Quartzsite H2O quality update...

Once again, you’re reading it here first. 

I have the un redacted reports on the brown/green/golden/rust colored water in Steve Bennett’s pool, and what appears to be a partial cover up job by Town officials…

 

Well, one thing we know for certain is that on Friday April 16^th the incoming water at 680 W. Tyson St. was so disgusting that when Councilman and Fire Captain Jose Lizarraga helped to pump it out, he admitted to being repulsed by it. At Wednesday’s “Meet the Incompetents” – I mean incumbents, Lizarraga reportedly stated “I was there…It was green.” and suggested to those in attendance that if you have a swimming pool to fill, you should strain the Town water through a sock. However, Lizarraga did not offer any suggestions of what to strain it through if you actually want to drink it..

 

According to a letter sent from Councilwoman Barbara Cowell to Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, on April 19^th, it was reported to her that“…there was something brown like sewage and green slim in the Town of Quartzsite’s drinking water”. (Cowell’s spelling error, not mine.)

 

(From a letter sent from Town mismanager Alex Taft to the Police Chief on April 22^nd) On April 16^th, “At 5:30 P. M. I received a call from Council Member Jose Lizarraga stating that as Steve Bennett refilled the pool, there was still a green color in the water and sediment at the bottom of the pool. Jose said any additional assistance could wait until Monday…” From the same letter, “At 9:30 that evening”, Taft “received a call from Vice – Mayor Barbara Cowell..” and  Taft stated “On the basis of that phone call I decided that a panic had been set in motion…” By 10:30 P. M. Taft had “called the police to assure a police presence the following morning when water department personnel would be at the above noted address to test the water.” The conclusion of Taft’s letter went onto to state her position that the situation “was not about drinking water but about a swimming pool” and noted that “There are still phone calls, reports to be completed and contact with ADEQ is ongoing.” Apparently Alex doesn’t understand that Bennett was filling his indoor pool that had been acid cleaned the day before with the very same DRINKING WATER that is being delivered to everyone in Town. The same people who just received a big fat rate increase for the penalty of being forced to utilize it! And of course, the possibility certainly exists that she just doesn’t care.

 

According to witness Star Bear Cat in yet another letter to Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, on the following morning of May 17^th, the pool contained water that “was green and there was rust colored and golden sediment and algae at the bottom” with “a petroleum odor” and “golden sediment” that gathered into “clumps that do not easily separate and when they do they find their way back to a similar material” (Editor’s observation: Think lava lamp!). “When Rain smelled the Bennett sample it smelled to her ‘like a dirty old tractor’. She recoiled from the smell”

 

Quartzsite employee Jeff Sorensen

http://www.myspace.com/anaconda666th

reported that at 6:48 am “On the 17^th day of April 2010” he “received a call from Waste water Supervisor Rob Troxler” and approximately an hour later “we all met at Town Hall because Jeff Gilbert wanted to have a meeting before we headed over to 680 W. Tyson St. Rob Troxler, Hugh Bryant, Chief Jeff Gilbert, Joe Winslow and Alex Taft discussed how we were going to approach this problem.”      

Hey, at least we know there was no “coliert” present in the water (the ONLY thing it was tested for), and according to Jeff Sorensen in the same report “I completed my paperwork and disposed of the samples.” Gasp! Did the Town order Sorensen to destroy evidence?

 

A complete analysis of the Town’s water was not done. Although “no deficiencies were noted” in the testing schedule or the equipment, The Town of Quartzsite is only required by law to test for the following:

coliform - twice a month

lead and copper - every 3 years

disinfection byproducts - twice a year

maximum residual disinfectant level - monthly

and issue a Consumer Confidence Report for each calendar year by July 1^st of the following year. So folks, the consumer report for this year will not be made public until the summer of 2011! When mayoral candidate Ed Foster made a public records request “for copies of the latest test for compliance and a list of the tap water testing sites” Alex Taft claims she denied Foster's request under advice from Cynthia Campbell of ADEQ because of “Homeland Security” and according to Taft “we should consult with our attorney.”

