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Cave Creek’s financial genius

Apart from the blatant lies they told to get elected (resort, property tax, budget, financial mismanagement, dishonest council, etc.), the slate members individually claimed some personal talent they believed should give them a seat on town council. In Councilman Monachino’s case, he claimed to be a financial guru in the banking business.

Mr. Monachino is another arrogant east coast transplant with no apparent management experience, but a man happy to tell us how to run our town. Despite his purported background, however, his pathetic performance has put his council seat on the line with the coming recall election so he is beginning to flail. He recently publicly trashed Mr. John Ford, a Cave Creek native, for being, well - stupid – in critiquing Mr. Ford’s recent editorial announcing his intent to run for a seat on town council when the recall election rolls around.

So let’s have a closer look at Cave Creek’s financial genius. Most residents know Mr. Monachino as “One Job” Monachino. After being seated on the council about a year ago, the Mayor understandably tasked this self proclaimed financial genius with one job - developing a financial plan to purchase the 4,000 acres of open space. One year later, we have no plan and evidently no plan for such a plan. Not only that, ‘One Job’ Monachino recently thumbed his nose at open space by voting to rip off $800 grand in excess Spur Cross taxes for the general fund that should go to purchase of open space. Presumably he voted to rip off this money to pay off his many unbudgeted expenses like shiny horses, unnecessary software, unlimited expense accounts for his unqualified interim town manager, monthly taxpayer funded campaign flyers in full color, an outreach director, and the crushing legal expenses he caused. Mr. Monachino was given just one job and he could not even do that.

Now Mr. Monachino pats himself and his slate buddies on the back about a $1 million savings in the new town budget – by kicking a $1 million (debt payment) can down the road. A little disingenuous? No, it’s thoroughly dishonest but he seems to take us all for idiots anyway.

Let’s not forget Mr. Monachino’s:
• outrage at the bloated budget he campaigned against and after being elected, voted to approve that budget without change and announcing it a “fair way to spend taxpayer money”, and
• his outrage at the dishonest and corrupt council he ran against, their secret accounts and mismanagement of town funds, then voted to approve the subsequent routine annual financial audit that gave the town a squeaky clean financial bill of health, and finally
• his attempt to take credit for the town’s upgraded credit rating by S & P from A to AA, a direct result of the excellent long term management, sound policies and political courage of the previous “corrupt and dishonest” town council and town manager.
Mr. Monachino’s track record suggests his incompetence is exceeded only by his arrogance. Go get ‘em John Ford!

Bob Williams
Cave Creek

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One of those "bad" Democrats

I would like to respond to Roy Miller who challenged Democrats to find a group of people who are "generally thought of as bad" and are not registered as Democrats. First of all I'm not sure how to deal with a premise that holds that the majority of the population is generally considered to be bad people. Struggling single mothers, obese individuals and those who rely on social support systems alone make up more than 50 percent of the population. Not only does it not hold that so many people could "generally" be considered bad (unless self hate is a major problem in the United States) but it is striking to think there are no Republicans in any of these groups.

But since these are the conditions that were given there isn't much choice but to assume Democrats must be all bad people so let's just suppose that's the fact. So why don't Democrats take responsibility for their actions? It's seems to me that in order for everyone to take responsibility they must be able to afford to, but since capitalism requires there to be winners and losers some people are just going to lose and lose and lose. So they turn to the government for food and housing and so they can take care of their children. So your answer is that when these bad people can't support themselves they don't do the responsible thing and starve to death; instead they pressure the government to change policies in a way that benefits them more.

If you don't assume that all these groups of Americans are bad people whose situation is completely based on their inability to take responsibility then it is possible to explore another group of people who fail to take social responsibility for their actions. This group of people includes those who knowingly market obesity-causing food to teens and children as well as cigarettes, those who fail to fund school programs that teach kids what can cause obesity and health problems, and those who market sex to young people which makes them more likely to have children out of wedlock. This group includes lots of powerful people who are very responsible on an individual level but fail to see how their actions can have social consequences. I believe this is a much more contemptible group and they are made up of both Republicans and Democrats.

Michael Pospisil
Scottsdale   

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LegisTraitor season begins – Republican primary in Arizona

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse."
~ John Stuart Mill

This is a war within the Republican Party but it's not a new war and it did not begin in 2013. Ronald Reagan did not start nor did he end this war in the 1980s. Ever hear of Rockefeller? Rockefeller is now RINO and Reagan's name is interchanged with Goldwater and if you start this conversation you will hear mutterings of a guy named George Mason and his admonishment that the rights given to the federal government never surmount those given to the people. From Braveheart's war cry "Freedom" to Moses pleading "Let my people go" the desire to simply live free is inherent.

The Republican Party in Arizona is today's battleground.

