Borked
Hal Borland writing in 1963 said,”When legends die, the dreams end. When dreams end, there is no more greatness.”
We are a great nation, a great people, but we are no longer lead by great leaders. Our chief executive, ideological, arrogant and rude has snubbed a good man and a fine justice. Antonin Scalia’s passing was unexpected by all, save his family, and he will be gravely missed as a clear-headed jurist on the bench. Obama could barely contain his glee at the anticipation of naming a successor to Antonin Scalia, with yet another far-left activist continuing to erode this once honorable body. B.O. looks to end the dream and replace it with his own.
Ronald Reagan nominated Robert Bork to the Supreme Court in 1987 starting a “blood in the water” feeding frenzy by the Democrat controlled Senate Judiciary committee, Joe Biden, Chairman and Ted Kennedy Senator from Massachusetts, savaged Justice Bork until he withdrew his name from consideration.
The Republicans have chosen not to follow suit, Obama’s choices will not be Borked. Mitch McConnell, having finally found some backbone, vows to not entertain any of Obama’s nominees. Proceeding instead, as is their constitutional right, into a less confrontational stall, hoping that the next president bears an R behind his name. It will be ugly, B.O. will fume, the media will cry foul, but if the Republicans can hold the outcome will benefit generations to come, restore the dreams and return the greatness.
Randy Edwards
Cave Creek
Our Preserve
There is a serious issue with Our Preserve.
As you may be aware, the city wants to build a big tourist attraction in the Preserve right at the most popular trail head, the Gateway. It is called the Desert Discovery Center (DDC). The plan they are starting with has over 72,000 square feet of buildings on 30 acres with uses that include a café, gift shop, amphitheater, sound and light, and night time operations all of which violate the Preserve Rules. Normally this could not be done in the Preserve, and it would have to be located outside the Preserve, but the city attorney has ruled that the city council can do anything they want in the Preserve, without a public vote, because it is city property. A really dangerous ruling that would open up the Preserve to ANY use the council majority thinks is “appropriate”.
A very good alternate site exists, the city owned property at the intersection of 94th Street and Bell , that is close to West World and would be an ideal location because of all the tourist activity at West World and the proximity of an industrial complex, the Ice Den, and other attractions that would make the DDC more viable and successful. This site also has a great view of the Preserve, Pinnacle Peak and West World, however it won’t even be considered because the council majority wants it in the Preserve. The location chosen in the Preserve would produce a major conflict with Preserve users who go out of the Gateway Trail Head, the most popular trail head in the Preserve in addition to violating all the Preserve rules.
Citizens formed the Preserve, citizens voted to expand its boundary, and citizens voted to tax themselves to buy it and build “appropriate public access” so it really is OUR Preserve, we should at least have an input on what is allowed to happen in it. In addition to not having any say on what is put in the Preserve, they will also want to use Preserve funds to build the DDC, again without a public vote.
I have lots of information on this project and what is going on with it now, so if you want to know and be kept in the loop, send me an e-mail and I will send you more information and add you to my e-mail notification list to keep up to date. I also created a Facebook page called “Friends of Scottsdale’s Preserve” so if you are on Facebook and “like” that page, you will get notified when it is updated. However I can’t post all the information I have on Facebook.
Also please pass this along to others who may be interested in what is going on in the Preserve.
Thanks for caring about what happens to the Preserve you bought and expected to remain the Preserve it was promised to be.
Howard Myers
Scottsdale
The future of Southwest Wildlife
Southwest Wildlife is a local organization that rehabilitates injured wildlife and releases those that are healthy enough to survive and provides a home for life for those they can’t release. In addition, the hold tours that educate us all about the wildlife we share this incredible environment with. These tours are also a vital source of income to keep this facility going. Now someone has moved in that doesn’t like the noise, dust, and anything else that comes from living next to a facility like this. He is suing them and trying to make sure they can’t get permits for the tours and running the facility. Please see the attached notice and do what you can to help Southwest Wildlife not only stay where they are but operate as they did before this new neighbor moved in. There is a petition you can sign electronically, and a request to e-mail the Maricopa County District 2 supervisor Steve Chucris and request to help them do whatever they need to keep operating as they did, including whatever permits they need. His e-mail is: [email protected]
Thanks for the help. This facility has always amazed me with what they do for not only our area, but the state and in fact many other states in the nation. We can’t allow one person to destroy all it is and does.
