What we have here is a failure to communicate!
The famous Strother Martin line in Cool Hand Luke was never more relevant than today! Americans scream, holler, and protest, yet nothing actually changes!
The recent revelations of incompetence and criminal behavior at the V.A. Hospital, are nothing new! Even the president was aware of the problems before he was even elected the first time. What a hypocrite!
I have been a victim of V.A. care for 14 years! I had to seek an outside doctor from Banner Wound Care in 2004, because my primary care "LPN" had gone on extended leave and left my file on the shelf above her desk. Therefore, no one could find my file, so my nurse’s calls, my wife's calls and even my calls were never returned.
This kind of incompetence is unacceptable, but unfortunately rampant at the V.A., due to "too much bureaucracy" and not enough common sense! There is a "one size fits all" mentality when it comes to providing service and necessities to veterans. For example: I have been trying to get two strips of velcro to hold my brace to my leg. (the old ones have worn out) and a new pair of shoes. I am now in the eighth week of this debacle!
First, I was not assigned to a primary care physician who was still employed at the V.A., even though I have been going there for 14 years. Next, I was told to go in and get what I needed from prosthetics, but prosthetics refused service until I saw a doctor and they got an order. This all began in early April. I was finally seen by a new primary care doctor on May 15. At that time, he walked me down to prosthetics and asked the clerk to provide me with the two strips of velcro for my brace until I could get in for my appointment on May 21. The clerk said, "I think we can do that," so the doctor left me there to wait and returned to his clinic. A few minutes later the clerk informs me, that they can't do that. I need to see the techs, so they can see what's broken. Like I'm too stupid to know when velcro is worn out!
So I return today, the 21st! Wish me luck!
Rick Galeener
Phoenix
P.S. Tell that moron in D.C. that illegal aliens and prisoners should not get better and more available care than our veterans. Now there's an idea. I'll simply claim to be a pregnant illegal alien. Then all my medical will be free and I'll get a check each month from Uncle Obama!
The bottom
The President of the United States has vowed repeatedly to "Get to the bottom of..." an ever growing list of scandals, including but not limited to, Fast and Furious, IRS spying, Benghazi and now the V.A. cooking the books while allowing American patriots to die without promised care.
Mr. President under your "leadership" America has nearly reached the bottom financially, domestically, morally and internationally; not quite, but damn near.
Randy Edwards
Cave Creek
Proposed Phoenix/Tucson rail: Deception and deceit
Lately we have been hearing a lot about seeking public input for one of three possible routes for the proposed train between Phoenix and Tucson. These invitations are deceitful and disingenuous. First, they make it seem that the train is coming and we just need to determine the route. Second, there is no mention of seeking input regarding whether the train should be funded at all. This is a very deceptive strategy. I once served on the Arizona Department of Transportation Technical Advisory Committee and I have been very active in transportation policy issues for over 40 years. In my opinion, if this train is funded, it will be the most extravagant and wasteful government boondoggle in the history of Arizona; costing several billion dollars. It will make the billions we are wasting on light rail seem like conservative investments.
Heavy rail passenger construction in Arizona makes absolutely no economic sense. Arizona citizens should put a stake through the heart of this ill-conceived plan now, before it sucks any more of the lifeblood from our economy.
Roy Miller
Phoenix
Appreciation and apology
ProMusica Arizona thanks everyone who came to The Creation concert on May 17 and 18. We appreciate your attendance and support!
We sincerely apologize to those who came to the Saturday performance at the Boulder Creek Performing Arts Center and endured the uncomfortable temperature in the venue. We did everything possible to get the situation corrected, but it turned out to be beyond our control. In the end, it required an equipment repair this week by the Deer Valley Unified School District.
We hope you enjoyed the music in spite of the heat, and we hope to see you next season under more favorable conditions. An innovative and entertaining 2014-2015 season featuring music from around the world is in the works! In the meantime, if you have any feedback, please contact our Executive Director, Yvonne Dolby at [email protected].
Thank you and have a wonderful summer!
ProMusica Arizona
The war for Arizona - Brewer forms "The Coalition of Corruption”
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. – John Stuart Mill
Arizona is a conservative state full of fiercely patriotic citizens who prize individual rights, limited government and fiscal sanity. A friend recently surmised Arizona may also be one of the most corrupt States due to the fact we find ourselves at the mercy of a finger wagging governor and 15 legislators who sold out Arizona to the Obama agenda.
The conclusion that Arizona is a conservative corrupt state is because in the 2013 legislative session Governor Jan Brewer lead the 15 Republican Legislators (State Senators: John McComish, Adam Driggs, Bob Worsley, Steve Pierce, Michele Reagan, Rich Crandall; Representatives: Jeff Dial, Rob Robson, Heather Carter, Ethan Orr, Frank Pratt, TJ Shope, Doris Goodale, Doug Coleman, Kate Brophy-McGee) to form a corrupt coalition with 100 percent of the Democrats in passing liberal progressive policies that harm economic growth and hand the state of Arizona over to the Federal Government. They passed the OBrewercare Medicaid Expansion, Common Core, and then increased taxes and spending by hundreds of millions of dollars leaving the Arizona budget with a structural debt of 400 million dollars.
