Issue 19: The Arpaio Smear on Dan Saban Continues

The latest robocall from the Joe Arpaio campaign continues his well-known method of lying about Dan Saban. This time, instead of the airwaves, Arpaio has resorted to the phone lines. Here is the script for the call.

Be forewarned, not a single word is true.

Arpaio: "This is Sheriff Joe Arpaio with an important message about this year's election."

Female announcer: "Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Democratic opponent is running for sheriff purely to promote his own personal agenda. Sheriff Joe's opponent has said he will close Tent City, coddle inmates, eliminate chain gangs and even ignore state laws that combat illegal immigration.

All of these actions would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in new taxes. A staggering amount of money. Sheriff Joe Arpaio strongly believes it is not fair for you the taxpayer to pay increased taxes just to satisfy Dan Saban's personal agenda.

So on November 4th, make the right choice and cast your vote to reelect Joe Arpaio as our Sheriff. In doing so, you will save Tent City, fight illegal immigration, and make sure inmates at the county jail are punished."

What's Wrong With This Call?

Here's what's wrong with it:

  1. The ad claims Saban "has a personal agenda" in running for Sheriff that includes the points then mentioned. Saban's agenda has been stated many times in numerous television interviews that his agenda is to "bring professionalism back to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, to reduce response times to county islands, and to better protect the citizens of Maricopa County."
  2. Dan Saban supports Tent City and would only change those things ordered by the recent Court decision and to make it a safer work environment for the staff and safer living conditions for those housed in Tent City. Saban has stated he will use existing jail tax funds to construct new jails that can properly house prisoners in a safe and secure environment.
  3. Dan Saban has said that when he is Sheriff, television, smoking and other prohibitions would remain. How is that "coddling?" The recent court order made it clear that Arpaio's methods were not only unlawfully punitive, they were also expensive and unconstitutional. This is why Arpaio has lost $43M is taxpayer money with over $100M in pending claims (total of $143M). The court order will result in the spending of tens of millions of dollars BECAUSE of Joe Arpaio's poor management and nonexistent accountability.
  4. Saban has stated in numerous interviews that when there are 400 un-filled jail guard positions, when there are 60+ jail deaths in the last three years and when murders occur under the eye of jail staff, sending armed guards out to guard low-risk prisoners is a waste of resources and manpower. When the jobs are filled and the guards work in a safe environment and prisoners who are the jails for DUI don't have to worry about getting killed in their cells, then Dan Saban says he will discuss the utility of chain gangs, but until the basics are met, he has no time for "gimmicks" that do nothing to make people safer.
  5. As a professional law enforcement officer, Dan Saban knows the law is the law. There is no "ignoring" state laws; any law, with Dan Saban. According to Saban's web site, he will actually be tougher on immigration enforcement because he has stated he will work with those other law enforcement agencies who are arresting five times more human smugglers and three times more undocumented immigrants than Arpaio. When it comes to immigration, Saban will be the tougher --and more effective-- sheriff.
  6. Arpaio purposefully lies to voters by implying that electing Dan Saban will mean "new" taxes will be collected. Changing Sheriff has zero to do with raising taxes. The Sheriff cannot raise taxes. Given the court-ordered improvements to the Maricopa County Jails, Saban has stated in interviews there is already a jail tax with many millions of dollars in the account that can used to modernize the jails and make them safer for the people who work there and the people forced to live there. Saban has said he'll eliminate the conditions the court found Arpaio allowed to exist that resulted in a total of $143M in lawsuit settlements and pending losses and 60-plus deaths. Saban has also stated he will eliminate the $250,000 in foreign travel by senior Arpaio staff (which Joe Arpaio is ready and clearly willing to spend) and use it for raises for deputies and detention officers and modernize deputy's patrol cars, among other improvements.

Joe Arpaio can't run on his own record without distorting it, lying about it, or lying about others. This smear is just another example of how desperate Joe Arpaio has become about winning this election. But if he can't be honest about his own record, how can he be honest about anything else?

Not a single newspaper in the valley has endorsed Arpaio for reelection. There must be a good reason, and that reason is we simply can't trust or afford him anymore.

Can you help?

Do you have a story that helps expand the case that Joe has got to go? Send it to us at: info@joesgottogo.com

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For more information on this issue, visit our web site www.JoesGotToGo.com.

 

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