Phoenix Law Enforcement Association president Ken Crane had an editorial recently recommending more police officers for the City of Phoenix. As a libertarian I usually oppose increased government spending, but public safety is a proper function of government and Ken is right in calling for more spending on police. The City of Phoenix has budget challenges, but it simply needs to reexamine its priorities. The money for more police can easily be taken from the hundreds of millions of dollars that Phoenix is wasting on light rail, an outmoded form of transportation that will be obsolete in a few years when self driving cars take over the transportation for those without automobiles.
Let’s make our citizens safe and mobile at the same time. Take some funds from light rail and hire more police.
Why do we have an opioid crisis? Here is a tragic example: Eight years ago, the supporters of our Orwellian drug laws caused the death of my friend Christopher Smith. He was shot at point blank range while he sat in his car on a south Phoenix street, probably trying to buy or sell drugs. He did not have to die. He should not have died. Christopher should have had a place he could go to get help and to get a safe dose of something that would relieve his pain and anxiety. Our insane drug laws prevent this. Anyone buying or selling “unapproved” drugs is a criminal and, consequently, like my friend Christopher, is forced into the criminal world.
Christopher was not some low life marginally productive member of society. He was well educated, a kind and generous man who had a lovely wife and three beautiful daughters. I knew him as chief of staff for the Arizona State Senate and later as executive director of the Goldwater Institute. He had some medical issues that were complicated by an automobile accident and I am sure that he was in a lot of pain that he did not believe could be adequately addressed by legal drugs. In a free society no government agency should be empowered to tell someone what medications they can put into their own body. But, even if you agree with some drug regulation, surely there should be safe houses where someone like Christopher could go.
Little has changed in the last eight years regarding regulation of opioids. How many more deaths of innocent victims like Christopher must we endure before we come to our senses and adopt a less authoritarian and more humanitarian approach?
Air Force Academy Sex Scandal Linked to Honor
I believe that the sex scandal at the Air Force Academy is partly caused by what I call a climate of dishonor which is, in turn, caused by a failure to enforce the Academy’s Cadet Honor Code. The Academy does not seem to realize that there is something worse than having no code of honor at all and that is having a strict honor code that is not enforced. Failure to enforce high standards of honor results in a failure by cadets to check other forms of bad behavior such as sexual harassment. The fact that the Honor Code is not enforced has been well documented for over 30 years by Fred Malmstrom, a 1964 graduate of the Academy and someone who, after retiring from the Air Force, spent years researching the Honor Code. The Academy, however, refuses to even examine Malmstrom’s research in any thorough or systematic manner, meanwhile continuing to allege that the Honor Code is working just fine.
The Honor Code states, “We will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate among us anyone who does.” Sadly, most everyone at the Academy, cadets included, know that violations are tolerated. Malmstrom’s research clearly shows that toleration of honor violations has risen steadily for the entire 30-year period of his surveys. The Academy should either change the wording of the Honor Code to mandate a softer (lower) standard or enforce the higher standards of the current language (my preference). If the Honor Code were being enforced, a climate of honor would pervade the cadet wing which would result in cadets refusing to tolerate, not only honor violations, but also other bad behavior.
Roy Miller, Col, USAF(Ret)
Air Force Academy ‘67
1529 W Virginia Ave
Phoenix AZ 85007
Phone 602.254.4648
Email RMiller451@aol.com
The City of Phoenix just announced that they are adding 176 miles of bike lanes. Why? They have no idea. At our last regular meeting of the Phoenix Citizens Transportation Commission I asked a general question about recent and projected bike traffic in the downtown Phoenix area. Although there were more than half a dozen representatives of the Phoenix Transportation Department in attendance, not even one could answer my question. I then asked the pregnant question: “What are we doing?” The chairman of our committee echoed my question. Again, no one could answer.
Sadly, I think I know the answer: The city is responding to the demands of a political interest group (as usual) and not to the logical needs of our transportation infrastructure.
It is ridiculous in the extreme for there to be a debate about the motives of the cake decorator who is suing for his freedom. Does it matter whether it is the message on the cake or the belief of the cake decorator or the sexual preference of the couple requesting the cake? NO! The court’s decision on this should be one sentence: The owner of the cake decorating shop should be able to refuse to decorate a cake for anyone and for ANY reason. Period.
Senator Flake; I just listened to your very passionate and persuasive floor speech in which you announced your decision not to run in 2018. I was as moved by this speech as I was by reading your new book “Conscience of a Conservative.” In both cases, after each sentence I was quietly saying “yes.” Therefore, I would strongly urge you to reconsider your decision. For all the reasons you outlined in your book and in your speech, you are needed now more than ever. I believe that your influence in the long run could be as significant as the senator who penned the first Conscience of a Conservative: Barry Goldwater.
However, without your leadership, I am less confident. Please reconsider.
What is more important, public safety or light rail? The Phoenix Police Department is still grossly understaffed and has been for quite some time. Meanwhile, Phoenix is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to expand the light rail, a system which will be obsolete in just a few years as self driving cars become popular.
Does anyone think we need to reexamine our priorities??
Recent newspaper accounts reveal misbehavior at the state board that regulates cosmetologists, such as failure to complete proper reports, excessive spending, etc. Now, there are the usual demands for an “investigation.” This is foolish. Corruption and inefficiency is always present in government because government deals with coercion, which is a poor way to insure proper behavior (competition and cooperation work much better).
The corruption and waste in government is especially problematic in government agencies which should not even exist, such as most of the regulatory agencies. The actions of these organizations are not JUST wasteful and corrupt; they are harmful. There is no need for a government agency to regulate cosmetologists. The agency should be abolished, not repaired.
I just finished watching all 18 hours of the Ken Burns series on Vietnam. (You don’t have to wait for it to appear on TV as it is all available online.) I was astounded at how much I learned and I would recommend the series for everyone but especially anyone who was in the military during the Vietnam war. It is truly an eye opener.
Early in his Sep 10 column about Pat Tillman, Ed Montini referred to him as “a man of unquestioned character, distinction and accomplishment….who did not need a statue.” I agree completely. And, if a monument were to be erected, Montini was right; it should have been near the library, not the football stadium. Tillman was first a scholar and a role model for students, only secondly a football player.
Montini had read the Jon Krakauer book “Where Men Win Glory” which revealed the details of Tillman’s killing. As outlined by Krakauer, the attempt by the Army to cover up Tillman’s killing by friendly fire was despicable. The contrast between the actions of Pat Tillman and those of the senior officials in the Army should give all Americans pause to examine priorities and to rethink where we look for leadership.
Finally, I must commend Montini’s quote; “Tillman did not waste his days trying to make a name for himself. He made a name for himself by not wasting his days. His ‘monument’ is his life and the way he lived it.” Amen!
roymilleraz 