Comments on: Collaboration is key strength for southern Arizona lawmakers

By: Ted Downing

Ted Downing — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:32:52 +0000

The authors are nice people and very good Democrats. With all due respect, however their premise might be wrong. Is partisanship really an ideological or a epidemic problem? If that is the diagnosis, then do we get very far by both sides calling the other “sick”? And will more emails, letters and phone calls break either the state (or national) gridlock. They know, as do others who were or are now in office that most often pounds of communication does not a vote change.

My bet is that we are dealing with a sociological problem of group-think, where the penalties for breaking party lines are serious. And extremes are rewarded with reelection.

Not a single independent has yet been elected to the Arizona legislature since statehood. And now independents outnumber Democrats who have been losing market share since 1940! Don’t gloat, Republicans, you have been losing market share since 1985 and will soon be in second place.

It may be time for more basic, structural reforms in how people get into office in the first place. Californians and Washington State voters have shifted to open primaries, enfranchising all voters to select the top two, who the run in the general election. No longer will a hyperpartisan minority of the voters elect the winner in a primary. Taxpayer funded, party primaries are GONE for all congressional, state and legislative races.

Ted Downing
Recovering politician and independent

By: Eric Marshall

Eric Marshall — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:01:45 +0000

Rep. Lesko wasn’t even in the Legislature when the S. Az team worked for the good of our community!
She knows that the critical, crucial bills and state budget that control our public schools funding, that attack women’s rights, that attack on children and the working poor are where the 2 parties differ.
This opinion article by our former legislators, one of whom worked for a Republican after serving in the Legislature, is so very true! Don’t be fooled by statistics. On critical issues, the Republicans don’t work with the Democrats for the good of the entire state! They take care of their corporate buddies first!

By: Collaboration is key strength for southern Arizona lawmakers – Arizona Capitol Times - Tucson News Up to the Minute - Your Tucson Daily

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:29:43 +0000

[...] Story brought to you by Tucson AZ Business – Bing News [...]

By: State Representative Debbie Lesko

State Representative Debbie Lesko — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 17:36:46 +0000

This opinion article sounds like a campaign hit piece for the 2012 elections.

Republican and Democratic members of the legislature agree on many issues. Two legislative sessions ago, staff told me that 90% of the bills passed and signed by the Governor had bipartisan support. I haven’t analyzed last sessions bills yet, but I imagine the same will be true.

Attacking opinion articles like this one certainly don’t help the cause that the authors seem to support.