Letters from the issue of Thursday, July 3, 2008

I have been reading your articles about "Douchebag" Arpaio for about four years. I think the only way to really defeat him would be to get him in on these debates with Dan Saban. Right now Arpaio is pretty much saying he doesn't have to debate Saban. The real reason of course being, that he would more than likely be defeated. This asshole has got to go and the only way is the debates. This guy is insane and needs to be thrown out with the trash in 2008 for all the people that have suffered!

This weeks letters had an interesting "editorial" by a dickweed who felt the need to post multiple times under different names to imply that he was more than 1 crackpot at home alone scratching his nuts in his mother's basement and ranting about the evil of 'wetbacks' and the great job Bojoe the Clown is doing.This proves to me that you're a fucking idiot that shouldn't be armed with a keyboard.The issue is this: my uncles who have served their country as veterans would not be able to drive through one of these 'sweeps' because they would be harrassed and humiliated for the crime of being and looking Mexican American;I look Anglo myself and therefore would likely not be subjected the indignity even though we come from the SAME FUCKING FAMILY!A family that has undoubtedly been in the United States a lot longer than yours so get off your high horse and try to understand that this is an attck on the Constitution, whatever your beliefs about immigration.And for what its worth, in the past I worked in an industry surrounded by "illegals" and I can tell you that like any other population,good and bad people abound, but they bear no resemblence to the ignorant stereotypes idiots like you love to throw around.

All I can say is thank God for Sherif Joe, it's about time someone has the balls to go up against the bleeding heart, illegal loving liberals and uphold our laws. No one but Joe seems to care one bit about this country and it's citizens. Too bad we don't have more like him.

all S. joe is trying to do is help clean up this country. I actually in the past have known illeagals and not one of them of the many i know live legit. Everysingle illeagal that i have known does drugs, sells, drugs or is involved with some kind of illeagal activity. and as for gillman of the new times, who goes and gossips like a child about the protesters who are simply out there to make a change. he should not be allowed to print fales avrisment about the poeple he doesn't know anything about and call them racist. i would love to meet him and give him a piece of my mind. knowone is racist but in fact the mexican americans these days. Anyone can argue with that all they want but its stil a fact, i know from personal experience.

Please publish the following Press Release in your paper: Title: AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEMOCRATS DISENFRANCHISED & DISRESPECTED!
The Arizona Democratic Party (ADP) has disenfranchised Arizona’s African-American Democrats and is allowing the most significant event in American and African-American history to take place with African-Americans sitting on the sideline watching, instead of participating with a front-row seat.

On April 26, 2008, the ADP selected 67 delegates to the Democratic National Convention (DNC). No African-American full delegate was selected to represent Arizona in the Barrack Obama Campaign.

During the voting process, the last opportunity to elect and meet the affirmative action goal as required by the DNC and ADP delegate selection guidelines was filled by two non-African-Americans, leaving Phoenix Councilman Michael Johnson as an alternate.

Given the opportunity to correct this error, which was called a “mistake” by Obama campaign officials, no action appeared to be considered necessary by the ADP until approached by former Phoenix Councilman Calvin C. Goode.

Councilman Goode, along with a group, The Concerned Citizens of the Democratic Party, met with Don Bivens, Chairman of the ADP, to discuss ways to redress this disrespect to the African-American community and to Councilman Michael Johnson. Bivens suggested that a formal challenge be submitted to the DNC, ADP, and the Obama campaign, which was completed by the Concerned Citizens of the Democratic Party in May 2008.

Councilman Goode also included a personal letter along with the challenge, highlighting that DNC rules had not been followed nor affirmative action goals met. The letter requested two African-American Obama delegates. (A copy of the letter is attached.)

After receiving the challenge and Councilman Goode’s letter, the DNC concluded that no DNC rules had been violated and that the ADP had the responsibility to address the inequity. The ADP in turn rejected the challenge and has since moved on.

After extensive and substantial debate, the Concerned Citizens of the Democratic Party has decided to do the following:
1. Inform the community of a process that on the surface appears flawed and seek support in finding ways to fix it;
2. Speak up for the disenfranchised who have no voice;
3. Not allow another slap in the face to go unnoticed and unchecked.

The Arizona Democratic Party must be held accountable for both its action and lack thereof in this process. For more information, contact the Concerned Citizens of the Democratic Party directly C/O Calvin C. Goode, 1508 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ 85034 at (602) 253-5845 or Henry Wade at (602) 619-4440 or Dr. Wanda Taylor at (602) 441-5352 or email her at drwanda@cox.net.

I am interested in delivering your paper. I have delivered the AZ Republic and USA Today previously. Please contact me and let me know what I have to do to apply. Thank you.

