BISBEE WIRE #102

editor: fred Miller                 October 27 ,2025                  # 102   /October 2025

Hello,

In the last issue, I erred in Ali Morse’s reasons for not voting for the jail tax. I had wrote “The new board has not spent any jail tax revenue, however. But her actual words were “We’ve been told that this new board has not spent any jail tax revenue however: (1…”  What I wrote was contradictory because I went on to quote her about items they did spend jail tax revenue on. My apologies to Ms. Morse.

   I have been brooding over just how many people have to go hungry or be put out of their house or lose their job, or lose their health insurance, so a multi-millionaire/billionaire can get a full tax break to purchase a plane or build car washes?

   Soooo some off the cuff figures is that a corporate jetcosts give or take, $50,000,000. A SNAP recipient receives about $165 a month.  There are  about 350-385,000 children in Arizona that receive SNAP funds. So basically this shutdown is about taking away food for about 350,000 children to give one tax break to a mill/billionaire. That is really what the government shutdown by republican is about.

   A collorary question is why aren't rich people called junkies? They got a huge money habit that seems insatiable. They are always looking for the next fix and if they have to steal from others to get their temporary high, so be it. 

It is not bewildering  but it is overwhelming what is going on in our country. Making sense of it is difficult because so many 'norms' are abolished so quickly, on so manf fronts. The photos of machines tearing down the entire east wing of the white house is an apt visual of what is happening with our democratic governmental structure. The people doing this, led by the leering, decrepit, egomanic in makeup, are cruel. But even more reprehensible, is their indifference to the suffering of millions of people as a result of their cutting funding for lifeline programs.

  If you are inclined, this is one of the best pieces to understand not only what is going on, but who is one of the main people doing it, and why. Read this investigative article in ProPublica. 

It was a grand weekend! Saturday market was vibrant with both KBRP and The Bisbee Foundation-my two fave orgs, having info tables with lots of people shopping/eating/talking/milling around while music floated in the air.

   The late afternoon BRATS parade was wunnerful (see below) with the afterparty mingling on Subway St. as peeps ogled the ingenious floats/transports & costumes amid the cacaphony of conversation and music.

   I was at Margo's Wollenberg's celebration of life/wake/remembrance on Sunday saw many, many peeps hadn't seen in awhile. Seemed like there were 125-150 peeps were there to pay respects. The lovely Rachael Sky-bartender/hair stylist and all around good woman, was pouring the drinkies-much of it from Margo's stash-let me assist her a bit with the bar. Peyton from High Desert Market was feeding people, and Melissa, Phillip, Sam, Timothy with sound by Shawnee put out those blues tunes. I made a perfect Rob Rob and had it sitting there in memory of Margo, one of the best broads in Bisbee, with an anecdote about when I 86ed her at Roka. There were many tales about later about her many escapades.  

  The Sunday afternoon Live in the KBRP Lot membership drive kick-off party drew a hundred people or so, for music by Carolyn Toronto trio and Mule Mt. trio, beer from Electric Brewing. We had about 19 new members and 6 renewing members sign up, with merch sales brisk and lots of raffles tickets sold for the gift certificates from Cafe Roka, Badassery, Warm Hands Therapeutics, Patissiere Jacqui, and Pan Terra Gallery. Much thanks went out for the many volunteers that helped put on the event and others who were at the tables separating peeps from their dough. Steve Yoder did an excellent job on the mic. 

Here's the pitch...KBRP membership drive is this week with more drawings for gift certs each day if become a member. The Grand Prize drawing is on Friday on Mike Thornton's show at 9-10. I'll be on the show also as will the Mexican Consul Rita Maria Francisca Varga coming on at 10am. If you're not a member, please consider signing up at kprpradio.com/membership because in these troubled times there is a concerted effort to silence voices that raise questions about the 5 W’s; who, what, where, when, and why. Our residents must have unfettered access to independent news, public affairs, and cultural life. KBRP has pledged to do our best to keep you informed of what is going on in our city, county, state, and the world. We’re entering our 22^nd year of doing just that at our all-volunteer run station.   

Vic and Adrianna Winquist, owners of Old Bisbee Brewing and long time friends, suffered a fire in their house on Higgins on Sunday afternoon. Adrianna was out safely, Vic has some burn damage on his hand and smoke inhalation. He was in Tucson for treatment, but has returned to Bisbee. Please do not try and contact them. Fire began underneath the house, perhaps because of an exploded lithium battery that was being charged, and the rear and back porch of their home has fire damage, as does part of the structure. There is extensive smoke damage. Too early to tell much else. More info here

There is a list of organizations below that help keep the cultural life of our community healthy. You can help by volunteering a few of your own hours to one of them. Some of the most gratifying work you can do. 

fred

        ...............AROUND TOWN................        

BRATS ON PARADE

The funnest event of the year in Bisbee....Bisbee Rolling Arts Transport Society (BRATS) Saturday on Main St. Lotsa contraptions, Big crowd, best ever I thought. Some pics for you. Led by the bratadors-Margaret, Lori, Nancy, KBRP old timey radio with Nancy driving, a fortune-telling booth complete with  lovely fortune tellers-Kelley, Bari, Deborah, Thora, and musicians-Brian and Derren, and lots more. Party on the street afterward with brats on buns as well as Whiskey Lickers. I consider myself lucky to live in this wonderful town that knows how to strut some stuff, flaunt our diversity and politics, and have big fun.

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HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE TO LOSE SNAP FOOD BENEFITS SOON

Due to Republicans' intransigence, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warned Thursday that SNAP will run out of funds in one weeks if Congress fails to strike a deal and end the government shutdown. Although it is difficult to estimate the number of people in cities receiving help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Center for Investigative Reporting and USAFACTS estimated that 12.3% of Arizona residents received SNAP benefits in 2024, about 480,000 households with 385,000 children and 529,000 adults throughout the state will be denied food.       

   In Cochise County about 22,000 people including 7000 children will lose the monthly benefit. For Bisbee it is estimated that about 600 people receive those benefits. The average amount of assistance to SNAP recipients is $164 per person and about $309 per household. That will stop in two weeks.

   The secondary effect is that money will not be spent in grocery stores and markets and that affects both large and small businesses. 

   The latest cruelty is the USDA is refusing to shift funds around to make emergency allocations for SNAP, saying they can't legally do it. Some former administrators at the agency says this is crappy legal advice and of course they can.

  And due to go into effect at the end of the year because of the passage of TBUB (trump’s butt ugly bill) penalizing poor and working people, the State is rushing to try and implement work requirements by the feds, that are particularly onerous for rural people and will likely result in tens of thousands of women, children, and men no longer qualifying for SNAP and will be kicked out of the program. By some estimates, about 85% of recipients, are already working. 

FOOD RESOURCES IN BISBEE

Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless   520 432-7839

Loaves and fishes Food Bank     520 432-3872

Hope and Beyond    520 227-9823

Goar Park Lunches/pantry  520 255-5219

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SCREAM SCENE AT MILE HIGH

Mile High Ranch in old Bisbee is in full Halloween mode for the fifth year. The family friendly event is free! There will be an evening show in the outdoor Spider Theater that features jokes and candy, magic, and ghost stories. And then the haunted house opens with menacing mutant miners. The wrap up will have munchies, marshmallows, and BOOverages around a campfire. The Halloween themed gift shop will also be open. Mile High Ranch on Oct 29th, 30th, and 31st, beginning at 6:30pm. More info

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SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC

November 8 and 9 is the date for a free spay and neuter clinic in Bisbee sponsored by the Friends of Bisbee Animal Shelter at the Bisbee Dog Park, 316 N. Washington Ave. Call or text 520-221-4812 for an appointment. Vaccinations and wellness checks will also be available. Preference will be given to low-income families or individuals with their pets and all services are free. The clinic is for Bisbee and Naco residents only. The mobile lab of the Midwestern U college of Veterinary medicine will be doing the work.

                         ...........EVENTS.............                          (compiled from various sources including TWIB)

Oct 24-Nov 9.... In the Skin of the Border: Latinx Futurism and Borderland Ecologies. Five female artists feature their work through photos, sound, and paintings. Central School Project, gallery hours Saturday & Sunday 11-4

October 27-31.... KBRP on air membership fund drive with drawings for gift certificates each day! Every member available for Grand Finale drawing on Friday October 31 9-10 am on KBRP Weekly Magazine.

