🏢 "Government Can't Do Anything Right": MAGA Commentators Exploit Tucson House Elevator Crisis
Conservative voices use public housing maintenance issues to attack city leadership rather than advocate for residents
This is based on Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone, a maga-conservative podcast in Southern Arizona, which was broadcast by Live The Dream Media on 4/8/25.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
A Tucson conservative podcast called "Wake Up Live" featured guests who criticized the city government for problems like broken elevators in public housing and free bus service. The host Chris DeSimone and his guests Danny Sawaya and Daniel Asia complained about these issues without suggesting how to actually fix them with better funding or support. They also talked about how universities are teaching things they don't like, such as hip-hop music, and claimed America is losing its religious values. Instead of finding ways to help people who need public housing or transportation, they just blamed city leaders without offering real solutions that would actually improve people's lives.
🗝️ Takeaways
🏘️ The show used the genuine suffering of disabled residents at Tucson House as a political weapon against city government rather than advocating for better funding of public housing
🚌 Conservatives labeled Tucson's fare-free public transportation a "crime bus," revealing their disdain for public services that benefit working-class residents
🎓 Retired UA professor Daniel Asia complained about "wokeness" in higher education while dismissing the academic value of studying hip-hop and other diverse cultural contributions
✝️ The guests promoted Christian nationalist talking points, claiming America's problems stem from becoming "too secular" rather than addressing systemic issues
🔊 The conservative media ecosystem in Tucson continues promoting divisive narratives that undermine support for public services while offering no substantive solutions
Behind the MAGA Microphone: Conservative Echo Chamber Amplifies in Tucson
A critical analysis of conservative talking points from The Three Sonorans
Today's Cast of Conservative Characters
The airwaves of Tucson were once again saturated with the familiar sound of conservative grievance as Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone delivered its daily dose of right-wing rhetoric and selective outrage. Today's lineup featured Danny Sawaya from Tucson Strength and Daniel Asia, a retired University of Arizona music professor who now runs the Center for American Culture and Ideas, a conservative think tank seemingly dedicated to fighting the phantom menace of "wokeness" in higher education.
As I tuned in, pen in hand to document the torrent of conservative talking points, I couldn't help but wonder how many listeners absorb these narratives without questioning the deeper implications for our community. This is exactly how dangerous ideologies spread—wrapped in seemingly reasonable local concerns while ignoring the systemic issues at their core.
Let's unpack the sea of misinformation and dog whistles that listeners were subjected to, and examine how these narratives perpetuate harmful policies affecting our most vulnerable communities in Tucson and beyond.
Starlink Over Substance: The Conservative Echo Chamber Gets Better Reception
DeSimone kicked off the show by gleefully celebrating his switch from Comcast to Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet venture.
The irony wasn't lost on me – conservatives endlessly decrying "liberal echo chambers" while literally upgrading their technology to improve their own echo chamber's signal strength. The Musk worship continues unabated in MAGA-land, where billionaires are treated as saviors while working-class struggles are ignored or, worse, mocked.
Ever notice how these folks never miss a chance to name-drop Elon Musk? It's like they're hoping daddy billionaire will notice them and give them a gold star for loyalty.
Danny Sawaya: Gym Owner with Political Flexing
The conversation with Tucson Strength owner Danny Sawaya revealed just how deeply conservative propaganda has penetrated local business owners. What started as a discussion about fitness quickly devolved into standard right-wing talking points about the city of Tucson's supposed incompetence.
DeSimone highlighted a story about Tucson House, a low-income housing complex with failing elevators, using it as ammunition against the city administration while ignoring the broader issues of housing insecurity and poverty that plague our communities:
"This is the city that can't do anything right. We know that. And this is the city that wanted 80 million extra dollars from a tax, so they can screw that up. This is the city that would like to buy out Tucson Electric Power and run your electricity."
Rather than advocating for better funding and maintenance of public housing, or addressing the systematic disinvestment in public infrastructure that has occurred under decades of conservative tax policies, the discussion focused solely on vilifying city leadership without offering substantive solutions.
