Regional bankruptcies: March 1

These are commercial and personal bankruptcies of $5,000 or more filed recently in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of New York in Utica. The list includes major unsecured creditors when available. Bankruptcy definitions: Chapter 7, debtor sells assets in return for discharge of debts; Chapter 11, debtor company reorganizes under court supervision; Chapter 12, family farm repays debt; Chapter 13, debtor arranges plan to repay debt. March 7 Sherry Britton-Susino, Oswego, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Capital One Auto Finance, Plano, TX, $9,212. Jodie M. Hudack, formerly known as Jodie M. Brooks, Jodie M. Gorzynski, Oswego, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: First National Bank Credit Card Center, Omaha, NE, $14,619. Robert R. Hatfield and Susanne R. Hatfield, Pulaski, Chapter 13, major unsecured creditor: Galaxy Asset Purchasing LLC, Atlanta, GA, $16,639. Jeffery A. Hoffman, Oswego, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: M & T Bank, Buffalo, $13,256. Donald C. Livingston, Jr. and Melodie A. Livingston, Pennellville, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Citibank, Sioux Falls, SD, $20,995. Mark P. Moberg and Patricia L. Moberg, Oswego, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Capital One Auto Finance, Plano, TX, $9,783. Ralph D. Paro and Amy S. Paro, Fulton, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Diamler Chrysler LLC, East Syracuse, $9,086. Melissa A. Pullano, formerly known as Melissa Pullano-Hannel, Fulton, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Community General Hospital, Syracuse, $14,346. Brenda L. Southgate and Edward A. Southgate, Oswego, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Social Security Administration, Jamaica, $12,341. Rodney F. Trumble, Richland, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Onemain, Hanover, MD, $5,497. John W. White, West Monroe, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Discover Card/DB Servicing Corp, Charlotte, NC, $9,450. Charles M. Burns and Lisa M. Burns, Weedsport, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Chase Auto Finance, Tampa, FL, $12,120. Jessica L. Ladd, Hannibal, Chapter 7, major unsecured creditor: Department of Education, Oklahoma City, OK, $28,850.

The best candidate(s) to replace Max Wilson as County Supervisor

There is a list up on AZCentral of the 14 applicants along with their resumes. I see four candidates on there who I like and who would do an excellent job (the others I either don't know or find them to be liberal Republicans). Joe Hobbs, Jack Harper, Jean McGrath and Sandra Dowling are all principled, ethical, trustworthy conservatives who I would like to see in that office. If I had to choose one, I would probably go with Joe Hobbs, just because I've gotten to know him very well having worked with him closely over the last few years. Please contact your County Supervisors about who they should choose; we need ethical, honest folks in that office! I especially recommend contacting Steve Chucri and Denny Barney, who are new to that office and can be trusted not to continue protecting the shenanigans that have gone on there in the past.

Hualapai corporation seeks bankruptcy protection

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- The Hualapai tribal corporation that managed the Grand Canyon Skywalk has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a federal judge upheld a $28 million judgment in favor of the Las Vegas developer who built the glass bridge. Sa' Nyu Wa contracted with David Jin in 2003 to share revenue from the Skywalk that gives visitors a view of the Colorado River from beyond the edge of the canyon on the Hualapai reservation. The corporation has assets of up to $10 million from ticket sales but owes creditors as much as $50 million, court documents filed late Monday show. The corporation is appealing the judgment while Jin's attorneys seek to garnish its bank accounts to help fulfill the award granted in arbitration. SNW chief executive Jennifer Turner said the corporation cannot continue its business operations. The Grand Canyon Resort Corporation- which runs a tribal lodge, rafting trips and other tourism operations- now is running the Skywalk and has hired the employees from SNW, Turner said. SNW has a six-member board of directors. Its only shareholder is the Hualapai Tribe. Jin's attorneys see the bankruptcy filing as another tactic to delay payment to Jin. His company, Grand Canyon Skywalk Development, is by far the largest of the creditors that also include food distributors, photographers, fuel suppliers and a souvenir company. The filing frees Sa' Nyu Wa from any lawsuits by creditors while it reorganizes its finances. ``I'm sure the tribe will seek to pay pennies on the dollar, as they have all along,'' one of Jin's attorneys, Mark Tratos, said Tuesday. ``They're not going to change the strategy to not pay what they owe.'' The tribe and Jin have been wrangling over management fees and an unfinished visitor center at the skywalk for more than two years. The dispute has led the tribe to cut Jin out of the management contract through eminent domain and led Jin to court to try to preserve his contractual rights. At least one tribal council member who has been critical of Jin has been recalled, and two more are targets of a recall election Wednesday in Peach Springs. Turner and Hualapai Chairwoman Sherry Counts sent a letter to tribal members Tuesday morning informing them of the filing. She said Jin will not have access to the tribal budget or any tribal funding, as the bankruptcy proceeding involves only Sa' Nyu Wa. The tribe has said it would pay Jin fair market value for the skywalk, which is worth an estimated $18 million. The tribal court is overseeing the eminent domain case. In a recent opinion piece, Jin said the Tribal Council should not believe that its financial responsibility to him is limited to SNW's liquid assets because it has sought to take over his rights in tribal court. Jin's attorneys have put the value of the contract at $277 million.

