Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business

In the Feb. 5 edition of the Arizona Capitol Times, the story headlined "Married parents would get preference in Adoptions" stated that H2148 would prohibit the Arizona Department of Economic Security from "approving an adoption by a single adult unless no qualified married couple was available."

It was a bit of surprise to see that a has-been like me was mentioned in an article in the Arizona Capitol Times (‘I hate this bill and I vote aye', January 25, 2010). I guess there must be very little happening at the Legislature.

If anyone doubts the state's troubled economy is clobbering Arizona's cities and towns, they only have to look in the newspaper. "Phoenix details plan for drastic cutbacks;" "Cities, towns resort to layoffs;" "Falling revenues affect city of Prescott operations."

In the face of a crippling national recession that has driven down state revenues by historic proportions, Arizona is not alone in facing stark choices about priorities for our present and our future.

Lt. Meredith Doran peers at her computer monitor at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson and sees the pain of Haiti.

Just think about what conservatives have accomplished in 2010. Not in my wildest dreams could I have thought that a fiscally conservative candidate could be Massachusetts' newest senator.

As Robert Merry notes in his book "A Country of Vast Designs," President Andrew Jackson wrote in an 1832 veto letter, "In the full enjoyment of ... the fruits of superior industry, economy, and virtue, every man is equally entitled to protection by law; but when the laws undertake to add to these natural and just advantages artificial distinctions ... and exclusive privileges, to make the rich richer and the potent more powerful, the humble members of society... have a right to complaining of the injustice of their Government."

Political consultant Chuck Coughlin was recently recognized in an issue for having some "juice." But what accompanied the kudos was a snide, anonymous comment that his achievement was "accidental." The quote offered other gratuitous criticism too.

Experience has taught me there is little to gain with simple, direct personal appeals to most of my representatives, past governors and state agencies. Thank God there are a few exceptions - but very few.

The safety and security of the United States will depend on how well we as a nation address the challenges of climate change.