BISBEE WIRE #109
- 1 day ago
- 25 min read
editor: fred miller March 27, 2026 #109/March 2026 Hello, This last weekend in March is packed with do good/feel good stuff. It would be a huge morale booster if we got 4-5,000 peeps out on Saturday/28th at the No Kings protests to protest the odious policies foisted upon us by the authoritarian trump administration. Your choice; in Bisbee/9AM-11AM @ Sidewalk in front of Grassy Park, Sierra Vista/1PM-3PM @Sidewalk in front of Memorial Park, Douglas/4PM-6PM/Pan Ame Sidewalk @7th/8th, Wilcox 9-11 @ Plaza Restaurant. Also Saturday/28 Bisbee Bikeway Pedal Power at the Jonquil 10am-10pm donation. 9 bands! Family friendly with face painting & craft table for kids, a bike power smoothie maker?!, info tables, raffle, food, drinkies. A big shebang to raise more dough for the bike (actually multi-use) path, (the RFP for construction is lout for bid!). Sunday March 29, KBRP is kicking out the jams at the Grand Hotel/Bar with a couple bands, some of that delish food from Outlaw Taqueria (Mike Clement, the owner if OT is a displaced N'awlans cat and he makes some mean gumbo and red beans n rice.) C'mon out, listen, eat, maybe shake your bootie a lil, an dig down deep to help our local radio station keep growing to serve our community. A consequential election that will shape the future of Bisbee has kicked off now that the candidates are known. I hope to shine some light on the issues and candidates in the next three months. If you have a bit of time, there are many organizations that could use volunteer help. Look around and help build our community. I know I've left stuff out, but damned if I can remember what... fred ...............AROUND TOWN................ PRIMARY ELECTION FILING COMPLETED These are the important dates. March 23…deadline and candidates have handed in their papers April 6…deadline for challenges to candidates and signatures June 22…last day to register to vote June 24…Early voting begins July 10 …last day to apply for early mail ballot July 17…deadline to vote early July 21…Primary election day To date, these are the people that have filed Mayor: Jon Waniak, Mel Sowid, Carl Stetter, Amy Burkert, Cesilia Garcia, Charles Flanagan Ward 1…Lori Reynolds Ward 2..Cynthia Conroy, Terry Priestley Ward 3 (2 seats) ..Trish Damon, Anna Cline In a last minute development, Charles Flanagan pulled a packet and was out about town getting sigs for mayor after formerly pulling a packet for Ward II. He is now listed on the city's website as running for mayor and his name is no longer listed for Ward II. In the next regular issue, I hope to have more details on each candidate. Stay tuned because KBRP has begun planning to have two live on air/youtube forums, one for mayor candidates and one for council candidates, with call in questions. Mike Thornton and Shar Poirer will be moderating and asking the questions, just like a real news thingie. Dates tba, but likely second and third Mondays in June right before early voting begins. (We're looking for anonymous or public underwriters at $100 each to pay for the meeting space and related costs for this community information event. Drop a check to KBRP at PO Box 1501. Bisbee, AZ 85603 with the notation Candidate Forum, and whether you need a tax deductible receipt.) ++++++++++ A NEW PREZ FOR BISBEE FORWARD The Board of Directors of Bisbee Forward recently announced that Nicole France, co-owner of Canyon Rose Suites and Standard Waffle, has been elected as the new President of the organization. Steve Ball, a founding member of the business association and its inaugural President, stepped down from his role to prioritize family needs According to Ms. France her aims are to continue the work of making Bisbee a thriving city for businesses and residents. She will continue work with the City of Bisbee and the local business community to build sustainable growth. Bisbee Forward has also submitted a bid for the city's DMO marketing solicitation that closed on 3/26. Ball, the co-owner of B-Active, was one of the people behind the creation of Bisbee Forward. He, along with others, were instrumental in building the organization to the current 70 businesses. Bisbee Forward is a non-profit business association dedicated to promoting economic growth, supporting