WATCH: Ron Barber's "Most Amazing", Most Independent Day

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Here is a link to the 12 minute swearing in ceremony with speeches:  http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/3342625

Here, provided by Rep. Barber's office, is the text of his remarks in the above clip:

I would like to thank the Arizona delegation for that warm welcome. And I would like to thank Speaker Boehner for his long and dedicated public service and for swearing me in today. And to my family – in the gallery and my grandchildren here on the floor – thank you for your support and love without which I would not be here today.  They are the most amazing family and I am blessed to have them in my life. To my high school sweetheart and wife Nancy, I love you dearly and look forward to celebrating our 45^th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, I stand here on the floor of the House in the very spot where five months ago my friend, and my predecessor, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, bravely delivered her resignation from Congress.  I want to thank the congresswoman for her vision, leadership and the inspiration she gives to the country. Gabby, Southern Arizona misses you and can’t wait to have you home. Today, as I begin my service in this, the people’s house, I am mindful that the stakes for our nation are very high. ·        They are too high to not set aside political division in favor of seeking common ground.
 ·        Too high to use our words as weapons.
 ·        Too high to think of those with whom we disagree as villains.
 As an Arizonan, I look to the example of Congressman Mo Udall and Senator Barry Goldwater, two leaders in their respective parties who disagreed on much, but did so without being disagreeable. They came together many times to do what was right for their state and their country. I’m going to approach my work for the people of Southern Arizona with an eye not toward partisan victory, but toward American achievement. Because we as a country have much to achieve: ·        We must protect middle class families at a time when our middle class is slowly disappearing.
 ·        We must ensure the dignity and health of every American senior in retirement.
 ·        We must honor our veterans and military families – by ensuring that the more than 100,000 veterans I represent in Southern Arizona and every other American veteran and service member receives the services and benefits they’ve earned.
 ·        We must secure our border so that border residents are safe and we impede the flow of drugs into our communities and illegal drug money out of our country.
 ·        And we must create jobs with innovative energy technologies, improvements in our essential infrastructure, and by supporting local small businesses to grow.
I look forward to working across party lines to achieve these goals for the good of my constituents and for all Americans. Thank you. I yield back.

As noted earlier, Ron Barber's first day of voting was noteworthy for voting the opposite way that the majority of his fellow Democrats voted.

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.

House Overwhelmingly Votes To Block Tohono O'odham From Building Glendale Casino

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The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted to approve a bill sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks (R-CD2) to prevent the Tohono O'odham from building a casino in Glendale.  Arizona's Politics posted the debate - and the text of the bill - earlier today.

The vote was 343-78.  Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD7) and 1st day Rep. Ron Barber (D-CD8) were the only two members of the Arizona delegation to vote against it.

The measure now moves to the Senate.

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Not the Same Safeway, But Barber Makes Statement With First "Congress On Your Corner" ; Also Gets Website Up and Running, Other Developments

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Newly sworn-in Rep. Ron Barber is certainly sending a message, ending his first week as Congressman with a "Congress On Your Corner" at a Tucson Safeway store.  It was at another such store that he and his predecessor, Gabrielle Giffords, were shot.  Thirteen others were killed in the mass shooting that followed the attempted assassination.

Barber will listen to and speak with constituents at the Safeway at Grant and Craycroft (one of my favorite Tucson Safeways) from 9:00-10:30 Saturday morning.  While his office's press release does not mention the symbolism - Giffords also completed that tragic 2011 constituent event shortly before she retired to focus on her recovery - it certainly sends a message that he does not intend to be cowed from outreach.


“This event is the first of many I will hold so that I can be accessible to all of my constituents throughout Southern Arizona,” Barber said today. “I will not become isolated in Washington. My work at the Capitol will be influenced by what I hear and learn here in Arizona.”


Another news release from the Congressional office touts how Barber "cross(ed) party lines" in his first day votes, in order to increase border security.  Arizona's Politics earlier noted his series of votes which went against House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and the majority of fellow Democrats. 


In other developments, the House finally got Barber's official website up and running within the past 24 hours.  During the period that the seat was vacant, CD8 constituents had no website to access resources, even though the office remained running for such matters.  The website did not "go live" until late yesterday or early today, even though he was sworn in on Tuesday.  The office also has Twitter and Facebook up and running.


Finally, accentuating the nature of this strenuous Special Election/Re-election situation to replace Giffords, shortly after Barber's Congressional office sent out the news release, the Barber re-election campaign sent out a fundraising letter (under the title "What a Week!").  As noted earlier, no rest.  



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WATCH: Club For Growth Support For Jeff Flake Surpasses $1.25 Million, Doubles Down On "Imposter" Ads Targeting Wil Cardon (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

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Clarification, 5:50p.m.: Edited to reflect that Proposition 400 was to provide funding for a transportation plan, part of which included light rail.)

As promised, the Club For Growth dropped a second quarter-million-dollar ad buy this week on an increasingly-vitriolic GOP primary battle for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat.  That puts their support of Rep. Jeff Flake (R-CD6) - and/or opposition of opponent Wil Cardon - above the $1.25 Million mark.

