Homeless in Arizona

I believe in a strong national defense

We must balance the federal budget, but we need to do it the right way

Source

Arizona Democrats weigh in on federal budget, entitlements

Jul. 18, 2012 08:00 AM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Could the federal government spend taxpayer money more wisely? Excerpts follow from Democrats in the Ninth Congressional District. Read the Republican responses here.

Question: How would you propose to balance the federal budget?

Andrei Cherny: The federal government's programs should be consolidated to reduce duplication. Fifteen federal agencies enforce 30 food-related laws. A single food-safety agency would create economies of scale and streamline the regulation process.

David Schapira: We cannot universally cut or tax our way out of debt. In Congress, I will work to create a balanced solution that asks millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share and finds cost savings by increasing government efficiency, eliminating subsidies to Big Oil and bringing a responsible end to the war in Afghanistan.

Kyrsten Sinema: I support keeping rates low for middle-class families, and even lowering rates paid by corporations if we are willing to close the enormous loopholes that some large businesses use. I believe in a strong national defense but also believe there can be adjustments in the we way spend our defense resources.

Q: Do you support entitlement reform and, if so, what kind?

Cherny: For programs that protect Americans -- Social Security and Medicare -- we need to protect them now more than ever because of the declining wealth of the middle class. I have the experience working in the Clinton White House and as an adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in 2005 to win the battles to protect Social Security from privatization.

Schapira: Since its creation, Social Security has not added one penny to the deficit. In fact, Social Security currently has a surplus of more than $2.7 trillion. Starting in 2033, Social Security will face a budget shortfall that can be solved by removing the earnings cap, which allows millionaires and billionaires to pay a lower rate than the rest of us. We can fulfill the sacred promise that Social Security and Medicare represent to our seniors without cutting benefits or raising the retirement age.

Sinema: We must balance the federal budget, but we need to do it the right way, by protecting Social Security and Medicare, not asking seniors to sacrifice their dignity. With modest adjustments, the system can be made solvent. Medicare is a bigger challenge. We must focus on preventive medicine and carefully monitor the experiments with outcome-based payments.

Union Members vote for Kyrsten Sinema

Kyrsten Sinema for US Congress

When Kyrsten Sinema was a member of the Arizona State House and Senate I believe she voted for more taxes and government pork then any other member of the Arizona House or Arizona Senate.

In fact one conservative group jokingly gave her an award for being the biggest tax and spend legicritter in the state of Arizona.

Kyrsten Sinema showed up to their meeting to accept the award.

So if you think the government knows how to spend your money better then you do, you certainly want to vote for Kyrsten Sinema for US Congress.

Kyrsten Sinema is a gun grabber too

I consider any country where only the government rulers are allowed to have guns a police state.

I am sure Kyrsten Sinema disagrees with me on that and thinks that us serfs can't be trusted to have guns and that only government rulers should have guns.

So remember if you want to live in a police state where only our government masters have guns, you want to cast your vote for Kyrsten Sinema.

Source

Democrats propose a 300% Sales Tax on Medical Marijuana?? January 27, 2011

By MMJ MOD

By: www.ArizonaMMJ.com

January 27th 8:31am

That’s right folks. We can’t even make something like that, who would want to? It’s like a bad nightmare of a proposal that ultimately will affect patients the most. I wonder why they don’t tax Viagra 300%?

It is our opinion that Medical Marijuana should be taxed at the same rate as anything else in our state, around the 7% rate. 300% is simply unacceptable and you need to speak out and let your representatives know about it.

It is important to keep in mind that Dispensaries in this state will struggle greatly due to proposed expenses already that are required to be incurred by the AZDHS. Very few will turn a profit in the first 2 years. Adding a 300% sales tax to the product will simply get passed onto the patient as there is simply no place else to put it.

Speak up!

http://www.facebook.com/SteveFarleyAZ The sponsor of this Legislation is Steve Farley:

Also introduced by Democrats Krysten Sinema http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=10042921&sk=wall and David Schapira http://www.facebook.com/davidforaz

Here is it, the new HB 2557 Bill in it’s entirety:

http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/50leg/1r/bills/hb2557p.pdf

Source

Drug Cartel Empowerment Act: Arizona Legislature proposes 300% sales tax on medical marijuana by Pamela Powers Hannley on Jan. 26, 2011, under Arizona, Arizona Legislature, medical marijuana, nanny state, taxes, Tom Horne

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced today on the John C. Scott Show that it would be legal in Arizona to impose sales tax on medical marijuana. Although drug prescriptions are not subject to sales tax in Arizona, Horne said the medical marijuana law does not label the medical marijuana prescriptions specifically as a “prescription.”

At first I was annoyed but not surprised by this political maneuver from Horne. In my opinion, if medical marijuana is provided to a patient to alleviate symptoms of disease or symptoms of treatment– which is how the law is written– then it should be considered a drug and, therefore, not taxable. If marijuana were legalized and considered a recreational drug like alcohol or tobacco, it should be taxed at the same rate as other consumer goods (6.6%), which is the tax rate that I thought Horne was suggesting.

But no, that is not the case. In the Arizona Legislature today, several representatives– including southern Arizona Democrats Steve Farley, Bruce Wheeler, Olivia Cajero-Bedford, and Paula Aboud and others– sponsored a bill to charge 300% sales tax on medical marijuana– not the normal 6.6% base state sales tax. (How can this be legal?)

All I can say is WTF are you thinking? Do you have any idea how expensive cancer treatment is? Why would you think it appropriate to add 300% sales tax on one of the few (hopefully) affordable drugs available to these poor people? This is unconscionable.

Loyal readers, it’s time to contact the Arizona Legislature. Here is contact information for the Arizona House of Representatives (where Farley and Wheeler are) and the state Senate (where Aboud, Cajero-Bedford and Kyrsten Sinema [from Phoenix] are). For a full list of sponsors, check out the bill here.

I agree with the Phoenix Chapter of NORML, HB2557 should be called the Drug Cartel Empowerment Act because all it will do is promote the marijuana black market, supplied by violent cartels.

Source

This Just in, AZ getting screwed again.

Arizona Legislators Introduce HB 2557 to Overturn Voters Approval of Proposition 203 | Arizona Medical Marijuana Law

The voters of Arizona spoke when a majority approved Proposition 203. Now a group of elected elites who know what is best for the people of Arizona introduced House Bill 2557 (aka the “Don’t Divert Money from the Drug Cartels Act”) on January 26, 2011, for the sole purpose of killing Arizona’s medical marijuana industry before it begins.

Yesterday Arizona’s Attorney General Tom Horne issued a press release that said Arizona could impose a sales tax on medical marijuana and he estimated Arizona would collect $40 million in badly needed revenue. If HB 2557 passes, Arizona can kiss the medical marijuana industry good bye, which means no need for the 125 would be dispensaries to hire thousands of employees, security personnel, growers, transporters and the many other types of ancillary jobs that the industry would generate.

Here is the key language in HB 2557. It will amend Arizona Revised Statutes Section 42-5010 by adding the following as new subsection A.5 to read:

The tax imposed by this article is levied and shall be collected at the following rates:

THREE HUNDRED PER CENT OF THE TAX BASE AS COMPUTED FOR THE BUSINESS OF EVERY PERSON ENGAGING OR CONTINUING IN THIS STATE IN THE NONPROFIT MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY CLASSIFICATION DESCRIBED IN SECTION 42-5077.

HB 2557 will add the following new section 42-5077 to Arizona’s statutes:

42-5077. Nonprofit medical marijuana dispensary classification

A. THE NONPROFIT MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY CLASSIFICATION IS COMPRISED OF THE BUSINESS OF SELLING OR DISPENSING MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO QUALIFYING PATIENTS PURSUANT TO TITLE 36, CHAPTER 28.1.

