Why I Think Sam Bradford is the Worst QB Ever

OK, I don't. That said, as a Detroit Lions fan I need the St. Louis Rams to not select Bradford #1 overall this April in the NFL Draft. Detroit, who has the #2 overall pick, obviously won't draft a QB after dropping $41.7M in guaranteed money to Matthew Stafford last year, but there are teams who might trade up for Bradford.

Detroit has such a terrible team they need help at virtually every position and trading down for more picks would be perfect for Detroit. And that is why I fully anticipate the NFL commish saying this April, "With the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select Sam Bradford, Quarterback, Oklahoma."

This is a virtual lock.

General Funds vs. Bond Money

There was a report in the Arizona Republic last week regarding Phoenix's new airplane used for prisoner extraditions and surveillance. The plane cost over $4 million dollars.

 

While an obvious public relations issue this illustrates the complexity of general fund money vs. public bond money. While this is a way, way oversimplified explanation the bottom line is this: general city operations (salaries, etc.) can only come from the city's general fund, which is funded from (certain) tax revenue and shared revenue from the state.

 

Bond funds can only be spent towards the specific items that were articulated when the bond was proposed. This is why the city cannot use this $4 million dollars toward police or fire fighter salaries and must be spent on the approved item: the airplane.

 

Again, that is a very oversimplified explanation of general funds vs. bond money but it is key that voters understand that there is a difference between the two pools of money and how they are able to be spent. I'm not saying this airplane purchase is right, wrong or otherwise but the city is correct in its application of this particular bond money.

Sustainability Unsustainable?

The Arizona Capital Times published an article regarding state agencies being non-compliant with a 2003 state law that "required" these agencies, "to reduce their energy consumption by 10 percent by the end of 2008."

 

Among the state agencies that have not complied with this mandate is the Board of Regents, the entity that governs Arizona's three state universities (ASU, NAU and U of A).

 

I find it odd that in this report there is no comment from ASU's School of Sustainability. While I'm unsure if the reporters never contacted the school (my assumption) or if the school did not respond, I think it would be wise for the school to get out in front and release a statement as to why this has occurred.

Another Special Session

As reported in the Arizona Capital Times Governor Jan Brewer called the eighth special session this legislative session, "to secure the authority to sue the federal government over the health care law passed earlier this week."

 

The Governor wants Arizona to join the 14 other states that have sued the federal government over the newly passed health care reform bill. The argument of the Governor and these 14 states' Attorneys General is that it is unconstitutional to require Americans to purchase a product (health care), "simply on the basis that they exist and reside in the United States."

 

Regardless of the politics of this legislation it will be fascinating to see the evolution of these lawsuits. There does not seem to be definitive case law on this specific matter and given not only the unique machinations of this legislation but also the make-up of the Supreme Court this could become a decision as historical (and controversial) as Roe v Wade.

2010 Congressional Briefing Book

While I had a very (very!) limited role I was a part-time member of the team that put together the City of Phoenix's 2010 Congressional Briefing Book. This book is for both residents and lawmakers in Washington D.C. and its purpose is to inform the public what projects Phoenix is working on that have Federal implications.

 

It was very interesting to see the thought that went behind what message would be sent, from the use of pictures to the crafting of the messages on the individual pages. The book, which in years past was professionally published, is now distributed to a few key lawmakers and lobbyist via flash drive. Of course everyone else can access it on phoenix.gov but this has been yet another consequence of the dire budget environment.

 

It's a neat informational packet and I'd advise anyone in government affairs to browse through it.

Downtown Phoenix Career Services

This past Wednesday I went to a one-on-one session at the Downtown Phoenix Career Services office to review my resume. The entire staff was extremely nice, helpful and honest.

 

They provided me with some very helpful advice with regard to both the layout and content of my resume. It was also obvious with all of the staffers that they were there truly to help students in their search for jobs post-ASU. In addition to the personal help they have some wonderful guides that help in constructing a resume.

 

Thankfully my resume only needed a few tweeks but this is definitely a service that students should use sooner rather than later as building a resume from scratch can take some time.

Higher (Cost) Education

The recent and drastic tuition and fee increase approved by the state's Board of Regents is yet another symptom of the state's woeful budgetary cause. Current ASU students will see an increase anywhere from 11.9% - 12.7%, while incoming freshman will experience an astounding 18.8% compared to this year's freshman.

What's ironic, in my opinion, is that in economic time such as these it can be useful for people who cannot find employment to further their education, yet these increases, on top of previous increases, make it that much more unaffordable for these people to go to school. Granted student loans are available to many if not most prospective students, but these are (obviously) not without cost.

I'm a huge advocate of anyone furthering his or her education, yet when it becomes this costly to go to school I think it is wise for a prospective student to investigate other alternatives such as community colleges or even foregoing school for direct work experience.

A Good Reason to Tell Your Prof How Much You Like Them

Today the state's House Committee on Military Affairs and Public Safety passed SB 1014 which would allow Arizona teachers to carry a concealed weapon on campus as long as they have a conceal and carry permit.

In one of my classes this semester this issue was brought up in a group I was assigned to. This really seemed to be an issue where there is little to any compromise: it seems people are either for it or against it and will not budge their opinion. Perhaps the reason for such a dichotomy in opinion is best expressed in the arguments on both sides.

On the side for allowing guns on campus they believe that if a Virginia Tech style shooting is to occur at least professors with a gun could act as first responders and potentially stop a gunman early in his (or in theory her) rampage, thus limiting the extent of the violence. Also, and less possible to evaluate is that if it is known that professors may be carrying weapons gunman may be deterred from attacking a campus.

