1/24/2010 6:00:00 AM Letter: County violated the law, not us
Supervisor Sockwell, I am a little puzzled by your off-topic '70s tirade, and your very strange "Airplane," "open borders" and "Hanoi Jane" analogies.
I am a conservative, registered Republican, who has a very real complaint. It is quite apparent you are trying your hardest to deflect from the specific issue at hand, which once again, was that you and others were violating our 1st Amendment rights at the town hall meeting with Sen. McCain.
Period.
I find it pretty embarrassing that an elected official like yourself goes on record by writing such a juvenile letter, insinuating that we are "wing nuts" or think that we are above the law just because we don't submit to your wishes and will defend our constitutional rights. If one is to look at the facts, and many have, you sir, are the one that is acting like you are above the law by ignoring our U.S. and Arizona constitutions.
You really should get your facts right; you left out the most important part of ARS 11-410
"ARS 11-410 prohibits to the use of county resources or employees to influence elections:
A. A county shall not use its personnel, equipment, materials, buildings or other resources for the purpose of influencing the outcomes of elections.
Notwithstanding this section, a county may distribute informational reports on a proposed bond election as provided in section 35-454. Nothing in this section precludes a county from reporting on official actions of the county board of supervisors.
B. Employees of a county shall not use the authority of their positions to influence the vote or political activities of any subordinate employee. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as denying the civil and political liberties of any employee as guaranteed by the United States and Arizona Constitutions."
You and the county were the ones violating this law by using county resources and personnel to influence elections, by allowing Sen. McCain to use our tax dollars for political campaigning.
Bridget Langston
Golden Valley
Reader Comments
Posted: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Article comment by:
John Adams
Bridget. What a respectful letter...especially under the circumstances of being called the names you were called by this obviously immature person, Sockwell. He didn't need any help from you making himself look ridiculous...but you did make him look
Posted: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Article comment by:
We Can Recall Sockwell
Folks, the recall is really charged up, we are raising money and getting signatures! This county has been under the corrupt thumbs of this BOS for too long, and they have gone too far. We can now remove Sockwell from office. Help us do this. Please go to RecallSockwell.com to help! We meet every week, we need your help, be part of history to clean up this county! RecallSockwell.com for info!
Posted: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Article comment by:
Thomas Paine
Great letter, Bridget. You and Luca Zanna are right and I am glad to see you continuing your fight to have Sockwell recalled and hopefully, they will all resign or be recalled or fired. This disgraceful letter Walker wrote making fun of the brave protesters of the 70's insults a LOT of people who are now Senior Citizens...myself being one of them. A person who protested my entire life against injustice and am still protesting when I see something like this happening. I was in the 70's and I am STILL here in 2010...not a 'flower child', but an older senior who finds this letter from Walker very, very insulting. Martin Luther King was one of the biggest 'protesters' of our country. Is he to be ridiculed by Walker? How about Rosa Parks? And yes, Thomas Paine? Were THESE people 'flower children blocking traffic?" Wing-nuts? Shameful letter!
Posted: Monday, March 22, 2010
Article comment by:
Please Step Up and Help with www.RecallSockwell.com
To help with RecallSockwell go to www.RecallStockwell.com or email MohaveFreedom@Yahoo.com. We are getting stronger every day but we still need people to circulate petitions and we need donations. Now is the time for change and we can do it. Thank you.
Posted: Friday, January 29, 2010
Article comment by:
Paul Frankfurter
Thank you Bridget and to Mr. Zanna for having the courage to speak out. We can save this town from it's own internal destruction if we continue to turn up the heat on ALL burners and expose the real tyrants.
Posted: Monday, January 25, 2010
Article comment by:
Spartacus
Bring it on, Bridget. Sockwell needs his horns trimmed on this one. I've contacted the Attorney General and asked that he look into Sockwell's use of ARS 11-410 against you and Mr. Zanna. And from reading subsequent posts on the letter Sockwell wrote ("Let's leave the '70s in the past"), I'm not the only one that has.
The guy needs to be dressed down in a legal inquiry. Hope that's not asking too much of the system.
Perhaps Sockwell thinks this will simply go away -- or he hopes it will, anyway -- like so many other instances of abuse of power in county circles. I suggest turning up the heat on Sockwell, and continuing pressure on the AG until an opinion is rendered.
Meanwhile, thanks to you, Bridget, and to Luca, and to others of the same mind for attempting to bring honesty back into the political process. The citizens of Mohave County are in your debt.
Posted: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Article comment by:
Jeff
Thank you, Bridget. You know how it is - as long as those "distributing" information is of the right persuasion. Why not allow those questioning McCain's record to pass out info at the places he or his staff is allowed to speak.
And I too thought the good supervisor's letter a bit juvenile.
But on a lighter note from a 70's child - chill out, man.
