Randy “Open Borders” Parraz at the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors meeting 1/31/12.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office provided members of the Board of Supervisors with a public update on a handful of the controversial topics afflicting the agency right now, but the airing of the sheriff’s laundry did little to change the minds of Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s ardent supporters and critics who packed a county auditorium Tuesday morning.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan told board members Arpaio’s agency has made mistakes but has worked with county officials in the last 18 months to address many of the office’s shortcomings, including misappropriated funds and inadequately investigated sex crimes.
But those explanations did little to placate dozens of Arpaio critics who had come to ask questions of Sheridan and Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery and share their concerns with members of the Board.
When it became apparent that a question-and-answer session would have to wait until the end of the sheriff’s presentation, dozens of Arpaio critics left the hearing in protest.
Later, Chad Snow, a vocal critic of the Sheriff’s Office, told board members the group refused to listen to Arpaio apologists make excuses for the behavior that has led to accusations of mismanagement and discrimination within the Sheriff’s Office.
Agency offers to talk before going to court
In its developing battle with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio over alleged violations of the civil rights of Hispanics, the Justice Department appears to have blinked, backing away from an earlier threat to take the Arizona lawman to federal court immediately.
Still, the Civil Rights Division under the direction of Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez has made it clear that the DOJ has no intent of proving its charges, as Arpaio has demanded.
In an email sent to WND on Jan. 5, the DOJ stated, “If MCSO wants to debate the facts instead of fixing the problems stated in our findings, we will do so by way of litigation.”
Yet, in a six-page letter delivered to Arpaio’s office Wednesday, Perez appeared to have softened his position by offering to talk, rather than going to court immediately.
“We stand ready to meet, answer questions and discuss a resolution with you and your client immediately.” Perez wrote to the sheriff’s office’s outside counsel, Joseph J. Popolizio.
In the proposed meetings, nevertheless, Perez made it clear the DOJ has no intent of showing or debating any of its alleged evidence.
A credible death threat against community activist Randy “Open Borders” Parraz is under investigation. Parraz led the successful recall effort against Senator Russell Pearce.
If you haven’t been following the Alinsky methods being used by Randy Parraz and his far-left associates to take down Arizona Senator Russell Pearce (R), you should pay close attention. They may target your Republican legislator very soon. If they can destroy Pearce, they can destroy anybody. The recall election will be held November 8, 2011; early balloting begins on October 13 (that is, tomorrow).
So who is Russell Pearce?
Senator Pearce gained national prominence in April 2010 as the architect of SB1070, one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration laws in America. It allows Arizona to enforce the federal immigration laws which have been left unenforced for many years.
Pearce has spent his political career writing and sponsoring legislation that honors constitutional conservative principles.
Here are some brief highlights.
After former Gov. Janet Napolitano resigned, Sen. Pearce oversaw the biggest budget cut in Arizona’s history: $500,000,000.
He sponsored legislation to stop eminent domain abuse and protect property rights. He sponsored SB1108, the “Freedom to Carry Act,” making Arizona the number one-state for 2nd-Amendment freedom.
Help support State Senator Russell Pearce against the open borders / illegal alien invaders apologist’s recall effort.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse, 6811 E. Cave Creek Road [MAP]
5 PM – 9 PM
If you support conservative patriots isn’t Senate President Russell Pearce number one on your list? We have joined Larry Wendt, owner of the Buffalo Chip Saloon and Steakhouse in sponsoring a fund raiser for Russell Pearce.
Pearce, as you know, is facing a recall election, unless his court challenge wins, with early voting beginning on Oct. 13 and the election on Nov. 8. As author of the famous SB 1070 law he has gained nationwide acclaim and many states have followed his courageous lead.
In a meeting last week with Pearce, his son Sean and Larry Wendt early details were decided with lots more to come.
Tickets are $25 and will pay for a barbeque dinner with music
So far, MCSO Sheriff Joe Arpaio has agreed to be there for the entire event and he and Pearce will speak and be available for discussions. We invite the public and will inform Tea Party members. Watch for new information about who you may meet at the event. We are seeking luminaries, Republican leaders and will report on others you may want to meet.
The proceeds will go to Russell Pearce
On a Sunday, in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, state legislator Steve Montenegro stands behind the pulpit and preaches with confidence.
“Hermano, hermana, en su vida El no va dejar que se burlen de usted,” he says in Spanish and then transitions into English. “Brother, sister, in your life He won’t let anyone put you to shame.”
An audience of about 40 people, mostly Latino, listens to him attentively as he punctuates every sentence with a wide smile.
In his second term in the Arizona state legislature, the 29-year-old immigrant from El Salvador is the only elected Latino Republican in the Arizona House, and politicos on both sides of the aisle view him as a rising Republican star. Montenegro, who is running for re-election in 2012, is the product of a national effort by Republicans to recruit and train more Hispanic candidates for office – including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez – because they say Latino voters are shifting to the right.
