I would like to eventually start a new political party based upon the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, and the words of the Founding Fathers. This organization may have to start as a PAC (Political Action Committee) and grow from there depending upon public interest, membership numbers, and revenue streams. I have done a lot of thinking lately, and I am convinced that several of the problems we are faced with in this country today are the result of the federal government overstepping its Constitutional bounds and doing pretty much whatever its pleased. This needs to change, and only "We, the people" can do anything about it.

Consider, if you will, how different our lives would be if the federal government today had continued to follow the constitutional principle taught by Thomas Jefferson when he said, "The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best, that the States are independent as to everything within themselves, and united as to everything respecting foreign nations." Jefferson explained this principle further when he said, "Our citizens have wisely formed themselves into one nation as to others and several States as among themselves. To the united nation belong our external and mutual relations; to each State, severally, the care of our persons, our property, our reputation and religious freedom."

What a brilliant notion that has been lost, but should be restored! When you think upon it, it begins to make perfect sense. When it comes to anything dealing with foreign nations, the federal government is best equipped to handle it. Imagine all 50 states trying to come up with their own trade agreements with foreign nations, or having 50 different standing armies that you then tried to rally together in times of need. Such notions are inefficient and impractical, and so a strong federal government is needed.

However, when it comes to domestic concerns such as poverty, health care, and education – state and local governments are much better equipped to handle these issues. Take poverty for instance, the needs and circumstances of a poor person in Arizona differ from those in Nebraska or New York. Beyond that, the needs and circumstances of people in Phoenix, AZ are vastly different from people in Chandler, AZ. It makes sense that state and local governments in partnership with local charities and community groups can figure out the best and cheapest solution possible for the people in need that they represent. They have the knowledge of the area and the resources to make better, informed decisions on how to best help people on a case by case basis. Some government employee in Washington cannot do this properly or as efficiently. That’s why it costs billions of dollars to manage such programs at the federal level, it’s an administrative nightmare. Therefore, it makes practical sense that such issues belong to and are best cared for by the States.

From above, it is easy to see why Thomas Jefferson would offer the following vision of the federal government: "Our general government may be reduced to a very simple organization, and a very inexpensive one; a few plain duties to be performed by a few [public] servants."

What in the world happened to this vision and direction for our government? Can you find anything simple or inexpensive about the federal government today? I cannot, which tells me that we have gotten off course, and this is just one issue of many. It is time that "we the people" did something to right the ship. Who would be interested in pursuing this with me, and how do you think it would be best accomplished?
Please do not say go to the Libertarian or Constitution Party.

The Libertarians follow the Constitution only to a certain point. Their platform, while better than both the democrats and republicans, tends to come very close to anarchy (or too little law). On top of that public perception of their party is that they are a little cooky. I’m not saying thats right, I’m just saying they have a hole to climb out of.

The Constitution Party is a joke. Look at their website for starters – it’s stuck in the 1990s. Also, it’s not a very cohesive or organized party. Typically its candidates in the various states are from different small parties that have affiliated themselves with the Constitution Party, but still go under a different name. Also, they are not very good at getting their party noticed or on ballots in the 50 states. For most states their website just tells you to vote for the independent.

To many people lose a lot of time and money when they sell their home. This can be frustrating for sellers, but if you follow these basic guidelines, then you won’t be in that situation.

It’s always good to have a guide, even if it seems common sense. That’s what this article is intended to be – a guide. So make sure that you have a checklist handy.

Selling your home starts before you even get your home listed. It starts now. It is very important to make sure that your home is presentable on both the inside and the outside.

To start with the outside, look around and observe a few things. Look to the landscaping – is the lawn being taken care of? Then stand on the road and look to your home – is it attractive from the vantage point as well? you can find some curbside appeal tips here: curbside appeal.

On the interior, is perhaps just as important, because you may get people to come inside, but you don’t want to scare them right out. So long before you sell, focus on this as well.

A small list of things to consider on the interior, some of the first things that shoppers look for or notice is: the carpets, faucets, light fixtures, paint on the walls, smell of the house, condition of the windows, counter tops, drawers, etc. Make sure everything is in working order and beautiful.

