Joe Setyon
Phoenix
Director of Media Relations @FairnessCenter Former @GoldwaterInst and @reason | Children’s book illustrator
Buy “Charlie’s Big Night”: a.co/d/03e2aMea
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Articles by Joe Setyon
Goldwater Institute doesn't want state paying union leaders
They just don’t seem to get it. High-profile government officials – public employees who draw a taxpayer-funded salary – are griping amid public scrutiny of where, exactly, Arizonans’ hard-earned dollars are going. One Phoenix union boss, technically a full-time “city employee” even though he doesn’t actually work for the city, complained that he has to go back to his job as an emergency dispatcher and somehow carry out his union duties outside of city hours.
Appeals Court Confirms Phoenix Officials Must Obey the Law in Homeless ‘Zone’
The Arizona Court of Appeals today agreed with a trial judge who last September ordered the city of Phoenix to clean up “The Zone”—the vast homeless encampment that the city effectively operated for well over a year on the streets of the city.
Texas Supreme Court to Hear Case on Public Sector Unions Receiving Tax Dollars
AUSTIN – The Supreme Court of Texas is set to hear oral arguments Tuesday morning on public sector labor unions’ “release time” scheme, which forces taxpayers to pay union organizers’ salaries and finance their activities. The Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Goldwater Institute are representing taxpayers in the case. Under release time, government agencies “release” employees from the jobs for which they were hired and instead assign them to work for their private union.
Setyon: Ditching DEI? These colleges just abandoned progressive loyalty oaths - The Daily Independent at YourValley.net
By Joe Setyon | Goldwater Institute It’s an unequivocable victory for college students, faculty, and the constitutions of Arizona and the United States: Arizona’s public universities will no longer force job applicants to pledge allegiance to progressivism.
Arizona Universities Dismantle DEI Requirements Following Uproar – Goldwater Institute | Prescott eNews
In a blow against the use of political litmus tests in Arizona’s public universities, the schools are eliminating the practice of requiring “diversity statements” on job applications. The decision came after the Goldwater Institute exposed that up to 80 percent of faculty job postings at Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, and Northern Arizona University were forcing applicants to provide the statements in order to screen out insufficiently progressive candidates.
New Goldwater Report: Free-Market Reforms Can Help Secure Arizona’s Water Future
Arizona is in the middle of one of the worst droughts in its history. Water supplies throughout the state are dwindling. The state is facing drastic cuts to its Colorado River allocations, posing a major threat to its water supplies.
Phoenix Is Policing Super Bowl Speech, but Not Violent Crime
It’s a tale of two cities in downtown Phoenix, set to play host to the national media and all the associated fanfare in the lead-up to Super Bowl LVII. Or rather, it’s a tale of where one city government’s priorities lie, brought to light by two lawsuits challenging the city’s willingness to trample on its residents’ rights. Government officials can’t be bothered to police violent crime in one of the nation’s largest homeless encampments.
Phoenix Is Policing Super Bowl Speech, but Not Violent Crime
It’s a tale of two cities in downtown Phoenix, set to play host to the national media and all the associated fanfare in the lead-up to Super Bowl LVII. Or rather, it’s a tale of where one city government’s priorities lie, brought to light by two lawsuits challenging the city’s willingness to trample on its residents’ rights. Government officials can’t be bothered to police violent crime in one of the nation’s largest homeless encampments.
Innocence Doesn’t Matter When the Government Wants to Steal Your Money
There’s a fault line permeating America’s criminal justice system—a built-in defect that the government can use to steal your property, even if you’re innocent. And many Americans don’t even know about it. Hardworking sisters Vera and Apollonia Ward didn’t either, until it happened to them. A California county government used a civil asset forfeiture law to seize $17,500 of their hard-earned money and treat them like criminals without a shred of evidence.
Innocence Doesn’t Matter When the Government Wants to Steal Your Money
Print There’s a fault line permeating America’s criminal justice system—a built-in defect that the government can use to steal your property, even if you’re innocent. And many Americans don’t even know about it. Hardworking sisters Vera and Apollonia Ward didn’t either, until it happened to them. A California county government used a civil asset forfeiture law to seize $17,500 of their hard-earned money and treat them like criminals without a shred of evidence.