B. THE TAX BASE FOR THE NONPROFIT MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY CLASSIFICATION IS THE GROSS PROCEEDS OR GROSS INCOME DERIVED FROM THE BUSINESS.

C. IF A PERSON WHO IS ENGAGED IN BUSINESS AS A NONPROFIT MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY ALSO SELLS OTHER TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY AT RETAIL, THE PERSON’S BOOKS MUST SEPARATELY ACCOUNT FOR SALES OF THE OTHER TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY, AND IF NOT SO KEPT THE TAX UNDER THIS SECTION APPLIES TO THE TOTAL OF THE PERSON’S ENTIRE GROSS PROCEEDS OR GROSS INCOME FROM THE BUSINESS.

If you want Arizona to have legalized medical marijuana, you must tell your legislators to impose a reasonable tax on medical marijuana of 5% – 7%. Here’s the contact information for the Arizona legislators who introduced this bill and who want to overturn the vote of a majority of Arizonans. Send these people emails, letters and faxes and let them know you oppose outrageous sales tax on medical marijuana.

Senator Kyrsten Sinema D
Phone: (602) 926-5058
Email: ksinema@azleg.gov

Sentator Olivia Cajero Bedford, D
Phone: (602) 926-5835
Fax: (602) 417-3027 Email: ocajerobedford@azleg.gov

Senator David Schapira, D
Phone: (602) 926-3028
Email: dschapira@azleg.gov

Steve Farley, D
Phone Number: (602) 926-3022
Email Address: sfarley@azleg.gov

This web page lists a whole bunch of articles about Kyrsten Sinema's outrageous 300 percent tax on medical marijuana.

Arizona Democrats weigh in on federal budget, entitlements

District 9 race: 3 Democrats in heated primary

by Rebekah L. Sanders - Aug. 5, 2012 10:56 PM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Three of Arizona's rising Democrats -- Andrei Cherny, David Schapira, and Kyrsten Sinema -- are pitted against one another in the race for Congress in District 9.

The former state party chair and two experienced state legislators were drawn by a rare political opportunity: an open seat that Democrats have a shot at winning.

The district, a toss-up with no incumbent running, was added during recent redistricting to reflect Arizona's population growth. Slightly more Republican voters than Democrats live in the district, which includes parts of Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler and Mesa. But the voters bucked the statewide trend in 2008 to support President Barack Obama.

As the Aug. 28 primary approaches, the contest has grown increasingly heated.

At a news conference this spring, for example, Sinema and Schapira supporters denounced Cherny for racially provocative mailers he sent in a campaign a decade ago. Cherny rebounded with a news release in which former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard slammed the two for peddling a "smear."

Most of the venom, though, has flowed between Sinema and Cherny, each of whom sees the other as the main competition.

"We have three strong people that want to have a voice in Washington," said John Chiazza, chair of the Greater Eastern Maricopa Democrats, who knows the candidates and is watching the race from the sidelines. "Any one of those three is going to be able to battle the Republican" in the general election.

Chiazza says the primary race has turned ugly, but "after the 28th (of August), ... everybody's going to get behind that one person and push that one person forward," he said.

But the attacks could weaken the eventual Democratic nominee, as Republican strategists say they're looking forward to using much of the same opposition research in the fall, especially if it's Sinema, whom they plan to paint as a radical liberal using her activism and inflammatory comments over the past 10 years. Seven Republicans are vying for the GOP nomination.

Andrei Cherny

Cherny, 37, says he wants everyone to be able to achieve the American Dream of succeeding despite tough beginnings.

The son of poor Czech immigrants, he graduated from Harvard University with the help of federal loans and became a speechwriter in then-President Bill Clinton's White House.

Cherny worked the next dozen years in Democratic circles, advising candidates including President Barack Obama, writing books, founding political journals and last year chairing the Arizona Democratic Party.

Cherny says the government programs that helped him are under attack, and the middle class is losing out. "The basic idea of America is you can work hard and get ahead, and that is disappearing before our eyes," he said.

Cherny proposes to change the system by limiting the influence of lobbyists, calling the ethics reforms he has proposed the toughest in the country. He pledges to disclose meetings with lobbyists, if elected, and not accept gifts. In the current election, he has collected about $8,000 in donations from roughly a dozen currently registered lobbyists, although many also list professions such as attorney and insurance broker.

Cherny says he'll hold Wall Street accountable. He points to two years as a white-collar-crime prosecutor in the Arizona Attorney General's Office and his assistance to current Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren in proposing a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Cherny published Warren's credo in his policy journal Democracy in 2007 and hired a public-relations firm to generate support.

Critics argue that Cherny is a brilliant policy wonk who rides on others' coattails.

Cherny lost a campaign for Arizona state treasurer two years ago and a California state legislative race in 2002. In his campaigns, he has trumpeted ties to Clinton and former Vice President Al Gore, plastering this year's mailers and a television ad with photos of him with the former president and lists of the Clinton administration's major accomplishments. Clinton last month called Cherny a "critical part" of his team.

Cherny has come under criticism from his opponents and some rank-and-file Democrats.

They have bristled over Cherny telling a "tea party" group two years ago that he opposed the Affordable Care Act. His critics say Cherny was pandering to the conservative group. Though he didn't elaborate at the time, Cherny says now that he meant the health-care law needed improvements and didn't go far enough. He promises to push for a public option.

Cherny called for partial privatization of Social Security in one of his books, written before the economic collapse, though he advocated keeping some money untouchable in case of a financial crisis. Democratic opponents say the proposal mimics Republican ideas and betrays the safety-net program. Cherny's campaign counters that he called Social Security a "sacred trust" in the book and made the proposal when the federal government had a budget surplus that could back the program.

Since then, Cherny helped to write a book by Obama that set forth the president's policy positions. The book, "Change We Can Believe In," has a policy plan to "oppose any attempt to privatize Social Security."

David Schapira

Schapira, 32, says he is a community organizer at heart.

Too young to run for legislative office after college, Schapira became a high-school teacher and began volunteering on Democratic campaigns.

Once he could run, in 2006, Schapira knocked on thousands of Tempe doors to defeat a Republican incumbent in the state House of Representatives, becoming the Legislature's youngest member at the time. He gained early success as a freshman, passing one of the country's toughest DUI laws.

Schapira has built his ground game since then, resulting in a state Senate seat in 2010 and a minority-leader position. His wide web of local connections is likely to be an asset in the race. Schapira has lived in the district most of his life and represented a large part of it at the state Capitol. Though Cherny and Sinema have lived near the district and done work in it, Schapira argues he is more deeply rooted.

Schapira has not attracted as many heavy-hitter endorsements as his opponents, though he recently secured the backing of a longtime Tempe public servant, former U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell.

Schapira's main issue is education. He says teaching at his old Phoenix high school was frustrating.

"The system was not set up in the best way to help students succeed," Schapira said.

He has pushed for alternative ways for students to pass the AIMS test to graduate, advocated higher salaries and loan forgiveness for teachers and opposed budget cuts to education. He sits on the Tempe Union High School District governing board and says he wants to go to Congress to reshape the federal No Child Left Behind education policy.

Democratic activists credit Schapira with helping in the recall of state Sen. Russell Pearce, the author of the controversial immigration law Senate Bill 1070, whom Democrats keenly wanted out of office.

Schapira's campaign has struggled to keep up financially with his competitors. At the end of June, Cherny had $470,000 in the bank, Sinema had $360,000 and Schapira had $40,000, compromising his ability to buy television ads and mailers needed to reach voters. Schapira's campaign says its strategy is grass-roots. And if Sinema and Cherny knock each other out with negative ads, observers say, Schapira could pull through.

Schapira doesn't have the advanced degrees and author credits that his opponents do.

Cherny's campaign has criticized Schapira and Sinema for taking Arizona Cardinals tickets offered to legislators. Schapira says he complied with the law and sponsored legislation this year to tighten ethics laws for legislators.