local business owners, and enhancing the unique character of the Bisbee community.They submitted a bid for the DMO marketing RFP recently ++++++++++ TAX HELP AVAILABLE A reminder for those people who haven't done their taxes yet. They will be doing them at the Bisbee Senior center on Fri/Sat until April 11th. This a service from AARP and there is no charge for this. Appts. are suggested. Call 520-352-9514 the Senior center afternoon Fridays or Saturday morning 520-432-2167 ++++++++++ PAUKEN HIRED IN NOGALES Retired Bisbee city manager Steve Pauken has been appointed interim city manager of Nogales. The previous city manger was fired. Pauken will serve until the city council hires a new manager. No salary was disclosed. The Bisbee city attorney on contract, Joeseph Estes, is also the Nogales city attorney. ++++++++++ EDUCATION BALLOT INITIATIVE FOR VOUCHER REFORM Save Our Schools needs some help for getting a voucher reform initiative on the ballot. The voucher program has been steadily increasing in cost to taxpayers, about $1 billion this year. Analyses have shown that the majority of students come from homes that can afford to pay for private schooling. It also has been shown the program has widespread abuses, some 20% by some estimates, and public school funding has decreased. This initiative, if enough signatures are gathered will be on the general election ballot and will bring some coherence to the voucher program. Go here for info, to sign, and help distribute petitions. This is what The Protect Education Act includes: New Safety Measures to Protect Kids: Requires all voucher-funded schools to comply with basic safety standards, including adherence to local fire and safety codes, background checks for educators and school staff, safe storage of heavy machinery and weapons on the premises, and common-sense protections to stop youth access to drugs and alcohol. Requires that voucher-funded schools investigate allegations of misconduct and maintain fingerprint clearance cards for all employees who have unsupervised contact with children. Basic Standards to Prevent Waste, Fraud, and Abuse: Bans the use of ESA voucher funds for non-educational and luxury items (e.g., luxury appliances, lingerie, big screen TVs, jewelry, luxury travel, and gift cards). Recoups millions in unused funds for public schools: 90 percent of Arizona’s students — including 91% of students with disabilities — attend neighborhood public schools. The initiative would require unused ESA voucher funds to be returned, redirecting millions of dollars per year back to Arizona’s public schools, which currently rank 48th in the nation in per-student funding. Ensures transparency for voucher funds: To better track taxpayer dollars, the initiative would require the Arizona Department of Education to report quarterly how much funding voucher-funded schools receive. Clarifies enforcement authority: To cut through bureaucratic red tape and end jurisdictional battles over who has the authority to investigate and prosecute fraud and abuse, the initiative would require the Attorney General to enforce the above provisions and would authorize the Attorney General to issue civil investigative demands and file civil actions. Re-Focusing the Voucher Program on Families with the Highest Need: Ends subsidies for the wealthy: Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the Act requires the annual family income for universal ESA voucher students to be at or below $150,000, adjusted annually. Raising the Bar for Academic Quality to Support Student Success Requires all voucher-funded schools to follow academic accountability standards. To ensure students are learning, private schools would be required to have their students take similar assessments as public school students or be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting organization ++++++++++ IF YOU HAVE SIRIUS RADIO DON’T PAY RATE INCREASE Instead call them a 800 689-6881 and complain about high price, ask for a reduced price, they’ll offer one about $10, tell em too much, they’ll offer $7.99 for 12 months. That’s the one to take, they won’t go any lower. ++++++++++ BISBEE MEDIA MENTIONS Science Center back yard Warner Hotel https://www.facebook.com/reel/2747850058913515 Artemizia Foundation