Oops! Perry doesn’t know what he stepped in

FM:  AZ Dem Party, Andy Barr, Nov 28, 2011

The Texas governor has somehow been hoodwinked by Arpaio into believing the sheriff’s endorsement comes with anything but baggage. So for the benefit of Perry’s campaign — which seems to need the help — we’ve put together a few of Joe’s greatest hits below, and this is just the easy-to-find stuff.

Oops!

ARPAIO IS UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION FOR ABUSES OF POWER AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
Arpaio Has Been Under Investigation By A Federal Grand Jury For His Aggressive Stance On Immigration And For Possible Abuses Of Power In Launching Investigations Of Local Officials Who Disagree With Him. “A federal grand jury is investigating Joe Arpaio, the Arizona sheriff known for his aggressive stance on illegal immigration, for possible abuses of power in launching investigations of local officials who disagree with him, authorities said Friday. Two Maricopa County officials have been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury to testify about Arpaio’s actions against county officials since they moved to cut his budget in late 2008.” [LA Times, 1/9/10]

CNN: The Justice Department Civil Rights Lawyers Filed Suit Against Arpaio After Talks Collapsed On A Deal To Provide Federal Investigators With Documents Pertaining To Alleged Discrimination Against Hispanics By Arpaio’s Law Enforcement Officials. “Justice Department civil rights lawyers filed suit against Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona on Thursday after talks collapsed on a deal to provide federal investigators with documents they requested. The suit, filed in federal court in Phoenix, Arizona, claims the Maricopa County sheriff has failed to cooperate with the investigation into alleged discrimination against Hispanics by Arpaio’s law enforcement officials. The Justice Department expressed dismay at the sheriff’s office’s ‘refusal to cooperate with the investigation.’ ‘The actions of the sheriff’s office are unprecedented,’ said Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez, chief of the Civil Rights Division. ‘It is unfortunate that the (Justice) Department was forced to resort to litigation to gain access to public documents and facilities.’” [CNN, 9/2/10]

LA Times: Arpaio Has Used His Deputies To Enforce Federal Immigration Law And Is Known For Sending Hundreds Of Officers Into Heavily Latino Neighborhoods To Ask Anyone Who Commits Violations As Minor As Jaywalking About Their Immigration Status. “Arpaio uses his deputies to enforce federal immigration law and is known for sending hundreds of officers into heavily Latino neighborhoods to ask anyone who commits violations as minor as jaywalking about their immigration status. Among the officials targeted by Arpaio and Thomas has been Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, the lone Democrat on the board, for possible conflict of interest.” [LA Times, 1/9/10]

GQ: Arpaio Utilized A Bush-Era Immigration Policy To Initiate Local “Crime Suppression Sweeps” In Hispanic Neighborhoods Regardless Of Whether They Had Committed A Crime. “After the Bush-era Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency allowed local officers to arrest anyone not caring documentation (regardless of whether they had committed a crime), he started conducting ‘crime suppression sweeps’ in Hispanic neighborhoods. Today, there’s a Sheriff-Joe-initiated illegal immigration hotline for Phoenicians to rat out their neighbors, and the ‘To Protect and Serve’ logo on Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office vans have been plastered over with ‘Help Sheriff Joe Arpaio Fight Illegal Immigration.’” [GQ, The Vigilante, 10/9/09]

ARPAIO’S OFFICE HAS “MISUSED” MILLIONS IN STATE FUNDS
Arpaio’s Office Misused At Least $50 Million From A Fund For Jail Operations To Pay For Functions Not Allowed Under Jail-Fund Rules, Such As Salaries For Deputies. “The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office misused at least $50 million from a fund for jail operations, and county supervisors may have to use the general fund to repay the money, top county officials say. Findings by the county’s Office of Management and Budget show the Sheriff’s Office tapped the money to pay for functions not allowed under jail-fund rules, such as salaries for deputies who worked on public-corruption investigations into county supervisors and judges.” [Arizona Republic, 9/21/10]

Arpaio’s Office “Routinely Used County-Issued Credit Cards To Charge Expensive Meals And Stays At Luxury Hotels.” “Separate investigations by The Republic have documented the questionable use of public funds by high-ranking sheriff’s officials, who routinely used county-issued credit cards to charge expensive meals and stays at luxury hotels. The Republic also found that another fund meant to improve conditions in county jails was spent by sheriff’s officials on out-of-state training, stays at luxury hotels, a staff party at a local amusement park and a $456,000 bus to transport inmates to court. That bus remains parked in a county lot because supervisors have refused to license and insure it, claiming it was illegally purchased.” [Arizona Republic, 9/21/10]

