Author: boggmann

Did ya miss us?  Summer break is over   for the Bogster Family, (Ireland was delicious!) and now we are back with a few community things we would like to let you know about.  

As always, if you do not wish to receive future BogNews just send us an email back to let us know to remove you from the list.

First Friday Music!  This Friday, Sept. 6th, from 6 – 9 pm at the El Rio Golf cantina (1400 W. Speedway) will be “Music Night” brought to you by the Barrio Hollywood Neighborhood Association and friends.  Eat, drink, sing and be merry.

This one include the return of “The Wholigans” (some new songs from Ireland) as well as memorial songs from the group “Kindred Spirits” on the passing of their member, Bo Ongley, a good friend, songwriter/singer, and loyal spouse.  Other local musicians will be there as well.  We hear that La Cantina will also be serving their legendary pulled pork sandwiches!  (There is also a fully stocked bar for your enjoyment).  Please come and support your local musicians!  IT’S FREE!!!

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The following is a message from the Tucson Residents for Responsible Government (TRRG).  As you can see, the City of Tucson is again up to its old tricks with redistricting (trying to divide our barrios), inappropriate re-zonings, more ADU shenanigans (we warned you!), and other items that may affect your neighborhood.  Please read this and feel free to distribute to anyone who you think may be interested:

Neighborhood Leaders, Friends and Active Residents,

There are several actions being taken by the City that may have great impacts in our neighborhoods and on our streets.  Please pass the word along to your representative groups and friends.  The more of us who take notice and get involved, the better the outcome for all of us.

·       Redistricting.  This week, the City Council approved an item on the Consent Agenda (Item 7j) that details the members of the 2024 Redistricting Advisory Committee (RAC) and, most importantly, “clarifies the review criteria” to be used by the RAC when making recommendations to redistricting. 

Redistricting is when areas of the City (precincts) are moved from one ward to another to balance out populations for electoral purposes.  Since our City Charter requires us to redraw ward boundaries every four years, any changes made this year will be in place until 2028.

Redistricting can affect minority voting strength, but it can also be used to split up neighborhoods between wards or move them from one ward into another ward.  The meetings of the RAC are open to the public and they are mandated to report back to Mayor and Council by Nov 20, 2024.  To view the ordinance and the base map of current districts go to this link.  See item #7j.

We will send you the dates for the Redistricting Committee meeting when they become available.  

·       Bear Canyon Neighborhood Association (BCNA) rezoning.  The BCNA is seeking public support in their opposition to a rezoning called Casita Village at La Mariposa.  They have a website that explains their issues with the proposed rezoning, and a petition to sign if you agree with their opposition to the project.

According to their Facebook page, “If you care about flooding risk, increased traffic, environmental conservation, archeological integrity and violation of the 1984 BCNP Agreement, you’ll want to sign this petition to stop the rezoning and construction of Casita Village at La Mariposa”. Get more information and sign the petition, go to https://www.stopcasitavillage.org.

The project made the news recently and you can read about the group, the project and the concerns by going to https://www.kgun9.com/news/community-inspired-journalism/eastside-news/eastside-neighbors-against-luxury-casita-community-development.

The public hearing is tentatively scheduled for the Sept 25 Mayor and Council meeting – having as many people there to voice their concerns or support the neighborhood association will be crucial in determining the outcome.  We will update you with the actual date.

·       Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).  ADUs are in the news again.  After the governor signed a bill that allows the state legislature to dictate ADU conditions in Arizona cities and towns, even communities like Tucson, that spent a year and a half developing policies, are now forced to change their land use codes to accommodate the wishes of the state legislators.  Of concern is the fact that the legislation defined an ADU as a “dwelling unit that may include a kitchen.”  Since we currently have ‘sleeping quarter’ as allowable structures, and this now falls under the definition of an ADU, when the City changes our code, we would like “sleeping quarters” to removed from the code, since this could lead to additional units being built on a single property.

The Planning Commission is set to have a Study Session about this item at their September 4, 2024 meeting.  It will be held in Mayor and Council chambers, starting at 6PM, with doors opening at 5:30PM.  The public hearing on the proposed changes has not yet been scheduled.  For more information about the study session and to download the agenda, go to

https://www.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Planning-Development-Services/Public-Meetings-Boards-Committees-Commissions/Planning-Commission

We will send out word when the public hearing gets scheduled for the Planning Commission to make their recommendations to Mayor and Council.

·       Corridor Redevelopment.  In August, the Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) held two meetings about potential changes to the Unified Development Code, to make it easier to promote high density, mid to high-rise development along Tucson’s “corridors”. 

The city is defining “corridors” as ALL arterials and collectors, so all major streets like Grant and Speedway and all smaller streets, like Pima and Columbus may be subject to these changes.  The city is representing this as a way to increase affordable housing, but NO affordable requirements will be part of this proposal.  Instead, it is part of a “trickle-down” concept, hoping that more luxury units will flood the market and drive down the value of surrounding properties.

The Corridor Redevelopment project is in response to a request by Mayor and Council for PDSD to explore options for “removing barriers to affordable housing”.  One meeting was virtual and can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9PP9U5FLic. 

You can get more information about the project at https://corridors.tucsonaz.gov/.

This process is being rushed through and needs scrutiny by all residents, as the impact to our neighborhoods will be lasting and possibly irreversible.  At the August meetings, we were told that Mayor and Council will vote on the changes by December – so starting the process in the heat of the summer, rushing it through hearings in the fall, and when people are distracted by national elections and holidays, is a poor way to make public policy.   The online survey was turned off after a very short time, so the only way to comment currently is to contact the lead planner, Dan Bursuck (daniel.bursuck@tucsonaz.gov).

·       Neighborhood Plans.  Word has been spreading that the City plans to sunset Neighborhood and Area Plans, such that they will no longer be a guide for development within established neighborhoods.  Whether the intention is to declare the plans outdated, or whether changes to the Unified Development Code will make them obsolete, or whether PlanTucson 2025 will eviscerate resident input via the Future Growth Scenario Map is not clear.   

We will update you on the future of our Neighborhood and Area Plans when we receive more information.  Residents asking staff directly at various planning meetings is one way to bring the issue to the forefront.

 ·       Plan Tucson.  Plan Tucson is now officially in Phase 3.  Planning and Development Services Department (PDSD) staff are in the process of writing the draft of the 2025 Plan.  Despite numerous meetings and surveys, it appears that many of our concerns have not been incorporated into the new plan.  Our concern is that neighborhoods and neighborhood issues are almost entirely lacking in any of the Goals and Policies that we have reviewed to date.  To read about the update, you can go to the City’s website at https://www.plantucson.org/.

In the latest PDSD Newsletter it was announced that Phase 3 Working Sessions are scheduled for late September into November and are accepting applicants to attend.  If you are interested in participating in a working session you can register by going to the PDSD website at https://forms.office.com/g/0ARN9n8k2r.  Sessions 1 and 5 deal with Neighborhoods and sessions 3 and 7 deal with the Future Growth Scenario Map.

Phase 3 will be critical to determine if the new plan meets with community approval.   We encourage you to participate in these working sessions.  PDSD staff needs to hear from residents and neighborhoods about what needs to be in the next general plan.

The Plan must be voted on and accepted by the voters to be implemented.  At the moment, some of us are considering asking the Mayor and Council to simply let us reaffirm the current PlanTucson 2013 in order to give staff the appropriate time and tools to create a better vision for Tucson that acknowledges and respects our unique neighborhoods and cultures.

Thank you all for spreading the word about these community-altering initiatives and projects that are in the works.  We need many, many residents involved if we are to have any impact on the outcome of these plans.

Bonnie Poulos (poulosbt@gmail.com) and 

Colette Altaffer (colette.altaffer@gmail.com) 

on behalf of the TRRG Core Team

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READER RESPONSE:  Earlier in the year (before our wonderful summer vacation) we received an email from a reader who had concerns about comments made in BogNews in opposition to the mass murder being inflicted on the Palestinian people by Israeli forces in response to the Hamas attack on October 7th.  We were specifically critical of the refusal by the Tucson Mayor and Council to pass a resolution in opposition to the genocide (with the notable exception of council member Lane Santa Cruz from Ward 1).  The exchange lasted longer than anticipated, but it was on the whole a thoughtful dialogue, of which we now share with BogNews readers in several installments.  The name of the writer has been extracted since we did not get permission to publish their name.  

It should be noted that these exchanges happened between April 24th and May 12th of this year, so some info may be dated (for example, these comments were months before the bloodless coup against Ol’ Joe Biden).  But we thought it worth publishing.

Part 1 can be reviewed below:

PART 1:  OPENING A DIALOG ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

1.  April 24, 2024

Hi Bogg Man,

I have the feeling that we are living in a time of silos, where we talk to others who agree with us, but not with those who don’t.  After reading your letter, as a recipient of your emails, I am hoping you would be willing to consider a different perspective.

You mention the words cease fire and genocide, but you do not mention the atrocities of October 7, the documented mistreatment of the hostages, and the fact that Hamas has rejected a cease fire proposal that as a starting point, would stop the war for six weeks, potentially lead to the end of the war, and would release all of the hostages.

I am your neighbor, a progressive democrat who voted for the members of the city council and the mayor.  I support so much of what you do, and many of the causes you champion from women’s rights and voting rights to participatory governance. Like you I believe in cultural equity, democracy and democratic pluralism.

Like you, I mourn the tragic loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives, and wish for peace. For me, this is a personal issue. My  friends and family live in Israel, and through them I know of individuals who lost their lives on October 7. My  ancestors are buried in my tribal homeland, a place the Jewish people have inhabited continuously for over 3,000 years. This is not an abstraction, it’s something that impacts me personally.

Like you, I am opposed to the horrors of war. The Hamas surprise invasion of Israel, a sovereign democratic and indigenous state, that started with the early morning systematic slaughter and rape of men women and children on October 7, is a day that will live forever in my memory. Hamas started this horrible war, and I am saddened that you did not mention the 133 hostages held for over 200 days in captivity. We know from the testimony of released hostages that treatment for these women, children, elderly and men is inhumane.

I feel your letter reinforces centuries old Anti Jewish stereotypes, tropes and caricatures;

For example; the language you use to describe the only Jewish nation in the world, paints a false and damaging picture, or portrait of Israel as a monolithic entity, that is “violent, colonist, unjust, racist, apartheid, illegally stole land.”

Israel was established after the Holocaust, at a time no nation would accept Jewish refugees.  Israel is a pluralistic democracy, the majority of its citizens originate from Middle East and North African (MENA) nations. Since 1920 over 900,000 Jews were displaced from their homes in Arab and other Muslim countries. Many of these refugees made their new home in Israel. You also do not mention that Israel is home to more than 2 million Arab people in Israel proper, who share all the same rights as everyone else. 

Additionally your support for “resistance” has not been qualified in your message. For example, Hamas charter since its inception, and to this day, has called for the destruction of the state of Israel. Hamas has controlled Gaza since 2005 and has not supported elections in the Gaza strip, killed members of the Palestinian opposition, and systematically persecutes women, children and the LGBTQ community in Gaza, none of which are mentioned in your message. You do not mention the Hamas leadership of billionaires living in Qatar, perpetuating the war in order to achieve their ends while those in Gaza suffer the consequences.  Imagine living in a country where October 7 occurred, and seeing your relatives, friends, and neighbors killed, tortured, and taken hostage.  What would be your response?

I feel your message fosters anti Jewish attitudes and bias in Tucson neighborhoods, schools and civic life;

Jewish individuals who defend Israel’s right to exist, provide an alternative experience or perspective; are subjected routinely to bullying, demonization and shunning. This behavior is justified because Jewish individuals are labeled as “white nationalists, colonist, settler, genocide, apartheid, unjust, racist”. This bias, or litmus test is a double standard that constitutes a distinct and dangerous form of Jewish hatred. Historically we have seen such language metastasize into horror, such as we saw on October 7. 

At a time that demands opposition to dangerous white nationalism which is growing right here in Tucson, your message further alienates and silences one of the minority groups being targeted. 

Everyone should feel welcome, safe and able to participate in the civic life of Tucson, regardless of their religious or ethnic background, tribal and cultural beliefs, traditions and rituals. Your message, intentional or not, feels misdirected, uninformed and insensitive. I should be permitted to have a voice, to be able to call for the release of hostages, to amplify the voices of Israeli Women and countless others—to advocate for a humanizing approach to this tragic crisis—without fear of intimidation or retribution.

