Commentary

Some Democrats are claiming that they can start impeachment now, when President Trump is in office, and finish it with a Senate trial that takes place, or at least finishes, after the president has left office on Jan. 20.

There have been multiple American moments of great drama since World War II. Not once, until this month, have our democratic values been in jeopardy.

Given the horrific events of Jan. 6, 2021, it is no less than the “Day in Infamy” of Dec. 7, 1941, and the Aug. 24, 1814, invasion and burning of the capitol building by British troops.

With Smart and Safe, industry and activists have found common ground in cannabis to address deep divisions and imbalances between our government, laws, communities, and people, with the promise of re-creation to restore unity, heal inequalities, invigorate economics, and revitalize faith in democracy.

Ah, 2021 is feeling like a breath of fresh air. So many of us are delighted to move on, yet this past year has probably made us stronger. Maybe even taught us lessons.

New year, new president, new prospects, new attitude.

The promise of a “better life,” sounds pretty darn good. Perhaps our lives have become too mundane.

Thank you to all of those who have answered our call, even if it is tell us you cannot serve at this time. You are the reason our courts are able to function. The Yavapai County Superior Court is eternally grateful to you all.

Cottonwood – like any government – is always interested in the prospect of growing itself. The city just doesn’t want to come across as a bully in the process.

One of the more appalling moments in the recent history of the House of Representatives occurred recently in the Capitol Visitor Center. Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave her weekly news conference and said that she had changed her position on the issue of passing a coronavirus relief bill.

We want to encourage you, our new board of supervisors, and remind you that Verde Connect is too much money for too little benefit, with too many downsides.

Keep the car moving forward; if you need to turn, speed up or slow down, so be it. But the brakes are unnecessary right now.

The Arizona Department of Transportation “Plan” everyone is referring to is not a plan. It is a list of possibilities to be studied.

The holidays are particularly important to our community and to my family this year.

The Verde Connect project is an across-the-board win for Yavapai County and its citizens. It is a project the benefits of which should not be taken from the citizens of Yavapai County for what may well be political reasons.

The idea that Verde Connect was killed due to political winds is grossly inaccurate.

Americans don’t know it and children aren’t taught it, but George Washington is responsible for our Thanksgiving holiday. It was our first president who led the charge to make this day of thanks a truly national event.

With Verde Connect now in the rear-view mirror, the Verde Valley’s collective leadership needs to find a way to keep long-term planning on course and divorced from political consideration.

The only fraud committed this political season has been by the president himself, who falsely and frequently claimed the election was being stolen by his foes.

Molly Hogan, owner of Nature of Wildworks, is seeking refuge in a quiet Cornville neighborhood. Our simple, one road in-one road out neighborhood cannot comprehend why the Board of Supervisors would approve Nature of Wildworks to operate in this location.

As I write this commentary we are only a few days away from the Nov. 3 election. As most people know, it has taken a little over 3.5 years to get the school consolidation issue on the ballot.

When Consolidation was first brought to the various governing boards in 2017, there were promises of over a million dollars in savings, equalized salaries for COCSD teachers, and a boon to the education of Verde Valley Youth.

Equality should not fall on the backs of our students, nor their teachers. Consolidation is not a bad idea to consider, but this particular proposal and its planning, or lack thereof, will undoubtedly harm students, teachers, and taxpayers alike. So no, it is not really “about the kids.”

I feel it is necessary to use caution and “VOTE NO” on Consolidation in this upcoming election. Preserve our Independent School Districts. Preserve our thriving Mingus Union District, legacy and community.

Our efforts did lead directly to districts in two separate areas in Arizona consolidating, but not in the Verde Valley.