Gallery https://www.visitarizona.com/like-a-local/an-arizona-art-museum-thats-more-than-meets-the-eye Best Small Town https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-small-towns-in-arizona-11913170 Song about Bisbee https://suno.com/song/34bc2c19-bc32-4888-a053-f263c7767c67?sh=qTnyeLRvs3h2S52b Bisbee Breakfast Club https://fastfoodclub.com/p/12-arizona-desert-town-breakfast-spots-worth-waking-up-early-for/ Best Shopping District https://www.marketbeat.com/originals/americas-most-envied-shopping-districts/#google_vignette Cozy town https://www.azcentral.com/story/travel/arizona/2026/03/12/coziest-arizona-towns/89068315007/ Mine Tour https://farmonaut.com/mining/bisbee-mine-tour-sustainable-copper-mining-in-2026 Ghost Tour https://fastfoodclub.com/p/11-creepy-hidden-places-in-arizona-with-mysterious-pasts/ ++++++++++ Bisbee School Board elections The election for two positions open this year in Bisbee Unified School District will be held during the the general election. The important dates: June 8 First Date for Non-partisan Candidates To File Nomination Petitions, July 6 Last Date For Non-partisan Candidates To File Nomination Petitions July 20 Last day to file as a write in candidate. November 3 General Election ..............EVENTS............... Ongoing…Copper Queen Library events. Go here March 28…No Kings Day in Cochise County Bisbee / 9AM-11AM / Sidewalk in front of Grassy Park Sierra Vista / 1PM-3PM / Sidewalk in front of Memorial Park Douglas / 4PM-6PM / Pan American Hwy March 28…Bisbee Bikeways Peddle Power Concert, 10am-10pm, Jonquil Motel March 29…KBRP Taste of Mardi Gras fundraiser at the Grand/61 Main, 3pm-6pm, Whiskey Lickers & Big Dick, Suggest $ 10 or more donation. APRIL 7, 10 am supes building, 1415 Melody Lane meeting about potentially passing a 120 day moratorium on the data center. April 22…Earth Day, Bisbee Science Center 514 Melody Lane ..............GARDENING............... 200 GALLON WATER TANK FOR SALE My water tank is for sale. Excellent condish. 200 gallons with screen and spout placement, hose drain fitting and overflow tube. $350 firm, less than half new price. Some pics. No delivery, you pick it up. contact me at bisbeewire@gmail.com if interested. ++++++++++ RUELLAS FOR FREE I've got a bunch of Ruellas that I need to thin.Some of them can be yours if you email me at bisbeewire@gmail.com. They are versatile, grow to be about 4-5 ft, with lovely purple flowers. I gow them in full sun, full shade, and half n half. Perennials, also called Mexican Petunias, can be invasive, and that's why I'm seeking to thin em. You can get lots or a few. (one of these days I'll learn to wrap text around a graphic... POOP TALK Just by happenstance I found a source of garden manure. I went to the Fiber Arts Guild opening at Carriage House Gallery a couple weeks ago.The show was really astounding in the varied kinds of fiber used for art and wearable pieces. Hopefully they will do it again. Info on the guild, a community of weavers, spinners, and fiber artists in Bisbee, is here . Oh yeah the poop on the poop...In addition to a wide range of ‘fiber’ used in beautiful compositions, from clothes to creatures, there were 3 alpacas + a lil guy I wanted to take home for Charlieparker, outside the gallery. They were part of a demonstration showing how alpaca fleece was turned into yarn. As a side note, I learned that Alpaca fleece is warmer, lighter, and softer than wool, hypoallergenic (no lanolin as has wool) and as soft as cashmere. As I was leaving, out of a whim I asked LeRoy, the Alpacas' owner (he has 35 more) if alpaca poop was available and he assured me that he had plenty. Longish story short, I prevailed upon friends Bari and Jim and their pickup to go with me to the ‘ranch’ near Sierra Vista and get some poop. We did. It’s about $30-$40 a pickup load, and importantly he’s got a small front load bucket tractor. Also took a short tour and looked at the varied colored Alpacas, two gnarly goats, and scoped out his large workshop with several different sizes of looms and where he and his wife do classes. Five scoops later we were on our way. I have happy plants and richer soil. If interested go to their website for info. About 30 minutes away at the end of Ramsey Road, 5089 S. Calle Alamo, Sierra Vista.
