Napolitano nom will give AZ 1st gov without college degree and fast track AZ to repeal abortion

[saracat]

rights.This just in on local news. Wow, we have a lot to celebrate.:sarcasm: It appears we worked our butts off for nothing only to go freaking backwards after many years of progress.

[Hawkeye-X]

1. What's the status of your state Senate/House? Can Brewer be kicked out?

Trogoldyte or making progress?

[FrenchieCat]

Sorry about that.

Y'all need to work harder at voting Blue...like the rest of the Southwest.

[Danger Mouse]

2. Can you elaborate?

[Hawkeye-X]

4. When Napiltano leaves, she will be replaced by a extremist rightie

by the name of Jan Brewer.

[Danger Mouse]

5. Ew. Gross.

[Catshrink]

8. In Arizona, the Secretary of State is next in line of succession

So when Janet goes to Washington, we're left with a SOS who is a right wing hack. She was in the legis. for a few years. Our state house and senate are dominated by repubs. They've passed anti-abortion and abortion restriction laws and Janet has vetoed them. Now they have free reign.

I'm guessing one of their first acts will be to gut education funding. Arizona doesn't give a rat's ass about public education. My state rep. is a charter school owner. I think Arizona has more charter schools than any other state. Profit centers, that's all.

It's gonna be grim here in the desert SW.

[jillan]

34. Omg - I have a daughter in Special Ed -

just wait. They have already wanted to shut down her after school programs, resources to the spec ed classrooms and busing for special kids. Janet vetoed all of it.

I have a feeling Brewer is going to get to know me and my daughter really well.

[davidpdx]

70. I was a special education child as well

and remember how hard my mom had to fight to get help for me (I'm not from your state, but another western state). I don't know how severe her problems are(mine were pretty minor), but I will give you some advice. Never, ever, let a teacher tell you that she's not capable of doing something. Looking back, I think many teachers underestimated my abilities. It was not my parents who pushed me and was hard on me, I did that myself. I hope that she is able to grow out her disability and that it will become less of a factor as she gets older (I still grapple with it from time to time even as an adult).

[CTyankee]

37. Can I ask how you obtained "Lump" as your sig pic?

I saw it at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona last month. I'd love to "adopt" it for my emails...

[Catshrink]

41. wow! Someone recognized it!

I stole it off the internets, plain and simple.

Have you read the book, Picasso and Lump? It tells how Lump came to live with Picasso.

[CTyankee]

43. I think they were selling it in the museum bookstore.

It's nice to see it again. I was charmed by it in the museum.

I was on an art and architecture tour of the Smithsonian, in Madrid and Northern Spain, so I was in quite a few museums. It was an amazing trip. If you've not been to Spain and you like Picasso you should go. This tour is one of their bargain tours but man, do you see LOTS of art! The Prado, La Reina Sofia ("Guernica" is there), Thyssen, Guggenheim (in Bilbao), Gaudi and Picasso in Barcelona.

Art is my "thing."

[Catshrink]

49. I saw La Guernica when it was at MOMA years ago

before Franco died. It was amazing. I would like to do a museum tour of Spain -- it interests me far more than a Vatican tour.

[CTyankee]

51. Check out the Smithsonian website. The value tour are there, but they like to push their

pricier ones. It was $2199 per person when I booked it last spring. We got air fare on Iberia for $645 RT. It was pretty cheap considering what tours can cost. It was a feast of art, I can tell you. We spent 3 1/2 hours each in the Prado, La Reina Sofia, the Guggenheim, and almost two hours exploring Gaudi's house in Barcelona.

I want to go back to Spain and go to Seville, Cordoba and Grenada. They have fast trains in Spain that I hear are really fabulous. I'm thinking of designing my own "tour" with fast trains and those 3 cities in mind.

I lived in NYC while Guernica was still in MOMA but for some reason I didn't go to see it. I don't know why...prolly cuz I was young and kinda stupid...

[saracat]

11. We were on track to gain seats in both houses but lost "safe Dem seats instead. We are the minority

in both state houses.