 

The inspection report from ADEQ dated April 22^nd relates “When asked what the sediment was on the bottom of the tanks, Mr. Cruz stated it was iron and manganese sediment. In a post inspection debriefing, Mr. Cruz and Alex Taft were given contact information for two similar systems who had installed filtration systems to remove iron and manganese.” Although safe levels of these metals are listed under the EPA secondary standards, Quartzsite is NOT required to comply with those VOLUNTARY recommendations. The ADEQ report recommended replacing a worn gasket on the hatch collar of one storage tank that is scheduled to be taken off line.  It also noted a “slight sheen” of NSF approved turbine lubricant on the surface of the water. (Does turbine oil smell “like a dirty old tractor”?)

 

Get ready for what can only be described as the most bizarre and ridiculous campaign stunt by the current regime thus far. Along with Duty Sergeant Xavier Frausto, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert has filed criminal complaints with the La Paz County Attorney’s Office against candidates Foster and Moore! The lengthy report claims the crime victim is the “Town of Quartzsite” and that Foster and Moore engaged in conspiracy and falsely reported an emergency. According to Case No. 10-00318, Gilbert reports that “Taft briefed everyone on the chain of events that had taken place, and was very concerned that Foster and Moore had begun a campaign to instill fear in the public that the Town’s water supply was unsafe.”

 

In a report that is riddled with hearsay, Police Chief Gilbert refers to statements allegedly made by the 14 witnesses he listed, but no sworn witness statements were attached. According to Gilbert “The entire incident and the false report made to Central Dispatch was created over nothing more than a dirty swimming pool. The incident was reported falsely with an intent to create a scare or panic for the public, in order to further their political agenda.

I am requesting charges of “False Reporting” ARS 13-2709.A.1 and “Conspiracy” ARS 13-1003.A.”

Then, in an apparent attempt to further his own political agenda, Chief Gilbert misrepresents the facts by claiming that ADEQ “found no significant deficiencies or contaminants within Quartzsite’s water system.” Or maybe Gilbert was just incapable of reading and understanding the nuances of the report.

 

So what WAS in the water flowing from the Town’s service connection into Steve Bennett’s pool? The preliminary test results from an independent lab confirm that the “sediment” was microbiological. If I was a betting man, my money would be on algae  and turbine lubricant combined with the iron and manganese that always gives Town water a bad taste and odor (and which can cause “skin or tooth discoloration”). When the independent lab tests are in, you can bet that you might read about them here first too!

SIGN WARS - may FORCE be with you!

The closer we get to the election, the more pathetically desperate our unlawfully appointed "mayor" becomes. Roll video tape...oh wait, video taping public officials is apparently no longer allowed in Quartzsite, at least that's what the sign at Town Hall says.(Don't worry, we finally have the video! That's why it took so long to bring you this story.)

Very early on the morning of Tuesday, April 13th, in a childish display of retaliation against a local business for supporting the campaign of Ed Foster, Wes Huntley erected 33 signs on the south west corner of Main St. and Hwy 95. Of course, the police were conveniently on standby (reportedly at the Shell station across the street) awaiting the order to mobilize...

Personal comment to Wes:  The redundancy of signs just advertises that you are a fool who wastes money. But the readers here already know that.

When the operators of "A Fur Salon pet spa" were out walking dogs on the property, they noticed a red truck drive into the location, in excess of the posted speed limit. Because it was so early in the morning, they walked over to where the truck had parked to investigate. "Buffalo" the lot manager had already grabbed the keys to his quad and was following right behind them.

According to the proprietress, she was still in her nightshirt when she walked her dog "Defiance" within about ten feet of Huntley, smiled and said " Good morning mayor, I guess I'm just going to have to go out today and put up two Ed Foster signs for every one of these." Reportedly, the mayor insisted that the "property owner wants these here" but James Martin refutes this claim, instead stating that Huntley had called him two weeks before the incident and asked for written permission, which Huntley did not get. Mr. Martin, an absentee owner who resides in California, had no previous interest in endorsing any candidates, but was seen in town this week dining with Ed Foster and Bill Moore where the conversation included the water and sewer rate increase.

The following eight minute video was downloaded today from:
http://www.metacafe.com/f/channels/A+Fur+Salon/




Quartzsite Police Chief Gilbert doesn't understand the law... 
Here's a charming excerpt :

Gilbert - "You may have your freedom of speech, but there are limitations to it..."

