Occupy Tucson protester: Are permits required to exercise your right to free speech? (Image Credit: Pamela Powers)

For six weeks– through heavy rain and nightly disruption by the Tucson Police Department (TPD)– Occupy Tucson has maintained a peaceful encampment protest in downtown Tucson. TPD has issued more than 600 curfew citations and, recently, physically arrested protesters for civil disobedience in not signing their citations.

On Saturday night, four peaceful protesters were arrested; on Sunday night, TPD came to the encampment with significantly more force– six cruisers and an SUV– but made no arrests. (See eye witness reports below.)

This show of muscle by TPD is out of step with at least three of the Tucson City Council– Karin Uhlich, Richard Fimbres, and Regina Romero– and former city officials George Miller and Molly McKasson.

As the situation is escalates, one has to ask: Who’s in charge? Is it City Manager (and former police chief) Richard Miranda? If so, someone needs to tell him his tactics of harassment are– at the very least– exacerbating the situation and making the movement stronger in its resolve and– at worst– could escalate the peaceful protest into a violent clash.

Tucsonans are behind the Occupiers– as is evidenced by the food and other donations and this totally unscientific poll, which has been running at 65-70% in favor of the Occupation since it was posted a few days ago.

Where do we go from here? My vote is for letting the Occupiers stay in the park– without police interference, further arrests, or curfew citations. We are the 99%.

November 26 report

From Alex Maldonado, Occupy Tucson Peacekeeper and member of Veterans For Peace…

From 10:40pm, Saturday night to 12:10am, Sunday morning, Tucson Police Department cited and released demonstrators of Occupy Tucson for staying in the park after hours, except for four who were taken into custody.

Michael (Mike) Migliore was taken into custody after chaining himself onto one of the poles at Veinte de Agosto Park in making a stance for his First Amendment right. TPD handcuffed Migliore and then proceeded to cut the chains, and escorted him to a police cruiser, where he was led away.

Mary DeCamp was taken into custody for the second time in three nights as she refused her citation. DeCamp was walked from her tent to a general area, where occupiers were being cited. DeCamp was then taken to another police cruiser where she was handcuffed, seated and then led away.

William (Billy) Lolos, who also refused his citation, was also taken into custody as he was handcuffed before taken to the general area. Lolos was then taken to yet another police cruiser and seated, and led away.

One unidentified male was also handcuffed and taken into custody, and was seated in the same police cruiser as Lolos.

All four were peacefully taken into custody without incident as fellow occupiers and supporters gave encouragement to those taken into custody for the third night in a row.

November 27 report

From Alex Maldonado, Occupy Tucson Peacekeeper and member of Veterans For Peace…

‎10:30pm to 11:30pm, TPD bull-rushed the encampment with six police cruisers and one SUV. Ten occupiers were sitting on the U-Turn curb, as there is a possibility of mid to high-teen numbers in citations. TPD’s mood tonight was not as amiable as previous nights. No one was taken into custody.

For those of you who have forgotten why the Occupiers are out there– or never understood the movement. Here is Occupy Tucson’s Declaration…

On Saturday, November 12, 2011, participants of the General Assembly of Occupy Tucson came to consensus and passed the following Declaration of the Occupation of Tucson as a working document. This is a living document and will be updated with new additions as the process continues.

Declaration of the Occupation of Tucson
As we gather in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what has brought us together.As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality that the status quo is unacceptable, and that our political and economic institutions, both corporate and governmental, are failing us; that the corruption of our system has undermined our rights, and it is now up to us, the people, to re-found those rights, and expand upon them. We assert that legitimate institutions derive their power from the people, and, therefore, as the people overwhelmingly reject the monopoly of power exercised by both government and transnational corporations, and in particular large financial corporations and the military-industrial complex, that their power is illegitimate; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by political and economic power, or when the rule of power trumps the rule of law.We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known:

We will not tolerate discrimination in the workplace, or in our governmental institutions, or within our own movement based on age, race, sex, class, gender identity, sexual orientation, developmental ability, physical ability, religious belief, and non-belief.