On the side of those who are against allowing weapons, aside from a general distrust of guns, is the issue that professors carrying weapons could drastically complicate public safety officer's ability to keep order in the event of a shooting. It may be difficult for officers to discern the good guys from the bad, and unintended injuries or deaths may occur. They additionally would not be swayed by the argument that gun carrying profs would deter crazed gunmen from opening fire on campus.

This should be an interesting bill to follow through the legislative process.

Behind the Scenes at Channel 11

This past Friday, after the amazing time I had at the Phoenix Police Academy, I went to Phoenix's Channel 11 for a taping of Phoenix City Council On the Issues with Phoenix Councilman Claude Mattox, State Senator Nelson and Phoenix's Government Relations Director Karen Peters. The topic was the proposed state budget and the effects it, along with the temporary sales tax vote this May, would have on Phoenix.

Dave (my co-intern) and I got to go in the studio prior to the taping. The set is actually a green screen and there isn't really a lot in the studio. It had the hollow feeling of an industrial garage. What was really fascinating was when we went into the control room prior to and during the taping.

Prior to the taping the three participants had to be "synchronized" with (I'm not sure what the technical term is) the green screen so that the colors they were wearing were matched with the green screen. Without doing this matching they people onscreen disappear into the green screen.

Since the show is basically unscripted it was really neat observing the production crew trying to both anticipate and react to the onscreen participants' comments. Whether it was changing cameras or figuring out which graphics to display it was almost like listening to the team communications for a NASCAR crew.

While the final product will undoubtedly look like a seamless conversation between three colleagues the behind-the-curtain viewpoint revealed something totally different.

Police Academy

This past Friday I got to have an amazing experience courtesy of the Phoenix Police Academy. The City Manager's office (where I intern) took some state legislators that represent Phoenix on a tour of the Phoenix Police Academy.

We started at 10:00 in the video simulation room where officers are presented with real-life scenarios and must decide when, or if, they are required to use deadly force. The video was projected on a large screen and participates were equipped with a laser gun, though it had a real trigger mechanism. If and when the participant shot the simulator read the laser to determine where the "bullet" would have hit and then changes the simulation accordingly. It really put a new, and sobering, perspective on police shootings.

From there we got to observe a real training exercise based on the famous Los Angeles bank robbery where two suspects were wearing bulletproof armor and carrying automatic weapons. The exercise took place in the academy's "Tactical Village" which is a couple of real houses and a convenience store designed to mimic real-life potential layouts. The participants used real guns and "simmunition", real bullets but with paint balls instead of lead.

We observed two, seven man squads run an unscripted exercise in trying to neutralize two heavily armed and armored bad guys (played by two Phoenix police officers). We were perched on the third story roof of one of the houses with full access to the police communications.

To say this was cool would be a grand understatement. In fact, this was probably one of the coolest experiences I have ever been a part of. To see the exercise unfold like a chess match was mesmerizing. Adding to the experience was the fact that for all intent and purpose this was real: real guns, real sounding ammunition, real confusion and real mistakes.

All of the officers from Phoenix PD were extremely kind, knowledgeable and instructive. It was a wonderful learning experience for me and I'm sure that the legislators would concur.

I once was Lost… but now am found…

I have a feeling that many Lost fans have conducted more research and spent more thought into decrypting Lost's final season than I have spent in my entire graduate experience at ASU. For the record, that wasn't a critique on my academic expenditures.

I am a bit conflicted with Lost. On one hand, the over-thinking dork in me loves the series and the multiple theories on what happens as posted by 42 Inch Television or EW's Lost blog. Think about it: a popular network television program that not only makes you think, but makes you rethink, debate with friends, conduct research and then come to your own conclusion. Economics aside, Lost is a sharp contrast from the myriad of reality shows that dominate the airwaves.

That said, I am not a master of subtlety. I have to read multiple episode recaps, plus exchange multiple emails just to get above water on Lost and its hidden meanings (assuming my research is correct). I'll grant you I'm not Einstein, but then again I'm not the village idiot. If I have to consult "experts" on the deeper meaning of a TV show…

Case in point:

"An extremely little known fact: the subtitle to the season 3 classic 'The Man Behind The Curtain' was actually 'Very, very loosely based on the novel Push by Sapphire.'"

Seriously? I enjoy thinking but that my friends seems a bridge too far.

In the end I'd prefer a TV show spark more thought versus less, yet I don't think I should have to take the GRE and prepare my application to ASU for a Masters in Lost.

Can't Tell Me Nothing…

Well, to take a phrase from Kayne West's aforementioned song, "La, la, la, la… wait till I get my money right."

That might well be a long wait in Arizona. The Governor's budget proposal is causing chaos throughout virtually every state and local entity. And this all assumes the state will pass a temporary sales tax this May. If it doesn't pass then all bets are off.

As my esteemed co-intern Dave posted, assuming the Governor's proposal passes, and the temporary tax is approved, this will still reduce the City of Phoenix's budget $6M. This doesn't even begin to address the issues that the more rural communities throughout Arizona will face (in terms of percentage of budget).

While fully understandable, it is depressing to watch each agency, city and town reduce itself to a survivalist nature. Perhaps more depressing is the fact that this budgetary crisis may not pass for years to come.

To go back to another one of Kayne's songs, "N- n- now th- that don't kill me… Can only make me stronger." Here's hoping for Arizona's sake.