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  • LMHudson 10:49 am on May 27, 2020 Permalink | Reply  

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    City of Tempe Election May 16, 2023

    City of Tempe Propositions 301, 302, and 303

    General Election Nov 8, 2022

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    SRP Regular Election April 5, 2022 District 8

    A Post-Mortem

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    Clean Elections 

    An Argument for voting for Eddie Cook for Assessor and for John Allen as Treasurer

    Arizona Tax Credit and school choice

    Support school choice at no cost to you. Use the Arizona Tax Credit. 

    Corporations, too, can use the Arizona Tax Credit to fund private schools at no cost to them

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    Tempe claims “federal case law” prevents it from enforcing its zoning laws. 

    GPLET forum January 13, 2020 

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    Airbnb is coming to your neighborhood 

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    Tempe election March 2020

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    All Tempe candidates’ forum January 15, 2020 

    Mayor Candidates’ Forum December 13 

    City Council Candidates’ Forum December 13 

    A proposal for voting in the March 2020 Tempe election: Don’t vote 

     
    • Kirstyn Goodman 12:02 pm on October 12, 2020 Permalink | Reply

      Hello,

      This is such a helpful resource. Do you know if there is anything like this for Phoenix? I am having a hard time voting for some of the Phoenix specific questions and would love some input.

      Like

      • LMHudson 12:52 pm on October 12, 2020 Permalink | Reply

        Thanks for your kind words. I will keep my eyes peeled and link to it if I see it.

        Like

    • azfamilylawtips 2:22 am on October 23, 2020 Permalink | Reply

      This is invaluable, and I so very much appreciate this resource. I also liked the “lady’s” deleted tweets… can’t spell her name offhand, so I’ll be over-generous and refer to her generically as a lady. I guess woman with the injured middle finger is a better appellation. Terrible that she can’t bend it after the accident. But it still works to delete tweets and cya. 😉 Thanks for all your hard work! Hoping 11/3 is a WIN for the country, AZ and South Tempe!

      Like

    • azfamilylawtips 4:14 pm on October 23, 2020 Permalink | Reply

      Hey, AZ! #WalkAway is bringing some PATRIOT LOVE to the Valley of the Sun! Join us in PHOENIX this Sunday! Let’s RESCUE AMERICA together! Info or register: give.walkawayfoundation.org/event/walkaway-rally-phoenix-az/e296887 Dems walking away from Democratic party & voting for Trump!

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  • LMHudson 1:57 pm on May 13, 2023 Permalink | Reply  

    City of Tempe Propositions 301, 302, and 303 

    contributed by Toby Duffell

    The Coyotes, V1, V2, and You

    It was the end of a long week in New York city at the engineering company where I worked. Daydreams about the coming weekend floated in my head, the untouched draft report on my lap, a markup pen idle in my hand. Returning to Phoenix Skyharbor aboard a United 757, nothing seemed out of the ordinary – it was a bright, calm Friday afternoon as the craft crossed the outer marker coming in to land. But as the airplane arrowed in above the scores of tire marks left from first contact by previous landings there was a steep, sudden drop in altitude followed by a scream from both the Rolls Royce engines as the airplane abruptly nosed up. The runway seemed awfully close, awfully quickly . . . sitting towards to the front, I could hear alarms sounding in the cockpit above the rong-rong-rong of twin engines laboring to provide additional thrust. An unfortunate lady in business class cabin crew forgot herself and exclaimed shit! We had experienced a weather condition called wind shear, an invisible killer that can suck the lift from an aircraft and can cause it to pancake onto unforgiving blacktop, with damage ranging from undercarriage collapse, impaired control surfaces, through to loss of the hull. This is a nightmare for pilots and their training is to get the hell out. Forget about landing, engage maximum thrust, gain altitude, landing gear up, don’t attempt to turn.

    Not everyone was as lucky as me and the flight I was on. As early as 1985, Delta flight 191 crashed on final approach to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport due to wind shear. A total of 135 people died in the accident, including 126 of the 152 passengers on board, 8 of 11 crew members and even a motorist on the ground. In the last 25 years, there have been 27 crashes due to wind shear. It’s not a matter of if instead it’s when. So given this inevitability, the concern becomes if it’s going to happen, how best can it be escaped from safely? In other words: How can we avoid threats to surviving shear? An aircraft experiencing a sudden loss of lift due to windshear above the proposed obstacle of the Coyotes stadium at the edge of the airport could be a disaster from which most or all on board may not escape. Add a capacity audience and we could experience the worst disaster in aviation history. You wouldn’t want to be there.

