What’s the Matter with Arizona – Part III

by Bill Wavering

Will the Arizona State Bar eat its own in an orchestrated attempt at political retribution?

In the first installment of “What’s the Matter with Arizona” we laid bare the liberal, ideological component of this entire fiascoby deconstructing an article which appeared in the Phoenix New Times written by columnist and liberal jihadist, Steven Lemons. The purpose was to paint an unmistakable picture of the naked animus motivating the liberal left in this situation. The ‘slash and burn’ techniques that are part & parcel of the ideology were on full display and were exposed for what they amount to; namely hatred and intolerance of any person daring to disagree with liberal theology.

In Part II we continued to expose the ideological bent of the major players in the events leading up to the investigation by the Arizona State Bar. We referenced convincing confirmation of serial ethical violations by two members of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors; Mary Rose Wilcox and Don Stapley. Both of these persons were indicted by grand juries and it is obvious that they used the behind-the-scene political clout they garnered over their decades in office to get their indictments dismissed. As an aside here; the citizens of Maricopa County would serve themselves well to hold these political hacks accountable at the ballot box since their own legal system has refused to do so.

We also exposed the details of an affair with an underage boy that the entire female contingent of Fulton Brock’s household was involved in. This tawdry matter resulted in his wife’s conviction and had the ancillary effect of making him easy to suborn regarding any majority vote executed by the Board. Then we outlined the methods the Board of Supervisors utilized to discredit and disempower Prosecutor Andrew Thomas and two of his associates; Lisa Aubuchon, and Rachel Alexander.

This chain of events leads us to the present. The charges are described in a complaint filed before the Presiding Disciplinary Judge of the State Bar of Arizona, Judge William O'Neil. This 556 paragraph, 82 page cure for insomnia prepared by John S. Gleason enumerates the charges against three former members of the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office.

While an actual read of this complaint is tedious. (Its length suggests an approach akin to tossing tons of manure against a wall in hopes that several ounces may be moist enough to stick.) The effects could be life changing for the defendants: Revocation of the ability to practice law for Thomas and Aubuchon and a six month suspension of Rachel Alexander’s licenses to practice. Such a suspension of your professional credentials equates to an occupational ‘death sentence’ for a licensed professional in any field.

Anyone who has held the part of defendant in any legal proceeding knows firsthand the absolutely frightening nature of such a tribunal. The sitting members literally hold your financial future and your career in their hands. For the uninitiated, the aspects of a legal defense are so technically convoluted that it is nigh impossible for a person to undertake his/her own defense. This adds additional pressure as legal bills pile up while being forced to stay home and not work.

The complaint sits on such wobbly foundation that members of the same Arizona State Bar have taken the unprecedented step of advertising their discontent over this entire debacle in the Bar’s own professional publication. Add to this the unmistakable aroma of back room politics and the possibilities are absolutely chilling. While Rachel Alexander does offer her own defense; there are mainstay issues in play here.

First; is performing work at the specific direction of your immediate superior constitute evidence of malfeasance? Second; is the equivalent of a political food fight between other participants grounds for ruining the career of a subordinate employee uninvolved in that fight? Third; and the core question; will the Arizona State Bar be complicit in completing this journey of political retribution which the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors begun?

I am not a lawyer, I am an engineer. But Project Management 101 tells me that you cannot hold any employee/subcontractor responsible for anything they have no final authority over. This same management principle tells me that the Project Lead Manager is ultimately held accountable for any project conducted under his purview.

I decided to use the same method I employed in Part I analyze Mr. Lemons’ allegations of Ms. Alexander’s zeal in denigrating Maricopa County’s political situation as evidence of her culpability when the case was reported in his own newspaper The Phoenix New Times. I actually counted the number of times in the complaint that each individual’s name appeared alone, in conjunction with their boss, and as a group. Here are my findings;

• 
  
  Andrew Thomas’ name appears by itself 155 times or 28%.
• 
  
  Lisa Aubuchon’s appears by itself 72 times or 13%.
• 
  
  Ms. Rachel Alexander’s name appears by itself 11 times or 2%.
• 
  
  Rachel Alexander’s name appears in conjunction with Andrew Thomas’ name 5 times, .008%.
• 
  
  Lisa Aubuchon’s name appears in conjunction with Andrew Thomas’ name 100 times, 18%.
• 
  
  All three persons names appear together 16 times or 3%.

I will be the first to agree that this is an unscientific method of assigning any degree of possible culpability but it does have the twin advantage of being obviously understandable to persons with no legal background; and is consistent with the methods used in previous episodes of this undertaking. This process clearly shows Alexander’s involvement to be both minimal and peripheral. It plainly demonstrates that Ms. Rachel Alexander didn’t have a political dog in this fight; or any ‘investment’ in any presumed political witch-hunt. She conducted herself in a professional manner, following the directions given by higher authority. While it is simple for some to say she should have refused to carry out her boss’ orders; such declarations come at no cost to the pundits. How often has any one of them laid their job on the line by refusing to follow directions? I dare those that say so to try it sometime; and face the results. In any case; there are certainly no grounds presented to result in short-circuiting a promising legal career.

The hearing on this matter opened on September 12^th and is expected to last no more than 45 working days. Shortly thereafter, the Arizona State Bar will deliver its findings and dole out punishments, if any.

Our questions will be answered then. Is the Arizona State Bar an apolitical establishment interested only in ensuring the integrity of the legal profession? Or is it a steward on the liberal locomotive being driven by the likes of Rose Wilcox, Don Stapley, and useful idiots such as Fulton Brock and Steve Lemons?

