Daily Archives: December 30, 2014

McCain’s big purge

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John McCain
By Alex Isenstadt

In an interview, Schwartz blamed his ouster squarely on McCain, whom he said had singled him out. “It’s very clear what’s going on,” he said. “Look, John McCain has prominence and money and influence and because of that he thinks he can ramrod us.”

Nearly a year ago, tea party agitators in Arizona managed to get John McCain censured by his own state party. Now, he’s getting his revenge.

As the longtime Republican senator lays the groundwork for a likely 2016 reelection bid, his political team is engaging in an aggressive and systematic campaign to reshape the state GOP apparatus by ridding it of conservative firebrands and replacing them with steadfast allies.

The ambitious effort — detailed to POLITICO by nearly a dozen McCain operatives, donors, and friends — has stretched from office buildings in Alexandria, Virginia, where strategists plotted and fundraisers collected cash for a super PAC, to Vietnamese-American communities across Arizona, where recruiters sought out supporters eager to help the incumbent defeat the tea party.

Team McCain’s goal? Unseat conservative activists who hold obscure, but influential, local party offices.

Read more at Politico

Why There Shouldn’t Be a Minimum Wage

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Ethan-GloverGuest Editorial By Ethan Glover
Writer at Anarchant and creator/admin for Liberty Resource Directory.

theytookourjobsIn 2015, this week, 21 states will be raising the minimum wage. New wages will range from $8 to $9.15 as compared to the federal minimum of $7.25. This made me wonder where the movement for $15/hr went, I haven’t heard from them in a while.

Turns out, Seattle implemented a $15 minimum wage early this year. What were the effects?

Managers started to take on more responsibility as opposed to hiring.
Large companies laid off employees and canceled plans to hire.
Small businesses are moving or closing.
Many products added “living-wage surcharges,” including parking.
Companies cut employee benefits and overtime.

On the positive side, despite no one hiring, there has been a huge increase in job applications.

The Real Cost of Minimum Wage

The argument against minimum wage is simple. It might not be profitable for a company to hire someone at a higher wage, so they don’t hire. If someone can’t produce $7.25/hr, you’re condemning him or her to a wage of $0.

One argument says that the minimum wage raises the standard of living for all. Lowering it would hurt everyone.

This is ridiculous considering that most jobs pay above the minimum due to competition and profits. Lowering the minimum does nothing but lower the barrier to entry.

Minimum wage isn’t for adults looking for a particular “standard of living.” Jobs like food preparation and retail floor sales isn’t the kind of thing you should be doing as a middle-aged parent.

Those jobs are for young people who need to earn experience and learn skills. Minimum wage jobs need little to no skill and operate in a low risk environment. (Missing a day of work at McDonald’s isn’t going to hurt anyone.)

Read more at Anarchant

ADOT recommends drivers be prepared for winter driving conditions

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A major winter storm is forecast to push through Arizona and the Arizona Department of Transportation wants drivers traveling in the high country to be prepared.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for the mountains and high deserts throughout northern and eastern Arizona. Snow levels may be as low as 2,000 feet. Rain is expected in the lower elevations.

ADOT crews have been preparing for the storm and will be working 24/7 to keep roads clear. Maintenance crews are checking the snowplows and making sure they are stocked with de-icing products. Additional snowplow drivers have been sent to areas expecting significant snowfall, like Flagstaff and Williams.

Drivers should plan ahead and be very cautious if planning to travel to the high country when the storm arrives. ADOT recommends drivers wait until conditions improve before traveling.

More safety tips for drivers:

  • Slow down, be patient and drive safely. Plan for extra travel time. Use extra caution around snowplows.
  • Be alert: ice forms on bridges first and is hard to see.
  • When driving behind a snowplow, stay back at least four car lengths. If you think you’re traveling too close to a plow, you probably are. Be safe and stay back!
  • Never pass a snowplow that’s in the process of clearing snow and ice off the road.
  • Maintain at least a three-quarter-full tank of gas.
  • Notify someone of your travel route, destination and projected arrival time.
  • Carry an emergency preparedness kit in your vehicle that includes blankets, extra clothes, a flashlight, an ice scraper, a shovel, sand for traction, a fully charged cell phone, and hazard warning lights or reflectors.
  • Brake slowly to avoid any panic braking or jerking the steering wheel.
  • Increase the distance between you and the traffic ahead.
  • Carry plenty of food and water, and all necessary medications.
  • Carry tire chains and snow cables, or use snow tires.
  • Wear warm clothes to protect you during extended time periods in cold temperatures.

Additional information can be found on ADOT’s “Know Snow” website at azdot.gov/KnowSnow.

The 12 Days of Williams: February 2014

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The USS Forrestal was scrapped for a penny. The Forrestal is most famous for the fire that occurred on board. The Air Force promised to take “appropriate action” against an Airman who posed for a disgusting POW/MIA photo.

After the discovery of record mishaps and ID card problems at the VA, it was revealed that Veterans were left to die because of health care delays.
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The secret location of King David’s Castle was to be revealed.

A Goodwill worker returned $43,000 he found in donated clothes.

ADOT was busy with the Virgin River Gorge bridges and a project to ease traffic at Camp Verde. Arizona and Nevada DOTs received feedback on Interstate 11.

PETA wanted to honor a chicken.

A judge blocked the efforts of the Arizona State Department of Education from withholding funds from charter schools.

An attempt to block unconstitutional NSA spying in Arizona failed. Essentially it failed the same way the Arizona State Guard bill was killed by Andy Tobin. It was killed in committee. It was flowing until an “environmental” amendment was added which had nothing to do with the environment. It went to the Committee on Government and Environment in the Senate where it languished. Governor Jan Brewer vetoed S.B. 1062, which would have protected the rights of religious groups (Christians) from targeted law suits for not catering to homosexual affairs.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Department held a Tip-A-Cop fundraiser for Special Olympics. A man was arrested on multiple charges and three were arrested for weapons misconduct.

The proposed renewal of the contract for the Zip Line ride caused quite a stir. Level 4 water restrictions were put into effect in Williams.

A life was lost in a two vehicle collision on Townsend/Winona Road in Flagstaff.

The Matthew J. Broehm VFW sold See’s candy as a fundraiser and may do the same this year. Check with Mike Rioux at the Hope for the World ministry, the VFW post or Al Dunaway at the American Legion office all in the mini-mall on route 66 next to the Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe.

Deaths
Art_HubbardArthur Hubbard, Sr., 102, Native American Code Talker and the first Native American Arizona Senator.
Shirley Temple Black, 85, Iconic child film star, U.S. ambassador to the West African nation of Ghana and later served as White House chief of protocol for President Ford. She also was an ambassador to Czechoslovakia from 1989 to 1992, a “substantive job” that was the best she ever held