Scott Smith, In His Own WordsPosted: 2014-06-25 6-25-14 (reprinted with permission from Gilbert Watch)
Common Core (aka Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards)
As more and governors discover for themselves the ugly truth about Common Core and seek ways to protect their states' children from its abuses, liberal Republican candidate for Arizona Governor Scott Smith sings its praises. Is he blind? Or is he so in love with federal grants that he prefers dumping the federal debt on the backs of Arizona's children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren?
Governor Bobby Jindahl wants Louisiana out of Common Core and the tests that go with it. Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin signed a bill to repeal Common Core. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant has hinted at repealing Common Core. He calls it a "failed program."
National websites, Arizona websites, national conservative bloggers, local conservative bloggers, an Arizona news columnist, psychologists, teachers, facebook sites, parents, students, documentaries, George Will, etc., have all warned against Common Core.
Even Dr. Sandra Stotsky and Dr. James Milgram, members of the Common Core Validation Committee, refused to sign off on them. See also Common Core's Validation: A Weak Foundation for a Crooked House.
Just like current Governor Jan Brewer, Scott Smith ignores the tsuanmi of factual evidence. He lives and breathes in a pro-government media, pro-government business, pro-bureacrat world. This is what you can expect from him as Governor.
Medicaid Expansion
As other states bail out of Medicaid Expansion, Scott Smith digs in. The latest is Virginia. See After Messy Battle, Virginia Legislature Rejects Obamacare Medicaid Expansion. He rails against ObamaCare, but thinks that Medicaid expansion is "good for Arizona."
"Smith — who waited until the end of 2013 to get into the race and does not have Republican symbols on his campaign signs — isn’t necessarily shying away from his moderate side. He’s promised to defend Brewer’s Medicaid expansion and showed up at a Brookings Institution event at Arizona State University hosted by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton in Phoenix last month. There weren’t a lot of red-meat GOP primary voters at the Stanton-Brookings event touting Phoenix as a global trade hub.'" See Can Scott Smith Get out of the Republican Primary?
Except for a few turncoats, the entire Arizona Republican legislature voted against the Medicaid Expansion. Another news item that took place on Planet Earth before Scott Smith landed here was a major petition drive that reaped 81,459 signatures to put the Referendum on the Obamacare Medicaid Expansion on the ballot. It failed by just 4,946 signatures. I wonder if Smith noticed that there were at least 81,459 voters who hate Medicaid Expansion. There would have been more, but Governor Brewer's team spent $364,000 to cause confusion among voters and to hire professional blockers to intimidate petition signers and ensure a victory for big government.
Illegal Immigration
Scott Smith wrote a Press Release in support of the Gang of 8's SB744.
Chris Crane, ICE Officer and President of the National ICE Council, testified before Congress stating, “Never before have I seen such contempt for law enforcement officers as what I’ve seen from the Gang of Eight.” See his testimony HERE.
As recently as September of 2013, Mayor Smith continued to hold firm on the need to find a way to legalize illegal aliens:
Smith, president of the non-partisan U.S. Conference of Mayors, is visiting the nation’s capital this week to attend meetings and talk with reporters to promote the group’s priorities.
"Immigration is one of the mayors’ top concerns," Smith said.
"The impact of illegal immigration falls hardest on cities such as Mesa that are home to undocumented immigrants," Smith said. Mayors have complained that immigrants who are in the country illegally live in the shadows and cannot become fully contributing members of the community. Smith said employers in Mesa also tell him that they want to bring in engineers and other high-skilled workers from other countries to expand their businesses but are stymied by restrictions in the current visa system.
Employers "tell Smith" they need high skilled workers from other countries? Maybe it's cheap labor they're looking for, because there's no shortage of high-tech workers in the U.S.
SB1070: Scott Smith urged Gov. Jan Brewer Not to Sign it
Smith said he found himself defending the law during a June meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Oklahoma City - even though he had lobbied Gov. Jan Brewer not to sign it because he was concerned about the burdens it would place on Arizona's cities. See Mesa Mayor: SB1070 will be Enforced, Rights Protected
What "burdens"? This man of little faith refused to stand and fight for Arizona's right to protect its own citizens? With the signing of SB1070, conservatives knew that Jan Brewer's re-election was assured. Candidate for Governor Dean Martin knew it, too, and he immediately pulled out of the race. Conservatives knew that SB1070 would bring businesses to Arizona, and it would bring tourists here, too.
Scott Smith, like many other Progressive hand-wringers, refused to believe that when you stand up for the rule of law, you protect the health, safety, and well being of American citizens.
