DR. MANNY REMINDS
U.S. JUDGES “YOU AREN’T DOCTORS” “You
don’t practice medicine and I won’t practice
law,” stated the widely acclaimed TV doc, as
he delineated the reasons a Plan B approach
to pregnancy with little or no oversight of
minors might not be the ‘great idea’ it’s
purported to be. Liberal U.S. District judge
Edward Korman, who ruled the drug should be
made readily available despite concerns over
the many reasons this response to a possible
pregnancy might not be prudent. News reports have been rife with
stories about ‘Plan B’ a
pharmaceutical abortifacient used to produce
an immediate dispelling of an already
fertilized egg. But the possibility of
complications such as the inability of a
young girl to be able to properly administer
the drug and monitor her own condition has
hardly been considered in the rush to
approve the ‘Plan B’ abortificiant for all
women, all ages, all the time. [The
drug's detractors speak.]
Abortifacients have also been reportedly
administered to women without their
knowledge – another consideration that is
apparently not being considered.
READ: The government
may or may not respond.
In a story
with issues smiliar to those issues facing
Quartzsite, Alameda, a California's County
Administrator's pay package has brought
shock and outrage. Should taxpayers bear the
burden? READ MORE
Interim
Town Manager Laura Bruno, initially criticized
for having been appointed by the council
instead of advertising the position and
hiring the most qualified candidate, assured
citizens she would not ‘be able’ to stay due
to obligations already in place and would
not remain in the $80K per year position for
longer than six months. Now, Bruno has
requested another year in the position with
a salary increase of 30% to $104,000.00,
plus 'benefits'.
Critics contend that Bruno does not have the
credentials necessary to have been hired –
much less at Taft’s outgoing salary of over
$80,000. Further, Bruno’s insistence that
Mayor Foster and Councilman Patricia Workman
not have access to the Town Hall building
without her specific permission have brought
demands for the proper hiring of a qualified
candidate.
Michael Jewett put the official hiring of
Bruno on Tuesday’s agenda – with a
stipulation attached that forbids community
input on the decision.
Not surprisingly, citizens
are frustrated at the quick turn of events,
especially in light of Bruno’s failure to
take advantage of an offer from the League
of Cities and Towns to suspend their
decision to drop Quartzsite from the
insurance pool, provided that Quartzsite
revise the council’s litigious policies to
lessen the risk of outrageous legal expenses
– a mainstay in Quartzsite politics over the
last ten years.
Bruno’s’ handling’ of the
League’s requests for revisions and the
subsequent hiring [by Bruno] of another
insurance firm has proven exorbitantly
expensive for the town – and the insurance
is far more limited than the League’s
insurance pool, which insures most of the
municipalities in Arizona.
Bruno is also under fire for reportedly
hiring a friend with dubious credentials as
a private investigator to investigate
Councilwoman Patricia Workman. The improper
hiring and the lack of the proper
credentials have already been investigated
and may still result in charges.
How Laura Bruno came
to occupy the position of interim Town
Manager is a matter still in question – she
was reportedly recommended by Councilman
Mark Orgeron. But the financial records that
have consistently been concealed from
Quartzsite’s citizenry are still being
concealed yet today – with no assistance
from Laura Bruno to rectify that situation.
COUNCILWOMAN
QUARTZSITE COUNCILWOMAN RESCINDS SAME DAY
RESIGNATION 31 JANUARY 2013 –
Acting upon information provided her by a
third party, Quartzsite Councilwoman
Patricia Workman resigned her council
position 'due to consistent difficulty in
obtaining the information she needs to
properly fulfill her duties as a
councilperson'.
Workman further indicated that she did not
want to resign her position but was led to
believe that she needed to work as a citizen
instead of a councilman, using FOIA requests
to obtain critical information.
Quartzsite’s administration has long been
accused of withholding information from
select councilmen and citizens alike for at
least the past ten years – and though
changes were promised by the current
administrator, town manager Laura Bruno, the
issues have continued to mount – even in the
face of the loss of Quartzsite’s municipal
insurance over improprieties on the part of
the town’s administration.
Even
now, Quartzsite’s Mayor, Ed Foster, is
complaining that he has not been provided
with the source of the funding for the ‘new’
insurance, which is costing the town over
$311,000.00 per year plus another $45,000.00
for an 'umbrella policy' – as compared to
the insurance Quartzsite lost: $160,000.00
for virtually all inclusive coverage,
including the legal issues.
Interestingly, the policy specifically
precludes any legal expenses whatsoever --
and a very large portion of Quartzsite's
operating expenses have been comprised of
legal expenditures incurred while pursuing
various Quartzsite business people.
That sum also does not include
Workman’s Compensation coverage. The
quarterly premium Quartzsite just paid was
$109,000.00 which would indicate that the
actual ‘out of pocket’ insurance expense for
the municipality will be at least
$436,000.00 per fiscal year – significantly
more than originally indicated by the town’s
manager. At that same meeting, the council
voted to pay $59,000.00 in legal expenses.
"We also have to pay a $100,000.00
deductible before they pay anything at all
-- an increase of about $97,500.00 or so?
Who can justify what's happened here? And
that $45,000.00 'umbrella' -- I don't even
know what that is -- and I'm not allowed to
even ask the town manager unless I can show
that I have the majority of the council
behind me.
"I am not allowed to so much as
visit the town hall offices -- not even
afforded the courtesy to speak to Ms.
Bruno," Foster stated Thursday. "And
Councilwoman Workman and I do not have
the access to information we need to fulfill
the responsibilities we have to the voters
who put us in our respective positions."
Ann Gergen, the administrator of
the insurance pool provided via the League
of Cities and Towns [which had provided
Quartzsite with municipal insurance for
decades] repeatedly encouraged the town to
relinquish its litigious attitude and do its
business in a more professional manner.
Despite this – and in the face of a
brief stay concerning its decision to see if
Quartzsite’s new town manager would be less
of a lightning rod than her predecessor,
Alex Taft -- the town’s administration went
on to lose its insurance over these and
similar issues.
[SEE:
LOOKING GLASS]A NEW WEBSITE [AUTHOR
UNKNOWN] IS TAKING A SPECIAL LOOK AT THE
ISSUES THAT CONTINUE TO LAGUE QUARTZSITE AS
NEW ACCUSATIONS ARE RAISED ABOUT OPEN
MEETINGS LAW VIOLATIONS BY THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE.
INVESTIGATION OF
AG TOM HORNE
BY STATE BAR The
State Bar Association of Arizona is
currently investigating Attorney General Tom
Horne over a variety of allegations ranging
from campaign finance violations to charges
involving a ‘hit and run’ incident in which
both Horne and his assistant [assistant
attorney general Carmen Chenal] left the
scene following damage to a parked vehicle.
Reportedly, Horne’s actions are under review
for potential ethics violations.
SUITS UNDERWAY
AGAINST TOWN
27 NOV 2012 --
“I wish we had set down and negotiated with
these people, avoiding even more lawsuits,”
stated Mayor Ed Foster, Thursday.
“We had talked to an attorney when the
results of the election became obvious and
we were expecting to be sworn in – we had
already established a plan to negotiate with
the individuals whose employment we felt
might not be in the best interest of
Quartzsite. This entire matter was
unnecessary and handled improperly. I am
very disappointed that more lawsuits are now
being filed.”
Mayor Ed Foster and
Councilman Mark Orgeron sparred back
and forth during Tuesday's meeting --
Foster asking for reconsideration
of the council's meeting times
to accommodate
citizens attendance at meetings and to bring
back the Call to the Public so citizens
could address issues that concerned them.
Furthering the
angst of citizens – and apparently following
the protocol set by the town previous
administration – citizens are decrying the
practice of harassment by the town’s
officials by selectively auditing or
‘attacking with planning and zoning issues’
those they perceive to be ‘political
enemies.’
ORGERON USES POSITION TO
SILENCE MAYOR
11 NOV 2012 --
Councilman Mark Orgeron shocked
supporters Tuesday when he moved to utilize
his position to remove several items placed
on the agenda by Quartzsite’s mayor, Ed
Foster. Foster, who only assumed his elected
position following a lengthy legal battle
and a court victory, is an elected official
– elected specifically to the position of
Mayor. It was decided by referendum by
Quartzsite’s voters to allow citizens the
right to elect a Mayor – the official
‘liaison’ of the people placed on the
council by the people.
Orgeron, who initially campaigned with
Foster and councilwoman Patricia Workman,
has been criticized by Foster for refusing
to speak with him – sparking speculation
that he won his position by associating with
Foster and Workman, only to change his
position on most of the campaign issues he
utilized to be elected: among them, allowing
a ‘Call to the Public’ portion of council
meetings which allowed citizens to speak to
the council and moving the council meetings
from Tuesday mornings [when many of
Quartzsite’s business people cannot attend,]
back to evenings when many more citizens are
able to participate in -- or watch -- the
‘democratic process’ in action.
“I intend to ask -- repeatedly if
necessary,” stated councilwoman Patricia
Workman, “what right Mark Orgeron has to
openly work to silence the Mayor of this
town. I want to know by whose authority he
is doing these things – and why.”
Although at least two
councilmen have only a tenuous hold on their
positions due to the unusual circumstances
involved in their obtaining [or retaining]
their council seats, those individuals voted
with Orgeron and effectively prevented the
Mayor’s agenda items from being heard.
COUNCIL VOTES TO FIRE TAFT
Alex Taft is the latest of
the town’s administration to be
unceremoniously ousted from her position as
the town manager of Quartzsite.
11 NOV 2012 --
Alex Taft is the latest of
the town’s administration to be
unceremoniously ousted from her position as
the town manager of Quartzsite.
Taft fell from grace during what many felt
was a difficult and expensive term – which
concluded following a shakeup at the town’s
administrative offices. However, for an
extended period of time, press people,
citizens and town employees all complained
of mismanagement – particularly over
financial issues.
The books were never seen during Taft’s
reign and, to date, critics continue to
complain that the financial records are
still not open for review.
BRANNAN
FILES
'WHISTLEBLOWER'
REPORT WITH STATE
The ex-attorney for Quartzsite’s
embattled town administration is moving to
ensure that those responsible for his ouster
will pay a price. Martin Brannan, who was
the town’s attorney for about one year, has
filed a ‘whistle blower’ complaint with the
State of Arizona’s Personnel Board. In it,
Brannan insists he was maligned for his
positions as an atheist – for criticizing
the town’s administration for continuing the
practice of prayers that contained the name
of Jesus Christ.
Brannan, though, was criticized for much
more than that. For a significant portion of
the timeframe in question, he authored a
‘blog’ that sharply criticized and even
maligned those Brannan seemed to construe as
political enemies.
The content of that blog was so lewd and so
obscenely outrageous in nature that even
portions of it cannot be reproduced here. In
it, he maligned the town’s mayor, Ed Foster,
publisher Jennifer ‘Jade’ Jones and others
he apparently saw as politically active
individuals in the most vile of terms.
Still, Brannan’s 15 page complaint is highly
critical of the town’s handling of its
business practices.
Click to Read.
OBAMA'S WIN: NOT IN
ARIZONA
If the presidential election was left to
Arizonans, Mitt Romney would easily have
carried it and Barack Obama would be looking
for a new position.
In unofficial results, Romney’s 64.90% left
Obama trailing at 32.82%. Arizona, however,
doesn’t speak for the nation -- and while
the Internet is virtually
sizzling with accusations about strange
and unusual activities at voting centers, it
will be months before the smoke clears to
form any kind of clear picture.
Local Election Results Here.
"YOU'RE FIRED!" NORA YACKLEY, TOWN
ATTORNEY MARTIN BRANNAN, AND JANET BRANNAN:
ALL TERMINATED
6 NOVEMBER 2012
-- Termination letters were released Tuesday
dismissing Town Attorney Martin Brannan,
Planning and Zoning Director Nora Yackley,
Police Department Clerk [and wife of Martin
Brannan,] Janet Brannan and Judge Kimmerlin,
a park employee. ORGERON,
BRUNO FACE CRITICISM,
QUESTIONS
Councilman Mark Orgeron
is facing critics who question how and when
he came to know Interim Town Manager Laura
Bruno – and why she was hired without
utilizing the standard and proper
vetting procedures.
"Some of
Councilman Orgeron’s constituents would like
to know how and when he
came to know Interim Town Manager Laura
Bruno – and why she was hired without
utilizing the standard and proper
vetting procedures," stated Dean
Taylor, long-standing critic of Quartzsite’s
for what he describes as a “penchant for
ignoring the rules of the game.”
Bruno, who stepped into the position of
Interim Town Manager at a yearly salary of
over $85,000.00, provided no training or
credentials for town management – the very
same criticism made against her predecessor
Alexandra Taft. Taft is still
receiving full pay also over $85,000. per
year while -- critics contend -- she is
‘languishing’ at the expense of Quartzsite’s
taxpayers with no end in sight.
Critics claim Bruno, like Taft, was
hired to replace Taft without following the
protocol suggested by the League of Cities
and Towns -- which is blamed for the loss of
Quartzsite's liability insurance.
Bruno has taken steps to bar council members
from even entering town hall facilities
without her permission and foreknowledge.
FOSTER MOVES TO CLARIFY SHIFTING
ALLIANCES
Newly seated Mayor of
Quartzsite, Ed Foster, is launching
a campaign
to disavow his professional liaison with
Quartzsite councilman Mark Orgeron,
rescinding his support for Orgeron in the
face of actions and activities he contends
are damaging for Quartzsite.
FOSTER MOVES TO CLARIFY SHIFTING
ALLIANCES
Newly seated Mayor of
Quartzsite, Ed Foster, is launching
a campaign
to disavow his professional liaison with
Quartzsite councilman Mark Orgeron,
rescinding his support for Orgeron in the
face of actions and activities he contends
are damaging Quartzsite.
“We have now lost our insurance based upon
the actions of these people. How much worse
can it get?” Foster said.
Foster, who emerged
the victor by a wide margin given the
limited number of voters in Quartzsite,
easily beat out contender Jerry Lukkasson –
who had surrendered his seat on the council
to run for the Mayoral position.
Foster now believes that Orgeron is working
with Lukkasson to undermine his position as
Mayor – and further indicates that he
believes this was a factor early on. He has
compiled a letter to his constituents and is
moving to put signs throughout the community
of Quartzsite to clarify his position in
this matter.
The acrimonious relationship has reportedly
stemmed from reports that Orgeron and others
were working to prevent Foster from taking
his position at the helm as Quartzsite’s
Mayor over the last five months – something
rectified only when Quartzsite’s council was
ultimately ordered to seat him by the
Superior Court Judge.
“Very little has changed under the
leadership of Mark Orgeron,” Foster stated
Monday. “We have now lost our insurance due
to yet another ill-advised placement of an
unqualified individual in the position of
town manager – and the police chief was
rehired under the worst of circumstances,
which has only added more fuel to the fire
of discontent that has been continually
reported on even in the national media over
this past year since
Jones’ arrest,” Foster continued.
“To target Patricia Workman the way that
they have – trying to blame her for the loss
of insurance when the improper handling of a
document given to Laura Bruno caused a
backlash for them is ridiculous,” Foster
stated. “Now for Mark Orgeron to lambaste
her at a public event over ‘the company she
keeps’ leaves me no choice but to clarify
the issues for the people.”
FOSTER PREVENTED FROM ENTERING TOWN
HALL
Just
two days after Mayor Ed Foster was allowed –
by court order – to finally take his
position at the helm of Quartzsite’s
council, he was prevented from entering the
town hall facility by Town Clerk Terry
Frausto.
When Foster
questioned Frausto, she indicated that he
was not going to allowed access to the
town’s administrative offices without an
appointment, indicating that there was a
‘new policy’ in place.
“There is a Writ of Mandamus in effect,”
Foster stated, “with a clause in demands
town hall staff shall cooperate in the
performance of his duties as Mayor. “To
violate that writ would put Ms. Frausto in
violation of ARS 12-2029 and that is a class
3 misdemeanor.”
“This was anticipated before we even
appeared in court and Sam Vederman has
indicated that he will uphold the directive
of the court in this instance.”
After months of legal wrangling
with town administrators taking every
imaginable tact in an effort to to prevent
it, Foster was sworn in Tuesday morning, 23
October 2012. The vote was unanimous -- Mark
Orgeron did not attend the meeting.
BRUNO PRESENTS
'REPORT' RAISING EVEN MORE
CRITICISM
Once more ‘choosing’ a employee without
even considering others -- who might be more
qualified -- for the position, Quartzsite’s
newest ‘appointee’ followed what, for
Quartzsite, is ‘standard procedure’ and
appointed someone to the post.
In light of the many allegations critics
have made concerning the ‘allocation’ of
outrageous amounts of the town’s funds --
$350,000 per year -- year after year -- in
what were recorded as ‘engineering fees,’
for instance, instead of the $50,000 that
would be considered ‘typical’ for a
municipality the size of Quartzsite -- a
comprehensive forensic audit would be in
order.
Conducting a forensic audit requires special
handling by a certified forensic examiner
specifically trained to detect fraud. In
order to qualify as a forensic examiner, the
candidate should be able to present
evidence of special
certification in the field
of forensic accounting. [See:
Financial Forensics.]
Instead, Bruno pointed out that the
candidate had ‘volunteered’ her time and
would now be hired at $15.00 per hour -- a
move critics are describing as ‘ludicrous.’
Specifically listed among the reasons
given by President Ann Gergen of the the
Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool,
sponsored by the League of Cities and Towns
for having rescinded the Town of
Quartzsite’s insurance was “the
failure to provide
adequate Town management to
ensure that
typical governmental and administrative
controls are properly in place…”
and “Full utilization of AMRRP’s Personnel
Assistance Lifeline (PAL) for employment
decisions…” and
“leadership and management action to reduce
risk and improve the risk profile
of the Town…” and
“Solicitation and following of advice from
the League regarding appropriate Town
management and decision making processes.”
Gergen went on to say that “factional
disputes within the Quartzsite Town Council
and resulting employment decisions
[italics ours] have created numerous claims
and the potential
for additional losses. “AMRRP
has received more
than thirty claims against Quartzsite since
early 2010, many related to the factional
decision making practices of the Town
Council and ensuring employment disputes.
In its history, [a period of nearly thirty
years] AMRRP has
never received so many claims against a
municipality in so short a time and of such
a nature as Quartzsite.”
In light of the many allegations critics
have made concerning the ‘allocation’ of
outrageous amounts of the town’s funds --
$350,000 per year -- year after year -- in
what were recorded as ‘engineering fees,’
for instance, instead of the $50,000 that
would be considered ‘typical’ for a
municipality the size of Quartzsite -- a
comprehensive forensic audit would be in
order. Instead, Bruno pointed out that the
candidate had ‘volunteered’ her time and
would now be hired at $15.00 per hour -- a
move critics are describing as ‘ludicrous.’
