Stop an Arizona Pro-Slaughter Resolution
Mike Markarian | Executive Vice President
The Humane Society of the United States
A dangerous resolution is currently before the Arizona legislature, S.C.M. 1001. This resolution would urge the state to oppose federal legislation banning horse slaughter and the export of horses to other countries for slaughter. S.C.M. 1001 sends the wrong message about horse slaughter.
Though not eaten in the United States, tens of thousands of young, healthy horses were slaughtered in this country each year and their flesh shipped overseas to countries like France and Japan for foreign gourmands. In 2007, the remaining U.S. horse slaughter plants were shut down. But now, American horses are still being transported long distances across the borders to be grisly slaughtered in Canada and Mexico. Federal legislation is the only way to stop this cruelty.
Take Action! Please make brief, polite phone calls to your Arizona state legislators to urge opposition to this resolution S.C.M. 1001. Leave your name and address so it is clear that you are a constituent.
Please send a follow-up e-mail to your legislators. Tell your friends and family in Arizona to take action, too. For more information visit www.community.hsus.org.
Thank you for all you do for animals.
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Forget the polls; read the great philosophers
Roy Miller | Phoenix
Open letter to Congressman Eric Cantor
Congressman Eric Cantor, one of the rising stars in the Republican Party seems to think that the way to reinvigorate the Republican Party is to hold Town Halls and take polls. This is precisely the reason that the Republican Party is in the tank. Eric, if you really don’t know what positions to take regarding ethics and virtue, then I suggest you read the Bible or the Koran or Bhagavad Gita or any of the other works of the world’s great religions. And if you really don’t know what positions to take regarding political and economic issues, then I suggest you read the works of Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, William Buckley, Ayn Rand, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan, and the many other philosophers of liberty. Let the Democrats take polls to determine their philosophy. The precepts of our philosophy are eternal.
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It makes my blood boil
Dina Galassini | E-mail
Here’s another reason not to give away American benefits to foreigners. The other day I called a leasing agent on the government’s affordable housing list and inquired about their affordable housing program because I have a friend who cannot find a job right now and cannot pay her rent.
The leasing agent said there are wait lists, depending on what complex and the rent depends on people’s income; sometimes, we pay them to live there due to lack of income. She told me that some neighborhoods can be pretty “rough,” but at Hill N’ Dell Homes in Phoenix, it seems to be a more safe place than most of the other rentals because not a lot of Americans live there, but Somalians, Iranians and other foreigners. I asked her if her company allows illegal aliens to live there. She said no, they are refugees.
This disturbs me as a taxpaying American. Our affordable housing in which more and more Americans are in need of in this depression is being filled up with refugees. It’s time to start the phones ringing.
Legal immigrants have to wait five years to apply for any kind of public assistance, but refugees/asylees are entitled to: TANF, WIC, women, infants and children get free bottles, diapers, formulas, doctor care, vaccinations etc., food stamps, utility assistance, public housing, job training, public education, a generous monthly cash allowance, and any other welfare program available as soon as they get here.
Many have AIDS and other costly health problems and were unemployable in their home country. How does it benefit our country to bring these people here? It makes my blood boil.
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Pinpointing homes
Arden Druce | Camp Verde
Why is the Obama administration starting the census gathering before its scheduled time – 2010? And more importantly, why is it having the census workers get a latitude and longitude of every house in America? Aren’t latitude and longitude used for serial target marking?
One critic suggested that latitude and longitude would be useful to non-English speaking military or even English speaking military in pinpointing homes of known dissenters.
The government’s compiling the latitude and longitude of everyone’s house is hardly an intrusion the American people will approve.
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Stimulus Bill
Richard Hamouris | Phoenix
According to John McCain's economic advisor without delivery of a decent stimulus package right now we're looking at unemployment topping out at over 11 percent by 2010. When will the Republicans understand that in tough times, the tough get going? This bill will create or save up to 4 million jobs in the next two years. TWO, not twenty. The nit-picking partisan politics the Senate Republicans are demonstrating needs to cease. Right here, right now. It's time to stop rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. This ship is going down fast.
