Josie Thompson

Hey Friends,

I know you all are missing my posts. I'm doing lots of fun things in politics and learning lots lots lots about local politics and issues. I'm a PC in LD25 and it's crazy what a battle it is within our own little community! But we're trying to work past that and move forward on important issues such as protection our 2nd Amendment rights at the state level and working on legalizing gold and silver in Arizona. Please let me know if you'd like to join the fight, we could sure use people who love their country - it is under attack!

Anyway, I won't get into all of my experiences now. I just wanted to give a shout out to one of my best friends, Josie Thompson, and the awesome 444 Project she is undertaking. Please take a minute to read about her story and support her in any way you can. She's an awesome person and has blessed my life immensely. She's a great writer and her posts are well worth the read. Share it on Facebook, your own blog, whatever you can to show your support and love for Jos, because if you live in Mesa or the surrounding area, you probably have been influenced by Josie Thompson. Check it out at josiethompson.com. Thanks!

-Savanna

Ballot Propositions

Here are my personal takes on the propositions. I certainly don't know everything about these though I have tried to study them thoroughly - I think you need to be a lawyer to really understand what they mean. Please feel free to respond with your input and study them out for yourself. I still may change my positions before election day except on the bolded ones. My family got together last Monday and sat down and discussed them one by one - I highly suggest doing that among your family and/or friends - and discuss, don't just ask what to vote for. 

Prop 114: No - amends the State Constitution to prevent criminals from suing their victims. Currently the Constitution protects everyone's right to sue no matter what. Sounds good, but do we really need to amend the Constitution to accomplish this or can it be accomplished through educating jurors or other means? 

Prop 115: No - extends the retirement age for judges to 75 instead of 70, requires more candidates to be presented for appointment by the governor, changes the nomination process to allow the governor to nominate (all but one candidate nominated by the Bar) and appoint all the candidates among other things, requires nominees to be posted online etc. There are mixed feelings on this. I will probably vote no because I think it will make the process too partisan, but others validly argue that it will make the system better because it will increase the number of choices and the Bar that currently nominates is liberal so its already too partisan. Maybe if they only increased the minimum number of choices and didn't change all of the other things I would vote for it. Study this one out. 

Prop 116: Yes - I have not heard any opposition to the bill from liberals or conservatives. This would allow businesses to report their assets like equipment, buildings, trucks, etc purchased after 2012 as a tax exemption. Mike might know about this better than I, but this should help to lower taxes and give small businesses a boost. If RTW were to buy a new $2000 welder next year, they would be able to exempt the real value of it from their annual taxes. Or if my brother's work truck broke down and he had to buy a new one (or used, whatever) that would be tax exempt. Lower taxes, sounds good to me!

Prop 117: Yes - supposed to prevent big spikes in taxes year to year by putting a limit on the increase in assessed value of property (what they use to determine state property taxes) to 5% of the previous year. My dad owns property up north, it doesn't have anything built on it, didn't do anything to improve it, its just a plot of land and this last year he had to pay triple the amount of property taxes as the year before. This proposition would help prevent that. It would not limit any decreases in assessed value. 

Prop 118: I have no idea. Most conservative groups say yes. I don't know exactly what it means, but I guess it is supposed to even out and provide stable funding for schools without increasing taxes by using the state trust land fund. I will have to find out more, my aunt is a state legislator - highly pro-constitution and conservative and she supports it so I may trust her and vote yes. 

Prop 119: No - this has been presented about 8 times and has always failed. It's supported by highly liberal environmental groups that a lot of people don't trust. It allows for the trading of state land with federal land to protect encroachment of development on military bases. I don't know enough about it, nor do I trust it, so I'm voting no.

