OK Arizona, you’ve had all kinds of real-world object lessons; as a reminder, here’s a short sampler of the most recent & egregious:
● Last 2 University of Arizona Presidents (Hart & Robbins):legacies of scandal, administrative bloat, massive financial malfeasance, sports gambling corruption, etc. etc. etc. in the state’s #1 budget item ($2.5+ billion/yr). And now a clueless, floating target facing the looming tech of university-killing A.I.
● The proposed complex rejiggering of Arizona’s entire primary elections systems, vis-à-vis Prop 140 by uber-liberal plutocrats from Tucson’s SALC, i.e. its 25+ yr. hapless, mutual-admiration society of naïve elites.
● The Biden Administration’s glorious ex-border czar and spectacular, abject failure, Tucson’s Woke ex-police chief, Chris Magnus. Setting the stage for another Tucson entry, Mark Kelly, as VP-in-waiting, who AZ Dims want to breathlessly select, despite deep involvement in a [highly questionable] Chinese spy-tech caper, now unfolding.
● The allowed rural settlement of a 1.1 million population Tucson Metro with ~40% of its urban footprint un-incorporated, inside a 9200 sq. mile desert county and “governed” by an ongoing, political conspiracy (the Grijalva Gang), that sees dim-witted retired Geezers as …“Pluckees” ($$$).
● A 1.1. million population Metro with ZERO Cross-Town Freeways, long ago defeated by hordes of hysterical, argumentative “Hi-IQ Stupid People”, decrying environmental harm, but now confronted with hundreds of times more pollution, delays, and murderous traffic congestion & accidents.
● Its Soros-funded, legal-beagle of Cry-Me-A-River “Justice Equity,” County Attorney Laura Conover; an incompetent woman so breathtakingly malfeasant even the guilt-ridden, wealthy liberal patrons of Tucson’s dark street culture, decided she must go. Unfortunately, Conover survived a big-money campaign; SALC & Co. get another object lesson from the entrenched Left.
● Its nationally headquartered, enviro-legal, shakedown Godzilla of poverty-creation, the Center for Bio-Diversity (CBD).A so-called “nonprofit” creation designed to milk tens of millions $$$ yearly from cowered landowners, miners, utilities, developers, municipalities, etc. for CBD’s proto-mystical, NeoDruid worldview. Tucson’s current Mayor, the angry-diva Regina Romero, is a CBD alumnus.
● A Crazytown, end-of-the-world environmental catastrophe frequently promoted by CBD, their nutty newspaper, and UA grant-seeking ($$$) academics. It acts to prevent AZ’s Land-Grant University (UA) from exploring sustainable water-desal solutions with next door Mexico, also in the same water boat. The tech-transfer potential here is off-the-charts, but we’re told we must conserve, obey water bureaucrats, do without food, and worship Gaia. Hey, let’s bring back the Dark Ages!
● In a beautiful setting, geographically adjacent to all kinds of useful economic, tech, cultural and natural assets, yet so petty, egotistical and argumentative about everything, it has simply failed to climb out of the hole it fell into 33 years ago when the Cold War ended. Yet, Tucson’s “leaders” give it handicap after handicap, and their witless peeps eat it up. They should change their name.
The real tragedy here, aside from all the genuine opportunities to which self-absorbed Tucson turns up its sanctimonious nose, ….is where this is all heading. Not only SALC, but Sun Corridor as well, should take note. “Places with problems get more problems”…it’s a Karmic Law of the Universe.
Sellers is a Southpark, Roosevelt-Republican (TR) living in incorporated Oro Valley; his background is federal technology commercialization
And yet the Pima GOP has already forfeited key races, like County attorney, to the Democrats by failing to put any Republican candidate on the ballot. Out of 16 races in my precinct, the GOP has already forfeited 5 to the Democrats. Among the remaining 11 races there was only one candidate offered in the primaries. That’s not an election; it’s a predetermined selection. The Pima GOP is an abysmal failure and equally to blame for not giving the voters any opportunity to hold elected Democrat officials accountable at the ballot box.
