Az I See It....
Prologue: Old men create the wars in which young men die!
Entertainment/Sports: Auburn QB Cam Newton, a junior, has announced that he may skip the upcoming NFL draft, saying his father told him that Auburn will pay him more than any NFL team!....The Beatles were arguably the greatest musical band of the 20th Century, but Paul McCartney(now age 68) sounded so bad on a recent SNL appearance that it was painful to listen!....Reese Witherspoon will be the next beautiful, young actress to announce that she has an eating disorder. Did you see her on her recent Late Night with David Letterman appearance?....Hugh Hefner announced his engagement to a 27-year old Playmate, saying "It was the best Christmas weekend I can remember!" It was also the only Christmas weekend that the 84-year old Playboy empire founder could remember!
National: Democrats will not be able to save 100K to 300K teaching jobs, because the new Republican legislature refuses to appropriate $23B in additional stimulus funds for next year, demanding that they cannot justify adding to the federal deficit without the possibility that it will line their own pockets!....Berkeley University researchers are attempting to create a new element, with Atomic #120 - an element almost as heavy as Catholic Church guilt for obtaining an abortion after a rape, but not as heavy as the guilt for priests sexually abusing their altar boys!
State/Local: Arizona Bishop Thomas Olmstead remains adamant that fetus life is at least as important as its mother's - even if both may die due to birthing complications, and performing an abortion is never allowable. The Bishop has stripped world-renowned St. Joseph's Hospital from its Catholic affiliation for doing just that!....In a recent, but rare, press conference, Olmstead said he will continue to follow Catholic doctrine, ie., no abortion, no women clergy, and 'Don't ask, don't tell!'....Illegal immigrants say they are afraid to stay in Arizona because their ethnic appearance puts them at risk. Their being here illegally doesn't seem to bother them!....Republican lawmakers want to end teachers' ability to retire and then return to work while receiving retirement benefits. The original purpose of this option was to allow administrators to do the same, and teachers had to go to court to receive the same treatment as their overpaid, incompetent Overlords. It also began when good teachers, both new and veteran, were leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers, due to poor working conditions and dismal salary and benefit practices, creating a massive teacher shortage. The practice was intended to impress upon the veteran teachers that they were valued, and could finally earn the financial amounts that the 'system' could not and never had afforded. Now, it seems, that Arizona's failing public schools will re-create the shortage, in favor of unskilled rookies who cost much less, and forcing quality veteran teachers(not necessarily administrators), as well as fore-sighted newbies, from continuing their careers. Also, the same Republican-led bloc will attempt to modify the State Constitution, so that present retirees will not be protected from decreases in benefits - in one of the leading Retirement Systems(ASRS) in the nation! By the way - these same lawmakers refuse to accept the same of their own retirement system - one of the best in the nation! Go figure! Add to that, Arizona teachers not only make among the lowest of average salaries, and poorest of benefits, but they retire at a maximum of only 70% of their last pitiful, 5-years salary average - also among the worst in the nation! Most would gladly take a 5% wage decrease, if they could retire at 100%, as many other retirement systems allow(including the Az. Legislature!)!....The Az. Dept. of Transportation(ADOT) will spend $500K to study a proposal to convert HOV lanes into HOT lanes - TOLL roads for those who would like to ride singly in the present HOV lanes. It is estimated that this will decrease traffic congestion by as much as 5%, while accounting for $20M annual income for the State. Uh....didn't former Gov. Janet Napolitano estimate that Redflex photo/video radar cameras would bring in $90M annually? Didn't happen....won't happen. Approximately 7% of drivers use the HOV lanes during rush hour. Let's do the math: on a four-lane highway(ie., Loop 101 - a considered route), if only 7% of drivers are using the HOV lane, then the other three lanes each carry 31% of the load. If the HOV lane was simply unrestricted, then four lanes would each carry 25% of the load - a 6% percent reduction in overall congestion - without costing consumers a penny! Once again, this is a money grab - with enforcement to be carried out by....wait for it....you guessed it....Redflex photo/video cameras! And the cost to use the HOT lanes would vary from as little as zero dollars, when there is no traffic(2am to 5am), to as much as $9.00 each way, during rush hour times! Can you imagine having to pay up to $18 to be able to get to and from work on-time EACH DAY, when most Arizona workers earn a pitiful minimum wage?! Is this elitism at its best, or another contract that the Arizona legislature will have to wait-out/buy-out, when the next Governor takes office?! Here's a suggestion - use the $500K to pursue a study to allow cities to own and operate their own casino-resorts, as the Native Americans are now allowed. Create jobs and competition that will benefit the consumer-gambler, general recreation, the national tourist trade draw, and best of all....the Arizona Republican legislature!
Epilogue: Always keep your wits sharp, your heart open, and your gun loaded!
