Ides of March
After Michigan and Mississippi Donald Trump leads the Republican field by unprecedented numbers looking forward to the “winner take all” primaries on March 15, especially Ohio and Florida. The polls favor Mr. Trump, but the Republican establishment does not. But, why not? Because he does not fit the mold, he does not toe the line and he does not insure them their comfortable hold on their seats of power. The McCains, Romneys and their ilk are accustomed to only compromising with the opposition and they hate being defied - it scares them witless. (Expletive deleted).
Should Trump sweep the field on the 15th he would be well advised to wear a Kevlar vest under his toga before entering the forum. The Anti-trump crowd of political assassins will bare their teeth and their knives, accusing daggers, distortion stilettos and bombastic butcher knives to stab at the candidate from all quarters. The Dems couldn’t be more pleased, a division in the party is welcome news for the desperate Mrs. Clinton now ratcheting up her rhetoric and dodging the FBI. She really doesn’t want to face Mr. Trump who would be unafraid to pull back the curtain exposing all her crimes. The Clinton war machine is ruthless and vicious but more so when they have just a single target.
The Donald will face two fronts, the Democrats and the Republicans of the good ole boy club. As with Caesar, Mr. T, beware the Ides of March.
Randy Edwards
Cave Creek
When we need help we call them, now they need us and they should not have to call us
Dear honorable legislators; Today, we have an all-out assault on our law enforcement by activist organizations, weak kneed politicians, our current president, presidential candidate (Hillary Clinton), judges, ACLU, SPLC and others.
We are experiencing a war on law enforcement at unprecedented levels.
The courts continue to take swipes at law enforcement’s Constitutional Rights. They take the side of the far left in stripping our Hometown Heroes of Constitutional protections under the 5th and 4th Amendments; our God given rights intended to be protected under the Constitution for ALL citizens.
The very people we depend on to protect and to serve are being attacked. We must step up to the plate and stand with them.
We just had two more cases of activist judges who ruled against law enforcement’s right to protection under the 5th and 4th Amendments. NO ONE has the right to remove, ignore or suspend our God given rights under the Constitution.
These men and women, our Home Town Heroes are on the front line every day protecting our families and neighborhoods and protecting our liberties. They are being personally attacked, assaulted and in many cases murdered or maimed by bad guys as they vigilantly serve.
I have two boys in law enforcement. Both highly decorated, Officer of the year, Medal of Valor for heroism and more. My son Sean was critically wounded in a gun battle by an illegal alien while serving warrants on homicide suspects. He almost died.
As most of you know, I too spent most of my life in law enforcement, 23 years with Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. And as a young deputy was also critically wounded, shot in the hand and the chest with a 357 magnum, while attempting to arrest several gang members in Guadalupe.
I understand the risks, and I accept those risks as part of the job. What I do not accept or understand is the assault by politicians, liberal media and the courts. Furthermore, I do not understand why we stand by and allow it to happen and why we do not come to their aid.
Sean was taken to a hospital in very critical condition. He and my son Colten still continue to put their lives on the line as do thousands of other wonderful and honorable protectors. These are our Warriors, our Heroes .
Today you have a chance to stand with law enforcement and protect them from frivolous attacks as they are placed in positions where we expect them to make split second decisions. And then of course critiqued as they should be, but protection should be awarded them from abuse and the taking of their Constitutional rights.
I implore you to stand with me and law enforcement in protecting them from unfair attacks, as we experience these outrageous attacks by the Left and the anti-law enforcement crowds and in some cases administrators that implement Political Correctness over common sense and fairness.
I am asking you to support a “common sense” law enforcement “bill of rights” to protect their Constitutional God given rights that are “inherent” and were intended to be protected at all cost.
Russell Pearce
Former President of the Senate and Chief Deputy Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office
Dr. Stephen Carol
Needless to say, I was awed and shocked when I read the article concerning the Desert Foothills Library (DFL) and Dr. Carol. To think, and especially in these trying and confusing times, that a man of Dr. Carol’s background in Middle East History, could be treated like he was by one David Court and the DFL.
I have heard Dr Carol speak on numerous occasions, and he is extremely truthful and factual! I have most of his books on the Middle East, and believe me when I tell you, I now have a better understanding of what’s “actually” going on in the middle East, and the fact that Dr Carol does not use Political Correctness (PC), is to his defense.
I simply do not agree with Mr Court and the DFL on not allowing Dr Carol to speak, for FREE.
The fact that two people walked out, and 10 people complained, means those people probably did not wish to educate themselves as to what’s REALLY going on in the Middle East!!!