October 30...Wraiths & Strays opening at Carriage House Studios, 7 pm at 308 Powell, Warren. Music by Mahavia 

November 1…Mariachi Festival, more info go here

November 1…Cochise County Sheriff's Office is gearing up for its 13th annual charity ride on November 1. Motorcycles and off-road vehicle courses. Benefits 5  charities, including Bisbee Coaster Races. Registration for the rides is currently open online, with more information available on the event's website.

November 7-11…Burnerella live at the Jonquil, 317 Tombstone. More info go here

November 7-9…Sidepony   Save the date cause music be in the air all over Bisbee. For 14 years it has always been a free gig and one of the best in the west for seeing new bands and old faves. Bands will be announced in the coming weeks. In the past there has been anywhere from 75-100 bands jammin in more than 20 venues in town. Stay tunes and check in periodically. And every year they can use volunteers to help with logistics. To join the team go to the website and click on submissions/volunteers. More info go here

November 14…Pit Fire! 2-9 pm at Cochise College. Live music, get a bowl-get some soup, fireworks and more. Free

November 15…The First Annual BizBee Adult/Team Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Friends of the Copper Queen Library, for the benefit of free library programming, will take place at Central School Project, 43 Howell Avenue in Old Bisbee. Doors will open at 5:30 for food, beverage, and pre-show entertainment in the Bee-Stro; show starts at 6:30 in the Theater. Admission is $20. Food and beverage tickets will be available at the event. (I’ll be pouring! Come by and knock a greet.) More info go here. For tix go here

November 15…Opening reception for "The Infinite Face", an international portrait show with 100 works from 40 artists.  Carriage House Studios, 308 Powell St in Warren. 1-5 pm. More info go here

November 21…ReMake Art show 6-8:30 reception more go info here

November 28, 29…Home Tour & Art Auction 10-4. More info go here

January 3, 2026...Power To The People Resistance Music Festival. Oldfield Mile-high Oasis. More into with Scott at 520 321-5579

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GOT SOME TIME? GIVE SOME TIME!

A partial list of non-profits that can always use a bit of help

Bisbee Bloomers/info

Bisbee Library/info

Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum/info

Bisbee Restoration Museum/info

Bisbee Coalition for the Homeless/info

Bisbee 1000/info

Bisbee Wellness Initiative/info

Bisbee Women’s Club/info

Bisbee Senior Center/info

Bisbee Radio Project/KBRP/info

Bisbee Community Chorus/info

Boys and Girls Club/info

Coaster Races/info

Friends of Bisbee Animal Shelter/info

Friends of the Copper Queen Library/info

Friends of Warren Ballpark/info

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BISBEE MEDIA MENTIONS

Offbeat

https://www.usatoday.com/story/studiog/travel/southwest/2025/10/13/bisbee-arizona-travel-copper-queen/85832059007/

Copper

https://allhitskzmk.com/the-history-of-copper-in-bisbee/

Off-beat

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/hidden-gems-of-southern-arizona-bisbee-tombstone-tubac/vi-AA1OD37a

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OLD BISBEE HIGH SCHOOL LOFTS SEEKS RENTERS

Developer Joseph Lewis, has opened the first, and so far the only, condo/loft for rent at the former old high school. Listed on air b&b, it is the first of 26 condos to be built in the old structure. After some fits and starts, Lewis’s plan is for 26 one and two bedroom condo units on the building’s three floors. A recently completed mural on the east side of the building gives some historical perspective on the building.

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CAMP NACO GETS 750K GRANT

The National Park Service awarded the grant  for rehab of buildings at Camp Naco, 2118 Newell St. The restoration project has attracted other grants including $35,000 from Freeport last week to build a covered space suitable for community gatherings. From this article in the Herald Review.

         ..............BISBEE ECONOMY..............        

Biz Openings

New bar...Carly's Bar soft opening at 3 pm on.  October 30th - November 1st!  54 Brewery Ave right across from Bitchin Pickins. A local note... Carly has been around town in a few places, most recently at the Bisbee Social Club. She is the daugher of Cristy former barkeep at The Grand, now working in Sierra Vista. 

Pop's Tacos food truck next to the Hitching Post. Yum! 520-366-2554  for more info. 

Cosmic Coffee in the trailer directly across from Safeway. Not exactly new, but check her out. More info here

Naughty Mariettas Fantasy Emporium  will be opening soon at #3 Main adjacent to MIners & Merchants  520 432-4009 for more info. 

