Sen. Chuck Gray: Keeping his options open

As state Rep. Rich Crandall, (R-Dist.19), is gearing up his exploratory committee preparing to replace Sen. Chuck Gray, (R-Dist.19) the senator dropped a surprise of his own.

Gray, a Mesa native, announced on Thanksgiving Day that he was leaving the political realm to focus on private business interests. But, he said, things could change in 2012.

“I don’t have a definite timeline, but obviously if an opportunity arises for me to run for Congress in 2012 — with two new Congressional seats opening up — that’s a possibility,” Gray said.

The East Valley Tribune has more here.

BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Chuck Gray will not seek reelection

Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Gray, (R-Dist.19) has made a Thanksgiving Day announcement that he will not seek re-election to the state Senate next year. In a written statement Gray said he’s made the decision in light of “business opportunities.”

“I am a husband and father who served his state and community and is now preparing to return to private life for a time,” he said. “I am not through with politics,” he added. “You will see me in the future.”

Read more in the East Valley Tribune report  here.

The rest of the story: Sen. Verschoor fights tax increases

Friends:

This morning is the second time in recent months that I have been personally attacked by Senate President Bob Burns for stopping TAX INCREASES to my fellow Arizonans.

SB 1003 was written with enacting language to give unchecked authority for unelected appointees of the governor to raise taxes in the form of fees across a broad spectrum of our everyday lives.

It has never been good policy to give the governor and her appointees this absolute unchecked authority. Our Constitution is clear that taxing and appropriation authority rests solely with the legislature. SB1003 would not even have given the legislature minimal oversight over the increases OR the use of the funds raised.

I have made my position known for many weeks IN WRITING to the Senate leadership that I would not support any legislation that ceded this constitutional authority to the governor and her appointees. For example, if the governor wants to give 1 million dollars to his /her favorite cause, all he /she would have to do is raise the price of a duplicate driver’s license by “only” one dollar. The legislature could do little more than complain about it.

It is important to emphasize that once this authority is granted, it would be nearly impossible to return the authority to its proper place. All the Governor would have to do is veto the legislation.

Senate leadership complains about the Governor having authority to appropriate twenty BILLION DOLLARS in federal funds that come to the state without any legislative over sight and they complain about the abuse of Executive orders. Now, they have decided through SB1003 to expand the power of the Governor to raise and distribute funds without approval or oversight of the legislature. Their actions beg the question whether they have the will to either pass the increases themselves or cut the spending to deal with this budget deficit.

Finally, President Burns knows that SB1003 skirts around the intent of Proposition 108 which was passed by the voters. He knows that Prop 108 requires the legislature to get 2/3^rd of the vote in both houses of the legislature to increase taxes and fees.

I find it disheartening that the President feels the need to attack me personally by misrepresenting the facts and timetables of what happened on this occasion. Please call (602) 926-5999 or email your Senator and Representatives. Ask them to Vote NO on SB1003 that would give fee (tax) setting authority to the governor and his/her appointed, unelected agency heads

Senator Thayer Verschoor, District 22

This letter was sent out yesterday. For those with access to AZ Capitol Times, more information is available here.

Sen. Russell Pearce looks to the future

State Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Dist.18) discusses the topic of illegal immigration with the daily’s aztalk.azcentral.com. He is calling for new legislation and a citizen’s initiative to step up efforts to combat illegal immigration.

In responding to the question, What further steps do you think should be taken at the local, state and federal level? Pearce’s summation is straightforward and needs no clarification: “It is pretty simple. Enforce the law. No public benefits. No sanctuary policies. No jobs.”

Read his complete and cogent answer to that question and the six others he responded to here.

Sen. Pearce, an immensely popular Mesa Republican, served in the Arizona House from 2001 to 2008 and was elected to the Senate in 2009 — emerging victorious after a blistering campaign, where he trounced his primary opponent by an over two to one margin.  He previously served as chief deputy for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, director of Arizona’s State Motor Vehicle Division and as a Justice of the Peace.

Brewer’s plan for Pearce: A non-starter?

As rumors swirl that Sen. Russell Pearce (R-Dist.18) might be tapped by Gov. Jan Brewer to replace Arizona Department of Public Safety director Roger Vanderpool, there is a not-so-small consideration that could be the fly in the ointment.

Constitutional restrictions imposed on state lawmakers prevent them from assuming another governmental job during their terms. That means Pearce would have to wait until the end of next year, even if he left his current post of state senator now.

Besides which, few conservatives would be desirous of having this stalwart leader leave the senate where he has been an effective, dependable and courageous defender of the rule of law.

