Limited Government. Low Taxes. Free Markets. Personal Responsibility.
Five Constitutional Conservatives are lining up to run in the fall elections and they need your help collecting signatures. The candidates are as follows:
Andy Biggs – AZ State Senate
Eddie Farnsworth – AZ State House of Representatives
Warren Petersen – AZ State House of Representatives
Jared Taylor – Gilbert Town Council
Jenn Daniels – Gilbert Town Council
Is Adam Armer serious about working with everyone in Legislative District 22? (LD 22) On Wednesday, 11/17/10, Armer was elected as Chairman by a majority of Precinct Committeemen (PC) in LD 22. On Friday, 11/19/10, Armer sent an email with the following words to many PC’s in the District. The email included the following verbiage. “I would also like to thank Erin [Scroggins] for the email he sent out in regards to unity.” (Erin was Armer’s opponent for LD 22 Chair.) “I look forward to serving as your chairman and I am excited about what we will accomplish together."
Read moreSenator,
First, thank you for your service to our State. Second, I’d like to share my thoughts on a bill coming before you this session: HB 2047 – Common Core Assessment.
Common Core (CC) was designed with good intentions, but has not been tested or validated. Further, it unwisely hands to the federal government powerful controls on our school system. The best and only proven solution to improving education is to keep education local and close to parents. This is not a partisan issue.
Read morePlease attend this very important symposium. Four panelists will be giving presentations on why they disapprove/approve of Common Core including: Jonathan Butcher (Goldwater Institute), Dr. Sandra Stotsky (Leading expert on Common Core/University of Arkansas), Jared Taylor (Heritage Academy) and John Huppenthal (Superintendent of Public Instruction). See attached flier for further details. Please forward this post and this Common Core Symposium flyer to your email list.
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Thanks to Carol Clesceri for obtaining this video.
On October 30, 2013, four panelists gave presentations on why they disapprove/approve of Common Core including: Jonathan Butcher (Goldwater Institute), Dr. Sandra Stotsky (Leading expert on Common Core/University of Arkansas), Jared Taylor (Heritage Academy) and John Huppenthal (Superintendent of Public Instruction).
Click HERE for the video of this important forum on Common Core, which affects all of Arizona’s students, teachers, parents, and residents.
If the Arizona Legislature succeeds in passing Senator Jeff Dial’s repulsive SB1416, this is what they will have accomplished:
Turned Arizona’s only elected official within the Department of Education into a water boy kowtowing to the will of 10 unelected, historically incompetent and downright dangerous, wasteful members of the State Board of Education.
Arizona’s voters won’t be fooled into believing that this bill "merely clarifies statutes," as Dial states. The voters who put Ms. Douglas into office aren’t that stupid.
This is what will be very clear to voters: The Legislature has removed the Superintendent’s effective representation of the voter’s mandate. The Legislature has devalued and dishonored the voters. The Legislature has told the voters to “stuff it.” The Governor, if he signs it, will be signing one of the worst "anti-voter", anti-elected official" bills we’ve seen in a long time.
Historically, members of the State Board of Education, serving at the will of whichever Governor appointed them, love to wield power, without a shred of deliberation, debate, or accountability. (Recent Ducey appointees Jared Taylor and Chuck Schmidt are the exceptions.) Here are just a few of their thoughtless, costly, and downright dangerous actions:
The SBE’s reputation for lowering standards. "In 2005 the State Board, over the objections of state Superintendent Tom Horne, reduced the passing grade on the AIMS test from 72 percent to 59 percent for reading, and from 71 percent to 60 percent for math. Even with the reduced passing threshold, and a math test that has gotten progressively easier, just 61 percent of the class has passed after three attempts." Most State Board of Education members said lowering the scores would look as if they were lowering the bar and backing off high standards for high school graduates, but still they voted 9-1 to do it. And the Legislature, in their vast wisdom then as now, got into the act, allowing grades in class work to add as much as 25 percent to a student’s AIMS results.
The SBE spent untold thousands of dollars developing new Math standards in 2008/2009, only to dump them for Common Core Math in 2010.
