Capitalism defined
Jack Pine | Scottsdale
Tim Slavin derides the concept of capitalism by creating his own definition and then ridiculing it. This is what is known as a "straw dog" argument and is intellectually dishonest. He would describe a "pure capitalistic state" as one in which the government performed zero services, resulting in a dog-eat-dog society.
Grab your dictionary, Tim, turn to "capitalism" and learn something. Random House has it as "an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations." It does not say "survival of the fittest" or anything similar.
Tim is also woefully uninformed when he assumes that businesses pay taxes. Businesses collect taxes by engineering their pricing structures to make a reasonable return on investment. If the government raises corporate taxes, the corporations simply raise their prices to maintain their returns.
I imagine Tim's views are a direct result of the failure of subsidized public education to teach basic economics.
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Pimping for the truth
David Schaefer | Cave Creek
Your view on the CCUSD Governing Board election and Override requires a little clarification.
I publicly announced my support for the override at the Community Forum on Oct. 6, not "late in the campaign" as you claim. All seven candidates for the board supported the override. So your comment, "I would reconsider our choice" is pointless. And "pimping" is different than careful reflection. It's factually incorrect to say I and other candidates did not think hard about our support for the override and, instead, to use your words, we simply bent over.
In fact, while you were dreaming up new ways to sell ads in your newspaper I dug into the details of the district’s finances. Guess what I found? Without those funds the district simply cannot afford 25 percent of the teachers in grades 1 through 3. By my estimates average class sizes in first grade would go from 22 to 29, second grade, 26 to 33 and third grade, 23 to 32 without the K-3 Override funding.
As for election law violations, anyone can file a complaint. You don't even need facts on your side. So let the County Attorney determine what the facts are and, while we wait, let's stop acting as if filing a complaint is proof of guilt.
If I am “pimping” anything it is to get the facts straight and on the table. Reducing teachers for grades 1-3 by 25 percent will harm their education. We all lose if that happens.
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Ain't it the truth
Craig J. Cantoni | Scottsdale
We've been castrated mentally and physically.
When I say to male friends that an armed overthrow of the ruling class is the only way to save themselves and the country, they agree. Then they become weepy and wimpy and head for Starbucks to intellectualize about the problem.
For some reason, American women find these eunuchs attractive.
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Try signing instead of just whining
Sandra Miller | Phoenix
"Don't use the words 'illegal aliens' in Arizona courts?" "Don't call it an 'immigration crisis'?"
"Don't even call them 'illegal immigrants'?"
Yes, that was the intent of AZ Chief Justice Ruth McGregor, although she denies it now.
While the Court Communications Director Cari Gershick assures us there's no ban and none is even being considered. Not now that the whistle has been blown, that is. Gershick is careful to avoid mention of what was considered before public disclosure of her correspondence with the Hispanic Bar Association.
Arizona patriots are filing a complaint of unethical behavior and misconduct against Chief Justice Ruth McGregor with the AZ Commission of Judicial Conduct. We welcome American patriots in any state who want to take action against a liberal judge who sides with racists against Americans.
When the court's Communications Director says that the judge's actions were routine and above-board, we know when we're being sold a bill of goods. Honest courts and above-board judges are the reason former Border Patrol agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos were railroaded by federal prosecutors and federal courts to spend the next 10 years behind federal prison bars.
In the www.nobadjudges. blogspot.com (2nd post), read the correspondence between the Chief Justice and the racist Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association. In the third post, read our complaint to the Commission on Judicial Conduct.
The 1st post ("Join Us!) takes you step-by-step to "sign on" to the Judicial Complaint. Reply by Friday, Nov. 21 to be included.
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Who won?
Korina Riggin | Cave Creek
It saddens me to see how biased and narrow minded this newspaper is. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 an unprecedented news event occurred – a black President was elected. All news media outlets reported this event, even FOX News. They all put aside their personal beliefs and reported the news. But not Sonoran News. Instead, you determined that a Scottsdale mayoral race, Wild West Days, Cave Creek Town Council, illegal gambling and a raffle winner were all more important than reporting a historical event.
