editor: fred miller March 5, 2023 #49 March/2023
Hello,
I've had a lovely weekend in Tucson, at the Book Festival, eating some good grub (The Dutch, Dantes Fire, Sonoran dogs), checking out an excellent artisan's market with 100+ high quality vendors at the Museum of Art, and scoping the fashion show at Rillito race track while placing a few wagers on the nags.
The wing ding wing of the republican party gathered at an annual Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC. They obsessed so much about children's genitals it bordered on pedophilia.
The Council meeting is Tuesday at 7:00, A bit of a financial shuffle cause the bond payment for PSPRS exceeded a spending limit so an emergency fix is on the agenda. And the application of BV is off the table now. A few other housekeeping items about the sanitation code and that will be it. Short and hopefully sweet.
In the next issue I'll cover the new Artemisia Gallery that opens at end of the month in the former School House Inn space. I got a glimpse a couple weeks ago and it sure is not going to be a 'sit on a bench and gaze at an old master' kind of place.
fred
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..............BISBEE STUFF................
THE SOUND OF MUSIC Your friends and neighbors, The Bisbee Community Chorus. will sing music from Broadway and the movies on Saturday March 11 @ 5:00 and Sunday, March 12 @ 3:00, at the Presbyterian Annex in Old Bisbee. “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” “Oklahoma,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and lots more. You may go home with an earworm. <><> TALKING TRASH AT CENTRAL SCHOOL You might want to wander up the hill to Central School after the concert on the 11th for the one night only 'Tales From The Trash', found art unretouched. Opens at 6. <><> BISBEE MENTIONS The Copper Pig and Heather/Chris had a nice write up in Arizona Highways February issue. ......... Patisserie Jacqui with J herself surrounded by her delish creations written up in Arizona Highways March issue. <><> Sign up for alerts in Cochise County; fire, floods, emergencies... cochise.myfreealerts.com <><> FREE PASSES TO MANY ARIZONA MUSEUMS! GETTUM AT THE BISBEE LIBRARY Culture Passes provide admission for two people at participating museums and cultural destinations and may be checked out by any county resident with a library card. Cochise County libraries join more than 120 other libraries across Arizona that participate in the Culture Pass program. Some restrictions apply. Get details here: https://www.cochise.az.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=187 Among many museums are: Amerind Museum, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Reid Park Zoo, Tohono Chul Park, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson Museum of Art, University of Arizona Museum of Art <><> CHECK YOUR INFO I suggest business peeps to go to the https://www.discoverbisbee.com/ site and check their listing. Some of out date info on it. <><> Old Lady Pickers in Lowell, open Sat and Sun, has tons of interesting stuff meaning gen-u-wine antiques, tchotchkes, clothes, cowboy/girl boots, old ranch goods, Mexican doors, and junque to me/treasurers to you stuff. Knock Nell a greet when you go in. <><> LIST YOUR EVENT ON ARIZONA OFFICE OF TOURISM WEBSITE https://www.visitarizona.com/events/submit/ <><> SUPES IGNORE LEGAL WARNINGS, TRANSFER ELECTIONS DUTIES TO RECORDER The two Cochise County Supervisors , Crosby and Judd, who previously have demonstrated that they don't believe in following the law, transferred most election duties to County Recorder David Stevens. This despite a letter from the AZ AG that there is doubt about the legality of the move. The new policy gives Stevens the title of interim Elections Director and gives him control of all elections operations, , specifically managing Election Day voting and vote counting. Stevens would have to report to the board on those operations.Stevens has previously said he doesn't full trust the election process. Other counties, Yuma and Maricopa, have combined election duties with the Recorder, there were caveats put in place to avoid the transference of all election power. Recorder is an elected position, Stevens has indicated he will run again, but when voters elected Stevens in 2018, there was no hint that these additionally duties would be assigned to him. Stevens has the power now to appoint someone to run elections, including the one coming in May of this year. Conceivably he could appoint election-denier, Mark Finchem, a friend, to the position. Some added eyebrow raising info about Recorder Stevens is here: https://www.azmirror.com/2023/02/07/david-stevens-how-an-arizona-official-is-making-cochise-county-a-laboratory-for-election-skepticism/ And Vote Beat is a good org for info. See them at: https://www.votebeat.org/ <><> Bisbee Bikeways (https://bisbeebikeways.com/) mentioned that a $4.5 mil grant was received by the CoB for the final design and implementation of the Lavender Pit pathway. Also they, "... are currently working on a grant to fund a feasibility study of the entire network of pathways in Bisbee. Do you have any photos of yourself or others biking or walking around Bisbee and Naco that display the dangers pedestrians and cyclists face? If so please send them to bisbeebikeways@gmail.com. " <><> VINTAGE BEISBALL BE BERRY BERRY GOOD FOR BISBEE Historic Warren Ballpark , April 1 & 2nd Vintage base ball returns to Bisbee’s historic Warren Ballpark April 1st and 2nd at 10 am. Teams from Bisbee, Tucson, California and the Phoenix metro area take to the field to play in the 12th Copper City Classic Vintage Base Ball Tournament at Bisbee’s 113-year-old Warren Ballpark. These vintage base ball clubs, dressed in uniforms dating back a century or more, will play by rules in effect when Abraham Lincoln first ran for president in 1860. One of the teams, the Maricopa Maidens, is an all-female team from the Phoenix metroplex that plays in uniforms identical to those worn by women in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1940s and 50s. Play gets underway at 10 a.m. FMI, contact Judy Anderson at 520-366-1455 or judithandersonbisbee@outlook.com
...............THE LEGE..............
