Ode to Ansel Adams' Yellowstone Falls

Water, water,
rushing
roaring

down

down

down
into the misty basin below.

Slithering and
sliding
over rocks
and sand
rounding this curve
then that one.

forever frozen in eternity.

Peace Reflections

For these troubled times, what shall we think on?

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Is. 9:6

Thou wilt keep [him] in perfect peace, [whose] mind [is] stayed [on thee]: because he trusteth in thee.Is. 26:3

I [am for] peace: but when I speak, they [are] for war. Ps. 120:7

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee Ps. 122:6

Jesus is the answer.

Cannibals

Cannibal - one who attacks and eats its own kind.

ARIZONA TRIES TO BALANCE BUDGET ON BACKS OF POOR!

By Linda K. Light

Arizona is trying to balance their budget on the backs of the poor.

Early Friday morning, April 1, around 3 a.m. MST, the Arizona State House of Representatives approved a state budget for the next fiscal year that includes an additional $47 million in cuts from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES).  DES includes healthcare services and other assistance to low-income families and single adults under 65 without dependent children, domestic violence victims, the homeless, the elderly, and the mentally and physically disabled. This agency already suffered huge budget cuts this current fiscal year that included organ transplants for the indigent. That left 96 people due to receive organ transplants on the state program without the means to pay for these badly needed and expensive operations and after care. The organ transplant program has been restored in next year’s budget. But who knows how many can wait that long or will even be alive by then. One person in the program has already lost an opportunity for an organ because when one became available, he did not have the money to pay for it out of his own pocket, nor have health insurance that would cover it. So the organ was given instead to someone else who had the money or health insurance to pay for the operation.

I spoke with Rep. Katie Hobbs (D) Friday morning, and she said, “The budget did not pass until 3 a.m. this morning.  The legislature was in session all night long. No Democrats were allowed any input, only Republicans. No time was given to read the final budget before it was presented and voted on, so no one could really see who would be impacted.” She asked me who my representatives were, and I told her David Smith (R)) and Heather Carter (R).  She told me they both voted for the budget. I will NOT be voting them back in next term should they choose to seek re-election.

Later on Friday afternoon, around 3:30 p.m. the state budget was passed by the State Senate in the same way. Rushed through along partisan lines.

This tactic of presenting a bill and then voting on it almost immediately or within a very short time has been used before to pass bills in the U.S. Congress as well. It seems to me that usually there are things hidden in the bill that the opposition party would oppose and argue against had they been given a chance. But time for argument or discussion before the final vote is not allowed. Instead it is deliberately skipped over.  Time is not given to even read the bill before the vote. Sometimes I think it is used to hide things that some legislators do not want the public to become aware of until it is too late to say anything, because they know the public would object to it.

Speaking from personal experience, not all people receiving assistance are defrauding the system. Many cannot afford healthcare on their own, nor purchase healthcare insurance.  Many general practice physicians, not specialists, charge as much as $100-200 per visit full price. That cost does not include lab tests or medicines. That is just the price to see the doctor. I’ve read where some state legislators think poor people who get bumped off the state’s Medicaid program, AHCCCS, should go to the emergency room for any kind of illness or treatment instead.  Hospitals are not allowed to turn anyone away if they come to the emergency room. But these hospitals will still send a bill to that person even if they have no insurance or money to pay for it. If the patient does not come up with the means to pay the bill, eventually the bill will be sent to a collection agency, and it will show up on the person’s credit report as well.  Multiple daily phone calls from the collection agency as well as mail start coming in. The patient may be unemployed and trying very hard to get a job, or just barely have enough income to keep a roof over their heads and the electricity on, but not pay for the bill. Single adults without dependent children under the age of 65 (too young to be covered by Medicare) is one group that is under consideration from being dropped from the program.  Just because an adult doesn’t have children in the home to take care of doesn’t mean they can all afford health care.

Yesterday I read on CNN’s web site where the U.S. House of Representatives will be presented with next year’s budget Tuesday, April 5, that will include cuts to Medicaid for the federal budget, and pass the costs along to the states, who are already struggling with their budgets. 