According to Phoenix Law Enforcement Association;
“Since SB1070, Phoenix has experienced a 30-year low crime rate. 600 police vacancies, budget cuts, and old policing strategies didn’t bring about these falling crime rates. SB1070 did. When hard-working rank-and-file Phoenix Police Officers were given access to the tool of SB1070, the deterrence factor this legislation brought about was clearly instrumental in our unprecedented drop in crime. And all of this without a single civil rights, racial profiling, or biased policing complaint. To ignore the positive impact of SB1070 in the City of Phoenix is to ignore the huge elephant in the middle of the room.” Press Release from Phoenix Law Enforcement Association Sept. 2011
Mayor Scott Smith could have supported the author of SB1070, Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce, but instead endorsed his opponent Bob Worsley, who was against SB1070. In fact, Bob Worsley's record in the Arizona Senate was less conservative than the Democrat Minority Leader, Chad Campbell! Americans for Prosperity rated Bob Worsley a Hero of Big Government.
Mayor Scott Smith voted to double salaries for the Mayor of Mesa and all Council members.
Why would a guy who says he's a "conservative," vote to spend the money of his Mesa constituents on salaries of elected officials? Do you suppose those future Council members will remember his fine example of spending Other People's Money?
Lightrail: Scott Smith's perpetual taxpayer black hole.
One of the most contentious projects that Mayor Smith and the Mesa Council ramrodded was Light Rail. In spite of citizen objections, they forged ahead on a plan to extend 1.9 miles of track. Local businesses suffered from two years of construction. Many won't recover from the loss of parking.
It took some creative financing, including federal grants, to avoid putting the decision to a public vote. But, how many people will use it? Will those who use it pay for it? Consider Phoenix. Light rail serves only 0.03% of the transportation needs of Metro Phoenix. Yet $1.2 billion was spent on the first 20 miles. Those 20 miles have a yearly operating loss of $35 million.
Scott Smith, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Why would Scott Smith not only join this pack of leftist governors, but also become its president? Why be associated with an organization that requires you to apologize for your state's right to protect its borders? Why be associated with an organization that takes so many stands that are counter to your own closely held beliefs? This is a group that supports same sex marriage, gun control, global warming, abortion rights, etc. This isn't "non partisan." This is the Democrat Party Platform!
U.S. Conference of Mayors Passes Pro-Choice Resolution
U. S. Conference of Mayors call for a Ban on Assault Weapons
U.S. Conference of Mayors Stand up for Same Sex Marriage
Scott Smith Promises to Reduce Carbon Emissions - "Global Warming is Real"!
Scott Smith was the 1,000th mayor to sign the climate protection agreement. (To be fair, former Gilbert Mayor Steve Berman also signed it. Berman can be forgiven due to ignorance. Smith went on to become the Conference of Mayors president.)
By signing this agreement, Mayor Smith pledged alignment with Kyoto Protocol standards and calls for reduction in carbon emissions by 7% below 1990 levels. It was in support of the "green" movement.
Never mind that the global warming "models" used to perpetuate this myth amount to false, manipulated junk science. Never mind that, ever since Al Gore predicted melting ice caps and millions dead (none of which happened), there has been significant dissent among research scientists. (See Just Facts: Global Warming.) Here is some of the latest on this hoax: The Scandal of Fiddled Global Warming Data. Australia isn't fooled by "socialism masquerading as environmentalism." See Disintegration of Consensus. Never mind that some real scientists, with the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, are in Gilbert, right next door to Mesa.
Somehow, Scott "Mr. Magoo" Smith, missed all of this.
See Also
Gubernatorial Candidates Weigh in on Common Core
Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant calls Common Core a Failed Program
After Messy Battle, Virginia Legislature Rejects Obamacare Medicaid Expansion
Final Tally and Editorial on Stop Obrewercare
The Gang of 8's Disgusting SB744
Mesa Mayor Fears Congress Won't Act on Immigration
Study Finds no Shortage of High-Tech Workers in U.S.
1070 Turns Three While Amnesty Looms
Businesses are Coming to Arizona after Passage of SB1070
Russell Pearce and SB1070 Good for Arizona: Part 1
Russell Pearce and SB1070 Good for Arizona: Part 2
Scott Smith Endorses Bob Worsley for Arizona Senate
Bob Worsley Earns Hero of Big Government award from Americans for Prosperity
Mesa City Council Fends Off Critics, Passes Pay Hike
Scott "Lightrail" Smith Uses Funding Scheme that Avoids Public Vote
The City of Mesa is Out of Control - Light Rail
|