Guest Editorial
BY GREG FARLEY | MARCH 30, 2011
Nine is enough: GOP miscreants derail Arizona momentum
It is comparable to winning a mega lottery, then finding out you have terminal cancer. At least that’s the way I felt about nine Arizona Republican state senators who as a group, killed five illegal immigration bills that had already been passed by the state house of representatives.
Nancy Barto, Rich Crandall, Adam Driggs, Linda Gray, John McComish, John Nelson, Michele Reagan, Steve Pierce, and Steve Yarbrough. Those are the names that need to be taped to the refrigerator. Voting no on most or all of the bills, these nine “conservatives” have stymied the state’s momentum in jettisoning illegal alien invaders by self-deportation, aka attrition.
Rubbing slivers of glass into the wound, their voting-with-the-Democrats sing-along came on the heels of yet another lightning strike from that pearl of the racketeering world, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce. The “CEO letter” with several dozen corporate signatures suggesting no further action on illegal immigration was like sticking a switchblade into a beach ball.
Perhaps most notable on this horse head delivered to the Arizona senate was Robert Delgado of Hensley Beverage Company, Cindy McCain’s inheritance. And speaking of glass slivers, this is another reminder that Republican voters have been bitch-slapped yet again by reelecting John McCain to the U.S. Senate. After he fawned and acted his way through the campaign on pro-enforcement rhetoric – even supporting SB 1070, here are your post-election results.
From here there could be another vote on the bills, or they may wind up going to the voters. If they go to the ballot, then we will be forced to endure months of TV commercials from the Chamber telling us illegal immigration bills cause cancer of the eyeball.
But what about the nine Republicans who jumped ship and prolonged the financial liposuction from state coffers for schooling, health care, incarceration, and more for illegal aliens? As of this writing, I have yet to see any concrete answers as to why they turned renegade, except for regurgitating highlights from the CEO manifesto.
In studying the list of the “noxious nine”, I discovered that state senator Adam Driggs runs an immigration law firm. This is not common knowledge, in fact his bio on his state senate webpage reveals a veiled description:
"Driggs also started a successful small business in Phoenix in 1997, where he continues to serve as a director."
At least there are some people that are likely thrilled with his five to nothing no vote, with these endorsements I found on the web they seem to believe he is the messiah:
"Helped my two daughters Attorney Adam Driggs and Attorney Yasser Sanchez helped my two daughters get their greencards. The process went just as they described and they even worked out a payment plan. Fantastic guys and honest attorneys. - Emily!"
"Fantastic to work with!!! Mr. Yasser Sanchez is an amazing lawyer. He was very helpful with my families immigration needs. I would recommend them all to all.”
How is it that a state senator who makes money directly from immigration be allowed to vote on enforcement legislation? Do any other of the senators have financial connections with non-enforcement?
What about Rich Crandall? Part of his bio reads: “President/Managing Member, CN Resource – CN Resource provides oversight services on behalf of State Agencies for USDA child nutrition programs.”
How about John McComish? A bio snip reads:
“After 7 successful years as a small business owner, he closed the door of the bookstore and took over as President of the fledgling Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of commerce in 1996. From that time until his retirement at the end of 2006, the Chamber grew from 64 members to over 650.”
John Nelson? A bio snip reads: “In January 1997, Nelson was appointed to the Cartwright School Board. John presently serves as vice chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Maryvale Hospital Medical Center.”
So were personal dealings behind the Republican nine’s decision to vote with Democrats, or was it the kiss directly on the mouth from the Cosa Nostra Chamber of Commerce? If would seem futile to pursue straight answers from any of these alleged Republicans and concentrate on the one thing they have in common: re-election.
The damage that these people have inflicted is long term.
They have encouraged the likes of Salvador Reza, Steve Gallardo, Kyrsten Sinema, Clarence Dupnik, Phil Gordon, Mary Rose Wilcox, and the list goes on and on.
They have broken the momentum Arizona had going which has been documented in various reports on the number of illegal aliens who have left the state since the passage of SB 1070, and is already paying dividends in drastically reduced public school enrollments, crime, and even cross town traffic.
They just may have forced Russell Pearce to look at sending the measures to the ballot, delaying progress for another 20 months and giving the Chamber time to brainwash Arizonans through the media, just as they did in 2004 with Prop 200.
They have annihilated Arizona’s image as the country’s leader in fighting illegal immigration and possibly discouraged law makers in twenty five other states from executing similar measures.
These Arizona state senators must pay. The voters must make them.
