Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Bankruptcy: When choosing someone to help gain relief from your debts . . . . . . . . Choose WISELY!!!
by Bill Ponath
Let’s be honest: I am a bankruptcy attorney here in Phoenix and I advertise for new customers. All attorneys have marketing plans because that is just the way business is done. Your job is to figure out who is best able to serve your needs. You will look to see who has the best price; who has the best reputation, and then decide who can do the job for you.
Some people feel they are smart when they frugally hire a paralegal to prepare their petition for, let’s say; $200.00. Yes that is less than I charge (My standard fee is $994.00) but what do you get? (1) A paralegal cannot give you any legal advice. A paralegal or document preparer can only type information that you provide into a program that spits out the forms. (2) You are then handed the documents with the comment "Good luck." Later on when you receive documents in the mail or are questioned by your assigned trustee, you have no help to protect your assets or to ensure that the debts are all discharged. (3) The odds are that you will lose a lot more by not getting professional help than you would pay up front knowing that the job will be done right.
Some cut-rate attorneys charge as little as $795.00 or even $695.00; but what do you get? I have seen many people who hire these people confused in the court because they never get any telephone calls returned and therefore never get any questions answered. That may be very costly; especially when you are not protected from claims for non-exempt assets, when your motor vehicle is repossessed, or when your home is sold out from under you.
Who should you ask for an opinion of who is a good bankruptcy lawyer? This may shock you; but drop my name to any attorney who is working for a bank or credit institution to collect money from you. They will all tell you that they respect me because I respect them. Many will put their file on hold if I call them and advise that you just hired me and we expect to file a case within a couple of months. This serves us both because it prevents them from wasting time and it allows us breathing room to put everything in proper order. You may even call a bankruptcy trustee to ask about me because they all know me and they know the quality of the work that I do; just don’t tell them that I told you to call! You should also know that I have been referred cases by Trustees because they see that an individual needs professional help. Not many attorneys can say that!
I provide bankruptcy services at the low cost of $994.00 for Chapter 7 and $2,500.00 for Chapter 13 (only $1,000 needs to be paid up front.) I also do the work to strip the lien of a second mortgage or HELOC from your home for only $500.00. Others may advertise lower rates to get you in the door; but they then add on other fees and don’t do the same quality work.
Like I said; choose WISELY!!
Bill Ponath provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $994 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-404-0143. Conveniently located in North-Central Phoenix on Tatum. ArizonaBankruptcyLawAssistance.com
Let’s be honest: I am a bankruptcy attorney here in Phoenix and I advertise for new customers. All attorneys have marketing plans because that is just the way business is done. Your job is to figure out who is best able to serve your needs. You will look to see who has the best price; who has the best reputation, and then decide who can do the job for you.
Some people feel they are smart when they frugally hire a paralegal to prepare their petition for, let’s say; $200.00. Yes that is less than I charge (My standard fee is $994.00) but what do you get? (1) A paralegal cannot give you any legal advice. A paralegal or document preparer can only type information that you provide into a program that spits out the forms. (2) You are then handed the documents with the comment "Good luck." Later on when you receive documents in the mail or are questioned by your assigned trustee, you have no help to protect your assets or to ensure that the debts are all discharged. (3) The odds are that you will lose a lot more by not getting professional help than you would pay up front knowing that the job will be done right.
Some cut-rate attorneys charge as little as $795.00 or even $695.00; but what do you get? I have seen many people who hire these people confused in the court because they never get any telephone calls returned and therefore never get any questions answered. That may be very costly; especially when you are not protected from claims for non-exempt assets, when your motor vehicle is repossessed, or when your home is sold out from under you.
