Boosters of this unfortunate fraud
I have been following the aftermath of the vote on the Override. The boosters of this unfortunate fraud have turned vicious in their fury at those that fought against this insanity. These ‘no school funding can be voted against stalwarts’ are not the crowd you would immediately identify. They are many more than the breeders (parents) representing those that feel more and more money will educate little Jack and Jill. Were this only fact.
During the past 70 years we have gone onto a new education paradigm. That is, teach the child but do not challenge or identify any individual as superior, or dull. We have pushed socializing to the point where we have a lot of happy little morons running wild. Few of our youth, and to be fair, young adults can structure a sentence, add a column of figures, identify their government officials, or hold a rational conversation.
The pro-Override fanatics would have you believe that this tax will provide the answer to our learning shortfall. Not true. It will be used to hire more administrators, consultants and other unnecessary bloat. What we must do is what businesses are doing throughout the country:
1. Back test each position within the schools. See if that person is focused on the education process. If not, render him redundant.
2. Stop all programs that are not concerned with learning. This may include sports, clubs, trips etc.
3. Remove all distractions from the school environment. Do not repave student parking lots, et al.
There are many more efficiencies to be garnered. The point is productivity. More funding through tax increases (Overrides/Bonds) are not an answer at a time when families are losing their homes.
Finally, do not attack those that prevailed through logic and reason. Remember, we can bite back.
Steve Lowen | Cave Creek
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My sincere apology to the people of Cave Creek
To the people of Cave Creek, my name is Adam McDonald and I've made a mistake I will never stop regretting. I bought ammunition for a friend's gun, and entered the Cave Creek preserve, Jewel of the Creek, on two occasions, shooting cactus, trees, water bottles, and littering by leaving shotgun shells and the water bottles behind. I was excited about just having turned 18 and learning to shoot a gun as a new sport. I had gone to a shooting range. A friend stated that he had lived in Cave Creek and there was an area outside of Maricopa County where it would be legal to shoot. Unfortunately it was not in a legal area. It was on your Preserve.
I love sports and the outdoors. I've always been very active in sports. I've played baseball, hockey and football, rode a skateboard and roller blades in parks and arenas. I had a small paintball course in my backyard. My senior year I was a team captain for my football team. I've tried to be a good role model, and was working towards a career I was very excited about. I was going to school to learn to save lives, by becoming a paramedic, eventually an air evac nurse, and hopeful of going to Africa to do medical missions work. I had just passed my state certification exam to be an EMT, and was getting ready to test for the national exam. The last thing I wanted to do was to mess up fulfilling dreams.
Unfortunately due to my actions, what I have done has caused grief to a good community and possibly brought my paramedic career to an end. I now am unable to test or be certified.
I realize what I did was wrong and I feel terrible for what has happened! I know I can't take it back. I feel I've learned an important lesson and I know I won't be doing something as dumb and careless again! I deeply regret my participation in the events that occurred on your preserve. I am extremely sorry for my actions! I have enjoyed both coming to Cave Creek for its uniqueness, and to relax and enjoy the outdoors. I feel regretful for what has happened, realizing it was careless and dumb! I've learned a valuable lesson about responsible behavior, and needing to learn more about laws, rules and communities' expectations before just doing something that seems to be fun and relaxing.
To the people of Cave Creek I am very sorry. I have never been in trouble for any crime before this. I work hard at trying to do the right things, and keep my head straight with a positive attitude. I go to church with my family. I try to be socially connected with the community and the people that have an impact in my life – more so my family. I promise to honor Cave Creek's community, the people, its laws and the preservation of the preserve and land trust!
Thank you for your consideration. My hope and prayer is for your forgiveness. Sincerely,
Adam McDonald | Glendale
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The “kick me” sign
For the first time in my adult life I have seen an American President bow to foreign leaders. First the Saudis, then the Japanese, now the Chinese. And it is not a petty sight.
At first I refused to believe that it was Obama. I thought it might have been some KKK member in black face trying to make the President look like an absolute idiot. Then I speculated that Obama might be trying to be a role model for young, unemployed black men looking for a job. I ruled out both of those explanations when I carefully examined an unedited photo of his bow to the Japanese Emperor. If you look carefully you can see the “kick me” sign pinned to Obama’s tail end.
