Author: rraz-admin22

“Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again.”

President (Governor) Ronald Reagan
Inaugural Address, January 5, 1967
 

WE HAVE LOST OUR FREEDOMS
My husband had COVID a couple of weeks ago. He’s doing much better. We learned something very alarming during this COVID journey; we have lost our freedom. After a thorough assessment and a positive COVID test, the doctor called in two prescriptions, recommended some increases in vitamins, lots of fluids and the healing would begin. After a couple of hours, I headed down to the pharmacy and received just one prescription. When I contacted the physician, I was told the pharmacist would not fill one of the prescriptions. The pharmacist quoted a National Institute of Health (NIH) directive that said the medication was not to be used to treat COVID. It wasn’t that this pharmacist thought she knew more than our doctor that bothered me so much (although that really did make me angry), but the fact that the government has now decided what treatments will be administered, not the doctor whom we trust.
 
MEDICINE
Remember, “if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor”? Of course Barack Obama could say those words because he had just set up a system where the government was going to tell your doctor how they could treat you! We have lost medical freedom. My friend who is suffering from dizziness diagnosed at the ER by an “inner ear something” contacted the ENT recommended and got an appointment for AUGUST; two and a half months away! There are many more stories that we could tell about the decline of our healthcare system, and I am sure you all have one to share but let us remember the elected officials who we voted into office who have allowed this. We have shackled the free-market medical system and now more closely resemble a third-world country in medical delivery.
 
VACCINATION/MASK MANDATES
Pima County Administrator Jan Lesher, through the Pima County Board of Supervisors, is directing that all Poll Workers be vaccinated. In addition to the vaccination, she has directed through her Director of Elections that the Poll Inspector(s) ask this question of all the Poll Workers. We have lost our medical privacy. This decision is coming before the Board of Supervisors on June 7. We must demand that our Supervisors not require vaccination as a term of short-term, temporary employment. The Arizona Legislators have passed a bill which would not allow this; however, the bill does not take effect until 90 days after the end of the 2022 Legislative Session. Supervisor Christy has stood steadfast against the vaccination/mask mandates; we must persuade the other four Supervisors to do the same.
 
2nd AMENDMENT
No Republican condones the shootings in our churches, grocery stores, schools, and hospitals that we have witnessed over the past weeks. I don’t believe any Democrats do either. Our nation grieves for our children, our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, grandparents who have been murdered by these senseless killings. We cannot, however, allow these acts of violence committed by people with serious mental issues to change the history or the future of our country. The political theater that is playing out in Washington DC serves nothing more than soundbites for campaign videos. We must not lose our 2nd Amendment rights. It is time for us to listen to our candidates and ensure that we are sending people to Washington DC who will protect our freedoms, serve God, and serve our country and the great State of Arizona.
 
ARE WE THAT GENERATION?
Are we the generation that allows freedom to be extinct? We could talk about the freedoms we have lost in the education of our children, the freedom of choice we are losing at the grocery store, the freedom of security we are losing at our borders and many more freedoms we have lost over the past 60 years. But talking won’t get the job done.
 
We saw TOP GUN. I highly recommend it. I loved the American flags throughout the movie, the patriotism. Fighter pilots are some of the most competitive people I know, but in the end, they are family. They understand the vision of freedom, they believe in the mission of the fight, they will put it all out there and those who come back will stay together for the next fight. They never give up on freedom.
 
“Don’t think, just do.” We need to elect our Republican candidates. Join me, keep fighting for freedom.

In Flanders Fields

BY JOHN MCCRAE


In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
     That mark our place; and in the sky
     The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
     Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
     The torch; be yours to hold it high.
     If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

On this day of Remembrance, we are reminded by the famous poem written by John McCrae in 1915 that it is our job to hold the torch high and not break the faith of those who have given all for us. As we enter this election season, we will continue to fight for our families, our freedom, and our faith. As I ended this message a year ago, I end today’s message with the same wish.

On this Memorial Day, 2022, know that those who take up the shield to protect us have no knowledge of how much time they will have, but we must let them know they will always be remembered and honored by “we the people” of these great United States. Today I wish you time, memories, and honor to stay in the fight. Our fight may not be on the battlefield, but we are nonetheless in the fight for the soul of our country — and must continue forward with the heart of a warrior.

