Long, strange trip ending for VW's hippie van
Blame silly government rules for ending the production of VW vans!!!!!Long, strange trip ending for VW's hippie van
By Stan Lehman and Bradley Brooks AP Tue Sep 24, 2013 10:19 AM
SAO PAULO (AP) — It carried hippies through the 1960s, hauled surfers in search of killer waves during endless summers and serves as a workhorse across the developing world, but the long, strange trip of the Volkswagen van is ending.
Brazil is the last place in the world still producing the iconic vehicle, or "bus" as it's known by aficionados, but VW says production will end Dec. 31. Safety regulations mandate that every vehicle in Brazil must have air bags and anti-lock braking systems starting in 2014, and the company says it cannot change production to meet the law.
Although output will halt in Brazil, there should be plenty of VW vans rolling along for decades if only because there are so many, and they are so durable. VW produced more than 10 million Volkswagen Transporter vans globally since the model was introduced 63 years ago in Germany, though not all resemble the classic hippie machine. More than 1.5 million have been produced in Brazil since 1957.
The VW van is so deeply embedded in popular culture, it will likely live on even longer in the imagination.
"The van represents freedom," said Damon Ristau, the Missoula, Montana, director of the documentary "The Bus," which follows van fanatics and their affection for the machine. "It has a magic and charm lacking in other vehicles. It's about the open road, about bringing smiles to peoples' faces when they see an old VW van rolling along."
Perhaps nothing with a motor has driven itself deeper into American and European pop culture than the VW, known for its durability but also its tendency to break down. Van lovers say its failures only reinforce its charm: Because its engine is so simple, it's easy to fix, imparting a deeper sense of ownership.
The van made an appearance on Bob Dylan and Beach Boys record album covers, among many, though in music circles its most closely linked to the Grateful Dead and the legion of touring fans that followed the rock group across the U.S., the machines serving as rolling homes. Steve Jobs is said to have sold his van in the 1970s to buy a circuit board as he built a computer that helped launch Apple. The vehicle is linked to the California surf scene, its cavernous interior perfect for hauling boards.
But in poorer regions like Latin American and Africa, the vehicle doesn't carry the same romantic appeal. It definitely doesn't hold the cool mystique in Sao Paulo that it does in San Francisco.
It's used in Brazil by the postal service to haul mail, by the army to transport soldiers, and by morticians to carry corpses. It serves as a school bus for kids, operates as a group taxi, and delivers construction materials to work sites. Brazilians convert their vans into rolling food carts, setting up on street corners for working-class lunchtime crowds.
In Brazil it's known as the "Kombi," an abbreviation for the German "Kombinationsfahrzeug" that loosely translates as "cargo-passenger van."
One recent drizzly morning in Sao Paulo, Jorge Hanashiro took a break inside his light green 1974 Kombi while his wife, Anna, served deep fried meat and vegetable pastry pies to customers at an open-air market.
"There may be safer and more modern cars around, but for me the Kombi is the best vehicle to transport my stall and products to the six open air markets I visit each week," the 77-year-old Hanashiro said. "It is economical, rugged and easy to repair."
The vehicle has found its way into the hearts of Brazilians like Enio Guarnieri, 54, who stood grinning next to the blue-and-white 1972 van he keeps in his cluttered garage in a working-class Sao Paulo neighborhood.
Guarnieri bought the vehicle a year ago to stoke childhood memories. When he was 10, his father taught him to drive a van.
"Driving a Kombi with your face up against the windshield is a thrilling adventure," he said. "There is no other van like it. There is no other van that is so easy and inexpensive to maintain. Anyone with a minimum amount of knowledge about engines and a few tools can fix a Kombi."
A VW plant in Mexico stopped producing the classic version of the van in 1995, leaving a factory on Sao Paulo's outskirts as its last lifeline. Production in Germany was halted in 1979 because the van no longer met European safety requirements.
Sao Paulo advertising executive Marcello Serpa says the van's spirit will live on after its demise.
He has a 2007 version meant to have a 1960s American hippie feel. He painted it in bright green, yellow, blue and red colors with cartoon-like drawings of his wife, daughters and himself, surfboard in hand.
Serpa said the bus evokes "a spirit of playfulness and happiness," causing people to pause and smile when he drives it down Sao Paulo's chaotic streets.
"The Kombi is part of Brazil's cultural and emotional landscape," he said, "and that explains the strong feelings of affection most people have for it."
52% want bullet train stopped, poll finds
By Ralph Vartabedian
September 28, 2013, 5:00 a.m.
A majority of voters want the California bullet train project stopped and consider it a waste of money, even as state political leaders have struggled to bolster public support and make key compromises to satisfy critics, a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll found.
Statewide, 52% of the respondents said the $68-billion project to link Los Angeles and San Francisco by trains traveling up to 220 mph should be halted. Just 43% said it should go forward.
The poll also shows that cracks in voter support are extending to some traditional allies, such as Los Angeles-area Democrats, who have embraced the concept of high-speed rail as a solution to the state's transportation problems. The survey results suggest that the current plan and its implementation are of specific concern to those voters, according to officials with the Republican and Democratic firms that jointly conducted the poll.
"I don't think they are against the concept, but they are against the way it is being executed," said Drew Lieberman of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a Democratic polling firm in Washington.
The massive project has fallen a year behind schedule and is facing lawsuits that threaten to stall the momentum of the project and a groundbreaking now likely to come early next year.
The new findings mirror a USC Dornsife/L.A. Times poll taken last year, just before the state Legislature approved funding to start construction, under political pressure from the Obama administration and the state's Congressional leaders. At that time, state rail officials argued that public backing would increase as improvements to the rail plan became clear.
But a wave of new support hasn't materialized. Instead, signs of buyer's remorse among voters for approving a 2008 ballot measure to fund the current project have increased. The poll found 70% of respondents want the project to be placed back on the ballot — up from the 55% measured in last year's USC Dornsife/L.A. Times poll.
As public opposition solidifies and the start of construction nears, the question of whether the state should go forward with one of the biggest and most technically difficult infrastructure projects in California history is taking on greater urgency.
"It should have public support to go forward," said former state Sen. Quentin Kopp, a former champion of the rail project who has become one of its most influential critics. "The lack of support reflects a general disbelief of the authority leadership, which has become a public relations game."
Kopp, who served for years on the California High-Speed Rail Authority board, said the agency will almost certainly need another bond measure to complete construction, making public opinion potentially crucial to the project's survival.
The results include some good news for the project. A 61% majority said the bullet train would help reduce traffic on highways and at airports, and 65% said it would create jobs. And by one measure, public opposition appeared more pointed last year. At that time, 59% of poll respondents said they would vote against high-speed rail if it were on the ballot, though they were not asked whether the project should be stopped.
Rail agency officials declined to be interviewed. Spokeswoman Lisa Marie Alley said in a statement: "We will continue to uphold the will of the voters, Legislature and federal administration to help modernize California's transportation system and create tens of thousands of new jobs."
Fifty-one percent of respondents called the project a waste of money, and 63% said they would never or seldom use it. Given the choice, 58% of voters would rather fly or drive from Southern California to the Bay Area, and 39% would take a bullet train.
Voter concerns about the project have been heightened by the tough economic times that continue across the state, the poll shows.
"Over the last five years, voters have had to tighten their belts, and they feel the government should be doing the same thing," said David Kanevsky of American Viewpoint, the Republican firm that helped conduct the poll for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and The Times.
Poll respondent Lara Erman, a Burbank resident, cited those concerns as the basis of her opposition to the project. "Our state and our country are in a lot of trouble right now with the condition of the economy and the job market," she said. "It would be better served as a private enterprise project."
Bryan Koenig, an aircraft mechanic in Ridgecrest, said he objects to the project mainly because he won't use it and "the cost is exorbitant."
The bullet train network is supposed to begin carrying passengers between the Bay Area and Los Angeles by 2028. Construction was supposed to have begun late last year, but it now appears it will not begin until 2014, assuming a court ruling does not sidetrack it. A Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled this summer that the state violated the legal protections imposed by the 2008 voter-approved bond measure that will provide $9 billion in funding. A second ruling, due this fall, would determine how to remedy the violation.
The sampling of 1,500 registered voters conducted in mid-September found significant differences in voter opinion about the project across the state. In Southern California, 56% of respondents said they want the project stopped. Even in the Bay Area, where support has historically been strong with the backing of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, only 51% endorsed the project. The margin of error in the poll was 2.9 percentage points.
Nowhere is the project more controversial than in the Central Valley, where farmers, businessmen and homeowners have formed coalitions to overhaul or derail it. Even though Gov. Jerry Brown touts the benefits to the Central Valley, 59% of voters there want to call it off, according to the poll. Opposition is even stronger in the Northern California counties, where 61% say it should be killed.
"The best thing for Brown is to have one of the lawsuits stop the project until he leaves office," said Dan Schnur, director of the Jesse M. Unruh Institute of Politics at USC.
The poll also asked about a quixotic proposal by high-tech businessman Elon Musk, chief of Space Exploration Technologies and Tesla Motors, for a tube-type transport system, called the Hyperloop, that would move people between L.A. and the Bay Area in 30 minutes at a cost of $20 per trip. Sixty-five percent of the respondents said the proposal was not realistic. Nonetheless, they liked the idea, and 55% said they would take the Hyperloop, compared with only 13% who would opt for the high-speed rail.
ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com
Now that you have the important information that 1 out of 7 Americans are parasites who expect the rest of us to feed them you should be angry. You may want to skip the following article, it's pretty boring.
A Florida Republican pushing to overhaul the food stamp system toils to win over a divided Congress
Written by Eli Saslow
Photos by Michael S. Williamson
Published on September 24, 2013
The congressman had been called a "starvation expert" by analysts on TV and a "monster" by colleagues in the House of Representatives. Protesters had visited his offices carrying petitions demanding he resign. And now, six months into his crusade to overhaul the food stamp program, Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.) departed the Capitol to address his most wary audience yet: the people whose government benefits he hoped to curtail.
"Stick to your talking points this time if you can," said a staff member, handing him a sheet of those talking points minutes before they left for the event.
Rep. Steve Southerland listens to staffers during an afternoon meeting in his congressional office.
"It’s too late to start being cautious," Southerland said, folding the paper and leaving it on his desk. It was already late summer, and he hoped to pass the most significant food stamp overhaul in decades by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
The event was listed on his schedule as a "Poverty Tour," and Southerland had invited a dozen Republican policy experts to join him. They boarded a bus provided by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and traveled across Washington to a job training center, where three homeless men idled outside. Southerland stood at the front of the bus to address his colleagues. He looked like the funeral director he had been before running for Congress in 2008 - shoes polished, suit pressed, eyes solemn, head bowed as if in prayer. "This is an important moment for us," he said. If only his tough-love message could resonate with the unemployed, then maybe he could win over a divided Congress.
"What we are fighting for is a cultural shift," Southerland told his colleagues on the bus. "The explosion of food stamps in this country is not just a fiscal issue for me. This is a defining moral issue of our time."
Southerland’s food stamp proposal, which on Thursday the House narrowly voted to approve, would require able-bodied adults to work or volunteer at least 20 hours each week in order to receive government food assistance. "It’s the simple solution," he said in March at a news conference introducing the idea. But in the months since, he has learned that no idea is simple in Washington, especially not one that would fundamentally alter a program that has tripled in size during the past decade, growing to support a record 47 million people at a cost of $80 billion each year.
In a divided Congress, few debates have been more fractious than the one over food stamps and few proposals have been as contentious as Southerland’s. Republicans say his idea would encourage people to find jobs, decreasing government spending while adding workers to the economy. Democrats say it would leave millions of the most vulnerable Americans hungry at a time when food insecurity is already approaching historic highs.
Southerland’s proposal passed the House despite receiving no Democratic support, as part of a bill that would cut 3.8 million people and $4 billion from the food stamp program next year. But that vote was only the first of many. In order to become law, his work requirement must survive a conference committee between leaders in the House and Senate, two more congressional votes and a president already threatening a veto.
Rep. Steve Southerland laughs with Fannie Chaney during a break in her training session at America Works, a job training program in Washington. Under Southerland’s proposal, food stamp recipients such as Chaney would have to be working, volunteering or training to work in order to receive food stamps.
"Getting something done here can be like navigating a maze," Southerland said.
On this day, the maze led him up the stairs to the training center, where 25 residents of Southeast Washington were crammed into a classroom to learn tips about preparing for a job interview in fast food. All were unemployed. Most were among the 24 percent of Washington residents who receive between $100 and $600 each month in food assistance.
"Shower. Tuck in your shirt. Make eye contact with the interviewer," the teacher was saying.
"Make sure your belt and your shoes match," Southerland interjected, walking into the room with his colleagues and then introducing himself.
He began as he always does by telling his family story, which aides refer to as "the Gospel of Work." His grandfather quit school in the sixth grade and made himself into the busiest funeral director in Panama City, Fla., continuing to work until he died at 91. Southerland started helping in that same funeral home before he turned 10, answering phones, washing cars and arranging flowers as he learned the family business. He required each of his four daughters to apply for work at a nearby restaurant on the day she turned 15. "Work is life. Work is opportunity," he said now. He quoted from the Bible, citing a passage about how God created Adam to tend the Garden of Eden. "Even in paradise, we worked," he said. "Work is not a punishment. It is what connects you with your purpose in life. What’s your purpose?"
One by one, the men and women in the classroom stood to share their plans. One wanted to become a teacher. Another said his "purpose" was to make at least $10 an hour. A man who had just cared for his dying mother thought maybe he could become a hospice nurse. "I liked the feeling of taking care of her, just knowing I was needed," he said.
"Yes!" Southerland shouted, clapping his hands, punching his fist against the air. "Now that’s a purpose. Don’t wait for your ship to come in. Swim out to it."
An older woman raised her hand in the corner of the classroom. She explained that she had been on public assistance most of her life. Food stamps helped her feed three kids. "I’ve been through dark times," she said. "I needed help, and I got it. Do you believe that’s wrong?"
Southerland thought for a few seconds and then took a step toward her. "I believe that if you are going to eat, you should bring something to the table," he said. The woman started to interrupt, but Southerland held up his hand. "That can be volunteering. That can be delivering Meals on Wheels, But somehow you’ve got to contribute. "I believe in a God-given purpose," he told her.
"I believe that being dependent makes you more vulnerable. I believe work is the greatest gift you will ever receive."
‘This is what I’m about’
Rep. Steve Southerland runs back to his office before a vote. “Hurry is the devil,” he often says, but life in Washington forces him to hurry nonetheless.
For the past six months, Southerland had been translating those beliefs into a succession of 14-hour workdays, trying to will his proposal into existence. He had delivered 45 speeches about food stamps, consulted with 20 anti-poverty experts and presented his idea to 13 governors. He had studied persuasive-writing techniques and read half a dozen books about effective leadership. And yet the biggest legislative project of his life still existed only on paper, inside two binders on his office shelf labeled "Important."
Employment rate among SNAP recipients remains steady even as number of recipients surges
The recession produced a surge in individuals receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, bringing the U.S. average from 9 percent in 2008 to 15 percent in 2012. Of those recipients, households with at least one non-elderly, able-bodied adult with earned income has remained around 30 percent throughout that time.
Percentage of households that have earned income among SNAP recipient households in the United States that have one able-bodied, non-elderly adult
Southerland had left his job at the funeral home in 2007 to run for office on a platform of small government and Second Amendment rights despite having no legislative experience and no connections in Washington. When it looked as if he would win, to become the first Republican elected in his district in 130 years, he went to the library to study books about the legislative process. Write a bill. Get a sponsor. Go to committee. Debate. Vote. Senate. President. Only in the past few months, Southerland said, had he begun to learn "all the behind-the-scenes steps nobody talks about."
His food stamp proposal was not, in fact, his proposal. It was something that was handed to him by a stroke of political luck. He had wanted to pursue food stamp reform since arriving in Washington, but he lacked authority as a junior lawmaker relegated to subcommittees on fisheries and highway transportation. Instead, the idea for a work requirement came from 17 state human service secretaries who gathered in November to pitch their proposal to Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee, who forwarded some of those ideas to Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who suggested the human service secretaries work with Southerland because, Cantor said, he was "a passionate true believer."
"Absolutely! This is what I’m about," Southerland had said, promising to make the proposal his No. 1 priority until it passed.
Now his color-coded office schedule had become a rainbow of food stamp events: red for anti-poverty tours, blue for private meetings, black for lobbyist appointments and the rare sliver of teal for personal time. He was meeting regularly with Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, to learn how to sell the idea by using active language, such as "earned success," "sweat equity" and "upward mobility." He was asking Newt Gingrich to give supportive interviews and Rick Santorum to write op-eds.
The best chance to enact reform, Southerland had decided, was to make the specifics of his proposal "utterly unobjectionable," he said. Even though he believed in a 40-hour workweek, his proposal would mandate only 20. Even though he wanted it to be a national requirement, states would be able to implement or ignore it. There would be exemptions for the elderly, the disabled and mothers with children under 1. Some conservatives refused to back his proposal because it was "too soft," he said, but Southerland was willing to trade their endorsements for more-widespread support.
Earlier in the summer, he stood on the House floor to present his idea to the entire chamber for the first time. He planned to speak for two minutes. After 10 seconds, he noticed a dozen Democrats moving toward a microphone, lining up for rebuttals.
"Egregious," one said.
"Unbelievably misguided," said another.
"Offensive."
"Draconian."
"Outright shameful."
On the road
Rep. Steve Southerland washes his pickup truck in Panama City, Fla. He flies home every weekend because his routines there help keep him grounded, he says.
Several weeks later, still reeling from what he called the "debacle on the floor," Southerland climbed into a black SUV in northwest Florida to drive across his congressional district with Jonathan Hayes, his chief of staff. They had booked seven events in two days, a trip that would cover more than 300 miles, but Southerland was looking forward to the drive. He hung his suit jacket in the back seat and grabbed a tobacco pipe. "Even if we’re working nonstop, the stress fades when I’m here," he said.
His trips home sometimes made him wonder why he had ever decided to leave. In Panama City, he had left behind the wife he met in first grade and their four daughters, two of whom were still in high school. He missed his single-story house in the Panama City suburbs, where friends mostly wanted to talk about deer season and where even the most ardent Democrats respected the Southerlands for their work ethic and their Southern Baptist faith.
"In Washington, if someone disagrees with you, the problem must be your heart - you must be evil," he said. "Here, if we fight, we are only fighting about an idea."
On some days, Southerland also pined for his old job: 450 funerals every year, each not only a crisis for the family of the deceased but also a chance to make an immediate impact on the living. The funeral home had five phone lines, including one that rang straight to Southerland’s house when a death occurred in the middle of the night. Stillbirths, abductions, car accidents — he worked the funerals that others in his funeral home tried to avoid. He stood beside relatives as they visited the body. He rode with them in the hearse. Sometimes, at the grave sites, he sang hymns in a deep and mournful baritone. Nobody ever questioned his heart or his motives. He never doubted the value of his work.
Each funeral helped clarify his priorities. No matter whom they buried - backwoods alcoholics and resort owners, immigrants and veterans, in birch boxes and blue velvet caskets - the best eulogies remained the same. They were stories of family, friendship, ambition and hard work. Work created a legacy. Work provided meaning.
"I never heard anybody remembered for the things they didn’t do, or the impact they didn’t make, or the dreams they didn’t have," Southerland said as the SUV crossed into Liberty County, the center of his district.
Motels just east of Panama City house long-term residents who cannot afford homes. The poverty level in Florida's 2nd District is slightly above the national average.
He looked out the window at the twisting Apalachicola River, its brown water buffeted by green cedars and Spanish moss. Some locals in Liberty County believe the Garden of Eden had once existed on a bluff high above the river, and the land had been home to Seminole and Creek tribes, Spanish missionaries, British settlers and the Confederate Army - a place where societies rose and then fell. On his drives through the area, Southerland sometimes wondered if he was witnessing another civilization in decline. Many stores in downtown Bristol were unoccupied and boarded up. The poverty rate was 25 percent. A pawnshop advertised "cheap guns," and a gas station sign read, "Food stamps welcome here."
"Food stamps welcome everywhere," Southerland said, seeing the sign.
"So many people, just stuck," Hayes said.
"This is the fifth generation of dependency," Southerland said. "We have encouraged people to be sharecroppers instead of owning the land. The casualty of human capital, only eternity knows."
As he pushes to overhaul the food stamp system, Rep. Steve Southerland flies home every weekend. He says his routines there help keep him grounded.
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They crossed through the dense pines of Apalachicola National Forest, where intergenerational poverty was hidden behind the trees. Southerland had received letters from people here who lived in trailers on unincorporated land. They wanted help buying food. They wanted opportunities for their children. How could Southerland convince them that this was one problem government alone could not solve? The United States had already spent 50 years and $16 trillion on the war against poverty, and yet the wealth gap continued to grow and the rate of extreme poverty in rural Florida had increased for eight consecutive years. If anything, government was complicit, Southerland thought. It had drained people's ambition by giving them just enough money to stay poor. "It’s a travesty, what we’ve done," he said. Food stamps were necessary to ward off desperation for the truly vulnerable - the disabled, sick, elderly - but they didn’t count as a way of life. The only chance to create opportunities for the next generation, he said, was to do what his grandfather had done, accepting groceries and tools in exchange for burial services to keep the business alive that first year; or what his father had done, risking the family’s emergency savings to build a bigger funeral home; or what Southerland himself had done, working 80-hour weeks to double the family business and expanding it into granite and timber.
"Government might help you survive," he said, "but work creates lasting improvement."
Now Southerland arrived in Tallahassee to tour a job training facility for the homeless, where he hoped to tell residents about his proposal. Fifteen minutes into the visit, he noticed a videographer following him on the tour. He recognized the man as a Democratic activist who was making campaign videos for Southerland’s opponent in the next election. The ads would splice Southerland’s words and make him into a caricature, he thought. They would dismiss his qualifications and distort his ideas. They would question not only his policies but also his motives.
He pulled one of the program’s founders aside midway through the tour.
"I’m mostly going to listen today," Southerland said, gesturing at the videographer. "Anything I say here could be turned against me."
The distance between
Southerland gives his interns Kelsy Wall and Lamarious Myers a tour of the Capitol.
This was the part of being a congressman that Southerland had begun referring to as the "devil’s duty" — the strategic part, when true belief capitulated to politics. And as the end of the fiscal year neared, it was politicking that dominated his schedule, first in Florida and then back in Washington.
In the run-up to Thursday’s vote, Southerland met with Republicans four times in Cantor’s office, and Cantor promised to push for a work requirement in the final version of the bill. But Democrats in the House and the Senate continued to object to even minor changes, promising to defeat Southerland’s proposal even after it passed the House by seven votes. They disagreed not only with Southerland’s proposal but also with his diagnosis of the problem and with his facts.
He said food stamp spending was "growing into oblivion"; Democrats said it would decrease just as quickly once the economy improved.
He cited data from the Agriculture Department indicating that half of food stamp recipients had stopped looking for work; Democrats countered with data also from the USDA showing that the fastest-growing demographic on food stamps was people who did work, but in jobs that paid so little they still qualified for the benefit.
He said his proposal would encourage people to enter the workforce; they said encouragement was useless since his proposal provided no guaranteed money for job training programs.
He said that only working-age adults would be affected by the requirement; they questioned what would happen to the children of those working-age adults if their parents didn’t find jobs and their families lost food stamps.
"We are dealing with opposite realities," Southerland said. "So you fight and fight and fight and maybe get half of what you want."
One night, exhausted and eager for a break, he left the Capitol to have dinner with his eldest daughter, Samantha, along with Hayes and his communications director, Matt McCullough. Samantha had graduated from college in Florida and moved to suburban Virginia to learn about government and be closer to her father.
"How’s life in the crazy Capitol?" she asked now, over milkshakes and burgers.
"This place is a mile wide and an inch deep," Southerland said.
In Play posed the same questions about the food stamp program to two lawmakers with very different views. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), left, and Rep. Steve Southerland (R-Fla.). (The Washington Post)
He explained that he had spent the past few days studying 20 years of food stamp policy, trying to differentiate himself from his colleagues by becoming an expert. "Nobody here really knows anything," he said. He thought about that for a second and then reconsidered. "There’s one other guy," he said. "A Democrat." He told her about a Massachusetts liberal named Jim McGovern, who had been giving a speech about hunger on the House floor each week. McGovern had rallied the Democrats against Southerland’s proposal. Out of 435 people in the House, he was the only one who had studied food stamps just as hard and who seemed to care just as much.
"What does he say about all of this to you?" his daughter asked. "I don’t know," Southerland said. "I haven’t talked to him."
"What?" she said. "Seriously? Never? That doesn’t make sense." She knew her dad as a conciliator who valued mentoring young men at church, yearly hunting trips with his three siblings and funeral director retreats to the mountains. "Your whole thing is connecting with people," she said. "Everybody likes you." And yet here was another Washington lawmaker, elected to solve the same problems, who had become an expert on the same issue, who worked in the same place, and her dad had never met with him?
"Can’t you ask him to coffee?" she asked. "You could work together."
"That wouldn’t play so well with the conservative base," Hayes joked.
"Or back in district," McCullough said.
"Honey, look," Southerland said, staring at her intently, pleading with her to understand. "Washington is a runaway freight train. There isn’t time here for anything." He reached for two empty milkshake glasses to help him illustrate the problem, setting the glasses side by side on the table, their rims touching. "This is me, and this is the other guy when we get to Washington," he said. "Different ideas, different people, but we are close. We are touching. Democrat and Republican. We can do something with this."
He started to slowly pull the glasses in separate directions, ticking off reasons for the escalating divide. "Fundraising. Campaigns," he said, moving the glasses farther apart. "Votes, strategy, rushing around, lobbyists, name-calling," he continued, spreading the glasses farther, moving his daughter’s plate to clear a path for one of them. "I have my meetings and they have theirs. I run by them. They run by me. It’s all about winning, winning, winning. Winning - not fixing problems - defines all."
Now Southerland stretched his arms as far as he could, placing each glass at a distant edge of the table. Each was just an inch from falling and shattering on the ground. This was the congressional divide over food stamps and so much else. This was Washington in 2013 - one place, Southerland was beginning to realize, where legislation depended on so much more than hard work.
"So now I’m here and they’re way over there," he said, pointing to the glasses. "We can barely see each other. We can’t solve anything like this."
A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Southerland's eldest daughter as Amanda. This version has been corrected.
Why on earth should a Libertarian candidate running for governor of Arizona be required to get 5,000 signatures to be in the Libertarian primary election which will only have a total of 10,000 votes if they have a 100 percent turn out of all the registered Libertarian voters.
Second for as long I can remember the Libertarian party has demanded that the government stop financing the primary elections. They say that Libertarians should pay for the cost of the Libertarian primary election, Republicans should pay for the cost of the Republican primary election, Democrats should pay for the cost of the Democratic primary election. And if we had it our way, their shouldn't be any requirement to get thousands of signatures to run for office.
Crying over the endangered Libertarian politician
Reach Robert Robb at robert.robb@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8472.
Posted on September 27, 2013 2:56 pm by Robert Robb
Crying over the endangered Libertarian politician
It’s been funny watching various political actors who really don’t give a hoot about Libertarian fortunes argue about them, and then switch sides.
The top-two primary initiative that voters rejected last election would have treated all candidates from all political parties the same. To qualify for the ballot, Libertarian candidates would have had to get the same number of signatures as candidates for the two major parties.
Opponents of the top-two primary, mostly Republicans, cried crocodile tears about how unfair this was to the poor Libertarians.
Then Republicans in the Legislature, virtually all of whom opposed top-two, enacted HB 2305, which would require all candidates to obtain the same number of signatures irrespective of political party. And did so precisely to make it more difficult for Libertarian candidates, whom they wept over in the top-two debate, to qualify for the ballot, due to the perception (probably false) that they make it more difficult for Republicans to win.
Now, a different set is crying crocodile tears over the rough treatment of the beleaguered Libertarian candidates, being made to collect the same number of signatures as candidates from the major parties. In fact, opponents of HB 2305 have pretty much made the overburdened Libertarian candidate the poster child for their referendum effort.
And wouldn’t you know it, many of those now weeping over the endangered Libertarian politicians were supporters of the top-two primary initiative, which would have done exactly the same thing to them.
Only the Libertarians themselves have been consistent. They just want to get on the ballot without having to work very hard.
52% want bullet train stopped, poll finds
Gee, this bullet train between LA and San Francisco sounds kind of like the silly train they want to put between Phoenix and Tucson!!!
47 million Americans use food stamps
47 million Americans use food stamps out of the 300+ million Americans - that's about 16 percent of all Americans - or 1 out of every 7 Americans gets food stamps!!!
Crying over the endangered Libertarian politician
Robert Robb seems to forget the signature requirements are only to allow you to Libertarian primary elections, not the general election.
Arizona Mandatory DUI tests unconstitutional????
SourceArizona Supreme Court bars DUI blood tests without warrant
HOWARD FISCHER Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX -- Police cannot use the state's traffic laws to draw blood from suspected drunk drivers without a warrant absent their specific permission at the time of the test, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
In a unanimous decision, the justices rejected the contention by the Pima County Attorney's Office that all Arizona motorists give "implied consent" to having blood, breath or urine tests as a condition to be licensed to drive. They said that means, absent a clear -- and voluntary -- consent immediately prior to the blood draw, it is an illegal search without a warrant.
In a wide-ranging ruling, the high court also said that the ability of juveniles to give that voluntary consent is not absolute -- and not the same as an adult. Justice Scott Bales, writing for the court, said a trial judge must consider all the factors, including the age of the suspect and the failure to notify parents.
But the justices refused to rule that the absence of a juvenile's parents automatically means any consent is not voluntary.
Thursday's ruling most immediately means that charges of driving under the influence of drugs will be dropped against the youth, identified in court records only as Tyler B. because he was 16 at the time of the arrest.
But he is not out of the legal woods yet. Deputy County Attorney Nicolette Kneut said Tyler, who has since turned 18, still faces charges of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia in justice court as an adult.
Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall said Thursday's ruling will complicate the job that police statewide are required to do. She said the high court has provided no guidance.
"How is the officer supposed to know whether or not it's been an express consent," she said. "It just makes it really, really tough because there isn't any bright line." [Duh, the 4th Amendment you idiot!!!!]
LaWall said the ruling means that her office will advise police to get a court-ordered warrant whenever possible before drawing blood, even when a motorist -- and now, especially a juvenile -- gives approval for a blood draw. That, she said, eliminates any possibility of having that consent later ruled involuntary.
According to court records, Tyler and two friends arrived late to school. A school monitor smelled marijuana on the boys and also saw drug paraphernalia in Tyler's car.
The boys were detained in separate rooms while sheriff's deputies were contacted.
A deputy read Tyler his Miranda warnings against self-incrimination and the right to an attorney. But the court files said that Tyler, in the presence of several school officials, admitted he had driven his car to school after smoking marijuana and that he owned some of the paraphernalia in the car.
When the deputy placed Tyler under arrested, the youth became agitated and was placed in handcuffs while the deputy retrieved a blood-draw kit from his car.
On returning, he saw Tyler had calmed down and he removed the cuffs. He then read Tyler from the law which says that Arizona motorists must consent to blood or other tests and that refusal will result in automatic suspension of driving privileges.
Tyler agreed verbally and in writing to the blood draw. But when the case went to court, Tyler argued his consent was not voluntary and that, as a minor, he lacked capacity to consent.
When the court commissioner agreed and suppressed the evidence, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case. Bales said the issue has never been decided in Arizona.
Bales rejected arguments by prosecutors that "implied consent" law means there is no need to determine whether a consent at the time of the blood draw is voluntary.
"A compelled blood draw, even when administered pursuant to (the implied consent law) is a search subject to the Fourth Amendment's constraints," he wrote for the court. "Such an invasion of bodily integrity implicates an individual's most personal and deep-rooted expectations of privacy."
He said the law says only that an officer must ask a suspect to submit to the test -- and that if a person refuses, a warrant is needed and the suspect's licenses is suspended.
Bales said a motorist can allow a warrantless search "provided the consent is voluntary." But that, he said has to be decided by a court based on all the circumstances, including the suspect's age -- and even whether a parent is present.
In this case, Bales wrote, the court commissioner was correct in ruling that, based on the evidence she had, Tyler's consent was not voluntary.
He said Tyler was detained for about two hours in a room in the presence of school officials and a deputy, without his parents.
"Tyler initially was shaking and visibly nervous," Bales wrote, and placed in handcuffs until he calmed down. And he said that the law read to him about "implied consent" ended with the statement, "You are, therefore, required to submit to the specified tests."
It was only then, Bales said, Tyler consented to the blood draw.
Thursday's ruling drew a special comment from Justice John Pelander. He said his own review of the evidence leads him to believe Tyler did voluntarily consent.
But Pelander said Arizona law requires he and the other justices not to reweigh the evidence but only to consider whether the court commissioner abused her discretion in suppressing the evidence.
School board won't probe into $1.3 million loan to superintendent
San Carlos school board won't probe into district's $1.3 million housing loan to superintendentOf course I bet that doesn't surprise you!!! Of course when us serfs are accused of crimes we are often assumed be guilty until proven innocent, and we routinely get draconian prison sentences for trivial crimes. But hey, who needs to investigate government employees who are accused of committing crimes when we know it is impossible for our government masters to commit crimes. Well at least that's what they want us to think.
San Carlos school board won't probe into district's $1.3 million housing loan to superintendent
By Bonnie Eslinger
Daily News Staff Writer
Posted: 09/27/2013 08:12:33 PM PDT
Although a $1.3 million housing loan the San Carlos School District made to its new superintendent has caught some public flak, the school board balked Thursday from ordering an investigation.
Instead, board trustees called for a training session to review how the short-term transaction was handled before they got to vote on it.
Board President Beth Hunkapiller and Vice President Adam Rak sought a formal investigation but were rebuffed by their colleagues, particularly Trustee Seth Rosenblatt, who asserted that would be an overreaction to a simple mistake.
"If we had a board action or audit for every mistake we made, we'd run into a grinding halt," Rosenblatt said. "The action has to be proportionate to the mistake."
Hunkapiller said that despite believing the premature loan was an "anomaly," she thinks it's important to set the record straight for the public.
"I think it's a trust issue. And if we think it's OK to make mistakes, I think we have a problem," Hunkapiller said. "We have a lot of people thinking there's more to this than what may be."
According to district officials, the board agreed to give Superintendent Craig Baker the loan during a recent closed-session performance review so he could move from his Redwood City home into the San Carlos district.
Last week, district Chief Operations Office Robert Porter told The Daily News that staff made arrangements for the loan and scheduled a vote for the school board's Sept. 12 meeting after receiving a copy of Hunkapiller's July 12 letter telling prospective house sellers that the board intends to approve the loan.
Although escrow on the San Carlos home Baker bought was scheduled to close Sept. 13, the date was moved up and Porter wired the money on Sept. 11. One day later, the board unanimously voted in open session to approve the loan.
During Thursday night's discussion, Trustee Carol Elliott said there needs to be a balance between "accountability" and "moving forward."
When Hunkapiller suggested the board didn't know exactly how the loan was moved, Rosenblatt replied that he felt comfortable with the transaction and she should speak directly to Porter.
"I would like to make that public ... that you don't care to know," Hunkapiller said.
When Rosenblatt later said he trusts the school administrators, Hunkapiller interjected: " 'Trust me,' that's what I hear from adolescent boys and I'm beyond that, I'm an adult."
"To figure out what everyone did wrong is not frankly, terribly productive," Rosenblatt answered.
Some trustees expressed concern that public perception of how the loan was handled could cast a shadow on how they later to decide to spend bonds.
In the end, the board voted 4-1, with Rosenblatt dissenting, to have the County Counsel's Office -- which handles the district's legal affairs -- set up a training session for it and staff on how district funds are dispersed and the financial controls in place. The session is to include a chronological review of the loan, from June to September, as well as a discussion about district communications.
Last week, Baker told The Daily News he had already sold his Redwood City home and escrow was set to close around the first week of October. Although the promissory note approved by the board gives Baker up to a year to pay off the loan, the superintendent said as soon as his Redwood City home closes escrow, the district will get its money back with interest.
Email Bonnie Eslinger at beslinger@dailynewsgroup.com; follow her at twitter.com/ bonnieeslinger.
Propone Vicente Fox legalizar la mariguana en Latinoamérica
El expresidente mexicano, consideró que legalizar el enervante traerá más beneficios que perjuicios a los países que despenalicen su comercialización con fines de uso social.
El ex presidente mexicano Vicente Fox dijo que para reducir el crimen en la frontera, Estados Unidos tiene que decidirse entre aplicar la ley o legalizar el consumo recreacional de la mariguana.
Fox, presidente durante el sexenio 2000-2006, consideró que legalizar la mariguana traerá más beneficios que perjuicios a los países que despenalicen su comercialización con fines de uso social.
El ex mandatario se ha declarado abiertamente a favor de la legalización de la mariguana como una alternativa para combatir la violencia que generan los carteles de la droga que operan en países de Latinoamerica como México.
"México no es productor ni consumidor de la mariguana... la producción fuerte de mariguana está aquí en California", señaló el ex funcionario.
Estados Unidos va en la dirección correcta al permitir el uso medicinal de la mariguana como primer paso hacia la legalización total de la droga, consideró.
Fox estuvo en Peoria el pasado 12 de septiembre para presidir una serie de eventos cuyo tema central fue el desarrollo económico binacional. El ex presidente fue invitado por el Instituto McCain de Liderazgo Internacional y Fundación United Peoria.
Durante una conferencia de prensa, Fox habló de la inmigración y la necesidad de que Estados Unidos apruebe una reforma para legalizar a 11 millones de indocumentados, así como del conflicto en Siria.
Sobre el tema de la legalización de la mariguana, declaró que México y Estados Unidos no han podido combatir el cáncer del narcotráfico.
"Estados Unidos es el principal consumidor de droga en el mundo, y debe reconocer que tiene dos opciones para frenar la violencia en sus fronteras, o aplica la ley o legaliza la mariguana", dijo Fox.
"La legalización de la mariguana y un control adecuado pueden abrir una oportunidad para una industria perfectamente legal", dijo.
En su opinión, al legalizar esta droga, los millones de dólares que genera su venta ilegal a los cárteles y narcotraficantes pasarán al gobierno.
El ex presidente, quien es agricultor en México, dijo que cuando la legalización de la mariguana ocurra, él quiere ser parte de su producción.
"Una vez que sea legal por supuesto puedo hacerlo, soy un agricultor", declaró.
La legalización de la mariguana, aseguró, ya está en proceso en varios estados de los Estados Unidos.
"Si Estados Unidos decide expandir la legalización para fines recreativos estará avanzando en una dirección correcta en la lucha para combatir el contrabando de drogas, tráfico sexual y muchos otros delitos que ocurren en la frontera", enfatizó.
Blaring block party raises noise concerns in Scottsdale
By Edward Gately The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:44 AM
A weekend block party in downtown Scottsdale generated dozens of noise complaints from nearby residents, and city officials now are evaluating how they will deal with a similar situation next time.
The Sound Wave Block Party in the entertainment district closed several streets in an area south of Camelback Road and east of Scottsdale Road from Saturday afternoon well into the night.
It featured outdoor live DJ music and included Maya Day + Nightclub and the W Scottsdale hotel.
Police Sgt. Mark Clark said his department received 37 noise complaints connected to the event.
There were no law-enforcement problems during the event, which attracted 5,500 people, police Cmdr. Jeffrey Walther said.
“We had zero problems other than noise events,” he said. “We had more (complaints) than a normal Friday or Saturday night due to the size of the stage and the level of the bass that was there.”
The Police Department will “tally the noise complaints and find out exactly what the issues were from the neighborhood and then we’ll move forward from there for any future events,” Walther said.
According to the special-event permit, the live DJ music was required to end at 11 p.m., he said.
The entertainment district is south of Camelback and north of Indian School Road, between Scottsdale and Miller roads. It has the highest concentration of bars in Maricopa County and attracts thousands of patrons every weekend from throughout the Valley.
Steve LeVine of Steve LeVine Entertainment received a special-event permit from the city for the block party. Developer Shawn Yari, who owns Maya and the W, submitted a letter to the city authorizing the event.
Mayor Jim Lane said that he is aware of the complaints and that “we are going to be taking a look at that process to make sure we are tending to the elements and guidelines of the special-event process.”
When contacted about the complaints, LeVine said, “I don’t know if that’s true or not, so I have no comment.”
Steve Venker, the city’s planning and design-services manager, said a group effort with city officials and LeVine took place to ensure that the event was “acceptable to the city.” The permit did not require City Council approval.
Councilman Bob Littlefield said he started receiving several calls around 9 o’clock on the night of the event from residents complaining about the loud noise. He said he could hear the noise from a residence near Highland Avenue and Granite Reef Road.
“It was clearly way louder than it should have been,” he said. “So then, all these people who called me had two common themes. One is that they called the non-emergency (police) number and were told there was nothing that could be done. And then the other thing that really annoyed me is they were told this was a council-approved event.”
In response to the complaints, Assistant Police Chief John Cocca sent a memo to all department employees stating that the “special event approval does not give a person/group/event the authority or permission to create excessive noise or disturb the peace” and that an officer should be dispatched or the event supervisor/officer should be notified when calls are received.
Rick Mauch, who lives near Minnezona Avenue and 75th Street in a neighborhood just north of Camelback Road, sent an e-mail to council members complaining about the noise from the event.
“The noise level generated by this event was clearly excessive and well over code limits,” he said. “I do not have a decibel meter, but any reasonable person would have considered the noise excessive. I called the Scottsdale Police Department to file a disturbing-the-peace complaint. They politely explained that nothing could be done ... except to track how many complaints were received.”
Sigrid Egan, who lives near Camelback and Hayden roads, said that she was awakened by the noise at about 10 p.m. and that it grew louder. She also sent an e-mail to council members.
“After about an hour I got up and went onto the balcony and could see above the roofs of the buildings the various colors of flashing lights and heard the blaring music, annoying beat and voices from loudspeakers,” she said.
Raun Keagy, the city’s neighborhood-resources director, said the city’s noise ordinance exempts special events from its provisions, so the 68-decibel limit isn’t applicable. Code-enforcement staff asked the event promoter to turn down the noise four times, he said. Each time, the volume was turned down.
The noise issue isn’t considered a violation of the special-event permit, Keagy said. A violation of the special-event stipulation “may be subject to civil penalties,” he said.
Bill Crawford, president of the Association to Preserve Downtown Scottsdale’s Quality of Life, encouraged residents who were disturbed by the noise to write to the mayor and council.
Crawford said he and other residents were bracing for problems.
“Even though we have been able to provide influence to bring about and strengthen many public-safety ordinances specifically targeting the bar district,” he said, “there is still work to do strengthening our weak noise ordinance in order to protect quality of life in downtown Scottsdale and the surrounding residential areas.”
Editorial: Ex-Chicago alderman scores corruption three-peat
5:43 p.m. CDT, September 25, 2013
"In a state that has earned a reputation for having its share of corruption, defendant Ambrosio Medrano stands out."
That's the first line of federal prosecutors' memo urging a judge to throw the book at the former Chicago alderman for his second public bribery conviction. On Tuesday, Medrano became even more outstanding, pleading guilty in a third scheme.
"Incorrigibly corrupt" is how Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Stetler described Medrano. Being forced from office in disgrace and spending time in prison didn't stop Medrano from re-offending. "Indeed, the tapes showed that Medrano was nothing but enthusiastic about pursuing another corrupt endeavor," Stetler wrote. "He commented on how he had been thanking God for giving him the corrupt opportunity."
Ald. Medrano first became defendant Medrano in 1996, when he was snared in the Operation Silver Shovel probe. He pleaded guilty to taking $31,000 in bribes while in office and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
In June he was convicted of conspiring to bribe a Los Angeles County official to rig a prescription drug contract. That earned him the distinction of being the first Chicago City Council alum convicted in two separate corruption cases. His guilty plea to wire fraud Tuesday sealed the three-peat.
In that case, he admitted to scheming with ex-Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno and others to take kickbacks from the sale of bandages to public hospitals. Moreno pleaded guilty in July.
Medrano faces up to five years in prison for his second conviction, and prosecutors want the judge to sentence him to every minute of it. On Tuesday they indicated they'd ask for 20 years for the third conviction. Medrano's attorney thinks two years would be more like it.
Incorrigible indeed. The guy just doesn't get it. It took an Illinois Supreme Court ruling in 2007 to convince him that no, he could not be re-elected to the City Council after serving time for bribery. (He'd tried in 2003 and lost, but was back for another run when a legal challenge knocked him out.)
"To Medrano, the concept of paying a bribe to get a contract was not some foreign idea that caused reflection or apprehension, even after going to jail for accepting a bribe," the sentencing memo says. "Instead, to Medrano bribery was part of the government process, something that went without saying."
"Most Americans view government as a system that is meant to represent the interests of the public," it says. "To Medrano, however, government is meant to support powerful people who have connections and who pay public officials."
There's a lot of that attitude going around Illinois, and there has been for a long time. Before Operation Silver Shovel — which netted five aldermen besides Medrano — there was Operation Greylord, which exposed rampant case-fixing in the Cook County court system. Fifteen judges were convicted, along with dozens of lawyers, cops and court officials. Then there was Operation Safe Road, the licenses-for-bribes scandal that sent former Gov. George Ryan to prison. Operation Board Games sent his successor, Rod Blagojevich, to prison.
Right on cue, ex-Cook County Commissioner William Beavers — also a former Chicago alderman — was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison for failing to pay taxes on money he'd removed from his campaign fund and used for gambling and personal expenses.
It seems like only yesterday that ex-U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, Sandi, the former Chicago alderman, were sentenced to prison for supporting a lavish lifestyle with money taken from campaign accounts.
Then there are the disgraced governors — four of the last nine have gone to prison — and the 30 Chicago aldermen who have been convicted since 1972. Or is it 31? Or 32? It was hard enough to keep track back when each of them counted only once.
But of course don't expect anything to happen, other then hear a bunch of hot air from the members of the Congress and Senate who will be promising to end all these crimes if they just get reelected.
Reach Robert Robb at robert.robb@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8472.
Posted on September 26, 2013 4:28 pm by Robert Robb
Put NSA in a narrower box
The United States needs to put the National Security Agency into a much more narrowly defined box. It’s out of control. And it’s out of control in a way that violates civil liberties and harms U.S. national interests.
Brazil is Latin America’s leading economy and one of the most important countries in the developing world. The United States wants warmer relations with it and to facilitate that had invited President Dilma Rousseff for a rare full-spectrum state visit, with all the pomp and circumstance such occasions can be vested with. For U.S. diplomacy, it was a big deal.
Rousseff canceled the state visit. She did, however, come to the United States. She went to the United Nations to harshly denounce the United States.
Why? News came out that the NSA was intercepting her phone calls and emails. And those of her staff and government. And of Petrobras, the Brazilian state oil company.
The National Security Agency is supposed to be a “security” agency. It is part of the Department of Defense.
So, what threat to U.S. security do the Brazilian president, her government and the state oil company pose?
Earlier it was revealed that the NSA was extensively snooping on European Union officials. And what threat to U.S. national security were they hatching?
The NSA was looking at the emails of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto – before he was ever elected.
This gratuitous spying, with utterly no rational connection to protecting the United States against any conceivable security threat, has consequences.
Obviously, it put the kibosh on an important U.S. diplomatic overture to Brazil, to put it mildly.
Brazil is in the market for some new fighter jets. Boeing, a U.S. company, is a bidder. The NSA making sure there are no terrorist plots emanating from Rousseff’s office is thought to have damaged its prospects.
Brazil is also auctioning off deep-sea oil concessions, in which American companies have an interest. In Brazil, however, the question is whether NSA spying on Petrobras has irredeemably tainted the process.
The United States wants a free trade agreement with the European Union. NSA spying on EU officials has, unsurprisingly, cooled interest in Europe and raised questions about whether the integrity of negotiations for such a treaty could be protected.
Domestically, NSA is also out of the box. It’s not supposed to be prying within the United States. The Patriot Act increased the intelligence gathering power of the FBI, not the NSA. Yet it is the NSA that has the telephone records of virtually every U.S. resident.
The NSA has an important job to do. It’s supposed to gather intelligence about true national security threats. In so doing, it will need periodically to follow leads to sources in this country and in foreign governments.
But that’s not what the NSA is doing. Its indiscriminate collection of data is vastly outside its writ, violates civil liberties domestically and internationally, and is damaging U.S. interests.
It is also jeopardizing NSA’s ability to do its true national security job. NSA can tap so easily into Internet data because so much of it is routed through the United States. The NSA revelations, however, have caused other countries to become more interested in developing Internet routes that avoid the United States. They have also given impetus to calls to put the Internet under some sort of international control, which would be disastrous in numerous respects.
Yes, everyone spies. But no one spies as invasively as the NSA. The invasive capabilities we justifiably develop and use for national security shouldn’t be turned to gaining diplomatic or commercial advantage.
And yes, these rows wouldn’t be taking place except for the leaks by Edward Snowden. But it would be unwise for the United States, in today’s interconnected world, to assume that the agency it assigns to steal the secrets of others will be able to perfectly protect its own.
Microsoft outlines 66,539 account requests from law enforcement during first half of 2013
By Timothy J. Seppala posted Sep 28th, 2013 at 11:53 AM 18
We've covered various transparency reports before, but now the whole notion takes on a different feel in our post-PRISM world. Microsoft's latest report details that it received 37,196 requests from law enforcement agencies between this January and June, which impacted 66,539 of its accounts. Seventy-seven percent of those requests were for data like a user's name, IP history and billing address, and with 21 percent of requests, no data was disclosed at all. However, in 2.19 percent of queries by law enforcement, Redmond disclosed "at least some" customer content. What does that mean? Well, the company's definition includes the subject or body of an email, photos stored in SkyDrive and address book info. According to the document, the info was all obtained via lawful warrants and court orders.
While National Security Letters also fall under the guise of law enforcement requests -- which primarily come from the FBI in order to obtain records such as phone numbers and email addresses -- Microsoft is only allowed to publish these statistics on an annual basis. Hence, they're absent this time around, and will be published in the company's next Law Enforcement Requests Report. To see just how deep the rabbit hole goes, do check out the source. We suggest putting on a pot of coffee, though -- it's not a quick read.
NSA watchdog: Employees spied on lovers
Associated Press Fri Sep 27, 2013 10:44 AM
WASHINGTON — Some workers at the National Security Agency intentionally misused the government’s secret surveillance systems at least 12 times over the past decade, including instances when they spied on spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends, according to embarrassing new details disclosed by the agency’s inspector general. In nearly every case, the workers were allowed to retire before they could be punished. [While us civilians will get draconian prison sentences for trivial crimes, government employees rarely get more then a slap on the wrist for major crimes]
In addition to the 12 historical cases, authorities are investigating two other suspected violations and reviewing a third allegation for possible investigation, the inspector general, George Ellard, told Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in a letter released late Thursday.
Senior national security officials and some U.S. lawmakers have said such cases were exceedingly rare considering the breadth of the NSA’s surveillance programs and reflect how seriously the government monitors use of its systems for potential abuses. [Yea, that's what they always say. The f*ck up never happened before and will never happen again!!!]
“Where (a media report) says we’re sweeping up the communications of civilians overseas that aren’t targets of collection systems is wrong,” the NSA’s director, Army Gen. Keith Alexander, told senators Thursday. “If our folks do that, we hold them accountable.”
At least six times the cases were reported to the Justice Department for possible prosecution, Ellard’s letter said. In some cases, U.S. prosecutors declined to take action but in nearly every case the employees were allowed to retire without punishment. [Yea, that's what usually happens - nothing] In one case, a worker was suspended without pay then retired; in another case, a worker’s promotion was cancelled; in two cases, military employees suffered a reduction in rank, extra duty and brief reduction in salary for two months.
Public concerns about how telephone and Internet surveillance data is handled by the NSA have intensified in the wake of leaks about the agency’s programs by former contract employee Edward Snowden. With the Senate readying to consider new limits on the NSA’s spying programs, national security officials have sought to boost confidence in their procedures. Senior officials have said they moved quickly to report and correct internal problems that led to the NSA’s accidental collection of 56,000 emails and other communications by Americans, and they insisted that willful abuse of surveillance data by officials is almost non-existent.
Grassley, who had asked Ellard last month to provide more information about the 12 violations, urged robust oversight of the secret programs. “We shouldn’t tolerate even one misuse of this program,” he said. [But our government masters will pretty much tolerate any all all crimes committed by the goons in the NSA]
Several cases clearly showed government officials using the surveillance system to probe for information about spouses or paramours. During a 2011 polygraph test, an official acknowledged tapping into surveillance data about his foreign girlfriend’s telephone number in 2004. The official also tried to retrieve data about his own phone but was prevented because internal mechanisms prevented queries on domestic phone numbers without authorization. The matter was referred to the Justice Department. The official retired in 2012 before internal disciplinary action could be taken.
In another case, the foreign girlfriend of a U.S official reported her suspicions that the official was listening to her telephone calls. An internal investigation found that the official had made internal surveillance queries on the phones of nine foreign women without authorization and had at times listened in on some phone conversations. The same official also collected data on a U.S. person’s phone.
The case was referred to prosecutors and the official resigned before internal discipline could be imposed.
I suspect that Jan Brewer is tough on crime to get the votes of the huge number of cops. The city of Phoenix alone has 3,000 Phoenix cops. That doesn't include all the other county, city, federal and other cops living in Phoenix.
While cops aren't any more patriotic then the rest of us, they do vote when there is money in it for them. Such as for initiatives that create more jobs for cops. And Initiatives that create higher pay and benefits for government bureaucrats.
Posted on September 27, 2013 4:28 pm by Laurie Roberts
No pardoning Gov. Jan Brewer’s cowardly clemency policy
It was May 2009 and Shannon Connely was asleep in his southwest Valley home when suddenly the sound of squealing tires and barking dogs awakened him.
Worried because of a recent burglary attempt, Connely grabbed his holstered handgun and ran outside to find a police officer.
The officer, who was looking for a missing child, drew his gun and ordered Connely to drop his weapon. Connely cursed, pointed out that his gun was holstered and ordered the officer off of his property. The officer shouted at him to drop it and lie down and Connely complied. He was promptly zapped with a Taser, then arrested.
Connely, a real estate agent who had never before had a run-in with the law, was offered probation if he would plead guilty to a felony. Instead, he opted to take his chances with a jury. Big mistake. He was convicted of aggravated assault and disorderly conduct and because of Arizona’s harsh mandatory sentencing laws, he would pay for his crime. And pay and pay.
The judge, Maricopa County Superior Court Commission Steven Lynch, had no choice but to give him 10½ years in prison. Even Lynch called the sentence “clearly excessive” and issued an order allowing Connely to quickly petition for clemency.
During his clemency hearing, Connely acknowledged his mistake and apologized and in April 2011, the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency recommended that his sentence be commuted to the seven months already served. The vote was unanimous.
Gov. Jan Brewer turned him down flat.
Today, Connely sits in prison in Safford. His record shows one disciplinary infraction – a minor grooming violation two years ago. For his crime, he will remain behind bars until December 2020.
Our tax dollars – and our government — at work.
No mercy, no second chances and for many inmates, not even a fair opportunity to be heard.
This week, we learned that Brewer has been tampering with the supposedly independent clemency board. In a federal lawsuit filed by a death row inmate, five former members of the board say that Brewer Chief of Staff Scott Smith repeatedly pressured them not to send the governor recommendations for clemency. When they did it anyway, three of them were ousted. Two others quit.
One former member, Marilyn Wilkens, says she was called into Smith’s office last year after the board recommended a lesser sentence for Robert Flibotte. Flibotte is a 74-year-old Payson realtor sentenced to 90 years in prison in 2011 after child pornography was found on his computer.
The board in January 2012 unanimously recommended reducing his sentence to five years, letting him out when he is 79, and lifetime probation.
“Mr. Smith was face-to-face with me, with about five inches separating, us,” Wilkens wrote, in a sworn statement accompanying the lawsuit. “He was shaking his finger at me and told me in a raised voice, almost yelling at me, that I voted to let a ‘sex offender’ go. He became very agitated, refusing to accept the tenants of my explanation….”
Brewer denied him clemency and three months after the vote on Flibotte, three members of the five-member board were ousted: Wilkens, who had been appointed by Brewer in 2010; Ellen Stenson, a 2007 Janet Napolitano appointee, and Duane Belcher, who had been the board’s chairman for 20 years.
All three believe they were dumped because of their votes to recommend clemency for Flibotte and certain other inmates. Two other appointees have since resigned, saying they, too, were told how to vote, though one of the two, Jesse Hernandez. quit over allegations of impropriety.
Brewer’s office denied there is any pressure to keep clemency requests from reaching her desk. “The governor’s office does not intervene in cases,” her spokesman wrote in an e-mail to The Republic.
Well, five members of the board – including three Brewer appointees – say differently.
Clearly, Brewer cherishes her reputation as being tough on crime. What elected politician doesn’t?
But you can’t govern by bumper sticker. Or you shouldn’t.
There’s a reason that Arizona has had since 1913 a system that offers a way to cut sentences short in certain exceptional cases.
Few, if any, of us would advocate the wholesale release of ax murderers. But most of us, in our saner moments, recognize that there are times when the system doles out injustice, times when, because of our humanity or simple common sense, a little compassion is called for.
It takes courage for a governor to grant clemency.
But to pressure a board so you’re never put in a position of having to make the call?
That’s the opposite of courage.
What part of the Constitution allows the FBI to investigate crimes in foreign countries like Kenya???
I suspect this is just some empire building by the FBI managers to create a worldwide jobs program for themselves!!!!
U.S. Sees Direct Threat in Attack at Kenya Mall
By NICHOLAS KULISH and JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: September 25, 2013
NAIROBI, Kenya — Viewing the deadly siege at a shopping mall in Kenya as a direct threat to its security, the United States is deploying dozens of F.B.I. agents to investigate the wreckage, hoping to glean every piece of information possible to help prevent such a devastating attack from happening again, possibly even on American soil.
For years, the F.B.I. has been closely watching the Shabab, the Somali Islamist group that has claimed responsibility for the Nairobi massacre and recruited numerous Americans to fight and die — sometimes as suicide bombers — for its cause. [Again since when was the FBI given the power to investigate crimes in foreign countries???? Sounds like the FBI is creating a worldwide jobs program for itself]
The Shabab has already attacked most of the major actors trying to end the chaos in Somalia — the United Nations, Uganda, aid groups, the Somali government and now Kenya. The United States has spent hundreds of millions of dollars bankrolling anti-Shabab operations for years, and there is growing fear that the group could turn its sights on American interests more directly, one of the reasons the Obama administration is committing so many resources to the investigation in Kenya.
“We are in this fight together,” said Robert F. Godec, the American ambassador to Kenya. “The more we know about the planning that went into this, the way it was conducted, what was used, the people involved, the better we can protect America, too.”
Less than a day after the bloody standoff ended, more than 20 F.B.I. agents wearing flak jackets and helmets were combing through the wreckage strewn across the steps of the mall. Dozens more agents will be headed to Nairobi, American officials say. Some of them are members of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force squad that investigates extremist groups operating in the Horn of Africa, a law enforcement official said.
Over the next few days, agents, including a full Evidence Response Team, will be collecting D.N.A., fingerprints and other biometric information, poring through surveillance footage and examining guns, laptops, cameras and computers — anything to gain insights into how the attack was carried out and the hierarchy, planning and structures behind the group, especially if they have any ties back to the United States.
American officials are mindful that Kenya, one of its closest allies in Africa, has become a precarious buffer zone between the United States and Islamist militants who have declared foreigners legitimate targets in their war.
The American government has learned the hard way what happens if it does not contain groups responsible for faraway attacks. In 1998, the then-relatively unknown group called Al Qaeda simultaneously attacked the United States embassies here and in Tanzania, killing hundreds and following up a few years later with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
The Shabab militant group, which has pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda and taken responsibility for killing more than 60 civilians at the mall, is considered an especially dangerous threat because more than two dozen young American men are already learning terrorist tactics in Somalia. So far, this has been a one-way pipeline, but the fear is that some battle-hardened militants could come home with their American passports to strike on American soil.
“You never know when a terrorist attack in a faraway place could be a harbinger of something that could strike at the United States,” said Daniel Benjamin, a former Obama administration counterterrorism official. On Kenya, he said, “It’s a country that has a long history of being attacked by terrorists that are of real concern to the United States.”
Compounding matters, relations between the United States and Kenya had grown frosty before the attack because Kenya’s president has been indicted on charges of crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court. American officials here were trying to keep their distance from him, but now the two sides must work closely together.
As the mall attack showed, militants would not need to reach the United States to strike hard at American interests. Several Americans were injured in the four-day siege, though none were killed. French, British, Canadians, Chinese, Indians and many others died, most of them Kenyan.
The American government is concerned that the Shabab could target the thousands of Americans living in Kenya, working for companies like General Electric, the embassy or the enormous United Nations office here in the cosmopolitan capital. Tens of thousands of other Americans visit the nation’s game parks, beaches and other tourist attractions every year, according to the Kenyan government.
American officials say that several of the attackers may have escaped, posing as civilians and fleeing in the mayhem. The worry is that they may be planning future attacks here in Nairobi.
Wednesday was Day 1 of an investigation that may take weeks, even months, with the first priority establishing the identities of the 10 to 15 attackers who burst into the mall on Saturday with automatic weapons, shooting some people at random, questioning others about their religion and ruthlessly sorting individuals for execution.
Kenyan officials have said that some of the attackers may have been Somali-Americans, but Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Wednesday that there had been no confirmation of that. Another question is whether a British woman, Samantha Lewthwaite, known as the White Widow, was among the assailants.
Part of the mall was destroyed during the three-day effort to dislodge the terrorists, who had holed up in a supermarket with belt-fed machine guns that officials say were sneaked into the mall days before with the help of a colluding employee.
“The next phase really is making sure we know what’s under the rubble,” said a Kenyan government spokesman, Manoah Esipisu. “Forensic people need to be able to clear that rubble and examine the evidence beneath it.”
The massacre plot was hatched weeks or months ago on Somali soil by the Shabab’s “external operations arm,” according to American security officials. A team of English-speaking foreign fighters was carefully chosen for the target: Westgate, a gleaming upscale mall popular with expatriates and Nairobi’s rising middle class.
Kenya is considered one of the most promising countries in Africa and has become a hub for American interests, including the effort to contain Islamist extremism in the region, putting pressure on the United States to repair its strained relations with Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta.
“This incident has literally put Kenyatta and his deputy in the center stage of the war on terror,” said Peter Kagwanja, the chief executive of the Africa Policy Institute, a nonprofit research organization in Nairobi. “America and the world have to contend with the aftermath of Nairobi.”
The United States urgently wants to decode the tactics of the assault. There is growing concern about the ease with which a few determined militants armed with automatic weapons could storm into a crowded area, kill many people very quickly and hold off government forces for so long. After the Mumbai killings in 2008, the F.B.I. sponsored training sessions for the hotel industry and other groups that could be soft targets for such attacks.
“One of the misconceptions is that we can let Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups stay abroad and not fight them there, and that we would be safe at home,” said Katherine Zimmerman, senior analyst at the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute. “That’s really proven not to be the case.”
Eric Schmitt contributed reporting from Washington, and William K. Rashbaum from New York.
Mexican President Fox wants to legalize pot in Latin America
Propone Vicente Fox legalizar la mariguana en Latinoamérica
Mexican President Fox wants to legalize pot in Latin America
Blaring block party raises noise concerns in Scottsdale
Don't waste your time complaining about those loud bar parties in Scottsdale
Don't count on calling the cops to stop the local bars from disturbing your peace with loud parties!!!!!
Editorial: Ex-Chicago alderman scores corruption three-peat
Source
Put NSA in a narrower box
Robb should be writing that the criminals in the NSA who violated our 4th Amendment rights should be put in prison. Same goes for the members of the US Senate and US House who supported the unconstitutional Patriot Act which is just an end run around the 4th Amendment.
Microsoft outlines 66,539 account requests from law enforcement
No, I am not paranoid - the government IS SPYING ON YOU!!!!!
NSA watchdog: Employees spied on lovers
Source
Draconian prison sentences for trivial crimes???
Governor Jan Brewer doesn't pardon anybody!!!!!
Draconian prison sentences for trivial crimes???
FBI investigating shoot out at mall in Kenya
FBI investigating shoot out at mall in Kenya
Steve Benson - Gun Grabber
While Steve Benson may have his act together when it
comes to realizing that God is a bunch of superstitious nonsense
he still has to figure out that guns are the solution to the problem of
government. In this
cartoon
Steve Benson shows he is a gun grabber.
Non Sequitur - Danae & Jeffery get Pinged by NSA thugs????
Use to make a web page on this
photos
NFL wants Super Bowl pork from more Valley cities???
Source
NFL threatens to move Super Bowl events from Glendale
By Paul Giblin The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:01 PM
National Football League executives are disturbed by Glendale’s perceived lack of support for the 2015 Super Bowl and warn that without a serious attitude adjustment, they’ll move all non-game events to other Valley cities.
In that scenario, Super Bowl XLIX would still be played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, but that would be the only signature event associated with the game staged in the city.
League executives already have assigned the popular fan-oriented NFL Experience to Phoenix.
“It will not be in Glendale,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Arizona Republic. “It will be in Phoenix. We have not announced details of its location, but I can confirm it will not be in Glendale. Same goes for the media center.”
Other signature events, such as the Super Bowl Tailgate Party, the televised NFL Honors awards show and a slate of glitzy parties also are under consideration for different cities, he said.
Since last week, Glendale officials have been rushing to make nice with league executives. They’ve made phone calls and sent e-mails to reaffirm their commitment and excitement for the game.
“We’re thrilled the Super Bowl is coming in 2015. We’re ready. Let’s not forget the game is 492 days away,” interim Assistant City Manager Julie Frisoni said Thursday. “We are well ahead of the curve of where we need to be.”
Still, NFL executives are worried about three major issues: access to thousands of parking spaces near the stadium, Glendale hoteliers’ refusal to guarantee room prices and a general lack of leadership by Glendale officials, McCarthy told The Republic.
“We have to take this into account as we plan things further,” he said.
The failure to land the high-profile NFL Experience and media center is a significant loss for Glendale, a city that has committed millions of dollars to project itself as a sports and entertainment mecca.
The NFL Experience is a sprawling interactive theme park that features games, displays, celebrity appearances and autograph sessions, among other attractions.
It was staged just outside the Glendale stadium for Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and attracted approximately 200,000 paying attendees during a seven-day period, according to the NFL.
The media center was in Phoenix in 2008, meaning that for the second time since the stadium opened in Glendale, the media’s anchor point for the week preceding the Super Bowl will be outside the city.
The media center will serve as the headquarters for about 5,200 credentialed reporters, photographers and commentators who cover the game.
Even with the NFL Experience in 2008, Glendale lost money, according to a city-commissioned study at the time.
The 2008 game generated an economic impact of more than $500 million across the Valley, according to an Arizona State University study.
However, Glendale spent $3.2 million for salaries, police equipment, landscaping, travel and other expenses related to the game, but brought in only $1.2 million in sales-tax revenue, according to a city-commissioned study.
Assisting the committee
During the past week, Glendale officials have tried to bolster relations with NFL executives, noting that there’s been significant turnover among City Council members and senior city staff members because of elections, resignations and dismissals since January.
Mayor Jerry Weiers acknowledged the disconnect during this past week’s council meeting.
“Recently, criticism has been leveled at our city for lack of participation with the 2015 Super Bowl Host Committee. This criticism is partially accurate, but does nothing to improve the situation,” he said while reading a statement.
“The bottom line is this: The city of Glendale wants to participate as much as possible with the Super Bowl Host Committee. We remain committed to fulfilling all of our responsibilities that were spelled out in our Super Bowl bid. The city is not completely without blame,” he said.
“The relationship between the previous administration and the NFL is not as strong as it probably should have been and now the new council and manager are trying to play catch up,” Weiers said.
City Manager Brenda Fischer and Frisoni reached out to NFL executives this past week to assure them that the city will meet its requirements, said Frisoni, who is heading the city’s Super Bowl effort.
“The issues that they believe are issues, we do not believe they are issues. But if they believe they are, obviously we need to sit down and have conversations with them,” she said.
The host committee is required to provide the NFL 35,000 cost-free parking spaces on secured, paved and lighted lots within a mile of the stadium on game day, according to Super Bowl bid documents. In addition, the host committee must provide 15,000 spaces beginning on the opening day of the NFL Experience, which now seems to be a moot point, or alternatively, beginning 10 days prior to the Super Bowl.
Although Glendale is not required to provide parking spaces, according to bid documents, city officials identified about 55,000 spaces within two miles of the stadium and passed along maps and other information to the host committee in 2011, Frisoni said.
According to the city’s calculations, Glendale controls approximately 7,500 spaces within the Westgate Entertainment District near the stadium and an additional 3,500 spaces within about a mile of the stadium. The Arizona Cardinals control 14,000 spaces near the stadium. The remaining spaces identified by the city are controlled by other interests.
City officials are prepared to assist host-committee executives with the matter, Frisoni said. “We have completely lived up to every requirement that we have related to parking. And we will live up to every requirement we have in the bid packet,” she said.
NFL executives remain concerned because they have yet to receive any details or specifics about the parking plan, which league executives expected last year, McCarthy said.
Working with hotels
In 2008, Glendale hosted one of the most successful Super Bowls of all time and city officials expect to do better in 2015, Frisoni said. In many regards, Glendale officials are more prepared to host the 2015 game than they were for the 2008 game because it will be the second time around.
However, city officials lack authority to direct Glendale hoteliers to join the host committee’s bloc of hotels that have committed rooms for the NFL’s use in exchange for guaranteed rates, Frisoni said.
The only Glendale hotel in the official bloc, the Thunderbird Executive Inn & Conference Center, is 11 miles from the stadium. Hotels outside the bloc are free to charge whatever prices the market will bear, a strategy that displeases NFL executives who are afraid of price gouging, McCarthy said.
A prime example of the holdouts is the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa, a high-end, 320-room hotel that’s located within the Westgate Entertainment District and within easy walking distance of the stadium, McCarthy said.
Renaissance general manager Lynnie Green said that while the hotel was not part of the bloc in 2008 and won’t be in 2015, she has been in contact with host-committee and city representatives regarding the hotel’s role with the Super Bowl.
“Whether that’s helping out the NFL or however they decide to help take some of our rooms, certainly we’re going to be part of that,” she said.
The Glendale hotel opened a few months before the Super Bowl in 2008 and refrains from price gouging, Green said. “We’re team players and we do the best that we can to make every event here in Glendale successful,” she said.
Visiting N.J. Super Bowl
Glendale administrators plan to brief council members about Super Bowl preparations Tuesday during a public council workshop at City Hall.
Furthermore, they plan to send a contingent of council members and staffers to Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb. 2, to observe behind-the-scenes operations, Frisoni said.
Weiers, Vice Mayor Yvonne Knaack and three other council members tentatively have committed to the trip. They’ll join administrators from the police, fire, transportation, communications and economic-development departments, Frisoni said.
In all, the group will number approximately 16. The trip will be paid for by tapping into reserves of $335,000 that was left unspent from the 2008 Super Bowl, she said.
City officials still are honing the city’s projected cost for hosting the game, but they’re working with a preliminary estimate of $3 million, most of which will be incurred by the police and fire departments, Frisoni said.
Separate from the city’s dealings with the NFL, interactions between Glendale and the host committee have been lackluster, said Jay Parry, the executive director of the organization.
“Our goal is to, obviously, have the very best impact and to have as much involvement and participation as we can. There are ongoing conversations with Glendale and we hope that they decide that they want to be part of it in a very big way,” she said.
Coaxing Glendale hoteliers to agree to the terms of the official hotel bloc would go a long way toward demonstrating more active participation, Parry said.
Overall, 113 hotels from across the metro region have committed 19,526 rooms to the bloc, Parry said.
Contributing cities
The host committee, whose goal is to raise millions of dollars to support Super Bowl events, has asked Valley cities to contribute based largely on the number of hotel rooms in each.
Glendale will contribute $72,000, which city officials expect to pay through the Glendale Convention & Visitors Bureau this fiscal year and next year, Frisoni said.
The councils in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley already publicly voted to donate $645,840 and $75,000, respectively. Tempe pledged $221,700. Phoenix’s contribution was not immediately available.
Parry told The Republic that she was unaware, but not surprised, that NFL executives decided to stage the NFL Experience outside of Glendale.
“There’s been a lot of development and attractive options that have developed around the Valley since 2008 and the last time we had the game, so I’m sure they’ve had a lot of things under consideration,” she said.
Local Super Bowl organizers already had considered consolidating many Super Bowl events in downtown Phoenix to alleviate grumblings by NFL owners that events in 2008 were spread too far across the Valley.
Cardinals President Michael Bidwill attended a meeting with Weiers and Fischer in August to discuss the NFL’s concerns about parking and the hotel bloc.
Bidwill expected more follow-up than he’s received from Fischer, he said.
“The ball’s in their court,” Bidwill said. “She’s got to bring the leadership. We’ve got to get the hotels in the room bloc and the city’s got to support the effort.”
Of course the issue here is how the government wastes our money.
Audit finds Army paid $16 million to deserters, AWOL soldiers
LOUISVILLE, Ky. Even as the Army faces shrinking budgets, an audit shows it paid out $16 million in paychecks over a 2 ?-year period to soldiers designated as AWOL or as deserters, the second time since 2006 the military has been dinged for the error.
A memo issued by Human Resources Command at Fort Knox, Ky., found that the Army lacked sufficient controls to enforce policies and procedures for reporting deserters and absentee soldiers to cut off their pay and benefits immediately. The oversight was blamed primarily on a failure by commanders to fill out paperwork in a timely manner.
The payments from 2010 to 2012 represent only a fraction of the Army's nearly $44 billion projected payroll for 2013, but auditors and a watchdog group derided the waste as government agencies grapple with the automatic federal spending cuts known as sequestration.
"In this current environment of scarce resources, this is unacceptable," auditors wrote in a July memo sent by the Department of Defense across the Army, including to the U.S. Army Deserter Information Point and Human Resources Command.
The Defense Department says 466 service members across all branches were listed as absent without leave or as deserters in 2012; the agency did not have a tally specific to the Army. However, the $16 million represents 9,000 individual direct deposit payments, suggesting at least some of the soldiers received several paychecks before the problem was corrected.
The audit marks the second time in the past seven years the Army has come under scrutiny for paying soldiers who did not report for duty when called up. The audit outlines what steps should be taken across the Army to ensure deserters and soldiers who are absent without leave don't get pay or benefits.
A more narrowly focused 2006 audit by the Government Accountability Office found the Army paid 68 soldiers about $684,000 while the soldiers were considered deserters. That review, by Gregory D. Kutz, the managing director of forensic audits and special investigations for the GAO, focused on the 1004th Quartermaster Company in Greensburg, Pa.
The audit issued in July called on Human Resources Command to establish standards for commanders to provide status updates of AWOL soldiers and deserters on a regular basis. The message also directs commanders throughout the Army to follow up on all in-transit soldiers who do not arrive on their report dates and to place a strong emphasis on the status of absentee soldiers.
Auditors found that commanders weren't filling out paperwork on absent soldiers in a timely manner, so the orders to stop pay weren't being processed and absent soldiers were still being paid. The latest audit comes as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps are projected to slash $52 billion from the defense budget for the 2014 fiscal year under automatic spending cuts that kicked in March 1.
The Army classifies a deserter as someone who drops from the rolls of a unit after being absent without authority for 30 or more consecutive days. Soldiers who join the military of another country, seek political asylum or live in a foreign country are also considered deserters.
Kutz included in the audit recommendations that the Army develop a strategy for tracking possible desertion cases and possibly initiating criminal actions against deserters who took unearned pay. The note in July reiterates some of Kutz's recommendations and points to new regulations requiring stricter tracking and processing of soldiers who don't report for duty.
"The purpose of this message is to reinforce current policy and actions to be taken by commanders and staff offices to alleviate the situation," the All Army Activities memo states.
U.S. Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger, who was among four congressmen to request the 2006 audit, said he was troubled to see the problem persist particularly in light of the current financial and budget challenges the government faces. Ruppersberger, D-Md., said Army leadership has assured him that corrective actions are being taken, including efforts to recoup the money paid.
"Deserting our military is a serious offense, and these men and women - and the unit commanders in charge of the personnel paperwork - need to be held accountable," Ruppersberger said. "It's also unfair to the vast majority of troops putting their lives on the line and honorably serving our country every day."
An Army spokesman said AWOL soldiers or soldiers considered deserters must repay any earned benefits if they are dismissed from the military. Refusing to do so could lead to the debt being turned over to a collection agency. Soldiers who return to duty may have their wages garnished to cover the debt. A Defense Department spokesman knew of no similar audit for other branches of the military.
Sean Kennedy, director of research for the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste, said the audit results were "pretty crazy." It appears there's little incentive to fix the problem, even though it has been pointed out multiple times, Kennedy said.
"It's a drop in the bucket compared to the larger Army bucket, but the GAO identified this years ago, and it was never fixed," Kennedy said. "Before the Army cries poor again, they should look internally for waste that can be eliminated. This is an example of that."
© 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sadly government rarely protects anybody, except the special interest groups that helped get the current batch of politicians elected.
In this article, John Jackson seems to be one of those "special interest" groups that is asking the government to put his competitors out of business.
Activist works to stop unlicensed contractors
By Joe Dana 12 News Sat Sep 28, 2013 3:52 PM
John Jackson has been labeled both a snitch and a hero in home-construction circles.
The 51-year-old tile craftsman from Casa Grande began a crusade two years ago to expose unlicensed construction after Jackson says it became impossible for him to secure flooring contracts on new-home sites. He said the going rate for tile work dropped to unrealistic levels because subcontractors were willing to take legal shortcuts to complete the work.
“The people that are willing to break the law are the ones who get the jobs,” Jackson said.
He has filed dozens of public complaints and invited 12 News to new-home construction sites where alleged unlicensed work was carried out, potentially done by untrained or undocumented workers. Although not everyone agrees with Jackson’s methods, public officials acknowledge that in many cases, he appears to be right.
Labor-law experts call the practice “employee misclassification.” Others call it “the underground economy” and say the problem is worsening in the Arizona construction industry.
“We’ve seen misclassification quite a while. However, we’ve seen trends lately that are very disturbing to us,” said Eric Murray, district director for the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division.
Contractors who hire laborers “off-the-books” don’t pay taxes, employment insurance and liability insurance. They save at least 30 percent on costs and therefore can bid for jobs at lower rates than subcontractors who play by the rules, labor experts say.
“The folks trying to abide by the law are at a significant, unfair competitive disadvantage,” Murray said.
The practice not only creates unlevel playing fields for business owners but deprives the state of revenue and quality jobs that are supposed to be by-products of a rebounding economy.
The Associated General Contractors of America on Sept. 20 reported that Arizona lost 3,100 construction jobs in August, despite a yearlong trend of steadily growing home-construction permits. The state reported 1,900 construction job losses during August, according to the Arizona Office of Employment and Population Statistics.
Murray said the job losses may be a result of construction employees being moved off the books by business owners.
“The department has a theory that misclassification is playing a role in these ‘job losses,’ ” he said.
Enforcing the laws
Jackson said his business has been crippled because he has not been willing to accept work for such low rates. He was forced to let go both of his employees. Some of his peers say his reputation also took a hit when he spoke up.
“He’s been blackballed,” retired tile-business owner John Williams said. “Sometimes you shouldn’t voice your opinion. You have to stand there and watch. And John refuses to do that.”
The ROC regulates residential and commercial contractors. In response to questions about enforcement, the agency provided 12 News with 30 cases it has investigated since 2011, resulting in license suspensions, revocations and financial penalties. Only one case, which the ROC says originated from a complaint by Jackson, involved work done on a new-home construction site.
Jackson said he blames the ROC for not being proactive against home developers.
“Until the Registrar of Contractors shows a presence on these job sites to show the builders they’re not messing around, that they’re trying to find out who are employees and who are not, then the builders aren’t gonna do nothing,” Jackson said.
Bill Mundell, director of the ROC, said his office vigorously enforces unlicensed “aiding and abetting” laws against licensed contractors who hire illegal labor. According to the ROC, 6 percent of the 773 citations issued to all contractors last year involved aiding and abetting, and the agency submitted 339 criminal cases involving unlicensed contracting.
But Mundell said the law prevents investigators from randomly visiting construction sites looking for violations. Very specific information is needed to investigate and prosecute complaints of unlicensed contractors, he said.
“These are very difficult cases to prove, and the courts have said so. So we are doing the very best we can with the staff that we have,” Mundell said.
On a federal level, the U.S. Department of Labor is in the second year of a misclassification initiative launched under Vice President Joe Biden’s Middle Class Task Force meant to prosecute companies and individuals found guilty of misclassification practices.
In the past fiscal year, the division’s Phoenix District Office focused on electrical subcontractors. The majority of companies investigated were found to have violated misclassification laws, Murray said.
“In Arizona, misclassification takes multiple forms,” he said. “Those include cash pay, workers not on the records, improper designation of 1099 independent contractors and K-1 partnership schemes.”
According to a June report by the Office of the Auditor General, auditors reviewed five cases of unlicensed contracting received between 2008 and 2012 and found that the ROC took between 11 and 99 days to handle the cases and submit for criminal prosecution.
Educating subcontractors
Mundell said he is focusing on the “carrot and stick” approach of enforcement by educating construction contractors and builders of their obligations.
For the first time in the agency’s history, the ROC in June posted a policy statement and checklist on its website to help contractors determine if they are complying with the law, Mundell said.
There are other efforts to educate contractors Valley-wide. Last week Valley employment attorney Julie Pace briefed more than 100 members of the American Subcontractors Association of Arizona about laws regarding independent contractors.
Pace said misconceptions remain among subcontractors about under what circumstances it is legal to hire licensed “independent contractors.”
Subcontractors began “a slippery slope” in an effort to remain competitive in 2007 after the housing market collapsed, she said. They began illegally hiring independent contractors, and many paid cash for their services. The practice is getting worse every year, Pace said.
“Homebuilders need to question who they are hiring, their subcontractors. The subcontractors need to relook at their wage and hour compliance and the things they are supposed to be doing,” Pace said. “Now is the time to clean it up, while the economy is getting back on track.”
Reach the reporter at jdana@12News.com.
Tempe housing complex for deaf under fire
By Michelle Ye Hee Lee The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Sep 28, 2013 8:05 PM
State officials and advocates for the deaf are ramping up the pressure in a legal dispute with the federal government over fair-housing policies and a Tempe housing complex that accommodates deaf, deaf-blind and hearing-impaired senior citizens.
For nearly two years, Apache ASL Trails and its hearing-impaired residents have been in the middle of a disagreement between state and federal officials over whether the complex violates anti-discrimination laws and regulations for federally funded housing programs. ASL stands for American Sign Language.
State officials say the complex was built with features specifically to assist hearing-impaired residents, but federal officials say it violates federal housing discrimination rules because it does not do enough to also attract non-hearing impaired residents.
Arizona’s members of Congress have joined the movement to urge U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to make a decision on the issue, meeting with HUD officials and sending letters urging them to act.
“We’re really interested in reaching out significantly to HUD to, frankly, demand that they take action to protect this really important facility,” said Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat whose congressional district encompasses Tempe. “What I know is the reality of my constituents who live at Apache ASL Trails. They love their community. They want to stay there. They’re grateful to have a community that welcomes them and their various ability levels.”
Sinema is working with other delegates and gathering their signatures for a joint letter to HUD, though it is unclear how many of them will sign it. A draft of the letter argues HUD is wasting taxpayer money by asserting that Apache ASL Trails violates federal anti-discrimination laws while leaving Apache ASL Trails’ residents under a “cloud of uncertainty that has persisted for more than a year.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., in June also sent a letter to Donovan urging resolution.
HUD officials say congressional authorization would be needed to continue providing federal funding for Apache ASL Trails, citing laws prohibiting HUD-funded programs from denying or limiting access to people on the basis of a disability or to those without disabilities.
HUD spokesman Jerry Brown told The Arizona Republic the agency’s fair-housing staff and attorneys are looking at options to resolve the issue in a “win-win conclusion,” including legislation, regulatory policy or a change in federal law. He said Apache ASL Trails remains on the priority list for HUD.
“What is the best route, the fastest route, to go get this done? That’s what we’re exploring now,” Brown said.
There are legal requirements for federally funded programs like Apache ASL Trails, Brown said, and the agency is looking for a waiver or exemption to allow the complex to exist as is.
But state housing officials and advocates for the deaf say the dispute is bigger than the Tempe complex. They warn the outcome of this dispute could affect other housing complexes designed with accommodations for tenants with special needs, such as homeless veterans or people with mental illnesses.
Fair-housing laws and the conflict over Apache ASL Trails were key issues discussed at the Arizona Department of Housing’s annual conference this month.
Dispute
The 75-unit apartment complex opened in summer 2011, with about $2.6 million in HUD grant and stimulus funding. The $16.7 million project was developed by Cardinal Capital Management Inc. and the Arizona Deaf Senior Citizens Coalition.
Records show that HUD was aware of the project’s purpose when it authorized grant funds in February 2008.
“I thought it was pretty obvious they were going to design these housing units to assist the hearing-impaired. ... I was like, ‘Come on, guys, you knew what was being built,’ ” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, who has been talking with HUD officials about the complex.
Apache ASL Trails is at full capacity, with a waiting list. Among current residents, 85 percent have hearing disabilities — in many cases, multiple disabilities.
In January 2012, HUD conducted a civil-rights review to determine whether the complex complies with a federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in federally funded programs and projects.
HUD released its findings in June 2012. It alleged the state violated federal non-discrimination law by marketing to and giving preference to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and because only a small minority of tenants aren’t hearing-impaired.
HUD officials said while they do not plan to kick existing tenants out, they want 75 percent of Apache ASL Trails’ residents to be seniors who are not deaf or hearing-impaired.
The same federal non-discrimination law prohibits segregated housing, but makes an exception for programs that provide people with disabilities a housing option that is “as effective as” housing for others without disabilities.
State housing officials and the project’s developers deny the discrimination allegation, and argue Apache ASL Trails is “as effective as” housing for people without disabilities.
The complex has amenities designed for deaf, deaf-blind or hearing-impaired tenants to live safely and effectively, said Erich Schwenker, Cardinal Capital Management’s president. For example, there are flashing lights for the phone and doorbell, signs with braille, and a clinic with staffers who use ASL.
Advocates for the deaf say integration further marginalizes the deaf or hearing-impaired, who already live in isolation because of their communication needs and often face housing discrimination and unsafe living environments where even fire alarms are not designed to alert deaf residents.
Current status
Donovan, the HUD secretary, in May told The Arizona Republic’s editorial board that his agency is looking at policies that apply to Apache ASL Trails. He said HUD officials need to answer whether there needs to be a different set of standards to distinguish the needs of people with hearing impairments from those with other disabilities.
Donovan had said he anticipated a decision within weeks.
Four months later, state and federal officials are still locked in controversy.
When asked last week for a time line for resolution, Brown, the HUD spokesman, said: “This is Washington, D.C. ... As much as we’d like to get this done, as much as the deputy secretary would like to get this done, it’s a matter of getting people to focus on it, take a serious look at it.”
“This whole week, we’re working on shutdown plans,” Brown said recently. “Yeah, this is important. But we’re not going to make any changes until we come to a resolution here.”
Arizona Department of Housing Director Michael Trailor said he wants HUD to change its interpretation of its non-discrimination law, agree it approved funding for the project in 2008, and that the complex is not discriminating, as evidenced by the mix of disabled and non-disabled tenants.
Cardinal Capital Management and the state Housing Department have spent $450,000 on legal fees in the past year on this dispute, Trailor said.
“What would resolve this is really quite simple: You would tear up the findings (by HUD) ... because they’re not worth the paper that they’re written on,” Trailor said. “There’s nothing that they have determined that’s defensible. We’re not backing down.”
Who knows maybe I will suddenly start worshiping God if it helps me get out of Obamacare. I am leaning toward the "Flying Spaghetti Monster" who many people say is the God that created the universe!!!
"Among the groups exempt from the [Obamacare] mandate are Native Americans, religious objectors"
Health-care law: Many unknowns as coverage sign-up nears
By Ken Alltucker The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Sep 28, 2013 9:20 PM
The nation’s health-care law shifts from the political to the personal this week.
On Tuesday, millions of Americans can begin shopping for health insurance through online marketplaces established under the Affordable Care Act.
In Arizona, nearly 1 million consumers and small businesses will learn how much the law will cost them and affect their choices for doctors, hospitals and prescription-drug coverage.
Through the online marketplaces, users will be able to compare plans, prices and health-care providers.
A goal of these online marketplaces for individuals and small businesses — a cornerstone of President Barack Obama’s sweeping health-care law — is to draw a mix of young, middle-age and older adults to balance the risk for insurance companies and keep rates in check.
Most Arizona residents who use these new marketplaces will be eligible to purchase coverage at subsidized rates.
And health insurers must abide by new rules that prevent them from denying coverage to the sick or charging older adults significantly more for coverage, and that require them to provide benefits in certain categories including hospital stays, maternity care and mental health.
Arizonans can start shopping Tuesday at the government-run website www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596. Those who need help can visit the website or call the toll-free number. Community health centers also will assist people. Visit the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers at www.aachc.org or call 602-253-0090 to find a center near you. The enrollment period ends March 31. The new insurance plans take effect Jan. 1.
“We’ve been working on this for three years,” said David Sayen, regional administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which will run the marketplace in Arizona and 35 other states. “We passed the security checks. We’re ready to roll.”
But the unknown is a common theme: Consumers don’t know whether health insurance will become more or less affordable. Health insurers are curious whether older or sicker consumers will flock to the marketplaces while younger or healthier consumers take a wait-and-see approach. And hospitals and doctors are preparing for a new wave of patients with freshly printed insurance cards.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services last week released examples of insurance-plan prices. Arizona’s lowest-cost middle-range “silver” plan will charge an average premium of $248 per month, compared with the national average of $310. That is before federal subsidies.
The health-care law ranks plans on four medal tiers. A bronze plan covers 60 percent of medical costs; silver, 70 percent; gold, 80 percent; and platinum, 90 percent. Catastrophic plans also will offer bare-bones coverage.
A Republic analysis of plans submitted by five insurance companies to the Arizona Department of Insurance show average monthly rates will range from $225 to $334. Insurance companies filing rates include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, Cigna, Health Net and Meritus. The filings also said monthly premiums will range from less than $100 to more than $1,700 before federal subsidies kick in.
Still, those average rates don’t necessarily reflect what people will pay for health care. Insurers expect that the most affordable plans will charge high deductibles that require people to pay a set amount, $5,000, before coverage kicks in. And insurers will offer many plans that limit a consumer’s network of doctors, hospitals and labs.
Insurance companies that will woo these new customers are among the most curious about how this great experiment will unfold.
“This is the biggest change to our health-care system since the 1960s,” said Brad Kieffer, a spokesman for Health Net, one of the health-insurance companies that will sell health-insurance plans over the online marketplaces. “Like everybody, we’re eager to see what the overall outcome will be.”
Get covered
The nation’s health-care law is anchored by the requirement that nearly everyone must have insurance.
Known as the individual mandate, consumers must secure health insurance in 2014 or pay a penalty. The penalty starts at the greater of $95 or 1 percent of a person’s income in 2014 and escalates to $695 per adult or 2.5 percent of income by 2016. Among the groups exempt from the mandate are Native Americans, religious objectors and those who don’t earn enough to file a tax return.