Now be sure to consider a good realtor – one that is trustworthy. There are several places where you can look for information about realtors. Those areas are online, you could ask friends, or you could interview the realtor. These people list your home into the MLS, and they often have a network of friends that can sell your home quickly.

One good place to find suggested realtors is this directory of suggested realtors. There are good realtors throughout the United States, but there are also sleezy ones, so choosing a good realtor is important.

Other good things to consider are finances. Don’t forget to be good to your credit right now, if you don’t, you may not qualify to move into a new home – which will probably restrict your decision to leave the home you are in right now. Borrow smartly, and don’t get in over your heads.

You want your potential buyer who comes into the new neighborhood to feel liked – that way they will buy. One of the best ways to do that is to be liked yourself, to create friendships, and make your home feel very welcoming. If you do that, then your current neighbors will welcome anybody else into the house that you once occupied.

This is only suggested if there is a serious need. Often times, something such as a kitchen remodel can have a two to one return. Yes, that $2,000 fridge may seem expensive now, but when it adds $4,000 to the value of the home, it’s a no brainer.

If you want to have more in depth tips, then check out Local Real Estate Connection.

The most excellent place to sale a home is in Phoenix Arizona

This… "Facts:
The Grand Canyon has long been described as something one must experience at least once in their lifetime. This itinerary gives you the opportunity to see one of the Natural Wonders of the World via Amtrak’s Southwest Chief SM. Enjoy a short stay in Chicago before boarding the train and heading south to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. En route, you will make stop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where historic cultures thrive. Arrive at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel and experience life as it was in the wild west. Board the Grand Canyon Railway for an unforgettable excursion to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Flagstaff is your final destination, where you will be treated to an all-day tour of Sedona, voted one of the most beautiful places in the world to visit. At the end of this excursion, you will return to Chicago or continue on to Phoenix or Los Angeles.

Accommodations on the Santa Fe Railroad (Train):
This spectacular Santa Fe and Taos rail tour is a unique 7-day luxury adventure tour of the beautiful sites in and around Santa Fe, New Mexico. You’ll travel from Los Angeles to Santa Fe and back on four restored cars from the golden age of rail travel. When you arrive in Santa Fe your luggage will be transferred to La Fonda Hotel, a former Fred Harvey property that is right on the Plaza. This fine hotel will be your home for four nights.

The Tour include Chimayo and Taos, with its thriving artist colony and Pueblo, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in North America. You’ll also spend a day riding the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railway from Chama, NM to Antonito, CO. The Santa Fe Opera is playing while you’re in town, and the tour schedule can be modified to accommodate opera aficionados who might wish to take in a performance or two while they’re in Santa Fe.

Tour Inclusions:
All meals while traveling aboard the private cars, including full bar service.
Listed tours with listed meals.
Hotel accommodations at La Fonda in Santa Fe.
Transfers between your hotel and the train.
Available Accommodations:
Our ‘train within a train’ will consist of Colonial Crafts, a former Pennsylvania sleeper-lounge; Silver Rapids, a roomette bedroom sleeper from the California Zephyr; Silver Lariat, a vista-dome diner lounge, also from the California Zephyr; and Silver Solarium, a vista-dome sleeper-lounge-observation car from the California Zephyr.

All guests will have sleeping car accommodations, and meals aboard the train will be prepared fresh by our chefs in our kitchen, and served on fine monogram china on California Zephyr table linens.

