The KY for your cranial-rectal inversion.

Moving the Blog...

2010-07-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Moving the blog to WordPress.

TheBigShmoog

Hope to see you all there!

Why Bipartisanship Is Destroying Us.

2010-03-26T16:21:00.004-07:00

Bipartisanship.

I've had this discussion several times, and since I have actually gotten some decent response, thought I would write it out for my Internet/Facebook friends.

Bipartisanship is a bad thing. Well, not always a bad thing, but more often than not a bad thing.

Not because it is wrong to work together on something, but because of how it can be manipulated.

I'll describe it this way:

Mr. L(eft) and Mr. R(ight) are coming together on a bill. Both have their own opinions. For the sake of argument, I'll weight their opinions on a scale.

Let's say 0 to 10, and since we read left to right, 0 = extreme leftist view, 10 = right-wing view.

Now, as they come together on their bill, Mr.R presents a bill at 10. Mr. L, rebuts with a 0. Average = 5. Middle ground (mean = median). All well and good. Now generally, Mr. R tends to think of and look at legislation on an independent basis (as most Conservatives understand and accept that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and the freedom to express it), while Mr. L basis everything on a greater agenda, and that is move the country to the Left and to force everyone to comply and accept their positions.

Now in real life, Mr. L rarely sits at a 0, and Mr. R rarely sits at a 10 on the ideology scale.

So, more realistically, Mr. R comes to the table with a Bill that is in the 7 range. Mr. L, knowing that the overall agenda is to continually move the country itself to the 0, counters with a bill in the 0 range.

Average = 3.5.

Mr. R, not happy with such an extreme bill, refuses to budge and is denounced as not being "bipartisan". So, Mr. R caves in, brings the bill to a 6, while Mr. L, to look like he caved in as well, brings his bill to a 1.

Average = 3.5.

Now, let's assign a starting point of 5 to show a starting state to the overall political status of the

country. (5+3.5)/2 = 4.25

Bill #2 is presented, same essential process happens all over again... 8 and 2, but under pressure of "bipartisanship", the bill is brought closer to a 6 again, and we end up with

Average =4.

So the political state moves to: (5+3.5+4)/3 = 4.1

Now, if anyone knows anything about statistics and averages...the more you skew an average to one side, the harder it is to move it back to the median point on the scale..

Ex:(5+3.5+4+8)/4 = 5.125

To get Mr. L to concede to a bill that sits at point 8 on the scale, would require a huge departure for Mr. L from his ideology.

This is what has been happening in politics now for a long time. Republicans and Conservatives have been bringing forth bills that at best fit in the 7 to 8 range, some sitting at or near 5...and Mr. L has taken advantage of it.

Meeting in the middle through Bipartisanship (mean or average) ends up unfortunately not meeting at the median - even though everyone is lead to believe that it's the "Best Ever" because both sides worked and voted on it.

For as bad as the Obamacare legislation is, it does go to prove this model. Mr. L went for the 0, and this time, got it. No offset, no balance. The people of the USA have now seen Mr. L for the full extent of his ideology, and where he sits on the scale. We have also seen the dangers of allowing too many "Conservatives" to sit in the 5 and 6 positions. Time to start the steady progression back to the right.

Had to share this rant, save it for future, too...

2010-03-24T21:19:00.002-07:00

Neil Rosekrans SCAPEGOAT? Arizona's Congressional Democrats cite Gov. Brewer, state legislature as reason for voting in favor of healthcare bill. Press release says decisions made after Arizona government 'kicked close to 400,000 Arizonans off their insurance'. See the press release at StateBrief...

Arizona's Source for Common Sense Politics • Economics • Business • Life

www.statebrief.com

Join the debate at StateBrief!

about an hour ago · Comment · · Share

The issue is the Federal Budget, Health Care Reform is the Scapegoat. In other words the Feds are raising our taxes in order to pay for their indescretions by imposing this monster of a bill. Arizona needs State Rights and needs to enact legislation to exempt it's citizens from mandatory insurance.

about an hour ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Of course they need a scapegoat. They know for the next four years, costs will rise before any real changes take effect, and when they do? Well... this was a highly unpopular move on their (Dem) part, and they need to throw as much blame off on some other Party as they can. They'll manipulate the voters from here to eternity with threats of "losing your coverage" and "Republicans are big fat meanies". It's all a part of the power grab.

about an hour ago ·

Speak for yourself as far as exemptions. This law provides health care to 32 million additional Americans. 95% of the American people will be covered. This needed to be done, now it is.

about an hour ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

@reginald what if I came to you and said you needed to buy a semi truck. Even though you don't drive a semi truck. Then said if you don't buy it, we're going to fine you $3000, no exceptions. Well, you just bought a semi truck, whether you needed one or not.

about an hour ago ·

Reginald, I agree there needs to be health care reform, but first things first, we need to balance the budget or risk an economic collaspe that will make the great depression seem like a pot hole.

about an hour ago

how do a semi truck and health care compare?? EVERYONE needs health care at some point. The same does not apply to semi trucks.

59 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Now, the guy down the street buys one...drives the hell out of it for a year...blows the engine, then comes to you and MAKES you help pay for his blown engine. Even though you have an untouched semi truck in your driveway. So now you paid for that truck, plus the engine in someone elses. Then the guy across the street needs new tires...and guess what? You pay for those tires, too. No choice.

59 minutes ago ·

Your analogy makes no sense. Again, everyone uses health care at some point. If you are saying it is like Social Security into which I've paid plenty but will never collect, then again, you are misinformed.

56 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Then..the neighbor 3 doors down, he's a mechanic. The guy with the blown engine goes up to his door and tells him he HAS to come and fix his truck. Mechanic says he only workds on Mack's, the blown engine guy has a Peterbuilt...but instead of calling another mechanic turns to the neighbor and says you HAVE to fix my truck. So now the rights of the mechanic to choose the types, times and locations to labor have been dictated to him by another.

54 minutes ago ·

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

The truck represents a product - this product being mandatory health insurance. It's a product, and you can place any product into the argument.

That being said, doesn't mean I am not for reform of some kind....I just don't want the government that gave us the Postal Service, Social Security, and Medicare/Medicaid (which I thought was set up for those uninsured anyways) to make decisions about the products I buy - but more importantly about FORCING me to purchase, whether I want to or not.

51 minutes ago ·

So when you wreck that semi truck and you cannot pay for the medical costs and have no insurance... who pays

49 minutes ago

Since we're speaking in what if terms then I'll join. What if you or someone you know gets cancer and you can't afford the treatment. Do you just give up and die or find the resources to ensure you continue living? Maybe this means spending money you dont have. Maybe this means going further into debt. Human lives are more important to me than...See More

45 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

@Jo Guess what? I was in that spot. No insurance, ended up pretty sick. Know what I did? I walked into an Urgent Care and told them UP FRONT that I could not pay for it...and we set up payment arrangements right then and there. Same with my daughter for her pre-K check-ups.

45 minutes ago ·

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

@reginald how do you receive health care? By someone else PROVIDING you a service. A right is not something you are PROVIDED with. No one bestows a right upon you. I right is something you are born with.

Secondly, to receive that care you must rely on the fruits of someone else's labor: the service a Dr provides to a patient. If your care is mandated, then that means the Dr. is then required, no madated, to provide you with his fruits, regardless of the tems with which he chooses to.

What do you do for a living Reginald? How would you feel if the government came into your office/work space and said you have to provide the people in your waiting room with your service, regardless of whether you wanted to or not? after they have a RIGHT to demand your service from you then, don't they? But you can't raise prices on your paying customers, because you no longer set the price for the work you perform. More work, less pay...lovely....See More

35 minutes ago ·

Reginald, I'm curious as to what you mean by health care being a "right"? And at what level? Is public education for all, through secondary school, a "right"? Is having the best military machine in the world a "right"? What if the economy collapses and we can't afford all of these things? At that point, when these "rights" cannot be fulfilled (and ...See More

35 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Jonathan, agree...what happens to this country as we spiral into even more debt, just to give healthcare to those that don't want it (did you know that of that 32 million, 12 million were people that COULD afford coverage, but chose not to pay for it?) those that don't need it (another 10 million qualify for Medicare/Medicade but just have not ...See More

28 minutes ago ·

The City of Tucson is considering a reduction on health insurance for retirees. Well, maybe the new health care bill will pick them up. Bahaahaaaa.

25 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

I also find it very interesting that the big evil Insurance Companies that everyone despises...have been making hand over fist since first bell Monday. Why, if this Obamacare bill was supposed to suppress their profits and make them less "Capitalistic Greedy Bastards"...would people by buying up their stock in droves? Think about it for a second people. The insurance companies that I will agree have some issues, just got paid by the Obama Administration thanks to Pelosi, Reid, et. al.

24 minutes ago ·

We've spent far more on pointless occupation that we will on this reform. I don't remember being asked if I wanted to foot the bill on a needless war. The debt we have and are incurring iis laid at the feet of the Bushites.

23 minutes ago

I think we're in a political cycle, and replaying the late 60s. I've thought for years that Bush was like LBJ. And Obama seems eerily like Nixon to me. In those days, we spent loads on war and welfare. And we know where it all led--not to Mars and beyond! And it's no coincidence that Obama is putting us into the hands of the Russians just to get into space.

20 minutes ago

=We're not talking about the miltary, public education, and whatever else you mentioned that had no relevance to healthcare. Healthcare is a fundmental right everyone in America should be afforded. The argument that ppl die sooner than others is unacceptable if it could be prevented. People in America will benfit from the access provided to them to ...See More

18 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Uh. So tired with the Blame Bush argument. I bet the day after 9/11 you were out there waving a flag, or worried about where the next attack will come from. Unfortunately, whether you agree with the start of it or not, we are now responsible for finishing what Bush started in the best manner possible for the US and for those countries. We can't just leave a worse mess then what we made of it.

17 minutes ago ·

Let's not forget that this bill will also reduce our deficit by over $1 trillion over the next 20 years, ensure no one (kids first) can be denied coverage due to preexisting conditions, & federalize all student loans.

17 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Reginald you want to prevent DEATH? Dude, if you can figure out that one, I'll invest in your company!

16 minutes ago ·

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Reginald, the CBO crunches the numbers it is given, regardless of likelyhood of them actually being realistic. For all intents and purposes, Pelosi could have told them that every day she wakes up and farts 30 billion dollars worth of gold out her ass, and they would HAVE to accept that in the revenue stream.

Do you realize the majority of the ...See More

11 minutes ago ·

I certainly hope the health care bill cuts the deficit, Reginald, though I've seen commentary questioning whether that is right, or not, depending on declared Medicare savings, etc. And I certainly have no argument that health care for everyone is a desirable thing--and maybe even a reachable thing, even now. I just question the use of "rights"...See More

8 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

And lastly, a right is not something that is provided, it is something that you are born with, and is something that can only be taken away.

If you have to be given a right, you become beholden to the provider of that right.

If the government is giving you the right of healthcare, you have now become beholden to the government. ...See More

7 minutes ago ·

I just spent the week listening to the leading minds in the world surrounding healthcare. It's agreed the bill is not great, but great should never be the enemy of good. I'll take their word over Joe the plumber any day.

We can agree to disagree that's what America is all about. Debate and Dialouge. I respect your arguments but disagree with them. That's why we get to vote for our elected officials. You win some, you lose some. This time the American ppl won.

3 minutes ago

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

And Reginald, I appreciate that you did not divergd from the topic like others do. However, I do agree to disagree with the statment that the people won. The only people that won are those that just made every person in this country beholden to them.

about a minute ago ·

Peter Thebigshmoog Schmugge

Oh, and I agree...that's why we get to vote for our officials. Or vote against them as well.

2010-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

(2/2) prefer to follow my main account @RodneyGlassman. Thanks!

2010-03-19T07:47:00.001-07:00

www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/seia-on-utility-scale-solar/ HAHAHAHAHAAAAHAHAHAHAAAA!

Gore's 23rd

2010-02-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

The Gore is my shepherd, I shall not be in Warmth.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet, F35 free, waters,

3 he restores my Prius batteries.

He guides me in paths of granola-ness

for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk

through the valley of the Smog of death, [a]

I will fear no evil,

for curly lightbulbs are with me;

your Peace Prize and your Gulfstream -

they comfort me.

5 You prepare a Vegan table before me

in the presence of Republicans.

You anoint my head with patchouli oil;

my cup overflows with green tea with chamomile.

6 Surely smugness and pretentiousness will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Gore

forever.

Croutons and Things.

2010-02-17T18:34:00.001-07:00

I like em. Can't ever ever ever have too many of them.

Promised I would blog on them.

Promise -

Met.

Voting and Vetting.

2009-11-09T09:09:00.005-07:00

I wanted to take a few minutes to speak quickly to a statement posted on a previous blog post of mine by an anonymous commenter:

A vote for a Democrat or a vote for a Republican doesn't necessarily mean the voter is in support of EVERYTHING that candidate espouses.

Well, yes it is.

We live in a Democratic Republic. Our Founding Fathers knew that We the People did not have time, nor interest, in showing up at the polls every week to vote on every little law, bill, resolution or proclamation that comes up. So they set up a system of government in which We the People would choose those that we feel would best represent our positions to make those decisions on our behalf.

We choose, from a pool of candidates, those that espouse the ideals that we stand behind, believe in, feel is best, etc..... to put up for election to those offices. Just because you know what GOOD that person will do, does not mean you cannot also distance yourself from what kind of BAD that person intends to do on your behalf. If you vote for that person, you are giving them license - you are telling them that if they run on that platform - you agree with that platform - all aspects of it.

This is why getting involved in the pre-primary level is so important, regardless of party. I don't care what letter you have listed on your voter card...but if you do not get involved and look into the entire platform someone is standing on....well... it's the primary that gives you the opportunity to put forth, or prevent, them from being put forward. This is the pool of candidates that you will have to chose from, because after the primaries, it becomes all about the partisanship. D vs. R. (vs. L, G, etc...but let's not kid ourselves here).

Which brings up my second point I plan on making: In electing this person to represent you (that is why it is called the House of REPRESENTATIVES), you must take a look at the good AND the bad in their platform. Why do we have a two party system? Why do we classify ourselves into two basic categories? Because ultimately, (IMHO) there are two ways to decide who to put into office:

The One Who Will Do The Good You Want.

The One Who Will Not Do The Bad You Do Not Want.

When a voter choses to vote for the person who will do the good that the voter wants done, yet ignore the damage that person will also do - and then sit back and say they have no responsibility in the 'bad', it's is foolishness. You elected them in to represent you. You gave them your blessing, with your vote, to make the choices ALL OF THEM that they said they were going to make. To sit back and say "I am pro-life (or pick your topic du-jour) and don't agree with Rep. X on abortion, even though I voted for them" is a failure of you, as a citizen.

It is our duty, our obligation to get involved on some level in the process. It is our duty to vet the candidate of your choice. And then, if they do not pass the primary, to make the next best choice... and to look then at those candidates and ask yourself two very important questions:

"How much good will this person do?"

"How much damage will the person do?"

