You accuse me of lying?: [New Times writers Sarah Fenske and Ray Stern] spent three full days with all those documents and this is [all they] can come up with ("The Man Behind the Curtain," September 3; see also "Outfoxed," August 27)?
The hearing on August 31 was set more than a month prior, and the documents would have been released whether [they and their] attorneys showed up or not.
And as for the G. Gordon Liddy comment, I think he is a wealthy author and radio show host, not a thug. And the comparison to me by [New Times writer] Stephen Lemons was based on appearances, not behavior.
You are also misrepresenting what the affidavit says. It does not say that bank records show statements in reference to earmarking are false. How could bank statements show earmarking?
You continually repeat the lie that Hendershott "peddled" the same information that showed up in the ads, but your paper is the only one to report on it, and the quote from Gerald Richard doesn't mention any of the same topics from the ad. The only way your story makes sense is for you to embellish it?
And you accuse me of lying??
Your reporting shows the bias born in your offense. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that your bosses hate [Sheriff Joe] Arpaio, too, after they were arrested by deputies two years ago. Keep it up, Sarah; you might get promoted!
Joel Fox, MCSO captain
Fox is just trying to save his hide: The Joel Fox matter is just the latest outrage by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his staff. It's gratifying to know that something is finally being done about one of the many MCSO atrocities.
Fox is spinning the SCA donations for all he's worth, trying to save his hide. Everybody can see that he's misrepresenting the truth in an attempt to protect himself and the other high-ranking goons.
Ronald Jones, Phoenix
Hey, Fox, "Shut the F up": Well, well . . . Finally, Attorney General Terry Goddard grew a pair and did the right thing.
Now, if Goddard could just hang onto the recently acquired pair and start grand jury investigations of Joe Arpaio, Chief Deputy David Hendershott and the many other goons at the MCSO, we might actually be onto something.
So many slimeballs to go at MCSO, but this is a great start: one small step for Goddard, one giant leap for Maricopa County.
Oh, and Joel Fox: Shut the F up, you lying sack of shit.
Jim Cozzolino, Peoria
Fox is "disgusting": Joel Fox is a sworn officer, right? He should have the highest honesty and integrity — which are not virtues reserved for those beneath the high and mighty rank of captain. It is disgusting for Fox to imply that he should not be held to the high standards expected of a first-year deputy.
Name withheld
SHADEGG HATERS
Isn't it just perfect?: That John Shadegg is a hypocrite should surprise nobody. Of course he talks out of both sides of his gleaming mouth!
Now, isn't it just perfect for this stalwart Republican a-hole to blast so-called Obamacare — which would kick the shit out of cheating, lying insurance companies — while taking money from drug-company interests and rich medical providers?
Shadegg should do us all a favor and quit, but he'll never do that. He'll just continue to double-speak to hard-heads like seniors groups [whose members] haven't read anything about the Obama administration's healthcare plan and wouldn't try understand it if they did.
These oldsters just hate anything coming out of the mouth of this black president, even if the current situation screws them over — which it does. Seniors, as a class, are famous for voting against their own economic interests because they're too stubborn to accept anything except the way things have always been done (however bad the bleedin' status quo may be).
God, I wish the voters around here had the gumption to throw Shadegg's fat ass out of office, but a majority of Arizona voters are as dumb as the dust that blows through town this time of year.
Stewart Allen, Phoenix
Talk to Shadegg; you'll know he's a liar: Typical politician. So John Shadegg's just another GOP liar, it turns out. Doesn't surprise anybody who's ever looked closely at the guy's record. Or spoken with him.
Rich Taylor, Phoenix
Lying for the party seems acceptable: John Shadegg misleads a bunch of seniors? Well, I never! Of course he's doing that. Republicans think that it's fine to scare people, mislead, even lie — as long as it makes the Obama administration look bad. Lying for the party is perfectly acceptable.
As The Bird pointed out, what the hell's wrong with "prohibiting pre-existing condition exclusions," "requiring fair market practices by health insurers," and "timely payment of claims"?
Instead, Shadegg would rather make the sheep who vote for him believe the government wants to decide whether an old person can live or die — which is total crap (never a part of the Obama plan), and he knows it.
Jesse Ortega, Phoenix
Obama has slid too far to the right: The 2006 legislation that put Medicare Part D in place included a restriction prohibiting the federal government from negotiating drug prices. That's insane, because every large purchaser (like Wal-Mart) does this with suppliers.
So you can bet the pharmaceutical-manufacturing lobby was instrumental in getting this restriction included.
It's said that this could have cost the federal government roughly a trillion dollars through 2015, which, ironically, is about how much Obama and related-healthcare-reform proponents have estimated as the cost of their reforms.
It would be interesting to know where Shadegg stood on the drug lobby's protection clause in the 2006 legislation.
It wouldn't surprise me if the drug lobby supports current legislation with a similar quid pro quo, so in that sense Shadegg may be right. Of course, he has his own, reactionary agenda, but my reaction to Obama is that he has slid way too far to the right, and that many of his cabinet members and advisers are in the pockets of big banking and other fat-cat lobbies.
