Taft gets the shaft, and other council hijinks.

Well, today's regular meeting of the Quartzsite clown council promised to be contentious and we were not disappointed or amused. Mayor Foster had placed items on the agenda to return the meetings to 7pm, as the town code stipulates, bring back a call to the public which would be placed at the beginning of the meeting, remove the authority of the town manager to hire outside contractors, and such.

Remember. the illegal "emergency" meeting on July 10, 2011 "draft minutes"stated that the suspension of the Town Proceedures and Policies Manual, including meetings held at 9am and no public comment were only to remain in effect "until the second Tuesday in September, or until two thirds of the council determines that an emergent circumstances no longer exist which create an imment risk to public safety, and the safety of elective and appointive officials, whichever occurs first". They just kept it that way because they like ignoring the rules.

Now Councilman Ogre-on has never meant a campaign promise he didn't dislike, so he ammended the agenda and removed Foster's items, with the other sock puppets nodding in approval like bobble heads on the dash of a four wheeler.

Then, they all went into executive session, came out and without any discussion they fired the evil Queen Taftalex! Despite this being the only campaign promise Ogre-on is willing to make good on, we must remember that it was his flawed orchestrations that got us into this mess, with Taft being placed on "administrative leave" instead of fired outright the first time. Now she can sue the town for changing the terms of her contract. But since it appears that she was terminated "without cause", I suppose they'll have to pay her "golden parachute" or be forced to admitt that the meeting her new contract was approved in was actually illegal. Of course, that would require admitting that Norma Crooks usurped the office of Councilperson, having been appointed in the aforementioned illegal meeting. How much you want to bet that Marty the barf bagger is providing free legal advice to the other ousted cabal members?

The overpaid engineers that are designing a do over of the wastewater treatement plant gave a fancy power point presentation about how it's only going to cost 5.9 million to expand, and without it there can be no growth. Here's a thought, if our leaders can't manage what little they've got, why are they even talking about growth and expansion? Put your house in order now morons!

Ogre-on's item to direct that the town mismanager spare no expense in pursuit of town debtors passed with Workman dissenting. It appears that she understands the lawsuits this sort of action will incurr. It also appears that Foster will dare them to go after the Big Tent, Lukkasson, Oldham et all. Naturally, Ogre-on had supplied no supporting documents for his agenda item, no definition of how debt was to be determined, provision for due process, or if this gives carte blanche authority to Bruno to enter into contracts for support services in excess of $5,000 without council approval, etc. Do you miss the old cabal yet?

Fraulein Bruno said she found us a possible high risk private insurer, but it's going to cost about $70,000 a year in additional premiums. No worries, she's cutting town staff  to compensate for the expense that she helped cause by being unwilling to work with the Risk Pool. Oh, and she still managed to try and blame the insurance cancellation on Councilwoman Workman, according to an alleged "phone conversation" that took place on October 25th, after the Risk Pool already held the meeting to discuss notifying the town that they were cancelling. Nice try honey! Go back to Sacramento and peddle your snake oil because we aren't buying it here in Qville. Rumor has it that Workman filed a 23 page complaint against Bruno a week or so ago. I can say "revenge", can you?

We don't know what Councilwoman Anderson has against that nice man that's managing Desert Gardens RV Park, but she sure tried (and failed) to keep him off the planning and zoning board. The Council also approved that nasty town employee Susan Fonda to be on the Heath and Development Board. You will remember that Fonda quit as Manager for Quartzsite's branch of the Horizon Community Bank and moved out of town. Apparently her employment options have dwindled, because she came back here to be a seasonal vendor permit lackey. Another loser on the payroll. Why did they fire the qualified employees last year? Oh yeah, they knew too much.

Quartzsite politics make Wall Street Journal!

http://online.wsj.com/article/

By TAMARA AUDI

QUARTZSITE, Ariz.—This tiny desert outpost is known for 70-degree winters, an annual gem show that draws thousands of visitors, and a nudist bookstore owner who conducts business in little more than flip-flops and a straw hat.
But these days, the town's most extraordinary feature is its politics.

View Slideshow

An American flag sits atop Quartzsite Mountain in Quartzsite, Ariz. This tiny desert outpost is known for 70-degree winters, an annual gem show that draws millions of visitors, and a bookstore owner who conducts business in little more than flip-flops and a straw hat.

