Don, I am on your side!!
Hi Don,
I have been following you in the Sonoran News and really am on your side in everything you say.
The bike lanes are a pieces of sh*t as this is where all of our gas tax goes to plus all of the light rail sh*t.
Our streets and highways are all crap because the money goes to bike lanes and bull sh*t light rail?????
Please “keep raising hell.”
Your new friend,
The “Buckster”
Navy boats in peril
As a former Navy enlisted and Navy officer, I am disappointed with the capture of our two riverine boats and crews by the Iranians in the Persian Gulf. I understand one of the boats had a navigation problem, either mechanical or human error, and it wandered into Iranian waters. But why couldn’t the other boat tow it away from Iranian waters? Furthermore, why wasn’t a warship accompanying the two small boats as they traversed waters in close proximity to an unfriendly country? Why didn’t the riverine boats communicate their problems to their commanding officer, who should have been monitoring their transit from Kuwait to Bahrain? If they did communicate their situation, what were the instructions they received from higher command? It appears to me the personnel on the riverine boats and the command hierarchy viewed the movement of the boats as a routine operation, they were caught off guard by the problems encountered and they were not prepared to conduct contingency operations. It reminds me of the capture of the USS Pueblo off of North Korea many years ago. This incident could embolden the Iranians and other unfriendly countries to test our military prowess.
Donald Moskowitz
Former AG2 and LT, U.S. Navy
Londonderry, New Hampshire
Which states have passed?
We’re ready to rock. Are you? The legislative season is underway! Dozens of state legislatures across the country will be considering the Convention of States application within the next few months, and your state is likely on that list.
Are you receiving the latest news and updates from your state? Do you know how to contact your state legislators or how the legislative process works? If not, we’ve got you covered. We’ve designed the resources below to ensure our volunteers and supporters never miss an important piece of news and are empowered to act when the time comes.
What happens at the capitol… becomes official public record! Your state’s legislative process—the process for passing a resolution or a bill—isn’t so complicated, and we’ve published a helpful guide so you won’t be confused when we reference “committee votes” and “sponsor.”
Convention of States Action. This is the legislative action branch of the Convention of States Project.
Here you’ll find your state’s webpage as well as all the latest legislative news from around the country. Social media is where the party’s at. For breaking news, be sure to like our national Facebook page as well as your state Facebook page. This is where we’ll announce those last-minute calls to action and House and Senate votes.
Join the team. By far the best way to get insider information is by joining your state’s Convention of States team. This will automatically include you on the list to receive emails directly from your state leadership.
Who’s your legislator? Knowing when a vote is taking place won’t do much good if you can’t contact your state legislators. That’s why we’ve created a simple, one-step tool for looking up your state senators and reps. Just enter your address and give it a whirl!
Where we stand right now. These are the states that have passed our resolution as well as the ones that are currently considering it.
If you’ve already signed up to receive email updates and breaking news on social media, you’re ready to take the next step by actively participating in the Convention of States movement. There are lots of volunteer opportunities, but we want to direct your attention to one opportunity that will allow you to play an integral role in advancing the Convention of States Project not just in your own state—but all across the country.
It’s called the Quick Response Team (QRT). The QRT is like the special forces of the Convention of States Project. We bring them in to activate the grassroots when we need calls and emails most. They’re an amazing group of individuals, and we hope you’ll consider joining the team! For more details and to apply, send an email to Ginny Rapini at [email protected].
It’s going to be an exciting few months, and we’re looking forward to working with you. As always, if you have any questions shoot us an email at [email protected].
The Convention of States Project Team
Either you are with us or your are with the terrorist? Really?
The criticism of Sen. Cruz regarding NY Values totally misses the point. I like both Trump and Cruz. #1 they don't want to start WW III over Syria like Hillary. Christie, Bush and Rubio and Lindsey Graham. Hillary, Christie, Bush, Rubio and Graham also want to create another Libya out of Syria.
Insanity!
The same people who are angry with Cruz should be angrier with President Bush and Obama for not releasing the 28 pages of the 911 Commission report which implicates Saudi Arabia for the airplane attack! Remember when G.W. Bush said:" Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists."? The same people who are indignant about Cruz excuse G W Bush for not speaking up regarding our support of al Qaeda and creation of ISIS/ISIL.
