Category Archives: Unelected Officials

Colorado uses old Republican document to destroy Democracy

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COLORADO — The non-elected judges of the Colorado Supreme Court on December 19 used an old Republican document to launch an attack on “democracy.” The State of Colorado—apparently oblivious to the Second Amendment to the Republican document—concentrated on the Fourteenth Amendment to the Republican Constitution to remove Donald Trump from the ballot in the first attack on their own vaunted “democracy.” They also completely ignored Section 5 of this amendment that states, “The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” The power does not reside with the States.

There has not been one charge of “insurrection” in the mostly peaceful protests of January 6th. All defendants—whose Eighth Amendment rights were violated without protest by Colorado—were charged with misdemeanors and some felonies, but none were charged with insurrection. Nineteen of those were Colorado residents.

In fact, President Donald Trump ordered the National Guard (which is NOT a militia, but people think it is) into Washington and was told to stand down by Nancy Pelosi whom obviously did not consider it an insurrection.

In an AP article by by Nicholas Riccardi, he notes, “Dozens of lawsuits have been filed nationally to disqualify Trump under Section 3, which was designed to keep former Confederates from returning to government after the Civil War. It bars from office anyone who swore an oath to ‘support’ the Constitution and then ‘engaged in insurrection or rebellion’ against it, and has been used only a handful of times since the decade after the Civil War.”

The Fourteenth Amendment was immediately approved by Rinos whom wanted to continually punish the Democrat south after the Civil War. This in direct contrast to President Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln wanted healing and was going to issue a blanket pardon for the Rebels.

This event makes it apparent that Colorado is not concerned with supporting even Greek-style Democracy; only Russian or Chinese-style Democracy.

Saving America’s Pollinators Act to ban neonicotinoids

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Beautiful flowers attract bees, butterflies and other insects.

Is CCD the result of neonicotinoids?

WASHINGTON — Representative John Conyers Jr. [D-MI-13] introduced a bill which should have Monsanto lobbyists working overtime. H.R. 1284, titled Saving America’s Pollinators Act, would ban neonicotinoids—A strain of pesticides said to be the cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD).

CCD is the decline of honeybee colonies which may be the result of neonicotinoids. It is tempting to use the famed Einstein quote about bees, but it is uncertain that he ever related bees to the decline and fall of man.

The “Findings” of the Congress in the bill says that

Scientists have linked the use of a certain class of systemic insecticides, known as neonicotinoids, to the rapid decline of pollinators and to the deterioration of pollinator health.

A 2014 Forbes article apparently disagrees that there is a problem in a September 9, 2014 article. It contends that even if all of the honeybees were killed off, there are other pollinating insects—including other bees. In addition, some plants, such as corn, are pollinated by the air.

The text of the bill, however, claims:

Native pollinators, such as bumble bees, have also suffered alarming population declines. There are currently more than 40 pollinator species federally-listed as threatened or endangered, and most recently, the iconic monarch butterfly has declined by 90 percent.

Europe banned the pesticide in 2013 drawing the ire of a Forbes opinion piece. reported in an article that:

Neonicotinoids are extremely effective. Applied to the soil, sprayed on the crop or used as a seed treatment, they are taken up in the plant, discouraging pests from wrecking havoc on crops.

This, of course, begs the question that if these pesticides are drawn into the plant, are consumers eating the pesticides, as well. They obviously cannot be “washed off.” That issue is beyond the scope of this article.

While Forbes contends that it is no big deal if a few honeybees give their lives to save a few acres of crops (assuming that we are not ingesting the pesticide), the bill claims:

A recent national survey sponsored by the Federal Government indicates that United States beekeepers experienced a 45.2 percent annual mortality rate with their hives during the period beginning in April 2012 and ending in March 2013. During the winter of 2013–2014, two-thirds of beekeepers experienced loss rates greater than the established acceptable winter mortality rate.

If true, beekeepers probably do not agree with Forbes.

The bill, however, would not be permanent. The bill allows:

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall suspend the registration of imidacloprid, clothianidin, thiamethoxam, dinotafuran, and any other members of the nitro group of neonicotinoid insecticides to the extent such insecticide is registered, conditionally or otherwise, under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. 136 et seq.) …

until the EPA determines whether or not these insecticides are actually causing harm to pollinators in general and honeybees specific.

While other bees, and even wasps, do produce honey, none do on the scale necessary to provide a food source. Their honey is also different and not as nutritious as that of the honeybee.

