Photo courtesy of Saban campaign

   For some reason I can’t explain, I got quite a laugh when I first saw this photograph of Dan Saban, Democratic candidate for Maricopa County sheriff, riding high (low? sideways?) in a decked out Smart Car. So I thought I’d share.
   The Saban campaign sent out the photo with a news release about how Saban’s attitude toward fuel economy reflects the fiscal responsibility he would bring to the sheriff’s office. I don’t discount his sincerity. But I sure hope Saban doesn’t think sheriff’s deputies are going to be catching any criminals by chasing them in one of these vehicles.

Dan Saban 

   Opinion writers at the Tribune were informally discussing Wednesday the story about Gov. Janet Napolitano taking $1.6 million in funding that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been using for illegal immigration enforcement. One question I had: Where is Dan Saban, the alleged Democratic challenger to Arpaio’s fifth term as sheriff?
Saban has been remarkably quiet as a candidate, given that he has been working for more than five years to defeat Arpaio, a Republican, at the ballot box.
   I don’t see Saban standing next to Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon or Guadalupe Mayor Rebecca Jimenez when they complain about Arpaio’s illegal immigrant sweeps. I don’t see Saban standing next to Phoenix attorney Michael Manning when he claims the county jails are so poorly run that inmates are routinely dying in Arpaio’s custody. In fact, I don’t see Saban much of anywhere, other than occasional quotes in the Phoenix New Times, which has a full-fledged mission to drive Arpaio out of office.
   If Saban isn’t prepared to instantly react to these legitimate controversies, then what exactly is Saban’s campaign up to? In fact, why isn’t Saban, who has decades of service in Valley law enforcement, among the first to tackle those issues that Arpaio’s critics believe should bring the sheriff down?
   In other words, is Saban a serious candidate or is he wasting everyone’s time including Joe Arpaio’s?
   So it was interesting to find in my email shortly after that meeting a guest column from Saban talking about who should serve criminal warrants, the issue that underlies this week’s feud between Arpaio and Napolitano. Now, I happen to disagree with Saban that Arpaio and other Arizona sheriffs have any unique responsibility for serving warrants and tracking down fugitives. Given the mobility of American society, and our proximity to the Mexican border, this task belongs to every law enforcement agency and should be addressed through broad alliances and task forces. (Just like Napolitano has now ordered the Department of Public Safety to do.) But I respect that Saban is actually speaking out on how he would manage the sheriff’s office differently than Arpaio.
   Today, Saban followed up with an early notice to the media that he will be turning in his signature petitions on Friday to formally qualify for the September primary ballot.
   Maricopa County voters deserve a robust debate about Arpaio’s 16 years in office and whether he should have another term. Perhaps Saban is finally starting to fully engage in that debate.

From left: Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and state House Speaker Jim Weiers at a news conference Monday (Capitol Media Services).

   There go those hopes of seeing the next state budget adopted anytime soon.
Stalled budget talks are likely to get caught up in the immediate fallout from Gov. Janet Napolitano’s decision to take away $1.6 million that Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has been using for illegal immigration enforcement.
   One lawmaker with at least some influence was standing next to Arpaio Monday at a hastily called news conference to protest Napolitano’s act. Another lawmaker who knows a thing or two about state budgets was the primary champion of Arpaio’s funding last year.
   I expect both of them to rattle all sorts of cages in and around the Capitol unless Napolitano does the unlikely and changes her mind about using the $1.6 million to fund a new statewide fugitive warrant task force. Certainly, Republican leaders will try telling Napolitano face-to-face she has to give Arpaio his money back if she wants budget negotiations to go anywhere.
   The governor, a Democrat, has won most budget showdowns with Republicans in the past. Even with the public volatility of the illegal immigration debate, I wouldn’t bet against her this time either. For those who can’t get things done without a deadline, the state budget has to be adopted by June 30 to avoid any risk of violating the state constitution.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio (Tribune photo)

You might have seen the Tribune story Friday about Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio telling Guadalupe that the town has 180 days to embrace his approach to illegal immigration enforcement, or to find a new local police agency. Arpaio dropped this bit of news during a meeting with the Tribune Editorial Board. Arpaio, his top deputy on illegal immigration issues and a pair of publicity handlers came to Mesa to discuss how immigration enforcement has evolved over the past three years at the sheriff’s office. You’ll read more about that in the near future.

But I want to address for a moment widespread rumors that Arpaio doesn’t really run the sheriff’s office anymore. Stories are being told in courtroom hallways and coffee shops that old age has caught up with Arpaio; that he’s lost a sizeable amount of his mental faculties. The rumors continue that Arpaio is largely a figurehead and public face while shadowy assistants are actually in charge, making all of controversial decisions but escaping most public scrutiny. I saw absolutely no evidence of this during our 90-minute conversation with Arpaio Friday. He was firmly in control of the meeting and had a clear understanding of what the office has done on illegal immigration and how that has changed over time. He anticipated questions and never was befuddled or confused.