CNN ran a story with the headline What is the Tea Party Movement. Naturally I wanted to know more so I clicked on the headline. In typical CNN style I was taken to a series of images with little captions that did nothing to explain what the hell the Tea Party Movement is. One of the images caught my eye because it showed a group of middle aged white guys who looked like my uncle’s hunting buddies and their sons sitting around the base of the Washington monument. They held flags of various shapes and sizes and one sign with the words “Don’t Tread On Me” with the image of a coiled rattlesnake. This has long been the slogan and image of the Libertarian Party. Libertarians, carrying posters and flying flags of a coiled rattlesnake, sometimes wonder why other people don’t take them seriously. Gee, I wonder why?

The slogan and image are wrong! The Libertarian movement in the beginning was not about “don’t tread on me,” it was about “don’t tread on OTHERS.” Libertarianism was an outward political philosophy that stood firmly behind the idea that rights ended when they imposed on someone else.

But todays Libertarians have jumped into bed with the Right Wing Republicans, a group that has caused as much harm, if not more harm, to American liberties as the Democrats. Neither the Republicans or the Democrats are advocating smaller government and more freedom, they merely bicker about controls and which to enact. For example, the Republicans want smaller government, yet they want the government to regulate marriage. That is a contradictory premise held by a group that the Libertarians have sided with. (I think the beginnings of my disassociation with the Libertarian Party was when I read an article in Reason magazine that reported not all Libertarians were in support of same-sex marriage and that some even opposed it for religious reasons.)

For many years I identified as a Libertarian and wasn’t afraid to say it. But over the last two years I’ve found myself moving away from the party and its ideas. I have to clarify that I am NOT a Republican nor am I a Democrat. (I now identify as a Classical Liberal, which is the politics of Thomas Jefferson.)

I attended a Tea Party last spring at the Capitol building in Phoenix and regretted going the moment I saw the big, fat biker chick and her bald husband with a goatee, both clomping down the street in boots and wrapped in leather from head to toe carrying a sign that said “We are a CHRISTIAN nation.” As an out and proud gay atheist (or “gatheist” as I sometimes say) I was terrified and wondered why the hell I had gone to the Tea Party.

I felt foolish for going because I really thought there would be people there standing for liberty and freedom for all. Instead, the speakers only talked about how evil Obama was, Jesus, and “true American values.” (Which they of course did not define.)

Libertarians have purposely joined with this “Party of No” as they’ve been called and I no longer share their political values. Perhaps when they get rid of the coiled rattlesnake and remember the true roots of freedom and liberty, I’ll support them again. Until then, I’m on my own.

(The picture of the flag came from http://www.Gadsden.info/)

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The first “big ticket item” I ever saved money for was a video game. The game was scheduled to be released during the holidays and I was convinced my parents would buy it for me. I was only 12 years old and my mom refused to buy the game citing too much violence as the reason for her opposition. “But,” she told me, “you can buy it with your own money.” And that’s exactly what I decided I would do. I had 3 months to raise the most money I had ever saved, $60 bucks! (Which to a 12 year old boy without a job seemed like an enormous amount of money!) I found a shoebox and wrapped it tightly with masking tape so that I couldn’t easily remove the lid and raid the box. I cut a paper-thin slit through the cardboard in the top to stop me from fishing out any of the money. For even more security I kept the box hidden under my bed, out of sight and (hopefully) out of mind. For weeks I mowed lawns, babysat, and tried to sell rocks to the kids in the neighborhood and every penny I earned I stuffed into the Fort Knox shoebox. I didn’t keep a deposit slip so I never knew how much I had saved or how much more I needed to go to reach my goal of $60.00.

Putting the money in the box proved to be easy, but keeping the money there was the hardest thing I had ever done. There were days when the ice cream truck would blast music through the street and I would stare at the box, fighting every urge I had to rip it open and take the money, my money, and spend it. But then I would think of the video game and how much more I wanted that.

I learned early on how to think long term. I learned early on that cold hard cash could burn a hole in my pocket, but even though I had the money on me, I didn’t have to spend it on ice cream or comic books.

Finally, the big day came! The game had been released and was sitting on a store shelf somewhere, just waiting to be mine.

I tore open the box and marveled at all the light green dollar bills and shiny coins. I counted each dollar and stacked them neatly on the table. I had saved $63.38! My mom remained true to her word and took me down to the store. I did it. I set a goal, and I achieved it. It didn’t happen over night. It took many weeks and much discipline, but I stayed focused.

Saving money is now a habit as much as brushing my teeth or taking a shower. If for some strange reason I leave the house without brushing my teeth, my world feels amiss and if I don’t save some of the money from my paychecks, I feel like I’m cheating myself. I sometimes have to remind myself that the money I put away is still my money and someday I’ll have the thrill of spending it.

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I’m putting down my cheerleader pom poms to take a serious and critical look at Downtown.

