Subject: Jan Brewer

• Governor Brewer Unveils Budget Proposals; Wants Tax Increase and $600M More in Cuts

  Governor Jan Brewer released her budget proposal today for fiscal year 2010 -- as expected, she formalizes her opinion that a tax increase is needed. "Unfortunately, after considering every option, and after performing a painstaking assessment of our real economic situation, a temporary tax increase is necessary to bridge the gap between fiscal crisis and recovery," Brewer says in a prepared statement. Brewer may be right -- but the bigger question for her own future is how much opposition fro

  June 1, 2009

• The Bird Praises CameraFraud.com and Aerosol Art While Urging State Democrats to Grow a Pair

  December 11, 2008

• Jan Brewer's Blast from the Past, Courtesy of New Times

  We at New Times have fond memories of Secretary of State Jan Brewer -- we simply love foul-mouthed women like her. As the state prepares for a possible Brewer regime if Janet Napolitano flies the coop to be Homeland Security chief, we can't help but skip down Memory Lane to the less complicated year of 1990. Back then, the state's biggest problems included how to stop kids from listening to music with the word "fuck" in it. And Brewer was on the case.

  November 20, 2008

• Hot Links: State Dems to Obama: Take Jan Brewer Away; More Drug Tunnels at the Border; British Couple Escape Jail for Dubai Beach Sex

  They can't be serious. Democrats want Barack Obama to appoint Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer to some cushy federal post -- doesn't matter which one -- so she won't be governor when Janet Napolitano abandons the state to run Homeland Security. When that doesn't work maybe state Dems will just offer to write Brewer a million-dollar check to turn down Janet's job. Other stuff being reported out there today: Smugglers digging their way to big profits. Bailout money is being put to work on the

  November 25, 2008

• Hot Links: Jan Brewer Prepares to Take Over as Governor; Another Study Questions Taser Safety; Phoenix Murders Decrease

  She's not wasting any time: Jan Brewer, the conservative Republican Arizona secretary of state, is gathering a transition team to begin her serendipitous coup of the State Capitol's 9th Floor. Tasers shock at higher powers than expected, according to a new study. Murders in Phoenix are decreasing, but keep your head down -- one still happens about every other day. Sheriff Arpaio won't submit charges on two little kids who hanged a kitten after playing Grand Theft Auto. And for the

  December 5, 2008

• Chuck Coughlin Reveals Jan Brewer's Transition Team

  Deputy Secretary of State Kevin Tyne will be soon-to-be Governor Jan Brewer's chief of staff, and Brewer has named a Who's Who list of familiar names from previous GOP administrations to her transition team, which will be led by (gulp - for those with long memories) Chuck Coughlin. Here's the team: Bas Aja, Arizona Cattlemen's Association Lisa Atkins, Greater Phoenix Leadership, fmr. congressional chief of staff Richard Bark, Gallagher and Kennedy, fmr. chief of staff to House Speaker Linda Ble

  December 5, 2008

• Jan Brewer's Transition Team Includes a Photo Enforcement Bigshot

    For all you Republicans out there hoping that a new governor means the end of Janet Napolitano's highly irritating plot to balance the state budget by putting photo enforcement cameras everywhere, we have a little warning for you: Don't get your hopes up. We couldn't help but notice that, like President-Elect Barack Obama, Governor-Not-Quite-Elect Jan Brewer has stocked her transition team with a fair amount of lobbyists. That includes Connie Wilhelm, the powerhouse leading the high

  December 9, 2008

• December 9 In Blogs: Smuggling Pot, The Smiths and President-Elect Barack Obama

  We understand that in the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. Worry not! We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Valley Fever: Jan Brewer's Transition Team Includes a Photo Enforcement Bigshot Cloned UPS Truck Caught Smuggling Ton of Pot Up on the Sun: Andy Rourke of The Smiths Is A Wanker If He Stands Me Up Again Pitchfork Stays Sub-Par and Pretentious with New "Greatest Songs" Guide Feathe

