No Harm No Foul

As my grandkids would say, “Stern is a dork.” But I would say, “The only thing that is worse than a lawyer is a lawyer who is an administrator.” Everyone who passed the third grade can read the rules, but an administrator should evaluate the rules and justly apply them. His suspensions of Stoudemire and Diaw were equivalent to a fourth grade kangaroo court. He was trying to be objective, but he should not use objectivity when it doesn’t make sense. His referees are frequently subjective and know that an infraction is not always committed when no harm is done. Thus, no harm no foul.

In Memory Of Lynn

Today, Bob Jones and I took Lynn to the veterinarian, where he administered euthanasia to Lynn. Lynn has been our pet since September 1993. She is an offspring of my niece’s pet, Sugar.

I grew fond of Lynn since Day “1”. When she was small, she would sit on the back of my platform rocker leaning against my neck. When I was home, she would always be at my side, and when I left for vacation, she would jump up and down when I returned home.

My children could not believe my fondness for Lynn. When they were growing up, they were held responsible for taking care of their pets. They assumed I didn’t care for animals.

I will miss Lynn. She meant a lot to me. She is resting in peace instead of suffering from congestive heart failure, an enlarged heart, an enlarged liver and many other things that go along with failing organs.

It was difficult to make a decision on euthanasia and to witness the incident. The doctor said that we made the right decision, and Bob and I are glad that we stayed there to watch. We left knowing she is resting in peace.

Grand Aid in Arizona

Grandparents raising grandchildren may get some relief if lawmakers vote to appropriate $2 million to continue a program that provides a one-time grant of $300 and a $75 monthly stipend for each child in their care

• As co-sponsor of a recent “Grandfamilies Rally” at the state capitol, AARP Arizona encouraged participants to support the bill. “With an increasing number of grandparents assuming the role of caregiver, this legislation is sorely needed,” says Lupe Solis, AARP associate state director for advocacy. More than 52,000 Arizona grandparents are currently raising grandchildren.

• Call 1-800-352-8404 to ask legislators to support funding for SB 1110

Source AARP Bulletin

Are You Eligible for VA Medical Care?

Only about 5.5 million of almost 24 million American vets are receiving VA medical care. Who’s eligible? Potentially all veterans are eligible.

• Eligibility for most veterans’ health care benefits is based solely on active military service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard (or Merchant Marines during WW II), and discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.
• Reservists and National Guard members who were called to active duty by a Federal Executive Order may qualify for VA health care benefits. Returning service members, including Reservists and National Guard members who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations have special eligibility for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for two years following discharge from active duty.
• Health Care eligibility is not just for those who served in combat.
• Other groups may be eligible for some health benefits.
• Veteran’s health care is not just for service-connected injuries or medical conditions.
• Veteran’s health care facilities are not just for men only. VA offers full-service health care to women veterans.

Other sources
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Disabled American Veterans
• America Legion
• Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

Phoenix is Growing Up

Light rail is making our city a major city. One of these days, Phoenix will be growing up like a kid into adulthood. The costs are great but we have many adult cities to learn from, i.e. Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco to name a few.

Thursday night, the new train was tested on Washington Street "Things went great. The train performed the way it was designed to perform and that's all good," said Joe Murie with Valley Metro.

The Train will be tested many more times before its maiden trip in late 2008.

Light Rail Needed

The Valley of the Sun is a sprawling megalopolis. It needs light rail and other modes of transportation to keep up with modern big cities. Light rail is a start but it also needs to grow along with the Valley. And it should include a line from the Valley to Tucson.

Read about the recent tests...

Today is Tax Day

Today is Tax Day. Americans must do their yearly duty and pay taxes on the income they are blessed with.

Income taxes were first collected during the civil war, but an Amendment to the Constitution gave Congress the authority to tax our income. The first Tax Day was March 1 when it was much easier to do. It became more complicated and was changed to the March 15, the Ides of March. In 1955, Tax Day was move to April 15. If it falls on a weekend or holiday, it is moved to the following business day.

