Arizona: Az 5

by David Safier

The above-the-fold photo on the front of today's NY Times' SundayStyles section shows 4 students from Rincon High under the headline, Can a Boy Wear a Skirt to School?

None of the students, male or female, appear to be wearing skirts, but the caption says that Rincon High is a place "where differences are protected."

The only mention of the school in the story, which talks about levels of acceptance -- and lack thereof -- at various high schools around the country, is this:

Other schools are more accepting of unconventional gender expression. In September, a freshman girl at Rincon High School in Tucson who identifies as male was nominated for homecoming prince.

by David Safier

Thanks and congratulations are due to our AZ Democratic delegation to the U.S. House. All of them voted Yes on the health care bill -- Raul Grijalva, Gabriel Giffords, Ann Kirkpatrick, Harry Mitchell and Ed Pastor.

Keep up the good work (he said hopefully).

by David Safier

I wonder if the City Council election results would have been different if Trasoff and Uhlich came out strong and early against Prop 200. I know the smart money consultants said, Play it safe, you can't be against increasing police and fire protection. But what if they didn't "play it safe" . . .

First, a digression.

During the last presidential primaries, the Dem nomination came down to three choices, all intelligent, all personable, all reasonably qualified. With an unpopular R president, the election was ours, so long as we didn't do something really stupid.

The smart, careful, cautious folks said, for God's sake, don't nominate the black guy! The country isn't ready for that yet, and when his last name rhymes with Osama? Why don't we just give up and cede the election to the Rs?

The white woman? This isn't the time to risk everything by trying to break new ground.

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The final numbers are now in for the City of Tucson election. As of 20:49:10 on November 6, 2009. with 100% of precincts reporting, here are the unofficial results:

City Council Ward 3

Karin Uhlich (D)   33,760  46.99%

Ben Buehler-Garcia (R)   33,656  46.72%

Mary DeCamp (G)   4,425  6.16%

City Council Ward 5

Richard Fimbres (D) 37,728  53.12%

Shaun McClusky (R)  33,129  46.65%

City Council Ward 6

Nina Trasoff (D)     34,675  48.62%

Steve Kozachik (R)     36,403  51.04%

Prop. 200 Public Safety First Initiative

Yes 21,868  29.79%

No   51,546  70.21%

Prop. 400 Home Rule Budget Override

Yes 35,343  49.35%

No   36,270  50.65%

Prop. 401 TUSD Operations Budget Override

Yes 29,503  41.27%

No   41,977  58.73%

Prop. 402 TUSD Technology Budget Override

Yes 27,974  39.