The East Valley Tribune has this editorial about the Maricopa County tax payers being forced to pickup the legal bills of Dennis Wilenchik. While I agree in principle that prosecutors should be protected from the financial dangers of pursuing prosecutions, I am not sure that it should be absolute. I am also not sure that private attorneys should be deputized as prosecutors. Furthermore, I am not sure someone as dumb as Andy Thomas should be allowed to contractually indemnify the County's tax payers based on his bone-headed decisions. How much will this cost us? Andy Thomas and Joe Arpaio sure cost us a lot money.
I would make this a major campaign issue if I was running against him...
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thomas Watch: Poor Andy, sure whines a lot
Poor Andy Thomas is complaining to the Arizona Supremes because the Arizona Bar Association is investigating his various violations of ethics. Of course, we all know that much like George Bush, Andy Thomas cannot be held to the same standards of ethics and conduct as say everyone else... Here is the article from the Arizona Republic.
Note to Bar Association, be careful. Andy is delicate and sensitive (some might say effete). He may cry if continue to hold him to the same standards as every other attorney in the state (or even stomp his feet, plug his ears and say "lalalalalalala, I can't hear you).
Sunday, May 25, 2008
HRC, sexism and bellyachin'
I have tried to hold my fire on HRC, but I cannot sit and listen anymore without saying something. And no I am not talking about the Bobby Kennedy comment, even though it was crass and idiotic.
I want to talk about sexism. Day after day, I hear complaints from HRC supporters about how sexism is the reason she lost. I find this both sad, laughable and frustrating. The reason she lost is because her campaign was not well executed.
HRC has undoubtedly been the subject of sexism, but guess how much sympathy I have for her, none, zero, zip and nada. Politics is a hard. In politics, there is no excuse for losing, not sexism, not racism, only incompetence, bad strategy, bad message, a bad candidate or circumstances beyond your control (these are all reasons, but not excuses). While I am sure there are people that will not vote for her simple because she is a woman, there is a much larger group of people that are voting for HRC because she is a woman, but I don't hear too many complaints about that. That brings us to her biggest problem with voters (her 45% ceiling): Most of the people who will not vote for HRC are doing so because she lacks ethics, moral fortitude, has a problem with the truth, has very little concern for her party, very little concern for her country, her personality is grating, she has an unquenchable quest for power and offensive sense of entitlement.
I have to say that I do not like Hillary Clinton, but it has nothing to do her with being a woman. I also no longer can stand the sight of Bill Clinton. When I don't like HRC I am accused of being sexist, what does it mean when I don't like Bill Clinton? How about Joe Lieberman (Anti-Semitic)? What about condoleezza Rice (sexist and racist)? There is a large difference between feeling aggravation and anger because of a persons actions and disliking them because of a genetic fact.
Every candidate has built in advantages and disadvantages. HRC has more advantages than most candidates. Please stop complaining about how the media has treated her. Every candidate in every race in both parties is treated unfairly by the media. It is part of politics. Suck it up and get over it. She has lost... In the parlance of my grandmother, she is showing her ass and she needs to stop it (will you say my grandmother is sexist too?). While you are at it, NARAL has no obligation to support a losing candidate when the very existence of Roe v. Wade is on the line if McCain wins.
One last note, this goes out to white, upper middle class, middle aged, second wave feminists that think that sexism is the last acceptable form of discrimination, please spare us. Not a single one of you would trade your privileged existence for that of a black person (or any person of color), nor a gay person, nor an atheist (and the list goes on...)
I want to talk about sexism. Day after day, I hear complaints from HRC supporters about how sexism is the reason she lost. I find this both sad, laughable and frustrating. The reason she lost is because her campaign was not well executed.
HRC has undoubtedly been the subject of sexism, but guess how much sympathy I have for her, none, zero, zip and nada. Politics is a hard. In politics, there is no excuse for losing, not sexism, not racism, only incompetence, bad strategy, bad message, a bad candidate or circumstances beyond your control (these are all reasons, but not excuses). While I am sure there are people that will not vote for her simple because she is a woman, there is a much larger group of people that are voting for HRC because she is a woman, but I don't hear too many complaints about that. That brings us to her biggest problem with voters (her 45% ceiling): Most of the people who will not vote for HRC are doing so because she lacks ethics, moral fortitude, has a problem with the truth, has very little concern for her party, very little concern for her country, her personality is grating, she has an unquenchable quest for power and offensive sense of entitlement.
I have to say that I do not like Hillary Clinton, but it has nothing to do her with being a woman. I also no longer can stand the sight of Bill Clinton. When I don't like HRC I am accused of being sexist, what does it mean when I don't like Bill Clinton? How about Joe Lieberman (Anti-Semitic)? What about condoleezza Rice (sexist and racist)? There is a large difference between feeling aggravation and anger because of a persons actions and disliking them because of a genetic fact.
