Our readers can be certain that one of our loyal commenters, “leftfield” will have some editorial from the bush on this one. It will be difficult to vilify the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court for being too liberal. But then the last time I looked, God is pretty liberal in the care and love for the people under that Flag.
Knights of Columbus wins Pledge of Allegiance case in Federal Appeals Court
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds constitutionality of “under God” in Pledge
(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) — The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that he words “one nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance “do not violate the Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
The Knights of Columbus led the campaign to add the words “under God” to the Pledge in the early 1950s, and the trial court agreed to allow the Knights of Columbus to join the present case as defendants when it was originally filed in 2005.
“This decision is a victory for common sense,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. “It is also a welcome reversal of the Ninth Circuit’s 2002 decision in a similar case that was ultimately thrown out by the Supreme Court on technical grounds. Today, the Court got it absolutely right: recitation of the Pledge is a patriotic exercise, not a religious prayer. Best of all, the Court said that the words ‘under God’ add a ‘note of importance which a Pledge to our Nation ought to have and which in our culture ceremonial references to God arouse.’Every reasonable person knows that, and today’s decision is a breath of fresh air from a court system that has too often seemed to be almost allergic to public references to God. This is a very good day for America,” Anderson concluded.
In today’s ruling, the Court noted that, “Among the ‘self-evident truths’ the Framers believed was the concept that all people are entitled to certain inalienable rights given to them by the ‘Laws of Nature and Nature’s God’ and that the purpose of government should be to “secure those rights.'”Such beliefs provide the context in which the words of the Pledge must be understood, the Court said.
The Knights of Columbus and several individual Knights and their families were defendant-intervenors in the case, and the court’s 2-1 decision incorporates many of the arguments presented to the Court by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty a public interest law firm that represented the Knights in the case. Oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit panel had been heard in December 2007. Other defendants in the case included the United States government and a Sacramento-area school district.
Media Advisory U.S. Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics March 12, 2010
San Francisco
BLS NEWS RELEASE: Veteran’s Employment Status for Arizona- 2009
BLS released employment figures on veterans for the State of Arizona in 2009.
Highlights:
· The civilian, non-institutional veteran population in Arizona was 525,000 in 2009.
· Of those veterans, roughly 266,000 or 50.6-percent were employed in 2009.
· In 2009, the unemployment rate for veterans in Arizona stood at 6.7-percent.
· Nationally, the veteran unemployment rate was 8.1-percent in 2009.
· On average, veterans in Arizona had lower unemployment rates than the general population in Arizona.
For questions or media interviews, please contact BLS staff at 415-625-2270 and select option ‘1’.
Amar Mann
Regional Economist – Bureau of Labor Statistics Mann.amar@bls.gov
415-625-2270
I apologize for shoving these press releases in front of all of our readers, but I do believe that the mission statement of this Blog, which is advocacy, must include the most current information I can find about the machinations of the Veterans Administration. That information frequently trumps my opinions. Rest assured there are many opinions in the wings. “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is waiting to come to center stage this weekend.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2010
AKAKA AND MAJORITY OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUPPORT OBAMA BUDGET FOR VETERANS, URGE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) was joined by a majority of Committee members in recommending a $380 million increase in discretionary funding above the President’s VA budget proposal. This recommendation came in the Committee’s views and estimates letter on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget for veterans’ programs, submitted to the Senate Budget Committee Friday.
“We can never forget that caring for veterans is a cost of war, and must be treated as such,” said Chairman Akaka. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to build on the President’s strong VA budget proposal. Our recommendations are for stronger funding to help disabled veterans train for new careers, provide support to family caregivers, and invest in medical and prosthetic research.”
Chairman Akaka was joined in signing the letter by the following Committee members: Senators John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Roland W. Burris (D-IL), and Arlen Specter (D-PA).
