This is for Sound Off. All the SB 1070 is about is job security and guaranteed income retirement benefits for lawyers. Who do they think they’re fooling? Thank you. This is Old Claire. Yeah, I’m an American citizen, and one of the things that’s been bothering me for the longest time is Michelle Obama having quote saying she now likes this country. All of a sudden she likes this country. Where was she before? You mean to tell me that she’s an American citizen that loves this country? Then why would she open her mouth and say that? Apparently she’s not from here. – Thank you. My name is Neil Abernathe, just to get the preliminaries out of the way, and I think it’s a nice thing to have a thing called Sound Off. Uh, I came from a very highly concentrated area of Chicago, and it contained illegal immigrants from all over the world, and specifically I have nothing against anyone. However, having been associated with the Mexican population in very high concentrations, I very often heard them talk about how they wanted to take over the United States. And that I heard easily more than five years ago, which is a scary thought. I’d like to think there is not an underlying, uh, conspiracy theory about this and that this is what might happen to the United States. Thank you. Yes, this is Neil Abernathe again, and I thought maybe I could slip in another minute. In addition to the fact that they brought it up to me that they’d like to take over the United States at a couple of intervals, I think I interjected to them, not just Mexicans, but there were people from other countries there at the time that I had mentioned this. I said that rather than us busting our humps to patrol the huge area along the Mexican area, the thing to do would be to take and accept all of Mexico as the United States, which means we’d only have to patrol the southern-most border of Mexico and give them all the entitlement to the United States. Hi, my name is Israel, and I want to answer to whoever it was talking about the 550,000 illegal immigrants, and that it’s costing $2 billion and what not. Okay, that your grandparents came from Poland legally. Come on, you know that’s not fair. I bet you, all they did was get off the boat, go to some office and apply for legal status, which they probably got right then and there. They were probably running away from something that A.H. did. My point is that they had it easy back then. And trust me, a lot of these people are doing this for the same reason that your grandparents did it for. It might not be genocide, but the way things are, it might as well be. What happened to our U.S. Constitution under which congress is to make the laws and the president is to enforce the laws? The system in vogue today is for the president to nullify any law with which he does not agree by simply signing an executive order that effectively makes the law null and void. Consider what happened in the closing days of the recent debate on health care. A number of congressmen opposed the bill because it included provisions that would overturn current laws that prohibited the use of public funds to pay for abortions. To calm these fears and to regain the votes needed to pass the bill, President Obama pledged that if such provisions were in the final bill he would negate them by signing an executive order that prohibited his staff from enforcing that part of the law. Today U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton sanctioned this principle. In ruling against Arizona’s immigration law she said that the Arizona law (which was in complete accord with the federal laws) interfered with the president’s “policy” to not enforce the federal immigration laws. Let’s submit this newly found power of the president to a test. We have a federal income-tax law. What if the president decided to institute a new policy by signing an executive order that prohibited the IRS from collecting taxes from union members? I found the Bogus Ad. It is the Corporate Umbrella Girl ad. My name is (leaves Bogus Ad contest entry information). Thank you.

