Government and Politics

Amazon Will Start Collecting Arizona Sales Tax in February

Online retailer Amazon will no longer be Arizona's duty-free store.Amazon noted in its latest FEC filing that it's going to start collecting Arizona sales tax on purchases in the state, which currently stands at 6.6 percent.

Maricopa County Elections Office Had More Materials With Wrong Election Date in Spanish, So It Got a Calendar

The Maricopa County Elections Department documents showing the incorrect date for the election -- but just in Spanish -- were not the only things offering the wrong date for Spanish speakers.See also:-Helen Purcell Urged to End Confusion Over CBS 5 Early Ballot Report-Maricopa County Elections Depar ... More >>

El Mirage Officials Throw Up Roadblocks for Councilman Who Wants to Host Meet-and-Greet With City Residents

El Mirage Councilman Jim McPhetres wants to hang out at the city-owned El Mirage Senior Center once a month, invite residents to stop by and chat about city issues. But, city officials are not making it easy -- even though it is pretty standard for elected officials to set up tables, typically in p ... More >>

Democrat Rich Carmona Races Toward the U.S. Senate

Obama vs. Romney: Arizona's Anti-Immigration Law Gets Mention During Second Presidential Debate

Arizona's anti-immigration laws and policies were center stage during part of the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York. President Barack Obama criticized Governor Mitt Romney for pledging to veto the DREAM Act and saying that "self deportation" was his plan to address the mi ... More >>

If Mitt Romney Won't Tell You Which Corrupt Tax Loopholes Need to Be Closed, We Will

Jan Brewer Gets a "D" in Economics From the Libertarian Cato Institute

The libertarian Cato Institute has not been taking it easy on Arizona -- it has consistently said the state's immigration laws are no good for the economy, and now it's giving Governor Jan Brewer a "D" in fiscal policy.The idea behind the grade is simple: "governors who have cut taxes and spending t ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Throws Another Fit After ICE Says No Thanks to Attempted MCSO Delivery

For the second time, Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office put out a press release to complain that Immigration and Customs Enforcement "refused" to take custody of a suspected illegal immigrant.The story from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is that the Human Smuggling Unit pulled over a car, and th ... More >>

Glendale Councilwoman Joyce Clark's Got a Problem with Latinos? Angrily Says that Latina on City Council Doesn't Understand English

Councilwoman Joyce Clark is making some twisted comments about Latinos in her campaign literature as she seeks re-election to the Glendale City Council.   In her campaign fliers, Clark criticizes fellow Glendale Councilwoman Norma Alvarez because she "has endorsed and is solely supporting ... More >>

Jeff Flake, Republican Congressman Running for U.S. Senate, Playing Basketball with President Obama

As much as Congressman Jeff Flake and his supporters would like voters to believe that his Democratic opponent, Rich Carmona, is BFFs with President Barack Obama -- best as we can tell, Carmona hasn't hit the courts to shoot some hoops with the prez. Here's a photo of Flake and Obama.

Arizona Immigration Laws (and Joe Arpaio) Called Out by Cato Institute for Economic Woes

The Cato Institute -- a libertarian think-tank -- needed just seven words to sum up its report today on how Arizona's immigration laws are affecting business, and put those words right at the front of its analysis: "Arizona's immigration laws have hurt its economy."Not only that, but the Maricopa Co ... More >>

DREAM Activist Erika Andiola Says Mom Was Racially-Profiled, Mesa PD Denies Claim

Video of a Mesa PD stop of Andiola's mom, recently posted to YouTube Well-known Arizona DREAM Activist Erika Andiola claims her mom was racially-profiled last night by the Mesa Police Department, resulting in the 54 year-old woman being arrested, cited and released after being stopped, allegedly f ... More >>

Will SB 1070 Be Enforced "In Harmony With the Constitution and Civil Rights"?

