Grampa

William "Bill" Manning

He was my Grampa, my Hero

Larger than LIFE

He could say more with a shake of his fist...

to me, Grampa sign language for "I love you"

Two years ago today I was holding his hand, kneeling at his side as he took his last breath from his hospital bed and his soul ascended to a place far better than we can imagine.

Grampa, since that day,
the lemonade is not so sweet,
the grass is not so green...
but I have hope and faith like never before
and I know I will see you again.

AZ Court Kills School Vouchers for Disabled, Foster Kids

From the Cato @ Liberty website:

"An Arizona appellate court struck down two school voucher programs yesterday, finding that they violate a state constitutional prohibition against using public money to aid private or religious schools. The programs, serving disabled children and those in foster care, were unanimously ruled unconstitutional by a three-judge panel of Arizona’s Division Two Court of Appeals."

Click the title of this post to read the rest of the article.

AZ Capitol TV Press Release

15 May 2008

ACTV Can Be Seen Worldwide


We are pleased to announce that Arizona Capitol Television can now be seen on the worldwide web. Just scroll down on ALIS and click on ACTV and watch us anywhere you have internet access. Enjoy ACTV while on your vacation!

Arizona Capitol Television and the Legislative Broadcast Center provide as much or more services than any other similar provider in the nation; only Florida, Illinois and the state of Washington come close. And those three states have budgets of over $2 Million per year.

In addition to the closed circuit system covering all Senate and House Floor sessions, Senate and House committee meetings and other special meetings, the Broadcast Center provides live internet streaming and archival service of all the above.

And since March 14, 2007 Arizona Capitol Television has provided all of that and other self-produced programming on statewide cable 24/7/365. And now we are on the web as well.

The staff and I thank you for your support.
Ron Bellus

County-Related Legislation

HB 2113: municipal annexation; finality - Signed by the Governor.
HB 2155: transfer of development rights - Signed by the Governor.
HB 2193: county minutes; publication - Transmitted to the Governor.
HB 2378: counties; debit card acceptance - Free conference committee adjourned; concurrence expected.
HB 2420: flood control districts; property - Signed by the Governor.
HB 2426: waste tire collection sites - Signed by the Governor.
SB 1238: outdoor fires; counties - Passed House Committee of the Whole; forwarded for a third read.
SB 1288: local stormwater quality programs - Signed by the Governor.

AZ Capitol TV

Can't get enough of the Arizona Legislature? Watch AZ Capitol TV via the internet from the comfort of your own home...this channel broadcasts 24 hours a day! Click on the title of this post to visit the ALIS website, actually, to visit the State Capitol via the internet.

Junk Science: McCain’s Embarrassing Climate Speech - Opinion

"Many McCain supporters believe he is the candidate to lead the country at a time of war. But there is a war of sorts at home, too — the struggle against the greens for control over vital domestic energy and economic policy. We can’t afford to lose the latter war, either."

Kingman Area Republican Headquarters Open House

Folks, be sure to attend the Open House for the new Kingman Area Republican Headquarters on Thursday, May 22, from 4-7 pm!

The address is 1415 Andy Devine (just past Stockton Hill Rd going South).

If we happen to finish our work at the Capitol early on Thursday, I will see you there!

Lake Havasu Republican Assembly

The Lake Havasu Republican Assembly, a grassroots organization dedicated to electing true conservative candidates and educating the public on conservative issues, will meet May 19, at 7 p.m., in the Form-A-Fab building, 2021College Drive, LHC.

Kim Stewart & Carol Meier, Republican candidates for County Recorder, will be the speakers.

Refreshments will be served and the meeting is open to the public.

AZ School Voucher Programs Unconstitutional

Bad news for two new voucher programs...

CA's Supreme Court Legalizes Gay Marriage

From the San Jose Mercury News:

"SAN FRANCISCO — A sharply divided California Supreme Court Thursday legalized same-sex marriage, a historic ruling that will allow gay and lesbian couples across the state to wed as soon as next month and inflame the social, political and moral debate over gay unions. "

"Voters in 26 states have approved state constitutional amendments that ban gay marriage:
Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin. Hawaii voters approved a constitutional amendment empowering the legislature to outlaw same-sex marriage; lawmakers did so in 1998."

