Greetings …
From breezy Baja Arizona. I-10 is closed from Willcox to Lordsburg due to blowing dust. It’s a good day to stay home and join us for another edition of the Sunday night BAK Open Thread. Click through for news, views and items of interest from Tucson and greater Baja.
Restaurant News ...
Restaurant mogul Sam Fox is buying the now-defunct Grant Road Lumber property with the intent to open an entertainment and dining complex called The Yard. A BBQ joint would be a natural fit, they could call it the Lumberyard Smokehouse or something. Grant Road Lumber burned 3 times, in 1960, 1968 and 1980. Their fire insurance premiums must have been astronomical. We lived near there during the 1980 fire. The whole neighborhood turned out to watch, good times. Anybody remember the Grant Road Tavern ?
Do it, Martha!
Jim Nintzel has this over at the Tucson Weekly:
Democrats have been merrily pressing Rep. Martha McSally (R-CD2) on whether she supports Donald Trump at the GOP's presidential nominee.
McSally has sidestepped the question, no doubt hoping—like many Republicans (and especially GOP candidates)—that Trump would falter before winning the nomination. But Trump essentially clinched the nomination last week, and there are rumors that McSally would be an ideal candidate for the VP slot. A story in the online Fiscal Times noted that McSally is "not only a woman but a retired Air Force colonel who flew combat missions, a triathlete and a member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees" who "could help bolster a Trump ticket's bona fides on national security and the fight against ISIS."
I think Martha would make a fine addition to the Trump ticket and I hope she takes advantage of this opportunity. Meanwhile, we have a contested Democratic primary in AZ-02 with Dr. Matt Heinz facing off against State Rep. Victoria Steele for the nomination. Heinz has a head start in the race, having begun his campaign earlier. Steele has been kind of quiet so far but she will have an event at her campaign HQ on North Oracle this Thursday, the 19th, from 5:30 to 7:30. I’ll try to attend this one, anybody else ?
Why do they hate us ?
As usual, many of the bills from this last legislative session have a distinct anti-Tucson flavor. SB 1266 is designed to prevent Tucson from passing gun laws that are stricter than the state statutes.
Existing law says local governments cannot enact any rules or regulations dealing with the transportation, possession, sale, transfer, purchase, storage, registration, discharge or use of firearms or ammunition.
The problem, according to Sen. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, is there is no enforcement mechanism.
His poster child is Tucson.
The city adopted one ordinance that requires gun owners to report to police when a firearm is lost or stolen. Another allows police to request a breath sample from someone who negligently discharges a firearm and appears intoxicated.
Former Attorney General Tom Horne, in a formal legal opinion, declared both measures to be illegal. The response of the city was, in essence, to ignore him.
Since the Koch Bros. and ALEC operate at the state level, they’re always crowing about local control when it comes to Federal legislation They insist that states can nullify or opt out of enforcement of Federal laws that they don’t like. Within the state, it’s a different story. They hate local control. Two more examples from this session include a drone law that “voids any attempt by cities and counties to impose their own rules,” and a law that prevents cities and counties from mandating fringe benefits for employees.
In Tucson, Councilwoman Regina Romero has pushed for an ordinance to require sick leave, saying she considers it part of a “working family agenda.” Romero said about half of Tucson workers do not have access to earned sick leave.
Romero said she may have to start smaller, perhaps adding a sick leave requirement to an existing Tucson ordinance that requires contractors who do business with the city to pay a “living wage.”
Tempe has considered the issue of paid sick leave but proponents backed off after stiff business opposition.
The law signed Wednesday by Ducey will short-circuit such moves.
In sports ...
The Wildcat softball team beat Cal 11-2 Saturday to finish their season with a record of 36-19. They await tonight’s NCAA selection show. At Hi Corbett Field, the baseball team tied their series with ASU at one game each. The rubber-match is in progress right now, the ‘Cats trail 3-0 in the top of the 7th as I post this.
OK ...
That’s all I got for this Sunday. What’s up with y’all, got any news or opinion to share?