GOP LDs slam Gov. Brewer’s Medicaid Expansion

Attempts to sell ObamaCare scheme to AZ Republicans falls on deaf ears

Monday night Legislative Districts 20 and 30 joined Maricopa County GOP LDs 1, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, and 27, Pima County Republican LDs 2, 3 ,4, 9, 10, 11, 14, the Coconino Republican Executive Committee, along with the Pinal, Cochise and the Cochise County Republican Committees —  in passing resolutions in opposition to the Governor’s Medicaid Expansion (AHCCCS) in support of ObamaCare. Pinal County Republicans passed their resolution back in February.

The fact that the entire Democrat caucus supports this outrageous and economically unsustainable government overreach tells “the rest of the story.”

The resolutions can be read here, courtesy of the Maricopa County Republican Committee. Check out their informative “Briefs,” posted daily by Communications Director Frosty Taylor.

Are any of these poor excuses for Republicans pretending to represent you? Give them a call, drop them a line. Since we pay their salaries, they should be all too happy to hear from us.

Senate supporters:

LD16   Rich Crandall  rcrandall@azleg.gov  (602) 926-3020

LD18   John McComish  jmccomish@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5898

LD28   Adam Driggs  adriggs@azleg.gov  (602) 926-3016

House supporters:

LD1   Karen Fann kfann@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5874

LD8   Frank Pratt fpratt@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5761

LD9   Ethan Orr eorr@azleg.gov  (602) 926-3235

LD17 Thomas Forese tforese@azleg.gov  (602-926-5168

LD17 JD Mesnard jmesnard@azleg.gov  602) 926-4481

LD18 Jeff Dial jdial@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5550

LD18 Bob Robson brobson@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5549

Appeared with Brewer in support of this expansion:  

LD1  Steve Pierce spierce@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5584

LD15 Heather Carter hcarter@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5503

LD16 Doug Coleman dcoleman@azleg.gov  (602) 926-3160

LD20 Paul Boyer pboyer@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4173

LD25 Bob Worsley bworsley@azleg.gov  (602) 926-5760

LD28 Kate Brophy-McGee kbrophymcgee@azleg.gov  (602) 926-4486

Clint Hickman appointed MC Dist. 4 Supervisor

Since Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson announced his resignation due to health reasons on March 1, speculation has been rampant regarding his replacement. Seventeen candidates emerged expressing interest in securing the position.

Today the supervisors unanimously selected Clint Hickman a local businessman with Hickman’s Family Farms, a longtime family owned Valley egg producer, to fill the District Four vacancy. Even lone Democrat Mary Rose Wilcox hopped onboard the congeniality express. 

Wilson was also originally appointed, taking his seat in 2002. He later ran for election three times. Previously, Wilson served as a Councilman and Vice Mayor on the Litchfield Park City Council.  Unlike Wilson, Hickman has no prior experience in public service.  But he’s obviously a quick learner.  He’s already expressed a desire to run to retain his new perch in 2014.

Clint Hickman and at least 7 members of his family have been solid donors to the campaign of Gov. Jan Brewer. That may explain her advocacy on his behalf for the District Four post over other more experienced applicants.

Brewer’s surrogates fail to convince EGC

The Executive Guidance Committee of the Maricopa County Republican Committee (EGC) met last night and passed three resolutions.

Although Gov. Jan Brewer’s policy advisor and chief strategist Chuck Coughlin and her financial guru John Arnold, made valiant attempts to convince the Republican leaders of the rightness of her position to expand the federal Medicaid program, Arizona’s involvement in the ObamaCare scheme was dead on arrival. Out of thirty possible votes, only two supported this debacle: Scott O’Connor, Chair of Legislative District 28 and Paul Whetten, Chair of LD 25.

State Rep. Carl Seel (Dist. 20) using facts and logic, effectively decimated the assertions by Chuck Coughlin and John Arnold, Brewer’s Director of the Governor‘s Office of Strategic Planning and Budgeting.

A second resolution opposing the McFlake Comprehensive Immigration Reform efforts to legalize upward of 25 million illegals, was passed unanimously by the Maricopa County EGC members. 

A third resolution opposing the implementation of Common Core — the Obama Education Department’s program to nationalize America’s public schools,  passed unanimously.  Laddie Shane, Chair of Arizona Conservative Educators, wrote the resolution and made a dynamic presentation for it’s passage.

