Wake-Up Call: Monday, July 21, 2008

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Effort under way to recall Phoenix mayor

PHOENIX - It's a political oddity: A TV commercial extolling the public safety record of a sitting mayor, except the spot isn't explicitly soliciting votes and the politician isn't scheduled to appear on this year's ballot. (Tucson Citizen, AP)

Link: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/arizona/91449.php

Competing polls in AZ-8

A Democratic polling firm has U.S. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Tucson) beating her 8th Congressional District challenger state Sen. Pres. Tim Bee (R-Tucson) by 25 points. A Bee internal poll only has her up by seven, and under the 50 percent threshold. With no third opinion, the truth remains elusive. (PolitickerAZ.com, Evan Brown)

Link: http://www.politickeraz.com/evanbrown/1722/competing-polls-az-8

Energy issues likely to be on voters' minds

Come Nov. 4, people who pay $4 a gallon or more for gas on the way to the polls will likely be thinking of energy issues while in the voting booth.

Many Arizonans will have paid costly bills for summer air-conditioning. Voters in cooler regions will be dreading their natural-gas or heating-oil bills for the winter. (Arizona Republic, Ryan Randazzo)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/21/20080721elex-energy072...

Affirmative action still imperative, rights activist says

Shanta Driver is the national chairwoman of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN).

BAMN formed in California in 1995 to stop Ward Connerly's attack on affirmative action as a University of California regent and then his campaign for Proposition 209 the following year. (Arizona Republic, Staff)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/21/20080721aztalk-newsmak...

Supervisor candidates compete to be greenest

Calling for sustainable development, job growth and more renewable energy, businessman Terrence Milligan is challenging Supervisor Carl Taylor for one of the top five elected jobs in Coconino County. (Daily Sun, Cyndy Cole)

Link: http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/07/20/news/local/20080720_local_...

400 more poll workers needed for primary, general elections

Pima County still needs 400 poll workers to help run the Sept. 2 primary election and the Nov. 4 general election.

Poll workers must be registered to vote in Pima County and are paid at least $140 per election.

The county provides training for poll workers. (Daily Star, Staff)

Link: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/249123.php

Bad time to raise legislators' pay, but tax hike OK

The Arizona economy is rough, there's no question. Home values are down. The cost of gas and food is up.

So, Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano rationalized last week that this is no time for a $6,000 pay bump for state legislators. The proposal, being put to voters on the November ballot, would increase legislative salaries to $30,000, plus per diem. (Arizona Republic, Matthew Benson)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/20/20080720insider0720.ht...

Goodyear catches council-election fever

The City Council race is starting to take shape, even though Goodyear's primary election isn't until March.

It's still too early for candidates to put their names on the ballot, but Councilwoman Georgia Lord has filed the paperwork to start raising money, while former budget manager Joe Pizzillo has established an exploratory committee. (Arizona Republic, Elias Arnold)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/19/20080719swv-candidates...

Bush raises money for Bee, plugs McCain, gives out award

State Senate President Tim Bee hosted President Bush's fundraiser Friday but Sen. John McCain, symbolically, shared the stage.

Bush came to Tucson to raise money for Bee's Republican congressional challenge to U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and had the larger picture for the fall on his mind. (Tuscon Citizen, Blake Morlock)

Link:  http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/arizona/91389.php

Cajero Bedford has political kin

Olivia Cajero Bedford is following a longstanding family tradition in seeking re-election to the state House in District 27 - both of her parents served the district before her.

"They instilled in me the importance of public service," she said. (Tucson Citizen, B. Poole)

Link: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/arizona/91386.php

Lopes says he helps S. Az get fair share

State Rep. Phil Lopes isn't offering promises in his campaign for re-election in state House District 27, he's offering evidence.

The district needs the minority leader back because he has a record of getting the job done, he said, citing as a key achievement his role in negotiating a Democratic budget's way through the GOP-controlled chamber, he said. (Tuscon Citizen, B. Poole)

Link: http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/arizona/91384.php

Political Notebook by Daniel Scarpinato : Bush buoys Bee but frets about YouTube

So sensitive were Republicans about information getting out about the goings-on at the Tucson fundraiser hosted by President Bush Friday morning, even W. himself made sure to ask the 400 or so people at the event to turn off any recording devices.

"I don't know a lot about technology," the president said, according to one insider, "but I do know about YouTube." (Daily Star, Daniel Scarpinato)

Link:  http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/politics/249009.php

State education's racial gap widening

The achievement gap between Arizona's African-American and White students has stagnated and even widened in recent years, a new study shows.

The percentage of African-American kids passing Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards is at a near standstill, and in some cases the students are actually losing ground, according to a study by the Center on Education Policy. The study looked at test scores and passing rates between 2005 and 2007. Here's a sample of what the study found in Arizona. (Arizona Republic, Pat Kossan)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/19/20080719gap0721.html

Mine deal, delayed by Renzi scandal, resumes

WASHINGTON - Resolution Copper Mining Co. has hired two Phoenix-based lobbying firms to boost its efforts to win support in Arizona and persuade Congress to pass land-exchange legislation essential to its plan to mine a massive copper find deep underground near Superior. (Arizona Republic, Jerry Kammer)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/19/20080719copper0718.htm...

Mayor proposes slots at airport

Down on its luck and looking for a big score, Phoenix might try to bring slot machines to Sky Harbor International Airport.

Mayor Phil Gordon is floating the idea as a way to boost revenue for Phoenix and the state, which are in the midst of a brutal budget year. Gordon envisions allowing one or more Native American tribes to operate slot machines at the airport, sharing their revenues with Phoenix and the state. (Arizona Republic, Casey Newton)

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/19/20080719casino0719.htm...

Kromko eyeing return to office

John Kromko is running for state representative to get more political influence - which might be tough since few in Arizona politics have had more of the stuff in the past 30 years.

The former state legislator and chairman of the Pima County Democratic Party hopes to unseat one of two incumbents in District 27. The district stretches from midtown and the South Side west to Three Points. (Tucson Citizen, B. Poole)

Link:  http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/local/91387.php

With the PolitickerAZ.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Arizona's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.