I received a postcard in the mail several weeks ago announcing a public hearing on May 21 to provide an opportunity for the public to provide comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Study on the proposed South Mountain Freeway. None of my neighbors received the same postcard when I talked to them. Why were some of the public left out of the mailing? They may not have been informed of this public hearing, but I have comments to make.

Americans are more confident in the U.S. economy than at any point in the past five years, thanks to surging home values, a brighter job market and record-setting stock prices.
Stock averages last month extended the year’s explosive rally.
Further gains in consumer confidence could help the economy withstand the effects of higher taxes and federal spending cuts that kicked in this year. Spending by consumers drives about 70 percent of economic growth.


As I see it, the voters rejected Kyrene School District’s bond override, the Legislature has reduced school funding, the Goldwater Institute threatens lawsuits to municipalities that provide services that can be provided by the commercial market.

At a May 21 public hearing, the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board will consider raising property taxes within the limit permitted in the state constitution and statute (A.R.S §15-1461.01).

School districts in the East Valley are working the numbers to figure how much they will have to pay utilities, pay teachers next year or spend on textbooks.

The Gilbert Unified School District governing board failed to approve Tuesday night future discussion about placing a budget override renewal on the November 2013 ballot.

The persistence and determination I have shown in the past four years is about reform and getting us ready for the new world we live in. There is a bigger reason why I have been pushing so hard for change. It’s about getting Phoenix ready to compete in a global economy. If the council repeals the food tax it will be added to a long list of reforms we accomplished. There were three significant reforms toward the goal of getting us ready to compete in this new world market and getting government to operate more like your household

Gov. Jan Brewer signed legislation Thursday to allow foster children to be placed in homes with youngsters who are not immunized.

The Phoenix City Council will discuss options for the city’s food tax during a public policy meeting on Wednesday, including an idea to phase out a portion of the tax beginning January of 2014.

California has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the nation. In addition to the over 9,000 federal gun laws, California has also enacted many laws at the state level, including ban on high-capacity magazines, ban on “assault weapons,” waiting period on gun purchases, an approved handgun list — handguns must be certified by the state before they can cross the state line, private party sales require transfer via a licensed dealer, identification of “gun free zones” and many others.

Lottery confidentiality

On Thursday, April 4 the new Phoenix Premium Outlets will open with 90 stores ready to offer discounts of 25 to 65 percent off retail prices.

In a recent opinion piece (“Huppenthal’s money plea off base,” AFN, Feb. 17) a writer chastises Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal for not seeking additional funding on top of what Huppenthal is already requesting. The writer feels that even more money should flow into Kyrene so parents “don’t have to donate reams of paper to their schools.”

Saying it’s none of the government’s business, a House panel voted Wednesday to bar cities, counties and the state from destroying guns that are voluntarily surrendered to them.

She’s young, tall-model-slender, beautiful and with a song bird voice. I’ll call her Annie. And, today she sits in jail, serving a lengthy term for her history with drugs. Like so many others, her road to trouble started with alcohol.

The city’s Neighborhood Services Department is partnering with the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to host a free foreclosure informational event from 3 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the South Mountain Community Center, Century Room, 212 E. Alta Vista Road.

In August Phoenix District 6 voters could vote for a new representative, but current City Councilman Sal DiCiccio said he’s excited for the change he’s seen in the past year and isn’t through yet.

Developers could soon lose a tax credit they now can get for donating land for public schools.

The Sandra Day O’Conner School of Law has taken a few steps toward relocating from Arizona State University’s Tempe campus to its downtown Phoenix campus.

During your lifetime, you make a lot of moves to provide financial security to your loved ones. You put away money for college for your young children. You save and invest for your own retirement so that you won’t ever burden your grown children with significant expenses. And you purchase adequate life insurance to enable your family to maintain its lifestyle should anything happen to you. Yet, if you’re going to help preserve your family’s financial well-being after you’re gone, you also need to take one additional step: Create an estate plan.

Eddie Electrician may provide eight hours of his time to Pete Plumber who, in return, provides eight hours of his time to Eddie Electrician. At the end of their workday, they have both received the services they needed. All services were provided as economically as possible and with no hidden costs, i.e., eight hours for eight hours.

Government’s size affects its budget requirements. Budgets set revenue requirements. Ever increasing revenue requirements force new tax increases. New taxes reduce taxpayer purchasing power, which causes unemployment and business failure. Unemployment and business failures cause larger demands on our governmental social spending, which causes higher taxes, which causes... Well; you get the idea... more unemployment?

Age: 35

Age: 60