So called former Arizona Democratic state Representative (dist#29) and Cartwright School Board Member Lydia Hernandez claimed there was no voter suppression on March 22, 2016 while testifying before Arizona Secretary of state Michele Reagan !
CORRECTION: late last night I mistakenly put the name of Lydia Guzman down by accident in the first paragraph instead of Lydia Hernandez’s name. I personally know Ms. Guzman and she is a well known and hard working civil rights ahuman rights activist here in Arizona. I just wish I could say the same about Lydia Hernandez who stated to the effect that she did not believe voter suppression took place during the March 22nd, 2016 Arizona presidential preference election.
My sincerest apology to Ms. Guzman. She is a fearless and compassionate civil rights activist in our beautiful state of Arizona.
She is now running against a real Democrat and Bernie Sanders supporter senator Martin Quezada. I just am stunned that someone like this can run as a Democrat in a minority low income area and try to pull the wool over people’s eyes. Make sure you don’t fall for her crap and vote for Az Senator Martin Quezada.
Is this what our Democratic party has to endure … Republican like Stockholmed Democrats in who can go up to the face of Az. Sec. of State Michele Reagan and state such Republican lite crap ?
The Arizona secretary of state did show up today but… she still like the rest of her political colleagues on both sides of the politcial aisle refuses to call for the resignation of Maricopa county recorder Helen Purcell and Karen Osborne. I personally attended this meeting and asked Mrs. Reagan to call for Mrs. Purcell’s resignation which she has yet to do.
In addition, Maricopa county Recorder and her elections director Karen Osborne have continually over the years called for the enactment of voter suppression laws at the Arizona legislature in the very Elections committee that former Arizona state senator Michele Reagan chaired and who herself (Reagan) sponsored voter suppression laws repeatedly. I testified in addition, to Mrs. Reagan that this horrible voter suppression that took place on March 22nd, 2016 was the first major election held where Arizona did not have to go through pre-clearance with the Voting Rights Act.
There was plenty of press there but we shall need to see what they report if anything. There wasn’t a lot of people there and I had to watch a so called Democrat in the Arizona legislature and on the Cartwright School Board, Lydia Hernandez get up and repeatedly claim that there was “no voter suppression” and in effect almost sound like she was blaming her own constituents. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing coming out of her so called Democratic mouth and had to ask others in attendance who she was. And… to my astonishment she was and is a sitting Democratic member of the Arizona legislature who represents District 29 !
Of course, many of the beautiful people were from the area and related their stories on how their votes were suppressed while Michele Reagan “felt their pain” and put their concerns into the proverbial suggestion box that inside is a paper shredder.
Then an old establishment Democrat got up and lashed out at the independents and claimed pretty much they were at fault because Arizona didn’t shouldn’t allow them to vote in the two political gangs presidential preference elections even though they are already allowed to vote in the partisan primaries.
My testimony on youtube……
In conclusion… the ridiculous old and tired worn out argument being made that Arizona has outgrown its tired old racism has clearly been proven wrong with the last joke and disgrace of an election.
Leonard Clark
Arizona Progressive Activist
4/11/16
leonardclarkblog 
You said Lydia GUZMAN in the beginning and then went to HERNANDEZ later. I looked it up because, you know, I am sure, that Lydia Guzman is a past president of Somos, National Director of LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) -Immigration Committee of LULAC and Executive Director of Respect Respect AZ. She won in 2010 Phoenix New Times Best Pro-Immigrant Rights Activist.
I want to go to Wednesday’s Townhall at the Church of the Beatitudes. A family matter came up on Monday night; otherwise, I would have been there right with you. Thank you for writing about the first Townhall!
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Thank you Joanbe I corrected that this morning 🙂
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I agree with you on the racism. Since 2010 when the Michael Johnson incident triggered him to form the City Manager’s Community Engagement and Outreach Task Force and in 2011 their recommendations included a body cam study outfitting 5% and then in 2015 another body cam study outfitted another 5% THE CITY has not made it known that racism exists UNTIL it was statically shown in the 2009-2014 Officer-involved Shooting that black and brown citizens are being killed at proportionately higher rates. The PPD from 2010-2014 led the nation among the ten largest cities in per capita killings, according to the study by Chicago-based Better Government Association established after the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson. People Demanding Action Community Coalition is meeting with the PPD on reforms, recommending full deployment this fiscal year as has Assistant Police Chief Michael Kurtenbach, but the Mayor and City Manager want to spread the cost of $11 Million over three years. We as concerned citizens have awaited since 2011 for REAL CHANGE and that plan would add three more. NINE years to take a full step in this area to begin building trust as a community. We will have our next meeting at the end of this month where I am sure we will talk about establishing policies for their use.
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The person speaking was Lydia Hernandez NOT Lydia Guzman as you say in the first and third paragraphs! Please change it so it is accurate.
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Thank you JD did it in the morning Lydia Hernandez
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Lydia Hernandez is only in this for herself, I watched her in action for one year when she served as president of Cartwright school board. It was crazy and she was using her position to further herself. We tried to get rid of her, but it didn’t work. Now is back on the board.
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