Republicans gained ground at the Arizona Legislature in last year’s election and have now captured the governor’s office, thanks to Democrat Janet Napolitano’s decision to split town and turn over the keys to Republican Jan Brewer.

That has some GOP activists crowing that Arizona remains a reliably red state.

But the voter registration numbers though Jan. 1, which were released by Secretary of State Ken Bennett, tell a different story.

Both parties have added voters over the last year in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election. Republicans added 111,159 to climb to a total of 1,140,609, but Democrats added 157,711, to climb to 1,047,126. (In addition, 105,295 new independent voters joined the voting roles, increasing that number to 860,095.)

On a percentage basis, Republicans dipped from 38.25 percent of the total voters to 37.15 percent, while Democrats increased their overall percentage from 33.04 percent to 34.10 percent since Jan. 1, 2008.

No one knows how many of the voters who signed up to vote in a presidential election will stick around; there will undoubtedly be a drop in the 2010 elections.

But if Republicans at the Legislature continue with plans to slash education funding as a way of solving the current budget shortfall, they may just help Democrats close that registration gap even further. And Republicans in swing districts—such as Sen. Al Melvin and Rep. Vic Williams in Pima County’s Legislative District 26—may discover the hard way that they're not coming back for a second term.

Remember Julie Glaser Ray, the freelance writer and graphic designer with the cool burrito cart she uses to gather memories and visions of what Tucsonans have for downtown? Her project is called the Burrito Files, and her latest blog entry is asking folks to vote on what happens next for downtown and what may be the next steps for Glaser Ray and the Burrito Files. So, gather 'round your computers and visit her Web site. For what it's worth, I'd like to see her have a chance to celebrate what she's done so far, bringing the interviews together in a space, along with some other night of downtown visioning. Have it begin on one end of downtown lead by a shaman or two doing an exorcism, followed by a New Orleans funeral band, and behind the parade - a lone Mariachi trumpeter. That way we cover our bases (and asses), and wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

And don't forget - three cheers for the Burrito Files!

Leave it to the folks at FOX to call a fist bump fisting, and then listen to the reporters giggle. "Hee-hee, she said fisting."

Our new governor, Republican Jan Brewer, will be in Tucson tomorrow for a reception celebrating her ascension to the Ninth Floor.

We hear that former state Sen. Tim Bee is a likely pick to head up Brewer's Tucson office. He'd be a solid pick, but we'd recommend that they bring Bee in to help them get a grasp on the budget. The guy always had a head for numbers. Plus, we like the fact that he knew how to protect Southern Arizona programs.

Traveling to Washington, D.C., I sensed we were up for something beyond what we could imagine--but utterly worthwhile. The anticipation alone was palpable by the time I got to Chicago Midway airport, regardless of the fact that I thought I was at O'Hare--what did it matter? I was riding the wave of imminent change and letting the excitement carry me along. Without getting too extraneously long-winded about this allow me to cut to the chase ...

Picked up at the Hyatt at 3:30 a.m., 10 miles outside of Washington, D.C., the Romanian cab driver knew the back roads of suburbia. He to got us to the right Metro station, circumventing the extremely long car lines and letting us know with his southeastern European accent, "for the right price, I will get you anywhere you want to go." Hey, this is America; why not make a buck on a this historical event!

Once on the Metro, we stood close, a mild understatement for the theme of the day. I felt honored to be in the midst of this, and imagined what it meant to our fellow travelers as well. One lady next to me wore a purple Obama cap and meticulously applied fake eyelashes; I wondered how she put them on so precisely that early in the morning. Maybe, like us, she never even went to sleep. By this time it was probably about 4:15.

When we got to the city, the bitter pre-dawn wind was a blowin', and I began to get nervous about how we thin-blooded Arizonans would make it through this without getting hypothermia. We had no luck meeting up with Sean's brothers as planned, but we carried on to where the masses led.

As we approached the gates, the crowds began to get really compressed. It was a bit scary but definitely helped to keep us warm. I kinda liked that. At one point, a military bus tried to get through this dense sea of people, but because we were up against a barrier, it caused even more compression. Just then, the gates opened, even though it was several hours before they were scheduled to.

Suddenly, in what amounted to one of the peak moments of my day, a large group of African-American people broke out singing "Movin on Up" from The Jeffersons, a sitcom I used to love as a kid growing up in the 70's. It was amazingly appropriate ... "Mooooovin on up, we finally got a piece of the pie." It was complete with a great male baritone. We all joined in on the chorus.

Regular TW contributor Dave Devine hasn't quite mastered the blog yet, so he asked me to post this dispatch from a Citizens' Water Advisory Committee meeting he attended earlier this week:

Tucson Water is facing a $15.4 million revenue shortfall through the end of its current fiscal year. The sale of water is $11 million below projections, while fees for new growth are fallen more than $4 million short of the forecast.

Officials at Tucson Water have identified $5.1 million in administrative cuts, including leaving 80 staff positions vacant.

