🏇 Betting on Failure: The Deliberate Demise of Rillito Racetrack | WAKE UP LIVE
Former manager exposes how Pima County set up the historic venue for certain closure
This is based on Wake Up Live with Chris DeSimone, a MAGA-conservative podcast hosted by a mayoral candidate for Oro Valley, podcasting from Marana, perpetually hating on Tucson, brought to you by Live The Dream Media on 5/16/25.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🎙️ A podcast called "Wake Up Live" discussed issues in downtown Tucson. The main story highlighted how a group named Rio Nuevo planned to build a comedy club, displacing local businesses. 🏢 Fletcher McCusker, the chairman, admitted they erred by not consulting the public first. 🤔 The show also featured Jeremiah, a food truck owner 🍗🚚 who started his business after losing his grocery store job due to missing work for the birth of his baby. 👶 The episode wrapped up with a chat about college movies 🎬 and the closure of Tucson's horse racing track 🏇 due to costly repairs and lack of interest in running it. 💸
🗝️ Takeaways
🏢 Rio Nuevo chairman Fletcher McCusker admitted "we screwed up" on the Live Nation comedy club deal that would displace local businesses like Borderlands Brewing
🤔 McCusker bizarrely claimed that "urban crime is really new for Tucson," revealing a profound disconnect from the realities faced by many community members
📹 Rio Nuevo approved $40,000 for facial recognition cameras downtown, raising serious privacy concerns
🍗 Food truck owner Jeremiah Osego was fired from Safeway after missing work for his son's emergency C-section birth, inspiring him to start Pocos Wings and Things
🏨 Tucson's restaurant industry faces significant challenges with business closures, staffing issues, and economic pressures
🎬 Film expert Mark Van Buren's college movie list highlights the contrast between college experiences and post-graduation realities in America
🏇 Former Rillito Racetrack manager exposed how the county expected operators to fix $1.9 million in deferred maintenance while providing no support
Rio Nuevo's Comedy of Errors: Displacement, Privilege, and Tucson's Urban Fantasy
A biting analysis of Fletcher McCusker's Zoom camera placement, downtown displacement politics, and the myth of "new" urban crime in the Old Pueblo
Ah, Tucson politics—where the camera angles are as low as the expectations for public accountability. Friday’s "Wake Up Live" podcast with Chris DeSimone delivered its usual cocktail of conservative commentary. However, between the lines of MAGA-adjacent rhetoric lay some genuinely revealing moments about how power operates in our desert community.
Fletcher McCusker: A Study in Position(ing)
The show kicked off with host DeSimone mocking Rio Nuevo board chairman Fletcher McCusker's peculiar Zoom camera position during recent meetings, positioned oddly at the bottom of the frame, creating what DeSimone called "the Fletcher McCusker position" while mimicking it himself.
"Fletcher's got to be worth at least 10 to 20 million dollars," DeSimone quipped. "Can someone find him an intern for Christ's sake?"
I mean, when you're orchestrating the displacement of local businesses, why bother centering yourself on camera? The metaphor writes itself, folks.
But beneath this surface-level comedy lay a more substantive issue: Rio Nuevo's handling of a comedy club deal that would displace Borderlands Brewing Company and Playformance, local businesses that have become fixtures in downtown Tucson's cultural landscape.
In a KGUN9 news segment aired during the podcast, Fletcher McCusker offered what passes for accountability these days: "We screwed up the Live Nation deal," acknowledging the board moved too quickly without proper public input. "As fast as we move sometimes, we just swept up into the economics of all this."
Translation: We got excited about corporate money and forgot that pesky "community input" thing we're supposed to care about.
What's particularly striking—and infuriating—about this situation is how perfectly it exemplifies the ongoing pattern of displacement that occurs in gentrification projects throughout cities like Tucson. While the powers-that-be frame these decisions as "economic development" and "revitalization," they frequently result in locally-owned businesses being pushed aside for corporate chains that extract wealth from our community rather than recirculating it locally.
Maria Elena Pakulis, who organized an online petition pressuring Rio Nuevo and Peach Properties, told reporters: "The board of Rio Nuevo is made up of folks who haven't had their risks left in maybe a really long time, and this was a good opportunity for us as a public to do a little bit of that."
