If you missed last night’s rowdy 90 minute debate at PCC West campus between Democratic CD 7 Congressman Raul Grijalva and his two women challengers, Republican Gabriela Saucedo Mercer and Libertarian Blanca Guerra, click here for the taped one hour edited video on AZPM, Channel 6. All three are running for the new Congressional District 3.

AZPM’s political reporter Christopher Conover was the moderator of this League of Women Voters and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce sponsored forum.

About 300 people were in attendance at the Proscenium Theater, including District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias, PCC board member Marty Cortez, Dr. Manny Arreguin (Democratic challenger in CD 3 primary), and Barney Brenner, former candidate for District 3 Supervisor. The audience disregarded Conover’s repeated requests to hold their applause & outbursts.

Prepared Sponsor questions asked were about the polarization in D.C., immigration reform, the economic future of Southern Az, and the proposed Rosemont mine. The audience questions were about how to create jobs in Yuma (highest unemployment in AZ), foreign policy & the War in Afghanistan, government regulations (good and bad), and border security (which is better drug policy or immigration policy to secure the border to Mexico?).

I announced this event earlier on October 1st:
http://tucsoncitizen.com/community/2012/10/01/congressman-grijalva-vs-challengers-saucedo-mercer-guerra-at-cd-3-debate-on-october-9/, listing their campaign websites, for those of you who want to read more about the 3 candidates.

Vote wisely on or before November 6. Early voting starts tomorrow.

All 5 Pima County Supervisors up for re-election in 2012*, for their 3rd, 4th, 5th terms — incumbency matters in these races. See recap of how they got there & their subsequent elections (and re-elections) below. Three Supervisors have been appointed, two elected to their seats.

Supervisors Ramon Valadez and Richard Elias have never had a Republican challenger in Districts 2 and 5 respectively.

Supervisor Ray Carroll has never had a Democratic challenger in District 4, has run unopposed in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

The only upset was when Democrat Sharon Bronson beat then-incumbent District 3 Supervisor Ed Moore in 1996 (he had changed from a Republican to an Independent). And now she is the longest serving member of this Board.

District 1 Supervisor Ann Day (R)
2008 primary – Joe Higgins (R); General – unopposed
2004 primary unopposed; General – Sandra Abbey (L)
2000 primary – Dan Schotiel (R); General- Byron Howard (D)
(elected Nov. 2000, former AZ State Senator)
Ann received her B.A. in Education from ASU and her M.ED. in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Arizona, and at one time taught junior high school.

District 2 Supervisor Ramon Valadez (D)
2008 primary- Robert Robuck (D); general- unopposed
2004 primary & general unopposed
(appointed September 2003, former AZ State Senator and House Rep.)
Ramon graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE), and served at one time as a Special Assistant to former District 2 Supervisor Dan Eckstrom, as well as aide to other Democratic politicians.

District 3 Supervisor Sharon Bronson (D)
2008 primary Donna Branch-Gilby (D); General- Barney Brenner (R)
2004 primary unopposed; General – Bennett Kalafut (L)
2000 primary Richard Pacheco (D); General – Barney Brenner (R)
1996 primary- unopposed; General – Supervisor Ed Moore (I) and Vicki Cox-Golder (R)
(elected Nov. 1996)
Sharon earned a degree in Business Administration/Accounting with Distinction from the University of Arizona, and owned her own consulting & small business firm prior to running for office.

District 4 Supervisor Ray Carroll (R)
2008 primary & general unopposed
2004 primary & general unopposed
2000 primary & general unopposed
1998 primary – Brenda Even (R) and Ken Marcus (R); General – Gay Lynn Goetzke (L)
(appointed May, 1997)
Ray received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy (with honors) from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. He was Foundation Manager for Casa de los Ninos and also served as Chairman on the City of Tucson’s Housing Board.

District 5 Supervisor Richard Elias (D)
2008 primary & general unopposed
2004 primary unopposed; General – William Munsil (L)
2002 primary – Frank Felix (D); General – unopposed
(appointed Feb. 2002)
“Richard entered public office after a lengthy career in the government and non-profit development of affordable housing. He earned a bachelor’s degree in History, with a minor in Mexican-American Studies, from the University of Arizona.”