Of the 57 million U.S. residents who don’t have health insurance today, the Congressional Budget Office estimates just 7 million will get coverage through an exchange next year and another 9 million will enroll in Medicaid, which is expanding eligibility to up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level — $15,282 for an individual or $31,322 for a family of four — in Arizona and 25 other states.
People don’t have to enroll in the new marketplaces if they get coverage through a government program such as Medicare or Veterans Affairs, or if they have health insurance through an employer.
Those on Medicare now do not have to enroll in the new marketplaces. They will use Medicare’s traditional enrollment period to choose either government-run Medicare or a plan administered by privately run insurance companies, known as Medicare Advantage.
Companies that employ 50 or more full-time workers must provide affordable health insurance to employees as of Jan. 1, 2015. More than nine out of 10 large employers already provide health-insurance coverage to employees, and most are expected to continue.
Some employers are already making decisions even though their coverage requirement is more than one year away. Major employers such as United Parcel Service, Trader Joe’s and Home Depot scaled back coverage for some workers or spouses. And some analysts predict that the years-long trend of shifting costs to employees will accelerate with more high-deductible plans.
Smaller companies with fewer than 50 full-time workers don’t have to provide health-insurance coverage. However, some small businesses with fewer than 25 workers and paying an average wage up to $50,000 will be eligible for a tax credit if they purchase coverage through the new small-business marketplace, called the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP.
On Thursday, the White House delayed Internet-based enrollment for SHOP until November, but small-business owners can still enroll beginning Tuesday by calling 1-800-706-7915 on weekdays.
More options
Karen Qualtire, who owns Qualtire Plumbing and Construction, said she will keep an open mind about how the health-care law will impact her 10-employee business.
“So many business owners are opposed to it,” Qualtire said. “I’m just crossing my fingers, hoping for the best.”
Qualtire has long offered health insurance to employees as an incentive to keep quality workers from leaving. But as those workers aged, and a few contracted chronic conditions such as early-stage cancer and colitis, it became more difficult and expensive to find and pay for a plan.
Qualtire said she routinely has paid annual rate increases of 15 to 30 percent, and the choices have dwindled to just one company, UnitedHealthcare.
“The idea of the free market is you are able to shop around,” Qualtire said. “We never really have had much of a choice. No other company will write (insure) us because of age and health conditions.”
Qualtire is curious whether she can find more affordable rates on the new small-business exchange. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Meritus and Health Net told The Republic that they intend to sell plans through SHOP, but the federal government will not confirm choices before Tuesday.
The tax credit for small businesses has been available over the past two years, and Qualtire has used it, shaving the company’s tax bill by $7,000 per year.
“I am a little nervous and I don’t know what to expect,” Qualtire said. “I don’t think it will be perfect, but I hope it will be helpful.”
While Qualtire looks forward to the new options, Chris Rupp, of Phoenix, is dreading the changes.
Rupp, who owns an aerospace consulting business, said he worries because he will lose a state-run health-insurance plan for small-business owners. The Arizona Legislature cut the Healthcare Group of Arizona plan for small businesses effective Jan. 1 because those people can go to the new marketplaces.
Rupp is among more than 6,000 Arizonans who are enrolled in that plan, which covers business owners, their employees and dependents. Rupp, who cut back his staff in recent years, uses the plan for himself.
Rupp said he pays about $1,100 each month for health insurance for himself and his children. While the plan is expensive, he said it provides coverage for prescriptions he needs and offers peace of mind.
“I’m just so frustrated,” Rupp said. “One hospital visit would ruin me.”
Providers prepare
While consumers and businesses adjust to the new landscape, health-care providers are preparing for a rush of newly insured customers.
“By bringing in potentially 1 million more patients statewide, there is going to be a need for more physicians and more nurses,” said David Parra, director of community outreach for AARP Arizona.
Even experienced health-care executives say they don’t know for certain how things will change when enrollment starts.
While the nation’s new health-care law does not impact how older adults choose a Medicare plan during traditional enrollment, the law will impact how hospitals and doctors care for some Medicare patients.
Hospitals have adapted by hiring primary-care doctors and working to better coordinate care. Medicare will now penalize hospitals with a poor track record of readmitting patients for the same condition within 30 days of discharge. The federal government believes that if hospitals do a better job of explaining to people what they need to do after leaving the hospital, costly readmissions can be significantly cut.
Medicare also has started pilot programs that pay hospitals and health systems a set amount for a group of patients, with the providers sharing the risk if health care becomes too expensive.
These new accountable-care organizations are one factor cited for the combination of Scottsdale Healthcare and John C. Lincoln, two long-standing metro Phoenix hospital systems.
Banner Health has opened eight primary-care clinics across metro Phoenix in anticipation that newly insured people will need to choose a doctor. There are people who may have gone to a hospital emergency room or an urgent care center in the past.
“This will require them to search for more options,” said Peter Fine, CEO of Banner Health.
Fine said he is curious whether the newly insured will seek out primary-care doctors or convenient health care at retail settings such as chain drugstores staffed by nurse practitioners or primary-care clinics like the ones Banner is establishing.
While there is still talk about repealing the Affordable Care Act, Fine said larger forces are at play in health care.
Employers, individuals and insurers are all looking to clamp down on costs. So with or without the nation’s health-reform law, market forces will demand better care at a lower cost, Fine said.
“The horse has already left the barn,” Fine said. “The cost of health care is too much. Something is going to have to change. I don’t think the country is willing to tolerate health-care costs the way we once were.”
Reach the reporter at ken.alltucker@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8285.
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Ask our experts: Have questions about health-care reform and how it impacts you? A panel of experts assembled by The Republic and 12 News will take your calls from 5 to 7 p.m. on Monday September 30. Call 602-258-1212. Or e-mail questions to healthcare@azcentral.com. You can also post questions on Twitter, #azhealthreform.
Health-care law: 10 ways Affordable Care Act may change your life
By Ken Alltucker The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Sep 27, 2013 6:02 PM
Arizonans will get a raft of new consumer protections and requirements under the nation’s sweeping health-care law, the Affordable Care Act.
Some benefits already have kicked in. Consumers have received free preventive screens, rebates from health insurers and expanded coverage for young adults.
Even more changes will take effect Jan. 1. Consumers won’t be denied coverage for an existing health condition, nor will they face annual limits on coverage for medical expenses.
The biggest change coming next year requires most Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a fine. Also called the individual mandate, it requires both savvy consumers and those who never had been insured to make important decisions that will influence their finances and access to health care.
Although health-reform proponents often champion the law’s consumer protections, insurance companies warn that some added perks will come at a price: Insurers will either seek to pass along costs for more robust plans or narrow options of providers for consumers who choose less-expensive plans.
So experts say consumers should pay close attention to health-insurance plans that will be available. Consumers will be able to compare plans, costs and coverage details beginning Oct. 1 at www.healthcare.gov.
“There are millions of Americans who have never had health insurance,” said David Parra, director of community outreach for AARP Arizona. “These are folks whose employers do not offer insurance. They are not old enough for Medicare and not poor enough for Medicaid. So this is a very new concept to them.”
Maybe they won't let me dump Obamacare by claiming I worship the "Spaghetti Monster" who is the alleged supreme creator of the Universe -
"the rules defining the religious exemptions are so narrow that health experts say they're pretty much limited to the Amish, Mennonites or other sects that disavow all forms of insurance, including Social Security"
Why some will choose to opt out of Obamacare
Victoria Colliver
Published 6:58 pm, Saturday, September 28, 2013
Obamacare gives Americans a choice: buy health insurance or pay a fine. Ann Kneeland of San Rafael will probably opt for the fine.
It's not that Kneeland, a Christian Scientist, objects to the concept of health insurance or even the law's requirement that most Americans obtain coverage by next year. It's that the insurance offered doesn't cover the type of care she relies on: prayer.
"The real issue for me is to be required to buy insurance that doesn't cover the care I'm accustomed to and is found to be effective," said Kneeland, who also provides spiritual treatment to others as a Christian Science practitioner.
Regardless of her religious beliefs, Kneeland isn't likely to be eligible for the religious exemption in the Affordable Care Act.
That's because the rules defining the religious exemptions are so narrow that health experts say they're pretty much limited to the Amish, Mennonites or other sects that disavow all forms of insurance, including Social Security.
The Affordable Care Act, which begins a new phase Tuesday with the opening of state and federal online marketplaces where policies can be purchased, requires that all U.S. residents who aren't exempt from the law have medical coverage by March 31 or face a fine. The law is designed for people who either have no insurance or are covered by policies they purchased themselves.
Deciding to opt out
Even with the exchanges, like California's Covered California, the law's most ardent supporters say they expect some Americans to pay the fine rather than buy the coverage.
The fines start small - at $95 for an individual in 2014, or 1 percent of household income if that's higher - but escalate to $695 annually by 2016, or 2.5 percent of household income.
But some people with specific financial, religious and other "hardship" reasons will be able to bypass the requirement without paying a fine. Aside from the Amish and similar sects, people who belong to a "health care sharing ministry" will be exempt from fines, as will members of federally recognized Indian tribes.
Hardship exemptions may be granted for a number of reasons, including foreclosure or natural disasters. And people can also opt out if the lowest-priced medical coverage available would cost more than 8 percent of their annual household income or if they don't file tax returns because their income is too low.
As states try to get the word out about Obamacare, right-wing or free-market groups have waged online campaigns to discourage Americans from participating.
A form of protest
A conservative advocacy group called FreedomWorks is telling Americans to "Burn Your Obamacare Card," although no such cards are issued under the law. Patient Opt Out, backed by an organization called the Social Security Institute, is providing a national registry for people who object to the "socialized takeover of our medical system."
Web ads introduced this month from the conservative Generation Opportunity, bankrolled by billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, feature a creepy, masked Uncle Sam character who pops up between a woman's legs during a gynecological exam. The ads end with the kicker: "Don't let government play doctor."
The campaigns are "a form of protest and is very much in the American spirit of opposing legislation and government actions you disagree with," said Lawrence McQuillan, senior fellow at the Independent Institute, a free-market think tank in Oakland.
Several efforts encouraging people to opt out of Obamacare, like the Generation Opportunity ads, are aimed at young adults. They're considered key to the success or failure of the law because the exchanges need young, healthy people to sign up to offset the cost of older, sicker enrollees who use more care.
"You really want those healthy people to buy insurance if they're not getting it through their employer," said Stephen Shortell, former dean of UC Berkeley's School of Public Health and professor of health policy. "But a number of them will not, because they feel they won't need it - the young, healthy 'invincibles' - and think it's just much cheaper to pay the $95."
Young people less insured
Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access in Sacramento, a consumer group that supports the health law, said it's a myth that young people don't want insurance.
"Young people, when offered coverage on the job, take it up at similar rates as older folks," he said. "The reason young folks are the most uninsured group is they tend to be lower income and be in jobs that don't offer health insurance."
And while paying a fine instead of buying health insurance may meet the letter of the law, it doesn't provide anything for the price.
"Paying a fine may be cheaper than heath insurance, but then you still don't have health insurance," said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "Most people need some kind of health care at some point in their lives."
Learn more
To learn more about opting out of Obamacare without having to pay a penalty, visit: https:// www.healthcare.gov/exemptions.
To find out your coverage options through the state's health marketplace, Covered California, go to www.coveredca.com.
Victoria Colliver is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: vcolliver@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @vcolliver
Ex-EPA official pleads guilty to theft; he also had claimed to work for CIA
By Ann E. Marimow and Lenny Bernstein, Published: September 27
A former high-level official at the Environmental Protection Agency admitted Friday that he stole nearly $900,000 from the government by pretending to work for the CIA in a plea agreement that raised questions about how top agency managers failed to detect the scheme since it began in 1994.
John C. Beale duped a series of supervisors, including top officials of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, disappearing from the office and explaining his absences by telling his bosses that he was doing top-secret work for the CIA and its “directorate of operations.”
He lied about contracting malaria (he didn’t) while he served in Vietnam (all his military service was in the United States) to obtain a parking space reserved for the disabled that cost the EPA $8,000 over three years. He took personal trips to Los Angeles for which he charged the government more than $57,000, according to new court filings.
In all, Beale was paid for 21 / 2 years of work he did not perform since early 2000 and received about $500,000 in “retention bonuses” he did not deserve for nearly two decades, according to court papers and interviews.
“To our knowledge, prior to [current EPA Administrator] Gina McCarthy expressing her concerns, no one at EPA ever checked to see if Mr. Beale worked for the CIA,” said Assistant Inspector General Patrick Sullivan, who led the investigation that included interviews of 40 people. Only one, an executive assistant, suspected Beale’s story of working for the clandestine service.
Nor did EPA personnel compare Beale’s travel vouchers, which said he was in places such as Boston and Seattle, with hotel receipts for the same dates that showed him in Bakersfield, Calif., where he has family.
Even during the probe, which began in March, Beale continued to insist that he could not be interviewed because of his work for the CIA, Sullivan said. Only when investigators offered to question him in a secure room at the agency’s Langley headquarters did he admit he had no connection to the CIA, Sullivan said.
For reasons the EPA cannot explain, Beale continued to draw a paycheck until April 30, 19 months after his retirement dinner cruise on the Potomac River and 23 months after he announced he would retire, according to Sullivan and court documents. Beale and his attorney declined to comment after the federal court hearing Friday.
The case has attracted political attention, in part because Beale was defrauding the agency when he worked for McCarthy, the new EPA administrator, when she headed the agency’s Air and Radiation office.
McCarthy started her job in 2009 and told investigators she began to suspect Beale in March 2012, Sullivan said. McCarthy, who is identified as “EPA Manager #2,” in court documents, eventually discovered that Beale was still receiving a paycheck long after she helped celebrate his retirement. She became EPA administrator this year.
McCarthy referred the matter to the EPA general counsel’s office. Instead of being transferred to the inspector general, it was referred to the EPA’s Office of Homeland Security, which has no investigative authority. That delayed the IG’s probe for months, said people familiar with the investigation.
Repeated calls and e-mails to EPA representatives were not returned Friday.
The top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, David Vitter (La.), said Friday that the case highlights a “major failing within EPA” and that “no direct actions have been taken to guarantee this kind of abuse won’t happen again.”
The committee’s chairman, Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) called Beale’s actions “outrageous” and praised the inspector general and McCarthy for “putting an end to his thievery.” Boxer has scheduled a briefing for Monday. Beale is scheduled to appear at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing next week titled “Secret Agent Man?”
Beale, 64, was charged in August with stealing $886,186 in pay and bonuses. A senior policy adviser in the Air and Radiation office, he earned $164,700 when he retired in April. He has repaid the $886,186 to the EPA as part of his plea agreement but still owes a money judgment of $507,000. Beale, who until recently lived in Arlington County, faces up to three years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.
Even though court documents trace Beale’s conduct to 2000, the IG’s office found that Beale’s deception began in 1989, when he falsely wrote on his employment application that he had worked for former senator John Tunney of California, Sullivan said. Tunney’s name was misspelled on the form, he said. Beale said he began the CIA ruse in 1994, Sullivan said, because he missed the limelight from his work on the Clean Air Act reauthorization from 1990 to 1993.
Early on at the EPA, Beale’s air-quality expertise led to many legitimate overseas trips to places such as China, South Africa and England, said people familiar with the case. His frequent international travel also allowed him to cultivate an aura of mystery, his former colleagues said.
When Beale started disappearing from the office in 2001, he told a person identified as “EPA manager #1” that he was assigned to a special advisory group working on a project with the Directorate of Operations at the CIA, according the court filing.
The manager agreed to Beale’s request to be out of the office one day a week for the CIA work, according to the statement of the offense.
In 2005, court documents say the same manager approved a long-term research project that Beale had proposed. Beale took five trips to Los Angeles to work on the project, which prosecutors said did not require travel. Beale stayed in Bakersfield and visited nearby family members. He was reimbursed more than $57,000 in travel expenses for work that was never produced.
The inspector general’s office identified “manager #1” as Jeffrey R. Holmstead, who was head of the Office of Air and Radiation from 2001 to 2005, during the administration of George W. Bush. Holmstead, a lawyer in Washington, said in an e-mail that he had “no recollection of approving [Beale’s] requests.”
“He did tell me that he had an assignment with the CIA that would sometimes take him out of the office, but I was never asked to approve this arrangement. Career employees are sometimes detailed to work at other agencies, and I assumed that Mr. Beale’s work at the CIA was done pursuant to such an arrangement.”
In 2008, Beale did not show up at the office for about six months, telling his managers that he was either working on a research project or for “Langley,” a reference to the CIA.
Throughout the scheme, Beale was receiving a 25 percent retention bonus that should have expired after three years, in 2003. Instead, he continued to receive the bonus through 2013, according to the court documents, and was among the highest paid, nonelected federal government employees. A close friend of Beale’s, his supervisor Robert Brenner, put him in for the bonus twice, Sullivan said.
In May 2011, Beale announced his retirement. The next month, he told McCarthy that his CIA work would keep him out of the office for long periods. Beale sent e-mails to McCarthy and others at the EPA during that time, saying he was traveling overseas and doing CIA work. In reality, Beale was at home or at his vacation house on Cape Cod, according to the plea agreement.
N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens
By JAMES RISEN and LAURA POITRAS
Published: September 28, 2013 58 Comments
WASHINGTON — Since 2010, the National Security Agency has been exploiting its huge collections of data to create sophisticated graphs of some Americans’ social connections that can identify their associates, their locations at certain times, their traveling companions and other personal information, according to newly disclosed documents and interviews with officials.
The spy agency began allowing the analysis of phone call and e-mail logs in November 2010 to examine Americans’ networks of associations for foreign intelligence purposes after N.S.A. officials lifted restrictions on the practice, according to documents provided by Edward J. Snowden, the former N.S.A. contractor.
The policy shift was intended to help the agency “discover and track” connections between intelligence targets overseas and people in the United States, according to an N.S.A. memorandum from January 2011. The agency was authorized to conduct “large-scale graph analysis on very large sets of communications metadata without having to check foreignness” of every e-mail address, phone number or other identifier, the document said. Because of concerns about infringing on the privacy of American citizens, the computer analysis of such data had previously been permitted only for foreigners.
The agency can augment the communications data with material from public, commercial and other sources, including bank codes, insurance information, Facebook profiles, passenger manifests, voter registration rolls and GPS location information, as well as property records and unspecified tax data, according to the documents. They do not indicate any restrictions on the use of such “enrichment” data, and several former senior Obama administration officials said the agency drew on it for both Americans and foreigners.
N.S.A. officials declined to say how many Americans have been caught up in the effort, including people involved in no wrongdoing. The documents do not describe what has resulted from the scrutiny, which links phone numbers and e-mails in a “contact chain” tied directly or indirectly to a person or organization overseas that is of foreign intelligence interest.
The new disclosures add to the growing body of knowledge in recent months about the N.S.A.’s access to and use of private information concerning Americans, prompting lawmakers in Washington to call for reining in the agency and President Obama to order an examination of its surveillance policies. Almost everything about the agency’s operations is hidden, and the decision to revise the limits concerning Americans was made in secret, without review by the nation’s intelligence court or any public debate. As far back as 2006, a Justice Department memo warned of the potential for the “misuse” of such information without adequate safeguards.
An agency spokeswoman, asked about the analyses of Americans’ data, said, “All data queries must include a foreign intelligence justification, period.”
“All of N.S.A.’s work has a foreign intelligence purpose,” the spokeswoman added. “Our activities are centered on counterterrorism, counterproliferation and cybersecurity.”
The legal underpinning of the policy change, she said, was a 1979 Supreme Court ruling that Americans could have no expectation of privacy about what numbers they had called. Based on that ruling, the Justice Department and the Pentagon decided that it was permissible to create contact chains using Americans’ “metadata,” which includes the timing, location and other details of calls and e-mails, but not their content. The agency is not required to seek warrants for the analyses from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
N.S.A. officials declined to identify which phone and e-mail databases are used to create the social network diagrams, and the documents provided by Mr. Snowden do not specify them. The agency did say that the large database of Americans’ domestic phone call records, which was revealed by Mr. Snowden in June and caused bipartisan alarm in Washington, was excluded. (N.S.A. officials have previously acknowledged that the agency has done limited analysis in that database, collected under provisions of the Patriot Act, exclusively for people who might be linked to terrorism suspects.)
But the agency has multiple collection programs and databases, the former officials said, adding that the social networking analyses relied on both domestic and international metadata. They spoke only on the condition of anonymity because the information was classified.
The concerns in the United States since Mr. Snowden’s revelations have largely focused on the scope of the agency’s collection of the private data of Americans and the potential for abuse. But the new documents provide a rare window into what the N.S.A. actually does with the information it gathers.
A series of agency PowerPoint presentations and memos describe how the N.S.A. has been able to develop software and other tools — one document cited a new generation of programs that “revolutionize” data collection and analysis — to unlock as many secrets about individuals as possible.
The spy agency, led by Gen. Keith B. Alexander, an unabashed advocate for more weapons in the hunt for information about the nation’s adversaries, clearly views its collections of metadata as one of its most powerful resources. N.S.A. analysts can exploit that information to develop a portrait of an individual, one that is perhaps more complete and predictive of behavior than could be obtained by listening to phone conversations or reading e-mails, experts say.
Phone and e-mail logs, for example, allow analysts to identify people’s friends and associates, detect where they were at a certain time, acquire clues to religious or political affiliations, and pick up sensitive information like regular calls to a psychiatrist’s office, late-night messages to an extramarital partner or exchanges with a fellow plotter.
“Metadata can be very revealing,” said Orin S. Kerr, a law professor at George Washington University. “Knowing things like the number someone just dialed or the location of the person’s cellphone is going to allow to assemble a picture of what someone is up to. It’s the digital equivalent of tailing a suspect.”
The N.S.A. had been pushing for more than a decade to obtain the rule change allowing the analysis of Americans’ phone and e-mail data. Intelligence officials had been frustrated that they had to stop when a contact chain hit a telephone number or e-mail address believed to be used by an American, even though it might yield valuable intelligence primarily concerning a foreigner who was overseas, according to documents previously disclosed by Mr. Snowden. N.S.A. officials also wanted to employ the agency’s advanced computer analysis tools to sift through its huge databases with much greater efficiency.
The agency had asked for the new power as early as 1999, the documents show, but had been initially rebuffed because it was not permitted under rules of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that were intended to protect the privacy of Americans.
A 2009 draft of an N.S.A. inspector general’s report suggests that contact chaining and analysis may have been done on Americans’ communications data under the Bush administration’s program of wiretapping without warrants, which began after the Sept. 11 attacks to detect terrorist activities and skirted the existing laws governing electronic surveillance.
In 2006, months after the wiretapping program was disclosed by The New York Times, the N.S.A.’s acting general counsel wrote a letter to a senior Justice Department official, which was also leaked by Mr. Snowden, formally asking for permission to perform the analysis on American phone and e-mail data. A Justice Department memo to the attorney general noted that the “misuse” of such information “could raise serious concerns,” and said the N.S.A. promised to impose safeguards, including regular audits, on the metadata program. In 2008, the Bush administration gave its approval.
A new policy that year, detailed in “Defense Supplemental Procedures Governing Communications Metadata Analysis,” authorized by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey, said that since the Supreme Court had ruled that metadata was not constitutionally protected, N.S.A. analysts could use such information “without regard to the nationality or location of the communicants,” according to an internal N.S.A. description of the policy.
After that decision, which was previously reported by The Guardian, the N.S.A. performed the social network graphing in a pilot project for 1 ½ years “to great benefit,” according to the 2011 memo. It was put in place in November 2010 in “Sigint Management Directive 424” (sigint refers to signals intelligence).
In the 2011 memo explaining the shift, N.S.A. analysts were told that they could trace the contacts of Americans as long as they cited a foreign intelligence justification. That could include anything from ties to terrorism, weapons proliferation, international drug smuggling or espionage to conversations with a foreign diplomat or a political figure.
Analysts were warned to follow existing “minimization rules,” which prohibit the N.S.A. from sharing with other agencies names and other details of Americans whose communications are collected, unless they are necessary to understand foreign intelligence reports or there is evidence of a crime. The agency is required to obtain a warrant from the intelligence court to target a “U.S. person” — a citizen or legal resident — for actual eavesdropping.
The N.S.A. documents show that one of the main tools used for chaining phone numbers and e-mail addresses has the code name Mainway. It is a repository into which vast amounts of data flow daily from the agency’s fiber-optic cables, corporate partners and foreign computer networks that have been hacked.
The documents show that significant amounts of information from the United States go into Mainway. An internal N.S.A. bulletin, for example, noted that in 2011 Mainway was taking in 700 million phone records per day. In August 2011, it began receiving an additional 1.1 billion cellphone records daily from an unnamed American service provider under Section 702 of the 2008 FISA Amendments Act, which allows for the collection of the data of Americans if at least one end of the communication is believed to be foreign.
The overall volume of metadata collected by the N.S.A. is reflected in the agency’s secret 2013 budget request to Congress. The budget document, disclosed by Mr. Snowden, shows that the agency is pouring money and manpower into creating a metadata repository capable of taking in 20 billion “record events” daily and making them available to N.S.A. analysts within 60 minutes.
The spending includes support for the “Enterprise Knowledge System,” which has a $394 million multiyear budget and is designed to “rapidly discover and correlate complex relationships and patterns across diverse data sources on a massive scale,” according to a 2008 document. The data is automatically computed to speed queries and discover new targets for surveillance.
A top-secret document titled “Better Person Centric Analysis” describes how the agency looks for 94 “entity types,” including phone numbers, e-mail addresses and IP addresses. In addition, the N.S.A. correlates 164 “relationship types” to build social networks and what the agency calls “community of interest” profiles, using queries like “travelsWith, hasFather, sentForumMessage, employs.”
A 2009 PowerPoint presentation provided more examples of data sources available in the “enrichment” process, including location-based services like GPS and TomTom, online social networks, billing records and bank codes for transactions in the United States and overseas.
At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, General Alexander was asked if the agency ever collected or planned to collect bulk records about Americans’ locations based on cellphone tower data. He replied that it was not doing so as part of the call log program authorized by the Patriot Act, but said a fuller response would be classified.
If the N.S.A. does not immediately use the phone and e-mail logging data of an American, it can be stored for later use, at least under certain circumstances, according to several documents.
One 2011 memo, for example, said that after a court ruling narrowed the scope of the agency’s collection, the data in question was “being buffered for possible ingest” later. A year earlier, an internal briefing paper from the N.S.A. Office of Legal Counsel showed that the agency was allowed to collect and retain raw traffic, which includes both metadata and content, about “U.S. persons” for up to five years online and for an additional 10 years offline for “historical searches.”
James Risen reported from Washington and New York. Laura Poitras, a freelance journalist, reported from Berlin.
John McAfee reveals details on gadget to thwart NSA
By Tracey Kaplan
tkaplan@mercurynews.com
Posted: 09/28/2013 07:06:58 PM PDT
SAN JOSE -- John McAfee lived up to his reputation Saturday as tech's most popular wild child, electrifying an audience with new details of his plan to thwart the NSA's surveillance of ordinary Americans with an inexpensive, pocket-size gadget.
Dubbed "Decentral," the as-yet-unbuilt device will cost less than $100, McAfee promised the enthusiastic crowd of about 300 engineers, musicians and artists at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
"There will be no way (for the government) to tell who you are or where you are," he said in an onstage interview with moderator Dan Holden at the inaugural C2SV Technology Conference + Music Festival.
And if the U.S. government bans its sale, "I'll sell it in England, Japan, the Third World. This is coming and cannot be stopped."
The ambitious -- some would say quixotic -- project is the latest chapter of McAfee's colorful life.
The anti-virus software pioneer's antics have included his widely publicized flight last year from Belize, where he remains wanted as a "person of interest" in the shooting death of his neighbor.
Even so, he remains an icon in the annals of Silicon Valley's history of entrepreneurship. In 1989, he founded the anti-virus software company that still bears his name and once was worth $100 million. In 1994, he ended his relationship with the company and moved to Colorado.
During the interview, the 68-year-old with spiky black hair tipped blond, who wore light blue cargo pants and a black sweatshirt, remarked on a wide range of topics, from how quickly he gets bored once one of his creations comes to fruition (including the software security company he founded) to how yoga helped him 30 years ago to quit using drugs, including his favorite (psychedelic mushrooms).
It was a talk bound to appeal to the young audience, which broke into frequent applause. Among the group was his new 30-year-old wife, Janice Dyson. She said in a brief interview
afterward with this newspaper that she is a former stripper. The couple met in Miami, where McAfee went after being deported from Guatemala.
"I keep him grounded," she said.
McAfee outlined what some might regard as a pie-in-the-sky plan to finish the first prototype of the Decentral in six months. He said the gadget is called Decentral because by communicating with smartphones, tablets and other devices, it will create decentralized, floating and moving local networks that can't be penetrated by government spy agencies.
The design is in place already for a version whose range will be three blocks in the city and a quarter mile in the country, he said. The device will be compatible with both Android and iPhones.
As far as consumers' appetite for such a gizmo, he said, "I cannot imagine one college student in the world who will not stand in line to get one."
Commuters will also find it useful, he said. Neighborhoods will be better able to fight crime because Decentral will include an option that sends an alert if there is a burglary or other crime.
McAfee said the idea for the device came to him well before computer analyst and whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked National Security Agency documents that exposed widespread monitoring of U.S. citizens' phone calls and Internet communications.
But with Snowden's actions, "it became the right time" to make it real, he said.
At the end of the 75-minute discussion, McAfee gamely took questions from the audience about everything from what advice he'd give teens (do what you love) to what he fears (his wife, he joked). In response to a question about marijuana, he made clear he doesn't embrace every aspect of the youth culture.
He said he liked pot users when he sold drugs decades ago because their "lives never go anywhere and they remain customers," adding, "Marijuana is a drug of illusion -- it creates the illusion that you're doing great things when all you're doing is sitting on the sofa growing a beard."
McAfee also reiterated that he never killed anyone in Belize and fled after angering the authorities by refusing to pay a $2 million bribe.
There seemed to be intense interest Saturday in McAfee's
John McAfee, right, speaks with Dan Holden at the "Fireside Chat with John McAfee" during the C2SV Technology Conference + Music Festival at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. (LiPo Ching/Bay Area News Group) ( LiPo Ching )
current plans. One man asked whether Decentral essentially creates a "dark Web," or part of the Internet that can no longer be accessed by conventional means.
Yes, he said.
Will the privacy it affords allow criminals and others to evade the authorities, another wanted to know.
"It will of course be used for nefarious purposes," he said, "just like the telephone is."
Contact Tracey Kaplan at 408-278-3482.
Vice Admiral Is Suspended in Gambling Investigation
By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ and RAVI SOMAIYA
Published: September 28, 2013
A vice admiral who is second in command at the United States Strategic Command, which oversees nuclear war-fighting forces for the military, has been suspended amid an investigation into his possible involvement in illegal gambling, officials said on Saturday.
The officer, Vice Adm. Timothy M. Giardina, is a highly decorated sailor with more than three decades in the Navy. The suspension occurred on Sept. 3, but was not announced publicly, said Capt. Pamela Kunze, the command’s spokeswoman.
Captain Kunze would not comment further on the circumstances surrounding the suspension, citing a continuing investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The Strategic Command was first alerted about the issue in mid-July. A month earlier, Admiral Giardina became the target of an inquiry being conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into possible use of counterfeit gambling chips at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, said David Dales, the head of the Southwest division of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Mr. Dales said the criminality in question involved poker at the casino, but said he could provide no further information. The agency’s investigation is still open and no state charges have been filed against Admiral Giardina, Mr. Dales said.
It was not clear whether Admiral Giardina’s actions compromised national security or the operations of the Strategic Command.
The commander of the Strategic Command, General C. Robert Kehler, has submitted a recommendation to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that Admiral Giardina be reassigned, Captain Kunze said. It has not been determined what, if any, additional actions will be taken. The leadership of the Strategic Command is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
The Strategic Command, based at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, oversees a web of military efforts including the military’s space and cyberwarfare operations. It also controls the country’s nuclear arsenal.
Admiral Giardina, a career submarine officer, assumed his duties at the Strategic Command in December 2011. Before that, he was the deputy commander and chief of staff of the Pacific Fleet. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1979.
He was scheduled to rotate out of his position at Strategic Command later this year. In early July, President Obama appointed an Air Force general to replace Admiral Giardina.
Tim Giardina Suspended: No. 2 U.S. Nuke Commander Under Investigation
By ROBERT BURNS 09/28/13 06:10 PM ET EDT AP
WASHINGTON — The No. 2 officer at the military command in charge of all U.S. nuclear war-fighting forces is suspected in a case involving counterfeit gambling chips at a western Iowa casino and has been suspended from his duties, officials said.
Navy Vice Adm. Tim Giardina has not been arrested or charged, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation special agent David Dales said Saturday. The state investigation is ongoing.
Giardina, deputy commander at U.S. Strategic Command, was suspended on Sept. 3 and is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a Strategic Command spokeswoman said.
The highly unusual action against a high-ranking officer at Strategic Command was made more than three weeks ago but not publicly announced at that time. The command is located at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Neb.
Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, who heads Strategic Command, suspended Giardina, according to the command's top spokeswoman, Navy Capt. Pamela Kunze. Giardina is still assigned to the command but is prohibited from performing duties related to nuclear weapons and other issues requiring a security clearance, she said.
Kehler has recommended to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that Giardina be reassigned, Kunze said. Giardina has been the deputy commander of Strategic Command since December 2011. He is a career submarine officer and prior to starting his assignment there was the deputy commander and chief of staff at U.S. Pacific Fleet.
DCI agents stationed at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa, discovered the counterfeit chips, Dales said. He would not say when the discovery was made or how much in counterfeit chips was found, only that "it was a significant monetary amount."
Council Bluffs is located across the Missouri River from Omaha.
"We were able to detect this one pretty quickly and jump on it," Dales said. He declined to give specifics on how authorities determined that casino chips had been counterfeited or how Giardina might have been involved.
Strategic Command oversees the military's nuclear fighter units, including the Navy's nuclear-armed submarines and the Air Force's nuclear bombers and nuclear land-based missiles.
Kunze said Strategic Command did not announce the suspension because Giardina remains under investigation and action on Kehler's recommendation that Giardina be reassigned is pending. The suspension was first reported by the Omaha World-Herald.
Kunze said a law enforcement investigation of Giardina began June 16. Kehler became aware of this on July 16, and the following day he asked the Naval Criminal Investigative Service to begin a probe.
The suspension is yet another blow to the military's nuclear establishment. Last spring the nuclear missile unit at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., pulled 17 launch control officers off duty after a problematic inspection and later relieved of duty the officer in charge of training and proficiency.
In August a nuclear missile unit at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., failed a nuclear safety and security inspection; nine days later an officer in charge of the unit's security forces was relieved of duty.
___
Associated Press writer Margery A. Beck in Omaha, Neb., contributed to this report.
Rihanna's slow loris photo leads to Thai arrests
Bang Showbiz Mon Sep 23, 2013 11:15 AM
Rihanna may have landed two men in jail thanks to an Instagram picture of an endangered slow loris.
The pop star shared a snapshot of her cuddling the cute creature while partying in Phuket, Thailand, leading local authorities to track down the owners of the south-east Asian animal - listed as a protected species - and arresting them.
Rihanna's picture, which showed the big-eyed loris perching on her shoulder, was accompanied by the caption: ''Look who was talkin dirty to me! #Thailand #nightlife (sic)''
The men, aged 16 and 20, could now face fines of up to £800 and a four-year prison sentence for possession of the mammal.
According to the Metro newspaper, Phuket district police chief, Weera Kerdsirimongkon, said: ''Phuket authorities were alerted to the picture and last night police arrested the two individuals who brought out the loris as a photo opportunity for tourists.
''It's like a cat-and-mouse game. But this time it's bigger because a celebrity like Rihanna posted the picture and there were more than 200,000 'likes' from around the world.''
Rihanna has been getting closely acquainted with the local wildlife in Phuket while she takes time out from her Diamonds World Tour, as the 25-year-old singer also posted another picture of her posing next to a group of elephants.
Chicago gives felon 6-figure grant to open liquor store
Watchdog: Store with ties to felon latest problem for blighted neighborhood
By David Jackson and Gary Marx Chicago Tribune reporters
11:57 a.m. CDT, September 28, 2013
With backing from the local alderwoman and money from City Hall, a new liquor store opened earlier this year in South Austin -- one more purveyor of alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets in a neighborhood desperate for something more.
Informing the original backer of the store that he would be getting $105,000 in city funds, a letter from the Department of Community Development exclaimed: "Thank you for reinvesting in the City of Chicago!"
Many residents weren't so enthusiastic. To them, the new business was an insult.
But what even they didn't know was that the store was bankrolled and launched by a convicted drug-dealer who has been tied to a street gang and is facing yet another narcotics charge.
A Tribune investigation unraveled the real origins of the controversial liquor store, pinpointing the lack of oversight that led to the business getting licensed and exposing the years of scattershot planning that undermines hope in one of Chicago's neediest neighborhoods.
"It's disturbing on so many levels," said South Austin resident Serethea Reid, who had implored city officials to reject the store's license application. "The concentration of liquor stores means more violence, more trash, more police activity. ... "Are liquor stores and pawnshops your idea of development?"
The Feds made marijuana illegal with the "1937 Marihuana Tax Act", but during World War II, it was re-legalized. Again, not to give the troops a good buzz, but because marijuana or hemp makes damn good rope and canvas.
New law allows industrial hemp crops in state
Joe Garofoli
Published 4:08 pm, Saturday, September 28, 2013
California farmers could be growing industrial hemp - not marijuana, mind you - by spring after Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that would permit California farmers to grow the long-banned distant cousin of the trippy herb.
But only if the federal government lifts its hemp cultivation ban.
The new law permits the growing of industrial hemp - which contains trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the active psychoactive component in cannabis - for the sale of seed, oil and fiber. Nine other states have passed similar laws.
There is a potential agricultural windfall in California, where $500 million worth of hemp products were sold in 2012, according to industry figures - but all the raw hemp was imported from China, Canada and eastern Europe.
But that windfall won't be realized unless the federal law is relaxed. Federal law regulates hemp in largely the same way it does its medicinal cousin. There hasn't been a commercial industrial hemp crop grown in the U.S. since 1957, hemp advocates say.
But state Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, the law's sponsor, feels that could soon change given recent statements from the federal Department of Justice.
In August, a memo from Deputy Attorney General James Cole clarified that the federal government would de-emphasize marijuana prosecutions in "states and local governments that have enacted laws legalizing marijuana in some form" and have "strong and effective regulatory and enforcement systems."
Oversight structure
Leno believes his legislation sets up just such a structure in California.
It authorizes the California Department of Food and Agriculture and county agriculture commissioners to exercise oversight of hemp production, as they do with other crops.
On Monday, Leno will ask state Attorney Gen. Kamala Harris to seek clarification from the Department of Justice about whether its August memo gives a green light to industrial hemp crops now that the state has approved a regulatory process for them.
"I hope by next spring, this (planting) could be happening," Leno said.
"For (the federal government) to say it's OK for marijuana and not hemp would be ridiculous," Leno said. "It seems a given that hemp would be included in (Cole's) statement."
Leno scoffed at the notion that the new law is a back door to legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the state. Colorado and Washington are the only states that permit adult recreational use of marijuana. Medicinal marijuana is legal in California, 19 other states and the District of Columbia.
"Anyone who says that just shows a lack of knowledge," Leno said. "Unfortunately, hemp got wrapped up in the hysteria around marijuana decades ago."
Federal measures
But John Lovell, a lobbyist for the California Narcotics Officers Association, which opposed the measure, said it "would take more than a letter signed by the Department of Justice to have weight. I'd like to see some legislative action" in Congress.
Two federal measures, one each in the House and Senate, tried to legalize growing industrial hemp this year, but got only a handful of co-sponsors.
Should Californians gain approval to begin planting industrial hemp, the retail market for hemp products could boom. It is used in everything from clothing to soap, and as a substitute for fiberglass in automobile parts.
"I think the market could double to $1 billion within five years," said Tom Murphy, a board member of Vote Hemp, an industry advocate. "It could be hugely influential. California is the largest agricultural state, after all."
Joe Garofoli is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
Judge Ordered Sikh to Remove 'That Rag' from Head, Says ACLU
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN | Good Morning America
The ACLU has filed two complaints with Mississippi state officials, claiming that a Sikh truck driver was harassed by traffic cops for possessing a religious talisman and then further humiliated by a county judge who referred to his turban as "that rag."
"This is a disgrace and a clear infringement of religious rights," said Bear Atwood, a lawyer for the Mississippi office of the American Civil Liberties Union. "He was treated disgracefully by the Department of Transportation. Then he came back to Mississippi for his court date and was treated very badly by a judge whose behavior was despicable."
On Jan. 16, Jagjeet Singh, 49, a long-haul truck driver from California on his way to pick up chickens for delivery in Texas, was pulled over for driving with a flat tire in Pike County, Miss.
Officers at a weigh station operated by the Department of Transportation demanded that Singh turn over his "kirpan," a 3-inch ceremonial blade carried by all Sikh men and frequently sewed into the waistband of their trousers, according to the ACLU.
"Contending, wrongly, that his kirpan was illegal, the DOT officer demanded that Mr. Singh turn it over. Mr. Singh tried to explain that he was a Sikh and that the kirpan was a sacred religious article," the ACLU wrote in a letter of complaint to the DOT. "In response, however, the officer laughed at him and mocked his religious beliefs.
"One officer declared that all Sikhs are depraved and 'terrorists,'" the ACLU said in its letter. DOT officers then arrested Singh for "refusing to obey a command" when he would not turn over his kirpan to police, according to the ACLU.
A state DOT spokesman confirmed Singh's arrest and his agency's receipt of the letter, but would not comment on the allegations directly, calling them a "personnel matter."
"We just got the letter. We're looking into the allegations," said DOT spokesman Jared Ravencraft. "This incident happened in January and this is the first anyone has mentioned these types of allegations against our employees."
Singh appeared in court on March 26, when, his lawyers said, he was further demeaned by Pike County Judge Aubrey Rimes.
"Court officers told him he had to leave because he was wearing a turban and the judge wanted it removed. He was intimidated and horrified," said the ACLU's Atwood.
Rimes allegedly called Singh's turban "that rag" and insisted he remove it or his case would be called last on the docket after everyone else in the courtroom had left. Singh refused to remove the turban and was called last.
According to the ACLU, Singh pleaded guilty to the charge of refusing to obey a command and paid a fine.
Repeated messages left at the nursery Judge Rimes owns and at his chambers were not returned.
Pike County Administrator Andrew Alford referred ABC News to a letter from the U.S. Department of Justice agreeing to close an initial federal investigation if Pike County revised its nondiscrimination policy and implemented sensitivity training.
The ACLU called the DOJ's letter a "first step," but said action would have to be taken at the state level both at the Department of Transportation and by the Mississippi Judicial Commission.
Darlene Ballard, executive director of the commission, which investigates ethics violations by state jurists, said it could not comment on a specific case or confirm if a complaint had been made until and unless the commission recommended sanctions to the state Supreme Court.
Court to debate right to grow own medicinal marijuana
Posted: Wednesday, October 2, 2013 5:30 pm
By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — Medical marijuana patients could learn later this month if they have a constitutional right to grow their own weed.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper said Wednesday she will consider on Oct. 18 a bid by the Department of Health Services to have the lawsuit thrown out. Assistant Attorney General Gregory Falls hopes to convince her that nothing in the Arizona Constitution about the rights of patients to choose their own health care extends to making their own drugs.
If Cooper doesn't buy that argument, she is ready for the next step: She scheduled an Oct. 21 hearing to allow Michael Walz, the attorney for two medical marijuana patients, to tell her why she should order state Health Director Will Humble to let them have their plants.
If Walz ultimately succeeds, the implications go far beyond these two men. It would pave the way for similar rights for the approximately 40,000 individuals who already have been granted permits to possess the drug but now are required to purchase their supply from one of the state's nearly 100 state-regulated dispensaries.
At issue is what Walz said is a conflict between the Medical Marijuana Act that voters enacted in 2010 and a separate constitutional amendment, also approved by voters, two years later.
The 2010 law allows those with a doctor's recommendation to obtain up to 2 1/2 ounces of marijuana every two weeks. It also envisioned dispensaries around the state.
That law also allows anyone not within 25 miles of a dispensary to grow up to 12 plants at any one time. And since no dispensaries were operating, every cardholder initially got that right.
But Humble said that now virtually all Arizonans are within that 25-mile radius. So he is denying grow rights to individuals as they renew their annual permits.
Walz, however, points to a 2012 constitutional amendment which overrules any law that requires anyone to “participate in any health care system.” And that, he argued, means individuals can't be forced to give up the cheaper option of growing their own plants.
“People are legally entitled, if their doctor gives them certification, to obtain and use marijuana for medical purposes,” Walz said Wednesday.
“Many people cannot afford the prices that are charged by dispensaries,” he continued.”Therefore, they need to be able to grow their marijuana for themselves.”
And Walz said that, for some patients, the strain of marijuana is crucial.
“A particular strain may be effective to treat their specific condition and they need that strain,” Walz argued. “They can't depend on a dispensary to make the effort of providing a specific strain for any particular person.”
Humble isn't buying the argument — and not only because he rejects the idea that the Arizona Constitution guarantees individuals the right to make their own regulated medicine. He pointed out that voters themselves approved the provision in the 2010 law, which says the right to grow disappears once there is an available dispensary.
Walz dismissed that as irrelevant.
“I don't know that the voters were aware of that specific provision,” he said.
“They clearly were aware that some patients would be able to grow,” Walz said. “As far as when and how many of those rights would be extinguished, I don't think the voters had a clue.”
I saw the following ad in the Arizona Republic
the week of October 20 to 26, 2013.
DEA has lots of our tax dollars to waste on silly ads
In this weeks Arizona Republic the DEA or
Drug Enforcement Administration ran what looks
like a quarter page newspaper ad which I have
attached to this email.
The ad says:
Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe
disposal Saturday, October 26th 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Visit
www.dea.gov
or call 800-882-9539 for
a collection site near you.
I guess the DEA doesn't any any REAL criminals
to arrest, other then people for victimless drug war
crimes so they are trying to figure out ways to justify
their existence by running this ad which is attached to
this email.
Proposed donation-box regulations go to Phoenix council
By Betty Reid The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Sep 20, 2013 9:10 AM
The Phoenix City Council will decide in October whether the city should regulate donation-collection boxes in parking lots all over the city.
The council’s Neighborhoods, Housing and Development Subcommittee on Tuesday agreed to put the issue before the council on a 3-1 vote.
Councilman Jim Waring opposed the proposal, which would require donation-bin owners to pay a $135 fee per box, per location and get property owners’ permission before placing the boxes.
The ordinance also would require bin owners to apply for a charitable drop-box permit. City staff would review the permits to make sure the boxes do not impede traffic flow or block parking or landscape.
The fees would cover the costs of staff time to take the application, review the site plan, check for previous violations and print the permit the owner must display on site, city officials said.
Waring, who represents District 2 in northeast Phoenix, said the fee “is expensive.” He said clothing and books are better off going to donation bins instead of into the trash.
Robby Millner, American Textile Recycling Services operations manager, told the subcommittee he does not oppose regulation but said the $135 is too high.
“It would impact the money we donate to charities,” he said.
John Purtell, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arizona donation director, agreed that the fee would be a burden.
He said his group often has to move around bins depending on the amount of donations they receive.
“If we have 150 bins in one place, 50 bins are moved anywhere between two to six times a year,” he said. “That’s a $1,000 a bin now plus the administrative fees.”
Councilman Tom Simplot, who represents District 4 in central Phoenix, said the city must do something to regulate the bins. He said the bins are unregulated and unkempt, which can turn into an eyesore.
“They’ve just sprung up on every corner,” Simplot said. “There’s no control on this. ... People asked me, ‘When are we going to get control of this nuisance?’ ... This is a big issue for those of us in the central core.”
He said there are few alternatives to consider, unless the city starts from scratch and removes every single box in Phoenix.
The debate over donation boxes has been ongoing over a year. The council received complaints in spring 2012 from residents about unsightly, overflowing bins. The council asked the Planning and Development Department to look at the matter.
City officials said they discovered state statue allows for-profit companies to have drop boxes as long as some portion of the proceeds goes to charity. This prompted a proliferation of donation bins.
There have been reports of bins being bolted shut, vandalized or hauled away by rival box operators.
The subcommittee sent the proposal to Phoenix’s 15 villages for comment over the summer. Ten villages agreed with the city’s plan and three denied it, while others did not take action, according to city records.
The Phoenix Planning Commission recommended the proposal to the subcommittee this month.
Goodwill representatives have been involved throughout the process, which has created some concern among opponents because Goodwill does not have bins, but relies on donations to its stores.
Jason Morris, a partner at Withey Morris, which represents Goodwill locally, said his client is not on a mission to get rid of the bins.
However, he said nobody even knows how many of them are scattered throughout the city.
“That is the point,” Morris said. “There is zero regulation.”
2) put in drugs and police
2) put in police
Judge: Arizona must reveal source of execution drugs
By Michael Kiefer The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 4, 2013 10:08 PM
A U.S. District Court judge on Friday ordered the Arizona Department of Corrections to reveal the source of the drugs it will use to carry out two executions later this month, but she denied a request to delay the executions.
Attorneys for two Arizona death-row inmates scheduled to be executed this month requested the information to ensure the drugs meet standards, which include having a valid expiration date. If so, they would have grounds to request a stay of execution.
The drug, pentobarbital, has become increasingly difficult to obtain for use in executions, because its manufacturer objects to such a use for a medical drug.
The Corrections Department was concealing the information under a state law protecting the identities of executioners. Robin Konrad, an assistant federal public defender, argued in court Friday that the law does not protect companies and noted that the Corrections Department has in the past turned over the same information.
U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver was uncertain whether companies would be protected by the law.
But she ordered the state to make the information available to the attorneys for the condemned men, saying “they are entitled to the information.” She also said the public has a First Amendment right to the information, but she denied a request for a temporary restraining order to delay the executions.
Arizona death-row prisoner Edward Schad is set to be executed Oct. 9. Robert Jones is to be executed Oct. 23.
Both will be put to death by lethal injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital.
Of particular concern to Schad’s and Jones’ attorneys is the expiration date of the drug. According to documents obtained through Freedom of Information requests made by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Department of Corrections purchased pentobarbital on an unspecified date in 2011.
The Corrections Department would not confirm if that is the batch of drugs to be used in the two planned executions, saying only that the department has domestically manufactured Nembutal, a brand name for pentobarbital.
Assistant Arizona Attorney General John Todd told Silver that the information should remain confidential because drugmakers have been harassed and because supplies have been shut off because of bad publicity.
In Texas, authorities have tried to get around the pentobarbital sourcing problem by having it made by a “compounding” pharmacy, one that prepares generic versions of drugs on request and with a prescription.
The pharmacy in question sent a letter to Texas officials on Friday asking to withdraw from the agreement and for the drug to be sent back because employees “do not have the time to deal with the constant inquiries from the press, the hate mail and messages, as well as getting dragged into the state’s lawsuit with the prisoners, and possible future lawsuits.”
Todd also referred to a 2010 controversy after The Arizona Republic reported that Arizona and other states were importing the execution drug thiopental from Britain when it became unavailable in the United States.
Britain and Italy then cut off thiopental exports for executions.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., confirmed The Republic’s and the federal public defender’s assertion that the drugs had been obtained illegally with the complicity of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
When thiopental became unavailable, many states switched to pentobarbital.
In the Friday hearing, Todd asked if he could deliver the information to the judge for her eyes only. Silver also considered keeping the information under seal.
In her ruling hours later, Silver wrote that the state and the Corrections Department had not demonstrated why the information should be kept secret.
She ordered them to reveal the manufacturer, lot numbers and expiration dates of the drugs to be used in the upcoming executions.
Arizona ban on begging in public ruled unconstitutional
By Alia Beard Rau The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 4, 2013 4:14 PM
A federal judge has overturned a state law that made it a crime to beg in public, declaring it violated free speech rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona and Flagstaff attorney Mik Jordahl filed the lawsuit earlier this year on behalf of Marlene Baldwin, an elderly Hopi woman who was arrested in Flagstaff for begging. Other plaintiffs included two other panhandlers and the organization Food Not Bombs.
“Many of the people arrested under the begging law simply needed a little assistance — not a jail cell,” said Jordahl in a statement. “Law enforcement must stand up for the constitutional rights of peaceful beggars and not just respond to complaints from powerful downtown business interests who would take those rights away and sweep homelessness and poverty out of sight.”
U.S. District Court Judge Neil V. Wake in his ruling Friday afternoon overturned the 1988 state law as well as prohibited Flagstaff from “interfering with, targeting, citing, arresting, or prosecuting any person on the basis of their act(s) of peaceful begging in public areas.”
Law enforcement must be notified of the law change within the net 30 days.
“Prosecutors and police across the state will no longer be able to use this anti-begging law to criminalize protected expression,” said ACLU of Arizona Legal Director Dan Pochoda in a statement. “Flagstaff will no longer be allowed to elevate the interests of local business owners above the rights of persons seeking a dollar for food.”
Baldwin in a statement said she had been arrested and prosecuted just for begging for food and money for bus fare.
“I’m glad I won’t be taken to jail just for speaking to people,” Baldwin said in a statement Friday.
Man freed from prison after 41 years dies days later
Associated Press Fri Oct 4, 2013 10:45 AM
NEW ORLEANS — A 71-year-old man who spent more than four decades in solitary confinement in Louisiana died Friday, less than a week after a judge freed him and granted him a new trial.
Herman Wallace’s attorneys said he died at a supporter’s home in New Orleans. Wallace had been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and stopped receiving treatment.
Jackie Sumell, a longtime supporter of Wallace, said he was surrounded by friends and family when he died. Wallace at one point told them, “I love you all,” according to Sumell.
“He was in and out of consciousness,” she said.
U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson in Baton Rouge had ordered Wallace released from the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola on Tuesday after granting him a new trial. Jackson ruled women were unconstitutionally excluded from the grand jury that indicted Wallace in the stabbing death of the 23-year-old guard, Brent Miller.
A West Feliciana Parish grand jury re-indicted Wallace on charges connected to Miller’s death on Thursday. District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla told The Advocate newspaper that Jackson ordered a new trial because he “perceived a flaw in the indictment — not his murder conviction.”
Wallace and two other inmates held in solitary confinement for years came to be known as the “Angola 3.”
Wallace’s attorneys said in a statement Friday that it was an honor to represent him.
“Herman endured what very few of us can imagine, and he did it with grace, dignity, and empathy to the end,” they said. “Although his freedom was much too brief, it meant the world to Herman to spend these last three days surrounded by the love of his family and friends. One of the final things that Herman said to us was, ‘I am free. I am free.’”
Wallace, of New Orleans, was serving a 50-year armed robbery sentence when Miller was stabbed to death.
Wallace and fellow “Angola 3” member Albert Woodfox denied involvement in Miller’s killing, claiming they were targeted because they helped establish a prison chapter of the Black Panther Party at the Angola prison in 1971, set up demonstrations and organized strikes for better conditions.
In 2009, Wallace was moved from Angola to “closed-cell restriction” at Hunt Correctional in St. Gabriel, where he recently was taken to the prison’s hospital unit.
In 2010, Woodfox was moved to the David Wade Correctional Center in Homer, where he remains in custody.
The third “Angola 3” member, Robert King, who was convicted of killing a fellow inmate in 1973, was released in 2001 after his conviction was reversed.
Judge orders L.A. Coliseum documents released in secrecy lawsuit
By Paul Pringle and Rong-Gong Lin II
October 5, 2013, 10:02 a.m.
A judge has ordered the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission to release documents it has withheld from The Times for as long as 20 months.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Luis A. Lavin made the ruling Friday as part of a sweeping condemnation of the commission's conduct during months of secret talks on the USC deal.
Lavin also ruled that the top administrator of the commission, John Sandbrook, testified falsely as part of the agency's efforts to thwart public scrutiny of USC lease negotiations in violation of state law.
In determining that the commission could not be trusted to obey open-government laws, Lavin issued an injunction barring the panel from discussing a range of topics behind closed doors and requiring it to record its meetings for three years.
His ruling came in a lawsuit filed against the commission by The Times and a 1st Amendment group and was based in significant part on Sandbrook's deposition testimony in June. Sandbrook, a retired UCLA manager who took the helm of the commission as a financial scandal rocked it in 2011, testified for two days about the agency's private lease deliberations and compliance with the California Public Records Act.
At a court hearing Thursday, Lavin singled out Sandbrook for criticism.
"I don't think Mr. Sandbrook has any interest in transparency," Lavin said.
Among the records the commission has refused to produce include communications between Sandbrook and USC during the lease negotiations. The Times requested those records 20 months ago; the law requires agencies to produce documents generally within 10 days of a request.
"It is puzzling that a commission that has been pummeled by allegations of financial misconduct and mismanagement would seek to hide documents from the public," Lavin's ruling said, "which will shed light on its decision to transfer its most important and public assets to a private university."
Lavin also faulted the Coliseum for delaying the production of documents. They included records related to commission member and County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas' receipt of NFL tickets to a Carolina Panthers game, initially paid for by the public and later repaid by the county supervisor.
Lavin found that Sandbrook falsely stated under oath his reasons why the lease negotiations could be kept secret. His statements taken during a deposition by a Times attorney contradicted the prepared agenda Sandbrook had written.
"In light of the commission's refusal to admit any wrongdoing, its aversion to transparency … and Sandbrook's false testimony … the court finds that the commission will continue its unlawful practices," Lavin wrote. He added that the Coliseum's view on what it can discuss in secret "would decimate the letter and spirit" of the state's open-meetings law.
After Lavin released his ruling Friday, City Councilman Bernard C. Parks, a former commissioner, called on the L.A. County district attorney's office to launch a perjury investigation of Sandbrook.
"He should be prosecuted," said Parks, who served on the commission throughout the USC deliberations. "It's just appalling that he would be in the position of authority and that he would not be truthful."
Parks, a former Los Angeles police chief, had given a sworn statement to the court supporting the allegations by The Times and Californians Aware that the commission violated the open-meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act. He opposed the USC lease.
Sandbrook did not respond to a request for comment. He was recruited for the Coliseum job by county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, a longtime commissioner who has been Sandbrook's friend since college. Yaroslavsky did not return a call for comment.
The suit alleged that the agency repeatedly ran afoul of the Brown Act and public records law while working behind closed doors to grant USC control of the taxpayer-owned Coliseum, the neighboring Sports Arena and nearly all of their revenue for 98 years.
"Certainly the public has a legitimate and substantial interest in scrutinizing the process leading to the commission's deal with USC for the use and management of the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Los Angeles Sports Arena," Lavin wrote.
Alluding to controversy over whether the lease gave too much to USC, the ruling said openness was crucial "to ensure that the decision was not based on political favoritism or some other criteria that do not serve the public."
"To paraphrase the late [U.S. Supreme Court] Justice Louis Brandeis, sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants," Lavin wrote. "Whether the commission gives away the store for free will be for others to judge and is beyond the scope of this lawsuit."
State law allows parties who allege violations of the Brown Act and the Public Records Act to recover attorneys fees if they win in court. Times attorney Jeff Glasser said the newspaper will ask the judge to order the commission to pay its legal fees.
"We are gratified that the judge vindicated the public's right of access to meetings and to the commission's records," Glasser said.
Commissioners, who also include County Supervisor Don Knabe and representatives of Gov. Jerry Brown, Mayor Eric Garcetti and City Council President Herb Wesson, could be held in contempt of court if they violate the decision.
Deborah Fox, the Coliseum's attorney, did not respond to a request for comment.
Government subsidies promote corn over common sense
October 5, 2013
This is harvest season in the heartland, and another big corn crop is pouring into the bins. Amid the abundance, however, trouble lurks.
Because of government policies that promote turning corn into ethanol fuel for cars, farmers have taken to planting as much corn as possible.
Corn is America's biggest cash crop by far, and across most of the Midwest it is the most profitable by far. Because roughly 40 percent of the crop is being diverted into gas tanks, a bushel of corn fetches a much higher price today than it did before the government-subsidized ethanol boom.
Even when prices drop during abundant harvests, as they have in recent weeks, the profits for an acre of corn often still exceed those for soybeans, wheat and other alternative crops that might be grown on the same highly productive land.
No surprise, the government's pro-corn agenda has produced unwanted side effects. Livestock producers who depend on corn for animal feed have cut back their herds. That's a big reason why meat is more expensive in grocery stores and restaurants these days.
Another unwelcome hazard of government interference in the marketplace is a bacteria that survives primarily in the residue of stalks and leaves left over after a farmer harvests a cornfield. Historically, Goss's Wilt infected a relatively small part of the grain belt: Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota were high-risk areas. Today, the area at high risk for this potentially devastating plant disease extends all the way east through Iowa and northern Illinois into Indiana.
Certain hybrid seeds have proved susceptible to Goss's Wilt. But another big reason for its spread is the practice of planting corn on the same ground year after year. The easiest way to put a stop to the spread of Goss's Wilt is to plant soybeans, alfalfa or some other crop that isn't a host to it.
Farmers have known about the benefits of rotating crops since the dawn of agriculture. The federal government has made corn cultivation so lucrative that those time-honored lessons are being set aside. Planting "corn-on-corn" invites a crop disease epidemic. It would behoove the federal government to provide an incentive for sound stewardship of Midwest farmland, which is one of America's greatest natural assets.
Just the opposite is occurring.
Under pressure from the ethanol lobby, the federal government has continued to boost the amount of corn fuel that it requires to be mixed in with the nation's gasoline supply. This so-called "renewable fuel standard" forces consumers to buy ever-increasing amounts of ethanol. The standard was intended to promote the development of alternative feedstocks to produce ethanol. Yet those alternatives have not worked out in commercially viable quantities. The government requirement for more ethanol is being met with more (and more) corn.
Similarly, the House and Senate proposals for the periodic renewal of farm policy legislation (known as the farm bill) have included a huge expansion of federally subsidized crop insurance.
The "crop insurance" name is misleading: At one time, crop insurance actually insured the crops of participating farmers against drought, floods and other extreme hazards. The program has expanded into a vast giveaway that enables farmers to lock in their revenues come what may. This taxpayer-funded insurance in effect eliminates the business risk that farmers would face from a failed crop. Expanding the program with billions of additional dollars, as lawmakers have set out to do, would give farmers another reason to plant more (and more) corn without regard to potential consequences.
The solution to this perverse state of affairs is simple: Congress needs to eliminate the renewable fuel standard. It needs to cut back, rather than expand, the out-of-control crop insurance program.
Of course Congress at the moment is busy not doing its job, having presided over the first partial government shutdown in 17 years. When — someday — Congress reconvenes, it is likely to consider these matters, if only to address the short-term negative effects of having allowed the most recent extension of the farm bill to expire Sept. 30.
Congress, get back to work and get real: Subsidizing ethanol at such enormous levels and guaranteeing the revenues of individual farms makes no economic sense — and may be setting up the U.S. corn crop for a disease-ridden future.
Phoenix OKs donation-box rules
By Amy B Wang and Dustin Gardiner The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 2, 2013 10:05 PM
Concerns about blight from unregulated charity bins led the Phoenix City Council to pass an ordinance on Wednesday requiring any group using donation drop boxes to go through a new use-permit process and pay a $135 fee per box.
Those who support the ordinance say it is intended to curtail irresponsible use of donation-collection boxes, which have proliferated in parking lots all over Phoenix and irked some neighbors and property owners.
Opponents say the fee is too high and will be a burden on charities that rely on the bins. Some argued the law is intended to drive business to Goodwill Industries of Central Arizona, which does not use drop boxes and has been involved throughout the process of creating the ordinance.
Jeff Hawke, an investor in shopping centers across the city, told the council that boxes show up on his properties without any notice. Often, he said, the bins don’t have any identification or phone number listed, which makes them difficult to remove and creates problems with trash and donations accumulating.
“This is not an issue of Goodwill or any other tenant,” Hawke said. “This is an issue of private-property rights.”
Councilman Jim Waring, who represents District 2 in northeast Phoenix, was the lone dissenting vote on the council, which approved the ordinance 7-1. He noted that Goodwill was the only group to contact his council office regarding the issue.
As a consumer, Waring said he finds the bins highly convenient and appreciates that they divert unwanted wares from landfills. He said the city might better address the issue by helping business owners remove bins wrongly placed on their property.
“It seems like it would be a lot more efficient and effective than what we’re doing,” Waring said. “I also have issue with the fee because I sort of thought that was a way for us to generate money for our city coffers.”
Goodwill representatives, who did not speak at the meeting, have said the non-profit is not on a mission to get rid of the bins. However, their attorney, Jason Morris, has raised concerns about the number of bins scattered throughout the city.
“That is the point,” Morris said. “There is zero regulation.”
The ordinance also would require bin owners to apply for a charitable drop-box permit. City staff would review the permits to make sure the boxes do not impede traffic flow or block parking or landscape.
The $135 per-box fee would cover the costs of staff time to take the application, review the site plan, check for previous violations and print the permit the owner must display on site, city officials said.
Councilman Tom Simplot motioned to approve the ordinance with a stipulation that box owners can renew their use permit for $25 annually as long as they have not incurred any violations. New permit holders and those with violations must pay the $135 annual fee per box.
The debate over donation boxes has been ongoing over a year. Throughout the process, opponents of the ordinance — including groups like American Textile Recycling Services and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arizona — have said the fee would be a significant burden.
John Purtell, donation director for Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Arizona, said his group often has to move around bins depending on the amount of donations they receive.
“If we have 150 bins in one place, 50 bins are moved anywhere between two to six times a year,” he told the council’s Neighborhoods, Housing and Development Subcommittee last month. “That’s a $1,000 a bin now plus the administrative fees.”
On Wednesday, the council also voted to reinstate the use permit requirement for secondhand and used-goods stores. The council had voted to remove it last November, leading to outcry from Moon Valley residents who opposed a Goodwill store proposed for their neighborhood several months later.
That location is now set to open at Seventh Street and Thunderbird Road this fall.
Prior to the meeting, about 30 Phoenix residents who oppose the Moon Valley location turned in a petition letter asking the city to explore potential conflict of interest violations by Vice Mayor Bill Gates and his chief of staff, Laura Etter.
They accuse Etter of not disclosing a potential conflict of interest, saying she shouldn’t have worked to resolve objections to the Goodwill store without revealing she had worked for the non-profit’s lobbyist.
Gates and Etter said they never believed it was necessary to disclose her past employment as she attempted to mediate the issue between Goodwill and Moon Valley residents.
Republic reporter Betty Reid contributed to this article.
Tempe Town Lake to get new steel dam
By Dianna M. Náñez The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 4, 2013 12:18 PM
At sunrise, Tempe Town Lake is a refuge for foraging great egrets unfurling their arctic-white wings as they glide over the water.
Their arched wings inspired the ivory-hued sails on a pedestrian bridge that shades the rubber dam on the lake’s western end.
Tempe officials hope to mirror the winged theme in the design of its proposed $40.7 million hydraulically operated, steel-gate dam that could begin construction next fall.
Expected to be unlike any in Arizona, it will span 950 feet of what is now a rocky, arid stretch of the Salt River.
But questions remain: Will it work? Will it last? And is it worth the cost?
The design and steel construction are expected to be more stable and last 50 years, far longer than the rubber dam it will replace. But even though elements of the new dam are untested, Tempe is considering trying to save money by accepting a minimum warranty of two years.
But the city has a troubled past when it comes to innovative dam engineering and short-term warranties.
The original rubber dam, a technology that had never been tested in desert temperatures, had a 10-year warranty, but the city was told it would actually last more than 20 years. It began deteriorating in less than a decade under the blistering Arizona sun.
A months-long battle ensued between the city and the dam manufacturer over blame for the failing dam. An agreement was reached that would provide Tempe a loaner rubber dam that would buy the city time to research and pay for a permanent replacement.
The deal came too late.
On July 20, 2010, the day before the replacement work was to begin, the old dam failed, draining the lake and spurring a massive cleanup effort. A new dam was loaned to the city and installed three months later as the city turned its attention to a permanent solution.
The city considered several alternatives, including sticking with rubber, but ultimately chose the hydraulically-operated steel-gate dam for its reliability.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources, charged with non-federal dam safety, said that the city is contracting with a second engineering firm to independently review the novel hydraulic system that will raise and lower the steel-dam gates.
The state water department, unfamiliar with the technology, will consider the review before issuing Tempe a permit to start construction, said Michael Johnson, an assistant director and chief engineer with the water department.
“They’re going to review it at the city’s expense,” Johnson said. “The way engineering works, it’s not a criticism to give input. Everybody wants it to work.”
The cost of the dam project has jumped by $5.3 million to $40.7 million since last year. And Tempe has estimated $32.7 million in maintenance costs over 50 years. Tempe Assistant City Manager Jeff Kulaga told the City Council at a September meeting that there’s hope to shave costs off design or construction as the project progresses.
Fixing past mistakes
In 2006, seven years after the dam was installed, Tempe was warned that inspections showed that the lake’s western rubber dam was deteriorating. The city and Bridgestone Industrial Products Inc., the original dam manufacturer, argued over who was to blame for failing to install a sprinklerlike structure that was to pour water over the rubber to protect it from sun damage and heat.
A settlement called for Bridgestone to lend Tempe the rubber dams to temporarily replace the original at virtually no cost.
When the dam failed in 2010, it spewed nearly 1 billion gallons of water into the Salt River bed. Then-Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman downplayed the infrastructure loss, but lauded the city’s readiness to install the loaned dams.
Residents were appalled that the recreational haven for boating, kayaking and fishing became a smelly bog where swarms of flies feasted on rotting fish. Three months later, the dam was replaced with loaner rubber bladders, and the lake was refilled.
“It’s a lot of lessons learned,” said Joel Navarro, who joined the Tempe City Council after the rubber dam was purchased. “(Now) we’re making sure we are covering all bases.”
Paying for the lake
The steel dam on the 21/2-mile-long lake will cost about 11 times as much as the $3.6 million original western-end rubber dam.
In September, the council unanimously approved a $12.4 million contract to manufacture the steel-dam components off site. This month, the city is likely to approve an estimated $22 million construction contract to assemble the dam at the lake.
“It’s steel, it’s not rubber,” said Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell, who did not serve on the council when the original rubber dam was purchased. “We feel really good about this one.”
Tempe officials have tallied a net return on the lake investment at $557.5 million, according to a 2012 financial analysis that included sales tax revenue tied to the lake. There appears to be more financial benefit ahead for the city. In August, construction started on a 2 million-square-foot, $600 million development that is expected to dramatically change the Tempe skyline and boost the city’s job market.
Yet critics say that the city has mishandled maintenance of the dam and development at the lake, and taxpayers have long carried the financial burden for private lake development.
Residents who spoke at budget and council meetings balked at the estimated $2 million annual lake maintenance-and-operations costs. Members of neighborhood associations have criticized the council’s plan to issue bonds, which voters had approved for neighborhood-park improvements, for the new dam. Two longtime opponents of the lake argued against a council move in July that freed private lake-side developers from an agreement that would have required sharing the cost of the new dam with the city.
Engineering a new dam
Engineers have completed about 70 percent of the design and will spend the next few months customizing the new dam to fit Tempe Town Lake.
Kulaga said the engineering experts researched the design and found that it is larger than any existing steel-gate dam in the nation. State water-department officials could not confirm the statistic, but Johnson said he is unaware of any steel-gate dam in Arizona that comes close.
Tempe will install the steel dam about 100 feet west of the existing dam, so the lake will expand slightly. City engineers say the new dam will be in a wider part of the river channel, which will allow floodwaters to flow through despite the obstruction of additional concrete piers needed for the the steel dam.
Using the steel-gate technology as a primary dam structure is uncommon, Johnson said. Such barriers most often sit atop concrete dams, where smaller steel gates allow water to spill over, he said.
“If you go to Hoover Dam, those are the kinds of dams that normally have the same sort of (steel) gates on them,” Johnson said.
At Tempe Town Lake, each of the eight gates will weigh 232,000 pounds, be 106 feet long and 17 feet high.
About 61,100 tons of concrete will be poured into the river bottom, creating a foundation to hold the dam, which will be mounted between two new river-bank abutments and seven concrete piers.
Sixteen hydraulic cylinders, each 27 feet long, will act as mechanical arms, raising and lowering the steel gates individually to allow for flows.
Johnson said state dam- safety officials are unfamiliar with the hydraulic system that would raise and lower the gates, allowing flows through the lake and into the riverbed downstream to the west.
“The dam will be operated by hydraulics ... and the hydraulics are very specialized,” Johnson said. “They’ll really be aspects of this project that do not exist in any other jurisdiction in the state.”
An independent review of the hydraulic design is considered a critical safety component that involves questioning the design and brainstorming potential improvements.
“An engineer is only as good as his system of checks, and there’s lots and lots of details in these kinds of things,” Johnson said. “And it only takes one or two details not to be right.”
The state water department was involved in selecting the review and main engineering design firms, Johnson said. State law charges the director of water resources with the safety of non-federal dams over a certain size, so department officials will have the final say on whether Tempe may move forward with its design or must first make modifications.
Still at risk?
At a Tempe City Council study session, Councilman Kolby Granville asked what would happen if one of the hydraulic arms or gates fails. Tempe engineer Andy Goh assured the council that each hydraulic cylinder contains three seals that monitor pressure to signal problems.
Johnson said that failure of one gate likely would bring less risk than failure of a bladder in a rubber dam.
“The likelihood of there being any sort of catastrophic failure of the dam is very much reduced,” he said. “You’d have to have several of these gates experience problems at the same time.”
As the original rubber dam began to deteriorate in 2006, city leaders lamented accepting a 10-year warranty when they were promised that the rubber bladders would last more than 20 years.
The city could be taking some of the same risks if it accepts a short-term warranty on the new structure.
Kulaga expects the city to decide on the warranty length by January, when the Phoenix plant will begin fabricating the steel gates.
“We are weighing the costs of that potential longer warranty against the cost of proper maintenance,” Kulaga said.
Portion of campaign finance law overturned
By Edward Gately The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 4, 2013 9:47 PM
A federal judge has declared a portion of Arizona’s campaign-finance law unconstitutional, finding the definition of political committee “vague” and “overbroad.”
However, the law remains in effect pending further litigation seeking an injunction or until the Arizona Legislature can address problems in the law early next year.
“We will likely file an injunction to basically put everything on hold until the Legislature can convene in January,” said Stephanie Grisham, spokeswoman for Attorney General Tom Horne. “This is something the Legislature will need to remedy.”
In October 2011, the Institute for Justice filed a suit on behalf of Fountain Hills resident Dina Galassini challenging the constitutionality of the law.
The case stemmed from Galassini’s effort to organize a group of residents to oppose a town bond issue, after which she was told by the town she need to file paperwork as a political committee.
That November, Senior U.S. District Judge James Teilborg granted Galassini’s motion for a preliminary injunction exempting her from having to comply with the campaign-finance law before staging protests in opposition to Fountain Hills’ $29.6 million bond proposal. Voters rejected the proposal.
At the time, Teilborg said Galassini’s request for an injunction “established serious questions as to the constitutionality of the statutes at issue.”
This week, the judge denied requests from both sides for a summary judgment in the case, but he ruled that language in the state law is overly broad.
“There is no question that, if two or more people want to speak to influence the result of an election, their speech is chilled by the regulations imposed by Arizona’s campaign-finance laws,” Teilborg said.
The judge left open the possibility of Galassini’s attorneys to come back and seek a formal injunction to stop the law’s continued enforcement.
In 2011, Galassini sent an e-mail to 23 Fountain Hills residents making them aware of the road-bond proposal, asking them to write letters to a local newspaper and naming two street-corner protests where recipients were encouraged to show up with signs to make passers-by aware of their opposition.
Galassini then received a letter from Town Clerk Bev Bender saying Galassini needed to file a statement of organization in the Town Clerk’s Office before any electioneering takes place “if any additional person or persons join the effort.” After receiving the letter, Galassini told Bender she would stop all e-mails and not hold a rally.
Galassini asked the court to declare unconstitutional the portion of state campaign-finance law that requires groups that speak about ballot issues and accept or expend less than $500 to file as political committees.
In his order, Teilborg said the definition of political committee is “overbroad because it sweeps in a substantial amount of protected speech that the state does not have an important interest in regulating.”
He also said it’s “difficult to believe that any person that received Ms. Galassini’s e-mail and attended the November protest of the bond election would know that, by attending, they were becoming a member of a ‘political committee,’ and were, thus, subject to the regulations and penalties governing the conduct of political committees.”
“Once realizing that they would become a member of a political committee by attending the rally, there is little doubt that such person would decide it safer to remain silent than to risk the penalties of a complex regulatory scheme,” Teilborg said.
According to court filings, the state’s motion defended the campaign-finance law in the public interest and sought to have the suit dismissed.
The town argued that the suit has no merit because of a change in law last year that exempts anyone organized to support or oppose a ballot measure from doing any reporting if they have accepted or expended up to $250. It also argued that Galassini “has no cause of action against the town given that the town took no action against her,” according to court filings.
Paul Avelar, a staff attorney for the Institute for Justice’s Arizona chapter, called the order a “final victory” for Galassini.
“The judge asked us to file a notice basically indicating to the court whether we seek an injunction as a remedy in this case,” he said. “We’ve not decided that yet. We’re looking at everything and determining what is best course of action to protect our client.”
Jeff Murray, the attorney representing Fountain Hills, and Town Manager Ken Buchanan wouldn’t comment on the case.
Galassini’s motion sought nominal damages and attorney’s fees from the state and town. The order denied her claim from the state but stated there could be a separate trial for damages and fees from the town.
‘Obamacare’ structure is unfair
Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:13 PM
Too bad “Obamacare” doesn’t address the real issues of health insurance.
As a teacher in Arizona, we have outrageously expensive health-insurance costs. Most families of four pay an average of $800 per month to cover their premiums.
Then there are the copayments and coinsurance costs. These plans don’t include dental or vision; they come at an additional cost.
These financial demands have risen steadily over the last 10 years and yet most teacher salaries have been frozen for the last eight years.
However, the bigger issue is the premium distribution. I pay the same monthly insurance premium as the teacher down the road who doesn’t exercise, eats poorly and sneaks cigarettes. That same person is sick more often, misses more workdays and draws from the insurance plan.
Health insurance should be billed according to the actions people take with health care. My earnings should not supplement the poor habits of others. Too bad “Obamacare” won’t fix that problem.
— Heather Tawney, Mesa
Councilman DiCiccio not pleased with Phoenix police videotaping tailgaters
By Amy B Wang PHX Beat Mon Sep 30, 2013 4:49 PM
It was, as Sal DiCiccio tells it, the end of the world as we know it.
The Phoenix District 6 Councilman said he was enjoying the ASU-USC game Saturday in Tempe when, on the north side of Sun Devil Stadium, he encountered a white flatbed truck from the Phoenix Police Department. He and a group of friends noticed a camera mounted in the back videotaping tailgaters at the game.
“It looked like something from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells,” DiCiccio said Monday. “All I can tell you is it’s just creepy.”
Never one to mince words, DiCiccio took to his Facebook page the next morning.
“Terrorist at Tailgate parties? Creepy: PHX Police/Homeland Security at ASU game last night were spying and videotaping tailgaters. If you saw a white truck with a tall adjustable spire driving through the tailgate parties-then PHX PD/Homeland Security saw you and has a video tape of you eating your hot dog, No need to worry about the NSA or drones flying above your head, they are already here and now big brother is watching your tailgate party. I’m going to ask for a full explanation and sending a letter to Dr. Crow objecting to this over the top spying of ordinary citizens doing normal things.”
A few hours later, he posted again:
“My apology to ASU and Dr. Crow re the earlier post. They did not order the truck with the spy equipment at the tailgate parties. So, the question is, why was PHX PD driving the tailgate parties with the video camera rolling. I contacted city mgt and they are looking into it. Everyone wants to be safe, but having a video truck roam the tailgate parties taking video of normal people doing normal things is out of line. IRS, NSA now roaming video's at tailgate parties. Stop this nonsense.”
DiCiccio later explained his posts.
“I was just frustrated, and I wasn’t happy about it,” DiCiccio said. “Why does Phoenix police send out a truck with a camera videotaping tailgaters? ... It’s just one more level of intrusion by the government looking into our personal lives.”
The Phoenix Police Department had a different take: It wasn’t a sinister alien invasion, but rather a response to a request by ASU police to borrow resources from Phoenix police’s Threat Mitigation Unit for the big game. When third parties request assistance, the department lends its resources — including cameras, truck and manpower — under a mutual-aid agreement it has under the Urban Areas Security Initiative, a federal grant that funds the equipment.
“This was part of a multi-jurisdictional operation to monitor entry and exit points from the stadium area from a homeland security perspective,” Phoenix Police Chief Daniel V. Garcia said in a statement.
They didn’t give a reason for why they were at the ASU-USC game, except to note that the department has similarly participated in “large, high-profile events” like NBA and MLB All-Star games in Phoenix and the Pat Tillman Run, which took place days after the Boston Marathon bombings.
“For security reasons, Phoenix Police and other agencies do not advertise participation in specific operations nor do we comment on specific tactics or reasons for deployment,” Garcia said. “Our participation in these multi-jurisdictional operations is a best practice recognized by our federal partners and key to preparedness in the Phoenix metro area.”
DiCiccio remains unsatisfied with the response.
“It has me more concerned. The fact is there is always a concern that something can happen, anywhere, anytime,” he said. “But there is a reasonable expectation from citizens for a level of privacy from their government ... The question is how far do you want government to do everything they’re doing?
DiCiccio said he has asked Phoenix police to come up with a written policy that outlines “when and where these type of video activities can occur.”
“Anybody can videotape anyone for any reason,” he said. “It’s a problem when your government is out there doing that.”
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131002phoenix-mayor-defends-police-filming-asu-tailgaters-beat.html
Phoenix mayor defends police filming of ASU tailgaters
By Dustin Gardiner PHX Beat Wed Oct 2, 2013 1:28 PM
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton called a news conference Wednesday to suggest there was nothing otherworldly about a Police Department camera truck filming tailgaters at an Arizona State University football game over the weekend.
Councilman Sal DiCiccio, who was tailgating, took to his Facebook page and the media this week to express his outrage at seeing a Phoenix police truck that he said resembled alien craft from The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. DiCiccio said, “It’s just one more level of intrusion by the government looking into our personal lives.”
But Stanton said DiCiccio’s suggestion that the city needs probable cause before it can assist neighboring police departments with crowd surveillance during athletic events is far-fetched.
“The suggestion is that we shouldn’t provide homeland security support to another jurisdiction unless it rises to the level where we’re ready to arrest somebody,” Stanton said as he stood in front of Chase Field in downtown Phoenix.
“I think most people, both in the law enforcement world and then families who are attending this game, would probably disagree. ... Rather, what is in the best interest of keeping tens of thousands of people attending a game safe.”
NYC's yearly cost per inmate almost as expensive as Ivy League tuition
Published September 30, 2013
Associated Press
NEW YORK – New York is indeed an expensive place, but experts say that alone doesn't explain a recent report that found the city's annual cost per inmate was $167,731 last year — nearly as much as it costs to pay for four years of tuition at an Ivy League university.
They say a big part of it is due to New York's most notorious lockup, Rikers Island, and the costs that go along with staffing, maintaining and securing a facility that is literally an island unto itself.
"Other cities don't have Rikers Island," said Martin F. Horn, who in 2009 resigned as the city's correction commissioner, noting that hundreds of millions of dollars are spent a year to run the 400-acre island in the East River next to the runways of LaGuardia Airport that has 10 jail facilities, thousands of staff and its own power plant and bakery.
The city's Independent Budget Office annual figure of $167,731 — which equates to about $460 per day for the 12,287 average daily New York City inmates last year — was based on about $2 billion in total operating expenses for the Department of Correction, which included salaries and benefits for staff, judgments and claims as well as debt service for jail construction and repairs.
But there are particularly expensive costs associated with Rikers.
The department says it spends $30.3 million annually alone on transportation costs, running three bus services that usher inmates to and from court throughout the five boroughs, staff from a central parking lot to Rikers jails and visitors to and around the island. There were 261,158 inmates delivered to court last year.
A way to bring down the costs, Horn has long said, would be to replace Rikers Island with more robust jails next door to courthouses. But his attempts to do that failed in part because of political opposition from residential areas near courthouses in Brooklyn, Manhattan and elsewhere.
"My point is: Have you seen a whole lot of outcry on this? Why doesn't anything happen?" Horn said of the $167,731 annual figure. "Because nobody cares."
"That's the reason we have Rikers Island," he said. "We want these guys put away out of public view."
New York's annual costs dwarf the annual per-inmate costs in other big cities. Los Angeles spent $128.94 a day, or $47,063 a year, for 17,400 inmates in fiscal year 2011-12, its sheriff's office said. Chicago spent $145 a day, or $52,925 a year, for 13,200 inmates in 2010, the most recent figures available from that county's sheriff's office. Those costs included debt-service and fringe benefits.
Experts note that New York's high annual price tag is deceiving because it reflects considerable pensions and salary responsibilities, debt service and the expensive fixed costs. The DOC says 86 percent of its operating costs go for staff wages.
New York's system differs from other cities in some other costly ways — it employs 9,000 relatively well-paid, unionized correction officers, for example, and is required by law to provide certain services to inmates, including high quality medical care within 24 hours of incarceration.
Nick Freudenberg, a public health professor at Hunter College, said the latest city figures show that declining incarceration rates haven't translated into cost savings.
In 2001, when the city had 14,490 inmates, the full cost of incarcerating one inmate at Rikers Island for a year was $92,500, or about $122,155 adjusted for today's dollars — that means the city spent $45,576 more in 2012 than it did 11 years ago.
"To my mind, the main policy question is: How could we be spending this money better?" Freudenberg said. "What would be a better return on that investment?"
Another contributing factor to the inmate price tag is the length of stay for prisoners in New York's criminal justice system. Some inmates have waited years in city jails to see trial. The DOC said in 2012 that the average length of stay for detainees was 53 days and 38.6 days for sentenced inmates.
"Not only is that a miscarriage of justice, it affects your operations," said Michael Jacobson, a former commissioner of the city's Department of Correction and probation who serves as director of the CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance. "You want to save big money? Take a quarter out just by improving the process they go through when they're in the system."
http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/9/30/report-finds-nycinmatecostalmostasmuchasivyleaguetuition.html
Report: Annual NYC inmate cost exceeds four years at Harvard
September 30, 2013 1:45PM ET
Average cost per inmate — $167,731 a year — is more than four years of Ivy League tuition
A recent report found that jailing an inmate in New York City for one year costs more than four years of tuition at an Ivy League university.
The Independent Budget Office found that in 2012 it cost the city $167,731 to hold each of its daily average of 12,287 inmates, or about $460 per inmate per day.
Undergraduate tuition at Harvard University is $38,891 annually, or $155,564 for a four-year degree.
Of those inmates, more than 2,000 were being held for drug offenses, surpassing the number for murders or robberies.
The majority of inmates are African-American (57 percent), followed by Hispanics (33 percent), whites (7 percent) and Asians (1 percent), a New York City Department of Corrections report said. The majority of inmates come from less affluent areas of the city.
Experts say certain expensive fixed costs in New York's system keep the figure high despite a large drop in incarceration, which peaked in 1991 at about 22,000 inmates. The Department of Corrections has substantial pension and salary responsibilities and significant debt-service payments. It says 86 percent of its operating costs go to wages; it employs 9,000 relatively well-paid unionized correction officers. The department's budget in 2012 was $1.08 billion.
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each year to run Rikers Island — a 400-acre island near the runways of LaGuardia Airport that has 10 jail facilities, thousands of staff members, its own power plant and a transportation system.
New York's per-inmate costs dwarf other large cities'. Los Angeles spent $128.94 per day, or $47,063 per year, in its 2011-12 fiscal year, LA's sheriff's office said. According to the Cook County Sheriff's Office, in 2010, the most recent year for which figures were available, Chicago spent $145 per inmate per day, or $52,925 for the year.
'Draconian' sentencing
In August the Obama administration announced steps to fix what it called unjust treatment of nonviolent drug offenders. It aimed to bypass mandatory prison terms while reducing the country's huge prison population and saving jurisdictions billions of dollars.
"Too many Americans go to too many prisons for far too long and for no truly good law-enforcement reason," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a speech unveiling the proposals.
The United States leads the world in the number of people behind bars, according to the International Center for Prison Studies in London.
The so-called war on drugs and mandatory minimum sentencing and related laws enacted in the 1980s and 1990s have contributed to a rising number of inmates, especially those charged with drug-related offenses.
Holder added in his August speech that one of the changes he would implement is ensuring that low-level, nonviolent drug offenders without ties to large-scale organizations, gangs or cartels are not given "draconian mandatory minimum sentences."
Among such measures is California's three-strikes law, enacted in 1994, which mandates a state prison term of 25 years to life for any person convicted of a felony who has two or more previous convictions. This contributed to a mushrooming prison population in the state.
In 2011 the Supreme Court ordered California — which has the largest prison population of any U.S. state — to release tens of thousands of inmates or take other steps to ease prison overcrowding to prevent "needless suffering and death."
California Governor Jerry Brown, instead of repealing the three-strikes law, proposed a $315 million plan in August to expand inmate capacity by sending the overflow to private prisons.
Over the past 30 years, there has been a 500 percent increase in U.S. incarceration rates, which has led to prison overcrowding and overwhelming financial burdens for states.
According to prisoner-advocacy group the Sentencing Project, people incarcerated on drug charges comprise half the population at the federal level.
And in state prisons, the number of drug offenders has increased 13-fold since 1980. Most of them are not high-level criminals, and most have no record of violent offenses.
Al Jazeera and The Associated Press
October 1, 2013 in Opinion
Mona Charen: Blame ready for Obamacare shortcomings
Want a glimpse of what the Obamacare battle will look like in 2015? Just glance at liberal websites. You’ll find a trove of insurance company bashing. Are insurance premiums rising instead of falling by the $2,500 per family that Obama repeatedly promised in 2009? They are. If you consult ThinkProgess, Daily Kos and Physicians for a National Health Program, you’ll learn that it’s the “greedy insurance companies” that are causing prices to rise, not the risibly titled, “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”
You can take this to the bank: In the run-up to the next presidential election, Democrats will be in thorough blame-shifting mode. It wasn’t the perverse incentives, byzantine complexity, new taxes and layers of bureaucracy built into Obamacare, they’ll insist. It was heartless health insurers who were willing to let people die rather than accept a lower profit margin.
Obama has already shown the way. Stumping for Obamacare in 2010, he said, “(They’ll) keep on doing this for as long as they can get away with it. This is no secret. They’re telling their investors this: ‘We are in the money. We are going to keep on making big profits even though a lot of folks are going to be put under hardship.’ ”
That’s just the way businessmen talk, isn’t it? Only in the imaginings of the anti-business left. In any case, the other shoe to drop, after the demonization of the industry, will be the same solution Democrats propose for everything: more government. Obamacare will be said to have failed because private companies put profits ahead of people. The “solution” will be single-payer.
Let’s not weep for the health insurance companies. They could have energetically opposed Obamacare, and they chose not to. As Timothy Carney of the Washington Examiner explained, it was in their interest to support a law that would 1) require everyone to purchase their product and 2) provide subsidies directly to insurance companies to help people pay for it. As Carney wrote: “Would you be surprised to hear of corn farmers supporting ethanol subsidies?” The insurance industry protested some aspects of the law, but for the most part, they were content to be transformed into a regulated public utility.
