Why does Russell Pearce still have a taxpayer-funded job?

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By Craig McDermott, cross-posted from Random Musings

By now, most people have heard of the rants of Russell Pearce, former president of the Arizona State Senate – he wants to sterilize poor women.

By now, most people have heard of the firestorm of criticism of Pearce, from all over the political spectrum.

Note: Reagan is the AZGOP nominee for Arizona Secretary of State.  What a difference four years makes:  

In 2010, she was an ardent supporter of Pearce and his infamous SB1070, both co-sponsoring and voting for the anti-immigrant measure.


 In 2014, not so much.


 Of course, in 2010, Pearce’s targets were people with skin that is darker than a golfer’s tan (a group which doesn’t include Reagan); in 2014, Pearce’s targets are women (which *does* include Reagan).

 

By now, most people have heard of Pearce’s resignation from his post as 1st Vice Chair of the Arizona Republican Party.

What people have not heard of is Pearce’s ouster from his high-paying job ($85K/year) with the Maricopa County Treasurer’s office.

They haven’t heard of it, because it hasn’t happened.

From the twitter feed of Dennis Welch, political reporter on KTVK, posted at approximately 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday and screen captured at approximately 8:38 p.m.

In addition to his advocating the sterilization of poor women, Pearce has used his county email account to spew much more bile targeting immigrants, poor people, and racial and ethnic minorities.

In the private sector that’s so revered by GOPers, Pearce would have been shown the door long ago.

Instead, Hoskins is protecting Pearce and keeping him on the public payroll, in spite of Pearce’s vile and offensive comments toward the bulk of the public that he is supposed to serve, not insult.

 

 

Personal take on this:

Pearce should not have resigned his party post, if only because that was a position that didn’t receive any taxpayer support.  It was a partisan advocacy position, and Pearce was guilty of nothing more than “truth in advertising” – contempt for women, the poor, and poor women is a staple of GOP campaign platforms across the country.

On the other hand, the taxpayers are under no obligation to pay him to spew his filth.

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5 thoughts on “Why does Russell Pearce still have a taxpayer-funded job?”

  1. Pearce has had a long ugly career: corruption when he ran the MVD, palling around with Neo-Nazi JT Ready, using racist slurs such as “wetback,” freebie football tickets, and a sham candidate to try to deflect votes from his opponent in the recall race. Just to name a few.

    The Republican Party in Arizona has simply coddled him all the way. Their moment of truth finally arrived. They’re facing very tough races in an election just weeks away, and Pearce spouts off another piece of vile crap. I agree, he’s really just telling us the truth: scorn and derision aimed at the poor, especially poor women raising children, is a core part of the GOP’s economic philosophy.

    But in the face of tough election races, this rhetoric has suddenly become intolerable, as has Mr. Pearce himself. The voters need to be reminded that people like Michelle Reagan and Andy Tobin supported Pearce for years and tolerated his antics and his bigotry. Trying to wash their hands of him now is great idea on their part, but many years too late. You made one excuse after another for him for years, guys, so you own him now. Man up and stand by your man.

    Pearce’s biggest apologists on Arizona’s right wing blogs remain stubbornly silent. Sonoran Alliance, where Pearce used to post pieces, has not had a word to say. Ditto for Espresso Pundit Greg Patterson, who defended Pearce all the way through his recall campaign and is still under the delusion that Olivia Cortes was a real candidate. Not a word.

    Come on guys. Man up and stand by your man.

    • Even if it’s only as a result of political expediency and it’s a bit late in coming, it’s a positive sign that many GOPers are rejecting nativist and extremist language from Pearce that they would have embraced a few years ago. Let’s not encourage actions that will make our state known even more for being a bastion of legislative kookery like it has been for years.

  3. The reason russel pearce has a job is that democrats have not put enough pressure on their republican opponents so they will demand he be fired. Instead of a campaign ad with a coat slung over their shoulder with a grin on their face democrats should be running ads with some young woman holding a baby saying I don’t want the republican party sterilizing me how is that smaller government? And you might want to put the words proud democrat the party against forced sterilization on your ads and signs unless your to ashamed to let people know your a democrat.

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