We get it: You’ve got busy lives. You’ve got to get the kids to school, the parents to their doctor appointments, the dog to the vet. You’ve got to get to work on time. And after watching the presidential race this year, you’re truly sick of the ugly spectacle that the political arena has become.

Well, we’re here to cut to the chase and give you some straight-up advice about who you should vote for next month.

This week, we’re bringing you some advice about the propositions and the candidates for some of the local offices on the county and state level. Next week, we’ll be rolling out more endorsements online at The Range and in the print edition, so if you still need some advice about who to vote for in the legislative, school board and other races, stay tuned.

Propositions

Prop 205: The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act

Hell Yes!

The War on Drugs has proven to be a colossally expensive failure. The United States spends far too much money with really lousy results.

It’s past time that the nation stop locking people up for smoking dope. It’s less dangerous than alcohol. Legalization in Colorado, Washington and elsewhere has not created a hazy hellscape of marijuana-crazed zombies eating all of the Twinkies. In fact, life has gone on pretty much as it has before. You know why? Because people who like weed can always score weed and they’ve been walking around high for years. It’s just that some people’s lives have been destroyed because they had a brush with the law while holding a joint or a pipe.

Is this initiative perfect? No, but it’s better than the status quo. It creates a regulated system so that you won’t have a pot shop on every corner. It generates tax revenues from marijuana sales that go to help with drug treatment and Arizona’s schools, which could sure use the bucks. And you know what? It’s your best chance to send a message that the laws against weed are archaic and unfair. It’s a sure bet that state lawmakers aren’t going to take any steps towards decriminalizing weed, so this is your only chance to make it happen.

Vote Yes on Prop 205.

Prop 206: The Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act

Hell Yes!

The Fair Wages and Healthy Families Act would increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour in 2017 and, in steps, boost that to $12 an hour by 2020. It would also mandate at least a few sick days for workers and set a $9 minimum wage for tipped workers.

We’re all for it. The gap between the rich and poor just keeps growing in the United States and far too many of our fellow Arizonans live below the poverty line. While businesses complain that they can’t afford such a high wage, they always say that when a minimum wage is proposed—and then they end up being able to afford it.

We doubt that raising the minimum wage is going solve all our economic problems, but—as with the recreational marijuana initiative—it’s a safe bet that state lawmakers are not going to make the effort to raise the minimum wage themselves. (Far too many of our Republican lawmakers don’t believe in a minimum wage, period.) In fact, in this last session, lawmakers made it impossible for cities and towns to increase minimum wages in their own jurisdictions. That’s rotten politics and it’s time to send them a message: Stop preempting local authority or the voters will override you.

Give people on the low end of the economic spectrum a better tomorrow.

Vote Yes on Prop 206.

Pima County

District 1: Brian Bickel

Since winning election in 2012, Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller has been an embarrassment. She’s leveled false charges, such as her claims that transportation dollars have gone missing, or that developers need to pay bribes to get their projects approved, or that she didn’t have anything to do with a recent lawsuit against the county by the Goldwater Institute, that she doesn’t use her personal email for public business, even though emails from her former staffers show that she instructed them to do just that. In other words, she’s a big ol’ liar. And when she gets caught telling her lies, she never apologizes. She just starts shoveling another pile of bullshit.

While she purports to be a champion of the taxpayer, she is really just someone who automatically takes a contrary position, even if it hurts Pima County residents. She has opposed efforts to retain the largest private employer, Raytheon, even though her own husband works there. She voted against suing the state when Gov. Doug Ducey and the GOP legislature tried to illegally push a bunch of expenses down onto county taxpayers. As the lawsuit was in the courts, she insisted the county had no case. Well, guess what? The county won the lawsuit and saved taxpayers nearly $16 million. That’s right: The biggest break in your county tax bill came over Ally Miller’s objections.