Alex Lugo
623-876-9001

as you're always citing the best of this and that..perhaps you can tell me the best place to have a rectal tumor removed. certainly such a place must be listed along with all your other silly "best of"

My husband is at the Estrella tents on work release. I took the bus down to see him on Saturday - It was cold, desolate, windy and empty. I walked right through the gates and pounded on several doors to no avail. I finally ran across a guy at the self-surrender pit who gave me the phone # of the person he was supposed to call to come out and get him. I called and was informed that I wouldn't be allowed to visit my husband because he's on work release. I sat at the bus stop alone and cried. Nice job Sheriff Joe of informing inmates families on policies. No where in the recordings we wait for on hold for half hours or more is there information stating this. Conditions in the tents are herendous. I know this is jail, but can't they even treat our loved ones like humans - serving expired food should be forbidden. People get sick and die in there. The Sheriffs family are the ones making the money off of the vending machines. I hate Phoenix because of this and can't wait to leave this state. Someone should arrest Sheriff Joe or one of his family members and throw them in with the inhumane conditions.

I have been waiting for four months for the man that i have spent every moment with for nearly 13 years. while he was in Joe arpaio's care I was in an accident and now am disabled. My soul mate chose his sentence because he was advised that it would be the best move at putting our family back together. a few days before release the guys were playing handball and next thing they all knew he went head first full speed into the three foot wall separating them from the dorms. the guys in the dorms have told me that they actually heard the collision. the first night after he was released we laid down together in his bed (we were going to sleep apart because of my broken back and his injuries), i fell asleep and woke up to him having a seizure. we had to call 911 they were convinced it was an OD they kept giving him narcan. well they began to arlift him to John C. Lincoln while en route they gave him a shot of dilantin and he came out of it. the minute they landed they gave him state health care and called us to pick him up even though the doctor knew that he colided with a wall hard enough to break his collar bone in three places and brake part of his shoulder they did no further tests. we had to wait two days for his access, unfortunately we didn't know that we didn't have that long. the next day he was so lathargec he kept closing his eyes but he said it was because he had so much pressure behind his eyes. so he took two bayer aspirin and went to bed and i woke at two thirty and imediately ran to check on him but he was already gone. there was blood in his eyes and a stream coming out of his nose. i blame joe. and i need help. i don't want him to have to go to potters field and all the guys he completed the program all can contest to the fact that he asked for medical help but was denied. he told me the night he got hurt that he was told that he could go ahead and get help but if he did then he would have to serve two more months. He said he asked for an aspirin and was denied they werent allowed to wet sheets for his head or cut them to immobilize his injuries so the guys wrapped him in his bedsheet and he stuck it out. his best friend told me how sick he was while he suffered the last couple days with no help and just before his release. I thank god that i got him for two and a half days but he was so ill i didn't know what to do. i just lost the love of my life when all he was doing was trying to make himself a better father and husband please help me tell me where to go and what to do and how to pay the twelve hundred it will take to cremate him he was not a nobody soon the guys are setting up a memorial and it will be seen how special he was. he was thirty three years old and not a trouble maker he just had some mild charges he was trying to take care of so that we could go to washington state where are family is. i can't leave him hear I need some help and he deserves for me to fight for him and i will but please help me i am in a wheelchair and am broke. the autopsy is not going to be released for a while but i am not stupid what ever it is it will be from complications from a head injury, please help me fight these monsters who took a hero and threw him in front of a bus. please help me to act. please respond via email and set up a what next cenario. JP and i have been readers since we lived in seattle where we met and he made me promise that i would come to you if something happened so please help us. as long as i am working to fight for him and my son i am able to ward off absolute devastation and loss.
kathleen madden

I read the Savage Love article on the 13th and I was completely pissed off about what Dan Savage's reaction and retaliation towards the Prop 102 passing. I know that gay marriage is a touchy issue for both parties but if gays want marriage, don't follows Dan's example. This writer is asked questions that are very concerning to those that seek advice. And when you tear at heterosexuals who ask you for advice calling everything they do in life is gay, Thats crossing the line. I can see Dan is upset but to be nice to only the gay community and start being offensive with the straight community? I don't think you will get what you wish. And one more thing....My gay brother and his lover voted for prop 102. How is that for irony?

I read the Savage Love article on the 13th and I was completely pissed off about what Dan Savage's reaction and retaliation towards the Prop 102 passing. I know that gay marriage is a touchy issue for both parties but if gays want marriage, don't follows Dan's example. This writer is asked questions that are very concerning to those that seek advice. And when you tear at heterosexuals who ask you for advice calling everything they do in life is gay, Thats crossing the line. I can see Dan is upset but to be nice to only the gay community and start being offensive with the straight community? I don't think you will get what you wish. And one more thing....My gay brother and his lover voted for prop 102. How is that for irony?

btenDear Editor,

If everyone donates $50 to Solar Cookers International,
that might be enough to supply solar cookers to all the people in Africa
who are currently
cooking with firewood. (And we could keep up with population growth
by donating another $25 by 2025, and $50 again by
2050.) This would mean not having to cut down trees for
firewood--which causes severe deforestation and habitat loss, and
takes away from quality time spent with one's children.
Solar Cookers International is at
1919 21st Street, #101
Sacramento, CA 95811

Sincerely, Alex Sokolow