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CONTACT: America's Voice Marjorie Valbrun |
DOJ Suit Shows Sheriff Joe Arpaio Not Above the Law
As AVEF Backgrounder Documents, Arpaio Approach to Law Enforcement is Ineffective and Worthy of Full Investigation
Today news broke that the U.S. Department of Justice is suing Maricopa County, AZ Sheriff Joe Arpaio to compel him to turn over documents needed for the federal government's civil rights investigation. Arpaio has denied investigators access to this information for a year and a half.
According to Lynn Tramonte, Deputy Director of America's Voice Education Fund: "Sheriff Joe Arpaio has operated above the law for too long, with disastrous consequences for community policing and public safety. It's unfortunate that the Justice Department has to take this step and force Arpaio to comply with a federal civil rights investigation, but we commend the Department for doing so. If Sheriff Arpaio has nothing to hide, he should have no problem turning over these documents."
As a recent backgrounder on Arpaio makes clear, Sheriff Arpaio has a long history of disregarding the law and playing politics with the issue of illegal immigration. The American people and the citizens of Maricopa County deserve his compliance with an investigation that proceeds above the political fray and without obstruction.
America's Voice Education Fund's examination of Sheriff Joe's record shows that his high-profile tactics have resulted in higher crime rates, thousands of lawsuits, millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses, felony warrants going unserved, and a reversal of the community policing strategies that have proved successful to police across the nation. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation by the East Valley Tribune found, "Response times, arrest rates, investigations and other routine police work throughout Maricopa County have suffered over the past two years as Sheriff Joe Arpaio turned his already short-handed and cash-strapped department into an immigration enforcement agency." Violent crime is down across the state of Arizona, but not in Maricopa County under Sheriff Arpaio. From 2002 to 2009, while the violent crime rate across the state as a whole decreased by 12 percent, the area policed by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office suffered a 58 percent increase in violent crime.
"The Arpaio approach to law enforcement is divisive, dangerous, and un-American. We applaud the Department of Justice for pursuing the facts and not letting his defiance go unanswered," concluded Tramonte.
America's Voice Education Fund Backgrounder on Sheriff Joe Arpaio: http://americasvoiceonline.
Chart Showing How Crime Rates Under Arpaio Have Increased: http://amvoice.3cdn.net/

2 Comments so far
Show AllThe mêlée over illegal immigration has just begun and the Tea Party members, Conservatives and independents should be mindful of Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of Californians record. Boxer debated candidate Republican challenger Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, for US Senate seat, confronting each other in the first of their debates this election season. Fiorina took the lead in in the political discussion that was informative, even when both contributors were argumentative. Voters must make the best assessment between the two very dissimilar candidates, from opposed ends of their political philosophy. Both opinionated over how to best construct a jobs program; about their records in business sector, public, foreign policy and internal government strife and even abortion. This first upfront in the face debate was barbed, in a performance of competing arguments with the candidates in an all-out attack on each other’s records.
The questions were balanced from voters, but discord remained as the smear tactics continued losing sight in some cases of the original questioning. In the offset it came to voter’s questions about immigration, which as now surfaced as a red-hot button issue commencing with the federal lawsuit against the state of Arizona. Even the sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa county is being dragged over the tiles for exerting his state authority to apprehend illegal aliens. Unless I missed it on C-SPAN there was no mention of Immigration Chief John Morton with ICE arresting only criminals and releasing thousands of illegal aliens back on the streets, in a De Facto Amnesty. Although Madam Fiorina supports the "Dream Act” it must be noted she does not agree with any AMNESTY. The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students who came to the United States as minors and finished high school.
Boxer on the other hand believed in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, known by most prudent Americans as Amnesty. This would commence with a massive expenditure to taxpayers, through forced taxes to pay for Amnesty, with welfare programs not far behind. Like her counterpart Sen. Harry Reid, her stance on stopping illegal immigration is in one word" Un-American" She is obviously for an open border because her record shows that. Voted--YES--on continuing federal funds for declared "Sanctuary Cities". Bill Table S.Amdt.4309 to S.Con.Res ; on Mar 13, 2008. Voted--YES--on comprehensive Immigration reform Bill S.1639 ; on Jun 28, 2007. Voted--NO--on declaring English as the official language of the US Government Bill. S.Amdt.1151 to S.1348 ; on Jun 6, 2007. Voted--YES--on eliminating the "Y" nonimmigrant guest worker visa Bill S.Amdt.1153 on S.1348 ; on May 22, 2007. Voted--YES--on building a fence along the Mexican border. Bill H R 6061 ; on Sep 29, 2006. The 2006 Secure Fence Bill was a fallacy, as it wasn’t built as originally intended and still remains uncompleted. Voted--YES--on establishing a Guest Worker program. Bill S. 2611 ; on May 25, 2006.
VOTED--YES--ON ALLOWING ILLEGAL ALIENS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR SOCIAL SECURITY Bill S.Amdt.3985 to S.2611 ; on May 18, 2006. Voted—NO-- on allowing more foreign workers into the US for agricultural work. Bill S.2260 ; on Jul 23, 1998. Voted--YES--on a visa for skilled workers. Bill S. 1723 ; on May 18, 1998. Voted--NO--on limiting welfare for immigrants. Bill S.947 ; on Jun 24, 1997. SPONSORED PROVIDING FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS. Funding (S.AMDT.4072 to S.2611) 06-SP4072 on May 18, 2006. According to NumbersUSA website Sen. Boxer has a "D" in Immigration enforcement and her stance categorizes her, with an open border mentality. The majority of Democrats have already breeched their oath of Allegiance to the American people, by catering more to the health care, education and other benefits to the illegal alien invasion force, while in many states the underprivileged citizens are either turned away or left to their own devices—when it comes to public assistance.
California is a—SANCTUARY CITY—and state, supported by lawmakers such as Senator Boxer. California has become a harbor for millions of illegal aliens that are benefiting from a damaged federal, state and county entitlement system. In part it has been compromised by hundreds of thousands of instant-citizenship for babies of illegal aliens, tapping into all manner of cash payments and so much more, leaving the state’s welfare system dragging its tail. Overall billions of your tax dollars are being swallowed up by people who shouldn’t be here--nationwide. We have a good chance now to remove all pro-amnesty, pro-illegal immigrant politicians and all elected officials and elect new unblemished legislators. Warn your Senator or Congressman by calling the Washington switchboard 202-224-3121. If you are not in-line with the peoples wishes, you will be out in November.
Making room in the jobless line isn't just about removing incumbents, Anti Liberal, Anti-Democrat or most issues. Even Medical Care reform is not the major issue. Its about the failure of both parties to listen to the American people. One major issue is illegal immigration and taxpayers have the IRS extorting money from them, to pay for every conceivable entitlement that Americans cannot get. The lies about the border fence and not following the design of the 2006 Secure Fence act.
It's about incomprehensible billions of dollars that we are spending on corporate welfare--as the pay nothing to illegal workers other then wages; not the education of their children, health care, unemployment benefits or undisclosed social programs. We the taxpayers are the dumb fools who pay for it all? Millions are slipping past the border and it will never, ever stop, until we have politicians who are working for the American people. They are taking low skilled and manual labor jobs and lowering wages to an estimate of $200 billion a year.
The Sheriff gets funding[bribes] from CCA, Corrections Corporation of America, a private prison firm and the more inmates the Sheriff incarcerates the more CCA makes. It's behind the Arizona anti immigrant hysteria in cahoots with the KKK and they both have the same attorney who wrote the anti immigrant legislation for the Arizona legislature.