The "Imposter" ads have been a fixture on Phoenix airwaves during the past couple of weeks, and will apparently continue for the next couple.

The pair of 15-second spots attack Cardon's conservative credentials, based upon his Executive Committee position with the group that campaigned for the transportation plan (which included funding for light rail) in 2004 and upon his participation in the Urban Land Institute.




The Club initially spent $290,258.62 on these ads (plus a 60-second radio spot).  Today's filing extends that campaign by spending an additional $280,963.43.  (By the way, the Club For Growth has a problem filling out the forms, not totaling "Total Expenditures This Period" and not indicating whether the expenditure is supporting or opposing the candidate; this makes it difficult for groups like the Center for Responsive Politics to properly monitor expenditures.)

Combined with the more than $22,000 which the Club For Growth spent on raising money for Flake after he announced his candidacy to replace the retiring Jon Kyl, and the $673,229.93 which Club members have contributed to Flake's campaign through the Club For Growth "conduit", and CFG has now provided at least $1,266,492.76 to the Flake effort.

As noted last year in Arizona's Politics, the ties between the Club For Growth and Rep. Flake have long been close, and that there is nothing nefarious in the relationship. "There is nothing nefarious either implicit or explicit in the Flake/CFG relationship - Rep. Flake has consistently been a fiscal conservative, even before he was in Congress.  However, it is of interest when one ideological organization provides such a large portion of a candidate's campaign fund."



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Unfortunately...

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Unfortunately, I will be out of commission for the next week or so.  I had a feeling that the Supreme Court would not cooperate by issuing its opinion on U.S. v. Arizona this past week.  I was looking forward to reporting on the decision and the aftermath.  PLEASE, feel free to post your reports, opinions, questions about it in the comment section below.  (I have adjusted the comments settings to permit non-anonymous comments without moderation - please, keep it clean.)

I also have a hunch that there will be a lot of great Arizona political happenings while I am gone - feel free to post here on those.  And, as always, if you have any story ideas for me, please e-mail them to me or leave a voice mail.

Thanks to those of you who read (or, stumble upon) this little blog o' mine.  And, especially to those of you who have given me feedback (positive or negative).

See you in a week or two.


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Rep. Franks' Response To Unsuccessful Vote On His Sex Selection Abortion Bill

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We received the following statement from Rep. Trent Franks (R-CD2) on today's unsuccessful vote on his bill to restrict sex selection abortions:

"I am heartened that so many of my colleagues came together to, in an overwhelming majority, support the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act. Though it did not secure the two-thirds majority necessary to pass under suspension rules, I am confident that this is not the end, but merely the opening salvo in ensuring the words, 'It's a girl,' are no longer a death sentence for so many unborn girls. "I also note the sad and bitter irony that President Obama, who has disingenuously accused Republicans of a so-called 'war on women,' mustered a truly breathtaking display of hypocrisy in opposing a bill that would prevent aborting those little babies who have the 'nerve' to be little girls. "Indeed, the same Democrats who are so frequently heralded as 'progressives' today refused to make the United States the very last civilized nation on Earth to outlaw aborting a little girl simply for being a little girl, even as the human family on Earth is today missing 200 million baby girls, thanks to the grisly practice the majority of my colleagues across the aisle couldn't find it in their hearts to condemn."

We have asked several other questions of the Congressman, and will update once we receive answers.

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No Resting On Laurels For Barber; READ: Statements From Ron Barber's New Opponents

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As expected all along, the winner of this week's Special Election to finish the term of retired Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-CD8) was not going to have any time to get out of campaign mode.  Ron Barber, Giffords' District Director, won the election on Tuesday, and though he won't have the prospect of a third (counting the 2010 nail-biter) campaign against Jesse Kelly, he faces both a primary fight and what will be a tough campaign against likely GOP nominee Martha McSally.

Jesse Kelly thanked "our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great".*  Then he withdrew from re-fighting for those values in the November election for the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District.


Breathing a sigh of relief and ready to kick it back in campaign mode is the spokesman for Martha McSally.  She finished second to Kelly in the hotly-contested GOP primary for the Special Election.  Spokesman Sam Stone said “It would obviously benefit us quite a bit if we had the opportunity to run straight for November.” As of this writing, however, McSally's website has not been updated( since April).  However, she has sent out a release/letter to Republicans, reaching out to those who worked for Kelly in the Special Election.  "I know many of you put a lot of time and effort into helping Jesse Kelly get elected, and we're all disappointed in the result. But now we have to refocus our efforts once again and start preparing for November."


Former State Rep. Matt Heinz does have his website up-to-date, and he is (still*) all in for battling Barber in the Democratic primary in August.  "With considerable relief, I congratulate Ron Barber on his victory today. I wish Ron the best as he completes Gabby’s term in Congress over the next few months.  Now that the special election has concluded, I want to reaffirm my candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 2^nd Congressional District."


For his part, Barber has not yet commented on the upcoming campaign challenges.  He did post a thank you message on his website today.  Full statement after the jump.  