Who should you ask for an opinion of who is a good bankruptcy lawyer? This may shock you; but drop my name to any attorney who is working for a bank or credit institution to collect money from you. They will all tell you that they respect me because I respect them. Many will put their file on hold if I call them and advise that you just hired me and we expect to file a case within a couple of months. This serves us both because it prevents them from wasting time and it allows us breathing room to put everything in proper order. You may even call a bankruptcy trustee to ask about me because they all know me and they know the quality of the work that I do; just don’t tell them that I told you to call! You should also know that I have been referred cases by Trustees because they see that an individual needs professional help. Not many attorneys can say that!
I provide bankruptcy services at the low cost of $994.00 for Chapter 7 and $2,500.00 for Chapter 13 (only $1,000 needs to be paid up front.) I also do the work to strip the lien of a second mortgage or HELOC from your home for only $500.00. Others may advertise lower rates to get you in the door; but they then add on other fees and don’t do the same quality work.
Like I said; choose WISELY!!
Bill Ponath provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $994 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-404-0143. Conveniently located in North-Central Phoenix on Tatum. ArizonaBankruptcyLawAssistance.com
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
My thoughts on the new immigration reform bill in the Senate
I wrote a piece for The Guardian analyzing the bill being pushed by the Group of 8 in the Senate. I'm not thrilled with it, and think we would be better off finding a solution in Clint Bolick's new book that is about to be released, Immigration Wars. Be sure to read Jim Antle's analysis as well, he makes some good points I agree with.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona: Why you should hire an attorney
by Bill Ponath
I am a bankruptcy attorney in Phoenix ($995/Chapter 7) and frequently see people attempting to file bankruptcy without the assistance of an experienced bankruptcy attorney. I run into them at the mandatory 341 Meeting of the Creditors, where I see all kinds of terrible things happen due to their lack of knowledge about the bankruptcy legal system. I have seen bankruptcy trustees throw out their bankruptcies, seize their cars, homes, cash and other assets. Filing bankruptcy is not something to be taken lightly. Hiring someone for $200 to do the paperwork does not include the legal skills necessary to handle every nuance of the bankruptcy. If you own nothing and have no job, maybe you can risk a $200 bankruptcy. But if you own a car, furniture, have a job, etc., you are placing all that at risk by proceeding into a bankruptcy without the full legal knowledge necessary to maneuver the process safely. I am one of the lowest priced bankruptcy attorneys in town, and I have competitive rates for a reason: my clients are suffering financially and do not have extra money to spare. If you want an experienced bankruptcy attorney who will guide you throughout the process without charging you an arm and a leg, please set up a free consultation with me.
Bill Ponath provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $995 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-404-0143. Conveniently located in North-Central Phoenix on Tatum. ArizonaBankruptcyLawAssistance.com
I am a bankruptcy attorney in Phoenix ($995/Chapter 7) and frequently see people attempting to file bankruptcy without the assistance of an experienced bankruptcy attorney. I run into them at the mandatory 341 Meeting of the Creditors, where I see all kinds of terrible things happen due to their lack of knowledge about the bankruptcy legal system. I have seen bankruptcy trustees throw out their bankruptcies, seize their cars, homes, cash and other assets. Filing bankruptcy is not something to be taken lightly. Hiring someone for $200 to do the paperwork does not include the legal skills necessary to handle every nuance of the bankruptcy. If you own nothing and have no job, maybe you can risk a $200 bankruptcy. But if you own a car, furniture, have a job, etc., you are placing all that at risk by proceeding into a bankruptcy without the full legal knowledge necessary to maneuver the process safely. I am one of the lowest priced bankruptcy attorneys in town, and I have competitive rates for a reason: my clients are suffering financially and do not have extra money to spare. If you want an experienced bankruptcy attorney who will guide you throughout the process without charging you an arm and a leg, please set up a free consultation with me.