    Another scenario that keeps Civil Aviation Captains and their First Officers awake at night is engine failure on takeoff. Termed EFTO this is the time when the engines encounter their most taxing conditions – by working the hardest to get the craft airborne from a standing start. The pilot spools up the engines to takeoff thrust, releases the ground brakes, and the airplane is propelled forward with the plan of passing V1 (the speed beyond which takeoff cannot safely be aborted) as quickly as possible through to V2, the takeoff safety speed when getting off the ground and avoiding obstacles is possible. Engine failure between V1 and V2 results in the flight crew on board having to try to take off. There is no alternative – remaining on the ground would result in “running out of runway” and a collision with whatever lay beyond the stopway area at the end of the runway. So what are those in control of the craft trained to do? The instinct to turn around and circle back should be avoided – that risks the craft losing speed, slipping into a turn and further losing altitude. If the Coyotes stadium lies before a crippled aircraft the design gap – the separation between the structure and an aircraft with an engine out – is thirty-five feet. Meaning, that the craft could pass within the length of three automobiles from the top of the stadium. With a wet runway, that gap can reduce to fifteen feet. Now add gusting, or windshear, or bird strikes affecting both engines, or a second’s indecision in the cockpit and there could be a disaster. Add a capacity stadium and there could be a tragedy.

    So yes, I am opposed to building a high-capacity stadium with a thousand attendees directly under the flight path of heavy commercial airliners taking off or coming in to land. I am also opposed to building high-density apartment blocks with thousands of dwellers in the same place. Like you, I don’t want to be in a commercial jet barreling down on a stadium. And I don’t want to be in that stadium, either, or anyone I know. Or anyone I remotely know. Or anyone at all.

    So why is this proposal before the voters of Tempe? Has Mayor Corey – whose signs were up in my front yard, whose fund-raiser I attended, and for whom I ultimately voted – has Mayor Corey been dazzled by the prospect of a glamorous political win? Are the local Urban Planners who call the project “Voterville” or “Coreytown” being cynical? Is Mr. Woods looking to beef up his resume in furtherance of his long-term political aims? There’s nothing wrong with that – we should all be allowed to realize our ambitions. But, given the risks, isn’t there a safer way for him to do it?

    Editor’s Note: Toby is a licensed engineer with several decades of experience in military and commercial systems including those for the USAF, RAF and civilian ground-based transportation systems. He co-authored “National Design Standards and Safety Guidelines” which has been translated into German, French and Chinese. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE in the USA, and held licensure in the UK and Western Europe.

     
  • LMHudson 4:51 pm on October 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Some ideas on voting 

    First, vote in person, on Election Day. If the county sends you a mail-in ballot, fill it out, bring it, but leave it in your car. If the lines are too long, you can always deposit your mail-in ballot in the blue urn, but please try to vote in person. That action will send a message to the Legislature that we are serious about getting rid of mail-in voting.

    Get the Votifynow app for your phone so that you can report anything that goes wrong. (There are other reporting sites that are legitimate but I know the people at Votifynow.) If the polling location claims you have already voted, call the sheriff.

    Use a blue ball-point. This has nothing to do with smearing or bleeding-through. Marks made with black felt-tips are very hard to distinguish from marks made by machine. If there is a forensic audit, we want to be able to distinguish marks made by humans from those made by machine.

    In the notes I concentrate on the races that I had to research. Many of the Republican candidates are less-than-inspiring but I fear their Democrat opponents will be quite destructive. We must simplify our ballot if we are ever to get rid of the counting machines. The races that require research are often also races that don’t belong on the ballot.

    Until we are allowed to know how these counting machines work, I am adopting an extra precaution that I hope turns out to be barmy: I fear not voting invites someone else to fill in the ovals. It is not much more work to fill in all the ovals so that can’t happen.

    I hope this helps someone.

     
    • Rich 2:43 pm on November 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply

      I don’t know who you are, but thank you for putting this extensive amount of information up. It has been extremely helpful, but unfortunately extremely disappointing in the case of Temp Union no. 213 governing board members. They are all absolutely awful.

      Like

  • LMHudson 3:26 pm on October 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    ballot November 8, 2022 

     
  • LMHudson 2:47 pm on October 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Central AZ Water Conserv Dist 

    The environmentalists wish to gain control of authorities like this, the SRP, and, of course, the Corporation Commission. I will vote for the slate containing Lundgren, Monize, Neese, and Seago. (They are all Republicans.) There is no requirement to vote for five.

    Slates are useful, like brand names (such as Republican, only better). They show that the members all know and trust one another and presumably will work well together in office.

     
  • LMHudson 2:33 pm on October 9, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Propositions 

    In 2020, the backers of Prop 208 (almost all from outside Arizona) spent $20 million. Nothing comes close in 2022. Both the Save our Schools and Arizonans for Free and Fair Elections propositions failed to get enough signatures.

    Constititutional Amendments: 128, 129, 130, 131, and 132

    Prop 128: gives the Legislature power to override initiatives or referenda that are found by either the US or Arizona Supreme Courts to contain illegal or unconstitutional language. Anything that discourages initiatives is good. Vote ‘Yes.’