For months, officials in Quartzsite—which lies about halfway between Phoenix and Palm Springs, Calif., on Interstate 10—have so far refused to allow the mayor-elect to take office because he owes the town $2,200 in attorney's fees.
In late August, the town manager put the police chief on paid administrative leave pending an investigation over allegations involving a time sheet. A few days later, the town council suspended the town manager for undisclosed reasons—after the town's attorney filed a restraining order against the town council to stop it meeting.
The town manager said she couldn't comment on her suspension because "no one gave me a reason."
In September, the assistant town manager fired the police chief without consulting the town council, according to other town officials. Days later, the interim town manager reversed the chief's firing, and suspended the assistant town manager pending an investigation into an undisclosed matter. The assistant manager couldn't be reached for comment. On Tuesday, the town council voted to put the police chief back on the job.
"We're calling this the Twilight Zone in Quartzsite," said Ed Foster, the elected, but so far unseated, mayor who has filed a complaint in superior court to force the town to install him. Mr. Foster, 70 years old, began humming the music from the television show, and said, "Every day we get up and ask, 'What's going to happen today?'"
On Tuesday night, Mr. Foster's lawyer said an attorney hired by the town called to discuss a potential settlement deal that would include seating Mr. Foster as mayor. The deal hasn't been finalized yet, said his lawyer, Julie LaBenz. If a deal isn't reached, she said Mr. Foster will move ahead with a court hearing due next week.
The interim town manager, Laura Bruno, said Wednesday a lawyer for the town briefed the town council in closed session about Mr. Foster's case. Ms. Bruno said the council made no decision on a settlement deal, and would still have to vote to seat Mr. Foster. She said the intent of the attorney was "to open a line of communication with Mr. Foster's attorney."
The turmoil caught the attention of state and federal officials. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has investigated corruption complaints against town officials four times in the past two years and recently began a fifth probe of the police chief over the alleged false filing of a time sheet, a Department of Public Safety spokesman said. The chief, Jeff Gilbert, has denied any wrongdoing.
The attorney for La Paz County, which includes Quartzsite, said he asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate town officials for possible corruption. An FBI spokesman said he couldn't confirm or deny any probe.
The unrest boils down to a struggle between two groups: on one side, some current and former town leaders who say they are being targeted by activists who oppose development; on the other side, activists and the mayor-elect who claim city officials are hiding corruption and targeting them for criticizing town leaders. In interviews, the officials have denied the accusations.
The standoff has divided the town and set its residents on edge. "You just feel it's a powder keg in Quartzsite, and something is going to set it off," said Shelly Baker, recorder for La Paz County.
Isolated on the western edge of Arizona, Quartzsite was once a mining area and way station for travelers, later becoming popular with retirees for its mild winters. Its population jumps to 100,000 in the winter from 3,500 the rest of the year.
Political intrigue in the town dates back to at least 1995, when the then-mayor was convicted of hiring a hit man to try to kill his political rival. His conviction was overturned, and he was back in office six months later.
In 2005, Mr. Foster, a retired engineer for gum-maker Wrigley, moved to Quartzsite from Chicago and successfully ran for mayor in 2010 on a platform of financial transparency.
After he was elected, Mr. Foster asked state police to investigate the city's police chief, saying he improperly used vacation time. Mr. Gilbert countered by asking state officials to investigate Mr. Foster and his allies for allegedly manufacturing evidence against him. Town residents and former police employees have accused Mr. Gilbert of harassing, firing or arresting them due to their political views. Mr. Gilbert denies that and calls the accusations "a conspiracy against me" by some town officials and disgruntled employees who want to take control of the police department.
The state's attorney general has declined to prosecute anyone in Quartzsite as a result of state investigations because of insufficient evidence, a spokeswoman for the office said.
Last year, an ally of Mr. Foster's, Jennifer Jones, was arrested by Mr. Gilbert while speaking during a raucous town council meeting. Ms. Jones, who owns Furry Friends Pet Spa, has been arrested five times since she began running for town council in 2010. All of the charges were eventually dropped.
Ms. Jones, who runs a newspaper and website critical of the town and the police chief, said she is "livid" that the chief has been reinstated. "We feel betrayed," said Ms. Jones, who is suing the police chief and other town officials in federal court over her arrests. Ms. Jones says the chief harassed her and her husband because they were critical of him and his political allies. The chief denies the allegations and says his arrests of Ms. Jones and her husband had nothing to do with politics.
Opponents unseated Mr. Foster in a 2011 recall election. He fought the recall in court, lost and was ordered to pay the town $2,200 in attorney fees. He refused to pay.
This year, Mr. Foster ran a new campaign and was elected mayor in June. Town officials said he couldn't take office due to a local ordinance that bars anyone owing the town money from office. He says he shouldn't have to pay, as the town attorney shouldn't have appeared in court against him, and the ordinance exceeds state requirements. The attorney, who officials say is on sick leave, couldn't be reached for comment.
Some in Quartzsite say they see an end to the unrest. "Our town council is coming together and is really trying to work as a team to move things forward," said Ms. Bruno, the interim town manager.
Mr. Foster said even if he is seated, he will sue the town for its appointment of a chair and vice chair for council meetings, which he says weakens his power. "This fight's not over," he said Tuesday. The interim manager said the town has the right to appoint them.
Business owners just want the fighting to end before the busy winter season. "It's an embarrassment to our town," said Paul Winer, the nudist owner of Reader's Oasis bookstore.
—James Oberman contributed to this article. Write to Tamara Audi at tammy.audi@wsj.com

A version of this article appeared September 27, 2012, on page A8 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Small-Town Politics, All-Out War.

Say it isn't so, Mr. O

This is the face of a traitor.


Apparently, Pat Workman is the only member of the council that can't be bought. Quartzsite's rogue councilman Mark Orgeron seems to have pulled off his back room deal with scary Jerry and the neo cabal to swap Ms Graft for Chief Dilbert. After a three hour executive session with a new attorney, all but Workman voted to reinstate El Jeffe as supreme jack booted thug. Marty the Bagger, Graft and lil' Al were not in attendance at today's regularly scheduled meeting of the common council. Reportedly, Orgeron admonished the chief to stay out of politics.  Yeah, like that's going to work!

Gilbert is currently the subject of a DPS investigation for pulling a gun on the husband of local activist and publisher Jennifer Jones.

All of this comes on the heels of an unapproved $70,000 voter fraud investigation

and another scathing DPS report, not to mention the town's insurance provider having a meltdown and sending a notice to the town that they don't intend to extend current coverage  past the end of the year. At this rate, they'll be lucky they don't get cancelled sooner.

Orgeron had deceived Foster and Workman into putting him on their campaign signs and in their mailer, but threw the opposition party under the bus as soon as he was seated. He has now defaulted on his campaign promise to fire Gilbert. The angry villagers are already crying "RECALL"!

Orgeron goes rogue agent

Despite campaining as a slate with Mayor Ed Foster and Pat Workman, recently seated Councilman Mark Orgeron has been seen spending an awful lot of time with Jerry Lukkasson at the Eatery. Reports indicate that Orgeron is not communicating with elected Mayor Ed Foster. Pat has been receiving communication from Mark, but so have Councilpersons Carol Kelley, Norma Crooks, and Pat Anderson apparently. At least Marty the Bagger seems to think so. He inferred they were holding secret meetings. Mike Jewitt seems to be Alex Taft's lapdog, 'cause he's voting against the "neo cabal".