Jean Anderson
Rio Verde Resident, formerly of Cave Creek
Guns for hire
I’ve been thinking about the “guns for hire” that showed up in Chicago (or anywhere else) where Donald Trump (or anyone else they disagree with) is scheduled to appear. They permit themselves to be manipulated and used into violating the constitutional right of free speech of others while attempting to justify their actions by their right to free speech! Think about it.
Wow, talk about the left hand not knowing what the other left hand is doing! It as if these demonstrators really don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. In most instances once they open their mouths you can remove the word “seems” from the equation.
In the “free and open society” that these demonstrators/rioters claim to want they have the
right to offer up their counter arguments to any and all statements and positions they find disagreeable at a venue of their choosing. Having elected to not take the option to present their position and arguments can only lead a person to wonder why they didn’t take this opportunity to showcase their plan for a greater, fairer, friendlier United States.
I believe the reason they choose confrontation and civil disobedience over reason and debate is they are incapable of presenting coherent counter policies or they may be aware the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow they want to sell us is nothing more than light reflecting off the rising nauseous gases from a smelly unkempt, unclean socialist outhouse.
What we do know is that it’s all a farce using selective free speech as cover. Most probably led by a few, followed by the naive and the gullible who have sold their souls to George Soros and Barack Obama for few pieces of silver.
Tom Carbone
Arizona
Why is AZ complying with a costly plan already halted by the Supreme Court?
Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court took the unprecedented step of issuing a stay against President Obama’s massive “Clean Power Plan” (CPP.) The Court determined that states should not be compelled to pay the exorbitant costs of the plan until a federal court determines its legality.
The ruling produced a huge sigh of relief from the 27 states currently suing to halt a large-scale transformation of their energy grid through one of the most far-reaching regulations ever imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Essentially, states no longer need to scramble to achieve a 32% reduction in power sector carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. However, the power plan had required interim targets in 2022, and many states were already bracing for the costs of building new power sector infrastructure.
Thankfully, states have been granted a reprieve. But Arizona has chosen to move forward with the task of rebuilding its entire power generation sector. This means the state will still undertake the construction of new grid infrastructure, including the many new transmission lines and towers needed to carry electricity from planned wind and solar assemblies.
Ironically, wind and solar power have yet to prove reliable in terms of scalability for power generation. Such “renewable” sources of energy are intermittent—the sun doesn’t always shine, the wind doesn’t always blow—and require backup power generation from coal or gas plants. And so, even as Arizona—a state that currently derives 40% of its power from coal—begins to shutter its coal-fired power plants, it will need to build new coal or gas systems to backstop these projected wind and solar plants.
The question is why Arizona would bear this cost when it is currently under no legal obligation to do so. Higher utility bills will fall hardest on low-income families and America’s seniors, 70% of whom live on a fixed income. The stay by the Supreme Court means that all compliance deadlines are now suspended, and the stay will remain in effect until the Court has a chance to review the case following action by the D.C. Circuit. In fact, the earliest decision from the Court on the merits of the case would likely come in mid to late 2017.
But the stay is only part of the reasoning here. More importantly, the rule could be struck down on judicial review. Many legal observers view this as likely since the point of granting the stay was to alleviate the obligation of states to develop plans (and thus incur further economic harm.) The Supreme Court’s issuance of the stay can only be read as reflecting a high level of dissatisfaction with the EPA’s legal basis for the rule.
Even in the very unlikely event that the EPA ultimately prevails in court and the stay is lifted, the new compliance dates will most likely be delayed by the period of time that the stay was in effect. Or, a new, less sympathetic administration may set aside the entire rule.
Apart from the costs, Arizona should consider that the goals of the Clean Power Plan are of questionable practicality. While the plan, as envisioned by the Obama Administration, would shut down roughly 40 percent of America’s coal-fired power generation, it would yield only a trivial reduction in carbon dioxide that could soon be overwhelmed by emissions from China, India and other developing nations. That may be viewed as cost-effective for Washington, but not for Arizona.
The clean coal that currently powers much of Arizona—and much of America— has proven to be durable, affordable, and reliable. Renewable energy, in contrast, has proven to be expensive and low-yield. Arizona would be wise to follow the example of those states that are rejecting the CPP as a costly overreach of federal authority—and one with little practical or environmental benefit.
Terry Jarrett
Energy attorney and consultant, former commissioner of the
Missouri Public Service Commission
School voucher system
Regarding the article on Voucher Tuition System Logic: Less money in the public schools means less students in the public schools who need that money. More students go to the schools they and their parents choose.
Choice vouchers allow the parents of autistic, emotionally, physically and developmentally challenged children to choose the services that are best for their child!!