Slow clap for the most diplomatic way of saying "out-of-touch rich people making decisions for the rest of us" I've heard in a while.
The Myth of "New" Urban Crime
Perhaps the most revealing moment came when DeSimone highlighted McCusker's bizarre claim that "urban crime is really new for Tucson" during a discussion about safety concerns around the Ronstadt Transit Center.
"So we're trying to address urban crime, which is really new for Tucson," McCusker reportedly stated, prompting DeSimone to respond: "Get the hell out of here. Urban crime is really new for Tucson."
Yes, because crime only started existing when it threatened to impact downtown property values and business interests. The decades of systemic issues in marginalized communities? Just a figment of our collective imagination, apparently.
This statement reveals a profound disconnect from the realities faced by many Tucsonans, particularly those in underserved communities who have long dealt with systemic issues of poverty and crime. The privilege required to view urban crime as a novel development rather than an ongoing social issue that requires meaningful investment in people (not just surveillance and policing) is staggering.
Speaking of surveillance, DeSimone pointed out that "the board approved, according to this article on KVOA, $40,000 to have facial recognition software cameras in downtown." This technological "solution" raises serious questions about privacy, civil liberties, and whether surveillance actually addresses the root causes of crime, or just pushes visible problems elsewhere while collecting data on citizens.
Nothing says "vibrant community space" like knowing your every move is being recorded, analyzed, and stored by authorities, right?
Wings, Labor Issues, and Small Business Survival: A Conversation with Jeremiah Osego
The podcast's featured guest was Jeremiah Osego, owner of the Pocos Wings and Things food truck. Osego's journey from Safeway meat department worker to food truck entrepreneur began with a profoundly American tragedy: he was fired after missing work due to his son's emergency C-section birth.
"Unfortunately, it didn't work out," Osego explained with remarkable restraint. "My son was born, and when he was born, it was an emergency C-section. I didn't come back on time because my girl was still in the hospital, all that, and they fired me, and I said, you know what? Time to do a wing truck."
What a perfect encapsulation of America's broken labor system and healthcare crisis in one neat package! Miss work for your child's medical emergency? You're fired! But hey, at least you've got your entrepreneurial spirit to fall back on... if you're lucky.
Despite this challenging start, Osego has built a business known for quality and innovation. He developed distinctive sauces, including his original "Mitchell out" sauce, and has expanded his menu beyond wings to include chicken sandwiches, specialty hot dogs (like his "desert dog" with beef brisket and sriracha ranch), and fish fries.
When asked why he chose wings, Osego explained: "I honestly just did chicken wings because chicken's cheap. And who doesn't like chicken wings? That's everybody."
However, the conversation took a more serious turn when discussing the challenges facing Tucson's restaurant industry. Osego didn't mince words: "Why are restaurants that have been open for 60 years shutting down? I believe the leadership is very trash."
He elaborated on the difficulties of finding reliable workers: "Workers are easy to find. Reliable workers are hard to find... You have the opportunity." Mark van Buren echoed this sentiment, adding from his decades in the industry: "The commitment isn't there. Most of them aren't really motivated to do a great job. They just want to fill up the space."
Interesting how the conversation immediately jumps to blaming workers rather than examining why people might not be "committed" to low-wage jobs with unpredictable schedules, no benefits, and little respect. Could it be that people need living wages and basic dignity in the workplace? Nah, must be those lazy workers...
Osego also highlighted how the food truck model gives him flexibility that brick-and-mortar restaurants lack: "I can go down, I can go over here. I don't have to sit right here and hope for people to come to me. I can go to people."
His perspective on Tucson's economic challenges reflects the real struggles of small business owners: "With Tucson, Tucson economy, like when I said economy, I'm not even worried about the rest of the nation. I'm talking about the Tucson economy, the Arizona economy. I think our leadership really is not looking out for the best interests of small businesses."
While DeSimone and his guests frame these issues through a conservative lens that blames "leadership" (read: Democratic city governance), a progressive perspective would highlight how corporate consolidation, wage stagnation, and lack of social safety nets create the very conditions that make it difficult for local businesses to thrive. The same conservative policies that gut worker protections and social services inevitably harm small businesses when people have less economic security and spending power.
