Wake up call
Local elections often forecast potential results in state and national contests. Conservative Republicans suffered losses in two high profile races in this month’s election. SB-1070 author Russell Pierce lost his bid to retain his senatorial seat to challenger Jerry Lewis with the help of crossover votes from open borders Democrats. No reflection on Mr. Lewis, but this unprecedented recall election win was orchestrated by rabid illegal alien advocates. It is Arizona's loss.
The hotly contested mayoral race in Phoenix, union darling Greg Stanton rode a smear campaign, heavily funded by local unions, to victory.
Neither outcome should come as a surprise. Factions on the left are desperate to reverse the trend set in motion by the mid-terms of November 2010 energized by the TEA Party.
November 2012 looms, but many confident, naive, even apathetic Republicans see a defeat of Obama, by any opponent, as a slam dunk. He is inexperienced, he is a socialist, he is out of step with the American electorate, but he is ruthlessly dangerous. With the backing of Nazi collaborator George Soros, an estimated billion dollar war chest and the support of the left owned media he is a formidable adversary. That same media covets milquetoast Mitt McCain, excuse me Mitt Romney as our candidate whom Dems view as easier to defeat than either Cain or Gingrich; can't play the race card with Cain, can't out think Gingrich.
Don't be fooled again, the losses of Pierce and Gullett are evidence of the dedication union and open boarders partisans have to defeat at all cost a return to constitutional law. Conservatives of all political affiliations need to heed this wake up call.
Randy Edwards
Cave Creek
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Harold’s
I've been going to Harold's for 35 years and have these observations to share. First of all my impression concerning the outside music: It's a little tacky at times and an eyesore to say the least. The owners of Harold's I believe have a duty to keep the noise down to an acceptable level and if they can't comply, drop the venue.
But for the owner of Harold's to say that denying him this venue "could severely affect our ability to stay in business" should be considered the 'Whopper Of the Month.' This is a prime example of a flourishing business with lots of friends, attempting to intimidate the homeowners to get their way.
Newsflash Mr. Harold's: If you think you don't need Cave Creek and/or Cave Creek needs you more, think 'SATISFIED FROG.'
Name withheld by request
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Ever wonder what the IRS actually does?
A partial list of some who DO NOT pay what they owe to the IRS:
High ranking members of Congress
Cabinet members appointed by the President
Buffoons, ultra-rich whose scam swindle billions from saver-investors (Bernie Madoff earlier headed our U.S. Security and Exchange Commission, remember?)
Citizens (about half) who pay no taxes, but instead collect cash benefits they are entitled to,” understandably in exchange for votes
The one-fourth of those few remaining who cleverly operate “off-the-books” cash services such as restaurants, bars, motels, fast food, home services, repairs and construction – paying “wink-wink” token taxes or none at all
Dreamers in denial may ask innocently, “Oh, really?” The answer is evident to anyone conscious during the day.
Quiz: Can you name one person or business you personally know of, who has ever been asked to explain his tax return or absence thereof? Can you recall one business, service, or individual that in the past years you read about being asked to pay a fine or tax bill?
Except of course the Har-de-har Annual February story IRS feeds to the press about some Alabama doctor who was reported by a disgruntled employee, to own mansions in Antigua, France and south Florida, two Lear Jets, a $32 million yacht and a neat little clinic selling prescription painkillers on the web. (Claiming dual-Venezuelan citizenship and friendship with Chavez, he may get off with a warning).
Now think of us poor suckers who actually pay taxes. Our employer, bank or retirement plan custodian report to IRS our income. In a half nanosecond the IRS computer (the latest $13 billion version) spits out your “Notice of Tax Due” (while IRS staff eats donuts on coffee break). Or it could be time to send you a tax due notice in an amount they hope you will pay to avoid the work of showing them they are wrong. If you pay these you’ll have a new pen-pal. Hey, it was just a little joke, get it?
And don’t bother to consider what IRS forces us taxpayers to spend with CPAs to get it right – more rat-hole billions.
Ask yourself if IRS (and SEC,, FDIC, EPA, EDU, Energy, Comptroller and all the rest) “so you can rest easy” are doing anything for us … or are they just an expensive government scam, myth, illusion, fiction or fraud. And if you’re not tickled to see our money disappear in bailouts for the bonus-besotted world, think how “change” has brought “food stamps for all” into plain view.
www.Puck’sRumination.com
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Temnik
Don, Ms.Temnik had a choice. There was no central government agency that assigned her to teaching. She should realize that she gets the summer off. Her pay for nine months plus school breaks is fantastic. If money is a problem, then she can work for three months.
I retired from Chrysler in Detroit. In the 80s Chrysler was on the ropes and we had to take a 10 percent pay cut and the 401K company contribution went to zero. At the same time, as an executive, I was working 60 -70 hours per week plus going in on Saturday and many times on Sunday.