Editor’s Note: You too can enter the Bogus Ad contest by calling our Sound Off line. Simply call 480-348-0343, option 1. Leave your full name, phone number, the name of the fake ad and the page on which it appears. You will automatically be entered into our monthly $100 drawing. See page 18 for more details. Uh, would you please send me a copy of your guide, uh, your senior housing guide. Please send it to (leaves address). And if you don’t, uh, (leaves name) and I’d like a guide of your senior housing. That’s (leaves address again). Thank you. Thank you. Uh, 65 years ago this week two atomic bombs were used to end all wars. Unfortunately today some leaders still have not learned any lessons from that, and a third will eventually be needed to convince them. Egos are poor leaders, and egomaniacs are worse. Thank you for printing this. Hi, my name is Kelly, and I just read your cover article “Fatal Exposure” (August 2010). Uh, I find it pretty amusing that you make a point of mentioning how Travis was devoted to the Mormon Church and strictly adhered to Mormon values yet later in the article you make it clear that he was having sex with at least one woman he wasn’t married to and possibly several. So is he a hypocrite? Thanks. Bye. While we do not yet know the full extent of the impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon spill, it is clear that the damage is catastrophic, with risks to the health of marine wildlife, fisheries and coastal economies. It is also clear that our continued dependence on oil is unacceptable. There will also be long-term impacts from a changing climate if we continue to rely on polluting fossil fuels. Climate change is one of today’s greatest threats to ecosystem integrity, fish and wildlife, human coastal settlements and economic development. As our senators head back to Washington they should know their constituents expect them to get right to work and pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation that significantly reduces global-warming pollutants by putting a price on carbon; protects our wildlife and natural resources from the impacts of climate change; and prevents future disasters like the Gulf spill by prohibiting any new drilling off our coasts. – Michael Shores In America all of its citizens are supposed to be treated equally under the law. That includes citizens of all colors, all races and all religions. But it also includes citizens of all income levels. It includes the newly married couple that are paying on a $100,000 mortgage for their new starter home and the 50-year-old couple that, after working, improving their job skills and saving for thirty years, are paying on a $400,000 mortgage on their home. Some government officials, like Shirley Sherrod, have belatedly come to realize that they are supposed to treat black and white people equally. This is progress. But Shirley Sherrod appears to believe that “poor” people, like the newly married couple, may be treated differently than the “haves” like the 50-year-old couple. I submit that Shirley still has another step to learn. She must realize that her job is to also apply the law equally to all people regardless of her personal feelings as to their economic class. I’d like to report the huge political signs are very dangerous. I for one can say, because it flew up and came flying up at me in my car – and don’t think it wasn’t scary. And then fortunately it didn’t break my glass because my wheels caught it and dragged it under. But on down there’s another one just hanging by a thread, and these winds are going to whip some. I feel sorry for the poor little people, the ladies that might not be able to act as quickly as I did to prevent an accident in my car. But I’m really concerned about some of these seniors. Fortunately I was able to react quickly and that I didn’t run off the road. I’d like to report that because these politicians could be sued if somebody is killed or injured. This is Dr. Clemens. Thank you. I know not to believe everything I read in the papers or see on TV is true, even when, and especially if, it is presented as a fact. Your “factoid” saying, “There are more people alive on earth today than have ever died” simply isn’t true. Check: http://www.snopes.com/science/stats/dead.asp. Now you can present that as a “factoid” in your Rumors section. – Prasad Uh, this is a message for Sound Off. Uh, I don’t have a computer. The only thing that America has to fear is fear itself of eventual Muslim takeover of our constitutional rights for their own agenda. That fear is a warning. It is real. They will win unless Americans stand up and fight for no Muslim phony integration at 9-11 sacred ground. Period. Thank you for printing it, but probably nobody got the message. Pooh! Yes, I’d like to know how it is legal for a business owner to file for unemployment but yet do work. Just because he doesn’t actually get a legal paycheck, he thinks it’s okay to scam the government and collect unemployment while he does cash jobs, and he has his business pay for his personal expenses. Well, if you have your business pay for your personal expenses, then that is considered a salary and that is still against the law in my eyes because you’re still getting paid and actually you are getting double dipped, or you’re getting double paid for scamming the government. That’s what’s wrong with this country, is that we let too many people scam the government, like my friend. Hi, yes, I am a passenger that uses Scottsdale transit, which includes route 170 and route 72 specifically in Scottsdale. And I’m just Sounding Off in reference to the service that we receive in Scottsdale. Drivers on the route 72 do not wait for buses. Instead they leave earlier than they’re supposed to. Drivers on route 170 stop at restaurants to take a break when they are supposed to be continuing their route. It’s very poor service. They don’t at all acknowledge a person running for a bus even with the strobe light on. They pay no attention. They just take off. We really do have poor bus service in Scottsdale. Thank