Respect Campaign Signs: Vandalism is a Felony

Substantial damage to Robb and Bohen signs

It's political season in Oro Valley, and with it comes the unfortunate act of vandalizing candidate signs. We want to remind everyone that tampering with a sign is a felony, with penalties that can include imprisonment, fines, and a permanent criminal record. The cost of replacing damaged signs, often rendered unusable due to damage, adds up. Let's respect the democratic process and each other's property.

In the area of the OVCN

The damaged sign are located in the area of the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene (OVCN). This raises questions about whether this is a general political statement or specifically targeted at those opposing the Concordia Buena Vista group's ongoing effort to prevent OVCN's efforts to build sports facilities in their peaceful neighborhood. We say this because signs opposing the church's efforts have been vandalized in the past. The perpetrator was found by the OVPD.

Regardless of the motive, such acts undermine our community's values and carry serious legal and financial consequences.

Police will be involved

Representatives from the campaigns of Robb and Bohen, whose signs were damaged, and Council Candidate Mary Murphy, have all condemned these actions. We have not spoken with candidate Mo Greene, who is a member of OVCN. These incidents have been reported to the Oro Valley Police, who will investigate and pursue remedies once responsibility is determined.

Let's work together to ensure a fair and respectful political season in Oro Valley.

Editorial ~ The Sign Tamperer. Part 2. “The Smoking Gun”

Part 1 was published on Monday. Please scroll down to read it if you haven’t already done so.

Crime Scene Investigation
The photograph that was published was an overhead shot. A few days after it was published, three Oro Valley residents (including a former law enforcement officer using binoculars) walked the site of the “crime” and could not find a camera attached to either a pole or a building that could have taken the picture from the angle at which it was taken (from above and to the right of the sign).

A security camera on the old Sports Authority building was aimed at the parking lot, not at the area with the sign. This camera was tested nonetheless and found to be inactive. So what happened to the “surveillance” camera? Who put it there, when, and why? It appears to have been removed right after the picture was taken. This leads us to wonder if this “crime” was a staged event.

The Smoking Gun
Also of interest is who filed the complaint. The person who made and posted the sign should be the one who filed the complaint since they are claiming that the sign was their property. This means that the OVPD now knows the identity of the person who deliberately posted many of those same signs directly in front of Axe the Tax signs in an effort to block them from view. This is a Class 2 misdemeanor under ARS 16-1019. Why hasn’t the OVPD issued a citation against them?

Collusion?
Axe the Tax dealt with sign issues for weeks…stolen signs, signs found thrown in a wash, signs bent in half, signs covered by “Why Ax Kids Sports?” signs deliberately placed directly in front of them.

In these instances, the State Statute does apply since these signs were paid for and placed by a PAC. (Axe the Tax PAC).

It’s suspicious that the OVPD turned this “non-story” into front page news and that they pulled this stunt just one week before the election, just in time to make the last issue of the Explorer before election day. Was the OVPD (via marching orders from the mayor) colluding with the Yes on 454 folks to damage the character and credibility of Axe the Tax supporters in a last ditch effort to garner more votes for their $28 million dollar “desperately needed ball fields?”

After all, similar stunts have been pulled in past Oro Valley elections. Remember the “Lou Waters was assaulted by a ream of paper” story that they pulled out during the 2015 Recall Election in order to smear the character of the challengers? That case went to court. Waters lost. We have to wonder what ploys they will conjure up this year in order to tip the scales in their favor for the Town Council election in August.

It bears repeating
We will end Part 2 of this article the same way we ended Part 1. This whole thing smacks of political maneuvering and LOVE does not take kindly to our police being involved in politics.

Editorial ~ The Sign Tamperer. Part 1.

With another Town election coming up in August as the mayor and three Town Council members run for a third term, LOVE would like to report on a campaign problem that is likely to rear it’s ugly head again in a few short months.

Background
Back in early November 2017, many of you saw the photo on the front page of the Explorer of a person who was allegedly seen tampering with a “Why Ax Kids Sports?” sign near the intersection of First and Oracle. The caption accompanying the photo indicated that the “OVPD is asking for the public’s help with a criminal damage investigation.” This seemed a little excessive considering that the sign was not an official campaign sign protected under Arizona State law, but rather, would be considered the equivalent of a Yard Sale sign.

Who’s the Boss?
After you read this article, ask yourself these questions:

• Why is the OVPD putting this much time, effort, manpower, and taxpayer money into investigating the equivalent of someone tampering with a homemade “Yard Sale” sign?

• Does this merit a 3-month long (and counting) investigation? Why are they going to such great lengths to find the “perpetrator” when no campaign laws were violated? Don’t our police have more important things to do?

•Who’s orchestrating this?

• Would the police launch a “criminal damage investigation” if someone had tampered with a Yard Sale sign? Would they post a picture of the person on the OVPD Facebook page AND on the front page of the Explorer newspaper asking for the public’s help in finding this person? Of course not. So why did they do it in this instance?

• Why are they maneuvering to keep the Police Report from the public?

