Oct. 3

The great VP debate. I was reading the AP news story and, as usual, it was biased in a subliminal way against the conservative. The AP is a liberal source and, unfortunately, it’s one source for news. In the debate, Gov. Palin’s big mistake or confusion was the mispronunciation of the name of the general in Afghanistan who’s leading our troops. Biden’s overlooked mistake was not knowing that Iran is on a course to have nuclear weapons within two years. I think that is potentially a greater problem.

 

After meeting an old friend at the post office today and hearing his stories about one pal’s losing a job due to the tanked economy and another friend’s work week being shortened to two days instead of five, I got my checking account report. Oops! E-yoooh. >From now on, my savings account will be used, meaning used up — to pay monthly necessities like food, rent, utilities, and gasoline for the little old car used only in town and seldom if ever on Sunday. Bye-bye, contributions, including to churches. Adios, restaurants on coupon ganga days mit der senior discount. Too bad, city donations of any kind. I have unwillingly joined the milling throngs. Signed, Joe no-pack.

 

The SV override itself should be voted down. The board promised this was to be a one time “fix” in 2004 yet here we are already asked for another override. Is there any credibility with the board? The current override already brings in more than $3 million well above the $2.6 million we were told in 2004. Where has some of the money gone? Well some waste went for a public information officer immediately hired after the 2004 override and some went to raise the last superintendent’s salary from $98,000 to $120,000. Does this look like a district being frugal with the taxpayer’s budget?

 

I thought both Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin gave smooth presentations in their debate last night. However, I was surprised to hear Biden speaking, on at least 10 occasions, factually inaccurate statements about his own, John McCain’s, and Barack Obama’s voting records, plus denials of actual statements Obama is on record as having said. Amazingly Biden did all this with a straight face. I’m interested in seeing if the media picks up on Biden’s inaccurate statements or gives him a pass as it always does with Obama. Overall it was a spirited debate. Sarah Palin performed far beyond expectations. In no way did she resemble the negative picture the media unfairly has painted. She impressed me with her intelligence, accomplishments as governor, pleasant demeanor, and sense of humor. She definitely identified with the average American and proved she can stand up to Joe Biden in a debate anytime.

 

Actually the Doonesbury comic strip was incredibly right on. Just watch the Katie Couric interview with Sarah Palin and she comes off as a dim-witted bimbo (To use your words, I would say blithering idiot so as to not be sexist). And then watch the vice-presidential debate and she comes off well but very robotic (she can’t follow the questions). Hey I have my gun handy and I have been a Bible thumper extraordinaire for 40 years. Sarah Palin, just like the doll in Trudeau’s comic strip, has been programmed beyond belief. They did a great job. Problem is, like in the Doonesbury strip, she is still a liar. A major big liar.

 

Why would anybody in his or her right mind embrace failed policies of the past such as ”socialism?” The former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) and the National Socialist Party (acronym: Nazi) comes to mind. Sen. Obama is a devout socialist. Do you think that embracing certain aspects of this political philosophy is harmless? It’s like being a little bit pregnant, a creeping cancer if you will. Think about it.

 

My husband is retired Army. He has trouble hearing and walking. All these things that our service is fighting for right now. We can give all this money to illegal immigrants, but not other things our soldiers and retired soldiers need. They can’t get aid or disability, aid that is really needed. I don’t understand this. We hand all this help out. Now when we need help, there’s no help there.

I see where the D.C. criminals got their $800 billion rip-off. At least we don’t have to worry now about having rum and wooden arrows.

My take on this so-called bailout farce is this: You can’t place a Band-Aid on a chest wound and expect it to work. The American people should wise up. McCain graduated the fourth from the bottom of his class of 288 at the Naval Academy. I guess it really doesn’t matter. They voted twice for Bush and what a dummy he is.

Oct. 3

Lately the Sierra Vista school district override push has surfaced once again with various organizations and individuals taking a pro or negative position on this means to raise additional funds for the school district. Once again we have heard the school system will have to scale back on educational programs, support staff, etc., and that the students will be denied the opportunity to have a well-rounded exposure to many of the programs that will prepare them for the future in the event the override initiative is defeated. It would appear that little thought is being given by the override proponents to the fact that many taxpayers are struggling at this time just to keep their heads above water. I have already voted absentee and gave a strong “no” to the override. The school district needs to learn it must cut back and make sacrifices just like the common taxpayers are now pushed to do.

What’s with the obsession of (Cochise County) School Superintendent (Trudy) Berry aiding and abetting faulty overrides in Sierra Vista and Tombstone. Neither has correct ballot language. Tombstone’s says they are going to extend it, yet they have wisely voted “no” to all the overrides in the last few years. Sierra Vista’s override appears to have been called side-skirting the law. I’m going to vote for Raul Torrez. Eight years is enough of the current county superintendent.

Poor Sarah Palin: She had to keep bringing up her memorized answers in the debate. She even said she wasn’t going to answer the questions at one point and went back to a mechanized speech. God forbid she should become a heartbeat away from old man McCain if he wins the presidency. Cute she is but she can’t think on her feet.

Oct. 4

To solve the bailout crisis maybe we need to close Yale, Harvard, Princeton and like universities since those who have gotten us into these financial dire straits such as the CEOs and politicians are graduates of these colleges or universities. Obviously they are not the learning centers we think they are since they cannot produce people who cannot run companies without greed.