..............BISBEE ECONOMY.............. BUDGET HEARINGS SCHEDULE The draft budget will be released to the council and presumably to the public, April 6. Budget work sessions, open to the public usually with a call to the public, are scheduled for April 13-16 5:30 at city hall. If you have ideas about what should the fiscal approach to departments, where is or should be spent, this is the time to speak up with your specifics. This is the most important yearly document that guides city planning. Generally there is a methodical approach to go thorough the budget dept by dept. Depending on discussions the work sessions usually go for 2-3 hours, and 3-4 days. Go here for info. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> COPPER PIG CLOSES The popular Warren restaurant, the Copper Pig, has closed. Co-owner Heather Reddon explained that their family has a multitude of serious health issues that demand their attention. She posted a note on nextdoor.com thanking the community for their support. She stressed that the restaurant was a financial success and their business model (open 4 nights, Sun-Wed, BYOB) was solid. The four year old restaurant, with chef co-owner Chris Dangerfield in the kitchen, won many local and regional accolades.The building will be for sale soon and as Heather mentioned, “it’s a copper mine for someone brave enough! I was fortunate to have worked with Heather at Café Roka. She was, and is, a delightful cheerful person who rarely says a bad word about anyone. I wish them both well. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> BALLPARK BREWING CLOSES Our regular go-to for their smashburger has closed. The building/business has been for sale for months, but no takers. A nice place but under marketed, bites the dust. Ballpark Brewing is co-owned by locals, brothers Brian and Daniel (or Chris) Vertrees, who opened the brewery in spring 2024. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> SALES TAXES (A bit tricky to figure because the tax revenue is collected from visitors actual spending in December, sent to the state in January by businesses, and distributed to the City in February and reported in the February report from the treasurer. So there is a two month lag to take into consideration.) These figures are from a monthly report issued by the Department of Revenue. They are not adjusted for inflation. According to these figures, actual revenue is ok. There are other folks that come to different conclusions. The city treasurer, Keri Bagley, compares monthly revenue to FY budgeted amounts and derives a percentage that she tracks in her monthly report to the council. For instance in her February report she says "Bed Tax revenue is at 64% or about $9,100 under expected". The 'expected' in this case is the budget amount set last year in the FY25/26 budget. I go by direct comparisons-money received to money received-in the given time period such as month to month or one year to date to another year to date. There can often be monthly anomalies, for instance if a business is not paying monthly taxes on time or is several months in arrears and then makes a payment to catch up, ADOR simply considers that revenue in the month it is paid to ADOR by the business, and does not post it in the months that the money was taken in by the business. That can tend to skew monthly totals, but cannot be tracked. Or sometimes an event spans the end of one month/beginning of the next, so the revenue is split between months and therefore reported differently. The 5% bed tax is paid by overnight visitors only. The 3.5% hotel tax is a city tax paid by business owners. Contrary to some of the rumors, Air b&bs pay the same rate as hotels and inns. That rate of 14.6% is collected from visitors (as is the rate for the rental and the cleaning fee and the air b&b fee) by airb&b as part of the booking process. Air b&b then sends it on to the state in the owners name. The state then sends it back to the city. I presume with the owners name attached to the amount, but I'm not sure how the money is coded when the city gets it. For the first 8 months comparison of FY 25/26 with the same 8 month period in FY 24/25... Bed tax is up +9.2%; Hotel tax is down -0.36%; Restaurant Bar is up +7.3%; Retail is down -0.16%; Grocery for home consumption is up +3.34%; Internet tax is up +16.0%. Fiscal Year July/25 to Feb 26 To date Bed tax Hotel Rest/Bar Retail Grocery Internet FY 25/26 190,894 126,171 355,161 896,581 431,999 270,311 FY 24/25 173,814 126,629 329,919 898,044 417,410 230,190 For the first two calendar months of January and February 2026 compared to the same period in 2025... Bed tax is up +30.