Kyrsten Sinema

Sinema, 36, says she understands families struggling in the down economy. She remembers going hungry and homeless when her stepfather lost his job.

Sinema harnessed the experience, graduating from high school at 16, earning four university degrees and becoming a Phoenix social worker. She decided politicians didn't understand the needs of the children and families she was working with.

"I went down to the state Capitol because I thought if I could just explain to the state legislators what was going on, they would fix it," Sinema said. "They patted me on the head and asked if I could get them some coffee."

She ran twice for office unsuccessfully, finally winning election to the state House of Representatives in 2004 before she was elected to the state Senate in 2010. She resigned in early 2012 to focus on her congressional campaign.

Sinema has become one of the most recognizable faces of the Democratic Party in Arizona, eager for the spotlight to rail against issues like state budgets cuts to health care for the poor.

She has worked on bills ranging from increased protection for domestic-violence victims to divesting Arizona's retirement funds from genocide-torn Sudan. She garnered Republican support for toughening penalties against owners of drophouses used to corral illegal immigrants. Firefighter and police unions back her, as do women and gay-rights groups.

Sinema pledges to "put aside partisan ideologies" to break Washington gridlock. "Arizona has a long history of practical and pragmatic individuals in Congress, from Barry Goldwater to Mo Udall," she said.

But critics say Sinema has a history of far-left stances that make her unelectable in the fall.

In the early 2000s, she was a Green Party spokeswoman and helped lead anti-war protests, in one case wearing a pink tutu. She said she did not support keeping Luke Air Force Base open. In 2006, she criticized women who stay at home, "leeching off their husbands," for claiming they are feminists because they made the decision to do so. More recently, she came under fire for comments about getting along with Pearce, the SB 1070 immigration-law author.

Sinema has tried to soften her image. Her campaign argues many Americans now regret going to war. The campaign says Sinema supports Luke Air Force Base and stay-at-home moms, pointing to votes in support of both, including working on legislation to allow mothers to breast-feed in public and to help military spouses get jobs when transferred to Arizona. Sinema says she gets along with Pearce but does not agree with his immigration position.

More on this topic

Candidates

Andrei Cherny

Age: 37.

Education: Bachelor's degree, Harvard University; law degree, University of California-Berkeley.

Family: Wife Stephanie, two children.

Work experience: Former Arizona assistant attorney general; White House speechwriter; 2000 Democratic policy-platform director; Center for American Progress senior fellow; policy journals editor; U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer.

Previous public office(s): N/A.

David Schapira

Age: 32.

Education: Bachelor's degree, George Washington University.

Family: Wife Rosemary, two daughters.

Work experience: Arizona State University adjunct faculty member; former small-business owner; high-school teacher; American Cancer Society community-development manager; Web designer; campaign manager; educational non-profit vice president.

Previous public office(s): State representative 2007-10; state senator 2011-present; state Senate minority leader 2011-present; Tempe Union High School District governing-board member 2011-present.

Kyrsten Sinema

Age: 36.

Education: Bachelor's degree, Brigham Young University. Master's degree, law degree and doctorate, Arizona State University.

Family: Single.

Work experience: Arizona State University adjunct faculty member; former Center for Progressive Leadership instructor; former social worker.

Previous public office(s): State representative 2005-11; assistant House minority leader 2009-10; state senator 2011-12.

Kyrsten Sinema is an atheist

I normally would vote for an atheist because I know they won't be passing silly laws which mix government and religion.

But in the case of Kyrsten Sinema she is tax and spend tyrant and even if she is an atheist I would not vote for her because seems to seem to want to remove every last penny from my wallet so she can give it to special interest groups that help her get elected.

Kyrsten Sinema is gay

Again I consider the fact that Kyrsten Sinema is gay to be good.

I know she isn't going to be passing any of those silly laws our Christian bible bashers pass against gays, lesbians, and homosexuals.

But in the case of Kyrsten Sinema she is tax and spend tyrant and even if she is gay I would not vote for her because seems to seem to want to remove every last penny from my wallet so she can give it to special interest groups that help her get elected.

Kyrsten Sinema is members of the Green Party

I am tired of the Republican and Democratic parties dominating politics nationwide and I think it's good to have more people register as third party members because it dilutes the power of the Republicans and Democrats. I my self am a Libertarian.

But I also think Kyrsten Sinema is hypocrite because she is running as a Democrat not as a Green.

When Kyrsten Sinema first ran for office she ran as an Independent because the Green Party did not have ballot status at that time.

Then Again Kyrsten Sinema to being a Democrat because it made it easier for her to get elected.

Currently in Arizona the Green Party has ballot status and I think Kyrsten Sinema is a hypocrite for not switching back to her true party, which is the Green Party.

I suspect the reason is she knows she can't be elected as a Green Party member.

Kyrsten Sinema is supported by the Police

Any time a person who is supported by the police gets elected into power you are going to have a bigger police state.

A perfect example of that was Kyrsten Sinema attempt to pass a bill which slapped a 300 percent tax on medical marijuana.

That was just a fancy way to effectively make medical marijuana illegal by taxing the krap out of it.

Here are some more articles on that insane 300 percent tax on medical marijuana that Kyrsten Sinema sponsered.

Source

Arizona AG wants to tax medical pot

by Mary K. Reinhart - Jan. 27, 2011 08:20 AM

The Arizona Republic

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and state tax collectors agree that medical marijuana should be taxed like any other retail product, and potential dispensary owners say they expected a levy.

But a bipartisan bill to tax pot at 300 percent is far more than the dispensary crowd had expected.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, said he believes pot should be taxed at roughly the same rate as cigarettes. Farley also acknowledged that the tax rate, if House Bill 2557 passes, could act as a deterrent or at least reduce the amount that people use.

"We all know that not all this will necessarily go to sick people," Farley said. "The cost, even with the tax, will be less than pharmaceutical drugs." [That is a big LIE! Drugs purchased on the black market almost always cost many times drugs which are purchased on the legal market. The price of medical marijuana in California is often more expensive than illegal marijuana purchased on the California black market. A bag of medical marijuana will go from a cost of $50 per ounce to $200 an ounce after the tax is added]

Andrew Myers, executive director of the Arizona Medical Marijuana Association, said such a tax would deal a fatal blow to the fledgling industry and put marijuana out of reach for people who truly need it.

"We're talking about seriously and terminally ill patients," Myers said. "A 300 percent tax would tax everybody out of the market."

Myers, whose group spearheaded the initiative drive, said he supports a standard sales tax levy. It's a recognition by the state, he said, that dispensaries are legitimate businesses that can help stoke the economy.

Horne said Wednesday that medical marijuana falls outside the state sales tax exemption for prescription drugs and should be taxed.

Medical marijuana, under the law approved by voters in November, would be sold to patients with "certification" from their doctors.

"It's not a prescription. It's a written certification," said Anthony Forschino, assistant director of the state Department of Revenue. "It would just be a retail sale. Like buying something off the shelf or over the counter."

The state sales tax is 6.6 percent, with a portion of the revenues going to cities and towns, and 0.6 percent dedicated to K-12 education under a previous ballot measure. Cities also can levy their own tax on dispensary sales.

Proposition 203 allows licensed physicians to recommend medical marijuana to patients with debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's disease.

Patients would register for identification cards with the state Department of Health Services and could receive up to 2½ ounces of marijuana every two weeks.

State health officials expect to grant dispensary licenses by late spring or early summer, following a series of public hearings. Marijuana dispensary owners would have to apply for a sales tax license.

Horne, who opposed Prop 203, said he believes a medical marijuana sales tax could bring in $40 million a year. He said his estimate was based on Colorado's experience.

Colorado has an estimated 100,000 medical marijuana users. It imposes a statewide sales tax, which brought in $2.2 million last year, according to news reports. Denver and Colorado Springs also have collected several hundred thousand dollars in city taxes.

Arizona health director Will Humble has said he anticipates fewer than 20,000 people will get permission to use medical marijuana under the draft rules established by his office.

