You’re invited to attend the Principles of Liberty Seminar

Presented by: National Center for Constitutional Studies
Sponsored by: Constitution Week USA

Discover the 28 fundamental beliefs of the Founding Fathers which they said must be understood and perpetuated by every people who desired peace, prosperity, and freedom.  This positive, exciting message will give you a lasting understanding of the Principles of Liberty. Thousands of people have enjoyed this seminar all over the country.

Date: Saturday, July 18th Time: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm

Place: Mesquite High School,  500 S. McQueen Rd., Gilbert

$25 per person (not recommended for children under 12)
$40 per couple Tuition includes the book “The Five Thousand Year Leap” and lunch.

Register here.

For more information, contact Sarah Crawford: (480) 236-2326.

The good news comes too late

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey finds that voters now trust Republicans more than Democrats on eight out of 10 key electoral issues, including, for the second straight month, the top issue of the economy.

Republicans also narrowed the gap on the remaining two issues, the traditionally Democratic strong suits of health care and education

The percentage of voters trusting the GOP more on economic issues is 46% to 41%,. This is just the second time in over two years of polling the GOP has held the advantage on economic issues. The parties were close on the issue in May, with the Democrats holding a one-point lead.

Voters not affiliated with either party trust Republicans more to handle the economy by a wider 46% to 32% margin.

Last week’s report of 9.5 percent unemployment, the highest since 1983, raised doubts about the economy and the president’s handling of it. Consumer and investor confidence is now down to the lowest levels in three months. Just 39% now say President Obama is doing a good or an excellent job on the economy while 43% rate his performance as poor. Those are by far the weakest numbers yet for the president.

Tony Bouie carpetbags into District 4

An interesting Primary is shaping up in Legislative District 4, giving voters an unusually clear choice. Tony Bouie, the lifelong Democrat who opportunistically registered as a Republican just five days prior to opening his 2008 campaign for a Dist. 6 House seat, is back in campaign mode. 

Bouie made headlines with his unmatched pattern of habitual fabrications and double-dealing during the race that resulted in him being soundly defeated by Reps. Sam Crump and Carl Seel.  Although the voters of the district were not deceived, he did win the support of the open borders crowd, who directly benefit from a steady stream of low-wage workers, and happily fed his campaign coffers.

Bouie has reportedly said that he is targeting Rep. Judy Burges — the # 1 PAChyderm rated member of the Arizona House.

Term-limited LD 4 Sen. Jack Harper is running to join Rep. Burges in the House. Adding to the kafuffle Rep. Tom Boone has now filed an exploratory committee against announced candidate Scott Bundgaard, who is running for the senate in the district.

Anyone need a scorecard? The line forms on the right.

PAChyderm Coalition releases end-of-session legislative ratings

The PAChyderm Coalition, a Reagan Republican organization, has just released its session ending cumulative evaluations of legislators.  This list reflects legislative actions as of 7/1/09.  It was last updated 7/7/09.

Along with the rankings is a narrative for this session by Howard Levine:

This was a very unusual session because all bills were held up in the Senate until a budget was passed. This created a dearth of activity – particularly in the Senate – until the final weeks of the session. The final days of the session were extraordinarily hectic as usual – giving proof to the saying “That if it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done.”

We analyzed the budget bills that came out in the final days of the session and were not generally pleased. We did give some plus 2 weights, but we also didn’t weight the K-12 education bill because it did not make sufficient cuts, and we gave minus 2 weights to the Higher Education and Prison budgets because we did not think they were fiscally responsible. The special session that will resolve the budget looks like it is taking weak to bad budget bills and making them even worse, but that will be a subject for another day.

Check out the individual legislator ratings here.

Scott Bundgaard: A blast from the past

Former state legislator Scott Bundgaard has filed his intent to run for the Arizona state senate in District 4.  Sen. Jack Harper currently holds the seat, but is unable to run again due to term limits.

Many remember Bundgaard as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, where he was part of the team that crafted a $7 billion budget, which included income tax cuts for individuals and Arizona businesses, and the elimination of the marriage tax penalty. Republican Bundgaard was named a “Friend of the Taxpayer” every year he served.

He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1995, serving one term, before his Senate stint of six years —  which ran from 1997 to 2003. At the time of his election, Bundgaard was the youngest person to serve in the Arizona Senate. He lost a U. S. Congressional race to Trent Franks in 2002.