I hope that we can establish a dialog that respects all human life:  Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, living in Israel, living in Palestine, and living in the United States.

Sincerely,

R

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2.  April 24, 2024

Dear R:

Thank you very much for your heart felt comments (and criticisms) of the perspectives I share in Bog News.  I always try to consider different perspectives than my own (I have been wrong enough on enough occasions to try and be open).  Your  letter deserves a full and respectful response which I will send you when I can sit and take the the necessary time to respond to your statements, some of which I agree with.

Thank you again for taking the time to respond and I look forward to opening up a dialogue with you on these important topics.

Sincerely,

Scott Egan (the Bogman)

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3.  April 25, 2024

To Boggmann:

Thank you very much for your reply!  It is helpful to know that we can agree to discuss these things calmly, and learn from each other.

I am certainly no fan of war, oppression, or hate anywhere it exists.  I would support a cease fire resolution that provided for the release of the hostages and justice for the victims of October 7 and as a result brought a complete end to the war. I would imagine that a majority of Israelis and Palestinians would agree, if only their leaders would allow them to have a say in the matter.

Best of luck to all of us, and to all of humanity!

Cheers,

R

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 4. April 27, 2024

Dear R

Thank you very much again for contacting me about the opinions expressed in the recent Bog News regarding the decision by the Tucson Mayor and Council to refuse to consider issuing a statement calling for an Israeli ceasefire in the war against Palestine.  As I mentioned in my initial response, I wanted to take the time to give you a thoughtful response to your criticisms.  I hope this endeavor will encourage an open and productive exchange of perspectives between us.

Perhaps it would be good for us to start with where we clearly agree.  You state: 

“Everyone should feel welcome, safe and able to participate in the civic life of Tucson, regardless of their religious or ethnic background, tribal and cultural beliefs, traditions and rituals.”  AGREED!

“I should be permitted to have a voice, to be able to call for the release of hostages, to amplify the voices of Israeli Women and countless others—to advocate for a humanizing approach to this tragic crisis—without fear of intimidation or retribution.”  AGREED!

“I hope that we can establish a dialog that respects all human life:  Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, living in Israel, living in Palestine, and living in the United States.”  AGREED!

In fact I could not agree with you more on each of those statements!  You also state:

“I am your neighbor, a progressive democrat who voted for the members of the city council and the mayor.  I support so much of what you do, and many of the causes you champion from women’s rights and voting rights to participatory governance. Like you I believe in cultural equity, democracy and democratic pluralism.”

Thank you, I really appreciate those comments.  We seem to be mostly in agreement on the principles you articulate here, although I should clarify that am not a registered Democrat (I am independent) and did not vote for the mayor or most of the members of our city council.  However, I would generally count myself among those in support of progressive causes and what you righteously call “democratic pluralism.”  So these are good starting points of agreement as we engage (and possibly diverge) in more difficult areas.

For example: would it be presumptuous to assume that we both support a two state solution, with separate and independent Israeli and a Palestinian states?  I realize that neither of the extreme sides — Hamas nor the Bibi Netanyahus of Israel — support such an establishment.   Both sides — Hamas and Likud — have publicly pronounced their claims to all the land “from the river to the sea.”  Indeed, as has been reported (and confirmed by a former Israeli Prime Minister) Netanyahu has been financially supporting Hamas for years.  They are in essential agreement of the basic point:  they want to wipe out the other.

There are, of course, some who also oppose a two state solution not because they want to exterminate the “others” but because they want everyone in the region to be a part of a non-sectarian, representative, democratic state that treats all its citizens equally.  Whether it is doable or not is another question, but they would say they support the type of “democratic pluralism” that you and I agree is a good form of governance.  This is very different than a “Jewish state for the Jewish people” or an “Islamic Republic” (whatever the hell that is).

I realize that the success of a secular state in the region has a myriad of complications (such as what right of return would exist for anyone who has been exiled, deported, or displaced) but I thought this might be a good jumping off point for our discussion.  

How do you envision a future solution, and how do you think we/they can get there?

I look forward to our continued dialog, and thank you agin for reaching out.

Sincerely,

Scott Egan

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5.  April 29, 2024

Hi Scott,

Thank you very much for your email.  We do have some common ground, don’t we?

As to your question, how can we make sure that Palestinian and Israelis lives are honored and respected going forward, that is a difficult question to answer isn’t it?

First the good news:  the experience of Ireland shows us that two peoples, divided by religion, can overcome their past hatreds and learn to live together, don’t you agree?  Certainly the final chapter hasn’t yet been written, but it seems to me Ireland is in a better place now than it was, say, 30 years ago.

Next, a caveat.  Why is there so much attention on Israel, a small country halfway around the world?  Why is there not more outrage at the Republicans’ willingness to appease Vladimir Putin and bring Ukraine to the brink in their honorable fight against Russian oppression?  Where was the campus outrage when the government of Syria decimated their own population in order to hold onto power?  Why is there not outrage at Iran for providing financial and technical  incentives for the killing of innocents and the creation of Hamas billionaires?  Are pro-Palestinian protesters really planning on disrupting the Democratic Convention this summer, revisiting the playbook of 1968 and potentially handing the presidential election to Donald Trump, who promoted treason against the peaceful transfer of power, and who is also an appeaser of right wing hate groups?  Who is providing financial support to the pro-Palestinian protesters, since it was observed that may of the tents at the Columbia University protest were purchased from the same supplier?

Regarding a two state solution, what would this even look like, when Yasser Arafat rejected the plan for a two state solution in 2000, reportedly on fears that he would be killed if he agreed.  The rejection of the peace deal then lead to the Second Intifada, and more horrific killing of innocent people in suicide bombings.  If Yasser Arafat could not convince his people to accept the two state solution, what hope does the world have that Mohammed Abbas could agree to it, and gain acceptance for it?

Regarding a single state solution, I am not as opposed to it as you might think.  However, even if the right of return was put into the constitution, constitutions can be changed.  So, this is a potential solution, if the hatred can be abated.

But let’s also think about this in a different way.

When all the Jews in the Middle East were kicked out of the Arab countries after 1948, did Israel place them into refugee camps and forbid them to integrate into society, and tell them to wait for their return to their former countries?  No, Israel  welcomed them as full citizens.  So were the Ethiopians, years later.

Similarly, Lebanon, Jordan, and all other countries with refugee camps should welcome the Palestinians who moved to their countries with full citizenship rights, including freedom of movement, the ability to migrate, vote, and everything else.

The Gaza Strip was part of Egypt from 1949 to 1967.  When Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, they refused to take back the Gaza Strip.  Egypt has also prevented the migration of Palestinians from Gaza to the Sinai during all conflicts, including this latest one.  Egypt is a military and economic power that could provide protection and economic opportunities to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.  Egypt should agree to the return of Gaza to Egyptian territory and welcome the residents of Gaza as full citizens of Egypt. 

Similarly, the West Bank was part of Jordan from 1948 to 1967.  In 1994, Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel but refused to take back the West Bank.  Jordan is an economic and military power that could provide protection and economic opportunity to the Palestinians in the West Bank.  Jordan should agree to the return of the West Bank to Jordanian territory and welcome the residents of the West Bank as full citizens of Jordan.

So, those are my thoughts.

Best of luck to all of us!

Sincerely,  R

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6.  April 29, 2024

Hey R:  good to hear from you again.

You certainly got my attention when you mentioned “the experience of Ireland” as I am more knowledgable and more involved regarding that struggle than any other international one.  I have close family and personal ties there (and returning this summer) so I appreciated the mention.  I often see specific connections between the two struggles even though there are many differences.  There may be lessons gleamed from the Irish developments for certain.

To begin with, British imperialism had a direct involvement in the divisions and continued problems in both regions (they did coin the term “divide and conquer).   The Balfour Declaration in Palestine — and the future boundaries of Israel —were crafted by the British, as was the creation of “Northern” Ireland as a separate entity from most of the island, and against the wishes of a majority of Irish people.  Balfour was, as you may be aware, a raging anti-Semite whose English solution to “the Jewish question” was to ship them all somewhere else, anywhere else.  Anti-Semitism was a distinctly European phenomenon that they wanted to dump off on others. Africa and other places were considered for a Jewish homeland before selecting the land of the Palestinians (who were considered dirt poor farmers who wouldn’t resist.  Mistake).  The founders of Israel who set up “a Jewish state for the Jewish people” had the exact same sentiment that the pro-British “Loyalists” of northern Ireland when they professed that their six county statelet would be  “a Protestant state for a Protestant people.”  They too thought of themselves as “the chosen ones.”

Secondly, the centuries of cruel subjugation by a foreign entity fostered multi-generational resistance to foreign domination.  It is something that the powerful always seem to forget, that oppression always leads to resistance (sometimes violent, sometimes not) whether it be on the city streets of Belfast or Gaza (or, indeed, in the Warsaw Ghetto).  I think it was George Orwell that said (paraphrasing) that when he sees someone being beaten in the street by a cop he doesn’t have to wonder whose side he is on.  Most of the world looks at the mass murder of poor and starving men, women, and children by one of the strongest military machines in the world and also (instinctually and intellectually) sympathize with the under-dogs.  The 2,000 pound (American) bombs dropped indiscriminately by the Israeli forces on one of the highest population density regions earth seems like, well, GENOCIDE to most of the world.  

The Irish, like the Palestinians, like George Washington, like Nelson Mandela, also felt the need to use armed struggle against an occupying force, and while the Irish Republican Army primarily hit the Crown security forces and tried to avoid civilians (as Hamas and the IDF have NOT done) there were still some atrocities committed by them.  These incidents, while sometimes horrible, did not discount the right of Irish citizens to determine the course of their own country, any more than the terrible Hamas attacks nullify the rights of Palestinians for their own national state.  While the Irish “Troubles” were transpiring between peaceful protesters being shot in the streets of Derry City and bombs going off in London, the British government displayed the same “stiff upper lips” that Bibi and his gang advocate today:  refuse to negotiate with adversaries and adopt a strategy to totally wipe out the enemy.

Of course “the enemy” is never totally wiped out, are they?  Hamas is still fighting and are starting to re-occupy the northern part of the Gaza strip that has mostly been annihilated.  The Brits had to come to the conclusion that they could never totally wipe out the I.R.A. and after London’s financial district was blown to bits they realized that the continued occupation of another people would not be profitable in the end.  I remember those days well, where people would argue with me saying “the Irish will never stop fighting!” and that their centuries old conflict could never be resolved (so why try to struggle for peace).  They were all wrong.  The Good Friday peace accords have created a climate where these battles are fought in the halls of government and through peaceful protest and compromise.  Now I may see the unification of Ireland in my lifetime (although I am as old as sin).  The Israelis certainly have a lot to learn from the Irish, who are perhaps the most sympathetic Europeans to the plight of the Palestinians.  In fact, if you every go to Belfast there still exists a “Peace Line” between the native Irish nationalists and the pro-British unionists.  On the Irish side you will see many murals in support of Palestine.  On the unionist side you will see many murals in support of Israel.  Settlers relate to settlers, those who suffer from colonialism bond with fellow anti-colonialists.  This is also why South Africa has played such an important role in bringing Israel to the International Court of Justice.

You ask the question “why is there so much attention on Israel, a small country halfway around the world?” Well there are about 300 billion reasons why, which is about how much aid the U.S. has sent to Israel since its founding (see:  https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts).  You mention the terrible governments in Syria and Iran, and I agree, but we are not shipping off more than $3 billion dollars of our national treasure every year to the other countries.  We have no control over Iran, and the only part of Syria we control is their oil fields that we occupy.  As for Ukraine, I am afraid we will disagree on that but perhaps we should stay on the subject at hand:  Israel’s war against Palestine.  It is our money and our bombs that are decimating Palestine, and it right that it gets our attention.

You asked “who is providing financial support to the pro-Palestinian protesters, since it was observed that may [sic] of the tents at the Columbia University protest were purchased from the same supplier?”  