  December 9, 2008

• Jan Brewer: Herbert Hoover in High Heels and a Pantsuit

  Separated at birth? According to economist Paul Krugman, it's possible. Will soon-to-be Arizona Governor Jan Brewer repeat the mistakes of Republicans in the midst of the Great Depression, specifically those of President Herbert Hoover?It seems likely. With a GOP-led legislature intent on "starving the beast," as they call state government, Brewer & Co. are likely to swing an ax at any government programs or employees not tied to the floor. See, much of the state budget is held in place

  December 30, 2008

• Hot Links: Janet Napolitano Steps Down and Jan Brewer Steps Up; Peanut Butter Snacks Linked to Salmonella; Super Bowl Promos Could Bring Lawsuits

  No mo' JaNo -- Janet Napolitano literally stands behind Barack Obama now, and Jan Brewer is our new governor. Conservatism, here we come. More warnings on peanut butter snacks. The NFL might come after you for using unauthorized Super Bowl-related promotional material -- does that include putting Cardinals signs on someone's lawn? John McCain's picture now hangs in the unofficial gallery of presidential losers. The light rail is proving popular with airport workers -- but you still have to get

  January 21, 2009

• Jan Brewer Becomes Arizona's Governor; Pledges "Freedom" From Tax and Regulatory Burdens

  Jan Brewer took her oath of office as governor of Arizona today, completing the transfer of power required after Janet Napolitano left the state to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Here's a shot of her accepting a Native American blessing on stage just prior to officially taking the reins. Brewer gave a short speech following her swearing-in before a packed crowd on the State Capitol lawn, referencing the state's fiscal woes and saying she felt sort of like she just

  January 21, 2009

• Hot Links: State Lawmakers Reach Budget Deal; Search for Chandler Man Reveals No Clues on Disappearance; US Airways Posts Big Losses

  With one hand ready to catch a predicted windfall of federal cash and the other wielding a budgetary chain saw, Governor Jan Brewer prepares to stamp her approval on a new budget that wipes out the state's $1.6 billion deficit. The search is basically over for a Chandler Planning and Zoning Commission member who went missing near his Northern Arizona vacation home -- there's no sign of him or his four-wheeled off-road vehicle. Losing an airplane in the Hudson River was a cakewalk compared t

  January 29, 2009

• Hot Links: Thomas Plans to Attend Supervisors Meeting; Governor Brewer Hates Speed Cameras; Rx Drug Database Causes Concern

  Thomas says he's coming to a county meeting on Sheriff Joe Arpaio's inmate segregation policy, which makes sense if he's planning to run for state Attorney General next year. Governor Jan Brewer's love-hate dilemma on photo enforcement: She hates it, but the state loves the money. Coming to a hacker near you: A statewide computer system that will track your prescription drug habits. In an unexpected twist, a new chain store is actually opening in the Valley and offering jobs instead of pink sl

  February 9, 2009

• Hot Links: Immigrant Round-Up; Anti-Abortion Bill Floated; Stimulus Bill to Help Build Valley Infrastructure

  Deputies catch dozens of undocumented workers in the immigrant round-up du jour at a maintenance facility at 19th Avenue and Lower Buckeye that contracts with the county. You knew they'd get around to it: Republican lawmakers craft an anti-abortion bill that's expected to fare better if it lands on the governor's desk than such plans did under Janet Napolitano. And speaking of guvs, the state's new Top Chef, Jan Brewer, has appointed three new cabinet members. The East Valley coul

  February 11, 2009

• Governor Jan Brewer Relocates Fundraiser to Distance Herself From Key Figure of 2000 Alt-Fuels Fiasco

  Governor Jan Brewer at her inauguration ceremonyGovernor Jan Brewer insisted on relocating a campaign fundraiser this week to distance herself -- both figuratively and physically -- from a key figure in a 2000 state subsidy scandal. Brewer could have anticipated problems with this one. The Wednesday fundraiser was to be held in the Paradise Valley home of Nathan Learner, an investor who worked with the late Jeff Groscost on forming the infamous alternative fuels debacle. Learne

