Pinal County Greens Support Severing Arizona in Two, Creating New State of Baja Arizona

Meeting today, the Pinal County Greens passed a resolution. based on current and pending legislative actions, calling for Arizona to be severed in two, with creation of a new state, Baja Arizona.

"The non-moronic parts of Arizona must secede from the crazy racists," said Pinal County Chair Richard Grayson.

Arizona Lawmakers Push New Round of Immigration Restrictions
By MARC LACEY
Published: February 23, 2011

PHOENIX — Arizona lawmakers are proposing a sweeping package of immigration restrictions that might make the controversial measures the state approved last year, which the Obama administration went to court to block, look mild.

State Senator Russell Pearce, Republican of Arizona, said, “If you are ever going to stop this invasion, and it is an invasion, you have to quit rewarding people for breaking those laws."

Illegal immigrants would be barred from driving in the state, enrolling in school or receiving most public benefits. Their children would receive special birth certificates that would make clear that the state does not consider them Arizona citizens.

Some of the bills, like those restricting immigrants’ access to schooling and right to state citizenship, flout current federal law and are being put forward to draw legal challenges in hopes that the Supreme Court might rule in the state’s favor.

Arizona drew considerable scorn last year when it passed legislation compelling police officers to inquire about the immigration status of those they stopped whom they suspected were in the country illegally. Critics said the law would lead to racial profiling of Latinos, and a federal judge agreed that portions of the law, known as Senate Bill 1070, were unconstitutional.

Similar legal challenges are likely to come in response to the latest round of legislation, some of which cleared a key Senate committee early Wednesday after a long debate that drew hundreds of protesters, some for and some against the crackdown.

“This bill is miles beyond S.B. 1070 in terms of its potential to roll back the rights and fundamental freedoms of both citizens and noncitizens alike,” said Alessandra Soler Meetze, executive director of the A.C.L.U. of Arizona. She said the measures would create “a ‘papers, please’ society” and that a new crime — “driving while undocumented” — would be added to the books.

Despite boycotts and accusations that the state has become a haven of intolerance, Arizona won plaudits last year from immigration hardliners across the country. On Tuesday night, the Indiana Senate voted to allow its police officers to question people stopped for infractions on their immigration status, one of numerous proposals inspired by Arizona’s law.

“If you are ever going to stop this invasion, and it is an invasion, you have to quit rewarding people for breaking those laws,” said State Senator Russell Pearce, the Senate president, who is leading Arizona’s effort to try to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they stop coming, or leave.

Opponents said the changes were a drastic rewriting of the core values of the country. In Tucson, a community group was so enraged by what it called the extremist nature of the proposals from Phoenix that it proposed severing the state in two, creating what some call Baja Arizona.

“Denying citizenship to children because they have parents without documents is crazy,” said the Rev. Javier Perez, a Roman Catholic priest and immigrant from Mexico who waited in the legislative chamber into the night Tuesday for a chance to speak. “Honestly, I don’t think anything I say will change their minds, but it’s immoral what they’re doing and we have to say this is against the values of America.”

The measures would compel school officials to ask for proof of citizenship for students and require hospitals to similarly ask for papers for those receiving non-emergency care. Illegal immigrants would be blocked from obtaining any state licenses, including those for marriage. Landlords would be forced to evict the entire family from public housing if one illegal immigrant were found living in a unit. Illegal immigrants found driving would face 30 days in jail and forfeit the vehicle to the state.

The measures are not assured of passage. Although Republicans have a majority in the Legislature, the restrictions on citizenship failed to win approval in the Judiciary Committee this month, so they were rerouted to the Appropriations Committee, where they won passage.

Some state lawmakers said their constituents were furious over the Obama administration’s lawsuit challenging the last immigration law and wanted the state to continue pressing the issue. Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, said the state would file a countersuit against the federal government accusing it of not enforcing immigration laws.

Supporters of the crackdown include Katie Dionne, who described herself as an “average, everyday American” who wanted to prevent illegal immigrants from changing her way of life. “If their life is so wonderful why did they leave where they’re from?” she asked senators.

Janet Napolitano, the secretary of homeland security and a former Arizona governor, cites statistics showing that the influx of illegal immigrants across the Arizona border has declined markedly with significant increases in federal resources. But that has done little to ameliorate the feeling of crisis expressed by many Arizona politicians.