Miller is so paranoid that she can’t talk to the media unless it’s an outlet that is going to kiss her ass, like the KVOI morning jocks, the astonishingly ill-informed J.T. Harris or the dingbat online blog Arizona Daily Independent. (Recently surfaced emails show that Miller scripted her appearances with Harris and the editor of ADI would send over articles for Miller to approve, with the groveling ADI editor groveling with questions about whether Miller was praised enough in the story. Irony of ironies, Miller then accuses the other media—the Weekly, the Arizona Daily Star, the Tucson Sentinel—of being corrupt because they cover the lunacy that takes place in her office. And she doesn’t have the guts to talk with the reporters at Arizona Public Media or even Bill Buckmaster, who is easily the most fair journalist in Southern Arizona.

In short: If there’s a public official in Southern Arizona who behaves like Donald Trump, it’s Ally Miller.

Her defenders ignore all the lunatic moments because she challenges Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and the other board members—but they do so at their peril. Ally Miller isn’t fit to run a lemonade stand, much less county government. The woman has burned through more than a dozen staffers in just one term—and if you talk to them, they say the same thing: She is paranoid, domineering, unbalanced and, in general, a terrible boss.

Brian Bickel is the kind of Democrat that moderate Republicans should consider supporting to help restore some measure of sanity to their party. He’s a former Marine who had a long and successful career as a healthcare administrator and was willing to step up to challenge Miller despite the long odds against him in a district that leans heavily Republican.

Vote Brian Bickel in District 1.

District 3: Sharon Bronson

Democrat Sharon Bronson has plenty of accomplishments to boast about in her two decades on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. She helped forge the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, an ambitious program to finally identify and protect Pima County’s most sensitive environmental areas while also laying out the best areas for future development and creating a partnership between county government and the federal government to make it easier to deal with the challenges of the Endangered Species Act. She has worked to keep Kino Hospital open for southside residents while reducing county costs and improving the service via a partnership with the UA (and now Banner Health).

She has supported a major modernization of the county’s sewer system that vastly improved the treatment of waste while reducing the stink we used to endure on drives along I-10. She’s been an advocate for the transformation of the Pima Animal Care Center, which has sharply reduced the number of animals that it puts down—and with the new animal care center on the way, that number will drop even lower. She has championed The Loop, the extraordinary trail system that combines riverbank protection with a public park that links the entire metro area for walkers, joggers and cyclists. And despite the economic challenges that came with the Great Recession, in recent years, Bronson has been among the supervisors who have kept Pima County property taxes relatively stable—at least until the state dumped additional expenses on county government. And even after that happened, Bronson pushed to sue the state and won, meaning she and the board majority were able to cut taxes this year.

We’d say that’s a record that earns a sixth term on the Board of Supervisors.

Beyond her record, though, Bronson is the only elected official who stands between sanity and insanity in county government. Her opponent, Republican Kim DeMarco, is Supervisor Ally Miller’s mini-me. Should she win, Miller would have the votes to turn Pima County government into Kooksville. The last time the GOP held a majority on the Board of Supervisors, in 1992, they messed things up so quickly that it took years for the county to recover—and there were millions of dollars paid out in lawsuits for all the bad decisions that were made. And those Republicans were way less nutty and way more together than the bunch that wants power this year.

Vote Sharon Bronson in District 3.

Pima County Sheriff: Mark Napier

A U.S. Justice Department indictment of your No. 2 is never good news—and while details remain sketchy, it sure seems like there’s plenty of trouble with some of the RICO funds seized by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department. We don’t know if all the allegations of mistreatment of deputies under Democratic Sheriff Chris Nanos hold water, but we do know that Nanos has done himself no favors by refusing to debate Republican challenger Mark Napier. And from what we saw of his press conference last week—where he awkwardly read a statement promising to get to the bottom of any misuse of forfeiture dollars and defending himself against charges leveled by Rich Carmona, the former surgeon general and longtime Sheriff’s Department volunteer before refusing to take questions—Nanos is not the most skilled communicator.