Read Part 1 here

Read Part 2 here

Bill Wavering is an eight year military veteran and a degreed Industrial Engineer. In his spare time he is a member of the C4AA (Citizens for the American Agenda), and tends cattle on his mini ranch with his wife of over twenty years Marilyn.

Update from Eric Frederick for Phoenix City Council race

Eric Frederick for Phoenix City Council! News and Notes from the Campaign Trail  September 29, 2011  About Eric Eric Frederick has lived in the Valley for 6 years.  He came here via Michigan and is happy to trade snow for sunshine.  He has been married for 11 years and has 3 beautiful children. Eric owns an insurance agency in Phoenix.  His success as a businessowner allows him to see Council issues from a unique perspective.  He is active in many community groups and organizations and looks forward to continuing to serve.  Learn more about Eric here.  Thank you for your support! Our Sponsors Now that we are in a runoff election, the special interests that want to protect the status quo will be spending tens of thousands of dollars to win this race.  We have the right message--we just need the money to get the message out.  Will you help with a  donation today?  Quick Links Visit the Campaign Website! How You Can Help! How Can You Help? In addition to our weekly walks on Saturday mornings, you can join me any night during the week.  We are out in neighborhoods every single day from 4:30-7:00 pm knocking on doors and talking with voters.  Simply email or call the campaign to find out where we'll be and come join us!  Details for This Week's Walk! This Saturday, October 1, 2011, we will have our 3rd block walk!  We will meet at 9:30 AM at the Starbucks at 39th Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Rd for instructions and material distribution and then head out to knock on doors.  We will be working neighborhoods similar to last week's event where our message was very well received.  This area is vital to the campaign's success and we're hopeful you'll join us! We will also be walking on Saturday, October 8th at 9:30 AM in the south part of the district.  At that event, we will continue to knock on doors and make people aware of the election that is coming up!  Early ballots are mailed out on October 12th, so every volunteer effort counts!  If you can't make an event but want to help, you can request materials through our website.  We have precinct lists available that indicate higher propensity voters.  Just spending 2 hours in your neighborhood can have a profound impact on the election! As always, thank you for your continued support in retiring the career politician in District 1 and electing new, vibrant leadership.  Thank you for your support of Eric Frederick! Keep Up the Energy! Thank you to everyone that came out for our volunteer walk last weekend!  We had almost 30 volunteers come out last Saturday to walk neighborhoods.  We covered an entire square mile--almost 1500 homes-- in just over two hours.  Our volunteers commented that most people are very receptive to receive information about a candidate.  In fact, many people said that they've never had someone from a campaign stop by and they were very impressed that we care that much about our neighborhoods.  We just need everyone to continue to push for the next couple of weeks as we continue to let people know about the upcoming election and why they should vote for Eric Frederick as their next City Councilman!  We had several new volunteers this past Saturday including a couple of people that have never done this before for any candidate!  After the walk, they informed us that it wasn't as scary as they thought it would be.   They were impressed with the organization as the homes they needed to talk to were listed along with talking points from the campaign.  They mentioned that after the first couple of homes, it was like they were just out for a morning walk talking to their neighbors!  So, even if you've never done this before, please come out this Saturday, October 1st at 9:30 to the Starbucks at 39th Ave and Pinnacle Peak!  It is time to elect New Leadership to the City Council and we need everyone to help!  Thank you again for making last Saturday a success and we look forward to seeing everyone again this Saturday at the Starbucks on 39th Ave and Pinnacle Peak Rd at 9:30! Join Us Tonight at Bobby-Q! Tonight, we are holding a Happy Hour Fundraiser at one of Eric's favorite restaurants--Bobby-Q.  The event begins at 5:30 and will run to about 7:30, so please, stop by and get some hors d'oeuvres, have an opportunity to talk to Eric about his ideas for Phoenix, and mingle with other supporters.  The suggested contribution is $30 and every penny you contribute will go directly toward getting out the vote for the upcoming election!  Bobby-Q is located in District 1 at 8501 N 27th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051.  It is located right off the I-17.  Simply take the Northern Ave. exit, head west to 27th Ave and then go north.  The restaurant will be on the right hand side!  We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Paid for by Team Frederick Contact Us! :: 602-748-9780 Phone electfrederick@gmail.com www.ElectFrederick.com 3061 W Juana Ct. Phoenix, AZ 85083

AZ Teenage Republicans Leadership Development & Recruitment Night

Click to enlarge

I want to invite you all to help the AZ Federation of Teenage Republicans (TARS) grow their organization.  It is imperative that we win back our schools from the Left, the Young Democrats, and win over the youth vote to defeat Obama in 2012. 

Here is a quick run down of what I do professionally (very short Bio) and what I am doing for the TARS this year:

        First and foremost, Dusti Martin is a leadership development specialist, consultant, and coach for Student Run Organizations. For over 15 years she has competed in and trained students for a variety of contests and leadership roles.  These have included prepared public speaking contests, rodeo queen pageants, student leadership elections and other leadership roles and contests.  In addition, Dusti has trained entire student body officer teams to prepare them for their leadership roles both as individuals and as a team during their year in office as well as conducted many leadership workshops for groups of 30 or more all over the state of Arizona.  