Forgive me, but this comment from you made me laugh at loud!  I first thought you were joking.  You see a conspiracy behind tents?  Really?  Nancy Pelosi said the same thing about the protesters in front of her house, that they were probably financed by Putin (!) and she wanted an F.B.I. investigation of anti-war protesters.  A personal note here:  when the first occupation of Columbia University happened in 1968 I was 15 years old and heard the call to join, which I did.  We occupied Colombia for days as we held the police off until our anti-war statement was heard.  We were (of course) all called communists and cowards and worse for being in opposition to the Vietnam War and the military-industrial complex.  Now students opposed to the war on Palestine are called anti-Semites and/or terrorist supporters, or laky’s for Putin, or whatever.  It’s the same slander game that was perfected by Goebbels who explained how easy it was to get Germans to support fascism:

“It was very easy, it has nothing to do with Nazism, it has something to do with human nature. You can do it in a Nazi, socialist, communist regime, in a monarchy and even in a democracy. The only thing that needs to be done to enslave people is to scare them. If you manage to find a way to scare people, you can make them do what you want.”

Anti-Semitism is real and is scary.  But there is a world of difference between being anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish, although it is in the best interests of the Israelis to blur the line.  Do you really think people need to be bribed or to be on some foreign payroll to find mass murder abhorrent?  Are all the Jewish students who are taking part of these protests, of which there are many (like in Jewish Voices for Peace), just dupes or self-hating Jews?  Can we not just disagree without having to cast aspersions on the motivations of those on the other side?  You and I disagree, but we haven’t cast aspersions on each other.  And I hope we never do!  Let agree to disagree without being disagreeable to each other.  Perhaps we can both learn from each other.

As to you statement: 

“When all the Jews in the Middle East were kicked out of the Arab countries after 1948, did Israel place them into refugee camps and forbid them to integrate into society, and tell them to wait for their return to their former countries?  No, Israel  welcomed them as full citizens.”

I find all of this factually inaccurate, but perhaps you have information that I don’t and would really appreciate anything you could send to back up these statements.  My understanding is that there are many Jews living peacefully in many Arab countries (as they were living peacefully with the Christians and Muslims before 1948).  As for your contention that Israel has not placed Palestinians in refugee camps: there are many.  What do you call Gaza?  Rather than a refugee camp, an open-air concentration camp may be more accurate,  How would you describe Gaza, as the overwhelming majority there are refugees from lands now occupied by Israel?

As for your statement that “Lebanon, Jordan, and all other countries with refugee camps should welcome the Palestinians.”  You also mention Egypt’s refusal to accept Palestinian refugees.  Why should any of these countries be forced to accommodate a problem created by Israel?  And why should any Palestinian agree to be displaced to another country that they don’t live in?  On that basis, wouldn’t it be more just to request that the European, American, Australian and other recent immigrant to Israel go back to their native countries rather than evicting people who have lived in Palestine for generations?  I am not proposing the eviction of anyone, but why should only the Palestinians be told to leave?  Haven’t they suffered enough?

You also mention that “Yasser Arafat rejected the plan for a two state solution in 2000.” 

I would also be interested in seeing your source for this statement, which I believe is also inaccurate but am more than willing to look at any evidence you can provide.  I had thought that all sides had agreed to the two-state solution, although it is impossible to implement as Israel keeps changing its borders (and keeps acquiring more Palestinian land for settlements in clear and consistent violation of international law).

OK: tag you’re it!

All the best,

Scott

PART 2 (of 3) OF THIS DIALOG WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF BOGNEWS!  (It gets better!).

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All opinions expressed in BogNews are the absolute fault of Scott D. Egan, The Bogman,  and nobody else.  Feel free to send this out to anyone who may be interested, or plagiarize to your hearts content. Please let us know if you no longer wish to receive this newsletter by sending “unsubscribe” back at us.  Thanks! 

EL RIO BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE!

Post-Election Thoughts and a BIG thank you to Miguel Ortega!

Well the smoke hasn’t quite cleared, but the results are in for the Democratic Primary Election where the incumbents and “Duh Machine” were victorious once again (although the pendejos had to work for it this time, no?).  While I am sure this one electoral defeat in the local movement for transparency and accountability is a disappointment to some  of the volunteers and activists who worked tirelessly for a change in the city council, we all stand together, neither broken nor bowed.  Those that supported the campaign — both directly and indirectly — will remain a fierce (and loyal?) opposition to the ongoing corruption at city hall.  As the dust settles, concerned citizens will continue to expose the city government’s arrogant and destructive behavior and fight even harder against the current status quo. What will undoubtedly be an increased arrogance by their win will be met with increased resistance by the community.

Those who know me, know that I primarily take my political inspiration from the Irish movement for national unification, but that has never been referenced or a focus in Bog News.  While those conditions in that small island are drastically different than what we face in Tucson, there are some historic lessons of inspiration which I think can be learned from those happenings “across the pond.”  

For over 800 years the Irish fought British colonialism and did so against the greatest of odds.  The Brits tried everything to thwart the native population’s quest for independence:  brutal military occupation, banning of the Irish language and culture, the use of informers to ferment divisions, and a forced famine that killed millions and exiled more.  But as the great rebel writer Brendan Behan once said:

“They took away our land, our language, and our religion; but they could never harness our tongues.”

While there had been significant risings and rebellions in past Irish history, one of the most significant occurred in 1916 with what was known as the “Easter Rebellion” when 1,200 Irish rebels took over important sections of Dublin and other areas of the country, and declared an independent Irish Republic separate from foreign domination.  The response by the British crown was the savage bombardment and destruction of the Irish capital by English warships and the deployment of an overwhelming force of English army squadrons to wipe out all resistance. 

The result was the killing of 260 civilians, 126 U.K. military personnel, and 82 Irish rebels.  More than 2,600 people were wounded (mostly civilians) including about 40 children.  The overwhelming majority of those killed and wounded were caused by the British Army.  Many unarmed civilians were shot by the Brits out of revenge or frustration, leaving the rebels to eventually surrender “in order to prevent the further slaughter of Dublin citizens.”

A total of 3,430 men and 79 women were arrested.  A secret court martial was convened without the rebels being allowed a defense (later ruled to be illegal) after which 90 were sentenced to death. 14 of those those who signed the proclamation declaring an Irish Republic were executed by firing squad.  This included the great Irish labor leader James Connolly (who had to be propped up in a chair, due to his wounds, in order to be shot) and Patrick Pearse, poet and Irish language and cultural teacher.  1,836 men were sent to internment camps where they were held without trial.  Ireland — and England — would never be the same.

What is particularly important, and a lesson I think we can all learn from, is what happened after the failed Easter Rising.  The Irish revolution was all but declared by the establishment to be as dead as their executed leaders.  While many Irish did not initially support the fight for an independent Republic at the time of the Rising, they soon  became very sympathetic to the cause after the bloody defeat and the repression that followed.  This led to the quick rise of the radical Irish republican party known as Sinn Fein (I am a proud member), and which led to their landslide victory only a year later where the party won 73 out of 105 seats in Parliament.  In response, the British then dissolved the Parliament.  Today, Sinn Fein is the largest party in both the Republic of Ireland and (the British dominated) Northern Ireland.  The unification of the country — once considered an absurd utopian dream — has never been more popular and seems to be on the verge of happening soon when a referendum is called as part of the Good Friday peace agreement.  What seemed like a terrible defeat turned into substantial victory.

Sinn Fein was successful because they based their politics over many decades on grassroots organizing on what people were concerned with the most: housing, police reform, civil rights, combating drug addiction, and other working class issues.  There is much to learn from their efforts.

To read Irish history, and to see the great advances in the movement for a free and independent country, should give those who struggle for change here at home great hope, even in seemingly desperate times like these.  We are not confronting the largest empire in the world like the Irish did: we are confronting our own system of corruption that at times seems impenetrable, but I have no doubt can be beat if we stay united and principled and if we learn from our victories and defeats.  When the going gets tough not only do the tough get going, but those easily intimidated by power or itching for special favors from Duh Machine eventually reveal themselves not to be the friends that they pretend to be, but more bootlickers for the bureaucracy.  As the Irish saying goes: 

“May those who love us, love us. 

And those that don’t love us, 

May God turn their hearts.

And if He doesn’t turn their hearts, 

May he turn their ankles, 

So we’ll know them by their limping.”

In every movement it is crucial to know who our real friends are (“champaign for my real friends, real pain for my sham friends!”) and who are our real adversaries, and the Ortega campaign certainly helped us know that.  We also learned just how viciously intimidating our adversaries can be to honest people who only want transparency, which is why so many people helped us in secret, folks who were legitimately afraid of retribution from Duh Machine, but still helped anyway.  These people who took great risk to do what is right give all of us much hope and encouragement. 

Sadly, it’s become more clear than ever that a meek and cowered press cannot be relied upon to provide accurate information and why WE MUST CREATE OUR OWN MEDIA TO COUNTER THE LIES (bigger and better than Bog News, please!).  We need to develop deeper and more creative methods of communication as it is clear the education of the masses is anathema to those in power and they will spend unlimited funds to try and keep us stupid.  Like City Hall, reporters need to be confronted when they spread lies or false innuendo (like the Ortega campaign was involved with a right-wing PAC) or when they refuse to acknowledge the truth.

The Ortega campaign also revealed the totally corrupt nature of Tucson’s election system, which uses a “Clean Elections” process that is anything but clean, and where the flooding of outside funding can quickly hamper any grassroots efforts at reform.  When the final financial reports are in, they will show that Miguel Ortega’s campaign was overwhelmingly out-spent many times over, especially by outside PACs that used questionable tactics.  (There couldn’t possibly have been any coordination there, right?)

Finally, the story of the attempted undemocratic subversion of union support for Ortega’s campaign is a story that has yet to be told — but will be.  Local labor stalwarts will never be forgotten for their courage.  It is exactly what the American labor movement needs: courage and independence from any political machine.  The same appreciation should be given to council member Steve Kozachik, Senator Sally Ann Gonzales, Alma and Consuelo Hernandez, and many more people who stood strong for the community.  People will not forget those who stood up to Duh Machine — nor those who selfishly worked against our community.

There are many lessons to be learned, mistakes that need to be rectified, but the fact is that Tucson’s grassroots movement for political accountability has only gotten stronger and more united.  The campaign forced the bureaucracy to finally answer phone calls, fix pot holes, and be responsive in ways they hadn’t for the past 3-1/2 years.  Can you imagine how much worse it would be if there were no opposition to them in this election?  They already think they’re untouchable elite gods.  They no longer think that as much.

For an old veteran like me, I found the Ortega campaign inspiring to watch.  It seemed to be a fantastic bonding of diverse people, many who have never worked together before, but who have now developed special bonds and connections that would never have happened if Miguel Ortega had not taken on the thankless task of confronting the rotten status quo that dominates our local politics.  Miguel — and his wonderful family — deserve a hell of a lot of credit from all neighborhood activists, union members, and concerned citizens for helping to wake up more people and teaching everybody how to fight better for the next round.

And the next round is certainly coming… 

(… for they will “never harness our tongues…”)

YourBogman, Scott Egan

VOTE BY AUGUST 1

IF YOU HAVE NOT MAILED YOUR BALLOT BY NOW FOR THE AUGUST 1ST DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY, THEN DELIVER IT OR FILL OUT THE BALLOT IN PERSON.

For more details, including how to vote in person on or before Election Day, check the City Elections “Find A Polling Place” HERE.

You can hand deliver your ballot to any of the city’s designated locations. * Dept. of Housing at 310 N. Commerce Park Loop
* El Pueblo Neighborhood Center at 101 W. Irvington
* The Donna Liggins (NW) Center at 2160 N. 6th Avenue

* Pima County Recorder Downtown Office at 240 N. Stone Avenue
* Pima County Recorder Elections Dept. at 6550 S. Country Club Road ===================================

PLEASE BE SURE TO VOTE FOR MIGUEL ORTEGA FOR WARD 1 ===================================

Primary Election notice: WE’VE WON!

