Rawson money flip? Star still hears crickets.

by David Safier

Still nothing but crickets from the Star on the Jennifer Rawson story. No mention in the print or online editions.

To recap: Rawson took "contributions" from people with one hand and gave them checks for the same amount with the other, for a total of $2,650. Then she claimed she should get matching funds from the city for that amount. The City Clerk called that inappropriate. The Pima County Democratic Party said it might fall into the category of fraud.

The Star doesn't think Rawson's "You pay me, I pay you" scheme rises to the level of a local news story. If an action by a City Council candidate which either is a sign of incompetence or borderline criminal behavior doesn't merit a mention in a paper which glories in stories of incompetence and possible malfeasance by the City Council, I don't know what does. And remember, this isn't some baseless allegation coming from the Democrats. It is based on hard evidence anyone can find in the public records, and the City Clerk has acknowledged the problem. At the very least, Tucson's paper of record should make Rawson answer the allegation in its pages.

As AZ Blue Meanie said in a comment, "For a newspaper that has decided to do only local news, they don't even do that well."

Prediction: If this story ever surfaces in the Star, it will be in Bodfield's Sunday Political Notebook, as nothing more than a silly political scuffle.