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A small grey fox, treed by dogs, waits in a
tree for them to leave the scene at Main Event West |
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La Paz County Supervisors join
Quartzsite's Chamber of Commerce in drawing ire of one
Quartzsite councilman |
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Quartzsite's sitting
council and the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce had
seemingly agreed to disagree when the Chamber of
Commerce chose to continue operation in spite of the
unusual recommendations made by Lance Decker of Lance
Decker LLC of Phoenix. [Full
story here.] Decker's ideas, as well as his
credentials, have raised more questions than answers in
Quartzsite and, at the state level, where his
recommendations were ultimately ignored, no changes were
made.
Locally, both Chamber organizations chose to disregard his recommendations,
it being fully within their authority to do so -- and both Chambers remain unfunded
by the Town of Quartzsite, with Town Manager Daniel G.
Field indicating the Town would prefer to handle the
duties of the Chamber. [This has yet to occur: the
Chamber of Commerce and the Department of Tourism are
viable entities with stated duties that are outside the
range and scope of anyone at the town level.]
However, this week, councilman Wesley Huntley again
bought up the issue when he attacked the La Paz County
Supervisors for, among other things, assisting the
Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau financially. The
Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce is the Chamber officially
recognized by the state having been in business over 23
years, and is thus fully qualified to be funded by
County officials. The Tourism Bureau is recognized by
the state and that, too, is recognized by the County
officials. The other Chamber organization, privately
held, does not hold open meetings and therefore cannot
qualify as a civic organization.
However, in his letter to the editors of newspapers yet
undisclosed, Huntley accused the County Supervisors of
failing in their duties, stating "I think it's way
past time for these Supervisors to be let go, so let's
really get our heads together and come up with some
responsible people that can use some common sense."
Among Huntley's allegations was an accusation that
the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce used 'most of
the County funds to remodel an old trailer for the
Chamber of Commerce." He offered no substantiating
evidence for his comments, and the refurbishing of the
building was actually funded by C. Richard Oldham, the
president of the Chamber of Commerce. No part of any
County funds were allocated to the refurbishing of the
facility -- and no one questioned the basis of these
accusations before they were publicly made: the
information was readily available.
Huntley signed the piece, "Wes Huntley (councilman).
Town Attorney and Town Manger Daniel G. Field indicated
Friday that councilman Huntley was acting solely on his
own when he attacked, again, the Chamber of Commerce, as
well as the La Paz County Supervisors.
Huntley's letter.
FULL STORY Coming Soon
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| The Super Tuesday vote |
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What you see in the media is
certainly indicative of what's happening in the country, most would
agree. But what about what you don't see in the media?
At the present time, photography and photographic art have reached a
level of incredible sophistication. You would think that getting
photographs, even 'staged' photographs, of the inside of a polling
center would not be that difficult to obtain. However, somewhere
along the line, ALL photography of ALL kinds has been banned, along
with cell phones. This ban includes the press.
Thus, there's an amazing shortage -- particularly this year -- of
any shots showing a polling center or any of the surrounding areas
inside that 75' perimeter.
And the 75' 'zone' around the polling centers is meant to do exactly
what?
In an article by Josh Goodman, he cites statistics on the closure of
many polling facilities -- a trend that's happening coast to coast.
Here's an excerpt:
'Early this year, officials in Sedgwick County,
Kansas
announced that they were eliminating more than two thirds of
their voting locations. That was surprising, but what's more
surprising is that Sedgwick County's action is part of a much
larger trend, especially on the Plains.I asked election
officials around the country how many polling places they had in
2002 and how many they would have this year. In that short
timeframe, many of the dropoffs were dramatic.
Kansas went from 2,332 to 1,490 (the latter number refers to
this year's primary, but I wouldn't expect the general election
to be much different). In Iowa it was 1,980 to 1,784. Montana
went from 694 to 533. North Dakota provided precinct information
(sometimes multiple precincts vote in the same location) and
showed a drop from 666 to 567. South Dakota didn't have 2006
numbers, but just between '02 and '04 they dropped from 884 to
778. I didn't hear from Nebraska, but an AP report
says the state went from 1,492 to 1,366.
Ironically, election officials point to the Help America Vote
Act as a major reason there are now fewer places to vote. The
2002 federal law required polling places to be handicapped
accessible and to have electronic voting machines. Though the
feds helped with the costs to pay for these improvements, the
expenses for state and local governments were daunting enough
that many decided their best course of action was to reduce the
number of places to vote.
These jurisdictions are trying a few approaches
to offset the inconvenience of polling places farther from home.
