Republican candidate Kelly Lawton in Ward 2 and Margaret Burkholder in Ward 4 joined hosts Jason C. Tillmann and Anon-Aaron on the premiere broadcast of Rational Propaganda Media Radio to discuss the unconstitutionality of our Tucson City Election process. Both candidates are challenging a voting system that was written into the city charter in 1929.
“What’s at stake here is, fair and equable representation and constitutionality of our election system in Tucson.” – Kelly Lawton
We spent the first hour speaking with Kelly Lawton who ran for Tucson City Counsel on the ideas of fiscal responsibility. We had an interesting conversation on the lack of responsible spending with our tax dollars and how it has had a negative effect on Tucson as well as many city populations across our United States. Mr. Lawton explains how the recovery has effected Tucson and the rest of the State of Arizona. Lawton talked about the electoral process that has been deemed unconstitutional by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The strongly liberal court said the Tucson hybrid electoral system is unconstitutional because it disenfranchises voters, in this case, Republicans in a decision that was divided by a 2-1 split. Lawton explains the resent history of how this last city election was implemented and the issues concerning the current process.
“If all we are doing is taxing ourselves to pay ourselves, we are not going to grow.” – Margaret Burkholder
Margaret Burkholder then joined the show to first speak of the city issues of most importance to her. She spoke of income inequality and what our city leaders need to do to raise median household income without juridically mandating additional costs to our private sector job creators. She also spoke how our city’s crumbling roads and infrastructure is a symptom of the income inequality and low income many face in the city of Tucson.
Burkholder was endorsed by Arizona Daily Star editorial board as a result of understanding that it is not Government’s job to create jobs but to create an atmosphere that creates jobs. She explains that our current city counsel was not providing incentives but mandatory cost and restrictions on our Tucson business community. She continues in saying that if business owners want “the best” employees that you would have pay your employees more through the concept of supply and demand. Burkholder is an advocate for diversity in employment as she believes that, “we need a broad base of small, medium, and large employers to have a strong well balance workforce.” You can here the full interview on Red Pill Network on the Rational Propaganda Media radio show HERE.
Lawton lost to Paul Cunningham 45,296 votes to 33,231, but would have won 11,137 to 10,179 if only votes from Ward 2 would have been counted. Burkholder also lost to Shirley Scott 43,824 votes to 34,661, but again would have won 9,143 to 6,533 if only votes from Ward 4 would have been counted. Both Lawton and Burkholder filed litigation papers, an injunction, last Friday to keep the city from certifying our most resent election results in order to give the people of their respective Wards proper representation. Attorneys for both candidates are challenging the certification of Paul Cunningham and Shirley Scott by the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the City Council of Tucson as the winners of November 3rd, 2015. Lawton says that every citizen should be concerned about an election system that is not representative of the people in each Ward and encourages everyone to show up to the Tucson City Council meeting on Tuesday, November 17 at 255 W Alameda St, Tucson, AZ. The meeting starts at 5:30 PM and you are encouraged to come out to support a ward only election process that better represents the will of the people. The call to the audience will be a critical time for the council members to hear from a community that wants them to honor their oath to our county’s Constitution.
“Every citizen in Tucson, regardless of party should be concerned with the ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court about our election system being unconstitutional…. Every citizen should be concerned and should be down at that city counsel meeting tomorrow demanding upholding our Constitutional rights and the 14th Amendments.” – Kelly Lawton