For the past 18 months, Arizona's economy has taken a nose dive, jobs have been lost, and schools have been starved of funding. Have the Republicans who control the state Legislature fixed these problems? No. But they have kept themselves busy!
Here are 10 of the most outlandish things Arizona Legislative Republicans spent time and taxpayer resources on in the past year:
- Invoked the U.S. Constitution in an attempt to protect (wait for it) ... light bulbs ... from federal energy requirements. (But only the bulbs made in Arizona, of course.)
- Eliminated the requirement for training and a permit to carry a concealed weapon. (Driver's license tests are still around, in case anyone is concerned about public safety)
- Passed legislation banning human-animal hybrids in Arizona. (Our state is now safe from mermaids and centaurs.)
- Voted to deny more than 47,000 children access to KidsCare health insurance. (They're kids, they're young, they're plenty healthy, right?)
- Allowed guns in bars. (Bar owners, for some strange reason, did not support this legislation)
- Increased property taxes and asked voters to tax themselves, but refused to close tax loopholes for the rich. Their country club memberships, spa treatments and pet grooming are exempt from the sales tax. Middle-class folks buying clothes and school supplies, however, are subject to the tax. (Darling, we already tip the help ... isn't that enough for you people?)
- Made it a crime for teachers to talk to students of color about their own history and heritage. (There's only one version of history -- duh!)
- Based environmental policies on the belief that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, as cited by a state senator. (The Hohokam people apparently migrated to Arizona on the backs of dinosaurs.)
- Cut off services to 36,500 seriously mentally ill patients, allowing those individuals to wander Arizona's communities homeless, untreated and unmedicated. (Shhh, just let the Democrats worry about this one.)
- Jumped on the "birther" bandwagon, pushing legislation that would require presidential candidates to show proof of U.S. citizenship to be on the Arizona ballot. (Hey, don't call it a fringe movement -- we don't want to offend the Tea Party now do we?)
Arizona has seen 40 plus years of a Republican-controlled Legislature, but this absurd list is from only the past two years! And though my blog may sound a bit tongue-in-cheek about the ideas listed above, it is only because of the seriousness with which I view the impact these policies are having on my native state.
We can no longer afford political games and rhetoric aimed at diverting the attention away from the critical issues facing our state. Arizonans need to elect leaders who will get serious about fixing our budget, bringing jobs back, and making us competitive once again.
Democrats are outnumbered in Arizona, but we want everyone to know we're working hard to win key races in November and get our state back on track -- and off of The Daily Show.
Follow Chad Campbell on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/repcampbell
As for #6, are we to infer that the rich dont buy clothes and school suppliesor pay property taxes?Dont middle-class folks groom their pets?
As far as your "Birther" comment- Wouldnt it have eliminated the "Birther" movement entirely if this law had existed prior to the last presidential election?
I honestly cant say that I'm familiar with or support everything on this list, but at least on the surface, most of them seem pretty commonsense.
Based environmental policies on the belief that the Earth is only 6,000 years old, as cited by a state senator. (The Hohokam people apparently migrated to Arizona on the backs of dinosaurs.)
Cut off services to 36,500 seriously mentally ill patients, allowing those individuals to wander Arizona's communities homeless, untreated and unmedicated. (Shhh, just let the Democrats worry about this one.)
Jumped on the "birther" bandwagon, pushing legislation that would require presidential candidates to show proof of U.S. citizenship to be on the Arizona ballot. (Hey, don't call it a fringe movement -- we don't want to offend the Tea Party now do we?)
All of this may be very well and true, but some verification from say, a link to a statement from an Arizona lawmaker might be more convinving.
Oh wait... this WAS written by an Arizonan politician?
I know that non-Arizonans may not recognize Rep. Chad Campbell on a name basis (and I don't expect them to, I recognize names, but I couldn't name each member), but it is written right in the article that Chad Campbell is the House Democratic Whip in the Arizona State Legislature.
His account is supported by the fact that for these very issues, he was there to vote on, debate, and feel like hanging himself just so he'd be done hearing the sheering stupidity coming that some of our legislators try to pass off as sound "policy." (Honestly, in the Republican-controlled state Congress, before BS 1070, their time mostly amounted to hundreds of HOA restrictions like mowing your lawn at least once a week.) Even Jan Brewer, before all this hoopla, hated being in the state capitol and called it "hell" (seriously, google, "Jan Brewer" "hell" and "Phoenix").
Sadly, leadership is an issue on both sides of the aisle. Chad Campbell's litany of legislative errors omits the most glaring, noxious legislation in years, SB1070. We are left wondering if this is evidence of cowardice by the Democratic Whip, or a show of support.
Come on and grow a pair and stand against this hateful law, which is the REAL reason our state is mocked by the Daily Show and boycotted by people of conscience.
Having said that, the article would have been much more effective, and much better written, had he take the time to reinforce the lunacy of a legislature in a state in the Union enacting such a piece of racist crap when there are real, pressing problems in the state that need addressing.
He should have taken greater care in posting it. It makes it look like he didn't want to offend his buddies who are on the other side. It either gives the appearance of that, or it is that. AZ Dems need to be more assertive, even aggressive, in standing up for what is right if they want to prevail against Republican exploiters of fear and ignorance, who create another Appleblossom all too often.
http://deadlawyer.blogspot.com/
This was another stupid bill the legislature passed so they could avoid facing Arizona's real concerns. And it is a boon to the Mexican drug cartels who LOVE Arizona's loose gun laws.
When they pay their doctor bill with a chicken, they don't want that chicken to be grandma.
Wise up AZ,you're in the 21st century now,and you're still stuck in the 19th century.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA............