Four topics for your week

The photo above shows Central and Southern avenues in 1930. When I post pics like this on Vintage Phoenix, Arizona Memories, and Phoenix Shadetree History groups on Facebook, the reaction is "wow!" Indeed, it's a wow view. Then, "What happened?" "How could we lose this?"

Most people living in metropolitan Phoenix today have no living memory of the oasis created by the Salt River Valley. Most don't care. "We live in a desert," they gloat as they throw down gravel. Actually, you live in what was an oasis. But thousands of shade trees were torn out to widen streets or by Salt River Project along the canals. In their place: Asphalt, concrete, and gravel. Oh, and cooling grass ("turf") must go.

The Mayor pledges to plant more trees, but I'm skeptical. With a federal grant, the city pledges to "plant native and drought-resistant trees such as mesquite, Chinese pistache, or desert acacia. Likewise, they'll avoid water-hungry trees like palms." She's very woke, interested in "tree equity." I think we'll get palo verdes and little shade.

Too bad for Phoenix as the summers keep getting hotter and lasting longer. So much was lost.

One fascinating feature of the federal government is how it never shrinks. Be it "austere" Republicans — now wholly in the far-right cult of Trump — or Democrats, it never happens.

I'm not writing about killing Amtrak, defunding "entitlements," or privatizing Social Security. Rather, why do we need the Nazi-sounding Department of Homeland Security? I'd rather see this cabinet-level department abolished and its components returned to their previous departments (e.g. the Border Patrol to the Commerce Department).

Why do we need a Space Force? It's responsibilities should be returned to the Air Force.

And a Director of National Intelligence? The CIA director reports to her. But the job is superfluous, created in the "ass-covering" era after 9/11 and retained thereafter. We once had a Director of Central Intelligence. That would have done fine if George W. Bush had bothered to read the "bin Laden determined to strike in the U.S." CIA briefing paper before 9/11. Instead, we got another layer of bureaucracy.

You may discuss in the comments.

Is Joe Biden too old to run for a second term? Probably. Despite many accomplishments, he's polling badly and is trailed by the case of his rotter son, Hunter's federal case.

Our Front Page Editor Emeritus is convinced that whatever happens in a plot hatched by "the DNC" (Democratic National Committee). In reality, the DNC is pretty toothless. Biden won the 2020 primaries with a big push from Rep. James Clyburn and black voters. He's been a good president.

Yet it's instructive that the Democrats' bench is so shallow when it comes to younger officials. Kamala Harris has disappointed as vice president, but Biden doesn't dare dump her. Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, age 52, would be my choice for one spot on an ideal ticket. Who else? (Remember, the Democrats need someone from a swing state).

What do you think? The comments section awaits.

Finally we have the clear and present danger of Donald Trump, aptly rendered by friend of the blog Carl Muecke.

I still think it's possible he'll slip the leash of prosecution and be elected again. If so, say goodbye to our experiment in self-governance.

 

 

Comments

[DoggieCombover]

Disappointed to see Rogue buy into the Trump/Putin narrative about Biden being too old, while ignoring the fact that Trump is basically the same age, and is virtually incoherent. He can scarcely construct sentence that doesn't sound like a fifth grader, at best.

If I had to place a dead pool wager, I'd bet on a guy who works out, is reasonably fit, and has a supportive social network over an obese, angry, eats-like-a-teenager hate monger and is likely under as much stress as the President.

The media is lapping up that narrative, stop it.

[AzRebel]

It does not matter which octogenarian "OZ" you have in front of the curtain, I worry about the ones behind the curtain actually pulling the strings.

As long as the "Wheezard" in front of the curtain keeps the ignorant masses occupied, the US will continue to wreak havoc on the world. (See the writings of Caitlin Johnstone to discover the truth about YOUR country)

[Ruben]

Concerning the tea party, trump and trumpers and his MAGAts:

We had discussions here over the years concerning the demographics of the groups listed.

There were several commenters who said not to assume members of said groups were dumb and or uneducated.

Time has gone by and things have happened. Not very pleasant things.

The verdict is in. No further debate.

They’re MORONS.

Some may have formal education , but choose to be informally dumb.

Their only reading material is right wing slogans and lies.

They’re MORONS. They’re VICTIMS. They’re angry.

Due to their immediate leap to anger, they have the attention span of a two year old, so explaining the details of a subject is useless.

In conclusion, they’re MORONS.

I live among them, don’t try to tell me different.

[DoggieCombover]

Gosh, Rebel, sounds little Qish to me, who are "they" behind the curtain?

[Azreb]

No Q stuff dog. Just read Caitlin’s stuff. You’ll not find a better non- biased analysis of the mechanizations of the American world Empire.

[DoggieCombover]

I've read enough of her stuff to see her as a one woman Fox News-like sort. She employs innuendo, makes opinionated statements presented as facts, engages in personal attacks on people she disagrees with, and has a predictable target, consistently. Like Hunter Biden and "the left" and "liberals" on Fox News.

