Taxes increase for non-primary residents

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[Gazette Blog Editor's note: You might want to check your recently received Gila County property tax bill to see if you are impacted by the following.  But remember, both houses of your state legislature and the governor's office are firmly controlled by the Republican Party.]
 
(GLOBE, AZ)— The Arizona legislature last year passed House Bill 2001 and was signed into law by the Governor that created a new legal class for residential property. 

This new legal class 4.1 is for residential property that is not the owner’s primary residence and for residential property that is owned by a financial institution. The new legal class is found in Arizona Revised Statute 42-12004 Section 1.
 
Previously a person owning multiple residential properties would receive the homeowner’s rebate, commonly known as Less State Aid to Education, on each residential property, as long as a residential property was not rented to someone who was not a member of the owner’s family per Arizona Revised Statute 42-12053.

The new legislation means that all secondary residences, such as personal use vacation homes, and residences owned by financial institutions in Gila County and throughout the state of Arizona will see a change in their 2012 Property Tax Bills.
 
The loss of the Less State Aid to Education could mean an increase in a property tax bill as much as $600.00. The actual increase in property taxes for a property for class 4.1 is dependent on the Limited Property Value of each property and the School District the property is located in.

A Non-Primary Residence Tax Bill will increase on average based on the average Net Assessed Value of a Non-Primary Residence within the following school districts:
Payson Unified School District: $188.96
Globe Unified School District: $87.32
Young Unified School District: $190.14
Pine-Strawberry Unified School District: $63.21
Tonto Basin School District: $87.06
Miami Unified School District: $56.21
Hayden-Winkelman Unified School District: $96.20

Since the state has created this new legal classification, the only residential property that will stillreceive the homeowner’s rebate is legal class 3, owner occupied and/or family member occupied property used as their primary residence.

For more information, you can contact Mr. Larry Huffer at (928) 402-8716 or Ms. Hazel Dillon at (928) 402-8711, with the Gila County Assessor’s Office. Within Arizona, you may dial (800) 304-4452, ext. 8716, or 8711.

US needs leaders who understand threats

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 BOB EDWARDS   COMMENTARY 
By Bob EdwardsGazette Contributor
(Gazette Blog Editor's note: Bob Edwards is a former Michigan State Legislator and former Mayor of Payson.) America just experienced 9/11 two, granted it is lessdramatic since it was stretched over days and not minutes, but make no mistake,it was a severe attack on America  byIslam extremists.
The history of embassies has shown them to be safe havensprotected by the government of the countries in which they reside, evencountries with governments that oppose America. However, this time thegovernment did not protect them and there are strong hints that they may haveeven had a role in promoting the attacks.
The above should be a concern to all Americans but an evenbigger concern should be that in this world of ever increasing fanatical terroristswe seem to have an administration that turns a blind eye to the growing crisis.
To excuse the terrorist actions on a video is the height of naivety.Yes the video is in poor taste and stupid but humans are a breed that does suchthings.  By comparison, Islam radicalsnot only make much wilder statements they cut off heads. The Islam radicalshave succeeded in making even the mildest questions about Islam the work ofislamaphobes yet they continually rile against and call for the killing of allnone Muslims.
Iran and Israel are at a flashpoint threatening a majorworldwide explosion yet Netanyahu can’t get a meeting with the president whileentertainers can. The attacks on the embassy are excused as a natural reactionto a weird You Tube video for which the administration seems to think Americais at fault. Now it seems clear that the UN Ambassador Susan Rice was sent outto deliberately lie to the American people which, if true, should scare everyAmerican. Open and honest debate was a principle our country was built on. Iunderstand a politician getting caught off guard or waylaid by a deviousreporter and making a misstatement but to make a prepared statement that is adeliberate lie is an erosion in standard that should shake us deeply.
The world is moving to a crisis state both financially andpolitically. Europe is racing toward a financial abyss and is still stepping onthe gas… Greece is toast, Spain and Portugal are in the frying pan, France justelected leaders that will insure they will follow suit and America is using Europeas a financial model.
Politically, Libya and Egypt have moved from despotdictators who were not a threat to America or Israel to despot leaders who callfor the death of both America and Israel. The popular uprising in Syria, acountry that is a threat to both America and Israel is being ignored just asthe popular uprising in Iran was ignored.
America needs leadership that clearlyunderstands the threats we face and is willing to engage in both economic and foreign policiesthat make sense.