College Movies and American Nostalgia with Mark Van Buren
Film aficionado Mark Van Buren offered his top ten college movies, providing fascinating analysis of how these films reflected different aspects of the American college experience:
Whiplash (2014) - About a music student pushed to his limits by an abusive teacher
Everybody's All American (1988) - The story of a college football star who peaks too early in life
The Sure Thing (1985) - A romantic comedy about college students on a road trip
Rudy (1993) - The underdog story of a student determined to play football for Notre Dame
Back to School (1986) - Rodney Dangerfield as a wealthy businessman attending college with his son
Paper Chase (1973) - The intense pressure of Harvard Law School
St. Elmo's Fire (1985) - Recent graduates facing the uncertainties of post-college life
The Graduate (1967) - The existential crisis of a recent college graduate
Animal House (1978) - The wild antics of a raucous fraternity
Good Will Hunting (1997) - A janitor with genius-level intelligence finds mentorship and guidance
Van Buren's commentary on "Everybody's All American" was particularly poignant: "It demonstrates how sports interact with college life... You reached your pinnacle in college at 24. And the rest of your life was like, well, how do you define that?"
The discussion highlighted the contrast between college as a time of personal growth versus the harsh realities that often follow in America's unforgiving economy. This reflection on post-graduation uncertainty in "St. Elmo's Fire" felt especially relevant: "I think it demonstrates how scary after graduating college can be... playtime's over. It's time to get into the real world."
Van Buren added: "I think it's even more prevalent today, right? Because we're giving out degrees where kids can't get a job in that vocation. So what are we doing here? It's even scarier today."
This is perhaps the one place where I found myself nodding along with the conversation. The broken promises of higher education in America—spend a fortune on a degree that may not lead to employment—is a genuine crisis that crosses political lines. Of course, the progressive solution would be addressing the cost of education and creating an economy that works for everyone, not just bemoaning the situation.
Rillito Racetrack: A Tale of Neglect and Misplaced Priorities
The show concluded with Van Buren's passionate critique of Pima County's handling of Rillito Racetrack. Having managed the facility for two years, he expressed frustration about the lack of investment and unrealistic expectations placed on potential operators.
"The county was extremely disingenuous in this entire effort," Van Buren stated. "Nobody on this God's green earth could possibly make money under this deal that they proposed to anyone who was interested in running the track."
According to Van Buren, the county has neglected the property while expecting potential operators to address $1.9 million in deferred maintenance (though he estimates the true figure is closer to $3 million). He noted that other facilities on the property received upgrades while the racetrack was left to deteriorate.
"If you rented an apartment tomorrow and you went in there and you set up shop and everything and the air conditioner broke, you called the landlord up and said, hey, the air conditioner’s broke. You know, when can you fix it? And he said, no, it's on you. How would you feel? Well, that's how I felt the last two years running that place."
Van Buren also criticized local media for simply regurgitating county press releases rather than investigating why no one bid on the operating contract: "They basically listen to what the county said and put it down as a fact. And that's not investigative reporting at all."
This situation exemplifies a common conservative narrative about government inefficiency but misses the deeper question: Why should public funds subsidize horse racing, an industry with serious animal welfare concerns and diminishing public interest, when these resources could address critical community needs like affordable housing, public transportation, or social services? The nostalgia for racetrack gambling seems misplaced in a community facing significant poverty, housing affordability, and inequality challenges.
The Tucson We Need Versus The Tucson They Imagine
Throughout the podcast, DeSimone and his guests painted a picture of Tucson as a city in decline, with incompetent leadership and rising crime. This narrative serves a specific political purpose—to undermine public confidence in local government and promote conservative "solutions" that typically involve less public oversight, more policing, and fewer social services.
Yet this perspective ignores the vibrancy, diversity, and resilience that truly define our desert community. It erases the efforts of countless community organizations, mutual aid networks, and everyday Tucsonans who are working to create a more equitable and sustainable city.
Yes, Tucson faces challenges—what city doesn't? But rather than simply criticizing "leadership" while longing for some mythologized past, we might consider how collaborative community efforts can address systemic issues and create more equitable economic opportunities for all Tucsonans.