And then accept what they do, ON YOUR BEHALF, while they are in office, both the good and the bad. You voted for them. You put them in that seat. You gave them the power to do all that they said they were going to do. You take responsibility for your actions, namely, who you voted for. You take responsiblity for the damage those elected officials have done while in office.

This goes for both parties, before you think I am going to do the "all D's are bad and all R's are good".

I vote primarily along Republican lines because as a conservative, (you know, someone who wants to conserve the status quo...i.e. constitutionality, bill of rights, etc) my primary concern is what do I NOT agree on with this candidate. We will never find someone we agree with on 100% of the time. So I look at those items that I consider important, and ignore those that I do not - and when that candidate is elected - accept their votes AS MY OWN on those items.

Anonymous asked why Republicans put so much emphasis on abortion as a topic? Why do Christians put so much emphasis on voting Republican? Because we consider that topic to be very important. Plain and simple. If I choose to elect someone into office that has stated they plan on extending the pro-choice agenda, it means one of two things - I agree with the agenda, and hence choose this person as my representative, or I consider that item to be unimportant to me. So for a Christian to stand up and give credence to a Party that has chosen to stand on the Pro-Choice side of the argument again means one of two things: I agree with the agenda, and hence choose this person as my representative, or I consider that item to be unimportant to me. If you, as a Christian, find abortion to be unimportant - I suggest speaking to your Pastor.

So again, as we move past the local elections, and head full steam to this mid-term election - get involved now. Find your candidate now. Vote in the primaries. Once they are in elected into office, it's too late. (yes, i know you can recall them, but if you have ever looked into the process, it's damn near impossible)

P.S. since it is my blog - and I have the right to at least receive some respect due to the point of commenters - I have changed my settings. No more anonymous. Sorry, but my name goes by my posts. You should have the decency to do as well.

Salesmanship

2009-09-18T21:05:00.003-07:00

So, time flies when you are a good little conservative, and go find yourself a second job to make ends meet...

We as Conservatives are selling (or pitching) a product. Just like everyone else in the ad game, in order to increase buy-in on your product, you have to understand your customer first. Best analogy? How do you get away with charging $5 for 4 nuggets, some fries and a soda? Put a free toy in it. How many times as parents have you bought a Happy Meal simply because Jr. wanted the toy? Likewise, as a Conservative with a product to pitch, we need to tailor our approach to the 'demographic'.

Just to make things interesting, though... we have a Burger King that not only likes to compete for the same demographic, but likes to directly affect our pitch by making claims against our Happy Meals. (and no, I am using the companies as examples, I like both restaurants equally - which is not saying much).

In other words: they pitch their product AND attack the Right at the same time (and I am not saying the Right doesn't do the same thing, but hey...all's fair in love and war). Knowing this, we can make our sale much easier to dismiss by not playing into their hands. They try to marginalize us by calling us names: first it was the "RWE"... which instead of causing us to be discouraged, we embraced as a badge of honor. Then it was "The Mob"....again, instead of letting it hinder us, we instead tongue-in-cheek took it on, too....

But what most Conservatives don't understand or see yet, is that when we do that...when we dismantle their advertising campaign... it forces them into another one - deeper, more emotional, more extreme. Recently we were called "Forces of Evil". No kidding - that one is so easy to dismiss, that it literally shows the cracks in their facade.... Now they have gone to that last bastion of lilberalistic argumentation - the racism card. The irrationality of their claims highlight their struggle to maintain some grip on the customer.

But, if we on the Right, at the same time, also show any kind of weakness, show any kind of lessening of the push, any kind of reaction that plays into something they can use as fodder against us? We then become as marginalized out to the Right as the liberals do to the Left. At that point, we also have lost touch with the demographic, with the customer. Let them call us 'extremists'...and we turn around and show them we are no more extreme than a fan at a football game. Let them call us 'the Mob'...and we show them a peaceful gathering, rather than a violent, riotous group. The Left is left selling a message that doesn't ring true. However, someone calls us a 'Rabid Right-Winger'...and we then go off foaming at the mouth upset at the name calling? Played right into their hands, and the customer buys into the Left's branding of us.

We end up getting so caught up with outdoing each other, we lose sight of the primary purpose we are even out there AS activists: to increase awareness among the independent voter. Always ask yourself how does your response to the Left appear in the eye's of those that choose to be more concerned about The Office than The Oval Office? Are your actions in agreement with the claims made by the left? (or at least does it appear to be in agreement?) Does 100 tweets a day accomplish more or less than 3 or 4? Does blowing up their text mail box leave a good impression? Same with incessant posts on Facebook and MySpace? If we make them use the 'ignore' feature, then have we accomplished anything?

We complain about voter apathy...but annoying the apathetic just makes them all the more apathetic to your point of view. What happens when we are watching TV and the P90X commercial comes on? We change the channel. Why? We don't want to be yelled at for 30 minutes about something we don't care about. Same thing with us. Don't be the Sham-Wow guy of the Right...instead, work on 1 individual at a time. A friend, a neighbor, a co-worker. That one, will then go out and work on 1. Those 2 will talk to 2. Those 4...and you see the pattern. Then find a 2nd person, and start the process growing again... and again...

On that note, also accept, if you choose to go the route of the 'mass shotgun' effect of the twitter blasts, excessive facebook posts and email spam the results of your choice in advertising. People will come and go on your twitter and facebook friend lists. Accept it. And like a paid-advertising program...you may get dismissed or ignored by everyone - why watch the program if you already bought the product? Lastly, don't be surprised if people label you in the process...how many times have you pre-judged the person in the advertisements without even watching the full 30 minutes?

FW: From Event Host: Tucson Giffords Town Hall

2009-08-31T15:22:00.001-07:00

Guessing then that signs are OK at this town hall? Can't Mrs. Pink Sweater Set of Houston keep it straight? She changes her mind on the rules of her town halls more often then a diaper on a 6 month old...

To: tucsonteaparty@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2009 2:22:56 PM
Subject: Fw: From Event Host: Tucson Giffords Town Hall

I find it funny that I went to Gifford web site to RSVP for the town meeting and this is now what I'm getting!! Gee and we are the mob!! But they can have a sign making party!!!

Just thought you might be interested. Scott

--- On Mon, 8/31/09, [deleted] wrote:

From: [deleted]
Subject: From Event Host: Tucson Giffords Town Hall
To: [deleted]
Date: Monday, August 31, 2009, 1:06 PM

This message was sent to you by the host of the "Tucson: U.S.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hosts a Town Hall on Health Insurance
Reform!" event for which you signed up to attend. You can edit
your signup by going to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/myevents

You can see the details of this event by going to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpfkqr

---

Hey everyone,

The day is almost here! Please be at Sahuaro High School by 4:00pm tomorrow, for a rally in support of Congresswoman Giffords, as the opposition will be out in full force. Showing up early is also essential to getting inside the town hall.

Tonight there is a sign making party at Pima Dems HQ, 4639 E. 1st St, from 5pm - 8pm, please come by.

WE NEED TO SHOW UP to the town hall, so please bring people with you.

If you need anything, my cell is 520.548.9959.

See you soon,
[deleted]

REMINDER: August 28 Healthcare Townhall by Tucson Tea Party

2009-08-26T11:33:00.001-07:00

Please forward this email to anyone you know who may want to attend!

The Tucson Tea Party will be hosting a
[http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=317] healthcare town hall event called
"Positive Reforms for American Healthcare" on Friday, August 28th, in
the Rincon High School Auditorium located at
[http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=421+N+Arcadia+Avenue,+Tucson,+AZ&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=34.313287,79.013672&ie=UTF8&ll=32.227868,-110.888507&spn=0.008949,0.01929&z=16&iwloc=A]
421 N Arcadia Avenue at 6:30 in the evening.

We have invited both Representatives Giffords and Grijalva to participate
and await their responses. This is your chance to learn all about the
alternatives[http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=335] before Rep. Giffords'
townhall on Sept. 1, where you can ask her the really tough questions.
(That is, if we're allowed to!)

We will hear from panelists such as economist Byron Schlomach of the
Goldwater Institute and several Arizona doctors including Jane Orient and
Steve Knope. They will discuss the government takeover of healthcare
proposed in Congress, as well as positive solutions that are not being
discussed by our representatives. These patient-centered solutions offer an
alternative that will bring down costs and increase coverage without a
massive taxpayer subsidy.

After panelist presentations the floor will be opened to question and
answer, which will be determined by random drawing of ticket numbers that
are given at the door.

Seating capacity is 1200 and it will be on a first come first served
basis. Admission to the event is free. If you want a seat, make sure you
come early!

We are accepting donations to cover the cost of the event. You can
donate securely over the internet by using the donation widget at the top
of [http://www.tucsonteaparty.org] TucsonTeaParty.org or by going directly
to our [http://tucsonteaparty.chipin.com/healthcare-townhall-donations]
ChipIn page. We will also be selling tea shirts and accepting donations at
the event itself.

Thank you all for your continued support as the Tucson Tea Party tries to
hold our representatives accountable.

Trent Humphries & Robert Mayer

Organizers, Tucson Tea Party

This message was sent by: Tucson Tea Party, 140 W Vista Grande Dr., Tucson, AZ 85704

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Why We Have To Do It Better.

2009-08-19T07:07:00.001-07:00

We've heard a lot about these "rules for radicals", but most of us don't know what they are, or know why it is so important to know what they are. Well, the super-quick-down-and-dirty version of them is this:

1. "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have."

2. "Never go outside the expertise of your people. When an action or tactic is outside the experience of the people, the result is confusion, fear and retreat.... [and] the collapse of communication.

3. "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy. Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

4. "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."

5. "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. Also it infuriates the opposition, which then reacts to your advantage."

6. "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."

7. "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. Man can sustain militant interest in any issue for only a limited time...."

8. "Keep the pressure on, with different tactics and actions, and utilize all events of the period for your purpose."

9. "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself."

10. "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition. It is this unceasing pressure that results in the reactions from the opposition that are essential for the success of the campaign."

11. "If you push a negative hard and deep enough, it will break through into its counterside... every positive has its negative."

12. "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative."

13. Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it. In conflict tactics there are certain rules that [should be regarded] as universalities. One is that the opposition must be singled out as the target and 'frozen.'...

Now, why is this so important to know these rules? Well, in football, if you can get the opposing teams playbook, you have a significant advantage. These rules are the Left's playbook. This is the "why and how" of what they do when the single out and attack people like Palin, Bush, the Tea Party...

But by knowing these rules, and understanding how OUR actions are going to be perceived and manipulated with these rules...it gives us on the right the advantage by not playing into their hands. More on that later, for now I just want you to study these rules.

TUSD, Unions, and crying wolf.

2009-08-16T10:05:00.002-07:00

The AZ Star is reporting today http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/305174.php that 400 of 560 teachers who were laid off at the end of last summer, have now been rehired and are back on staff... What you don't see from the headline is that there are still 100 open positions.

This means 500 of 560 positions are being rehired. Additionally, the headline does not tell you that another 185 staff positions were also rehired. That makes the number 695 of 745 positions that were terminated last spring.

Why all the hullabaloo then last spring? Because the unions were afraid of losing funding during the budget crisis in the State Legislature. NOTE, the only monies being reduced in the budget is soft capital - books, buildings, etc. The legislature is NOT touching the teachers/staff salaries monies. The only group affecting those revenue streams is the local school boards through their budgets and bonding issues.

So 93% of the terminated positions are being filled. Its gets the SHORTEST and SMALLEST article it can, on a Sunday morning, when the paper is the fullest and biggest. Why? Bury the story. Don't make the Teacher's Unions look like they are crying wolf. Next year, when they pull the same CR@P, remember this! This is the game they play to squeeze every tax dollar they can out of you to further their agenda - and by the test scores that the children place? Yeah, we know the agenda is not education.

Protesting the Right Way.

2009-08-15T10:52:00.003-07:00

It occurred to me that we on the Right have gone so long without protesting that we have forgotten how to do it better.

So a few Do's and Don't's as we head into another rally at Gabby's (21st, 4-6 pm) and Grijalva's (22nd, 12-2 pm) offices. Some of this may be tongue-in-cheek, but only to emphasize the point:

DO - wear comfortable clothing, colored to match the protest OR the fallback color of red.

DON'T - come half dressed. We want our signs to be read and message to be heard - not to have cars honking at your flat-belly.

DO - bring water and sunscreen. If you need a place to occasionally sit down, bring a chair.

DON'T - use bus stop benches. We are there to protest, not get Sun Tran upset with us. They have a job to do, so do we. Since we are all conservatives, we understand the desire to be left alone to do our work.

DO - stay on PUBLIC PROPERTY, sidewalks and easements.

DON'T - enter private property. Again, we conservatives believe in property rights of the owner. Let's prove to all that we respect that.

DO - bring your own homemade signs.

DON'T - hand out pre-printed signs. We are not MoveOn - We have the ability to think for ourselves.

DO - respect the roadways

DON'T - stand in traffic, or disrupt the flow. We want people to hear our message, not get turned off at us because there is a red shirt holding up the light.

DO - chant slogans

DON'T - chant slogans inside the counter-protest. That is ILLEGAL. No group promoting any protest (Tea Party, Code Blue, etc) condones, permits, or promotes direct confrontation. You get attacked, you are on your own...and we WILL laugh and point at you for your stupidity.

DO - spread out... preferably down the oncoming traffic side to the red, as they will be stopped waiting for the light. IN ALL DIRECTIONS, as long as we concede the right to the counter-protest to their corner/corners

DON'T - bunch up in one mass under the only tree for shade. How can anyone count how many people are there, if you just look like a blob of red? Spread out, numbers speak volumes at these rallys, come prepared to be in the sun, bring an umbrella if you need to...but please spread out! Also, you spent time handmaking your sign, right? You want somebody to appreciate it - they can't if it's in the middle of the mass of red.

And on the subject of signs, there are some good and bad's there, too:

GOOD - 7 words or less

BAD - anything over 7 words long, remember we are trying to get our message out to the drivers as they pass, they cannot read a novel during a red light.

GOOD - jokes, puns, quotes from founding fathers, quotes from talk show hosts or bloggers

BAD - racial slurs, personal attacks, curse words

GOOD - logic

BAD - nonsensical ranting

GOOD - logical linking of policy to political stances

BAD - use of the words: Nazi, Hitler, or any other form of Godwin'ing the argument

GOOD - BIG BOLD LETTERING

BAD - any lettering smaller than 2 inches tall...why do you think the Fed mandates lettering on roadsigns be 2 inches tall MINIMUM?

GOOD - pictures ex: Kool-Aid Man, Joker-bama

BAD - pictures that look like they were drawn by a two-year-old, unless it was actually drawn by your two-year-old. Then I say awesome for getting your kids involved!

GOOD - Flags

BAD - Flags waving into traffic. Again, we're not there to piss off the motorists!

UPDATE: Aug 17th: DO NOT BRING GUNS. If you have a CCW, bring your carry weapon. BUT DON'T BRING A FLIPPIN AR-15. Obamacare has NOTHING to do with the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.

Ruth McClung for Congress wants to thank all of you

2009-08-15T08:24:00.001-07:00

Ruth McClung wants to thank all of you for your hard work in opposing the Health Care Reform bills currently going through Congress. We are being heard! The Senate Finance Committee has dropped the so called Death Panel language from its version of the bill:

Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member of the Committee on Finance, today made the following comment on end-of-life concerns and other concerns prompted by the House committee-passed health care legislation.

