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.

Pretty Cool Song & Debate Tomorrow!

There have been a lot of pretty interesting songs come out about the Ron Paul/Liberty Movement. Such as this and this. But I found a new song today that I think is really genuinely good. Check it out.



Also, don't forget! The CNN Republican Presidential Debate is tomorrow (2/22) at the Mesa Arts Center! How cool is that!? I will be down there probably for a good majority of the day, but the debate starts at 6PM. Come down to the Arts Center to be in the action and watch on the big screen (tickets are $200 bucks a pop and probably sold out). I'm contemplating setting up a LDS for Ron Paul booth outside, but not for sure. You can be sure to be able to learn lots about Paul there; many of his supporters will be there with brochures, ready to answer any of your questions. To get involved, visit www.meetup.com/ronpaulphoenix. Exciting, huh!

Good Times

It's been a little while since I've posted, and that's because instead of sitting on my butt in my house writing about things I really believe in to an audience of maybe 2 or 3 people, I've decided to get out and do something about it. A while back I joined a Ron Paul Meetup Group so I could get walk the walk instead of just talk the talk but just haven't gone out for one reason or another. Well a couple weeks ago I went to my first Meetup - to voice my concerns about the NDAA 2012.

Last week I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Performance at the US Airways Center to hand out brochures about Ron Paul in hopes that the attendees would learn a little bit about him (from something other than Fox News sound bites) before defaulting to Romney. I saw a few friends who I think were surprised to see me handing out the literature, but I think their eyes were opened. :) It was fun! I hope they went home and looked him up on youtube and fell in love with his message of freedom because it's what they have believed in all their lives but just never had a candidate that represented that viewpoint. Last night, a bunch of us went to the Mitt Romney rally at the Mesa Amphitheater to show our support for Ron Paul peacefully and positively. We got a lot of love from people driving by, and again I ran into a bunch of people I knew who hopefully say, "Woah wait, Savanna supports him enough to come and wave signs? She's not a pot-smoking, radical liberal! Maybe there is something that the media isn't telling us about him. I think I'll look him up at ronpaul2012.com or on youtube!" Maybe they would have seen that other Latter-day Saints, conservatives, and people that aren't just young, naive followers also support Ron Paul. Even if they didn't, we had a blast trying to convince them.

I don't really expect for Ron Paul to win the AZ Primary come February 28th. We didn't get the word out soon enough and wide enough. We're probably not ready for a Ron Paul, though it would do us some good. But please, look into his message. The more we strive for freedom, liberty, and respect, the better off we will be. If you like what you learn, please spread the message. Show your support by voting for him so other people will take notice and look him up. He's not the only candidate that talks about following the Constitution anymore, but he is the only candidate that really does and has a record to prove it. 

Did you Know?

Ron Paul is pro-life! In fact, he spent much of his life as an OB/GYN and delivered over 4,000 babies! When working with a pregnant woman, he realized he had two patients, and feels that we should fight to protect all human life! The following is a story from someone he helped as a doctor back in the 70s.

Last Day!

Don't forget - today is the last day to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in the next election! Make sure you're registered Republican (see why here) and that if you moved, got married (changed your name), or had any other of those such changes, that you have updated your registration so that you can confirm your ID with your driver's license at your polling place when you go to vote on February 28th! You can make all of these changes at servicearizona.com. It is pretty easy. I like to sign up for the early ballot so I can have a couple weeks or so to peruse my choices - I usually just drop my early ballot off at a polling place anyway because it's more exciting that way and I get a "I Voted Today" sticker. :)

Don't forget! You have until midnight to make sure you're all squared away to vote for the best candidate we've had since like Thomas Jefferson!

Wow - Please Read!

Wow. People if you don't know this is going on, please wake up. The mainstream media is generally not talking about this, and I was so surprised to hear this question come up in the debate last night. I have not had a chance to watch the whole thing, but this part of it floored me.

I have been contemplating my choices here. Many Ron Paul supporters say they can't support anyone else in the general election and say they would write-in Paul's name if he isn't the nominee. I strongly believe that we shouldn't just settle for the lesser of two evils and that it's wrong to vote against your conscience; however, I have been trying to rationalize because yes, I would love to get Obama out of the White House. I figure if Ron Paul doesn't win, it's safe to say that Romney will be the nominee based on the polls. I am fighting 100% for Paul to win but also thinking ahead to the general elections and what I would do in case he doesn't. I was starting to possibly consider voting for Romney because, well maybe he isn't that bad. Last night's debate just made this really hard for me.

So, what happened exactly?

Ok, for those of you that don't know, the NDAA is a bill that allows the military, under direction from the President, to detain American citizens indefinitely without a trial on suspicion of terrorism. The 4th Amendment has been effectively destroyed through the Patriot Act, and now the 5th Amendment has effectively been destroyed through the NDAA which was passed from Obama's Hawaiian getaway on New Year's Eve. The media is bashing him for the recess appointments he made (also unconstitutional) but not saying hardly anything about this Constitution-destroying piece of legislation. Jon Stewart is one of the only ones in the mainstream who has made a big deal about this as far as I can tell. 

