Boy, do I feel sorry for smokers these days.

I remember when I first came to Mesa in 2001, everything was booming. You couldn’t find a parking space at Wal-Mart and all the check-out lights were on and the lines were 10 shopping carts long. I just came back from my Monthly trip to Wal-Mart and was struck by how deserted and down-sized it has become. My Fry’s Supermarket had hordes and hordes of winter visitors, shopping carts full to the brim with top-of-the-line liquor and huge roasts. We “locals” dreaded going shopping. Now we go and there are just 2-3 lanes open because no one is buying anything. Full to the brim shopping carts are as extinct as the dinosaurs.

Mr. Purcell’s explanation of high Medicare costs are wide off the mark. America’s health care costs lead the world for a very simple reason, we’re the only developed nation that doesn’t carefully limit at least health care prices; some limit total spending as well. We spend about 18 percent of GDP on health care, compared to 8 percent for competitors Japan and Korea, and 4 percent for Singapore. Taking aggressive action aka our competitors would free up at least $1.5 trillion per year, though admittedly, also shatter a few free market shibboleths.

It may sound like a movie title. But the issues that are going to dominate the upcoming legislative session are guns and money.

Washington’s self-created “fiscal cliff” crisis has been somewhat resolved, which means we can continue ignoring the real fiscal crises that are dead ahead.

Regardless of what you think about the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also called Obama Care, the delivery of healthcare in the U.S. needs a major overhaul. The focus should be on patients and on high value healthcare. That means doing what it takes to get better outcomes, better safety, better service at lower overall costs — a focus on value, not on volume.

The federal government and not Arizona will run the insurance exchange required by the Affordable Care Act.

I am so tempted to write the words “I told you so” over and over again up to the 500-word limit allowed for a commentary in this newspaper. It would be so easy to gloat about how liberals won and conservatives lost. It would make me giddy to point out how Arizona is so out-of-touch with the rest of the Left Coast.

“To the Venter who thinks Rod Livdhal writes outstanding letters, could this no doubt, be Rod Livdhal in person? Maybe a relative was used in switching his hogwash from Letters to the Editor to the Vent! You liberals are so easy to figure out!”

A Scottsdale millionaire has fallen short in his bid to amend the constitution to let Arizona voters overrule federal laws and rules.

The decision of the Supreme Court regarding Arizona trying to defend itself from foreign attack, smacks of political pressure. It is my “over the top” thought that Obama insisted on this victory or else the mandatory aspect of Obama Care would stand. I think that Justice Roberts felt that the repeal of mandatory health insurance was more important than Arizona’s right to protect its borders. I would love to subpoena all of the Justices to find out how much of their decision making relates to the US Constitution and how much is determined by loyal liberals doing the bidding of Barrack Hussein Obama II.

Scottsdale City Councilwoman Lisa Borowsky has filed paperwork to join the race for Congressional District 9.

Federal officials on Friday approved a deal that will funnel more than $400 million in local and federal funds into helping provide more care for the poor, including nearly 22,000 children.

Federal officials on Friday approved a deal that will funnel more than $400 million in local and federal funds into helping provide more care for the poor, including nearly 22,000 children.

Conservatives really wanted a fight about religious freedom. It appeared to be an easy win: turn an ObamaCare mandate that insurers cover birth control into a war on religion. The GOP, void of any ideas Obama hasn’t contaminated by agreeing with, finds itself in an election year frantically looking for a bold battle cry. That sweet hot button issue that can excite their party and (hopefully) win them the White House (or maybe the Senate).

Part of being a Democrat is acting like you're losing even when you're winning. Part of being a Republican is acting like you're winning even when you're losing. The phrase "silent majority," that brilliant bit of Nixonian rhetoric, is a way to augment Republican numbers and voices. "Nearly all people agree with me and they're not only in my imagination ... you just can't hear them."

"Everywhere I go, all I see is our younger generation walking around looking like cell-phone zombies. Is it just me or are others of you out there as concerned as I am?"

“I applaud our President’s recess appointment of Mr. Cordray to direct the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau! It’s about time Mr. Obama confronts the Republicans who seek to block his every good move and keep our nation in such desperate straits. Clearly, Republicans — representing the upper 1 percent — want to keep the rest of us at an economic disadvantage while continuing to enrich themselves. Among Mr. Cordray’s responsibilities will be to oversee and regulate payday lenders, who suck the life out of desperate, struggling Americans. Too bad, Republicans, your lie of ‘Congress is in session’ has been finally challenged. If we cannot stop your rich buddies, we will at least slow them down.”

A Perry for President spokesperson announced recently that the Texas governor and Republican presidential wannabe Rick Perry might be done debating. Frankly, I thought he was done in his first debate. It was painful waiting for his words to catch up with his thoughts. They spewed out almost incoherently at times. I though he was going to punch Mitt Romney out in the last debate. His spokesperson went on to say that Rick would focus more on "retail politics" where he's had great success in the past. I guess this is where you run "canned" commercials, direct mail and sound bytes without having to think quickly on your feet. Does this mean he would be a no-show in the presidential debates with Obama if he happened to snag the nomination? I'm thinking that Rick may be done.

A Perry for President spokesperson announced recently that the Texas governor and Republican presidential wannabe Rick Perry might be done debating. Frankly, I thought he was done in his first debate.

An e-mail I sent to Senators Kyl and McCain and Congressman Flake requesting they please furnish me with figures of who/what gets the allotted parts of the $447 billion JOBS BILL. I have read the bill and I don’t understand where all the money is going. I also asked is this another bill like Obama Care that you don’t know what is in the bill until it is passed? There are things in the bill that has nothing to do with creating jobs. Senator McCain and Congressman Flake sent back form letters not addressing any part of what I requested. Nothing from Senator Kyl. What does it take to get an honest answer from elected officials?

“I am writing in response to the vent that ‘all the teachers out there better quit with the hugging and nurturing and do what they are being paid to do, teach.’ As an early childhood educator for more than 25 years, there is one thing that I have learned and that is ‘Children don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.’ So, unless you want our society to be filled with a bunch of emotionless zombies, I say teachers better do more of the hugging and nurturing of our children as many children in our society today are not getting any of this at home.”

“The U.S. Geological Service just issued a report that there is more oil under North Dakota than in all the Middle East put together. The environmentalists have blocked all efforts to get it.”

"Another big pot bust... Let the county sell it to medical pot stores so we recover some of the taxpayers' cost to police the border. I do not smoke it, but let's legalize it and reduce all our taxes and stop the problem of smuggling it in and stop the huge profits to the Mexican drug lords."