YES, I know, the election isn’t until next Tuesday, so how can I claim that we have already won? Am I a clairvoyant? Do I have a slate of phony electors to substitute the real ones with? (Yeah, I know we don’t do that). Well, how dare I say we have already won? Allow me to explain…

It was just a few short months ago that some of us neighborhood and community activists were bewailing what looked like a free run of no opposition for council member Lane Santa Cruz (LSC). Thank whatever deity, Miguel Ortega stepped forward and we could not have found anyone more fit for the job, but at the time we were desperate to find ANYONE who would at least put their name on the ballot just so there would be some type — any type — of opposition. That is what democracy is supposed to be about: the competition between different ideas on how to run things, presented to the voters for their

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choice. Who likes a one party state or having only one candidate to vote for? Yet in spite of a terrible performance in office, it seemed like LSC would get a free ride, thereby encouraging her lack of accountability and responsiveness, the very features everyone seemed to be complaining most about. A free ride could only make things worse. (“See! Everyone LOVES ME!”). Ugh.

Such apathy seemed inconceivable to me at the time. How could no one care about her legendary lack effort in constituent services (except if you need a bike fixed). LSC has alienated whole swaths of people with her highly unpopular moves: from ignoring the concerns of south-side residents near La Cholla/36th and the dangerous traffic fiasco created on So. 12th Avenue to infuriating west- side residents in trying to amputate El Rio from Ward 1 with her redistricting shenanigans. The there was her “Defund the Police” vote in opposition to the Tucson Police Budget — promoting collective punishment on the entire department because of a few bad incidents. Even her fellow council members

know that her endemic lack of response to constituent calls for assistance have forced many to contact the other council offices to get some help. As one constituent noted to us:

“After trying over and over again to get a call back from Lane without any success, I finally tried a new

tactic: I showed up at one of her stupid bike riding promotion events and finally got to talk with her, if only very briefly. That is the only way I have found to be able to reach her.”

Recently however (and not coincidently during campaign season)— her office has been bragging about all the phone calls they are now making — we assume to make up for the nearly four years of ignoring everyone. I was told someone who has been trying to reach her for a year just recently got their call back! That is a VICTORY of sorts, ¿qué no? LSC is at least play-acting like she cares, now that she realizes that people are having a choice to dump her on the August 1st.

Pot holes that went unfilled for years on our south and west sides are starting to be fixed. The historic El Rio Neighborhood Center, which has been left in total disrepair and decomposition for years is now getting a massive make over. LSC even started a phony “Participatory Budget” show to supposedly allow residents a say in the budget process — while prohibiting people (like me) from seeing public records of her own office’s expenditures (in violation of State law). LSC is even pretending that she should be given credit for projected improvements at Joaquin Murrieta Park (like people are too dumb to know they actually voted for the bonds to improve it, and she deserves no credit).

“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.”

— Carl Jung

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All of these recent attempts by LSC and the Ward 1 staff to finally begin to do their job — things that should have been done for the past 4 years — can be attributable to one cause: THE CAMPAIGN OF MIGUEL ORTEGA. One can only speculate how many of those phone calls would never have been returned and how many potholes would not be fixed if she had no opposition. “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” said Fredrick Douglas, and it is the Ortega campaign that has demanded accountability and we are, finally, getting a little bit of responsiveness. SO THIS IS THE FIRST GREAT VICTORY — LSC AND HER STAFF HAVE FINALLY STARTED TO GET TO WORK.

The second great victory we have achieved in this campaign is the exposure of the inherently corrupt political structure in the City of Tucson. This includes our rotten election laws, which promote the proliferation of “dark” money from outside political action committees along with a lazy and compliant press. Whether it be the “Clean Elections” scam (which should be known as the “Incumbent Protection Act”) or the City Attorney’s utter lack of enforcement of campaign rules for LSC’s benefit, the system is wracked with corruption on behalf of those in power. I mean really, have you ever seen so many ads everywhere — mailings, newspaper postings, even YouTube ads — for a simple city council primary race? This nonsense is supplemented by a media of sycophants too afraid to challenge the powers-that-be for fear of losing their access to power or loss of revenue for the flood of campaign ads besmirching their pages.

If you look at the flood of propaganda pieces being sent out in support of LSC, you will see how many of them (almost all) are being sent by outside Political Action Committees (PACs): there is the notorious Mijente PAC (where LSC sent 12 people on an expense-paid trip to Philly) and the mis-named “Working Families Party” PAC from the East Coast, along with LUCHA PAC from Phoenix, and who knows who else might show up before the end. All of these out of town PAC’s are flooding LSC’s campaign coffers with money and resources which, frankly, should raise the rankles of every self-respecting Tucsonan. Maybe it will, we will know soon enough.

Yet all the local press seems obsessed with is a PAC called the Arizona Prosperity Initiative that put ONE hit piece out on LSC highlighting her votes against the police budget. Supposedly this PAC is tied to some Trump/Kari Lake promoter, which proves the Ortega campaign is directed by

fascists, no? Sick stuff.

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”

— George Bernard Shaw

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Doesn’t anyone (other than me) find it ironic that this McCarthite tactic against Miguel is being used by the same people from Regina Romero’s last campaign who had an outright and a prominent GOP/Trump operative as HER CO-CHAIR FOR HER MAYORAL CAMPAIGN! There was no outrage from our local media moguls, no clutching of their bleeding hearts, about a Trumpite running a Tucson Mayoral campaign. But some right-winger with no connection to Ortega gets the media’s knickers in a twist which has them shamelessly implying a totally unsubstantiated guilt by association. (There IS no guilt, because there is no association.) What blatant hypocrisy.

I received a call from a reporter who wanted to know if I had any ties with this right wing “Prosperity” PAC because their mailer had a photo of the Mijente party in Philly saying “spending your taxpayer dollars on vacations!” The reporter found it curious that only we at BOG NEWS had exposed the junket and only the righty PAC had picked it up. I explained that Bog News goes out to hundreds of people so I don’t know who ends up with it or how, but agreed that I TOO FOUND IT CURIOUS THE PRESS HAS NOT PICKED UP ON THE MIJENTE DEAL (!), especially as the

documentation was provided to all of them.

(I don’t think the reporter got my point).
There has been no follow-up since it was suggested that the money listed in the Ward 1 budget was from a “grant.” Nobody has ever seen this “grant” and I presume none of the press asked for it. We still don’t know the 12 lucky LSC supporters who got an expense paid trip to Philly to party.

The lies emanating from the LSC camp is also quite revealing. In the latest hit- piece claims — with the endorsement of the Mijente, Lucha, WFP, and Planned Parenthood — that Miguel “refuses to answer whether he supports abortion rights.” Yet all the press (or anyone else) has to do to refute this is to go on the Ortega web site (ortegaforcouncil.com) and read his public position on the issue:

“I believe in easy access to contraception and abortion, and I believe overturning Roe was wrong. I will make sure we do everything in the City’s power to protect reproductive rights.”

Sounds like a pretty clear answer to me. I have been a financial supporter of Planned Parenthood for many decades, but no more. If two candidates are running with the same position on reproductive rights and PP favors one over the other, they better explain. As far as I know, gender is the only difference between the candidates on the abortion issue. I have the organization for an

“Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in.”

— Leonard Cohen

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explanation, and I am still waiting. Maybe I will get a response AFTER the election.

Of course, without an independent media acting as public watchdogs, these lies are spread by LSC and her PACs without any challenge or refutation. The hit piece even used the Arizona Daily Star for distortion, putting in quotes an attack on Miguel about being “nasty and divisive” and attributing it to the “Arizona Daily Star of July 2” — thereby giving the impression that this was an editorial by the Star rather than what it was: a nasty letter to the editor by one of LSC’s cronies. Yet the Star remains silent on all of this crap, even when they are used like a tool.

This collusion between the press and the politicos would probably not have been so obviously exposed to the public if not for the Ortega campaign. Those who wanted to give the Arizona Daily Star or the Tucson Sentinel the benefit of the doubt that they would be objective have now learned from direct experience what “manufacturing consent” is all about. Does anyone remember when “The Skinny” in the Tucson Weekly used to kick ass on a regular basis? Most contemporary reporters now are milquetoast wallflowers afraid of writing something that might annoy someone, somewhere. Many of my liberal friends who used to be so enamored by these local media rags now see for themselves what dupes to power these boujee bootlickers have become.

SO PEOPLE WAKING UP TO REALITY OF A WORTHLESS LOCAL PRESS IS ANOTHER GREAT VICTORY to which we can thank Miguel Ortega.

But even with the establishment’s full-court press to favor the incumbent, some truth has squeaked through the cracks. For example, our illustrious Boss Tweed-like Mayor (look it up) has decided to enter the Primary fray by publicly declaring she knows that Miguel’s heart is full of “hate.” Again, no one in the media has taken notice: the Mayor of Tucson has accused a fellow

Democrat, one that she may have to serve with on the city council, of having a heart full of HATE. Wow.
This is not something that happens every day, even in whacked-out Arizona. But she can vomit forth such tripe seemingly without question by any reporter.

Like the lies spread by LSC that Miguel is anti-choice, this description of a “hateful” Miguel would be laughable to those who know him if it was not so sickening. But we must give credit to the one good quote afforded him by Jim

“One story everyone can safely cover is how much we hate each other. There’s no institutional or commercial taboo that story violates.”

― Matt Taibbi, from “Hate, Inc.”

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Nintzel in the Sentinel, HERE where we can see the validity of this “hate” claim directed against Miguel by Her “Honor”:

“I have a grocery list of reasons why I’m running against Lane. And none of those reasons are based on hatred for Lane,” Ortega tells Nintzel…
“In fact, I’ve often said that I like Lane very much. If it wasn’t for the stark differences that we have in policy, I would be campaigning for her.”

—Miguel Ortega

Does this sound like a real toxic right-wing anti-abortion trash-talking misogynistic macho figure bursting with pure hate against this innocent brown woman they are trying to convince the voter he is? In fact, while Lane (and her outside PACs) have flooded the mail demanding: “Miguel, leave the trash talk where it belongs!” no one can cite one friggin’ example of him trash-talking against Lane (or anyone else). Why does the press not hold public candidates for office accountable for these lies and slanders? (Answer: because they want to promote the slanders).

Similarly, LSC and her stooges have been busy claiming that the delay in the financial reporting by the Ortega campaign proves there is corruption and dark forces that they are trying to hide from the public. WTF? The Ortega campaign doesn’t have over $100,000 like they do to hire people to run the campaign. We have volunteers who are sweating blood and operating on a shoe-string budget to get the message out. One of those unpaid (and under-appreciated) persons tasked to do the financial reports got sick (with his whole family) when the report was due — on top of a full time job to deal with. It is not some big criminal conspiracy to send in the report late, and the report has since been filed and can be found HERE. Read it yourself.

Does the report show that the delay in reporting was due to Ortega hiding all the “dark” money contributions, as slanderously asserted by city crony Karen Uhlich and chief Menlo Park gentrifier and former
Regina aide Mac Hudson?

The exact opposite is true; a review of the report
shows no “dark money” — just the opposite: that the
Ortega campaign actually SENT BACK donations
from developers, something LSC has refused to do (“they are my friends” she says). Again, where is the press on this? The financial facts obviously don’t match the false narrative Duh Machine has tried to sell to the voting public.

“I can’t believe what you say because I see what you do.”

– James Baldwin

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Also, if you are looking at the financial statements, look at all the money LSC spent for for printing other campaign stuff paid to companies from outside of Tucson — (Chicago and Berkeley) instead of a local union shop like The Gloo Factory. Very progressive of them. Very supportive of local business they claim to love. They probably aren’t even union shops.

Finally, the Ortega for Council campaign has been victorious in BRINGING TOGETHER A DIVERSITY OF PEOPLE who are working tirelessly for a cause bigger than themselves and their own self interest. Young and old, male and female, straight and gay, brown and white, in the Ward and out (but mostly in) we have all formed a bond and maintained our integrity in the face of Duh Machine with a war chest many times larger along with a mean vindictive streak against anyone who dares to question them. Some of our best supporters will not use their name or go public with their support in fear of what Duh Machine will do to them. Thankfully, we have seen the unification and solidarity of people who may have had conflicts with each other in the past, have even been political opponents (we love you Sami!), but who have all come together for a common cause: to elect a council person who serves the community first.

When all is said and done, the final financial reporting will probably show that the Ortega campaign was outspent 10 to 1, but as the fight against TEP Proposition has shown, money doesn’t always decide everything. Sometimes people see through the hype and actually vote for real change.