The state’s business community, stung by a boycott that has reduced the number of conventions in the state, generally opposes the new round of restrictions. “This will put Arizona through another trial and hurt innocent businesspeople who are just trying to get ahead,” said Glenn Hamer of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Pinal County Greens and Arizona Green Party Support the Wisconsin Green Party and the Public Workers of Wisconsin

Like our state's Arizona Green Party, the Pinal County Greens support the Wisconsin Green Party and the public workers of Wisconsin their fight to retain full collective bargaining rights with their employers in the face of Gov. Scott Walker's reprehensible anti-union tactics:

The Wisconsin Green Party salutes the state’s public workers, and stands in solidarity with their fight to retain full collective bargaining rights with their employers.

The budget crisis facing the state was not brought on by public workers, and if there is to be a recovery, workers, public and private, must be the primary beneficiaries.

Scott Walker’s attempt to “repair the budget” on the backs of public workers is not about money, it’s about power. State workers earn less than their counterparts in the private sector, and often go years without a wage increase. Walker wants to permanently take away the ability of these workers to have a say in their health insurance and pensions.

While Walker attempts to divide workers into “haves” and “have-nots,” he continually pleads the case for the real “haves.” At a time when profit margins at the S&P 500 companies are at an all-time high, taxes for these corporations are approaching all-time lows.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Walker’s “laser focus on jobs, jobs, jobs” is really about increasing the wealth of his financial backers. His pledge to create 250,000 jobs in the next four years leaves out an important detail: each one of these jobs will be at minimum wage—at least until he can end the minimum wage.

Of course, state workers have borne the brunt of economic crises before. Democrat Gov. Jim Doyle came into office eight years ago promising to cut 10,000 state jobs in his first term. Walker’s just building on that legacy.

We urge legislators to turn back on this course of attacking public workers. Hosni Mubarak thought he could ride out the outcry, but the sleeping giant, once awakened, proved unbeatable.

Mike McCallister, 5th Congressional District Representative to the WIGP Coordinating Council

Pinal County Greens Support Arizona Green Party's Ballot Status Petition Drive for 2012

Pinal County Greens are happy to help the Arizona Green Party achieve ballot status in the 2012 elections. Please read this memo from our Arizona Green Party co-chair Angel Torres:

Hola todos! Hope that 2011 has been good to you and your relations. The Arizona Green Party (AZGP) has achieved ballot status four times in our nearly 21-year history: 1992, 2000, 2008 and 2010. Our goal is to now achieve ballot status for 2012. By doing so, we would achieve ballot status for 3 consecutive elections, as well as reaching this goal for the fifth time. Now, to borrow a phrase from the sports world, we want to “Get One for the Thumb”! Volunteers have already begun to collect signatures for our ballot status petition drive for the 2012 elections, and we are asking YOU (yes, YOU) to be one of our volunteers.

As in the previous two election cycles, we need to collect at least 21,000 valid signatures of registered Arizona voters on our petitions for ballot status. We always set a goal of collecting at least 30,000 petition signatures (to account for signatures that may be invalidated by the county elections offices).

In order to accomplish our goal in a timely fashion, we need to recruit at least 100 volunteers to assist with this effort. We are only asking YOU to collect 15 signatures (one page) per week. At 1500 signatures per week, it should take us about 5 months to accomplish our goal. Obviously, with more volunteers we can accomplish our goal quicker and easier. With fewer volunteers, it will take longer and become more difficult. For the 2008 and 2010 elections, it took us until the final deadline (March) to get all our signatures collected. We would like to get this done ASAP for the 2012 elections. This will give us more time to focus on recruiting viable, quality Green Party candidates for 2012.

We already have printed copies of the Petition for Political Party Recognition. Any registered Arizona voter (not just Greens) may sign our petition. And, our volunteers (petition circulators) must also be a registered Arizona voter. But, they do not have to be registered Green. So, if you have friends, family members, co-workers or neighbors that want to assist us collecting signatures—FANTASTIC! As a matter of fact, these are the folks that you should first ask to sign our petitions. Make sure they fill it out completely (signature, printed name, residential address where registered, date of signing), or their signature will not count. Once the petition is completely filled out, complete the instructions on the back page (with your name, signature, and residential address where registered). If we emphasize a little “quality control”, it will minimize the numbers of signatures that the county elections offices will attempt to invalidate. Please use black or blue ink pens for the signatures (no pinks, purples, pencils, etc).