OVPD Withholds release of Police Report
LOVE wanted to report on this story back in November, but in order to report the whole story, we needed to obtain a copy of the Police Report. One of our LOVE readers has been trying to obtain this report since November. The OVPD initially said that it couldn’t be released until the investigation was closed. When the case was finally closed in mid-January and the LOVE reader attempted once again to obtain a copy of the report, the case was suddenly reopened because “new information has been obtained in furtherance of the investigation.”

It’s suspicious that new information was obtained which bars the release of the report just as the report was about to be released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Someone does not want that file to be released.

After waiting patiently for more than three months, LOVE has decided to report on what we know at this time. We’re also reporting on it now because the repeated delays in releasing the Police Report have become a story all on its own.

Why is this story important?
The etiology of the complaint is an important piece of this investigation. The owner of the “property” must be known and identified for any item to be considered “property” under law. Additionally, no complaint is valid or actionable by law enforcement unless a complaint is filed by that “property” owner. Once a complaint is filed, it is required to be disclosed upon any request under Federal FOIA and Arizona Public Records law.

During the Naranja Park Bond election, numerous “Why Ax Kids Sports?” signs were illegally placed directly in front of campaign signs that had been posted by the Axe the Tax PAC. Axe the Tax filed a complaint with the Town. When contacted by the Town Clerk about the illegal placement of these signs [a Class 2 misdemeanor under ARS 16-1019] the Yes on 454 PAC claimed that these signs did not belong to them.

Being that there was no “Paid for by…..” disclosure statement on the signs, it appeared that they were placed by an individual who was not associated with any political action committee. Therefore, it was assumed that they did not belong to the YES on 454 PAC.

Irresponsible Allocation of Town Resources
Since no campaign laws were violated, the amount of time and effort being spent on this investigation is disproportionate to the “crime” that was allegedly committed. The question remains…why? This whole thing smacks of political maneuvering and LOVE does not take kindly to our police being involved in politics.

Part 2 will be published on Wednesday.

Bits and Pieces- One Day Early

We're printing "Bits", our usual Friday feature, today, because tomorrow is the July 4 holiday.  Enjoy!
---
READ: Key LOVE Election 2014 Email, Published By Southern Arizona News Examiner

Last Saturday, we sent an important Election 2014 email to our LOVE email list. We are pleased that the Southern Arizona News Examiner  published it.  Please take a moment to read the posting. The August 26 election is critical to Oro Valley's future.
---
July HiVE Deployments

These is the schedule for this month's Oro Valley Police High Visibility Enforcement on Oracle Road, between Magee and Suffolk. Be aware. Be careful!

• July 9, 2014 4 - 7 p.m.
• July 15, 2014 7 - 10 a.m.
• July 22, 2014 4 - 7 p.m. 
• July 30, 2014 4 - 7 p.m.

(Source: Oro Valley Police Department Press Release)

---

PLEASE DO NOT TAMPER WITH CAMPAIGN SIGNS

We have received reports of sign tampering of signs of the Don Bristow and Patrick Straney. In some cases, the signs were stolen. In other cases, the signs were moved or deliberately covered by a Majority-4 sign. As we have reported previously, tampering with a sign is a felony. Please leave the campaigns signs as they are placed. And please do not tamper with them in any manner.

---
Oro Valley Shows Continued Slow Business Development

The Oro Valley  economic development report  lists new businesses coming to Oro Valley. Yet again, this month's report shows that there is nothing of any significance in terms of new businesses.  The only significant item, as reported last month, is that Chuy's is coming to the Capin Car Center. Chuy's will be located where 2 other restaurants have already failed.  The report lists yet another nail salon, "Art of Nails", coming to town. This one at First and Tangerine where Ace Hardware is located.

We wonder: Have they ordered their A-frame sign yet?
---
What Me Worry?  Oro Valley High Paying Jobs

Speaking of economic development, click here for another example of "high paying" Oro Valley job opportunities.  Its a job as a produce clerk at Sprouts.
---
Your Oro Valley Neighbor: World Class "Air Racer" Jon Sharp

Source: Nemesis NXT Web Site

"Nemisis Air Racing (Oro Valley, Ariz.) is an air racing team owned and operated by Jon and Patricia Sharp. Formerly a composites engineer at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (Palmdale, Calif.), Jon Sharp is a legendary [and retired] air racer: He won the Reno Air Racing National Championships nine consecutive times in a tiny International Formula 1 racing aircraft, dubbed Nemesis, which he and his team developed and fabricated in the early 1990s. The most successful aircraft in air-racing history, the original Nemesis is on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.)." (Source).

His company is Nemesis NXT.
---
Lots To Do At The Oro Valley Library

Looking for something to do? Look no further than the Oro Valley Branch of the Pima County Library.  Here's a link to their many events.
---
No Time Left For Photo Opportunities 

One of LOVE's  Facebook friends noted that some of the Majority-4 show up for town photo opportunities ("Events") while the Minority-3 don't always show up.  Council Members Hornat, Snider and Waters are retired.  Apparently, they have the time to show up for photo opportunities. Mayor Hiremath loves photo opportunities. He would never miss one.

The Minority-3, on the other hand, did not seek council seats to build their ego.  Council Members Bill Garner and Brendan Burns have jobs. They are not retired nor do they own their own business.  They work for "the man."  Council Member Zinkin spends his time preparing for council meetings or helping residents.  None of these 3 have much time left over for photo ops.
---