They're encouraging voting before Election Day and creating
"voting centers" where residents of any precinct can cast a
ballot. What's not clear yet is whether, in spite of these
efforts, voting will be more of a hassle in these states than
it's been in the past.'
So is the future of polling to be... via
telephone? the
Internet? By
mail?
Are polling places soon to become a thing of the
past?
With the push for returning to paper ballots happening
throughout the country [in response to accusations of
vote fraud,] won't this simply muddy the water even more?
The convenience factor of being able to enter a vote in any one
of those less-obvious ways are sure to entice voters into
staying away from what few polling places remain -- especially
if they begin to feel a lot like a visit to the airport.
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While the election is heating up,
isn't it interesting the choices that are running? Even
before McCain's campaign hit the skids, most people were
wondering why he was running at all. Didn't he realize
the impact his 'Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran' speech
would have on his constituents? And if not... why not? [Watch
Here.] CARRY
ON AMERICA has some
interesting information on what's happening with
Hillary's campaign... worth a look!
And while you're checking out
Presidential candidates, don't forget to look closely at
what's happening with Ron
Paul: the champion of the Constitution...
We've endorsed Paul for President and
encourage people to make a concerted effort to learn
more about this ten term Congressman, a medical doctor,
who has never embarrassed his constituents in the entire
time he's held office. Perhaps that's the reason they
keep sending him back?
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Ron Paul's campaign came from
nowhere to this:
and the media still ignores him?
FULL
STORY
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"The
lines could not be more clearly drawn," writes
Lepard.
"Ron
Paul’s message is clear and beautiful and true. It
resonates with people. You hear it and you say,
"that’s right, that’s what I believe."
This is why his poll numbers are rising faster than any
other candidate. Yet, the media still ignores him or
treats him poorly. It is beautiful irony that every
attack on him only brings him more attention as
intelligent Americans wonder, "who is this guy that
everyone keeps attacking…. I wonder if there is a
reason." They say he cannot win. They say he is a
fringe candidate. They say he will lose big. I disagree.
First, I think there is a very good chance he will be
our next President. Second, I think he has won, even if
he does not win. Why? Because he has put the Freedom
message out there. It is like a virus. It is spreading.
It cannot be stopped. I believe history will record the
Ron Paul Freedom Movement as a seminal political event
in the history of U.S. politics. It is an honor to
support this man. We should be so lucky as to have him
for our President..." |
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Why
I believe in Ron Paul - Larry W. Lepard [ i.e. Why I
am mad...] |
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Surprise
Judgment Against La Paz County... Details
Coming Soon
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Ron Paul and the Delegate
Difference |
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In the race for
delegates, Ron Paul appears to closely trail Romney for
first place
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - While most reports about this past
weekend�s Maine Caucus focused on the purely symbolic
presidential preference poll, in the meaningful race to
secure delegates to the state convention Ron Paul is primed
to finish second with likely 35 percent of the total
delegates.
Delegates to the Republican National Convention in
Minneapolis are elected by the state delegates. Internal
results from 10 of 16 counties, including the largest cities
of Portland, South Portland, Lewiston, Auburn, Augusta,
Waterville, Bangor, and Brewer, show Ron Paul picking up 215
of 608 State Convention delegates so far reported, or 35%.
"Ron Paul's strong second place finish in Maine, in which he
beat John McCain, is proof that this race is far from over,"
said Ron Paul campaign manager Lew Moore. "We�ll continue to
battle for every delegate in this wide-open race for the
Republican nomination."
In the presidential preference poll, with 70 percent
reporting, Ron Paul is in third place just two percentage
points behind John McCain. However, the Maine preference
poll is purely a beauty contest, and in the actual election
of state delegates the so-called "frontrunner" McCain is far
behind Ron Paul.
Full Story |
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FULL
STORY >> |
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The Educational Forum |
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According to Craig Davis,
young people are forfeiting involvement in political matters
in an effort to avoid the necessary work involved.
"Don't miss the opportunity
to learn all you can about the state you live in, the issues
your community faces and the future of your community -- in
both business and political structure.
Find out what stipulations apply to which situations and
stay -- as much as possible -- within the confines of the
organizational rules and regulations.
But asking questions, initiating the opportunity to learn
the basics for active participation is strongly encouraged
-- especially for young people, learning the 'system' for
the first time.
You can't play the game if you don't have a clear
perspective of the structure: make it your business to
understand what's happening and why."
