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On Your Mind is the Herald/Review’s telephone opinion line and is intended as a public forum for our readers. Comments represent the opinions of callers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the newspaper or any specific knowledge that we have. Readers may share their opinions by calling 458-0332, or by e-mail to svhoym@transedge.com or regular mail at 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista AZ 85635. Due to the volume of submissions, comments will be limited to 150 words or fewer. Comments are edited.
Nov. 12
I want to speak out on the behavior of the three people who picketed a local gas station. A recent writer and a friend of the station owner called them third-grade bullies. He needs a hearing aid. He was told what the purpose of the picketing was. The intention was not to shut down and put the owner out of business. The gas station owner was kept well informed by his friends that stopped in for gas what the intention of his station being picketed. Gas in Sierra Vista has been 30 to 40 cents higher than in Tucson. The intention was to have this station lower their price say by 20 to 25 cents, and everybody would be happy. The loss of 15 to 20 cents per gallon would be made up on the amount of fuel sold. Everyone in town would line up at this station, creating a major traffic jam trying to fill up their tank.
Nov. 14
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The difference between a Republican and Democratic government is as follows. With Republicans at the helm, the rich get richer. We just had proof of what happens to the stock market without proper regulations or lack thereof. In spite of CEOs doing a terrible job, they are receiving huge bonuses. This present government can’t or won’t stop oil companies from making billions of dollars profit. Exxon earned more than $15 billion in gas gouging the public. Our government did not care and did nothing about it. The housing market has been a disaster and gets a bailout. Now the auto industry, although it failed to retool years ago and start building smaller cars, are looking toward the government for a bailout. So far this year, more than 750,000 people have lost their jobs and had to join the unemployment lines. It will require hard work and take more than a four-year term to clean up this mess.
Here’s my advice for older men who grow ponytails, especially balding older men who grow ponytails. It looks like crap. Get over yourselves. You are not 20 anymore. Look like a man. Get rid of the stupid ponytail. I’m your age and it offends me. Get rid of it, it looks stupid.
I want to inform all readers, especially all animal lovers, that at present there is a bill in Congress to help put to a stop to the mass production by these so-called horse factories that process and breed horses for slaughter in Mexico in the most inhumane and barbarous way. The horse has proven to be man’s best friend, a most useful animal all throughout human history. Yet it has always been the most abused animal in the world. It’s time that America does not allow this to continue any more if we are to call ourselves a civilized nation. But again, help stop the wholesale slaughters being sold in Willcox for export to Mexico. Call all your congressional representatives.
This country is facing the most severe crisis in all its history and things are extremely ominous in America right now. To read some of the extreme Republican critical viewpoints in OYM is almost incredible. These people put high expectations and demand on what they want and yet they are so negative. I think they should run for office and try to do a better job. They should recall the words by JFK who said, “Ask not what your country can do for you but rather what you can do for your country.” It’s hard to believe that under a new administration they can be just so negative.
Nov. 15
Who does Rick Grosinsky think he is? And why doesn’t he choose a worthwhile cause? Picking on and trying to intimidate Mr. (Jimmy) Harlan (owner of the Sierra Service Station) is about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Maybe Grosinsky should take up the animal rights cause, because he is one.
We are not as dumb as we look. Responsible parents ultimately must use tough love for an out-of-control kid. We don’t buy them everything they ask for. This is why voters failed to pass the Sierra Vista public schools increase on Nov. 4. We did not bite on the hook that would shame us for failing to educate our children at any cost. Those of us who pay the bills ultimately recognize the waste of the burgeoning bureaucracy. Mr. (Brett) Agenbroad failed to respond to my three e-mail inquiries where I was trying to learn if a teacher that I needed to garnish wages still worked for the district. He works for you and me, but seems arrogant. Mr. A, submit an On Your Mind to Rick and I will volunteer my services to help you provide education within your budget by cutting the fat.
Black columnist Stanley Couch was crude in his Nov. 15, “Beware of populist minstrels,” depicting Gov. Sarah Palin as a populist minstrel. He said, “The supposed reality of a woman like Palin, however, is no more than the manipulative cultivation of every kind of paranoia commonly felt by the less well-educated when faced with complexity and sophistication.” Pardon me for not being elitist like Crouch because “less well-educated,” I thought Palin was a breath of fresh air and very real — unlike Barack Obama. Crouch was ironically describing Obama when he said: “It (culture) is run through with many tales … where someone from the bottom — or quite willing to exploit those at the bottom — has a very simple job. Play the populist minstrel in order to take power. Once there, the salt-of-the-earth person from the bottom becomes the corrupt bully at the top.”
Looks like reality has become totally irrelevant. Here’s what some right-wing knuckleheaded moron wrote: “Bush never gets sloppy when he is speaking publicly. He chooses his words with care and precision, which is why his style sometimes seems halting. In the eight years he has been president, it is remarkable how few gaffes or verbal blunders he has committed. If Obama doesn’t raise his standards, he will exceed Bush’s total before he is inaugurated.” — John Hinderaker. (http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2008/11/022038.php) This guy is not in touch with reality. Hasn’t he ever watched Letterman’s “Great Moments in Presidential Speeches?” It is frightening the far right is going so crazy. They are already calling for Obama’s impeachment one week after the election. One would think this baloney is patently obvious. But no. These wingnuts literally crush logical reality. Looks like we’re in for many more years of insanity from the far right.
Stanley Crouch on today’s opinion page is right on. The blacks today are being treated like trained monkeys. You should either try to emulate Obama or your favorite hip-hopper hoodlum. There is no ordinary high school educated average black citizen. You can either go to school and don’t try to learn or go into the military and risk your life. If you do learn to do something, you can do well and have a good future. Another avenue is demonstrated in the inner cities. Scrounge out a living and/or pull up your pants. It’s a tough world. But better learned is better earned.
Have you ever noticed a pond that after a while becomes stagnant if allowed to exist undisturbed? Eventually scum starts to form and float on the top. I think that describes our federal government due to its inactivity. It has gone down hill. They do nothing. Some make up for this by becoming committee chairmen and feather their nests to enrich themselves. Look at Chris Dodd and Barney Franks abuse of their positions. They profit not only financially bur socially. Barney reportedly has his male lover on the Fannie Mae board of directors. Sickening isn’t it? How could you vote?
Here are some changes for our country that would surely help our government. Make Congress pay into the Social Security system. Stop handing out aid to illegal aliens. If we did that then the Medicaid and food stamp program would have enough to help the aged and poor. Secure our borders. Stop allowing babies to be born to illegals in the U.S. that grants them automatic U.S. citizenship. Stop companies from paying CEOs and other executives outrageous salaries while doing away with worker pensions. Stop bailing out mortgage companies, auto companies, and banks that give loans to people who can not afford them and then we all have to pay for the problem. These are several thins our country can do, but these all have to be done in Congress. The President can’t do these things. This is why Bush got blamed for so many things. It wasn’t him it was Congress.
I understand Obama has picked 41 former Clintonians in his government. Two more names cause me to evaluate them: Janet Dean and Madeline Albright. I think they were Siamese twins dissimilar in appearance, but identical in intellect and job performance. Keep looking.
On Friday someone in OYM was upset about a car that has been parked on Bisbee Road for quite a while. They said that the police and the fire department, or basically the fire chief has not done anything about it. It’s not the fire chief’s business to police cars. Why doesn’t the caller call the police and report the car? They will take care of it.
Nov. 16
The Republican Party is in a state of complete disarray and at a time of genuine national peril we actually do need an opposition party that is not brain-dead. Thinking that Sarah Palin is the great white hope of the party is just about (seriously) as stupid as you can get. Or how about brain damaged? Wake up! As long as you continue with the southern strategy of fear, smear and slime you are doing no one any good. Give us something substantive; some genuine helpful ideas. You lost the election. And no one stole it from you. You need to move on. And God forbid you might have to use your intellect, the curse of the liberal left.
Many years ago marriage was legalized through the issue of a license from the state of residence in order to legally protect the inheritance rights of children resulting from said marriage. Will someone please tell the gays?
What did I learn from the 2008 election? 1. The Mainline Media (MM), led by the N.Y. Times and The Associated Press, acted as an arm of the Democratic Party. 2. Barack Obama, being Afro-American, was placed outside the pale of criticism by the MM. 3. Democratic or Republican opponents who dared to criticize Obama were classed as racists by the MM. 4. Obama and Joe Biden were never thoroughly vetted by the MM as were John McCain and Sarah Palin. 5. Negative reporting by the MM about McCain and Palin was heavily disproportionate but minimal about Obama and Biden. 6. The MM failed to disclose the root causes of the economic meltdown, namely, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as long protected by Democrats from numerous attempts at regulation. 7. The MM made it appear as if the Bush administration was solely responsible for the economic meltdown and swayed the election in Obama’s favor.
