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?

Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona: Gilbert legislator Farnsworth works to update state’s bankruptcy laws

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.

Read the rest of the article at The East Valley Tribune

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

Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona - is flood of bankruptcies good for America?

I found this interesting article which argues that it IS good for the country! Click here to read it. 

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall

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.

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

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

AZRTL: Pro-Life Rally this Tuesday on the 40th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade

Pro-Life Rally At the Courthouse    In Recognition of the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade  Join the Arizona Life Coalition for a pro-life rally in Phoenix this coming Tuesday on the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that has permitted the loss of over 50 million lives. Tuesday, January 22, Noon to 1:00 p.m.United States District Court Building 401 West Washington Street, Phoenix  The pro-life movement in Arizona has made tremendous progress in recent years to protect preborn children and vulnerable women from the dangerous and deadly practices of the abortion industry. Through a growing and diverse coalition we are saving lives and showing the nation the impact we can have when we declare in one voice that life is worth fighting for. Join the chorus and stand for life on Tuesday! Visit AZLifeRally.org for more information and to sign the Pro-life Petition to the Arizona legislature. While you are there, be sure to share the site on Facebook and Twitter to help us spread the word!

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.

Center for Arizona Policy promotes and defends the foundational values of life, marriage and family, and religious liberty. For more information, visit azpolicy.org.

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

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.

Read the rest of the article at Townhall