Arizona Proposition 122

In a staggeringly insane move, Arizona's voters have passed Proposition 122.
This bill has not received the national attention is should and deserves.
Essentially, this measure allows Arizona's voters OR state legislature to "pick and choose" which federal laws it will enact or enforce.
That's right.
ARIZONA CAN CHOOSE WHICH FEDERAL LAWS THEY WISH TO ENFORCE!

There is a name for this blatant disregard for American law.
Its called sedition. As a noun, it means conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state or monarch. In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order.

Aside from the outrageous audacity that they think they are above federal law, the methods in which they managed to get the law passed are egregious.

Rather than being transparent and honest and saying "we don't like a black man as president and don't want to do what he says" they hid behind a small clause in the bill that would "make Child Protective Services transparent." However, infinitely moronic Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has already abolished child protective services under the guise of them having been "incompetent." But what's most cowardly is that they are using the safety and protection of innocent children and the horrific acts against them as a political scare tactic.

The money of the Koch brothers, along with the Goldwater Institute, bought this bill front and center. Like all other initiatives funded by the Koch Brothers, they target the most narrow-minded and least educated populations. And the marketing firms they hire could walk a T-Bone steak past a hungry wolf. The methods used are not genius or new; they use "common sense" scaremongering once thought long past to ignite the panic and appeal to primal emotions rather than logic.

There are numerous problem principles with Proposition 122.

By amending the Arizona constitution, Proposition 122:

1) confirms that both the state and federal governments must follow the US Constitution as determined by the state legislature
2) give “Arizona” the right to determine what is Constitutional (instead of the Supreme Court)
3) give the state government authority to stop all levels of government (state, county, city, town or other political entity) from using personnel or finances to “enforce, administer or cooperate with a federal action or program if the people or their representatives have exercised their authority to restrict such action or use."

There are so many things wrong with allowing states to do this.
First, most scholars and law professors cite numerous areas of the US Constitution that make the Proposition illegal.
But the most concrete reason this is both unconstitutional and anti-American is its reminiscent of another period in American history where some states thought they knew better than the federal government and chose to throw the US Constitution by the wayside and create their own nation and laws. The Confederacy didn't fair well with their choice.
Arizona won't either.

But once again, voters in yet another state fail to look beyond the ads on TV, beyond the fears they have been made aware of that they didn't know they had and fears that are false, and enacted measures that will lead to insurmountable consequences, all at the expense of their own freedoms and wallets.

In fairness, here is the actual text of the Proposition.

PROPOSITION 122

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1016

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF ARIZONA; AMENDING ARTICLE II, SECTION 3, CONSTITUTION OF ARIZONA; RELATING TO THE REJECTION OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL FEDERAL ACTIONS.

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring:

1. Article II, section 3, Constitution of Arizona, is proposed to be amended as follows if approved by the voters and on proclamation of the Governor:

3. Supreme law of the land; authority to exercise sovereign authority against federal action; use of government personnel and financial resources

Section 3. A. The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land TO WHICH ALL GOVERNMENT, STATE AND FEDERAL, IS SUBJECT.

B. TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM AND TO PRESERVE THE CHECKS AND BALANCES OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, THIS STATE MAY EXERCISE ITS SOVEREIGN AUTHORITY TO RESTRICT THE ACTIONS OF ITS PERSONNEL AND THE USE OF ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO PURPOSES THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CONSTITUTION BY DOING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. PASSING AN INITIATIVE OR REFERENDUM PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IV, PART 1, SECTION 1.

2. PASSING A BILL PURSUANT TO ARTICLE IV, PART 2 AND ARTICLE V, SECTION 7.

3. PURSUING ANY OTHER AVAILABLE LEGAL REMEDY.

C. IF THE PEOPLE OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES EXERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, THIS STATE AND ALL POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS OF THIS STATE ARE PROHIBITED FROM USING ANY PERSONNEL OR FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO ENFORCE, ADMINISTER OR COOPERATE WITH THE DESIGNATED FEDERAL ACTION OR PROGRAM.

2. The Secretary of State shall submit this proposition to the voters at the next general election as provided by article XXI, Constitution of Arizona.


Abraham Lincoln once said, "We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."

Much like term limits, which as it turns out ARE in the constitution, (they're called elections), we have the right to elect leaders who represent us and create the laws. We don't have the right to pick and choose which laws they pass for us in any fashion other than through voting for our leaders.