The legislative report is copied verbatim from Melissa Lyer's newsletter. Get it here: Civic Engagement Beyond Voting’s website features tons of resources, including a RTS (request to speak) training video that’s 5 minutes well spent. If you have 15 minutes: Use RTS on the Spotlight Bills, below. If you have 30 minutes: Use RTS on all bills in committee. If you have 45 minutes: Contact your senator and representatives on the bills being heard this week that mean the most to you.
Spotlight Issue 1: New Bills to RTS On
Now that the Legislature has passed its first bill deadline, we’re taking a closer look at everything on agendas. We haven’t covered these bills before, but we believe they warrant a closer look now. Full summaries are available in the Bills section below. If you RTS on nothing else this week, please make these bills a priority.
HB2305, McGarr (R-17), would force elections officials to allow political party representatives to observe ballot signature verification. OPPOSE.
SB1182, Bennett (R-1), would allocate state tax dollars to private, religious and for-profit universities, taking from Arizona’s three public state universities. OPPOSE.
SB1095, Carroll (R-28), would require early ballot envelopes to include a written warning about delayed results, which elections officials call confusing. OPPOSE.
SB1109, Rogers (R-7), would legalize gun silencers. OPPOSE.
SB1142, Hoffman (R-15), would require public lists of state voter registration events, with the intent to open elections officials to legal complaints. OPPOSE.
SB1201, Kavanagh (R-3), would ban electronic polling place signatures from use in ballot verification on the grounds that they are “inherently fraudulent.” OPPOSE.
SB1435, Wadsack (R-17), would move attorney licensing in Arizona from the State Bar to the Arizona Supreme Court, against both organizations’ wishes. OPPOSE.
Monday
SB1024, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban tents, tarps, boxes or “any full or partial enclosure for habitation” on streets, sidewalks or other public rights of way. In 2019, the Supreme Court refused to hear a case challenging homeless people’s right to sleep on the sidewalk if no other shelter is available. Part of a package of bills from Republican state lawmakers that target people experiencing homelessness. Scheduled for House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1234, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would ban the use of photo radar. Numerous studies have found both speed and red-light cameras offer many safety benefits. Conspicuous, fixed cameras reduce traffic crashes and injuries by up to 35 percent. Nobody likes a ticket, but Arizona has had speed cameras since 1987 for good reason. Repealing photo radar will lead to more dangerous roads and more collisions. Scheduled for House Military Affairs & Public Safety Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1254, sponsored by Janae Shamp (R-29), would remove the requirement that prescribed opioids must have a red cap. This requirement was first proposed by those recovering from opioid addiction as a tool to help curb the opioid crisis. The color of the cap is meant as a clear warning, like a red flag, that helps patients make more informed decisions about the medication they choose to take. Arizona passed the law as part of Gov. Ducey’s 2018 opioid special session. Scheduled for House Health & Human Services Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1600, sponsored by Janae Shamp (R-29), would broaden a controversial anti-abortion bill from 2017 that requires clinics, hospitals and physicians to “care for a baby delivered alive.” Physicians and parents opposed the 2017 bill for forcing unnecessary procedures on babies with no chance of survival instead of allowing these babies to die in the arms of their parents. The bill removes compromise language inserted to help the bill pass and inserts language related to the concept of fetal personhood. Any violation would be a felony and result in the loss of the medical professional’s license. Scheduled for House Health & Human Services Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2305, sponsored by Cory McGarr (R-17), would force elections officials to allow representatives of the two largest political parties to observe signature verification for ballots. The bill presents a number of problems. Space for partisan observers is an issue outside of Maricopa County (many rural elections areas are quite small), and including partisan observers would give them access to view voters’ personal information. Violations would be a class 5 felony, and county attorneys would be forced to prosecute, which the House’s own nonpartisan rules attorneys said is unconstitutional. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2308, sponsored by Rachel Jones (R-17), would ban the Secretary of State from overseeing an election in which s/he is a candidate, instead being required to announce a replacement for those duties. This bill is driven by the false conspiracy theory that Katie Hobbs somehow faked her 2022 gubernatorial win through her electoral powers as Secretary of State. That’s just nonsense. In Arizona, as in the majority of states, an elected official is responsible for certifying statewide results, and elected officials routinely certify their own wins and losses. It's also common for elected officials to continue their duties while seeking higher offices. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2415, sponsored by Leo Biasiucci (R-30), would further restrict early voting by stripping voters from the early voting list if they fail to vote their early ballots in all elections within a single election cycle. The current law requires voters to participate in two back-to-back primary and general elections before being dropped. Passed the full house 2/21. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2472, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), would ban the state from requiring banks to use a “social credit score” when evaluating loan worthiness. Driven by a panic that society will hold extremists accountable for their actions, the goal is to stop "discrimination" based on political affiliation or social or environmental values. This is absurd: unlike race, religion or gender, political opinion isn’t covered by fair lending laws. Similar to a failed bill from last year. One recent study says such efforts could cost Arizona millions. Scheduled for Senate Finance Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
HB2477, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), affirms the importance of the electoral college system for presidential elections. That system is an artifact that has long outlived its usefulness. It was designed to empower southern slave-owning whites, continues to adversely impact black voters by diluting their political power, and has handed victory to the loser of the popular vote twice in the past two decades, a schism that seriously undermines the legitimacy of our elections. Only 35% of Americans support keeping it. Scheduled for Senate Elections Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
Tuesday