Sheriff Arpaio trips, breaks shoulder

Sheriff Joe Arpaio broke his left shoulder earlier today.  He’s obviously on the mend. After a tender kiss from his wife Ava, here he is giving an update:

 

We wish our Maricopa County Sheriff the very best and a rapid recovery.  We need this good man on the job!

Follow him on Twitter@RealSheriffJoe

Read the AZ Family News 3 report.

Ready to cede your voting rights over to Mary Rose?

Under the guise of standing against the recall being waged against newly reelected Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio by a pack of radical ethnic activists, East Valley Tribune columnist Bill Richardson takes a sharp left turn, veering into political La-la land.

He concludes his opinion piece venturing into the hazy territory of Home Rule. Slogging through his commentary guarantees you’ll come away even hazier.

Richardson, not keen on our current sheriff, but opposed to the recall, appears to think there is a better system. He’d like to cajole us to give up our right to vote. The so-called Home Rule he advocates does just that.  Maricopa County citizens, all of whom come equipped with voting rights granted us by our founding documents, would willingly cede their votes over to the Board of Supervisors, who would then select our sheriff for us.  Neat and clean.  Not even a stubby pencil or pesky ballot need touch our hands.

As the term is currently used, Home Rule, which must be re-approved by voters every four years, is an administrative item granting cities flexibility in setting their own budgets, apart from rules specified by the state   What Richardson doesn’t reveal is that the county-wide Home Rule scheme he advocates would remove our right to vote for all county offices.  The argument for this bitter pill invariably begins with a discussion of the county recorder.  Who is the recorder? What does that individual do? Why is the post elective?

Of great significance is the fact that the U.S. Constitution singles out the right to vote more often than any other rights — five times.

To make his case, Richardson’s not averse to tweaking the facts, as he ticks off a list of sheriffs dating back to 1968. Among those he considers unqualified for the post are candidates with a vast array of law enforcement experience — including Joe Arpaio whose impressive résumé is a standout, by any standards.

Richardson contends “Home Rule would allow the Board of Supervisors to function like a city council and the sheriff would be hired and fired based on experience, education and a successful professional track record instead of winning a popularity contest.”

Fortunately, it’s the voting citizens, exercising their judgment, who are entrusted with the decision making as they cast their ballots — in effect hiring and firing. The same argument could be made for every office where candidates stand for election. If we are ready to turn over our votes for county officers to the Board of Supervisors, will city, state and federal offices be next on this arrogant agenda’s chopping block?  It’s a sure bet most citizens would opt to keep this most basic freedom — their right to vote. And few would agree to turn their rights over to unsavory Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox.

AZ illegals using fraudulent ID’s skew facts

Document fraud is not a victimless crime

In yet another bogus claim, advocates for illegal aliens using false ID’s in Maricopa County are charging they are being unfairly targeted. They allege it’s unreasonable to charge working illegals with felonies, while college students found with fake IDs at bars rarely face charges.

Under Arizona law, illegals using false identification documents can face felony charges of forgery and false identity denying them the ability to post bail. Once convicted of felonies, they are then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. Such criminal convictions can rightfully block any future ability to obtain legal status in the United States.

At a downtown press conference organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens Friday, showboating defense lawyer and illegal alien advocate Antonio Bustamante called the charges against illegals an “unconscionable application of the law.”

In response, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery said, “We target conduct. We don’t target people.” He said identity theft is a serious crime causing victims to spend months clearing their identity. “The harm can be very real,” he said. Arizona’s identity theft law prohibits using the statute to prosecute offenders under the age of 21.

Identity theft is a major criminal enterprise especially evident in border states. The intent is to provide documents to facilitate the lives of foreign nationals entering the U.S. without legal authorization. Victims have their good names destroyed and can have their credit ruined, medical records compromised, or have income tax liabilities attached to their names for unpaid taxes on revenue earned on their Social Security numbers. 

In 2006, by a vote of 1,170,961 to 332,461 state voters overwhelming approved Proposition 100, amending Arizona’s Constitution to prohibit bail for any person who is charged with a serious felony offense if the person charged entered or remained in the United States illegally.

Employment-related fraud makes up the majority of Arizona’s identity theft complaints, compared to bank fraud, credit card fraud and government benefits fraud. According to this October 2011 news video from Tucson’s KGUN 9, Arizona was Number Two in the nation for identity theft complaints. In 2008, we had the dubious distinction of being Numero Uno.

