Yesterday Tucson Weekly published an article about the upcoming Tucson Women’s March on Jan. 20. The story did not include information about the communities that have felt mistreated during the creation of this event.

Summer Aguilera, a member of the Chukson Tucson Water Protectors, went to the first public organizers meeting for the Tucson Women’s March almost a year ago. From the beginning, she began to notice problematic behaviors from within the organization’s leadership.

She said the leaders, many of whom are white, gave titles but no real decision-making power to some of the groups they claim to represent. They wouldn’t allow Spanish-speaking women to give speeches at the march, claiming their accents were too thick. She said they tokenized women of color and LGBTQ+ groups by believing they had done their part just by scheduling people of those identities to speak at the event.

In response to these actions, a community statement was released in opposition of the march. The community members who drafted the statement made it clear they are not speaking for everyone, since there are women of color and LGBTQ+ folks who will participate in the event and have had different experiences with the leadership.


In December, Aguilera brought her concerns to the leaders of the Tucson Women’s March, but was told she was being “uncivil.” She was accompanied by white allies who repeated her exact concerns, to which the leaders welcomingly acknowledged. Aguilera said she and organizers like her were told they are the cause of the divide in the women’s march, and that they were creating the problem.

The national women’s march movement has struggled with inclusivity since the beginning. The public fallout of the Women’s March, Inc. organization over accusations of keeping organizers of color powerless and anti-Semitism beliefs echo similar rifts happening in women’s march organizations across the country. In some of the most liberal cities, women of color and LGBTQ+ folks have experienced pushback from the very organizations that claim to champion their daily struggles.

Here in Tucson, Aguilera believes the women’s march is not really for marginalized people, it’s for those with privilege to feel good about themselves. She said organizing an event makes them feel like they’re being allies, but by maintaining control of it they are only taking resources away from those who actually need it. She said they don’t talk about their own complicity and actions that perpetuate oppression or attend community events organized by the marginalized groups themselves, they only focus on putting together this symbolic march.

Local groups in support of this position include Black Lives Matter Tucson, Coalición de Derechos Humanos, Chukson Water Protectors, Border Patrol Victims Network, Sustainable Nations, TYLO (Tierra Y Libertad Organization), Free the Children Coalition, Flowers and Bullets, Sex Workers Outreach Project, Bruv Luv, Pan Left, Split Seeds Production, O’odham Anti Border Collective, Alliance for Global Justice, Take Back the Night, Borderlinks, Tucson Lobaz, GLOO Factory, Green Party of Pima County Chair Sara Mae Williams (Tohono O’odham) and Tucson Brown Berets - Citlamina Xochitlquetzalli along with numerous local activists. Aguilera said the list has grown longer since they released it.

Cynthia Bistrain, the chair of the Tucson Women’s March, said she was very saddened to see their statement. She said this is a difficult space to be in and everyone is plagued by making their own assumptions, but she and the other leaders, many of whom are older women, are still willing to have those difficult conversations.

Marla Pacheco, a representative of the Coalición de Derechos Humanos, said they have received support from across the country since they released the statement. Groups in other cities have had the same problems with women’s marches in their cities that claim inclusivity but don’t support it.

Their opposition to the women’s march has actually united communities that have equally been sidelined from the mainstream liberal movement, according to Aguilera.

She and others are planning their own demonstration for International Women’s Day in early March. She said they will give a genuine platform for marginalized groups to speak and will be a safe space for all. More details will be available in the near future.

Pounds of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, and 10,000 pills suspected to be fentanyl are off the streets of Tucson after the Pima County Sherriff’s Department arrested 34-year-old Jesus Maria Lopez-Verduzco Tuesday afternoon.

According to the sheriff’s department, which announced the news the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 18, Lopez-Verduzco was stopped near the 1000 block of N. Euclid Road around 5:45 p.m. after a “Title 28 violation.” Title 28 under the Arizona Revised Statutes covers transportation, and PCSD was unable to immediately provide a specific violation.

During the traffic investigation, $1,916 and “several individually packaged baggies” including cocaine, heroin, suspected fentanyl, and methamphetamine were found. Lopez-Verduzco was arrested and charged for possession of a dangerous drug, possession of a narcotic drug, transportation for sale, prohibited possessor and for possessing a firearm while transporting narcotics and booked into Pima County jail.

PCSD also announced that information obtained during the stop led to deputies investigating a residence in the 1900 block of North Wilmont Road. At the home, deputies found a stolen hand gun, 10,000 suspected fentanyl pills, 11.3 lbs. of heroin, 5.76 lbs. of cocaine, and 8.78 lbs. of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of over $400,000 dollars.