        In the past 8-9 years, the Young Democrats have widely expanded in our High Schools and it can no longer go unchallenged. Dusti is working with Lois Fitch and the AZ TARS to reorganize, reinvigorate, and reclaim Arizona's schools from the Democrats as part of an effort to defeat Obama in 2012. To do this, we will need all hands on deck and for parents, teachers, and students to work together to help grow the AZ TARS Federation. 

This is the AZ Teenage Republicans' first major event of the year.  It is both for current TARS Members, Advisers, and Parents and for New or Potential students, parents, and teachers.  Also, anyone who is wanting to learn how to set up a TARS group but who may not have a student group yet.  It is to train both the students and the adults so we can take back our schools from the Democratic party, and at the very least give teens options while they are at the point in their lives where most begin to form their political views. 

We are also encouraging LD's and other Republican, Conservative, or TEA Party groups to recruit as many new TARS and TARS Advisers as possible. The group who recruits the highest number will be recognized by the AZ TARS and receive bragging rights amongst their fellow Republicans.  Here is the pertinent info that you can cut and paste so it's easy to read in your meetings.  I have also attached the flyer which you can print out and distribute.  Please pass this on to any and all of the groups you are all associated with and any parent, teacher or student who would be interested in joining the TARS organization.  If you are in the Valley area and would like me to come speak about this important event at your meeting, don't hesitate to contact me.  I will be at tonight's LD 7 meeting if any of you have any questions.

Thank you for everything thus far!
Dusti Martin

Perry calls illegal immigration opponents "heartless;" Herman Cain will not support him for president

Rick Perry should have never attempted to defend his support for in-state tuition for the children of illegal immigrants. Besides defending his position during GOP presidential debates, he has now called those who oppose it "heartless." Way to turn off the entire conservative base. That is akin to saying that the children of parents who have stolen nice stereo equipment should be allowed to use that stereo equipment unlike the rest of us who don't have nice stereo equipment, since it's not their fault that their parents stole the equipment. No, if your parents do something illegally, you should not be rewarded for it. I still have $50,000 in student loans to pay off, some due to paying out of state tuition at the University of Arizona. Fortunately, we have a Governor and legislature here that do not believe that illegal immigrants should get preferential treatment over the rest of us who moved here legally. Herman Cain understands this and has come out against Perry, stating that he cannot support him for president.

Read the article at The Hill

Filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Arizona? What about your multiple cars?

I am a bankruptcy attorney and recently some clients asked me what would happen to their cars when they file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. They are married and have three cars. One of the cars belongs to their daughter, but the title is in their name. The bankruptcy code generally (specifics vary from state to state) provides an exemption for each adult filing bankruptcy to keep one car. However, there are a few caveats.

First of all, in Arizona, each adult who files bankruptcy is allowed only $5000 equity per car. That means if you have paid off your car completely, and the value of the car is over $5000, you may not be able to keep it. Some people take out title loans in order to reduce the equity in their car when they file bankruptcy. To find the value of your car, look up the private party sale value on Edmund's.

If you are still making payments on your car, you may be more likely to keep it. For example, if you still owe $5,000 on your car, and your car is worth $10,000, you will be fine since you only have $5,000 equity in the car.

If you own more than one car per adult, you may be able to keep a third car provided you have little or no equity in it. For example, if you owe $5000 on a third car, but it is only worth $5000, the bankruptcy trustee is not going to seize it. However, you may want to talk to your auto lender and make sure with a "reaffirmation agreement" that they do not intend to seize it after your bankruptcy is discharged.

The Alexander Bankruptcy Law Firm provides low low cost Chapter 7 and 13 personal bankruptcies. $995 Chapter 7 or $2500 Chapter 13 bankruptcies plus court filing fee. Free consultation with a compassionate attorney who will handle your case personally. Call 24/7, available to meet with you around your schedule. 602-326-9116. Conveniently located in Central Phoenix along the Camelback corridor. AlexanderBankruptcyLawFirm.com

Traditional Hackers Now Turning Their Crosshairs on Conservatives

After Intellectual Conservative was attacked by some political enemies and banned from Google, I decided to look into how prevalent the hacking of conservative websites has become.

Arizona Republic: Gilbert political activist Steve Calabrese dies at age 41

The Arizona Republic had a nice write-up about our beloved friend Steve.

by Parker Leavitt - Sept. 27, 2011

Gilbert activist Steve Calabrese died Friday after suffering a heart attack, leaving behind a legacy of volunteerism, humor, courage and civility, friends say.

Calabrese, 41, was second vice chairman in Legislative District 22, which covers much of Gilbert and parts of Mesa and Apache Junction. He was also recently appointed to the town's Water Resources Municipal Property Corp., a board that assists in acquiring land and constructing improvements for government use.

Send condolences


Calabrese was well-known among conservative activists and contributed to political blogs such as Western Free Press, Sonoran Alliance and Seeing Red AZ.

He worked for numerous political campaigns, including those of Jeff Flake, Kirk Adams, Russell Pearce and Gilbert Town Council members Jordan Ray, Eddie Cook and Victor Petersen.

Calabrese was one of the most influential member's of Ray's "kitchen cabinet" during the council race this year, helping to formulate campaign strategy, Ray said. Calabrese also helped by putting up signs, making phone calls and blogging.

"I'll always remember the passion that he had for his country, the Constitution and his community," Ray said. "And with that passion, he used it to do good things, not just to stir the hornets' nest or argue with people."

Calabrese was dedicated to the Republican Party and had the respect of all sides of the District 22 Republican Committee membership, treasurer Tyler Hudgins said.