LOSS OF INSURANCE
RAISES GREATER ISSUES Critics
contend that a derogatory article in the
Parker Pioneer about councilwoman Patricia
Workman seemed designed to do two things:
justify the ‘censure’ proceedings against
Workman and then to effectively place the
blame for the town’s loss of insurance
squarely on the newly elected councilwoman’s
shoulders.
In this letter
from Ann Gergen of the Arizona Risk
Retention Pool, the reasons for the town’s
loss of insurance were very specifically
listed and then properly detailed. Workman‘s
alleged release of a letter that only later
was alleged to have been protected under
laws concerning attorney client privilege
were not even mentioned in the communiqué
between Ann Gergen and the town‘s interim
manager, Laura Bruno.
Bruno has indicated that there is another,
earlier letter dated September 27, 2012, in
which the issue of Workman’s alleged
’leaking’ of the allegedly ’privileged’
document was specifically mentioned and then
cited as the reason for the town‘s removal
from the risk pool.
Bruno indicated that Ann Gergen, President
of the Arizona Municipal Risk Retention
Pool, referred to this matter as the ’straw
on the camel’s back’ -- “at least that’s
what they advised me,” Bruno stated.
At issue, according to legal analysts, is
the fact that the letter from the law firm
of Jackson Lewis did not have the typical
notations concerning attorney client
privilege and, thus, were not readily
identifiable as ‘protected’ or
‘confidential’ documents.
Confidential documents are typically labeled
as such in order to prevent against the
arbitrary release of sensitive documents --
something that was not done in this
instance.
Workman, newly elected to her position, is
widely regarded as a staunch advocate of
transparency in government -- but she
insists that had she recognized the
information contained in the document as
sensitive or a potential problem for the
town’s officials, she would have taken
additional steps to prevent the unwitting
dissemination of the letter or its contents.
Compounding the issue further is the fact
that the letter was shared with Workman and
other council members in private meetings in
Bruno's office instead of a more
proper forum of an executive session during
which properly labeled documents were
shared.
Gergen concluded the
letter to the council by saying the council
might be reconsidered for insurance after
providing
“evidence that it has cured all of its
failures giving rise to this termination of
coverage.”
“She’s been targeted,
it’s true,“ stated Mayor Ed Foster, who has
now been ordered to be seated in court
proceedings. Foster had been denied the
right to occupy the seat he rightfully won
-- and should have been allowed to fill --
since May. “There was a series of lengthy
stalling strategies on the part of the
officials that had been replaced as well as
at least two councilmen whose seats on the
council are likely to be jeopardized soon,“
Foster explained. “It’s clearly not the best
work environment for Ms. Workman right now.”
Foster has pointed out that the town’s
council spent upwards of $100,000.00 in an
unjustified effort to prove that the
election was compromised -- a move for which
the council was criticized by most voters as
an outlandish effort to circumvent the will
of the voters of Quartzsite. “The effort was
proven not only to be unfruitful but
unjustified as well -- and the money was
simply wasted,” Foster said.
“It is a well known and hotly contested
issue that because certain councilmen owe
their positions not to elections but to
appointments by the town’s administrators at
the time, they have been less than fair with
Pat Workman,” Foster continued. "Included in
that list are Norma Crooks and Michael
Jewitt, two of Workman’s most outspoken
critics."
Ms. Gergen is out of
the office on business and will return at
the end of the month. In light of the
assertions published in the Parker Pioneer
we are awaiting her comments concerning her
position on the reasons for Quartzsite’s
removal from the Arizona Municipal Risk
Retention Pool.
COURT: FOSTER
MUST BE SEATED IMMEDIATELY La Paz Superior Court Judge Michael Burke
left no room for evading the issue when he
ordered Mayor Elect Edward Foster to be
immediately seated at the next regular
meeting of the Quartzsite Common Council.
Foster, originally scheduled to be seated in
May found himself on the receiving end of a
great deal of animosity -- so much so that
he was not even allowed to take his position
at the council's helm. Foster's Lawyer
Explains in Video. READ MORE.
QUARTZSITE LOSES
INSURANCE FOSTER: 'THIS SHOULD
NOT HAVE HAPPENED' 12 OCT 2012 “We were repeatedly
warned and – literally – zero steps were
taken to insure that this didn’t happen,”
Foster stated today.
“This is the reason Quartzsite is constantly
in a state of turmoil, constantly dodging
their critics, constantly under fire for
their lack of ‘decision making’ abilities.”
The League of Cities and Towns had warned,
repeatedly, that the Town of Quartzsite was
slated to lose their municipal insurance
unless the litigious climate in the town
improved. Indeed, others with whom
Quartzsite shares their insurance pool had
openly criticized the administrators of the
municipality, indicating that they were
unwilling to bear the burden of the legal
liability Quartzsite represented.
Still, although the League of Cities and
Towns had already provided notification that
the town’s insurance would be removed 23
January 2012, the League moved to allow the
troubled municipality additional time, since
embattled Town Manager Alexandra Taft was
removed from her position and placed on
administrative leave.
This move represents a significant problem
for Quartzsite’s officials.
Once outside the pool, they will be required
to obtain insurance or suffer immediate
consequences that are many and varied. While
Laura Bruno has offered assurances to the
council that she has ‘other options’ for the
purchase of insurance, Quartzsite is widely
known to be such a poor risk that – while
there may be alternatives – there is no
assurance whatsoever that these ‘venues’
will seek to insure such a libelous
municipality as Quartzsite has become.
"It is widely accepted at this point that
there is a reason for the apparent
efforts of the town’s councilmen to pursue a
path of irresponsible governance in spite of
the vocal criticism of Quartzsite in the
national media, among their own peers and
among their constituents," Foster stated.
“It is my belief the town’s council is
intentionally working toward
disincorporation.”
“A story recent posted
on
PARKERLIVEONLINE.COM contains comments
similar in content to mine – and would
explain the actions of a council seemingly
intent upon mismanaging the assets of the
town and willfully disregarding the voice of
the voting public in Quartzsite,” he said.
Read More
FOSTER STILL NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE MAYORAL
POSITION
9 OCT 2012 -- Quartzsite’s council's
addendum to the agenda showed the intent to
put Foster’s seating to a vote – but the
vote failed as Jewitt, Crooks and Kelley
voting against the seating of Foster and
pressing the matter into court. Councilmen
Patricia Workman and Mark Orgeron --
both of whom campaigned with Foster – voted
to seat the Mayor elect.
FOSTER SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE FAILS
5 OCT 2012 --
Quartzsite’s council had only days in which
to make a ‘good faith’ settlement with
Mayor Elect Ed Foster who has been
prevented, by these same officials, from
taking his seat at the helm.
The town's attorney, Jeffrey T. Murray, of
the Law Firm of
Sims & Murray, was
appointed by the
League of
Cities and Towns, whose counsel is
William Sims, III, the other partner in this
same law firm.
Murray had actually presented Foster's
attorney, Julie LaBenz, with a written
agreement indicating that the intent was to
seat Foster Tuesday.
It is the
League of Cities and Towns, of course,
that has the insurance 'pool' that recently
advised Quartzsite's officials that they can
no longer cover the level of liability that
Quartzsite represents due to the litigious
activities happening between the municipal
officials and their constituents, and typically generated by the
town’s officials.
While the town was granted a temporary reprieve after
placing Taft on administrative leave and
hiring an Interim Town Manager, to go
against the recommendations of the League of
Cities and Towns could easily result in a
return to a similar dilemma.
The council today reportedly spent over four hours
deliberating over the placement of Foster’s
seating which was expected to take place
Tuesday, following
Foster’s efforts to peacefully settle the
matter by making concessions he – by law
– was not required to make.
In spite of those efforts, the majority of
the council ultimately refused to place
Foster’s seating on the agenda, effectively
‘guaranteeing’ Foster a win in Superior
Court on October 17th.
Foster, who has repeatedly stated he does
not want to sue Quartzsite because it would
only create more of a burden on Quartzsite’s
already overburdened taxpayers, has been
hailed as the ‘People’s Mayor’ and has
enjoyed the popularity brought by a
national media blitz supporting him and
villainizing those who have stood in
opposition to his campaign promises -- a
campaign which asked only for transparency
and open records at Quartzsite’s Town Hall.
Foster’s efforts to
bring about that transparency, though,
have thus far resulted in the use of
taxpayer monies to investigate him --
multiple times -- for felony infractions
that did not exist, to arrest and even jail
him on an accusation of assisting
publisher Jennifer Jones when she tossed
her keys to him during one of her many
highly publicized arrests [both were
subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing in
court,] and to fine him thousands of
dollars over a battle the town's officials
generated themselves.
"They would not even allow Foster to take
his seat on the council as Mayor until the
seated officials – most of whom were
appointed and not elected at that point –
all voted in unison to completely disempower
the position of Mayor," Jones said. "People
couldn't believe that could even be done." "The most shocking thing," Foster
stated, “is the lengths to which they’re
willing to go to circumvent what they know
to be the will of the voters. Whose
interests, I wonder, do they actually
represent?"
FOSTER SETTLEMENT 'ON
THE TABLE'
Mayor Elect Ed Foster's attorney, Julie
LaBenz, has placed a significant
settlement offer before Quartzsite's council
in which Foster has agreed to major
concessions in an effort to bring a peaceful
resolution to an ongoing legal over
the council's refusal to seat him.
AD HOC COMMITTEE ATTEMPTS TO IMPUGN WORKMAN'S
ETHICS
Although legal analysts are adamant she's
done nothing wrong, 'whistleblower
councilwoman' Pat
Workman has been forced to face an
'Ad Hoc' committee for the second time
since her election -- this time for having
allegedly released 'sensitive'
information she obtained at a private
meeting she was requested to attend by the
Interim Town Manager, Laura Bruno. READ MORE
STUDENTS WIN $1M IN PEPPER
SPRAYING
INCIDENT
READ MORE HOUSE VOTES TO
EXPAND PROTECTIONS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS New protections are in the works for
those in the difficult situation of being
privy to information that can be damaging to
their 'superiors' and even the house of
Representatives is taking steps to ensure
that whistleblowers enjoy the protections
they deserve.
READ MORE FISCAL CONDITION AND
HANDLING OF TOWN
BUSINESS
BRINGS CRITICISM Quartzsite
has again been featured in the Wall Street
Journal -- with a more detailed
approach than the one that appeared via the
WSJ photog's snippet in July. The story
attempts to address the reasons Quartzsite
is embroiled in a political firestorm of
controversy, adding a
pictorial for good measure.
Mayor
elect Ed Foster, to date prevented from
taking his seat on the council, is slated
for discussion at a special meeting next
week -- perhaps to address the seating the
town's officials have postponed since May.
SIMPLE PHOTO CHANGES
LIVES CANDIDATE FOR SHERIFF
JOSE MORENO
PRESSES FOR SOLUTIONS The battle raging over Quartzsite
has not been lost on Jose Moreno, who has
criticized the handling of the issues by
current Sheriff Don Lowry. 'The county has a
responsibility to the citizens of La Paz
County," Moreno stated. And even now,
new reports are being filed. NEW TOWN MANAGER
PROMISES NEW TRANSPARENCY "I will not
get involved with the politics," stated
Laura Bruno, newly appointed Town Manager,
addressing a small group of press people and
onlookers, curious about the new Town
Manager replacing the oft maligned and
openly criticized Alexandra Taft.
Bruno
also indicated that the status of Ex-Police
Chief Jeffrey Gilbert is 'On Administrative
Leave' -- and not terminated -- as was
previously reported by Albert Johnson in a
letter of Termination that Johnson publicly
released to citizens and press last week via
the Town's website. Bruno indicated that the
letter was unauthorized and further noted
that Johnson, himself, is now on
Administrative Leave.
Bruno was hired
at the same rate as ousted Taft -- who was
'earning' over $80,000.00 per year. Bruno
was given a 6 month contract.
"I plan
on putting out information to the public so
they know what is happening," Bruno
continued. "This town hall
belongs to the community."
Bruno's
sudden appointment is not without criticism.
Once again, the council chose to appoint an
individual without using the 'vetting'
process employed and utilized by other
municipalities to insure that they are
hiring the most highly qualified and
desirable candidate for the public's money.
No ads were run and no offers were made
publicly encouraging candidates to apply for
the position.
"Quartzsite people,
though, are hungry for change," stated Mayor
Ed Foster, who anticipates soon being able
to take his position on the council via
court order, now slated for September 19.
"If people perceive that Ms. Bruno will
do her job according to the laws of the
State of Arizona -- including opening the
long withheld financial information that has
been concealed from citizens and even
elected officials for years -- and if she
shows herself willing to do the job of town
manager without engaging in
tyrannical rule as we have suffered over
these any years, then she has my vote."
Foster further indicated that among the
top priorities is the proper and legal
handling of FOIA requests.
"We have
to return to a model of accountability which
Quartzsite's officials have long ignored,"
Foster stated. "They need guidance and
training -- but they also need an attitude
of accountability and an interest in
servitude to their communities. It ia lack
of interest in properly managing their
positions as councilmen that has brought
about the
disastrous public flogging over issues
-- such as the trampling of the
Constitutional rights of anyone seen as a
threat to the status quo established by
themselves -- that's come to be seen as
'normal' for Quartzsite."
"We want
people to feel welcomed and enable a general
atmosphere of professionalism and
helpfulness. We need to return to the days
when people saw Quartzsite as a fun
destination -- long before it became known
for the ridiculous antics of an improper and
dysfunctional council accountable to no
one."
"As it stands today, we have a
terrible reputation and growth in our
community is virtually stagnant.
"There are so many lawsuits we're slated to
lose our insurance which would bring a
terrible financial burden to bear on
Quartzsite taxpayers -- and more scheduled to
be brought. We are being maligned in the
press for treating people differently
according to where they stand on the
political spectrum, and there is little to
show that things will change soon.
"Of course, we can fix this. We all
recognize that accommodating municipal
officials who do business in an above board
and honorable manner are far more successful
in attracting business and enterprise to
their communities -- which leads to better
lives for everyone," he concluded. JOHNSON OUT: Sometime
'Assistant Town Manager' and 'Building
Inspector' Albert Johnson and while it's
been reported that Town Attorney Martin
Brannan was also dismissed, Bruno indicated
that Brannan hasn't been dismissed. The
recent shake-ups in Quartzsite's
administration remain a confusing muddle as
management continues to shift.
The
long-term obfuscation of facts and
withholding of FOIA requests and town hall
bookkeeping information have brought a great
deal of credence to the claims of corruption
long voiced by Mayor Ed Foster and
oft-maligned activist Jennifer Harris Jones.
With a huge series of legal actions
against the town have come allegations of
malfeasance -- and the State of Arizona has
been inundated with complaints concerning
mismanagement of the town and basically all
departments therein. Add to that the
allegations of 80% of the police department
and the town management began to look
'suspect' at best.
READ MORE ANOTHER
QUESTIONABLE APPOINTMENT? The council was
poised to appoint a new town manager to
replace the one on administrative leave --
but questions have been raised concerning
the hiring of the replacement after several
websites began posting information about her
activities in Sacramento's school district.
[READ MORE] GILBERT FIRED: It's been weeks since
Quartzsite has had anything resembling a
'typical' council meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting was no
exception: the council went in with one
agenda, spent 45 minutes in executive
session and then adjourned the meeting with
no explanation. Only later did people learn
that Police Chief Jeffrey Gilbert, already
on administrative leave, had been dismissed
for cause.
Many of the things the
town has attempted to do have been shown to
be illegal -- and it’s certain that the
council has a great deal of work ahead
determining what actions will be undone
because they were facilitated by people that
had actually usurped the powers of other
elected officials. Such is the case with
Taft’s contract, in fact.
Quartzsite remains in turmoil
following the removal of both the police
chief [read
more] and the town manager, with dismissals
of others
rumored to be slated to follow. Council
meetings -- when they have been held -- have
netted confusing results.
Several cases are pending in court with the
seating of Mayor Ed Foster appearing to be
imminent despite the best efforts of the
town's officials -- some of whom are now
apparently in danger of losing their own
positions.
SAM VEDERMAN TO
REPLACE BURKE AS SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE
Governor Jan Brewer has
announced the appointment of County Attorney
Samuel Vederman to the La Paz County
Superior Court.
“Samuel has proven himself as an
exceptional candidate to serve the Court and
the community, both through his Arizona
courtroom experience and his public service
as an elected official,” said Governor
Brewer. “In addition to possessing a strong
legal background, he exhibits the managerial
skills, integrity and evenhandedness
necessary for a role in which accountability
to the public is ever-important.”
READ MORE
FOSTER TO WAIT FOR DOJ RULING Despite strong evidence that Mayor
elect Ed Foster is being erroneously denied
his right to take his seat on Quartzsite's
council, La Paz Superior Court Judge
Michael Burke is postponing the matter until
the DOJ ruling officially comes down on
whether or not the town can prevent him from
taking his seat because they enacted a law
saying anyone that owes money to the town
cannot hold office
Attorneys are set to argue their respective
positions on September 19 in Burke's court.
Several Quartzsite officials [including Town
Manager Alexandra Taft, now on
administrative leave] have long
battled against allowing the Mayor
elect to take his seat -- amidst allegations
raised by Foster of serious fiscal and
managerial improprieties he began
investigating during his reign as Mayor.
GILBERT DECLARES HE IS BEING VICTIMIZED BY
'TOWN MANAGEMENT' In a statement reported by Parker
Live Online, Quartzsite's police chief [now
on administrative leave] claims to be the
victim of 'town management.'
[Click
to Read] Gilbert calls the allegations
'false' and insists he will be cleared.
TAFT APPEARS AT LEAGUE OF CITIES AND TOWNS
EVENT In spite of having been removed from
her position and placed on Administrative
Leave, Alex Taft reportedly attended a
League of Cities and Towns event as though
yet employed by the town.
Taft has been ordered to refrain from even
speaking about town business [when she calls
in daily as ordered by the council] much
less to represent the town in any capacity.
Efforts are being made to independently
verify Taft's attendance at the event, as
she was not one of the five invited
individuals, given name badges. Those
individuals were Michael Jewett, Terry
Frausto, Patricia Workman, Norma Crooks and
Patricia Anderson.
ALEXANDRA TAFTREMOVED AS COUNCIL
ORGANIZES AGAINST
CONTROLLERS What
are being described as 'successful efforts to regain
control of Quartzsite for the people of
Quartzsite' -- in a peaceful yet deliberate
way -- are resoundingly being commended by
citizens throughout the municipality.
But why such effort on the part of so many?
Voters, after all, can be difficult to gauge
-- why would so many be unhappy with a
single town?
But dissenters say it's a town out of
control -- and the evidence is difficult to
ignore.
It's true the town has been rife with
problems. There have consistently been vast
discrepancies in reports concerning
financial stability -- yet Quartzsite's
officials, critics claim, have continued to
routinely spend hundreds of thousands more
on projects than similarly sized
municipalities with little to show for the
money.
There was a particularly questionable
arrest last year of a woman -- Jennifer
Jones -- who, while attempting to speak at
the podium about a taxation issue was
publicly arrested, resulting in a 'viral
video' that brought media attention from
around the world and resulted in criticism
of everyone involved, spare Jones -- who was
legally [and correctly] exercising her
Constitutional right to free speech.
Councilmen seemed to vote the way they were
told, they contend -- rarely if ever
questioning any aspect of expenditures while
citizens were prevented from asking
questions of councilmen and when questions
were raised they were rarely answered.
Ordering citizens -- literally -- to 'sit
down and shut up' happened, they say, far
too often.
Business owners complained that they were
victims of targeted attack -- and 80% of the
Police Department substantiated those claims
when they walked off those jobs in
opposition to a system they said was corrupt
and, indeed, targeted individuals who were
politically involved.
Lawsuits have abounded -- most brought by
the town against citizens, costing multiple
thousands of dollars each to pursue -- most
of which have been found in court to have no
merit and which have ultimately left the
town vulnerable to reciprocal suits. Many of
these cases are now finding their way into
court -- and are anticipated to be hugely
expensive to the town and to its people.
The election of new Mayor Ed Foster in 2010
brought a new question to the table: who
were the recipients of some 11 checks
routinely [bi-weekly] paid to unidentified
individuals, totaling hundreds of thousands
of dollars per year and reaching into the
millions over several years' time?
All efforts by Foster to determine to whom
those funds were being paid were
subsequently blocked. Further, the council
voted to rescind virtually
all the powers of the Mayor in an
effort, he says, to prevent him from working
to attain the level of transparency his
campaign had promised to bring to the
office.
The second election of
Ed Foster as Mayor [March 2012 election] has
resulted in a standoff with Foster seeking
assistance from a Superior court to secure
his rightful position on the council. This
is expected to occur on or about September
6, 2012. Jose Lizarraga has since vacated
that seat and Quartzsite is currently
operating without a sitting Mayor.
Foster, though, has remained steadfast in
his criticism of the operation of the town,
stating that Freedom of Information Act
requests are typically ignored, in spite of
reprimands from the Ombudsman's office -- as
have been complaints of Open Meetings Act
violations made to the Attorney General's
office.
Even when higher officials ordered
Quartzsite's administration to revise their
activities, he said, they simply proceeded
as they had been operating.
"Many longterm town employees have even been
unceremoniously fired just for perceived
infractions [such as a lack of loyalty to
these people] resulting in the loss of many
trained and dedicated employees -- all paid
for by the citizens of Quartzsite over many
years," Foster concluded.
When two of three newly elected officials
were denied their seats and ousted
councilmen even refused to vacate their
seats, [briefly Mayor Jose Lizarraga and
Vice Mayor Barbara Cowell until she was
court ordered to vacate her seat,] the
disenfranchised voters of Quartzsite pressed
for a speedy response.
Newly elected Navy veteran Mark Orgeron
stayed within the guidelines of the law and
petitioned the federal court to address the
grievances, allowing Orgeron to take his
seat on the council. The result? A change --
a massive change, in fact.
Orgeron quickly moved to remove Alexandra
Taft from her position -- even as Taft
maneuvered to prevent the council from
meeting. Taft had reportedly changed the
locks at the town hall building as well as
the police department, and ultimately used
that to prevent access by council people who
were forced to hold their meeting outside
-- and forbidding town employees from
attending. The meeting was ultimately
cancelled.
Taft was immediately
placed on administrative leave with pay,
ordered to stay at her home[s] – she is in
the process of moving and is to be at one
residence or the other – and she is to
report by telephone at 8 a.m. and be
available- 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to
the Interim Town Manager, Terry Frausto, at
the start of the business day but is to
return all town property and to refrain from
speaking to Frausto of town business.
Interestingly, these are the same
restrictions Taft placed on the Quartzsite
10 when she placed them on
administrative leave.
The lone dissenter to removing Taft from her
position was appointed councilman Michael
Jewett whose own position on the council is
currently in question as voters appear to
have attempted to replaced him with write-in
candidate John Prutch -- but Prutch, too,
was prevented from seeking his position on
the council and that matter, also, is
pending in court.
SERIES OF MEETINGS
CALLED THEN CANCELLED AS OFFICIALS SCRAMBLE
The political wrangling in Quartzsite
happening over the last few days is shocking
even by Quartzsite's standards.
A series of missteps following the election
resulted in a hearing in federal court and
the issuance of a directive by a federal
judge indicating that the actions of the
council were illegal and had to be
rectified, allowing Mark Orgeron to take his
seat on the council. But Orgeron today
complained in open session during the
regular council meeting that the town's
administration is blocking efforts to hold a
special council meeting to determine the
future of Town Manager Alexandra Taft.
SPECIAL MEETING
CALLED THEN CANCELLED AS OFFICIALS SEARCH
FOR SOLUTIONS
With the reasons behind the decision to
remove the chief of police still unclear, a special meeting was called for
Saturday at 4 p.m., stating the intention of
which was to consider the removal of Town
Manager Alexandra Taft from her position.
The meeting was then cancelled before it
could be held. Reportedly, the locks were
changed at Quartzsite's Town Hall in an
effort to regain control. The next meeting
is scheduled for Wednesday.
BIG TENT OWNERS RECEIVE $30k SEWER BILL
One of the owners of Quartzsite's Big Tent
RV Show, Kenny King, has taken steps to
battle the town over a $30,000.00 sewer
bill, citing the facility's typical bills of
about $1,000.00 per month. When King,
see documents here, attempted to explain
that the bill had to be the result of faulty
equipment, the town responded with a demand
for payment by 'Asst. town manager Albert
Johnson immediately followed by a Cut Off
Notice for the show's sewer service.
CHIEF OF POLICE JEFF GILBERT PLACED ON
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
A press release has been issued by Town
Manager Alexandra Taft stating,
“Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert and Sergeant
Fabiola Garcia were placed on administrative
leave today pending the results of an
investigation. Sergeant James Schultz will
act as Chief of Police pending the return of
Chief Gilbert or the appointment of an
interim Chief. There will be no reduction in
the number of patrol officers and the Police
Department will be able to meet the needs of
Quartzsite’s residents while this
investigation is ongoing.
“It is the policy of the Town of Quartzsite
not to reveal the nature of uninvestigated
and unproven allegations. The placement of
Chief Gilbert and Sergeant Garcia on
administrative leave was done purely to
facilitate a speedy investigation and not as
a form of punishment. The Town urges the
public to treat both Chief Gilbert and
Sergeant Garcia as innocent of any
wrongdoing while the investigation is
ongoing.”
Also placed on administrative leave with no
explanation for the determination was
Fabiola Garcia.
IN SURPRISE MOVE, COUNCIL SEATS MARK ORGERON Councilman Mark Orgeron went to
Federal Court to win the right to man his
seat following an election in which -- while
elected by a majority of the vote -- he was
not allowed to take his position on the
council due to allegations that his
residency in Quartzsite was not properly
established prior to his run for office. In
court, Orgeron's residency was established
prior to his council bid, and Judge Silver
ordered that he should be allowed to take
his seat.
FEDERAL COURT
JUDGE SILVER SUPPORTS ORGERON'S POSITION
-- BUT COUNCIL DOES NOT INSTALL ORGERON Mark Orgeron's case was heard in
federal court and he prevailed with Judge
Silver indicating he should have
been installed following the last election.
However, at a special meeting Wednesday, the
council met in Executive Session with
Patricia Workman stating as the meeting
resumed that there would not be a settlement
with Orgeron at this time.
WILL ARIZONA
NULLIFY TO SHORT
CIRCUIT OBAMACARE? The last thing Arizonans seem to
want is Obamacare -- and one savvy
businessman has made the nullification
option the top of his list of priorities,
spending over $1 million of his own monies
to make it available. Moreover, what does it
mean for Arizona?
Read More
WHY DON'T THEY TAKE THEIR SEATS? Lizarraga has resigned. Ed Foster
and Mark Orgeron soundly trounced their
competition [the incumbents] in the election
-- as did Pat Workman. Workman, though, has
been allowed to take her seat on the council
whereas Foster, Orgeron and John Prutch have
been opposed in their efforts to take their
elected positions on the council.
Most people watching Quartzsite question why
the newly elected don't simply take their
seats. Is it a valid question? A
quick review of the documents that have been
filed on both sides of this issue may lend
clarity to these issues... READ MORE JONES CASE POSTPONED Jennifer Jones' case has been filed
and is moving forward -- and the language
put forth leaves little doubt as to the
illegality of the acts of Quartzsite
officials against Jones. READ IT HERE.
IGNORING THE ORDERS OF A FEDERAL JUDGE,
QUARTZSITE'S
EMBATTLED 'COUNCIL' MEETS IN
SPITE OF DIRECTIVE Jose Lizarraga resigned his position
as Mayor and was not present -- but the
fragment remaining [Jewitt, Kelley, Anderson
and Crooks] sans Barbara Cowell, the
plaintiff in a suit brought by Orgeron and
an active participant in public efforts to
'explain away' her reasons for refusing to
relinquish her council seat following an
election in which she lost to opponent Mark
Orgeron. The decision to meet is bringing
new criticism to bear on the small
remaining group of controllers and has
resulted in a new surge of interest in the
plight of the small desert town with large
political problems.
CHARGES FLY AS
TOWN'S OFFICIALS TRY TO
RETAIN CONTROLThe allegations against Quartzsite's
small remaining group of controllers has
resulted in a new surge of interest in the
plight of the small desert town with large
political problems.
Mired in controversy, the ousted officials
have refused to relinquish their seats --
and the Town Manager, Alexandra Taft, has
opposed efforts to allow the Canvass and
Return process from moving forward simply by
refusing to allow it to be placed on the
agenda -- even when ordered to do so by the
exiting Mayor, Jose Lizarraga.
The La Paz County Attorney, Sam Vederman,
has filed a case showing that the town's
officials have usurped the rights of the
newly elected -- and Mark Orgeron has filed
a similar case in Federal Court. Jerry
Lukkasson
attempted to file a
case against Ed Foster in pro per capacity
[without hiring an attorney] -- which was
rejected by the La Paz County Court because
it was not filed within the deadline
required.
A series of cases have resulted -- one being
heard in Federal Court -- as the newly
elected fight the efforts of the town to
keep them from occupying their positions.
That case is scheduled to be heard Friday,
here.
READ MORE
CHARGES
FILED BY COUNTY ATTORNEY
AGAINST QUARTZSITE OFFICIALSThe charges have been delineated in
an 89 page document released Friday. A
Press Release
has been issued.
Parker Live Online also provides
additional information. County Attorney Sam
Vederman's Press Release is
here.
READ MORE
QUARTZSITE MEDIA EVENT IN PHOENIX A
SUCCESS
The
plight of Quartzsite has not gone unnoticed
with many stories and hundreds of interviews
appearing in print. In an effort to inform
people of their plight, several of
Quartzsite's key players -- Mayor Elect Ed
Foster, Councilman Elect Mark Orgeron,
Councilman Patricia Workman, the Quartzsite
Eight, Jennifer Harris Jones and others were
slated to be in Phoenix at the Capital
Building this morning where they met with
media representatives and provided interview
footage destined for today's airwaves and
tomorrow's stories. READ MORE
TOWN'S ATTORNEY
INVESTIGATED IN ALLEGED ASSAULT
OF MAYOR
Mayor Jose Lizarraga adjourned a meeting
following his comment that the town's
manager Alexandra Taft had disobeyed his
instruction to add the Canvass & Return to
the meeting's agenda. Under a judge's
injunction, the town cannot continue holding
meetings on any town business until the
case has been heard and the seats filled by
those elected by the people. READ MORE
Arizona
Independent covers Quartzsite fray
Dennis Wagner, a reporter for the
Arizona Independent, has again covered another
Quartzsite battle -- this one over the
incumbents who have literally refused to vacate
their seats when they did not like the results
of the town’s election.
READ IT
Wagner, true to form, does not take sides but,
instead, interviews various ’authorities’ on the
subject at hand -- and then interviews
Quartzsite’s officials for insight into their
actions.
Jose Lizarraga refused to be interviewed for the
story, but ousted Vice Mayor Barbara Cowell
spoke at length, citing her insistence that
'From my heart I know that 'we' [the
council, presumably] have not ‘done anything
illegal.’
She also indicated that she is 'trying to
protect the people of Quartzsite.' She could not
offer the reporter the name[s] of the
investigator[s] hired to investigate what Cowell
the suspected 'vote fraud' that has reportedly
precipitated the bizarre actions of the council.
She further stated she didn't know who the
investigators were, how much they were being
paid or how they were selected for the
investigation, saying, "I'm not privy to that.
It's not my business," Cowell said.
"This is exactly what we're complaining about,"
stated Ed Foster. "If it's not her job to know
then whose is it? Who is making these decisions?
This is the type of activity that allows
corruption to gain a foothold -- too few people
making too many decisions -- this is what the
town -- any town -- has a council -- to ensure
that there is work being accomplished, that
'business' -- the business of the town -- is
being properly accomplished.
"How can that happen if the councilmen don't
know what's going on -- and don't question the
fact that they're prevented from knowing?
"Barbra Cowell admitted in the AZ Republic
Article that she had no Knowledge of the
investigators cost. Under the Town Code the
council must approve any contract over $5,000.
Today we found out that the two contracts Taft
signed came to at least $6,000 for one and
$14,000 for the other.
"These contracts were approved either without
council approval or in a secret meeting. Cowell
“knows in her heart she did no wrong” --
that’s a joke. The contract was delivered to the
investigators by Jerry Lukkason who is no longer
a town official.
This is why -- this is the reason these people
were dis-elected," Foster concluded.
[Of all of the authorities Wagner chose to
interview for the story, not one of them sided
with Quartzsite's sitting council concerning
their actions.]
UPI immediately picked up the storyand carried it under 'News of the Odd.'
Arizona Senator Don
Shooter [R]responded to a request
for review, and posted a note to his
constituent on Foster's Facebook page,
Supporters of Mayor Ed Foster.
"I received your email on Tuesday about vote
disenfranchisement and corruption in the
Quartzsite community, I am very concerned.
Though I saw that he was included in the
email, I sent an additional email to
Attorney General Tom Horne requesting
action. Keep me posted," he wrote.
PARKERLIVEONLINE.COMis reporting that a case involving
allegations against the town's attorney is
under review by the City of Phoenix,
following a
request by the La Paz County
Attorney, Sam Vederman.
Vederman has cited a conflict of
interest in the matter, which he further
indicated had already been investigated by
the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office.
“As
Mr. Brannan was my former supervisor when he
was the La Paz County Attorney, and because
I defeated him in the 2008 Republican
Primary election for La Paz County Attorney,
I decided it would be proper to declare a
conflict and request that another
prosecuting agency review and potentially
prosecute the case.”
The Town of Quartzsite stands accused of
spending tens of thousands of taxpayer
dollars on the defense of the town's
attorney
READ MORE TAFT ALLEGES VOTER
FRAUD
Quartzsite officials -- as explained by
Alexandra Taft -- have indicated they're
conducting an investigation into what Taft
described as 'irregularities' in May's
election. But is it their responsibility to
do that? Officials higher up the chain of
command reject that notion and are stepping
in to review the election results which have
largely been ignored to this point, with
only Patricia Workman being allowed to take
her position on the dais. Is an allegation
of vote fraud reason enough to dismantle
election results?
COUNTY ATTORNEY
SAM VEDERMAN
ISSUES PRESS RELEASE CONCERNING QUARTZSITE'S
CANVASS & RETURN AND EFFORTS TO PREVENT
FOSTER AND ORGERON FROM TAKING OFFICE.
It's OFFICIAL:
QUARTZSITE'S OUSTED COUNCIL MEMBERS REFUSE
TO VACATE THEIR SEATS IN DISPLAY ONLOOKERS
CALL
'DESPICABLE'
Mayor Lizarraga was the lone dissenter,
repeatedly, as both Mayor elect Ed Foster
and
newly
elected councilman Mark Orgeron
[link to his statement of evidence] were
then systematically disqualified and were
subsequently barred from occupying their
seats on the council.
Although Quartzsite's officials have
repeatedly been warned about their illegal
actions, today's meeting was no exception --
although Barbara Cowell, under very strong
criticism for her aggressive participation
in similar matters, did not personally
appear at Tuesday's meeting but instead
voted telephonically in favor of the illegal
actions of the council. Also forced to
battle for his rightful place on the
council, John Prutch wrote an open letter to
the town and its councilmen, citing the
findings of the
GOLDWATER INSTITUTE, which has been
outspoken in their criticism of
Quartzsite's officials.
READ IT HERE
Only Patricia Workman was allowed to be
recognized as qualified to take her position
on the council replacing Joe Winslow -- but
no one could apparently be present to swear
her in.
False facts about C02 show up on 46,000,000
websites today -- proof of broad efforts to
dupe the public with junk scientific 'facts'
to support taxing the air you -- and your
pets -- breathe. Get
the truth.
. John Prutch Letter on
Quartzsite Improprieties
$43 million in taxpayer fundsare at the center of a
scandal over misappropriation and 'dollars'
for dupes' who apparently thought they'd
never get caught, according to insiders who
saw the investigation beginning.
Stepping down amidst the scandal is Director
Jack Hayes.
A whistleblower now identified as the
pope's butler
has been credited with exposing fraud and
money laundering inside the Catholic church
along with a myriad of other charges that
have, so far, resulted in the firing of the
president of the Vatican bank as well as a
series of other events that threaten to
destroy the worldwide standing of the entire
Catholic c
"More Insanity to Come..."
This shot from last summer when people were
told to 'take control of their local
government' resulted in an election that
tossed three local incumbents. Now those
incumbents are refusing to leave their seats
and want to instead 'judge' the fitness of
those that were elected to replace them --
and tempers are flaring, as evidenced by the
alleged assault of exiting Mayor Jose
Lizarraga by the town attorney
[and town prosecutor and Parliamentarian]
Martin Brannan. Brannan's side of the story
seems to be posted
here. County Attorney Sam Vederman is
reportedly investigating -- under Arizona
law, the assault of an elected official is a
felony offense.
READ IT HERE. And
HERE.
The town's agenda has been issued showing
that what they have in mind for June 4,
2012, will only up the ante. The town plans
to use taxpayer monies to pay for attorneys
to keep the people out of office that the
Quartzsite voters elected to fill those
positions.
