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Ron Asta announces bid for Mayor of Tucson

by on Feb. 23, 2011, under Life, Politics

Ron Asta, a former Pima County Supervisor will file papers today to run for Mayor of Tucson, since Mayor Bob Walkup announced yesterday at the State of the City Address that he is not seeking a 4th term. Once a Democrat, now a Republican Asta is facing fellow Republican Shaun McClusky (who lost the Ward 5 Council race in 2009 against current Councilman Richard Fimbres). Jonathan Rothschild is the only Democrat seeking this position so far.

For my previous blog on Ron Asta (with photo), click here.
Asta served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors from 1972 to 1976, and was the Chair for one year.

Announcement Press Release
Contact: Ron Asta (www.ronasta4mayor.com)

I have lived and worked in Tucson since 1964. I own a home in Tucson. My son was born, grew up and still lives in Tucson. I plan on living here the rest of my life – beginning with this announcement to be the next mayor of the city I have grown to love. But our city is in real need of new leadership.

I am the only candidate for mayor with proven leadership ability in an elected office – as the former chairman of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.

I am the only candidate with experience in urban planning. In fact, I have a Masters degree in Civil Engineering from the UA. And helped set the stage for the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.

I used to be a liberal Democrat whose base narrowed with extreme positions…the poster boy for anti-growth in Tucson…which means I am a candidate who admits to making mistakes…and seeing the error of his ways.

Now I’m a conservative Republican…and a businessman. I still care deeply about the environment. But I also want an environment in which our kids can find jobs. I believe Tucson will work again when Tucsonans are working again. So, with age, I’m a lot more committed when it comes to keeping and attracting businesses. And I’ve learned how to build consensus among parties who often have strong disagreements. That requires a strong mayor…the kind of mayor who will stand up for taxpayers and stand up against special interests.

Yes, I am still concerned about air quality, water quality and quality of life. But I am also concerned about our economy… and about a government that continues to make it difficult to live and work here – while it continues to squander taxpayer dollars. There are no excuses for that. In the coming weeks, I will show you how we can reduce restrictions on doing business here…and reduce city spending…without reducing our quality of life. And without reducing police and fire protection. When it comes to public safety, there are no excuses for second best.

While it is not in the mayor’s job description, there are also no excuses for the sorry state of public education in Tucson. When 70% of our high school graduates need remedial math and English before they can take classes at Pima Community College, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We are failing to bring new business here because of it …. and that is in the city’s job description. I intend to get involved.

Finally, I also have no excuses for a mistake I made 33 years ago…when I stole a steak from a supermarket. I’m human. With nobody to blame but me, it was one of the great humbling experiences of my life. So I am the only candidate who will admit to making mistakes. But I’ve come back strong from each of them. And I hope to use that strength to help get Tucson moving again…get our city back on track…back to where it once was: the country’s best place to live and work and raise a family.

And listen to Ron on KJLL “The Jolt” 1330 AM “Ron Asta’s Tucson” Tuesdays, as high noon.

Campaign contact info: email info@ronasta4mayor.com, phone 520-971-5161, 4225 E. Grant Rd, Suite 1, Tucson, AZ 85712.

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  • Fraser007

    Is that a steak in your pants or are you just happy to serve us!!
    Hey Ron……EZ Save..Broadway and Wilmot…….cops called. That was not in your statement. I wonder why.

  • Fraser007

    Carolyn:

    The Arizona Daily Star published his statemet of intent to run. All of the many comments were negative. Guess Tucson dodged another bullet!……Should be an interesting season. Well.at least until the next nimrod want to run for mayor. Is this the best we can do?

  • Carolyn Classen

    Yes, Fraser 007, lots of negative comments over there on the Star article:
    http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/article_02da812a-4b29-5b07-8cc2-68aa2a413f41.html
    Asta mentions the shoplifting incident “33 years ago” in 1978 (?). Was that the one you witnessed at EZ Save Grocery store? But one of our readers in my previous blog mentioned another one in 1983  when he was last running for Mayor as a Democrat:
    http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2010/11/16/former-pima-county-supervisor-republican-ron-asta-considering-bid-for-mayor-of-tucson/

    • Fraser007

      No. It was between 1969-1971. Ask him again.

      • Carolyn Classen

        I did email Asta for clarification on these shoplifting incident (s).  It’s possible that the 1978 one he refers to is the one the other readers mention when he ran for Mayor in 1983 and lost to Lew Murphy.
        Read what Jessica has to say over at my previous blog about the August, 1994 car accident, when her sister was killed.

  • 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 developers bidding for that job. I guess another accident on the books helps move it along! just my opinion.

    • Carolyn Classen

      Thanks Jessica for information about this tragic car accident. I did contact Asta by email this morning for his side of what happened on 8/8/94.  I will post his response once I receive it.  I also wrote to him about the shoplifting incidents, and the one back in 1969-71 that reader Fraser 007 speaks of.

  • Sally

    @ Carolyn: this is the blog under the article announcing his running for major. I have contacted the Star with info of his killing Jennifer Lousie Reeves in 1994 as she was my neice. Amazing what people who have “connections” get away with in this city.

  • http://www.mycollegesandcareers.com/careers/environmental-engineer/civil-engineer/ I want to be a civil engineer

    Civil Engineering is one of the best careers you can enter into.

    • Sally

      The person who left a comment about civil engineering seems to have not read what the topic is about.

      • Fraser007

        Thats why he is a civil engineer.

  • Sally

    Hey Asta,

       Are you still drinking and driving? Are you still signing affidavits and lying on them? (When he took his driving course to get the ticket off of his record he signed saying that nobody was seriously hurt or killed in the accident that killed Jenny) Are you still lying about calling 911 for help when you didn’t? (he claimed he called 911 – Jenny’s mother has a copy of that call)

  • ralfie

    Thanks for the link Carolyn. I am so sorry you have to be put through this.

  • Carolyn Classen

    Candidate Ron Asta interviewed today on Bill Buckmaster’s radio show, and speaks of that 1994 traffic accident, his other traffic citations, and Rio Nuevo:
    http://www.buckmastershow.com/2011/03/02/buckmaster-show-322011/
     
     
     

  • Carolyn Classen

    Should Ron Asta withdraw from Mayoral race? Tucson Weekly is posting a video whether Asta should stay or go:
    http://www.tucsonweekly.com/TheRange/archives/2011/03/28/ron-asta-wonders-should-i-stay-or-should-i-go

  • Carolyn Classen

    Should Asta stay in the Mayor’s race, in the Daily Star:
    http://azstarnet.com/news/blogs/pueblo-politics/article_990ae250-5a29-11e0-b33e-001cc4c002e0.html
    and in Rum Romanism Rebellion, “Do Ron Run”:
    http://www.rumromanismrebellion.net/2011/03/29/do-ron-run/
     

  • Carolyn Classen

    Update: Asta’s staying in the Mayor’s race per AZ Daily Star:

    http://azstarnet.com/news/blogs/pueblo-politics/article_4f2565dc-6c5f-11e0-b184-001cc4c002e0.html

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