Senate President Andy Biggs must be trolling for attention from the national media. He must miss the days when Jon Stewart called Arizona “the meth lab of democracy” and showed TUSD Board member Michael Hicks warning us about the use of burritos as a propaganda tool by the Mexican American Studies program. Seems like Biggs is looking for a little love—or at least some attention—from new Daily Show host Trevor Noah.
How else can you explain Biggs elevating State Senator Sylvia Allen to the position of chair of the Senate Education Committee to replace Kelli Ward who’s off fighting McCain for his senate seat? Can you think of a better subject for national hilarity? She declared that the earth is 6,000 years old, and when another Republican senator tried to shush her, she repeated it. She believes the government is poisoning us with chem-trails from airplanes (Quote from her Facebook page: “I have watched the chem-trails move out until the entire sky is covered with flimsy, thin cloud cover. It is not the regular exhaust coming from the plane it is something they are spraying. It is there in plain sight. What is it they are leaving behind that covers the sky?”). She said it would be great if going to church were mandatory, though to be fair, she used this as an example of something she’d like to see, not something she was proposing as law. And her high school diploma is the end of her formal education.
The story writes itself, doesn’t it? The only problem will be coming up with a punchline strong enough to top the facts. But I trust the Daily Show writers and the writers on late night talk shows to rise to the challenge.
Allow me a moment to remove tongue from cheek. There, done.
I’m asking these two questions in complete seriousness. Will Allen do any more damage as Education Committee chair than the garden variety conservative Republican senator? And is there a chance she might be an occasional breath of fresh air beyond the comic relief she’ll afford?
Time will tell, but I don’t know how Allen’s position as education committee chair will lead to worse legislation than would come out of the senate with any other Republican in that seat. She’ll push bills she likes through committee and block those she doesn’t like, just like any other chair. In most cases, she won’t make significantly different decisions than her predecessor Kelli Ward. And I doubt she’ll have much influence on the actual voting on the senate floor. If I’m right about this, the end result will be the same pro-privatization, anti-“government schools” legislation which has been the norm in our Republican-majority legislature, and the same school-starving budget decisions.
However, one thing might be different. Allen is not one to walk in perfect lockstep with the Republican leadership when she disagrees with them. Call her a loose cannon, call her someone with the courage of her convictions, she has been known to leave the fold when it suits her. She just might say things from her lofty perch at the head of the ed committee that embarrass the Republican establishment from Ducey on down—maybe even speak truth to power now and then. And as Sen. Steve Farley, a Democrat, says, Allen is willing to talk with people from both sides of the aisle. So who knows? The Democrats on the education committee might be granted a wee bit of consideration once in awhile. A few of their suggestions could even work their way into education legislation which would never see the light of day under a chair who blindly followed Biggs’ party line.
This article appears in Dec 17-23, 2015.
Nut job.
This happens when you lose elections. Hopefully 2016 will bring some more.
Sigh.
The Democrats that control Pima County ans Tucson want to raise excise, sales and fuel taxes for everything that they can think of. TUSD wants to raise taxes to spend on educating illegals, pay for ever more consultants and administrators and for more failing schools. Safier is their collaborator as is the Arizona Daily rag. The population doesn’t grow because retirees are dying to leave and the Obama economy only creates poor paying and second rate part time jobs. Keep raising taxes and watch more leave for Texas and elsewhere, leaving only a developers wasteland!
Not only that Joe, TUSD has asked the public to help them make a list of buildings that are in disrepair. Once the list is finished those folks will be asked to go out and beg, I mean support the next bond election, because TUSD is not going to spend budget money on buildings, like all other public, private and charter schools do. They want additional funding for maintenance so they can keep admin staffs bloated.
Don’t fall for it Tucson. How many times must you be fooled?
Charter schools are newer and have been built with taxpayer monies. Yet they are privately owned. We also pay them to educate children at a higher rate than we give public schools, but their diversity is not measured, nor is the quality of their teaching. The public school buildings were built in the 50s and 60s and need serious refurbishment and cutting admin fat is not going to be enough. It would be better for the state to really provide a steady budget so the kids can have the teaching and facilities they need. If you have not been inside a school since you were a student, you are probably welcome to visit and get a tour. It’s an eye opener.
Correctly stated the public schools here terminated janitors, stopped ongoing maintenance and moved that money 20-30 years ago. Just like the shop classes that were shut down and equipment was sold off. Some high schools even “sell” parking spaces to students.
Why not use the revenue from sales of closed school facilities to maintain those that will truly exist in the next 20 – 40 years? Or were the voters convinced to vote that down.
Charter schools are given access to federal loans for facilities. They could not possibly purchase or establish a facility with tuition reimbursement only.
Likewise public schools do not disclose where the profits from the federal food subsidy program wind up.
Ahem. After the first three comments, the rest of them have nothing to do with my post about Sylvia Allen. If you have nothing to say about what I wrote, wait for another post to comment. If you have something to say, positive or negative, say it. Please don’t hijack the comments section for your own personal agendas.
A few people have been complaining about the fact that I’ve had some comments removed. The reason isn’t because the commenters disagree with me. You’ll find plenty of those I haven’t touched. It’s because the comments went way off topic, which tends to put an end to discussions about the post itself. And commenting about the topic of the post is the reason there’s a comments section at the end of the post.
I don’t think anybody wants to read 23 comments that say “nut job.” There is much more to talk about than that. Thank you for your efforts.