READ IT.
Quartzsite voters Wednesday evening were
concerned about the published agenda which
they seemed to find outrageous as well as
far beyond anything they might have
anticipated the dis-elected officials might
try in a misguided effort to retain their
seats on the council..
It's a fiasco...
Short term Mayor Jose Lizarraga shocked
onlookers when he opened the meeting
reporting that he had instructed Town
Manager Alex Taft to place the Canvass and
Return items on the agenda as well as the
swearing in of the newly elected officials
-- which were then not added by Taft. Saying
he thought this detrimental to the town, he
then abruptly adjourned the meeting.
Onlookers cheered and Lizarraga -- who has faced an uphill
battle in town politics -- will likely be
seen as having secured for himself a legacy
of having done the right thing when it
counted. The plan entails using the June 4
meeting to challenge the 'fitness' of the
newly elected council people to hold office.
Barbara Cowell, unwilling to relinquish her
seat to her opponent, then took over the
meeting and subsequently not one of the
newly elected councilmen were allowed to
take their seats. Instead, Cowell, Winslow
and Lukkasson remained seated as though no
election had even taken place. Rumors that
Lizarraga was assaulted in the ensuing
executive session were rampant but, as yet,
are officially unsubstantiated.
Experts agree that the council people who
stood against Lizarraga cannot proceed in
willfully ignoring the election results.
"The voters of Quartzsite have voted to
remove them -- and by a very wide margin,
at that," Mayor Elect Ed Foster stated
Tuesday. "If these councilmen continue to
attempt to keep out the newly elected, they
will face a firestorm of criticism they can
only begin to imagine: people are up in arms
over this situation already. There is no way
they can accomplish anything positive by
their actions. They're ruining themselves --
ruining their reputations. People are
furious."
"They also can't appoint someone to the seat
vacated by Jerry Lukkasson as they attempted
to do today," Foster continued. They're
doing something illegal -- it's obvious they
still believe they are a law unto
themselves."
Parties to the 'game' were Michael Jewitt --
appointed to the council and then ousted via
election by John Prutch who is having to get
the
court to uphold his
election after the town's attorney disavowed
the election. Also Jerry Lukkasson who
stepped down to run for Mayor and then lost
to Ed Foster, Pat Anderson, the last of the
incumbents, and Carol Kelly, who
replaced her deceased husband, Councilman
Robert Kelly. A PRESS
RELEASE
was widely distributed prior to the
meeting.
READ MORE
It's Foster, Again...
The campaigners for transparency in
government appear to have struck a chord
with Quartzsite's voters as Ed Foster, Pat
Workman and Mark Orgeron have apparently
walked away with Tuesday's election firmly
in hand.
The crusaders have faced an uphill battle
over the operations of the town council, at
times launching the town and its officials
into the national media spotlight. In the
wake of the arrests of Jennifer Jones and
Mayor Foster, came accusations from within
the police department -- accusations of
corruption, impropriety and power struggles
that ultimately resulted in 80% of the
police force being fired outright at one
point -- with the town clerk and bookkeeper
soon losing their positions as well. [No
wrongdoing on the part of any of these
individuals was ever proven.]
Awash in lawsuits, and openly in violation
of Arizona's Sunshine laws, the town's
officials lost what support they had and,
facing criticism from governing agencies,
efforts were made to 'retrain' Quartzsite's
officials -- with little or no effect.
Close elections followed with many more
'election irregularities' attributed to the
existing power structure -- which has now
essentially lost whatever control they may
have had. Michael Jewitt, whose seating was
arbitrarily approved by the council in a
questioned move in spite of a pending court
action, is likely to see that placement
rescinded.
Many see the record voter turn out and wide
margin win as a true turning point for
Quartzsite. There is little doubt change
will be swift and sure. RESULTS HERE In a move expected to be
emulated by other states, Arizona voters
made themselves heard and Jan Brewer showed
herself willing to listen when she signed
the documents that would result in defunding
Planned Parenthood in the State of Arizona.
READ MORE
Quartzsite the Charter City? Not so fast...
The latest rumor hitting Quartzsite's streets
entails the town being pressed to become a
charter city -- with or without the approval of
Quartzsite's voters. Citizens, though, are
the last line of defense against questionable
governmental practices -- something Quartzsite
citizens content doesn't pay proper heed to
transparency laws.
READ MORE
Quartzsite Still Facing Hearing in Court
Any hope Quartzsite's officials might have had
in avoiding a court hearing over their handling
of Quartzsite's election is rapidly fading as
opponents line up to prevent the installation of
Michael Jewitt in the wake of the election
in which candidate John Prutch narrowly missed
being elected to hold the position.
As Prutch's supporters rallied behind him, the
town's officials announced that the election was
not the one advertised but, instead, a 'special
election' that would allow them to avoid a run
off election between the two men in May.
Many fear the town is soon slated to become a
charter city. But if voters fear they've had no
voice in the past -- the new structure will
offer little to allay their concerns.
READ MORE
Quartzsite Council and Clerk face legal fallout
on election
A special election contest
court in Maricopa County and located in Phoenix
is slated to hear the case concerning the Town
of Quartzsite’s Council and Clerk and the
charges pending against them -- including a
fraud charge -- relating to their determined
efforts to seat Michael Jewitt to a council seat
in spite of the overwhelming evidence against
their position.
The filings located
here
show a concise and well formatted formula
designed to strike down those decisions made by
the council in spite of the urgings of a number
of professionals who admonished them before the
case was filed that their position was
indefensible.
Quartzsite Officials Grapple with Election
Results The
election has raised concern on both sides of
the issue -- but the town's position has now
been challenged by election specialists and the
League of Cities and Towns. In spite of proper
notification of the swift actions that will be
pressed against the town council and officials,
the council Thursday went forward with
attempting to change [after the fact] the title
of the election held March 8 from primary to
special -- reportedly so that a run off election
between Michael Jewitt and John Prutch could be
avoided.
READ MORE
How did John Prutch lose?
The
town's [new] official
position is that the election the townspeople
voted in Tuesday wasn't a primary after all but,
instead, a 'special election' -- so [town
officials allege] there will be no a need for a
'runoff' election in May between Prutch John
Prutch and Mike Jewett, when the other
candidates have their runoff elections.
What? Actually, that's what the lawyers said,
too. The issue has attorneys lining up to do
battle over the matter in court -- but with
Quartzsite's town officials already having used
97% of their legal budget, there's a question as
to where the funds will come from to press an
issue very few seem to think will prove viable
in court. While
elections in Quartzsite are always an issue --
but Prutch will now face appointed councilman
Mike
Jewitt in May's election.
Similarly, Foster's substantial lead suddenly
dissipated when when absentee ballots were
counted, necessitating a runoff election for the
Mayor's seat between Foster and Jerry Lukkasson. READ
MORE
FOSTER WIN RESCINDED:
RUNOFF SLATED FOR MAY ELECTION Election
watchers
in Quartzsite saw
a move to allow the Mayor to be changed to an
appointed position severely trounced in the
polls. Mayor Ed Foster seemed destined to be
returned to his seat on the dais until absentee
ballots were counted. Foster, who has been known
for demanding accountability on the part of
elected officials has obviously found a
dedicated audience among Quartzsite's voters.
READ MOREINITIAL
ELECTION RESULTS
FINAL RESULTS
Town loses 2 large grants - $4.235 mil With
Quartzsite facing financial deficits, lawsuits
and allegations of fiscal misconduct, onlookers
were stunned to discover the town dropped the
ball on not just the $4 million dollar
infrastructure grant reported to be for water
and sewer -- of which they'd already been
allocated through WIFA $1 million [which now
must be repaid.] Add to that loss the CDBG
grant of nearly a quarter million, over which
they were warned and called to answer --
warnings which went ignored. Are town officials
up to the task of managing the town's business?
Many say the answer to that is obvious.
READ MORE
Town back in the spotlight of media It's
the same issues -- and they never seem to be
resolved. Almost a year after sitting Mayor
Foster raised the issue of monies from the town
coffers going to 11 still unidentified
recipients,
the issue of the way the town is being run is
back in the media following fallout from 3
different attorneys
who are heavily criticizing the town's
operations -- one of whom has publicly
requested the FBI intervene.
Facebook profits based on YOU All that
information you share is worth billions -- and
Facebook founders are about to collect for all
that information they've collected -- with and
without permission from users..
WND Is SOPA really off the table? Americans will determine
whether or not SOPA is gone or will come back
relabeled. Already, Internet protection
advocates are warning that
ACTA represents a far greater threat than
those created under SOPA and PIPA. Can advocates
move quickly enough to prevent the worldwide
effort to restrict the Internet? How will it
change if they're implemented?
READ MORE
Vote fraud takes center stage in nationwide
election issues
Changing
laws throughout the country concerning elections
and vote fraud have concerned citizens, and Bev
Harris' new book 'RECIPE for VOTE FRAUD'
delineates what's happening with the vote -- and
what can be done about it.
Councilman Robert 'Bob' Kelly dies
Widow Carol Kelly quickly appointed
Robert Kelley,
hospitalized over the past two weeks died
Saturday night, December 31. Kelley, 77, had
been a Quartzsite councilman since 2008.
Quartzsite Suits
Make News
A NEW ATTITUDE IS
APPARENT IN THE U.S. WHERE ABORTION IS
FALLING FROM GRACE AND AMERICANS ARE VOTING
WITH PROLIFE. WHY THE SHIFT? COULD IT
BE PROJECTS LIKE THIS ARE TURNING THE TIDE?.
IS TAKING A SPECIAL LOOK AT THE ISSUES THAT
CONTINUE TO LAGUE
THEY'RE HERE!RECORD TEMPS BRING WINTER VISITORS
IN DROVES AS FROZEN NORTHERN REGIONS FACE
WINTER STORMS AND BONE CHILLING COLD.
NEW
WEBSITES SHARE INSIGHTS ON QUARTZSITE
[SEE:
LOOKING GLASS]A NEW WEBSITE [AUTHOR
UNKNOWN] IS TAKING A SPECIAL LOOK AT THE
ISSUES THAT CONTINUE TO LAGUE QUARTZSITE AS
NEW ACCUSATIONS ARE RAISED ABOUT OPEN
MEETINGS LAW VIOLATIONS BY THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL'S OFFICE.
INVESTIGATION OF
AG TOM HORNE
BY STATE BAR The
State Bar Association of Arizona is
currently investigating Attorney General Tom
Horne over a variety of allegations ranging
from campaign finance violations to charges
involving a ‘hit and run’ incident in which
both Horne and his assistant [assistant
attorney general Carmen Chenal] left the
scene following damage to a parked vehicle.
Reportedly, Horne’s actions are under review
for potential ethics violations.
SUITS UNDERWAY
AGAINST TOWN
27 NOV 2012 -- “I
wish we had set down and negotiated with
these people, avoiding even more lawsuits,”
stated Mayor Ed Foster, Thursday.
“We had talked to an attorney when the
results of the election became obvious and
we were expecting to be sworn in – we had
already established a plan to negotiate with
the individuals whose employment we felt
might not be in the best interest of
Quartzsite. This entire matter was
unnecessary and handled improperly. I am
very disappointed that more lawsuits are now
being filed.”
Mayor Ed Foster and
Councilman Mark Orgeron sparred back
and forth during Tuesday's meeting --
Foster asking for reconsideration
of the council's meeting times
to accommodate
citizens attendance at meetings and to bring
back the Call to the Public so citizens
could address issues that concerned them.
Furthering the
angst of citizens – and apparently following
the protocol set by the town previous
administration – citizens are decrying the
practice of harassment by the town’s
officials by selectively auditing or
‘attacking with planning and zoning issues’
those they perceive to be ‘political
enemies.’
ORGERON USES POSITION TO
SILENCE MAYOR
11 NOV 2012 --
Councilman Mark Orgeron shocked
supporters Tuesday when he moved to utilize
his position to remove several items placed
on the agenda by Quartzsite’s mayor, Ed
Foster. Foster, who only assumed his elected
position following a lengthy legal battle
and a court victory, is an elected official
– elected specifically to the position of
Mayor. It was decided by referendum by
Quartzsite’s voters to allow citizens the
right to elect a Mayor – the official
‘liaison’ of the people placed on the
council by the people.
Orgeron, who initially campaigned with
Foster and councilwoman Patricia Workman,
has been criticized by Foster for refusing
to speak with him – sparking speculation
that he won his position by associating with
Foster and Workman, only to change his
position on most of the campaign issues he
utilized to be elected: among them, allowing
a ‘Call to the Public’ portion of council
meetings which allowed citizens to speak to
the council and moving the council meetings
from Tuesday mornings [when many of
Quartzsite’s business people cannot attend,]
back to evenings when many more citizens are
able to participate in -- or watch -- the
‘democratic process’ in action.
“I intend to ask -- repeatedly if
necessary,” stated councilwoman Patricia
Workman, “what right Mark Orgeron has to
openly work to silence the Mayor of this
town. I want to know by whose authority he
is doing these things – and why.”
Although at least two
councilmen have only a tenuous hold on their
positions due to the unusual circumstances
involved in their obtaining [or retaining]
their council seats, those individuals voted
with Orgeron and effectively prevented the
Mayor’s agenda items from being heard.
COUNCIL VOTES TO FIRE TAFT
Alex Taft is the
latest of the town’s administration to be
unceremoniously ousted from her position as
the town manager of Quartzsite.
11 NOV 2012 --
Alex Taft is the latest of
the town’s administration to be
unceremoniously ousted from her position as
the town manager of Quartzsite.
Taft fell from grace during what many felt
was a difficult and expensive term – which
concluded following a shakeup at the town’s
administrative offices. However, for an
extended period of time, press people,
citizens and town employees all complained
of mismanagement – particularly over
financial issues.
The books were never seen during Taft’s
reign and, to date, critics continue to
complain that the financial records are
still not open for review.
BRANNAN
FILES
'WHISTLEBLOWER'
REPORT WITH STATE
The ex-attorney for Quartzsite’s
embattled town administration is moving to
ensure that those responsible for his ouster
will pay a price. Martin Brannan, who was
the town’s attorney for about one year, has
filed a ‘whistle blower’ complaint with the
State of Arizona’s Personnel Board. In it,
Brannan insists he was maligned for his
positions as an atheist – for criticizing
the town’s administration for continuing the
practice of prayers that contained the name
of Jesus Christ.
Brannan, though, was criticized for much
more than that. For a significant portion of
the timeframe in question, he authored a
‘blog’ that sharply criticized and even
maligned those Brannan seemed to construe as
political enemies.
The content of that blog was so lewd and so
obscenely outrageous in nature that even
portions of it cannot be reproduced here. In
it, he maligned the town’s mayor, Ed Foster,
publisher Jennifer ‘Jade’ Jones and others
he apparently saw as politically active
individuals in the most vile of terms.
Still, Brannan’s 15 page complaint is highly
critical of the town’s handling of its
business practices.
Click to Read.
OBAMA'S WIN: NOT IN
ARIZONA
If the presidential election was left to
Arizonans, Mitt Romney would easily have
carried it and Barack Obama would be looking
for a new position.
In unofficial results, Romney’s 64.90% left
Obama trailing at 32.82%. Arizona, however,
doesn’t speak for the nation -- and while
the Internet is virtually
sizzling with accusations about strange
and unusual activities at voting centers, it
will be months before the smoke clears to
form any kind of clear picture.
Local Election Results Here.
"YOU'RE FIRED!" NORA YACKLEY, TOWN
ATTORNEY MARTIN BRANNAN, AND JANET BRANNAN
ALL TERMINATED
6 NOVEMBER 2012
-- Termination letters were released Tuesday
dismissing Town Attorney Martin Brannan,
Planning and Zoning Director Nora Yackley,
Police Department Clerk [and wife of Martin
Brannan,] Janet Brannan and Judge Kimmerlin,
a park employee. ORGERON,
BRUNO FACE CRITICISM,
QUESTIONS
Councilman Mark Orgeron
is facing critics who question how and when
he came to know Interim Town Manager Laura
Bruno – and why she was hired without
utilizing the standard and proper
vetting procedures.
"Some of
Councilman Orgeron’s constituents would like
to know how and when he
came to know Interim Town Manager Laura
Bruno – and why she was hired without
utilizing the standard and proper
vetting procedures," stated Dean
Taylor, long-standing critic of Quartzsite’s
for what he describes as a “penchant for
ignoring the rules of the game.”
Bruno, who stepped into the position of
Interim Town Manager at a yearly salary of
over $85,000.00, provided no training or
credentials for town management – the very
same criticism made against her predecessor
Alexandra Taft. Taft is still
receiving full pay also over $85,000. per
year while -- critics contend -- she is
‘languishing’ at the expense of Quartzsite’s
taxpayers with no end in sight.
Critics claim Bruno, like Taft, was
hired to replace Taft without following the
protocol suggested by the League of Cities
and Towns -- which is blamed for the loss of
Quartzsite's liability insurance.
Bruno has taken steps to bar council members
from even entering town hall facilities
without her permission and foreknowledge.
FOSTER MOVES TO CLARIFY SHIFTING
ALLIANCES
Newly seated Mayor of
Quartzsite, Ed Foster, is launching
a campaign
to disavow his professional liaison with
Quartzsite councilman Mark Orgeron,
rescinding his support for Orgeron in the
face of actions and activities he contends
are damaging for Quartzsite.
FOSTER MOVES TO CLARIFY SHIFTING
ALLIANCES
Newly seated Mayor of
Quartzsite, Ed Foster, is launching
a campaign
to disavow his professional liaison with
Quartzsite councilman Mark Orgeron,
rescinding his support for Orgeron in the
face of actions and activities he contends
are damaging Quartzsite.
“We have now lost our insurance based upon
the actions of these people. How much worse
can it get?” Foster said.
Foster, who emerged
the victor by a wide margin given the
limited number of voters in Quartzsite,
easily beat out contender Jerry Lukkasson –
who had surrendered his seat on the council
to run for the Mayoral position.
Foster now believes that Orgeron is working
with Lukkasson to undermine his position as
Mayor – and further indicates that he
believes this was a factor early on. He has
compiled a letter to his constituents and is
moving to put signs throughout the community
of Quartzsite to clarify his position in
this matter.
The acrimonious relationship has reportedly
stemmed from reports that Orgeron and others
were working to prevent Foster from taking
his position at the helm as Quartzsite’s
Mayor over the last five months – something
rectified only when Quartzsite’s council was
ultimately ordered to seat him by the
Superior Court Judge.
“Very little has changed under the
leadership of Mark Orgeron,” Foster stated
Monday. “We have now lost our insurance due
to yet another ill-advised placement of an
unqualified individual in the position of
town manager – and the police chief was
rehired under the worst of circumstances,
which has only added more fuel to the fire
of discontent that has been continually
reported on even in the national media over
this past year since
Jones’ arrest,” Foster continued.