The health care system that predated Obamacare was already so distorted by government subsidies, regulations and tax incentives as to be quasi-state-run. True reform would rip that government IV out of the nation’s arm altogether and encourage competition. True reform would remove the tax deductions handed to employers 60 years ago and give them to individuals instead. True reform would permit individuals to shop nationwide for the best plan and would permit companies to offer truly catastrophic plans for the young and healthy. True reform would create high-risk pools to provide for those with chronic conditions.
As the examples of the insurance industry and the corn growers demonstrate, it’s a mistake to rely on the business sector to promote free enterprise. Some businessmen do, but many happily engage in rent-seeking from the state. Farmers, universities, banks, construction companies, green energy firms, car companies, the telecom industry – the list of supplicants for taxpayer subsidies is endless.
Republicans are perceived (and often see themselves) as the pro-business party. They should think of themselves as pro-consumer instead.
Still, Republicans do understand the basics of supply and demand better than Democrats, and many predicted the problems Obamacare is already experiencing. They understood, as Obama and his supporters apparently did not, that the laws of economics are not optional. You cannot extend health care to 30 or 40 or 50 million people (the number kept changing) who previously lacked it and bring down total health spending simultaneously. You cannot force insurance companies to accept all customers regardless of pre-existing conditions and expect that premiums will not rise to cover the expense.
Further, once people realize that insurance companies cannot reject them when they become sick, the incentive to purchase health insurance among the healthy population disappears. (The small fine for failure to buy insurance will not compensate.) You cannot mandate that employers with more than 50 full-time employees provide government- approved insurance without causing employers to shift to part-time employees or decline to hire. You cannot impose a “Cadillac tax” without employers raising premiums or reducing coverage.
The Democrats’ reform of the health care system is stumbling into a predictable and predicted morass. Democrats will inevitably conclude that this calls for even more government. Republicans should side with consumers.
Mona Charen is a columnist for Creators Syndicate.
Out of work because of shutdown, workers protest at Luke AFB
By Paul Giblin The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 2, 2013 10:23 PM
Furloughed federal workers marched in a picket line outside Luke Air Force Base on Wednesday, protesting their sudden loss of pay as the federal government shutdown moved into its second day, and calling on Congress to quickly end the impasse.
But with little sign of congressional leaders in Washington finding common ground to reach a solution to fund the government, the workers on the picket line were left with more questions than answers.
How long must they be out of work before they’re eligible for unemployment benefits?
Are unemployment benefits even available during a partial federal government shutdown?
Can they find part-time jobs until Congress agrees on funding legislation and the shutdown ends?
And when will Washington politicians come to their senses and do just that?
About 25 civilian employees worked a picket line for three hours outside Luke’s north gate, urging motorists on North Litchfield Road in Glendale to tell their elected leaders to end the shutdown.
They carried signs that read “Congress locked us out,” “Congress is using us as pawns” and “Luke employees have families,” among other messages.
The protesters were among 412 workers at Luke AFB who were placed on unpaid furloughs Tuesday, when Congress failed to reach an agreement on the federal budget. The fighter pilot training base is Glendale’s largest public employer and a major economic engine for the West Valley.
Glendale resident and furloughed grocery worker Gloria Baker, 57, said she hoped the picket line drew attention to the difficulties the shutdown is causing some federal employees.
“That’s why I’m here, hoping to get my job back. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Baker, who has worked at the base commissary for 25 years and at the base hospital for two years before that.
“That’s 27 years of my life working for the government,” she said. “Then you wake up one day and you don’t have a job.”
Like many other federal workers, she tapped her savings this year to offset the pay lost in another furlough triggered by a budget-cutting move known as sequestration.
“I don’t have any more savings left. Now what am I going to do?” she asked.
“First of all, I’m not married, so this is the only income that I’m depending on. Without notice, they just shut us down like this. How am I going to pay my rent? Where am I going to live? I have bills to pay just like everybody does.”
She and other pickets vowed to contact Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake and other elected leaders to tell them how the shutdown is devastating their lives.
Baker and others said they will urge lawmakers to set aside their differences on the Affordable Care Act long enough to craft a budget.
Republicans have said they will support a budget only if implementation of the health-care law is delayed a year. Democrats and President Barack Obama have refused, saying “Obamacare” is the law and will not be delayed to appease the GOP.
As of Wednesday, neither side had budged.
“They’re being stupid and inconsiderate,” Baker said.
Harley Hembd, the president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1547, who organized the protest, said most Arizonans underestimate the number of federal employees around the state. Government figures put it at about 55,000.
His union alone represents 1,250 civilian workers just at Luke, he said. Other civilian employees at the base are represented by other unions. Many earn moderate wages and only have part-time jobs, he said.
His unit represents workers with salaries that start at $28,600 a year to those with salaries that start at $70,400 a year, which according to the Government Services pay scale, range from grades GS-4 through GS-12.
“There’s a diversity of employees here at Luke,” he said. “Like the grocery-store workers, they don’t make high wages and they’re not full time. Those employees are working paycheck to paycheck.”
The shutdown hits veterans particularly hard because a sizable portion of civilian government workers are veterans, Hembd said.
“We know about Air Force jobs because we worked for the Air Force,” he said. “You can’t just pick up a guy off the street to be an F-16 mechanic. Those are people that were in the military and learned the trade through the military.”
Wednesday’s protest was called on short notice and union organizers are considering other ways to get the attention of elected officials and the broader public.
Hembd said that without a budget soon, many furloughed workers will ask themselves a different question: Food or rent?
No. 2 nuke commander won't face Iowa charges
Josh Funk, Associated Press 1:05 p.m. EDT October 1, 2013
AP Nuclear Command Suspension
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Iowa will take no legal action against the No. 2 officer in charge of U.S. nuclear war-fighting forces who is accused of using counterfeit gambling chips at a casino in the state, officials said Tuesday.
Nonetheless Navy Vice Adm. Tim Giardina could still face federal charges.
Giardina was suspended Sept. 3 while Naval Criminal Investigative Service examines the allegation that he used $1,500 in counterfeit chips at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa in June.
Matt Wilbur, the top prosecutor in Iowa's Pottawattamie County, said Giardina's lack of a criminal record coupled with his distinguished service to the country makes it very likely he would avoid serious punishment in a state court. But the Defense Department can take action against him under the military code of conduct.
"They assured us they would have the ability to deal with him," Wilbur said.
Naval Criminal Investigative Service spokesman Ed Buice said a federal investigation is underway but that the agency won't comment on ongoing investigations.
Giardina officially remains deputy commander at U.S. Strategic Command, which is based at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, but is prohibited from performing duties involving nuclear weapons or requiring a security clearance.
Strategic Command oversees the military's nuclear fighter units, including the Navy's nuclear-armed submarines and the Air Force's nuclear bombers and nuclear land-based missiles.
The head of Strategic Command, Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler, has recommended that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reassign Giardina.
Before Giardina started his assignment at Strategic Command in December 2011, he was deputy commander and chief of staff at U.S. Pacific Fleet. He is a career submarine officer.
The allegations against Giardina follow two other troubling incidents involving the military's nuclear establishment.
The nuclear missile unit at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., pulled 17 launch control officers off duty last spring after a problematic inspection and later relieved of duty the officer in charge of training and proficiency.
At Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., a nuclear missile unit failed a nuclear safety and security inspection in August. Then an officer in charge of that unit's security forces was relieved of duty nine days later.
Posted on October 1, 2013 4:18 pm by Robert Robb
The vanity costs of solar energy
The fight over what Arizona Public Service pays for excess rooftop solar power is best understood in the context of the larger problem of the severe case of industrial policy disease Arizona has contracted.
Industrial policy is the belief that markets cannot be trusted to produce the businesses and jobs a polity wants or needs. So, government needs to provide a guiding or helping hand to favor some industries over others.
Of course, this assumes that government is both wiser than markets about such matters and capable of willing into existence the preferred alternative, something a couple of centuries of experience in industrial democracies casts considerable doubt about.
In Arizona, the most senseless example of industrial policy is the massive promotion and subsidization of solar energy.
Our politicians and economic development bureaucrats endlessly repeat the refrain: The sun shines here all the time. Arizona should be the Saudi Arabia of solar.
This is a brainless analogy. What happens in Saudi Arabia is that oil is extracted from the ground, put in barrels, and shipped around the world. There’s no money to be had from putting sunshine in a barrel and shipping it around the world.
The economic payoff for Arizona is supposedly in the manufacture of solar energy components. So, we really aspire to be the Halliburton of solar, which doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.
But has it really escaped the attention of our policymakers that solar component manufacturing occurs … indoors? Being a place where the sun shines all the time gives us no natural advantage for this industry. It would be like saying that all the country’s umbrellas should be manufactured in Seattle and Portland, because it rains there all the time.
Moreover, chasing a heavily subsidized industry, which solar component manufacturing is, is a foolish economic strategy. The sustainability of such industries is uncertain and their prospects too dependent on politics. There’s a reason solar component manufacturers have too frequently gone from celebratory announcements to shuttered plants or plans in short order.
The one area in which having the sun shine all the time is relevant is consumption of solar energy. When solar energy is truly price competitive, Arizona will use more of it than other places.
But being an early adapter to the consumption of solar energy, before it is truly price competitive, is also economically foolish. All it does is saddle the economy with high-priced electricity. Better to let other places serve as guinea pigs and buy the stuff when the unsubsidized price makes it sensible to do so.
Arizona is locking in increasing volumes of high-priced solar electricity. The Corporation Commission has ordered regulated utilities to purchase it. The Legislature has topped up significant federal subsidies for its manufacture and consumption with state supplements.
These mandates and subsidies are economically foolish irrespective of whether they are utility-scale or excess rooftop production.
APS is proud of its commitment to the Solana solar energy plant, from which it will be purchasing power for some 30 years. But when APS made the commitment to Solana, it estimated that power from it would be 20 percent more expensive than power from a natural gas alternative. So, over 30 years, captive APS customers will be stuck with around $800 million in unnecessary electricity payments.
The rooftop solar industry is fighting, and fighting dirty, to retain its current subsidy in the form of what is called net-metering. The Corporation Commission currently requires APS to pay its retail rate to purchase excess power from residential rooftop solar panels.
So, the rooftop owner gets a retail price for what amounts to wholesale power and pays nothing for APS’s distribution costs to get those electrons to the next customer. And APS’s other captive ratepayers get stuck with the bill for the high-priced excess rooftop solar generation.
There is no economic case for Arizona’s current solar mania. Right now, it’s a political vanity.
The least the Corporation Commission could do is to reduce the price of the vanity when it comes to rooftop solar.
Shutdown closes E-Verify system; employers told to use paper forms
By Ronald J. Hansen The Republic|azcentral.com Fri Oct 4, 2013 8:53 AM
Employers across Arizona looking to hire workers Tuesday ran into a government shutdown-related snag: E-Verify, the online system that checks applicants’ legal eligibility, was closed.
It’s more than an inconvenience in Arizona, which has required new hires to be verified by the system since 2008 in a bid to identify illegal immigrants.
Julie Pace, a Phoenix lawyer specializing in employment law, said dozens of businesses contacted her Tuesday, alarmed that they could not use the system to complete the hiring process.
“You can still hire,” she said. “You just have to complete the (traditional paper-based) I-9 form. It does mean that all employees who are under a tentative non-confirmation are just extended until the government comes back to work. The three-day rule to complete an E-Verify case after you complete an I-9 is suspended.”
Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for Arizona’s attorney general, said the state recognizes employers cannot use E-Verify at the moment, though they are still required to complete I-9 forms.
In a note on its website, the Department of Homeland Security, which runs E-Verify, explained several adjustments due to the shutdown.
Among them, federal contractors who need to run employment checks for government work need to contact their contracting officer to arrange extended deadlines.
“We understand that E-Verify’s unavailability may have a significant impact on your company’s operations,” the government said in a statement. “We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to serving you once we resume operations.”
Pace suggested some local employers might take advantage of the temporary loss of E-Verify to hire any help they can get.
“I think they will hire away and push if they have the opportunity,” she said. “They need labor right now and there’s a huge labor shortage.”
House votes 407-0 to pay furloughed federal workers
By Gregory Korte and Alan Gomez USA Today Sat Oct 5, 2013 12:00 PM
WASHINGTON -- Congress entered the fifth day of the government shutdown Saturday with one goal in mind: to ensure that the 800,000 government employees currently on furlough will receive back pay once the shutdown is ended.
The Republican-controlled House unanimously approved 407-0 the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act on Saturday morning. President Obama and congressional Democrats have opposed several proposals offered by House Republicans this week that would fund only small slices of the federal government. But the president and Democratic leaders embraced this move, with the Senate possibly approving it by the end of the day.
After a week that saw leaders from both chambers blaming each other for the shutdown and unable to reach any accord, the agreement on federal workers’ back pay was a rare moment of accord in an otherwise intractable standoff over government spending, the Affordable Care Act and the debt limit.
On Saturday morning, Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives took to the floor to sing the praises of federal workers and applaud the rare moment of bipartisanship.
“The issue is fairness,” Rep. Jim Moran, R-Va., said during the morning debate. “It’s just wrong for hundreds of thousands of federal employees not to know whether they’re going to be able to make their mortgage payment. Many of them live from paycheck to paycheck.”
Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., said federal employees have already faced enough economic turmoil in recent years, with pay freezes and a constant cloud of uncertainty hanging over their livelihoods. So he encouraged his colleagues to approve their funding guarantee to ensure they don’t turn into “collateral damage” in the shutdown debate.
“This bill is the least we should do,” Cummings said.
But hopes of a compromise to end the shutdown seemed unlikely over the weekend. During an interview with the Associated Press, Obama defended the shaky rollout of his signature health care law and said any modifications to the program would have to be negotiated after the shutdown is resolved.
“There are enough votes in the House of Representatives to make sure that the government reopens today,” he said. “And I’m pretty willing to bet that there are enough votes in the House of Representatives right now to make sure that the United States doesn’t end up being a deadbeat.”
Flinching by either side on the shutdown might be seen as weakening one’s hand in an even more important fight looming just over the horizon as the combatants in Washington increasingly shifted their focus to a mid-month deadline for averting a first-ever default.
“This isn’t some damn game,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Friday as the White House as Democrats held to their position of agreeing to negotiate only after the government is reopened and the $16.7 trillion debt limit raised. Republicans pointed to a quote in The Wall Street Journal from an anonymous White House official that “we are winning. … It doesn’t really matter to us” how long the shutdown lasts.
At issue in the shutdown is a temporary funding measure to keep the government fully open through mid-November or mid-December. More than 100 stopgap continuing resolutions have passed without much difficulty since the last shutdown in 1996. But Tea Party Republicans, their urgency intensified by the rollout of health insurance marketplaces this month, are demanding concessions in Obama’s health care law as their price for the funding legislation, sparking the shutdown impasse with Democrats.
“I was disappointed when certain parts of the federal government were forced to shut down because Senate Democrats refused to make any changes whatsoever to the deeply flawed health care law known as Obamacare,” said Texas Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP’s weekly address. “Republicans are eager to end the shutdown and move ahead with the fiscal and economic reforms that our country so urgently needs.”
Obama has repeatedly said he won’t negotiate on the temporary spending bill or upcoming debt limit measure, arguing they should be sent to him free of GOP add-ons. Congress, whether controlled by Democrats or Republicans, routinely sent Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, “clean” stopgap spending bills and debt-limit increases.
“The American people don’t get to demand ransom in exchange for doing their job,” Obama said in his address. “Neither does Congress.”
House Republicans appeared to be shifting their demands, de-emphasizing their previous insistence on defunding the health care overhaul in exchange for reopening the government. Instead, they ramped up calls for cuts in federal benefit programs and future deficits, items that Boehner has said repeatedly will be part of any talks on debt limit legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and other Democrats blocked numerous attempts by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to approve House-passed bills reopening portions of the government. The Texas Republican is a chief architect of the “Defund Obamacare” strategy and met earlier this week with allies in the House and an aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., to confer on strategy.
In a lengthy back and forth with Reid and other Democrats, Cruz blamed them and the White House for the impasse and accused them of a “my way or the highway” attitude.
But Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., likened the Republican strategy to “smashing a piece of crockery with a hammer, gluing two or three bits back together today, a couple more tomorrow, and two or three more the day after that.”
The shutdown led the White House to scrub a presidential trip to Asia, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics delayed its customary monthly report on joblessness as impacts of the partial shutdown spread.
Ironically, Boehner and the leadership more than two weeks ago outlined a strategy that envisioned avoiding a shutdown and instead using the debt limit bill as the arena for a showdown with Obama. Their hope was to win concessions from the White House in exchange for raising the debt limit and agreeing to changes in two rounds of across-the-board cuts, one that took place in the budget year that ended on Sept. 30 and the other in the 12 months that began the following day.
The strategy was foiled by the “Defund Obamacare” movement that Cruz, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Tea Party groups generated over the summer.
Contributing: David Jackson and The Associated Press
Man must remove wife’s grave from yard, court rules
Associated Press Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:42 PM
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The Alabama Supreme Court on Friday rejected an elderly north Alabama man’s appeal to keep the grave of his late wife in the front yard of the home they shared for decades.
The justices, in an 8-3 decision that didn’t include a written opinion, issued a brief order, agreeing with other courts in saying that Patsy Davis’ body must be removed from the front yard in Stevenson where it had been since 2009. James Davis has said he buried wife in the front yard of their log home because it was her dying wish.
Parker Edmiston, an attorney representing the city, said work to remove the grave from Davis’ yard could begin as early as next week.
Davis has publicly said he won’t allow the removal of his wife’s remains regardless of any court ruling, and Edmiston said the first step would be contacting a lawyer for Davis to work out a procedure for disinterment.
“Our heart has always gone out to Mr. Davis in the loss of his wife, but he just didn’t follow the law in this case,” said Edmiston.
Neither Davis not his lawyer, Tim Pittman, returned messages seeking comment.
The body of Patsy Davis will be placed in a “proper cemetery,” Edmiston said, possibly the city cemetery where Davis previously was offered two plots as a settlement of the court dispute.
The City Council rejected Davis’ request for a cemetery permit for his yard after his wife died on April 18, 2009, but he buried her a few feet from the front porch anyway. The headstone, which Davis keeps surrounded by flowers, is visible from the street.
The city sued to make Davis remove the grave, arguing that laws prohibit people from using their yards as burial grounds inside the city limits, and a judge last year ordered Davis to move his wife’s remains to a licensed cemetery.
The removal order was placed on hold to give state appeals court time to rule, but Edmiston said the order would be enforced now that the Supreme Court sided with the town of 2,600 residents.
“The city has been adamant about this,” Edmiston said.
Officials with the Alabama Department of Public Health say family burial plots are not uncommon in Alabama, but city officials worry about the precedent set by allowing a grave on a residential lot on one of the main streets through the old railroad town, located in the northeastern corner of the state.
Holy smokes, Yarnell’s fire chief did what????
Yarnell’s fire chief resigned this week amid community outrage over the way he handled desert brush.
Specifically, that he didn’t clear it from around the town before this summer’s conflagration. And that he once used it to bury a child alive.
The fact that Jim Koile was convicted of manslaughter after taking his girlfriend’s three-year-old daughter to the desert and burying her while she was still breathing has never seemed much of an impediment to his career.
Certainly, the courts didn’t take it too seriously. Neither, apparently, have the fire departments he’s worked for in the decades since his conviction, including (until this week) Yarnell.
It was, of course, a long time ago. Yet I wonder, what is the statute of limitation on outrage?
Koile was a 26-year-old Mesa firefighter and paramedic in 1973, living with a woman and her three daughters. The oldest, three-year-old Carla, was described as a “pretty little bright-eyed blonde with an easy happy smile.”
Koile was taking care of Carla on Dec. 12, 1973, when she went “missing.” Precious hours passed as police searched for the little girl.
Finally, Koile confessed and at 9:30 p.m. he led detectives to a ditch near the Beeline Highway north of McKellips. There, buried under debris and weeds, was Carla, wrapped in a canvas tent, clinging to life.
The detectives rushed her to Mesa Lutheran, where she underwent emergency surgery for a brain injury. She died 24 hours later. Carla Kay Dahlstedt was 3 years and 10 months old.
Koile told police he’d spanked her for lying then pushed her, trying to get her to sit down. Instead, she stumbled and fell, he said, hitting her head on the crib. This trained paramedic said he attempted CPR but thought she was dead and panicked. So he wrapped her body in a tent, drove her to the desert and buried her in a ditch.
The medical examiner, Dr. Thomas Jarvis, told authorities he believed the child had been beaten. “He states in his opinion the child was held by her right arm and was struck in the face and abdomen, as well as being pinched in her chest area,” according to the presentence report. “He then theorizes she was turned and beaten about the buttocks and then a severe blow was delivered to her head by a fist or hand, which caused the injury which resulted in her death.”
Koile was charged with murder but the jury never got to hear his confession or see pictures of Carla’s battered body. After a two-week trial in 1974, he was convicted of manslaughter…
And got five years’ probation.
Really.
Judge Charles D. Roush said that he was persuaded by the mother’s request for leniency and Koile’s record of public service. His office was flooded with complaints and a recall was launched, though it fell short.
Roush defended the sentence, pointing out that prosecutors couldn’t prove that Koile beat the child and that a jury found her death accidental.
“It was a terrible thing he did, burying her when he thought she was dead,” Roush said at the time. “That was wrong. It incenses me and it incenses you. Now, if I sentenced Koile to a one- to 10-year prison term, which was recommended by the probation officer, he would serve about seven or eight months and be eligible for parole. Should I extract seven or eight months from him for making the terrible decision of burying her instead of taking her to the hospital?…
“Do you send a man who made one serious mistake to prison if the rest of his life is exemplary?”
If Carla had been found in time to be saved, she’d be 43 years old today. I wonder how she might answer the judge’s questions?
Roush is a retired attorney now. l couldn’t reach him to ask if he’s ever had second thoughts. The late Judge William P. French wiped Koile’s record clean in 1979.
That, however, didn’t erase memory of the crime. The Yarnell Fire District Board knew of it long before hiring Koile as fire chief in 2011, according to the Prescott Daily Courier, which recently detailed Koile’s conviction. Newer board members who didn’t know didn’t seem to mind.
“As Christians we are taught to forgive,” one board member told the newspaper.
Forgiveness, I get. But entrusting public safety to a guy who would dump a child in the desert? That one, not so much.
Koile resigned this week, though I suspect it had more to do with his handling of the Yarnell Hill fire, which destroyed 127 houses, than his handling of a little girl on a long-ago December day.
Some things, after all, can’t be forgiven.
(Column published Oct. 12, 2013, The Arizona Republic.)
Arizona tribes bracing for sting of shutdown
By Alia Beard Rau and Daniel González The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 7, 2013 8:05 AM
Arizona’s 22 Native American tribes depend heavily on federal money to provide their more than 200,000 members with education, health care, housing and public safety.
As the partial shutdown of the federal government continues, the tribes are expected to be among the hardest hit.
“The federal government is so pervasive on the Indian reservations that anything that happens on the federal government level in terms of funding cuts or a shutdown will have a major impact,” said state Rep. Albert Hale, D-St. Michaels, who is Navajo. “Most of the medical services available are federally funded, the housing, the schools.”
For now, school and community leaders say they’re finding ways to keep services going.
“Indian people have survived all the atrocities that have been perpetrated on them by federal policies,” Hale said. “They are resilient. They will find a way to survive this again.”
The Navajo Reservation is the largest in the United States, covering parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Arizona’s portion is home to more than 100,000 residents.
About three-quarters of the Navajo Nation’s 7,000 government workers, including police officers, are funded by the federal government. The majority of the Navajo Nation’s programs, including health care and social services, are also federally funded.
So far, the Navajo Nation has not been affected by the federal government’s shutdown. No workers have been furloughed, and schools, social services and public safety are still operating, said Erny Zah, director of communications for the offices of president and vice president of the Navajo Nation.
But that’s partly because many of those employees, including police and medical personnel, are among those workers the federal government considers essential and has allowed to remain on the job and partly because the Navajo Nation operates on different funding cycles that haven’t been affected so far, Zah said.
Officials have instructed program supervisors to develop contingency plans in case the shutdown drags on.
Navajo officials are also concerned that some projects run jointly with the federal government could be hurt.
For example, the Navajo Nation is trying to buy a coal mine southwest of Farmington, N.M., from BHP Billiton. But Navajo officials are concerned they won’t be able to meet the deadline to finalize negotiations by the end of the month if the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the federal Office of Surface Mines at the Department of Interior remain closed.
“Even though we will be open, we won’t be able to move forward with some things,” Zah said. “It’s like we are playing tennis and our doubles partner is out. So as we are going on with this tennis match, we don’t have our partner with us.”
Rep. Jamescita Peshlakai, D-Cameron, said the shutdown has put her out of a job. Between legislative sessions, she runs a non-profit agricultural program on the Navajo Reservation.
“We operate basically by grant funding,” she said, adding that without a federal farm bill, there is no grant money.
She said she’s keeping busy, but she’s worried for herself and her community. “I’m a single parent. I have to bring home an income to my children,” she said.
But she said she and her fellow Navajos will make it through.
“You just hunker down and do your own thing,” she said. “You do it yourself instead of hiring somebody, like wood hauling. You eat your livestock instead of going to Safeway to get a steak. And the barter system works well here.”
On the Gila River Indian Reservation near Chandler, tribal Gov. Gregory Mendoza sent a letter to community members last week explaining that they have contracts with the federal Indian Health Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
He said programs operated with BIA money can continue to operate with funds left over from the prior year or with funds from the Gila River Indian Community. Community health centers funded by IHS can do the same.
“At this time the community will continue funding federal programs with community funds,” Mendoza wrote. “Especially essential services like health care, law enforcement, elderly services, emergency services, housing and education.”
But while schools remain open, some are worrying how they will pay their bills.
The federal government gives some schools on or near the reservations additional money, called impact aid, because their property-tax revenue is limited. Tribal lands are not subject to state property taxes. This money is allocated directly from the federal government to the school for each school year. Schools expected to start getting checks later this month.
“As long as the government’s shut down, they are not getting payments,” said the Arizona Department of Education’s government relations director, Chris Kotterman. “That’s a problem. A lot of them use that cash to operate.”
Kotterman said it’s also a double whammy, coming after the feds cut impact-aid payments as part of sequestration last year.
Kotterman said the schools can ask the state for a cash advance on separate funds they get through the state. He said they also could try to get a bank loan.
Mark Sorensen, CEO and co-founder of Star School, a small charter elementary school 25 miles east of Flagstaff on the edge of the Navajo Reservation, said the school relies heavily on impact aid.
“We are in a remote, rural area and the state charter-school formula gives us very little money for transportation,” he said. “We rely totally on impact aid for transporting all our kids.”
He said they also rely on impact aid to provide healthier lunches and breakfasts for students, many of whom qualify for free and reduced lunch.
“We are running low on funds right now,” he said. “We will probably have to go to the bank and borrow money.”
Sorensen said it’s frustrating that his school has cut its expenses to assure it will operate on a balanced budget this year despite earlier federal-sequestration budget cuts and now they may have to beg the banks for money.
“If we as a school develop a budget and stick to our budget, why are we getting punished for other people not handling their budget?” he said. “I have to wonder why we are electing people to government who think the way to govern is to shut down the government.”
He said they will do everything they can to ensure that the students aren’t affected by the shutdown.
“But there’s no guarantee the bank will provide us with a loan,” he said. “Especially if the federal government is not being reliable.”
Overtime issue arises at Arizona Board of Executive Clemency
By Craig Harris and Rob O’Dell The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Oct 6, 2013 9:27 PM
The state Department of Administration is trying to determine if four current and former Arizona Board of Executive Clemency members are owed potentially hundreds of hours of overtime pay.
One former board member said it’s likely they are owed “something less than 500 hours” each of overtime pay, but the former clemency board executive director who quit this summer following allegations of misconduct said his former colleagues are owed nothing and are “greedy.”
The cost for repayment is unknown because the situation remains under investigation, according to the Department of Administration.
The pay controversy is the latest problem for the clemency board, a five-member group appointed by the governor that decides the fate of inmates seeking early release from custody. The agency, which also has just six full-time positions, typically functions below the public’s radar but has recently created numerous headaches for Gov. Jan Brewer.
Five former board members, including one who claims he is owed overtime pay, alleged last month in an unrelated federal appeal of a death-penalty case that Brewer was so concerned about appearing tough on crime that her top aides pressured the board to show no mercy for prisoners in high-profile cases. Brewer disputed their claims.
Meanwhile, ex-Director Jesse Hernandez — appointed last year by Brewer despite having no criminal-justice experience — abruptly quit in August after a state investigation concluded he had engaged in nine cases of inappropriate behavior, including giving an unqualified female employee he was dating a promotion and a $21,300 pay raise.
Hernandez and two other appointees were seated last year after Brewer sacked their predecessors, including the prior, longtime board chairman.
Brewer’s spokesman, Andrew Wilder, said that the Administration Department has been in the process of looking into potential pay issues involving clemency-board members. The state will provide additional information once the inquiry is complete, he said.
Wilder declined to answer questions about how the state would finance compensation if the employees are found to be owed back wages.
Alan Ecker, a Department of Administration spokesman, said it was Hernandez who approved board members’ timecards, as agency directors generally do. He said the Administration Department would not have known that timecards did not reflect hours worked because it cannot audit them.
“ADOA doesn’t have oversight over the other agencies,” Ecker said. “The other agencies are responsible for their own internal controls.”
Those possibly owned money are three current board members — Jack LaSota, Ellen Kirschbaum and Brian Livingston, who became executive director when Hernandez resigned — and former member Melvin Thomas, who resigned from the board in early August because of problems he had with Hernandez.
Each board member is paid about $23.50 an hour. The executive director, who also serves as a board member, is paid more.
The Arizona Republic obtained board financial records under the state’s open-records law. Its review found that board members during the past fiscal year were paid for working up to 40 hours a week, and none was paid overtime during a period when the board was trying especially hard to whittle down a backlog of cases.
Ecker said the state as soon as possible will resolve the issue. But he said the cases are complex because employees potentially were shorted pay, and also did not financially contribute to the Arizona State Retirement System, which is required by law. The agency also did not make its required contributions to ASRS.
“It’s being worked out,” Ecker said.
Employees could be entitled to payment of 11/2 times their normal pay for overtime hours.
Livingston, the new board chairman, said the Arizona Legislature changed the law so that clemency-board members would be paid as hourly employees starting in early August 2012. Previously, they were salaried, which meant they were not entitled to overtime pay.
Livingston said the period being examined regarding overtime pay for board members is from early August to mid-December 2012, when the board was working long hours to clear its backlog of clemency cases. Members had thought they were exempt from overtime, but later found out they were eligible for additional pay and made their claims with the state.
Hernandez, however, said none of his ex-colleagues worked overtime during that time. He claimed some didn’t even work the total hours they were paid for, as some left early.
“They have no overtime coming to them whatsoever,” he said. “They are greedy retired individuals who want to supplement their income. ... It’s just pure greed.”
Hernandez abruptly quit Aug. 16, after a Department of Administration probe substantiated nine claims of misconduct by Hernandez, who stood accused of making discriminatory and inappropriate comments to female employees and ogling them.
The Republic found that while Hernandez did not report any overtime worked by fellow board members, he meticulously recorded extra hours he worked as a salaried employee.
Hernandez reported that he worked 484 extra hours in fiscal 2013, or nearly 19 overtime hours per two-week pay period, according to clemency-board payroll data analyzed by The Republic.
However, he never was paid for those extra hours despite submitting them, according to Ecker.
Ecker said salaried employees can put down extra hours but they aren’t paid for them. He said the state allows employees to enter the extra time because it adds to the “knowledge base” and helps keep track of hours worked and potential burnout.
Hernandez said he documented all of his hours to show how hard he had worked.
“If anyone called me at 5 o’clock on a Friday, I was there, and I showed up at 6 in the morning (to work),” Hernandez said. “That is what people (the public) expected out of us.”
Hernandez, who was paid $84,146 a year, added that he brought it to the attention of the Department of Administration and the Governor’s Office that board members were not contributing to the Arizona State Retirement System.
“I tried to clean it all up,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez declined to discuss the allegations against him, except to acknowledge he dated an employee whom he promoted. However, he said she was qualified for the job and the promotion. In the wake of his departure, the woman was recently demoted and had her pay cut.
Former board member Thomas said he had difficulty believing Hernandez.
During the unrelated federal court hearing last week, Thomas testified said that he quit because he was cheated out of pay by Hernandez.
By the end of his time on the board, “Half of the stuff that came out of his (Hernandez’s) lips I didn’t believe,” Thomas told the court.
Kirschbaum could not be reached for comment.
But LaSota said he knows he is owed hours of overtime.
LaSota said he did not realize he was entitled to overtime, so he didn’t track his hours, and relied on the Hernandez to log his hours.
LaSota put much of the blame on Brewer and legislators, who he said treated the clemency board like “second-class citizens” by first cutting their hours, then making them hourly employees and giving the board members no health insurance or paid sick and vacation time.
“We certainly put in the time,” LaSota said. “It’s wrong for Mr. Hernandez to describe any person on that board as greedy, because every member on that board is underpaid.”
U.S. raids reflect emerging strategy
Top terrorists sought as Africa becomes a haven
Associated Press Mon Oct 7, 2013 7:43 AM
The U.S. commando raids in Libya and Somalia over the weekend suggest the future shape of U.S. counterterrorism efforts — brief, targeted raids against highly sought extremist figures — and highlight the rise of Africa as a terrorist haven.
The strikes also raise questions about where to interrogate and try captured terrorist suspects such as Abu Anas al-Libi, accused by the U.S. of involvement in the 1998 bombings of two American embassies in Africa.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Sunday that Libi was in U.S. custody; officials would not say where.
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, said Libi has “vast intelligence value.”
McKeon said President Barack Obama should “fully exploit this potential” before moving on to his prosecution. The White House seemed to agree, saying Saturday’s raid in Tripoli was specifically designed to apprehend, not kill, the suspect.
“The president has made clear our preference for capturing terrorist targets when possible, and that’s exactly what we’ve done in order to elicit as much valuable intelligence as we can and bring a dangerous terrorist to justice,” said the White House National Security Council’s spokeswoman, Caitlin Hayden.
The outcome of a second U.S. commando raid Saturday in Somalia, targeting a leader of the al-Qaida-affiliated terrorist group al-Shabab, was less clear.
A Navy SEAL team swam ashore in Somalia early in the morning and engaged in a fierce firefight. A U.S. official said afterward the Americans disengaged after inflicting some al-Shabab casualties, but it was unclear who was hit. The official was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
The raid in Somalia reflected the importance the Obama administration attaches to combating al-Shabab, whose leaders are believed to be collaborating more with other al-Qaida-affiliated Islamic insurgent groups across Africa.
In a speech in May outlining his strategy for the use of drones, Obama counted Somalia as among the places where the U.S. and its allies face “lethal yet less capable al-Qaida affiliates.”
The commando assaults unfolded against the backdrop of political paralysis in Washington, where the Congress and the White House are locked in battle over budgets but have agreed to keep the military operating and paid on time.
Libya said Sunday it has asked the United States for “clarifications” regarding the capture of Libi by U.S. Army Delta Force commandos.
The Tripoli government said that Libi, as a Libyan national, should be tried in his own country. He is on the FBI’s most-wanted list of terrorists, with a $5 million bounty on his head. He was indicted by the U.S. in November 1998.
In a statement, Libya also said it hoped the incident would not affect its strategic relationship with the U.S., which is evolving in the aftermath of the 2011 ouster of longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi.
Ties were complicated by the Sept. 11, 2012, attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, in eastern Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.
Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a vocal advocate of placing captured high-value terrorist suspects in the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said Sunday that Libi should be treated as an enemy combatant, detained in military custody “and interrogated to gather information that will prevent future attacks and help locate other al-Qaida terrorists.”
Libi was indicted by a federal court in New York for his alleged role in the bombings of the U.S. embassies in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and Nairobi, Kenya, on Aug. 7, 1998, that killed more than 220 people.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in Indonesia for an economic summit, said the U.S. hopes the raids make clear that America “will never stop in the effort to hold those accountable who conduct acts of terror.”
He added: “Members of al-Qaida and other terrorist organizations literally can run but they can’t hide.”
It was not immediately clear whether Libi had been involved with al-Qaida since or had been connected to militant activities in Libya, where al-Qaida has a growing presence since Gadhafi was ousted.
Libi’s family denied he was ever a member of al-Qaida and said he was not involved in militant activity since his return.
In a 157-page indictment filed in the Southern District of New York in November 1998, the U.S. government accused Libi and others of conspiring to kill American civilians and military members at the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Specifically, prosecutors said Libi helped bin Laden and al-Qaida plan the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi by scouting and photographing the site in 1993. The indictment also alleges Libi discussed other attacks on the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as British, French and Israeli targets in Kenya.
The court filing does not charge Libi in the bombing and deaths of those at the embassies, but rather says he conspired to achieve that result.
Affordable Care Act a misnomer
The Arizona Republic Wed Oct 9, 2013 6:34 PM
We just received a letter from our medical insurer advising us that our current policy is not compliant with the Affordable Care Act, and will terminate on Dec. 31. A new, compliant policy will take its place effective Jan. 1.
Our current premium: $294 per month. The new premium: $667 per month. Where is the affordable part?
— Rich Conrow, Scottsdale
Arizona Ombudsman: State medical board violated laws
By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Mary K. Reinhart The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:24 AM
The state board responsible for regulating doctors put the public at risk by failing to properly investigate their licensing credentials as required by Arizona law, according to a state report issued Wednesday.
The findings against the Arizona Medical Board were contained in a 192-page report released Wednesday by the Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide, an independent state panel that investigates agencies accused of violating rules and statutes.
The report, the agency’s lengthiest in recent memory, substantiated 19 of 20 allegations brought by current and former medical board employees. It also issued 20 recommendations to get the agency on track.
The allegations include everything from improperly reviewing key information about doctors’ education and disciplinary actions to allowing physicians to illegally dispense prescription drugs and not provide adequate documentation of citizenship.
The ombudsman suggests the state Auditor General review qualifications of all physicians licensed by the board since September 2011.
The ombudsman’s office has also asked the state Attorney General’s Office to investigate allegations of violations of state law by the board’s director and deputy director.
The alleged licensing lapses involved newly licensed physicians, renewal applications and doctors who claimed specialty board certification.
It is unclear how many physicians may be affected; about 21,300 allopathic physicians are now licensed. Licenses must be renewed every two years.
State lawmakers called the board’s policies “reckless” and said they couldn’t confidently say whether the public was harmed by the board’s actions.
Sen. Nancy Barto, R-Phoenix, said the board may have licensed unqualified doctors. Barto, chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, has been following the investigation for months. Asked if the public should feel confident that their physicians are appropriately licensed, Barto told The Arizona Republic, “That’s an open question.”
“I don’t think we can be sure, to be very honest,” Barto said. “This is very serious.”
The report puts most of the blame on board executive director Lisa Wynn, and her deputy, Amanda Diehl, who left in March. The report says Wynn and Diehl ignored licensing rules and law. Wynn also refused legal advice from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and did not correct staff when she knew they were violating the law, the report states.
The Governor’s Office, which appoints each member of the Medical Board, would not immediately comment on the report.
“We’ve just received this document. If we comment, it will be sometime after appropriate staff has been able to read” it, Gov. Jan Brewer’s spokesman, Andrew Wilder, said in an e-mail.
Wednesday evening, the board issued a statement saying it takes “very seriously” the ombudsman’s report and its “recommendations for corrective action.”
“Any previous noncompliance of statutes and regulations under the direction of the Executive Director ... were addressed this year by the Board immediately. The Arizona Medical Board continues to work diligently to ensure the Agency’s Executive Director and Administration is in compliance with rules and statutes,” said Dr. Gordi Khera, the board’s chairman.
Wynn declined comment, but wrote in a response to the ombudsman that her intent was to “more effectively and efficiently license physicians” in a way that would not jeopardize public safety.
“I categorically reject, and I will vigorously defend, any allegation that I knowingly broke any law,” she wrote.
Wynn and Diehl, according to the report, acknowledged neither they nor the board had legal authority to make the changes, but still proceeded. Wynn defended the practices, saying they were addressing a mandate that she perceived state leaders put on the board to operate more efficiently and reduce regulatory burdens on doctors.
“She argued the new policies were superior to ‘outdated’ state laws, while meeting public demand for less regulation and satisfying physicians’ expectations for quicker licensure,” the report said.
History of problems
The board has a long history of problems: Throughout the 1990s, for example, the state Auditor General released one scathing report after another, taking the board to task for a backlog of complaints and shoddy investigations and for not being tough enough on problem physicians.
A 2000 Republic investigation found a range of problems pertaining to disciplining doctors — for example, at least 20 doctors who had been banned from medicine in other states were licensed and allowed to practice in Arizona.
Just last year, a separate ombudsman report found Medical Board staff were breaking the law by improperly verifying doctors’ employment.
The ombudsman opened the current investigation in August 2012 after an employee claimed that expedited licensing procedures were violating state laws. When she and and others raised legal concerns, the employee alleged, Wynn and the deputy director rebuffed them.
“The complainant asserted that because of law violations, imprudent processes, staff turnover, and confusing instructions, the (board) did not adequately protect the public from potentially unqualified physicians,” the report states.
The case grew as five other employees came forward with stories of improprieties.
Investigators interviewed employees and licensing experts and reviewed audio recordings, state law and other documents.
In recent weeks, the Medical Board has discussed the investigation, but only behind closed doors; neither board members nor their staff would answer questions about the inquiry.
Among the report’s key findings:
-- The board did not verify each applicants’ licensure from every state in which the applicant held a medical license even though state law requires it to do so. Wynn told the ombudsman she supported the process because the rules are “outdated” and said she directed staff to instead rely entirely on a database to determine physician eligibility. That database, according to the ombudsman, warns that it should not be used in place of primary-source verification.
-- The board stopped verifying doctors’ board certification as required by law. As a result, physicians’ public profile information unlawfully reflects incorrect information. Information about medical training and continuing medical education was also not verified.
That means that patients who visit the Medical Board’s website to research a particular physician cannot be sure that the information posted there is accurate.
-- Wynn “chose to ignore” licensing laws, directed staff to disregard the laws, refused attorney general advice on legal obligations and did not correct or redirect staff when she knew they were breaking the law.
-- The board enacted policies to illegally circumvent licensing laws and speed up the licensing process. The board considered various laws obsolete, given new technology, and considered their internal policies as acceptable work-arounds. However, the report noted state agency policies cannot usurp state laws.
At the same time licensing applications were being processed more quickly, the licensing division went from 14 employees to four.
Wynn argued that a 2012 executive order by Brewer — which continued a prior partial moratorium on agency rule-making — gave her authority to interpret licensing rules and statues as she saw fit. Wynn argued the policies she put in place did not jeopardize public safety.
-- Some physicians illegally dispensed controlled substances because board staff did not mail certain notices to physicians in a timely manner and failed to suspend dispensing privileges when they did not receive responses from doctors on those notices.
Barto said the board’s actions could put the public at risk.
The report paints a “disturbing picture of an executive director who ignored laws and created policies that jeopardized public safety,” she said.
“The report indicates a hasty licensing process took priority over the public health and welfare of Arizona citizens,” she said. “Because of this reckless policy, patients receiving care in Arizona may not know if the person treating them should even be licensed.”
Corrective action
The board reprimanded Wynn in an Oct. 2 letter and directed her to follow the law, warning that if she did not, she could be disciplined or fired.
Eric Evans, a former Medical Board licensing coordinator, assisted in the investigation. He told The Republic Wynn fired him after he raised questions about her policies. Evans still works in the health-care industry, doing compliance management.
He said he was disappointed the board only reprimanded Wynn, who earns about $132,000 a year. He said Wynn and the board “must be held accountable.”
Throughout the investigation, Evans said he’s been talking with the governor and Barto about his concerns.
Barto said she needs to read the entire report before deciding what legislative action is appropriate. The report includes several recommendations, including legislative oversight of the board’s internal review of all license applications granted between October 2011 and April 2013.
But she also criticized board members for only issuing Wynn a letter of reprimand and urged them to reconsider the firings of Evans and another whistle-blower, who came forward with the allegations because of concerns for public safety.
“Obviously their side of the story was validated, and unfortunately they paid the price with their jobs,” Barto told The Republic.
“While the board agreed with all 19 of the findings and has accepted the ombudsman’s corrective action, it is troubling that the executive director received a mere reprimand and remains in office today,” Barto said in an earlier statement.
House Health Committee Chairman Rep. Heather Carter, R-Phoenix, also said she was still reading the lengthy report, but was concerned by the substantiated findings.
“Public safety and the health and well-being of Arizona citizens are priority number one,” Carter said. “And we will use this information to make sure that the public is protected.”
Carter said the board and staff have told lawmakers “great progress has been made” in implementing some of the recommendations. “And now we are going to verify that that’s the case.”
Officials with the Arizona Medicaid Association, which represents physicians, said they also had not read the full report but generally have been pleased with the board’s performance.
Longtime association lobbyist David Landrith, a former medical board administrator, said the agency is expected to work expeditiously to issue licenses, but not if it means licensing someone who shouldn’t be.
“But nobody’s shown me that we have bad doctors because of that reason,” Landrith said. Nobody’s shown me where there are people practicing who shouldn’t be.”
Dennis Wells, the Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide, said the report should serve as a message to all state agencies to abide by state statutes and rules.
“If they (the Medical Board) felt that certain rules were outdated, the Legislature is not that far away,” he said.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131010arizona-medical-board-revelations-bring-silence.html
Arizona doctor board revelations bring silence
By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and Mary K. Reinhart The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:33 PM
A day after a state investigation revealed that thousands of Arizona medical licenses were improperly vetted, state officials all the way up to the Governor’s Office were silent about how they intend to address the situation.
Patients who’ve had questionable procedures, however, were anything but silent.
Loyd Eskildson, 71, said members of the Arizona Medical Board should be more responsive to the public they serve.
He broke his leg, and after a doctor improperly reset it, Eskildson said he couldn’t walk at all.
Six months later, another doctor reset the lower portion of his leg and replaced his knee, which was affected by the bad reset.
Eskildson said he filed a complaint with the Medical Board, but he said it was dismissed.
“It’s important we have some knowledge of those providing good care and who isn’t,” the Paradise Valley resident said. “We keep getting all this advice that consumers should be more careful about who they go to — and it’s mostly in terms of cost — but heck, I’m more interested in quality.”
Eskildson said he doubts significant changes will come as a result of the report: “I know they’re not going to do anything.”
On Wednesday, the Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide released the results of a 14-month inquiry that found the state Medical Board violated an array of rules and statutes involving the way doctors’ credentials are investigated when they apply for licenses or renewals.
Kate Otting, assistant ombudsman, authored the report and said it is the agency’s most in-depth and largest in recent memory.
The Medical Board, which has been questioned about the physician-licensing lapses since at least last year, referred all questions to a public-relations consultant who wouldn’t grant an interview to The Republic.
Board Executive Director Lisa Wynn, who the report said directed staff to violate state laws in order to speed up physician licensing, was issued a letter of reprimand and continues to oversee the agency. She declined to comment on Thursday.
The wall of silence extended all the way up to Gov. Jan Brewer’s office and the upper echelons of state government. Neither Brewer, who appoints board members, nor her representatives, responded to requests by The Republic to address issues raised in the report.
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne’s office also would not comment on how the agency would handle a recommendation that it investigate allegations that Wynn and a former deputy director broke the law.
The Arizona Auditor General’s Office would not talk about how it would proceed on a recommendation that it review qualifications of all physicians licensed by the board since fall 2011.
Approximately 2,000 medical licenses or renewals were issued to physicians in the state during that time period, the ombudsman’s report states.
The investigation substantiated 19 of 20 allegations flagged by Medical Board employees, including that they failed to properly investigate physicians’ licensing credentials as required by law and allowing physicians to illegally dispense prescription drugs.
The report also alleges that Wynn and former Deputy Director Amanda Diehl directed staff to implement new policies to circumvent state laws.
Wynn denied the allegations in a response to the ombudsman; Diehl could not be reached for comment.
During the time period in question, both received pay raises.
Records provided late Thursday by the Department of Administration show that Wynn in November 2011 went from making $117,600 yearly to $125,800 yearly. Then in June, she received another raise and now makes $132,090 a year.
Diehl made $105,340 a year from 2010 to November 2011. She was making $112,700 at the time she left the agency in March.
In interviews with the ombudsman’s office, Wynn and Diehl said their motivation for expediting the licensing process in 2011 stemmed partly from physicians’ demands.
Wynn also blamed a moratorium on rule-making issued by Brewer and a legislative emphasis on reducing regulations and increasing efficiency.
The board also was insulated from the recession-era budget cuts that decimated other state agencies. The Medical Board is among 30 state boards and commissions that are self-supporting through fees paid by those they regulate.
Its budget has grown by almost 20 percent over the past three years, to $5.7 million, and the number of overall staff members has remained constant at 58, though there has been a marked drop in the number of licensing agents.
In a statement issued Wednesday, board Chairman Gordi Khera said the 12-member board takes the ombudsman’s report “very seriously” and is working to remedy the problems.
Asked if the public should be concerned about issues raised in the report, publicist Gordon James, who was hired to handle the board’s media inquiries, responded, “Absolutely not — of course not.” He would not elaborate.
Rep. Heather Carter, R-Phoenix, said the Legislature should ensure that an internal board review of more than 2,000 medical licenses granted or renewed since September 2011 is thorough.
“We need to be absolutely certain that this group of 2,000 have the appropriate credentials to be doing the medical work that they’re doing,” said Carter, who is chairwoman of the House Health Committee. “Whatever steps we have to take as a Legislature to make that happen, I think we need to consider that.”
Lawmakers have been aware of problems at the Medical Board at least since 2012.
They approved legislation this year requiring the agency to follow its own rules by verifying applicants’ previous hospital affiliations and employment and checking licensing boards in other states.
Dr. Mary Rimsza, a pediatrician who directed a study on Arizona’s doctor shortage, said the board must strike a balance between doing quick but thorough reviews.
According to the report, the board’s licensing staff went from 14 to four during a period when licenses were being issued in a matter of days. The average time for a new license to be issued in other states is nearly two months.
“It does take a long time to go through the process of doing primary reviews. And yet, it’s something that needs to be done,” Rimsza said.
“I find it hard to believe that you could cut the staff from 14 to four and be able to provide the same level of review.”
David Derickson, a former Superior Court judge who now practices law, said the ombsudsman’s report highlighted serious problems that could pose costly liability risks for the state.
“If a physician who shouldn’t have had a license had been licensed and has committed an act of malpractice, then there’s a potential for the person who’s been harmed to file a lawsuit against the state, which would be very bad,” Derickson said.
He said a lack of resources or attempting to deregulate an industry “is not an excuse” for violating the law.
“It’s an explanation and not a very good one,” he said, adding that Wynn and the board should have sought legislative changes and not unilaterally implemented new procedures.
James could not answer why the board chose to reprimand Wynn with a one-page letter, saying many discussions involving the report took place behind closed doors.
He said he could not make board members available, saying, “To be honest with you, I’m not sure there’s anything to be gained. … These are civilians — volunteers.”
Tenley Oberhaus, dubbed “LC-X” in the ombudsman report, triggered the investigation in August 2012 after she told the officials the board may be licensing unqualified doctors. She told The Republic that Wynn should be fired.
Oberhaus resigned as an assistant licensing manager in February because, she said, Wynn and Diehl retaliated against her for airing her concerns and created a hostile environment after she reported their alleged activities to the ombudsman.
“I couldn’t take it,” Oberhaus said. “I tried to stick it out and tried to stick it out, thinking, ‘When is this report going to be done?’ ”
Oberhaus said it is important that staff use primary verifications when reviewing physician histories to ensure the board and the public have access to the most accurate information to determine whether doctors should be allowed to practice medicine.
“By not doing any of the verifications right … we don’t know who’s safely out there,” she said. “What does it take? A dead body? What does it take for someone to say, ‘This is wrong?’ ”
Reach the reporters at yvonne.wingett@arizonarepublic.com and maryk.reinhart@arizonarepublic.com.
Pakistani girl, 16, survivor of Taliban, visits U.S.
By Jake Pearson Associated Press Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:14 AM
NEW YORK She has won New York — and maybe the whole country — with her humility and charm.
On Tuesday, she made comedian Jon Stewart ask if he could adopt her on national TV. On Thursday, she was awarded Europe’s most prestigious human-rights award.
And today she is a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize.
As hard as it is to believe that she is only 16, it’s almost harder to believe that a year ago this week, Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban for her outspoken support for girls’ education.
But she is no stranger to the spotlight, having addressed the United Nations on her 16th birthday this summer.
Malala, who now lives in England, came to New York to promote her memoir of her campaign for girls’ education and surviving the assassination attempt by the Taliban.
During her appearance on the “Daily Show,” Stewart asked what she would do if attacked again by a Taliban gunman.
“I would tell him how important education is and that I would even want education for your children, as well,” the Pakistani girl said. “That’s what I want to tell you, now do what you want.”
The audience gave her a thunderous ovation, and Stewart, who listened intently as she spoke, then made her an offer.
“I know your father is backstage and he is very proud of you, but would he be mad if I adopted you?”
The audience roared with laughter.
The New York trip has been a whirlwind. She was in Manhattan for a media interview at a community center, just hours after the announcement she won the $65,000 Sakharov Award, Europe’s top human-rights award.
The assassination attempt drew worldwide attention to the struggle for women’s rights in Pakistan.
The Nobel Peace Prize committee will say only that a record 259 candidates, including 50 organizations, have been nominated this year. Speculation on front-runners for Friday’s announcement is primarily based on previous choices and current events.
Besides Malala, others getting attention are Congolese surgeon Dr. Denis Mukwege, an advocate for women’s rights; Svetlana Gannushkina and the Memorial human-rights group she heads in Russia; Egyptian computer scientist Maggie Gobran, who chucked her academic career to become a Coptic Christian nun and run a charity; and Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning, the American soldier convicted of giving classified documents to WikiLeaks in one of the biggest intelligence leaks in U.S. history.
Malala has been giving TV interviews about girls’ education since she was 11. Her father, human-rights activist Ziauddin Yousafzai, founded an all-girls school in Pakistan.
Becoming well-known made her a potential Taliban target. But she writes in her new book, “I Am Malala,” that she thought “even the Taliban don’t kill children.”
But on Oct. 9, 2012, a masked gunman jumped into a pickup truck taking girls home from the school and shouted, “Who is Malala?” before shooting her in the head.
Her father asked his brother-in-law to prepare a coffin. But Malala woke up a week later at a hospital in Birmingham, England, and gradually regained her sight and her voice.
The world’s horrified reaction to the attack led to the Malala Fund, which campaigns for girls’ education around the world. Malala has received multiple awards.
Still, militants threaten to kill her if she returns home.
“If we found her again, then we would definitely try to kill her,” Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid said in an interview. “We will feel proud upon her death.”
Her assailant is still at large.
Malala’s fame has stirred some anti-Western sentiments in Pakistan. Many Pakistanis publicly wonder whether the shooting was staged to create a hero for the West to embrace.
But in awarding the Sakharov Award in Brussels on Thursday, Martin Schulz, president of the European Union legislature, said, “Malala bravely stands for the right of all children to be granted a fair education. This right for girls is far too commonly neglected.”
Glendale workers to get Christmas week off — with pay
By Paul Giblin The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 9, 2013 1:05 PM
Glendale will give its entire workforce a Christmas bonus: extra paid time off during the holiday season.
The City Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to approve a proposal from the Employee Recognition and Rewards Committee to give Glendale’s 1,600 employees five paid days off for Christmas.
City officials had already planned to give employees 1½ paid days off for Christmas. As a result, city administrative offices will close from Monday, Dec. 23, through Friday, Dec. 27.
The combined value of the added 3½ paid days off is about $1.3 million, according to Human Resources and Risk Management Executive Director Jim Brown.
Most council members said the move was the least they could do to show appreciation for workers who have endured pay freezes, furloughs and higher health-care costs since 2008 because of city budget constraints.
Glendale’s employees lost a combined $8.6 million in wages since a series of furloughs went into effect in fiscal 2010, Brown said.
Councilwoman Norma Alvarez said the bonus time wasn’t enough. She blamed the council for making poor decisions that put the city in financial distress.
“There’s no way you can make it up to the employees. They lost a lot of money for no reason,” she said. “I feel bad that they lost out, but we’re never going to pay them back what they should have gotten, which is their salary increases.”
Councilman Gary Sherwood called the move a “wonderful idea,” adding that Christmas week is fairly unproductive anyway.
About 730 employees, or roughly 46 percent, are expected to take Christmas week off entirely, Brown said.
The remaining 870 employees, or 54 percent, are expected to work at least a portion of Christmas week. Those employees, the bulk of whom are police officers and firefighters, will be able to bank the unused portions of their bonus time to use later during the fiscal year, he said.
The cost of implementing the plan is difficult to determine, because some employees may have to work overtime to allow every worker to take the 3½ paid days off, according to an analysis presented to the council. However, Brown estimated the cost at about $20,000.
Mayor Jerry Weiers, who cast the lone dissenting vote, questioned whether the move was fiscally responsible. A single extra day of paid time off would have been more palatable, he said.
“My heart goes out to employees,” he said. “My concern is, when I’m looking at a voter, a person that works for a private business that doesn’t get a total of five days off for Christmas, how do I justify that to the voter?”
The expense of giving 1,600 workers 3½ days of paid time off can’t be overlooked, the mayor said.
“I just want to make sure that that’s clear and on the record. It is lost productivity, no matter how you cut it or slice it or dice it,” he said.
Weiers also worried that employees might come to expect a full week of paid time off for the holidays in the future, after the city’s finances improve and the city can reinstitute pay raises.
Cities such as Surprise and Peoria, which have closed offices during Christmas week, have made it clear to employees that the extra time off is in lieu of raises and subject to change, Brown said.
For Glendale, the 3½ bonus days are in addition to 11½ paid holidays and five to 10 paid vacation days employees already receive. The bonus days give all employees 15 paid holidays, plus paid vacation days, which are based on years of service.
Vice Mayor Yvonne Knaack said she was concerned whether Weiers fully appreciates the employees’ commitment to the city. She said it boggles her mind that Weiers was ultra-concerned about lost productivity.
“The value should be with the employees and not the money,” Knaack said.
28 years in prison for corrupt ex-Detroit mayor
Associated Press Thu Oct 10, 2013 5:36 PM
DETROIT — A former Detroit mayor was sent to federal prison for nearly three decades Thursday, after offering little remorse for the widespread corruption under his watch but acknowledging he let down the troubled city during a critical period before it landed in bankruptcy.
Prosecutors argued that Kwame Kilpatrick’s “corrupt administration exacerbated the crisis” that Detroit now finds itself in. A judge agreed with the government’s recommendation that 28 years in prison was appropriate for rigging contracts, taking bribes and putting his own price on public business.
It is one of the toughest penalties doled out for public corruption in recent U.S. history and seals a dramatic fall for Kilpatrick, who was elected mayor in 2001 at age 31 and is the son of a former senior member of Congress.
While Detroit’s finances were eroding, he was getting bags of cash from city contractors, kickbacks hidden in the bra of his political fundraiser and private cross-country travel from businessmen, according to trial evidence.
Kilpatrick, 43, said he was sorry if he let down his hometown but denied ever stealing from the citizens of Detroit.
“I’m ready to go so the city can move on,” Kilpatrick said, speaking softly with a few pages of notes before U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds ordered the sentence.
“The people here are suffering, they’re hurting. A great deal of that hurt I accept responsibility for,” he said.
In March, he was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, fraud, extortion and tax crimes. The government called it the “Kilpatrick enterprise,” a yearslong scheme to shake down contractors and reward allies. He was doomed by his own text messages, which revealed efforts to fix deals for a pal, Bobby Ferguson, an excavator.
Prosecutors said $73 million of Ferguson’s $127 million in revenue from city work came through extortion. The government alleged that he in turn shared cash with Kilpatrick.
Agents who pored over bank accounts and credit cards said Kilpatrick spent $840,000 beyond his salary during his time as mayor, from 2002 to fall 2008. Defense attorneys tried to portray the money as generous gifts from political supporters who opened their wallets for birthdays or holidays.
“It is difficult to quantify the total cost of the devastating corruption instigated by Kilpatrick. … But one thing was certain: It was the citizens of Detroit who suffered when they turned over their hard-earned tax dollars but failed to receive the best services,” the judge said.
Kilpatrick was convicted in March, just days before Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder sent an emergency manager to Detroit to take control of city operations. The city filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy in July, overloaded with at least $18 billion in long-term debt.
Edmunds said Kilpatrick can’t be blamed for the bankruptcy — he’s been out of office for five years — but “corruption has its own cost.”
“We’re demanding transparency and accountability in our government. We expect it,” the judge said. “If there has been corruption in the past, there will be corruption no more. We’re done. It’s over.”
Kilpatrick covered much ground in his 30 minutes of remarks to the judge. He said he hated being mayor after just six months because the job was so difficult. He lamented that his three sons now will grow up without their father, a problem in black families, and said his scandals “killed” the political career of his mother, former U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Democrat who lost re-election in 2010.
The former mayor didn’t specifically address his crimes, though he said he respected the jury’s verdict. An appeal is certain. He said his family wasn’t in the courtroom because he didn’t want to make them uncomfortable under the media glare.
“I want the city to heal. I want it to prosper. I want the city to be great again,” he told the judge. “I want the city to have the same feeling it had in 2006, when the Super Bowl was here.”
The sentence was a victory for prosecutors. Defense attorneys argued for no more than 15 years in prison.
The punishment matches the 28-year sentence given to former Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Commissioner James Dimora in 2012. In Illinois, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison for trying to peddle President Barack Obama’s U.S. Senate seat for personal gain.
Outside court, U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said Kilpatrick seemed to be contrite but not enough.
“At the end of the day, he did not accept responsibility for stealing from the people of Detroit. … That to me diminished the impact of his words,” said McQuade, who noted that public contracts ended up costing more money because the fix was in for Kilpatrick’s buddy Ferguson.
Kilpatrick also tapped a nonprofit fund, which was created to help distressed Detroit residents, to pay for yoga, camps for his kids, golf clubs and travel, according to evidence.
Kilpatrick quit office in 2008 in a different scandal. Sexually explicit text messages revealed that he had lied during a trial to cover up an affair with his top aide, Christine Beatty, and to hide the reasons for demoting or firing police officers who suspected wrongdoing at city hall.
After more than three hours in court Thursday, Kilpatrick stood up and stretched by twisting his waist. He looked for friendly faces in the gallery, placed his hands behind his back for handcuffs and was escorted away. He hopes to be assigned to a federal prison near family in Texas.
Scottsdale replacing old trolleys, buses with new models
By Kirsten Kraklio and Analise Ortiz The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team Mon Oct 7, 2013 1:09 PM
Fans of Scottsdale’s trolley system are in for a new ride.
The city is replacing old buses and trolleys with new, updated vehicles funded by a federal grant, said city Transit Manager Madeline Clemann.
Hayward, Calif.,-based Gillig Bus Co. made the vehicles, which are made of 62 percent American parts, said Clemann.
The new vehicles are sturdier and can accommodate more people.
“Our current fleet of vehicles are old and expensive and difficult to maintain. We have had issues of not having enough buses, so we can now end the maintenance issues we’ve been having with the older buses,” she said.
The overall cost of the replacement is $8.4 million, said Senior Transportation Planner John B. Kelley.
Eighty-three percent of the cost is covered by the grant. The remaining 17 percent is paid by a regional tax, he said.
Clemann said the vehicles are more environmentally friendly because they run on biodiesel and incorporate an electric hydro component.
“This will double and possibly triple our fuel mileage, which will reduce our overall fuel expenses,” she said.
The first new trolley is expected on the road this month. In December, an additional 12 vehicles will be operational, she said.
“We can only replace the current trolleys when they reach 10 years old,” she said.
Eight trolleys will be purchased in 2015 which will complete the replacement of trolleys in Scottsdale, she said.
1) link to main page
2) put in drugs and cops too
I find it outrageous that the court allow cops to forcefully take blood samples from people they suspect of drunken driving.
On that note the courts did rule that Arizona's implied consent law, which required anybody who drives to voluntarily consent to take a breathalyzer test or blood test to be unconstitutional.
So remember to refuse to take any tests if you are stopped for DUI or DWI. That also includes those rigged field sobriety tests.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20131009claim-seeks-alleging-botched-blood-draw-by-gilbert-police.html
Claim seeks $500,000, alleging botched blood draw by Gilbert police
By Parker Leavitt The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 9, 2013 10:42 AM
A Gilbert man arrested in January on suspicion of extreme DUI has filed a $500,000 claim against the town for what he says was a botched blood draw that has left him with pain and numbness in his left arm, according to public records.
Gilbert police arrested Chad McKay around midnight on Jan. 19, and a blood draw to test for blood-alcohol content was conducted by an officer in the detention center, according to the claim.
Within 30 minutes, McKay began to feel pain in his upper left arm and tingling in his finger, and neither condition has subsided, he claims. McKay has made two visits to Dr. Douglas Bobb at Sun Valley Hand Surgery in Phoenix and was recommended for physical therapy after a positive test for irritation in the ulnar nerve, according to the claim.
The notice of claim, which acts as a precursor to a lawsuit, demands $500,000 in damages for alleged “gross negligence” by the Police Department. Chandler attorney Charity Clark, representing McKay, said her client’s condition might be permanent.
“The search that follows a DUI arrest, typically a blood draw, is extremely invasive and can be, as it was here, dangerous,” Clark said in an e-mail to The Republic. “We believe the state should be more vigilant in training officers to ensure they can properly determine probable cause and conduct safe blood draws once that is determined.”
Town officials do not comment on pending legal claims, and Clark said she had not received a response from the town. McKay plans to file a lawsuit when the notice of claim period has elapsed, Clark said.
“This is a public-safety issue,” Clark said. “Innocent citizens are at risk of being subjected to unsafe blood draws, which could cause damage.”
In 2003, McKay was charged by Gilbert police with assault, criminal damage and intimidation. All those charges were dismissed.
The DUI case is ongoing, with an evidence hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16.
Other liability claims recently filed against Gilbert include:
Gilbert resident Britney Jorgensen filed a civil complaint alleging she was arrested in May 2012 without a warrant on suspicion of witness tampering, a charge that was later dropped.
The stay-at-home mom and yoga instructor was forced to spend a night in the Fourth Avenue Jail in Phoenix, according to court documents, and she claims her constitutional rights were violated. Jorgensen has requested a jury trial to determine an amount in damages, and the case was sent to U.S. District Court last month.
A Gilbert man asked for $10,000 in damages after a bicycle accident near Power and Guadalupe roads. Walter Moffat claimed that his bike helmet was entangled in “low-hanging branches,” causing him to crash into a gravel bed and suffer a broken collar bone. The crash occurred in September 2012, and Moffat said he was released from medical treatment the following December.
A Mesa law firm filed a $20,000 claim on behalf of Stephanie Moosman alleging a Gilbert heavy-equipment vehicle hit her while she was riding her bike in January on Val Vista Drive.
As the vehicle operated by a town employee turned right onto Val Vista, it hit Moosman, knocking her off the bike and bending a wheel and the center frame, according to the claim. Moosman was diagnosed with neck and back strains and contusions on the hip and leg, according to the claim.
Gilbert paid $113,445 to settle liability claims in fiscal 2013, which ended June 30, records show. That was the second consecutive year settlement payouts have declined in Gilbert after the town paid $271,590 in fiscal 2011.
The most expensive settlement in fiscal 2013 was nearly $28,000 for water damage to a home after the water meter was replaced. The smallest settlement was $10 for a resident who said a trash can hit the house wall during trash pickup.
1) link to main page
I suspect that if you read the US Constitution the Feds don't have any constitutional right to tell Arizona how to run it's elections.
On the other hand constitutional or not elected officials routinely rig the elections to keep themselves in power, as these laws are intended to do in Arizona.
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/articles/20131011elections-ballot-ken-bennett-into-mind.html
Ken Bennett on new ballots: We're just following the law
The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 11, 2013 4:14 PM
Secretary of State Ken Bennett explains the thinking behind a bifurcated ballot.
A system in which some people can vote in all races and some can vote only for federal offices — is that a good idea?
No. Two “tiers” of voter registration is confusing to voters and a nightmare for election officials.
However, Arizona’s law requires proof of citizenship to participate in its elections, and the U.S. Supreme Court says voters who registered using the federal form and didn’t provide of proof of citizenship have to be allowed to vote in federal races.
A bifurcated system is the only way to comply with two disparate legal requirements.
Why isn’t a signature attesting to citizenship, as required on the federal form, enough to satisfy the requirements of the 2004 proposition?
Proposition 200 specifically says that the applicant must submit evidence of U.S. citizenship with the application and that our county recorders shall reject the application if no evidence of citizenship is attached.
Were other solutions available?
None that we have come up with so far. We’ll continue to work with county officials to see if there’s a better way.
Can you justify the expense? Maricopa County, with 900 voters registered through the federal form, estimates it will cost $250,000.
Our first duty is to follow the law. We will work with local officials to do it in the most cost-effective way possible.
Do you anticipate this creating more confusion at the polls?
County election officials around the state will alert the small number of people affected, which is less than 2,000 out of almost 3.2 million voters in the state.
Information will be posted in election materials and on websites, and we will continue to educate voters at every opportunity.
Our editorial criticized this as “separate and unequal.” Do you disagree?
Yes. I would simply ask which decision you would prefer we ignore. An order from the U.S. Supreme Court, or the will of Arizona’s voters?
We don’t want separate systems, but how else do we follow conflicting decisions for different groups of voters?
Other critics labeled it as “part of the war on voters.” What do you say to them?
What I find ironic is the very people who sought to remove the proof-of-citizenship requirement through the courts are who brought us into this situation.
Moving forward, we will work with our county election officials to implement a system that complies with federal directives and state law.
What are you reading these days?
“The Power of Story” by Jim Loehr. It’s about our personal story, how we tell that story to ourselves and how we can change our story to transform our lives.
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Currently solar cells are great if you live out in the boondocks and can't connect to the electric grid. But if you are on the grid solar power can't even remotely complete on cost or cleanliness with the power generated by electric plants using fossil fuel.
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/articles/20131008robb-rational-pricing-rooftop-solar.html
Robb: Rational pricing for rooftop solar
By Robert Robb, columnist The Republic | azcentral.com Tue Oct 8, 2013 6:31 PM
Determining an appropriate price for excess residential rooftop-solar power is a knotty problem.
Economically, the price of something is what someone else will pay for it. But there is only one potential buyer of excess rooftop solar in APS’ service territory, and that’s APS. And it would rather not buy the power at any price, although that’s not something it can say publicly.
As part of a subsidy program for solar energy, the Arizona Corporation Commission has ordered APS to purchase the power anyway. And it set the price at APS’ retail rate.
That’s obviously too high. A rooftop-solar owner couldn’t get his neighbor to buy his excess power at APS’ retail price. There would have to be a discount of some sort.
APS wants to pay what it would pay for alternative wholesale power, basically natural gas. But that’s obviously too low. APS’ wholesale rate is about a third of its retail rate. The rooftop owner could get someone to buy his excess power for some price in between that if he had the ability to get it delivered. APS wants to use its monopsony as a buyer and monopoly as a transporter to get the power at a below-market price.
Without a true market, figuring out what the in-between price should be is difficult. As one of its recommendations, the staff of the commission has come up with the only rationally based alternative yet floated: what APS pays for utility-scale solar on the wholesale market.
That is roughly a quarter to a third less than APS is paying now. But it is roughly double what APS pays for other wholesale power.
This is still unfair to other APS customers. But the commission has made the policy decision to be unfair and stick captive customers with higher electricity prices than necessary to promote and subsidize solar.
It is unfair to stick captive ratepayers with the higher cost of the utility-scale solar that APS has contracted to purchase from, for example, Solana. It’s no more unfair to stick them with the higher cost of excess solar power generated from residential rooftops at the same price.
For the commission’s desire to subsidize solar, it shouldn’t matter whether it comes from utility scale or rooftop. Basing the price of the latter, for which there is no market, on the former, for which there is somewhat of a market, is appropriately neutral and gives the price of rooftop power a rational basis it otherwise lacks.
This, however, isn’t the staff’s first choice. Their preference would be for the commission to duck the issue at present and, instead, deal with it as part of a full-blown rate case. That would be a mistake and a disservice.
Existing systems will be grandfathered in. Delay means grandfathering in more systems when it is clear that the current price is grossly unfair to other customers. The problem is known. The utility-scale solar wholesale price is a sensible remedy. Fix it now.
The rooftop-solar industry has conducted aighly deceitful public-relations campaign against any changes. The industry has depicted itself as the defenders of free enterprise against APS, the greedy monopolist trying to tax the sun.
APS is a monopolist. And it prefers the utility-scale solar it controls and recovers the cost of through the rate base to being required to buy excess rooftop solar.
But it is no more greedy than the rooftop-solar industry. And the rooftop-solar industry certainly isn’t defending free enterprise.
In a truly competitive electricity market, residential rooftop-solar owners would probably have to give their excess electrons away for free. What retail-electricity provider facing price competition would want to commit to purchase as wholesale supply such dispersed, intermittent and unreliable power?
The rooftop-solar industry wants a group of politicians to require an unwilling buyer to purchase its product at a price set by the politicians. There’s nothing free enterprise about it.
The commission has set that price too high with no rational basis. Using the utility-scale solar wholesale price as a proxy at least has a rational basis.
Reach Robb at robert.robb@arizonarepublic.com.
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Again I suspect the Fed's meddling with Arizona's voting system is unconstitutional.
But that certainly doesn't mean the Arizona politicians aren't rigging the system to keep themselves in power as the article points out.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131007arizona-proposition-200-ballots-horne.html
Arizona to have two-track voting system
By Mary Jo Pitzl The Republic | azcentral.com Tue Oct 8, 2013 7:01 AM
Arizona elections officials are preparing to use a dual-track voting system in next year’s elections that would require the use of two different ballots, depending on how a voter was registered.
Under the system, voters who registered with federal registration forms would be allowed to vote only in federal elections, while those who used state forms and showed proof of citizenship would be allowed to vote in federal, state and local contests.
The move is expected to affect 900 people and cost an extra $250,000 in Maricopa County alone.
The shift, triggered by an opinion Monday from state Attorney General Tom Horne, was immediately labeled as a restriction on voting rights.
But Horne and Secretary of State Ken Bennett said the move is necessary to comply with an Arizona voter mandate as well as federal law.
The new procedure singles out the several thousand Arizonans who registered to vote using the federal registration form, which does not require documents to prove U.S. citizenship.
Those voters are eligible to vote only in federal elections, Horne wrote, with the next opportunity being in August, when all nine congressional seats are on the ballot.
People who registered to vote using Arizona’s state form, which requires proof of citizenship, will be able to vote as usual, casting ballots in everything from local and state contests to congressional races.
The same access applies to people who used the federal registration form and filled in an optional part of the form that calls for a driver’s license or other form of proof of citizenship.
Horne issued his opinion in response to questions Bennett posed after the U.S. Supreme Court in June struck down parts of an Arizona voter-registration law.
In that 7-2 ruling, the justices said Arizona cannot demand proof of citizenship from people who register using the federal form. However, it upheld an Arizona voter mandate from 2004 that requires proof of citizenship for those using the state form.
The only way to satisfy both the voter mandate and federal law is to have a bifurcated voting system, Bennett said.
“It’s not the preferential way to do this,” he said, but it is the best solution elections officials could come up with.
Horne’s opinion states: “Arizona law does not preclude using one form of ballots for federal offices only and another form for all state offices and measures.”
The two-track distinctions also apply to voters who sign candidate and initiative petitions and most likely to people who give $5 contributions to candidates running under the state’s public-campaign finance system. The contribution to Clean Elections candidates is tantamount to signing a nominating petition.
Critics said the opinion smacked of politics, and they predicted it will add to problems at the polls, which recently have seen long lines of voters and late results.
“It’s part of the war on voters,” said Sam Wercinski, executive director of the Arizona Advocacy Network. “They’re trying to roll this back because of our Supreme Court victory in June.”
The opinion will create more confusion for voters as they try to sort out how they registered to vote and more cost to the taxpayer for running those elections, he said.
Both Wercinski and Alessandra Soler, executive director of the Arizona Civil Liberties Union, noted that a voter’s signature on the federal form is an oath that the individual is a U.S. citizen. That should be proof enough of citizenship, they argue.
Soler said Horne’s opinion contradicts the 20-year-old National Voter Registration Act because it makes registration and voting more complicated.
“Horne is introducing more complexity into an already confusing election system,” she said.
In Maricopa County, Elections Director Karen Osborne said she and elections officials statewide have been working on how to roll out the two-track system, anticipating that would be a consequence of the high-court ruling.
She estimated the county will have to double the number of “ballot styles” to 7,000 to accommodate the change.
For every precinct, there will have to be one ballot for local, state and federal races and a separate ballot with only the federal races on it.
Osborne figures that will cost an extra $250,000.
Osborne also is working on a letter to the 900 or so Maricopa County voters affected by the opinion.
“I’m trying to craft a letter that’s not rude,” she said. The message: You can still vote, but only in federal contests. Likewise, these voters should not sign petitions or local or state nominating petitions, she said.
The prohibition does not extend to the referendum on House Bill 2305, because that signature effort was submitted before Monday’s opinion.
Osborne said voters who want to check on which system they used to register can go to recorder.maricopa.gov or call their county’s elections office.
They also can register online at servicearizona.com and use the state’s registration form. But that requires a driver’s license or state-issued identification card, which some Arizona residents lack.
Horne’s opinion states: “Arizona law does not preclude using one form of ballots for federal offices only and another form for all state offices and measures.”
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2) put in police and drugs
Just what we need more marathons to cause huge traffic jams in the streets of Phoenix.
But who cares about us serfs who have to deal with the traffic jams, it's all about raising money for the royal rulers of Phoenix.
Think of it as more cash that the royal rulers of Phoenix can give to the special interest groups that help them get elected.
Also think of it as creating overtime for the cops who will police these events. Bottom line is it's the royal rulers of Phoenix giving the Phoenix cops overtime events, which they hope will result in the cops voting to reelect them.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20130930phoenix-host-more-pf-chang-marathons.html
Phoenix may host 4 more P.F. Chang marathons
By Victoria Cohen Special for The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 3, 2013 10:49 AM
It's almost official: Phoenix may continue to host the annual P.F. Chang’s Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and 1/2 Marathon through 2017.
The Phoenix City Council's Parks and Arts Subcommittee recently recommended approval of an agreement to continue hosting the event, which made its first appearance in the nation’s sixth-largest city in 2004. The full council will consider the item on Oct. 16.
More than 19,000 runners participated in this year’s race, which generated $273,358 in sales tax, according to a council agenda item. The council cited a participant survey that San Diego State University conducted for race organizer Competitor Group Inc. after the January race.
“The economic impact it has on Phoenix is the main benefit of hosting the marathon,” said James P. Burke, acting director of the Parks and Recreation Department. “It draws in runners from all over that need a hotel room. It markets restaurants in the area, and it brands the city.”
In return, the city provides in-kind services from Parks and Recreation, Police, Fire, Street Transportation, Public Works, Water and Public Transit departments and the convention center.
City officials said this year’s race cost the city about $170,000.
“We looked at direct sales-tax benefit versus the cost, and we wanted to make sure it still made financial sense for the city,” parks spokesman David Urbinato said. “And clearly, it does.”
“The economic benefit still is far outweighing the cost. And it still has those less tangible benefits of bringing a lot of people to Phoenix, showing off the Convention Center and showing off the city.”
Phoenix costs
The city’s largest single cost in 2013 was for barricades at $72,000, Urbinato said.
Police overtime and water services charges — to prepare hydrants along the route for drinking-water use — were the next two largest expenses, he said.
Urbinato said this year’s race cost about 25 percent more for barricades than the previous year because of “a route adjustment for the 2013 event that was very barricade intensive.”
Officials changed the route to improve neighborhood-vehicle access along the northern part of the Phoenix race. The race utilizes about 20 miles of Phoenix streets.
Urbinato said the city expects costs for 2014 to be similar to 2013.
Marathon popularity
The marathon series comprises 29 events throughout the United States and in countries around the world.
San Diego hosted the first one, and it has grown exponentially from there.
However, the 2013 participant numbers for the Arizona race were down from the 34,000 reported in the event peak years of 2007 and 2008, according to the city.
Still, runners said they enjoyed the event.
“Running is a passion of mine,” triathlete Lori Armstrong said. “I’ve run the P.F. Chang’s marathon three or four times now. It is among my favorites hosted in the state of Arizona.”
Many avid runners use the P.F. Chang’s marathon to qualify for other races, such as the Boston Marathon.
The marathon hosted in Phoenix is well-known for its record-setting statistics. In 2006, Haile Gebrselassie set a world record for running a half-marathon in 58 minutes 55 seconds. The record was broken by two seconds one year later. Two other half-marathon race records were set in 2010.
The race itself connects Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe. Both the half marathon and the mini marathon start in Tempe, while the full marathon starts in downtown Phoenix at CityScape plaza.
All three races end between Sun Devil and Sun Angel stadiums on the Arizona State University campus.
Dan Cruz, a spokesman for Competitor Group and an avid marathon runner, said the P.F. Chang’s marathon in Phoenix is one of the five largest events organized by his company.
“It is one of the premier running events in the country,” he said. “Arizona is an awesome place to host it because it is one of the only places you can run a major road race in the winter, and it is by far one of the largest long-distance road races held in January.”
The event includes a Health and Fitness Expo and a Finish Line Festival, which features a band. And it features a wheelchair race and bike tour.
Next year’s race is Jan. 19.
Urbinato said the agreement renewal stipulates that the marathon start and Health and Fitness Expo will remain in downtown Phoenix for the duration of the agreement.
“It’s been a long, constructive relationship, and it makes sense to continue it,” he added. “It’s a positive race and a positive experience.”
By the numbers
According to a participant survey conducted by San Diego State University for Competitor Group after the 2013 race:
More than 19,000 runners participated in this year’s race.
Of those, 8,278 out-of-town visitors spent a total of 6,377 room nights in Phoenix hotels.
The event generated $273,358 in sales taxes for Phoenix.
Runner numbers are down from the 34,000 reported in the event peak years of 2007 and 2008.
Source: Phoenix
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Obamacare will force healthy young kids to pay for the medical bills of old farts!!!
That's in addition to being a government welfare program for doctors, hospitals and the medical industry.
And of course a government welfare program for sick people.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130926obamacare-foes-fight-on.html
Health-care law’s foes fight on
By Mary K. Reinhart The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Oct 5, 2013 11:53 PM
The College Republicans had hoped to see more students in the Arizona State University lecture hall, where a mostly gray-haired crowd gathered on a recent weeknight to view an anti-“Obamacare” movie.
So had organizers with the conservative Americans for Prosperity, who have been crisscrossing the state on what they call the “Sick and Sicker” Tour. Their central prop is a movie that blames several deaths on the Canadian health-care system, which they hope will sow opposition to the Affordable Care Act.
The students passed around popcorn and pizza, sharing snacks and a mutual distrust of government-run health care with the older folks. They listened after the movie as a Goldwater Institute analyst argued that the federal health-care law is a costly mistake.
“We have the two groups that are going to get hurt the worst,” Christina Corieri told the audience. “Young folks and old folks.”
Opponents have fought the 3-year-old health-care law at every turn. They’ve tried to repeal it in Congress. They’ve tried to keep states from expanding Medicaid coverage under the law. And they’ve tried to block funding for its implementation.
Now, their latest front is a broad-based campaign to persuade people not to sign up.
Supporters of the law say the effort is funded by deep-pocketed conservative groups masquerading as grass-roots organizations. They accuse detractors of deliberately misleading the people who would benefit most from securing health insurance under the law.
The odds appear to favor those who support the law. Thousands of paid staff and volunteers are fanning out across the country to encourage enrollment. They are backed by multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns and high-profile boosters, from rock stars to the president.
But opponents are focusing on two key demographic groups they hope will pack both a practical and political punch: young adults, whose participation is critical to the success of the health-care law; and older Americans, who are most likely to vote in next year’s elections.
Funded by the conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, Americans for Prosperity ramped up spending for efforts in the weeks before and after Tuesday’s enrollment launch. They have funded ad campaigns that include a “Creepy Uncle Sam” encouraging young people to “opt out” and an aging cancer survivor who says the law is “dangerous.”
Both sides are targeting young adults, who typically have lower medical bills and whose premiums would subsidize older, sicker Americans, who are expected to rush to get coverage through the online health-insurance marketplace. But opponents also see an opportunity with older Americans who are already on Medicare, a key voting bloc that has been politically active throughout the health-care debate.
Opponents claim the new law will reduce the Medicare provider network and limit health-care services as a cost-saving measure.
In fact, the law does not contain Medicare-benefit reductions. To the contrary, it provides additional help with prescription-drug costs and eliminates copays for preventive care. It does create a new commission to recommend to Congress Medicare cost savings and cuts reimbursements for health-care providers over the next decade, so some doctors could elect to stop seeing Medicare patients.
“We do like to talk to seniors and remind them that quite a lot is at stake,” said Tom Jenney, Arizona director of Americans for Prosperity. “Patients are afraid that there will be no doctors to perform that service or the hospital won’t offer it.”
Public opinion
The ongoing federal government shutdown highlights just how desperate political opponents are to overturn the Affordable Care Act. They know that after years of fighting, their chances are dwindling.
Once its key provisions take effect, the law will offer benefits to millions of Americans that may prove difficult for foes of the law to overcome.
Public polling, however, has consistently skewed in favor of the anti-Affordable Care Act forces.
The promise of billions of dollars in federal funding to insure an additional 350,000 low-income Arizonans led Gov. Jan Brewer, an ardent foe of the health-care law, to champion Medicaid expansion, a key portion of the law. She persuaded 13 Republican legislators to risk their careers to support it.
Already under the health-care overhaul, more than 3 million young adults have gained coverage by remaining on their parents’ policies until age 26, including 69,000 in Arizona. An estimated 17 million children with pre-existing conditions, including more than 410,000 in Arizona, can no longer be denied coverage. And beginning Jan. 1, health insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage because of pre-existing health conditions.
The law requires nearly every American to have health insurance next year or pay a penalty. The penalty in 2014 is the greater of $95 or 1 percent of income. By 2015, the fee increases to $695 or 2.5 percent of income.
A federal analysis of insurance rates offered through the new online marketplaces launched last week shows Arizona will offer among the broadest arrays of plans and lowest-cost coverage options in the nation.
But even as enrollment began, polling continued to indicate that more Americans disapprove of the law than have a positive view of it, and many remain bewildered about what’s in it. Republicans and other opponents have used those numbers to justify efforts to kill the law.
“This is what the American people want. ... We’re simply trying to enact the will of the people,” U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., said on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” days before the government shutdown. “They’re afraid of it. They were promised they’d be able to keep their health care. They’re finding that’s not true.”
Americans not being able to keep their current health-care plans is a familiar refrain. It’s rooted in the fact that some consumers might decide the plan that includes their current doctor is unaffordable, forcing them to switch.
But it’s also true that most Americans won’t see any difference and won’t have any interaction with the online insurance marketplaces, typically because they’re already covered through an employer’s group plan, Medicare, Medicaid or Veterans Affairs.
Confusion surrounding the law poses a challenge for those charged with marketing and implementing it. At Enroll America, a national non-profit, staffers are keeping their focus on enrolling people and largely ignoring the opposition campaign.
“There has certainly been some confusion out there. That’s why we see our jobs as so important,” said Enroll America spokeswoman Jessica Barba Brown.
At the same time, some state and federal elected officials are putting additional restrictions on the guides, or “navigators,” hired to help the uninsured get coverage.
At least 30 states have passed laws regulating navigator qualifications or their work, including background checks, performance measures and limits on what they can say and where they can be located.
Republicans on the U.S. House Commerce and Energy Committee are seeking detailed information from selected non-profit agencies, health-care organizations and other groups that won navigator grants, as are attorneys general in 13 states.
The health-care law’s proponents say the efforts are intended to intimidate navigator groups and impede the initial six-month enrollment period. House committee members, who are targeting Arizona grantees among others, say they’re concerned about the potential for fraud, waste and identify theft.
Other Republicans, however, have openly moved to thwart the law’s implementation. Georgia’s insurance commissioner, for example, told a GOP crowd in August, “We’re doing everything in our power to be an obstructionist.”
Refuse to enroll
The focus of the opposition campaign is young adults, who are the most likely to be healthy and uninsured and who polls show are largely uninformed about the health-care overhaul. Federal officials estimate that 7 million uninsured people will enroll in health coverage in the first year, nearly half of them between 18 and 34 years old.
Generation Opportunity, a Virginia-based group with ties to the Koch brothers, grabbed national headlines last month with its “opt out” campaign featuring videos with “Creepy Uncle Sam,” meant to discourage college students from enrolling and implying that the Affordable Care Act equals government interference in health-care choices.
In one video called “The Glove,” a young man is almost finished with his exam when a doctor looks at his chart and sees that he’s signed up for coverage under the law. The doctor tells the patient to pull down his pants and lie on the table, then leaves the room. The “Creepy Uncle Sam” character pops up behind the exam table and puts on a glove: “Don’t let government play doctor,” the ad says. “Opt Out of Obamacare.”
A second ad features a young woman in a gynecological exam, and “Creepy Uncle Sam” with a speculum.
The campaign’s slogan — “Young Americans had options before Obamacare. We still do.” — is also the message of Twila Brase and the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom. Brase, a St. Paul, Minn., nurse, leads the Refuse to Enroll campaign, which includes fliers, a weekly radio appearance, yard signs and e-mail blasts.
“The reason why we have a refuse-to-enroll campaign is because we understand what the (health) exchanges really are,” Brase said. “We don’t look at them as coverage options. We call them federal takeover centers. Or IRS enforcement centers.”
Enroll America’s Barba Brown dismissed the anti-enrollment campaigns, saying young adults and others without insurance are eager to get health insurance and “protect themselves and their families from a financial disaster.”
Brase and other Affordable Care Act opponents, however, argue that many people would be better off paying the fine than buying into a health-care system they say will be overrun.
Many are uninsured because they choose to be, Brase said, and shouldn’t be forced into coverage they don’t want.
Brase says the law and online marketplaces are a federal intrusion into the personal health-care details of millions of Americans, a data-collection nightmare that will limit choices and increase insurance premiums. The best way to deal with the law, she argues, is to defy it.
“If you oppose Obamacare — 49% of the public does — the Exchanges provide an opportunity to act,” her fliers say. “If not enough people enroll, the Exchanges will fail. If the Exchanges fail, Obamacare fails. Defend your freedom by refusing to enroll.”
Brase and other opponents argue that people can find better health insurance outside the marketplace, or go without coverage and pay out of pocket.
The Legislature last session passed a “direct-pay” pricing bill requiring doctors and hospitals to post prices for their most common procedures, hoping to encourage patients to shop for health care.
“It’s insurance coverage, it’s not guaranteeing access to care,” Brase said of the federal law. “And it does nothing to contain costs.”
Health-care advocates are outraged at the efforts to discourage the uninsured from obtaining coverage, many of them for the first time and aided by hefty subsidies. But they fear that the tactic of going after young people could work.
“They’re targeting the same group we’re targeting,” said Tara McCollum Plese of the Arizona Association of Community Health Centers, which won federal outreach and navigator grants. “If you can convince those young people not to enroll ... that could sabotage this whole effort.”
Medicare scare
Affordable Care Act foes are also trying to raise doubts among older Americans on Medicare, a group that would seem largely insulated from the roiling debate but who are paying close attention and make up a large chunk of the base for both political parties.