The strength of Miguel Ortega is that he
understands that, while he may be the “head
figure” of the campaign, the effort is part of a
broader movement bigger than just the
promotion of one individual. The Ortega
campaign didn’t plaster the candidate’s face in
a narcissistic attempt to promote image over content (do they think we’re so dumb to believe we’re voting for Frida Kahlo?). He hasn’t trash talked — but they certainly have.

The Ward 1 movement formed around Ortega demands fairness: in redistricting, in the equal distribution of resources for everyone in the ward, in dealing respectfully with people no matter their race or origins or gender, in short: a movement that treats everyone — car drivers and bike riders, west-siders and south-siders— with equal respect.

I think our progressive coalition could possibly win this election in spite of everything thrown against us, but I also believe we have already won quite a bit.

“It is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.”

— Leo Tolstoy

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Whatever happens, everyone (including Bog readers) are welcome to our “Victory” Party on election day August 1st, starting at 7 pm at Mariscos Chihuahua in Barrio Hollywood (although some of us may start drinking earlier!). Come and share a toast with us and share with us on WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY WON! Hopefully, our victory will also include the election of a new council member in Ward 1.

A final thought from Chris Hedges:

“Perhaps in our lifetimes we will not succeed. Perhaps things will only get worse. But this does not invalidate our efforts. Rebellion — which is different from revolution because it is perpetual alienation from power rather than the replacement of one power system with another — should be our natural state.”============================================================

PUBLIC SERVICE NOTE: OPEN MIC FRIDAY, AUG. 4TH!

The Barrio Hollywood Open Mic will continue, without, alas, the man who made it all happen: Ray Armstrong. In his memory we will try to keep his vision alive. Hollywood Open Mics will be on the First Friday of each month, the next one being August 4th at the historic Trini Alvarez El Rio Golf Course at 1400 W. Speedway starting a 6 PM.

Our theme for the month will be THE BLUES, in honor of International Blues Music Day, and the fine folks at El Rio Golf are making up a special menu (rumor has it that it includes pulled pork and other goodies!).

PLEASE SUPPORT BARRIO HOLLYWOOD, EL RIO, AND THE BLUES!============================================================

“In politics stupidity is not a handicap.”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

LETTERS! The following are (great) Letters to the Editor of the Az Daily Star:
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Another election year, and the westside Joaquín Murietta Park is again “discovered” by City officials. In 1970, hundreds of westside residents fought to create Joaquín Murietta Park so that our kids would have somewhere to play and swim and families could gather. As Western Little League parents and officials in the 1980s-1990s, we worked with many parents to make sure our park and swimming pool were maintained. We helped develop a Joaquín Murietta Master Plan.

Last election cycle, the Ward One Council office trotted out the Joaquín Murietta Master Plan. Once the election was over, Murietta Park was tossed aside. Another election year, and again, Murietta Park is “discovered.” The disrepair of Murietta Park is disgraceful. The beautiful green space of yesteryear is today a neglected brown space. A tree is growing in the long-shuttered swimming pool! We urge Ward One residents to vote for Miguel Ortega for City Council – he listens to and respects the people whose taxes sustain the City.

Salomón R. Baldenegro and Cecilia Cruz

I am an avid golfer and my favorite course has always been Trini Alvarez El Rio Golf Course. I was very happy (as were many others) when west-side residents protested the city’s plan to sell off El Rio to private developers. The local activists joined in solidarity with the golfers and we scuttled the plan (hoping the city learned their lesson).

However in a political act of retribution against those who preserved the treasured green space, council member Lane Santa Cruz attempted to redistrict the El Rio precinct out of Ward 1, clearly trying to carve up and divide the unity of west-side barrios as punishment for their successful efforts on behalf of all those who favor green space and recreational opportunities over the destruction of such.

Ward 1 deserves a council member who doesn’t divide, but listens. For this reason I encourage every west and south side voter to vote for (D)Miguel Ortega happening now.

— Jim Duffy Westside

I was relieved to read Regina Romero’s newsletter on what went wrong with the 36th St and La Cholla housing plans. In legalese, she admitted: The city put the cart before the horse. There were NO zoning meetings or hearings; just meetings about the layout for the subdivision!? Governance without representation is not a NIMBY stance; it is unconstitutional. Westside residents spent many City Council meetings watching final zoning hearings while we were denied the whole process. Why? Because the city used ‘Flexible Lot Development (FLD)’ to sleaze past what the city now acknowledges as a ‘Major Change of Condition’. What a sweet deal to kiss developers into Tucson to fill housing needs!

Thanks to Steve Kozachik and Kevin Dahl, who listened and voted with us, we were able to curve ball around FLD. Now YOUR Neighborhood doesn’t have to fight to rezone for cluster housing!! Lane Santa Cruz and Romero supported the developer. Please vote for Miguel Ortega.

Martha Lynne Southwest side

Lane Santa Cruz has suggested that those who opposed the change of annexation at 36th/La Cholla represent a “loud minority.” In 2005, 800 neighbors successfully opposed a 225 housing development here. Jose Ibarra, supported constituents and called for the City to establish a fund to preserve open space—land catty corner was being preserved. In 2020, June-November, dedicated Westside neighbors collected 476 signatures from our richly diverse neighborhood. 472 people opposed removal of annexation and dense-packed development. 31 people wrote emails expressing opposition. These were sent to M&C 11/20/20 with documents outlining opposition reasons: the Tumamoc Area Plan, traffic, environment. On 2/8/2022 M&C (save two) voted to remove the annexation promising verbally to preserve some open space and include 14 units affordable housing: units now gone. LSC disrespects the people who worked long hours to make sure their neighbors’ views were heard. Vote for Miguel Ortega who respects community neighborhood activism.

Yvonne Reineke West side

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Last year, Council Member Lane Santa Cruz approved TEP’s proposal to build an electric substation in flood and erosion zones in Ward 1, which could put at least eight westside neighborhoods at risk of power outages in the event of a flood. As a Certified Floodplain Manager, I and over a dozen other floodplain professionals know this site is dangerous because it has been flooded many times. Unfortunately, Santa Cruz approved the plan without consulting experts. We had a meeting at Ward 1 in March 2023 (long after the approval) to express our safety concerns to Santa Cruz, who did not attend.

According to campaign finance reports, two months later Santa Cruz accepted the maximum legally allowable campaign donation from a TEP vice president.

Ward 1 deserves a representative who will listen to experts and prioritize public safety and neighborhood concerns over TEP’s profits. Miguel Ortega will listen to all his constituents and has pledged to not take money from TEP, which is why I support his campaign.

Steve Dolan Westside

Communication between the Ward 1 office and constituents is weak, in my experience. When the news broke about the City Council voting to convey 10 acres near downtown to the Tohono O’odham, I had many questions as I would with any developer. My letter to my council person, Lane Santa Cruz, included questions about what type of development might be under consideration (housing, a hotel, a casino?), what zoning would be applied and would nearby residents have a say in the decision-making.

The reply was tardy and ignored my questions. I received a tutorial on the historical injustices toward Indigenous Peoples. I replied that although I haven’t been here for centuries — and I am aware of the host of injustices wrongly placed on tribal members — I was born at St. Mary’s Hospital and have been a property owner in Barrio Hollywood for 45 years.

My questions should have been answered. I voted for Lane Santa Cruz once, but in the August Democratic Primary, I will vote for Miguel Ortega.

Debbie Collazo Barrio Hollywood

As a Tucson Native, neighborhood activist for over 30 years and Ward lll resident since 1968 I would like to ask you to consider giving your support to Miguel Ortega for Ward l councilperson.

I had the pleasure of working with Miguel when he was a Ward lll council aide. Miguel helped our neighborhood navigate issues with his calm, caring manner. He was always responsive to our questions, willing to help find the answers in a timely manner.

You can learn more about the issues Miguel is concerned about in the June 25th Newsletter of Tucson Crime Free Coalition. It is an article from the Arizona Republic featuring interviews of our primary candidates. It is a very informative article about most of the candidates in the Tucson primary. Unfortunately Mayor Romero and Councilperson Santa Cruz did not respond to the questions.

Please take time to read all of the candidates statements. They are telling and we must be an informed electorate for the health of our city.

Jane Evans Northside

I received our esteemed Representative Grijalva’s endorsement for the Tucson City Council Ward One incumbent. Not so much surprised, but disappointed that Grijalva would be unaware of the lack of leadership, interest and involvement the incumbent, Lane Santa Cruz has shown for her Ward One constituency during her first and hopefully last term. Raul Grijalva has built a sterling reputation in our community from his days on the TUSD Board, as a Pima County Supervisor and for the last several years as southern Arizona’s Congressman.

However, Grijalva should sit this one out and not reward the incumbent with his endorsement. Especially, when it’s obvious that Miguel Ortega challenging Santa Cruz for the Council seat, brings the kind of commitment and passion that Raul Grijalva has shown for decades. I urge the Tucson Ward One voters to support Miguel Ortega and bring back true representation and leadership to the south and west sides.

Jerry Anderson
Downtown
(Former city council member from Ward 3)

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As a neighborhood advocate for over 30 years and a resident of Ward 3 for longer than that, I have seen a multitude of people running for local office and have worked to help a few of them get elected. I am supporting Miguel Ortega for the Ward 1 City Council seat because he has proven that he cares about the integrity of the barrios, about building up our less advantaged neighbors and organizing residents so that they can have input into the decisions that impact them where they live. He does not belittle those who do not agree with him. Instead, he listens to people, he is open to new ideas and above all, he knows how to get a job done. I have seen none of those qualities in the incumbent who has had three years in office and very little to show for it. Miguel Ortega was a darn good council aide in Ward 3 for 5 years and when he resigned from his position it was when the office was doing some of its best work with constituents. Unlike his Ward 1 opponent, Miguel believes that decisions affecting residents need to be open and above board. Miguel will be a uniter, not a divider, and he will be a full-time council member, who responds to constituents’ concerns while being respectful of all constituents, other council members and City staff. Vote for change, vote Miguel Ortega

Bonnie Poulos Midtown

As a citizen of Ward 1 I was excited to vote for Santa Cruz and Romero in 2019, but cannot support either of them today because:

1. 1)  the City broke its annexation promise to this area at 36th/La Cholla;
2. 2)  2) the Tucson water rate increases that charge less to commercial and more to residential customers (even though Phoenix charges all customers at the same rate);
3. 3)  3) the many years requesting a bus line that runs down La Cholla and Greasewood to connect the west side with PCC and St Mary’s medical center (just to get to St Mary’s Rd by bus you have to travel east of I-10 to 6th Ave then travel north);
4. 4)  4) approval of TEP’s Cottonwood substation along an unstable area of the Santa Cruz River bank and
5. 5)  5) the lack of response or acknowledgement from the Ward 1 and Mayor offices to email or phone messages. I am supporting Miguel Ortega because we deserve better representation for all residents.Abreeza Zegeer Westside

July 12 writer stated in the Star that we should read “an article from The Arizona Republic featuring interviews of our primary candidates,” to learn more about the issues Miguel Ortega is concerned about.

Hmmm? So, Tucsonans should be learning about our LOCAL candidates from the Phoenix newspaper, rather than seeing their responses to well thought-out questions posed by our LOCAL newspaper, The Arizona Daily Star? The Star did an excellent job laying out specific questions, tied to issues of interest to LOCAL Tucson residents (rather than Phoenix concerns). This IS the LOCAL Ward 1 seat that they are campaigning for. That writer added, “Unfortunately Mayor Romero and Councilperson Santa Cruz did not respond to the questions” posed by the Phoenix questionnaire, while ignoring that they were both very direct and specific in their responses to the LOCAL questionnaire, although her preferred candidate was not as direct in his. Incidentally, I reside in Ward 1, the other writer resides in Ward 3.

John Roldan

I had to laugh at the mailer in support of Lane Santa Cruz that I received. Referring to her opponent in the Ward 1 Democratic primary race, it blares in large type, all caps, “Miguel, Leave the Trash Talk Where it Belongs.”

Whoever concocted that hasn’t seen the video recently released of Lane Santa Cruz confronting Tucson Police in 2020 as they tried to manage a volatile crowd situation. Her language was worse than trash talk. This was a city council member talking to police who were having rocks and water bottles thrown at them.

Miguel Ortega is the best candidate in Ward 1. He will bring people together, not alienate them.