Would someone please call timeout

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    OUT TO PASTOR     By Rev. James L. Snyder
Gazette Contributor

I just realized that summer is now over. Where in the world did it go?

In fact, that is a very good question. Where does the summer go when it leaves? Is there some place that summer, winter, spring and fall go to chill out? When they get there, what in the world are they doing?

Someone suggested, and I will not divulge any names, only to say he or she lives in the same residence I do, that as a person gets older, time goes faster. I absolutely resemble that comment.

This past week I finally adjusted myself to my summertime schedule. I do not know about anybody else, but it takes me a long time to get into a new schedule.

While I am thinking about it, who in the world invented these seasons? Why didn't they let a good thing go? I would much have preferred that we simply divide our time by day or night. If it is dark, for example, it has to be night. And, if the sun is up and it is shining and bright, it must be day. I could live with something like that. At least I would know what time it really was.

I was actually wallowing in a hopeless spirit of despondency. What is a person to do?

Then something rather interesting happened. One of my friends was playing football and his first game was on a Saturday morning. I thought maybe the distraction might cheer me up a little bit and encourage me to keep on keeping on.

I cannot remember the last time I was at a football game. Of course that does not mean too much; I cannot remember what I had for lunch yesterday. It was good to get into a different venue and air out my soul.

Then it hit me. No, not the football, although that might have helped to a certain degree. But a thought hit me, which is just about as rare as being hit by a football.

I had just gotten into the spirit of watching the game when all of a sudden I heard a whistle and a referee yelled, "Timeout." At that moment everything stopped. I looked at the clock on the scoreboard and it had stopped. I had forgotten about this little quirk in football.

The clock did not start and the game did not commence until the referee yelled, "play ball." Or something to that effect.

That got me thinking. If they can do that for football, why can't we do that for life? After all, life is far more important than a football game. Who is that referee that yells, "Timeout," and everybody stops? What kind of authority does he have?

We need to bring this kind of thinking into life in general. It seems to me that everything in life is thought out in great detail, except actually living life. Football has been well thought out and is comprised of rules and regulations. Baseball the same. Hockey...well, maybe not so much hockey. But most games are well thought out, have rules to live by, and if something isn't going the way it is supposed to go, the referee has the privilege of yelling "Timeout."

How many times could I have used this little rule in my life?

Wouldn't it be nice to stop life when you have made an inappropriate remark, maybe you said something to your wife that came out the wrong side of your mouth. I have done that many a times. I think it would be rather nice if when I realize what I have just said, to be able to yell "Timeout." Then do it over again.

The other day one of my checks from my checking account bounced. That would have been a perfect time to yell "Timeout" and redo the whole thing.

There are so many things in life that could benefit from this one little thing called "Timeout." I suggest that we began implementing this into our daily life. After all, our daily life is much more important than a football game, a hockey game, or a baseball game. I think whenever something goes awry we should have the privilege to stop it right in its tracks and do it over again. It does not matter how many times we have to do it over again; we continue doing it over until we get it right.

It would make life more exciting if I knew that if I made a mistake I could call "Timeout," do a do-over, and make everything right.

I think we need to have a very stern conversation with good old Father Time. He is so much a stickler for time marching on. But sometimes you get tired of marching and need to sit down and take a breather. Then sometimes, you need to change the direction in which you are marching. It is not so bad that time marches on but when it needs to turn around and march the other way that is a completely different story.

In thinking further along this line, I discovered God already has a "Timeout" plan. I found it in 1 John 1:9 (KJV), "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

With this in mind, I certainly want to take full advantage of God's "Timeout" plan.

Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 1-866-552-2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. His web site is www.jamessnyderministries.com.

Real cowboys are in Mitt's 47%

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'This latest evidence of Romney's obtuseness appalled credible conservative commentators.' (photo: Jim Young/Reuters)
By David HorseyThe Los Angeles Timesreadersupportednews.org 21 September 12
n the imaginary universe of Mitt Romney, the 47% of Americans who pay no income tax are loafers, shiftless bums and welfare queens who will all vote for President Obama in November. In the real world, that 47% includes the working poor, the newly unemployed, handicapped people, the elderly, veterans, 4,000 millionaires and the nation's greatest icon, the American cowboy.