%; Hotel tax is up +25.5%; Restaurant Bar is up +18.2%; Retail is up +8.9%; Grocery for home consumption is up +3.7; Internet tax is up +8.0% Calendar Year January & February Bed tax Hotel Rest/Bar Retail Grocery Internet Jan/Feb/26 64,611 46,102 99,042 262,400 113,796 71,939 Jan/Feb/25 47,724 35,648 82,437 239,872 109,625 66,359 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> In FY 25/26 budget, the council okayed taking $400,000 out of the visitors center fund and putting it in a 'visitor center capital improvements fund'. (This was another bright idea of former city manager Pauken,to build a visitor center at the burned out building at 30 Main using visitor center fund monies.) It was to be done in monthly increments of $33,333. For the past eight months that amount has been transferred. There should be $266,664 in the capital improvements fund-because there has been no expenditures-however there is only $ 107,243 as of the February treasurer's report. So I asked Ms. Bagley about the seeming discrepancy. She promptly replied and explained what had happened. There was several months where the hotel tax was put into the bed tax fund instead of the general fund where it belonged, about $156k. She reported to the council she has made a mistake and rectified it by moving the $156k directly from the capital improvements fund into the general fund (Instead of moving the money back into the visitor center fund and then into the general fund). The city auditors said that this move was ok) So the capitol improvements fund is now about $107k+. She also informed me that the mayor had requested stopping the monthly $33,333 payments into the capital improvements fund for a planned visitor center because there was no construction and those funds may be needed for the DMO contract. An excellent idea. But further, I think that the entire $107k+ in the capital improvements fund should be moved back into the visitor center fund because there is no need. The VC fund was meant to market the city to attract visitors and never meant to build or repair structures. And one more thing about this bed tax...In November 2020 a proposition on the ballot was passed raising the bed tax from 2.5% to 5% with the increase specifically dedicated to promoting Bisbee as an overnight destination. Since that time budget after budget under the guidance of the former city manager, the advertising for overnight visitors has been about 1/3 of the budget spend with the visitor center (and related labor costs) getting 2/3rds of the budget spend. I think there is a legitimate complaint, if not legally more, for ignoring the wishes of voters. And that question, where should scarce money be spent? is being played out again with a push to move the visitor center into the Fair building; t here is a large difference of opinion about whether a visitor center should cater to people already in town or whether marketing to lure overnight visitors is more important. Pretty much most OB businesses and many others, want to entice more people to town. Some council and the mayor and other people think a visitors center is what should be emphasized. (read Pete Skinners' AI rhapsodic article.) Amidst the turmoil of no permanent city manager, at least one new person on the council, and a new mayor this year, I think that the city should save money and move the viz center into the convention center. That deal is for a space across from the coffee company for $5000 for two years with windows, inside/outside access, internet, bathrooms and open 7 am to 8 pm. It's really is a great deal. Two years will be enough time to evaluate the success of saving money on a visitor center and spending on marketing. Then If the city wants to accept a gift of the Fair building, and figure out a way to operate the Restoration museum. Go right ahead. But don't move the viz center there. And don't take any money from the viz center/transient bed tax fund, because that is not the purpose of that fund. Take it from the general fund. The Fair deal has yet to be discussed publicly, perhaps a work session will be coming as per Mayor Budge has said, and the details of the 'free' deal for the Fair bldg will be discussed openly.
