2009 getting even more 'special' at AZ Capitol

Some dark days for Arizona.

Thu. Dec 17: Updates @RepPatterson on twitter.

PHOENIX -- The Guv is set to call us back to the Capitol at 9am Thursday morning.

After another year of failures, the Republican Guv and legislative majority bosses will try to rush at least 3 bad budget 'non-solutions':

-- An unwise and flawed sales tax increase.

-- Tampering with voter approved protections.

-- More giant cuts to needed public services.

Brewer, Adams & Burns have Arizona lost on the wrong track. I predict the House Democratic Caucus will not join them or go along quietly.

This will be the 5th special session of the legislature in 2009. I'll keep up the fight for the people and middle-class families of Tucson's LD29 and Arizona, as I have been all year.

Wanted: Good housing in Phoenix; Mine safety

Arizona Capitol, west downtown PHX.

PHOENIX -- I'm looking for a decent house, condo, apartment or room to rent somewhere near downtown and the capitol for Jan-June 2010. Furnished a plus.

The upcoming regular legislative session starts Jan 11. Please let me know if you can help, email roundriver(at)gmail(dot)com or call 520.305.9828. Thanks.

As pro-labor State Representative & advocate, I'm in the Arizona Republic today on mine safety: Penalties vs. mines are often reduced.

Grand Canyon change; Grijalva Fiesta & Toy Drive

More floods will help Arizona's Grand Canyon.

TUCSON -- Some change and progress on the Colorado River today as Obama's Interior Dept. announced a plan to allow for more high flows from Glen Canyon Dam, to help restore riparian areas and beaches in the Grand Canyon. We'll be keeping an eye on this.

Join us this Friday night with US Rep. Raul Grijalva at his Holiday Fiesta and Toy Drive, 8p-12a at the El Casino Ballroom, 437 E 26th St. Bring a toy and/or can of food.

Mining problems harm America from east to west

Giant open pit mines near Green Valley, Pima County AZ.

TUCSON -- In the west, EPA announced today a 6.6 million pound increase in toxic pollution in Arizona to 95 million pounds of toxic emissions in 2008. Mining is the biggest source of toxins contaminating Arizona's water and air, including 2.4 million pounds last year from the huge mines near Green Valley.

Also today from PEER on mining problems in the east: One of the worst mining disasters in American history resulted in a paltry $5,500 fine and could recur on hundreds of similarly vulnerable sites across the country. Yet a newly released Labor Department Inspector General report on the nation’s largest coal slurry spill answers few questions while providing backhanded support for a whistleblower’s charges that the Bush administration hamstrung the official investigation and subsequent enforcement, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

What many have called the biggest environmental catastrophe in the southeastern U.S. took place on October 11, 2000 when a huge coal slurry impoundment atop an underground mine broke through to the shafts below and punched out the side of the mountain. More than 300 million gallons of toxic waste (a release larger than the Exxon Valdez oil spill) poisoned 100 miles of waterways killing all marine life and most of the wildlife in Martin County, Kentucky.

Read the full news release and view documents. Follow RepPatterson on twitter.

- adapted from PEER.

Sierrita Mtns.; AZ Leg. Forum Dec 7 in Tucson 29

Sierrita Mtns., a lower Sky Island range in SoAZ.

TUCSON -- I've been very busy with State Rep. duties, work, family and hunt, so have been away some. Please read some of my recent quick updates and links from the Arizona Legislature and PEER on twitter.

Please visit our Legislative Advocacy Forum on Monday Dec 7 with me and other lawmakers and experts; 6:30-8p at the Eckstrom-Columbus branch library, 4350 E. 22nd St., Tucson, in my LD29.

The Sierrita Mountains southwest of Tucson are rather nice, we were pleased to find over the last week, especially on the north side with grass, many big oaks, junipers, mesquite and saguaros. But there were also too many cows and some severe overgrazing in some areas on your AZ State Lands.

Gone hunting

White tailed deer (male).

TUCSON -- We had a good Thanksgiving.

I'm gone hunting early Fri AM on our annual Arizona fall deer hunt.

Go Arizona, beat ASU Saturday in football. Bear Down, Wildcats!

AZ legislature finishes 4th special session of 2009

Tough days at the Capitol.

UPDATE, Nov 25: Arizona Daily Star agrees with me: locals best for Tucson's Rio Nuevo board.

UPDATE: House Democratic news release: GOP votes to cut millions more from schoolchildren, families during crisis.

PHOENIX -- The AZ House and Senate today finished the special session, featuring $300M more in cuts to schools and services to poor and disabled people.

The latest big cuts to kids and families were supported by all Rs. All Ds opposed due to the one-sided unfair nature of the cuts and failure to consider fair ways to raise needed new revenue. I spoke strongly on the House floor against the GOP's latest big cuts to schools.

Two bills passed with bipartisan support, one to repeal a flawed law passed earlier this year, and another to 'fix' agency budgets and fund Science Foundation Arizona.

The agency fix bill also had an unrelated section to remove local control of appointments to Tucson's Rio Nuevo board and give control to Gov Jan Brewer, Speaker Kirk Adams and President Bob Burns, all Maricopa County Republicans. Nearly half the Rio Nuevo board won't even have to live in Tucson. I voted 'yes' on this bill because of the other supportable provisions, but I opposed and spoke against state infringement on Tucson's local control. I'm not thrilled about all that has happened with Rio Nuevo over the last decade, but I support keeping control within Tucson's business, neighborhood and government communities.

See more of today's details @RepPatterson on twitter.

Congress must ensure unemployment benefits deal

People in unemployment line at DES office in Tucson.

TUCSON -- I've asked our US Reps from SoAZ to ensure Arizonans will qualify fully for needed extended unemployment benefits.

From Phoenix NBC 12 News, Nov 19: The jobless benefits extension that Congress passed and the president signed more than two weeks ago was supposed to be a lifeline for tens of thousands of unemployed people in Arizona.

But state and national experts on jobless benefits say that emergency extension doesn't go nearly as far as promised. At this writing, none of the more than 65,000 people in Arizona eligible for the 20-week extension will get it.

Apparently, many members of Congress never realized the law expires before all 20 weeks of extended benefits can be used. Read the full story.

I'm hopeful and confident Congress will fix this soon as people desperately need this help during a bad economy and continued job losses.