Just when you think it cannot get any worse, along comes the story that when he next goes to Germany he plans on greeting the Chancellor by sharply clicking his heels together and throwing out his arm in a spiffy fascist salute.
Mickey Gibson | Carefree
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Pure comic opera
My wife and I attended the December 1 Carefree Town Council meeting. The discussion about the 2010 budget was pure comic opera without the singing. The Schwan concept that monies not received, and therefore not budgeted or spent, are “savings” is hilarious.
With Schwan absent, the six Council members listened to complaints from residents about the illegal poll tax proposed in a Council resolution. The six then voted unanimously to remove the offending language. That of course raises the question why Mayor Schwan allowed that language in the first place. Is he really that obtuse?
We were astounded and offended to be subjected to political speeches by two Council members delivered from the Council podium. They spoke in support of their beloved Mayor and derided those few “disgruntled” residents that caused all this trouble and expense.
Clearly these clowns don’t realize that as elected officials they represent all town residents and not just that small special clique also known as the “good ole boys.” After Schwan retires they should do the same.
Henry Tinkelenberg | Carefree
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Community or parents to raise a child
I am writing with regard to your recent editorial entitled PROTEST and the accompanying article written by Linda Bentley. While I support your conclusions, I am disappointed in how those conclusions were addressed. The tone of both articles was defensive, improperly so. You have returned a fourteen year old girl to Salem. This young lady had the guts to get involved in a community affair and I applaud her for that. Would that more of our young people occasionally take up the cross. Far too many of us, younger and older alike, are willing to sit beside the road while the parade passes in front of us.
I will admit that Ms. Davis should have studied the situation more fully before recommending a solution that was neither ethical nor legal. I suspect she received her direction from a family member and shame on that person. But I think the response from the Sonoran News was equally unbalanced. Years ago, while a college student, I wrote a paper on a controversial subject. My facts were well researched and documented but my writing was caustic and vitriolic. I was justly given a D- for my efforts with a notation that I should learn to approach a subject with an open mind. My father supported my thesis with a letter to my professor which said in part that my most heinous error was in spelling Bastard with two Esses.
I am a supporter of the Sonoran News. Your editorial staff does excellent work for the community. But in this one instance, I am afraid you have spelled bastard with at least two Esses. Let us encourage our young people, and if they are wrong, let us advise them, not condemn them.
Edward T. Gushee | Scottsdale
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What’s going on with the Mayor of Carefree?
That’s a question I get all the time from my friends who left town for the summer and returned to find our mayor waging war against the civil rights of his own constituents. Since Schwan became mayor, we’ve seen citizens’ First Amendment rights violated by town staff (who report to Schwan), petition gatherers and petition signers illegally threatened, possible bid fixing, and Schwan actually voting against allowing residents more time to mail back their ballots. Now I learn it was proposed at the last council meeting to have people pay in order to vote! People won’t stand for this, and they haven’t.
The Recall David Schwan movement is a large, broad-based effort comprised of dozens of Carefree residents from all walks of life and political persuasions. Supporters of the Recall care deeply about the town and its citizens, and refuse to sit idly by while Schwan’s regime represses our rights and threatens our Carefree way of life.
Remember, the 406 signatures gathered to force the March election were twice what was required and were gathered during the height of summer – when half the town was gone. Just as important, there are hundreds of residents out there who support the Recall movement but did not sign for fear of political reprisal, including some of my own friends and neighbors.
Sometimes I wonder if I am living in Carefree, Arizona or WW II fascist Italy. For the good of Carefree, Schwan needs to go.
Roberta O'Dwyer | Carefree
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We are not fooled
Thanks to Steele Coddington for his excellent critique of Rep. Harry Mitchell's letter in the Arizona Republic explaining why he voted for the health care bill.
Rep. Mitchell's letter was an incredible piece of work. My jaw dropped as I read his inaccuracies. A prime example is that he said the bill doesn't weaken Medicare, yet Medicare cuts are estimated to be $500 billion! (Sen. McCain has just introduced an amendment to remove these "irresponsible cuts" from the bill.) Could it be that Rep. Mitchell was being deceptive? As I pondered his mis-statements, I recalled Pres. Obama telling us that the stimulus bill had no pork in it. So there you are! Mitchell was simply following his role model!