A shocking Facebook comment surfaced last weekend from Councilman Orgeron to a former moderator of the Supporters of Mayor Edward Foster page. It was thought at first that Orgeron had allowed someone access to his facebook page, the same way that El Jeffy's wife had posted on Half Wit's FB page as "Dark Horse". However, when local activist Doug Gilford confronted Orgeron last week at the "Cruise In" down at the local Shell station, Orgeron took full credit for the following defamitory and liabelous statements:

"Welcome to my world! Living here in Quartzsite, I can tell you that you really don't know any of the players...Jennifer has been like this. She accepted money from a supporter here in town to help buy campaign material for Ed, Pat, and me (1,000.00)...she paid her personal bills with it. Richard will say what a good guy I am and then will call me names and insult me off the air...what a guy. I can say
about his wife, but I will not go there (maybe later).
Teri is a spiteful person that is two-faced and will stab her own mother in the back if the occasion occurred.
As for Ed, he REALLY does not want to take his position as mayor. If he does get there, he will not be able to pound his chest and say look at me. It works better if he does not get in. In fact, he was offered a place as a litigant on my suit for a couple thousand. A person present offered 1K and I said he had to make payments
to me until we got our money back (maybe 2 small payments). He declined saying he should not have to sue. The quo warranto is dead and has been dropped, but they are not putting that out there. I secured him an attorney that worked on my case to work on a contingency basis to take Ed to federal court....he denied the
help. He does not want the help or his position, he would rather have a pity party!
I can go on for days about their childish behavior. As for Charles, the money is in the bank and the account is being closed out and paid out. Will misled the masses on his statement. Steve would confirm that, but the other side does not want to hear that. Steve had a conversation with Jennifer on the money. She knows the money is in the bank and not absconded or stolen...but, that story does not meet her needs.
I don't know what else to say except to stand by for heavy seas! I understand what you were saying about the different branches of service giving each other shit...I continue to do it today. Don't feel bad...you are in good company. We will stand tall and take their beatings, because I will not bow to them or say and do as they
want. I will do what is right and be happy with it. "

Now, the reformers don't trust him, and many wonder how long he can hold his new coalition together after several failed attempts at getting agenda items written that will accomplish their intent, coupled with a restraining order from the town to stop him from doing just that, and a letter from the Town's insurance that the coverage may be ending at the end of December because the town no longer has a favorable risk profile due to "factional disputes by the town council and resulting employment decisions."
see:article

We wish him luck. He'll need it. Tomorrow will be a reavealing sequence of events - another contentious council meeting filled with controversial items at 9 am, a hearing on the temporary restraining order filed by the town to stop the council at 3:30, followed by a show cause hearing an hour later for the contempt of court charge levied at Councilwom Workman for exercising her free speech about little Al.

Stay tuned for another exciting episode of "Only in Quartzsite"!

Candidates file at last minute to run in mayoral recall election

It was a suspense filled day at Quartzsite Town Hall. Although several people had pulled packets to run, and three had filed campaign spending limit affidavits, no one had turned in nomination papers with only two hours to go...First,  Jose Lizarraga made it official. Then Republican Precinct Committeeman Michael Roth filed. Then, Desert Freedom Press Publisher Jennifer Jones reportedly made it, with only minutes to spare.

Both Roth and Jones share common ground with current Mayor Ed Foster, and blame Lizarraga for voting in lockstep with the town manager's other puppets on the council, thereby directly causing the current public safety crisis the town is in. According to Jones "He's the fireman that turned his back on the police. If he had done his duty, and voted to put Chief Gilbert on administrative leave when Ed (Foster) called the special meeting, I would have never been injured!"

"I'd like to thank the 'dirty laundry' Lukkasson's for collecting all those signatures and giving me the opportunity to be part of the political debate again", said Roth."The Lukkasson's wanted the taxpayers to fund another election, I think we should give them one they'll never forget!" said Jones.

Apparently, Jones and Foster nominated Roth. Roth nominated Jones. As the incumbent, Foster did not need to file any paperwork.

Here comes the next contestant...

Who will they appoint to  the Quartzsite Town Council  on Tuesday night? That's the question on everyone's minds now that "Just say - No way Jose" Lizarraga has officially resigned from his council seat to run against "People's Mayor" Ed Foster, in the August recall election.

NEW BUSINESS:


062811 – 1. Discussion and possible acceptance of Council Member Lizarraga’s resignation and discussion regarding filling the vacancy. (Not open for public discussion)
Alex Taft, Town Manager

Many are speculating that they will reinstall their favorite puppet, former acting like a mayor "Waffling Wes" Huntley. Huntley is currently a co-defendant in the Jennifer Jones harassment lawsuit against the town council, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, and Town mismanager Alex Taft. Jones, the publisher of popular newspaper "the  Desert Freedom Press" is apparently also running for the mayor's seat.

Some speculate that other possible appointees are political mouthpiece Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear, Violet Kiss(ass), welfare granny Hygea "half wit" Halfmoon, or dark horse and recent roll over Steve Bennett.

Other items on Tuesday night's agenda are:

062811 – 2. Discussion and possible approval of Resolution No. 11-10; declaring as public record that certain document filed with the Town Clerk and entitled “The 2010-11 Amendments to the Tax Code of the Town of Quartzsite”. (Not open for public discussion)
Karen Norris, Town Clerk

062811 – 3. Discussion and possible approval of Ordinance No. 11-07; adopting “The 2010-11 Amendments to the Tax Code of the Town of Quartzsite” by reference, establishing an effective date; providing for severability and providing penalties for violations. (Open for public discussion)
Karen Norris, Town Clerk

062811 – 4. Discussion and possible appointment of Public Defender for the Town of Quartzsite Magistrate Court. (Not open for public discussion)
Alex Taft, Town Manager

062811 – 5. Discussion and possible appointment of Prosecutor for the Town of Quartzsite Magistrate Court. (Not open for public discussion)
Alex Taft, Town Manager

062811 – 6. Discussion and possible approval to advertise a request for Statement of Qualifications for Professional Engineering and Related Services on a Task Order Basis on Town of Quartzsite Transportation and Public Works projects. (Not open for public discussion).
Al Johnson, Asst. Town Manager

062811 – 7. Discussion and possible censure of the Mayor regarding violation of the Quartzsite Council Procedure Manual by releasing for publication comments not shared by the majority of the Council, and without the knowledge or permission of the Town Manager. (Not open for public discussion).
Joe Winslow, Council Member

After the childish show that council members put on at the June 14th meeting, I wouldn't be surprised to if they were so embarrassed that they all phone in their attendance, to avoid having to look their constituents in the eye.

Who will fill the shoes of the fireman who turned his back on the police? See for yourself. "Come on down! You're the next contestant" on our municipal game show. And now, a word from our sponsors - the tax payers of Quartzsite!

Just say "NO WAY" to Jose! He got us into this mess...brought to you by the my pet goldfish could do a better job committee for election reform.

It's official - Lizarraga is in!

Quartzsite Councilman Jose Lizarraga 

has turned in paperwork which declares him as a candidate to run against Ed Foster in the August recall election. He has until July 1st to change his mind and decide that his job with the Fire Dept. is more important than $400 a month to be Alex Taft's mouthpiece.

