Saturday, February 4th, 2006...7:39 am
Another Candidate for Secretary of State?
Israel Torres, Arizona’s Registrar of Contractors, is set to announce his candidacy for Secretary of State next Thursday.
I don’t know much about this guy, but he’s gotten plaudits from the press for restructuring his agency and making it relevant. He has already been laying the ground work for his candidacy, having a meeting two weeks ago with various west and south side potentates at a South Tucson restaurant.
The only other announced candidate is Bruce Wheeler. Wheeler has had a low profile even in Tucson since his run for mayor eleven years ago. Wheeler has been making the rounds, speaking to varrious Democratic and progressive groups. He says all of the right things. He has an articulate and compelling argument against Jan Brewer. However, I haven’t seen a willingness of Phoenix voters to vote for Tucson candidates in recent years, especially one that hasn’t had a high profile in more than a decade.
Of course, Brewer has her own problems, since she’s got a primary against Skip Rimsza.
31 Comments
February 4th, 2006 at 11:26 pm
Given the number of people who will be disenfranchised next year from voting because of Jan Brewer’s restrictions based on prop 200, I hope we are smart enough to really publicize her role before the primary election. Then, any primary voters who get turned away during the primary will 1) know better before the general, and 2) if they are angry about being turned away, they will know to blame Jan Brewer.
To be honest, I would favor a Constitutional Amendment adding the position of Lieutenant Governor who runs on a ticket with the governor. It has made it almost impossible for Governor Napolitano to leave the state with Jan Brewer running things when she is gone.
February 5th, 2006 at 6:10 am
Israel will be a great candidate - articulate, thoughtful, energetic … Even thought he is from the upper Gila; Southern Arizonans should really look at what he has done these past few years as part of the Governor’s staff.
February 5th, 2006 at 6:57 am
Many states are moving away from having elected Lt. Governors. The trouble is, in most places, the Lt. Governor has few responsibilities, and ends up being a tremendous waste of public money.
Interestingly, the Republicans used to always talk about creating the office when Mofford, Shumway and Mahoney were in office. I haven’t heard much talk about it lately…hmm…
February 5th, 2006 at 8:08 am
“Jan Brewer’s restrictions” eli I thought the voters of Arizona passed prop 200. If so they are not Jan’s restrictions.
By the way what restrictions ? Having to show ID to vote. Sounds pretty normal to me. What is wrong with preventing election fraud ?
February 5th, 2006 at 10:14 am
Fraud?! What fraud?! In Maricopa County, with a GOP Recorder (LD 20) is the sole case.
Present a government issued photo ID at the polls with your current address? What’s the choice, driver’s license since it is the only basic government identification that lists addresses!
If you can’t present that, show a bill (electric, gas, water)? Gee, who does this affect with Proposition 200?!
The elderly (who vote) and who may be in assisted living places.
Youth (our future), since they may be sharing a house and apartment and the bill may be in one persons name or their parents!
Getting back to the current address situation, another group of people this draconian measure affects:
Native-American nations, who in most cases, don’t have them and use descriptions of where their homes are!
Of course, the intent of this measure was to discourage voter participation, especially with minority groups, part of the GOP effort to end democracy in America!
John E., if this was such a fool-proof measure, why then was early voting and vote by mail not written into the measure? WELL!
February 5th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
tucsonmark you never explained how this is Brewer’s fault for enforcing an initiative passed be the voters.
Are you telling me that while previous generations spilled their own blood and gave their lives for freedom young people today who may have roommates cannot bear the burden of getting a drivers license or state ID?
If an elderly person lives in an assisted living home the solution is simply to vote by mail. What’s the problem there?
Do Native Americans not have an ID system? They should be able to get a state drivers license or state ID card. If there are still issues here then lets fix them so all US citizens can vote.
The intent of the prop. 200 was very simple. Show some proof of US citizenship in order to vote at the polls. Sounds simple to me. Voting has never been easier. You can register by mail, vote by mail, or vote at the polls with ID. That is pretty easy.
As for LD 20, the case is being investigated, as it should be.
February 5th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
John E.
Where did I even say it was Brewer’s fault in my statement?!
Also, what is the point of voter registration cards then that are issued?!
Gee, if the roommates didn’t have an i.d. with their current address, the next item on the list is a bill, does the electric, water or gas company bill by individual? No, by household!