President Lincoln also quipped, "Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties."



But only a few years ago, Texas and West Virginia both stated their intentions to "secede from the union" should President Barack Obama be re-elected. Yet they remain.
I wrote about this then. We might miss Texas, for a while. But West Virginia would miss us immediately, as they will soon find out. (See previous blog entry within.)

And let's not even talk about the pitch line that proponents used.

The irony of the proponent sign? Arizona, a red state, gets .19 more per dollar from the federal government than it contributes!

Against US Supreme Court decisions, against federally passed law, against anything that the "enlightened" voters of Arizona choose.
How is a union to survive when members of that union choose to defy the majority rules laws and decisions that keep it together?


Quite frankly, it can't!

Once Almost Heaven, Now Going to Hell: West Virginia's Colossal Mistake

West Virginia really screwed up.
And most don't know why.
I'm not saying its right in any shape at all.
But lets look at some facts.

West Virginia contributes less to the federal government than nearly any other state in the nation.

According to 247wallst.com :


West Virginia
> Federal spending per capita net of income taxes: $10,568
> Total federal spending per capita: $11,609
> Federal income taxes per capita: $1,041

West Virginia is the only state in the top 10 where federal spending on defense was not a significant contributor to the total amount of money this state received. In fact, West Virginia ranked 48th for federal defense spending — $609 per capita. A large portion of federal spending in West Virginia, almost 16%, was for Medicare benefits, slightly more than the national rate of 15.6%. West Virginia ranked first in the country for the percentage of people using this benefit at nearly 20%. West Virginians also received more federal spending per capita on retirement and disability benefits — which includes Social Security payments, federal retirement and disability benefits, and veterans benefits — than any other state.

During his last year in Senate before his death, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia steered some $250 million and 89 earmarks toward his home state. The most of any Senator on the Hill. And he could for two reasons. He had served in Senate longer than any other Senator in history and had climbed the ranks and gained seniority. Secondly, he was chairman of the honey pot of government spending, the Senate Appropriations committee. Byrd brought to West Virginia somewhere around $8 billion during his 50 plus years in Congress. He once stated, after being elected the Chairman of the Appropriations committee, "I hope to be West Virginia's billion dollar industry." He did just that. But with his death in 2010, the legacy of Byrd died as well as the money he brought with him.

Senator Jay Rockefeller, too, brought back hundreds of millions of dollars to the state. While nowhere near that of Senator Byrd, with 30 years in the Senate himself, Rockefeller too has brought more money than rightfully deserved to West Virginia. Not to mention his stalwart defense of West Virginia's coal mines, unequalled by any other American politician.

Now, with the defeat of 38 year congressional veteran Nick Rahall, who himself brought $68 million to his district in one year alone, West Virginia not only stands at a crossroads, but stands there with potholes, no traffic lights, and sheer and mass chaos.

Rahall's two congressional counterparts from West Virginia, David McKinley (R- WV-1) and new Senator-elect Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R- WV-2)brought a combined total of $38 million to their two districts.

Its important to note that congressional earmarks are largely unpopular throughout a good majority of the nation. But in West Virginia, which ranks third poorest state in the nation, followed only by Arkansas and Mississippi, bringing home the bacon in the form of pork barrel is essential.

West Virginia's now senior Senator, Joe Manchin (D) has been in office less than four years. He was a popular governor, ran and won to serve the remainder of the term at the death of Senator Byrd, and narrowly won his own term against a barrage of big money. He ranks relatively low on the proverbial totem pole as far as money goes, and with West Virginia having less clout than ever before, is unlikely to be able to steer much money toward the state. Not to mention his necessity to vote with many Republican centered bills because of the repercussions he would feel in his own state.

With the election of two new members, Congressman-elect Evan Jenkins, (R (former D)- WV-3) in place of Nick Rahall, and Senator-elect Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in Senator Rockefeller's seat, WV stands to get about as much money from the federal government as they contribute. West Virginia ranks 43rd as contributions to federal government. This is the same state that during the 2008 presidential election, showed their blissful ignorance on national TV by citing Senator Obama's "being a Muslim" and being a "Socialist" as reasons for not voting for him. Socialism, huh? Take a look at this chart that indicates which states get most "Socialist" aid from the federal government.

West Virginia doesn't realize what a mistake they made in their unfounded opposition to President Obama by following the other top ten poorest states while heading to a complete Republican delegation to congress.
Of the top ten poorest, West Virginia holds the ONLY Democratic Senator now. That's 1 out of 20 Senators. And all these states are the poorest!