Three other potential candidates have pulled packets, but so far, none have turned anything in.

Lizarraga can expect a knock down drag out battle, in light of his abysmal voting record. Citizens are outraged at his recent votes in favor of firing respected Town Prosecutor Matt Newman and replacing him with Martin Brannan (who is under investigation by the state bar), raising their water and sewer rate fees, assert property rights over the "emergency airstrip", and as of last Tuesday's meeting, convening yet another "ad hoc" committee at taxpayer expense to censure the mayor and then walking off the podium when AZCOPS Vice President Stair attempted to address the council. Read the speech Lizarraga refused to hear at:
http://www.azcops.org/userfiles/JS%20Quartzsite%2006-14.pdf

Mayor Foster has published an excerpt from the police department policy manual which clearly shows that Lizarraga and the others are willfully violating town rules by hiring a "private investigator" instead of a law enforcement agency to look into the criminal charges against the police chief.  The mentality that the rules apply only to us, and not to members of the council or to staff has been enabled for far too long.

A video has been circulating around town, which clearly shows Lizarraga motioning the other council members to walk out of the meeting. We've already had a mayor, Steve Bennett, turn his back on the voters and abandon them. Do we need another?

Al Johnson gives concerned citizens the boot!

Including a reporter from the Arizona Republic Newspaper no less! (I can't wait to see how THAT headline will read...)

At the Wednesday, June 1st special meeting of the Quartzsite Common Council, over a hundred citizens attended to show support for QPD officers who had filed formal complaints of unethical and criminal conduct against Police Chief Jeff Gilbert.  Although people were still arriving, the standing room only crowd was told to leave the building by recently promoted assistant town mismanager Al Johnson. 


The meeting was called to order, but quickly adjourned for lack of a quorum, because only Mayor Foster and Councilman Jose Lizzarraga (a potential challenger for the August mayoral recall election) showed up.

In a disgusting display of disrespect for the voters who enabled them to retain their seats, Council members Anderson, Kelley, Winslow, Lukkasson and Cowell all boycotted the meeting. Their lame excuses are posted on the QTown blog. They did not exercise their option to "attend" the meeting by speakerphone and were officially noted as absent on the roll call. The message was loud and clear - none of them are interested in a crisis involving the police department and put private agendas above public safety. 

Town mismanager Alex Taft was also absent. Reportedly on "a planned vacation", she may not have vacationed further than Lukkasson's business on Main St. , where staff and council members were photographed having an not so secret meeting the previous morning, right after they had received several pages of documents detailing the officer's complaints. Her absence left "Building Official"/Planning & Zoning Director"/"Assistant Town Manager" Albert Johnson crowned as king for a day.

Johnson must have been unaware of the Arizona Republic Reporter sitting front row watching this drama unfold. Or quite possibly, he's just too stupid and arrogant to care. 


Although most were concerned over the investigation of Chief Gilbert, citizens never got to hear about case # 1101388 relating to possible charges against Alex Taft for refusing to fill open records requests as ordered by state officials. "Discussion and possible action regarding investigation by the Arizona Ombudsman's Office." was the only other item on the published meeting agenda.

After adjourning the scheduled meeting, Mayor Foster announced that  the lack of council would allow a "town hall" meeting like the absent council have been holding at the Quartzsite Improvement Association (QIA) for months now, and invited the public to speak. 


Chief Gilbert stated that he wanted the record to note his complaint that this "violated his right to due process", something he clearly doesn't even understand. "Due Process" would only have been an issue if the council had bothered to show up, and taken action. The only rights that were violated were the People's right to peaceably assemble and to free speech, when Mr. Johnson announced that he was closing the building and everyone had to leave. 


It seems obvious why 5 member of the Quartzsite Town Council chose not to attend a meeting where they would have been publicly compelled to put Gilbert on "administrative leave" pending investigation, under Police policy manual section P 448.4 (D). They must have been at Lukkasson's sign painting party! Around noon today, Sondra Gilbert, the chief's wife was photographed with welfare grandma Hygea Halfmoon, Lukkasson and others, loading a freshly painted 6' sign into the bed of a certain little red pick up truck. The sign says "Support Chief Gilbert"...

Better late than never!

The DESERT FREEDOM PRESS has just announced the following press release:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BREAKING NEWS! Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert SCANDAL!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 5/31/11 Quartzsite, Arizona Police Chief Jeff Gilbert is struggling desperately to maintain his position after three quarters of his own officers filed formal complaints against him with Arizona Conference of Police and Sheriffs (AZCOPS) and Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST). The timing of these complaints appears to be in response to evidence and testimony expected to be revealed in currently pending lawsuits against the town and the ongoing criminal prosecution of citizens who have a documented history of complaining about the police chief's patterns and practices. Now that Governor Brewer has signed  a bill which amends A.R.S. 14 - 1822  and allows AZPOST to revoke an officers certification, many citizens and law enforcement officers are hoping that's the least of what happens to Jeff Gilbert. A former officer with the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), Gilbert is also a current legislative member of the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police (AACOP) Allegations have been made against Quartzsite's Police Chief for both criminal conduct and ethical violations of the town's personnel manual. They range from assault, illegal searches and arrests, surveillance and investigation of political opponents, "official police business" being conducted without reports filed, false reporting, and grant fraud, to abuse of National Crime Information Center (NCIC) background checks for personal use and/or without probable cause. La Paz County Republican Precinct Chairman Michael Roth maintains he was falsely arrested for "disorderly conduct" and placed on the FBI "terrorist watch list" for his outspoken criticism of Police Chief Jeff Gilbert. After being notified that officers of the Quartzsite Police Department intend to publicly announce a vote of "no confidence", read their formal complaints and ask the Town Council to terminate Chief Gilbert's recently renewed contract for "cause" at the next regular meeting of the Common Council on June 14th, Mayor Ed Foster has now scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, June 1st at 6 pm, to discuss the situation. The police chief's current contract, which included additional pay raises, was prematurely renewed on February 8th, 2011 by unanimous council approval, after Mayor Foster recused himself from the meeting. Foster wanted no part of what he believed was an orchestrated plot by Town Manager Alexandra Taft to secure ongoing employment for Gilbert, before the majority of the Quartzsite Town Council faced a March recall election. All five political challengers wanted Chief Gilbert terminated, but narrowly missed in their attempt to unseat recalled incumbents. Rather than have the officer's complaints investigated at no charge by the Major Crimes Division of the state police, Town Manager Alex Taft has instead chosen to hire a private firm, in what appears to be a pattern of damage control and cover up. Last spring, it was rumored that a friend of Chief Gilbert's at the Sheriff's office was specifically requested to investigate complaints made to AZPOST by Mayor Ed Foster, former Councilman Bill Moore, and businesswoman Jennifer Jones (Harris). This assignment was alleged to be the result of a deal struck between Taft, Gilbert, and La Paz County Sheriff Don Lowery. Lowery had also refused to investigate the assault complaint made by Jones against Police Chief Jeff Gilbert and Quartzsite Detective Felipe Rodriguez on April 13th of 2010, despite the video being posted to Youtube. A recent  town council candidate with no prior criminal history, Jennifer Jones has been arrested three times, and charged with a total of 10 misdemeanors since filing her AZPOST complaint. Her husband John was also arrested over the same incidents, and charged with three misdemeanors. Neither has been brought to trial. The police chief compared Mrs. Jones and Michael Roth to Tucson gunman Jarrod Laughner at the January 11th Quartzsite Council Meeting. After a year and a half of contriving criminal complaints that didn't hold water, the Police Chief finally arrested the mayor May 10th, on charges of "disorderly conduct". Apparently, the result of Foster calling Gilbert an "idiot" five days earlier in the parking lot of Town Hall. The rift between Chief Gilbert's supporters and numerous critics runs deep.  La Paz County Prosecutor Sam Vederman has repeatedly refused to insert his office into the political fray. Pending the results of the current AZCOPS/AZPOST investigation, many in the community are now hoping that the FBI and Justice Department will take a serious look into Quartzsite corruption. For more information, contact: Mayor Ed Foster (928) 750-8113 Michael Roth, La Paz County Republican Precinct Chairman (602) 791-5401 AZCOPS http://www.azcops.org/ 333 W Ft Lowell Rd Ste 211 Tucson AZ 85705 Office 520.622.2215 (24/7) Toll Free 888.622.2215 Fax 520.622.2216 AZPOST http://www.azpost.gov/index.htm 2643 E. University Drive Phoenix, AZ 85034 Voice: 602.223.2514 Fax: 602.244.0477 AACOP http://azchiefsofpolice.org/ 75 East Civic Center Drive Gilbert, Arizona 85296 Office - 480-635-7757 FAX - 480-635-7761 "Quartzsite Police Chief Gilbert assaults man for videotaping "           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBwCW9gX2jg&feature=related "...Gilbert's warning to town council" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zHOlbYWHdo&feature=related "...Mayor and Publisher arrested" http://quartzsitearizona.blogspot.com/2011/05/politically-assisted-suicide-mayor-and.html Jennifer "Jade" Jones Publisher, The DESERT FREEDOM PRESS (928) 575-6594 News you can use for La Paz County, AZ! http://thedesertfreedompress.blogspot.com/

Al Johnson promoted to assistant town manager?

Rumors have been circulating for weeks that "Building Official" Al Johnson was being groomed by Town misManager Alex Taft as her eventual replacement. Now, it appears those rumors are true.

It has not gone unnoticed, that the Quartzsite building official has been introducing himself as "director of planning and zoning", a title not listed on his business cards, the town website,  nor approved by council in open meeting. Now, it appears Al Johnson has received yet another promotion without advertising for the open position or a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) and without public approval by the town council.

On Friday, Mayor Ed Foster received an open records request that had been denied, even though the Office of the AZ Attorney General has previously informed the town that the public can have that information. Whose signature authorized this denial of public information? Why Al Johnson, of course! Something he would only have the authority to sign off on if he had been promoted to a different position.

Maybe, Johnson/Taft denied the request for current payroll because it would show that Johnson is receiving an increase or change in payroll status. Building Official is an employee without a contract, but Taft's position as Town Manager is a salary under contract.  Something here smells fishier than the dumpster behind a tuna processing plant!

DFP publisher Jones arrested after suing for police harassment!

Tuesday night's public meeting with the BLM and SolarReserve was crowded, informative, and constantly disrupted by the Quartzsite Police. 

Apparently, on her way into the meeting, Mrs. Jones was approached by QPD Sgt. Xavier Frausto (husband of the town magistrate) who wanted her to sign a citation for "simulating legal process".

A. R.S. § 13-2814

A. A person commits simulating legal process if such person knowingly sends or delivers to another any document falsely purporting to be an order or other document that simulates civil or criminal process.

B. Simulating legal process is a class 2 misdemeanor. 

Ms. Jones walked past Sgt. Frausto, and into Quartzsite Town Hall. When Jones refused to sign the citation in front of a crowded room of witnesses, Frausto reportedly tried to hand her the citation to which Jones responded "I'm not interested in anything that comes from you" and she took a seat. Quartzsite police approached her husband John with a citation for the same offense. Sgt. Frausto told him if he refused, the citation would be sent in the mail.

Witnesses report that Mrs. Jones got up from her seat in the second row and walked to where her husband was sitting in the back of the room. From halfway across the room and as she passed the rows of chairs, Jones gave "the finger" to Starr Bearcat, whom she believed had been actively filming the interaction between Quartzsite Police and the Jones', and who previously posted numerous false comments and defamatory videos about them on 

http://www.youtube.com/user/QWatchingEyes

Mrs. Jones spoke briefly with her husband and sat back down in her seat.

As the meeting began, John  was approached by QPD Officer Herlen Yeomans. Yeomans told John that if he refused to sign, he had been instructed by the sergeant to arrest him. John reports that he then asked to see the law he had allegedly broken, but when he followed Yeomans outside he was handcuffed.

Frausto and Yeomans escorted Jones to the unmarked black QPD SUV. Discussion ensued between the three, and Yeomans asked Frausto if Jones could sign the citation. Jones informed the officers that his wife had filed a lawsuit against Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, Town Manager Alexandra Taft, and the incorporated town for police harassment days earlier, and that Taft had been served several hours before the meeting. Jones was released, he signed the citation, and did not return to the meeting.

During the meeting, QPD officers brought Mrs. Jones her husbands wallet, and repeatedly tried to lure her outside to speak with her husband "before he went to jail" but she refused to speak, or leave with them. 