    Prop 129: limits initiatives to a single subject and requires that subject to be in the title. Here are the arguments. One of arguments ‘against’ is:

    “Proposition 129 is a direct attack on our ability to make change through the ballot initiative process.”

    That, for me, is an argument ‘for.’ Vote ‘Yes.’

    Prop 130: corrects language in the Constitution that prevents honorably-discharged veterans from receiving a property tax exemption. Gives power to the Legislature. Vote ‘Yes.’

    Prop 131: creates a Lieutenant Governor, to run on the same ticket as the Governor. Under present law, the Secretary of State succeeds the Governor. There are too many elective offices and this profusion makes the officers less, not more accountable to the voters. It also makes our ballots too complicated. I hope this is a move in the direction of Governor-appointed Secretaries of State, Attorneys General, and Superintendents of Public Instruction. Vote ‘Yes.’

    Prop 132: requires a majority of 60% for any constitutional amendment that enacts a tax. Vote ‘Yes.’

    Citizen Initiatives: 209 and 211

    The content of these initiatives doesn’t matter. Laws passed this way are impossible to amend. Vote ‘No’ and force the Legislature to deal with these questions.

    Legislative Referrals: 308, 309, and 310

    Prop 308: makes in-state tuition available to illegal immigrants under some conditions. Vote ‘No.’

    Prop 309: requires additional ID to be submitted with mailed-in ballots; requires photo ID for in-person voting. (Present law requires only a signature to validate mail-in ballots and permits in-person voting with no photo ID as long as you can supply two pieces of ID with the same address. As a pollworker, I was forced to let someone vote once with a utility bill and a Starbucks loyalty card.) These are improvements but we cannot allow this band-aid to replace real reform. Vote ‘Yes’ and keep fighting for something like HR2289 (one day, no machines).

    Prop 310: proposes a dedicated 0.1% state sales tax for the benefit of fire districts. Dedicated taxes are almost always a bad idea. Vote ‘No’ and make the firefighters go through the appropriations process like everyone else.

     
  • LMHudson 6:15 pm on October 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Justices and Judges 

    In the 2020 general, all the judges were returned to office by Soviet margins: over a million votes for each Supreme Court justice, and, in Maricopa County, about over half a million votes for each Appeals Court judge and each (of 40 ) Superior Court judges. Even actual campaigns against judges like Christopher Coury (who incurred the wrath of Red for Ed by ruling against Prop 208) barely dented their popularity. Only Jo Lynn Gentry, against whom both the Democrat party and the Commission on Judicial Performance review had turned, ‘barely’ won, with 9x the margin by which Biden beat Trump in Arizona.

    One million voters labored hard, to research their choices and fill out over 50 ballot questions.

    We will never get rid of the voting machines as long as we permit races like these on the ballot. I protest by voting ‘No’ on every one. Not voting is an invitation to allow someone else to fill in the ovals.

     
    • Jim 4:16 pm on October 25, 2022 Permalink | Reply

      I disagree with voting “No” on the SC Justices. Beene, Montgomery, and Timmer saved us from the so-called “Free and Fair Elections” initiative. Extremists on the left are mounting a campaign to not retain them. They may need help.

      Like

  • LMHudson 10:30 am on October 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Kyrene Elem No. 28 Governing Board Member 

    Three are running for two slots. Only one is not a leftist. You don’t have to vote for 2.

    Kevin Walsh, incumbent, a Democrat. Here is his facebook page.

    Triné Nelson, incumbent, a Democrat. Here is her website.

    Kristi Ohman, a Republican. Here is her facebook page.

    Enrollment in the district has dropped from just under 17,000 pre-COVID to about 14,000.

     
  • LMHudson 2:54 pm on October 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Tempe Union No. 213 Questions 1,2, and 3 

    Enrollment has plummeted from 13,360 pre-COVID to 11,000. Nevertheless, the district schools are always looking for more money. Tempe Union takes over 20% of my property tax bill.

    Vote ‘No’ on all three questions and use your Arizona Tax Credit to give money to Valley Christian.

     
  • LMHudson 8:11 am on October 7, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Tempe Union No. 213 High School Governing Board Member 

    There are 3 candidates for 2 slots. Please help me find the most conservative one. The candidates are:

    Stephan Kingsley. His website is here. He was once a Republican, when he was Stephanie, but now he is a Democrat.

    Amanda Steele. Her website is here. She is a Democrat.

    Andres Barraza. He is incumbent. His website is here. He is a Democrat.

    Notice that I voted for all 3 on the sample ballot. Since only 2 votes are permitted, this will cause the Dominion scanner to count my votes as overvotes and none will be counted. If I leave the ovals blank, someone might fill them in for me.

     
  • LMHudson 2:25 pm on October 6, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Maricopa County Community College District At-Large 

    There are 8 members of the Governing Board, each representing a geography. This race is for a 9th, at-large member of the board.