Hillary Clinton approved the dissemination of false information alleging a covert communications channel between the Trump Organization and a Russian bank to the media. As a result of her lies, bitterness, and wrath, President Donald J Trump will always have that political scandal to fight. Yes, we know that it is not true. We know that Hillary Clinton and her operatives are guilty, but as President Trump said he will “never get his reputation fully back”. Their lies and slander resulted in his impeachment, investigation, and litigation throughout and following his presidency.

Bitterness, Wrath, Anger, Wrangling, and Slander
To do a case study on those words, we could probably just start with politics; and we could start with what the Democrats attempted to do to President Trump. In October of 2016, they knew they were in trouble, but they just didn’t know how much. As Republicans we shouldn’t take this personally because this is no different than what they did to Bernie Sanders. What Hillary Clinton intended to do was to destroy her opponent—any opponent, Bernie Sanders, or Donald J Trump. She would do whatever she needed to do to get what she wanted to get.

I lived in the DC area when Bill Clinton was president, and the stories were salacious and—true. You would hear ‘insider’ stories from the Secret Service about Hillary’s temper, foul mouth, anger. Now remember last week I wrote about anger (not being in control)? Hillary’s plans were out of her control, and she was angry—at Bill, Monica, the media—and she was willing to take everyone down to get what she wanted. The wrath of Hillary Clinton. There was never any doubt that she intended to be president, and this would not play well in her strategy. Hillary’s bitterness, wrath, and anger led her to wrangle and slander whoever got in her way. President Trump was not the first person she attempted to destroy, and he won’t be the last. But he certainly fought back harder than anyone else had.

It’s All the Rage
Facebook/Twitter/Instagram likes and shares teach people to express outrage online according to William Brady, a postdoctoral researcher in the Yale Department of Psychology. The more outrageous and deceptive you are, the more likes you get to make you feel relevant, important. Throw out the red meat and see the jackals feast! Remember the “Steele dossier” which was largely discredited? Probably. Remember when Danchenko was busted as part of John Durham’s probe? Probably not. We remember and respond to outrageous stuff we read on FB/YouTube/Twitter. We retweet, share, like. What don’t we do?  Fact Check.

It Doesn’t Have to Be True; It Just Has to Be Said to Spread the Lie
This is the place where I want to say that just Democrats put out false information, they gaslight their opponents. Sorry to disappoint. It appears the rules of engagement in wrangling and slander are simple:  those who are bitter, angry, wrathful will do whatever they need to do to get what they want to get. Just like the Steele dossier, the Russia hoax, and the many other things that have been said about President Trump that are not true, it’s difficult for the truth to come out—to get your reputation fully back. But there is hope, and it’s all up to you. As we go into this campaign season, check the facts. Ask questions. I was at LD 17 on Saturday and stayed until the last person left the room. My purpose was to answer any question anyone had. Good news, only one question! Require the same of your candidates. Don’t spread stuff if you are not sure it’s true. Don’t post on FB if it’s not true. Fact Check. If someone is posting false information, don’t like, retweet, share. Ignore them. Don’t be part of the problem, don’t spread the misinformation.

It’s Campaign Season, Isn’t This What We Do
If it’s not true, if you don’t have proof, then NO. Focus on the issues. Detect an issue where the Democrats are weak—pick one, there are hundreds. Destroy their position with facts on the issue, and then dismember the position and build the strength of your position. President Trump and the Republican Party has just demonstrated for you that we will not allow our opponent’s bitterness, wrath, anger, wrangling, and slander to destroy the members of our party. And here in Arizona, we will not let the nay-sayers destroy our candidates.

Time to get to work to elect Republicans. Join me.

What’s Everyone So Angry About?
Have you noticed how angry everyone seems to be? The “war of words”, engaging in Cloward-Piven strategies, threatening people’s right to safety in their own homes, violence, and ultimately death and destruction are in the news every morning. Hashtags “#WTH ending every tweet and Facebook post, name calling and outbursts in meetings, and passive-aggressive behavior in person and all forms of communication are popping up throughout communities, government, and even political parties. There is a lot to be angry about, but how we handle it is where we are losing the fight.

