Last Thursday, Mayor Regina Romero alerted Tucsonans via Twitter she was urging City Manager Mike Ortega to revoke a permit he previously approved for pro-law enforcement group, Tucson Back the Blue, to paint in front of TPD’s main headquarters.
Romero cited two homophobic and racist posts shared on the Facebook profile of Timothy Cesolini, the man who filed for the request, more than three to five years ago as the reason for the permit’s revocation.
While not naming Cesolini directly, she referred to him as “an individual with known ties to white supremacist ideology” in her Twitter statement and said his group’s permit requests an “effort that services to incite and divide our community, and minimizes the Black Lives Matter movement.” The mayor said she was made aware of the permit request after a city employee with the transportation and mobility department “pushed it up to her office” after they discovered Cesolini’s previous shared posts.
“The employee pushed it up to my office and was very concerned that the city manager’s office had requested this group and individual be helped with a street mural,” Romero said. “The employee found out the requestor, Tim Cesolini, had posted racist and white supremacist content on his Facebook profile he made public himself. He was practicing his First Amendment rights.”
Romero said she felt the request wasn’t made in support of TPD officers, but to support the message that Black Lives Matter is a “symbol of hate,” a viewpoint she believes is expressed by President Donald Trump throughout his term.
“For me, it was more about the request being submitted at a time when Donald Trump is attempting to claim Black Lives Matter is a symbol of hate,” Romero said. “This was about taking a stand against this happening in our city. This has nothing to do with my support of TPD officers, but I don’t think they want a person like Mr. Cesolini representing them.”
Cesolini declined to comment on the matter now on the advice of his attorney.
Ward 6 Councilmember Steve Kozachik believes the city could be facing a pair of lawsuits over the mayor’s comments about Cesolini and revoking Tucson Back the Blue’s request.
“Regina calling this guy a white supremacist,” Kozachik said. “She better have proof because that is slander. To show a picture of something that’s on this guy’s Facebook page is probably not going to be evidence that holds up in court proving this guy belongs to a white supremacy organization.”
Kozachik points out Tucson Back The Blue has been involved with numerous fundraisers that have supported TPD in the past. Most recently, the group raised money to purchase PPE for local officers out in the field and have raised money for the families of fallen officers. However, he said the group might want to rethink who is representing them.
“Tucson Back The Blue has been doing good work in the community,” Kozachik said. “But they might want to consider finding another posterchild instead of some guy who has a fucking confederate flag on his Facebook page. Especially if they’re asking for community support.”
Regardless of who the group’s spokesperson is, Kozachik thinks Tucson Back The Blue may have a legal argument their First Amendment rights were infringed upon and the city might find themselves in a lawsuit soon.
“We have a rainbow crosswalk on Fourth Avenue. We have Black Lives Matter on Stone (Avenue) and for us to say no at this point screams to be a First Amendment issue,” Kozachik said. “What basis are we saying no if it’s not about content? Because this is certainly not policy. Our policy says we issue permits for these things.”
Kozachik also notes the city issued a special permit to paint the Black Lives Matter street mural amid the current pandemic when none are supposed to be issued during this time.
“We issued a special permit for the Black Lives Matter one at the same time we’re saying because of COVID-19 we aren’t issuing any special permits,” Kozachik said. “We sometimes bend over backward to make these things work, but this time I think we bent a little too far in the wrong direction.”
City Attorney Mike Rankin couldn’t be reached for comment.
Kozachik said he is upset about the vitriol Ward 4 Nikki Lee received on social media over forwarding Tucson Back The Blue’s request to City Manager Mike Ortega. Lee was just doing the job her constituents voted her into office to do, the Ward 6 councilmember said.
“Nikki was doing her job and for her to be pummeled for it is over-the-top wrong,” Kozachik said. “I feel bad for her and her family because this is just totally out of control.”
