The Dark Shadows in Arizona

When we last left our heroes….
-        Latest from the outhouse.  Governor Brewer announced her signature economic legislative opus: Her Arizona Economic Competitiveness package will replace the existing Commerce Department and replace it with a $25million backed Arizona Commerce Authority that will entice businesses to Arizona with job credits, lower taxes, R&D tax credits, and expedited depreciation for capital investments.  Sounds good until you realize the signature piece of the legislation, the tax cuts, don’t become effective for four years and by the time they are in full effect in 2018, the state will have a $400million tax revenue hole to fill.  You can entice business all you want, but as long as you keep pushing your anti-governmental and bigoted agenda, companies will be wary of committing to the state.  Finally, these high-tech, high-paying jobs require a supply of highly educated professionals, something you are jeopardizing with your budget cuts.
-        Perhaps things aren’t as bad in Arizona as I thought.  The Senate Judiciary committee voted 5-2 against SB 1526 with Republicans John McComish, Adam Driggs, and Rick Murphy joining Democrats Kyrsten Sinema and Steve Gallardo in questioning the expansiveness of the bill and voting against it.  The bill would have required anyone running for President in 2012 to present his birth certificate to the Arizona Secretary of State in order to be placed on the ballot. 
-        Oh maybe I spoke too soon, because here comes SB 1405.  The bill would require hospitals, when admitting nonemergency cases, to confirm the patient’s citizenship.  In emergency cases where the patient is here illegally, the hospital would be required to call authorities after completing treatment. Hospitals in non-emergency situations would also be required to contact federal authorities, but they would have discretion about whether to provide treatment to the immigrants.  Added Senate President and BIC (Bigot-in-Chief) Russell Pearce: "It's the law. It's a felony to (aid and) abet. We're going to enforce the law without apology."  Aid and abet?  Cheese and Rice, this guy thinks we’re at war.  Do you think he has a full size Glenn Beck poster in his bedroom?  Seriously, I know illegal immigrants receiving healthcare and emergency services is a hot issue that gets hotter during down economic times, but let’s set aside the anger and moral argument and look at this logically.  If you have an illegal immigrant suffering from Cholera, Tuberculosis, or some other contagious and lethal disease and he is afraid of going to the hospital, what do you think happens?  The entire community becomes at risk AND they seek black market off-license aid and end up worse off.  This is insanity.

Stay tuned next week for the latest stories from the outhouse in “As the Crapper Turns”.

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