Prop 120: NO - Open, top-two primary. I have always thought it was dumb that independents can't vote in the primary because they have no party affiliation, so at first glance I was like, sweet this is a good idea! But its not - first, it's the system that CA uses, and we know how CA is thriving (not). So it lists everybody on the primary ballot who wants to run, no R or D next to their name, so you don't really have an idea on where people generally stand (not that the two parties are much different, but locally they tend to be more than nationally). The top-two vote-getters are the ones listed on the general ballot - could be 2 democrats, 2 republicans, forget about any libertarians or other small party candidates ever getting a shot - it's gonna be about who has the most money to get their name out there, since parties are not going to be listed. That is just going to turn more people off. And more conservatives will probably run than liberals, just based on where we live, so the conservative vote will get divided and that will leave us with two liberals to choose from in the general. Getting rid of the parties sounds good, but it would make organization and grass roots efforts a mess. Please share so we can educate people on what a bad idea this is the way its worded and the top-two aspect of it even though in theory it sounds good.

Prop 204: NO - permanent 1 cent sales tax increase, overall 18% increase in taxes. Gives more money to education, but also other projects, health care, transportation, etc. More money does not translate to better education ask Washington DC, highest dollar to student ratio, last in the nation in education. The temporary sales tax and this bill are not the same idea! This allows for no leeway or legislative action regarding the sales tax. Cant be repealed until next election! Other taxes are going up! VOTE NO!

Mesa Questions and Props: vote no on all - especially the bonds questions, especially for parks and rec. We do not need more debt and more taxes, we are not out of the recession yet - this may be appropriate when we're thriving, but we know the taxes never go to what they say anyway (water parks anyone?). The propositions you can study out for yourself, 461, 462, and 463 seem harmless, a yes vote would probably be fine. 460 sounds shady, only gives 10 days to file nomination if there's a vacancy for Mayor with over 2 years left in the term - I'm voting no on that. 464 might save money on ballot printing if less than 3 are running, they just skip the primary election and all the candidates go on the ballot for the general. Not sure it skipping a primary could have unforeseen consequences for write-ins and whatnot, so I am personally voting no.

Judges: a lot of people are voting no on all. I am going to vote to retain David Udall because I personally know him to be a good honest man. I may vote yes on a few others with high merit ratings. 

Let me know what you think! 

I'm Back

I know all you million readers missed me. Life has been so super busy - working for an AC company in the summers = hectic. Trying to raise a one-year old while working for an AC company in the summers = insane. But I am grateful to have work, and a job that allows me to be with my son - and I'm grateful he survived the summer being raised/supervised by his 4-year old cousin. The weather is cooling down, so I get a little more free time and a little less stress...but with me that doesn't seem to last very long. 

It goes without saying that I was pretty much out of the loop and slacking in my civic duties this summer. But I did get the chance to "run" for Precinct Committeeman (PC) in my precinct (the local-est entity of government) for the Republican party. I say "run" because I did not produce/authorize any mud-slinging commercials that we all love, nor did I make and distribute bumper stickers with my name and slogan. There were, however, about 24 running for 17 allowed positions, and by some miracle, I got elected! 

Turns out, because of the redistricting in our area, our precinct is brand new, and about 15 of the 17 PCs are all brand new too! It should be interesting, we had quite a few different motivating factors that prompted my fellow PCs to get involved, and we have a wide range of views and positions even within our highly-Republican/LDS/conservative square mile. I was elected Precinct Captain at our Organizational Meeting - and it's off to a slow start, especially with me at the helm! But I appreciate these people for getting involved - they are all highly respected and I think we'll have a lot of fun trying to get our neighborhood active. 

I have also joined a couple of liberty organizations (as if Precinct Captain will not give me enough to do). I believe that it is so important, especially in these crazy times in which we live, to stay involved and at the very least, informed. My great uncle recently passed away, a highly-respected man in the eyes of his family, church, and community. He was a man who lived a full life and took his responsibilities in each aspect of his life very seriously. He wisely observed throughout his civic service: "the world is run by those who show up." -Lewis Noble Tenney, Jr. How true that is - and how important it is for good, honest people to show up.

So, if you feel like you should be doing something more in government but don't know where to start, just show up. Start reading. Start with the constitution. Research the propositions and candidates, share your views, discuss with your families. Find out where you can do the most good and show up. "If ye have desires to serve God (and country), ye are called to the work." D&C 4:3 

Last Day to Register as a Republican (or update address etc.) - TOMORROW 10/9/12 - go to servicearizona.com.