I guess the poor are supposed to just die if they get seriously injured or ill, because they can’t afford health care like the wealthier can. Churches and other charitable organizations that provide free healthcare to the poor are struggling financially, too.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/03/31/20110331ahcccs-health-care-debate.html

http://www.azcentral.com/news/election/azelections/articles/2011/04/01/20110401arizona-budget-senate-passes-goes-to-brewer.html

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/02/house.gop.budget/index.html?hpt=C1

Water and Rock Haiku

by Linda K. Light

Copyright 2010 Linda K. Light

Gurgling joyfully

Over rock and into pool

Water streaming calm.

SHARIA LAW at work in Arizona: Dad accused in 'honor killing' will not face death penalty

 NOTE: Honor killings are premeditated murder. So why aren't they treated as premeditated murder? A blogger at the Arizona Republic exposes why. His blog is about the Idealogy of Islam. Link is in the title of  this blog if you click on it.-- Linda

http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2010/02/19/20100219honor-killing.html

Dad accused in 'honor killing' will not face death penalty

by Dustin Gardiner - Feb. 19, 2010 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

A Glendale man accused of killing his daughter in an "honor killing" will not face the death penalty.

After sparring with the suspect's defense attorney over its death-penalty-review process, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office has said it will not seek death for Faleh Almaleki, 49.

The Iraqi immigrant is accused of killing his daughter, 20-year-old Noor Almaleki, for being "too Westernized."

Police say he used his Jeep Cherokee to run down his daughter and another woman in a Peoria parking lot Oct. 20. Noor later died of her injuries.

Almaleki is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and two counts of leaving the scene of a serious accident. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The decision not to seek the death penalty comes after Almaleki's attorney, Billy Little, a public defender, asked a judge to take special precautions to ensure the County Attorney's Office wouldn't wrongly seek the death penalty because Almaleki is a Muslim. [NOTE: This is in accord with Sharia law which prohibits a non-Moslem from killing a Moslem for any reason. ]

Little requested that the office make public the process it uses to determine whether to seek capital punishment.

"An open process provides some level of assurance that there is no appearance that a Christian is seeking to execute a Muslim for racial, political, religious or cultural beliefs," Little wrote, referring to County Attorney Andrew Thomas' Christian faith. [NOTE: And so, once again, Moslems are being given special protection just in order to avoid the appearance of prejudice. From now on, it will be clear that the death penalty in Arizona applies only to non-Moslems!!!]

Laura Reckart, a county prosecutor, responded that Little's concern about the "supposed bias" of the office's death-penalty-review process was "without legitimate factual or legal basis." [NOTE: True enough. So, why is the prosecutor's office backing down???]

She wrote that the state can seek the death penalty for any person convicted of first-degree murder if it can prove the existence of at least one aggravating factor, not because of religion.

However, the debate stopped there. On Tuesday, Reckart filed a motion indicating prosecutors would not seek the death penalty. [NOTE:  WHY???]

Mike Scerbo, a spokesman for the County Attorney's Office, declined to comment on the decision.

Prosecutors said Almaleki has admitted killing his daughter because she disgraced the family by not following traditional Iraqi or Muslim values. [NOTE: More sloppy, politically correct reporting from the Arizona Republic. What are "Iraqi values"??? We are talking ONLY about Muslim values. Iraqi Christians do not do this sort of thing.]

They liken the case to honor killings that occur in the Middle East, Africa and other parts of the world. In tribal societies where the practice occurs, male family members feel they must kill a rebellious relative who shames them by not adhering to traditional values. [NOTE: Of the more than 5000 "honor killings a year, according to the United Nations report, the vast, vast majority are committed by Moslems. These Moslems are not members of "tribes" with "traditional values". They are adherents of Islam, with Islamic values.]

Noor had reportedly married a man in Iraq and returned to Arizona to live with a boyfriend and his mother in Surprise, police said. [NOTE: These are violations of sacred Islamic Sharia law which permits, sometimes even requires death as a punishment. Sharia law specifically exempts parents from the death penalty if they kill their children!]

Friday, February 19, 2010 at 07:59 AM

Well in the Desert

I thought I had a well that was deep and true.
The water was very sweet and refreshing.

I tried to take good care of it.
Then one morning I woke up and
The water had disappeared.
All that remained was shifting sand.

Maybe just a mirage in the desert.

By Linda K. Light