VIDEO: Your School District Should Not Be Hiding Education from You
“Parents have an absolute right to know what their kids are learning in school,” Rhode Island mom Nicole Solas says in a new Daily Signal video. It ought to be a simple, uncontroversial concept. But as Nicole and many other parents have discovered, public schools often prefer to keep them in the dark. The public education establishment tried to intimidate and bully Nicole for asking what her daughter would be learning in kindergarten—even unleashing legal action to shut down her questions.
Terrified Student Hides in Bathroom to Escape Furious Leftist Mob
April 14, 2022 By Joe Setyon Illiberal activists don’t want to debate ideas they disagree with—they want to silence them. In just the latest example of this hostile climate for free speech at colleges and universities across the country, a leftist mob at the University of Buffalo tried to shut down a conservative group’s event and allegedly forced a terrified student to hide in the bathroom.
Seriously Ill Patients Would See New Hope with Goldwater’s Reform
March 15, 2022 By Joe Setyon After finding out their infant daughter had a fatal illness, Keira Riley’s family learned there was only one option available if they wanted to save her life: personalized gene therapy. Now, the Riley family is advocating for the Goldwater Institute’s Right to Try for Individualized Treatments reform so that other patients with serious illnesses have a chance at hope.
Poll: 84% of Americans Support Parents’ Right to See What Kids Are Learning
February 24, 2022 By Joe Setyon An overwhelming majority of American voters—84 percent—agree that parents should be able to see the curriculum plans and materials for their children’s classes, according to a new poll. The survey’s results provide more evidence that the American public largely supports parents’ right to be involved in their kids’ education.
Our Children’s Education Is Not a Game - We Need Academic Transparency
February 4, 2022 By Joe Setyon “Our children’s education is not a game. We just want to know what is being taught.” With those two sentences, Rhode Island mom Nicole Solas summed up what’s at stake as parents demand accountability from public schools that would prefer to keep them in the dark.
Public Records on CRT, Equity, & Inclusion? That’ll Be $409K, Please!
January 7, 2022 By Joe Setyon Public records aren’t actually “public” if the government charges citizens more than $409,000 to access them. But that’s exactly what a Michigan public school district tried to do when concerned parents requested public records about Critical Race Theory (CRT) and related subjects. It’s yet another example of a troubling nationwide trend that highlights the barriers government bureaucrats put up to keep parents from finding out what’s going on in the classroom.
Goldwater Client to Congress: Stop Gov’t Theft of Innocent Property Owners
December 8, 2021 By Joe Setyon Massachusetts grandmother Malinda Harris didn’t have a choice when the government demanded she turn over the keys to her car in March 2015. Police in Berkshire County seized her Infiniti G37 and kept it for six years, treating her like a criminal even though she was never charged or even accused of a crime. Thanks to the Goldwater Institute, Malinda got her car back, but she’s continuing her fight on behalf of other Americans who are facing injustice.
The System Tried Silencing Her. But She Wouldn’t Be Bullied.
By Joe Setyon November 18, 2021 Her request was a simple one. But for Rhode Island mom Nicole Solas, it was important nonetheless. “It wasn’t until I had kids that I realized that this is kind of like the point of life,” says Solas, 2021 recipient of the Goldwater Institute’s Freedom Award. “Your life changes when you have a baby.
Schools Swear They Don’t Teach CRT. They’re Lying.
November 9, 2021 By Joe Setyon Pundits and policymakers alike have made it a habit to deny that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is being taught in America’s public schools. But an Indiana school administrator’s revelations provide a good idea of what, exactly, the education establishment is really saying when it repeats this line to parents.
Goldwater 2021 Annual Dinner: We Won’t Let the ‘Statist Tyrants’ Win
By Joe Setyon November 6, 2021 Freedom works. That simple yet lofty principle this nation was founded on has lifted millions out of poverty and provided choices for Americans in all facets of life. But freedom forgotten is no freedom at all, and if we are to maintain our liberty and strive for more of it, we must never forget where we came from and how we got here. In short, we must not take out freedoms for granted.