NOTE: Arizona's House of Representatives voted on a measure last week that would send a referendum to the ballot to constitutionally define marriage soley as a union between one man and one woman. The proposal (pun intended) known as SCR 1042 now goes to the Senate for debate.

Action Alert: Your Help Needed

Signature Walk * Saturday, May 24th * Lake Havasu City

State Representatives Russell Pearce, Bob Stump, Bob Robson, and Senators Pamela Gorman, Karen Johnson, and Ron Gould will be walking Lake Havasu City neighborhoods, registering voters and gathering signatures for my re-election as well as carrying petitions for several voter initiatives including the Arizona Tax Revolt. If you would like to join us, please call 928-855-5413 for further details. Time is running out and your help is needed! Make a difference in this world today!

FYI...Bob Stump and Bob Robson are currently State Representatives who are running for positions on the Arizona Corporation Commission along with Rep. Marion McClure.

BTW, thank you so much to all of you who are gathering signatures on my behalf! Frank and I are receiving petitions daily through the mail and every signature counts...thank you for taking the time to mail the petitions even if they have only two or three names on them. I appreciate you and your show of support. God bless you!

Budget Talks Break Down

To my surprise and dismay, the budget talks Senator Gould and I have been participating in daily have abruptly ended. I must admit shock and disappointment at House and Senate Leadership's announcement this afternoon that they have other "things" that they need to address therefore we won't be continuing our work together on a solution to the budget crisis we face. After fielding multiple questions on the reasons for their decision to halt these meetings and inquiries on the next/new approach, my colleagues and I sat disheartened and dumbfounded at the staggering turn of events.

Though at the moment I remain under a covenant of silence regarding the specific details of the meetings and cannot provide you with details of the discussions, I look forward to, in the near future, being release from said agreement and plan to share my notes with you, faithful reader. I can tell you that there is good news to be shared and that more progress was made in addressing the $2 Billion dollar shortfall...more progress than was thought possible, more consensus between legislators than expected, perhaps more than ever before. I am attempting to keep this in mind as I frame a healthy perspective.

And..in keeping with that perspective, I am thankful for the extra day off. Although I do not agree that we (the House of Representatives) should be taking a day off at this point and time, I am going to make the most of it by driving home to the district and gathering the 400+ signatures that I still need to get my name on the ballot. Please, if you are at all inclined to assist me in this necessary endeavor,of signature gathering, give me a call or send me an email. I do need your help as I have less than a month to accomplish this task!

Napolitano Extortion Racket Leads to Secret Deal

From the Americans for Prosperity website:

"In addition to covering the state’s budget deficit crisis (to which Napolitano was the #1 contributor), the interview will get the Governor’s comments on the recently-uncovered scandal concerning a secret deal between Napolitano, the TIME Coalition, and the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona."

Government Bytes: The Official Blog of National Taxpayers Union

The website of our own Arizona Tax Revolt is acknowledged and praised on this website which is noted to be "The Official Blog of National Taxpayers".

BTW, if you have not signed the Tax Revolt petition and would like to do so, please notify my office and I will mail a petition to your home.

What Is RSS? A step-by-Step Guide to Google Reader

"RSS is a technology that allows you to subscribe to any website that has one of these in the address bar. You can then track every site you're subscribed to without having to go to each individual site. If you're like me there are a couple websites that you love to read. Without RSS, I would be looking at these sites regularly to see if there were new material."

"With RSS, I never again have to go to a site that has no new material. I subscribe to the sites I enjoy and am updated every time they post."

Catching Up

Despite the many rumors, the budget for FY09 is a work in progress...there is no agreement in place that I am aware of at this point. Our small group of Republican legislators are still meeting across the street from the Capitol in the JLBC building each day after Floor activity...though today's meeting was cancelled due to lengthy Senate activity today. I believe that the AIMS Augmentation bill had a bit more debate than expected so House and Senate Leadership sent word that we would again take up the budget talks tomorrow at 1:00.