Because heaven forbid we talk about how tax cuts for the wealthy directly result in crumbling infrastructure for the poor. That would require acknowledging causality, and we can't have that!
The segment featured heartbreaking accounts of elderly and disabled residents trapped in their apartments due to elevator failures:
"I mean, I got two ladies that have to be in a wheelchair who have been stuck in their... They've stuck... Imagine three hours, you got to hold your bladder and whatever else is going on while you're in your wheelchair waiting for TFD to come get you out of a broken elevator."
Yet instead of expressing genuine concern or suggesting increased funding for maintenance and repairs, DeSimone pivoted immediately to using these vulnerable residents' suffering as a political cudgel against city government. There was zero discussion of how conservative policies that slash funding for public services directly contribute to these conditions.
Particularly troubling was Sawaya's comment:
"And the fact that if this is a public or private entity, if I own that building... I mean, they would shut me down. I'd be fined every day. Right? I mean, it would be like, it would be on the news of what a horrible person I was for not fixing this, yet they can do it and just dodge all responsibility."
This classic conservative stance ignores how private enterprise consistently fails vulnerable populations when profit is the primary motive. The people suffering at Tucson House deserve better maintenance and care, not privatization that would likely push them out entirely to make way for "luxury" condos.
Yes, let's pretend private landlords never neglect properties or discriminate against low-income tenants. Has he not seen the horrific conditions in privately-owned slum housing across America? At least public housing has some accountability mechanisms, however imperfect.
The "Crime Bus" and Public Transport Panic
The pair's attacks on Tucson's fare-free public transportation system revealed their disdain for public services that benefit working-class residents. DeSimone celebrated that Kansas City was reinstating bus fares, calling it "adulting" compared to Tucson's "juveniles":
"So, tonight there's a big meeting about whether or not they want to keep the crime bus free. That's going on tonight. And that's been a total failure. And the idea that as I keep saying, you want to keep it free, but put a pass system back in place that you just can hop on, hop off. They don't even want to do that. At least control who's on it."
He continued with his solution:
"So, the ordinance will give them $46 million, two-thirds of how much is budgeted to run the bus service right now. So, it can be done, Daniel Sawaya. One of these cities said, mistake."
This rhetoric ignores how free public transportation reduces traffic congestion, helps low-income workers access employment, reduces carbon emissions, and creates a more equitable city. The conservative obsession with making services inaccessible to "undesirables" perpetuates class divisions and environmental harm while using barely-concealed racial coding.
Notice how quickly "free bus" becomes "crime bus" in conservative speak? The dehumanization of public transit users is a textbook example of how classism and racism intersect in urban policy discussions.
When asked about the chances of Tucson reinstating fees, Sawaya responded:
"I think it's less than 20%. I think it'd be a miracle. I can't imagine because they're doubling down. They just double down on what they do because they can't admit that they were wrong."
What neither acknowledged is that free public transit could be a tremendous success with proper funding and support, rather than being undermined by those who ideologically oppose public services.
Daniel Asia: The Academic Face of Cultural Grievance
The second guest, Daniel Asia, retired music professor from the University of Arizona, epitomized the conservative academic who feels marginalized by progressive values. Asia openly stated he left the university because "the degree of anti-Semitism was so high in the university and amongst my, the larger group of colleagues that it was time for me to leave."
While we must absolutely combat anti-Semitism in all its forms, Asia's characterization of campus activism around Palestinian rights as inherently anti-Semitic demonstrates a common right-wing tactic of conflating criticism of Israeli government policies with anti-Jewish sentiment.
When DeSimone asked Asia about his first instrument:
"What was your first instrument as a young man?"
Asia replied:
"My first instrument was the trombone. I started when I was nine years old. But the story is I went in and the music teacher asked me what do you want to play? And I said, I really like to play the clarinet. And she said, well, you have two front teeth on the top that protrude a little bit. It'd be very hard for you to create the armature, the set for the mouth. Would you like to play the trombone?"