Waste Management wants us to think green. You better believe they do. This is the fourth time they have raised our rates. Now it’s $60 since they bought out our good friends at Sunrise Sanitation. By the way, the Sunrise motto was to keep the money in Cochise County. So if there’s no change they can pick up my can at home. I’ll take my garbage to work with me and have my good friends at Sunrise take my garbage away free. No sense in having the big trucks come through our neighborhood twice a week. It would take two weeks to fill one of the big cans. I’m sure folks around here feel the same way.
Nov. 17
I just noticed that the national average for gas is now $2.15. Sierra Vista is $2.35. I checked San Diego, which is always 10 to 20 cents a gallon higher, is now also $2.15. Pinetop, Arizona, is now $2.15 per gallon. Why is Sierra Vista charging so much for gasoline? We are way above the national average and even more than California. What gives?
All of you Republicans: Get over it and support our new president instead of whining.
Poor George W Bush. Everyone is picking on him unjustly. Not quite. He made a lot of promises and told literally hundreds of lies, and not little bitty white lies, but whoppers that have cost thousands of lives. If George were not so incompetent, ignorant and arrogant nobody would be picking on him. Most of the American people are aware of what a disaster his presidency has been. Some on the other hand choose to bury their heads in the sand and pretend. GWB undeniably the worst president ever.
I wish the mainline media had encouraged consumers to be as patient with the declining economy for the Bush administration as it is now doing for the Obama administration. After all, the economy requires the support of consumers to succeed. The mainline media worked vigorously to shred consumer confidence with its daily onslaught of negative and slanted reporting about the state of the economy. If the mainline media had been proactive as it is today, the economy very likely would not be in as deep a recession as we are experiencing. For me, it clearly demonstrates the mainline media considered the economic health of our nation secondary to getting their man into the White House. Now that he is the president-elect, the mainline media is gung-ho for his administration to resurrect the economy. Hypocrisy knows no limits.
Now that Barack Obama, president-elect, has been elected, who is he? Has anyone really seen his original birth certificate? Why have we not seen his medical records, since there was heart disease in his family. Why haven’t we been able to see his transcripts? If I attended the universities he did I would be very proud to show them, even if they were average. Also, I thought all university graduates would be proud to show off their thesis. We know more about Joe the plumber than we know about our president-elect.
I certainly hope our government is smart enough to impose some rules upon the industry requiring great increases in gas mileage improvements as a requirement for receiving our tax dollars. I have long suspected collusion between the auto and oil producers.
Re: Cal Thomas. So Cal, it must have been a real slow news day, to devote your column to the Obamas’ school choices. Hypocrites (and moral crusaders) are usually the first one to start pointing fingers. If you were president of the United States where would you send your children to school (if you weren’t older than the hills and twice as dusty)? Wherever Obama’s daughters go, it will be a logistical nightmare. I know you can smell hypocrisy a mile away with that fine tuned nose of yours. You espouse a brand of Christianity that does no good for the cause. And yes, I am a Christian and have been for 40 years and I find your kind of religion nauseating and irritating. Needless to say I am not a fan, in fact from here on out I will be a detractor.
So the news is in. How do Democrats win a presidential election? All they need to do is to wait until a corrupt, incompetent, reckless Republican president gets two chances to collaborate with an ideologically extreme Republican Congress and makes such a mess of the country and the world that even suburban white Republicans vote Democratic. Pretty simple, but I don’t know one hard core Republican who has a clue what happened. They blame the media, they blame Palin, they blame McCain. Blame, blame, blame. The blame-game. Politics at its worst.
In regard to Mr. Grosinsky and his boycott, when I drive by I will give you a salute, but it won’t be a thumbs up. If you don’t like the guy’s prices, shop somewhere else. That is what capitalism is all about. You have the freedom to choose where you buy your gas or Twinkies or whatever. If you want to act stupid go ahead, it’s your right. Just know that some folks see you as rude and obnoxious and way out of line. You are not providing a great service to humanity by picking on a small businessman.
In the Old West, you would likely have to face the person you insulted on the street. And I’m sure you would cower in fear at the woman you think you’ve called out in your imaginings. Gov. Palin would settle your hash most quickly if, and that’s highly doubtful, you had the guts to say it to her. You couldn’t anonymously post your insults about someone who has achieved more than you could ever hope to do in your Old West delusion. Go home to whatever you do and good riddance.
I’m sick and tired of hearing people say: Things are really going to go to hell as soon as Obama gets into office. Obama is not even in office yet, and already he is getting blamed for the last eight years of Bush failure. Give the man a chance, it can’t be any worse then it is now.