As the so-called "papers please" provision of Senate Bill 1070 was cleared for use yesterday, Governor Jan Brewer issued a statement reminding the public that there are also laws "barring racial profiling" practices by police."It is not enough that SB 1070 be enforced. It must be enforced efficientl ... More >>

Appeals Court Lets LD13 Foreigner Darin Mitchell Stay on Ballot

Legislative District 13 voters will be able to vote for state House candidate Darin Mitchell, despite the fact that a judge ruled he doesn't live in the district.Mitchell, a Republican, decided to appeal the county superior court ruling ordering him off the ballot, and he ended up winning that battl ... More >>

SB 1070's "Papers Please" Section Now in Effect

U.S. District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton has lifted the injunction on Senate Bill 1070's "papers please" provision, which allows cops to begin enforcing that section immediately.This move was pretty much expected, as Bolton signaled her intent to release the injunction a few weeks ago, as she noted ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Takes Credit for Creating Five Jobs at Mexican Restaurant (By Having Deputies Arrest Current Employees)

Fellow Americans, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has announced that he is taking steps to fix this nation's unemployment crisis, by arresting workers in high-wage fields such as Mexican restaurant dish-washing to create brand-new jobs -- or so the Sheriff's logic goes.Or, for the rest of us, that means Arpaio j ... More >>

Election 2012: Catholic and Mormon Voters Face a Difficult Choice Between Obama and Romney

Religion has played an increasingly dominant -- and sometimes volatile -- role in politics in recent years. But what happens when religious beliefs conflict with a political party's platform? Or when voters have to square conflicting beliefs within their own church? In this week's feature story, M ... More >>

Catholic Conundrum: What's an Anti-Abortion, Pro-Immigrant Voter to Do?

SB 1070's "Papers Please" Section Can Go Into Effect, Judge Rules

See also: The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers See also: SB 1070 Slugfest: Will Judge Susan Bolton Block 1070's "Papers Please" Section? See also: SB 1070 Oral Arguments on "Papers Please" Section Scheduled for August 21 See also: ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Port ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday August 30, 2012

Pinal County: Paul Babeu's Buddy, Cheryl Chase, Likely Secures Spot on Board of Supervisors

Cheryl Chase, a political ally of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, grabbed the most votes in the District 2 race for Board of Supervisors. Republican voters chose Chase in the five-way race for that seat, giving her almost 46 percent of the vote, with her next closest competitor, John Acton, getti ... More >>

Kirsten Sinema, Vernon Parker and Why Top-Two Was and Is a Dumb Idea

What's interesting about the result of the primary races in the newly drawn Ninth Congressional District is not that Republican Vernon Parker and Democrat Kirsten Sinema won their respective primaries. Rather it's that taken together, those primaries offer a textbook example of why the so-called Top ... More >>

Paul Babeu, Pinal County Sheriff, Leading Far Ahead of Republican Challengers

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu has an early, and unsurmountable, lead with more than 62 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results in the Pinal County Sheriff's race. Only about half of the precinct votes have been counted. It isn't surprising that Babeu will beat out three other Repub ... More >>

Russell Pearce Thrown Under the Bus by SB 1070 Attorney John Bouma: The Transcript

See also: SB 1070 Slugfest: Will Judge Susan Bolton Block 1070's "Papers Please" Section? See also: SB 1070 Oral Arguments on "Papers Please" Section Scheduled for August 21See also: ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070See also: SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray o ... More >>

Daniel Patterson Free From Domestic-Violence Charges, Which Were Part of Ethics Complaint

See also: Daniel Patterson Calls it Quits, Resigns From HouseSee also: Ethics Investigators Say Daniel Patterson Has Got to GoSee also: Daniel Patterson Responds to Ethics ComplaintFormer Democratic state Representative Daniel Patterson was acquitted of the domestic-violence charges against him, whi ... More >>

Ben Quayle Accused of Swimming, Which Is a Scandal or Something

Republican Congressman Ben Quayle is accused of swimming in a lake.Politico published the story last night, claiming several Republican congressmen jumped in a lake last year in Israel during a trip funded by a pro-Israel lobbyist organization.Congressman Kevin Yoder, of Kansas, hopped in naked. Qua ... More >>

Ben Quayle and David Schweikert Take Part in Forum, Say Mostly the Same Things but Use Different Words