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Thank you! Great turnout at Out West Art Fest!
Sue Kern-Fleischer | Media Representative for SAL
On behalf of the Sonoran Arts League, thank you for your incredible coverage of the new “Out West Art Fest” at Stagecoach Village. I attended Friday afternoon and again on Saturday. I heard from many artists, including several from out of state, that there were steady crowds all day and that sales were good.
We attribute much of this success to the combined editorial coverage and advertising in Sonoran News.
Thanks to your entire team for your continued support of the non-profit Sonoran Arts League.
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Stimulus plan
Lynne A Shapiro | Cave Creek
An overwhelming number of Americans voted for "Change" this past November 2008 ... in the elections. Maybe the Republicans still have not heard the message loud and clear. Every day more and more people are loosing their jobs, their homes, they cannot feed their families, pay their bills, or have health insurance. States are facing major deficits and are curtailing many programs that their citizens would benefit from.
We need to pass an economic stimulus plan immediately so that our unemployment levels will not continue to grow. Without the immediate passing of this bill our unemployment levels could be the highest since the Great Depression. Many of the issues being singled out for criticism amount to a mere fraction of the overall bill. For example the anti-smoking programs contained within the bill amount to less than one-ten-thousandth of the spending. This is mere nit-picking and is just pure politics. The bill currently being reviewed creates or saves three million to four million jobs in the next two years.
It also averts "literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs" and doubles the funding for the Department of Education. Education is the backbone of our country and growth for the future.
The bill also creates green jobs and doubles our clean energy production. We need to develop energy within our own Country and not rely on those outside the United States for our energy sources.
It also gives those individuals who are unemployed access to affordable health care coverage. Every year people are forced into bankruptcy due to not having health insurance ... when a major health crisis arises within their lives. The states shoulder the burden of many of those who have no health insurance coverage.
This bill if enacted will be one of the biggest and boldest pieces of progressive legislation in the past forty years. We need change in our Country ... that is why we voted "in" the current administration. We need to become progressive as a Country. We need to create jobs and keep them in the United States and not ship them abroad. We cannot continue on with the policies of the past. We need to join together as a united nation ... as a united people and for the good of every individual within our Country.
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Violation of trust
Ed Konecnik | Flushing, New York
There is a unique spirit that binds and identifies us as Americans; it manifested itself on September 12, 2001, the day after the WTC terrorist attack, at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy and at the inauguration of President Barack Obama. It embodies a sense of identity and purpose nurtured by our respect and affirmation of the Constitution and all that it implies. However, our government and representatives have ignored and dismissed some of the principles that have protected and guided us and diluted that unifying spirit. Both political parties have violated our trust and hope we have lost our reason and common sense.
Is it reasonable for politicians to “loan” trillions of dollars of our money to banks and institutions and not tell us to whom, why or disclose the terms? Is it reasonable for politicians to rail against pork projects and earmarks and then pass the largest budget in the history of the world including billions of dollars of pork without debate and without having read it? Is it reasonable for politicians on the verge of imposing “cap and trade” taxes and regulations stifle scientists and censor skeptics who challenge Al Gore’s inconvenient truth?
Is it reasonable for politicians to ban secret ballots for workers when history confirms the lack of secret ballots are the hallmark every dictator and tyrannical regime on the planet?
What will it take to regenerate our faculties of reason and common sense and revive the quintessential American ideal of individual rights, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?
Thomas Jefferson asked “What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”
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Déjà vu
Ed Konecnik |
Flushing, New York
“Change has come to America” is the victory chant of President Obama and his minions but his proposals and appointments to his administration are déjà vu all over again. President Bush oversaw the greatest increase of discretionary spending in our history. President Obama’s proposed stimulus packages, plans for subsidizing health care and nationalizing financial institutions are not “change” but merely sequels to that legacy.
