politics – Page 2

30Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

Vote ‘YES’ on Prop 208: It won’t cost you a penny

By Noor Haghighi The great state of Arizona is notorious for its failure to meet national education standards. As of this year, we sit at 49th place for overall education based on data determining quality and safety. In 2018, Arizonans took to the streets to protest in favor of Red for Ed, a movement that pushed for an increase in state government spending on public education. Since the outcome of Red for Ed was unfortunately of little help, the state still has a long way to go. And now that the elections are coming up in November, Proposition 208 has come into play. A stripped down, digestible version of what the proposition introduces in regards to educational funding in Arizona is as follows: A vote “yes” on the ballot will support increasing the income tax from 4.5% to 8% on incom...

21Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News

On the issues: Pima Governing Board candidates Ethan Orr and Catherine Ripley

By Kyle Kersey With sitting board member Mark Hanna retiring at the end of his term, the election for a seat on Pima Community College’s Board of Governors is a race between former Arizona state legislator Ethan Orr and retired naval officer Catherine Ripley. Background Governing Board members are elected in a non-partisan election, which means that you won’t see a “D” or an “R” next to the candidates’ name on the ballot. However, the two have represented opposite sides of the political spectrum in the past. Orr served as a Republican representative from district 9 in the Arizona state legislature from 2013 through 2015. During his tenure, he said he worked across the aisle to secure $50 million in education funding to the Tucson community, and managed to sneak in $8 million to finish...

17Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

Opinion: The American people are being fed misinformation, half-truths, and outright lies

By Kevin Hartung Today’s political polarization has stolen the knowledge base that eventually leads to our wisdom and without which we cannot make definitive and relevant decisions. We are facing a division in our country that recalls the contentious arguments between the North and South just before the Civil War. It is certainly demoralizing that today’s politicians lack even one courageous voice for saving the union. As Henry Clay, keenly aware of the controversial nature of his proposals, urged his colleagues “to beware, to pause, to reflect before they lend themselves to any purposes which shall destroy that Union.” Or as Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts declared: “I wish to speak today, not as a Massachusetts man, nor as a Northern man, but as an American . . . I speak today...

Opinion: Trump and Biden debate, America dumber for it

14Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

Opinion: Trump and Biden debate, America dumber for it

Photos by Gage Skidmore By Dalton Grijalva Leading up to this debate between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Republican President Donald Trump, the two parties have never been more divided, at least not in modern times. At a time when we are experiencing a global pandemic and city-wide rioting, red vs blue is the understatement of the century. This wasn’t a debate: it was a shouting match between two old men. It begs the question: why exactly do we let people who are going to die soon make the decisions for our nation? What was in a lot of talking points was how Biden would handle Trump in the debate. Trump has attacked Biden for his incoherent sentences, often mocking his cognitive ability and giving him the demeaning nickname ‘Sleepy Joe.’ In turn, Biden called him a clown, which I a...

8Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News

Arizona’s Minimum Wage set to Increase

Photo by Gage Skidmore By Kyler Van Vliet At the start of 2021, Arizona’s minimum-wage will rise to $12.15 an hour, a jump of 15 cents from the current minimum wage of $12.00 an hour. The rise in pay is due to a 1.3% increase in the cost of living over the past 12 months through August, as reported by the Arizona Republic. The Industrial Commission of Arizona oversees the state’s minimum-wage and announced the uptick earlier in September. Arizona already has one of the highest minimum-wages in the nation after passing the Fair Wages and Healthy Families Initiative in 2016. With increase in pay, Arizona will be tied with Maine for the ninth-highest minimum-wage in the country. As for Flagstaff, their minimum-wage will increase from $13 an hour to $15 in January. Some workers and bus...

6Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News

McSally and Kelly discuss climate change, public land management in online forums

Photo by Gage Skidmore By Joe Giddens Posted with permission from Tucson Weekly. Original story can be found at: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2020/10/05/mcsally-and-kelly-discuss-climate-change-public-land-management-in-online-forums?fbclid=IwAR3tttQkKYOkpQ74hz8e_t5SXFA1FeJNx9NW8UyeYiso5QeP_04uXXfosJM Senate candidates Martha McSally and Mark Kelly laid out their visions of public land management for Arizona on Friday in two separate online forums hosted by the Arizona Trail Association. The online forums took place ahead of their only scheduled debate on Tuesday and today’s voter registration deadline (which has since been extended to October 23). Climate change starkly contrasted the candidates. McSally continued her rhetoric of qualifying the scientific consensus th...

5Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Arts & Entertainment, Features

Q&A with ‘Vote Here’ filmmaker Steve Waxman

By Joe Giddens This Q&A was originally made for a Tucson Weekly Story available here: https://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2020/10/02/tucson-filmmakers-highlight-the-history-of-voting-in-new-documentary Filmmaker Steve Waxman has released his new documentary, "Vote Here", to inspire voter turnout this year and provide some historical insights into political movements wanting to engage the youth vote. What was the inspiration for this project? I just felt that voting is the essence of democracy and I've always been big on voting. I felt that this country, if it had a little bit more of a civic background on the evolution of voting, might understand the sacrifices other people made and realize that the more people who participate, the more people who decide. What was the p...

5Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

Opinion

Op-Ed: PCC Board of Governors Candidate Catherine Ripley

By Catherine Ripley, Pima Community College Governing Board candidate My training as an officer in the U.S. Navy and as a U.S. diplomat demanded that I learn each position from the bottom up so I could better lead from top down. On a ship, the sailor turning a wrench in the boiler room is as critical as the captain steering the ship up top. With one mistake, either could imperil the vessel. So the captain must know every inch of that ship and every sailor running it. That’s how I’ve approached my candidacy for the Pima Community College Governing Board. I’m seeking this position because, as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science for the past five years, I’ve come to appreciate just how valuable this institution is to our community. But I also believe that my unique expertise can help ...

Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke to host town hall in Main Gate

2Oct

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News

Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke to host town hall in Main Gate

By JOE GIDDENS Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke is arriving in the Old Pubelo this weekend to campaign. O’Rourke will be at Gentle Ben's Brewing at at 865 E. University Blvd in Main Gate Square. The event runs from 3 to 5 p.m. O'Rourke has been struggling to rise above single digits in his polls as the next presidential debate takes place on Tuesday October 15. To rsvp: https://act.betoorourke.com/event/beto-events/33763/?source=facebook-20191006-tuscon-az&fbclid=IwAR32h28jwoPF9EfJZlv5OwpSBsXUzItK6zNbLehsdsTCjBtiPA6EdWn694w

1Nov

By Pima Post Editorial TeamNo Comments

News

Propping up Arizona

By PARKER BROCK The propositions that will be on the ballot will be proposing new laws, and amendments to the state constitution will have lasting effects on the state’s economy and revenue generation. The general election, which will take place Nov. 6, will have five propositions. Here’s a guide most of the propositions to make an informed decision on which proposition to vote for. Proposition 305 This would initiate state Senate Bill 1431, which passed in 2017 and would increase the amount of recipients eligible to receive an empowerment scholarship account. This voucher system would affect predominantly low-income students from kindergarten through Grade 12. The account would allow for spending toward “tuition, textbooks, educational therapies, tutoring, or other qualified...