Calabrese was elected to the Republican board last year during a bitter power struggle as "tea party" activists sought a greater presence in the district's leadership.

Despite the infighting, Calabrese remained well-liked and respected by all sides, Hudgins said. "He was a guy known for his courage and civility," he said. "He never did anything in secret, always posting in his own name on various political blogs."

Gilbert Mayor John Lewis said Calabrese was open and respectful.

"Steve was known for his ability to be completely open about his opinions and beliefs and incredibly respectful in his delivery and, in return, listening to others to learn about their views," Lewis said.

Ray said even those who disagreed with Calabrese often found him fun to debate.

"He was the kind of person who knew his stuff but at the same time was not real condescending about it," Ray said. "He didn't come off as arrogant about what he knew."

Calabrese had a dry sense of humor that helped keep meetings light, friends say.

Chad Heywood, one of Calabrese's good friends, said he would display his quick wit when answering the phone.

"Steve is famous for answering the phone pretending to be a recording service," Heywood recalled. "He would say when he would answer the phone, 'Thank you for calling political hacks. To launch an attack at Eddie Cook, press 1. To launch an attack at Mesa resident and carpetbagger Jordan Ray, press 2.'"

Donations to Calabrese's memorial fund can be made at Wells Fargo, account No. 6964590373.

Reminder: Politics on the Rocks tonight with David Schweikert and Wes Gullett

Politics on the Rocks is pleased to announce that United States Congressman David Schweikert and Phoenix Mayoral Candidate Wes Gullett will be speaking at our next free networking event on Tuesday, September 27th 6:00 PM at "The Mint" located at 7373 E Camelback Rd. in Scottsdale, AZ. Part restaurant, part ultra-lounge, The Mint occupies a 7,000 square foot space that was previously a bank, giving inspiration to the name. In a nod to its past, The Mint’s centerpiece is the original vault door, while updated touches evoke a Hollywood Regency design influence. For information on The Mint please visit: http://www.themintaz.com/ We would like to thank our marketing partners Gem Ray & Scottsdale Nights for their support!

Our charity of the month is the Scottsdale Healthcare 3rd Annual Rob Moy Memorial Motorcycle Run. Proceeds will benefit the Gift of Life Lodging program for cancer patients. The Scottsdale Healthcare Rob Moy Memorial Motorcycle Run begins Oct. 22 at 8 a.m. at Go AZ Motorcycles in Scottsdale and ends at San Tan Flats in Queen Creek. For more information on this charity event please visit: http://www.shc.org/motorcyclerun

David Schweikert has been a lifelong Arizona advocate. He was raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, and attended Arizona State University where he earned a BA degree in finance and real estate and his MBA in 2005. David is serving his first term in the United States House of Representatives representing Arizona’s 5th district. He serves on the Financial Services Committee. Prior to being elected to the 112th Congress, David served as Treasurer of Maricopa County in 2004. As Treasurer of one of the largest counties in the United States, David was responsible for protecting billions of taxpayer dollars and earning over $300 million in investment income while never showing a deficit despite a tough economic environment. David was heralded by The Arizona Republic for his work serving Arizonans in both the state legislature and as Treasurer. David is an advocate for taxpayers, a legislative reformer, and a small business owner who understands fiscal responsibility. For more information on David Schweikert please visit his website: http://www.schweikert.house.gov/

Wes Gullett is currently a candidate for Mayor of Phoenix. He served on the Phoenix Planning and Zoning Commission for five years including one year as Chairman. His experience in business and public service provide him valuable insights into how the City of Phoenix can grow out of the economic downturn that is challenging the city. Gullett has extensive experience in government. He was Chief of Staff for Arizona Governor Fife Symington from July 1993 to April 1996. In addition he served as Administrative Assistant to U.S. Senator John McCain. He also served as Senator McCain’s 1992 Campaign Manager. Gullett’s tenure with McCain was seven years and included Administrative Assistant, Community Relations Director and Northern Arizona/Maricopa County Field Director for McCain for Senate (1986). For more information on Mayoral Candidate Wes Gullett please visit his website: http://www.wesgullett.com/

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, September 27th 6:00 PM at The Mint in Scottsdale!

Regards,

Politics on the Rocks
http://www.politicsontherocks.com/

Will the real “plant” in the Russell Pearce recall election please stand up?

cross-posted from Liberty Musings blog by Mesa Smiles

KTAR radio yesterday covered an interview of candidate Jerry Lewis, one of the candidates in the LD 18 recall election. He was stating that he felt that Olivia Cortes was a “plant” in the election, and her candidacy was designed to divide the vote.

Oh, Mr. Lewis, and you are not a plant.

Those of us who know the history of this recall election know very well what is going on. Randy Parraz, well-known agitator, was the driving force behind setting up this recall election, and he set it up with the intent of engineering the candidate choice for maximum effect, to give the maximum chance of unseating Senator Pearce, the author of SB1070, a law that he detests. He wanted a candidate who was LDS, a Republican, but a moderate, thus drawing away as many votes from Senator Pearce as he could. He is trying to take advantage of the special scenario of this election, in which there are no regular party primaries, keeping any Democrats from the race, thus hopefully getting all of the Democrats and as many Republicans as possible to vote for Lewis.

So into this carefully engineered scenario, we have a fly in the ointment, Olivia Cortes, who has obtained the necessary signatures to appear on the ballot. Parraz supporters are crying foul, that she is present in the race merely to dilute the vote for Jerry Lewis. Oh, my, but my heart bleeds. Jerry Lewis is planted to dilute the vote for Pearce, and no one else was supposed to be in the race who might dilute the vote for Lewis.

