Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Budgets and Polls and Judges Oh My!

Busy day today so I'll try and wrap it up with the big stuff.  Basically, it can be summed up that this week is a big one for the Governor.  

A deal must be reached by  Friday for a special November election on a temporary sales tax.  Rumor has it the votes are there and they are just fine tuning the details and working out the last bit of negotiation.  If the far right conservatives are smart, they'll negotiate spending freezes or other permanent measures in exchange for a temporary tax.  Who knows how much longer they'll be in the majority so you might as well get what you can now.

A new poll by the national polling firm Rasmussen is out today.  This is hot on the heals from the Realtor's sponsored poll showing wide support for the temporary tax.  The Rasmussen Poll has a couple of keys questions in it I'm sure the Governor and every Legislator has looked at.  First, the sales tax question came out 57% Yes, 38%, No 5% Not Sure.  Close to the numbers we've been hearing in the first 3 or 4 polls.  Other  questions were job approval by the Gov- 48% approval.  Brewers handling of the budget crisis- 76% Fair or better.  Legislature's handing of the budget crisis- only 55% fair or better.  So tell me again, with all of this cover why are some legislators still so intent on fighting it?  Principles isn't an answer either- remember, these 90 people are politicians.  

Finally, Brewer announced today that Arizona Court of Appeals Judge John Pelander will be the newest Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court.  He's a Tucson attorney and judge first appointed to the AZ Court of Appeals by Governor Fife Symington.

1 comment:

Thane Eichenauer said...

It never hurts to mention that polls are a tool of manipulation. As for the rumor that "the votes are there", that rumor plus a few dollars will buy me a coffee at the corner convenience store.

All the smart far right conservatives will have nothing to do with any deal so as to avoid being contaminated by the machinations that surround it.

Thane Eichenauer
Phoenix, Arizona
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