Free Republic

Overall, 16.5% of violent crimes in Maricopa County can be linked to illegal immigrants. The average cost for each offense? A whopping $20,000, which includes prosecution, incarceration, and other costs. This study breaks down felonies committed into categories, revealing that contrary to media myths, illegal immigrants commit more crimes in categories completely separate from the crime of illegally crossing the border.  The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has released a groundbreaking study with the help of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s office breaking down the numbers of felonies illegal immigrants in Maricopa County commit. Contrary to media myths, illegal immigrants commit more felonies...

On Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 8:15 AM, RG in Arizona wrote: While walking the dog this morning, side arm open carry, I noticed a car tracking me and the man driving the car was on a cell phone looking all upset. I tried not to make eye contact with the man and just kept walking. I turned into the floodway park and let the dog run free for about ten minutes and noticed the car was still there and the man was still on the phone. I came out of the floodway and on the way back to the...

County Attorney Andrew Thomas released today the results of research by his office showing the illegal immigrant crisis is having a profound impact on crime... maricop county attorney's office

Aggressive mimicry is a biological strategy where a predator or parasite will imitate a harmless or even helpful species to help attract their their prey—Aesop’s fable about a wolf donning sheep’s clothing was well-observed. This tactic is currently being used by the Treason Lobby in Arizona in an attempt to undermine the state’s tough laws against employers of illegal aliens. This November, the Arizona Ballot will feature Proposition 202, called the "Stop Illegal Hiring Act." The was summarized to petition signers and will be given to voters as... Limited to this information, any Arizonian would think they were voting to...

Arizona taxpayers shell out $114 million annually to cover the cost of incarcerating them. Click here to read the study A new study from the Maricopa County Attorney is showing that illegal immigrants are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. Data used in the report wasn't gathered until the passage of Prop 100 two years-ago. The voter-approved law denies bail to those in the country illegally accused of a class 4 felony or above. The study concluded that nine percent of Arizona's population is in the country illegally, yet nearly 22 percent of felonies sentenced in Maricopa County are...

PHOENIX -- Police have identified the man killed in a confrontation at a woman's home Sunday, and they say there was a history of violence there. According to police, Terry Milburn, 45, went to the victim's house near 40th Avenue and Thunderbird Road at about 2:30 Sunday morning. The woman, whose name has not been released, refused to let Milburn into her house and called 911. While she was on the phone, Milburn broke a window and forced his way inside, police said. Investigators said Milburn then followed the woman to her bedroom where she shot and killed him. While...

Roberto Ventura Lazo and Jose Baltazar Gamez Rodriguez's final memories from Aug. 7 are of them lying at the bottom of a pile of people in the back of an SUV at about 5 a.m. somewhere north of Douglas. Nearly three hours later, emergency personnel found the two Salvadorans along with 17 other illegal immigrants trapped inside a smashed, overturned Chevrolet Suburban near Arizona 79 north of Tucson. Nine were pronounced dead at the scene, 10 were taken to hospitals with serious injuries, with one dying later — making it one of the deadliest vehicle crashes involving illegal immigrants in...

Today’s vote on the $700,000,000,000 “bailout” was a great illustration of true leadership in action. Although our entire congressional delegation voted against handing the federal government more of our money to reward the irresponsible behavior and incestuous relationship between Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and their congressional supporters, the motives between our Republicans and Democrats could not have been clearer. Republican Congressmen Rick Renzi, Trent Franks, John Shadegg and Jeff Flake all did the right thing. They stood on principle and for the interest of their constituents. This was expected of them and they deserve our gratitude and appreciation. Both Ed...

PHOENIX - Local and national business groups are funding a media campaign launched Wednesday in Arizona to convince voters that this country has done enough to secure the border and now needs to legalize the 12 million or more undocumented immigrants and consider allowing more foreigners into this country. The group, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together (MATT), is going to spend "several hundred thousand dollars'' on TV advertising in four states. Jim Pignatelli, president and chief executive officer of UniSource Energy Corp., the parent of Tucson Electric Power, said the time has come to move the debate along and find...