Indeed, just as they came out for the ASU “Sick and Sicker” event, Arizona seniors were in the crowd at Capitol rallies opposing Medicaid expansion and on the streets passing petitions during the unsuccessful effort to refer Brewer’s expansion plan to the 2014 ballot.
Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City, a medical doctor who is among the Legislature’s most vocal critics of the federal health-care overhaul and Arizona’s broadened Medicaid eligibility, believes it will have wide-ranging impact on health care.
“My fear with Obamacare is that the doctor-patient relationship is going to be severed,” Ward said. “They want patients to be happy with whoever is on the other side of the exam table.”
Last month, Ward testified by phone to a New Hampshire commission considering Medicaid expansion in that state. She urged panel members not to expand, predicting it would cost more than estimated and arguing that Medicaid will be abused by patients with no incentive to consider health-care costs.
Fellow physicians have adopted a feeling of “resigned acceptance,” she said, but are concerned that federal reimbursement for accepting Medicaid and Medicare patients will drop, pushing health-care providers out of business.
Blase, Jenney and others also warn that an independent commission created under the Affordable Care Act could ration care based on age and medical procedure, decreeing, for example, that a hospital could perform only a limited number of hip replacements on people over 75 years old.
The advisory board, however, has not yet been named and its members require Senate confirmation. The Independent Payment Advisory Board would recommend cost controls to Congress if Medicare spending reaches a certain level, which it isn’t expected to hit for at least a decade.
Dr. Daniel Derksen is director of the Center for Rural Health at the University of Arizona, which won a small grant to help enroll uninsured Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders in Pima County.
He said he feels a “sense of outrage” at efforts to misinform or discourage people from getting health insurance.
“The deliberate attempt to mislead people is what’s so disturbing,” said Derksen, who helped write portions of the federal health-care law as an adviser to U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and submitted New Mexico’s state-run marketplace proposal to federal officials. “Anyone who implies that you’re better off uninsured, I can tell you, as a family physician, that’s not true.”
At Americans for Prosperity, more ads and public events are planned throughout the fall in Arizona and nationally.
College campuses will have tables sponsored by the pro-Affordable Care Act group Young Invincibles, while opposition groups intend to distribute “opt out” literature.
“Some people may decide that not enrolling is the best option for them,” Jenney said. “We’re not telling people what to do. But we want to make people aware.”
Reach the reporter at maryk.reinhart@arizonarepublic .com.
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I am certain the US Government won't default on it's "phony baloney debt". If that happens it will kill the goose that lays the gold eggs and stop the member of the US Senate and US House from robbing the American taxpayers blind.
For more information on the "phony baloney debt" crisis check out the book titled "The creature from Jeckyll Island". In a nut shell it's not debt, it's running the printing presses instead of raising taxes.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131005debt-ceiling-crisis-worst-case.html
Experts detail worst-case scenarios of debt-ceiling crisis
By Erin Kelly Republic Washington Bureau Sun Oct 6, 2013 12:26 AM
WASHINGTON - If you think the federal government shutdown is bad, wait for the sequel.
If Congress doesn’t raise the government’s debt limit before Oct. 17, economic experts say it could set in motion events that would have a much greater impact on the economy.
It could plunge the nation back into recession as interest rates soar, stock values plummet, employers take down “help wanted” signs and nervous consumers stop spending money.
It would threaten jobs and savings just as the nation is beginning to see an economic recovery take hold, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
“Just in time for Halloween, we’re getting a real scare,” said William Fox, an economics professor and director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee.
“If the nation defaults on its debt, we’ll all feel the impact,” he said.
The debt deadline looms larger as Congress is stuck in a budget impasse driven by Republican objections to the Affordable Care Act.
The GOP-controlled House has made its support for the budget conditional on a one-year delay to President Barack Obama’s signature health-care law.
The Senate, where Democrats are in the majority, has said postponing implementation of the 3-year-old law isn’t on the table.
House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid emerged from a meeting with the president last week and in separate remarks indicated they were no closer to a deal to end the partial federal government shutdown.
“As reckless as a government shutdown is, as many people as are being hurt by a government shutdown, an economic shutdown that results from default would be dramatically worse,” Obama told workers at a Maryland construction company a day after the meeting. “And the United States is the center of the world economy. So if we screw up, everybody gets screwed up.”
The debt limit, currently set at about $16.7 trillion, is the total amount of money the U.S. government is authorized to borrow to pay existing bills and obligations. Those include Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and payments to people who have invested in U.S. bonds.
Congress has the authority to set — and raise — the limit. Lawmakers have since 1960 raised the ceiling on borrowing 78 times, according to the Treasury Department.
The debt-limit votes have become increasingly contentious in recent years as the two parties have battled over government spending and the deficit.
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, in a letter to congressional leaders, urged lawmakers to raise the nation’s debt limit “immediately.”
He estimated the U.S. Treasury will run short of money “no later than October 17.”
“If we have insufficient cash on hand, it would be impossible for the United States of America to meet all of its obligations for the first time in our history,” Lew wrote. “For this reason, I respectfully urge Congress to act immediately to meet its responsibility by extending the nation’s borrowing authority.”
So far, Congress has failed to act. Obama and most congressional Democrats have called for a “clean” debt-ceiling vote in which lawmakers would simply vote “yes” or “no” on raising the limit.
But Republicans see the vote as an opportunity to achieve some of their major policy goals, including delaying implementation of the Affordable Care Act, reducing the cost of entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare, and possibly securing White House approval of the Keystone XL pipeline to move crude oil from Canada to U.S. refineries.
Economic experts say Congress is playing a dangerous political game with the economy.
“Continuing to delay and continuing to punt, I fear, is really a terrible commentary on Congress’ ability to put country first instead of party first,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and director of the fiscal-policy program at the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan think tank.
A report issued Thursday by the Treasury Department warns that defaulting on the debt “would be unprecedented and has the potential to be catastrophic.”
“Credit markets could freeze, the value of the dollar could plummet, U.S. interest rates could skyrocket, the negative spillovers could reverberate around the world, and there might be a financial crisis and recession that could echo the events of 2008 or worse,” the report states.
Rather than thousands of government employees failing to receive their paychecks under the shutdown, millions of workers across the country, including those in the private sector, could lose their pay if the federal government defaults on its debt, said economics professor Dennis Hoffman of Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.
That’s because America’s promise to pay its debt is considered a gold standard.
If U.S. credit faltered, lenders around the world would think twice about making loans, including the ones companies rely on to make payroll every week.
“This would be a financial collapse and chaos unlike anything anybody has seen before,” Hoffman said. “It’s unthinkable.”
Americans would feel the impact in their daily lives because they would find it harder to get loans to buy homes, finance new cars, expand businesses or pay for their children’s college tuition, MacGuineas said.
Social Security and Medicare benefits, which have largely continued under the government shutdown, could be stopped, she said.
Retirement plans, especially the 401(k) plans that many American workers rely on, could be devastated by stock-market losses.
Businesses would be hit hard by increased interest rates and would hesitate to hire new employees. Workers, worried about their jobs, would cut back on spending, making the economy even worse, MacGuineas said.
“I think a lot of people would be laid off,” she said. “It would just massively wipe away all the economic gains we’ve made.”
But some in the Republican Party, including U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., don’t believe failing to raise the debt ceiling would be catastrophic.
It’s like maxing out a credit card and asking for a higher limit to keep spending, he says. The country can find the money for its credit-card payments, such as by holding a yard sale, rather than raising its credit limit.
Schweikert introduced legislation that would auction off U.S. assets like Fannie Mae mortgages and unused radio spectrum for cellphone coverage.
The point is forcing the government to be more fiscally disciplined, he said.
“The president of the United States has been disingenuous by using language like ‘default,’ ” Schweikert said. “Much of the rhetorical flare out there is not based in math. ... They try to use that language to raise the shrillness for political leverage rather than trying to work through this with a calculator.”
The nation got a small glimpse into what could happen when Congress came to the brink of a debt default in 2011.
Although Congress passed a debt-limit increase that year, the prospect of a default caused the nation’s credit rating to be downgraded, the stock market fell about 17 percent, and consumer spending declined, the Treasury Department report says.
Then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., made a surprise appearance on the House floor to vote for legislation to raise the debt limit.
“I had to be here for this vote,” said Giffords, who in January of that year was shot in the head in an assassination attempt at an event near Tucson. “I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”
Economists warn of a similar threat now, as the nation again approaches its debt limit.
“Even the prospect of this happening could cause people to sit home and say, ‘I’m not going to buy a new car until I see how this works out,’ ” Fox said. “Or a business owner could say, ‘I’m not going to hire another employee right now.’ It’s a scary time.”
Republic reporter Rebekah L. Sanders contributed to this article.
What is the debt limit?
It’s a cap on the total amount the federal government can borrow. It was instituted during World War I so the Treasury didn’t have to get approval each time it borrowed. But it does not authorize new spending; that’s done when Congress approves budgets. It merely allows the financing of current obligations.
What happens if the limit isn’t raised?
The U.S. government won’t have enough money to pay its obligations, including Social Security benefits, payments to defense contractors and federal employees’ salaries. Experts warn that the impacts of default could be dire, making borrowing more costly and pushing the economy back into recession.
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Health-care law: Insuring young adults critical to success, experts say
Translation - Young healthy adults are expected to pay for the medical bills of us sick old farts.
Sadly Obamacare is just another government welfare program for doctors, hospitals and other corporations in the medical industry.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/20131009obamacare-insuring-young-adults-critical.html
Health-care law: Insuring young adults critical to success, experts say
By Ken Alltucker The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Oct 13, 2013 12:55 AM
Exhausted, feverish and out of breath, Randall Fields celebrated his 21st birthday in a hospital emergency room.
But the Estrella Mountain Community College student’s two-day stay for treatment of pneumonia wasn’t what worried him the most.
Fields soon discovered the financial setbacks a young adult can face when saddled with unexpected medical expenses. His bills from the hospital and doctors surpassed $15,000, a difficult burden for a student earning $9 an hour as a part-time fitness-and-wellness ambassador.
“The whole time I was thinking, ‘How am I going to pay for this?’ ” said Fields, who was uninsured at the time.
Fields, now 23, secured health-insurance coverage when his mother landed a new job with benefits, but unpaid doctors’ bills from his illness two years ago still dog him even though the hospital has forgiven the bulk of his charges. He now encourages his uninsured peers to get coverage either through the state’s Medicaid expansion or the new federal online marketplace.
Fields isn’t the only one who recommends young people get health insurance. Uninsured adults in their 20s or 30s are considered a pivotal group to sign up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the national law that aims to extend health insurance to most Americans.
Census figures estimate 149,000 uninsured Arizonans between 18 and 34 may be eligible for Medicaid coverage, and an additional 131,000 could purchase subsidized health insurance through the new online marketplace, healthcare.gov.
Experts say that participation by young, healthy adults is critical to making the law work because that group will help spread the risk. Health-insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to sick people or charge significantly more for older adults, while young adults typically use less health care. If the new marketplaces attract a disproportionate share of older, sicker adults, health-insurance costs could become less affordable for all.
But some experts question whether enough young adults will sign up. Polls suggest that group is less likely to know about the law’s requirements, the subsidies that are available to purchase insurance, and the penalties for failure to comply. Many are unfamiliar with confusing insurance terms such as premiums, copays, deductibles and networks. Still others may elect to simply pay the penalty, which in 2014 is the greater of $95 or 1 percent of income. The penalty escalates to $695 or 2.5 percent of income in 2016.
The Obama administration wants to sign up at least 2.7 million young adults for the health-care law’s first year. Data released last week by Maryland and Connecticut — both states running their own marketplaces — show that young adults have been the most prolific age group to either apply for coverage or register as insurance shoppers. Arizona is on the federal online marketplace, which has released no data and has been plagued by glitches during its first two weeks.
A 2010 study by the Phoenix non-profit St. Luke’s Health Initiatives shows that 28 percent of Arizona adults between 18 and 28 did not have health insurance — the highest uninsured age group among all Arizonans.
“Younger people are more difficult to entice in both the marketplace and Medicaid,” said Kim VanPelt, of St. Luke’s Health Initiatives, which is coordinating outreach to uninsured Arizonans. “They often think they don’t need health coverage. They see it at the bottom of the list of priorities.”
Targeting the young
While other states have big budgets to encourage uninsured adults to sign up, Arizona is attempting to get the word out on a shoestring. Arizona non-profits received $5.4 million in federal grants to hire people to educate and answer questions for uninsured consumers who may be eligible for coverage, either through the marketplace or Medicaid.
Local and national groups are targeting outreach to young adults at community health centers and college campuses and through social media. Last week, Arizona Public Interest Research Group and a Washington, D.C.-based group, Young Invincibles, courted students at community-college campuses in the Valley.
“A lot of people don’t even know there are options out there for them,” said Erin Hemlin, national organizing and program manager for Young Invincibles, which borrows its name from a term describing healthy young adults who feel they don’t need insurance. “We want to give a young person all the information they need to make a decision.”
More young adults already have health insurance today under the health law’s provision that allows them to stay on their parents’ plans until age 26. Those who can’t get coverage through their parents may be eligible under the state’s Medicaid expansion or the new marketplace plans. Enrollment started Oct. 1 and lasts through March 31.
Hemlin said outreach will emphasize the importance of coverage not just to young adults’ health but also to their financial futures. Young Invincibles has no projections on how many young Arizonans will get coverage, but Hemlin said states like Arizona, with large numbers of uninsured young adults, are considered crucial to the group’s efforts.
Private insurers such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, too, are wooing young adults with ads and marketing campaigns. Blue Cross has placed kiosks in grocery and chain drugstores, purchased ads over the Pandora Internet music station, sponsored Arizona’s university sports teams and conducted in-game promotions.
Affordability is key
Other experts and studies suggest that affordability will be the most important factor determining young adults’ coverage.
“It’s really the costs that they are concerned about,” said Peter Cunningham of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Studying Health System Change, who authored one study. “It’s ultimately going to come down to whether they can find coverage that is affordable for them.”
That study points out young adults have different views on whether insurance is necessary. Young adults who consider themselves risk takers are less likely to see the need than peers who describe themselves as risk-averse.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said metro Phoenix residents can choose from 111 health-insurance plans at healthcare.gov. The rates vary significantly, with plans tiered in four categories based on the amount of coverage. A bronze plan covers 60 percent of costs; silver, 70 percent; gold, 80 percent; and platinum, 90 percent. “Catastrophic” plans will offer bare-bones coverage.
HHS said with tax credits that subsidize coverage, a 27-year-old Arizonan with an income of $25,000 will pay $120 a month for the least-expensive bronze plan and $145 a month for the second least-expensive silver plan.
The HHS analysis did not compare rates offered in the marketplace to those that young adults were charged before the law took effect. The law limits how much insurers can charge based on age to a 3-to-1 ratio. In other words, if an insurer charges a 62-year-old $600 per month, it must charge a 21-year-old at least $200 per month for a comparable plan.
“If you look at the raw costs, their premiums are going up substantially” for young adults, said Michael Malasnik, an insurance broker in Avondale.
Still, even though the prices of insurance plans will increase, most young adults will pay substantially less after federal subsidies kick in. The sliding-scale subsidies are tax credits that help reduce the cost of monthly premiums for individuals who earn up to $45,960, with more generous subsidies for those who earn less.
Some insurance-industry professionals expect young adults ages 18 to 34 will decide whether to buy coverage based on their circumstances. An early-30s couple with a newborn may be more likely to purchase coverage than a young man in his late teens or early 20s.
Wesley Heath, 19, of Phoenix, is healthy and isn’t sure he can afford coverage. The Arizona State University sophomore is seeking a part-time job at the Tilted Kilt restaurant chain to help pay for living expenses. “It will be hard to do it because I’m not on a salary or anything,” said Heath.
Since the new marketplaces started enrollment this month, Malasnik said people in their 50s and 60s have shown more interest than younger adults in purchasing coverage.
“We’re not getting a rush of young adults,” said Malasnik, who is brokering policies on behalf of Meritus among other insurers. “We are getting the 50-and-above crowd. They have been killed with rates and have had issues qualifying, so they are first out of the gate.”
Seeking coverage
Jeremy Stubbs of Phoenix has been without health insurance the past three years, but he sees the need now that he is 36. He thought about buying coverage through the marketplace. Like many other consumers since enrollment began, he could not access the website, so he enrolled in a plan through his employer, Starbucks. Stubbs, an ASU political-science major, said coverage will cost him $51 from his check every other week. When his new insurance starts, he plans to visit a doctor for a checkup.
“I had to budget tight to make it work,” Stubbs said, adding that many young adults don’t place a high priority on health-insurance coverage. “I think a lot of friends just think nothing is ever going to happen to them.”
Fields, the Estrella Mountain student, said his hospital stay was an eye-opener. Although he has insurance now, he is still paying doctors’ bills, which were sent to a collections agency. Fields said he has not pulled his credit report but believes he is hampered finding another job.
“You never know what the future will bring,” Fields said. “You need that safety net to help you or you’ll get a big bill afterward.”
1) link to main page
2) put in war, cops, drugs, NSA, and snowden
The tyrants in the US Senate and House could stop the government's spying on us instantly if they wanted to. But they don't. Which makes THEM the problem.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131012nsa-backlash-government-surveillance-intelligence-security-agency.html
Growing backlash to government surveillance
By Martha Mendoza Associated Press Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:49 PM
SAN JOSE, California — From Silicon Valley to the South Pacific, counterattacks to revelations of widespread National Security Agency surveillance are taking shape, from a surge of new encrypted email programs to technology that sprinkles the Internet with red flag terms to confuse would-be snoops.
Policy makers, privacy advocates and political leaders around the world have been outraged at the near weekly disclosures from former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that expose sweeping U.S. government surveillance programs.
“Until this summer, people didn’t know anything about the NSA,” said Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University co-director Amy Zegart. “Their own secrecy has come back to bite them.”
Activists are fighting back with high-tech civil disobedience, entrepreneurs want to cash in on privacy concerns, Internet users want to keep snoops out of their computers and lawmakers want to establish stricter parameters.
Some of the tactics are more effective than others. For example, Flagger, a program that adds words like “blow up” and “pressure cooker” to web addresses that users visit, is probably more of a political statement than actually confounding intelligence agents.
Developer Jeff Lyon in Santa Clara, California, said he’s delighted if it generates social awareness, and that 2,000 users have installed it to date. He said, “The goal here is to get a critical mass of people flooding the Internet with noise and make a statement of civil disobedience.”
University of Auckland associate professor Gehan Gunasekara said he’s received “overwhelming support” for his proposal to “lead the spooks in a merry dance,” visiting radical websites, setting up multiple online identities and making up hypothetical “friends.”
And “pretty soon everyone in New Zealand will have to be under surveillance,” he said.
Electronic Frontier Foundation activist Parker Higgens in San Francisco has a more direct strategy: by using encrypted email and browsers, he creates more smoke screens for the NSA. “Encryption loses its’ value as an indicator of possible malfeasance if everyone is using it,” he said.
And there are now plenty of encryption programs, many new, and of varying quality.
“This whole field has been made exponentially more mainstream,” said Cryptocat private instant messaging developer Nadim Kobeissi.
This week, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University released a smartphone app called SafeSlinger they say encrypts text messages so they cannot be read by cell carriers, Internet providers, employers “or anyone else.”
CryptoParties are springing up around the world as well. They are small gatherings where hosts teach attendees, who bring their digital devices, how to download and use encrypted email and secure Internet browsers.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter who you are or what you are doing, if the NSA wants to find information, they will,” said organizer Joshua Smith. “But we don’t have to make it easy for them.”
Apparently plenty agree, as encryption providers have seen a surge in interest.
Pretty Good Privacy, or PGP, a free encryption service was being loaded about 600 times a day in the month before Snowden’s revelations broke. Two months later, that had more than doubled to 1,380, according to a running tally maintained by programmer Kristian Fiskerstrand.
Andrew Lewman, executive director of TOR, short for The Onion Router, said they don’t track downloads of their program that helps make online traffic anonymous by bouncing it through a convoluted network of routers to protect the privacy of their users.
But, Lewman said, they have seen an uptick.
“Our web servers seem more busy than normal,” he said.
Berlin-based email provider Posteo claims to have seen a 150 percent surge in paid subscribers due to the “Snowden effect.”
Posteo demands no personal information, doesn’t store metadata, ensures server-to-server encryption of messages and even allows customers to pay anonymously — cash in brown envelopes-style.
CEO Patrick Loehr, who responded to The Associated Press by encrypted email, said that subscriptions to the 1 euro ($1.36) per month program rose to 25,000 in the past four months. The company is hoping to offer an English-language service next year.
Federation of American Scientists secrecy expert Steven Aftergood said it is crucial now for policymakers to clearly define limits.
“Are we setting ourselves up for a total surveillance system that may be beyond the possibility of reversal once it is in place?” he asked. “We may be on a road where we don’t want to go. I think people are correct to raise an alarm now and not when we’re facing a fait accompli.”
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, who introduced a bipartisan package of proposals to reform the surveillance programs last month, told a Cato Institute gathering Thursday that key parts of the debate are unfolding now.
“It’s going to take a groundswell of support from lots of Americans across the political spectrum,” he said, “communicating that business as usual is no longer OK, and they won’t buy the argument that liberty and security are mutually exclusive.”
1) link to main page
2) put in mayor scott smith
If Mesa Mayor Scott Smith becomes governor I am sure we can count on him giving out millions of our hard earned tax dollars to rich corporations in the form of corporate welfare like he is doing in this article.
http://eastvalleytribune.com/sports/article_4df53b7a-32e5-11e3-9e40-001a4bcf887a.html
All shiny and new: Chicago Cubs' new Mesa complex ready to open within next two months
Posted: Sunday, October 13, 2013 6:58 am
By Eric Mungenast, Tribune
After months of construction, the Chicago Cubs’ new spring training facility in Mesa is just two months away from full completion, and residents could get in for a preview of what to expect next spring in the near future.
Built in part with taxpayer funds — voters approved a measure for the city to contribute $1.5 million to the project back in 2010 — the Cubs will run the stadium and other accoutrements like the player development facility, indoor batting cage, mini field for infield practice and two full-sized fields. The facility is located near Rio Salado Drive and Dobson Road, and the city will control the neighboring Riverview Park; the park will feature a lake for fishing and climbing walls, among other attractions.
Throughout the project, Mesa Mayor Scott Smith said the construction was on-time and consistently on track to open this winter. General Manager of Spring Training Operations Justin Piper concurred with Smith’s assessment, saying during a tour on Oct. 10 the stadium is the Cubs anticipate a completion date of Dec. 1.
However, he said the Cubs’ player development facility should complete construction by the beginning of November. That facility, which is a short walk away from the stadium, is a touch shy of 70,000 sq. feet and has exercise equipment, pools for rehabilitation and training, classrooms for video review and instruction and a locker room for minor league players. The facility also has a two floor training facility split by weights and aerobic exercise equipment.
Adjacent to the development facility is an indoor batting cage with 12 batting tunnels for players to use between games. Situated near the area is a half field used for infield drills and two major league fields, and all of the items will be used throughout the year during spring training, rehabilitation, the Arizona Fall League and instructional league play.
To go from the training areas to the stadium, players walk along a path that will take them past an open field designed for fans to tailgate prior to games.
“It’ll be one of the unique features of spring training,” Piper said.
Seating estimates for the stadium are for about 15,000 fans, which Piper said would make it the largest in the Cactus League. It was also designed to ensure watching a game late in the training season is a comfortable experience for fans.
“Shade was a big factor taken into account,” he said.
Fans who visit from Chicago should get a familiar vibe from certain features of the stadium, including the lights and grass berm meant to imitate Wrigley Field. But Piper said the new stadium also has a southwest feel to it, which he said provides a nice blend of the two.
After the stadium is finished, Piper said the team will hold events like an open house for community members to take a tour and get a sneak peek at the field’s cozy vibe.
“It’s a very intimate feel,” he said.
Contact writer: (480) 898-5647 or emungenast@evtrib.com
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Light rail pork going to south Phoenix???
I have not seen any articles in the English newspapers about this plan to run light rail pork to South Phoenix. So I was surprised to see this Spanish article in La Voz about it.
http://www.lavozarizona.com/lavoz/noticias/articles/2013/10/11/20131011VOZ101113rutas.html
Avanzan gestiones para extender el tren ligero a sur Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
por Samuel Murillo - Oct. 11, 2013 10:04 AM
La Voz
En un futuro no muy lejano los residentes del sur de Phoenix podrían sumarse a los miles de usuarios del tren ligero.
Las gestiones para llevar a cabo el proyecto del corredor central Sur Phoenix están en marcha.
Directivos de Valley Metro realizarán dos reuniones para ofrecer los detalles del proyecto en dos reuniones programadas para el 15 y el 24 de octubre, en donde se brindará información de las ubicaciones de las estaciones propuestas, las configuraciones de las calles y los siguientes pasos de este proceso.
El Estudio del Corredor Central Sur, también conocido como Análisis de Alternativas, es una evaluación de varias modalidades de transporte de alta capacidad, incluyendo el tren ligero, el transporte en autobús rápido, y tranvía moderno, así como de las rutas, para determinar la opción que servirá mejor a la comunidad, detallaron en un comunicado representantes de Valley Metro.
La evaluación es necesaria para comenzar con el proceso federal de financiamiento del capital.
De acuerdo con el informe, el financiamiento para el estudio fue provisto por un otorgamiento de la Administración Federal de Transporte, con una igualación local de la Ciudad de Phoenix.
La presentación comenzará a las 6:30 p.m., seguida de tiempo para hacer preguntas y comentarios.
Tome nota:
-Martes 15 de octubre de 2013
6-8 p.m. (6:30 p.m. presentación)
Centro Comunitario South Mountain Community Center
212 E. Alta Vista, Phoenix (Central, justo al sur de Southern)
-Jueves 24 de octubre de 2013
6-8 p.m. (6:30 p.m. presentación)
Escuela Academia Del Pueblo
201 E. Durango, Phoenix (Central, justo al norte de la autopista I-17)
1) link to main page
2) put in mesa mayor scott smith
Mesa Councilman Dave Richins joins mining firm
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/20131010mesa-councilman-dave-richins-joins-mining-firm.html
Mesa Councilman Dave Richins joins mining firm
By Gary Nelson The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 10, 2013 10:46 AM
Mesa City Councilman Dave Richins has become the chief lobbyist for a massive copper mine proposed for the Superior area.
Resolution Copper Mining LLC announced Oct. 7 that it has hired Richins as its principal government affairs adviser.
His chief job will be lobbying federal, state and local officials for legal clearances that would allow the company to dig for copper just east of Superior.
The Pinal County town, about 35 miles from Mesa, has a rich mining history but in recent decades has fallen on hard times. Most of its historic downtown is boarded up.
Resolution was formed by a London-based global mining firm named Rio Tinto PLC, and BHP Billiton, a global resources firm based in Australia.
The companies own about 5,000 acres of largely undeveloped land in several tracts around the state, some with value as conservation and recreation areas. They want to give those lands to the federal government in exchange for 2,422 acres in and near the Oak Flat area east of Superior.
The firms believe Oak Flat could produce 1 billion pounds of copper for 40 years — at least 25 percent of the national demand. The mine also could create 3,700 jobs both directly and indirectly, the companies say.
The land swap requires congressional approval. Although a bipartisan coalition of Arizona’s House delegation and the state’s Republican U.S. senators support it, a recent House amendment to the legislation has cast doubt on its approval.
In addition, the deal has come under fire from Native American communities, environmentalists and others. A Superior City Council member who has opposed the mine was defeated for re-election in September.
Richins’ task is to knit together enough support from across those constituencies to make the project politically viable.
Richins represents council District 1.
1) link to main page
2) put in mesa mayor scott smith
Mesa takes look at transit needs
Translation - Mesa is trying to justify more light rail pork
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/20131003mesa-transit-needs.html
Mesa takes look at transit needs
By Gary Nelson The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Oct 12, 2013 10:46 PM
With 170,000 new residents expected in Mesa over the next 30 years, planners are looking hard at how everybody will be getting around, and through, the city.
They would have been doing that in any event, given that Mesa is in the crosshairs of regional and statewide transportation mapping projects.
But the necessity of updating Mesa’s General Plan, which will go to city voters about a year from now, created the opportunity to lay out transit options for public review.
The City Council got a glimpse of what lies ahead during a recent briefing, and Mesa residents will have an opportunity to weigh in during six upcoming public meetings.
A few things were clear from the council briefing:
Mesa can’t afford to, and won’t try to, bring transit to virtually every doorstep. Transit will focus on major population and business hubs.
The focus will be on frequent service along key routes rather than longer routes with spotty coverage.
It’s likely that several bus routes will someday extend east of Power Road, at least to Ellsworth Road.
A state decision on where to route passenger rail from Phoenix to Tucson will have a huge impact on Mesa’s transportation future.
Matthew Taunton, a consultant with HDR Inc., laid out specifics for the council on Oct. 3. Mesa has used Omaha-based HDR for several planning projects, including a Gateway area master plan and light-rail corridor studies.
There are short-term, midterm and long-term scenarios, Taunton said. In the short term, Mesa’s transit picture is pretty clear. But any number of variables could alter the longer-term picture.
Here are some highlights:
Short term, 2013-18
Within these five years, light rail will be completed to Gilbert Road, and the Link rapid bus line will continue to run from there along Main Street to Power Road and then to Superstition Springs Center.
There is a good chance, Taunton said, that Link buses also could run from the Sycamore Street light-rail station south on Dobson Road and then east-west on Southern through the Fiesta District.
Another possibility has Link running north on Dobson to Riverview and then connecting on Rio Salado Parkway with a Tempe bus line that currently stops at Tempe Marketplace.
That would bring transit to Riverview and the new Chicago Cubs complex from Mesa and Tempe without having to wait for a Rio Salado trolley line that both cities discussed.
Jodi Sorrell, Mesa’s transit director, said it’s too early to include the trolley as a definite option for Rio Salado, but Mesa is “very interested in continuing discussions with Tempe and ASU on this matter.”
Midterm, 2018-33
The big decision during this stretch would be where to lay the next light-rail tracks.
Taunton said there probably would be money for only another 6 miles during this time frame. Two options exist:
Continue running light rail on Main Street to Power Road.
Go south on Gilbert Road to either Southern Avenue or U.S. 60, and then east to Greenfield Road.
In past discussions, Mayor Scott Smith has said he favors the second option.
But Taunton said if light rail stays on Main Street, then it would be simple to run the rapid Link buses from the light-rail terminus in a straight line on Power Road south to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
Long term, 2033-43
“This is where things get really fuzzy because a lot depends on what happens with that ADOT passenger rail project,” Taunton said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation wants to build a passenger rail line between Phoenix and Tucson, and will begin seeking public feedback this fall on three options:
Follow the Interstate 10 alignment through the Gila River Reservation and past Casa Grande.
Run the trains from Phoenix through Tempe, down Loop 101, east and west along U.S. 60 and then southward past Gateway.
Use existing Union Pacific tracks that run diagonally through Gilbert between Gateway and west Mesa — a route that would brush both the Fiesta District and Mesa’s downtown.
Southeast Valley officials are lobbying for one of the two latter options, asserting they have far more potential for economic development than would a rail line along the desolate I-10 route.
If either one of those is chosen, Taunton said, it will be crucial to tie in properly with Gateway airport.
“The big question is how to serve Gateway, because today everything is oriented on the west side of the airport,” he said.
But a new terminal eventually will be built on the east side along Ellsworth, directly across the street from DMB’s Eastmark community.
“There’s also a lot of forecast population and employment growth on the east side,” Taunton said. “That’s going to be a challenge from a transit perspective.”
He added, “What we want to avoid is a situation like in Scottsdale where the Airpark — which is, I believe, the third-largest employment center in the region — is very difficult to serve from a transit perspective.”
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2) put in police
The most popular form of theft by elected officials is stealing our money with taxes and giving it to the special interest groups that helped them get into power.
The second most popular form of theft by elected officials is borrowing money which won't be due till years after they are out of office and giving it to the special interest groups that helped them get into power. And that's a lot safer then the first method because the taxpayers don't know they have been screwed till years after the politicians that screwed them are gone.
And that's what this article is about.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/political-popular-obstacles-block-pension-20486789
Political, Popular Obstacles Block Pension Changes
October 6, 2013 (AP)
By DAVID KLEPPER Associated Press
Associated Press
Detroit's bankruptcy is casting a shadow over a long list of cities across the U.S. and giving mayors new urgency in the search for solutions to the greatest challenge to face America's cities in a generation.
While no other city is expected to join Detroit in bankruptcy court anytime soon, similar problems brought on by waning industries, crushing debt and surging pension costs plague city halls from Providence, R.I., to California, and in response mayors are proposing big changes to what was long the biggest perk of a government job: a good and reliable pension.
"It's the lesson of kicking the can down the road. You can put these things off. But at some point the bill comes due," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in an interview. "People ask me sometimes what keeps me up at night. The prospect of being one of those cities is what keeps me up at night."
The total unfunded pension liability for all U.S. cities and counties is a whopping $574 billion, according to a 2010 study by economists at Northwestern University. That's a formidable burden to cities already struggling with revenue declines, debt and the ongoing cost of providing services.
Years of financial neglect left Detroit's finances in ruin, prompting its emergency manager to propose sweeping changes to the way the city doles out benefits by eliminating payment increases and creating a new 401(k)-style retirement system.
Rawlings-Blake has also proposed giving new employees a defined contribution plan, one that combines set contributions from workers and their employer, similar to the 401(k) accounts familiar to private-sector workers. The change would be just one part of an ambitious 10-year-financial plan that involves lower property taxes, a smaller city workforce and the goal of attracting 10,000 new families to Maryland's largest city.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the lesson from Detroit — burdened by $18 billion in debt, declining revenue and huge deficits — is that cities will ultimately pay a steep price for ignoring long-term challenges including diversification of industry, adequate funding of pension systems, population decline and debt.
Bloomberg pointed out that New York itself almost went bankrupt in 1975 — a tumultuous time when many cities were struggling to respond to urban decay, poverty, unemployment and the rise of suburbs.
"We would be foolish to ignore the factors that drove Detroit to bankruptcy," Bloomberg said in July, shortly after the Motor City took its landmark step. "I believe that the Detroit experience holds lessons for every American city."
More and more cities are proposing replacing traditional pensions for new employees with a defined contribution plan or a hybrid that combines a defined contribution plan with a smaller traditional pension. It's been proposed in Philadelphia, and it's already the law in Rhode Island, where the state pension system covers teachers and many local workers.
Efforts to cap existing pensions, however, are often seen as a betrayal to workers who took a city job in part because of a promised pension.
Marcia Ingram spent 33 years working for Detroit's health department before retiring nine years ago. She now receives about $2,000 per month. Her pension would be capped under the proposal in Detroit.
"I feel let down by the city," said Ingram, 60. "I expected to get an increase every year like I did while I was working. Not a big increase, but it still was something."
Other cities including Stockton and San Bernardino in California and Central Falls, R.I., have sought bankruptcy protection in recent years after running out of money. In Central Falls, some retiree pensions were cut by more than 50 percent.
Changing pensions can be politically and legally perilous. Politicians who propose big pension changes risk running afoul of powerful public sector unions — or losing in court if pension overhauls are challenged.
Some cities, like Detroit, are covered by state laws or constitutions guaranteeing pension benefits in full. In many others, mayors must plead with state lawmakers to overhaul pensions covering local teachers. And when cities operate their own pension systems, they're typically negotiated through collective bargaining, making them legally difficult to change.
Providence was on the verge of bankruptcy when Mayor Angel Taveras negotiated concessions from public-sector unions and retirees. It was part of a larger fiscal stability plan that involved raising taxes and negotiating voluntary contributions from tax-exempt institutions like Brown University.
Taveras said Providence shows that cities have an option besides bankruptcy or legal fights with unions.
"We were going to run out of money," Taveras said. "We were on the verge. We would have overcome bankruptcy, but it would have taken a decade. It would have been devastating. So we came together."
The deal suspended pension increases, shaving $178 million off the city's future pension obligations. While workers weren't happy with the deal, they appreciated the mayor's willingness to work together on a solution, according to Paul Doughty, president of the Providence Firefighter's Union.
"They opened up the books and said, 'Look at anything you want,'" he said. "There was no demonizing. When someone is sticking a stick in your eye at the same time, it's almost impossible to work with them."
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said problems with Illinois' teacher pension system were to blame when 2,100 school workers — including more than 1,000 teachers — were recently laid off.
The city's four pension funds were 36 percent funded as of Dec. 31, 2012, and had an unfunded liability of $19.5 billion. The city estimates that without pension reform, its required contribution to the funds will more than double in the next two years, from $479.5 million in 2013 to $1.087 billion in 2015.
Emanuel urged state lawmakers to adopt an overhaul that would suspend pension increases, raise employee retirement contributions and give workers the option of a 401(k)-like account. The proposal went nowhere.
"The pension crisis is no longer around the corner," Emanuel said in July. "It has arrived at our schools."
George Mason University researchers studied financial problems in Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Providence, San Bernardino and Pittsburgh and found that all were facing similar problems with pension costs. Frank Shafroth, the report's principal investigator, said there are no easy solutions.
"We're going through a transition," Shafroth said of America's cities. "We'll get there. But getting from here to there is going to be one of the hardest things you can conceive of."
———
Klepper reported from Providence, R.I. Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Corey Williams in Detroit, Sara Burnett in Chicago, Peter Jackson in Harrisburg, Pa., Jonathan Lemire in New York, Josh Funk in Omaha, Neb., Steven DuBois in Portland, Ore., and John Raby in Charleston, W.Va.
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Purcell: Most Americans think government is too big!!!
60 percent of Americans think government sucks according to this article!!!!
http://eastvalleytribune.com/columns/east_valley_voices/article_c6551c12-2d58-11e3-8cea-0019bb2963f4.html
Purcell: Yes, size does matter
Posted: Sunday, October 6, 2013 2:55 pm
Commentary by Tom Purcell
Q: Is the government too big and powerful? Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?
A: Ah, yes, you speak of a recent Gallup survey that found 60 percent of Americans think the federal government has too much power — a full percentage point higher than the previous high recorded in September 2010. Gallup’s Joy Wilke did a fine job breaking down the survey data.
Q: Yeah, and I’ll bet that percentage has jumped lots more over the past few decades.
A: You are correct. In 2005, about 50 percent of Americans felt the government was getting too big and powerful — 10 percent less than now.
Q: What I want to know is who are the 40 percent or so who do NOT think the government has gotten too big?
A: That’s an interesting question. Thirty-two percent now say the government has the right amount of power and 7 percent say it doesn’t have enough.
Q: Not enough! Who the heck are the 7-percenters?
A: There are always some people who think the government can solve all our problems. Thankfully, their numbers are not growing. They have been at 7 percent since Gallup started tracking this big-government issue.
Q: I’ll bet the survey reflects a high level of division among conservatives, moderates and liberals.
A: That is also correct. Republicans tend to think government is doing too much, whereas Democrats tend to agree that government can do good. Of course, Republicans and Democrats have gotten mighty polarized since President Obama took office in 2009.
Q: That makes sense. Obama embraced all the big-government security initiatives of President Bush, then gave us a massive new entitlement program, ObamaCare.
A: Yes, and these measures have the country more divided than ever. However, Republicans’ and Democrats’ views have generally become more polarized since Obama took office. In 2002, the two parties were about equally likely to view the federal government as too powerful, at 36 percent and 35 percent, respectively, with independents, at 45 percent, most likely to say this.
Q: And now?
A: Right now, 81 percent of Republicans think the government is too powerful. But 38 percent of Democrats agree that the government is too powerful — the highest percentage since President Obama took office.
Q: I can see how politics factors in, but hopefully, the data reveal that some people don’t let their political views affect their concerns?
A: Thankfully, that is true with some. As Bush grew the government in the war on terror, both Republicans and Democrats began reporting increasing unease about government gaining too much power — with the NSA and other government agencies now out of control, there is good reason to be concerned.
Q: If so many Americans are concerned that the government is getting too big and powerful, why do so many keep voting for bigger government?
A: Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, offers some interesting insights on that in his book “Gross National Happiness.” After mining reams of data, he found very different viewpoints among conservatives and liberals.
Q: What did the data reveal?
A: They showed that conservatives hold more traditional values — faith, marriage, family, freedom, hard work. They believe in the individual and just want to be left alone.
Q: And liberals were the reverse?
A: That is correct. Liberals see government as a way to right perceived wrongs. And they vote for politicians who promise to impose more rules, regulations and mandates on the people who make them unhappy. But you have to admit, Republican politicians these days are just as likely to use the largess of the federal trough to promise voters goodies in return for their votes.
Q: Our federal government is going to keep getting bigger and more powerful, isn’t it?
A: Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?
• Tom Purcell, author of “Misadventures of a 1970’s Childhood” and “Comical Sense: A Lone Humorist Takes on a World Gone Nutty!” is a nationally-syndicated humor columnist. Send comments to Tom at Purcell@caglecartoons.com.
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Scarp: Don’t like Congress? Start voting — and keep voting
I suspect that Mark Scarp is right about a lot of things in this article.
But I disagree with him in his statement that it is the voters fault that government is corrupt and that we can easily change it by voting the bums out.
Sadly the elected politicians have more or less rigged the system so it make it easy for them to stay in power and very difficult for the voters to throw the current bums in power out of office.
You want change then vote Libertarians. Of course with the recent changes made by the Republicans to keep themselves in power it is now almost impossible for Libertarians or Greens to run for office.
So if you want change you will have to vote for either a Democratic or Republic crook. Kind of like giving you the option of voting for Stalin, Hitler or Mao and telling you that you have the power to change government. Yea, big stinking deal, I can vote for Crook A or Crook B.
http://eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/columnists/article_0840b1ee-2d5f-11e3-a36d-0019bb2963f4.html
Scarp: Don’t like Congress? Start voting — and keep voting
Posted: Saturday, October 5, 2013 12:55 pm
By Mark Scarp, contributing columnist
I know who’s ultimately at fault for the government shutdown. It isn’t the Democrats. It isn’t the Republicans.
It’s us.
Follow the trail of disgust and shame back from the current arm-waving standoff in Washington far enough and you’ll find at its start the overwhelming majority of registered voters, who were ultimately responsible, about seven in 10 of them.
Are you one of these people? You are if you have not been voting in primary elections every two years. This column pointed out in August 2012 the connection between poor primary voter turnout and the kind of elected members of Congress (or the Legislature) we get. Unfortunately, that view has come into its own this past week, far more than I imagined then.
So now that you’re really steamed at me for handing you the blame for the government shutdown, I’ll explain why there’s truly no one else … even though some voters will continue to say so anyway:
First off, anemic showings at the polls are not recent phenomena. The primary voter turnout in Arizona has ranged from only about 23 percent to about 30 percent going back to at least 2006, according to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. We’ve been able to vote by early ballots delivered to our home mailboxes for years now, but that convenience hasn’t done much to increase primary turnouts.
According to the Secretary of State’s Office website, 28 percent of registered Arizona voters cast ballots in the primary election of 2012. And 30.1 percent of them cast ballots in 2010’s.
Both of these elections were held after a decision to move primaries to August, which, contrary to what some may think, resulted in higher turnouts than when they were held in September.
In 2008, when the election was held on Sept. 2, it was 22.8 percent. And the 2006 primary on Sept. 12 had a 23.1 percent turnout.
As I pointed out two summers ago, the three in 10 who do vote in primaries are usually what are called “highly motivated,” with firmly held views that tend to be at the far ends of the political spectrum. And independent voters, even though they’re eligible to participate in primaries, have turnouts that are usually in the single digits, because primaries are examples of why they don’t want to be party members.
So what results? Democratic nominees who are much more liberal than typical Democrats and Republican nominees who are much more conservative than typical Republicans.
This sets up with increasing frequency the nasty, antagonistic war of broadcast advertising in our elections. When you’re way out there, you regard anyone to your left or right, respectively, to be not someone with whom you respectfully disagree, but as just short of the devil himself.
And you look to bring your message to folks to think the way you do, those who are least likely to avoid voting because who gets elected is, again, a holy crusade to keep Us in power and deny Them anything, lest our republic head down the road to, well, see the reference to the devil in the previous sentence.
Once all of Congress is elected, is it any surprise that they behave the way they do? To modify the words of “Star Wars’” Governor Tarkin, “Compromise? In our moment of triumph?”
A national poll from Quinnipiac Universitythis week reports more than 70 percent of respondents opposing the federal government shutdown, but Congress isn’t beholden to most of those people, but are to more to the approximately one in four who responded that think it should go on as a means to meet ideological objectives.
So if you find yourself craving sanity and reason recently, well, that’s not what you voted for.
The only solution, unfortunately, is going to take a while. It took years to get into this situation and it will take years to get out. Start by voting in primaries after careful consideration of issues and candidates, choosing those who know how to think and act based on what is before them to manage, not who have already figured it all out before the problems even arise.
The higher turnouts won’t help much in the first primary or two, where the same usual polarized candidates will be on the ballot. But those higher numbers of less knee-jerk voters from both left and right — and more of those from the middle where poll after poll indicates that most of us are — will bring out the less-extreme candidates.
Unfortunately, these candidates are virtually non-existent today. Can you blame them? Reasoned solutions aren’t nearly as interesting to “highly motivated” voters as pitched ideological battles.
As of this past week, the score is Pitched Ideological Battles 50, Reasoned Solutions 0.
• Read Tribune contributing columnist Mark J. Scarp’s opinions here on Sundays. Reach him at mscarp1@cox.net.
Read Mark J. Scarp’s opinions here on Sundays. Watch his video commentaries at eastvalleytribune.com. Reach him at mscarp1@cox.net.
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2) put in mesa mayor scott smith
Mesa drives local web masters out of business????
In this article the city of Mesa is driving local companies that make web pages out of business by partnering with Google to give local companies free web pages.
Of course Mesa Mayor Scott Smith doesn't exactly say it that way.
The only winners in this case are Mesa Mayor Scott Smith who I suspect is getting lots of bribes, oops, I mean campaign contributions, and Google who getting all this business that would normally got to local companies that build web pages.
http://eastvalleytribune.com/columns/east_valley_voices/article_6fd22c58-2d59-11e3-900c-0019bb2963f4.html
Mayor: City of Mesa, Chamber, Google gang up to help local medium, small businesses
Posted: Monday, October 7, 2013 7:11 am
Guest commentary by Scott Smith
Owning and running a small or medium sized business is hard. I’ve been there. When you run your own business, the focus is on product, orders, sales, licenses, rent, staffing, and other issues large and small. Building a website seems like a daunting task that all too often is delayed. In fact, a majority of small businesses do not have a web site. But, businesses need to be where their customers are, and today, they are online.
Recently, Mesa partnered with the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and Google to bring “Get Your Business Online” to Mesa. With this program, small businesses can get a website quick and easy, and best of all: it’s free! Just exactly what a busy small business owner is looking for.
When I first spoke to Google about the program at a US Conference of Mayors meeting, I was surprised to learn that nearly 60 percent of small businesses are not online, and it’s limiting their ability to grow and succeed. All the while, 97 percent of Internet users now look online to find local products and services. Small businesses that do have a presence on the web are expected to grow 40 percent faster and are twice as likely to create jobs than those who don’t. Partnering with Google on a website is also a no-brainer. Who better to design a web page for your business?
Mesa businesses that sign up for the free program will receive a website with fully customizable pages, access to educational resources, a custom domain name, web hosting for one year and business listings on Google search, Google+ and Google Maps. There is no charge for any of the features for the first year, and business owners will have the option to continue using the website after the first year for less than $10 a month.
We at the City of Mesa are pleased to have two great partners in this endeavor. Joining with Google and the Mesa Chamber of Commerce to bring Get Your Business Online to Mesa is an example of how the public and private sectors can work together to improve a community. It is a win for everyone when local businesses can attract new customers and expand their business.
As mayor, I have learned firsthand how much the overall success of a city is directly connected to the long-term economic strength of the businesses within that city. And now, companies such as Google are recognizing that cities are the new centers of innovation, commerce and job creation; and, they are investing in Mesa!
Get Your Business Online is another StartUp Mesa tool that local businesses can use to get started or to grow. If you’re a small business owner who wants to grow, but who doesn’t yet have a website, check out Google’s Get Your Business Online at StartUpMesa.org.
• Scott Smith was first elected Mayor of Mesa, Arizona’s third largest city and and the 38th largest in America, in 2008. He was re-elected (unopposed) to a second term in 2012, and was sworn in as President of the United States Conference of Mayors in June 2013.
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Government welfare for cactus lovers????
http://eastvalleytribune.com/money/article_c855c2e8-2d5b-11e3-894d-0019bb2963f4.html
Mesa, Chandler, Tempe among those promoting desert-friendly 'Xeriscape' options
Cities offer rebates to encourage residents to convert to desert-friendly landscaping
Posted: Monday, October 7, 2013 11:49 am
By Amy Gleich, Cronkite News
The smell of grass, the sound of sprinklers and the shade of three large ficus trees have all disappeared from Arthur and Jeananne Pastin’s yard. Instead, barrel cacti, red bird of paradise shrubs and palo verde trees sprout from gray- and brown-flecked granite gravel.
Arthur is happy to be selling the lawnmower. Jeananne is glad the ficuses no longer block the Christmas lights. But the best part for both: a $500 check the city sent them to make the change.
“I think we’ve definitely done the right thing,” Jeananne said. “It makes me happy every day to see what we’ve done.”
This is one of almost 250 households that have taken advantage of Mesa’s Grass-to-Xeriscape Landscape Rebate program since it began in 2007. Becky Zusy, the city’s conservation specialist, said the financial incentive often changes people’s minds.
“For our customers who are on the fence, we hope that the rebate program will be the tipping point,” she said.
Mesa isn’t the only Valley city offering rebates for grass removal. Avondale, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria, Scottsdale and Tempe have similar programs.
Throughout the Southwest, green lawns are giving way to desert plants. David White, a senior sustainability scientist at Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability, said that even when rebates aren’t available people are still interested in conservation.
“There is a desire throughout the Southwest for both water services providers as well as residents to reduce consumption,” White said. “The best place to do that is outdoors, where as much as half of all consumption occurs.”
To be eligible for Mesa’s $500 rebate, homeowners must convert at least 500 square feet of healthy grass to desert landscape that includes at least 50 percent coverage by approved, water-conserving plants. Removing grass is only part of the goal; replanting the area is an important part of the transformation.
“We never want to promote hot and boring,” Zusy said. “We want beautiful, easy-to-maintain and shady landscapes.”
Scottsdale’s program has a slight difference: simply removing grass gets 25 cents per square foot and removing and replacing grass with water-conserving plants gets 50 cents per square foot, with a $1,500 maximum per property for either option.
Annie DeChance, public outreach manager for Scottsdale’s Water Resources Department, said that it’s not just about saving groundwater in that city, which has some of the highest water consumption per capita of any in Arizona.
“It’s in everybody’s best interest for all cities to work together to help educate customers about water use,” she said.
Paul Hirt, a senior sustainability scholar at ASU, said xeriscaping programs won’t be as effective as they can be unless cities put more money into rebates.
“These types of rebate programs actually do work,” Hirt said, “but they have to be aggressively invested in.”
Removing all grass isn’t a good idea either, Hirt said, especially in Phoenix, where concrete and asphalt create a “heat island” effect that keeps the city from cooling off at night.
“Some amount of grass and trees can help to reduce energy,” Hirt said.
Phoenix and Tucson don’t have rebate programs, but for different reasons.
Mary Lu Nunley, a public information specialist, said Phoenix is already meeting its water-conservation requirements and that many people want the city to remain an oasis in the desert.
“Part of the reason Phoenix doesn’t have rebates is because per-capita water consumption is well ahead of the curve,” she said. “So it doesn’t make financial sense to do it.”
Fernando Molina, Tucson Water’s public information officer, said that city has already landscapes to embrace its desert identity.
“Tucson doesn’t find a need for a xeriscape program because since the mid-70s it’s been an accepted way of life here,” he said.
But in Mesa, Zusy said, incentives are helping get more people involved in conserving water.
“You have to start somewhere,” she said. “Everyone can make a difference.”
Other city rebates:
• Avondale: Up to $400 to install low-water-use landscaping and-or to convert at least 500 feet of turf area to a low-water-use landscaping.
• Chandler: Up to $3,000 for conversion of turf areas into xeriscape for both residential and non-residential accounts; $200 for installing xeriscape in front and-or back yards of new residences.
• Glendale: Up to $750 to convert a minimum of 500 square feet of turf into low-water-use landscaping.
• Peoria: Up to a $1,650 to convert a minimum of 500 square feet of high-water-use landscaping, like grass, to low-water-use landscaping.
• Tempe: $250 for conversion of a front yard or backyard from high-water-use landscaping to low-water-use landscaping (pre-2004 conversions are only eligible for a $100 rebate).
Courtesy: Arizona Water Awareness Month
Mesa offers a $500 rebate to homeowners who convert at least 500 square feet of grass to xeriscaping that includes water-conserving plants. [Amy Gleich/Cronkite News]
Other city rebates:
• Avondale: Up to $400 to install low-water-use landscaping and-or to convert at least 500 feet of turf area to a low-water-use landscaping.
• Chandler: Up to $3,000 for conversion of turf areas into xeriscape for both residential and non-residential accounts; $200 for installing xeriscape in front and-or back yards of new residences.
• Glendale: Up to $750 to convert a minimum of 500 square feet of turf into low-water-use landscaping.
• Peoria: Up to a $1,650 to convert a minimum of 500 square feet of high-water-use landscaping, like grass, to low-water-use landscaping.
• Tempe: $250 for conversion of a front yard or backyard from high-water-use landscaping to low-water-use landscaping (pre-2004 conversions are only eligible for a $100 rebate).
Courtesy: Arizona Water Awareness Month
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Some politicians can be bought for peanuts!!!!
"BOTTOM LINE: Johnson voted on at least two development projects that involved people who had donated to his campaign."
OK, that's not with BRIBES, but with "campaign contributions", which most normal people pretty much consider the same!!!
I think this Justin Johnson is the son of former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/azfactcheck/fact-story.php?id=479
The issue: Candidate's relationship with developers
Who said it: Laura Pastor, Phoenix City Council candidate
by Eugene Scott - October 5, 2013, 10:49 pm
What we're looking at
Phoenix City Council candidate Laura Pastor said opponent Justin Johnson, while serving on the Planning Commission, voted on projects being developed by donors to his campaign.
The comment
"(Justin Johnson) is voting on development, and some of these developers are donating to his campaign."
The forum
Pastor made the comment at a Sept. 25 West Side Town Hall Candidate Forum.
Analysis
During the forum, Pastor said she has asked Johnson to take a leave of absence from sitting on the Planning Commission.
Pastor is running against Johnson in the Nov. 5 election to represent District 4 in central Phoenix.
Johnson, a general contractor with Old World Communities, a home-development company, has served on the commission since May. The City Council appoints residents to serve on the nine-member commission, which makes recommendations to the council related to building and improvement, among other tasks.
Public records show that on May 14, Susan Demmitt requested that the Planning Commission approve a map amendment.
The applicant wanted the city to approve a single-family subdivision about 1,300 feet south of the southwest corner of North Valley Parkway and Sonoran Desert Drive. Law firm Beus Gilbert PLLC represented Demmitt.
Despite the staff's recommendation for denial, Johnson made a motion to support the request, saying that a single-family residential project was permitted on this site and the market could support these types of projects. Johnson's motion failed, with only two commissioners supporting it.
Campaign-finance records show that Paul Gilbert, a partner at Beus Gilbert, gave $450 to Johnson's campaign on April 12, several weeks before Johnson voted on the project. Beus Gilbert specializes in development.
On June 11, Ed Bull, an attorney with Phoenix law firm Burch & Cracchiolo, requested that the Planning Commission modify or correct nine stipulations of a rezoning application to consolidate six buildings into one larger building. The building is 700 feet west of the northwest corner of 32nd Street and Canal Avenue. Bull represented Sean Cummings, owner of the property. Cummings is a vice president at McShane Development Company, a Phoenix-based real-estate developer.
Johnson voted in favor of the recommendation.
Bull hosted a $250 per ticket fundraiser for Johnson on May 30, according to an e-mail from Johnson for Phoenix. Bull also donated $250 to Friends of Justin Johnson, a political-action committee, on Feb. 20.
Cummings also donated $250 to Friends of Justin Johnson on May 30.
Johnson said he stands by his votes. He said it's not uncommon for city officials — whether on the council or on a board -- to vote on items that involve donors.
BOTTOM LINE: Johnson voted on at least two development projects that involved people who had donated to his campaign.
Sources
Planning Commission, city of Phoenix
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If the government can't even get a web page up that allows you to enroll in their silly, unconstitutional Obamacara plan do you really think they are capable of providing you with top class medical care for rock bottom prices.
Don't count on it. Obamacare is just a government welfare program for doctors, hospitals and businesses in the medical care sector. They are the only ones that will benefit from Obamacare. Well in addition to all the poor people who will get free medical care paid for by the rest of us.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131016health-care-exchange-problems-continue.html
Health-care exchange problems continue
By Kelly Kennedy USA Today Wed Oct 16, 2013 11:47 AM
WASHINGTON -- Two weeks into the launch of the federal health insurance exchange, the website is still plagued with problems, leading critics to wonder if the problem is worse than it appears.
There are two key issues at the core of the problem, said Dan Schuyler, a director at Leavitt Partners, a health care group by former Health and Human Services secretary Mike Leavitt. One is the volume, which HHS estimates at 14.6 million unique visitors, and the second is the platform’s design.
The main problem, Schuyler said, could be “core fundamental design flow,” but it’s impossible to know because HHS is saying so little. “Only the contractors and HHS know that,” he said.
They need to figure out the problem soon, Schuyler said, if the government is to meet its goal of 7 million new health customers signing up on the exchanges by March 31. “That’s 39,000 enrolled a day, and we’re not seeing anywhere near that volume,” Schuyler said. “If they don’t get it fixed within two or three weeks, we’re going to have a backlog of consumers who won’t be able to enroll.”
HHS didn’t have enough time to test its system for “one of the most complex IT platforms undertaken by the feds or the states,” Schuyler said.
HHS did not respond to a request for information, and its website states that there are too many media requests now to answer all of them. However, at the end of the first two weeks, HHS issued a statement:
“We won’t stop improving HealthCare.gov until its doors are wide open, and at the end of the six-month open enrollment, millions of Americans gain affordable coverage,” said HHS spokeswoman Joanne Peters.
President Obama criticized the problems in a Tuesday interview with KCCI, a Des Moines TV station. “I am the first to acknowledge that the website that was supposed to do this all in a seamless way has had way more glitches than I think are acceptable and we’ve got people working around the clock to do that,” he told the Iowa station. “We’ve seen some significant progress but until it’s 100 percent I’m not going to be satisfied.”
Tuesday, Millward Brown Digital released an analysis showing that 36,000 of the 9.47 million people who visited the site the first week made it to the enrollment page at healthcare.gov, with the assumption that only a small percentage of the visitors were able to enroll. HHS has not released enrollment numbers. Millward Brown is an international market-research group.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is scheduled to make an announcement Wednesday morning at a speech in Cincinnati about the number of insurance applications the exchanges have received since Oct. 1.
Schuyler described the system as analogous to building a house. The core is the foundation, and the ancillary pieces are the windows and deck. If the problem is core, that would be similar to deciding that the ranch house the government already built needs a basement. If it’s ancillary, they’re just replacing single-pane windows with double-pane windows.
“This feels like a core issue,” he said, “but I think we’ll have a little bit more insight over the next two weeks.”
He said he’s concerned that the easy pieces of code -- logging in and creating an account -- shouldn’t be causing a problem, and it worries him that the more complex areas, such as verifying identity, will also cause problems after the “upfront” problems are fixed.
Part of the problem with the federal exchange is that HHS had to wait until the states had all decided if they were going to have their exchanges before the federal government could build and test their program, said Mark Pauly, professor of health care management at the University of Pennsylvania.
As a member of the first Bush administration, Pauly helped develop the idea of the requirement for individuals to buy health insurance, which is the reason for the creation of the health care exchanges.
However, “I think the history of Medicare Part D is that people eventually figure out their problems, or they get fired and somebody else fixes their problem,” Pauly said. “I’ll state the obvious: It’s going to take time.”
They do have time, Pauly said, adding that if he were looking for insurance, he’d probably give the government some time before heading for the website.
HHS should focus on making the exchanges more shopper friendly, said Joel Ario, managing director at Manatt Health Solutions and former director of health insurance exchanges under Obama.
Now, shoppers want to see what plans are available and how much those plans will cost, and they need to be able to do that without creating an account -- especially if people haven’t been able to get past that step without being booted out of the system.
“I think the concerns are more talk among the careful observers,” he said. “The consumers -- it’s more curiosity. They want to see what’s available at this point.”
1) link to main page
In this letter to the editor David Lines makes our elected official in Washington D.C., sound like royal government rulers, not the "public servants" they pretend to be.
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131013heres-the-amendment.html
Here’s 28th Amendment
Sun Oct 13, 2013 8:15 PM
The genius of the Constitution of 1787 was its division of the government into separate legislative, executive and judicial branches with a system of checks and balances.
I write to complain of my frustration with the checks and to complain about its imbalances.
I propose a 28th Amendment: Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the executive, legislative and judicial branches, and Congress shall make no law that applies to members of the executive, legislative and judicial branches that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.
— David Lines,
Queen Creek
1) link to main page
2) put in mesa mayor scott smith
The only logical thing to do is for Mesa to sell the land they can't use and give the money back to the taxpayers. But don't count on Mesa Mayor Scott Smith doing that.!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/20131009mesa-downtown-site-action.html
Site 17 in Mesa won’t see action very soon
By Gary Nelson The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Oct 13, 2013 9:02 PM
The vast scar of empty real estate on the northeast corner of Mesa’s downtown won’t be going away anytime soon.
Mayor Scott Smith said last week that the tract, known as Site 17, probably will stay vacant until Mesa’s downtown-development efforts have borne more fruit.
That Site 17, at Mesa and University drives, looks like a bulldozed footprint is not for lack of effort on the city’s part.
There were a few houses there until about 15 years ago, when Mesa cleared the land for a Canadian developer who promised to build a 12-story hotel, water park and other amenities. Mesa spent $7.1 million to assemble the land.
After the resort proposal died for lack of money, other ideas came and went. Mesa was on the verge of selling the land to a development group five years ago, but the recession obliterated their plans for a mixed-use project.
Smith told reporters during a news briefing last week that Mesa is in no hurry to fill the 25 acres.
“We’re going to let things happen organically,” Smith said.
“That’s a special piece of property and when light rail gets in we don’t know exactly how the dynamics will play out. I think Site 17 will really come into play after light rail gets in.”
The three-mile rail extension is scheduled to begin carrying passengers through downtown Mesa by late 2015. Construction in the downtown core has wrapped up for the year, leaving the business district without barricades during tourist season.
Smith said Site 17 eventually could be home to one or more of Mesa’s downtown colleges.
Benedictine University, Wilkes University and Westminster College began offering classes this fall in renovated city-owned buildings.
If they grow as expected, Smith said, “a lot of this vacant land in downtown will be needed to meet some of their needs.”
Site 17 is hardly the only downtown issue Mesa will be juggling in the next few years. Another is the tract immediately north of the eight-story city office building at Main and Center streets.
Voters last fall approved bond money to design the roughly one-block area as an urban events plaza. Future construction funds would have to come from additional bonds or other sources.
Smith said master’s degree students at Arizona State University have been working on design concepts and will be aided by a professional architect hired by the city.
He’s thinking big when it comes to the plaza. He likens it to Millennium Park in Chicago, which provides not just a public gathering place but also has sparked massive redevelopment.
1) link to main page
2) put in mayor gordon, cops and drugs
Who says there isn't royalty in American government??? Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos is certainly paid like a royal ruler???
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131018cavazos-pension-details-emerge.html?nclick_check=1
Details emerge on ex-Phoenix City Manager Cavazos’ pension
By Dustin Gardiner and Craig Harris The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:04 AM
Former Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos was able to inflate his annual pension to an estimated $235,863, the second-largest retirement benefit in city history, public records show.
City officials on Friday released a breakdown Cavazos received at least a month ago showing his projected pension. The Arizona Republic had previously asked for projections indicating his pension amount, but city officials repeatedly said that an estimate did not exist and that no records indicating his pension amount would be available until his final retirement paperwork is completed in a few weeks.
Cavazos retired on Wednesday to lead the much smaller city of Santa Ana, Calif. The move allows him to collect a pension from Phoenix while he earns the same $315,000 salary in his new role. His new compensation package, which includes a housing allowance, will exceed a half-million dollars.
The records show that Cavazos can significantly boost his pension by including perks and cashing in more than $199,000 of unused sick leave, a practice known as “pension spiking” that city leaders had asked him to end. But his City Council-approved contract allows him to include such benefits in his final pension calculation.
Cavazos’ pension is second only to that of his predecessor, Frank Fairbanks, who retired in 2009. Fairbanks spiked his pension to $246,813 through bonuses, cashing in unused sick leave and vacation time and adding in other perks. Fairbanks worked for Phoenix for nearly 38 years, including about 20 as manager. Cavazos worked almost 27 years, four as chief executive.
It appears about half of Cavazos’ pension will go to his ex-wife, Julie Ann. Cavazos previously released a memo to The Republic and 12 News estimating that his pension would be $117,000 to $127,000, but he would not disclose the full amount, citing a sealed divorce agreement.
Cavazos, 53, could not be reached for comment for this article. He previously defended his pension and salary, saying, “You can never focus on cost. You have to focus on revenue. You have to focus on what it brings.”
Spiking elevates an individual’s annual pension payment by inflating his or her end-of-career compensation, a key factor in the formula used to calculate the annual pension benefit. The city’s calculation is based on years worked and final average salary, which can include other forms of compensation above base salary.
City Council members said Cavazos’ hefty pension sheds light on the need for pension reform. Mayor Greg Stanton and several council members have called for the city to eliminate spiking when it approves the next city manager’s contract.
However, council members have struggled to agree on how to define spiking.
One of the biggest factors in enhancing Cavazos’ pension is his $78,000 pay raise that the council approved late last year, retroactive to July 2012. The raise significantly increases the amount the city will pay Cavazos for his unused sick leave and vacation hours because those calculations will be made at his final hourly rate of $151.44, even though his sick hours were accrued when Cavazos was paid less.
“It speaks to why we have to change the rules,” said Councilman Jim Waring, who cast the lone vote against Cavazos’ pay raise.
Veteran council members have lamented that they did not pay more attention to Cavazos’ contract when they approved it four years ago but conceded that there is nothing they can do to stop him from spiking now.
Councilman Daniel Valenzuela, who was not on the council when Cavazos was hired, said although he agrees the city must stop spiking for the next manager, he does not begrudge Cavazos for taking advantage of the provisions in his contract. He suggested Cavazos was underpaid compared with chief executives of similar-size organizations in the private sector.
“David lawfully exercised his contract, and that’s the reality of it,” he said.
According to the city’s estimate and Cavazos’ contract, several forms of perks and benefits that could be considered spiking will boost his pension calculation. His projected pension includes:
A lump-sum payment of roughly $199,000 for 60 percent of the 2,214 hours of unused sick leave he accrued before becoming city manager. Sick leave he cannot cash out can be added to his years of service, increasing that figure by almost half a year.
A lump-sum payment of about $42,000 for 246 hours of unused vacation pay.
A $600-a-month car allowance and a $100-a-month cellphone allowance, as well as annual longevity bonuses of $4,000.
About $1,500 a month in extra pay he received in lieu of not acquiring additional sick-leave hours as city manager.
Payments the city makes into a separate deferred retirement account, to which the city contributes about $35,000 a year, or 11 percent of his salary. Cavazos gets that money and has it factored in to his pension calculation.
The release of records showing the scope of Cavazos’ pension spiking comes as the council is expected to vote Tuesday on a plan to combat the practice citywide.
Supporters said the reforms strike the right balance, providing transparency for the retirement system and treating employees fairly. Many have said they worked years with the expectation that sick time would boost their retirement. There also have been concerns that clawing back accrued vacation and sick time would prompt a wave of senior executives to retire.
But critics say the proposal will do little to limit the cost to taxpayers and the city’s ailing pension system. The city would cap the practice going forward.
Pension spiking is a contributor to the city’s rapidly escalating pension costs, which have been influenced by poor investment returns during the recession and during the dot-com bust in the early 2000s. The city this fiscal year is expected to spend roughly $253 million to fund its pension system for general employees and its portion of the statewide pension plan for firefighters and police officers.
The Republic this week calculated that letting employees count unused sick leave, vacation time, cellphone allowances, overtime and other benefits increases the cost to the city’s retirement system by as much as $12 million a year.
1) link to main page
2) put in mayor gordon, cops, drugs
Again who says that the American government doesn't have it's own royalty.
I suspect most of the people that get these royal government pensions are cops who are involved in terrorizing the public with their war on drugs, which is really a war on the Bill of Rights and a war against the American public.
About 40 percent of the Phoenix city budget goes to the police, followed by the next 20 percent going to the fire department. All other departments share the remaining 40 percent of the budget.
Isn't it amazing that even thought the cops and firemen get 60 percent of the Phoenix budget, when ever they have budget problems, other departments, like the libraries and parks get their budgets slashed, not the cops and firemen who get about 60 percent of the budget.
http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/robertrobb/2013/10/15/spiking-vs-real-pension-reform/
Posted on October 15, 2013 4:16 pm by Robert Robb
Spiking vs. real pension reform
On pension spiking, the Phoenix City Council is apparently going to go timid.
The money in spiking is in cashing out unused sick and vacation time and using that to increase the salary base on which an annual pension is calculated.
A council subcommittee voted to eliminate the practice for new hires. Existing employees had their accumulated sick leave capped for pension purposes as of 2012. The recommendation is to do the same for unused vacation time as of June, 2014. Essentially, existing employees are to be grandfathered in. Vote-counters believe the rest of the council will go along.
That leaves over 8,000 city workers who will still be able to spike. This is, understandably, being jeered in many circles. But there’s a rationale to the timidity.
In 1998, state voters unwisely approved a constitutional amendment that said that public employee retirement benefits can’t be “diminished or impaired.” The city is already being sued over the capping of sick leave for pension purposes as of 2012.
There’s a good chance the courts will find that, under the state constitutional provision, what is given can’t be taken away. The city will be lucky if the courts allow it to change the rules for existing employees on a going-forward basis. It would stand little chance of taking away what has been already accumulated under the old rules.
So, why not cut off the accumulation of unused vacation and other spiking options now, rather than at the end of the city’s fiscal year? Union supporters on the council say that the city either can’t or shouldn’t amend the terms of union agreements before they are renegotiated this spring. The better argument is that employees contemplating retirement shouldn’t have the rules changed on them without reasonable notice.
So, while the council’s timidity is defensible, it is also illustrative. Serious pension reform will not come from city hall. Phoenix city government is just too much of an insiders’ club for that.
Spiking, while it enflames the public particularly when done by high-ranking officials walking away with six-figure annual pensions, is a sideshow. In 2011 and 2012, the average city worker retiring increased his monthly pension by a little under $500 by cashing in unused sick and vacation time. That can add up. But it’s not the reason the city pension program has an unfunded liability of in excess of $1 billion.
The real problem with the city’s pension program is that workers, without spiking, can retire with full benefits in their late 50s and early 60s. That’s a promise taxpayers can’t afford to keep.
Right now, the city pension program only has enough assets to cover an estimated 62 percent of promised benefits. New, mandated accounting rules, which will kick in this year, will probably drop that to 50 percent or less.
Yet, city hall doesn’t even think this is a problem. It’s not on the radar screen. And given the insiders’ club, it won’t be on the agenda until too late to do something sensible. That will require action from the outside.
And that may be coming. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has taken out an initiative to change the city’s pension plan for new hires from one that promises a defined benefit to a defined contribution plan, similar to a 401(k). That’s the only reform that truly protects taxpayers by not putting them on the hook for investment performance shortfalls.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is a serious organization of well-heeled fiscal conservatives. It wouldn’t take out the initiative for show or flash. It presumably has reasonable assurances of financial resources to get the initiative qualified and run an effective campaign on its behalf.
San Diego voters surprised the political world by approving such a ballot measure in June of 2012. Democrats dominate San Diego city politics even more than they do in Phoenix.
In San Diego, supporters outspent opponents about 10 to 1. My guess is that unions will put up more of a fight in Phoenix.
That, however, is a fight worth having. That’s real pension reform, not a sideshow.
I suspect they may be mixing government and religion in the program aimed to shake down prostitutes.
The Catholic Charities Community Services seems to be running it.
I have posted other articles where the city of Phoenix and state of Arizona were violating the constitution by trying to shove God down the throats of prostitutes.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131011phoenix-program-prostitutes-new-beginning.html
Phoenix diversion program gives prostitutes promise of new beginning
By JJ Hensley The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 18, 2013 10:07 PM
Phoenix’s prostitution-diversion program has weathered legislative threats that could have made it impossible to operate in an era when prostitutes were viewed as a public nuisance best left to cycle through the criminal-justice system.
The Dignity program, at 16 years old, now serves as a model for programs in other cities around the country where prostitution has come to be viewed as inextricably linked with domestic violence and human trafficking. A governor’s task force recently proposed that other cities should adopt more programs like it.
And so, a week from now, on Oct. 26, Jeanne Allen and dozens of others will take up signs and raise their voices as they march through a known prostitution area in Phoenix to try to raise awareness among women living “the life.” The intent is to send a message to the women’s pimps.
For Allen, the march is personal.
She was a destitute, intravenous-drug user who frequently slept near convenience-store dumpsters to save the money she earned from prostitution to support her drug habit. She was arrested in 2005, and she found her way into the Dignity program.
Now free of drugs, with a home, a car, a job and custody of her children, Allen said she thinks of the lessons she learned in the diversion program every day.
“Every step I take today, I believe they were completely instrumental in. I needed to know there is a way out,” said Allen, who participated in her first Dignity walk shortly after completing diversion. “For the first time, holding that sign, I felt I walked with a purpose.
“The way that I’ve gotten from there to here is remembering to not define myself as what I did. I define myself as who I am. What I did is not who I am.”
Program sees results
The program allows suspected prostitutes to avoid prosecution if they complete a 36-hour course that involves counseling and education on topics including sexually transmitted diseases, drug abuse and domestic violence.
The participants, who include women and men, also attend weekly support-group meetings and life-skills and abuse classes while making their way through the program, said Martha Perez Loubert, the Phoenix prosecutor’s diversion-program coordinator, who helped found Dignity with Catholic Charities Community Services in 1997.
Local authorities embraced the concept, but there was skepticism in other circles, Loubert said, until she began to see results.
“Vice was just used to picking up these women and throwing them in jail because they’re a nuisance and residents and businesses were complaining,” she said. “We funded the pilot program for 100 women. It took over one year and a half for them to complete the program, and that first recidivism study came back at a 31 percent recidivism rate. That is really high for any type of program to have those kinds of numbers.”
They kept improving as the program’s administrators learned more about the needs of the men and women they serve. A 2004 study showed that 26 percent of women who successfully completed the program re-offended with similar charges; a 2008 report showed that 14 percent of the participants re-offended.
The success came at a significant savings to the city, Loubert said, with the 1,414 people who have successfully completed diversion saving Phoenix nearly $3.5 million in jail costs alone; each participant was facing a term of 15 days.
Changing mind-set
Allen was well into the cycle of being arrested and continuing to commit crimes when, in 2005, she met two Dignity counselors — former prostitutes and drug addicts — who offered Allen something she hadn’t had in years: hope.
“Every single time I got arrested, I went back to 27th and Van Buren, got drugs and got back on the saddle like there was no tomorrow,” Allen said. “These two women told me they used to walk down Buckeye (Road), got in and out of cars, were beaten and raped. And for the first time, I looked at someone and said, ‘That is me. How is it possible to live the life that I’ve lived and have it be OK? The two don’t go together, but here’s two women telling me they can.’ ”
A year after Allen found the program, legislators drafted a bill that would have ended diversion programs as an alternative to incarceration, but the proposal never went anywhere.
Police in Phoenix were experiencing a transformation of their own around that time. The case of a 15-year-old girl whose pimp kept her locked inside a dog crate forced many vice detectives to change their perspectives on prostitutes, viewing them as potential victims of human trafficking instead of misdemeanor criminals.
That point of view has since taken root in the state’s largest police department, with Phoenix police participating in biannual efforts to target prostitutes with the goal of getting them into the diversion program.
Dignity is a vital step in breaking that cycle, said Phoenix Police Lt. Jim Gallagher, whose work with the department’s vice unit led to an appointment to Gov. Jan Brewer’s Task Force on Human Trafficking. The task force released a report last month with recommendations that included strengthening diversion programs for victims of human trafficking.
“The biggest thing that you have to consider, especially with adult victims of sex trafficking, is there’s always a transition period,” Gallagher said. “We want to get them out of the life and think it will work right away, but in order for that process to work, they have to have consistent support in a nurturing environment.
“The diversion option is probably the best way to get victims into the service-provision pipeline in a way that doesn’t criminalize their victimization.”
1) link to main page
2) put in police and drugs
I wonder how many of those signatures to legalize marijuana will be disqualified????
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131018election-officials-counties-sued-disqualifying-names-petitions.html
Election officials in 3 counties sued for disqualifying names on petitions
By Mary Jo Pitzl The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:53 PM
A group that wants voters to overturn wide-ranging changes to Arizona election law is suing election officials, arguing that 80 signatures on referendum petitions were wrongly disqualified.
The lawsuit from the Protect Your Right To Vote Committee is asking the Maricopa County Superior Court to reinstate the 80 signatures, gathered from voters in Cochise, Pima and Pinal counties.
The signatures were tossed when elections officials in those counties were processing the petitions the committee submitted last month. The elections officials found 281 of the people signing the petitions either were not registered to vote, listed a wrong or incomplete address, or did not provide a date when they signed the referendum petition.
But 80 of those signatures are valid and can be verified with records, the committee said in its suit.
Robbie Sherwood, a spokesman for the committee, said the number of disputed signatures is small, but because the counties are checking only a 5 percent sample of total signatures, they have the potential to affect 1,600 signatures.
The committee has five days after each county finishes its verification to contest the findings. The three counties cited in the lawsuit completed their work this week, starting the five-day countdown.
Meanwhile, processing continues in the state’s 12 other counties.
The lawsuit names Secretary of State Ken Bennett and the county recorders in the three counties.
1) link to main page
2) put in tom horne, drugs, police
I suspect our royal government masters consider themselves above the law.
On the other hand I suspect all of these silly campaign contributions laws are unconstitutional per the 1st Amendment.
http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/laurieroberts/2013/10/18/regarding-tom-horne-do-cheaters-ever-prosper/
Regarding Tom Horne: do cheaters ever prosper?
Nearly a year to the day after a Republican county attorney told us that Republican Tom Horne basically cheated his way into the Attorney General’s Office, a second Republican county attorney weighed in this week…
…Telling us that Tom Horne basically cheated his way into the Attorney General’s Office.
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, like Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery before her, found on Thursday that Horne violated campaign-finance laws during the 2010 election. This, by illegally working with an independent campaign that launched a last-minute $500,000 ad blitz attacking Democrat Felecia Rotellini.
Horne and Kathleen Winn, who ran the supposedly independent anti-Rotellini campaign, plan to contest Polk’s ruling, contending it’s based on speculation and conjecture.
Not to mention common sense. But more on that in a minute.
Polk’s finding that the state’s top law enforcement official thumbed his nose at the state’s laws should be a fatal blow to his 2014 re-election bid – especially when combined with one fairly disturbing mental image of the AG, incognito in a baseball cap, while on a lunchtime rendezvous with a certain female attorney on his staff.
Look for Horne to blame Barack Obama, or at least the liberal henchmen he’ll say are out to get him because he’s tough on illegal immigration.
Like, say, that well-known liberal Bill Montgomery, whose finding a year ago that Horne broke the law was tossed out on a technicality.
So now comes Polk with a 20-page compliance order laying out how Horne “intentionally and blatantly” broke the law — the one that says candidates, who have certain limits on how much money they can raise, cannot coordinate with independent campaigns, which have no such limits.
Late in the 2010 campaign, Horne was out of cash in a close race and there was only one way to raise big money quickly.
Winn left Horne’s campaign on Oct. 17, 2010, and within 10 days her independent Business Leaders of Arizona campaign raised $513,000.
Phone records show that Winn was working on an anti-Rotellini TV ad for much of the day on Oct. 20, exchanging e-mails about the script with BLA’s campaign consultant, Brian Murray, often while talking to or having just gotten off the phone with Horne.
Between 10:21 a.m. and 12:42 p.m., for example, Winn and Horne talked five times, just as there were five e-mails between Winn and Murray.
Horne and Winn also talked from 2:19 p.m. until 2:27 p.m., and as they were speaking Murray e-mailed Winn the script.
Two minutes after hanging up with Horne, Winn replied to Murray: “We do not like that her name (Rotellini’s) is mentioned 4 times and no mention for Horne. We are doing a rewrite currently and will get back to you.”
Winn and Horne talked again from 2:37 p.m. until 2:48 p.m. At 2:50 p.m., Winn e-mailed Murray: “OK, it will be similar message just some changes.”
Winn and Horne talked again from 3:21 p.m. to 3:25 p.m. As they finished the conversation, Winn e-mailed Murray with new language for the script.
Polk called it “convincing proof” that Horne and Winn broke the law by working together on the ad.
“The records show that in the course of this work whenever a decision was made to modify or approve the ‘voice-over’ script, Winn was almost always either on the phone with Horne or spoke with Horne prior to conveying final instructions to Murray,” Polk wrote.
Horne and Winn have said they were talking about a complex real estate deal.
Riiight.
Polk also pointed to an Oct. 27, 2010, incident in which Horne forwarded to Winn polling data showing he was losing support in some quarters and strategic advice on how to combat it, along with a suggestion that she seek another $100,000 from a certain PAC.
Horne won the election with nearly 52 percent of the vote. Winn won a job with the Attorney General’s Office, one with a six-figure salary.
Now Polk has ordered Horne to return nearly $400,000 to BLA or face a fine. There is, apparently, nothing in the law that says a guy who cheated his way into office should have to forfeit the office or even face so much as a misdemeanor.
That must seem odd to attorney/lobbyist Gary Husk, who was arraigned this week in criminal court. He’s being prosecuted by Horne for eight felonies, alleging that he violating campaign-finance laws by reimbursing his employees for $4,320 worth of contributions made over a 12-year period.
Meanwhile, Horne – one of the state’s highest-ranking officials, a guy who stands accused of violating campaign-finance laws to the tune of $400,000 – has been ordered to return the money or face a civil fine.
In Arizona, we call this justice.
(Column published Oct. 19, 2013, The Arizona Republic.)
1) link to main page
2) put in drugs, police
I know that drugs are readily available in American prisons, which is pretty much proof that the American government's war on drugs is a dismal failure.
Based on this article I suspect that is true world wide.
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/free/20131018moldova-cat-drugs.html
Cat caught carrying pot into prison
Associated Press Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:19 AM
CHISINAU, Moldova — A cat has been busted for smuggling pot into a prison in Moldova.
Guards became suspicious about the feline, which routinely entered and left the prison through a hole in a fence, when they noticed its odd collar. On closer inspection, they found two packets of marijuana attached to it.
The Department of Penitentiary Institutions said Friday that someone in the village of Pruncul was using the cat as a courier to supply inmates with dope at the local prison.
Whoever the human was, this wasn't a first regarding cat couriers at lockups.
In June, guards caught a cat carrying cellphones and chargers taped to its belly to inmates in Penal Colony No. 1 near the city of Syktyvkar in northern Russia.
1) link to main page
Love govenrnment pork??? Read on!!!!
http://eastvalleytribune.com/columns/east_valley_voices/article_35b333ea-386d-11e3-b87d-001a4bcf887a.html
Patterson: Cuts can be made, but politicians have to want to make them
Posted: Saturday, October 19, 2013 6:37 am
Commentary by Tom Patterson
“The cupboard is bare”, said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi recently in reference to the federal budget crisis. “There’s [sic] no more cuts to make. It’s really important that people understand that.”
It’s tempting to ignore this as more nonsense from a notorious airhead. Unfortunately, it is a widely held notion, especially among the political class. Back in the day, Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay also explained that a balanced budget wasn’t feasible because there were no more possible cuts.
So we’re stuck. Even though we can’t pay our bills as it is, we have no choice but to keep piling on debt and passing it off to future generations while hoping eventually some end-game will magically appear. Right?
Wrong. The federal budget has grown from $1.9 billion in 2001 to $3.8 billion today. It is chock-full of expenditures that are decidedly nonessential and could be cut without much difficulty.
Take the Federal Crop Insurance program. It was created in the 1930s to protect small farmers from being devastated by crop failures. But Ma and Pa toiling away on the family farm is mostly in the past. Instead, the payments go to wealthy conglomerates and landowners like the Rockefellers and Scottie Pippen.
The program costs $9 billion annually and really should be eliminated since crop insurance is commercially available. According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, even a 15% reduction in subsidies to farmers with incomes over $750,000 would save $1.2 billion.
Many if not most federal agencies are far from essential. The International Trade Administration subsidizes companies that export goods abroad. In other words, it’s $463 million worth of crony capitalism which we would be better off without. Our trading partners rightly complain of the unfairness these handouts create.
The Office of Energy Efficiency spends nearly $1 billion on “training” and resources for businesses and universities who want to “increase the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.” The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, created by the Dodd-Frank Act, burns through $497 million yearly yet is overly intrusive, questionably unconstitutional and vague in its mission.
The Economic Development Administration, also in the business of picking winners and losers, spends $286 million in grants to businesses unable to attract investors in the capital markets. You can guess the results.
There’s more low hanging fruit. The federal government pays $156 million to employees who do nothing but work for their own union. Michelle Obama has a personal staff of over 25 to help her get through her days. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control spends an unknown but significant amount hectoring people about their eating and drinking habits and lobbying local governments to outlaw practices of which they disapprove.
The explosive growth of SNAP (food stamps) and SSDI in the last five years has been well documented. Yet when fiscally conservative legislators recently proposed anti-fraud protections for SSDI and work requirements for able-bodied adults in SNAP, they were branded as mean and even “immoral”.
So in the spirit of compromise could we at least cease funding recruiters for SNAP and “advocates” (lawyers) for SSDI? People who need and deserve help don’t have to be talked into it.
Want bigger fish to fry? The Department of Education spends billions on…what? They don’t educate a single student but they write loads of research papers read by each other. The Department of Energy, like the rooster coaxing the sun to rise, supposedly ensures a grateful nation of its energy supply while the Department of Commerce oversees the disbursement of crony capitalism.
The real money is, of course, in the major entitlements – Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid – which comprise two-thirds of the federal budget. Politicians quail at the thought, but the relatively painless measure of gradually raising the retirement age from 65 to 67 would nearly erase the Social Security deficit in 20 years. How hard could that be?
Nancy Pelosi and her ilk know all of this and more, of course. But they don’t want even painless budget cuts because their power is based on growing government and having as many people as possible dependent on it. We would be foolish to listen to them.
1) link to main page
2) put in cops, drugs, snowden, NSA
Lose that hot chick's phone number??? Ask the folks at the NSA for a copy of it. They backed up all your data for free!!!!
Sure the cops are the criminals responsible for flushing our 4th and 5th Amendments down the toilet, but the real criminals are the members of the US Congress and US Senate because they allow these criminals acts to continue!!!
Last I suspect the criminals in the NSA consider me a "criminal" for making snide comments about their criminal acts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-collects-millions-of-e-mail-address-books-globally/2013/10/14/8e58b5be-34f9-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f_story.html?hpid=z9
NSA collects millions of e-mail address books globally
By Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani, Published: October 14 E-mail the writer
The National Security Agency is harvesting hundreds of millions of contact lists from personal e-mail and instant messaging accounts around the world, many of them belonging to Americans, according to senior intelligence officials and top-secret documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
The collection program, which has not been disclosed before, intercepts e-mail address books and “buddy lists” from instant messaging services as they move across global data links. Online services often transmit those contacts when a user logs on, composes a message, or synchronizes a computer or mobile device with information stored on remote servers.
Rather than targeting individual users, the NSA is gathering contact lists in large numbers that amount to a sizable fraction of the world’s e-mail and instant messaging accounts. Analysis of that data enables the agency to search for hidden connections and to map relationships within a much smaller universe of foreign intelligence targets.
During a single day last year, the NSA’s Special Source Operations branch collected 444,743 e-mail address books from Yahoo, 105,068 from Hotmail, 82,857 from Facebook, 33,697 from Gmail and 22,881 from unspecified other providers, according to an internal NSA PowerPoint presentation. Those figures, described as a typical daily intake in the document, correspond to a rate of more than 250 million a year.
Each day, the presentation said, the NSA collects contacts from an estimated 500,000 buddy lists on live-chat services as well as from the inbox displays of Web-based e-mail accounts.
The collection depends on secret arrangements with foreign telecommunications companies or allied intelligence services in control of facilities that direct traffic along the Internet’s main data routes.
Although the collection takes place overseas, two senior U.S. intelligence officials acknowledged that it sweeps in the contacts of many Americans. They declined to offer an estimate but did not dispute that the number is likely to be in the millions or tens of millions.
A spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees the NSA, said the agency “is focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid foreign intelligence targets like terrorists, human traffickers and drug smugglers. We are not interested in personal information about ordinary Americans.”
The spokesman, Shawn Turner, added that rules approved by the attorney general require the NSA to “minimize the acquisition, use and dissemination” of information that identifies a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
The NSA’s collection of nearly all U.S. call records, under a separate program, has generated significant controversy since it was revealed in June. The NSA’s director, Gen. Keith B. Alexander, has defended “bulk” collection as an essential counterterrorism and foreign intelligence tool, saying, “You need the haystack to find the needle.”
Contact lists stored online provide the NSA with far richer sources of data than call records alone. Address books commonly include not only names and e-mail addresses, but also telephone numbers, street addresses, and business and family information. Inbox listings of e-mail accounts stored in the “cloud” sometimes contain content, such as the first few lines of a message.
Taken together, the data would enable the NSA, if permitted, to draw detailed maps of a person’s life, as told by personal, professional, political and religious connections. The picture can also be misleading, creating false “associations” with ex-spouses or people with whom an account holder has had no contact in many years.
The NSA has not been authorized by Congress or the special intelligence court that oversees foreign surveillance to collect contact lists in bulk, and senior intelligence officials said it would be illegal to do so from facilities in the United States. The agency avoids the restrictions in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act by intercepting contact lists from access points “all over the world,” one official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the classified program. “None of those are on U.S. territory.”
Because of the method employed, the agency is not legally required or technically able to restrict its intake to contact lists belonging to specified foreign intelligence targets, he said.
When information passes through “the overseas collection apparatus,” the official added, “the assumption is you’re not a U.S. person.”
In practice, data from Americans is collected in large volumes — in part because they live and work overseas, but also because data crosses international boundaries even when its American owners stay at home. Large technology companies, including Google and Facebook, maintain data centers around the world to balance loads on their servers and work around outages.
A senior U.S. intelligence official said the privacy of Americans is protected, despite mass collection, because “we have checks and balances built into our tools.”
NSA analysts, he said, may not search within the contacts database or distribute information from it unless they can “make the case that something in there is a valid foreign intelligence target in and of itself.”
In this program, the NSA is obliged to make that case only to itself or others in the executive branch. With few exceptions, intelligence operations overseas fall solely within the president’s legal purview. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, enacted in 1978, imposes restrictions only on electronic surveillance that targets Americans or takes place on U.S. territory.