A few years ago, I helped move a herd of cattle with some honest-to-God cowboys on a big ranch near White Sulphur Springs, Mont. At the end of the morning as the cows and calves mothered up, the cowboys told me how they loved the life they lived -- the broad land, the wide sky, the days tending animals, even the hard and endless work in all kinds of weather.
One of the cowboys said he knew he would never get rich; he and his wife lived with their kids in a tiny rental house and they would probably never have much more than that. But it was enough for him. He had no interest in being an entrepreneur, a venture capitalist or a king of Wall Street.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average yearly income of a cowboy is around $25,000. Tax laws that were passed under President Reagan aimed to help Americans of modest means by giving them an income tax break. As a result, working people in the income strata below $30,000 a year are likely to pay little or no income tax. That covers a lot of cowboys.
Are they slackers? No, there is no one with a stronger work ethic than cowboys. A willingness to work does not guarantee affluence, though. Among the 47% that Romney disdains are millions of hardworking, poorly compensated people and other millions of retired folk who labored all their lives. But, in a speech to wealthy donors last May, Romney said he would not even try to win the votes of this 47% because they were "dependent on the government" and felt "entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing, to you-name-it."
With these comments revealed, it becomes even more obvious that Romney has vast gaps in his understanding of the people he aspires to lead. He speaks as though he is being fed lines by a staff made up of Ayn Rand zealots and Rush Limbaugh dittoheads and has no clue how they are misleading him.
This latest evidence of Romney’s obtuseness appalled credible conservative commentators, such as David Brooks and Bill Kristol. Limbaugh, of course, was ecstatic to have the Republican presidential nominee join him in a world without facts.
The sad reality is that Romney is wrong about one other thing: There are plenty of folks among the 47% who will vote for him -- and not just the millionaires who have found ways to evade the income tax. Working-class men, in particular, have fallen for the Republican call to "take back America" from gays, illegal immigrants, baby-killing feminists, tax-crazy liberals and a president who is just not truly American. They feel embattled and hope Romney will be on their side. But how can he be their champion when he does not even know who they are or how they live?
If Mitt Romney saw a real cowboy, he'd think it was costume night at the country club. 
    READER COMMENTS        +143 #indian weaver2012-09-21 10:52I had to laugh at the last line. We live in southwestern Colorado where ranching and farming constitute most of the local business, along with the energy industry's gas drilling. At City Market supermarket and everywhere else in town (pop. 10,000, county 18,000, elev. 6200') and country, locals wear their cowboy hats and boots, cowboys and cowgirls on horseback with their cattle dogs along the highways herding cattle from Winter to Summer pastures (and the tourists here for Mesa Verde stopped on the highway taking photos), our ever-present working and family dogs riding around in our trucks and cars with us. Yet, amazingly enough, the cowboy hat and boots are not costume dress for our "country club". I can't imagine harder working folks making less money and loving it. I guess we are the lazy hobos depending on government for our livelihoods? I don't think so. Cleaning out irrigation ditches, brush hogging acreage of tough sagebrush to enlarge our pastures, baling and stacking bales of hay for local consumption and trucking to market, this is a county of back breaking physical labors of love to pay our way. We are blessed to live in clean space and emptiness, far from romney's rich and famous geniuses. Many of us have to laugh at this guy who actually has deceived himself and many others into viewing him as presidential material. Gimme a break, and another laugh.  +4 #KittatinyHawk2012-09-21 18:05Enjoy it Fracking may not affect you at your altitude but it will affect others.

I am glad someone in a different situation has given us a glimpse of how American seems to meld into the employment in its midst.

