We remember that famous line from the movie “Wizard of Oz”.  What we haven’t done is try to understand what the allegory meant. While the Yellow Brick Road gang was being addressed by the Great And Powerful Wizard Of Oz, the dog Toto ran off to the side, pulled on the curtain, and showed that a normal-looking person was operating cranks and levers. For a short while, the normal-looking man kept yanking levers and cranking cranks, and said into the microphone  “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

In other words, he wanted everyone to keep being impressed by the big flashy magic show, and ignore that they might have found out how the trick really works.

That smoke and mirrors magic show goes by many different names,  the dog and pony show, the shell and the pea game, the three card trick and innumerable other variations for the illusionist to draw our attention aside while he manipulates the orchestrated trick.

We have a new contender on the scene vying for the title of “the Great Wizard”. The new contender is none other than the new entrants into the mining industry. Their stock in trade is not production or product of any tangible asset but more in the area of control of our National and State public lands. They have found levers and cranks and wheels to turn to produce the magic show and dazzle the American citizens, politicians and businessmen.

They throw money around for public relations fully understanding that it is seed money which could perhaps generate a bumper crop for them as individuals. They all have fancy titles and very large compensation packages which are financed primarily by selling stock to people who wish to make a quick killing. They know and understand that if they can get the permits required, the proposed mining claims become a marketable product.  It’s marketable for one simple fact, the laws are being bent to get control of the public lands and if they get that control they have hit the jackpot. Under many circumstances they will walk away millionaires even if they do not get the permits.  Rosemont Copper is an example of this, the top five executives of Rosemont copper have become multimillionaires simply from large compensation packages which are financed from the stock sales.

Example after example of the smoke and mirrors can be found in the statements of this new generation of copper companies and certain key phrases are utilized to pacify the American citizenry. Who has not heard the phrase “21st-century mine”? How about the phrase “we want to be good neighbors”? There is always the phrase “we will sue you” when they are caught with their fingers in the cookie jar.

Personally my favorite is when Dan Ryan and Rod Pace of Rosemont copper claimed to be:

“The Number Two Tourist Attraction in the State of Arizona”

I pay attention to the man behind the curtain and my advice would be for you to do the same, and by the way Rosemont, it’s the 21^st century already by 13 years.

When I was a child I  was told that with age would come wisdom. If that is true why is that I cannot understand the motives of our political groups today. We have this new organization called the “tea party”, specifically the Pima County Tea Party Patriots, which seems to have motives that I cannot understand. I have watched, recorded, analyzed and studied their methods and what appears to be  their madness. I have been a registered Republican for 47 years and I now watch the party started by Abraham Lincoln tear itself apart by infighting.

I have watched, and for the most part, remained quiet, while they supported Jesse Kelly against a candidate whom he had no chance to beat. They not only did not support but actively campaigned against Jonathan Paton, a decent man whom I thought was the only candidate that could have won that election for the Republican Party. I believe Jonathan Paton will triumph in the new district and perhaps that was meant to be his karma.

I have watched as this tea party has moved my Republican Party so far to the right, that we now equal in some ways the radical concepts of the far left, which includes politicians such as Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and so many others.

This article is not concerning numbers or political concepts or whether anyone is right or wrong. What it does concern is what I feel in my heart and my soul concerning what is happening to my beloved country.  I am watching powerless as we become so fragmented that I feel we are about to break.

If you are curious as to the reason that I’m writing to you like I would write to a long-lost uncle, it’s because of what I am watching in the upcoming primaries.  I will give you one example of a concentrated, thoroughly  planned and executed attack on a candidate that I have a great deal of respect for, and that is my representative to the Board of Supervisors District 4, “Ray Carroll.”