Barber gets "to work to serve the people..." right away, when he is sworn in next week.  He also gets to start campaigning right away.  (Which is probably okay, because it is unlikely that Congress is doing much other than campaigning - in and out of Washington - between now and November, unlikely.


* Heinz pulled out of the Special Election primary fight within a few days of announcing, after Barber announced his candidacy and was unclear on whether he would also run in November.  This was the apparent prompt for Heinz to commit (back then) to running in the November election.



Barber statement:

Thank you for the amazing support you gave me to make our victory possible.On Tuesday, we showed what we can do when we work hard the old fashioned way. You connected directly with voters and let them know about my experience and policies. You supported my campaign in so many ways and I am truly grateful.Republicans, Democrats and Independents came together to make their voices heard. The result was a win for Southern Arizona and a win for common ground, common sense and common decency.From me, and from my family, thank you.Now I get to work to serve the people of Southern Arizona.

Heinz statement:

With considerable relief, I congratulate Ron Barber on his victory today. I wish Ron the best as he completes Gabby’s term in Congress over the next few months.  Now that the special election has concluded, I want to reaffirm my candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 2^nd Congressional District.As a practicing physician and lawmaker, I’m in a unique position to tackle our struggling economy, improve the Affordable Care Act and stabilize Medicare and Social Security. We need to make smart revisions to our laws while continuing to support the most vulnerable in our communities. In the legislature, I’ve found ways to save important health programs while staying on budget. As Democrats, we are also facing unprecedented attacks against women’s health and choice. I’ve stood up to Jan Brewer and Arizona’s ultraconservatives when it matters. I will continue this strong advocacy in Washington, DC.

Kelly statement:

 "I would like to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great. Looking at the results from Tuesday, we have decided to withdraw from the race for Congress in AZ-02 and to seek other opportunities. I will forever be thankful to our generous supporters and volunteers."

McSally statement:

 We have a lot of work to do. That's the first thing to take away from Tuesday night. We saw just how good Ron Barber's campaign team is at getting-out-the-vote. 
I know many of you put a lot of time and effort into helping Jesse Kelly get elected, and we're all disappointed in the result. But now we have to refocus our efforts once again and start preparing for November. The Republican voter-registration advantage that we had in CD8 disappears in the new CD2. We're going to have an uphill battle, and I need your help.

I will be running for the new CD2, and it's time to roll our team out on to the runway. 

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.

WATCH: Ron Barber's "Most Amazing", Most Independent Day

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Here is a link to the 12 minute swearing in ceremony with speeches:  http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/3342625

Here, provided by Rep. Barber's office, is the text of his remarks in the above clip:

I would like to thank the Arizona delegation for that warm welcome. And I would like to thank Speaker Boehner for his long and dedicated public service and for swearing me in today. And to my family – in the gallery and my grandchildren here on the floor – thank you for your support and love without which I would not be here today.  They are the most amazing family and I am blessed to have them in my life. To my high school sweetheart and wife Nancy, I love you dearly and look forward to celebrating our 45^th wedding anniversary tomorrow. Mr. Speaker, I stand here on the floor of the House in the very spot where five months ago my friend, and my predecessor, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, bravely delivered her resignation from Congress.  I want to thank the congresswoman for her vision, leadership and the inspiration she gives to the country. Gabby, Southern Arizona misses you and can’t wait to have you home. Today, as I begin my service in this, the people’s house, I am mindful that the stakes for our nation are very high. ·        They are too high to not set aside political division in favor of seeking common ground.
 ·        Too high to use our words as weapons.
 ·        Too high to think of those with whom we disagree as villains.
 As an Arizonan, I look to the example of Congressman Mo Udall and Senator Barry Goldwater, two leaders in their respective parties who disagreed on much, but did so without being disagreeable. They came together many times to do what was right for their state and their country. I’m going to approach my work for the people of Southern Arizona with an eye not toward partisan victory, but toward American achievement. Because we as a country have much to achieve: ·        We must protect middle class families at a time when our middle class is slowly disappearing.
 ·        We must ensure the dignity and health of every American senior in retirement.
 ·        We must honor our veterans and military families – by ensuring that the more than 100,000 veterans I represent in Southern Arizona and every other American veteran and service member receives the services and benefits they’ve earned.
 ·        We must secure our border so that border residents are safe and we impede the flow of drugs into our communities and illegal drug money out of our country.
 ·        And we must create jobs with innovative energy technologies, improvements in our essential infrastructure, and by supporting local small businesses to grow.
I look forward to working across party lines to achieve these goals for the good of my constituents and for all Americans. Thank you. I yield back.

As noted earlier, Ron Barber's first day of voting was noteworthy for voting the opposite way that the majority of his fellow Democrats voted.

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.

WATCH: Rep. Quayle Questions Administration Re: $1billion National Network of Manufacturing Innovation Program

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At Arizona's Politics, we like to try to provide insights into how our elected officials are handling their jobs when the spotlight is not necessarily shining on them.  In this instance, Rep. Ben Quayle (R-CD3) took about five minutes to question an Obama Administration witness about a $1 billion program called the National Network of Manufacturing Innovation.