Whew, ya got that? >>>>>>>>>>>>>> HOUSE SALES (Jan/Feb) Address sell $$ seller buyer DoM Loan type 130 Mtn v iew $142,500 Bisbee Bisbee 65 Conv 504 Alegre Pl $199,000 Branson Bisbee 136 FHA 17 Nighthawk $245,000 Tucson Bisbee 61 VA 79 Ok St. $368,000 CA MN 60 Conv 412 Mckinley $26,250 Douglas SV 40 Cash 414 Mckinley $26,250 Douglas SV 40 Cash 69 E. Ok St $125,000 Iowa Indiana 84 Cash 101 Turquoise $230,000 Bisbee Las Vegas 15 Conv 106 Opera Dr. $270,000 San Tan Tempe 24 Conv 20 Mojave Tr. $280,000 Bisbee Tombston 24 Cash >>>>>>>>>>>>>> BUILDING PERMITS January permits for residential were over $1 million, led by one new home construction and a couple large remodels. Commercial permits were $150,000 with a big chunk for a hospital construction shed that serves as the HQ for the new building. February permits were anemic compared to the previous month. $300,000+ for residential and $116,000+ for commercial. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OBC Shack LLC 822 Pace Todd Conklin AUCTIONS 148 Brewery June 3, 11 am Cochise Courthouse steps
..............COCHISE COUNTY................ DATA CENTER Big news for Cochise County! The Planning and Zoning Commission has narrowly approved a temporary moratorium on new data center proposals after residents spoke up about groundwater use, rising electricity costs, and the impact on rural communities. The vote was 5–4, and the recommendation now goes to the Board of Supervisors for consideration of a 120-day pause while zoning regulations are developed. (late flash the supes will be considering it next week.) It’s a win for citizen engagement—people showing up, asking tough questions, and holding decision-makers accountable. Shout-out to the local taxi driver who provided free rides to the meeting, making it possible for more residents to attend and be heard. This pause isn’t the final decision, but it gives the county time to create standards that protect our water, energy, and rural way of life. The data center ordinance and 120-day moratorium have already been approved by the P&Z Commission. Both have yet to be approved by the Board of Supervisors. the BOS is scheduled to vote on the ordinance TUESDAY, APRIL 7 at 10 AM. Go here for a request to speak either in person or via message. ++++++++++ SUPES LOOK TO DC FOR ELECTION FIDDLIN This article/interview explains the basis for a letter by two of the supes to Tulsi Gabbard. It was a bogus charge about voting machines that surfaced once again at a supes meeting. The claim is that the company that verifies ballot counting machines for the state is not legitimately verified to do so. Sigh! Go here. (The only reasonable assumption that can be made about writing a letter to Ms. Gabbard about elections, since she has no experience in anything about elections, is that she was present in Georgia when the feds carted off the 2020 election results documents.) ++++++++++ Another dumb idea to surface from Cochise County election skeptics is hand counting of votes. In a recent primary a Texas county hand counted ballots and also changed from vote centers to precinct-based voting. It took more than 24 hours to get results with many workers wanting to quit. No report on the increased cost for precincts. It is an object lesson on the stupidity of hand counting all ballots. CC verifies machine counts by hand counting a 1- 2% of ballots. ++++++++++ NEW JAIL SITE HAS SOME PROBS According to an article in the Hereald Review, the site for the voter approved new jail, has Ocotillo-lots of it. And that is a problem because it is a protected species. So they gotta get rid of it. Stay tuned in case you as well licensed harvesters, can get your very own cactus. Another problem is that of washes and drainages that might have Clean Water Act requirements. RFPs are due the end of April, that might indicate how these probs will be dealt with. ..............STATE & LEGE................ MONEY FAUCET TURNED ON FOR REPUB CISCOMANI Two Arizona Republican congressmen in critical districts are filling their campaign war chests with hundreds of thousands of dollars from GOP leadership in advance of midterm elections that could spell the end of Republicans’ control of Congress. U.S. Reps. Juan Ciscomani running for the district 6 seat and Eli Crane district 2, have both gotten an injection of funds from joint fundraising committees connected to Republican congressional leaders. Ciscomani, whose district in southern Arizona is one of the most competitive in the nation and is a prime target for Democrats, has gotten nearly $1 million so far, the second most of any other Republican incumbent outside of House leadership. Arizona Mirror ++++++++++ INDEPENDENT PARTY LABEL BOGUS JUDGE SAYS The No Labels party tried to change their name to the Arizona Independent Party in an effort to break the two-party stranglehold on elections. No Can Do said the judge. Too confusing and they had to start from scratch. In a newly released ruling, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Greg Como said if party officials want to operate under a new name, they need to start from scratch and complete all the procedures necessary — including gathering sufficient signatures on petitions — to form a new party. ++++++++++ TRACK BILLS This tool, developed by the Arizona Agenda is useful for history and real time tracking of very bill going through the lege.This year an astounding 2100+ bills were introduced. This particular one is for Education related legislation. Go here for the list of what’s being talked about. ++++++++++ Apropos of the county stack on voting…a false report by a discredited journalist, John Solomon/Just the News, stated that Maricopa Co. received a subpoena for 2020 election records. Not true. However, Warren Peterson, republican prez of the senate who wants to run against AG Kris Mayes, said that the AZ senate had complied with a DoJ subpoena for Ninja audit records. However he would not say what the records were. Gad, it gets so fuckin tiring, these self-important people walking around with the stench of manure permeating their cheap suits, talking fugazi news and nothing burgers. ++++++++++ MEDICARE CUTS: BANDAGES FOR BROKEN BONES, ASPIRIN FOR CANCER A RAND study released last month detailed the medicare cuts to all states as a result of the trump 2025 legislation. For Arizona, there will be about a 15% reduction over the next decade. Some of the findings:
