Arizona Republic publishes Farrell Quinlan's first column

I have begun to write a column for the Arizona Republic's East Valley community sections. My first column addresses the ugly scene last week outside Sen. Jon Kyl's Phoenix office and the other negative things said about him by state GOP officials. Click here to read the column on the Arizona Republic's website.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - Arizona Republic

Sen. Kyl unfairly criticized on immigration reform

By Farrell Quinlan

An alarming number of leading Arizona Republican Party officials recently made outrageous attacks on Sen. Jon Kyl for his courageous leadership on the difficult issue of immigration reform.

Adding embarrassment to a once "grand old party," some party leaders backed anti-immigrant protesters who picketed Sen. Kyl's Phoenix office with poisonous and vulgar slogans.

Mothers Against Illegal Aliens, a group promoting the protest, demanded Sen. Kyl's immediate resignation because he "has betrayed his state of Arizona and the mothers of America!" They called him a "sellout" and "bagman and/or water boy" for "the White House treason."

Protest signs called him a "liar," "two-faced" and "traitor."

The protesters also held signs with lewd images and messages in full view of children on busy Camelback Road.

Such extremism and ugliness ought to be ignored, except these protesters pretend to speak for my party and me while they slander an honorable public servant.

Sen. Kyl has done more for the Republican Party and the conservative movement than all of these political posers combined.

He has been a stalwart defender of conservative principles since he was first elected to Congress in 1986.

On the Senate's Finance, Judiciary and Intelligence committees, Jon Kyl has been a bulwark against liberal assaults on our wallets, Constitution and national security.

His lifetime American Conservative Union rating is 97 percent. The Center for Security Policy scores him at 94 percent. The National Rifle Association and the National Taxpayers Union consistently give him "A" grades. He has a perfect right-to-life voting record.

The respected National Journal ranks him the third most conservative senator and the most conservative Arizonan in our delegation.

Jon Kyl takes a backseat to no one in conservative credentials.

He is also one of the most respected leaders in Washington. Time recognized him as one of the 10 best senators.

Political friend and foe alike agree that Jon Kyl is one of the most intelligent, humble and hardworking lawmakers ever to serve.

He is just the kind of man his Senate Republican colleagues can trust to tackle an issue like our chaotic and incomprehensible immigration system.

He agrees with the overwhelming majority of Americans that we are is in the midst of an illegal immigration crisis and Congress must act to secure our borders and protect our economic future.

Sen. Kyl wants to ensure that any legislation that passes a Democratic-controlled Congress includes tough new border control, employment verification and a temporary worker program that is truly temporary and settles the status of 12 million undocumented migrants without amnesty.

The compromise plan is not perfect and must be improved. But if a good bill can be crafted, leaders like Sen. Kyl will need to be part of the negotiations.

Support the compromise or not, Sen. Kyl is acting in good faith to help end the rampant lawlessness on the border.

Sen. Kyl remains true to his conservative principles and the Republican Party.

He deserve better than taunts and derision from the likes of those who protested outside his office.

Farrell Quinlan is a public affairs consultant from Chandler. He can be reached at farrellquinlan@gmail.com.

CRITIQUE & REVIEW: “28 Weeks Later" a worthy successor

28 Weeks Later is a good sequel to 28 Days Later. Usually zombie movies are not very good but the first was surprisingly good and the second helping furthers the story along and, or course, sets up another sequel. No need to see it in the theater. Wait for DVD or even pay cable. It’s an enjoyable movie for those who like that sort of thing.

Look: 7
Story: 7
Acting: 6
Goal: 9
Intangibles: 8
Overall: 7.5
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CRITIQUE & REVIEW: “Spider-Man 3" disappoints

Spider-Man 3 had some cool effects but that was about it. It had a bunch of time dedicated to relationship issues between Peter and Mary Jane… yawn. I have to agree with the majority of critics that panned this movie. Is it a bad movie? No. But for the amount of money invested, you’d think they would have done better. Maybe this entry suffers from the overall high quality of its two predecessors. See it on the big screen for the effects but don’t expect what the franchise served up before.

Look: 9
Story: 5
Acting: 6
Goal: 6
Intangibles: 6
Overall: 6.5
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CRITIQUE & REVIEW: “Grindhouse" not even worth a view on stolen cable

Grindhouse is a mess. I guess it is entertaining is parts but there is a reason those schlockfests from the 1970’s never got the respect their makers felt they deserved. They didn’t deserve the respect. This movie (movies?) is not worth even a late night cable view. Move on, nothing to see here.

Look: 2
Story: 1
Acting: 5
Goal: 7
Intangibles: 4
Overall: 4
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CRITIQUE & REVIEW: “300" is Outstanding

300 is a great, fun and very entertaining movie. It’s got all the fighting, blood and guts and action that you need, and then some. The movie (to me) has very conservative political messages. But don’t see it as a political movie, it is a big, boastful war movie. Refreshing.