What kind of Tucson do we want to build together? One where local businesses like Pocos Wings can thrive alongside vibrant community spaces? Or one where corporate interests and nostalgia for outdated entertainment venues drive our development priorities?
What would meaningful public safety look like beyond surveillance cameras and increased policing? How can we ensure that development benefits existing communities rather than displacing them?
Perhaps most importantly, how can we build a Tucson where no one gets fired for attending their child's birth, where locally owned businesses have the support they need to thrive, and where public resources are directed toward the most pressing community needs?
These are the questions that matter—not whether Fletcher McCusker knows how to center himself on a Zoom call (though that remains a delightful metaphor for the off-center priorities of development interests).
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. What kind of Tucson do you want to see?
Support independent journalism and analysis by subscribing to Three Sonorans on Substack. Your subscription helps keep critical perspectives on local issues alive in Tucson when corporate media fail to ask the hard questions.
How do you think Rio Nuevo's decisions affect local businesses downtown? Have you experienced the effects of gentrification in your neighborhood? What would a meaningful investment in all of Tucson's communities look like to you? Share your thoughts below—community dialogue is how we build the Tucson we need.
Remember, Tucson's greatest strength has always been its people—diverse, resilient, creative, and committed to making this dusty corner of the Sonoran Desert a place we can all call home. Let's build on that foundation rather than tearing it down with divisive rhetoric and misplaced priorities.
Quotes:
"We screwed up the Live Nation deal. As fast as we move sometimes, we just swept up into the economics of all this." - Fletcher McCusker, Rio Nuevo chairman, admitting to rushing the comedy club deal without proper public input
"So we're trying to address urban crime, which is really new for Tucson." - Fletcher McCusker, making a startling claim that urban crime is a new phenomenon in Tucson despite decades of evidence to the contrary
"My son was born, and when he was born, it was an emergency C-section. I didn't come back on time because my girl was still in the hospital, all that, and they fired me, and I said, you know what? Time to do a wing truck." - Jeremiah Osego, explaining how losing his job at Safeway after his son's birth led to starting his food truck business
"The board of Rio Nuevo is made up of folks who haven't had their risks left in maybe a really long time, and this was a good opportunity for us as a public to do a little bit of that." - Maria Elena Pakulis, petition organizer, on challenging Rio Nuevo's decision-making
"Why are restaurants that have been open for 60 years shutting down? I believe the leadership is very trash." - Jeremiah Osego, on the challenges facing Tucson's restaurant industry
"Workers are easy to find. Reliable workers are hard to find." - Jeremiah Osego, discussing staffing challenges in the food service industry
"Nobody on this God's green earth could possibly make money under this deal that they proposed to anyone who was interested in running the track." - Mark Van Buren, on the unfeasible conditions proposed for Rillito Racetrack operations
People Mentioned with Quotes
Fletcher McCusker - Rio Nuevo board chairman who admitted "We screwed up the Live Nation deal" and claimed "urban crime is really new for Tucson," showing a profound disconnect from community realities.
Jeremiah Osego - Owner of Pocos Wings and Things food truck who was fired from Safeway after missing work for his son's birth: "My son was born... it was kind of an emergency C-section. I didn't come back on time... and they fired me and I said, you know what? Time to do a wing truck."
Mark Van Buren - Film expert and former Rillito Racetrack manager who shared his top ten college movies and criticized the county's handling of the racetrack: "Nobody on this God's green earth could possibly make money under this deal that they proposed."
Chris DeSimone - Podcast host who mocked McCusker's camera position and questioned his claim about urban crime: "Get the hell out of here. Urban crime is really new for Tucson."
Maria Elena Paculis - Petition organizer who challenged Rio Nuevo's decision-making: "The board of Rio Nuevo is made up of folks who haven't had their risks left in maybe a really long time."
Joe Pagac - Muralist mentioned as having been interviewed in a previous episode.
Regina Romero - Mayor of Tucson who was briefly mentioned during a segment about her statement on recent attacks.
CJ Hamm - Restaurant owner mentioned by Jeremiah Osego as someone he met through a mutual friend and learned from in the food business.
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