We condemn and consider illegitimate the acquisition of houses through an illegal foreclosure process by banks and other financial firms.

We condemn and consider illegitimate the massive bailouts that have been passed by Congress on terms unacceptable to the majority of Americans.

We condemn the media’s performance in keeping people misinformed and fearful. We condemn governmental and corporate manipulation of the media for the purpose of spreading disinformation and concealing incriminating or embarrassing information.

We recognize that financial corruption and failure are practiced with impunity under the slogan “Too Big To Fail.” In the midst of their devastating failures, we condemn the rewarding of massive bonuses to financial executives and elites.

We condemn the pressure to limit workers’–including migrant workers’–pay and access to healthcare in order to inflate profits, and overcompensate managers and executives. We demand the recognition of workers’ rights as human rights.

We oppose the systemic orientation of outsourcing more and more jobs, and condemn its use to exert further pressure on workers.

We condemn the scapegoating of the poor, and in particular the scapegoating of immigrants, including those who enter the US, often out of desperation, illegally.

We will not tolerate the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of nonhuman animals, and we condemn those who actively hide these practices.

We condemn the “structural adjustment” policies of the IMF, WTO, World Bank, et al. which have disrupted and degraded developing economies throughout the world. Consequently, we demand the forgiveness of the crushing debts imposed by the above bodies.

We condemn the use of legal teams, lobbyists, and other means to circumvent the spirit of our laws.

We condemn the universal commodification of our culture.

We condemn the practice of blocking generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit.

We condemn the execution of persons, and oppose the privatization of prisons.

We condemn colonialism in all its forms.

We condemn torture, and we condemn dismissing the killing of civilians as “collateral damage”.

We condemn the creation of weapons of mass destruction, and the profits derived from their creation.

We demand accountability to the people and will not tolerate corruption in government and transnational corporations.

We demand the dissolution of the legal absurdity of corporate personhood.

We demand deeper investment in alternative, renewable forms of energy, and condemn policies that keep us unsustainably dependent on oil and other fossil fuels.

We demand the conversion of the perpetual war economy into an economy that supports peace and sustainability.

We demand accountability of transnational corporations that have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and faulty products—endangering lives and health—in pursuit of profit.

We demand the recognition of a worker’s right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions, and the right to negotiate in association with other workers.

We demand a reevaluation of the food supply—including a reevaluation of agribusiness and federal food policies and subsidies—with an emphasis on correcting negligence and dissolving monopolies.

We demand the end of all privatization of the commons such as water, seeds, genetic materials, et al.

We demand education as a right, and we condemn massive student debts as an abridgment of that right.

We demand publicly-financed campaigns, and condemn the use of money to buy disproportionate and undue influence in government.

We demand the end of the revolving-door lobby system between Congress and corporations.

We demand instant-runoff voting to supplant the winner-take-all system in elections.

We demand transparency in the tabulating of ballot returns.

*This list is not all-inclusive and may be amended at any time by consensus of the General Assembly.

We, the Occupy Tucson General Assembly, are asserting our first amendment rights, as well as our power as citizens. We are peaceably assembled; occupying public space; creating a process to address the problems we face, and generating solutions accessible to everyone.

To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support and resources.

Join us and make your voices heard!

Occupy Tucson banner (Image credit: Pamela Powers)

Both MoveOn.org and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have created online petitions in support of Occupy Tucson in their struggle with the Mayor and Council, the Tucson Police Department, and the Parks and Rec Department.

From MoveOn…

The members of Occupy Tucson are requesting our help.

The Tucson Police Department is issuing criminal citations to Occupy Tucson protestors who stay in Armory Park past 10:30 p.m. This citation carries a potential sentence of up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, and up to three years probation.

