9 Comments

We finally reached "sins die" on this session!

Oh, wait, I misspelled that? Read again, and think...

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Tempert did put on a "good show," but as a poll worker like Hank, that is exhausting and I can't imagine doing it for more than two days out of each election process. And as someone who reads & edits documents, I often still find errors the second time around.

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If Maricopa County voters want to tax themselves for roads — or not — that should be a question for Maricopa County, not the Legislature.

Republicans are believers in pushing down government decisions to the lowest level closest to the people. They don't believe in making decisions at a level higher than that because the will of the people is paramount to them.

Wait. Wut?

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Too bad there are not more like Sen. Sinema in the politics. Maybe things would get done and a crumb would fall to the common folks.

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All you have to do is look at what Senator Sinema's reward was for acting independently. A challenge from the left funded and promoted by Democrats. That tent is not as large as it once claimed to be.

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I think Sinema could've avoided the challenge had she not decided to end what had been an absolutely great constituent-service part of her office when she became senator. Arizonans who contacted her senate office regularly got voicemail, then "full" and nonworking voicemail, and a clear talk-to-the-hand attitude. I would like to believe that the policy issues mattered more -- I wonder how many Arizonans really contacted her to protect the carried-interest loophole on federal income taxes -- but there are many senators in history who kept their head above water by being visible and responsive to constituents. Sinema has utterly failed in that, and it feeds the hubristic narrative on her.

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"Maricopa County voters want to tax themselves for roads — or not — that should be a question for Maricopa County, not the Legislature. "

Couldn't agree more. Ridiculous this is tied up in the Legislature. However, having said that, the changes forced by Republicans in the Legislature probably make it MORE likely the measure will be passed by voters. If Democrats had their wish of larding it up with transit, it might have failed at the ballot.

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founding
Aug 3, 2023·edited Aug 3, 2023

For clarification: road diets are not AKA bike lanes. When cities and towns implement a "road diet" - the term is a misnomer - lanes can be allocated towards BRT, wider sidewalks, bike lanes, etc...generally removing a lane or lanes that previously were just for auto drivers. Anyway, there's legal work arounds from the daft policy GOPers came up with. And a light rail stop at the capitol would be a waste anyhow.

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in Cochise county, Supervisor Peggy Judd wanted high school students to work the elections if we went back to the precinct model w/ more voting locations and couldn't find enough people to staff them. Also, county recorder Stevens , who wanted the 100% hand count audit, said he could get it ready in less than a week.(piece of cake!) He also anticipated only 25,000 ballots, 30,000 ballots at most! (there were 47,000) ,oh and none of HIS hand count crews would work on Sundays of course.

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