What’s the Trigger?
Anger is nothing more than a natural response to perceived threats. Losing your patience, feeling left out, not being in control, and injustice are just a few of the common triggers for anger. It’s not that you feel angry that’s the issue–it’s how you handle the anger that is important. Just a couple of reasons you may feel angry (you may just feel frustrated—and that’s a precursor to anger):

• Wide open borders
• No formula for our children
• High food prices
• High gas prices
• Vaccine/mask mandates
• Leaks at the Supreme Court
• Incompetence in federal/state/local government agencies
• $40B Ukraine package with hidden earmarks
• War in Ukraine moving toward Poland
• Royalty payments to Fauci
• and NEW taxes (Prop 411)Horrible roads

I could go on and on with the list of triggers, but what amazes me is how people’s response is to take it out on each other. Whether it’s the candidates, the LD meetings, or even person to person. One thing we know for sure is that this anger stems from not being in control or sometimes even a medical condition (another topic). Losing your patience (not in control), feeling left out (not in control), injustice (not getting what you want; not in control)–is your problem really that you are not in control? Maybe that’s why you feel angry?

Changing the Narrative
When the leak at the Supreme Court happened, suddenly all the major economic issues, the border crisis, the supply chain issues fell to the wayside and abortion took front and center stage. The narrative became abortion and we fell for it. Will abortions end tomorrow if Roe v. Wade is overturned?  No. Will women no longer have choice? No, as a woman I have always had a choice, several of them as a matter of fact. Does focusing on abortion fix the borders, lack of food for our children, high gas prices, etc.? No. Does focusing on abortion move women to worry about NOT BEING IN CONTROL?  YES. Does it make people angry (on both sides of the aisle)?  YES. Did the Democrats change the narrative and create a fear of not being in control followed by irrational discussion and violent outbursts?  YES. And yet, we in Arizona are among the worst states for the worsening baby formula shortage. Arizona’s border is being invaded; last month over 200,000 people crossed the border. The price of gas hit an all time high this week. Robbery, rape, and murder are above the Arizona and U.S. rate; violent crime in Tucson is greater than Arizona’s and the U.S. statistics. We lost our focus and now we really are out of the control—out of control of the issues that change elections.

Fighting to Win
The elections are just around the corner. You can choose to elect a Republican or lose sight of the narrative and your control. Here’s what I know, if we don’t elect Republicans in November of 2022, the country will continue to decline. We won’t stop the invasion on the border, build back the supply chain, lower gas prices, enact fiscal policies and sound government regulations. Crime will continue to rise in our cities, we will lose control of our taxes, and the decline of our education system will continue.

We have elections to win. Don’t let people change the narrative, draw you away from what’s important. Let the Democrats own anger and hostility—it’s linked with heart disease, high blood pressure, peptic ulcers and stroke—let them have those. As Republicans we will be clear, direct, and message to Arizonans our passion for a safe, healthy and prosperous life for our families.
Fight to win elections. Join me; stay focused.

We were on our way to a meeting on Saturday morning, and we headed west on I-10, exited on Speedway headed east. I got in the left lane as we were turning on Main Street. Lying on the median at the light was a person. There were empty water bottles on the ground around him, a banana peel, and some other garbage. I was concerned that he was dead. As we came to a stop, he moved. He was alive, surrounded by trash, and sleeping on a two-foot wide median on a major thoroughfare in Tucson.

Homeless in Tucson, AZ
Homelessness is a problem in Tucson, and it is also a problem in the United States. The Department of Housing and Urban Development directs an annual point-in-time (PIT) count of homeless individuals who are both sheltered (living in emergency shelter or transitional housing) and unsheltered (living on the street or other places not meant for human habitation). In 2020, this number was estimated at 10,979 in Arizona; down from 14,646 in 2007. I would suggest the number has increased since COVID. For today, let’s discuss that approximately 10% of our homeless population in Arizona are veterans.