These five Supervisor Districts are subject to redistricting* due to the 2010 Census figures,and the map to be proposed by the AZ Independent Redistricting Commission. (By the way, this commission is meeting in Tucson next Tuesday May 10, 9 a.m. at UA Student Union, Tucson room — see website agenda (click here). *Note comments below & clarification about the role of the Commission regarding County/City districts.

Pima County Recorder’s Office current voter registrations in each District (in columns below — D, R, L, G, Others,Total )

DISTRICT 1 – 37,070 / 47,370 / 744 / 203 / 33,625 / 119,012
DISTRICT 2 – 34,257 / 16,238 / 698 / 187 / 23,881 / 75,261
DISTRICT 3 – 35,866 / 24,680 / 824 / 302 / 27,921 / 89,593
DISTRICT 4 – 39,618 / 50,347 / 863 / 191 / 37,262 / 128,281
DISTRICT 5 – 39,544 / 12,786 / 807 / 379 / 23,007 / 76,523

Total 186,355/ 151,421 / 3,936/ 1,262/ 145,696 / 488,670

Cllick on the blue hyperlinks of each Supervisor to go to their Pima County webpages, and read their complete biographies.

*UPDATE: District 1 Supervisor Ann Day not seeking re-election in 2012, is retiring at age 73:
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_8754b82c-b980-11e0-909a-001cc4c002e0.html

Most of the 18 citizens who testified tonight expressed outrage over the past Rio Nuevo mismanagement to the new Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District Board in a public hearing at the Tucson Convention Center’s Greenlee room. Many expressed anger that there has been no accountability for the $230 million spent of tax payer money over a 10 year period, and asked questions about whether a full fledged “forensic” audit could be performed. Several speakers asked for an “accounting” of the spending, to see who signed the “canceled checks” and that research be done on the major contracts which were not performed. Only 2 of the 15 Rio Nuevo projects were completed (the Fox Tucson Theatre and the Presidio wall).

Most of those who spoke tonight:
1. James Kelley (“The Cholla Jumps” blogger)
2. Mikki Niemi
3. Bud Foster, KOLD 13 reporter
4. Ally Miller, Pima County Tea Party Patriot organizer
5. Steve Kozachik (Ward 6 Councilmember)
6. Michael Tony
7. William Beard
8. Sherese Steffens, Pima County Tea Party Patriot organizer
9. Lillian Lopez Grant, neighborhood activist
10. Barney Brenner, candidate for District 3 Pima County Supervisor in 2008
11. Dick Bayse, Pima Assn. of Taxpayers
12. John Kromko, Pima Assn. of Taxpayers
13. Joe Sweeney, recent Republican candidate for CD 7 U. S. House
14. Ken Scoville, historian

Several speakers called for an investigation by the F.B.I. of any criminal behavior, and a state investigation by Attorney General-elect Tom Horne. The Pima County Tea Party has called for such a criminal investigation today (click here). Some speakers did emphasize the need to move forward in developing downtown, despite this negative report.

For Arizona Daily Star reporter Rob O’Dell’s original article on this audit (click here). In yesterday’s Star article O’Dell wrote:

The audit found that the city’s Rio Nuevo downtown redevelopment district was beset by mismanagement and a lack of financial oversight and internal controls that left a majority of its projects incomplete after more than $230 million was spent.

The audit, conducted by Crowe Horwath of Los Angeles for the state auditor general, said much of Rio Nuevo’s money was spent on planning or projects that stalled.

Unfortunately what was revealed tonight was that the recent audit released at the end of October was only a “financial analysis” and not a full audit (financial statement, performance, or forensic). And the Rio Nuevo Board heard tonight from Crowe Horwath representatives that a full forensic audit may cost in the neighborhood of $1 million, since it would span several years.

The Pima County Tea Party Patriots will be holding a protest rally about this “Rio Nuevo Waste” prior to the Tucson City Council meeting on Tuesday December 7, 4:30 p.m. at Mayor/Council chambers, 255 W. Alameda.

Pima Association of Taxpayers is holding a meeting on “Rio Deceivo” at the Woods Library on December 16, 3455 N. 1st Avenue, 6 to 8 p.m.

The Rio Nuevo board has to prepare a “response” in 10-12 days based on tonight’s public hearing for the legislature.

For more: read O’Dell’s article in the Star about this public hearing attended by about 80 people: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_3a598e2d-e572-5eae-93a6-39b4f3c6d969.html