As governor of Texas, Rick Perry has taken a very moderate stance in regards to illegal immigration. He supported the DREAM Act. He even sought ways to create a pathway to citizenship for those undocumented workers currently in the country. Now that he is courting extremists like Arpaio, it's almost as if he's changing his belief system in order to get Republican support.
Interesting fact: Between 2007 and June 2010, the United States deported a total of 115,841 illegal immigrants. Arpaio's office was responsible for 26,146 of those deportations, a whopping 22.5%. If that isn't extremist, I don't know what is.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors concluded today that Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his office spent as much as $80 million inappropriately. The money, which comes from a voter approved sales tax, was earmarked to be spent on improving conditions in County jails. Instead, findings reveal that the money was spent on questionable anti-immigration sweeps, investigating political enemies and thousands on vacations for Sheriffs Office officials.
Arpaio seemed hesitant to answer allegations to the press, but he had no problem making sure his book was in plain view of the cameras. The County Board of Supervisors agreed to forward on their information to federal prosecutors, who are already investigating allegations of illegal racial profiling taking place during traffic stops and immigration sweeps. This isn't the first allegation of illegal activity pointed at the Sheriff.
Last month, it was determined that Arpaio broke state voting regulations by airing a commercial, not asking people to vote for him, but telling people not to vote for Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley.
Arpaio has been called both "The country's toughest Sheriff", and "The country's most corrupt law enforcement offical". Since 2007, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has been responsible for deporting 26,146 immigrants, almost a quarter of the 115,000 people deported nationwide.
38, queer, poly, happily married punk and stay at home dad to my five-year-old, Elle. In June of 2009, I was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome, and PTSD a month later. I have been on disability since. In recent months, I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia,Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Sjogren's Syndrome, a Chiari malformation, small fiber neuropathy, Type 1 Diabetes, and have a massive benign cyst in my brain. And, to top it all off, I was diagnosed with lupus in March of 2014.
I haven't been writing as often as I would like to lately. Trying to catch up on some lost time. Please forgive me.
I'm an anarchist and an atheist. My political views are too far left to even be considered Democrat. I believe that marriage and health care are fundamental human rights. And don't get me started on people calling themselves "pro-life", and denying education and food stamps to children.