Source

Medical marijuana sales taxable, Horne says

Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Thursday, January 27, 2011 12:00 am

PHOENIX - Arizonans who get a doctor's recommendation to buy medical marijuana are going to have to shell out a little extra money for the state - and maybe a whole lot more.

Attorney General Tom Horne said Wednesday that the marijuana sold at state-regulated dispensaries being set up under Proposition 203 is subject to the state and local sales taxes.

Horne figures the levy could generate $40 million for the state, based on a Denver Post story on how much marijuana is sold through dispensaries in that community "and applying that pro-rata to the Arizona population."

With that in mind, Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, wants to go further. Much further. With some Republican support, he is proposing a 300 percent tax on marijuana sold at dispensaries.

Farley had no estimate on how much his proposal would bring in. But using Horne's $40 million as a starting point, a 300 percent levy could produce $1.8 billion a year - far more than enough to erase the state's projected $1.1 billion deficit for next year.

Horne acknowledged that the law, approved by voters, specifies only those who have a recommendation from a doctor are entitled to buy the drug, and that prescription sales are tax-exempt.

"But that statute didn't use the word 'prescriptions,' " Horne said. "It used the word 'written certification.' "

That was deliberate.

A 1996 voter-approved law allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana was never implemented because the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency threatened to revoke all prescription-writing privileges of any physician who wrote such an order for a substance that remains illegal under federal law. This new law, mirroring the successful practice in other states, avoids that term.

Horne said as far as he's concerned, that ends the discussion.

"Since they're not prescriptions, then in my view it's taxable, like anything else is taxable," he said.

Horne's finding means the Arizona Department of Revenue will instruct dispensaries to collect not only the 6.6 percent state levy, but any local sales taxes.

Andrew Myers, who managed the pro-203 campaign, expressed some concern.

"We're not wild about the idea of increasing the cost of what essentially is medication for seriously ill people," he said, but no challenge is planned.

But Myers said what Farley wants would be challenged as illegal.

He said it's one thing to tax marijuana like other products. A special tax, Myers said, runs afoul of a constitutional provision barring lawmakers from altering voter-approved measures.

Farley, however, said the tax is justified. He said a 300 percent levy puts the tax on marijuana at the same general level as the tax on cigarettes, which are subject to a $2-per-pack levy.

"People use cigarettes as an over-the-counter medication for various types of things," he said. He also doubts imposing the tax alters what voters approved.

Anyway, Farley said, those who really need the marijuana won't mind paying the extra fee. He figures marijuana sells for $40 an ounce, meaning the sales price, tax and all, would be $160.

Myers said $40 marijuana is a "myth," and the actual price at dispensaries will be 10 times that, putting medical marijuana out of reach of many in need, particularly since the drug is not covered by health insurance.

Source

Arizona Legislature proposes 300% sales tax on medical marijuana

Submitted by Jesse Wentzloff

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne announced today on the John C. Scott Show that it would be legal in Arizona to impose sales tax on medical marijuana. Although drug prescriptions are not subject to sales tax in Arizona, Horne said the medical marijuana law does not label the medical marijuana prescriptions specifically as a “prescription.”

At first I was annoyed but not surprised by this political maneuver from Horne. In my opinion, if medical marijuana is provided to a patient to alleviate symptoms of disease or symptoms of treatment– which is how the law is written– then it should be considered a drug and, therefore, not taxable. If marijuana were legalized and considered a recreational drug like alcohol or tobacco, it should be taxed at the same rate as other consumer goods (6.6%), which is the tax rate that I thought Horne was suggesting.

But no, that is not the case. In the Arizona Legislature today, several representatives– including southern Arizona Democrats Steve Farley, Bruce Wheeler, Olivia Cajero-Bedford, and Paula Aboud and others– sponsored a bill to charge 300% sales tax on medical marijuana– not the normal 6.6% base state sales tax. (How can this be legal?)

All I can say is WTF are you thinking? Do you have any idea how expensive cancer treatment is? Why would you think it appropriate to add 300% sales tax on one of the few (hopefully) affordable drugs available to these poor people? This is unconscionable.

Loyal readers, it’s time to contact the Arizona Legislature. Here is contact information for the Arizona House of Representatives (where Farley and Wheeler are) and the state Senate (where Aboud, Cajero-Bedford and Kyrsten Sinema [from Phoenix] are). For a full list of sponsors, check out the bill here.

I agree with the Phoenix Chapter of NORML, HB2557 should be called the Drug Cartel Empowerment Act because all it will do is promote the marijuana black market, supplied by violent cartels.

Source

Lawmaker proposes 300 percent tax on medical marijuana

Thu, 01/27/2011 - 00:18

By Howard Fischer

Capitol Media Services

PHOENIX — Arizonans who get a doctor’s recommendation to buy medical marijuana are going to have to shell out at least a little extra money for the state — if not a whole lot.

But users, legal and otherwise, will still be able to wrap the drug in cigar-paper “blunts.”

Attorney General Tom Horne said Wednesday that the marijuana sold at state-regulated dispensaries being set up under Proposition 203 is subject to the 6.6 percent sales tax.

Horne acknowledged that the law, approved by voters, spells out only those who have a specific recommendation from a doctor are entitled to purchase the drug. And he said that prescription sales are exempt from the levy.

“But that statute didn’t use the word ‘prescriptions,’ ” Horne said. “It used the word ‘written certification.’”

That was deliberate.

A 1996 voter-approved law allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana was never implemented because the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency threatened to revoke all prescription-writing privileges of any physician who wrote such an order for a substance that remains illegal under federal law. This new law, mirroring the successful practice in other states, avoids that term.

Horne said that, as far as he’s concerned, that ends the discussion.

“Since they’re not prescriptions, then, in my view, it’s taxable like anything else is taxable,” he said.

With that in mind, Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, wants to go further — much further. With some Republican support, he is proposing a 300 percent tax on marijuana sold at dispensaries.

Farley agreed that voters decided in November that marijuana is a legitimate drug for the treatment of certain ailments. The measure contains various restrictions, notably that requirement to first get a doctor’s recommendation.

“I just want to charge a co-pay,” he said.

The amount of money at issue is nothing to sneeze at. Horne figures the 6.6 percent levy could generate $40 million for the state, an estimate he said is based on a Denver Post story based on how much marijuana is sold through dispensaries in that community “and applying that prorata to the Arizona population.”

Farley had no estimate. But using Horne’s $40 million as a starting point, a 300 percent levy could produce $1.8 billion a year.

Andrew Myers, who managed the pro-203 campaign, expressed some concern with Horne’s conclusion. “We’re not wild about the idea of increasing the cost of what essentially is medication for seriously ill people,” he said.

But Myers said what Farley wants would be challenged as illegal.

He said it’s one thing to tax marijuana like other products. A special tax, Myers said, runs afoul of constitutional provision barring lawmakers from altering voter-approved measures.

Farley, however, said the tax is justified, saying that 300 percent level puts the tax on marijuana at the same general level as cigarettes, which are subject to a $2-a-pack levy.

“People use cigarettes as an over-the-counter medication for various types of things,” he said. Nor was he convinced that the voter-approved status of marijuana as a legitimate drug to treat certain ailments makes it different.

Anyway, Farley said those who really need the marijuana won’t mind paying the extra fee. He figures marijuana sells for $40 an ounce, meaning the sales price, tax and all, would be $160.

Myers reacted with incredulity.

“Forty-dollar-an-ounce marijuana is a myth,” he said, saying the price from dispensaries elsewhere is more like 10 times that — and putting the cost out of reach of many in need, particularly since the drug is not covered by health insurance.

Farley said he does believe that some people probably could benefit from marijuana. But he argued the real impetus comes from those who eventually hope to legalize the drug entirely for recreational use.

“And if that’s the direction they want to go in, then we might as well tax the heck out of it and benefit from it,” he said.

