Marana was
incorporated as a sleepy little cowtown. Its
politics reflected that, with Good ol’ Boy
(and Girl) town council members that were
often rubes for out-of-town hustlers. Thirty
years later, the town has grown to near
30,000 with 14,000 registered voters. The
politics unfortunately haven’t kept pace.
The Good Ol’ Boy mentality is still there on
this council. Marana voters can change that
and move into the 21st Century on May 15.
Council candidates for two seats are Russell Clanagan, former council member Roxanne Ziegler and appointed council members Bob Allen and Jim Blake.
Blake is the father of Councilwoman Patty Comerford. The “Good Olds” have hardly grown their constituency. With 14,000 possibilities the choice of a close relative tells you much about Marana politics.
Those supporting both incumbents and challengers privately concede that Clanagan will be elected and Blake won’t. The fight is between Ziegler and Allen. The Good Old’s are using whatever they can to keep Allen in office, which is a pretty good reason to vote for Ziegler in itself. Ziegler was a rare, non-backroom voice in her prior tenure and deserves to be returned for that reason alone. Supporters of Clanagan should consider that when picking their second choice. Making Clanagan, a former Pennsylvania Highway Patrol captain, a lone voice on the council would do neither him nor Marana a favor.
If resources were everything, Allen is in good shape. Money has flowed from the usual cast of folks who do business with the town, most of it we hope voluntarily given. Allen’s campaign is handled by long time Democrat political pro Carol Zimmerman, who always turns in a credible performance on direct mail and phone banks. Ziegler, an IBM administrative type, is running a much cheaper campaign mostly funded by herself.
What she and Clanagan have going for them is the issues. The Good Olds love to do town business out of sight. Way back they used to just gather in a bar the night before the council meeting, but their lawyers finally dissuaded them. Now they only skirt the open meeting laws by meeting in pairs. Council meetings are perfunctory and resemble ratification sessions. Debate is openly discouraged.
As is debating. Neither Allen nor Blake will attend any forum that allows spontaneous questions demanding they be submitted in advance. They both avoided the EXPLORER forum for that reason, which we believe is also reason enough to reject them.
The well-known antipathy to this paper by the Good Olds also plays its part. The EXPLORER has been told for years that its Marana coverage is too “negative.” Apparently only the docile publishing of handouts prepared by town PR flacks should be allowed. We know our readers just can’t wait for those.
The biggest rub is the lawsuit won by this paper forcing the town to disclose the details of the discharge of a high ranking bureaucrat. The cost of that arrogance was born by the Marana taxpayer. It resulted in a new Town Media Policy forcing everything through select officials for the appropriate filters.
Finally, there’s former Mayor Bobby Sutton, indicted by the Feds for extortion. Another one of those negatives the town doesn’t like us reporting. Nor should we have noticed that three days later and by a 6-0 vote the Council lauded their former leader and voted to pay his lawyer if he beats the rap.
Those are the issues currently facing Marana. Clanagan and Ziegler are clearly on one side, Blake and Allen on the other. The choice is obvious.
Even if the Good Olds can squeeze Allen through, it’s their last hurrah. The other four council members are up in two years and are clearly working in a diminishing market. Try this scene: Sutton either cops a plea or is found guilty. It would only take 138 signatures to recall the embarrassment of having a council that slobbered over him.
Council candidates for two seats are Russell Clanagan, former council member Roxanne Ziegler and appointed council members Bob Allen and Jim Blake.
Blake is the father of Councilwoman Patty Comerford. The “Good Olds” have hardly grown their constituency. With 14,000 possibilities the choice of a close relative tells you much about Marana politics.
Those supporting both incumbents and challengers privately concede that Clanagan will be elected and Blake won’t. The fight is between Ziegler and Allen. The Good Old’s are using whatever they can to keep Allen in office, which is a pretty good reason to vote for Ziegler in itself. Ziegler was a rare, non-backroom voice in her prior tenure and deserves to be returned for that reason alone. Supporters of Clanagan should consider that when picking their second choice. Making Clanagan, a former Pennsylvania Highway Patrol captain, a lone voice on the council would do neither him nor Marana a favor.
If resources were everything, Allen is in good shape. Money has flowed from the usual cast of folks who do business with the town, most of it we hope voluntarily given. Allen’s campaign is handled by long time Democrat political pro Carol Zimmerman, who always turns in a credible performance on direct mail and phone banks. Ziegler, an IBM administrative type, is running a much cheaper campaign mostly funded by herself.
What she and Clanagan have going for them is the issues. The Good Olds love to do town business out of sight. Way back they used to just gather in a bar the night before the council meeting, but their lawyers finally dissuaded them. Now they only skirt the open meeting laws by meeting in pairs. Council meetings are perfunctory and resemble ratification sessions. Debate is openly discouraged.
As is debating. Neither Allen nor Blake will attend any forum that allows spontaneous questions demanding they be submitted in advance. They both avoided the EXPLORER forum for that reason, which we believe is also reason enough to reject them.
The well-known antipathy to this paper by the Good Olds also plays its part. The EXPLORER has been told for years that its Marana coverage is too “negative.” Apparently only the docile publishing of handouts prepared by town PR flacks should be allowed. We know our readers just can’t wait for those.
The biggest rub is the lawsuit won by this paper forcing the town to disclose the details of the discharge of a high ranking bureaucrat. The cost of that arrogance was born by the Marana taxpayer. It resulted in a new Town Media Policy forcing everything through select officials for the appropriate filters.
Finally, there’s former Mayor Bobby Sutton, indicted by the Feds for extortion. Another one of those negatives the town doesn’t like us reporting. Nor should we have noticed that three days later and by a 6-0 vote the Council lauded their former leader and voted to pay his lawyer if he beats the rap.
Those are the issues currently facing Marana. Clanagan and Ziegler are clearly on one side, Blake and Allen on the other. The choice is obvious.
Even if the Good Olds can squeeze Allen through, it’s their last hurrah. The other four council members are up in two years and are clearly working in a diminishing market. Try this scene: Sutton either cops a plea or is found guilty. It would only take 138 signatures to recall the embarrassment of having a council that slobbered over him.
