Subject: Bob Burns

• CASUAL CONFLICTS

  ARIZONA LAWMAKERS OPERATE UNDER A SYSTEM INCAPABLE OF STEMMING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.

  May 18, 1994

• When Revolution Meets Reality

  Governor Symington says his massive tax cuts have brought prosperity to Arizona. Actually, they are bringing on a fiscal train wreck that could damage the state for decades.

  December 28, 1995

• This Ombudsman's for You

  Retired Army colonel sets up office to resolve citizen complaints about state government

  August 22, 1996

• Flashes

  April 24, 1997

• Business Az Usual

  A gruesome death has cost Arizona's multimillion-dollar teen rehabilitation industry a bundle. But it's not because the state is determined to stop the abuse.

  August 6, 1998

• Budget Bonanza or Bust?

  Discord between GOP lawmakers and the governor is just one reason the budget battle might get ugly.

  January 7, 1999

• Red Scarce

  Thanks to gubernatorial neglect, Hull's ambitious agenda is going nowhere

  February 11, 1999

• Pissed Off Arizona Democrats? It's About Damn Time...

  The thing that's annoyed me most post-November 4 is the way state Dems seem to be shrugging and taking their losses locally on the chin. Rather than being infuriated that the state Democratic Party effed up, Dems seemingly have been resigned to getting cornholed royally by Republicans, as if that's the Dems' unalterable destiny here in Sand Land.I mowed some of this lawn in my November 11 Bird column, where I pointed out that AZ Democratic Party Chairman Don Bivens, Executive Director Maria Weeg

  November 28, 2008

• State Senate Bans Selected Reporters From Capitol Press Room and Lawmakers' Offices

  The Arizona Guardian, a Web site begun this week by former East Valley Tribune reporters, is already running into trouble with its plan to cover State Capitol news.  The site reported yesterday that its reporters have been banned from working in the Capitol press room, which is in the Senate building, because they don't lease space there. And, they reportedly were told, news agencies that won't pony up the dough to rent a spot in the press room don't get acces

  January 8, 2009

• Bob Burns, New Senate President, Vows No Bills to Committee Before a Balanced Budget

    We were scared even before lunch. The state's economy's in freefall, and, as she heads to Washington, D.C. in hopes of becoming the nation's Homeland Security honcho, Governor Janet Napolitano leaves behind a giant budget deficit. But after attending the annual Legislative Forecast Luncheon hosted by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we've gotta admit: We're terrified! The state's newly elected legislative leaders -- Senate President Bob Burns (pictured),

  January 8, 2009

• Endorsements Stack Up for Lisa James vs. Randy Pullen as GOP State Chair Race Ignites

    Fresh and forward looking Lisa James (top), or whithered old nativist prune-face Randy Pullen? AZ GOPers will soon get to decide... I'll say one thing for Arizona Republicans, when they want someone gone, they get their long knives sharpened and start digging holes in the desert, Mafia style. Sheesh, the way it's going now, with relative moderate Lisa James picking up endorsements faster than state GOP chair Randy Pullen can spit the word "anchor baby," Pullen might be burned at the sta

  January 20, 2009

• Jan Brewer, Joe Arpaio, Dean Martin, Sandra Kennedy and More: Candids from the AZ Dems and GOPers

  So I had a load of photos left over from last week's two state party reorganization meetings, and I figured you might want view these as added illustrations for this week's Bird column. Think of it as porn for political junkies, though thankfully everyone has their clothes on. Reminds me of that line about how Washington is like Hollywood for ugly people. Well, save that Phoenix ain't no DC. Does that mean we're prettier 'cause we're closer to L.A. than the nation's capital? I'll let you figure

  January 29, 2009

• Governor Brewer's Campaign Manager: Too Many Spending Cuts May Mean Election Probs for Republicans; Says "Temporary" Tax Needed

  An interesting little spat is brewing over at the right-wing Sonoran Alliance blog, where our favorite, furry whipping post, the anonymous "Chewie," has upset the elephant cart.Chewie has inside info, supposedly, that Governor Jan Brewer's campaign manager, lobbyist and public relations expert Chuck Coughlin (pictured), is "behind" Brewer's billion-dollar-a-year tax increase proposal because he wants to enrich one of his other clients.That provoked a lengthy response from Coughlin, as well as a

  March 26, 2009

• The Bird Documents Randy Pullen’s Smear of Lisa James and Hobnobs with Democrats and Republicans

  January 29, 2009

• The Bird digs up more dirt on Arpaio's henchmen soaking up the sun in Honduras

  February 28, 2008

• Locked Up

  Despite promises of true reform, legislators appear bent on shelling out more money to private prison companies

  November 27, 2003

• Tearing Down the House

  Arizona legislators want to slash state spending. Well, how about some real House cleaning?