Akaka and co-signers recommended the following additional discretionary investments for veterans programs:
Upgrading an Aging Hospital Infrastructure: $235 million for VA construction;
Supporting Family Caregivers: $57 million for a new program to support family caregivers, tied to Akaka’s effort to establish a permanent caregivers support program;
Helping Disabled Veterans Train for new Employment: $20.5 million for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment;
Improving Technology: $30 million for Information Technology;
Investing for the Future: $25.5 million for VA Research; and
Strengthening Oversight within VA: $12 million for the Office of Inspector General
Akaka and co-signers also recommended that the budget provide mandatory funding to avoid imposing a Cost-of-Living Adjustment round-down in the coming fiscal year and to support a reasonable increase in the Specially Adapted Housing Grant programs which make it possible for severely disabled veterans to live more independently in residential housing.
Views and estimates are a formal part of the federal budget process, in which Congressional committees recommend funding levels for programs and activities under their legislative jurisdiction. (For the Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s jurisdiction, click here.) The House and Senate Budget Committees review these recommendations when formulating the proposed Budget Resolution for the following fiscal year.
The President proposed to increase VA’s budget by nearly $11 billion for the next fiscal year. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki testified before the Senate last week that this budget will improve the Department’s ability to transform VA into a 21st Century organization and ensure veterans timely access to care and benefits. (To view that hearing, click here.)
The full views and estimates document can be viewed here: LINK.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ozzie Garza
March 9, 2010 (204) 505-4315
Veterans Affairs Secretary Urges Higher Education for Veterans PHOENIX – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today told the American Council on Education that VA’s goal is to open the door to higher education to as many Veterans and servicemembers as possible.
The Secretary, a member of President Obama’s Cabinet, stressed that education has always been the catalyst for this country’s national growth and professional achievement. Speaking to university presidents, chancellors and educators, Shinseki told the group that the Post-9/11 GI Bill is a tremendous investment in the future of the country. He said the achievement of our ‘greatest generation’ is poised to repeat itself in the latest generation of Veterans who are putting the Post-9/11 GI Bill to use.
VA finished the fall semester with 173,000 Veterans in classrooms at 6,500 colleges and universities nationwide. Last month VA began sending checks to an estimated 180,000 Veterans enrolled in school at that point. To date, VA has received over 255,000 spring enrollment certifications for over 192,000 Veterans, and has already paid 96 percent of these Veterans. In Arizona, there were 33,986 students enrolled in education programs in Fiscal Year 2009.
To help address the high volume of claims received for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA has hired an additional 530 employees, bringing the total number of education claims processors to 1,200. Shinseki emphasized the shared responsibility of VA, colleges and universities, communities and student Veterans to ensure the success of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. VA is reaching out to student Veterans, administrators, state education officials, and members of Congress about the Department’s efforts to implement this historic program.
Veterans, servicemembers, reservists, and members of the National Guard who served on active duty since Sept. 11, 2001, are potentially eligible for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides payments for tuition and fees, as well as a housing allowance and stipend for books and supplies.
Information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill, as well as VA’s other educational benefit programs, is available at VA’s Web site, www.gibill.va.gov <http://www.gibill.va.gov/> , or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 (or 1-888-442-4551).
Jessica Jacobsen, APR
Deputy Director Dallas Regional Office of Public Affairs * Department of Veterans Affairs Phone: 817-385-3720 Cell: 214-649-8380
*Dallas Region includes: AR, AZ, LA, MS, NM, OK, TX
I had the opportunity to interview Joe Galloway for the Northwest Explorer. He was in town in 2006 for a Leadership Seminar for the Vietnam Veterans of America.
I for one am happy for Joe and sad to see him go. The sadness is because there are so few journalists who are conversant with veterans affairs. For years we had but just a few nation wide who could speak with authority sans the toxic political ideology that now blankets the nation.
He and Col. David Hackworth could rise above the polarity and polemic and educate the reader without inciting them. The sole survivor may be Doonsberry!