SB1013, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would do away with “free speech zones” on college campuses, instead allowing anyone who is “lawfully present” on a university campus to protest anywhere on campus the law permits them to be. This could give rise to protests in classrooms and other protected areas, creating serious safety issues. Influenced by the Goldwater Institute, a wealthy right-wing lobbying firm. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1182, sponsored by Ken Bennett (R-1), would allow private, religious and for-profit universities in Arizona to give taxpayer-funded financial assistance to students. These universities would get a share of $20 million in tax funding, decreasing the funds available to Arizona’s three public state universities. Public universities do a more efficient job of providing education with fewer dollars; private universities are costlier and do not have in-state benefits for students. This bill is not only privatizing our university system, but offers poor value for taxpayer dollars. Being pushed by Grand Canyon University. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1564, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-2), would mandate that students at small private schools or who use ESA vouchers must be allowed into interscholastic activities at public schools. Athletics should be something parents consider when choosing a school for their student. When parents opt out of local schools, they opt out of their extracurriculars too. ESA vouchers siphon dollars away from local public schools; it is unreasonable to require those schools to also squeeze non-attendees into extracurriculars who made a different choice. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
SB1599, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would impose penalties of up to $5,000 per day for school districts that don't post teacher salary information as already required by law. Along with being egregiously excessive compared to the nature of the offense, this mandate does not include a requirement to post a comparison to teacher salaries in other states, nor does it apply to taxpayer-funded, private voucher schools. Scheduled for House Education Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2003, sponsored by David Livingston (R-28), would slash corporate income taxes nearly in half by 2025, from their current 4.9% to 2.5%. Last year, Republican lawmakers slashed personal income taxes to 2.5% beginning this year, leaving experts concerned that Arizona won’t have enough revenue to sustain critical services once pandemic relief money runs out and the inevitable next recession arrives. Arizona’s tax giveaways already far outpace the entire state budget, and our unbalanced tax structure relies heavily on volatile sales taxes; Arizona is already one of just 11 states with a corporate income tax rate below 5%. Part of an overall package of tax cuts which would impact the state General Fund by billions of dollars. Scheduled for Senate Appropriations Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
HB2474, sponsored by Steve Montenegro (R-29), would ban immunizations that have received FDA emergency use authorization from being required for school attendance. There are no scientific grounds to justify this bill; in fact, a recent scientific review praises the emergency use authorization process. Scheduled for Senate Health & Human Services Committee, Tuesday. OPPOSE.
Wednesday
SB1011, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would make municipal elections, like mayors and city councils, partisan beginning in 2024. Local government officials are not fixing Republican or Democratic potholes. They should spend their time on local issues, not partisanship. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1095, sponsored by Frank Carroll (R-28), would require early ballot envelopes to include a written warning that ballots returned via drop box or mailed after the Friday before the election could cause delayed election results. County elections officials oppose the change on the grounds it would cause confusion: for years, voters have been advised to mail their ballots back by the Wednesday before the election. Ballots mailed from rural areas on Friday might not make it to the county recorder’s office by the deadline of 7 PM on Election Day. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1096, sponsored by Frank Carroll (R-28), would ban government and banks from contracting with any company that "discriminates" against weapons manufacturers. The bill seeks to stop the recent trend of banks exercising their right to do business with whom they choose by ending loans to gun companies. Ironically, the bill follows an Arizona Supreme Court ruling proclaiming a constitutional right to refuse to provide custom wedding invitations for same-sex couples. A previous year’s attempt at this bill was backed by the NRA. Passed the full Senate 2/21. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1109, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would legalize gun silencers. These are inherently dangerous devices that could confuse the police or the public during a shooting and allow an active shooter to conceal their location. Silencers have been used in serious and deadly crimes over the years, including a mass shooting in 2019 where the gunman used a silencer that one survivor said made his weapon sound like “a nail gun.” The silencer industry has been visiting statehouses around the country and giving demonstrations to state lawmakers to market its products. Passed the full Senate, 2/21. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1141, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require anyone who turns in an early ballot at the polls to show ID, and if they turn in more than one ballot, to sign an affidavit. Violators would be subject to a class 5 felony. The claim that people dropping off multiple ballots is somehow proof of election fraud is patently false. The only case ever prosecuted in Arizona is a 66-year-old grandmother who collected four ballots in 2020. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1142, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would require publicly posted lists of each event the Secretary of State or a county recorder attends and provides voter registration services. Hoffman said in committee that his intent is to open elections officials to complaints under a 2016 law that allows any state lawmaker to order the Attorney General to investigate whether counties are violating state law. GOP lawmakers have traditionally used these 1487 complaints to block policies they disagree with. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1144, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban “electronic vote adjudication,” or the process of resolving ballots that may include things like write-in votes, overvotes or marks in the margins. Currently the process is used sparingly, and there’s no good reason to say elections officials can’t use it. Scheduled for Senate floor 2/22, held, passed on party lines 2/28. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1201, sponsored by John Kavanagh (R-3), would ban signatures on polling place or voting center electronic pollbooks from being used for signature comparisons to verify early ballots. The sponsor explained in committee that he views these signatures as “inherently fraudulent” because they are electronic, even though they come from an official source. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1213, sponsored by Anthony Kern (R-27), mandates that the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (JLAC), in addition to the Attorney General and governor, sign off on the Secretary of State’s official elections procedure manual. The manual became politicized when former Attorney General Brnovich, a Republican, unsuccessfully sued former Secretary of State Hobbs, a Democrat, to try to get her to publish a manual more to his liking. Now that both the AG and SoS are Democrats, it’s unlikely anyone will sue. Like the other legislative committees, JLAC membership is stacked, with 7 Republicans and 4 Democrats — making this bill just another transparent attempt to politicize the process. Scheduled for House Municipal Oversight & Elections Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1236, sponsored by Wendy Rogers (R-7), would ban cities and counties from charging taxes or fees on blockchain technology, a form of crypto. Passed the Senate 2/21. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1276, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would accelerate tax cuts on class 1 property, which includes golf courses, shopping centers and utilities. Arizona already gives away far more in tax loopholes and carve-outs than it spends in its state budget every year, while most corporations in Arizona pay only the minimum tax of $50. State revenues are already forecast to crater over the next two years; this is no time to further cut taxes. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1312, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban government from setting goals to reduce vehicle miles of travel. Reducing vehicle miles burns fewer fossil fuels and extends road life, which is good for the state. Scheduled for House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1313, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban cities from making any plans that would “reduce overall system capacity of motor vehicle traffic.” From crashes to climate, from health to finances, our car-centric society is literally killing us. Cities actively working to change this should be commended, not quashed. This bill is based on an absurd conspiracy theory that believes the world government wants to limit people’s freedom of movement and advance a totalitarian agenda. (Yes, really.) Passed Senate 2/22. Scheduled for House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1331, sponsored by Janae Shamp (R-29), would ban school governing boards from restricting or prohibiting the parent of a student from carrying or transporting a firearm on school property if the parent possesses a valid concealed weapons permit. Getting a concealed-weapons permit in Arizona is ridiculously easy. Meanwhile, angry parents are disrupting school board meetings and threatening school staff. Do we really want to arm them? A federal law, the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1990, protects nearly every school as a gun-free zone. Part of a package of bills trying to force guns into schools. Passed the full Senate 2/21. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1435, sponsored by Justine Wadsack (R-17), would move attorney licensing in Arizona from the State Bar to the Arizona Supreme Court, which would not be able to require an attorney to be a member of any organization to become or remain licensed. The State Bar of Arizona is a special administrative arm of the Arizona Supreme Court which has existed since 1933 specifically to license attorneys. Both the State Bar and the AZ Judicial Council oppose, which means neither wants a change. The legislature’s nonpartisan rules attorneys told them the bill is unconstitutional. Scheduled for House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SB1577, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would mandate automatic income tax cuts of 50% if Arizona has a budget surplus. Because Arizona requires a two-thirds supermajority vote for lawmakers to raise taxes, these cuts would effectively be permanent, creating huge issues when Arizona experiences its next recession and needs those revenues. Even now, Arizona gives away more money every year in tax cuts, credits and carve-outs than it spends in its budget. A budget surplus isn’t evidence that we’re collecting too much revenue; it’s evidence of lawmakers’ persistent unwillingness to invest in our state and its people. Part of an overall package of tax cuts which would impact the state General Fund by billions of dollars. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE
SCR1015, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to restrict Arizona’s initiative and referendum process by requiring that ballot measures collect signatures from a percentage of voters in each of Arizona’s 30 legislative districts: 10% for initiatives and 15% for a constitutional amendment. This would effectively give any single district veto power over the rest, allowing the most extreme area in the state to veto measures that have broad support. Motivated by majority lawmakers’ increasing frustration with voters going around them to pass initiatives lawmakers don’t like. Nearly identical measures have been proposed for four consecutive years; similar measures are being advanced in other states, including Missouri. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
SCR1035, sponsored by JD Mesnard (R-13), would ask voters to approve automatic income tax cuts of 50% following any year in which Arizona has a budget surplus. Because Arizona requires a two-thirds supermajority vote for lawmakers to raise taxes, these cuts would effectively be permanent, creating huge issues when Arizona experiences its next recession and needs those revenues. The fiscal note projects a FY2027 General Fund loss of $253.5 million. Arizona is underfunded in nearly every area and struggles to provide its citizens with the most basic of services, while still giving away more money every year in tax cuts, credits and carve-outs than it spends in its budget. The budget surplus isn’t evidence that we’re collecting too much revenue; it’s evidence of lawmakers’ systemic unwillingness to invest in our state and its people. Part of an overall package of tax cuts which would impact the state General Fund by billions of dollars. Scheduled for House Ways & Means Committee, Wednesday. OPPOSE.
HB2394, sponsored by Austin Smith (R-29), bans Arizona and its cities and counties from enforcing any tax on firearms or ammo, on the grounds that it “might create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens.” The federal government has taxed these items since 1919. It seems some lawmakers need pocket copies of the US Constitution and knowledge of the “supremacy clause”: on February 13, before this bill passed the full House, the legislature’s nonpartisan rules attorneys warned them it’s unconstitutional. Scheduled for Senate Government Committee, Wednesday and Thursday. OPPOSE.
