Executives with the Arizona Chapter of the AFL-CIO planned to mobilize their members to demonstrate outside a GOP fundraiser featuring President Bush.

The event in Phoenix on May 27 will benefit John McCain’s presidential campaign and several GOP campaign committees.

“McCain did tell the truth he said he would be proud to have Bush campaign for him,” union spokeswoman Dana Marie Kennedy said in a statement.

“I guess it is payback time for all the times McCain stuck by Bush and his failed economic policies. McCain is a strong supporter of NAFTA and believes it has helped jobs,” she said in reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement. “Tell that to all be people who have lost jobs oversees.”

Information about the fund-raiser is available through McCain campaign executive Andrea Tyler Evans at (602) 488-5959 or aveans@mccain08hq.com.

Jon Kyl

Sen. Jon Kyl is using tax-filing day as a launching point for an anti-Democratic rip concerning the soon-to-expire 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. President Bush’s tax cuts will sunset and rates will increase unless Congress takes action to extend them. Kyl blames Democrats for inaction on that front. 

Here’s Kyl’s view on the subject, via a press release issued today by his office: 

“Tax day isn’t our favorite holiday.  And if anything makes Americans bitter, it’s seeing politicians in Washington overtax and waste their hard-earned money.   

“The Tax Foundation recently estimated that Americans will work a total of 113 days this year just to pay their federal, state and local taxes.  That is more than they work to pay for basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.

“Congressional Democrats seem to cling to the policy that higher taxes and more government spending is the medicine for an economy that’s getting sick.  During a time of economic uncertainty, the last thing the government should do is reach into the pockets of American families and take even more money.  But that’s precisely what will happen if the Congressional Democrats get their wish and allow the current tax rates to expire.”  Kyl is the assistant Republican leader in the Senate. 

To be fair, I’ll post an Arizona Democrat’s interpretation about how April 15 represents Republican policies, as soon as such a release arrives, which I expect will happen before the end of the day.

Jon Kyl

Jon Kyl is scheduled to discuss economic issues during a swing through the southern portion of the state Thursday.

The Republican senator is set to deliver the keynote address at a Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave., in Tucson, starting at 12:30 p.m.

Then the assistant minority leader will speak at the Green Valley Chamber of Commerce at the Canoa Hills Recreation Center, 3660 S. Camino del Sol, in Green Valley, starting at 2 p.m.

Jeff Flake

Arizona Republican Reps. Jeff Flake and John Shadegg voted against the House tax rebate measure Tuesday, despite overwhelming support in the House and President Bush’s push for the policy in his State of the Union Address on Monday.

The remaining six members of Arizona’s delegation in the House supported the economic stimulus package that was approved with a 385-35 vote.

The legislation is designed to provide tax rebates of up to $600 for individual taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less a year, or $1,200 for couples who jointly file and have a combined adjusted gross income of $150,000 or less a year.

The measure also provides tax benefits to businesses, as well as mortgage relief.

“If this package had been a simple rebate to those who have paid taxes, I could support that,” said Flake, who represents Arizona’s 6^th Congressional District, which takes in parts of Mesa and
Chandler, plus Gilbert, Queen Creek and Apache Junction.

“I don’t believe that rebates provide much of a long-term economic stimulus, but taxpayers can certainly spend their money better than Congress can. However, a large number of those receiving rebates do not pay income tax and the Senate is likely to add unrelated spending items to the bill,” Flake said.

 Democrat Rep. Harry Mitchell voted in favor of the measure because, he said,  the economy is a concern.

“Unemployment rates are up in Arizona and we have a record numbers of foreclosures in the Valley,” said Mitchell, who represents the 5^th District, which takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west
Mesa.

“I am disappointed that the package did not include my bill to stop members of Congress from taking yet another pay raise,” he said. “At a time when so many families are worried about making ends meet, I think it is just plain wrong. The American people haven’t gotten a pay raise, why should we?”