Good luck Joe and God speed.
By Joseph L. Galloway | McClatchy Newspapers
To quote Mr. Dickens, they were the best of times and the worst of times. This is Galloway writing “-30-” and farewell to this weekly column after almost seven years and wrapping up half a century in the newspaper business.
Oh, I will still write an occasional op-ed piece when the bastards in Washington, D.C., blast across the line into moron territory, and there’s always another book waiting to be written.
From that first day in November of 1959 when Jim Rech, the managing editor of The Victoria (Texas) Advocate, hired me as a reporter to this day when I say my goodbyes I have, with few and momentary exceptions, loved all of it.
This is not going to be an obituary for the newspaper business. I have loved being a reporter; loved it when we got it right; understood it when we got it wrong. I hope print-and-ink daily newspapers will outlive me by many years. Somehow.
I was a state bureau chief for United Press International (UPI) before I could legally take a drink or vote. My friends and mentors were former President Harry Truman and former governor and presidential candidate Alf M. Landon. I stood in the courthouse corridors on smoke breaks and talked to Richard Hickock and Perry Edward Smith, the “In Cold Blood” killers. On a freezing cold midnight, I watched as the State of Kansas hanged Lowell Lee Andrews by the neck until death for shooting his mom and dad for the insurance money.
In 1964, at age 24, I headed off to Asia to cover a war that I was certain was coming in a little-known country called South Vietnam. Within four months, the first American troops, Marines, were landing on the beaches of Danang, and I was right behind them.
It would be 16 years before I returned to work in the U.S. — years of wars, coups d’etat, disasters natural and otherwise in places such as Vietnam, Laos, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, East Timor, Afghanistan, the U.S.S.R.
You grew up fast covering the infantry at war in the jungles and mountain highlands and broad rice paddies of Vietnam. Seventy reporters, photographers and cameramen, many of them friends, were killed covering the war.
We mourn their loss even now, four decades later: the scholarly Bernard Fall, Life photographer Larry Burrows, UPI shooters Kyoichi Sawada and Kent Potter, old colleagues such as the effervescent Henri Huet, my buddy Sean Flynn and his sidekick Dana Stone, and a mentor, Dickie Chappelle.
There were great characters, some of them left over from covering World War II or fighting in it, such as former Guards officer and former rubber planter-turned-war correspondent Don Wise, Jim Lucas and Jack Foisie and Keyes Beech and George McArthur. There were others: Dave Halberstam, Neil Sheehan, Syd Schanberg, the AP’s Horst Faas and Pete Arnett and Bob Poos, a Korean War Marine who fought at the Chosin Reservoir. My good buddy Leon Daniel of UPI, a Korean War Marine. Also Kate Webb, Gloria Emerson, Betsy Halstead, Maggie Kilgore and Tracy Wood.
We were privileged to march with and get to know some great military commanders at all levels — soldiers and Marines — such as my best friend and co-author Hal Moore, Marine commander Lew Walt, Hank Emerson, David Hackworth, Charlie Beckwith, Sam Wilson, Norm Schwarzkopf and on and on. Too many great infantry non-coms and too many bold, brave, insane helicopter jockeys to begin naming.
It was a pleasure to share a foxhole or a watering hole with any one of them, especially on a very bad day.
There were some fine editors who were willing to gamble that you could deliver on a risky or occasionally even a fanciful proposal. The best one of all I worked for the longest — John Walcott — who was my boss and friend for nearly 20 years at U.S. News, Knight Ridder Newspapers and, most recently, at McClatchy Newspapers.
Then there were two others who were a delight to work for and with — Mike Ruby and Merrill McLoughlin, husband and wife co-editors at U.S. News who each possessed their own unique skills that fit together perfectly.
In the end, it all comes down to the people, both those you cover and those you work for, with or alongside during 50 years. I can only thank God for putting me on paths that crossed with all those named above and all the others not named here but still alive in my heart.