[tekisui]

3. How was Napolitano so singularly successful as a Dem in AZ?

What did she do, and how can others learn from what she did?

[saracat]

10. She was popular with the GOP electorate. as is our Atty General but

now with the entire state reverting to red, after we were almost blue, I think we are toast for years to come. This couldn't have come at a worse time, and our party leadership "lost" us seats in the ledge and state senate which we were on track to win by not defeating 102" the marriage amendment.We are in a very bad place now. We needed Janet's veto pen to protect us and buy us time. The only gain we made was in congress .We now have the majority of congressional seats but that wasn't thanks to the Dems either. Nor was the corporation commissions 2 wins they take credit for. We lost just about everything else.All our county races in Maricopa went down in flames.

[OhioChick]

6. The IT Industry Isn't Happy.....

Obama's choice for DHS could flame tech visa battle

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano has a strong record of support for the H-1B program

November 20, 2008 (Computerworld) The person thought to be President-elect Barack Obama's leading choice to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, has been a strong advocate of increasing H-1B visas -- a stance that could turn out to be a lightning-rod issue during her confirmation.

In testimony, speeches and a letter sent last fall to congressional leaders, Napolitano, a two-term governor, has left a clear trail of support for increasing the H-1B visa cap to address what she has argued is a shortage of skilled workers.

Napolitano's consideration by Obama for the DHS post was widely reported today, although it has not been confirmed publicly. The DHS oversees U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which manages the visa program.

Napolitano was one of 12 governors who sent a letter (download PDF) in September 2007 to congressional leaders in both parties urging an increase in the visa cap. "Until we are able to address this workforce shortage, we must recognize that foreign talent has a role to play in our ability to keep companies located in our state and country; and therefore, need to ensure the increase availability of temporary H-1B visas and permanent residency visas (green cards)," the governors wrote.

Those pushing the visa cap hike included California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and then-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer.

Napolitano "is as rabid a supporter of H-1B as you are likely to find," said Rob Sanchez of Chandler, Ariz., a software engineer who publishes the Job Destruction Newsletter, which is focused on technology-related labor issues.

As head of the DHS, Napolitano could not unilaterally raise the cap, which is now set at 85,000 -- a figure that includes 20,000 visas for advanced-degree graduates. Congress sets the H-1B cap, but the head of the DHS oversees how the program operates.

"Napolitano has publicly and repeatedly called for major H-1B expansion," said Ron Hira, an assistant professor of public policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology and author of Outsourcing America, and "in that respect she is no friend of American IT workers." Hira said that Napolitano believes that employers should have easier access to H-1Bs, "meaning she would try to streamline the application process even more."

In a speech at the National Press Club in February 2007 (download PDF), Napolitano also indicated that she wants to make it easier for foreign graduates of U.S. schools to get green cards, bypassing the need for H-1B visa in those cases. Napolitano believes that after they pass a background check, scientists and engineers "should have a green card stapled to their diplomas."

If Obama pushes ahead with Napolitano's nomination and she is confirmed, one thing she will have to deal with at USCIS are abuses in the H-1B program. As many as one in five H-1B petitions had problems, including fraud, according to a study recently released by the USCIS.

Arizona had been using offshore call centers to provides services to welfare recipients, but Napolitano ended the practice in 2004. A TV news report looked at the practice; an annotated copy of that report is archived on the Job Destruction site (link to video).

For the most part, Obama is bringing in a team that has forcefully advocated for increasing the use of foreign tech workers. The recession has not blunted that advocacy. Google CEO Eric Schmidt, in a speech last week in Washington, said the current policy of forcing foreign students unable to get a visa to go back home is "bizarre -- it's disgusting."

More: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9121059&intsrc=hm_list

[Uzybone]

7. The IT industry already outsources many of thier jobs

they have some gall to complain about H1-B.

[Hawkeye-X]

9. I'm among those waiting for the IT industry to come back to America

and stay there permanently - not H1-B Visas. They need to stop bringing in cheap labor and give it to those who earned it - people who have YEARS and YEARS of IT experience dealing with idiots, and not some clueless guy from Bangalore or Hydrabad.

