🗳️ Newly Elected GOP AZ Senator Vows to Tackle Border, Budget, and Water Woes
📢 Pima County GOP Activist Blasts "Dumpster Fire" of Local Election Mismanagement
Based on the 11/16/24 Inside Track show on KVOI-1030AM.
🙊 Notable quotes from the show
📢 "Republicans do things because they can not because they should. The party that is supposedly organized around the idea of well thought out ideas. And we've come to logical conclusions using the brain as opposed to the heart in terms of figuring things out. We are sometimes our own worst enemy." - Bill Beard, Pima County Republican activist
🚨 "We've successfully diverted 1100 people in the first year into instead of going back to where they were and reducing recidivism. You know what I can say that I can never say that down from, you know, under, you know, just under 40% down to 10%. That means people after 30 days, they don't come back. They find some path to keep them from doing the same thing again. Can't that be good? Shouldn't that be celebrated by everybody?" - Kevin Daily, Tucson Crime Free Coalition
💰 "The people that put the ballot in the ballot box or in a case of the computerized put it in the machine. Is it too much to ask government to give them results on a timely basis?" - Bill Beard, on issues with Pima County elections
⏮️ ICYMI: From the Last Show…
📢 Trump's Dystopian Vision: Gutting Federal Agencies, Deporting Millions, Packing the Courts
Based on the 11/9/24 Inside Track Show on KVOI-1030AM.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🗳️ The Inside Track radio show talked about some important issues happening in Arizona. 🤵♂️ Vince, a new state senator, wants to focus on the border, money, and water problems. 💵 Bill, a Republican activist, thinks the Pima County elections are a mess and people need to pay more attention. 🚓 The Tucson Crime Free Coalition is trying to get the city and county to do more about crime and help people who are addicted to drugs. 🗳️ They hope the new sheriff will make things better. Overall, it seems like there are a lot of challenges, but people are working hard to try to fix them.
🗝️ Takeaways
🗳️ Vince Leach prioritizes border security, fiscal responsibility, and water management as top agenda items for his new term as state senator.
💰 Bill Beard criticizes Republican "fratricide" and calls for engaged, informed voters to demand election integrity in Pima County.
🚨 Tucson Crime Free Coalition sees the transition center as a key solution to diverting offenders from the criminal justice system and reducing recidivism.
🤝 Frustration over local officials dismissing public safety concerns drives the community-based coalition to advocate for collaborative, data-driven approaches.
� The upcoming sheriff's election is seen as a pivotal opportunity for change in the law enforcement approach to public safety issues in the Tucson area.
⏬ Jump to the 🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary based on:
📻 What They Discussed
The Inside Track show aired on November 16, 2024, with host Bruce Ash covering a range of political and local issues.
The show featured interviews with Vince Leach, the newly elected Republican state senator from LD 17, Kevin Daily from the Tucson Crime Free Coalition, retired US Navy Captain Bob Wells, and Pima County Republican party activist and former Pima GOP Chairman Bill Beard.
🗳️ Election Recap and Priorities for the New Term
Vince Leach discussed his hard-fought victory in the LD 17 state senate race, overcoming opposition from within his own party.
He outlined his top priorities for the upcoming legislative session, including securing the border, addressing the state budget and taxes, and tackling Arizona's water challenges.
Leach emphasized the importance of blocking and tackling in campaigns, noting the need for Republicans to match their opponents' ground game. He expressed concern over the lack of participation and support from some elements of the local Republican party during his race, stating, "I went all over. I got to Republicans across the district, up down East, West.”
Leach also commented on the loss of his opponent, John McLean, saying: "When you run against somebody, you do a lot of research, particularly John and I didn't know each other well. But you get to know them in a different way. And all of a sudden that person is gone. And it's more than politics. It's not like you lost a lifelong friend. But to some degree, it is because you feel from a political standpoint that you know this person."
💰 Challenges with Pima County Elections
Bill Beard, a longtime Pima County Republican activist, discussed the ongoing issues with election administration in the county, highlighting delays in vote counting and what he sees as a pattern of incompetence or intentional sabotage by the county recorder.
Beard lamented the lack of urgency and political will to reform the state's election laws, even with Republican control of the legislature. He urged voters to take a more active interest in the electoral process, noting that "the people that put the ballot in the ballot box or in a case of the computerized put it in the machine. Is it too much to ask government to give them results on a timely basis?"