We welcome Scott back to the political fray.

Keep these folks in mind when elections roll around

This is a special message for NumbersUSA members in Arizona

Dear Arizona friends,

Before adjourning for the year on July 1, the Arizona House defeated a bill (HB 2280) authored by Sen. Russell Pearce that would have cracked down on pro-illegal alien “sanctuary” laws and aided in immigration enforcement by expanding the state’s trespassing law. The House voted 26-15 for the bill, five votes short of the 31 needed for passage. The Senate had approved the bill 16-11 earlier that day.

Although most Democrats were expected to oppose the bill, they were joined by three Republicans – Reps. McComish, Tobin and Jones.  An incredible 19 members of the House did not vote on the bill at all.

On the Republican side, these included six members – Reps. Driggs, Barto, Konopnicki, Crandall, Mason, and Quelland — who all left the Capitol building so they didn’t have to go on record as opposing HB 2280.

This legislation, in its original form as passed by the Senate a few days prior, was SB 1175. Rep. Driggs, a long-time opponent of immigration enforcement, derailed that bill’s chances by refusing to hear it in his committee. In order to keep the measure alive, Sen. Pearce placed the bill’s language on HB 2280, which had already passed the House and only needed a “concurrence” vote to clear the measure. The Senate passed HB 2280 on July 1, but when the House voted on the bill a few hours later, Republican opponents left rather than vote.

For years now, certain Republicans have fought responsible enforcement legislation, while at the same time denying their anti-enforcement positions. In fact, some even purported to be concerned about enforcement as they carried water for open-border and cheap-labor groups. The time has come to hold those Republicans accountable for their actions.

Seeing Red AZ wrote about these defectors in this July I, 2009 post Your legislators hard at work, taking a dive — we name names.

 Rob Haney, Maricopa County Republican Committee Chairman has boldly written this article in which he holds accountable those who are responsible for this malfeasance.

Gilbert Tea Party

One of our readers took this video during the July 4^th Gilbert Tea Party. He wrote that the impressive turnout of citizens who took time to participate made him proud. It makes us proud, also. We are delighted to display his fine handiwork.

Thank you, Hal.

Over 2,000 turn out for July 4th Tea Party in Gilbert

Groups from various communities around the Valley and representing those across the political and social spectrum, turned out at the Gilbert Town Hall to protest proposed tax increases.

With many Arizonans losing their jobs and struggling to hold onto their homes, the issue of higher taxes has become a galvanizing force in unifying protestors.

Among the speakers at yesterday’s event was former Maricopa County Tax Assessor Kevin Ross, who said, “People from all over, of every age, came out to support fewer taxes.”

The event was part of a series of rallies nationwide, however it was the only one in the East Valley scheduled for the holiday weekend the East Valley Tribune reports.

Letter writer defines America’s frustration with national leadership

A disenfranchised Phoenix resident speaks for many of us in this heartfelt letter published nationally on the Glenn Beck show’s website.  

Read her letter, and if you feel as Janet Contreras does, then please sign the petition to our nation’s political leadership.

Participate in political grassroots at its finest.

Your legislators hard at work, taking a dive — we name names

HB 2280, the intent of which was to require officials and agencies of the state, counties, cities and towns to fully comply with and assist in the enforcement of federal immigration laws, making trespassing by illegal aliens a crime — failed in the waning hours before legislative sine die.

In the event you are moved to give them a call and inquire about their disgraceful disappearing act or “no” votes, their contact information is included under the links to their names.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO WALKED OUT MOMENTS BEFORE THE VOTE:

Rich Crandall Dist. 19

Adam Driggs Dist.11

Doug Quelland Dist. 10

Lucy Mason Dist. 1

Nancy Barto Dist. 7

Bill Konopnicki Dist. 5

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED NO:

Andrew Tobin Dist. 1

Russ Jones Dist. 24

John McComish Dist. 20

SENATE REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED NO;

Carolyn Allen Dist. 8

John Nelson Dist. 12

HOUSE DEMOCRATS WHO DID NOT VOTE:

Ed Ableser

Jack Brown

Olivia Cajero Bedford

Cloves Campbell

Christopher Deschene

Martha Garcia

Phil Lopes

Eric Meyer

Robert Meza

Ben Miranda

Daniel Patterson

Rae Waters

Nancy Young Wright