"The bill passed by the House committees is so poorly cobbled together that it will have all kinds of unintended consequences, including making taxpayers fund health care subsidies for illegal immigrants. On the end-of-life issue, there's a big difference between a simple educational campaign, as some advocates want, and the way the House committee-passed bill pays physicians to advise patients about end of life care and rates physician quality of care based on the creation of and adherence to orders for end-of-life care, while at the same time creating a government-run program that is likely to lead to the rationing of care for everyone. On the Finance Committee, we are working very hard to avoid unintended consequences by methodically working through the complexities of all of these issues and policy options. That methodical approach continues. We dropped end-of-life provisions from consideration entirely because of the way they could be misinterpreted and implemented incorrectly. Maybe others can defend a bill like the Pelosi bill that leaves major issues open to interpretation, but I can't."

(Senator Grassley is the ranking Republican in the Senate Finance Committee: see his press release at http://finance.senate.gov/press/Gpress/2009/prg081309.pdf)

There are however about 7 versions of the Bill going through both Houses of Congress, and this is only one version. And this is only one issue. Keep up fighting for our rights.

By the way, Rep. Grijalva says he will not vote for the bill unless it contains a strong inclusion of public option. The public option will lead to a single payer plan and we need to continue fighting against this socialistic provision in any of the bills. Rep. Grijalva is having a public forum in Yuma next Wednesday. If you live near Yuma, please go and let your wishes be known! http://www.yumasun.com/news/forum-52109-grijalva-health.html#slComments

I'm privileged to be fighting with all of you to save our freedoms.

Ruth

FW: First we're "extremists", now Gabrielle Giffords calls us RACISTS

2009-08-08T20:13:00.001-07:00

Subject: First we're "extremists", now Gabrielle Giffords calls us RACISTS

As you all remember, before our July 17 protest in front of Rep. Gabrielle
Giffords' (D-AZ), the [http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=184] Pima County
Democratic Party labeled the Tucson Tea Party and its supporters, "an
extremist organization whose mission is to promote the far-right wing's
agenda and to support candidates who have fallen tragically out of touch
with the values of mainstream Arizonans."

Then, on August 6, Giffords hosted a movie night at La Placita Cinema
downtown in which she was supposed to make an appearance. 200 - 300
concerned citizens
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/tucsonteaparty/sets/72157621850961903/]
showed up to let her know that they wanted a public townhall in which to
voice their concerns given that she had scheduled none during the recess.

Giffords did not show up to her own event, saying that she had never
planned to go and that she believed the Tea Partiers would disrupt the
movie. We [http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=272] caught her in this lie by
exposing that she was, in fact, scheduled to attend the event and was
simply hiding from her constituents.

Now, our Representative has raised the stakes to a new, terrible height.

In an interview with Daniel Scarpinato of the Arizona Daily Star, she said
things about all of us that will make you cringe.

She said that we are using MANIPULATION and RACISM to mislead people! She
also said that shewas threatened by a protester with a gun while down in
Douglas and that she feels worried for her life! (Of course, this
revelation was only made to Mr. Scarpinato, as I didn't see that covered in
any newspaper nor was anyone put in jail for this supposed threat of
violence).

Does your Representative, Gabrielle Giffords, truly believe that her
constituents are racists because they oppose the government's takeover of
the economy? Does she truly believe that we are an unruly mob of racists
that want to end her life? Don't take my word for it.
[http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/304149.php] Just read the
article.

That is what she is actually saying about you. Now compare these lies to
reality, captured in this
[http://www.kgun9.com/global/Category.asp?c=172043&clipId=4027106&topVideoCatNo=139344&autoStart=true]
KGUN9 news report from today's protest at her office, which both the news
station as well as Tucson Police described as completely peaceful and
without incidence.

Of course it was peaceful! There is no mob! That whole meme is a complete
fabrication! Every event the Tucson Tea Party has ever done has been
peaceful. In fact, I would be hard pressed to think of a more civil,
law-abiding group of concerned citizens.

Gabrielle Giffords is running face first into uncharted territory by
hiding from her constituents, outright lying about them, and calling them
racists. The pressure is causing her to make critical mistakes and reveal
just what she thinks about her constituents. It is time to up that pressure
now more than ever.

The [http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=270] Tucson Tea Party is organizing
a mass Recess Rally in front of her office on August 21st between 4 - 7
p.m. at her Pima & Swan office. We will be sending out several emails over
the next two weeks with more information about how you can participate in
this rally.The last rally had approximately 500 people attend -- this one
needs double or triple that!

In the meantime, continue to call Giffords' office at 520-881-3588 and let
her know what you think of her slanderous remarks!

Now that we've been called extremists, racists, and mobsters, what else
could they possibly come up with?

Please forward this email to anyone interested, and thank you for
continuing to be civil even as our Congresswoman demeans us publicly.

Robert Mayer

Co-Organizer, [http://www.tucsonteaparty.org] Tucson Tea Party

This message was sent by: Tucson Tea Party, 140 W Vista Grande Dr., Tucson, AZ 85704

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FW: Rep. Giffords a no-show at her own event due to Tea Partiers -- then lies and says she never meant to go!

2009-08-07T18:31:00.001-07:00

-----Forwarded Message-----
Date: Friday, August 07, 2009 6:15:22 pm
To: pschmugge@msn.com
From: Tucson Tea Party <tucsonteaparty@yahoo.com>
Subject: Rep. Giffords a no-show at her own event due to Tea Partiers -- then lies and says she never meant to go!

On August 6 at 7 p.m., Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) hosted an outdoor
movie night at La Placita Cinema downtown. However, because she has been
hiding from her constituents and has so far refused to hold a townhall
regarding the healthcare bill, we all figured it would be a
[http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=265] good idea to show up and let her
know how unhappy we are with the bill.

She was supposed to show up for the movie event -- it's her event, after
all! -- but then told a Fox 11 reporter that she was not going to attend
because she feared the protesters would "disrupt the movie". Apparently she
thinks that supporters of the Tucson Tea Party are part of an unruly mob!

All I saw were 200-300 concerned citizens!

Then, on the Fox 11 broadcast that night
([http://www.fox11az.com/video/newsvideo-index.html?nvid=387325&shu=1]
video here), she accused the Tucson Tea Party of misrepresenting the event
as a town hall and said she never intended to go to the event at all!

Nothing could be further from the truth. Gabrielle Giffords sent out a
message in her "Cactus Roots Connection" newsletter about her intended
appearance at the event, saying: "Come join me and others in watching this
classic film... Hope to see you there! Thank you again for your support!
Sincerely yours, Gabrielle Giffords."

A copy of the message is posted on the
[http://26dems.blogspot.com/2009/08/support-cong-gabrielle-giffords-come-to.html]
LD26 Democrats blog. The La Placita Cinema's
[http://twitter.com/cinemalaplacita/status/2894115631] Twitter feed also
says: "Thurs. Aug. 6 our Congressperson Gabrielle Giffords will be at CLP
to see 'Mr. Smith goes to Washington'. Come say 'hi' and see a movie!"

Gabrielle Giffords is hiding from her constituency at a time when she
needs to start listening to them. She showed true cowardice by failing to
appear at her own event in the face of public protest.

She did the exact same thing in Douglas, where she forced constituents to
wait in line to talk to her one-on-one before turning the rest away rather
than speak openly with her constituents
([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW3w9J9bH_k] video here).

The reality is that there was no unruly mob, which was apparent to
everyone who attended. There were only concerned constituents who showed up
to the only public appearance she planned to make in Tucson during the
recess. And the only reason we were there was to ask her for one public
townhall in which we could voice our concerns.

In fact, rather than disrupt the movie night, Tea Partiers helped the La
Placita Cinema set up their chairs!

By not showing up to her own event because of fears that her constituents
would "disrupt the movie", Giffords showed not only cowardice by failing to
defend her position on government-run healthcare, but disrespect and
disdain for her own constituency. Essentially, she is calling the
protesters uncivilized and not worth her time.

I also invite you all to check out the videos, pictures, and news coverage
of the event and judge for yourself if these people are part of an unruly
mob (posted below "Protest News"). I just don't see it where they get that
idea.

More Protest News:

Several groups will be protesting outside of Giffords' office on Saturday,
August 8 at 9 a.m. Her office is located on the SW corner of Pima & Swan.
While this is not a Tucson Tea Party organized protest, I know that many of
our supporters will be there and feel that it is important for other Tea
Partiers to know about it.

The Tucson Tea Party will be participating in the Nationwide Recess Rally
in front of Giffords' office. While the nationwide rally will be at noon on
Saturday, August 22, we believe there are significant disadvantages to that
time including the heat, lack of traffic, no news media on hand, and nobody
present at Giffords' office.

Therefore, The Tucson Tea Party rally will take place on Friday, August 21
between 4 - 7 p.m. at Gabrielle Giffords' office on Pima and Swan! The last
rally on July 17 had 500 people attend. Let's make this one 1000 at least!

Please check [http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/] TucsonTeaParty.org and our
[http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?page_id=258] Event Calendar for more
information.

Videos, Pictures, and News Coverage

[http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/303987] Arizona Daily Star: Jamar Younger
did a good job providing fair coverage of the event.

[http://www.fox11az.com/video/newsvideo-index.html?nvid=387325] Fox 11:
Gabby lies and says that she never intended to be at the movie event.

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/tucsonteaparty/sets/72157621850961903/]
Flickr Pictures: Check out this Flickr set to see pictures from the
protest.

Videos: Here's a video of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYRl2i5S6O4]
protest around 6:00 p.m. and another of
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yfYL0nNBBk] Jon Justice speaking.

This message was sent by: Tucson Tea Party, 140 W Vista Grande Dr., Tucson, AZ 85704

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FW: NW Republican Meeting- Agenda

2009-08-07T07:34:00.001-07:00

-----Original Message-----
From: Sherese Steffens
Sent: 8/7/2009 2:20:38 PM
To: Sherese Steffens
Subject: NW Republican Meeting- Agenda

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for all the help and support in getting this first meeting or the Northwest Republicans accomplished!

Remember it is next Wednesday August 12 at The Nanini Library @ 6:30 to 7:30 pm (see flyer)

Please let everyone you know about the meetings and encourage them to get informed and involved!

We can't change things if we don't do something!

Hope to see all of you at the meeting!

Sherese Steffens

Second Invitation regarding PC class this Saturday

2009-08-05T07:06:00.001-07:00

If you are a new Precinct Committeeperson in Pima County, but have not attended this class yet, please sign up!

From: Mike Ebert <ebertsan@msn.com>
Subject: Second Invitation regarding PC class this Saturday

Good Morning Everyone!
We still have seats available for this Saturday's session held at El Parador Restaurant, 2744 E Broadway.
Class begins at 930 and ends at 1100
This is an interactive training session where we learn how to work our precincts, get a better understanding of pc duties and just get active for change in our city. We share ideas and get to meet others looking to do the same.
El Parador will provide the room, coffee, tea, water and danish for $5/person

Please join us by responding to this email.
Thanks, Mike Ebert

PS:Thanks to those whom have already RSVP'd

FW: 3 opportunities for conservative activists this week

2009-08-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

Here are some opportunities to be conservatively active this week.

Wednesday, Aug 5 at 5:30 pm at City Council Chambers 255 W. Alameda -
The Tucson City Council is expected to vote Wednesday to file a legal
challenge to stop implementation of nonpartisan, ward-only elections
mandated by the Legislature... Read full story at http://
www.azstarnet.com/metro/303282

Thursday, Aug 6 at 7 pm -- Gabby Giffords sponsoring the outdoor
movie at La Placita Village, 211 S Church Ave (Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington). We heard she will be there -- working to confirm. We
are asking people to wear their Tea Party shirts, or in red if you
don't have a Tea Party shirt, to enjoy the movie and send Gabby a
message that she can't just hide from constituents who disagree with
her! This is not a protest. We just want her to know that we're
thinking of her. This is supposed to be posted on the Tucson Tea
Party facebook page. Kelly and I talked to Jennifer Humphries about
it earlier today.

Saturday, Aug 8 at 9:00 AM at the corner of Swan and Pima In front of
Gabby Gifford's office. The Arizona chapter of Americans for
Prosperity is joining allied organizations to hold protests at the
offices of members of Arizona's Congressional delegation to tell them
to keep their HANDS OFF OUR HEALTH CARE!

AFP Arizona activists will join Arizona Tea Party, 9-12 Project
Arizona, Smart Girl Politics, Tea Party Patriots, and thousands of
citizen activists in Code Blue protests around the state

Also, don't forget to call and email Gabby's office this week if you
oppose the government takeover of your healthcare - even if you've
already contacted her about it!

And please forward this to your friends who might be interested.

Thanks!

FW: History made easy and so true.........

2009-07-24T05:43:00.001-07:00

I did not create this, it was one of many email forwards, but was so funny, had to keep it before I passed it on.

Lesson

For those that don't know about history. Here is a condensed version:

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

1. Liberals, and

2. Conservatives.

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can was invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jackass.

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food is standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most liberal women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly MGD or Sam Adams. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots, database/computer programmers and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America. They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

Here ends today's lesson in world history.

Right Wing Extremists, EH????

2009-07-21T20:40:00.006-07:00

Right Wing Protest:

Left Wing Protest:

Right Wing Protest:

Left Wing Protest:

And they say WE are the extremists!

Ok, Update 2

2009-07-21T15:27:00.002-07:00

For some strange reason, I am now fascinated to see where this person is going with their videos.

They haven't posted anything new tho... I hope they didn't run out of steam, or change their mind...

Oh, well... there's lots of other fun Tucson videos like this one to watch.

Some Great Video Of "Right Wing Extremists!"

2009-07-19T06:12:00.001-07:00

Just two quick links, as embedding them just slows down the works...

First off are my videos I took that day: http://www.youtube.com/user/thebigshmoog

And then some great videos JonJustice took that day: http://www.youtube.com/user/1041TheTruth

Just keep asking yourself... we had this many people turn up, on a day where it was 109 degrees... how do we get this kind of enthusiasm to translate into votes on election day?

The Democrats pulled up in a rickety old bus. They DROVE in protesters. They'll do the same on election day. This is what ACORN does. Ask yourself what YOU can do to counter that kind of drive and ambition to fill the polls. Can you drive in a neighbor or 3 to ensure THEY vote on election day? Will you go door to door over the next few weeks and hand out voter registrations to those independent conservatives that haven't bothered to go to the library themselves to get a voter registration? Will you put a bumper sticker on your car? Will you post something on your facebook or twitter stream every so often so your friends get to meet the candidates over the internet?

My Open Letter To Those That Attended The Giffords Protest

2009-07-18T13:38:00.001-07:00

This is a response to a thread on Facebook regarding 'why bother giving time or money to the candidates? All they talk about is what is wrong with Tucson.'

