They find fake crimes more interesting: My heart bleeds for this young woman. Imagine what she went through at Moon Valley High School, only to be treated like a worthless whore by the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. She was 14 years old when this videotaped statutory rape happened; Sheriff Joe Arpaio, have you no decency, no conscience?
This was the perfect case to underscore Arpaio's hypocrisy. His department spends endless amounts of taxpayer money on vendettas against political enemies — like on investigating the obvious lies about Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, not to mention the smear of former Arpaio opponent Dan Saban — and he can't go after a bunch of rapists of a child?
As usual, outrageous behavior from the Nazi sheriff and his thugs!
Susanna King, Los Angeles, Tempe
Too many don't care: Excellent article about the bogus clearance rate over at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, and its supreme lack of effort in some cases.
And if you take into consideration that the MCSO said the other day that it didn't know the home address of someone it supposedly was investigating for five years — Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard; remember, the MCSO claimed it had "no idea" that was his house — one would suggest only two variables apply: lack of intelligence, or lack of effort when it comes to non-political investigations.
The saddest part, though, isn't that a top law enforcement agency has decided to make a political issue front and center over the increasing crime rate, and it's not even that it seemingly always gets away with what would end careers for most other [police units]. It's that 55 percent of voters in this county refuse to acknowledge any of it, or refuse to care!
When this [rape-of-a-teenager] story was on azcentral.com, people were complaining and blaming the victim! Not one word about the MCSO's lack of effort and attempted bloating of closure rates. Just trash-talking the victim. Now that's scary!
Add this to the fact that U.S. District Judge Neil Wake just said "Arpaio and his men conspired to arrest [local ACLU legal director] Dan Pochoda for intimidation purposes, violating his civil rights," and to the fact that any sane, logical, person has to be scratching his head asking, "How is this guy still in office?"
Well, apparently here in "Aribama," things like education, arresting criminals who have warrants [out on them], and victims' rights are a distant second to people's hate and anger over the immigration problem.
David Saint, Phoenix
We only have to connect with 6 percent of them: It seems as if, almost daily, the list of Arpaio's political opponents or critics who have been arrested, jailed, falsely accused, slandered, or otherwise intimidated grows.
For those of us hoping to overthrow Arpaio, [we hope] this kind of naked abuse of power might connect with and shock the 55 percent of voters who buy into his shtick on immigration or otherwise support him.
Americans can tolerate a host of shortcomings from our politicians, but corruption and abuse of office [shouldn't be among] them.
We should get T-shirts made with Arpaio and [Chief Deputy David] Henderschott's greasy mugs on them saying, "what the fuck ever, dude."
Chad Snow, Peoria
Some bedfellows are just too strange: I am becoming more and more impressed by the Goldwater Institute. Will it be the catalyst that finally brings Sheriff Joe Arpaio to justice?
I am extremely impressed that the Goldwater Institute, although very conservative in its stance on illegal immigration, is wise enough to not buy into Arpaio's bullshit when it comes to the horror that he has wrought upon so many.
Arpaio's bigoted attitude toward minorities feeds nativists' own sickness and allows all the closet racists to express their bigotry at the voting booth.
Name withheld
Klieg lights are the best disinfectant: There is only one way to bring justice in Phoenix for this mess Sheriff Joe Arpaio created years ago [starting] with Tent City: the court of public opinion.
Get Sheriff Joe and his followers off the power list. Bring in the big lights and camera action. My movie Backspin is about my experiences in Arpaio's jail.
Allison Hicks, Phoenix
Not worth the gas money: Joe Arpaio and Candy Thomas can only pick on the ones who can't fight back. I'm surprised that Joe isn't arresting the seniors in Sun City, those of them who are Democrats, anyway.
Thanks to Joe, Andy, Russell Pearce, and racist Confederate flag-wavers in Maricopa County, there [probably] will be no more Super Bowls for Arizona.
William Crum, via the Internet
Tyranny is bad for business: Your "Ja, Joe!" article made me depressed for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that national public opinion is turning against us in Arizona because of Joe Arpaio. It is sure to affect the number of people who come here and, thereby, the economic recovery that we all need so desperately.