The issue of how people might smoke the drug, legally or otherwise, comes in an attempt to outlaw the sale of the specialized rolling papers in Arizona.

“Blunt wraps” are rolling papers with some tobacco content. They are officially marketed to those who want to make their own cigars rather than buying one prerolled, most of which are done by machine.

On Wednesday, members of the Senate Committee on Commerce and Energy scrapped, at least temporarily, legislation proposed by the Cigar Association of America to ban the manufacture, sale or distribution of blunt wraps.

Lobbyist Steve Barclay told lawmakers there is no legitimate use for the papers. He said any claim by manufacturers and retailers that people are rolling their own cigars is belied by the fact that far more papers are sold than tobacco to fill them.

But Ron Tully, vice president of National Tobacco Co. said those arguments are a smoke screen.

“It’s a commercial plea to squeeze us out of the market,” he said. Tully told lawmakers that the products his company sells, including the line of ZigZag rolling papers, is crowding cigars off the counters of convenience stores.

Anyway, Tully said, the term “blunts” for a marijuana cigar actually comes from the original practice of drug users hollowing out a short, fat cigar, called a blunt, and replacing the tobacco. That practice, he said, would remain legal.

Sen. Michele Reagan, R-Scottsdale, who sponsored the legislation, pulled it from consideration amid various questions, including the idea of having Arizona ban an otherwise-legal product. But Reagan said she may recraft it, narrowing it to only ban the sale of these items to minors.

Tully said his firm has no problem with that.

It's all about money!!!!!

District 9 Democrats locked in funding battle

by Ronald J. Hansen and Rebekah L. Sanders - Aug. 17, 2012 09:59 PM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Andrei Cherny and Kyrsten Sinema were locked in a tight fundraising battle over the past month in their bids for the Democratic nomination in Arizona's new 9th Congressional District, campaign finance records show.

By comparison, David Schapira, the other Democrat in that race, was well behind and nearly out of money as of the Aug. 8 close of the reporting period, the records show.

With less than two weeks to gobefore the Aug. 28 primary, Schapira has been missing on television and sent only a few mailers. During the reporting period, the state senator raised $33,000 and had just $14,000 left to spend.

Campaign manager DJ Quinlan said that's fine with him. The campaign's focus has been on knocking on doors, he said.

"We like being the underdog, frankly. We like Kyrsten and Andrei fighting over who has the better FEC (Federal Election Commission) numbers," Quinlan said. "There's no amount of money they have that's going to match the amount of voter contact we've done in the past month."

Cherny, the former Arizona Democratic Party chairman, raised $127,000 between July 1 and Aug. 8 and had $289,000 in cash entering the final leg of the primary.

Spokesman Seth Scott said the campaign planned to "spend every dime" before the primary, arguing that the race is close, despite a recent Republican poll that indicated Cherny's support is lagging. Scott said negative attacks from Sinema prove Cherny's still competitive.

Sinema's campaign consultant, Rodd McLeod, criticized Cherny for relying on large donations from outside Arizona, despite Sinema also receiving support from special-interest groups and donors out of state.

But McLeod noted that Sinema, a former state senator, has raised a greater share of small, local donations than Cherny. She reported collecting $121,000 and had $154,000 in cash.

"I'm not saying there's something wrong with having a lot of wealthy friends in different states. That's very helpful," McLeod said. "But our support tends to be more grass-roots. We're proud of it."

Republicans continued to struggle in the 9th District race.

Wendy Rogers barely out-raised former Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker with $44,000 in the most recent period. Even so, Martin Sepulveda had a thin lead in available cash, with $92,000, largely because of a $100,000 loan to his campaign in June.

Parker campaign spokesman Brian Murray said Arizona has so many Republican primary battles this year that fundraising is difficult, particularly given the crowded, seven-way contest in District 9. He said money will flow freely once the general-election campaign begins.

Meanwhile in the 6th District primary, U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle expanded on his financial advantage over fellow Republican and freshman U.S. Rep. David Schweikert.

Quayle out-raised Schweikert $189,000 to $88,000 over the past five weeks. With $512,000, Quayle had nearly double Schweikert's available cash, though a pair of polls have suggested Schweikert is leading comfortably in the race for the safely conservative seat. Quayle says his polling shows a tight race.

Schweikert campaign spokesman Chris Baker said when counting the money that Quayle is limited to spending in the general election, the two incumbents are neck-and-neck for the primary. "We don't have a money disadvantage," Baker said. "We have more than enough for what we have to do the rest of the way in."

Though largely lacking in drama for the primaries, other races also had financial matters of note.

With plenty of help from special-interest groups, U.S. Rep. Ron Barber, D-Ariz., continues to financially dominate the 2nd District.

Barber took in $151,000 from individual donors and $132,000 in money from political-action committees representing defense contractors, the real-estate and health care-industries, and various labor unions.

Overall, he had $377,000 in available cash, leaving him well ahead of state Rep. Matt Heinz in the Democratic primary. Heinz raised $42,000 but reported a $1,000 cash deficit.

On the Republican side, Martha McSally raised $47,000 in the period and had $127,000 in cash.

Former U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick continues to dominate the competition in Arizona's 1st District. The Democratic frontrunner raised $92,000 in the latest period and had $826,000 in cash.

Former state Sen. Jonathan Paton, widely expected to win the Republican primary, collected $53,000 and had $128,000 in cash. His closest competitor, Gaither Martin, raised $7,400 and had $28,000 in cash.

Thanks to bundled contributions from the conservative Club for Growth, state Sen. Ron Gould out-raised U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar in the 4th District's Republican primary over the past five weeks. Even so, Gould remains well behind Gosar in cash -- and far ahead in debt.

Gould collected $99,000 through Aug. 8, $79,000 of which came from the Club for Growth's PAC. Gould gave his campaign another $3,900 from his personal funds and had already given it $98,000 in loans.

Gosar raised $85,000 during the latest period, 43 percent of which was PAC money from various industry groups and fellow Republicans. Overall, Gosar had $349,000 in cash compared with Gould's $108,000.

Besides the direct donations, the Club for Growth has also spent more than $570,000 in independent ads for Gould and against Gosar, records show.

Former state House Speaker Kirk Adams loaned his campaign $88,000 to out-raise former U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon in the 5th District GOP primary race. The extra money left Adams with $106,000 in cash, compared with Salmon's $123,000.

In the Senate race, U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., raised $524,000 in the latest period and had $1.7 million in cash. Democrat Richard Carmona, a former surgeon general, raised $430,000 and had $1.8 million available.

Republic reporter Dan Nowicki contributed to this article.

Arizona Republic doesn't endorse Kyrsten Sinema

Source

Our picks for Arizona primaries

Aug. 24, 2012 05:59 PM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Arizona's primary elections wrap up Tuesday, when voters cast ballots and procrastinators drop off early ballots at polling places.

Here are condensed versions of our congressional and legislative endorsements. Full versions, as well as stories and questionnaires, can be found at votersguide.azcentral.com.

U.S. Senate

In an era in which Republicans are pining for true conservatives, they have the practically perfect real deal in Jeff Flake. His record raises other concerns -- can he get over his reluctance to wade into Arizona-specific matters? -- but that record is grounded in his conservative principles.

U.S. House

District 1, Republican: Of the four GOP contenders, only Jonathan Paton has the resume to mount a credible campaign in the general election against Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick.

District 2, Democrat: U.S. Rep. Ron Barber has established himself as a politician with a keen sense of what his constituents want.

District 4, Republican: U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar has learned lawmaking honestly -- by doing his committee homework and working on legislation that has proved valuable.

District 5, Republican: His experience in Congress from 1994 to 2000 makes Matt Salmon the best choice for Republicans in this district.

District 6, Republican: In his single term in Congress, U.S. Rep. David Schweikert has not disappointed the conservative faithful.