It seems that farmers and beekeepers are finding themselves in the situation of ranchers and sheep herders in the days of yore.

Oregon Congressman submits bill limiting the ability of Forest Service and BLM to create travel management plans

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Representative Walden of Oregon. (House Photo)

Representative Walden of Oregon. (House Photo)

WASHINGTON — Greg Walden of Oregon (R-2 district) introduced H.R. 1555, yesterday, which purports to require the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to obtain the consent of the local affected communities prior to implementing any travel management plans affecting access to National Forest System lands.

The Summary and Text of the bill is currently not posted so it is unclear how much limitiation will actually be included.

Congressman Walden wrote a letter earlier this month to Randy Moore and Jim Pena, U.S. Forest service Foresters for Region Five and Six, respectively. The letter was signed by all members of the Oregon delegation, five members from Washington State and one from California.

The letter complained about the manner in which the Forest Service holds their input sessions. The letter complains that the input sessions were urban focused and limited access to rural dwellers who would have difficulty traveling to the site to give their input. The letter stated:

For over 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan has profoundly impacted the communities within our districts and any revisions to the plan will have a similar effect. Holding only three listening sessions disadvantages our constituents in these rural communities. Many of our constituents would have to travel several hours and hundreds of miles to participate. The cost and time commitments involved would likely present an unacceptable hardship for many residents who would otherwise participate in these sessions.

Forest Service notices usually include electronic and mailing addresses for input, as well.

The current title of the bill is:

To stop implementation and enforcement of the Forest Service travel management rule and require the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to incorporate the needs, uses, and input of affected communities, and to obtain their consent, before taking any travel management action affecting access to National Forest System lands derived from the public domain or public lands, and for other purposes.

Recent food recalls by the FDA

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salmonellaThree food companies issued recalls this month; the most recent nSpired Natural Foods. The food products were recalled because of salmonella risks.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses.

The recall effects nSpired peanut and almond butters, McCormick oregano and Sunfood Carob powder.
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Paving project on I-17 between the Orme/Dugas exit and SR 169 continues next week

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adot-logo3Crews will continue with overnight paving and bridge work on State Route 169 at the Interstate 17 junction starting Sunday night, June 29 which will require overnight restrictions through Wednesday.

I-17 will be closed in both directions at the SR 169 junction (milepost 278), and drivers will be required to use the off- and on-ramps at SR 169 to exit and reenter the interstate between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Drivers can expect a single lane closure on southbound I-17 intermittently between the Orme/Dugas exit and SR 169 between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m.

The SR 169 bridge will be limited to one lane over I-17 Sunday through Wednesday nights between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.

ADOT MVD addresses technical problems with the redesigned license

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new-driver-license-designPHOENIX — If anyone received a new driver license and it contains errors, there are some simple steps to take to get a corrected credential. The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants to advise customers who received a redesigned driver license that contains errors to return to any local area Motor Vehicle Division office, email ADOT, or call 602-255-0072 or 800-251-5866.

It is important for anyone receiving the redesigned credential issued after June 16 to verify all of the information contained on the card.

The ADOT Motor Vehicle Division values its customers and continuously strives to provide the best customer service. The agency apologizes for the inconvenience this issue has created for some customers.

On June 16, the ADOT Motor Vehicle Division implemented a new system for processing driver license and identification card applications. The new process provides many safeguards to prevent fraud and counterfeiting of the Arizona credential. The applicant no longer receives the permanent credential at the end of the application process. Instead, a temporary credential is issued. The latest technology has been employed into the production of the temporary and the permanent credential.

In the first week of the new central-issuance process, more than 45,000 credentials were issued.

The ADOT Motor Vehicle Division has taken several steps to identify the cause of the technical problem and to make immediate corrections. Once a customer contacts the agency either by phone or a visit to a local office to notify of an error with their driver license, a corrected, fee-free credential is immediately ordered and mailed. The replacement credential is expected to arrive within five business days from the date reordered.

ADOT to test ‘Wrong Way’ sign changes, add reflective pavement arrows at several Phoenix-area freeway interchanges

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300px-wrong-wayPHOENIX – New steps are being taken in the Phoenix area this week in efforts to get the attention of wrong-way drivers before they enter a freeway in the wrong direction.

Although Do Not Enter and Wrong Way signs already are in place along freeway off-ramps, new and larger versions of such signs will be installed and studied along the exit ramps at six freeway interchanges, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. In addition, signs will be placed lower on their posts to test if that could help in alerting confused or impaired wrong-way drivers.

