Parker Live News from the Parker Strip since 2009.
La Paz County Sheriff Press Release
Recently I have received several phone calls regarding my stance on the political issues in the Town of Quartzsite. People are wondering what I am going to do to “fix” the problems down there. They are also asking if the Sheriff’s Office is supporting one side over the other. In an effort to help the citizens of La Paz County understand my responsibilities as the Sheriff, I have written down some of the common questions that citizens are asking and what my response has been.
Question: Why are you allowing the Quartzsite Police Department to arrest citizens for speaking out during “call to the public”?
Answer: Quartzsite is an incorporated Town with their own Town Council, Mayor, Chief of Police, etc. By incorporating, they have chosen to break away and become independent without having to answer to (most) of the County Offices. The Quartzsite Town Council has hired Jeff Gilbert as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer for their Town. While he holds that position, he oversees the day to day operations of the Quartzsite Police Department. If he or his officers feel that a person has committed a crime, it is within their right and their duty to enforce the law as they interpret it. I don’t see that I have the right to enter their town and second guess the arrests that they make.
Question: We’ve noticed that the Quartzsite Town Government appears to be split into two separate groups. Has your Department supported one side over the other?
Answer: No, we are not supporting one side over the other. We have been asked by both sides to intervene in different aspects of the Town Council meetings and we have declined. There is no need for another agency to come into Town Hall and dictate how Quartzsite conducts their meetings. The only assistance we have provided to anyone was for the safety of the general public and the officers during the Council meeting on July 12th. We had approximately five Deputies in the general area during that meeting in case any protesters became hostile. As it turned out, it was a peaceful demonstration and no law enforcement action was necessary.
Question: Why don’t you go down to Quartzsite and remove the Chief of Police from his position?
Answer: The Quartzsite Chief of Police has been appointed by duly elected Town Council. I do not have the power or authority to go down and remove the Chief of Police.
At this time, the Town of Quartzsite is an incorporated community with an elected Town Council that represents the people. I am not in any position to interfere with the inner workings of their Government. I have faith in our system and I feel that any issues will be addressed with every one’s best interest in mind.
Thank you,
Sheriff Don Lowery
http://youtu.be/KzyL0hBboYU
For your viewing pleasure…
http://www.azfamily.com/news/State-of-emergency-declared-in-Quartzsite-AZ-125394083.html
For 3 days in a row Jeff Gilbert gets owned and exposed for all the world to see!!!
http://youtu.be/hZehUvfFZO4
America is a Police State. The irony of this being reported accurately by Russia Today
http://youtu.be/brPbB5YN018
Mr. Roth,
If America was a police state, you would be one of the first to go, and be living at a gulag in Alaska.
Your exaggerations weaken you view point, then you are not taken seriously, like Billy Wayne. Sorry Billy.
Working on Field btw.
It’s no exaggeration if it’s true. You just don’t know when or where the line was crossed because you agree with the Police State Prison System!
Work harder and smarter on ousting Dan Field. You’re slacking off…
Probably the best blog post I’ve seen on the “Quartzsite Situation.”
http://powerandpolitic.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/the-real-situation-quartzsite-az-from-an-outside-perspective-july-13-2011/
WHEN I WAS IN GRAMMAR SCHOOL, I REMEMBER A CLASSROOM BANNER WHICH READ AS FOLLOWS: 1. IS IT THE TRUTH? 2. IS IT FAIR TO ALL CONCERNED? 3. WILL IT BUILD GOODWILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. WILL IT BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERNED?
YEARS LATER, I DISCOVERED THAT THOSE QUESTIONS ARE REFERRED TO AS “THE FOUR WAY TEST”, AND ARE DISPLAYED AND RECITED AT ROTARY INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AROUND THE WORLD, EVEN HERE IN PARKER.
IN ACTUALITY, THE ONLY QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE ASKED IS QUESTION NUMBER ONE, NAMELY: “IS IT THE TRUTH? IF IT IS INDEED THE TRUTH, THE REMAINING THREE QUESTIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE ASKED.