Bill’s writings are hard to read, making very little sense.
Bill, you can always move out of southern AZ. You seem so miserable here. What keeps you in Tucson?
Agreed. He does make occasional good points, but sheesh. Why *did* he move there?! One has to wonder.
I’m looking to move (from Phoenix) and would never consider going south to marxist pima co. My research has been minimal, yet I can see the mess(es) there – wonder why he didn’t?
Reed my point – inside politics have run Tucson for decades – the dots with items you see listed are the results of those inside politics – I’ve been here – 73 years – my folks back to the early 20’s – Court /Council Street one early address for them.. the corrupt politico’s here… been here – TOOO BAD for all. They still micro-manage the city – and the BS you see and smell is ‘reality’ pissing away your and my taxes on that same BS
Tucson – the Buck Riley capital of the world – Money flows – contracts flow – city management flows – city direction flows – in the direction of ‘inside’ power. TEP – Southwest gas – UA everything – roads, water department, garbage, police.. city hall – one big cabal of conga line scratch my back $$$$$’s flowing. Kino Hospital – Kino Baseball – I-10 – TEP ‘trucks and equipment purchases’ – Land deals and fee’s (downtown) the “RAIL” system.. there’s no end to the ‘touch’ of the corruption of $$$$’s interests and Tucson reality today. Here since 52 – parents back to the 20’s and before – Mexico to USA… the ‘inside’ has and continues to be… I don’t see it changing. Butter-field express way ring a bell? Still being built by one of many names since that plan was made… still going. We are here… I’ve been here 70+ years.
While most of the points are vaild… I didn’t re-locate here (again) to live in a Phoenix-like atmosphere. Getting out of town here is fairly easy; in Phoenix not so much. I may be considered a geezer and I am stuck in Grivalva land… but don’t count me as one of his “pluckees.” I haven’t liked him or his clan since I heard of him years before I moved here, and if it was totally up to me he’d either be living out his greasy days in the California he loves or Mehico.
have to admit – 3 forks ASU far better institution these days
I push all high school grads to skip UA and head north
our youngest just graduated UA undergrad
is starting Graduate work at Liberty College for 15% UA tuition($11,000 v. $64,000)
Scott, lived there for 22 years and have to agree with you 100%. The elite align with Grijalva and his clan and thus Tucson remains the armpit of AZ and the taxpayers continue to get ripped off on a daily basis.
Mr Sellers has it all figured out except how to vote the idiots running the place OUT of office! Same goes for the morning show Wake-Up Tucson. Like them both, but as much as I hate saying this, changing Tucson and Pima Co government is a lost cause in my opinion.
Not true. And I’m not the originator here, maybe just the clarifier. Tucson needs to end its blatantly crooked 1929 “At-Large” council election scheme, for ‘Ward-Only’ voting. And AZ needs to allow easier muni-annexations, and muni-incorps, within a Metro’s own urban footprint; restrictive laws put in place by the AZ Legislature’s ‘Rural Caucus’ many years ago, giving the state the most anti-annexation/incorp laws in America. Doing both would be ‘organic solutions’ as REAL CHANGE would occur slowly; ditto giving AZ State Senators 4 year terms instead of just 2 yrs. (keep the term limits). Only 2 other states west of the Mississippi (ID & ND) have 2 yr. terms for their respective state senates.
Thank you Bill and I agree 100% that we need to get rid of “Ward-Only” voting. Now, if someone would present it to be placed on the ballot as a SINGLE item initiative it may stand a chance. If, as has been done in the past, they couple it with other topics, it’s dead on arrival.
BTW, I do like the idea of 4-year terms for State Senators and since I’ve been in Tucson since 1959, I guess you could say I still have a glimmer of hope for change?
Tucson’s on the razor’s edge; it could easily become another version of CA’s El Centro, San Bernardino, or Laredo, TX. Outside investment won’t touch it, and the political alignment polarizes even more, while young people (you want to keep!) flee to Phoenix. Written several pieces here on that aspect; click my name under the title to see all.