Finally, I have to say that when I was given this weekly opinion column to write in April of 2003, it was strange new ground for someone who had spent 22 years at UPI, where you might be allowed to have an opinion but could never let one creep into your stories, and nearly 20 years at U.S. News, whose founder believed in presenting the facts and letting the readers make up their own minds.
There was never a shortage of topics or targets during the remainder of the Bush administration. Nor is there any seeming shortage as the Obama administration wraps up a first year of one disaster after another.
But in the words of Kenny Rogers “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” After 50 years, it’s time to fold ‘em and move on with the rest of my life.
Even in retirement, former Pima County Supervisor Edwin Moore remains a singular vortex of influence and power brokering.
In the minds of many the question lingers about his archetypal influenceability.
Is Ed a mandarin for the common man.? A Zorro for a cause? Or a Trojan Horse with an unknown sponsor?
One thing that is for sure, while Ed’s fans and foes are straining to figure out the enigma of the man, he is moving forward with a plan, a tactic, and strategy that only a select few are anointed with knowing.
I first met Ed Moore at the Rillito Race track in 1984 with his attorney pals. I was one of the few Vietnam Veterans who had forgiven the Veterans of Foreign Wars for some public relations errors that were made in not allowing us to join, as we were not true “Veterans of a Foreign War.” You will recall the Vietnam War was not a declared war. They wisely reversed this tomfoolery for their own survival.
The Horseman’s Association was gracious enough to provide a building for a new VFW Post at the Rillito Race Track. That post, Casas Adobes Post 10188, is now on Roger Road. We have been forever grateful for the magnanimity of Moore and his colleagues in seeding this post.
In our initial social conversations, I learned of Ed’s fondness for military history and strategy. As a former Squad Leader in Vietnam, we had some common ground for lively discussions. Our other commonality was soccer, as Ed was one of the early aficionados of the sport. I played as child in Redondo Beach, California and had been coaching youth soccer for two years when we met.
Now, 27 years later, having spent most of my adult life as a soccer coach and an official for both club and high school, with a brief stint as the General Manager of the Amigos Semi-Pro Soccer Franchise, I too am retired, and our chats about soccer and military history continue. Never could I have imagined that these talks would converge around a showdown in the proverbial “streets of Laredo,” between soccer and horse racing!
I am not here to advocate or provide the litany of pro and cons of soccer or horse racing at the Rillito Park. My intention is to place the following formal complaint in front of the readers of the TucsonCitizen.com, and let it flow. Were I asked to vote or side with one entity, my heart would go with soccer, as would Ed’s to the surprise of many.
In fact, if I were allowed to engage in some fantasy, I would like to see this location tap on some of those stimulus funds, and turn a portion of the park into a venue for professional soccer. It would be utilized year-round and unlike TEP it would cash flow without a need for ongoing subsidies. Tourism would have an immediate boon, as the facility could be multi-use, hosting once again international rugby and lacrosse matches.
In addition, Tucson would not have to pass on the endless number of international friendly games that we have been offered over the past years, like the ones that are currently being played at ASU and Grand Canyon College in Phoenix. There are six MLS teams spring training in Phoenix. Last week they hosted the Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards. This Tuesday, I will be traveling to ASU to attend a match between the Arizona Sahuaros and the Columbus Crew.
My point, you know the one I was not asked to give, is that we were offered some of these games in Tucson, and we have NO venue to host them. We cannot even host our own Sister City team from Guadalajara, the Chivas! They play in Phoenix. And it is OUR Sister City! This is pure insanity. Do we not recall what Yogi Berra said? “Cash is kinda like money.”
So my military mind says, lets all get along. Keep the race track crankin’ for posterity and cultural history. Get some of the Feds money along with USSF Grants, match it with private investors, and convert the midfield into a professional soccer pitch. Then make a deal to have a gargantuan youth soccer facility built with the monies that were to be allocated to move the race track. Disabled veterans can staff the place as volunteers, and some of the proceeds can be directed to end homelessness.
