Arizonans need score card to keep track of AZ Republic’s schizophrenic coverage
Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts appears to applaud state Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas, saying she “Scored Direct hit on Gov. Doug Ducey.’ The claque of Mary Jo Pitzl and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez go off in a pro-Lisa Graham Keegan direction. E. J. Montini, the dutiful leftist follows the editorial board’s anti-Douglas instructions as he hopes to hang on just another few years until his social security kicks in and before the newspaper kicks off. Robert Robb, the more cerebral of the pack, gives points to Diane Douglas, saying Gov. Doug Ducey lacks the authority to reinstate the two state Board of Education staff members fired by Douglas. Columnist Doug MacEachern? He weighs in using the take-no-prisoners prerogative, “maniacal” to describe Douglas. These are merely iceberg tips, but readers get the drift.
In nearly every report the name Lisa Graham Keegan appears. This past weekend, she was Brahm Resnik’s haughty guest on “Sunday Square Off.” (linked video follows ad.)
And who is the seemingly ubiquitous Lisa Graham Keegan, suddenly grabbing headlines?
Keegan, a RINO-turned-Independent who supported Douglas’ radical leftwing educrat opponent, oddly seems to be regarded by Ducey as the state school superintendent. And why not? Like Ducey, Keegan is a McCain ally. She served as McCain’s education advisor during his doomed presidential bid. Keegan formerly held the top school position before ditching it back in 2001 with a year-and-a-half of her term remaining. The heady aura of Washington, D.C. was too compelling to keep her in Arizona to fulfill her commitment to the voters who put her in office. She also left rudderless the controversial Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test which she had championed as a high school graduation requirement. AIMS was a hotly debated precursor of Common Core.
When Keegan boogied in 2001, then-Gov. Jane Hull appointed lobbyist Jaime Molera to replace her. When the term expired, Molera ran for the position losing to conservative Tom Horne, who was then elected to two consecutive terms.
This past November, grassroots candidate Diane Douglas ran and was elected on an unambiguous anti-Common Core platform. Keegan not only supports the federal overreach into local education, but derides Douglas as “erratic,” even as she tap dances around the issue of fewer dollars for public schools while Ducey slices $13 million from the state education budget.
Conservatives who have ample reasons to distrust the GOP establishment are banking on Diane Douglas holding firm to her campaign pledges. As Robert Robb noted, “she is intensively disliked by all the right people.”
Seeing Red AZ 
Good overview of the situation. For all the Lefties’ whining, AZ has had nothing but leftie governors for over a generation.
Ducey showed his hand early. My suggestion for my (part time) AZ neighbors is to immediately attack Ducey at every juncture until he begins listening to someone other than the CoC lefties.
Get behind Kelli Ward, scare McInsane into retirement and make darned sure that Ducey realizes his days are numbered unless he moved further right of his two Liberal predecessors.
Ducey repeatedly was quoted as opposing Common Core before and after his election, but all his actions such as Keegan’s appointment and repeatedly dissing Douglas in favor of Common Core advocates remind me of his lying mentor, John McCain. Bravo Douglas!
Why would conservatives distrust the establishment Republicans? Why not. All our previous candidates were better than Democrats, but not much for actions speak louder than words …. and many of those are driving us into national bankruptcy !!
So who is standing up for the individual who is forcibly to give up what he’s earned? Some say that the alternative to this spending is a “Convention Of The States” that would call for a Balanced Budget Amendment, but remember that these same RINO’s will be “principles” in any process called for by this COS. These are the same type of Republicans who pull out the political game of tricks on the citizenry. I Don’t trust them …. but do believe in “Trust but verify”.
We put our trust in Ducey and Douglas, but only one is standing up on their campaign principles, for we know what … “we will fundamentally transform America” means for our children and grandchildren.
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.” – Margaret Thatcher.
Douglas has my continued support.
This morning the Arizona Repulsive’s light-weight and liberal columnist Montini is pimping for the recall effort against Superintendent Douglas. The worst is yet to come.
Many will remember when Arizona students took the first “official” AIMS test pushed by Keegan in 1999, nine out of ten sophomores failed the math portion they were told they would have to pass in order to graduate. The math graduation requirement was later postponed due to intense pressure from concerned parents and grandparents.
I am mostly in favor of a Governor running the state and the cabinet officers being on the same page instead of running in every direction. I don’t trust Douglas but am not yet sure about the Governor.
Recallers Assisted by Gov. Ducey
As the research indicates, it appears Gov. Ducey and his staff are incorrect in their evaluation of the situation and actually should be supporting Supt. Douglas in her decisions to better operate the Dept. of Public Instruction. Douglas did exactly what the voters expected her to do when they elected her to the position. Now it appears that Ducey and the Elite GOP are attempting to assist in re-firing up the oppositions recall efforts against Supt. Douglas, as News Program had a staffer of the group on air Thursday evenings program discussing this very incident, they really don’t need the help of Ducey do they, or who’s side is he really on? You read the post and then decide for yourself just what they’re all up to, serving you and me or Sen. McCain.
