Longtime Republican political operative Emil Franzi takes aim at Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller in his new Inside Tucson Business column:
Since her election, Miller has combined the delusions of Moore and the cluelessness of Marsh without the personal charm of either. She seems driven by a pathological dislike of fellow GOP Supervisor Ray Carroll. She and her staff isolate themselves behind locked doors and rarely talk to anyone. What she tells people is often false and even bizarre. Paranoia lurks.
Miller attacked Democratic Supervisor Richard Elias for traveling to Israel “at the county taxpayer’s expense.” It was an American-Israeli Political Action Committee trip paid for by them. That erroneous cheap shot at Elias also insulted AIPAC.
Miller keeps claiming that Supervisor Ray Carroll voted against her budget study sessions even though the official record indicates the vote was 3-2. Carroll – who has a long record of supporting fellow Republicans from Congressman Matt Salmon to former county assessor candidate Bill Heuisler – even co-hosted a fund-raiser for Miller.
Miller has aligned herself with some of the scurvier elements of the local GOP and several bottom-feeding talk show hosts. She was flanked at a recent appearance for Quail Creek Republicans with Carroll’s defeated opponent from the 2012 GOP Primary, Sean Collins, and former State Rep. Randy Graf who mouthpieced for Collins during one of the sleaziest political campaigns in local history.
A major connection between these folks is a scuzzy online hate sheet, the Arizona Daily Independent. They smeared Carroll with phony “corruption” stories but failed to produce any evidence claiming their “source” feared retaliation. Miller has done the same with claims of “corruption” in county contracts and attacked Huckelberry — again, with no evidence. As with Carroll, several talk gypsies chimed in, including 104.1’s J.T. Harris.
Harris, who hasn’t been here long enough to pronounce “La Canada,” is a self-appointed arbiter of local Republican purity. Besides Carroll, he’s trashed Congressional candidate Martha McSally, GOP National Committeeman Bruce Ash, and former State Sen. Frank Antenori. He regularly quotes from the ADI apparently unaware that its material, when not imagined, is plagiarized from genuine news sources like the Yellow Sheet of the Arizona Capitol Times. Harris uses ADI publisher Loretta Hunnicutt as a regular source and guest as he does Supervisor Miller.
This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2013.
Nut. Case.
While I’m no fan of James T. Harris or his show and far be it from me to question Mr. Franzi’s cutting-edge political prescience, I’m confused. He attacks Mr. Harris for quoting from a source “plagiarized” from “genuine news sources” (does this make the Star/Citizen plagiarists for quoting AP or UPI stories?), also alleging that this source imagines its material in the course of the sentence, then does exactly what he spent the length and breadth of his column attacking Ms. Miller for and offers no evidence of his contention. Who is the pot vs. the kettle in this case? Also, could someone explain to me why a Pima County Supervisor needs to travel to Israel on the dime of a right-wing PAC? Is Mr. Elias worried about Hamas setting up shop in Barrio Hollywood?
Ally Miller is undeniably crazier than a shithouse rat and holds about as much credibility with most of her constituents. But if you’re going to attack somebody for making empty claims, you should avoid using the same tactic yourself.
Proof that voters don’t always know best. Pima County Dist 1 had an opportunity to elect a fine public servant, Nancy Young Wright. Instead they elected a conspiracy theorist. Elections have consequences, and we got Ally Miller.
I did not vote for her since, from comments she made, it was CLEAR that she would not be able to work with fellow supervisors since she is too confrontational. This report sounds like I read her correctly, unfortunately.
In response to Franzi’s editorial dated December 6, 2013. This constituent and others who support Ally Miller wonder why Franzi seems to display, repeat and model behavior often construed with spoiled children. We all now collectively take a step back and gaze upon this poor misdirected soul who first resorts to holding his breath, then at the right moment and the proper shade of Southern Arizona purple he hurls himself upon the ground, rolling around, realizing that this has not caught the attention of any self-respecting individual he goes to the nearest mud puddle and hurls it in Ally Miller’s direction hoping to catch her or her supports looking the other way. Although quite common place behavior amongst the “Old Guard” or “RINO’s within the GOP, one still reserves a little holiday chuckle and smile for his rather outlandish behavior, but then again when one is not armed with facts but half- truths, armed with vitriol, rather than supported fact, one often makes themselves look quite foolish and Emil you need to look in the mirror, quickly.
Miller and her constituents continue to question the validity of Supervisor Ray Carroll’s idea of support or are they in fact ideas of grandeur, self-fulfilling but lacking any substance of tangible worth. Carroll’s past support has been tainted by public declarations referencing Miller’s position to “Vote out all incumbents” when seeking a seat on the Pima County Board of Supervisors. Carroll interpreted this as a reflection of his endeavors and responded that “Had he been aware of her position he never would have supported her”. Minus the wheel turning, brake stopping power or formidable forces against her Miller has survived and continues to be a light in the darkness, not a torrential storm trying to vanquish it.
The presence of Ally Miller, Sean Collins, and Randy Graf at any public forum would be an evening of understanding, intelligent conversation, goal setting and a preview of future accomplishments, something aspired to by her opposition. Ally Miller acknowledges that political correctness was created to destroy the fundamentals of aspired and reverenced principals once formerly embraced by many in our community. Miller will continue her endeavor, her fight for transparency and honest government even amid the nay Sayers, defeatist and protagonists of Pima County.
Emil if you have a problem with yellow journalism, my suggestion is that you stop creating it thereby solving the problem somewhat.
Emil also, at times it is often hard to pronounce some of the audacious names given to streets in our community, given to local food fare and even name tags given to some our local politicians. But frankly, Emil the word corruption, crony capitalism, illegally appropriated monies, fraud and crime seem have somehow retained their universal meaning and that is what Miller and her constituents are concerned with here. period.
Adriana & Shaun
Ray Carroll is exactly the kind of smart, dedicated and effective Republican hated by both the GOP’s lunatic fringe and the special interest lobbies.
A big second to Pima Mujer’s take on the election of Ally Miller versus Nancy Young Wright! Nancy Wright has had a solid record of public service, both on the Amphitheater Unified School District and the Arizona State legislature. I most affirmatively voted for her.. unfortunately the “Tea Party” nutz in Pima County District 1 helped Ally Miller to her victory.
Adriana & Shaun: It is heartwarming to hear someone is standing up to the protagonists of Pima County. Whatever that means.
All Righty then.. Pima County has it’s own Ted Cruz or Curz.. depending on wether you’re realistic or dyslexic.
But to lock here and her staff behind closed doors? That’s something the late great Commie hating Sen. McCarthy used to do.
What’s with these wingnutz?