No Bouie for me please
By Bob Haran | August 27, 2008
Who is Bouie, as in Tony Bouie, the controversial candidate for the Republican nomination for the Arizona House in the north valley's Legislative District 6. That's part of the controversy surrounding Mr. Bouie, no one in the GOP seems to know who he is, but they are learning.
It's understandable that Republican party grassroots activists wouldn't know anything about Tony Bouie, not only is he a political novice, he was registered as a Democrat only five days before filing as a candidate for the Republican nomination for the Arizona House.
District 6 is an overwhelmingly safe Republican district, I suppose if a Democrat is seeking the status of an elected official in a Republican district they would have to make a choice, either move to a Democrat safe district or re-register as a Republican, Mr. Bouie decided it was easier to wear the GOP label in a GOP district then to run as a Democrat. No Mr. Bouie, it doesn't work like that, Democrats run for office as Democrats and Republicans run as Republicans. I had the privilege of being the Republican nominee for the Arizona House in 2000 in a Democratic safe district. I didn't win but I didn't lie to the voters either, I was a Republican and had been for over 18 years, therefore I ran for the office as a Republican, not as a Democrat.
Republicans may not have heard of Tony Bouie but he does have some friends that are very concerned with blocking sanctions against employers who illegally hire undocumented workers. An invitation for a July 17th fundraiser for Mr. Bouie had some well known names on the host committee. Many on the host committee members are also members of an employers group called Wake Up Arizona, which was organized in response to the passage of The Legal Arizona Workers Act, which provided for sanctions by the state of Arizona against employers who knowingly hired undocumented workers. Those that are listed as members of both Mr. Bouie's host committee and the employers group formed to oppose employer sanctions are: Mac Magruder, who heads the Wake Up Arizona group and owns McDonald's fast food franchises; Andi and Jason LeVecke, who owns Carl's Jr. fast food franchises; Jim Click, a Tucson auto dealer and big political donor; Steve Chucri, president of the Arizona Restaurant Association; Gordon and Lisa James, lobbyist and owners of a public relations firm. Lisa ran against Randy Pullen, who is known for his strong opposition to illegal immigration, for the chairmanship of the Arizona Republican Party.
Also on Bouie's host committee are members of the legislature who have received multiple contributions from members of the Wake Up Arizona employers group, they are: Rep. Kirk Adams; Rep. Doug Clark, who is chairing Bouie's campaign committee; and Rep. Jonathan Paton of Tucson.
Another supporter of Tony Bouie on his host committee is; Farrell Quinlan, of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer consultant to, Judgement Matters, an independent expenditure committee backed by business opponents of the employer sanctions law that is targeting Mesa Republican Russell Pearce, who introduced the sanctions law, for defeat in his campaign for the Arizona Senate.
Other members of Mr. Bouie's fundraising host committee are lobbyist for interests that profit from cheap illegal immigrant labor, they are: Basilio Aja, Arizona Cattlemen's Association; Bret Jones, Arizona Contractors Association; Rick Lavis, Arizona Cotton Growers Association; Chris Udall, Agri-Business Council of Arizona. The banking industry, that profits from mortgages and auto loans to illegal immigrants are represented on Bouie's fundraising committee by: Austin De Bey, Arizona Credit Union League and; Tanya Wheeless of the Arizona Bankers Association.
Regardless of Tony Bouie's total lack of GOP bono fides, he has received a few interesting endorsements from Republican elected officials, such as: Congressmen John Shadegg; Arizona legislators Pam Gorman, Jim Waring and, Robert Blendu. For some reason Congressmen Mike Pence of Indiana has also endorsed Mr. Bouie. I have no idea why these Republican elected officials would support someone who is a phony Republican and obviously supported by those dedicated to obstructing, by any means necessary, Arizona's Employer Sanctions Law. However, I would not be surprised if those that have endorsed Tony Bouie also received campaign funding from the same people who are funding Mr. Bouie and opposing employer sanctions. In fairness to Mr. Bouie it should be pointed out that the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona has also endorsed him.
Obviously Tony Bouie's candidacy is centered on one issue and one issue only, seeing that those that profit from hiring the undocumented continue to profit from their illegal hiring of undocumented and illegal alien workers. Arizona taxpayers have paid and will continue to pay billions of dollars for cost connected to illegal immigration in our state. Education, health care, law enforcement, incarceration, these are the costs of illegal immigration that those that profit from it don't pay but pass the cost onto the taxpayer.
On August 7 the Maricopa County Republican Party took the unusual step of making an endorsement in a primary election. I'm usually opposed to the party making primary endorsements, however, given what is now known about Tony Bouie, this is a very unusual circumstance. The Maricopa County Republican Party, represented by their elected Executive Guidance Committee, unanimously endorsed for the two District 6 House seats; Rep. Sam Crump and, Republican volunteer and activist Carl Seel. I congratulate and join the Maricopa County Republican Party in endorsing the two Republican candidates in the September 2nd primary in District 6, Sam Crump and Carl Seel, and not the Democrat in Republican clothing, Tony Bouie.
Some in District 6 are pointing out that Sam Crump also received campaign contributions from the LeVecke family, it looks like the LeVecke's made a bad investment, Sam Crump voted for the employer sanctions law.
If this Tony Bouie does fool the voters and gets the GOP nomination and is elected to the Arizona House, I will support his recall and run against him myself.