I was offended for the Military...not all are brass slugs.  +17 #indian weaver2012-09-22 05:10Fracking is here. Altitude has nothing to do with it. It's as horrible here as everywhere. Underground explosions have already knocked one home off its foundation just north of cortez, co. Bill Barrett Co. is doing the damages and is facing a lawsuit by the AG of colorado, filed in Denver. The underground explosions are also suspected of weakening the foundation of Cliff Palace on Mesa Verde, the largest cliff dwelling in the national park. We know all about fracking here.  +9 #Regina2012-09-22 09:40Romney comes with rich and notorious scoundrels and jackasses, not "geniuses." Cowboys know a helluva lot more about nature than these dingbats, who know zilch about human reproduction, climate, evolution, and all the other science areas they firmly think they have a choice and a vote, for or (usually) against.  0 #robniel2012-09-25 10:30As Mozzie would say, "He's an empty suit".  +67 #fishmother2012-09-21 11:08I can see no way in which anything akin to reality will shake all if those wood be good lie boys from Romney. It's too bad that there isn't some ID requirement that could keep em from voting. Is there a way to make racism & stupidity a case for voter fraud?  +42 #CL382012-09-21 12:40Racism, misogyny, homophobia, stupidity, lying and propagating misinformation should all be grounds to prevent those who believe in a right to discriminate, from running for public office!

We need tests that those aspiring for public office have to pass that weed out extremists. Otherwise, our politicians are certainly not serving all Americans, only old white males. 

Mitt's self-immolation is poetic justice

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 A stake through the heart. By Jonathan ChaitNew York Magazinereadersupportednews.org   I’ve been wrong before, and I’ll be wrong again, but I may never have been as wrong as I was when I initially predicted that Mitt Romney’s heinous diatribe against 47 percent of America would have little direct impact on the election. It’s an absolutely crushing blow. Obviously it doesn’t guarantee his defeat — if a secret video surfaces depicting Obama promising to impose Sharia law in his second term, Romney will stand a good chance of coming back — but it destroys his public standing in ways 
What’s devastating about (a recent Obama ad featuring Romney's comments), aside from the juxtaposition of Romney’s words against photos of regular Americans, is something I only noticed the second time I watched it. It’s the sound of silverware clinking on china in the background as Romney speaks. That detail contrasts the atmosphere Romney inhabits with the one in which most Americans live. You can tell, even though you’re not seeing this, that the remarks are being made to people enjoying a formal dinner.

The damage of the remarks is twofold. Obviously, it deeply reinforces the worst stereotypes voters have of Romney. Indeed, the fact that he is currently running ads trying to make the case that he does care about all of America testifies to the grim position in which Romney finds himself. If you’re trying to clear the threshold of “does this candidate hate me” six weeks before the election, you’re probably not on the verge of closing the sale.

Worse still, the comments destroy Romney’s fundamental credibility. Here America sees what he says behind closed doors. Nothing he can say in public can possibly overcome the damage of these comments, because voters will quite correctly assume that he is telling them what they want to hear. George W. Bush’s campaign figured out how to do this to both Al Gore and John Kerry — by painting them as liars, Bush destroyed them as a message delivery platform. Romney has, essentially, done it to himself.

The size of the political damage Romney has incurred is beside the point. He was trailing narrowly, but in a polarized electorate with a tiny number of undecided voters. Not only has he turned some of those undecided voters against him, but he’s blown up his bridge to reach them.

My initial instinct, that Romney would escape, arose in part from my general belief that what is and what ought to be are not usually the same thing. Candidates routinely get tripped up by trivial mistakes, and escape unscathed from monstrous acts. Life isn’t fair. But if the 47 percent comments do finish Romney off, as now appears likely, it will be eminently fair.

It will be fair because Romney has spent the last five years refashioning himself in the image of his party, discarding his most decent elements along the way, only to be caught in the end speaking bluntly. I’ve argued that the comments reflect his true beliefs now, but it scarcely matters. America has now seen Mitt Romney talking about us (or 47 percent of us, which offends many more of us) behind our backs.

And then, finally, there is a poetic justice in the substance of Romney’s self-immolation. This is not a random gaffe, a joke gone bad, or even a terrible brain freeze. It is Romney exposed for espousing a worldview that is at the heart of his party’s mania. The idea he summed up at that fund-raiser was a combination of right-wing fever dreams I’ve been analyzing since Obama took office — the Ayn Randism, the fact-free class warfare, the frantic rage at a changing America. The Republican Party is going down because its candidate was seen advocating exactly the beliefs that make the party so dangerous and repellant.

