Monday, December 1, 2003
Political Notebook: There's a whole lot of swearing in today
By C.J. Karamargin
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Four city leaders renew their oaths to do right by the citizens of this fair hamlet today at the Tucson Convention Center.
Mayor Bob Walkup and City Council members Carol West, Shirley Scott and Jose Ibarra will be sworn in to new four-year terms at 10 a.m.
Mindful perhaps of the challenges facing the city, organizers decided the festivities needed three different pleas for divine guidance. The thinking must be that separating church and state is a fine idea, but when times are tough, we need all the help we can get.
One of the invocations will come from Kristen West McGuire, the daughter of Carol West. The others will be by a retired pastor in the Anabaptist Church and a bishop from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The mayor and council are expected to tap Councilman Fred Ronstadt to replace Scott in the largely ceremonial post of vice mayor.
"One of the important things about being vice mayor is that you get to help the mayor," said Ronstadt, who makes no bones about wanting the job. This would be the Republican's second stint as V.M.
If you can't make today's event and show the mayor and Council whom they work for, let them know by phone.
Walkup - 791-4201
West Side Ward 1, Jose Ibarra - 791-4040
Northeast Side Ward 2, Carol West - 791-4687
North Side Ward 3, Kathleen Dunbar - 791-4711
Southeast Side Ward 4, Shirley Scott - 791-3199
South Side Ward 5, Steve Leal - 791-4231
Midtown Ward 6, Fred Ronstadt - 791-4601
Their profiles, office locations and e-mail addresses are on the city Web site, www.cityoftucson.org/mcc.html.
We like GOP mayors
Because Democrats outnumber Republicans in Tucson, it seems obvious that this is a predominantly Democratic town. Think again.
In the nine inaugurations of mayors that have taken place since 1971, six involved Republicans.
OK, we're talking about just two guys, Bob Walkup and Lew Murphy. But that doesn't soften the point: Tucson might have more registered Democrats, but for the past 32 years we've usually preferred having a Republican wield the mayoral gavel.
Up close with Bush
President Bush's $2,000-a-person fund-raiser in Phoenix drew a number of fans from Tucson, including Pima County Supervisor Ray Carroll. Carroll made good use of his moment of face time with the prez.
"He said, 'Yeah, Ray, I remember,' " Carroll said, recounting Bush's reaction to the rope line reminder that the two met last summer atop fire-ravaged Mount Lemmon. "He asked about Summerhaven and said he wanted to come back. My wife was in awe that he even remembered."
Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, who was in Tucson Tuesday, is trotting out two Arizonans to help his campaign for the Democratic nomination: former Sen. Dennis DeConcini and Sen. John McCain.
DeConcini has promised to do what he can for Lieberman to win here. In New Hampshire, a TV spot recently began running that features former McCain supporters who've endorsed Lieberman.
* Contact reporter C.J. Karamargin at 573-4243 or at cjkarama@azstarnet.com.