The biggest ruse being promulgated by Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, and the mainline media, is that Republicans alone are responsible for the latest financial crisis. The truth is the unbridled practices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over these many years are at the heart of the problem. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have fostered lending institutions which issued millions of questionable mortgage loans to people financially ill-equipped to meet payments. This trend favoring the little guy was cheered by Democrats who are widely known in Washington circles as the crusaders and protectors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Both enterprises are known to be Democrat bastions, where Democrats upon leaving government find ready employment as lobbyists and executives. Democrat Rep. Barney Franks and Democrat Sen. Chris Dodd, chairmen of the House and Senate finance committees, have been championing the causes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac since Clinton administration days and before. Hypocrisy reigns here.

To OYM and the city’s wannabe-aheads with the empty heads: The light ahead has just turned red. So noisy Ned with foot of lead wears out his brakes and tires’ thin tread, because he sped eight feet ahead and screeched to a halt and his car stopped dead and refused to start as honkers passed en masse when the light turned green and his face turned red, that harried hurried ill-bred numb-head Ned.

In 2004 the Sierra Vista school district M&O budget was $29.6 million and $38.6 million in 2008. That is nearly a 30 percent increase. The “student daily membership” dropped from 6,242 in 2004 to 6,127 in 2008. The school district budget was up $9 million and for less students. Oh, yes, during the same time frame the superintendent salary went from $98,000 to $128,000. Now the district claims to need more taxpayer money by trying to push a new seven-year override that will raise our taxes. There is no way I will vote for an override. The district is a typical government bureaucracy always needs more taxpayers money and more money. There is never enough. Well, not this time. Vote “no” on the override.

In the first presidential debate, Barack Obama often said John McCain would give $300 billion of tax cuts to the “wealthiest corporations and individuals.” I did some checking to verify this assertion. CNN Politics.com said, “The Obama campaign is basing this assertion on its own calculations using figures from the non-partisan Tax Policy Center.” But Len Burman, director of the Tax Policy Center, told CNN, “his agency has not determined a dollar figure for how much of McCain’s tax cuts can be described as going to ‘the wealthiest corporations and individuals’.” Burman also told CNN, “more of McCain’s total package of tax cuts would apply to the middle class or people at lower incomes than the Obama campaign is counting.” It appears Obama, the candidate of “Change”, who also told us there are 57 states in the U.S., is trying to manufacture more numbers.

Mere days after Congresswoman Giffords sent me an e-mail promising she would oppose the giant Wall Street bailout and saying she had not received a single e-mail or phone call from her constituents in support of it, what did she do but turn around and vote in favor of it. Way to represent.

I have a comment on the recent comment on the override and the tax situation. That person states that the taxes went down in 2006 and nobody said anything about it and then it went up greatly in 2007. My taxes went down between 2005-2006 by $23. Then it went up from 2006–2007 by $220. The reason I didn’t say anything was that they went down only a whopping $23. On the override, we have to learn to get by on a fixed income. I think the school district needs to get by on a fixed income, too. Vote “no,” please.

When we moved here in 1986 we were very proud of our Sen. McCain. He was like Barry Goldwater and McCain was a maverick. He spoke out on issues and he’d go against his party when he felt the need. But in this century we have seen him change and become very “Bushy” these last eight years and lose his ability to be his own man. Lately he has morphed into an embarrassment, having nothing left of his mismanaged campaign. Out of desperation he has resorted to ads against Obama which are lies, half-truths and personal insults. Once upon a time we can remember John McCain was better than that. Does the desire for power so absolutely corrupt?

Trudy Berry has been the least qualified county superintendent in the past 20 years. Her personal political agenda has driven her actions and contributed to the Sierra Vista schools property tax debacle. The only article in the Herald about both county superintendent candidates listed the public school teaching and administrative positions held by Raul Torrez. However, no such specifics have ever been printed much less verified by the Herald about Ms. Berry. When has Trudy Berry ever taught in any K-12 public school? To date, there is no evidence she has taught in any such setting in the past 25 years, if ever. Ms. Berry is not an educator; she’s only a politician. It’s time Cochise County voters elect someone who has that experience to look out for the schools in the county.

I’d like to respond to the letter to the editor by Suzanne Kimberly stating at the end of her letter, “I will be voting for Barack Obama, a thoughtful man of honor.” I wonder if she could write another letter to the editor or to OYM and give me one example where he is a thoughtful man of honor. It couldn’t be that 20 years he has spent in the Rev. Wright’s church, or his 20-year relationship with Rezko. It couldn’t be the fact he has never run a government, never been in charge of anything. It couldn’t be the fact that he has a $1.4 million house when he has a senator’s salary. Where is the honor? He didn’t serve his country in the military. I’d like this writer to state one honorable thing that this man has brought to this country and to himself.

You are all aware of what recently occurred in Georgia, formerly of the Soviet Union. As a new member of NATO we felt they should be able to defend themselves so we installed anti-ballistic weaponry there. Against who? The homeland of Stalin. This didn’t sit well with Russia since half of the seizure was populated primarily by former Russian citizens. This helped provoke the recent turmoil there and now we are sending advanced weaponry to Taiwan, the last vestige remaining of the Republic of China. I expect some repercussions from this, again stupid action by international relations representatives. On a national matter, Arnold Schwarzenegger wants us to give California $7 billion to help bail him out. Won’t our recent bailout affect them also? I say California has many state resources like gold, produce, Hollywood, San Francisco, and oil, in and offshore. As Arnold has been known to say, drill, baby, drill.

