STARBUCKS COFFEE SHOPS...THE NEW SCHOOL HOUSE

Starbucks has become the place for young people to learn while they and their tutors enjoy their favorite beverage. That's right, these off-site teachers have taken over many of the tables at our local shops and apparently the chain encourages it. Equipped with lattes, or grandes, or chai tea, or one of a huge selection of drinks from the Starbucks menu, they enhance their regular school room activities with a person expert in the field where they need help. Of course it isn't free but apparently the parents of these kids are of that limited profile that is involved in their child's education. When you consider how school budgets across the country are being slashed, this may end up being the saving grace. As an example, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey proposed cutting the state's education budget while setting up more private prison spending. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback cut $45 million from that state's education budget and just about put the system in the tank. Republicans are more concerned with coming to the aid of big business than setting a higher stand of education in this country. What I worry about are those students who can't afford the tutoring.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT-ARIZONA A PROGRESSIVE STATE?

George W.P. Hunt, the first governor of Arizona, tried to get the state off to a good start. He was an arch Progressive and David Berman is attempting to capture his avant-garde politics in his book, "George Hunt: Arizona's Crusading Seven-Term Governor." If Hunt were alive today, Berman thinks he would be impressed with development but would scream over the political situation. Yes, it's hard today to look at or listen to any Republican politician in Arizona without howling over their absurd ideas and antics. Hunt believed,  "...government can make life a little fairer for more people." "...believed in supporting public education." "Much of his views are grounded in his hatred of poverty. He saw class bias..."

In fact, he was for everything the current Gov. Doug Ducey is against.

ARIZONA-WHERE STUPID LAWS ARE BORN

First, Gov. Doug Ducey proposed cutting Arizona education budgets to fund private prisons. Then Dr. Gov. Ducey declares his medical credentials in the passage of  Senate Bill 1318, termed "voodoo"  medicine, "ordering that henceforth doctors must tell women that drug-induced abortions might be reversible." Not possible scientifically and the first state in the nation to do this reports Laurie Roberts in the AZ Republic. He's joined by Arizona radical, Cathi Herrod, of the Center for Arizona Policy, another home-grown bunch of fanatics. A couple of doctors here in the state who are experts in the field of abortions say it's not only bad but it could be dangerous.

If you hang around long enough I'll have more of these gems for you. Thought we had rid the state of crackpots like former governor Jan Brewer but apparently Ducey has picked up the mantle.