By Bill Sandry
The recent media proclamation that Russell Pearce is a “one note” politician got my attention. A cursory review of his record in our Legislature reveals that he was the prime sponsor for 438 bills from 2001 to 2011 (that doesn’t count co-sponsored bills).
In addition to immigration these bills addressed dozens of issues. A partial list includes: spousal maintenance support; anti-abortion; DMV and ADOT issues; military family relief; juvenile adjudication; firearms; child prostitution; criminal justice; 10th Amendment sovereignty; domestic relations; Chicago Cubs spring training; health care; education; jobs; the budget and economy, just to name a few.
Has the press covered all these stories and the myriad of “notes” Mr. Pearce has played as a state legislator? NO! How many articles about these bills did you read by the One Note Media?
As Senate President, he guided the Senate to the first balanced budget in years. But in my opinion, his biggest contribution is his aggressive opposition to our loss of states’ rights.
As Katy Abram said to Senator Arlen Spector in a 2009 town hall meeting, she is watching “the systematic dismantling of our country” by the federal government. Our system was set up with state powers to keep the federal government in check and protect us from the usurpation of our liberties. Who else would have the power to oppose the federal government but the states? Remove their political balance of power, and you have taken the power from the people at the local level of government.
In 1913 the constitutionally designed powers for the states to partially control the federal purse and hold Senators accountable was eliminated with the 16th and 17th Amendments. We were welcomed to the new world of unfunded mandates, and a greater and now unchecked use of pork and earmarks to buy votes and power – a gateway for corruption.
Before 1913 our legislature might well ask our senators why Arizona was paying for bike trails in New Jersey, or studying shrimp on treadmills? How many articles have you read by the One Note Media about the efforts by Russell Pearce to protect this very fundamental constitutional principle? Neither have I!
If there is a “One Note” player in this story it is the media that now complains of the “One Note” on immigration they repeatedly played. The media, en masse, from Laurie Roberts to Barry Young, focus on the immigration issue, presumably out of self-interest because they believe that is what sells papers and draws listeners. They play a “One Note” series of stories for years, ignoring everything else, and then criticize the candidate because that is all the public knows about him – as though that’s all he’s done.