Oct. 5

We love Sierra Vista and would like to feel fully comfortable making all of our necessary purchases here. The Sierra Vista chamber of commerce advocates buying in Sierra Vista. The big problem that pushes me to drive to Tucson is the price of gasoline. Our prices are about 22 cents per gallon higher than the lows of Tucson, only 75 miles distant. We have been ripped off for 40 years by the gasoline sellers locally. Check www.tucsongasprices.com to compare what we pay versus Tucson. Prices on the fort are based on the local market. If you can shop on the fort, please do so. This will prevent excessive profits to the gasoline sellers in town. Otherwise, fill up when you go to Tucson where you may save $2.50 per tank full. If you must shop in town, buy at the lowest price available.

Most Americans are tired of the politics of distraction that says the way to win an election is simply to run nasty ads and lie about their opponents. Palin and McCain are losing badly in the polls because Americans know the cause of the economic meltdown. And it is not Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Mr. French points out in his letter blaming these Democrats “in fairness, President Bush did open the flood gates with self regulation in the finance industry.” And in all fairness, President Bush may have tried to shut those flood gates, but he never did. Mr. Bush has screwed up everything he has touched. And that is not helping Mr. McCain’s cause, because he has tried to emulate Bush on every level. From dirty, gutter campaigning, social security, health care, the war, and yes even the economy.

A trillion here and a trillion there, and pretty soon we’ll be talking about real money. How much of that would trickle down to us guys?

Holes in your socks? Your marriage on the rocks? Your money has all gone to docs? Things suddenly turn sweet when you go out to the street and the Herald is there in your box.

Polls show that Democrats are close to attaining a 60-seat majority in the Senate this election. I believe that’s a filibuster proof majority. With Obama as president and with leftist extremist Nancy Pelosi running a Democratic majority in the House, this nation’s in for some big trouble. Say goodbye to your gun rights. Say goodbye to talk radio/ freedom of speech rights and say hello to the return of the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.” Say goodbye to anybody (except Obama) being able to openly speak about his or her Christian faith. Say hello to big brother and bigger, costlier, bloated government programs. Say hello to the United States backing down to, and cowering to every two-bit nation or terrorist organization that challenges us. Say goodbye to this nation as you once knew it. My friends say goodbye to America, because after this election she’ll never ever be the same again.

Those of you still puzzling over the SVPS budget override need to carefully read the voter information pamphlet that came in your mail. One of the “against” letters is written by Jacqueline O’Connor. She signs herself as a member of the SV School District Financial Advisory Subcommittee, when, in fact, she pushed the district to form the citizen’s subcommittee, sat in on a few meetings, then resigned from the subcommittee when she didn’t hear the information she wanted to hear — that there was money being wasted. Two of the other letters “against” are the two guys who are trying to sue the district again. Think twice. Are these the kind of people you want to listen to? Get the facts and learn what the budget override will pay for at www.svcec.org.

I was intrigued by the AP brief article, “Obama assails McCain health plan,” (Oct. 5 Herald). What caught my eye was the statement, “He (Obama) would make coverage (of his universal health plan) more affordable to most Americans . . . paying for the subsidies largely by canceling the Bush administration’s tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 a year.” The word “largely” spells a bad omen because economists generally agree the tax cuts as stated will not “largely” pay the bill. All of us, rather, can expect to have our taxes raised to cover the final cost. Canceling tax cuts really means “raising” the taxes of people earning more than $250,000. These people provide the bulk of our economy’s investments which produce jobs. Higher taxes translate into higher unemployment. Still unanswered is how Obama plans to pay for the rest of his $1 trillion in spending, namely, in energy exploration, education, subsidies for the college-bound, infrastructure, etc.

Retired NFL quarterback Archie Manning must be very proud of his two NFL quarterback sons Eli and Peyton with the Giants and the Colts.

At this stage of my life I watch a lot of sports. I predict a new protest movement as I watch many of our fine athletes pointing to the heavens after doing something good for their team. The new movement will be to support the separation of church and sport.

If only GWB2 and Sarah Palin could have hooked up. “Is our children learning?” gwb. “With the impacts of climate change, what we can do about that, as governor, I was the first governor to form a climate change subcabinet to start dealing with the impacts.” SP. No wonder the rest of the world has doubts about us. And, yes, there is no literary context here. Simply, horrible grammar reveals the shallowness of the thinking. You might call it down-home or folksy. I call it blithering idiocy.

Barack Obama, as an Illinois senator, is on record as voting in favor of SB 99, legislation that called for comprehensive sex education of grades K through 12. John McCain ran this ad: “Obama’s one accomplishment? Legislation to teach comprehensive sex education to kindergartners about sex before learning to read.” The Obama campaign cried foul, that SB 99 was an effort to teach young children to protect themselves from sexual predators. However, nowhere in SB 99 is it ever mentioned to protect young children against sexual predators. SB 99 does state, “Each class or course in comprehensive sex education offered in any of grades K through 12 shall include instruction on the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including the prevention, transmission and spread of HIV.” By the way, SB 99 was never passed, thank goodness.

