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Former Pima County Supervisor Republican Ron Asta considering bid for Mayor of Tucson

by on Nov. 16, 2010, under Life, Politics

Ron Asta

Republican Ron Asta, a civil engineering consultant and former Pima County Supervisor, is “seriously considering” a bid for Mayor of the City of Tucson in 2011.

Ron is Vice President at CPE Consultants (civil engineering/lands plannng firm), 378 N. Main Street (at the Owl’s Club) in downtown Tucson. He has his own radio talk show “Ron Asta’s Tucson” on KJLL 1330 AM The Jolt, on Tuesdays at high noon. He was the District 1 Pima County Supervisor from 1972 to 1976.

He can be contacted at astapz@cox.net.

Read my previous blog on “Will Mayor Walkup run again?” (click here), with names of other Mayoral hopefuls.

Ron is mentioned in a March 18, 2010 Tucson Weekly article (excerpt below) about the Marana Landfill issue:
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/more-trash-talk/Content?oid=1872211

During the early March supervisors’ meeting, Republican Supervisor Ann Day voiced concerns about comparing the Pinal County project to the proposed Marana landfill. Day alluded that something unethical could be going on between Pima County and the Durham project.

She drew attention to Ron Asta, a former supervisor who now works with CPE Consulting. The company represents the Durham landfill and worked closely with Pinal County officials on rezoning and the landfill agreement with the county. Asta has also been a vocal critic of the Marana project, which would compete with the Durham landfill on collections from northwest Pima County.

It also troubled Day that after the supervisors voted to approve the resolution to the Marana Town Council, the next vote focused on renewing the contract for a countywide manhole count. The company doing the count: CPE Consulting.

“This firm has had that contract for a number of years,” Bronson said in response to Day’s comments. “What’s incoherent are Supervisor Day’s comments.”

Asta told the Tucson Weekly that he was asked to get involved in the Marana project by John Kai, who wanted Asta to talk with neighbors who oppose the landfill. John Kai’s brother Herb Kai, is a Marana Town Council member who owns part of a parcel where DKL wants to build its landfill. John Kai is against the project, while his councilman brother supports it, although Herb Kai told the Weekly he’ll recuse himself from voting when the matter comes before the council.

2/23/11 UPDATE: Asta announces for Mayor of Tucson:

http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2011/02/23/ron-asta-announces-bid-for-mayor-of-tucson/

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  • fraser007

    Better check into the shoplifting at the EZ-Save (now the TJ Max) on Wilmot/Broadway. Hey Ron, remember that one! Hope some bright reporter checks into that one! It was a long time ago but people do remember. Life is funny that way. The Three Sonorans this is your cue.

    • fraser007

      Pretty expensive steak?????

      • Carolyn Classen

        Fraser007, can you give more details on this allegation about shoplifting?

        • fraser007

          EZ Save Grocery Store/1969/71 shoplifted steak/police called/I worked there/I saw it.

          • Carolyn Classen

            One of the readers (“azw88″) over at Rum Romanism Rebellion knew about it too, as did Ted Prezelski (blogger/publisher).  Was there a conviction & fine assessed for Asta?  But he was still elected Pima County Supervisor after this incident (1972 to 1976).

    • http://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Sonorans/144198198931412 Three Sonorans

      I got the packing meat in the pants headline ready if he decides to run :)

    • Tony

      Ron Asta ALSO was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident with a fatality here in Tucson.  Sounds like he’s a real loser.

  • http://tucsoncitizen.com/tucson-progressive Pamela

    I just turned off Asta’s radio show. No wonder he’s railing about Rio Nuevo and the impending police/fire cuts and kibitzing with “Cut-the-Waste-No-on-400″ McClusky.
     
    It will be interesting to see who else pops up for that mayoral seat. Johnathan Rothchild seems like a nice enough guy, but I don’t think he has name recognation. Rodney Glassman has plenty of name recognition but not in a good way. There has been some noise about Steve Leal, but (rightfully or not) the Republicans could pin a big Rio Nuevo sign on him– since he was there during the whole debacle. There also has been noise about Steve Kozachik, who is very popular. If Kozachik decided to enter, he would win against any of these people– my 2 cents.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Right, some people are saying that most of past and present Councilmembers (except Steve Kozachik)  are tainted by the Rio Nuevo downtown mess.  We definitely need strong leadership at the City of Tucson to fix all the current problems.

    • http://www.facebook.com/pages/Three-Sonorans/144198198931412 Three Sonorans

      and Shirley Scott…

  • Carolyn Classen

    And read what blogger Ted Prezelski over at Rum, Romanism & Rebellion has to say about Asta when he was a Democrat:
    http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/2010/11/16/asta-be/

  • Shotgun Slade

    Is Ron Asta the guy who slipped a pound of ground beef into his pants? Or was that Fred Snowden’s wife who was the shoplifter?

    • Carolyn Classen

      See what fraser007 above has to say about this shoplifting incident as he claims to have been present, apparently a piece of steak was stolen.  Georgia over at Rum Romanism & Rebellion has more to say as well:
      http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/2010/11/16/asta-be/
       

      • fraser007

        It was not the El Rancho. (Unless he did it there too.) It was the EZ Save at Broadway and Wilmot. (Now the TJ Max.) The EZ Save was an AJ Bayless unit, Part of their operation.

    • Sally

      Yep, that’s the same guy. But it was T-bones, not hamburger.