An IMPORTANT note: the ballot status petitions are county-specific. So, only registered Maricopa County voters should sign a petition for Maricopa County; only Yavapai County voters should sign a petition for Yavapai County, etc. Again, this requires a little “quality control” when soliciting signatures. YOU should first “qualify” the potential signer by asking “Are you a registered voter in Maricopa (or Yavapai, Pinal, etc) County?” Some of our printed petitions are blank (so that you can write in the specific county), and some of the petitions have the county name printed/typed in (for example: Maricopa).

Volunteers have already begun to collect signatures in Maricopa and Pima County. However, we need YOU (yes, YOU) to reach our minimum goal of 100 volunteers. We are only asking you to collect 15 signatures (one page) per week. If you are nervous, or have never collected signatures, that’s OK! We like to petition in pairs, so as to build TEAMWORK! It’s easier (and more fun) to petition with a fellow Green/volunteer. When collecting ballot status petition signatures, we also use the opportunity to educate folks about the Green Party (who we are, the Ten Key Values, our platform, etc).

The Arizona Green Party (AZGP) has another long-term goal: Permanent Ballot Status! As of January 1st (according to the Arizona Secretary of State) we now have 5,040 registered Green Party members in Arizona. In order for us to achieve permanent ballot status (and not have to collect ballot status petition signatures every two years), we will need to quadruple our registered Greens to at least 20,000. As we are collecting signatures and informing others about the Green Party, we should also be encouraging interested folks to register as new Green Party members. During the past 2 years, we have added 1,000 new Green Party members! One of our goals is to register 1,000 new Greens during 2011. Are you willing to assist us in this effort?

In anticipation of achieving ballot status for next year, we will also begin to recruit Green Party candidates for the 2012 elections! We are recruiting candidates for non-partisan races (school boards and city/town council), county offices (Board of Supervisors, etc), state legislature and statewide office (Corporation Commission) and U.S. Congress. We are looking for viable, quality candidates that will best represent the Arizona Green Party (AZGP), our platform and the issues we support.

You may be asking yourself “Where can I collect signatures?” Some good locations include: farmers’ markets, your local library, community festivals, art walks (First Friday in downtown Phoenix), university or college campuses, etc. Try to find a public location with lots of “foot traffic”. Talk to your local independent coffeehouse or bookstore manager to see if they will give you permission to petition. Also, check your local newspaper, New Times, College Times, etc. for possible events/locations.

So, are YOU ready to be one of our 100 volunteers? Are you ready to WOMAN-UP/MAN-UP? If so, just call our AZGP voicemail at (602) 417-0213. You may also send us an e-mail at info@azgp.org. Just leave us your name, phone number and/or e-mail address, and your U.S. Mail address. We will send you a packet that includes the Petition for Political Party Recognition, Green Party literature (so you can answer questions), and blank voter registration forms. When filled out, mail all petitions (and any new Green voter registration forms) to: Arizona Green Party (AZGP), P.O. Box 60173, Phoenix, AZ 85082. You may also drop off completed petitions and Green Party voter registration forms at our monthly Green Party meetings. Visit http://azgp.org or http://maricopagreens.org for our meeting schedule and locations (or call our voicemail).

AZ GOP Congressman David Schweikert Asks Witness at Committee Hearing If Monetary Policy Can "Exasperate" Economic Swings

As the Washington Post today notes, in an idiotic hearing called by crackpot chairman Rep. Ron Paul (R-Confederacy), the moronic East Valley Republican first-term congressman, David Schweikert asked a witness "whether monetary policy could exasperate [sic] economic swings."

The Pinal County Greens are exasperated to have such a person representing Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives. Having David Schweikert in Congress only exacerbates our state and national problems.

Pinal County Greens: Like Conor Oberst and Desaparecidos, We Believe SB1070 and Other Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Youth Republican Laws Are Unacceptable

for Telemoonfa

Today's New York Times notes the obvious, gathered from the 2010 census, that we are in

a changed American landscape, with whites now a minority of the youth population in 10 states, including Arizona, where tensions over immigration have flared, said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution.

“This is a huge demographic transformation,” Mr. Frey said. “A cultural generation gap is emerging.”

The growing divide between a diverse young population and an aging white population raises some potentially tricky policy questions. Will older whites be willing to allocate money to educate a younger generation that looks less like their own children than ever before? How will a diverse young generation handle growing needs for aging whites?