you. Yes, I would just like to say kudos. I picked up The Times for the first time a few days ago – I believe it was Saturday – and I was very impressed with the paper. I enjoyed it. And I just wanted to tell you all that I appreciate in these very difficult times that people can still pick up a newspaper and read it and it doesn’t cost us. So I appreciate you all for publishing it. Thank you. Yeah, I want to thank you guys for printing my comment about SB 1070. Shame on Arizona to allow the Tea Baggers to tell us how to live. Uh, here’s something to inform people who bought houses. Uh, if they’re still waiting for their $8,000 tax credit, they’re not going to get it unless they redo their paperwork and make it certified. If they don’t make it certified, they will not see their $8,000 because it took me almost a year to see my money. So what these people have to do, if they’re still waiting for their money, and they didn’t do their mail certified, they will not see their $8,000. So if you want to inform people of that and put it in your paper, fine. I’m going to start reading your paper more often and if I want to make a comment, then I’ll make a comment. So thank you very much. Bye, bye. Uh, I just have to tell you again that I just love Slim Smith. I just wish the very best for him. He is so good-looking and distinguished. I wish I could have him, but of course I can’t. I’m not his type probably, but I wish he could have a real nice lady friend and have a nice future. I believe he deserves it. Thank you so much. My name is Lois. Bye, bye. Yes, my name is Louise Cochran. Bravo to the lady calling about the desperation of animal-rescue groups. It’s so true. I wished she’d have left her name. We donate to many animal groups, though we are on a fixed income. We help with food and more as much as we can. Now to Drew Alexander and many more Republicans and Tea Partiers: Where were they when George W. Bush and Chaney nearly bankrupted our country, and we put up with it for eight years? Then they invaded two countries and left one behind for President Obama to have to deal with. And they left us with the largest deficit in history. How can all of the Republicans and Tea Partiers forget all of this so soon and expect President Obama to clean up their mess in just two years? Also, to Jan Brewer and Russell Pearce standing in front of the TV keeping a straight face saying they aren’t racists: Do they think everybody is stupid? Thank you. Goodbye. Hi. This is Long Rose in Phoenix. Once again, I’m over 50 trying to get a job. I’ve been out of work for a year. I’ve been doing what I can. I’m not getting paid for it, but I’m still a personal assistant, cat sitting and house sitting, whatever. Anyway, I went online and filled out an application, and someone I know who is 26 went online and filled out an application. And guess who they called? You’re right. They called the person who’s 26. And because they have a stable work history, according to them, and I do not, guess who got the job offer? You got it. Anyway I’m going to keep trying, and you know what? I’m probably just going to go back to school. I might create my own business. I’m doing crafts now. I’m making purses. I’m crocheting. So their loss my gain. Thank you. First, I want to commend General Dynamics for getting all these young kids in their program for engineering. Anybody ever notice that all those children were Hispanic and how many of them were legal? Let’s question that. Also SkySong, it’s about the big one. Somebody told me when the diaper’s about full we should dump it. It’s about time to dump it. They haven’t done anything for that neighborhood. You go up and down Belleview and Culver, and what do you see? Belleview is full of apartment complexes with fences around them. If I did that I’d have code enforcement breathing down my neck 24 hours a day. The City of Scottsdale says it’s not a sanctuary city. Well, if it isn’t then why are all of the social services catering to the illegals without any questions asked? Let’s get on the stick, Mr. Lane, otherwise you’ll be down memory lane. Let’s get on the ball, Scottsdale. We have laws, so let’s abide by ‘em. Yeah, I was calling concerned about all of these wildfires going on. These fires start way out in the middle of nowhere away from a lot of everything. They are sometimes not passable locations for men to even go down and fight the fire other than fly over with the retardant from above. Why can’t we get our Air Force to come in and drop the side of the mountain down and smother the fire? I mean we have the jets available, and it wouldn’t take that big of deal to do it. We have reserve Army, reserve Marines and we have reserve Air Force in Arizona. It wouldn’t be an environmental factor because this is God’s wilderness in the middle of nowhere. So why can’t we drop the side of a mountain down there and help put it out and save a lot of land and a lot of fire? I’ve asked several news media this, and nobody has an answer. It seems like this would be the thing to do to save the land. Just a question and a thought. Alright? Thank you. Yes, my name is Clinton Wood, and I just wanted to say let’s all not forget that charity starts at home. With all this country’s problems, we need to start fixing charity at home before we start fixing things overseas and everybody else’s problems. Holler back at the paper, man. Thanks, bye. I believe Rosemary must be either one or two years old if she can’t remember that every white president since Ronald Reagan has allowed the immigration problem to continue. It is not Obama’s fault. It was heaped on him. So, Rosemary, do a little thinking and don’t let your prejudice show. My name is Jerry Lujan. Thank you. What’d they ask me to do? I forgot what they asked me to do. Nobody asked me for my name. I’m not talking to anybody. I’m talking to you. (Call ends abruptly.) Hi, I was really confused about that Slim’s View, because it’s a little self-indulgent whiny little thing. But I finally got it. It’s to let the rest of the paper look good. Now I got it. Thank you.