“To target Patricia Workman the way that
they have – trying to blame her for the loss
of insurance when the improper handling of a
document given to Laura Bruno caused a
backlash for them is ridiculous,” Foster
stated. “Now for Mark Orgeron to lambaste
her at a public event over ‘the company she
keeps’ leaves me no choice but to clarify
the issues for the people.”
FOSTER PREVENTED FROM ENTERING TOWN
HALL
Just
two days after Mayor Ed Foster was allowed –
by court order – to finally take his
position at the helm of Quartzsite’s
council, he was prevented from entering the
town hall facility by Town Clerk Terry
Frausto.
When Foster
questioned Frausto, she indicated that he
was not going to allowed access to the
town’s administrative offices without an
appointment, indicating that there was a
‘new policy’ in place.
“There is a Writ of Mandamus in effect,”
Foster stated, “with a clause in demands
town hall staff shall cooperate in the
performance of his duties as Mayor. “To
violate that writ would put Ms. Frausto in
violation of ARS 12-2029 and that is a class
3 misdemeanor.”
“This was anticipated before we even
appeared in court and Sam Vederman has
indicated that he will uphold the directive
of the court in this instance.”
After months of legal wrangling
with town administrators taking every
imaginable tact in an effort to to prevent
it, Foster was sworn in Tuesday morning, 23
October 2012. The vote was unanimous -- Mark
Orgeron did not attend the meeting.
BRUNO PRESENTS
'REPORT' RAISING EVEN MORE CRITICISM
Once more ‘choosing’ a employee without
even considering others -- who might be more
qualified -- for the position, Quartzsite’s
newest ‘appointee’ followed what, for
Quartzsite, is ‘standard procedure’ and
appointed someone to the post.
In light of the many allegations critics
have made concerning the ‘allocation’ of
outrageous amounts of the town’s funds --
$350,000 per year -- year after year -- in
what were recorded as ‘engineering fees,’
for instance, instead of the $50,000 that
would be considered ‘typical’ for a
municipality the size of Quartzsite -- a
comprehensive forensic audit would be in
order.
Conducting a forensic audit requires special
handling by a certified forensic examiner
specifically trained to detect fraud. In
order to qualify as a forensic examiner, the
candidate should be able to present
evidence of special
certification in the field
of forensic accounting. [See:
Financial Forensics.]
Instead, Bruno pointed out that the
candidate had ‘volunteered’ her time and
would now be hired at $15.00 per hour -- a
move critics are describing as ‘ludicrous.’
Specifically listed among the reasons
given by President Ann Gergen of the the
Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool,
sponsored by the League of Cities and Towns
for having rescinded the Town of
Quartzsite’s insurance was “the
failure to provide
adequate Town management to
ensure that
typical governmental and administrative
controls are properly in place…”
and “Full utilization of AMRRP’s Personnel
Assistance Lifeline (PAL) for employment
decisions…” and
“leadership and management action to reduce
risk and improve the risk profile
of the Town…” and
“Solicitation and following of advice from
the League regarding appropriate Town
management and decision making processes.”
Gergen went on to say that “factional
disputes within the Quartzsite Town Council
and resulting employment decisions
[italics ours] have created numerous claims
and the potential
for additional losses. “AMRRP
has received more
than thirty claims against Quartzsite since
early 2010, many related to the factional
decision making practices of the Town
Council and ensuring employment disputes.
In its history, [a period of nearly thirty
years] AMRRP has
never received so many claims against a
municipality in so short a time and of such
a nature as Quartzsite.”
In light of the many allegations critics
have made concerning the ‘allocation’ of
outrageous amounts of the town’s funds --
$350,000 per year -- year after year -- in
what were recorded as ‘engineering fees,’
for instance, instead of the $50,000 that
would be considered ‘typical’ for a
municipality the size of Quartzsite -- a
comprehensive forensic audit would be in
order. Instead, Bruno pointed out that the
candidate had ‘volunteered’ her time and
would now be hired at $15.00 per hour -- a
move critics are describing as ‘ludicrous.’
LOSS OF
INSURANCE RAISES GREATER ISSUES
Critics contend that a derogatory article in
the Parker Pioneer about councilwoman
Patricia Workman seemed designed to do two
things: justify the ‘censure’ proceedings
against Workman and then to effectively
place the blame for the town’s loss of
insurance squarely on the newly elected
councilwoman’s shoulders.
In this letter
from Ann Gergen of the Arizona Risk
Retention Pool, the reasons for the town’s
loss of insurance were very specifically
listed and then properly detailed. Workman‘s
alleged release of a letter that only later
was alleged to have been protected under
laws concerning attorney client privilege
were not even mentioned in the communiqué
between Ann Gergen and the town‘s interim
manager, Laura Bruno.
Bruno has indicated that there is another,
earlier letter dated September 27, 2012, in
which the issue of Workman’s alleged
’leaking’ of the allegedly ’privileged’
document was specifically mentioned and then
cited as the reason for the town‘s removal
from the risk pool.
Bruno indicated that Ann Gergen, President
of the Arizona Municipal Risk Retention
Pool, referred to this matter as the ’straw
on the camel’s back’ -- “at least that’s
what they advised me,” Bruno stated.
At issue, according to legal analysts, is
the fact that the letter from the law firm
of Jackson Lewis did not have the typical
notations concerning attorney client
privilege and, thus, were not readily
identifiable as ‘protected’ or
‘confidential’ documents.
Confidential documents are typically labeled
as such in order to prevent against the
arbitrary release of sensitive documents --
something that was not done in this
instance.
Workman, newly elected to her position, is
widely regarded as a staunch advocate of
transparency in government -- but she
insists that had she recognized the
information contained in the document as
sensitive or a potential problem for the
town’s officials, she would have taken
additional steps to prevent the unwitting
dissemination of the letter or its contents.
Compounding the issue further is the fact
that the letter was shared with Workman and
other council members in private meetings in
Bruno's office instead of a more
proper forum of an executive session during
which properly labeled documents were
shared.
Gergen concluded the
letter to the council by saying the council
might be reconsidered for insurance after
providing
“evidence that it has cured all of its
failures giving rise to this termination of
coverage.”
“She’s been targeted,
it’s true,“ stated Mayor Ed Foster, who has
now been ordered to be seated in court
proceedings. Foster had been denied the
right to occupy the seat he rightfully won
-- and should have been allowed to fill --
since May. “There was a series of lengthy
stalling strategies on the part of the
officials that had been replaced as well as
at least two councilmen whose seats on the
council are likely to be jeopardized soon,“
Foster explained. “It’s clearly not the best
work environment for Ms. Workman right now.”
Foster has pointed out that the town’s
council spent upwards of $100,000.00 in an
unjustified effort to prove that the
election was compromised -- a move for which
the council was criticized by most voters as
an outlandish effort to circumvent the will
of the voters of Quartzsite. “The effort was
proven not only to be unfruitful but
unjustified as well -- and the money was
simply wasted,” Foster said.
“It is a well known and hotly contested
issue that because certain councilmen owe
their positions not to elections but to
appointments by the town’s administrators at
the time, they have been less than fair with
Pat Workman,” Foster continued. "Included in
that list are Norma Crooks and Michael
Jewitt, two of Workman’s most outspoken
critics."
Ms. Gergen is out of
the office on business and will return at
the end of the month. In light of the
assertions published in the Parker Pioneer
we are awaiting her comments concerning her
position on the reasons for Quartzsite’s
removal from the Arizona Municipal Risk
Retention Pool.
COURT: FOSTER MUST BE SEATED IMMEDIATELY La Paz Superior Court
Judge Michael Burke left no room for evading
the issue when he ordered Mayor Elect Edward
Foster to be immediately seated at the next
regular meeting of the Quartzsite Common
Council.
Foster, originally
scheduled to be seated in May found himself
on the receiving end of a great deal of
animosity -- so much so that he was not even
allowed to take his position at the
council's helm. Foster's Lawyer Explains in Video. READ MORE.
QUARTZSITE LOSES
INSURANCE FOSTER: 'THIS SHOULD
NOT HAVE HAPPENED' 12 OCT 2012 “We were repeatedly
warned and – literally – zero steps were
taken to insure that this didn’t happen,”
Foster stated today.
“This is the reason Quartzsite is constantly
in a state of turmoil, constantly dodging
their critics, constantly under fire for
their lack of ‘decision making’ abilities.”
The League of Cities and Towns had warned,
repeatedly, that the Town of Quartzsite was
slated to lose their municipal insurance
unless the litigious climate in the town
improved. Indeed, others with whom
Quartzsite shares their insurance pool had
openly criticized the administrators of the
municipality, indicating that they were
unwilling to bear the burden of the legal
liability Quartzsite represented.
Still, although the League of Cities and
Towns had already provided notification that
the town’s insurance would be removed 23
January 2012, the League moved to allow the
troubled municipality additional time, since
embattled Town Manager Alexandra Taft was
removed from her position and placed on
administrative leave.
This move represents a significant problem
for Quartzsite’s officials.
Once outside the pool, they will be required
to obtain insurance or suffer immediate
consequences that are many and varied. While
Laura Bruno has offered assurances to the
council that she has ‘other options’ for the
purchase of insurance, Quartzsite is widely
known to be such a poor risk that – while
there may be alternatives – there is no
assurance whatsoever that these ‘venues’
will seek to insure such a libelous
municipality as Quartzsite has become.
"It is widely accepted at this point that
there is a reason for the apparent efforts
of the town’s councilmen to pursue a path of
irresponsible governance in spite of the
vocal criticism of Quartzsite in the
national media, among their own peers and
among their constituents," Foster stated.
“It is my belief the town’s council is
intentionally working toward
disincorporation.”
“A story recent posted
on
PARKERLIVEONLINE.COM contains comments
similar in content to mine – and would
explain the actions of a council seemingly
intent upon mismanaging the assets of the
town and willfully disregarding the voice of
the voting public in Quartzsite,” he said.
Read More
FOSTER STILL NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE MAYORAL
POSITION
9 OCT 2012 -- Quartzsite’s council's
addendum to the agenda showed the intent to
put Foster’s seating to a vote – but the
vote failed as Jewitt, Crooks and Kelley
voting against the seating of Foster and
pressing the matter into court. Councilmen
Patricia Workman and Mark Orgeron --
both of whom campaigned with Foster – voted
to seat the Mayor elect.
FOSTER SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE FAILS
5 OCT 2012 --
Quartzsite’s council had only days in which
to make a ‘good faith’ settlement with
Mayor Elect Ed Foster who has been
prevented, by these same officials, from
taking his seat at the helm.
The town's attorney, Jeffrey T. Murray, of
the Law Firm of
Sims & Murray, was
appointed by the
League of
Cities and Towns, whose counsel is
William Sims, III, the other partner in this
same law firm.
Murray had actually presented Foster's
attorney, Julie LaBenz, with a written
agreement indicating that the intent was to
seat Foster Tuesday.
It is the
League of Cities and Towns, of course,
that has the insurance 'pool' that recently
advised Quartzsite's officials that they can
no longer cover the level of liability that
Quartzsite represents due to the litigious
activities happening between the municipal
officials and their constituents, and typically generated by the
town’s officials.
While the town was granted a temporary reprieve after
placing Taft on administrative leave and
hiring an Interim Town Manager, to go
against the recommendations of the League of
Cities and Towns could easily result in a
return to a similar dilemma.
The council today reportedly spent over four hours
deliberating over the placement of Foster’s
seating which was expected to take place
Tuesday, following
Foster’s efforts to peacefully settle the
matter by making concessions he – by law
– was not required to make.
In spite of those efforts, the majority of
the council ultimately refused to place
Foster’s seating on the agenda, effectively
‘guaranteeing’ Foster a win in Superior
Court on October 17th.
Foster, who has repeatedly stated he does
not want to sue Quartzsite because it would
only create more of a burden on Quartzsite’s
already overburdened taxpayers, has been
hailed as the ‘People’s Mayor’ and has
enjoyed the popularity brought by a
national media blitz supporting him and
villainizing those who have stood in
opposition to his campaign promises -- a
campaign which asked only for transparency
and open records at Quartzsite’s Town Hall.
Foster’s efforts to
bring about that transparency, though,
have thus far resulted in the use of
taxpayer monies to investigate him --
multiple times -- for felony infractions
that did not exist, to arrest and even jail
him on an accusation of assisting
publisher Jennifer Jones when she tossed
her keys to him during one of her many
highly publicized arrests [both were
subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing in
court,] and to fine him thousands of
dollars over a battle the town's officials
generated themselves.
"They would not even allow Foster to take
his seat on the council as Mayor until the
seated officials – most of whom were
appointed and not elected at that point –
all voted in unison to completely disempower
the position of Mayor," Jones said. "People
couldn't believe that could even be done." "The most shocking thing," Foster
stated, “is the lengths to which they’re
willing to go to circumvent what they know
to be the will of the voters. Whose
interests, I wonder, do they actually
represent?"
FOSTER SETTLEMENT 'ON THE TABLE'
Mayor Elect Ed Foster's attorney, Julie
LaBenz, has placed a significant settlement
offer before Quartzsite's council in which
Foster has agreed to major concessions in an
effort to bring a peaceful resolution to an
ongoing legal over the council's refusal to
seat him.
AD HOC COMMITTEE ATTEMPTS TO IMPUGN
WORKMAN'S ETHICS
Although legal analysts are adamant she's
done nothing wrong, 'whistleblower
councilwoman' Pat Workman has been forced to
face an
'Ad Hoc' committee for the second time
since her election -- this time for having
allegedly released 'sensitive' information
she obtained at a private meeting she was
requested to attend by the Interim Town
Manager, Laura Bruno. READ MORE
STUDENTS WIN $1M IN PEPPER SPRAYING
INCIDENT
READ MORE
HOUSE VOTES TO
EXPAND PROTECTIONS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS New protections are in the works for
those in the difficult situation of being
privy to information that can be damaging to
their 'superiors' and even the house of
Representatives is taking steps to ensure
that whistleblowers enjoy the protections
they deserve.
READ MORE FISCAL CONDITION AND
HANDLING OF TOWN
BUSINESS
BRINGS CRITICISM Quartzsite
has again been featured in the Wall Street
Journal -- with a more detailed
approach than the one that appeared via the
WSJ photog's snippet in July. The story
attempts to address the reasons Quartzsite
is embroiled in a political firestorm of
controversy, adding a
pictorial for good measure.
Mayor
elect Ed Foster, to date prevented from
taking his seat on the council, is slated
for discussion at a special meeting next
week -- perhaps to address the seating the
town's officials have postponed since May.
SIMPLE PHOTO
CHANGES LIVES
CANDIDATE FOR SHERIFF JOSE MORENO
PRESSES FOR SOLUTIONS The battle raging over Quartzsite
has not been lost on Jose Moreno, who has
criticized the handling of the issues by
current Sheriff Don Lowry. 'The county has a
responsibility to the citizens of La Paz
County," Moreno stated. And even now,
new reports are being filed. NEW TOWN MANAGER
PROMISES NEW TRANSPARENCY "I
will not get involved with the politics,"
stated Laura Bruno, newly appointed Town
Manager, addressing a small group of press
people and onlookers, curious about the new
Town Manager replacing the oft maligned and
openly criticized Alexandra Taft.
Bruno also indicated that the status of
Ex-Police Chief Jeffrey Gilbert is 'On
Administrative Leave' -- and not terminated
-- as was previously reported by Albert
Johnson in a letter of Termination that
Johnson publicly released to citizens and
press last week via the Town's website.
Bruno indicated that the letter was
unauthorized and further noted that Johnson,
himself, is now on Administrative Leave.
Bruno was hired at the same rate as ousted
Taft -- who was 'earning' over $80,000.00
per year. Bruno was given a 6 month
contract.
"I plan on putting out
information to the public so they know what
is happening," Bruno continued. "This town
hall belongs to the community."
Bruno's sudden appointment is not without
criticism. Once again, the council chose to
appoint an individual without using the
'vetting' process employed and utilized by
other municipalities to insure that they are
hiring the most highly qualified and
desirable candidate for the public's money.
No ads were run and no offers were made
publicly encouraging candidates to apply for
the position.
"Quartzsite people,
though, are hungry for change," stated Mayor
Ed Foster, who anticipates soon being able
to take his position on the council via
court order, now slated for September 19.
"If people perceive that Ms. Bruno will
do her job according to the laws of the
State of Arizona -- including opening the
long withheld financial information that has
been concealed from citizens and even
elected officials for years -- and if she
shows herself willing to do the job of town
manager without engaging in
tyrannical rule as we have suffered over
these any years, then she has my vote."
Foster further indicated that among the
top priorities is the proper and legal
handling of FOIA requests.
"We have
to return to a model of accountability which
Quartzsite's officials have long ignored,"
Foster stated. "They need guidance and
training -- but they also need an attitude
of accountability and an interest in
servitude to their communities. It ia lack
of interest in properly managing their
positions as councilmen that has brought
about the
disastrous public flogging over issues
-- such as the trampling of the
Constitutional rights of anyone seen as a
threat to the status quo established by
themselves -- that's come to be seen as
'normal' for Quartzsite."
"We want
people to feel welcomed and enable a general
atmosphere of professionalism and
helpfulness. We need to return to the days
when people saw Quartzsite as a fun
destination -- long before it became known
for the ridiculous antics of an improper and
dysfunctional council accountable to no
one."
"As it stands today, we have a
terrible reputation and growth in our
community is virtually stagnant.
"There are so many lawsuits we're slated to
lose our insurance which would bring a
terrible financial burden to bear on
Quartzsite taxpayers -- and more scheduled
to be brought. We are being maligned in the
press for treating people differently
according to where they stand on the
political spectrum, and there is little to
show that things will change soon.
"Of course, we can fix this. We all
recognize that accommodating municipal
officials who do business in an above board
and honorable manner are far more successful
in attracting business and enterprise to
their communities -- which leads to better
lives for everyone," he concluded. JOHNSON OUT: Sometime
'Assistant Town Manager' and 'Building
Inspector' Albert Johnson and while it's
been reported that Town Attorney Martin
Brannan was also dismissed, Bruno indicated
that Brannan hasn't been dismissed. The
recent shake-ups in Quartzsite's
administration remain a confusing muddle as
management continues to shift.
The
long-term obfuscation of facts and
withholding of FOIA requests and town hall
bookkeeping information have brought a great
deal of credence to the claims of corruption
long voiced by Mayor Ed Foster and
oft-maligned activist Jennifer Harris Jones.
With a huge series of legal actions
against the town have come allegations of
malfeasance -- and the State of Arizona has
been inundated with complaints concerning
mismanagement of the town and basically all
departments therein. Add to that the
allegations of 80% of the police department
and the town management began to look
'suspect' at best.