Incidently, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, the presidential candidate who is Mitchell’s co-sponsor on the bill to block an automatic Congressional pay raise, parted with Mitchell and voted against the tax rebates.

Shadegg said the federal government doesn’t have the money to pay for the rebates.

“It makes absolutely no sense to me to go give away money we don’t have. These rebates will push us even further into debt to China and Saudi Arabia and impose the burden of this debt on our children and grandchildren,” said Shadegg, who represents the 3^rd District, which includes central and northern Phoenix, plus

Paradise
Valley, Cave Creek and Carefree.

“Temporary rebates will not stimulate economic growth.  The most they’ll do is make politicians feel good,” Shadegg said.

President Bush

Republican Sen. Jon Kyl and Democrat Rep. Harry Mitchell both found aspects of President Bush’s final State of the Union speech to their liking. Here’s statements each of them issued after Bush’s speech Monday night.

From Kyl:

The president, in his final State of the Union Address, outlined an agenda that addresses some of our nation’s most pressing challenges. Most immediate is the need for legislation to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Al Qaeda still desires to carry out the same kinds of attacks against the United States and other countries that it executed on Sept. 11, 2001. We know the incredible amount of damage that can be inflicted if we do not monitor and respond to this threat. We also know that the best way to deal with al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations is to collect intelligence so that we can prevent attacks from occurring in the first place, rather than having to respond after they have occurred. That is why it is critical for Congress to ensure that under the law, the United States can engage in the kind of intelligence collection against al Qaeda that technology today allows.

Congress amended FISA in 2007 under the Protect America Act, which conformed the legal procedures to the evolving technology of intelligence collection. The PAA, however, is set to expire on Friday. The Senate has now been in session for almost two weeks since the beginning of this session, and majority leader has done very little to advance the issue. Instead, the Senate has devoted much of its time to considering unrelated legislation despite the looming deadline. I join with the president in urging the swift passage of a bill to properly and adequately update FISA.

While there were many fine initiatives laid out by the president, I want to specifically commend him for taking the lead to reform earmarks in Congressional spending bills. I don’t believe Congress has done enough to end this wasteful practice, and the president’s proposal to direct executive agencies to not fund projects that are not voted on by Congress is a good start.

From Mitchell:

I was pleased to see Sen. (Bob) Dole and (Department of Health and Human Services) Secretary (Donna) Shalala here tonight. Congress has passed a number of their recommendations to help our nation’s veterans, but there is so much more to be done.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are creating tens of thousands of new veterans, with new and demanding conditions. We have to be ready to treat them, and as we gather here tonight, we are not yet fully prepared. I recently returned from both Iraq and Afghanistan, where we looked at the transfer of medical records from the point of injury through the point of return to the United States, and I can tell you the process needs work.

I think it is wrong, at this time of war and economic uncertainty for members of Congress to raise their own pay yet again. Our sons and daughters are in harms way, we have a debt of more than $9 trillion, and families are worried about making ends meet. Americans didn’t get a pay raise last year, and I think it is wrong for members of Congress to give themselves one. I’ve introduced legislation to block this pay raise, and I’ve asked leadership to include it in the stimulus package.

I think the economy is a real concern. Unemployment rates are up in Arizona and we have record numbers of foreclosures in the Valley. We need to work in a bipartisan way to reverse this trend before it becomes a bigger problem.

I was pleased to hear the President speak about the need to secure our border. This is the federal government’s responsibility, it is not getting the job done, and Arizona is paying a hefty price as a result. More than half of all illegal U.S.-Mexico border crossings happen in Arizona. Congress increased funding for Customs and Border Protection, as well as for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and appropriated $1.2 billion for border fencing, but there is much more to do.

Mitchell represents Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, which takes in Scottsdale, Tempe, Fountain Hills, Ahwatukee Foothills and west Mesa.

Jon Kyl and George W. Bush

Before headlining a campaign rally for presidential candidate John McCain in
Phoenix, Jon Kyl offered his assessment of the proposed economic stimulus package.