When the meeting ended, Mrs. Jones tried unsuccessfully to reach her attorney by phone. She then handed her belongings to Mayor Ed Foster and told him "Don't bail me out". 

Reportedly, as Jones tried to leave the room, she was handcuffed by Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, who had arrived on the scene and was blocking her exit. When she asked what she was under arrest for, Gilbert responded "I'll tell you later". Jones called out to the crowd "Hey everybody! These fine gentleman are refusing to tell me what I'm under arrest for!" She then asked Gilbert "Does this have anything to do with the lawsuit I served on you earlier today?" He responded "You didn't serve me." and Jones informed him "I served the town." She was then escorted through town offices to a cell in the back of town hall before being transferred to the La Paz County jail.

The next day, Mrs. Jones, who has no prior convictions, was released on her own recognizance by Judge Michael Newman.

The Jones case in County Superior Court is # CV201100065

and claims damages for "harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress".

Duh! Do you think?

Quirky Quartzsite makes LA Times!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-quartzsite-20110416,0,1914587,full.story

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times

April 16, 2011

Reporting from Quartzsite, Ariz.— 

Desert town clings to its quirkiness

Quartzsite, Ariz., is a truck stop town of 3,600 that draws about 1 million visitors in winter with its gem shows, swap meets and 'naked bookseller.' Officials are looking for ways to boost revenue in the off-season, but locals and the snowbirds don't want the town's character to be lost.

Debbie Eldridge was lolling about her 40-foot-long Monaco Diplomat luxury motor home with her twin sister, Betty Hayden, cooling off with a Diet Pepsi after a marathon morning at the flea markets.

Eldridge, 58, had reaped a modest haul — a dog toy for her beloved bichon, Boomer, and a decorative sun sculpture that she planned to display in the backyard of her real home in Merced, Calif.

Hayden was sporting her newest acquisition: a pink fringed T-shirt that read, "Quartzsite, Arizona."

The girls, as their husbands call them, come here every winter for some shopping, some sun and a break from the rhythm of retired life. Begrudgingly, they bring the boys along, too.
 
PHOTOS: The "naked bookseller," snowbirds and the desert 


The couples moor their RVs side-by-side at the Desert Oasis trailer park off Highway 95, where about $300 a month gets you a parking space, sewer hookups and a front-row seat for one of America's oddest annual migrations.

During the scorching summer months, Quartzsite is little more than a hiccup on the highway, a truck stop town of 3,600 baking in the Sonoran Desert where road trippers pull off for gas before crossing into or out of California.
Then winter blows in.

From October to April, more than 1 million people pass through, town officials estimate. Some stay only a week or two. Others call it home for the season.

During that time, Quartzsite may be the most eccentric place in the country, a weird Western outpost where "tea party" retirees mingle with cigarette-rolling rock hounds and white-haired hippies — and where no one bats an eye at a bare-bottomed bookseller.

But with that diversity come various views of what the town should be, and sometimes they conflict. After decades of watching its population rise and fall, Quartzsite has hit a midlife crisis, with some wondering if the town needs to rein in its freewheeling ways.

"This was like an Old West town," said Jake Jakubec, a 66-year-old retired truck driver who has wintered in Quartzsite since the 1990s. "We bought and sold and partied and camped. We had a ball here."

Jakubec, who lives out of a souped-up Chevrolet van, was sitting on a porch just off Main Street, trading tall tales with his old friend Harold Donaldson, 64. Both men have the archetypal Quartzsite look: sun-freckled skin that bears a resemblance to boot leather, and T-shirts the color of dust.

"Alien intervention is very real," Donaldson was saying when Jakubec cut him off.

"Harold, am I right or am I wrong?" Jakubec said. "They're trying to make this place into Palm Springs."

"Ah, it's a commercial deal now," Donaldson said, sighing. "It used to be you could just drive up here, throw your tarp down, pay the property owner $5, and that was all."

Town Manager Alex Taft would like naysayers like Donaldson and Jakubec to spend a week in her shoes. Then they'd have to reckon with the question she faces: How is a town with no supermarket and only 13 police officers supposed to cope with such a massive swell of people?

"It's kind of a wall of humanity," Taft said. Some days, traffic is so thick it's faster to walk than drive.

The snowbirds putter in from all directions in motor homes and campers, which they hitch up at one of Quartzsite's 70-plus trailer parks or on the federal land that sprawls in all directions beyond the town limits.

With metal roofs glittering amidst the saltbush and saguaro, the rigs look like covered wagons from a distance. Some part-time residents, like the Eldridges, dress up their lots with plastic flamingoes and fake palm trees.

Many are drawn by the gem and mineral shows that materialize each year in windswept tents along the side of the road.

One of the largest is the Tyson Wells Rock and Gem Show, a temporary tent city where bargain hunters pick through cardboard boxes brimming with onyx, rose quartz, meteorite and Brazilian jade. Other essentials for sale include gun holsters, hula hoops and diabetic socks, along with the sorts of deep-fried concoctions typically hawked at state fairs.

At 10 a.m. on a recent day, patrons were already knocking back cold ones at Beer Bellys, a bar set up on a patch of AstroTurf in the middle of it all.

"It's kind of like a big carnival," said Charlene Mullens, 58, who was dusting off jewelry at Dave's Bead Emporium. "People just have a good ol' time."

Nobody's sure exactly how Quartzsite became a haven for the RV set. But many say it may have started in the 1960s when a woman traveling west broke down on Interstate 10.

She had four young girls and no money to fix her station wagon, so she sold the kids' toys. Soon, others were imitating, exhibiting their wares in the backs of pickup trucks.

A man named Howard Armstrong decided to make it official. He started a winter swap meet called the Main Event, which drew crowds with its bargains and diversions (hot air balloon rides and camel races). Armstrong died in 2004 and the ownership changed. The swap meet still takes place every January, but now "a lot of that festivity is gone because he's gone," Taft said.

Taft is from Connecticut, by way of Phoenix. She is slim with chin-length silver hair and wears a silk scarf patterned with cats. She started coming here in the 1990s and stayed because the climate helped her health. She volunteered at the library — which sees 1,000 daily visitors in the winter — and was eventually drafted to help the town deal with its unique budget challenges.

