Category Archives: Arizona

Just In Case You Think Arizona Isn’t Completely Racist!

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The new immigration law in Arizona is bad enough. If implemented, it actually requires racial profiling in search of illegal Latinos. And that’s not the worst of it. It’s so simple-minded that it ignores the fact that illegal immigration has taken place since before the territory became a state. It treats a recent immigrant the same as someone who has lived and worked in the state for decades. And it treats a family member who is a legal citizen the same as a coyote (human smuggler).

If that weren’t bad enough, the simpletons in the legislature have passed a law banning ethnic studies classes in public schools. And they intend to pass a law that directly conflicts with the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution which states that anyone born in the U.S. is a U.S citizen. Of course, the teabaggers behind these new laws deny that race plays any part in their decision-making. However, they never mention the thousands of illegals who cross the border who come from Asia and Eastern Europe.

Now these very same numbskulls have taken their anger out on an elementary school mural in Prescott. The recently-revealed mural features kids using green forms of transportation.

Of course, in the teabaggers’ tiny minds, that’s bad enough, because only pointy-headed liberals would encourage real Americans to give up their gas-guzzling and polluting vehicles. But what really has the teabaggers in a tizzy is the fact that the mural depicts children of Latino and African-American heritage. In other words, their faces are too dark.

Yet these are faces of kids who actually attend the Prescott school!

Nevertheless, teabaggers have made a habit of screaming racist slurs at the mural as they drive by. They have also hurled eggs and other objects at the dark faces. In addition, a city councilman who hosts a radio talk show has orchestrated a campaign to remove the dark faces from the mural. And the school’s response to that campaign?

In a classless move rivaled only by the Texas school book board, the school principal has ordered the faces of the Latino and Black students to be changed to appear Caucasian.

What kind of lesson is that for our children?

Seriously, folks, it’s time to give Arizona back to Mexico. That would be the only fitting punishment for these so-called Tea Party “patriots”.

UPDATE: The Prescott school has bowed to pressure from media and sensible citizens (not to mention a refusal by the artists to alter their work).  The faces on the mural will not be changed.

A Brief Summary of Republican Teabagger Values.

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In the past few weeks, we’re getting a really good picture of what the Republican teabaggers have in store for America.

First, a Kansas-based wingnut wrote a racist immigration law which he peddled to the Arizona legislature. Of course, they were all too happy to embrace it. Now he’s peddling the same bill to other states. So far, at least 12 states are considering it.

Second, the NRA and its Republican enablers have succeeded in pushing through new conceal and carry laws throughout the country. It is now legal to carry a gun in any national park. In Arizona, you may now carry a concealed weapon without a permit. And thanks to a new law in Louisiana, you may even carry your gun to church – because we all know that to truly worship Jesus, you have to be ready to nail a few Muslims.

Third, the Grand Obstructionist Party threatened, for weeks, to filibuster financial reform. They actually chose to defend Wall Street against Main Street! Who cares if abuses by Wall Street collapsed our economy and cost taxpayers trillions of dollars?

Fourth, BP Oil and its partners blew up 11 employees and unleashed an oil gusher a mile deep in the Gulf. Now, considering the Republican-loaded Supreme Court recently declared that corporations have all the rights of individuals, you might expect that the BP CEO and a few other corporate officers would be facing charges of manslaughter and more (What is the penalty for killing an entire ocean?). But of course, the Supreme Court only awarded corporations individual rights. No doubt, they never intended to hold corporations to the same standards as individuals when it comes to responsibilities.

Fifth, Senate Democrats asked for unanimous consent for a bill that would greatly expand BP Oil’s liability for the Gulf tragedy. The bill was first blocked by an objection from Senator Lisa Murkowski. It seems she was more impressed by the nearly $300,000 in campaign contributions from oil companies than the plight of Gulf Coast fishermen.  Ensuing attempts have been blocked by Tom Coburn, another Senator who relies on contributions from big oil.

Sixth, Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that he refuses to raise taxes in order to balance California’s budget. So, instead, he is cutting welfare benefits for more than one million of California’s unemployed. Of course, California is not alone. Similar measures have been instituted in Arizona and several other states. Indeed, Arizona’s legislature cut funding for health care for poor kids until they found out that the state would lose more in federal funding than it would save. Meanwhile, the Arizona dimwits continue to cut taxes for corporations and the wealthy.