TUSD has a budget from the state for facilities , they have used it everywhere but on the buildings. As for Allen a fresh mind might do well. We need someone that will look at TUSD without blinders . Farley is a joke he wont listen to anyone but Grijalva about TUSD, I have tried to call him about many issues , he wont even return calls. I hope Allen brings 1371 back , even Judge Bury doesn’t think TUSD is spending desegregation money correctly. There is a push in the legislature right now for a complete audit of TUSD, Farley is fighting it , says a lot about him. Just like Grijalva and Sanchez what does Farley have to hide . There is an issue involving TUSD and Farley under investigation by the AG right now. It would be wise for Allen to crack down on TUSD as soon as possible. If she can do that she would have many people in Tucson trusting the legislative leadership again.
Sorry David, but when you start an article referencing Trevor Noah of the Daily Show, ratings in the toilet, I think the appropriate response is, “Sigh”.
Good to see that Comrade Safier is here to moderate his forum to ensure the narrative is not questioned or ridiculed.
Are there any “good” Republicans, David? I thought it was supposed to be all about the children, right?
Oh, dear, the earth is flat once again……hope she paddles to the edge & …….
Conflict of Interest? Senator Allen’s connection with charter schools like the George Washington Academy she helped found in Snowflake requires questions and answers. She is listed as the “Administrative Program Manager” for the charter school. What is the pay and what are the duties and responsibilities? Especially in Arizona where private prisons and privately owned charter schools reach into the what appears to be tight control of the legislative power structure. As Chair of the Senate Education Committee and committed to a charter school management position will public district schools receive much in the way of “fair hearings and treatment” from Senator Allen?
So taking the high ground requires that you mock her religious beliefs, at Christmas? Nice touch. You might do better if you let commenters stray from your hatred.
Senator Allen’s Mormon Faith should have no place in the discussion, however her public remarks and actions deserve review.
An example: During her tenure as a county supervisor, Allen attempted to interfere with an internal investigation into the conduct of her son-in-law, a detention officer, with female inmates in the Navajo County jail, where he worked. K.C. Clark, the Navajo County Sheriff, threatened to arrest her if she continued to interfere. In March 2015, Allen filed a senate bill that would provide detention officers, like her son-in-law, with greater protections from disciplinary investigations.
Right out of the loony bin, Safier laughs at chem-trails but is all in with Made In America by White Guys Global Warming and that Obama literally saved the earth.
So if I am reading this correctly, Senator Allen is someone who subscribes to outlandish religious beliefs and conspiracy theories but whose elevation to chair of the state education committee might be a benefit, all things considered. ( I suppose even a loose cannon takes out a rotten mast or two saving the crew hours of heavy labor). Safier continues a fine tradition of “ready, fire, aim” by denigrating and ridiculing a new office holder while leaving the door open for that person to actually do good work despite her odd beliefs. See, you actually can have it both ways.
“Courage of her convictions?” We ain’t exactly talkin’ ’bout William F. Buckley here! The woman evinces a degree of ignorance that would get her an ‘F’ in any classroom not run by the right-wing Taliban. She’s unqualified for the job.
As an outsider living in a more moderate red state northeast of your fine state, some of the things I read about re: Az are downright frightening–in reference to its politics that is. Hope I am not getting off topic here, but when I read about another “nut-job” “luney tunes” senator from AZ–this one now heading up the education committee in the state Senate—I do question whether I (as an elementary teacher with about 15 years of experience in public schools) would ever want to or be able to teach in AZ. Yet, this scenario may indeed be an opportunity (should I even call it that) when my husband retires and I semi-retire from teaching in my state. We have property in Tucson and plan to make our way there eventually. I will still be young enough to teach and not old enough to actually live off of any pension I have acquired in my current state. The question is: can I even begin to imagine what it would be like to teach at TUSD if I decided to accept a position? Maybe we just need to retire in TX instead. Could the state of George Bush, Tom Delay and Ted Cruz actually be better?
In this season of peace on earth and good will to humans, I appreciate David’s hopeful feeling for the next legislature and the education world of AZ. I wish I shared his hopeful feeling but the activities of Sen. Allen in Navajo County bode ill for anything better than personal politics. I doubt her ability to see the big picture for all of AZ’s children. Her religion has nothing to do with this statement.
Mr. Safier is correct: Republicans have decimated, and continue to decimate, Public Education on Arizona. And……. As usual, thoughtless, worthless comments from “Old Pueblo Veteran and “What Again” (racist) “; who in their cowardly ways, hide behind the anonymity of their post. “Gentleman” try to develop the courage to openly express your opinions!! We are a Democracy and your comments, openly expressed, are protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Merry Christmas to you too Francis Saitta.
“She declared that the earth is 6,000 years old, and when another Republican senator tried to shush her, she repeated it.”
David, could your sources be lying to you?
Citing incomplete quotes, and statement she never made, the collective assault on Allen struck many as more of an assault on Christianity and rural Arizona than on the senator herself.
Included in almost all of the assaults what a reference to a statement she supposedly said about the Earth being a mere 6000 years old. Now had she made that statement, some who do not believe in the creationist theory, might have cause for concern. However, she was referring to the number of years history has been recorded and not the history of the stone upon which we all live.
Unfortunately when you are committed to destroying a woman, the only thing a thug cares about the quality of the stone they are hurling at their victim, is its weight.
https://arizonadailyindependent.com/2016/01/02/sen-sylvia-allen-not-surprised-by-the-attacks/
I expected better out of you David.