Entertainment/Sports: Auburn QB Cam Newton, a junior, has announced that he may skip the upcoming NFL draft, saying his father told him that Auburn will pay him more than any NFL team!....The Beatles were arguably the greatest musical band of the 20th Century, but Paul McCartney(now age 68) sounded so bad on a recent SNL appearance that it was painful to listen!....Reese Witherspoon will be the next beautiful, young actress to announce that she has an eating disorder. Did you see her on her recent Late Night with David Letterman appearance?....Hugh Hefner announced his engagement to a 27-year old Playmate, saying "It was the best Christmas weekend I can remember!" It was also the only Christmas weekend that the 84-year old Playboy empire founder could remember!
National: Democrats will not be able to save 100K to 300K teaching jobs, because the new Republican legislature refuses to appropriate $23B in additional stimulus funds for next year, demanding that they cannot justify adding to the federal deficit without the possibility that it will line their own pockets!....Berkeley University researchers are attempting to create a new element, with Atomic #120 - an element almost as heavy as Catholic Church guilt for obtaining an abortion after a rape, but not as heavy as the guilt for priests sexually abusing their altar boys!
State/Local: Arizona Bishop Thomas Olmstead remains adamant that fetus life is at least as important as its mother's - even if both may die due to birthing complications, and performing an abortion is never allowable. The Bishop has stripped world-renowned St. Joseph's Hospital from its Catholic affiliation for doing just that!....In a recent, but rare, press conference, Olmstead said he will continue to follow Catholic doctrine, ie., no abortion, no women clergy, and 'Don't ask, don't tell!'....Illegal immigrants say they are afraid to stay in Arizona because their ethnic appearance puts them at risk. Their being here illegally doesn't seem to bother them!....Republican lawmakers want to end teachers' ability to retire and then return to work while receiving retirement benefits. The original purpose of this option was to allow administrators to do the same, and teachers had to go to court to receive the same treatment as their overpaid, incompetent Overlords. It also began when good teachers, both new and veteran, were leaving the profession in unprecedented numbers, due to poor working conditions and dismal salary and benefit practices, creating a massive teacher shortage. The practice was intended to impress upon the veteran teachers that they were valued, and could finally earn the financial amounts that the 'system' could not and never had afforded. Now, it seems, that Arizona's failing public schools will re-create the shortage, in favor of unskilled rookies who cost much less, and forcing quality veteran teachers(not necessarily administrators), as well as fore-sighted newbies, from continuing their careers. Also, the same Republican-led bloc will attempt to modify the State Constitution, so that present retirees will not be protected from decreases in benefits - in one of the leading Retirement Systems(ASRS) in the nation! By the way - these same lawmakers refuse to accept the same of their own retirement system - one of the best in the nation! Go figure! Add to that, Arizona teachers not only make among the lowest of average salaries, and poorest of benefits, but they retire at a maximum of only 70% of their last pitiful, 5-years salary average - also among the worst in the nation! Most would gladly take a 5% wage decrease, if they could retire at 100%, as many other retirement systems allow(including the Az. Legislature!)!....The Az. Dept. of Transportation(ADOT) will spend $500K to study a proposal to convert HOV lanes into HOT lanes - TOLL roads for those who would like to ride singly in the present HOV lanes. It is estimated that this will decrease traffic congestion by as much as 5%, while accounting for $20M annual income for the State. Uh....didn't former Gov. Janet Napolitano estimate that Redflex photo/video radar cameras would bring in $90M annually? Didn't happen....won't happen. Approximately 7% of drivers use the HOV lanes during rush hour. Let's do the math: on a four-lane highway(ie., Loop 101 - a considered route), if only 7% of drivers are using the HOV lane, then the other three lanes each carry 31% of the load. If the HOV lane was simply unrestricted, then four lanes would each carry 25% of the load - a 6% percent reduction in overall congestion - without costing consumers a penny! Once again, this is a money grab - with enforcement to be carried out by....wait for it....you guessed it....Redflex photo/video cameras! And the cost to use the HOT lanes would vary from as little as zero dollars, when there is no traffic(2am to 5am), to as much as $9.00 each way, during rush hour times! Can you imagine having to pay up to $18 to be able to get to and from work on-time EACH DAY, when most Arizona workers earn a pitiful minimum wage?! Is this elitism at its best, or another contract that the Arizona legislature will have to wait-out/buy-out, when the next Governor takes office?! Here's a suggestion - use the $500K to pursue a study to allow cities to own and operate their own casino-resorts, as the Native Americans are now allowed. Create jobs and competition that will benefit the consumer-gambler, general recreation, the national tourist trade draw, and best of all....the Arizona Republican legislature!
Epilogue: Always keep your wits sharp, your heart open, and your gun loaded!
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