I am not sure how many of you have read the website for the “Pima County Tea Party Patriots”, but I just finished reading it. I saw where they thanked Mr. Garrett Lewis with this ringing endorsement of him and the radio station KNST.  The following is the quote from their webpage:

Thanks to Garret Lewis & KNST

The Pima County Tea Party Patriots would like to extend our Thanks to Garret Lewis and KNST radio for moderating our Pima County Supervisor District 1 & 4 Debates. His moderating skills allowed him to conduct the debate professionally with an added pinch of humor.

End of quote

I have watched Garrett Lewis as he has attacked time after time Supervisor Carroll. I have watched as he has edited the sound bites to manipulate them and to intensify the attack. You asked why I mention that here, it’s because I sent e-mails and communications to both Garrett Lewis and the management of  KNST with a transcript of the editing and was completely ignored. He will admit, on the air, that his biggest concern is ratings. I would be happier if his biggest concern was the truth. Instead, Garrett Lewis has decided to support the candidate endorsed by Rosemont copper. One of his major attacks against Supervisor Carroll was that he used a “naughty word” while at a private roast, and supervisor Carroll made a comment on some of the false ads the media were allowing to be played. I listened to one of Lewis’s podcasts  between he and his callers; they used the word “Crap” twice and the word “Hell” once on the public airwaves while they were denigrating Supervisor Carroll’s using of the word “Pricks” at a private function!

This message was brought to you by no one but myself, written by myself.  I claim credit for all the mistakes by myself, but also claim credit for telling you, don’t turn into the competition or as the cartoon character “Pogo” once said; We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us.

The ending to this message is that the group “The Tea Party Patriots” used this comment while requesting donations at the August debate between Supervisor Carroll and opponent, Sean Collins:

COMMENT:

“So we will be needing to collect donations and also we have to pay for this venue and all the other things that go with it because we could not get a library large enough to hold us all. So if y’all could graciously help us out with donations, so we can take care of the Rangers at the end of the evening and also pay the “DAMN SCHOOL SYSTEM!”

END OF COMMENT

I promised myself I was going to try and stop posting large messages to you the public, so I will quit now.

On August 2, 2012 the Tucson tea party and KNST sponsored a debate between supervisor Ray Carroll of district 4 and the opponent. Sean Collins. It was an excellent opportunity to see the difference between supervisor Carroll, a man who is well-versed and knowledgeable in Pima County and Arizona politics and his opponent who is not knowledgeable in Pima County politics or needs.

His opponent, Sean Collins, appeared to be totally unprepared and ill-informed. Sean Collins appears to have one subject that he  repeats consistently and thats his support of Rosemont Copper. In the background, you can usually find a gentleman by the name of Randy Graf, for those of you who don’t remember him he was the man who proposed Green Valley secede from Pima County. Now he works as a PR consultant and community interface for Rosemont Copper, he also appears to be the man who pulls the strings on Rosemonts puppet (Sean Collins).

Sean Collins waived a paper in the air, during one of his questions that he was to answer, the question was “Have you or would you ever support a Democratic candidate over a Repubblican candidate?” The question was asked by the host for the evening, talkshow host Garrett Lewis, who appears to have developed into an attack dog For Rosemont Copper. It is my contention that Sean Collins was given the questions in advance and prepped in advance. The preparation was not adequate concerning this question, as he answered the question in the negative he waved a paper in the air and said he had information concerning Supervisor Carroll supporting a man, whom he said was a Democrat,  by the name of Salette Latas. I assume Randy Graf was one of the people who helped to prepare Sean Collins for the debate, he simply neglected to tell Sean Collins that Salette Latas was not a man but a woman.

I have refrained from making too large an issue of Mr. Collins defeat during the debate, but I am going to post, a few, articles concerning some of the questions. Ask yourself this question, why would Sean Collins happen to have a paper discussing the candidacy of Salette Latas in the 2007 Oro Valley city Council race unless he knew the questions in advance. I would say the odds are about the same as the sun and the moon colliding at three o’clock this afternoon or having an infrared camera posted at the one particular sign on Highway 83 that was reported stolen by the Collins campaign.

