Complaint Review: Arizona Republic

The following letter is in response to an Editorial & cartoon in
the June 27, 1999 issue of the Arizona Republic, East Valley
section page EV3.


Dear Editor:

I know the Arizona Republic will not print this about Mesa. You
asked for articles. Can you use this?
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A STORY ABOUT THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC'S EDITORIAL
MANIPULATIONS IN MESA


The Unedited Version!



Letter to The Arizona Republic Editor:

It seems that the manipulative editorial board of the Arizona
Republic just can't say anything but No. No to the people voting on
the innovative ideas of other public citizens through initiatives.
No to written-guarantees of less taxes. No to people spending their
income on their purposes. No to making a level-playing field for
all businesses to compete in. Freedom and Liberty have become
forgotten words in this country.

The name-calling Republic editors appear to be of the group that
believe it is safer to have the people only vote once every four
years for some elected stranger, instead of individuals making
thousands of little "votes" everyday in their lives - that free
individuals make - when they have fewer laws and more of their
income with which to "vote" on which services and products they
wish to "support". I may not have the money to visit a P.I.R. car
race, or as many of them, when I have been forced to give $4,000 of
my income to the Rio Salado Millionaire Cardinals. You seem
to believe government has a blank unlimited credit card in all of
our names to spend all over the world. How dare we shred it!

Instead, by keeping 87%+ of my income, I could enjoy thousands of
"mini-votes" each day, every year, instead of having everything
including entertainment picked out for me by self-serving
politicians. Politicians, who half the time, receive large
donations from the same lazy contractors benefiting from government
projects. Contractors who incidentally advertise heavily in your
paper.

The Republic editors sink to a cowardly new low when they attempt
to tarnish concerned and active citizens like Joan Payne, etc. with
words like "crackpots". Your paper recently attempted to win a 400
million dollar tax scheme, the Rio Salado, with name-calling and
belittlement. Now you attempt to use the same techniques on the
people who want to guarantee the taxpayers more of their money for
their own purposes, through the constitutional initiative
process.

Every one of the new initiatives in Mesa will cut down millions
more of your friends' theft out of the taxpaying-public's income;
$500,000 to fluoride companies. $40,000,000 less in new property
taxes. $14,000,000 less food sales taxes. $23,000,000 less
unaccountable city-manager spending. Perhaps the people should say
Yes! to a boycott of your paper. With your name-calling and taxes,
you fight like a schoolyard bully. A bully uses intimidation and
force. The intimidation - name calling. The force - taxation. It is
the Arizona Republic editorial board who is a negative influence in
this community. Say Yes! to replacing it.

JonB77@mailexcite.com

June 28, 1999