READ MORE ANOTHER
QUESTIONABLE APPOINTMENT? The council
was poised to appoint a new town manager to
replace the one on administrative leave --
but questions have been raised concerning
the hiring of the replacement after several
websites began posting information about her
activities in Sacramento's school district.
[READ
MORE]
GILBERT FIRED: It's been weeks since
Quartzsite has had anything resembling a
'typical' council meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting was no
exception: the council went in with one
agenda, spent 45 minutes in executive
session and then adjourned the meeting with
no explanation. Only later did people learn
that Police Chief Jeffrey Gilbert, already
on administrative leave, had been dismissed
for cause.
Many of the things the
town has attempted to do have been shown to
be illegal -- and it’s certain that the
council has a great deal of work ahead
determining what actions will be undone
because they were facilitated by people that
had actually usurped the powers of other
elected officials. Such is the case with
Taft’s contract, in fact.
Quartzsite remains in turmoil
following the removal of both the police
chief [read
more] and the town manager, with
dismissals of others rumored to be slated to
follow. Council meetings -- when they have
been held -- have netted confusing results.
Several cases are pending in court with the
seating of Mayor Ed Foster appearing to be
imminent despite the best efforts of the
town's officials -- some of whom are now
apparently in danger of losing their own
positions.
SAM VEDERMAN TO REPLACE BURKE AS SUPERIOR
COURT JUDGE
Governor Jan Brewer has
announced the appointment of County Attorney
Samuel Vederman to the La Paz County
Superior Court.
“Samuel has proven himself as an
exceptional candidate to serve the Court and
the community, both through his Arizona
courtroom experience and his public service
as an elected official,” said Governor
Brewer. “In addition to possessing a strong
legal background, he exhibits the managerial
skills, integrity and evenhandedness
necessary for a role in which accountability
to the public is ever-important.”
READ MORE
FOSTER TO WAIT FOR DOJ RULING Despite strong evidence that Mayor
elect Ed Foster is being erroneously denied
his right to take his seat on Quartzsite's
council, La Paz Superior Court Judge
Michael Burke is postponing the matter until
the DOJ ruling officially comes down on
whether or not the town can prevent him from
taking his seat because they enacted a law
saying anyone that owes money to the town
cannot hold office
Attorneys are set to argue their respective
positions on September 19 in Burke's court.
Several Quartzsite officials [including Town
Manager Alexandra Taft, now on
administrative leave] have long battled
against allowing the Mayor elect to take his
seat -- amidst allegations raised by Foster
of serious fiscal and managerial
improprieties he began investigating during
his reign as Mayor.
GILBERT DECLARES HE IS BEING VICTIMIZED BY
'TOWN MANAGEMENT' In a statement reported by Parker
Live Online, Quartzsite's police chief [now
on administrative leave] claims to be the
victim of 'town management.'
[Click
to Read] Gilbert calls the allegations
'false' and insists he will be cleared.
TAFT APPEARS AT LEAGUE OF CITIES AND TOWNS
EVENT In spite of having been removed from
her position and placed on Administrative
Leave, Alex Taft reportedly attended a
League of Cities and Towns event as though
yet employed by the town.
Taft has been ordered to refrain from even
speaking about town business [when she calls
in daily as ordered by the council] much
less to represent the town in any capacity.
Efforts are being made to independently
verify Taft's attendance at the event, as
she was not one of the five invited
individuals, given name badges. Those
individuals were Michael Jewett, Terry
Frausto, Patricia Workman, Norma Crooks and
Patricia Anderson.
ALEXANDRA TAFTREMOVED AS COUNCIL
ORGANIZES AGAINST
CONTROLLERS What
are being described as 'successful efforts to regain
control of Quartzsite for the people of
Quartzsite' -- in a peaceful yet deliberate
way -- are resoundingly being commended by
citizens throughout the municipality.
But why such effort on the part of so many?
Voters, after all, can be difficult to gauge
-- why would so many be unhappy with a
single town?
But dissenters say it's a town out of
control -- and the evidence is difficult to
ignore.
It's true the town has been rife with
problems. There have consistently been vast
discrepancies in reports concerning
financial stability -- yet Quartzsite's
officials, critics claim, have continued to
routinely spend hundreds of thousands more
on projects than similarly sized
municipalities with little to show for the
money.
There was a particularly questionable
arrest last year of a woman -- Jennifer
Jones -- who, while attempting to speak at
the podium about a taxation issue was
publicly arrested, resulting in a 'viral
video' that brought media attention from
around the world and resulted in criticism
of everyone involved, spare Jones -- who was
legally [and correctly] exercising her
Constitutional right to free speech.
Councilmen seemed to vote the way they were
told, they contend -- rarely if ever
questioning any aspect of expenditures while
citizens were prevented from asking
questions of councilmen and when questions
were raised they were rarely answered.
Ordering citizens -- literally -- to 'sit
down and shut up' happened, they say, far
too often.
Business owners complained that they were
victims of targeted attack -- and 80% of the
Police Department substantiated those claims
when they walked off those jobs in
opposition to a system they said was corrupt
and, indeed, targeted individuals who were
politically involved.
Lawsuits have abounded -- most brought by
the town against citizens, costing multiple
thousands of dollars each to pursue -- most
of which have been found in court to have no
merit and which have ultimately left the
town vulnerable to reciprocal suits. Many of
these cases are now finding their way into
court -- and are anticipated to be hugely
expensive to the town and to its people.
The election of new Mayor Ed Foster in 2010
brought a new question to the table: who
were the recipients of some 11 checks
routinely [bi-weekly] paid to unidentified
individuals, totaling hundreds of thousands
of dollars per year and reaching into the
millions over several years' time?
All efforts by Foster to determine to whom
those funds were being paid were
subsequently blocked. Further, the council
voted to rescind virtually
all the powers of the Mayor in an
effort, he says, to prevent him from working
to attain the level of transparency his
campaign had promised to bring to the
office.
The second election of
Ed Foster as Mayor [March 2012 election] has
resulted in a standoff with Foster seeking
assistance from a Superior court to secure
his rightful position on the council. This
is expected to occur on or about September
6, 2012. Jose Lizarraga has since vacated
that seat and Quartzsite is currently
operating without a sitting Mayor.
Foster, though, has remained steadfast in
his criticism of the operation of the town,
stating that Freedom of Information Act
requests are typically ignored, in spite of
reprimands from the Ombudsman's office -- as
have been complaints of Open Meetings Act
violations made to the Attorney General's
office.
Even when higher officials ordered
Quartzsite's administration to revise their
activities, he said, they simply proceeded
as they had been operating.
"Many longterm town employees have even been
unceremoniously fired just for perceived
infractions [such as a lack of loyalty to
these people] resulting in the loss of many
trained and dedicated employees -- all paid
for by the citizens of Quartzsite over many
years," Foster concluded.
When two of three newly elected officials
were denied their seats and ousted
councilmen even refused to vacate their
seats, [briefly Mayor Jose Lizarraga and
Vice Mayor Barbara Cowell until she was
court ordered to vacate her seat,] the
disenfranchised voters of Quartzsite pressed
for a speedy response.
Newly elected Navy veteran Mark Orgeron
stayed within the guidelines of the law and
petitioned the federal court to address the
grievances, allowing Orgeron to take his
seat on the council. The result? A change --
a massive change, in fact.
Orgeron quickly moved to remove Alexandra
Taft from her position -- even as Taft
maneuvered to prevent the council from
meeting. Taft had reportedly changed the
locks at the town hall building as well as
the police department, and ultimately used
that to prevent access by council people who
were forced to hold their meeting outside
-- and forbidding town employees from
attending. The meeting was ultimately
cancelled.
Taft was immediately
placed on administrative leave with pay,
ordered to stay at her home[s] – she is in
the process of moving and is to be at one
residence or the other – and she is to
report by telephone at 8 a.m. and be
available- 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. to
the Interim Town Manager, Terry Frausto, at
the start of the business day but is to
return all town property and to refrain from
speaking to Frausto of town business.
Interestingly, these are the same
restrictions Taft placed on the Quartzsite
10 when she placed them on
administrative leave.
The lone dissenter to removing Taft from her
position was appointed councilman Michael
Jewett whose own position on the council is
currently in question as voters appear to
have attempted to replaced him with write-in
candidate John Prutch -- but Prutch, too,
was prevented from seeking his position on
the council and that matter, also, is
pending in court.
SERIES OF MEETINGS
CALLED THEN CANCELLED AS OFFICIALS SCRAMBLE
The political wrangling in Quartzsite
happening over the last few days is shocking
even by Quartzsite's standards.
A series of missteps following the election
resulted in a hearing in federal court and
the issuance of a directive by a federal
judge indicating that the actions of the
council were illegal and had to be
rectified, allowing Mark Orgeron to take his
seat on the council. But Orgeron today
complained in open session during the
regular council meeting that the town's
administration is blocking efforts to hold a
special council meeting to determine the
future of Town Manager Alexandra Taft.
SPECIAL MEETING
CALLED THEN CANCELLED AS OFFICIALS SEARCH
FOR SOLUTIONS
With the reasons behind the decision to
remove the chief of police still unclear, a special meeting was called for
Saturday at 4 p.m., stating the intention of
which was to consider the removal of Town
Manager Alexandra Taft from her position.
The meeting was then cancelled before it
could be held. Reportedly, the locks were
changed at Quartzsite's Town Hall in an
effort to regain control. The next meeting
is scheduled for Wednesday.
BIG TENT OWNERS RECEIVE $30k SEWER BILL
One of the owners of Quartzsite's Big Tent
RV Show, Kenny King, has taken steps to
battle the town over a $30,000.00 sewer
bill, citing the facility's typical bills of
about $1,000.00 per month. When King,
see documents here, attempted to explain
that the bill had to be the result of faulty
equipment, the town responded with a demand
for payment by 'Asst. town manager Albert
Johnson immediately followed by a Cut Off
Notice for the show's sewer service.
CHIEF OF POLICE JEFF GILBERT PLACED ON
ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE
A press release has been issued by Town
Manager Alexandra Taft stating,
“Chief of Police Jeff Gilbert and Sergeant
Fabiola Garcia were placed on administrative
leave today pending the results of an
investigation. Sergeant James Schultz will
act as Chief of Police pending the return of
Chief Gilbert or the appointment of an
interim Chief. There will be no reduction in
the number of patrol officers and the Police
Department will be able to meet the needs of
Quartzsite’s residents while this
investigation is ongoing.
“It is the policy of the Town of Quartzsite
not to reveal the nature of uninvestigated
and unproven allegations. The placement of
Chief Gilbert and Sergeant Garcia on
administrative leave was done purely to
facilitate a speedy investigation and not as
a form of punishment. The Town urges the
public to treat both Chief Gilbert and
Sergeant Garcia as innocent of any
wrongdoing while the investigation is
ongoing.”
Also placed on administrative leave with no
explanation for the determination was
Fabiola Garcia.
IN SURPRISE MOVE, COUNCIL SEATS MARK ORGERON Councilman Mark Orgeron went to
Federal Court to win the right to man his
seat following an election in which -- while
elected by a majority of the vote -- he was
not allowed to take his position on the
council due to allegations that his
residency in Quartzsite was not properly
established prior to his run for office. In
court, Orgeron's residency was established
prior to his council bid, and Judge Silver
ordered that he should be allowed to take
his seat.
FEDERAL COURT
JUDGE SILVER SUPPORTS ORGERON'S POSITION
-- BUT COUNCIL DOES NOT INSTALL ORGERON Mark Orgeron's case was heard in
federal court and he prevailed with Judge
Silver indicating he should have
been installed following the last election.
However, at a special meeting Wednesday, the
council met in Executive Session with
Patricia Workman stating as the meeting
resumed that there would not be a settlement
with Orgeron at this time.
WILL ARIZONA
NULLIFY TO SHORT
CIRCUIT OBAMACARE? The last thing Arizonans seem to
want is Obamacare -- and one savvy
businessman has made the nullification
option the top of his list of priorities,
spending over $1 million of his own monies
to make it available. Moreover, what does it
mean for Arizona?
Read More
WHY DON'T THEY TAKE THEIR SEATS? Lizarraga has resigned. Ed Foster
and Mark Orgeron soundly trounced their
competition [the incumbents] in the election
-- as did Pat Workman. Workman, though, has
been allowed to take her seat on the council
whereas Foster, Orgeron and John Prutch have
been opposed in their efforts to take their
elected positions on the council.
Most people watching Quartzsite question why
the newly elected don't simply take their
seats. Is it a valid question? A
quick review of the documents that have been
filed on both sides of this issue may lend
clarity to these issues... READ MORE JONES CASE POSTPONED Jennifer Jones' case has been filed
and is moving forward -- and the language
put forth leaves little doubt as to the
illegality of the acts of Quartzsite
officials against Jones. READ IT HERE.
IGNORING THE ORDERS OF A FEDERAL JUDGE,
QUARTZSITE'S
EMBATTLED 'COUNCIL' MEETS IN
SPITE OF DIRECTIVE Jose Lizarraga resigned his position
as Mayor and was not present -- but the
fragment remaining [Jewitt, Kelley, Anderson
and Crooks] sans Barbara Cowell, the
plaintiff in a suit brought by Orgeron and
an active participant in public efforts to
'explain away' her reasons for refusing to
relinquish her council seat following an
election in which she lost to opponent Mark
Orgeron. The decision to meet is bringing
new criticism to bear on the small
remaining group of controllers and has
resulted in a new surge of interest in the
plight of the small desert town with large
political problems.
CHARGES FLY AS
TOWN'S OFFICIALS TRY TO
RETAIN CONTROLThe allegations against Quartzsite's
small remaining group of controllers has
resulted in a new surge of interest in the
plight of the small desert town with large
political problems.
Mired in controversy, the ousted officials
have refused to relinquish their seats --
and the Town Manager, Alexandra Taft, has
opposed efforts to allow the Canvass and
Return process from moving forward simply by
refusing to allow it to be placed on the
agenda -- even when ordered to do so by the
exiting Mayor, Jose Lizarraga.
The La Paz County Attorney, Sam Vederman,
has filed a case showing that the town's
officials have usurped the rights of the
newly elected -- and Mark Orgeron has filed
a similar case in Federal Court. Jerry
Lukkasson
attempted to file a
case against Ed Foster in pro per capacity
[without hiring an attorney] -- which was
rejected by the La Paz County Court because
it was not filed within the deadline
required.
A series of cases have resulted -- one being
heard in Federal Court -- as the newly
elected fight the efforts of the town to
keep them from occupying their positions.
That case is scheduled to be heard Friday,
here.
READ MORE
CHARGES
FILED BY COUNTY ATTORNEY
AGAINST QUARTZSITE OFFICIALSThe charges have been delineated in
an 89 page document released Friday. A
Press Release
has been issued.
Parker Live Online also provides
additional information. County Attorney Sam
Vederman's Press Release is
here.
READ MORE
QUARTZSITE MEDIA EVENT IN PHOENIX A
SUCCESS
The
plight of Quartzsite has not gone unnoticed
with many stories and hundreds of interviews
appearing in print. In an effort to inform
people of their plight, several of
Quartzsite's key players -- Mayor Elect Ed
Foster, Councilman Elect Mark Orgeron,
Councilman Patricia Workman, the Quartzsite
Eight, Jennifer Harris Jones and others were
slated to be in Phoenix at the Capital
Building this morning where they met with
media representatives and provided interview
footage destined for today's airwaves and
tomorrow's stories. READ MORE
TOWN'S ATTORNEY
INVESTIGATED IN ALLEGED ASSAULT
OF MAYOR
Mayor Jose Lizarraga adjourned a meeting
following his comment that the town's
manager Alexandra Taft had disobeyed his
instruction to add the Canvass & Return to
the meeting's agenda. Under a judge's
injunction, the town cannot continue holding
meetings on any town business until the
case has been heard and the seats filled by
those elected by the people. READ MORE
Arizona
Independent covers Quartzsite fray
Dennis Wagner, a reporter for the
Arizona Independent, has again covered another
Quartzsite battle -- this one over the
incumbents who have literally refused to vacate
their seats when they did not like the results
of the town’s election.
READ IT
Wagner, true to form, does not take sides but,
instead, interviews various ’authorities’ on the
subject at hand -- and then interviews
Quartzsite’s officials for insight into their
actions.
Jose Lizarraga refused to be interviewed for the
story, but ousted Vice Mayor Barbara Cowell
spoke at length, citing her insistence that
'From my heart I know that 'we' [the
council, presumably] have not ‘done anything
illegal.’
She also indicated that she is 'trying to
protect the people of Quartzsite.' She could not
offer the reporter the name[s] of the
investigator[s] hired to investigate what Cowell
the suspected 'vote fraud' that has reportedly
precipitated the bizarre actions of the council.
She further stated she didn't know who the
investigators were, how much they were being
paid or how they were selected for the
investigation, saying, "I'm not privy to that.
It's not my business," Cowell said.
"This is exactly what we're complaining about,"
stated Ed Foster. "If it's not her job to know
then whose is it? Who is making these decisions?
This is the type of activity that allows
corruption to gain a foothold -- too few people
making too many decisions -- this is what the
town -- any town -- has a council -- to ensure
that there is work being accomplished, that
'business' -- the business of the town -- is
being properly accomplished.
"How can that happen if the councilmen don't
know what's going on -- and don't question the
fact that they're prevented from knowing?
"Barbra Cowell admitted in the AZ Republic
Article that she had no Knowledge of the
investigators cost. Under the Town Code the
council must approve any contract over $5,000.
Today we found out that the two contracts Taft
signed came to at least $6,000 for one and
$14,000 for the other.
"These contracts were approved either without
council approval or in a secret meeting. Cowell
“knows in her heart she did no wrong” --
that’s a joke. The contract was delivered to the
investigators by Jerry Lukkason who is no longer
a town official.
This is why -- this is the reason these people
were dis-elected," Foster concluded.
[Of all of the authorities Wagner chose to
interview for the story, not one of them sided
with Quartzsite's sitting council concerning
their actions.]
UPI immediately picked up the storyand carried it under 'News of the Odd.'
Arizona Senator Don
Shooter [R]responded to a request
for review, and posted a note to his
constituent on Foster's Facebook page,
Supporters of Mayor Ed Foster.
"I received your email on Tuesday about vote
disenfranchisement and corruption in the
Quartzsite community, I am very concerned.
Though I saw that he was included in the
email, I sent an additional email to
Attorney General Tom Horne requesting
action. Keep me posted," he wrote.
PARKERLIVEONLINE.COMis reporting that a case involving
allegations against the town's attorney is
under review by the City of Phoenix,
following a
request by the La Paz County
Attorney, Sam Vederman.