Bill Ponath provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $995 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-404-0143. Conveniently located in North-Central Phoenix on Tatum. ArizonaBankruptcyLawAssistance.com
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Doug Little, candidate for AZGOP chair, says that Obama's gun grab "really wasn't that big of a deal"
Outrageous! This man thinks he's about to be the next chairman of the Arizona Republican Party? Western Free Press has the coverage here. I'll be supporting Robert Graham for chairman, who fully supports the right to keep and bear arms.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Pharisees and Sadducees of the GOP
Every
Republican knows another Republican who agrees with them on 99% of the
issues, yet will attack them relentlessly over the 1% of issues they
disagree upon. Instead of uniting against the left, these busybodies
waste countless hours criticizing other Republicans. They will
frequently do it under the ruse of being the “true conservatives,”
claiming that anyone who does not agree with them is not conservative
enough. Yet the 1% of issues they disagree with others on are often
arbitrarily decided and not legitimate issues. Mitt Romney was
criticized for being too moderate of a Republican presidential
candidate, yet he ran the most conservative campaign as the Republican
nominee for president we have seen since Ronald Reagan.
These
“true conservatives” will tear apart other conservatives not on the
issues, but on personality and connections. In Arizona, anyone who is
perceived to get along with moderate Republican Senator John McCain and
his ardent supporters is attacked for being a moderate themselves.
McCain bullies his way around politics and most Republicans are afraid
of him and his supporters, only seeking his endorsement to stay out of
his crosshairs.
Sadly,
this infighting results in Republicans losing races they should not
have. Vernon Parker, a black Republican and former Mayor of Paradise
Valley in Arizona, ran for Congress in Arizona's new Congressional
district nine last year against Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, a self-avowed
bisexual who once received the Arizona Federation of Taxpayers' Vladimir
I. Lenin award for being the most far left member of the Arizona State
Legislature. Several relatively unknown Republicans ran against Parker
in the primary, claiming to be more conservative than him.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona? Know What You Are Dealing With When You File Your Bankruptcy
by Bill Ponath
I am a bankruptcy attorney in Phoenix ($995/Chapter 7) and want potential clients to know the following.When you file Bankruptcy; you are putting yourself into the hands of the Bankruptcy Court. Most of the Rules are intended to protect you from aggressive creditors; but you also need to be careful about what can bite you back.
Bill Ponath provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $995 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-404-0143. Conveniently located in North-Central Phoenix on Tatum. ArizonaBankruptcyLawAssistance.com
I am a bankruptcy attorney in Phoenix ($995/Chapter 7) and want potential clients to know the following.When you file Bankruptcy; you are putting yourself into the hands of the Bankruptcy Court. Most of the Rules are intended to protect you from aggressive creditors; but you also need to be careful about what can bite you back.
Until a year ago; bankruptcies were so common that everybody
had much more work to do than they had time for. The number of bankruptcy cases has slowed
down last year and this year; which gives everyone more time to review the
details of every case.
When you file a case, it is assigned to a Trustee appointed
by the Court. That Trustee’s job puts
him or her in many positions. Firstly;
the Trustee is assigned to review your papers filed in court and make sure the
information matches what is available to the Trustee by researching your
government records, bank records, and the like.
Secondly; the Trustee will often protect you from aggressive creditors
that are trying to get more than they deserve or are otherwise harassing you.
The third part is what you need to be prepared for. Trustees are paid very little to manage your
case. If that was all they received;
they would all go bankrupt. Most of
their income is derived from processing non-exempt assets that you may own. For instance; if you file a case right now
and haven’t received any tax refund that is owed to you; your trustee will
“own” that refund because it is part of your bankruptcy estate. If it is small enough it won’t be sufficient
for the Trustee to invest his/her effort into maintaining it and dividing it up
for disbursement. But if it is large
enough the Trustee will keep it and send notices to all of your creditors to
file claims for their shares. The same
sort of process may apply if you own a car that has excess equity. You are allowed only $5,000 in equity in a
car in Arizona; but a husband and wife may claim both of their $5,000
exemptions in one car. If you have
enough excess equity the Trustee may demand that the car(s) be sold, you get
the first $5,000, and the remainder is taken for disbursement to creditors.