This is a map of downtown Phoenix from Google Maps. (I concede it’s not the most recent, but this photo still reflects the overall state and condition of Downtown.) Look at those empty, embarrassing dirt lots and that surface parking! This looks and feels nothing like an urban city, but more like a rural farming community. East Mesa has more infill than this! And that’s my problem. With the explosion of growth in the past 40-50 years in the Valley, why has hardly any of it happened in the center? There is something fundamentally wrong with a city that can attract developers to build houses and amenities 40+ miles removed from the central corridor but that is unable get anything built in that central corridor. Where are the Laundromats? The drug stores? The grocery stores?! The residences? The gyms? The post offices? The restaurants? Where is the landscaping?

Read the rest at downtownphoenix.com.

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At the All-Church Coordinating Council on May 18th 1993 LDS General Authority Boyd K Packer gave one of his most controversial and polarizing talks. Notice the date. May 1993 was only 4 months before the events of “The September Six” came to pass. (“The September Six” were Mormon scholars who published books and articles about unorthodox Mormon history and doctrine and were excommunicated or disfellowshipped from the LDS Church for “apostasy.”) 1993 was also the year that Steve Benson, the grandson of the Mormon President Ezra Taft Benson, publicly left the LDS Church. The year must have been a PR disaster and I imagine the LDS spin doctors worked a lot of overtime.

I grew up Mormon and the events of 1993 are fuzzy memories as I was only 12 years old at that time. But I do remember hearing the adults around me talk about the actions of the church leadership. As I got older and studied more I learned that this talk and the actions of the Church in 1993 drove a wedge through the American church membership. Some called Packer a “fascist” and vehemently disagreed with his talk. Others stood firmly behind him in complete agreement.

Amidst the controversy brewing at BYU with the six scholars that were soon to be excommunicated, Packer warned in this talk against the dangers that faced the Church.

He said, “The dangers I speak of come from the gay-lesbian movement, the feminist movement (both of which are relatively new), and the ever-present challenge from the so-called scholars or intellectuals.”

I’m not going to try to wrap my mind around the unwarranted, unscientific assertions he makes in this talk. I want to cut through his vague generalities to the root of what these “dangers” really are.

The gay rights movement is about civil equality. It’s about law abiding citizens being treated fairly under the secular laws of this country. The feminist movement is about empowerment. It’s about a woman being in control of her life and body, about being able to support herself without dependance on a man or having opportunities closed to her because she doesn’t have penis. Most importantly (as this is the basis for the other two) is intellectualism which is about truth and truth-seeking through rigorous inquiry, questioning, proof and demonstration. Intellect is a virtue. It’s about keeping an open mind and exploring the miracles and transcendence of the world. Keeping an open mind does not mean that one accepts every single idea presented, but rather, it means keeping ones mind open to other possibilities and other ideas and accepting the ones that are proven to be valid and accurate even when it contradicts or disproves previously held comforting beliefs.

When I think about his “dangers” in this context, I agree with Packer. The magical world view of the Mormon Church and irrational faith is indeed threatened by equality, empowerment and objective truth.

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Spring 2002: The US was not at war with Iraq, the world was having a love affair with that breathy “singer” Britney Spears, and I was living in the forests of Penza, Russia as a Mormon missionary. Elder Farr and I had met a woman interested in the LDS Church who had read the Book of Mormon and came to meetings and attended conferences. We considered her a “golden contact” and if we played our cards right, we would get to count her in our monthly baptism totals. (Don’t kid yourself, Mormon missions are driven by numbers. We had goals to meet and had to account for our statistics each month to our “bosses” the same way it’s done in corporate America.) Elder Farr and I were smitten with the idea that we would finally have something good to report.

We agreed to meet at her apartment to make the final preparations necessary for baptism. We knocked and behind the front door we heard the clank of at least a dozen deadbolts and chains. The door cracked open just a sliver and her brown eyes stared back at us wide as poker chips. Relief washed over her face like sunlight breaking through a dark cloud and she smiled and welcomed us in as her eyes shrank back to their usual beady size. We entered and stood in a dark, narrow hallway. Scratchy music from 3 different record players clashed in a cacophony of a demonic choir singing tri-tones.

Elder Farr whispered into my ear in English, “I don’t feel safe here.”

“Relax,” I said tossing his concern aside like a rag doll. “We’ll be fine.”

Read the rest of this entry »

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Our voices were heard. Today the Senate Finance Committee, including the sponsor of the bill, Linda Gray, agreed the bill should be tabled because of strong public opposition.  Gray will hold a “stakeholders” meeting on Monday to discuss possible modifications. Today was a small victory, but the battle is not even close to over. I’ve sent emails and made a few calls in the past, but we the people have got to learn to speak to our lawmakers a lot more. I want my representatives to know me by name, by voice and by face. We the people have the power to be heard, especially at the municipal and state level.