The farcical  allegations and attempts to link illegals using stolen or counterfeit documents to secure American jobs, with underage bar patrons illustrates the lengths to which the open border advocates will go to obscure the facts. This foolishness even made the news in Connecticut.

For clarity, we invite you to read the short paragraph “Undocumented” listed as Number 3 in “Lingo,” our popular primer which first appeared in 2008.

Betsey Bayless: $peaking of outrageous pay raises

Mega-salaries, benefits awarded in the worst of times

Recently we’ve been exposing the grossly excessive pay hikes and benefits packages of some of our illustrious Valley notables. Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos grabbed our attention in Dec. 2012 with his massive 33% raise, which amounts to an extra $78,000 a year! He will now be pulling down a yearly base salary of $315,000 plus a $600 monthly car allowance, $35,000 a year in deferred compensation, and a $4,000 “longevity” bonus.

Yesterday we provided the lowdown on the swell deals benefiting ASU President Michael Crow and his wife Sybil Francis. His annual salary of $475,000 plus benefits now comes in at $742,500. That includes a $50,000 housing allowance to assist in maintaining their exclusive $1,250,000 Paradise Valley digs, and $10,000 yearly car allowance. The ASU Foundation on which his wife serves as a “senior advisor” kicks in an additional $100,000 annually in compensation. His yearly perks include $85,500 pension and $22,000 in retirement. Annual step-up bonuses are part of the deal: 2013: Up to $40,000, 2014: Up to $40,000 and the major step-up in 2015: Up to $180,000 for exceeding “benchmarks.” Wifey Sybil Francis rakes in a six-figure income from the university, but the exact amount is elusive.

Taxpayer’s heads should be swimming with the news already provided.  But then comes the deal of deals that Betsey Bayless, the CEO and president of Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS) has brokered. She just received a hefty $125,000 raise. Her base salary soared 33% overnight, from $375,003 to $500,000 — excluding benefits.

Bayless will also be allowed to enter into a 409A retirement scheme into which she contributes not a thin dime, but MIHS makes all contributions.  If that’s not enough, she will garner up to a additional $125,000 by meeting various “performance goals.” Not bad for an unqualified, but well-connected political hack with one foot already out the door.

The five-member Board of Directors of the state’s largest public health-care system approved the raise this past week on a 3-2 vote. Check out the front page of the Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Budget Book. Longtime politico and perennial appointee Bayless is pictured center right, smiling broadly, of course, while oddly wearing a doctor’s coat.

According to a report in the daily, Bayless was set to retire from her position last year. But on Dec. 31, the last day of her term, the board extended her contract while a search is underway for her replacement. Board Chairwoman Susan Gerard, a longtime Bayless associate, and board member Elbert Bicknell, voted against the pay raise. The three newly elected board members Mary Harden, Mark Dewane and Terence McMahon, who could afford to take the heat, approved the increase, saying they wanted to give Bayless a raise since the national search firm for Bayless’ replacement regarded her salary “well below” the median range for others in comparable positions.

Let’s put this all in perspective: The $217,400 salary of the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court pales in comparison. The President of the United States, whose base salary tops out at $400,000 a year, trails both Michael Crow and Betsey Bayless. David Cavazos is right on the POTUS’ tail and has left Justice John Roberts in the dust.

These lavish gifts are your tax dollars, folks.

An urgent message from Sheriff Joe Arpaio & Update

Seeing Red AZ urges support of our sheriff, Joe Arpaio

Fellow Patriot,

Just three weeks after I was sworn into office for a sixth term as Maricopa County Sheriff, a group of radical extremists filed a recall campaign to forcibly remove me from office.

This is very serious. These left-wing groups of agitators are the same ones who spent millions against me in last year’s campaign in an effort to defeat me. Because they didn’t like the outcome of that election they are now going to spend millions of dollars to force a recall election this coming fall.

So far they have raised over $1.3 million to defeat me!

These sore losers just never stop. They figure if they can force an election in an off-year they’ll be able to turn out every pro-illegal immigrant voter and steal this election. We saw them do the very same thing to an Arizona State Senator just over a year ago.

It’s clear that these people will go to any lengths to see me defeated and out of office. They’ll resurrect all the lies, distortions and personal attacks from last year’s campaign and use them against me this year.

And what is this all about really? Why do they hate me so much? It’s simple: I am the only law enforcement official in this state that enforces our laws against illegal immigration. Period. Everything else they’ll talk about is a deceptive smokescreen because they know they cannot win on the issue of enforcing the law.

