LIAR LIAR
Proud of journalism: As a journalist of 27 years, I can only say: Go, boys. Kick those Maricopa County Nazis' asses, ("Wilenchik's a Liar, and There's More," Michael Lacey, November 15; see also "Who's Sorry Now," Stephen Lemons, October 25, and "Breathtaking Abuse of the Constitution," Lacey and Jim Larkin, October 18).
Unbelievable! I know your policy for fighting these things, and I'm proud to share this profession with you. Thanks and play hard.
Holly Mullen, via the Internet
The man with the exploding head: "Fired" special prosecutor Dennis Wilenchik as the liar! Now that was a bold stroke by Michael Lacey to call this crazy pit bull that.
Members of the legal community are laughing their asses off, particularly at the great drawing of Wilenchik as Pinocchio. That was rich, and it's bound to be up on the walls of various county judges' offices for some time to come. Every time people see this clown now, they will think of this illustration and laugh at him.
The great thing is that everybody who knows Dennis knows how much he hates even the hint of ridicule. Calling Dennis a liar is not something this pompous jerk will take lightly. But picturing him as a lying fool has really got to be getting his goat. The day New Times hit the streets with this one, his head had to be exploding. Very funny stuff!
Name withheld by request
Welcome to our world: I recently relocated to the East Valley from Portland, Oregon. I had heard of Sheriff Joe before, and none of it was positive. I was dismayed to discover, once I got here, that he's pretty popular. Now I see why: If you write anything negative about that thug, he'll get you.
I can't tell you how excited I am to see a paper like New Times doing such great work. I will be reading every issue now that I know about you guys. Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin are heroes.
Justin Speers, via the Internet
A Dear Joe letter: Dear Sheriff Arpaio, re: the recent arrests of the executive editor and CEO of the New Times [Village Voice Media] chain, and your blatant violations of the Constitution: Fuck you!
Jim Williams, via the Internet
To the barricades: They can't fight us all. This is an attack on people telling the truth and sends a very bad message if left unchallenged.
John R. Brakey, via the Internet
Oklahoma? OK!: I just want to invite the sheriff to come to Oklahoma and kiss all of my ass. This fascist thug is sickening.
Charles Ray Cochran, via the Internet
When in the course of human events: If he's still in office in a month, it says far more about the population of Maricopa County than it does about Sheriff Joe. We have all forgotten what this country was founded on: If we are ruled by tyrants, and the public officials are corrupt, it is our obligation to remove them from power.
Ben Brucato, via the Internet
Of natural causes, of course: To all you snowbird geezer bastards who keep voting this fuck-tard into office, you are part of the problem. Why don't you die off already and stop fucking up the rest of our lives?
Rick Sanchez, via the Internet
Voice of reason: Thanks so much for having a voice of reason and real journalistic zeal. Without New Times' leadership in the Valley, there would be no one to stand up against Nickel Bag Joe and his henchmen.
Dale Jodoin, via the Internet
But the paper is: Freedom isn't free. I'm truly inspired. Thank you New Times.
Gary Johnston, via the Internet
Not until US Weekly picks it up: There were all kinds of rumors flying around about Mike Lacey's arrest. First I heard the whole thing was a hoax, a prank story like the ones that New Times is famous for writing. Then I heard Lacey tried to hang himself in jail.
There also were stories about a drug overdose and Lacey being busted for propositioning an undercover transvestite. And, finally, I heard that he was sodomized by his cellmate, an overweight albino Mexican.
I don't believe any of this, of course.
C.D. Stelzer, via the Internet
We did it for the lap dogs, too: You guys rock! I am so proud to be a longtime reader of New Times.
All those times that I tried to encourage others to read New Times for the truth about Joe (and other things; except for the occasional prank), only to get funny grins and to not be taken seriously.
Seems that I am always treated like some kind of counterculture pothead whenever I mention New Times.
I am not one to say "told ya so," but I am gloating over this one. Now the voters who've been keeping Joe in office can't ignore this anymore! Damn, you guys really showed the press how to stand up to the political pressure!
The news media in the Valley have been lap dogs for too long! With the exception of New Times, I think they should all have their press credentials revoked.