‘By Far the Biggest Year We’ve Ever Had’ for School Choice
October 29, 2021 By Joe Setyon Any parent can tell you their child’s unique facets: what they love or hate, foods they will eat or won’t, things they excel at or need a bit of extra help with. This extends to how kids learn, too. That’s why the Goldwater Institute spends so much time and energy advocating for education choice.
Biden Fails in First 5 Minutes, Wrongly Calls Jan. 6 Worst Attack on Democracy Since Civil War
President Joe Biden insinuated Wednesday that the Jan. 6 Capitol incursion was “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.” The president’s remarks came as he delivered his first speech before a joint session of Congress. “I stand here tonight, one day shy of the 100th day of my administration,” Biden said. “One hundred days since I took the oath of office — lifted my hand off our family Bible — and inherited a nation … in crisis,” he added. “The worst pandemic in a century.
WH Tasks Kamala with Solving Border Crisis Then Says Her 'Focus Is Not on the Border'
Amid recent criticism, White House press secretary Jen Paski acknowledged Monday that Vice President Kamala Harris’ “focus is not on the border.” “Her focus is not on the border,” Psaki told reporters during a White House news briefing. Instead, Psaki said, Harris is focused on dealing with the “root causes” behind migrants traveling to the U.S. from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.
Trump Reveals He'll Announce Decision on 2024 Campaign Once Midterm Elections Are Finished
Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday “we’re going to take a look and we’ll see” after being asked if he was considering a 2024 presidential run. “Will you run again, Mr. President? Are you considering 2024?” host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump on Fox News. “Well based on every poll, they want me to run again, but we’re going to take a look and we’ll see,” he said. “First steps first, we have to see what we can do with the House,” the former president said.
Liberal Activist: Trump Led So Well on CJR That Biden Has Zero Excuse for Failure
The Trump administration’s work to reform the nation’s criminal justice system has left the Biden administration “without excuse” on the issue, according to a liberal-leaning activist. In December 2018, then-President Donald Trump signed into law the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill containing new sentencing guidelines and provisions meant to help ex-convicts transition back into society after they’ve served their time. The bill also banned the shackling of pregnant inmates in federal prisons.
TX Salon Owner Hits CPAC, Obliterates Government Tyrants Who Jailed Her Over COVID
Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther, who was jailed last year for reopening her shop amid a COVID-19 lockdown, has a message for small business owners struggling to make ends meet: “Open your doors.” “You are not doing anything illegal. And we want the community to back you like the community backed me. And that’s the only reason I’m standing here today. I had the backing of the nation,” Luther told The Western Journal at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Ben Carson Urges Conservatives to Stand Up for Beliefs: 'If You Fight, You Will Win'
Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has a message for conservatives looking for something to be positive about: “If you fight, you will win.” Democrats currently control both houses of Congress, as well as the White House, leaving some conservatives concerned about what the future holds. But the retired neurosurgeon and former Trump administration Cabinet member says conservatives must not stop fighting for what they believe in.
US Senator Sends Out the Warning: This Is the Biggest Threat to the Founding Fathers' Carefully Constructed Federalist America
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee thinks the biggest threat that the federalist form of government currently faces is all too clear. “Government. And the impulse to consolidate power,” Lee told The Western Journal on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida. What’s the biggest threat that federalism faces today? It’s simple, @SenMikeLee told me at #CPAC2021. “Government.
Kevin Sorbo Reveals Message Canceled 'Star Wars' Actress Shared with Him: 'I'm Finally Waking Up'
Christian, conservative actor Kevin Sorbo revealed in an interview with The Western Journal on Saturday the message that former “Star Wars” actress Gina Carano, who was recently fired by Disney subsidiary Lucasfilm, shared with him. Carano, who has expressed conservative views on social media, was criticized for an Instagram post last month that compared the current U.S. political climate to that of Nazi Germany.
Embattled GOP Congresswoman Reveals Who Republicans Attacking Trump Are Really Insulting
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia argued Saturday that Republicans who attack former President Donald Trump are really attacking the American people who support him. Greene has become a controversial figure due to her past support for a number of debunked, fringe conspiracy theories.