Sheriff’s Office CFO Said She Was Pressured By Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s Second-In-Command To Approve Charges That Were Not Pre-Approved As Required By Office Policy. “Loretta Barkell, the sheriff’s chief financial officer, told The Republic on Thursday that she was pressured by Chief Deputy David Hendershott, Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s second-in-command, to approve charges that were not pre-approved as required by office policy. ‘It’s not uncommon for travel and expenses of senior officials in the Sheriff’s Office to be approved after the fact because the chief deputy lets it happen,’ Barkell said. ‘That’s his philosophy, and he allows it, and to hell with any kind of policy.’” [Arizona Republic, 8/8/10]

ARPAIO: THE IMMIGRANTS CROSSING THE BORDER ARE “ALL DIRTY” AND MAY “COME WITH DISEASE”
Arpaio: “All Of These People That Come Over” The Border Are “All Dirty” And “Could Come With Disease” And “No One Talks About That!” “‘All these people that come over, they could come with disease. There’s no control, no health checks or anything. They check fruits and vegetables, how come they don’t check people? No one talks about that! They’re all dirty.” [GQ, The Vigilante, 10/9/09]

ARPAIO THE BIRTHER
Arpaio Directed His “Cold Case Posse” To Look Into President Obama’s Birth Certificate Because “There Could Be A Shock There Somewhere.” “Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff Joe Arpaio addressed his ‘Cold Case Posse’ looking into President Barack Obama’s birth certificate at an Arizona tea party meeting with ‘birther queen’ Orly Taitz Tuesday night. Taitz, who conservative outlet WorldNetDaily says flew in from California on short notice, talked for a few minutes about her claim that the president was not born in the United States. The audience applauded her during her speech, and several members stood up at the end. ‘Thanks for your input. We’re looking at this very closely,’ said Arpaio. ‘I can’t tell you everything, but there could be a shock there somewhere that my guys came up with. I can’t talk too much about it. It’s in the process.’ Arpaio said to Taitz, ‘There are a couple of things you and nobody else here knows anything about yet that could be a little bit exciting.’” [Huffington Post, 10/28/11]

ARPAIO HAS VIOLATED THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF PRETRIAL DETAINEES…
Wall Street Journal: The 9th Circuit Affirmed The Sheriff Joe Arpaio Violated The Constitutional Rights Of Pretrial Detainees By Housing Them In Overcrowded Conditions At “Dangerously High Temperatures” And Feeding Them “Overripe, Moldy, And Generally Inedible” Food. “Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Arizona is back in the spotlight, this time over the condition of his jails. The self-proclaimed ‘toughest sheriff’ in the country has been told to fix up his jails – again. This week, a federal appeals court agreed with a lower court’s 2008 ruling that had concluded conditions did not meet constitutional minimums. The 9th Circuit affirmed a ruling that Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County, violated the constitutional rights of pretrial detainees by housing them in overcrowded conditions, at ‘dangerously high temperatures,’ and feeding them ‘overripe, moldy, and generally inedible’ food, according to this account in Courthouse News.” [Wall Street Journal, 10/14/10]

…AND HIS COUNTY JAILS HAVE FAILED TO MEET CONSTITUTIONAL STANDARDS IN SEVERAL AREAS
2008: Conditions In Maricopa County’s Jails Failed To Meet Constitutional Standards In Key Areas, Including The Quality Of Food, Inmate Access To Recreation Areas, Temperatures In Which Inmates Taking Psychiatric Medicine Are Held, And The Quality And Availability Of Medical And Mental-Health Care. “Maricopa County officials have failed to improve medical and mental-health conditions in county jails, 16 months after a federal judge found those conditions unconstitutional, according to a review by U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake. Wake issued a landmark ruling in October 2008 that found conditions in the jails failed to meet constitutional standards in key areas, including the quality of food, inmate access to recreation areas, temperatures in which inmates taking psychiatric medication are held, and the quality and availability of medical and mental-health care. On Wednesday, Wake ruled that expert reports submitted in March found ‘significant areas of failure to comply’ and noted that ‘it appears as though most of the improvements made regarding medical and mental-health services have been those imposing little or no additional cost on defendants.’” [Arizona Republic, 4/8/10]

ARPAIO, MORE SHOWMAN THAN SHERIFF
Arpaio Allowed Steven Seagal To Ride In An Armored Vehicle To Execute A Search Warrant In A Major Raid On A Suspected Cockfighting Operation. “The criticism was just as fierce last month when Mr. Arpaio allowed the actor Steven Seagal to ride in an armored vehicle to execute a search warrant in a major raid on a suspected cockfighting operation. ‘I’ve never seen a bigger spectacle,’ said Robert J. Campos, the lawyer for the accused man, Jesus Llovera. ‘You had Steven Seagal on a tank and a SWAT team swarming a home, but the reality is they arrested an unarmed man.’ Mr. Arpaio said Mr. Seagal was one of his many volunteer posse members who help out deputies. But Mr. Campos said the raid was filmed as part of Mr. Seagal’s reality television show, ‘Lawman,’ on the A&E Network.” [NY Times, 4/15/11]