[2002 subaru outback]

Crazy how you can’t criticize Biden’s old age without someone whining “but… what about Trump?!!!??”

Yes they both suck, yes they’re both probably due to expire any day now, but we already have leveraged just about every criticism possible at Trump over the last seven years. We all know why he’s bad. The difference, is that Biden is the president *now* and he’s currently not popular at all with voters. *Now* is the time to duck out and let someone else run, but instead he insists on a second term. Do dems even want to win? Trump is hated by many, 2024 should be the easiest election ever— a guy actively indicted in four separate criminal cases could be taken down by anyone who is likeable and lucid enough. Republicans can’t stop Trump from running, but dems have all the power in the world to field someone else and they don’t seem interested in doing it.

Let’s not discount the trainwreck that is Harris, and the widespread assumption that if Biden somehow wins in 2024, he’ll probably just die or resign and leave us with her as president.

[Al Purinol]

Mr. or Mrs. Subaru, you come from a strong family background. Two years age a close couple of ours was in a Subaru when they were involved in a double head on collision. That's right Double. First, a head on collision at 60 mph, while spinning, hit again head on. They didn't walk away, but they survived and are well now. The first responders were astounded at the cars damage and survivability.

Let's hope our country has the Subaru resiliency to withstand the collision between the republican party clown car and the democratic party clown car.

[DoggieCombover]

No argument on most of the above, there is little appetite for "the rematch," but running a national campaign isn't as simple as changing your socks at this stage of the game. Who would it be and how would a candidate be identified? Unless it's a smoke filled room anointment, primaries are looming and you need money and an organization to compete.

And I really don't see any shining stars on the Dem roster right now. And yes, Harris is a screeching train wreck in my view.

[Cal Lash]

The Natural Salt River was an Oasis within short width Boundaries until March 1911 when the human destruction of the the Great Sonoran Desert began.
But even the Natural Salt River Oasis on occassion was insufficiently supportive. Just ask the Hohokam.
The mayor cant plant enough trees. Only when "WE" are gone will nature restore.

Caitlin Johnstone is my favorite crazy Aussie.
I enjoy the short FACTS she posts and then goes on ranting subjective diatribes.
It's poetry gone insane.
So choose your own Substackers.

Dosen't matter how old Joe is as long as he can stand and wear his sun glasses, Antony and Hillary got his back and most of the time his voice. Robot!

Donald is likely to get elected. If so lots of violence followed by his pardons of such will occur.
Good time to be 83 and almost dead.
Donald as president will have the comparable Companionship of Vladimir, Viktor and Xi.
Let the good times roll.

Side note: Hunter Biden needs to do time for Stupidity.

All those indicted in Georgia should escape to Russia. And stay. Save a lot time and money.

[Cal Lash]

Are trees human?
Biological Annihilation.
Human driven mass Extinction is mutilating
the tree of life.

[2002 subaru outback]

Compromise scenario: let Biden run, but have him ditch Harris for the campaign. She can duck out gracefully at the end of the term without it being seen as her being sacked from the role. I honestly don’t know who else would fill those shoes. I think both sides are tired of “the establishment” and the last presidential election was simply a call for more order during a tumultuous era— the lesser of two evils thing didn’t work out in 2016 and it won’t in 2024. So, a likeable VP needs to have populist appeal, especially for the ever growing millennial voter bloc (abortion is still on the ballot, after all). I tune into KTAR sometimes to hear about what the conservatives are discussing and the most common rhetoric right now seems to be that any vote for Biden is actually a vote for his VP. The man doesn’t seem unhealthy physically, but I have a hard time believing he will stay in power until 2028 if he doesn’t keel over first. I’m not saying that conservative rhetoric determines elections, but I think most liberals know this to be true as well. Harris is liked by less people than Biden, and likely even more hated than Biden by the extreme right. Replace her for the 2024 campaign, don’t overtly acknowledge that it has anything to do with the possibility of Biden resigning, and maybe people will vote? I’m quite often wrong about the outcome of electoral politics, especially this early on, but this scenario has made sense to me for some time now.

[Cal Lash]

Che is more popular than Kamala. And dosen't have the support of Hillary .

[Cal Lash]

Water:
Don't ask the
Akimel O'odham about
White Christian thieves.

[Cal Lash]

Doggiecumover:
How about Patrick Lawrence's Diatribe, "Unsweet Dreams."

I Dont know why that makes me think of Androids?

[Cal Lash]

Test

[Cal Lash]

Currently i cannot go directly to Rogue Columnist. I first have to go to Archives????

[pat]

I have a fading memory of roads like those, and they were charming to a little kid in the desert. But, they'd never work now, it'd take way too long to get to the mall or the sports stadium, not to mention the indian casinos.