I have been reading OYM and one comment caught my eye that said the perception seems to be President Bush has run this country off a cliff. You really cannot blame one person or one organization for this depression. It comes down to one word — greed. Think of all of the high paid CEOs with big bonuses every year, the prices corporations and the auto industry charges, the price of gas, and OPEC charges. You can’t blame one person for that. You can blame the business world, bad judgment and buying homes you can’t afford. It’s stupidity and greed.
We’ve seen in the newspaper for weeks and months about the Border Patrol case. Yet when Dr. Forsberg was killed there has been nothing more written about his case since it went to the state Attorney’s Office. I think the citizens need to know what is going on with that. Please give us an update.
Editor’s note: The Herald/Review has filed a request with the Sierra Vista Police Department for the police records regarding the investigation into Dr. Gary Forsberg’s death in August. The records request was forwarded to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office when the investigation materials were given to that agency. The Herald/Review has been told the documents will not be provided until the state Attorney General’s Office completes its review and investigation of the situation. It’s unknown will that will occur. Until then, we don’t have further information to report on what occurred..
I wonder if the mainstream media will be sending an apology to Gov. Palin for all the leaks that were supposed to be coming from the Republican Committee. They were actually sent out by two left-wing bloggers who were just spreading lies about Palin. I think they all owe her an apology.
This is for the person who complained about the election signs still being up. Why don’t you go out and put them away?
Concerning the Nov. 16 article, “Jurors saw gaping hole in case” on the front page and the reply from the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law: I agree in the screening of all the U.S. Border Patrol. They need to hire those that only qualify as a major league pitcher so that we can just have a good old rock fight — loser wins. What would the city police, the sheriff or the highway patrol do if threatened with a rock? Did not David kill Goliath with nothing but a stone?
I have a first-grader in the Palominas School. The gym where they eat has been closed since the beginning of the year due to a trash bag that had broken open. The kids have to eat outside and it’s so cold and windy for the little kids to eat there. I think someone should pay attention to this and get the school on it. It’s taken long enough to fix it. The kids have to hold down their trays so they don’t blow away. I’d like this story to get some attention and maybe our kids will get their gym back. I’ve never seen a school that didn’t have a cafeteria. They only have a gym and it’s out of service. Please get the gym fixed.
It’s interesting to read the number of OYM comments that are negative regarding our new president. The administration that gave us two wars, neither of which we’re winning, turned us into a nation that tortures, sacked our treasury to dole out its welfare for the rich and the greedy, shredded the Constitution with signing statement, warrantless wire-taps, illegal spying on our citizens and the elimination of habeas corpus, turned our surplus into the largest deficit ever, and failed to see the coming of the greatest economic disaster since the Great Depression. These people are now complaining about an incoming president, who recognized the problems and is going to try to do something about them, is going to put an end to this horrible mess we have been through. They want to destroy any chance he has before he even begins. What a way to prove love of country.
Mr. Grosinsky, I can’t thank you enough for picking the local gas station that clearly shows what an idiot you are. You are picking on the one guy who is trying to feed his family by running an independent business. Why don’t you walk down by one of the larger gas stations owned by a large company and picket them? The reason you won’t is you want to pick on the smallest one. You are weak. You are a chump. But I do appreciate the fact that I’ll be buying all my gas from that gentleman. I didn’t realize he was a stellar small business owner. I’ll be there every time I need to fill up.
It’s interesting to read comments about our new president-elect before he’s even taken office. If I were some of these people I’d be ashamed to show my ignorance. Things like questionable birth, etc., are venom-spewing forth and ignorance flowing out. What on earth are these people thinking?
Thank you Herald. I love reading OYM. I’m 74 years old, born and raised in America, and cannot believe the innocence of our people. Today in OYM people say they are frightened because the Republican Party didn’t get in. Where did they go to school? It’s a two-party system. What if we only had one football team or one baseball team? Would that be a game? Anyway, I have lived in Florida through the Castro/Miami/Cuban years. Castro used to get on the radio and speak for three or four hours. He was the only one running. He made a three-hour speech when he won. Don’t they know that in a democracy there is a choice? God help us. I love your newspaper. Keep it up.
Kudos to Rick Grosinsky for his letter to the editor, one of the gas protesters on Fry. God bless you Rick, for standing up for the people in Sierra Vista. Your letter was beautiful; you explained everything, your motives and reasons behind what you do. Too bad more people aren’t out there doing it with you. And the people that complained against you should be ashamed of themselves. At least he is doing something. He’s not hurting the local gas station owners. I have so much respect for him for not leaving that area until gas prices go down. If there were 100 people like him the gas prices would go down, but there’s only a few. If we had better health we’d be out there with you. I know a lot of people who are standing behind you. Forget those people who are against you. They are a minority.
