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

Tucson – like Dallas before it, and Columbine, and Virginia Tech, and … the list is as endless as the tears those names evoke – has become more than just the site of senseless slaughter. It has become a rallying cry, a cause. In the weeks since the Jan. 8 mass shooting, many politicians and other well-intentioned people have seized upon Tucson to teach the entire population of the United States the lesson that the tone of our political discourse must moderate.

The toxic substance is widely available in smoke shops and liquor stores, as well as in wide supply on the Internet, advertised as “state legal.” Along with that description, companies promoting Spice should add “unsafe” and “potentially lethal” on the packaging.

I don't understand how people who profess to represent me just decide to kick me in the teeth and watch me bleed? Sending a request to the President asking to waive the requirement for States to maintain eligibility for public health benefits is doing just that to me, and others like me.

Last month, the Mecklenburg County (N.C.) Board of Commissioners awarded SPX Corp. a $3.1 million grant over five years to build a 230,000 square-foot office building in Charlotte and purchase two new aircrafts.

The shrill sound of too much of what passes for current national political discussion is a wake-up call to all Americans that the harshness of our political rhetoric has reached potentially dangerous levels.

As the Legislature faces the unenviable task of tackling our economic and budget crisis, the League of Arizona Cities and Towns remains committed to being a positive partner with Gov. Jan Brewer and state lawmakers to move Arizona forward.

We don't yet know what role, if any, the actions of the Legislature played in what happened on Saturday. But if ever there was a time to re-examine the cliff we are headed toward, this tragedy certainly provides it. (Laurie Roberts/The Arizona Republic)

In an interview last March, Giffords anticipated almost everything being said now and explained why what happened on Saturday is a violation of our national self-image as "a beacon." Our pride, she said, is that "we effect change at the ballot box" and not through "outbursts of violence." (E.J Dionne Jr./The Washington Post)

The Obama administration is contemplating major reductions in the Defense Department budget to help cut into the huge deficits incurred by the president and his Washington cronies. They plan on reducing our conventional military forces, and increase special operations units to combat the terrorist threats around the world.

Amid all the dark budget news in Arizona, the recently launched state budget transparency website provides taxpayers with a ray of light. This new website — Arizona OpenBooks (http://openbooks.az.gov) — while far from perfect, should bring transparency and greater accountability to future state budgets.