There was no overtime. Something Ms. Temink would, no doubt, have complained about.
Many Public employees think of "I, Me, Myself.” In the real world of work people bust their butts to keep their company afloat.
We saved a company which, at the time, had over 120,000 employees. What a kick.
Let me add – times changed and I personally made a hell a lot of money.
That was a long time ago. Most have forgotten Chrysler and Iacocca.
But I carry in my core that I did something important. What will she carry around?
Woody Peres
Scottsdale
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Marijuana prohibition – is it wise?
December 5 is the anniversary of the repeal of prohibition in 1933. There was recently an outstanding Ken Burns documentary on PBS about the struggles before prohibition, during, and after prohibition that caused me to draw continual parallels to the way we treat marijuana today. The violent crime, the hypocrisy, the ruined lives, the corruption of our political system, the negative spillover effects on neighboring countries and many other parts of the movie all remind me of what is being replayed today with respect to marijuana.
I can’t help recalling the lines of a familiar song: “When will they ever learn? When will they……ever…… learn?”
Roy Miller
Phoenix
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Cave Creek needs a property tax
On September 5, 2006 a Cave Creek ordinance establishing a development fee schedule for construction projects became effective. For a single-family house in a typical subdivision total development fees would be about $19,600. In addition, for a 2500 square foot house building permit fees would be approximately $5,500. Thus just for development fees plus permits anyone considering building a new house in Cave Creek would have to pay over $25,000 for the privilege of doing business with the town.
Today a very nice lot in Cave Creek can be purchased for $70,000 or less. Assuming average interior finishes, construction cost for a 2500 square-foot home would be about $100 per square foot, or a total of not more than $320,000. Thus the town’s fees would add almost eight percent to basic costs.
Five years ago when economic conditions were significantly better, perhaps it made sense for the town to try to stick newcomers to Cave Creek with the bill for wastewater, transportation, open space & trails, public buildings & equipment, recreation, and water development costs. But it is clear the strategy of getting outsiders to pay an entrance fee to live within the town limits is not working.
According to the town’s financial records for fiscal 2010-11, only $205,000 was generated by total commercial and residential building permit fees. Much of that amount was from Walmart. New residential construction was insignificant. For fiscal 2011-12, the town’s budget shows merely $164,000 in projected building permit revenue from all sources.
I submit the citizens of Cave Creek should open the door and welcome new residents. The 2006 ordinance providing for steep residential admission costs is doing almost nothing to generate revenues for Cave Creek and doing a lot to prevent new home construction. Development fees should be abolished. Exorbitant water rates for those not on wells should be reduced.
The town must accept that a general property tax is necessary and inevitable as the funding mechanism for the town’s lavish programs. To hope that the economic environment of 2006 will return and outsiders will pay for the town’s infrastructure costs is wishful thinking.
Jim Peirce
Carefree
Editor note: We sincerely appreciate Mr. Peirce’s financial expertise. However, welcoming people into Cave Creek is not the solution to our economic problems if it means welcoming a property tax.
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Why we’re way past the tipping point
The conventional wisdom is that the USA is approaching a tipping point because about 48 percent of voters pay no federal income taxes or pay less in income taxes than what they receive in government benefits. A few years ago I debunked this wisdom by calculating that the nation already was well past the tipping point because there are more voters who are dependent on big government and the regulatory state than just those who pay zero or little in income taxes.
I added to the 48 percent the people (and their voting-age dependents) who receive entitlements and subsidies, as well as those who work for the government or who work in private-sector jobs that exist because of the regulatory state, such as tax accountants. Many in these additional categories are Republicans who rail against big government. After eliminating any doublecounting, these additions bring the total number of voters dependent in some way on the government to over 60 percent.
I highly recommend an editorial published on December 2, 2011 in The Wall Street Journal entitled “Republicans for the Accounting Cartel” that shows the pernicious effects this dependency has on the political system.
Readers often ask ‘what is the solution if a majority of voters won’t vote to eliminate their government rice bowl.’ The solution is things will have to run their course until the dire circumstance is reached where the national government runs out of money, including the ability to print Monopoly money without triggering massive inflation. I’ll leave it to the big-name partisan pundits to debate whether Democrats or Republicans will get us there sooner.
Mencken’s Ghost
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The world as I know it is over
The world as I know it is over. To wit, on some streets, it is forbidden to smoke but permissible to burn a flag; you may post and view porn on the Internet but you can’t pray in school; if we lie to Congress it’s a felony and if Congress lies to us, it’s just politics because members of Congress are exempt from the laws and regulations that apply to ordinary citizens.