The rage of some of the complainers is palpable. They are calling it a great scandal. But the closest they can come to pinning this on Senator Pearce is to call her a Tea Party plant. Well, I wouldn’t be suprised if placing her in the race turns out to be a brainstorm of someone in the Tea Party, but at the worst, it’s a crude attempt to do the same thing that Randy Parraz has done so slickly.

To really have integrity in a recall election like this, there should be no candidates on the ballot, only the question whether the public official named should be recalled. Then, if the vote is to recall, a bona fide election should be set up with primaries and the whole regular process. Problem is, if Randy Parraz did that, he would lose and Pearce would win, hands down. This idea of being able to “plant” candidates to muddy the recall process is really working in his favor.

2nd Annual Patriot Dinner Banquet with Bill Whittle, Tammy Bruce, Krista Branch, and Shane Krauser: Please Join Us!!

The Scottsdale Plaza Resort
7200 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona
Saturday, October 22^nd, 2011
5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Business/Cocktail Attire

Silent Auction/Cocktails/VIP Reception 5:00 – 6:30 pm
Dinner and Evening Program 6:30 – 9:00 pm

For more information about the banquet, our featured speakers , and to purchase tickets:http://arizonamainstreamproject.org/#q=Events

VIP TICKETS

Premier seating, access to VIP Reception and photo opportunity, signed copy of Bill Whittle’s “What We Believe” DVD, signed copy of Tammy Bruce’s “The New Thought Police,” and signed copy of Krista Branch’s latest CD

$150 (Before Sept. 30th)     $175 (After Sept. 30th)

RESERVED TICKETS

$75 (Before Sept. 30th)     $100 (After Sept. 30th)

STUDENT TICKETS  ~ $50

TABLE SPONSORSHIPS

Complimentary advertisement in event program for businesses, organizations, or campaigns with table purchases made by Oct. 8. Full 5 x 7 ad given for VIP table purchase, and a 1/2 page ad given for a reserved table purchase.

Washington VIP Table (10 guests)

Premier seating, access to VIP Reception and photo opportunity, signed copy of Bill Whittle’s “What We Believe” DVD, signed copy of Tammy Bruce’s book “The New Thought Police,” and signed copy of Krista Branch’s latest CD

$1200 (Before Sept. 30th)     $1500 (After Sept. 30th)

 Jefferson Reserved Table (10 guests)

Reserved seating for dinner and evening program

$600 (Before Sept. 30th)     $750 (After Sept. 30th)

 Madison Table (10 students) ~ $500

Sponsorships for speakers are available:  Call Honey Marques, Executive Director, by phone at 808-283-3661 or by email at honey@arizonamainstreamproject.org or more information and to make contribution. 

What’s the Matter with Arizona - Part II

by Bill Wavering

In our second installment of “What’s the Matter with Arizona” we’ll delve into the goings-on over at the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. These guys and gals really know how to party! I would go so far as to say that they put the F-U-N in dysfunctional.

To provide a little perspective, Maricopa County encompasses 9,226 square miles, has a population of 3.8 million people and is ruled by five people. These five each take down an annual salary of $76,600. They’ve each served at least a decade in office.

By district, the supervisors are; Fulton Brock - R Dist 1, Don Stapley - R Dist 2, Andy Kunasek - R Dist 3, Max Wilson - R Dist 4, and Mary Rose Wilcox - D-Dist 5.

The board splits into three groups here. We’ll cover the ‘normal’ people first. Andy Kunasek has served since his appointment in 1997. According to AZCentral.com he promised not to raise property taxes but voted to do so anyway.

Max Wilson was appointed in 2002 to replace Jan Brewer after her successful bid to the Governorship. The major beef Maricopa County residents have with Mr. Wilson is he doesn’t really concern himself with the property rights of county residents.

As I said these are the ‘normal’ people as the only contentions here are the everyday ‘politician-says-one-thing-does-another’ stuff we all put up with across the country. You know the drill: Elect a Republican, get a RINO.

The odd man out here, and I do mean odd is Fulton Brock. Mr. Brock has served on the Board since 1996. His wife, Susan Brock was arrested on October 26^th 2010, on two counts of molestation of a child and two counts of sexual conduct with a minor. Susan Brock was tried, found guilty, and is currently serving a 13 year sentence.

His daughter Rachel Brock was arrested on March 25^th 2011 and charged with seven counts of misconduct with a minor and one count of furnishing obscene materials to a minor. Both women, it seems, were involved with the same boy (a child of a family friend) at the same time. As with my research into the nefarious Mr. Lemons last week, by the time I’d waded through the salacious details of this Ménage á trios; it was back to the showers once again.

The third group consists of Mary Rose Wilcox and Don Stapley. Mary Rose Wilcox is a life-long political hack has been in office since the early 90’s. She’s married to former State legislator Earl Wilcox. According to the Phoenix New Times in 2005 Earl and Mary Rose were sold property from the Arizona Service Company at “several hundred thousand dollars below fair market value…” or so says columnist John Dougherty. Digging a little deeper we find this paragon of virtue and defender of minority rights using her insider status to land a lucrative exclusive concession contract at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

Granted; Ms. Wilcox may only be dancing around the ethics of the law while enriching herself; the First Prize goes to Don Stapley. Mr. Stapley has also served on the Board since 1992. According to the John Hawkins piece cited in Part I, “Don Stapley, the Chairman of the County Supervisors, raised thousands of dollars to run for president of the National Association of Counties, even though he did not have an opponent. He then spent that money on personal luxury items. Stapley allegedly spent $6,000 of these funds at Bang and Olufsen electronics, along with $1,300 for hair implants, $400 for candleholders and $10,000 for furniture for his home. He also spent these funds, solicited as campaign money, to buy tickets to Broadway plays and movie theatres. He bought flowers, paid the grocery store and department stores, paid for massages – and paid for family trips to Sundance, to Utah to ski, a trip for his son and friends to Florida and a three-week vacation in Hawaii for his entire family at a beach house costing approximately $11,000.” Mingling campaign contributions with personal finance makes Don Stapley the John Edwards of Arizona.