I’d like to clarify an OYM comment I made on Nov. 5. In that comment I had said Hawaii is “the only state populated, etc.” I never said “the only white state.” I would like to clarify that so no one is offended.
I want to thank the editor for letting me know the day of the demonstration by the left-wing liberals who want to bring our country down. I appreciate you letting me know the actual date it’s happening. I work at night so it would be impossible for me to go to that and support our troops, and real Americans, and our president because you like to hide it so us real Americans won’t know what’s going on. You guys keep showing how left wing and liberal you are. Keep it up. Eventually people are going to figure it out.
Oh, how our unfortunate executives are suffering. People are complaining about the severance packages they are receiving. The stock options and the $5 million salaries will be no more. It shows how much we have been gouged during their tenure to provide the exorbitant salaries they have been given, certainly not earned. They have been America’s royalty and the lowest echelons are their peons. One of the most recent bailout celebrants threw their third farewell party. Before the first one they should have been told, “don’t let the door hit you in the butt.” I guess we who complain must be communists. Then again only in communist countries do the leaders look like our royalty.
The Republicans are probably going to steal these three congressional races. You just wait and see. The ones with Stevens, Saxby and Coleman. They are finding votes everywhere. They are pulling them out of their ears. They are going to steal them. Just wait and see. Mark my words. Then they will have 60 votes in Congress and have a filibuster proof Congress and in control of everything. That will be great because then they can take the blame for everything. I also hope and pray to God that we don’t have another hurricane like Katrina. But the Democrats feel Obama could put a stop to that. They say he’s so much smarter than Bush. I’m sure he’ll be able to stop another Katrina.
Editor’s note: The results for the races involving Saxby and Coleman are still out, but in Alaska, Ted Stevens lost his Senate seat.
Why a college education If you weren’t exposed to enough communistic indoctrination in high school, you should go to college. English, history, and math are not emphasized anymore. You are taught how to think, how to speak, what to say and how. We have an avowed communist and anarchist friend of Obama’s teaching in a college in Illinois. He tries to deny what he is, but not why he did such things. He even wears a shirt with a big red star on it in public. For years avowed revolutionaries have been teaching in schools and colleges. Khrushchev was right and he has won.
I’d like to comment on the letter to the editor by Steven Wilson, the college freshman. I’m a retired schoolteacher. I totally disagree with his statement about a double standard of rhetoric and all of the comments he made about how he will have to support his elders even though they didn’t support him. It’s a totally inaccurate comment. I think the best thing to do out of high school, instead of going right into college many people spend a couple of years in the military and it really helps them to become disciplined, mature mentally and grow up. Maybe it’s not for all young people but it has made a lot of difference in many young people’s lives. Sometimes if you go right to college from high school you believe you have the wisdom of the world when you’re very, very young and can’t possibly have the wisdom you may think you do.
I do not understand why we need more p.o.e.’s in our Mexican border when we cannot stop drug smuggling by large trucks now. At least once a month trucks delivering produce from Mexico are caught with drugs hidden inside their loads a good distance from the border. This does not include pickup trucks that are caught loaded with marijuana within 25 miles of our border being driven by illegal aliens who abandon the trucks and are caught running away. Our border agents seem to be unable to catch them now. Exacerbating the problem by increasing the traffic is not a sensible thing to do at this time. Please reconsider.
From now on, no more bailouts should take place using taxpayers’ money. Most companies that are going bankrupt have no one to blame but themselves and their top managers. CEO salaries, bonuses, pensions, including 10 percent of the top managers, should be repaid to their companies first. That’s only for starters. CEOs should be charged with fraud and corruption and be locked up. Detroit’s auto industry should stop crying out their hearts. The three automakers with their smart, educated managers should have noticed years ago what was coming. We, the American people, are being held hostage. The big three are telling us that without the bailout, we will have 3.5 million more unemployed people. Why aren’t Japanese car makers declaring bankruptcy? They produce better-made cars and have no problem outselling American-made cars? Excellent price, excellent fuel economy, excellent quality overall, better everything.