Bills in Rules Committees
Rules exists only to consider whether a bill is constitutional and in the proper form for passage; the committee doesn’t take testimony and won’t read comments.
These bills will likely proceed to caucus (separate partisan meetings of all Democrats and all Republicans) and from there to a full floor vote, which could happen this week. Bottom line: Treat these as bills that could get a full vote any time. Contact your senator for Senate bills, your representatives for House bills.
SB1501, sponsored by Frank Carroll (R-28), would ban public utility companies like APS, SRP and TEP from using their revenues to build or operate EV charging stations. Government involvement in new or emerging markets, like the EV charging network, is far more common (and economically rational) than government involvement in mature markets, like gas stations. We cannot expect the private market alone to quickly create a robust charging network. The bill may also preempt the Corporation Commission’s authority. Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1544, sponsored by Lela Alston (D-5), would raise the monthly stipend for kinship foster care parents (those related to the child) to the same $600 per month that every other foster parent gets. Kinship foster parents are often grandparents raising grandkids; the bill sponsor, who has been working for parity for these families since 2019, says some families must send the children back to the state because they cannot afford to take care of them. Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. SUPPORT.
SB1546, sponsored by Lela Alston (D-5), would set up a $100,000 grant program for district and charter school community gardens. School gardens offer many benefits, including making healthy food more appealing to kids, helping fight hunger, and aiding emotional regulation. Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. SUPPORT.
SB1611, sponsored by Anthony Kern (R-27), would ban government from contracting with any company unless the contract specifies the company will not "discriminate" based on political affiliation or social or environmental values. Similar to a failed bill from last year and several other bills in motion this session. One recent study says such efforts could cost Arizona millions. Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1694, sponsored by Jake Hoffman (R-15), would ban the state, including public schools, from requiring "diversity, equity, and inclusion programs" for its employees, spending public funds on such programs, or setting policies to influence the composition of its workforce on the basis of race, sex, or color. Any employee required to participate would be authorized to sue. Diversity, equity and inclusion is a philosophy designed to harness the differences, talents and unique qualities of all individuals. When did living in a country that looks like the world, and intentionally making space for all different kinds of people, become a bad thing? Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1700, sponsored by Justine Wadsack (R-17), would double down on last year's measures to ban many books from schools and institute public review of them. Any parent would be allowed to ask a school to remove a book, the Department of Education would be required to maintain a list of banned books, and public schools would have to publish a list for 4 months before giving books to students. The bill is potentially unconstitutional; it takes aim at "gender fluidity" and "gender pronouns," and would write an inaccurate, weaponized definition of "grooming" into statute. Attempts to ban books in schools are on the rise nationwide, with a focus on local school boards. This horrifying bill not only harms the fight against child sexual abuse, but our children's ability to learn. Many of the targeted books reflect realities kids across Arizona are living; choosing to pull reality out of libraries won't create good citizens. Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
SB1559, sponsored by Steve Kaiser (R-2), would exempt from state taxes all of the first-year profits for a corporation in its first year of business, half the profits in its second year, and a quarter in its third year. It would also waive all fees. Arizona already gives away far more in tax loopholes and carve-outs than it spends in its state budget every year, while most corporations in Arizona pay only the minimum tax of $50. The bill’s fiscal note observes “a lack of detailed business income data” and estimates the cost at $34.3 million in FY2025. State revenues are already forecast to crater over the next two years; this is no time to further cut taxes. Scheduled for Senate Rules Committee, Monday. OPPOSE.
..............2024 ELECTIONS................
Declarations of interest have been filed for the offices below for the 2024 election. A statement of interest does not necessarily mean they will actually run. ...A surprise note when scanning the statement of intents below is the name of councilperson Joni Giacomino who filed a statement earlier this month interested in the Supervisor District 2 position. Note that almost all who filed are Republicans. The dems are seeking people to run for various county offices. If you are interested in seeking office, go here for info: https://www.cochise.az.gov/650/2024-Candidate-Resources (There are several successive steps candidates must take. If spending over $1400 they need to file a statement of organization, then they must get signatures on a nomination form, then have to file nominating papers, a few other things after a campaign has begun such as filing campaign financial reports. There will be a handbook for candidates coming in the summer, until then tis is from 2022: https://www.cochise.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/4581/2022-Candidate-Handbook-PDF) These are early birds.... OFFICE .........People who have filed for the seat District 1 Supe Crosby/(R)......Gregory Johnson (R), Terry Thomas Crosby (R), Teresa Walsh (D) District 2 Supe English (D).......Giacomino (D) District 3 Supe Judd/(R).........Miller (R) Sheriff/Dannels (R)................Dannels (R) Superior Ct Div 4/Dickerson (R)..Haight (R), Faulkner (R), Karwaczka (R) Superior Ct Div 5/Lindstrom (R).. Assessor/Leinendecker (R).......... Recorder/Stevens (R)................Stevens (R) Attorney/McIntyre (R).............. School Supe/Clay (R)..................Clay (R) Treasurer/Traywick (R)................Traywick (R) ........ Election dates for 2024 have now been posted. Candidate forms and regular updates can be found on the County Elections page: https://www.cochise.az.gov/292/Elections Need to register to vote, or check your registration status? https://www.cochise.az.gov/509/Voter-Information