Pima County would be in the vanguard and make national news.
Retirement does indeed feed ones fantasy life, especially when it comes to getting along in Tucson. May the best team win.
Here is the copy of the Complaint that was hand delivered to Pima County Officials and 200 others yesterday afternoon.
Pima County Board of Supervisors
Ann Day, Supervisor
Ramon Valadez, Supervisor
Sharon Bronson, Supervisor
Ray Carroll, Supervisor
Richard Elias, Supervisor .
c/o Lori Godoshian,
Pima County Clerk of the Board
C.H. Huckelberry
Linda Mayro
130 W. Congress, 5th Floor
Tucson, AZ 85701
Hand-Delivered
EDWIN R. MOORE
P.O. Box 36077
Tucson, Arizona 85740
(510) 888-3102
Fax. (520) 888-5289
February 24, 2010
Barbara LaWall, Esq.
Pima County Attorney
1400 Legal Services Building
32 N. Stone Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85701-1412
Re: DEMAND for Compliance with Ordinance with respect to Rillito Race Track and Notice of Claim pursuant to AR.S. §§ 11- 641 and 11-642
Dear Sirs, Honorable Members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, and Pima County Attorney, DEMAND is made that you comply with and enforce that certain Pima County Ordinance adopted by the Pima County voters, and Pima County, pursuant to Initiative No. 400 entitled, “AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING AN OFFICAL PLAN PROVIDING FOR THE USE, ACTIVITIES AND STATUS OF THAT CERTAIN LAND AND IMPROVEMENTS OWNED BY PIMA COUNTY, CONSISTING OF APROXIMATELY EIGHTY-EIGHT (88) ACRES, GENERALLY KNOWN AS “RILLITO RACE TRACK.” (hereinafter referred to as “Rillito Race Track Initiative
Ordinance” or sometimes “Ordinance”). The Rillito Race Track Initiative Ordinance passed by a vote of in excess of sixty two (62%) per cent of the voters in the General Election of November 6, 1984. In pertinent part, the Rillito Race Track Ordinance mandates and provides:
SECTION 1: PIMA COUNTY HEREBY DECLARES THAT SAID LANDS SHALL BE UTILIZED FOR RECREATIONAL AND HISTORIC USES, INCLUDING HORSE RACING APPROVED BY THE ARIZONA STATE RACING COMMISSION, FOR THE BENEFIT OF T~ CITIZENS OF PIMA
COUNTY. RILLITO RACE TRACK SHALL BE ADMINISTERED UNDER THE PIMA COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
* * *
SECTION 4. PIMA COUNTY HEREBY DECLARES ITS FULL SUPPORT OF THE PETITION FILED WITH THE ARIZONA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATIONS OFFICE SEEKING TO HAVE RILLITO RACE TRACK DESIGNATED A STATE HISTORIC SITE. IN THE EVENT A PETITION IS FILED SEEKING TO HAVE RILLITO RACE TRACK DESIGNATED A NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, PIMA COUNTY HERBY DECLARES ITS FULL SUPPORT OF THAT PETITION. IN FURTHERANCE THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE LAND SHALL BE MAINTAINED. SECTION 5. THE PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT, POWER OR AUTHORITY TO CHANGE OR AMEND THIS ORDINANCE.
In various, diverse and chronic ways the Pima County Board of Supervisors has violated the Rillito Race Track Ordinance and will of the voters of Pima County, by and through its authorized agents, servants, employees and others with whom Pima County has contracted in order to avoid, evade, and violate the Ordinance and frustrate the will of the’ people expressed therein. The County Administrator, c.H. Huckelberry, has expressly and explicitly sought to have endorsements of the historic designation by the State of Arizona changed and modified in violation of the mandate and intent of the Ordinance.