Accommodations aboard the train include roomettes, each sleeping 1 person; bedrooms, accommodating 2 people, and drawing rooms, accommodating up to 3 people. Each sleeper is equipped with one or more guest showers. The combination of cars provides an exceptional amount of public space, and the professional staff will see to it that your on-board experience is an outstanding one."
Could someone please help me by shortening these paragraphs up, it would be much appreciated.

i have came back from iraq and am stationed in el paso tx, the homes here are small in a ghetto poor labor intensed market, i have found a 3000sq ft home in victorville calif for around 200k, i want to but it and rent it out while i serve in el paso at ft bliss, do you think this is a good idea or would you buy here instead even though i dont like el paso and i think the homes are over priced the market hasnt got hit here yet but i cant see how it wont because if the military conducts cut backs and such el paso will be slammed like phoenix and calif, im from los angeles and think victorville is the best bang for the buck please let me know, its my life savings and i would have to use a property management agency to rent the house out but after 4 years i feel it will have paid off and i can simply rent cheap in el paso until i move back to calif please let me know what you think because i feel calif is a way better investment tahn el paso texas am i wrong??
dedr the link doesnt work,

I want to purchase a home within the next couple of months with CASH. I can’t obtain a loan so I decided to just save up the $$

my questions are..

how are the taxes worked out when you buy with cash? Do you pay for the taxes on the property up front when you buy the home? Example: home price ,000 taxes ,000 would I need have ,000 or are the taxes paid later?

Second question if a home is listed for ,000 can I make an offer lower than this amount? Say like ,000?

Third, how long do short sales take typically with a cash offer?

fourth, if the site has the home listed for a certain amount is this the amount the bank had countered on a different offer & will accept or is this just an amount the listing agent is just throwing out there to attract buyers?

I want to know these things before hiring a realtor.. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time with buying a home if i don’t quite have all of my ducks in a row : )

Thank you!

Everyone should know by now my take on the situation. I’ve stated many times there is no way the team will become property of Jim Balsillie. But in the last day or two, recent developments have made me realize that there is a third possible outcome to this debacle. Just consider:

The Judge rules that the Coyotes go to Jim Balsillie in such a way that Glendale is compensated handsomely and with the proviso that the team is required to stay in Phoenix for a period not to exceed say 3 years. Then he is free to move them to Hamilton.

All the other aspects (market viability, arena capability, etc.) are to be worked out between the NHL and JB in a begrudging marriage ordered by the court.

Does it seem plausible, despite what we know to be the reality that Hamilton is more attractive to JB and his supporters than to the rest of the world?

25 things you might not know about the Republican candidate

1. He has a stuffed dancing hamster on display in his Senate office.
2. His wife says her obsession with electronic gadgets and technology is one of his pet peeves.

3. He says his pet peeve is politicians who talk too much. (He admits that he’s guilty, too, sometimes.)

4. He’s not much of a shopper, but he likes to buy rugs when traveling abroad.

5. His favorite book is "For Whom the Bell Tolls," by Ernest Hemingway.

6. He was addicted to the TV show "24."

7. He carries a lucky penny in his pocket.

8. He played Scrooge in the POWs’ staging of "A Christmas Carol" at the Hanoi Hilton.

9. His movie favorites include "It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," "Casablanca," and "Viva Zapata!" He and wife Cindy have seen "Mamma Mia!" twice.

10. He talks to fellow prisoners of war, those with whom he shared a cell in Vietnam, almost daily.

11. He has seven children. The first two he adopted from his first wife’s previous marriage, the third was born to him and his first wife, the next three were born to him and his second wife, and the seventh they adopted from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in Bangladesh. He has four grandchildren.

12. His wife was in Bangladesh on a charity mission and brought home baby Bridget without checking first with McCain.

13. He describes himself as "a person who is mostly normal."

14. His parents "eloped" and got married at Caesar’s Bar in Tijuana, Mexico; McCain’s grandfather accompanied them.

15. He’s serious about the finer points of barbecuing, and he likes to deep-fry turkeys in peanut oil.

16. He wasn’t happy when Hudson, the neighbors’ black lab, ate the tenderloin he’d been marinating to grill for dinner at their ranch in Sedona, Ariz.

17. He doesn’t like to be alone.

18. At Christmastime, he likes to supervise the lighting of about 1,000 luminaria candles on their property in Sedona with family and friends.

19. Going on vacation with him is anything but relaxing. His children call it "Camp McCain."

20. He’s an early-bird, not a night-owl.

21. He doesn’t e-mail. He doesn’t surf the Web. He likes to read the newspaper in print. He’s attached to his cell phone.