House Judiciary leader wants to update Arizona bankruptcy laws

PHOENIX -- The head of the House Judiciary Committee wants to update Arizona's dated and sometimes anachronistic bankruptcy laws. Nothing in the proposal by Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, R-Gilbert, alters the process that allows individuals to seek protection from creditors. Those are set in federal law. But that same federal law allows each state to decide what those declaring bankruptcy can keep. And Farnsworth said that list for Arizona is long overdue for an overhaul. The big problem, he said, is that it is far too specific. Consider: The Arizona law allows debtors to keep one kitchen table and one dining room table with four chairs each. They can keep additional chairs if there are more than four in the house. The list of permissible items also includes three living room lamps, one radio alarm clock, one vacuum cleaner and a choice of one television set, radio or stereo. And the total value of all that cannot exceed $4,000. HB 2325 would keep that $4,000 limit for household items. But it strikes the specifics of what can be included to give those in bankruptcy some individual choices in deciding what's important to them. "One person may have a hutch from their great grandmother that they want,' Farnsworth explained. "Somebody else may have a clock that's important, or two clocks that are family heirlooms,' he continued. "This just gives them flexibility within the already established cap on exempted property.' Another section of existing law gets into other kinds of items that are off-limits to creditors. Individuals can keep all their musical instruments -- but only up to a fair market value of $200. Farnsworth's legislation would double that figure. Ditto for an allowance for all engagement and wedding rings, with the new cap on their total value proposed to go to $2,000. The law even deals with domestic pets, horses, milk cows and poultry. These now can be shielded from bankruptcy if they're worth no more than $500; Farnsworth's legislation moves that figure to $800. And an individual would be able to have up to $6,000 equity in a motor vehicle, up by $1,000, and $300 in a bank account, double the current limit. Finally, Farnsworth wants to bring Arizona's law into the 21st century -- or at least the late 20th century. As the statute now exists, individuals can keep one typewriter, one bicycle, one sewing machine, a family Bible, a lot in any burial ground and one shotgun, rifle or pistol, though there is an aggregate limit on value of $500. HB 2325 would not only update that total figure to $1,000 but add one other thing to that list: a computer. And that may not be the last word. Farnsworth acknowledged that there is another piece of technology which has become indispensible for many -- and is a tool they may need to seek and keep a job: a cell phone. He said the legislation could be altered as it goes through the hearing process. Another update being proposed to the law relates to the idea of being employed. The law already exempts tools, equipment, instruments and books used in a debtor's business, up to a value of $2,500. Farnsworth not only seeks to double that figure, but he wants that exemption to include something else that might have value: telephone numbers or client contact information. Not everything in the list of what debtors can keep has a dollar value attached. Someone seeking protection from creditors also can keep a professionally prescribed artificial limb or a wheelchair.