Harris - "Yes I do, yes... No, there are not limitations to it, other than yelling fire in a crowded theater."

Gilbert - "There's penalties to pay when you abuse those rights."

Harris - "There are no abuse of rights going on here. See, disorderly conduct is your favorite thing because..."

Gilbert - "Because it's on the books. I didn't write it. I didn't write it. I didn't write it."

Harris - "No, because its what YOU do to oppress people's freedom of speech, and you abuse it!"

In response to the excessive force used by Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, an assault complaint was filed with Sgt. Karen Slaughter of the La Paz County Sheriff's Office. Other agencies were  also notified.

New signs have gone up on the property this week. The largest one states "YOU CANT FIX STUPID BUT YOU CAN VOTE THEM OUT" and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the candidates campaigns, rather it is an expression of protected free speech on the part of the vendor. Maybe the sign will be arrested for "disorderly conduct"!

Our bumbling mayor and  his petty sign wars are akin to Nero fiddling while Rome burned. At this stage in the campaign, it's really more about issues like safe drinking water, avoiding bankruptcy, the Town killing Quartzsite's pets while the Town manger solicts donations for her private "no kill" animal shelter and the CDBG grant money for the community center being administered by Alex Taft's personal charity. But the incumbents are better at character attacks then at debating these serious issues.

ARE YOU DRINKING THIS?

(Actual water sample from
                                            Steve Bennett's swimming pool!)
From: Steve Bennett
Date: Friday, April 16, 2010, 10:10 PM

This is the water pumped into my pool from the city (this is the second time)  After the city and the fire department helped me pump it out ! ! !  This after the city flushed the lines ! ! ! Was worse the first time ....  This is the water pumped to all of your homes !!!

I called town this morning Karen sent some guys to help pump it out ...Good job guys .... thank you ..I called the fire department Jose also sent some guys and another pump .. good job to them too ..thank you 

What upset me today was I tried to get Wes (the mayor to come look at it ) I was given three disconnected numbers to call him at !!!   So I asked for Alex Taft   was put on hold for few minutes then told she was in a meeting .. And never got a call back ... 
I am going to have a meeting with A.D.E.Q.   next week will ask for a permit to deepen and connect to my well (disconnect from the town)                    

FORWARD TO ANYONE YOU LIKE  

UPDATED PHOTO

 From: Steve Bennett
Subject: FW:
Date: Sunday, April 18, 2010, 7:47 PM

 Same water same pool just sent thru my pool filter.... Quartzsite needs a water filter system ! ! ! 

That's a great idea Steve! 

Interestingly, on the official Quartzsite website,

http://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/about/water-quality-report/  

the last drinking water quality report posted is from 2008... Oh, and by the way, it had ARSENIC in it!  

http://www.ci.quartzsite.az.us/wp-content/uploads/2008-anuual-water-quality-report.pdf

I guess that we will know by 2011 if it was safe to drink the Town's water this week...But hey, what's a little "sediment" between friends? MORE ON THIS STORY HERE: http://quartzsitemineshaft.com/news/news.htm

"THE LAW THAT NEVER WAS"

LEGAL DISCLAIMER:

I AM NOT GIVING TAX ADVICE, BUT THIS IS THE TRUTH THE IRS DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW...

http://freedocumentaries.org/film.php?id=199

http://www.truthattack.org/jml/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22:there-is-no-law&catid=2:general

There Is No Law

Every tax law must clearly and plainly identify three things:

1) The subject of the tax;

2) The amount of the tax; and

3)The persons or entities liable for the tax.

Even a cursory review of other tax laws, including all other federal tax laws (see list), makes it obvious that these three elements of any tax law must be present before any of us can determine that we owe a tax on what and for how much.

The income tax law, however, is the only instance where there is no clear liability provision applicable to those the IRS claims are liable for the tax.  Although partners are called liable for taxes on partnerships, that “liability” is only in their “individual capacity”, and there is no provision making them liable in their “individual capacity.” The only clear liability provision is § 1461, which specifically assigns liability for the tax to those required to withhold taxes on Nonresident Aliens and Foreign Corporations! Are you required to withhold taxes on a nonresident alien? A foreign corporation?