By contrast, the NSA draws on authority in the Patriot Act for its bulk collection of domestic phone records, and it gathers online records from U.S. Internet companies, in a program known as PRISM, under powers granted by Congress in the FISA Amendments Act. Those operations are overseen by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in August that the committee has less information about, and conducts less oversight of, intelligence gathering that relies solely on presidential authority. She said she planned to ask for more briefings on those programs.
“In general, the committee is far less aware of operations conducted under 12333,” said a senior committee staff member, referring to Executive Order 12333, which defines the basic powers and responsibilities of the intelligence agencies. “I believe the NSA would answer questions if we asked them, and if we knew to ask them, but it would not routinely report these things, and, in general, they would not fall within the focus of the committee.”
Because the agency captures contact lists “on the fly” as they cross major Internet switches, rather than “at rest” on computer servers, the NSA has no need to notify the U.S. companies that host the information or to ask for help from them.
“We have neither knowledge of nor participation in this mass collection of web-mail addresses or chat lists by the government,” said Google spokeswoman Niki Fenwick.
An NSA presentation on the SCISSORS tool that helps the agency cut out data it does not need.
An excerpt from the NSA's Wikipedia
An article from "Intellipedia," the NSA's classified wiki, on the problem of overcollection of data from Internet contact lists.
At Microsoft, spokeswoman Nicole Miller said the company “does not provide any government with direct or unfettered access to our customers’ data,” adding that “we would have significant concerns if these allegations about government actions are true.”
Facebook spokeswoman Jodi Seth said that “we did not know and did not assist” in the NSA’s interception of contact lists.
It is unclear why the NSA collects more than twice as many address books from Yahoo than the other big services combined. One possibility is that Yahoo, unlike other service providers, has left connections to its users unencrypted by default.
Suzanne Philion, a Yahoo spokeswoman, said Monday in response to an inquiry from The Washington Post that, beginning in January, Yahoo would begin encrypting all its e-mail connections.
Google was the first to secure all its e-mail connections, turning on “SSL encryption” globally in 2010. People with inside knowledge said the move was intended in part to thwart large-scale collection of its users’ information by the NSA and other intelligence agencies.
The volume of NSA contacts collection is so high that it has occasionally threatened to overwhelm storage repositories, forcing the agency to halt its intake with “emergency detasking” orders. Three NSA documents describe short-term efforts to build an “across-the-board technology throttle for truly heinous data” and longer-term efforts to filter out information that the NSA does not need.
Spam has proven to be a significant problem for the NSA — clogging databases with information that holds no foreign intelligence value. The majority of all e-mails, one NSA document says, “are SPAM from ‘fake’ addresses and never ‘delivered’ to targets.”
In fall 2011, according to an NSA presentation, the Yahoo account of an Iranian target was “hacked by an unknown actor,” who used it to send spam. The Iranian had “a number of Yahoo groups in his/her contact list, some with many hundreds or thousands of members.”
The cascading effects of repeated spam messages, compounded by the automatic addition of the Iranian’s contacts to other people’s address books, led to a massive spike in the volume of traffic collected by the Australian intelligence service on the NSA’s behalf.
After nine days of data-
bombing, the Iranian’s contact book and contact books for several people within it were “emergency detasked.”
In a briefing from the NSA’s Large Access Exploitation working group, that example was used to illustrate the need to narrow the criteria for data interception. It called for a “shifting collection philosophy”: “Memorialize what you need” vs. “Order one of everything off the menu and eat what you want.”
Julie Tate contributed to this report. Soltani is an independent security researcher and consultant.
1) link to main page
2) put in drugs, cops, snowden, NSA
Yea, sure!!! Secret court says it is no rubber stamp;
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/secret-court-says-it-is-no-rubber-stamp-led-to-changes-in-us-spying-requests/2013/10/15/d52936b0-35a5-11e3-80c6-7e6dd8d22d8f_story.html?hpid=z9
Secret court says it is no rubber stamp; work led to changes in U.S. spying requests
By Carol D. Leonnig, Published: October 15 E-mail the writer
A secret surveillance court that has been criticized for approving the vast majority of the government’s applications to spy on suspected terrorists and other targets reported Tuesday that the government had revamped roughly one-fourth of its requests in the face of court questions and demands.
The chief judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, Reggie Walton, told members of Congress in a letter that the court’s internal records show that more than 24 percent of government requests for recent warrants had “substantive” modifications in the wake of court review.
The disclosure of the new figure is intended to rebut critics who assert that the court provides a rubber stamp when the Justice Department seeks authority to monitor, track and eavesdrop on potential terrorists. The court faced new scrutiny following revelations this summer that the National Security Agency was secretly keeping the records of millions of Americans’ telephone calls, among other communications data.
The court, often called the FISA court after the 1979 law that created it, has typically approved more than 99 percent of government warrant requests. It has turned down no government warrants in the last four years — and denied just 10 applications of the 34,000 submitted in its history.
Walton decided this summer that the court would begin keeping its own tally of how Justice Department warrant applications for electronic surveillance fared — and would track for the first time when the government withdrew or resubmitted those applications with changes.
“During the three month period from July 1, 2013 through September 30, 2013, we have observed that 24.4% of matters submitted ultimately involved substantive changes to the information provided by the government or to the authorities granted as a result of Court inquiry or action,” Walton wrote in his letter to Sens. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.) and Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), the chairman and ranking Republican, respectively, of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The letter was dated Friday but posted to the court’s Web site Tuesday.
Walton wrote that he believed the sample period was illustrative of the way the court generally works and that the court has always believed the 99 percent approval statistic failed to capture its back-and-forth with the government over its requests.
The court, which operates in secret and whose opinions are typically shielded from public view, faced criticism after The Washington Post and the Guardian reported that it had secretly approved a far-reaching effort to collect Americans’ phone records.
NSA programs are not subject to the typical court review, but U.S. officials have argued that the programs are legal and still subject to rigorous judicial oversight.
In recent weeks, a series of declassified opinions from members of the FISA court have revealed the court as a tough taskmaster when it believed the government ran afoul of court rules.
In a recently released opinion from 2009, Walton scolded the government for repeated violations of court orders and falsely assuring the court it was following required steps to protect Americans’ privacy.
Privacy procedures “have been so frequently and systemically violated that it can fairly be said that this critical element of the overall [phone records] regime has never fully functioned effectively,” Walton wrote. He added that the explanation of the misunderstanding of the court’s order by Gen. Keith Alexander, the NSA’s director, “strains credulity.”
1) link to main page
2) put in cops and drugs
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ff-un-torture-investigator-seeks-access-to-california-prisons-20131018,0,15846.story
U.N. torture investigator seeks access to California prisons
By Paige St. John
October 18, 2013, 3:49 p.m.
SACRAMENTO -- The United Nations' lead torture investigator says he is worried about increased use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and wants access to California lockups to ensure that prisoners' rights are being protected.
"We should have more justification" for putting prisoners in isolation, Juan Mendez, the UN's special rapporteur (reporter) on torture told The Times’ editorial board Friday. He called for greater scrutiny of prison systems that routinely put inmates in solitary confinement.
"We should put the burden on the state that this is the proper way to do things, and we should all be a lot more skeptical," Mendez said.
Experts say California currently has some 10,000 inmates in isolation units, where prisoners connected to a gang can be held indefinitely, even decades. The practice sparked a 60-day prison hunger strike during the summer.
Mendez said he has agreed to investigate the cases of individual prisoners kept in the state's isolation cells, to make sure they are being treated according to international law. He asked in May to inspect California prisons, but his request must be cleared by both the U.S. State Department and Gov. Jerry Brown, and Mendez said he has had no response.
Brown's press secretary said he was unaware of Mendez’s request. A spokeswoman for the State Department confirmed the request and said the agency is "open to continuing to discuss" a possible visit.
"The conditions for visits to detention facilities in the United States are all determined on a case-by-case basis," Laura Seal, the spokeswoman, said.
Mendez said he wants access to any part of any prison he chooses and the freedom to speak with inmates of his choosing. "Sometimes you negotiate all the way to the cell door," he said.
California corrections officials say the state's isolation units are not the same as solitary confinement because some prisoners have cellmates and all can call out to other inmates nearby, even if they cannot see them.
Mendez raised concern about any policy that keeps prisoners in their cells more than 22 hours a day with little social contact, for months or years at a time.
He said solitary should be used as discipline for only the most serious infractions, with safeguards that allow for independent review. Isolation should be unrelated to the crime for which an inmate was sentenced and never used as a means to carry out a sentence.
He also said mentally ill prisoners should not be isolated.
1) link to main page
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_23416601
BART's top-paid worker of 2012 never worked a day
By Thomas Peele and Daniel J. Willis
Staff writers
© Copyright 2013, Bay Area News Group
Posted: 06/09/2013 07:43:48 AM PDT | Updated:
With a gross salary of more than $333,000, BART's highest-paid employee last year wasn't its general manager, police chief or a worker who racked up gobs of overtime scrubbing grime from filthy train seats.
It was someone who did no work at all for BART in 2012: Dorothy Dugger, the agency's former general manager who resigned under pressure more than two years ago.
Under a lucrative retirement scheme, Dugger, 57, quietly stayed on the books, burning off nearly 80 weeks of unused vacation time, drawing paychecks and full benefits for more than 19 months after she agreed to quit in May 2011, according to an analysis by this newspaper. By remaining on BART's payroll, she accrued almost two extra months of vacation, while sitting at home drawing a six-figure salary for unused time off.
The months of extra pay were on top of the $920,000 that BART paid Dugger to leave after the agency's board botched an effort to fire her by violating public meetings laws.
"Wow," said James Fang, a BART board member who tried to oust Dugger. "She was still on the payroll? I did not know this. It's startling."
In 2012 alone Dugger's gross pay could have bought 52,837 round-trip BART tickets between downtown Oakland and San Francisco's Financial district. She even received more pay than the person who replaced her to run the Bay Area commuter railroad, General Manager Grace Crunican, who took home $316,000.
Without leaving her home in Oakland's Crocker Highlands neighborhood, Dugger reaped the astonishing windfall by cashing in more than 3,100 vacation hours, saved during her 20 years with BART.
Many cash-strapped public agencies are now under scrutiny for allowing departing employees to convert huge banks of unused vacation and sick time into big cash payouts, but a little-known policy in BART's rules for senior managers like Dugger made her perk even sweeter.
Because she was allowed to drag out her vacation-bank payments for months, Dugger received $138,000 worth of benefits, including pension contributions and medical insurance -- perks she would not have received if she had taken her vacation payments in a lump-sum check. Since she remained on BART's payroll, Dugger also received an additional $98,000 in cash, because she was still racking up vacation time and management bonuses -- even though she had no one to manage.
That alone was more than the 2012 gross pay of almost three-quarters of BART's 3,340 workers, the agency's compensation data shows.
Remaining on BART's payroll also added both time and money to the calculations on which Dugger's retirement is based -- increasing her pension payments by more than $1,000 a month for life. When her time on BART's books finally ran out in December, she began to draw a pension of $181,000 a year.
Reached this week by phone, Dugger said she was entitled to the money because she earned the time off.
She said her decision to spread out her unused vacation payments after her four-year tenure as general manager ended in May 2011 "best suited my needs. I made that decision some time ago. I don't remember every factor."
BART's vacation policy requires senior managers to decide every year whether they want to save unused time off for a retirement bonus. They must place the time in an account that can only be cashed out at the end of a career.
Not taking a lump sum on top of her $920,000 settlement eased Dugger's tax burden, as well.
But news of her bounty wasn't easy for BART riders to stomach.
"I hope it becomes a big stink," said BART patron Mitch Roland, of Alameda. "This is an agency funded by taxpayers. ... They should have stricter controls."
Crunican, the new general manager, didn't respond to several messages left with her spokeswoman last week. BART board President Tom Radulovich, of San Francisco, did not return several phone calls.
BART board member Robert Raburn, of Oakland, said Dugger's payout shows a serious problem in how the agency deals with unused time off.
"We should be able to control it," he said of time accruals. "It should be use it or lose it."
Another board member had concerns.
"We have to look at this," Fang said. "We never think about these very critical and important little things."
BART is widely known for offering some of the most lucrative government benefits and sweeteners in California. Employees contribute nothing to pension costs, the agency provides rare deferred compensation accounts as an extra retirement fund and most employees contribute only $92 a month to medical insurance costs no matter how many dependents they have on a policy.
But Dugger appears to have especially benefited. The value of the time off she stored up before becoming general manager skyrocketed when she ascended to the top job in 2007 and received a raise of nearly $100,000 a year, records show. She was paid for all 3,100 hours of unused time off at her final, highest pay rate, she said, not her rate when the time was accrued.
"It was time (off) I earned my whole career at BART," she said. "It's a cost of having the option" to save the vacation until the end of a career, she said.
When asked if she thought that was fair to BART riders, she said: "That's a fair issue to debate."
Raburn was one the directors who voted to fire Dugger in early 2011 after mounting complaints about service and cleanliness of the aging transit system and criticism that she failed to provide strong leadership after the 2009 fatal shooting of a handcuffed African-American man, Oscar Grant III, by a BART police officer.
But the directors were forced to quickly rescind that decision after discovering they had not followed public notice requirements to schedule the closed-door meeting to vote on Dugger's ouster. Dugger threatened to sue, and the board agreed to pay her $920,000, plus $14,000 in legal costs, to drop the threat and resign.
"We had to buy her out, I don't know what else we can say. It could have been much worse if she had gone to court," Raburn said.
But lost in that was any discussion of how to deal with all of Dugger's vacation time. "I can't talk about what we discussed," Raburn said.
Dugger said she was proud of her time with BART. Asked if her lucrative use of vacation time exposed a fiscal flaw in the agency, she said, "I think BART's track record on fiscal management is quite solid."
Contact Thomas Peele at tpeele@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/thomas_peele.
Post-BART payday
Here is a look at Dorothy Dugger's pay after she resigned in May 2011:
Settlement payment to avert lawsuit, May, 2011: $920,000
Unused vacation time as of May 2011: About 3,100 hours
Gross pay, June 2011 to December 2012: $558,000
Cost to BART for benefits, June 2011 to December 2012: $138,000
Monthly pension payments, beginning January 2013: $15,083
1) link to main page
2) put in police and drugs
Doug Coleman, over paid, under worked drug war bureaucrat!!!!
Sadly Doug Coleman gets paid big bucks to jail people for victimless drug war crimes.
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/articles/20131018into-mind-doug-coleman.html
Into the mind of ... Doug Coleman
The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 18, 2013 6:46 PM
What was the genesis of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s prescription drug take-back days?
American teens tell us they are abusing prescription drugs acquired from their parents’ medicine cabinets. Parents tell us they don’t know how to dispose of unwanted and unused pharmaceuticals. When you put the two together, the need for a mechanism to dispose of these drugs became obvious.
DEA responded by coordinating semiannual drug take-back events with local law-enforcement agencies. Removing unneeded household medication is a key component to limiting the availability of and access to these drugs by children and/or drug seekers.
Why do people turn to prescription drugs?
There are two primary reasons for increased prescription drug abuse: easy access and the mistaken belief among teens and young adults that prescription medications are safer than other drugs. Unlike methamphetamine or heroin, they are prescribed by health-care professionals, and dispensed by pharmacists. This false sense of security can end in tragedy.
Little stigma is associated with the abuse of prescription drugs. There are no track marks with a pill, no littered paraphernalia to hide or dark alley encounters. However, when abused, prescription drugs are just as dangerous and addictive as street drugs.
What are the potential dangers?
Death and addiction. Abusers of controlled pharmaceuticals use these drugs for non-medical purposes, in a manner for which they were never intended. This practice, coupled with the erroneous perception of safety, makes the abuse of pharmaceuticals extremely dangerous and potentially deadly.
There is a direct link between the abuse of opiate-based drugs such as oxycodone and heroin addiction. Because both drugs are opiate based, addicts can use the two interchangeably. The abuse of opiate-based pharmaceuticals drives increased heroin use.
What signs should friends and families watch for?
Prescription drug abuse can result in a drop in academic performance, personality changes and feelings of helplessness, isolation or shame by the abuser. Physical signs of abuse include drowsiness, inability to concentrate, slurred speech, lack of energy, constriction of the pupils, flushing of the face and neck, and respiratory depression.
When is the next take-back day, and what drugs can people bring?
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 26 at more than 90 collection sites across the state. The public can find sites by visiting dea.gov and clicking on the “Got Drugs” icon. People can bring over-the-counter medications, prescription medications and pharmaceutical controlled substances. No injectables, inhalers or needles will be accepted.
How can people dispose of liquids, injectables or needles?
We will take liquids in plastic containers; for any other items, please contact the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality at 602-771-2215.
Other trends you’re watching?
Synthetic drugs like K-2, Spice and Molly have been increasingly popular among teens and young adults. These drugs have been deceptively marketed to young people, and the abuse of these substances has resulted in numerous deaths. As always, we have to concentrate our efforts as a nation towards stopping young people from entering the vicious cycle of addiction.
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2) put in police
10 years in prison for looking at dirty pictures???? That's insane!!!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/nephoenix/articles/20131018exparadise-valley-district-teacher-sentenced-in-child-porn-case.html
Ex-Paradise Valley district teacher sentenced in child porn case
Associated Press Fri Oct 18, 2013 11:29 AM
PHOENIX — A former elementary school teacher in the Paradise Valley School District has been sentenced to 10 years in prison in a child pornography case.
Thomas Warner also must serve a lifetime of probation on two counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor.
Warner had pleaded guilty to the charges in May. He received his sentence Friday in Maricopa County Superior Court.
His arrest in February 2012 came after detectives from the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a warrant for child pornography at his home. Authorities say they found thousands of pictures and videos of underage boys.
Warner had been a fourth-grade elementary school teacher at the time of his arrest.
1) link to main page
2) put in schools, cops and drugs
Think of it as a jobs program for cops!!!!
Pretty soon there won't be much different between the way government schools and government prisons are run!!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/20131017mesa-schools-invest-millions-to-improve-security-on-campuses.html
Mesa schools invest $2.34 million to improve security on campuses
By Cathryn Creno The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:53 AM
Mesa Public Schools spent $2.34 million on school-security improvements ranging from state-of-the-art security cameras to remodeled front offices over the summer.
The district is still designing plans for adding security fences to 50 of its 82 schools, which are expected to cost an additional $570,000.
Money for the improvements comes from a $230 million bond approved by voters last November.
District security director Al Moore told the district governing board Oct. 15 that he believes the 34 new security-camera systems and 22 system upgrades are already deterring thefts and vandalism at Mesa schools.
“They are creating a mental barrier that keeps people away,” he said. “Our schools are not a soft target anymore.”
Moore, a retired Mesa police sergeant, led a team to review security after the fatal shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut last December. The team included security staff, assistant superintendents and representatives from the Mesa Police Department.
Other security improvements made in schools over the summer include peep holes in classroom doors, security glass in classroom and office windows and remodeled and relocated front offices. Before this fall, some Mesa school offices were in the middle of their campuses, which allowed visitors — or intruders — to walk past classrooms without first signing in with school staff.
The district also is in the process of installing machines that will create photo ID badges for all visitors. It also has a new requirement that all employees wear visible ID badges during the school day.
Superintendent Michael Cowan told the board that school officials are still in the process of “reprogramming” parents who are used to walking directly from parking lots to their kids’ classrooms with no questions asked. Now they are stopped if they do not check in with office staff first.
“During the calls I have receive from parents, if I say ‘It’s safety versus convenience,’ “ Moore said. “At the end of the conversation they usually say ‘That makes sense.’ “
After the presentation, the board approved a $567,000 contract with Merge Architects for construction of the additional school security fences.
In other business, the governing board approved spending $889,500 to remove asbestos from the shuttered Mesa Junior High School and $747,000 to tear down the 61-year-old brick building, which was closed last year because it had low enrollment and was in disrepair.
Spray Systems Environmental will do the asbestos work. Cameron Construction will will then demolish Mesa Junior’s classroom buildings, administration buildings and athletic areas including the tennis courts and track.
Afterward, Cameron will install new water, gas and sewer systems to buildings that are to remain standing and be run as part of a Mesa park -- the gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium.
The demolition is expected to start at the end of October.
District spokeswoman Helen Hollands said officials will not commemorate the tear-down. More than 1,000 community member said farewell to Mesa’s first and oldest junior high school in May 2012, before the doors closed for the last time.
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2) put in mayor stanton
Using government to drive your competitors out of business???
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131015moon-valley-residents-north-phoenix-getting-goodwill-beat.html
Moon Valley residents in north Phoenix getting Goodwill, despite objections
Christina Leonard is the Phoenix community editor.
By Amy B Wang PHX Beat Wed Oct 16, 2013 8:22 AM
Like it or not, Moon Valley residents in north Phoenix are getting a Goodwill store where their AJ’s Fine Foods used to be.
Despite backlash from neighbors, the non-profit has said it was aiming to open a new thrift store and donation center at Seventh Street and Thunderbird Road this fall. Now it appears there’s a set date — Nov. 22, according to job postings published Tuesday.
The store has been mired in controversy after Moon Valley residents, who have tried to block the Goodwill from opening, accused Vice Mayor Bill Gates and his chief of staff, Laura Etter, of not disclosing a potential conflict of interest while mediating the issue. Before joining Gates’ office, Etter worked for Goodwill’s lobbyist.
Gates and Etter both repeatedly have said there was no conflict of interest. Though residents pushed for Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and the city to explore the issue further, the mayor vouched for Gates and Etter at the Oct. 2 Phoenix City Council meeting.
On Oct. 2, the council also voted to reinstate the use permit requirement for secondhand and used-goods stores. However, the change will not affect the Moon Valley Goodwill.
“Now the focus on that center is about making it the best center, the best Goodwill you’ve ever seen,” Gates told The Republic in September.
The new Goodwill store seeks cashiers, merchandise processors and donation attendants, according to job postings. No experience or high-school diploma is necessary, but applicants must pass a background check and be fluent in English.
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2) put on drugs and cops
Oreos may be as addictive as cocaine, morphine
Wonder if there will be jackbooted DEA thugs knocking on the doors of the Nabisco plant where the evil addictive cookies are made???
Beleive it or not, when they made most drugs illegal back in 1914 when they passed the "1914 Harrison Narcotic Tax Act", caffeine was on the list of drugs they wanted to make illegal.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57607785/oreos-may-be-as-addictive-as-cocaine-morphine/
By Michelle Castillo /
CBS News/ October 16, 2013, 1:04 PM
Oreos may be as addictive as cocaine, morphine
Wonder why it's hard to stop eating Oreos once you've taken that first bite? A new study suggests that "America's favorite cookie" is just as addictive as cocaine or morphine -- at least in lab rats.
"Our research supports the theory that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do," co-author Joseph Schroeder, an associate professor of neuroscience at Connecticut College in New London, Conn., said in a press release. "It may explain why some people can't resist these foods despite the fact that they know they are bad for them."
Researchers tested rats' affinity for the chocolatey sandwich cookie in several lab experiments. Co-author Jamie Honohan explained that Oreos were chosen not only for their taste, but because they have high amounts of fat and sugar and are marketed heavily in areas where people tend to have lower socioeconomic status and higher obesity rates.
The rats were put in a maze and given either Oreos or rice cakes at the end. The researchers timed how long the rats would spend on the side of the maze where they were fed the snack. Interestingly enough, just like people, the rats split the Oreo in half and went for the creamy inside first before consuming the cookie.
The rice cakes were chosen because they weren't a crowd favorite. "Just like humans, rats don't seem to get much pleasure out of eating them," Schroeder said.
Other rats were put in the same maze but given an injection of cocaine or morphine or saline when they reached the end. The researchers also monitored how long they spent on the side where they received the drugs or placebo.
The researchers discovered that the rats spent about the same amount of time on the side where they would get their next "fix," whether it was drugs or cookies.
Researchers also looked in the nucleus accumbens, or the brain's pleasure center, and measured how much c-Fos, a protein marker that signals brain neuron activation, was expressed. In simple terms, they were looking at how many cells were turned on in response to the drugs or Oreos.
The researchers saw that Oreos activated significantly more neurons than cocaine or morphine.
"This correlated well with our behavioral results and lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/high-sugar foods are addictive," said Schroeder.
Previous studies have shown that highly-processed carbohydrates like cakes, cookies and chips could affect this same pleasure center in the brain by triggering the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is released when the brain senses something that is a reward.
"Even though we associate significant health hazards in taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability," Honohan said.
Schroeder added to WCBS 880 that this could explain why people have a hard time turning junk food down.
"Overall, it lent support to the hypothesis that high-fat/high-sugar foods can be viewed in the same was as drugs of abuse and have addictive potential," Schroeder said. "It could be used to explain why some people have a problem staying away from foods that they know they shouldn't eat or that they know are addictive."
The research will be presented in November at the Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, Calif.
© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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2) put in military, police and drugs
My question is when will there be accidental civilian deaths in the USA due to drone strikes made by the DEA and other cops in their insane and unconstitutional war on drugs!!!!
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/calls-us-reveal-civilian-drone-casualties-20610237
UN Expert Urges US to Reveal Civilian Drone Deaths
ISLAMABAD October 18, 2013 (AP)
By SEBASTIAN ABBOT Associated Press
Associated Press
A U.N. expert on Friday called on the United States to reveal the number of civilians it believes have been killed by American drone strikes targeting Islamic militants.
U.N. Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson said that preliminary information gathered for a new report indicated more than 450 civilians may have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen, but more work needs to be done to confirm the figures.
The U.S. provides very little public information about its drone program, especially in Pakistan and Yemen, where the CIA is involved in the attacks.
"The single greatest obstacle to an evaluation of the civilian impact of drone strikes is lack of transparency, which makes it extremely difficult to assess claims of precision targeting objectively," said the report, which was released Friday. The lack of transparency "creates an accountability vacuum and affects the ability of victims to seek redress."
The U.S. and other countries that use drones, such as Israel and the United Kingdom, have an obligation to investigate reported civilian casualties and clarify their legal justifications for the attacks, the report said.
The involvement of the CIA in the U.S. drone programs in Pakistan and Yemen "has created an almost insurmountable obstacle to transparency," the report said. Emmerson said he did not believe the U.S. could use national security considerations to justify withholding civilian casualty data.
The Pakistani government told the U.N. that at least 400 civilians have been killed by U.S. drone strikes in the country — a figure that Emmerson first revealed during a visit to Islamabad in March. The report said that the U.N. has confirmed more than 30 civilians were killed in drone attacks in Afghanistan in 2012 and 2013. Media reports indicate that at least 21 civilians have been killed in strikes in Yemen since 2011.
In total, Emmerson identified 33 drone attacks that appear to have resulted in civilian casualties, but he is still trying to confirm his findings with the states involved. He will present his final report to the U.N. Human Rights Council once he is finished.
Emmerson said in the report that drone strikes in Pakistan violate the country's sovereignty because the government has publicly objected to the attacks — a stance he first announced during his visit to Islamabad in March.
Others believed the situation with Pakistan is murkier since senior government and military officials have supported at least some of the strikes in the past, and U.S. officials say privately that some still do.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to travel to Washington next week to meet with President Barack Obama. Drone strikes are expected to be on the agenda.
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2) put in cops, drugs, nsa, snowden
http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20131017report-nsa-involved-in-drone-program.html
Report: Documents show NSA involvement in drone program
By Melanie Eversley USA Today Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:05 AM
Documents provided to The Washington Post by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden illustrate the extensive involvement of the National Security Agency in the government's targeted counterterrorism killing program. They provide the most detailed account of the collaboration between the NSA and the CIA in the drone campaign, the Post reports.
The documents make clear that the drone campaign -- which uses armed, unmanned aerial vehicles -- frequently presented as exclusive territory of the CIA, depends heavily on the ability of the NSA to sweep up information from e-mails, telephone calls and other pieces of signals intelligence, the Post reports.
Reports of the NSA's involvement in Americans' lives have drawn intense criticism, but the latest report on the drone files might support the security agency's assertion that its work is focused on fighting terrorism and bolstering U.S. operations in other countries.
The public affairs office of the NSA, based at Fort Meade in Maryland responded to the report regarding drones with an e-mailed statement.
"The National Security Agency is a foreign intelligence agency," the statement read. "We're focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid foreign intelligence targets, such as terrorists, human traffickers and drug smugglers. Our activities are directed against valid foreign intelligence targets in response to requirements from U.S. leaders in order to protect the nation and its interests from threats such as terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."
The NSA has assigned senior analysts to the CIA's Counterterrorism Center and sent others to work with the CIA at almost every major U.S. embassy or military base overseas, according to the Post.
The drone campaign has killed an estimated 3,000 militants and hundreds of civilians, the Post says independent surveys indicate.
In Pakistan, the NSA was useful in terms of coverage of Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas, or FATA, according to the Post report.
The news organization quotes an unidentified former intelligence official as saying, "If you wanted huge coverage of the FATA, NSA had 10 times the manpower, 20 times the budget and 100 times the brainpower" when compared to the CIA Information Operations Center.
The NSA conducts the operations by relying on online attacks or positioning itself in the middle of communications between two computers, the Post reports. In this way, the agency extracts digital information that includes audio files, imagery and keystroke logs, according to the Post.
In one operation, focus on a suspected facilitator for al-Qaeda in Yemen turned up a collection of files that could be used to map out movement of terrorists and would-be terrorists between several countries, according to the documents. "This may enable NSA to better flag the movement of these individuals" for security services for no-fly lists or monitoring, the Post quotes the documents as saying.
The operations also allegedly helped track Hassan Ghul, an associate of Osama bin Laden killed by a drone strike in Pakistan in October 2012. Information provided by Ghul may have led to the capture and death of bin Laden. The U.S. government has never acknowledged killing Ghul, the Post says.
When Ghul tried to enter Iraq in 2004, he was detained by Khurdish authorities directed by the CIA. He told them that Osama bin Laden relied on a courier known as al-Kuwaiti. Ghul; was then taken to a CIA site in Eastern Europe, where he was subjected to sleep deprivation and other tactics to break his will, the Post reports.
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Bribes, campaign contributions - What's the difference????
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131017lobbyist-says-he-not-guilty-felony-charges.html
Lobbyist says he is not guilty of 8 felony charges
By Craig Harris The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 17, 2013 8:48 PM
Gary Husk, a lobbyist whose key clients included the Fiesta Bowl, entered a plea of not guilty Thursday to eight felony charges in Maricopa County Superior Court.
Husk is accused of using his firm’s money to reimburse employees for making campaign contributions.
“I’m absolutely not guilty of these charges. I look forward to finally getting a forum to present evidence,” Husk said after his arraignment. “We will put forth evidence that will show beyond any doubt that I’m innocent.”
Husk questioned the motives of Attorney General Tom Horne, whose office investigated Husk for three years during an inquiry into Fiesta Bowl campaign contributions. Husk has not been charged in that probe.
Husk said he was not allowed to appear before a county grand jury before being indicted, and Horne’s staff would not interview him.
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A government welfare program for rich golfers???
http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/20131016scottsdale-asks-judge-again-to-toss-golfclub-subsidy-lawsuit.html
Scottsdale again asks judge to toss golf-club subsidy lawsuit
By Beth Duckett The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 16, 2013 9:23 AM
Scottsdale has once again asked a judge to throw out a complaint alleging the city’s $1.5 million contribution toward improvements at the McDowell Mountain Golf Club is an illegal subsidy.
In Scottsdale’s latest response, City Attorney Bruce Washburn denied the allegations posed by Scottsdale residents Mark Stuart and John Washington.
Stuart and Washington sued Scottsdale and its top officials in June, a year after the City Council approved a deal to contribute $1.5 million toward renovations at the north Scottsdale clubhouse.
They argued that the $1.5 million contribution, or $2 million with principal and interest, is a subsidy that ignores court opinion about how to interpret the state Constitution’s gift clause. They alleged the money “exemplifies what voters intended to prevent” with Scottsdale’s anti-subsidy charter amendment, which voters ratified in 2010.
In September, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sally Duncan denied Scottsdale’s request to dismiss the complaint.
On Oct. 7, Washburn filed a response to the amended complaint. He denied the allegations, saying in the defense that Stuart and Washington “lack standing” to sue the city in this case and that their claims are barred from the statute of limitations, among other arguments.
Washburn requested the court dismiss the complaint and that Scottsdale be awarded attorney’s fees.
The plaintiffs have not suffered injury and their claims “do not present a justifiable controversy,” Washburn wrote. He has said his office does not comment on pending litigation. He declined to comment further.
The gift clause prohibits giving public money to private parties without getting a fair return. Scottsdale’s charter amendment says the city should “not give or loan its credit, nor make any donation, grant or payment of any public funds, by subsidy or otherwise, to any individual, association or corporation, except where there is a clearly identified public purpose and the city either receives direct consideration substantially equal to its expenditure or provides direct assistance to those in need.”
The suit alleges the city is illegally benefiting the course operator, White Buffalo Golf LLC.
White Buffalo includes PGA Tour pro Phil Mickelson and Steve Loy, his former golf coach at Arizona State University.
Funding for the city’s debt payments on the project comes from a fee on golf-course revenues, a city official said.
According to a city treasurer report, the total estimated project cost was $2.35 million. White Buffalo was to pay $353,000 and loan an additional $500,000, to be repaid from future golf fees, it said.
Stuart, in an e-mail, called Scottsdale’s response to the suit “just another stalling tactic.”
“They can’t actually explain or defend the gift to White Buffalo, so they are asserting every imaginable defense of their conduct,” he said.
Stuart said they must file a joint order by Monday, Oct. 21, which lays out the calendar up to and including trial.
He said the judge ordered a mandatory settlement conference, though he called it “most likely a waste of time.”
Stuart asked why White Buffalo didn’t borrow the money, which would have eliminated the need for the city to issue bonds and tap money from a basin management fund.
The money to pay off the project’s debt otherwise would go into this fund. Before the recent contract amendment, the money was guaranteed for the city for the “maintenance, preservation and public enjoyment” of all land in the basin, according to their complaint.
Stuart and Washington also claimed the contribution drains the public coffers and gives an unfair advantage to White Buffalo Golf LLC. They argued that the city’s possible return on investment is “woefully inadequate” compared with the risk. Scottsdale has denied this.
Stuart said their goal “is to show the court that the city’s public presentation was deliberately misleading and that it concealed important information and that the city staff did this deliberately in order to disguise the true nature of the transaction.”
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation owns most of the land beneath the 18-hole golf course and the clubhouse in the McDowell Mountain Ranch community. Scottsdale has a contract with the bureau to use the land.
White Buffalo bought the course’s operating rights, paying $2.2 million. In June 2012, the Scottsdale City Council approved an amendment to an agreement with White Buffalo, allowing for partial city funding of the project.
Scottsdale issued bonds to cover the $1.5 million. A city finance official estimated that the debt service will average about $105,000 a year for 20 years. Revenue from a 4 percent fee on golf-course revenues will cover the payments.
In exchange, White Buffalo agreed to pay Scottsdale a larger percentage of its gross sales — 3 percent instead of 2 percent — for 20 years. The change was expected to generate at least $30,000 a year for the city.
Under a prior contract, White Buffalo had to pay for all improvements at the club and clubhouse.
The improvements included expanding the clubhouse by 3,000 square feet.
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Don't count on any of these government bureaucrats going to jail for their crimes, it rarely happens. Hell, don't even count on them being charged with a crime!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/20131017glendale-administrators-spotlight.html
Ex-Glendale admins in spotlight amid state investigation
By Paul Giblin The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 17, 2013 9:11 PM
The state Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into whether several former Glendale administrators accused of mismanaging a multimillion-dollar early-retirement program broke any laws.
The state investigation was spurred by an audit that the Glendale City Council commissioned earlier this year.
The council forwarded the 253-page audit report to state prosecutors on Aug. 23, asking them to review the findings for possible criminal conduct.
State and city officials had remained mum about whether state investigators were pursuing the matter, but correspondence obtained by The Arizona Republic through a public-records request indicates that state officials are taking a long look.
State investigators requested additional documentation twice in September and set up a meeting with city attorneys on Oct. 7, according to e-mails obtained from the city. Two officials from the state Office of the Auditor General were included in the meeting arrangements as well.
At least a portion of the materials solicited in the second request was prompted by an article published in The Republic on Sept. 22.
After The Republic obtained the e-mails, Attorney General’s Office spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham confirmed that an investigation was under way, but she declined on Thursday to provide details.
“My understanding is it’s still in the investigative process. We await their findings,” Glendale City Manager Brenda Fischer, who joined the city this year, said Wednesday.
Fischer said she was unaware that City Attorney Michael Bailey and Deputy City Attorney Deborah Robberson had been scheduled to meet with state officials in Phoenix or whether the city’s attorneys had produced the information that state investigators requested.
“I wasn’t privy to that process. I have no idea,” Fischer said.
Bailey declined comment through a city spokeswoman. “The city can’t speak about that at this point, as it is a pending legal matter,” city spokeswoman Julie Frisoni said.
The audit, which took six months to perform, concludes that six former city employees improperly shifted more than $6 million among city trust funds from 2008 to 2010 to hide the ballooning costs of the early-retirement program.
The audit also details former City Manager Ed Beasley’s arrangements that allowed former Human Resources Executive Director Alma Carmicle to telecommute from Mississippi at full pay for nearly a year, and that permitted former Deputy City Manager Art Lynch to take the early-retirement buyout, only to return the next day as a highly paid consultant.
The $513,000 audit was conducted by a team of attorneys, accountants and computer experts under the direction of former U.S. Attorney for Arizona Jose de Jesus Rivera, now of the law firm Haralson, Miller, Pitt, Feldman & McAnally.
The auditors also produced a legal analysis that states Beasley and other top officials may have broken a state law that bars public employees from knowingly mishandling public funds, a Class 4 felony. The analysis notes that evidence would have to pass a high bar to lead to criminal charges.
The city’s legal analysis also names other former employees who may be criminally liable for their roles in the financial matter.
The analysis notes that the most likely scenario is the city could face civil liability because of city administrators’ actions.
Council members initially withheld the legal analysis from the Attorney General’s Office, saying they wanted state investigators to make their own conclusions.
Investigators clearly are working in that direction.
On Sept. 17, Attorney General’s Office Assistant Chief Dan Woods requested 17 specific types of documents, including details about the early-retirement program, transfers among various trust funds, communications to the council, and employment agreements with Carmicle and Lynch, among other information.
On Sept. 23, Woods requested seven additional types of documents and explanations related to the trust funds, according to the e-mails.
“And if the article in today’s AZ Republic is true, we would of course like a copy of the legal analysis that was performed,” he writes in an e-mail to Robberson.
The previous day, The Republic published an article detailing the legal analysis, which the newspaper obtained from a source with access to the document.
Several of the city’s top administrators who were involved in the early-retirement program resigned from their positions before the audit was commissioned.
After the city released the audit on its website Aug. 21, Fischer asked for the resignations of four who remained: Assistant City Manager Horatio Skeete, Financial Services Director Sherry Schurhammer, financial officer Diane Goke and Chief Budget Officer Don Bolton.
Schurhammer and Goke resigned. Skeete and Bolton refused, so Fischer fired them.
Bolton appealed his termination during a personnel board hearing Tuesday, but the three-member board upheld Fischer’s decision to terminate him. Skeete is scheduled to appear before the board next week.
1) link to main page
2) put in cops
A million dollar bond for setting off a stinking dry ice firecracker at LAX. Jesus, don't these pigs have any real criminals to hunt down???
http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20131014lax-dry-ice-explosion-second.html
Suspect in LAX airport blasts pleads not guilty
Associated Press Thu Oct 17, 2013 4:58 PM
LOS ANGELES — A baggage handler accused of setting off dry ice bottle blasts at Los Angeles International Airport pleaded not guilty Thursday to two charges of possessing a destructive device in a public place.
Dicarlo Bennett, 28, an employee of an airport service company, could face up to six years in prison if convicted.
Bennett said little beyond acknowledging his name during a brief hearing before Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz.
Police said he set off the blasts Sunday for his own amusement in areas of the airport accessible only to employees.
He was ordered held on $1 million bail. Another hearing to review his bail was set for Oct. 23.
Investigators believe the bombs were set “out of a desire to construct and experience a device exploding,” said Los Angeles police Lt. John Karle. He called it foolish and negligent behavior.
Police primarily relied on interviews with witnesses and physical evidence but also reviewed surveillance video before arresting Bennett.
Airport officials changed their policy on how dry ice is discarded after an abandoned container of dry ice from a plane was used to fashion and explode the bombs.
The airport will now require employees to return dry ice — often used to keep food fresh — to a warehouse and not leave it out on the tarmac, said Los Angeles Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon.
Airport officials plan to meet with law enforcement authorities in the coming days to examine other potential security enhancements at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
Cameras cover some of these restricted-access areas, but Downing said there isn’t as much camera coverage as in public-access areas.
The union representing police at LAX said the incident highlights the need for the installation of more security cameras at the airport.
———
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and AP writer Raquel Maria Dillon contributed to this report.
1) link to main page
2) put in police and drugs
You want a fair trial??? Don't make me laugh!!!!
Sure on paper you have constitutional rights, but when you read this article the government routinely flushes those constitutional rights down the toilet!
Last while this James Holmes guy may be a real jerk, that isn't any reason NOT to give him a fair trial!!!
http://www.chieftain.com/news/1933315-120/holmes-evidence-authorities-case
Lawyers: Police wouldn’t let us talk Holmes
Published: October 17, 2013; Last modified: October 17, 2013 02:18PM
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Defense attorneys weren’t able to speak to James Holmes for several hours after his arrest and one testified Thursday that investigators ignored her demand that they not question the Colorado theater shooting suspect about explosives found in his apartment.
Aurora Police Detective Craig Appel testified at a pretrial hearing Thursday that he knew two lawyers wanted to see Holmes.
Appel said he told public defender Daniel King that he would have to wait until Holmes was transferred to another jail.
The other attorney, hired by Holmes’ mother, said she told Appel investigators couldn’t talk to Holmes about explosives found in his apartment. They went ahead and questioned him anyway with no lawyer present.
Holmes had also asked to speak to a lawyer. Appel said it wasn’t until at least 12 hours after his arrest that Holmes was able to.
His testimony came during a day of dramatic and often testy exchanges between lawyers and witnesses as the defense sought to bar trial testimony about statements Holmes made to police. Both sides are battling over what evidence can be admitted during Holmes’ trial in an attempt to build up or tear down the case that he was insane.
Prosecutors presented testimony aimed at showing how urgent it was for authorities to question Holmes about his booby-trapped apartment.
Aurora police Lt. Thomas Wilkes said the explosives were so dangerous that authorities considered detonating them and blowing up the whole building, and possibly threatening several nearby buildings, rather than send a technician in.
Court records show Holmes was questioned for 38 minutes at the jail about the explosives but specific details of what was discussed haven’t been released.
FBI agent Garrett Gumbinner, who was among the investigators questioning Holmes, said they asked him about the materials he used and the ignition systems.
“Most of the bomb technicians on the scene and myself had never seen anything like it. Based on the fact that it had three fusing devices, it was very sophisticated,” he said.
The system included a pyrotechnics firing box that would have been triggered by the remote control unit of a toy car left along with a boom box set to play loud music.
On Wednesday, lawyers sparred over evidence seized from Holmes’ car and computers. That included signs that one computer was allegedly used for an Internet search on the words “rational insanity” and photos on his cellphone of himself holding firearms.
“The issue is, was he sane or insane at the time,” said Karen Steinhauser, a former prosecutor now in private practice.
Holmes pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to more than 160 counts of murder and attempted murder. His attorneys have acknowledged he was the shooter in the massacre, which killed 12 people and wounded 70 others at a suburban Denver movie theater, but they say he was in the midst of a psychotic episode at the time.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and to have Holmes executed Colorado law requires that they first convince the jury that Holmes was legally sane — that he knew the shootings were wrong.
The defense has been fighting to exclude any evidence that prosecutors might use to make that point, such as researching definitions of insanity or planning the attack.
Holmes’ lawyers argued the evidence from his car should be thrown out because police didn’t get a warrant before searching it. They said evidence from the computers should be tossed because a search warrant was overbroad.
Prosecutors said police had no time to seek a warrant to search the car because they feared it might contain explosives or hazardous material that threatened officers and the public. They introduced a photo showing the location of Holmes’ car outside the Aurora theater and called law-enforcement officers to testify to the potential threat.
Holmes’ trial is scheduled to start in February.
- See more at: http://www.chieftain.com/news/1933315-120/holmes-evidence-authorities-case#sthash.5KjW9n5n.dpuf
1) link to main page
2) add to war, drugs, snowden, nsa
Sadly our government masters are often habitual liars who will say anything to get elected or reelected.
http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/robertrobb/2013/10/18/slippery-claim-about-preventing-911/
Posted on October 18, 2013 2:45 pm by Robert Robb
Slippery claim about preventing 9/11
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein wrote a column for the Wall Street Journal earlier in the week claiming that the NSA phone intercept program would have prevented the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was a prime example of the slippery reasoning being used to justify the agency collecting the phone records of virtually every American.
According to Feinstein, the country’s snooping agencies knew of an al-Qaida safe house in Yemen that was in telephone contact with one of the 9/11 hijackers who was in the United States.
Few, however, would object to NSA monitoring calls from a known al-Qaida safe house, including to within the United States. And few would object to follow-up monitoring of the calls from phone numbers within the United States that had been called by an al-Qaida safe house. This is the kind of tracing of leads that the Patriot Act was intended to authorize.
Feinstein never bothers to explain why following-up on leads from a known al-Qaida safe house requires continuously collecting the phone records of every American. A similar slipperiness exists about the other claims that the NSA programs thwarted other terrorist plots. Specific claims about specific programs, particularly the collection of the phone records of all Americans, are just not made. The programs and terrorist acts thwarted are all claimed in one big amalgamation.
The argument that a NSA program could have prevented 9/11 also loses its punch given that the attacks could have also been prevented if the State Department bothered at the time to enforce existing visa laws and regulations. The applications of virtually all the muscle that came in for the attack were deficient and under our immigration laws and State Department regulations should have been rejected.
Rather than collect the phone records of every American, why don’t we start with enforcement of visa requirements and monitoring all phone traffic connected with al-Qaida safe houses.
1) link to main page
Sadly our government masters are routinely owned by the special interest groups that they regulate!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/business/news/articles/20131020aps-lobbyist-alter-energy-panel.html
APS lobbyist pitched plan to alter energy panel
By Ryan Randazzo and Robert Anglen The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Oct 20, 2013 12:33 AM
Representatives of one of the state’s top consulting firms pitched a plan to Arizona Public Service Co. four years ago outlining how the utility could work behind the scenes to alter a commission established by the state Constitution to regulate it.
The plan proposed that APS fund a $4.3 million campaign using out-of-state non-profit groups to generate “fake controversies” regarding the Arizona Corporation Commission. Those controversies could sway voters and lead them to elect new regulators, the plan suggested, or could influence legislators to add additional seats on the commission.
The plan, titled “The Institute for Energy Policy,” was drafted by Lincoln Strategy Group, a Tempe-based political-consulting firm. It was presented to the utility’s chief executive soon after a contentious APS rate-increase case was settled by the commission, which regulates rates for most of the state’s utilities.
APS officials said the utility did not solicit the 20-page plan, which was obtained recently by The Arizona Republic. A company official called it “absurd.” Don Brandt, company chief executive, said he “immediately dismissed” the proposal in 2009.
After the report was presented, however, APS hired one of the two Lincoln Strategy employees who pitched the report to Brandt. She now serves as the utility’s top lobbyist. The other executive who pitched the report also left Lincoln Strategy and is being paid by APS as an outside consultant.
“On its face it appears to be a very difficult goal to completely eliminate the (Arizona Corporation Commission), and a more long-term approach is suggested,” the plan stated. “We would propose using calendar years 2009 through 2011 to ... begin to sway public opinion against the (commission) and use 2012 to implement the electoral strategy.”
The plan to alter the commission comes to light as APS faces another intense debate, this one over solar power. APS is seeking to reduce the credits it pays customers who have solar panels and send their excess power to the grid.
Some strategies described in the 2009 plan from Lincoln Strategy appear similar to those in APS’ current media campaign over solar. In late September, APS acknowledged for the first time funding non-profits that have taken out advertisements on television siding with the utility.
APS officials said any similarity in the strategy detailed in the plan and its current campaign simply is coincidence.
“I would disagree this is a game plan for it (solar),” APS Vice President of Communications John Hatfield said of the 2009 plan. “What this (2009 plan) contemplates is a whole series of actions we’ve said we wouldn’t take and didn’t happen after this proposal was put together.”
APS spokesman Jim McDonald said he suspected The Republic was provided a copy of the plan as part of the solar companies’ strategy to smear APS in the debate over reducing solar credits, often referred to in the industry as net metering.
“Just as the commission is getting ready to approach net metering, this surfaces,” McDonald said. “That alone raises suspicions.”
Three Corporation Commission members who served at the time the plan was written said they were not surprised to learn about it. One said it was an outrageous affront to the electoral process.
Former Commissioner Paul Newman said targeting elected officials with manufactured controversies could represent a threat to democracy.
“This is a direct attack on the ... fourth independent branch of government, the Corporation Commission,” Newman said, adding that the commission is “the most important consumer-protection agency in Arizona.”
Regulatory upheaval
APS faced a more uncertain regulatory future in 2008 and 2009.
In November 2008, two Democrats had been elected to the Republican-dominated commission for the first time in nearly a decade.
There was statewide debate over renewable energy such as wind and solar, with political factions taking sides on whether utilities should be forced to use such power and charge fees for it.
Some conservative groups wanted to kill tariffs on renewable energy, which would prevent APS from complying with a 2006 mandate to get 15 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
Just before the 2008 election, the state Supreme Court threw out a challenge by the conservative Goldwater Institute to the commission’s renewable-energy mandate. And in spring 2009, conservatives at the state Legislature tried to pass a bill that would have upended the commission’s authority over renewable energy.
Democrats Newman and Sandra Kennedy won two of the five seats on the Corporation Commission in 2008. They said they were committed to renewable energy and spoke about increasing the renewable-energy mandate.
In addition, Republican Kris Mayes became commission chairwoman in 2009. Mayes was well-known for supporting solar power and for the scrutiny she gave APS.
It was after the 2008 elections that Lincoln Strategy, well-known for its work in Republican political circles, made the pitch to APS.
The pitch
Utility officials said APS did not request a proposal, calling it a consultant’s pitch for business. The two presenters of the report agree.
However, the consulting firm’s owner said a plan was prepared at the utility’s request.
The plan’s origins stem from meetings between a former APS employee and the utility’s CEO.
In 2009, Jessica Pacheco was working for Lincoln Strategy. She had been an APS employee from 1997 to 2006, when she left to become the lobbyist for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She joined Lincoln Strategy in 2007 and then was rehired by APS in 2009.
Pacheco said that while she was at Lincoln Strategy she continued to meet a few times a year with APS’ CEO Brandt, and at one of those meetings she asked if her co-worker, Brian Murray, could meet with Brandt to “talk about some ideas.”
Pacheco and Murray are listed on the plan as the Lincoln Strategy contacts.
Pacheco said she and Murray met with Brandt in early 2009 and went over the concept, and Brandt dismissed it.
“It was a bad idea then; it is a bad idea now,” Pacheco said.
Pacheco and Murray said it was an unsolicited pitch.
“Don (Brandt) never asked me for this plan or any other plan,” Pacheco said.
Murray declined to comment further on his past work with Lincoln Strategy.
APS officials said the only utility employee who saw the report in 2009 was Brandt.
“I get unsolicited sales pitches all the time from consultants trying to sell ideas, the overwhelming majority of which go nowhere,” Brandt said in a statement to The Republic. “Frankly, I have little memory of this one ... I didn’t keep a copy and it was not something I discussed at length with Jessica, Brian Murray or anyone else. We are not using this plan today or anything like it.”
Nathan Sproul, owner of Lincoln Strategy, said Pacheco and Murray came up with a proposal “at the request of APS” but that his company never implemented a plan.
Sproul would not comment further about the plan, citing client confidentiality.
He said he is not working for any company involved in the current APS solar debate. Sproul, a longtime Republican operative, has been involved in voter-registration controversies in several states.
Not long after Brandt said he rejected the plan, Pacheco was rehired by APS and now is the utility’s head lobbyist. Murray, now a partner with Summit Consulting Group Inc., works as an APS contractor.
APS officials said such a plan never would have been put to use at the utility, and that no one within APS would have requested such a plan from consultants.
“Getting involved in commissioner elections? Unbelievably high risk,” said Jeff Guldner, senior vice president of customers and regulation at APS. Guldner frequently testifies at the Corporation Commission for APS on regulatory matters. “We don’t tell employees who to vote for or try to influence elections. If you do that and are wrong, you have to live with it for four to eight years.”
The plan
The plan to change the Corporation Commission involved a three-year strategy and APS money funneled through non-profits with no apparent ties to the utility.
It called for creating two non-profit groups that would direct APS donations to generate research that would show the Corporation Commission’s decisions cost ratepayers money and hurt families. The plan called for making the non-profits appear as a grass-roots efforts rather than as well-funded operations directed by industry insiders with clear corporate goals.
According to the plan, the key non-profit would be the report’s namesake, the Institute for Energy Policy, which would have a national office in Washington, D.C., and chapters in various states and position itself as “a legitimate public-policy organization.”
The institute was supposed to conduct research activities to push public-policy objectives and “lobby members of Congress.”
The plan suggested the institute also involve itself in political issues in other states, which would obscure that it would be funded by APS to target an Arizona cause.
The plan said eliminating the five-member Corporation Commission would be difficult, as the panel was established by the state Constitution. The plan suggested pushing for voters either to add appointed members to the board or to make the state Legislature the final authority on utility rates.
“Arizona will have a budget to conduct survey research to begin developing solid messaging with the end goal of changing the selection process for the Arizona Corporation Commission,” the report stated.
Ex-commissioners react
Reaction to the plan was mixed from former commissioners. While some said they understand why the plan was written, they doubt it would have succeeded.
“It was clearly a time of great change in energy policy in Arizona,” said Mayes, who now teaches law at Arizona State University. “I’m not completely surprised that APS was looking at a lot of different scenarios. But I’m just glad that they ultimately chose not to go down that path.”
Commissioner Gary Pierce, who was on the commission in 2008 and remains there today, said several groups have proposed changes to the commission over the years. He said he suspects the plan was crafted by Lincoln Strategy to drum up business.
“I can’t imagine anyone (at APS) would have thought that would be successful,” Pierce said.
He said the structure of the commission is appropriate because if voters or utility customers don’t like the policies, they get the opportunity to vote for new commissioners.
Newman said APS appeared to be working to alter the composition of the commission, adding that such a plan “is very dangerous to our democracy.”
Guldner said the policy at APS is to work with whoever is elected to the commission in a collaborative way, and to bring in the opposition and work out settlement agreements.
Ties to the report
APS officials said because they have ties to the only two former Lincoln Strategy employees named in the plan doesn’t mean the utility condones the plan’s goals.
Hatfield said the plan was “absurd” and “ridiculous” and that Pacheco was not hired at APS because of it.
Brandt agreed.
“She was rehired in 2009 because of her talent and her previous work with the company,” he said. “The unsolicited sales pitch in question was irrelevant to the decision to bring her back to APS.”
Pacheco said the plan had nothing to do with why she was hired.
“I was probably hired in spite of the plan,” she said. “This company would never do that.”
Hatfield, Pacheco and other APS officials would not discuss Murray’s current role in working with APS other than to say he is among the consultants APS is using to try to change the Corporation Commission’s rules for solar.
Murray previously served as chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, an Arizona Republican who was convicted this year on conspiracy, extortion, racketeering and other charges. Murray did not work for Renzi when the crimes were committed and was not charged in the case.
In addition to APS, Murray’s current clients include a coalition trying to maintain the Navajo Generating Station coal-fired power plant amid environmental rules that could shut it down.
Newman said because APS hired one executive and works with the other as a consultant, executives must not have found the plan distasteful, regardless of what company officials say today and whether they actually tried to alter the commission.
Similar to 2009 plan
APS’ political strategy in its solar battle has some similarities to the 2009 plan by Lincoln Strategy, but APS officials said the two are not connected.
The plan suggested funneling money through non-profits, which would be difficult to trace. It suggested using “a highly qualified candidate with solid knowledge in public policy and electoral strategy who has pre-established credibility within the community” to lead the Arizona effort.
It also envisioned messages that “look at the cost of regulation on individual families and drive home how it hurts working families.”
Hatfield said the only connection was that both plans involve non-profits.
Barry Goldwater Jr., son of the Arizona icon and a former U.S. representative from California, speaks for a coalition of solar companies. He said the way APS has been using non-profits to make its political message is suspect.
He said APS was using “unsavory” political tactics and should be investigated by state and federal authorities.
1) link to main page
2) put in police and drugs
Cops use the war on drugs to steal cars for themselves????
Yea, it's called the RICO laws which are really just a lame excuse both at the Federal level and state level for the police to steal property from anybody they claim to be a criminal.
The laws more or less side step the constitution by saying the "property" the cops want to steal is guilty of the crime, and that the owner of the "property" the cops want to steal must prove the "property" is innocent of the crime for the owner to get it back.
More often then not it will cost more in legal fees then the property is worth for the owner to prevent the police from stealing it.
http://www.statepress.com/2013/10/17/tempe-polices-customized-camaro-turns-heads/
Tempe Police’s customized Camaro turns heads
By Mark Remillard
October 17, 2013 at 7:30 pm
The 2010 Chevy Camaro was seized [well stolen is a better word for it] from a valley methamphetamine ring that forked out $3,000 per rim and a sound system that Tempe police detective Dan Brown said is worth approximately $10,000.
Students may have noticed a fancy muscle car cruising the streets of Tempe recently.
The glossy black vehicle is outfitted with silver racing stripes, a custom grill, wheels and stereo system, but is also outfitted with the word “Police” on its trunk and running down its sides. It’s complete with emergency lights on top.
It’s Tempe Police’s custom 2010 Chevrolet Camaro, and it didn’t cost a dime to acquire, said Detective Dan Brown of the department’s Crime Prevention Unit. [Yea, the cops got it for free because they STOLE it from the owners] Brown is one of only four people allowed to drive it.
“There’s the regular Camaro, that’s $20,000 and is a 6 cylinder,” he said. “This is the SS, it’s like $42,000 sticker price buying it new.”
Police seized [normal people would say the police "stole" the car] the 2010 Camaro in 2009 during a multi-agency operation called “Operation OG Style” that saw numerous arrests and search warrants served to break up narcotics and violent crime in the area.
The car had previously belonged to a high-level methamphetamine dealer, and because the car was used during the commission of a crime, police seized it, Brown said. [Again "stole" is a better word then seized.]
“He was involved in a valley-wide meth ring, so we seized it through RICO,” he said.
RICO is Arizona’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and allows police to seize property if that property was used in the commission of a crime. [Again, the RICO laws are just a lame excuse for the police to legally steal property.]
Brown said most vehicles and items that are seized are stored, where they can later be returned to the owner or put up for auction. But some property can also be commissioned for police use.
For a department to use seized property involves a long process that requires much coordination and approval. Brown said it took a lot of convincing to prove the car would be beneficial and cost effective. [Yea, the the cops really need a cool muscle car to catch criminals???]
“It was kind of a rough road, because the perception was that people think we used tax dollars to buy this thing,” he said. “(That) we’re asking people to cut back, but we have this $50,000 car.”
But the only cost put into the car was about $1,500 to put on the police decal and the emergency light assembly on top, Brown said. Other than that, the car has had no other alterations. [Well, they are forgetting to say mention all the time the cops put into seizing the car. If you count that it cost a lot more then $1,500. Remember most cops start at $25/hr or $50,000. Many cops make over $50/hr or $100,000]
“The beauty of it is, it’s about $30,000 to get a new police car, (and) we got this car for free, and it’s still under warranty,” Brown said. “So even with repair it doesn’t cost the city any money.”
The car’s custom Asanti wheels, with a price tag of about $3,000 apiece, were already on the car and so was the Asanti grill, but maybe even more impressive is the vehicle’s custom stereo system, Brown said.
“We actually took it to a stereo shop and (they) said for them to do (the custom speakers and panel assembly), it’d be $10,000,” he said.
Along with the cosmetic customization, the V8 engine boasts about 480 horsepower, a cold-air intake system and the car only had about 4,000 miles when the department seized it.
Ironically though, the department’s most powerful car is also the department’s slowest.
“This is a car that will never see 46 mph,” Brown said. “It’ll never go over 45 (mph), because the last thing we need with this car is to have one of us going above the speed limit. It’d be the last day this car is ever on the road.” [Well then why did the cops waste all that time and money to steal the car??]
The car’s high profile would make it an easy target for complaints, and Brown said whenever they’re behind the wheel they want to stay safe and responsible.
“No one in here wants to be the one who wrecks this,” he said.
The car became a part of the Tempe Police force earlier this year, and Brown said it’s been a useful tool in aiding their unit’s efforts at crime prevention.
The car is not used for patrol and, despite its high horsepower, isn’t used to chase down runaway criminals, but instead used for display and for show at events.
“It brings everyone to us,” Brown said. “I couldn’t get that kind of exposure with a billboard.”
Detective Jeff Lane, also with the Crime Prevention Unit, said people are always coming up and asking about the car and that gives officers like him and Brown the opportunity to open up dialogue with people.
“The first thing they think is, ‘Wow, is this your new fleet?’ or, ‘How much money do you guys have that you’re going to be able to afford this type of car?’” Lane said. “They’re wowed by it, then they’re upset by it until we tell them the story.” [Yea, most people dislike crooks, and most people dislike police crooks that steal cars even more!!!]
Brown said they want the car to help show people that even though drug dealing may seem appealing, there are consequences.
“It’s really not a car to us, it’s a marketing tool,” Brown said. “We want people to come to us, so we can tell them … in Arizona if you sell drugs, and the car is used to carry drugs, you can lose your car.”
The car has had a few appearances at the Tempe campus, and Brown said he’s working on getting it out for display at ASU’s homecoming on Oct. 19.
Otherwise, Brown said the car will be at Hayden Lawn for students to take a look at ASU’s Off-Campus Housing Fair on Nov. 7.
DeDe Grogan, administrative assistant of ASU’s Off-Campus Student Services said in an email the Off-Campus Housing Fair is meant to help students make a smooth transition to living off-campus.
Grogan said a range of local businesses and residential communities will be at the event giving out information and answering questions for students.
Reach the reporter at mark.remillard@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @markjremillard
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As Mike Kaery said "Government of the people, by the elected officials and appointed bureaucrats for the elected officials, appointed bureaucrats and special interest groups that helped them get into power"
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/20/us/lobbyists-ready-for-a-new-fight-on-us-spending.html?hp&_r=0
Lobbyists Ready for a New Fight on U.S. Spending
By ERIC LIPTON
Published: October 19, 2013
WASHINGTON — Throughout the tense fiscal deadlock in recent weeks, some of the most powerful forces in Washington, including retirees and defense contractors, largely sat on the sidelines. Now they are preparing for a political fight with billions of federal dollars at stake.
With automatic cuts to the military set to take effect by January and a separate round of cuts scheduled for Medicare, lawmakers will have to decide who gets hit the hardest. Washington’s lobbying machine — representing older citizens, doctors, educators, military contractors and a wide range of corporate interests — is gearing up to ensure that the slices of federal money for those groups are spared in new negotiations over government spending.
It is a debate that almost no one involved wants to have so soon after the nasty fight over the federal budget, which produced the 16-day shutdown and again failed to reverse the automatic cuts resulting from previous disagreements. But Congress managed to reopen the government and extend the nation’s borrowing limit largely by creating a new series of deadlines that run through February, giving special interests several chances to influence the process.
So far, the defense industry is likely to be hit the hardest, since the automatic cuts, known as sequestration, set for January would slice an additional $20 billion from the Pentagon’s budget.
“It’s fair to say the volume in Washington is going to be deafening,” said Marion Blakey, the chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are determined to mitigate those cuts by spreading them among various social programs, like education and Social Security, bringing dozens of other special-interest groups into the picture.
“The perfect storm is coming” is how one health care industry lobbying coalition put it in an advertisement, complete with dark clouds and lightning, that ran the day the shutdown ended. “Tell Washington, no more hospital cuts.”
AARP, the giant nonprofit group that represents older citizens, has kicked off a million-dollar radio advertising campaign warning that “seniors are no bargaining chip.”
Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee, said he regretted that Congress had created a situation where another budget fight is about to begin — immediately after a crisis ended.
“I have to believe the American people are totally fatigued with this issue, and to be candid, I am pretty fatigued with it myself,” he said in an interview on Friday. “It is almost an embarrassment to keep bringing it up.”
But at least, Mr. Corker added, the focus this time will be on how the government spends its money, a debate that he said is important to the nation at large.
For lobbying firms, fights like this are good for business. Their revenues in fact have dropped over the last two years because little legislation has moved forward. Now industry lobbyists say they see hints that this is the right moment to re-engage.
Health care industry lobbyists hope to seek a permanent fix to the annual threat of major cuts in the compensation paid to doctors who treat Medicare patients, like the 25 percent cut scheduled to take place again in January. At a minimum, they will seek to have the 2014 cut reversed.
Separately, major American corporations like the Silicon Valley tech giants are once again preparing to intensify their campaign to persuade Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration law, an effort that has been dormant since late spring.
That will include a late-November “Hackathon” that will bring together executives and immigrants without work documents to contact members of Congress to push the cause. Technology companies want immigration legislation that would expand the number of visas issued to foreign workers who can fill engineering jobs.
At the same time, many of the major business groups, including the National Retail Federation and the National Federation of Independent Business, plan to push for modest changes in President Obama’s health care law. They are convinced that the defeat of the Republican plan to defund the law has presented them with an opening to seek revisions, like changing the definition of a full-time worker who is entitled to health insurance to one who works 40 hours a week, up from the existing 30 in the law.
“This is the time to turn up the heat,” said Neil Trautwein, a lobbyist with the National Retail Federation.
Mr. Corker said he was not sure that the White House or Democrats on Capitol Hill, fearful that Republicans might try again to curb or repeal the law, were ready to open it up to revision. But that is not going to prevent many of the industry groups from trying.
The lobbying push is likely to continue at least until early next year, before Congress again gets distracted by coming elections. It will mean competing radio and TV campaigns, millions of e-mails and Twitter messages, and rival groups organizing trips to Washington by business executives or direct appeals in Congressional districts.
The lobbying factions will not, in most cases, be attacking one another. But with Republicans insisting that they will not back down from spending limits set by the 2011 sequestration legislation and rejecting calls by Democrats for new tax revenue, the cuts will almost certainly have to hit some interests, creating unavoidable conflict.
“Everybody who has a piece of pie is now going to try to protect their piece of the pie,” said Steve Elmendorf, a former House aide who now runs a Washington lobbying firm that represents the defense and health care industries.
Joel Packer, the top lobbyist for the Committee for Education Funding, spent last week giving a series of pep talks to education officials across the United States, urging them to get involved.
Even before the government shutdown, realizing that this battle was fast approaching, education officials organized by the group held a rally in Washington featuring a mock bake sale, which they followed up by distributing bags of cookie crumbs to lawmakers’ offices on Capitol Hill. “No More Budget Crumbs for Students and Education!!” said a flier promoting the effort.
Mr. Packer will continue the push this week, with a gathering in Washington that will feature more than 100 presidents and other top officials from community colleges nationwide.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill there will be defense industry executives, including Gregory Bloom, the chief executive of Seal Science, a small California contractor, who will meet with lawmakers to push them to block further cuts.
“Our national security has become a pawn in the chess game,” Mr. Bloom said. “But everyone needs to remember that the government’s No. 1 responsibility is still to protect its people from enemies, domestic and abroad.”
All these appeals will make it easier for lawmakers to get the fund-raising machines revved up again. Many events were canceled during the shutdown, as it seemed in bad form to take checks from lobbyists with thousands of federal employees out of work.
Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, was in Florida on Friday for one such event, where donations of as much as $35,000 were solicited, while the National Republican Campaign Committee has scheduled its own fund-raising event in New York on Oct. 30.
Representative Steve Israel of New York, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said lobbyists needed to remember that the budget debate was about the nation’s priorities.
“They have the right to be vocal,” he said of the lobbyists in an interview on Friday. “But this process can’t be a special-interest bazaar.”
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http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131024power-out-entire-valley-metro-light-rail-system-abrk.html
Power outage paralyzes entire light-rail system
Thousands stranded by equipment failure
By Sean Holstege The Arizona Republic-12 News Breaking News Team Thu Oct 24, 2013 7:18 PM
Light-rail officials think an “unusual” regional power failure crippled the Valley’s entire 20-mile Metro system, in an incident that left thousands of passengers stranded in paralyzed trains for nearly an hour Thursday afternoon.
It was the first time the entire rail system ground to a halt.
Both Arizona Public Service Co., which serves Metro’s system in Phoenix, and Salt River Project, which powers the line in Tempe and Mesa, said they experienced a power fluctuation on 230-kilovolt transmission lines at 1:11 p.m. The power companies said equipment failed at a switching station run by the Western Area Power Administration, which distributes power throughout the western United States.
Neither APS nor SRP reported local outages.
But Metro spokeswoman Hillary Foose said the failure had an immediate and dramatic effect on the trains.
Metro’s outage began suddenly at 1:13 p.m.
“We felt it because our system is more sensitive to changes because of the high voltage we use,” Foose said. Because Metro is powered by high-voltage current, it is designed to cut off during power spikes and sinks, as a safety precaution. Normally the consequences are minimal.
“Our system is set up with redundancies, which is why this was so unusual. We’re designed to have one substation pick up the slack when another goes down,” Foose said. Metro was unprepared for a regionwide power-supply failure.
Typical APS and SRP customers didn’t notice the glitch because they draw less power.
Metro’s outage left passengers sitting in trains mid-track or waiting at stations.
Typically, at 1 p.m., about 3,000 passengers are riding Metro. Onboard automated messages advised passengers to stay seated and calm to avoid a potentially dangerous self-evacuation.
Metro crews traveled up and down the line resetting 15 substations that power the trains. Foose likened the work to resetting a home circuit breaker.
By 2:10 p.m., there was enough power for trains to limp into stations and wait for progress.
“(Please) bear with us as we get back up and running,” Metro tweeted its customers.
By 2:35 p.m., Metro reported it had returned to its normal schedule, with trains running 12 minutes apart.
“Trains are back running at their regular rate. Thank you for your patience,” the transit agency told passengers.
By evening rush hour, trains were back on schedule and the ripple effect of idle trains had smoothed out. Metro carries an average of 45,000 riders each weekday.
There were no immediate reports of any medical or other emergencies on the trains while they were disabled, Foose said. But on an afternoon in which temperatures climbed into the 90s, the powerful train air-conditioners did cut out. The cold air, like other systems, slowly blinked back to life as the substations came back online.
The Metro light rail system, which opened in 2008, has been struck by partial outages before — during large storms, for instance.
But “never anything on this scale,” Foose said.
The system was built with enough redundancy to continue operating trains even after a substation or two goes down, she added.
Republic reporter Ryan Randazzo contributed to this article.
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If you ask me Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal sounds like he is more interested in giving money to the bureaucrats that work for him then educating the kids!!!
http://eastvalleytribune.com/news/article_344b8014-fb0c-11e2-9ae9-0019bb2963f4.html
Huppenthal: schools need more money from state
Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services
Posted: Thursday, August 1, 2013 8:30 pm
By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — Arizona schools need more money and it's time for the governor and lawmakers to provide it, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal said Thursday.
Huppenthal, in announcing annual grades for schools and AIMS test scores for student, said he was pleased that, despite funding cuts, overall performance improved. But he said the upward trend of the percentage of students passing could be better if there were more resources.
“We know that the stress from the finances of the last couple of years are a significant distraction from the educational mission, and that the Legislature needs to do something about it,” Huppenthal said.
“Our school system needs to be compensated at least for inflation,” he said. “And they need a little bit of catch-up ground from the cuts over the last couple of years.”
There is significant “catch-up” to be done in just inflation alone.
While voters mandated annual inflation adjustments in 2000, Gov. Jan Brewer and lawmakers stopped in 2010 when state revenues took a dive. Since then, schools have lost anywhere from $189 million to $240 million, depending on whose figures are used.
There is $82 million in inflation dollars in the current budget after the Court of Appeals said the cuts were illegal. But legislative leaders are hoping to get that ruling overturned by the state Supreme Court.
But the superintendent, a former Republican state legislator, also took a broad swipe at his former colleagues and the governor for approving “corporate give-aways,” calling them “inappropriate.”
Huppenthal said he does not oppose broad-based tax relief, like the nearly 30-percent cut in corporate income tax rates approved by lawmakers two years ago.
“What I'm not comfortable with is buying growth, making these deals,” he said. “I think that's corrupt.”
And Huppenthal said it's also bad policy.
“The economic research is clear: That's what loser states do,” he said.
The comments annoyed House Speaker Andy Tobin.
“I find it very disconcerting that the superintendent of public education does not understand the value of job creation so that we can put more money back into the education system and especially K-12,” he said.
Tobin also took a slap of his own at Huppenthal.
He said the superintendent never lobbies lawmakers for more classroom funding, instead making his priority to get $32 million to replace his agency's aging data system; a point Huppenthal did not dispute. And Tobin said that if Huppenthal, a former lawmaker, is unhappy with the state's economic development policies he should run for the Legislature again.
The response from Brewer was more muted.
“Growing Arizona's economy and getting people back to work is the best way to support education,” said Andrew Wilder, her press aide. “That's exactly what the governor has done.”
Huppenthal stressed that he does not automatically equate money with academic achievement.
He cited Wyoming, a case he picked out because state Sen. Rich Crandall, R-Mesa, is set to take the job of school superintendent there. Huppenthal said that state provides about $16,000 per child, compared to less than $9,000 here.
“You would think that at $16,000 you would see a remarkable difference,” he said, saying it does not.
While legislators did agree to fund inflation this year, albeit after that court order, they also repealed a number of other school funding laws. One of those has required the state to provide dollars for “soft capital” expenses, things like books and computers.
Lawmakers had not fully funded that formula for five years. But there was always the expectation that the funding would be restored once the budget crisis passed.
Now the funding formula is gone. Instead lawmakers created a new fund for "additional district assistance'' that is supposed to cover those costs.
Only thing is, that formula freezes the fund at the current level — the level it has pretty much been at for years — which the Arizona Education Association says is $239 million below what would be required had the prior formula been funded.
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http://eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_7754fbaa-3cf3-11e3-9a5e-0019bb2963f4.html
Light rail outage causing delays across Valley
Posted: Thursday, October 24, 2013 2:30 pm | Updated: 11:45 am, Fri Oct 25, 2013.
Associated Press |
Phoenix transit officials say light rail trains are moving again after a power outage affected the entire line Thursday.
The outage happened around 1:15 p.m., bringing the trains that run between Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe to a standstill. Within 45 minutes, the Metro Valley Public Transportation Agency said minimal power was being restored as workers reset the line's substations.
It's not immediately clear what caused the outage.
Authorities were asking riders to bear with transit workers and train operators as they brought the system back on line.
In operation since 2008, the light rail has an average of 45,000 boardings a day.
1) link to main page
Again sounds like one of those "Government of the people, by the elected officials and appointed bureaucrats, for the elected officials, appointed bureaucrats and special interest groups that helped get them into power.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/stung-by-a-twitter-renegade-group-in-obama-administration-launched-sting-of-its-own/2013/10/23/3cb89d56-3c00-11e3-b6a9-da62c264f40e_story.html?hpid=z7
Stung by a Twitter renegade, group in Obama administration launched sting of its own
@NatSecWonk
Oct. 6, 1913 5:24 p.m.
By David Nakamura, Anne Gearan and Scott Wilson, Published: October 23 E-mail the writers
Inside the National Security Council, most officials aren’t allowed to use or even look at Twitter, the popular social-networking service.
But that didn’t stop some of President Obama’s top advisers from trying to identify the person responsible for @natsecwonk, an anonymous Twitter account that published a steady stream of personal and sometimes offensive attacks on White House and State Department officials.
A White House national security staffer was fired over inappropriate tweets sent out under an alias. Here are a few rules that all Twitter users in politics should know.
A White House national security staffer was fired over inappropriate tweets sent out under an alias. Here are a few rules that all Twitter users in politics should know.
Three weeks ago, the group hatched a plan to trick the suspected NSC staffer into revealing himself. They would intentionally plant inaccurate, but harmless, information with him to see if it would pop up as a 140-character tweet, according to a U.S. official with knowledge of the effort.
It is not clear whether the sting led directly to the unmasking last week of Jofi Joseph, 40, who was identified as the creative force behind @natsecwonk and was fired from his position on the administration’s Iran negotiations team. But the lengths to which White House officials went to find Joseph reveal how much of an embarrassment his Twitter feed had become inside the West Wing and across the street at the stately Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where Joseph worked alongside his NSC colleagues while secretly skewering them online.
“It was like they were hunting for bin Laden in a cave and he was right in the belly of the beast all along ,” said a former NSC official who worked with Joseph, marveling that he was able to keep his identity secret for over two years.
“We talked about it from time to time in the hallways, ‘Did you see what @natsecwonk posted?’ ” said this former official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal operations. “He probably heard people walking around saying things about the account.”
Joseph said in a statement Wednesday that “I deeply regret violating the trust and confidence placed in me.”
“What started out as an intended parody account of DC culture developed over time into a series of inappropriate and mean-spirited comments,” the statement continued. “I bear complete responsibility for this affair and I sincerely apologize to everyone I insulted.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney confirmed Wednesday that Joseph no longer worked for the administration, but he declined to discuss specifics. Administration officials said privately that Joseph — a political appointee who served at the pleasure of the president and could be fired more easily than a civil servant — was sanctioned not just because of offensive tweets but also because he exhibited poor judgment in an office that handles sensitive national security secrets.
Although @natsecwonk did not have a large audience by Twitter standards — fewer than 1,600 followers before the account was taken offline last week — the feed was watched closely by an influential circle of foreign policy experts in Washington think tanks, on Capitol Hill, and at the NSC, the State Department and the Pentagon.
The willingness of @natsecwonk to mock and insult the administration from a clearly Democratic point of view made it a refreshingly unpredictable read in partisan Washington — at least for those who were spared Joseph’s scathing abuse. Any preening or inflation of credentials was cause for ridicule.
His first tweet, on Feb. 12, 2011, poked fun at self-styled foreign policy experts who took to television or Twitter to discuss the reversal of U.S. policy in Egypt during the Arab Spring and tout their own involvement in decision-making.
“Now that Egypt has been solved and I’m done advising the Administration, it’s time for me to get all 2010 and join Twitter! This will be fun,” the post read.
A White House national security staffer was fired over inappropriate tweets sent out under an alias. Here are a few rules that all Twitter users in politics should know.
A White House national security staffer was fired over inappropriate tweets sent out under an alias. Here are a few rules that all Twitter users in politics should know.
Inside the NSC, staffers are not permitted to access social-media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, because of concerns that public accounts could compromise secrets on the NSC’s computers. Staffers’ government-issued cellphones do not have Internet access, so the only way Joseph would have been able to get to Twitter during work hours would have been to use his personal cellphone in a hallway or outside the building, several former staffers said.
Joseph, who graduated as the valedictorian of his Catholic high school in Muskegon, Mich., was described by former colleagues as a smart, ambitious foreign policy aide who specialized in nuclear nonproliferation issues. He attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he graduated in 1994.
A Democrat, he worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advising then-Chairman Joseph Biden (D-Del.) and later as the principal foreign policy adviser to Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.). Jofi Joseph’s wife, Carolyn Leddy, is a Republican staffer on the Foreign Relations Committee.
Several years ago, Joseph was promoted from a position at the State Department, where he was working on nonproliferation, to the NSC, where he joined a team of more than two dozen aides working on the administration’s policy toward Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.
The former NSC official said Joseph could be sarcastic and bitter, especially in regard to colleagues who were given higher-level positions that he did not think they were qualified for.
But Heather Hurlburt, a senior adviser with the National Security Network who has known Joseph since he participated in a series of foreign policy retreats she organized in 2007 and 2008, said she was “flabbergasted” to learn that he was behind @natsecwonk.
In person, she said, “he was not more bitter or snarky than anyone else. There’s a lot of that in every administration.”
His alter ego was another story, however.
From the beginning, @natsecwonk’s tweets were full of gossipy insights about the small universe of people in the Obama foreign policy world, along with profane rants and belittling comments about their physical appearance.
Targets of some of the most sophomoric posts included Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and former national security adviser Thomas E. Donilon. The feed called Obama’s staff an unprintable name and said the president can be a nasty boss.
Over the past year, Joseph singled out some of the president’s closest advisers for his most searing attacks, including White House deputy national security adviser Benjamin Rhodes and Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, who had developed close ties with Obama during his 2008 campaign for the White House.
On Aug. 12, he wrote, “Obama’s approval rating is plunging, his 2nd term agenda struggles, yet Denis McDonough is earning kudos all around #huh? #teflonskin”
Joseph sharply questioned the administration’s response to the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, which was the subject of intense Republican criticism during the final weeks of Obama’s reelection campaign. He also brutally mocked national security adviser Susan E. Rice and U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power. “What’s with the dominatrix-like black suit Susan Rice is wearing at this announcement?” @natsecwonk tweeted when Rice was chosen to replace Donilon on June 5.
Inside the White House and the State Department, staffers had become convinced that the Twitter feed was an inside job.
“He was so aggressive against Clinton and a lot of colleagues at State,” said the former NSC official. “I heard that at State, it was kind of a game. People were like, ‘Who the hell is doing this?’ ”
About 10 days ago, administration officials contacted the White House counsel’s office and told the president’s attorney that they had identified Joseph as the person responsible for the objectionable tweets. A staffer from the legal office then confronted Joseph, who confessed to being the secret author, according to a person with knowledge of the events who demanded anonymity to discuss personnel matters.
Joseph, who held a high-level security clearance, was ordered to leave the building. The Twitter feed does not appear to have included any disclosures of classified information.
“I feel badly for him,” said another former NSC official who worked closely with Joseph on nonproliferation issues. “You’ve heard that phrase, ‘You’ll never work in this town again.’ Well, he’s just thrown his career away.”
Caitlin Dewey contributed to this report.
1) link to main page
2) put in religion, cops, and AU
Another good reason not to mix religion and government!!!!!
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-saudi-women-driver-protest-20131026,0,6085695.story#axzz2iqr8ykWu
Saudi officials set up roadblocks against women's 'drive-in' protest
By Laura King
October 26, 2013, 9:52 a.m.
CAIRO - Some dared to drive. Others stayed home, but promised to take to the roads another day.
Calls for a nationwide “drive-in” to protest Saudi Arabia’s de facto ban on women driving were softened at the eleventh hour by organizers, who said Saudi Arabian authorities threatened them with serious consequences if they drove on Saturday.
Activists urged female would-be motorists to instead make it an ongoing campaign, and to get behind the wheel whenever they could. They said about 60 women altogether reported they had driven in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with more than a dozen uploading videos of themselves doing so.
Even on a smaller scale than originally envisioned, it was the year’s biggest action against the restriction. No arrests were reported, although authorities did have stepped-up traffic patrols and some roadblocks in the capital, Riyadh.
Women in Saudi Arabia have for decades chafed at the kingdom’s driving ban, the only one of its kind in the world, which forces them to rely on male relatives or drivers to run even the most basic errands. Some women are virtually imprisoned in their homes as a result.
The pro-driving campaign drew an outpouring of international support, with backers cheering on the women on social media. “Ride, Saudi women, ride!” exclaimed one Twitter commenter. Some of the women taking part tweeted accounts of their motorized excursions.
Many men joined in the campaign as well, voicing encouragement of the drive-in. One Saudi performer made a YouTube video called -- sarcastically -- “No Woman, No Drive,” set to the tune of the Bob Marley classic, to make fun of the reasons authorities give for refusing to give women driving licenses. That included a widely mocked recent claim by a conservative cleric that driving damages women’s reproductive health.
1) again link to main page
2) again put on religion, cops and AU
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/world/middleeast/a-mostly-quiet-effort-to-put-saudi-women-in-drivers-seats.html?hp&_r=0
A Mostly Quiet Effort to Put Saudi Women in Driver’s Seats
By BEN HUBBARD
Published: October 26, 2013
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Hackers defaced their Web site. Delegations of clerics appealed to the king to block their movement. And security officials called their cellphones to leave a clear message:
O, women of the kingdom, do not get behind the wheel!
But they did anyway. On Saturday, a small number of women — even the main activists were not sure how many — insisted on violating one of the most stubborn social codes in staunchly conservative Saudi society, getting into their cars and driving. Many posted videos of themselves doing so to spread the word.
The public call for women nationwide to drive on Saturday was the latest push in a decades-old effort by a small group of activists to exercise what they see as a fundamental human right. Saudi Arabia, a hereditary monarchy, is the only country in the world where women are not allowed to drive.
The fact that the activists have been at it for so long without succeeding in creating a mass movement or any change in government policy underlines the power of tradition in Saudi society and the tremendous political clout of social conservatives who fear that Westernization or anything that looks as if it would detract from the kingdom’s Islamic character, even though malls, high-end shops and fast-food outlets are noticeable across the Saudi landscape.
Despite the strong opposition, the women believe that time is on their side. They point to the huge numbers of Saudis who study and travel abroad and return with new perspectives on their culture. They also point to the kingdom’s youthful population and the tremendous rise of social media as factors that over time will make the country more open to change.
But their movement’s goal is profoundly modest compared with the Arab Spring calls for change that have toppled some Middle Eastern governments and shaken others. They have gone out of their way to avoid anything that looks like a protest, remain deeply loyal to the 89-year-old King Abdullah, and studiously avoid confrontations with the authorities.
“We don’t want to break any laws,” said Madiha al-Ajroush, 60, a psychologist who has been campaigning for the right to drive since 1990. “This is not a revolution, and it will not be turned into a revolution.”
Instead the women merely seek what is considered an ordinary privilege elsewhere in the world.
“We are looking for a normal way of life, for me to get into my car and do something as small as get myself a cappuccino or something as grand as taking my child to the emergency room,” Ms. Ajroush said in an interview in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.
When it comes to women’s rights, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most restrictive countries in the world. So-called guardianship laws mean that a woman cannot marry, work or travel abroad without the consent of a male relative.
Other restrictions are more cultural than legal. No Saudi law explicitly bans women from driving, but the government does not issue licenses to women. Because driving without a license is illegal, the driving campaign restricted itself to women with licenses obtained abroad.
The call for women to drive on Saturday led to an explosion of comments and arguments in Saudi social media.
The Interior Ministry last week warned against all acts that “disturb the social peace and open the door to discord.” A new statement Friday threatened punishment for anyone involved in “assemblies and banned demonstrations calling for women to drive cars.”
Some opponents pointed out that Oct. 26 was the birthday of Hillary Rodham Clinton, implying a foreign hand in the planning. Last week, hackers broke into the campaign’s Web site, posting insults aimed at a prominent activist and a video in which a man identified as a Zionist calls for women to drive — implying that Saudi’s enemies see this as a way to weaken the kingdom.
Religious figures have also weighed in.
One prominent sheik, Nasser al-Omar, led a delegation of 200 sheiks to the royal court in Jeddah to appeal to the king against “the conspiracy of women driving cars,” as he said in a video posted online.
Another cleric, Mohammed al-Nujaimi, described the campaign as a “great danger,” saying it would lead to ruined marriages, a low birthrate, the spread of adultery, more car accidents and “the spending of excessive amounts on beauty products.”
“The learned have banned women from driving cars because of the political, religious, social and economic problems it entails,” Sheik Nujaimi warned in a statement.
Even some who support the right of women to drive say much needs to be done beforehand: women must be taught how to drive, issued licenses and given legal protections from harassment.
On Saturday in Riyadh, there appeared to be more Western journalists riding along with female drivers than women behind the wheel. Ms. Ajroush said she aborted her attempt to drive when she and a friend found themselves followed by two men. They sought refuge in a mall, but the men followed them. She bought a yellow toy car and presented it to the men as a gift, but they stormed off angrily, she said.
Mai Swayan, 32, a mother of two who works at a Riyadh bank, was more successful. Early Saturday, she drove her car to a nearby supermarket, bought some milk and drove home. The trip took about 15 minutes, and no one stopped her.
She said she was not concerned about the low turnout but appreciated the support received by those women who did show up and drive. Not long after her return home, she was still elated by the experience. “I’m so proud of myself right now,” she said.
1) link to main page
2) put in police, drugs, snowden, war, NSA
F*ck the 4th Amendment, I got a gun and a badge and none of the Constitutional Bill of Rights rubbish applies to me. Well at least that's how the cops and prosecutors seem to feel. Well and same for the members of Congress that voted to approve the Patriot Act!!!
Of course if you read the newspapers or view the articles I have posted this outrageous behavior by our government masters shouldn't surprise you!!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/27/us/federal-prosecutors-in-a-policy-shift-cite-warrantless-wiretaps-as-evidence.html?hp
Federal Prosecutors, in a Policy Shift, Cite Warrantless Wiretaps as Evidence
By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: October 26, 2013
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department for the first time has notified a criminal defendant that evidence being used against him came from a warrantless wiretap, a move that is expected to set up a Supreme Court test of whether such eavesdropping is constitutional.
Prosecutors filed such a notice late Friday in the case of Jamshid Muhtorov, who was charged in Colorado in January 2012 with providing material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, a designated terrorist organization based in Uzbekistan.
Mr. Muhtorov is accused of planning to travel abroad to join the militants and has pleaded not guilty. A criminal complaint against him showed that much of the government’s case was based on e-mails and phone calls intercepted under a 2008 surveillance law.
The government’s notice allows Mr. Muhtorov’s lawyer to ask a court to suppress the evidence by arguing that it derived from unconstitutional surveillance, setting in motion judicial review of the eavesdropping.
The New York Times reported on Oct. 17 that the decision by prosecutors to notify a defendant about the wiretapping followed a legal policy debate inside the Justice Department.
The debate began in June when Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. discovered that the department’s National Security Division did not notify criminal defendants when eavesdropping without a warrant was an early link in an investigative chain that led to evidence used in court. As a result, none of the defendants knew that they had the right to challenge the warrantless wiretapping law.
The practice contradicted what Mr. Verrilli had told the Supreme Court last year in a case challenging the law, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008. Legalizing a form of the Bush administration’s program of warrantless surveillance, the law authorized the government to wiretap Americans’ e-mails and phone calls without an individual court order and on domestic soil so long as the surveillance is “targeted” at a foreigner abroad.
A group of plaintiffs led by Amnesty International had challenged the law as unconstitutional. But Mr. Verrilli last year urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the case because those plaintiffs could not prove that they had been wiretapped. In making that argument, he said a defendant who faced evidence derived from the law would have proper legal standing and would be notified, so dismissing the lawsuit by Amnesty International would not close the door to judicial review of the 2008 law. The court accepted that logic, voting 5-to-4 to dismiss the case.
In a statement, Patrick Toomey, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union, which had represented Amnesty International and the other plaintiffs, hailed the move but criticized the Justice Department’s prior practice.
“We welcome the government’s belated recognition that it must give notice to criminal defendants who it has monitored under the most sweeping surveillance law ever passed by Congress,” Mr. Toomey said. “By withholding notice, the government has avoided judicial review of its dragnet warrantless wiretapping program for five years.”
The Justice Department change traces back to June, when The Times reported that prosecutors in Fort Lauderdale and Chicago had told plaintiffs they did not need to say whether evidence in their cases derived from warrantless wiretapping, in conflict with what the Justice Department had told the Supreme Court.