    Kelli Butler was a member of the Arizona House, representing the old district 28 (North Phoenix) with Aaron Lieberman and Christine Marsh (all Democrats). In the Legislature she has been a consistent advocate of more spending on public schools.

    Randy Kaufman appears to be the conservative in this race. Here is an interview of both in the Republic. Kaufman states the obvious, that enrollments are declining but spending is not. Here are the CAFRs for MCCCD. Spending has climbed from $626 million in 2013 to $927 million in the fiscal year ended June 2021. 65% of the spending is paid from property tax. (10% of my property tax bill is due to the MCCCD.)

    Randy Kaufman will embarrass us if we elect him. Recent police report below. There is no one to vote for in this race. Notice I have filled in all the ovals, which will cause this race not to be counted, and which prevents someone else from filling in the ovals for me.

    You might get some dark amusement from reading some of the Governing Board Monitoring Reports, posted here. Numbers are presented without context or explanation. They are obsessed with race. There is no governance here. Why does Kaufman want to be a voice for fiscal conservatism on a 9 member board?

    Declining enrollments were under way well before COVID:

     
  • LMHudson 4:12 pm on July 23, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Another view of the August 2, 2022 primary ballot 

    by Toby Duffell

    If, like me, you have received a Voter Education Guide you may be wondering how to become educated as a voter. Well, it won’t be through reading the guide, which is a bit like going down for the third time in warm maple syrup while being shouted at by a lady with blue hair (no offence, mom). Every one of the candidates wants to be everything you want. Vote for me.

    So, as a Precinct Committeeman, I felt that it is important to be able to make sensible recommendations to our constituents as to how we might win.  As a walk-away Democrat I can tell you that such advice was commonplace and was provided to me whether I wanted it or not. This was how to vote strategically, my Dear Leaders told me. So, having seen the light, I turned to the Chair of LD 12 and was eagerly looking forward to a reply that would help me make the best of my vote and those in my district. However, LD 12 has chosen to implement by-laws that prevent any recommendation or advice being given at this stage of the voting. Is it because the Republican party is too impartial, noble, and above the fray? Good luck with that.

    As a result, here are some observations based on talking with better-informed patriots than me and a search of the internet, where everything that it published there is true or it would never show up. I make no claims as to accuracy or completeness of knowledge, or even intelligence, but you’ve got to start somewhere. As follows:

    Governor

    It seems that Scott Neely and Paola Zen can be discounted because they do not appear to have any traction, meaning, they are peripheral candidates and a vote for them would be wasted as it would not change anything. The two giants to consider are therefore Karrin Taylor Robson and, of course, Kari Lake. Ms. Lake is polished, telegenic (she was a TV news anchor), appears to be quite frank, and is endorsed by 45 although it seems The Donald has done so because she thinks the last election was in some way tampered with (really?). And more than three-quarters of AZ Republicans would back Trump. That said, being endorsed by 45 hasn’t been pivotal for his picks. Against Ms. Lake is that she has down-played her liberal past, but it is a human right to be allowed to change one’s mind and grow in outlook. But there seems to be too much ammunition lying around which her Democrat opponents will be quick to use if she becomes the nominee. (Source: NBC online article GOP race for Arizona governor becomes 2024 proxy war)

    Now Governor Ducey has endorsed Ms. Taylor Robson and, in this setting, perhaps the view of a less flamboyant Republican will help woo those more moderate and even Independents given our current purplish appearance – choosing Lake might result in a win next month that goes no further. Advantage Robson.

    Secretary of State

    Mark Finchem seems to be the most electable. He is also truly hated by AZ Central (the on-line presence of the supremely reliable and impartial AZ Republic, which is currently flirting with a sub-100,000 circulation numbers for its daily edition). So that can’t be a bad thing, then, can it? Add to this that he is disliked by the Phoenix New Times and even the British Guardian newspaper, so a lot of the thinking has been done for you – if they hate him, they consider him a real threat and with true potential.

    Finchem can be accused of some dumb moves, including his sympathy for the January 6th rioters. But he seems to have tapped into the concerns of everyday moderates including teachers proselytizing schoolkids for their political choices and promoting advanced self-criticism and racial division to the detriment of such mundane and dull topics as the Three Rs.

    He isn’t the ideal candidate but seems the best of the bunch. All he needs is Sam Elliott to endorse him and he’s a shoo-in.

    Attorney General

    Abraham Hamadeh is seen by my conservative friends as truthful, a scarce commodity in the current environment. I actually met him, and he seems engaging, with a sharp mind, and switched on. Like me, he is a first-generation American, but unlike me, has served this wonderful country in the Armed Forces. He has publicly wondered why churches, schools and small stores were closed while big-box stores remained open, he seems to cherish independence and freedom, and vowed to go after the cartels that bring drugs into our community and treat them as terrorists. By the way, in case Abraham is imprisoned for mildly protesting anything (I’m looking at you, Gavin Trudeau), consider Tiffany Shedd.

