Prop. 13 Property Tax Rate Index

There is an easy way to find out if a homeowner is being helped by or hurt by
Proposition 13.
Go to www.zillow.com. Type in your own address, then click on “Go”.
This will bring up the basic information with a map in the background.
Click on “See home info”. Note the current estimate of your property’s value.
Scroll down to “2008 Property Tax”.
Divide the tax amount by the current value. This will give you a number that will represent your tax rate index. (Example: if the resulting number is 0.004502…,then you have a 0.45% tax rate index.)
Now compare your index number with those of your family, friends, and neighbors.
If you generally have an index number higher than the others, then you are paying their taxes.
If your number is generally lower than the others, you owe them a big “thank you” for paying your share of taxes.

Tea Party Constitutional Questionnaire

The Independence Caucus, part of the Tea Party movement, has produced 80 constitutional questions as part of its vetting process. To get the endorsement of the Tea Partyers, a potential candidate must have at least 70% ‘correct’ answers.
So that the general voting public can know how each endorsed candidate stands on the Constitution, the newspapers and other media should obtain and publish the questionnaire and the answers that are given. To save print space, this could be done on the internet.
While you are at it, why not publish all such surveyed answers by candidates? This way we would know what the politicians are promising to get support from special interests.

Arizona - Identification Requirement for Tourists

Arizona has passed a law about illegal immigration. Every law enforcement officer in that State will be required to verify the residency status of everyone they come in contact with.
If you are traveling to Arizona for business or tourism, make sure you have with you a notarized copy of your birth certificate.
The Arizona Department of Tourism should include this requirement in all of their advertising.