So many programs, little success
Three weeks from today on Memorial Day, we will be honoring our U.S. military personnel who have died while serving the United States. While America has many problems right now, studies show that the veteran population is 2x more likely to become chronically homeless than other American groups. Contributing factors to this homelessness: long periods of unemployment, foreclosure, mental illness, and poverty. Seventy-six (76%) of homeless veterans experience alcohol, drug, or mental health issues. Just so we don’t jump to any conclusions, of that 76%,

• 89% received an honorable discharge
• 67% served 3 years or more
• 47% are Vietnam veterans
• 15% served before Vietnam
• 5.5% are Iraq and Afghanistan veterans

There are programs to assist homeless veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Labor (DOL), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Programs from the VA include Healthcare for Homeless Veterans, Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans, Compensated Work Therapy/Transitional Residence Program, Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program, GPD for Homeless Veterans with Special Needs, Supportive Services for Veteran Family, Veterans Justice Outreach. DOL offers Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, Incarcerated Veterans Transition Program, HUD and VA Collaborative Programs. Between 2005-2020 the funding for these programs for veterans totaled nearly $2 trillion dollars and homelessness for veterans and others continues to rise.
Our federal government has put a lot of money in homeless veteran programs. Other programs for homelessness are available through grants to nonprofits. And yet the problem persists. Our city has allowed homeless to live under bridges, sleep on medians, pander on street corners, and camp throughout the riverbeds and desert. Visitors to Tucson see this, too. The corner of Valencia and Tucson Blvd—your first stoplight in Tucson when you leave the airport—has an encampment, empty lots filled with trash and debris. This is the “moment of truth” for Tucson.

What do we do?
People ask me all the time, “Shelley, what are you going to do about…..(fill in the blank)”. The answer is to find qualified people to run for office and get them elected. The party does not set policy; the elected officials do. The party are not single-issue activists; the people are. The party does not fund programs; the city/county/state/fed does. The party does not write legislation; the legislators do. The party’s job is to build the Republican community, be a presence in the community, register voters, support the candidates—and, we had an amazing month in April doing all those things and will continue to do that. Why this piece on homelessness? To make our community more aware, to generate the presence of letters, emails, attendance at BOS meetings/city council meetings, to create conversation to convince a voter to register and get involved, and to provide you and our candidates with the facts.

Our Volunteers Show Up
Pima County Fair 2022 was a huge success. A special thanks to ‘Fair Chair’ Nancy Constantine and all the volunteers who put in hundreds of hours working at our booth. We registered many new voters, changed party affiliation for some, and even helped some remove themselves from the Permanent Early Voter List (PEVL). What was most inspiring was the people who stopped by the booth and told us “We are with you” or “thanks for what you do” and the many, many thumbs up!

Biden’s Approval is Underwater
Biden is underwater by double digit margins in 33 states, including Arizona. Arizona is showing Biden down -14. The Cook Political Report is showing:

• AZ-02    Likely Republican (O’Halleran)
• AZ -06   Lean Republican (Open)

This will likely give us two (2) more Republican Congressional seats in Arizona. We are going to win back the Senate seat as well. The Cook Political Report is showing the House of Representatives with Republicans:  197, Democrats:  172, and Toss-Up 26. We have our work cut out for us in Arizona, but the challenges for Biden’s party in key states ahead of this year’s midterm elections that largely overlap with the 2024 presidential map are deepening.

Kick ‘Em Out in 2024

Young Americans’ support of Biden has dropped 18 points since the spring of 2021 and only 19% of respondents in a recent poll want Biden to run for reelection. What could be worse? Only 7% of respondents want to see Kamala Harris run for president! When asked who you would prefer for 2024:  Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, or Hillary Clinton—NOT SURE won!

And, the Rest of the Story

We are eagerly awaiting November 8th, but we have a lot of work to do between now and then. The Democrats failing, far-left policies have turned off the American people.

• Inflation is running rampant;
• The southern border has been thrown wide open;
• Peace and security abroad have devolved into war; and
• Democrats are clinging to their draconian COVID-19 powers.

We must get our message of successful policies out to the voters. We must work to build our political strength across our communities, continue to register voters, attend campaign events, deliver literature, knock doors, make phone calls, text, support each other and our candidates, and get voters to polling places.

I had a candidate tell me there were so many events on Saturday, April 30, he would be busy from sun up til sun down. And then we hear people say Republicans aren’t doing anything. Look at our calendar; it’s busy and the results have been effective. Remember,

“Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demands our best.”

Join me. Give your best.

Last Monday was Tax Day in America. Are you getting your money’s worth? Do you even feel like you are supporting reasonable policies with your taxes? Joe Biden doesn’t think so; he wants more.

Biden Taxes You Even at Death

Biden’s FY 2023 budget proposal includes 36 tax increases on American Individuals and businesses totaling $2.5 trillion over the next decade.