Every candidate has built in advantages and disadvantages. HRC has more advantages than most candidates. Please stop complaining about how the media has treated her. Every candidate in every race in both parties is treated unfairly by the media. It is part of politics. Suck it up and get over it. She has lost... In the parlance of my grandmother, she is showing her ass and she needs to stop it (will you say my grandmother is sexist too?). While you are at it, NARAL has no obligation to support a losing candidate when the very existence of Roe v. Wade is on the line if McCain wins.
One last note, this goes out to white, upper middle class, middle aged, second wave feminists that think that sexism is the last acceptable form of discrimination, please spare us. Not a single one of you would trade your privileged existence for that of a black person (or any person of color), nor a gay person, nor an atheist (and the list goes on...)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Janet asks Arpaio to do his job (he refuses, not enough cameras around when serving warrants)
I don't have a lot of time today, but I wanted to post this article from the Arizona Republic. Basically the job of Sheriff is to run the jail and serve warrants. Sheriff Joe doesn't really enjoy either activity because it limits the number of press conferences with which he can bloviate about stupid totally useless non-sense (apparently it is not cost effective to use his tank to deliver warrants).
I know immigration can be a campaign issue, especially in Arizona, but doesn't having 59,000 unserved felony warrants make you soft on crime? Don't you Republicans remember Willie Horton? All the Sheriff's opponents have to find is one scary looking guy who killed or raped someone because they were not picked up by the Sheriff (or served a warrant), it would be pretty devastating.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Egghead Vote
One of the things that has bugged me most over this political season is our political discourse once again being critical of the so-called "eggheads", elitists and urbanites. There is the stereotype of Volvo driving, latte drinking, yoga doing and on and on. Of course, there is also the vaulted working class heartland voter who is all knowing and beyond wise.
When did it become ok to disparage people who worked hard to get college degrees? Why is the work someone does on an assembly line more valid than other types of work. Why is it that to be hardworking you must have a job in the old economy? It is interesting to me that my parents and grand-parents worked extra hard in factories, so that I could go to college. They did not want my body to give out at 60.
I hate to break it to everyone, but Volvos are good cars. Lattes while not my cup of tea (pun intended) do not make you an elitist (there are lots of pretty average people at Starbucks). While I am at it, being an elitist is not a bad thing. I want elite leaders. I want the best and brightest leading our country. In fact I personally want to be elite or more elite than I currently am.
The Democratic Party needs to wake-up to the fact that we "eggheads" are every bit as important to the grand coalition as high school educated white voters. Last I checked all votes count the same. To be sure my money spends the same when I send it to the party. I can tell you for sure that I will not be a second-class citizen in my party. And just for the record, the votes of black people count the same as white voters. I vote, I volunteer and I give money, I am the party.
When did it become ok to disparage people who worked hard to get college degrees? Why is the work someone does on an assembly line more valid than other types of work. Why is it that to be hardworking you must have a job in the old economy? It is interesting to me that my parents and grand-parents worked extra hard in factories, so that I could go to college. They did not want my body to give out at 60.
I hate to break it to everyone, but Volvos are good cars. Lattes while not my cup of tea (pun intended) do not make you an elitist (there are lots of pretty average people at Starbucks). While I am at it, being an elitist is not a bad thing. I want elite leaders. I want the best and brightest leading our country. In fact I personally want to be elite or more elite than I currently am.
The Democratic Party needs to wake-up to the fact that we "eggheads" are every bit as important to the grand coalition as high school educated white voters. Last I checked all votes count the same. To be sure my money spends the same when I send it to the party. I can tell you for sure that I will not be a second-class citizen in my party. And just for the record, the votes of black people count the same as white voters. I vote, I volunteer and I give money, I am the party.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Obama wins the night!
Obama wins big in North Carolina and it is close in Indiana. I know she won't drop out because she has no shame and does not care about the Democratic Party, but she is done.
Nuns turned away in Indiana (Clinton Campaign confused)
Hillary does not know whether to look like this:
Or like this:
Or like this:
Here is the story from Politico. The nuns did not have the proper identification, so they could not vote. Unfortunately for the Clinton campaign, the article does not state who they intended to vote for, so they don't know whether to feign outrage or not...
How does he do it? Jack Harper: World class idiot
Jack Harper... What is there to say about him? I constantly wonder how he consistently comes up with the dumbest ideas. His latest idea is to lift work safety restrictions on minors to make up for a labor shortage that he helped cause (see immigration).
The bill would allow minors to do more dangerous jobs like working on ladders and scaffolding up to 10 feet high. Why stop there? Here is the article from the East Valley Tribune.
I have a special connection to this issue in that I sustained a permanent injury (that I still live with today) while working as a minor. I foolishly took the more dangerous job because it paid $1 more per hour. At the time, I did not really understand the implications.