Election - November 6th

Stand up for Freedom and Liberty - Every Day

P.S. Here's a picture of the cutest little dude in the whole world:

Happy Mother's Day!

I am soooooooooo lucky. I have the best mothers in the world, and  I get to celebrate my first Mother's Day officially this year thanks to my super cute lovable son. And my hubby was so awesome and surprised me with beautiful flowers and the other love of my life - Texas Roadhouse. And my daddy was so awesome and took us out to dinner last night - yay for not having to cook dinner! Here are my shout-outs:

My Mother: I love my mom so much. She had flowers delivered to me yesterday with a sweet sweet note and I was so surprised and touched by that! I'm so grateful to her for working so hard to take care of her kids. I admire her for the obstacles she has overcome and for her go-get-em' spirit. She kicks butt, seriously. I know she won't care me putting her age out there, but she turned 50 and completed her first triathlon in the same month. She has done one more since then plus a ton of other runs/races/killer hikes. I want to be like her when I grow up - after having 6 kids that's pretty dang good I'd say. Most of all, I love her because she has become my best friend. One of my favorite things to do, when she's not busy on a backpacking trip or something, is to go over and hang out with my mom. I definitely appreciate her much more after becoming a wife and mother myself, but it's so nice to just hang out and talk and realize - mostly for the good :) - that we have a ton in common. It gives me hope for my tom-boyish self who hates shopping, shaving my legs, and decorating stuff, that I can still turn out to be a respectable woman someday :). Thanks mom, I love you!

My Mother In-Law: I totally totally lucked out in the mother in-law category. Actually, probably one of the main reasons I married John was because of his mother. :) But seriously, I think of her and the word LOVE pops into mind. This woman had 9 children, and I asked her how the heck she did it, she just smiled and said "boy, I love my kids." She totally does just LOVE. In capital letters. She is such a good example of Christ-like love and just goodness! She never subtly tells me how I should run my home or raise my kids (even though she raised 9). She is always willing to serve and help out whenever she can, and never ever complains. I think the sisters in-law can agree, she didn't cut us any slack with our husbands - whenever we complain about duties with our 1 or 2 kids, they can justifiably retort - "my mom had nine!" She is incredible.

My Step-Mom: I also lucked out in the step-mom category. She's definitely not like the future step-mom in The Parent Trap (Lindsay Lohan version). I don't know how my dad got so lucky, and I still think he bribed her or something, but he found a wonderful person to spend the rest of his life with. She has two lovely girls of her own and came into a family with 5 rowdy boys and 1 rowdy girl (most of us had moved out by the time she came into our lives, but still she has to deal with us regularly when we all get together). I think it was pretty shocking to her at first because she's very...well I guess just normal and polite, and we're not. But she is an amazing woman, and I have a lot I can learn from her in patience, cooking, sewing, and many other skills and talents that she has. She is also gracious enough to watch my little boy on a weekly basis, and I am so grateful for that! We are very lucky to have her in our lives!

Myself: J/K - but I just thought I'd add that I love being a mother. It is the most fulfilling, amazing experience I have ever had. I still can't believe that I can be blessed with such an incredible little boy to care for. I'm quickly finding out that it's an indescribable feeling being a mother and I just feel so blessed to be able to look at this cute little kid several times a day and still be overcome with happiness and love each time I see his litte 2-teeth smile. Man I'm lucky. Sorry for the cheesy mooshy gooshy post, but I just wanted to thank my 3 incredible mothers on this beautiful Mother's Day.



Me Trying to Be Bloggy

So like I never wanted my blog to be just about my life. Idk, it's kind of like a protest sort of. I'm not on Facebook. It bothers me to find out important events in my friends' lives in such an impersonal way when the entire rest of the world finds out. It just seems like I should be talking to my friends on a more regular basis than that. Idk. Like I was all excited because I got a text that one of my friends had her baby and I told my mom, "hey did you hear?" and she was like, ya I saw that on Facebook a minute after birth! I was like dang. And the same happened with a friend's engagement. But I must admit, I found out about the engagement from peeking at my mom's Facebook while she had it up at her house the other day. In fact I probably still wouldn't know about it unless I had succumbed to the temptation to look at her "wall" and see what the whole world is doing while I sit in my loser cave at home. Not on Facebook.