And they were rewarded with a campaign chest full of money.
The 15 LegisTraitors were each given donations averaging $35,000 each at a special fundraiser for those special republicans who voted for Brewer in that special session. And then they turned around and had a second fundraiser in October. They believe that all this money will ensure their re-election.
Many of the legislators in this Coalition of Corruption are in legislative districts with double-digit Republican majorities.
The fall of 2013 brought cries of defense and a chorus proclaiming "they" would not do it again – not in an election year. Well they did. The 2014 session solidified the coalition of corruption and they sat smirking with their arms crossed in committee meetings demanding and receiving a budget with a half a billion dollar structural deficit.
There is absolutely no reason that a heavily Republican district should have a Republican in Name Only (R.I.N.O.) in the State Legislator.
The Alliance rejects all excuses for these traitors and the victim mentality that we must elect those with an 'R' beside their name. We fully intend to fight for Arizona and for the election of principled conservatives.
Powered by audacity and conviction the grassroots throughout Arizona have stood up to criticism and belittlement and they have primary candidates for nine of the LegisTraitors.
We started with 15 LegisTraitors.
Three are not running in 2014. Michelle shame-to-the-name-Reagan desires a reward for her treachery with a promotion to Secretary of State. Rich Crandall moved and was replaced by good guy David Farnsworth (who we must re-elect). John McComish quickly surrendered when faced with primary candidate Tom Morrissey.
Ten candidates have stepped up to serve David Burnell Smith, Darla Dawald, John Fillmore, Sam Merano, Shawnna Bolick, John King, Jill Norgaard, Ralph Heap, Tom Morrissey, and John Kavanagh.
The Primary Season begins in Arizona. The Chamber of Commerce, corporate welfare recipients, and crony capitalists have well funded candidates against grassroots candidates fueled by the passion of Republican principles and the belief in state sovereignty.
Arizona is worth fighting for. Fight for a conservative majority in 2014.
Join the Alliance for Principled Conservatives
States rights
The current big news story in our state is about the abysmal treatment of our veterans in the V.A. Healthcare system. Then, we read about the heavy handed IRS treatment of our citizens, the EPA putting little fish ahead of water needed to grow needed crops and causing our electricity and gasoline bills to rise due to an apparent animosity toward energy production, and finally, the BLM using military force to tell states how to use land that should belong to the states to begin with.
These are all federal government agencies regulated and controlled by the administrative branch of our government. Does it not seem apparent that the increase in the number, size, complexity, and cost of all of these federal agencies has ballooned to such gigantic proportions that nobody is really in control? At least that is what we hear at all the congressional hearings, “I had no knowledge of that,” or “I don’t remember anything about that,” or, “That wasn’t my department.”
There is a way, however, that WE, the people of the states, can impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office of federal government officials. That remedy is an Article V Convention of States.
Some folks talk about a Convention of States like it’s some kind of conspiracy, but here’s the truth: a Convention of States is more legitimate and less conspiratorial than any other means of curbing Washington’s power. Article V of the Constitution (the Supreme Law of the Land) explicitly describes a “convention for proposing amendments.” This isn’t a conspiracy. This isn’t secession or Snowden or the X-Files. This is a legitimate tool the Founders gave the states for stopping an overreaching federal government.
A short history lesson might clear things up. The Founding Fathers included a Convention of States in the Constitution for a specific purpose. George Mason realized the states had no way of proposing amendments. So, he suggested the states be allowed to call an amendments convention, and the motion was carried unanimously.
That’s it. You can read it for yourself. The Framers wanted the states to call a Convention of States when, like today, the federal government began getting out of control, overstepping its bounds, and abusing its power.
Toward that end, Citizens for Self-Governance has launched the Convention of States Project. Please get involved by visiting their website, conventionofstates.com. If you like what you see there, you can actively further the cause by emailing your State Representative and your State Senator and urging them to take action on this issue. This is definitely a volunteer and a non-partisan effort.
I believe this is the only way to preserve liberty for future generations. Please join us. Let’s give this country back to the people.
E. L. Goheen
Scottsdale
Guns: Out of the bottle, like it or not
I saw my first “homemade gun” when I was a kid. Older kids — teenagers — would save up the 4th of July fireworks known (for obvious reasons) as “bottle rockets” and play “war” with them: Stick the firework in a glass soda bottle (this was back when soda came in glass bottles that one paid a deposit on and could return for a refund of that deposit … yeah, I’m old), point it at the “enemy,” shoot.