After reading the article, Mr. Verrilli sought an explanation from the National Security Division, whose lawyers had vetted his briefs and helped him practice for his arguments, according to officials with knowledge of the internal deliberations. It was only then that he learned of the division’s practice of narrowly interpreting its need to notify defendants of evidence “derived from” warrantless wiretapping.
There ensued a wider debate throughout June and July, the officials said. National security prosecutors raised operational concerns: disclosing more to defendants could tip off a foreign target that his communications were being monitored, so intelligence officials might become reluctant to share crucial information that might create problems in a later trial.
Mr. Verrilli was said to have argued that there was no legal basis to conceal from defendants that the evidence derived from legally untested surveillance, preventing them from knowing they had an opportunity to challenge it. Ultimately, his view prevailed and the National Security Division changed its practice going forward, leading to the new filing on Friday in Mr. Muhtorov’s case.
Still, it remains unclear how many other cases — including closed matters in which convicts are already service prison sentences — involved evidence derived from warrantless wiretapping in which the National Security Division did not provide full notice to defendants, nor whether the department will belatedly notify them. Such a notice could lead to efforts to reopen those cases.
1) link to main page
2) put in police
Sounds like these government bureaucrats have way too much time on their hands and no real work to do!!! Don't they have ANYTHING useful to do to justify the big bucks they are paid????
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_24383365/city-san-jose-halts-student-car-washes-unless
San Jose halts student car washes unless rules about discharge into storm drains are met
By Mary Gottschalk
mgottschalk@community-newspapers.com
Posted: 10/24/2013 08:00:25 PM PDT
Don't expect to see teens standing on corners waving signs at motorists encouraging them to participate in a school car wash any time soon in San Jose.
While car washes have become a favorite tool for school clubs, teams, cheerleaders and classes to raise funds for trips, uniforms or supplies, the city of San Jose is now saying stop.
Lincoln High School cheerleaders scheduled an Oct. 20 car wash in the Hoover Middle School parking lot along Naglee Avenue to raise money to attend a national competition in April.
On Oct. 17, emails went out to neighborhood elists inviting area residents to "please bring your car(s)."
On Oct. 18, a second email went out to the elists reading, "We had a visit from the
School carwash fundraisers are a thing of the past in San Jose as the Environmental Services Department is responding to all complaints about car washes where the runoff goes into storm drains where it is considered a pollutant harmful to wildlife. (John Green, Bay Area News Group) ( JOHN GREEN )
city of San Jose Environmental Services Department who said that the car washes at Hoover are in violation of water discharge laws, therefore we had to cancel this and all future car washes."
Jennie Loft, acting communications manager for San Jose's Environmental Services Department, said the city had indeed stepped in.
"Anything that is not storm water or rain water is considered a pollutant," Loft said.
"If it goes into a storm drain, that pollutant will harm wildlife and habitats in the creeks. Water goes directly from the storm drains into our creeks."
Asked if the city came out in response to complaints, Loft wrote in a follow-up email, "The City of San Jose responded to two complaints, one about a month ago and one last week, re: the Lincoln High School Car wash events held at Hoover Middle School.
"Our staff responds to complaints to ensure that pollutants do not go directly into our storm sewer system since it flows into local creeks, and the SF Bay and Delta.
"As part of our protocol when we received these complaints, our staff reached out to staff at Lincoln High School and San Jose Unified last month to provide information about preventing pollutants into storm drains.
"Our staff also met directly with Lincoln High School Staff last week."
The Environmental Services Department offers these suggestions to school groups wanting to do car washes:
Conduct car washing over gravel, grassy area, or other earthen areas if possible.
Ensure that wash water (soapy or not) does not run into a street, gutter, or storm drain,
Wash water from paved areas should be collected and diverted either into the sanitary sewer system or a landscaped area.
Use different methods to protect the storm drain system. For example, block a storm drain on the parking lot used as a car wash zone, use a sump pump or wet/dry Shop-Vac to collect the wash water and pump it out to the sanitary sewer system.
Ensure no soap stains remain on the ground.
For groups still wanting to do car washes, there is waterless car wash equipment, but it's expensive. A simple one online from ecotouch.net is $499 with one gallon of wash concentrate another $159.
Loft said the same restrictions on washing cars that apply to school groups also apply to individuals.
"What most people should do if washing their cars at home is park it on the lawn so the water is diverted into landscape," she said.
"Or go to a designated neighborhood car wash, so it doesn't go into the storm drain."
She suggested that anyone seeing a car wash draining into a storm drain can call the phone number stenciled on storm drains and, "We'd be happy to talk with them."
As for the Lincoln cheerleaders, they still need funds and welcome contributions by check to Lincoln Cheer 2013-2014, Lincoln High School, 555 Dana Ave., San Jose, 95126, attention Mrs. Phillips.
1) link to main page
2) put in police, drugs, snowden, NSA and anti-war
Of course the real problem is the US Congress and US Senate. They passed the Patriot Act which pretty much flushes the Bill of Rights down the toilet. They then told all the cops, including the NSA that the Constitution was null and void and that they could do anything that they want. Which is why we have all this illegal and unconstitutional government spying on us citizens.
The real solution to the problem is boot the tyrants in Congress out of office and repeal the Patriot Act, along with firing every cop that has violated the Constitutional rights of the people by spying on them.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131026anti-nsa-rally-could-attract-thousands-washington.html
Anti-NSA rally could attract thousands in Washington, D.C
By Bart Jansen and Carolyn Pesce USA Today Sat Oct 26, 2013 10:29 AM
WASHINGTON -- Organizers against NSA surveillance hope to rally thousands of protesters Saturday to march on the Capitol in a call for closer scrutiny of the agency as more details of its spying are leaked.
Several hundred people had gathered for the march by noon holding signs that said “Stop mass surveillance,” ‘’Thank you, Edward Snowden” and “No NSA mass spying.”
Stop Watching Us organized the march and is a diverse coalition of more than 100 public advocacy groups aiming to deliver a petition to Congress on Saturday calling for an end to mass surveillance of the National Security Agency. The group includes civil liberties watchdogs like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation and more broad-based groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Koch brothers’ FreedomWorks and Occupy Wall Street-NYC, according to a press release.
The NSA spying controversy has been growing amid new revelations by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden that the U.S. monitored the cellphone of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. It was the latest in revelations of spying on foreign countries -- leaders of France and Italy have protested NSA surveillance as well as Brazil’s president, who has canceled a visit to the U.S.
Germany is sending an intelligence team to Washington to discuss the issue. On Friday, the prime minister of Spain announced plans to call in the U.S.ambassador to discuss surveillance.
David Segal, executive director of Demand Progress, one of the grass-roots groups that helped organize the event, said the goal is to put a face to opposition to surveillance.
Members have been lobbying this week for legislation to curb surveillance after a near-miss in July, with a 205-217 loss in the House, for a provision to block bulk collection of data such as phone records. The provision was sponsored by Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., who is scheduled to speak to protesters on the National Mall.
Other legislation is expected next week from Sen. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., and Rep James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Segal said Saturday: “I think that what the NSA has been doing is so transparently egregious that we have a real shot at winning this fight.”
Dave Miller of Bloomfield, N.Y., near Rochester, held a sign saying “What part of ‘shall not’ don’t you understand?” At 56, he was attending his first political rally because of his concerns about surveillance.
“The natural progression is more control, more power,” Miller said. “No matter what they say, we’re going down the path toward tyranny.”
Miller wore a dark-blue windbreaker with “US Citizen” in yellow letters to mimic FBI jackets and send the message that citizens are in charge of the country. He brought enough jackets to sell.
“I just decided I was going to get off my duff and do something,” said Miller, an unemployed engineer. “It’s to demand respect from authority.”
Holmes Wilson of Worcester, Mass., and a founder of the grass-roots group Fight for the Future, wore tape across his mouth and held a walking banner that said “Spying is censorship.”
“I’m terrified by the ability the U.S. has to do surveillance here and all over the world,” Wilson said, referring to the NSA gathering information from people’s phones and e-mail. “They know who we associate with and where we are at any given time. It’s only getting worse.”
1) link to main page
If the government can't even get a website running that allows you to enroll for Obamacare, do you really think the same government will give you medical care that is any better???
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131025healthcaregov-website-problems-fix-late-november.html
HealthCare.gov's glitches will be fixed in a month, Obama appointee says
By Kelly Kennedy USA Today Fri Oct 25, 2013 12:27 PM
WASHINGTON — The troubled HealthCare.gov website will be running properly by late November, said Jeffrey Zients, President Obama's appointee to fix the problems that have plagued the site since its Oct. 1 opening.
"By the end of November, HealthCare.gov will work smoothly for the vast majority of users," Zients said Friday. "The HealthCare.gov site is fixable. It will take a lot of work, and there are a lot of problems that need to be addressed."
Zients, former acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, was called in Monday to help with the site until it is fixed. He helped with other website glitches during Obama's first term.
QSSI, a division of UnitedHealth Group, will serve as a general contractor to oversee the effort, he said. Their existing contract for the site has been renegotiated.
"We are appointing what you can think of as a general contractor to manage the overall effort," Zients said. "There will be a relentless focus on speed and execution" in fixing the problems.
The volume of applications did cause initial problems, Zients said, but there were also problems "across the site." He said there were "performance problems," or the glitches consumers ran into as they made their ways through the site, such as frozen pages or error messages.
But there were also "functional problems."
"These are bugs that prevent the software from performing the way it's supposed to work," he said. "There's a punch list of fixes, and we're going to punch them out one by one."
One of the first things on that list is making sure insurers receive correct information, rather than duplicates or errors such as a husband being listed as a dependent child.
Still, he said things are getting better.
"We're now at 90%; 90% can create an account," Zients said. "We're executing a plan of attack and the system is getting better."
But he described the actual application process as "volatile." Only three out of 10 have been able to create an application.
QSSI did not take interview requests, but issued a brief statement following the announcement: "Working with CMS, QSSI will help monitor, assess, prioritize and manage the technical operations of HealthCare.gov to enhance the consumer experience."
About 700,000 applications have been begun nationwide, and half of them have come in through the website, said Julie Bataille, director of the office of communications for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Bataille said those who are caught in limbo — or a "groundhog day" scenario of resubmitting requests for passwords or eligibility forms and not being able to move forward — would be individually contacted by people who could help them.
The announcement followed an acrimonious House hearing Thursday where contractors who worked on HealthCare.gov said the problems emerged when testing began two weeks before the site was launched. Republicans claimed the government knew before the launch that there would be major glitches in the site. Democrats said Republicans were using the problems for political reasons, rather than working to get the site up with the further goal of health insurance for everyone.
Republicans and a few Democrats up for reelection in tight races called for a delay of the individual mandate, or the fine Americans must pay if they do not have insurance by March 31.
That's not necessary, said Bataille and White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
"People will be able to apply by Dec. 15 to get coverage by Jan. 1," she said, adding that people are able to get through now, but the process will "get better every week."
"We're less than four weeks into a six-month enrollment period," Earnest said.
Early enrollment numbers are likely to be down because of the website problems, but the numbers are likely to pick up the closer the nation gets to the end-of-March deadline, he said.
"What we're focused on right now is to improve the website," Earnest said. "We're making some progress."
During Thursday's hearing, Andrew Slavitt of Optum/QSSI said his company had found problems in the code, and that all of the contractors, as well as the government, had been informed of those problems. He said CMS understood the issues and was working on them.
"We did fully talk about the risks that we saw, and we passed them along," he said.
Slavitt said his company had been paid $85 million for their work on the site. CGI Federal, the other main contractor on the site, had been paid $211 million.
1) link to main web page
2) put under phoenix mayor
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/articles/20131023pension-reform-adds-taxpayers-team-phoenix.html
Phoenix's pension-spiking meeting was a charade
By Editorial board The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 23, 2013 4:45 PM
Tuesday was not Phoenix’s finest day.
It featured a mayor squelching council discussion. City rules limiting deliberation. Union members treating a council meeting like a pro wrestling match, cheering their heroes and hissing their villains.
And when it was all over, the council couldn’t make even a tiny reduction in the abundant opportunities city employees enjoy to spike their pensions.
This was Exhibit 1 in why so many people see Phoenix city government as the ultimate insiders’ club. Taxpayers are barely a second thought, a point Councilman Michael Nowakowski unwittingly drove home in his call for a return to doing things the “Team Phoenix way.”
That team plays behind closed doors, with management and union leaders negotiating contracts for their mutual benefit. That’s how pension spiking started in the first place, and why there is so much resistance to ending it now.
That resistance was clearly on display Tuesday. It was obvious from Nowakowsi and Councilman Michael Johnson, who wanted no changes, and more subtly from Mayor Greg Stanton, who kept the council from discussing a complete ban on spiking.
Leaning on an anti-democratic council rule that prohibits more than one amendment to any motion, he ignored Councilman Sal DiCiccio’s effort to offer a proposal to eliminate the practice by June 30, 2014.
DiCiccio made another attempt after the council rejected a small reform, 5-4, but got nowhere when City Attorney Gary Verburg declared, “We’re done.” There were many options available to the council for further debate, which the attorney acknowledged Wednesday.
This only gave credence to DiCiccio’s complaint that the fix was in. The only thing missing was the smoke.
So what’s next?
Council members Thelda Williams and Tom Simplot asked to bring their do-little proposal back before the council; Stanton expects to call a special meeting within the week for that purpose.
The mayor should not restrict the discussion. DiCiccio and Councilman Jim Waring asked that the council be presented with a wider array of options, with potential savings included.
They have the right idea. Let everyone see the options and the numbers that go with them. When that happens, the costs of spiking will be indisputable — and the argument for eliminating the practice irrefutable.
Let’s have that complete conversation, not the charade that took place Tuesday, on the right thing to do for employees and especially for taxpayers. Every dollar spiked into a pension is a dollar not available to operate parks and libraries, fill potholes or hire more police and firefighters.
That’s why responsible pension managers across the country are stopping the practice. It is part of California Gov. Jerry Brown’s 12-point pension reform plan. San Diego, spurred by scandal, is making spiking impossible by moving to a 401(k)-type plan. Arizona’s state retirement systems banned the practice nearly 20 years ago. In Washington, a state employees union is lobbying against spiking because it undermines the stability of the system.
Sticking your fingers in your ears and singing “la-la-la-la,” as the Phoenix City Council did Tuesday night, will not make the problems created by pension spiking go away. The council needs to put an end to this practice.
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2) put in police and drugs
Fair trial??? You don't really think you will get a fair trial if you are arrested by the police on trumped up charges do you???
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/free/20131023convictions-reverse-sting-upheld-cns.html
Convictions in ‘reverse sting’ upheld
By Chad Garland Cronkite News Service Wed Oct 23, 2013 10:32 PM
WASHINGTON — A divided federal appeals court Wednesday let stand the convictions of four men caught in a 2009 “reverse sting” operation in Phoenix, rejecting claims that the sting amounted to “outrageous government conduct.”
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the sting by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — in which an undercover agent recruited the men to rob a fake drug stash house — did not “violate fundamental fairness” or “the universal sense of justice.”
But in his dissent, Judge John T. Noonan Jr. called the ATF’s actions “disgraceful.”
“The power exercised by the government is not only to orchestrate the crime, but to control and expand those guilty of it,” Noonan wrote. “I do not see how this power can be rationally exercised. No standard exists to determine the limits of the government’s discretion.”
An official with the ATF’s Phoenix field division welcomed the ruling, but attorneys for at least three of the four defendants who could be reached Wednesday said they expected to appeal.
Cordae Black, Angel Mahon, Kemford Alexander and Terrance Timmons were among those caught up in Operation Gideon, which Phoenix ATF Special Agent Thomas Mangan said resulted in 70 arrests.
Mangan said suspects in each of the stings had “ample opportunity to back out,” and some did. But others remained committed to carrying out the robberies until minutes beforehand, when they were arrested. Those were “the worst of the worst,” he said.
The appeals panel conceded that the way the ATF initiated the reverse-sting operation “raises questions about possible overreaching.” But it said those actions did not reach the level of outrageous conduct needed to reverse the convictions.
“There is no bright line dictating when law enforcement conduct crosses the line between acceptable and outrageous,” said Judge Raymond C. Fisher, writing for the majority.
Outrageous conduct, Fisher said, would include government agents engineering and directing a “criminal enterprise from start to finish.”
It would not include infiltrating criminal organizations, approaching people involved in or “contemplating” a crime or supplying “necessary items to a conspiracy.”
But those concerns were lessened by the fact that Black and another defendant, Shavon Simpson, had boasted about committing similar crimes and “were eager to commit the fictional stash house robbery.”
Noonan noted none of the defendants had federal crimes on his record before the sting.
“Nothing the government knew and nothing (it) later discovered about their past showed that the defendants were ready to rob a stash house,” Noonan wrote.
The majority agreed with the lower court’s rejection of the claim that ATF “entrapped” the defendants into committing a crime with a higher penalty than they were predisposed to commit.
Mangan said ATF tactics weed out those not “predisposed” to the types of robberies created in the sting scenarios.
“We’re happy that the majority affirmed our techniques ... it affirms that we’re doing it the right way,” Mangan said.
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2) link to phoenix mayor
F*ck those public records laws. I am a royal government ruler and will do whatever I feel like!!!!! Well, at least that's how the royal rulers of Phoenix feel
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131022judge-orders-release-records-with-pension-info.html
Judge orders release of records with pension info
By Dustin Gardiner The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 23, 2013 12:05 AM
A Maricopa County judge ordered the release this week of a sealed domestic-relations order showing what portion of former Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos’ annual pension will be paid to his ex-wife, Julie Ann.
12 News, which is owned by Republic Media along with the The Arizona Republic, sued to intervene in the couple’s divorce proceedings to get the order and related documents released. The suit was filed after David Cavazos refused to release his wife’s allocation of his estimated taxpayer-funded pension, citing the sealed divorce agreement.
A few days before the court hearing on Monday, city officials released records showing Cavazos was able to inflate his annual pension to an estimated $235,863. The Republic had previously asked for projections indicating his total pension amount, but city officials repeatedly said an estimate did not exist.
According to the domestic order, Julie Ann Cavazos will receive about half of the pension benefit her ex-husband earned for the time they were together (the records state the marriage ended May 31, 2011). That works out to roughly 45 percent of Cavazos’ annual pension.
Cavazos retired last Wednesday to become city manager of the much smaller city of Santa Ana, Calif. He and his ex-wife were married about 26 years. Their divorce was finalized in July 2012.
Associate Presiding Judge Janet Bartongranted 12 News’ request to have the domestic-relations order unsealed, but denied a request to unseal the couple’s full divorce file, saying it contains no information that furthers the public interest.
“But as far as the public record goes, it was a fairly perfunctory dissolution,” Barton said. “There is nothing in this entire file that discusses his performance at the city of Phoenix.”
Attorneys for Julie Ann Cavazos said releasing the entire file would breach her privacy. David Cavazos did not attend the hearing.
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2) put in police, drugs and phoenix mayor
Again, government of the people, by the elected officials and appointed bureaucrats, for the elected officials, appointed bureaucrats and the special interest groups that helped them get into power!!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131021pension-reform-plan-fails.html
Phoenix council votes against curbing pension ‘spiking’
By Dustin Gardiner The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 23, 2013 9:38 AM
After nearly three hours of contentious debate, Phoenix city leaders were so divided over how to tackle pension “spiking” on Tuesday that they ended up doing nothing at all.
They walked into the City Council chambers prepared to make changes, but after splintering into three ideological factions, voted 5-4 against a plan to combat spiking, generally seen as the artificial inflation of a city employee’s income to boost his or her retirement benefit.
Several high-profile cases have come to light, pushing the effort to eliminate pension boosting to the forefront of the council’s agenda.
Former Phoenix City Manager David Cavazos, who retired last week to lead another city, was able to apply unused sick pay and other perks to spike his pension to an estimated $235,863, the second-largest retirement benefit in city history.
Earlier this month, a subcommittee of council members proposed modest reforms that they said would reduce pension spiking and provide transparency. They said the plan treated existing employees fairly and avoided potential litigation.
But the proposal fell apart Tuesday night, when a group of liberal-leaning council members joined the body’s fiscal conservatives in voting against it, though their rationales were vastly different.
After the motion to approve the proposal failed, the meeting ended. The result, greeted by cheers from employee unions in the crowd and audible gasps from others, is that the council must head back to the drawing board to come up with a pension-reform plan capable of mustering the required five votes.
“I’m sure we’ll be seeing this issue again soon,” Mayor Greg Stanton said as dozens of employees sprang to their feet and began clapping.
A large crowd of city employees showed up for the meeting, many wearing fluorescent union T-shirts, including one that mocked the $78,000 raise Cavazos received last year. The president of one union walked up to the council pulpit wearing handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, suggesting those vilifying employees could save money by hiring inmates.
The subcommittee proposal would have required that municipal employees, including senior-level managers, no longer calculate pension benefits by including cellphone and car allowances, which are often reserved for management, or lump-sum payments received for unused sick and vacation leave going forward. Employees still could have used pre- existing sick- and vacation-leave balances accrued in the past in their pension calculations.
Stanton and council members Thelda Williams, Daniel Valenzuela and Tom Simplot voted in favor of the reforms. Supporters said the plan would have struck the right balance by treating employees fairly, reducing costs, avoiding legal battles and providing change promised to the public. “We need to own this issue,” an exasperated Simplot said. “We need to do something up here.”
Critics of pension-enhancing perks say the plan would do little to immediately rein in the cost to taxpayers of spiking. Typically, the most significant factor boosting employees’ pensions is the lump-sum payouts they receive at retirement for unused sick and vacation leave.
An Arizona Republic analysis shows that a broad definition of spiking could cost the city’s retirement system as much as $12 million per year. However, city officials rejected the analysis, saying it overstated the costs and included things like overtime and premium pay that most city leaders have said they don’t consider spiking. The city was unable to provide its own analysis of spiking costs.
Conservative-leaning Councilmen Bill Gates, Sal DiCiccio and Jim Waring objected to the plan because they said it didn’t go far enough to protect taxpayers from the costs of spiking, which contributes to the city’s rising pension costs.
Phoenix this fiscal year is projected to spend nearly $124 million to fund the city’s pension plan and $129 million to fund its portion of the statewide public-safety pension plan. Employees also make contributions, though the contribution rates are much smaller for employees on the payroll before July 1.
The council did not vote on a motion DiCiccio attempted to make eliminating sick and vacation time and deferred compensation, another form of retirement pay, from the pension calculation. That motion apparently wasn’t brought to a vote for procedural reasons. Stanton said it did not qualify as an amendment to the subcommittee motion.
“This ends it. This is a real proposal that stops pension spiking,” an irritated DiCiccio said. “Why not vote on my proposal even if it fails?”
But the fatal blow to the subcommittee plan came after Councilmen Michael Nowakowski and Michael Johnson agreed with employee-union leaders that the city should form the new rules during its upcoming contract negotiations with its unions. Nowakowski motioned to direct city management to address the issue during such talks.
That effort, which Valenzuela also supported, failed on a 6-3 vote, but Nowakowski and Johnson still declined to support the subcommittee proposal because they said it unfairly forced changes on employees who had negotiated with the city in recent years to save money and help close a $277 million budget shortfall during the depths of the recession.
“I feel that we’re breaking apart, and we need to figure out a way to bring it back together,” Nowakowski said of city morale. “I believe we should go back to the negotiation table and do it the Team Phoenix way.”
Employee-union leaders object to the subcommittee plan because they say it diminishes benefits that lure workers to city jobs with lower pay than the private sector. They said it will end up costing the city more in the long run as more employees will be inclined to call in sick, requiring the city to find replacements.
Bill Higgins, chapter president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 777, captured the mood of the rancorous crowd, saying, “That money is our pension that we gave blood, sweat and tears for.”
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2) put in police, drugs and tom horne
Again more of the old "Do as I say, not as I do" from our government masters.
Also Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne is the guy who is attempting to flush Arizona's Medical Marijuana Act down the toilet.
While Tom Horne will do everything he can to jail people for the victimless drug war crimes, he seems to feel he is above the law when it comes to accepting bribes, oops, I mean campaign contributions.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131024horne-challenges-evidence-campaign-violation-allegations.html
Horne challenges evidence from campaign-violation allegations
By Alia Beard Rau The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 24, 2013 9:19 PM
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne has released what he says will be his only comment on allegations that he violated state campaign regulations during his 2010 run for office.
In the statement, Horne challenges evidence that Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk have alleged shows that Horne and his political-ally-turned-staffer Kathleen Winn illegally coordinated to produce a negative campaign ad targeting his opponent, Democrat Felecia Rotellini.
Winn, who later went to work in the Attorney General’s Office, ran the independent expenditure committee Business Leaders for Arizona during the 2010 election.
Polk, in an order issued last week, said several e-mails and the timing of phone calls “provide convincing proof that Horne and Winn coordinated” on the development of the anti-Rotellini ad.
Campaign laws forbid coordination of certain activities between candidates and independent expenditure committees. Polk gave Horne 20 days to return nearly $400,000 in donations to Business Leaders for Arizona.
Polk, in her order, said phone and e-mail records show that “whenever a decision was made to modify or approve the ‘voice-over’ script, Winn was almost always either on the phone with Horne, or spoke with Horne prior to conveying final instructions to Murray.”
Horne said it was not against the law for him and Winn to communicate, as long as they didn’t coordinate on political ads. He said they had many phone calls in late October 2010 because Winn had been helping him with a real-estate deal.
Horne said phone records show the spike in calls happened on Oct. 26, six days after the ad had been completed on Oct. 20. He said Winn worked on the ad with her campaign treasurer, George Wilkinson, and not him.
An Arizona Republic analysis of Winn’s cellphone records shows that there were 13 calls made between Horne and Winn on Oct. 20 and 20 made on Oct. 26.
A Republic analysis also showed that Winn received an e-mail copy of the ad wording from Brian Murray, a consultant to Winn’s committee, at 10:21 a.m. on Oct. 20. She tried to call Wilkinson at 10:30 a.m., and they either spoke for less than a minute or she didn’t reach him.
Horne tried to call Winn at 10:36 a.m. She tried to call Horne at 10:39 a.m.
Winn called Wilkinson at 10:40 a.m. and talked to him for five minutes. They did not talk via cellphone again that day.
Winn again tried Horne at 10:47 a.m. Horne reached her at 11:03 a.m., and the two spoke for three minutes. He called her again at 11:45 a.m., and they talked for two minutes.
Horne called Winn at 2:19 p.m., and they talked for eight minutes. Two minutes after that call ended, Winn e-mailed Murray saying, among other things, that “we are doing a re-write currently and will get back to you ... I have several masters.”
Winn, in an e-mail to Murray at 2:37 p.m., said she would have the revisions by 5:30 p.m. At the same time, according to Polk, she called Horne, and they spoke for 11 minutes.
At 2:50 p.m., Winn e-mailed Murray saying, “Okay it will be a similar message just some changes.”
At 3 p.m., Winn and Murray exchanged e-mails regarding payment for the ad work.
Winn tried to call Horne at 3:01 p.m. As with all the call attempts, it’s unclear from the records whether she did not reach him or if they spoke for less than a minute.
At 3:11 p.m., Winn e-mailed Murray revised verbiage for the ad and the phrase, “I think I prevailed.” Murray responded two minutes later that the new wording was too long; Winn a minute later suggested a sentence trim; Brian two minutes after that, at 3:16 p.m., said more needed to be cut.
Horne called Winn at 3:21 p.m., and they talked for four minutes.
Winn at 3:25 p.m. sent Murray more suggested changes.
Horne, in his statement, said phone records showing the location of the callers prove that Winn and Wilkinson actually met in person at Winn’s Mesa office to address ad edits “at least from 12:19 p.m. to 12:58 p.m. and possibly longer, with an outer limit of 1:50 p.m.”
According to a Republic analysis, Wilkinson’s phone records show he was in Mesa at least from 12:19 p.m. to 12:58 p.m. and possibly until as late as 1:57 p.m., when records show he was in Chandler.
But it appears unlikely Wilkinson was meeting with Winn in Mesa the entire time Horne alleges. Winn’s phone records show she was in Phoenix until at least 12:30 p.m. and not in Mesa for sure until 12:47 p.m. She remained in Mesa until about 3:40 p.m.
Horne said it is further evidence that he did not coordinate with the ad because FBI records show he never received an e-mail copy of the ad wording during all these conversations.
“It is not practical to revise the text of an entire commercial without having a copy in front of you,” Horne stated.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131017arizona-tom-horne-campaign-finance-evidence.html
Arizona AG again found to have violated campaign law
By Alia Rau and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 17, 2013 9:17 PM
For the second time in a year, a county prosecutor has determined Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and his political-ally-turned-staffer Kathleen Winn violated campaign-finance laws during Horne’s 2010 run for office.
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk on Thursday gave Horne 20 days to return nearly $400,000 in donations to an independent-expenditure committee, Business Leaders for Arizona, that Polk said illegally coordinated its efforts with Horne’s campaign.
Winn ran the independent-expenditure committee, which paid for a negative television ad targeting Horne’s opponent in the race, Democrat Felecia Rotellini. Following Horne’s victory, Winn joined the Attorney General’s Office staff.
Polk, in her order, said several
e-mails and the timing of phone calls “provide convincing proof that Horne and Winn coordinated” on the development of the anti-Rotellini ad and on raising money to pay for the ad.
Therefore, Polk said, the cost of the ad must be counted as in-kind contributions to Horne’s campaign and not to the independent-expenditure committee.
Campaign laws forbid coordination between candidates and certain activities with independent-expenditure committees.
The case landed in Polk’s office in June after Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett sent a letter to Solicitor General Rob Ellman asking Ellman to notify the Secretary of State’s Office of the law-enforcement agency selected to investigate Horne. Ellman sent the case to Polk.
Polk’s Thursday order is nearly identical to one issued last October by Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who, like Polk and Horne, is a Republican.
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge threw out that order because of legal technicalities and procedural failings by the Secretary of State’s Office, which had also found reasonable cause to believe a campaign-finance violation had occurred.
Montgomery said he wasn’t surprised by Polk’s decision, adding that he hoped it would have political consequences for Horne, who has filed to run for re-election.
“Same investigation, same evidence, same conclusion,” he said. “I hope Republican primary voters are paying attention.”
Horne and Winn have long contended that they did nothing wrong and that authorities have misinterpreted evidence, and they have criticized authorities’ investigative techniques.
After the release of Polk’s order, Horne spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said, “This case will proceed to a hearing where it will be proven that there was no coordination” between Horne and the independent-expenditure committee.
Winn’s attorney, Timothy La Sota, said that the order lacks merit and that Winn plans to contest it with the state Office of Administrative Hearings.
“We’re disappointed they’ve chosen to move forward,” he said. “We think their case is based entirely on speculation and conjecture.”
Horne’s attorney, Michael Kimerer, echoed that. “It’s the same as we’ve seen before, basically speculating that there were conversations when there’s really no evidence of that,” he said.
An attorney for Margaret “Meg” Hinchey, a former criminal AG investigator who took the allegations against Horne to the FBI, had no comment on Polk’s order. Hinchey left the Attorney General’s Office in September.
The case will likely become fodder in the 2014 attorney general’s race.
Mark Brnovich, a Republican challenger in the race, said the order further damages the public’s trust in the Attorney General’s Office.
“Republican primary voters want an AG candidate who has integrity and character — that’s what I’m bringing to the table,” he said. “We want an attorney general who works with law enforcement to investigate illegal activity, not one who is accused of being involved (in violating the law).”
Rotellini has filed to run again.
“While Tom Horne’s embarrassing term as attorney general has had many dark days, today is the darkest day of all,” said Rodd McLeod, her campaign spokesman. “He and his cronies manipulated the election system and, after that, the justice system in an effort to avoid taking responsibility for his lawbreaking.”
He said Horne should recuse himself from all Attorney General’s Office cases.
“How can any judge, colleague, attorney, defendant or Arizona citizen take seriously justice administered by an attorney general who so blatantly disrespects the law?” he asked.
Republic reporter Mary K. Reinhart contributed to this article.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131021horne-says-hell-fight-returning-donations.html
Horne says he’ll fight returning donations
By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:54 PM
Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said Monday he will fight an order calling on him to return nearly $400,000 in donations to an independent expenditure committee, Business Leaders for Arizona, that Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk said illegally coordinated efforts with Horne’s campaign during the 2010 election.
At a news conference about another matter, Horne was asked if he would repay the money, and whether the order by Polk hurt his credibility.
“No, I don’t — it’s a technical campaign-finance allegation,” he responded. “We … have definitive proof that the facts in that allegation are false. I’ll be coming out with that in the near future, but that’s not appropriate for today.”
Horne said he will produce “documentary records” to demonstrate that he did not coordinate with the independent expenditure committee.
“This is just an allegation … there would be a hearing that would follow,” he said.
For the second time in a year, a county prosecutor determined Horne and political-ally-turned-staffer Kathleen Winn violated campaign-finance laws during Horne’s 2010 run for office.
Last week, Polk gave Horne 20 days to return nearly $400,000 in donations to the independent expenditure committee, Business Leaders for Arizona, which Polk said illegally coordinated its efforts with Horne’s campaign. Campaign laws forbid coordination between candidates and independent expenditure committees.
Winn ran the independent expenditure committee, which paid for a negative television ad targeting Horne’s Democratic opponent in the race, Felecia Rotellini. Following Horne’s victory, Winn joined the state Attorney General’s Office staff.
Polk, in her order, said several e-mails and the timing of phone calls “provide convincing proof that Horne and Winn coordinated” on the development of the anti-Rotellini ad and on raising money to pay for the ad.
Therefore, Polk said, the cost of the ad must be counted as in-kind contributions to Horne’s campaign and not to the independent expenditure committee. Horne said he will tell his side of the story through a hearing.
Horne also said the personal campaign-related case has not been a distraction for his office and pointed out that he has argued cases up to the U.S. Supreme Court during the time of the case.
“No, it’s not a distraction,” he said.
Polk’s order followed a 14-month investigation by the FBI and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/articles/20131018tom-horne-campaign-finance-mistake-editorial.html
Tom Horne's big campaign-finance mistake
By Editorial board The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Oct 18, 2013 12:39 PM
Attorney General Tom Horne made a strategic mistake. He should have faced the music the first time the band warmed up.
Instead, he challenged the conductor’s right to hold the baton. That only delayed the inevitable.
Now, two county attorneys have concluded that Horne violated campaign finance law by coordinating activities with an independent expenditure committee.
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk, like Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery before her, ordered Horne to return $400,000 and file amended campaign finance reports. Failure to do so could lead to civil fines of triple that amount.
Polk’s order comes less than a year before a Republican primary in which Horne has a challenger. Voters are starting to pay attention, just in time for the coming headlines that will not be complimentary to Horne.
That may be the most fitting punishment, especially since Horne invited it.
Horne could have challenged the merits of Montgomery’s case a year ago. Montgomery found that Horne coordinated with Kathleen Winn, who ran Business Leaders of Arizona, to raise money for last-minute ads targeting his Democratic opponent, Felecia Rotellini.
Instead, he challenged the secretary of state’s decision to bypass the attorney general and send a complaint directly to Montgomery. A judge agreed, saying that even if state law doesn’t make sense, it has to be followed. He tossed Montgomery’s case.
Shortly thereafter, Secretary of State Ken Bennett resubmitted the complaint to the attorney general. A staffer forwarded it to Polk, who spent four months investigating before coming to the same conclusion as Montgomery:
There is overwhelming evidence of coordination. Refund $400,000 within 20 days, she ordered a campaign that had $70,000 in the bank at the end of 2012.
Horne and Winn’s attorneys, as they did last year, say this is all a mistake. The phone calls and email the two exchanged just before the ads hit TV were about some real estate deal. It was all innocent.
A year later, we’ll see how that defense plays out in court. But by delaying, Horne and Winn helped the attorney general’s opponents, who can now point to two Republican county attorneys coming to the same conclusion. Horne will now be in court as voters are starting to pay attention. The arguments against Horne will resonate all the louder.
Stretching out bad news rarely makes it better. Campaign-finance law does not remove an officeholder who gets there by breaking the law. But it has other ways of punishing offenders. Horne’s failed delaying tactics have only made them more painful.
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2) put in religion
While I am an atheist and think religion is nothing but superstition I certainly think that religious groups should have the same freedom of speech as everybody else!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20131021gilbert-lawon-church-signs-comesunder-fire.html
Gilbert law on church signs comes under fire
By Parker Leavitt The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:45 PM
A Christian legal-advocacy group is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to settle a years-long court battle over free speech and church signs in Gilbert.
Good News Presbyterian Church, which has about 30 adult members who meet at a Chandler elementary school, claims Gilbert discriminates against the church by placing stricter rules on temporary signs directing parishioners to worship services.
While the church wants to put roadside signs out a day before its services, town code prohibits non-commercial event signs from going up more than 12 hours beforehand.
In contrast, political signs can be placed in public rights of way 60 days before an election. Ideological signs, which are meant to convey a non-commercial message or idea, can be posted in any zoning district and left up indefinitely, according to town code.
Attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom contend Gilbert’s code violates First Amendment rights by discriminating based on the content of the signs, which advertise worship services.
Gilbert treats religious signs differently from other temporary signs in both the size allowed and length of time they can be displayed, the church claims.
Gilbert officials have argued — and the courts have agreed — that the regulations treat churches no differently than other non-commercial groups and that the signs are not regulated based on who posts them, rather than their content.
A three-member panel for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February ruled in Gilbert’s favor, though the decision was not unanimous and one dissenting judge argued that the town’s law is unconstitutional.
The full Circuit Court declined to review the case, and the Alliance Defending Freedom on Monday filed a formal request for Supreme Court intervention.
The Scottsdale-based Alliance Defending Freedom, formerly known as Alliance Defense Fund, is a conservative advocacy organization launched by Christian leaders in 1994 that litigates cases related to religion, abortion and gay marriage. The group claims 38 U.S. Supreme Court “victories.”
Alliance attorney Jeremy Tedesco said he expects the Supreme Court to announce its decision on whether to hear the case within the next three months.
“I think the odds are very good, better than most cases,” Tedesco said. “In this case, there is an issue of very important First Amendment law.”
The Supreme Court is more likely to review a case when there has been “circuit conflict” on a particular issue, meaning there have been contradicting decisions from several different Circuit Courts, Tedesco said.
Eight of 11 Circuit Courts have issued differing opinions on how they measure whether a sign regulation is content-neutral, Tedesco said.
Alliance Defending Freedom believes the case has broad, national implications for an issue that is a common subject of litigation. From 2001 to 2006, more than 100 cases challenging municipal sign ordinances were filed in the U.S., Tedesco said.
“The town of Gilbert’s ordinance favors political, ideological and homeowners association signs far more than the signs our client wants to post,” he said. “It boils down to this: Everybody should be treated the same when it comes to the ability to place temporary signs.”
Gilbert’s dispute with Good News Presbyterian Church began in 2005, when the town’s code-compliance department cited the church for posting signs too early in the public right of way.
The church responded by reducing the number of signs and the amount of time they were out, but Gilbert notified church officials again in 2007 that they were in violation.
Good News filed a lawsuit in March 2007 alleging that the code regulating signs discriminated against religious groups by violating free-speech rights.
Gilbert suspended the code while the case made its way through court, but that changed in 2008, when Gilbert adopted a sign-code amendment.
The changes allowed for bigger signs, no limit on the number of signs and more time for them to be up. Wording on the code was also changed so that signs for charitable, community-service, educational and other non-profit organizations would be as restricted as those for churches.
1) link to main page
2) put in police, drugs and anti-war
More of the old "Do as I say, not as I do" from our government masters!!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131020arizona-airmen-face-bilking-felony-charges.html
21 Arizona airmen face bilking felony charges
By Dennis Wagner and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 21, 2013 9:44 PM
Twenty-one Arizona National Guard airmen once responsible for top-secret Predator drone flights over Iraq and Afghanistan now face felony charges for allegedly bilking $1.4 million in federal funds through a phony expense scam.
Attorney General Tom Horne on Monday announced the indictments of retired Col. Gregg Davies, seven other officers and 13 enlistees accused of falsifying home addresses so they could collect expenses meant for personnel on short-term assignments.
Read the indictment >>>
All of the defendants belonged to the Air National Guard’s 214th Reconnaissance Group, which operates MQ-1B Predators out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, where pilots at satellite-linked stations remotely fly the unmanned aircraft.
Because some of the accused had not been notified Monday, Horne withheld names of defendants other than Davies. Prosecutors said charges include fraud, conspiracy, operating an illegal enterprise, money-laundering and theft. Some airmen could face prison sentences of up to 12½ years. The accused were not arrested, but authorities sent them summonses for an Oct. 25 arraignment in Pima County Superior Court.
Horne said he is “committed to the prosecution of individuals who fraudulently collect taxpayer money.” He said Davies faces the most serious charges because he allegedly facilitated the conduct of others. “In any group, no matter how good the group is, you’re going to have a small percentage who are dishonest,” Horne added.
Lee Stein, an attorney for Davies, said his client was surprised by the criminal charges.
“Colonel Davies has served his country for over 31 years with dignity and honor fighting the Global War on Terror from Tucson,” Stein wrote in an e-mail. “In light of his history of distinguished service, this indictment is both disappointing and bewildering.”
Stein said he had not had a chance to review the indictment Monday so could not discuss its substance. “But Colonel Davies believes in this country,” Stein added, “and has confidence that justice will prevail.”
An attorney for retired Lt. Col. Michael “Kav” Kavanaugh, a former member of the Predator unit, confirmed Monday that his client was among the airmen who face charges.
Kavanaugh previously told The Arizona Republic that allegations of fraud are untrue and unfair. Kavanaugh referred questions to his attorney, Jordan Green, who noted that the investigation has been going on more than three years. Green said his client will “finally get an opportunity to clear himself in a court of law.”
About 200 personnel work in the 214th Predator Group, also known as “The Black Sheep,” which was formed in 2007 with many of the airmen brought to Tucson from other locations.
The alleged conspiracy occurred from 2007 to 2010 and involved Air Guard personnel who were on federal assignment, paid with U.S. tax dollars. According to prosecutors, most of the defendants collected more than $100,000 each in improper expenses. The total loss is estimated at $1.4 million.
U.S. Air Force auditors first uncovered the alleged scheme in 2009, and reported at least two dozen Tucson airmen had submitted false temporary duty, or TDY, claims. Some of the airmen were disciplined and ordered to reimburse the military, while suspected criminal conduct was referred to the FBI and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
It is unclear why the attorney general is now handling the case rather than federal prosecutors. Horne declined to explain, as did a spokesman for U.S. Attorney John Leonardo.
Former Attorney General Terry Goddard said Horne’s office may have taken jurisdiction because Arizona’s criminal statutes covering conspiracy and money-laundering are “more prosecutor friendly,” and carry stiffer sentences, than federal law.
Air Force policy allows airmen on temporary duty away from home to collect payments for housing, meals, travel and other expenses.
But auditors in 2009 found many accounts contained “admitted fraudulent activity,” in some cases authorized by the group commander.
“This condition occurred due to a complete breakdown of management controls,” they wrote. “The lack of effective procedures allowed 214th RG members to illegally exploit opportunities for personal gain without penalty.”
Horne said some of the defendants collected up to five times their salaries in unwarranted expenses.
Brig. Gen. Michael McGuire, who became commander of the National Guard in September, said only eight of the 21 defendants remain in the organization, and all have been removed from the Predator unit.
The criminal indictments come one year after Arizona Republic articles on National Guard corruption publicly revealed the TDY scandal, and just three months after Maj. Gen. Hugo Salazar retired as Guard commander.
The Republic articles documented a systemic patchwork of criminal and unethical conduct that included sexual abuse, embezzlement, drug-dealing, fraternization, cronyism and failure to discipline.
The newspaper findings were corroborated in May by a Pentagon agency investigation conducted at the urging of Gov. Jan Brewer.
That review found senior leaders in Arizona failed to uphold military standards of integrity in part because they were ethically compromised by their own misconduct.
In August, Brewer named McGuire, an Air Guard officer from Tucson, to lead the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs as adjutant general. McGuire has stressed that the vast majority of Arizona military personnel are honest and honorable, while vowing to enforce “firm but fair leadership.”
The controversy over temporary-duty pay spawned a three-year leadership upheaval in the Guard’s aviation division, leading to the ouster last year of Brig. Gen. Michael Colangelo as Air Guard commander. Based on the damning audit, Colangelo relieved Davies as the Predator group boss. One of Davies’ subordinates, Lt. Col. Thomas “Buzz” Rempfer, also was dismissed after he complained about the firing and other issues.
The Air Force inspector general subsequently issued a report concluding that Colangelo abused his authority.
Salazar issued a letter of reprimand to Colangelo, who was fired when he protested the discipline.
McGuire was not part of the command chain for those actions. He oversaw the 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson from 2011 until this year, and before that headed the 214th Reconnaissance Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.
McGuire, who joined Horne at Monday’s announcement of criminal charges, said: “I welcome the efforts of these law-enforcement partners to ensure that we receive an accurate view of the facts. ...We fully support the legal process.”
Andrew Wilder, spokesman for Brewer, said the governor is grateful to those who exposed fraudulent activity and “supports legal efforts to ensure that people are held accountable for any alleged wrongdoing.”
1) link to main page
2) put in anti-war, religion and on AU page
F*ck that First Amendment separation of church and state stuff. I suspect the Air Force still feels that way, despite being forced to drop their religious oath.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20131025air-force-oath-god-optional.html
'So help me God' optional in Air Force oath
AP Fri Oct 25, 2013 2:59 PM
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) — Air Force Academy cadets are no longer required to say "so help me God" at the end of the Honor Oath.
School officials said Friday the words were made optional after a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group.
Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson says the change was made to respect cadets' freedom of religion.
The oath states, "We will not lie, steal or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does. Furthermore, I resolve to do my duty and to live honorably, so help me God."
The academy says cadets are required to take the oath once, when they formally enter the school after boot camp.
The school outside Colorado Springs has about 4,000 cadets. When they graduate, they are commissioned as second lieutenants.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20131024academy-may-drop-religious-reference-from-oath.html
Academy may drop religious reference from oath
Associated Press Thu Oct 24, 2013 11:51 AM
AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — The U.S. Air Force Academy may drop a religious reference from an oath cadets take to swear allegiance to the school’s honor code after a religious freedom group said it’s a litmus test for honesty.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation protested the “so help me God” phrase that was added to the end of an oath that has cadets swearing they won’t lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do.
The religious freedom foundation says tying the honor code to a religious test violates the U.S. Constitution.
“To tie the honor code to a religious test violates the no-establishment clause of the Constitution,” said Mikey Weinstein, founder of the foundation and a frequent academy critic.
The academy says it is considering several options, including dumping the entire honor oath. Another possibility is to make the ecclesiastical reference optional, the Colorado Springs Gazette reported Thursday (http://tinyurl.com/mvf7ezp ).
“We need to be respectful of all people of faith and all people of no faith,” said academy spokesman David Cannon. “Our goal is to do the right thing for the Air Force Academy.”
The oath to obey the honor code came into use at the academy after 19 seniors were disciplined for cheating on a physics exam in 1984. The honor code was adopted by cadets in 1956, a year after the first class entered the academy.
Violations of the code are policed by a cadet honor board and expulsion is the presumed punishment, though violators can be placed on stringent probation.
The fate of the honor oath is in the hands of Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, who is expected to rule soon on the request.
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2) put in police and drugs
http://www.azcentral.com/news/arizona/articles/20131024quartzsite-dismisses-controversial-police-chief.html
Quartzsite dismisses controversial police chief
By Dennis Wagner The Republic | azcentral Thu Oct 24, 2013 9:25 PM
Roiling politics knocked down another boss in the desert town of Quartzsite this week with the firing of Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, a lightning rod for local controversy.
Gilbert’s contract was terminated by the Town Council on Tuesday with a provision that he receive about $116,000 in remaining pay and benefits provided in his employment contract, according to Town Manager Laura Bruno.
She said the Arizona Department of Public Safety is being asked to supply an acting chief of police during the search for Gilbert’s successor.
Mayor Ed Foster said he would like to disband the police force and let the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office handle law enforcement in Quartzsite. Foster said he opposed paying Gilbert’s salary and benefits as part of the termination but saw no alternative because of the chief’s contract.
“It came down to the fact that there was no other way to end the damage to the community,” he said.
The Police Department drama is part of a larger puzzle of intrigue in a tight-knit community along Interstate 10 where residents have formed camps based on longtime resentments rather than distinct ideologies.
In the past few years, Quartzsite leaders and the council have been investigated involving all sorts of official wrongdoing, including election fraud, abuse of police authority, voter fraud, and violations of laws for public records and open meetings. During that time, the town manager, assistant manager, clerk and legal counsel all were replaced.
In an interview Thursday, Gilbert said his ouster was orchestrated to cover up an inquiry he launched into Town Council members for allegedly releasing confidential police documents.
“Yes, this is a conspiracy,” he added. “They’ve pretty much ruined my career.”
As chief of police for eight years, Gilbert emerged as a central figure in Quartzsite’s relentless political and legal disputes. In federal court papers and Town Hall meetings, he has been accused of targeting political foes for investigation and arrest. Dozens of criminal complaints against his critics — including Mayor Foster, who was accused of nine felonies — subsequently got thrown out.
Two years ago, a majority of Quartzsite’s police officers filed criminal accusations against the chief, saying he unlawfully subjected Town Hall critics to background searches on a criminal-justice computer. The state DPS investigated those allegations, but no charges ensued.
Police also took a no-confidence vote and called for Gilbert’s resignation. Instead, he fired seven officers and a civilian employee — all of whom subsequently filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court that is still pending. The firings covered a majority of the force.
Gilbert was the subject of two other criminal inquiries that did not result in charges.
Tuesday’s firing was the second time he had been relieved of his badge.
In September 2012, acting Town Manager Al Johnson terminated the chief “for gross negligence and willful misconduct” without a vote of the council. Shortly thereafter, Johnson was fired and Gilbert was reinstated.
Quartzsite has been hit with so many lawsuits — many of them for false arrest and abuse of authority — that the Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool withdrew its coverage. The pool provides insurance for most towns and cities.
As a result, Bruno said, the community had to buy private insurance that does not cover legal fees and requires a $100,000 deductible for each lawsuit.
Lyle Mann, executive director of Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training, said that multiple complaints have been filed against Gilbert and that the fired police chief is the subject of an ongoing investigation.
Foster said he believes that as many as 35 civil plaintiffs have cases pending against the town, most of them naming Gilbert as a co-defendant. Many of the suits were filed by dissidents who got arrested and whose cases were dropped by prosecutors or thrown out by judges.
Former La Paz County Attorney Sam Vederman requested an FBI investigation of Gilbert for alleged civil-rights violations, and the DPS investigated. To date, no outside agency has filed charges.
Jennifer “Jade” Jones, a local news publisher and Town Hall critic who was repeatedly arrested and who has several lawsuits pending,
said she welcomed the ouster of Chief Gilbert. But she remains angry that the state did not charge him criminally based on DPS records.
“They had this information, and they chose to do nothing,” Jones said.
In his interview, Gilbert said members of the Town Council were given copies of the DPS report, including about 700 pages of confidential information from Arizona criminal-justice computers. Gilbert said he received information that the files were leaked to unauthorized civilians.
He said he asked the DPS, the Attorney General’s Office and the La Paz County attorney to investigate, but all turned him down. Then, he alleged, Town Manager Bruno ordered him to cease his efforts and sanctioned him for “willful misconduct.”
“You can’t fire me for doing my job.” Gilbert said “I have a sworn oath to investigate.”
Foster, who was not on the Town Council when the DPS report was distributed to members, said he has never seen the 700 pages of computer records and had no part in circulating them.
Quartzsite is a magnet for hundreds of thousands of snowbirds each winter for gem shows, swap meets and other events. But its year-round population is just 3,650, with roughly 1,500 registered voters.
The seven-member Town Council’s vote to remove Gilbert was 4-0, with two abstentions and one absent. Despite the chief’s removal, Mayor Foster said political rivals remain in control of Town Hall.
“They just don’t learn,” he added. “They’ve arbitrarily gone after people politically, and they’re still doing it. ... I don’t blame people who are suing.”
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2) put on tempe town toilet, tempe cesspool for the arts
Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell wants the state of Arizona to tax all of it's citizens and give the stolen loot to the city of Tempe. Now that's certainly taxation without representation!!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/20131023tempe-mayor-mitchell-asks-legislators-partners-city.html
Tempe Mayor Mitchell asks legislators to be partners with city
By Dianna M. Náñez The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 24, 2013 10:05 AM
Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell appealed to state legislators this week to consider cities their partners in boosting Arizona’s economy.
Mitchell, at a joint meeting of the City Council and state legislators in Tempe on Monday, told lawmakers that his hometown is on the fast track to financial recovery.
He pointed to a string of recent high-profile developments, including construction starting on Marina Heights, an expansive multi-use project that is being billed as the largest office development in state history. The $600 million project on Town Lake’s southern shore will be home to a regional hub for insurance giant State Farm. Other notable developments include the opening of a downtown Tempe hotel and plans for a hotel-conference center on ASU land near Mill Avenue and University Drive.
“We are at the forefront of the economic rebound,” Mitchell said.
Tempe leaders hoped the joint meeting would improve communication and strengthen ties between city and state representatives. House leaders attending the meeting included Rep. Bob Robson, R-Chandler; Rep. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, and Rep. Andrew Sherwood, D-Mesa. Tempe City Council members Onnie Shekerjian and Kolby Granville did not attend.
“We really look to you all as … partners,” Mitchell said. “We are moving forward as a city. But we’re not out of the woods yet.”
Sen. Majority Leader John McComish, R-Ahwatukee, and Sen. Minority Leader Leah Landrum Taylor, D-Phoenix, told Tempe leaders that the state’s economy has made measured gains. They hoped that progress would translate into reinvesting in cities and counties, but that would depend on a broader look at the state budget.
McComish said state leaders already are weighing whether they “have to sweep the HURF (highway-user revenue funds) again.”
Amid the state-budget crisis, the federal funds were diverted to support the Arizona Department of Public Safety. County and city leaders have complained that the lack of funding has delayed essential road projects across the state.
Mitchell said that reinstating the funds would help the city invest in delayed infrastructure projects.
Lawmakers must “hear how those (budget) actions have had implications,” Landrum Taylor said.
‘We had to cut $33 million out of our budget, so it was very painful,” Mitchell said of managing state cuts on top of drastic decreases in city revenues.
McComish lauded Tempe for forging regional partnerships with neighboring Valley cities that were viewed as competition before the recession spurred a shared sense of community.
“You folks are not fighting each other over the last scrap,” he said.
“I told the governor we have the same constituents. We’re all connected. … If you’re successful, we’re successful,” Mitchell said. “If Chandler gets the GM plant — that’s 1,000 jobs — that’s great for everyone. The cancer center in Gilbert — fantastic.”
While Arizona’s budget talks over the coming legislative session likely will include reinvestment, deciding on the dire priorities will be difficult, Landrum Taylor told The Arizona Republic after the meeting.
“The line is going to be long,” she said of critical budget items.
The senators agreed that Arizona’s rural communities were hardest hit by the lack of highway-user revenue funds. Larger Valley cities were able to juggle funds during the economic downturn, but rural communities do not have the same resources, McComish and Landrum Taylor said.
The reality is that funding for county and city government is competing against reinvesting in Child Protection Services and education, McComish said.
Robson weighed in on declining enrollment at public schools. He said Southeast Valley cities are facing the issue and he wondered how Tempe has dealt with the effects on neighborhoods of closing schools.
Tempe City Councilwoman Robin Arredondo-Savage, a former Tempe Union High School District governing-board member, said a school closed in her neighborhood. The move troubled residents, who worried about their property values and their children.
She said Tempe is studying redevelopment opportunities that would maintain the sites as community centers.
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2) put in police and drugs
Laura Pastor supports a bigger better police state??? She is in favor of the 2% Phoenix sales tax that goes mostly to pay cops. I suspect she is also a big fan of the war on drugs, although it wasn't mentioned in this article!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131018laura-pastor-political-tradition.html
Laura Pastor carries on political tradition in bid for District 4 seat
By Eugene Scott The Republic | azcentral.com Sun Oct 20, 2013 9:07 PM
Laura Pastor said her political involvement started long before she could vote.
“I was 5 years old when my uncle ran for justice of the peace in south Phoenix,” said Pastor, a Phoenix native. “We were like the support team — me and my cousins. I have vivid memories of that.”
Pastor is making her second run at Phoenix City Council.
Pastor last ran for the council in 2007. She believes she was unsuccessful partly because critics credited her professional success to her father, U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz.
“My experience speaks for itself all the way around. And every single one of my jobs speaks for itself,” Pastor said. “I started off as a teacher, worked myself independently to stand where I am today.”
A graduate of Arizona State University, Pastor eventually earned her Master of Public Administration degree. Pastor directs a program at South Mountain Community College that helps underprivileged youths go to college.
When Pastor first ran for the council, her most significant experience at the city level was on a planning committee. After that, she was appointed to the Maricopa County Transportation Advisory Board and elected to the Phoenix Union High School District board.
Despite losing the first race, Pastor said her previous campaign magnified her public-service work.
“It was during 2007-08 that people really saw me for who I was,” she said. “It was during that time that I was out of the shadows of my parents.”
Pastor’s mother, Verma, played a key role in bilingual education and migrant education at the Arizona Department of Education.
She said her parents’ work, along with her own, has taught her about the diversity of Arizona, where her family has lived for five generations.
Pastor has made public safety her top priority. She originally objected to immediately eliminating Phoenix’s 2 percent food tax, fearing doing so could results in layoffs for nearly 100 police officers, she said.
City leaders voted 8-1 Wednesday to repeal half of the controversial tax earlier than scheduled, with the reduction taking effect Jan. 1. Then-City Manager David Cavazos said the council-approved plan removes half of the 2 percent tax without requiring cuts to police, fire and other community services. The remaining 1 percent tax would stay in effect through March 2015, when it automatically sunsets.
After public safety, Pastor ranks enhancing neighborhoods a high priority. Pastor hopes to bring a library to District 4 and support the area’s arts and cultural amenities. She lives in the same neighborhood where she grew up.
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Your share of the National Debt is $50,000????
Of course that doesn't include the stuff the Feds have promised to give people like Social Security and health care. If you throw that in the total rises by a factor of 4 to about $200,000 for every man, woman and child in the USA. That means every ADULT in the us will owe about $400,000.
Of course the National Debt is just smoke and mirrors for running the printing presses to print money. I can't explain that here, but for a good book on that see "The creature from Jekyll Island"
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131020us-must-stop-extending-debt-ceiling.html
U.S. must stop extending debt ceiling
Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:54 PM
Extending the debt ceiling leaves us $17 trillion in debt and counting. That’s over $50,000 for every person in this once-great country, and that includes my 2-year-old grandson.
Now, just for a moment, think about that. Two years old and over $50,000 in debt.
In the passing of this latest bill, we as citizens get to pay the bill that supports the modern-day American dream: “The party never ends, and the road to the cliff goes on forever.” Or does it ?
— Laurence Tripp, Phoenix
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2) put in religion and police too
Gilbert says F*ck the First Amendment???
http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20131009gilbert-negative-campaign-signs.html
Gilbert might allow negative campaign signs
By Parker Leavitt The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 21, 2013 10:28 AM
With two school-district budget overrides on the ballot in Gilbert next month, a new campaign sign popping up on street corners is sparking conversation, confusion and dismay among voters.
“Destroy public education,” the sign urges. “Vote no! Parents should pay for their own kid’s education.”
A phone number written on the sign is linked to a Google Voice account, and The Arizona Republic’s calls requesting comment were not returned.
The signs are the latest volley in a series of roadside battles among Gilbert activists that began two years ago during a heated Town Council election, which resulted in the ouster of three longtime incumbents.
While some voters say they are turned off by such negative messages, the signs may become a more permanent fixture in Gilbert with adoption of a new ordinance that broadens the definition of “political sign.”
The Gilbert Town Council this week is set to consider — and will likely approve — new code language that gives greater legal protection to negative campaign signs on public property along roadways and at intersections.
A few other Valley municipalities, including Phoenix and Glendale, define political signs as those that support a candidate, but officials in both cities said they do not regulate their content.
State law protects political signs that support or oppose candidates or other matters on the ballot, as long as they contain contact information and do not obstruct visibility on a road.
Gilbert’s existing code limits political signs along roadways and at intersections to messages that support a candidate or urge action on a ballot issue. The new definition would include all signs “designed to influence the outcome of an election.”
That would mean signs designed for smear tactics, with personal attacks against candidates, could not be removed from public rights of way, as long as they comply with safety and identification requirements.
“If you know anything about politics — you want to take down an incumbent, you typically have to run a negative campaign,” said Councilman Victor Petersen, who is driving the effort to change Gilbert’s political-sign law. “People need a reason to change from the status quo.”
Two years ago, critics of incumbent council members posted dozens of handwritten signs around town that blasted a controversial land deal while linking the council members to public-sector unions. Other signs proclaimed, “Shame on Gilbert,” and some went as far as accusing an incumbent candidate’s husband of stealing signs.
The messages infuriated the council member’s supporters, and police caught one person cutting signs in front of Town Hall.
When the sign owners attempted to press charges, however, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said the posters did not meet Gilbert’s definition of political sign and were not protected by town code.
“I think it’s obvious that people should have just as much right to oppose a candidate as support one,” Petersen said. “The current language doesn’t allow that.”
Gilbert’s Planning Commission in August voted against the broader sign definition, believing it could lead to a greater proliferation of signs along roadways and open the door for businesses to use them for advertising.
The Town Council has the final say on the ordinance, however, and the group is scheduled to vote on the issue on Thursday.
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I wonder what language Donna Bass is talking about???
Perhaps Spanish because that was the language spoken in Arizona before the USA invaded Mexico and stole Arizona, New Mexico, California, Texas and parts of a few other states from Mexico???
Or perhaps all the native languages of American Indian tribes who where here before us White folks invaded America and stole the land from the Indians???
http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131020illegal-migrants-are-simply-that.html
Illegal migrants are simply that
Sun Oct 20, 2013 7:47 PM
Has the word “illegal” been removed from selective dictionaries? For those people with defective editions, illegal means not legal.
Any foreigner who enters the U.S. without an entry or immigrant visa is breaking the law.
Mexican citizens here illegally only make it harder for the people of Mexican descent who were born here or are here legally.
I’m not against immigration; I’m against illegal immigration. Anyone who enters the U.S. legally, learns our language and respects our laws is entitled to all the benefits the U.S. has to offer.
Those people who choose to sneak across our border illegally aren’t interested in becoming U.S. citizens.
They want to enjoy all the benefits America has to offer with none of the responsibility and should not be allowed to stay.
Many, here for years, have not bothered to even learn our language.
If anyone from another country wants to live and work in the U.S., there’s no excuse good enough for not doing so legally.
— Donna Bass, Williams
1) link to main page
2) put in towntoilet and cesspool for the arts
http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/20131022tempes-new-years-eve-block-party-return.html
Tempe’s New Year’s Eve block party to return
By Dianna M. Náñez The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 24, 2013 12:06 PM
Tempe’s wildly popular New Year’s Eve block party is returning to Mill Avenue this year, taking its place among the nation’s top celebrations again after last year’s party was canceled when a sponsor withdrew.
Circle K has signed on as a corporate sponsor for the New Year’s Eve party, paving the way for a revival of the blocks-long bash that draws thousands of Valley residents, said Nancy Hormann, president of the Downtown Tempe Community Inc., which manages the Mill Avenue District and helps organize the event.
This year’s celebration, named the “Circle K New Year’s Eve Block Party on Mill,” will close the downtown Tempe strip from Seventh to Third Street so people can party in the streets again.
“It’s something that Tempe has always been known for; it’s part of our brand,” said Hormann. “Years ago it was always named one of the top 10 New Year’s Eve celebrations in the nation. We want to get right back on top again.”
Details of Circle K’s funding were unavailable as the contract was still being finalized, but the corporate backing provides the financial support Tempe needed to relaunch the New Year’s celebration after a much-scaled-back party last year when the city and Fiesta Bowl officials parted ways as co-hosts.
Last fall, the Tempe City Council ended its block-party partnership with the Fiesta Bowl, which sponsored and organized the annual celebration.
The party was considered a sister event to the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, formerly the Insight Bowl, managed by Fiesta officials. The city kept its contract with bowl officials to continue hosting the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl in Tempe.
The New Year’s party, a national draw that in recent years has attracted crowds as large as 100,000, closes Mill Avenue to traffic and transforms downtown Tempe into a carnival.
Valley partygoers and football fanatics in town for the bowl games in Tempe and Glendale, home of the Fiesta Bowl game, are often shown in international broadcasts spotlighting revelers ringing in the new year.
But last year’s celebration was a letdown for some downtown merchants and Valley residents who lamented that the party had lost its signature street-festival atmosphere.
Hormann said the downtown group stepped in last fall, at the city’s request, with only a few months to prepare. The group scrambled to host a smaller family-oriented celebration.
But with limited resources and time, the decision was made not to close Mill Avenue to traffic, a longstanding tradition aimed at mimicking the plaza created at New York City’s Times Square where a massive crowd rings in the New Year.
Hormann said city leaders and downtown stakeholders heard from residents who were disappointed by last year’s party.
“We did so much research ... about what did people like the most and what did they like the least,” she said of a study over the past year on rebuilding the party. “What they really missed from last year was the boundary of the party ... stretching out onto Mill Avenue.”
This year’s party will include several dance floors on Mill, multiple jumbo-video screens, DJs and live music.
Tempe opted for a cache of local bands that will perform on multiple stages over a major headliner. Hormann said the city is using the money that would have gone to pay a big-name band to provide more entertainment throughout downtown.
“We’re talking about a good $100,000 to $150,000 ... that we’re able to bring in lots of music, lots of activities, vs. just paying for some big name,” she said.
The party will still include a family area in a plaza just west of Mill Avenue on Seventh street. The area will be coined “Nine Year’s Eve,” for a family-oriented take on the New Year’s theme that will include fireworks at 9 p.m., so parents can still get their children home early.
Entertainment on Mill Avenue will continue through midnight for adults.
Thomas Mella, a 22-year-old Arizona State University student, who lives in a downtown Tempe apartment high-rise, said he plans to attend the celebration.
“The Number 1 thing for me has been that they shut down Mill,” he said. “It’s safer and more of a festival atmosphere.”
Kirk Hopkins, 36, who manages C.A.S.A SunBá, a downtown Tempe bar and restaurant, said he’s been attending parties on Mill since he was 12.
“They have to focus on the party for adults,” he said. “That’s what they are known for. That’s what’s going to bring people down here.”
Hormann said Entertainment Solutions is producing the party. The website is still being built but is expected to be finished next month. She expects tickets to be $20, with children 12 and under free, but discounts will be available for purchases made at Circle K.
Tempe paid the downtown group $50,000 to jump-start the party plans this past year while a corporate sponsor was sought.
delete from here and put on a page by itsself
http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20130807study-ties-higher-blood-sugar-dementia-risk.html
Study ties higher blood sugar to dementia risk
By Marilynn Marchione Associated Press Wed Aug 7, 2013 7:08 PM
Higher blood-sugar levels, even those well short of diabetes, seem to raise the risk of developing dementia, a major new study finds.
Researchers say it suggests a novel way to try to prevent Alzheimer’s disease — by keeping glucose at a healthy level.
Alzheimer’s is by far the most common form of dementia, and it’s long been known that diabetes makes it more likely. The new study tracked blood sugar over time in all sorts of people — with and without diabetes — to see how it affects risk for the mind-robbing disease.
The results challenge current thinking by showing that it’s not just the high glucose levels of diabetes that are a concern, said the study’s leader, Dr. Paul Crane of the University of Washington in Seattle.
‘We have to do something’
“It’s a nice, clean pattern” — risk rises as blood sugar does, said Dallas Anderson, a scientist at the National Institute on Aging, the federal agency that paid for the study.
“This is part of a larger picture” and adds evidence that exercising and controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol are a viable way to delay or prevent dementia, he said.
Because so many attempts to develop effective drugs have failed, “It looks like, at the moment, sort of our best bet,” Anderson said. “We have to do something. If we just do nothing and wait around till there’s some kind of cocktail of pills, we could be waiting a long time.”
What causes Alzheimer’s isn’t known. Current treatments just temporarily ease symptoms.
People who have diabetes don’t make enough insulin, or their bodies don’t use insulin well, to turn food into energy. That causes sugar in the blood to rise, which can damage the kidneys and other organs — possibly the brain, researchers say.
Patients tracked five years
The new study, published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine, just tracked people and did not test whether lowering someone’s blood sugar would help treat or prevent dementia. That would have to be tested in a new study, and people should not seek blood-sugar tests they wouldn’t normally get otherwise, Crane said.
“We don’t know from a study like this whether bringing down the glucose level will prevent or somehow modify dementia,” but it’s always a good idea to avoid developing diabetes, he said.
The study involved 2,067 people 65 and older in the Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-area health care system. At the start, 232 participants had diabetes; the rest did not.
After nearly seven years of follow-up, 524, or one-quarter of them, had developed dementia — mostly Alzheimer’s disease. Among participants who started out without diabetes, those with higher glucose levels over the previous five years had an 18 percent greater risk of developing dementia than those with lower glucose levels.
1) link to main page
2) put in police and drugs
Washington's medical pot has hazy future
Sadly our government masters seem to think of legalized marijuana as just another way to shake us taxpayers down for more money!!!!
http://www.htrnews.com/viewart/20131020/MAN0101/310210105/
Washington's medical pot has hazy future
State wrestles with rules for legal, taxed recreational weed
Oct. 20, 2013 |
SEATTLE — As the proprietor of a medical marijuana dispensary in Seattle, Dawn Darington has seen patients wracked by AIDS and cancer. She’s also seen “patients” who show up for a free pot brownie and never come back.
Now, Washington is pushing forward with plans to entice the latter into its new world of legal, taxed recreational pot, and advocates like Darington say they’re worried about where that’s going to leave those who actually need cannabis.
A state work group on Monday is due to release its recommendations for how to regulate Washington’s freewheeling medical marijuana industry — recommendations that could include reductions in how much pot patients can have, an end to the collective gardens that have supplied the sick and the not-so-sick for the past 15 years, stricter requirements for obtaining medical marijuana authorizations and taxes on medical pot.
“I’m terrified a bunch of that, if not all of it, is going to be lost — that the recreational users have thrown us under the bus,” said Darington, of Choice Wellness Center. “When they put a tax on the sale of Viagra is the day I am willing to sit at the table and discuss putting a tax on this medicine.”
Colorado regulations in place
Voters in Washington and Colorado last fall legalized marijuana for recreational use, and the states are preparing to allow its sale at licensed stores. In Colorado, medical marijuana is already regulated and subject to sales tax, with 109,000 registered patients, and it isn’t clear to what extent it might undermine the recreational market.
But in Washington, lawmakers and state officials are concerned that licensed pot stores won’t be able to compete with medical dispensaries selling unregulated, untaxed marijuana — thus cutting into the amount of tax revenue Washington makes from the sale of recreational pot.
Furthermore, the U.S. Justice Department has made clear that while it will allow states to develop tight regulations for marijuana — regulations that address key federal law enforcement priorities, such as keeping legal pot away from kids and off the black market — it won’t tolerate unregulated pot-growing or sales.
Washington approved the medical use of marijuana in 1998, two years after California became the first state to do so. Twenty states and the District of Columbia now allow pot as medicine, and Washington’s system is among the most lax, with no registration requirements for patients or oversight of the pot gardens and dispensaries that serve them.
State lawmakers this year directed the Liquor Control Board, Department of Health and Department of Revenue to form a work group and come up with recommendations for how medical and recreational marijuana might coexist. Documents prepared by the group and released to advocates under public records requests show that the officials have been considering ideas that include getting rid of medical marijuana entirely, thus forcing patients to buy taxed pot at licensed stores; requiring a higher burden of proof that a patient suffers from a qualifying ailment, as well as greater follow-up care by the medical professional who authorizes the pot use; and requiring that minors have parental permission before being authorized to use medical marijuana.
Lawyer expects license requirement
Alison Holcomb, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington lawyer who drafted the recreational marijuana law, said she expects the work group to recommend that any business wishing to conduct commercial marijuana transactions be required to obtain a license under Initiative 502, the recreational pot law.
That might effectively close most Washington medical marijuana dispensaries, which have proliferated even though they’re not technically allowed under state law.
Another question is whether the state might create a system that exempts patients from paying taxes, or at least requires them to pay lower taxes, at recreational marijuana stores.
Ultimately, how to handle medical marijuana will fall to the Legislature, where two bills are already pending that would tax and regulate medical marijuana to varying degrees.
Ezra Eickmeyer, a lobbyist with the Washington Cannabis Association, said his group is supporting at least some of the legislative efforts and looking forward to seeing the work group’s recommendations.
“Nobody who is reasonable or credible will deny there is fraud taking place in the medical marijuana system as it exists now,” he said.
delete and put on a page by it's self
or put on the guadalajara page
Volaris now offers Phoenix to Mexico City flights
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131021low-cost-mexico-airline-drops-non-stop-phoenix-service-beat.html
Low-cost Mexican airline to start non-stop Phoenix service
By Amy B Wang PHX Beat Mon Oct 21, 2013 2:30 PM
Volaris, Mexico’s largest low-cost airline, plans to start non-stop service to Mexico City from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Dec. 4.
City officials made the announcement Saturday afternoon, shortly after the airline’s inaugural flight to Sky Harbor touched down from Guadalajara. Starting Oct. 19, Volaris now flies non-stop to Guadalajara from Phoenix on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
In June, Volaris had announced it would begin service from Phoenix three times a week to both Guadalajara and Mexico City seen as a major coup for Phoenix officials who had actively courted the Mexican airline.
As with its Guadalajara route, Volaris will fly non-stop three times per week to Mexico City from Sky Harbor’s Terminal 4. Flights from Mexico City will arrive in Phoenix on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Flights to Mexico City will depart from Phoenix on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays.
Sky Harbor now offers non-stop flights to 20 international cities.
1) link to main page
2) put on police and drugs
I suspect the cops love the "war on teenage drinking" like they love the "war on drugs" because it gives them a cushy job of arresting teenagers for the victimless crime of drinking.
If you ask me it should be the job of PARENTS, not the POLICE to keep their kids from drinking or using drugs.
And as the article points out many parents think the government's "war on liquor" is just as stupid as the government's "war on drugs" and will allow their teenagers to drink.
http://eastvalleytribune.com/local/health/article_2daa5cf2-3d07-11e3-b309-0019bb2963f4.html
Prevention Alliance: Slowing teen alcohol trends starts at home
Posted: Friday, October 25, 2013 6:51 am
By Katie Mayer, Special to Tribune
Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of stories examining the efforts of the Mesa Prevention Alliance to curb alcohol consumption by East Valley teens.
Nearly half of Mesa’s teens drink alcohol — and many of them took their first sip before they turned 13.
But the most disturbing trend, officials say, is that 20 percent of high school seniors obtained their alcohol from the very people who should keep it away from them — their parents.
In Mesa, the number of parents and guardians purchasing alcohol for their teens is 5 percent higher than the state average of 15 percent, said Karen Frias-Long, executive director of the Mesa Prevention Alliance. The data is gathered through the Arizona Youth Survey, which is administered to thousands of eighth graders and high school students every year.
“There are parents who will tell us ‘I’d rather them be drinking at home, than drinking and driving and being somewhere else,” Frias-Long said.
While the Mesa Prevention Alliance knows that stopping underage drinking would be impossible, the group is trying to lower the number of youth who drink through a series of prevention efforts that go beyond the teens and actually focus on their parents and other adults.
In the coming weeks, the Tribune will examine these efforts, their impact and how the community can get involved to make a difference. From an undercover operation outside stores called Shoulder Tapping to a special program with law enforcement called Party Patrols, the Mesa Prevention Alliance aims to tackle the problem with the local community’s help.
“Any time you have someone abusing alcohol it’s bad, but any time you have someone who is not legal abusing alcohol, it’s worse,” said Mesa Mayor Scott Smith.
The alliance, which was founded in 2008 by behavioral health provider Community Bridges, works with schools, churches, parents, youth, nonprofit groups, police, businesses and elected officials to raise awareness and affect change, Frias-Long said. Grants from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Magellan Health Services fund the program.
With the primary goal of reducing youth alcohol use in Mesa, the group places stickers on convenience store beer refrigerators, fans parent and teen pledges out to schools, holds community education events, partners with law enforcement and educates government leaders on underage drinking and other drug use among teens
The alliance itself is small — with two chairs, four staff, 17 adult members representing various private, non-profit and government sectors and about 20 teen leaders — but the group has tackled big issues, such as the 2011 passing of a city ordinance that focused to reducing beer thefts at convenience stores, Frias-Long said. Most beer thefts are committed by teens and young adults under 21, who run into a store and flee with beer. The ordinances required stores to secure the beer and keep it further from the store’s entrance.
“We had a lot of discussions about underage drinking at that time and we said we’d help them out,” Smith said.
Frias-Long said the next ordinance the alliance is researching is a Social Host Ordinance, like the one that went into effect in the City of Tempe in February 2012. Smith said Mesa has not yet experienced a “real problem” that would prompt them to pass a Social Host Ordinance, but the issue is under review.
“We are certainly very much aware of the fact that it could be a problem and we want to stay in front of it,” Smith said. “It’s something that’s being looked at by staff and may be submitted to a Council committee.”
Smith said he appreciates the work the Mesa Prevention Alliance does in the community, especially the youth program called Alliance of Leaders Against Drugs which uses teen volunteers to spread the message about the dangers of underage drinking.
“It’s kids talking to kids and teenagers trying to be involved in their community,” Smith said.
Marc Beasley, recreation coordinator for the Red Mountain Center and advisory board member for the Mesa Prevention Alliance said he would like to see the alliance also bring in college students to speak to teens, since they are a bit older and could serve as role models for high school students.
“Sometimes kids like to hear it from their peers,” Beasley said. “Hearing it from a 46-year-old man is not cool.”
Teen program member and Mesa High School student Viridiana Lopez, 17, has been a volunteer with the alliance for two years and has spoken to incoming high school freshman, mentored classmates and met with youth during community events. Lopez said that speaking in front of her peers about the dangers of drinking alcohol has been both challenging and rewarding.
“It was scary at first, but then I felt more comfortable because there were teen leaders who helped me through it,” Lopez said.
Lopez said that one of her main goals in talking with her peers is helping them understand refusal skills to help make it easier for them to decline drinking alcohol or using other drugs.
“Alcohol will always be an issue because it’s the number one abused drug, but the trends change,” Frias-Long said. “The coalition is really about keeping our youth healthy.”
1) link to main page
2) put in religion, police and drugs and on AU page
Phoenix forces prostitutes to accept Jesus????
I have posted other articles about this before. It sure seems that the city of Phoenix prosecutors and police don't give a krap about the parts of both the US and Arizona Constitutions that demand religion and government be kept separate.
http://www.statepress.com/2013/10/24/students-get-inside-look-at-social-work-during-prostitution-sweep/
Students get inside look at social work during prostitution sweep
By Mark Remillard
October 24, 2013 at 7:00 pm
A covert operation by ASU and Phoenix Police aimed at making an impact on street-level and online prostitution ended Friday.
The 48-hour operation, called Project Rose, brought 54 women through the doors of the Bethany Bible Church in central Phoenix with a life-changing decision to make.
Tami Hartman, senior program director of Catholic Charities, said women had the option of entering an intervention-style program, called Diversion, or facing felony prostitution charges.
“This is totally voluntary,” Hartman said. “They can choose to go to be booked right now, or they can choose the Diversion Program.”
During the two-day event, Phoenix Police officers brought women arrested for prostitution or un-licensed escorting to the church, where they had access to many free essential and social services designed to help them.
Hartman said the women had access to things such as free clothes, medical care and substance abuse help.
“We did a bra drive because a lot of the women coming in don’t have bras,” Hartman said. “Socks, underwear, (the) basics and then sweaters, because it’s so cool out now.”
Before the women could access the free social services, though, they had to talk business with the police and prosecutor.
“They meet with a prosecutor, who tells them what their legal rights are,” Hartman said. “Then they have them sign off on — that they understand their rights.”
Hartman said police take down the women’s information to keep a record of who has been caught, but the women can avoid being charged with a crime and potentially having a criminal record if they complete the Diversion Program.
The Diversion Program requires women to attend 10 group sessions and then a 36-hour class that is spread out over the course of a week. Some of the focuses during the program include helping the women find jobs and prepare for interviews, Hartman said.
“We do some job preparedness to try and give them options and resources for getting out of the life because one of the biggest barriers is not having employment,” Hartman said.
Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, professor with ASU’s School of Social Work, said women must be eligible to participate and can do so if they are willing and haven’t previously completed the program.
“If they have already completed the program … they are no longer eligible,” Roe-Sepowitz said.
If a woman chose to enter the Diversion Program, she was set up with an intake specialist and began the process immediately, Hartman said. The women would set up their first day at diversion, usually within one week.
Last week’s operation was the fifth time the biannual Project Rose has been undertaken, and it has had a strong involvement with ASU students from the School of Social Work each time.
Social work graduate student Jessica Smith has been a volunteer at all five Project Rose operations.
During the last operation, Smith said she worked to provide the women with safe transportation home after leaving the church, as well as transportation to their first meeting in the Diversion Program.
“I coordinated rides on vans or provided bus passes so that they could get back to wherever they needed to,” she said.
Smith said she’s seen a remarkable change in Project Rose since it began.
“What stands out to me the most is the commitment of the social service agencies that come and volunteer their time, and they come every event,” she said.
Roe-Sepowitz said regardless of whether women were eligible for the Diversion Program, all of them still had access to all the services offered during the operation.
Reem Constantine, with the Arizona League to End Regional Trafficking, helped provide services at the operation. There, she helped women discover and sign up for any benefits from the Department of Economic Security for which they’re eligible.
“I decided it would be a good idea to help women who are coming into the Project Rose to apply for DES benefits,” Constantine said. “These are benefits that they’re eligible for, because they’re either not working, or they’re working and it’s not enough, (or) they have a lot of children and they’re eligible for (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System) benefits, food stamps and cash assistance.”
These women often forget to renew benefits, don’t realize they’re eligible for benefits or did not renew them because they move a lot and don’t receive expiration notifications, Constantine said.
Smith said it’s been a rewarding experience for her to be a part of Project Rose and see transformations in some of the women.
“I think this is a really amazing event, and I think it’s about treating people with dignity and respect,” Smith said. “Meeting them where they’re at and then empowering them with access to services.”
Smith said some of her graduate and undergraduate peers in the School of Social Work also came out to volunteer or see the event.
“We had some students come and take a tour, and then we had several students in the social work program come and volunteer for two-hour time slots,” Smith said. “To see those principles in action, I think brings a lot of meaning and value to what we learn in the classroom.”
Smith said the number of women taken into the Diversion Program was slightly down from previous years, but that overall it felt like the operation was successful.
“It’s a tough to reach population, and so … if we have one person come through the door, I think that’s a success,” Smith said.
Reach the reporter at mark.remillard@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @markjremillard
1) link to main page
2) put in religion, police, AU and phoenix mayor and NORML bust at papago park
Phoenix forces prostitutes to accept Jesus????
I have posted other articles about this before. It sure seems that the city of Phoenix prosecutors and police don't give a krap about the parts of both the US and Arizona Constitutions that demand religion and government be kept separate.
http://www.statepress.com/2013/10/24/students-get-inside-look-at-social-work-during-prostitution-sweep/
Students get inside look at social work during prostitution sweep
By Mark Remillard
October 24, 2013 at 7:00 pm
A covert operation by ASU and Phoenix Police aimed at making an impact on street-level and online prostitution ended Friday.
The 48-hour operation, called Project Rose, brought 54 women through the doors of the Bethany Bible Church in central Phoenix with a life-changing decision to make.
Tami Hartman, senior program director of Catholic Charities, said women had the option of entering an intervention-style program, called Diversion, or facing felony prostitution charges.
“This is totally voluntary,” Hartman said. “They can choose to go to be booked right now, or they can choose the Diversion Program.”
During the two-day event, Phoenix Police officers brought women arrested for prostitution or un-licensed escorting to the church, where they had access to many free essential and social services designed to help them.
Hartman said the women had access to things such as free clothes, medical care and substance abuse help.
“We did a bra drive because a lot of the women coming in don’t have bras,” Hartman said. “Socks, underwear, (the) basics and then sweaters, because it’s so cool out now.”
Before the women could access the free social services, though, they had to talk business with the police and prosecutor.
“They meet with a prosecutor, who tells them what their legal rights are,” Hartman said. “Then they have them sign off on — that they understand their rights.”
Hartman said police take down the women’s information to keep a record of who has been caught, but the women can avoid being charged with a crime and potentially having a criminal record if they complete the Diversion Program.
The Diversion Program requires women to attend 10 group sessions and then a 36-hour class that is spread out over the course of a week. Some of the focuses during the program include helping the women find jobs and prepare for interviews, Hartman said.
“We do some job preparedness to try and give them options and resources for getting out of the life because one of the biggest barriers is not having employment,” Hartman said.
Dominique Roe-Sepowitz, professor with ASU’s School of Social Work, said women must be eligible to participate and can do so if they are willing and haven’t previously completed the program.
“If they have already completed the program … they are no longer eligible,” Roe-Sepowitz said.
If a woman chose to enter the Diversion Program, she was set up with an intake specialist and began the process immediately, Hartman said. The women would set up their first day at diversion, usually within one week.
Last week’s operation was the fifth time the biannual Project Rose has been undertaken, and it has had a strong involvement with ASU students from the School of Social Work each time.
Social work graduate student Jessica Smith has been a volunteer at all five Project Rose operations.
During the last operation, Smith said she worked to provide the women with safe transportation home after leaving the church, as well as transportation to their first meeting in the Diversion Program.
“I coordinated rides on vans or provided bus passes so that they could get back to wherever they needed to,” she said.
Smith said she’s seen a remarkable change in Project Rose since it began.
“What stands out to me the most is the commitment of the social service agencies that come and volunteer their time, and they come every event,” she said.
Roe-Sepowitz said regardless of whether women were eligible for the Diversion Program, all of them still had access to all the services offered during the operation.
Reem Constantine, with the Arizona League to End Regional Trafficking, helped provide services at the operation. There, she helped women discover and sign up for any benefits from the Department of Economic Security for which they’re eligible.
“I decided it would be a good idea to help women who are coming into the Project Rose to apply for DES benefits,” Constantine said. “These are benefits that they’re eligible for, because they’re either not working, or they’re working and it’s not enough, (or) they have a lot of children and they’re eligible for (Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System) benefits, food stamps and cash assistance.”
These women often forget to renew benefits, don’t realize they’re eligible for benefits or did not renew them because they move a lot and don’t receive expiration notifications, Constantine said.
Smith said it’s been a rewarding experience for her to be a part of Project Rose and see transformations in some of the women.
“I think this is a really amazing event, and I think it’s about treating people with dignity and respect,” Smith said. “Meeting them where they’re at and then empowering them with access to services.”
Smith said some of her graduate and undergraduate peers in the School of Social Work also came out to volunteer or see the event.
“We had some students come and take a tour, and then we had several students in the social work program come and volunteer for two-hour time slots,” Smith said. “To see those principles in action, I think brings a lot of meaning and value to what we learn in the classroom.”
Smith said the number of women taken into the Diversion Program was slightly down from previous years, but that overall it felt like the operation was successful.
“It’s a tough to reach population, and so … if we have one person come through the door, I think that’s a success,” Smith said.
Reach the reporter at mark.remillard@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @markjremillard
Sadly these Phoenix elections make me feel like the people have the choice of voting for Hitler, Stalin or Mao as their next Phoenix City Council members!!!!
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/20131101phoenix-candidate-johnson-complaint.html
Complaint vs. group backing Phoenix candidate Johnson
By Dustin Gardiner The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Nov 1, 2013 11:11 PM
The Phoenix city clerk’s office is investigating a complaint that a political firm producing mailers for the campaign of candidate Justin Johnson is illegally coordinating with an independent expenditure committee spending heavily to secure his election.
Johnson, son of former Mayor Paul Johnson, faces Laura Pastor, daughter of U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, in Tuesday’s contentious runoff election for the City Council seat in District 4, which includes parts of central and west Phoenix.
Central to the complaint is that the committee and the mail firm Johnson uses appear to have the same postal mailbox address. Pastor’s campaign accuses Johnson of violating laws prohibiting campaigns from working with independent expenditure committees, which can spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections.
Johnson denied the accusations, saying he and his campaign “have never had any contact with any independent expenditure campaign either for or against me.”
Independent expenditure committees face fewer finance regulations than candidate campaigns, but state law forbids campaigns and such groups from coordinating their activities. The law states that consultants and other “agents” working for a candidate cannot also work for an outside group spending money to further their election.
According to campaign-finance records and Arizona Corporation Commission filings, a mail vendor working with Johnson’s campaign, Smarter Voter Project LLC, and an independent group advocating his election, Putting Phoenix First, both report using the mailing address 111 E. Dunlap Ave. #1-183.
The address is a UPS Store in north-central Phoenix, and the number listed is a mailbox within the store. A UPS employee said she was not allowed to release the names of the person or persons renting the mailbox.
“It smells to high heaven,” said Bill Scheel, a political consultant working for Pastor’s campaign. “We have a situation where groups that are supposed to be independent obviously aren’t.”
The complaint, filed by campaign chairwoman Bettina Nava, said the shared mailing address “raises the very strong likelihood that (Putting Phoenix First) and Smarter Voter Project are one and the same.” She states that the committee and Johnson’s campaign are “not independent” because they share a consultant and therefore are violating campaign-finance law.
However, attorney Kory Langhofer, who represents Putting Phoenix First, said the individuals behind the committee and Smarter Voter Project no longer share the mailbox. He said he believes the two groups started sharing the address to “(save) costs a couple of years ago,” but that the mail vendor hasn’t used it in over a year.
Langhofer said the entities are not composed of the same people. He said having the same address wouldn’t be illegal anyway, as the groups have not worked together.
“There’s absolutely no evidence of coordination because it didn’t happen,” Langhofer said, suggesting Pastor’s campaign is seeking to score political points. “Having a common address isn’t illegal.”
But Smarter Voter Project has not updated its address in Corporation Commission filings online or on its Facebook page, and Johnson’s most recent finance reports also list the same UPS mailbox address.
Attempts to reach Smarter Voter Project were unsuccessful. The company’s owner listed in Corporation Commission filings is Alichia Moore. But the company doesn’t appear to have an active website or alternative address. Johnson originally said he could provide a phone number for Moore, but did not do so before press time.
When The Arizona Republic asked Johnson if he was concerned that the mail firm he uses lists the same address as an independent expenditure group, he said, “That’s a discussion you should have with them.”
“I have spoken out against the independent expenditure committees from the beginning and the various tactics they have employed,” Johnson said in an e-mail.
Putting Phoenix First has poured money into the District 4 race, financing at least eight mailers bashing Pastor and electronic billboards promoting Johnson. According to “paid for” disclosures on both the mailers and billboards, major funding is provided by Concerned Citizens for Phoenix.
Concerned Citizens for Phoenix isn’t required to disclose its donors because it’s a non-profit corporation. The corporation is headed by Charlie Ellis, a former council candidate in 2011 and former planning commission member. It was created by Joseph Villasenor, a former aide to past Mayor Phil Gordon.