So every now and then I like to treat all the 3 people (including my mom I hope) that read my blog with something other than Ron Paul. So here's my attempt to be bloggy.

When I read blogs there are a few recurring themes.

The first: Home Improvements. My home is what they call a "fixer-upper." And few things have been fixed up. When we bought our little home (almost 3 years ago), it had been for sale so long that all the landscaping was pretty much dead (ok, we sealed the deal by not watering much). So we had this semi-retired couple move in next door and totally re-design their home and yard into something found on the cover of Better Homes and Garden. So while relaxing on their back porch the other day, enjoying the bounteous flower beds and luscious green grass, their back wall was encumbered with the sight of our two long-dead trees. Now bored because their masterpiece of a household was complete, my sweet neighbor has been nudging us along with subtle hints that we need to clean up our dump. I completely understand that we need to keep our yard orderly, so when I get the time, I definitely don't mind a day in the sun pulling weeds. It's tricky with a little guy, but I like yardwork, so I'll do it. I just have a hard time with power tools. For instance, I couldn't start the dang weed whacker or the chainsaw. So I brought out the inner cave-woman in me, which is actually the outer cave woman if you know my style (or lack thereof), and got to digging. Side note: my husband works outside at least 60 hours a week so bless his heart the last thing he wants to do is work for hours in our yard. But I found that if I attempt something the hard way, which is the way I like to do things, right as he's coming home, he will step in just out of embarrassment I think. So I started digging out the trees in my yard, so I could eventually pull them over. I was shoveling and using an axe to chop the roots so I could get the dang thing out of our rock hard dirt (that should be grass) while Henry was secured in a lawn chair nearby laughing at me and our dog that he loves.

John gets home and says what the heck are you doing, this is going to take you forever. And to myself I was thinking, "no it's not just watch." And he came over and pulled both of the trees right out of the ground, just like that.

And that's how we get things done around here. :)

Theme 2: Cooking

I just cooked my first pot roast because I love beef. And it's my favorite Sunday dinner. I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman, so at least there's potential for it to be delicious. This is a picture of the goodness that just emerged from my oven. PW had a nicely arranged presentation in her photo, but if you know me, I don't really put a high priority on presentation. Looks can be deceiving, the important thing is quality. Anyway, I'm very proud of myself.

The only advice I have is if you're as cheap as me and don't want to turn on the A/C yet even though it's like almost 100 degrees already, don't cook a pot roast in your oven all day because my house is so hot right now. It's probably cooler outside. But oh well, I'm learning, and I really wanted pot roast. This would go really good with homemade rolls. But let's not get crazy.

Finally, Theme 3: Cute Kid Updates

Henry is allllmost crawling. He does a mean pushup instead. I think he's the cutest kid ever. So here's a picture of him almost crawling. I love this kid a lot a lot. 

Thanks for suffering through me trying to be bloggy. :)

Easter

Although the excitement of the Presidential Race has waned, and Romney has a decent lead, the nominee has not been chosen yet, and possibly will be undecided until August. So there's still a chance for Ron Paul who continues to pick up delegates left and right! I was pretty saddened by the low vote tally Ron Paul received in AZ though, so I have retreated from the frustrating world of politics for a little while. I'll probably get motivated again before the general election in November and focus on local politics unless by some miracle there is hope left for this country and Ron Paul wins the nomination. :) Anyway, with Easter this past week, I've decided to write about something much more significant than elections and much more powerful than politics.

I wondered this last week as Easter sprang upon us why we don't treat it more like Christmas. I don't mean the commercialization of something sacred, but why don't we celebrate it more? Why don't we sing Easter hymns in church the few weeks preceding this special day? Why don't we look for ways to forgive and serve and spread the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ and the "Spirit of Easter?" I don't know much about Lent, but maybe Mormons should celebrate it-at least it would get us thinking about the Atonement a little in advance. Maybe it's just me that's slacking, but Easter came and went very quickly this year; I didn't even have a chance to go to the Easter Pageant! If it weren't for a subtle family experience I had, I probably would have lived through the day once again taking for granted the fact that I have a REAL personal Savior who loves me, forgives me, lived the perfect life for me, suffered, and died that I might have the chance to be closer to God and have eternal happiness. And He didn't just do that for me, He did that for every person who ever lived or will live on this earth! 