Home schools are given the help they need which takes pressure off the educational system to educate those children.
Charter schools are in demand because parents see the value of excellence in them for their child!
We need to provide all the kinds of education and let the parents CHOOSE!
Kathie Trojanowski
Scottsdale
What Reagan called ‘the only strategy’
“If not now, when? If not us, who?” ~President Reagan
Today is indeed a time for choosing. The choice is clear. Renewed prosperity, or continued government servitude? Liberty or Tyranny?
If Ronald Reagan were still alive today, I know he would be with us in our fight to restore America and the Constitution. Did you know that when Congress would not impose fiscal restraints on itself, President Reagan asked the states to call an Article Five Convention of States?
“We can’t depend on Congress to discipline itself . . .
Fortunately, our Nation’s Founders gave us the means to amend the Constitution through action of state legislatures . . . That is the only strategy that will work.” ~President Reagan
Reagan went on to say, “Unless we act and act quickly, the people in the White House and those running Congress will bankrupt America.”
The root problem is Washington politicians who are more concerned with their own political futures than the future of our nation. It pains me to think my generation has burdened my children with these enormous government expenditures.
The good news is we have a plan, thanks to the wisdom of the Founding Fathers who gave us a safety valve―Convention of States! President Reagan embraced this, because he realized it was the only solution as big as the problem.
Time is short. I know that you would do anything for your children and grandchildren, which is why we cannot afford to wait on this.
As President Reagan said regarding Convention of States, “Our opportunity has never been greater.” With your help, Convention of States will return fiscal responsibility to Washington and send the career politicians packing.
Our citizen activists have won dozens of legislative victories this year, but there are several states where we are running out of time. This is where YOU come in!
Please support our efforts so we can pack hearings with our citizen activists and deliver thousands of petitions to state legislators. Our goal is to implement these winning strategies in every state.
Can I ask you to do one other thing that is of utmost importance? Please ask 10 friends to sign the Convention of States petition at www.cosaction.com. We can reach thousands more of Americans looking to be a part of the only solution as big as the problem―Convention of States!
Contributions will go directly toward ensuring victories in states all across America!
The words of Reagan ring in my ears--”If not now, when? If not us, who?”
Will you help us keep the momentum going?
Mark Meckler, President
Convention of States Action
Strong Crypto: An Offer in Compromise for Obama
For months, US president Barack Obama played coy on the developing controversy over law enforcement bureaucrats’ demands that American tech innovators be required to build “back doors” into their products. That changed on March 11. In a talk at the Austin, Texas SXSW Interactive festival, Obama warned against “an absolutist view” of individual privacy and strong encryption.
“[I]f your argument is strong encryption, no matter what, and we can and should, in fact, create black boxes,” said Obama, “then that I think does not strike the kind of balance that we have lived with for 200, 300 years. And it’s fetishizing our phones above every other value.”
Weirdly citing the unconstitutional institution of local DUI checkpoints on our roads and the US government’s barbaric post-9/11 practice of subjecting air travelers to sexual assault by Transportation Security Administration employees in the nation’s airports, Obama appealed to the American tradition of “compromise” to support his argument. All, of course, while averring that he is “way on the civil liberties side of this thing.” With civil liberties friends like Barack Obama, who needs civil liberties enemies?
With apologies to the late Barry Goldwater, absolutism in defense of individual privacy and strong encryption is no vice, nor is moderation in their defense a virtue.
But if President Obama really is interested in a compromise, I guess I’m willing to offer one. It begins with four words:
You first, Mr. President.
In 2008, you promised Americans “the most transparent administration in history.” You’ve since not just failed to deliver on that promise, but taken things in exactly the opposite direction.
Your administration has denied or redacted parts of more Freedom of Information Act requests than any since the Act became law in 1966.
Chelsea Manning languishes in a military prison, Edward Snowden lives in exile, Julian Assange remains trapped in Ecuador’s embassy in London, and numerous other whistleblowers have been imprisoned or otherwise persecuted, all for the “crime” of telling us things about the US government that you didn’t want us to know.
You’ve even assumed the power to order American citizens assassinated -- while refusing to let the rest of us know who they are or why you had them killed.
In theory, YOU work for THE REST OF US. Since when does the employee get to read the boss’s email on demand, but not visa versa?
So show us you’re serious. Start with pardons for Manning and Snowden and an end to the pursuit of Assange. Then start fulfilling instead of denying FOIA requests. And the thing with murdering people? That needs to end, completely, permanently.
Get on those things, then we’ll talk. But I’m going to go ahead and predict that this isn’t the kind of “compromise” you meant.
Thomas L. Knapp
William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism