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MARKETING THE CITY

Update on the Bisbee Forward (BF)proposal to market the city... Last Tuesday's council meeting resulted in a direction to begin to negotiate a contract with Bisbee Forward with a recognition that they will become a destination marketing organization (DMO). In the past several weeks there have some been some back and forth with the city and BF that has seemed as if the city was dragging their feet transitioning to a new system, while BF was chomping at the bit.

  However, it appears that the city wanted to ensure the solidity of BF before they turned over any money to them. They were being prudent. And BF had to do some talking amongst themselves whether they wanted to become a DMO. There was no word about the business Ambassador program that BF proposed will be part of any contract. 

   The upshot is that relatively soon, there will be a contract with stipulations about dos and don'ts and the marketing will get underway.And it appears that the visitor center will not be a part of that discussion. Apparently the viz center will remain at the mine tour and be staffed part time.

And some other good news...it was thought there would only be about $40,000 available for marketing but since some salaries are not being paid, likely some of that budgeted money can be shifted to advertising. Probably the amount available will be around $100k. 

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CITY FINANCES (from the treasurers monthly report)

Revenue is more than $637,00 short of what was budgeted. Some of that will be made up by a chunk of dough coming from the county for property taxes. 

   Overall expenses are slightly under budget at 24% or about $109,000 under anticipated. There is a negative net revenue over expense of $528,000.

   Bed tax revenue is about $17k less than expected but as the slower than normal summer season gives way to fall/winter there should be revenue catch-up. 

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Emerging Issues with the City

1. When going through the AZ Dept of Revenue monthly reports, an anomaly  emerged.  It appears that in late 2024 and early 2025, some of the standard hotel tax (3.5%) that is supposed to go into the general fund looks like it was transferred into the visitor center fund. The bed tax (5%) was being put into visitor center fund as it was supposed to. The result seems to swell the visitor center fund with more money than it should have. Since this is serious stuff, I, and a few other people that are scrutinizing city spending/revenue, need to do more research for explanations and more work before definitively saying that is what was going on. Stay tuned.

2. There is a legitimate question whether operational goods can be bought at a lower price.

   It appears that public works, and possibly other departments, are using Uline for ordering and shipping supplies. These are ordinary supplies such as gloves, cleaners, vests, safety glasses, urinal screen, The problem is that Uline products are much more expensive than other sellers such as Amazon or Walmart, and their shipping is very expensive.

In September we looked at two Uline invoices for public works bought by Mr. Gurney. The first showed $1239 for goods, 145.23 tax, and $166.10 for shipping to the city for a total of $1638.63. It was 23% additional for shipping the goods. A friend  priced the same goods at Amazon for $686 and free shipping.  A second invoice was for goods priced at $399 and shipping $110.99, almost 28% for shipping. Amazon price for the same goods would be $285.88. WTF? This is not good when finances are so tight. 

   Additionally, Uline offers 'gifts' if buyers purchase a certain dollar amount of goods. Those 'gifts' though free have a shipping cost. For instance on the first invoice mentioned above, a chair and cooler were 'free', but actually costed out, the shipping would be $33. The second invoice noted a free camo lunch box. A related question is whether the city is getting free gifts-which is illegal-and if so where are they and what is being done with them?    

3. The city manager has been missing in action, publicly. There has been no public explanation on his part when the visitor center manager signed contracts unauthorized, nor when the viz center budget was exceeded by $50,000, nor when some contracts over $5000 were not sent to the council for approval. Nor is he talking about Bisbee Forward's proposals.

   It seems from outside looking in, that the mayor is doing the work, certainly publicly, that the city manager would normally do. So what gives? These are not witch hunt questions. They are legitimate basic queries about the job performance of someone making $125,000 plus bennies.

   I think Mayor Budge has done a good job as mayor for the past three years.  But it is not up to him answer questions about poor signage after the fire last year or visitor center manager supervision or contracts involving outside parties or operational supplies. That should be the city manager. I hope that the mayor steps back a bit and Mr. Pauken steps up.

But who knows what is going on in private and perhaps Mr. Pauken is busy as a bee. 

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SEPTEMBER SALES TAXES( for actual spending one month prior)

Traditionally, August is the worst month in the year for visitation. Sure enough that’s what happened, however the 5% bed tax brought in $13,661, the lowest amount since early 2021.The same for the hotel tax which totaled only $9750, the lowest amount since mid-2020. That indicated a steep decline in visitation.

   However, restaurant/bar taxes were up a bit, $45,387, and that reflected a year in which totals varied as much as $10,000 month to month. Go figure. Retail sales were up a few thousand from August, but the second-lowest total, $100,674, since September of 2024. Food for home consumption continued a down and up monthly variance this year. Internet sales continued about the same at $31,084.

HOUSES SOLD

Address        original/list /sell         seller         buyer      DoM      Loan type

27 Lowell Av   130k/115/85k               AZ         Sun City      33       cash

2337 S. Bower   150k/135k/$100k        OR        Bisbee        213      Carry

83 OK St.           195k/175k/$155k         WA      Colorado     90        cash

10 Azurite         $166,000                     Bisbee    Bisbee                   cash

517 San Jose          262k/245k/$233k    Bisbee     Mesa        271       VA

447 Crestview Dr  $285k                       Bisbee      Bisbee                  FHA

300 Hovland         325k/325k/$300k      Bisbee     Alaska       82      cash

510 Tmbstn Cny433k/425k/$441,4k        Bisbee    Mesa        98      Cnvtl

25 Sowle                  $498,000                 Bisbee   Gilbert       41     Cnvtl

BUILDING PERMITS

There were two permits for new houses in September, bright spots amid a lackluster permit month. Commercial permits were only $15,750, a continuation of many months of anemic remodels/rehabs/upgrades. The exceptions have been the buildings on Main St. affected by the Valentine’s night fire.

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COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS FOR SALE (info from various online realty listings)

There are 18 commercial buildings for sale throughout Bisbee.

11 Howell, (Copper Queen Hotel)…$9,000,000

55 OK St, (El Dorado Suites)….confidential

2 Main St. (former convention center)…$1,695,000

14 Main St, (Le Cornucopia)…$735,000

26 Main, (Letson Loft)…$2,250,000

41 Main St (formerly Desert Diva) ….$498,000

61 Main St, (Grand hotel/bar)…$2,200,000

72-78 Main (Outlaw Taqueria building)….$995,000

79 Main…(formerly Art Home) $579,000

105 Tombstone Canyon (Badassery).…$950,000

202 Tombstone Canyon, (formerly Contessa’s).…$497,000

2 Naco Rd….( formerly a gallery)$575,000

31 Subway….(Allen Co. building) $515,000

1 Cochise Row (Storage/Warehouse,Warren)….$3,800,000

203 Bisbee Rd, (former M2 Retro,Warren)…$350,000

97 Center, (Ballpark Brewing, Warren)….$475,000

14 Black Knob View  (Warehouse, Warren)…$550,000

954 Hwy 92  (former Bisbee Realty, San Jose)…$299,000

1326 W. Hwy 92  Unit # 5 &  Unit #13 each San Jose)….$100,000

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ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

Deeline Art LLC

103 Coconino

Nancy Thompson

Squeeze Me, LLC

408 30^th Terrace

Roseanne Blaine

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AUCTION

317 Arizona St. (Warren Hotel)

Original balance $50,000

November 26, 11 am

County courthouse 100 Quality Hill

(A lender, Jim Hogan Investments, loaned Warren Hotel owner Steve Burnett money with the building as collateral. This auction is by Mr. Hogan to recoup the amount owed to him at the time of Steve Burnett’s death. The building, not the personal contents, secured the loan.  There was no will. Frances Wright went through a legal process to become a personal representative.)

(Late breaking...this may be cancelled. According to Ms. Wright, the loan owed to lender Jim Horgan was to be paid back last week.)

 ......

2 Arizona St.

Original balance $199,000

December 5,  10 am

Pioneer Title/580 Wilcox/Sierra Vista

1041 W. McDonald St.

Original balance $65,000

November 19, 10 am

Pioneer Title/580 Wilcox/Sierra Vista

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A few photos  from No Kings rally in Sierra Vista.

           ..............COCHISE COUNTY................         

 SUPE TRIAL DELAYED TILL FEB/26

Cochise County Supervisor Tom Crosby will stand trial on two Class 5 felony charges related to election interference but because of his operation and recovery from a hernia operation he successfully petitioned the judge, Suzanne Marwil in Maricopa County Superior Court, to move his scheduled trial date. She has set  February 9, 2026 as the start of his trial.

That additional time will likely mean that he and his attorney will be throwing more cow pie legal theories at the court in an effort to get the case thrown out and continue trying to get taxpayers to pay $300,000 for his legal efforts.  The man who ignored legal advice from the county attorney as well as from a representative of the county insurance pool to assert his wrong opinion wants taxpayers to pay for his self conceit. 

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS CLOSING, VOUCHERS THE REASON 

Sierra Vista is the latest city to consider closing schools. Last year more than 20 public schools closed. Much of the blame falls on the almost $1,000,000,000 spent for private school vouchers, coming out of public schools money. A sizable chunk  going to wealthy people who already were sending their kids to private schools. About 90,000 kids enrolled. Go here for an explanation from Save Our Schools. 

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WATER LADY

Gail Griffin (R-LD-19) has lorded over water policy for many years in Arizona. A prolific press releaser, she flails conservationist while boosting private users and proposing a myriad of laws protecting extreme property rights and corporate use while touting anti-regulatory measures. Water Agenda has a detailed look at the 80 year old Griffin, who recently held a series of ‘training’ campaigns in Sierra Vista for repubs allies. Well worth a read if you want to understand Arizona’s water policies and the issues for the 2026 lege. She is up for election in 2026.

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COUNTY TAX AUCTION

Cochise County is set to launch an online auction for tax-deeded properties starting Nov. 3 and closing on Nov. 14. The auction will be conducted via Public Surplus, where potential buyers can find detailed information and available units. The properties, held by the State of Arizona through tax deeds, will be sold "as-is." Prospective bidders are urged to evaluate property conditions, including access, utilities, zoning, and flood status, before placing any bids. Consulting with a title company or legal advisor is highly recommended. Questions about specific parcels must be directed through the Public Surplus website's question section to maintain fairness and transparency. No phone or email inquiries.

Go here for more information.

  ......................NEWS BRIEFS......................  

The Argentine bailout is for one reason only, because the bailout is critical to the economic fortune of hedge fund billionaire Robert Citrone, a personal friend and former colleague of Sec of Treasury Bessent, who has invested heavily in Argentine assets. That is why. Go here for more

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Maricopa County attorney, Rachel Mitchell wants to overturn the anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) law. The law protects first amendment rights. Go here for the AZ Central article

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The young republicans “kids’ who use racist and violent posts are a reflection of the far-right influence in Arizona.

Go here for the Arizona Agenda article.

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Tesla’s new updates to their ‘full self-driving System, an already error- prone system under investigation, will allow vehicles to go faster and make frequent lane changes. Go here for the article.

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Beware the new Facebook feature! A new opt-in AI tool for American and Canadian Facebook users promises to make their photos and videos more “shareworthy.” But the feature grants Meta’s AI direct access to a user’s camera roll, rather than media already posted to Facebook. From Oligarchwatch one of the best newsletters for keeping track of the growing corporate concentration.

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On September 25, Donald Trump issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum, NSPM-7, directing federal law enforcement and other agencies to investigate and disrupt any and all left-of-center nonprofit organizations that oppose his agenda…NSPM-7 specifically instructs the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces — a network of some 200 counterterrorism units with a notorious track record of violating civil liberties — to launch investigations, and also directs the Treasury Department and IRS to pursue criminal probes.

Go here to The Intercept for more.

     ................EVERYTHING ELSE................

SELLERS REMOVING HOMES FROM MARKET

“Sellers who don’t need to sell and feel like they are getting beat up in the market are deciding to cancel listings,”  Go here for the article on the Phoenix housing market.

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CANARIES IN THE COAL MINE

ZION BANCROFT, NATIONAL BANK OWNER,  $50 MILLION INVESTMENT ERROR

(One of Bisbee’s local banks, National Bank, is a division owned solely by Zions Bancorp.) The mid-size regional bank, with holdings throughout the west, announced that they were taking a $50 million charge-off tied to a loan made by its California Bank & Trust subsidiary (CB&T, San Diego)l. regional lenders.  Zions and Western Alliance said they were victims of suspected fraud on loans tied to distressed property funds, alarming investors who were already nervous about problems in credit markets. Zion’s stock dipped about 12% after the disclosure.

   Zions Bank, N.A. is the parent company's legal name. This single bank operates under many different brand names across 11 Western states including National Bank. These divisions operate with local management teams and unique brand identities but are part of the consolidated Zions Bank, N.A. entity. )

   This is what  Chat GPT had to say about the market impact of that charge off, after my consultation.

   Earnings hit/lower profits; Share price has declined about 10-12% on the news which may affect investor confidence; A large write off signals possible weakness in loan selection; Regulatory scrutiny may increase; legal recovery of the money loaned is uncertain and probably unlikely; and there is reputational damage

   A $50 million charge-off is nontrivial, but for a mid-sized regional bank, it may not be catastrophic by itself. The key is whether this is idiosyncratic (i.e. one bad deal) or symptomatic of broader credit risk issues.

   The disclosures by Zion and another regional bank, Western Alliance, add to other recent loan blowups, including subprime auto lender Tricolor Holdings who filed for bankruptcy last month and triggered a near-total wipeout on some debt. That was followed by the bankruptcy of auto-parts supplier First Brands Group. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Fifth Third Bancorp disclosed hundreds of million of dollars in combined losses tied Tricolor, while Jefferies Financial Group Inc. disclosed exposure to First Brands.

   Late this week PrimaLend Capital Partners filed for bankruptcy after months of negotiations with creditors, a sign of stress in a sector catering to low-income consumers—and perhaps another canary in the broader economic coal mine. 

Lower-income Americans are falling behind on car loans at the highest rate in decades.

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RELIGIOUSNESS BY STATE

It appears from a study of ‘How Religious Is Your State’ by Pew Research Center, that the three west coast states of WA, OR, and CA, as well as NV and sometimes AZ, the answer is: Not Very. An interesting snapshot of overall religiousness, importance of church attendance, importance of prayer, and belief in god. For specifics of Arizona, go here.  Every state has stats broken out, accessible through a search bar by state.

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A MEDITATION ON AGE

He who is of a calm and happy nature will hardly feel the pressure of age, but to him who is of an opposite disposition, youth and age are equally a burden. Plato (427-346 B.C.), Greek philosopher

Go here for a thoughtful short article on age by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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ChatGPT…

…is now used by 800 million people. That’s more than 10% of the world’s population. As of July, it was processing 2.5 billion messages per day, or 29,000 per second. ChatGPT’s global growth is unprecedented for a tech product. (Business Insider)

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A NEW ZIPPER?

Who’d thunk it? An improved zipper. The company is YKK and their founding philosophy, the “Cycle of Goodness.” The principle—that no one prospers without benefiting others—has supposedly guided the company for decades. Wow! take that capitalist pigs! They make about half the world’s zippers. Read about it here

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WIRECUTTER REVIEWS

Since we’re talking body adornments, a few reviews of other items that hide our nakedness. All from Wirecutter, the online research firm that was bought by the NYT a few years ago. The price tags on some, but not all, of this merch got me wondering how much is production and how much is marketing.

Socks galore here

Sweats of all kinds here

Women’s button up shirts, here

Bras here

               .............. WORD...............            

ADD A LETTER, CHANGE A MEANING Gaffable Affable One who typically articulates and acts in inappropriate unfortunate behavior. Shorrendous Horrendous Sea level areas face more frequent flooding because of Global Warming truths. Thespionage Espionage Sneaking around the theater Deffete Effete May its Dystopian decadence result in the humiliation of utter defeat. Mid Nightsoil Midnight Oil A shitty tribute band Perfactionist Perfectionist Someone who works hard at creating rifts between others Doobious Dubious When you’re stoned but lie and say you’re not Fornever Forever Time dispute Chimpagne Champagne The preferred primate cocktail for special occasions Hipocrite Hypocrite Exceptionally cool guy with no beliefs Porpose Purpose A marine mammal with exceptional sense of direction Ginebriated Inebriated Too many martinis Malevelent Malevolent Evil, but not overdoing it Serendipshity Serendipity Luckily realizing someone is an asshole InTransAmigent Intransigent Stubbornly thinking ‘70’s muscle cars were the best Pianalty Penalty severe punishment of having a piano dropped on you. (ala Looney Toons) Yesumé Resumé Granting permission Cantalope Cantaloupe Sadly neither of the lovers has a ladder. Sacroscant Sacrosanct Purported "pious" beings sadly too often lack true humanity and concern for others. Caviary Aviary Little birds, little birds, all in a roe Agrivulture Agriculture A bird of prey in the fields. TeenSiesta Teensiest A student sleeps through his Spanish class. Cacchanalia Bacchanalia Aweird kind of drunken orgy Mewlingerer Malingerer A pampered house cat that refuses to leave +++++++++

WORD ODYSSEY

About words, their origins, and the stories behind them.