Read moreHere’s a great way to help Frank Schmuck beat RINO Jeff Dial in the Aug. 30 Primary. Please join your neighbors in LD18 (includes Ahwatukee, and parts of Chandler, Mesa, and Tempe) in a Volunteer Support event this Saturday, June 25, from 7:00 am – 10:00 am. See details following this note from Jim O’Connor.
For those of you who remember the Republican House & Senate sell outs who voted with the dems in support of Governor Brewer’s Medicaid Expansion (AKA Obamacate in AZ) in the summer of 2013, the name Jeff Dial may ring a bell. He was then serving in the House and the following year got elected to our State Senate. He continues to be a rogue republican, and not a good one.
This August we have the best opportunity ever to rid our state senate of this faker. Please join me this Saturday morning and meet and hear from Frank Schmuck who is challenging Dial for that Senate seat. Frank enjoys the endorsement of the Arizona Republican Assembly (AZRA) as well as my own personal endorsement. Even though you may live in a different district than Dial’s LD 18, his votes affect all of us statewide.
So if you are only up for making calls on Frank’s behalf, mailing out literature, or helping with a small donation, do come join me this Saturday.
Jim O’Connor
8001 E Del Joya Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
602-538-9387 cell
jwo@ronnoco3.com
(GW NOTE: Jeff Dial was also one of the "Republicans" who refused to acknowledge parental authority, when he voted NO to the Parental Opt Out Bill (SB1455). He also voted to keep Common Core (HB2190).
Invitation to Volunteer Support for Frank Schmuck
Read moreRecently, Gilbert Watch published Arizona Joins Texas in Lawsuit to Stop Federal Overreach. Arizona joined this lawsuit following a letter from Arizona lawmaker Representative Bob Thorpe (R-LD6). Rep. Thorpe has provided the letter to Gilbert Watch, as well as the data for how the State, Local and Federal education funds break down for 2014-2015.
Dear Arizona Superintendent of Schools Diane Douglas and Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich:
Legislators have been receiving numerous complaints from constituents who are very concerned with the threatening tone of the May 13, 2016 letter from U.S. Attorney General Lynch and U.S. Department of Education Secretary King.
The letter coerces our nation’s K-12 public schools and colleges to ensure that transgender students must be allowed to use the gender designated restrooms, changing rooms and locker facilities of their choosing, not necessarily that of their biological gender. It has been estimated that approximately 0.3% of U.S. individuals identify themselves as transgender.
Read moreItasca Small, a long-time supporter and activist for states rights; local control over education and stopping Common Core; and defending our State Superintendent’s constitutional powers over education in our state; is running for State Senator against Bob Worsley (R-LD25 Mesa). Ms. Small has spent countless hours at our State Capitol educating our legislators on the proper role of government and on restoring local control over education in our public schools. Please click HERE to see her pledge and HERE to read her background on why she would like to serve her constituents in LD25.
This is our opportunity to rid LD25 of Bob Worsley who has long been a supporter of more federal involvement in our schools and Obamacare, and who continues to fight against all of our efforts to rid our state of Common Core! He does not understand states rights and the importance of pushing back against the continual overreach from the federal government. (See below.)
Read moreArizona Representative Steve Montenegro (LD13) and Senator Al Melvin (LD11) have a great idea.
"While the idea of Limited Government is central to conservative philosophy and mentions of it are scattered throughout the Republican Party Platform, there is no determined effort to make the act of limiting government and increasing personal freedoms a central part of the work done by Arizona’s State Legislature.
The signers of this petition support the proposition put forward by State Representative Steve Montenegro and State Senator Al Melvin that one full week of business at the Arizona Legislature be set aside for Limiting Government Week and that this week should be reserved to the hearing of bills that would reduce regulations and/or the size of Arizona’s government.
The signers of this petition believe that Arizona would set yet another example for legislatures around the country to follow and that Arizona’s State Legislature should send a strong message to employers around the country that Arizona is "Open For Business."
The signers of this petition urge all members of Arizona’s State Legislature and especially those in leadership positions to place onto the schedule Limiting Government Week beginning with the 2014 Regular Session."
Please sign the petition here.
You might also send this to your city and town councils. Ask them: "What have you done lately to limit the size of government and reduce regulations"? I suspect they have been busy growing government and passing new regulations.
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