Article Image
Radio/TV • Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock
Program Date:

07-31-18 -- Morpheus Sentencing Update - Evan McMahon - Dr. Phranq Tamburri = Trump Report MP3/VIDEO

Ernest re-caps Morephues's arrest, trial, and sentencing from first-hand perspective - Evan McMahon (Campaign Manager for Nick Sarwark) updates the Phoenix Mayor Race - Dr. Phranq Tamburri = Trump Report
Media Type: Audio • Time: 183 Minutes and 0 Secs
Guests: Ernest Hancock
Topics: Morpheus Arrest
Media Type: Audio • Time: 48 Minutes and 07 Secs
Media Type: Audio • Time: 86 Minutes and 23 Secs
Guests: Phranq Tamburri
Topics: Trump Report

Hour 1 - 3

Media Type: Audio • Time: 183 Minutes and 0 Secs
Guests: Ernest Hancock
Topics: Morpheus Arrest

Hour 1 - Ernest re-caps Morephues's arrest, trial, and sentencing from first-hand perspective. Thomas Costanzo (aka Morpheus) Sentence is 41 months (minus time served 15 months); then 36 months probation

Hour 2- Evan McMahon (Campaign Manager for Nick Sarwark) updates the Phoenix Mayor Race

Hour 3 - Dr. Phranq Tamburri, NMD = Trump Report - In Studio

CALL IN TO SHOW: 602-264-2800

-30-

Feature Article  •  Global Edition
Freedom's Phoenix
Declare Your Independence APP now on Google Play 
Donna Hancock
   Listen to any recent show of "Declare Your Independence" at the click of a button!
 

 

 

July 31st, 2018

Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock

on LRN.FM / Monday - Friday

9 a.m. - Noon (EST)

Studio Line: 602-264-2800 

 

Hour 1

Ernest re-caps Morephues's arrest, trial, and sentencing from first-hand perspective. Thomas Costanzo (aka Morpheus) Sentence is 41 months (minus time served 15 months); then 36 months probation...

For a comprehensive timeline of the events surrounding Morpheus' arrest and trial, please go here: https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Article/216911-2017-04-25-update-on-morhpeus-titania-aka-thomas-costanzo-arrested-4-20.htm


Hour 2

Media Type: Audio • Time: 48 Minutes and 07 Secs

Hour 2 - Evan McMahon (Campaign Manager for Nick Sarwark) provides and update on LNC Chair Nick Sarwark's run for Mayor of Phoenix

-30-

Hour 2

Evan McMahon

Evan McMahon is the Campaign Manager for Nicholas Sarwark's who filed to run for Mayor of Phoenix, AZ on Tues Dec 5th, 2017.  Evan previously served as an At-large member of the LNC and as Executive Director of the LNC.

Webpage: Sarwarkforphoenix.com

No automatic alt text available.

Meet Nick

We want Phoenix to be a great and safe place to raise your children, start a business, and fulfill your American dream.

In 1942, my grandfather, Roman "Slim" Sarwark, came to Phoenix with one lung, the change in his pocket, and a dream. A dream to build a life for his family. Phoenix is my family's home.

After finishing law school and starting my legal career, I came back home to Phoenix to fulfill that dream for my wife, Valerie, and our three children. Phoenix is our home.

We want Phoenix to be a great and safe place to raise your children, start a business, and fulfill your American dream. Phoenix is your home.

Nick's Bio:

Married to Valerie for 8 years

3 wonderful children: Ruth (7), Joel (6), Ava (3)

Ruth, Joel, and Ava attend a Phoenix public school

Deputy Public Defender in Colorado 

Sarwark family have operated their small business in Phoenix since 1942

Serving 2nd term as Chairman of the Libertarian National Committee

 

ISSUES:

City Budget

Phoenix can meet its pension obligations, maintain city services, pay its bills, and foster organic growth all without raising taxes.

 

Phoenix can meet its pension obligations, maintain city services, pay its bills, and foster organic growth all without raising taxes. We just need a Mayor that is willing to make the hard choices, set priorities, and then balance the checkbook. Something small business owners do every day. 

As mayor I will say -

NO, to the Food Tax!

NO, to new taxes!

NO, to tax hikes!

NO, to new GPLET subsidies for out-of-town developers!

NO, to taxpayer funded stadiums!

NO, to pet political projects!

NO, to new bond debt!

 

Instead of staying focused on innovation and efficiencies in core city services and meeting its obligations to our first responders and city employees the city council passes the buck in favor of special projects and subsidies for their developer buddies. 