Vederman has cited a conflict of
interest in the matter, which he further
indicated had already been investigated by
the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office.
“As
Mr. Brannan was my former supervisor when he
was the La Paz County Attorney, and because
I defeated him in the 2008 Republican
Primary election for La Paz County Attorney,
I decided it would be proper to declare a
conflict and request that another
prosecuting agency review and potentially
prosecute the case.”
The Town of Quartzsite stands accused of
spending tens of thousands of taxpayer
dollars on the defense of the town's
attorney
READ MORE TAFT ALLEGES VOTER
FRAUD
Quartzsite officials -- as explained by
Alexandra Taft -- have indicated they're
conducting an investigation into what Taft
described as 'irregularities' in May's
election. But is it their responsibility to
do that? Officials higher up the chain of
command reject that notion and are stepping
in to review the election results which have
largely been ignored to this point, with
only Patricia Workman being allowed to take
her position on the dais. Is an allegation
of vote fraud reason enough to dismantle
election results?
COUNTY ATTORNEY
SAM VEDERMAN
ISSUES PRESS RELEASE CONCERNING QUARTZSITE'S
CANVASS & RETURN AND EFFORTS TO PREVENT
FOSTER AND ORGERON FROM TAKING OFFICE.
It's OFFICIAL:
QUARTZSITE'S OUSTED COUNCIL MEMBERS REFUSE
TO VACATE THEIR SEATS IN DISPLAY ONLOOKERS
CALL
'DESPICABLE'
Mayor Lizarraga was the lone dissenter,
repeatedly, as both Mayor elect Ed Foster
and
newly
elected councilman Mark Orgeron
[link to his statement of evidence] were
then systematically disqualified and were
subsequently barred from occupying their
seats on the council.
Although Quartzsite's officials have
repeatedly been warned about their illegal
actions, today's meeting was no exception --
although Barbara Cowell, under very strong
criticism for her aggressive participation
in similar matters, did not personally
appear at Tuesday's meeting but instead
voted telephonically in favor of the illegal
actions of the council. Also forced to
battle for his rightful place on the
council, John Prutch wrote an open letter to
the town and its councilmen, citing the
findings of the
GOLDWATER INSTITUTE, which has been
outspoken in their criticism of
Quartzsite's officials.
READ IT HERE
Only Patricia Workman was allowed to be
recognized as qualified to take her position
on the council replacing Joe Winslow -- but
no one could apparently be present to swear
her in.
False facts about C02 show up on 46,000,000
websites today -- proof of broad efforts to
dupe the public with junk scientific 'facts'
to support taxing the air you -- and your
pets -- breathe. Get
the truth.
. John Prutch Letter on
Quartzsite Improprieties
$43 million in taxpayer fundsare at the center of a
scandal over misappropriation and 'dollars'
for dupes' who apparently thought they'd
never get caught, according to insiders who
saw the investigation beginning.
Stepping down amidst the scandal is Director
Jack Hayes.
A whistleblower now identified as the
pope's butler
has been credited with exposing fraud and
money laundering inside the Catholic church
along with a myriad of other charges that
have, so far, resulted in the firing of the
president of the Vatican bank as well as a
series of other events that threaten to
destroy the worldwide standing of the entire
Catholic c
"More Insanity to Come..."
This shot from last summer when people were
told to 'take control of their local
government' resulted in an election that
tossed three local incumbents. Now those
incumbents are refusing to leave their seats
and want to instead 'judge' the fitness of
those that were elected to replace them --
and tempers are flaring, as evidenced by the
alleged assault of exiting Mayor Jose
Lizarraga by the town attorney
[and town prosecutor and Parliamentarian]
Martin Brannan. Brannan's side of the story
seems to be posted
here. County Attorney Sam Vederman is
reportedly investigating -- under Arizona
law, the assault of an elected official is a
felony offense.
READ IT HERE. And
HERE.
The town's agenda has been issued showing
that what they have in mind for June 4,
2012, will only up the ante. The town plans
to use taxpayer monies to pay for attorneys
to keep the people out of office that the
Quartzsite voters elected to fill those
positions.
READ IT.
Quartzsite voters Wednesday evening were
concerned about the published agenda which
they seemed to find outrageous as well as
far beyond anything they might have
anticipated the dis-elected officials might
try in a misguided effort to retain their
seats on the council..
It's a fiasco...
Short term Mayor Jose Lizarraga shocked
onlookers when he opened the meeting
reporting that he had instructed Town
Manager Alex Taft to place the Canvass and
Return items on the agenda as well as the
swearing in of the newly elected officials
-- which were then not added by Taft. Saying
he thought this detrimental to the town, he
then abruptly adjourned the meeting.
Onlookers cheered and Lizarraga -- who has faced an uphill
battle in town politics -- will likely be
seen as having secured for himself a legacy
of having done the right thing when it
counted. The plan entails using the June 4
meeting to challenge the 'fitness' of the
newly elected council people to hold office.
Barbara Cowell, unwilling to relinquish her
seat to her opponent, then took over the
meeting and subsequently not one of the
newly elected councilmen were allowed to
take their seats. Instead, Cowell, Winslow
and Lukkasson remained seated as though no
election had even taken place. Rumors that
Lizarraga was assaulted in the ensuing
executive session were rampant but, as yet,
are officially unsubstantiated.
Experts agree that the council people who
stood against Lizarraga cannot proceed in
willfully ignoring the election results.
"The voters of Quartzsite have voted to
remove them -- and by a very wide margin,
at that," Mayor Elect Ed Foster stated
Tuesday. "If these councilmen continue to
attempt to keep out the newly elected, they
will face a firestorm of criticism they can
only begin to imagine: people are up in arms
over this situation already. There is no way
they can accomplish anything positive by
their actions. They're ruining themselves --
ruining their reputations. People are
furious."
"They also can't appoint someone to the seat
vacated by Jerry Lukkasson as they attempted
to do today," Foster continued. They're
doing something illegal -- it's obvious they
still believe they are a law unto
themselves."
Parties to the 'game' were Michael Jewitt --
appointed to the council and then ousted via
election by John Prutch who is having to get
the
court to uphold his
election after the town's attorney disavowed
the election. Also Jerry Lukkasson who
stepped down to run for Mayor and then lost
to Ed Foster, Pat Anderson, the last of the
incumbents, and Carol Kelly, who
replaced her deceased husband, Councilman
Robert Kelly. A PRESS
RELEASE
was widely distributed prior to the
meeting.
READ MORE
It's Foster, Again...
The campaigners for transparency in
government appear to have struck a chord
with Quartzsite's voters as Ed Foster, Pat
Workman and Mark Orgeron have apparently
walked away with Tuesday's election firmly
in hand.
The crusaders have faced an uphill battle
over the operations of the town council, at
times launching the town and its officials
into the national media spotlight. In the
wake of the arrests of Jennifer Jones and
Mayor Foster, came accusations from within
the police department -- accusations of
corruption, impropriety and power struggles
that ultimately resulted in 80% of the
police force being fired outright at one
point -- with the town clerk and bookkeeper
soon losing their positions as well. [No
wrongdoing on the part of any of these
individuals was ever proven.]
Awash in lawsuits, and openly in violation
of Arizona's Sunshine laws, the town's
officials lost what support they had and,
facing criticism from governing agencies,
efforts were made to 'retrain' Quartzsite's
officials -- with little or no effect.
Close elections followed with many more
'election irregularities' attributed to the
existing power structure -- which has now
essentially lost whatever control they may
have had. Michael Jewitt, whose seating was
arbitrarily approved by the council in a
questioned move in spite of a pending court
action, is likely to see that placement
rescinded.
Many see the record voter turn out and wide
margin win as a true turning point for
Quartzsite. There is little doubt change
will be swift and sure. RESULTS HERE In a move expected to be
emulated by other states, Arizona voters
made themselves heard and Jan Brewer showed
herself willing to listen when she signed
the documents that would result in defunding
Planned Parenthood in the State of Arizona.
READ MORE
Quartzsite the Charter City? Not so fast...
The latest rumor hitting Quartzsite's streets
entails the town being pressed to become a
charter city -- with or without the approval of
Quartzsite's voters. Citizens, though, are
the last line of defense against questionable
governmental practices -- something Quartzsite
citizens content doesn't pay proper heed to
transparency laws.
READ MORE
Quartzsite Still Facing Hearing in Court
Any hope Quartzsite's officials might have had
in avoiding a court hearing over their handling
of Quartzsite's election is rapidly fading as
opponents line up to prevent the installation of
Michael Jewitt in the wake of the election
in which candidate John Prutch narrowly missed
being elected to hold the position.
As Prutch's supporters rallied behind him, the
town's officials announced that the election was
not the one advertised but, instead, a 'special
election' that would allow them to avoid a run
off election between the two men in May.
Many fear the town is soon slated to become a
charter city. But if voters fear they've had no
voice in the past -- the new structure will
offer little to allay their concerns.
READ MORE
Quartzsite Council and Clerk face legal fallout
on election
A
special election contest court in Maricopa
County and located in Phoenix is slated to hear
the case concerning the Town of Quartzsite’s
Council and Clerk and the charges pending
against them -- including a fraud charge --
relating to their determined efforts to seat
Michael Jewitt to a council seat in spite of the
overwhelming evidence against their position.
The filings located
here
show a concise and well formatted formula
designed to strike down those decisions made by
the council in spite of the urgings of a number
of professionals who admonished them before the
case was filed that their position was
indefensible.
Quartzsite Officials Grapple with Election
Results The
election has raised concern on both sides of
the issue -- but the town's position has now
been challenged by election specialists and the
League of Cities and Towns. In spite of proper
notification of the swift actions that will be
pressed against the town council and officials,
the council Thursday went forward with
attempting to change [after the fact] the title
of the election held March 8 from primary to
special -- reportedly so that a run off election
between Michael Jewitt and John Prutch could be
avoided.
READ MORE
How did John Prutch lose?
The
town's [new] official
position is that the election the townspeople
voted in Tuesday wasn't a primary after all but,
instead, a 'special election' -- so [town
officials allege] there will be no a need for a
'runoff' election in May between Prutch John
Prutch and Mike Jewett, when the other
candidates have their runoff elections.
What? Actually, that's what the lawyers said,
too. The issue has attorneys lining up to do
battle over the matter in court -- but with
Quartzsite's town officials already having used
97% of their legal budget, there's a question as
to where the funds will come from to press an
issue very few seem to think will prove viable
in court. While
elections in Quartzsite are always an issue --
but Prutch will now face appointed councilman
Mike
Jewitt in May's election.
Similarly, Foster's substantial lead suddenly
dissipated when when absentee ballots were
counted, necessitating a runoff election for the
Mayor's seat between Foster and Jerry Lukkasson. READ
MORE
FOSTER WIN RESCINDED:
RUNOFF SLATED FOR MAY ELECTION Election
watchers
in Quartzsite saw
a move to allow the Mayor to be changed to an
appointed position severely trounced in the
polls. Mayor Ed Foster seemed destined to be
returned to his seat on the dais until absentee
ballots were counted. Foster, who has been known
for demanding accountability on the part of
elected officials has obviously found a
dedicated audience among Quartzsite's voters.
READ MOREINITIAL
ELECTION RESULTS
FINAL RESULTS
Town loses 2 large grants - $4.235 mil With
Quartzsite facing financial deficits, lawsuits
and allegations of fiscal misconduct, onlookers
were stunned to discover the town dropped the
ball on not just the $4 million dollar
infrastructure grant reported to be for water
and sewer -- of which they'd already been
allocated through WIFA $1 million [which now
must be repaid.] Add to that loss the CDBG
grant of nearly a quarter million, over which
they were warned and called to answer --
warnings which went ignored. Are town officials
up to the task of managing the town's business?
Many say the answer to that is obvious.
READ MORE
Town back in the spotlight of media It's
the same issues -- and they never seem to be
resolved. Almost a year after sitting Mayor
Foster raised the issue of monies from the town
coffers going to 11 still unidentified
recipients,
the issue of the way the town is being run is
back in the media following fallout from 3
different attorneys
who are heavily criticizing the town's
operations -- one of whom has publicly
requested the FBI intervene.
County Attorney Vederman's request to FBI
Arizona Republic Story Parker Live Reports
Facebook profits based on YOU All that
information you share is worth billions -- and
Facebook founders are about to collect for all
that information they've collected -- with and
without permission from users..
WND Is SOPA really off the table? Americans will determine
whether or not SOPA is gone or will come back
relabeled. Already, Internet protection
advocates are warning that
ACTA represents a far greater threat than
those created under SOPA and PIPA. Can advocates
move quickly enough to prevent the worldwide
effort to restrict the Internet? How will it
change if they're implemented?
READ MORE
Vote fraud takes center stage in nationwide
election issues
Changing
laws throughout the country concerning elections
and vote fraud have concerned citizens, and Bev
Harris' new book 'RECIPE for VOTE FRAUD'
delineates what's happening with the vote -- and
what can be done about it.
Councilman Robert 'Bob' Kelly dies
Widow Carol Kelly quickly appointed
Robert Kelley,
hospitalized over the past two weeks died
Saturday night, December 31. Kelley, 77, had
been a Quartzsite councilman since 2008.
Quartzsite Suits
Make News
Jennifer Jones and
Michael Roth are both pursuing lawsuits against
Quartzsite officials.
Both Jennifer
Jones and Michael Roth are pursuing lawsuits
against the officials of Quartzsite for
violation of their rights. Jones' case carries a
$450,000 claim while Roth's stands at $350,000.
Roth was exonerated by the Arizona Appellate
Court.READ
MORE
Additional Information:
Parker Live
Online
Quartzsite 's Winter Visitors Return
There is no method with which to accurately
predict what the effects of the economic
downturn plaguing the nation will have on
tourism in Quartzsite -- will this year's show rival
those from years past [pictured above]? CAN THE RECORDS CONTINUE
TO BE HIDDEN? REPORT HEREREAD MOREPARKERLIVE
Were the events of the summer instrumental in
putting Quartzsite back on the map? Some residents
think so...
Administrative Leave Issues Remain: QUARTZSITE'S OFFICIALS
FACE FEDERAL COURT
The attorney for the Town of Quartzsite was
criticized when the defendants in the case, Town
Managers Alex Taft and her assistant, Al
Johnson, as well as the town's police chief,
Jeff Gilbert failed to appear in the case
involving the Quartzsite10 and their
'Whistleblower' status with the Town of
Quartzsite.
The attorney further
attempted to convince the judge during the
hearing that the matter at hand was a personnel
issue and should be treated as such.
The
attorney for the Quartzsite 10, Chuck Onofry,
argued that the case involved the Constitutional
rights of the Quartzsite 10 and should be
heard in federal court.
Attendees at the
hearing in La Paz County's Superior Court before
Judge Randolph Bartlett Monday afternoon
listened as Sgt. Will Ponce outlined the current
situation and explained the position of the
Quartzsite 10. Why Gilbert has not been placed
on administrative leave -- as the officers have
been -- remains unclear. The restraining
order prohibiting the firing of those officers
will remain in effect according to Bartlett, who
has replaced Judge Michael Burke in the case,
since Burke recused himself.
Internal Investigation?
QUARTZSITE10
QUICKLY REMOVED
FROM DUTY The 'Quartzsite 10' -- 9
police officers and a police clerk comprising
80% of the police department personnel -- [all
of whom have been involved as 'whistleblowers'
alleging impropriety in the police department]
have been removed from duty pending an 'internal
investigation' that is being handled by some of
those the officers have accused.
Read Notice
READ NOTICE
READ MORE
Abuse of Process?
EMBATTLED COUNCILMAN ASKS QUARTZSITE COURT TO
REEL IN ROTH
Roth, though, has been vacationing out of state
and denies having had any contact with
Winslow and does not know why he has been
targeted by the 'angry councilman.'
"I
called him a turd once," Roth stated in an
interview Wednesday, "Other than that I have no
idea why he would be in court, asking for a
restraining order. I haven't contacted him."
Winslow may have a difficult time getting
the court to intervene on his behalf since, as
Bill Sims of the League of Cities and Towns
pointed out in a training session with
Quartzsite councilmen, they can expect to be
subjected to criticism as public
officials.
Winslow's comments --
shared with the world via the Internet -- have
sparked international media attention as
well as incurring the angst of outspoken
political activists who have indicated their
shock and contempt over Winslow's treatment of
Jennifer Jones in the Quartzsite video footage
shot by Doug Gilford June 28.
Winslow has
also been seen as the primary spokesman in
efforts to harass and intimidate Foster since
his election as Mayor of the small desert town,
using ad hoc committees and censures --
primarily over the
Mayor's MINESHAFT publication.
Reports have indicated the case is already in
the hands of the Supreme Court.
DOCUMENTATION REQUESTS CREATE
FLURRY OF PAPER
As the public's attention has focused on the
issues facing Quartzsite, so, too, has pressure
mounted on officials to step up and accept
responsibility.
Foster's
Facebook
fans [Supporters of Mayor Ed Foster of
Quartzsite Arizona] are sharing information
online for those watching the situation unfold
-- as are people throughout the world via the
thousands of stories and articles the situation
has generated online, as well as in print and
television media.
"I am absolutely
amazed," Foster stated Sunday "at the level of
dedication and concern demonstrated by the
people -- literally of the entire world -- for
the free speech and openness in government that
people recognize this battle represents."
"Quartzsite is at the 'center of the storm'
in a country the world believes exemplifies
human rights. Whatever other questions exist for
citizens, nothing can be made right without
these most basic rights."
"Dragging a citizen from a microphone where they
have been invited to speak should not happen
anywhere in the world -- and most certainly not
in a country founded on the principals set forth
in the Constitution -- principals for which
generations of men and women have fought and
died," he said. "This country has stood as a
beacon of hope for those who suffer oppression
-- and I think this is the reason this
battle has struck such a chord with the people
of the world."
As the
Arizona Republic
story has clearly illustrated, Quartzsite's
officials have been less-than-forthcoming with
clear explanations of why the town has continued
to operate behind a veil of secrecy and
unaccountability -- in spite of public outcry.
The Attorney General's
Letter
outlines the intent to press forward and other
professionals [the
Ombudsman's office --
AZCOPS.ORG
Goldwater InstituteCity
Ethics.Org
OATHKEEPERS.ORG] have shared their concerns
with the level of disregard for the law as well
as the violations themselves. The
League of
Arizona Cities and Towns director, Bill
Sims, warned Quartzsite months ago of the
potential for problems and asked -- again --
that town manager Alexandra Taft allow the
organization to properly train her for the
position she currently holds.
Neither
Taft nor her recently appointed counterpart
Assistant Town Manager Al Johnson [another
unadvertised position appointed by the council]
have been properly trained. Sims also warned of
the ramifications of arresting people at town
council meetings at that time.