If you read the balance of the Hawkins article you’ll find that Attorney Andrew Thomas eventually brought charges against both Wilcox and Stapley. While both were indicted and arrested on multiple charges. These indictments were ‘hot-potatoed’ around the various judges within the Arizona Justice Department until they fell into the hands of judges that found reason to dismiss them. One judge was forced to resign over the imbroglio.

Undaunted Mr. Thomas proceeded with a RICO suit against the Board of Supervisors. In turn the board refused to authorize funds to hire outside counsel to assist the Attorney’s Office. Gee! There’s a surprise! I hope I control the purse strings of the prosecutor’s office if I’m ever caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

Once the charges had been thrown out of court the hammer began to descend on Andrew Thomas. Mr. Stapley gave a tear jerker performance during a panel convened by the Arizona Supreme Court where he played the ‘aggrieved’ public servant to the hilt. He also accused Andrew Thomas of a handing out legal work to friends and political donors. As an aside here; I find this all extremely Freudian in nature as it is my experience that politicians will always accuse others of actions they would be most willing to do themselves.

Shortly thereafter The Arizona State Bar decided to selectively scrutinize persons in the Prosecutor’s Office. Most any Arizona attorney that has stepped forward to represent either Andrew Thomas, Lisa Aubuchon, or Rachel Alexander have been shut out by the same Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. It’s easy to see that Wilcox and Stapley have the axe to grind and they have a reliable majority vote in Brock. (Lord only knows what else they may have on this sap.)

Let’s summarize. Board gets caught in shady deals. Board uses the influence gathered over decades in office to get indictments thrown out. Board. Board rejects funding against prosecuting themselves. Board plays wounded public servant. Board pillories Prosecutor and underlings. Board isolates its targets. Board cajoles Bar to ‘look’ into things. Term limits anyone?

It remains to be seen how the Arizona State Bar plays its hand. That’s the Part III subject.

Read Part I here

Herman Cain coming to Arizona!

Rachel Alexander Charges Are Bogus & Embarrass AZ Legal Community

cross-posted from LighthouseBlog

Former Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Alexander faces disciplinary action for following orders from her boss, former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas.  Whether or not you agree or disagree with Thomas' office's allegations against some of the county supervisors is irrelevant.  The issue here is what appears to be nothing short of a political assassination of a dedicated employee and public servant in Alexander.  Others who also worked on the racketeering suit have had no such allegations made against them, interestingly.

According to the Arizona Republic, "Alexander is charged with seven ethical violations stemming from her work on the racketeering suit. Charges include using means to burden or embarrass, filing and asserting a frivolous proceeding, and disobeying an obligation under the rules of a tribunal."

Most of the above ethics charges stem from Alexander following orders from her boss.  As a Maricopa County Attorney's Office employee, anyone would and should feel comfortable that their boss, the duly elected County Attorney, was following the law, and that what he was directing his employee to do was legal.  He was the county's highest ranking lawyer, after all.  So of course, if one is asked to file paperwork and pursue a case, an employee would do so, even if she objected.  It was her job.

Alexander is being charged, despite a long, unblemished record at MCAO, solely for her role working on the RICO case. What was her role?  She worked under her supervisor Pete Spaw's direction.  Shaw was an experienced RICO attorney who, according to my sources, started the drafts of the pleadings, finalized the drafts of the pleadings with Andrew Thomas, and developed the key theories in them.  He exclusively dealt with opposing counsel, and filed all of the pleadings electronically.  Alexander's role consisted of mostly research for the pleadings, and taking direction from Spaw, nothing further. Yet Spaw was not charged by the Bar, only Alexander.

The "filing, asserting, & disobeying an obligation" charges are mostly just there for the purpose of piling on.  The real issue here is the allegation that Alexander sought to burden and embarrass county supervisors.  The allegation is nothing short of hilarious on its face, if anyone has ever heard or read a statement from Mary Rose Wilcox, or followed the Brock sex-scandal case, or followed the new court house boondoggle.  The supervisors, with a few exceptions, have done a pretty good job of bringing poor press and embarrassment upon themselves.  And they did so all without the help of Alexander.

But digging deeper, the charges against Alexander reek of fulfilling a vendetta for running a political blog, and a conservative one at that.  Most of their unfettered discontent comes from blog posts they attribute to Alexander, that she in fact did not write.  The Arizona State Bar is anything but a right-leaning organization, and it appears to seek to censor a person with whom they disagree, while leaving others untouched. 

As Alexander's attorney, Scott Zwillinger, says, "She was simply one lawyer of several assigned to a controversial matter, but unfortunately for her, she is the one now fighting for her career."

Alexander will hopefully prevail in this matter, but the tragedy will remain that the Arizona State Bar used it's power to try to silence a grass-roots activist with whom they have political disagreements.  Arizona is not being served well in this, and its legal community is being embarrassed.  And, of course, political blogging isn't going anywhere....

