More about AIRC Commissioner Richard Stertz

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

If you go to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission web site and look up the bios of the Commissioners, this is what you will find for Commissioner Richard "Rick" Stertz — a blank page:

So let's fill in some of the blanks from available reporting that a public too busy to notice may have missed over the past several months. The media does not regularly inform the public about past reporting on these details like they do for the independent chair of the AIRC, Colleen Mathis. Are they biased? We report, you decide.

Richard Stertz was appointed to the AIRC by the corrupt "King" Russell Pearce. There's a good judge of character for you, a guy who includes among his friends Neo-Nazi J.T. Ready.

Richard Stertz is the CEO of a faith-based nonprofit organization known as Vision360. This orgganization is part of the evangelical Church Planting Movement (CPM). Vision 360 collaborates with a number of other evangelical organizations in the Church Planting Movement. Kingdom Collaborators – Vision360. The movement is based upon the teachings of C. Peter Wagner. Dominionism: A Danger in Churches and Politics on EthicsDaily.com (by Bruce Prescott, September 2, 2011):

One of the classes I took that first semester was a required course on missionary strategy. One of the textbooks for that course was by C. Peter Wagner titled "Frontiers of Missionary Strategy."

That book was my introduction to a more pragmatic than Christian strategy for missionary expansion, evangelism and church planting that was associated with the "church growth movement."

I was never impressed with Wagner or with the "church growth movement" that surrounded him at Fuller Theological Seminary.

* * *

I started looking at Wagner's thought again when his name surfaced in blogs, news reports and interviews about dominionist theology.

Dominionism is the belief that Christians should take control of the government and all of society's institutions.

This theocratic mandate has been popularized by viewing society as consisting of seven "mountains" or key spheres in which Christians should strive to attain controlling influence – family, church, business, government, media, education, and arts and entertainment.

This theological perspective permeates the Tea Party movement, which is wreaking political havoc in our nation.

Dominionmism "means that Christians have a God-given right to rule all earthly institutions. Originating among some of America’s most radical theocrats, it’s long had an influence on religious-right education and political organizing." Dominionism: Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry’s Dangerous Religious Bond – The Daily Beast:

[A] recent Texas Observer cover story on Rick Perry examined his relationship with the New Apostolic Reformation, a Dominionist variant of Pentecostalism that coalesced about a decade ago. “[W]hat makes the New Apostolic Reformation movement so potent is its growing fascination with infiltrating politics and government,” wrote Forrest Wilder. Its members “believe Christians—certain Christians—are destined to not just take ‘dominion’ over government, but stealthily climb to the commanding heights of what they term the ‘Seven Mountains’ of society, including the media and the arts and entertainment world.”

This is the kind of thing that the media villagers like to gloss over because they are uncomfortable talking about religion, especially in the political context. But when a religious cult seeks to "infiltrate politics and government" for "certain Christians to take 'dominion' over government," the meda had better get over its squeamishness about religion and take a closer look at the motivations and machinations of those indivuduals who subscribe to Dominionism.

Richard Stertz's fellow evangelical in Vision 360, Christopher Gleason, was deemed too controversial by the commission selection panel in January. OpEdNews – Article: The Putrid Politics of Jesse Kelly's Super-Ego.

Stertz and Gleason drew the attention of the appointment commission in January, when their connection to the partisan independent expenditure committee Conservatives for Congress began appearing in media and social networking reports. Pearce picks Stertz, Pima County Republican, for redistricting panel – Arizona Capitol Times (subscription required):

The southern Arizona group ran attack advertisements during the 2010 election cycle that criticized 8th Congressional District Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and Republican candidate and former legislator Jonathan Paton. The ads were designed to bolster the campaign of Republican candidate Jesse Kelly, who won the primary but lost to Giffords.

Fact checkers dismissed the Conservatives for Congress attack ads as misleading and false. See AZ Fact Check, Conservatives For Congress Committee's Ad Blocks Arizona Voters From The Truth | Political Correction, and CD8: About That Conservatives For Congress Ad | The Range: The Tucson Weekly. Lying through your teeth doesn't sound very "Christian" to me. And it does not speak well to the character and credibility of Mr. Stertz.

Richard Stertz told the Arizona Capitol Times back in February, Pearce picks Stertz, Pima County Republican, for redistricting panel – Arizona Capitol Times:

Stertz also said his interactions with Kelly, who is expected to pursue another run for Congress, has been limited. (emphasis added). And he said that Conservatives for Congress wasn’t formed as a “pro-Jesse” group, but rather as a rallying point for conservatives in southern Arizona who sought to unseat Giffords and 7th Congressional District Democrat Raul Grijalva.