The worst of this issue concerns Trustees’ rights to hire
attorneys on a contingency fee basis to look through your case and see if they
can find any excess or non-exempt assets.
These attorneys don’t get paid unless they find something to attach;
therefore they are highly motivated to give your case a good look-over.
This is one of the reasons why it is very wise for you to
look for an attorney who is very experienced in bankruptcy work and knows how
to deal with the ever-changing landscape of the Courts.
Another Trustee you may have to deal with is the U.S.
Trustee. The UST examines your income to
determine if you are eligible to file for Chapter 7 relief. This is another reason you should get an
attorney highly experienced in bankruptcy to represent you. This subject matter is called the “Means
Test” and it is a multi-step process that many lawyers don’t fully understand. The first step simply adds up your Total
Gross Income for the six months before the month that you file your
bankruptcy. If a single person’s income
is less than $3,438 per month or a married couple’s income is less than $4,500
per month, they automatically pass.
Those numbers go up as more dependants are added to the equation.
If you fail the first step your attorney will have to go
through a complicated series of calculations based on standards published by
our old friends the Internal Revenue Service.
Some of these numbers are specific, others can vary based on the facts
and circumstances of people’s lives. You
need an experienced attorney to understand these standards and know when they
can be bent to squeeze you into a Chapter 7.
If not; you will be forced into a Chapter 13 bankruptcy that demands you
to make monthly payments to your Trustee; who then disburses the money to your
creditors according to a schedule of priorities issued by the Court.
The moral of the story is simple; if you need legal
assistance you should hire someone who spends all or most of his/her time in
the chosen field. It will run smoother
and easier and you will sleep a lot more peacefully!
Bill Ponath provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $995 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-404-0143. Conveniently located in North-Central Phoenix on Tatum. ArizonaBankruptcyLawAssistance.com
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Congressman Schweikert: I Was Almost an Abortion Victim, Adoption Saved Me
The year was 1962, and in Southern California, a pregnant teenager
was facing a difficult decision. As a young, unwed girl, Mary Lynn
Sheridan wasn’t sure she was ready for a child.
How would she tell her family? If she was going to keep the baby, how would she care for it?
She drove with two friends to an abortion clinic over the Mexican border.
However, while on the drive to the clinic, Mary Lynn had a change of heart. The young mother decided against the plan, and sometime later gave birth to a healthy baby boy at an unwed mother’s home in Los Angeles. She gave the baby up for adoption and 6 weeks later, a wonderful couple brought him home and into a loving family.
Thirty-six
years later, that boy, through an accident, found the contact
information for his birth mother. After a family discussion, he sent a
handwritten note to Mary Lynn Sheridan. After ten days, he received a
joyful call from Mary Lynn, and through the tears, she managed to ask
how he was doing and if he was healthy.
Read the rest of the article at Life News
How would she tell her family? If she was going to keep the baby, how would she care for it?
She drove with two friends to an abortion clinic over the Mexican border.
However, while on the drive to the clinic, Mary Lynn had a change of heart. The young mother decided against the plan, and sometime later gave birth to a healthy baby boy at an unwed mother’s home in Los Angeles. She gave the baby up for adoption and 6 weeks later, a wonderful couple brought him home and into a loving family.

Read the rest of the article at Life News
AZRTL: Pro-Life Rally this Tuesday on the 40th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade

|
Friday, January 18, 2013
Goldwater Institute: Collective Bargaining Negotiations Should be Subject to Open Meetings Law
Legislatures throughout Country to Consider New Union Transparency Measure in 2013
Secret negotiations over employment contracts between union representatives and government officials are the norm in nearly every state in the union. This keeps taxpayers in the dark about how inflated compensation packages are awarded and even stops journalists from knowing what goes on behind closed doors.
In a report released by the Goldwater Institute, Director of Policy Development Nick Dranias and economists Byron Schlomach and Stephen Slivinski survey all 50 states' transparency requirements for collective bargaining negotiations. The study finds that a mere seven states have open government laws on the books to bring these negotiations out of the shadows.