Nov. 18
Our president-elect and Democrats have given global warming high priority. I’m reminded of an article I read awhile back by N.Y. Times columnist, John Tierney, “In 2008, a 100 Percent Chance of Alarm” (Jan. 1). Tierney wrote, “Two studies by NASA and university scientists last year concluded that much of the melting of Arctic sea ice was related to a cyclical change in ocean currents and winds, but those studies got relatively little attention.” Understandable — the media has saturated us for years now, with the notion that the world is threatened by global warming — although so many reputable scientists have serious reservations. The record freezing of Antarctic sea ice, getting little news coverage, casts genuine doubt on the theory of global warming. Intellectual honesty, unfortunately, isn’t a trait often found in the media and hardly ever among politicians. So government will over-regulate industry and cost our economy and Americans billions on this wild goose chase — another boondoggle.
The other morning I was at our Big Lots store here, when a gentleman walked around with an open box of chocolate pralines offering us costumers to have some. I asked him what was the occasion, he said, “Nothing special.” It made me smile he did it just because. Thank you, sir, very much, you made my day. I wish you well.
The mainstream media has reached the height of the ridiculous. Without President-elect Barack Obama having served a day in office, Newsweek magazine has already likened him to Abraham Lincoln. Time magazine has likened him to FDR. It’s as if a blank sheet of paper has won a Nobel Prize in literature. The mainstream media has gone berserk with cult worship. Here is endless fodder for “Saturday Night Live.”
In reference to Mr. Byrd’s letter on Nov. 18, “Young writer still has lessons to learn.” First lesson for you sir is socialism just bailed out our failing capitalistic government. I think it was about $700 billion worth. Second, public education is the largest social program in the United States next to our military. Third, not all United States citizens can pull their own weight. Fourth, one out of four United States veterans are homeless. A country only works best with both strong capitalistic ideas and socialistic ideas as we see happening in all the other first-world countries on our planet. So I say to you old writer, are you with us or against us? If you are against us, I truly question your patriotism to our country. God bless the United States. God bless our troops in harms way. God bless President-elect Obama to bring our Country together again.
America’s auto makers got their first warning almost 35 years ago when we all received the first big jump in oil and gasoline prices. Did they take notice? No they continued to produce gas guzzlers and now they want our citizens to pay the price with our tax dollars .
I have watched with stunned amazement at the difference in gas prices between Sierra Vista and Tucson. To give you an example: On Nov. 1, gas prices in SV were $2.94 per gallon for regular unleaded. In Tucson, same gas was $2.39 per gallon. That’s 55 cents a gallon more in Sierra Vista folks. On Nov. 17, regular gas in Tucson is $2.05, while it is $2.29 in Sierra Vista — still 24 cents a gallon more. Even Gas City in Tucson is $2.05 per gallon. Whereas the prices are starting to come down in Sierra Vista following the complaints of our citizens, 24 cents per gallon is still too much difference in gas prices.
I just read the letter to the editor from Al Byrd. What a bitter and out-of-touch man. He’s obviously drawing a military pension, social security, Medicare and Medicaid and is benefiting from that “socialism” he denounces. And he begrudges a small amount of property tax to fund our schools? Who paid for him when he went to school? Does he not know the repercussions of an uneducated society? When he was in school the supplies consisted of paper and pencil, no computers, etc. He needs to quit listening to Rush Limbaugh and focus the energy he puts into being angry and bitter into something more useful. How about volunteering at a school? That would be an eye-opener for him.
In today’s newspaper there was an interesting contrast between the private sector and the public sector. The article described the discounts being offered by Disney and its resorts, the Queen Mary II for cruises to the Caribbean, and flights to Hawaii are being discounted also. This was to encourage more users and therefore more income for the entities. On the front page of the same newspaper the headline, “Report: Tax hike might be needed” it shows the difference in thinking between the public and private sectors. This report was done by two U of A (University of Arizona) professors — the public sector. While a tax increase could have solved our budget crisis last year now is exactly the wrong time to institute tax increases.
I want to respond to the Al Byrd’s letter, “Young writer still has lessons to learn”. Right on, Mr. Byrd. This young fellow has never paid taxes, probably has never held a long-term job, or has ever served in the military. I resent his disrespect for seniors, alluding to the fact that he would have to support seniors. No. Seniors have already paid their taxes, lived their lives, and worked their jobs. I respect you, sir, for being in the military and serving your country the way that you did, both militarily and as a civil servant. No higher honor is there to any human being than serving your country. So it wouldn’t hurt this fellow to serve a tour in Iraq. Then he might have a different song to sing. In about 40 or 50 years he will regret having written that letter.
I’d like to know if Barack Obama is a U.S. citizen and where he was born. I would like an answer underneath this question. Thank you.