• He will raise the corporate income tax rate to 28%; $1.3 trillion tax increase
• He will increase the top income tax rate to 39.6%; $186.8 billion tax increase
• He will double the capital gains rate to 40.8% and impose a second death tax by imposing capital gains taxes on unrealized assets at death; $174 billion tax increase
• He will repeal expensing of intangible drilling costs; $10.7 billion tax increase

While Biden has lied time and time again that his plan will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000—Biden’s policies are regressive and will impact lower-income Americans. His radical tax policies will negatively impact 1.4 million small businesses with less than 500 employees.

Biden’s hidden tax inflation has already cost American families an additional $3,500 in 2021 and will cost families an extra $5,200 this year. We are all feeling it at the gas pump, the grocery store, restaurants, and we will feel it in the fall when we prepare for our children to return to school.

This disaster of a budget will probably get through Congress. The Democrats will line up behind it and get it passed; and, you will pay the bill.

Meanwhile, in Pima County
Proposition 411:  Proposed Amendment to the Tucson City Charter Referred by Mayor and Council, authorizing a 10-year extension of a temporary half-cent (0.5%) sales tax to fund street improvements. 

The City of Tucson has a special election on May 17. The Tucson Fire Fighters Association, Living Streets Alliance, Tucsonans for Better ($27,500), Safer Streets, and even the Tucson New Car Dealers Association ($25,000) have made big donations and an outpouring of support for Prop 411. Other supporters include Mayor Regina Romero, Dan Cavanagh, Visit Tucson, Sierra Club, Kevin Dahl (Ward 3), Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99, Cox Communications, Southern Arizona Leadership Council, Chispa Arizona, Tucson Young Professionals, Familias Unidas Ganado Accesibilidad, Matt Heinz BOS 2, Richard Fimbres (Ward 5), Tucson Police Officers Association, Tucson Electric Power. Are you affiliated with any of these groups/companies? Let them know you aren’t happy with their position.

Is this really a Proposition that has no Opposition? No. There are many people in Tucson who are opposed to Prop 411 and that will show in the vote. I oppose Prop 411 not because I oppose:

• Sidewalk and Pedestrian Accessibility Improvements
• Bicycle Network Enhancements
• System-wide Safety Improvements
• Traffic Signal Technology Upgrades

I oppose poor planning and execution and that is exactly what the City of Tucson has shown since the voters approved Proposition 101 in 2017, a temporary half-cent sales tax, for 5 years. Have you seen $250 million in improvements in the past 5 years? The City of Tucson has continued to fail in project implementation of safe roads and will continue to fail even with this infusion of cash.

This isn’t a Republican/Democrat issue. This is an accountability issue and until we start holding our government accountable for the funds we give them; our families will suffer. So, whether it is Joe Biden’s 36 new taxes or Regina Romero’s continued taxes—it doesn’t matter. We need to see results with our hard-earned dollars, and we are not.

Join me in fighting Prop 411 and the party of excessive taxing.

We Said It
Words matter. Last week in E-Tracks we questioned how Mr. Huckelberry could retire and no one seemed to know about it. Just based on our collective professional experience, we knew that when you retire/resign/terminate, that HR knows about it, Payroll knows about it, Accounting knows about it. This is no big secret. Unless it is. In the case of Mr. Huckleberry’s retirement, it appears it was the BIG SECRET of Pima County.
 
They Heard It
The Pima County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, April 19. One of the items for discussion is for the events, pertinent documentation, and any other items or individuals with knowledge of the employment contract of former Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. They knew that the Pima County Republican Party was watching and would hold them accountable.
 
Item 4
Discussion/Direction/Action regarding the events, involved Pima County staff, pertinent documentation, and any other items or individuals with knowledge of the employment contract of former Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry. This item will also allow, include, and not be limited to matters related to Mr. Huckleberry’s (sp) changed employment status effective July 4, 2021, and the events surrounding it, as well as his resignation. All documents pertinent to this item are requested for review. Further, it is requested that representatives of the Human Resources and Payroll Departments who are familiar with these details be present. Mr. Huckleberry’s (sp) personal attorneys are invited to answer questions regarding their client’s employment contract.
 
Now They Must Act on It
Rex Scott (District 1), Matt Heinz (District 2), Sharon Bronson (District 3), Steve Christy (District 4), and Adelita Grijalva (District 5) are responsible for the oversight of Pima County government. Please contact each of the Supervisors and tell them that an investigation into Mr. Huckelberry’s retirement and the appointment of Jan Lesher needs to be investigated. We need to send this message to them before the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday. Here’s the agenda.
 