This personal anecdote quickly gave way to reminiscing about former University of Arizona president Henry Koffler (late 1980s) as "the last good president," claiming current leadership has abandoned educational ideals:
"He understood that the primary goal of a university is actually to teach students, and that the creation of commercial objects is important, but secondary to being an educational institution."
What became clear through his commentary was not so much concern for education quality, but opposition to diversity initiatives that have made the university more inclusive:
"Unfortunately, my area, the arts and the social sciences have moved so far to the left. And because of critical race theory and what's called intersectionality, that if you're anti-racist, then you need to join those who are fighting racism."
Translation: How dare universities acknowledge systemic racism exists and try to address it? Don't they know the real victims are conservative professors who can't teach the same unchanged curriculum they've taught for decades?
Asia lamented that students today can graduate "never having read a play of Shakespeare, never having read a book of Dostoevsky, not knowing what the Iliad is, never having seen the Bible."
The irony of defending Western canonical texts while seemingly dismissing the rich contributions of non-Western cultures was apparently lost on him. The notion that examining our educational biases somehow diminishes education quality rather than enhances it reveals the defensive posture of those benefiting from the status quo.
The "Faith" Gambit: Christian Nationalism Enters the Chat
In a telling moment, Asia and DeSimone lamented the supposed decline of religion in American society:
"And I think a lot of it too is our country has become extremely secular in a lot of ways. And there's, there's no more God in the middle of our country anymore," Sawaya said. "And when, when you don't have that base in faith and, you know, you know, people think they're basing all the right and wrong off their own personal morals. And they're not, they don't believe in anything higher than them. They are their moral standard. They are their own God now."
This Christian nationalist dogwhistle ignores America's religious diversity and secular founding principles. The implication that morality can only come from religious belief is not only historically inaccurate but dismissive of the ethical frameworks embraced by the growing number of Americans who identify as non-religious.
Right, because secular countries like Denmark, Norway, and New Zealand are just lawless hellscapes without morality. Oh wait, they consistently rank among the most peaceful, happy, and ethical societies on earth. Funny how that works.
Unmasking the "Tribalism" Argument
In a particularly hypocritical moment, DeSimone lamented political "tribalism," claiming his Republican identity is secondary to his other identities:
"I'm reading a book right now and I bought it like it was those books I bought last year and then forgot I had it. And then I started reading it on the soccer fields and now I'm getting it. It's called Truth Over Tribe. Pledging allegiance to the lamb, not the donkey or the elephant... This is, this is, there's a good portion of our brothers and sisters, Danny, who their political affiliation is their primary identifier. That's the problem."
This from a host who consistently demonizes Democrats, uses dehumanizing language about homeless individuals ("drug notters"), and promotes divisive culture war narratives daily. The cognitive dissonance is staggering.
DeSimone and Sawaya agreed that "people are so focused and hung up on hating Trump and Elon Musk," while ignoring local politics. This convenient framing ignores how right-wing media itself has nationalized local issues, conditioning conservatives to view everything through a partisan federal lens.
The lack of self-awareness is truly breathtaking. The same people who built their entire identity around MAGA hats and "Let's Go Brandon" flags want to lecture others about political tribalism? Please.
University "Wokeness" and the Manufactured Crisis
When discussing the supposed leftward drift of universities, Asia claimed:
"We started off at the university and then they essentially ran me out. And now I'm at the word 501c3."
He explained that his Center for American Culture and Ideas was pushed out of the university because "we get money from some foundations who lean more to the conservative side."
In a particularly revealing moment, Asia complained about a hip-hop course being added to the music curriculum:
"Well, remember, look, one of the reasons I left is because we now have a minor in hip hop. Okay. And guess what? The school of music was asked to create a course in hip hop music... I was told, I said, look, I've just listened to the top 10. And first of all, there's the N word used in every piece. Right. And ho, ho bitch. And everything else. You want to teach courses that have this as your subject matter, as your subject matter."
