Free Republic

Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, one of the most aggressively pro-freedom city councilmen, is under siege from the unions in one of the most corrupt local elections in the country. Along with a few other government officials around the country, which include Wisconsin’s Republican governor Scott Walker, he tried to reign in the out-of-control and unsustainable increasing costs of government employees, particularly their pensions. Up for reelection this year, DiCiccio is being challenged by union-backed Democrat insurance executive Karlene Keogh Parks. The unions unsuccessfully attempted to recall him in 2011. DiCiccio wants to cut $79 million in government waste from...

CNN) -- A chain of Phoenix-area car washes that's raised thousands for local charities, including numerous law enforcement agencies, found itself the target of a sweeping raid Saturday by law officers. Special agents from Immigration and Custom Enforcement's homeland security investigations unit conducted raids at 13 Danny's Family Car Wash locations in central Arizona, plus three locations tied to its outsourced staffing service provider, HR Betty, said ICE spokesman Andrew Munoz. "We are ... going after businesses that are a magnet for unauthorized workers," Munoz said. The action came as part of a criminal investigation into alleged criminal fraud, identity...

The Ecotality case wasn’t the biggest payoff, but it was particularly outrageous because it got stimulus money when it was already under SEC investigation.The company received a subpoena from the Securities and Exchange Commission in October of 2010.The president of Ecotality North America Don Karner was sent an additional subpoena in December of 2011, which specifically asks for any and all documentation surrounding the public announcement of the first Department of Energy grant to the company for $99.8 million on August 5, 2009.Ecotality was awarded $99 million in 2009 and an additional $26 million in October 2011. Since the beginning...

The left loves to hate Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, but one usually left-leaning TV host announced her gratitude to the country’s toughest sheriff. Sheriff Joe, Nancy Grace says, saved her life.Grace announced on her HLN program that Arpaio likely saved her life and the life of her children after stopping a New York man who had been harassing her with death threats. "I want to personally thank Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona. I was apparently followed for four years by a bad New York man. He then repeatedly threatened my life. He was apprehended en route after quitting...

PHOENIX: US born Junnyor Diaz studies at a Phoenix high school. His Mexico-born older brother, Edder, has applied for a program to avoid deportation, while their undocumented mother, Angelica, cleans houses to keep the family fed and, above all, together. They are among millions of families across the United States made up of citizens, so-called Dreamers and immigrants without legal status who are hopeful that a comprehensive immigration overhaul might finally simplify their lives. The US Senate passed a sweeping bill backed by President Barack Obama in June that offers a pathway to citizenship for many of the country's 11...

President Barack Obama is proposing to overhaul the nation’s mortgage finance system, including shutting down government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—a plan with bipartisan support on Capitol Hill. Obama will also insist that popular 30-year mortgages be widely available to borrowers, even in a system that would rely more on the private sector than the government to guarantee loans. The president was to outline his proposals Tuesday at a construction company in Phoenix, once the epicenter of the housing crisis following the 2008 economic collapse. The housing market in the region, as in much of the country, has rebounded in...

One Colt Sporter like this one was turned in; another AR15 type rifle went to a private buyer At the turn in events this May in Phoenix, a premium was offered for the turn in of "Assault Rifles" or "Assault Weapons". People who turned in those items were to be given double the premium for ordinary firearms, gift cards worth $100 in food. I asked Steve Martos, the Phoenix PD Sargent who coordinated with reporters, what the definition of an "Assault Rifle" was for the event. Those who gave out the gift cards had to have some definition to determine...

Tatum Raetz graduated from kindergarten this week, just three days after her police officer father was killed while investigating a drunk driving case. But the 5-year-old girl definitely felt her father’s presence at her ceremony, thanks to nearly 300 uniformed officers standing in his place at her Phoenix elementary school.

Sharon at the Phoenix Gun Turn In Sharon came to the gun turn in at the Sunnyslope Mennonite Church in Phoenix, looking for a pistol for self defense. She shoots at Shooters World, and intends to take the pistol there to have it checked out. She has children in the Army, and she expects that they will go to the desert for some family fun with their firearms. Sharon said "We should have weapons to protect our families and homes." Sharon's Makarov The pistol that she obtained, a Russian made Makarov in .380 ACP, was in excellent condition with...