When secrecy in negotiations is combined with state laws requiring governments to engage in collective bargaining, unions can exert tremendous political pressure on government officials; and both unions and government officials are able to hide from any meaningful oversight.
According to the report, the lack of transparency in negotiations leads to routine awarding of inflated compensation and benefits packages that far exceed typical private-sector employment terms. In 2012, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that state and local government employees make nearly 43 percent more per hour on average in total compensation than private-sector workers.
Although elected officials vote on contracts in public, by the time taxpayers are made aware of a contract and that a vote will be taken, it is too late for substantive changes to be made. Even elected officials themselves are frequently cut out of the process. One Phoenix, Ariz. councilmember recently acknowledged voting to approve labor contracts because he did not have enough time to become familiar with the issues negotiated by the time the contracts arrived on his desk before the vote.
"Secrecy in collective bargaining gives unions a double political advantage," said Dranias. "First, they get the government officials to themselves without any competing interest - like taxpayers -- during the bargaining session, and then they get to apply their significant political influence when the deal is finally put up for a public vote."
The report recommends that state legislatures pass a measure requiring that collective bargaining negotiations be made subject to open meetings law, like all other government dealings. In the coming months, legislators in several states, including Arizona and Utah, will consider this legislation.
"It's hard to argue that there is good reason for allowing unions to use closed-door negotiations to increase the tab that taxpayers pay for government workers' salaries and benefits," said Dranias. "It's time to disinfect collective bargaining with the sunlight of transparency."
To read the report, click here: http://goldwaterinstitute.org/article/airing-out-smoke-filled-rooms-bringing-transparency-public-union-collective-bargaining
CAP: "Prolife All-Star": Arizona Ranked 5th Most Prolife State in the Nation
Arizona jumps 9 spots from 2011 ranking in Americans United for Life’s “Life List”
PHOENIX - Life is good in Arizona – and protected –
according to a report released today, which ranks Arizona the fifth
most prolife state in the nation.
The national prolife organization Americans United
for Life (AUL) moved Arizona up into the top five, nine spots higher
than its ranking from 2011. AUL also dubbed Arizona its “2013 Prolife
All-Star.”
In their report, AUL cites legislation drafted and
supported by Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) as the rationale for the
improved ranking.
Read AUL’s Report:
http://www.aul.org/auls-2013-life-list/
“Arizona has quickly become one of the safest
states for preborn children and women facing crisis pregnancies,” said
Cathi Herrod, President of Center for Arizona Policy. “All credit is due
to Arizona voters who have elected prolife majorities
to the state House and Senate for three consecutive elections,
including the 2012 election.”
“Without these leaders and a prolife governor, none of these laws would have been possible,” said Herrod.
According to AUL, there were 60 new life-affirming
laws passed in states across the nation. The Arizona Legislature set the
pace by enacting legislation to:
·
Prohibit most abortions after 20 weeks when the procedure becomes significantly more dangerous.
·
Protect taxpayer dollars from going to abortion providers.
·
Guarantee that women have and are able to view an
ultrasound at least 24 hours before an abortion and access a new
state-produced website with objective information about the risks and
alternatives to abortion.
·
Ensure that abortion providers no longer distribute abortion medication outside of FDA protocol.
For comment on this report, or for more information about Arizona’s prolife momentum, contact Aaron Baer, 330.219.1792 or
abaer@azpolicy.org.
PLEASE NOTE: With the 40th anniversary of
Roe v. Wade – the U.S. Supreme
Court decision that legalized abortion in America – only days away,
Center for Arizona Policy and the Arizona Life Coalition will be
rallying prolife supporters from across the state at
the Federal District Court House in Phoenix on Tuesday, January 22 from
noon - 1 p.m. to celebrate this latest victory and commemorate the more
than 50 million lives lost to abortion since 1973.
Find out more about this rally at AZLifeRally.org or by contacting Aaron.