...That's interesting, because I just listened to all four of the Tucson City Council candidates (or their reps) at the LD 30 picnic today. They all spoke positively about Tucson and it's future. Unfortunately you can't fix something, unless you know how it is broken. [The candidates] know that, a few of us know that, but there are A LOT of people that still do not understand just how broken of a system we have here in Tucson. What [the candidates] need now is help to get their positive message out about how they will fix the broken system. When you go to the auto mechanic and he walks in, he doesn't list everything that is right with the car, does he? No, he starts with what is wrong, THEN he tells you how he is going to FIX IT. That is what they are speaking to now. To that end, I am walking for Shaun this Saturday, so that he can get his message of 'city-repair' out to the voters. Have you committed to doing something positive for change in this city yet? Have you given your donation to them, so they can get their message out? Have you followed them around to a few public speeches to listen to them? If youhave, then great - talk to THEM and give them feedback. Constructive criticism is always appreciated. Harping on what they are doing wrong? That merely plays into the laize-faire attitude of the undecided voter, who once again says "why bother voting?"

If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

http://pimald25.blogspot.com

twitter.com/thebigshmoog

facebook.com/thebigshmoog

What the Pima Dems are Saying:

2009-07-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

Forwarded to me, now to all of you to see!:

**********************************************

Unfortunately local Republicans get a great number of people out to their events, under the guise "Tucson Tea Party"

They pretend to be against raising taxes, but don't seem to care when their taxes are funding wars.

Let's show them that Tucsonans want their taxes to go to Clean Energy & Health Care.

Join the Pima County Democratic Party TOMORROW at 4pm

to show we appreciate her for voting in support of the Clean Energy & Security Act.

*If you want to help make posters for the event, come to Pima Dem Headquarters (4639 E. 1st St.) Thursday, July 16, 5-8pm.)

Call 326-3716 for more information or go to: http://www.pimadems.org/

To see how important it is to have many, many people there...The Tucson Tea Party is talking about the Pima Dems:

http://www.tucsonteaparty.org/?p=184

Please take time out of your busy life to join our efforts!

And send this to EVERYONE you know...You'll be glad you did....

Yes We Can stand for truth and justice!!!

Sarah~:)

An Open Letter To The Pima County Democratic Party

2009-07-17T05:46:00.000-07:00

Hello.

I am a small business owner.

Last year I hired my first employee.

Last fall I had to fire my first employee, thanks to all the additional costs of hiring and retaining employees.

I made $9,700 dollars last year after expenses - not bad for a start-up company, actually. Most take a couple years to turn a profit.

I am on AHCCCS, because I cannot afford health insurance. I qualify for a lot more government welfare and handouts, but because I have a Church family and good friends to fall back on, I refuse to take anything out of the hands of someone at gunpoint (through the IRS).

In other words, I don't want to be leach on society's ass.

This country was founded on the freedom of political discourse, the freedom to peacefully assemble, and the freedom of speech. With only 2 teaparties held, both of them so peacefully held that TPD officers were sent HOME because the were not needed, (the actual quote being "just a bunch of law-abiding citizens being law-abiding") you come out and label the hardworking men and women who give up their time to re-open political discourse in America and in Tucson as "RWE's"?

Are you really THAT afraid of the Tea Party movement? You must be, to be pulling out the stops already. Thanks! We needed that boost, to know that we are being effective, to know that we are making you worried about your stranglehold on politics in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona, and the USA. This proves to us that we are not merely 'preaching to the choir' when we hand out information, hold a rally, or speak on talk radio. Thanks for giving all our fence-sitters a reason to get off the fence and join us. Thanks for making it easier to bring in the Independent Voter, who merely wants to vote for a candidate that speaks their mind, not attacks their opponent. Thank-you for making our job easier.

An Open Letter To The Pima County Democratic Party

2009-07-17T05:24:00.000-07:00

Hello.

I am a small business owner.

Last year I hired my first employee.

Last fall I had to fire my first employee, thanks to all the additional costs of hiring and retaining employees.

I made $9,700 dollars last year after expenses - not bad for a start-up company, actually. Most take a couple years to turn a profit.

In other words, I don't want to be leach on society's ass.

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

http://pimald25.blogspot.com

twitter.com/thebigshmoog

facebook.com/thebigshmoog

Thou Protesteth Too Much...

2009-07-16T06:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.pimadems.org/

Yup, first on the Democrats blog is organizing the counter-protest on the 17th.

For a bunch of 'fringe right wing extremist groups', they must be awful afraid of what we represent, to pull out all the stops and ask EVERY SINGLE DEMOCRAT in Tucson to come and counter-protest.

But lets think about this for a second.

April 15th Tea Party = 3800

July 4th Tea Party = 5000

Grijalva's pro Obamacare rally = 500

This is what they fear.

They know Obama is doing the Democratic Party no favors right now. They know Gabby is not doing much better. They know Grijalva is vulnerable, as he just votes party line, and is just as responsible for the economy as anyone else is.

Already people are waking up to the fact that the rich are who create jobs.

That the rich are who invest in industry.

That socialized medicine is a failure wherever it is implemented.

That you can't make the poorer richer, you only make the richer poorer.

That industry will leave to find better ecomically viable places to do business.

Show up on the 17th. Grijalva's office from 12-2, Gabby "Pink Sweater Set's" office 4-6. Show them that their hold on Tucson, on Arizona, and on the American economy and way of life is slipping!

Ok... Update

2009-07-16T05:09:00.002-07:00

Well, I went to see if the video I posted below had spawned any new videos... and it had. There are now 2 more videos... So rather than make it hard for you to open my blogspot page by having a bunch of embedded video clips, I say go check them out here.

I still don't quite understand it, not sure if it's advertising, or what, but you be the judge...

Solar Panels and The Pink Sweater Set.

2009-07-13T17:09:00.008-07:00

So, our favorite Houstonian Represtative Gabby "Miss Pink Sweater Set" Giffords, posted this to her twitter account this morning:

"The long-term outlook for solar energy is bright in the right public policy environment http://bit.ly/aQJ55"

So, I decided to see if I could find an example of what she thinks is a good solar array or solar farm. A quick check of her flikr stream found this picture of Nellis Air Force Base:

So, with some help from another tweeter I tracked down this report on the Nellis installation. 15 Megawatts over 140 acres. That's .11 megawatts per acre. Palo Verde Nuclear can produce 3200 Megawatts on 4000 acres. Thats .8 megawatts per acre. When you break it down to megawatts / per area, it takes 7 (YES SEVEN) times the area of Palo Verde Nuclear to provide the same amount of power.

Does she REALLY want 28,000 acres (43.75 sq. miles) of our desert to look like the land above? This is what she is pushing, people, and this is what we are going to end up with! No, she just wants 16,500 acres of it to look like this.

Friday Protest at Gabby Giffords - July 17

2009-07-12T20:55:00.001-07:00

First of all, I want to remind everyone that the Cap-N-Tr8r protest is this Friday, July 17th, 4-6PM at Rep. Giffords office at Pima and Swan.

Wear your Tea Party shirts if you have them, or any red or patriotic outfit!

Bring your signs and your American Flags!

**********BUT**********

I do want to point out a few things as we are also law abiding citizens, we need to continue to be law abiding citizens:

- DO NOT block or interfere in any way with the flow of traffic

- DO NOT block or interfere in any way with pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk.

- STAY on public property. DO NOT enter private property, or block access into private property.

If we can abide by these simple rules, we can protest all we want!

Me and My Buddy G

2009-07-11T13:21:00.005-07:00

I finally got to meet my esteemed Representative from the Seventh Congressional District of Arizona. Enjoy my pic of me and him together!

UPDATE: Ok, so people are asking about this photo...the how, mainly. It was at his Obamacare Rally at the TCC on July 11. He was at the voter registration table, talking to the volunteers - all Democrats - when I walked up and politely tapped him in the shoulder. I shook his hand and asked him if I could get a pic with him. He said sure, and we faced Jon. Jon says "say cheese!" and up goes the bunny ears - for a full 5 seconds before the camera takes the picture. Then I thank him again, and Jon and I walk away. I guess he figured with 400 Acorn wingnuts walking around, I was just another one of them... Oh well, guess that is what happens when you don't bother to pay attention!

Auto Zone Update...

2009-07-10T21:40:00.002-07:00

A while ago I let go a little rant about my experience at an Auto Zone here in Marana. I did want to take the time to update you, as it is only fair. I received a call from the District Manager regarding my service that I received. We had a short, but pleasant conversation about customer service... and came up with a solution to our mutual problem that happened on that day.

While I would rather not go into detail about what he did for me, I will say, he went out of his way to make sure I received the service that I did not receive from that particular store.

While it may take me a while to go back to an Auto Zone, at least I know that there is someone on the management staff that is looking out for the customer.

Ok...

2009-07-10T21:32:00.002-07:00

First of all, I must say, I am way too 'married'. It's a Friday night. I received permission (yes permission is the operative word) to go out and have 'guy night'. And what do I do? I peruse YouTube for odd Tucson videos. Found this one....somebody obviously wants this seen, as when you look at the tags, it includes just about every single radio and tv station in Tucson... I almost posted the contrail/UFO video here or the contrail/chemtrail as my triumphant return to blogging, but I'll go with this, as this one just makes me go "huh?", whereas the contrail/chemtrail video hurts my head as I try to comprehend it, and the UFO's? Yeah, not putting on the tinfoil hat tonite.

Thoughts about Palin's decision...

2009-07-03T15:01:00.003-07:00

I've heard a few of the MSM types saying that this is the 'nail in the coffin', that it's over for Gov. Palin.

I disagree.

And this is why: She was looking at a much tougher re-election campaign for the Governorship of Alaska. In addition, she has been attacked and attacked with frivolous lawsuits - which eat up her time, and take her out of being the Gov. of AK, and out of having time to run for future positions...she is no longer being an effective governor to the people that elected her. By Palin recognizing this, she shows that she is more concerned about the people she leads, than her own personal career. Major brownie points won with those of us that are sick of leadership that cares more about their career than their constituents. (cough, McCain, cough).

Secondly, we are in a position in this country of having a GOP with no top leadership. (which is fine, it's 2010, it's not about who's at the top, it's about who's going to take their districts in the House and the Senate). We also have a growing groundswell of independent conservatives combined with a growing grassroots swelling of conservatives coming back to the GOP. Talk radio is fourishing, and numbers are up. Tea Parties the country over are well attended. Very few people tap into all these groups, and are admired within all these groups.

Sarah is one of those people.

She is rough and needs some more studying up on international affairs, and needs to get into the lower 48, see what the rest of the country is struggling with. By resigning, she has just given herself a year to do just that. Travel. Shake hands. Study. Meet with ICons, GOP, Tea Partiers... travel and meet with foreign dignitaries and emissaries. Can she do it? We shall see, but so far, she has my vote!

Napolitano in Tucson...

2009-06-06T05:34:00.002-07:00

Here's a quick video of our wonderful ex-governor turned DHS bungler talking about border issues...

Now, here's the skinny of what really happened yesterday:

Apparently the itinerary was to come in, make the speech above at the presser, then go in and meet many various heads of police, sherriff's, and other border LEO groups from both sides of the border, many of whom did not come for the conference that had been held all week, but just to have time to talk to her about the border issue. This was supposed to take a few hours, then back to the airport to go on her merry way.

Instead, again, and I repeat this is speculation and rumor, as there is no means of confirming (however I have no reason not to believe the source) since no one official has said anything abot yesterday's itinerary...

She blew off everyone and went instead to visit a 'friend'. I'll let you do the speculating on that one, however... my concern is this: In a time of increased violence along the border; In a time where we should be putting as much effort as possible into protecting the innocent on both sides; what does it speak to our national interest in actually fighting this border war when the head of DHS blows everyone off to go visit an old friend? More importantly, why can't she visit after meeting with everyone, even if just a quick 1/2 hour hit-n-run shake hands meet-n-greet?

Our law enforcement on both sides of the border, but mainly on the other side, is fighting a war... a brutal and savage war - one that left 11 bodies in a van recently - what does this kind of action tell those in the cartels about how important the US sees those that were brave enough to make themselves a target in this war, by openly attending such a conference? Don't you think those men and women need all the support we can give them? Over the next couple days, they will be returning back to their homes in Sonora, Chihuahua, and elsewhere... just to wonder how soon it will be before their names are listed in a story like the one above?

A letter from an officer of the peace.

2009-06-06T05:00:00.002-07:00

This was recently posted by a friend of mine - I am recopying it, and reposting it in the hopes that more people read it.

I would like to hear your take on the judicial system. For too

long we have had County Prosecutor who dismisses, never files or

waives Felony crimes with no other motivation than "if crime is not

prosecuted then it's not in my budget." She'll use other transparent

speak to explain it away, but this is the underlying reason. The

prosecutors are paid by performace which further encourages them to

only push the easy case through. The result is misdemeanor charges

for crimes or nothing at all. This means a fine. There are

threshhold amounts for illegal drug possession as well which is

outragous. You can now carry a usable amount of Crack or

Methamphetamine and only get charged with misdemeanor paraphernalia if

caught! Waiving Felony charges is a direct violation of the Victim's

Bill of Rights and does not allow the Victims input into prosecution in some cases. Waiving felony charges also effects setencing for future crimes. Many Felony convictions have detailed sentencing guidelines which

increase the severity due to previous convictions. When those

previous arrests are convicted under the misdemeanor alternative, they

don't count. Also it is appaling to me that any attack and/or assault

of a Police Officer is prosecuted as a misdemeanor simply because the

officer is aware enough not to allow him/herself to be injured in the

event. It is funny how the same is not true for the assault of a

prosecuter. reduction in violent crime can only be achieved if we do

three things. Enforce the current immigration laws,secure the border

and prosecute existing state laws. if criminals pay no penalty for

the crimes they commit, then why not commit them. Yes prosection of

crimes is costly up front, but once we set an example of strict

enforcement we will see a decline in the amount of crime comitted and

a drastic reduction in the money spent to prosecute and house felons.

This may mean more prisons, but the repeat offenders are locked up.

This means less property loss and less victims of violent crime. You are also providing more jobs, you just are moving money around to do it.

The public is not aware of this. This is all true and the felony

waiver policy of the Pima County Prosecutor's Office is public record.

..and yes, I am a cop and I will continue to do my job even if Barbara

Lawall fails to do hers. Get this out to the people, make them aware,

they will be outraged, and they will listen and support you.

define the title you want

2009-06-05T15:20:00.001-07:00

This is the TEST shipment you asked for

22:20 I couldn't find a tweet to post for loudtwitter #
22:20 So I posted this. #

Automatically shipped by LoudTwitter

Consumer CRI - Autozone on Cortaro / Silverbell

2009-05-27T13:48:00.003-07:00

Normally I stick to highlighting the CRI of the local political scene. Today, however, I am venting some frustration with a local business.

That business: Autozone on Cortaro Farms and Silverbell.

You see, about two weeks ago, the fuel pump went out on my wife's Ford F-150. We didn't have the extra money to buy a new pump at the time, so we waited a bit and saved up some cash. Finally, by Friday of last week, I had enough to purchase the pump - after visiting the Autozone site to confirm the cost of the part.

Now, I am going to qualify this first by saying up til now, I have been quite pleased with the service I have received at this particular auto parts store.