Don't tell my husband because he would sarcastically laugh if he knew, but I am working on an experience in the Personal Progress program in Young Women's (I'm a Mia Maids Advisor) in which I am to show extra kindness toward and refrain from criticizing a person in my family for 3 weeks, and I picked him (it's too easy to do that for Henry :) ). To try my very hardest, but fail to even go two days without criticizing or getting after my amazing husband humbles me so much when I think how the Savior went His whole life genuinely caring for and serving and showing kindness to people who spit upon Him and mocked Him and were terrible to Him. Without one sarcastic joke, without one bit of guile, without one ounce of disdain. How imperfect am I to not be able to show unreserved kindness to the person I love most on this Earth for like two whole days let alone 3 weeks, let alone 34 years plus eternity to every single human being!

But His sacrifice and His life give me hope that I may be forgiven and someday become more like Him. "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent (D&C 19:16);" He has paid for our sins. As imperfect I am, He bestows endless mercy if I but have faith, and repent with a sincere heart and a desire to do good and sin no more. So things that drive me crazy like dirty laundry in the middle of a clean floor, or way too many video games should not be the end of the world! That's nothing! I should forgive and love and not let it bother me, because heaven knows how many times I holler or complain or criticize for something no matter how big or how small that I keep needing to be forgiven for, and the Lord does forgive with infinite patience as long as I am sincere. 

I know He lives. I take it for granted that I have a testimony of Him, and I need to share it more often. Everytime my testimony is really renewed, I feel like telling everyone (but still struggle doing so) because we have a free gift! "Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price (2 Ne 9:50)." We can be free from guilt, anxiety, sorrow, despair, sin, worry, and confusion if we trust in the Lord and look to Him. He died for our sins, yes, but not just our sins. He suffered for our sicknesses, our sorrow, our infirmities. He knows how we feel and we can lean on Him; we are never alone!

This is not make-believe. It's not just some fairy tale, or some wish or dream. I know without a doubt that He is Risen! He accomplished the work His Father had for Him to do. He did it! He went His whole life in perfection, He suffered through the agony willingly, with love until the end. We are saved! I pray that I can stop being so petty and prideful and just love as He loved so that I may be worthy of this wondrous sacrifice. The tomb is empty. "Where oh death, is now thy sting?" The way is there. He is the Way. I can't wait to teach my boy, this precious boy who will undoubtedly face extreme adversity in these desperate times, that there is one way, and Christ is it. Have faith, come unto Him, and let Him heal you, whatever you may be experiencing. Make Him the center of your life, because we owe everything to Him. Happy Easter!

Is that not the cutest kid you ever saw in your life? I'm just sayin. Look at that smile and those big ol' ears. Just had to add that. :)

Election Day Tomorrow

The Presidential Preference Election is tomorrow, Tuesday, February 28^th. You must be a registered Republican to vote tomorrow. If you are not registered to vote, you may do so for future elections by going to www.servicearizona.com. Your polling place may be found calling 602-506-3535 or by entering your address at recorder.maricopa.gov/pollingplace/. If you received an early ballot, but have not yet mailed it in, you can drop it off at any polling place. The polls are open from 6AM to 7PM on Election Day. If you have any questions about elections, voting, or registration, you may call the Election Office at 602-506-3535, or contact me at 480-232-5305.

My second purpose for writing this letter is to tell you why I am supporting Texas Congressman Ron Paul as our next President, and to ask you to consider voting for him on Tuesday. Our country is in a desperate economic situation, as many of you have experienced. I believe this is the most important issue facing us today. I believe that Ron Paul is the best man to get us on the right course economically because he understands how the economy works, has a consistent 30-year record of fiscal conservatism, and he bases his decisions on Constitutional principles.