Quayle started off reading his question of John Holdren, but later parried with him without notes.

Here is C-Span's description of Wednesday's hearing of the House Committee on Science and Technology:
John Holdren testified about programs administered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), as well as its roles, responsibilities, operations, management and its function in shaping our national science policy. He said the United States continued to be a global leader in science and innovation, but admitted that a better job needs to be done with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. He also spoke about the Obama administration's research and science policies, clean energy and green jobs initiatives, and the restructuring of the U.S. space program.



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WATCH: Club For Growth Support For Jeff Flake Surpasses $1.25 Million, Doubles Down On "Imposter" Ads Targeting Wil Cardon (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

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Clarification, 5:50p.m.: Edited to reflect that Proposition 400 was to provide funding for a transportation plan, part of which included light rail.)

As promised, the Club For Growth dropped a second quarter-million-dollar ad buy this week on an increasingly-vitriolic GOP primary battle for Arizona's U.S. Senate seat.  That puts their support of Rep. Jeff Flake (R-CD6) - and/or opposition of opponent Wil Cardon - above the $1.25 Million mark.

The "Imposter" ads have been a fixture on Phoenix airwaves during the past couple of weeks, and will apparently continue for the next couple.

The pair of 15-second spots attack Cardon's conservative credentials, based upon his Executive Committee position with the group that campaigned for the transportation plan (which included funding for light rail) in 2004 and upon his participation in the Urban Land Institute.




The Club initially spent $290,258.62 on these ads (plus a 60-second radio spot).  Today's filing extends that campaign by spending an additional $280,963.43.  (By the way, the Club For Growth has a problem filling out the forms, not totaling "Total Expenditures This Period" and not indicating whether the expenditure is supporting or opposing the candidate; this makes it difficult for groups like the Center for Responsive Politics to properly monitor expenditures.)

Combined with the more than $22,000 which the Club For Growth spent on raising money for Flake after he announced his candidacy to replace the retiring Jon Kyl, and the $673,229.93 which Club members have contributed to Flake's campaign through the Club For Growth "conduit", and CFG has now provided at least $1,266,492.76 to the Flake effort.

As noted last year in Arizona's Politics, the ties between the Club For Growth and Rep. Flake have long been close, and that there is nothing nefarious in the relationship. "There is nothing nefarious either implicit or explicit in the Flake/CFG relationship - Rep. Flake has consistently been a fiscal conservative, even before he was in Congress.  However, it is of interest when one ideological organization provides such a large portion of a candidate's campaign fund."



We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.

McAllen - 3 illegal aliens wanted for armed robbery

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McALLEN — Police are trying to identify a person of interest in an aggravated robbery case.

Police received a report about 11:30 a.m. Monday of an armed robbery at the 2200 block of West Ivy Avenue.

Three Hispanic males reportedly displayed a handgun and stole a man's wallet and cell phone, police said.

Surveillance video at an area convenience store captured the person of interest using the victim's ATM card, police said.

Investigators said they need the public's help to identify the person using the ATM card.

McAllen Police seek the public’s help in identifying a person of interest. The victim’s credit cards were stolen and then used at an ATM at a local convenience store. The person of interest’s image is captured on the store’s surveillance camera.

Source - http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/police-83747-robbery-suspect.html

Louisiana - Illegal alien arrested in Oakdale for fake ID

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Illegal alien arrested in Oakdale for fake ID

An illegal alien from Mexico was arrested Tuesday after using fake documents at the Oakdale Office of Motor Vehicles, according to the Louisiana State Police.

Efrain Villarreal, 41, attempted to obtain a state-issued identification card. The Lake Charles office of the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigation was alerted and determined his documents were fraudulent, according to a State Police news release.

Upon questioning, Villarreal admitted to illegally entering the U.S. and that he purchased his documents from someone in Houston.

He was charged with giving false information regarding presence in United States to obtain government identification, unlawful possession of fraudulent documents for identification purposes and filing and maintaining false public records.

He was booked into the Allen Parish Correctional Center.

Source - http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20101111/NEWS01/11110343/1002/Illegal-alien-arrested---in-Oakdale-for-fake-ID

Brownsville, TX - 2 illegal aliens arrested with marijuana and cocaine

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BROWNSVILLE - Police on Wednesday arrested a disabled man and another man on drug charges.

Police arrested Felipe Rocio, 69, and Salvador Gutierrez, 41, in the 400 block of Linda Lane Road and charged each with one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of a controlled substance-cocaine with intent to distribute, a police report stated.

On Wednesday afternoon, a municipal judge set bail for Rocio at $20,000 and sent him to Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center. On Thursday morning, another judge set bond for Gutierrez at $25,000 and sent him to Carrizalez-Rucker Detention Center.

According to police records, authorities obtained a search warrant after an investigation and went to the residence to serve it.

When police arrived at the residence, they made contact with Rocio and seconds later spotted Gutierrez trying to dispose of a small bag that contained a white powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, records show. During the search, police also found Rocio to be in possession of small bags with cocaine inside. In total, police seized 1.26 pounds of marijuana and 31.4 grams of cocaine.