None of which is to say Obama, as a Clinton successor, isn't miles and miles better than Bush, or that his proposals and arguments are without merit.
Personally, though, I wonder whether a half-assed approach won't do more harm than good, especially given the fact that the legislation is gigantic and apparently not actually read in totality by anyone except lobbyists and their lawyers, and possibly congressional staff.
Supposedly we have a "free market," but we cannot freely import drugs from countries like Mexico and Canada that provide equivalent generics for (in some cases) vastly lower prices.
I recently spoke with someone with some serious health issues who spends about $25 a month [for drugs from Mexico] that in the U.S. cost about $400.
Emil Pulsifer, Phoenix
Anything's better than what we have: I, for the life of me, don't understand the outcry over the Obama health plan, which, whatever its flaws, would be a far sight better than what we endure today.
I've had insurance companies try to double-bill me, confuse me with endless red tape, refuse to pay for healthcare clearly covered in my policy . . .
If the Obama plan fixes only some of these problems, we'd all be a far sight better than we are now. People should either educate themselves or keep their ignorant mouths closed!
Mary Nell, Sun City
Where did the money come from?: Saying that Shadegg outspent Lord by a million dollars tells only half of the story. The Federal Elections Commission shows that candidate expenditures by the party on behalf of Lord were $1 million more than Shadegg and party expenditures against Shadegg were $1 million dollars more than against Lord.
That means $1 million more was spent on Lord's campaign (remember the endless commercials?) than Shadegg's. And since the Democratic Party gets lots of money from the healthcare industry, where do you suppose that money spent on Lord's behalf originally came from?
Name withheld
Time for housecleaning: Great investigative work by Stephen Lemons. Thanks for the public service in following the money and the hypocrisy regarding these self-serving Arizona congressmen. Time for change and housecleaning!
Name withheld
Lying is like breathing to you: What a pack of liars we have among our GOP politicians in this city! John Shadegg should hide his face in shame after misleading those poor old people.
John, it's a sin to worry the hell out of the elderly just to make your precious GOP feel better about losing the election to a liberal, black president — who, by the effin' way, is trying to help them, as well as the other medically disenfranchised in this country.
Now, John, why do you think America was willing to elect Barack Hussein Obama to the White House over grizzled white boy John McCain?
Well, because you Republicans are a pack of liars. From George W. Bush/Dick Cheney down to dregs like you. Lying is breathing to you people.
Name withheld
DIVERS DOWN
Why is so much good food dumped?: Wow! New Times comes out with a pro-green story. Hard to believe after "Green Fatigue". Nice to know that you've finally seen the light, at least in one area.
The story was interesting. Who knew there was so much good food being dumped? I may become a "freegan" my own self! And to make it illegal to pluck this food from dumpsters is draconian.
Now, I've got to add that some of the characters in D'Andrea's story came across as insufferable fools. I'd probably want to pistol-whip a couple of them after 15 minutes. But I've got to admire how they're getting something for nothing, while I'm spending a third of my income at the grocery store.
Tim Mason, Tempe
>XXX MARKS THE SPOT
How long before Sheriff Joe cracks down?: It makes sense that the porn industry would move to Phoenix, save for one thing: Law enforcement is more stringent here than in L.A.
How long will it be before Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio sends his goons up to hassle Taryn Thomas' production company. It would be a win-win for Joe because he could get his name on TV big-time and be trying to squash something that most conservative Arizonans don't condone.
Don't get me wrong. I see absolutely nothing at all wrong with the porn business. It's a First Amendment issue.
Why this place works as a porn mecca is, as your story points out: cheap labor, wide-open spaces for production (where there are no prudish neighbors to get pissed), and a dearth of industry vultures. Let's hope Thomas, et al., succeed. This economy needs a dose of Viagra!
John Roberts, Phoenix
It's come a long way: The Phoenix adult industry has surely come a long way in a short period of time. It's truly amazing to see it growing right before my eyes.
I'm really thrilled that Taryn Thomas has started her own company and is making things happen for herself. Way to go, Taryn!
Josh Reading, Glendale
Give her credit: I think this is a wonderful story. Taryn sure did a great job with taking control of her life. I have to give the girl credit.
John Philips, Scottsdale
Diversification is key: Good to hear that the Valley is diversifying its economy. Always glad to have an industry that's not tied to housing.
Will Novak, Phoenix
Folks in L.A. don't like "Chub-Chub": Taryn Thomas is not well liked in the XXX community. She burned a ton of bridges when she left [L.A.]; few people would have anything to do with distributing her DVDs. She's derisively referred to her as "Chub-Chub" for her frequent weight [fluctuations].
Your writer failed to ask — or reveal — how Taryn got all the money to buy a house in Fountain Hills and start her own business. She didn't start spreading her legs for money until 2004.
Will Donovan, Paradise Valley
