A.U.D.I.T. AZ

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Citizen Transparency Wins!

The long hard battle for citizen oversight of elections and transparency was won yesterday when the Pima Board of Supervisors decided not to appeal the decision by Judge Miller to require the Board to turn over the database files since 1998 to the Democratic Party as well as any other oversight party. In addition, Pima Democratic Party attorney Bill Risner will be paid for all but $90,000 of his legal expenses (by us the taxpayers of course). The entire cost to taxpayers is likely around $1 million when you include the County Attorneys, staff, and legal fees they incurred fighting their own citizens on this. This case is a perfect example of poor government and what volunteer citizen activists can do to raise the issues and keep holding their elected officials accountable.

Had the Board of Supervisors not wasted over a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars and just turned over the data, it would have been less painful for all involved. We here at AuditAZ do want to thank the biggest obstructionists on the Board, Sharon Bronson, Ramon Valadez and to a lesser extent Ann Day. Had it not been for their "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" approach to this case, the general public, local media, and voters and volunteers from the Democratic, Republican, Green and Libertarian parties (plus independents) would not have gotten so outraged and our profile would not have been raised to the level it has. We thank you for all the added members who joined to help us out due to their outrage at the shenanigans both at the Board meetings and in court. Chair Richard Elias didn't exactly show leadership on this issue either.

We would be remise if we didn't send out a special thank you to Ray Carroll, who was the one Board Supervisor who consistently supported citizen rights by first voting "no" to the purchase of Diebold DRE machines and then subsequently voting to allow access to the database records we requested.

The Board of Supervisors are up for re-election this year. If this issue matters to you (and it should) check out the challengers in the other four races and ask their positions on election integrity and transparency. Accountability is essential to having your vote count and accurately recorded as the voter intended. You have the power to determine who the gatekeepers are, who is accountable to whom (our public officials are supposed to be accountable to us) and ultimately protect the constitution and the most fundamental right we have: the right to vote in clean, fair accurate elections. When you cast your votes in September and November, you can rest assured that the ability to defraud your vote just got more difficult with Judge Miller's ruling.

The hard work of Mickey Duniho, John Brakey, Jim March, Tom Ryan, as well as numerous other election integrity activists have made what was once relegated at a "conspiracy theorist" hobby into a huge victory for American citizens.

John Brakey's budget proposal for future elections can be found here. He does a cost benefit analysis that is a very good solution and work around to our already present Diebold machines.

Garry Duffy at the Tucson Citizen won an Arizona Press Club award for his work on covering this trial. A big "thank you" to him and his excellent coverage. The Tucson Weekly's Mari Herreras has written some excellent blog articles with links to documentation relating to the case and future proposals.

Now the tenuous task of analyzing the data that the PDP has obtained is underway. If you would like to help in future projects, please sign up and get involved. You can also DONATE since AuditAZ is all volunteer organization and our expenses come out of our own pockets (with big holes thanks to the current high gas prices).

Labels: Arizona election law, Arizona elections, Bill Risner, Diebold, election fraud, election integrity, Jim March, John Brakey, Pima County Board of Supervisors, pima county election, Pima lawsuit, RTA

---------------oOo---------------

Sunday, June 01, 2008

What is the Democratic Party Thinking?

It is hard to even contemplate what the Democratic Party is thinking in opposing this bill. They have been on the forefront of such excellent legislative and election transparency initiatives. Their own EIC committee supports the bill. The message below is from the Pima Democratic Party EIC Co-Chair Sandra Spangler:

Support SB 1053
Extend Citizen Oversight to Nonpartisan Elections

Monday, June 2, 2008 SB 1053 as amended is scheduled for final vote in the Arizona Senate. The Arizona House adopted the amendments proposed by the Conference Committee on May 28.

Since a minority report filed by Democratic Rep. Steve Gallardo raised concerns that amendments added to the bill will codify into law a shorter voting period for early voting, it is uncertain whether Governor Napolitano is prepared to sign this bipartisan bill that earned overwhelming bipartisan support. If the Governor decides to veto the bill, other corrections to the bill that avoid scheduling city and county elections too close together will not take effect and Democrats will be blamed.

Pima County Recorder F. Ann Rodriguez and other election officials support SB 1053.

Call the Governor to urge her to sign SB 1053

Toll Free 1-(800) 253-0883
Fax (602) 542-1381

Text of SB 1053 http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dd7gcz27_218dhns48cf

For details read this article: Mule Train Mail: Dr. Downing on Citizen Oversight of Non-Partisan Elections

Labels: Democratic Party, F. Ann Rodriguez, Governor Napolitano, pima county election, SB1053

---------------oOo---------------

Prevent the Appeal

URGENT

CALL PIMA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
520-740-8126

ATTEND BOS MEETING

Tuesday June 3, 2008 9AM
130 W. Congress St., Hearing Room, 1st Fl.

On Tuesday the Pima County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to decide in secret session with County attorneys whether to APPEAL Judge Miller’s decision to grant the Pima County Democratic Party electronic election databases going back to 1998.

Demand ACCOUNTABILITY! Call the BOS on Monday to tell them “NO” The Board has already spent too much the public’s money arguing against releasing public records. The County’s “delusional defense” did not stand up in court. View the videos posted at http://arizona.typepad.com/blog/election_integrity/index.html

Ann Day, District 1
(520) 740-2738

Ramón Valadez, District 2
(520) 740-8126

Sharon Bronson, District 3
(520) 740-8051

Ray Carroll, District 4
(520) 740-8094

Richard Elías, Chairman, District 5
(520) 740-8126

For More Details about Tuesday’s meeting read Tucson Citizen article below

County to discuss ruling to release vote databases
tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/86871.php

GARRY DUFFY
Tucson Citizen

Pima County officials may decide Tuesday whether to appeal a Superior Court judge's ruling last week ordering the release of electronic vote databases to the Pima County Democratic Party.

The Board of Supervisors will meet with county attorneys in secret session to discuss the issue. Part of the discussion will be a ruling by Superior Court Judge Michael Miller awarding $228,000 for legal fees to attorneys representing the Democrats because they were successful in the legal dispute involving the databases.

Supervisors also will consider a motion by board Chairman Richard Elías to create a sister city relationship between the county and Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, to improve commerce and relations between the two communities.

Elías said residents of both communities regularly interact culturally and in business.

Pima County residents vacation on beaches in the Mazatlan area, while residents from that city come to Tucson and contribute to the local economy.

http://www.pima.gov/cob/e-agenda/06032008/06032008Ad.pdf

ADDENDUM

Pima County Board of Supervisors’ Meeting
130 W. Congress St., Hearing Room, 1st Fl.
June 3, 2008 9:00 a.m.

. . . EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

Public discussion and action may occur on the executive session items listed below during the regularly scheduled meeting.

D. Pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.03(A)(3) and (4), for legal advice and direction regarding the Democratic Party of Pima County v. Pima County Board of Supervisors, Pima County Superior Court Cause No. C20072073.

Labels: Ann Day, Arizona elections, AuditAZ, Pima County Board of Supervisors, pima county election, Pima lawsuit, Ramon Valadez, RTA Tucson, Sharon Bronson

---------------oOo---------------