Source - http://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/police-83820-rocio-cocaine.html

Austin, TX - illegal alien arrested for murder after a 6 hour standoff with SWAT

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Police charge 18-year-old in bus stop slaying

An 18-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Andre Walker at a Southeast Austin bus stop on Tuesday.

The motive appears to have been gang-related, Austin police Sgt. Hector Reveles said.

Reveles said Walker was approached by Enrique Barriga and two other Hispanic men about 2:30 p.m. at a bus stop on Burton Drive near East Oltorf Street.

The three men "took offense that Walker was wearing colors that they weren't," Reveles said. "This does appear to stem from gang hostilities."

Barriga pulled out a gun and shot Walker while the men were talking, Reveles said.

Police said this is the first fatal gang-related shooting in Austin this year.

Reveles did not say where Walker was hit, how many times he was shot or what type of gun was used.

Barriga and the two men, who have not been identified, ran into a nearby apartment complex, where a SWAT standoff ensued for the next six hours, Reveles said.

When SWAT members knocked down the door, they found eight people inside, including Barriga, who was then detained, police said.

Barriga was charged with first-degree murder and remained in the Travis County Jail, with bail set at $1 million. He could face life in prison if convicted.

According to court documents, Barriga also has an immigration hold for federal officials to investigate his residential status.

Reveles said that although all three men confronted Walker, only Barriga is facing murder charges.

Barriga "took it upon himself to pull the trigger," Reveles said. "However, we are still investigating."

Neighbors who gathered at the scene Tuesday said the area was well-known for drug crimes and prostitution, but the shooting took many by surprise.

That particular bus stop was described as extremely busy, neighbors said, and high school students often walk through the area. More than a dozen businesses are located within two blocks.

Police are asking witnesses to call the homicide tip line at 477-3588 or Crime Stoppers at 472-8477. A $1,000 reward is offered for a tip that leads to an arrest or charges being filed.

The death is the city's 33rd homicide of 2010. Police said that at this time last year, Austin had had 19 slayings.

Source - http://www.statesman.com/news/local/police-charge-18-year-old-in-bus-stop-1041012.html

DOJ Gave Millions to Illegal Alien 'Sanctuaries,' Report Finds

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DOJ Gave Millions to Illegal Immigrant 'Sanctuaries,' Report Finds

The Department of Justice has spent tens of millions of dollars this year to compensate more than two dozen states, counties and cities for their costs of jailing illegal immigrants -- even though those communities have adopted policies that obstruct immigration enforcement, according to a recently released report.

"Subsidizing Sanctuaries: The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program," a report from the Center for Immigration Studies, found that the federal grant program commonly known as SCAAP allocated $62.2 million -- more than 15 percent of its $400 million total -- to 27 jurisdictions that are widely considered to be "sanctuary communities."

Some of those jurisdictions -- including San Francisco, Chicago and California's Santa Clara County -- are even trying to opt-out of Secure Communities, a program that automatically alerts Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials when criminal illegal immigrants are booked into jail, according to the report.

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies and a co-author of the report, said that the grant system as currently structured makes little sense.

"Basically, the federal government is subsidizing through this grant program jurisdictions that on the one hand are complaining about the cost of illegal immigration and demanding reimbursement from the federal government, while at the same time they have policies in place that make their locality a magnet for illegal aliens," Vaughan told FoxNews.com.

"And that's just illogical," she said.

According to Department of Justice figures cited in the report, five of the top 10 SCAAP grants to localities and two of the top 10 grants to states went to jurisdictions that are considered sanctuaries. That includes $14.2 million to Los Angeles County, $13.4 million to New York City and $88 million to the state of California.

Rather than award SCAAP grants to jurisdictions that incur costs of incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens, Vaughan said federal officials should use the grant program as an incentive for communities to participate in immigration enforcement programs like Secure Communities or the 287(g) program, which trains deputies to check the immigration status of individuals they arrest and has identified more than 180,000 illegal immigrants for deportation nationwide
since 2006.

In a statement obtained by FoxNews.com, U.S. Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., said he disagreed with funding sanctuary cities using SCAAP grants and called on the Obama administration to take action.

"In its lawsuit challenging the Arizona immigration law, the Obama administration claims that the law creates a patchwork of immigration enforcement," Miller's statement read. "If this is the case, then the Obama administration should also sue sanctuary cities, for their policies are arguably a 'patchwork' of immigration enforcement as well. It is time for the administration to end its double standard."

To that end, Miller has authored legislation -- the Loophole Elimination and Verification Enforcement Act, or LEAVE -- that would prohibit sanctuary communities from receiving both Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security funds.

"I hope the next Congress will take up this commonsense proposal and penalize sanctuary cities for their irresponsible policies," Miller's statement concluded.

In a statement to FoxNews.com, the Department of Justice said it administers the SCAAP grants in accordance with legislation authorizing the program and passed by Congress.

"Funding under this program is provided to any eligible jurisdiction that incurs costs associated with detaining criminal aliens," the statement read. "SCAAP does not inhibit, but rather supports the accountability process by reimbursing local agency costs for detaining illegal aliens who commit crimes."

