"That'll be another $1.5 million, suckers!"
Ah, yes, Republicans are fiscal conservatives, especially here in Maricopa County, Arizona, where these very same Republicans, who rant against paying taxes for schools and social services, have elected Sheriff Joe Arpaio six times in a row.
Arpaio was first elected in 1992, when he ran on a fiscally conservative platform, arguing that incumbent Tom Agnos had racked up nearly $4 million in lawsuits. Hell, Agnos looks like a piker compared to Arpaio.
Flash forward 20 years, and so far Sheriff Arpaio has cost taxpayers of Maricopa County more than $50 million in lawsuits for his unethical and unconstitutional tactics. Today the county agreed to shell out another $1.5 million:
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle two long-running federal lawsuits against the county and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The board approved a $1.27 million settlement for retired Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe and $250,000 for former county Superintendent of Schools Sandra Dowling.
Donahue was one of 10 judges and county supervisors who were targeted by Arpaio and County Attorney Andrew Thomas, as they went about building their police state. Thomas leveled lawsuits against politicians and judges, like Gary Donahue, who stood in Arpaio's way—people who actually believed in constitutional protections. So far, 8 of the 10 lawsuits against judges and supervisors have been settled, to the tune of more than $3.6 million. Supervisor Don Stapley's case, which is pending, could be
very expensive for taxpayers, as the Thomas-Arpaio tag team
ruined the guy's life. Read how below the fold.
Stapley, of Mesa, described the actions of Thomas and Arpaio as "frightening," and testified that he has incurred more than $2 million in legal fees defending himself.
County Attorney Andrew Thomas thought toiling in the anti-immigrant muck with Arpaio would be his stepping stone to higher office. It didn't turn out that way. In 2010, he resigned his county attorney seat to run for attorney general but lost in the GOP primary. Then the State Bar Association brought Thomas up on ethics charges for filing frivolous and harassing lawsuits against Arpaio's enemies, and
he was disbarred.
A former top Arizona prosecutor and anti-illegal immigration crusader used his office to destroy political enemies, filed malicious and unfounded criminal charges and committed perjury and other crimes, a state legal ethics panel ruled on Tuesday in Phoenix.
In addition to his fine work with County Attorney Thomas, Sheriff Arpaio has cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars on his own. He misspent more than
$100 million to buy toys for his immigration task force, and he's incurred millions in lawsuits for tortures,
murders,
racial profiling, and other crimes. We taxpayers can expect another large bill when the $20 million lawsuit filed by the family of
Marty Atencio is settled. In 2011, Atencio, a Gulf War veteran, was tased to death in Arpaio's gulag. No one who has watched that
disgusting video can say this one man was a threat to the nine beefy deputies who piled on top of him.
Pay up, taxpayers! Especially you rightwing SB 1070-loving bozos in Sun City and other retirement dystopias who keep electing this asshole—GOP numbskulls who are "fiscal conservatives" on everything except Arpaio. That just shows how deep-seeded their bigotry is: it trumps their wallet.
They're the same selfish jerks who don't want to pay Arizona school taxes because, "I paid taxes in Michigan [or wherever] to put my children through school, and I don't have kids here." Well, fuck you very much. I don't have children either, never did. But someone paid to put me through school, and it's my responsibility to support education here. It's yours too! Or go back to Michigan!
Please, really, do! Because without the Sun City vote Joe Arpaio would not win.
Respect Arizona! Recall Arpaio!