Local and national business groups are funding a media campaign launched Wednesday in Arizona to convince voters the United States has done enough to secure the border and now needs to legalize the 12 million or more undocumented immigrants and consider allowing more foreigners into this country. The group, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, is going to spend “several hundred thousand dollars” on TV advertising in four states. Jim Pignatelli, president and chief executive officer of UniSource Energy Corp., the parent of Tucson Electric Power, said the time has come to move the debate along and find ways to help...

PHOENIX — Local and national business groups are paying for a media campaign — launched Wednesday in Arizona — to convince voters this country has done enough to secure the border. Instead, backers say the U.S. now needs to legalize the 12 million or more undocumented immigrants already here and consider allowing more foreigners into the country. The group, Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together, plans to spend "several hundred thousand dollars" on TV ads in four states. Jim Pignatelli, president and chief executive officer of UniSource Energy Corp., the parent of Tucson Electric Power, said it's time to move the...

I JUST CAME ACROSS THIS PATHETIC AND UNPLEASANT AD ON YOUTUBE. LOOK: Urge PBS' Jim Lehrer to ask McCain about his health records during Friday's debate: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/letters.html This debate will deal with foreign policy, and McCain's health issues constitute a national security issue, especially when you consider how his secrecy about medical records echoes the Bush administration's legacy of lies. Will McCain's health limit his capacity to make tough decisions regarding diplomacy and military action? We don't know, because McCain is keeping his medical records a tightly held secret, made available to just a handful of journalists for three hours...

PHOENIX - That empty foreclosed home down the street today could be a haven for immigrant smugglers tomorrow. A comparison of data on foreclosures and properties known as drophouses in the Phoenix metropolitan area shows that wherever homeowners are in financial distress, ‘‘coyotes’’ are probably lurking. The smugglers use rental homes known as drophouses to stash illegal immigrants long enough for payments to arrive, then release them to go on their way. The largest concentrations of Phoenix-area drophouses are in the same neighborhoods that have the largest share of foreclosures, the data shows. In addition, of the 41 Phoenix-area drophouses...

Last year, Arizona passed a set of enforcement laws known as the Legal Arizona Workers Act. Before the laws came into effect and ahead of legal challenges to their constitutionality, there was anecdotal evidence that tens or hundreds of illegal immigrants were leaving the state on a daily basis. The "massive deportations" argument was shown to be a strawman. Most illegal immigrants will leave of their own volition when laws are passed requiring them to do so or risk facing forcible action. Make it more difficult for illegal settlers to live in a place illegally, and they are less likely...

Hi, I'm new here. I'm in support of Christi who's being attacked by Obama. I would like to start a group for Arizonans. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you! ArizonaAmy44 Go McCain/Palin!

The Arizona bishops issued a joint statement Sept. 4 urging Catholics to support the ballot proposition on marriage in the upcoming November election. Proposition 102, if passed by voters, will amend the Arizona Constitution by providing a legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, who is also the apostolic administrator for the Gallup Diocese, and Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas declared their support for the proposition and encouraged Catholics in their diocese to do the same. [snip] “We have only to look as far as California where their Supreme...

SIERRA VISTA — A Vietnam War hero whose father served with a black division during World War II will be honored at this year’s Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers gala and fundraiser. Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, known as the “Drug Czar” during the Clinton administration, also will be the guest speaker at the annual event on Sept. 27. The association is presenting McCaffrey its annual “Spirit of the Buffalo Soldier Award” to honor both his military career and that of his father, the late Lt. Gen. William J. McCaffrey who served as the chief of staff with 92nd Infantry...

A candle company in south Chandler was raided Wednesday by Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies acting on a tip that illegal immigrants were working there using stolen Social Security numbers. One of the victims of the identity theft is a member of President Bush’s White House staff, according to Sheriff Joe Arpaio. While the man was not identified, the sheriff said a woman was working at the Gold Canyon Candle Co., 6205 S. Arizona Avenue, using his Social Security number. The investigation began with a tip last July to the sheriff’s office that illegal immigrants were working at the candle factory,...