GOP Senator Rick Scott Reveals Why 'The Biden Administration Is Our Best Recruiter'
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott revealed his plan Friday to counter President Joe Biden’s agenda in the Senate, where Democrats hold the majority thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to cast the tie-breaking vote when the chamber is split 50-50. The key, he said, is making the public aware of what the Biden administration is seeking to do.
TX Salon Owner Hits CPAC, Obliterates Government Tyrants Who Jailed Her Over COVID
Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther, who was jailed last year for reopening her shop amid a COVID-19 lockdown, has a message for small business owners struggling to make ends meet: “Open your doors.” “You are not doing anything illegal. And we want the community to back you like the community backed me. And that’s the only reason I’m standing here today. I had the backing of the nation,” Luther told The Western Journal at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida.
GOP Senator: A 'LinkedIn Search' Would Yield Candidates More Qualified Than Biden's HHS Nominee
Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford slammed one of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet picks, Xavier Becerra, on Thursday as a “radical” pro-abortion leftist who is not qualified to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Becerra, a former Democratic member of Congress who in his current role as attorney general of California sued the Trump administration 122 times, has very little notable experience pertaining to health, except for his time serving on the House subcommittee on health.
Breaking: Conservative Legend Rush Limbaugh Has Died at Age 70
Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died at the age of 70, according to his wife, Kathryn. The conservative icon had been battling advanced lung cancer for more than a year. “Rush will forever be the greatest of all time. Rush was an extraordinary man. A gentle giant. Brilliant, quick-witted, genuinely kind. Extremely generous. Passionate. Courageous.
West Virginia’s Entire Supreme Court Just Got Impeached
Facebook/Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia West Virginia's House of Delegates has impeached all four of the state's Supreme Court justices, who allegedly abused their authority and used taxpayer funds for personal gain. Fourteen articles of impeachment were brought up against Chief Justice Margaret Workman and Justices Allen Loughry, Robin Davis, and Elizabeth Walker of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
As Bone-Chilling Cold Front Hits United States, Americans Are Reporting This Strange and Haunting Phenomenon
A thick, warm blanket. A crackling fireplace. A piping mug of hot cocoa. And … light pillars? As a mid-February cold front refuses to release much of the United States from its clutches, many Americans are no doubt reacquainting themselves with all coping mechanisms they use to deal with sub-freezing temperatures. While light pillars won’t keep you physically warm, they may brighten your day or night — as they have for residents across the country recently.
President Trump's Twitter Account Permanently Suspended: 'Risk of Further Incitement of Violence'
Twitter announced Friday evening that it has permanently suspended President Donald Trump from its platform. “After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” the company wrote in a blog post.
Mark Meadows Backs Off Run for Senate in 2022
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has “no intentions” of running for Senate in 2022, he told a Raleigh newspaper Friday. “I love the people of North Carolina,” Meadows, who represented the state in the House and co-founded the House Freedom Caucus before joining the Trump administration, told The News & Observer. “But I not only have no plans, I have no intentions to run for the Senate in 2022.” “I’ve had a number of people talk about running for that seat, if indeed Sen.
After Sparking Backlash from Thanksgiving Observers, Dems Cancel Lavish Dinner
House Democrats canceled an in-person dinner for newly elected members of their caucus Friday evening after coming under fire over what many Americans saw a blatant instance of coronavirus-related hypocrisy. “Members-elect are now picking up their boxed meals and departing the Capitol,” tweeted Drew Hammill, deputy chief of staff to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. “There is no group dinner.
Biden Repeats Obama Health Care Lie: 'You Can Keep Your Private Insurance' Original
“If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan.” Perhaps then-President Barack Obama and his top administration officials believed they were telling the truth when they uttered that line or something close to it more than three dozen times in referring to health insurance changes under the Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as Obamacare, according to PolitiFact. Put simply, they were not.
Trump Gets Biden To Freak in First 30 Minutes, Has VP Snarling 'Will You Shut Up, Man?'
Former Vice President Joe Biden suggested President Donald Trump should “shut up” Tuesday during the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio. The moment came during the debate’s first 30 minutes, as the Democratic nominee refused to answer a question about court-packing. Debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News started by asking Biden whether or not he would support ending the filibuster or packing the Supreme Court were he to win the presidency.