HERE’S THE PROBLEM. THE TRUTH APPEARS TO BE ONLY A VAPOR IN LA PAZ COUNTY GOVERNMENT. EVEN THOUGH SEVERAL OF OUR SO-CALLED “LEADERS” RECITE THE “FOUR WAY TEST” EVERY WEEK, THE WORDS SEEM TO BE QUICKLY FORGOTTEN THE MOMENT THEY ARE SPOKEN, WHICH IS EVIDENCED BY THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN TODAY.
SUPERVISOR DRUM HAS MADE IT PUBLICLY CLEAR THAT HE CONSIDERS ME PART OF THE “LITTLE NUCLEUS OF CANCER”, ALL BECAUSE I, AND A FEW OTHERS, HAVE THE AUDACITY TO PUBLICLY ASSERT OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. THE QUOTE ABOVE CAME FROM THE LA PAZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR’S MEETING ON JUNE 20TH, 2011, AND IS ENTIRELY REPRESENTATIVE AS TO HOW HE FEELS ABOUT ANYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH HIM. HERE’S SOMETHING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER: WEREN’T THE JEWS A TYPE OF “CANCER” TO ADOLF HITLER? HMMM!
AS WE ALL KNOW, THE LA PAZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS RECENTLY LAID OFF AT LEAST 13 EMPLOYEES, YET RETAINED THE ABSOLUTELY USELESS “PARK RANGER” POSITIONS TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST $100,000 A YEAR TO LA PAZ COUNTY TAXPAYERS. EVEN THOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS COMPLETE AND IRRESPONSIBLE WASTE OF TAX DOLLARS, THIS BOARD CONSISTANTLY TURNS A DEAF EAR TO ANY AND ALL WHO DARE TO PRESENT A REASONABLE OBJECTION.
THIS PAST WEEKEND, ON MY SCANNER, I HEARD DISPATCH SEND THE UPRIVER DEPUTY TO PATRIA FLATS IN REFERENCE TO A GRAFFITI COMPLAINT THERE. THE DEPUTY REQUESTED DISPATCH TO CONTACT THE “PARK RANGER”, BUT WAS TOLD THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO FIRST CONTACT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, BECAUSE THE “PARK RANGER” WAS NOT ON DUTY THAT DAY, NEITHER WAS THE BOARD. SO EXACTLY WHAT DOES THE “PARK RANGER” DO? NO ONE REALLY KNOWS, OTHER THAN HE ANSWERS DIRECTLY TO THE COUNTY MANAGER AND COLLECTS A HEFTY SALARY FOR BASICALLY NOTHING IN RETURN, OTHER THAN PAID TRANSPORTATION FROM CIBOLA TO PARKER AND BACK.
THE THREE LA PAZ COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS EACH DRAW A SALARY OF APPROXIMATELY $64,000 TAX DOLLARS A YEAR. THE COUNTY MANAGER DRAWS APPROX. $107,000 TAX DOLLARS A YEAR. THE “PARK RANGER” POSITION IS PAID SOMEWHERE AROUND $60,000 DOLLARS A YEAR. I’VE HEARD THAT PART OF THAT IS GRANT FUNDED, BUT SOMEONE’S BEING TAXED FOR IT, IT CERTAINLY IS NOT FREE. THE TOTAL FOR THE ABOVE SALARIES IS APPROX. $359,000 DOLLARS.
RATHER THAN SEND 13 MORE FAMILIES TO THE BREADLINE, HOW ABOUT CUTTING THE UNNECESSARY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR’S POSITION AND THE CERTAINLY UNNECESSARY “PARK RANGER” POSITION AND SAVE APPROX. $167,000 DOLLARS A YEAR, OR PUT THOSE LAID OFF BACK TO WORK? OH, I’M SORRY, I FORGOT THAT COMMON SENSE, REASON AND LOGIC DO NOT APPLY TO THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, ONLY SPECIAL INTERESTS.
TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND AN OCCASSIONAL BOARD OF SUPERVISOR’S MEETING, HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT NO COUNTY EMPLOYEES, EVER, SPEAK AT “CALL TO THE PUBLIC” AS TO THEIR CONCERNS AS EMPLOYEES AND RESIDENTS OF THIS COUNTY? THIS IS WHY YOU SEE ANONYMOUS NAMES AND MONIKERS ON VARIOUS BLOGS AND POSTS, WITH VERY FEW ACTUAL NAMES.