Hawkeye-X

[OhioChick]

12. You and I both seem to be waiting. n/t

[OnionPatch]

32. Make that three.

Maybe we should all start retraining as burger-flippers.

Yeesh, I thought we really might see some change. This is depressing.

[OhioChick]

13. The "IT Industry" doesn't outsource the jobs.....

Corporations do......same with H-1B's. The "IT Industry" has every right to complain about it.

You have no idea of what you're talking about, do you? :banghead:

[Uzybone]

15. Oh the industry and the corporations in the industry are different?

Talk about splitting hairs.

The rubbish you just said is like saying the NFL does not pay football players, only the NFL teams do.

[ChromeFoundry]

16. Are you really that dense?

A better scenario would be that the NFL Players choose the Draft Picks. They don't. The management does.

You are utterly clueless.

[Uzybone]

20. That makes even less sense

in your rush to throw insults you expose your stupidity.

If it makes simpletons like you feel better to act like IT corporations have nothing to do with shipping jobs overseas then have at it.

[ChromeFoundry]

23. Your statement

states that the IT Industry is the fault of outsourcing. I work within the IT Industry and this does not include the company I work for, be it, Government, Pharma, Healthcare or whatever.

When CitiGroup outsources jobs to India, it's now the IT Industry and the IT workers fault?

I'm in no rush to throw insults... just call them as I see them. Either you have trouble stating what is on your mind or you are dense on the topic. Either way, clueless is a shoe that fits.

[Uzybone]

26. My mistake

the post I responded too said "IT industry" in the subject complaining about H1-B visas. The body of the post then referred to the IT workers (not the industry). If the subject had said IT workers I definitely would have agreed. I responded to that post thinking industry referred to the corporations. I'm in IT myself and I know damn sure that the IT industry as a whole is outsourcing jobs. The It workers obviously are not in support of that. My apologies to you and the other 2 people I responded to.

[high density]

22. The IT departments don't often make the choice of offshoring themselves

But go ahead with that mindfuck of an argument if it makes you happy.

[OhioChick]

24. Thanks for adding some common sense. n/t

[LSK]

36. are you trying to tell us that programmers WANT their jobs sent overseas???

:wtf:

[Azlady]

17. I see -

the "IT Inudstry" as the "workers" for the "corporations ie..the employers". It is not the IT Industry "worker" that has THEIR job either filled by a H1-B Visa worker Nor outsource THEIR jobs overseas.

It is the "Corporations and/or Employers) that hire the cheaper paid H1-B's and do the outsourcing of the IT INDUSTRY WORKERS JOBS.


Azlady

[Uzybone]

21. Then say IT workers, not IT industry

an IT industry consists of all the branches of IT (workers, management, suppliers etc.). To say industry means workers only is ridiculous.

[ChromeFoundry]

27. Which all fall under the CEO or CFO

that is the level where the decision is made. Those are not IT Industry jobs. CIO and CTO are not even considered a part of the IT Industry.

[PeaceNikki]

57. Thank you!

[tkmorris]

31. IT professionals don't outsource their jobs

It's execs higher in the company that do that. BTW, those same execs are the ones who want to see more H1B's, while the IT people who work for them are against them. They know it puts downward pressure on their salaries, and may even mean losing their jobs.

[rockymountaindem]

25. Issues like this are more important than most people realize

It's a shame nobody seems to care outside those directly effected. Napolitano's stance on H1-Bs does not impress me.

[OhioChick]

28. It is sad.

I've been struggling to hang onto my job (with many pay cuts) for years now. I put a lot of blood, sweat, tears and money (student loans)into my career. Should I lose my job, I'll lose everything and my kids will go hungry. This issue is enormous to me.

[DesertRat]

14. And our new gov. never even attended college

We are screwed. :(

[WI_DEM]

33. Harry Truman never attended college either, but it sounds like your new governor has a extreme right

agenda that's what is frightening not a lack of a college education. I know many college graduates who are dumber than molasses and a lot of non-college grads who have good sense (and I'm a college grad!).