Back to the tale: Friday I called in, (as I live approx. 20 mi. from the store to begin with) to see if the part was in stock. The gentleman who answered the phone looked up the part, checked the shelf (I am assuming, as he said he was, then I was put on hold for a few minutes), and responded with the statement that the part was not in stock, but they could get it transferred in over the weekend. He took my name and phone number. I figured I would get a call Saturday, as there were pumps at the warehouse, and they get a daily delivery of parts.

No call Saturday.

Well, it's a holiday weekend, give them the benefit of the doubt...

My wife calls in Tuesday to ask if the pump has arrived yet. The person who answers the phone responds with the statement that the 'computers are down, so I have no idea'. Read: I am too lazy to look in the back for a delivery with your name on it.

My wife calls today. "Computers are still down, so sorry, have no idea.' Again, read: I am too lazy to look in the back for a delivery with your name on it.

OK, fine, I text her to call again, and let them know if it is not in today, we will make our purchases elsewhere, as we are sick of waiting to get my wife's truck up and running.

So she calls back to the store. This time, a different person answers; findsout that the pump in question is 'always' in stock, but there is an extra one in the back with my name on it, has been sitting there for the past couple days. No calls from them, mind you... So she tells them that I will be headed that way (out of my way driving, mind you) to go and pick up the part.

Guess what I find on the front door of the store when I arrive there - AFTER CANCELLING AN APPOINTMENT AT A JOB IN ORDER TO HAVE EXTRA TIME AT HOME TO INSTALL THE PART - (CAPS LOCK FOR RAGE, AT THIS POINT)

Yeah, a sign that says, "Computers and register down. Store closed. Sorry for the inconvenience."

Do you think, maybe, just maybe, that while my wife was on the phone with them TODAY not once, but twice, they could have mentioned that the store is CLOSED because of the computer problem? NO, they did not.

I almost drove my truck through the front doors.

That's alright, Autozone has now managed to lose a customer for LIFE. I will happily drive past them the extra 4 miles to get to Merle's Automotive, which most of the local shops use for their parts service.

And now I know why they do.

And it came to pass ....

2009-05-22T07:14:00.001-07:00

And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of the land called America , having lost their morals, their initiative, and their will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme Leader that person known as The One. He emerged from the vapors with a message that had no meaning; but He hypnotized the people telling them, "I am sent to save you. My lack of experience, my questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my association with evil doers are of no consequence. For I shall save you with Hope and Change. Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the land that he who preceded me is evil, that he has defiled the nation, and that all he has built must be destroyed."

And the people rejoiced. For even though they knew not what The One would do, He had promised that it was good; and they believed.

And The One said "We live in the greatest country in the world. Help me change everything about it!"

And the people said, "Hallelujah!! Change is good!"

Then He said, "We are going to tax the rich fat-cats,"----

And the people said "Sock it to them!"

"---- and redistribute their wealth."

And the people said, "Show us the money!"

And then He said, "Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody"

And Joe the plumber asked, "Are you kidding me? You're going to steal my money and give it to the deadbeats??"

And The One ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized.

One lone reporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?"

And she was banished from the kingdom!

Then a citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and having zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with radical terrorists?"

And The One said, "Simple. I shall sit with them and talk with them and show them how nice we really are; and they will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!"

And the people said, "Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our weapons into free cars for the people!"

Then The One said, "I shall give 95% of you lower taxes."

And one, lone voice said, "But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes."

So The One said, "Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!"

And the people said, "Hallelujah!! Show us the money!"

Then The One said, "I shall tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!"

And the people yawned and the slumping housing market collapsed further.

And He said, "I shall mand ate employer- funded health care for EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every person unlimited health care and medicine and transportation to the clinics."

And the people said, "Gim'me some of that!"

Then he said, "I shall penalize employers who ship jobs overseas."

And the people said, "Where's my rebate check?"

Then The One said, "I shall bankrupt the coal industry and electricity rates will skyrocket!"

And the people said, "Coal is dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part about higher electric rates."

So The One said, "Not to worry. If your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over!"

Then He said, "Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing..."

And the people said, "Hallelujah!!" And they made him King!

And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank like unto a rock dropped from a cliff. The banking industry was destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. And more of the people were without a means of support.

Then The One said, "I am the The One – The Messiah - and I'm here to save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will have enough!"

But our foreign trading partners said unto Him, "Wait a minute. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will have to pay more..."

And the people said, "Wait a minute. That is unfair!!"

And the world said, "Neither are these other idiotic programs you have embraced. Lo, you have become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you shall play by our rules!"

And the people cried out, "Alas, alas!! What have we done?"

But yea verily, it was too late. The people set upon The One and spat upon him and=2 0stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty nation was no more; and the once proud people were without sustenance or shelter or hope. And the Change The One had given them was as like unto a poison that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that consumed all that they had built.

And the people beat their chests in despair and cried out in anguish, "Give us back our nation and our pride and our hope!!"

But it was too late, and their homeland was no more.

If you think this is hyperbole, check again soon…

Griffin's and Tucson's life on the B-List

2009-05-20T05:04:00.001-07:00

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/293585.php

Yeah... paid for with Rio Nuevo money.

Oh, and the road was narrowed. NARROWED... since when is making a road smaller considered progress? Traffic is bad enough near and around downtown, and in their infinite wisdom, they paid good money to make it worse. Good Job, City of Tucson!

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

2009-05-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

FW: Words of Wisdom

2009-05-13T05:43:00.001-07:00

Thank-you Glenn... was too good, so had to post in order to keep this around...

Number 10 is a popular favorite! 15 & 17 are my personal favorites.

Words of Wisdom

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt or a flat tire.

3. It's always darkest before dawn, so if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

4. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

5. Always remember that you're unique. Just like everyone else.

6. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

7. If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of car payments or house payments.

8. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

9. If at first you don't succeed...... skydiving is not for you.

10.Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

11. If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.

12. Some days you're the bug, some days you're the windshield.

13. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

14. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put back in your pocket.

15. A closed mouth gathers no foot. (Yeah, but you then subject yourself to being tread upon!) GNF

16. Duct tape is like 'The Force'. It has a light side and a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

17. Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.

18. Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it

Insert movie times and more without leaving Hotmail®. See how.

Good article on the state of education

2009-05-12T06:40:00.001-07:00

http://educationrevolution.stores.yahoo.net/iquit.html

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

Rep. Stevens, NOT a member of the CRI

2009-05-10T23:03:00.001-07:00

Published: 05.10.2009
Rep. Stevens wears US Constitution on his chest
By Daniel Scarpinato
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

PHOENIX — This week we chat for two minutes with state Rep. David Stevens.
District: 25. An 18,000-square-mile district that stretches from the New Mexico border through Southern Arizona and all the way up into Maricopa County.
Residence: Sierra Vista.
Party: Republican.
Background: Elected to the House last November. Defense contractor since 1988.

Q: What's been the most surprising thing you've found here?
A: The speed at which legislation passes, which is very slow.

Q: So does that affect some of the priorities you came up here with?
A: Oh no. I had almost no priorities per se, just to do what was right for my district and the state.

Q: And what's "right"?
A: Well, it depends on the issue. I mean, what's right for water is not the same as what's right for the Second Amendment. Usually, why some people run for office is they've got an ax to grind on an issue. I didn't have that. I'm here as the whole legislator. I want to see things like lower taxes, less government. But I didn't propose any bills to do that.

Q: Everyone says this is a really tough year because of the budget deficit. But for someone like you, maybe it's a great time, since you wanted small government, and now you get to do it.
A: I wouldn't say it's a great time, but now that I'm up here, I have the opportunity to bring in smaller government. You could probably say I'm unencumbered. Some people have 40, 50 bills. I don't have that — for lack of a better term — baggage. My focus isn't just on what I want to get done; it's on what's right for the state.

Q: Your necktie is an illustration of the U.S. Constitution.
A: Yes it is. This is where it begins — over 200 years ago — this is where it all begins, and this is where we have to get back to. We had a discussion with a couple of legislators in the hall, and they were upset with some of the projected reductions of government. And the comment was, "We're supposed to provide for the general welfare." And I corrected her and said, "No, we're supposed to provide for common defense — promote the general welfare." So there's a misunderstanding of what exactly the Constitution is, obviously, if they can't even get the preamble correct. I've had it memorized since seventh grade. You want to hear it?

Q: That's OK.
It's very important to know where we began.

Q: But everyone has this different idea of what the Constitution means. So isn't it all in the eye of beholder?
A: Well, it's primarily what people want to see out of the Constitution. And if they think it's a living document, I think we need to play poker with these people, 'cause I think I can actually win at that game.

Contact reporter Daniel Scarpinato at 307-4339 or dscarpinato@azstarnet.com.

All content copyright © 1999-2009 AzStarNet, Arizona Daily Star and its wire services and suppliers and may not be republished without permission. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the expressed written consent of Arizona Daily Star or AzStarNet is prohibited.

Good Opinion Piece.

2009-05-05T20:37:00.001-07:00

Not going to take credit for this. It was in today's Tucson Citizen, but was so good, I had to copy for posterity...

link

Ruben Navarrette Jr.
It's all about ME: Mentality of entitlement 'toxic to society'
RUBEN NAVARRETTE JR.
Published: 05.06.2009
Jean Twenge has a knack for chronicling the obsession that many Americans have with, well, themselves.
In 2006, the psychology professor at San Diego State University wrote a highly informed book on what she called "Generation Me" - Americans in their teens, 20s and 30s who display very healthy levels of self-esteem even if they haven't accomplished much to earn it.
Now, with fellow psychologist W. Keith Campbell, Twenge has co-authored a new and timely book: "The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement."
Twenge thinks the entitlement mentality might have helped cause America's economic crisis.
"People were very overconfident about what size mortgage they could afford and the same thing with the bankers who were giving the loans," she told me. "Everybody was overconfident and didn't anticipate the downside and so when the downside came, it was worse than anyone imagined."
And Twenge has seen it on college campuses. She recalled the student who asked her to postpone a final exam because it interfered with his plans for a birthday outing to Las Vegas.
And in the work force. She heard from one person who runs a company in Minnesota who said it was not uncommon for employees to call into the office and say they were too tired to come to work and needed to go back to sleep.
In their book, Twenge and Campbell list the factors fueling the entitlement mentality:
• Parenting, schools and a culture that build self-esteem by giving everyone a trophy;
• The Internet, where all can shape their images, post their opinions and be their own publicist;
• Celebrity culture and media, which teach Americans that they're entitled to be famous;
• Ready credit, which, Twenge says, "allows people the fantasy of getting something and not paying for it right away."
What is the harm of all this?
"Narcissism is absolutely toxic to society," Twenge said. "When faced with common resources, narcissists take more for themselves and leave less for others. They tend to be greedy and take too many risks. They feel entitled, don't think about consequences and think that everything will turn out great."
And when things don't turn out great - as with a flailing economy? Often times, when confronted with adversity, failure or even mild setbacks, narcissists fall to pieces.
Lately, I've been collecting my own examples of entitlements - many of them offered by readers.
• There was the teacher of eighth-grade honors English who said she was floored by the fact that about one-third of her class thought it was unfair that she gave them a pop quiz.
According to the teacher, the students insisted that she tell them about the quiz ahead of time and divulge exactly what was going to be covered. A quiz maybe, but there's not much "pop" to that.
• There was the chef who reported that young workers in his kitchen give him strange looks when he asks them "to do something like wash both the inside and outside of a pot or pan or to merely complete a job the best they can." They're more apt to say: "That's not my job!" The chef's response is to tell them that - speaking of jobs - it might be time to look for another one.
• Then there was the custom designer and contractor, a former Marine Corps fighter pilot, who insisted that he hires employees only with "very high standards of workmanship."
The man said that he had tried "sometimes desperately, to hire only native-born young men," and pay them well - $12 an hour for workers with limited or no skills and as much as $35 an hour for those with more skills.
However, he said, native-born workers tended to demand the top wages even when they lacked skills, complained about the pace of jobs and missed work. It was, he said, as if they felt entitled to a job.
Now, the contractor said he much preferred "first-generation immigrants, legal and otherwise," who often have an "astounding work ethic, are willing to start at the bottom, will do the job as directed without complaint and will work until the job is done regardless of the hour . . . offering up a fair day's work for a fair day's pay."
We need to listen to these stories. They illustrate another consequence of Americans foolishly thinking themselves entitled to things they haven't earned: It puts them at a terrible disadvantage in a global marketplace that is, all the time, getting more competitive and less willing to suffer fools.
Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a columnist and editorial board member of The San Diego Union-Tribune. E-mail: ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com

2009-05-03T20:12:00.003-07:00

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/291124

OPINION
Letcher: time for Tucson to make tough choices
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.03.2009
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Mike Letcher was named Tucson city manager about two weeks ago after the City Council decided to forego a national search to replace former manager Mike Hein, who was fired last month. Letcher, the former deputy city manager who has 30 years of city management experience, has the daunting task of guiding the city through tumultuous economic times. His first task: Recommend a budget for fiscal 2010. Letcher talked with the Star's Editorial Board last week about the budget and his plans for stabilizing the city's fiscal situation. We've excerpted some of his comments here.
Star: What are your reactions to the public hearing on Tuesday night, when so many Tucsonans expressed opposition to tax increases?
Letcher: We need to spend a lot more time communicating with the public on line of sight between the money we're asking them to pay and the services that they are provided.
It's really critical because last night I heard repeatedly don't cut public safety, "Why did you cut public safety, why are my potholes not being filled?"
And the reason why is because we don't have the money.
I also heard last night that "Why haven't you cut like I had to, 25 percent of my budget and overhead?"
Well, the city of Tucson has already cut over 20 percent; and we're hit over the next two fiscal years. By the time we get done, unless this economy picks up, we're going to have over a 30 percent cut overall in our budget.
I heard, "Why don't you reduce salaries a few points?" We've reduced them 2 percent through furloughs.
There wasn't an opportunity for us to really explain what we've done and why we are where we are now. Once people understand what's at stake — if you cut, here's what's going to be cut, here's the results of the cut — we're fine.
And they need to understand if we don't get the increased revenues what's going to happen. We have totally eliminated our residential street maintenance. We're barely able to keep up with potholes. We have problems getting the weeds in our medians. We have cut hours at the pools and we've trimmed staff in parks and recreation.
If we don't get these revenues, other things are going to happen.
In addition to that, we are fenced in, we are boxed in. Someone mentions, "Well, you should take some lessons from the county. But the county has property tax, a significant amount of property tax. We get $11 million from property tax, and it's capped by the city charter. We're fenced in. We don't have an easy out or a stable source of revenue.

So, Letcher starts right off the bat by admitting they are cutting back on BASIC city services: Street Maintenance and Parks and Rec. This is important, read on...

Star: Why put $2 million in the housing trust fund that could contribute to reducing the proposed $10 million rental tax or any other revenue shortfall?
Letcher: I have heard that. It's not just the housing fund. There's some folks saying why even have money go toward human services? We spend about 76 percent of the general fund to maintain core services, police, fire, et cetera. For human services, it's 24 percent.
A society is not just built with brick, mortar, police, fire. It's built also about how do you take care of those that are least in society. That's what our society's about. That's what's made this country a great country. But the bottom line is we think that we've taken a balanced approach.

