Homeless in Arizona

Finally after decades of supporting the most corrupt and evil Sheriff in the nation, if not the world the Arizona Republic gets it right and writes an editorial telling voters to boot this criminal out of office.

I remember when Sheriff Joe crashed his government issued cop car into a Walgreens or CVS near his home in Fountain Hills, the Arizona Republic was so biased for him they didn't even write an article about it.

Source

Our View: Sack Sheriff Joe Arpaio — and vote Dan Saban instead

Editorial board, The Republic | azcentral.com 11:24 p.m. MST July 30, 2016

Endorsement: Sheriff Joe Arpaio has made a mockery of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, but Republicans have a better choice.

He uses the office to stroke his political ego — a practice that has led to racial profiling, inefficient jails, low morale among deputies and an ever-growing taxpayer tab to defend his blatant disregard for a judge’s orders.

Arpaio doesn't deserve a seventh term.

Republicans should do the county a favor and oust the sheriff in the Aug. 30 primary — and replace him with Dan Saban, an experienced law-enforcement professional who would focus on bringing trust and accountability back to the office.

It's the party's best chances to keep the sheriff's seat in GOP control.

Arpaio almost lost to Penzone in 2012

If Arpaio wins the primary, he will be vulnerable in November when he faces Paul Penzone, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Penzone lost a three-person race in 2012 to Arpaio by 6 percentage points. Arpaio squeaked by with only 50.7 percent of the vote that year.

And the sheriff's legal troubles have deepened considerably since then.

A federal judge is pondering whether to refer Arpaio for criminal contempt charges in connection with a case in which he was found to have systematically racially profiled Latinos.

Extensive reporting by The Republic revealed that Arpaio’s singular focus on immigration enforcement coincided with the failure of the sheriff’s office to investigate large numbers of sexual assault cases.

Instead of focusing on public safety, Arpaio stayed busy making himself popular on national cable TV news shows.

Saban can make unpopular decisions

Saban, on the other hand, has more than three decades of law enforcement experience. He began as a deputy at the MCSO and then rose through the ranks to become commander in the Mesa Police Department.

In 2005, he became police chief in Buckeye, where he made tough, sometimes unpopular decisions that ultimately professionalized a department in disarray. He left in 2008 for a second, bruising run against Arpaio.

In that race, he ran as a Democrat because he thought it would be easier to win against Arpaio in the general election than in a GOP primary, he said. But he says he is a lifelong Republican.

Saban wants to rebuild the sheriff’s office from the top down as a more professional operation. He also wants to work more closely with other law enforcement agencies and build partnerships with the community, including faith and business leaders.

What the GOP needs most is unity

Saban is joined in the race by K. Wayne Baker and Marsha Ann Hill, who both say their primary goal is to oust Arpaio.

Baker spent 22 years with the MCSO before retiring in 2014. He remains a reserve deputy.

Hill is a former MCSO posse commander who butted heads with Arpaio over $250,000 her group controlled.

Both Hill and Baker have an insider’s knowledge of the sheriff’s office and a sincere desire to institute reforms. Both agree with Saban that Arpaio’s management style has led to poor morale and a lack of attention to community needs.

But Saban has top-level law-enforcement management experience that will give him an edge in November.

Republican primary voters should stand behind him.