Where does it stop?
I am writing this to you because I believe, no matter what your political persuasion is, you are among the most sensible people I know. It may sound as if I'm "putting you on" in saying that, but I'm not. I believe it to be true. So ...
It is clear that nowhere in the Constitution of the United States does the federal government have the right to force the citizens of this country to buy a certain product. That includes any type of insurance. Therefore, on that point alone, the Health Care bill passed by the House of Representatives last night is blatantly unconstitutional.
If and when President Obama signs this into law, I urge you to write, e-mail, or phone your Attorney General urging him or her to join with the following states in instituting a lawsuit against the federal government in this regard.
The following states are already in the process of bringing such suits: South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Pennsylvania, Washington, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Alabama.
For those of you who live in Arizona, the AG is:
Attorney General Terry Goddard
Office of the Attorney General
1275 West Washington Street
Phoenix, AZ 85007
602-542-5025
800-352-8431 (toll free in State of Arizona, outside Maricopa and Pima Counties)
Fax 602-542-4085
Tucson Office:
400 West Congress
South Building, Suite 315
Tucson, AZ 85701-1367
520-628-6504
Fax 520-628-6530
Congress must be stopped from making the Constitution completely irrelevant.
Don Scott | Via e-mail
Corporations are people too
Since the Supreme Court decided the corporations were people, maybe President Obama should appoint a corporation to the Supreme Court to replace retiring justice John Paul Stevens. Maybe Walmart can serve as a justice on the court.
Mark Perkel | Glory, California
Back
A curmudgeon
Recently a former colleague whom I haven’t seen in over 35 years called and said she has been reading my “letters to the editor” and thinks I’ve become a curmudgeon.
Perhaps some of your readers agree but I am certain most of them believe as I do that our government and representatives live in a parallel universe. The intent of my letters is to call attention to the “change” that is transforming America; the incremental loss of our individual liberties, creation of unaccountable czars and bureaucracies, profligate spending and printing of money, etc. My frame of reference regarding the significance of the Constitution is rooted in the belief that we are not a “democracy” but a Constitutional Republic, that we are ruled by laws not men, that honor and integrity matter, that Congress should represent the will of the people.
If calling attention to the corruption, unconstitutional procedures, policies and practices makes me a curmudgeon, I remind you I am a member of the generation that was taught American history, read the Constitution and did not wear T-Shirts emblazoned with “Che,” “Chavez” or “Mao.”
To those devoid of knowledge and understanding of our history, specifically our Constitution and how it elevated man from serfdom, expressing opposition to the ongoing “fundamental transformation of America” may seem intolerant, illiberal, and unprogressive. I merely advocate adherence to the Constitution as a means to preserve our rights and liberties as codified by our founding fathers; recent events confirm how much we have already lost.
It is imperative we stop “transforming” America and begin preserving what is left of our liberties and Constitution; we curmudgeons have nowhere else to run.
Ed Konecnik | Flushing, New York
Back
How health care reform affects you
Dear Representative Mitchell: Nice try, but saying so doesn't make it so. No government program has yet met cost projections or performance expectations – Amtrak, the USPS, and Medicare come to mind. Unlike private individuals or businesses, changed and driven by the demands of economic survival, government programs have built-in DIS-incentives to economize or get the job done well.
Central planning puts bureaucrats in charge of situations about which they know little or nothing. We don't like European-style socialism for that very reason. Americans have historically been brilliantly successful because we have avoided the bureaucratic sludge which stunts creativity and kills jobs. That is – or was – our national genius.
We continue to think we know better than you do about what we need, and how we should get it. The rising American tide did in fact lift all boats, as Pres. Kennedy said. Capitalism, whether you like it or not, is responsible for the fastest, greatest improvement in the standard of living – and health – in the history of the world. Socialism has led only to stagnation and unfunded expectations. Another unpleasant reality, as Margaret Thatcher so acutely observed: the problem with socialism is that it eventually runs out of other people's money. We will now be running out of other people's money.
The manner in which this particular piece of legislation was crammed down our throats is worse than the law itself, I believe – and the law is pretty bad. I, like many others, consider anyone who voted for this monstrosity to be guilty of appallingly bad judgment and gross pandering to power politics. There was no meaningful cross/party negotiation or exchange of substantive ideas, no willingness to listen to the will of the people, no transparency or honesty in the entire year-long struggle. Yes, you won – but you will live to regret that ObamaCare victory.