District 9, Republican: Eight years on a large-city council, dealing with downtown revitalization and the recruitment of a multinational corporation, gives Martin Sepulveda training for the hardball world of Washington.

Democrat: State Sen. David Schapira has the leadership skills and political mooring Democratic and independent voters may want and a natural affinity for the district.

State Legislature

District 12 House: Incumbent Eddie Farnsworth and former state Sen. Larry "Lucky" Chesley get the nod.

District 15 House: Heather Carter is a rising star at the Capitol. Voters' best pick among the other three candidates is John Allen.

District 16 House: The district that includes Arizona State University Polytechnic and Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport needs lawmakers who can go to bat for education and business expansion. Republicans Jeff Davis, a teacher, and Doug Coleman, a former Apache Junction mayor, would be those representatives.

Senate: Republican Sen. Rich Crandall is moderate and forward-thinking. No one else in the Legislature knows more about education reform.

District 25 Senate: Republican Bob Worsley has ample business acumen and an eager ear to listen.

District 23 House: Jennifer Petersen, a two-term member of the Scottsdale school board, is a common-sense Republican focused on real issues, pragmatic solutions and a complete disinterest in ideologically driven bills.

District 24 Senate: Ken Cheuvront's advocacy of reform of the state's tax code has earned him accolades.

House: Minority Leader Chad Campbell is among the best political tacticians in Arizona. Lela Alston brings deep political and policy understanding to the Legislature.

District 26 House: None of the four Republicans has the necessary knowledge or energy to represent this dynamic Tempe-west Mesa district.

District 30 Senate: Independent-minded Sen. Robert Meza's multifaceted, job-focused approach to lawmaking is well suited to the needs of this district.

House: Debbie McCune-Davis is a longtime state lawmaker with a history of delivering services to children and families. Mike Snitz, a marketing specialist, understands that money may not guarantee results in public schools, but a chronically underfunded school system guarantees failure.

Racist Russell Pearce won't be back for a while

Source

Worsley beats Russell Pearce in Mesa Senate race

by Gary Nelson - Aug. 29, 2012 07:49 AM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Recalled Senate President Russell Pearce won't be returning to the state Legislature, at least not this year.

Pearce lost Tuesday's Republican Senate primary race in Mesa's Legislative District 25 race to businessman Bob Worsley.

The election defeat could spell the end of the political career of Pearce, a national lion in the fight against illegal immigration who was ousted from the Senate last year in a historic recall election.

Worsley, the founder of SkyMall and several other companies, was recruited by moderate Republicans to block Pearce's attempted comeback. Worsley won the race with 56 percent of the votes, 12,789, to Pearce's 44 percent, 10,086.

Worsley will face Democrat Greg Gadek in November's legislative District 25 Senate race. Gadek, a political rookie, faces a steep uphill climb in the overwhelmingly Republican district.

Pearce, 65, banned reporters and photographers from attending his election-night party at Rockin' R Ranch, an Old West dinner theater in southeast Mesa. He refused to come out of the event and make a comment as the results began rolling in. His gathering was to have featured several other candidates from the "tea party" wing of the GOP.

Randy Parraz, an activist who led a recall election against Pearce, said the former political heavyweight's loss was no surprise.

"This is the same Russell Pearce who said he'd never lose a primary," Parraz told The Arizona Republic. "He misjudged the fact that he was no longer a conservative Republican -- he was an extreme Tea Party Republican. There's no comeback for Russell Pearce -- he's done."

As results rolled in, Worsley, 56, welcomed friends and political allies to a backyard party at his north Mesa home and allowed media free access to the gathering.

In his campaign, Worsley followed much the same script as did Jerry Lewis, the political neophyte who defeated Pearce in last year's recall.

Worsley said he was recruited to run by some of the same people who talked Lewis into the seemingly impossible job of trying to bump off Arizona's sitting Senate president, a man who some believed wielded more political power than the governor.

Like Lewis, Worsley stressed his private-sector credentials as a job creator and picked up support from a wide swath of Mesa's old-guard Mormon political establishment.

Worsley also had the unanimous endorsement of the Mesa City Council.

"Thank you, Mesa," Worsley posted on his Facebook page Tuesday night.

Tuesday's results were viewed as a bellwether for the fortunes of the ultraconservative tea-party movement, of whom Pearce has become a leading symbol.

Pearce entered the Legislature in 2000.

He dug in as a budget hawk and a proponent of gun rights and other conservative causes. But his calling card through the years was a raft of bills, many of which became law, aimed at curbing illegal immigration.

His crown jewel, Senate Bill 1070, was signed amid raucous national publicity in early 2010.

But shortly thereafter, Pearce's political fortunes declined rapidly as his hometown Republican base eroded, leading to the recall election.

Many Mesa residents said Pearce had focused so much on immigration that he had forgotten to represent his hometown's interests in the Legislature.

Source

Worsley defeats Pearce for Mesa Senate seat

Posted: Tuesday, August 28, 2012 8:12 pm

By Garin Groff, Tribune

Unofficial results show Russell Pearce is facing his second election defeat in a row — once again to a political newcomer who vowed not to pursue divisive illegal immigration legislation.

SkyMall Founder Bob Worsley is leading Pearce with 56 percent of the vote in the Republican primary, according to early ballots and 100 percent of precincts reporting.

Pearce’s potential loss is a huge blow to a man who some had once considered Arizona’s most powerful politician.

He lost a historic November 2011 recall to charter school executive Jerry Lewis.

In both cases, Pearce lost to fellow Republican members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who were recruited to run against him.

Worsley campaigned as a more moderate Republican, primarily on immigration, in Mesa District 25.

Worsley said Pearce was part of a legislature that wasn’t pragmatic — and that voters kept telling him they wanted a different approach.

“This new District 25 was ready for a change, a breath of fresh air, something new and the 11-year history of Russell and what he had worked on had worn thin,” Worsley said. “And there was fatigue there.”

Worsley said he ran into Pearce on the campaign trail and had pleasant conversations with him. But he said Pearce was part of a legislature that was too vitriolic.

Worsley said even if people don’t like it, they need to acknowledge that Arizona must have a relationship with the federal government to improve immigration policies and enforcement without a state-focused enforcement-only approach.

“It’s constant confrontation, tit for tat and not a real solution,” Worsley said.

Pearce championed a so-called jobs bill the Legislature passed in 2011, school choice and reducing taxes and government regulation. His signature issue, the anti-illegal immigration bill known as SB 1070, suffered a setback when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down portions of the law.

Pearce’s campaign faced controversies over a Facebook comment he posted that questioned why the suspect in the July 20 Colorado movie theater shooting wasn’t stopped by somebody in the audience. The gun rights proponent later apologized.

Questions were also raised when a group called the “Arizona Teacher’s (sic) Association” endorsed Pearce, as the otherwise unknown organization formed during the election.

Pearce enjoyed endorsements of the Arizona GOP establishment previously and in his recall battle. But Gov. Jan Brewer declined to weigh in this time.

Worsley promoted a more business-friendly environment to create jobs and stimulate economic development. While he didn’t appeal to tea party groups as much as Pearce, Worsley touted his work on social issues. He’s campaigned against same-sex marriage, and had supported a group that fought abortion and sex before marriage.

Pearce was endorsed by Mesa Mayor Scott Smith and the entire City Council.

Pearce avoided a rematch with Lewis because redistricting put Lewis in District 26, where Lewis was unopposed in the primary.

Worsley said he expects a number of new legislators will change the tone of the next session that begins in January.

“I think we’re seeing a sea change, and it’s heading toward civility and let’s work on important things instead of lots of symbolic, trivial legislation,” he said.

If Worsley’s lead holds when all votes are counted, he will face Democrat Greg Gadek in the Nov. 6 general election. District 25 is heavily Republican.

