cartoon

Hats off to an old salty

Jim Ryan | Phoenix
Please know how much the cartoons for Sonoran News is appreciated. Mr. Bil Canfield, a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, WWII Veteran, is great. Mr. Canfield’s sense of humor, American values and respect, and good old fashion patriotism is recognized and admired.
Bil has his counterpart in a Nobel winning cartoonist, Mr. Bill Mauldin. Incidentally, Mr. Mauldin attended Phoenix Union High School, graduating in 1939. Again, hats off to an old salty who has his priorities in order.
God Bless America.

Ed. Note: No one appreciates Bil Canfield more than Sonoran News. He is God’s gift!
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The Plan to Restore Constitutional Order

M. M. "Sam" Anderer | Cave Creek
June 30, 2008 may be remembered in history as the day Americans began, in earnest, the moral and solemn process of holding their (servant) Government accountable to the Constitution – under threat of withdrawal of allegiance, support and tax money.

To secure this end, the People have begun to claim and exercise a little-known, but unalienable, "Right of Redress," rather than depending upon the will of the majority as defined by precinct voters, those who cast votes on Capitol Hill, and those that vote from the inner sanctums of our Courthouses.

Most do not know that this profound natural Right, first articulated 800 years ago in Magna Carta, is embodied and protected by the Petition clause of the First Amendment – the same Amendment which protects your voice in the defense of Freedom. Very importantly, academic research since 1986 makes clear the Right to Petition for Redress is NOT a redundant statement of the Right of Speech. It is in fact, the individual exercise of Popular Sovereignty.

To be sure, the widespread exercise of this Right holds significant implications for our nation and are most worthy of your interest. Here's what the Founders sitting as the first Congress had to say: “If money is wanted by Rulers who have in any manner oppressed the People, they may retain it until their grievances are redressed, and thus peaceably procure relief, without trusting to despised petitions or disturbing the public tranquility.” ~ Journals of the Continental Congress, 1:105-113.

On June 30, 2008, approximately 1200 American citizens will begin the process of exercising the Right by formally serving a Legal Notice and Demand for Redress upon the President, the Attorney General and every member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate at their local district offices.

Demanding an official response within forty (40) days, the Notice includes seven (7) Petitions for Redress of Grievances regarding substantial violations of the Constitution:
1. The Iraq invasion in violation of the war powers clauses.
2. The Federal Reserve System’s violation of the money clauses.
3. The USA Patriot Act’s violation of the privacy clauses.
4. The direct, un-apportioned taxes on labor in violation of the tax clauses.
5. The federal gun control laws in violation of the Second Amendment.
6. The failure to enforce immigration laws in violation of the “faithfully execute clause.”
7. The construction, by stealth, of a "North American Union" without constitutional authority.

We the People cannot elect our way out of tyranny. Any assertion that by electing either McCain or Obama we can cure the ills that now plague America is simply naive or based on a lack of information regarding the corrupting forces that truly influence and control our government and political process.

We urge you – the media, to learn about this profound Right and to cover this event. Our Republic faces a watershed moment no less historically compelling or newsworthy than, e.g., the emergence of the Civil Rights movement. If Liberty is to survive through peaceful means, you must embrace your obligation - both moral and Constitutional - to bring this critical information to your readers, viewers and listeners.

For details about the Plan to Restore Constitutional Order, visit www.givemeliberty.org/revolution.
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Veterinarians: Please have a heart!

Suzanne Miller | Cave Creek
I have recently been involved with contacting animal shelters, many of which are at overflow and unable to accept any more animals. Time after time, the story was that seniors were unable to afford their pets any longer.

While I can’t speak for them, I can speak for myself, and have written this letter to try to get senior citizen discounts at veterinarian clinics:

Veterinarians: Please have a heart!
Yes, we all know we have made our pets too precious, too much a part of our families. I have. At great cost! When I got them seven years ago, everything needed for dogs was MUCH less expensive. So …

Are there any veterinarians in the Valley who provide discounts for Senior Citizens? (Senior people, not senior dogs.)

I love my veterinarian and I love my dogs, but medical care for them is terribly expensive and difficult – if not impossible – for a senior citizen to handle. God forbid a pet is injured or has a serious illness. A snakebite incident would be in the thousands.

dog spotA recent personal example for just one dog:
• Teeth cleaning: $735.11.
• Monthly heartworm medication: between $50 and $60.
• Ill pet examination: $49.99 plus any tests and meds.
• Wellness examination: $40.35.
• Wellness Screen (tests): $60.62.
• Fecal parasite test: $45.44.
• Re-check: $60.06
• Thyroid meds: $36 a month.
• Pet health Insurance: $50 pre month, per dog.

And then there is food. The brand my veterinarian recommends is $2.09 a can; a case of 24 cans a month to feed two small dogs. My dogs cost me at least $3,000 a year.

Do you wonder why the animal shelters are full of dogs that owners had to give up? Do you wonder why people hesitate to adopt a rescue dog? The initial cost is nothing compared to the vet bills that might be facing adopters.

Would you believe that Maricopa County offers senior citizens discounts on annual dog license fees on spayed/neutered dogs? Ten dollars each.

Now, if veterinarians would give us a break, too. Please.
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Fireworks

Korina Riggin | Cave Creek
This is in response to Don Sorchychs’ “The 3rd and 4th fireworks were superb!”

After reading Mayor Vincent’s response to the City being prepared for the fireworks, I must respond.

I live on the Southwestern side of Brenner’s Hill and was only able to watch the fireworks on the 3rd. As I was driving back home from the Valley I saw a huge T-storm coming our way. When I got to Carefree, I took the back way (dirt roads) to my house because of all the traffic. The wind was howling and the roads were packed with people parked on both sides and then sitting in middle. By time I got home, to my amazement, the fireworks began. There were 25 mph gusts.