West Virginia has nice roads and highways. Thanks for Senator Byrd.
For now.
They have a much higher degree of living than other top five poor states, thanks to Byrd, Rockefeller, and Rahall.
For now.

West Virginia has shot themselves in the proverbial foot.
But at least they still have their guns to do it with!

God bless, Almost Heaven, they certainly are going to need it!

UPDATE: Two days after the election of 2014 where Republicans were able to buy the United States Senate, Senate Majority Leader-elect Mitch McConnell, R-KY, has made it clear he will court and attempt to convert, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, to switch parties and become a Republican. So far, Senator Manchin has made clear he has no intention of doing so. But its also not clear whether he would seek another term once his expires, as it is speculated he may wish to return to the statehouse as Governor of West Virginia.

2014 Mid Term Elections Money

This year's midterm elections cost an estimated $3.7 billion according to Center for Responsive Politics. However, due to the highly controversial and egregiously illegal ruling of 2010 of the United States Supreme Court in favor of Citizens United, there are hundreds of millions of dollars unreported, either from source or funding.
This should trouble all Americans. Money has become speech. And it is not accountable to libel or fact.
Approximately $2.7 billion spent came from the candidates of their respective parties, the remainder from outside sources, often themselves not reported.
This means the money could be coming from terrorist groups or church groups or parties with self interests from the candidates. We simply don't know where it comes from.
We cannot deposit or withdraw over $10K from our own bank accounts at one time without filling out "Patriot Act" related forms and waiting until they are approved, but politicians are able to get money from unknown sources?
How do we know terrorist groups with anti-American oil interests are not funding the Republican party? We do not.
Senator Kay Hagan, a responsible and once respected member of North Carolina's congressional delegation, was defeated in favor of a state senator who is slightly to the right of Atilla the Hun and Jesse Helms. In that election alone, over $100 million was spent, much of it to libelous and "suggestive" TV ads that swayed the deeply religious claiming state of North Carolina.
I would ask the same question to all the "deeply religious" southern states that overwhelmingly think they are best served by the Republican party, since they have courted you, how much better off are you? Do you have more religious freedoms? Are you better off financially? Why do they care about you? If you answer those questions truthfully, you will be surprised at your own conclusions.
Would Jesus be in favor of business being solely for themselves and for government NOT helping those less fortunate or in need?
Would Jesus wish ANYONE to be treated as second class citizens and denied rights afforded to all others?
Would Jesus say, by God, only Christians should serve in government? Because indeed if he did, he would disqualify himself and it would beg the question, would YOU vote for an Arab Jew? Because your savior wasn't a Christian!

Money has always made the world go 'round.
I don't expect this to change.
But when money creates false worlds and fosters lies and scare tactics to persuade voters to "do whats best for them" by voting for those who are helping only those exactly opposite of them, its time to stop, turn off the TV voting guide, and ask yourself questions that will fetch honest answers.

Lastly, I heard Senator Mitch McConnell today in a victory speech. One of the first legislative priorities he mentioned was "getting Senate back to work" and getting rid of things that obstruct business in the Senate. My guess on this is while they are in power, they intend on limiting filibusters, the very tool they use while in the minority. I will be watching anxiously when they lose the majority, how quickly they reverse these measures before they become the minority again.
But I also heard him say how they plan to disassemble the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, and send it to House and the Presidents desk for repeal, one piece at a time.
They offer this because, "Americans are not happy with it." But he offers no alternative solution or exchange. His agenda, once again, sounds like doing whatever he can to make sure President Obama is not successful. The same thing he said when the president was elected.
I would be happy to hear what solutions or alternatives or tradeoffs the Republican party would offer. But history proves they offer none, only to be the "voice of the people" and fix what the Democrats do. Read: undo anything that our donors don't like, no matter the cost.

Hog Farmer

This is crazy. A hog farmer who clipped hog balls wins Iowa Senate seat.
The Senators who retired across the nation should be tarred and feathered!

North Carolina

CNN is projecting Senator Kay Hagan will be defeated in North Carolina. This is the biggest Democratic upset of the evening in the Senate.
Mecklenberg County still has about 8% to be reported but I don't think it will make the difference.

And Clay Aiken has lost again!

What? Tides Turned Against Us Again!

Looks like we might actually lose New Hampshire, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, AND North Carolina, in addition to Louisiana and West Virginia.