Find out more about this rally at AZLifeRally.org or by contacting Aaron.
Aaron Baer
Communications Director
Center for Arizona Policy
602.424.2525, Ext 242
Statewide 800.FAMILY.1
abaer@azpolicy.org
Fax 602.424.2530
www.azpolicy.org
Communications Director
Center for Arizona Policy
602.424.2525, Ext 242
Statewide 800.FAMILY.1
abaer@azpolicy.org
Fax 602.424.2530
Thursday, January 17, 2013
AFP: Ask Gov. Brewer to Rethink the ObamaCare Medicaid Expansion

ACTION ALERT
To all Arizona Taxpayers and Health Care Consumers--
Please read AFP-Arizona's line-by-line refutation of Governor Jan Brewer's comments in her State of the State address on Monday, in which she announced that she would push for Arizona to expand Medicaid (AHCCCS) under ObamaCare. And please send a quick email note to Gov. Brewer, asking her to reconsider her support for the ObamaCare Medicaid expansion. Finally, please put our February 21 debate on the Medicaid expansion (more info below) on your calendar.
The most important issue in the Medicaid expansion is the HUMAN COST. If Arizona were to expand Medicaid, it would railroad hundreds of thousands of Arizonans into a low-quality, government-managed health insurance system with limited medical options.
As the Manhattan Institute's Avik Roy explains, "Studies consistently show thatpatients on Medicaid have the worst health outcomes of any group in America—far worse than those with private insurance and,in some cases, worse than those with no insurance at all." Please read more about this crucial point in our line-by-line refutation of Gov. Brewer's comments.
In her speech, Gov. Brewer described her effort as "agreeing to expand our Medicaid program just slightly." With all due respect, expanding AHCCCS (already the biggest program in the overall state budget) from 100 percent to 138 percent of the federal poverty level is NOT "just slightly." Full participation in the Medicaid expansion would add 250,000 Arizonans to Medicaid/AHCCCS. A left-liberal think tank estimates the full costs to Arizona over the next decade as ranging from $467 million to $3.1 billion. And things will get worse after that: as federal Medicaid goes deeper into bankruptcy, the federal government will reduce its support, leaving Arizona patients on the hook to pay ever-increasing hospital bed taxes.
Gov. Brewer's advisers have supplied her with a lot of bad arguments in favor of the ObamaCare Medicaid expansion, including recycled left-wing arguments about the costs of uncompensated care resulting in a "hidden health care tax." Her speech also argues that taking billions of dollars from federal taxpayers (many of whom are in Arizona) or borrowing billions from future taxpayers (again, many of them in Arizona) and dumping that money into Arizona's hospital industry will "save or create" jobs. That's like taking a bucket of water from the deep end of a swimming pool, dumping it in the shallow end, and expecting the water level in the pool to rise.
DEBATE!
To flesh out the issues involved in the proposed ObamaCare Medicaid expansion, AFP-Arizona will host a lunchtime debate from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm on February 21 at the Goldwater Institute. At the event, Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute and local physician and health policy expert Jeff Singer will take on any three pro-expansion advocates who want to debate these issues publicly. We are extending the invitation to debate to AHCCCS director Tom Betlach, the hospital and insurance lobbies, the Brewer Administration, and any civic organization that supports the expansion. All concerned citizens who wish to attend the debate should RSVP to Shane Wikfors at swikfors@afphq.org.
TAKE ACTION!
Please send a quick email note to Gov. Brewer, asking to re-think her support for the ObamaCare Medicaid expansion. And thank you for defending health care freedom in Arizona!