The statement continued, "Making any jurisdiction ineligible for these funds could have an unintended consequence -- creating a disincentive to detain criminals who are greater flight risks and pose a danger to our communities. The Department of Justice is committed to providing support to our state and local partners to protect the safety of communities."

Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform
, suggested that the number of sanctuary communities would reduce significantly if the DOJ grants were discontinued.

"One of the best fixes is to deny state and federal funding to the places that harbor illegal aliens," Dane said. "The entire country is slowly but surely moving from a sanctuary mentality to a 'fix it' mentality, but you've got these remaining pockets of resistance, many of them in big cities."

Dane continued, "You hit 'em where it hurts, in the wallet, and maybe they'll get it. We're reimbursing cities for a problem of their own making."

Source - http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/12/doj-gave-millions-sanctuary-communities-report-finds/

Sanctuary State of California awards $1.73 million to an illegal alien family

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On Thursday, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded a judgment worth $1.73 million to the family of an illegal alien who died of cancer while in state and federal custody.

Mexican national, Francisco Castaneda died from penile cancer that went undiagnosed for over a year. He died in 2007.

Castaneda was in prison on drug charges, and spent several years in state and federal prisons.

His attorney, Conal Doyle, claims that Castaneda was denied proper medical care and given only pain medication.

Source - http://www.examiner.com/immigration-reform-in-national/california-court-awards-1-7-million-to-illegal-alien-s-family

Nogales, AZ - Border Patrol seize $12.1 million in cocaine - 4 illegal aliens arrested

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Border officers seize $12.1 million in cocaine

Border officers in the southeastern Arizona city of Nogales made three separate cocaine seizures worth a combined $12.1 million in one day.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that on Tuesday, officers were screening traffic coming from Mexico when they chose a tractor-trailor driven by a 34-year-old man for further inspection. A drug dog found 381 pounds of cocaine hidden in the vehicle's fuel tanks.

A few hours later, officers were inspecting the vehicle of a Mexican man, his wife, and their two children when a drug dog detected 31 pounds of cocaine hidden in a door panel.

Soon after that, a drug dog detected 22 pounds of cocaine in the cargo area of a vehicle driven by a 21-year-old Mexican man.

Source - http://www.azdailysun.com/news/state-and-regional/article_e8e287b6-0daa-546a-8391-7cc880bdc623.html

Video - Ohio - Fingerprints help catch illegal aliens

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Fingerprints help catch illegal aliens



CLARK COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) - Clark County uses a new tool to protect citizens from criminals who are in our country illegally.

It's a problem that frustrates authorities. They arrest an illegal alien who commits a crime, then release the suspect before immigration deports them.

Now, a new information sharing system called ICE, will keep that from happening any longer.

Fingerprints, everyone has them, including illegal immigrants, and now they'll be used in Warren and Clark counties to check people's immigration status and criminal background.

Clark County Sheriff, Gene Kelly told 2News it's already working, and he even wants the system to go nationwide within the next two years.

If that happens, Sheriff Kelly said it would send illegal immigrants that have been convicted of crimes, back where they came from.

Sheriff Kelly also said "All of this is to make our communities safer."

Source - http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/wdtn-fingerprints-help-catch-illegal-aliens

DOJ Gave Millions to Illegal Alien 'Sanctuaries,' Report Finds

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DOJ Gave Millions to Illegal Immigrant 'Sanctuaries,' Report Finds

The Department of Justice has spent tens of millions of dollars this year to compensate more than two dozen states, counties and cities for their costs of jailing illegal immigrants -- even though those communities have adopted policies that obstruct immigration enforcement, according to a recently released report.

"Subsidizing Sanctuaries: The State Criminal Alien Assistance Program," a report from the Center for Immigration Studies, found that the federal grant program commonly known as SCAAP allocated $62.2 million -- more than 15 percent of its $400 million total -- to 27 jurisdictions that are widely considered to be "sanctuary communities."

Some of those jurisdictions -- including San Francisco, Chicago and California's Santa Clara County -- are even trying to opt-out of Secure Communities, a program that automatically alerts Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials when criminal illegal immigrants are booked into jail, according to the report.

Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies and a co-author of the report, said that the grant system as currently structured makes little sense.

"Basically, the federal government is subsidizing through this grant program jurisdictions that on the one hand are complaining about the cost of illegal immigration and demanding reimbursement from the federal government, while at the same time they have policies in place that make their locality a magnet for illegal aliens," Vaughan told FoxNews.com.

"And that's just illogical," she said.

According to Department of Justice figures cited in the report, five of the top 10 SCAAP grants to localities and two of the top 10 grants to states went to jurisdictions that are considered sanctuaries. That includes $14.2 million to Los Angeles County, $13.4 million to New York City and $88 million to the state of California.

Rather than award SCAAP grants to jurisdictions that incur costs of incarcerating undocumented criminal aliens, Vaughan said federal officials should use the grant program as an incentive for communities to participate in immigration enforcement programs like Secure Communities or the 287(g) program, which trains deputies to check the immigration status of individuals they arrest and has identified more than 180,000 illegal immigrants for deportation nationwide
since 2006.