While 26 U.S.C. § 3403, which is not part of the income tax law, does require employers to withhold income tax owed by their employees, there is no law that makes the employee liable for the tax in the first place.

Thus, THERE IS NO LAW making the typical working American liable for any income tax.

But you don’t have to take our word for it. You can check this for yourself! Search the Internal Revenue Code for “liable”, then search for “must pay”, “obligated to pay”, then search for “responsible for payment” or any other configuration of words that would designate who is liable for the income tax. You will find plenty of liability provisions for other taxes, but not for the income tax. (See compilation of liability provisions)

So, do you owe an income tax? Are you among those required by law to pay an income tax?

All tax laws must be interpreted literally, what lawyers call “strict construction”. You have a right to insist that the government obey the law and in the case of tax laws, the letter of the law. ACCORDING TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE unless you are withholding taxes on a nonresident alien or a foreign corporation, YOU ARE NOT LIABLE FOR AN INCOME TAX!

YOU DO NOT OWE AN INCOME TAX AND THE IRS HAS NO LAWFUL AUTHORITY FOR DEMANDING THAT YOU PAY AN INCOME TAX!!!

To learn more about this important TRUTH, read “The Memorandum”.

http://www.truthattack.org/jml/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23:what-is-income&catid=2:general

What Is Income?

Contrary to what the IRS would have you believe, “income” is NOT everything that “comes in.” The Code does not define income. It defines gross income as “income” derived from whatever source, including compensation for services, but that is not the same as defining income as being 100% of all compensation for services.

The Supreme Court has held that it and it alone can define “income” because Congress may not define Constitutional terms. Otherwise, it could define “speech” as “pig-Latin” and any other speech would no longer be protected by the Constitution.

So, what is “income”? The Supreme Court has defined income as gain, profit, derived from capital, labor or both combined. It has also given us some rules for determining what is and is not income:

Rule No. 1: What comes in is NOT “income”, but “gross receipts”, and in order to determine if there is any income in what comes in we must first deduct from those gross receipts the value or cost of whatever was given in exchange for it because income is only the gain or profit from the conversion of capital.

U. S. Supreme Court in Doyle v. Mitchell Brothers Co., 247 U.S. 179, 38 S.Ct. 467 (1918)

If you receive wages or a salary or are paid fees for your personally rendered services, your labor, how much do you deduct from those earnings in order to determine whether you have any income? What was your cost? A part of your life? Your labor? Your skill? Your knowledge? You can’t say how much that is worth in dollars? Then let’s look at the next rule:

Rule No. 2: In order for there to be income it must be DERIVED from, that is SEPARABLE from, that portion of gross receipts that represents the investment or property given in exchange for those gross receipts. If it cannot be separated, distinguished, from the capital and spent or used without injuring the capital portion, then THERE IS NO INCOME.

U. S. Supreme Court in Eisner v. Macomber, 252 U.S. 189, 40 S.Ct. 189 (1920)

So, can you separate the portion of your earnings that represents your labor and your time from a specific, identifiable portion that you can regard as profit? No? Then according to the Supreme Court, YOUR EARNINGS ARE NOT AND CANNOT BE REGARDED AS INCOME and should be excluded from your gross income (26 CFR § 1.861-1)!

 http://www.truthattack.org/jml/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21:what-is-exempt&catid=2:general

What Is Exempt?

The taxing authority of the federal government extends ONLY to any activity over which it has authority to exercise control, and any activity outside that authority is “exempt” from taxation by the federal government.

U S. Supreme Court in McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 316 (1819)

The federal government is forbidden by the Constitution to regulate or abridge the exercise of a fundamental right, those rights that are included in the “right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Among those fundamental rights are your right to freedom of speech, to worship as you choose and your right to earn a living for yourself and your family through any lawful occupation.

U. S. Supreme Court in Butchers' Union Co. v. Crescent City Co., 111 U.S. 746, 4 S.Ct. 652 (1884); Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356 (1886); Truax v. Raich, 239 U.S. 33 (1915); Coppage v. Kansas, 236 U.S. 1; Adams v. Tanner, 244 U.S. 590, 37 S.Ct. 662 (1917); Meyer v. Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390, 43 S.Ct. 625 (1923); and many other cases.