For Liberty, Tom
Tom JenneyArizona DirectorAmericans for Prosperitywww.aztaxpayers.orgtjenney@afphq.org
A Thoughtful Look at the Marijuana Legalization Trend
Society is gradually becoming more liberal – or libertine – in many ways, and one of the latest trends is the gradual legalization of marijuana in one state after another. This past election, voters approved marijuana for legal (recreational) use in Colorado and Washington. Marijuana has been legalized for recreational or medicinal use in 13 states, with more states to consider it soon. 15 million Americans are regular users of marijuana, a little over 5% of of the population. It seems problematic to criticize its legalization from a logical perspective considering alcohol, another psychoactive substance, is legal. If it is acceptable to legalize alcohol, why not marijuana? Libertarians particularly have a problem with the distinction, which seems inconsistent and arguably a restraint upon freedom.
Legalizing marijuana is not so black and white of a decision as its supporters claim. Marijuana legalization proponents claim that marijuana is not dangerous like alcohol. The facts reveal otherwise. 15 percent of shock-trauma patients who were injured in car accidents had marijuana in their blood, and another 17 percent had both marijuana and alcohol in their blood. 33% of fatally injured drivers who were tested for drug use had drugs in their system; 3,952 drivers total in 2009. Marijuana is the second most commonly found psychoactive substance among drivers after alcohol. In 2009, 376,000 emergency room visits nationwide involved marijuana.
There is a strong correlation between marijuana use and crime. 60% of those arrested across the U.S. test positive for marijuana. This isn't just crime related to drug use, there is a positive correlation between chronic marijuana use and increased risk of violent behavior. In fact, there is a stronger correlation between property crimes and frequent marijuana use than there is with alcohol use or other illegal drug use, particularly among teenagers. A study of postal workers found that employees who tested positive for marijuana had 55% more accidents, 85% more injuries and a 75% increase in being absent from work.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Come meet Brad Zinn at the Arizona Red Mountain Patriots
| ||||||||
|
| |
|
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Sheriff Arpaio sends armed posse volunteers to patrol schools
Joe Arpaio, the Arizona sheriff who reinstituted chain gangs and challenged the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate, has dispatched armed volunteers to patrol around schools outside Phoenix after last month’s mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.
School officials and parents weren’t asked if they wanted the 500 volunteers, some with automatic and semiautomatic weapons, who were posted to areas around 59 schools in parts of Maricopa County under Arpaio’s jurisdiction, the sheriff said yesterday.
“We had to do this too quickly,” Arpaio said. He said he had no obligation to clear the plan with educators. “We are not going into the schools. This is outside the schools; it is not on school properties or inside the schools.”
“We had to do this too quickly,” Arpaio said. He said he had no obligation to clear the plan with educators. “We are not going into the schools. This is outside the schools; it is not on school properties or inside the schools.”
Read the rest of the article at Newsmax
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Councilman Sal DiCiccio: Bye Bye Food Tax in April 2013
![]() |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Follow me on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/DiCiccioSal
Follow me on TWITTER: http://twitter.com/PhxDistrict6 “I join [Councilwoman Williams] in advocating for a tax that will expire in April 2013, saving taxpayers $100 million.”
- Mayoral Candidate Greg Stanton on Phoenix food tax,
Ahwatukee Foothills News, 17 Sept. 2011
Bye Bye Food Tax in April 2013
Candidates make promises. They
become commitments when elected. It’s important for government -- and
the people that citizens elect to run it -- to follow through on
commitments. It’s about trust. No more scare tactics. No more delays. No more phony stories about how police and fire will be cut. This morning Councilman Jim Waring and I sent a letter
to Mayor Stanton (see below) to schedule a meeting and a vote on the
food tax as soon as possible to meet his campaign promise to abolish
this ill conceived tax by April 2013. Other council members and myself have a long-running commitment to repeal the food tax.
It is time to rid our city of the
tax on the poor….the food tax. Council members Bill Gates, Thelda
Williams, Jim Waring and myself have worked relentlessly to get this
recinded. With the mayor and his commitment we will finally remove this from our history and from your family’s grocery bill. The food tax has been the No. 1 complaint I have heard since it was passed with barely 24-hour legal public notice. It was hidden even from some members of the council until the last moment. This "middle of the night" maneuver not only robbed our citizens of over $50 million a year, but it made citizens in our great city feel betrayed by their own government.