If there are Republican voters in Arizona's Sixth Congressional District who still can't figure out which candidate's position on issues most closely match their own, yesterday's candidate forum in Scottsdale probably didn't help.Congressmen Ben Quayle and David Schweikert said mostly the same thing ... More >>

Ask a Mexican on Culeros and Sexual Deviancy

Phoenix Mexican Consulate Helps DREAMers Prepare for Deferred Action

The Mexican Consulate in Phoenix is assisting young undocumented immigrants applying for work permits through the Obama administration's deferred action program. The new policy allows certain immigrants temporary relief from deportation if they qualify. Mexican government officials can't tell U.S. ... More >>

Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Agrees With Supreme Court Ruling on SB 1070

See also: The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers See also:SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates Others See also: Opponents of Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law Proclaim Fight is Not Over See also: SB 1070: 10 Memorable Moments in Law's History See also: SB ... More >>

Tuscon City Council Votes to Support Law Calling for Stricter Background Checks On Potential Gun-Owners

The Tucson city council voted unanimously last night to support the federal Fix Gun Checks Act of 2012 after hearing testimony from the survivors of the January 2011 Tucson shootings. "Based on the testimony from them, based on what's happened in the last couple of weeks in Milwaukee and Aurora, a ... More >>

El Mirage Officials Withholding Accident Stats at Intersection with Speed Camera Until After Election, Despite Councilman's Request for Data

El Mirage's appointed and elected city officials are not releasing accident data for an intersection with a speed camera -- until after the election. That, despite repeated requests by El Mirage City Councilman Jim McPhetres for those statistics.

Local Latino Activists Target Unlikely Politician

Joe Arpaio's Favorability Rating "Falls" to (Sigh) 53 Percent

See also: Victims Wonder Why Arpaio Let Sex-Abuse Cases Languish See also: Mike Stauffer's Third-Wheel Bid for Sheriff May Keep Arpaio in Office See also: Joe Arpaio's Scooby Doo Gang Nails Obama on Alleged Damning Phone Interview With 95-year-old Woman, Presents Zero Real Evidence The good news? S ... More >>

Which MCSO Employee Gave the Most Likely Explanation of "Crime Suppression" Sweeps?

See also: MCSO Sergeant Says Main Goal Is to Catch Illegal ImmigrantsSee also: Deputy Chief Brian Sands' Testimony Contradicted by His Statements in 2010 See also: Joe Arpaio's Deputy: Sheriff Is Misinformed About Illegal Immigration Patrols See also: Joe Arpaio Struggles in Racial-Profiling Trial S ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Supports Comprehensive Immigration Reform? And All Aboard the Undocubus

Arpaio's Kumbaya moment comes around 28 minutes in... See also: Puente Kicks Off "Undocubus" with Pro-Immigrant March See also: The complete slideshow of Puente's "Undocubus" Pro-Immigrant March Well, I reckon we can just forget about that racial-profiling trial underway against Sheriff Joe Arpaio ... More >>

MCSO Sergeant Says Main Goal Is to Catch Illegal Immigrants, Contradicting Deputy Chief Brian Sands' Testimony

See also: Deputy Chief Brian Sands' Testimony Contradicted by His Statements in 2010See also: Joe Arpaio's Deputy: Sheriff Is Misinformed About Illegal Immigration PatrolsSee also: Joe Arpaio Struggles in Racial-Profiling Trial See also: Joe Arpaio's (ahem) Legal Scholar Brett Palmer and Brian Sand ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Woes Indicate the Nativist Movement Has Seen Its Best Days

Joe Arpaio's Deputy Says Sheriff Is Misinformed About Illegal Immigration Patrols

See Also: Joe Arpaio's (ahem) Legal Scholar Brett Palmer and Brian Sands Under Oath See Also: Joe Arpaio Struggles in Racial-Profiling Trial See Also: Joe Arpaio's Deputy Thinks Most Day-Laborers Are UndocumentedMaricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is sometimes misinformed about his infamous crime-sup ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Protesters Released From Custody