We should protect kids until they are old enough to choose for themselves. There is actually science to back up the idea that most teenagers are not cognitively ready to properly assess risk. If we have a labor shortage, lets find adults to fill the jobs, not teenagers.
The bill would allow minors to do more dangerous jobs like working on ladders and scaffolding up to 10 feet high. Why stop there? Here is the article from the East Valley Tribune.
I have a special connection to this issue in that I sustained a permanent injury (that I still live with today) while working as a minor. I foolishly took the more dangerous job because it paid $1 more per hour. At the time, I did not really understand the implications.
We should protect kids until they are old enough to choose for themselves. There is actually science to back up the idea that most teenagers are not cognitively ready to properly assess risk. If we have a labor shortage, lets find adults to fill the jobs, not teenagers.
Mayor Gordon callously keeps cheap pharmaceuticals from getting to the sick and needy
Given the price of healthcare and prescription drugs in this country, you would think that Mayor Gordon would want the sick to get medications inexpensively, but no... Apparently, the Mayor insists on making sure that pharmaceuticals are not in our water supply. Sure you might get hormones instead of insulin, but its free.
Friday, May 02, 2008
County Attorney's Race: Give now
Here is a link to Tim Nelson's web site and Gerald Richard's site.
They both have contribution pages, so give now to the candidate of your choice or perhaps both.
Give to Tim Nelson
Give to Gerald Richard
They both have contribution pages, so give now to the candidate of your choice or perhaps both.
Give to Tim Nelson
Give to Gerald Richard
File this under fat chance...
I have had my differences with Mayor Phil Gordon, particularly when it comes to his endorsements of Andy Thomas, John McCain and Jim Weiers. In the Arizona Republic today, there is an article about an effort to recall the Gordon. Recalls are tough to pull off, even if you know what you are doing. The guys heading up this effort don't...
Note to American Citizens United, if you think you need 23,751 signitures, guess again. Try doubling that number... Go ask Rev. Jarrett Maupin about trying to sneak signatures past the Mayor's machine. Maupin just wanted to run against the Mayor, not recall him.
You guys are toast...Save your self the heartache and the long hours in the Arizona sun and give up now.
Note to American Citizens United, if you think you need 23,751 signitures, guess again. Try doubling that number... Go ask Rev. Jarrett Maupin about trying to sneak signatures past the Mayor's machine. Maupin just wanted to run against the Mayor, not recall him.
You guys are toast...Save your self the heartache and the long hours in the Arizona sun and give up now.
Guess what happens when a hospital is underfunded...
There was this article about a report on deficiencies at Maricopa County Hospital. I know the knee jerk reaction of many will be that government cannot do anything right (you know you are thinking it my right-wing friends). Here is the reality of the situation: Maricopa is wildly underfunded. I have written previously about how the state takes the federal funding intended to reimburse the hospital for indigent care.
Here is what happens in hospitals when they are underfunded: Basically, nurses (RNs, LPN, etc) deliver the majority of care in our health system. First, there is a shortage of nurses in the country and state. Nurses don't have to suffer low pay and bad working conditions because they are almost guaranteed a job somewhere else. Part of the reason for the shortage is that job is very hard. Nurses generally work 12-hour shifts and are responsible for many patients. Over the past twenty years (or more) nurses have taken over many of the duties that were once reserved for doctors.
At an underfunded hospital, they pay nurses less and therefore have fewer of them (and higher turnover). This leads to a couple of bad things, either the hospital cannot pay and retain enough nurses to cover the work load or hospital management tries to increase the ratio of nurses to patients to save money (at Maricopa it is probably both).
The results of this are obvious. The nursing staff has a choice, they do not have enough time to give quality care and chart the care given sufficiently. Given the previous choice most nurses will choose to give care to their patients and cut corners on the paperwork. It is Faustian bargain that should not be forced on our dedicated healthcare providers.
Here is what happens in hospitals when they are underfunded: Basically, nurses (RNs, LPN, etc) deliver the majority of care in our health system. First, there is a shortage of nurses in the country and state. Nurses don't have to suffer low pay and bad working conditions because they are almost guaranteed a job somewhere else. Part of the reason for the shortage is that job is very hard. Nurses generally work 12-hour shifts and are responsible for many patients. Over the past twenty years (or more) nurses have taken over many of the duties that were once reserved for doctors.
At an underfunded hospital, they pay nurses less and therefore have fewer of them (and higher turnover). This leads to a couple of bad things, either the hospital cannot pay and retain enough nurses to cover the work load or hospital management tries to increase the ratio of nurses to patients to save money (at Maricopa it is probably both).
The results of this are obvious. The nursing staff has a choice, they do not have enough time to give quality care and chart the care given sufficiently. Given the previous choice most nurses will choose to give care to their patients and cut corners on the paperwork. It is Faustian bargain that should not be forced on our dedicated healthcare providers.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
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