When that decision comes back to bite them in the pocketbook, instead of cutting that bloat in the budget, politicians cry poverty to the working families of Phoenix and demand they give up more of their hard earned money or risk losing core city services. This cycle of spend, threaten, and tax must end.   

I propose switching the city to a more transparent and accountable priority-driven budget process, as recommended by the Government Finance Officers Association. This method resets the budget back to zero every two years, instead of just accepting the previous budget's spending levels and then adding more to it. The core city services (public safety, infrastructure, clean and reliable water delivery, and sanitation) and the pension obligations would receive the top priorities for funding. From there any additional projects or programs are prioritized based on available funding, community need, desire, expectations, and previous results. 

Using taxpayer funds for the stadiums of billion dollar sports franchises will never be a budget priority. I love our local sports teams, but as long as they are demanding the public subsidize their stadiums… I cannot cheer for them.

 

As mayor, one of my top priorities will be to fulfill our pension obligations and quickly pay down those liabilities, ultimately avoiding the projected $2.3 Billion in interest payments. See my Pension Crisis Plan for a more detailed analysis of the pension debt. 

Every budget cycle agency directors, project leaders, and department heads submit a "cut list" to the city council. This is blueprint of what and how they would cut spending within their department, without risking core services, if a reduction of 10% was needed. Until a priority-driven budget process was implemented, I would accept the "cut list" at 3% from each and every department. That 3% cut would be shifted to paying down our current pension debt faster, to avoid $2.3 Billion in interest payments we won't be able to afford. 

It's just 3 pennies. Every time a politician calls for a new tax they say "it's just 3 pennies." If it is so easy to keep taking 3 pennies from working families, it won't be hard for the council to cut 3 pennies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pension Crisis

Phoenix must be a city that honors its obligations, but also a city that embraces change and innovation.

 

We must continue to honor the agreements we've made with our city employees and first responders. While many taxpayers do not like the idea of lifetime pension payments, this is the type of retirement plan, as part of city employment contracts, that both sides agreed to at the time. While time and technology have advanced, our retirement systems are still deadlocked into last century's ways of compensating retired public employees. 

We must be city that honors our agreements, but also a city that embraces change and innovation. 

The Phoenix pension system, and crisis, is broken down into two sections, PSPRS and COPERS. 

Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS)

PSPRS is the state run retirement system for public safety officers (police and fire). In 2016 there were some major reforms to the PSPRS program, including allowing new employees to choose between a Defined Benefit (pension) or Defined Contribution (401k) retirement plan which will limit future financial risk to both the taxpayer and the employee. One of the other changes required cities to create and implement plans to pay down their pension obligation debt. 

Phoenix was given 19 years to pay off its current unfunded pension liability of $8.7 billion. However, instead of cutting pet political projects and making tough choices on budget priorities, the city council chose to extend these payments by an additional 10 years. 

Extending the payment terms by a decade does create smaller payments, with fewer tough votes for politicians, but will also add an additional $2.3 billion in interest. This boondoggle won't be faced by anyone on the council today. In 30 years it will be the problem of the children being born today. 

The current city council, some who even claim to be fiscal conservatives, saved a little money today by burdening our children with a massive $2.3 billion interest bill.   

As mayor, I will call for a 3% reduction in across the board spending to be shifted to the pension liability payments. This will allow us to pay off this debt within the original 19 year period and avoid a crippling interest payment. You can read my City Budget Plan here. 

City Of Phoenix Employee Retirement System (COPERS)

COPERS is the city run retirement for city employees (excluding sworn police and fire). In 2015 voters passed Prop 103 that created a hybrid retirement system for new employees. The problem with the COPERS system and Prop 103 is that the unfunded liability is still around $1.8 billion. The hybrid system, created for new hires under Prop 103, says that anything up to $125,000 in annual salary counts towards the defined benefit (pension) plan and anything over $125,000 counts towards a defined contribution (401k) plan. The reality is very few newly hired employees are making over $125,000 in annual salaries. That means the risk is still 100% with the taxpayer. 

As mayor, I would like to negotiate with city employees and propose a new charter amendment that lowers that hybrid threshold to $85,000 and create a defined contribution option for newly hired employees that would include a 9% employer matching, similar to the new option under PSPRS. 

Under a defined contribution plan the employer matching is paid in at the time the employee receives their check. Not 30 years down the line, subject to the political priorities of an elected official. 