Lee said she wasn’t familiar with the group before Cesolini made the request. A member of her staff had forwarded Cesolini’s question on how to apply for a permit, which she then forwarded to the city manager, she said. Lee stands by her decision because she is trying to provide “the best service” to her constituents.
“I support that decision,” Lee said. “Providing the best service to our constituents is important to me and I want to make sure the community knows if they contact the Ward 4 Council Office, they will receive a response.” ■
This article appears in Jul 9-15, 2020.
Demorats love to accuse people of what that are doing.
The only racist here is the village idiot mayor. To use the excuse the organizer is a white supremacist to not honor police, but yet spend $3000 dollars of taxpayer funds to promote a group that hates police is inexcusable.
Glad I don’t live in the city of Tucson with this extremist at the helm.
She can dish it out and make policies to side with her agenda, but
name calls when someone else requests to do the same thing she did, but not where or what she personally agrees with. What a
2 faced person. She looks like a dove but I think she is a snake.
Does Vice Mayor Kozachik really use that type of language in his professional position? If that’s the case we must look a little farther for her replacement. Tucson deserves better.
It appears that our Mayor has forfeited her position based on a terrible decision to make a personal attack on a Tucson resident. This does not fall under the Mayor’s job description and should probably be handled personally rather than punish the taxpayers. Settlement should be in the millions.
Here’s a couple of questions for her deposition:
1. Please identify the City Of Tucson employee that encouraged you to take this action.
2. How many other citizens have you searched their facebook and other social media pages to use in decisions regarding City business?
3. What do you know about the employees political beliefs and have they ever worked with you on any other issues?
4. You made the statement that approving this would be divisive to the community and harm the BLM movement. Their facebook page shows that Jim Click has donated to their efforts. Would you approve this permit for Jim Click, or do you consider him racist because of his ties financially to the groups efforts?
5. When you applied for permits for BLM banner and BLM street painting, did any affiliates with the City express any opinion? What did Vice Mayor offer you as advice?
6. Are aware of the goals of BLM as stated by its’ founder and do you support those?
7. Have you had any contact regarding this action you took by BLM, the Democratic party, any staff or affiliate of any other elected officials city/county/state/federal or any of their associates?
8. Your bio includes a position with The Southwest Center For Biological Diversity. Were you on staff when they were charged and convicted of slander and defamation against a pioneer ranching family in Arizona? Do you know how much was paid to them?
9. You were quoted as saying that allowing this to happen would be divisive for the city. So you believe that supporting the Tucson Police Department is divisive. How do you expect the Chief and LEOs to respect and work for you?
10. From this article, “Romero said she felt the request wasn’t made in support of TPD officers….Yet all of their activities to date were exactly that. Including buying PPE for their protection that you did not provide them. How often do “feelings” dictate your decisions?
11. When protesters came to your home over the facemask controversy you were upset because “there are my children in the house.” The plaintiff has had death threats. had you considered that he might also have children? Did you search his facebook/social media pages to ascertain that information before acting?
12. Have you reimbursed the residents of Tucson for the expenditures to promote your political agenda?
13. Do you oppose any part of the US Constitution? Has BLM made any statements in regards to destroying it that you are aware of? Would your actions have been different if you knew that before you promoted their ideology with a banner and street painting?
14. Does BLM support sanctuary cities and open borders like you do? Please provide us with all correspondence you have received from them.
15. Do you believe the job description of the Mayor is to take action to counteract your opinion of the President of the United States?
16. Could you ill conceived actions be a violation of the USC and also considered a hate crime, under federal law?
17. Why didn’t you adopt this theory? Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
You know what Mrs Romero, answering this first batch (10%) of necessary questions may cause you to think as uncomfortable as it might be, that it would be easier and cheaper to resign. For the good of the City of Tucson and actually start the healing process that would be a smart decision.
I’m betting they ask for $20M.
What’s in your wallet?
Ok Perry Mason, but the fact is this.