Conservative Latinos praise him for immigrating legally, “the right way,” as others called him a “vendido,” or sell-out, for supporting legislation like SB 1070, which makes it a state crime for unauthorized immigrants to be in Arizona. (Federal courts have stayed key parts of the law, pending a final decision on its constitutionality.)
Read the rest.
Photo: Arizona’s own Gila Courier
The Nov. 8 recall election of Senate President Russell Pearce will go forward, at least for now.
Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Hugh Hegyi on Friday denied a legal challenge of the recall petitions filed by Pearce’s attorney Lisa Hauser. But Hauser said she will appeal the ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court.
If Hauser can get more than 2,609 of the 10,365 certified signatures thrown out, the election would be canceled.
If she cannot, the state will see the first recall election of a state lawmaker in Arizona history.
Hauser’s legal challenge alleged several problems with the signatures, including that none of the petition forms complied with state requirements that a petition gatherer sign an oath that the signatures are “genuine” and that the recall statement was misleading and did not clearly explain that signing the petition would support a recall election.
“As the Supreme Court has stated, recall petitions are ‘not a judicial (proceeding) but political in nature,’ ” Hegyi wrote in his ruling. “The voters may recall a public official for any reason or no reason at all.”
Hauser, in an e-mailed statement, said the ruling was expected.
“As the court indicated in the ruling there are several questions raised which require the Supreme Court’s review,” she said. “We look forward to our opportunity to present our case to Arizona’s highest court.”
Ed Phillips, communications director for Citizens Who Oppose the Pearce Recall, said the Supreme Court could hear the case by the end of this month.
“We’ll hope for the best,” he said. “We’re prepared for any eventuality.”
Pearce did not return calls for comment.
Senator Russell Pearce at the “Phoenix 912 Event”, T.E.A. Party, on September 12, 2009 at the Arizona State Capital.
Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce (R) is not yet a household name. Most Americans are unaware that he is one of the leaders fighting to have states enforce the rule of law regarding illegal immigrants. He has been at the forefront of this issue for the last twenty-five years but currently is facing a recall battle. American Thinker interviewed Senator Pearce and other political figures about the recall and illegal immigration.
He is a fifth-generation Arizonian shot in the line of duty while serving as a sheriff’s deputy, has authored bills that provide tax relief, and has been honored for his contributions to public education. However, his new prominence comes from the work done in fighting illegal immigration. Among illegal immigration bills authored in Arizona: Proposition 200, requiring proof of citizenship to vote and a legal US presence to obtain public benefits; Prop 100 that prevents illegals committing serious crimes to get released on bond; Prop 102 that will not allow illegals to receive punitive damages; Prop 103 that makes English the official language of Arizona; the Fair and Legal Employment Act, allowing the state of Arizona to impose sanctions on those employers who hire illegal aliens; and SB 1070 signed into law in April, 2010. All of these bills were passed overwhelmingly by over 70% of the vote with a support of over 60% of the Latino vote.
Four of the ten elements of 1070 are being enjoined in the appellate court including the provision that requires law enforcement to check a person’s immigration status after committing a violation of the law — even though the bill stipulates “a person is presumed to be lawfully present if the person provides a valid Arizona drivers license or identification license or a valid federal or state issued identification.”
Although Arizona’s tough immigration law, Senate Bill 1070, was crafted by state legislators, it made waves among city policy makers.
Mayor Phil Gordon thrust Phoenix into the debate after coming out in opposition to the bill, asking the Phoenix City Council to consider using city resources for a lawsuit that would bar the state from implementing the bill. Boycotts have led to millions of dollars in losses for facilities in the city such as the Phoenix Convention Center and the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix Hotel.
t of The Arizona Republic’s election coverage, we asked mayoral candidates what role Phoenix has in supporting or opposing SB 1070. Early ballots for the council and mayoral election go out Aug. 4, and the election is Aug. 30.
Anna Brennan
The city and the state should work together. I would collaborate more with the governor to move forward on this issue and to put a halt to all the politicizing.
- The Obama administration’s recently announced administrative amnesty – a decision basically to stop taking enforcement action against non-criminal illegal immigrants – may severely undercut its legal challenge to SB 1070, Arizona’s heavily litigated anti-illegal-immigration law.
The most legally vulnerable sections of the law are those making illegal presence a state crime, adjudicated in state courts and punished in state penal institutions.
As a general rule, local police departments can enforce federal laws. So, the parts of SB 1070 instructing local police to give priority to potential immigration-law violations are likely to withstand the Obama administration’s legal challenge.
However, I have always assumed that federal judges would determine that federal law was intended to pre-empt the field regarding punishments for immigration violations. And, indeed, all four federal judges who have considered the matter so far – the district judge and three 9th Circuit appellate judges – have seen it that way.
But now, I’m not so sure.
If immigration-law violators cannot be processed in state court, the only option local police would have is to turn them over to federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