Mayor Bob Walkup, the Tucson City Council, and City Manager Richard Miranda should support freedom of speech by dismissing all charges against the occupiers and allowing them stay in Armory Park. That’s why I created a petition on SignOn.org, which says:

Dear Tucson City Leadership,

You have it in your power to dismiss all charges against the peaceful demonstrators of Occupy Tucson. We the people of Tucson and southern Arizona call upon you to stand up for our constitutional rights to freedom of speech and peaceable assembly by dismissing these charges and allowing the demonstrators to remain in Armory Park.

Will you sign the petition? Click here to add your name, and then pass it along to your friends:

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=266019&id=32331-10190030-CCS6jax&t=2

And from the ACLU…

Free Speech Trampled in Tucson

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the passage of the Patriot Act. The misguided law, which dramatically expands the government’s authority to spy on its own citizens, has been used to shut down debate across the country. And many post 9-11 government tactics—from censorship and surveillance to detention, denial of due process and excessive force—are still being used by government officials to squelch dissent in Arizona and nationwide. Look outside your own window and you might just see your fellow Arizonans paying the price for exercising their constitutional right to dissent.

Arizonans’ urge to express their First Amendment right to free speech is stronger than ever. The Occupy Phoenix and Occupy Tucson movements have seen hundreds of Arizonans take to the streets to flex their First Amendment muscle and tell their own “We The People” story. These Arizonans know that one of the best ways to honor our Constitution is to exercise the precious rights it guarantees us.

Despite this guarantee, many of these earnest and peaceful protesters have been arrested, harassed, and intimidated during the protests. More than 100 Tucson protesters were charged with various criminal citations as they exercised their right to free speech. Countless Phoenix residents were also charged with violating camping and trespass ordinances as they exercised their right to free speech. Phoenix police initially prevented protesters from camping after hours, but are now letting people stay at Cesar Chavez plaza around the clock. Phoenix protesters can sleep at times, but can’t have any tents or camping gear. But the situation in Tucson is still unresolved.

The ACLU of Arizona remains intently committed to protecting the free speech rights of all Arizonans.
Take action to respect the First Amendment rights of the Occupy Tucson protesters.

Whether you agree with the Occupy movement or not, we can all agree that government can’t stifle peaceful protest and harass people for exercising their constitutional rights. That’s why we’ve provided ACLU resources in Phoenix to ensure that protesters know about their rights when protesting, camping, and photographing police. That’s why we’re coordinating legal representation to make sure that people who were arrested get their full measure of due process in court. That’s why we’re strategizing to convince Tucson city officials to drop charges against the 100-plus people arrested during Occupy Tucson.

Add your voice to the chorus and tell Tucson Council Members to urge City Attorney Michael Rankin to protect and support peaceful political expression.

 Last week’s Tucson Mayor and City Council meeting was variously described as “raucous,” and “inspiring.”

Protesters from Occupy Tucson packed the meeting and testified for hours. They pleaded with the Mayor and Council to intervene with the Tucson Police Department to stop against the $1000/night fines against the Occupiers and to intervene with the Parks and Recreation Department to end the $150/night camping permits (the biggest camping permit I know of) and the requirement for insurance.

No decisions on these items could be made last week because these issues were not officially on the agenda.

These issues are still not on the agenda for tonight’s Mayor and Council meeting. Instead, they are flagged as an executive session item on the  study session agenda. In addition to not dealing with the Occupation in public today– unless, of course, Occupiers speak at the call to audience again– the Mayor and Council are not scheduled to have another open meeting until Wednesday, November 9 (after the election).

Also of interest to the 99% and also on today’s study session agenda is a follow-up to a 2007 report on Poverty and Urban Stress in Tucson. This is an excellent report conducted by former Councilman Steve Leal; unfortunately, after he retired, the report was shelved– until a few of us rabble-rousers (including Leal) started making noise about it. Watch for more on this.

Poverty, homelessness, and unemployment are out of control in our city, but if you listen to the Democratic and Republican mayoral and city council candidates, you’d think the biggest issues facing our city were development-related fees and the self-perceived hassles developers have when dealing with the city’s bureaucracy. (Give me a break.)