Some taxpayers contend that April 15 is still too soon even though we have computers to do most of the work. Some say taxes are too complicated. Others blame their procrastination. Thank goodness for extensions.
This year, Tax Day is Tuesday, April 17, 2007. This is due to April 15th falling on a Sunday and Emancipation Day, a legal holiday in the District of Columbia, falling on April 16th.

Rutgers Team Forgives Imus

Let's applaud Vivian Stringer, the coach of the Rutger's basketball team. She's a leader. She knows how to forgive and move on. Purported leaders, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, need to learn from her.

Stringer said the team's goal was never to get Imus fired. The Rutger's team accepted Imus's apology. I ask 'Rev.' Sharpton and 'Rev.' Jackson, "Isn't that what Christians are suppose to do?" Imus made a mistake. We all make mistakes. But our Lord forgives us or our transgressions.

I truly respect Vivian Stringer. During the winter of 2007, her basketball team was supposed to play Arizona State University's basketball team in a championship game of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But Aubree Johnson's (an ASU player) brother died in his bed while attending the tournament. ASU made the decision not to play the game. All the Rutger's team had to do was show up to win the game by forfeit. Stringer and the team decided not to go to the arena.

I don't know if Vivan Stringer is a Christian, but she acts like a Christian. I know this for a certainty--she doesn't have 'Rev.' tacked onto her name. In my book, she is a saint.

Stringer Accepts Apology

Imus Is Forgiven

I don't agree with what Imus said, but I believe in forgiving. I believe that we, as Christians, should follow the lead of Jesus when he forgave the woman at the well and told her to "go and sin no more".

We all say things we wish we could take back. What Imus said was wrong, but do we need to continue to punish him. The Bible says, "Let him without sin cast the first stone."

I have said similar things. I have repented to God. He has forgiven me. That is all I care about. I would not care about Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

Imus Apology

S. 294 The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act

The 110th Congress, which convened on January 4, 2007, had a full plate. Included in the agenda are the priorities for passenger rail advocates, which are:

Amtrak reauthorization: The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (now S. 294) has been introduced, again this time by Senators Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Trent Lott (R-MS). The bill provides for common-sense Amtrak reform and operational improvements, authorizes Amtrak for the five years Fiscal 2008-2012, provides for capital assistance for states, and development of state rail plans. Right now, the bill needs co-sponsors; see if your Senators are co-sponsors and if not, ask them to sign on! Email addresses can be found at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

(Click here for a detailed synopsis of PRIIA is available on the National Association of Railroad Passengers website.)

Response to Senator Gould re: light rail

How can Sen. Ron Gould be a chair of the Senate transportation committee? Shouldn't he have an open mind? He is against light rail because "it is a debacle". Maybe that is true, because government is involved. But we have no better alternative, and we seem to work through the greed and misappropriation of government spending.

Today's cost is small compared to say seven years down the road. I remember when bay area residents were against BART because of the expense. In today's economy, the BART cost is now a pittance. Costs will increase. Now is the time to start with the light rail system even with government handling the funds.

All You Can Eat

I enjoyed the message by Richard Gotthardt this morning at Grace Community Church. The message created a resolution in me to read the Scripture each day.

Richard says "Our appetites change and so does our appetite for the Word of God. We need to develop a craving for the Word of God."

to the words, situations and happenings in the days they were written. He says, "Put the Word of God and Spirit together."