[saracat]

47. With many folks a diploma makes not a whit of difference but Brewer is particularly stupid and

she will be making decisions on higher education based on something she doesn't understand. One of her cronies in the state leg, who has only graduated from air conditioning school is lobbying for prerequisite basic academics to not be required in our state universities as they "cost too much" and "why does a Math major need English courses?" I am serious.
This is a very scary situation.

[ccharles000]

18. Hugs

you could move here in NC we have not had a repub gov in many years and we have a new dem senator.

[ruggerson]

19. There's this little thing called Roe V Wade

which would prevent them from "repealing abortion rights."

They can nibble around the edges with parental notification and late term bills, but they can't outlaw abortion.

[saracat]

30. They came really close with some bills Napolitano vetoed.

They will make it next to impossible.And if it is still legal but impossible to get, what difference does it make?

[TheKentuckian]

29. Its probably either super craps in Arizona

Like Napolitano wouldn't be of much effect as a firewall by hanging a couple of years or they feel you guys will turn the Republicans out in and trend blue either way.

I'd advise firing up Operation: Blame Brewer!!! ASAP.

[jillan]

35. I guess it's time for me to start watching local news again.

Az DUers really need to work together during the next 2 years.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[saracat]

44. Sorry but this causes real problems for my state. Perhaps it is nothing to you but it is everything

Our every day lives are far more impacted by local politicians than anything on the national scene and this causes us big trouble and it isn't the fault of the rank and file Dems who have worked really hard, and had brought AZ to a point that it was almost blue. All our efforts are about to be washed away.Sorry that we can't celebrate and I am such a "Debbie Downer" Perhaps if I ignore it it will go away!.:sarcasm:

[Name removed]

52. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[CTyankee]

45. I think we have to be sensitive to the awful situation in AZ. I'm kinda sorry that Obama

tapped her for DHS. Altho I love having her in his administration, the problems AZ will have are pretty bad. I hate to see a red state just get redder...

[saracat]

46. Thank you.

[CTyankee]

48. I feel just terrible for you. I know you were on this board warning about what

would happen in AZ if Janet went to DHS. Talk about a bad situation!

What are some of the strategies/ideas progressives in AZ are doing in response to the situation?

[saracat]

50. There doesn't seem to be much of anything they CAN do. It is going to be very difficult to field

qualified new candidates next time around due to the terrible way candidates were treated this cycle and Clean Elections, under which most Dem state wide candidates run, is under attack by the leg Since the GOP would like to get rid of Clean Elections as it allows publiclly funded candidates who are not indepted to lobbyists to run for state office.

We were actually poised to win the leg and maybe the Senate till prop 102, which was our version of prop 8, but it was an amedment to the constitution of Az stipulating that marriage is between one woman and one man, was put on the ballot. Our State party did little to stop it and did nothing to campaign against it though we defeated a similar measure previously.

Unless we get new state party leadership that acknowledges the enormity of our problem, and none is surfacing, I don't know what can be done.I suppose it is always possible Janet won't be confirmed as there are some issues some folks are going to raise.

[jillan]

54. This is a pretty bad deal for us, BG.

[BeyondGeography]

58. I know, but you were going to have to defeat them in 2010 anyway

and watching the far Right overplay their hand for 18 months might actually put you in a better position to do that than if Janet had held the fort for the rest of her term.

[saracat]

59. Not really. Those are the talking points the State party is using but

we have been down this road before. This isn't the first time all branches will be GOP dominated. We had a chance this year.Mccain wasn't popular and the RW were going to stay home till prop 102 gave them a reason to vote.Then they just voted R and our folks just voted top of the ticket. That was how the new registered Dems voted and how we lost safe Dem leg seats and almost all the county seats.
Plus we decided that targeting was a better idea than GOTV. There was NO GOTV effort but we are now sitting on millions.

