AZ Democrats Complain They Can No Longer Blow Taxpayer Money on Margarita Machines

by | Jun 29, 2020 | Elections, News and Updates

When voters passed the Citizens Clean Elections Act with  50.1 percent support  in 1998, the razor thin margin for passage showed that Arizonans were never that supportive of setting up a bureaucratic system to funnel taxpayer money to politicians to run for office.

Since that time public support for the program has plummeted as the flaws and abuse of the system have been exposed.  It is bad enough their money is being used to buy junk mail and political signs rather than education.  But these tax dollars used to fund political campaigns have been repeatedly misused and misappropriated.

Green, Libertarian, Republican and Democrat candidates have blown public funds on outlandish purchases such as lavish dinners, personal gadgetry, and yes, even a margarita machine. One candidate used roughly half his money with a marketing firm he owned. 

Eventually candidates and political operatives learned a new trick to manipulate the system.  In 2016 they started using their allotment of Clean Election funds to launder money through the Democrat party to be used in swing legislative races.  In response, voters overwhelming approved Proposition 306 which banned taxpayer money from Clean Elections going to political parties.

Not surprisingly, some candidates are upset that they can no longer take advantage of these taxpayer funded loopholes and are considering legal action.  In a recent article in the Capitol Times, Democrats are claiming that their Constitutional right to assembly is being violated because the money they are legally obligated to spend running for office cannot be funneled into other races.

Their claim that a prohibition Clean Election funds going to the Democrat party violates their right to assemble with the Democratic Party is absurd. By that legal reasoning Clean Elections should continue to allow candidates to throw expensive dinners at the Sanctuary for all their friends lest they violate their right to associate or assemble with those friends. 

This reasoning is also hypocritical.  Many of the same politicians claiming that taxpayer money to political parties is a form of association protected by the 1st amendment have also railed against the right to anonymously give and assemble for causes or issues that they support. Apparently, when it comes to using your own money you have limited rights but using taxpayers money to fund causes they support should come without guardrails.

But perhaps the most ironic criticism is the public admission by one lawmaker that they can no longer use public funds to throw parties at Democrat party headquarters. In the same article, Senator Andrea Dalessandro decried the passage of Prop 306 as prohibiting her from “giving any extra money left over at the end of her campaign to the county party for its election night gathering.” So it appears we have now went from candidates manipulating the system to buy margarita machines to now funneling the money to the Democrat party so that they can buy the margarita machines.

Thank goodness voters passed Proposition 306.  Given the disrespect some politicians have with their money, perhaps next go round they will vote to eliminate Clean Elections altogether.

Arizona Free Enterprise Club Releases Additional Endorsements

by | Jun 26, 2020 | Elections, News and Updates

Phoenix, AZ (June 26th, 2020) – Today the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced three new endorsements for the 2020 election.      

The endorsed candidates represent individuals who align with the organization’s principles and key policy goals.  Club President Scot Mussi stated, “It is critical Arizona has leaders and policy makers who are able to articulate and stand up for free market principles and pro-growth policies.  This slate of candidates has proven they can and will.”

Arizona Corporation Commission

Jim O’Connor (write-in candidate)

Arizona Legislature

Jana Jackson, LD 28 House of Representatives

City of Scottsdale

Lisa Borowski, Mayor

Voter Fraud Complaint Upends Push for Universal Vote by Mail in Arizona

by | Jun 11, 2020 | Elections, News and Updates

An interesting revelation came to light earlier this month that has added fuel to the fire over the debate to implement universal vote by mail in Arizona.

Several weeks ago news broke that a complaint had been filed with Attorney General Mark Brnovich outlining possible felony voter fraud by the son of Democrat State Representative Mitzi Epstein. According to the complaint, 29-year-old Daniel Epstein has lived in New York since at least 2017.  An extensive online paper trail of Facebook posts and employment information indicate that he moved to the Empire State to attend New York University and, after graduating from NYU two years ago, continued to live and work there as an actor.