Oct. 6

Mr. (Brett) Agenbroad (Sierra Vista schools superintendent) used the word “irregardless,” which is not a word when claiming the injunction against the override was not timely filed. Agenbroad should not try to play lawyer. The suit is timely filed. Maybe the real question to be asked is: Why did the board call for the election on the second to the last day to call one even if it had been called legitimately? They knew they would ask again after the last override despite claiming it was one time. As for asking bond attorneys, well, they are self-interested and this is an override, not bond request — big difference. Maybe the board should read the law themselves rather than doing monkey see, monkey do and just haphazardly passing override resolutions.

Some members of Congress are upset that the courts will not force some former members of the Bush administration to explain why nine were fired during his administration. Perhaps it would be helpful to them if they ask their former President Clinton why 63 were fired during his administration.

Drill, baby, drill. That was a term used in a recent debate in speaking about drilling for more oil. The idea is to open up off shore drilling to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I understand the call for fuel as I too don’t like high gas prices and deplore our dependence on foreign oil. But consider this. The oil reservoirs of which we are speaking are mostly on the Atlantic Coast. This means that Hurricane Ike, which was a gulf storm, hit the oil derricks in the Gulf of Mexico where almost a half million gallons were spilled into the gulf by damaged derricks and broken pipelines. It is a chemical mess in the gulf states. So I am wondering, do we really want to drill for oil off the Atlantic Coast of this country? Do we think Mother Nature will go around them?

I take issue with the Herald’s Oct. 6 editorial, “Marriage is already defined.” The Herald said, “It’s a distinction that is already spelled out in state laws” that marriage is only between a man and a woman in Arizona. Tell that to the people of California and Massachusetts who had similar state laws defining marriage as between a man and a woman, only to have activist judges on their state supreme courts declare the laws as unconstitutional, thwarting the wishes of the people. The same thing can readily happen in Arizona, if our state Supreme Court became stacked with activist judges quick to declare our state law on marriage as unconstitutional. However, if Proposition 102 passes, it becomes an amendment to the Arizona Constitution. Thereafter, no state Supreme Court can declare an amendment as unconstitutional, if it is already part of the state Constitution. The Herald deliberately bypasses this essential point.

I wonder how much the Sierra Vista school district could save in fuel costs if it were to leave the school busses at the high school during the day after dropping off students, take the drivers back to the bus barn in one bus to pick up their cars and reverse the process in the afternoon. Every afternoon I see empty lines of buses going from Buffalo Soldier Trail to the high school, a roundtrip of at least 10 miles that could be eliminated and the corresponding fuel cost saved.

I see where Judge (James) Conlogue was assigned to hear the lawsuit filed against the Sierra Vista school district and the county School Superintendent (Trudy) Berry. Based on the fact that Judge Conlogue’s son is a senior at Buena High School, I do not see how he can be the judge in this case. His son is a very high-profile student. He is a member of various clubs and is also a member of the governor’s youth commission. Judge, you really need to recuse yourself, and the only fair option to ensure an impartial judge is to bring one in from out of Cochise County.

This is about the school budget override. This left a bad taste in our mouths on taxes last year. People on fixed incomes can’t survive. My taxes went up almost $800 for the year. Everything like that irks a lot of people, especially when you drive around and see the electronic sign up there by Buena. There’s no need for that. Why not use that money for what they need this year? Instead of cutting the arts, the bands and teachers let’s cut out some sports programs like the football team. The football team doesn’t do anything for Buena. So let’s get smart and do the right thing. Keep the arts, the band, and get rid of sports. Quit taxing taxpayers and quit doing overrides because you’ll sneak something else in there.

Hello all you cat owners. Don’t you think that your babies don’t deserve to be put in a cage? I think it’s unfair for the county to do this to our little pets because our cats may just cross the road. People are too cranky and they trap the cats for no reason. I think that this should not be allowed. Thank you.

I want to know why there hasn’t been anything in the paper about the fatal wreck in Bisbee on Friday night? Thaddeus Boatman was killed and some other kids were in the car. Nobody knows who was driving; nobody knows the condition of the other kids in the car. There was nothing in the paper on Saturday or Sunday and nothing in today’s paper. Please put somebody on this story and give us some information because there are a lot of really broken-hearted people in Bisbee having candlelight services and wanting information. Please do your job and give us that information.

Editor’s note: Unfortunately, we were not able to get information on this wreck until Monday. A story did appear in Tuesday’s edition.

Make no mistake, we are now witnessing the beginning of the fall of a great civilization. Greedy and corrupt controllers of our banking and the same type of politicians are taking the county down. We little people are at the head of the line. Retirement money disappears, savings may suffer, jobs will be in short supply. For many, there is no time left to hope to work and recover from this one. The powerful are all rolling around in bed together. They will not be affected by this grand bumble. People such as Clinton appointee Franklin Raines will get his extra millions for driving Fannie Mae into the ground. He did so well that he is now working for the Obama campaign. Gabrielle Giffords voted for giving away the $850 billion to somehow miraculously save us.

Why do I always hear, “liberal media, liberal media” from Republicans and right-wingers? If there is such a big problem and you view it that way then try to change the media. Express your views to the media instead of just sitting back being scared. It’s just paranoia on your part. You have no plan, no idea what to do so you strike out like a scared dog hiding under the porch. Try to change it if you’re worried about it.

As far as Republican TV ads go I’d like to hear what they are going to do, something positive out of their mouths instead of just pure attacks. I hear nothing about any of their plans.