   READER COMMENTS   
  +39 #Willman2012-09-30 17:53My hope is that RoMoney is bullied by the 47% on election day the same way he bullied the student at his prestigious private school he attended. +14 #Maxwell2012-09-30 21:46My hope is that Jonathan Chait is correct. My hope is that the nation heard what Romney said in private and took it to mean what it does in fact mean: that Romney represents only the rich and that he doesn't care at all about poor or even working Americans.

Romney said in so many words that his job is "not to worry about those people". "Those people" are you and me, folks. Romney was addressing the richest people in the country when he said that. Romney will represent them, but not you and me.

How much clearer could his position be?   +5 #Barbara K2012-10-01 04:06Maxwell: I agree with you, he meant what he said. The only reason I can see that he even wants to be president is his hunger for power, but it is only for his own gain and the pandering he can do to his fellow millionaires. To him it is not and never was about us, the regular people.  +1 #Independentgal2012-10-01 05:15That Romney only represents the rich is so true. That's what the Republican party has been for years now --- of, by, and for the super rich and the large corporations. Perhaps some of the Republican right wingers will begin to realize what fools they've been to support Romney and his cohorts. The only problem with that is that they've been so brainwashed by Rush and Fox that it may take a while before it becomes apparent to them.  +19 #brux2012-09-30 22:51Go to Greg Palast's website and read about the many ways the Republicans are using to steal the election.

In 2008 almost 5 million voters were disenfranchised using any of the 9 ways Palast describes to throw away people's ballots.

I would not be so sure or cocky that Obama is going to win unless we do something about these Republicans and their dirty illegal tricks.  +4 #tahoevalleylines2012-09-30 23:14William J. Scnoebelen has a dark history in the occult, but seems to have a well documented account of what's wrong with Mitt in his book: "Mormonism And The temple Of Doom".

Religion should not be part of a Presidential campaign. Looking at a candidate's belief system and subsequent world view should be.

A man that feels OK with "Harvesting Profits" from working companies, dismembering them and leaving behind ruined lives is not Presidential timber...

The long term fallout from Mitt's fits contaminates the GOP and millions of supporters who are compelled by circumstances to ride this horse to the bitter end. It well could be a very bitter end.

One thing going for Romney and the country; President Mitt would probably receive better treatment from House & Senate Dems than Obama's treatment from GOP members.

The biggest surprise of the election could be Romney's recanting of the bizarre and blasphemous rituals of the LDS. Next, the Civil Engineering shock: Romney lays out a comprehensive engineering proposal for dealing with America's water problems. Based on the 50 years old HAWAPA suite of engineering features, the entire US would benefit from restored aquifers and a multitude of Hydropower sites

The plate is pretty full now.. but Mitt, could you also face up to Peaking Conventional Oil? Care to make a phone call to Richard Heinberg? $10,000?  +7 #tigerlille2012-09-30 23:38Mitt Romney is the literal embodiment of the psychological concept of projection. Everything he alleges about the supposed 47% of the American public who don't pay taxes is in fact true about himself, right down to the sense of entitlement and the failure to take responsibility for his own life. Yes indeed, I would dearly love to see this shallow, self-righteous man take responsibility for his own life with out his inherited wealth and privilege, with out corporate welfare, and without recourse to a system of predatory capitalism thar does not burden him with any sort of morality or common decency.

What is most disturbing about the Romney presidential campaign is what a perfect opponent he is for President Obama. Romney is such a repulsive individual that Obama is not being held accountable for fis omissions, out right lies, and failiings. He looks so good compared to Romney that no one is challenging his administrations ' attempt to reinstate the clearly unconstitutiona l indefinite detention act, or his unlawful declaration of Bradley Manning's guilt, or his collusion with and failure to prosecute wall Street banksters, or his assumption of presidential power to assassinate any individual in the world without due process, even US citizens, and even US citizens who are children; and that is justis the tip of the iceberg. Funny how things work
out;;  +8 #Barbara K2012-10-01 04:03I hope that the states conducting the Voter Suppression realize that to take away one's voting rights by purging them from the Rolls can lead to rioting in the streets of their towns. Voting is our constitutional right and if these liars and cheaters want to deny our Votes with their suppression and cheating machines, I think they should re-think that nasty action. People are fed up with stolen elections and tossed out ballots.  +2 #charsjcca2012-10-01 05:27Barbara: There will not riot. These are the same communities where restrictive covenants and red-lining was tolerated.