In spite of the economic downturn and our current budget crisis, there seems to be no urgency in crafting a solution and as much as I am thankful for the opportunity to serve at the Legislature, I miss my home.

In other news, the bill to define marriage in the Arizona Constitution to be a union between one man and one woman passed out of the House (finally) yesterday and now will go to the Senate. If/When the bill passes in the Senate, the HCR will appear on the fall ballot so that the voters may have the opportunity to decide whether they feel the Arizona Constitution should be amended to include this clarification.

Now, I must conclude this post so that I can review all of the bills we are vetting this week and catch up on any amendments that could cause potential problems.

Ciao!

Coyote Blog: Taking A Peak Inside the Sausage Factory

~another blogger's take on the Governor's suggested sales tax increase for Transportation and the deal she struck with the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona

AZ Left: New initiative from Rep. Kyrsten Sinema would protect sexual orientation and gender identity in employment

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema is sponsoring a ballot initiative, Free to Work Arizona, that not only protects race and gender from discrimination by employers, but also sexual orientation and gender identity.

Breakdown of TIME's Transportation Proposal for Sales Tax Increase

NOTE: I DO NOT SUPPORT THIS TAX INCREASE. I only desire to provide additional information so that all can see the numerous flaws in this proposal.

Breakdown of Additional Sales Tax Monies:

- 55% of the sales tax monies are to be dedicated to roads/highways as follows:
• 49% to projects in Maricopa County
• 12% to projects in Pima County
• 39% to projects in all other counties

- 18% of the sales tax monies are to be dedicated to rail/transit projects as follows:
• 8% to projects in Maricopa County
• 5% to projects in Pima County
• 87% to any project in the state

- 26% of the sales tax monies are to be dedicated to local transportation projects as follows (based on population):
• 60% to cities, towns and Indian Reservations in Maricopa County (the county itself is conspicuously absent from the list)
• 38% to all other counties, and the cities and towns within them
• 2% to Indian Tribes in any county other than Maricopa
• 4% for ‘transportation related enhancements’ (easements, environmental issues, landscaping)to cities, towns, counties and Indian tribes
• 3% to open space conservation and wildlife habitat fund, to be distributed through a grant
program with Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Game and Fish
Department

Copies of the initiative are available from the Arizona Secretary of State’s office

Kudlow's Money Politic$ on National Review Online

"As good as John McCain’s pro-growth, supply-side tax plan is, his cap-and-trade strategy unveiled this morning is very hard for conservatives to swallow.

The whole cap-and-trade experience in Europe and elsewhere reveals that this is a huge government command-and-control operation that taxes, spends, and regulates on a grand scale.

The “cap” part rolls back production to an extent that undermines economic growth. The European cap-and-trade plans are prohibitively expensive, and are themselves hostile to economic growth."

Disloyal Opposition: All hail the guy who isn't your guy

"Given the harsh realities of politics, I think a lot fewer Americans will be disappointed come November, if they go to the polls with the idea that they'll be voting against rather than for."

Wind ($23.37) v. Gas (25 Cents) - WSJ.com

"Some clarity comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), an independent federal agency that tried to quantify government spending on energy production in 2007. The agency reports that the total taxpayer bill was $16.6 billion in direct subsidies, tax breaks, loan guarantees and the like. That's double in real dollars from eight years earlier, as you'd expect given all the money Congress is throwing at 'renewables.' Even more subsidies are set to pass this year."

Super Bowl wasn't a windfall

"Glendale did not recoup what it spent to host Super Bowl XLII, according to a new study that showed out-of-towners here for the game added an estimated $1.2 million to the city's tax coffers.

The city laid out $3.4 million preparing for and hosting the Feb. 3 game.

Bottom line: The city spent $2.2 million more than its estimated take in connection with the game."