In fact, in their statement about the recall this group claims that I don’t “respect, defend or protect the rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution!” This, coming from the same group of people who have waged a relentless campaign against me in an effort to stop enforcing the laws! I have sworn an oath to protect and defend our United States Constitution probably more times than these clowns have pledged allegiance to our flag.

You were such an important part of my victory last year even though we faced insurmountable odds. I certainly did not plan on this recall, but I have to ask you again for your support. The fight starts now. Over the next several months I am going to be bombarded with negative attacks and lies. I must have the necessary resources to defend my record and run a winning campaign.

But I don’t care what threats they make. I will never back down one inch when it comes to doing the job I was JUST elected to do. I will continue enforcing all the laws on the books no matter what the consequences.

I am going to need your help now more than ever before. This campaign starts NOW. CLICK HERE TO DONATE.

Trust me; I never dreamed I would have to come to you for a contribution again. But it’s clear that I must ask you for your support and your prayers if we are going to beat our opponents.
Thank you for everything you have done and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Very Sincerely Yours,
Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Maricopa County, Arizona

Paid for by Elect Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Using the absurd moniker “Respect Arizona,” the recall group filed with Robert Unferth listed as its only officer. 

It’s obvious these malcontents hold no respect for the vote of the nearly 680,000 Maricopa County citizens, who recently returned Joe Arpaio to his post to begin serving an unprecedented sixth four-year term. In fact, they hold Arizona voters in contempt.

These people have previously registered as non-resident petition circulators. Since their addresses are redacted, the states where they actually reside are unavailable.

Irrelevant and miffed, AZ Republic stifles news of conservative wins

Not a single news report detailing GOP win in nation’s 4^th most populous county

The silence was deafening as the state’s largest newspaper –  the Periódico de la República de Arizona (Arizona Republic) — decided to wage a blackout on the Maricopa County Republican intra-party election of officers. On Saturday, the conservative stalwarts known as Team LaFaro easily trounced their establishment challengers in the election for party leadership 53.35% to 46.61%.

Finally, days after the fact, with no news report forthcoming, columnist Laurie Roberts stretches and yawns out a column. She‘s so vexed over the fact that the her entire pack of RINOs lost, that she misspelled “Dekookificiation” — the word she has banked on to dismantle what she terms “kooks” within the AZ GOP. Her misspelling closely resembles “asphyxiation,” a sure-fire indication of the lack of oxygen reaching the brains of Roberts and her liberal cohorts.

Roberts disparages the Republican precinct committeemen who voted overwhelmingly for the Team LaFaro, and calls the winners “Team Crazytown.” She also claims the Maricopa County Republicans must “moderate some of their hardline positions in an effort to begin reaching out to Latinos.”

Apparently in her blinding rage, she missed seeing the Hispanic winner of the position of Second Vice Chair, Jose Borrajero — who won not because of his ethnicity, but because he is highly qualified, respected and a conservative award winner.  Isn’t that as it should be?

It must have been the fact that Borrajero defended SB1070 in numerous TV appearances both in English and Spanish and helped expose the misuse of Republican Victory Funds against platform Republicans that set Robert‘s teeth on edge.

Tsk. Tsk.

Team LaFaro wins across the board! & Update

Grassroots conservatives rout Lisa Gray & Co. in Maricopa County GOP leadership election

Chairman: A.J. LaFaro: 1,179 (53.35%). Lisa Gray: 1,030 (46.61%).

1st Vice Chair: April Riggins: 1,128 (50.9%). Paul Brierley: 1,086 (49.5%).

2nd Vice Chair: Jose Borrajero: 1,254 (57.3%). Rene Lopez: 932 (42.63%).

Secretary: Jeni White 1,256 (56.6%). Colleen Lombard: 960 (43.32%).

Treasurer: David Ludwig: 1,241 (56.4%). Walter Dudley: 956 (43.49%)

Despite being outspent and absent establishment endorsements, Team LaFaro won with grassroots support and a solid dedication to the Republican Platform.

H/T to our trusty reader “theprecinctproject” for providing the percentages.

Yavapai County Chairman Malcolm Barrett, Jr., an establishment friend of Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin and Senate President Steve Pierce, was unceremoniously shown the door by conservative Jim Dutton in a decisive 83 – 57 upset vote at the Yavapai County GOP Statutory meeting today. Jim Dutton is the Pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Prescott. Barrett has long been rumored to be eyeing a legislative run when Tobin is termed out.