On Tuesday, Chair Sharon Bronson attempted to keep a tight rein on proceedings during a meeting of the Pima County Board of Supervisors including her refusal to hear fully from members of the public. While repeatedly calling for civility, Bronson was wholly uncivil to Pima County resident Richard Hernandez, who during the Call to the Audience portion of the meeting, hoped to address the tragedy in Orlando and inequities in the County.
Hernandez, an Independent, is challenging District 2 Supervisor Ramon Valadez in the fall. Hernandez spoke passionately of the tragic events in Orlando at the hands of an ISIS follower before he was summarily cut-off by Bronson. Despite his plea to follow up his words of remembrance with comments specific to County business, Bronson figuratively gaveled him down. Bronson has earned a reputation for silencing dissent by literally slamming the gavel down.
Hernandez, who is every bit as much a bully as Supervisor Ray Carroll, is at least a bully for those who are not in power or favored by those in power. He accepted his dismissal by Bronson but not before politely asking for just a minute more. He was denied.
| Watch Chair Bronson shut down the public |
Related article: Bronson’s scramble to end discussion, fails to close Pima County sups’ meeting
Unfortunately for Bronson and the Board, they could dodge Hernandez’s criticism, but he was followed by Christopher Cole. Cole, without emotion or any hint of grandstanding, addressed the inequities of the County’s practices. He recalled for the Board an interesting encounter he had on the way to a recent Board meeting. Cole stated:
On a bus ride down here I met a man a few years younger than I am, and Mr. Carroll saw us chatting just outside the building here and waved ‘hi’ at us. That man, in 19070, was convicted – railroaded – for the fire at the Pioneer Hotel. Forty-two years he spent in prison. Cheated of that much of his life by a justice system that obviously then was corrupt and probably still is. He is homeless.
Pima County owes him. Pima County a lot. They won’t pay. You haven’t paid, but Mr. Huckelberry’s crony runs his bicycle into a pothole on a bicycle path and I forget how many millions the settlement was for, but I understand that has already been paid. I may be wrong, but probably not. You owe that man – unfortunately I have forgotten his name, who was wrongfully convicted – railroaded, and had so much of his life stolen from him.
On another matter, one that Mr. Elias referred to as for transparency, if I understand the issue correctly; Supervisor Miller charges the Arizona Red.. Daily Star a certain amount of money for copying papers. This money is well advertised and the County Attorney has already said it is fair and legal – it’ just, but apparently – if I call them the Red Star it is a name I picked up when I first got here. Apparently they are on a personal vendetta against Supervisor Miller and they want you to help them. I suggest you don’t – they don’t deserve it. Thank you.
Louis Taylor is homeless because despite clear and convincing evidence that he wrongfully spent 42 years in prison, Pima County Attorney Barbara LaWall will not admit it and he is not of interest to any of the supervisors who claim to value equity and justice while approving the funding of corporate owned charter schools and cheap leases for deep pocketed friends.
As the ADI reported in 2013:
Taylor To Go Free, Fire Science Has Changed
Taylor was accused of starting the Pioneer Hotel fire in 1970. According to the Arizona Justice, investigators discovered “evidence that was never disclosed to Taylor’s attorney and confirming the snitch testimony leading to Taylor’s conviction was false. A national Arson Review Committee, led by John Lentini, reviewed the evidence and 1972 expert conclusions used to convict Taylor and, after applying today’s standards of fire investigation, concluded there was no evidence to support the cause of the fire was arson. The Tucson Fire Department conducted its own review and concluded the cause of the fire was “undetermined.”
LaWall offered Taylor little choice but to plead no contest in exchange for his immediate release from prison.
Just as they have ignored the plight of Mr. Taylor, the supervisors also ignored the suggestion by Cole that they not assist the “journalists” with their vendetta against Miller. Carroll and “journalist” Dylan Smith engaged in what can only be described as a well-choreographed dog and pony show that featured hyperbole and baseless claims. The drama obscured the fact that the supervisors had to admit that Miller had followed County protocols and that those protocols developed long before Miller’s election to the Board were in fact less than transparent.
As the ADI reported on Monday:
Pima County Supervisors To Review Public Document Policies
Bronson is taking advantage of the legacy media’s complaints that Miller is charging too much and delaying the release of public documents. Miller, who says she is following the protocol recommended by the County Attorney, demanded that the various outlets charge $0.35 a page. Miller’s staff has, in accordance with the County Attorney’s protocol, spent weeks redacting the personal information of constituents on the over 1000 pages requested by the legacy outlets.
Those dying outlets cried foul when they received the notice of the cost. They complained that Miller was overcharging them. This despite that the $.035 per copy is clearly written on the public records’ portal:
Use the web form below to request a public record under Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 39, Ch. 1, Article 2 et seq. If you prefer to submit a paper form, contact the Clerk of the Board at (520) 724-8449.
To assist in our effort to process your request, be specific when providing the description of the record requested.
A record or a part of a record may not be subject to public dissemination under Arizona law. You will be notified if the release of the record is restricted under law or if parts of the record requested will be redacted.
Records will be provided in the form that they exist. New records will not be created in response to a request. You will be contacted regarding payment of any associated costs.
Cost for Non-Commercial Use
$.35 per page
$5.00 per compact disc (CD)
However, in response to a request for information, on June 10, 2016 the Pima County Attorney advised the ADI that “it is our office policy to charge $0.35 a page plus $10.00 an hour for personnel time for photocopies/scanning/and/or $5.00 per compact disc or digital video disc which must be paid in advance.”
It would appear that the legacy outlets were actually being billed the customary price. And unlike as has been the case for the ADI on too many occasions, the legacy outlets actually receive the documents they request.
One thing is sure, Louis Taylor will continue to be ignored, but Smith and his fellow “journalists” will exhaust every County resource available to get to the bottom of the case of Jim Falken and what Miller knew about him, and when.