In direct, express and categorical violation of the Rillito Race Track Ordinance, Linda Mayro, in her capacity as Pima County Cultural Resources Manager specifically and expressly stated to the Arizona State Parks Review Committee on October 9, 2009, among other things:
“Pima County owns the Rillito Racetrack and does not support the district nomination. . .. ” (emphasis added) Ms Mayro is wrongfully being paid by Pima County to advocate opposition to the historic designation of the Rillito Race Track contrary to and in violation of the Ordinance. DEMAND is made that you immediately and forthwith advise the Arizona State Parks Review Committee that Ms Mayro’s statement is incorrect and that Pima County, as the owner of the subject property, supports the historic designation of the Rillito Race Track.
I have been informed, and claim upon said information and belief, that the Pima County Board of Supervisors has in violation of the Rillito Race Track Ordinance, and without authority of law, paid monies to:
C.H. Huckelberry
Pima County Administrator
Linda Mayro
Pima County Cultural
Resources and Historic Office
DEMAND is made upon you, and each of you, as well as others who have received.said payments, jointly and severally, that said payments be repaid to Pima County, together with interest at the legal rate often per cent per annum from the date of said payment(s) and; further that you cease and desist from accepting any additional payments for work or ,services, of whatsoever kind or nature, in violation of the Ordinance. In addition to seeking repayment of said funds, an injunction may be sought seeking to prevent and preclude the further payment of funds in violation of said Ordinance.
DEMAND is made upon the County Attorney pursuant to AR. S. § 11-641B to bring an action in the name of Pima County against the board of supervisors and others who are liable to enjoin the payment of money in violation of the Rillito Race Track Initiative Ordinance, and to the extent monies have been paid, to recover said monies with interest at the legal rate, and twenty per cent additional on the principal.
I am a taxpayer in Pima County. Notice is given that if the County Attorney fails for twenty days after this request to institute said action, then any taxpayer in the county, including me, may bring an action pursuant to AR.S. § 11-642 with the same effect as if brought by the County Attorney. In such event, I will seek judgment against you, and each of you, for all sums allowable under the statute, taxable costs of suit, and reasonable attorney fees.
In addition, the wrongful actions referred to above may have violated one or more of the Arizona Revised Statutes 13-2301 through 13-2318, in particular, 13-2311.
On information and belief, the forgoing and following acts were taken to monetarily benefit the Tucson Soccer Academy, (TSA). TSA is a nonprofit corporation which has paid staff. (Dick Grasso, a top staff member of the New York Stock Exchange, which was a nonprofit corporation, retired with millions.)
Pima County charges TSA $0.00 an hour for unlighted fields, and $5.00 to $7.50 an hour to rent lighted fields. Gilbert, Az. charges $12.00 to $18.00 an hour to rent unlighted fields and $36.00 to $54.00 an hour for lighted fields. Three separate soccer tournament sites around Tucson have been proposed that meet the guidelines that other communities have used. Pima County has tried to eliminate these logical locations to focus the local soccer community on tearing down Rillito Race Track to build a soccer tournament site .
It is cheaper to build soccer fields on vacant land, such as the Arthur Pack Park site, or other vacant lands. Pima County estimated in writing that the cost to build a racetrack similar to Rillito would be $38,000,000 …forgetting that an historic site is priceless and irreplaceable. Thousands. of people from all over the country come to see the horses run and to see the historic track. MORE THAN 68,000 PEOPLE ATTENDED RILLITO RACE TRACK LAST YEAR! The County now intends to tear down this historic gem and lose another major tourist attraction, employment center and historic site. (They have already lost Spring Training Baseball.) The substance of those actions taken in violation of the Ordinance, passed by 62.8% of the voters in 1984, have had the support of TSA. Those actions are contrary to the expressed will of the people of Pima County.