    Step forward the chief opponent from the dark side, Kris Mayes. No opinion on the cartels in her campaign statement. She believes in teaching critical race theory, that school-age children should be given sex-change surgery on demand, that police funding is best diverted to social programs, opposes immigrants learning English and is against a border wall. Nothing to see here, move along. (Source: isidewith.com)

    State Treasurer

    Kimberley Yee already does the job and has been endorsed by almost the entire State Senate, or so it seems, with Barry Goldwater added in for good measure. A strong believer in mathematics, Kimberly has made just about every financial parameter we care about (investment, government assets, taxes) change in the right direction. She is a conservative Republican – pro-life, pro-second amendment, pro-law enforcement, pro-school choice, and wants to see civics, free market economics and finance as a component of education, along with American history and capitalism. She’s a smart, driven, Asian-American tiger mom with access to a rifle. Watch out, Martin Quezada . . .

    Superintendent of Public Instruction

    Just when you were thinking I had nothing but nice things to say about the candidates with an “R” after their name, consider Michelle Udall. In her case the R seems to stands for RINO, having voted to provide in-state tuition to illegal aliens and against the voucher system to provide parents with a choice of where to have their kids educated. Writing as a person who came here legally, I didn’t think I would be expected to pay for the education of the families of those who didn’t. But it’s not all clear-cut – on other touchstone issues she she’s pretty straightforward. (Source: isidewith.com)

    But Step forward Shiry Sapir, Tiger Mom On Fire – When the 100% accurate AZ Central has to use words like “suspicion”, “accusation” and “rhetoric of grooming” to criticize her you know they’re worried and she’s on the right track. Along with quoting left-wing firebrands in education who are passed off as impartial academics, Sapir is described as using inflammatory phrases like “Children belong to parents and families, not the government”. Gosh. How wrong is that, comrade. So yes, I’ll be voting for Ms. Sapir.

    Corporation Commissioner

    You get to vote for two in this particular race.

    Kevin Thompson was written about by the impartial AZ Republic but against their better judgement had to report that he is actually interested in a secure and reliable energy grid. Their favorite, Lauren Kuby, proposed single-use plastic bags, climate activism (so successful in California) and bold, empathetic justice for families and people of all genders. My choice: Keeping the lights on (and the A/C running) for seven million Arizonans.

    Thompson comes as a package with Nick Myers. For his part, Myers seeks to limit commission decisions and make them accountable to the Arizona Supreme Court.

    Because unbiased information on the Corporation Commissioner hopefuls is somewhat limited on the web, perhaps it’s best to see which large groups with a vested interest in the welfare of the state have endorsed. Kuby and her partner are endorsed by Stonewall Democrats of Arizona, the leading statewide LGBTQI advocacy organization, a connection that is hard to make with electrical energy cost and reliability. Thomson and Myers are endorsed by the AZ Police Association, Mesa Police Association, and the Homebuilders Association of Central Arizona, among others. (Source: azgoldentickets.com)

    State Senator – District 12

    Suzanne Sharer seems to be the most sensible candidate in a field that a satirist (not me, of course) might paint as including a nut job and a RINO. Sharer is a long-time resident of her neighborhood, and has been hugely active in local affairs for most of her adult life, and seems well-versed in the issues. She is in favor of a southern border wall in AZ, wants to keep AZ business-friendly – with no new taxes – and is justifiably skeptical of what our children are being taught. She wants to ensure that education funding actually makes it to teacher salaries and classrooms and favors school choice for parents. She kindly spoke with me and the overall impression is a reasonable, stable candidate and someone who is committed to the place where she lives. So, amidst all this cynical patter from me, here is something genuine: Suzanne Sharer is our best hope for a Senator who has the ability to work with others, and do some real good for the state. By the way, she has just been endorsed by Kari Lake.

    Back to being cynical, candidate Mitzi Epstein (D) appears to have an ultra-hard-left following whose tweets have caused a national shortage of exclamation marks, including one who posts a picture of “Lock Him Up” written in ketchup on the sidewalk. The clinical significance of this is not yet fully understood but would appear to present some concerns. Ms. Epstein seems to be cast from the same mold as Jennifer Adams, who I find a little scary (see the AZ Central article on her interactions with the City of Tempe HR department) Accuser and accused: Tempe council candidate had several run-ins while working for city). I had the opportunity to observe Ms. E. several years ago when she ran an HOA, and after first contact the real estate agent suggested we look at houses elsewhere . . .

    David Richardson is something of a mystery. It is not clear why he has entered the race and does not seem to have supported fellow Republican candidates. His background includes CEO of bioSyntagna which develops Covid testing product, which might make one wonder about how he might vote on such issues, and his Twitter account shows him following Melinda Gates.