It’s time for our elected officials to open their eyes and look around. Maybe they should be talking with the 99%– instead of holed up behind closed doors with attorneys, current and former law enforcement (ie, our new city manager), and other bureaucrats.

UPDATE: The Occupiers are going to march from Armory Park to the City Council Meeting later today. The march begins at 4:30 p.m. The City Council Meeting begins at 5:30.

According to Occupy Tucson’s facebook page, 259 citations have been issued in the 10 days since the Occupation began. There are 50 tents at Armory Park, but that number should swell this weekend with the planned Family and Friends Campout on Friday, October 28.

UPDATE 2: For moving Occupy Tucson testimony from the 2 City Council meetings were no action was taken by the Council on the issue of park permits and citations, check out these links. Particularly moving is the homeless man at the beginning of part 2 of the October 25 meeting.

October 18, 2011 Tucson Mayor and Council Meeting

October 25, 2011 Tucson Mayor and Council Meeting

Speaking with commentator Keith Olbermann on national television , Occupy Tucson spokesman Craig Barber outed the Tucson’s Mayor and Council for “hiding behind” the bureaucrats in Tucson Police Department (TPD) and the Parks and Recreation Department and avoiding to make a decision regarding the legality of the peaceful Armory Park occupation.

Prior to Tuesday’s City Council Meeting– which was flooded with Occupy Tucson supporters– City Council Members told the Occupiers that their “hands were tied” and that the Occupiers had to comply with the city’s anti-vagrancy laws which dictate a 10:30 p.m. park curfew. Since the beginning of Occupy Tucson on Saturday, October 15, 2011, TPD has been arresting protesters and dispensing fines up to $1000 (for breaking the curfew) nightly.

Since it is against state and federal law to step on anyone’s first amendment freedom, the protesters are dubbing the $1000 fine– “The First Amendment Fine”– and their lawyers are investigating legal recourse.

At Monday’s Mayor and City Council candidate forum, City Council Member Shirley Scott dismissed Occupy Tucson, saying that the protesters were just a bunch of rabble-rousers from out of town.

Shirley, honey, lend an ear. Tucson has the highest rate of poverty of any city in the sunbelt. There are not enough local business owners to re-elect you; you are going to need some of the rest of us– some of the unemployed and underemployed– to check your name on the upcoming ballot to retain your seat on the City Council. Shirley, your constituents are the 99%– not the 1%. Your constituents are at Armory Park.

The above loneprotestor video accurately shows the wide cross section of people occupying Tucson’s Armory Park. Yes, in the video, you will see old hippies and college students, but there are also young mothers and babies, union members, nurses, teachers, retirees, unemployed workers, political activists, a Congressman, a mayoral candidate, even a certain progressive blogger– in other words, the 99%.

At Tuesday night’s City Council Meeting, Shirley and others had the opportunity to be up close and personal with 100+ supporters of Occupy Tucson. From the Tucson Weekly…

Old and young dressed in everything from jeans and sweaty T-shirts to full suits came to address Tucson’s council, mostly about Occupy Tucson, the Occupy Wall Street affiliated event that began Oct. 15 at Armory Park.

Their main gripe against the city were 109 citations protestors received Saturday through Monday, according to TPD, for staying at the park “after hours,” in this case after 10:30 p.m., which is a criminal trespassing violation under city code.

According to a press release sent out by Occupy Tucson itself, their demands were clear: “waive or reduce the citation fines levied against protestors,” it said.

“The cost every night to keep citing people is going to bankrupt you, I just hope you guys know that,” said protester Phillip Benoit during the call to the audience.

Benoit and many more spoke for almost two hours at the meeting for three minutes each, invoking the words of icons like Albert Einstein and Thomas Jefferson, and with topics ranging from corporate greed to water rights to the legacy of the unborn to crippling debt. But the Occupy Tucson crew rallied around one central idea—their right to free speech.