The rapid change has infused political debates, and they have been noisiest in the states with the largest gaps.

Arizona is the leader, with whites accounting for just 42 percent of its young people, compared with 83 percent of its residents 65 and older, according to Mr. Frey. Over all, the state’s Hispanic population nearly tripled between 1990 and 2009, and is now a third of all residents.

The Pinal County Greens and the Arizona Green Party will respond to the needs of all Arizonans, unlike the right-wing bastards in the legislature who have declared war on the state's youth. As young people turn 18 and are eligible to vote, the radical Republicans' days in power are numbered.

US Greens Declare Support for Pro-Democracy Protesters in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Algeria, and Other Nations

Minna, left, and Amal, with pro-Mubarak forces in Tahrir Square.

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders in the US announced the party's support and encouragement for nonviolent protesters in Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, and other nations in the region who have taken to the streets in demand for an end to corrupt and oppressive regimes.

"The Green Party of the United States supports democracy, here and throughout the world. We hope that the protesters in Egypt succeed in deposing President Mubarak, and we're thrilled to see so many young people stand up against dictators. The best outcome would be for Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to improve economic conditions for their populations and embrace democracy, equal rights and protections for women and for ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities, and freedom of the press. We condemn the brutal responses to the protests, including police violence and the shutdown of the Internet," said Dr. Anthony Gronowicz, 2010 Green candidate for Congress in New York's 7th District and a member of the party's International Committee.

Greens noted that the threatened regimes, especially Egyptian President Mubarak's administration, were propped up by the US for the purpose of serving US interests such as access to oil and other resources, the maintenance of military bases on foreign soil, and unequivocal support for Israel's brutal occupation and apartheid system.

"While the Obama Administration has offered some restrained rhetorical support for the demonstrations, the US continues to send the Egyptian government billions of dollars in military aid, some of it now being used by security forces to beat and teargas protesters," said David Doonan, Mayor of Greenwich, New York, and a member of the Green Party. "For true stability in the region, North African and Middle Eastern governments must serve the interests of their own people instead of the demands of the US State Department and western business."

Egypt is the second largest recipient of US military and economic aid ($1.55 billion in 2010), after Israel ($3.175 billion).

"The young people marching for democracy and freedom in these nations are a model for people in the US. We need a mass opposition movement in the US against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the gross violations of our Constitution in the name of 'homeland security,' and the reckless greed of Wall Street, the insurance industry, oil companies, and other corporations. Let's learn something from the Tunisian protesters: our outrage should not be directed at Wikileaks but at our own government's secret policies and actions that were exposed by the Wikileaks cables, such as the US bombing of Yemen and the attempts to undermine the Copenhagen talks on global warming," said Farheen Hakeem, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States.

Retired General Abdel Moneim Al Aasar, current head of Egypt's Green Party

Richard Grayson to speak on "The Green Party and the ‘New Politics'" at UK Green Party Spring Conference in Cardiff, Wales

The Pinal County Greens are pleased to announce that Richard Grayson will appear at the UK Green Party Spring Conference in Cardiff, Wales, February 25-28, just ahead of the Welsh Assembly elections.

Grayson will speak on a panel, "The Green Party and the ‘New Politics': The Challenge of Political Pluralism," on Monday, February 28 at 11:30 a.m., along with
Neal Lawson, chair of the pressure group Compass and author of the book All Consuming (Penguin), and John Harris of The Guardian, author of So Now Who Do We Vote For? and a regular panelist on BBC2's Newsnight Review.

Pinal County Greens Ask that Arizona Be Declared a Disaster Area, Want Mike Bloomberg Named as Interim Administrator to Rescue State

Apache Junction, Ariz., Feb. 1, 2011
The Pinal County Greens, members of the Arizona Green Party in Pinal County, today passed a resolution calling for Arizona to be declared a disaster area and asking for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg be brought in as an interim administrator to rescue the Cactus State and return it to normalcy.

"Mayor Bloomberg's undercover operations exposing the criminality in this rogue state has proven that he is the right man to save Arizona from its current maladmistration and insanity," said Richard Grayson, chair of the Pinal County Greens and 2010 Green Party candidate for Congress in Arizona's Sixth Congressional District. "Our state needs to be declared what it is: a complete disaster area, and only a sane administrator like Mr. Bloomberg can help us recover."