    State representative – District 12

    Here we get to choose both Jim Chaston and Terry Roe. Something of a no-brainer except that it’s important to know that the unassuming-looking Terry Roe is a 20-year veteran of the Arizona Police, has served on the board of the Salvation Army and the board of the Phoenix Silent Witness Program.

    Jim Chaston is similarly middle-of-the-road, and his background in accounting seems to have taught him that maths isn’t racist. Jim appears to be moderate, reliable and not a firebrand who wants to “reimagine accounting”.

    In Conclusion

    I make no claims to be politically astute. But researching this article has required me to look at the political scene. A few things I have learned:

    1. The AZ Republic is not a newspaper. It is the agitprop mouthpiece of the left where opinion is expressed as fact. It has a panel of lefty academics and others on tap whom they cite as impartial, credible and authoritative sources. But even the simplest of searches reveals the backgrounds of these supposedly impartial commentators.  Except that no-one ever bothers to look.
    2. Opinion in AZ is presented as news. But the folks with the microphone are no better than you. At the best they provide content to get you to look – and then consume the “important messages from our sponsors”. At worst they provide a biased, sectarian POV in furtherance of the sinister cause of who is behind them.
    3. If the Rs win it won’t be because they have all the outlets covered.  The Ds have already done that.
    4. There is a battle for America. The Ultra Left want to wrest authority from parents and ordinary people like you and me to the state. This is a culture war, not an Arizona mid-term, and is far more serious than you think.

    Good luck, and may God Bless America. I feel sorry for you, because, if it all falls apart here, I can go back to Europe. You literally have nowhere else to go.

     
  • LMHudson 7:45 am on July 8, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Primary ballot August 2, 2022 

     
  • LMHudson 6:59 am on June 24, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Primary election August 2, 2022 

    The main purpose of this blog is to try to help our neighbors with difficult ballots. That is easier when the ballot question is merely obscure, like a bond issue by the Maricopa Health Authority. After November 2020, we doubt any election conducted by mail and counted by machine.

    This primary is particularly difficult. Lots of good Republicans are running. It is nearly impossible to choose between them. I am also painfully aware of the huge blunders I have made in the past. In both August and November 2020, I supported Stephen Richer and Eddie Cook. I gave money to Richer and helped Cook with his signs. Yet we must continue to try to vote, to overwhelm the evil with the sheer numbers of our votes.

    Here is my ballot. I will submit it as late as possible, partly to foil the bad guys, partly to be able to change my vote in case one of these people does something dumb. Below are my arguments. I hope this helps someone. Here is an image of the ballot.

    1. US Senate: Blake Masters
    2. US Congress, District 4: Kelly Cooper
    3. Governor: Kari Lake
    4. Secretary of State: Mark Finchem
    5. Attorney General: Abe Hamadeh
    6. Superintendent of Public Instruction: Shiry Sapir
    7. State Treasurer: Bob Lettieri
    8. Arizona Corporation Commission: Nick Myers and Kevin Thompson
    9. Arizona Senate District 12: Suzanne Sharer
    10. Maricopa County Attorney:

    US Senate: The worst possible outcome of this primary is to select Mark Brnovich. Primaries are won by plurality and four acceptable Republicans are splitting the anti-Brnovich vote. We must get behind someone and Trump endorsed Masters.

    US Congress: District 4 is supposed to be a Democrat district. The Republican party therefore encourages candidates who will appeal to Democrat voters, because they are ‘moderate.’ What is the point, though, of sending someone to Washington who will betray you? I prefer Jerone Davison but here, too, it is necessary to get behind someone who can stop the moderates. Kelly Cooper has some good endorsements, including Kari Lake’s.

    Governor: Kari Lake has guts. She has taken on fights that she could have avoided. In particular, she has backed draconian reforms of our election system, like HB2289 (one day, no machines), while the other candidates squirm when asked about election integrity. Perhaps she was Saul. She is now Paul.

    Secretary of State: This post is the chief election officer of the state. Mark Finchem has done some dumb things (like support the National Popular Vote) but he has been a fairly reliable advocate of the right kind of major election reform.

    Attorney General: The experience of November 2020 inverts the rules. I am averse to candidates who appear to enjoy the support of the establishment, to those who have money, and even to those who are running on their experience. I believe Abe Hamadeh is the one most likely to punish the people who have stolen our elections. He is endorsed by Trump, Rand Paul, and Rick Grenell.

    Superintendent of Public Instruction: Shiry Sapir has school-age children. She understands the evil that infects the district school system.

    State Treasurer: There are no bad candidates here. Bob Lettieri has the best claim to being an outsider.

    Arizona Corporation Commission: Two seats are open in November. Myers and Thompson have the endorsement of Jim O’Connor and Justin Olson.