22. His office window sill is overrun with stacks of books. He hands books off to friends once he’s read them.

23. He’s into fruit trees. And birds. He keeps binoculars and bird books at the ready in Sedona. His pet collection: two dogs, two turtles, a cat, a ferret, three parakeets and 13 saltwater fish.

24. His wife is super-rich. They have a prenuptial agreement.

25. He programmed digital remotes at the family’s homes in Phoenix and Washington so they can call up DVDs in any room.

Partisan, I just thought it was interesting and fun. Lighten things up around here.
SirWilli, get a grip, I’m FOR McCain!

I tried to file a small claims and a civil suit, but both are requesting a dollar amount to sue for. I do not want any money at this time, I just want the court to stop him from spraying me and my car with water everyday. What is the right case to file, or should I just put a penny in for the amount?

Here’s the back story I’ll copy and paste-

I live in Phoenix (Maricopa county). My neighbor has a grass front lawn, and his sprinkler heads run parallel about 1 inch from our property line, which happens to be my driveway where I park my car. Consequently, my car gets covered with hard water several times a day, and at times I can not get in or out of my vehicle without getting wet. I spoke with him on two or three occasions about it and he kept saying he would change his setup but never did. The last time I spoke with him he became irate and kicked one of his sprinkler heads out of the ground.

After that incident I sent him a certified letter, with several pictures attached, explaining the above and showing the hard water damage to my vehicle. That stopped the water in the day but he would then turn it on in the middle of night and I would wake up to a hard water stained car. I have not spoke to him about it since the letter, and now he has it turn on more and more frequently. Today’s water blast was my last straw and I would like to ask the courts to help me protect my property from this neighbor.
Thanks surveyor, that significantly expanded my understanding of these types of cases. Much appreciated.

I did have my car washed like twice a week over it, and used my CC to pay most of the time so those receipts can be retrieved. The worst part of it is I used an automated one and the brush left wear marks above my window from going so much. I should have just sued him sooner, this has been going on for 3-4 months. Thanks again, hopefully I won’t have to worry about it soon.

It’s a free gym membership for inmates in Maricopa County jail in Phoenix. Sheriff Joe Arpaio, often called “America’s Toughest Sheriff”, is working hard to help First Lady Michelle Obama with her anti-obesity initiative.

For good cardiovascular health, a lower risk of heart disease, increased blood and oxygen flow, and overall weight loss, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has launched a program called, “Peddle Vision,” where inmates bicycle to create electricity that powers their television.

The tv is there. Now all inmates need to do is power it and they can enjoy hours upon hours of The View. Too bad Lance Armstrong didn’t think of this first. Imagine the sales in workout videos and the benefit to the planet, which of course would be negated when everyone plugged the videos into their electricity-powered entertainment systems.

You can’t win for losing.

But Sheriff Arpaio is doing it. He’s a true humanitarian. He’s not only helping these inmates gain self-confidence and a better self-image while giving them a svelte self, he’s also doing his part for the planet. Ed Begley Jr. needs an “I Heart Sheriff Arpaio” t-shirt.

Sheriff Arpaio hasn’t been well received in the media. TIME magazine has called him a “stern law-and-order advocate”, what his constituents have seen as a positive, who “has declared war on illegal immigration”. He’s also on ACLU’s short list of people they really don’t like.

He doesn’t mind. He isn’t shy about enforcing the law, since that’s his job, and his constituents relying on him to keep them safe apparently love him. He’s won all his elections with double digits.

“I will never back off from enforcing the laws of this county. They might as well get used to it. I am in this fight to stay,” he said on his website, SheriffJoe.org.

Of course, his actions are completely unfounded, especially in Arizona. They don’t have any illegal immigration issues. Or crime because of it.

A longtime rancher was killed on his Douglas-area property over the weekend, and neighbors worried that his homicide was connected to increasing border-related crime in the area.

Nope. No reason for Sheriff Joe Arpaio to be concerned about the safety of his citizens. No reason at all.

http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=5973