PHOENIX -- The fastest-growing gang in the world is coming to Arizona -- a trend that makes federal agents along the U.S.-Mexico border uncomfortable. Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, is known for its violence and guerilla warfare training, experts said. "From Oct. 1 until the end of July we've seen over 50 different people involved in not only MS-13, but a number of different gangs affiliated with them," Scioli said. "Just in the past week we've had five." According to law enforcement personnel, MS-13 members come to Arizona because its position on the border makes it a hot spot for drugs...

Phoenix Police and Department of Public Safety officers found at least a dozen undocumented immigrants and three human smugglers at a west Phoenix home. A DPS official said officers also found weapons in the home near 31st Avenue and Van Buren Street Monday afternoon. There is no word on how long the victims had been held in the home, or if there are any injuries. Stay with ABC15.com as more information becomes available.

can't post, have to link

MESA - The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested and booked into jail 24-year-old Jesus Martinez (DOB 06/15/84) on 1 count of child molestation, a class two felony and on four counts of sexual abuse, class three felonies. Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the sexual abuse and molestation after the young victim’s mother found the 24-year-old illegal alien and the child kissing after the twelve-year-old left home, without permission to meet with him, at a late hour. The victim told her mother that Martinez took her next to a tractor and began kissing her on the mouth and neck....

The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office reports that at least a dozen undocumented immigrants have been detained after wandering near a US Air Force Base in southwestern Arizona Sunday. Sheriff's deputies are working with border patrol agents and DPS officers in an effort to locate five to seven more undocumented immigrants who are believed to be in the area of the Barry M. Goldwater Range about 13 miles south of Gila Bend. Two undocumented immigrants have died, likely from dehydration, according to MCSO. The range, which is active with armed military aircraft, has been shut down as authorities search for other...

GLENDALE, AZ -- A plane carrying a pilot and two United States Secret Service agents for Senator John McCain crash landed in a West Valley field on Tuesday morning, according to officials from the Arizona senator's campaign. No serious injuries were reported at the scene near 99th and Northern avenues. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said the single-engine Cessna 206 took off from Glendale Airport just after 10 a.m. The pilot noted a rough-running engine and tried to land in a vacant lot two miles from the runway, but hit a fence. The plane sustained substantial damage. According to...

Jesus Navarro Montes, the man accused of running over and killing Yuma sector border agent Luis Aguilar, has been set free by an unidentified Mexican judge. On January 19th, Aguilar was killed while attempting to stop two vehicles that illegally entered the country. Shortly after the incident, Montes was quickly apprehended by authorities and sent to a jail in Mexico. Upon learning the news that Montes was let go, Yuma Sector Chief Patrol Agent Paul Beeson expressed his disgust with the decision saying in part, "I am outraged that this suspect was released from custody. The men and women of...

Tucson, Ariz. (AP) -- Four Mexican soldiers crossed into a remote area of Arizona and briefly held a U.S. Border Patrol agent at gunpoint before realizing where they were and returning to Mexico, U.S. authorities said. Border Patrol spokeswoman Dove Crawford said the incident early Sunday on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, about 85 miles southwest of Tucson, was in an area where the border likely was marked only with barbed wire.

Close To You Summers in Tucson, Arizona can be pretty hot, and so can political passions. But sometimes the level of political rhetoric can go beyond passionate, beyond vitriolic and even beyond reason. Yet it was with a cheerful heart that I pulled up to 2302 E. Speedway on a bright Wednesday morning on July 30, 2008 at about 7:00 am. The weekly mission? Support the troops, counter anti-recruitment protesters and stand up for America. The regular weekly troop supporters were mostly set up when I arrived at the Tucson Military Recruiting Center strip mall but I was able...

Phoenix, Arizona, August 1, 2008. In Arizona, the contest for President of the United States between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain could prove to be a dilly and is most likely to be decided by which candidate carries Maricopa county where nearly six out of ten Arizona voters reside and which is generally conceded to be the heartland of Republican strength in the state. Yet here in Senator McCain’s back yard, his lead which was a comfortable 15 to 17 points for most of last and this year, has shrunk significantly. In late July, a survey of 401...