We are angry we have not been heard. We believe procedure was trampled, and our Constitution was trashed. Under the guise of equal access and fairness, this legislation has instead dramatically increased both costs and the bureaucratic burden. It's all about control, not compassion – 17 percent of our GDP is a hefty piece of change, another chink in the wall. The CBO predictions you cite are not worth the paper they are written on because the hypothetical data submitted is unrealistic and inaccurate. You perhaps are familiar with the phrase "garbage in, garbage out?"
Apart from principle, the law itself is bad. Substantive tort reform? Absent. Competition and cross-border purchasing ability? Forgeddabout it. Incentives? Gone missing. Personal accountability? Of course not – Big Brother knows best, and will deprive you of both choice and liberty while brazenly picking your pocket and bankrupting our country. And, yes, you must buy a product you don't want, and if you refuse, the IRS will be the enforcer.
News flash – American health care was the envy of the world, and our uninsured did not die on the streets, but were in fact cared for by law in our hospitals. Then, of course, there's the hypocrisy of your own high-end government-paid-for health insurance, Rep. Mitchell. What's good enough for us is obviously not good enough for you, for Congress, or for other government employees. I find that disconcerting – you don't have any skin in this game, except your political hide.
Needless to say, I will work hard to unseat every incumbent who marched to Pelosi's drum and bent beneath her hammer. I will additionally fully support Arizona's legal challenges to the constitutionality of this corrupt legislation. This is an open letter to you, which I intend to share with anyone who will listen.
Marian Cook | Carefree
Back
YMCA Strong Kids & Families Campaign
If you haven’t noticed, the Desert Foothills Family YMCA is an amazing new facility in our community on 60th Street and Carefree Highway. Most probably thought the YMCA was simply a great place to work out, learn to swim or play basketball. That was my thought until I became a board member and discovered that they do so much more.
First, the YMCA has a policy of never turning anyone away from the programs and services it offers. Additionally, aside from the YMCA’s many childcare and health and wellness programs, the Valley of the Sun YMCA Association has created successful educational and training programs such as YMCA Achievers and College Access Program, the i-Learn High School Drop Out Recovery Program, the Evening Reporting Center (in collaboration with the Governor’s Office, Maricopa County Human Services and other government agencies), and many more.
There is a need in our community to give teens and young adults a positive place to go where they can develop a healthy spirit, mind and body. Families are in need as well, especially in this economy. In just three months of operating, the Desert Foothills Family YMCA has already provided almost $3,000 in support to those in need.
The Desert Foothills Family YMCA is recently kicked off its annual “Strong Kids & Families” fundraising efforts to help fund these services. So whether you’re a member or not, have children or not, with their outreach efforts and programs, the YMCA makes our entire community better and I urge you to contribute to the campaign.
For more information on how you can make a difference in our community by supporting the YMCA, call today at 480-596-9622 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Donate online at www.active.com/ donate/DFYMCA.
Michael LaBorde | Desert Foothills Family YMCA Board Member Chair, 2010 Strong Kids & Families Campaign
Back
VFW outraged at Court decision
As the national commander of the nation’s largest organization of combat veterans, I am furious about the recent Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit Court decision ordering Albert Snyder, the father of a slain Marine, to pay legal costs to the Westboro Baptist Church.
Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., led by Fred Phelps, has for years been taunting grieving mourners at military funerals nationwide. During the funeral of Marine Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder’s funeral in 2006, the anti-gay group praised the loss of the young Marine as well as other of the nation’s young servicemen and women, calling their deaths a by-product of a nation that tolerates homosexuality.
This is a travesty at best and borders on the obscene. The irony in this whole situation is that the blood and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes have enabled this group to spread their message of hate. Yet, they celebrate when one of America’s best pays the ultimate sacrifice preserving that right of free speech.
Mr. Snyder has already confronted the difficulties of burying his Marine son and then bringing a lawsuit against this group of hate-mongers. It is absolutely wrong for the court to order him to shoulder a financial burden on top of everything else. That is why VFW national headquarters will be making a donation to the fund that has been established to assist in paying the legal costs. Additionally, I am asking that each of the more than 1.5 million members of the VFW do what they can to assist Mr. Snyder, even taking the time to offer him note of support and encouragement.
A fund has been set up to help Mr. Snyder pay the court costs. None of the money will be for attorneys, who are graciously representing him pro bono. To contribute, go to www.matthewsnyder.org, or send a check payable to "Al Snyder Fund" to: Barley Snyder LLC. 100 E. Market Street, York, PA, 17401.