Yes, you did have a small column that showed all of the results so you obviously had the information and hence made the choice. A disgraceful choice. I respect your views and opinions, but as a news media outlet I would hope that you could show some professionalism and report national, even worldwide, historical news.
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Letter to the United State Supreme Court
Thomas E. Cote | Sun City
Supreme Court Justice John Stevens | Washington, DC
Dear Justice Stevens:
If Kenya was under British rule in 1961, why are we not able to obtain a valid birth certificate from the British that Obama was born in Mombassa, Kenya, Aug. 4, 1961? Does Obama have his records in Kenya sealed also? With all of his records sealed from being available, what is he trying to hide from the American people? Are those questions directed to the U.S. Supreme Court? If justice is not served in this case by the Supreme Court enforcing the Constitution of the United States, then this country as we know it will be on a down hill spiral to destruction.
THEREFORE, we request Obama be required to furnish a valid birth certificate to prove he is a native born American. At the present time all indications lead towards the fact that he was born in Mombassa, Kenya, Aug. 4, 1961. Under Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution, Obama is not eligible to be President of the United States of America. Then maybe we can have some justice in this election.
I look to the Supreme Court, to be the agency within our government, to be the responsible body to enforce the Constitution of the United States of America. If that responsibility is not accomplished by the Supreme Court, then we will not have a country. I request a reply as to your position on this serious situation that is before our country.
With kindest regards and best wishes.
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Hope for Obama's Gun Bill
Alan Korwin | Author, Gun Laws of America
It may seem impossible, but Mr. Obama can enact new gun law and satisfy the gun lobby with his proposed “assault-weapon” legislation.
If he bans criminal misuse of these firearms, he’ll earn support from NRA-types and the half of America that owns guns, a great accomplishment.
If he instead bans firearms that millions of Americans own in homes, apartments and farms, he risks an uprising. However he spins it, people have the right to these tools now. If new law confiscates these rights, it will go down badly.
Assault is a type of behavior, not a type of hardware. Outlaw criminal behavior – big win.
Outlaw people’s property – big problem.
He says “these” firearms (Clinton included normal magazines like police use for protection), belong on “foreign battlefields.” God help us if they’re needed on domestic battlefields against a government confiscating rights. Mr. Obama – I know these people. Disarm criminals, mobilize robust support, disarm the public, mobilize robust resistance. Please choose wisely.
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Mired in the Republican Right
Roy Miller | Phoenix
Governor Janet Napolitano appeared on Channel 8 the day after the elections and, when asked about the failure of Democrats to take either legislative body in Arizona, she commented that she did not understand why the legislature “remains mired in the Republican Right.” This comment is amazing from someone who recently pushed through the most fiscally irresponsible budget in our state’s history. I wonder if the Governor would rethink her remarks and admit that the Nov. 4 results might suggest that Arizona voters are inclined toward a more conservative approach to drafting the next Arizona budget.
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Santa's new hat
Ralph G. Smith | Cave Creek
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but this year he is wearing a red, white and blue top hat, and he points his finger at us and says: “I want YOU! – To bail out all those poor Wall Street brokers, along with the banks, etc.” All the unfortunate pigs, incompetents and crooks, in their neatly pressed Brooks Brothers suits, are lining up at the door of the U.S. Treasury Department to get their Christmas presents early.
And now even the credit card companies, who were certainly largely responsible for allowing EVERYONE to get a piece of plastic and run up huge debts, are also shedding tears by the buckets.
The G-20 countries, whoever they are, are now meeting in Washington, presumably to tell us how to get THEM out of the mess the world is in.
I guess we will all have to wait until our own Merlin, Superman Obama, takes over and waves his magic wand to cure all the problems. Lots of luck, America!
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U.S. – Rest in peace!