Because the power to tax is the power to destroy (Chief Justice John Marshall in McCulloch v. Maryland, above), and because the federal government does not have the right to restrict, much less destroy, your fundamental rights, the exercise of a fundamental right, such as your freedom of speech, your freedom of religion and your freedom and right to earn a living through any lawful occupation is EXEMPT from taxation by the federal government!

U. S. Supreme Court in Grosjean v. American Press Co., 297 U.S. 233 (1936); and, again, in Murdock v. Pennsylvania, 319 U.S. 105 63 S.Ct. 870 (1943); and, again, in Jones v. Opelika, 316 U.S. 584, 56 S.Ct. 444 (1943); Follett v. McCormick, 321 U.S. 573 64 S.Ct. 717 (1944); and Harper v. Virginia Bd. Of Elections, 383 U.S. 663, 86 S.Ct. 1079 (1966).

The law, as it is written, instructs us to EXCLUDE EXEMPT INCOME (26 CFR § 1.861-8T), so even if part of your personal earnings can be separated as profit “derived from compensation for services”, that exempt income should be excluded from your gross income.

Greyhound passenger from Quartzsite arrested!

Last night a Greyhound bus en route to Phoenix from Los Angeles made a scheduled stop in Quartzsite. Shortly thereafter witnesses claim that 47 year old Aaron L'Hoir became combative, accused other passengers of having weapons, and threatened to blow up the bus. Passengers were able to restrain the suspect while the driver called for assistance. The incident shut down Interstate 10 in both directions for about two hours while an explosives team searched the bus. According to DPS Dispatch Officer Christian Snyder there were no injuries and no weapons or explosives were found.

L'Hoir was arrested and taken to the La Paz County jail for assault and disorderly conduct. Sgt. Keven Wood, an investigator with the major crimes division of DPS stated that although L'Hoir boarded the bus in Quartzsite, his home of origin was unknown. I think it's safe to say that this is one "winter visitor" that may not be returning next fall.

"mayor" Huntley waffles on prison issue...

After mayoral candidate Ed Foster photographed Corplan execs being courted by our police chief while the "mayor" and members of the Council tried to sneak out the back door of Town Hall, it seems that Huntley's had a change of heart about the proposed prison that HE placed on the agenda for discussion last month...See:
http://quartzsitearizona.blogspot.com/2010/03/mayor-huntley-prefers-felons-to-snow.html

It seems that "Waffling Wes" has finally realized that it's not a wise campaign strategy to support such a questionable endeavor with his center stage seat hanging by a thread. In another grammatically challenged advertorial published by the Desert Messenger on Wednesday, Huntley proclaimed "there will be no prison in our Town as long as I can be active for you, our honorable citizens."  (As if to imply that there would be one when voters deactivate him on May 18th.) But reform candidates and "dissidents" as the waffler likes to call them occupied virtually all of the seats to voice their concerns and opposition at the "mayor's" special Corplan public meeting.

Then Huntley tried to save face by shifting the blame for the secret March 24th meeting between current leadership and Corplan's James Parkey to the Town mismanager Alext Taft. Sorry Wes, we don't believe you didn't know..

And Wes, I know you're reading, so remember...THE REAL STORY ABOUT CORPLAN WAS PUBLISHED HERE FIRST! So naturally, now Huntley wants to assume all the credit for someone elses efforts, suddenly claiming "boy, there were some red flags all over". Note to readers, ANYTHING Huntley puts on the agenda should throw up red flags all over town!

GET YOUR EARLY OR ABSENTEE BALLOT TODAY!

Don't miss your chance to save Quartzsite and vote for Foster, Hamilton, Moore and Sias. Request your early or absentee ballot by calling La Paz County Recording Clerk Richard Garcia. He lives to serve you!


By voting early, or absentee you can relax at home, knowing you have done your civic duty and avoid potential harassment at the polls by certain members of the Police Department.