Bill Drinkwater, Mesa
LIKE A BAD NEIGHBOR
Always looking for a scapegoat: I am going to try to sell my home soon. I have a neighbor with an autistic son who talks to himself in the front yard and walks the neighborhood doing things typical of one stricken with this illness. Is Glenn Melton saying that I have to disclose my neighbor's son as a nuisance ("Hot Potato," John Dickerson, November 8)?
If I do, the mentally ill will become pariahs. Worse yet, they will be used as scapegoats for regretful home buyers who want to unload their homes that they're upside-down on. In this depressed real estate market, there are some who will use Mr. Melton's case as a precedent to get out of their bad purchases.
The actions of Mr. Melton (the CEO of Realty Executives, by the way) fly in the face of what Realty Executives has spent tons of advertising money trying to portray — that they "do real estate the right way." You won't see a Realty Executives sign in my front yard!
Sheila Smith, Phoenix
Living in hell: My husband and I lived in pure hell for three years because of a neighbor who was mentally ill. I could not go into certain portions of my backyard, and never into the front without being screamed at and threatened.
She created posters for her front yard with all kinds of accusations and hung them in her trees. My personal favorite was the sign that referred to me as a "----ing Hindu," religious tolerance (I'm Buddhist) not being her strong suit.
We had police, with lights blazing, on our street to respond to complaints at least once a week, sometimes almost every day. But we were assured by her mental health caseworkers that she was completely harmless (although the police officers always had to respond in teams of at least two because of her previous threats).
For the love of Pete, she tried to have the gnomes in my front yard arrested! Innocent gnomes! The poor officer who had to respond to that complaint . . .
Anyway, I never blamed the man who sold us the house for not telling me the neighbor was mentally ill. And I know he was harassed also on a daily basis (she hated construction and our house was a flip). Imagine my surprise when I discovered our new house had been previously condemned and was reported as a neighborhood eyesore.
But it wasn't the seller's fault — some people are just really, really weird, and that is life. Where on Earth should the line be drawn? Are private medical records going to be dragged into court to prove up property values?
The neighbor actually died in her home a few months ago, and we all felt so sad. She had made the entire neighborhood miserable, but she was still a human being and must have been miserable, alone in her house peeking out the windows at the horrible world.
Lydia Price-Dougherty, Tucson
Where's the due diligence?: As a homeowner in Phoenix, I find in appalling that we should be responsible for disclosing the mental capacity of our neighbors. If Melton really had a concern about this issue, he could have talked to neighbors or checked police reports (public records) before he purchased this home.
This is simply a case of a home buyer with buyer remorse who does not want to take any responsibility for his decisions in a poor real estate market
Name withheld by request
Do your homework first: When you buy a home, don't you drive the neighborhood and check out how people take care of their yards and what type of cars they drive to get a feel for whom you will be living next to? When I bought my house in a neighborhood that was turning for the better, I knocked on the doors of the houses on either side to meet the people I would be living next to. I asked them questions about how safe the area was.
I do not think Nathan Thinnes needed to disclose any of this information. The buyer should have done more research. If he would have spoken to any of the neighbors on this street, it sounds as if he would have heard about Candy Tatum and could have made a sound decision at that time.
Name withheld by request
GUT PUNCH
Saddened by Carbajal saga: Danny and Michael Carbajal were the men who taught me how to really throw a punch. They trained me for some time in the junior middleweight division at the Ninth Street Gym. It was the best experience of my life, and I'm truly saddened by this whole incident 'cause I talked to them about [boxing] all the time 'cause I always looked up to them ("Brother's Keeper," Paul Rubin, November 1).
I feel sorry for Michael and what he is going through; I pray for him and the family.
Davey Altamirano Jr., via the Internet
Shame on you, Danny: Danny Carbajal and his daughters ought to be ashamed of themselves. This boy [Danny] needs to go away for a long, long time. Unbelievable!
Luis Lopez, via the Internet
A tearful saga: The story of Michael Carbajal's financial fall because of his brother was another great article by Paul Rubin. I had a lot of respect for Michael as a fighter, and the story made me cry.
I can only pray that, somehow, some of Michael's money and property can be returned to him and that his brother is made to suffer in prison for what he has done to his family.
And may Sally Carbajal rest in peace. She didn't deserve to die like that. She was a good woman who just made a bad choice in husbands.
Antonio Lozano, via the Internet