THE REASONS FOR THIS SHOULD BE OBVIOUS. AS A FORMER COUNTY EMPLOYEE OF OVER 20 YEARS, I TOO WAS RELUCTANT TO SPEAK OPENLY, FOR FEAR OF REPRISAL. I NEEDED MY JOB, SO I DID NOT SPEAK OUT. WELL, NOW IT’S MY TURN! OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE WATCHED THOSE IN HIGH PLACES, EVEN AT THE LOCAL JUSTICE COURT, AS SPECIAL INTERESTS WERE GIVEN PRIORITY OVER OTHERS. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
ON PAGE 5 OF THIS WEEK’S PARKER PIONEER, THERE IS A “NOTICE OF TAX INCREASE”, TELLING TAXPAYERS THAT LA PAZ COUNTY IS INTENDING TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES. THE ARTICLE USES THE WORD “PROPOSED” THREE TIMES. IT ALSO SAYS, IN PART:…“THE INCREASE IS…”, INDICATING THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS GOING TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING, SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2011, AT 1:30 PM AT THE BOARD ROOM.
ONE-THIRTY PM. PERFECT TIMING AS USUAL! RIGHT WHEN MOST PEOPLE ARE WORKING AND UNABLE TO ATTEND. HOW ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN IN THE EVENING? LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THE TIMING OF THIS MEETING IS STRICTLY BY DESIGN, AS ARE REGULAR MEETINGS. THE BOARD COUNTS ON A SMALL TURNOUT, SO THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO FACE RESISTANCE FROM THE PEOPLE.
MARK MY WORDS…THE TAX INCREASE WILL TAKE PLACE, MEETING OR NO MEETING! WATCH! PROOF ONCE AGAIN THAT TAXPAYERS IN LA PAZ COUNTY HAVE LITTLE OR NO EFFECT ON ANY PREDETERMINED OUTCOME. RENTERS, THIS AFFECTS YOU TOO. AS YOUR LANDLORD’S TAXES GO UP, SO WILL YOUR RENT.
EVERYONE THAT POSSIBLY CAN, SHOULD ATTEND THIS MEETING ON AUGUST 1ST. CARPOOL IF NECESSARY. PLAN NOW ON HOW YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET THERE. THIS BOARD HAS ALLOWED THIS 14 MILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT TO BECOME WHAT IT IS TODAY. THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO FIND THE MONEY WITHOUT BREAKING OUR FINANCIAL BACKS TO PAY FOR THEIR IRRESPONSIBLE DECISIONS.
SEE, THE “FOUR WAY TEST” DOES NOT APPLY TO LA PAZ COUNTY!
NOTE: PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST ACCURATE CORRECTIONS TO THIS LETTER.
KING CLAPPERTON
LA PAZ COUNTY TAXPAYER…PAYER…PAYER…PAYER
FOR AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON THE LOSS OF LIBERTY, TYPE: “MICHAEL BADNARIK ON LIBERTY” ON YOU TUBE. ENJOY!
Here it is King….
http://youtu.be/m68lUe40nXI
Wow, King — What a letter! Bravo! What has been mentioned here by you and by others — is there a move to remove Field? How can I find out more about what’s happening?
Willow,
You need to speak to “M”. He claims he’s working on Dan Field. I dunno though, I don’t really think he’s doing anything. Be careful, there’s lots of “plants” in politics!
Maybe he’s changing though, he just burned his former drinking buddy Billy Wayne above
May I start of off with Sheriff Lowery, it is not your job to take sides but enforce the Constitution and laws of the State of Arizona in and for the County of La Paz, Arizona as you are the Top Law Enforcement Officer for the County of La Paz! That sir includes the Town of Quartzsite when you have received complaints that any of its Police Officers or even Chief of Police has violated the law. You have the power to investigate, present the results of that investigation over to the County Attorneys Office to take before a Grand Jury whom will either dismiss the complaint or indict.
I will agree with you that you can’t interfere with such items as the Arrest of Michael Roth or Jennifer Jones at the times of their arrest, however, it is your responsibility to make sure that proper procedures are conducted by any agency that uses your jail to house their prisoners. It is NOT your job to interpret the laws or the QPD officers. The Courts of Arizona and U.S. do that. This is one area that every Police Academy instructs it recruits in during their training. Please keep in mind that when any police officer makes a false arrest, violates any persons Civil Rights, or bends the law unlawfully it IS your job to second guess and act upon any proper complaint made to your office. To do no less makes you an accessory to that criminal action as one “Under Color of Law.”