Diane Douglas has the right to fire STAFF employees: Doug Ducey plays his McCain card.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Education Diane Douglas has the authority to fire State ‘at will employees’ as established by former Governor Jan Brewer when she signed Sweeping Personnel Reform http://hr.az.gov/PR/PDF/PressRelease.pdf It would behoove Governor McDucey to review with State Attorney General Mark BrnoCainvich and any other legal counsel he has the following as it’s quite simple
Fired were Executive Director Christine Thompson and Deputy Director Sabrina Vazquez who are on the Arizona Department of Education payroll http://www.azed.gov/staff-directory/?sort=3.6&dir=ASC&pagenum=1 and under Douglas supervision as apparent by the organizational flow chart below. http://www.azed.gov/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/publicorgchart.pdf
Supporting Diane Douglas’ authority to terminate “at will” employees is Arizona Revised Statute, Title 15, Chapter 2, Article 2 – 251 Powers and duties – # “4. Direct the work of all employees of the board who shall be employees of the department of education.” http://www.azleg.gov/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=%2Fars%2F15%2F00251.htm&Title=15&DocType=ARS Please review the flow chart above and the listing of Thompson and Vazquez as being on the payroll of the Arizona Department of Education here http://www.azed.gov/staff-directory/?sort=3.6&dir=ASC&pagenum=1
Consider that the members of the Arizona State Board of Education are not compensated by the State as their names don’t appear within the Staff Directory nor on the above organization flow chart for the Arizona Department of Education.
Note again that the names of Thompson and Vazquez do appear under Diane Douglas’ name on the Flow Chart as well as the Department payroll – they work AT Will for the Arizona Superintendent of Public Education Diane Douglas.
Perhaps Board President Greg Miller needs some COMMON SENSE education as he does not sign Thompson’s or Vazquez’s paychecks. They may do work for the “Board” http://www.azed.gov/state-board-education/files/2015/01/official-member-list-for-2015-updated-1.20.15.pdf but they are employed by Superintendent Douglas: ARS 15-251.
when he states the move by Douglas was unprovoked and that Thompson and Vazquez work for the board, not Douglas.
Read more: http://www.kctv5.com/story/28087721/spat-deepens-douglas-calls-out-ducey-on-board-of-ed-firings#ixzz3Raj2axXQ
God Bless You All; Clair Van Steenwyk
Crossroads with Van / AZS Constitutional Conservative Coalition
http://ktar.com/22/1807237/Diane-Douglas-statement-on-Gov-Doug-Ducey-turning-over-two-board-of-education-firings
Add to this list ARS -41-742 and it closes this in Supt. Douglas’s favor and hoping the new Supt. doesn’t allow this to become a issue of Political Politeness or Compromise with the Gov., as if the Supt.. does the We lose and the politicians win again.
I did not vote for Doug McDucey. I originally voted for Andrew Thomas in the primary. He was the only candidate who fought McCain and his liberal allies. In the general I voted for libertarian Barry Hess. I will not vote for anyone that is backed by McStain and McKyl. Anyone that is backed by these two bozos is up to no good. Just look at Jan Brewer, Jeff Flake and now Doug Ducey.
Conservatives need to work together to destroy the McCain influence in Arizona, just as they destroyed the Bush influence in Texas.
All you say is true, however the Kool Aid mixers and drinkers believe in the Better of Two Evil Theology as proven by the long list of INVUMBENTS in office even though most say they believe in Term Limits while running for another Term and the Gruberized voters send them back expecting a different outcome, we’re almost a Slave Nation now as to the Master being the Federal Gov. and the Overseer being the State Gov. who talk tough and do nothing, this is like the Wrestling on TV only they know everyone knows. I hope it changes but until the Voters face the Truth about those in office our Nation is Doomed to a Bad End. God Bless You All; Van
Off topic, but I just had to let all of you in on this.
J.D. Hayworth, Dr. Ben Carson, and talk of treason.
Maybe it time to start a symbolic recall against Ducey
It’s time for All Americans to get together and find Americans to run against the IVUMBENTS and only then do we have a chance at fixing this, it’s a waist of time to recall anyone in AZ especially since the law has no teeth especially for Federal office holders.
I do agree that recalls are not the way and just give the impression of Republicans shutting down the government when that was not the intent.
We either need to have a better voice to oppose the country Club Republicans or build a viable alternative such as a Libertarian party that can make their case to the public w/o the looneys.
I am opposed to Radio Talk Show Hosts using that platform for office. Limbaugh is far and away the smartest and knows what the platform is and is not for.
Headlines today:
Peoria Unified School District studying 4-day class schedule
Absolute terrible idea ad maybe a trial balloon. This will result in higher crime and even stupider kids.
Every excuse for high cost of education except overpaid and benefited employees.