OATHKEEPERS.ORG: FOSTER/JONES TO BE REPRESENTED Concerned over the abuses
perpetrated in Quartzsite, Yale educated
attorney Stewart Rhodes is moving forward to
defend those damaged... READ MORE
FROM YAHOO AND FACEBOOK TO THE WASHINGTON POST
--
Quartzsite on MYFOXPHOENIX.COM
QUARTZSITE'SOFFICIALS UNDERFIRE NATIONWIDE
FOR ABUSES OF CITIZENS' RIGHTS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people are
following what's been happening in Quartzsite
this week as civil rights abuses have been
illustrated in Jones' arrests. The web has been
ablaze over the treatment of Ms. Jones,
Quartzsite's DESERT FREEDOM PRESS blogger
and publisher. The blog currently contains the
video:
Click HERE. As Jones' case plays out
throughout the nation, literally tens of
thousands of people have registered their
disgust and dismay over the abusive treatment of
Jennifer Jones, who has been interviewed by the
most popular media people in the country.
The resulting stories have created an Internet
sensation including a video that 'went viral'
over the activities of Joe Winslow, the
councilman that 'called for restricting Jones
free speech rights, Town Manager Alex Taft who
set her arrest in motion with three nods to the
Chief of Police, and the Chief of Police Jeff
Gilbert along with the two officers who carried
out the forced and 'overtly rough removal' of
Jones' from the microphone during call to the
public, Officer Fabio Garcia and Officer Rick
Patterson. Town Manager Alexandra Taft
hurried to blame Town Attorney Pamela Walsma for
advising her that they could have Jones removed
from the gallery -- and a special meeting was
immediately held to replace Walsma with a new
attorney -- Martin Brannan.
The country
has seemed to embrace Ms. Jones as the
'new face of the defender of liberty' for
standing up against what is being described as
'tyranny and injustice' since she has been
jailed and repeatedly arrested in an effort to
silence her criticism of the town's officials.
As their efforts against her have
escalated, she -- and even the Mayor -- have
been arrested, causing 80% of the Quartzsite
Police force to publicly call for the firing of
the police chief, Jeff Gilbert, with a vote of
no confidence on the part of those officers
against Gilbert. Investigations are said
to be underway.
The
world at large is discussing detailed
reports of the filmed incident appearing on
YOUTUBE.COM that showed clearly what happened
when Jennifer Harris Jones stood to speak and
incurred the wrath of Councilman Joe Winslow at
the council meeting.
Posts are replete with negative comments
criticizing the council for their actions as
well as those of the police involved.
[Incidentally, that meeting is soon to be
declared illegal along with all the others that
have happened since some of the town's officials
began efforts to intentionally limit
seating space for citizens in what has been
described as an effort to avoid public scrutiny
at the town hall meetings.]
According to published reports, the Town Manager
and town attorney reportedly conversed before
Town Manager Alexandra Taft motioned for Jones
to be removed and Taft has indicated that the
Town Attorney Pamela Walsma advised her this was
legal. Walsma is now leaving Quartzsite for
reasons yet unreported, slated to be replaced by
Attorney Martin Brannan at a special meeting
scheduled for Thursday morning at 10 a.m.
AGENDA HERE.
"This may not deflect the attacks
currently aimed at Taft by Quartzsite citizens
who insist that she -- under the direction of
Dan Field -- has orchestrated this entire series
of disasters in Quartzsite: hidden payees on the
town's payroll, [$1 MILLION paid to these 8-10
straw men over the last five years alone] the
strong arming of citizens and town hall
employees -- even attempts to use the town's
police force to control citizens who were trying
to stand up for their rights and demand some
level of accountability," stated Quartzsite
Mayor Ed Foster.
"Instead they've been shouted down, slammed,
attacked, accused and maligned, hauled into
court for civil infractions that the town is
pursuing as criminal -- even arrested which
should happen to no one under these
circumstances -- when they're being targeted for
not obeying the orders of the tyrants in charge
and basically told they have no voice. In the
meantime, property values are falling, morale at
town hall and in the police force are at an all
time low, and people are just basically fed up
with being treated like they have no rights," he
concluded.
Online, Foster is being lauded as a hero among
people watching the events in Quartzsite unfold
while the councilmen are being lambasted for
their inability to properly govern their town --
and for abusing their constituents.
Councilman Jerry Lukkasson was the first to
indicate he wanted his e-mail account turned off
so that the public could not continue to contact
him with their comments. ORCHESTRATED DISASTER: JONES ARRESTED AGAIN
OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF THE MAYOR, Jennifer Jones
was arrested yet again -- this time while making
statements during the Call to the Public as she
calmly made relevant comments pertaining to the
new rules apparently designed to stifle
reporting and videography as well as the new
taxation issue presented during the meeting. She
left the town property in an ambulance.
Councilman Joe Winslow repeatedly interrupted
Jones demanding that she be evicted, over the
objections of the Mayor and others. Two
officers physically removed Jones from the
podium and arrested her. Jones was treated and
released from Parker Medical Center for injuries
to her arm, reportedly sprained in the fray. READ MORE LIZARRAGA RESIGNS Jose Lizarraga has resigned his position
as councilman in the hope of becoming
Quartzsite's next Mayor. Lizarraga has come
under fire for leading the councilmen to abandon
their seats -- something they've all been
criticized for doing every time a controversial
issue is to be addressed. Mayor Ed Foster is the
only elected official who has not vacated his
seat during difficult sessions.
Lizarraga,
criticized for his 'leadership' of the town
council's walk-out on Quartzsite's Policemen's
Association and the AZCOPS VP they invited to
speak is shown here, motioning for the entire
council to vacate their seats: which they
promptly did. The videographer, James Snyder, is
making the video of the sequence available to
anyone that wants to review it. TOWN SLATED TO LOSE $250K
CDBG GRANT FOR FAILURE TO FOLLOW REPORTING
GUIDELINES
There will likely be no new recreational center
in Quartzsite's future following the notice of
intent to withdraw by the CDBG Grant Office
after Quartzsite's officials failed to follow
proper procedure and make timely reports
critical to being allowed to receive the quarter
million in grant funds. READ MORE
TOWN COUNCIL TO
CENSURE FOSTERFOR CALLING
SPECIAL MEETING?
Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster learned Monday he
will face the possibility of what supporters
claim is another censure under the reign
of his political adversaries who currently make
up the town's council.
Foster called the
meeting to discuss concerns brought by the
town's police force after letters from the
policemen's association to the council were
effectively ignored. As the situation has
worsened. WHY HAVE FOSTER'S
QUESTIONS BEEN STONEWALLED?
According to Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster, a story
in the Parker Pioneer [Click HERE to read]
has done little to clarify the issues
surrounding Foster's questions -- to Town
Manager Alexandra Taft -- concerning missing
monies from Quartzsite's coffers. "In
fact," Foster notes, "those missing funds amount
to an average of $200,000.00
per year
over many years -- and the issue of paying money
to unidentified individuals whom Taft is
refusing to identify does not represent a
violation of privacy but, more likely, a gross
violation of the people's trust."
"It has
nothing to do with privacy," stated Foster. "I
have requested and gotten payroll information
before and any 'withholding' information is
simply redacted. "This is actually a simple
question," he says, "Who has been receiving
these additional checks -- eight to ten of them
each and every payday -- for years?"
While Foster refuses to budge and Taft has
refused to produce the records, more than a few
agencies are now watching the situation unfold.
Foster has indicated that this question may
lie at the heart of many of the issues facing
Quartzsite today.
Onlookers were
astounded when Foster was arrested at the Town
Council meeting in May. However, even more
perplexing was the 'laundry list' of charges
that accompanied the report of his arrest in a
story carried by the Parker Pioneer.
Witnesses, too, could not seem to agree with the
allegations made against Foster -- and in light
of these events and others nearly all of the
officers employed by the Quartzsite Police
Department have now gone public with a series of
allegations of their own -- against Quartzsite's
Chief of Police, Jeff Gilbert.
"Ms.
Taft," Foster said, "has taken steps to see that
whatever 'investigation' transpires is privately
handled -- apparently in an effort to control
the outcome. But hiring a private firm to
investigate a criminal accusation is incorrect
-- that can only be handled by law enforcement.
Whatever comes of that, investigation, it cannot
stand. A law enforcement entity must investigate
and draw their own professional
conclusions. This is just another huge waste
of taxpayer monies."
The town is clearly
divided -- but many are waiting to see just how
far Taft plans to go to withhold the identities
of those receiving the 'extra' checks.
"As Foster battles for the right to review the
records to see where these additional payroll
checks have been going, all the town's officials
are faced with a choice: allow him to discover
who has been receiving these checks or engage in
what is being described as an effort to
collectively 'cover' the contents of those
records," stated Citizen's Coalition member and
candidate for town council Pat Workman.
"I have just one question," she said. "What
are they hiding?"
"I have a question,
too," council candidate Dave Djerdahl chimed in,
"Who are they protecting?"
MAYOR HOLDS
TOWN HALL MEETING
TO DISCUSS QPD ISSUES
Without
interference from the council that so often
stonewalls everything the Mayor strives to
accomplish in public meetings, a well organized
and very well received meeting was successful in
allowing the airing of both concerns and
grievances pertinent to problems and issues
facing Quartzsite and its police force -- while
it lasted. There were well over 100 people
present in the audience -- with only one
councilman, Lizarraga, in attendance.
With over 80% of the police department
at complete odds with the police chief and
demanding his ouster amidst serious allegations
of corruption, the meeting was originally
called to discuss the challenges facing the town
and allow those who wished to speak to be heard.
The ten officers that filed the complaints
concerning the Police Chief were all in
attendance -- in civilian clothes -- available
to answer the questions from those in the
audience.
Less than 20 minutes into the
meeting, newly 'appointed' Assistant Town
Manager Al Johnson -- now wearing a badge on his
belt according to attendees -- declared Town
Hall to be closed and announced the town's
employees were going home. He actually called
the meeting to a halt and ordered the crowd to
disburse.
VIDEO HERE [Reporter/Publisher
Jennifer Harris Jones immediately questioned
Johnson about his having removed records
from the care and control of Town Clerk Karen
Norris -- resulting in a visibly flustered
Johnson refusing to answer her. Johnson was also
involved in removing large numbers of
documents from the Town Hall offices to
California [reportedly to be recycled] while
Norris was on vacation -- after witnesses
reported seeing Johnson leaving the premises
with a trunkload of documents in his vehicle.
[There is a recycling container less than 2
blocks from the Town's offices.] He has often
been under fire for being involved in
selectively pursuing citizens using his position
as Building Inspector -- and now as Assistant
Town Manager. At least one currently pending
court case involves records now reported to be
missing from Johnson's office.]
The meeting continued on the sidewalk outside
the Town Hall building where the audience was
still interested in obtaining answers to their
questions and media in town to
follow the story were able to speak with
citizens concerning the issues.
Foster
considered the meeting a success in spite of the
removal of the group from the Town Hall building
upon the orders of Al Johnson.
"These
issues are so easily reconciled," Foster stated.
"All we need is for the town's officials to step
up to the plate, stop hiding the facts and
figures from the public, stop holding secret
meetings and stop harassing those citizens
that are asking questions. Just open the books!
Whatever they're trying to hide -- it just looks
worse for them the more they try to cover
whatever activities they've become involved in."
"These efforts to rule this tiny town of
retirees with an iron fist are patently absurd
and must be stopped -- and we can all be
thankful that we have a police force of enough
dedicated and intelligent officers that they,
too, saw this for what it was and and stood up
for right. Their courage is highly commendable
and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude,"
he stated.
With growing numbers of
organizations interested in the plight of
Quartzsite's citizens amidst allegations of
corruption that rival Bell, California in scope,
it would appear that change is imminent.
READ MORE
INTEREST IGNITED IN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
QUARTZSITE FOLLOWING MAYOR'S ARREST
As Quartzsite's political battleground has
erupted into lawsuits against the town and the
arrests of almost everyone standing in [vocal]
opposition to the way the town is being run,
Quartzsite citizens have seemingly watched and
waited. Many, it is now known, have been writing
letters hoping for an investigation.
The
turning point, though, was the arrest of the
Mayor, Ed Foster, who was locked in a battle of
his own: the Town Manager, Alex Taft, in spite
of telling the Ombudsman's office that the
reports would be forthcoming, is flatly
refusing to provide documents involving eight
regular pay outs to unidentified persons who are
not on the town's payroll. "Who are these
individuals and for what are they being paid?"
Foster inquired. The State of Arizona
Ombudsman's office has supported Foster's right
to know and have directed Taft to properly
handle the FOIA requests according to the law.
They further indicated that they were going to
be investigating the matter.
READ MORE
QUARTZSITE MAYOR JOINS LONG LIST OF ACCUSED
In a detailed story in the Parker Pioneer,
Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster was featured on the
front page, following his arrest at the
Quartzsite Town Council meeting. Both Foster and
Jones insists
many aspects of the story were wrong. "I was
called to the scene by Ms. Jones, and went there
to watch and observe, concerned that the
existing case against the town could adversely
effect our taxpayers," Foster stated.
PIONEER STORYREAD MORE
REPORTER/PUBLISHER
HARRIS-JONES ARRESTED [AGAIN] THURSDAY -- Jennifer 'Jade'
Harris-Jones has stated that she was inquiring
about the investigation of the search of a car
taken from the interstate when detained and
arrested for trespassing.
This is the third time Harris Jones has been
arrested since November 2010, when she launched
a series of complaints and stories
critical of the town's officials.
AL JOHNSON APPOINTED ASST. TOWN MANAGER -- FIRST OFFICIAL
TASK: REFUSED MAYOR'S FOIA CONCERNING TOWN
EMPLOYEE SALARIES
Despite a clear directive from the state
Ombudsman's Office, both Town Manager Alexandra
Taft and the newly appointed Johnson refused to
comply and provide Foster the documents the
Ombudsman agrees he is entitled to view.
Why was Johnson chosen as the town's building
inspector without properly advertising the
position? What are his qualifications? Why
hasn't his resume been presented as requested by
the Mayor? Is he, as has been widely reported, a
relative to Town Manager Alexandra Taft?
READ MORE
DO WE KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT JAPAN'S RADIATION
CONTAMINATION?
Here's a clue: Maybe not. Recent readings show
increased levels hitting the west coast of the
U.S. at an alarming rate. Is it safe?
READ MORE
QUARTZSITE DRAWS FIRE FOR CREATING ILLEGAL LAWS
READ
MOREIndependent Story The Goldwater Institute
warned Quartzsite -- repeatedly, in fact -- of
their position concerning the illegal law passed
by Quartzsite's sitting councilmen in 2009. At
that time, Walter Akin was acting Mayor and he
as well as Huntley, Guthrie, Lizarraga and Kelly
all voted for the measure, with only Bill Moore
voting against it.
All [but Foster and
Moore] are now accountable for their actions
except Moore -- with the new councilmen quickly
moving, in spite of repeated warnings, to follow
suit.
READ MORE
WHO IS JOHN GALT? THE QUESTION IS COMING TO
THEATRE'S NATIONWIDE
Ayn Rand would appear to be the writer whose
time has suddenly come: but who is
Rand and why all the fuss? Galt's speech
provides a clue to why -- all these many
years later -- his name is becoming a household
word. READ
MORE
BLM ANNOUNCES PLAN FOR QUARTZSITE SOLAR PROJECT READ MOREPRESS RELEASE The
long rumored plans for a Quartzsite Solar
Project involving 1,400 acres of BLM land and
extensive building of the project could soon be
underway. JAPAN'S
DISASTER
DEEPENS: COMING SOON TO THE
STATES?DRUDGE
READ MORE - VIDEO The most dangerous type of
reactors are those currently in meltdown mode in
Japan. While the fallout is clearly headed for
the west coast, questions remain as to the
amount of radiation involved.
In the past, true levels have been withheld from
the American public -- but now, with the
Internet, other countries are openly reporting
the severity of the threat....
LATEST RECORDED LEVELS
The Town Council's
Press Release may, indeed, have been misleading,
critics contend, the rates will only increase
under the new guidelines. It's been tried before
in Quartzsite -- but state guidelines have
prevented the reclassification of park models to
mobile homes, in an effort to increase utility
revenue Quartzsite so desperately needs...
READ MOREPRESS RELEASE
TOWN DECIMATES OLDHAM'S RUNWAY BEFORE COURT
CAN INTERVENE
Even as voters make their way to the polls, the
town's plows were at Oldham's
Main
Event tearing up the airstrip -- one more
liability the town can ill afford to pay. Was it
a last ditch effort to show their power? The
resulting berms are clearly a threat to anyone
landing on the airstrip.
The council voted publicly only to cite Oldham
-- but when a judge ruled against the first
batch of citations, the town's position seemed
indefensible. Oldham was not notified of the
intent to destroy the airstrip -- he had
attorneys working to defend against the
onslaught of the town's attacks against him.
Events already slated, however, were going
forward while the legal battle was underway. The
destruction of the runway was a clear effort to
ruin the airstrip and render it completely
unusable instead of waiting for a court to rule.
There is now no asphalt undercoating on the
wide swathe torn by the town's graders and piled
beside the runway making the runway unsafe --
and there is no way to inform pilots of the
hazard..
Pictures HERE
The Oldham's documentation clearly shows the
runway was only advertised as an emergency strip
after permission from the council then in office
was granted -- but the angst of the new sitting
council has been more than apparent,
particularly where the ex-Mayor's properties
have been concerned. As the situation has grown
more dire, people are questioning how it got to
be this far beyond the control of the people. ..
READ MORE
Foster has addressed the issue of Tuesday's
council meeting
here, in The
MINESHAFT, his local publication.
The 'public' meeting of the town's incumbents
has already created a flap:
attendees have indicated
that the acting Mayor stated that the town would
have to learn to get along without vendors...
and he now denies he made that statement.
The
criticism Chuck Norris is enduring over his
endorsement of an overtly Christian film is very
telling. Norris, widely known to hold Christian
beliefs, chose to endorse the project, although he
makes no appearance in the film, which is
describes as seeking to spark dialogue about
America's founding values, patriotism and individual
rights.
Check out our travel
pages to stay on top of the travel issues
effecting you! Learn the facts before you go:
getting in and out of Mexico, which places are off
limits, recent rules & regulations: Visit the
TRAVEL PAGES online.
The boom is officially over and many companies are
scrambling for survival... What's next on the
scene? Stay tuned for news and information designed to
assist you in keeping your competitive edge: and call
the Chamber of Commerce to find those 'by the numbers'
discounts that will keep you in the running longer!
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![Al Johnson was hired without advertising his position[s]. He is accused of selectively enforcing zoning restrictions while many records have been reported as 'missing' from the inspector's office.](aljohnson.jpg)