We Won’t Let Up
We need leadership in Pima County. No more just showing up and seeing what’s on the agenda. Our Board of Supervisors must be aware of the activities of county government, they must know the policies of the County Administrator and they must monitor the operations of the county government. Pima County has a swamp just like Washington D.C., and we must hold those accountable who we have elected and entrusted to govern our community. We will no longer stand by and watch while our civil servants and government officials grow their coffers at our expense. Join me in fighting back.

Moving On
Have any of you ever retired? Have you ever changed jobs? If you have, it is likely that your manager knew you were leaving, Human Resources processed your paperwork, accounting stopped paying you, you no longer had the ability to execute contracts, hire people, or commit the organization to any business relationship on behalf of the organization. People come and go in organizations and the employees who process these actions understand the importance of getting it right, and in this case the importance of keeping it quiet.
 
Why would we let the county government operate any differently? How could the County Administrator of the 44th largest county in the United States retire and no one know about it? Not even the Board of Supervisors who are charged with oversight of the county! Of course, they knew. Accounting knew, HR knew, the Assistant County Administrator knew! Who did not know? Me, maybe you, and the Board of Supervisors; the people responsible for paying the taxes to pay the salary and the people responsible for making sure the work of the county gets done—that’s who didn’t know.
 
Corruption or Incompetence?
The Arizona Daily Star said, “The Pima County Board of Supervisors accepted Chuck Huckelberry’s resignation on Tuesday amid news of the former county administrator retired from the position in July.” His monthly pension is $12,228. The Star goes on to say that Pima County was unable to confirm Huckelberry’s official employment status. Is the County Human Resources Office incompetent or corrupt? Huckelberry had an attorney officially announce his resignation as the County Administrator but said he will continue as a contractor assisting the County Administrator’s office and the Board of Supervisors. Pima County HR and Payroll both new of this arrangement in July. Or did they? Did they change Chuck’s status? Does his pay reflect his retirement status? Did they do their job? If HR accepted his retirement without notification to the Board of Supervisors, are they complicit?
 
Shady Deals
Some deals are just shady and the one Huckelberry pulled is exactly that. Let’s look at what he did. In January 2021, he negotiated a contract with a clause that said he could retire without any changes to his contract. Then he gamed the state retirement system collecting full-time compensation for 19 weeks and compensation for 19-hour work weeks from his accrued vacations and sick time. Nothing illegal here, just shady.
 
Meanwhile, with a vote of 4-1, with Supervisor Steve Christy dissenting, the BOS at their April 5th meeting appoint Jan Lesher to take over as the County Administrator. The good news is that she has been the Deputy County Administrator and then the Acting County Administrator for several years; she knows the job. The bad news is that she most certainly knew about Huckelberry’s retirement in July and played along with the game in what should be known as ‘Pima’s Payola’ to hide this from the BOS and entangle county employees. Here’s where the shadiness really gets fun. When reporter Dylan Smith reveals the news to Supervisor Grijalva she states “That’s complete news to me”, and Supervisor Heinz said “Every single taxpayer in the county had a right to know” and “What a catastrophe. This undermines the confidence that people should have in us.” And Supervisor Scott straddled the line with not having enough information (same guy who didn’t have information but voted on ePoll books and voting center).
 
Influence Peddling
There you have it. Corruption, shady deals, and influence peddling. What’s influence peddling? Remember all those people we talked about? People knew, but you did not. What does it take to keep people quiet? If I were a Supervisor, there would be a lot of questions. But then again, these are the people who just appointed a new County Administrator. Is this county doing so well with who we have that we don’t need to look for a more competent, results-oriented county leader? If you believe that, then stay tuned for more Corruption, Shady Deals, and Influence Peddling, the continuing saga of Pima County.
 
If you don’t believe that, then let’s start looking for our 2024 candidates for the Pima County Board of Supervisors. It’s time for Republicans to run this county again. Join me.

This past weekend was the quarterly Republican Party of Arizona (RPAZ) Executive Committee meeting in Phoenix. The meeting was held at the Scottsdale Marriott at McDowell Mountains on Friday and Saturday.

