BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Mahoney finally realizes he is irrelevant!!!!
GO MATT, GO!!!!!!!!
Posted on 10/31/2002 9:28:28 AM PST by dittomom
Closing but still trailing in recent polls, Republican Matt Salmon got aggressive with Democrat Attorney General Janet Napolitano from the opening bell of the final gubernatorial debate Wednesday night.
Salmon spent his introductory comments, where other candidates talked about their qualifications, criticizing Napolitano on taxes, abortion and gay issues.
"My opponent wants to raise taxes. I oppose that," Salmon said. "My opponent, Janet Napolitano, supports gay adoption. I don't. She supports Vermont-style same-sex marriages. I think that's extreme."
Napolitano said later that Salmon was, again, distorting her positions. Napolitano said she opposes gay marriage, wants to close tax loopholes to balance the budget but does not favor a general tax increase, and supports Arizona's 50-year-old law allowing any qualified adult to adopt a child.
Napolitano also struck back, saying fiscally-conservative Salmon voted against prescription drugs while his congressional budget rose by 30 percent during his six-year stint.
"Matt inherits the legacy of (former governors) Evan Mecham and Fife Symington that has led us to the current fiscal crisis," Napolitano said.
Salmon campaign staffers said that, while Salmon's congressional budget did increase, he returned more than $1 million to taxpayers by spending less than his budget allowed.
The debate, sponsored by the Goldwater Institute, will be aired at 4 p.m. Sunday on Channel 5 (KPHO).
A raucous crowd booed and jeered both Salmon and Napolitano at times. That prompted Independent Richard Mahoney to remark, "I wish somebody would heckle me."
Mahoney laid out a plan for deep state budget cuts and closing nearly $400 million in corporate loopholes to balance the state budget.
"But tax cuts aren't to blame (for the state's crisis), spending is to blame, a 117 percent increase since 1990," Mahoney said.
Asked if reducing the state income tax rate during the 1990s was a mistake, Libertarian Barry Hess said it was.
"The mistake was that we didn't eliminate it," Hess said.
No surprise, GOP officials declared Salmon the debate's winner.
"I think Matt articulated the differences in the campaign, between higher taxes and lower taxes, and between common-sense conservative and a liberal Democrat," said Jake Logan of the state Republican party.
But Democratic Party spokeswoman Dianna Jennings said it was clear from Salmon's behavior that he is trailing.
"When you're behind in the polls that might be an explanation for being surly, but it's certainly not an excuse," Jennings said.
"I think he's scared. He knows he's behind so he came out swinging, and I don't think people like that."
Reach the reporter at robbie. sherwood@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-8146.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Mahoney finally realizes he is irrelevant!!!!
PINGING ARIZONA!!!!!!!!!
The 1/8th page ad that was authorized by the Board of Directors on Saturday, Oct. 27th has been submitted to the Arizona Republic. Barbara Leline, Kay Van Sant and I worked on the layout and we're tickled pink with it. The ad will run in the Sunday and Monday Republic. We requested that it be in the Local section on Sunday and the Arizona Living Section on Monday. One of our members, Gail Smith from Oro Valley had suggested that we see if we could pay a premium to guarantee the placement but the Republic doesn't have a policy for doing that. So we may not be where we have asked.
The response from the State Party and candidates has been positive. Each of them that I have talked to are thrilled. Money is getting tight and the timing is perfect. Thank you for once again proving that there is indeed strength in numbers.
Barb McMullen
Shadegg was pessimistic about the US Senate. I asked him why no ads are running in those states electing senators about the Pledge of Allegiance flap and the importance of judgeships. He said it sounded like a good idea. Too bad it's not happening.
I believe he is further ahead than many of us have heard/read but who wants to get their hopes up. I think Matt will win. Everytime I see El Reno (Janet) she makes me want to puke.
Matt Salmon - My Turn
...My platform is simple: As governor, I won't raise taxes. No state has ever taxed its way back to prosperity. Instead, I will spur investment and stimulate small-business growth by reducing taxes where appropriate and cutting wasteful spending where possible. The result will be 500,000 new, high-paying jobs.
My opponent, on the other hand, will raise taxes and thereby stifle our economy. As Republic columnist Bob Robb wrote, Janet Napolitano "fails to demonstrate an understanding of how private-sector economic growth actually works."
I really think that Matt will pull this out at the last minute. There are a lot of folks in rural AZ that will come out to vote for him, people who may not have voted in years.
Just voted this evening (absentee) and it goes into the POST OFFICE mail box in the morning. Six ballots from my family.
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