tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478354375758846359.post5426829990559545398..comments2023-04-25T13:20:01.724-07:00Comments on Arizona Eagletarian: Dupilicitous Doug "Tooth Fairy Math" Ducey -- Arizona's demagogue of the yearSteve Muratore aka Arizona Eagletarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01404761986345385458noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478354375758846359.post-49159508879631753522014-09-14T17:17:15.477-07:002014-09-14T17:17:15.477-07:00Don't you really mean, "Steve, why didn&#...Don't you really mean, "Steve, why didn't you take my bait?" Well, since it's YOUR speculation about DuVal's strategy that you're wanting me to comment on, I don't equate that to anything I actually have about Duval to comment on.<br /><br />You're asking me about thin skin? Dude, you're the one who is rumored to have said that you had your feelings hurt by my posts that blasted you.<br /><br />Eventually, you'll realize that I can see through you.<br /><br />Steve Muratore aka Arizona Eagletarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01404761986345385458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478354375758846359.post-45356311432004705872014-09-14T16:57:06.504-07:002014-09-14T16:57:06.504-07:00Steve,
Why no comment on DuVal's privatizatio...Steve,<br /><br />Why no comment on DuVal's privatization comment? Phoenix Justice brought it up and it is a valid question. Do you oppose DuVal's privatization strategy for the Arizona Lottery?<br /><br />And why is your skin so thin. Can't you take a little ribbing? After all, you dish it out often enough.<br /><br />State Rep. John KavanaghJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16896955780433298549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478354375758846359.post-49589179898550376612014-09-14T16:02:21.454-07:002014-09-14T16:02:21.454-07:00Dear John,
Really? Name calling already? How coul...Dear John,<br /><br />Really? Name calling already? How could your statement about what I may or may not have learned in a class be a rational reflection or evaluation of the content of the blog post ostensibly you wanted to comment on?<br /><br />Then, the next thing you did was to provide a possible explanation as to why I might not have addressed DuVal's passing comment about privatization? If you believe DuVal meant something different from Ducey (and from you) about privatization, why even bother?<br /><br />But thanks for laying bare the GOP intent to transfer taxpayer funds used to put food on the table for workers to divert them instead to crony capitalists. <br /><br />Any honest government financial analyst knows that privatization does NOT necessarily save taxpayers any money. Thanks for putting that point on the record on the Arizona Eagletarian. <br /><br />What is taken away from individual working families -- who more often than not must live paycheck to paycheck -- also takes most of those dollars OUT of the local economy as those working families have to spend all of what they earn.<br /><br />Any claim that costs are reduced are only a mirage. Those labor costs are more than made up for by shoveling huge amounts of cash into the coffers of the crony capitalists that own the stock of the corporations wanting the biggest private concessions. You know, right? Like GEO Group and Corrections Corporation of America. Companies that can't compete of any kind of "free market" because they are funded entirely by taxpayers.<br /><br />Additionally, I very much appreciate you noting that privatizing government agencies does NOT necessarily save the state money. That's an important and quite significant admission on your part. Of course, I agree with you on that point. However, I'd challenge you to demonstrate how any large-scale privatization saves taxpayer funds overall.<br /><br />I don't believe you can do it.<br /><br />I am not privy to any thing that would shed light on any of DuVal's motives or intents with regard to the Arizona Lottery. Perhaps you should ask the campaign yourself. Regardless, it's clear and obvious that you have your speculations, but "he may be stretching the definition of privatization to mean..." is nothing more than you projecting your beliefs onto a candidate for governor.<br /><br />I won't even get into counting the number of fallacies you committed in your emotionally-charged, logic deficient comment.<br /><br />If you want to do a blog post about your wild ass speculations on DuVal's intent, I'm sure Blogger.com would be more than happy to host you.<br />Steve Muratore aka Arizona Eagletarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01404761986345385458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478354375758846359.post-64389299820629110382014-09-14T09:35:46.849-07:002014-09-14T09:35:46.849-07:00I commend Phoenix Justice for picking up on Fred D...I commend Phoenix Justice for picking up on Fred DuVal’s proposal to privatize the lottery as a tool to help manage a projected state budget shortfall approaching $400 million next year and maybe $800 the following year, if only one-time measures are used as solutions.<br /><br />I would have thought that Steve would have jumped all over DuVal’s call for privatization, as Steve does whenever I utter the word. Apparently the logical reasoning course Steve took did not include “logical inconsistency” and “double standard” in the syllabus or maybe he was out sick that day.<br /><br />But don’t fret Phoenix Justice. I doubt that Mr. DuVal is using the term “privatization” as most people use it. When most people think of privatization, they mean turning the operation over from a government entity to a private company. The theory is that the private sector can run the operation more efficiently and also save on personnel costs because private sector workers do not get the high fringe benefits that public sector workers get, especially defined benefit pensions.<br /><br />However, the Arizona Lottery is not a large agency and its operation is pretty much boilerplate, as are most state lottery operations. Consequently, privatization would not save any great amount of money. This reality makes me suspect that Mr. DuVal may be actually thinking of selling all of the lottery or a significant portion of its future revenues to a bank or private company in return for an upfront cash payment to use as a one-time fix for today’s budget shortfall and even allow for the increased spending he seems to also want. <br /><br />Alternately, he may be stretching the definition of privatization to mean taking a loan from a private company using future lottery proceeds as security. We did that in 2010 to the tune of $450 million but we called it securitization and privatization.<br /><br />If Mr. DuVal intends to do the “full Monty” and actually fire the state employees at the lottery and replace them with a private company, I have a bag of “Ducey for Governor” buttons I can pass out to all of you Arizona Eagletarian readers because I know that you would never tolerate such liberal blasphemy. <br /><br />State Rep. John KavanaghJohnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16896955780433298549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-478354375758846359.post-16628669831944596842014-09-12T05:29:40.916-07:002014-09-12T05:29:40.916-07:00Though I was perplexed by Mr. DuVal's calls fo...Though I was perplexed by Mr. DuVal's calls for privatization (he is a Democrat, right?), if I were still living in Arizona I would vote for him.Phoenix Justicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00666332075480974926noreply@blogger.com