Crews also will be adding pavement markers in the shape of large arrows pointing the right way along the exit ramps. Those pavement markers have reflectors to display the color red as a warning to any drivers going the wrong way on the ramps. The reflectors are already in use as part of the lane markings on freeways.

The decision to enhance wrong-way driver signs and markings and observe their effectiveness follows discussions between ADOT, the Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and the state’s Department of Public Safety.

In recent weeks, the new signs were produced at ADOT’s Sign Shop in Phoenix.

The six interchanges where the wrong-way driver countermeasures are being changed or introduced were identified in an earlier research study as ones with a history of wrong-way vehicle incidents, according to an analysis of 9-1-1 calls made to the Department of Public Safety.

Over the next few days, crews will complete work to add the larger signs and the “wrong-way arrow” pavement markings along 13 off-ramps at the six interchanges, including three exits available to drivers at the Interstate 17 interchange at Carefree Highway (State Route 74).

The changes are being made at the following freeway interchanges:

  • Interstate 17 and Carefree Highway (State Route 74)
  • Loop 101 (Agua Fria) and Thunderbird Road
  • Loop 101 (Agua Fria) and Peoria Avenue
  • Interstate 10 and Ray Road
  • Interstate 10 and Wild Horse Pass Boulevard
  • Interstate 10 and Queen Creek Road (State Route 347)

The larger “Do Not Enter” signs along the ramps are increased in size from 30 by 30 inches to 48 by 48 inches. Beneath them, the new “Wrong Way” signs measure 48 by 36 inches. In an effort to make them even more visible, the bottom of the lower signs will be located three feet from the ground, compared to the seven-foot clearance for wrong-way signs at most of the other state-highway interchanges.

It is not yet known how long the new signs and other changes will be studied before a decision is made about an expansion of the program to other state freeway or highway locations. There are more than 100 traffic interchanges on the Phoenix-area freeway system and more than 475 interchanges along the rest of the state highway system.

ADOT and other public safety agencies work in support of the three E’s of highway safety: engineering, education and enforcement. The sign changes and the addition of the reflective pavement marker wrong-way arrows are examples of near-term engineering steps ADOT can implement and study as part of an overall effort to reduce the risk of wrong-way drivers.

Senators McCain and Flake Bring Attention to I-11 Benefits

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mccain-flake1PHOENIX – As the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study advances, it continues to gain attention from lawmakers in the nation’s capital. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Department of Transportation Director John S. Halikowski today expressed appreciation for the efforts of U.S. Senator John McCain and U.S. Senator Jeff Flake to propose an amendment expressing the “sense of the Congress” in support of the proposed Interstate 11.

The proposed amendment to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2015 expresses support for I-11 based on “significant enhancement for the western United States” for commerce, tourism, international trade, economic vitality and competitiveness on the global stage. In addition, the proposed amendment supports extending I-11 south to the international border with Mexico and north to the Canadian border.

The proposal lends support to an initiative led by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer to study and construct I-11 as a critical economic link for Arizona and the Intermountain West region. Governor Brewer has been a strong advocate for the benefits of I-11, and has worked to focus attention on the proposed corridor.

“Not only will Interstate 11 create jobs in Arizona and Nevada, it also will integrate and increase the global competitiveness of the entire Southwest region,” said Governor Brewer. “I am very pleased to see strong bipartisan support at the local, state and federal level of this significant economic initiative.”

Halikowski expressed appreciation for the attention given to I-11 by lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

“As a corridor creating a stronger connection between Arizona and international markets, in addition to forging a more reliable, safer route between Phoenix and Las Vegas, Interstate 11 has benefits for the entire region,” he said. “ADOT appreciates the support of Senators McCain and Flake in highlighting the critical need for I-11 as a driver for continued economic expansion in the Intermountain West region. It is through leadership like this that we can continue looking forward, assessing our current and future needs and how to raise the funding to support those needs.”

In addition to Senators McCain and Flake, the amendment is supported by Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

The Arizona and Nevada departments of transportation have been working together since 2012 on the Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study, which includes detailed corridor planning of an interstate link connecting the Phoenix and Las Vegas metropolitan areas, while extending the corridor through southern Arizona to Mexico and potentially north to Canada. Congress designated the future I-11 corridor between Phoenix and Las Vegas as part of the current surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

The Interstate 11 and Intermountain West Corridor Study is a two‐year, multiphase, high‐level study examining the feasibility, benefits, opportunities and constraints of a proposed new interstate highway corridor. The study is expected to be completed this summer. Funding to construct this new corridor has not been identified.