According to jail records, Lopez-Verduzco is being held on $10,000 bond.

Yeah, it was Ducey's State of the State address, I know that. But I'm calling it the State of the Schools address because I'll be looking exclusively at the portion where the governor deals with education, with one quick exception in the next paragraph.

Ducey said Arizona needs to deal with our current and future water shortage problems, but he didn't mention climate change. Because if you're a Republican, you dassn't say "climate change."

Ducey said our public schools need more transparency, accountability and oversight, but he didn't mention charter schools. Because if you're a Republican, you speak no ill of charter schools.

Those moments of cowardice and deflection aside, let's look at what Ducey's education proposals bode for the state.

The two biggest educational issues the legislature should be dealing with are increasing public school funding and adding charter school accountability and oversight. Let's see how Ducey did on those issues.

I hope Ducey has his chiropractor on retainer. His habit of patting himself on the back whenever he talks must wreak havoc with his body alignment. The education portion of Monday's speech was no exception. He claimed to have solved the school funding problem by pushing for the passage of Prop 123, which brings in $300 million-plus a year, and endorsing a bill extending the life of Prop 301, which brings in about $670 million a year. OK, but . . .

Prop 123 filled in a bit of the decrease in education funding over the past few years, but only a bit, and most of the money is being stolen from our children's trust account — the state land trust fund. Boosting the amount of the students' inheritance spent today at the expense of what they'll get tomorrow isn't exactly an act of generosity. (Yeah, it's true, I held my nose and voted for the damn thing, and I'd do it again, but that doesn't mean I like it.)

Extending Prop 301 was necessary, but all it did was keep a six-tenths of a cent sales tax in place which was about to expire. It didn't generate any new revenue for schools.

Education funding and the looming threat of water shortages were among the key issues Gov. Doug Ducey emphasized in his State of the State address in Phoenix Monday afternoon.

The Arizona Republican opened his speech in House chambers at the State Capitol saying, “The challenge before us is to lay the groundwork today to make sure the Arizona of tomorrow remains strong. Doing so requires action now to do the things that matter and secure Arizona’s future.”

But with Democrats gaining seats in the November election, party leaders vowed things will be different in the current legislative session.

Ducey said he was “ready to get back to work” and that both Republicans and Democrats “think there is common ground to work together.” He highlighted some major topics.

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Water

“It’s first on my list,” he said. “We’re in a 19 year drought, and it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

The governor stressed that it is “time to pass the drought contingency plan, and we have 17 days to do it.”

Arizona and much of the West have been in a drought since 1994, according to the state’s Department of Water Resources. The federal government has given Arizona until Jan. 31 to hammer out a plan to deal with expected water shortages across the vast Colorado River Basin.

---

Education

Ducey touted his administration’s achievement of delivering a 20 percent pay raise for teachers after several statewide walkouts last year.

Here's what happened at the TUSD board meeting Tuesday. Mark Stegeman was voted board president. Here's how the vote went: Leila Counts voted yes along with Stegeman and Rachel Sedgwick. Kristel Foster and Adelita Grijalva voted no.

It was a complex discussion coupled with a series of complicated votes, but never mind. When the smoke and dust cleared, Stegeman was board president, and Counts' vote was an essential part of that decision.

Do I think Stegeman should be board president? Was Counts wrong to vote for him? I'm going to table that discussion until the end of the post. That's not why I'm writing this.

I'm writing this because some people went nuts over Counts' vote. Nuts. "Counts is a traitor!" "Counts is the new Michael Hicks!" "Counts is a Stegeman stooge!"

Those people drive me nuts. Not because they disagree with Counts' vote. That's fine. They drive me nuts because, for them, Counts failed the "One strike and you're out" purity test, and that's the end of that. "You voted for Stegeman? You voted with Stegeman? You're dead to me."

I'm about to go off on a rant about political purity tests and demonization here, so if you're only interested in my opinion on the board vote, skip down to the heading "TUSD Board Vote." This is going to take a while.

Dan Heston runs absurdly long distances, but he does it for more than just the burn. For the past five years, Heston has teamed up with the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona to raise funds against food insecurity in a unique way—he gathers donations for every mile. This year is Heston’s sixth fundraising event for the food bank, and he plans to run 100 kilometers at once – just over 62 miles.

“He’s just our hero,” said Norma Cable, who manages public relations for the food bank. “It’s amazing to watch athletes at work. We’re all captivated by what the body can do.”

“Dan's 100 Hunger Run and Wellness Fair” gives the community an opportunity to join in on Heston’s efforts by taking the challenge to run alongside him during the event, and at the same time, donate money to fight hunger in the local community.  