Yet living 3,000 miles away has not stopped him from voting in multiple Arizona elections by mail from his parent’s home, including the most recent Tempe city council race in March. How these mail-in ballots were cast is uncertain, which is why a deeper probe into the matter is warranted.

Usually very outspoken and active on social media, Rep. Epstein has yet to comment on these allegations. She likely understands the gravity of the situation and had to be aware of Daniel’s voting patterns since the ballots were sent to her home.  Ultimately, she will have to explain why her 29-year old son who has been working as an actor in New York for years is still casting ballots in Arizona elections.

Also affected by this complaint is the narrative being pushed by media outlets, liberal pundits and Democrat leaders wanting to use Covid-19 as an excuse to implement universal vote by mail. For over two months Republicans have been relentlessly attacked for opposing this plan for the 2020 election. Opposition was tantamount to wanting people to die from Coronavirus, and concerns of voter fraud were scoffed at as unfounded “conspiracy theories.”

Yet ample research and evidence prior to this complaint already showed that mail in voting was susceptible to fraud. According the bi-partisan commission on Federal Election Reform chaired by Jimmy Carter, the findings concluded that absentee ballots remain “the largest source of potential voter fraud” in the electoral process.  The New York Times reported in 2012 that there was a bi-partisan consensus that all votes cast by mail are “less likely to be counted, more likely to be compromised and more likely to be contested than votes cast in a voting booth.”

Here in Arizona it is easy to see how our Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL) system can be abused. Since the list is Permanent, voters stay on the rolls long after they are ineligible to vote. There are numerous examples of people finding ballots in interesting locations or receiving ballots from voters that have moved away or have even died.

The only safeguard in the election process prior to an early ballot being counted is an examination of the signature on the front of the envelope. Poll workers do their best to verify the authenticity of the signature but this process becomes an impossible task when hundreds of thousands of early ballots are dumped in their laps on election day.

Arizona needs election reform, but not the type for which our political class has yearned. Though we should maintain our vote by mail system (which is one of the most accessible in the nation for voters), policymakers need to take a closer look at cleaning up our voter rolls and addressing the problem of stacks of early ballots being dropped off on election day. The latter issue has turned into a nightmare for election officials, has led to mistakes by overworked poll workers and delayed results for weeks after polls had closed.

These fixes are long overdue and should take precedent over attempts to make it easier to game our election system.

Arizona Free Enterprise Announces 2020 Candidate Endorsements

by | May 14, 2020 | Elections, News and Updates

Today the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced its first slate of candidate endorsements for the 2020 election cycle.    

The endorsed candidates represent individuals who align with the organization’s principles and key policy goals.  Club President Scot Mussi stated, “It is critical Arizona has leaders and policy makers who are able to articulate and stand up for free market principles and pro-growth policies.  This slate of candidates has proven they can and will.”

