Category Archives: Education

Arizona Is An NRA Member’s Wet Dream.

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Imagine pulling into a metropolitan gas station and, as you’re filling your tank, a man at the pump next to you gets out of his car with a .44 magnum revolver in a holster strapped to his leg.  Or let’s say you go to a pizza place for lunch and three men walk in wearing guns on their belts.Welcome to Arizona!

For many years, Arizona has permitted “open carry” for any non-felons over 21.  And to make things even more dangerous, last year, the Arizona legislature passed a law allowing any non-felon over 21 to carry a concealed gun without a permit.  The legislators claim that such liberal gun laws will make our state “safer.”

Ironically, the week following the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona legislature has planned to vote on a law permitting teachers to carry guns in schools and universities.  The law will also allow students over 21 to carry guns to class.

All of this nonsense is the result of recent re-interpretations by the Supreme Court of the 2nd Amendment which states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  Previous Courts held that public safety necessitated some restrictions on this right.  More recently, however, the Court has skipped by the words “well regulated Militia” and focused, instead, on the words “shall not be infringed.”

So here we stand.  Thanks to the NRA and right-wing zealots, the state famous for the Shootout At The O.K. Corrall has returned to its beginnings when “justice” came from the end of a gun.

Is this a great state, or what?

Who Do Republicans Really Represent?

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As most of you know, the Republican mantra is “lower taxes, less government.”  But for whom?  The past couple of years have revealed the Republican agenda as never before.

Take the Bush taxes cuts.  Democrats want the tax cuts for millionaires to expire, which would save $700 billion over the next 10 years.  But Republicans have made an extension of tax cuts for the wealthy their top priority.  And Republicans are willing to filibuster an extension of unemployment benefits to get their way.

This past election cycle, Republicans and their phony Tea Party candidates ran as populists, claiming to represent all Americans.  Yet Republican legislative votes tell another story.Just today, Republican Senators voted against a bill that would provide health care to 9/11 responders.  They have consistently voted against extensions of unemployment benefits for those struggling in the recession created by Republican policies.Republicans fought against regulation of Wall Street.  They fought against health care reform that would limit the obscene profits of large pharmaceutical companies and giant health insurance while providing health care access to more than 30 million working Americans.  They fought against stricter regulation of oil companies following the Gulf oil spill, and even apologized to BP when the Administration held BP accountable.

Republicans have successfully fought to eliminate estate taxes on large inheritances.  They have fought to lower capital gains taxes on investments.  They have voted against closing tax loopholes on large corporations that ship jobs to other countries.  They have fought against regulations against large corporations that create P.O. Box “headquarters” in other countries in order to avoid paying U.S. income taxes.  They have promoted no-bid contracts for private contractors to take over military functions such as “security”, transportation and food preparation.

Republicans have reduced funding for public schools while increasing funding for private and parochial schools.   They have made it easier for corporations to clear-cut our forests, for large mining operations to remove mountain tops, and for large electric generating companies to pollute our air and lakes.  At the same, they have refused to support alternative energy that would create competition for Big Oil and Big Coal.

Republicans claim that all of these actions create jobs and reduce taxes – a theory that has been thoroughly disproven.  So why do working class Americans continue to support the party that has so obviously sold its soul to large corporations and the wealthy?

You tell me.

What Republicans Really Stand For:

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Since Republicans like to attack any (make that every) Democrat idea, I thought it might be useful to look at what Republicans want.

1. Guns for everybody, no training required, the more the better.

2. Elimination of income taxes. Replace them with sales taxes, so the rich are taxed disproportionately less.

3. Elimination of labor unions. Who needs collective bargaining when corporations are so caring and generous to their employees?

4. Elimination of welfare, unemployment benefits, Social Security and Medicare. Only the wealthy deserve entitlements.

5. Elimination of public schools. After all, who wants children learning about such controversial issues as evolution anyway?

6. The criminalization of abortion, birth control and sex education. You can never have enough unwanted, uneducated children, right?

7. Repeal of health care reform – if you can’t afford health care on your own, you deserve to die.

8. Unlimited campaign contributions from corporations, but only for Republicans.

9. Deregulation of Wall Street, Big Oil, mining, Big Pharma, military contractors, commodities and any other campaign contributors.

10. Elimination of community organizers – you know, anyone who will fight for the underpriviledged and, most importantly, anyone who will register poor people to vote.

11. Elimination of mandatory minimum wages. It’s a drag on business to have to pay employees a living wage.

12. Downsizing of government, except for Homeland Security, I.C.E., border patrols, and any agency that looks out for wealthy Americans.

13. Privatization of the military, the Post Office, National Parks, and almost every other branch of government. There’s no profit for shareholders if the government does it.

14. Elimination of the Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change is just a myth perpetuated by Al Gore and those tree-hugging liberals. Besides, what good are natural resources if corporations can’t exploit them? Right?

15. Recognition of Christianity as the state religion. God bless America.

If you think I’m exaggerating, you just haven’t been paying attention.

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.

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.

“Starve the Beast”, Part II

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I previously wrote about the Republican Party’s plan to “Starve the Beast” which they believe to be big government.  They hope to cut taxes and the federal budget in order to reduce the size of government and bankrupt the so-called “entitlements” of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. 

But this conservative nonsense goes farther.

They also want to significantly cut funding for education.  If you aren’t already familiar with the notion, here’s the Republican line of “thinking” (I use the word loosely):  By cutting funds for public schools, the schools will be forced to increase class sizes.  With larger class sizes, the performance numbers of public schools will be worse.  The lower performance numbers will make government-funded school vouchers for private schools, parochial schools and home-schooling more attractive.  We will then be raising generations as dumb or dumber than the current pack of Republicans. 

If that fails to frighten you, imagine a whole generation of children being home-schooled by the likes of Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck, or their followers. 

Of course, this “Starve the Beast” mentality extends to other areas as well, most especially social services.  The Republican “thinking” is based on the belief that those unfortunates who are poor or sick are in those predicaments as a result of their own actions.  They didn’t follow the Republican philosophies of independence and personal responsibility.  If they had only worked harder and prayed more, the “thinking” goes, they wouldn’t require help.  Don’t concern yourselves with them.  When these downtrodden finally discover religion and Republican values, God will take care of them.

Now, I ask you, what is the real beast?  Big government?  Or the Republican Party?