  March 27, 2003

• Valley of the Drolls

  New Times presents its first-ever Doofus and Darling Awards

  January 3, 2002

• Beast Meets West

  '50s-era B-monster gets star treatment at last, but can't fight the Valley heat

  October 28, 1999

• Flashes

  February 13, 1997

• RING AROUND THE DAY CAREPUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE THE LOSERS IN A MOVE TO DEREGULATE PRIVATE CHILD-CARE CENTERS

  July 6, 1995

• Governor Brewer Keeps Up Offensive on Budget Bill

  Governor Jan Brewer is keeping up the pressure on lawmakers today to send her a budget plan, calling a news conference this morning at 11 a.m. on the steps of the Arizona Supreme Court. Brewer told reporters yesterday she is asking the Supreme Court justices to force State Senate President Bob Burns to send her 10 bills that make up the state budget -- so she can veto them. Brewer has her own ideas about how to fix the state's money problems, and has promised it won't require a ne

  June 16, 2009

• Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, July 23, 2009

  July 23, 2009

• Senate Majority Whip Pam Gorman Resigns Post 'Cause of Republican Infighting

  Arizona State Senator Pamela Gorman​If you can't beat em', quit. That's what one Arizona lawmaker chose to do today as the state budget battle wages on.Senate Majority Whip Pamela Gorman resigned her post in the Republican leadership in response to the party's support of a 1-cent-sales-tax increase."This tax increase issue is tearing our otherwise strong caucus apart and is'taking on a life of its own that is not healthy for our caucus, nor our party," Gorman writes in an email to member

  August 4, 2009

• Where's the State Senate Majority Leader in the Midst of the State's Budget Crisis? On a Carribean Cruise Obviously

  www.expandmywealth.com Senator Chuck Gray wont be spending any time voting on the budget this week; he's at the beach.​If you were an Arizona state senator, where would you go while the state faces one of the worst financial crisis of your lifetime? If your answer isn't to go on a Caribbean cruise, you may want to tell that to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Gray. Senator Chuck Gray​Gray whisked off to paradise Sunday as the rest of the Legislature feverishly continues its special

  August 4, 2009

• One Stinkin' Republican Vote Seperates Arizona From a State Budget

  www.cama.com​At this point, there are three reasons Arizona still has a $3.4 billion budget gap: state senators Pamela Gorman, Ron Gould, and Carolyn Allen.Senate Republicans are one vote away from the 16 they need to pass a plan that would bridge the budget gap, and the three stubborn Republican holdouts aren't budging.Senate leaders are targeting Allen and Gorman as the two most likely to change their no votes, and get the legislation passed, but most Republica

  August 7, 2009

• Most of Lynyrd Skynyrd Is Gone, But Who Cares?

  September 3, 2009

• Monday's Special Session on State Budget Delayed; Senator Carolyn Allen Wants to Quit

  Senator Carolyn Allen​Last Thursday, the Arizona Legislature failed to pass pieces of legislation that would shave about $400 million off of the state's $2 billion budget shortfall. The special session was supposed to reconvene today, but it seems as though that's not happening either.The proceedings were delayed -- again -- as Senate Republicans try to muster up some Democratic support for the bills that they thought they had last week until Republican Senator Thayer Verschoor, the

  November 23, 2009

• Verschoor Shows Up, Burns Burns Dems; Senate Passes Budget Bills

  Senate President Bob Burns​After nearly four agonizing months, the Arizona State Senate has finally passed four bills that will cut about $450 million from the state's budget.Like most things in the Legislature, this afternoon's agreement didn't come without a little bit of drama.First and foremost: Bravo to Senator Thayer Verschoor for actually showing up today.

  November 23, 2009