Even if they don't care about human rights, can't people see how bad for us this clown has become? Nobody is going to want to live in the desert remake of Adolf Hitler's Germany, run by SS Commandant Arpaio and his führer, Andrew Thomas. Or is it the other way around? Such a beautiful spot on God's Earth to be ruined by these tyrants!
We can only pray that President Barack Obama's Justice Department steps in and stops them cold. And, by that, I mean brings them up on charges.
Iris Garcia Jones, Phoenix
Neo, schmeo: Can't these nativists see that they are consorting with Nazis? Since when did that become okay in this country? My dad, a life-long conservative who served in World War II, is turning over in his grave.
The pictures of these Nazi scum, arms outstretched and saluting Joe Arpaio, turned my stomach. And to think I used to support Sheriff Joe.
A.J. Gentry, address withheld
You hate Jews? You hate Jesus: I am sorry for you, my lost child. You and every person who is white, racist, and claims to be Christian is blinded by the light of the Morning Star. Let us not forget that Jesus Christ was a Jew. So when you say you hate Jews, you hate Jesus. Because, without him, there is not Christianity.
Reverend Robert H. McDonald Jr., Mesa
Ramp up your rhetoric, neo-Nazi fools: I find it funny that the same morons who say MCSO doesn't racially profile are themselves outspoken racists. And if you think about it, this type of politics is exactly how Hitler started his persecution of Jews in Germany and gained support for it.
Now, most Germans think of Hitler as a huge disgrace to their culture, and you [neo-Nazi] ass-wipes and Joe Arpaio will be thought of the same way in the end.
No one but the other narrow-minded fools in your "bowel movement" accept your beliefs. But by all means, please, ramp up the rhetoric for Joe. You not only prove our point about his racial politics, but make him look even worse by the association to you.
Name withheld
Übermensch? Puh-leeze: It's really funny how these white-trash inbreeds think they're übermenschen, when most of them would be hard-pressed to successfully complete an algebra problem.
Doesn't neo-Nazi J.T. Ready work at an auto-supply place? That fatty will probably end up flippin' burgers at Mickey D's and drinking himself to extinction with Boone's Farm.
Vito Lombardi? What a schmuck. I see soap-on-a-rope and a bunkmate who calls him "sweetie pie" in his future.
Losers. Big-time losers. At least the Mexicans these losers hate so much ain't lazy crackers. Ever see a Mexican begging for money on a highway exit?
Name withheld
BOO WHO?
Minors are better off now: You are so right that a guy like Michael "Boo" Booher shouldn't have been involved in a venture that teenagers frequented. It's a good thing that he's been fired, even if the warehouse where the raves were happening didn't get closed.
Bar mitzvahs and quinceañeras are a far sight better than the rowdy raves, replete with underage kids, that the place once featured.
Thanks, New Times, for bringing this situation to light. Minor children are better off for your trouble.
Barbara O'Reilly, Tempe
Boo's number-one fan has a few words: My God, New Times strikes again! Please just stick to making the events calendar and the "Best Of." Everything else you guys do is mind-numbingly retarded.
The guy was convicted and served his time. That's it. It's over. It's in the past. He doesn't have to have it held against him for his entire life. That's not the way the justice system works. You do a crime, you do the time. Then it's over.
If the justice system felt he was rehabilitated, then we have to accept its professional judgment (which may be slightly more informed and educated that yours) and move on.
Also if this guy were diddling 7-year-olds, why would he even be interested in the 17-year-olds at his raves? But, yeah, we better shutter a downtown business! It hasn't done anything wrong, but some creepy, weird, old guy is associated with it, and that ought to be a crime!
The guy was [let go] anyway, and you still want the place shuttered. For what reason? Is his creepy spirit hovering over the building and looking up girls' skirts?
Will Novak, Phoenix
Keep kids away from raves: Underage kids have no business at rave scenes, period. This goes without saying when a convicted sex offender was running one. Guys like this should be legally prohibited for life from running businesses catering to kids.
Mike Coffman, Tucson
