The Arizona Republic, with its long history of representing the Republican establishment, promotes the values of fiscal restraint and what it perceives to be the needs of Arizonans. The result has been to nurture some right wing politicians like Gosar, Biggs, and Lesko whose views are echoed by even stranger far right wing voices in the State legislature. It's an odd political cacophony. Fann, the Senate Chair, and the Party Chairman Kelli Ward are happy echoing the big lie that the last election was stolen. Nobody would dare accuse Republican politicians of intellectualism or having a social conscience. Governor Ducey brings up the rear, grandly boasting that his policies have put money in the civic bank account even though a lot slides out into the pockets of those who support him and away from the schools or what he sees as unnecessary social programs. His philosophy? If there's no money to be made, no profit for someone, it must be unnecessary. Teachers, schools, the homeless, social services are to be kept on a tight budget. Even funds allocated by Congress for such purposes must be meted out with great restraint or not at all. We are the inheritors of the Wild West, independent and self-reliant.

Every week there are editorials and cartoons beating the same old drum about the threats of socialism, reds under the bed, the fiscal irresponsibility of Democrats and law and order under attack. Republicans seeking high office promise to execute more people, throw immigrants over the border, build a bigger, better wall and be generally nasty to anyone who isn't white and doesn't carry a gun, but aspires to a house with at least five toilets. The great fear is always that we might end up looking like socialist California though even briefest journey through Scottsdale or Paradise Valley and you would have difficulty telling it from the more affluent parts of San Diego or LA. Perhaps California has more poorer people.

For all its grandiose professions of fairness, The Republic tiptoes through certain issues or at least deprives them of oxygen so that they do not become part of public debate. The daily accounts of vehicular and gun deaths are reported on but there's never a discussion of how they could be prevented. Try suggesting that business owners who sell alcohol or guns should bear some responsibility. The same is true of the pandemic. Businesses have had to be protected at all costs and we now have one of the highest death rates per 100,000 from COVID in the world. The NY Times may give careful graphs of infection and death rates but The Arizona Republic tries to bury them on page five. Perhaps announcing them too obviously embarrasses the Governor? Since most Republicans can avoid the virus why bother? Forcing Ducey into action might undermine his ambitions. Compared to either Australia or Germany our death rate is unacceptable. To keep the matter as quiet as possible, only once in the last two years have we been asked to mourn the names and lives of the dead. It's as if they only exist as a number, not as individuals.

Some subjects are buried in small corners of the newspaper, the excuse being of course, that the financial resources of the newspaper are limited and choices have to be made. Human trafficking, child prostitution, domestic violence, child abuse, graft and corruption, opioid deaths, occasionally make it to the surface but it's with a tone of shock, almost surprise as if they are unusual. I don't suppose there will be any discussion for the need to ration water until we are down to the last few bucketfuls per household. Not much is ever discussed about the history and plight of Native Americans in Arizona. Over 300,000 live here in their ancestral homes, but you would barely know it from the newspaper. Issues of race are quietly ignored except when they flare up in street protests. Industrial Agriculture is draining off our irreplaceable ground water for quick profits but there is little being done. According to the national press, Arizona is a breeding ground for extremists who are plotting the next coup. They seem to be able to do this without any attentions of The Republic. Pollution from particulates is killing those living in poorer areas. Apart from our Universities, the underfunded public High School system creaks and groans feeding a tertiary drop out rate of over 40 per cent.

Half of the newspaper's efforts to cover life in Arizona is focused on sport. The coverage remains consistently thorough. I am assuming the average reader is an avid sports fan whose dream for an Arizona professional team winning remains powerful and keeps the sales of the newspaper going. One major problem lies in the fact that The Arizona Republic is virtually Arizona's only print newspaper, so has power to control the agenda and there is little competition. That its circulation is diminishing adds to the impression that, like a wounded horse, it's limping along as best it can, trying to staunch the financial wounds. If we lose our democracy, which is on the cards, the editorial board will have made every effort not to tip the balance too far in either direction. Whether that is good for our survival remains to be seen. We will need to start coming together soon as Americans if the last four years are not to be repeated. It is comforting to know that The Republic was leading the charge.