Pima County subsidizes TSA with taxpayer money by providing soccer fields, electricity for lights, water and maintenance, at far below the real costs, and as a result, TSA staff makes money. Pima County should not be allowed to tear down more of our history and terminate horse racing to provide further tax payer subsidies to a money making organization. It is improper to gift tax payer money. Other groups such as AYSO are volunteers and have no paid staff. They even provided money to the Parks Department to put up lights at Dan Felix Park.
In the event I bring an action, in addition to such other remedies as may be available to me, I would intend to seek by Special Action, or otherwise, specific performance of the Rillito Race Track Ordinance by the Pima County Board of Supervisors and all those acting under their control. I wish to draw to your attention that the Ordinance mandates in Section 4, cited above that, ” … THE IMPROVEMENTS ON THE LAND BE MAINTAINED.” Please comply with the will of the people expressed and binding upon you in the Rillito Racetrack Initiative Ordinance.
Sincerely,
Ed Moore, former Pima County Supervisor
A simple question in the world of Veterans Affairs, always seems to have a confabulated answer, usually one without a logical reason.
Why are benefits for disabled veterans so disparate and varied from one state to the next? Is all this States Rights stuff really good for the overall order of the American way? I think not. In fact I think it has contributed to a very unique form of City/State narcissism.
Taking on the Federal Government and its largess has become a religion. ( Religion is from the Latin root “religere” meaning to rebind oneself to nature- nothing institutional in the word.) Just talk to a Second Amendment citizen and the whole subject commences right after their Cheerios in the morning and dogs them until bedtime. As of today, their are absolutely NO changes in gun laws. My guns and yours are still clean, operating and safe. I for one do not believe this will ever change. Anything else is disguised fund raising for ego causes.
But back to disabled vets. Why do so few get lathered up about them? Why not a national movement to help families of deployed soldiers whose wives have to pawn the family car for the mortgage payment?
While one of our own veterans and State Representative Frank Antenori wants to bear down on the disenfranchised and food stamp abuse, he may do well to understand that many of the reservists and active duty soldiers and Marines are on Food Stamps to survive. Why no lather here?
Why do so many states have tuition waivers at State Universities for the dependents of disabled veterans? They take Federal monies willingly. Why not return the favor to those who provide the liberty and academic freedom to exist? Take it out of the undisclosed parking revenue. No outrage here. Largely because veteran causes do not provide a mirror to see yourself in while lathering.
Why do so many states exempt 100% disabled veterans from property taxes? Not Arizona! The home of two of the largest military bases in the nation, is the most backward in offering gratitude to its veterans. Our Senator John McCain did not even vote for the new GI Bill. He abstained on the first go around. How heroic is that? JD Hayworth would help, I am sure, if his picture was on something.
I proposed the tuition breaks for dependents of 100% disabled veterans to the State Legislature on three occasions. Not very novel, just a copy cat proposal from other states. It never gets out of committee. Yet we say; ” Support The Troops.”
Would anyone mind telling us what Arizonans or Americans at large have sacrificed to support the troops? What did you do last week to support the war effort and our young men and women coming home?
ALL VETS SHOULD COPY THIS
Someone has gone to a lot of trouble.. If this helps one person, then it was worthwhile.
Pass on to all veterans!
Below are web-sites that provide information on Veterans benefits and how to file/ask for them. Accordingly, there are many sites that explain how to obtain books, military/medical records, information and how to appeal a denied claim with the VA. Please pass this information on to every Veteran you know. Nearly 100% of this information is free and available for all veterans, the only catch is: you have to ask for it, because they won’t tell you about a specific benefit unless you ask for it. You need to know what questions to ask so the right doors open for you — and then be ready to have an advocate who is willing to work with and for you, stay in the process, and press for your rights and your best interests.
overwhelm.