In a statement obtained by FoxNews.com, U.S. Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif., said he disagreed with funding sanctuary cities using SCAAP grants and called on the Obama administration to take action.

"In its lawsuit challenging the Arizona immigration law, the Obama administration claims that the law creates a patchwork of immigration enforcement," Miller's statement read. "If this is the case, then the Obama administration should also sue sanctuary cities, for their policies are arguably a 'patchwork' of immigration enforcement as well. It is time for the administration to end its double standard."

To that end, Miller has authored legislation -- the Loophole Elimination and Verification Enforcement Act, or LEAVE -- that would prohibit sanctuary communities from receiving both Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security funds.

"I hope the next Congress will take up this commonsense proposal and penalize sanctuary cities for their irresponsible policies," Miller's statement concluded.

In a statement to FoxNews.com, the Department of Justice said it administers the SCAAP grants in accordance with legislation authorizing the program and passed by Congress.

"Funding under this program is provided to any eligible jurisdiction that incurs costs associated with detaining criminal aliens," the statement read. "SCAAP does not inhibit, but rather supports the accountability process by reimbursing local agency costs for detaining illegal aliens who commit crimes."

The statement continued, "Making any jurisdiction ineligible for these funds could have an unintended consequence -- creating a disincentive to detain criminals who are greater flight risks and pose a danger to our communities. The Department of Justice is committed to providing support to our state and local partners to protect the safety of communities."

Bob Dane, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform
, suggested that the number of sanctuary communities would reduce significantly if the DOJ grants were discontinued.

"One of the best fixes is to deny state and federal funding to the places that harbor illegal aliens," Dane said. "The entire country is slowly but surely moving from a sanctuary mentality to a 'fix it' mentality, but you've got these remaining pockets of resistance, many of them in big cities."

Dane continued, "You hit 'em where it hurts, in the wallet, and maybe they'll get it. We're reimbursing cities for a problem of their own making."

Source - http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/12/doj-gave-millions-sanctuary-communities-report-finds/

Pinal County, AZ - illegal alien arrested with marijuana after car chase

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Pinal County police chase leads to arrest of 3

Authorities arrested three people after a routine traffic stop turned into a chase near Interstate 8.

A Pinal County Sheriff's deputy spotted the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu near I-8 and Standfield Road on Wednesday as the car traveled above the posted 50 mph speed limit, spokesman Tim Gaffney said.

When the deputy flagged down the car for the traffic stop, the vehicle accelerated and drove 75 mph through the Standfield Elementary school zone, Gaffney said.

Then the vehicle ran at a stop sign at Highway 84, but stopped abruptly after turning onto Apache Drive, Gaffney said. Two men jumped from the backseat of the car and ran into a nearby neighborhood.

Although deputies were not able to find the two men, three others in the car were arrested.

The passenger who remained in the backseat, 35-year-old Humberto Garcia, admitted to deputies he was a Mexico citizen in the United States illegally, according to Gaffney.

Gaffney said Garcia smelled strongly of marijuana. During a search, Gaffney said a baggie of the drug was found inside Garcia's pants. Garcia was arrested on suspicion of marijuana possession.

Authorities arrested driver Justin Lawrence Davis and his girlfriend, Rachelle N. Campos, both 20-year-olds from Casa Grande, on suspicion of human smuggling. Davis is expected to face an additional charge of felony flight, Gaffney said.

Source - http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/articles/2010/11/12/20101112pinal-county-school-zone-chase-abrk.html

FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS: GOP-philic SuperPACs Continue Campaigning Against Ron Barber In Special Election

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American Crossroads and American Action Network, two leading Republican-philic SuperPACs, continued their independent expenditure campaigns opposing Ron Barber this week.  Election day in the Special Election to replace retired-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is June 12, and early ballots are being cast at high rates.

And, while groups spending money on independent expenditures are forbidden from coordinating with a candidate, they are permitted to coordinate with each other.  And, these groups that used to share the same office space, appear to be doing just that.  One is working the mailers while the other concentrates on calling prospective voters.

American Crossroads - the well-funded organization pounding Democrats across the country founded by Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie - has spent $100,000 ($99,252, to be exact) in the past 8 days on three rounds of mailers.  Two were opposing Barber - a former District Director for Giffords; the one that went out yesterday was supporting Republican nominee Jesse Kelly.

Meanwhile, American Action Network, led by former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, has been working the phones calling early voters with messages opposing Barber.  It made two payments of more than $12,000 each this past week.

If you have copies of any of the mailers and/or recordings of the phone calls, please forward them to Arizona's Politics - we have produced Fact Checks on ads put out by groups on either side of this election.

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.