Taft said the town charges vendors only $50 for a six-month license. Quartzsite does not collect property taxes and relies heavily on grants, which help pay for extra workers in winter. What the town needs, Taft says, are year-round attractions, fairgrounds maybe, as well as industry and stores. But she said the seasonal population shifts make it hard to attract investors.

Still, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert said growth is inevitable. "It's kind of a blank slate," he said. "It's a prime opportunity!"

To some folks, that's the problem. Jade Jones, editor of the Desert Freedom Press, helped organize a campaign this year to recall five of seven town council members.

A few weeks before the March election, Jones, 45, was bent over a laptop in a cramped trailer, strategizing with her closest political allies, Michael Roth, who pens a column in the paper called "The Patriot's Corner," and Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster. A row of caged dogs howled at full volume. (Jones also runs a pet grooming and boarding business.)

"I get about as much respect here as I get on the council," Foster said.

"You probably get more here," Jones quipped.

Jones and Roth met a few years ago at a presidential campaign event for Ron Paul. They were upset with town officials, who they felt were too intent on steering Quartzsite away from its free-market swap-meet roots.

So they started attending council meetings with cameras and posting the footage on YouTube. Roth was arrested at one meeting. Not long after, Jones was arrested at her home after an altercation with a building inspector. Her framed mug shot hangs near her collection of dog show trophies.

"We're taking back America one small town at a time," Jones said.

When voters went to the polls March 8, they chose not to recall the council members. Taft, the town manager, said the results showed that people want to move Quartzsite into the future.

But for now, eccentric Quartzsite remains. Consider Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear, editor of the town's other weekly newspaper, the Desert Messenger, who has thunderclouds tattooed on her cheeks; or Pinky Williams, a mountain man from Texas who journeys to Quartzsite each year to sell knives fashioned out of arrowheads and raccoon jaws. "I was born a hundred years too late," he says.

And then there's Paul Winer, who started coming here with his wife, Joanne, 61, in the 1990s to sell used books — three for $1 — out of a tent, but who now owns a bookstore with 180,000 titles.

Winer, 67, saves on taxes because the store, which has plastic tarp walls that unfurl from a frame, is technically an outdoor structure. He's good at skirting laws. A nudist, he covers up at work with a teeny thong, narrowly fitting the criteria for public decency.

Quartzsite's famed "naked bookseller" estimates that he poses for photographs 8,000 times a year with a variety of visitors, from Asian tourists to Willie Nelson types. He once performed across North America, family in tow, as an "adult cabaret" artist (stage name "Sweet Pie").

In 1991, after watching "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" with his daughter while on the road, she asked, "What is a neighborhood?" So they settled in Quartzsite, near Yuma, where Winer's parents retired.

Several years later, his daughter died at age 8 of a viral heart infection. Winer said he and his wife stayed "because this is the place where people remember her."

They stayed, too, because Quartzsite is a good fit. As night fell on the desert, Winer sat at a piano in his shop and danced his fingers across the keys, unsettling dust.

"I got a little nothing," he crooned. "A little nothing nowhere."

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

Mayor receives death threats! Hate flyers posted around Quartzsite.

What sort of person would support our current council? Well, apparently the sort of person who would print and distribute this around town. Handwriting analysis anyone?

This particular example was retrieved from the Main Street Laundry owned by Councilman Jerry "dirty laundry" Lukkasson. Other copies have been posted on bulletin boards around town.

When Mayor Ed Foster was asked for a comment, he said "It looks like it may be the same person that's been sending me death threats." 

DEATH THREATS? SERIOUSLY? 

Yes. Mayor Foster stated that he has received two written death threats in the last few weeks, delivered by U.S. mail. The letters were turned over to the La Paz County Sheriff's Office for investigation and it is unknown what Don Lowery is doing to assure the safety of our mayor at this time. 

MAYOR ED FOSTER - GOOD WILL AMBASSADOR FOR QUARTZSITE!

By David Rookhuyzen
Cronkite News

http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2010/11/with-recession-officially-over-quartzsites-vendors-ready-for-snowbirds/ 

QUARTZSITE – Every winter, vendors descend on this remote patch of western Arizona desert. Right behind is a flock of RVs filled with retirees looking for a warm winter and good deals.
For the past few years the selling and buying has been a little subdued because of the down economy. But Mayor Ed Foster said this year, with the Great Recession officially over, the town is seeing a reversal.
“All the early indicators are that we are ahead this season,” Foster said.
Roughly 400,000 winter visitors come to camp around Quartzite, and around a million will pass through to shop at its dozen swap meets, Foster said. By February, RVs will cover the desert for 10 miles in every direction – filled with customers for what’s billed as the world’s largest swap meet. So far this fall, street traffic, vendor and visitor permits and event attendance have been high – all positive signs for the winter to come, Foster said.
First-time vendor Jean Allen said she’s optimistic that snowbirds will flock here in even larger numbers this year, buying her booths art, decorative boxes and homemade hula hoops.
“It makes me nervous; I have no idea what to expect with the economy,” Allen said, “But we were going to come anyway.”
Before making the trip, Allen said she received advice saying that having a variety of products and the right pricing are key to good business at the swap meets.
Larry Muhlhauser, a vendor who has come to sell his wares every winter for a decade, said he expects a good season, but mainly from knowing what to provide cash-strapped customers rather than a rebounding economy.
Muhlhauser once sold gold but dropped it and gravitated toward lower-dollar items such as key chains and earrings because that’s where the market shifted.
“We have to reinvent ourselves as vendors and try to meet what they can afford,” he said.
Since the majority of his customers are retired vacationers, Muhlhauser said expensive and big-ticket items no longer sell. In past years, he said, vendors tried to sell imported stained glass and jukeboxes but had little success with people living out of their RVs, he said.
Muhlhauser said vendors will be fine even if this year’s crowd isn’t as large as hoped.
“It’s kind of a hit and miss – a dance,” he said, “You know, if you miss it this year, you look forward to next year.”
CRONKITE NEWS video - click here!

Two arrested at Town Council Meeting

Russell Sias, manager of Crawford's Trailer Park was arrested for serving Police Chief Jeff Gilbert with the notice of Federal Injunction mentioned in the previous post. Sias, did not actually touch Gilbert with his hands, he only touched him with the legal documents he was officially serving for Jennifer Jones and this video clearly shows that Chief Gilbert (in civilian clothes) knew what was taking place when he invited Sias to serve him. Russell Sias plead "not guilty" to simple assault" and was released on his own recognizance Wednesday.

