Mar 182010
As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares for what may be its final vote on a health care bill, Republican Gov. Jan Brewer and Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema sounded off on the contentious proposal.
Brewer, who earlier in the day signed a bill that will strip more than 310,000 Arizonans of Medicaid coverage while taking 47,000 children off of KidsCare, stood in front of the old Capitol building on March 18 and railed against a health care bill that she said will add $4 billion to the state’s overstretched budget.
Brewer said the state could not afford the coverage it currently offers under the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, and cannot afford to expand coverage even further under the federal overhaul being considered in the U.S. House.
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Mar 182010
Public supported National Public Radio (NPR) posted a report on March 17 during its “All Things Considered” radio show that warns its listeners that “patriot groups” are dangerous and are apparently increasingly prone to attacking government officials and facilities. Oddly the two examples it uses to prove its case have no ties whatsoever to any “patriot groups.”
Headlined, “Hostility Against Federal Workers Troubles Officials,” NPR blames “patriot groups” on these attacks and worries that “anti-government hate groups” are on the “upsurge.” And what does NPR use to prove its case? Nothing but the say so the left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center and a misconstruction of two recent attacks on government facilities by disturbed individuals.
NPR ominously begins its report with this:
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Mar 182010
Arizona’s testy Republican Senate primary is seeping into the GOP contest for a House seat.
Nine Republicans have filed to run for retiring Rep. John Shadegg’s seat in the Republican-leaning area of northern Phoenix and its suburbs. One, former state Sen. Jim Waring, was among 35 current and former state legislators to endorse Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) over his challenger, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) on Thursday.
Paradise Valley Mayor Vernon Parker (R) has also endorsed McCain, even though he and Hayworth share a major campaign supporter: Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
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Mar 182010
Colonial America, 1765
As part of an effort to defray the burgeoning expense of running the empire, Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March 1765. The law was to become effective in the colonies on November 1 and was announced by Prime Minister George Grenville many months in advance; he expressed a willingness to substitute another revenue-raising measure if a more palatable one could be found.
The act required the use of stamped paper* for legal documents, diplomas, almanacs, broadsides, newspapers and playing cards. The presence of the stamp on these items was to be proof that the tax had been paid. Funds accumulated from this tax were to be earmarked solely for the support of British soldiers protecting the American colonies. Violators of the law were to be tried in the vice admiralty courts, a detail that would not be overlooked by its critics.
The British authorities were not trying to oppress the colonists and regarded the stamp tax as entirely reasonable; even Benjamin Franklin, then a colonial agent in London, gave his grudging acquiescence to the plan.
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