July 4, 2008 The City Attorney's Office for Phoenix has banned City Employees from signing the recall petition. A clear violation of a person's Constitutional Rights. Please be sure to let the mayor and the attorney, Gary Verburg know what you think. http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/07/04/20080704phx-cityhall0705.html http://seeingredaz.wordpress.com/2008/07/05/phoenix-mayor-and-city-attorney-bend-the-constitution/

PHOENIX — Last-minute legislative action that led to placement of a constitutional ban on gay marriage on the November ballot has triggered a rare state Senate Ethics Committee investigation. On a 3-2 vote, the committee agreed Monday to hold hearings on whether Sen. Jack Harper, R-Surprise, intentionally broke the Legislature's rules by cutting off a filibuster attempt last month, a move that paved the way for the issue to win ballot approval in the Senate. The hearing will not affect the ballot measure but could result in a formal reprimand for Harper if the committee upholds a complaint by Sen....

At least one 'coyote' was taken into custody after 50 suspected undocumented immigrants were found in a west Phoenix home early Tuesday. Phoenix police said they were tipped off to the home when neighbors called about people running through the neighborhood. Inside the home near 59th Avenue and Thomas Road, officers found the immigrants, including from 15 to 20 women and young children. The people being held in the home had their shoes taken from them by the 'coyotes', according to authorities. Phoenix Police Sergeant Andy Hill told ABC15, "Typically the coyotes will keep them shoeless so they don't run...

Latino neighborhood slowly disappearing in central Mesa Cannot quote or excerpt so here is the link http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/2008/07/29/20080729mr-neighbor0730.html

Sounds like somebody in the McCain camp recognized that they will probably get the votes of Clarence Thomas and Condi Rice, and that's it, from the black folks this year, so there is no use in pandering on the issue. White folks, to include Hillary's supporters, are the ones who get screwed by Affirmative Action, and this position will maximize the votes from the people who disagree with the policy.

(English-language translation) Police in Glendale County, Arizona confirmed yesterday that 44-year-old Glendaly Vigoreaux Echevarría, daughter of the late [Puerto Rican] TV producer Luis Vigoreaux and actress Lydia Echevarría, was found dead by her husband Paul Hacker in their home on Frier Drive in Glendale, Arizona. According to Glendale Police report PD 08-77459 signed by Sergeant Jim Toomey, agency detectives are investigating Glendaly Vigoreaux's death as a suicide, as confirmed by the autopsy performed by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's Office. The report indicated that officers responded to a call on Tuesday, July 15 at 9:58 AM from the residence of...

After careful consideration, I have decided to create a ping list. FReepmail me to join the list if you find it at all interesting.

Title says it all. AP...so can't post. John McCain...Hispandering 101.

Your states have passed significant changes in enforcement of immigration laws. What do you see around you? Have you observed changes in your schools, workplaces, markets?

Sheriffs in Phoenix, Ariz., have launched an aggressive crackdown on illegal aliens as part of a growing movement by local officials to help prevent illegal immigration. Maricopa County sheriffs have instituted a zero tolerance policy — knocking on doors and arresting those suspected of living in the country illegally. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the law is clear cut. “Our policy is if we come across any illegal ... you are arrested. You don’t get a ticket. You get to appear before a judge later on.” In the wake of two unsuccessful attempts at passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill in...

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Two medical helicopters collided in mid-air Sunday afternoon in Flagstaff less than a mile from a medical center, killing seven people, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said. All three people on one of the helicopters were killed, including a patient and the pilot, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. Four others were killed and three critically injured in the midair collision, Gregor said. Tom Boughner with the Flagstaff Police Department said he wasn't sure if they were all on the second helicopter or whether some were on the ground. The FAA said one of the helicopters was operated...