The racial undertones in this complaint are difficult to ignore. The dismissal of an entire musical tradition that has profoundly influenced global culture reveals more about Asia's cultural biases than about the supposed degradation of university education.
Funny how studying Beethoven is "high culture" but studying the complex rhythmic and lyrical structures of hip-hop is somehow beneath academic consideration. I wonder what the difference could possibly be? 🤔
Questions to Consider
How does the constant demonization of local government by conservative media harm our ability to develop constructive solutions to real problems like housing insecurity and public transportation?
What responsibility do local business owners like Danny Sawaya have to consider the impacts of right-wing policies on their diverse customer base, especially when many of those policies disproportionately harm marginalized communities?
How can we advocate for better maintenance and funding of public housing without playing into narratives that devalue public services altogether?
A Message of Hope and Action
Despite the daily deluge of right-wing talking points, Tucson remains a community with deep progressive roots and a commitment to social justice. The very fact that conservatives feel threatened by free buses, diversity initiatives, and public housing demonstrates the power of these programs to create a more equitable society.
As we continue building toward a Tucson that works for everyone – not just the wealthy and privileged – remember that behind every conservative complaint about "government failure" lies a fear of collective action and shared prosperity.
Here's how you can get involved:
Support fare-free transit: Attend city council meetings when public transportation is discussed and voice your support for keeping buses accessible to all.
Advocate for public housing: Join tenant unions and housing advocacy groups to demand better maintenance and increased funding for facilities like Tucson House.
Engage with local politics: Research candidates' positions on public services and infrastructure before voting, and consider volunteering for campaigns that align with your values.
Combat misinformation: When you hear these conservative talking points repeated in your community, challenge them with facts about how public services benefit everyone.
The path forward isn't through division and scapegoating, but through solidarity and mutual aid. Let's continue working together to make Tucson a beacon of progressive values in the Southwest.
What conservative narratives have you encountered in your community that need to be challenged? How do you think we can better advocate for public services that support our most vulnerable neighbors? Drop a comment below and join the conversation!
Quotes
"And the fact that if this is a public or private entity, if I own that building... I mean, they would shut me down." - Danny Sawaya dismissing government-run public housing while ignoring how private landlords regularly neglect properties with minimal consequences
"This is the city that can't do anything right. We know that. And this is the city that wanted 80 million extra dollars from a tax, so they can screw that up." - Chris DeSimone attacking city government while using the suffering of Tucson House residents as political ammunition
"The degree of anti-Semitism was so high in the university and amongst my, the larger group of colleagues that it was time for me to leave." - Daniel Asia conflating campus activism around Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism
"And I think a lot of it too is our country has become extremely secular in a lot of ways. And there's no more God in the middle of our country anymore." - Danny Sawaya promoting Christian nationalist views while ignoring America's religious diversity
"One of the reasons I left is because we now have a minor in hip hop." - Daniel Asia revealing racial undertones in his critique of university curriculum while dismissing an entire musical tradition
People Mentioned
Chris DeSimone - Host of Wake Up Live who said: "You want to keep it free, but put a pass system back in place... At least control who's on it." Revealing his desire to restrict public transit access
Danny Sawaya - Owner of Tucson Strength who said: "When the government's running something, there's nothing you can really do about it." Promoting anti-government sentiment while ignoring how private enterprise often fails vulnerable populations
Daniel Asia - Retired UA music professor who claimed: "We're indoctrinating our students by and large." While running the Center for American Culture and Ideas, a conservative think tank
Henry Koffler - Former UA President (1980s) who Asia praised as "the last good president" at the university
Regina Romero - Tucson Mayor indirectly criticized throughout the show for supporting fare-free public transit
Jesse Lugo - Conservative candidate for Tucson City Council promoted by DeSimone
Heather Lappin - Sheriff candidate mentioned who filed a notice of claim against Sheriff Nanos
Chris Nanos - Current Pima County Sheriff criticized on the show
Have a scoop or a story you want us to follow up on? Send us a message!
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