[Cal Lash]

Yep Denny would be Sad.
Havent seen his Station Wagon lately.
The photos here
Remind me of Jons column, Arizona Ends and Odds on February 18th, 2020.

[Cal Lash]

Jared Diamond said something like, "the advent of agriculture was the beginning of the decline of man."

IMHO, It was more likely mans invention of gods.
Take your pick. Some Research provides numbers of gods as 5000, or 18000 or Shinto suspects theres about 8 millon gods running the galaxies.
What could go wrong?
Manifest Destiny?

[Cal Lash]

Agriculture??
Meanwhile the US continues efforts to "make Russia a tenant farmer on Uncle Sams global plantation."

[Helen Highwater]

Since the dem party thinks the Biden wink wink Harris ticket is a sly way to get Kamala in the White House, why not go with Feinstein- Whitmer?

[buckobear]

Turmp explained: https://londondaily.com/british-writer-pens-the-best-description-of-trump-i-ve-read

[Cal Lash]

I like 0ld.
Pelosi/Feinstein

[Ruben]

Since we have to route through the Archives to get to the blog, I have been spending time reading old posts going back ten to twelve years.

We've had some world class commentors through the years.

I gained more enhancement and refinement of knowledge about EVERY subject imaginable on this blog.

I'm at an age where stored data is starting to drain out of my ears at night when I sleep, but for a time there, gaining new knowledge, for free, was sure fun.

Thank you Rogue.

[Cal Lash]

Going to Archives

U are having the same issue i am.
I tried clearing my browser
That didnt help.
Just wiped out some stuff
i hadn't finished

[Rogue Columnist]

You’re welcome, Ruben. After all this, it's hard to keep the blog going or see its future.

[Cal Lash]

Its working.

[Cal Lash]

NTRAPS?
NED WARREN IS BACK?
NO suprise,
Arizona
legislators shut down investigation of
white collar crime
40 years ago.

[Cal Lash]

Assisted by some law enforcement heads and local news outlets.

[eclecticdog]

I remember those shady lanes and even canal banks and then SRP tore them all out in the 80s to “conserve” water. Damn trees were sucking too much h2o to keep up with the cement ponds.

[Kevin in Preskitt]

In the late 1980s (or maybe the very early 90s), the City of Phoenix planted thousands of trees and shrubs in the city's right of way. The program was called "Forestry for Phoenix." I remember the workers putting in drip irrigation systems and planting saplings and little bushes along some of the main thoroughfares in Maryvale. They were "drought-resistant," though not all were native to the Sonoran Desert.

The majority of the vegetation that was planted through that initiative has been lost over the years, although a Google Street View tour of McDowell Road, from 51st to 75th Avenue reveals that maybe 25% of the trees and bushes planted back then are still surviving. Some look like they're thriving.

I fear that some 75% of the trees planted under this new federal grant will be lost over time and not replanted; the sad tale of Forestry for Phoenix repeated. Phoenix's harsh climate necessitates that tender loving care be given to most plant life - even "native" plants - to help ensure that they thrive.

Forestry for Phoenix did a good job of getting plants into the ground, but apparently not enough funding was provided to care for them and their irrigation systems over time. It's likely that the City won't provide adequate staffing to care for the trees planted under the latest grant.

It's a crapshoot if they give them to residents to plant in their yards. Will the residents plant them under power lines, too close to their houses, etc.? Will they fail to water them? Even "native" trees can suffer premature death during long stretches of drought without occasional supplemental watering.

I wonder if the City has ever thought of trying to organize "street tree committees" comprised of residents to help ensure the health of trees planted in the public right of way. This could be done at the neighborhood level. With Phoenix mostly being a grid of square miles, it would be easy to divvy up committee zones.

City staff could educate committee members of drip irrigation schedules, etc., and members could circulate through their zone on a regular schedule (maybe once a month), and make note of problems with the irrigation systems, trees/shrubs that are struggling, and so on. They could send these notes to City staff, to fix issues before vegetation is lost.

Many residents of Phoenix are apathetic and feel little or no sense of attachment to their city or neighborhood (I imagine that this lack of involvement/care is not unique to Phoenix). Neighborhoods that are full of this type of people will probably be doomed to lose 75% of the trees that tax dollars are paying for in their vicinity. However, some neighborhoods would surely have at least a few passionate and dedicated people who would be awesome street tree committee members. Those neighborhoods would likely transform into more beautiful, cooler places over time.

[Jeff Johnson]

The only way we'll have trees is if we get rid of the "landscape industry" and their leaf blowers and hedge trimmers. I've seen far too many horticultural atrocities - tree limbs hacked off, shrubs sheared into odd shaped domes, water retaining leaf litter blown into the gutter. Plant trees and shrubs, and let the damned things grow! Create an oasis in your back yard. Damn the gravel, full speed ahead!