Governor Brewer: Maricopa County Needs Your Help!

by Dr. Phil Taverna

Governor you stood up to the immigration fiasco. There is a bigger fiasco taking place in Maricopa County. It wasn’t too long ago when you were a supervisor in the same county. You helped the county then, they need your help now!

The county elected a bunch of supervisors and a county attorney who didn’t see eye to eye. It was clear that Mr. Thomas ran on the promise that he would clean up the corruption in the Arizona County. But it didn’t quite work out very well. It seems that the supervisors and some elected judges had different designs. It seems in unison the elected group decided that they were going to shall we say look the other way when it came to the enforcement of certain laws. Or maybe it is worse. They were intentionally not enforcing the laws of the state and county.   

All we are asking for here is for you to look into this problem. And hopefully the good people of Arizona will start calling their elected officials and ask them to look into the problem as well.

Now Mr. Thomas made a fatal mistake. He tried to legally fight the good old boys’ network. And he used the RICO statutes to win his battle. Unfortunately most courts don’t see organized crime in government as a RICO crime. They want to see Joe Bananas running around with wads of cash on video. But is there really any difference?

Maybe we should reword the RICO statutes to include language that is parallel in nature to include situations that encompass plans or intent to form a conspiracy to commit a crime or an illegal act in any entity including governmental boards.

But let’s face it do we really want these issues in the courts. These issues should be handled on election night!

I understand Mr. Thomas’s frustration. In our area the developers just pay off the Palmer Township officials and they are allowed to build large developments with no need to come close to being in compliance with any storm water laws. The developers make millions while the land holders get flooded and the township officials and engineers look the other way and do nothing. And it is obvious that it is not one person but a group of people that have to be placed in strategically planned positions to allow this to happen.

Now the Courts in their opinion need to find an enterprise for RICO to work. But clearly we have a conspiracy by a very large number of professionals and elected officials to break the law so others can make millions at a loss for many innocent home owners who in the end will have no legal recourse!

But let me be a little bit more specific. It appears that the powers to be are now going after Mr. Thomas’s law license. And clearly this appears to be a witch hunt. Any good lawyer will tell you to find malice would almost be impossible without a written statement as such. And for the Arizona Bar to claim malice for lawyers doing their job is clearly not fair and not American.

And to take it a bit further, Mr. Thomas hired Attorneys Rachel Alexander and Lisa Aubuchon and they had nothing to do with the decision to file the actions against the conspirators in Maricopa County. And they are being needlessly dragged through the mud with Mr. Thomas.

They were merely doing their job in good faith as directed by the elected official Mr. Thomas. It is clear that he directed his staff and approved every step of the way of the legal actions sought in Arizona.

At this time neither of these attorneys is in the position held at the time of the legal action. It would serve no purpose to put these good attorneys through the expense and hardship of a hearing to save their professional license. And frankly there is a good chance they will be exonerated of any charges. But as you know it is never fair and American to put good people through this kind of torture.

With your help and influence hopefully the people of Arizona can put this episode behind them and to a rapid close.

It will be up to the people of Arizona to look carefully the next time and be cautious when putting in office the people who will uphold the laws as they are written. And to elect people who will not find themselves doing things that for the most part are not a benefit to Arizona but only a benefit to a select few.

We live at a time when the internet can help influence a great deal of people. With the right influence and encouragement we can begin to build a state anda nation that is founded on the principle to be by the people and for the people. The purpose of this great country was not for a select few to become rich at the expense of the people and the State! Please Governor, we could really use your help!

What’s the Matter with Arizona? (Part 1)

by Bill Wavering

As I am wont to do; I was cruising the internet and ran across an absolutely intriguing post at rightwingnews.com. The post was by John Hawkins and had to do with some shenanigans at the Arizona State Bar. I’m a Hawkins fan so I read further. Come to find out that his post had to do with an acquaintance of mine Ms. Rachel Alexander; the editor of the Intellectual Conservative. The specifics dealt with The Arizona State Bar’s prosecution of former Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and two of his deputies. You may read the entirety of this post here. Apparently Ms Alexander is being singled out for a six month suspension of her law license. Not because of incompetence or malfeasance; no: She’s being targeted because she has the audacity to exercise her First Amendment right of free speech.

As I researched this issue on the web, I became more and more certain that this action brought by the Arizona Bar was ideologically motivated. Those of you who have read my previous posts know that I actively despise any and all who do not hold to the courage of their convictions. You also know that I reserve particular scorn for those paragons of tolerance on the progressive left; as they are willing to tolerate anything except dissenting opinions, and will most readily hold conservatives to impossible standards as they have none they hold to themselves. Needless to say that by the time I’d decided I’d had enough I felt as if I needed a shower. Even members of the Arizona Bar of both political persuasions have eschewed this action in a full page ad placed in the State’s professional periodical. One comment said, and I quote; “…I think her low-level involvement, the limited duration of her work on the case and the fact that her supervisor--who was extensively involved in the case--was not targeted speaks for itself.”

I took the liberty of checking the sitehttp://www.intellectualconservative.com/. My intention was to see just how ‘active’ a conservative blogger Ms. Alexander was. Maybe there was good reason to suspect her of mixing politics with her work.

I checked her archive of essays. Out of 102 pieces posted at this site between November of 2008 and September of 2011; 33 of them (32%) had Arizona as a topic. Over half were of the McCain versus Hayworth genre and published during the 2010 primary season. Only three actually dealt with legal actions in the state against duly elected state office holders.

