Arizona, in a hole, calls for more shovels

It's difficult to get news out of Arizona since the state's largest newspaper became "The Information Center," pushed out many of its most experienced and talented journalists and put up a minimalist Web site that's little more informative than somebody's personal Blogspot page. But is it really true that Joe Arpaio and Andrew Peyton Thomas were re-elected? That voters approved a ban on any property-transfer taxes? That they outlawed gay marriage? That Arizona turnout was lower than the state's usually low number — and during an election that saw a historic high of turnout back in the United States?

Apparently so. The Joe/Peyton coronation ensures that the public focus will remain on persecuting the poor and minorities, some of whom happen to be illegal aliens that allow the low-wage construction and tourism economy to thrive. Heaven forbid that the state pay attention to providing ladders up in the New Economy and avoid adding to the dangerous income inequality, linear slums and underclass already growing like kudzu there.

Gay marriage — such a vital issue at a time of, oh, dwindling water supplies, awful schools, an economy in freefall and the state's vulnerability to global warming. One might ask, when will the tourism economy feel the brunt of a boycott by "the homosexuals" who also tend to have higher disposable income. California enacted a ban, too — a last gasp of the suburban churchy bigots — but voters there also passed high-speed rail and other progressive measures.

The prohibition on enacting real-estate transfer taxes ("Save Our Homes") will further hamstring government's ability to pay for the public investments desperately needed by this broiling dystopia. It won't save anybody's house, but it will keep the Real Estate Industrial Complex from paying even a modest amount into the commons from which it reaps so much profit. Meanwhile, infrastructure will be hopelessly behind, education remain at a Mississippi level and investments for competitiveness impossible to fund. All you struggling "home owners" with low-wage Arizona jobs and talk-radio-fed grievances — you've been punk'd by the rich elites that run the state and keep you down.

It's amazingly backward looking, inward looking and tribal. Nothing in the election seems to have been attuned to helping Arizona prosper, or even survive, in the 21st century. The decisions by the voting minority don't even seem to take notice of the 21st century. And the sum of intolerance, ignorance and apathy is shocking — even for those of us who have the battle scars from seeing what this once-promising place has become. But this is also what happens when most people don't vote.

Read more booster-busting reality about the state on Rogue's Arizona Crisis page, and past columns.