(Former City of Bisbee attorney and Chief Civil County Attorney Britt Hanson wrote several columns about the origins of words or phrases, which appeared in the Tucson Weekly and the Sierra Vista Herald Review a few years ago. They are too good to be forgotten, so I will include them in most Wire issues.)

Hallelujah! The Origins of “God”

By: Britt Hansen

Hallelujah! Today’s Word Odyssey topic is the origins of God. Well, not really the origins of God, but rather the word “God.” But even that is a complicated matter.

   Let’s start with “hallelujah.” That means praise be to Yahweh, from Hebrew “hillel”, which is a song of praise, and Yahweh, the name of the god of the Israelites.

   In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, Yahweh declares: “I am Yahweh, that is My name.”; Most of the time, Yahweh refers to the Hebrews’ own tribal god, not the god of everyone. He makes his status as numero uno in the pantheon of gods clear in the very first Commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” Due to the various ways of translating and alphabetizing Hebrew, Yahweh is sometimes rendered as Jehovah, such as in the King James version of the Bible. But they’re one and the same. 

   Early English translations of the Old Testament also frequently use Elohim to refer to God. But Elohim sometimes refers generically to the gods, like the gods of Egypt, yet sometimes substitutes for Yahweh.

   You won’t find Yahweh, Jehovah or Elohim in modern English versions of the Bible. Yahweh and Jehovah have been scrubbed—not because of some diabolical scheme, but because of the sacred tetragrammaton. The what?! Because written Hebrew doesn’t use vowels, in Hebrew Yahweh is rendered as a four (tetra) letter (grammaton) word: YHWH. Yahweh (and, thus, Jehovah) eventually became regarded by Jews as too sacred

to say, except on special occasions. In deference, later English Bible translations substituted “Lord” or “God”. For clarity (and consistency), Elohim is also now rendered as God or gods.

   Allah is the Muslim word for God. But it’s also the word used by Arab Christians and Arab Jews to refer to God. That’s because the origin of Allah is Arabic. Before Mohammed, Arabs were polytheistic and allah referred to one of the gods, the Creator.

When Mohammed founded Islam, Allah became the term for the one, all-powerfu Supreme Being. The polytheistic origins, however, are still seen in the Islamic tradition that Allah has 99 names, each describing a different character trait.

   If Allah sounds similar to Elohim, that’s not an accident. “Al” and “El” are the Arabic and Hebrew words for “the”. The Arabic root “Ilah” and the Hebrew root of Elohim are likely related. Adding “the” at the beginning is critical, because there is a world of difference between “a” god and THE God. 

   Now how about the word “God” itself? Most reliable sources insist that it derives from a proto-Germanic word “gudo”, meaning to call or to invoke or to be worshipped. There’s reasonable conjecture that this word can be traced back to the proto-Indo-European language.

   It’s interesting that as Germanic words, “gudo” and “god” were gender-neutral. It became masculine under the influence of Christianity. (Bear in mind that Germanic languages weren’t reduced to writing until long after the Bible had been written in Latin and Greek). God first appears capitalized in a Gothic translation of the Bible.

   To be possessed by God was “gudigaz.” This evolved in Old English to “gidig”, while acquiring the connotation of possessed by God in a crazy way—that is, to be gidig meant you were mad as a hatter. By Middle English the meaning evolved so that it was used simply to describe someone who was foolish in a dizzy kind of way. That is, you are giddy, like a school girl with a crush.

   We say the word God many times every day, usually without thinking about it. Once upon a time in English, it was fitting to bid farewell by saying “God be with ye”. As happens in language all the time, people shorten these kinds of phrases, so “God be with ye” was contracted to a simple goodbye. It’s not just English speakers that do this. The French bid “adieu” and the Spanish say “adios”, both of which are literally “to God”, which are shortened ways of commending the person to go with God.

Vaya con Dios!