The fact that the top 50 percent of wage earners pay 97 percent of all income taxes, almost 50 percent of the population pays no taxes, many millions receive housing and rent subsidies, almost 46 million receive food stamps, 26 million receive EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) means that half the population have no “skin in the game.” Calls for higher taxes and more entitlements in the name of “fairness” lead me to ask how much of my private wealth is community property? The number of people dependent on the government’s largess is growing and there is little doubt for what and for whom they will vote. Elections have become public auctions of private property.
I have concluded that politicians have no loyalty to their constituents nor do they see themselves as representatives. They act as masters who are beholden to their biggest contributors and are generous benefactors to those who vote to keep them in power. I have abandoned any conception that politicians and political parties hold the answer to my future.
It is disheartening to see so many people clamoring for an omnipotent oppressive government with more regulations, higher taxes, spending and borrowing in spite of all that has happened. The results of these policies are a matter of record. If they persist in their delusion that doing more of the same will produce different results, there is little doubt that President Obama will be re-elected in 2012.
Ed Konecnik
Flushing, NY
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Staying ahead of the bad guys
Spice, bath salts and glass cleaner. These are all names of synthetic drugs that have been plaguing Arizona communities. And to stay ahead of the law, the criminals make minor changes to the chemical makeup of the drugs. Then smoke shops and websites sell the drugs, claiming they are not for human consumption. People are of course using the designer drugs, and many are ending up in the emergency room.
Senator Linda Gray is leading the fight to block these dangerous drugs from getting in the hands of users, mostly young people. In July, she worked with Senate President Russell Pearce to organize a meeting in Flagstaff with law enforcement from around the state.
Participants learned what options exist to protect communities from new synthetic drugs. In October, Senator Gray held another meeting with experts to focus on international drug labs concocting new versions of synthetic drugs to skirt the law.
A wide-ranging group has been working on the plan, including police, prosecutors, drug lab experts, the Attorney General’s Office, the courts and the Pharmacy Association.
“We plan to work with the Pharmacy Board to add drugs to the list of controlled substances, preventing them from being sold legally. The Board follows a strict set of criteria and goes through an emergency rule-making process,” says Senator Gray.
“There are too many casualties in this battle. Calls are pouring in to poison control centers and ER visits are increasing because of these synthetic drugs.”
Senator Gray is working closely with Representative Karen Fann on this issue and they expect more details on their proposal as the legislative session nears.
Sen. Linda Gray, R-10
Chair, Public Safety & Human Services Committee
Statement from Senate Leadership on the governor’s decision not to call a special session on redistricting
“We are disappointed in Governor Brewer’s decision to not call a Special Session on redistricting. After all the unconstitutional decisions and alleged violations of law by IRC Chair Mathis, Arizona voters deserve the opportunity to revisit the concept of an independent commission drawing the legislative and congressional maps. The flaws of having one unaccountable and unelected person making such vital decisions for the state have been exposed.
Senate and House leadership have met numerous times with the Governor and her staff, and we have assured her we had the votes necessary to put a Prop. 106 repeal or reform on the ballot in February.
We urge the Governor to reconsider her decision (see below) to not call a Special Session.”
Pres.-elect Sen. Steve Pierce, R-1
Sen. Andy Biggs, R-22
Sen. Frank Antenori, R-30
Governor Jan Brewer on Redistricting in Arizona
“Perhaps the most difficult part of being a leader is telling people what they don’t want to hear. This is one of those moments. I share the sentiments of Arizona voters concerned about the conduct of the Independent Redistricting Commission, especially its Chairwoman.
Likewise, I am deeply concerned that this year’s redistricting process has not been conducted openly and in full accordance with the Arizona Constitution, and that the resulting maps may unfairly diminish the political influence of individual communities and the state as a whole.
“It was with those concerns in mind that I removed the Chairwoman from her post with the IRC. I stand by that action, and believe the Arizona Supreme Court grossly erred in returning the Chairwoman to the Commission. There may be another time to deal with the Court, but it’s important at a time like this that we keep our eyes on the bigger picture.
“Arizona voters created the Independent Redistricting Commission with their approval in 2000 of Proposition 106. I’ve seen no evidence to date that indicates voters are ready or willing to throw out the Commission structure. Moreover, the Legislature has yet to produce a consensus set of redistricting reforms to propose to voters.
“I am aware of the time urgency. I know that some legislators, especially those of my political family, are anxious for me to call a Special Session so that they may pursue a ballot proposal to repeal or reform Prop 106. But we cannot act in haste – or in anger – when it comes to something as critical as the way in which Arizona draws its congressional and legislative districts. Our action must be reasoned and rational, and there must be a defined path to victory with voters. I will not call a Special Session on this topic unless and until I believe those bars have been met.”