Napier says he’s cut from a different cloth than some other Republican sheriffs around Arizona—guys like Maricopa County’s Joe Arpaio, who humiliate prisoners and stoke racial tensions for political gain. He’s got a long history with the Tucson Police Department, where he rose from patrolman to captain. At the University of Arizona, where he now works as an administrator of the Parking and Transportation Department, he’s signed onto a diversity task force. And in his conversations with us, he comes across as a levelheaded cop with the right priorities.

Vote Napier for Sheriff.

Pima County Assessor: Bill Staples

When it comes to the job of county assessor, the most important thing is making sure your neighbor has a home value close to yours so that you’re both getting a square deal when local elected officials set the tax rates. While there are always going to be a few people who are unhappy with their property values, Democrat Bill Staples has done a great job keeping property values properly adjusted despite the many fluctuations he’s seen over the 12 years he’s been in office. Vote Bill Staples for Pima County Assessor.

Arizona Corporation Commission: Bob Burns, Bill Mundell, Tom Chabin

The current crop serving on the Arizona Corporation have done an amazing job of destroying the reputation of the regulatory agency, which is designed to be the watchdog of the public against the schemes of monopolistic utilities. Instead, thanks for all the dark money that Arizona Public Service has been poured into the 2014 races for the ACC, the commissioners now look like lapdogs for the utility as it seeks to wipe out Arizona’s growing rooftop solar industry and increase electric bills via arcane meter measurements.

The only shining light on the current commission is Republican Bob Burns, who has called for an investigation into APS’s campaign spending. One of the other Republicans seeking office this year, the appointed commissioner Andy Tobin, has repeatedly blocked the resources that Burns has sought to shine a light on the dark-money spending that APS has been doing. It’s quite astonishing that APS’s parent company is doing an internal investigation in into APS’s political spending, the FBI is looking into APS’ political spending, and yet the majority of the Corporation Commission—which specifically is supposed to oversee the utility—has turned a blind eye. For that alone, Tobin deserves to go down in defeat, while Burns deserves another term.

We’d also like to see the two Democrats, Bill Mundell (who previously served on the ACC as a Republican) and Tom Chabin, join the ACC. Both have promised to support Burns’ call for an investigation and both promise to watch out for consumers rather than the utilities. Let’s put an end to the insider dealing and make sure the Arizona Corporation Commission returns to its role as a watchdog for the citizens of Arizona.

Vote Bob Burns, Bill Mundell and Tom Chabin for Corporation Commission.

Tucson Unified School District school board elections

When it comes to Tucson Unified School District there are several truths that exist every election season no matter who runs for school board—incumbent, campaign newbies or those who return again and again like the late Judy Burns. To those on the outside or without kids in school, it must seem like TUSD is a political circus, and to some extent they are correct. But it’s important to remind everyone that this is crazyland Arizona—inadequate education funding, and allowing vouchers and charters are part of the landscape that only make it harder for school districts to thrive. Add in this crazyland and, yep, you have circus. There’s no doubt that the current board majority have made mistakes and could use a few lessons in better public messaging and campaigning, but we do think their hearts are in the right place and we’d like to give them another chance to do right by the public and our kids. However, it is with trepidation that we recommend you cast a vote for incumbents Kristel Foster and Cam Juarez. There is a third seat open and there is no way in hell we recommend you return Mark Stegeman. We ask that you give with all your heart a vote to Betts Putnam Hidalgo. Stegeman has proven over the years to be a divisive figure. Although the current board majority doesn’t get it right every time, having Betts’ leadership in place will do what’s needed to give this board the conscience it so desperately needs right now.

Vote Kristel Foster, Cam Juarez and Betts Putnam Hidalgo

This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2016.

40 replies on “Hell Yes! The 2016 Tucson Weekly Endorsements”

  1. Very proud to have the endorsement of the Tucson Weekly. I have worked hard to remove partisanship from this election and reach out to ALL people of Pima County. Let’s work together to move our County and our Sheriffs Department forward.

  2. Prop 205: The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act SHOULD BE REJECTED by the Voters of Arizona!

    The “Medical Marijuana” of today is NOT like the Marijuana used in the 70’s and 80’s. Through Artificial Selection Experiments, strains of Marijuana have been developed by the Marijuana Drug Industry that substantially increase the potency of the Drug. As such, its’ use poses serious potential consequences.