BUSINESS /TRAVEL INFO
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index, airfares in the U.S. rose by 26 percent in January compared to the same month last year. The price increase outpaces the 6.4 percent year-over-year jump for the all-items index. While airfare prices are through the roof, they are still only 3.7 percent higher compared to January 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic shut down travel. Rental car prices, which dropped 4.6 percent month-over-month, but were still up 35.7 percent compared to pre-pandemic totals. Hotel room rates were up four percent month-over-month, 8.5 percent year-over-year and 16.3 percent compared to January 2020. Data also showed a 23 percent increase in air travel service complaints from October to November 2022, and a 603.1 percent increase in complaints received compared to pre-pandemic totals from November 2019 Nearly 80 percent of hotels are experiencing staffing shortages, with 22 percent saying the shortages are severe and 41 percent saying housekeeping is their top hiring need. To get people back to work, 71 percent of survey respondents said they have increased wages, 64 percent offer greater flexibility, and 33 percent expanded benefits. Travel Pulsehttps://www.travelpulse.com <><> For 2023, the state is on the cusp of another fantastic wildflower bloom. Check out Arizona State Parks & Trail's extensive Arizona wildflower list here, Arizona State Parks & Trails complete with vibrant photos and bloom information. <><>
THIS IS LAND IS YOUR LAND...IF YOU PAY CORPORATION BOOZ ALLEN This article explain how it came to be that you have to pay a fee above a recreation fee to use public lands and why it continues. https://mattstoller.substack.com/p/why-is-booz-allen-renting-us-back If you want to go to a national park or maybe one of the 4,200 facilities and 113,000 individual sites owned by the federal government, it requires going to Recreation.gov, the site set up to manage national parks, public cultural landmarks, and public lands, and paying $9 for a “Lottery Application Fee'. If you get a spot you then pay a recreation fee that goes for the facility upkeep. But the 'lottery fee' money goes to the giant D.C. consulting firm, Booz Allen and Company. From the article..."You can do a lot at Recreation.gov. You can sign up for a pass to cut down a Christmas tree on the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, get permits to fly-fishing, rifle hunting or target practice at thousands of sites, or even secure a tour at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. There are dozens of lotteries to enter for different parks and lands that are hard to access. And all of them come with service fees attached, fees that go directly to Booz Allen, which built Recreation.gov. The deeper you go, the more interesting the gatekeeping. As one angry writer found out after waiting on hold and being transferred multiple times, the answer is that Booz Allen “actually sets the Recreation.gov fees for themselves.”?" BIG is a valuable newsletter that tracks the politics of market power and antitrust. Although this sounds kind of boring, Stoller uncovers some of the most interesting deals going on. To subscribe e go here; https://mattstoller.substack.com
FOR MEN and women
I was diagnosed with Psoriatic arthritis more than 40 years ago. I think that early diagnosis as well as the doctor telling me that if my father died from prostate cancer, I likely could, helped me understand the importance of regular medical visits. That was borne out six years ago when during a routine annual physical exam, a nurse practitioner at Copper Queen Hospital detected an erratic heart beat. She ordered tests and wrote a referral to a doc. I did the tests got the bad news and after doing some research talked to an excellent but cranky heart doc.(talking to the nurses before my opo they said he was a bitch to work with but they would have no other doc operate on them) Two weeks later I was getting a new pig aortic valve as well as having a large thoracic aortic aneurysm repaired.
However I'm in a minority of men apparently. Whether a part of a residual macho ethos or fear of finding something bad or some unknown reasons, many men have been reluctant to get seen by a doc for some physical ailment they have been experiencing. They also don't get regular medical attention such as preventative screenings and checkups, nearly as often as women. And we don't talk with other men so much about physical ailments. As a few women I know would say, Men are fucked up!
So WTF? This is not rocket science! Early detection of a medical issue is the best way to improve treatment and management. Without it, a treatable situation can turn deadly.
If you be a male and you haven't been seeing a doc or Nurse prac regularly, then get to it and stop putting it off. You need baseline info so that as you age you have something to base your increase of decrease of whatever.
And ask your sig other, your partner, or friend to accompany you during the visit into the doc office while they are examining you cause four eyes and four ears are much better than two. I am fortunate that Anita has come with me to most of my doc appointments. And I to hers.
These are some exams that men should have on a regular basis.(Says Mayo)
Regular physical exams
Men older than 50 should have a yearly physical exam, and men younger than 50 should have a physical exam every three to five years. Even if you're feeling healthy, a regular checkup with your health care team is a good way to validate your health or identify a problem in its early stages.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm
For men between 65 and 75 who have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm screening ultrasound. According to Mayo Clinic, an abdominal aortic aneurysm is an enlarged area in the lower part of the aorta, the major blood vessel that supplies blood to the body. Because the aorta is the body's main supplier of blood, a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm can cause life-threatening bleeding. Men over 60 with family history of abdominal aortic aneurysm should consider regular screening.
Blood pressure
A blood pressure reading is a good indication to many aspects of your health. High blood pressure can lead to many physical problems, especially those associated with the heart.You should have your blood pressure checked at least every two years. However, talk to your health care professional about having it checked more frequently if you have high blood pressure or are at risk of developing high blood pressure.