Debbie Collazo West side

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Note from a reader:
About Lane’s “trash talk mailer” against Miguel:

As I’ve understood it in the past, independent expenditure campaigns cannot coordinate with a candidate’s campaign.

The “trash talk” mailer included that it was “Paid for by the WFP National PAC (www.workingfamilles.org). Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.”

This would lead one to believe it’s an independent expenditure.

The address from which it was sent — 734 W Polk St in Phoenix — is the same as that listed for the registered agent of Mijente, Marisa Franco.

Mijente PAC is running several aspects of Lane’s campaign.

WHO IS MARISA FRANCO?

Inquiring minds would want to know, but unfortunately there are no such minds in the Tucson media world. But WE know who she is… (and we ain’t sayin’).

Finally: a Letter to the Editor that the Daily Star REFUSED TO PRINT (from your Bog Man):

I concur with other Ward 1 voters who have expressed disappointment with council member Lane Santa Cruz.

In spite of her promotion of “participatory budgeting” I have made numerous requests to see the Ward 1 budget which included the payment of over $15,000 of taxpayer dollars for roundtrip airline tickets and individual hotel rooms at the Sheraton Philadelphia for twelve people to attend a festival
to “explore multi-media experiences featuring trending Latinz initiatives, dance, or peruse the feria” and “whatever feels right to you!”

Sponsored by an organization called “Mijente” they are a Political Action Committee “supporting Lane by making a contribution to Mijente PAC today.”

Arizona Law [Title 39] requires that these records

“shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.” but no response seems to be standard practice at Ward 1.

We can change to a more responsive city council in the Primary Election if voters check the name of Miguel Ortega and mail in their ballots by August 1. Please do so!

Scott D. Egan Barrio Hollywood

MIGUEL: WIN LOSE OR DRAW: THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS STANDING WITH US!

EL RIO BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE!

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… AND THANK YOU STEVE K — let us hope you will no longer be the lone voice of reason at City Hall!

“Local government is your first and most direct touch with public services. If we don’t answer our phone or respond to your email, your options for getting answers are reduced to you trying to navigate a huge and largely unresponsive bureaucracy on your own. I am supporting Miguel Ortega for the Ward 1 city council seat because I have seen his constituent service work during his time as chief of staff in the Ward 3 council office, and I know he gets it.

Constituent services takes numerous forms. Yes, it’s helping you address issues such as accessing city services. And yet it’s also representing your interests on macro-scale issues such as rezonings, preserving your quality of life and standing strong in the face of challenges from institutional threats that may be counter to your interests.

During the rezoning of the Benedictine Monastery, I took action that ended with the preservation of that iconic structure in perpetuity, even at the threat of prolonged litigation. During the proposed rezoning of 6th Street and Campbell I joined with neighbors saying “no” to a proposed redevelopment. We said “come back and talk when you’ve got a reasonable proposal.” One year later we’re back at the table trying to find that proposal with the development team.

On a similar note I know Miguel Ortega would have stood firmly in opposition to the proposed development of La Cholla and 36th Street. He would not have given up the open space, treated constituents dismissively, and walked away from commitments made at the time the area was annexed. And he certainly would not have followed giving into the rezoning by now taking money from the development team. I know we share the value of forcing the hard community engagement that may have ended with a “no, come back when you have a reasonable proposal.” That’s not what ward 1 residents got.

During the runup to the proposed TEP franchise agreement vote I was the only member of the mayor and city council who openly opposed the deal. For west side residents it proposed using your money for the next 10 years to promote the aesthetics of other parts of the city and scattering crumbs of dollars onto undefined climate work — with no guarantee that even that would end up in your neighborhood. The voters saw through what the rest of the mayor and council supported and voted Prop 412 down. In contrast, Miguel Ortega had the courage and integrity to write his own editorial in opposition to Prop 412. I have invited TEP back to the negotiating table. A table that next time will include members from the community. That’s a value I know I share with Miguel.

When it comes to defending values and joining forces with constituents Miguel has shown by his actions he will hear you. When others proposed closing Manzo Elementary School, Miguel was there to oppose that action. It was 2012 and I worked alongside Miguel and others to preserve not only Manzo but also Sewell Elementary school in Ward 6. While 11 schools were closed, because our advocacy TUSD spared Manzo and Sewell. When others wanted to sell off El Rio golf course, Miguel and his team came out in opposition. I was there openly voicing that same opposition. The proposed sale to Grand Canyon College was eventually stopped and instead upgrades to Joaquin Murrietta Park were funded. I know our teamwork would have preserved 36th and La Cholla until an appropriate development was agreed on — with community involvement. And we just demonstrated that we can effectively push back against the large local utility until an appropriate proposal is ready to go to the voters.

The ballots will be mailed out July 5th. The primary election for the Ward 1 seat will decide who wins in November. Do not sit out the primary. Vote for your seat at the table, vote for your voice in the conversation, vote for excellent constituent services, vote for responsible use of your tax dollars, and vote for somebody who has a track record of standing up to institutional challenges to your values. Vote for somebody who will represent you, and who has a history of doing exactly that.

I would appreciate you joining me in supporting Miguel Ortega by casting your ballot for him as the new Ward 1 city council representative.”

Steve Kozachik, Ward 6 City Council Member

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The Primary Election for the Tucson City Council is August 1, but if you are mailing your ballot the city suggests you need to have in the mailbox by tomorrow, July 25.

Please, if you are a resident in Ward 1 and are a Democrat (or requested a Democratic Party ballot) VOTE FOR MIGUEL ORTEGA WARD 1!

Thanks!

Scott

Dear Fellow Resident of Tucson:
BOG NEWS
June 2023

This is the email you may have been warned about by Ward 1 council member Lane Santa Cruz!
THANK YOU!

A huge THANK YOU to the many folks who came out for the musical memorial for our brother Ray (Monchi) Armstrong. Sponsored by the Barrio Hollywood Neighborhood Association at the El Rio Golf Course — two entities he truly loved and supported. It was a particularly touching event.

A special shout out to Raul Perez who helped coordinate the musicians (i.e. herd chickens), and to Monchi’s family and many friends.
A special thanks to all the performers, most of whom are regulars at Hollywood’s First Friday Open Mics, and in particular the heart-warming contribution by Bobby Ronstadt, who sang a number of original songs written by Ray Armstrong.

We hope that the First Friday Open Mics will continue at El Rio after our regularly scheduled July break. Thank you again fellow Tucsonans; you make us proud to live in the Ol’ Pueblo.

See you in August!

If a loyal subject of Her Majesty’s P.C. Kingdom, you are discouraged from considering any other perspective but what has been fed to you by your masters, and you should resolutely reject the temptation to further your understanding of what is happening in the City of Tucson by reading Bog News or any other dangerously independent source of information.

George Orwell once said: ”If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” But what did he know? Whatever you do, do not read the attached Bog News newsletter, no matter how tempted you might be to see what the hubbub is all about.

Remember: ignorance is bliss. You are not anti-bliss now, are ya? Don’t read the following! Don’t you know everything you need to know already? Facts are only confusing! Resist the lure of being educated by another perspective! Don’t read any more!!! Delete! Fast Forward!

Scott D. Egan (the Bogman)
Editor, Bog News
Barrio Hollywood, Tucson

IS THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW SOMETHING “SHADY?”

It started out as a simple public records request for information on the City of Tucson’s Ward 1 budget. Bog News is always on the lookout for information that might be of interest to the neighborhood and community activists who make up the hundreds of involved residents on our mailing list, and we are so lucky that our committed readers submit information to us for our review to share with you — important issues that are often ignored by the local news media who can barely hold on to their already depleted workforce, as witnessed by the recent layoff of 1/4 of Az Daily Star reporters (HERE). When was the last time anyone from the news media looked at the budgets of local politicos?

I received credible information about the expenses incurred by council member Lane Santa Cruz (LSC), claiming she has over-spent her the Ward 1 budget every year since elected almost four years ago, which indicated some of the reasons why her expenditures were so high.

My public records request asked for information about Ward 1’s payment of 12 airline tickets for flights to Philadelphia at a cost of over $8,000 along with another $7,000+ for hotel rooms at the “Sheraton Philadelphia” in the final months of 2022.

Likewise, In April/May of this year, there are nine items for over $5,000 for “United” hotel expenses, along with other questionable costs, that should — but will never — be investigated.

Who are these individuals being paid with city taxpayer dollars to travel across the country by the city, and for what reason?
Council member Lane Santa Cruz using her City of Tucson website and resources to attack her political opponents.
ILLEGAL AND SHADY! Whatever the reasons turn out to be, do you think taxpayers like you have a right to know how your dollars are being spent? If not, “delete and fast forward” as Willie says!
EVEN WILLIE IS TELLING YOU TO DELETE THIS EMAIL!

Delete and Fast-Forward by Willie Nelson

Delete and fast-forward, my friend
The wars are all over and nobody wins
But don’t worry too much, just drive you crazy, my friend
So delete and fast-forward, my friend.

Delete and fast-forward, my son
The elections are over and nobody won
You think it’s all endin’ but it’s just settin’ in
So delete and fast-forward, my friend.

Delete and fast-forward again
It’s just one big circle and it’s beginning to end
What’s next was now and what’s now is now again
So delete and fast-forward again.

Delete and fast-forward the news
The truth is the truth, but believe what you choose
When we blow the whole world back to where it began
Just delete and fast-forward again.

Delete and fast-forward again
It’s just one big circle and it’s beginning to end
What’s next was now, what’s now is now again
And so delete and fast-forward again.

Had a chance to be brilliant and we blew it again
So delete and fast-forward, my friend
Delete and fast-forward again.

The responses to my requests for information from the City Clerk and the City Attorney were obfuscation, diversion, and delay — as expected. But the unhinged response by the council member was not only factually wrong, but potentially illegal. Using her official city newsletter she claimed that “candidates and their supporters lacking a strong community base may resort to filing a public records request” and stating that she wants to “make y’all aware that the campaign team for the opposing candidate running for Ward 1 chose to go this route…”

In furtherance of her attack on her political rivals, LSC asserts that “email lists don’t translate into strong community connections or relationships.” She also labeled an appropriate public records request “a legal but shady campaign tactic.”

LSC may or may not be correct that email lists don’t translate into community connections. Her office’s unrelenting troll of emails, tweets, and facebook self promotions are clearly sent out with the specific purpose of trying to use them to “translate into community support” for her own election. Whether she is successful in employing what she describes as a “shady tactic” — i.e., using city emails for political purposes — will be determined by Ward 1 Democrats (and Independents) who vote in the Democratic Primary Election on and before August the 1st. (Independents need to request a Democratic ballot).

That said, LSC is wrong that the public records request came from any campaign: they came from me ALONE — and not from any candidate or campaign.

Full disclosure: I supported Miguel Ortega when he ran for the same office 4 years ago and am doing so again now for the Democratic Primary. I have known Miguel for many years and he has been a strong supporter of Westside issues: opposing the sale of over 100 acres of El Rio urban green space for private development, coordinating Barrio Hollywood’s Fiesta Grande, fighting against gerrymandered redistricting plans to dilute the unity of Westside barrios (lead by LSC, by the way). I am hoping to donate the full $500 individual limit to his campaign when my next social security check arrives and I will do everything I can to depose LSC from her seat for many reasons articulated in Bog News. Those who wish to support a candidate who will represent ALL the people and interested in helping Miguel can make their own contributions at: https://www.ortegaforcouncil.com or click HERE. I don’t hide my positions!
War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.

—“1984” by George Orwell

If Miguel doesn’t win the Primary, I will certainly consider supporting the Republican running for the seat (if she isn’t some loco MAGAt neo-cultist). My father, may he rest in peace, had a simple formula at election time: he would always vote against the incumbent. He said his reasoning was based on his belief that “the longer these thieves are in office the more they figure out ways to rob money from our pockets.” I didn’t agree with him back then, but that was when I was young and knew virtually everything.

So let’s be clear: I support Miguel Ortega for Ward 1, but neither he nor any of his fine campaign workers ever asked me to make a public records request and I never told any of them that I would before I did so: not that there would have been anything wrong with any campaign making such a request. If the information I receive helps to defeat LSC I won’t be unhappy, but her accusation that a political campaign was behind the records request is a lie. I should note that misinformation is nothing new from Ward 1: on one of her recent newsletters she printed that the Primary Election is on August 2nd — it is on August 1. (Personally, I would not discourage any of her sycophantic supporters in showing up to vote the day after the election: you should do what your master tells you!)