    While this Drug is effective in treating some medical conditions; Muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis, Nausea from cancer chemotherapy, Poor appetite and weight loss caused by chronic illness, such as HIV, or nerve pain, Seizure disorders (childhood epilepsy), and Crohn’s disease. Purified extracts from whole-plant marijuana can slow the growth of cancer cells from one of the most serious types of brain tumors.

    Research in mice showed that treatment with purified extracts of THC and CBD, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation (Scott KA, Dalgleish AG, Liu WM. The combination of cannabidiol and ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol enhances the anticancer effects of radiation in an orthotopic murine glioma model. Mol Cancer Ther. 2014;13(12):2955-67.)

    Scientists are also conducting preclinical and clinical trials with marijuana and its extracts to treat numerous diseases and conditions, such as the following:

    1. Autoimmune diseases (diseases that weaken the immune system): HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis (MS), which causes gradual loss of muscle control

    2. Alzheimer’s disease, which causes loss of brain function, affecting memory, thinking, and behavior
    3.Inflammation
    4.Pain
    5.Seizures
    6.Substance use disorders
    7.Mental disorders

    The FDA has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine.

    The Medical Marijuana Program in Arizona is a Big-Money-Making SCAM supported by the Marijuana Drug Industry and their Supporters in the Arizona Legislature!

    Marijuana use for Medical purpose should be supported by Scientific evidence, including Clinical Trials, and regulated by the FDA; closely monitored by the tending Physician and State Department of Health.”Medical Marijuana” should be available by Prescription only (in a Pharmacy) issued by a License Physician.

    Congress should amend the Controlled Substances Act of 1970: Controlled Substances Act (CSA) (21 U.S.C. § 811). making Marijuana available for Medical Treatment.

    The major consumers of this Drug, if legalized for so-called recreational purposes, will be the younger generation; destroying the very fabric/future of our Democracy.

    This Drug should NOT be legalized for recreational purposes!!!

  4. Re: Francis Saitta,
    “The younger generation” has had no problem getting marijuana on the street for a couple of generations now. The destigmatization of the drug that will come with decriminalization will have the effect of removing some of the allure with time, and it will absolutely remove a lot of the risk associated with buying illegal drugs.
    I’m not sure why the current potency of the drug is used as an argument against decriminalization; there is still no danger of overdose death or injury, or physical dependence.

    Relative to alcohol and opiod painkillers, marijuana is very safe.

  5. Wrong, Again’s bullshit, not so nice.

    And then he has to post it twice!

    About as welcome as head lice.

  6. Readers of the Weekly are too smart to support a Government-mandated minimum wage (MW). Think about it: The MW always costs jobs and raises prices for the poorest among us.
    Businesses have a break even point; they must make a profit or why bother. Knowing that fact, ask yourself who will pay for the wage increases? Higher prices and/or fewer workers will make up the difference for many Tucson businesses’ bottom line.
    Setting aside the canard of “greedy business” any Government mandated minimum wage will cost Tucson jobs and/or raise prices. Also, these lost jobs are from the lowest end of the economy and the men and women affected are those most in need or just starting out.
    Government should butt the Hell out of the private sector economy.

  7. I am going to respectfully disagree with your Assessor endorsement. Appeals skyrocketed durring the recessive period because he did NOT do a great job. Having your value “close”to your neighbor? Excuse me? And are we completely going to ignore the fact that he has been in court with Raytheon 5 times? Took the Tucson Botanical Gardens all the way to the Arizona Supreme Court over their exemption because of a gift shop (and lost)and just last month cost the tax payer $94,000 over an $15,800 exemption wrongfully denied to Primavera Foundation?
    Why would you endorse that behavior?
    Suzanne Droubie is the right choice for Assessor.

  9. What, no endorsement for the only candidate for County Attorney who supports the legalization of marijuana, a living minimum wage, and supports Mark Napier for Sheriff? (that’d be me) Maybe next time…?