Point of the story - Mitt Romney would be just like Obama. We can't keep letting them use the war on terror as an excuse to take all of our freedoms away! They are destroying America from the inside, and because of that, the terrorists are winning! I can't word it better than Jon Stewart does in the above link, it just kinda makes me sick that he's joking about it, but at least he's getting it out there. Romney justifies his support in a couple ways. One, that it's treason to join al Qaeda - that's arguably true, but even treason is a crime people should all have the right to be tried and hung for, especially American citizens on US soil! We tried and hung Saddam Hussein - what's so hard about capturing criminals and giving them the right (or writ) of habeus corpus (established in 1215 by the Magna Carta I believe - pre-American, pre-Constitution even!) and trying them and then sentencing them instead of assasinating or locking them up forever without any charges or trial?? People, this could be you!  This flier was produced by the FBI and Bureau of Justice Assistance to notify members of the community who could possibly be considered a terrorist. Of course as a disclaimer on the flier, it says, "some of the activities, taken individually, could be innocent and must be examined by law enforcement professionals in a larger context to determine whether there is a basis to investigate." Too bad this new law takes away your right to a trial so you're at the mercy of the law enforcement, unprotected by a jury trial of your peers. My writing of this blog (which really is my first amendment right and motivated by a love for my country), combined with purchasing a year-supply (more than seven days to be exact) of food (Mitt just sold out his fellow Mormons!), paying with cash (we try to avoid debt that may come with a credit card), and my husband shaving his beard for a wedding this weekend could lead to him being locked up as a terrorist without trial, for however long the military feels he is a threat!

Another thing Romney says to justify his support is that the people should elect a President they feel is moral enough to not abuse the power this law gives them. These days, I wouldn't trust anybody with that kind of power, let alone the people to be aware enough to elect a person that strong. No offense, Newt, but you aren't exactly the most moral person and you still garner a lot of support from Americans. And I guess Mitt trusts Obama with that power. "In questions of power...let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution." --Thomas Jefferson: Kentucky Resolutions, 1798. The founders went through all this tyranny that we're seeing and constructed a government to protect their posterity from having to be subject to it. They did the work for us, we just have to be diligent in standing for it! Why are people applauding Mitt's answer? Do they not know that he just said, in effect, "Yes, I would like to help destroy the Constitution just as Obama and many people in power before him did." Where do we draw the line?

Important Reminder!

Don't forget - the last day to register to vote is January 30th. This includes changing your address if you've moved (makes sure it matches the address on your driver's license so you can confirm your ID at the polls), changing your political affiliation (I highly recommend registering Republican and explain why here. Register to vote online at servicearizona.com. (Also a great resource to renew car registration and other stuff so you don't have to spend a whole day at the MVD!)

Great Video

Great depiction of the case of Iraq a few years ago and today Iran. Also, if you check out the debates from 2008, they are saying the same things about Iran as they are today with just about the same urgency (Ron Paul disagreed back then, but didn't have as much support as this time around, so they didn't really debate it because the people they gave time to in the debates all agreed).

From an Army Captain's Point of View

My Endorsement of Dr. Paul - US Army Captain

Submitted by PKnuckle101 on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 00:04

I’ve spent the past 8 months talking to my friends and family about Dr. Ron Paul and now that many of them have been won over, I appeal to you. The economic doldrums that our country are mired in is arguably the first problem the government should solve—and that solution sounds something like the surf boarding advice from the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall: “Do less.”

A recovery out of this recession has been prevented by the impending regulations of Obamacare and the guarantee of future tax increases due to deficit spending. The teetering economy will only get worse under the crush of $15 TRILLION in National Debt. So, how many Republican presidential candidates plan to deal with this looming disaster? One. Ron Paul is the ONLY one with a plan to balance the budget in his first term and cut $1 Trillion in his first year. You can see the full plan at ronpaul2012.com.

Worried about his foreign policy? I understand. If I had not been deployed to Iraq in 2009, and seen what the foreign policy we now have actually looks like on the ground, I would worry about it too. However, after proudly serving 5 years in the US Army (with another 4 years to go) I am convinced that our interventionist foreign policy makes us less safe. Not just less safe overseas—less safe here in America. So take it from a West Point Graduate with a degree in Military Science: Ron Paul’s non-interventionist foreign policy is good for our National Defense.

But, if you can’t swallow that pill, try this one. Is our $15,000,000,000,000 that we owe our lenders a National Security threat? Greece and Italy recently had virtual coups because of their suffocating debt. That’s America in 10 years if we don’t address our monetary policy and deficit spending. And if you want to address our debt and you want a balanced budget (as 74% of Americans do, according to CNN)—you can’t also have trillions of dollars in foreign aid, military spending, and entitlement spending. Look at the numbers, it’s just not feasible. And once you accept that we must stop being policemen of the world, rest easy knowing that you are in the company of Presidents Washington and Eisenhower.

