Kia-peddlin' playboy Rusty Childress, pre-motorcycle crash...
So where are all the Hispanic-hatin' racists gonna go on Thursday nights? Not to Childress Kia anymore. The word's out that owner Rusty Childress, winner of New Times' 2007 "Best Bigot" Award, has sold Childress Kia. And for the last few weeks, there have been no meetings at the Kia lot at 2223 W. Camelback Road for Childress' anti-immigrant hate group United for a Sovereign America. Recently, U.S.A.'s Web site Immigrationbuzz.com announced that U.S.A.'s prejudiced powwows will now be held at PHX's Yucca Branch Library on Mondays.
What's next, Yucca? Neo-Nazi bake sales? KKK coffee klatsches? Fridays-are-Aryan-days? I just hope these wackos don't scare the schoolkids with their loudmouth antics and hatemongering. Remember, kids, just because they don't have teeth, doesn't mean they can't bite.
Sales and service personnel at Childress Kia have informed me that ownership will change hands in November. One employee offered that "an outfit in Cleveland" had purchased the dealership. The name will change to "Camelback Hyundai-Kia," another told me, though I've been unable to confirm this.
The Maricopa County Assessor's office still lists the deed under "Childress Buick LLLP," and I haven't spotted any docs with the Recorder's office noting the sale, though the Assessor's office lists the parcel as having a current cash value of $2,288,262. I've been told that the Recorder's office should eventually receive docs from the new owners, so I'll keep checking back with them. Still, numerous sources have informed me that Childress has sold. And the information received from the sales and support staff there seems convincing. I did phone Childress a couple of weeks back to ask for a comment. Needless to say, he didn't return the call.
At the penultimate U.S.A. meeting at the car lot September 20, the mood was somber. It was chaired by a certain Buffalo Chip, and attended by Mexican flag-burner extraordinaire Laine Lawless, who I profiled in a cover story earlier this year ("Burn, Baby, Burn! "). The two-ton Ernst Rohm of the East Valley, white supremacist J.T. Ready, showed up toward the end of the meeting. There was much moaning and gnashing of teeth. Childress was not present, as he was still recuperating from a severe motorcycle wreck that he was reportedly in back in late August/early September.
Various suggestions were fielded for future places to meet: Kiwanis Club, Encanto Park, Bookman's, and the Italian-American Club. The last charges $100 for the use of their facility, someone said. That meant the assorted extremists would've had to pitch-in a few bucks a piece for the anti-Mexican bitch session. Think of it as group therapy for rednecks who can't score a date.
Gabby Hayes-lookalike Mr. Bison Biscuit admonished his fellow knuckle-draggers that they shouldn't complain. The media's made them all look like racists, he claimed, but Rusty'd paid an even bigger price.
Sniff. Stop it, Chips Ahoy. You've got me all verklempt.
Some rumors have rich-boy Rusty heading out-of-state to Colorado. Others have him hanging on here to help Russell Pearce's campaign against Congressman Jeff Flake, assuming Pearce does challenge Flake in the Republican primary, as is expected. At a recent press conference given by County Attorney Candy Thomas and Sheriff Joe over the issue of how cops should enforce immigration law, Childress was present and on crutches, leading his band of rabid brown-bashers. Arpaio even introduced Childress, reportedly an MCSO posse member, to a reporter who was present.
This appearance might seem to indicate that Childress will remain active in the nativist community. On the other hand, an e-mail dated 10/09/07 that's made the rounds from activist Bill Davis to Minuteman Jim Gilchrist and others, stated that Childress had asked to step down from his position as the director of the AZ FIRE Coalition Chapter. FIRE stands for Federal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Coalition, and it's well-known in nativist circles, if not as influential as other wing-nutty orgs.
Childress is regarded as a hypocrite by some in AZ's anti-immigration movement because he's alleged to have outsourced his janitorial and car-washing needs to suspect vendors. That is, vendors suspected of using undocumented labor. (The charge can't be proved, but it's believed by many nativists, nonetheless.) Indeed, Childress was read out of his own anti-illegals bike group the American Freedom Riders because of these very suspicions. Childress has since formed a rival bike group called Riders U.S.A. I wrote about this split recently in the 9/13 Bird column "Anti-Heroes," which quoted AFR member David Heppler, and also mentioned an alleged e-mail from Childress to the leaders of FAIR (the Federation for American Immigration Reform), asking for their assistance with a CYA strategy. Childress has not responded to my attempts to get him to comment on these rather unusual allegations.
Childress' site Immigrationbuzz.com is still up and still spewing hate. Look at these examples of T-shirts offered for sale via a link from the Web site. This is the same site that sells the official gear for Childress' Riders U.S.A. Note the racist terms anchor babies and wetback being referenced. Check out the Illegal Alien Hunter baseball jersey, available for $21.99. The one calling Alfredo Gutierrez a Nazi (ironic considering this recent manufactured controversy where Gutierrez compared Arpaio to Joseph Goebbles). And the saucy "When they RAPE your daughter you'll care!" fitted Tee. The designer of the shirts, a Childress toady, writes, "Come here legally and become an American. Come here illegally and become WANTED, Hunted and Deported, if you survive!"
Would any legitimate businessman who is not a racist want to be associated with such filth? Of course not. Childress' activities and associations will be a stain on the legacy of his father, who actually built the business.
Childress is little more than a prejudiced playboy who inherited a biz from daddy. He's wealthy and well-connected, but not the brightest hoe in the shed. If he'd been just a tad smarter, he might not have allowed radical rightists, white supremacists and other assorted loose screws to congregate on his lot. On the other hand, I have to say he's afforded me many a laugh as I've observed his nutbar parade from the sidelines. For that, Rusty, I have to say, well, thanks!
The classy dood who designed these is one of Childress' butt-barnacles.
Reads, "Undocumented Illegal Alien Hunter." Now, just when is it OK to hunt human beings?
"When they RAPE your daughter you'll care!" Echoes of the Klan circa 1950.
If this ain't ironic, I don't know what is: Pot-calling-kettle-Nazi?
Perhaps the most vile of the lot.