Now we get to the meat and gristle. They are 'spreading the pain' around. Little off the city teat, a little off of basic services. Churchill said it best,"The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven division of blessings, while the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal division of misery." This is an upside-down and bass-ackwards way to approach city funding. The first responsiblility is to fully fund your core services: Police, Fire, Water and Utilities, Roads, Parks and Rec. ONCE, and only once those are funded, if there is money left over, then you can fund the pet projects and freebie human services.

And the comment about taking care of the 'least'? Thinly veiled socialism. These are non-profit groups that have gotten so used to lining up at the easy money ATM of the City of Tucson, they have forgotten how to raise their own funds. Yes, holding fund raisers, bake sales, car washes and the like take time and energy - but this just goes to show that once someone becomes DEPENDENT on the government for their livelyhood, they will always rely on the government for their livelyhood. I am not saying it is easy to tell all the non-profit leaches it's time to find another host for a year or two, but that is what needs to happen.

Star: We haven't heard an explanation of the rental tax is fair. We think that's what people most of all want in taxation. We know we have to pay some. But is it fair?
Letcher: The council took action last night on raising the transit fare. They still have to make some decisions on that. We are going to be going to the council to adjust fees. But those aren't going to raise $10 million dollars, as the 2 percent renter tax would do. We do have not a lot of options in the city to raise $10 million. That's the problem.
I don't think it's a question of being fair. It's a question of what options do we have available. Again, if we had a tax like a property tax that was stable, that generated the money, we would be fine. The problem we've got is we've got a sales tax, both state and local, that has bled $68 million dollars, that's been sliding.
And so the only option we've got to raise that kind of money without making some significant cuts is the tax that's in front of you. It's not a question of fair, it's a matter of what options do we have.

NO, the option that you seem to fail to grasp is that when the budget is bigger than the supply, do not grow the supply, but TRIM THE BUDGET. Why is this so hard to understand? It's not about unfair taxation. It's about the people's desire to have the city stop raising taxes as the answer to budget problems. CUT SPENDING!!! How many more times can it be said?

Just in case you can't figure it out, here's the quickie guide to working the budget:

Start with the estimated income for next year. Make sure that income amount is realistic in nature!

Then fully fund Police and Fire, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

Next, fully fund Water and Utilities, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

Next, fully fund Roads, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

if < zero, now you go back and start to reduce each department

Next, fully fund Parks and Rec, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

if <>

Next, fully fund any other neccessary services, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

if <>

Next, fund your human services departments, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

<> if <>

LASTLY, pet projects, non-profits, etc, subtract from the income amount, if > zero, continue on...

if <>

How simple is that?

Star: Do you actually expect the City Council to approve this budget?
Letcher: This is a proposed budget. And that's what the purpose of the public hearing last night was, to hear from the community and see what the community wants. We would expect by June 2 that the council would have to approve a tentative budget. The policy makers now have to decide where they need to go.

Read: No, it's just some razzle-dazzle...We'll go back to Hein's budget, everyone will be happy since it does not raise taxes in the process, and people won't notice how much pet projects are still alive in it. It's the old bait and switch. Hein's budget was going too gather heat as well, so let's make it SOOOooooo overly bloated, that when they go back, everyone thinks they won, everyone is happy.... but you think we don't see what is going on?

We won't notice? Yeah, come November you'll see just how much we didn't notice...

Star: Why not cut spending more?

Letcher: Seventy-six percent of our money is the core, things that people see: parks, roads, cops, paramedics, all that, fire. So we can continue to cut. But it's going to have huge consequences, down the road.

The problem is, the physical appearance of this community is not acceptable. I live here in Tucson. This is my home. When I drive to work, and I have people visit, my mom was here three weeks ago — potholes, there's trash blowing all over the roads. Our parks we can't maintain as well as we should.
And it's very simple that if we keep cutting, I can cut people; I can continue to cut finance people because that's what we've been cutting. I can continue to cut procurement people. We can reduce the clerk's office. But the real money is in everything people want.
If we can give people a line of sight — what we're trying to do now is stop this, is to stop the decline and then we can start building this place back. But we're going to need to do something other than have the city rely on sales tax. It's that simple.

Ok, again, you still have 24% going to???? If you started slicing into that, you could have the cops that keep downtown safe, the fire department necessary to provide emergency services, the parks department to keep the parks clean, and roads to keep up on road repairs. Quilters, 'urban artists', and the like will not improve the 'look' of Tucson, so why fund them when we can't afford it?

Star: How are you going to pull that off though politically?
Letcher: I have a lot of faith in the democratic process. We have got to take time, and we can't just talk to people when we need money or have a problem that we need to fix. You talk to them throughout the year. You share with them. You give them more information. The more that they understand about the consequences of the actions that they take.
So we're going to start talking. In July, one of my goals is an engagement process in the community to really listen and to say here's what our problems are, both short term and long term. And then we make informed decisions.
It's about how are we going to maintain our police, our fire? How are we going to improve our streets? How are we going to make sure our parks are taken care of? How are we going to make sure that people who need to be served are taken care of?
And then we figure out where we're going to go. And as long as the community does that, then we're fine. I'm fine with it. But without that, what you've got is chaos.

He actually has the order right, as he goes through the services... now if he just would fund in that order, everything would be great!

Star: What about selling assets?
Letcher: One of the things we're trying to do is a stability plan to ask, how do we recover from this?
We're trying to get a three-year plan together for recovery. And one of those strategies in that plan for recovery is going to be can we dispose of assets. That's a two-edged sword: We can sell the asset, but if you use it for recurring costs, you burn through it like a savings account.
But what it does is buy us time. Let's say we get out of the recession in two years. If that buys us time to limp through and to get the two years and we stabilize.
We'll roll this thing out this summer, first with the council and then the community, this whole stability plan. And it's really what the community wants to do.
I'm not going to do something that is going to burden this community, like for a quick fix to make my life easy. My goal is just to stabilize the city.

Plans, strategies, yes, they are all neccessary, I would want them to have some plan... but the first step is mandating via Town Charter a minimum of expectation for Police and Fire. If the City Council cannot get it through their heads that this is what the town wants, then we must take the ability for them to have the freedom to choose away from them. Yes, I hate limiting the freedoms of the people, and it pains me to have to go to this kind of solution, but this has gone on for too long. The City Council has lost touch with it's people. They worry only about their pet projects, only about the leaches that show up in their offices on a daily basis asking for funding for their underwater basket weaving social program, rather than the needs of the average Joe or Jane out there working hard to make a better life for themselves.

Notice something? I do....

2009-05-02T16:02:00.002-07:00

I was checking out the Agenda for the next Pima County Supervisors Meeting (May 5, 2009). I noticed a trend, maybe you will notice it too... Something about tea parties, grass roots efforts, etc.... Think maybe, just maybe 2010 will be a little different when it comes time to the vote?

2. DIVISION OF ELECTIONS
Pursuant to A.R.S. §16-821B, approval of Precinct Committeemen resignations and appointments:

RESIGNATIONS PRECINCT PARTY
Burgess, Patricia H. 010 DEM
Edmunds, James B. 091 REP
Kinsey, Adam D. 103 DEM
Benedict, Ruth L. 345 DEM
Kennedy, Michael M. 395 REP

APPOINTMENTS PRECINCT PARTY
Schmugge, Peter H. 005 REP
Wilcox, Brook E. 005 REP
Wishnick, Yale 008 REP
Hamed, Sami Y. 019 DEM
Kinsey, Adam D. 045 DEM
Fimbres, Mary L. 064 DEM
Fimbres, Richard G. 064 DEM
Davis, Vicki 088 REP
Tumpes, Sandra S. 088 REP
Curtis, George H. 091 REP
Sutton, Katherine L. 100 GRN
Venne, Marilyn R. 100 REP
Martin, Marjory 108 REP
Watts, Michael A. 118 REP
Hutchison, Joyce A. 141 REP
Lowe, Doug 163 REP
Lowe, Penny 163 REP
Donatelli, Esther 171 REP
Donatelli, Jeff 171 REP
Wagner, James R. 188 REP
Pine, Dan L. 193 REP
Nevins, Donald L. 202 REP
Markhart, William T. 203 REP
Holden, Phyliss A. 205 REP
Lee, Linda P. 206 REP
Perry, Glenn M. 214 REP
Perry, Marjorie S. 214 REP
Yee, Marilyn A. 214 REP
Summers, Bret W. 223 REP
Summers, Fabiola A. 223 REP
Fields, Tom W. 224 REP
Scheller, Pat A. 224 REP
Herrell, Emily J. 231 DEM
Strasburg, Jack E. 236 GRN
McLaughlin, Jeff A. 242 REP
Buino, Terrence M. 246 REP
Kelly, Aubrey Y. 261 REP
Peyton, Laura 261 REP
Bengds, Erik E. 269 REP
McDonald, Steven J. 280 REP
Butler, Seth A. 281 REP
Origer, Mara L. 290 DEM
Langione Hillwig, Denise N. 310 REP
Reynolds, Merton D. 318 REP
Blanchard, Jean P. 328 REP
Blanchard, Mark 328 REP
MacInnes, Darlene R. 328 REP
Romanowski, Jolanta 328 REP
Ferrell, Denise A. 359 REP
Hagge, Ruth L. 359 REP
Leslie, Jennifer I. 359 REP
Flowers, Judith A. 376 REP
Flowers, Odis E. 376 REP
Thomas, Steve N. 385 REP
Pickett, Christopher H. 391 REP
Egbert, Kara S. 392 REP
Matthews, Rachel M. 392 REP
Walton, Cade A. 392 REP
Walton, Michelle M. 392 REP
Hann, Gina R. 393 REP
Botsko, Joseph A. 415 REP
Tanberg, Mary E. 417 REP
CC 5-5-09 (3)

AP story on Obama's 100 days...

2009-05-01T05:17:00.001-07:00

This was just so good, I wanted to keep a copy for reference later... So enjoy!

FACT CHECK: Obama disowns deficit he helped shape

By CALVIN WOODWARD – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — "That wasn't me," President Barack Obama said on his 100th day in office, disclaiming responsibility for the huge budget deficit waiting for him on Day One.

It actually was him — and the other Democrats controlling Congress the previous two years — who shaped a budget so out of balance.

And as a presidential candidate and president-elect, he backed the twilight Bush-era stimulus plan that made the deficit deeper, all before he took over and promoted spending plans that have made it much deeper still.

Obama met citizens at an Arnold, Mo., high school Wednesday in advance of his prime-time news conference. Both forums were a platform to review his progress at the 100-day mark and look ahead.

At various times, he brought an air of certainty to ambitions that are far from cast in stone.

His assertion that his proposed budget "will cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term" is an eyeball-roller among many economists, given the uncharted terrain of trillion-dollar deficits and economic calamity that the government is negotiating.

His vow that the recovery plan will "double the supply of renewable energy" will require a congressional mandate that won't be easy to achieve.

And he promised vast savings from increased spending on preventive health care in the face of doubts that such an effort, however laudable it might be for public welfare, can pay for itself, let alone yield huge savings.

A look at some of his claims Wednesday:

OBAMA: "Number one, we inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit.... That wasn't me. Number two, there is almost uniform consensus among economists that in the middle of the biggest crisis, financial crisis, since the Great Depression, we had to take extraordinary steps. So you've got a lot of Republican economists who agree that we had to do a stimulus package and we had to do something about the banks. Those are one-time charges, and they're big, and they'll make our deficits go up over the next two years." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS:

Congress controls the purse strings, not the president, and it was under Democratic control for Obama's last two years as Illinois senator. Obama supported the emergency bailout package in President George W. Bush's final months — a package Democratic leaders wanted to make bigger.

To be sure, Obama opposed the Iraq war, a drain on federal coffers for six years before he became president. But with one major exception, he voted in support of Iraq war spending.

The economy has worsened under Obama, though from forces surely in play before he became president, and he can credibly claim to have inherited a grim situation.

Still, his response to the crisis goes well beyond "one-time charges."

He's persuaded Congress to expand children's health insurance, education spending, health information technology and more. He's moving ahead on a variety of big-ticket items on health care, the environment, energy and transportation that, if achieved, will be more enduring than bank bailouts and aid for homeowners.

The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimated his policy proposals would add a net $428 billion to the deficit over four years, even accounting for his spending reduction goals. Now, the deficit is nearly quadrupling to $1.75 trillion.

___

OBAMA: "I think one basic principle that we know is that the more we do on the (disease) prevention side, the more we can obtain serious savings down the road. ... If we're making those investments, we will save huge amounts of money in the long term." — in Missouri.

THE FACTS: It sounds believable that preventing illness should be cheaper than treating it, and indeed that's the case with steps like preventing smoking and improving diets and exercise. But during the 2008 campaign, when Obama and other presidential candidates were touting a focus on preventive care, the New England Journal of Medicine cautioned that "sweeping statements about the cost-saving potential of prevention, however, are overreaching." It said that "although some preventive measures do save money, the vast majority reviewed in the health economics literature do not."

And a study released in December by the Congressional Budget Office found that increasing preventive care "could improve people's health but would probably generate either modest reductions in the overall costs of health care or increases in such spending within a 10-year budgetary time frame."

Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

New video post (yeah, it's Jon's, but I helped)

2009-04-29T06:25:00.001-07:00

NY and planes and stuff...

2009-04-27T20:20:00.001-07:00

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_LOW_FLYING_PLANE?SITE=AZTUC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

OK, just to note: NYPD knew about the flight... why weren't THEY out warning the Mayor, etc....???? or talking to the press say, 10 minutes prior to flight, etc.? Is an empty AF1 really that important a target that we have to do photo ops in complete secrecy? No, as much as I would like to fault Obama on this, I agree he has a right to be furious about this one => his people warned NY and NJ, yet no one there chose to warn anyone.

BUT NOTE: I don't think we do the conservative / right / republican cause any good if we press on something like this, when there is too much evidence to say that it really was not his fault this time... just makes us look like a bunch of 'rabble-rousing' RWE's adding to their list of 'birth certificate evidence' and 'muslim in disguise' conspiracy theories. You want the conservative movement to be relegated to being just a "fringe group" this is a quick and easy way to do it. Might as well go out in public with the tinfoil hats...

This is a time to pick our battles. Stick with easy-to-understand principals. Small government, reduced spending, deficit reduction - and how Obama's choices over the last 100 (or so) days have been in the exact opposite direction. This is going to be the only way to bring in the numbers of moderates needed to swing the votes our way. Show them how small government, reduced taxes and personal freedoms benefit them more than increased socialized programs and the resulting tax increases to cover the cost of the programs ever will.

The last tea party was a great example of this. There were many different people, of different social backgrounds coming together, not over social issues, such as abortion, gay rights, and the like... but over fiscal responsibility. There were very few 'bash obama, pelosi, et al' signs floating around - and the paper now has nothing to use to mock the tea party protest with, except for some humorous signs such as the 'what next, tax on farts?'. Heck, it took them a week to find ANY signs anywhere, before they found the one 'anti-semitic' sign ONLINE, not even at a tea party itself... which quickly faded from the public eye once it was realized that the sign never made it to an actual tea party... We must take the high road, avoid marginalizing ourselves by latching on to ANY story that comes out that might be a blemish on Obama, think over the message it conveys, check facts, then decide: "Is it worth arguing over this?"