1) link to main page
http://eastvalleytribune.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/article_9d9dba34-40f6-11e3-8b5a-0019bb2963f4.html
Letter: Congress is running the print
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 9:02 am
Letter to the Editor
Congress loves to brag that it is keeping taxes low by borrowing 46 percent of the money it spends to operate the U.S. government and passing the bill on to our children.
If you had to pay the FULL cost of operating Congress’s pork barrel spending your taxes would increase by 86 percent.
Can you imagine your taxes almost doubling to pay for the full cost of the lousy government we get?
Of course it’s just smoke and mirrors when Congress claims that our children will pay for their pork barrel spending.
The bottom line is that Congress is running the printing presses at full speed to pay for their pork and we, not our children are paying for it thru a real, but indirect tax called inflation.
Mike Ross
Tempe
1) link to main page
Wow!!! 47 million people are having their food stamps cut back. That's about one sixth of the total American population off slightly over 300 million people.
Currently I think about 1 out of every 6 American are parasites who are on the dole and get food stamps from the government.
Next time you are grocery shopping at Fry's remember that you and 4 other people in the line at the cashier are paying for the 6th guys food bill.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-food-stamps-20131102,0,2890306.story#axzz2jVucOIKK
Food stamp cuts kick in, affecting about 47 million
By Evan Halper and Cindy Chang
November 2, 2013
Some 47 million poor Americans who rely on food stamps for their meals will have to get by on less, after their benefits were cut Friday.
In California, which struggles with nearly 9% unemployment, local officials are girding for the fallout after the benefit for a family of four receiving food stamps was lowered by $36 a month.
About 4.2 million Californians are affected by the drop in benefits, including more than 1.1 million residents of Los Angeles County. And many local businesses will be hurt as well, because California's food stamp recipients will be spending $46 million less per month in local stores.
"The impoverished are forced to eat junk if we want to eat," said 32-year-old Tabitha, a mother of a 2-year-old and a 7-year-old staying at a Culver City shelter, who asked that her last name not be used because she said she was embarrassed. "It's going to be difficult, as it already has been."
The cut was triggered by the expiration of stimulus spending Congress approved in the depths of the Great Recession. It is unlikely to be the last; in Washington, the House and Senate are trying to reconcile measures each approved that would reduce food stamp spending by billions of dollars more.
Friday's benefit reduction was meant to coincide with a brightening economy, yet many Americans remain stuck in poverty despite improvements from the worst of the recession.
"I think it's a horrible thing," said Najuah Mudahy, 30, also of the Culver City shelter, a food stamp recipient who works two jobs, as a clerk at a shoe store and a hostess at a California Pizza Kitchen. Both bring in $9 an hour. Mudahy said she runs out of money to keep her 3-year-old daughter fed before the end of every month, even on dinners of canned soup.
"It only forces people to do desperate things," she said of the cuts.
Food aid advocates say there are millions in similar predicaments and have implored Congress to stop seizing on the program for budget trims.
Even before Friday, government statistics show, the benefit fell short of keeping those on food stamps well-nourished. In California, the monthly allocation for a family of four with no income has now dropped to $632. The benefit varies around the country, based on the cost of living.
About 14% of Americans are on food stamps. The program has grown rapidly in recent years, attracting the attention of deficit hawks, who note it now costs taxpayers $75 billion a year.
Legislation approved by the Republican-led House could lead to nearly 2 million Americans losing access to the program, according to congressional analysts. California legislative leaders warn that the number could be considerably higher, projecting in a letter to members of Congress last week that half a million Californians would be booted from the program if the House measure were to become law.
The cut approved by the Democratically controlled Senate would be much smaller, reducing the program by $4 billion over the next 10 years as compared to the $40-billion cut approved by the House.
Obama administration officials say the reductions that went into place Friday are certain to result in missed meals for those enrolled. There are seven million Americans for whom food stamps is the only source of income, according to Kevin Concannon, undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The cut "is a huge challenge for those households," he said. Local food banks, Concannon said, are not positioned to serve as backstops.
"It would be like asking someone running a marathon with a 100-pound pack on their back to take on another couple hundred pounds," he said. "They don't have the capacity to do this."
At the Alameda County Community Food Bank, one of the largest in the San Francisco Bay Area, officials say making up for the cut that took effect Friday would require the organization to provide about 5.5 million additional meals per year.
"This isn't about taking some luxury items out of your food budget," said Michael Altfest, a spokesman for the food bank.
"For most people receiving this, it is their only source of nutrition for themselves and their families. This is a lot of food. It is many meals."
Officials in other big states are also alarmed.
In Texas, about 4 million people receive food stamps each month, a dramatic increase from 2.5 million five years ago. The latest cuts will drain $411 million from the state economy, said Celia Cole, chief executive of the Austin-based Texas Food Bank Network.
"That's a big hit for the state," she said. While many Texans have bounced back from the recession, she said, "the number of people living in poverty has not changed — things haven't gotten better for them yet."
The effect of the cuts, experts say, goes beyond those who receive food stamps. The USDA estimates that every $5 spent on food stamps generates $9 in economic activity.
"It affects the whole supply chain of stores, the number of employees they have, the suppliers of goods," said Patrick Burns, a senior researcher at the Economic Roundtable, a Los Angeles-based research group. "Those ripple effects go through the economy."
evan.halper@latimes.com
cindy.chang@latimes.com
Halper reported from Washington and Chang from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Kate Linthicum in Los Angeles and Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Houston contributed to this report.
1) link to main page
2) put on religion and AU
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-to-hear-new-case-on-religion-in-public-life/2013/11/01/d2ba8970-423d-11e3-a751-f032898f2dbc_story.html?hpid=z1
Supreme Court to hear new case on religion in public life
By Robert Barnes, Published: November 1 E-mail the writer
The chairman of the local Baha’i congregation concluded his prayer with “Allah-u-Abha,” which loosely translates to “God the All-Glorious.” A Jew offered a prayer speaking of “the songs of David, your servant.” And a Wiccan priestess, mindful of her venue in the town of Greece, N.Y., thought that Athena and Apollo were apt deities to call upon.
But they were the exceptions. Almost every other “chaplain of the month” during a decade of town board meetings in this Rochester suburb was a Christian, and more often than not called on Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit to guide the council’s deliberations.
A federal appeals court said last year that such a “steady drumbeat” of Christian invocations violates the Constitution’s prohibition against government endorsement of religion.
Now, the issue is set to come before the Supreme Court. Next week — soon after the court’s marshal announces a new session with the phrase “God save the United States and this honorable court” — the justices will once again tackle the role of religion in the public square.
Few phrases in the Constitution have divided Supreme Court justices quite like the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which says simply: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Some prohibitions seem obvious: There can be no official national religion, for instance. Government cannot compel Americans to identify with a certain religion, or any religion at all.
What has proven more complicated is defining the boundaries of religion’s inclusion in public life. Issues such as prayer in public schools, accommodation of certain religious practices, and the display of crosses, creches and other religious symbols have produced a series of constitutional tests for the court and case-by-case rules that please few.
Against this “messy” backdrop, said Richard Garnett, a law professor at Notre Dame, the court’s view on legislative prayer “is actually one of the clearer areas in the court’s Establishment Clause” jurisprudence.
The court decided 30 years ago in a case called Marsh v. Chambers that Nebraska had not violated the Constitution by employing a Presbyterian minister for 16 years to lead the legislature in prayer.
Former Chief Justice Warren E. Burger said “the unambiguous and unbroken history of more than two hundred years” of legislative chaplains weighed in Nebraska’s favor.
The very first Congress, which drafted the First Amendment, was led in prayer by a chaplain, and the House and Senate have continued that tradition since then. This is one reason that the Obama administration is siding with the town of Greece. The town and its supporters say there is no evidence that Greece violated the requirement, which emerged from the Marsh case, that so-called legislative prayer not proselytize nor denigrate another faith.
“This case can begin and end with Marsh v. Chambers,” said the brief filed by Greece, which is represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom.
That is what a federal district judge concluded when two Greece residents challenged the town’s practice.
Susan Galloway, uncomfortable with the sectarian prayers, and Linda Stephens, an atheist, had objected to sitting through the invocations after the board changed from its old practice of beginning the meetings with a moment of silence.
The board drew its volunteer chaplains from a list of churches in the town. It said anyone would have been welcomed but did not publicize the opportunity. The board neither created rules for the prayers nor screened them beforehand.
After the lawsuit was threatened, the town made more of an effort — that’s how the Baha’i representative and the Wiccan got involved — but all agree that the overwhelming number of prayers offered over the approximately 10 years covered by the suit were offered by Christians, and most contained direct references to Christianity.
When the case reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, a unanimous panel of the court said it was not enough to view the town’s actions through the lens of Marsh. Judge Guido Calabresi said the Supreme Court had ruled in a subsequent case involving a creche display that governments must be careful about practices “that have the effect of affiliating the government with any one specific faith or belief.”
Despite what may have been good intentions, Calabresi wrote, that’s what the town of Greece had done. By not reaching out to a more diverse group of prayer-givers or making clear that the prayers did not represent the town’s beliefs, the judges found, “the town’s prayer practice must be viewed as an endorsement of a particular religious viewpoint.”
The town and the Obama administration argue that putting the government in a position of monitoring the content of prayers would create more constitutional problems.
“Neither federal courts nor legislative bodies are well suited to police the content of such prayers,” wrote Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. on behalf of the United States, “and this court has consistently disapproved of government interference in dictating the substance of prayers.”
But the brief for Galloway and Stephens, who are represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the court’s precedents require such prayers to be nonsectarian and that the town is asking for too much leeway.
It would “leave government officials and guest chaplains free to admonish and harangue citizens to participate in sectarian prayers — even those that promise eternal hellfire to religious minorities,” the brief for the women says.
The challengers also say another of the court’s tests — one identified with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, often the deciding vote at the court — must come into play. That test asks whether or not a practice is coercive, requiring individuals to participate in a religious practice.
Town council meetings, they say, are different from sessions of Congress or a state legislature, where visitors are observers. People often attend council meetings because they have to, they say, in order to apply for zoning variances or be sworn into jobs.
Because the town of Greece does not require chaplains to refrain from asking the audience to join in the prayers or make their invocations more inclusive, the challengers’ brief says, religious minorities are “pressed either to feign participation in act of worship that violates their own beliefs, or to publicly display their dissent.”
As with any Establishment Clause case, the controversy from Greece has attracted an outpouring of amicus briefs. They ask the court, on one side, to overturn Marsh or to be more explicit about what it means that prayers must be “nonsectarian.”
That has prompted the Rev. Robert E. Palmer, the chaplain in the 30-year-old Marsh case, to file a brief noting that his prayers were nondenominational — meaning they didn’t favor his Presbyterian faith over any other Christian religion — but not nonsectarian.
On the other side, there are briefs urging the court to do away with its tests and rules that restrict the role of religion in public life. But that would require an agreement among the justices that has eluded those who have come before.
Many experts, such as Garnett, think the court will be reluctant to go that far. If the justices rely on arguments based on history and tradition, such as those that prevailed in the Marsh case, they are likely to leave the state of the law relatively unchanged.
1) link to main page
2) put in drugs, crime, police, snowden and NSA
NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say
Sheriff Joe isn't the only cop who thinks that if you have a badge and a gun you are above the law. These criminals thugs at the NSA seem to have the same viewpoint!!!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-infiltrates-links-to-yahoo-google-data-centers-worldwide-snowden-documents-say/2013/10/30/e51d661e-4166-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html?hpid=z7
NSA infiltrates links to Yahoo, Google data centers worldwide, Snowden documents say
By Barton Gellman and Ashkan Soltani, Published: October 30 E-mail the writer
The National Security Agency has secretly broken into the main communications links that connect Yahoo and Google data centers around the world, according to documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and interviews with knowledgeable officials.
By tapping those links, the agency has positioned itself to collect at will from hundreds of millions of user accounts, many of them belonging to Americans. The NSA does not keep everything it collects, but it keeps a lot.
According to a top-secret accounting dated Jan. 9, 2013, the NSA’s acquisitions directorate sends millions of records every day from internal Yahoo and Google networks to data warehouses at the agency’s headquarters at Fort Meade, Md. In the preceding 30 days, the report said, field collectors had processed and sent back 181,280,466 new records — including “metadata,” which would indicate who sent or received e-mails and when, as well as content such as text, audio and video.
The NSA’s principal tool to exploit the data links is a project called MUSCULAR, operated jointly with the agency’s British counterpart, the Government Communications Headquarters . From undisclosed interception points, the NSA and the GCHQ are copying entire data flows across fiber-optic cables that carry information among the data centers of the Silicon Valley giants.
The infiltration is especially striking because the NSA, under a separate program known as PRISM, has front-door access to Google and Yahoo user accounts through a court-approved process.
The MUSCULAR project appears to be an unusually aggressive use of NSA tradecraft against flagship American companies. The agency is built for high-tech spying, with a wide range of digital tools, but it has not been known to use them routinely against U.S. companies.
In a statement, the NSA said it is “focused on discovering and developing intelligence about valid foreign intelligence targets only.”
“NSA applies Attorney General-approved processes to protect the privacy of U.S. persons — minimizing the likelihood of their information in our targeting, collection, processing, exploitation, retention, and dissemination,” it said.
In a statement, Google’s chief legal officer, David Drummond, said the company has “long been concerned about the possibility of this kind of snooping” and has not provided the government with access to its systems.
“We are outraged at the lengths to which the government seems to have gone to intercept data from our private fiber networks, and it underscores the need for urgent reform,” he said.
A Yahoo spokeswoman said, “We have strict controls in place to protect the security of our data centers, and we have not given access to our data centers to the NSA or to any other government agency.”
Under PRISM, the NSA gathers huge volumes of online communications records by legally compelling U.S. technology companies, including Yahoo and Google, to turn over any data that match court-approved search terms. That program, which was first disclosed by The Washington Post and the Guardian newspaper in Britain, is authorized under Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act and overseen by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC).
Intercepting communications overseas has clear advantages for the NSA, with looser restrictions and less oversight. NSA documents about the effort refer directly to “full take,” “bulk access” and “high volume” operations on Yahoo and Google networks. Such large-scale collection of Internet content would be illegal in the United States, but the operations take place overseas, where the NSA is allowed to presume that anyone using a foreign data link is a foreigner.
Outside U.S. territory, statutory restrictions on surveillance seldom apply and the FISC has no jurisdiction. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has acknowledged that Congress conducts little oversight of intelligence-gathering under the presidential authority of Executive Order 12333 , which defines the basic powers and responsibilities of the intelligence agencies.
John Schindler, a former NSA chief analyst and frequent defender who teaches at the Naval War College, said it is obvious why the agency would prefer to avoid restrictions where it can.
“Look, NSA has platoons of lawyers, and their entire job is figuring out how to stay within the law and maximize collection by exploiting every loophole,” he said. “It’s fair to say the rules are less restrictive under Executive Order 12333 than they are under FISA,” the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
In a statement, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence denied that it was using executive authority to “get around the limitations” imposed by FISA.
The operation to infiltrate data links exploits a fundamental weakness in systems architecture. To guard against data loss and system slowdowns, Google and Yahoo maintain fortresslike data centers across four continents and connect them with thousands of miles of fiber-optic cable. Data move seamlessly around these globe-spanning “cloud” networks, which represent billions of dollars of investment.
For the data centers to operate effectively, they synchronize large volumes of information about account holders. Yahoo’s internal network, for example, sometimes transmits entire e-mail archives — years of messages and attachments — from one data center to another.
Tapping the Google and Yahoo clouds allows the NSA to intercept communications in real time and to take “a retrospective look at target activity,” according to one internal NSA document.
To obtain free access to data- center traffic, the NSA had to circumvent gold-standard security measures. Google “goes to great lengths to protect the data and intellectual property in these centers,” according to one of the company’s blog posts, with tightly audited access controls, heat-sensitive cameras, round-the-clock guards and biometric verification of identities.
Google and Yahoo also pay for premium data links, designed to be faster, more reliable and more secure. In recent years, both of them are said to have bought
or leased thousands of miles of fiber-optic cables for their own exclusive use. They had reason to think, insiders said, that their private, internal networks were safe from prying eyes.
In an NSA presentation slide on “Google Cloud Exploitation,” however, a sketch shows where the “Public Internet” meets the internal “Google Cloud” where their data reside. In hand-printed letters, the drawing notes that encryption is “added and removed here!” The artist adds a smiley face, a cheeky celebration of victory over Google security.
Two engineers with close ties to Google exploded in profanity when they saw the drawing. “I hope you publish this,” one of them said.
Read all of the stories in The Washington Post’s ongoing coverage of the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs.
For the MUSCULAR project, the GCHQ directs all intake into a “buffer” that can hold three to five days of traffic before recycling storage space. From the buffer, custom-built NSA tools unpack and decode the special data formats that the two companies use inside their clouds. Then the data are sent through a series of filters to “select” information the NSA wants and “defeat” what it does not.
PowerPoint slides about the Google cloud, for example, show that the NSA tries to filter out all data from the company’s “Web crawler,” which indexes Internet pages.
According to the briefing documents, prepared by participants in the MUSCULAR project, collection from inside Yahoo and Google has produced important intelligence leads against hostile foreign governments that are specified in the documents.
Last month, long before The Post approached Google to discuss the penetration of its cloud, Eric Grosse, vice president for security engineering, said the company is rushing to encrypt the links between its data centers. “It’s an arms race,” he said then. “We see these government agencies as among the most skilled players in this game.”
Yahoo has not announced plans to encrypt its data-center links.
Because digital communications and cloud storage do not usually adhere to national boundaries, MUSCULAR and a previously disclosed NSA operation to collect Internet address books have amassed content and metadata on a previously unknown scale from U.S. citizens and residents. Those operations have gone undebated in public or in Congress because their existence was classified.
The Google and Yahoo operations call attention to an asymmetry in U.S. surveillance law. Although Congress has lifted some restrictions on NSA domestic surveillance on grounds that purely foreign communications sometimes pass over U.S. switches and cables, it has not added restrictions overseas, where American communications or data stores now cross over foreign switches.
“Thirty-five years ago, different countries had their own telecommunications infrastructure, so the division between foreign and domestic collection was clear,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the intelligence panel, said in an interview. “Today there’s a global communications infrastructure, so there’s a greater risk of collecting on Americans when the NSA collects overseas.”
It is not clear how much data from Americans is collected and how much of that is retained. One weekly report on MUSCULAR says the British operators of the site allow the NSA to contribute 100,000 “selectors,” or search terms. That is more than twice the number in use in the PRISM program, but even 100,000 cannot easily account for the millions of records that are said to be sent to Fort Meade each day.
In 2011, when the FISC learned that the NSA was using similar methods to collect and analyze data streams — on a much smaller scale — from cables on U.S. territory, Judge John D. Bates ruled that the program was illegal under FISA and inconsistent with the requirements of the Fourth Amendment.
Soltani is an independent security researcher and consultant.
1) link to main page
2) put in crime, drugs, government, NSA, snowden
Army paid $16 million to deserters, AWOL soldiers
Of course if you ask me I would rather have them deserting then murdering innocent civilians and freedom fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of course that's on the issue of the morality of the current illegal and unconstitutional American wars.
Using government to put your competitors out of business!!!!
Using the Registrar of Contractors to put your competitors out of business!!!!
Using government to put your competitors out of business!!!!
Tempe housing complex for deaf under fire
Government idiots fight it out over political correctness???
Source
Affordable Care Act
Obamacare will drive you to God????
Health-care law: Many unknowns as coverage sign-up nears
Obamacare will drive you to God????
How to dump Obamacare
More on opting out of Obamacare
More on opting out of Obamacare - or how to dump Obamacare
Ex-EPA official pleads guilty to stealing $900K
Source
N.S.A. Gathers Data on Social Connections of U.S. Citizens
I drive a foreign made Volkswagen and eat lots of Mexican food. I suspect that is justification for the goons at the NSA to spy on me. At least with the convoluted, cockamamie logic the NSA uses to justify flushing the 4th Amendment down the toilet and spying on Americans.
John McAfee reveals details on gadget to thwart NSA
John McAfee seems to be able to shovel the BS as well as any professional politician does so I am not sure if this is something that is real or if
John McAfee just wants to remove some money from your wallet.
No. 2 U.S. Nuke Commander Under Investigation
Admiral Giardina is being investigated for using counterfeit gambling chips at the Horseshoe Casino
Rihanna's slow loris photo leads to Thai arrests
Don't these pigs have any REAL criminals to hunt down????
Chicago gives felon 6-figure grant to open liquor store
Hmmm ... at the same time the government is locking people in prison for using the harmless drug marijuana, they are encouraging people to use liquor which worldwide kills about 2.5 million people. The yearly death toll cause by marijuana overdoses and other health problems worldwide is a big ZERO. On the other hand tobacco yearly kills about 6 million people
New law allows industrial hemp crops in California
I believe that many of the Founding Fathers grew hemp, such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Not to help people get high, but because hemp makes damn good rope and canvas.
Mississippi Judge abuses Sikh
Judge Ordered Sikh to Remove 'That Rag' from Head
Source
Court to debate right to grow own medicinal marijuana
They want to remove the 25 mile limit for growing medical marijuana!!!
Source
DEA has lots of our tax dollars to waste on silly ads
Source
Got Drugs?
Phoenix to slap $135 tax on Goodwill donation boxes???
Proposed donation-box regulations go to Phoenix council
2) put in police and messy yard criminals
From this article it sounds like the Phoenix City Council may drive a number of charitable organizations out of business with their silly zoning regulations and outrageous $135 tax on donation boxes.
Source
Arizona must reveal source of execution drugs
2) put in police and drugs
Personally I am against the death penalty. Mistakes will be made and innocent people will be murdered.
But I find it silly that the government only allows it's self to murder convicts with poisons that have been approved by the FDA as being healthy???
Source
Arizona ban on begging in public ruled unconstitutional
2) put in police
Source
Man freed from prison after 41 years dies days later
2) put in drugs, police
Source
Judge orders L.A. Coliseum documents released in secrecy lawsuit
2) put in police, drugs, NSA, snowden
F*ck those silly public records laws. Well at least that's how many of our government masters feel!!!!
Source
Government subsidies promote corn over common sense
Source
Phoenix OKs silly, corrupt donation-box rules
Sounds like the city of Phoenix passed this law to help drive the competitors of Goodwill out of business???
Source
Tempe Town Toilet to get new steel dam
2) put in tempe town toilet
Tempe Town Toilet to get new steel dam
Source
Portion of campaign finance law overturned
Source
‘Obamacare’ structure is unfair
Source
Councilman DiCiccio not pleased with Phoenix police videotaping tailgaters
2) also put in NSA, drugs, police, snowden and anti-war and mayor phil gorden
Several weeks ago I got off the light rail at a Thursday ASU football game. I was suprised to see a bunch of police thugs wearing "Homeland Security" vests policing the game!
Why on earth are Federal Homeland Security thugs policing a local ASU football game???
Of course as in most cases I suspect the politicians have created a "jobs program" for Homeland Security cops, which they hope will get them thousands of votes in future elections.
Source
Annual NYC inmate cost exceeds four years at Harvard
2) put in police and drugs
Annual NYC inmate cost exceeds four years at Harvard
What!!!!! We are paying $167,731 a year to jail pot smokers and other victimless drug war criminals!!!!
Source
Mona Charen: Blame ready for Obamacare shortcomings
1) link to main page
Source
Government parasites think they have a God given right to a job
2) put in military
Government parasites think they have a God given right to a job working for the government.
Source
No. 2 nuke commander won't face Iowa charges
2) put in police and anti-war
Source
Solar power subsidies still don't make sense here
Solar power subsidies still don't make sense here
Source
Government shutdown closes E-Verify system;
2) put in papers please, snowden, police, drugs, NSA, antiwar
Source
House votes 407-0 to pay furloughed federal workers
2) put in sinema
Think of it as paying cash for votes.
If Congress gives these 800,000 government parasites money for not working, they can almost be guaranteed to get their votes when it comes to reelection time.
Sure in each Congressional district it's not 800,000 votes, on the average its only 16,000 votes for each state, but that's often enough to swing an election.
Source
Man must remove wife’s grave from yard, court rules
Don't these government nannies have anything useful to do???
As usual, government is the cause of the problem, not the solution to the problem.
Source
Yarnell’s fire chief, Jim Koile was convicted of manslaughter???
1) link to main page
2) put in police and drugs
Yarnell’s fire chief, Jim Koile was convicted of manslaughter???
Our government masters and especially cops love to make it look like they are ethically and morally better then the serfs they rule over. But that usually isn't the case.
Sadly government attracts crooks like honey attracts flies.
Source
Indian Pork
Arizona tribes bracing for sting of shutdown
There is lots of government welfare for everybody.
Of course I really shouldn't complain about the welfare the Indians get. The American government pretty much murdered them off and stole their land, just like Hitler did to the Jews.
And of course every time the Indians get on their feet our government master punch them in the face and knock them on the ground again. Kind of like we are doing to the Indians who want to build a casino on THEIR land which is in the city of Glendale.
In that case the governments of Glendale and the state of Arizona are trying to prevent them from building the casino because it will cut into the revenue that the government makes off of gambling.
Source
Jan Brewer is paying people overtime to NOT pardon people???
2) put in police and drugs
Jan Brewer is paying people overtime to NOT pardon people???
Source
U.S. raids reflect emerging strategy
2) put in cops, drugs, war, snowden and cia
F*ck international law. The US is going to kidnap or murder anybody they dislike!!!!
Source
Affordable Care Act a misnomer
Source
Arizona Ombudsman: State medical board violated laws
Don't expect the government to protect you from bad doctors!!!!
Of course they do a pretty good job of protecting the doctors from patients they abuse. But they didn't say that in these articles. That's something you should be able to figure out from all the other articles I have posted.
Source
Pakistani girl, 16, survivor of Taliban, visits U.S.
2) also put in religion, police and on AU
Sadly religion causes just as many problem as government
Source
Glendale workers to get Christmas week off — with pay
2) put in police
When Glendale isn't giving corporate welfare to the billionaire owners of professional sports teams they seem to be buying votes from city employees to help them get reelected in the next election.
Source
28 years in prison for corrupt ex-Detroit mayor
2) put in police and drugs
Source
Scottsdale replacing old trolleys, buses with new models
Scottsdale replacing old trolleys, buses with new models
aaa5_bad_government.html#porkscottsdale_1013
28 years in prison for corrupt ex-Detroit mayor
aaa5_bad_government.html#KwameKilpatrick_1013
Glendale workers to get Christmas week off — with pay
aaa5_bad_government.html#glendale_oirj_1013
Pakistani girl, 16, survivor of Taliban, visits U.S.
aaa5_bad_government.html#Malala_1013
Arizona Ombudsman: State medical board violated laws
aaa5_bad_government.html#crooksliars_1013
Affordable Care Act a misnomer
aaa5_bad_government.html#oxymoron_1013
U.S. raids reflect emerging strategy
aaa5_bad_government.html#raids222_1013
Jan Brewer is paying people overtime to NOT pardon people???
aaa5_bad_government.html#overtimefornowork_1013
Government p*ssing away our tax dollars for special interest groups.
Source
move to it's own web page
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/frog-saves-rat-drowning-tiny-2349651
Frog saves rat from drowning as tiny creature hitches a ride across pond
8 Oct 2013 12:15
The frog appeared at the rat's side as it clung to some debris in the middle of a small pond on the outskirts of north Indian city Lucknow
It is an unlikely pairing, but this rat was saved from drowning when a fat frog leaped to its rescue.
The frog appeared at the rat's side as it clung to some debris in the middle of a small pond on the outskirts of north Indian city Lucknow.
Unable to swim, the frog offered a helping hand allowing the rat to board his back before he swam to the safety of the shoreline.
Azam said: "I had parked my scooter on the shore near the pond. I noticed something floating and soon realised it was the rat holding onto some piece of debris.
"It was as if the two creatures were talking in their own way. The next moment, the rat managed to climb onto the back of the frog.
"All this happened very fast. I quickly reached for my bag and took out my camera."
Rat hitches a ride with a Frog Lifesaver: the frog saved the rat in his hour of need
Barcroft India
The frog dived into the water with his new cargo on his back and slowly waded through the pond.
The snapper said: "I managed to take a few pictures. I was fascinated with the way the frog swam and the rat held on tight. They were like friends."
The frog carried the little rat all the way to the shore, offering him a new lease of life.
"Sadly, I could not catch the moment when the frog reached the shore and rat just sped away.
"I looked around for a bit but both the little creatures had just gone back to their world."
------------------------------------------------------------
put t his on its own page
http://www.teleguiaenespanol.com/952/index.htm
Apple y Google son las mejores marcas del mundo
Un listado que se elabora desde hace 8 años y que mide el valor de las marcas a nivel mundial.
Apple ganó el primer lugar en la lista de las 100 marcas más importantes a nivel global, en el ranking BrandZ que realiza Millward Brown desde hace ocho años consecutivos.
Google le siguió en el puesto número 2 como la compañía más valiosa.
Apple aseguró el primer puesto porque registró un aumento en el valor de la marca del 1 por ciento respecto a 2012, con un valor de 185 mil 071 millones de dólares.
Google está valorado en 113 mil 669 millones de dólares y tuvo un alza mayor, revalorizándose este año en un 50 por ciento.
Mientras que sin estar en los primeros lugares, Samsung se hizo notar pasando del puesto 55 el año pasado, al 30 en este. Y es que sus productos Galaxy SII y Samsung Galaxy Note II, hicieron que su valor creciera 7 por ciento este 2013.
El ranking también destacó porque las empresas dedicadas a la comunicación y tecnología fueron las que más presencia tuvieron en el ranking, con 29 empresas dedicadas a ese sector; es decir, el 43 por ciento de las compañías enlistadas se dedican a la mencionada rama.
Cabe destacar que este listado inició como una forma de ayudar a entender cómo la construcción de una marca mejora la salud financiera de la empresa. De acuerdo 2013 BrandZ Top 100, en 2012 no se vio un crecimiento significante en el valor de las empresas, pero este año aumentó un 7 por ciento.
Son ocho años de crear este ranking, donde se ha visto un aumento total de 58 por ciento en valor. Un listado que además habla a los clientes sobre el desarrollo de las empresas a las que les compran.
Checa la siguiente galería para ver el ranking de las 10 mejores marcas en el mundo.
1.- Apple aseguró el primer puesto porque registró un aumento en el valor de la marca del 1 por ciento respecto a 2012.
2.- Google está valorado en 113 mil 669 millones de dólares.
3.- IBM quedó en tercer lugar con 112 mil 536 millones de dólares.
4.- McDonald´s se ubicó en el cuarto peldaño, valuada en 90 mil 256 millones de dólares.
5.- Coca-Cola en quinto lugar con 78 mil 415 millones de dólares.
6.- AT&T se coló en la sexta posición al tener un aumento en el valor de la marca del 10 por ciento, dejando atrás la octava posición que tuvo en 2012.
7.- Microsoft obtuvo el séptimo lugar al estar valorada en 69 mil 814 millones de dólares.
8.- En el octavo puesto est Marlboro, con 69 mil 383 millones de dólares.
9.- VISA se coloca en el noveno puesto con 56 mil 060 millones de dólares.
10.- Y en el décimo lugar está Telecoms, al estar valuada en 55 mil 368 millones de dólares.
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and put this on it's own page too
Reminds me of that hotel on Apache I stayed at where I was kept away till 2 am by loud music in the bar next door!!!!
http://www.teleguiaenespanol.com/952/index.htm
El ruido de los aviones puede aumentar el riesgo de infarto
El riesgo de infarto aumenta 20% entre los residentes de zonas cercanas a aeropuertos.
El riesgo de padecer un infarto o enfermedades cardiovasculares aumenta hasta un 20% entre los residentes de zonas cercanas a aeropuertos por el alto nivel de ruido, según un estudio publicado en el British Medical Journal.
La investigación, coordinada por una decena de científicos del Imperial College y King’s College de Londres, analizó los 12 barrios más cercanos al aeropuerto de Heathrow (oeste de Londres) expuestos a un elevado ruido de aviones, con una población total de 3,6 millones de personas.
El estudio se basó en los datos del nivel de ruido que proporcionó la Autoridad de Aviación Civil del Reino Unido (CCA) en 2001 y se centró en aquellos lugares donde el ruido de los aviones superaba los 50 decibelios, el volumen estándar establecido en una conversación entre dos personas.
"El ruido de un avión puede ser molesto para algunas personas y puede afectar a su presión arterial y conducirles a una enfermedad", declaró Anna Hansell, del Imperial College, a la cadena BBC.
La investigación también alertó del alto riesgo de muerte al que están expuestos unos 70 mil habitantes de las zonas vulnerables -un 2% de la muestra estudiada- como consecuencia de un ataque al corazón y el número de veces que tienen que acudir al hospital para tratar sus patologías.
Otro de los investigadores, Stephen Stansfeld, aseguró que "estos resultados implican que la exposición al ruido de los aviones tiene efectos directos sobre la salud de las personas y de su entorno".
En respuesta a este trabajo científico, Matt Gorman, director de sostenibilidad de Heathrow, destacó los "avances significativos" de este aeropuerto para hacer frente a los ruidos, como "el cobro de tasas a las aerolíneas más ruidosas y la instalación de cristales dobles en las ventanas de las viviendas cercanas".
1) link to main page 2) put in drugs, war, snowden, anti-war, cops, police, NSA Constitution??? Bill of Rights??? F*ck the Constitution and Bill of Rights!!! I got a gun and a badge and I with Homeland Security, NSA and the CIA and above the law. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/03/world/no-morsel-too-minuscule-for-all-consuming-nsa.html?hp&_r=0 No Morsel Too Minuscule for All-Consuming N.S.A. By SCOTT SHANE Published: November 2, 2013 149 Comments When Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, sat down with President Obama at the White House in April to discuss Syrian chemical weapons, Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and climate change, it was a cordial, routine exchange. The National Security Agency nonetheless went to work in advance and intercepted Mr. Ban’s talking points for the meeting, a feat the agency later reported as an “operational highlight” in a weekly internal brag sheet. It is hard to imagine what edge this could have given Mr. Obama in a friendly chat, if he even saw the N.S.A.’s modest scoop. (The White House won’t say.) But it was emblematic of an agency that for decades has operated on the principle that any eavesdropping that can be done on a foreign target of any conceivable interest — now or in the future — should be done. After all, American intelligence officials reasoned, who’s going to find out? From thousands of classified documents, the National Security Agency emerges as an electronic omnivore of staggering capabilities, eavesdropping and hacking its way around the world to strip governments and other targets of their secrets, all the while enforcing the utmost secrecy about its own operations. It spies routinely on friends as well as foes, as has become obvious in recent weeks; the agency’s official mission list includes using its surveillance powers to achieve “diplomatic advantage” over such allies as France and Germany and “economic advantage” over Japan and Brazil, among other countries. Mr. Obama found himself in September standing uncomfortably beside the president of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, who was furious at being named as a target of N.S.A. eavesdropping. Since then, there has been a parade of such protests, from the European Union, Mexico, France, Germany and Spain. Chagrined American officials joke that soon there will be complaints from foreign leaders feeling slighted because the agency had not targeted them. James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, has repeatedly dismissed such objections as brazen hypocrisy from countries that do their own share of spying. But in a recent interview, he acknowledged that the scale of eavesdropping by the N.S.A., with 35,000 workers and $10.8 billion a year, sets it apart. “There’s no question that from a capability standpoint we probably dwarf everybody on the planet, just about, with perhaps the exception of Russia and China,” he said. Since Edward J. Snowden began releasing the agency’s documents in June, the unrelenting stream of disclosures has opened the most extended debate on the agency’s mission since its creation in 1952. The scrutiny has ignited a crisis of purpose and legitimacy for the N.S.A., the nation’s largest intelligence agency, and the White House has ordered a review of both its domestic and its foreign intelligence collection. While much of the focus has been on whether the agency violates Americans’ privacy, an issue under examination by Congress and two review panels, the anger expressed around the world about American surveillance has prompted far broader questions. If secrecy can no longer be taken for granted, when does the political risk of eavesdropping overseas outweigh its intelligence benefits? Should foreign citizens, many of whom now rely on American companies for email and Internet services, have any privacy protections from the N.S.A.? Will the American Internet giants’ collaboration with the agency, voluntary or otherwise, damage them in international markets? And are the agency’s clandestine efforts to weaken encryption making the Internet less secure for everyone? Matthew M. Aid, an intelligence historian and author of a 2009 book on the N.S.A., said there is no precedent for the hostile questions coming at the agency from all directions. “From N.S.A.’s point of view, it’s a disaster,” Mr. Aid said. “Every new disclosure reinforces the notion that the agency needs to be reined in. There are political consequences, and there will be operational consequences.” A review of classified agency documents obtained by Mr. Snowden and shared with The New York Times by The Guardian, offers a rich sampling of the agency’s global operations and culture. (At the agency’s request, The Times is withholding some details that officials said could compromise intelligence operations.) The N.S.A. seems to be listening everywhere in the world, gathering every stray electron that might add, however minutely, to the United States government’s knowledge of the world. To some Americans, that may be a comfort. To others, and to people overseas, that may suggest an agency out of control. The C.I.A. dispatches undercover officers overseas to gather intelligence today roughly the same way spies operated in biblical times. But the N.S.A., born when the long-distance call was a bit exotic, has seen its potential targets explode in number with the advent of personal computers, the Internet and cellphones. Today’s N.S.A. is the Amazon of intelligence agencies, as different from the 1950s agency as that online behemoth is from a mom-and-pop bookstore. It sucks the contents from fiber-optic cables, sits on telephone switches and Internet hubs, digitally burglarizes laptops and plants bugs on smartphones around the globe. Mr. Obama and top intelligence officials have defended the agency’s role in preventing terrorist attacks. But as the documents make clear, the focus on counterterrorism is a misleadingly narrow sales pitch for an agency with an almost unlimited agenda. Its scale and aggressiveness are breathtaking. The agency’s Dishfire database — nothing happens without a code word at the N.S.A. — stores years of text messages from around the world, just in case. Its Tracfin collection accumulates gigabytes of credit card purchases. The fellow pretending to send a text message at an Internet cafe in Jordan may be using an N.S.A. technique code-named Polarbreeze to tap into nearby computers. The Russian businessman who is socially active on the web might just become food for Snacks, the acronym-mad agency’s Social Network Analysis Collaboration Knowledge Services, which figures out the personnel hierarchies of organizations from texts. The spy agency’s station in Texas intercepted 478 emails while helping to foil a jihadist plot to kill a Swedish artist who had drawn pictures of the Prophet Muhammad. N.S.A. analysts delivered to authorities at Kennedy International Airport the names and flight numbers of workers dispatched by a Chinese human smuggling ring. The agency’s eavesdropping gear, aboard a Defense Department plane flying 60,000 feet over Colombia, fed the location and plans of FARC rebels to the Colombian Army. In the Orlandocard operation, N.S.A. technicians set up what they called a “honeypot” computer on the web that attracted visits from 77,413 foreign computers and planted spyware on more than 1,000 that the agency deemed of potential future interest. The Global Phone Book No investment seems too great if it adds to the agency’s global phone book. After mounting a major eavesdropping effort focused on a climate change conference in Bali in 2007, agency analysts stationed in Australia’s outback were especially thrilled by one catch: the cellphone number of Bali’s police chief. “Our mission,” says the agency’s current five-year plan, which has not been officially scheduled for declassification until 2032, “is to answer questions about threatening activities that others mean to keep hidden.” The aspirations are grandiose: to “utterly master” foreign intelligence carried on communications networks. The language is corporate: “Our business processes need to promote data-driven decision-making.” But the tone is also strikingly moralistic for a government bureaucracy. Perhaps to counter any notion that eavesdropping is a shady enterprise, signals intelligence, or Sigint, the term of art for electronic intercepts, is presented as the noblest of callings. “Sigint professionals must hold the moral high ground, even as terrorists or dictators seek to exploit our freedoms,” the plan declares. “Some of our adversaries will say or do anything to advance their cause; we will not.” The N.S.A. documents taken by Mr. Snowden and shared with The Times, numbering in the thousands and mostly dating from 2007 to 2012, are part of a collection of about 50,000 items that focus mainly on its British counterpart, Government Communications Headquarters or G.C.H.Q. While far from comprehensive, the documents give a sense of the agency’s reach and abilities, from the Navy ships snapping up radio transmissions as they cruise off the coast of China, to the satellite dishes at Fort Meade in Maryland ingesting worldwide banking transactions, to the rooftops of 80 American embassies and consulates around the world from which the agency’s Special Collection Service aims its antennas. The agency and its many defenders among senior government officials who have relied on its top secret reports say it is crucial to American security and status in the world, pointing to terrorist plots disrupted, nuclear proliferation tracked and diplomats kept informed. But the documents released by Mr. Snowden sometimes also seem to underscore the limits of what even the most intensive intelligence collection can achieve by itself. Blanket N.S.A. eavesdropping in Afghanistan, described in the documents as covering government offices and the hide-outs of second-tier Taliban militants alike, has failed to produce a clear victory against a low-tech enemy. The agency kept track as Syria amassed its arsenal of chemical weapons — but that knowledge did nothing to prevent the gruesome slaughter outside Damascus in August. The documents are skewed toward celebration of the agency’s self-described successes, as underlings brag in PowerPoints to their bosses about their triumphs and the managers lay out grand plans. But they do not entirely omit the agency’s flubs and foibles: flood tides of intelligence gathered at huge cost that goes unexamined; intercepts that cannot be read for lack of language skills; and computers that — even at the N.S.A. — go haywire in all the usual ways. Mapping Message Trails In May 2009, analysts at the agency learned that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was to make a rare trip to Kurdistan Province in the country’s mountainous northwest. The agency immediately organized a high-tech espionage mission, part of a continuing project focused on Ayatollah Khamenei called Operation Dreadnought. Working closely with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which handles satellite photography, as well as G.C.H.Q., the N.S.A. team studied the Iranian leader’s entourage, its vehicles and its weaponry from satellites, and intercepted air traffic messages as planes and helicopters took off and landed. They heard Ayatollah Khamenei’s aides fretting about finding a crane to load an ambulance and fire truck onto trucks for the journey. They listened as he addressed a crowd, segregated by gender, in a soccer field. They studied Iranian air defense radar stations and recorded the travelers’ rich communications trail, including Iranian satellite coordinates collected by an N.S.A. program called Ghosthunter. The point was not so much to catch the Iranian leader’s words, but to gather the data for blanket eavesdropping on Iran in the event of a crisis. This “communications fingerprinting,” as a document called it, is the key to what the N.S.A. does. It allows the agency’s computers to scan the stream of international communications and pluck out messages tied to the supreme leader. In a crisis — say, a showdown over Iran’s nuclear program — the ability to tap into the communications of leaders, generals and scientists might give a crucial advantage. On a more modest scale, the same kind of effort, what N.S.A. calls “Sigint development,” was captured in a document the agency obtained in 2009 from Somalia — whether from a human source or an electronic break-in was not noted. It contained email addresses and other contact details for 117 selected customers of a Mogadishu Internet service, Globalsom. While most on the list were Somali officials or citizens, presumably including some suspected of militancy, the document also included emails for a United Nations political officer in Mogadishu and a local representative for the charity World Vision, among other international institutions. All, it appeared, were considered fair game for monitoring. This huge investment in collection is driven by pressure from the agency’s “customers,” in government jargon, not only at the White House, Pentagon, F.B.I. and C.I.A., but also spread across the Departments of State and Energy, Homeland Security and Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative. By many accounts, the agency provides more than half of the intelligence nuggets delivered to the White House early each morning in the President’s Daily Brief — a measure of success for American spies. (One document boasts that listening in on Nigerian State Security had provided items for the briefing “nearly two dozen” times.) In every international crisis, American policy makers look to the N.S.A. for inside information. Pressure to Get Everything That creates intense pressure not to miss anything. When that is combined with an ample budget and near-invisibility to the public, the result is aggressive surveillance of the kind that has sometimes gotten the agency in trouble with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a United States federal court that polices its programs for breaches of Americans’ privacy. In the funding boom that followed the Sept. 11 attacks, the agency expanded and decentralized far beyond its Fort Meade headquarters in Maryland, building or expanding major facilities in Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Hawaii, Alaska, Washington State and Utah. Its officers also operate out of major overseas stations in England, Australia, South Korea and Japan, at overseas military bases, and from locked rooms housing the Special Collection Service inside American missions abroad. The agency, using a combination of jawboning, stealth and legal force, has turned the nation’s Internet and telecommunications companies into collection partners, installing filters in their facilities, serving them with court orders, building back doors into their software and acquiring keys to break their encryption. But even that vast American-run web is only part of the story. For decades, the N.S.A. has shared eavesdropping duties with the rest of the so-called Five Eyes, the Sigint agencies of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More limited cooperation occurs with many more countries, including formal arrangements called Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes and Nacsi, an alliance of the agencies of 26 NATO countries. The extent of Sigint sharing can be surprising: “N.S.A. may pursue a relationship with Vietnam,” one 2009 G.C.H.Q. document reported. But a recent G.C.H.Q. training document suggests that not everything is shared, even between the United States and Britain. “Economic well-being reporting,” it says, referring to intelligence gathered to aid the British economy, “cannot be shared with any foreign partner.” As at the school lunch table, decisions on who gets left out can cause hurt feelings: “Germans were a little grumpy at not being invited to join the 9-Eyes group,” one 2009 document remarks. And in a delicate spy-versus-spy dance, sharing takes place even with governments that are themselves important N.S.A. targets, notably Israel. The documents describe collaboration with the Israel Sigint National Unit, which gets raw N.S.A. eavesdropping material and provides it in return, but they also mention the agency’s tracking of “high priority Israeli military targets,” including drone aircraft and the Black Sparrow missile system. The alliances, and the need for stealth, can get complicated. At one highly valued overseas listening post, the very presence of American N.S.A. personnel violates a treaty agreed to by the agency’s foreign host. Even though much of the eavesdropping is run remotely from N.S.A.’s base at Fort Gordon, Ga., Americans who visit the site must pose as contractors, carry fake business cards and are warned: “Don’t dress as typical Americans." “Know your cover legend,” a PowerPoint security briefing admonishes the N.S.A. staff members headed to the overseas station, directing them to “sanitize personal effects,” send no postcards home and buy no identifiably local souvenirs. (“An option might be jewelry. Most jewelry does not have any markings” showing its place of origin.) Bypassing Security In the agency’s early years, its brainy staff members — it remains the largest employer of mathematicians in the country — played an important role in the development of the first computers, then largely a tool for code breaking. Today, with personal computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones in most homes and government offices in the developed world, hacking has become the agency’s growth area. Some of Mr. Snowden’s documents describe the exploits of Tailored Access Operations, the prim name for the N.S.A. division that breaks into computers around the world to steal the data inside, and sometimes to leave spy software behind. T.A.O. is increasingly important in part because it allows the agency to bypass encryption by capturing messages as they are written or read, when they are not encoded. In Baghdad, T.A.O. collected messages left in draft form in email accounts maintained by leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq, a militant group. Under a program called Spinaltap, the division’s hackers identified 24 unique Internet Protocol addresses identifying computers used by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, making it possible to snatch Hezbollah messages from the flood of global communications sifted by the agency. The N.S.A.’s elite Transgression Branch, created in 2009 to “discover, understand, evaluate and exploit” foreign hackers’ work, quietly piggybacks on others’ incursions into computers of interest, like thieves who follow other housebreakers around and go through the windows they have left ajar. In one 2010 hacking operation code-named Ironavenger, for instance, the N.S.A. spied simultaneously on an ally and an adversary. Analysts spotted suspicious emails being sent to a government office of great intelligence interest in a hostile country and realized that an American ally was “spear-phishing” — sending official-looking emails that, when opened, planted malware that let hackers inside. The Americans silently followed the foreign hackers, collecting documents and passwords from computers in the hostile country, an elusive target. They got a look inside that government and simultaneously got a close-up look at the ally’s cyberskills, the kind of intelligence twofer that is the unit’s specialty. In many other ways, advances in computer and communications technology have been a boon for the agency. N.S.A. analysts tracked the electronic trail left by a top leader of Al Qaeda in Africa each time he stopped to use a computer on his travels. They correctly predicted his next stop, and the police were there to arrest him. And at the big N.S.A. station at Fort Gordon, technicians developed an automated service called “Where’s My Node?” that sent an email to an analyst every time a target overseas moved from one cell tower to another. Without lifting a finger, an analyst could follow his quarry’s every move. The Limits of Spying The techniques described in the Snowden documents can make the N.S.A. seem omniscient, and nowhere in the world is that impression stronger than in Afghanistan. But the agency’s capabilities at the tactical level have not been nearly enough to produce clear-cut strategic success there, in the United States’ longest war. A single daily report from June 2011 from the N.S.A.’s station in Kandahar, Afghanistan, the heart of Taliban country, illustrates the intensity of eavesdropping coverage, requiring 15 pages to describe a day’s work. The agency listened while insurgents from the Haqqani network mounted an attack on the Hotel Intercontinental in Kabul, overhearing the attackers talking to their bosses in Pakistan’s tribal area and recording events minute by minute. “Ruhullah claimed he was on the third floor and had already inflicted one casualty,” the report said in a typical entry. “He also indicated that Hafiz was located on a different floor.” N.S.A. officers listened as two Afghan Foreign Ministry officials prepared for a meeting between President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Iranian officials, assuring them that relations with the United States “would in no way threaten the interests of Iran,” which they decided Mr. Karzai should describe as a “brotherly country.” The N.S.A. eavesdropped as the top United Nations official in Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, consulted his European Union counterpart, Vygaudas Usackas, about how to respond to an Afghan court’s decision to overturn the election of 62 members of Parliament. And the agency was a fly on the wall for a long-running land dispute between the mayor of Kandahar and a prominent local man known as the Keeper of the Cloak of the Prophet Muhammad, with President Karzai’s late brother, Ahmed Wali Karzai, as a mediator. The agency discovered a Taliban claim to have killed five police officers at a checkpoint by giving them poisoned yogurt, and heard a provincial governor tell an aide that a district police chief was verbally abusing women and clergymen. A Taliban figure, Mullah Rahimullah Akhund, known on the United States military’s kill-or-capture list by the code name Objective Squiz Incinerator, was overheard instructing an associate to buy suicide vests and a Japanese motorbike, according to the documents. And N.S.A. listened in as a Saudi extremist, Abu Mughira, called his mother to report that he and his fellow fighters had entered Afghanistan and “done victorious operations.” Such reports flowed from the agency’s Kandahar station day after day, year after year, and surely strengthened the American campaign against the Taliban. But they also suggest the limits of intelligence against a complex political and military challenge. The N.S.A. recorded the hotel attack, but it had not prevented it. It tracked Mr. Karzai’s government, but he remained a difficult and volatile partner. Its surveillance was crucial in the capture or killing of many enemy fighters, but not nearly enough to remove the Taliban’s ominous shadow from Afghanistan’s future. Mining All the Tidbits In the Afghan reports and many others, a striking paradox is the odd intimacy of a sprawling, technology-driven agency with its targets. It is the one-way intimacy of the eavesdropper, as N.S.A. employees virtually enter the office cubicles of obscure government officials and the Spartan hide-outs of drug traffickers and militants around the world. Venezuela, for instance, was one of six “enduring targets” in N.S.A.’s official mission list from 2007, along with China, North Korea, Iraq, Iran and Russia. The United States viewed itself in a contest for influence in Latin America with Venezuela’s leader then, the leftist firebrand Hugo Chávez, who allied himself with Cuba, and one agency goal was “preventing Venezuela from achieving its regional leadership objectives and pursuing policies that negatively impact U.S. global interests.” A glimpse of what this meant in practice comes in a brief PowerPoint presentation from August 2010 on “Development of the Venezuelan Economic Mission.” The N.S.A. was tracking billions of dollars flowing to Caracas in loans from China (radar systems and oil drilling), Russia (MIG fighter planes and shoulder-fired missiles) and Iran (a factory to manufacture drone aircraft). But it was also getting up-close and personal with Venezuela’s Ministry of Planning and Finance, monitoring the government and personal emails of the top 10 Venezuelan economic officials. An N.S.A. officer in Texas, in other words, was paid each day to peruse the private messages of obscure Venezuelan bureaucrats, hunting for tidbits that might offer some tiny policy edge. In a counterdrug operation in late 2011, the agency’s officers seemed to know more about relations within a sprawling narcotics network than the drug dealers themselves. They listened to “Ricketts,” a Jamaican drug supplier based in Ecuador, struggling to keep his cocaine and marijuana smuggling business going after an associate, “Gordo,” claimed he had paid $250,000 and received nothing in return. The N.S.A., a report said, was on top of not just their cellphones, but also those of the whole network of “buyers, transporters, suppliers, and middlemen” stretching from the Netherlands and Nova Scotia to Panama City and Bogotá, Colombia. The documents do not say whether arrests resulted from all that eavesdropping. Even with terrorists, N.S.A. units can form a strangely personal relationship. The N.S.A.-G.C.H.Q. wiki, a top secret group blog that Mr. Snowden downloaded, lists 14 specialists scattered in various stations assigned to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani terrorist group that carried out the bloody attack on Mumbai in 2008, with titles including “Pakistan Access Pursuit Team” and “Techniques Discovery Branch.” Under the code name Treaclebeta, N.S.A.’s hackers at Tailored Access Operations also played a role. In the wiki’s casual atmosphere, American and British eavesdroppers exchange the peculiar shoptalk of the secret world. “I don’t normally use Heretic to scan the fax traffic, I use Nucleon,” one user writes, describing technical tools for searching intercepted documents. But most striking are the one-on-one pairings of spies and militants; Bryan is assigned to listen in on a man named Haroon, and Paul keeps an ear on Fazl. A Flood of Details One N.S.A. officer on the Lashkar-e-Taiba beat let slip that some of his eavesdropping turned out to be largely pointless, perhaps because of the agency’s chronic shortage of skilled linguists. He “ran some queries” to read intercepted communications of certain Lashkar-e-Taiba members, he wrote in the wiki, but added: “Most of it is in Arabic or Farsi, so I can’t make much of it.” It is a glimpse of the unsurprising fact that sometimes the agency’s expensive and expansive efforts accomplish little. Despite the agency’s embrace of corporate jargon on goal-setting and evaluation, it operates without public oversight in an arena in which achievements are hard to measure. In a world of ballooning communications, the agency is sometimes simply overwhelmed. In 2008, the N.S.A.’s Middle East and North Africa group set about updating its Sigint collection capabilities. The “ambitious scrub” of selectors — essentially search terms — cut the number of terms automatically searched from 21,177 to 7,795 and the number of messages added to the agency’s Pinwale database from 850,000 a day to 450,000 a day. The reduction in volume was treated as a major achievement, opening the way for new collection on Iranian leadership and Saudi and Syrian diplomats, the report said. And in a note that may comfort computer novices, the N.S.A. Middle East analysts discovered major glitches in their search software: The computer was searching for the names of targets but not their email addresses, a rather fundamental flaw. “Over 500 messages in one week did not come in,” the report said about one target. Those are daily course corrections. Whether the Snowden disclosures will result in deeper change is uncertain. Joel F. Brenner, the agency’s former inspector general, says much of the criticism is unfair, reflecting a naïveté about the realpolitik of spying. “The agency is being browbeaten for doing too well the things it’s supposed to do,” he said. But Mr. Brenner added that he believes “technology has outrun policy” at the N.S.A., and that in an era in which spying may well be exposed, “routine targeting of close allies is bad politics and is foolish.” Another former insider worries less about foreign leaders’ sensitivities than the potential danger the sprawling agency poses at home. William E. Binney, a former senior N.S.A. official who has become an outspoken critic, says he has no problem with spying on foreign targets like Brazil’s president or the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. “That’s pretty much what every government does,” he said. “It’s the foundation of diplomacy.” But Mr. Binney said that without new leadership, new laws and top-to-bottom reform, the agency will represent a threat of “turnkey totalitarianism” — the capability to turn its awesome power, now directed mainly against other countries, on the American public. “I think it’s already starting to happen,” he said. “That’s what we have to stop.” Whatever reforms may come, Bobby R. Inman, who weathered his own turbulent period as N.S.A. director from 1977 to 1981, offers his hyper-secret former agency a radical suggestion for right now. “My advice would be to take everything you think Snowden has and get it out yourself,” he said. “It would certainly be a shock to the agency. But bad news doesn’t get better with age. The sooner they get it out and put it behind them, the faster they can begin to rebuild.”
1) link to main page 2) put in religion and on AU My view on abortion is if you don't like abortion, don't have one. Same for birth control, if you don't like it, don't use it. Hell I also feel that way about drugs. If you don't like marijuana or heroin, then don't use them. But it's wrong for the government to force person A to pay for person's B medical expenses. Especially when person A thinks abortion is wrong and is forced to pay for person B's abortion. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/02/us/court-rules-contraception-mandate-infringes-on-religious-freedom.html?hpw Court Rules Contraception Mandate Infringes on Religious Freedom By SARAH WHEATON Published: November 1, 2013 WASHINGTON — A federal court on Friday ruled that the health care law’s mandate that employers provide free coverage for contraception infringed on individual religious liberty. National Twitter Logo. The case, Gilardi v. the Department of Health and Human Services, was the latest setback for the Obama administration as it struggles to fix the crippled insurance enrollment website, HealthCare.gov. However, the fight over the mandate long preceded the law’s enactment and will most likely go to the Supreme Court. The mandate “trammels the right of free exercise,” Judge Janice Rogers Brown wrote for a divided three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The ruling was largely in line with most others around the country so far. Of nearly 40 challenges, only a handful of courts have upheld the government’s requirement that employer health plans provide free birth control, emergency contraception and sterilization. Francis A. Gilardi Jr. and Philip M. Gilardi, brothers from Sidney, Ohio, should not have to provide contraception coverage to employees of the companies they own if it goes against their Catholic faith, the court ruled. However, those companies themselves, Freshway Foods and Freshway Logistics, do not have the right to challenge the mandate on religious grounds, the court said. As a result, the ruling was only a “partial victory” for mandate opponents, according to a statement from the American Center for Law and Justice, which represented the Gilardis. The organization said it planned to ask the Supreme Court to settle the question. “While this is a victory for the individual plaintiffs,” said Francis J. Manion, who argued the case, “the appeals court rejected a critical argument that the rights of the companies be protected as well.” However, the question of companies’ rights is just a “procedural technicality,” said Eric Baxter, a senior counsel at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which has represented other high-profile challengers to the ban, including the craft store chain Hobby Lobby. The Supreme Court is expected to decide before Thanksgiving whether to review that or other cases about the mandate, Mr. Baxter said. Judge Harry T. Edwards wrote a dissent to the main part of the ruling, calling the Gilardis’ claim that a requirement on their companies imposed a burden on their freedom of religion “specious.” Judge Edwards continued, “It has been well understood since the founding of our nation that legislative restrictions may trump religious exercise.” The Department of Health and Human Services referred questions to the Justice Department, which declined to comment. The contraception mandate has been one of the most controversial aspects of the health law since the Obama administration first announced the mandate in mid-2011, along with other requirements it characterized as preventive care. Religious opponents of abortion have objected especially strongly to the requirement to provide emergency contraception pills, like Plan B, although most studies show that the drug works by preventing fertilization, not by inducing abortion. In an effort to compromise, the administration has said that women who work for churches and nonprofit religious groups that object to birth control would receive separate coverage not paid for by the employers. It refused, however, to offer accommodations to secular businesses whose owners have religious objections to contraception. On Monday, Luther Strange, Alabama’s Republican attorney general, joined the Catholic broadcaster Eternal World Television Network as a plaintiff in its challenge against the mandate in United States District Court in the Southern District of Alabama.
) move out of here and put in food section http://www.mercurynews.com/food-wine/ci_24421485/sriracha-shortage-make-your-own?source=most_viewed Sriracha shortage? Make your own By Jackie Burrell jburrell@bayareanewsgroup.com Posted: 10/30/2013 04:48:17 PM PDT | Updated: Sriracha chili sauce bottles are produced at the Huy Fong Foods factory in Irwindale, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013. The maker of Sriracha hot sauce is under fire for allegedly fouling the air around its Southern California production site. The city of Irwindale filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday asking a judge to stop production at the Huy Fong Foods factory, claiming the chili odor emanating from the facility is a public nuisance. News of a possible Sriracha shortage is striking fear into the hearts of hot sauce fans, who douse everything from ramen to scrambled eggs with the suddenly trendy chile sauce. The spicy condiment bottled by Huy Fong Foods -- and currently causing aromatic distress to the Southern California city that surrounds the factory -- may lack the authenticity of the original hot sauces from Sri Racha, Thailand. But there's no denying the cachet of the "Red Rooster" bottles that have popped up in practically every hipster burger joint, as well as restaurants that specialize in Asian cuisine. On Monday, the city of Irwindale asked the Los Angeles County Superior Court to force a halt to the sensory assault by the company's new factory, where up to a million bottles of the savory stuff are produced each week. CEO David Tran told the Los Angeles Times that if the factory is closed, prices will soar. It's a hot mess, all right, but Sriracha lovers needn't resort to licking the sauce off Lay's potato chips. James Beard award-winning author Robb Walsh is riding to the rescue with a DIY take that may delight your taste buds even more than the bottled version. Walsh's recipe, one of more than 60 pepper sauces in his new "The Hot Sauce Cookbook" (Ten Speed Press, $16.99, 144 pages) uses less vinegar than the acidic original. Homemade Sriracha Sauce Makes about 1 cup 2 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 cup pureed fresh red chiles 2 garlic cloves 1. Combine the sugars and vinegar in a small saucepan and heat until sugars dissolve. Let cool. 2. Combine the vinegar mixture with the peppers and garlic; puree in a blender until very smooth. Strain to remove any grit or large particles. Store the sauce in a squeeze bottle in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. -- Robb Walsh, "The Hot Sauce Cookbook"
1) link to main page Did you think Obamacare would turn out differently??? If you have been around government at all this shouldn't be a surprise to you. Sadly the only people that benefit from these silly laws are government bureaucrats that administrate them. And of course the special interest groups that bribed, oops, I mean gave Congress campaign contributions to pass them. http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-u-officials-mired-controversy-over-obamacare-rollout-224738004.html Factbox: U.S. officials mired in controversy over Obamacare rollout Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The troubled start of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law known as Obamacare has administration officials scrambling to address a host of problems, from the unreliability of the website HealthCare.gov to questions about who is responsible for hundreds of thousands of Americans losing their current coverage. Here are some of the key figures involved in the rollout of the federal health insurance exchange's online portal on October 1 and in addressing criticisms since that time. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA Obama has been on the defensive about his healthcare policy since October 1, when HealthCare.gov was switched on and crashed the same night, preventing people from going online to create accounts and enroll in health insurance. He has promised the website is just weeks away from a cure, and struggled to convince Americans he is on top of what has become a self-inflicted wound to the signature achievement of his presidency. While experts have been called in to fix technical glitches, a separate problem has emerged - Obama's pledge that people who are happy with their health plans would not have to change coverage because of the law. Obama said on October 30 that "bad apple" insurance companies, not his healthcare law, are to blame for hundreds of thousands of people losing their coverage in the past few weeks. Insurance companies say the law requires coverage beyond what many people choose to purchase. Obama has stood firm against Republican attempts to defund or delay the healthcare law - efforts that led to a 16-day government shutdown in early October. WHITE HOUSE ADVISER JEFFREY ZIENTS The administration announced on October 22 that Zients had been brought in to lead a "tech surge" aimed at repairing the website. Three days later, Zients promised that HealthCare.gov would be working smoothly for most users by the end of November, and said a "general contractor" would manage repairs - Quality Software Services Inc, a unit of UnitedHealth Group. Zients, a former official of the Office of Management and Budget, will become head of the National Economic Council in January. So his assignment as the website's Mr. Fix-It is intended to be temporary. Zients has 20 years of business experience as a chief executive, management consultant and entrepreneur. He helped the Obama administration figure out a solution for the "cash for clunkers" car exchange program's website, which crashed repeatedly when it opened early in Obama's first term. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF DENIS MCDONOUGH McDonough took on a prominent behind-the-scenes role months ago in explaining how Obamacare would work after Democrat Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, sounded the alarm in April about how few details were being shared with Congress. Baucus warned of a coming "train wreck" if the administration were to fail to enroll enough people for coverage. McDonough then began briefing Baucus every two weeks on healthcare, and chatting just as often with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY KATHLEEN SEBELIUS As the member of Obama's Cabinet in charge of implementing the Affordable Care Act, Sebelius is facing Republican calls to resign over Obamacare problems. The former Kansas governor has not resigned, but she has taken the blame for HealthCare.gov's troubled launch. She also told a House of Representatives hearing on October 30 that the administration did not have any reliable enrollment figures from the website. But a day later, administration papers released by a congressional committee showed that enrollment was very small in the first two days of the website's operation - with just 248 people signing up. CMS DIRECTOR MARILYN TAVENNER Tavenner, a former nurse, heads the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and was in charge of setting up the online insurance exchanges. Two months before the administration turned on the website, Tavenner assured Congress that the work was on track. She got to apologize to Congress for HealthCare.gov before Sebelius. Sebelius testified that Tavenner made the decision to ask consumers to register on the website before browsing for price information, a step that has been blamed for bottlenecks on the site when it was first switched on. Tavenner has a lot of fans on Capitol Hill, including her fellow Virginian, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Republican. CMS CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER MICHELLE SNYDER Snyder, a veteran CMS official, oversees daily operations at the agency, which has a staff of nearly 5,000. At the October 30 hearing, Sebelius mentioned Snyder when asked to name the person responsible for building the website. But Sebelius added: "Michelle Snyder is not responsible for the debacle. Hold me accountable for the debacle. I'm responsible." CHIEF U.S. TECHNOLOGY OFFICER TODD PARK Park, who previously ran multiple healthcare IT companies, was trotted out over the summer to talk up the launch of HealthCare.gov, but his direct role in the rollout is unclear. House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa has asked Park and White House Chief Information Officer Steve VanRoekel to supply documents about their involvement in the website. Park is now part of the administration's "tech surge" to repair the healthcare website. WHITE HOUSE HEALTH ADVISER JEANNE LAMBREW Lambrew is a long-term confidante of Obama's on healthcare. An academic and health policy expert, she advised Obama during his first presidential campaign in 2008. She headed the Health and Human Services Office of Health Reform when the Obama administration was pushing its healthcare overhaul on Capitol Hill. In March 2011, she moved to the White House as deputy assistant to the president for health policy, a job in which she would oversee White House implementation of Obamacare. CMS DEPUTY CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER HENRY CHAO Chao was part of the CMS team of officials who interacted with contractors building the website. He was one of two officials whose names appeared on a government memo about security concerns dated four days before HealthCare.gov opened. The memo said the website was at "high risk" because of lack of testing. Chao said at an insurance industry meeting in March that he was "pretty nervous" about the exchanges being ready by October 1, adding, "let's just make sure it's not a Third World experience." HHS CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER BRYAN SIVAK Sivak joined the Department of Health and Human Services in July 2012 to help the agency harness the power of technology to improve healthcare. He has appeared numerous times at conferences about bringing the mentality of startup tech companies to the federal government. Sivak's name surfaced in documents released by Issa's committee October 29, showing he and another HHS employee brushed aside offers of help with the stuttering website from Amazon Web Services Inc. The papers showed an employee of Amazon Web Services emailed Sivak and another HHS official on October 7, saying, "I hear there are some challenges with Healthcare.gov. Is there anything we can do to help?" Sivak replied in an email the next day: "I wish there was. I actually wish there was something I could do to help." (Reporting By Susan Cornwell; Editing by Karey Van Hall and Mohammad Zargham)
1) link to main page Trust us!!! When we get all the bugs out of it Obamacare will provide socialized health care that is just as good of that in China, Cuba, or Canada!!! Honest!!! Swear to God!!!! Of course the cost will probably be 10 times that of the cost of socialized health care in China, Cuba, or Canada!!!! But what do you expect from a government health plan!!!! http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131102health-care-website-shutdown.html Troubled health website shutting down for maintenance Sat Nov 2, 2013 11:47 AM WASHINGTON — The troubled health insurance website is going offline until Sunday morning. The Health and Human Services Department says a technology team will be working on HealthCare.gov, so people won’t be able to apply or enroll through the site. The site will be down from about 9 p.m. Saturday to about 9 a.m. Eastern time Sunday. The government says people can apply for coverage through the health marketplace call center — 1-800-318-2596. That’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The federal website locked up the day it went live, Oct. 1, and has been cranky since. It’s been taken down for maintenance before — usually for a few overnight hours. The administration has said it’s aiming to have HealthCare.gov humming along by month’s end.
put this gun grabbing article from the Phoenix New Times everywhere crime, police, drugs, government Phoenix New Times gun grabbers new_times_gun_grabbers.html
1) link to main page More on that Phoenix City Council race between Hitler, Mao, and Stalin!!! Oops, I mean between Justin Johnson and Laura Pastor. http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2013-10-31/news/phoenix-city-council-race-mudslinging-and-daddy-s-political-clout-rule-in-district-4/full/ Phoenix City Council Race: Mudslinging and Daddy's Political Clout Rule in District 4 By Monica Alonzo Thursday, Oct 31 2013 Justin Johnson and Laura Pastor, the legacy candidates in Phoenix's 4th District, have spent considerable time and money delivering political jabs in their bids to win a spot on the City Council in the November 5 general election. The upcoming election also will decide whether Warren Stewart, pastor of First Institutional Baptist Church, or Kate Widland Gallego, wife of state Representative Ruben Gallego, wins the District 8 seat on the Phoenix council Johnson, son of developer and former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson, has been criticized over vacant, eyesore family properties; for primary employment by family-controlled businesses; and for favorable votes as a city planning commissioner on projects represented by attorneys or developers raising campaign cash for him. The most damning criticism the younger Johnson has faced stems from his own words during a candidate forum — where he admitted to donating money to every council member to, as he put it, "make things smoother" for his development projects. Pastor, daughter of Congressman Ed Pastor, has been compared to hotel heiress Paris Hilton; one campaign flyer claims Pastor and Hilton would be "nothing without Daddy." It's true that both candidates have leveraged their fathers' political connections. The longtime congressman hosted a fundraiser and launched a neighborhood walk for his daughter. An independent political committee working to get Pastor elected invoked the congressman's name while soliciting money from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. "You may have heard of Laura Pastor," a May 13 letter states. "Laura is the daughter of . . . Ed and Verma Pastor. Congressman Pastor . . . serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee." Johnson, 32, has worked nearly exclusively for his father's companies and gained support from such notable developers as Wayne Howard and zoning attorneys such as Paul Gilbert, men who have close relationships with the former mayor. Justin Johnson tells New Times that he started Old World Communities, a firm that performed construction work for his father's homebuilding company. According to Arizona Corporation Commission records, Old World is managed by two other corporations controlled by the elder Johnson, and Justin is listed as a member. Two additional companies that Justin Johnson lists on financial-disclosure documents filed with the city — Predecessor Development and NSPAZ, both construction-related businesses — aren't around anymore. While Justin was in sole control of Predecessor Development, several of his father's companies had controlling interests in NSPAZ. Johnson maintains that Old World Communities is doing great things. In a press release, the council hopeful describes it as a firm that "has focused on revitalization projects throughout" Phoenix. Soon after the statement, Pastor's campaign released a photo of Johnson's family-controlled property near 27th and Georgia avenues tainted with graffiti. Critics also went after Johnson for his "yes" votes for projects represented by Gilbert and developer Ed Bull during May 14 and June 11 city Planning Commission meetings. Bull and Gilbert were listed among the hosts of a $250-per-person May 30 fundraising event for Johnson put on by a who's who of Valley developers, consultants, and zoning attorneys. Johnson isn't apologetic about voting on the projects. "Those are the types of tough decisions we have to make on the City Council," he says. "And I evaluate the projects on their merits." He fires his own criticism at Pastor for her adamant support of the payday-loans industry in 2007. At the time, political consultant Mario Diaz reportedly worked for the industry and a paid fundraiser for Pastor's then-council campaign. Pastor had a change of heart, as noted by e-mails sent by state Representative Debbie McCune Davis, a lawmaker who fought to abolish the industry in 2008. "Laura Pastor supported our ballot initiative to end payday lending," McCune Davis now says in statements. Pastor's campaign also notes that Johnson's disparagement is ironic because his campaign is run by HighGround Inc., a high-profile lobbying firm that was the public-relations arm of the payday loan industry when it tried to re-enter the market in 2009. Johnson's voting in May and June on projects that are making money for the same people helping to stuff his campaign coffers is aggravated by comments he made during the September 12 debate. The moderator asked Johnson which council and mayoral candidates he has financially supported. "I would say every single council member [who's] actually on the City Council today. I'm in the construction business — I'm a general contractor — and we often submit plans down to the city. And it's nice to have people to call down there and ask for help on what the process is, how we can make it smoother, how we can make it better," Johnson said. Asked why he made such a connection between his financial contributions to elected officials and getting something in return for his construction business, Johnson says, "I stand by my reasons. I donated because I believe in the city of Phoenix." Johnson notes that developers also have donated to Pastor's campaign. "They're just people," he says. One other connection between Johnson and high-profile developers lies in one of the worst-kept secrets in town: Wayne Howard's "breakfast club" meetings. His monthly gathering of developers and the politically connected, as described in a 2010 New Times story, are often the source of huge campaign dollars for political candidates. Johnson's selection process among the mighty members of the breakfast club can be likened to the way Pastor Warren Stewart was approved to run in the District 8 race by a small clique of power brokers in the African-American and Latino communities ("Black Power," April 11). A far cry from a church basement, where Stewart supporters gathered to pledge support for his candidacy, Johnson's circle of political friends — including Howard, lobbyist Billy Shields, and developer Mike Leib — don't rely on the subtle security that a basement provides. Rather, they opt for the more obvious security provided by the prestigious members-only Arizona Country Club. Much like Stewart was the choice of South Phoenix politicos, Johnson emerged as the candidate of choice for the North Phoenix development lobby. Johnson says he attends Howard's breakfast club meetings but adds that he will attend "any and every meeting" to which he's invited. Breakfast club members can raise large sums of campaign contributions for elected officials favored in the development world. New Times hasn't been invited to the club, but those who have been tell us it goes something like this: Several times a year, a sitting elected official will attend to make a stump speech, usually on the importance of the development community to the region. On their way out the door, they pick up a handful of campaign checks for the maximum contribution allowed by law. In return, perhaps it's as Johnson explained during the candidates' forum: "It's nice to have people to call down there, to ask for help on what the process is, how we can make it smoother."
1) link to main page 2) put in police and drugs Arizona's youngest legal pot smoker, 5 year old Zander Welton is making national news because of the local police tyrants that are flushing Prop 203 down the toilet and arresting Arizona medical marijuana patients for using hashish and other concentrated forms of marijuana, where are perfectly legal under Prop 203. Government tyrants Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Maricopa County Attorney William Montgomery and director of the Arizona Department of Health Services William Humble would prefer that little Zander Welton start smoking marijuana cigarettes every day, instead of taking the hash oil on his tongue which is much easier to use. The article doesn't mention it, but local cops are also falsely arresting medical marijuana patients for DUI claiming that the part of Prop 203 that said medical marijuana patients can't be arrested for DUI simply because they have marijuana metabolites in they body doesn't mean what it says because technically marijuana isn't prescribed like other drugs, but recommended. http://news.yahoo.com/parents-file-suit-allow-son-marijuana-extract-133757178.html Parents File Suit to Allow Son to Take Marijuana Extract ABC News By GILLIAN MOHNEY November 1, 2013 9:37 AM The parents of a boy suffering from severe seizures have filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona to ensure that their son will have access to medicinal cannabis oil without the risk of prosecution. Zander Welton, 5, was born with cortical dysplasia, a genetic defect that disrupts cellular patterns in the brain and is often the cause of epilepsy. Zander is non-verbal and suffered seizures daily before his parents started giving him cannabis oil. Although Arizona allows marijuana to be used for medicinal purposes, some state officials, including the attorney for Maricopa County, where Zander Welton and his family live, and the head of the Arizona Department of Health Services have said that products with resin extracted from marijuana, such as the oil originally used to treat Zander, are actually classified as an illegal narcotic according to the state's criminal code. On Monday, Zander's parents, Jennifer and Jacob Welton, working with the ACLU, filed a lawsuit that would protect the use of marijuana extracts or products with marijuana resin for medicinal purposes. "When Arizona's voters said yes to legalizing medical marijuana for seriously ill patients in 2010, they certainly meant the plant as well as extracts from the plant," said Emma Andersson, an ACLU lawyer working with the Weltons. "After seeing not one but two brain surgeries fail to help their son, Zander's parents finally found an effective treatment in a medical marijuana extract?they don't deserve to be scared off from the best medicine available for Zander." The lawsuit names the defendants as Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Maricopa County Attorney William Montgomery, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and the director of the Arizona Department of Health Services William Humble. Spokespeople for Bill Montgomery, the Maricopa County Attorney, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and the Arizona Department of Health services said they had no comment on the pending lawsuit. For the Weltons, the lawsuit is a way to both effectively help their son and allow them to remain in their home state of Arizona. Medical Marijuana for 7-Year-Old Sparks Controversy Jennifer Welton said they turned to medicinal marijuana as a last resort even though its effectiveness has only been proven anecdotally and not yet clinically. Prior to the treatment, the 5-year-old had received many other kinds of medication and had undergone two brain surgeries in an effort to alleviate the severity of his seizures. Doctors had removed part of his hippocampus and his left temporal lobe, but his seizures persisted. According to the Weltons, Zander's doctor said their final option to alleviate his seizures was to remove the left hemisphere of his brain. The procedure could have left him paralyzed or in a vegetative state, so they decided to try the cannabis oil option first. Zander was put on cannabidiol oil, or CBD, in September after he qualified for a medical marijuana card. There are approximately 40 minors in Arizona who qualify for a medical marijuana card. According to court documents, the Weltons noticed an improvement in Zander's symptoms after being treated with medical marijuana. Welton confirmed that after treatment Zander no longer had 8- to 10-minute seizures daily that would cause him to stop breathing and turn blue. Instead, in the seven weeks since Zander had been taking medicinal marijuana, Welton said he had only two seizures and each only lasted a few minutes and he didn't stop breathing. In addition, Zander has been able to communicate more and has started to shake his head signifying when he doesn't like something. Toddler With Cancer Takes Cannabis Oil "One of the things I said at the beginning before we started ... I just wanted to know my son a little bit," said Welton of Zander's personality changes. "We're finally getting to see that. He's finally started to come through." In October, Welton said she heard from the state-licensed marijuana dispensary that products with resin may be considered illegal and they would be uncomfortable stocking them. Welton said she did not want to do anything that could be construed as being illegal and stopped giving Zander the CBD. Zander is now currently taking medicinal marijuana in dried plant form, but Welton said it wasn't ideal and hard to effectively administer to Zander. "He does sometimes find it and then will spit out a piece," said Welton. "With the oil extract, it's like the other mediations. You just give him a syringe [of medication], boom, you're done." Although treating cortical dysplasia with CBD has not been fully studied in humans, there have been studies with animals and experts say it may be worth exploring, especially for patients like the Weltons, desperate to help their son. Dr. Steven Wolf, director of pediatric epilepsy at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, said that parents should be wary of using CBD to treat epilepsy pending the results of studies currently being conducted. Wolf said that doctors don't yet know if children would build up a quick tolerance to CBD or if it would ultimately prove ineffective in treating seizures. "I can say, if this was my kid and if there was a possibility it would work, I would certainly want to know," said Wolf. "This is interesting, but this needs investigation."
1) link to main page 2) put in military A low cost $1 billion spy plane for the government??? Now ain't that an oxymoron!!! Of course if this turns out like most other government and military programs the $1 billion figure is probably a lost leader and the actual plane will end up costing $10 billion to $100 billion. On the other hand those rag headed goat herders who ride donkeys in Afghanistan and Iraq and are armed with AK-47s are considered a really dangerous threat to the security of the American Empire and according to the military we certainly need this plane to keep them from invading us!!! http://finance.yahoo.com/news/lockheed-shows-plans-hypersonic-spy-211636509.html Lockheed shows plans for hypersonic spy plane; focus on low cost Reuters By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT) unveiled plans on Friday for a hypersonic spy plane that could fly at Mach 6, twice as fast as its famed SR-71 Blackbird, and said a missile demonstrating the new technology could fly as early as 2018. Brad Leland, the Lockheed engineer who has headed the seven-year research effort, said the new aircraft, dubbed the SR-72, was designed using off-the-shelf materials to keep it affordable in the current tough budget environment. He said the new plane offered game-changing capabilities to the military - and a twin-engine demonstrator jet that could reach any target in an hour could be developed for under $1 billion in five to six years. "Hypersonic is the new stealth," Leland told Reuters in an interview. "Your adversaries cannot hide or move their critical assets. They will be found. That becomes a game-changer." The new aircraft would travel three times as fast as current fighter jets, which can reach speeds of Mach 2, twice the speed of sound, and it could be outfitted with light weapons to strike targets. Aviation Week first reported Lockheed's work on the project earlier on Friday in a cover article entitled "Son of Blackbird." Lockheed developed the supersonic SR-71 Blackbird, a long-range manned spy plane, 50 years ago. A few of those planes remained in service until 1999. Details of the new hypersonic spy plane project emerged days after Lockheed, the Pentagon's biggest supplier, teamed up with No. 2 supplier Boeing Co (BA.N) to develop a bid for the Pentagon's new long-range bomber. Lockheed, Boeing and other big weapons makers are pressing the Pentagon to continue funding new aircraft development programs despite big cuts in military spending, arguing that a retreat from such projects could undercut U.S. military superiority in years to come. Leland, who works for Lockheed's Skunk Works advanced development arm, said missiles based on the new technology could be ready for operational use in 2020, at a cost only slightly more than the current Tomahawk or JASSM missiles. Lockheed declined to say how much it had invested in the SR-72 project to date, or what the new airplane might cost if it is ever built. But it said it had tried to keep the current tight budget environment in mind while working on the project. "What we are doing is defining a missile that would have a small incremental cost to go at hypersonic speed," Leland said. He said about 20 Lockheed employees had worked on the project. One key factor in keeping the new project affordable was a decision to limit speed to Mach 6, rather than reaching for higher speeds that would require more expensive materials such as those used on the space shuttle, Leland said. He said top Pentagon officials had been briefed on the program's progress and they were very interested in the new technology as a possible way to counter work by potential adversaries on technologies that could detect stealth aircraft. He said the company and its partners had developed and tested key components of the proposed new aircraft using their own internal research funding, but the program needed additional funds to move ahead with larger-scale demonstrations of the technologies involved. Rob Stallard, analyst with RBC Capital Markets, said in a note on Friday that the new aircraft could help the U.S. military quickly identify or hit targets that were intentionally hidden or protected by an enemy's air defenses. He said the previous SR-71 was "the coolest airplane ever made, rivaled only by fictional aircraft." Leland said Lockheed had worked closely with Aerojet Rocketdyne, a unit of GenCorp Inc (GY), to develop a propulsion system for the new aircraft, which uses an off-the-shelf turbine with a scramjet engine to reach the hypersonic speeds. The project builds on HTV-3X, an earlier hypersonic project funded by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that was canceled in 2008 after its turbojet engines were found not ready for further development. (Editing by Matthew Lewis)
1) link to main page 2) put in religion and AU Screw the US and Arizona Constitutions, we are going to give some government money to our favorite religious group!!! http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/20131030gilbert-considering-building-st-xavier-satellite-campus.html Gilbert considering building St. Xavier satellite campus By Parker Leavitt The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 30, 2013 5:46 PM Gilbert would construct a four-story building in its downtown area to be home to its first university, Chicago-based St. Xavier, pending approval from the Town Council next week, according to a development agreement obtained from the town by The Arizona Republic. The cost of the university campus is unknown, but Gilbert plans to issue debt to pay for the 87,000-square-foot building on town-owned land in the downtown Heritage District. St. Xavier University would then lease the building from the town. Officials expect the lease payments to cover the cost of the debt. The Gilbert Town Council is scheduled to vote on the St. Xavier development agreement on Nov. 7 after reviewing the document in a closed-door session last week. The Republic learned of plans to bring the university to Gilbert in August. St. Xavier would aim to open the campus by August 2015. The university would be required to attract at least 200 students by the end of its second year and 500 by the end of its fifth year, according to a proposed development agreement. St. Xavier initially will offer degrees in business and nursing and will add education no later than the third academic year, the agreement states. At least 80 percent of credit hours must be awarded through classes taught at the Gilbert campus. Preliminary design plans call for administrative offices, a library and “information commons,” classrooms, laboratories and an auditorium with seating for about 125 students. More-specific building designs are scheduled to be completed by the end of June, and construction could begin in July. Gilbert officials believe that a college campus in its downtown area would boost economic opportunities in an aging neighborhood that has been the focus of redevelopment efforts for years. Downtown Gilbert includes less than 1 square mile along Gilbert Road from Guadalupe to Elliot roads. The Heritage District core, around Gilbert Road and Page Avenue, is home to popular restaurants such as Joe’s Real BBQ, Liberty Market and Postino East, along with the Hale Centre Theatre and a handful of retail shops. There are no colleges or universities in Gilbert, but the town is a neighbor to Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, and to Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus and A.T. Still University in Mesa. St. Xavier was established in 1846 as an all-women’s school by the Sisters of Mercy, a Roman Catholic group founded by Mother Mary McAuley in Ireland in the early 1800s, according to the university. Enrollment at St. Xavier was about 4,400 students during the last school year, according to the university’s website. About 70 percent of those students were women, and about 40 percent were minorities. The proposed development agreement with Gilbert includes requirements for scholarships, grants and tuition reductions for Gilbert residents, according to a town memo. If the agreement is terminated due to St. Xavier’s failure to perform, the university must pay the town $250,000 in damages, the memo states.
1) link to main page I thought city governments were to do things like pick up the garbage and provide water to homes. Not waste our tax dollars arguing in court that my city is more western they your city. http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/20131030western-town-duel-may-put-scottsdale-cave-creek-court.html ‘Western town’ duel may put Scottsdale, Cave Creek in court By Philip Haldiman The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 31, 2013 10:26 AM The battle over the West’s Most Western Town won’t be decided over a shootout at high noon. But it could come to a head in a different sort of standoff — with Scottsdale drawing its big guns in court. Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane was not available for a statement but his chief of staff J.P. Twist says legal action is possible if the Cave Creek Town Council approves a resolution that would allow the town to move forward with usurping Scottsdale’s motto, “The West’s Most Western Town,” as its own. The motto is not up for grabs, Twist told The Arizona Republic. “If Cave Creek adopts this resolution, Scottsdale will begin exploring any legal remedies available for infringements on our trademark,” he said. “If they choose to take us down this path, they will have denigrated what was once a friendly relationship between our two communities.” The city trademarked its 66-year-old motto with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2007. Cave Creek Mayor Vincent Francia said the challenge is an opportunity for both communities to have fun together and garner some publicity in the spirit of the Old West. “This has gone from friendly and fun to fist and fraught,” Francia said. “It’s unfortunate that the mayor would respond this way.” If approved Monday, the resolution would allow Town Manager Rodney Glassman to “begin the process of incorporating the town’s newly acquired slogan into marketing, promotions, and digital media and to ensure that it will be held for the benefit of the Town of Cave Creek.” The latest exchange caps nearly two months filled with a number of colorful plot lines orchestrated by Cave Creek to goad Scottsdale into participating in a collection of Western challenges over ownership of the motto. An earlier resolution passed by the Town Council laid out the town’s intention while taking shots at Scottsdale’s decidedly more urban and upscale atmosphere, but stopped short of declaring that Cave Creek now held the title. The challenges have been made with the intent of holding them at the town’s annual Wild West Days, Friday through Sunday, including a quick-draw shootout between Francia and Lane, scheduled for noon at the Horny Toad in Cave Creek on Saturday. Scottsdale officials have declined the repeated invitation to the challenges. Scottsdale Councilman Guy Phillips said the city should be dealing with more important issues that directly affect residents, rather than a publicity stunt cooked up by the town to promote their Western event. “Speaking for myself, I’m not going to waste my constituents’ time and tax dollars on this ridiculous media-marketing scheme,” Phillips said. The Scottsdale City Council declined the challenge when it was offered in September, but has stood behind its Western heritage, stating as evidence the Parada del Sol parade and rodeo, the Hashknife Pony Express and more than 100 annual horse events held at WestWorld. Intellectual-property lawyer Connie Mableson said because the trademark is more than 5 years old, it is considered a strong mark and the grounds for contesting it are limited. “The city of Scottsdale just filed the five-year affidavit for all classes in the original trademark application. What does that mean? Cave Creek does not stand a chance of winning in a court challenge or (trademark trial and appeal board) challenge to the trademark,” Mableson said. Cave Creek Councilman Mike Durkin said it’s a sad day when the mayor of Scottsdale is willing to trade in his six shooter and Stetson for a city-slicker attorney. “If Scottsdale would stop whining and think, they’d see nothing but upside here, and a chance to have some fun,” he said. “We’ll be saddled up at Wild West Days to claim our title and show Scottsdale that Cave Creek is where the Wild West lives.” Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed J.P. Twist's statement to Mayor Jim Lane.
1) link to main page 2) put in police U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi the best crooked congressman money can buy??? Of course if a common criminal stole millions he would be looking at 10+ years in prison, not the slap on the wrist that U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi got. http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131028ex-us-rep-rick-renzi-sentenced-tucson.html Ex-U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi gets 3-year prison term By Dennis Wagner The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 28, 2013 8:28 PM Former U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi, convicted in June of 17 counts of extortion, racketeering and other federal charges, was sentenced Monday to three years in prison. The 55-year-old Republican served in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District from 2003 until 2008, when he chose not to seek re-election while under indictment. He held a coveted seat on the House Intelligence Committee at the time of his indictment for public corruption. Renzi, who is expected to appeal, was allowed to remain free following Monday’s U.S. District Court hearing in Tucson. However, he was ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his time on Jan. 6. According to his attorney, Kelly Kramer, Renzi said as he left the courtroom that he’d been battling the charges for seven years “and will continue the fight.” Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said Renzi “abused the power and the corresponding trust that come with being a member of Congress by putting his own financial interests over the interests of the citizens.” “He fleeced his own insurance company to fund his run for Congress and then exploited his position for personal gain,” Raman said. Renzi’s sentencing caps criminal proceedings that dragged on for more than five years. In June, after a 24-day trial, he was found guilty on two sets of charges. In one scheme, prosecutors said, he embezzled client funds from his southern Arizona insurance brokerage, funneled the money into his first election campaign and sought to cover up the crime. In the second conspiracy, Renzi was charged with committing extortion while trying to orchestrate a swap of U.S. government land for an alfalfa farm near Sierra Vista that belonged to a business partner who owed him money. A deal ultimately was consummated, and Renzi received payment of a $733,000 debt from his associate, James Sandlin, 62, who was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino said the outcome verifies that, no matter how long it takes, “justice will be served.” Renzi, now a Virginia resident, was a real-estate developer, vineyard owner, insurance broker and attorney. In Congress, he gained the reputation of a conservative Roman Catholic with strong views against abortion. He is married with 12 children. Renzi, who did not testify, delivered a brief statement during Monday’s hearing but did not admit guilt or express remorse. An adult son, Ron, pleaded with Judge David Bury to forgo a prison sentence, saying his dad “has been our hero.” As Bury handed down the sentence, he remarked, “I’m not wise enough to know why good people do bad things — I think character and avarice have something to do with it. That’s what happened here: Two good men committed bad acts.” Renzi was acquitted on 15 counts but found guilty on a number of charges that carried potential sentences of up to 20 years, including racketeering, conspiracy, money laundering and wire fraud. Bury ruled that, under federal sentencing guidelines, Renzi faced a prison term ranging from 97 months to 121 months, but the ultimate punishment was reduced due to mitigating circumstances. Defense attorneys Kramer and Chris Niewoehner had requested a sentence of less than 33 months. In court filings, they portrayed Renzi as a man “dedicated to his family, his community and his faith.” They also argued that, despite the multiple felonies, he “helped to improve the lives of many constituents.” Restaino, on the other hand, asked for a sentence of nine to 12 years. In his presentence filing, Restaino wrote that the former congressman abused his office and authority for years without compunction. “Renzi’s pattern of criminal behavior, further littered by his attempts to cover up or blame others, denigrates the office he held as well as our political system at large,” Restaino wrote. “In this case, Renzi has displayed a consistent and craven avoidance of responsibility.” Renzi has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence through a saga that became public seven years ago with news leaks of a pending indictment. At trial, his lawyers suggested that the insurance money was merely borrowed and insisted that no clients lost money. The defense attorneys also argued that the proposed real-estate exchange was a sound legislative effort to protect the San Pedro River, benefit the Fort Huachuca military base and enable development of a huge copper mine near Superior. The scandal surrounding Renzi likely played a role in stymieing plans by Resolution Copper Mining to develop one of the largest ore-extraction operations in the world. The court case was marked by allegations of misconduct by FBI agents and prosecutors and by a major constitutional question as to whether a sitting U.S. congressman is immune to federal corruption investigations. Defense attorneys succeeded in getting wiretap evidence thrown out because FBI agents improperly eavesdropped on the congressman’s phone conversations with attorneys and misled the judge about their activities. However, Renzi’s lawyers failed in an effort to have most of the charges dismissed based on the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause, which bars the executive branch from investigating or prosecuting a member of Congress engaged in legislative activities. After the conviction, Renzi’s legal team filed motions to have the jury’s verdict overturned, or a new trial granted, based on assertions that prosecutors knowingly allowed witnesses to provide false testimony that was critical in the case. Bury concurred that some prosecution witnesses made false statements in court, but the judge found that the testimony was not crucial and that there was “no evidence of outright misconduct.” Kramer said all the previously disputed legal issues may be raised with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He also said defense attorneys may ask that Renzi, who has spent no time in jail to date, remain free on bond pending the appeals. The Associated Press contributed to this article.