U.S Senate

Martha McSally

U.S Congress

Tiffany Shedd, CD 1

Brandon Martin, CD 2

Paul Gosar, CD 4

Andy Biggs, CD 5

David Schwiekert, CD 6

Debbie Lesko, CD 8

Corporation Commission

Eric Sloan

State Legislative Races

Judy Burges, LD 1 House                                                      

Quang Nguyen, LD 1 House                                                     

Deborah McEwen, LD 2 House

Joel John, LD 4 House

Regina Cobb, LD 5 House

Leo Biasuicci, LD 5 House

Sylvia Allen, LD 6 Senate

Walt Blackman, LD 6 House                            

Brenda Barton, LD 6 House

David Peelman, LD 7 House

Neal Carter, LD 8 House

Vince Leach, LD 11 Senate

Mark Finchem, LD 11 House

Bret Roberts, LD 11 House

Warren Petersen, LD 12 Senate

Travis Grantham, LD 12 House

Jake Hoffman, LD 12 House

Sine Kerr, LD 13 Senate

Gail Griffin, LD 14 House

Becky Nutt, LD 14 House

Nancy Barto, LD 15 Senate

Steve Kaiser, LD 15 House

Justin Wilmeth, LD 15 House

Kelly Townsend, LD 16 Senate

Jacqueline Parker, LD 16 House

JD Mesnard, LD 17 Senate

Liz Harris, LD 17 House

Suzanne Sharer, LD 18 Senate

Anthony Kern, LD 20 House

Shawnna Bolick, LD 20 House

Rick Gray, LD 21 Senate

Kevin Payne, LD 21 House

Beverly Pingerelli, LD 21 House

David Livingston, LD 22 Senate

Ben Toma, LD 22 House

Frank Carroll, LD 22 House

Michelle Ugenti-Rita, LD 23 Senate

John Kavanagh, LD 23 House

Tyler Pace, LD 25 Senate

Rusty Bowers, LD 25 House

Kathy Pearce, LD 25 House

Tatiana Pena, LD 27 House

Maricopa County

Stephen Richer, County Recorder

Allister Adel, County Attorney

Steve Chucri, Board of Supervisors District 2

Bill Gates, Board of Supervisors District 3

Pinal County

Chuck Gray, Board of Supervisors District 2

Steve Miller, Board of Supervisors District 3

Jeffrey McClure, Board of Supervisors District 4

David Malton, Board of Supervisors District 5

Glendale

Jerry Weiers, Mayor

Ray Malnor, City Council, Sahuaro District

Ian Hugh, City Council, Cactus District

Scottsdale

Mike Auerbach, City Council

Queen Creek

Leah Sellards Martineau, Town Council

Chandler

Mark Stewart, City Council

Phoenix

David Seibert, City Council, District 1

Protecting Ourselves From Government Abuse During COVID-19 Pandemic

by | Apr 2, 2020 | Elections, News and Updates, Regulatory

It is difficult amid the chaos and unpredictability surrounding our Country’s new COVID-19 reality to think about what life will look like when this crisis subsides.  Yet it is during the most difficult of challenges when nations decide if they will surrender their fundamental values in exchange for the promise of security. 

Whether our leaders argue that drastic times call for drastic measures, the ends justify the means, or promise that everything will go back to normal after the crisis abates – it is imperative that there are voices questioning, “what will our Republic look like after the storm passes?”

Afterall, as reasonable or necessary as some measures appear to a fearful populace, many in our ruling class want to make sure to not  let a good crisis go to waste.

The New York Times recently highlighted several chilling examples of major constitutional and human rights violations being adopted in democratic nations with lightning speed and little resistance:

  • Right to Privacy – Infringement Through Draconian Surveillance: In Israel the Prime Minister has authorized tracking citizens through cellphone data they developed for counterterrorism efforts. They are tracing citizens’ every movements and can even throw people in prison for up to six months for defying isolation orders.
  • Right to Access the Ballot Box: Fair and free elections are a cornerstone of any democratic republic.  The “interim President” of Bolivia has suspended their presidential election, unilaterally seizing a longer term and denying citizens a basic right to choose their leader.  Hungary’s Prime Minister has legislation drafted that is likely to be passed which among many infringements also includes the ability for him to suspend all elections and referendums.  How his government ever peacefully wrest this power away from him again is left unanswered in the legislative package.
  • Freedom of the Press and Speech:  Several countries are violating basic free speech rights and persecuting journalists that publish “dissenting” or “false” information contrary to the government.  Hungary again is an offender, allowing the public prosecutor to imprison people for up to five years for disseminating what they consider false information. 
  • Right to Assembly: Our friends overseas in Great Britain sprinted out legislation that allows their ministries to ban pubic gatherings with little oversight as well as potentially detain and isolate people indefinitely.  In the United States, democrats pushed hard to include language in the COVID-19 relief package that would force non-profits and charitable organizations to disclose their donors, a practice that has been ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme court in NAACP VS Alabama.
  • Right to a Speedy Trial and Habeas Corpus: Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has shut down courts supposedly in the name of public health.  It also conveniently serves his own interests as he was scheduled to stand trial for corruption charges.  The United States’ Department of Justice has tried similarly dangerous tactics, requesting Congress give them the authority to indefinitely detain someone during an emergency as well as suspend court proceedings pre and post arrest and trial.