The same people who are upset with Cruz have stuck their heads in the sand regarding the obvious controlled demolition of Building 7 on 9/11. Just remember Jeb Bush is still concerned about Saudi Arabia's feelings.
The whole Bush family has been beholden to the Saudi's for decades and represent just some of the people who have been bought and paid for. That list includes most of the media; FOX included.
Sincerely,
Joseph DuPont
Towanda, Pennsylvania
Did you see?
“President Obama's pledge to pursue ‘audacious’ executive action during his final year in office is stirring a frenzy of speculation…” on Facebook and ConventionOfStates.com? “White House chief of staff Denis McDonough this week said ‘audacious’ executive actions on tap for 2016 are being carefully crafted to ‘make sure the steps we have taken are ones we can lock down and not be subjected to undoing through [Congress] or otherwise.’”
I’m sure you’re angered by this statement. So am I. The Convention of States was formed in 2013 to begin the process of taking that abuse away from the elitist political class, bureaucrats, and special interest groups in DC. But, we can’t do it by ourselves. We need your help.
Voting in November is important, but only part of the solution. The culture in DC has to change through structural adjustments and language strengthening within the Constitution. Elected Congressional representatives have amended the Constitution 27 times over the last 225+ years. Will they fix what ails them today? No. Our Founders gave us the solution in the second clause of Article V.
Now is the time to break the glass and save the country. AZ’s HCR 2010 Our Resolution is HCR 2010 and there’s a powerful addition to our application this year.
We’ve added paragraph (3) which, paraphrasing, states “that this application is revoked if used for any purpose other than that specified.” You should read it. It means it is impossible for a runaway convention.
District leaders like Andy Ericson (LD 1) and Bob Hill (LD 16) have used the one-page document at grassroots meetings and to send to their Senators, particularly paragraph number (3).
Let your senator hear from you. Ask them to support HCR 2010 and tell them that it is impossible to be a runaway. Download a copy here and share it with your network of friends, co-workers, family, church, etc. Ask them to download it, focus on number #1 and #3 and send it to their legislators, especially their Senators.
Arizona Voices: Our best chance of saving our country is by citizens raising their voices in support of an amending convention by the COS. Arizona Voices [http://www.azvoices.gov/] is a site where you can vote your opinion on state legislation and our legislators go to it to see how AZ citizens voted. We have to sing loud and clear and vote ‘Strongly Agree’ for HCR2010.
Your State Legislators use this tool to decide where the public stands on upcoming legislation. Status Update: We’re waiting to go to the Federalism Committee as our first step into the House this session. That may happen next Wednesday and when we find out, we’ll let you know.
In the meantime, I hope you’ve begun contacting your State Representatives and Senator to please support HCR 2010. Please join your district leaders for a visit to the Capitol. They’re organizing Liberty Teams and carpooling with patriots who will descend on the Capitol to speak to your Senators and Representatives about an amending convention. It’s time to Stand up! Show up! Speak up! Governor Ducey petition: Who decides? Of course, We the People decide. But it seems that we have to remind the political class of that fact.
The Arizona Constitution defines it in Article II, Section 2: “All political power is inherent in the people and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.”
The AZ COS is knee-deep in the fight. In 2015, Senate President Biggs decided to deny the vote for 21 pieces of legislature by the other 29 duly elected senators who represent citizens of Arizona. The petition is asking Governor Ducey to persuade Senator Biggs to release all bills and resolutions for a vote by our representatives.
Your District Captains have petitions or you can go to azConventionOfStates.com and click on Sign the Petition. This is not a voter registration petition, but simply a citizen’s petition. It is you speaking to your government. Thank you and welcome to the fight for our country.
Mike Kapic
Arizona COS
Yosemite Sham: Trademark Trolls Try to Tap Taxpayers
Hell hath no fury like a former business partner scorned. The Associated Press reports that a company called Delaware North, which ran Yosemite National Park's hotels and restaurants for two decades under contract with the US National Park Service, wants a $51 million payoff after losing those concessions to a higher bidder.
Why the payoff? Delaware North claims that it owns the names of long-existing park attractions which it did not start, does not own, and only temporarily operated. The Ahwahnee Hotel. Curry Village. Oh, yes, and "Yosemite National Park."
