Daily Archives: November 7, 2012

Why is the weakest Teachers Union in the U.S. going after Students with Special Needs?

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Jonathan Butcher

For the second time in a decade, Arizona’s teachers union is trying to block children with special needs from getting the best education they can find. After kicking children with special needs and foster children out of Arizona’s opportunity scholarship program three years ago, the union is now trying to rob these children of their education savings accounts.

It’s not clear what came first—the union’s attacks on children or their dwindling influence. But this week the Thomas B. Fordham Institute released How Strong Are U.S. Teacher Unions? A State-By-State Comparison, which ranks Arizona’s teachers unions as the weakest in the U.S. Teacher union support of sales tax increases and lawsuits in the past ten years has made it clear that their priorities are not children but money and education bureaucrats. .

Read more at The Goldwater Institute

Obama re-election protest escalates at Univ. of Mississippi; racial slurs, 2 arrests reported

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JACKSON, Miss. — A protest at the University of Mississippi against the re-election of President Barack Obama grew into crowd of about 400 people with shouted racial slurs as rumors of a riot spread on social media. Two people were arrested on minor charges.

The university said in a statement Wednesday that the gathering at the student union began late Tuesday night with about 30 to 40 students, but grew within 20 minutes as word spread. Some students chanted political slogans while others used derogatory racial statements and profanity, the statement said.

The incident comes just after the 50th anniversary of violent rioting that greeted the forced integration of Ole Miss with the enrollment of its first black student, James Meredith.

Read more at the Washington Post

Arizona election results

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UPDATED: 11/7 2:40

There are still precincts to report, but the election results in Arizona appear to be as follows.

Phoenix television is indicating that there may be up to 400,000 provisional ballots which have to be counted separately which may change some of the results.

Federal

Republican Jeff Flake is elected to take the vacated seat of John Kyl over Democrat Richard Carmona. Flake received 808,775 to 725,292 votes for Carmona.

Of the two heated races for Representative, Kirkpatrick has defeated Jonathan Paton in CD-1 100,286 votes to 93,582 votes with Libertarian Kim Allen taking a little over 12,000 votes. In Congressional District 9, Vernon Parker lost to Kyrsten Sinema by a margin of 2101 votes. The Libertarian Powell Gammill received 10,293 votes.

Overall the Democrats have taken a lead in the Senate with the Republicans holding the House.

State

On the State level, Chester Crandell has won re-election over challenger Thom Chabin as State Senator for District 6. The Republican incumbent won 37,978 votes to 32,260. In District 7 only Democrat Jack C. Jackson was running challenged by only 1.11% write-in votes.

For Representative of District 6 Republicans Brenda Barton and Bob Thorpe have defeated their Democrat rivals Angela Lefevre and Doug Ballard. District 7 was represented in the election only by two Democrats Albert Hale and Jamescita Peshlakai.

Republicans Bob Stump, Robert Burns and Paul Newman have been seated on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Justice John Pelander will remain as a justice on the Arizona Supreme Court.

County

The only challenged races in the Board of Supervisors was for District 1 and 3 in which Art Babbott defeated Gail Dent and Matt Ryan defeated Jack Darum.

In the two recall elections, Linda Hammer lost to James Denham and Gayle Spackman lost to Alma Seward.

Republican Gary Robbins lost his bid for Division 5 Judge of Superior Court to Cathleen Nichols.

FUSD Question 1 is a yes.
Williams USD Question is a yes.
Page USD Question 1 is a no.
Sedona-Oak Creek JUSD Question 1 is a no.
Pinewood Sanitary District Question wins.
Question 405 is for the bonds as is Question 406.

State Propositions

The propositions are currently running as follows as of 8 a.m. with only a few precincts left to report. Not too surprisingly the State sales tax increase failed with a full representation of voters over when it was passed three years ago when only about 22% of voters passed it. The Open Initiative failed which is somewhat surprising. And proposition 114 protecting gun owners from lawsuits by criminals passed overwhelmingly.

114 which protects gun owners from lawsuits by criminals
Yes 1,191,671
No 300,135

115 to change the way judges are nominated
Yes 391,718
No 1,044,414

116 changes property tax to help struggling businesses
Yes 607,142
No 788,806

117 changing property tax
Yes 819,943
No 617,709

118 changing the formula used for annual State land distribution
Yes 674,026
No 680,361

119 Military land exchanges
Yes 856,988
No 530,122

120 State sovereignty referendum
Yes 451,242
No 938,695

121 No choice open elections
Yes 471,906
No 966,069

204 State sales tax increase
Yes 532,728
No 986,376