It often got personal.

“We gather not to cause trouble but to share our troubles with the rest of the 99 percent—which includes you,” said Kristina Ruiz.

“How will your descendents speak about you?” Michael Migliore asked the council.

Even calls of “shame on you!” were applauded by the group, though raucous applause often dwindled to jazz-hands-style finger waving during speeches to show approval.

Since there was nothing on the agenda about the citations, council members couldn’t act on what was discussed. Instead, they listened quietly to every individual with state-prescribed stoicism—though an occasional nod, raised eyebrow, or smile escaped the faces of several members and the mayor himself.

Overall, this was a particularly rowdy council meeting, with cheers and applause breaking out after most speakers. The energy was palpable. The crowd was particularly energized by the words of 62-year-old Margie King, a Tucsonan who has spent years in China teaching U.S. History.

“The American government supported the Tiananmen Square movement after 10:30 at night,” King said to cheers. “The American government supported protests in the middle east after 10:30 at night!”

After the call to the audience was adjourned, the group reassembled in front of City Hall, and a cry of—“To Armory Park!” could be heard in the crowd. [emphasis added]

Tucson’s Mayor, City Council, and police have been taking a somewhat passive aggressive approach to the Occupy Tucson movement.

As reported in the Arizona Daily Star, 53 people were arrested in Armory Park on Saturday night, the first day of the occupation. Tucson Police have been using an anti-vagrancy law to ticket protesters who stay in the park over night.

Before the Occupation began, Occupy Tucson organizers called several City Council members and asked for their help with park permits and the 10:30 p.m. park closure ordinance. These calls primarily fell on deaf ears. The Council members who bothered to call the Occupiers back said their “hands were tied.” At least one council member warned the protesters that Parks and Recreation may turn the sprinklers on the overnight protesters.

Now Occupy Tucson organizers are asking for your help with Tucson’s Mayor and Council, who have a meeting tonight.

On facebook, they are organizing a march from Armory Park to the Mayor and Council Chambers. Check out this facebook event or show up at 4:30 p.m. at Armory Park.

Here is a release from the Occupy Tucson movement.

The City of Tucson has chosen to deny the peoples right to peaceful assembly as guaranteed by both the US and Arizona Constitutions. They’re doing so by using a city ordinance written as a measure that prevents the homeless from living in the parks. That form of enforcement of a local issue is not required when applied to a political protest as it prevents a peaceful assembly for the common good.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” – US First Amendment, Bill Of Rights

“The right of petition, and of the people peaceably to assemble for the common good, shall never be abridged.” – Arizona Constitution, Article 2 Section 5 [Note that under this section, camping in the park because you are homeless (for personal gain) might be illegal, but for the common good (political protest) it is a protected activity]

The Arizona Daily Star reported 53 citizens given citations and charged with vagrancy last Saturday night as they stood up for their First Amendment right to peacefully assemble at the Occupy Tucson event at Amory Park. Included was philanthropist Peggy Hitchcock. Peggy had to search for a police officer willing to give her a citation once they realized who she was. Also, given citations were:

* Mary DeCamp, Green Party activist and candidate for Tucson ’s mayor;

* Arlene Leaf, local small business owner and activist;

* Jon McLanne, one of the Occupy Tucson organizers;

* John R Brakey, election integrity activist and many more.

The encounter between the Tucson Police Department and the peaceful assembly of citizens was a model of civility with mutual respect and good communication appreciated by both sides. This is in contrast to what happened in Phoenix where people were sprayed with pepper spray and forcefully arrested as they said “we love you” to the Police. (must see video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ZS9EqjE90

The Tucson Police used a velvet glove approach to the assembly here. They are doing “catch and release” ticketing of anyone in the park after hours (10:30pm-7am). The Tucson Police gave criminal citations knowing they will be challenged in the courts and at the city council.

