🔍 Budget Bombshell: Dr. DiFilippo Exposes Pima County's $32 Million Shell Game | Wake Up Live
💰 Glass Houses and Empty Promises: The $41 Million County Building That Started at $4 Million - How ARPA funds meant for pandemic recovery built a glass palace in the desert instead
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 4/28/25.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
💰 Pima County wants $32 million more tax money 🤑 Dr. DiFilippo says they're wasting money on fancy buildings 🏢 A $4 million project now costs $41 million! 😱 Horse breeder Renee Miles builds racing track without government help 🐎 County should start budget from zero instead of always adding more 📈
🗝️ Takeaways
📊 Pima County's budget has increased 34% in six years, from $1.31 billion to $1.76 billion
🏢 The Northwest Service Center's cost ballooned from $4 million to $41.4 million
💸 County proposes 5% compensation increases for employees while claiming economic uncertainty
🧾 County uses "lazy" budgeting by carrying forward previous years' spending plus increases
🐎 Tucson has a growing thoroughbred industry that could create thousands of jobs with proper support
🔍 Budget information is technically public but buried in hard-to-find county web pages
💉 The "Chuck Huckleberry Gonorrhea Clinic" (health department facility) exemplifies wasteful spending
🌡️ Glass-and-aluminum government building in desert heat raises questions about energy efficiency
Money Talks, Democracy Walks: The Pima County Budget Shell Game
Are you tired of watching your tax dollars vanish faster than water in the Sonoran Desert while politicians claim they're "fiscally responsible"? Today's episode of "Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone" featured an eye-opening exposé on how Pima County officials continue lining government coffers while everyday Tucsonans struggle to make ends meet.
And let me tell you, queridos lectores, this wasn't just any budget discussion. This was a masterclass in how the machinery of local government continues to extract resources from our communities while delivering less and less in return.
The County's Glass House of Cards
Dr. Joanne DiFilippo, horse breeder and fierce critic of county spending, didn't mince words when discussing Pima County's latest budget proposal. She methodically dissected County Administrator Jan Lesher's budget memo dated April 25th, revealing a pattern of fiscal sleight-of-hand that would make even the most seasoned magician blush.
"What I really want to convey to the people of Pima County is that this is nonsense," DiFilippo declared, her voice rising with genuine indignation. "You need to strip it back and start fresh in building your budgets. Because if you keep using the prior year as the base, all the problems that you had from the prior year come forward, and then you add new problems to it."
Let's talk numbers, shall we? The proposed budget includes a $32 million increase, which Lesher characterizes as a "modest" 1.9% bump. But DiFilippo wasn't having any of it.
"There is no modesty and it is not disciplined," she fired back, highlighting how the county continues to use what she calls "the Chuck way" of budgeting – referring to former county administrator Chuck Huckleberry's method of simply taking last year's budget and adding increases rather than justifying expenditures from zero.
Isn't it fascinating how government officials consider a $32 million increase "modest" when most Tucsonans are pinching pennies at the grocery store and praying their air conditioning survives another summer?
The Northwest Service Center: A Monument to Excess
Perhaps nothing illustrates the county's fiscal irresponsibility more clearly than the Northwest Service Center project.
Initially purchased for $2.85 million in 2018 with renovation costs estimated at $4 million, the project's budget has now ballooned to an eye-watering $41.4 million.
"We live in a desert, don't we?" DiFilippo asked rhetorically while looking at aerial photos of the building. "The first thing I'd look at when I looked at this building with this entire building is nothing but glass and aluminum. This is going to be good for heating and cooling bills."
The service center, derisively referred to by DeSimone as "the Chuck Huckleberry Gonorrhea Clinic" (due to its planned use as a health department facility), exemplifies how government projects consistently exceed initial cost projections – often by factors of ten or more.
DiFilippo pointed out that $36.9 million of the project's funding comes from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) – federal COVID relief money that was supposed to help communities recover from the pandemic. Instead, it's being used to construct a glass box in the desert that will require massive energy costs to keep cool.
Remember when they told us COVID relief funds were meant to help struggling families and small businesses? Apparently, that money is better spent on glass palaces for bureaucrats.