1. Scripture is God's clear and authoritative Word to you. (2 Peter 1:21).

2. Scripture will lead me toward a blessed life. (Psalm 119:1). the word blessed has a rich meaning. We have used it often to "bless" someone when they sneeze or just to say have a "blessed" day. It is deeper than the connotation given in the sayings. Miriam-Webster dictionary defines blessed like this:

1 : to hallow or consecrate by religious rite or word
2 : to hallow with the sign of the cross
3 : to invoke divine care for -- used in the phrase bless you to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed
4 a : PRAISE, GLORIFY b : to speak well of : APPROVE
5 : to confer prosperity or happiness upon
6 archaic : PROTECT, PRESERVE
7 : ENDOW, FAVOR

3. Scripture will lead me towards a blameless life. (Psalm 119:1). "Blameless means living above reproach." We think of perfection when we hear the word. It actually means:

1 : an expression of disapproval or reproach : CENSURE
2 a : a state of being blameworthy : CULPABILITY b archaic : FAULT, SIN
3 : responsibility for something believed to deserve censure

4. Scripture allows me to know God more intimately. (Psalm 119:2)

5. Scripture helps me to keep a clear conscience. (Psalm 119:6).

6. Scripture will keep me from sinning against God. (Psalm 119:9-11).

Pause to Make Promises

God's promise to Abraham Genesis 15:1. Abraham 99 Sarah 90. Let God do what he does (he promises) on his own. We can't manipulate or coerce. Let God have his way. God promised Abraham a son at 99, Sarah at 90. Sarah laughed. Abraham got his son, Isaac, at age 100. Isaac means laughter.

Moral: God is faithful even when we are faithless. Justification by faith: Genesis 15:6.

A promise is only as good as the person who made it.

I take God at his word.

Preserve our historic railway assets

I agree with those who say the time is right to bring Union Station back to life. Angela Cara Pancrazio’s article mentions a few of the stations that have been refurbished and brought back to life. There are several stations around the U.S.A. and Canada that are major centers in their city. I have ridden the train in all but four states and all but five provinces in Canada. The railways are full of historic assets that need to be preserved.

Many cities have refurbished their depots which in turn revitalized their downtowns. Angela mentions Kansas City, St. Louis and Los Angeles. I have visited each of these depots and marvel at their preserved architecture. Penn Station in New York, Union Station in Chicago and South Station in Boston are very busy places with the hustle and bustle of people. Gare Centrale in Montreal is an underground city, with tunnels to hotels and the Bonaventure metro station. Many of the smaller depots along the U.S. and Canadian rails have converted to museums preserving many of the huge assets these nations have accumulated. Phoenix is a huge city that will become humongous. Now is the time to plan for the future.

I believe that preserving our railroad assets and saving our memories by improving the depot will add to revitalization of the historic downtown Phoenix. Selling it to a private enterprise will erase those memories and liquidate historic works of art. After all, Athens has not sold the Parthenon.

JDBPC Christmas Party

Thanks to Jim and Margie for the JDBPC Christmas party, Friday, December 15, 2006 at the Friendship Village Health Care Center.

The guests at the party included clients, family, friends and employees. The group was fun and in good Christmas spirit.

Margie and Jim mean so much to me. They have been my friends through the good times and every difficulty and obstacle. I love them both very much.

SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS

Yul is the Sole Survivor of SURVIVOR: COOK ISLANDS, but it was a tough fight between Ozzie and him. I believe the reason Yul won was he found the hidden Immunity Idol early in the game and used it to win him the million dollars. Although he won the game fair and square, Ozzie played a winning game too. He displayed more abilities of actual survival than Yul. Yul played a strategic game which is a product of screen play for television.

The series was boring for the most part, but the last few episodes and the competition of the leading characters, Yul and Ozzie, made it one of the best Survivor series.

Response to "A message gone bad"

In your article, “A message gone bad,” you call yourselves multimedia experts. To the pretentious multimedia experts at The Arizona Republic: If I believed for a moment that you know what the “sender” really grasps, I would not be writing this opinion. The issue with Officer Schofield and the litter-bugs goes beyond that one dimension. Yes, the society in the continental United States may agree with you, but the society in Hawaii and other parts of the world would laugh at the incident. To them, this story would be much-to-do-about-nothing.