L.J. Rupp | Carefree
I fear that the American electorate, in its zeal to prove its democratic and post-racial magnanimity to the world, has managed to accomplish that which the Soviets, Red Chinese and our own Communist Party have failed to do these past 60-70 years – the overthrow of American Freedom.
Consider these issues:
• There is no free and balanced media to protect our 1st Amendment. All but one of the TV networks are openly Democrat-supportive.
• Almost every major metropolitan newpaper is left-leaning. Most reporters today do not report, they offer opinions of what's transpired.
• We shall soon see a wholesale intrusion of Government into ownership of American businesses.
• A massively unbalanced, Democrat-controlled Congress will steamroll laws through to a Democrat President who "owes" the far left for his nomination.
• The Secret ballot for unionizing workers will disappear.
• Talk radio, which is almost as conservative as network television is liberal, will quickly disappear as a result of the "Fairness Doctrine" being imposed.
• American colleges and universities are, by almost a 9-1 ratio, liberal-dominant faculties. Students no longer receive an education. They, instead, are "indoctrinated."
• Taxes will be raised substantially to pay for government programs to "adequately redistribute" personal income.
The future does NOT look promising for us, but then, I'm just a cock-eyed optimist!
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Rezoning
Dave and Joan Neumann | Cave Creek
We are opposed to rezoning the area south of the Chevron station. The additional traffic on Carefree Hwy would make it difficult to access that road. It is not necessary as you already have plenty of business property west of Cave Creek Rd. Please consider the wishes of the community.
Thank you.
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Plea to all citizens: Remain active, vigilant
Joseph W. Kucharski | Cave Creek
The interest and enthusiasm in and of the current election campaign is a symptom of a healthy U. S. Republic. However, both "winners" and "losers" must not be too quick to relax.
Please remember the end of the election is only the beginning of the next cycle of governance.
Again remember, only Congress has a lower approval rating than the president among the citizens of this great country. Almost as important to remember is that the bureaucracies that delivered us to the current circumstances will remain in place, notwithstanding who sits as president and which political party prevails; on them you will have had no vote. We must always demand what is best for us as a people and nation from whomever governs and administers; this must be our sacred pledge to our founding fathers, our forefathers, our children and grandchildren, the entire world, and ourselves. The protection of our lives liberties, and our freedom to pursue happiness are an unending fight that is the responsibility of each and every citizen at all times. If you are of the opinion that the last eight years has been a failure, it is your duty, not to only complain and leave it to the next government to make changes, but it is without a doubt your responsibility to insure every change is best for us as a free and prosperous nation, not faction and political party.
Please beware that you do not take solace in a one party government. Through the Constitution of the United States of America (please get a copy and read it) the authors and radifiers, who were not only consummate politicians, but more importantly, consummate statesmen and patriots, risked their fortunes and their very lives to bequeath to us, through bloody sacrifice, our freedom; they tried their utmost to protect us in the future from monarchy, oligarchy and every form of despotic government.
There is an old truism "Power corrupts absolutely, and power absolutely corrupts." Do you think we are doing a commendable job of protecting our inheritance? Be careful for what you wish; for the genie from the magic lamp will give you exactly what you wish, and you'll bear the consequences, bad and good. Nothing is for nothing.
We must not let the bureaucracies destroy our republic and with it our freedom. They have flown under the radar of most citizens. More sadly, our congresses and administrations have consciously abdicated their constitutional responsibilities to these monsters. By definition bureaucracies are defined as unwieldy administrative systems with excessive complexity and lack of flexibility.
Our current economic situation is a direct result of these bureaucracies.
Do we really want the government to continue to attempt to solve your problems? Nothing is for nothing. We must demand that those who govern rein in the beasts, instead of feeding them more money and power.
All citizens, please do not lose your enthusiasm and interest after Nov. 4, 2008. No one will look after your interests better than you. Take a good look at the performance of the entire government at all times.
God bless you and the United States of America.
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