The Invisible Hand of Budget Manipulation
The discussion revealed a troubling pattern in how the county communicates with citizens about budgetary matters. While claiming transparency, the county effectively hides critical information in plain sight.
"If you want to find out what is going on in Pima County, all you need to do is go to the county administrator’s website," DiFilippo explained. "There is a little tab selection in there... it says memoranda and correspondence. While this information is public on these web pages, if you don't go there, if you don't pull that up, if you don't take the time to investigate what's going on, it's greater than not that you will not see all of the details."
This performative transparency allows officials to technically fulfill public disclosure requirements while ensuring that few citizens will actually read the documents. DiFilippo described the budget memo as filled with "gobbledygook language" that requires hours of analysis to decipher.
"You have to just keep going in and dissecting, that's like going in for a 12-hour operation," she said.
Sun Corridor: The Jobs Mirage
The podcast also briefly touched on the Sun Corridor Chamber, an economic development organization receiving significant county funding.
According to documents discussed on the show, Sun Corridor has facilitated only 25 new jobs since last June, with zero jobs facilitated in the first quarter of this year.
DiFilippo mentioned that she approached the county about connecting Sun Corridor with a racetrack project that would create approximately 1,500 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs, but never received a response.
"This is official notice to Sun Corridor," she declared. "Do not even attempt to take credit for anything associated, whether directly or indirectly."
The Sun Corridor situation highlights how economic development organizations often receive public funding without delivering measurable results, a symptom of the larger issue of government spending without accountability.
Paying millions for an economic development organization that creates zero jobs is like hiring a personal trainer who tells you to sit on the couch and eat ice cream. But hey, at least they produced a colorful PowerPoint presentation about all the jobs they're going to create someday!
Horse Racing: A Different Kind of Race
The second half of the podcast shifted to a conversation with Renee Miles, owner of Triple Downs Farms on Tucson's northwest side. Miles shared her fascinating journey from growing up on a ranch in Duncan, Arizona, to breeding Kentucky Derby-caliber racehorses.
Miles described how she transitioned from breeding barrel racing horses to thoroughbreds after attending her first racehorse auction and witnessing yearlings (young horses with no training) selling for up to $500,000.
"What made this horse worth $500,000 as a baby? You could buy a house," she recalled, wondering, "With no training, you have no guarantee about its health, if it could run. What makes somebody want to spend that kind of money on a horse?"
That curiosity sparked a deep dive into bloodlines and breeding strategies that eventually led Miles to build a 5/8-mile training track on her property and breed her mare, "Decisive Cause" (barn name "Prada"), with the famous racehorse "Seize the Gray."
Due in January 2026, the foal will be born in Kentucky rather than Arizona to enhance its racing prospects. Miles has secured renowned trainer Kenny McPeak, who trained last year's Kentucky Derby winner, to oversee the foal's development.
While the horse racing segment provided a fascinating glimpse into a unique industry, it also highlighted a curious inconsistency in the show's approach to government spending. DiFilippo and DeSimone lamented the lack of county support for Rillito Park, a local racetrack, even though they criticized other county expenditures.
Funny how government spending is wasteful and irresponsible... except when it supports industries and interests you care about. Then it's an essential investment in the community!
The Colonial Mathematics of County Budgeting
Let's examine the budget evolution discussed on the show:
Meanwhile, the county received $303 million in COVID relief funds that, according to DiFilippo, haven't translated into visible improvements in county services or infrastructure.
DeSimone noted that government employees in Pima County earn higher salaries than the average resident, with DiFilippo adding that public sector positions have become "highly competitive against the private sector" – a reversal from decades past when government jobs paid less but offered loan forgiveness programs and other benefits to attract talent.
"What's happened is we've now taken public positions and put them above the private sector," DiFilippo argued. "That's why everybody's clamoring to get into the public sector, like in government, because between the salary scale, between the benefits, between the retirement, between all these benefits that you get in a collective package, it is extremely lucrative to go and work for government now."
