Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Tuesday's Hate Group: The Arizona Legislature

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist

Emergency services are being cut, police are at greater risk of harm or death because more unstable individuals are running around with guns, good teachers are being laid off, classroom sizes are ballooning, brown citizens are having to meet standards that their white neighbors do not, and smart tourists are staying away. Why? Because the Arizona legislature is too busy race-baiting and catering to the tea-bagger crowd while ignoring the state's real fiscal problems.

Individuals wanting to carry concealed weapons now may do so without getting a permit - without going through a background check - and without even having any safety training or training in how to use their weapon. There will be blood, and not all of it will belong to criminals.

A bill is on the governor's desk awaiting her signature that will require anyone who looks like an immigrant to have proof of residency on them at all times. Brown people beware - because they are talking about you! (Never mind that fully one-third of Arizona's legal residents are of Hispanic descent.)

Congressman Raul Grijalva of Tucson, himself an Hispanic American, is calling on a boycott of Arizona if Governor Brewer signs this piece of racist legislation.

Severe economic problems coupled with a boycott of the state: yup, that's a recipe for success!

Today our legislature passed a bill requiring anyone wanting to be on an Arizona ballot as a candidate for President of the United States, to formally show proof of their eligibility to state officials. In other words, a piece of loony birther crap. Phoenix Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema said the bill is one of several measures that are making Arizona “the laughing stock of the nation.”

Arizona has no right, nor has it the ability, to impose its own standards on a federal election.

So instead of figuring out how we are going to keep the schools open, our esteemed legislators are wasting their time posturing for small headlines in the local press.

Arizona is in serious financial straits, and the state legislature is too cowardly or too stupid - or, more likely, both - to do anything that would resolve the issue. Instead they spend their days throwing mud and distracting the public with crazy legislation that makes the entire state look as crazy and stupid as its legislative leaders.

Representative Sinema is right, the state has become a laughing stock. Congressman Grijalva is also right, until the state regains its sanity, people need to stay the hell away from Arizona!

3 comments:

Jack Mackerel said...

Heh, that's nothing compared to the clusterfuck here in California. It's a wonder that our schools haven't imploded.

Unknown said...

We got it too. Not the racist stuff. But you should ask my better half of the school situation here in Vegas...Pretty depressing

Xobekim said...

Footnote Four of United States vs. Caroline Products is about to get dusted off and used again.

The basis of all modern civil rights litigation stems from this footnote in a case about milk.

The Arizona legislature has passed a bill which, if enacted, will create a suspect classification of brown skinned persons. This will give rise to an Equal Protection claim.

Equal Protection claims mandate that the statute in question receive strict scrutiny. That is the higest level of judical review available. Under this type of analysis the state is required to narrowly tailor its actions in order to achieve its legitimate ends.

Since the apparent end of the legislation is the enforcement of federal immigration laws a judge may well rule the statute facially invalid.

This would be a good case in which to proceed to federal court prior to any arrests being made or police stops being effected. Under an abstention doctrine the plaintiff only needs to show that the law would apply to them and that they deserve a voice in federal court to prevent harm at the state level. Neat stuff!

As to the problems with the schools, which are threatening education in all fifty states, there is a consequence to electing Republicans.

First the Republicans want to repeal the taxes for the rich, then eliminate the regulatory safeguards for Wall Street, then send the mantra on to their cohorts in the governments of the several states not to raise taxes.

Well, let the rich plunder the economy, not pay their way, and turn the spigot off at Washington and the only thing that trickled down is hard choices for our kids.

Wealth doesn't trickle down, greed causes it to be congested where it is.

America's economic decline is a direct and proximate result of Republican economic policies postulated and implemented since the days of Ronald Reagan.

I'm not the least bit surprised that the Republican dominated legislature in Arizona lacks the capacity to do the hard work in governance.

Its so much easier to codify your hate than solve real problems.