Contact writer: (480) 898-6548 or ggroff@evtrib.com

Bad news - Sinema wins primary in Congressional District 9

Source

Sinema, Parker win in Congressional District 9

by Daniel González - Aug. 28, 2012 11:39 PM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Former state Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has won the Democratic primary in Congressional District 9. Paradise Valley Town Councilman Vernon Parker, meanwhile, narrowly bested a field of seven Republicans in his party's primary.

Sinema defeated state Sen. David Schapira and Andrei Cherny, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton.

At a restaurant in east Phoenix, more than 100 supporters of Sinema gathered to watch results come in. When results showed she had a sizable lead, supporters cheered and danced.

"We are feeling optimistic and we are excited," Sinema said.

Cherny supporters were gathered at an upscale home in north central Phoenix watching the results on cell phones and i-Pads.

Cherny shook hands with supporters as his wife Stephanie wiped away tears.

Though he did not go so far as to concede the race, he said, "Clearly tonight was not the outcome we were hoping for."

"Yes, we came up short today," he added.

Among Republicans, Parker -- running for Congress a second time -- held off challenges from retired Air Force pilot Wendy Rogers, who lost a legislative race against Schapira two years ago; and former Chandler City Councilman Martin Sepulveda, touting his combat military record.

At a restaurant in the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix, Parker said he was "elated" by the early numbers, especially the results in Tempe and Awahtukee.

"Those are areas I have not been strongest in," he said.

Other Republicans running are Scottsdale City Councilwoman Lisa Borowsky, aviation businessman Travis Grantham, former CIA agent Leah Campos Schandlbauer and retired life-insurance executive Jeff Thompson. Grantham was trailing Parker, Rogers and Sepulveda in early voting.

Regardless of who wins the primaries, the race is considered a tossup in November.

Arizona gained District 9 during redistricting because of a decade of population growth. Its Republican incumbent, U.S. Rep. Ben Quayle, opened the door for a free-for-all after decidng to run in District 6, which includes the safely conservative northeast Valley, against U.S. Rep. David Schweikert.

The seven Republican candidates have campaigned hard to attract the district's large number of independent voters.

The three Democrats have been involved in a heated campaign that became increasingly negative.

Covering parts of Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Ahwatukee Foothills, it is the only congressional district in the state where independents outnumber voters from both major parties. The area has swung for both Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican President George W. Bush.

Russell Pearce beaten but still a force

Russell Pearce beaten but still a force

2nd loss puts him at political crossroads

by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez - Aug. 31, 2012 12:08 AM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Russell Pearce's primary loss this week may spell the end of his legislative career but could open the door for him to continue to push his agenda in Arizona and on the national stage.

The GOP heavyweight who led the Arizona Senate, authored the state's controversial immigration law Senate Bill 1070 and vaulted into the national spotlight with his hard-line crusade against illegal immigration, failed to make the post-recall political comeback he'd hoped for in Tuesday's state legislative primary election.

"He took an incredible gamble, and he lost," said Mike O'Neil, a public-opinion pollster. "I think it says his heyday has run its course. He had one issue and a very extreme position on that one issue. I think they're (Mesa voters) saying Russell Pearce is too extreme. We've had enough -- ease up."

But Pearce is still powerful in the Arizona GOP, serving as the the party's second-in-command. Some insiders believe Pearce could soon make a run for the top post, where he would then have the power to influence the party's priorities and messages.

He also likely still has a role as one of the national voices of illegal-immigration enforcement, which remains a hot issue nationally. GOP leaders at the Republican National Convention endorsed an immigration-platform plank that supports Arizona-style laws aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.

"I don't think this was necessarily a referendum on immigration policy," said Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C., group that advocates more immigration enforcement. "I don't see any diminution in broad public support for candidates that are wanting to support state-level, Arizona-type models." Campaign missteps

Throughout the primary, Pearce attempted to rebrand himself as a politician who cared about issues beyond illegal immigration, more than a dozen political observers and public officials told The Arizona Republic. But, in the end, he could not overcome the perception that he was obsessed with just one issue.

Voters in this Mesa district, which includes a heavy mix of Mormons and Catholics, grew weary of Pearce's "mean-spirited" tone of wanting to starve out "every last soul" who was undocumented, observers said.

Pearce's tone on illegal immigration turned off members of both faiths, said Mesa Councilman Dave Richins, a Mormon.

"The dehumanizing tone of illegal immigration quit resonating because people knew better, they'd served them (immigrants) in their hometowns and they knew the situations they were trying to escape," Richins said, referring to church missions. "You had Mormons and Catholics who looked at that rhetoric and said, 'Wait a minute, that's not right.' "

And at a time when Pearce was one of the Legislature's most powerful politicians, he stopped communicating with his hometown officials on issues other than illegal immigration, from impact fees to education.

"There was a lack of consideration, a lack of trying to understand or learn what our concerns were or what we could offer to the discussion," Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said. "We were on different pages, and that bred a lot of frustrations."

Pearce's campaign, much like his political career, was wounded by missteps, most of them self-inflicted, according to observers and his own campaign manager.

The public lashed out against Pearce for a Facebook post questioning the heroism of the victims of the Colorado movie-theater shooting. He was dogged by perceptions that he is motivated by racism, with his opponents using his own e-mails to allege SB 1070 was racially motivated. He was haunted by allegations from the recall election that he or his campaign put up a sham candidate to pull votes away from Pearce's opponent.

Pearce's one-time ally Gov. Jan Brewer did not endorse him during the primary. His opponent outspent and outraised him. And even his longtime friend, political consultant Chuck Coughlin, advised him early on to not run.

Pearce's campaign manager, Constantin Querard, acknowledged Pearce was partly to blame for the negative news but said Democrats and the media demonized him.

"The sheer volume of lies can be tough to overcome," he said. "And after a while, it's hard to come back from that. You get here by an accumulation of a lot of factors -- some of the wounds are self-inflicted; most of them are -- but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter."

Pearce did not return repeated calls for comment.

His brother Lester Pearce, who lost his primary race for Maricopa County supervisor, defended his brother's record before the election and blamed Democrats, moderate Republicans, attorneys and the media for Russell's expected loss.

Asked what Russell would do if he was defeated, Lester said, "Riding off in the sunset and enjoying life."

Long public career

With his barrel chest and gruff style, Pearce, 65, is an Arizona native with long ties to the Mesa district he once represented. He and his wife, LuAnne, have five children and 13 grandchildren.

Pearce has been a public servant almost his entire adult life.

He worked for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for 21 years, starting as a deputy and moving up to chief deputy under Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He was shot in the line of duty in 1977 during a struggle with three Latino teens.

Tom Freestone, a former county supervisor, has known Pearce since 1978, when he would lobby the Board of Supervisors on behalf of the sheriff's office.

Freestone, like many of Pearce's friends, pointed out that his entire career should not be overshadowed by his focus on immigration.

He recalled that Pearce "gets committed to something, attacks the problem full-steam ahead and doesn't raise his head up. That's how he got things done."

Before becoming a lawmaker, Pearce served as a justice of the peace and director of the state Motor Vehicle Division.

Gov. Jane Dee Hull fired him from the MVD in 1999 after state officials accused Pearce and two aides of altering the drunken-driving records of a Tucson woman so she could keep her license. Pearce denied involvement, which the Attorney General investigated. That office ultimately determined it was a personnel issue and not a criminal matter.

Pearce served in the Arizona House of Representatives from 2000 to 2008, then moved to the Senate in 2009.

His GOP colleagues in 2010 elected him Senate president. His tenure as leader of the Senate was fraught with controversy, including limiting media access and allowing senators to carry firearms on the Senate floor. He was also widely criticized for taking tens of thousands of dollars worth of free trips and game tickets from the Fiesta Bowl.

That year, he sponsored SB 1070 and rocketed to the national spotlight, where he became a hero to supporters of illegal-immigration enforcement.

His tenure coincided with the rise of the tea party, which like Pearce, promoted strict conservative interpretations of the Constitution. That "anti-government, anti-tax, anti-immigrant mentality really helped him push bills through the Legislature," said Todd Landfried of Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform, which opposes SB 1070.