Finally, teabagger darling, Rand Paul, displayed his true colors on The Rachel Maddow Show when he refused to say he would have voted for the 1960s Civil Rights Bill. What he did say is that he thinks private businesses should be able to do what they want, even if that means refusing to serve non-whites.

This is just a brief recap of wingnut values. One can’t help but conclude that if the Republican teabaggers have their way, America’s coasts will be covered in oil, the public schools will be closed, and the streets will be filled with angry, homeless, poor people who are armed to the teeth.

A Proposal For Real Immigration Reform.

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Since the Kansas-based group known as F.A.I.R. (there’s some irony for you) convinced the simpletons in the Arizona legislature to pass its immigration law, it has begun peddling it to other states. As of this writing, 12 more states are now considering it.

It’s as if our state legislatures have been taken over by Forrest Gump and Gomer Pyle.

The only good to come out of this mess is that it may force Congress into passing real immigration reform. But it’s not enough for people like me to complain about the Arizona law. We should contribute ideas to real, long-term reform. Here are mine:

Let’s start by recognizing that we can’t (nor should we want to) round up all 12-15 million undocumented immigrants and send them back to their countries of origin. Many of these people have been in the U.S. for decades. They have families here who are legal citizens and they’ve spent more time here than in their countries of origin. Let’s also recognize that, for someone to endure days in the desert or to resort to working with human smugglers, they must be in desperate straits and may need some help. And let’s not lump together hard-working individuals who seek a better life for their families with those involved with drug cartels and other criminal activity.

Let us also admit that, in some ways, illegal immigration has financial consequences for U.S. taxpayers. Undocumented workers not only take jobs from American citizens. Since they are willing to work for less, and without benefits, they force the salary scale downward. In addition, they mostly have no health care insurance. So when they need care, they visit our Emergency Rooms (the most expensive access point to health professionals) and the rest of us pick up the tab.

On the other hand, many illegals work for corporations thereby contributing to lower costs of goods and services.  They pay sales taxes and property taxes.  They also pay income taxes, Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes under someone else’s name.  The government is aware of this, but looks the other way because the unclaimed funds help prop up the trust funds that have been repeatedly raided by Congress over many years.

With agreement on most of these issues, we can begin to look for solutions that just may benefit everyone.

First, let’s encourage illegal aliens who have been in the U.S. for longer than 5 years with no criminal history to come forward for residency permits. Let’s provide them with U.S. identification and give them a short period of time (let’s say 2 years) to apply for U.S. citizenship. If they can’t meet that deadline, they should either provide a good reason why they have failed to become citizens or be deported.

For those who wish to come to the U.S., let’s institute a foreign worker program. Our infrastructure is crumbling and these people need jobs. See the connection? Instead of spending billions on more border guards and a fence that is destined to fail, let’s provide these people with foreign worker permits and use the money to put them to work in a way that will benefit our nation. At the same time, let’s institute meaningful punishments for businesses and their owners who hire undocumented workers. If the businesses can prove (and let’s be tough with this) that they can’t operate without foreign workers, they can apply for foreign worker permits that must be renewed annually. Next, let’s create free or low-cost health clinics and other low-cost services. It’s a lot less expensive than paying for ER visits.

Let’s also work with the illegals’ nations of origin and incentify them to engage in helping curtail the problem. It’s not enough to have a border patrol on only one side of the border.

Finally, let’s recognize that the ultimate solution to the problem is to equalize the economies and opportunities in the U.S. and the nations of origin. And, no, I don’t mean bringing our economy down to their level, but to lift all nations and people. But that’s just me. I’d rather pay to help people than pay to punish them.

© LaMaster Propaganda – All rights reserved.

“The Party of No”, Exhibit A

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Last week, Democrats attempted to break a logjam of 101 executive branch nominees being blocked by Republicans.  Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) appeared on the Senate floor to call up the names.  Unfortunately, Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) arrived just in time to officially object to each and every name.  Therefore, C-Span viewers were treated to an extraordinary example of theater by the “Party of No“.

Whitehouse read five names, followed by McCaskill, who read another 17. Each time a name was mentioned, Kyl adjusted his tie and smugly stated “I object.”  McCaskill returned to the floor later in the day and read 75 more.  All were met with the same response by Republicans.