Six men in police tactical clothing are suspected of shooting a man to death, firing more than 100 rounds into his Phoenix home in what some are calling a Mexican drug cartel hit. Special Assignments Units heard shots coming from a nearby neighborhood and began to drive toward the noise Sunday. Detectives said once police gained entry into the home, they found the body of Andrew Williams, 30, shot numerous times, according to Arizona Daily News. "We have seen an increasing amount of these type of violent crimes in the past five months," Phoenix Police Sgt. Joel Tranter said. "We...

home invasion suspects (3 caught) may be mexican military or police they may have been trying to ambush phx police the home invasion killed one, drug trade suspected at least one person, in full-body armor and up to three (3) still on the loose

Vest, shirt, badge - check. Pants, boots, gun belt - check. About 800 Phoenix police officers and up to 400 Mesa officers believe changing into and out of their uniforms each day is doing work, so they've sued in federal court to be paid for their time. U.S. District Judge Neil V. Wake ruled in April that the Mesa Police Association shouldn't receive any money, according to court records, but the union has recently appealed the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The lawsuit has cost Mesa more than $187,600 to fight so far, according to public...

Frustrated by a steady flow of illegal Mexican immigrants into Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio has decided to take matters into his own hands. He has drawn support and opposition in equal measure for his treatment of prisoners, which includes re-introducing chain gangs and making prisoners wear pink underwear. Now he's under fire for dispatching teams of sheriff's deputies into Hispanic communities where they stop people and arrest anyone who cannot prove he or she is a legal U.S. resident. It has brought an onslaught of criticism from Hispanic activists, local lawmakers and the Phoenix mayor, who call his crackdown on...

Toughest sheriff in US vows no let up in immigration fight      He's been described as Hitler and a member of the Klu Klux Klan by Hispanic critics and immigrant rights groups, but Sheriff Joe Arpaio prefers to see himself as an equal opportunities advocate. "We lock everybody up," he says. Arpaio, the self-styled "toughest sheriff in America" has ruled his fifedom in Arizona's Maricopa County with a steely, zero-tolerance that has enraged human rights activists but delighted headline-writers the world over. Demonstrations and picket lines follow his sweeps of largely Hispanic neighborhoods. He's been criticized by mayors...

Last week was tempestuous among defenders of the embattled school choice programs for disabled and foster children. Following an East Valley Tribune report and an article published here by Tim Keller of the Institute for Justice reporting that Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne had decided not to award vouchers next year, Horne responded with a memorandum provocatively entitled “Lies from the Goldwater Institute” denying that he had done so. The Arizona Republic weighed in for Horne, blasting Keller and the Goldwater Institute for assertions that were “insulting” and untrue. Horne and the Republic simply are wrong. Though the Court...

Two political rivals have united behind the idea of putting more information in the hands of taxpayers. John McCain and Barack Obama have joined with two other senators to introduce S 3077, the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008. This follows on the heels of a law passed in 2006 that created the website, USASpending.gov, up and running right now and full of good information, as the Arizona Republic has pointed out. Among other pieces of information is that Arizona benefitted from $5 billion in federal contracts in 2000. By 2007, that had doubled to more...

Arizona's scholarship programs for children with disabilities and children in foster care have given hope to hundreds of children. Hope for a good education. Hope for a better future. For hundreds of children receiving scholarships this hope has become reality. Sadly, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne told the East Valley Tribune that their hopes are coming to an end: No new scholarships will issue for next school year. This comes on the heels of a May 15, 2008, decision from the Arizona Court of Appeals saying that the scholarship programs violate the Arizona Constitution. But the Court of Appeals...

A number of veteran events are coming up in the Sierra Vista area. “The one-year clock is ticking and the name of the game is fundraising,” said Joe Larson, administrator of the Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery. He was speaking about next May’s reburial of remains of soldiers from the late 1800s from a Tucson cemetery to the Sierra Vista site. Larson spoke at the monthly meeting of the Grater Sierra Vista Area United Veterans Council meeting on Saturday. The Historic Soldiers Relocation Project will involve the reburial of 70 sets of remains, of which 53 are known, in an...

arizona: 8.3% population illegal immigrants

Arizona is awash in federal money. In fiscal year (FY) 2007, Arizona received close to $8.5 billion in federal funds. This money funds programs that most Arizonans are familiar with, such as Medicaid and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Even though the inflow of federal dollars appears attractive, there is a catch: As federal dollars flow in, state dollars are fixed to ever-growing demands connected to these programs. In 2000, the State of Arizona used general funds at close to $463 million for Medicaid alone. By 2005, that figure had risen to $914 million, and it is projected...