Here’s a text book example from the Arizona Daily Star. In fact, the example is so good that I will translate the first half of the Star editorial in its entirety.

We have editorialized in the past about the need for a nonpartisan City Council system to replace Tucson’s deeply partisan government, but so far voters have disagreed.

The Star sees a problem; they have opined against the problem, but to no avail.

The most recent vote was in 1993. Since then, proposals for a nonpartisan council system have failed to make it to the ballot, including an initiative drive in 1998 and lobbying campaigns to get the council to put a measure to the voters in 2001 and 2003.

They are actually losing ground and it’s clear that a local solution isn’t possible.

We hope such efforts will continue, because we think reform is necessary.

It’s still a problem. Of course, we’ve had 15 years to fix it…

We believe a council that is not mired in political party obligations and is not straitjacketed into partisan ideological positions would be acting more often for the general good. Furthermore, as we’ve noted before, most of the time the city government deals with issues that are neither Republican nor Democrat.

In fact, it’s still a serious problem.

Now comes Tucson native and State Sen.-elect Jonathan Paton, who agrees with us.

 

Someone from Tucson has the power to fix the problem.  He’s not from Mars, or Phoenix, he’s a Tucson native who agrees with the Star on this critical issue.

 

Under a nonpartisan council system, he told the Star’s Rob O’Dell, “You get more people who are interested in getting things done than they are in party politics. It would be harder for interest groups around parties to control the process.”

 

Wow, this Tucson native is exactly right about the issues.  Finally, someone local who is now saying the same thing that we have been saying for years.

 

But Paton, a Republican, is planning to introduce legislation in the Legislature to to impose a nonpartisan City Council system on Tucson, according to a story Monday by O’Dell. Please note: In January, this body will be dominated by Maricopa County and by highly partisan Republicans.

Que the scary music.  Paton may be a Tucson native who agrees with the Star, but we learn that Paton is…a Republican and he’s part of a body that dominated by…Maricopa County Republicans.  After all, non-partisanship is a good thing unless it’s pushed by Republicans…not that we are partisan or anything.

Well, don’t tread on us, Phoenix.

That’s right.  Just because it’s a good idea and we support it and the local officials have proven incapable of implementing it, and it’s being pushed by one of our own elected representatives…don’t tread on us.  We’ve had 15 years to fix this but by golly, you people from north of the Gila were made part of the United States via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo while we were admitted via the (sniff) Gadsden Purchase.  

You think I’m kidding, but the editorial writer chose that phrase “Don’t tread on us” intentionally.  The ”Don’t Tread On Me” flag is actually the Gadsden family flag.  Phoenix was acquired by war, Tucson was purchased from Mexico.  Growing up in Tucson I was taught that distinction from pre-school.  I don’t know how many book reports I’ve turned in with the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag on the cover, but it was a lot.  Just ask Mr. Petri at Townsend Junior High.  

If Tucson’s City Council system is to be reformed, the changes must flow up to the ballot from local citizens and must be accepted or rejected by Tucson voters. Our local governance choices are none of the Legislature’s business, nor Paton’s.

We hold these truths to be self evident that Tucson must govern itself.

It appears, based on O’Dell’s research, that if Paton were to compose such a bill carefully, the Legislature could, in fact, legally impose a new governmental system upon Tucson.

Dang, Paton is smarter than he looks.  (That’s nice of the reporter to check up on the attorneys at Legislative Counsel.  I look forward to reading his memo.)

There you have it.  The only thing the Star values over bipartisan ship is parochialism.  The Star offers no legitimate reason not to support the bill.  They obviously can’t disagree with the issue. They can’t even complain about Paton as the sponsor.  But the Tribe of Pima has counted the Tribe of Maricopa its enemy for many moons.  Arguments that are usually the last bastion of fools have become official policy of the Star. 

The only thing more troubling than the people of Tucson being the last city to tolerate partisan elections is their toleration of such a weak third-tier newspaper.