Thrasher back for another round of political musical chairs

Jackie Thrasher, a single-term Democrat House member from Legislative District 10, is back for another go at the seat she lost to Republican Rep. Doug Quelland — who regained the seat after she ousted him — after he…..well, you get the picture.

A Washington Elementary School District music teacher, Thrasher was first elected in 2006, defeating incumbent Republican Doug Quelland by a mere 231 votes. Then last year District 10 voters returned him to his seat.

Currently, Quelland is appealing a recommendation from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, that he be removed from office for violating state campaign finance laws — a charge he vehemently denies.

Adam Driggs State Senate exploratory fundraiser sports high flying celebrity

State Rep. Adam Driggs (R-Dist.11) has formed an exploratory committee for the state Senate seat being vacated by term-limited Sen. Barbara Leff.  Driggs’ uncle, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, will be on hand to sprinkle some moon dust on the event.

 A larger version of the impressive invitation is available here.

              

If Hispanics remake AZ GOP who benefits?

Although it rated an oversized article and large accompanying photo, the report in the daily detailing  a new  “grassroots” effort to recruit more Hispanics to the Arizona Republican party raises more questions than it answers. 

A group called Somos Republicans, led by DeeDee Blase, is chiefly concentrating on recruiting Hispanics to run as Republican Precinct Committeemen.

Blase is adamant about not wanting to work within the framework of either the county or state GOP party apparatus.  In fact, she has nothing good to say about the party leadership or many of the Republican elected officials.

The group does like anchor babies, those born to illegal aliens and granted instant U.S. citizenship. It is also supportive of amnesty for those who violated the law in coming here.

Blase admits that she is motivated in large part by her disappointment with Obama’s inaction on immigration reform. “Obama sold Latinos down the river,” she said. “It’s my mission to call him out on this.”

But disappointment with Obama doesn’t translate to being a Republican. The fact that the group disdains the Republican Party makes it an empty threat to the Democrats. If Somos’ actual concern was defeating Obama, they would be registering new Republican voters, rather than recruiting PC’s to defeat party leadership. For someone who is as new to the process as DeeDee Blase claims to be, her efforts have McFingerprints all over them.

John McCain, who pandered to Hispanic voters under the mantle of “Comprehensive Immigration Reform” was gifted with a goose egg of only 26 percent in overall support from the base that had generously supported George W. Bush by a 44 percent margin.

Not once did Blase mention the Republican Platform, which is absolutely clear in not supporting amnesty. This divisive effort has no ring of Republican unity to it. Instead, it sounds suspiciously like it emanated from the GOP congressional delegation, all bonded to amnesty — except for stand-alone conservative Trent Franks.

The white flag of surrender is waving in the breeze.

Finally! PAChyderm Coalition has an East Valley Chapter

Become part of a great team

East Valley Chapter,  PAChyderm Coalition

INAUGURAL MONTHLY DINNER MEETING 

Thursday, October 15, 2009  — Dinner at 6:00 pm

With Special Guest Speaker

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO 

Kiley’s Grill,  2394 N. Alma School Rd,  Chandler

Order Dinner off the Menu

Seating is limited
E-Mail Jeff Dial jd@jeffdial.com for your reservation or additional information. First come, first served. You will not receive a reply unless the event is full. If you have already sent an RSVP there is no need to do so again. Thank you!

www.pachydermcoalition.com

The gang that couldn’t shoot straight

First a bit of background: The Executive Guidance Committee (EGC) is an arm of the of the Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC).  Recently there has been an insurrection of sorts due to the fact that the Maricopa County Chairman Rob Haney, took some legislators to task for absconding from their duties by slipping out on important Sanctuary City votes while the legislature was still in session.

Those who were smarting over the appropriate jaunt to the woodshed are now out for revenge.  Their weapon of the moment was this resolution.

So Thursday evening some of those aggrieved legislators, by way of their surrogates, offered a resolution intended to modify the bylaws of the MCRC. The problem is that it is beyond the scope of the EGC’s authority to issue such a directive. The EGC is, after all, subordinate to the MCRC.

But most importantly, in saying that no member will be permitted to criticize any elected Republican officeholder or candidate on behalf of the EGC without the approval of a super majority of its members — renders the resolution pointless, since no one has done that. In other words a remedy was being sought for something that never occurred, since Chairman Haney was speaking as chairman of the MCRC and did not claim to speak on behalf of the EGC.

Having shot themselves in their foot, the authors of the resolution are seen limping into the sunset.