, we began a conversation with Gary Gohring, who back in the 1970s was the thoughtful film critic for the Phoenix New Times … and the manager of the city’s best art house, the Sombrero Playhouse.
The Sombrero doesn’t get its due when people talk about the cultural scene of the period, so we tracked down Gohring, now living contentedly in San Diego.
He graciously agreed to share his memories of the time, the second installment of which follows.
Part I is here.
PHXated: It was a long time ago, but I have a sense that a certain amount of care was taken with presentation and projection at the Sombrero—-particularly in contrast to that of other theaters in town. Is that a fair impression? Did you have decent equipment? What kind of projectors were they?
G.G.: The theater had a great, dedicated staff, and it was blessed with about four projectionists during my tenure there who did wonders with the prints we received, many of which were in pretty bad shape. We had standard 35mm projectors for the day.
PHXated: Going through some old boxes a while back, I found a frequent film-goer card from the Sombrero, with dates marked by hand—something like “5/14 …. 5/17 … 5/18 … 5/23.” That shows you how often we went! To me, the theater was a major cultural institution in town at the time, and I have memories of seeing so many classic, foreign, cult and (not least) rock movies there. Is this an overinflated impression of its role in the valley’s cultural life at the time?
G.G.: The discount card you referenced was indeed marked by hand. Ten admissions for $20, I believe it was. (The discount card I now get has 5 admissions for $40.) As I mentioned, we did attempt to bring a diverse collection of films to the Phoenix market, trying to accommodate a wide variety of tastes. In many cases, we were successful, and in some cases, we were not. I know for sure we did not appease the customer who kept requesting more Oliver Reed films. "He made other films besides Women in Love, Tommy, and The Devils,“ one of the person’s notes lifted from the suggestion box stated. As for leaving a cultural legacy, I think that other than being known as the place where The Rocky Horror Picture Show first played and as the movie theater that had no parking, we probably did not leave much of a cultural legacy. At least not the cultural legacy I would have liked. However, it is good to hear that there are those like yourself who not only remember but do so with fondness.
10:43 AM
Cronkite School building wins an architecture prize
The Chicago Athenaeum, an architecture and design museum in Chicago, gives out international design awards each year. The Cronkite School, designed by Southern California’s Steven Erlich and opened in 2007, is one of 100 or so buildings cited for best new global design.
Full list of winners here.
A release from the Cronkite school below.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY News
Cronkite School Wins International Architecture Award
PHOENIX (July 21, 2010) – The Cronkite School building has been awarded an International Architecture Award, Arizona State University announced.
The International Architecture Awards are conferred on the world’s most significant new buildings and urban or landscape developments by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design in conjunction with The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
The Cronkite building was one of 95 buildings and urban planning projects from 38 nations, and one of three buildings affiliated with U.S. institutions of higher education, to be recognized in the 2010 awards. The building houses the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Eight/KAET, the ASU-operated PBS station.
The contest honored a range of building types, including corporate offices, cultural sites, universities, industrial facilities and private homes.
Building architect Steven Ehrlich of Ehrlich Architects said it was an honor for the Cronkite building to be among those recognized.
“This is a very prestigious awards program because it’s really global,” Ehrlich said. “It’s always nice to see how a group of international jurors perceives our building.”
Ehrlich said the building fits into the urban fabric of downtown Phoenix.
“It’s not an isolated building on a campus that is sort of its own enclave,” Ehrlich said. “The building actually has a global viewpoint itself.”
Ehrlich said the contemporary, LEED-silver-certified Cronkite School building was designed to reinforce how communication is celebrated, in all its forms.
Inside, the space’s flexible, three-dimensional spatial environment allows connectivity in multiple forms, both through its technology capabilities and in the interpersonal space created by the First Amendment Forum at the building’s core.
“I think that becomes in a way the heart of the building, and it’s where, although there’s all this technological connectivity, there’s still the connectivity of people with each other,” Ehrlich said.
Christopher Callahan, dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said the school was proud to be housed in an exemplar of contemporary urban design and planning.
“Steven Ehrlich is known globally for bold designs that are striking and compelling, but also amazingly functional,” Callahan said. “This is yet another recognition of the magnificent design gifts of Steven, his colleague Mathew Chaney and the entire Ehrlich team. We were so fortunate to have Ehrlich Architects bring our vision of the 21st century digital media complex to life.”
A jury of Mexican architects affiliated with the Colegio de Arquitectos de la Ciudad de Mexico, Sociedad de Arquitectos Mexicanos chose the winners from hundreds of entries.
The awards will be presented and exhibited at The City and The World conference to be held in Spain, Nov. 4-7, 2010. Following that, the awards exhibition will tour Europe and the United States.
Related Links
The International Architecture Awards http://www.chi-athenaeum.org/intarch/index.html The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design http://www.chi-athenaeum.org/ The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies http://www.europeanarch.eu/ Cronkite Building Fact Sheet http://cronkite.asu.edu/news/newBuilding-022107.php Downtown Phoenix Campus http://cronkite.asu.edu/about/downtown.php Cronkite Building Slideshow http://cronkite.asu.edu/about/building.php
12:58 PM
Goddard Outlines Key to Stopping Human Smuggling
Yesterday afternoon, while much of the media’s attention was focused on the SB 1070 hearing at the federal courthouse in downtown Phoenix, Attorney General Terry Goddard was in Washington testifying before the House Homeland Security Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.
During his testimony, Goddard urged the federal government to intensify its efforts to take down the Mexican drug cartels and to utilize techniques developed by his Office to disrupt the flow of money that funds their violent operations.
