Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll is coming under attack for a YouTube video in which he tells supporters that newspapers should not be making money off of Rosemont Mine advertising. During a Save the Scenic Santa Ritas event held a few years ago, Carroll spoke frankly to his audience, using off-colored language.
When asked about the viral video by radio show host Garrett Lewis, of KNST 97.1, Carroll said that he “should have better speech writers. When pressed, he acknowledged that he did not have speech writers. Carroll called in to remind Lewis that he had apologized to Rosemont when the comment was made a couple of years ago, and “I promise that I will leave the off-colored jokes to Abraham Lincoln from now on.”
Carroll called for the ban on Rosemont advertising as local newspapers were laying-off staff and cutting back on column inches.
One long time Republican called the remarks regrettable. “This is America, since when did business owners lose the right to free speech? Or demand that a newspaper refuse revenue? They take political ads, and those guys are dishonest and produce no jobs.”
Ray Carroll has been a Tucson resident since 1984. In 1997, Carroll was appointed to the Pima County Board of Supervisors by former Board Chairman, progressive Congressman Raul Grijalva.
Carroll will face his opponent, Sean Collins, on Tuesday, July 31st at 6:30 p.m. on Arizona Illustrated, KUAT TV.