  March 24, 2009

• Governor 2010: Anti-Brewer Conservatives are First to File

  Tim WillisThree people have signed up to run for governor in next year's election, including two conservatives who say they're in the race specifically to counter Jan Brewer's tax-increase proposal. Brewer, who fell into the governor's chair when Janet Napolitano eloped with President Obama, has yet to file paperwork for the 2010 election.Tim Willis, 53, a Bible-thumping pastor of the Congress Community Church just north of Wickenburg, says he threw his hat in the ring because "we need someone w

  April 1, 2009

• Hot Links: Cactus League, Chandler Jazz, and Porn Ed

  The City of Phoenix purchased 247 acres of land in Ahwatukee at an auction April 2. The city plans to use the land to add 165 acres to South Mountain Park, among other things...Despite the sluggish economy, there's been record attendance at Cactus League games for the past six weeks, with more than 1.5 million fans showing up for training games. It's the first time attendance for Cactus League has matched that of the Grapefruit League in Florida...The Chandler Jazz Festival this weekend has been

  April 3, 2009

• Tax Increase Message From Brewer Pushed by Lobbyist Who Represents Anti-Tax Lawmakers

  Chuck Coughlin The wrestling match between Governor Jan Brewer, her veteran political consultant and other Republicans is breaking out of the cage. A conservative blog site, Gila Courier, points out that High Ground, the lobby group run by Brewer's consultant, Chuck Coughlin, has several Republican legislators as clients. Point being that these lawmakers may be forced to join Brewer's push for a tax increase -- or pay High Ground to defend their political seats against the company's own rhetori

  June 2, 2009

• Vicki Christiansen Appointed as New State Forester

  Vicki Christiansen, former Washington State Forester, has been appointed by Governor Jan Brewer to be the new Arizona State Forester and Director of the Arizona Division of Forestry.Brewer's office made the announcement today, but a Google search shows Christiansen has been off and running for weeks now. On April 1, she testified before Congress in her new role as Arizona State Forester. She toured the Arizona Wildfire Academy in late March. Christiansen is well qualified for her job -- and sh

  April 13, 2009

• Straitjacket Jan Brewer

  Empowering the Secretary of State, especially this secretary of state, to decide when elections can be suspended is a crazy idea. Sanity must prevail in state government

  February 2, 2006

• Garden Parties

  Campaign funds from the big house, tales from the greenhouse

  April 4, 2002

• Swine Flu Arizona -- Nothing Yet Reported in State or Sonora, Mexico

  Image: Deanna Dent-- http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/slideshow/Mexico tourists wearing masks The swine flu situation in Arizona hasn't changed much since yesterday's post, except for a stockpiling of antiviral medications.Officials are telling Tucson media that Arizona still hasn't reported any cases, and neither has the Mexican state that borders us, Sonora. Nobody's been detained at the international border. Governor Jan Brewer issued a tepid news release at 8 p.m. (see below). The toll of dead

  April 28, 2009

• Arizona Voters Reject Education Cuts in New Poll, Open to Temporary Sales Tax Hike to Heal Budget

  Most Arizona voters hate the idea of cutting education to help balance the state's budget, says a new poll by KAET-TV and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Sixty-nine percent of respondents answered "education" to the question, "The one area in which I think cuts should NOT be made in is..." The second runner-up was public safety, at 10 percent. The poll, conducted from April 23-26, also shows healthy support for a temporary boost in state sales tax. Q

  April 29, 2009

• Arizona Governor Wants New, "Sustainable" Model for Universities; Will Use Federal Money to Ease Tuition

  Arizona needs a more affordable business model for its universities in the face of state budget realities, Governor Jan Brewer said this morning to the Arizona Board of Regents. In the short term, hundreds of millions of federal stimulus dollars will be used over the next couple of years to keep tuition reasonably low, Brewer told the Regents, who oversee the state's three universities. But "another huge financial shortfall" awaits once those dollars are spent unles

  April 30, 2009

• Arizona to Receive $23 Million From Feds to Help Poor People Avoid Wasting Energy