  10. The majority on the TUSD Board must be broken up and replaced with independent thinkers. There are several qualified candidates. None of the incumbents should be re-elected.

  13. When I was running for Assessor in the primary against Bill Staples, the Tucson Weekly interviewed me and we discussed many of the issues of what was going wrong in that office – the needless and costly litigation, the inadequate systems for valuing commercial property and mostly the horrible treatment of taxpayers who exercise their right to appeal. Since the primary I have even uncovered evidence that Bill Staples fraudulently issued notices of proposed corrections so he could avail himself of another opportunity to discriminate against a commercial taxpayer in court. If he is re-lected I seriously doubt he’ll complete another term for all the wrong doing in his office.

  14. So what about all the rest of the people that are up for election? You can’t just leave us hanging like that! Like county officials, county attorney, county recorder county assessor, county superintendent of schools and justices of The Supreme Court and judges of The superior court. Where is some information about them? I don’t wanna just vote for somebody based on their political affiliation, it’s nice to know some of the things they’ve done. If there’s a website or something you could direct me to that be great. On a separate note how come they never let us know about the judges political affiliation? Thanks, Kris

  15. Kris: It’s your responsibility as a Voter to do your own research on Candidates. Use the internet!!

  16. I would like to ask Mark Napier;

    With the possibility of prop 205 do you see Joe Arpaio or one of the other sheriff being appointed to head the board of Department of License and controls by Gov. Ducey ?

    What is his opinion of prop 205?

  17. The endorsement of Bill Staples by ‘The Weekly’ is a sham. The grossly oversimplified explanation of what the assessor does is insulting and inaccurate. Had it done actual research, it would be endorsing Droubie.

  19. So that Voters can be adequately informed of the efforts to legalize the use of Marijuana for Recreational Purposes in Arizona (Prop 205: The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act), a list of Politicians and Educators who support this effort here in Tucson/Pima County SHOULD be published as well!!; including City/County Officials, School Board Members, and School/College/University Administrative Officials.

  20. So that Voters can be adequately informed of the efforts to legalize the use of Marijuana for Recreational Purposes in Arizona (Prop 205: The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act), a list of Politicians and Educators who support this effort here in Tucson/Pima County should be published as well!!; including City/County Officials, School Board Members, and School/College/University Administrative Officials.

  21. Hey Wrong, Again:

    Did you get your Triple K buddies to give you upvotes?

    I’m pretty sure you’ve never received that many likes…ever. Whether it be online or IRL.

  22. Legalizing marijuana will destroy the “fabric/future of our democracy”? Money in politics is destroying the fabric of our democracy– just look at the big bucks big pharma is putting up against a plant that never killed anyone.

  23. Hey Francis, it’s your responsibility as a voter to do your own research on who supports prop. 205 and who does not, use the internet!

    Kettle, meet pot. Pun intended 🙂

  24. Shit they should legalize weed after I get out of my only college class I have today I’m going to go smoke some weed fuck whoever is against it dude it’s a fuckin plant it’s logic dumb fucks

  25. well till he pulled an AMY Schiller , when she made a comment about Trump the audience got up and walked out .. I did the same soon as you put your political spin against Trump .. meaning your voting for Hillary? the most crooked politician I can think of.. corrupt to the core.
    and the fact that you would support someone who is so shady and after 30 years in office . the status quote is still the same.. we really DO NEED A CHANGE.. and this country needs to be PROUD again. I don’t see that with Hillary, she’s been there long enough even 8 years in the white house with Her husband. .

  28. You can thank Republican obstructionism for the lack of change . doesn’t the whole concept of conservatism not loan itself to change anyway.

  29. Only if you thought socialism had finalized a total takeover. But then you would confuse it with communism.

  31. I’m not voting for either of the 2 candidates shoved down our throats by the media for President, there are other choices. All other info I’ve gathered here I’ll research myself with my perspective a little more attuned. Thanks for the 411. God Bless America… That’s the only change that will work anymore.