Thomas J. Tradewell Sr. | VFW National Commander | Sussex, Wisconsin
Back
Illegals
Recently, the Arizona Republic Newspaper ran an article titled “Jobs Americans Won’t Do.” The story was a report by a correspondent that went undercover as a lettuce picker for several weeks to basically illustrate how important foreign workers are to our economy. The article revealed nothing new. I kept waiting to read the final summary but was disappointed. It was nothing more than another propaganda piece. Here is what the article omitted:
There is that old argument that these people do jobs that Americans won’t. Less than two percent of illegal aliens are picking our crops, but 29 percent are on welfare.
Over 70 percent of the United States' annual population growth (and over 90 percent of California, Florida, and New York) results from immigration. Twenty nine percent of inmates in federal prisons are illegal aliens.
We all know that allowing amnesty for 12 million more illegals is the same as importing poverty and adding to those Americans who are already approaching the poverty level and unable to obtain work. Lets take a hard look at the side effects of this flood of illegals has on the state of California.
The following was an article from the L.A. Times newspaper.
1. Forty percent of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10.2 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This is because they are predominantly illegal immigrants working without a green card. (That money is going back to Mexico)
2. Ninety five percent of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.
3. Seventy five percent of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.
4. Over two thirds of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal, whose births were paid for by taxpayers.
5. Nearly 35 percent of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally
6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.
7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.
8. Nearly 60 percent of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.
9. Twenty one radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.
10. In L.A. County, 5.1 million people speak English, 3.9 million speak Spanish. (There are 10.2 million people in L.A. County.)
Remember I am not making all this up. All 10 items above are from the Los Angeles Times. Is this what we want for this state? So the question still remains, why does the Arizona Republic run such propaganda pieces and why are our politicians allowing this to happen? They are flooding our judicial system, state social systems, as well as putting a strain on our educational system. The only conclusion is that the politicians in Washington are trying to turn America into a socialist nation. I fear for my children’s future.
Mancy Smith | Via e-mail
Back
Need legislative limit for Medicaid cost
Dear Governor and Legislators: I rise with a most heavy heart, knowing that I have witnessed the intentional shredding of the U.S. Constitution. The Liberties and Freedoms established by our nations founding fathers, were abandoned, and in doing so, marks the true beginning of the destruction of everything we value in this uniquely American experiment. We are witnessing the dismantling of our Republic, where everything we have fought for these 234 years is undergoing systematic destruction.
More than ever, your action to address my previous appeals for action by the Arizona Legislature is now profoundly more urgent.
In addition to my call for amending the Arizona constitution, I now make a most urgent appeal to our State Legislature to immediately create and pass legislation requiring our State Attorney General to join with other States in challenging the constitutionality of the new health care bill.
This monstrosity usurps the States constitutional authority to regulate healthcare in our State. The individual and business mandates are unconstitutional, and exceed congresses authority to regulate commerce, as it mandates commerce. Congress cannot regulate non-commerce, and Congress cannot make the unwilling participate in commerce. It turns U.S. business law on it head, as that it mandates private contracts even when none is desired.
As our representatives, you have an obligation to uphold and protect the Constitution of our nation, and that Constitution is under attack, and I call upon you to step-up and aggressively defend against that attack.
This is now your hour to show the Citizens of Arizona where you really stand. Either you stand with those who are systematically dismantling our U.S. Constitution and who are now engaged in sowing the seeds of destruction of our nation, or you stand with those that have sacrificed so much in defending our U.S. Constitution, even willing to give their all in it's defense. Anything else you might have planned for this legislative session now pales in importance when compared to the task of defending our U.S. Constitution.
Please don't let us down at this most monumental moment in the American experience.
Bob Dotson | Via e-mail
Back
Foreign student host families needed
International high school exchange students would like to study in your local high school for the 2010/2011 school year. These students would like to integrate themselves into a loving and caring family with the goal of experiencing American culture as an American high school student does. In turn they will provide insight into their own culture. The host family provides a separate bed, family meals and a loving and caring environment. The students have their own spending money and health insurance.
If you are interested in opening your heart and home for one of these students, please contact Mary at [email protected] or call 1-800-522-4678. For more information visit www.stsfoundation.org.
Mary Leonhardt | Scottsdale
Back