Really, now? "Jesse Kelly has taken on the job of development director of the website for Vision360 and is soon to host a new radio talk show called Spotlight Arizona, sponsored by – Vision 360." OpEdNews – Article: The Putrid Politics of Jesse Kelly's Super-Ego.

Politico reported the story in January. GOP candidate in limbo after Tucson – Kasie Hunt – POLITICO.com:

Kelly has gone ahead with other arrangements he’d made to remain in the public eye in the Tucson-based 8th District — including appearing in an ad campaign for his new employer, the nonprofit religious group Vision360, that aired on conservative radio for two weeks in January.

“I’m Jesse Kelly,” he says at the ad’s conclusion, after an announcement promoting Religious Freedom Day, observed Jan. 16.

Soon, he’ll start hosting Spotlight Arizona, a show sponsored by Vision360, on a Tucson talk radio station.

Some see Vision360 as a vehicle for Kelly’s ambitions. The group, a multidenominational nonprofit that organizes the faith community in and around Tucson, is run by Richard Stertz, who was involved with the political action committee Conservatives for Congress during the 2010 race. That PAC ran several radio and TV attacks ads against Giffords and featured a website with the provocative address.

Kelly now serves as development director for Vision360, and the site has suddenly taken on a different tone.

* * *

Stertz told POLITICO he was “lightly involved” in the pro-Kelly Conservatives for Congress effort.

The group never filed regular reports with the Federal Election Commission, leading to the issuance of warning letters.

There is this promotional description for the "Spotlight Arizona" talk show on 1030 AM KVOI The Voice | Hosts – Weekends:

Rick Stertz and Jesse Kelly – Spotlight Arizona

520-790-2040

Rick Stertz is a local businessman and the CEO of Vision 360/4 Tucson. Rick has joined up with Jesse Kelly to host a new show on Saturday mornings called Spotlight Arizona. They are going to shine a bright light on what is right in our community, and all of those that are helping to make Tucson a great place to live. They will be searching out what was good, what is good and what will be good again. They will step up and step out and find our unsung heroes. You can contact the hosts at info@spotlightaz.org.

They do a radio show together. Jesse Kelly works for Rick Stertz at Vision 360, after Stertz and Christopher Gleason from Vision360 helped out Jesse Kelly with their false attack ads from their independent expenditure committee Conservatives for Congress.

I do not believe any other commissioner has ties as close to an active candidate for political office who has filed with the FEC to run for Congress. House and Senate Candidate List (District 8 – FEC.gov). This is as close as any candidate has come to having an "embedded" commissioner on the AIRC. This is a serious conflict of interest given the goal of the "independence" of the commission required by the letter and spirit of the law that created the AIRC.

Then of course there are the knowing and intentional ommissions of material fact in Mr. Stertz's application for the AIRC. The Arizona Republic Arizona redistrict hopeful kept mum on liens (February 4, 2011) tax lien records http://www.azcentral.com/ic/pdf/rick-stertz-tax-liens.pdf; the Arizona Daily Star CEO seeking spot on panel for boundaries owes taxes (February 9, 2011). See today Complaint filed against AIRC Commissioner Richard Stertz.

The outageous double-standard employed by the media regarding the non-material ommission in chair Colleen Mathis' application pales in comparison to the material and intentional ommissions of fact in Richard Stertz's application. This has led to mocking derision by some in the media, like this Political insider by Ginger rough and Mary Jo Pitzl at The Arizona Republic in July:

-  What's good for the goose isn't good for the gander . . . Several people testified at last Friday's Independent Redistricting Commission that Chairwoman Colleen Coyle Mathis, a political independent, lied by omission because she never disclosed that her husband was the treasurer of a Democratic lawmaker's campaign.

The issue never bubbled up during the screening process.

But what did surface earlier this year were omissions by Richard Stertz on his application. Stertz answered "no" to questions inquiring whether he had paid all taxes when due and whether he had any court judgments filed against him. Records in Pima County showed otherwise, such as four court cases naming him on the losing side of legal actions, two federal tax liens and two overdue property-tax bills.

At the time the omissions came to light, Stertz said he felt he had filled out the application truthfully and called the omissions an "oversight." It didn't matter: Senate President Russell Pearce picked the Tucson businessman to fill the remaining GOP spot on the commission.

And no one has complained since . . . perhaps because they've been too busy combing through Mathis' materials to look at the other four commissioners.

Well, they're complaining now. So it's time to shine that bright spotlight on Mr. Stertz and his associations. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.