There’s no way one can be prepared for fireworks in winds like that. I’d like to say that we were able to enjoy watching the fireworks, but all we were doing was watching big, hot embers landing all around our neighbors and us. I stood on the deck while yelling down to my husband telling him where the embers were falling so he could go put them out. We did this for over 15 minutes. Not once did we see a fire truck, not like they could have gotten through anyway since the roads were blocked by all of the observers. It wasn’t until well after the show had ended that a fire truck drove by. Had an ember actually started a fire, there would have been serious problems.

On the 4th, I was at the D-Backs game. Their fireworks show was almost canceled because of 10mph winds; many other shows throughout the Valley were canceled. Cave Creek, had 25 mph in an area that is ready to ignite with the slightest spark. To have gone ahead with the show on the 3rd and to come away without any fire incidents was pure luck. Or maybe not, as we were running around putting out the embers.

So for those of you that determine how “prepared” the City is, please come down wind of a firework show next time and you can help put out the waterfall of embers landing all around you. Or maybe next time we’ll just let it burn so common sense will be used in the future.
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Cave Creek General Plan changes

Jim Peirce | Carefree
Proposed Cave Creek General Plan changes from desert rural to commercial would affect approximately 50 acres along the north and south sides of Carefree Highway west of Cave Creek Road all the way to 52nd St. on the south side and to 51st St. on the north side. It is very unlikely the applications would have materialized without at least the tacit approval of the town manager and/or a majority of the Cave Creek town council.

Indeed the south side application dubbed its area the "East Gateway Project" and included, "we appreciate the need of the town for commercial revenues from this intersection." Whatever happened to the plan to concentrate commercial development on 240 acres north of Carefree Highway near 32nd St.? Or was that just something convenient to represent to the Arizona State Land Department?

Is the town now so hard up for cash that town officials are eager to destroy what has been preserved so long?
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Why didn’t you listen to me?

Jack C. McVickers | Scottsdale
Bill Clinton is concerned that the country is divided. Hello! Did he never read George Washington’s “Farewell Address to the Nation?” The Father of Our Country predicted that we would be divided by political parties. That is why he advised us to not have them. George was absolutely correct as anyone with eyes can see. Not only are political parties divisive; they have literally killed our Democratic Republic form of government. The representatives we choose to represent us in Washington are no longer our servants to speak for our interests. They rapidly become representatives of the political party bosses who punish them if they do not follow the party line. It has become so bad that the man-in-the-street now believes that our form of government is a “two party system”. And thus we are divided into “Red States” and “Blue States”, having lost our identity as member states of a red, white and blue union of “United States”. George must be by crying out from his grave, “I warned you. Why didn’t you listen to me?”

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A windfall profit in Scottsdale

Jack C. McVickers | Scottsdale
There is no better example of a “windfall profit” than the land at Pima and Bell Roads. This land was put on the market with a known building height restriction of three stories. The market price of the land reflected that restriction. Now the developer that purchased the land wants the citizens to change the restrictions to allow him to build a five-story building. Had the building restriction been five stories when he purchased it he would have paid a much higher price. If the city allows this it will be like handing this developer millions of un-earned dollars. If that is not a “windfall profit” then I don’t know what would be. But hey! This is Scottsdale, “The West’s Most Developer-friendly Town.” We should have seen it coming, once again proving that apathetic citizens get the kind of government they deserve. To quote Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
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Open letter to all Americans!

Jay Rosenfeld | Scottsdale
Fires are destroying the West, floods are destroying the Midwest and an inept Congress is destroying the rest of this great country. I believe there are millions of Americans whose frustrations with the state of our nation have reached a fevered pitch. YES, we are in the midst of a presidential campaign where hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent for the wrong purpose, and wait; we haven't even started the race to the GOLDEN COW OF EARMARKS FOR THE HOUSE AND SENATE.

You and I have waited in silence too long but now is the time to make our voices heard over the self-serving, corrupted rhetoric of those we sent to represent us. Issues such as elimination of Earmarks, a just immigration policy, off-shore drilling and increased nuclear plants among others should be the subject of NATIONAL REFERENDUMS so that the voters can be heard directly rather than through partisan elected officials.

I am firmly convinced that the introduction of TERM LIMITS for both branches of Congress will go a long way to accomplish the true needs of our country. No more professional politicians but citizens we elect for a short period of time, like six years, then returning home to live under the laws they enacted. WHAT AN ENLIGHTENED APPROACH.

I love my country and want it once again to be the most wonderful place on earth to live and raise our families in peace, happiness, security, prosperity and most of all freedom.
The current Presidential and Congressional elections affords us the best time to start this process and it would be a pleasure to hear from like-minded people to consider the processes we need to follow to have our collective voices heard.
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Our inept Congress

Jay Rosenfeld | Scottsdale
When will they begin to represent us?

According to recent polls almost 75 percent of Americans want the ban on drilling lifted by Congress as the President did just recently. Instead they ended up bickering, as they most always do, and will go on another recess without doing anything.

I hope all Americans remember this when they ask for your money and vote to be reelected this November.

Please let our voices be heard!!!
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On Jesse Jackson

Jay Rosenfeld | Scottsdale
Is anyone really surprised at Jesse Jackson's comments regarding Sen. Obama? Obama knows he has to have the white vote to win so he's talking about things like self-reliance, responsibility, and hard work. Jackson is from the old school that breaches you can't win. His mantra is blame the white man and play the race card as often as needed. One thing Jackson is good at is having babies with other women while his wife of 30 years is humiliated in public. People of all colors should know Jackson for what he really is: a phony who'd made a living preaching the doctrine of distrust and suspicion. Dr. King was a leader, Jackson is an abomination.
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