Take five minutes, watch the video and make your own decision. My decision is number one, he should have been better prepared or more knowledgeable, number two his handlers failed in his preparation. Salette Latas is a “Gold Star” Mother who lost her son in the war and asked  Supervisor Carroll for his endorsement .

YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK OF QUESTION

On Thursday,  August 2nd, the Tucson Tea Party and KNST held an event, a debate between Supervisor Ray Carroll and his opponent Sean Collins. The simple purpose of host and moderators is to insure civility, honesty and impartiality.  Sad, but most of those were NOT present under the supervision of Garret Lewis and KNST.

It was evident from the beginning the questions were tailored for Sean Collins and he had been prepped in advance. Sadly, or maybe not, even with the advantage of a sympathetic host and tailored questions he lost the debate soundly. Supervisor Carroll spoke from the heart and from his knowledge of the County Operations. Sean Collins spoke from a LOT of unfamiliar notes and it showed.

The evening started with an undertone of antagonism with Supervisor Carroll being harassed by Mr Lewis concerning a word he used during the (Private Roast) held by Save the Scenic Santa Rita’s, Randy Graf and the other pro Rosemont supporters placed it into  a video and then  flooded the area with it. NOW AS Paul Harvey used to say ,”The Rest of The Story” , during  the opening a representative of the Tea Party while asking for donations included a comment of  having to pay the “Damn School!” and that seemed rather hypocritical to me to be cursing the school which allowed you to have a meeting and at the same time have an Attack Dog in the form of a Talk Show Host attacking a Member of our Board of Supervisors.

——————————————————————————————————–

Following are excerpts from Lewis’ talk show where he edited the recordings to make Supervisor Carroll sound offensive. I have sent these to Mr. Lewis and to Management at KNST and none responded to dispute it. This is EXACTLY what his constituents have been telling Supervisor Carroll about Rosemont and the type of behavieur Supervisor Carroll was refering to when he mentioned the untrue “advertising”.

If you wish to see more read the older story where Rod Pace and Dan Ryan claimed Rosemont was the number two tourist attraction in Arizona.

012 07 27                    ST Lewis show

Garrett  He was getting a little testy towards the end of the interview.
Garrett  Play the soundbite of Ray from the 25th.
————————————————————————————
Ray      You’re just doing your business trying to get your ratings up
Garrett  Is that bad?
Ray      No
Garrett  The way you say that in that tone. It sounds pretty bad
Ray      You can read it in my tone however you like
Garrett  That’s exactly how I take it
Garrett   Seems to me like you didn’t want newspapers and radio
stations like us that accepted advertising from Rosemont
copper and Save the scenic Santa Rita’s to actually use
that to pad our profits and pay people,
I mean that to me is anti-what you said is
anything but conservative.
Ray       Listen, listen you can bring it up
Garrett   It is
Ray       You can just remember that was a roast
Garrett   It wasn’t funny
Ray       I already said—
Ray       Hey, listen, some people thought your jokes about
Green Valley weren’t funny!
Garrett    No they do, they do
Ray        I’m trying to tell you ,your an entertainer, I’m a
politician but in the end,  If you want to just, you know,
continue to beat that dead horse,I understand

Garrett Lewis cut out the ending
to make it appear more contentious.

Ray  but at same time Rod and I have made amends over
what he’s done and what I’ve said
Lewiss Rod, you good with him, really quick, I am really behind.
Rod Pace You know, again I’m not going to go on that ,I’m not going        to bring   it up, I mean what Ray said and
I’m not going to hold it against Ray but it  probably
wasn’t the right choice  of words and I think Ray knows
that too.

Garret Lewis adds Section to make it appear
to be in original soundbite

Garrett States  

not exactly a dead horse, when you curse at a business
and you think that it’s bad, that,  you think ads should be banned,
It wasn’t a joke

The above is another example of how Rosemont is using their advertising dollars to try and influence our elections and an example of how the people will post anything for a dollar.

