Homeless in Arizona

While in theory "free speech" would promote the interests of the public, in reality, "free speech" will promote the pork spending of the police unions, firemen unions and other special interest groups.

In the city of Phoenix the cops get slightly over 50% of the entire Phoenix budget. That compares to the police getting about 40% of the budget in most other city governments across the USA.

The fire department gets the next 20% of the Phoenix budget, with the police and fire departments sharing about 70% of the entire Phoenix city budget. That compares to other city governments where the cops and firemen get about 60% of the total budget.

Like it our not special interest groups run most city governments. And changing this law will make it ever more one sided for those special interest groups.

Source

Phoenix may ease limits on workers' political speech

Dustin Gardiner, The Republic | azcentral.com 7:01 a.m. MST September 27, 2016

Phoenix may ease rules that ban city employees from publicly voicing their opinions about candidates for mayor or City Council.

The move would allow local municipal unions to flex more political muscle as their members could advocate for or against city leaders on the ballot. For many years, city employees only could vote and privately express opinions about candidates.

Mayor Greg Stanton and council members Daniel Valenzuela and Laura Pastor say they want the change because the city has interpreted laws limiting city employee political participation so strictly that it's limiting employees' free-speech rights.

"This is about 14,000-plus city employees that don’t have the same First Amendment rights as their neighbors simply because they work for the city," said Valenzuela, a firefighter who's received support from city unions. "And that’s unacceptable."

The City Charter, Phoenix's primary governing document, bars city employees from taking part in "political management, affairs or campaigns in any election for city of Phoenix elective office" other than voting or privately expressing opinions.

Valenzuela and Pastor, both Democrats, said current policy interprets the law so narrowly it prohibits employees from doing ordinary things like displaying yard signs at their house, expressing their opinion to a neighbor, posting opinions on personal social media or signing candidate nomination petitions.

They have proposed an amendment to a city ordinance to allow those political activities. Employees still couldn't engage in political activity when they are on duty, wearing a city uniform or using city resources.

However, the proposal likely will stir controversy among some city leaders and residents. The council is expected to vote on the issue at a 2:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday in the chambers at 200 W. Jefferson St.

An issue that's 'definitely gray'

Councilman Jim Waring, a Republican, said he's torn about the proposal. On one hand, he said, he doesn't think the city should infringe on the rights of employees to do things like post a yard sign.

At the same time, Waring said he fears the changes will feed a perception that City Hall is dominated by "insider baseball" and employee unions. He also questions how the city would monitor what political activity takes place during work hours.

"I am afraid that it will deter other conservative candidates from running," Waring said. “This is not a black or white issue for me. It’s definitely gray."

Under the proposed changes, city employees still could not contribute money to candidates running for city offices. City rules don't prohibit employees from participating in races for national, state or county office on their personal time.

Stanton, a Democrat who is term-limited from running again, said the state of Arizona, Maricopa County and other large cities, such as Los Angles or New York, have similar rules. He said "any benefit of the doubt" about the policy should be decided in favor of people's First Amendment rights.

"This is a very reasonable approach based upon the experience of other governments," Stanton said. "Phoenix was more restrictive than those other governments."

P.J. Dean, a spokesman for the firefighter union, said the changes would put city employees on an even playing field with other residents, not give them an undue advantage. [He is wrong on that. Currently city employees have an advantage over other city residents. That's because city employees are insiders who have access to the system]

"We just feel very strongly that we should be like everybody else," he said.