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

Yet another stanton piece (of poop).

2009-04-21T22:00:00.004-07:00

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/all_headlines/114911.php

When I wrote them, my child was not yet 4. Now she's 13, and I've learned what a messy process parenting is.A lot of good parents are starving for help, guidance, answers.

Ok, I want to know where her kid goes to school, cause I am NOT going within firing range of that place for the next 5 years...

It almost sounds like she is preemptively apologizing for some future tragedy that her kid is going to be involved in. Don't apologize, you had it right the first time. Until they are 18 and out of the house -YOU are the one responsible for them. YOU are the parent, act like one. I don't understand why we have this generation of parents that feel it is necessary to be their kid's "friends". Yeah, it would be nice if they felt that close to you, but we are not here for that.

We are here to be their parents. To lead and guide them, to love them when they need love, and to discipline them when they need discipline (and don't even start with thinking I am equating discipline with beating them). I am talking about instilling a true sense of personal discipline in them. Teaching them personal and social responsibility - but more so personal responsibility. Showing them that THEY are the cause of their problems, and the source of their solutions, not others, not government. Taking them to Church on Sundays. Taking them to volunteer in the community. Teaching them how to be a good citizen by the example you lead. Teaching them the civics, philosophy, and history public schools do not teach them.

But most of all = to be their PARENTS, not their best friend!

Gone Green Update

2009-04-19T20:49:00.001-07:00

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/289323

OH, the walls between us and nature, and by nature I mean the mountain lion prowling for my neighbors cat for dinner; the wall that separates me from the rabid bobcat, fox, or skunk; the wall that keeps the Junta-virus-infected rat out of my bedroom; the wall that keeps the owl, hawk, and eagle from eating cinnamon, my bunny.

Oh, and leave that plant litter where lies, to dry, in our sun, when it's 110, and the humidity is in the single digits. Oh, and when that little spark hits it? Hope you have enough water saved in your rain-harvesting-cistern to put out the fire before the house burns down.

I too envision a future where the wild Jaguar prowls majestically down The Mall at the U of A, hunting for the fattened freshman, too laden with books to make a hasty retreat. For the day when the skunks have taken up residence in every green park withing Pima County. A bright and glorious day when the Black Bear decides that the middle of I-10 during rush hour is as good a place as any to hunt for trout... And trout return to the Santa Cruz, reveling in the reclaimed waste water - providing a food source for the Home-Challenged Homo Sapiens.

Meh.

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

Glassman rides Jon's Trolley

2009-04-17T22:14:00.001-07:00

http://regulus2.azstarnet.com/blogs/politics/14398/glassman-on-serving-out-council-term-no-answer

Ok, I'll fill in the details later, but wanted to at least post this before I forget the address to it...

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

Huffington post piece...

2009-04-16T15:52:00.001-07:00

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=78384791751&h=GYtWW&u=eoHyk&ref=nf

did you read this one yet? I think somewhere in there is a valid point, but what I think she missing is that the people are regaining control of the Republican Party, and taking it out of the hands of the select few that have run the party for the last umpteen years... Yes, there is going to be pain, yes there is going to be struggles for the conservative viewpoint to be heard through all the rhetoric, but that is what is truly happening right now... this is what is scaring the Dems... the GOP of a year ago was a 'given' a 'known entity' - easy to fight, easy to control... but just like after the fall of the USSR, the US won the Cold War, but then had no 'enemy at the gates'; so is the Democratic Party. They are scared, they do not know who or what is coming, and cannot figure out how to protect or defend themselves from it. I think yesterday was truly a turning point - there is a weakness, the conservatives stumbled upon it, directly or indirectly while holding the tea parties... now we must continue to exploit it!

The weakpoint? = Logic and reason. They did not 'mess with' the tea parties because we gave them no chance to. The only questionable was the CNN report, poor guy, he tried, but he did not know how to talk on the camera to keep the reporter in her place - I thought he did quite well for being ambushed like that... but if that is the worst they can jump on, then yesterday was a huge success - because continued ambushes and attacks like that will only lead to further alienation of these MSM outlets by the 'masses in the middle' as they realize that MSM really does have an agenda to their broadcasts.

Besides, Rush as a valid spokesperson for the party? Republican, yes, conservative, yes, but also a talkshow host that makes a huge living off of his ratings. So, yeah, give me Boortz or JD over blubberbutt any day, people who hold to their convictions day to day to day; not for ratings, but because that is what they believe in.

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

Helpful links for tea party crowd.

2009-04-14T18:19:00.003-07:00

Ok, so below is a list of links to help you get in contact with the people that matter most. Want things to change? These are the people that can do that for you, so tell them how you feel:

Tucson City Council and Mayor's Office: http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/mcc.html

Marana Council and Mayor's Office: http://www.marana.com/index.asp?nid=29

Oro Valley Council and Mayor's Office: http://www.ci.oro-valley.az.us/TownOfficials/

Sahuarita Council and Mayor's Office: http://www.ci.sahuarita.az.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=43&parent_id=43

Pima County Supervisors: http://www.pima.gov/bos/bos1.html

Arizona Independent Redistricting Commissioning Website - Interactive "Locate Your State LD District Map": http://azredistricting.org/mapping/default2.asp?tname=Interim.2009.Legislative.Map&service=ircmaps&Layer4=on&Layer1=on&action=zoomin&ActiveLayer=16

Arizona State Senate Roster: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=S&SortBy=1

Arizona State House Roster: http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp?Body=H&SortBy=1

Representative Raul Grijalva, CD 7: http://grijalva.house.gov/

Representative Gabrielle Giffords, CD 8: http://giffords.house.gov/

Senator Jon Kyl: http://kyl.senate.gov/

Senator John McCain: http://mccain.senate.gov/public/

Barack H. Obama, President of The United States: http://www.whitehouse.gov/

Seriously, another Mucho B story?

2009-04-12T20:20:00.001-07:00

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/288333

I still go back to the theory that while some researchers had an agenda behind getting the jaguar trapped, overall G+F did not, so if anything, we should be on this fired employee and the Borderlands Jaguar Project... The researcher just didn't realize the results of what her actions were going to be, and now everyone is playing CYA. Especially Emil McCain from Borderlands Jaguar Project, who's funding relies on proof of a jaguar taking up residence, not seasonal migration into, Southern Arizona.

Not the G+F departments fault.

As far as they knew, when they showed up to the trap, it was a complete surprise. They were used by Emil McCain and Janay Brun to further their agenda with the Jaguars. And why do I think they had an agenda? More fence is being built along the border, more illegals are crossing through the very terrain that the Jaguars rely on, and if the jaguars are merely opportunistic seasonal residents, and not permanent to the area... they go away, so does the Borderlands Jaguar Project.

Here's quote from Emil McCain I found, think it sheds some light on the subject:

EL: DO YOU SEE, CURRENTLY OR POTENTIALLY, ANY EFFECTS ON JAGUAR HABITAT WITH THE ONGOING EFFORTS TO CURB ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM MEXICO?
EM: Yes. The Border Patrol policy right now is to completely cut off all traffic in the lowlands, forcing all illegal traffic (both migrant workers and narcotic traffickers) into the mountain ranges that span or approach the international border. Those mountains also happen to be the only existing habitat in the U.S. for a species that is very sensitive to human disturbance. The 14-18 foot steel pedestrian fences that have recently been built were said to not likely affect jaguars because they could just walk around the end of the wall. (It took awhile for border patrol to figure out that the human border crossers could do the same thing.) Because jaguars are sensitive to human disturbance, the remaining unfenced areas are likely no longer suitable habitat for jaguars since the level of human activity from border crossers has greatly increased. Jaguars need cross border connectivity with populations in Mexico to sustain/recover in the U.S. There has not been any known reproduction [in the U.S.] since 1910 and the last female was killed in 1963. Therefore, jaguars in the U.S. are completely dependent on dispersal from a reproducing population in Mexico. Maintaining habitat connectivity across the border is essential. http://www.switzernetwork.org/viewArticle.taf?id=106

Read: they are not a local population, but migrate in from time to time (not since 1910, 100 years ago) and a fence is bad!

And again:

Although there is no evidence of a female in Arizona—the last breeding female on the U.S. side of the border was documented in 1963—McCain figures that if only one were present in those 13 years since Macho B's been here and she had cubs every two to three years, if half survived, she would've had three to five young in the borderlands area in the last 10 years. "If one of those was a female cub, there could be more," he says.
With 30 percent of the land in Arizona suitable habitat for jaguars and only 12 percent surveyed, the idea of a resident female isn't that farfetched. But either way, the survival of a U.S. jaguar population is absolutely dependent on the Mexico population, says McCain. The 700-mile border fence being erected to stop Mexican immigrants from illegally entering the United States will dash any hopes of establishing a larger population in the cat's historic northern range. "Without cohesive habitat spanning the border, there can be no gene flow and no dispersing cats," he says
http://www.defenders.org/newsroom/defenders_magazine/winter_2008/wildlife_the_comeback_cat.php

Again, fence is bad. Again: with the violence on the other side of the border escalating, and human residents on the border becoming more and more vocal about finishing the fence, increased patrols, etc... the 'clock is ticking' so to speak. If they don't have proof of residency for Macho B, and soon, well, it may be too late. Add to that, the knowledge that Macho B (the only recognized male thought to have some amount of permanence in Southern Arizona) is approaching 16 years old, the average life span of a wild jaguar, and the clock really begins to tick away...

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***

Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

Woohoo! I'm a big time TV star!

2009-04-11T06:58:00.001-07:00

Well, not really... but I did get interviewed on my position on immigration reform.

And, the Hein fallout begins...

2009-04-08T19:28:00.002-07:00

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/all_headlines/113950.php

City Manager Mike Hein's dismissal could sink Rio Nuevo's tax increment financing unless Rio Nuevo is taken out of the city's hands, two Tucson legislators said."

Wow... starts right off with this statement, like it was a big surprise, or something. Obviously, no one at the Tucson Citizen listens to 104.1...

"State Rep. Steve Farley, a Tucson Democrat, thinks Hein's firing could help salvage Rio Nuevo.
"I think this could be a positive step forward," Farley said. "The Rio Nuevo board could reassert its control of the district. You could have the board go with an outside project manager with expertise in such projects."

No, too little, too late. The Democrats (and the Republican, God only knows why) who thought that firing Hein, after being specifically told that his firing could jeopardize the project, chose to fire him. Here is a City Council that has wasted MILLIONS of taxpayers money, wasted 10 years on constant changes in direction of the project, failed when it came time to approach the State to answer questions about Rio Nuevo, and now are thumbing their noses at the State? Is this REALLY a wise choice?

Rankin said both the Rio Nuevo board and the city would have to concur to end the agreement. The Rio Nuevo board had rarely met in the past two years before new board members were installed last year.

So now we learn that they weren't even bothering to meet? On a project of this scope? And just when you finally install new board members, who have a learning curve, have a chance at maybe meeting the State's requirements, the Council steps in and screws it up even more? This City Council must go, plain and simple.

"Our structure hasn't changed at all," Letcher said. "People will report to me as they were reporting to Mike."

Yes, but there is one little problem here... Letcher is slated to retire soon. So we lose Hein, and will lose Letcher in a few months, people who knew the intimate day-to-day operations of Rio Nuevo... It's going to take yet another year now, before this project, if it keeps it's state funds, will get up and moving again.

Bridge to nowhere, indeed.

No He Can't!!!

2009-04-08T18:50:00.003-07:00

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/all_headlines/113940.php

April 08, 2009, 6:31 p.m.
The Associated Press
PHOENIX - If President Obama expects an honorary degree when he gives the spring commencement address at Arizona State University, school officials will have to tell him, "No we can't."

Obama, who will speak May 13 to ASU graduates on the Tempe campus, will not be given an honorary degree, an honor universities typically give to commencement speakers.

"It's our practice to recognize an individual for his body of work, somebody who's been in their position for a long time," Sharon Keeler, an ASU spokeswoman, told The Associated Press. "His body of work is yet to come. That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency."

The school, in fact, has no plans to give out any honorary degrees this year. A six-member academic committee oversees the process, reviewing nominees which usually come from faculty. The group then recommends candidates to the university president.

Recent recipients of honorary degrees at ASU include J. Craig Venter, an internationally known scientist credited for developing high-volume genome sequencing, and Wu Qidi, vice minister of education of the People's Republic of China.

Obama will, however, receive an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Notre Dame when he delivers the commencement speech May 17.

University spokesman Dennis Brown said it's customary at Notre Dame to confer a degree on every guest speaker. The university tries to select speakers who have made significant contributions to society or can give a compelling message.

But Brown said any comparison of the two schools' differing decision on extending Obama a degree was inappropriate.

"ASU is an outstanding university," Brown said. "Every university has its own traditions and has its own missions. I don't think it's at all fair to gauge one against the other. Everybody's different."

Keeler said people should not look upon ASU's withholding of the honor as a presidential dis.

"First of all, they should inquire as to what the university's practice is before making a judgment by what another university might do," Keeler said.

Unlike Notre Dame, ASU has not heard any protests surrounding Obama's commencement invitation. Many Catholics have been angered by Obama's planned appearance at Notre Dame, the nation's largest Catholic university, because of his decisions to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research and his stance on abortion.

"We've only heard the opposite," Keeler said. "Everyone within the university community and everyone we've heard from are ecstatic about him coming."

So, is it wrong for me, a lifelong Wildcat, to jump up in praise of the Scum Devils? Finally, someone in academia has got it... that we don't know what Pres. TMT's legacy is going to be, as we have very little history of him as a man and politician. I back ASU's decision 100% in this instance, they are doing the right thing, and it's about time.

This also tells me the honeymoon is coming to a close. The rosy afterglow of the post-electioin coitus is wearing off... Like a frat boy on a Saturday at 10 AM, we are beginning to roll over, and see just what we did during that alcohol-fueled night of debauchery.

Let's just hope like most frat brats, we don't fix our mistakes with a little hair-o-the-dog-that-bit-ya'...

So where to next?

2009-04-08T18:31:00.002-07:00

If all my time spent on other people's blogs has taught me anything, it's that we are too busy grinding out the same conversation and same logic to the same small set of people over and over and over again...when we should be working together to get the word out. This is why I have begun getting involved in politics, since politics is involved in my life whether I like it or not.

First of all, I am hopefully going to set up a GOP precinct in my area - there was none set up - and the GOP wonders why they lost the last election? It can't even organize enough to have every suburban and rural/urban area covered... So, I am trying to change that, rather than sit back and complain, and hope someone else does it for me...

I am also getting involved with the local TeaParty group here, trying to promote community involvement to a group that, by nature, does not like to coalesce into a group -

Did you know conservatives are fiercely independent? Who would have thunk... How do you take a group of people that are largely independent, and make a group out of them?

Not to mention the serious technology curve - I went to a meeting the other day - not one person there knew how to text message on their phone, didn't know twitter, etc... While there is a huge amount of iterconnected people out there that we could be reaching out to, but how?