In response to a suit filed by Delaware North, the Park Service is temporarily changing some names (of the hotel and the "village," but not of the park) while dickering over how much it's willing to pay -- it values the names, according to court documents, at $3.5 million.
Apparently trademark trolling is Delaware North's big new revenue center. The company also runs concessions at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and has filed a trademark application on the name "Space Shuttle Atlantis." No, I'm not kidding. The cost to taxpayers of building and and operating the space shuttle fleet breaks down to around $40 billion per shuttle, but Delaware North thinks it owns the name because it makes money running soda stands and gift shops that riff on the theme.
But this kind of obvious abuse isn't the real problem. It's just a high-profile instance of the problem. The problem is the screwed up concept of "intellectual property" itself.
Yes, it's clearly and obviously wrong to try to patent rounded corners on devices (as Apple did) or collect royalties on century-old characters (Sherlock Holmes) or tunes ("Happy Birthday") that have long since become organic parts of their surrounding cultures. But the less clear and obvious cases are wrong too.
I'm no artist, but I can draw a "swoosh." I'm no cobbler, but I could probably make a shoe. If I put that "swoosh" on that shoe, Nike will have me in court so fast my head will spin. And heaven help me if I draw a cartoon featuring a particular mouse outline. Why? Because Nike, Disney and other "intellectual property" monopolists have bribed governments to pretend that shapes can be owned.
Delaware North isn't rightly entitled to an "intellectual property" payday. Neither are other "intellectual property" scammers. But they'll probably get over. "Owning" a copyright, patent or trademark? Valuable. Owning that claim's political enforcers? Priceless.
Thomas L. Knapp
William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism
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New defunding bill should unite House GOP
House Republicans left dozens of important policy riders and measures that defund various parts of the Obama agenda on the table during the failed omnibus negotiation, but that doesn't mean that their work should go for naught.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) is bringing together many of the most important economic riders into a single bill, The Article I Consolidated Appropriations Amendments of 2016, to keep these issues at the top of the agenda rather than losing the value of the hard work done last year to rein in President Obama's pen-and-phone approach to governance.
Among the dozens of policy riders and defunds incorporated into the act are a number of measures that would stop the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulatory onslaught against energy producers, mining and agriculture. Other measures would stop the Labor Department and National Labor Relations Board from becoming virtual proxies for Big Labor through various actions that attack the franchise and independent consultant business models, putting union reps into the middle of OSHA inspections at non-union companies, and ambush union elections.
The genius of the legislation is that a vast majority of the proposals contained within it have already been vetted through regular order processes, and passed by the House, giving the legislation an aura of consensus that every Republican should be able to rally round.
Buck argues that "By doing our work, House Republicans have laid out a counterbalance to President Obama's wholesale assault on free markets and individual liberties."While, at some level, it may feel like conservatives are being asked to play Charlie Brown, trusting Lucy Van Pelt to not pull the football away again, the Buck effort has the benefit of keeping Obama policies that threaten our nation's economic security at the forefront in one neat package for the House to send over to the Senate.
The reality is that Senate Democrats are unlikely to allow the comprehensive legislation to become law, but once it is passed by the House, every individual item should be inserted into must-pass appropriations bills and other legislation demanded by the president. By virtue of the House passing the Buck bill, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will have the impetus to drive a set of appropriations bills to the president's desk that include Republican priorities rather than the Democratic Christmas tree that the omnibus became.
What's more, like former Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) "You Cut" program, the Consolidated Appropriations Amendments of 2016 provides a bounty of issues for editorialists, talk-show hosts and bloggers to focus upon with ready-made constituencies and facts to support them.
What's more, the legislation has the potential to bridge the gap between the left wing of the House Republican Conference and the conservatives by showcasing areas of agreement. An example is the inclusion of the Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)-sponsored de-fund of Obama's attempt to destroy local zoning through a U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulation. The de-fund passed with an overwhelming number of House Republican votes and enjoys not only the support of the conservative Gosar, but also Rep. Pete King of New York, leader of the GOP's moderate wing.
The HUD Obamazoning de-fund is just one of dozens examples of proposals contained within Buck's legislation that bring Republicans together, rather than tearing them apart. And this binding together around limited government principles and rebuilding Congress's Article I responsibilities is one of the great opportunities for 2016.
Rick Manning
President Americans for Limited Government