Cholesterol
Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol may pose serious risks to your health and well-being. Starting at age 18, men at average risk for heart disease should have a cholesterol screening every five years. If you have a family history of high cholesterol or heart attacks, smoke, eat a poor diet, are overweight, have diabetes, are physically inactive or older than 45, you may need more frequent testing.
Diabetes
If you're older than 45 or have a body mass index above 25, no matter your age, the American Diabetes Association recommends you be screened for diabetes. Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes symptoms can happen slowly and may not be noticeable, so staying aware of your blood sugar levels and risk of developing diabetes is important.
Colon cancer
Colon cancer screening should begin at age 45 or 10 years prior to the diagnosis of colon cancer in an immediate relative. For example, get screened at age 36 if your mother was diagnosed at age 46. A colonoscopy is a traditional, effective procedure to identify colon cancer or precancerous polyps. A more recent noninvasive option available is a take-home test to screen for colon cancer.
Prostate cancer
Many organizations advise men to be screened for prostate cancer starting at age 50. Often a simple blood test, a PSA, will do. Or sometimes, instead of giving it, you'll get the finger.
Lung cancer
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force recommends annual screening for lung cancer with a low-dose CT. Lung screening is for adults ages 50 to 80 years who have a 20-pack-per-year smoking history, currently smoke, or have quit within the past 15 years. Screening can be stopped when a person has not smoked for 15 years or develops a health problem that substantially limits life expectancy.
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FOR WOMEN and men
Women too, should get regular checkups.
However this article about Menopause is important for both women and men. It goes into detail about the myths and reality about a time of importance in all women's lives that has not been researched well, nor discussed in a way that informs women what is happening to their bodies.
It is a physical condition that when not understood can put a strain on relationships. "Jeez all I said to Shirley is that it really isn't that hot!"
"...in general, menopausal women have been underserved — an oversight that she considers one of the great blind spots of medicine. “It suggests that we have a high cultural tolerance for women’s suffering,” Thurston says. “It’s not regarded as important.”"
...............TECH................
MONETIZING FOOD BUYING There is nothing that capitalism cannot monetize. Although we are a consumptive society, it is data-information that is key to get us to buy those products and manipulate our behavior. At every turn of any device, we are being tracked. Where we go, where we are, what we do, who we talk to and how long, where we eat and what we eat, when do your periods occur, how often we take meds, what meds do we take, how much time on each device, and on and on. If we were able to see the complete picture of ourselves from all the companies that track us, there would be some outraged peeps. And almost all of your data that is collected and sold, most often without your consent or payment-is an effort to achieve the corporate dream of individual micro targeting you, just you, to buy their stuff. Can it be that embedded chips in our bodies, already being experimented with, are that far away? Kroger (Frys) and Albertsons (Safeway) want to merge creating a huge conglomerate that along with Walmart would control almost 50% of the grocery market. If the merger is allowed, you can bet that small stores in rural areas, think Bisbee Safeway! will be closed with lost jobs and convenience for some and lifelines for others gone. Read about it here: https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/02/16/forget-milk-and-eggs-supermarkets-are-having-a-fire-sale-on-data-about-you <><><><>
chatGPT
This open source computer pattern learning software ,chatGPT, is here, in use, and the growth has been extraordinarily rapid. The natural language conversational chatbot is the fastest growing app ever and is being used in a wide variety of ways, from writing term papers to making complex business decisions to writing code; it is a very important development. As such I've included several articles about what it is, how it works, and my own use of it.
There have been initial examples of Microsoft's Bing search engine, getting very personal with responses in a 'conversation' with a reporter. Now fixed by Microsoft, the responses brought up the huge fear of artificial learning, (AI) software learning so fast and so quickly that it surpasses human intelligence and takes over the world. While those fears have heretofore not been well grounded, the chatGPT early usage problems has resurrected those fears.
Please read the articles below as an intro into this amazing development in Artificial Intelligence.
This is a primer on AI:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/24/ai-artificial-intelligence-chatbots-to-deepfakes
A New York Times article describing chatGPT; a good intro to this form of AI
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/chatbots-explained.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20230302&instance_id=86649&nl=the-morning®i_id=61005435&segment_id=126660&te=1&user_id=a6554dadaad9c455c1d11820a9266cd5
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On google search, users, and the new AI
https://www.cnet.com/science/features/are-we-ready-for-a-world-without-google-search/?ftag=CAD-04-10aac3a&utm_
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A more extensive article about chatGPT
This thorough article is about what the new chatGPT is and is not, what it does and does not.
"OpenAI’s technology (chatGPT), while complex, is based on the simple idea of pattern matching and extension. If you feed the pattern-matching engine every work of Shakespeare, you can then ask it to write more Shakespeare, and it will generate new text in the style of Shakespeare. "
and this
"ChatGPT-inspired systems will undoubtedly take over from today’s weak support chatbots and start replacing human customer-support representatives. The writing is on the wall for higher-end jobs too. Research assistants of all kinds may be replaced by programs that can summarize the current state of knowledge on any subject, at least what’s available on the Internet. “Content farm” websites already use the likes of GPT to auto-generate text—when will it be good enough for mid-tier sites writing about sports, movies, celebrities, and any other topic where speed, quantity, and low cost are more important than a human journalist’s quality, accuracy, and voice? Will lawyers lose simple bread-and-butter contract work to AIs? (Answer: yes.)"