Lastly, debating people like Derek (my favorite blogger), for me, at least gives me some ideas on the left's talking points and debate strategies... the more practice I get while debating on blogs, the better equipped I am when debating someone in public. It also forces me to look things up, research topics, etc... as the saturday cartoons taught me, knowledge is power!

Great blog post

2009-04-08T12:28:00.002-07:00

This is a cut-n-paste from the comments section of a blog that I visit quite often, The National Conversation (RAW), by maddypie2.

Thought it was so good, I would post it to 1. keep it for posterity and 2. use it to start dialogue...

One more thought.

Many libs want to extinguish us like a cigarette.

They are out for their own power and control. The only people they want to debate or convince of their views are the poor, the illegal and the young people who they have brain washed with the fantasy of a utopia made possible by them alone.

Any one with a brain can see a look back in history doesn't back up what they promise. And the only winners with their agenda are the people who are too lazy to do for themselves. They have no pride, they are "victims" of society. They want every thing given to them because are told they are entitled to it. The rich are "evil" And yet without them who will pay the taxes to keep all of these useless people sheltered and fed?

These people who are so willing to give up their rights and freedoms are as bad as the last of the Hurricane Katrina victims who after 4 years will not leave the trailers(even though the vast majority have moved on and made lives for themselves.) And all these people have to do is get out of the trailers and move to another government run housing project,but they are too lazy.
They have trashed those trailer because they are trash themselves.

My point is there are so many people out there who have no values or morals that it blows our minds to think about it.

Between the people who don't care and the people who are so naive to believe all of this government spending is the key to having all of the things they want but don't have to earn, it is easy to see where our Country is going in the immediate future.

We should never stop trying to have our view points and ideas heard, but we are wasting our time talking about this with people like gant. There are many many people out there who think like us and want to make a better future for our children and ourselves. There are shell shocked people out there that realize they voted for the wrong person, the wrong hope and change.

Let conservatives start thinking of new ways to get our ideas across and not be put off by the effort we may have to make to do it.

This is our "1776" a time to reinforce the Constitution of our Founding Fore Fathers and to learn from mistakes we have all made. History does prove that you can fight the good fight and win. But it is a commitment and every one who believes in our Country has to live that commitment every day.

The libs have waited and bid-ed their time to get to this point of turning our lives and our world upside down.

If they can do it for their self indulgent evil reasons. We can surly do it for the good of all.

Wow, I guess that was a pretty long thought!

Christian Nation

2009-04-08T05:52:00.001-07:00

http://www.redstate.com/warner_todd_huston/2009/04/08/what-are-we-if-not-a-christian-nation/

Just going to leave this here... there is not much more to say.

Program to detect lies.

2009-04-06T05:10:00.003-07:00

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/287532

Ok, so, I say we run this video through first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojeTr9P7ax4

I could just see the screen on that computer right now... It would be flashing so hard, and so quickly, that people three buildings over would be suffering epileptic fits.

Heck, why don't we take this one step further, what about using it at court? Maybe get rid of the judges, and have one of these systems act as the judge? Or how about mount them in police cars? Get pulled over, you get put in the back and questioned by Icop, I mean, a computer can't racially profile someone?

Do we really want to continue to take the human element out of law enforcement? Do we?

Tax Day Tea Party...

2009-04-03T23:04:00.002-07:00

Original Post Here

Ok, I you haven't had a chance to listen to Jon Justice's podcast of his discussion with the Tea Party People, listen to it here.

Now, there are some disturbing things that came out of this segment on the Justice show...

The first is armed response? Already?

Really?

No.

NO NO NO NO!

Yes, Jefferson has said that the tree of Liberty is watered with the blood of patriots. We are not to that level yet. Nowhere NEAR that level yet. Maybe one day we will. But April 15th is not that day. At this rate, not even 2012 will be the day...

Another thing that came out: That this is a one-shot deal...
It must be more than just one day of protest. It needs to be the starting point of getting rid of our ineffective leadership AT ALL LEVELS. Even now it is already having an effect. Gingrich has come out to the GOP saying pay attention to the party base, or the GOP will split in two. City Council would be a great local starting point. And trust me, I am so glad that we are at City Hall for this event.

Another point that came out? Lack of involvement on the right:
But that is not enough. I have been proudly touting myself as an Independent Conservative. Why? Because I have felt that the GOP has abandoned it's conservative principals. Which it has.

Yet, the Party, just like the US, has it's course set by the people at the bottom that get involved. I sit on the outside looking in, saying I don't like what I see...
Well, that accomplishes nothing. Splitting off to join a 3rd party? Well, that's a sure recipe to lose the 2012 elections.

So, I will put my efforts into a more productive vein, and that is working within the Party. Yes, it may take some time before I see any changes, and if I put my time and effort in, and it still stays what it is, well, I am not there for life. However, I can't just sit on the outside anymore.

And I say to all those coming out to the Tea Party, you cannot sit on the sidelines anymore either. Get involved. Join a group, if not the GOP.

The next question then is who to put into place?

This is the hardest question to answer, but it is also a little early to even look. Yet, maybe what we need right now is to rally around a set of ideals, and look for the candidate that fits the bill later. Maybe by showing a base of support, we can get people to stand up that normally would never have considered it.

So come on out, understand that it's a chance to meet like-minded individuals, and let's have a safe, sane and fun rally that we can carry into further activism!

Out of the mouths of babes...

2009-04-03T21:34:00.002-07:00

My daughter just had a little funny (or at least I thought it was)...

She asked me who the first person born on the planet was, since Adam and Eve weren't born, they were made... I answered Cain...

Her reply? "John McCain?"

Ahhhh.... not quite sweetie, but close...

TJ quote...

2009-04-03T04:40:00.000-07:00

"The several states composing the United States of America are not united on the principle of unlimited submission to their general government; but by a compact under the style and title of a Constitution for the United States, and of amendments thereto, they constituted a general government for special purposes [and] delegated to that government certain definite powers and whensoever the general government assumes undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative, void, and of no force. To this compact each state acceded as a state, and is an integral party, its co-states forming, as to itself, the other party. The government created by this compact was not made the exclusive or final judge of the extent of the powers delegated to itself, since that would have made its discretion, and not the Constitution the measure of its powers."
-- Thomas Jefferson

TPD and the Great Chief Search...

2009-03-30T13:27:00.002-07:00

Ok, this is a story that kinda came and went, but I did some research this past weekend and learned a few things...

This story appeared in the March 11th Tucson Citizen. I'll include the pertinent details:

Seven hours of closed City Council talks Tuesday quashed a national selection effort for the city's next police chief.

The pool had been narrowed to four over several days of interviews and public panel discussions.

The next search will be limited to officers from within the Tucson Police Department, City Manager Mike Hein said in a news release Wednesday evening.

The release was sent at 4:54 p.m. and contained no reason for the change in the recruitment process.

Neither Hein nor former police chief and current Assistant City Manager Richard Miranda was available for comment during the day or after the release was sent.

Tucson Director of Human Resources Cindy Bezaury confirmed the halt Wednesday but denied it was because there were discrepancies in advertised criteria for the position, which two sources told the Citizen was the reason the selection was called off.

The job opening was posted on the city's Web site and on several police-affiliated Web sites, but the minimum criteria differed and could have led to a legal challenge after a chief was selected, the Citizen was told by two independent sources.

One of the alleged discrepancies involved whether a bachelor's degree was required. One candidate, TPD Capt. Brett Klein, expects to earn his degree this summer, according to his résumé.

TPD's Klein and Assistant Chief John Leavitt, two of the four finalists, are welcome to reapply, she said. Hein had said he hoped to have a candidate in place by May, when current Chief Kermit Miller retires.

None of the candidates - Klein, Leavitt, former North Las Vegas Police Chief Mark Paresi and Phoenix police assistant chief Blake McClelland - would comment on the process Wednesday, but Paresi said he was "notified."

My source within TPD sheds a little more light onto this story. What he has said is that there is a power struggle with Assistant City Manager Miranda, who would like to keep direct control over the Police Dept. That being said, both outside candidates during interviews were visibly at odds with Miranda's previous policies and decisions, and would be on the outside with Miranda - possibly making Miranda's control over TPD limited to the duties available to the Assistant City Manager, and no more. How to fix that? Residency requirement, which was left off on one of the job postings.

Leavitt apparently has always agreed with Miranda, and while having minimal support from the officers (outside of them doing their duty), he would have been favorable to Miranda's continued direct influence over TPD policy and structure.

Klein, who like Leavitt, comes from within TPD, would come into the job with a desire to change things up, and minimize Miranda's continued influence. However, Klein does not have a BS, yet, and has a lower rank than Leavitt, not necessarily enough to consider him a 'lesser' candidate. On one of the job postings, it states "BS or equivalent"...equivalent by TPD policy is time of service, allowing Klein to meet the requirements set forth on one, but not all, of the job postings.

Starting to see the picture? Miranda, through Hein, sees only one opportunity to keep control over TPD. If someone else comes in, changes policy, and makes the force better, more effective, and most cost-efficient, how is his tenure as chief going to look? So right then and there, both outsiders must be taken off the running.

Now we are down to two men, Klein and Leavitt. Hire Klein, and possibly lose control, because the officers will rally behind him, or hire Leavitt, and open the force up to a lawsuit - due to the discrepancies of the job-opening postings. Not to mention the two outside candidates who may also sue due to the discrepancies in residency requirement.

Ultimately, the only choice that could be made, was:

Shut down the process.

Start over - with one posting so that there is no possibility of any errors causing a lawsuit, and find as many reasons to limit the available candidate pool to those that would be favorable to Miranda. Note, while the Chief of Police (you can see the current job posting here) reports to the Asst. City Manager's office, it is the Chief's job to organize and direct all functions, not the Asst. City Manager.

Miranda, it is time to let it go. You took the step up the ladder, do the job you are hired to do. If you want to be Chief of Police, apply for the job. Until then, be the best Assistant City Manager you can be, and let the Police run the Police Department...

Great quote...

2009-03-30T04:58:00.002-07:00

"The Greeks... labored under the delusion that their democracy was a guarantee of peace and plenty, not realizing that unrestrained majority rule always destroys freedom, puts the minority at the mercy of the mob, and works at cross-purposes to the effective use of human energy and individual initiative."
-- Henry Grady Weaver

Earth "Hour of Power"

2009-03-29T15:40:00.004-07:00

First of all, let me say this...

CONGRATS JIMMIE JOHNSON on your win today!!!

Ok, that's out of the way...(I know any liberal reading this is saying to themselves 'of course he's a nascar fan, how typical')

Anyways, last night, Tucson celebrated Earth Hour. Or at least I was told we were going to... Since I live out 2 miles past B.F.E., and I knew no one on my street would turn off their lights, since darkness just invites the tweekers to steal stuff... I went into town to document just how dark all the places that promised to observe Earth Hour would get.

First stop, Ward 2 offices... but I got there a little too early, so I decided to stop off at the 104.1 The Truth's broadcast office, right around the corner. As 8:30 rolled around, lights on the first floor dimmed - home to KGUN 9, the TV station housed in the same building. But true to their word, and proudly too, the lights blazed on upstairs:

8:25, time to head out to Rodney Glassman's Ward 2 Office.

What you don't see, because it doesn't show up well, is that inside, there are quite a few visible 'vampire' lights - these are systems, computers, etc. that continue to drain power while in sleep mode. Also, the main sign out front remained lit. Now, normally I would commend Rodney for keeping all these (except for security lighting) energy draining products on in sleep mode, to help counter the power-backup caused by everyone else going dark, but this is the office of someone who has always talked a good game, but never backed it up with action.

In this instance, I say, hat's off to you Rod, for not giving in to pressure and unplugging everything for the night before leaving... for once you agree with Jon, and joined in on the 'Hour of Power'!

So, I head down the street. I fully expect the City of Tucson, and Pima County Parks and Rec., to bow to the pressure of Earth Hour, yet, as I pass by Udall Park, on of the biggest recreation facilities in NE Tucson, this is what I see...

Thank-you, Pima County Parks and Rec, and City of Tucson for adding to Jon's 'Hour of Power'!!!

I drive past Ft. Lowell park, and see that City of Tucson felt that Udall wasn't enough:

They even light the statue!!!

On up the hill, next stop is Ventana Canyon, where the 'Director of Green Operations' had been interviewed by the local paper, all under the guise of increasing business at one of their lounges, where some "dark" theme was to take place. You would think, if you were in the paper, saying you would also get involved in Earth Hour, you would go dark, right? Well...

Some one there obviously listen's to 104.1, and decided to take part in the 'Hour of Power'.

So, lets see how Tucson does, during "Earth Hour":

And same spot, little over an hour later:

I had quite a fun night, first time ever out wasting my time doing something completely stupid, all for the sake of showcasing an equally stupid green movement publicity stunt. Wasted all that gas, all that time, and lots of bandwidth, which in turn is wasting electricity every time somebody opens this page...

Macho B, why am I so fascinated with this story?

2009-03-29T13:29:00.001-07:00

TUCSON REGION

Did jaguar Macho B have to die?

Phoenix Zoo may have moved too fast to euthanize him, UA pathologist says

By Tony Davis

ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.29.2009

http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/286500

What is it with this story? I just will not die as easily as Macho B did...

This line from the story sums it up the best:

"We recognize that in veterinary medicine, there are almost as many opinions as there are doctors and attorneys," Terry Johnson said. "In this case, you've got the guys in the room up to their elbows in data on this animal. We asked them to give their best professional opinion."

End of discussion. But, since there is overwhelming proof that the Vets did the best they could, and took the health and welfare of the animal into account when they chose to euthanize it, there is no chance of bringing these Vets up under some kind of formal disciplinary action - so what to do? Attack in the court of public opinion.

And here's another little interesting tidbit:

"The lack of total transparency in the handling of the case will not allow full understanding of what could have been done better" she said. "It is important to learn from every experience, to come together and improve the understanding of everyone involved so that there is no repeating of past mistakes."

So now total transparency has gone from catch phrase to the 21st century version of '20/20 hindsight'. How many people in the next 5, 10 years are going to lose their jobs, be discredited, etc. over not providing 'total transparency'. We have become a nation of CYA, we are so afraid of being sued, that instead of taking drastic, but possibly right, actions; we choose instead to take no action whatsoever. Out of fear of lawsuits, no one says anything of substance on the record - and then get publicly harassed by not providing 'total transparency'. And why is that 'total transparency' needed - to provide them with the information that the evironmental lobby lawyers need to harass and/or sue these people with.

Yes, this is just a story about a big cat. Yet, it's also indicative of the direction the country is headed in, and I do not like it.

***Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.***
Peter Schmugge
http://thebigshmoog.blogspot.com

He missed the joke...

2009-03-28T16:41:00.003-07:00

Senator Conrad (D-umb) missed the little rip that Senator Grassley (R-ight on top of the set-up) made to him...

Watch the video here.

That's what she said!

Never forget? Well, we just did...

2009-03-28T00:15:00.001-07:00

http://m.cnn.com/cnn/lt_ne/lt_ne/detail/272988;jsessionid=8E5AEDC59BC41DC4F80F39DBFECF9D28.live23ib

Yup.

Today is the day we just forgot.