The GOP had no money were fractured and we were rich and united and still they beat us, because their folks vote down ticket.And their ideology trumps the issues.The Dem turnout was lousy as well because they were overconfident as well. Many Dems actually said, that they "knew" we were going to win so why bother?

[BeyondGeography]

60. What does all that have to do with your chances in 2010?

You elected a Democratic governor before, you can do it again.

[saracat]

61. You just don't "get it". Whatever.

[BeyondGeography]

63. OK, AZ is forever red because Janet Napolitano's term was cut short by 18 months

or so (taking into account the time it will take for her to be confirmed) and everyone on our side should just get their white flags out because Obama has fucked up your state for good.

Makes sense.

[saracat]

65. No. But the damage inflicted will not be reversible for years to come.

And no one is more aware of this than our Governor. And it will be considerably more difficult to go after an incumbent as well as more difficult to field decent candidates for not only the leg but other positions as well. BTW, it has been indicated by the Obama transition team that they expect all cabinet level position to be confirmed shortly after the Inauguration.

As they have been on track with the transition process in a timely fashion thus far, I believe that to be true.

[jillan]

68. If Janet's replacement was a moderate it wouldn't be so bad.

But she is one of those wacko types. She'll cut education. She wants to make abortion illegal.
And she doesn't believe in global warming.

Maybe in the end it will make the Az Dems stronger. But in the meantime . . .

[leftofthedial]

39. but wait! I though Obama was a geeeeee-nius...

and all his picks had three or four angles and combinations off the rail to ensure a brighter tomorrow.

[Jennicut]

40. Why no LT. Gov in AZ, just wondering? Most states have them. What a bummer.

Our lovely Repub Governor got busted for backroom deals and got kicked out and we got a pretty good but still Repub gov. in CT, Jodi Rell who was our LT Gov. She would be considered a Dem in most red states. I wish we had a Dem but she is not too bad. That sucks about AZ but I think Janet was going to be in Obama's cabinet since the moment she endorsed him if he won.

[kiranon]

42. If this is true, then this is not a good appointment at all.

Janet may be super but there are other people who can do the job as well. It sounds like she is definitely needed in Arizona.

[demo dutch]

53. that's just bad!, why did Obama take her from AZ

[saracat]

55. I don't think it is so much why he "took" her as why is she going?

We had one state senator propose the idea that Janet ask that he appoint an "intermin" Homeland Security Sec.till she completes her job. I wish she had asked.

[gmoney]

56. Agreed... why pull good democrats out of good positions?

Brilliant 50 state strategery on our part yet again... "Let's spend millions getting her elected, then pull her out!"

[dbackjon]

62. I am still burning pissed at Janet

You betrayed us

[SoCalDem]

67. Could she have run again? would she have?

If she planned to only serve her term, you would have had a new one anyway..Maybe janet's pulling strings behind the scenes to help get a dem elected in '10:)

I had hopes that Obama would choose her for VP..she'd have 8 years as VP under her belt in '16, and only be 58...

We're going to have the same problem the repubes had, if Obama gets 2 terms.. Biden will be too old, Hillary will probably be considered to be too old too..

[saracat]

69. She was likely to run against Mccain as she was term limited is 2010

[dbackjon]

71. We are in for two years of hell

And this gives Brewer the leg up in the 2010 Governor's race. Terry Goddard, current Dem AG, will run as well, would have been a shoe-in if Janet stayed.

[SoCalDem]

64. Was she appointed, or elected?

Is her term up in '10?
I hope there's someone in the wings to take her down..

Maybe she won't have time to do that much damage :hug:

[saracat]

66. Jan Brewer was elected as SOS. She will succeed Napolitano as Gov.

She will serve out the remainder of Janet's term and then run for reelection as an incumbent.And that is a lot of time for a RW Leg Senate and Gov to do almost irreversible damage to the laws of this state. It is very difficult to unring the bell. There is a lot at state from guns in schools and bars(they want them) dismantling the public education system(they support that) to putting every possible restriction on abortion( another fav with them)