But, why would someone volunteer to run 100 kilometers in 12 consecutive hours? For Heston, the answer is actually quite simple.

“It’s not as hard to answer as anyone might think,” Heston said. “I enjoy the solitude and the difficult nature of pushing your body beyond what most people can understand. I enjoy getting out there. The worries go away when you’re out there on your own.”

Heston started running marathons in 2009, but his toils took on a new meaning when he added charity to the runs. He first had the idea to run an ultra-marathon and to gather donations per mile as he ran. The first year turned out to be a hit, and he gathered roughly $1,300 from the community. Unprompted, he took the money into the food bank, and a bond immediately formed.

“I saw the sparkle, the genuine happiness in their eyes that someone would do that,” Heston said.

The following year was even more of a success, garnering four times as many funds. Every year’s marathon since the beginning has steadily increased in funds, with last year’s run earning some $22,000. In total, Heston estimates his five years of running have earned the food bank $45,000 to fight food insecurity. They’re hoping to break $20,000 in donations again this year.

“The more awareness we can raise about hunger, the better the community can be,” Heston said.

The community food bank is a nonprofit charity dedicated to getting in-need Arizonans access to healthy food. They estimate 1.6 million Arizonans do not have reliable access to adequate food. In turn, they offer community programs such as after-school snacks, community meals, community garden plots and farmers markets, and education programs.

This year, the hunger run will take place Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mountain View High School track, the smallest track people have been able to run alongside Heston on.

“With the new year, we all challenge ourselves to take better care of our bodies,” Cable said. “He’s a very practical and humble athlete. It really is inspiring to the rest of us, to set the bar that high.”

Of course, the public isn't expected to run the full distance alongside Heston. Anyone can participate in a mile, a lap, or just to cheer the runners on. According to CFBSA, “Dan’s Challenge is about getting on your feet and making a difference.”

For the previous fundraiser, Heston ran the 106-mile route of El Tour de Tucson. This year, on an enclosed track, will be more accessible for the public to join in.

“He cut it down this year from last year,” Cable said. “Now he’s only—only—running for 12 hours.”

For more information, visit communityfoodbank.org

Former state lawmaker Steve Farley, fresh from last year's unsuccessful gubernatorial run, tells The Range he'll formally announce his entry into Tucson's mayoral race tonight.

"I want to serve the city I love," Farley said.

Farley will make his opening argument tonight at the Democratic Party's Nucleus Club, which meets at 5:30 at Viscount Suites, 4855 E. Broadway.

Farley will be live-streaming his speech on his Facebook page if you can't make it to the meeting.

It's been a busy week for potential candidates who want to replace Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, who is stepping down after two terms. Yesterday, Ward 1 Councilmember Regina Romero announced she was jumping into the race.

A graphic designer whose photographic tiles grace the walls of the Broadway underpass at the eastern entrance of downtown, Farley made his first political run in 2005, when he lost a Democratic primary for the Ward 6 Tucson City Council race to former TV newscaster Nina Trasoff.

The following year, he won election to the Arizona House of Representatives. In 2012, he won a seat in the Arizona Senate, where over three terms, he rose to Senate assistant minority leader.

He also played a key role in bringing the modern streetcar to downtown Tucson through his work in developing the Regional Transportation Authority's transportation plan.

Tucson City Councilmember Regina Romero is announcing this afternoon that she is running for mayor of Tucson.

Jonathan Rothschild, who has served two terms atop City Hall, announced that he would not seek reelection last month.

Romero has represented Westside Ward 1 since winning election in 2007.

The other big-name Democrat talking about a campaign is former state lawmaker Steve Farley, but others may well join the crowd in the coming months.

Here's the press release from Romero:

Regina Romero is a Southern Arizona native and a University of Arizona graduate with a post graduate certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She has served on the Tucson City Council representing Ward 1 for eleven years.

“I am running for Mayor of Tucson because I am prepared to fight for what is right for working families, provide a safe, clean and environmentally sustainable city with access to economic opportunity for everyone.”

As Mayor of Tucson, Romero will focus on developing an economic incentive program that will help small businesses thrive in the City, work with experts to craft a citywide climate resiliency plan and push for higher wages to improve the quality of life for city workers and those that contract with the city.

“I was first elected to the Tucson City Council just as the Great Recession was beginning to affect our city. Since then, we have seen unprecedented economic growth because of the many incentives and continued work that I and my colleagues on the Mayor and Council have done. I look forward to Tucson’s continued economic growth and will work in partnership with the business community, nonprofits, neighborhoods and other jurisdictions to make sure we honor Tucson’s rich history and retain our unique character while continuing our path towards prosperity.”