United States: Lenders: Beware Of The Arizona "Two-Dollar Bankruptcy

Recently, my partner, Matt Kenefick, obtained a large judgment here in California against an Arizona resident. The desert rat refused to pay up voluntarily, hiding behind Arizona's unique and highly protective community property laws. The problem Matt faced was that only one spouse had been involved in the nefarious scheme to separate our client from its money. Matt ultimately collected from the Arizona judgment debtor, but the difficulties he faced are worth highlighting for those of us who normally do business in states other than Arizona. Lenders: Beware of the Arizona "Two-Dollar Bankruptcy" by Matthew Kenefick Lenders commonly rely upon form documentation when making a loan, often assuming that the form complies with the ever-changing law governing the deal. As we all know, a mistake in documentation can result in serious collection issues if the loan goes into default. If the defaulting obligation is secured by a personal guaranty given by an Arizona resident, or if the guaranty has to be enforced in Arizona, there may be enforcement problems. For many years, an Arizona individual debtor could place his or her future wages and commingled community property assets outside of the reach of his or her creditors simply by getting married. Thus, getting married in Arizona has been colloquially referred to as a "two-dollar Bankruptcy." The term-of-art "two-dollar Bankruptcy" refers to initial cost of an Arizona marriage license, which was at one time two dollars. Although the scope of the "two-dollar Bankruptcy" has been significantly narrowed though legislative and case law developments, its protection continues in certain contexts. One of these contexts is personal guaranties. Under Arizona law, both spouses must execute a personal guaranty to bind the marital community. See Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-214(c)(2); Rackmaster Systems, Inc. v. Maderia, 193 P.3d 314 (Ariz. App. 2008). This limitation has been extended to non-Arizona resident debtors in the context of Arizona enforcement proceedings (see Phoenix Arbor Plaza Ltd. v. Dauderman, 785 P.2d 1215 (Ariz. App. 1989)) and Arizona debtors in the context of non-Arizona enforcement proceedings (see G.W. Equipment Leasing, Inc. v. Mt. McKinley Fence Co., 982 P.2d 114 (Wash. App.1999)). Thus, under Arizona law, if only one spouse executes a personal guaranty, only that spouse's separate marital property is subject to the claims arising under that guaranty. Since most assets acquired and income earned after the formation of a marriage are deemed community property, under such circumstances there will be a much smaller universe of assets upon which a lender can enforce its guaranty claims. So, what is a lender to do? Stop doing business with Arizona residents? Obviously not. Require both spouses to execute a personal guaranty in all states, even when it is not needed to bind the marital community -- also a bad idea since that may kill certain deals. The practical solution is for lenders to require execution of a personal guaranty by both spouses in an Arizona marital community and to include in that guaranty a choice of non-Arizona law and a waiver (by both spouses) of the protections of Arizona community property law. If the lender cannot get both spouses to execute the personal guaranty, then this should be taken into consideration in the underwriting process. It may be permissible under Reg. B to require both spouses to sign loan documents, including guaranties, in community property states, such as Arizona. It is also worth noting that Arizona is not the only state with protective community property laws. Furthermore, in states such as Arizona, the failure to name both spouses as defendants in certain types of actions can preclude enforcement of any resulting judgment against marital community assets. See, e.g., Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-215(D)(10); Spudnuts, Inc. v. Lane, 676 P.2d 669, 670 (Ariz. App. 1984). It is therefore a good idea to become familiar with the community property laws of the state in which your borrower, guarantor, or debtor resides both when entering into a transaction and when commencing legal proceedings to enforce claims. The lesson here is to check for local laws when doing deals outside your home state. We here in California have our share of legal issues that must be addressed, many in the context of making, restructuring and enforcing commercial and real estate loans. JMBM can help you through the patchwork quilt of well-intentioned but often troublesome laws that affect your ability to collect on loans made to Californians or secured by California real property.

Florence Hospital in Arizona Declares Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Exactly one year after opening, Florence (Ariz.) Hospital at Anthem has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a Casa Grande Dispatch report. Florence Hospital CEO David Wanger told the Casa Grande Dispatch that the 36-bed hospital has performed well in its primary service areas, but volumes have lagged in its secondary service areas and local prison population. Although Florence Hospital has not missed any payments on its debts, it has fallen short of profit margin and cash on hand requirements outlined in its lease with its landlord. Florence Hospital will now look to have a reorganization plan approved by a bankruptcy court.