Blue Lives Matter is being put out in opposition to Black Lives Matter, at a time of protest for a littany of crimes against black people by the police. It’s subconsciously trying to rationalize police violence as self defense and to cast doubt on the systemic racism and abusiveness of some elements of our police forces around the country. I don’t know that I would characterize it as white supremacist, but in the timing of it I would certainly call it anti-black. So promoting Blue Lives Matter at this juncture is inflammatory and inappropriate, and honestly does damage to restoring the collective faith in our police officers, of which there are many good ones who are suffering through this due to the actions of the bad. Also, for you to quote MLK after that battery of crap you wrote is disingenuous at best.
Self-incrimination will come back to bite you sooner than later!
Jim Whitley, we live in a country that values freedom of speech and expression so much that it was the very first thing listed on the bill of rights. A countering perspective is not a reason to deny this right. I disagree with your assertion that backing the police is rationalizing police violence, which by the way is extremely rare but thanks to a constantly in your face media, we know about the few terrible instances each year. It should never happen, but to argue that people should not be given the same platform to express their briefs and views because it would detract from the BLM message is un-American.
I am glad the mayor is calling this out. I don’t care if the permit winds up getting approved or not. Now people know what’s up. Let locals have information, and decide what they feel about the police being tied to bigotry. Frankly, the question I have is – do the police care about being associate with bigotry?
To the “Questions” poster — Question: Would it matter to you if our police were comfortable being associated with white supremacy and anti-minority values?
Regina Romero is supposed to be the mayor of Tucson. I doubt her job description includes pushing her political agenda on the people of Tucson, and willfully slandering and making assumptions against those she doesn’t agree with.
matt I am not a lawyer like “Questions” above but your question seems quite ridiculous. TPD has many Hispanic and African American officers. Did you stop to think that they would have to brainwash the minorities first, so they could get them to turn on their own people? Nobody does that.
Oh never mind antifa does.
Does it matter to you the the Mayor of Tucson is not only comfortable with rioters, but she supports and advertises for them?
Racism and false accusations are running rampant in this comment thread! The sock-puppets participating in this should be beyond ashamed of themselves. But they’re not. They relish in that hateful shit. Especially that long winded boredom factory that labels themself as “Questions”…and all the names she made up supporting that hatred afterwards. What a serious amount of subhuman scum.
AZ/DC!….WHAT racism? people complaining that Regina has over stepped her bounds and not proven anything? Or are we following the very popular modern liberal mantra of “call everyone who doesn’t agree with me a racist/russian troll/bot that is pretty much the go to battle cry for the left right now?
I also read every one of these comments and there is no racism in any of them. The people that see racism in everything they disagree with are too shallow minded to debate so they simply attempt to stop others from espousing an opinion. Not sure where that was learned but it no longer works in America. And it’s usually shouted by racists. Progress will not be made until that stops.
Austin TX and Tulsa, OK are negotiating to win a Tesla plant wit 5000 jobs paying 47000 per year. Tucson is painting their streets. Will we ever grow up?
I find it hilarious that some people are so ignorant and refer to the Back the Blue or anyone associated with it a White Supremacist Group. Obviously much like the Left Wing Extremist Mayor you did zero research or went to a Back the Blue Rally in support of the Police. There are several minorities that participate and are embarrassed by the Mayor. I spoke with several Hispanic supporters who got a chuckle out of being labeled a White Supremacist.
On the other side you have a group Black Lives Matter founded by a Marxist that does not support Black Lives. Have you seen them in Chicago marching to stop the gun violence there? Have you seen them come out and denounce the murder of black children? Have you researched what they stand for? The group is against the nuclear family (Mother and Father). They want to abolish the Police and Prisons. The rest of their desired goals do not get any better.
The group includes a convicted Terrorists, a proud Marxist and numerous leaders that have made racist divisive threats against white people. Do some research and quit wasting 3000 on a banner that supports a left wing extremist group. The money could have been better spent on improving the lives of the families in need regardless of race.
I applaud there mayor on her stance to take to task the subversive white supremacist!