“If you don’t allow politicians to redeem themselves once they make a mistake, what good are you doing?” — Todd Rathner, a member of the NRA’s board of directors, explaining his organization’s decision to endorse Sen. John McCain over J.D. Hayworth.
Read More »AZ Chamber: Wong’s utility plan a cheap stunt, dangerous
A Republican running for the Arizona Corporation Commission says people here illegally should not have use of utilities like power, gas and phones.
Read More »Special interests seek end run to gut Clean Elections
It’s been a dozen years since Arizona voters passed the landmark Citizens Clean Elections Act, allowing candidates to seek office without depending on corporate brass, labor unions and deep-pocketed special interests. Clean Elections has given community leaders, teachers and small business folk the chance to run for office and govern answerable not to Big Money, but to Arizona’s voters.
Read More »When the slop is in the trough
When the slop is the trough all the pigs will be there. And many were there recently at Tom's Restaurant & Tavern for a panel discussion on renewable energy standards, specifically the 15 percent mandate passed by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Actually, the discussion was more about government subsidies than renewable energy standards; especially with respect to the notion that "everyone knows" these subsidies are needed to promote Arizona's nascent solar industry.
Read More »Power line cost pits lawmakers vs. ACC 
The Arizona Corporation Commission decided three years ago that homebuilders should pay the cost of extending power lines to new houses, but some lawmakers now want to go back to the way things used to be and force utility companies to foot the bill.
Read More »Renewable energy bills could force constitutional showdown 
A pair of bills designed to upend the Arizona Corporation Commission's requirement on renewable energy could force a court battle over whether the Legislature has the power to tinker with the commission's decisions.
Read More »Kirkpatrick raises concerns about renewable energy’s cost to rural Arizona residents
Duncan Mayor M.C. Holiday has nothing against renewable energy. But as the state and federal governments look toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he hopes officials will keep in mind that his remote town has a high unemployment rate and many residents on fixed incomes.
Read More »Some agencies avoid submitting reduction reports 
When drafting reports to show the impact of 15 percent cuts to their budgets, some state agencies described how their services would be gutted. Some simply explained why such cuts aren't feasible. And others, such as the Governor's Office, which ordered the reports, don't seem to know where to even make the cuts.
Read More »Funding shortage plagues Corp Comm; Tucson office to close 
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted on Oct. 5 to close a division office in southern Arizona as it grapples with funding woes resulting from the governor's budget veto and from legislative inaction to fix the problem. That office processes the papers of businesses that want to form new corporations in the state.
Read More »Judge recommends Flagstaff’s silent train plan
FLAGSTAFF - An administrative judge recommended Sept. 22 that Flagstaff be allowed to proceed with a plan to prevent train engineers from blasting their horns in town. The Arizona Corporation Commission, which stepped in earlier this year to say the city needed its approval, tentatively is scheduled to consider the recommendation at its Oct. 8 meeting.
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