But Pearce went too far with some of his colleagues in 2011 when he introduced a series of immigration-related bills, including a pair aimed at mounting a challenge to birthright citizenship. and others that required businesses to become immigration agents. The business community stepped in and 60 CEOs signed a letter urging Pearce to stop the barrage of immigration bills while the state tried to jump-start the economy and bring jobs to Arizona.

"Everyone wants to fix illegal immigration, but he's going way further than anyone else and long after it makes sense," said Tyler Montague, a Mesa Republican who voted for Pearce every election during the last decade up until last year, and then helped run Jerry Lewis' campaign against Pearce in the November recall.

People just want to move past this era."

Next steps

It's unclear what's next for Russell Pearce. Some speculate he could go on a national speaking tour or become the leader of a political-action committee. Others suggested he could play a larger role in state party politics.

Coughlin advised Pearce before the primary to give up on vindication and, instead, start a national PAC to spread his hard-line message on illegal immigration to the faithful.

"I didn't think, as his friend and somebody who knows him and knows his heart on these matters ... that it was in his best interest to run," Coughlin said, adding that he encouraged Pearce to go national with his message because "he has a very passionate base of support that feel that he's being martyred and victimized."

Pearce didn't take the advice, and Coughlin offered his condolences to his friend on election night via text message.

Querard said Pearce's career is far from over and believes the former lawmaker could be more effective as a leader of the "conservative movement," without the constraints that come with being an elected official.

"In Arizona and nationally, he's still a big draw," Querard said before the election. "Win or lose, he will remain a hero to a really large, meaningful number of people who have the utmost respect and admiration for him."

Insiders pointed out that Pearce could play a more powerful role in state politics. On election day, he was handing out fliers and stumping for precinct-committee candidates. The current GOP chairman's term expires in January.

Stein said Pearce's loss has no broader implications nationally. He said many Americans still support conservative measures to combat illegal immigration, including tough immigration enforcement.

"I don't think there's any real national lesson here; it just shows that every legislative district is unique and different," Stein said.

Reach the reporter at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4712.

If you love taxes vote for Kyrsten Sinema

District 9 race: Vernon Parker, Kyrsten Sinema set for hard fight

by Rebekah L. Sanders and Rob O'Dell - Sept. 10, 2012 11:30 PM

The Republic | azcentral.com

Arizona's hottest race for Congress pits two unconventional but experienced candidates in what is likely the state's most competitive district.

Republican Vernon Parker and Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, emerging from hard-fought primaries in the newly created 9th Congressional District, have wasted no time lacing up their gloves for the Nov. 6 general election.

Both candidates are attempting to paint the other as too extreme for the toss-up district packed with swing voters. Each claims to be the moderate choice, focused on jobs and the middle class. But each proposes widely different ideas for improving the economy.

Sinema and Parker lay claim to inspirational personal stories, appeal to diverse demographic groups and are expected to draw a cascade of national support as the major parties battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hot-button issues in the presidential race, like President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul, are expected to dominate the down-ballot race.

The two candidates are likely to fight over the same turf in the district, unusual in these days of polarized politics and partisan voting districts.

An Arizona Republic analysis of primary votes showed Parker and Sinema polled strongly in the same areas -- north central Phoenix, around Paradise Valley and Ahwatukee Foothills -- where they have spent much of their political careers and where many independents live. Both fared poorly in south Scottsdale and central and north Tempe.

The candidates are likely to slug it out hardest in the precincts where they fared well, while trying to minimize losses in areas where they struggled.

Voters "have a front-row seat to a title match," said Republican political consultant Stan Barnes, who calls both candidates friends but is not involved with either campaign. "Both Vernon Parker and Kyrsten Sinema are outgoing, dynamic, unafraid minorities within their respective parties. ... Each candidate brings a certain specialness, a certain newness and a lot of energy to this new district."

Of the three competitive congressional districts in Arizona -- the others are the 1st in northeast Arizona and the 2nd in southern Arizona -- the 9th District could be the most closely watched, Barnes said. The district, which covers parts of Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa and Chandler, means the race will unfold in front of many of the state's power brokers. That could lend the district's winner additional influence in Arizona, Barnes said, as the representative of a key urban part of the state.

The winner will have to gain an edge in fundraising, motivate voters and appeal to independents. The candidates

Parker, 52, and Sinema, 36, say they hope to stick to talking about issues in the campaign. But their personal stories could become selling points.

Parker recalls being raised by his grandmother in a rough neighborhood in Long Beach, Calif. Sinema tells of her stepfather losing his job and the family moving temporarily into an abandoned gas station.

They found paths to success through education. Parker went from community college to earning a law degree from Georgetown University, followed by service in the administrations of both Bush presidents. Sinema went to college at 16, became a social worker, ultimately earned four degrees, and now teaches at Arizona State University.

They've each spent years in politics. In 2008, Parker won a seat on the Paradise Valley Town Council and served for two years as mayor. He ran for Congress in 2010, losing to now-U.S. Rep Ben Quayle. Sinema joined the state House of Representatives in 2004 and was elected to the state Senate in 2010. Both resigned their posts to focus on campaigns.

Lastly, each represents a minority demographic. If elected, Parker would become one of the few African-American Republicans in the House.

A small slice of 9th District voters are African-American, though minorities make up more than 40 percent of its population.

If elected, Sinema would be the first openly bisexual member of Congress. [Don't get your hopes up guys, Kyrsten is not bisexual, she is a lesbian] Sinema, who led a campaign that blocked an initiative to ban gay marriage in Arizona, is backed by gay-rights and women's groups.

The district

Arizona gained the 9th District after a decade of population growth.

It is home to more registered Republicans, but the voting history of residents in the new district show they have recently favored Democrats, including Obama in 2008. They also favored statewide Democratic candidates in 2010, despite the fact that Arizona leaned heavily conservative in that cycle. It is the only district in the state with more registered independents than voters of either major political party.

Swing voters will be key, said John Loredo, a Democratic political consultant and former Arizona House minority leader who is not affiliated with either candidate.

"That has to be front and center: trying to appeal to those independent voters," said Loredo.

The Republic analysis of primary-ballot data shows a race that is up for grabs geographically.

Sinema did well in many of the north central Phoenix precincts that she represented at the state Legislature, while losing in areas dominated by one of her Democratic primary opponents, Tempe legislator David Schapira. His endorsement of Sinema could help her capture his supporters in the general election.

Meanwhile, Parker benefited from his ties to north central Phoenix, where he ran two years ago for Congress and near where he lives. Parker was weakest in the primary strongholds of opponents Wendy Rogers, a longtime Tempe resident, Travis Grantham, who runs a Mesa business, and Martin Sepulveda, a former Chandler City councilman. Rogers and Grantham asked their supporters to back Parker.

The candidates are expected to court swing voters, especially in Ahwatukee. Capturing the independent vote could be the key to victory in several precincts where Parker and Sinema did well despite higher turnout from the opposing party. The odds

Barnes, the Republican political consultant, thinks the odds are good for both candidates despite national House campaign trackers listing the 9th District as leaning Democratic.

"The race is open to either candidate to win, and it will depend on turnout to choose a winner," he said.

Both political parties pledge to spend money.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reserved $2.8 million in television time in the Valley to be shared between Sinema and the 1st District race.

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said the GOP will support Parker.

"With Kyrsten Sinema as the nominee, this is a race we cannot walk away from," he said.

More articles on tax and spend Kyrsten Sinema

If you think that government bureaucrats know how to spend your money much better then you Kyrsten Sinema is the one to vote for.

She has millions of uses for the money in your wallet and will do every thing she can to take your money and give it to a government bureaucrat whom she thinks needs it more then you.

And last but not least remember that 300 percent tax on medical marijuana Kyrsten Sinema tried to pass.