Mr. Lewis,

I don’t know and cannot speak for Green Valley but I find you and your show neither FUNNY

nor Informative. You tried to back shoot Supervisor Carroll but you missed.

Chapter 2 of the convoluted story concerning Rosemont copper Corporation and their attempt to manipulate County, State and Federal Government Elections. More unusual than it would seem,  the positions of County supervisors are very important in monitoring the Rosemont copper (Augusta resource) permit applications. Understanding this it appears that the Rosemont copper mine’s intention is to try to remove Supervisor Ray Carroll from office because he will not bend to their will.

It’s amazing how the children’s game of “rumors” can be applied so closely to real life.

The rules of the game are:

Rumors

The first person has a rumor of 3 to 4 sentences whispered in his ear.  he whispers this rumor in the next players ear and this is repeated several times. What is the outcome after all players has gotten the rumor? The resulting story is always different.

The PR work being spread and performed by the representatives of Rosemont copper are somewhere in the same pattern. Spread a rumor, watch it grow and mutate as it goes from organization to organization.

I will give 2 simple examples:

1. Rosemont pays for advertisements that  tries to convince the public that Rosemont copper is the number two tourist attraction in Arizona.

2. Rosemont claims 2100 jobs will be produced from the proposed open pit mine.

Who amongst the organizations has tried to verify that number? Large major corporations operating mines in the Tucson area (Sierrata) claim a number of less than 2.2 indirect to direct. Rosemont copper is claiming in excess of 4.18. How is it that a working mine (with accounting procedures in place) is only able to produce a little over 50% of the percentage Rosemont claims?

My answer to those two examples has to be the organizations really don’t want to admit the truth to those they are responsible to. Union leaders hang on the number, like magic they believe that it will hold the members in the union. Those whose jobs it is, and responsibilities it’s supposed to be, to generate new employment for Pima County jump on the number and then point at the Pima County Board of Supervisors and say, “it’s their fault, it’s their fault. If it weren’t for them we would have these jobs” …. Misdirection, half-truths and sometimes just a lie.

Rosemont Copper Corporation, child company of Augusta resource has on file at this moment in time over 3000 job applications. Does everyone think they’re going to run out to the National Forest and get a job with Rosemont Copper? On the other side of the coin, Sierrata Mining has at least 40 jobs open. This is employment they cannot find qualified workers for.

In today’s marketplace of advertising it appears there is someone, somewhere who will take money to spread these rumors. I don’t really believe I need to list every Corporation that is doing so, either information radio or news broadcast who are slaves to the Rosemont PR dollar.

In District 4 of the Pima County Board of Supervisors we have a representative in Ray Carroll who honestly cares about his constituents and the effects of some of this misleading advertising. Because of this, and because he truly wants to represent his constituents Mr. Carroll is being ambushed and attacked by coalition after coalition. These groups are the same organizations and coalitions that will not take the time to actually research out the Rosemont copper project.

One example of this attack and ambush is from the radio talk show on KNST during the morning of the 25th. One small part of the audio was utilized on the 27th during the talk show with Southern Arizona Business Coalition organizers Rick Grinnell and Bill Assenmacher. That portion of the audio from the 25th was edited by the talk show host to make it appear that supervisor Carroll was more contentious and rude than he actually was.

When I started this blog in the Tucson citizen. I was told one of the primary rules was not to edit comments, I could delete a comment, but I could not change it. I would have thought the talkshow host, Garrett Lewis, would have also been under the same restrictions. Garrett Lewis is scheduled to be the moderator of a debate between supervisor Ray Carroll and challenger Sean Collins on August 2. From what I’ve seen so far, Mr. Lewis will not be what one could consider neutral.

Supervisor Carroll, thank you for representing your constituents and thank you for being an honest politician.