Editor’s note: Barack is a U.S. citizen. He was born in Hawaii. His birth certificate was verified by the state of Hawaii. To run for president, one of the requirements is that you must be a U.S. citizen.
In the November 2008 issue of National Geographic, please read the article on dark skies and go to nationalgeographic.com/magazine. See paragraphs on ecological light pollution. Turn unnecessary outside lights off. We could all reconnect without ancestors. Turn unnecessary outside lights off. Save energy. Protect your health.
Boy the Democrats must be really scared of Sarah Palin. They keep talking about her long after the election is over. First they make up a bunch of stories about her, what she knows and what she doesn’t know. We found out those were false that the Democrats put false stories out there. Then they said Republicans didn’t like her and it turns out 70 percent of Republicans liked her. They are just making stuff up. She really has them scared. Just hang in there for four years, Sarah. You’ll get in easy. By then the Democrats will have stuff so screwed up you’ll get in easy.
Now that Tombstone has a new mayor and sheriff, I hope the quality of police protection won’t decline. I know we have a small town and it’s hard to compete with pay and benefits. But police protection is one of our family’s priorities. I hope things will only improve and that the police department will raise its standards and exceed the previous pay and benefits to entice qualified personnel to stay and apply.
We were talking to a city employee and found out that the new mayor of Tombstone is making changes to the police department. We want more security and we want more police protection. They put their lives on the line every day. They are not regular employees and they need to be compensated to stay here. We just want the cops to be paid what they should be paid, what other cities give them so we don’t lose our police protection. It’s very important. We are a tourist town and anything can go wrong.
Kudos offered to three gentlemen who presented intelligent views concerning the recent override to help voters weigh the pros and cons of this controversial subject: Thomas Sushinski, Ron Murray and Tony Wenc. Thank you, gentlemen, from a property owner.
Barney Franks and the Democratic Congress don’t learn from their mistakes. Franks said a $25 billion loan to the Detroit auto makers must be repaid in a year, a near impossibility for the Detroit industry that has been in trouble for years. But this is the same logic the Democrats used when they forced the lending institutions to give loans to people who could not possibly pay back their loans. Again, the Democrats want the taxpayers to come to the rescue and pay for a $300,000 mortgage or keep an auto worker’s $73 an hour salary safe.
Nov. 19
I believe President-elect Obama should keep Secretary of State Rice or appoint former Secretary Powell to that position. I see Senator (Hilary) Clinton as too much like her husband.
I want to comment about the “Protest March” on Sunday, Nov. 15, that cost this city $8,000 for police overtime. Have our city fathers lost their minds? Who is responsible for issuing this group a protest permit? Why do we have to give them a permit that allowed them to come to our city and cost us $8,000? Has anyone ever heard of “posting a bond?” Why weren’t these organizers made to post a $20,000 bond for any incidentals such as damages, extra police presence in the form of overtime? I would dare say that if they had been made to post a bond this high, they would not have come. Why does the city allow groups such as this to come to our city, disrupt everyone (entry to the Post) and protest in front of a U.S. Army post. Fort Huachuca provides Sierra Vista with thousands of jobs for our citizens and facilities for our retired service members.
I read that an illegal killed a teenage girl in Mesa. Now the news is saying that black tar heroin is coming in via illegals. Anyone who helps illegals with food and/or water is part of the drug and gang problem.
I guess the reason Gas City’s prices are higher here is so they can pay their electric bill for keeping those Christmas decorations lit up all night for almost two months before Christmas. They should put up an inflatable Easter Bunny on Dec. 26 when everyone is tearing down their decorations because they are tired of Christmas. That way they can stay two holidays ahead of schedule and beat Martin Luther King and Presidents Day.
I can’t believe what I’m reading in the newspaper, that the city had to pay the police $8,000 for the rally or whatever you call it. Half the people probably didn’t even know why they were there, and the other half to cause trouble. They all should have been home tending to their children, minding their own concerns and tending to things other than causing problems that cost the city $8,000. That money could have been spent on Christmas presents for the children. Shame on them.
We are bailing out the big companies. What about small businesses and working single mothers and men and women who have lost their lives? Are we taking care of their families? No. It’s all about the rich. This is ridiculous. Banks and the big companies get themselves in a mess and the poor man has to bail them out. This is just not fair.
This is regarding the Boys & Girls Club of Sierra Vista. Last year they were looking for some property to build a building and now I see they have rented a place and the rent is expensive. So what do they do now when the money is all gone for rent and they have no money to build property? This doesn’t make any sense to me. It seems that all the fundraisers are always for the Forgach House and the Boys & Girls Club. Evidently somebody doesn’t know how to use the funds. Are we giving money for something that is going nowhere?