These infringements are hitting close to home in Arizona.  Shortly after the crisis began, several mayors unilaterally declared a state of emergency without notifying Governor Ducey or their fellow council members. Some used these powers to close businesses and limit hours, often with no consideration with how disruptive it would be for employers to comply with a patchwork of restrictions varying city to city.  

Even after Governor Ducey wisely stepped in and established a uniform policy for the entire state, Coral Evans of Flagstaff has willfully and publicly defied state law.  She has unilaterally closed city salons and similar services in obvious defiance of the Governor’s Executive Order which preempts cities from employing more restrictive orders than outlined by his administration.

The bottom line is that citizens need to keep a close eye on the trade-offs government officials will be asking us to make.  The fearmongering being stoked by some politicians should be looked upon with suspicion, especially when their solutions involve long term power grabs, endless bailouts or indefinite shutdown orders. As scary as Coronavirus may be, ceding our rights and freedoms to a permanent police state is a much bigger threat.

Liberal Groups File Election Initiative to Increase Voter Fraud and Taxpayer Subsidies for Political Campaigns

by | Nov 14, 2019 | Elections, News and Updates

For years liberal groups have aimed to unravel basic election integrity practices in the state of Arizona.  From repealing ballot harvesting to pushing for same day voter registration – the goal is a California-style free for all where anything goes.  Even amidst legal defeats that have forced California to remove staggering numbers of inactive and unverified voters from their rolls, extremists continue to try to import these same policies in our state.

Case in point, an initiative dubbed the “Fair Elections Act” was recently filed with the Secretary of State’s office and includes almost every possible measure to erode safe, secure and honest elections in Arizona.  

Among the worst of the provisions is the creation of a “democracy voucher” system which would furnish every registered voter with certificates of $50 – $150 in order to facilitate small dollar political contributions.  Despite claiming to be a tool to empower average Arizonans to exercise choice and their political voice, these funds would only be eligible to be given to candidates running via the Clean Elections Commission system. 

Democracy isn’t cheap either. 

Based upon current registration levels and the minimum and maximum allowable distributable certificates, $191 – $573 Million of hard-earned taxpayer dollars could be up for grabs by politicians.

How does the initiative purport to pay for this?  With a tax increase of course.  The proposal would raise the minimum corporate income tax from $50 to $150 – swiping the $100 increase for Clean Elections. In addition, it would allow an up to $500 dollar for dollar tax credit for contributions to the commission.  Although these revenue enhancers alone are no where near enough to cover the potential exorbitant costs, proponents are banking on the idea that there will be low voter participation in the program – proving even when you give people free money, they would rather not take it then give it to a politician.

The voucher program isn’t the only part of the measure with a hefty new price tag.  The initiative would also trigger automatic voter registration for citizens receiving a drivers’ license or updating their information with the DMV.  Within the 30-page initiative are tedious administrative requirements for inter-agency coordination to include the Secretary of State, Department of Transportation, Arizona Health Cost Containment and other agencies. 

Because not everyone getting their license or updating their information is eligible to vote, the initiative includes a complicated process for mailing citizens.  It would be incumbent upon the citizen to return the pre-stamped mailer to indicate they do not want to be registered to vote or that they are ineligible to vote.  The citizen has two years to complete missing or fix inaccurate information before their status as a registered voter is cancelled.  Even when their status as a voter is pending, they are able to vote if an election is occurring. 

No where in the initiative is it mentioned how the state will pay for the inevitable technology overhaul required to implement this “automatic voter registration system” or the onerous process for constant pre-stamped mailers. Even more glaring are the gaping opportunities for fraud.  Currently, it is so easy to register to vote in Arizona, the only excuse for not is apathy, laziness or ineligibility.  Placing the burden on someone in any of these categories to ask to be excluded in the voter rolls is a waste of time and money and sure to be a magnet for inaccuracies.

This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bad ideas jammed packed into this election omnibus initiative.  Hopefully voters will see through this attempt to co-op the security of the Arizona ballot box and reject ideas that have destroyed the election integrity of states like California and Washington.