As civil as everything is the Tucson Police will continue giving criminal citations on a nightly basis. It is the hope of the citizens that this is not a strategy to financially intimidate the peacefully assembled citizens to interfere with their rights to assemble for the common good.

There is a sense of urgency for the City Council to quickly address this issue by putting it on the agenda for the Tuesday Oct.18 meeting (5:30 pm at City Council Chambers). Arguments will be presented to acknowledge the importance of not abridging Arizona and Federal constitutional law. A number of people who were cited have asked Attorney Bill Risner to speak on their behalf. Others are encouraged to speak also.

Since agenda items must be posted prior to the meeting, people are urged to call the Mayor and City Council Members immediately to make this request.

Link to members and numbers can be found by clicking on the below here: http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/citygov

You can also find their information below.

Regina Romero – city council Ward 1
Phone: (520) 791-4040 Email: regina.romero@tucsonaz.gov

Paul Cunningham – city council Ward Two
Phone: (520) 791-4687 Paul.Cunningham@tucsonaz.gov

Karin Uhlich – Vice Mayor and city council Ward III
Phone: (520) 791-4711 Email: karin.uhlich@tucsonaz.gov

Shirley Scott – city council Ward IV
Phone: (520) 791-3199 E-Mail: ward4@tucsonaz.gov

Richard Fimbres – city council Ward V
Phone: (520) 791-4231 Richard.Fimbres@tucsonaz.gov

Steve Kozachik – city council Ward VI
Phone: (520) 791-4601 E-Mail: Steve.Kozachik@tucsonaz.gov

Mayor Bob Walkup
Phone: (520) 791-4201 mayor1@tucsonaz.gov

Ward 6 City Councilman Steve Kozachik is not only a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is guy, he’s also apparently very frugal.

Each City Council member receives the same amount of money to run his or her ward office, and sometimes they have money left over at the end of the fiscal year. This year Kozachik has an extra $75,000 from his own budget, and he proposed a plan to spend the $75,000 to fill potholes in Ward 6. (Yippee!)

According to an interview on the John C. Scott Show, on Thursday, Kozachik said that for the last three fiscal years the City Council has not budgeted any funds to fix potholes on Tucson’s residential streets. Furthermore, Kozachik said that whenever he goes to neighborhood meetings the subjects most discussed are potholes and graffiti. (True that. Ward 6 is littered with potholes, graffiti, and junk furniture left on the curbs by lazy landlords.)

Unfortunately for those of us who reside in Ward 6, Kozachik’s plan was squelched by the other City Council members at Tuesday’s meeting. His proposal to use his extra money to fill potholes on residential streets in his Ward 6 was removed from the consent agenda by Councilwoman Karin Ulich and put up for a vote by the full council.

By a vote of 5-2, Ward 6 lost. Only Councilman Paul Cunningham voted with Kozachik and the residents of Ward 6.

What is ironic about this vote is that both Ulich and Councilwoman Regina Romero (who voted against Kozachik) have used leftover monies from their ward offices to fund projects in their wards.

Hey, Karin and Regina, Ward 6 has a pothole problem, and our Councilman has a solution. It isn’t fair to play politics when a fellow council member is trying to serve his constituents.

There are dozens of large, dangerous potholes in my neighborhood—only one of many midtown neighborhoods in Ward 6. Bicycle-riding and dog-walking are common activities. Now that temperatures are rising, many are traveling the streets at dusk or after dark. This is a dangerous situation that could have been corrected.

Cluttered with so many signs that you can hardly see the street, Speedway Blvd. was dubbed the ugliest street in American by Life Magazine in 1970.

Being known as “ugly” is not a good designation for a town that lives on tourism. In the 1980s, Tucsonans passed landmark sign code legislation that has gradually whittled away billboards and reduced the number and scale of signs.

Tucson Sign Code works to beautify our city, and that is why it is under attack by the sign industry and local businesses. The question is: Will the Tucson City Council have the backbone to protect it? Judging by recent “business friendly” rulings by the City Council that have weakened the Sign Code, don’t hold your breath. (In December 2010, they voted unanimously to allow more signs and larger signs along Tucson’s scenic corridors. In March 2011, they voted to allow the Jewish Community Center to erect a billboard on the side of their building, which is in Tucson’s scenic corridor.)