    Arizona Senate: District 12 is supposedly a Democrat district, so it is hard to get Republicans to run and those who do often think their job is to be moderate. David Richardson is an acolyte of Rusty Bowers. He won’t take a position on election integrity for fear of being divisive. There is no more important question for a legislator.

    Maricopa County Attorney: To get on the ballot, both of these women had to declare that they saw nothing wrong with the November 2020 election. Do we vote for the one we think was lying? If we win back control of our elections, this is a good example of a race that just clutters our ballot and makes them harder to count. The winner of this election is more accountable to the Board of Supervisors than to any voters.

     
    • Rosswell Olson 9:30 pm on July 18, 2022 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks Lawrence (spelling?) for your insightful comments and thoughts that you shared with me this afternoon

      Like

  • LMHudson 6:45 am on April 28, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    The contract between the Maricopa County Recorder and the chair of the Republican party, Mickie Niland 

    I campaigned for the post of Member-at-Large in the fall of 2021. I wanted all PCs to benefit from access to the voter data provided by Maricopa County under ARS 16-168. The chairman of the Republican party, Mickie Niland, warned me that doing so would violate a contract between her and the county. She would not show me the contract, so I used the Arizona Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request the contract from the county. The county said there was no contract.

    On Wednesday afternoon (April 27), the county changed their mind and sent me a copy of the contract, reproduced below.

    Here is the email thread between me and the county.

    The followup questions include:

    1. What are the consequences to the county for lying in response to a FOIA request?
    2. Why is such a contract needed when there is ARS 16-168? Does the Republican party give up rights it has under statute? If so, in return for what consideration?
    3. Why is this contract secret?
    4. Why is there no contract between the county and the Democrat party?
    5. Why did the county change its mind about the existence of this contract?
     
  • LMHudson 2:15 pm on April 17, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Post-mortem on the SRP April 2022 election 

    This is a good example of tactical voting. In 2020, Greg Patterson entered the race for At-Large Seat #11, previously between Chris Dobson (Keep the Flow) and Anda McAfee (SRP Clean Energy), representing himself as a conservative. He split the conservative vote, giving McAfee the seat. Total votes were 5,536. McAfee won with 48.6%.

    This time Greg entered the race for Council Seat 8, unendorsed by Keep the Flow, and without any apparent program, except to represent himself as a conservative. Total votes were 1245.2, of which Greg received 230.4. Had his votes been distributed among the 3 Keep the Flow candidates, the lowest vote-getter, Scott Andersen, would have been elected. Instead, thanks to Greg, Mark Mulligan (SRP Clean Energy) won one of the 3 Council seats.

    John Huppenthal did the same thing in the race for the SRP Association Board Seat 8. Total votes were 608.91. Huppenthal got only 23%, but he caused Randy Miller, the SRP Clean Energy candidate, to win, with 40% of the vote.

    Please remember Greg Patterson and John Huppenthal, in case they strike again.

     
  • LMHudson 12:43 pm on March 18, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    SRP ballot 5 April 2022 User’s Association 

     
  • LMHudson 2:02 pm on March 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    SRP ballot 5 April 2022 Power District 

     
  • LMHudson 1:58 pm on March 16, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    SRP Regular Election April 5, 2022 District 8 

    President:

    Woods, Keith BREPwoodsdobson.com
    Rousseau, DavidINDrousseauhoopesforsrp2022.com

    Vice-President:

    Hoopes, John R. “Randy”nonerousseauhoopesforsrp2022.com
    Dobson, Christopher JREPwoodsdobson.com

    Seat 12:

    O’Brien, Krista Hnonesrpcleanenergy.org
    Flores, Victor MDEMfloresforsrp.com

    Seat 14:

    Mohr-Almeida, Kathy LDEMsrpcleanenergy.org
    Biggers, Garvey MREPgarveyforsrp.com

    District Board:

    Hendrickson, Deborah SREPkeeptheflow.net
    Huppenthal, John FREP
    Miller, Randy JDEMsrpcleanenergy.org

    District Council:

    Farmer, Mark LREPkeeptheflow.net
    Mulligan, MarkDEMsrpcleanenergy.org
    Patterson, GregREP
    Pedersen, Mark CREPkeeptheflow.net
    Andersen, Scott GREPkeeptheflow.net

    The SRP is in play because the large land-owners are increasingly real-estate developers and the environmentalists see it as a prize. Note the high correlation between party affiliation and slate: keeptheflow are all Republicans; srpcleanenergy almost all Democrats. None of us have any real visibility into these candidates, but the slates and the party affiliations are a useful guide. I choose to vote for Republicans and keeptheflow. Because srpcleanenergy endorses Woods and Dobson, I will vote for Rousseau and Hoopes. See the example ballots for the Power District and the User’s Association, here and here.

