Complaint Review: Arizona Republic - Phoenix Arizona

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.

[email protected]

June 28, 1999