Many people don’t know this, but Ron Paul predicted the housing collapse back in 2001. He gave a speech on the House floor warning members of Congress and advising them to withdraw the endless line of credit the Federal Reserve gave to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that promoted the bad loans given, causing a false “bubble” that eventually collapsed. Obviously, they did not listen. It’s time we listened. He advocates a free market, not the corporatism we have today in which certain businesses get special treatment from the government like we saw with the bailout of the big banks, auto industry, and housing industry. As we can tell, these bailouts have not worked and have mostly profited the people who caused the collapse in the first place. Ron Paul is currently serving on the House Financial Services Committee and advocates an audit of the Federal Reserve System which controls the printing and lending of the dollar with no Congressional oversight. The recent printing of billions of dollars out of thin air by the Federal Reserve, (Quantitative Easing or Q.E.), has caused the dollar to become less valuable and therefore we have seen an increase in prices of food, gas, and other necessary goods. No other candidate has fought to restrict the Fed from devaluing the dollar like Ron Paul has, and both Romney and Gingrich supported and/or benefited from the banker bailouts (interestingly, Romney’s top three campaign contributors are employees from Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley, all three of which received billions from the banker bailouts).

Ron Paul has never had to apologize for his record as a 12-term Congressman. He has never voted to raise the debt ceiling. Unfortunately, Rick Santorum has voted to raise it 5 times, perpetuating the endless spending. We wouldn’t need a balanced budget amendment if members of Congress were as principled as Paul because he has never voted for an unbalanced budget. He also has never voted to raise taxes. He is quite different from the other typical politicians in Congress which currently has a dismal 9% approval rating. He does not take part in the lucrative Congressional pension plan because he believes it is an immoral use of taxpayer dollars. He has never voted to raise his own income, and has pledged that if elected, he will accept a salary of $39,336 per year, equal to the average US worker’s earnings, instead of Obama’s $400,000 salary. What other politician would do that?? Even people who strongly disagree with him policy-wise admit that he is consistent, principled, and honest. While the other three candidates spend their time in the debates making excuses for their records and bickering about previous positions, Paul is able to discuss the real issues facing our country without wading through a mucky past. We need someone who tells the truth and does what they say they will do to lead our country, not someone who says whatever they think will get them elected. Congressman Paul has a 30-year pristine record to prove that he will get our fiscal house in order.

America is an exceptional nation with an exceptional legacy. Our Founding Fathers were brilliant men who studied history, lived through tyranny, and helped craft a divinely inspired document to ensure freedom for their posterity. In these perilous times, the Constitution is our greatest protection. The only candidate who has consistently stood up for the Constitution and our American traditions even before it was “cool” (with the rise of the Tea Party), is Ron Paul. He believes in protecting life, liberty, and your pursuit of happiness, not controlling these things. He stands up against legislation that “sounds good” like the USA PATRIOT Act, but has hidden abuses of power, like the ability of the federal government to search your bank account records without a warrant. He believes in defending our country against enemies, and that we should only go to war when the Congress declares war, as the Constitution prescribes. The troops support this position; Ron Paul’s top contributors are the US Navy, the US Army, and the US Air Force, and he receives five times more donations from active duty military than all other candidates combined. He also is the only veteran running for president. Paul believes that we can greatly improve the state of our nation by cutting those things which are unconstitutional, and putting that money towards things the federal government is supposed to do, like protect the border and defend our country.

I urge you to learn more about Ron Paul, because I have not listed everything about him that I could have (by the way, he is a doctor, and practiced OB/GYN for many years, and yes, he is pro-life). Many resources are available online via Youtube or Google that you can use to find out more about him and his message. I also have literature available you are welcome to have. Even if you have already voted for someone else with an early ballot, please listen to the things he says about the role of government. If you have not yet voted, please consider doing so on Tuesday. Ron Paul is currently in second place in the delegate count; the candidate with the majority of delegates becomes the Republican nominee, so he has a real shot at winning the nomination, and he is the only one who could garner enough support from Independents and Democrats to beat Obama. America would be in a lot better shape if more principled men and women were elected; please don’t cast your vote for the lesser of two evils. If you are registered, but don’t plan on voting, I would ask you to consider voting for Ron Paul. He cured my apathy towards politics because unlike other politicians, he’s been saying and doing the things I have believed in and have been taught my whole life. Thank you for your time.