I do have to state here that I reserve a special level of disgust for person by the name of Mr. Stephen Lemons. On his blog Mr. Lemons overtly displays a particular kind of Schandenfreude that progressives reserve exclusively for ideological opponents. He seems to not only think that prosecution of Ms. Alexander is an excellent idea, but believes that the rule of law should be suspended in her case. The state’s paying a defendant’s defense costs in a suit that stems from his/her employment at a state agency; in this case the Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office, is settled law. To insinuate that a conservative should shun such in order to prove herself ideologically pure is sophomoric at best.

Selective observance of settled law is a progressive trait; which would explain Arizona having to pass SB 1070 in the state in the first place. We can deal with the bovine scatology that led up to that successful referendum for another time

One doesn’t have to read much of Steven Lemons’ screed to figure out why he’s volunteering for his turn in the barrel in this instance.

He opines; “Serious stuff. Particularly when you no longer have a government job and must fend for yourself in the private sector.” One might attribute the same comment to a journalist. And as a journalist; I would bet that Mr. Lemons would be the first to loudly declare his own First Amendment rights.

Mr. Lemons cites as evidence a 2,600 word article in the same Phoenix New Times he authors for. Rachel Alexander’s name is mentioned three times: Once in paragraph six; “Another former deputy county attorney, Rachel Alexander, faces suspension of her law license.” Once under her picture which appears with the piece. And finally in paragraph 70 where she’s accused of…Gasp… following the instructions of her direct, unindicted superiors!My first question is: If Ms. Alexander did something unethical, would her supervisor’s direction that she perform such an act also be unethical? Evidently not in the wild, wild world Steve Lemons lives in.

Apparently; Mr Lemon supposes that Ms. Alexander should have refused direction from her direct superior and rejected, out-of-hand, her responsibility to carry out the directions of her boss. One would reasonably wonder when the last time Steve told his editor to “Take a flyer!”

Mr. Lemons' primary accusation in his article is that Ms. Alexander is guilty of drawing breath while being conservative. He says; “As for Alexander, a conservative blogger and occasional boob-tube talking head, she's constantly kvetching about government spending, while touting the joys of free market capitalism.” It seems that this is enough evidence to satisfy a conviction on the planet Lemons’ is from. The core of his argument is that Ms. Rachel Alexander’s chosen career should be short-circuited because she dares to hold opinion contrary to his. There’s nothing about job performance, nothing about preponderance of evidence. “She should swing…well…just because!” how cute. It’s just the infantile touch one would expect from a Marxist left wing progressive.

My question to Steve, (May I call you Steve?), is: Why on God’s Green Earth would you expect a person of such sterling conservative credentials to act like a progressive and ignore authority?

In keeping with Steve Lemons’ belief that progressives may act as immediate judge and jury in any undertaking; I’ll take a page out of his own playbook: Mr. Steve Lemon; you’ve been accused and found guilty of being a prepuce! Come clean sir! We now demand that you state which ‘member’ of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors you’re ‘covering’ for. C’mon man! Who’s boo are you?

Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3 of this series

Bill Wavering is an eight year military veteran and a degreed Industrial Engineer. In his spare time he is a member of the C4AA (Citizens for the American Agenda), and tends cattle on his mini ranch with his wife of over twenty years Marilyn.

Statement by Senator Steve Smith: It is Time to Take A Stand

In November, Senate President Russell Pearce will face a recall election financed and placed on the ballot by left wing interests opposed to Senator Pearce’s conservative policies. Policies that many, if not most Republicans in this state support. Yet, in this difficult time where Senator Pearce is fighting for his political life, I am both encouraged and disappointed by the actions of many Republican leaders in our state.

I am encouraged by the unwavering support given to Senator Pearce by Republican leaders such as Governor Jan Brewer, Attorney General Tom Horne, Treasurer Doug Ducey, Sheriff Paul Babeu, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Congressman Trent Franks and former Congressman Matt Salmon.

I am proud of the strong support Senator Pearce has received from Republican legislators all across our state, like Senators Andy Biggs, Frank Antenori and Steve Yarbrough, and Representatives such as Eddie Farnsworth, Cecil Ash and Michelle Ugenti.

Pearce is also supported by both the Maricopa County GOP and the Arizona Republican Party who see this recall as the Democrat scam that it is. And I continue to be inspired at the willingness of conservatives throughout Arizona to lend a helping hand to ensure we keep Senator Pearce right where he belongs.

Unfortunately, I am also disappointed that some Republicans leaders have chosen to remain “neutral” or even oppose a great conservative patriot like Senator Pearce. I’m saddened that some Republican leaders in the East Valley who claim to support the very same conservative ideas shared by Senator Pearce, have now turned tail or put their heads in the sand.

Leaders like former Speaker and congressional candidate Kirk Adams, who so far has refused to publicly support Senator Pearce in this recall election, and have instead chosen to remain on the sidelines.

The decision to oppose or stay neutral in this recall election is, of course, their choice. I support their right to make that choice. But neutrality at moments of great importance is not the stuff of great leadership.

It is only by staying true to our conservative cause and united in the face of a well-funded liberal assault that we can save not only Senator Pearce, but Arizona and our country. I urge Republican leaders like Kirk Adams to recognize what is at stake and join his Party and conservatives all across Arizona in supporting Russell Pearce this November.

State Senator Steve Smith (R-23)