Beard also criticized the Republican party's tendency towards "fratricide," saying: "Republicans do things because they can, not because they should. The party that is supposedly organized around the idea of well thought out ideas. And we've come to logical conclusions using the brain as opposed to the heart in terms of figuring things out. We are sometimes our own worst enemy."
🚨 Crime and Public Safety Concerns
Kevin Daily, representing the Tucson Crime Free Coalition, shared the group's efforts to address rising crime and property damage in the Tucson area. Daily described their frustration with local officials who seemed to downplay or dismiss the concerns of residents and business owners.
The coalition advocated for the establishment of a transition center to help divert offenders from the criminal justice system and provide services to address underlying issues like addiction. Daily expressed hope that the upcoming sheriff's election could bring much-needed change to the department's approach to public safety.
Daily emphasized the importance of the transition center, stating: "We've successfully diverted 1100 people in the first year instead of going back to where they were and reducing recidivism. You know what I can say that I can never say that down from, you know, under, you know, just under 40% down to 10%. That means people after 30 days, they don't come back. They find some path to keep them from doing the same thing again. Can't that be good? Shouldn't that be celebrated by everybody?"
🦉 Three Sonorans Commentary
¡Alerta, Tucson! Conservative Talking Heads Ignore Pressing Concerns of Marginalized Communities
As the mouthpieces of the Pima County Republican party spewed their usual talking points on the Inside Track radio show, it became painfully clear that the lived experiences and pressing needs of our most vulnerable residents continue to be overlooked and dismissed.
Let's break down the so-called "priorities" outlined by newly elected state senator Vince Leach and his allies:
Border Security Theater: While Leach claimed securing the border is his top priority, we all know this is nothing more than xenophobic fear-mongering that does nothing to address the root causes of migration or support our immigrant neighbors. Instead of wasting resources on Trump's ridiculous border wall, we need comprehensive immigration reform and a humane, compassionate approach that respects the dignity of all people.
Fiscally Irresponsible "Budget": The guests lamented the state's budget shortfalls, conveniently ignoring the fact that Republican tax giveaways to the wealthy have stripped critical funding from education, social services, and environmental protection. Rather than pursuing a balanced, equitable approach, they seek to slash further vital programs that support working families and marginalized communities.
Water Woes for the Privileged: In the face of the Southwest's devastating drought, Leach and his ilk are more concerned with maintaining the unsustainable water usage of golf courses and sprawling developments than investing in conservation, sustainable agriculture, and green infrastructure that would benefit all Arizonans. Their narrow focus on the needs of the wealthy elite will only exacerbate the looming water crisis.
Criminalizing Poverty and Addiction: The Tucson Crime Free Coalition's approach to public safety is deeply troubling. Instead of addressing the root causes of crime, such as lack of affordable housing, mental health resources, and economic opportunity, they advocate for a punitive model that further marginalizes the most vulnerable. Diverting people into transition centers, rather than providing comprehensive support, is a Band-Aid solution that does nothing to break the cycles of poverty and addiction.
¡Basta ya!
The guests on Inside Track proved once again that the Republican party in Pima County is more concerned with maintaining power and catering to their wealthy donors than uplifting the diverse communities that make our region vibrant. If they truly want to serve the people, they must abandon their regressive agenda and start listening to the voices of the marginalized.
Only then can we build a Tucson that works for all.
👯 People Mentioned
🗳️ Vince Leach, Republican state senator-elect from LD 17
"I went all over. I got to Republicans across the, you know, across the district, up down East, West"
Discussed overcoming opposition within his own party to reclaim his former Senate seat
💰 Bill Beard, Pima County Republican activist
"Republicans do things because they can not because they should. The party that is supposedly organized around the idea of well thought out ideas. And we've come to logical conclusions using the brain as opposed to the heart in terms of figuring things out. We are sometimes our own worst enemy."
Criticized the dysfunction and "dumpster fire" of Pima County's election processes
🚨 Kevin Daily, Tucson Crime Free Coalition
"We've got successfully diverted 1100 people in the first year into instead of going back to where they were and reducing recidivism. You know what I can say that I can never say that down from, you know, under, you know, just under 40% down to 10%. That means people after 30 days, they don't come back. They find some path to keep them from doing the same thing again. Can't that be good? Shouldn't that be celebrated by everybody?"
Advocated for the transition center as a key solution to address crime and addiction
🙏 John McLean, Leach's former opponent who passed away
Leach expressed empathy and respect for his former opponent, despite their political differences