One interesting side bar to this Boca Raton event was who else was in the room. A report I saw said that Mitchell A. Burns was there. Burns is the retired Chairman and CEO of Ryder System Inc, as well as former Chairman of National Urban League. As a former employee of Ryder I remember the various awards Ryder garnered for diversity and fairness. Which raises an interesting question: "Which Burns was in the room that day?" Burns knows how to hold a press conference and disavow what was said if it offended him. We have long tolerated these split political personalities and treated that as normal. It is time we call a spade a spade. Who is Burns?  +1 #Big Jake2012-10-01 04:22If there is a real Romney, the 47% comment reflects that. It is pure Ayn Rand. The elites have jumped on that band wagon and have sold it to far too many. Those of us who are struggling and that is more than the 47% are looking for answers. Not too long ago, in ideology appeared and gained mass support by blaming a religious group for our troubles. That did not turn out so well. The comment will probably sink a leaky ship and well it should. However, just eliminating the Romney’s will not fix the mess albeit that Romney and his ilk will wreck a fragile nation much quicker. Romney is too easy to spot unlike the Reagan’s who won the support of the people and allowed the nation to be gutted by his friends and perhaps we will never know if Reagan ever got it. The 47% are growing fast as we continue to transfer the nation’s wealth to the few. That fact will not be fixed by a forced redistribution of wealth but it can be fixed by an appropriate monetary policy as existed from 1942-1952. Study that record and consider what happened.  +1 #natalierosen2012-10-01 04:31Perfect article and right on the money (pardon the pun.) No surprises from Romney here.

The political right has turned mean, racist, and it was in the end MOST unethical as we can now see by the Republican voter suppression tactics. There is something in my left of center compadres that says we would never deprive those in our nation of that which makes us us - the ability to cast a vote. It is for most of us the only power we have. But the right does NOT care. If anything they want to remove even from life itself those who think a nation has the duty to provide those who cannot help themselves the basics - food, clothing, shelter and health care.

Romney and his Republican Party of charlatans and those know nothings who do not know enough to figure out Romney does not give a damn about anyone but himself and those of his own class. His class does not even include most Tea Baggers who erroneously think Romney cares about them. He doesn’t.

If one thinks back to the picnic table lunch Romney had with middle class people one can see how ill at ease he was and insulted even their food. But when he was at the infamous Florida dinner of those millionaires and billionaires whom he counted on for cash he feels just fine. One can see it.

He did not fool me for a minute. He SURELY is not and never has been fine with me!

Major Conservation Easement for Southern Colorado

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Louis Bacon, current owner of what used to be the Forbes Trinchera Ranch, has placed a 77,000-acre conservation easement on the property.

This builds on the June announcement that he would donate a perpetual conservation easement on his 90,000-acre Blanca Ranch.

Together, they bring the total amount of permanently protected land to nearly 170,000 acres — the largest easement ever given to Fish and Wildlife.

It's good to see a hedge-fund trader do something worthwhile with the money. I had the opportunity to travel around on parts of that land back when Malcolm Forbes owned it, and because it was managed partly for trophy elk hunting, it was in excellent condition — great wildlife habitat. 
Forbes, however, had sold off a lot in 5-acre lots —the "own your piece of Colorado" ads were everywhere in the 1970s and 1980s. You could still get one, I am sure, but they tended to be the lower altitude, drier parts of the land. The Blanca Ranch had been subdivided back then, but not put on the market, so I hope that this means it never will be.

On The Road: M's New Villa

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M. has a new dream house.

We walked by this house a number of times in the past few days. It's a little bit Tuscan villa, a little bit Arts & Crafts.  Some touches, such as the rounded ends of exposed beams, have a Green & Green vibe. M. was ready to pick it up and bring it home.

 
Obviously the residents are tired of architecture fans.

But another big draw for me was this huge Brugmansia, also known as "tree Datura," thriving in that mild climate.

The house is on Lighthouse Avenue in Pacific Grove, California, uphill from the downtown business district, should you happen to be in the neighborhood.