People have been calling me over the last day or so with details about Richard Miranda and the deal he cut over his promise to vote for the sales tax referal.
The allegation works like this: Miranda asked that the governor help him raise money from lobbyists for the Arizona Latino Caucus Foundation (a group he’s got de facto control of) and he would vote for the sales tax referral. Given the nature of such a deal, it is hard to verify, but it is the buzz at the capitol.
Here is what I know that is more concrete: Miranda was talked about as a vote for the referral, despite calls to his office from the public and despite various liberal groups reminding him that he will need their support when he runs in a Democratic primary for state house next year (he is term limited in the senate). But, when members told him that they might make his arangement with the Latino Caucus public, including asking serious questions about where the foundation’s money goes, he, according to one source, “tore out of the parking lot.”
There have been concerns raised about the lack of transparency in the organization, which is loosely organized and doesn’t have to file the kind of reports a campaign would. The lack of transparency has enabled Miranda’s opponents to raise questions about whether Miranda is personally benefitting from donations to the organization.
As for the donations, their website publicizes the names of “platinum” and “gold” donors to their annual golf tournament. The donor list includes the occasional liberal organization like the UFCW, but also is lousy with groups that we on the left count as “the usual suspects”: SRP, Southwest Gas, Qwest, Pinnacle West and the Arizona General Contractors Association. Given whose being given breaks in the “tax cutting” part of this budget (that, although Miranda didn’t promise his vote on it, can’t move without the sales tax referral), it is no wonder that people are asking questions.
In any case, whatever effectiveness Miranda had might be over: he is no longer trusted by the Democrats he tried to shiv (when even the oft criticized Ken Cheuvront calls you a sell out, you are in big trouble), and his cut-and-run routine after promising his vote to both the Governor and Bob Burns has won him no friends on the other side either.
NB – The Latino Caucus Foundation is separate from the Arizona Democratic Hispanic Caucus, which is an arm of the Arizona Democratic Party. I’m sure that chair David Olvera (along with my mom, who is vice chair) will be happy for me to make the distinction.
9 Comments
Thanks for this update. Miranda is Senator in my district (moved here a little less than a year ago) and it’s nice getting to know more about my representation at the capitol.
Miranda will have some serious opposition in the Democratic primary this time.
Isn’t it an oxymoron to use Ken Cheuvront and Democrat in the same sentance? Is this the same Cheuvront that voted late in the session (after one of his bills dies in the house) to make the equalization tax cut permanent last year? Wow so glad Ken can stand on principle and call out a fellow member when they sell out to the Republicans!
Miranda and his brother, Ben, are co-chairs of the Latino Caucus. I find it hard to believe they both weren’t in on it.
The AG needs to investigate and arrest both of those crooks.
To be honest, I got a ‘heads up’ of what Republicans line on the budget will be (a GOP legislator made a speech at an event I was at.)
Their line is essentially that the budget cuts to education and services represent ‘realism’ as in ‘that’s all the money there was, we spread it around as best we could.’ They intend to attack Democrats next year as ‘unrealistic.’
Only problem is, if they pass a budget that includes any tax cuts at all (repealing the property tax cut in particular) it undercuts their entire argument because the obvious comeback is, ‘that wasn’t all the money there was, because you could afford to include a tax cut in the budget, which made the budget cuts just that much deeper.’
Even us ignorant rubes out in the public understand that much math.
Democrats have done a good job of sticking together, we have to push our weaker members to stay with the program. The only chance we have a deeper budget is for the Governor and the GOP leadership to finally realize that the only option they have left is to negotiate with the Democratic leadership.
It also doesn’t hurt to remind people that Republicans might have put together a budget by now if they didn’t have to keep calling Grover Norquist to get his permission to vote for the various proposed packages.
Here’s some fun facts I was able to find about the “loosely organized” foundation. Although they aren’t required to file the same kind of reports as a campaign, as a 501c3, they are required to file an annual report with the AZ Corp Comm and register annually as a charitable organization with the AZ SOS. Their Corp Comm report is delinquent and they are listed as not in good standing, with a notice of pending dissolution because they have not filed. You would think since it appears they are paying some lawyer at Jennings Strouss to be their statutory agent, that they could get this done. I also find it interesting that the corporation paperwork lists Miranda’s Senate office as its address. They also have never registered with the SOS.
I don’t know if I can put links in comments, but this can all be verified on the Corporation Commission website and Secretary of State website.
Katie,
I’m glad you did the research to pull up that info. Richard’s brother Ben is a lawyer. One would think that they would have the sense to file the needed reports and be in good standing. Who knows what their motives are but one thing is certain, they’ve screwed up royally.
Both brothers are co-chairs of the organization, so both of them must be in on it. I’d start pouring through the Miranda’s campaign records to see how much mystery money ends up in there.
Look, I am a pretty good dem supporter. It sounds like Mr. Miranda is a blight on the Democratic party and needs to resign.