See Also: Joe Arpaio Protesters Arrested During Public DemonstrationThe four people claiming to be undocumented immigrants who were arrested Tuesday during a civil-disobedience protest against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio have been released from jail. While Arpaio was on the witness stand in ... More >>

Deputy Chief Brian Sands' Testimony Today Contradicted by His Statements in 2010; Busting Illegal Aliens was Sometimes the "Goal"

Brian Sands, one of Arpaio's deputy chiefs, told a federal judge today that busting illegal immigrants wasn't the goal of saturation patrols. Sands said something quite different in 2010 to investigators probing corruption within Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Office. As late as the fall of ... More >>

Ethics Complaint Against State Senator Rich Crandall Tossed Straight in the Garbage

See also: Rich Crandall Leaves a Somewhat Angry Voicemail for Fellow State SenatorThat didn't take long: state Senator Brenda Barton's ethics complaint against fellow Republican Senator Rich Crandall was thrown straight in the garbage (or possibly the recycle bin).Barton filed the complaint because ... More >>

Joe Arpaio Protesters Arrested During Public Demonstration

See Also: Puente's "Undocubus" Set to Travel to Democratic National ConventionSee Also: Joe Arpaio Looks Like Tired, Old, Racist on Stand During Racial-Profiling Trial As Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was defending himself from racial-profiling allegations in federal court today, four p ... More >>

Sheriff Arpaio Struggles to Answer Examples of Seemingly Bigoted Leadership in Racial-Profiling Trial

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a self-promoting bigot of a politician who influences his deputies with discriminatory ideas that flow down from the top. That was the underlying theme of hours of questioning by Stanley Young, one of the lawyers who representatives Hispanics suing the county in a major racia ... More >>

Russell Pearce's Racism "Discovered" by Arizona's Media

See also: ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070 See also: Russell Pearce Scores Another Win Against Hispanics See also: Russell Pearce's Falsehoods, Inaccuracies and Inventions on Channel 12's Sunday Square-Off See also: Russell Pearce Preaches Hate on Ban Amnesty Now Radio ... More >>

Arizona Congressman David Schweikert Confesses Ignorance on Immigration

See Also: Arizona Congressman David Schweikert Falsely Claims Illegal Immigrants Are No Longer Afraid See Also: Obama's 287(g) Move Bogus, Activists Call on Feds to Cut Ties with Arizona Arizona Congressman David Schweikert admits he's no expert on immigration. Still, he insists that any immigratio ... More >>

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu's Deputy Reports to ICE a Speeding Teenager -- Along With the Boy's Parents Who Weren't Even in the Car

See also SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates OthersSee also Brewer Declares "Victory" as Court Tosses Unconstitutional SB 1070 ProvisionsSee also Babeu Turns Distortion of Truth Into an Art FormSee also Babeu Calls Obama's DREAM Act Policy "Shocking" Pinal Coun ... More >>

ACLU Seeks New Injunction on "Papers Please" Portion of SB 1070

See also: SB 1070, SCOTUS, Friendly House, and a Ray of HopeSee also: SB 1070: Supreme Court Upholds "Papers Please" Section, Invalidates OthersSee also: The Supreme Court's 1070 Ruling Is No Win for Teabaggers As I anticipated in April, when it became clear that the U.S. Supreme Cou ... More >>

Congressional Candidate Matt Salmon Says Lobbyist Matt Salmon Never Lobbied for "Obamacare"; Kirk Adams Says Otherwise

Republican Congressman-turned-lobbyist-turned-congressional candidate Matt Salmon promises he'll "join the fight to repeal Obamacare" if he's elected to Congress this fall.If you ask his primary opponent in the state's Fifth Congressional District, former Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams, Salmon alr ... More >>

DREAMers Vulnerable to Scams, Activists and Feds Warn

See Also: DREAMers Score a Win with Obama's Immigration Initiative, But the War Is Far from Over Young illegal immigrants should be wary of scam artists promising work permits as a result of the Obama administration's new immigration policy toward them. That's the message from pro-immigrant activi ... More >>