Chairman’s Meeting
This is something new the Chairmen started in 2021; a chance for us to get together for a couple of hours before all the meetings begin. So, Friday afternoon the County Chairmen met and shared what’s going on in our counties and some best practices. It’s always good to hear what other counties are doing, and I always get some great ideas to bring back to Pima County. They are interested in what we are doing in Pima County as well!

RPAZ Reception
In March of 2021, Pima County hosted the quarterly meeting, and we hosted a reception on Friday night. Chairwoman Ward has continued the reception at the meetings, and it has been a wonderful opportunity to get to mingle with each other. We have a speaker at these meetings, Art del Cueto spoke in Pima County and the Yavapai and Coconino County Sheriffs spoke in Sedona. At this meeting, Alex Kolodin spoke about the victory with HB 2839, PC Elections. He shared some of the back-room negotiations and the strategy to ensure a victory. On behalf of Pima County, I extended our appreciation to Chairwoman Ward, Chairwoman Fruhwirth, and Attorney Kolodin for all the work they did.

Elections Integrity Briefing (Optional 8 am meeting)
Kristen Eastlick of the Capital Research Center in Washington DC briefed us on the private financing of government election offices under the guise of COVID-19 relief. She provided an excellent overview of the organizations that fund elections and the people behind them. Her presentation on “hard money,” “soft money”, and “public policy” was alarming. A paper published by Capital Research looked at the “Left-Progressive Machine in Indian Country: Election Day” and the role they played in augmenting Native American turnout on and off reservations to seal Joe Biden’s victory over President Trump in the 2020 presidential election. There is a great deal of information on elections at Capital Research.

Gina Swoboda, 3rd Vice Chair of the RPAZ, briefed us on the Election Integrity bills that have gone through the legislature—and some still pending—and their impact on Arizona. Of particular interest was HB 2492, Citizen Only Voting, which the Democrats brought on the “lawfare” within 24 hours of Governor Ducey signing. Democracy Docket (Democrats) stated “House Bill 2492…. endangering the voter registration of large numbers of Arizonans.” This bill will require all Arizonans to provide proof of citizenship to register to vote. Chairwoman Ward and National Committeeman Tyler Bowyer are urging the Republican National Committee to provide additional legal counsel to the party to fight. VC Swoboda’s knowledge and passion for election integrity is such an asset to Arizona, and she will be in Pima County on April 12 to share with us.

RPAZ Executive Committee Meeting (10-1)
The Executive Committee of the RPAZ consists of: the elected officers of the state party, the 15 county chairmen, the 1st and 2nd Vice Chairs of each of the 15 counties and the 27 members at large (3 from each Congressional District). Chairwoman Ward gave an overview of the activities of the party and the victory of HB 2839 and other legislation which would have negatively impacted the party. Chairwoman Ward has been successful not only in the courtroom, but also collaborating with our legislators.

Pima County Reports
The County Chairmen are also asked to report on their county’s financial status, PC Quota, Events, and Challenges. I am pleased to report that Pima County leads the counties in fundraising to date and has 51% PC Quota with 815 elected and appointed PCs. Our list of events was extensive, and we received an ovation for our Poll Worker Training classes with over 300 poll workers trained. Many chairs asked about our Biblical Citizenship and Vote Your Values programs. While we face Prop 411, Citywide elections, and funding our new Associated Legislative Districts, I reported that our greatest challenge is that we must focus on WINNING THE FIGHT rather than FIGHTING TO WIN. We are not the only county that is facing the FIGHTING TO WIN syndrome and several County Chairs have asked me to create discussion moving forward.

THE BIG NEWS
First, by unanimous vote, the RPAZ will be organizing as the Republican Party of Arizona, LLC. There are reasons to incorporate and RPAZ Attorney Lee Miller presented the “why” and answered questions of the body. Second, the financial condition of the party is particularly good, and third, the RPAZ has sold their building and moved to 17767 N Perimeter Dr, Scottsdale. We toured the new office following the meeting, and it is a beautiful workspace.

There were a hundred things I could write about as I have found my words; remember, last week I felt like “there were no words.” Most importantly, as PCs of Pima County, I want you to be confident that our RPAZ and the Pima County Republican Committee are sound. We are financially healthy, our ranks are growing, our events are continuous and impactful, and we are WINNING THE FIGHT! Join me.