It is well know that Chief Jeff Gilbert is a personal friend and that you two worked together at one time. I find nothing wrong with this as I have had the same honor and love seeing where old partners and friends have made the grade to Chief of Police or County Sheriff. It is a long and hard road to make it their. Rest assured though that if any of them came to me to cover up any of their breaches in enforcement of the law they would find no friend! I would first advise them that I couldn’t cover or overlook the abuse of power nor would I allow any of my Deputies not to respond and take such reports.
Sheriff Lowery, it is a documented fact that Chief Jeff Gilbert did contact your County Dispatch to STOP a 911 call and then had a La Paz Sheriffs Deputy investigate it as a false report. This has been done several times to my knowledge and you have gone along with it. Anyone that lives within the Town of Quartzsite is still a resident of La Paz County. They pay taxes to La Paz County and must follow the laws of that County as well. As such, it is your duty to step in when such complaints are made, document such complaints and pass them along to the County Attorney’s Office for such actions as he determines and NOT appear to the residents of Quartzsite as a good friend of Chief Jeff Gilbert covering for a friend at the cost of the law and your honor as Chief Law Officer in and for the County of La Paz, Arizona.
Paul, you are correct on many points! However, the Sheriff is a gambler and prefers to gamble with the rights of the citizens of Quartzsite for political points. (he does it in the rest of the county too but nobody stands up to him so it goes largely unnoticed.) After all, the common misperception about Quartzsite is we are all nuts and we should just shut up and do whatever the man with the badge and the gun tells us to do. That’s how it’s done in the rest of the county and we’re the crazy ones for not going along with it. This is also how the county has gotten itself into the 15 Million Dollar Hole it has dug for itself. The citizens are apathetic and tend to believe what they read and hear in the Parker Pioneer and on KLPZ. So the Sheriff and the Board of Supervisors and George Nault, and all of the other psychopaths in government get away with it. The only way the situation is going to change for the better is for more people to get involved in their local government like we do here in Quartzsite.
As with all investigation into the truth, it will end in the investigation of Sheriff Lowery at some point in time. Protecting Chief Jeff Gilbert by breaking the law will not save Sheriff Lowery from the “Perk-Walk” when he is arrested. How much of a friend does Sheriff Lowery thinks he has in Chief Jeff Gilbert when faced with a very long prison and he can cut a few years off by ratting out Lowery?
WOW, read it from the Arizona Republic! They just don’t care…
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2011/07/17/20110717quartzsite-arizona-political-feud-continues.html#ixzz1SNOJOTa5
Sheriff Lowery,
I feel it necessary that I must respond to your disingenuous and flat-out dishonest claim of not supporting the thugs in Quartzsite. You do, if through nothing more than turning a blind eye to the problems that YOU have allowed to exist in Quartzsite. You support the thugs presently running Quartzsite through your willingness to “not see” what they have been doing.
Sir, I don’t have to doubt whether you know what is going on or not, for I DO know you know. The reason I know is that I wrote you a letter, eight pages long in fact, that detailed many of the problems existing in Quartzsite. You may have forgotten, but I have not!
In that letter, I spoke of Police Chief Jeff Gilbert covering up statutory rape by one of his officers. I spoke of election fraud, supported by none other than the Chief of Police. I spoke of Chief Gilbert being involved in intimidation of those that challenged existing council members in what is supposed to be fair and honest processes, and using his authority as the Chief of Police to intimidate, to harass, even his attempts to intimidate voters at our voting place. I spoke of more than one of his officers lying to gain entrance to a private homes.
I remember stating several of these issues. You state you have not taken sides. I say you are a liar! You, through your inaction, clearly have taken sides.
Sir, you, through your willingness to “overlook” are clearly part of the problem.
While I am a snowbird, I consider Quartzsite my home. Further, I am fortunate enough to be able to pick and choose when I am willing to tolerate 100 degree plus temperatures, but being able to do so does not make me a second class citizen and you have NO right to ignore an eight page complaint, addressed to you, asking for outside investigations into corruption in one of YOUR towns.