Look: 10
Story: 8
Acting: 8
Goal: 10
Intangibles: 10
Overall: 9
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Tax burden shifting away from business to consumers

I was quoted in a recent Phoenix Business Journal article on tax policy in Arizona:

Some business advocates say it is important to keep state and local tax burdens low to encourage investment and job creations. They also point out that consumers are taxed indirectly via business property and other corporate levies.

"Taxes on business are generally passed on to the consumer through higher prices. In cases where such tax burdens can't be passed on to consumers, the taxable activities and the jobs associated with them will migrate to a lower tax environment, often overseas," said Farrell Quinlan, a business lobbyist and president of In the Arena Public Affairs, Inc.

"The bottom-line choice is not between regressive vs. progressive taxes, but between hidden vs. visible taxes paid by the consumer," he said.

Click here to read the entire article.

BOOK REPORT: “A Mormon in the White House?: 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney” by Hugh Hewitt

Hugh Hewitt’s “A Mormon in the White House?” is an interesting and valuable read as we go into the 2008 presidential contests. Many pundits have written Mitt Romney off because of his religion. It would be a shame if that turns out to be true. I wonder if so much of the criticism for Romney’s real (abortion) and imagined (immigration) flip-flops are not convenient stalking horses for people’s prejudice against Mormons.

Keeping with the religious theme, many critics have labeled the book a hagiography. There is little doubt of where Hewitt stands on Mitt Romney and less doubt which candidate he supports for the 2008 GOP nomination regardless of his protestations of not knowing on his radio show.

If Romney’s candidacy takes off -- and there are many indications that it might be doing just that -- Hewitt’s book will become a must-read. Look for the paperback version with a new chapter/forward closer to when primary/caucus voters actually vote.

BOOK REPORT: “The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion” by Robert Spencer

Robert Spencer’s “The Truth About Muhammad” is a valuable reference book for those looking for the facts surrounding the most controversial areas in the life and teachings of the founder of Islam. Though a quick read (only about 185 pages) it is not an easy read. Spencer writes with such a defensiveness about not taking Mohammed out of context, his prose gets bogged down in long passages from the Koran and other early Islamic writings. And the translation used by Spencer read like the King James Version of the Koran with all its 17th Century anachronisms.

Spencer’s conclusions are inflammatory but the plodding way he goes about telling the tale is numbing. There is a near complete lack of narrative. It is basically a series of “Mohammed’s Most Embarrassing or Troublesome Sayings.”

The reader is not given much context for Mohammed’s success and the success of his message. What was going on in Arabia in the 7th Century that contributed to Mohammed’s movement? How was Islam different from other faith movements in the area? And many, many more unanswered questions.

The book is a place to find the “killer quote” to win an argument but not a place to find understanding about how all of these issues raised in the book intersect with Islamic history and our current challenges.

Farrell Quinlan joins PRfect Media; Opens ‘In the Arena Public Affairs’

Quinlan becomes President of In the Arena Public Affairs

(Phoenix, AZ) PRfect Media announced today that Farrell A. Quinlan has joined the Valley-based public relations and advertising agency PRfect Media, as President of In the Arena Public Affairs, a wholly owned subsidiary of PRfect Media.

Quinlan served as spokesperson for the statewide business community for 10 years. Before joining In the Arena Public Affairs, Quinlan was Vice President of Policy Development and Communications for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Quinlan will bring his extensive experience to In the Arena Public Affairs including government relations; policy development and lobbying; media relations, coalition building and grassroots development; initiative, referendum and political action committee campaigns; political research and leadership; event management and strategic planning.

“This is a great opportunity for me. After a long time in association and chamber of commerce realms, I can now use my talents to build ‘In the Arena Public Affairs’ while having the infrastructure of PRfect Media behind me,” said Quinlan. “Having the backing of a full-service agency will give our clients a whole new level of service. We can provide government relations strategies from start to finish,” Quinlan said.

“Farrell’s qualifications and abilities are a tremendous combination that will help us launch an area of service that has long been in our sights. ‘In the Arena Public Affairs’ will be able to utilize the ‘all-inclusive’ atmosphere of PRfect Media along with the political expertise that Farrell provides,” said John Hernandez, CEO, PRfect Media.

In the Arena Public Affairs is currently working with a number of clients including Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform, a statewide organization working towards a fair immigration policy.

To arrange an interview or for more information on In the Arena Public Affairs, please contact Farrell Quinlan, President, In the Arena Public Affairs at (480) 706-6880 x126 or Ron Meritt, Chief Operating Officer, PRfect Media at (480) 706-6880 x121.