The latest Sign Code battle is being fought on two fronts. Business interests are pressuring the City Council to eliminate the Sign Code Appeals and Advisory Board (SCAAB), the citizens’ review board that hears appeals when businesses want a variance to the sign code, and to pass a historic sign amendment to the Sign Code, which goes far beyond saying the funky neon signs along Miracle Mile.

Businesses are attacking the SCAAB because the SCAAB doesn’t roll over and do everything they want. From Sign Code activist Mark Mayer…

A proposal is now pending before Mayor and Council to eliminate the SCAAB and assign its functions to the Board of Adjustment.  This proposal, which is stealthily labeled “Improvement in Sign Code Administration”, is part of the City Manager’s Strategic Work Plan that you will be asked to vote on July 6.   The proposal is the apparent result of the repeated sign industry failures to stack SCAAB with its members and allies and it is now setting its sights on the Board of Adjustment as an alternative forum (with “recommended” appointments to undoubtedly follow).  Any claims that this move is due to budgetary issues ring hollow, as there are no proposals to eliminate the larger, more expensive, and sign industry-dominated Citizen Sign Code Committee (CSCC) and assign its functions to the Planning Commission.  The SCAAB proposal needs to be rejected, at least until such time sign regulations are appropriately incorporated into the Land Use Code and the CSCC issues noted above are fully addressed.

The proposed historic sign change sounds good on the surface, but it goes too far. Again, from Mayer…

An ordinance to ostensibly protect historic signs is now before the City Council in Study Session on June 14 [that's today!] and in public hearing on June 28. The draft ordinance has mushroomed well beyond what was originally conceived and would now open the door to the largest and tallest of signs being relocated or resurrected on properties where they never existed before and without any notification to surrounding property owners, without any public hearing, and without a legislative decision being made by Mayor and Council. Instead, the decision would be made by a single administrative official, which, if not without statutory authority, is certainly bad public policy. It is no wonder that the sign industry and its proxy, the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, are heartily supporting this ordinance. The Mayor and Council need to narrow the scope of the ordinance down to its original focus, which was to determine the relatively limited number of older signs that are widely embraced by the community for their historic value and focus on their preservation. [Emphasis added. ]

As I said at the beginning of this article, Being known as “ugly” is not a good designation for a town that lives on tourism. If the Mayor and Council truly want to be business friendly, they should keep the SCAAB and ask that the focus of the historic sign amendment be narrowed to its original intent.

Tell the City Council what you think. Here’s a link to their contact information, or better yet, come to the meetings and speak in favor of keeping Tucson off the worst-dressed list.

What makes Tucson unique compared to other southwestern cities?

The weather? Nope, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Mesa, Tempe, Scottsdale, Sedona, Albuquerque — all have basically the same weather.

The mountains? Nope, these other southwestern cities have mountain vistas.

The desert vegetation? Nope.

Blue skies and little rain? Nope.

The music and art scene? Well, yes, Tucson has an awesome music and art scene that these other cities don’t have.

What about our historic architecture? Bingo. I dare you to find a California Bungalow, a Queen Anne, or a Territorial in any of these cities– especially in Maricopa County.

Two local developers– Michael Goodman and Richard Studwell– want Tucson’s historic neighborhoods to look more like generic Maricopa County. They have been working hard to destroy Tucson’s historic architecture and transform historic neighborhoods near the University of Arizona into poorly-built, mini-dorm ghettos.

The Feldman Neighborhood, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places, has been fighting these two — particularly Goodman– over every demolition. Basically, he could not care less whether he tears down an architecturally significant home to build a mini-dorm monument to ticky tacky. Goodman has leveled entire blocks of old house and old vegetation to build mini-dorms.  It’s all about making a fast buck.