Shame on you for now attempting to distance yourself from the problem now coming to light in Quartzsite. You sir, ARE part of the problem. What your press release really says is that now that the Quartzsite thugs are self-destructing as their behavior comes to light, you want to cover your a** when you should have been instead, covering these very likely, significantly criminal activities by the town council and police department in Quartzsite.
Shame on you!
Sheriff Lowery, maybe you should listen in to the segment of Info Wars during an interview with Mayor Ed Foster. It start at about 11 minutes 30 seconds into the interview and Mayor Foster talks about his brother getting the Sheriff arrested along with several of the County Supervisors for corruption. Are you next? Is your friend Chief Jeff Gilbert worth spending time in your own Jail before being shipped off to a Federal Pen? Do the right thing, the legal thing and back the law.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8REtqB-dyo&feature=related
WOW, TWO HABOOBS IN THE PHOENIX AREA. WHAT A DISASTER FOR THE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE HEALTH PROBLEMS. ACCORDING TO A RECENT NEWS ARTICLE, MARICOPA COUNTY IS EXPECTING AN ADDITIONAL 3,600 CASES OF VALLEY FEVER TO BE REPORTED IN JULY AND AUGUST. HERE IN LA PAZ COUNTY, WE DO HAVE OUR HIGH MONSOON WINDS EVERY YEAR, BRINGING DUST AND MUD RAINS, BUT WE HAVE A MUCH GREATER PROBLEM THAN METEORLOGICAL DISTURBANCES. WE, UNLIKE MARICOPA COUNTY, HAVE OUR VERY OWN DANGEROUS AND FISCALLY UNHEALTHY BOARD OF HABOOBS. IT SEEMS THAT WHENEVER THEY GET TOGETHER, THEY CREATE DISASTER FOR THE TAXPAYERS OF LA PAZ COUNTY. WITH THE THREAT OF A SANDSTORM OR HIGH WINDS, MOST OF US MAKE SURE OUR VEHICLE WINDOWS ARE ROLLED UP, PATIO CHAIRS AND UMBRELLAS ARE SECURED, TRASH CANS AND PETS ARE BROUGHT IN, ETC. WE DO OUR BEST TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND OUR PROPERTY FROM THE DAMAGING EFFECTS OF THE STORM. EVEN THOUGH WE MAY STILL HAVE TO CLEAN UP AND MAKE REPAIRS, USUALLY THE DAMAGE WILL BE MINIMAL, IF WE MAKE OURSELVES READY. AS VALLEY FEVER, STIRRED UP BY A WIND STORM, IS DEVASTATING TO THE HUMAN BODY, SO ARE THE IRRESPONSIBLE AND EXPENSIVE DECISIONS STIRRED UP BY THE LA PAZ COUNTY BOARD OF HABOOBS. IN ORDER FOR US TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR ANOTHER ONSLAUGHT BY THIS DAMAGING HUMAN STORM, WE MUST ALL PLAN TO ATTEND THE UPCOMING PROPERTY TAX MEETING, LAST KNOWN TO BE SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 1, 2011, AT 1:30 IN THE AFTERNOON, AT THE BOARD ROOM IN PARKER. LIKE ANY STORM, WE CANNOT STOP IT NOR TURN IT AWAY, BUT WE CAN LESSEN ITS EFFECTS BY BEING PREPARED. IN PREPARATION FOR THE PROPOSED TAX HIKE, EVERYONE THAT POSSIBLY CAN NEEDS TO ATTEND THE MEETING. I SUGGEST THAT PEOPLE TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE A 3 MINUTE LETTER TO PRESENT AT “CALL TO THE PUBLIC”, IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO SPEAK AT ALL. AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THIS TAX HIKE HAS PROBABLY ALREADY BEEN DECIDED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, AND THAT THIS MEETING IS JUST A FORMALITY. IN ANY CASE, WE ALL NEED TO BE THERE, WE ALL NEED TO “BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES”, BECAUSE THE HABOOBS ARE COMING AGAIN.
KING CLAPPERTON
LA PAZ COUNTY TAX PAYER…PAYER…PAYER
JULY 21, 2011
Here’s the answer to the Sheriff problem! Too bad we didn’t have a sheriff like this guy….
http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2011/07/05/grant-county-oregon-the-solution-to-tyranny/