MY OWN “SHADY” HISTORY WITH PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS

My first “PRR” request was just for the Ward 1 budget information, but after this simple request seemed like it was being “punted” by the bureaucracy, I renewed my request but added an additional one: the official Ward 1 city email list — the list which LSC uses to promote her candidacy and disparage her political opponents.

A primary reason I write Bog News is because I had spent over 20 years working in city and county government as the chief of staff for two city council members (both Democrats) and one member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors (a Republican). I know the games the politicos and their staff play, which makes it easier to expose their shenanigans — because I played the same game (and pretty successfully). The difference these days is there are no reporters actually covering local government, and without a watchdog over them, the wankers will take all they can get.

I was chief of staff to Ray Carroll when he was appointed as a Pima County supervisor after the death of the sitting “Supe,” John Even. Because the appointment happened late in the term, we had only one year to get organized in the county system and at the same time had to campaign for the office for the regular four-year term. We were running against John’s widow, Brenda Even, who was a well known politico in her own right as a member of the TUSD school board. Nobody knew who the hell Ray Carroll was: neither any Republicans or Democrats. He had only recently switched his party affiliation from D to R at my urging. He wanted to run for some office and as he lived in Country Club Estates, I told him he needed to run as an R. (His only concern in doing so was how his father would react, who worked for the “Democrat” Mayor Daley in Chicago!) Supervisor Raul Grijalva, who engineered Ray Carroll’s appointment in my living room, needed a Republican to fill the seat and Ray fit the “RINO” qualifications and was appointed with a slim majority. Once Ray acted independently (he opposed a new county sales tax), the romantic honeymoon was over with the Grijalvistas and the rest is history as they say.

In any case, we had to figure out a way for the constituents to get to know Mr. Carroll. We used our “franking privileges” — similar to what LSC and others have done — to promote him. So we sent out a questionnaire to all the constituents in the county’s District 4 asking their opinions on a number of relevant issues. We made sure each piece has a nice smiling photo of Ray on the cover (or was it Cary Grant?) and made sure the response cards had stamps on them to make it easy for constituents to participate. All this was done at county taxpayer expense and was totally legal. (You can be the judge in terms of “shade.”)

The questionnaire accomplished several important things: right off, it gave potential voters a face to go along with a name, it introduced the residents to their newly appointed supervisor as one who wanted to hear their concerns and provided them with a vehicle to do so, and it gave us with valuable information on the sentiments of our constituents, which we used both in terms of policy decision-making and as part of our campaign issues. We won the election, and every election after that.

Every politician enjoys these privileges: it is why you may be on mailing lists for “newsletters” by many elected officials. They want to remind you that they are there, what they look like, and all the hard work (LOL) they are engaged in on your behalf. Legal but shady, indeed. But part of the deal is that all elected officials know that whatever they do in their offices is supposed to be done for the public and the public has a right to see what they are doing. In this regard, I give another example, again at Pima County.

ANOTHER RELEVANT EXAMPLE

When Ray Carroll was appointed in the late 1990s, the internet and emails were just starting to be utilized at city and county offices. As chief of staff, I gathered all our employees together and laid out the rules of how we would operate: every letter, phone call, or email had to be responded to within 24 hours. We all were advised to be respectful of our constituents, no matter how irate they were (except when racist or sexist diatribes were used). There is one point I stressed vigorously in every public office I worked in: every note taken in the office, every memo written, every report formulated — like the very office itself and everything that was in it — belonged to the public.

Being fully aware of Arizona’s public records law, I stressed the fact that any reporter (or citizen) could walk into our office at any time and ask to see any file they wanted or memo written and we had to comply — so for god’s (and our own) sake, don’t write or do anything inappropriate in the office!
Excerpts: Title 39 – Public Records, Printing and Notices

39-101. Permanent public records; quality; storage; violation; classification

Permanent public records of the state, a county, city or town, or other political subdivision of the state, shall be transcribed or kept on paper or other material which is of durable or permanent quality…

B. Permanent public records … shall be stored and maintained according to standards for the storage of permanent public records …

C. A public officer … who violates this section is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor.
———————————————————————————

39-121. Inspection of public records

Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.
———————————————————————————

D. Subject to section 39-121.03:

Any person may request to examine or be furnished copies, printouts or photographs of any public record during regular office hours or may request that the custodian mail a copy of any public record not otherwise available on the public body’s website to the requesting person… The custodian of such records shall promptly furnish such copies, printouts or photographs…

Then one day it happened: a reporter from a newspaper pranced onto the 11th floor of the Pima County Administrative building where all the county supervisors had their offices and asked to examine what was on all of our computers. Knowing the law, and self-assured that my employees had all complied with my directive, I quickly complied with the request. In fact, every office but one cooperated, and the one exception was Supervisor Dan Eckstrom, who told the reporter to take a hike. Dan wouldn’t let anyone have access to his office: including cops, fire inspectors, or reporters. No one ever accused him of over-appreciating the rule of law, Big Dan (“El Padrino”) was always protected by the County Administrator, Chuck “give me more” Huckelberry and County Attorney “Babas” LaWall.

Eckstrom’s intransigence towards granting legal accessibility to his office turned out to be a great blessing in disguise for us in District 4. After the reporter gained access to four out of five of the supervisors offices, she called to let me know that someone in our office had used a computer to access a graphic porn site. The employee resigned but the damage was done. Before it hit the press I thought of one possibility to counter what could have been political death for the newly appointed Supervisor.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed; but nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

— James Baldwin
I knew Ann Eve Peterson (R.I.P.) as an excellent and ethical local reporter who covered city politics when I was chief of staff for both council members Bruce Wheeler and Mike Haggerty. She had been promoted to an editor’s position when I started working at the county, and I called her up to talk about the incoming bombshell. My complaint was that they were about to smack the crap out of us (and sink our fledging campaign) for admittedly improper use of public resources (by an employee who was no longer employed), but the only way they knew of the improper activity was because we complied with their public records request. Dan Eckstrom did not comply with their legal request and the reporter did not pursue the issue to gain access to his office, and so they had no idea what was on his computers that they were prevented from seeing. So — he gets to walk free and unscathed in the newspaper after giving them the finger, but those who fully complied with the law and provided full access get totally screwed? How was that fair?

The end result was a much watered down article that was printed in some experimental Star e-newsletter that was read by virtually nobody. We missed a bullet, but the lesson was pounded into all of us: what you do as a public official is always public and don’t friggin’ forget it. That was then, but apparently things are different now.

HOW PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS CAN AFFECT POLITICAL CHANGE

A good argument could be make that the public records request made to the City of Tucson regarding the attempted privatization of the El Rio Golf Course may have stopped the sale that would have robbed the Westside of this treasured public green space.

The El Rio Coalition II fought to get the public records on the Grand Canyon University deal with the city refusing to comply and the Coalition having to go to court to get the records. (Thank Panchamama once again for Bill Risner!) In a ruling of the case of Cecelia Cruz Baldenegro vs the City of Tucson (we love you Ceci!) our local hero attorney blasted away the city’s obstruction and we got many of the files we requested.

In the files we finally wrestled from the city we obtained critical information that the city had directed its hired appraiser to lie about the value of the Golf Course and claim it was all vacant lots (without electricity, water, buildings, trees, and 100 acres of green grass). They wanted to depreciate publicly owned property to sweeten the deal more for the development, a violation of the State of Arizona’s Gift Clause.

The scam collapsed. While the city to this day has never rescinded the (5-2) vote to privatize El Rio Golf Course (thank you again Fimbres and Kozachik for your NO votes), it was due to the heat of public protest — and with documents in our hands — that the developer retracted their offer and this REALLY SHADY deal was buried (for now). I am convinced that our success in court (and the subsequent documents the city was forced to reveal) was the main reason El Rio was saved.

CAN’T PROVIDE RECORDS IF THEY HAVE BEEN STOLEN!

Of course there are “shady” ways to get around complying with a legal public records request. Once the El Rio Coalition II won the lawsuit and asked for all files that the city originally (and illegally) denied us, the Ward 1 council member at the time who lead the charge for selling off the green space — Regina Romero — claimed during this time period that someone broke into her office and stole only one thing: her hard drive with the info we requested. There were no signs of any break-in, no alarm went off, and nothing else was stolen from the Ward 1 Office but her hard drive (!) Hey, if the documents are “stolen” what could she turn over, right? Nothing strange here, just move on folks…

We have learned that being able to access public documents can change the course of events, which is why the status quo fights so hard against public access. Often documents can prove that our leaders are lying and their records can be used to hold them accountable. As a friend of mine suggested: “Dance like no one is watching, and text like you might hear it read back to you in court one day.”

LSC needs to be held accountable
Lane’s “Canvas Team” — how many are city employees? for how she uses our tax money and public resources. For almost four years she has had free rein to use her staff and all the city machinery to promote her persona. Yet less than two months out from her election she gets apoplectic that someone may use the same resources to reveal to her constituents how she spends their money. Talk about thin-skinned arrogance. Talk about unrestrained incumbent — “might” privilege. Talk about using emails for “shady” tactics due to a lack of a “strong community base.” We are talking LSC. In just the past few months, i.e. election season, she has used her city email service to promote everything from cleaning streets to a Mothers Day ride, to a “Small Business Spotlight,” citizen classes, and celebrating childhood, all the while using city emails to promote people and events she hardly paid any attention to until campaign season. Plus she even uses the same city letterhead for her campaign and for her city events (an old PRI-ista tactic from Mexico).

SO WHAT DOES PHILLY HAVE THAT WE DON’T? (Hint: a PAC)

So back to the budget questions: why is LSC spending thousands of dollars sending a dozen people to Philly, and for what?

Back in the “old” days when I worked for elected officials (1987-2012) if there was a conference or an event that we thought worth attending, we usually would send ONE person to attend, make contacts, and report back. Today there are zoom meetings, electronic messaging, and all kinds of ways to participate in such events without having to pay a whole coterie of cronies their airfares and a separate hotel room for each!

Although the city has refused to tell me (as of today) who went and why, I have found out what the event was — which makes it even more questionable why a dozen people needed to go.

The organization in charge of the event is a group called “Mijente” whose website can be found HERE. They describe themselves as “a political home for latinz and Chicanz people who seek racial, economic, gender and climate justice” and who are “pro-Black, pro-indigena, pro-worker, pro-mujer, pro-lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer, and pro-migrant.” Their campaigns include fighting for a “review of agencies responsible for managing immigration,” although no such review was listed on their website.

But the other important thing is that it is the Mijente Political Action Committee that has helped LSC in her city council race!

“Mijente PAC,” which defines their “Industry” as “Human Rights: Minority/Ethnic Groups” is “a hybrid political action committee that … has the ability to operate both as a traditional PAC, contributing funds to a candidate’s committee, and as a super PAC, which makes independent expenditures.” They can “collect unlimited contributions from almost any source for its independent expenditure account, (but may not use those funds for its traditional PAC contributions).” according to Open Secrets HERE.

So LSC spends a bunch of taxpayer money on “Mijente” and they turn around and help with unlimited dark money contributions (like maybe those contributed from the City of Tucson’s Ward 1 Office?) to prop up her campaign!
Highlights of Philadelphia:

A hitchhiking “robot” that was a Canadian social experiment was decapitated.

2) The GM of the Sixers was fired for having burner Twitter accounts .

3) There was a giant warehouse fire in front of which an Elmo drumline played music.

4) Someone ate actual horse manure after the Eagles won the Super Bowl.

5) A respected museum displays pieces of Einstein’s brain along with 139 skulls.

6) A top event featured strippers surrounding people puking as they raced to eat the most wings.

7) The NFL stadium used to have an actual courtroom in it because of rowdy fans.

8) There is a cracked bell there they have never fixed.

Como se dice “quid pro quo” en Español?

On top of that she is applying for public matching funds —you know, the program that was supposed to prevent dark money from PAC’s influencing elections. The program instead is just an incumbent security scam as most small campaigns can’t comply with all the bureaucratize.