Governor Brewer has formed team Coalition of Corruption consisting of 15 LegisTraitors and all the Democrats. Team color is purple. They are attacking our Party planks of individual liberty and state sovereignty

The grassroots in Arizona is fighting back fielding Principled Conservatives to take out the LegisTraitors and restore a true Republican majority.

We have a simple requirement: vote like a Republican.

Ten sitting incumbents are facing primary challengers. Two surrendered when faced with the reality of the grassroots assault and wisely decided not to run for re-election.

LD    Good Guys - Vote 'YES'                   LegisTraitor Black List

8      Darla Dawald                                         T.J. Shope and Frank Pratt
15    David Burnell Smith joins John Allen        Heather Carter
16    John Fillmore joins Kelly Townsend          Doug Coleman
28    Shawnna Bolick                                     Kate Brophy-McGee
18    John King and Jill Norgaard                     Rob Robson
25    Ralph Heap                                           Bob Worsley
2 Tom Morrissey Jeff Dial

(Tom Morrissey's campaign announcement led to the surrender of John McComish.)
Link: http://www.apcarizona.com/Primary_Candidates.html

Four of the LegisTraitors are not running in 2014:
• Michelle shame-to-the-name-Reagan wants a reward for her treachery with a promotion to Secretary of State.
• Rich Crandall moved and was replaced by good guy David Farnsworth (who we must re-elect).
• John McComish quickly surrendered when faced with primary candidate Tom Morrissey.
• Doris Goodale conceded her health could not withstand the grassroots assault and surrendered.
All our Principled Conservatives need and deserve your help!
Contact me for information on how you can help.

Christine Bauserman
Chair Alliance of Principled Conservatives

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They should be in jail, not on our streets

I'm furious, and you should be too.

It's all over the news. Even the liberal media can't ignore it.

The Obama Administration just released over 36 THOUSAND illegal immigrant criminals ... murderers, sex-crime convicts and drunk drivers are all now back on our streets.

It's OUTRAGEOUS and exactly what I have been telling you about for weeks.

Of course when I report it, the liberal media and the Hollywood leftists scream "racist".

This is unconscionable. The Obama Administration must be held accountable for this incredible breach of security and safety. And with your help I plan on being the one to hold him accountable.

I am working around the clock to take illegal criminals off the streets, and for what? Just to have the Obama Administration release them the next day?

Enough is enough. I need to know you support my fight to hold Obama accountable for this dangerous security breach.

Just so you know the significance of this situation, below is the list of convicted felons who instead of being deported are now back on our streets.

According to the report, the 36,007 individuals released represented nearly 88,000 convictions, including:

193 homicide convictions
426 sexual assault convictions
303 kidnapping convictions
1,075 aggravated assault convictions
1,160 stolen vehicle convictions
9,187 dangerous drug convictions
16,070 drunk or drugged driving convictions
303 flight escape convictions

Recently, I conducted a survey in the jails that I run which revealed out of 2,000 illegal immigrants booked in to the jails for various and serious crimes, and turned over to federal officials for deportation proceedings, 727 have returned to my jails several times. That's a 36 percent return rate to our jails alone – and that counts for just the ones we've caught!

This disturbing trend means either the federal government is ushering illegal immigrants out the back door and onto the streets to commit more crimes; or our borders remain so wide open that illegal immigrants still enter illegally with remarkable ease.

We need to get to the bottom of this, and I will not rest until we do. If you stand with me, I need to know. This fight won't be easy. The Obama Administration knows the severity of this situation and is going to throw up every smokescreen possible to distract from this.

I need your support so I have the resources necessary to fight tooth and nail.

In the meantime, please rest assured that I am doing everything I can to enforce the laws and do the job I was elected to do!

Thank you for your support and for joining me in this crucial fight!

Thanks,

Sheriff Joe

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We cannot trust our government


If anyone still wonders whether we can trust our government, I would recommend watching the PBS Frontline special “United States of Secrets.” It covers the actions of the NSA in spying on Americans (all Americans, not just suspected criminals or terrorists) and reveals in great detail the lying and deceiving our government officials will engage in to keep the details of this secret surveillance from the people. Because this deception is carried on by some elected officials, including members of Congress and US Presidents, there is nowhere we can turn for relief, except whistleblowers like Edward Snowden. Because of the revelations in this PBS series I have chosen to elevate Snowden to the status of hero in my own mind, certainly not traitor, as some right wingers would have us believe.

Remember, we live under a government that was established by our founders with checks and balances so no government official could gain too much power. But, if it is impossible to find out what our government is doing, and if the highest government officials will lie when confronted with accusations or questions, then these checks and balances cannot work. And, with ever growing government weaponry and ever growing numbers of government officials who carry guns and badges, we must now conclude that we live in a police state.