West Virginia

Stunning, but 38 year incumbent Rep Nick Rahall, has been defeated for his congressional seat.
This is bad overall for West Virginia. With the death a few years back of Senator Robert Byrd, and this years retirement of Senator Jay Rockefeller, there will be NO ONE with tenure of clout to bring money to a state desperately needing money.
This is the worst thing for West Virginia.

Virginia, again

Virginia swings back Democratic with 92% in. But only by 3300. But 100% of Fairfax county is already in. Alexandria is 98% in.
Tillis ahead of Hagan in NC slightly.
But still waiting for Mecklenberg county. Only 52% reporting in this heavily Democratic county.
Iowa Democratic is leading the hog farmer.

This is a nail biter.
Would be much less frantic if the people were actually voting for party lines rather than Republican scare tactics.

Colorado

Republicans pick up Senate seat in Colorado, according to CNN.
Apparently they are all smoking the marijuana they legalized.
Republicans will control Senate with one more seat, and that shouldn't be hard.

Montana

CNN calls Montana for GOP. a pickup.
Down to 2 needed for pickup.

New Hampshire

CNN calls New Hampshire for incumbent Senator Jean Shaheen!!

North Carolina is leaning toward Republican but I think Hagan will pull it out.

Louisiana looks like a December 6, 2014 runoff, and unless Republicans stay home and Democrats all come to the polls, Sen Landrieu will lose her seat and Democrats will lose that state.

Virginia is swaying back and forth.

Florida governors race is still too close to call.

Hard to Understand

Just can't believe Senator Pryor in Arkansas lost to this guy.
Voluntary ignorance just amazes me.
I would love for any Republican to actually give me reasons why they don't like President Obama. Not reasons Faux News has created and told you are true. But real, honest to God issues.
I would say its safe to say you couldn't come up with any, let alone the laundry list of wrongs that Bush left office with.

Louisiana and Arkansas

In a few minutes polls close in Arkansas. Senator Mark Pryor in race of his life. Senator Mary Landrieu in fight for her life.
At least Senator Hagan is holding her own in North Carolina.
Wisconsin looks like the incumbent Republican union busting governor might be in jeopardy. Good news all around if he loses as he wants to run for president.
Concerned about Virginia governor, too.
Looks like Scott might be on his way to defeating Charlie Crist in Florida for Governor. But I remain hopeful in this case.

Florida Governors Race

Imagine that, voting irregularities in Florida!

PA Governor

Hey, at least we won the Pennsylvania governors race!

Congratulations Tom Wolf.

Almost Hell, West Virginia

And in accordance with their VERY close relatives in Kentucky, West Virginia has chosen a Republican to replace Senator Jay Rockefeller. Its important to keep in mind that the woman they chose to replace him is the daughter of disgraced convict Arch Moore, former Governor, who, among other things, stole millions of dollars from the citizens of West Virginia. Hope the apple fell far from the tree on this one.
Rep Shelly Moore Capito wins Senate seat in WV, becoming first woman to hold seat and first Republican in decades.

Kentucky Maintains Ignorance Despite Loving Obamacare!

There goes Kentucky.
Money sure buys a lot of votes from the ignorant and uninformed.
Good fight Alison Lundergan Grimes.
We'll work to "Ditch Mitch" next time, if he's still living by then.
Mitch McConnell wins re-election and is poised to be new Senate leader if trend continues.

A Republican Senate in the Works: Why American Voters Let the TV Do Their Research for Them.

All polls are pointing to a Republican sweep of Senate seats tonight. It amazes me that people listen to sources like "Fox News" and outright lies and think they will be better off with Republicans in charge. In the history of world politics, the modern day Republicans outrank Hitler in being able to bamboozle and mislead the American voters.

I will be writing an article soon on a technique that is being used unknowingly to sway and persuade voters calls "motivated reasoning."

It truly is sad, most notably because the ones using it, purport to be the "patriots" and "real" Americans, yet they are doing exactly the opposite.

And American apathy is so commonplace that what seems like a hearty majority of mid-term voters allow the TV commercials to do their research for them. Political TV ads do not have a need for truth or fact. They can be made however they wish. The Supreme Court made sure truth in politics was not the same as truth in advertising. This doesn't apply, obviously, to those of us smart enough to realize that voting for different candidates, or "people" rather than a political party (platform), is the only true way to align oneself with change in the current state of American democracy.