My View

By Don Sorchych | May 20, 2009



Don Sorchych
Gov. Brewer a RINO? • More Republican solidarity?


There were cheers of jubilation by Republicans when the empress of Democrats and RINOs trundled off to screw up Homeland Security. Janet Napolitano, after showing her stupidity in a few months, is angling for a Supreme Court appointment.

That is another story, and one we will follow.

But the ascendant to governor by Secretary of State Jan Brewer is vexing. How could anyone who calls herself a Republican continue to try and justify a tax increase?

It won’t wash.

Past governors, especially Napolitano, have left a legacy of a bloated bureaucracy. Look at the capital phone book sometime, and you will see we are owned by self-interest groups.

It is time for deep cuts in government jobs, including the sacrosanct school system. Return Arizona to the old days of self respect and let the welfare people and their interests go east.
Also there is the old axiom, “To the victors go the spoils.”

Cave Creek has labored intensely with the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) and we know a lot about their history over the past decade. We in Cave Creek are only months away from an incredible expansion of preserved land and a new future commercial center.
Much of these complicated arrangements are due to a competent ASLD Commissioner Mark Winkleman. I received his letter of resignation last week. Whether by accident or whatever, Napolitano hit a home run with his appointment.

I have not talked to Winkleman, but I knew blood was in the water as a Democrat appointee, when Brewer was anointed. I don’t believe for a minute he resigned. He was fired!

Brewer has appointed a number of Republican hacks, including Michael Anable, a former commissioner deeply in the pocket of Dell Webb during the time he served as State Land Commissioner.

I wrote 16 articles from February through August of 2000 about Anable and they weren’t pretty.

While Jane Hull was governor, Cave Creek citizen Dennis Wells was the head of ASLD. It was rumored at the time Wells turned down a huge project planned by Dell Web, now Pulte Homes. Anable had pushed the project and resigned over Well’s decision.

Hull whose direct supporters were Dell Webb, fired Wells and installed Anable as ASLD commissioner.

I interviewed Wells after his firing and all he would say is, “Time will tell.” And did time ever reveal the truth about Anable!

Wells is now the Town Manager of Williams, Arizona and Brewer’s best prospect to become ASLD Commissioner, but I have no way of knowing whether he is even on the radar screen given that Anable is policy advisor to Brewer and inside critic of ASLD.

Does Anable lust for the position of Commissioner of ASLD? Without a doubt he does and he would be an absolute disaster.

In spite of the brilliance and hard work of town hall to bring to fruition the annexation, it was once available – free!

When the town and interested citizens struggled to save Spur Cross Ranch from bulldozers one viable option considered was a land trade with the forest service.

A forest service parcel near Bartlett Lake was to be traded for the 2,200 acre Spur Cross Ranch. The developer was amenable.

Wells went further and added about 5,000 acres of state land in and near Cave Creek and Spur Cross Ranch. All of the preserved land would be traded somewhere in the nation value for value.

John McCain was a conditional supporter. He said as long as all factions pulled together he was there to help.

Carla in Scottsdale assembled enviros state wide arguing that some poor souls somewhere would be adversely affected by the trade. Desert Foothills Land Trust (DFLT) pulled out and McCain went away.

The deal was dead.

The fact was the plan would not have seriously affected anyone because a major value in the trade was a federal courthouse in Phoenix worth $93 million at the time.

That was Wells, outside the box and ballsy.

Brewer’s actions, so far, are consistent with the Democrats owning Washington and increasing state house occupancies.

Republicans don’t raise taxes, they just don’t. Is she a Republican in Name Only (RINO)?
I am hearing she has a lock on the next election, Republican solidarity and all that. If she continues her RINO behavior, Terry Goddard, will beat her pants off in the next election.
Although RINOs made the difference in the last two elections and seated Jimmy, I mean Janet Napolitano, Brewer would be a fool to count on those votes – RINOs are fickle and conservatives are not.

I can only hope there is a heated primary. The Arizona Republic will go to extremes to defeat the likes of State Senator Russell Pearce, a solid patriot and conservative. Maybe he can garner the support to run.

Taxpayer friend Arizona Director of Americans for Prosperity Tom Jenny is keeping track of Brewer’s subversive activity. He wrote, “Also, Gov. Brewer’s spokespersons and surrogates are appearing at town halls, legislative district meetings, business club meetings and other venues around the state, arguing in favor of the tax-increase proposal. If you are planning to be at a public meeting anytime soon, please print, copy and distribute copies of our latest talking points against the tax hike plan:
http://www.americansforprosperity.com/files/brewertaxincreaseactionflyer5-14-9.pdf.

Help Jenny stop Brewer’s insanity and force a return to our conservative roots.

The only way our fast acceleration to socialism will be stopped is state-by-state. Taking federal stimulus money is the road to hell.

Thanks to Scottsdsale for turning down our money from the government.

More Republican solidarity?

Before this paper is delivered voters will have spoken in Cave Creek and Carefree.

Today, I received yet another mailer from Adam Trenk. This time he got an endorsement from Shurf Joe Arpaio. Talk about Republican solidarity! I wonder whether Arpaio has read in Sonoran News about the Trenk family’s long history with the Democrat party, although they have contributed big bucks to Republican candidates too.

The good news is that over 1,000 early votes have been returned already (May 16) and Arpaio’s coat tails are notoriously short. His request for funding just went in the trash.