  32. You must be insane endorsing Foster and Juarez for re-election to the TUSD Board. They need to be thrown out, if only for their complete indifference to the needs of the students, teachers and employees of TUSD. I don’t know how TUSD can survive another 4 years of their destructive indifference. On the last three years of their watch TUSD has lost over 400 teachers a year. That’s over 1200 teachers out of 2,500 TUSD teachers. Since the start of school this year, 17 TUSD teachers have already resigned.

    The chief HR officer doesn’t do exit surveys, because she “knows” why teachers leave. None of the surrounding districts have anything like TUSD’s rate of teacher vacancies, Adjusted for the relative size of the districts, neither the other local school districts, nor any of Arizona’s other 9 large school districts have anything like TUSD’s number of teacher vacancies! TUSD currently has 151 teacher vacancies. For each vacancy listed, its necessary to read to the end of the job description. Something listed as “elementary school teacher” may actually be for 4 elementary school teachers at the same school–1 1st grade, 2 2nd grade, 1 3rd grade. These positions are unlikely to be filled this year.

    Talk to the Utterback parents–no textbooks for kids to take home, 8 unfilled teaching positions, discipline and bullying problems, gates left unlocked during school hours allowing free access to the campus by anyone and allowing students to leave campus any time they please. Some of the teachers Utterback does have aren’t even certified! Once upon a time, Utterback was an award winning, outstanding school, recognized for performing arts. Today, few of those classes are offered. No dance classes, because there’s no dance teacher and TUSD isn’t even advertising for a dance teacher.

    Oh, at Utterback and nearly all TUSD schools, if parents want textbooks for their students to use at home, the parents better plan on buying them. Students at University High and students in the IB program, but only the students in the IB program, at Cholla do have textbooks to take home. The TUSD school libraries haven’t been funded in years–no new books no periodicals. Superintendent Sanchez has a $3,000 allowance to buy periodicals for his office. That’s in addition to the $480,000 compensation package that Foster and Juarez approved, making him the highest paid superintendent in Arizona and one of the highest paid superintendents in the United States..

    TUSD carried over from last year, two years of 301 teacher performance money that was not paid out to teachers. It turns out TUSD is using millions of dollars of the teachers’ performance money to cover up the enormous deficit Superintendent Sanchez has run up during his tenure in TUSD. In FY 2013, 2014, 2015, TUSD used $6 million, $10 million and $12.2 million, respectively, of unspent 301 money to cover TUSD’s increasing deficit. We won’t know until December when the external auditors annual report is published, just how much more money Sanchez has borrowed from teachers’ 301 money. Sanchez says he has been a CFO and has taught finance, so he can’t claim he didn’t know he was running up these huge deficits. The increasing size of the surplus of 301 money not paid to teachers is well documented in the annual AFR reports, Sanchez and CFO Soto have had the Board approve every October. The annual CAFR reports prepared by the external auditor documents the use of the surplus 301 money to cover overspending of the rest of the budget.

    The CAFR and AFR reports are all on TUSD’s website under Information, Financial. In the reports just look for Classroom Site Fund. That’s the official name for 301 money. The CAFR’s balance sheets document the loaning of 301 money. The CAFR’s footnotes have the details about the 301 money being used to cover deficits in other accounts. The AFR reports show the amount of unspent 301 money rolled over each year. Last year, TUSD only paid out 25% of the total 301 teacher performance money it had.

    Under the current Board majority, TUSD is run solely for the benefit of the Superintendent and his senior administrators. The Superintendent will make about $480,000. For last year, he collected $32,634 for his unused vacation days. Last year, his cabinet collected $80,000 for their unused vacation days. They get 25 vacation days a year, 5 sick days, 6 personal days and 22 holidays every year. The cabinet automatically is paid for their unused vacation days every year! The cabinet members do such outstanding work that every one of them collected 100% of their $10,000 performance bonuses. TUSD has no details of exactly what goals each of them accomplished.