La Paz County Recorder
1112 Joshua Ave., suite 201
Parker, AZ 
85344
(928) 669-6136
8am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, except legal holidays

"We have four boxes used to guarantee our liberty:

The soap box, the ballot box, 

the jury box and the cartridge box." 

Theodore Roosevelt

CENSUS and Sensibility

Seriously, this is no "April Fools" joke.
WHERE will you be counted?

At a recent meeting of the Quartzsite Town Council, a crafty gentleman from La Paz County extolled the virtues of counting winter visitors as RESIDENTS in the upcoming census. He stated emphatically "If they are here on April 1st, then they WILL be counted HERE!"

If you haven't heard, WHERE  you are counted determines WHICH community gets the FINANCIAL CREDIT from the government.Over 400 BILLION dollars of Federal funding is earmarked for infrastructure and services like:

• Hospitals
• Job training centers
• Schools
• Senior centers
• Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects
• Emergency services

Divide that by the "120 million households" that the census questionnaire was mailed to and start estimating what your corporeal body may be worth in US dollars. (About $1,300.)The data collected by the census also help determine the number of seats your state has in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Now I'm certainly not suggesting that the Federal money in play here wouldn't help to offset a little of the gigantic debt that Quartzsite and La Paz County officials have incurred...but so many winter visitors will still be here on April 1st because it is still too cold at "home". If the community where you spend the majority of your time and probably own property is elsewhere, do you want these funds to go to La Paz County? Or do you want these projects, services and representation where you really live?

http://www.newswithviews.com/Betty/Freauf160.htm

Hey, be counted (or not) wherever you please, but if your mail is received elsewhere, or hasn't caught up to you etc. and you wish to be counted, then visit a Questionnaire Assistance Center or Be Counted center: These are sites where you can obtain a questionnaire. A “Be Counted” questionnaire asks you to put down a full description of your address, and then contains the same 10 questions as the other Census form. You can complete a Be Counted questionnaire if you have not received your form. Beginning March 19 through April 19, Be Counted questionnaires will be available in public locations, such as libraries, within your community and at Questionnaire Assistance Centers where census workers will be available to answer questions. Beginning March 18, these locations will be posted on 2010Census.gov. If you still have not received your form by April 12, then you may contact the 2010 Census Toll-free help line at 1-866-872-6868 if you speak English. For more information, go to:

http://blogs.census.gov/2010census/2010/01/how-two-homes-breed-duplicate-counts.html#comments

How To Protect Your Rights Against Unconstitutional Census Ta... 

To Census taker ;

To Whom it May Concern,

Pursuant to Article I, Section 2, Clause 3 of the Constitution, the only information you are empowered to request is the total number of occupants at this address. My "name, sex, age, date of birth, race, ethnicity, telephone number, relationship and housing tenure" have absolutely nothing to do with apportioning direct taxes or determining the number of representatives in the House of Representatives. Therefore, neither Congress nor the Census Bureau have the constitutional authority to make that information request a component of the enumeration outlined in Article I, Section 2, Clause 3. In addition, I cannot be subject to a fine for basing my conduct on the Constitution because that document trumps laws passed by Congress.

Interstate Commerce Commission v. Brimson, 154 U.S. 447, 479 (May 26, 1894)

"Neither branch of the legislative department [House of Representatives or Senate], still less any merely administrative body [such as the Census Bureau], established by congress, possesses, or can be invested with, a general power of making inquiry into the private affairs of the citizen. Kilbourn v. Thompson, 103 U.S. 168, 190. We said in Boyd v. U.S., 116 U. S. 616, 630, 6 Sup. Ct. 524,―and it cannot be too often repeated,―that the principles that embody the essence of constitutional liberty and security forbid all invasions on the part of government and it's employees of the sanctity of a man's home and the privacies of his life. As said by Mr. Justice Field in Re Pacific Ry. Commission, 32 Fed. 241, 250, 'of all the rights of the citizen, few are of greater importance or more essential to his peace and happiness than the right of personal security, and that involves, not merely protection of his person from assault, but exemption of his private affairs, books, and papers from inspection and scrutiny of others. Without the enjoyment of this right, all others would lose half their value.'"

Note: This United States Supreme Court case has never been overturned.

Respectfully,