Apparently these “homemade guns” weren’t very dangerous. I don’t remember hearing of any serious injuries in the “bottle rocket wars,” though I don’t doubt there were some, somewhere. But other “homemade guns” certainly existed. Harlan Ellison describes “zip guns” made from car antennas or coffee percolator tubing in his non-fiction New York City gang life memoir, Memos from Purgatory (I wonder if Ellison ever gets the credit he deserves for foreshadowing Hunter S. Thompson’s breakout book, Hell’s Angels?). I once saw a demonstration of a “one-shot field-expedient shotgun” made from an old Sears catalog, a rubber band, a nail and a shotgun shell.
All of this is just to establish that there’s nothing new about non-traditional manufacture of firearms by individuals. Ever since we’ve had guns, we’ve had homemade guns.
3D printing just makes it easier. A LOT easier. Easier all the time.
It’s only been about a year since Cody Wilson and Defense Distributed debuted the “Liberator,” a single-shot, .380-caliber, 3D-printed pistol, releasing the plans for it “into the Internet wild.”
Within weeks, as Andy Greenberg of Wired reports, enthusiasts were designing and producing multi-shot .38 pistols. Recently Japanese freedom fighter Yoshitomo Imura was arrested with (allegedly) a 3D-printed six-shot revolver. It appears that fully automatic weapons (or conversion parts for existing guns) are out there for the printing.
It’s time to repeat, with emphasis, what Cody Wilson told the world a year ago when he rolled the Liberator out:
“Gun control” is over.
It’s done.
It’s as dead as music copyright, and for the same reason: Advancing technology has taken the matter out of the hands of government regulators and their privileged industry monopolists.
Nobody has to like it.
That’s how it is whether anyone likes it or not.
Personally, I like it. If there are going to be guns — and there ARE going to be guns — I’d rather they were easily available to regular people than only to state military and law enforcement agents, violent criminals (but I repeat myself) and those who curry state privilege. In America, the statistics seem to indicate that violent crime goes down, not up, in environments of easier gun availability and fewer legal restrictions.
“An armed society is a polite society,” wrote science fiction master Robert A. Heinlein in 1942. That makes sense to me, but even if he was wrong, I’d rather go armed than unarmed in an impolite society. Everyone with access to modern technology — not just in the United States but everywhere — now has that choice.
A new, free society is building itself in the shell of the dying authoritarian society. Technologies of abundance, with all those technologies imply, are an inescapable feature of that new, free society. The sooner you begin availing yourself of your continuously expanding options, the faster and less violent the transition will be.
Thomas L. Knapp
Senior News Analyst, Center for a Stateless Society
Should the GOP fight Obama on gun control?
Don't be fooled ... when it comes to gutting the 2nd Amendment, Obama knows exactly what he's doing.
John R. Lott, Jr., says:
"Barack Obama is the most anti-gun president ever. That claim is based not on my own interactions with him back in the 1990s but on his own public record over many years."
If Obama and his gun-grabbing pals have their way, the 2nd Amendment will be utterly shredded by the time he leaves office in 2016.
Many patriots have already given up hope that Obama can be stopped.
But we believe there are a few patriots who are still willing to stand up for their rights and fight back.
Time is running out fast. Take action right now.
Please answer the following 1-question poll: Should the GOP fight Obama on gun control?
Vote now
We're taking this all the way to Congress. Please vote to make your voice count.
In Freedom,
Mark Whitten
Dear Fellow Patriot
A national movement has begun, and it has the Washington establishment terrified.
Every day, thousands of Americans are joining the call to shut down the IRS and bring fairness and transparency back to our tax system!
And leading the charge is none other than my good friends at Tea Party Patriots, the nation's largest and most powerful grassroots organization.
"We the People" can save America from the horrors of the IRS - but we have to do it together.
You see, Tea Party Patriots has launched a national effort to shut down the IRS altogether.
And I am pleased to give this outstanding effort my firm endorsement as well.
However, endorsements alone won't end the IRS's reign of terror against the American people. We must build the nationwide grassroots effort that will force Washington to do what's best for the American people.
Tea Party Patriots is the nation's largest and most powerful grassroots organization. They know how to make the Washington "ruling class" sit up and pay attention.
And they're prepared to throw everything they've got behind abolishing the IRS.
They have already launched a national petition drive that has gathered over 100,000 signatures.
They're organizing grassroots rallies in major cities.
They're educating Americans on the horrors of the IRS both in-person and online.
But they can't continue this vital work without the generous support of grassroots Americans like you.
The budget of the Internal Revenue Service has increased by 58 percent since the year 2000.
And every cent of that budget has gone to support a bloated, abusive bureaucracy that stands completely at odds with the rights and liberties of the American people.
As I'm sure you know, investigations have revealed that high-ranking officials within the Obama Administration have used the IRS as a political weapon, targeting grassroots Americans like you for harassment and intimidation!
By abolishing the IRS, we can end this nightmare once and for all. We can finally rid our country of this big government monstrosity for good!
I'm ready to do whatever it takes to abolish the IRS.
Tea Party Patriots is ready to join me.
Can we count on your support?
If you can help in the effort, please make a donation
Thank you so much for your help in this important cause. Keep fighting for liberty!
For Freedom,
Rand Paul
U.S. Senator, Kentucky