NY Times: Arpaio Created What He Calls His Own Air Force: A Collection Of 30 Private Planes That His “Air Posse” Uses To Track Illegal Immigrants And Drug Smugglers.” “It is not uncommon for law enforcement agencies to have helicopters and planes to patrol from above, but Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County, has created what he calls his own air force: a collection of 30 private planes that his ‘air posse’ uses to track illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.” [NY Times, 4/15/11]

GQ: Since 2007, Arpaio’s Deputies Have Arrested 33,000 Illegal Aliens But The Sheriff’s Immigration Crackdown Has Coincided With A Surge In Violent Crime And The Accumulation Of Over 40,000 Outstanding Felony Warrants. “Since 2007, Arpaio’s deputies have arrested 33,000 illegal aliens (only 300 of whom were picked up on ‘crime suppression sweeps’), but they’ve failed to catch any drug kingpins, break up any smuggling rings, or stanch the Mexican drug gang violence spilling over the border. (In fact, the sheriff’s immigration crackdown has coincided with a surge in violent crime and the accumulation of over 40,000 outstanding felony warrants.)” [GQ, The Vigilante, 10/9/09]

 

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AZ’s proposed revenue-neutral flat tax shifts tax burden from rich to the rest of us
by David Safier

About 200 people attended the very informative Flat Tax Forum Monday night, hosted by Sen. Paula Aboud. It’s possible to get deep in the weeds in discussing the flat tax legislation proposed by Rep. Steve Court last session which is likely to resurface in 2012, but here some of the important points.

If it passes, the flat tax won’t generate a penny in new revenue.   However, it will guarantee most people making more than $100,000 will pay less taxes and most everyone else will pay more.

There is no “simplification” involved in the flat tax. You’ll spend just as long on your taxes as you do now.
Many low income people who currently don’t have to file will have to go through the filing process and pay. That includes not only adults, but also teenagers who have summer jobs, and even young children who have bank accounts or investments earning piddling amounts of interest.

There’s no deduction for mortgage interest.
There’s no deduction for charitable contributions.
There’s no deduction for being blind.
There’s no deduction for being 65 or older.
There are lots more items which no longer qualify for deductions.

Nonprofits and faith communities will experience what one panel member called a “double whammy”: fewer people will contribute because there will be no tax deduction for contributions, and more low income people will request assistance because the tax lowers their income still further.

Aboud plans many more presentations to educate people about the flat tax before it comes up again next session.

You can learn more by going to the Ax The Flat Tax website.

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Arizona News

Dems vs. Thems

The differences between Arizona Democrats and the AZGOP were on full display this week. The Legislature was called into special session to extend unemployment benefits that are about to expire for 15,000 struggling Arizonans. Democratic lawmakers have been relentless in calling for this extension, but Republicans have done nothing. Below are our talking points on the special session, and we will update them as the session continues next week. Underneath those talking points is a refresher on our general message, which we try to incorporate whenever possible.

On the special session to extend unemployment benefits

• During the 2011 legislative session, the Russell Pearce Republicans found ample time to push birther bills, approve tea party license plates and try to dismantle the 14th Amendment.
• They couldn’t be bothered, however, to make a simple, one-word fix in state law to protect thousands of struggling Arizonans from losing unemployment benefits.
• Since April, Democrats have called on the Republicans in power, including Governor Brewer, to make this fix, but they refused. So while we are heartened that the governor has called for a special session, it didn’t have to come to this.
• On Friday, legislative Republicans once again put an extreme ideology ahead of what was good for Arizona. To refuse to make a one-word change to statute that doesn’t cost the state a dime is mean spirited, short sighted and wrong.
• Because of GOP inaction, our Arizona economy will take another hit and families will be pushed into poverty.
• The Russell Pearce Republicans showed once again that they are the ones driving the state — into a ditch.

On what Arizona Democrats stand for:

• Today in Arizona, Democrats represent Arizona’s mainstream, while the Russell Pearce Republicans represent only the extreme.
• While Arizona’s economy keeps sinking, the Russell Pearce Republicans have introduced a so-called “birther bill,” approved a tea party license plate and tried to dismantle the 14th Amendment, undermining the basic idea that everyone born in America is equal to anyone else.
• The Russell Pearce Republicans are stuffing more kids in each classroom and kicking kids off healthcare. They’re taking cops off our streets and letting criminals out of jail and back into our communities. They’ve sold our state Capitol to big banks in New York, and they haven’t lifted a finger to help create jobs.
• The Arizona Democratic Party is now the “big tent” party where Democrats, independents and fed-up Republicans can work together to move our state forward.
• Arizona Democrats are focused on what really matters to Arizonans — a stronger economy, safer streets, and better schools.

These talking points can be used not only in your conversations with others but as guidance for letters to the editor, blog posts or other communications you have with the community at large. We hope they will unify and strengthen our message as Arizona Democrats.

Click here to read AZ Dem press releases.