The election’s historical significance and the attendant good will offered up a unique opportunity to engage America with real “change.” Instead, the president’s nominations constitute a recycling of Clinton era characters in search of rehabilitation: for Attorney General, a man who recommended pardons for fugitive Marc Rich and convicted killers and terrorists, for Treasury Secretary, a man who has difficulty understanding and filing his tax forms, for Secretary of State, a former first lady whose husband’s personal foundation is the recipient of unaccountable millions of dollars from foreign leaders, ministers and despots.
President Obama seems unmindful of the words of wisdom of his favorite president Abraham Lincoln: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.” So far, he has not acted anew and has instead become a doorman at the White House for the Clintons and their cohorts.
So – what’s new, pussycat?
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What is going on in this great little town of Cave Creek?
Penny A. Swearengin | Cave Creek
Since when are we so vicious as to attempt to change peoples voting ideas by bad mouthing a candidate. Especially a candidate who is young and eager to do something good in the town of Cave Creek.
Alright, some of you don't think he wants to do good. What evil plot do you all believe he is boiling? He has ideas and wants to put them into play. He wants to do a great deal of work on the issue of horses and how that industry can and will help the needy vendors and restaurants in the town. I wish more young people of his age would get involved in the dynamics of this town.
But maybe, after reading all of your editorials who would want to. If we do not get our younger adults interested and involved in change and progress in Cave Creek, we won't have to worry about it. The town will simply die off like we are going to do some day and then there will be nothing left for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.
I urge you all to take a few minutes and meet this young man, Adam Trent (sic), he is around town a lot these days. He would be glad to meet with you and discuss his personal ideas for our future. Unlike some of our previous council members who sat on high and didn't think they owed an explanation for anything they did. We need to support our young people and work with them for a better Cave Creek and not against them. Come on!!!
Editor’s Note: This is the letter I referred to in “My View.” We completely vetted Adam Trenk and find him unsuitable for council.
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Comprehensive energy program
Donald A. Moskowitz | Londonderry, New Hampshire
Congress and the Administration are touting alternative energy sources to replace power production derived from foreign oil. They want to generate ten to twenty percent of U.S. energy needs from alternative sources.
Most of the alternative energy would have to be generated from wind power systems. If we assume 10 percent of the U.S. energy requirements consists of 100,000 megawatts, and each wind turbine produces approximately 2 to 3 megawatts, it will take about 40,000 wind turbines to produce the 100,000 megawatts.
The siting of 40,000 wind turbines around the country could be a monumental task since an average wind speed of about 12 mph is needed to efficiently operate a wind turbine. Hilltops, mountains, canyons and some coastlines are candidate locations for the wind machines, but these locations pose logistical, noise and aesthetic obstacles. The generation of power from the wind turbines is dependent on weather conditions, and we all know how unpredictable and varied the weather can be. Furthermore, we would need an electrical grid system spread out around the country to tie in the wind turbines to the national grid.
Approximately 50 nuclear power plants with two units per site providing a total of 2000 megawatts per site, will generate 100,000 megawatts of clean, reliable, operationally cost effective and continuous power.
Nuclear power plants, domestic oil production, wind energy systems and other alternative energy sources are all viable components of a comprehensive energy program.
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Budget needs public input
Jim Peirce | Carefree
At the May 5 Carefree council meeting the 2009-10 town budget was on the agenda. The town accountant made a presentation reviewing a 50-page report he had prepared. The report, obviously available because the latest updated numbers were through December 31, had been withheld from the public at the sham "budget workshop" on April 21.
Mayor Fulcher stated that the report was developed with input from “department heads” and that he and Councilman Gardner were consulted. From the council discussion it was clear most, if not all, of the members were clueless about the budget’s contents.
I proposed to the mayor that one or more special true budget workshops be held later this month to gather public input on how the town’s money should be spent. His reply was that if anyone has a question about the budget, it will be considered if submitted in writing. If elected as a council write-in candidate, I will work to ensure public input into the budget in June before final adoption.
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