Before the meeting even began, Jones herself was arrested for allegedly filing a false report http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/13/02907-01.htm&Title=13&DocType=ARS 

over the video taped criminal trespass, warrantless search and assault by the "Building Official" and obstructing Mr. Johnson's "government operations"http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/13/02402.htm&Title=13&DocType=ARS.Jennifer Jone's bail was posted by a friend, and delivered by Mayor Ed Foster, who gave her a ride home along with an apology for the actions which transpired.

This scenario reminds me of of when Constable Paul Staudt served former Mayor Huntley with an official Notice of Claim  back in June, and Huntley responded by shoving the Constable hard, with both hands right in front of Chief Gilbert who refused to arrest Huntley.This only proves yet again that QPD won't recognize an assault, unless they want to cry victim...and that they should really read what's in the manilla envelope, before they rush headlong to prove it true!

Town Hall meetings recap - a whirlwind week!

Well, where to begin? Chronologically, I suppose.

Tuesday afternoon there was a work session to discuss paying for yet another study of the Town's water and sewer rates. The most important thing you need to know is that Town mismanager Alex Taft did  not draw up a specific proposal for what exactly what was to be studied and put it out to an open bid. So what you had was the representative from economists.com with an impressive powerpoint presentation and bid of $23,000, and the shady Town Engineer PBS & J with a bid of $71,000. After a vigorous round of questions by the public, and Mayor Foster's stated desire for a flat rate usage billing system, the work session ended with a promise that it would someday come to pass! Later that evening, at the regular meeting, the council voted to go with the rate study by economists.com (the group that created the convoluted mess we are currently paying for). Best quote of the work session goes to Vice Mayor Barbara Cowell who said "I'm not that smart - you'll have to spell it out!" Second place goes to the rep from ecomists.com, with talking points like "financial disincentive", "rates accomplish more than just raising revenues", and "it is important to review this data in light of your very aggressive hook up plan". He also confirmed that when they did the $25,000 study in 2009, the Town was "insolvent" and borrowing money from HURF and the General Fund.


Also at Tuesday evening's regular meeting, everything on the agenda passed. Jennifer "Jade" Jones was the first to enter the political fray and announced that she would run for Town Council, but did not state which recall candidate she would take on in the upcoming election. Jones also announced the tentative December debut of her "free community newspaper" (rumor has it that Mayor Foster may have licensed The Quartzsite Mineshaft" to her) Advertisers wishing to get in on the deep discounts available for the premier winter season should stop by her grooming salon located this year at  J & S Covers on Hwy 95.


Thursday was a very busy day with a special meeting, a work session and training from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns.


The special meeting saw the appointment of Doug Ross to the Planning and Zoning Committee. Barbara Bowman's appointment to the Municipal Property Corporation will complete the term of Nella Shaw. In what seemed like an intentional oversight by the Town mismanager, all members of the Council except the Mayor were on the agenda to approve themselves and Alex Taft as "account/check signers for the new Horizon community Bank accounts". An oversight Taft wisely chose to rectify.

The work session had Quartzsite's vendors squarely in the cross hairs of Taft and the (trained at Town's expense) "Building Official" Al Johnson. Talk of changing the business license code, proposals for new County health regulations for mobile kitchens, reducing the vendor permit to 180 days, new ideas for revocation of permits, and other nightmare scenarios are not yet a done deal and changes will NOT affect the current season. However, vendors who want to return next year should attend the next meeting on this topic, the date of which is yet to be announced.


The League of Cities and Towns came to the aide of Mayor Foster and put his critics in their place last night! By the end of the "training", Vice Mayor Cowell's voice was quivering as if on the verge of tears! Police Chief Jeff Gilbert was warned that he had no authority to control the meeting unless ordered to do so by Mayor Foster, and that if he asserted himself in such a manner it could result in a lawsuit. (The warning was overdue, because it already has!). Town Attorney Pamela Walsma was instructed that she works for us, the citizens, through our Mayor and Council. A reality that had apparently not occurred to her as she is dangerously unfamiliar with this legal specialty. At every turn, it seemed as if our Mayor had been correct all along.

Total Recall - 2010

It's official! In an clear statement of disapproval by the voters,

THE QUARTZSITE TOWN COUNCIL HAS BEEN TOTALLY RECALLED! 

(And so quickly too!)

That's right dedicated readers, the petitions were recorded today and joining Babs and Machine Gun Joe will be Anderson, Kelley, Lukkasson and even Lizzarraga, the only Councilperson to receive enough votes to avoid last spring's run off. 

The record breaking voter turn out  in the Mayoral election meant that an unprecedented number of signatures was necessary (152), but that amount was easily exceeded by a third more than the required minimum for all four recently elected officials. An amazing feat for a summer "ghost town" 

Citizen outrage is at an all time high after the treasonous conduct of recently elected members of the Quartzsite Common Council and the malicious persecution of popular "People's Mayor" Ed Foster.

Let's compare May 18th votes to the verified number of recall signatures. With 1234 Registered Voters and 669 Cards Cast  (54.21%)

Patricia Anderson 317 votes, versus 217 recall signatures

Robert Kelley 316 votes, versus 209 recall signatures

Jerry Lukkason 322 votes versus - 211 recall signatures

and Jose Lizzarraga received 273 votes in the March 9th primary with:

Registered Voters 1346 - Cards Cast 506 (37.59%) 

211 recall signatures were easily obtained.

Hey Joe, it's not about "sedition"...it's about accountability. You guys have been pursuing personal agendas instead of doing the PEOPLE'S business! You guys talk about "the Town" as the entity that needs protecting...but the PEOPLE are the Town and clearly, they need protection from corrupt public officials. YOU are the reason that recalls are a power vested in the PEOPLE. (So are initiatives and referendums.) A few thousand dollars spent on a recall is a cheap lesson in civics, compared to a hundred and eighty thousand for Pam Walsma to protect you from the PEOPLE you were elected to serve. There's an old political adage that goes: "Pay me now with your vote - or pay me later with your seat!"

Why do I have gleeful  visions of the Von Trapp Family Singers?

 

What is "Goodbye" ? I'll take epitaphs for a thousand, Alex...