Trump Dares Biden To Say He's for Law & Order, Biden Says I'm for Law 'And a Little Bit of Order'
After President Donald Trump asked him if he supports “law and order,” Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he supports law “and a little bit of order.” The moment came during the first presidential debate Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. “Democrats,” Trump said, “don’t want to talk, like you, about law and order.” “Are you in favor of law and order?” the president asked. “I’m in favor of law, you following it, and a little bit of order,” Biden replied.
Assassination Attempt Against President Trump Foiled by Law Enforcement: Report Original
Law enforcement officials recently foiled what appears to be an assassination attempt that targeted President Donald Trump via a package containing the poison ricin, according to a report. Citing two law enforcement officials, CNN reported the package was addressed to Trump and intercepted by authorities this week. “Two tests were done to confirm the presence of ricin,” according to the outlet.
Trump Freed My Body, God Freed My Mind, Says Woman Who Had Been Sentenced to Life for Drug-Related Crime
In her speech during Night Four of the Republican National Convention, Alice Marie Johnson highlighted President Donald Trump’s successful efforts to implement criminal justice reform. Johnson was sentenced in the mid-1990s to life in prison, according to Reason. She was convicted of being involved in a drug-trafficking conspiracy, but her involvement was nonviolent. Still, she was slapped with a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
As Trump Readies RNC Speech, Agitators Chant 'Burn It Down' at White House and St. John's Church
As President Donald Trump prepared to address the Republican National Convention on Thursday, protesters in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church, just north of the White House, shouted: “Burn it down.” Video footage from Daily Caller reporter Phillip Nieto captured the protesters’ threat. “If we don’t get [justice]…” a person on a loudspeaker shouted. “Burn it down,” protesters in the crowd said, finishing the chant for him.
Watch: RNC Speaker Paralyzed from Waist Down Literally Stands Up To Honor America
The 25-year-old Republican nominee for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District may use a wheelchair due to his partial paralysis, but it didn’t stop him from standing at the end his speech to the Republican National Convention. Madison Cawthorn was paralyzed from the abdomen down in a 2014 car accident, according to Fox News. In June, he defeated a Republican candidate backed by President Donald Trump in a primary runoff.
General at RNC: Trump Asks 'Is This Decision Right for America' Before Every Major National Security Decision
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who serves as national security advisor to Vice President Mike Pence, revealed in a speech that aired Wednesday during Night Three of the Republican National Convention the one question that guides President Donald Trump as he makes difficult foreign policy and national security decisions. “I understand sacrifice, I know leadership,” Kellogg said.
Watch: RNC Speaker Paralyzed from Waist Down Literally Stands Up To Honor America
The 25-year-old Republican nominee for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District may use a wheelchair due to his partial paralysis, but that didn’t stop him from standing at the end his speech to the Republican National Convention that aired Wednesday. Madison Cawthorn was paralyzed from the abdomen down in a 2014 car accident, according to Fox News. In June, he defeated a Republican candidate backed by President Donald Trump in a primary run-off.
During RNC Speech, Rand Paul Says the First Thing Trump Did When They Met Was Donate to Paul's Medical Mission Trip
In his address to the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul talked about how, the first time he met Donald Trump, the then-businessman offered to help fund a medical mission to Guatemala. Paul went on to talk about how he is “proud” of Trump’s job performance as president, even though the two men do not always agree on everything. “Donald Trump and I met many years ago, before he was running for anything,” said Paul, an ophthalmologist.
Trump Tells Felon 'I'm Not Sure You Know This' Then Signs His Pardon During RNC Broadcast Original
News By Joe Setyon August 25, 2020 at 6:33pm A convicted felon was brought to tears when President Donald Trump granted him a full pardon in a video that aired Tuesday during the second night of the Republican National Convention. Jon Ponder, a born-again Christian and founder of the nonprofit group Hope for Prisoners, appeared in the broadcast alongside former FBI agent Richard Beasley, who arrested Ponder in 2004 but has since become one of his close friends.
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