  When it comes to wasting energy, folks living below the poverty line might not care so much about being green as saving green -- as in money. By helping people fix inefficiencies in their homes, both a personal and community need is met. That's the idea behind a state program getting $23 million in federal assistance. The amount each household can receive is being pushed up from $2,500 to $6,500. That seems like more than enough to buy someone a better air conditioner. Governor Jan Brewer's

  June 8, 2009

• Hot Links: Sky Harbor Loses Passengers, Man Arrested in 2-year-old's Beating, Brewer Says Budget Imperils Federal Funds

  Fewer people are flying the friendly skies over Phoenix. The remains of a Chandler architect who disappeared on an ATV ride near Flagstaff in January were found, but what killed him is still unknown. A Chandler man is arrested after his girlfriend's 2-year-old is brutally beaten, suffering severe skull fractures. It takes money to make money: Governor Jan Brewer says a proposed budget by lawmakers could threaten millions in federal funds. Sheriff Joe Arpaio snarls that Rapper DMX only drew prob

  June 9, 2009

• 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

• Arizona Supreme Court Reject's Brewer's Demand, Allows Lawmakers More Time to Send Budget Bill

  The Arizona Supreme Court today decided not to force lawmakers to send Governor Jan Brewer a budget bill she wants to veto, but only because lawmakers said they'd send the bill in five days. Brewer's argument -- that the State Legislature should not be allowed to hold back on sending the bill -- was bolstered by the Court's opinion, as summed up by Chief Justice Ruth McGregor: The court concludes that, after the Legislature finally passes a bill, the Legislature cannot delay presenting it

  June 23, 2009

• Obama Mafia Asks Governor if She Supports Jon Kyl and Wants to Kiss Stimulus Money Goodbye

      www.mrrl.org Has Obama taken the role of Don Corleone? In Corleone fashion, top Obama officials made Arizona Governor Jan Brewer an offer she shouldn't refuse. They want her to back the President's stimulas plan, and if she doesn't and agrees with Senator Jon Kyl, she should say ciao to the federal funds. Capiche?! Several cabinet-level Luca Brasis, including Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and housing Secretary Shaun Donovan, sent lett

  July 16, 2009

• Highway Robbery? Toll Roads Coming to Arizona

    http://www.et.byu.edu/~jbarney3/tollboothtragedy/ This is soon to be the scene on area highways.There are few things in life more wilting than a blast of 115-degree air, like the one we get when we open the car window in mid-July. Now, thanks to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Phoenicians will get to experience that little joy far more frequently.   Monday, as part of bill-signapolooza '09, when the governor signed or vetoed more than 200 bills, Brewer enacted on

  July 17, 2009

• California Congressman Sticks Up for Our Bullied Governor Brewer

  www.pe.com What happens when the Obama Administration picks on a Republican governor? Darrell Issa to the rescue!​ A California congressman has asked White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to answer to allegations that he attempted to bully our very own Governor Jan Brewer. In a scathing letter today, Congressman Darrell Issa accused Emanuel of "resorting to the playbook of the Chicago political machine" when he directed Cabinet members to send letters to Brewer, threatening to pull f

  August 4, 2009

• Hot Links: New Campuses, Stabbing Suspects, and Lawsuits

  ​Governor Jan Brewer has dropped plans for a special November 3 election on a temporary sales-tax increase. The earliest possible reschedule date for an election is December 8. The Senate is still trying to get enough votes to send a budget package to Brewer...University of Phoenix has opened a 21,500 square-foot campus in Chandler. The new facility can accomodate as many as 20 employees and 1000 students, and includes a laptop bar...A Peoria horse trainer has been arrested and charged with se

  August 12, 2009

• Senate Votes to Hand Brewer the Same Budget Bill She Vetoed Last Month; Boy is She Gonna Be Pissed

  www.flickr.com Governor Jan Brewer ​After Governor Jan Brewer vetoed the Senate's budget plan on July 1st, and called a special session, you could only assume that nowhere in her wildest imagination did she think the legislature would take seven weeks only to bring her the same bill. Well, that's exactly what happened. On Wednesday, the senate voted on a 1-cent sales tax hike, which Brewer had insisted be included in a new budget plan, and shot the measure do