The proposed $150 billion tax rebate program would distribute $600 each to 117 million eligible taxpayers who earn $75,000 or less a year. That comes to $1,200 a couple earning a combined $150,000 or less a year. Plus, $300 for each child.

Kyl, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, told me he doesn’t support the plan at all.

“What don’t you like about it?” I asked.

“Um, how much time do we have?” he replied.

Keeping in mind that the McCain rally was scheduled to begin in a few minutes, he offered the condensed version of his concerns.

“First of all, it’s a great re-investment,” Kyl said sarcastically. “They take 1 percent of the GDP and they’re expecting a return of seven-10ths of a percent. Now, you wouldn’t stay in business long with that kind of a return – and that’s an optimistic forecast. It adds dramatically to the deficit. I don’t think it will stimulate the economy very much. And there are better ways to do it.”

Most importantly, Kyl said, the tax rebate package that’s currently being produced in House won’t be the final version. Democrats in the Senate already are taking about expanding it. The final version could end up $30 billion or $40 billion fatter – or even fatter still.

Despite Kyl’s personal reservations, he expects the measure will pass. “Politicians want to do something,” he said.

If the measure stays on track and President Bush signs it, $1,200 wide-screen televisions should start disappearing from store shelves in May.

Rep. Harry Mitchell today asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to include his legislation that blocks Congress’ automatic pay raise in a broader economic stimulus package.

Mitchell, a Democrat from Arizona, and presidential hopeful Rep. Ron Paul, a Republican from
Texas, introduced legislation Tuesday that would quash a scheduled automatic pay increase of nearly $4,400 that every member will receive in 2009.

Every member of Congress will be paid $169,300 this year – a $4,100 increase from last year pay.

Mitchell tried to block the $4,100 pay increase last year, and found 29 co-sponsors to support it, but the legislation never made it to the House floor. Mitchell pledged to donate his pay raise to charity. (No word yet on which charities will get the bonanza.)

Mitchell said the timing is wrong to accept another pay raise. Here’s the text of his letter to Pelosi:

January 23, 2008 

The Honorable Nancy PelosiSpeaker
United States House of Representatives

U.S. Capitol Building, H-232
Washington, DC 20510 

Madam Speaker: 

Yesterday our colleague Dr. Ron Paul and I introduced H.R. 5087, a bill to block the automatic pay raise Members of Congress are scheduled to receive next year. 

I hope you will agree that this is the wrong time for Congress to raise its own pay and that doing so sends the wrong message to the American people.  I urge you to support H.R. 5087 and include it as a part of the upcoming economic stimulus package. 

As you work with the President and Republican leadership to build a bipartisan economic stimulus package to strengthen the nation’s weakening economy, I know you are familiar with the statistics: nationwide inflation shot up 6 percent in 2007 and the same gallon of gas that cost $2.20 a year ago costs more than $3 today. New home construction dropped 25 percent, the largest decrease in 27 years.  Fears of a recession have sent the stock market into a tailspin. Unemployment is up; home sales are down; and markets around the world are on shaky ground. 

Even in my home state of Arizona, which for so long seemed immune to economic woes that plagued other parts of the country, is feeling the effects of the Bush recession. Unemployment in my state rose 42 percent between September and December alone, and now 143,800 Arizonans are unemployed. In the East Valley, which I represent, foreclosures increased more than 500 percent in 2007 and in metro Phoenix, 10,000 homes were foreclosed – an 88 percent increase over 2006. Home prices fell 11 percent. 

The American people didn’t get a pay raise this year.  I do not know how in good conscience, we, as their representatives in Congress can not only accept one, but insist on another one for next year.  When I campaigned for Congress nearly two years ago, I heard from the people in my District that they were disappointed that Members of Congress approved their own pay raise, but cut critical services that made a significant impact on the lives of everyday Americans.  Americans are suffering right now and I hope this Congress has the courage to change course. 

Thank you, as always, for your consideration. 

Sincerely, 

Harry E. Mitchell

Member of Congress