Also with a defined contribution plan a newly hired employee has more options of incorporating any previous retirement plans and has the portability to take their retirement with them, should they decide to seek employment outside city government. 

This will create retirement stability for the employee and remove the long term risk to the taxpayer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City Services

The city needs to refocus on making the core services, that Phoenicians rely on, more efficient and responsive.

 

The city needs to refocus on making the core services, that Phoenicians rely on, more efficient and responsive.

 

              Infrastructure and Traffic

                             Infrastructure:

Why does it take so long for potholes, sidewalks, signs, streetlights, and roads to get repaired? The city uses a prioritization system to determine which reported problems get repaired first. That means a low level pothole repair will get bumped whenever a priority location gets reported, indefinitely. As mayor, I will propose a First In - First Out system.

 

                             Traffic:

Travel down the westbound lane of Thomas Road at 3pm on any weekday and you will experience firsthand the gridlock plaguing Phoenix. What causes this daily traffic jam? 

Daytime construction projects and road maintenance, frequent stops by school and city buses, trading traffic lanes for bike lanes, and static traffic lights are few of the main culprits. 

As mayor, I will propose limiting construction and non-emergency road maintenance, which can cause traffic slowdowns, to evenings and weekends in primarily commercial areas. I will also seek developers to help sync the city's traffic lights up to newer technologies that can adjust the single times based on real-time traffic data. 

Riding a bike is fun, taking the bus is economical, and a trip on the light rail is quick. How you get from point A to point B is a decision best left up to you. Creating public transportation policies that punish you for choosing to use your car have Phoenix streets all backed up.  

 

                            Bike Lanes:

Riding a bike is a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get around the city. But it is not a viable transportation option for most Phoenicians. Especially in the summer months when temperatures are well into the 100's. 

Phoenix currently has nearly 800 miles of bike lanes and paths. The city is implanting a 5 year plan that will add another 200 miles. The Street Transportation Depart has admitted that it doesn't have enough easements for this project and will need to "be creative". That is code for taking more traffic lanes. I support adding more bike lanes and paths, but not at a cost of increased commuter traffic. 

Also, as part of that plan, the city wants to commit to adding an additional 1,000+ miles of bike lanes and paths by 2050.

 

              Clean and Reliable water

While Phoenix is an arid desert city, we often take for granted our clean supply and reliable delivery of water. Water is critical for all of us. Without a clean, reliable, and affordable supply of water Phoenix will vanish. 

Did you know that current low water levels at Lake Mead could potentially trigger an automatic "Tier 1" shortage or that the Colorado River operational agreement expires in 2026? How is the city planning for these potential issues? Are the programs put in place 5, 10, or 30 years ago working? 

Instead of focusing on pet political projects, perhaps the city leaders could update the 2015 "Water Resource Plan" or the other public documents from 2011 on our water storage programs.

             

              Trash and Sanitation

                             Bulk Trash:

Do you know when your bulk and heavy trash weeks are? Most people don't. It's not their fault, it's complicated schedule of what week ever couple of months you can put trash out and then what week the city will come by and collect it. In the mean time you have a pile of trash in front of your house for a few days to a couple weeks. 

Wouldn't it be easier if there was just one day per month, or even every two months, which was designated as bulk trash day for your neighborhood? It would be the same day each time, without a complicated calendar or a landfill in your front yard. 

That's how most major cities handle bulk and heavy trash collection and there is no reason for Phoenix to continue its outdated and cumbersome schedule.

 

                             Clean Alleys:

Walking down the alleys and back rows of Phoenix is disgusting. Trash and yard waste everywhere. But there are just too many miles of alley ways for the city to keep them clean. On the other hand, you as a property owner shouldn't bear the punishment of cleaning it up or face a fine because someone dropped trash behind your lot. 

As mayor, I will develop a volunteer program similar to the AZ Adopt a Highway program. Neighborhood and civic groups, local business, and even HOA's would sign up for a two year commitment to collect trash along a stretch of alleyway. For this they would get city recognition, volunteer credit hours, and a sign and other notifications to the neighborhood that they are helping to keep the area clean and free of debris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homeless

Travel anywhere in Phoenix and you will see firsthand the scale of the poverty and homelessness crisis.

 

Travel anywhere in Phoenix and you will see firsthand the scale of the poverty and homelessness crisis. 

My team has been working with ASU researchers, local non-profits and churches, private sober living facilities, former city staffers, social workers, uniformed officers, and addiction counselors to develop an adaptive and sustainable plan to address this issue. 