  August 12, 2009

• Phoenix Mayor Gordon Won't Support Latest Budget Bill; Governor Brewer "Disappointed" in Some State Senators

  Phil Gordon​ Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon says he can't support the legislature's current budget proposal, despite Governor Jan Brewer's urging to do so. In a news release sent out this evening by the city (see text below), Gordon says changes to property tax collection rates will lower the amount of bond money Phoenix could obtain by $160 million. That will mean fewer new public safety buildings, libraries, senior centers and other infrastructure needs, he says. The new budget takes away abo

  August 12, 2009

• Brewer Expected to Take Action on Budget Bill That is Nearly Identical to Bill She Vetoed in July

  ​Some say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.If that's the case, the state legislature is officially insane.On Thursday, after seven painstaking weeks of budget negotiations, the legislature sent Governor Jan Brewer a budget plan that is nearly identical to the one she vetoed in July.Brewer said she vetoed the budget because it "devastated schools, human services and public safety." She then called a special session, and t

  August 21, 2009

• Hot Links: Brewer's Run, SRP's Rates, and Animal Cruelty

  ​Governor Jan Brewer, who took office after Janet Napolitano resigned in January, indicated she may run for a full-term as governor in 2010. In a recent interview with The Arizona Republic, Brewer says she's "leaning toward" running. Other Republicans who've expressed interest in running for governor next year include State Treasurer Dean Martin and Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker...Kim Sullivan, the Higley Unified School District bus driver who was involved in a fight with a student on a

  August 28, 2009

• Brewer Signs One of Seven Budget Bills; DPS Wont Have to Hang Up Their Tasers, After All

  ​Governor Jan Brewer signed one of seven budget bills Thursday that provides the funding for the Department of Public Safety.It's about freakin' time!DPS was on the verge of a financial freak out as its cash flow was drying up, and it wasn't sure if its 2,200 employees would even get paid this week.The department was even discussing layoffs as early as next week if the Governor and the Legislature couldn't agree on a budget.Thankfully, Brewer swallowed some executive pride, and signed off on t

  September 3, 2009

• Well We Have A Budget Finally, and Guess What? We're Still Screwed!

  ​After Governor Jan Brewer approved the majority of the legislature's budget plan Friday, the question still looms: How the hell are we gonna pay for it?!Despite a laundry list of cuts, and concessions, the state is still well short of being able to pay for the programs still on the books.  "Certainly, it is not balanced," Brewer told reporters Friday. "It continually gets worse. We need to do more cutting. We need additional revenues."

  September 8, 2009

• Abandon Ship! Second Top Brewer Aide Quits

  ​A high level aide to Governor Jan Brewer quit yesterday, making him the second member of the Brew Crew to jump off the sinking ship in the last six weeks. Brian McNeil, deputy chief of staff of operations for Gov. Jan Brewer, handed the Governor his resignation yesterday. McNeil is the second of Brewer's top advisors to bail in the midst of the tumultuous budget process, which has left the Governor about as popular as herpes. Tom Manos, the Governor's Deputy Chief of Finance, quit b

  September 10, 2009

• Dine4AZ Campaign Starts Today

  Regular readers of Chow Bella already know we're big on putting your money where your mouth is. Now Governor Jan Brewer is helping to push the same message as part of a statewide campaign to "kick-start the economy" through dining out at local restaurants.   Dine4AZ, launched today by Shamrock Foods, got props from the governor, the Arizona Restaurant Association, and state tourism officials, who say that a boost for the restaurant industry will help lift Arizona out of recession. It's eat

  September 10, 2009

• Governor Jan Tells Baucus His Health Care Plan Will Hurt Arizona; She Still Lives Here?

  ​Governor Jan Brewer, who has stayed out of the spotlight for the last few weeks, sent a letter to U.S. Senator Max Baucus yesterday outlining for him exactly why she thinks his health care reform plan could be the straw that breaks Arizona's economic back.In the letter, Brewer discussed the heavy toll unfunded mandates in the plan would have on states like Arizona, whose economies aren't exactly thriving.