I really like the smaller size of the newspaper. It is so much easier to hold it up and read it and not have it folding over and being difficult to turn the pages. There are several annoyances that are in the paper I would like to see corrected. One of them I’ve heard several times is splitting up the comics. Why can’t they all be on one page and the other page have Annie’s Mailbox, Dr. Gott, the crossword puzzle and the horoscope? The other thing is that the crossword is so small, the boxes so tiny, and the words too tiny. I hope that you remember that tine print doesn’t get read because a lot of people can’t read it and think it’s not worth straining their eyes for it. Otherwise I like the size of the paper.

Editor’s note: Thank you for your comments. We have increased the size of the crossword puzzle clues. As far as rearranging the page, it was done to fit the new size. We’ve been taking comments and will consider if we’ll make any changes.

The attacks by Fox News, John McCain and Sarah Palin against Joe Biden and Barack Obama are very frightening. These are the tactics that George Bush used against his own party members running for office and Al Gore and John Kerry. This kind of action not only degrades this country, but the American people. This is the highest form of demagoguery, to go against an opponent in such a horrible way. It’s a shame that John McCain would go this route. As for Sarah Palin she has been coached on what to say because she does not have the intelligence to come up with what she says. There’s a segment in the Republican Party that wants to destroy this country and the middle class. The best thing we can do is not even listen to the statements being made.

I’m a Democrat, but after seeing “Hannity and Colmes” last night, I’m voting for McCain. I’m not voting for the party, I’m voting for the man, McCain. I hope more people will vote for McCain because Obama has too many weird friends that will get this country in a lot of trouble. By the way, the letter Connie McCormick wrote made a lot of sense. Obama, you make me scared.

I’m calling to compliment Connie McCormick for her letter to the editor last Friday. Connie, I will support you if you are not a strong swimmer just as much as I will support John and Sarah. Thank you so much for your compliment. I’ll be there by you.

It’s just amazing to me how Tim Bee can stretch the truth and stretch it and stretch it. It’s too bad he can’t get his stories all correct. Then again, he and Elizabeth Hasselback on “The View” would get along wonderfully because she’s the same way.

Isn’t it ironic there are so many fat-cat Republican CEOs that draw multimillion-dollar salaries while leading their companies into total bankruptcy and failure? The American taxpayer has to bail them out in a whirlpool of rhetoric that’s drawing our country into a depression like we’ve never seen. Time to change.

I have a comment about people with businesses in town that say “shop locally.” Well, if you look at some of the business in town, I wouldn’t go near one with a 10-foot pole. There are enough weeds around them to choke a horse right on Fry Boulevard. It doesn’t do any good to call the city about them because the city doesn’t do a thing about it. I’ve been fighting about my neighbor over a year and the city has done nothing about it. They’ve been over two or three times and the weeds are two or three feet tall. The man doesn’t do a thing about it. The city council doesn’t seem to care. They don’t even know where the west side is.

To the person who stole the memorial cowboy cross on the corner of Moson and Ramsey: You are one sick desperate person to steal the memorial cross in memory of my deceased loved one. May the person you memorialize with it rot in Hades for your despicable act. Please return it.

Oct. 7

It is a well-documented fact that George Bush has driven every enterprise he has ever been connected with into the ditch. And now with the help of his henchmen he has done it to the U S of A. Voters, are you paying attention?

I find it interesting that Cindy McCain claims that Obama has “waged the dirtiest campaign in American history”. According to George W. Bush, you have got to repeat this kind of unbelievable garbage over and over and over to catapult the propaganda. “See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda.” I doubt if Cindy has the time or the stomach for this kind of preposterous lying. At least I hope so.

Obama/McCain debate analysis: Obama was running for president, McCain was trying to keep up.

I can’t believe the school district would have the nerve to ask for another override. After the Michelle Quiroz boondoggle. And now I read she is still there as business manager. I’ve read all the impassioned letters to the editor from various school employees with all the usual threats of cutting classes and firing teachers. I’ve lived in a lot of school districts. This is normal operating procedures on their behalf. What they need to do is cut administrative staff to the bone. Then cut school bus routes within the city. Almost everyone has at least two cars. The parents and siblings can arrange transportation. It’s unbelievably expensive to run these big buses all over. We also have city buses running around with very little ridership. They can be used at nominal cost. There are many other ways of cutting costs. Vote “no” on this override.

We thought Sarah Palin was the expert on dodging the question. McCain has her beat to a pulp. All he can do is brag about serving our great country as if we didn’t know he did, and keep repeating “my friends” so often it makes us nauseated. Too bad that Obama and McCain are the only two clowns in this race. Dick Allen and Burton Bernard were real debaters at age 16, following a regular debating format without a celeb trying in vain to keep them on track. Teacher Miss Blackburn taught, and the team won national honors. Allen became the Illinois assistant state’s attorney, and Bernard became an ethical and admired attorney in his home town. Where’s Mary Blackburn now when we need her?

Diana West’s column, “Social engineering derailed our economy,” was very informative reading. We rarely read anything in the mainline media that tarnishes Barack Obama’s media-created “clean” image. We now learn that Obama was involved in race-based social engineering as a Chicago community organizer, through the Woods Fund of which he was an official and worked alongside his political ally, William Ayers, the unrepentant domestic terrorist. Obama was one of those social engineers who advanced — not enough minorities owned homes nor were eligible for mortgages. Steady employment, clean credit, a down payment were seen as stumbling blocks. Thus, the rationale for the formation of the sub-prime lending industry where “affordable housing” became a “must” for everyone! We learn that community organizers intimidated banks by occupying private offices, chanting inside bank lobbies, confronting executives at their homes, and thereby, forcing limitless millions of dollars in mortgages to low-credit customers.