Public meetings for the study are scheduled for June 25 from 6-8 p.m. in the Phoenix area and on June 26 from 4-7 p.m. in Las Vegas. A public meeting in Tucson was held on Wednesday. Through July 18, the public can also participate in a virtual meeting, reviewing the latest project information and providing feedback online. This month-long virtual meeting will be hosted on the project website, i11study.com.

ADOT initiating recycling program at rest areas

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adot-logo-03aPHOENIX – Visitors to rest areas along state highways will begin to notice recycling containers onsite since the Arizona Department of Transportation started a recycling program at three rest areas with plans to expand it statewide.

The program involves partnering with recycling vendors to install 8-cubic-yard bins and smaller blue containers at the rest areas for travelers to use for their recyclable trash. The vendor will collect the recyclables at least once a week.

Rest areas currently participating in the program include McGuireville rest area along I-17, Hassayampa rest area along US 60 and Ehrenberg rest area along I-10 near the California state line.

“With each site visit I make to our rest areas, I see how necessary recycling is,” said Bobby Wheeler, rest area manager for ADOT. “There are large amounts of plastic bottles and aluminum cans tossed in waste receptacles that go to a landfill without first being separated. We need to do the right thing and ensure recyclable materials are actually getting recycled.”

One of the vendors that will be collecting recyclables at the McGuireville rest area works with Rainbow Acres in Camp Verde to provide jobs for developmentally disabled adults sorting plastics and aluminum.

“A crew comes from the Rainbow Acres ranch five days a week where five ranchers and two of our staff members will sort all of the plastics and cans,” said Jill McCutcheon, executive director of Sedona Recycles, Inc. “We couldn’t do the work without this great group of people.”

The rest area recycling program is being implemented at no cost to ADOT. The recycling vendors will be overseen by Infrastructure Corporation of America, the private entity which manages the operation and maintenance of the rest areas through a public-private partnership with ADOT. ICA has been supportive in getting the recycling program in place and operational.

As more recycling vendors across the state join in the program, more rest areas will be able to participate. ADOT’s goal is to implement this program at all rest areas along the state highway system.

“We are glad that we were contacted to provide recycling at the McGuireville rest area,” McCutcheon said.

ADOT Director Honored by Arizona-Mexico Commission

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jhalikowskiPHOENIX – At the recent Arizona-Mexico Commission plenary session, the organization recognized Arizona Department of Transportation Director John S. Halikowski for his work co-chairing the commission’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Ports Committee, spearheading the Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance, and for his keen understanding of infrastructure issues facing border communities.

This year, the Arizona-Mexico Commission awarded the Tony Certósimo Award to Halikowski, who, according to the group, “has committed to fostering improved relations with Mexico for numerous years. His leadership has advanced Arizona’s important cross-border agenda with Mexico and has embraced the mission of the Arizona-Mexico Commission in support of a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.”

During the award’s presentation, Arizona-Mexico Commission Executive Director Margie Emmermann applauded Halikowski for “understanding the marriage of infrastructure and economic development” and for championing this new vision throughout Arizona and beyond through his various Key Commerce Corridor efforts.

The award is given to an individual who embodies all that the Arizona-Mexico Commission strives to accomplish, according to the organization. The honor is named after the first executive director, who was influential in formalizing the Arizona-Mexico Commission by establishing its bylaws and developing the group as a nonprofit membership organization.

“John Halikowski deserves the Certósimo Award as he has embraced the mission of the Arizona-Mexico Commission to improve the economic prosperity and quality of life for all Arizonans though strong collaborations,” according to the nomination. “He has demonstrated this in his work and actions with all levels of the public and private sector on both sides of the border, and truly understands the importance of the relationship with Mexico for Arizona and sets the example for the agency he leads.”

The award was presented June 20 as part of the closing ceremonies for the semiannual meeting between Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Sonora Governor Guillermo Padrés Elías.

“As the Arizona Department of Transportation turns its focus to the Key Commerce Corridors for the state, the critical linkages between Arizona and Mexico require attention and investment, not only for Arizona but for the entire U.S.,” Halikowski said. “I’m honored to receive this award, which reflects the good work being done every day at ADOT to improve all of our critical connections that support economic development and prosperity.”