Since that episode Phoenix has made great strides to repair the damage of trust that was done, with a much improved financial position, zero-based budgeting and effective innovations and efficiencies.
During the mayoral campaign, Mayor Stanton made a promise -- one I intend to help him keep. It was a promise to get rid of the food tax by April 2013.
It’s the most regressive tax on the poor. We
have been pressing for this repeal since the inception of this tax and
have lost several votes to do so – that last one by a single vote.
I’m looking forward to helping the mayor fulfill his campaign commitment. I’m looking forward to seeing this item on a City Council agenda soon enough to have it repealed by April 2013. I and Councilman Jim Waring have asked the mayor to instruct staff to put together the plan that accomplishes the repeal without affecting public safety and call for the vote.
This means voting on it by April
for a repeal to take effect in April. It doesn’t mean sending it to
voters to repeal, which couldn’t happen until August at the earliest –
and still would probably take effect much later. The commitment was the repeal by April 2013.
We will be talking about this in the neighborhoods and throughout Phoenix from now until this gets rescinded. And
I’m looking forward to seeing a plan soon that eliminates the food tax
without hurting public safety, as was originally promised.
I’ve
been looking forward to this day for a long time, and I’m excited about
the prospect of fulfilling that commitment and ending this unfair tax. We have enough time to prepare for its elimination.
Excerpts from Mayoral Candidate Stanton on food tax:
“The
food tax needs to be repealed as soon as possible. If I was able to
vote last week, I would have supported a repeal of the food tax two
years early…We can do this as soon as April 2013 and save taxpayers $100
million while also protecting key city services.”
- Greg Stanton, ABC 15, 6 Nov. 2011
“I support ending the food tax, and was the first candidate to give a deadline by when to do so.”
- Greg Stanton, AZ Republic, 3 Oct. 2011
“I join her [Councilwoman Williams] in advocating for a tax that will expire in April 2013, saving taxpayers $100 million.”
- Greg Stanton, Ahwatukee Foothills News, 17 Sept. 2011
Gullett has called for
the immediate repeal of the food tax, approved by the City Council last
year, while Stanton says that it should remain in place until 2013, two
years before it is currently set to expire…
Stanton, a former
councilman, also believes that the food tax should be repealed, but in
2013. That's two years before it is set to expire, saving taxpayers $100
million.
Phoenix New Times, 15 Sept. 2011
My best to you and your family,
Sal DiCiccio
City of Phoenix
Councilman, District 6
602-262-7491
council.district.6@phoenix.gov
In your
campaign for mayor, you promised voters that you would work to repeal
the city’s food tax by April, 2013. We join you in that commitment.
Several
Council members have joined you in calling for repeal. We look forward
to seeing both the plan for fulfilling your campaign pledge and to
seeing the repeal scheduled for a vote before the Phoenix City Council.
According to your comments in an Ahwatukee Foothills News article dated September 17, 2011(see attached) the repeal would take effect by April.
Before you
were elected mayor, the food tax repeal lost by a single vote. At the
time, you stated in an ABC15 interview that if you had been on the
council you would have voted for repeal(see attached). Now, with your support, we should have the votes to repeal a tax passed with barely 24 hours notice. Since imposing that tax, Phoenix
has made great strides with a much improved financial position,
zero-based budgeting, more transparent meetings and effective
innovations and efficiencies. Now is the time to eliminate the food tax.
Between
now and April, we will be talking about the food tax in our
neighborhoods. We are looking forward to seeing a plan that eliminates
the food tax without affecting public safety, as promised. We ask that
you schedule this for a vote, as promised, as soon as possible.
Thank you.
Councilman Sal DiCiccio, District 6 Councilman Jim Waring, District 2
*Any
e-mail you send to council.district.6@phoenix.gov will be subject to
the Arizona Open Records Law and may be reviewed by the Arizona
Republic.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)