Finally, I have little doubt that, simply by writing this editorial, my name will be added to some government list and the secret surveillance of my communications will be increased. I think we should be very afraid.

Roy Miller
Phoenix

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A dishonest book designed to stir up African Americans on election day

If you missed Dorothy Rabinowitz’s review of the recently published, totally dishonest, book about the Duke lacrosse case, please read it. The Duke lacrosse players were falsely accused of raping a stripper, who happened to black. Since the players were white, the Duke faculty overwhelmingly, and very publicly, denounced them as guilty. The District Attorney saw a chance to get the local African American vote in an upcoming election, and he went after the athletes with gusto, even to the point of illegally hiding evidence from the defense, and lying to the judge, for which he was eventually thrown out of office and disbarred.

Considering that the accused lacrosse players were clearly not guilty of rape, and that the North Carolina Bar disbarred the prosecutor, why would someone now write a book playing with the facts, implying the guilt of the guiltless, and making a semi-hero out of the disbarred DA? Well, this is an election year. In fact, it’s an off year election, which history shows causes the Democrats to have a big problem getting minority voters to the polls. The answer of the Democrat party is to go all out to stir up the African American community with fear and hatred, as a way of getting black citizens to vote.

The biased and factually dishonest book, “The Price of Silence” by William D. Cohan, perfectly fits the pattern perfected by the Obama political team of propagandizing the African American community with the message that Jim Crow is alive and well, and white people are looking for a chance to take away their rights. The message is that every minority voter must vote this November.

Mr. Cohan’s book is but an example of the lengths the Democrats will go to get African Americans to the polls. Alas, we can expect to see lots more of such divisive and misleading nonsense for the rest of this year, and on through 2016.

Bill Sumner
Scottsdale

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Why I still have faith in Congress

It’s depressing to read poll after poll highlighting Americans’ utter disdain for Congress. But it’s my encounters with ordinary citizens at public meetings or in casual conversation that really bring me up short. In angry diatribes or in resigned comments, people make clear their dwindling confidence in both politicians and the institution itself.

Yet as people vent their frustration, I hear something else as well. It is a search for hope. They ask, almost desperately sometimes, about grounds for renewed hope in our system. Here’s why I’m confident that we can do better.

Let’s start with a point that should be obvious, but that people rarely notice: Our expectations are too high. Public officials routinely over-promise and under-perform, but the problem is also with Congress itself. On almost every issue there, progress comes in increments. Focusing on any one moment in our legislative history is to miss the slow but undeniable advance of progress on Capitol Hill.

I also tend to be more patient with congressional leaders than many people who share their frustrations with me. Our political leaders confront a terribly difficult political environment: the country is both deeply and evenly divided along partisan and ideological lines. It takes skill, competence, and a great deal of passion to make progress in this kind of environment.

This brings me to a third point. Members of Congress are good politicians. Most try hard to understand what the people want. It may take a while, but Congress in the end responds to public sentiment.

Finally, Congress has proven over its long history that even in the most difficult circumstances it can be astoundingly productive. At one of the darkest times in our recent history, during the height of the Watergate scandal — when tensions between Congress and the White House and between Democrats and Republicans were no less pointed than they are now — Congress and President Nixon were still able to collaborate on such key legislation as the Federal Aid Highway Act and the Endangered Species Act.

Congress often has risen above periods of great contention. It possesses a resilience that is obvious from the perspective of decades. Building on that search for hope in our system, and on the long historical record, Americans have good reason to believe that Congress can and will do better.

Lee Hamilton, Director
Center on Congress at Indiana University

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Who needs The Bill of Rights?

Reflecting on Memorial Day week, we recognize that our freedom to participate in our country’s government is due to the sacrifices of many military heroes. To our fallen heroes and their families, thank you.

High school senior Andrew Merck proves that there is no age limit on putting our freedom into action..

And it’s a good thing, because our basic rights are being attacked left and right.

Drivers in Pennsylvania have a little less right to privacy than they did last week. Police no longer need warrants to search a vehicle, and the lawmakers still aren’t done.
Democrats in Congress want to rewrite the First Amendment, giving themselves power over speech. Yes, they’re serious.

If you aren’t happy with Congress, you’re not alone. Congressional approval ratings reached record lows last year.

Even some Congressmen expressed their displeasure with their colleagues’ power grabs.
Fortunately, our unique strategy allows a Convention of States to impose all the necessary congressional reforms.

Article V dictates that, when 34 states apply, Congress must call a Convention.

And once a Convention is called, Congress has no control over the process.

Now is the time to get involved! You’d be joining volunteers of all ages in the fight to preserve liberty.

Thanks for your time and commitment to this historic endeavor.

Follow our Twitter account and like us on Facebook for the latest news!

Thank you,

The Citizens for Self-Governance Team

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