Nov. 20
To the person who remarked that when the Sam’s Club gas station gets here, it will lower gas prices in Sierra Vista. Get real my friend. I will be just like when Gas City got here. Wally World will conform to local prices, not reduce them.
So Newsweek magazine actually thinks President-elect Barack Obama is another Abraham Lincoln. If anything, Obama should heed Lincoln’s judicious warning: “You can fool all of the people some of the time and you can fool some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
I am sick of the horrible driving practices and manners of people around here. When there is construction, people speed up to be first and cut others off. They’re chatting on their cell phones and swerve into the other lane. They speed around and stick their I.Q. finger out of the window if you dare drive safely. And turn signals are only for when a cop is around. What is wrong with you people? You’re very brave in your cars and don’t mind risking other people’s lives.
I’d like to address the person who wrote on Nov. 5, printed on Nov. 14. You were so sure that the other comments that day would be Democrats gloating over winning the election and showing that they would not be willing or able to work with the Republicans as President Obama had said he would. You asked readers to look through all the other comments that day. I carefully read all 33 messages. There were eight messages from Republicans and every one of them was nasty. Counting yours. One was on the state level regarding Janet Napolitano. There were four Democratic writers. Of those, two were very neutral, one very congenial, and one was borderline, calling the citizens of SV red-staters and gloating a bit. It still didn’t nearly rise to the level of venom of the GOP comments. I realize that it’s not easy to lose an election, but this is not the time for rancor and bitterness.
Nov. 21
Don’t “drive it like you stole it.” Drive it like you borrowed it from someone you care about. Drive it like your insurance expired and you’re being very careful until the insurance is renewed. Drive it like a cop is following you. Drive it like everyone else on the road is your family and friends. Drive it like you have self-respect and care about doing the right thing. Drive it like you were taking a driver’s exam. Drive it like you care about operating your vehicle responsibly. Let’s drive it so everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.
OK, maybe it’s just me being too prude, but are teachers allowed to wear political shirts and buttons to work? As a parent of a preschooler at Palominas Elementary, it bothers me greatly that one of the teachers is always wearing campaign buttons and campaign shirts. Is this allowed in a school setting? Like I said, maybe it’s just me and I am just unaware this is OK to do.
I’ve seen several OYMs about this kid Chris Campas. Personally, I think he sends them in. What are his credentials? Has he graduated U of A (University of Arizona)? Has he ever held a real job? He should get a life and get dry behind the ears. Has anyone ever checked his MySpace?
Editor’s note: Campas is still a student at the University of Arizona.
I have a child who attends Valley View Elementary, and I am so tired of teachers who never return parent’s messages. Our messages from home have been ignored twice in two weeks. To all the teachers who still love their jobs and who take the time to answer parent’s messages: thank you. To those who can’t be bothered to display the same courtesy, find another job.
President-elect Barack Obama promised voters to lead in a bipartisan manner. He chose Rahm Emanuel to be his chief-of-staff. Emanuel, a former adviser in the Clinton administration and member of the U.S. House, has a reputation as one of the most notoriously partisan Democrats. After the 2006 election, asked if Democrats could work together with Republicans, Emanuel: “(Expletive) the Republicans.” His choice is hardly symbolic of bipartisanship in an important position requiring a person who can work with both sides to give a president all views on issues. Obama promised to rid Washington of corruption. He nominated Eric Holder to be attorney general. Holder was the deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration and gave Bill Clinton the “legal” green light to pardon Marc Rich, the corrupt fugitive financier. Then the lovely Mrs. Rich conveniently donated $1 million to Bill Clinton’s presidential library fund. Welcome to change!
Democrats now will control the White House, U.S. House, and a no-filibuster U.S. Senate. For the first time, Liberals (Shhh! Code-name for closet Socialists) will have full control of the U.S. government. Fifty-two percent of the American electorate wanted it this way. Forty-eight percent of the American electorate will have no viable voice in government. American democracy voted for a straight one-party system of government. As a result, socialist legislation will flow freely into law without opposition. I’m told government will take care of me. I’m told I’m in good hands. I have a new president, who will utilize all that he learned as a Chicago community organizer and from his 180 actual working days in the U.S. Senate, to lead our great nation out of economic crisis and the crisis of two wars. I am one of the 48 percent of the electorate who will have no voice but will be praying for our nation.
concerned government worker wrote on Dec 17, 2008 12:15 PM: