by Pamela Powers Hannley

Anyone who has lived in Tucson long enough knows that the vitality of downtown has ebbed and flowed with the winds of politics and the fortunes of capitalism.

Thanks to infrastructure investments, tax breaks, land deals, and the promise of Rio Nuevo college students with Daddy's credit cards, downtown is again on the upswing-- with swanky bars, over-priced restaurants, micro-breweries, maxi-dorms, and a modern street car to deliver college students to the main gate of...

April3 Update: New events have been added for April 6 and 9.

It’s only April 1, but already there is an impressive line-up of progressive events taking shape this month. In addition to these educational events, there are multiple fund-raisers for candidates, parties, and causes in April.  The list below is not meant to be all-inclusive. (Check out Facebook and the Pima County Democratic Party calendar or the calendar on Blog for Arizona for other events-- including multiple opportunities...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

One would think the sheer stupidity of giving guns legal rights superior to an individual's private property rights to do with his or her own property as they deem fit would derail this crazy bill.

This is not an April Fool's joke: the Tea-Publican controled Arizona legislature is one vote away from sending this bill making idolatrous gun worship the official state religion to the Governor. The Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required) reported, Republicans defeat De...

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Not long ago the manic-depressives in the Arizona political media were all but declaring the recall of crazy Uncle Joe Arpaio "dead." It seems they were a bit premature in pronouncing the time of death.

The Arizona Republic reports today, Law-enforcement veterans join Arpaio recall:

Several retired Valley law-enforcement officials have joined the recall effort against Sheriff Joe Arpaio, criticizing hi...

by Pamela Powers Hannley

More people in the US go bankrupt because of medical bills than for any other reason.

Even in Massachusetts-- where they have Romneycare (the model for Obamacare)-- people with health insurance are going bankrupt at alarming rates, due to unpaid medical bills.

Now, primarily because of uncompensated care, many US hospitals are going bankrupt.

Despite the evidence that our greed-based, healthcare non-system is inadequate, Teapublicans want to scale it back-- instead of ...