Go here for the RAND article. ++++++++++ According to a study published in the Arizona Mirror, “Proposed federal Medicaid cuts could cost Arizona roughly $2.4 billion annually by fiscal year 2031-2032, with healthcare providers potentially losing $6 billion over the next five years . These reductions are expected to cause over 300,000 to 400,000 residents to lose insurance coverage, while a $1 billion cut could trigger a loss of 36,000 jobs and $138 million in tax revenue. “ The article goes on to talk about the possible closing of rural hospitals as a collorary to the reduction in medical coverage. ..............EVERYTHING ELSE.............. RUMOR CONTROL If you want to check rumors, one of the better places to do it is Snopes. Go here for info. One of their latest they found is true is that Mullins, the new chief of Homeland Security and former senator, made $50k worth of stock purchase in Chevron a few days before the Venezuela seizure. ++++++++++ US SENATORS: OLD MEN WITH MONEY . “Millionaires Are Overrepresented in the U.S. Senate — By a Lot,” by NOTUS’ Taylor Giorno: “At least 73 of the 100 sitting U.S. senators have a median net worth of more than a million dollars, according to a NOTUS analysis of lawmakers’ most recent financial disclosures. … The median net worth in the Senate is nearly $4.4 million — more than 70 times the Census-reported median U.S. household net worth, which similarly excludes equity in primary residences. … The vast wealth gap between senators and their constituents raises questions around what informs Senate policymaking — and what kind of finances Americans need to have in order to successfully run for the Senate in the first place.” Fifty senators are over 65. There are six senators over 80. Age does not necessarily bring wisdom as demonstrated by the US Senate. ++++++++++ WHOOPEE! 400 NEW BILLIONAIRES Thanks to AI’s explosion, sizzling markets and favorable fiscal policies, a record 3,428 entrepreneurs, investors and heirs made this year’s World’s Billionaires list, 400 more than in 2025. They are richer than ever, worth a record $20.1 trillion, up $4 trillion from last year. There are now 20 people worth more than $100 billion. Go here for the nauseating article. ++++++++++ JBS MEATPACKERS ON STRIKE About 3,800 JBS meatpacking workers went on strike Monday, slowing production at one of the largest beef plants in the U.S. at a time of record-high prices. Union workers said they were unable to reach an agreement with the world’s biggest meatpacking company to increase wages. Employees also want JBS to stop charging for the protective gear needed to do their jobs. Despite recording record revenue for beef in its last quarter, JBS recorded a 50% decline in gross profit due to the higher cost of livestock. Food Dive ++++++++++ FEDS SPENT $850K (SO FAR) REDACTING EPSTEIN FILES In March 2025, the FBI paid 934 employees $851,344 in overtime to review and redact the files on deceased serial sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein, according to internal bureau documents I obtained in response to my FOIA lawsuit. The records provided the first behind-the-scenes look at the chaotic process to prepare the records for public release. From FOIA files, go here ++++++++++ What If the Best Brain Exercise Has Nothing to Do With Your Brain?An interesting article on how your brain works, and how to change habits that allow for different ways to learn stuff, as well as healthy mental habits. Worth a read. https://substack.com/home/post/p-186363325 ++++++++++ SOLAR FOR ALL https://www.facebook.com/reel/2127500221402191 ++++++++++ PODCAST A plain speaker talks truth to power, worth a listen. Go here ++++++++++ MASS SURVELLIANCE “Over the last year, the Trump administration has undertaken an unprecedented project of aggregating Americans' personal data and making more of it accessible to ICE. A data sharing agreement with Health and Human Services gives ICE the names, dates of birth and home addresses of immigrants without legal status who are included in Medicaid data. ICE also brokered an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service, but last week a federal judge found the IRS had violated federal tax law when it disclosed address information to ICE for more than 42,000 individuals. That builds on a staggering data collection effort by ICE that ramped up during Trump's first term. As of 2022, ICE could locate three out of four American adults through their utility records, and the agency had scanned one in three Americans' driver's license photos, a study by Georgetown Law's Center on Privacy and Technology found at the time." Go here for the article. .............. WORD............... Word Odyssey Feeding your inner nerd with words, their origins, and the stories behind them By: Britt Hanson I Fear I Have a Phobia! “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself!” Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke those words in order to perk up the peeps during the depths of the depression.