     
  • LMHudson 3:55 pm on February 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    City of Tempe Special Election March 8 2022 

    There are six council members. Half stand for election every two years. Municipal government is supposedly non-partisan. The party affiliations of the 3 members who are not standing for elections are:

    Doreen GarlidDEM
    Randy KeatingDEM
    Joel NavarroDEM

    Mayor Corey Woods is also a DEM.

    The party affiliations of the seven candidates for city council are:

    Jennifer AdamsDEM
    Arlene ChinDEM
    Casey ClowesDEM
    Berdetta HodgeDEM
    Gina KashREP
    Harper LinesDEM
    John SkeltonIND

    As fast as Ms Kash puts up her signs, they are torn down. I participated in organizing a meeting to introduce her to South Tempe residents, using eventbrite.com. We offered 40 free tickets. Within minutes of posting the ad, someone claimed all 40 tickets, causing the event to disappear. Can we guess that Ms Kash threatens the city government in ways that none of the other candidates do?

    This is an all-mail-in election, the type our Recorder, Stephen Richer, calls ‘boring.’ Since Feb 9, two drop box locations have been available: one in Tempe City Hall, available during office hours, and one at 510 S Third Ave, outside MCTEC, available 24/7 and watched only by a camera. I reported this in an earlier version of the blog: ‘A neighbor who has not yet voted reported receiving a text notification from the county saying that her ballot had been received and counted.’ I now believe there is a benign explanation for that. You can sign up for text notifications here: textsignup.maricopa.vote

    The ballot is simple, with seven names. Ballots like this can be read in their envelopes with a strong flashlight. If you vote only for Ms Kash, as I did, it is evident without opening the ballot. Perhaps this makes it a ‘transparent’ election?

    Here is a discussion of tactical voting, called ‘single-shot’ in this case. If your concern is that someone might steam open the envelope and add two votes, use the write-in lines to fill in two more bubbles.

    Here is the ballot. Other precincts will have a different ordering of names, but the precinct code, which gives the order, is printed on the outside of the envelope. Please cast your vote at the last minute. If you bring it to Tempe History Museum already sealed in its envelope, there should be a minimal line.

    Here are links to the candidates’ websites and facebook pages:

    Jennifer Adamshttps://www.jenniferfortempe.com/https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009988600199
    Arlene Chinhttps://www.arlenefortempe.com/https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=arlene%20chin%20for%20tempe
    Casey Cloweshttps://www.clowesforcouncil.com/https://www.facebook.com/casey.clowes
    Berdetta Hodgehttps://www.hodgefortempe.com/https://www.facebook.com/berdetta.hodge
    Gina Kashhttps://www.ginakash.com/
    Harper Lineshttps://www.harperlinesfortempe.com/https://www.facebook.com/harperlinesfortempe
    John Skeltonhttps://www.skeltonfortempe.com/https://www.facebook.com/SkeltonForTempe

    There have been three candidate fora, all in zoom format:

    January 12, 2022. Two hours. Sponsored by the Tempe Chamber of Commerce and the Arizona Republic.

    January 19, 2022. Two hours. Sponsored by the North Tempe Neighborhood Association and moderated by the League of Women Voters.

    Feb 2, 2022. 90 minutes. Sponsored by Arizona Forward.

    This blog started because the city ignored its own zoning laws to protect a rooming house in an otherwise single family residential neighborhood. It calls itself South Tempe to distinguish it from the increasingly urban and dysfunctional north. Two years ago, when the mayor and the other half of the council stood for election, I couldn’t find anyone to vote for. Bill Baxter voted for Corey Woods in order to vote against Mark Mitchell.

    Municipal government is supposed to concern itself with basic services like public safety and zoning. Tempe has its own policies for climate change and homelessness. Here is an example of how they work together.

    Toby Duffell has written several articles about our misgovernment and published them on Nextdoor, where he complains of being censored. I reproduce them here, with his permission:

    The insurance the city wants to sell us to protect our water lines.

    WARNING — Tempe Public Opinion Survey

    Crime in Tempe

     
  • LMHudson 3:17 pm on February 27, 2022 Permalink | Reply  

    Crime in Tempe 

    originally published on Nextdoor. Contributed by Toby Duffell. Reproduced here with his permission.

    Toby has found 3 sources of crime data, all of which are unflattering to north Tempe:

    https://crimegrade.org This source reports 89 crimes per 1,000 residents for the 85281 zipcode.

    Orange worst, green best

    https://neighborhoodscout.com This source reports 48 crimes per 1,000 residents for all of Tempe, still higher than the national average. It is, unfortunately, behind a paywall.

    http://www.city-data.com Their index is not comparable to the measures above. They measure crime in Tempe at 329, compared to a national average of 270.

    This data shows that crime in Tempe is bad, but not a new problem

    The City of Tempe reports crime statistics for 2018, 2019, and through August 2020. Their numbers show declining rates of crime but there is no comparison to other cities. Here is the link.

     
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