Rep. Franks' Response To Unsuccessful Vote On His Sex Selection Abortion Bill

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We received the following statement from Rep. Trent Franks (R-CD2) on today's unsuccessful vote on his bill to restrict sex selection abortions:

"I am heartened that so many of my colleagues came together to, in an overwhelming majority, support the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act. Though it did not secure the two-thirds majority necessary to pass under suspension rules, I am confident that this is not the end, but merely the opening salvo in ensuring the words, 'It's a girl,' are no longer a death sentence for so many unborn girls. "I also note the sad and bitter irony that President Obama, who has disingenuously accused Republicans of a so-called 'war on women,' mustered a truly breathtaking display of hypocrisy in opposing a bill that would prevent aborting those little babies who have the 'nerve' to be little girls. "Indeed, the same Democrats who are so frequently heralded as 'progressives' today refused to make the United States the very last civilized nation on Earth to outlaw aborting a little girl simply for being a little girl, even as the human family on Earth is today missing 200 million baby girls, thanks to the grisly practice the majority of my colleagues across the aisle couldn't find it in their hearts to condemn."

We have asked several other questions of the Congressman, and will update once we receive answers.

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.

No Resting On Laurels For Barber; READ: Statements From Ron Barber's New Opponents

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As expected all along, the winner of this week's Special Election to finish the term of retired Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-CD8) was not going to have any time to get out of campaign mode.  Ron Barber, Giffords' District Director, won the election on Tuesday, and though he won't have the prospect of a third (counting the 2010 nail-biter) campaign against Jesse Kelly, he faces both a primary fight and what will be a tough campaign against likely GOP nominee Martha McSally.

Jesse Kelly thanked "our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great".*  Then he withdrew from re-fighting for those values in the November election for the newly-drawn 2nd Congressional District.


Breathing a sigh of relief and ready to kick it back in campaign mode is the spokesman for Martha McSally.  She finished second to Kelly in the hotly-contested GOP primary for the Special Election.  Spokesman Sam Stone said “It would obviously benefit us quite a bit if we had the opportunity to run straight for November.” As of this writing, however, McSally's website has not been updated( since April).  However, she has sent out a release/letter to Republicans, reaching out to those who worked for Kelly in the Special Election.  "I know many of you put a lot of time and effort into helping Jesse Kelly get elected, and we're all disappointed in the result. But now we have to refocus our efforts once again and start preparing for November."


Former State Rep. Matt Heinz does have his website up-to-date, and he is (still*) all in for battling Barber in the Democratic primary in August.  "With considerable relief, I congratulate Ron Barber on his victory today. I wish Ron the best as he completes Gabby’s term in Congress over the next few months.  Now that the special election has concluded, I want to reaffirm my candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 2^nd Congressional District."


For his part, Barber has not yet commented on the upcoming campaign challenges.  He did post a thank you message on his website today.  Full statement after the jump.  


Barber gets "to work to serve the people..." right away, when he is sworn in next week.  He also gets to start campaigning right away.  (Which is probably okay, because it is unlikely that Congress is doing much other than campaigning - in and out of Washington - between now and November, unlikely.


* Heinz pulled out of the Special Election primary fight within a few days of announcing, after Barber announced his candidacy and was unclear on whether he would also run in November.  This was the apparent prompt for Heinz to commit (back then) to running in the November election.



Barber statement:

Thank you for the amazing support you gave me to make our victory possible.On Tuesday, we showed what we can do when we work hard the old fashioned way. You connected directly with voters and let them know about my experience and policies. You supported my campaign in so many ways and I am truly grateful.Republicans, Democrats and Independents came together to make their voices heard. The result was a win for Southern Arizona and a win for common ground, common sense and common decency.From me, and from my family, thank you.Now I get to work to serve the people of Southern Arizona.

Heinz statement:

With considerable relief, I congratulate Ron Barber on his victory today. I wish Ron the best as he completes Gabby’s term in Congress over the next few months.  Now that the special election has concluded, I want to reaffirm my candidacy for Arizona’s newly drawn 2^nd Congressional District.As a practicing physician and lawmaker, I’m in a unique position to tackle our struggling economy, improve the Affordable Care Act and stabilize Medicare and Social Security. We need to make smart revisions to our laws while continuing to support the most vulnerable in our communities. In the legislature, I’ve found ways to save important health programs while staying on budget. As Democrats, we are also facing unprecedented attacks against women’s health and choice. I’ve stood up to Jan Brewer and Arizona’s ultraconservatives when it matters. I will continue this strong advocacy in Washington, DC.

Kelly statement:

 "I would like to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great. Looking at the results from Tuesday, we have decided to withdraw from the race for Congress in AZ-02 and to seek other opportunities. I will forever be thankful to our generous supporters and volunteers."

McSally statement:

 We have a lot of work to do. That's the first thing to take away from Tuesday night. We saw just how good Ron Barber's campaign team is at getting-out-the-vote. 
I know many of you put a lot of time and effort into helping Jesse Kelly get elected, and we're all disappointed in the result. But now we have to refocus our efforts once again and start preparing for November. The Republican voter-registration advantage that we had in CD8 disappears in the new CD2. We're going to have an uphill battle, and I need your help.

I will be running for the new CD2, and it's time to roll our team out on to the runway. 

We welcome your comments about this post. Or, if you have something unrelated on your mind, please e-mail to info-at-arizonaspolitics-dot-com or call 602-799-7025. Thanks.