Welcome To Scama-Zona! Or is it Ari-Scama?!

Arizona is a transient place. 

People come and people go.

But one thing remains constant:

Arizona Republicans run scams.

Many years ago there was the "alternative fuel" scam, in which you could get a very nice check to offset the price of a new dual fuel vehicle. You did not have to ever use the duel fuel aspect of your shiny new vehicle. And most, if not all, of the people who took advantage of this didn't. No, they just took the very nice check and continued using gasoline. Because, well, because they could. So the rest of us were in effect subsidizing the purchase of their new vehicles with our taxes. With no benefit at all to the environment.

(By the way, this one smelled so bad that the Republican governor at the time decided to deep six it before it could bankrupt the state--but only after hundreds of millions of dollars had been wasted.)

Today there is the "sell a shit load of water to the Saudis for a pittance" scam. See, way out in western Arizona, some genius in the Republican controlled state government decided to let the Saudis have access to all the ground water they could pump to grow alfalfa for horses. During our ongoing multi-year drought. Oh, by the way, the horses are in Saudi Arabia. Because of course they are. Has anybody been fired for this? Are you kidding?

And always, ALWAYS, there is the never ending "school vouchers" scam, wherein money for public education is rerouted to charter and private school parents. They can get a voucher to help with tuition. They call this "school choice". And is supposed to help ALL students--according to its sponsors. That is a flat out lie. 

Private schools cost two to three times more than the voucher provides, so the parents have to pay the difference. But guess what? Poorer families can't afford to pay the difference. Which means vouchers are in essence a subsidy for wealthy parents who are already sending their kids to private schools. 

And all while draining money from the already under funded public schools. Neat trick, huh?

 

An Incomplete List Of American Disgraces

(A complete list would take up way too much space...)

Homeless people. We are the richest country on the face of the earth.

Hungry people. We are the richest country on the face of the earth. And the fattest, too. But somehow we still have people going hungry, and children whose one good meal a day is provided by their school, which, of course, conservatives want to take away.

Mentally ill people set loose on the streets. Thanks again, Saint Reagan.

People with no health insurance. Because, you know, national health care is SOCIALISM!

People who refuse to be vaccinated. Because, you know, FreeDumb.

Substandard schools for poorer people. Sweet demi-palaces for richer people. There is a public elementary school that I drive by that has recently built a multi-purpose structure that would not be out of place at Lincoln Center, in New York City. Meanwhile, there are schools nearby with not enough books, not enough  paper, not enough pencils. Computers? Hahaha. And don't get me started on charter schools and the voucher system.

Bullet proof backpacks for school kids. Because some people think that their right to bear arms is more important than anyone else's right to live.

Lugnutz who wander around with their AR-15's. They think they look tough, but what they really look like is scared little boys playing army.

Idiots who can say, with a straight face, that slavery "wasn't so bad".

Idiots who oppose teaching that slavery was indeed that bad. Bad in such a profound and disturbing way that it should shame every decent white person in America, and cause them to dedicate themselves to finally fix its lasting ills.

Fox News. Goebbels would be so proud.

The Republican Party in toto. I mean, Jesus, just look at them.