You’re comment about the native American population is choice as well. The Tohono O’odham nation does have addresses and what does the proposition say, photo identification with their current address. HELLO!
Where does one spilling their blood enter into this argument?!
You’re comment about the elderly is choice! If one doesn’t have an identification with their current address then what?
Also, what about changing one’s name as in a wife?!
Yes, showing proof at the polls is paramount, but leads again to the question of the purpose of the voter registration card.
This leads me to believe you are either not from Arizona, completely unaware of election in re: to Proposition 200 or you have not read the proposition language completely!
Which one is it?
TTFN!
February 5th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
To follow up John E.
What about the Georgia law?
As well, there is Ohio’s HB 3, which ends democracy in the Buckeye state oe Indiana?
In these three states, they were passed by the GOP controlled legislature and Georgia and Indiana’s was signed by the GOP governor.
Ohio’s is on convicted Gov. Bob Taft’s desk awaiting his signature.
Well?
February 5th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
I just checked the Secretary of State web site and found that you can vote with one of the following as long as it has photo, name and address; Valid Arizona driver license, Valid Arizona nonoperating identification license, Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification, Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification.
Or you can vote with two of the following that just have a name on them; Utility bill of the elector that is dated within ninety days of the date of the election. A utility bill may be for electric, gas, water, solid waste, sewer, telephone, cellular phone, or cable television, Bank or credit union statement that is dated within ninety days of the date of the election, Valid Arizona Vehicle Registration, Indian census card, Property tax statement of the elector’s residence, Tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification, Vehicle insurance card, Recorder’s Certificate, Valid United States federal, state, or local government issued identification, including a voter registration card issued by the county recorder.
Of course the real simple solution is to just get an Arizona photo ID card for $12 with your current address. It even works if you are just a roommate.
Yes, at some point, the current rules require some effort to vote. Most things are like that.
February 5th, 2006 at 9:50 pm
To John E.
Questions were posed. Will you answer them? A quick look at the Arizona Secretary of State’s website does not an answer make. The statement would lead one to believe that you haven’t read the ENTIRE ballot proposition, including the fact that if someone votes with a provisional ballot, because they don’t have the proper id, they have three days to get to their Recorder’s office with the proper credentials or their vote won’t be tabulated. That is just one of the many provisions of Proposition 200, part of the nationwide GOP effort to thwart democracy in this country!!!!!!!!
February 6th, 2006 at 7:52 am
To tucsonmark
“GOP effort…” Wait, I thought the voters of Arizona voted for 200. If so then it is a conspiracy of the voters to require some kind of ID at polling places. I guess that is too much for you to handle.
February 6th, 2006 at 8:47 am
the problem with the Prop 200 voting changes comes not primarily with the propostion itself but with the application of the new law in regulations set forth by Jan Brewer. She fought tooth and nail not to allow those who come to the polls w/o proper ID to fill out a provisional ballot.
February 6th, 2006 at 8:52 am
John E:
Yet again, questions have been posed and still no answers. Will you answer them instead of avoiding the subject?
To anonymous: I am glad there is someone who has read the proposition as well as the subsequent articles and the drafting of the rules by Brewer.
John. E. Gee, ID, isn’t the voter registration card identification, something paid for by the taxpayers?! Hmmm!
Perhaps questions are too much for you to handle.
TTFN!
February 6th, 2006 at 9:27 am
Is Kristin Smith going to come back as Bruce Wheeler’s press secretary?
February 6th, 2006 at 9:49 am
I am happy to respond. The relevant issue here is not the text of Prop. 200 but what the Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) say. See ARS 16-579 for Procedures for obtaining ballot by elector. There are 2 versions, which I must admit is a bit confusing. Yet both versions say to obtain a ballot a person must “present one form of identification that bears the name, address and photograph of the elector or two different forms of identification that bear the name and address of the elector.”
Get it? That is the law in Arizona. Brewer is just enforcing the law. Your issue should properly be with the VOTERS of Arizona that passed Prop. 200 not with Brewer.
February 6th, 2006 at 3:20 pm
John E:
Jan Brewer then wrote the specifics of the law. And here is one that will result in a lot of people being turned away: If your address on your driver’s license doesn’t match the address where you are registered to vote (for example, if you moved) then they will turn you away. And with the new driver’s licenses that don’t have to be renewed until you are sixty-five, quite a few people have moved at least down the block.
That is a Jan Brewer interpretation of the law, not anything that was written into prop 200. But those are the directions she has sent out. We need to make it very clear to voters BEFORE the primary that the new rules were written by Jan, because they were.
February 6th, 2006 at 3:24 pm
And yes, if someone moved (maybe without changing what it says on their voter registration, so that a current utility bill also won’t work) they can come back within three days after the primary and show I.D. but that is still a pain in the behind– that is why I think reminding voters it is Jan’s fault would be a good idea– most people have a higher tolerance for being inconvenience by the President of the Governor or Congress, but since pretty much this is what the Secretary of State is responsible for, they are more likely to vote against her in November.
February 6th, 2006 at 3:38 pm
Bruce Wheeler really deserves our support in the primary and the general election. Isabel Garcia’s ex-husband has impeccable progressive credentials and he really is a great guy. He is always participating in all of the D campaigns and has earned our support! I wish this website would stop promoting only DLC types!
February 6th, 2006 at 4:18 pm
Hey Ted:
Please let your loyal bloggers know about Israel’s announcement in Tucson! Hope you can make it.
Thursday, Feb. 9th
3:00 PM
Knights of Columbus Hall
601 South Tucson Blvd.
PS- just to clear things up, he’s not a DLC type, i don’t think he’s ever talked to anyone there. most of us Dems don’t(ha, ha). and he’s from good ‘ol NM like your Gov. Although, he’s been in Arizona since he was a young boy.
“Brewer’s toast in ‘06″
February 6th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Per ARS 16-579 “2. If the person does not present a document that complies with paragraph 1, the person is only eligible to vote a provisional ballot as prescribed by section 16-584.” Hey, did I read that the Governor and Attorney General signed off on this?
Just to clarify, ARS are the laws of Arizona, passed by the Legislator and signed by the Governor. The Secretary of State carries out the laws, she does vote for or sign them.
Go ahead; make this an issue in the election. The voters already spoke to this issue when they approved Prop. 200 and they voted for ID at the polls.
If the current situation is so bad get the legislature to send a revised bill, fixing whatever you think is so wrong, for the Governor to sign. Jan will then be bound to carry it out. Very straight forward.
February 6th, 2006 at 4:50 pm
Promoting DLC types?
Here I was planning on doing a Joe Lieberman bashing post tonight because of his pseudo-endorsement of McCain. Seriously, I was going to, still probably will when I get home. I don’t know enough about Torres to say whether he is a “DLC-type” or not. Frankly, neither do you.
February 6th, 2006 at 10:44 pm
My main concern with Brewer is that she has not fulfilled the requirement of the Help America Vote Act regarding “The voting system shall produce a permanent paper record with a manual audit capacity for such a system.” Do any of you know why is she against this federal requirement?
February 6th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
She’s against it because she is only for spending HAVA money if it involves paper that she can plaster her face on and mail to voters.
February 6th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
tedski - sounds like you are describing the Governor’s use of tourism dollars to put her face all over billboards.
February 7th, 2006 at 6:29 am
You got me on that one.
February 7th, 2006 at 7:43 pm
Anonymous–
How many billboards show the Governor’s face? More than just the ones at the state line “You are now entering….Welcome, welcome, welcome… [spend lots of money while you're here]“
February 8th, 2006 at 11:49 am
How many billboards were up with the Governor’s picture? Well there was at least one at on Central at about Virginia in Phoenix. Not exactly the place I would have put a billboard to encourage people to visit Arizona. Seems like at that point, they’re already here!
February 8th, 2006 at 4:37 pm
Re the signs–
A sign with the Governor’s face in Phoenix…that does seem to be a little after the fact. Perhaps it is for the drunks who drive from Las Vegas to Phoenix, wake up in the morning and don’t know where they are.
February 10th, 2006 at 6:59 am
I don’t know why I bother, but the billboards are supposed to encourage in-state tourism. Governor Symington did something similar.
February 11th, 2006 at 7:49 am
anyone else have info on israel….good guy? hard worker?? what kind of job did he do at register of contractors? we need fresh faces and new ideas.
February 11th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
I could not see voting for a Democratic Sec. of State candidate from southern AZ unless this person had a golden tongue, tons of gravitas and good ideas, positive state-wide recognition. We need to get rid of Brewer. The only way I’ll vote for the southern Arizona candidate is if the Phoenix candidate totally sucks.