Dutch bankruptcies hit record in February

AMSTERDAM – More Dutch companies declared bankruptcy in February than at any time since records began in 1981. The country's Central Bureau for Statistics also says Monday that on a three-month average, bankruptcies are at their highest level on record: around 680 per month, not counting one-person businesses. The Dutch economy is struggling as the government cuts spending and increases taxes to meet European budget rules that require countries to get their budget deficits down to 3 percent of their annual gross domestic product. Real estate markets are especially weak, due to a glut in office space and cuts in residential mortgage deductions. The country's economic forecasting office expects the Dutch economy to shrink for the second year running in 2013 before muted growth returns in 2014. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/11/dutch-bankruptcies-hit-record-in-february/#ixzz2NLOugMhA

The Daily Docket: Hostess Gets No Rival Cake Bids

Hostess Brands Inc. said it will seek to sell its Twinkies and other cake brands to Apollo Global Management LLC and Metropoulos & Co. after no rival bidders stepped forward to challenge their $410 million offer. Read the Daily Bankruptcy Review article here. The trustee liquidating Howrey LLP on Monday sued former partners and their new law firms to recover partner payments the now-defunct law firm paid out while its finances were shaky and to stake a claim in profits from the ongoing work those partners took to their new firms. Click here for the DBR article. (Daily Bankruptcy Review and DBR Small Cap are daily newsletters with comprehensive coverage and analysis of emerging and in-progress insolvencies and turnarounds. For a two-week trial, visit our homepage, scroll to the bottom and click “try for free.”) A subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd. is suing ATP Oil & Gas Corp., saying it owns the rights to royalty payments from three ATP offshore-drilling operations, entitling it to payments and exempting those rights from ATP’s bankruptcy estate, DBR reports via Deal Journal Australia. According to Reuters, China’s solar-panel maker Suntech Power Holdings Co. STP -8.61% is likely to get a bailout. New York’s attorney general is ready to ask a judge to complete a $410 million with J. Ezra Merkin regarding the Bernard Madoff Ponzi scheme, Bloomberg reports. The city of Detroit retained Jones Day as it looks to fight Michigan’s decision to put the city under control of an emergency financial manager, the Am Law Daily reports. The Washington Post has the “history” of Paul Krugman’s phony bankruptcy. Spanish airline Iberia is close to a restructuring deal with its unions, WSJ reports. Former Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP are allowed to sue over the firm’s collapse as a group, Reuters reports. According to the Detroit Free Press, the government sold $489.9 million in General Motors Co. GM -0.04% stock last month. WSJ reports on the death of Jack Byrne, who rescued Geico from the brink of bankruptcy in the 1970s. Write to Melanie Cohen at melanie.cohen@dowjones.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MelanieLisa.

Republicans Clueless About Minorities

If the GOP is trying to attract more white male voters, it is doing a great job.

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Republicans are losing elections in part because they are losing key demographic groups. Some of those groups, like Hispanics, are growing, making them impossible to ignore. 37 percent of the country is nonwhite. Hispanics comprise 16 percent of the population, accounting for half the population growth within the past decade. 51 percent of children born in California are Hispanic, and 46 percent of the population in New Mexico is Hispanic.

Republicans have had difficulty making inroads with Hispanics due to their position on illegal immigration. The left and its other half, the liberal media, have convinced many Hispanics that tough immigration laws are racist. While this is not true, Republicans have had little success convincing Hispanics otherwise. Meanwhile, Republicans continue to make “enforce the border” key parts of their stump speeches.

The problem with this approach is it needlessly reinforces the false stereotype that Republicans are racist. Why repeat something if it's not necessary and costs votes? Many politicians are pro-life, but they don't say “we must stop abortion” in every speech. Illegal immigration is one of those difficult issues that would be better handled gingerly.

On the other hand, Republican politicians like Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who call for a path to citizenship with liberal Democrats, are equally irking voters needlessly. McCain waffles all over the place on illegal immigration; there is no need for him to irritate the GOP base by claiming at times to support a path to citizenship. It didn't work anyways, he received a smaller than usual share of the Hispanic vote as a Republican when he ran for president.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall

I hate it when you're researching a serious story, and this irresistably pops up on the side of an article to distract you

Great article on Matt Salmon in Human Events

Some of the best excerpts - 

Matt Salmon (lifetime American Conservative Union rating: 100 percent) remains unchanged in his swashbuckling conservative philosophy and style.