    On the other hand, a TUSD teacher is not getting a dime for her unused sick days after 30 years. She didn’t notify TUSD by February that she would be retiring at the end of the school year! And, remember, TUSD only paid out 25% of the $21.1 million in teacher performance money it had last year.

    And, TUSD has moved all its nurses, counselors, and social workers to a new pay scale that will pay them $800 less per year than their current pay scale. Even with its 151 teacher vacancies, TUSD is only paying its returning retired teachers 70% of what other teachers make. And, TUSD has reneged on the benefits Sanchez told the Board and what HR told the retired teachers in writing. They’re getting docked for taking the personal days they were told they had. When confronted about the discrepancy, Chief HR Officer Maiden told the retired teachers, they weren’t entitled to the days. When shown the document that defined their benefits, her response was to dismiss it as a “mistake.”

    Finally, lets not forget the $5,000 donations both Foster and Juarez took from ESI’s Vice President of Marketing. They each gave different explanations for how they happened to get their largest donations from a woman in Phoenix. This summer they both voted to approve a $21 million contract with ESI. Foster returned hers only after she was caught. Juarez said he would return his $5,000 donation, but he has not.

    Really, you think these two should be re-elected and they’ve only made a few little mistakes!

  33. @Trump for President:

    You actually believe that Trump is LESS shady than HRC? You’re not paying enough attention.

    Although I do agree that this country does need a change…but not a change for the worse by electing an egotistical, narcissistic, xenophobic, racist, elitist, misogynistic, accused child raping, politically inexperienced “pussy grabbing” entitlist hothead. Sure, HRC definitely has flaws, but she’s a saint compared to this blockhead.

    P.S.~ Who is this AMY Schiller which you speak of? I’ve never heard of her. The name definitely reminds me of Amy Schumer though.

  34. In response to omadrid: just your language alone is a good reason to vote ‘no’ on prop 205. I guess there are idiots on both sides of the issue, so despite your disgusting language, I’m voting yes anyway.

  35. Friends,

    As you might imagine I have taken a lot of flak from republican circles for getting the endorsement of The Weekly. However, I am very proud of this endorsement and do not shy away from it at all. Of all candidates, the Sheriff should work to bridge all divides and be open to all people. I will always be open to all of you as your Sheriff. Working together we can make Pima County a better place.

    Mark

  37. In the year 2016, no one under the age of 75 should oppose marijuana legalization. Baby boomers, Generation X-ers, and the Millennials have no excuse to believe in the reefer madness propaganda used to keep marijuana illegal, in part of a war on drugs that is authoritarian, racist, and waged unevenly against poor and working class Americans. It is overdue to end!

  39. I was a strong supporter of Sharon Bronson for the dozen-plus years I have lived in Picture Rocks. I supported her because without her active support we probably would not have the pool, BMX/Skate Park, various grants, and other amenities that have enhanced our community. But that was then.

    Now she has lined up with forces that see the Avra Valley as a dumping ground for their money-making schemes. Look at:
    -Her support of County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry and silence about his proposed Interstate 11 route through the Avra Valley that will hurt our communities, including the Tohono Oodham Nation, impede wildlife, and destroy ancient archaeological sites, while enriching millionaire real estate speculators like Wil Cardon and Don Diamond;
    -Tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from fat cat developers and corporate PACs;
    -Her continued vocal support for the Sonoran Corridor leg of I-11 despite its rejection by the voters in the bond election; whatever happened to respecting the will of the people?
    -With transportation logistics essential to connection with Mexico she ignores the job losses that Interstate 11 planners of integrative manufacturing expect with R&D in the US and manufacture and assembly in Mexico where ADOT expects wages to be lower than China; with stealing good American shipping jobs from the West Coast to the expanding Port of Guaymas; to crippling tourism at Saguaro Park, Desert Museum, Kitt Peak, etc.; to destroying existing jobs that serve the I-10 corridor;
    -Her support for doubling a regressive county sales tax on us and increasing the state gas tax while lavishing tens of millions in tax breaks and subsidies on crony corporations.

    Twenty years is long enough; its time for a change.

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