  • http://pointmantucson.yuku.com/ mike_brewer

    One million population in the valley and near half a million in Tucson, and all we get are the same off-shoot of the same- off shoot…ad infinitum.  Boring!
     

    • Carolyn Classen

      Mike, when Bob Walkup won back in 1999 he was an unknown businessman facing a 2 term incumbent Councilwoman (McKasson), so he presented a fresh presence on the political scene.  We may need such a new candidate in this Mayoral race, and some people are saying it is attorney Jonathan Rothschild who has never run for office before, and has not served on the City Council.

  • UA Rainbow Bridge

    Asta’s steak incident happened in 1983 when he was running for Mayor, as the Democratic nominee, against incumbent Republican, Lew Murphy.
     
     

    • fraser007

      Guess there was another one in 1983??? lol

    • fraser007

      Dont know anything about an 83 incident. The EZ Save incident was no later than 72. 

      • Carolyn Classen

        Sounds like there were two shoplifting incidents  of “a piece of steak”, one back in the early  1970s (which Fraser007 witnessed) and the other in 1983 when Asta was running for Mayor? Was there a conviction in either case?  Why would someone running for Mayor take the chance to be caught shoplifting food?

  • Hugh Holub

    Hope Asta does not run. Even though probably 50% of the people living in Tucson today weren’t here back then,  the steak incident (it is for real) will sink Asta.

    The job of mayor…not the one in the city charter….is to be the vision keeper for the community and lead…and work between all the various factions and interests to make stuff happen. The last mayor Tucson had that did that effectively was Lew Murphy.

    btw..I was involved in Asta’s original campaign to run for county supervisor.

    • Carolyn Classen

      So Hugh, when Asta first ran for Pima  County Supervisor did you know about that first shoplifting incident that fraser007 witnessed at the EZ Save grocery store?  Others online are now talking about the later 1983 incident when Asta ran for Mayor. This 2011 bid would be his 2nd try.

  • Sabrcat

    There was at least one incident that occurred at El Rancho when Ron was running for Mayor.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Haven’t heard anything recently if Asta is still thinking of running for Mayor. Anyone know?

  • fraser007

    Keep an eye on this guy. Tucson does not need more people like him.

  • suki

    I HATE PIMA COUNTY IN TUCSON AZ THEY KILLED MY DOG SUKI #297007 ON 1/5/2011

  • Amy

    Why not ask him about the car accident he got into several years ago when we was talking on his cell phone  ran a stop sing and killed my friends sister. She had just turned 18 and he got away with it. Yup that’s who I want leading Tucson.

  • M&N

    We know that family.  They were devastated when they lost their 18yr old daughter.  The guy got away with it because of who he was.  
    Never expect someone that thinks they’re above the law to uphold it.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Amy and M & N, thanks for informing us about the car accident.  I sent Asta an email this morning asking for a response.

  • Jessica

    My name is Jessica. MY sister was killed by Ron Asta on August 8th, 1994 in a car accident. He had dropped his vehicle off at a shop for repairs and was driving a loaner from that shop. He ran the stop sign at Granada and the Frontage rd just past the TCC. He was not on his cell phone. He hit her truck with such speed that his vehicle impacted my sisters truck 3 times! The 1st was a T-Bone to her drivers side door, the second was at the front on the bed of the truck and the 3rd was the bumper and end of the bed that sent her spinning the wrong direction into the on coming traffic lane. There were 3 people in the truck. My sister and 2 friends. My sister died, and 1 other passenger was injured. Ron left the scene of the accident for 45 minutes. He did NOT check on the other people in the truck. He did NOT call 911, and due to his prior DUI’s he demanded a breathalizer test when he returned to the scene. My sister was 18. She was to start her senior year of high school 1 week from the day she was killed.  He received a traffic ticket for failure to yeild to the right away. It was a $55.00 ticket then. He signed up for traffic school for $85.00 to have it removed from his record but the catch was that you CAN”T sign up for traffic school if there are serious injuries or a death caused by an accident and you have to sign a document stating such, which by the way is purgery!! My mom caught this and he received a refund of the $85.00 and had to pay his measley $55.00 ticket. Later that year we read that ADOT was doing a frontage Rd plan and putting in lights where there were stop signs. He was one of the delopers bidding for that job. I guess another accident on the books helps move it along! just my opinion.

  • Jessica

    thanks I will!!!

  • M&N

    The fact that this man has DUI’s is proof enough that he thinks he is above the law.  Some people would have done hard time in jail for the exact same accident.  This man is using his past employment as a reason to have his record erased.  This is NOT someone that should be representing the people by any means.  He could never honestly represent the people if he thinks he is above them.  Our city deserves much better than someone that hides behind a title.

  • M&N

    The article in the AZ Star has already been hid by public view on the internet.  You literally have to know it exists to find it!   More proof that this guy is as dirty as a mud puddle!  He needs to be jailed!  This is an outrage!  People wonder whats wrong with our society today?  ASTA is one Grand example!

  • Carolyn Classen
  • DHR

    Aren’t there two s’s in Assta

  • News

    Fraser007 I would like to talk to you about witnessing the shoplifting. Please email me with your contact information if possible. alueders@kvoa.com Thanks!

  • Carolyn Classen

    Just got the November 8, 1983 general election results, when Asta ran before for Mayor:
    Ron Asta (D)   22, 727  36.41%
    Lew Murphy (R) 34,672 55.53% (the Mayor at that time)
    Peggy Jeney (L) 2979 4.77%

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