What did I learn from the Herald today? On Page A3 I learned that Danny Allen Mason is a she; see top of fourth column. I learned that Jacalin Blue is a he. See Page B2. Please proofread the paper that we pay money to read. The grammar grannies are watching.

I today’s newspaper on the front page there’s an article about a rollover accident caused by a 16-year-old driver where three other teens in the care were hurt on Friday afternoon at 12:36. My question is, why aren’t these teenagers in school? Aren’t they in middle or high school? Where do their parents think they are? Secondly you have to be 18 years old or over to purchase a vehicle. Why are these teens in this car unless they’re in mommy’s car? Whey aren’t they held responsible. There are no names of the drier and the other teens that should have been in school. Why doesn’t the writer follow up on this? We deserve that. Where are the parents at this time?

Anyone who really wants to understand how the U.S. got into this financial mess and Obama’s contribution to it should read Diana West’s commentary in today’s issue of the Herald. As usual her clarity of complicated issues was excellent. This is one columnist I hope we never lose.

This is in reference to the letter from Gerald Eberwein of Naco, Ariz., who seems to believe it’s a good thing for the Palominas school district to consolidate or make a unified school district. The letter writer is misinformed. There is no requirement for Palominas to be forced to merge with Sierra Vista or any other school district. That’s why it is currently on the ballot now as a choice the voters can make. They can not be forced to consolidate with any school district. It requires a vote of the voters. Eberwein of Naco, how about you leave Naco alone and leave Palominas alone and let those voters decide with the correct information.

To Diana West: Your article on race based social engineering has got to be tongue in cheek, because it is definitely not in touch with reality. So you must be rewritng history again? Your projecting and blaming are on a par with Jonah Goldberg’s liberal fascism. You project all your trashy ugliness on the other side and declare how trashy and ugly it looks and then blame them for it. That’s the problem with conservatives of your ilk; you are full of blame and hate but you have nothing positive to bring to the discussion. Now that’s what adolescents do. Even in conservative Arizona you stink. You are probably a grandma but you still need to grow up.

Senator McCain’s campaign has announced that they plan to “turn the page on the discussion about our economy” and personally attacking Barack Obama. We don’t need to read and listen to McCain’s smear attacks. We need to know how he plans to move our country forward, solve our economic problems, restore our values, create jobs, give us energy independence, reduce our debt, bring down the deficit, improve education for our children and grandchildren, make college affordable, and build international alliances that can reduce nuclear proliferation and lesson global conflict. With all of these issues, McCain chooses to spend his words, time, and campaign dollars attacking his opponent. He believes he can enter the White House through the back door of dirty politics. I guess he knows he can’t get in by telling us where he stands.

Oct. 8

I’d like these former executives with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac who basically lied to the public to reap the rewards of their thievery. If you are a taxpayer, if you have a private pension account, if you are expecting a government pension or Social Security, they have stolen from you. We should be paid back. They should take every asset these people have. Let them have $1 million to retire on. That’s more than my wife and I will have. That’s more than we had before they stole from us. They need to pay.

I was glad to see that Calvary Chapel bought the 4.8 acres next to their church. I hope they will build enough parking places for the people attending their service. That is really a mess on Sunday mornings with people parked any place they can find enough space to get part of their car off the road. If this was anything but a church, the police would be there in force writing tickets. Safety should be the consideration there.

The alternative school must have a lot of students to warrant an assistant principal salary about $72,000. If there are a lot of students enrolled there, then some assistant principal positions in the high school can be cut. How about a director with less pay/salary. There are five assistant principals listed for the high school with an enrollment of 2,654 students. This seems excessive for the enrollment. There are 20 people listed on the district school web site staffing that have no assigned duties. I would have like to have one of those types of job. Pay but no assigned work/duties. If action was taken to reduce the excessive administrative staffing at the high school there would be more then enough money freed up for the music, art and P.E. teachers the school board and administrative staff has said would be laid off if the school override is not passed.

Conservative writer for the New York Times, David Brooks spoke frankly about the presidential and vice presidential candidates Monday afternoon, calling Sarah Palin a “fatal cancer to the Republican party” but describing John McCain and Barack Obama as “the two best candidates we’ve had in a long time.” In an interview with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg at New York’s Le Cirque restaurant to unveil that magazine’s redesign, Brooks decried Palin’s anti-intellectualism and compared her to President Bush in that regard: Palin is a fatal cancer and she has also signaled the end of McCain’s chances. Fatal choice, Mr. McCain.

Talk about cheerleading. How about that Sarah Palin? She can stir ’em up into a frenzy. In regard to Obama, she’s got ’em yellin’ “kill him.” The race card and not even done subtly. Sarah, it ain’t workin’. The economy is in the toilet and she’s slingin’ serious mud. Sarah, wake up and pay attention. It’s the economy stupid.