Dr. Paul has been criticized recently for passing few bills during his tenure in Congress. I see this as a compliment, not a critique. When we have a congress with 9% approval rating, a Congressman that is doing the opposite of his colleagues is probably listening to the will of the people—and the American people are saying “Less laws, not more. Less wars, not more.”

Ron Paul is electable (see recent polls that have him tied with Obama—same as Mitt Romney) and is the only candidate that can bring droves of independents and anti-war Democrats into the Republican fold to beat Obama. Republicans are right in saying we can’t afford another Obama term—now they must realize we can’t afford anything but a Paul Presidency.

- CPT Joshua McCarver is an Infantry Officer stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. He is a 2007 United States Military Academy Graduate with a degree in Military Art and Science. He served in Iraq from October 2009-July 2010 with the 3rd Infantry Division. His opinion is his own and it does not represent the views of the Department of Defense.

ADDITION: wrote this last night and didn't imagine it would be so quickly or so well received. BUT you're here because you already believe. Please send this to any friends or family that are on the fence and your local newspapers (no major national ones please). They can email joshua.mccarver@gmail.com to confirm identity of the author. Thanks.

So You Like Ron Paul...Except for His Foreign Policy?

Check out this video - maybe it will give you some insight into why he feels the way he does about the wars we are currently in.

I Am Human :)

Ok, I got a lot of flak when I announced that I was starting a blog and it was all about current events and the 2012 Presidential Race. I warned people that it wasn't going to be about my personal life, but still they were surprised to only see one picture of my new little boy. I got a camera for Christmas, so here you go - but don't get used to it :) PS I'm an awful photographer - but hopefully I'll get better!

Our latest family photos...Henry didn't turn out too bad for having two goofy-looking parents :)

Henry's favorite Christmas presents from his Aunt Tiffany

We had an awesome Christmas - took some time off to spend with family at the farm.

The weather was awesome, nice and sunny and warm. I'm an awful mom and got Henry a little sunburnt :( I guess I should've known that with a mom as white as me and a dad as white as John that poor Henry should never go outside! Thank goodness for aloe vera, straight from the garden. His sunburn disappeared the next morning - we kept him extra shaded the next day just to make sure!

We hope you all had a nice Christmas and a Happy New Year! On to 2012!



The First Test

Last night were the Iowa Republican Caucuses - the first state in the nation to cast actual votes for the next President. Results: Mitt Romney - 25% (30,015 votes), Rick Santorum - 25% (30,007 votes), and Ron Paul 21% (26,219) followed by Newt with 13%. So, an unbelievably close finish between Romney and Santorum with Paul not too far behind.

I was a little disappointed to not see Ron Paul win - it would have been very exciting if he had just blown everybody out of the water. But I think the results did show that he is more electable than a lot of people think. I won't be in denial though, we have a tough race ahead of us and Romney is going to be a tough candidate to beat. There are some interesting statistics about this Iowa contest that I would like to mention: there were about 4,000 more votes cast this year than in 2008, and Mitt Romney only got about 60 more votes than he did in 2008, earning 25.2% of the vote back then. Ron Paul got 14,402 more votes than he did in 2008, up from only 10% of the vote from 2008. Last time around, Mike Huckabee had a huge victory with 34% of the vote and the eventual nominee, John McCain, finished in 4th place with about 14% of the vote. 

So, overall I am pretty happy with this first test of the 2012 Presidential Race. Ron Paul more than doubled his support in this one state, and I'm excited to see what kind of progress we have made in the rest of the states. Meanwhile, we have our work cut out for us in helping people to understand the importance of the Constitution in helping us get back on our feet as a country. I know a lot of you are Mitt Romney fans; I used to be and voted for him in 2008. Once I really looked into the issues, however, I obviously changed my support and now passionately support Ron Paul, but more importantly, I support the cause of liberty and freedom. These things that our Founders fought for are in danger. My goal from here: persuade people to look at the issues, not just the issues that the TV is telling you to look at. You can youtube just about any debate you want. Look at 2008 vs. now to see how the candidates have changed or haven't changed. I urge you to find out about Ron Paul and what he believes in. Listen to his speeches, not just biased articles and quotes taken out of context. Have an open mind; he's not saying the same repeated talking points that the media feeds you (see this Will Rogers quote). If you don't know where to start, there are plenty of videos and such on my blog that are informative. Once you form an opinion, please share it! I would love to hear comments, or I would love it if you talked to your friends and neighbors about this important election, whether you support Paul or not!

P.S. Speaking of trying to get people to learn and study for themselves, T-shirts are in! I have a few of each in most sizes, so if you'd like one, they ended up being $14ish buck a piece. Let me know and I'll get you one!