Amy Silverman of New Times weighs in on the state's proposed juvenile-justice hand-off:

Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick describes the population at the ADJC as "dangerous," but the truth is that only about 15 percent placed in ADJC facilities in 2009 were there for violent crimes, according to court statistics. (The rest violated probation or were convicted of misdemeanors or felony property crimes.) At least twice that number are seriously mentally ill and, by the department's own admission, do not belong in secure facilities. The system is ill and it's making sick kids sicker.

That's the danger. And, by and large, it's one best addressed, the experts agree, by community-based programs and therapy provided outside a locked facility. Judges need to be educated — perhaps a daunting task but one far less expensive than locking kids up and throwing away the key.

The problem?

And yet Rosenberg, whose organization sent the governor a detailed letter on the topic, sounds defeated already.

"Unfortunately, I am not certain anyone is listening or really cares about real reform in the good sense of the word," she commented earlier this week.

Instead, the governor's trying to play Hot Potato by passing costs to other government entities, and here in Maricopa County, this is just one more reason for the sheriff and the Board of Supervisors to engage in battle. Too bad. But that's just part of Arizona's rich history when it comes to juvenile corrections failures.

It looks like we may be able to get some federal funds to keep from dumping more than 300,000 people from the AHCCCS rolls—if lawmakers don't change the eligibility standards as part of a desperate budget maneuver of questionable legality in a rush to pretend to balance the budget by the end of the week.

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema dropped this e-mail today:

Yesterday in Approps I mentioned that the Senate was expected to pass the FMAP extension bill today. As we debated the budget in Approps, the Senate voted on cloture to end debate and bring the bill to the floor. Today the bill came up for a vote. The bill just passed the full Senate by a vote of 62-36, with 5 Republican members joining Democrats in voting yes (Sens. Bond (MO), Collins (ME), Murkowski (AK), Snowe (ME), Vitter (LA)). The bill has moved to the House, where it is expected to pass tomorrow and be on the President’s desk as early as Friday.

There’s no need to jeopardize Arizona’s standing to qualify for these funds. I urge you all NOT to vote to roll back Prop 204 this week — doing so jeopardizes our ability to qualify to receive over $400 million for health care in Arizona — dollars that will be dollar-for-dollar supplanted in our current AHCCCS spending. In short, these dollars will actually bring us MORE money than the current budget proposal plans to save by cutting AHCCCS for over 320,000 people. We should NOT take shortsighted, foolhardy action this week when the federal stimulus dollars will be approved within days.

Here are the details on the American Workers, State and Business Relief Act.

The Children's Action Alliance responds to the GOP budget plan:

This budget calls for deep cuts that will devastate children and families and damage Arizona's future recovery. Many alternatives have been put on the table that would allow the state to responsibly continue KidsCare health coverage for 47,000 children, child care assistance for hardworking parents, domestic violence shelters, and rehabilitation for troubled youth. This plan puts Arizona behind all other states for jobs. We urge state lawmakers not to put their name on a budget that shuts the door on children and economic growth.

The budget bills voted on in Committee yesterday endanger children and families in numerous ways:

Eliminating KidsCare, resulting in 47,000 children losing their health care coverage. With the elimination of KidsCare, Arizona would be the only state in the nation without this health coverage and Arizona will be turning away the federal funds that come with this.

Eliminating the Department of Juvenile Corrections. This would shift responsibility to the counties without planning or resources for treatment and rehabilitation. Locking up youth without needed services is the surest way to turn troubled youth into repeat criminals.

Slapping Arizona voters in the face by cutting more than 300,000 adults and 12,000 children off health care coverge despite our ballot vote several years ago.

Exposing 17,000 poor children to more hunger and risk by eliminating cash assistance for their families.
Damaging jobs and children’s education and security by keeping the door shut on child care assistance for low-income working parents.

Asking voters to move Arizona backwards by repealing First Things First and eliminating all state investments in health, education, and security for young children.

• NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Nearly 700 new images of Mars have been released to the Planetary Data System.

Among this week's featured new images: a snapshot of spring emerging on Mars.

HiRISE team member Candy Hansen tells us:

In the winter a layer of carbon dioxide ice (dry ice) covers the north polar sand dunes. In the spring the sublimation of the ice (going directly from ice to gas) causes a host of uniquely Martian phenomena.

In this subimage streaks of dark basaltic sand have been carried from below the ice layer to form fan-shaped deposits on top of the seasonal ice. The similarity in the directions of the fans suggests that they formed at the same time, when the wind direction and speed was the same. They often form along the boundary between the dune and the surface below the dunes.

Legendary bluesman Keb' Mo' performs Thursday night at the Rialto Theatre. Details here.

Update from our earlier post: GOP leaders couldn't round up the votes to pass the budget in the House or the Senate this afternoon, so they'll be massaging the package and trying again tomorrow.

Here's a notice from Noreen Geyer Kordosky, who does wildlife rescue and rehab.

Wildlife Rescue Centers in the Tucson area receive many calls each year from people who have been watching “their” hummingbird nest, and suddenly think the adult female is no longer coming to feed the nestling. Also they might notice she isn’t sitting on the nest at night. Whether or not to cut down the nest and bring it to a rehabilitation volunteer is the question. Unless one can maintain a full hour of uninterrupted observation of the nest, one is likely to miss a 15-45 second visit from the adult. Only the female feeds the young. Before intervening, please take the full time to watch the nest site. Nests on branches that have been accidently cut down can be wired back onto the tree. Call if you have questions: 743-0677(h), 240-2686 ©

Reid Park Zoo has turned its concession stand into a full-service, air-conditioned restaurant, says Don Morgan, the eatery's executive chef.

Zoofari Market boasts a super eco-friendly design that includes clay walls, bamboo booth dividers, stained concrete floors and an animal mural made from dried plants and reclaimed materials. The renovation to the indoor 2,000-square-foot space cost about $350,000. Outdoor seating is also available.

On the menu: Angus beef hamburgers, Nathan's hotdogs, taco salads, burritos, rice, beans, nachos, a salad bar, corndogs, pretzels, churros and desserts. Drinks include fountain sodas and homemade lemonade and agua fresca.

Hamburgers and hotdogs were the finest foods available at the old concession stand, and only outdoor seating was available.

Food is ordered at the counter and delivered to the table, Morgan said. The eatery will open Jaguar Junction, an outdoor grilling area that features a dollar menu, this weekend.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily.

Here's what we're hearing from the Capitol:

Republican leadership would like to get the slash-and-burn budget through as quickly as possible and had hoped to the get the bills that passed both Senate and House appropriations committees yesterday through the chambers today.

But they've hit some snags in the Senate, which has already abandoned plans to vote on the package today. The House, meanwhile, is scheduled to start debating the bills at 3:30 today, but that plan could change if the votes don't materialize.

One major holdup revolves around putting the financial responsibility for incarcerating juvenile-justice inmates on the counties. That's running into big resistance, especially from the rural counties.

More to come.

• Milo

This unusually cute dog is Milo and he's looking for a home. The folks at Tucson Cold Wet Noses say this about Milo at tucsoncoldwetnoses.com:

Milo is a very sweet boxer or pit mix who looks at you with big, brown eyes and is very mellow. He is a love bug and would be great with children. The only thing is he is also a thief and a counter surfer and cannot be left in a house unattended. When he is not napping and being a lazy