Salmon has never lost his passion for shutting down the Departments of Education, Energy, Commerce, Labor, and Housing and Urban Development.

 In 2002, he lost the race for governor by about one vote per precinct to Democrat Janet Napolitano, now secretary of Homeland Security. Salmon recalls the state’s campaign finance reform law, the creation of Democratic State Chairman Jim Pederson, “provided state matching funds for a candidate who was facing an opponent who wouldn’t take the state funds, as I wouldn’t. “The law even provided matching funds when an outside group backed the opponent. So that gave her [Napolitano] a big advantage. “I’m glad to say the U.S. Supreme Court finally struck down that insidious law and, had it not been on the books 10 years ago, I would have been governor.”

Sequestration is not the ‘be all, end all’ in the whole fiscal debate. The real fight will be over the continuing resolution down the line and the question of whether we continue to fund the federal government at the same level.

And the question for Republicans in Congress, he said pointedly, “is whether we are willing to partially shut the government down to get to a lower level. We have made $83 billion in cuts this year, but it’s just a start. If we don’t [cut more], we’re going to end up like Greece.”

“We had 72 Republicans come in 1994 and there were only about 11 of us who were willing to go all the way,” he said, “Now, you look at [fellow freshman Reps.] Ron DeSantis [Fla.], Doug Collins [Ga.], Tom Cotton [Ark.], and Steve Stockman, who I think walks on water. We have more patriots this time—at least 20 of us willing to do what has to be done. Things are going to happen this time.”

Read the entire article at Human Events    

I will be on the Austin Hill show Tuesday morning to discuss the left's current efforts at gun control

If you're up early Tuesday morning, and want to hear what community organizers are doing in Idaho and other states to implement gun control, check out my interview as editor of Western Shooting Journal on Austin Hill's Idaho show. 6:35am PST (9:35am EST) ......click here to listen to NewsRadio KINF 99.1 FM live. Click here to check out Western Shooting Journal and subscribe (only $1.89/mth online).

Top Television Shows Today Full of Garbage

If you stopped watching network television awhile ago because it had gotten so bad, you made the correct decision. It has continued to get worse. A few years ago, network television became dominated by cheaply made reality TV shows and talent contests, sitcoms with hyperactive manic characters, and socially liberal themes. Television has always pushed the edge when it comes to socially progressive themes. But at what point does it go too far? Perhaps when there are no other options left during prime time network TV.

The top ten most popular TV shows last fall contained few choices for traditional conservatives, unless they enjoy watching football. The first, fourth and tenth most popular shows were Sunday Night Football, Sunday Night Pre-Kick and The OT (NFL wrap-up) respectively.

The second most popular TV show last fall was Modern Family, which features the lives of three families, including two gay men and their daughter. There is profanity and one episode implied that teenage sex was appropriate. The Big Bang Theory was the third most popular show last fall. The plot is based on the lives of some nerdy guys and a beautiful woman who tries to teach them social skills. It features frequent discussions about sex including masturbation, and is sprinkled with profanity.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall

Cat fishing

The March issue of Western Shooting Journal is out!

You can find it on most newsstands in stores around Arizona. Or sign up for the electronic version for only $1.89/month at WesternShootingJournal.com. This issue features plenty of interest to Arizonans. We've got an interview with Arizona's Gun Guy, Alan Korwin, about gun laws and books he's written about gun. There is a feature article by Phyllis Gross about shooting at outdoor ranges in Arizona. Keith Sipmann of Arizona explains what the scary "black rifles" are that everyone wants to ban. Carrie Lightfoot of The Well-Armed Woman in Northern Arizona explains to curvy women how they can best carry a concealed weapon. I've got an interview with actor Johnny Strong of The Fast and the Furious and Blackhawk Down, asking him about Hollywood's portrayal of guns. He's got some Strong feelings about the subject! There's an interview with Top Shot Dustin Ellerman, who won the History Channel's Top Shot competition. Plus much, much more. You won't want to miss this issue!