Howard Myers
Scottsdale
In Response to “Bike Lane Fraud”
As one of the bikers referred to by Mr. Wild in his letter to the editor “Bike Lane Fraud”, my experience of riding my bike in the Cave Creek, Scottsdale area has been quite good. The vast majority of drivers are very considerate and bike aware. However, every few rides I’ll have a driver that must prove a point and zips by me with his or her side-view mirror four inches from my handle bars. Given Mr. Wild’s comments about refusing to move over to make bikers such as myself more “comfortable,” I thought I would frame the situation in terms that a driver such as Mr. Wild may better relate to.
When you, Mr. Wild, make a mistake in judgement and hit me or some other unfortunate biker or pedestrian - and you will misjudge your fly-by commentary at some point - it will be you who suffers the most. Your life will be disrupted by lawsuits - both civil and criminal; You will be paying a substantial percentage of your personal assets to me or my estate (if your “commentary” was particularly effective); And, perhaps, you may end up with your own government provided accommodations for a few months, or perhaps years. Gosh - that would be so inconvenient to such an important person as yourself.
So next time you pass a rider like me - let your true selfish side dominate and avoid all that unnecessary pain and suffering in your life - leave a little “safe” space.
Larry Wendt
Scottsdale
(NOT the Larry Wendt of Buffalo Chip fame)
Why make Arizona dumb? Restore higher education funds!
The Arizona Constitution very clearly states that the cost of higher education in our state universities should be as nearly free as possible. Anyone paying in-state tuition knows that it is a long way from free and escalating.
Last year the state legislature cut our universities budget by $99 million. That represents about $1,500 per student. Now that the state has a surplus of more than $1.5 billion, the universities should have some of their funds restored. The state seems to think $8 million is sufficient.
That represents about $80 per student. Are you comforted by having $80 of your child’s tuition restored? Can’t we do better than this?
Buzz Wells
Cave Creek
News regarding the future of Southwest Wildlife
We fight every day to save animals, but we need your help to fight this attack on our mission. Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts captured the essence of the issue beautifully. Please read what she wrote by clicking on the link below. If you can, please share this article on your social media as well.
We were here long before this one neighbor sought to urbanize our area and shut us down. The animals were here long before any of us. If you want to support us please email Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Chucri at [email protected]. Thank him for his supportive comments in the Republic article, and what he is doing to stand up for our cause.
Linda Searles
Founder Southwest Wildlife
Conservation Center
Tell your Arizona State Senator to support anti-sanctuary city legislation
The Arizona State Senate voted down legislation (SB 1378) that would financially penalize cities and counties that the attorney general determined offer “sanctuary” to illegal aliens. However, the measure can be brought up for another vote so please call your State Senator to weigh in.
Under the bill, local governments can be penalized if they provide public benefits without checking for lawful presence (required under current law), or if they limit or restrict the federal immigration law enforcement. The measure failed despite a last-minute plea from Senate President Andy Biggs who said local governments should be required to comply with the laws and policies enacted by the Legislature.
These Senators voted against SB 1378: Begay, Bradley, Cajero Bedford, Contreras, Dalessandro, Driggs, Farley, Hobbs, McGuire, Meza, Miranda, Pancrazi, Pierce, Quezada, Sherwood, and Worsley.
These Senators voted for SB 1378: Allen, Barto, Biggs, Burges, Dial, Donahue, Farnsworth, Griffin, Kavanagh, Lesko, Shooter, Smith, Yarbrough, and Yee.
Please ask your no-voting Senator to reconsider or praise his/her yes vote. Talking points are included below. You can find a phone number and email link on this page. If you do not know your Senator’s name use this district locator, then go to the first link for contact information.
Talking Points for Senators Who Opposed SB 1378
“I am a voter in your district who is angry that you voted no on SB 1378, the anti-sanctuary bill. You need to reverse your position and support the bill when it comes up for another vote.
The bill simply makes local governments comply with current law and prevents their shielding of criminal aliens from federal immigration officials. SB 1378 will protect your constituents’ safety and tax dollars so stand with us, not the noisy groups that oppose it.”
More talking points for emailing
Federal law expressly forbids sanctuary policies. That means Arizona sanctuary cities and counties are violating both state and federal law. And it is false to claim that sanctuary policies are needed to protect witnesses or crime victims who are illegal aliens. They are already protected under the federal “U” visa.
Sanctuary policies allow criminal illegal immigrants to roam our streets. Now is the time to end these dangerous and illegal policies.
Talking Points for Senators Who Supported SB 1378
“I am a voter in your district who is thankful you voted yes on SB 1378, the anti-sanctuary bill. Please seek another vote on the measure and continue to support it.
The bill simply makes local governments comply with current law and prevents their shielding of criminal aliens from federal immigration officials. SB 1378 will protect your constituents’ safety and tax dollars so please continue to stand with us.”
Thanks in advance for your assistance!