In Hawaii, the melting-pod of many races, one race (senders) jests with another race (recipients) about its idiosyncrasies. The “sender” in this story had no harmful intentions, and I am sure that he is very apologetic. (Hasn’t The Arizona Republic been apologetic over the years?) Some of the recipients’ race was incensed. The “recipients” need to lighten up. As Rodney King once asked, “Why can’t we all just get along?” It takes both sides to get along. The race of the “recipients” has been more vocal about the idiosyncrasies of the “sender”. But that’s not important. We take it in stride—so should the recipients.

Officer Schofield, making a point on his show, was and is entertaining. I have watched him for several years and enjoy his programs, which are beneficial to the Tempe police force.

The Medicine Tree

The Medicine Tree is a non-profit organization serving to advance the standard and quality of medical care for those infected with HIV and Chronic Hepatitis through the art and science of naturopathic medical treatment, education, and research.

The organization is committed to providing clients with compassionate care, comprehensive natural therapeutics and empowering education, at no charge and without discrimination.

Tax Deductible Donations

The Medicine Tree is founded upon the guiding principles of Naturopathic Medicine, and is established in service to those infected with HIV and Chronic Hepatitis. Make tax deductible donations directly or contribute by sending a Santa Letter to a child.

Santa Letters

Thank you Margie Beaton

Margie and Jim Beaton have been my friends since early 1960s. I was the best man in their wedding on February 2, 1963. We have been best friends since then.

This weekend Jim traveled to Nashville for a weekend CPE seminar. Margie and I attended the ASU Sun Devils homecoming game vs. Stanford Cardinal. ASU lost its previous three games to California, Oregon and USC but beat Stanford today 38-3. The 80-degree weather made this day beautiful.

I enjoyed the visit with Margie. We rode the bus to and from the stadium. We talked about many things, including Jim's work, the Sweet Adelines, her trip to Colorado and Las Vegas for the Sweet Adelines International Competition and my trip to Canada. I enjoy talking with Margie. She is sweet and practical.

A note of thanks to Luis Gonzalez

Gonzo is a hero and philanthropolist. Read what the chairman and CEO of Northern Trust Bank wrote.

A note of thanks to Luis Gonzalez

Oct. 21, 2006 12:00 AM

Seven hundred homeless children became his friend on a December afternoon in 2001. As he always does, he looked softly at each of them, right in their eyes, and his heart opened up. If only for that one moment, every one of these kids felt as if they were the most special person on Earth.

He helped raise more than $1 million for Arizona Quest for Kids, a mentoring and scholarship program for underprivileged children. Dinners, luncheons, auctions; beach ball promotions with a local pool company; proceeds donated from his radio show. He never said no to any idea that helped this organization become one of the premier high school dropout-prevention programs in the state.

The last three years he has donated his suite at the ballpark to more than 100 local charities, most of which have an impact on children with challenges: Phoenix Children's Hospital, Child Crisis Center, Arizona Blind and Deaf Children, Save the Family, Whispering Hope Ranch, Epilepsy Foundation, to name just a few.

Baseballs, bats, gloves, catcher's equipment. Over 4,000 used items were collected and distributed to inner-city Little League programs in Phoenix. He was the inspiration behind the effort.

He trained for two months to run 13 miles in the 2005 PF Chang Half Marathon. More than 250 runners and walkers became part of "Team Gonzo" to raise money for more than 30 local organizations.

Hurricane Katrina devastated several Gulf Coast communities. Thousands found refuge in Veteran's Memorial Coliseum. He made a beeline to an electronics store and personally delivered an assortment of gifts to hundreds of kids.

I have had the pleasure knowing Luis Gonzalez and his family almost from the day they moved to Arizona. The aforementioned were just some of the situations in which we were involved, and just the tip of the iceberg.

Tens of thousands here in Arizona have had their lives brightened by one of the most genuine, extraordinary human beings to grace Arizona soil. He's a once-in-a lifetime guy.

Rather than mourn his departure in Arizona on and off the field we should celebrate having been beneficiaries of his good works for eight years. Thanks, Gonzo.

David Highmark, Paradise Valley


The writer is chairman and CEO of Northern Trust Bank; he founded Arizona Quest for Kids in 1999 and serves as chairman.