"ChatGPT really is the leading edge of a massive wave of AI that’s about to wash over society. You can see in the many dialogues posted online that it’s pretty good at answering questions and being pleasantly conversational."
https://tidbits.com/2022/12/09/chatgpt-the-future-of-ai-is-here/
Bing's chatbot goes wonky
(https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/16/technology/bing-chatbot-microsoft-chatgpt.html)
..........These are a few articles debunking the claims about chatGPT.
ChatAI...A Bullshit Generator https://aisnakeoil.substack.com/p/chatgpt-is-a-bullshit-generator-but
Snake Oil https://www.cs.princeton.edu/~arvindn/talks/MIT-STS-AI-snakeoil.pdf
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I opened an account to use it myself, it is free, to explore the capabilities and Haysus Christo! it is boggling how amazing it is. I've copied a few questions below and the Chat's answer so you can see for yourself. Posing the questions took a few seconds. Answering the questions took less than 20 seconds! One of the advantages is, as an article points out, that when asking a question or seeking info, the bot answers in complete sentences, as opposed to a google search that refers a user to other sites.
(Go here for how to open an account: https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-chatgpt/ or go the source and do it at: https://chat.openai.com. It's kinda fun in a scary sort of way.)
I asked these questions of chatGPT:
Should the Cochise County supervisors vote to give election duties to the county recorder?
This was the answer:
As an AI language model, I cannot provide a specific answer to this question without more information about the specific situation and context. However, I can provide some general information that may be helpful in understanding the issue.In general, the duties of elections and voter registration are typically handled by a county elections office or department, which is overseen by an elected official such as a county clerk or recorder. The specific duties and responsibilities of these officials may vary depending on the state and local laws.
If there is a proposal to transfer election duties from the county supervisors to the county recorder, the decision should be based on a variety of factors, including the capacity and resources of each office, the expertise and qualifications of the staff, and the potential impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of the election process.
It is important for the county supervisors to carefully evaluate the proposal and consider input from stakeholders such as the county clerk or recorder, election officials, and members of the public before making a decision. The decision should be made based on what is in the best interests of the county and its voters.
A second question.....Is tourism good for Bisbee Arizona?
The response was this:
Tourism can have both positive and negative impacts on a destination, including Bisbee, Arizona. Here are some potential benefits and drawbacks to consider:
Benefits of tourism in Bisbee, Arizona:
Economic benefits: Tourism can bring in revenue and create job opportunities, which can be beneficial for the local economy.
Promotion of local culture and heritage: Tourism can help showcase the unique history, art, and culture of Bisbee to visitors from around the world, which can help preserve and promote these important aspects of the local community.
Increased investment: Tourism can attract investment to the area, including investment in local infrastructure, facilities, and services.
Drawbacks of tourism in Bisbee, Arizona:
Overtourism: Too much tourism can lead to overcrowding and strain on local resources, which can negatively impact the quality of life for residents.
Environmental impact: Tourism can have a negative impact on the environment, including increased pollution, energy use, and waste production.
Cultural changes: Tourism can lead to changes in local culture and values, which can be detrimental to the community's identity and way of life.
Overall, the impact of tourism on Bisbee, Arizona will depend on how it is managed and balanced with the needs and interests of local residents. With proper planning and management, tourism can bring economic benefits and promote the unique culture and heritage of Bisbee while minimizing negative impacts on the environment and local community.
A third Question...How much water does 9000 cows consume daily
(Riverview Dairy in Sulphur Springs valley has a capacity of 9000 or more cows.)
The amount of water that 9,000 cows consume daily can vary depending on a variety of factors, such as temperature, humidity, and the moisture content of their feed. On average, a cow will consume between 20 and 50 gallons of water per day, which includes both drinking water and water used for other purposes, such as cleaning and cooling.
Assuming an average consumption rate of 35 gallons per day per cow, a herd of 9,000 cows would consume approximately 315,000 gallons of water per day. However, it's important to note that this is a rough estimate and actual water consumption can vary based on a variety of factors. Additionally, dairy farms typically work to manage their water usage in a sustainable and responsible manner, using best practices such as recycling and reusing water when possible.
............... WORD...............
Speakers of world varieties of English are remaking its vocabulary to better express their identities, cultures and everyday realities. In Hong Kong, people exclaim add oil as a show of encouragement or support-a reference to petrol being injected into an engine.
In Nigeria, a mama put is a street-food stall, and its name comes from the way that its customers usually order food: they say “Mama, put …” to the woman running the stall, and point to the dish they want so it can be put on their plate.
Meanwhile, the Japanese have invented, and South Koreans have popularised, the word skinship, a blend of the words skin and kinship that refers to the close physical contact between parent and child or between lovers or friends.
In Oxford University Press’s Gift of Words campaign this year, they have asked people who speak more than one language to “gift” a word from their first to their second language, if there wasn't a direct equivalent in English: Natsukashii (Japanese)... Nostalgia for past joys and good memories.
Akshaya (Sanskrit)...Eternal or everlasting sense of happiness, success, and hopes
gezellig (Dutch)...a sense of cosiness and togetherness) nomakanjani (isiZulu)...come what may
Apapachar (Spanish)...Hugging with your soul. An expression of genuinely caring for someone else and treating them with kindness, support or empathy. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/12/english-words-world-global-speakers-language
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