  October 7, 2009

• Brewer Gives $1.7 Million in Stimulus Money to Fix Coliseum Roof so State Fair Events Can Go On

  Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum​Governor Jan Brewer announced that she's releasing money from the state's Fiscal Stabilization Government Services Fund to finish repairs on the saddle-shaped roof of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.Brewer says in a press release that she's pledged $1.7 million of the state's money to make sure the roof is fixed before the start of the fair on October 16.

  October 13, 2009

• Brewer Writes EPA: Closure of Coal Plant Could Hurt CAP

  ​Governor Jan Brewer wrote the Environmental Protection Agency Monday, warning that new regulations being imposed on the state could close the Navajo Generating Station that provides electricity to Central Arizona Project canals.

  October 14, 2009

• Banks Suing Governor over Reversal of Controversial "Anti-Deficiency" Law

  Remember when we wrote about a bill that could financially devastate homeowners facing foreclosure? Remember when they reversed the bill? Well, it might just be back. Last Monday, the American Bankers Association -- which represents more than 70 banks in the state -- filed a lawsuit with the Arizona Supreme Court against Governor Jan Brewer, challenging the constitutionality of how the Legislature reversed controversial Senate Bill 1271. Specifically, bankers are requesting that the court rev

  October 27, 2009

• November 3 In Blogs: Yucca Tap Room, Smeeks, Jan Brewer, and Kenny G

  ​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Up on the Sun: Club Candids: Yucca Tap Room on Halloween Night Kenny G and Weezer Collaborate, Plan to Conquer Earth Chow Bella: Spiced Caramel Apple Martini at Meritage Steakhouse La-Dee-Dahs at Smeeks Valley Fever: Play With Fire You're Gonna Get Burned; Phoenix Man Arrested for Letting Kids Throw Aer

  November 3, 2009

• Hot Links: Frys.com Open, H&M Stores, and a Helicopter Crash

  ​Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is preparing to run for a full term in next year's elections, according to an associate of Brewer's. Brewer, a Republican, will announce her candidacy for a full-term today...Two people were injured in a medical helicopter crash on the San Carlos Indian reservation last night. The pilot of the Eurocopter AS 350 lost control while trying to land at San Carlos' Cutter airport. The flight was a training flight, and no patients were on board. Both occupants of the heli

  November 5, 2009

• Now That She's a Candidate, Brewer's Hittin' the Town

  Jan at her inauguration​Now that Jan Brewer is officially a candidate for the state's top spot, the unelected governor seems to realize that she can't hide in her office anymore.Brewer announced her intentions to run last week and has nine public appearances on the books this week. Nine appearances is the most she's had since she became governor in January, and just shy of the twelve appearances she's made in the last month

  November 11, 2009

• Arpaio Investigating Governor Jan Brewer, Source Says; Guv's Campaign Manager Also Under Scrutiny

  Image: Ray Stern​Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's criminal investigation into potential misdeeds by county leaders includes Governor Jan Brewer, a source close to the investigation tells New Times.The source, who did not want to want to be identified, did not want to elaborate on the subject of the inquiry, saying only that it related to Brewer's time on the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Brewer was elected to the Board in 1996 and served as its chair until 2002. She rose from Secre

  November 16, 2009

• If Governor Jan Has Her Way, Special Session Could Be Called Today

  www.dpatterson.blogspot.com Governor Brewer​In what is hopefully the final stage of the exhaustive state budget battle, Governor Jan Brewer hopes to call a special session as soon as this afternoon.

  November 16, 2009

• Hot Links: Grenades For Sale, Injured Horses, and Jan Brewer

  ​Department of Public Safety officers arrested three people last night for trying to sell live grenades. The suspects were arrested in Maryvale, just west of Phoenix. Officers say they are still looking for another suspect in connection with the attempted sales...Last night, two horses were injured after the trailer they were being moved in detached from the pickup truck that was towing it. The horses were stranded on the Loop 202 after banging into the guardrail several times, before comi

  November 18, 2009