To raise $6.1 million to cover most of the balance of the shortfall, Tucson Water wants to sell 50,000 acres of CAP water to the Arizona Water Banking Authority. Utility officials are considering another one-year sale of between 20,000 and 25,000 acre feet.

Having pushed for several years to control its entire 144,000 acre-foot allocation of CAP water, Tucson Water is being forced to retreat--at least temporarily--from that position.

Tucson Water officials told the Citizens' Water Advisory Committee that the demand for water, including CAP, wasn't as great as predicted. They also said that by 2012, the utility would reclaim the entire CAP allocation.

The Citizens' Water Advisory Committee recommended that the City Council go along with the plan. A council subcommittee will consider the proposition on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

Hey, everyone. A new era has dawned in America ... and a new Weekly has dawned in Tucson! The Jan. 22 issue is online and ready for readers; feel free to comment on its contents here.

Fitzpatrick brothers Todd and Greg cleaning up 

Volunteering or handling volunteers can be a tricky proposition. When done correctly, it's an amazing experience for both community organizers and volunteers. When done wrong, it's nothing but frustration for everyone involved--in many ways, more frustrating than when you're getting paid to do something.

In the case of Monday's day of service, it really was done right for me.

I used the official community service site to sign up for park cleanup in Reston, Virginia, near the hotel where Rosie and I were checking into in Fairfax, Virginia. The site is set up to cut off new sign-ups once an event reaches its allotted volunteers--all information is managed by the participating organization.

When it became clear that both my brothers had become semi-guilted into joining me, I was able to change my sign-up to a nature conservancy near Greg's house. They plodded along with me on the mile or so walk somewhat reluctantly.

Another helpful volunteer 

Once we got going, it was a blast. We were issued the challenge of cleaning underbrush, trimming trees, and raking leaves on an old, abandoned trail with a recently discovered stone bridge that was more than 100 years old. Within two hours, the perfect number of volunteers (about 15 in our area), had transformed the area from wilderness into an obvious trail.

It felt good to give back, and it really demonstrated the power of a well-organized group of volunteers in a short amount of time. It also got me in the right frame of mind for today's inaugural address. Everyone here in D.C. is waiting for President Obama's challenge to all of us--his wake-up call.

The energy has built to borderline hysteria. So much so that Rosie and I could not sleep after I picked her up from the airport at 11:30 last night. She tried to lay down from 2 to 3 a.m., but was out of bed by 2:40.

We're rushing downstairs to catch our 3:30 a.m. taxi, which will take us from our hotel in Fairfax, Virginia, to the metro station, which opens at 4. We want to be the first ones on the train in an attempt to get the best spot possible for the swearing in and address.

Onward to history!

UPDATE: Rosie and I were carried into the front of the general viewing area in a sea of joyous, chanting revelers. Gates were not scheduled to open until 9, but they had to open at 5:30 because military buses could not get through the crowd on Independence Avenue.

In disbelief last week, I read the story in the morning daily about the closing of El Cid and Elvira’s, restaurants in Nogales, Sonora, I went to as a child and during college excursions across the border. I was always fond of both, but it was Elvira’s that I loved because of what it always meant to my family.

And as I drove my mom home a few nights ago after a movie, we talked about these restaurants closing, and once again, I got to hear the stories on why my family had this connection with Elvira’s. I know that when I went with my mom as a kid, I always got the same plate, and when I went as an adult, I always got the same plate--lengua--tongue, cooked with tomatoes. It was delish.

My mom recalled going over the border for different reasons than my childhood trips for tourista stuff (like marionettes, dolls and games; or going over with my aunt and uncle so he could get his giant cans of jalapeños).

When my mom was a kid growing up in Tucson, she went over with her parents during the tail end of the Depression and during World War II. Some food stuffs were cheaper in Nogales, and you didn’t have to worry about food rations (yes, in those days, people had to sacrifice during war time--not like today when the only people who sacrifice are those serving in the war and their families).

So, they drove down, always buying sugar, and they always, always stopped for lunch at Elvira’s. Back then, my mom said, she remembered there was a rabbit that walked around the restaurant floor and people would toss it lettuce and other veggies.

“People wouldn’t tolerate that kind of thing now days,” she said.

But she remembered thinking it was pretty cool, and back then everyone at the table got the same plate--tongue. I remember taking my husband’s cousin and her partner to Nogales when we traveled with them from Seattle to Tucson about 10 years ago. We went to Elvira’s and she ordered fajitas or something similar. My mother and I glanced at each other, working hard to hide our horror at the thought of ordering anything else.

I know not many people are traveling to Nogales since the increase in violence. But I worry for it. Things change. Life never stays the same. It’s our one guarantee, and that can be a blessing. Elvira’s is gone,though, and since I’ve been back home in Tucson I haven’t had a chance to go over to the other side--my mom and I kept talking about it, making a plan, talking about lunch at Elvira's. But we didn’t, and now we are full of regret for a loved but distant relative, that we never got a chance to say goodbye.

In case anyone has some time on their hands: Here are the Star/Citizen joint operating agreement documents, in three easy-to-read PDFS. Enjoy!