I have four questions for these short-sighted developers, the Arizona Legislature, the University of Arizona, and the Mayor and Council who have allowed developers to destroy our architectural history:

1. What will these areas look like in 10 years? Mini-dorms are not built to last– unlike the 70- 100-year-old houses they are replacing. What will the city do with neighborhoods of crumbling ticky-tacky?
2. How many mini-dorms does the UA need to house students? Seriously, I would think at some point the market will be saturated with this type of housing. Then what do we do with these architectural monstrosities?
3. If the UA enrollment has increased so much, why has the state not built more dormitories? The state gets the tuition money + living expenses for students who live in the dorms. I doubt that the UA enrollment has increased as much as the developers say. This data from the UA website show enrollment at 37, 217; the UA enrollment has hovered around 30,000 for decades.
4. Why must historic homes be destroyed to build high-density housing? Tucson has plenty of vacant lots and crumbling commercial properties everywhere, particularly on main arterials.

Candlelight Vigil
Recently, Goodman has moved into the Jefferson Park Neighborhood, which is less organized than Feldman. The latest victim is the bungalow at 1036 E. Waverly St., which at the time of this writing has been partially destroyed.

But the Jefferson Park neighbors are beginning to fight back. This Friday evening, January 7, at 6:30 p.m. in front of 1036 E. Waverly, they are holding a candlelight vigil. Everyone is welcome. Please bring candles or flashlights, signs, bagpipes or other musical instruments.

Let’s preserve historic Tucson before it disappears.

P.S. This is not an issue of neighbors vs students. This is an issue of wise development vs destroying history to make a fast buck.

Larger commercial signage will now be allowed along Tucson's scenic routes. (Photo Credit: Pamela Powers)

After hearing several Tucsonans– including former City Councilman Brent Davis– speak in favor of keeping the current Scenic Corridor Sign Code or fixing just the problem area along Houghton Road, Tucson’s Mayor and Council voted in solidarity to allow larger signs on all scenic corridors in Tucson.

Three plans were considered: Plan A which was drawn up by sign industry lobbyists; Plan B which was drawn up by city staff; and Plan C, a compromise plan that gives business larger signs but not as big as they had hoped for. A fourth plan– dubbed the community plan– was proposed by signage watchdogs Mark Mayer and Kathleen McLaughlin, who sits on the Citizens Sign Code Committee. Although the McLaughlin-Mayer plan was submitted to the Mayor and Council and some residents spoke in favor of it, it was not distributed online with other documentation, and it was not seriously considered at the meeting.

Davis, who had been on the City Council when the initial sign code was developed, spoke eloquently about the vision they had for Tucson’s Scenic Corridors, “It [the Scenic Corridor Sign Code] has worked for almost 30 years. We had a vision to preserve the city’s natural beauty. All City Council members before you– regardless of Democrat, Republican, Independent, whatever– have supported it.” He and others urged the Council to think of their legacy on this issue.

If you increase the size now, you will never be able to go back because the larger signs will be grandfathered, he warned. Noticeably proud of the vision and the work that was done on the sign code in the 1980s, Davis said those who have lived in Tucson for a while will agree that streetscapes have changed dramatically since the code was adopted.

In the end, it didn’t matter that there were fewer large sign supporters than Scenic Corridor supporters, the Mayor and Council voted for the compromise Plan C and talked about revisiting the issue in a year. Another issue that came up in the public comment and was mentioned by Councilwoman Karin Ulich was review of the make-up of the Citizens’ Sign Code Committee; there were several charges that the committee– which originally proposed the most lenient signs for the Scenic Corridors– is dominated by people who would benefit from more and larger signs (ie, developers, sign makers).

Personally, I think the Mayor and Council threw the baby out with the bathwater. Changing the designation of South Houghton Road, which will soon be widened, to a Gateway Corridor– thus allowing different signage– and protecting the other scenic routes would have been a better course of action– even though it would have taken longer.