1) link to main page 2) put in police and schools http://www.azcentral.com/community/chandler/articles/20131024ag-probes-hamilton-high-over-band-funds.html AG probes Hamilton High over band funds By Craig Harris The Republic | azcentral.com Mon Oct 28, 2013 10:22 PM The Arizona Attorney General’s Office is investigating whether Hamilton High School in Chandler misused public donations that funded extracurricular activities for its marching band, records obtained by The Arizona Republic show. The outcome of the investigation could affect other Arizona school districts, which widely solicit such donations annually by touting them as an easy way for donors to claim tax credits on their state income taxes. But Hamilton High’s principal is dumbfounded why the Attorney General’s Office is looking into the issue. The office has assigned to the case an assistant attorney general specializing in public-school fraud. “I don’t think we did anything wrong. There was confusion about money, but in the end, everything was taken care of and there was no embezzling,” Principal Fred DePrez said. “There were some errors made, but nothing was malicious.” At issue is whether thousands of dollars in tax-credit donations were properly used, and why donations that were supposed to pay the tab for a band camp at Northern Arizona University in July 2012 went instead to help fund an overseas band trip to Ireland the following month. The depletion of the band’s tax-credit account forced DePrez to cobble together funds from several other sources to pay roughly $18,000 owed to NAU for the band camp. The band’s booster club initially refused to cover the cost, saying it was the school’s responsibility to pay the bill with tax-credit money that had already been raised. The booster club’s former president was so upset with how tax-credit funds were being managed at Hamilton that a complaint alleging financial improprieties was sent to the state Department of Education, which the Attorney General’s Office said was then forwarded on to it. “This one thing has opened up a huge can of worms in how tax-credit money is used and how booster money is used,” said Doris Madden, a former booster-club president who has been at odds with school officials. “You have to stand up for something that is right. If you were one of the people who donated tax-credit money, wouldn’t you want to know where the money was spent?” Assistant Attorney General Susan Myers, a civil lawyer and specialist in school-fraud cases, launched her investigation this summer after receiving the complaint. On July 8, Myers filed a four-page public-records request with the Chandler Unified School District and eventually received more than 1,000 pages of financial and personnel documents as well as internal e-mails involving the band program. Myers declined to comment on the probe. However, her letter to the Chandler district said the Attorney General’s Office is examining “allegations of improper fees, misuse of extracurricular activities tax credit donations, and possible conflicts of interest.” The records obtained covered fiscal 2011-12 and 2012-13. The Republic last week examined most of the documents after filing similar public-records requests with the Attorney General’s Office and the school district. The Attorney General’s Office was the first to make records available, but Myers refused to let the newspaper examine some personnel records she had received, saying they were exempt under the Arizona Public Records Law. When the newspaper noted that it was entitled to review the exact same records as she received from the district under the same law, Myers opted to return personnel records in question to Chandler and would not let the newspaper examine them. The newspaper learned of the case, which is ongoing, from a tip provided to 12 News, The Republic’s media partner. Records portray an internal battle over how funds raised by booster-club parents were — or should have been — spent for the benefit of children in the award-winning Hamilton High marching band. The band has 73 members. Chris Holley, marching-band director, said that he will cooperate with the investigation and added that everything is “an accusation until proven otherwise.” He declined to answer specific questions. State law allows public schools and districts to raise additional capital through a tax-credit program that gives donors a dollar-for-dollar state income-tax reduction of up to $200 annually for an individual or $400 a year for a married couple. Public schools across Arizona raised $51.7 million in tax-credit funds in 2012, according to the Arizona Department of Revenue. The Chandler district raised $2.3 million, with Hamilton High School raising about $450,000 for all its extracurricular programs. Tax-credit funds may be used by schools to pay for equipment, camps or trips. It is common for parents to bundle tax-credit donations from family and friends to pay for big-ticket items like trips for their children. The Hamilton band was invited to join its powerhouse football team for a trip to Ireland in late summer 2012, and the school dipped into its band tax-credit account to help fund it. Records show that the band’s tax-credit account covered at least an $8,600 bill for some travel costs related to the band’s Ireland trip. It paid for some students who did not raise tax-credit funds for the trip, and it contributed to an already depleted band tax-credit account. However, the account did not have enough money to also pay the roughly $18,000 balance owed to NAU for the July band camp. The Hamilton High School Music Boosters and band director Holley fought for weeks over the band-camp bill. Madden finally went to Hamilton’s principal at the end of 2012. Madden and DePrez then fought over who should pay NAU. DePrez said in an interview that he told the boosters they should cover the tab because the club had at least $40,000 at its disposal in its account. The booster club’s account is controlled by parents. It does not receive tax-credit dollars, which can be donated directly only to a school or school district. The booster club primarily raises money by operating the concession stand during home football games and holding other fundraisers. Madden said in an interview that she refused DePrez’s request to use booster-club funds to pay the debt. She said the club’s board has a fiduciary duty to properly manage funds that boosters raise, and she does not think that money should be used to cover a mistake the school made managing its tax-credit funds. Madden said there would have been enough tax-credit money to pay NAU had the band director collected enough money to pay for the Ireland trip. “The money wasn’t properly used,” she said. “There are changes that need to be made as far as (tax-credit) money is handled.” Madden shortly thereafter left the band-booster board, and DePrez struck a deal with new board officers. DePrez said he persuaded board officers to use booster funds to pay $3,000 of the NAU debt. The school then covered the roughly $15,000 balance by using $3,000 from Hamilton’s general tax-credit account that DePrez controls, $8,415 from additional money that came into the band’s tax-credit account, and $3,580 from the band gift account, he said. The Attorney General’s Office also is investigating why booster-club funds were used to pay stipends to Holley, who already was being paid by the school to run the band program, and those he hired to assist the marching band. The state also is trying to figure out why booster-club funds were used to pay Hamilton custodians to clean the football stadium after games. DePrez had required the booster club to pay the custodians because the booster club made money from selling concessions at the games. He said that practice has ended, as has the booster club’s practice of providing stipends to Holley and others. DePrez said he will never again allow a student group to travel out of the country. “It was a great experience for the kids,” he said. “But this is how you run into these kinds of things.”
1) link to main menu If your off the grid out in the boondocks solar electricity is a cost efficient way to electrify you home. But when your hooked to the grid in Phoenix or Tucson solar generated electricity can't even come close to being competitive with electricity from the grid. But sadly our government masters want to p*ss away our tax dollars subsidizing inefficient solar electricity in cities. http://www.azcentral.com/business/arizonaeconomy/articles/20131028will-solar-showdown-set-precedent-nation.html Will Arizona's solar showdown set precedent for the nation? By Ryan Randazzo The Republic | azcentral.com Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:14 AM Arizona finds itself as the national hot spot when it comes to solar subsidies, with utility executives and industry officials squaring off in a showdown that could shape the future of residential solar use across the country. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising have been spent to influence a looming regulatory decision that in essence is quite basic. It’s about affordability. Arizona Public Service Co. says credits to solar users are so high that current solar-panel customers, many of them living in more-affluent areas, don’t pay their share for upkeep of the power grid. That, APS officials say, pushes that cost to non-solar households, making their bills less affordable. But if solar customers’ bills are increased, as APS suggests, can people who get panels installed on their houses still save money with solar? And if not, can the solar-installation companies survive? An estimated 9,800 people work in the solar industry in the state, and the majority of them install rooftop panels. The conflict has played out in competing television advertisements and on websites, as well as in two public protests against APS’ proposal. Behind the scenes, a variety of alternatives have been offered for the Nov. 13 meeting when the Arizona Corporation Commission will address the matter. A decision could set a precedent for Salt River Project and other utilities in Arizona and elsewhere. Forty-three states have net-metering policies. Several, including California, New Mexico, Idaho and Louisiana, have looked at altering their policies, and several others have requested studies on the net costs and benefits of rooftop solar. The debate in Arizona has drawn national media attention and interest from the Washington, D.C.-based Solar Energy Industries Association. It prompted a letter-writing campaign by President Barack Obama’s non-profit advocacy group Organizing for Action, which has flooded the regulators with letters, many from out of state. Observers say Arizona’s reputation as the country’s solar capital is at stake. About 200 APS customers a month are adding solar to their houses now, and the commission decision could determine whether tens of thousands of customers anticipated to use solar in the future continue with those plans. APS is well-known in the industry for its solar investments, and CEO Don Brandt was named the Solar Electric Power Association’s Utility CEO of the Year in 2009. He was honored for the company’s deal to buy power from the Solana Generating Station near Gila Bend, for its investments in its own solar plants and for a program to put solar panels on Flagstaff houses. But the new net-metering proposal has made the utility the bane of rooftop-solar installation companies such as SolarCity Corp. and Sunrun Inc., as well as solar advocates. David Wilson of Goodyear said he doesn’t like the company’s proposal, even if officials say it would not affect existing customers like him. “I don’t trust them,” he said. “We make this huge investment, and they go and change the rules. We would lose the benefits, and they would continue to get the energy we are providing.” The Corporation Commission staff, which advises the five-member elected commission, has rejected APS’ proposals and developed its own suggestions on solar credits. Commissioners recognize the importance of the matter. “The eyes of the country and the energy world at least are on Arizona to see what we can come up with,” Commission Chairman Bob Stump said. “It is a privilege to set a policy that potentially can be a model for other states.” Stump said he hopes to settle the matter this month, but debate could continue for two more years. APS’ next rate hearing will be in 2015. APS: Change needed The battle started last year, when APS signaled it wanted to change its net-metering program, which gives customers with solar panels on their homes credit for the excess power they send to the grid when their houses are not using all the power from their roof. Brandt, who is also president and CEO of APS’ parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., said that if the net-metering issue was not fixed, it could lead to a much bigger problem down the road as more people use solar and non-solar customers see bigger bill increases. “Today, costs are being shifted unfairly from solar to non-solar customers in a way that cannot be sustained,” he said. APS invited industry representatives to discuss the issue at meetings earlier this year, then filed an official proposal with the Arizona Corporation Commission in July that would increase the monthly bill for solar customers by $50 to $100. The APS proposal has many moving parts. Utility officials said one element of the proposal is to increase the up-front incentives they pay customers who purchase solar. As recently as 2010, APS was paying customers a rebate of $3 a watt when they installed solar. That came out to $18,000 for a 6-kilowatt household system. Those rebates have been brought down as the sticker price for solar has fallen. APS was paying a $600 rebate for the same size system this year, or 10 cents a watt. Next year, the rebate will be zero unless the commissioners make changes as part of the net-metering decision. APS officials said they want to reach a settlement on net metering that allows the industry to continue to grow. “Our proposal before the Arizona Corporation Commission includes support for up-front incentives that will ensure that rooftop solar remains an important part of our energy mix in Arizona,” Brandt said. When APS submitted its proposal, it came under criticism from the rooftop-solar companies. “We immediately became the target of intense political attack from SolarCity and Sunrun through organizations they have established that twist facts, misdirect conversation from the actual issue and propose ideas that would harm our customers,” Brandt said. “It is a fight we did not seek and would prefer to avoid. But we must set the record straight. We have an obligation to our customers, our employees and our shareholders.” APS itself has donated to at least two non-profits, Prosper and 60 Plus, that have countered the negative advertising against the utility with ads critical of the solar industry and net metering. Prosper is run by former Arizona House Speaker Kirk Adams, who came under scrutiny last week in connection with an unrelated political non-profit that paid part of a $1 million fine levied last week by California’s Fair Political Practices Commission for failing to disclose campaign contributions. Adams said the fine would not impact Prosper. Industry backlash SolarCity and Sunrun of California, two of the biggest national solar-panel installation companies operating in Arizona, formed a high-profile alliance this year, presenting advertising critical of APS through a non-profit called TUSK, Tell Utilities Solar Won’t Be Killed. The solar companies contend that rather than freeload on the power grid, customers with solar panels save utilities and their customers money by deferring the cost of new power lines and plants. The financial analyses used by APS and the solar industry differ widely on this point. Solar-industry executives, including SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive, say that APS is less interested in protecting the non-solar customers than it is in losing revenue. “If you look at the rate of adoption of customers, over next 20 years, that would roughly equal $2 billion in lost profits,” Rive said. “That is why they are so passionate about this. They just don’t want somebody else to service their customer.” Ed Fenster, co-CEO of Sunrun, said fees paid by utility customers helped incentivize the solar industry and allowed Sunrun and other companies to grow. He said the utility fears the strength of the solar industry now that those subsidies are not needed. “Ratepayers made an investment that with greater scale, solar would come at a lower cost,” he said. “That investment paid off. It is that exact fact that is causing APS to halt the industry.” He said APS is only concerned with profits. “It is untenable for APS to say they don’t like solar, or don’t want customers to adopt technology that allows them to self-generate,” Fenster said. “They can’t say those things because they would be so unpopular. So, they have relied on less straightforward messages.” Fenster said the utility is putting up a big fight on the issue because solar is a legitimate threat to its business model. “They’ve tried to slowly boil the frog that is their ratepayer for years, and now (solar) will place a cap on their prices,” Fenster said. “They will be held to a competitive standard for the first time in their history.” As far as APS’ plan to increase up-front rebates, solar installers have been wary of giving up one known subsidy for another that is not known and that could be altered by regulators. A counterproposal Since the APS proposal was filed, the Corporation Commission staff has rejected the utility’s plans and filed its own suggestions for net metering. The staff recommends waiting to make changes until they can be incorporated into APS’ next rate case in 2015, with new rates effective in 2016. If the commissioners want to act, the staff offered one proposal that would add about $3 a month to solar bills and another adding about $16. The first would be a hit but wouldn’t kill the industry, some solar officials have said. The second is a killer. “The incremental cost to the average customer would exceed the savings customers can earn even with the lowest-cost installations,” said Fenster of Sunrun, adding that the same is true for APS’ plans. “It’s like you get shot in the head once or 10 times; the outcome is the same,” he said of the proposals.
1) link to main page 2) put on war, police, drugs, NSA, snowden http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131028europe-mulls-sanctions-against-us-over-spying.html Europe mulls sanctions against U.S. over spying Associated Press Mon Oct 28, 2013 1:10 PM BERLIN — The United States could lose access to an important law enforcement tool used to track terrorist money flows, German officials said Monday, as Europe weighs a response to allegations that the Americans spied on their closest European allies. Spain became the latest U.S. ally to demand answers after a Spanish newspaper reported that the National Security Agency monitored more than 60 million phone calls in that country during one month alone. The report Monday in the daily El Mundo came on the heels of allegations of massive NSA spying in France and Germany, including Chancellor Angela Merkel’s own cellphone. With European leaders dissatisfied with the U.S. response so far, officials have been casting about for a way to pressure Washington to provide details of past surveillance and assurances that the practice will be curbed. The challenge is to send a strong message to Washington against wholesale spying on European citizens and institutions without further damage to the overall trans-Atlantic relationship. As possible leverage, German authorities cited last week’s non-binding resolution by the European Parliament to suspend a post-9/11 agreement allowing the Americans access to bank transfer data to track the flow of terrorist money. German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said Monday she believed the Americans were using the information to gather economic intelligence apart from terrorism and that the deal, popularly known as the SWIFT agreement, should be suspended. That would represent a sharp rebuke to the United States from some of its closest partners. “It really isn’t enough to be outraged,” she told rbb-Inforadio. “This would be a signal that something can happen and make clear to the Americans that the (EU’s) policy is changing.” Suspending the agreement, officially known as the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program, would require approval by an overwhelming majority of the 28 European Union countries. The agreement allows access to funds transferred through the private, Belgium-based Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, which handles the movement of money between banks worldwide. The minister’s comments follow days of vocal indignation in Berlin after German news weekly Der Spiegel reported the NSA had kept tabs on Merkel’s phone calls since as early as 2002, three years before she became chancellor. Merkel said Friday that she was open to the idea of suspending the SWIFT agreement, saying she “needed to look at this again more closely” and weigh “what we will lose for the security of our citizens and what we don’t.” Germany and other European governments have made clear they don’t favor suspending the U.S.-EU trade talks which began last summer because both sides stand to gain so much through the proposed deal, especially against competition from China and other emerging markets. Still, the Europeans have said they will insist that the trade agreement includes stronger rules for protecting data as a result of the NSA allegations. Data protection laws in Europe are generally stronger than in the United States. “It’s obvious to us that we have to and will bring our European convictions regarding data protection, and protection of privacy and business information, into these negotiations,” Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin on Monday. In Washington, the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee chairman, Elmar Brok, told reporters that failure to resolve differences over data protection could threaten the trade talks. Brok, a member of Merkel’s party who was in Washington to discuss the spy allegations, said the challenge was to strike a balance between security and personal freedom. “We are fighting for the rights of our citizens,” he said. The steady drumbeat of reports stemming from documents provided to various media by NSA leaker Edward Snowden has created a sense of urgency among European governments that, at the very least, they need to be seen in the eyes of their citizens to be doing something to stop the spying. At the same time, European leaders are anxious to avoid lasting damage in relations with their major ally. So far the issue has not hurt President Barack Obama politically within the United States because Republicans have blamed Snowden rather than the White House for the flap. In the latest allegation, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo published a document it said showed the NSA had eavesdropped on more than 60 million phone calls in Spain between Dec. 10, 2012 and Jan. 8, 2013. The U.S. ambassador to Spain was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for an explanation. Still, Florentino Portero, a political analyst at Madrid’s Open University, said Spain’s response to the allegations wasn’t as strong as it could have been because of the country’s ties with the U.S., especially intelligence sharing. “The Spanish government doesn’t want to create a crisis with the United States based on these leaks,” he told The Associated Press. Madrid is wary of endangering the U.S. military presence in Spain at two bases, Portero said. The U.S. is boosting its presence there as part of a missile defense system, and both Spanish and American officials have stressed that this will give Spain an economic boost as it struggles with unemployment of 26 percent following years of recession. But Heather Conley, Europe director for Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that for Germany, at least, the situation appeared to have reached tipping point and for now other European countries were willing to follow Berlin’s lead. German intelligence officials are to travel to Washington this week and expect something tangible to bring home, she said. “If they leave empty-handed, we’ve got a big problem,” Conley said.
1) link to main page David Johnson of Mesa loves Obamacare because it will make YOU pay for his medical bills!!! http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131029affordable-care-act-is-godsend-to-me.html Health law is a godsend to me Tue Oct 29, 2013 7:06 PM Although I did have problems accessing healthcare.gov early on, in about the second week of October, I was able to access information regarding what plans at each company were available to me. Once I decided which company and which plan I wanted, I contacted a company representative directly to sign up. My experience was very positive, and the process easy. I’ve been buying my own health insurance for almost 14 years, and I can tell you the Affordable Care Act, even with all the rollout problems, is a godsend! Although I do have a pre-existing condition, (I’m sure almost everyone over 45 has one), I’m healthy and only need to see my doctor for annual checkups. For 14 years, I’ve struggled almost every year to remain insured. My last coverage was going to cost me about $1,300 per month just for myself. Under the Affordable Care Act, my insurance will cost me $575, my policy is much better and my deductible is lower. For anyone who will ever have to buy his or her own insurance, you can thank the Affordable Care Act for making it even possible. —David Johnson, Mesa
1) link to main page This article seems to justify government pork as part of "good government" http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131028should-earmark-ban-lifted-help-congress-make-deals.html Should earmark ban be lifted to help Congress make deals? By Erin Kelly Republic Washington Bureau Tue Oct 29, 2013 10:10 PM WASHINGTON — As the federal government recovers from a 16-day shutdown and lurches toward another potential crisis in January, some lawmakers and political analysts think it’s time to revive the old-fashioned horse trading that used to help Congress get things done. They say Congress should lift its ban on earmarks, those once-popular legislative provisions that allowed members of Congress from both parties to bring home funding for roads, bridges, sewers, colleges, medical centers and other local projects. Earmarks were often used to sweeten a bill to attract votes from reluctant lawmakers. They were banned by House Republicans beginning in 2011 amid criticism that they had multiplied out of control and were being used for questionable projects such as the notorious “bridge to nowhere” that would have benefited a tiny Alaskan town at a cost of $320 million. “Without the grease or lubricant of earmarks, it’s much more difficult to reach a compromise on some of these tough issues,” said Scott Frisch, a political-science professor at California State University-Channel Islands and co-author of “Cheese Factories on the Moon: Why Earmarks Are Good for American Democracy.” “Earmarks were a tool that leaders could use to help make deals,” Frisch said. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, has acknowledged that it is tougher for him to round up the 218 votes needed to pass legislation without earmarks. He struggled to control his divided GOP caucus during the recent shutdown and debt-ceiling crisis. “I’ve got no grease,” he said last year in an interview with CNN. Still, Boehner supported the ban on earmarks passed by House Republicans in 2011 and renewed this year. The Democratic-controlled Senate has rejected bills to permanently ban earmarks, but it is living under a self- imposed moratorium. Even if earmarks were revived, opponents say, it’s questionable just how much “grease” Boehner would have in a House where “tea party” Republicans play a key role in the GOP caucus. Tea party Republicans, although a minority, are outspoken opponents of earmarks, which they see as wasteful pork-barrel spending. “They campaigned against earmarks. I don’t see them turning around and taking them now,” said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, which opposes earmarks. Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., isn’t so sure. “They may have run against it (earmarks), but their constituents didn’t,” said Pastor, the only Arizonan on an Appropriations Committee, where earmarks usually start. “Even some of these new members realize that their constituents expect them to do something for their districts by bringing roads or bridges or other improvements.” Pastor, who has served on the House Appropriations Committee since 1993, said Phoenix-area residents don’t have to look far to see how earmarks have benefited them. “Light rail started as an earmark,” he said. “The airport tower started as an earmark. A lot of things have come into Arizona because of members being able to advocate for projects and do earmarking. As long as it’s open and transparent and there’s support at the local level for an earmark, I have no problem with it.” Many of the Republicans who serve on the House Appropriations Committee agree with Pastor, and some have pushed to end the earmark ban. “There’s a human element in lawmaking that is real,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. told Businessweek. “(Without earmarks), you’re removing all incentive for people to vote for things that are tough.” Earmarks allow members of Congress to point to something tangible they have done for their constituents, Frisch said. The political benefits of that can outweigh any attacks from anti- earmark groups. “People may not know or care how you voted on a policy decision, but they see the expressway with their Congress member’s name on it,” Frisch said. Although the term “earmark” wasn’t used much until the late 19th century, the practice of earmarking goes back much further. One of the earliest bills passed by the first Congress in 1789 was the Lighthouses Act, which federalized state-owned lighthouses. To get votes for the legislation, its authors put in funding for a new lighthouse in Cape Henry, Va., and new piers in towns along the mid-Atlantic coast. “Like it or not, it has always been the nature of the legislative process,” Frisch said. Earmarks were once used sparingly to attract votes on major bills. Beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, the use of earmarks exploded as they became a tool to garner votes for almost all bills, Frisch said. The number of earmarks in the defense-spending bill alone swelled from 270 in 1996 to more than 2,500 in 2005. Still, earmarks made up only a tiny percentage of the total federal budget. In 2010, the year before they were banned, earmarks were less than 1 percent of the budget. But those earmarks cost taxpayers billions of dollars and increased the national debt, said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has helped lead the fight against earmarks for years. “I think it would be terrible to go back to that,” Flake said. “I don’t think we will.” Flake said Congress has proved it can compromise on major legislation without earmarks. Flake was part of the “Gang of Eight” senators who helped craft a sweeping immigration-reform bill that passed the Senate in June. There are no earmarks in the bipartisan bill, which has not been voted on by the House. “There are tradeoffs you can make that don’t have to involve earmarks,” Flake said. “With the immigration bill, Senator (John) McCain and I had more of a focus on border issues. (New York Sen.) Chuck Schumer was concerned about the high-tech industries in his state. (Illinois Sen.) Dick Durbin wanted to make sure the unions were protected. You work things out and you compromise.” When Congress has hit an impasse, as it did when the government shut down, it is a reflection of deep ideological differences, Ellis said. Reviving earmarks won’t fix that, he said.
1) link to main page I guess the AMA (Affordable Medical Act) or Obamacare is an oxymoron!!!! http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131027afforable-care-under-law.html Not-so-afforable care under law Sun Oct 27, 2013 7:11 PM Affordable health care? I was one of the lucky ones to get through on healthcare.gov and spend an hour and a half filling out questions. When I finally got to look at the plans available, I was shocked at the rates. The lowest I found was $181 a month but the coverage was awful. The plan pays 60 percent after the $5,000 deductible has been met. How is this affordable? — Rich Gordon, Mesa
1) link to main page The article didn't mention that this silly, stupid law caused the price of used cars to rise, because of all the perfectly good cars the law cause to be destroyed. If I remember correctly car dealers who bought these "clunkers" were required to DESTROY the cars. http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/20131102cash-clunkers-program-costly.html Report: Cash for Clunkers program costly By Ronald J. Hansen The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Nov 1, 2013 7:24 PM The Brookings Institution this week released an analysis of the government’s 2009 Cash for Clunkers program, which briefly offered drivers a chance to trade in older vehicles for new ones with a subsidy from Uncle Sam. The Brookings paper found, as other government reports have, that the incentives didn’t change employment much and were more costly than other stimulus methods. Though Arizona wasn’t singled out, there are signs the program fared no better here. The program cost taxpayers $2.85 billion and took 678,000 clunkers off the roads nationally. Those who took part received, on average, $4,200 in rebates, according to Brookings. Overwhelmingly, the program took trucks off the road and replaced them with passenger cars. It boosted vehicle sales 14 percent in July 2009 and 28 percent in August of that year. That was welcome news for auto dealers, who saw sales plummet during the Great Recession. But Brookings found that sales reverted to dismal levels once the clunkers program ended, suggesting that many of the sales would have happened anyway. Even more troubling, the cost per job created was $1.4 million, far higher than other measures, like increasing aid to the unemployed, which cost $95,000 per job, and reducing payroll taxes for companies that add workers, which clocked in at $80,000. As elsewhere, Arizona’s auto dealers reported excitement about the program at the time and did show higher sales figures that summer. Some Valley dealers sweetened the deal further with rebates on top of the government subsidies. “Last weekend was our busiest in quite some time,” one Toyota dealer in Mesa told The Republic in late July 2009. “It was phenomenal. We did 26 Cash for Clunkers deals. The program has definitely stirred up the market, and even people who didn’t qualify still bought. We just put a little more into the trade for them.” Sales totals quickly fell back once the program ended. Sales data collected by the Arizona Department of Revenue is often delayed up to six weeks. Looking at reported sales from July through September in 2009, Arizona dealers averaged $450 million in monthly sales. In the six months before that, dealers averaged $357 million in sales. In the three months after the program, they averaged $331 million. Employment data from the state’s Office of Employment and Population Statistics shows that the auto sector continued to lose jobs even after summer 2009. The overall job numbers also kept tumbling in Arizona. The state didn’t hit rock bottom in jobs until September 2010, eight months after the nation did. Arizona’s annual vehicle sales peaked in 2006 at $9.2 billion. Even with the clunkers program, sales sank to $4.5 billion in 2009. To put that in context, although sales remain below peak levels, this year Arizona has $4.9 billion in vehicle sales through August.
1) link to main page 2) put on religion and AU Courts approve Texas religious laws shutting down abortions Again, my view on abortion is if you don't like abortions, don't have one. http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/free/20131031court-reinstates-most-texas-abortion-restrictions.html Appeals Court reinstates most Texas’ abortion restrictions Associated Press Thu Oct 31, 2013 7:38 PM AUSTIN, Texas — A federal appeals court on Thursday ruled that most of Texas’ tough new abortion restrictions can take effect immediately — a decision that means as least 12 clinics won’t be able to perform the procedure starting as soon as Friday. A panel of judges at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans said the law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital can take effect while a lawsuit challenging the restrictions moves forward. The panel issued the ruling three days after District Judge Lee Yeakel said the provision serves no medical purpose. In its 20-page ruling, the appeals court panel acknowledged that the provision “may increase the cost of accessing an abortion provider and decrease the number of physicians available to perform abortions.” However, the panel said that the U.S. Supreme Court has held that having “the incidental effect of making it more difficult or more expensive to procure an abortion cannot be enough to invalidate” a law that serves a valid purpose, “one not designed to strike at the right itself.” The panel left in place a portion of Yeakel’s order that prevents the state from enforcing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration protocol for abortion-inducing drugs in cases where the woman is between 50 and 63 days into her pregnancy. Doctors testifying before the court had said such women would be harmed if the protocol were enforced. After Yeakel halted the restrictions, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott had made an emergency appeal to the conservative 5th Circuit, arguing that the law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges is a constitutional use of the Legislature’s authority. “This unanimous decision is a vindication of the careful deliberation by the Texas Legislature to craft a law to protect the health and safety of Texas women,” Abbott, a Republican who is running for governor, said in a written statement. Lawyers for Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers had argued that the regulations do not protect women and would shut down a third of the 32 abortion clinics in Texas. In a statement Thursday, Planned Parenthood said the appeals court decision means “abortion will no longer be available in vast stretches of Texas.” “This fight is far from over,” Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards said in the statement. “This restriction clearly violates Texas women’s constitutional rights by drastically reducing access to safe and legal abortion statewide The court’s order is temporary until it can hold a complete hearing, likely in January. The restrictions are among the toughest in the nation and gained notoriety when Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis launched a nearly 13-hour filibuster against them in June. Davis has since launched her own gubernatorial campaign and could face Abbott in the November 2014 election. Republican Gov. Rick Perry has said he will not seek another term. The law that the Legislature passed this summer also bans abortions at 20 weeks of pregnancy and beginning in October 2014 requires doctors to perform all abortions in surgical facilities. Officials for one chain of abortion clinics testified in the trial that Yeakel oversaw that they’ve tried to obtain admitting privileges for their doctors at 32 hospitals, but so far only 15 accepted applications and none have announced a decision. Many hospitals with religious affiliations will not allow abortion doctors to work there, while others fear protests if they provide privileges. Many have requirements that doctors live within a certain radius of the facility, or perform a minimum number of surgeries a year that must be performed in a hospital.
1) link to main page http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131026someone-tell-sebelius-she-works-for-us.html Someone tell Sebelius she works for us Sat Oct 26, 2013 5:35 PM Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during her visit to Phoenix last week that she does not work for those suggesting she should resign. She works for us! Where does she get off even thinking that the American people do not count? Maybe if she worked for an administration that did in fact care what people think and pass that ideal on to the underlings, she wouldn’t talk so ridiculously and indifferently. As a software developer, I would not dream of releasing code before full stress and fault testing. One of the first rules of writing applications is testing! — Stuart Mintz, Scottsdale
1) link to main page More on that AMA Obamacare oxymoron!!!! AMA stands for Affordable Medical Act and it's certainly anything but affordable!!! http://www.azcentral.com/opinions/free/20131026facts-obamacare-are-dismal.html The facts on ‘Obamacare’ are dismal Sat Oct 26, 2013 5:27 PM “Obamacare” may be the law of the land, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Here are facts as it relates to my wife and me: I pay $363 a month for my insurance. My wife is covered at the school where she works. They are cutting her hours next year so they won’t have to carry her on their insurance. Only full-time teachers and office workers will be covered. This is happening everywhere. My insurance company sent me a letter saying that next year my premiums are going to skyrocket. Why? Under Obamacare, the company will have to cover all applicants with pre-existing conditions, and everybody will share in the cost. Just for kicks, we checked into Obamacare: Our premium would be $1,199 a month. So much for affordable. That’s twice what we pay now. And that is the cheapest plan. We still would have to pay 40 percent out of pocket. Those are the facts, people. — Bucky Buckner, Chandler
1) link to main page 2) put in cops, drugs, snowden, NSA, war Remember the FBI knows where you read your email from today!!!! "Google records showed every IP address used to access Ulbricht's Gmail account this year from Jan. 13 to June 20, court papers said" http://www.wtsp.com/news/national/article/341374/81/How-FBI-brought-down-cyber-underworld-site-Silk-Road How FBI brought down cyber-underworld site Silk Road 4:03 AM, Oct 22, 2013 | 0 comments (USATODAY.com) - Criminals who prowl the cyber-underworld's "darknet" thought law enforcement couldn't crack their anonymous trade in illegal drugs, guns and porn. But a series of arrests this month, including the bust of the black market site Silk Road, shows the G-men have infiltrated the Internet's back alley. Computer experts suspect the government simply beat the cyber-pirates at their own game: hacking. The Silk Road website, which has a customer-friendly electronic storefront that displayed bricks of cocaine as deftly as Amazon displays books, was the cyber-underworld's largest black market, with $1.2 billion in sales and nearly a million customers. Beyond illegal drugs, the site served as a bazaar for fake passports, driver's licenses and other documents, as well as illegal service providers, such as hit men, forgers and computer hackers. FBI Agent Christopher Tarbell of the FBI's cyber-crime unit in New York called Silk Road "the most sophisticated and extensive criminal marketplace on the Internet today." Silk Road used an underground computer network known as "The Onion Router" or "Tor" that relays computer messages through at least three separate computer servers to disguise its users. Customers conducted business using a virtual currency called bitcoin. The site repeatedly assured its users that their illegal transactions were wrapped in layers of privacy. But the FBI's seizure of Silk Road's servers allowed agents to unwrap the website's innards, exposing the vendors' and customers' private accounts to law enforcement scrutiny. Q & A: A bit about bitcoin Court papers show that federal agents used the full bag of traditional investigatory tricks as well as high-tech cyber-sleuthing to dismantle Silk Road. The site's alleged operator made critical missteps that allowed agents to locate the website and link him to it, court papers show. FBI, DEA, IRS and Customs agents located six of Silk Road's supposedly off-the-grid computer servers hidden around the world, in places including Latvia and Romania, copied their contents and watched as buyers and sellers completed their illegal transactions. It shut down the website, seized its assets, including 26,000 bitcoins worth about $4 million, and arrested Ross Ulbricht, the alleged operator, in San Francisco on Oct. 1. The FBI estimates that Silk Road's operator made $80 million in commissions from the site's users, court papers say. Ulbricht is charged in federal court in New York with money laundering, drug dealing and conspiring to murder a witness. A second indictment filed in a federal court in Baltimore charges Ulbricht with drug dealing and attempting to have a former employee murdered. Ulbrict will be extradited to New York to face the charges. His court-appointed attorney, assistant federal defender Brandon LeBlanc, who said his client denied the charges at a court hearing Oct. 4, did not return phone messages left at his office. The investigation into the cyber-underworld swept up suspected drug dealers and buyers in the USA, Britain, Australia and Sweden with alleged ties to Silk Road. "These arrests send a clear message to criminals: The hidden Internet isn't hidden, and your anonymous activity isn't anonymous. We know where you are, what you are doing and we will catch you," Keith Bristow, director of Britain's National Crime Agency, said after the arrest Oct. 8 of four men for alleged drug offenses. The criminals, he said, "always make mistakes." The FBI hasn't said how it found Silk Road's servers or compromised them. Members of the FBI's cyber-crimes unit were not available, FBI spokesman Peter Donald said. "That is the $64,000 question. They have not explained how they did it," says Nicholas Weaver, a researcher at the International Computer Science Institute in Berkeley, Calif., who specializes in network security and underground economics. Weaver suspects from reading the court papers that federal agents found weaknesses in the computer code used to operate the Silk Road website and exploited those weaknesses to hack the servers and force them to reveal their unique identifying addresses. Federal investigators could then locate the servers and ask law enforcement in those locations to seize them. DREAD PIRATE ROBERTS Authorities say Ulbricht started Silk Road on Jan. 27, 2011. By then, Ulbricht, 29, who grew up in Austin, had graduated from the University of Texas-Dallas, where he earned a degree in physics in 2006, school records show. He attended graduate school at Penn State, where he earned the prestigious Anne C. Wilson Graduate Research Award for materials science for the 2008-09 academic year, school records show. On his LinkedIn page, he identified himself as an entrepreneur and investor. Statements Ulbricht made in college and posts he made online show he leaned libertarian. On Facebook in 2010, he posted a page-long essay inspired by Independence Day. "Always, freedom arises in the absence of limitation," he wrote. He embraced Austrian economic theory, whose advocates favor strong protection of private property rights, but minimal economic regulation. On Silk Road, federal investigators say, Ulbricht called himself "Dread Pirate Roberts," shortened often to "DPR." The moniker comes from a character in the novel The Princess Bride, depicted as a ruthless pirate who takes no prisoners. Eventually, "Captain Roberts" is revealed as a series of people who pass on the "dread pirate" alias, and his fearsome reputation, to a successor on retirement. In one post to the site, after users complained about a hike in Silk Road commissions, investigators say, Ulbricht wrote, "Whether you like it or not, I am the captain of this ship. You are here voluntarily, and if you don't like the rules of the game, or you don't trust your captain, you can get off the boat." In San Francisco, where court papers say he moved in September 2012, Ulbricht lived quietly and cheaply, first bunking with friends, then renting a room for $1,000 a month. He paid in cash. His roommates knew him as "Josh" and told authorities he spent a lot of time on his computer. Court papers say Ulbricht procured computer hosts for the Silk Road website, wrote most of the computer code and maintained the security on the site by himself. HOW TOR ENABLED SILK ROAD Central to the operation of Silk Road was a complex underground computer routing system known as Tor. Ulbricht allegedly used the system to hide the location of the computer servers that hosted the Silk Road website. But Tor is no secret, especially to the U.S. government. The U.S. Naval Research Lab developed onion routing, the concept behind Tor, as a way to protect naval communication so an enemy could not trace computer messages and detect a ship's position. Every computer on the Internet has an Internet Protocol, or IP, address that can be used to find its physical location. Tor ensures privacy by randomly routing computer messages through several places on the Internet, wrapped in layers of encryption, so no single point can link the source to the destination. The routing system is public and maintained by a non-profit organization that runs on donations from a variety of organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Radio Free Asia, the National Science Foundation and Google. Dissidents in countries that restrict Internet access use Tor to publish out of government reach. Journalists use Tor to communicate with confidential sources. WikiLeaks used Tor to collect documents from whistle-blowers who wanted to remain anonymous. Law enforcement agents use Tor to visit websites without leaving a record of a government computer or IP address in the Web's log. Though some government agencies may use Tor for their own research or communication, the National Security Agency seeks to unmask anonymous Internet communication, director of National Intelligence James Clapper said in response to documents revealed by fugitive whistle-blower Edward Snowden. "The Intelligence Community's interest in online anonymity services and other online communication and networking tools is based on the undeniable fact that these are tools our adversaries use to communicate and coordinate attacks against the United States and our allies," Clapper said Oct. 4. Tor also hosts black markets, such as Sheep Marketplace and Black Market Reloaded, that deal in guns, drugs, stolen credit card numbers and child pornography. The United States seeks the extradition of Eric Marques, who was arrested in Ireland for allegedly hosting a website on the Tor network that allowed people to share child pornography. Silk Road created a private network through Tor by using software to build encrypted connections through relays on the network. The system is created so no single relay, or server, knew the complete path. A computer algorithm on Tor generates a complex Web address that ends in .onion and can be accessed only by downloading Tor software. Once logged into Silk Road, buyers and sellers could conduct business in a virtual currency called bitcoin, which, unlike a credit card or a check, leaves little traceable information. Silk Road used a bitcoin tumbler that sent the individual transactions through a complex series of dummy transaction to disguise the link between buyers and sellers. DEA agents learned of Silk Road within months after it went online. In June 2011, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called on federal agents to investigate it. Court papers indicate federal agents began making hundreds of undercover purchases from the site in November 2011. MARKETING A 'SECRET' SITE To attract customers and vendors and direct them to the secret site, Silk Road's operator initially had to publicize it on the Web. One FBI agent did a simple Internet search and found a post from Jan. 27, 2011, on a forum for people who use magic mushrooms called "Shroomery" (www.shroomery.org) in which a user identified as "altoid" mentioned Silk Road under the guise of seeking information. The post explained that it's a Tor-hidden service and the address could be found at silkroad420.wordpress.com. "Altoid" posted about Silk Road two days later, this time at "Bitcointalk.org," an online discussion forum. "Altoid" posted again Oct. 11, 2011, in "Bitcoin Forum," seeking "the best and brightest IT pro in the bitcoin community" to help develop a bitcoin start-up company. This time, the FBI caught a break: "Altoid" instructed potential candidates to reply to his Gmail address, rossulbricht@gmail.com. The FBI subpoenaed subscriber records from Google for the Gmail address, which was registered to Ulbricht and included a photo that matched a photo of Ulbricht on LinkedIn. His Google profile included YouTube videos from the Mises Institute, an Austrian economic think-tank. In his postings on Silk Road's forum, the site operator "Dread Pirate Roberts' " signature included a link to the Mises Institute website. "Dread Pirate Roberts" often cited Austrian economic theory and the works of Ludwig von Mises as the philosophical underpinning of Silk Road. The Google records showed every IP address used to access Ulbricht's Gmail account this year from Jan. 13 to June 20, court papers said. The IP address associated with the Gmail account led to a computer in an apartment on Hickory Street in San Francisco, where Ulbricht had moved in September 2012. The logs indicated Ulbricht accessed his Gmail account from a cafe on Laguna Street, less than 500 feet from the apartment, court papers say. Ultimately, the FBI linked the computer at the Hickory Street apartment and its IP address to code on the Silk Road server that allowed the computer access, court papers say. The FBI got insight into Ulbricht's computer code from an undisguised post on a computer programming website. On March 5, 2012, Ulbricht opened an account under his own name on stackoverflow.com, posted 12 lines of computer code and sought advice for fixing a coding problem. Realizing his error, he quickly deleted his real name and changed his user name to "frosty" and his e-mail to frosty@frosty.com. Forensic analysts found a revised version of the same code on the Silk Road website, court papers say. The analysis also found encryption keys that end with "frosty@frosty." THE STING The FBI used one of its tried and true techniques: the sting. An FBI agent went undercover in 2012 posing as a drug dealer who wanted to do business on Silk Road. The agent e-mailed "Dread Pirate Roberts," directly seeking help finding a buyer for a kilogram of cocaine. Ulbricht allegedly instructed one of his employees to help. The alleged buyer, who turned out to be the employee, deposited $27,000 in bitcoins in a Silk Road account and arranged a shipment to his home. Federal agents arrested the employee, who is not named in court papers. On Jan. 26, the FBI says in court papers, Ulbricht e-mailed the undercover agent to say the employee had been arrested and had stolen funds from other Silk Road users. He allegedly asked the agent to have the employee beaten up and forced to return the money. The next day, Ulbricht allegedly asked the FBI agent to have the employee killed because "now that he's been arrested, I'm afraid he'll give up info." The FBI says Ulbricht agreed to pay $80,000 for the hit and on Feb. 4 wired $40,000 from Technocash Limited in Australia to a bank account at Capital One in Washington. Ulbricht deposited another $40,000 after the undercover agent e-mailed him staged photographs of the killing, court papers say. That case, filed in May and unsealed with Ulbricht's arrest Oct. 1, charges Ulbricht with a drug dealing conspiracy and attempted murder of a witness. By July 23, investigators had located at least one of Silk Road's servers in a foreign country, which the FBI has not identified. IP addresses listed in court papers are linked to servers in Iceland, Latvia and Romania, according to Internet registries. Once the FBI found the server, it executed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty request that allowed law enforcement in that country to make a copy of the Silk Road server and give it to the FBI. The snapshot gave the FBI records of 1.2 million transactions from Feb. 6, 2011, to July 23 and all of the site operator's e-mail exchanges. How the FBI located a Silk Road server remains a mystery. Computer experts don't know for sure how federal investigators defeated a system that most people, including Ulbricht, thought impenetrable. Jerry Brito, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University with expertise in technology regulation, says many experts have speculated that the FBI has identified a flaw, or back door, in the Tor system that computer experts have missed. More likely, Brito says, the FBI compromised Silk Road by bypassing the website's security through weaknesses in Ulbricht's computer code, hacking into the site and issuing computer commands that allowed it to act like the site's administrator and talk to the server. The FBI's computer experts knew from the posts on the computer programmer forum that Ulbricht had coding challenges. "We know he was not the most proficient coder in the world," Brito said. "It's very easy, if you are a novice programmer, to do things that you're not aware of that can compromise security." SILK ROAD UNRAVELS Federal investigators also had a stroke of luck. On July 10, as part of a routine search at the Canadian border, customs agents intercepted a package of nine fake IDs. Each of the IDs had different names, but the same picture of Ulbricht. E-mail exchanges found on the Silk Road server indicate "Dread Pirate Roberts" had sought IDs in June from several Silk Road vendors so he could rent servers under an assumed name to buttress Silk Road's reliability. On July 26, three days after federal investigators located one of Silk Road's servers, investigators from Homeland Security paid Ulbricht a visit at his San Francisco apartment. Court papers say Ulbricht refused to answer any questions when investigators confronted him with the fake IDs, except to point out that "'hypothetically' anyone could go onto a website named 'SilkRoad' on Tor and purchase any drugs or fake identity documents the person wanted." On Oct. 1, federal agents waited until Ulbricht logged into his computer before sweeping in to the Glen Park branch of the San Francisco Public Library to arrest him, making it easier for agents to simply plug in a thumb drive and download everything on the computer without having to break his passwords. The agents found the alleged Dread Pirate Roberts in the science fiction section.
1) link to main page Arizona schools are becoming socialist schools??? This article is interesting not because of what it's about, but because it seems to say that Arizona and it's schools have become socialist!!! Wow!!! At 40 Arizona high schools 50 percent of the children are eligible for free socialist government lunches!!!! "Ten of the 91 schools have less than 15 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches ... 40 schools with at least 50 percent of their students eligible" http://www.azcentral.com/sports/preps/articles/20131102valleys-wealthier-schools-able-attract-more-talent-because-state-allows-open-enrollment.html?nclick_check=1 The Valley’s wealthier schools are able to attract more talent because the state allows open enrollment By Scott Bordow and Matt Dempsey azcentral sports Sat Nov 2, 2013 10:41 PM Brian Stephenson was the varsity baseball coach at Westwood High School in Mesa from 2007 to 2012. Not once in his six seasons as coach did Westwood finish with a winning record. In June 2012, Stephenson was hired as the coach at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale. In his first season, he led Desert Mountain to a 31-4 record and the Division I state championship for the largest high schools. Stephenson didn’t change who he was or how he coached. He didn’t become smarter overnight. He simply reaped the benefits of moving from a poorer Division I school to an affluent school. “At Westwood, the kids come in as freshmen and they haven’t been able to afford to play club baseball,” Mesa Public Schools Athletic Director Steve Hogen said. “He’s teaching them basic fundamentals, like how to throw and how to play the game. “The kids at Desert Mountain have had more opportunities. They’ve played club. They all have their own bats and equipment. They know how to play. Here is this guy who is at Westwood and some of the parents aren’t happy with him because he’s not winning, and he goes to Desert Mountain and wins a championship.” Stephenson’s transformation from losing coach to state championship coach is just one example of how money has influenced — and in some ways defined — high-school sports in Arizona. To assess the impact that financial resources have on athletic programs, azcentral sports analyzed the 91 public Valley high schools by the number of students eligible for the free and reduced-price lunch program, tax-credit donations targeted specifically for sports, and the number of state championships won by each school from 2005 through the end of the 2012-13 school year. (Private schools such as Brophy College Prep in Phoenix or Valley Christian High School in Chandler were excluded because their data is not readily available). The findings: Ten of the 91 schools have less than 15 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Those 10 schools have won a combined 87 of the 288 state championships (30.2 percent) from 2005 through May 2013. The 40 schools with at least 50 percent of their students eligible have won a combined 42 titles (14.6 percent). The 10 schools in the less affluent Phoenix Union High School District — South Mountain, Alhambra, North, Carl Hayden, Betty Fairfax, Cesar Chavez, Camelback, Trevor Browne, Central and Maryvale — have combined to win 13 state titles since 2005. Two schools in affluent north Scottsdale — Chaparral and Desert Mountain — have won a combined 37 championships. Schools with three or more titles since 2005 received an average of $78,000 in athletic tax-credit donations, including participation fees, in the 2012-13 school year — nearly double the figure for schools without any titles in that time. “Does it bother me? Sure it bothers me,” said Harold Slemmer, executive director of the Arizona Interscholastic Association, high-school sports’ governing body in the state. “I don’t think there’s any question in the years I’ve been in this job the challenges of creating an equal playing field have become greater and greater to the point where I’m not even sure I can say with any deal of confidence that there is an equal playing field.” Open competition Slemmer said he believes the advantages for wealthier schools began in earnest in 1994, when the Arizona Legislature passed the Arizona School Improvement Act. The legislation included open enrollment for state high schools, allowing freshmen to attend schools outside of the attendance boundary zones they live in. Lisa Graham Keegan, then the Arizona House of Representatives Education Committee chairwoman who sponsored the bill, said the purpose of the law was to provide academic choices for “the greatest number of kids. It had nothing to do with sports.” Keegan, who won election as the state superintendent of public instruction that fall, said legislators discussed the impact that open enrollment might have on athletics but determined “there already was recruiting going on. They weren’t going to do anything they hadn’t already been doing.” In fact, parents started “recruiting” schools, using open enrollment to shop for the best athletic environment for their children. Programs at wealthier schools have benefited because they can build facilities and provide incentives — better equipment, out-of-state or overseas trips — that programs at poorer schools can’t afford. The result: the creation of destination programs that lure kids from all over the Valley and in turn create an unequal playing field. The lack of parity is particularly evident in football, which relies on participation numbers more than any other sport. Among the Valley’s wealthier schools, Hamilton High in south Chandler has won four of the past five Division I titles. Chaparral in Scottsdale has won three of the past four Division II titles. Another Scottsdale school, Saguaro, has won five Division III titles since 2006. In contrast, the state of Pennsylvania, which has no open-enrollment statute, has maintained a level of parity. From 2005 to 2011, seven different football programs won Pennsylvania’s Class AAAA title, its highest classification. “Open enrollment has been the gate that’s opened it all up,” Slemmer said. “Now a parent can justify all sorts of reasons why they go outside their boundaries. That’s ratcheted up the level of competition among schools. When you create this reason to come here, to be a destination school, people are going to take advantage of that.” In fall 2007, the Chaparral Firebirds Football Foundation, which is the booster arm of the Chaparral football program, decided it wanted to upgrade the school’s facilities. Mickey Cummings, then the foundation’s president, said the foundation borrowed $500,000 to install a field turf surface. The loan, Cummings said, was guaranteed by eight families. Cummings said the foundation then took out another loan — this one for just more than $600,000 and guaranteed by two families — for construction of a two-story field house that includes upstairs offices for the coaches, a meeting room, plasma TVs and a football Hall of Champions. “It wasn’t the world’s biggest necessity, but we wanted our kids to have almost a collegiate experience in high school,” Cummings said. The facilities serve another purpose: They attract athletes — both in open enrollment and as transfers — from all over the Valley. One high-profile example: In 2011, All-Arizona defensive end Jarvis Lewis transferred to Chaparral from Raymond S. Kellis in Glendale. Chaparral won the Division II state title that year, its third straight state championship. Raymond S. Kellis finished 4-6 and failed to make the playoffs. (School officials at Raymond S. Kellis disputed Lewis’ transfer, but ultimately an attorney conducting an independent investigation for the Arizona Interscholastic Association ruled that there wasn’t any discernible evidence that Lewis had been recruited.) “If somebody decides to go to Chaparral that should have gone to Agua Fria, that doesn’t play into our justification,” for building the field house, Cummings said. “We’re just trying to provide the most positive experience for our kids.” Mesa’s Hogen said the facilities and extras that affluent schools can afford are an “unspoken recruitment.” “When you have kids leave your attendance zone to go to other schools, it really hurts,” Betty Fairfax High School Athletic Director Reynaldo Peru said. “I guess I’m one of those old-school guys that says you play the hand you were dealt, and you learn how to win with that hand. But nowadays, not everybody wants to play that game. “It’s not good, but there’s nothing we can do about it. That’s what is sad.” Outside money Wealthier schools do not receive a disproportionate amount of state funding. Hogen, Peoria Unified School District Athletic Director Mike Sivertson and other athletic directors said funding is distributed evenly within the schools in their district. But an inherent advantage for wealthier schools is the private instruction, year-round training and club-sports participation their parents can afford to pay. “It constitutes a head start,” Sivertson said. “And catching up for other schools is a challenge.” The costs of elite club programs vary, but Brett Benson said he paid between $5,000 and $6,000 per year for his daughter, Amanda, a former Phoenix Xavier Prep student, to play for the Spiral Volleyball Club her senior season. Miranda Davis’ daughter, Avianna, a Peoria Centennial junior, has been playing club softball with the Arizona Hotshots since she was 10 years old. Miranda Davis said the dues are between $2,500 and $3,000 per year, not including travel and equipment. The out-of-school instruction has a two-fold effect: It improves the skill level of the athletes, and they in turn help their high-school teams succeed. Phoenix Horizon and Scottsdale Desert Mountain, with just 13.2 percent and 8.9 percent of their students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches respectively, have won five state girls volleyball championships since 2005. Since 2005, either a private school (Phoenix Xavier) or schools with less than 22 percent of their students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches have won the big-school girls state soccer championship. Both sports have flourishing club scenes in Arizona. “For poor students, America doesn’t have a school problem. It has a summer-vacation problem,” Mesa’s Hogen said. “If you don’t play club volleyball or club in other sports, your high-school team is not going to be very good, and that eliminates all the poor schools right away.” Susan Prado-Ortiz is the softball coach at Glendale Apollo. She said most of her athletes don’t play club ball or receive private instruction, because of the expense involved. As a result, when she first gets the players as freshmen, she often has to teach them the basic fundamentals of the game. “We’re starting from square one trying to teach these kids,” Prado-Ortiz said. “So many of our kids don’t even know how to throw a ball. We’re teaching them how to throw it, where their feet should be, how to catch it. “To have private hitting coaches, private agility lessons … when you’ve got money you have a great, big advantage over the kids I deal with. It’s not hard to coach athletes who get the best training money can afford. Anybody can get a team of all-stars and win. But it’s very hard to coach non-athletes.” Because athletes in poorer schools don’t get the year-round instruction needed to compete with richer schools, Peru said, the goals of those athletic programs have to change. “When you’re in a program with limited resources, you’re trying to fight just to be a .500 team,” he said. “For some of our teams, a .500 season is going to be very successful. Everybody wants to win state championships, and they’re nice to have, but for us, those things are very hard to come by.” Attracting talent Susan Edwards, the athletic director at McClintock High in Tempe, has been on both sides of the divide. McClintock has won three state titles since ’05, and 34.8 percent of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. From 2007 to 2011, Edwards was the principal at Tempe Corona del Sol, which has seven state titles since ’05 and 7.9 percent of its students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. “I don’t like to connect wins and losses to money,” Edwards said, “but to think it doesn’t matter means we’d be living in a bubble.” One of the benefits wealthier schools have, Edwards said, is the ability to hire quality coaches and keep them for a longer period of time. Salaries aren’t the issue. Coaches receive stipends on top of their pay as educators, and the stipends range from $1,000 to $4,000, according to figures obtained by azcentral sports from the districts. One former Division I football coach said he estimated he made 98 cents an hour for all the hours he put into coaching. Poorer schools have a difficult time attracting coaches because the job is inherently more difficult. In the Phoenix Union High School District, for example, 75 percent of the student population is Hispanic, and national studies suggest that Hispanic females have some of the lowest participation percentages in high-school sports because their culture encourages them to come home after school to help with the family. Scottsdale Coronado baseball coach Buck Holmes said he’s lost count of how many kids he’s coached who have had to miss practice because they work a part-time job in order to help their families with bills. “When coaches come into this district, I say to them, ‘You’re coming here to prove a point, that you can find a way to win in this district,’ ” Peru said. Hogen said that when he has to hire a coach for sports such as softball or volleyball, he feels fortunate to get one qualified candidate “because kids in Mesa don’t generally play club sports.” The dearth of candidates and constant turnover make it even more difficult for poor schools to close the gap on wealthier schools. “If I was a high-school coach today and I wanted a chance to be successful, I would want to be at a school that has the chance to get good kids out,” Slemmer said. “The ones that are never going to win, who would want those jobs? You’re on a treadmill trying to get a program going.” “When was the last time a less affluent school won a state championship?” asked Steve Campbell, football coach at Division III Gilbert Williams Field. Campbell previously coached at McClintock, a larger, but less affluent school that had its last winning season in 2006 under him. “It doesn’t happen very often. That’s hard for a coach to accept.” Hogen put it more succinctly. “Losing sucks,” he said. “It’s not fun to keep doing it.” The reality Other factors contribute to the gap between the haves and the have-nots. Administrators say the annual cost of a college education — it was $21,447 in the fall of 2011, according to collegedata.com — has parents chasing a college scholarship and believing their chances are better if their child plays for a more successful athletic program. Arizona school tax-credit donations vary greatly from school to school. In the 2012-13 school year, Hamilton received $213,605 in tax credits that were targeted specifically for athletics; Phoenix Carl Hayden received $6,444. The additional revenue allows affluent schools to buy new equipment, maintain or upgrade their facilities, hire additional coaches and provide perks such as catered meals on road trips. “There’s no question tax-credit money is a good thing, but it’s a double-edged sword,” Slemmer said. “The haves get the parents involved, and they make it the absolute best they can make it for their kids. But the have-nots can’t do that, and it makes it more difficult for them to compete.” Booster clubs at affluent schools also can provide far more for student-athletes than booster clubs at poor schools. The Hamilton Gridiron Booster Club helped raise $350,000 for the team’s trip to Ireland last fall to play in the Global Ireland Football Tournament. The goal of Betty Fairfax’s boosters, Peru said, is to raise enough money to cover the team’s season-ending banquet. “They pretty much live off what they sell out of the concession stands,” he said. The advantages of wealthier schools are so varied and absolute that Slemmer doesn’t know if it’s possible to create true equity of competition. Like everyone else, he can clearly see the scoreboard: The rich schools win, and the poor schools lose. “I wish I could say it’s going to get better, but I have to be realistic,” Slemmer said. “I think it’s going to get worse.” Reach Bordow at scott.bordow@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-7996. Follow him on Twitter at Twitter.com/sBordow.
1) link to main page 2) also put in religion and AU F*ck the US and Arizona Constitutions we are going to use government to force our Christian values on the serfs we rule over. Sadly a lot of elected officials in this article have that tyrannical view of their position in government. Some of those tyrants are: Attorney General Tom Horne, Senate President Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, and House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, Reps. Matt Salmon, Rep. Doug Quelland, Rep. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa and Trent Franks. http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20131102arizona-prayer-public-meetings-divisive.html Prayer before public meetings divisive topic among Arizonans By Alia Beard Rau The Republic | azcentral.com Sat Nov 2, 2013 8:48 PM The Arizona House and Senate each begins its day’s work with a prayer during the legislative session. But a New York lawsuit headed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday could force them to stop. In the Town of Greece v. Galloway case, a lower court ruled that opening a town council meeting with a prayer violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause because the content of the prayers give the impression that the government endorses Christianity. Supporters of the practice argue that rules governing the separation of church and state have become too strict and prayer should be allowed as long as it doesn’t coerce someone to follow a certain religion. The high court’s ruling in the case will likely impact prayer at all levels of government, from town councils to state legislatures to Congress. In Arizona, prayer has been a part of state government’s regular activities for more than 100 years. There was a prayer on the first day of the Arizona Constitutional Convention in 1910. The state House and Senate have opened work with a prayer since statehood in 1912. “It’s part of our history and decorum,” said Donna Kafer, who has served as the state’s volunteer legislative chaplain for 15 years and said she believes the daily prayer has a calming effect on lawmakers. “It sets the tone for what they’re there to do.” Lawmakers take turns leading the prayer and occasionally bring in Kafer or other local religious leaders. Jewish, Native American and Muslim leaders have given the prayer. But the prayer has a decidedly Christian bent — invoking God or Jesus and seeking their guidance as the Legislature goes about the state’s business. Arizona, via Attorney General Tom Horne, has officially supported prayer at government meetings. Horne joined attorneys general from 17 other states in filing a brief with the Supreme Court arguing that prayers should be allowed to continue. “A prayer does not necessarily proselytize or ‘aggressively advocate’ a particular faith merely by making a few distinctly Christian references,” their brief states. Several state officials have also weighed in on the case. Senate President Andy Biggs, R-Gilbert, and House Speaker Andy Tobin, R-Paulden, filed a legal brief in the case. “The practice is not an ancient tradition that blindly presumes religious uniformity,” their brief states. “From the Founding, legislative prayer has provided shared moments of solemnization by individuals of different faiths.” Arizona Republican Reps. Matt Salmon and Trent Franks joined 47 other members of Congress in filing a legal brief arguing that “legislative prayer jurisprudence has gone seriously awry.” Like the attorneys for the town of Greece, N.Y., their brief advocates for a more lenient interpretation of the Establishment Clause that allows the intermingling of church and state as long as government does not coerce participation in any specific religion or create a state religion. The conservative Center for Arizona Policy advocates for religious issues at the Legislature. Legal counsel Josh Kredit said the Supreme Court settled the issue 30 years ago, when it allowed prayer before government meetings. “This is in the tradition of the United States, and Americans today should be as free as the Founders were to pray,” he said. “We think it’s a great thing that the Legislature seeks divine guidance before beginning to craft laws.” Kafer has a similar position. “I think there’s ... a lot of misunderstanding about church and state and what it really means,” she said. “We are not trying to say you have to believe this way. It just allows members to have access to faith, whatever their particular faith might be.” But the Secular Coalition for Arizona said the Arizona Legislature’s daily prayers are too Christian-focused. They hope the Supreme Court will end the practice of legislative prayer, or at least require that it be more inclusive. “Our Legislature has a very sectarian prayer regularly,” group member Seráh Blain said. She said it gives non-Christian Arizonans the feeling that they have no legislative representation. “While everybody ought to have the freedom to express their religion, there should not be the perception that the government is endorsing one particular religion to the exclusion of others,” she said. In Arizona, the daily legislative prayer has sparked controversy in recent years. In 2004, former Republican Rep. Doug Quelland read a prayer calling homosexuality a perversion and describing welfare recipients as lazy. Democrats issued a statement calling the prayer a hateful, mean-spirited, pandering political statement. In May, Rep. Juan Mendez, D-Tempe, an atheist, used his turn at the daily prayer to ask representatives not to bow their heads but to look around at the others in the room dedicated to improving the lives of Arizonans. The next day, Rep. Steve Smith, R-Maricopa, offered an extra prayer in “repentance” for not having one the day before. In February, some conservative bloggers criticized state lawmakers for allowing the chairman of the Arizona chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations to offer the day’s prayer and read from the Quran. Blain cited some of those examples to argue that the daily prayer is more divisive than unifying. “It’s very alienating to Arizonans who don’t share that particular Christian perspective,” she said. “It’s really hard to be marginalized in that way by their government.”
1) link to main page 2) put in police, drugs, NSA, snowden, Appeals court: Warrants needed for GPS tracking A bit of good news. But don't expect the cops to obey the courts order. Sadly most cops think because they have a gun and a badge that they are above the law and don't need things like silly search warrants. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe just lost a lawsuit for terrorizing Mexicans, and he is back in business as usual terrorizing Mexicans in the Phoenix metro area. I don't remember his words, but they are more or less "I got a gun and a badge and their ain't no f*cking Federal Judge that is gonna tell me what to do!!!" http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20131103appeals-court-warrants-needed-gps-tracking.html Appeals court: Warrants needed for GPS tracking Associated Press Sun Nov 3, 2013 12:41 PM PHILADELPHIA — Police must get a warrant before using GPS to track a suspect’s vehicle, a federal appeals court has ruled, throwing out a cache of evidence against three brothers charged in a wave of pharmacy burglaries and going beyond a Supreme Court ruling that left open the question of whether judges have to approve of the high-tech surveillance. State police investigating the pharmacy burglaries were making progress in 2010 when they found tools, gloves and a ski mask in a search of suspect Harry Katzin’s van. The electrician said they were merely tools of his trade, and police let him go. But police, working with the FBI, soon put a GPS device under his bumper and closed in on the van after another burglary. They found Katzin and his two brothers inside, along with a large stash of pills, cash and other store property. Three years later, the evidence has been tossed out after the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court called the GPS tracking an illegal search. The Katzins, who have pleaded not guilty, are free on bail. The Supreme Court ruled in January 2012 that GPS tracking amounts to a police search, but left open the question of whether such searches require warrants. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court said they do, unless there’s an imminent danger. Judge Joseph A. Greenaway wrote in a 2-1 opinion for the court last month that a GPS tracker is different than human surveillance because “it creates a continuous police presence” meant to discover future evidence. “This case in our view is very significant,” said lawyer Catherine Crump, who argued on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union. “Where people go can reveal a great deal about them, from who their friends are, to what their daily routine is …to what doctors they visit. All of that information, especially when considered together, contains a detailed portrait of someone’s life.” The Justice Department is weighing an appeal, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Zauzmer. He had argued that police acted in good faith before the ruling from the Supreme Court. [Good faith in the cops eyes means he has a gun and a badge and can do anything he wants - f*ck the Constitution!!!] And one of the three judges agreed the evidence should not be suppressed for that reason. The Katzins — Harry, Michael and Mark — allegedly sold prescription drugs from the house they lived in across from a public school. A police raid turned up $28,000 worth of OxyContin, Xanax, Ritalin, morphine and amphetamines at the house, Zauzmer wrote last year in opposing bail, when he called the evidence “overwhelming.” One law enforcement expert agreed, but said that evidence found during the investigation before the GPS was attached should have been used as probable cause to get a warrant. “The rule of thumb is, if you have time to get a warrant, get a warrant,” said Vernon Herron, a former Maryland State Police commander who now works as a senior policy analyst at the Center for Health and Homeland Security, part of the University of Maryland. Police used GPS devices during his tenure, but they could only dream of the technology available today, when police can follow someone’s every move from a laptop, Herron said. U.S. District Judge Gene Pratter first ordered the evidence in the Katzins’ case suppressed last year, writing that the GPS device recorded information “that investigators could have observed by conducting physical surveillance.” But police surveillance is costly, and therefore subject to built-in limitations, Crump said. Cheap GPS devices, on the other hand, present no such barrier. “When we started out, the Supreme Court hadn’t weighed in… and the majority of the law was actually contrary to our position,” said Mark Katzin’s lawyer, Rocco Cipparone, who argued the defense case. “My hope is that the government won’t (appeal).”
1) link to main page F*ck the law!!! We are royal government rulers and have to do everything we can to raise revenue so we can keep our cushy, over paid jobs.!!! http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/20131024residents-lodge-complaints-about-city-made-bond-video.html 2 Scottsdale residents lodge complaints about city-made bond video By Beth Duckett The Republic | azcentral.com Wed Oct 30, 2013 5:42 PM A Scottsdale resident has lodged a complaint with the Arizona attorney general and Maricopa County attorney, challenging a Scottsdale-produced video about the city’s bond election. Jim Haxby claims the 5-minute, 25-second video about the special election is “self-serving by city staff and is not impartial to the facts of the bond election.” But a city official said the video was reviewed to make sure the information was presented in a neutral and factual way. Similarly, City Councilman Dennis Robbins called the video “entirely appropriate,” saying the city would be criticized if it hadn’t done enough to inform voters. Haxby said in the complaint that the video has played “dozens of times” on Scottsdale’s government access cable TV channel, CityCable Channel 11. [Also call the Scottsdale Propaganda Network] It is also available on YouTube. Under state law, cities are banned from using their resources and expenses to influence the outcome of elections, though they can distribute information pamphlets on bond elections if they “present factual information in a neutral manner.” Channel 11’s programming guidelines, adopted by the Scottsdale City Council, prohibit “programming of a political nature that tends to advance a personal or political viewpoint or to build support for a person, organization or issue.” However, they allow “neutral programs produced by Channel 11 to inform voters about Scottsdale ballot issues.” Scottsdale’s special election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, asks voters to approve up to $212.1 million in bonds to pay for 39 public projects, which are divided into four questions on the ballot. Early voting began Oct. 10. Haxby claimed the video doesn’t explicitly advocate for the bonds. “However, it prominently displays a ‘vote Scottsdale’ image and describes the benefits of the ballot-question bond items in some detail,” Haxby wrote in the complaint. Conversely, Haxby argued that the video doesn’t explore the outcome if the election is defeated, such as the need for alternative funding for the projects. In his complaint, Haxby requested that Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne and County Attorney Bill Montgomery ask Scottsdale to cease and desist distributing or broadcasting the video. A spokesperson from the Attorney General’s Office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Jerry Cobb, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, said the office hadn’t received Haxby’s e-mail as of Oct. 25. According to Haxby, he filed the complaint on the county attorney’s contact website, made a follow-up telephone call and “was passed from person to person” until he ended up talking to a clerk in the Election Office. “I was supposed to get a callback (Oct. 25) from someone from the Election Office, but that didn’t happen,” Haxby said by e-mail. Similarly, Scottsdale resident Sandy Schenkat filed a complaint against the video with the Scottsdale City Clerk’s Office. In the complaint, dated Oct. 23,Schenkat said she believes the video is “a violation of programming guidelines and the prohibition against spending tax dollars to influence an election.” In a response, City Clerk Carolyn Jagger said it was an informational video produced by the city’s Communications and Public Affairs Office to provide information to the voters about the special election. “The video has been reviewed to ensure that the information is presented in a factual and neutral manner in compliance with the law,” Jagger said. To file a complaint, Jagger directed Schenkat to the attorney general or the county attorney, who are charged with enforcing the state statute. Scottsdale’s city manager and city attorney declined additional comment. Robbins, in a reply to Haxby, said he sees “no problem with our city producing a video that talks about the facts of an upcoming bond election.” He asked, “How else do you expect our city to communicate to the voters what is going on(?)” “If we didn't produce the video, we would be criticized for not doing enough to inform the citizens about what is going on in the city,” Robbins said. “In fact, I have already received those emails.“ Robbins later added that there is “no evidence or reason to suggest that all of the bond projects won't be built.“ “I have no idea where this idea that the bond projects won't be built comes from,” he said. “It is merely meant to scare people and misinform them as to what the intent is and what the history shows over the last 24 years.” City Councilman Bob Littlefield, who is against the bonds, refuted Robbins’ statement, saying some projects were not built in the past, though voters approved them in the city’s last successful general-obligation bond election from 2000. Littlefield provided a list of more than 100 projects from Bond 2000 approved by voters. Of those, 13 were listed as “unfunded” and not built, excluding a public safety helicopter that never came to fruition, he said. “That means of the $358.2 million in bonds approved by the voters in Bond 2000, $95.839 million (27 percent) was not funded,“ Littlefield said by e-mail. City Engineer Derek Earle, who was doing research on the Bond 2000 projects, acknowledged there were projects that weren’t constructed, though a “vast majority” of all the projects were built or are underway. “Each of them had various reasons,” Earle said. “ In most cases, the broader reason is the costs exceeded the benefits.” Earle said in most cases, a citizens bond review commission that formed after the passage of Bond 2000 recommended to shift the money from those projects to other projects. The City Council affirmed those recommendations, he said. Also on the ballot are a franchise agreement, which is detailed in the video, and an override for the Scottsdale Unified School District, which is unrelated to the city’s bond issue. The Scottsdale school district revised its informational materials earlier in the campaign after the Goldwater Institute objected to elements of its presentation on grounds it was advocating for the override.
1) link to main page 2) put in police and drugs In this case I agree with EJ Montini 100 percent. Sadly EJ Montini usually writes article saying that the cops are entitled to their high paying, do nothing union jobs. In this case he probably doesn't realize that the "War on Drugs" is a jobs program for cops, because it allows them to arrest harmless people for victimless drug war crimes, rather then hunting down dangerous criminals that commit real crimes, such as robbers and rapists. If EJ Montini had talked to his buddies at the police union first they probably would have told him not to write this article. http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/ejmontini/2013/11/02/ailing-boy-denied-medicinal-marijuana-oil/ Ailing boy denied medicinal marijuana oil Jennifer Welton asks me to imagine something I cannot imagine. Something no parent could imagine. “What if there was a medicine available to help your sick child and you are being told if you use it you’ll be arrested?” she said. “And then if you get arrested maybe this child and your other children will be taken away from you.” This is not something she imagines. For Jennifer and her husband Jacob this is reality. The couple’s five-year-old son, Zander, suffers from a medical condition that causes debilitating seizures. He also has autism. After putting the boy through several surgeries and trying a number of experimental medications the Weltons explored the possibility that Zander’s condition might be improved if he were to ingest the extract from marijuana. With that in mind, Zander’s parents got him certified as a medical marijuana cardholder in Arizona so he could receive regular dosages of cannabis oil. The extract worked. Zander got better. Then the coulple was told they couldn’t purchase it anymore. “We found out the state and the county prosecutor say it is illegal,” Jennifer says. “We have jobs and other kids. We can’t risk getting arrested. If something like that were to happen, we worry that Child Protective Services would get involved and maybe take our children away. It’s a really tough spot. It seems crazy to us.” It seems crazy as well to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a lawsuit on behalf of Zander. The hope is that a court will allow him to use of the extract. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery is named in the suit. His office isn’t commenting on the case, but the paperwork accompanying the suit includes a document saying Montgomery believes the extract to be illegal. Essentially, Arizona’s medical marijuana act doesn’t mention extract, only dry ounces of the actual plant. So how are police or prosecutors to determine the legality or illegality of whatever amount of extract a person possesses? “Ultimately that is a question of regulation and implementation,” says ACLU attorney Emma Andersson. “That’s the traditional job of a regulator. There are ways a regulator could determine such limits. Instead, what they’re trying to do is use the possibility of prosecution to reverse the will of the voters. The intent of the law is pretty clear. The voters approved the use of medical marijuana.” No all patients smoke their medical marijuana. For example, there are patients who blend the plant material into a smoothie. “Is there any way for County Attorney Montgomery to go into that smoothie and determine the amount of dry marijuana that was used?” Andersson says. “These aren’t questions for prosecutors. At the dispensaries every patient’s history is included. They are only permitted to purchase a certain amount. The same could be done with the extract.” The county prosecutor, along with Gov. Jan Brewer and other politicians, is not a fan of the medical marijuana law. They have been more than willing to make implementation as difficult as they can. Doing so plays to their political base. Jennifer and Jacob Welton, on the other hand, aren’t political people. They’re parents. They have a son who suffers, and there is a substance that has helped him, and they can’t get it. That’s all they know. “When people hear about this they are very supportive of us,” Jennifer says. “People from all over have been really kind in their comments to us about how they wish us the best and would love to help us and so on. We wish we could work something out without the courts being involved but I guess not.” Even before the legal issue flared up the Weltons sought help in paying for the extract. The dosage Zander requires costs about $300 a week and, unlike the approved medications that didn’t work, it is not covered by insurance. Paying for their son’s treatment would have been difficult enough for Zander’s parents to manage. Having Arizona public officials make her family’s ordeal even more difficult is something Jennifer could not have imagined. She can now. (Column for Nov. 3, 2013, Arizona Republic)
1) link to main page McClellan: Coming to grips with our online health care chaos First I am sorry, in other posts I have been calling the oxymoron the Affordable Care Act, the Affordable Medical Act, the AMA instead of the correct ACA. Either way it's an oxymoron and will drive up the health costs in America. While Mike McClellan seems to be a socialist who favors cradle to grave big government he does make one good point in this article: "our health insurance is the single most expensive monthly cost we have, far surpassing our mortgage" If that is true are you really confident in asking a bunch of crooked government morons to purchase the most expensive item in your life??? OK, I'm sorry for calling our royal government rulers "morons". In reality they are frequently pretty smart crooks who do a damn good job at looting the wallets of the serfs they rule over, so I guess they are not morons, but instead crooks. I should also point out that "health insurance" as defined by the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare as it's called really isn't "health insurance", but is really way of the government forcing you to prepay your medical expenses. http://eastvalleytribune.com/columns/east_valley_voices/article_9e1cdfc6-435d-11e3-9439-001a4bcf887a.html McClellan: Coming to grips with our online health care chaos Posted: Saturday, November 2, 2013 1:03 pm Commentary by Mike McClellan Who knew that Hurricane Katrina could hit the Internet? Yet that seems to the case, right? I mean, after all, the rollout of the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) has the same flavor as the New Orleans disaster from a few years ago. Poor planning, a Three-Stooges like response, a mess. And apparently some in the Obama administration knew this was coming. Because, we’ve learned, the feds knew a couple of weeks in advance that the network would not hold up under the kind of activity it produced in the first days. In fact, they only tested the entire system just days before its introduction. What a monumental goof. Obama’s group seems like the Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight. The ironies abound here. Obama, whose presidential campaigns excelled in using computer programs and the ‘net to get their voters out, seems to have, shall we see, a less than stellar crew manning the ACA website construction. And, in maybe the worst irony, the one act the President has hung his hat on, the act that he wouldn’t budge on when the Crazy Republican Wing threatened to shut down the government, has been a mess. His signature act is instead, at least so far, a stain on his time in office. You’d think his people would serve him better. Instead, they handed him an early, maybe disastrous, failure. And handed his opponents a nice little campaign issue for the 2014 midterm election. Of course, there’s time to correct the many flaws, and the proof of the ACA pudding will come down the road, when we see how many sign up, how effective the insurance plans are, and what effect a potentially larger group of insured has on all of our premiums. And maybe, years from now, today’s mess will be merely a blip on the screen. Maybe. But right now? He’s handed his opponents just what they need to bolster their arguments against the ACA. Well, against some of them, that is. The laughable claim, the one that should be immediately dismissed, is this notion that somehow Obamacare is socialized medicine. Interesting definition of socialism. Because I took a look at the website, and answered the initial questions that allowed me to look at what’s offered. And here’s what I found: I put in for the gold plan, which covers, after deductibles and co-pays, 80 percent of the medical costs, which is what our current plan covers (probably like many of you, our health insurance is the single most expensive monthly cost we have, far surpassing our mortgage). And lo and behold, up popped ten different companies offering 33 different plans. In other words, the companies -- all private, none “government run” -- competing by offering different costs per month, ranging from $600 to $1100. Private companies competing against each other and offering a variety of plans. Doesn’t sound like socialism to me. Look, I like the idea of Obamacare -- that with more enrolled, fewer using hospitals as their primary care centers, medical costs might rise at a slower rate. And people who heretofore did little for their health will have the same opportunities for preventive care that the 85 percent of us enjoy. But that idea depends on the reality of getting many signed up, especially younger, healthier people. The very people who expect that when they access a website, the website actually works. The very people who’ll have little patience with the monumental tech screw up that is Healthcare.gov. So I hope this first step in corralling health costs works. But the start is not encouraging, and Healthcare.gov seems to be on life support. The prognosis for this patient is murky at best. Hopefully the “doctors” brought in to revive the moribund patient are successful. Otherwise, the signature legislation of the Obama era could easily be dead and buried, with a tombstone marked “Failure.” Mike McClellan is a Gilbert resident and former English teacher at Dobson High School in Mesa.
1) link to main page 2) put in police and drugs Like most criminals cops are usually smart enough not to commit their crimes when they know they are being video taped. And of course that is probably why the number of cops accused of beating up people has dropped by 50 percent. "A recent study from Policefoundation.org found when police officers used these cameras for a year, the number of "use of force" incidents dropped by 50 percent and complaints against police dropped dramatically" Of course one problem is the cops can turn their cameras off when they want to commit crimes, and the article seems to say they can actually edit the videos removing segments where the cops commit crimes. "The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) ... The group says two questions need to be addressed ... can officers choose when to record the video, and edit the content?" http://eastvalleytribune.com/local/cop_shop/article_5a89fac6-435f-11e3-8e8e-001a4bcf887a.html More police departments follow Mesa's lead with officer cameras Posted: Friday, November 1, 2013 6:37 pm By Sara Goldenberg, ABC15.com Whenever police respond to a call, there's a chance it's caught on video. More and more police departments now equip their officers with body cameras. ABC15 got a close-up look at these cameras Wednesday. They look like a flashlight attached to their glasses. But instead, they're small but powerful cameras. We found these cameras aren't just taping citizens -- they're capturing officers' actions too. Mesa police now have 50 of these cameras, which are helping preserve critical evidence. They're also being used in the courtroom. Officer Steve York has been using a body camera on calls since they started the pilot program a year and a half ago. "With this, you know getting a complaint, that officer would be like, 'okay hey -- no, I didn't do anything wrong. It's on video, here you go, you can check it out and look at it,'" he said. A recent study from Policefoundation.org found when police officers used these cameras for a year, the number of "use of force" incidents dropped by 50 percent and complaints against police dropped dramatically, too. "It does bring one, the community and the police closer together, because now they know the department's being as transparent as we can," York said. York says he notices a change in behavior with the cameras, and not just with the officers wearing them. "Sometimes when suspects realize they're being recorded, then that too changes their attitude towards how they're treating you or the person that they're dealing with," he said. The video is saved in a database for years depending on the case. "It can't be manipulated, it can't be deleted, it's there forever," York said. Officers can also check the video on their phones, which are connected to the cameras. Police can even use this camera on "live preview." That allows them to check up on the status of a suspect if they think he's hiding. They can take the camera off their glasses and peak around a corner, without getting in harm's way. This also helps them review evidence or property crimes. It's working so well for Mesa police, it looks like this technology may be here to stay. Phoenix police are also testing about 50 body cameras right now and Scottsdale police are trying out 10. All 50 patrol officers are using these cameras at the Surprise Police Department, and a few other agencies are considering using them too. We're told the cameras cost about $1,000 each. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) supports the use of these cameras, but does say it comes down to accountability vs. privacy. The group says two questions need to be addressed for their use that raise some concerns: Can officers choose when to record the video, and edit the content? Are good policies in place so the camera doesn't invade citizens' privacy? Mesa police say they're creating a policy for exactly when video must be recorded. Since this is a new program, they say their policies are still evolving.
1) link to main page 2) put in cops and drugs Sadly our elected officials reacted to this message and passed a law making it almost impossible for third party candidates like Libertarians and Greens to run for office. The end result is when you go to the polls you will be able to vote for either a Democratic crooks or a Republican crook. Don't count on things changing any time soon. Of course this is why the Founders gave us the Second Amendment. And sadly the elected officals in power are also doing the best they can to flush the 2nd Amendment down the toilet!!! http://eastvalleytribune.com/arizona/capitol_media_services/article_11e4feca-41b0-11e3-b929-0019bb2963f4.html Poll indicates AZ voters want new crop of representatives Posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 4:00 pm By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services PHOENIX — A new poll suggests that Arizona voters insist they're mad as hell and are ready to throw the current crop of bums out of Congress. But it remains to be seen whether the anger at government dysfunction carries through to next year's general election — and whether voters find the alternatives they are offered are any better. If the raw results of the Behavior Research Center are to be believed, more than half of those questioned say they will vote for someone else next year than the person who is currently representing them. And the figure approaches two thirds when measuring only those who actually are registered to vote. Pollster Earl de Berge said he recognizes that questions about Congress generally tend to provoke negative reactions, but he pointed out this survey specifically asks voters about returning their own representatives to Washington. Potentially more significant is the size of the dissatisfaction. “We have never seen numbers like this where the willingness to vote for incumbents was so incredibly low,” de Berge said. The top officials from both major parties acknowledged the vast level of dissatisfaction among Arizonans, though they have different spins on the reason. But they also point out that the survey simply asks an academic question of the incumbent versus an unknown. “We don't even know what the field is going to look like,” said Republican Party Chairman Robert Graham. “I definitely think you've got more of that anti-incumbent sentiment this cycle than usual,” said D.J. Quinlan, his Democrat counterpart. “But at the end of the day, folks have to make a decision — but usually between two individuals,” Quinlan said. He said if voters don't see anything they like in the challenger, that anti-incumbency sentiment won't mean much at all. Even de Berge acknowledges that point, but he said the current state of dissatisfaction with incumbents could give almost any challenger an immediate boost. He pointed out that just 27 percent of those questioned believe the country is headed for a better future in this century. That same question, asked in 1999, found 50 percent feeling positive about the direction of the country. “Those are almost sea changes in what we've seen in public attitude,” de Berge said. “I doubt that we've ever seen anything like 51 percent thinking the country's headed downhill.” Timing may have something to do with all this: The survey was conducted during the federal shutdown, with members of both parties each blaming the other for the inability to craft a new budget and deal with the debt ceiling. Some of the question of whether voters will turn incumbents out of office will be decided next August during partisan primaries. Per de Berge, it could depend on whether there are Republican challengers who may be more politically moderate than GOP incumbents who are seen as Tea Party supporters. “If the voters don't have a choice, then all bets are off as to whether or not people are dissatisfied with their party,” he said. And that, said de Berge, could result in some party regulars opting not to back the ticket. Graham said he is anticipating there will be primary challenges within the GOP. “And some of it will be very heated,” he said. But Graham insisted that once there is a nominee — whether incumbent or challenger — the party faithful will unite behind that person. Quinlan said the survey shows broad-based dissatisfaction with Congress from all quarters. “It's definitely warranted when you look at the dysfunction in Congress,” he said, citing the shutdown and near-default on the national debt. “It's a ‘pox on everybody's house,’” Quinlan said. “Americans just want government that works.” Graham agreed — to a point. “People are just sick and tired of the federal government and the political gaming that's been going on,” he said. But Graham said he believes voters will blame that “gaming” on Democrats and the Obama administration. More to the point, he does not think voters will take out their frustration about the government shutdown on Republicans who refused to vote for the budget because they were trying to delay or kill the Affordable Care Act. “There's two sides in a game, right?” he said. “I think people understood the strategy, so there was patience there.” Quinlan, not surprisingly, hopes voters can be convinced that Republicans — and in particular the no-compromise elements of the GOP's Tea Party wing — are to blame for the shutdown. That is key if Democrats hope to retain the three “swing” congressional seats they won in 2012, and Quinlan took pains to point out how Ann Kirkpatrick, Kyrsten Sinema and Ron Barber have made efforts to work across party lines, saying that's what the poll shows voters want.
1) link to main page 2) put in cops and drugs Make ASU a "peanut free zone"??? ASU's new "tobacco free zone" law is a toothless law that the rulers at ASU implemented so they can get brownie points for being "politically correct". Numerous articles have stated they have no intention of actually arresting and jailing anybody for breaking the law. http://www.statepress.com/2013/10/29/letter-consider-new-campus-policies-in-addition-to-walk-only-zones-tobacco-free/ Letter: Consider new campus policies in addition to Walk Only Zones, tobacco free By Letters October 29, 2013 at 6:19 pm ASU has wisely begun to institute policies that, although they may restrict individual choices a bit, serve the general welfare of the campus population. The declaration of the campus to be a tobacco-free zone, with absolutely no designated smoking areas, spares those who might be especially sensitive to, or fear the effects of, secondhand smoke — even outdoors. It also, at least, reduces the exposure to a health hazard of those who ill advisedly choose to smoke when off campus. Similarly, the banning of vehicles — including roller skates, skateboards, unicycles, bicycles, tricycles, motorcycles and, presumably, pony carts and dogsleds — from our pedestrian walkways is sure to reduce the incidence of harmful interactions, such as collisions and emotionally stressful near-misses. Those policies are a good beginning, but I believe that even more can be done. I can suggest two analogous restrictions that could yield similar benefits. The first would be to declare the campus a peanut-free zone. Many people are highly allergic to peanuts and react even to the faintest smell of them. The restriction would also benefit the general health of those who persist in choosing to eat peanuts off-campus be reducing the threat of life-shortening obesity. The second of my suggestions is to separate the sexes throughout the University. This would not only eliminate a distraction from our studies, it would also reduce the opportunities for harmful interactions, including the transmission of possibly life-threatening STDs, unintended pregnancies and rapes. It would also demonstrate our cultural sensitivity and concern for the comfort of the many foreign students who come from cultures where such segregation is commonly practiced. The general benefits of these two measures should certainly outweigh any minor inconveniences they might cause to individuals, and these are only what I, as a lone individual, have come up with. If the student government and the administration really put their collective minds to it, just imagine the measures they might devise to improve our well-being. With just a little effort of this sort, we might approach that old ideal occasionally attributed to some German political philosophers, “Everything unnecessary is forbidden.” Harvey A. Smith Emeritus Professor of Mathematics and non-degree seeking graduate student
1) link to main page 2) put in police and drugs Amy Dickinson seems to think your guilty till proven innocent!!! Sadly I think most elected officials and Americans more or less agree with this Dear Abby clone and think that if you are doing something that is suspicious, the cops have the right to arrest you and make you prove that you are not guilty of any crimes. If this were 1776 I think George Washington and Thomas Jefferson would do the same think to Amy Dickinson that they wanted to do to King George!!! http://www.freep.com/article/20131102/FEATURES14/311020012/busy-neighbors-drug-dealing-something-fishy-investigation-police-report Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Dear Amy: My husband and I are concerned that something fishy is going on with our upstairs neighbors. A few weeks ago one of the occupants moved out and a new one moved in. Since then, there have been a lot of strange goings-on. I’ve come home several times (mostly at night) to find the door ajar. I asked that it remain closed for security reasons (we are on the ground floor), and now we can hear a steady stream of guests being buzzed in at all hours of the night. There is a mysterious lockbox on the fence, and there are sometimes strange people loitering outside the front door. We believe they are selling drugs. Our landlords investigated the situation and haven’t uncovered anything strange, but we aren’t convinced. We don’t want to confront them and risk creating an uneasy relationship, and I don’t think we have enough evidence to take the issue to the police. Short of moving, what can we do about this? — Wary Neighbor
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