Arizona Republicans Move To Create A State-Run Bank

Brace yourself -- right-wing extremists in Arizona have swung so far right, they've crossed into the Leftern nether regions.

Evidence is shown by Arizona state Rep. John Fillmore, R-Apache Junction, who just introduced a bill calling for the establishment of a state-run bank in Arizona. A state commission would operate the bank, which would be called The Bank of Arizona.

It's hard to believe that HB 2221 actually exists. Arizona Republicans - whose platform stands on limited government, privatization and "don't nobody mess with my privately-owned business not even taxes" - want to create a state-run bank.

During the election last year, Fillmore, who now wants a state-run bank, described himself as "an ardent small government conservative."

Hmmm...

It's ironic that a supporter of small government is proposing a bill that would grant the government more power over the financial sector.

Republicans cringe at the thought of the new federal health care law and Fillmore favors cuts to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Additionally, Gov. Jan Brewer, has made the largest cuts to education in state history, which have increased class sizes and fired school teachers.

Yet, here is Rep. Fillmore, who is a federal health care law opponent, wanting to implement a state-owned bank. Isn't this the same party who complained about big government interference in Wall Street? The same party who complained about the bailout of Detroit automakers?

Oh, the irony.

So much for the principles of the Grand Ol' Party.

 

Follow Chad Campbell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/repcampbell

Comments

[Scott Baker]

04:44 AM on 04/07/2011

We should be congratulating Arizona on sound thinking, not trashing them for being so far Right they've turned Left. As Ariana Huffington has pointed out repeatedly, Right/Left labels are nearly meaningless now; it is the elite 1-5% vs. the rest of us. Arizona has just struck blow for the other 95-99%, and is now the 9th state to introduce legislation emulating the wildly successful Bank of North Dakota model (the Red state with

[R A Bows]

02:04 AM on 04/07/2011

Actually, there are two members of Congress who have proposed legislation to nationalize the Federal Reserve System--Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. What this article calls Democrats and Republicans are really those who are owned by the money cartel. At the far left and far right, there are actually some folks willing to think for themselves.

[Json]

04:09 PM on 02/15/2011

Amid the snarkiness of the article, it would be nice to explain WHY they are doing it, instead of just pointing out how ironic it is...

[TommyMcCarthy]

06:40 AM on 02/15/2011

If they would seceed they could print their own currency and have their own little facist empire down there. Seems to be heading that way in any event.

TM

[Kurt]

01:05 AM on 02/15/2011

What a concept! Absolute genius!!! Arizona can balance its budget by taking the profits the bank makes from high interest charges on credit cards and predatory lending to the poor. As for capital they can fund it with the $550,000,000 they would have used to fund Medicaid for those 280,000 poor people. AND legislators could get low interest loans. Gotta love those right wing minds always thinking of ways to make a buck.

[brklynivn]

11:46 PM on 02/14/2011

That's putting capital into the hands of the government, if that's not socialism, what is.

[rockyrococoAZ]

09:48 PM on 02/14/2011

The irony indeed!