If you’re lucky enough to still own property in this economic climate, get ready to reach a little deeper into your wallet. If the Arizona legislature doesn’t have a budget deal by Monday, a state property tax that was suspended three years ago goes back on the books. And the hits just…
It seems like a classic case of “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen” for Senator Pamela Gorman, who recently e-mailed a New Times reader, called him a fool, and whined about her long hours, and lousy pay. Gorman recently quit her post as house majority whip,…
At what point do you come to the realization that your car is a “clunker,” and it might be a good idea to take advantage of the federal government’s generous “Cash for Clunkers” program? How about after you run over a bicyclist, and need to get rid of the evidence?…
Governor Jan Brewer released a statement Wednesday berating members of her own party who have vehemently refused to support sending a 1-cent sales tax increase to the ballot in November. “I trust the people of Arizona. But, I am deeply disappointed that some Members of the Arizona State Senate do…
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…
While “throwing away the key” is unfortunately not yet an option for judges dealing with those tantalized by watching little kids have sex, an Arizona judge did his best. Charles Brown, 54, of Mesa, was sentenced today to five years in prison and a lifetime of supervision upon release, after…
In a less than shocking turn of events, the Arizona Senate was unable to reach an agreement and meet the deadline that would have put a 1-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot. Republican leaders in the Senate thought they would be able to reach a deal with one…
How many Mayors does it take to change a light bulb? Only one if he’s got a dauntingly cliche plan to make his city “the greenest city in America.”As part of Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon’s “17 point green plan” to “green up” Phoenix, the city will be testing new light-emitting…
The piss poor economy is driving people across the Valley to the poorhouse, and apparently, they’re taking the light rail to get there.Despite the struggling economy, Valley Metro ridership is up 15 percent from last year, partly due to the addition of the light rail, but also because people just…
Just when we thought crystal meth reigned supreme as the drug of choice among hard dopers, here’s this blast from the past. Remember heroin? Well drug addicts sure do, and according to Phoenix police, “smack” is coming back in a big way.”Between January 2006 and January 2008, we confiscated a…
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 necessary to pass a plan that would bridge the budget gap, and the three stubborn Republican holdouts aren’t budging.Senate leaders are targeting Allen…
Oops! Authorities say that an error made by a Maricopa County court clerk caused the early release of a man about to be on trial for murder. Albert Sermeno, a 23-year-old who was serving time at the Maricopa County jail for auto theft, was released back into society June 19th after finishing his…
A Phoenix man who police say cried wolf way too many times is behind bars, and potentially facing more than 100 felony charges. Arrested yesterday by Phoenix police, the guy’s suspected of making at least 152 prank calls to police dispatchers since May, 2008. Police described the apparently very bored gent as being in…
When an employee at a drive-through fast-food restaurant forgets to include the appropriate condiments in your go bag, you’re irked. If you’re a jerk, you ask to speak to the manager. But you’d have to have a screw loose to try to hit an employee with your car, which is what police…
At least one Valley resident’s been treated for salmonella poisoning linked to beef recalled yesterday by Beef Packer, Inc.Beef Packer Inc. recalled more than 800,000 pounds of tainted bovine after it was discovered that the meat contained strains of salmonella…
When the U.S. Green Building Council brings its 2009 Greenbuild Conference to Phoenix on November 11-13, Sheryl Crow will welcome the Hummer-hating hippies to the Valley with a concert at Chase Field, the group announced today.The Greenbuild Conference is one of the leading forums on all things “green,” and is…
Remember when it took only a little weight training and a successful tryout to join your high school football team?Well, several Valley school districts have decided that raw talent alone is no longer enough to make the squad, and are charging “activity fees” for each sport. The fees aren’t small either.Several…
The virtual world for Tweeters came to a near standstill this morning.Facebook and Twitter, two obscenely popular social networking Web sites, were attacked by a hacker about 6 a.m., which left the Twitter site down completely, and Facebook experiencing problems.Twitter’s status box says, “defending against a denial-of-service attack,” which means a hacker…
Arizona State Representative Doug Quelland filed a lawsuit in state court today to try to keep his seat in the Legislature. In May, the Clean Elections Commission voted 4-1 to give Quelland the boot after it claimed he spent $15,000 to hire a campaign adviser, and failed to report the expenditure on campaign reports…
As we reported Tuesday, when you’re the Arizona State Senate majority leader, and your state is in the midst of heated budget negotiations, taking a Caribbean cruise is probably not your best course of action. Apparently some members of the Republican caucus agree. In a closed door meeting of Senate…
A complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix today alleging that several Kansas-based telemarketing firms have been ripping off suckers and the elderly in countless states including Arizona.The complaint says Landmark Publishing Group, Grant Writers Institute, Apex Holdings International and Real Estate Buyers Financial Network, would sell consumers a “federal grants…
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent Arizona Governor Jan Brewer a letter today, offering to rent space on the outside walls of the state capitol building and use it to advertise its veggie-driven agenda.PETA wants to pay the state to drop a giant banner down the front of the…