The coolest Republican blogger car in the state

No, it's not my Mustang GT

Churches Under Assault/Catholic Diocese Objects/Mayor Stanton Proposes Radical Agenda

	Churches Under Assault/Catholic Diocese Objects Mayor Stanton Proposes Radical Agenda Mayor Stanton's proposal is a radical left turn for Phoenix. Labeled the "Bathroom Bill" it allows grown men in the girls' bathrooms at our parks, businesses and restaurants and it imposes criminal sanctions on our business community. Furthermore, we now have uncovered that it opens the door for criminal penalties against churches. Should our priests, pastors, rabbis and bishops and stake presidents be made criminals by the City of Phoenix? Do you think it is the role of our city to impose criminal penalties against churches? I don't. I also believe the proposal is clearly unconstitutional. Please read the comments and the full release from the Diocese of Phoenix below. "By failing to provide a clear means by which individuals may, in good conscience and without malice, practice their faith and live their values without fear of prosecution and punishment, the proposed "non-discrimination" ordinance actually could be used as a means to codify and mandate unjust discrimination against people of faith." Mayor Stanton has put this ordinance on a fast track, greatly diminishing the transparency and opportunity for public evaluation that we value in the City of Phoenix. Every day we are finding new and dramatic changes his proposal demands. Mayor Stanton has dug his heels in on his proposal and he needs to be pressured to reasonably amend it. I am calling on the city to slow this down and give everyone an opportunity to evaluate all the consequences of this proposal. I do believe there is a chance something reasonable can be attained, but it must not allow grown men in the girls' bathroom nor impose criminal sanctions on our business owners, and it must specifically exclude religious institutions. This can only be achieved by allowing the faith-based community, which has been excluded from this discussion, at the table. The vote is tomorrow, February 26 at 2:30 pm at the Orpheum Theater (203 W. Adams). Please pass this email to your contact lists and reach out to your City Councilmember, asking that this be slowed down and given proper vetting and transparency.Here is the full release from the Diocese: To contact the Phoenix City Council:Mayor Greg Stanton: mayor.stanton@phoenix.gov Councilwoman Thelda Williams: council.district.1@phoenix.gov Councilman Jim Waring: council.district.2@phoenix.gov Vice Mayor Bill Gates: council.district.3@phoenix.gov Councilman Tom Simplot: council.district.4@phoenix.gov Councilman Daniel Valenzuela: council.district.5@phoenix.gov Councilman Michael Nowakowski: council.district.7@phoenix.gov Councilman Michael Johnson: council.district.8@phoenix.gov My best to you and your family, Sal DiCiccio

Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona? Beware: Zombie Foreclosures Haunting Homeowners

It’s a problem now affecting thousands of people who’ve lost their homes. WWJ’s Sandra McNeill reports on the phenomenon known as the ‘zombie foreclosure.’ Mark Gilman from Decus Consulting says a zombie foreclosure is when a homeowner walks away from their home but the tax debt isn’t dead. “The banks are not starting the process immediately and what happens is a year later they get a tax bill and they can’t understand why? The reason is because the house was never actually put into the foreclosure process,” notes Gilman. Gilman says because the markets are so bad the banks are holding on to a lot of these foreclosed homes.

Read the rest of the article at CBS Detroit

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

Follow Western Shooting Journal on Pinterest for cool gun photos

Western Shooting Journal is now on Pinterest, and we're pinning the coolest gun related photos out there. Pinterest only takes a couple of minutes to join and it's free. Due to copyright, we can't post a lot of these neat photos on the blog, but it's acceptable to "pin" them on Pinterest so come find us there and join in the fun.

Former Secret Service Agent Speaks Up About Gun Control

I wanted to share this passionate speech Dan Bongino gave at a Guns Across America Rally in Annapolis, Maryland earlier this month. He says that it’s not gun control, it’s really “people control,” so call it what it is. He pointed out the hypocrisy, saying the entire time he was in the Secret Service protecting the president, they never complied with the gun laws of the areas they traveled; when they went to Chicago they didn’t disarm like the rest of us are required to. When he was a New York City police officer, he never once arrested someone who had possession of a gun legally – every single person he arrested for a gun crime had obtained it illegally. “We live in a society of wolves, you do not fight back by creating more sheep.” He concludes his speech by urging people to vote in order to preserve our Second Amendment rights, “If you felt that your vote didn’t count, you’re the problem.”

