http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns For a better Arizona! Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:08:32 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Published Wednesday, March 3, 2010 in Tempe Republic opinions of Arizona Republic (and maybe Ahwatukee Republic) as “‘Yes’ on override would save music.”   Do we balance budgets on the backs of children? Not if we care about their future. Recently Kyrene Middle School and Fees Middle School Orchestras performed at Marcos de Niza ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2010/03/03/yes-on-override-would-save-music/ Arizona’s Tuition Tax Credit Program’s Limited Impact on Private School Enrollment Full Report For Fiscal Year 2008, after adjusting for savings for students switching from public to private schools, the individual and corporate tax credit private school scholarship programs cost the general fund between $42 and $54 million.   Executive Summary: In 1997 Governor ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2010/02/08/arizona%e2%80%99s-tuition-tax-credit-program%e2%80%99s-limited-impact-on-private-school-enrollment/ This opinion piece is being circulated statewide by the Arizona Editorial Forum. In countries like Iran we regularly see dissent brutally crushed and political enemies jailed. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas are behaving in similar fashion.  That’s why a federal grand  jury is investigating Arpaio. Arpaio and ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2010/02/06/arpaio-and-thomas-abusing-publics-trust/ Published Saturday, January 23, 2010 in Southeast Valley Opinions of the Arizona Republic as "Plans to aid Haiti took on a new meaning after earthquake."  Ironically, the day before the Haitian earthquake, I was presenting to Tempe High School French students about my time in Haiti 10 years ago.  Their inspiring teacher, Michelle Coble, ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2010/01/23/haitis-challenge-tragedy-and-promise/ Published Saturday, November 07, 2009 in Southeast Valley Opinions of the Arizona Republic as “Sheriff’s tactics to silence foes raise Constitutional issues.” Note: The day after I submitted this for publication (Oct. 30), KPHO broke the story that what I’m reporting here is far more widespread and that the FBI is ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/11/07/sheriff%e2%80%99s-tactics-to-silence-foes-raise-constitutional-issues/ Published Friday, September 11, 2009 in opinions of Southeast Valley community sections of the Arizona Republic as “Obama’s speech to kids reaffirms American values.” (note: the published version cut off the part starting with the Constitutional Convention reference)   “And even when you’re struggling, even when you’re discouraged, and you feel like ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/09/11/obama%e2%80%99s-speech-to-kids-reaffirms-american-values/ Published Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Southeast Community editions of the Arizona Republic as "Political posturing will put pox on health-care debate."   The health-care debate has hit the Southeast Valley full force.  Rep. Jeff Flake’s town hall meeting at Chandler’s Basha High School included 1,500 people with another 500 turned away due ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/08/15/moving-beyond-political-posturing-in-health-care-debate/ Published as the featured op-ed on Sunday, July 26, 2009 in The East Valley Tribune’s Perspective section as “Health care reform finally on horizon.”  Next week The East Valley Tribune will feature a piece by Rep. John Shadegg that explains how the U.S. can do better without a government mandate ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/07/26/health-care-reform-finally-on-horizon/ Details on the tax end have emerged for the state budget and we have rumors of choppy waters ahead.  We need a public tsunami. It’s a fiscal disaster for state finances long-term, even though it gets us through short-term—though even there at great cost (see http://30daysinjune.blogspot.com/2009/06/proposed-budget.html for impacts on education ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/06/28/gop%e2%80%99s-big-math-error-yields-a-permanent-14-billion-state-revenue-hole/ A flat tax to replace our graduated progressive income tax appears to be part of the possible budget agreement between Republican Governor Jan Brewer and our Republican legislative leadership. If revenue neutral, this would be a stealth tax increase for many Arizonans and may also undermine state finances well into the ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/06/27/a-flat-tax-is-flat-wrong/ Published Friday, May 22, 2009 in Southeast Valley Opinions of the Arizona Republic as “Some ASU students becoming agents of change.”   “A great motto for all of us -- find somebody to be successful for. Raise their hopes. Rise to their needs.” –President Barack Obama’s commencement address at Arizona State University, ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/05/22/some-asu-students-becoming-agents-of-change/ Distributed statewide to newspapers and radio outlets by the Arizona Editorial Forum.  Posted at their web site as “Fixing Arizona’s unemployment benefit system” and published under the same title on Saturday, May 9 in the Tucson Citizen. At a recent community meeting on the state’s budget crisis with Republican and ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/05/09/fixing-arizona%e2%80%99s-unemployment-benefit-system/ Published Wednesday, April 22nd in the Tucson Citizen as “Let’s set goal to reconfigure AIMS” and published Saturday, April 25th in the East Valley Community Sections of the Arizona Republic as “Flaws in AIMS test demand scrutiny and overhaul.”   You may also wish to read my prior article on the ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/04/25/fixing-flaws-in-aims-testing/ A shorter version has been sent to the Arizona Republic.   Rob Robb purports today that (“Increasing state taxes no economic panacea", April 3), “some highly careless advocates even assert that if the state had not changed tax rates, state revenues would be $2 billion higher today (than in  the early 1990s).” ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/04/03/oops-robb-actually-agrees-on-2-billion-cost-of-tax-cuts-that-he-criticizes/ Published Saturday, March 28, 2009 as “No joking: Schools need to explore immigration issues” in Southeast Valley Opinions of the Arizona Republic in all communities except Tempe where it appeared on Wednesday, April  1. I recently was told a joke where Chinese, Mexican and American individuals were requested to bring ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/03/28/no-joking-schools-need-to-explore-immigration-issues/ Expanded version of letter sent to the Arizona Republic  Why is the jobless rate lower here?  Rob Robb asks this pertinent question in a March 25 column.   His argument is largely based on comparing metro area unemployment figures and finding that we in Phoenix and Arizona as a whole are faring better ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/03/27/why-is-arizonas-jobless-rate-lower/ As I write on political issues, I want to convey clearly with public and university audiences that while I teach at ASU, I do not speak for ASU in any of these columns in publication or on my website. It is my free speech right as a citizen and within my ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/03/22/not-the-voice-of-arizona-state-university/ Published March 17, 200 9 in the Arizona Daily Star as "GOP should follow Brewer's lead." One of the peculiar aspects of politics is that sometimes it takes a Republican to raise taxes .   Imagine if former Governor Janet Napolitano had called for the $1 billion annual increase in taxes for the ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/03/09/sometimes-it-takes-a-republican-to-raise-taxes/ This piece has been distibuted to opinion page editors statewide--and was updated and editted for a version that later appeared in the East Valley Tribune on Sunday, February 1.   The only thing missing from the budget plan from Republican Appropriation chairs Russell Pearce and John Kavanaugh is a return to ancient ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2009/01/17/pearce-kavanaugh-budget-plans-misery-reminiscent-of-ancient-sparta/ Published Saturday, December 27, 2008 in Opinions section of the Tempe Republic section of the Arizona Republic as “Help those in need by sponsoring a marathon runner” Why am I running a half marathon? I regularly bicycle 10 to 30 miles a day, but the longest I’ve ever run before this year ... http://www.makedemocracywork.org/columns/2008/12/27/help-those-in-need-sponsor-a-half-marathon-runner-plus-a-dime-per-gallon/