Key accomplishments for Romero on the Tucson Council include drafting the City’s Primary Jobs Incentive Program that has created hundreds of high wage, long term jobs and pushing for the creation of an Economic Initiatives office. As a mother who understands the needs of working families, she fiercely protected the City’s KIDCO program from being eliminated during the recession. Pushing forward sustainable practices, she helped develop Tucson’s Water Service Area policy that safeguards Tucson’s future water supply while protecting hundreds of acres of pristine desert in our region..

Understanding that protected open space is critical for the health of our community, Regina was instrumental in protecting Painted Hills and Tumamoc Hill as permanent open space. She also led the Tucson effort against Arizona’s racist SB1070 law and pushed for the creation of a paid Cesar E. Chavez holiday for the city.

Knowing how critical infrastructure investments are for the City, Romero supported and advocated to pass initiatives that have invested millions of dollars on our roads, public safety and our parks. She has been a force for downtown redevelopment with her advocacy for federal funding for the modern streetcar and for the development of the Westside. She has pushed for millions of dollars in public and private investment including the Cushing Street bridge, Mercado San Agustin, West End Station, Monier Apartments and facilitating the relocation of Caterpillar in partnership with the Rio Nuevo Board and the State of Arizona. She also fought to bring the streetcar to the Westside and helped protect the Tucson Origins Heritage Park, the birthplace of Tucson. As Mayor, Romero will bring her vision and ability to get things done to the whole city.

Romero feels strongly that dark money should be kept out of politics and will be participating in the City’s Clean Elections program. Her campaign will be co-chaired by businessman Cody Ritchie and environmentalist Carolyn Campbell. To learn more about Council Member Romero’s campaign, visit her website at http://www.votereginaromero.org

Representative Pamela Powers Hannley (D, LD-9) was named "The Most Valuable State Legislator" on The Nation's 2018 Progressive Honor Roll. She's not one of the most valuable. She's the only state legislator on the 2018 list.

[Full disclosure: I've known Pam for years. We both wrote on Blog for Arizona until I moved to The Range. She's also one of my state representatives.]

About a dozen people were selected for this year's honor roll, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar. It's quite an honor for Powers Hannley to be in the company of such a high profile collection ranging from newcomers to old timers. It's also an indication that Arizona is on the radar as a state with a significant number of progressive office holders.

According to the blurb on the Honor Roll, Powers Hannley has spent "years as a blogger and activist." She ran for office because "she wanted to help fight for women’s rights, criminal-justice reform, strong unions, public banking, and her vision for democratic renewal."

The Nation is a highly respected weekly progressive magazine. It was founded in 1865, making it the oldest continuously running weekly in the country.

The January 8th Anniversary Ceremony began with a prayer. About 100 people gathered on the steps of the Tucson Fire Department headquarters to remember the lives lost and harmed by the mass shooting that shocked Tucson and the nation.

On this day eight years ago, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was in front of a northwest Safeway store for a “Congress on Your Corner” event when a gunman opened fire in the busy parking lot. Six people were killed and 13 were wounded.

At precisely 10:10 a.m., which was when the shooting began, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild rang the fire station’s bell as their names were announced one by one:

click to enlarge

Kathleen Kunz

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild rings the bell at the Tucson Fire Department headquarters.

Victims Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Judge John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard and Gabriel Zimmerman. Survivors Bill Badger, Ron Barber, Ken Dorushka, James Fuller, Randy Gardner, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, Susan Hileman, George Morris, Mary Reed, Pam Simon, Mavanell Stoddard and James Tucker.

It was an emotional day for those involved in the tragedy. A group of Moms Demand Action members were present in their signature red t-shirts. Many of them joined the gun-reform advocacy group after the mass shooting happened.

“It’s important to us because it affects our hometown, many of our group are survivors of gun violence and some of our group are survivors of this particular event,” said Kelly Ireland, a Moms Demand Action member. “So we wanted to come and pay respects and homage to those people and all of the people who are affected by gun violence.”

“We respect the Second Amendment, we’re not gun grabbers, it’s just that we want safe communities and we don’t want our kids to have to go through all the lockdown drills,” said Carol McMillan, another member. “I have five grandchildren and I don’t want to leave the country in this shape, because it’s only going to get worse before it gets better.”

McMillan said after meeting people who were deeply affected by the shooting, she wanted to do more. She is one of the organizers of BEYOND, an annual series of city-wide events that focus on exercise, outdoor recreation and connecting with other community members. It was created by the family of Gabriel Zimmerman after his death as a way to pay tribute and create something meaningful in the wake of a tragedy.

This year, BEYOND will take place on Saturday, Jan. 12 with special events scheduled all day in various Tucson locations. Visit their website for more information.