AFP Scorecard Grades AZ Delegation for 112th Congress

NEWS RELEASE

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Febuary 20, 2013 CONTACT: Tom Jenney, (602) 478-0146 or tjenney@afphq.org

                              

AFP Releases 112th Congress Scorecard, Barber Receives an F
AFP ranks members of Congress on their votes regarding economic freedom

PHOENIX, Arizona—Americans for Prosperity-Arizona (AFP-AZ), the state’s premier free market grassroots organization committed to smaller government and economic freedom, today released its scorecard for the 112^th Congress.  AFP also launched an interactive online version of its congressional key vote scorecard, which includes AFP key votes from the past three congresses and will be the scorecard’s online home moving forward.  AFP ranks members of Congress on their votes for economic freedom.  A copy of scores is below.

• AFP’s new scorecard website is online at: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/scorecard.
• A printable version of AFP’s 112^th Congress Scorecard is available by clicking here. 

U.S. Representatives	Ron Barber	F
	Jeff Flake	A+
	Trent Franks	A+
	Gabrielle Giffords	F
	Paul A, Gosar	A
	Raul M. Grijalva	D
	Ed Pastor	D-
	Benjamin Quayle	A+
	David Schweikert	A+
U.S. Senate	Jon Kyl	B
	John McCain	A

 

“In order to hold their elected officials accountable, Arizona constituents need to know how their Representative or Senator voted,” said AFP-AZ State Director Tom Jenney. “The AFP Scorecard is the best way for our activists to keep a close eye on Washington, and confront them when they don’t vote responsibly.”
The 112^th Congress Scorecard includes critical votes on such issues as the repeal of President Obama’s new health care law, preempting EPA’s purported authority to regulate greenhouse gases, Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget, ending ethanol subsidies, several Congressional Review Act resolutions to overturn new regulations, and the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills.
AFP’s new scorecard website is online at: http://www.americansforprosperity.org/scorecard.
For further comments, contact State Director Tom Jenney directly at (602) 478-0146 or tjenney@afphq.org.

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen-leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and intrusiveness of government is the best way to promote individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

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Shooting the Biggest Guns Money Can Buy | The Big Sandy Shoot in Arizona

This is a well-down little 13-minute documentary of shooting humongous guns in northwestern Arizona on the Big Sandy range near Wikieup. It is the largest machine gun shoot in the U.S., and it's all for fun. There are anti-aircraft artillery which shoot 1200-1300 rounds per minute - the shells literally fall on top of each other flying out. Model airplanes fly around as targets, and at night they put glowsticks on them. The founder of this annual event recently passed away, and his wish was to have his ashes blown up, so his ashes are put inside a big neon green paper mache dinosaur with dynamite and blown up. The video is so well put together I could not hit pause.

I will be on the Austin Hill Show at 6:30am PST on Wednesday to discuss proposed changes to state gun laws

If you're up early Wednesday morning, and want to hear about what kinds of gun laws are being proposed in state legislatures right now, check out my interview as editor of Western Shooting Journal on Austin Hill's Idaho show. 5:35am PST (8:35am EST) ......click here to listen to NewsRadio KINF 99.1 FM live. Click here to check out Western Shooting Journal and subscribe (only $1.89/mth online). While there are plenty of gun control laws being introduced, there are also some gunowner-friendly laws surfacing.

I will be on the Austin Hill Show at 5:35am PST to discuss whether the 2nd Amendment is losing ground

If you're up early Thursday morning, and want to hear about where this country is going regarding the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms vs. gun control, check out my interview as editor of Western Shooting Journal on Austin Hill's Idaho show. 5:35am PST (8:35am EST) Until I did the research on this recently, I thought the country was going in the opposite direction. You'll have to listen to the show to hear where I think we're headed now......click here to listen to NewsRadio KINF 99.1 FM live. Click here to check out Western Shooting Journal and subscribe (only $1.89/mth online).

Where is the Left's Uproar Over Obama's Secret Warmongering Drone Policy?