Tucson Weekly: The Skinny (September 11

Skinny MIKEY THE FLAKY WAFFLEMAN STRIKES AGAIN: Pima County GOP Supervisor Mikey "The Flaky Waffleman" Boyd waffled again, this time over the incorporation of the town he may live in some day, Catalina Foothills. When a petition passer asked him to sign up he refused, stating he had to remain "neutral" on the subject. Down the street at another shopping center, a member of his family was enthusiastically signing up and announcing to everyone within earshot that Supervisor Mike Boyd thought it was a great idea.
Boyd would appear to be on both sides of this issue, as usual. He's told people he supports the incorporation, but won't sign the petition, and he voted for Pima County to roll over and not oppose the lawsuit the City of Tucson has brought to cancel the whole process.
Here's what might really be bugging Boyd: His 1996 primary opponent, Sally Slosser, whom he narrowly defeated, is one of the leaders in the foothills incorporation drive. Boyd is obsessed with the fact that if the incorporation movement is successful, they'll request Slosser to be named to their first town council, thereby improving her credibility for a rematch in 2000.
Boyd even questioned the supervisors' procedure when they approved the seven names forwarded them by the new Town of Tortolita and asked that some other method be set up--like having candidates apply directly to Pima County.
Who does Boyd think he is? If a group of people put together a town, why should he override their decision on who should be on their council?
Boyd doesn't need to worry--Slosser doesn't want to be on the Catalina Foothills council, because she wouldn't be able to finish the term. She'd be running against Mikey before it ran out.
Assuming, of course, that Mikey is planning to run for re-election....
MISSED MANNERS: One of the first acts of the recently formed Town of Tortolita was to file a lawsuit against the Town of Marana, a.k.a. Dogpatch, over the recent 1,200-acre annexation Marana sneaked through after promising a group of residents they would redraw a map. Dogpatch's chief mouthpiece, Town Attorney Dan Hochuli, is disturbed because he found out about the suit from a reporter.
Hochuli is whining that he should have been shown the "courtesy" of being notified about the lawsuit. That's a laugh--Hochuli and the Marana Council and staff didn't show any "courtesy" to the citizens whom they publicly promised to remove from the annexation. Nope--the Dogpatch council just went and annexed without notifying them. Those victims found out about it by reading the paper.
So what's the problem here--lawyers are entitled to more notice than real human beings? It's OK to sneak up on ordinary citizens, but government officials should get a warning? How about the real issue: Dogpatch is run by a bunch of greedy slimeballs.
MOOREVILLE? While Tortolita residents were making a big end run to get the Board of Supes to proclaim them a town, the proposed Village of Casas Adobes is still waiting for its turn, which will come during this November's election. Blame Ed Moore for the delay.
Casas Adobes leaders are rightfully sensitive about the former county supervisor's role in setting up their new town.
The daily press has called Moore the town's "senior advisor." Considering the problems they had drawing their map, and the kamikaze lawsuit they filed in an effort to trip up the Tortolitans, that would fit the kind of advice Moore is known to give. While members of the Casas Adobes incorporation committee downplays Moore's role, none of them will discuss just how big it is, nor do any of them seem willing to repudiate his influence.
Here's a clue for them: Moore will be the issue in the November election. Unlike Tortolita, which was about to get gobbled up by Marana and Oro Valley, or other places facing a real threat from the City of Tucson, much of what has been thrown into Casas Adobes is essentially safe from foreign encroachment. Any voters who are shaky on incorporation may think twice about paying more sales tax where they now shop for the privilege of living in a town Ed Moore helped think up.
If Casas Adobes really wants to make it, it's past time they hosed off Moore's taint. Otherwise, the voters just may bite them on the ass.
MAYBE EL PUEBLO'S CANCER PATIENTS SHOULD GET AN AGENT: The TCE program run by El Pueblo Health Clinic has once again been caught violating patient confidentiality. One of its administrators gave a name to a reporter looking for a cancer patient to interview. Apparently El Pueblo officials are still not aware this is a violation of law, not to mention simple courtesy.
It's events like this that make the Pima County Supervisors nervous about handing over the $250,000 they've appropriated to El Pueblo's TCE program. Meanwhile, the county administration is still waiting for a full audit of El Pueblo's books, to answer charges that funds have been co-mingled. Clearly, El Pueblo's administration is in bad shape.
ASARCO, THE COMPANY THAT CARES SOOOO MUCH: The manipulative corporate creeps who run Asarco mining company, one of America's worst polluters, are apparently polling Pima County residents to see how we feel about them.
Save your ill-gotten loot, bozos: You stink.
Unsuspecting participants reached by phone--during the dinner hour, no doubt--have been asked to rate a few companies, including Asarco, from one to five, with five being poor. The issues included how well they treat employees, how much they contribute to community charities, and how well they treat the environment. Oh, and what did the poll respondents think of Asarco's plan to rape the beautiful Santa Rita Mountains south of town?
Stick this in your marketing report: Asarco lays off workers left and right when it feels the need, stressing families and wrecking local neighborhoods; the only reason it might contribute to local charities is to confound critics; and its record on the environment is so abysmal that various states are talking about banding together to spank its nasty ass.
And come to think of it, mining is one industry whose jobs really ought to be moved offshore in the current free-trade frenzy. If we use other nations' ore supplies today, when the world finally plays out its critical reserves we'll still have plenty of raw material waiting in the U.S.
TPD IS BIG BROTHER: Courtesy of privacy advocates in Congress from both left and right, Social Security numbers can be used by public agencies and private companies only with the consent of the individual involved. Unfortunately, most people don't know that, even though a whole bunch of court cases have said so.
That's why Arizona's Department of Transportation asks you if you want to use your Social Security number as your driver's license number. Many folks--wisely--say no.
Yet the Tucson Police Department now routinely asks for Social Security numbers during traffic stops. That's OK--as long as cops tell people they don't have to give it.
It's obvious there are a few occasions when a Social Security number would be immediately useful, as when two people with the same name have the same date of birth. But other local law enforcement agencies do not routinely ask for your Social Security number, only TPD.
Queries to city legal staffers have brought forth vague justifications, but no denial of the practice--a practice that should stop, or at least be modified to comply with federal laws.

Home | Currents | City Week | Music | Review | Books | Cinema | Back Page | Archives