It’s a great line, but it’s not true. People have phobias. Lots of them, as it turns out. While researching English words from Greek myths, including “phobia” from the god of fearsome dreams, I found out that there are phobias of just about everything.
Like a lot of medical and psychological terms, “phobia” is from Greek, in which it meant fear. But medically speaking, a phobia is not a mere fear, it’s an irrational aversion to something, to the point where the fear is pathological. In other words, it’s a mental disease. So, while many of us find spiders a bit scary, an arachnophobe might panic in the presence of a spider, or even when he or she suspects a spider might be present. The same is true of an ophidiophobe, who has a pathological fear of snakes. If cats cause you severe anxiety, you might have ailurophobia. And of course, our new Commander-in-Chief confessed in one of his books that he is a germophobe, more technically called a mysophobe.
And of course, there is claustrophobia, going bonkers in tight, enclosed spaces. Agoraphobia is the fear of open spaces or, really, just being around people in public. In Greek, an agora was a marketplace, so the word is fitting for this particular phobia of people who won’t leave the house. Opposite of that, an autophobe is afraid of being alone. Now, don’t confuse agoraphobia with acrophobia, which is a fear of heights, with the “acro” being derived from the Greek word for highest point—think of the Acropolis, or of an acrobat up on the high wire, who you might say has acrophilia, a love of heights.
I’ve just begun to scratch the surface of phobias. There are some really cool ones. Like agyrophbia, the fear of crossing roads. And how about barophobia, the fear of gravity. How in the heck can you dread gravity!? That’s like fearing earth or air, it’s just unavoidable! And just so you know, I’m not making this up. Search barophobia and you’ll hit a dozen sites that tout a cure for it. This next one I get: coulrophobia, an abnormal fear of clowns. They’ve always scared me, although I haven’t gone so far as to join Ihateclowns.com. Another phobia might be related: a pediophobe has an abnormal fear of dolls, which would explain the success of the Chucky movies. Research does not disclose any phobia for an abnormal fear of action figures.
If you’re afraid of going into the shower room at the pool, you might just have gymnophobia, a fear of naked bodies. If you freak out when you can’t find your smart phone or are outside cell service, you could have nomophobia, with the “nomo” being a contraction of “no mobile.” See if you can guess what this next phobia is: hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia. (Hint: in Greek, “hex” means the number six, as in hexagon). Yes, it’s an abnormal fear of the number 6-6-6, which in the Book of Revelations is the Sign of the Beast. Some people had such an aversion to U.S. Highway 666, which ran through Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Nevada, and was known as the Devil’s Highway, that it was renumbered.
In the town where I live, there are an abnormally high number of people with the following phobias. Ablutophobia is the fear of bathing, washing or cleaning. Ergophobia is an aversion to working. A technophobe fears technology, also known as a Luddite, named after an English working man who feared that new and improving industrial machinery would eventually put all laborers out of work.
By definition, people who live in fear of having a phobia (a fear of fear itself?) are phobophobes. Naturally, there are some people who are afraid of everything, which is panphobia. An episode of Star Trek gave us nihilphobia, which is fear of a void in space, or nothingness. But as far as I can tell, there is no name for a fear of nothing, yet that would seem like the scariest psychosis of them all. |
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