Goddards office has posted the following video of his testimony on Youtube:
1:06 PM
Arizona Republicans continue to distort the facts on illegal immigration
yesterday, KPHO reported on how Republican political candidates—including Governor Brewer and Senator McCain—continue to exaggerate crime and illegal immigration in Arizona contrary to the actual statistics.
As reporter Morgan Loew says, “Polling indicates that politicians that sound the most alarmist about how dangerous Arizona is get the highest approval ratings.” Alas, the facts just aren’t on their side, as violent crime in the state has been dropping for the past 6 years.
1:23 PM
Are Brewer's Buddies Benefiting from SB 1070?
The impromptu ‘Video Friday’ continues on Phxated.com. This KPHO segment looks at the ties between the Brewer administration and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). CCA holds the federal contract to house detainees in Arizona. The company bills $11 million per month.
It turns out that that two of Brewer’s top advisers have connections to CCA. Paul Senseman is the governor’s deputy chief of staff. He is also a former lobbyist for CCA. His wife is listed as a current lobbyist for the company. Chuck Coughlin is one of the governor’s policy advisers and her campaign chairman. Coughlin’s company, HighGround Public Affairs Consultants, currently lobbies for CCA.
3:10 PM
Transit Strike Averted... for now
The Phoenix New Times is reporting that Phoenix bus riders have been spared a possible bus strike come Monday…
The Teamsters Local Union No. 104, which represents the employees who fuel and clean the buses, extended its contract until August 15.
The other two unions that represent Veolia Transportation employees had already agreed to extend talks. The bus mechanics union (International Union of Operating Engineers Local 428) agreed yesterday to extend its contract to August 15, and the bus operators union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433, has extended its contract until Sept. 30.
“It’s a good sign that they’re still talking,” said Debra Stark, executive assistant to the City Manager, who oversees the city’s Public Transit Department.
7:53 PM
Santa Cruz Sheriff dumps McCain over his SB 1070 support
From the Nogales International:
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Antonio Estrada is no longer endorsing John McCain’s reelection bid, and he’s citing the Republican senator’s support of Arizona’s new immigration law as a major factor in the split.
Instead, Estrada is throwing his weight behind Democratic senatorial candidate Randy Parraz, who, like the sheriff, has voiced strong opposition to the law.
[…]
Even when Estrada was in McCain’s corner, his anti-SB 1070 stance made him a less appealing booster than an immigration hardliner like Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, the analysts said. And that explains why a McCain TV spot shot several months back shows him walking the border fence in Nogales with Babeu and not Estrada – despite the fact that Nogales is in Santa Cruz County and Pinal County is 90 miles from the border.
[…]
Aside from their immigration deviation, Estrada also cited McCain’s vote against continuing federal unemployment benefits as a motivator in withdrawing his endorsement.
“These people want to go to work, but they can’t,” Estrada said. “They need to put food on the table, pay the rent and keep their homes. I consider it pretty cruel that he would vote not to continue unemployment.”
Read more here.
9:15 PM
Jewish News condemns border vigilantes
An editorial at the Jewish News questions Arizona politicians' lack of comment about an armed menace on the border:
We’ve written before about Jason “J.T.” Ready. In an editorial back in March 2008, we noted that the then-precinct committeeman from Mesa had made the Southern Poverty Law Center’s intelligence report on hate groups in this country, listed as a “nativist extremist” and “outright neo-Nazi.” Just two months before that editorial, at the Maricopa County Republican convention, Ready had distributed fliers calling the Holocaust a “myth.”
Ready is no longer a precinct committeeman. But he hasn’t stopped trying to foist his worldview on others. These days, armed with an assault rifle and accompanied by other heavily armed “patriots,” he’s patrolling the area of Pinal County where a sheriff’s deputy was shot back in April. He calls the effort “the Minutemen on steroids.” You can read about his patrol’s exploits, and see photos, on a blog called “Just Another Day…,” written by a man named Harry Hughes. From that blog, you can also link to the National Socialist Movement site, where you can read “A Frontline Report” about how the NSM is patrolling the border in two states.
[…]
Yes, the Anti-Defamation League has issued a press release – but where are the other voices? Should it fall only to Jewish organizations to point out the dangers of allowing members of the NSM to arm themselves and “enforce” the law? Where are the statements from Arizona politicians denouncing this vigilantism and the threat it poses not only to Latinos, to Jews – in short to anyone who is not “white” – but also to the rule of law and civilized society?
[…]
Read more here.
Harry Hughes' blog cited above,“Just another Day..,” is here. The photo above is from the Hughes' blog, apparently exhibiting people detained by his armed gang.
Credit where credit’s due—Sheriff Paul Babeu received praise from the ADL for speaking out against J.T. Ready and his ilk. Quoting from the ADL announcement, as published by New Time’s Stephen Lemons:
Phoenix, AZ, July 20, 2010…..The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the recent activities of neo-Nazi J.T. Ready and his “citizen patrols” of the border, and lamented the lack of community outrage over those patrols. Ready has long held ties with neo-Nazi groups, most recently the National Socialist Movement (NSM), a group ADL calls one of the largest of its kind in America. The NSM clings to an ideology that only non-Jewish, white heterosexuals should be American citizens and that everyone who isn’t white should leave the country “peacefully or by force.”
[…]
At the same time it condemned Ready and the patrols, the ADL commended Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu for his weekend comments discouraging Ready and “those who espouse hatred or bigotry such as his” from continuing the patrols.
Lemon’s article is here.
12:00 AM