Swiss Vetterli Carbine Circa 1870 This Vetterli carbine was turned in very early on May 18, 2013, at the Phoenix gun turn in event. I photographed it on the turn in table at about 8:09 am. I cannot Identify it further, and this is the only picture that I have. Does anyone know if this is an original carbine, or is it a later conversion? The rifle was manufactured about 1870. Dean Weingarten

This Benjamin .22 pump air rifle was in like new condition The gun turn in event at Phoenix the last two weekends also collected air guns. No gift cards were given for them, but a few came in anyway. The lucky private buyer paid $45 for the Benjamin pictured above, including a tin of 500 pellets. This table of air rifles and handguns was turned in on 11 May. Most of them are relatively inexpensive, but you can see what appears to be a decent quality break open air rifle with scope under the imitation model 94 Winchester. The...

Some guns that went past private buyers and were turned in at the Phoenix events Yes, you do see a stainless mini-14 with a folding stock, an M1 carbine, a utility double, and many more. Just short of a thousand were turned in. Another mysterious source comes up with $100K to further fund gun turn in events in Phoenix this Saturday, May 18th. The hours have changed to 0900 - 1300. Private buyers have made amazing deals at these events during the last two weekends, and some fantastic firearms have been turned in, in spite of dozens of private buyers...

Author, with a Kassnar .22 AR lookalike (complete with homemade folding stock). Photo ©2013 by Dean Weingarten. The Arizona state legislature recently passed a law requiring cities to sell guns they collect in gun buy-backs, rather than destroy them, as is typically done. The law has been passed but not yet gone into effect – so the city of Phoenix and the a group called Arizonans for Gun Safety set up a series of three buybacks to be held before the law took effect.AFGS provided $100,000 of private money, and they partnered with the local grocery chain Bashas to give...

These ladies agreed to have their picture taken with some of their purchases, but only after I told them I was new media. They insisted that they did not want their pictures used for anti-freedom propaganda. They said that they would be checking up on me. Ladies, this story is for you. The gift cards could not always compete with cash. About 60-70 percent of the people bringing guns to the turn in wanted to get rid of the guns because they considered them worth less than the value of the cards, or because they thought the firearms were...

Happy, private, buyer of .22 "Assault Rifle" at Phoenix gun turn in event. This rifle seems to have most things needed to make a media inspired "assault rifle". It has a flash hider, large magazine, folding stock, pistol grip, and is semi-automatic. Luckily, it has "brown privilege", so it is less likely to be discriminated against than if it were black. The ordinary Philippene made semi-auto .22 was fitted with some AR-15 style hardware to give it more sales appeal. Interesting homemade folding stock using cabinet hardware Note the hardware latch used to secure the folding stock Detail of...

Likely WWII war trophy. This Luger came in with an Original Holster The holster is in the lower left, just three guns to the left of what appears to be a Model 97 Winchester shotun I arrived at the gun turn in at a little after 9 am on Saturday morning. I had a couple of inexpensive .22 rifles to test the system with. I promptly got in the line of vehicles to enter the area for the turn in. The line was a couple of hundred yards long when I entered itThis woman was one of many that offered...

My waitress was a young, pretty, Gen X or Millennial. I am in Phoenix again for the next and last gun turn in for an unknown period. I stopped for dinner at a Gyro sandwich place somewhere in Scottsdale. The food was good, the water acceptable, the company pleasant. The waitress was photogenic, so I asked her what she thought of the gun turn in (buyback) being run by the city. At first, she didn't recall what I was talking about, but then she said that she remembered seeing a sign for the event. She said that she wasn't...

Numerous private buyers found that the police set up rendered the sit with sign strategy unproductive. At the gun turn in in Phoenix, the line of cars quickly became several blocks long. A private buyer examines guns for sale while others start to walk the line. The turn in event rapidly assumed the ambiance of a street festival. Private buyers walked the line of cars, politely asking people if they were willing to take cash for their guns. This Smith & Wesson model 19 was in 95% condition. The private buyer said that he paid $120. One was recently...

The first location visited to day was the Sunnyslope Mennonite Church located at 9835 North 7th Street. The weather cooperated today, with lots of sunshine, little wind, and moderate temperatures. People started showing up early at this location, but were not generally let in until very close to the official starting time. I walked into there area where they were about to start processing turn ins. A woman walked in with me and I asked her what she was turning in, and why. She was a widow, she had inherited a pistol from her husband who was a WWII...

The drive to Phoenix from Yuma is about three hours, for what will be the first gun turn in event in 20 years. Many people come to the valley of the sun to retire, so the potential for widows who are not familiar with their husbands "old army rifle" or "Grandpa's shotgun" are pretty good. I and a good friend looked at the three sites last night. A couple were on the South side in modest neighborhoods. I have seen much, much worse. A lady of the evening in a red sequined dress and a nice figure sauntered along the...