Letters: Firings need to happen after Surprise's Constitutional violation
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By Jon Forsythe
I am an educated man. I was born in Phoenix. I have lived, worked and retired my whole life in the northwestern metro Phoenix community.
I am a Brophy and University of Arizona graduate. I have spent my life studying the Constitution of America and the history surrounding this living document.
We have entered a sad time in American history and politics. Watch the city of Surprise City Council meeting from Sept. 3, and at 47 minutes and 55 seconds into the meeting, during the public comments concerning the suppression of speech from the previous meeting, you will see City Attorney Robert Wingo checking his phone. What is more important than listening to the citizens of Surprise?
Has Mr. Wingo recused himself and advised the City Council that they need outside legal advice regarding matters involving the free speech debacle due to his involvement as Ms. Citizen named him as being overpaid? To what legal matters did he dispense advice in executive session after the Sept. 3 meeting? To why he did not stop the mayor from illegally arresting Ms. Citizen?
The events surrounding and pertaining to the public comments are horrific. The silencing of speech is America is unfathomable. Surprise Mayor Skip Hall’s complete lack of understanding to the foundational principles of the United States of America, the Grand Old Party and what Abraham Lincoln gave his life for is an American travesty.
Knowing that there were no City Council members that stood up shows their complete lack of respect for a government such as we used to enjoy. The chief of police taking orders from his “boss,” the mayor, rather than the Constitution or the people is showing of the lack of respect the government of Surprise has to the people.
Democracies are open and honest systems of government as the people need to know how to vote. The Surprise government has been the complete opposite.
The people have no idea what is happening currently pertaining to the raid on free speech. For those of you saying they are protecting against a lawsuit, I believe the rights of the people are more important. Plus, First Amendment lawsuits cost cities more to defend than the low-five-figure payouts, typically $10,000 to $20,000.
The first part of fixing a problem is admitting you have one. Mr. Hall, I cannot call you mayor. You need to fire Robert Wingo for a minimum of disrespect to the people for whatever was more important on his phone than what the people had to say.
You need to fire Chief of Police Benny Pina for breaking the trust with the people of Surprise, and then you need to immediately resign to protect the integrity of our republic.
God before country, country before self. Or have our egos become more important than the people?
A true Republican would hand over the government to other custodians that can take better care of it. How much integrity do you have, Mr. Hall?