No one should be surprised by such tactics from Republicans (least of all those of us who live in the state represented by Kyl and his pal, John McNasty).  Since the 2008 election, Republicans have blocked hundreds of nominations for key positions in the Obama administration.  They have refused to vote for any major legislation, even after Democrats embraced many Republican amendments.  They continue to call the President a “Socialist” despite the fact that he has governed from the center, and even though he appointed a number of Republicans to key positions.  (In reality, he has only done what he promised to do during the campaign.)

So when Kyl repeatedly stated “I object” on the Senate floor, he was simply articulating the entire agenda of the Republican Party.   Republican leaders seem proud of their obstructionism.  Indeed, Sarah Palin has said that it’s not the “Party of No.”  It’s the “Party of Hell No”.

Let’s hope that, when these Republicans are up for re-election and ask for support, voters respond in kind with a loud “Hell No”!

A Tea Party Preview.

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If you had any doubts of the consequences of allowing the Tea Party to influence our elections, all you need to do is look at Arizona.  For the past several years, the state legislature has caused an already conservative state to take an extreme right turn.  Some of the most reasonable Republican legislators were defeated in the last election because they weren’t viewed as conservative enough.  And since the election, the state has completely slid into the dumpster.

To wit, the state is bankrupt, yet the wingnuts continue to cut taxes for corporations and ignore calls for closing $10 billion in corporate tax loopholes.  Arizona’s public school funding now ranks 51st out of 50 states (Washington, DC is also ahead of Arizona) yet the state continues to cut funding for public schools while, at the same time, increasing tax credits for private and parochial schools.  Tourism is a huge source of revenue for Arizona, yet the state is closing its state parks and is even considering closing its Department of Tourism.  The film industry brings millions into the state each year, yet the Arizona legislature has cut the Film Board’s budget.   

Now the state is asking citizens to vote for a temporary one percent increase in sales tax.  But, at the same time, the wingnuts in the legislature are pushing through another one percent tax cut for corporations and the wealthy!  And, if the sales tax increase doesn’t pass, the legislature is promising to make even more draconian cuts to public schools.  (One educator recently told me that the class sizes could easily exceed 50.)  Arizona even threatens to cut thousands of jobs from the Department of Public Safety.  After all, the state doesn’t really need them, since the legislature just passed a bill that allows anyone to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.  It’ll be just like the Old West with a shootout on every street and in every bar.

Still not scared? 

Then consider the state’s new immigration law.  SB 1070 has already resulted in the cancellations of at least six conventions and hundreds of hotel rooms.  The Los Angeles City Council voted to boycott Arizona which will likely have an even more chilling impact on Arizona’s film industry.  San Francisco has also voted to boycott the state.  And the Mexican government has put out a travel warning for Arizona.  If you don’t think that’s meaningful, consider the fact that Mexico represents the single largest source of tourists to the state – a source that also represents tens of millions of dollars to state revenue. 

Most recently, the Arizona legislature has passed a bill that bans ethnic studies classes in public schools (equating them with treason) and forbidding any teacher with a strong accent from teaching English.  And the legislative session hasn’t ended yet!

Yes, this is the future promised by the Tea Party.  God save America!

© LaMaster Propaganda – All rights reserved.

Arizona Paranoia.

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According to angry white people, all of the nation’s problems are the fault of those with brown or dark skin.  After all, weren’t they the ones who (with the help of ACORN) voted President Obama into office?  And isn’t it the brown and dark-skinned immigrants who are taking their jobs and saddling taxpayers with the cost of the resulting social problems – everything from food shelves to health care.

If only it were that simple, we could round up all the illegals and send them back to Mexico.  Indeed, that’s what the dimwitted Arizona legislature is attempting to do.  The Republican-dominated legislature has created open season on anyone who looks like a Mexican.  As I read the bill, there are even severe penalties for American citizens who are found to have given aid and comfort to illegal immigrants, including their own families. 

Let’s say a Mexican couple entered the country illegally in the 1920s. (You don’t really believe this is a recent problem?  Do you?)  And let’s say that couple had children who became American citizens and grandchildren who are American citizens.  As I read the law, in Arizona it will soon be a serious crime for the grandchildren to drive their grandparents to church.  In addition, it appears that it will be a crime for the children to provide home care for their parents.  Indeed, it appears that it will be a crime for anyone to not report an undocumented alien, even if that alien is a family member.

Does anyone really think this is the solution to the immigration problem?

