Campaign finance complaint filed on Stanton’s city council cash

By: Lynh Bui
The Arizona Republic

A complaint has been filed with the Phoenix city attorney and Arizona Attorney General’s Office over money from the campaign account mayoral candidate Greg Stanton used to run for City Council.

His treasurer, Mindy Shields, received one-year probation for stealing more than $70,000 from the account, which she paid back through a loan from her mother and father, lobbyist Billy Shields.

Stanton, a former councilman, rolled the money from the City Council account to help fund his bid for mayor against Wes Gullett.
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2 Phoenix council districts also await runoff decision

by Connie Cone Sexton and Michael Clancy – Oct. 15, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

While many Phoenix voters are concentrating on the upcoming mayoral runoff between Wes Gullett and Greg Stanton, the fates of two other spots on the City Council are at stake.

On Nov. 8, voters in far north and west Phoenix will decide who will represent them in Districts 1 and 5, respectively. In the Aug. 30 election, one candidate in each district came close to getting enough votes to win outright and avoid a runoff.

Early voting is under way by mail. The winners will take office Jan. 3.
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Lewis best pick in Pearce recall

Oct. 14, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Strip away the distractions and pathetic attempts to deceive voters, and the choice in the District 18 recall election is clear.

If you want a state senator who votes solely based on his own set of rigid beliefs, re-elect Russell Pearce.

If you want a senator who has promised to actively seek input from his constituents, elect Jerry Lewis.

Voters should choose the latter.
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Union bus drivers to vote on contract with First Transit

by Emily Gersema – Oct. 14, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

Bus drivers will vote on contract terms with one of Phoenix’s bus contractors, First Transit, within two weeks, but union talks with the city’s biggest bus-service contractor, Veolia Transportation Services, remain stalled.

The Phoenix bus drivers’ Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1433 announced that it has reached a tentative collective-bargaining agreement with First Transit, which has more than a dozen of Phoenix’s contracted bus routes in west Phoenix areas, while Veolia has the majority.
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‘Redistrict’ politics out of the game

by E. J. Montini, columnist – Oct. 13, 2011 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

We were better people in the year 2000.

We were idealistic. We were optimistic. We were visionary.

We were suckers.

We actually believed that it was possible in Arizona to take the politics out of . . . politics.
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