It is not by mistake that my website has the tag line “a voice of reason, compassion, and resolve.”

I confess, that is not always easy to maintain.  This week I received a copy of a rather nasty accusatory email from Ms. Diane Green.  I don’t suspect that it was ever intended to cross my desk.  The reality is, sometimes things are too much.  So, naturally, some on the original distribution list forwarded me a copy for my review.  I am confident that this email does not represent the views of all local Democrats.  Perhaps the group will take a moment to reflect on their leadership? 

After receipt of the email, I provided Ms. Diane Green a response.  “Reason, Compassion, and Resolve” all played a role in my response.  I am presenting both Ms. Green’s original email, unedited, and my response, again unedited.  I have no way of knowing who, or how many, received Ms. Green’s email.  The only real way I can provide a response to all of them, is in this very public manner.

Please take a moment to read her full email. Then read my response.  Fair warning, both are long; but I think well worth the time.

Payson can do better than this level of rancor, better than this level of vitriol, better than this level of hate.

Thank you for supporting me as a write in candidate.  Please feel free to share this post.  Together we can #StopTheHate.

Ms. Green’s Original Email:

From: Diane Green <diane.green@xxxx.com>
Sent: Mon, Oct 1, 2018 12:02 pm

We must get the word out to our friends and fellow Democrats that the recently announced write-in candidate for Town Council is a hard-right Tea Party conservative. We have to resist her bid to undercut and corrupt the results of the recent primary as vigorously as possible.

Do not be fooled by the write-in candidate’s vague and appealing statements that have been carefully crafted to conceal her true leanings. She is a Tea Partier. Period. Full stop. She was recruited and encouraged to run by Jeffrey Aal (a Libertarian) who cannot accept his defeat at the polls and wants another bite at control of our Town Council by proxy.

I urge each of you inform everyone you know of this if you have not already done so. Do not mention her name, but refer to her as “the write-in candidate” to avoid reinforcing name recognition. Call her out for trying to override the will of the voters that was clearly stated in the Primary. We need to flood Pete Aleshire with letters to the Editor, calling for rejection of this candidate.

Hallie and Kim will both speak to us at our October 9^th meeting, so you have one last chance to hear from them before the General election ballots are mailed and to decide which would best represent you on our Town Council.

Background

As you know, the recent Primary Election resulted in significant wins for the local Tea Party, placing Tom Morrisey in the Mayor’s office and Jim Ferris on the Town Council. A two-way run-off between Hallie Overman-Jackman and Kim Chittick will be on the ballot in the upcoming General election. Both of these candidates are moderates, having edged out Tea Party candidates Jeffrey Aal, Dave Golumbewski and Shirley Dye.

Either of those excellent candidates will be a voice for those of us who are moderates and would provide balance on the Council.

But only if one gets elected.  In a three-way race where registered Republicans have a strong majority, a candidate supported by the Tea Party has a definite advantage, even if that candidate is a write-in.

Set aside the Rumsey Park and Proposition 401/402 controversies, both of which have been decided. Our Town Council will make many other decisions in the next four years that will affect each of us.

If the write-in candidate prevails, the Tea Party will have a majority on the council and will be in control of Payson government. Tom Morrisey, in an interview on KMOG last summer, publicly expressed his desire for exactly that; the ability to “do whatever we want.” That includes repealing the recent tax increase so the bill for the Police and Fire Retirement funding would come by gutting the budget for other town services. He also wants to get rid of the Payson Police Department and instead rely on the County Sheriff for law enforcement. One has to wonder what other bad ideas are swirling around in his head.

Tea Party control of Payson is not in the best interests of our citizens and we have to fight this underhanded and corrupt attempt to seize power.

We have contacted the Democratic Party for legal assistance on this matter and hope that they can obtain an injunction against this candidacy. Others have contacted the League of Arizona Cities and Towns and they are also looking into the legality of this Tea Party maneuver. I will keep everyone posted if we are successful.

My response:

Diane Green
President Payson Democrat Club

Your attack on my character and why I am running for town council are untrue. I really wish you would have had the common courtesy to contact me so we could talk prior to your writing an untruthful, hateful email to your club members about me. Now, I’ll explain why your email is SO wrong.

I am not a “hard-right Tea Party conservative.” Never have been and never intend to be! In fact I’ve only been to two Tea Party meetings in my entire life, the first being when Marcy Rogers, who had started and was running Payson Community kids, passed away and I took over her project for our Payson kids. The second very recently when both Hallie Overman Jackman and I were offered the opportunity to share our vision as town councilors on the same night to the Tea Party.

You stated that Jeffery Aal recruited me to run. I’ve met Jeffery Aal one time and that was during the past election period because I was, and still am, against the $43 million dollar Rumsey Park project, I also supported 401 & 402. I’m not even sure he would know who I am, although with the signs going up over town he might recognize me now. He did not have any part of my decision to run as a write-in candidate. In your email you stated that the Rumsey Park project is “decided” however you should know that the project is very much alive at town hall and the friends of the park along with both my opponents are still trying to collect money to keep it alive. The town still has an open live contract with the Canadians. It is far from decided!!

I entered into this race because I love my community and am concerned that the only two people in the runoff are supporters of the $43 million dollar Rumsey Park project and were against 401 & 402. People have said to me, “well you have it easy because you didn’t have to get signatures to run.” Actually I am on the hardest road to getting elected because I have to get people to write in my name, SUZY TUBBS, and fill in the oval in front of that name. Hallie or Kim just have to have that oval filled in. Ms. Green, I am just trying to protect our community against our town government’s insane Rumsey Park plan and also level the playing field for all businesses in Payson to include bringing redundancy of the internet cable to Payson so we can stop these internet outages.

Since you have advised all your club members “to flood Pete Aleshire with letters to the Editor calling for rejection of this candidate”, and have contacted the State Democrat Party for legal assistance for “an injunction against this candidacy” I feel you are forcing me to meet with Mr. Aleshire and Roundup management along with your email to your club members to expose your actions. I think that you should know that I have many many friends that are democrats here in Payson and I’ve received many phone calls from many of them advising me of this despicable action you’ve taken. They have told me they will not be a part of your actions.

Hallie, Kim and I have all spoken at the Republican Club and Tea Party and it is beyond my comprehension as to why you’ve taken the word of someone else rather than call me so we could have had a meeting to discuss these mean spirited allegations. You invited me to speak to your club on October 9^th and now have disinvited me to speak but are bringing in my opponents to speak. Is that really fair to your Democrat club members, the citizens of Payson or, for that fact to me?

Ms. Green, I will refuse to take or travel on the low road you politicians and my opponents are living on during my run for Payson Town Council. I am better than that and our town citizens deserve better representation than that.

Suzy Tubbs
Write-in candidate for Payson Town Council
928 978 3256