Mindfulness is a simple and radical approach to dealing with the stress
phenomena. Simple, because it is an innate ability of the mind. Radical,
because it is going to the root of the stress creation phenomena within us. With
mindfulness practices, we slow down the perception process and most likely
abate the unnecessary stimulation of stress physiology. By simply .
strengthening our ability to pay attention on purpose to each present moment
without trying to change anything, we begin to create an atmosphere for rest,
recovery, and for new insights about how to relate to ourselves and our
stressors. Whatever is happening is happening and the clearer we can see it,
the more skillful our response can be. We are refreshing our ability to “be” with
ourselves and to trust our abilities to deal with what arises.
While mindfulness is innate, it is underdeveloped for most of us. While it is
healing, there is a lot in our daily life that discourages this way of being. This is
why MBSR is so helpful for many who are interested in exploring the
possibilities of mind/body methods. Through the formal meditation practices
which we teach and encourage you to practice daily, you cultivate mindfulness
in a systematic way. Through the group process and the integration of
mindfulness into daily living, you learn how to make it relevant for you and how
to sustain it in new situations. Many findthat this way of being’,’ present arid
responsive, has a far greater affect than reducing stress.
“… there is nothing particularly unusual of mystical about meditating or being
mindful. All it involves is paying attention to your experience from moment to
moment. This leads directly to new ways of seeing and being in your life
because the present moment, whenever it is recognized and honored, reveals a
very special, indeed magical power: it is the only time that any of us ever has.
The present is the only time that we have to know anything. It is the only time
we have to perceive, to learn, to act, to change, to heal. That is why we value
moment-to-moment awareness so highly. While we may have to teach
ourselves how to do it through practicing, the effort itself is its own end. It makes
our experiences more vivid and our lives more real.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full CatastroQhe Living,
How will I benefit?
Over 25 years of published research indicate that people who complete the
program report:
An ability to cope more effectively with both short and long term stressful
situations
An increased ability to relax
Program Description
A Brief History and Overview
The “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” Program (MBSR) is a well regarded
mind/body skills training protocol that has been used successfully for over 30
years to help people deal with stress, pain, and illness.
Pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical
Center, what was once a small clinic has become the “Center for Mindfulness in
Medicine, Health Care, and Society”. In addition to qraduatinq over 15,000
people from their program with many successful results, the Center provides
professional training and conducts research. Their training programs have
helped make MBSR available throughout the US and internationally; and, their
research initiatives have helped create a body of evidence regarding the
efficacy of MBSR for a variety of health conditions, as well as interest in its
application beyond health care.
What is unique about MBSR is of course the emphasis on “mindfulness”- which
can simply be defined as non-judgmental, present moment awareness. As true
mindfulness can only be experienced, the program emphasizes experiential
practices- both within the classroom and at home, for the duration of the course.
It is through these practices that participants learn to harness the power selfawareness
and skills of self-regulation. Experiential practice, a strong didactic
foundation, and a highly supportive environment are the 3 pillars of MBSR. For
many participants, it is a unique and life-affirming educational experience that
has enormous practical value.
More’ about Mindfulness and the Stress Phenomena
Mindfulness simply means present moment awareness. When we are being
mindful, we are aware of what is happening in the present moment. Likewise,
when we are mindless, we are not aware of what is happening in the present
moment because our thoughts and attention are somewhere else.
The term “mindless” is problematic because it seems to imply that we are being
stupid. Really, mindlessness is more a state of mental agitation. Our attention
and awareness is moving around haphazardly and without realizing it, our
thoughts and feelings ignite stress physiology. Our system then prepares itself
for imminent danger- our heart rate will elevate, blood sugar levels will
increase, the breath will get faster and shorter, our body will tense, our
perception will narrow. We are unconsciously preparing ourselves to fight, flee,
or freeze. This innate ability to deal with danger is a sign of health, but if it is
chronically activated and repeatedly inhibited, it results in many of the
symptoms we associate with stress: high blood pressure, anxiety, moodiness
and irritability, body tension, aches and pain, isolation and emotional