What is seldom reported is the fact that U.S. companies continue to hire illegal immigrants.  A recent survey of Arizona corporations found that more than 50 of the 80+ companies surveyed admitted to hiring undocumented workers.  (This despite the fact that Arizona had implemented a law designed to prevent such hires more than a year ago.)  In addition, many of the undocumented workers are hired to work as day laborers or as housekeepers for wealthy families. 

It’s one of those Palinesque wink, wink arrangements.  We want the cheap labor illegal immigrants provide, but we don’t want to admit it. 

Fact is, immigration is one of the most complicated issues our nation faces.  And the wingnuts have nothing to offer but simplistic solutions.  The Arizona bill, if it ever goes into effect, will fail.  Of course, Republicans in Congress who have been stonewalling immigration reform for years are now blaming the Obama administration.  In a desperate attempt to woo Tea Party votes, the former maverick and current wingnut, Senator McNasty, and his wingman, Senator Kyl, are calling for thousands of troops and fences to seal our border. 

How ironic that they demand smaller government and whine about deficits, but they’re willing to spend billions, likely trillions, in a futile attempt to seal the border.  Maybe they’ve forgotten that it has been tried before. 

Tell me, conservatives, how did the Berlin Wall work out?   

© LaMaster Propaganda – All rights reserved.

Just Plain McNasty!

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For years, John McCain was known as the maverick because he occasionally crossed party lines to vote with Democrats. But now he says that he has never considered himself a maverick. Really? After months of campaigning with the half-governor, Sarah Palin, as “a team of mavericks?”

Well, I guess we’ll have to go back to referring to McCain by the nickname given him by his classmates: McNasty. It fits him better anyway.

For several years now, McCain has been campaigning against the truth. During his latest run for President, virtually every commercial or ad was based on outright lies. (I know this, because I vowed to send McCain an email for every lie he told. As a result, I sent him an email almost every day. And some days, I sent him 3 or more.)

One of McCain’s biggest lies is his famed stance against “earmarks” or what he calls “pork.” McCain is proud of the fact that he’s never been responsible for a single earmark. But if you study the issue, you’ll discover that his claim is nothing to be proud of, especially given McCain’s definition of pork. He has long turned down legitimate requests from the State of Arizona for schools, roads, bridges, health care, etc., etc., etc. Indeed, it’s difficult to determine what McCain has ever done for the state he allegedly represents.

Now McNasty is living up to his nickname in his campaign to retain his Senate seat in a primary battle against conservative radio talk show host and former Congressman, J.D. Hayworth. The campaign has turned into a contest to determine who can be the most far right wingnut – Dumb versus Dumber.  McCain’s commercials call him “the last man standing against Obama’s radical agenda.” They then go on to attack Hayworth by taking his statements and votes out of context. The commercials end by stating “It’s a matter of character.”

That’s correct. McCain has none.

The next big crisis facing Democrats.

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For 30 years, the Grand Old Party of Corporations has fought to end welfare for the poor (although corporate welfare is just dandy), labor unions, workers’ compensation programs, public schools, and entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security.  And recent events have presented Republicans a golden opportunity to permanently undo 80 years of progressive initiatives. 

State income has plummeted as a result of the Republican-created financial collapse.  Now those states controlled by right-wing conservative legislatures are capitalizing on the recession by slashing budgets for public education, health care for at-risk children, and pensions.  And you can bet the wingnuts are going to blame it all on President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress. 

In my state of Arizona, a Republican-controlled legislature has slashed millions from an education system that already ranks 49th in the nation.  (Following the Republican philosophy of wresting control away from government, the state offers huge subsidies for private and parochial schools.  Of course, those subsidies are unaffected by budget cuts.)  The legislature is also closing state parks even though they are a necessary part of the state’s 2nd largest industry – tourism.  The legislature is even considering selling all state-owned buildings and leasing them back as part of long-term agreements which will pay the purchasers billions of taxpayer dollars.  But, according to Republicans, they’re only doing what Democrats won’t – balance the budget. 

Never mind that, for years, Republicans have cut taxes for the wealthy.  Never mind that the legislature refused to allow the Republican governor to place a temporary sales tax increase on the ballot.  It’s a perfect political climate for Republicans to orchestrate this charade. 

I hope voters are informed enough to make Republicans pay for it by voting for progressive candidates.  But since many rely on the Faux News Channel for information, they’re more likely to make matters worse by voting for the Tea Party, instead.