If you live in Arizona and you don’t know who your representatives are, that’s a problem. These are people who make laws that directly impact your existence. Click here to learn who they are and save their contact information in your address book. And then email them about the things that matter to you.

These are the people who have decided to close 8 out of the 9 state and historical parks in Arizona. 8 out of 9! That is unacceptable and embarrassing.

Thank you to everyone who wrote or called in opposition to this asinine bill. We made a difference.

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Historic buildings were here long before Linda Gray and deserve to stay longer than she does.

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To All Advocates of Arizona historic preservation, heritage, and neighborhoods:

On Wednesday, State Senator Linda Gray introduced SB 1166 that would eliminate the State Property Tax Reclassification program.

Below is the email I sent to my state legislators and to all the members of the Senate Finance Committee. I urge you to do the same.

The proposed bill is linked here. To express your opinion about this proposal, contact your state legislator. (If you don’t know who that person is, click here and enter your address and zip code to determine your district.)

My Email:

I am writing to you about SB 1166 that was introduced by Senator Linda Gray. SB 1166 would eliminate the State Property Tax Reclassification program which is the “tax break” for residential historic properties in Arizona. There are approximately 6,000 statewide with approximately 2,900 in Phoenix and 2,000 in Tucson.

I am a proud Arizona resident and proud of the history of Arizona and the role this state played in the western United States. I’m haunted by the ghosts of the theaters, warehouses, hotels, and historic homes that were demolished. We had many beautiful, ornate structures built during a time of optimism and hope in a region where such man made beauty did not exist. Tragically, these structures were allowed to be demolished with the promise of something new and better. The “new and better” never came. (Just look at a photo of downtown Phoenix in the 30s and 40s and then walk around downtown Phoenix today. Hardly any of it exists. The demolition of the Phoenix Fox Theatre is the worst: http://acmeron.com/puhs/puhs_page_5.htm)

Arizona’s preservation-focused tax incentive has successfully countered private and public land-use policies favoring demolition and new construction, while providing financial benefits to building owners who might otherwise feel burdened by preservation projects.

Please do not let any more of our history be erased before our eyes. Too much of our history has gone the way of the wrecking ball. Please do not pass this bill that would create an incentive to make demolition the preferred method without any regard for the importance of a historic building.

What we have left is worth preserving.

The following statistics from recent studies are typical of the positive findings of preservation’s economic benefits:

• Historic preservation activities generate more than $1.4 billion of economic activity in Texas each year.
• Rehabilitation of historic properties in Georgia during a five-year period created 7,550 jobs and $201 million in earnings.
• Each dollar of Maryland’s historic preservation tax credit leverages $6.70 of economic activity within that State.
• In one year, direct and indirect expenditures by heritage tourists in Colorado reached $3.1 billion.

Arizona can do the same. Jane Jacobs once wrote that new ideas require old buildings. Arizona needs some new ideas and we don’t have many old buildings left. Please don’t be shortsighted. Please don’t vote for this bill.

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It’s no secret that I’m a huge advocate of solar power. I have solar panels on my roof, a solar attic fan, and I plan on getting a solar water heater. I’m not sure where it will fit on the roof, but I’m going to try. My newest foray into harnessing the power of the sun to my benefit is through the two Solatubes I had installed. I saw something like them at Costco but the directions indicated that I would have to install them by cutting a hole my roof. Yeah, no thank you. The only tools I own are a hammer and screwdriver and the idea of cutting a hole in the ROOF is counterintuitive to me. Much better to pay someone else to do it.

I had one installed in the kitchen and one at the end of the hall, the part of my house that most resembled a cave. I have no complaints about these lights. During the day my house is flooded with soft, natural, white sunlight that costs nothing. It took some time getting used to because I would see such glorious light shining from overhead and I’d reach to turn off the switch when I left the room. But the only way to turn it off is when the sun goes down.

It really is such amazing technology and so simple. A thing that looks like a mushroom sticks out of the roof and it’s connected to a tube that comes through my celling and looks like a regular light fixture. The tube is highly reflective and causes the rays to bounce around inside the tube and shine into the house. The light that comes through is soft on your eyes, doesn’t make that electric buzzing noise and is free.

I’m not sure why houses in Arizona are not built with these to begin with. They were not expensive and the lights qualify for state and federal tax credits.

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By random accident I discovered my latest passion: Arizona wine. If you’re thinking that Arizona cannot grow grapes or produce wine, then you are doing what experts call “making a mistake.” Imagine for a moment that you are part of a small wine producing community making great wine but that the wine drinkers of the world, people concerned with only names and regions, brush your product aside with a grimace. Of course I’m describing the early days of Napa Valley, which is today a well respected wine producing region. Arizona wine is still fairly new and unknown in the wine world, but is receiving positive attention and acclaim from those daring to venture into new wine territories. Read the rest at downtownphoenix.com.

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