The slide continues, but these days it’s a mudslide of desperation and deceit — so blatant that McCain strategists announced they were moving to dirty because they can’t compete on the issues. Sad isn’t it? The candidate himself chimed in, promising to take the gloves off in the debate, urged on publicly by his running mate as she threw spitballs at every stop. But last night McCain was something of a paper tiger, reluctant to live down to the pre-debate promise to be the agent of slime, trying to seem presidential but coming across as largely empty on the big issues. He won’t be elected because he has nothing relevant to offer for an economy in meltdown and a nation in fear. His last resort answer isn’t hope, but more fear — of Obama. But Obama persuasively swatted away the lies about tax increases and health care; McCain lost both arguments. McCain/Palin is making Obama look more and more presidential.

Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., is the chairman of House Finance Services Committee. Frank has been a member of this committee since 1981. This committee oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac which are at the heart of the corrupt mortgage scandal. Frank has been known as a stalwart defender of these two GSEs. On July 3, 1998, the Washington Post reported that Frank, who is openly gay, had a romantic relationship with Herb Moses, a top executive of Fannie Mae, and that Frank referred to Moses as his “spouse” and “lover.” In another Washington Post report, the Post said the two were “still friends” after the breakup. One has to wonder about conflict of interest on both Frank’s and Moses’ part. This question arises. In the current economic crisis the nation is facing, why is the mainstream media quiet on Frank’s close association with Fannie Mae and not calling for his stepping down as chairman?

I have been paying particular attention to the local political candidates’ advertisements and am amazed at content of some. Some content does not reflect proper grammar and some just plain doesn’t make sense. Today I note that a local candidate, who has been listing only women who support him, no men, has listed his wife and his elementary-aged daughter as supporters. I would hope so! But his daughter is not even of voting age and I doubt, at the age of seven or eight, that she has any understanding of the political issues involved. My vote will be cast for those candidates who are serious about their runs for office.

The Sierra Vista high school has an assistant principal (earning a base salary of $73,000 plus more for education) for athletics, plus even harder to believe there is even an athletic director assistant, although there is no athletic director listed on the Web site staffing of the high school. Normal schools, professional sports clubs (i.e. baseball clubs, football, etc.) and universities have one athletics director plus the individual sports coaches. There is no need for an override tax increase. What is needed is cuts in excess personnel who have no role in teaching students.

One OYM reader amazes me when he compared McCain to Obama. Quote: “McCain cannot use a computer. Barack cannot land a jet plane on an aircraft carrier at night.” We are now in the year 2008. I don’t care what McCain’s skills were 40-some years ago. Can he do it today, fly a jet plane? To me, it does not matter. What matters to me in 2008 are the skills and new ideas a president should have. Computer skills rank higher over flying a jet 40 years ago. Obama’s fresh ideas and youthful looks sure beats ideas from the 1960s. As far as being a hero, “Duke” Cunningham the fighter pilot is my hero. He also served about the same time McCain served during the Vietnam War. “Duke” is often shown on the History Channel in dogfights fighting off and scoring against North Vietnamese MIGs.

The current Sierra Vista school district override is for seven years. During the sixth and seventh years of the override, there is a “step down” process where it goes from 10 to 6.6, then 3.3 and finally to zero. This is required by Arizona law. The text of the ballot (Cochise County Schools Superintendent Trudy) Berry sent out plainly states the proposed new override, if passed, will be at 9 percent for seven years. Please explain, Mr. County Attorney, how the county school superintendent is getting away with breaking state law. There is no provision under the law governing overrides that allows an override to run seven years at a set percentage. All overrides must have a “step down” included. How can a voter make an informed decision when the entire question on the ballot is wrong. As the law was not followed, there are ground for a lawsuit and the override vote being declared invalid.

I was shocked when I read the comments of the military wife concerning the Fort Huachuca Thrift Shop. I not only volunteer in the shop, but I shop there, too. The shop is always neat in appearance, except in the summer when we get so much furniture and donations that it is hard to find room for it all. Instead of complaining, why doesn’t the military wife come in and help out? We have great volunteers, and the manager is great, too. She has been there for at least 20 years and has done wonderful things to the shop.

I am a volunteer at the Fort Huachuca Thrift Shop and I would like to comment on the On Your Mind comment about the shop. I have worked there for more than 10 years, along with about 50 other volunteers. Our donations have tripled this summer, and it is all we can do to keep up with the donations. Instead of complaining, why doesn’t this military wife donate some of her time to the shop instead of making ugly comments? The shop does so much good in the military and civilian community. This year they gave 37 $1,000 scholarships to seniors and approximately $37,000 to the military and civilian community. And you want to find fault if some clothes are lying around?

Some things to keep in mind regarding the Sierra Vista public schools budget override. With the elimination of art, music and physical education, the children of Sierra Vista will be cheated out of one instructional hour per day. Along with these cuts, they also will be doing without librarians. The school day would end earlier and many parents would need to make additional arrangements for day care and/or after-school supervision. Rather than punish the children of Sierra Vista, why not vote to pass the override and then begin to go after our state legislators to provide more funding for education. We need to hold our state government accountable and force them to fund more for the children’s education. By eliminating these programs and cutting the school day short, we are setting the children up for failure. So, please, support the budget override for the good of all of us.

Overall, the county school superintendent position appears generally useless. But despite that, we, as voters, must still chose someone for that office. Since the president gets only eight years in office, then so, too, should the county school superintendent. As a Republican, I will be voting for Raul Torrez. From his brochure, it looks like he taught in the classroom for 16 years, so he at least knows what goes on. Electing someone new couldn’t be any worse than the current superintendent Berry. Vote Torrez.