After the stimulus bill was passed, we received a form letter from Rep. Mitchell boasting about his vote against the stimulus bill. But his pro vote on the health care bill shows his true colors. Does he think we're too ignorant to realize when the democrats have enough votes to safely pass a bill, they allow a few "endangered" politicians to vote in opposition? We are not fooled, Rep. Mitchell!
Marilyn Hayden | Scottsdale
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Recession and diversity
The Democrats, through their spokesperson, Janet Napolitano, want us to believe that granting citizenship to fourteen million illegal aliens, most of them from Mexico, would help to bring the country out of the current economic recession. If this is so, why stop at fourteen million? There are perhaps thirty million illegal aliens here. Why not end the recession even sooner by granting amnesty to all thirty million?
They also tell us that diversity is good. So why unbalance our diversity by granting citizenship to a disproportional percentage of Mexicans? Why not open the borders to another thirty million Africans, thirty million Chinese, thirty million Indians and thirty million people from Arab countries? This would, according to Democratic philosophy, result in an immediate end to the recession and restore a proper balance to our diversity.
Jack C. McVickers | Scottsdale
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Dennis L. Guthrie
I just came across an e-mail that forwarded this letter to me. My father still has battle scars from WWII that he has never complained about, though my mother tells me that early in their married life he would wake up screaming of Kamikazes.
I grew up as a military brat in West Berlin. I didn't care for the war in Vietnam. One day an East German journalist and photographer came to our high school to take pictures of how the kids where voicing their opinions about the war. He tried to get some to burn the flag in front of him. All of us had family either in or just out of Nam. Not only did the flag burning not happen, but several of the students made sure that the protest remained ours and not material for Communists and destroyed his film.
I understand that we didn't allow him to express his freedom of press. However, just like the canned scenes with French TV crews in the Gaza Strip, we believe in everyone's freedom up to the point where they use it to take others away from them.
If Pelosi wants to go back to her pot smoking days in the 60s so badly, let her do so at her own expense. What made America great was the ability for everyone to have an equal opportunity. She obviously believes that this is meant for her and her exclusive club alone.
Ron Beraha | E-mail
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Town Hall serves up another dollop of socialism
No, no, anything but that word “CHANGE.” This time the Arizona Republic says “LET’S ENERGIZE ARIZONANS TO PUSH FOR CHANGES.” (Nov. 16 - Emphasis in the original.) They are referring to the recommendations of the recent Arizona Town Hall.
Guess what “changes” are advocated by Town Hall. Yes, just like in President Obama’s campaign, most of the changes seem to involve more government.
I attended my first Town Hall about thirty years ago and have been a member ever since. Each year I look at their recommendations with the hope that they might have discovered how economies actually get healthy and stay healthy, that is, by keeping government interference and taxes to a minimum. Each year I am disappointed. My guesstimate is that something over 90 percent of Town Hall recommendations have involved increases in the size of government. (During the last thirty years I did attend a couple of other Town Halls and I expressed free market opinions but I found that such views were in the minority and rarely found their way to the final report.)
Near the end of the Republic article, emphasis is added to this march toward socialism by citing the recommendations of other left-of-center groups like the Morrison Institute and the Center for the Future of Arizona. (There is no mention of the recommendations of groups like the Goldwater Institute or Arizona Federation of Taxpayers or the Arizona Free Enterprise Club.)
Finally, in addition to taking the risky and philosophically rigorous position of advocating “change,” the Republic editorial throws in other overworked and squishy words like “reform” and “cooperation.” I guess the taxpayers of Arizona are expected to be thankful that the Republic and these other organizations are stepping out and advocating both change AND reform (and even cooperation).
Wow. It takes my breath away.
Roy Miller | Phoenix
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Final word on ending a sentence with a preposition
I just came across this gem by Morris Bishop, and for those unfamiliar with it, here it is for your enjoyment:
I lost a naughty preposition,
He lived, I think, beneath my chair.
I cried aloud to him, "Perdition!
Come on up out from down under there."
Now, language is my vade mecum,
And straggling phrases I abhor,
And yet I wonder, what should he come
On up out from down under for?
Geoff Orton | Carefree
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