Our plan can be boiled down to these 5 points: 

1. Treat people with dignity, respect, and humanity. Being poor and homeless is not a crime and continuing to use some other pretense to arrest someone in hopes of forcing them into social services will not work. 

2. Dispatch social workers, backed up by reserve officers, to non-critical calls relating to mental health and homelessness issues. Our uniformed officers have their hands full responding to critical calls for service. We already have a network of qualified social workers that have the experience needed to navigate people through local support services. 

3. Create space at the table for ALL of the local non-profits. What the city has failed to realize, in mandating its "one size fits all' C.A.R.E.S. program, is that there is no single solution. Creating public policy based solely on the perceptions of a handful of politically connected organizations has not worked. We need to hear from everyone engaged locally with this issue. Every non-profit, that has a unique perspective and wants to be part of the process, will be included in all policy discussions.  

4. Expedite variance and permit requests for non-profits. The process of getting city approval for new non-profit transitional and crisis housing, sober living and addiction treatment facilities, and support centers can take years. By the time the doors are finally allowed to open the needs of the community may have shifted. Expediting variances, permits, and other requests will allow local non-profits to quickly adapt to the changing needs of the community.  

5. Assist effective non-profits in fundraising through private donations. Some politicians think creating new tax payer funded programs would be easier and faster. The truth is that publicly funded programs that can be held hostage by political priorities and the city's budget constraints is not a sustainable solution. As mayor, I will advocate and assist in fundraising for non-profits that are helping us support the underserved citizens of Phoenix. 

We can never completely eradicate poverty and homelessness. Continuing to cling to the false hope and rhetoric of perfection will keep us from making meaningful improvements.


Hour 3

Media Type: Audio • Time: 86 Minutes and 23 Secs
Guests: Phranq Tamburri
Topics: Trump Report

Hour 3 - Dr. Phranq Tamburri, NMD = Trump Report 

-30-

Hour 3

Dr. Phranq Tamburri, NMD

The Trump Report

Webpages: http://www.longevitymedical.com/

 

=============================

 

 

Phranq's previous interviews on the Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock Radio Show:

https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Guest-Page.htm?No=00672

DR. PHRANQ TAMBURRI BIO 

Dr. Phranq Tamburri is a naturopathic physician specializing in men's health with a sub-specialty in prostate cancer. In tandem to these fields, Dr. Tamburri treats male hormone deficiency, low energy, and sexual performance. Although naturopathic medicine is a specialty in itself, Dr. Tamburri has garnered recognition as an expert in the field of prostate cancer assessment, diagnosis, and treatment; each of the preceding from a balanced natural and allopathic perspective. His training in this area has been varied and wide in scope. As Chief Resident from his Alma Mater, he trained under Mayo trained urologist Bernard Gburek, M.D. at Scottsdale North Hospital while at the same time apprenticed under CMO and Physician of the Year Thomas Kruzel, N.D. who specialized in natural urology. Dr. Tamburri later was director of the Men's Health Clinic at his local teaching clinic. Currently he is long term professor of Clinical Urology at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and also sits as a member of the AZNMA and is the only naturopathic physician on the AZ State Funded SW Prostate Cancer Awareness Council. Dr. Tamburri has been published in this area along with multiple lectures to fellow physicians at yearly professional conventions. Recently he has been asked to serve as expert witness for the State of Arizona Board of Medical Examiners with regard to the management of natural prostate cancer assessment and treatment.

Dr. Tamburri, on his limited down time, loves to study Early American and World History in both didactics and in travels. He has taught inline skating for many years, hikes often with fellow doctors, and recently began pursuit as a poi practitioner!

Prostate Cancer Risk Assessment

Dr. Tamburri's NP Packet

Urological Questionnaire

Prostate Packet

Dr. Phranq Tamburri November 2008 NDNR article

Dr. Phranq Tamburri September 2007 NDNR article

==============================

References on the show...

Watch Streaming Broadcast Live:

Watch the Ernest Hancock Show on DLive
DLive
Watch the Ernest Hancock Show on LRN.fm
LRN.fm
Live Chat
Talk about the Ernest Hancock Show on Telegram
Telegram
Listen to the Ernest Hancock Show
LRN.fm
Live Phone:
641-793-8869
 

Apple Podcast

Please help fund Declare Your Independence with a one-time or recurring donation.


Archive By Year


Shows By Topic

Shows By Guest


midfest.info