New Actions
Van Esser
Trump and Obama Promise to be Terrible Negotiators
President Barack Obama and presidential hopeful Donald Trump don’t agree on much. But they’ve found common ground in pushing to upend the Medicare drug benefit.
Shortly before his victory in New Hampshire, Trump grumbled about government drug spending – and called for Medicare to take over the role of negotiating drug prices from private insurers. President Obama’s new budget plan similarly calls for Medicare to negotiate prices on drugs.
Both men claim the move would save the government money. But they’re wrong. It will instead raise costs for seniors, deny them access to drugs, and dismantle the only portion of Medicare that has cost less than government projections.
The Medicare drug benefit, known as “Part D,” uses market competition to deliver prescription drug coverage to seniors. Private insurance plans compete with one another for seniors’ business, offering different premiums, deductibles, and levels of coverage. Seniors can pick the plan that suits their needs and the government subsidizes their premiums.
Today, nearly 40 million seniors are enrolled in Part D. On average, seniors can choose from 26 different drug plans. The competitive forces built into Part D have kept costs down. At an average of just $34 per month, premiums have been essentially flat since 2009 – and are about 50 percent below where the government expected.
The competitive structure has kept costs down for taxpayers, too. Indeed, Part D costs are 45 percent below where the Congressional Budget Office initially predicted.
Not a single other government program boasts results like this.
Consider the rest of Medicare. At its launch in 1965, Medicare’s Part A hospital insurance program was projected to cost $9 billion by 1990. The actual cost? About $67 billion.
Part D has been a resounding success. It has expanded drug coverage and cost seniors and taxpayers alike far less than expected.
Yet both Obama and Trump are dead-set on fundamentally changing the nature of the program.
They believe Washington bureaucrats could force drug prices down further than private insurers.
But the CBO has consistently found that the government wouldn’t be able to deliver any savings. As stated in 2009, “Granting the Secretary of HHS additional authority to negotiate for lower drug prices would have little, if any, effect on prices.”
If this were ever acknowledged by Obama and Trump, they would almost certainly point to the Veterans Affairs drug benefit as proof that their proposal would drive prices down. But the VA doesn’t negotiate prices – it dictates them. Drug makers who can’t comply with the VA’s demands are left off the program’s restrictive formulary. Indeed, of the 200 most popular drugs for seniors, the VA doesn’t cover 37 of them.
Medicare would have to rely on a similarly restrictive formulary to realize any cost savings.
Declining to pay for the drugs seniors most need would end up costing taxpayers more money, since more effective medicines can avert healthcare spending by keeping patients out of the hospital.
President Obama has long fought for the federal government to have more control over our healthcare system. Redesigning Part D would help further that goal.
Trump is still new to public policy, so perhaps he’ll reevaluate Part D. After all, as a businessman, he should appreciate the lesson Part D offers. Competition, not government meddling, is the best way to improve services and drive down prices.
Sally C. Pipes
Sally C. Pipes is president, CEO and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy at the Pacific Research Institute. Her latest book, The Way Out of Obamacare (Encounter), was released in January.
Congressman Gibson, Col-USA (Ret) co-sponsored House Bill to halt drawdown of U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps
An endorsed Combat Veteran For Congress, Cong Chris Gibson, Col-USA (Ret) (R-NY-20) co-sponsored a House Bill with Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH-10) that will halt the Obama administration’s plans to drawdown the end strength of the US Army and the US Marine Corps. The bill will actually increase the strength of the US Army by 55,000 personnel.
“The assumptions have significantly changed,” Cong Gibson told reporters on Wednesday, adding later: “Stay tuned, in the very near future we’re going to have some legislative action come forward, but we think it’s essential … that this drawdown needs to stop, and that the next president make assessments of what the proper level of land forces should be.”
The bill would revise the Army’s planned end-strength goal from 980,000 to 1,035,000, for a total that falls slightly below the Army’s pre-Sept. 11, 2001 troop levels, according to Cong Gibson’s spokesman. The House Bill would also call for Marine Corps end-strength to fall no lower than 184,000.
After Congressional hearing on troop strength, Cong Gibson appeared with Cong Turner at an impromptu press conference where both lawmakers decried the ongoing military drawdown by the Obama administration. Cong Gibson stated the world is less safe than it was when the Obama administration announced troop cuts, pointing to threats from the Islamic State, Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.
Key Republican lawmakers have decried the Army’s drawdown plans, and in July, when details were first made public, another endorsed Combat Veteran For Congress, Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain, (R-AZ-Senate), blasted the force cuts as budget driven.
Joseph R. John, USNA ‘62
Capt. USN(Ret)
Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC
www.CombatVeteransForCongress.org
www.facebook.com/combatveteransforcongress?ref=hl