This narrative conveniently ignores decades of wage stagnation in the private sector, the systematic dismantling of worker protections, and the corporatization of public resources, which have left many workers with fewer benefits and less job security than previous generations. Perhaps the problem isn't that public sector jobs are too good but that private sector jobs have become increasingly exploitative.
A Community-Centered Alternative
Beneath the fiscal shell games and political posturing lies a deeper question: What would a truly community-centered budget process look like?
Imagine a Pima County where:
Budget discussions begin from zero each year, with every expenditure justified based on community needs and priorities
Budget documents are written in accessible language and actively shared with community members
Community budget forums are held in neighborhoods across the county, with childcare and food provided to ensure broad participation
Infrastructure investments prioritize sustainability and long-term cost savings rather than short-term political gains
Economic development funds are tied to measurable outcomes that benefit local residents
This vision isn't utopian – it's happening in communities across the country that have embraced participatory budgeting and transparent governance.
Instead of building glass palaces in the desert, we could invest in affordable housing, sustainable water infrastructure, public transportation, and community spaces that bring people together. We could also support local businesses and industries that provide living wages and build community wealth rather than extracting resources.
Moving Forward: Hope in Action
Despite the frustrating budget revelations, there is reason for hope. Citizens like Dr. DiFilippo scrutinizing county budgets and bringing issues to light is a crucial first step toward accountability.
By understanding how county budgets work, organizing community members to attend budget hearings, demanding more transparent communication from officials, and supporting candidates who prioritize transparency and fiscal responsibility, we can begin to reshape the budget process to better serve all Pima County residents.
The Three Sonorans will continue monitoring county spending and advocating for transparency, accountability, and community-centered governance. But we can't do it alone. We need your support to keep this critical analysis coming.
Consider making a donation to The Three Sonorans today. Your contribution helps us continue investigating local government, amplifying community voices, and pushing for the changes our community deserves. Visit our donation page or use the QR code below to support our work.
What's your experience with county services and spending? Have you noticed improvements that justify the increased budgets? What questions do you have about the county budget process that we could investigate in future articles?
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The struggle continues, but so does our determination. Together, we can build a Pima County that truly serves all its residents.
Quotes
Dr. DiFilippo on budget methodology: "What I really want to convey to the people of Pima County is that this is nonsense. You need to strip it back and start fresh in building your budgets."
Dr. DiFilippo on government salaries: "What's happened is we've now taken public positions and put them above the private sector. That's why everybody's clamoring to get into the public sector."
Dr. DiFilippo on glass building design: "We live in a desert, don't we? The first thing I'd look at when I looked at this building is that it is nothing but glass and aluminum. This is going to be good for heating and cooling bills."
Chris DeSimone referring to the health department facility: "The Chuck Huckleberry Gonorrhea Clinic"
Dr. DiFilippo on budget terminology: "But Jan's attitude is I'm putting this out there and it's these morons faults for voting for stuff."
Dr. DiFilippo on ARPA funding: "This is exactly what Doge and Trump and the 80 million plus voters for Trump were after."
Dr. DiFilippo on the county's "modest" budget: "There is no modesty and it is not disciplined."
People Mentioned and Memorable Quotes
Jan Lesher (Pima County Administrator): Described by DiFilippo as hiding budget details in plain sight through technical compliance with transparency rules
Chuck Huckleberry (Former Pima County Administrator): Referenced as creator of the "Chuck way" of budgeting - using previous year's budget as base and adding increases
Dr. Joanne DiFilippo (Horse breeder and county critic): "Economic uncertainty leads to certainty that your taxes are going up."
Renee Miles (Owner of Triple Downs Farms): "When it's your passion and you truly love it from the core, it doesn't matter if it's football or race cars... you never complain about the hard work you put into it."
Rex Scott (Pima County Supervisor): Criticized by DiFilippo for claiming he has "no control over assessed values" for property taxes
Matt Heinz (Pima County Supervisor): Mentioned as proposing a 3-cent increase on primary property tax for affordable housing
Kenny McPeak (Horse trainer): Described by Miles as a trainer of the Kentucky Derby winner who will train her foal
Have a scoop or a story you want us to follow up on? Send us a message!