The Southwest Gas franchise question in Sierra Vista is deceiving. Nowhere in the ballot language does it mention it is a tax increase. Vote “no” on it and make the City Council rewrite the proposal with less or no tax increase. When will the rape of the citizens end? Shame on the city. You should at least be honest with the ballot.

In today’s OYM someone wrote in about the post office in Hereford being in bad shape and needing a cleaning. You’re just lucky you don’t live in Bisbee. The Bisbee post office is a wreck and that postmaster doesn’t care either. It’s a federal building but they don’t seem to care. Lately they’ve cut the weeds but they have been growing up higher than a person and the post office itself is filthy. So don’t worry Hereford. Bisbee is just as bad.

We think your sports editor, Matt Hickman, needs some help. He does a terrible job about sports. What about NASCAR? Very little about NASCAR. NASCAR is a very important sport, and he does very poor coverage. And that’s not the only sport, but let’s start on NASCAR. Give Matt some help. He desperately needs help.

I’m glad to see all the fools nationwide voting for Democrats. For too long they have blamed Republicans for everything from natural disasters to teen pregnancy. Four years from now when Democrats control Congress and the presidency and we have no money, no jobs and no future, then you can say, “I made a mistake.”

Why is it that black Americans get a whole month to celebrate? Hispanic Americans get a whole month to celebrate? The Scout says Monday is German American Day. The Irish Americans get St. Paddy’s Day. But then Oriental Americans get a whole month. This is a little bit unfair, that three nationalities get a whole month of gratitude for helping build a better America but two nationalities get one day for helping to build America. I think a German American just as much as an Irish American helped build America. This is wrong and needs to be changed. All nationalities helped to build Americas. Remember we’re called the “melting pot”. So not one nationality should get to celebrate more than another does.

Did anyone else notice that after the presidential debate on the 7th that the candidates and their wives went into the crowd to shake hands and greet people, and Cindy McCain had her hands behind her back and wouldn’t even offer her hand to the “common person?” She probably didn’t want to be soiled. Shows you just how out of touch those two are with America.

I just decided to vote for Obama for one reason — to help the idiots and the sheeple of this country get their just desserts for being stupid enough to vote for him. I want to have him run this country and I want o see it go down the drain. I want it to be just like the Depression in the 1930s. Maybe they’ll be satisfied then.

Oct. 9

The sickening lesson we have learned in this election year is that the mainline media and press generally have not been honest with the American people. They have avoided any honest research into Barack Obama’s past. Instead, they have falsely created a man who isn’t what he claims to be. Anyone can research the Internet and learn the true facts about Obama. The scary thought is that the smooth-sounding Barack Obama, inexperienced and radical at heart, may be the next president of the United States, now engulfed in a dire economic crisis and two wars. The mainline media and press have betrayed us.

Contrary to all the terrorist claims we, the United States of America has never had to resort to torture to attain the information we need to protect our military forces and the land we love. I will acknowledge one form that is what they refer to constantly. We have issued all prisoners at GITMO a copy of their Holy Book in the language of their countries. Sadly since most of them cannot read the Book I guess they consider that a form of torture. For all of their lives they have had to rely on the words of their War Lords or the crooked mullahs to tell them what their Holy Book says.

I see the Herald has decided to support the school override. Here is why I do not support it. Besides the mismanagement fiasco they just had here are my reasons: Natural gas, water, electricity, garbage fees all went up despite lower use. Food, gasoline and phone now cost more. All have gone up, but not my pay. I must state the property taxes have increased substantially. No, I do not support the school override. I have to live within my budget the needs to also.

Fifty-six or 14? The Oct. 4 Herald article and schedule on the proposed school district override implies the district will loose 56 teachers if the override fails. But the data furnished indicates a loss of 14 teachers. Which is it? The article states this year’s 10 percent override furnishes $3,113,086 and funds 56 teachers and associated classroom supplies, an average cost of $55,591 a teacher ($3,113,086 divided by 56). If an override is not approved, funding drops to a 6.6 percent level; $2,159,650 or 39 teachers ($2,159,650 divided by $55.591). Under the proposed 9 percent override, funding would be $2,915,527 or 53 teachers ($2,915,527 divided by $55,591). A decrease of 14 teachers (53 to 39) between the 9 percent and 6.6 percent funding levels, not the implied 56.

Editor’s note: We suggest you contact the Sierra Vista school district superintendent, Brett Agenbroad, at 515-2700 to discuss this issue further. The district has said that if the override doesn’t occur, it will have to reduce its work force by 56 teachers.

My wife said to me tonight, “If McCain wins this election, the American people are really sick”. And I said, “They are already sick, they re-elected Bush in ’04.”

John McCain has turned his straight talk express into a trash talk disaster. Rather than address America’s problems, he chooses to hurl distasteful accusations at his opponent. All of us have watched his frenetic attempts to de-Americanize his opponent. We have heard him lace his rallies with references to a remote Ayers connection. We have seen him use rabble rousing “Barack Hussein Obama” rhetoric. This is a decision calculated to appeal to our worst instincts. No doubt there are some who will support and even cheer these smears. Those are not the people who care about this country. People who care are alienated by his actions, infuriated at their incendiary nature, and sickened because they come from a once honorable man.

Both of the presidential candidates have said they favor expanding our search for alternative forms of energy. Congress’s quest for alternative energy sources is like an old maid, they will wait their entire life for the right one to come along.