The “festival” sponsor for Mijente in Philadelphia was called “Lánzate 2022” and it is billed as a “Latinx/Chicanz cultural and political festival” for “Latinx change makers” where “gente from the front lines of la lucha y el perreo* come together at Lánzate for connection and entertainment.”

So glad our Tucson delegation got some entertainment in. Like me, you may also be entertained just reading about it HERE.

[* I had to look up what “perreo” means in Spanish: it is a “dance, that focuses on grinding, with the man facing the back of the woman… ‘perreo’, meaning dancing doggystyle, derives from the Spanish word perro, meaning “dog”. This is also known as “booty dancing” or “grinding” in the United States of America.”]

Participants were encouraged to “explore multi-media experiences featuring trending Latinz initiatives, dance, or peruse the feria” with each night bringing “opportunities for pop up parties and events.” They encourage participants to go ahead and: “Take part in whatever feels right to you!”

Sounds almost like Woodstock for brown folk, but without Santana. [Note of personal preference here: I was actually at Woodstock and saw Santana for the first time, but it was, alas, not paid for by taxpayers and I was pissed when I saw the fences torn down because I was one of the dummies who paid for tickets].

Unfortunately, what “feels right” to me does not include using thousands of dollars of public funds to send Ward 1’s 12 apostles to party in Philly, but it does compel me to ask:

Would sending 1 person to the “event” instead of all 12 have killed the buzz?

Why do we really need to send a contingent to an “Latinx/Chicanz” event in Philadelphia (?) to get in touch with their inner political correctness?

Isn’t there anyone here in the heart of “Aztlan” that can teach them to dance and party and take part in whatever “feels right?” [HINT: I have some Yaqui neighbors who could put on one hell of a party for a lot less than $15,000].

Is there no better use of the $15,000+ of our money than this?

* How many people could be fed at Casa Maria or the Food Bank?  
* How many potholes, bike lanes, or sidewalks could be fixed? 
* How many “pop up parties” could be stocked with Irish whiskey?
                                                               [Sorry, I got carried away there…]

We could dance and party right here in Tucson (I vote for El Casino Ballroom) for all the reasons the twelve travelers supposedly went for, but how about we include a workshop on “budgetary responsibility of elected officials” as part of their “awakening” process?

I mean, if it feels right…

Final questions to you dear reader:

1. Is it any wonder LSC doesn’t want us to see her books?
2. Imagine what could be found if any investigative reporters still existed?
3. You want 4 more years of this?

There are plenty of other highlight to come regarding the excessive and potentially illegal spending at Ward 1. (Did she use city funds to pay for her campaign kickoff at a Hollywood restaurant?). We will update our readers if and when we get access to the actual records. This may take another court case to force the City of Tucson to follow the law as in the El Rio case — but we have a Cherokee kick-ass from Kentucky watching!

===========================

Next issue: 12 (more) reasons to vote against Ward 1 council member Lane Santa Cruz in the Democratic Primary!

REMEMBER: You should get your ballots the first week of July, and they need to be mailed in by August 1 (except LSC voters who have been directed to show up on the 2nd!).

Until then, hasta…
BOG NEWS is the “soul” responsibility of Scott D. Egan (The Bogman). Please let us know if you want to be unsubscribed by emailing “unsubscribe” back .

Thanks!

PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS

As you may note, Ward 1 has not responded, although the City Clerk and City Attorney have. We will be relentless in pursuing our right to know!

Initial request:

Bogg Mann boggmann@yahoo.com To: ward1@tucsonaz.gov

Wed, May 24 at 9:59 AM

Please review the following attachment regarding some budgetary questions I have for the City of Tucson and specifically my ward.
I look forward to a prompt response.

Thank you,
Scott D. Egan
Barrio Hollywood
May 24, 2023

Dear Council Member Santa Cruz:

As a constituent of yours and a longtime resident of Barrio Hollywood I have an interest in your “Participatory Budget” process but have not had the time to fully participate in it, although several of your staff members gave a brief review of it at a Barrio Hollywood meeting for which we are appreciative. I wish you well with that endeavor, as citizens participation in the budget process is vital to a functioning democracy.

In that regard, I have had the opportunity to review some of your budget at the Ward 1 Office and I would greatly appreciate a detailed explanation of some of your expenses.

Specifically:

1. October 7, 2022 there are $1,296.14 in combined expenses that was paid to “THE MADISON.” Please indicate what these expenses are specifically for whom they were granted.
2. November 11, 2022 there is a listing of a total of $8,846.40 for 12 tickets ($737 each) for “DELTA.” Please identify the name of each person awarded a ticket and the purpose of their trip.
3. In December 5 2022 there are 12 payments ($590 each) totaling $7,080 for “SHERATON PHILADELPHIA.” Please indicate the names of the 12 individuals involved and the purpose of this expense.
4. On December 22 , 2022 there is a $1,852.50 expense for “HOLA TUCSON MAGA.” Please explain the purpose of this expense.
5. On January 6 2023 there is a $6,163.50 expense for “LEADLOCAL.” Please explain the purpose of this expense.
6. In January 7, 2023 there is a $1,127 expense for “HILTON CAPITAL” Please for whom this expense was used and for what purpose.
7. On January 10, 2023 there is a $400.31 expense for “ASPEN MEADOWS RESORT.” Please explain this expense and whom it was used for.
8. In February 2023 there is a $3,500 expense for “In CUADRO LLC.’ Please explain the purpose of this expense.
9. February 27, 2023 there is a $360 expense for “SQ EL ANTIOJO POBLANO.” What was the purpose of this expense?
10. In April 24, 2023 there are 9 items totaling $5,215 for “UNITED.” Please explain the purpose and list the individuals who benefited from these funds.
11. In May 10, 2023 there is a $514.92 expense for “Hilton Hotels.” Please explain who this was for and the purpose.
12. Finally on May 12, 2023 there is a $300 expense for “Paw Body Benefits.” Please explain the purpose of this expense and to whom it was awarded.

Please acknowledge your receipt of this inquiry, and when you think I may reasonably expect a response to this inquiry.

Again, good luck with your budget process and I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Scott D. Egan

From City Clerk’ Office
clerk cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov

To:boggmann@yahoo.com

Thu, Jun 1 at 1:20 PM

Mr. Egan,
 
In response to the budget inquiry that you sent to the Ward 1 Office dated June 24, 2023 (attached), we are providing the following records response. Items #1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12 listed are not expenses incurred by the Ward 1 Office. Items #2 and 3 are expenses charged by the Ward 1 Office for a grant funded and grant directed trip. Items #5, 8, and 9 are also expenses charged by the Ward 1 Office for items funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). None of the charges incurred by Ward 1 were paid for by City of Tucson General Fund dollars. Receipts for all items are attached.
 
In the future, requests for public records must use the process outlined at https://beta.tucsonaz.gov/Departments/Clerks/Request-for-Public-Records

Sincerely,
Maria D. Talamante
Assistant City Clerk

========================

Scott D. Egan
June 4, 2023

To the City Clerk, Tucson
Reference: Public Document Request regarding Ward 1 Budget

I have received your June 1st email response to my request for budgetary information in the Ward 1 Council Office. Unfortunately, your email does not fully address what I requested, and only confirmed my numbers in the receipts. In other words, you answered nothing and provided no information that I did not already have which I provided you in the initial inquiry.

My May 24th request for information asked what the purposes of the expenses were and to whom the expenses were granted. You response to items only gave the amounts issued that were charged to “Employee: Lane Santa Cruz (50891). “

To make my request easier, lets start with only half of the 12 items I asked information on, specifically items 1,2,3,6,10, and 11. As listed, my requests asked the following:

“1. October 7, 2022 there are $1,296.14 in combined expenses that was paid to “THE MADISON.” Please indicate what these expenses are specifically for whom they were granted.

2. November 11, 2022 there is a listing of a total of $8,846.40 for 12 tickets ($737 each) for “DELTA.” Please identify the name of each person awarded a ticket and the purpose of their trip.
3. In December 5 2022 there are 12 payments ($590 each) totaling $7,080 for “SHERATON PHILADELPHIA.” Please indicate the names of the 12 individuals involved and the purpose of this expense.
4. In January 7, 2023 there is a $1,127 expense for ‘HILTON CAPITAL.’ Please for whom this expense was used and for what purpose.
5. In April 24, 2023 there are 9 items totaling $5,215 for “UNITED.” Please explain the purpose and list the individuals who benefited from these funds.
6. In May 10, 2023 there is a $514.92 expense for ‘Hilton Hotels.’ Please explain who this was for and the purpose.”

All the receipts in question are from “Employee Lane Santa Cruz.” Should the taxpayer looking at your response assume that the 12 tickets paid to Delta Airlines, all issued on 11/11/22, were for Lane Santa Cruz and no one else? Did she take 12 trips at the same time? If not, who else is listed?

Likewise, are the 12 payments to “Sheraton Philadelphia” only have Lane Santa Cruz listed. Are all 12 payments for one room for council member Santa Cruz? If not, what other individuals were housed at taxpayer expense?

What I am requesting is not confidential information, but public documents that you are required to share with the public when you receive such requests. The few selected items listed above amount to over $24,000 taken from the public trough for purposes you are not revealing and for the protection of persons you are keeping anonymous for some unknown, and probably unjustifiable, reason.

I am sure we would all like to avoid litigation regarding the rights of citizens to know how their money is being spent, so you can consider this my SECOND request for the information. If you need more assistance in comprehending this request and public documents law, please ask your city attorney to provide information on the successful court case residents brought on the El Rio Golf privatization attempts by the City of Tucson in 2016.

Do we really want to go through this again?

Please provide the documentation that I requested and what is required by law.
This is not a request or a suggestion, but a citizen’s demand.

Sincerely,
Scott D. Egan
————————————————————————————————————

From: Bogg Mann boggmann@yahoo.com
Sent: Sunday, June 4, 2023 10:29 AM
To: cityclerk cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov

Dear Ms. Talamante:
 
Thank you for your response regarding my requests concerning the Ward 1 budget expenditures.  Unfortunately, you did not provide me with answers to my questions.
 
Therefore please consider this a formal public records request.  As you (or the City Attorney) certainly should be aware, Title 39 in Arizona Law states (under 39-121) “Inspection of public records” clearly indicates that:  
 
”Public records and other matters in the custody of any officer shall be open to inspection by any person at all times during office hours.”
 
Please contact me as soon as possible to arrange when and where I can come in to inspect all records with regards to the Ward 1 Office budget.  
 
I have included excerpts from Title 39 in the attachment below.  Please note that failure to provide these public records “promptly” will constitute a class 2 misdemeanor and could cost the City of Tucson potential lawyer fees if it may become necessary to pursue any legal remedies in order to access public records.
 
In addition to my previous request, I am also asking for a list of all email addresses that Ward 1 uses to send out its newsletters to constituents, which also constitutes a public records request on my part.
 
 I look forward to your prompt response.
 
Scott D. Egan


======================================================
FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY

Mike Rankin mike.rankin@tucsonaz.gov
To: boggmann@yahoo.com, Maria Talamante, Ward1, CityManager, cityclerk
Mon, Jun 5 at 10:32 PM

Mr. Egan, 
The AZ public records laws provide you with access to public records. They do not compel explanations in response to your various questions. Records that are responsive to your requests have been provided. Records responsive to your new request, relating to the newsletter email list, will also be provided. You need not attach excerpts from the statutes to your future requests. We are familiar with the applicable law. 
 


To: Mike Rankin, City Attorney
Tue, Jun 6 at 2:38 PM
Mr. Rankin:

Thank you for your response to my public records request.  The records that the city provided are not fully responsive to my requests, and I am therefore requesting that I be able to personally review all records regarding the budget expenditures for the Ward 1 office.  

I am again requesting a time and place, convenient for city staff during business hours, for me to review all Ward 1 budget records as per Arizona law.

I look forward to your compliance when I will be allowed the right to review the records in question.

Most Sincerely,

Scott D. Egan

PS:  I included excerpts of the applicable public records law in my last request not because I did not think you were aware of the public records law (see: Celia Cruz vs City) but because I wanted you to know we are aware of the law.



=======================

As LSC says: “You morons don’t know jack — but now you do!”

MORE IS COMING!!!
(Especially if we are finally granted access to public documents — but will it be before the election?)

Stay tuned in to BOG NEWS!

“In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

— George Orwell
VIVA EL RIO!