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FULL
STORY >> |
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The controversy over the Chambers of
Commerce has become the controversy over the town's handling
of the matter |
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Assistant Town Manager Alex Taft speaks
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As the issue has heated up, driven in part
by the stories that have been appearing in the local news, one
councilman decided to take matters into the council's forum.
However by the time they did so, the Chamber's questionable
leadership had moved on and only the workers remained in
place.
Now, most people assume from past reports that the Town
'funds' the Chambers of Commerce -- but the Chamber issues
could be easily resolved by allowing these organizations to
seek funding for specific projects, alleviating any question
concerning the use of those funds.
So who should decide - and
what role did the consultant play?
If the Vendor Appreciation Breakfast the Town hosted as the
season wrapped up and the vendors prepared to leave the
region was any indication, it was that the vendors aren't
happy with the Town at this point, charging them publicly
with not wanting them here at all.
Among their complaints were that the town doesn't promote
Quartzsite. Reports indicate that Town Manager Dan Field
responded by stating that the Town intends to 'take over
tourism.' This, according to the State Department of
Tourism, has already been addressed -- and it's 'simply not
going to happen,' according to the State of Arizona Director
in charge of the Office of Tourism already located in
Quartzsite.
The Chambers of Commerce and the Tourism Bureau are already
in place. All three entities are surviving quite well, in
spite of the fact that the Town's stance [withholding
financial assistance] has made it much more difficult to
afford the necessary advertising the Town has simply stepped
away from providing. These entities can no longer afford to
do the advertising necessary to properly promote the town.
This could be easily corrected -- without the Town of
Quartzsite presenting the matter as though they have to
'absorb' the Tourism Bureau and both Chambers of Commerce.
The Quartzsite Businessmen's Association has been assessing
the many and varied needs of the businesspeople in
Quartzsite, and we are preparing a story on what they
anticipate happening in this realm. Stay Tuned!
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FULL
STORY : Town
of Quartzsite attempts to eradicate Chambers of Commerce
>> |
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How
does the delegate program work? |
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It's true: elections are won and lost on
the basis of some not-so-well-known criteria.
If you have a vested interest in elections, there are some
interesting points you need to study in further detail.
Several websites delineate the problems with elections
happening coast to coast and offer some interesting
information designed to educate and inform voters -- as well
as candidates -- concerning the vote in America.
BLACKBOXVOTING.ORG
is a comprehensive site as is VELVETREVOLUTION.US
-- two of the most talked about sites on the web. Both are
representatives of a supreme effort on the part of those
dedicated to reform.
if you've ever wondered about those electronic vote boxes, you
aren't alone. Be sure to take the time to watch the videos on
these sites, they are most interesting. In the meantime, you
will find some interesting reading in the Citizen's Toolkit...
FULL
STORY
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Critical Flaws Found in Ohio's Electronic Vote
Machines...
FULL
STORY >>
What happens when media moguls decide who
gets to run?
Congratulations
to the New Hampshire Republican Party which resigned it's
co-sponsor position in GOP forum to be aired on Fox News over
Fox's exclusion of viable candidates
When the 'powers that be' decided to exclude Ron Paul from
the televised debates, the New Hampshire Republican Party
decided to do some 'excluding' of their own. This was a
breakthrough as most of these forums are typically allowed to
call their own shots, deciding themselves who can participate.
It's unusual to see any group express themselves so powerfully
on behalf of a candidate they think should be allowed to
participate.
In a press release, state Republican Party chairman Fergus
Cullen said, "We believe all recognized major candidates
should have an equal opportunity to participate in pre-primary
debates and forums. This principle applies to tonight's debates
on ABC as well as Sunday's planned forum on FOX. The New
Hampshire Republican Party believes Congressmen Ron Paul and
Duncan Hunter should be included in the FOX forum on Sunday
evening. Our mutual efforts to resolve this difference have
failed."
Citizen's Toolkit... FULL
STORY
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Pictures
worth a thousand words... or more |
By the numbers
McCain and Rudy Giuliani
Obama: Pledge Allegiance? To What?
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There's so much happening in Quartzsite... |
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Focus Future... [Read
More]
Chamber of Commerce... [Read
More]
Town of Quartzsite... [Read
More]
Planning & Zoning... [Read
More]
La Paz County Supervisors... [Read
More]
Regional Focus... [Read
More]
Department of Transportation... [Read
More]
Tourism and Beyond... [Read
More]
What's Happening Now... [Read
More] |
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Truth About McCain Video
A McCain
Quote: Remember the words of Chairman Mao: 'It's always
darkest before it's totally black.'
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